A HVNDRED Sermons vpō the Apocalips of Iesu Christe, reueiled in dede by Thangell of the Lorde: but seen or receyued and written by thapostle and Euāgelist. S. Iohn: Compiled by the famous and godly learned man, Henry Bullinger, chief Pastor of the Congregation of Zuryk.
¶ Newly set forth and allowed, according to the order appoynted in the Quenes maiesties, Iniuntions.
¶ Thargument, wurthines, commoditie, and vse of this worke, thou shalt fynd in the Preface: After which thou hast a most exact Table to leade thee into all the princypall matters conteyned therin.
Anno. 1561
TO THE RIGHT HOnorable Syr Thomas Wentworth knight Lorde VVentworth Lorde Lifetenaunt of the Quenes Maiesties Countie of Suffolk. &c. Hys singular good Lorde and Master. Iohn Daus his obedient Seruaunt wissheth health and peace in the Lorde with thincrease of honor and dignitye.
IF we waigh and consider aswell this present pece of Scripture intitled the Reuelatiō, as also the whole body of the same (Ryghte honorable and my singular Lorde) we shall fynde that the trewe Churche of Chryst hath ben euer from the first creation of the world, is now, and still shall be to the consumation therof, subiecte to greate aduersities, persecutions, and troubles, out of the which notwithstanding the Lord when he seeth it good deliuereth and preserueth the same, and suffereth her not to perysh. Wherupon the Romish haue a trew saying, that Peters ship may with billowes and waues of tempestuous stormes be ouer whelmed, but can neuer be drowned, which saying is doubtlesse most true, although thei thē selues sayle not therein, but rather seke to dround the same by ouerfraighting her with the heauy burthen of mens traditions. For certē ly the Shippe of Peter whiche is the figure of Chrystes Churche is in dede ofte tossed and tourmoyled with outragious stormes and tempestes, but can neuer be drenched or swallowed vp of the same. For Christ bothe Master and owner therof, can and wyll, for his mercy & truthes sake appeace all rages at his pleasure. Herin both the Papistes and Gospellers do agree. But whether of them are the trewe Church [...] thys matter is yet in controuersie & hangeth before the Iudg, which this present worke shall discerne and put out of all doubt. And to enter a little into the matter as it were with a certen preamble, the true Churche of Chryste is not called the stony temple wherin we assemble to heare Gods worde, receyue the Sacramentes, and to praye in, for suche are builded with handes, and with handes are destroyed a [...], nether yet is it called the congregation of certen Byshops of al [Page] nations assembled in a generall Counsell, for they all though in the firste lawfull and godly counselles, were many good men and excellent mēbers of Christes Church, yet were they not the whole church which could not erre, and the which had authoritie to make new Articles of the faith, but the Church is called the whole societie of people that acknowledge the Gospell of Christe and beleue in him. And this Churche not to be of one time only but of all tymes & ages, as Adam with Eue hys wife, his sun Abel & his familie was the church, Noah with his familie was the churche. Melchizedec with his familie was the Churche, Abraham also with his familie. Likewyse Isaac, Iacob, Dauid, the Prophetes and Apostles with theyr Auditours that beleued in the Gospell of Christ were the churche, and where soeuer at this daye the Gospel of Christ is receyued and beleued there is also the church of Christ which by a figuratiue speache may be aptly called the Ship of Peter or Arcke of Noe. Now let vs consider the state of the churche vnder Adam, wherof the chiefest member was righteous Abel, but him doth his brother Cain persecute for Religion and slayeth hym And this was the beginning of the tempest that arose aagainst the Ship of Peter, the beginning I meane, of the persecution of the church which shal last to the worldes ende. Lykewyse dyd the churche vnder Abraham suffer persecution by Ismaell, vnder Isaac by Esau, vnder Moses of Pharao, vnder Eli the high Priest the Arke of the Lorde was taken by the Philistines, and then it was thought that the church shulde haue quyte perished vnder Achab and wicked Iezabel, the Churche was not onlye afflicted and sore oppressed, but also in a maner extinguished where the Prophet Helias complayned that he was lefte alone. Vnder Ieremie, the Citie of Ierusalem was destroyed of the Babylonians, and the churche was not lyke then to perish, but rather vtterly lost already, when Christ the head of the Churche, was crutified, it was iudged that the churche had then ben cleane destroied. We had thought (say they) that he shoulde haue redemed Israell, what tyme king Pharao with his host had inclosed the Israelites, that is to witte, the churche betwene the mountaines and the Red Sea, it was lyke that the churche shulde haue perished, but Moses prayed & the Lorde miraculously deliuered them: Againe, the churche semed to be in extreme daunger when Sennacherib spoyled the kyngdome of Iuda, and ment to destroy Ierusalem, but througe the prayer of Ezechias the Kyng, God sent his Angell and distroyed the host of the Assyrians. The church semed to tende vnto ruine, when Herod had killed Iames with the sweard, and minded also Peter, but the congregation contynewyng in prayer, the Lorde sent his Angel to deliuer Peter. And to be short in those ten greuous persecutions which followed immediatly after the Apostles time the church many times semed [Page] brought vnto vtter decay, but alwayes when God saw it good it was reuiued, and as it were refreshed agayne. What shuld I recite the persecutions of the churche in the time of Athanasius wherin the Arrian Bishoppes so preuayled that the Emperour and his whole Armye so persecuted Athanasius, that the good Bishop was fayne to lye hyd in an holle, where he saw no sunne by the space of sixe yeares. And who wold then haue thought that euer the trew churche of Christ shulde haue flourished agayne? I nede not here to reherse the cruell persecutions of the church vnder the Romish antichrist which neuerthelesse haue ben and be yet styll most tyranicall and blouddye. For that the same shall in this present worke more clerely appere, then that I nede to make any discourse therof, only I wolde shewe, briefely as dothe my Author, at large, that Christes trewe churche, is alwayes subiect to persecutions. To thintent therfore to passe ouer many thynges vntouched, and to come nerer our fathers memorye, in the tyme of the Emperoure Sigismunde, there was holden a counsell at Constaunce, wherein, the Bishops so conspired, to extinguish Christes veritie, that contrary to thauncient libertie of a free and general Counsel, and cō trary to the Emperours saufconduit, they not only burned there Iohn Husse and Hierome of Prage, professours of Chrystes Gospell, but decreed also, that the bones of Iohn Wickleffe, sumtime Person of Lutterworth, here in Englande: shuld be taken vp and brent. whose bestiall crueltie, of raging against dead men, our popishe prelacie of late dayes, rightly Imitatynge, as the children of one father, that was a murtherer frō the beginning, practysed lyke tyranny with the bones of Martin Bucer and Paulus Fagius at Cambridge. Such raging surges of late dayes did beate against the Ship of Peter. Blessed be the Lorde Iesus, that hath sent vs a goodly caulme, accordyng to the saying of the Prophet Dauid. The Iuste shall suffer muche tribulotion, but the Lorde delyuereth them out of all. And this is verely the argument & sum of this boke, that Chrystes churche shall suffer greuous persecution, but shall neuer be left destitute. For where the dragon fighteth on the sand, the Lambe Chryst like a conquerour, standeth on Mount Sion, right hable to succour all his, to the great comfort and consolation of his chosen, whiche of necessitie, muste suffer with Chryst, yf with him, we will be glorifyed: And as Christ him selfe, when he was rayled vpon, gaue no euil words again. So is the true church of Christ knowen in this, that it suffereth persecution, and doeth not persecute agayne. Wherfore lyke as wise kinge Salomon iudged her, to be the true mother of the childe, which had suche compassion on it, that she had rather forgo the whole, then haue it diuided and dismembred, & the other to be the harlot, that had ouerlayne her childe whiche had also consented to the death of thother: Right so maye we discerne euidently [Page] the whorish churche of Antichrist by her bluddy persecutions from the true churche and spouse of Chryst, the one with sweard and fyre seketh alwayes to quenche the treuth, the other through the sperite of lenitie, to winne men to the same, the one by compulsion and violent oppression, thother by perswasion: and meke intercessiō, the one by the sworde, the other by the worde, the one goeth aboute to peruert and depraue, the other seketh all meanes, to conuerte and saue. But lest I shulde excede here the iuste measure of an Epistle, and through prolexitie, be to your honour tediouse, which cā (as the prouerbe sayeth) discerne a Lion by his clawes. I will breake of the thred of my discourse, notwithstāding, that the matter is so ample & large, that it wold require an other worke, wherin it is harder to fynde an ende, then it was a beginning, contented by these fewe examples of sondry tymes, to haue signified not to your Lordship, which knowe them much better then I: And haue red this present work in Latin as you do all others right diligently. But through your ientil patience, to the plaine English Reader, that the true church of Chryst hath ben in all ages persecuted, and that this present worke, written vpon the Reuelation of S. Iohn, & into an hundred Sermons digested, declareth no lesse; and is as it were an Ecclesiastical History of the troubles and persecutions of the Churche, especially from the Apostles tyme, vntill the last day, wherin Chryst, the head of the same shall come a righteous Iudge, to condemn Antichrist, and all Antichristian hipocrites & bluddy persecutours: But to receyue his electe people and to crowne them with glory: And shall deliuer vp his kingdome, to his Father, & God shall be all in all. Which worke vnderstanding right well, that it shuld to your honour be acceptable. I dedicate and consecrate to your name, as you best haue deserued. Which in this and other like enterprises, haue ben to me, a golden spurre, that by you all others may receyue commoditie therof, to the glory of God and saluation of theyr owne soules. The Lorde Iesus with his principall spirite, strengthen and confirme youre good Lordeshyp in all youre Godly desires.
From Ipsewich the kalendes of March. Anno. Do 1561.
A Sixain touching the contentes of thys booke.
THE PREFACE OF Henry Bullinger vpō the Apocalips of Iesu Christ setforth by the Apostle and Euangelist s. Iohn, vnto all thexiles for the name of Christ in Germany and Swyserland, of Fraunce, England, Italy and of other Realmes or nations, and generally to all the faithfull where soeuer they be, abiding and lokyng for the cōmyng of Christe oure Lorde and Iudge.
THat this Apocalips was reueled of Iesus christ king of kinges and high Bishop, our lord from the right hand of the Father, and setforth by thapostolical spirite, for the saluatiō of al faithfull chieflye of those that shall be in the latter dayes, before the last iudgment, both the matter it selfe, whiche is treated, right necessary to be knowē, holsom and excellēt, proueth: And also the simple maner & meane, wherby it is handled being euident and plaine, declareth. I will speake of ether briefly, Collectyng those thinges only, which seme to be more profitable and more necessary.Iohn .xvi. The Lorde had sayd in the Gospell, how he wold ascende into heauen, and frō thence wold send to his Apostles the holy Gost, the comforter, which shulde leade them into all truth, and shew them the thinges that ar to come. And that which he sayd he wolde do in wordes, the same verely hath he also perfourmed in dede aboundantly. The holy Gost beyng sent to his Apostles, which induced them into all truthe, and opened to them the thinges that were to come, especially to the Apostle and Euangelyst. S. Iohn, who receiued this Reuelatiō, exibited to him of Christ, from the ryght hand of the Father, by the mistery of an Aūgel, in the holy Gost, who also by Chryste his commaundement, committed the same to wryting. The summe and ende of the which wryting is this:The summe & ende of the Apocalipse. That Christ Iesus our Lord, wil neuer fayle hys churche in earth, but will gouerne it with his spirite and worde, through thecclesiasticall ministery. But that the church it self, whilest it remaineth in this worlde shall suffer many thinges, and that for Chryst and the truthe [Page] of his Gospell professed. And it openeth al and singular euils in a maner, that the church shal suffer, shewing how it must be exercised with common Calamities, as warre, plage famyne and suche other lyke, What it shall priuately suffer of the false bretherne through heresies, schismes and greuous and continuall stryfes, contentions & corruptions in the matter of religion: Finally how terribly it shulde be vexed by the most cruell persecutions of tholde Romane Empire, And laste by the wicked crafts & extreme Tyranny of Antichrist. Al the which thinges apperteyne to this ende, that all the chosen being sufficiently warned before, and prouided, in all ages whilest this worlde shall indure, may with true faith alone, cleaue vnto Christ our redemer, king and high prieste, only and eternall, and may purely and syncerely professe hym, call vpon him, in the innocencie of lyfe, serue him, and patiently attend after him, commyng to Iudgemente, and to delyuer and saue the godly: But contrarywise, that they dispise all superstitions and the worlde it selfe with those his sondrye religions, felicities and pleasures: and bewar of al vngodlines. And chiefly that they flee Antichrist which shall com in thende of the worlde, vsurping to himselfe most vniustly the kingdom and Priesthod of Chryst, and greuouslye persecuting the churche of Christ, euen to the laste Iudgemente. In the whiche at the laste he with all his adherentes, shall be throwen downe hedlonge into Hell.
And. S. Iohn beginneth this holsome matter of Chryste hymselfe,The fyrste Chapter of the Apocalips. Lorde, king and high Bishop, whose wonderful and most goodly description, after the Apostolicke maner, he placeth in the very begynnyng, as the foundation of the whole worke. The same descriptiō dooeth so [...]ately setfoorthe the Lorde, that all the churche may easely know,What thinges are treated in this boke, & in what order. dispersed throughout the whole worlde, in Chryst oure Lorde all thinges to be accomplished, what so euer he had sayd before shulde be fulfilled in him, namely that he shulde be exalted, one to the ryghthand of his father, into all celestiall glory, power and maiestie & there to be kinge of kinges, of all other most mightye, and the true and only hygh Byshop. Sauiour gouernour, Lorde and generall defendour of the Catholycke churche. For blessed. S. Iohn not only saw him such him selfe, but also exhibiteth him such, to be sene of vs all in thys hys wryting so godly, by a most bryght and goodly vision. And moreouer to thintent it myght be knowne to vs all, in what sorte our Lord Iesus Chryst, king and priest sitting or working in Heauen on the right hande of his Father, is neuerthelesse in the middes of the catholycke church, wherof he hath a faithfull care, how louingly and fully he preserueth it, & in best order gouerneth it. S. Iohn sheweth in this his vision, that Christ walketh amonge the seuen golden candlestickes, & holdeth in his right hande, seuen starres. And streyghtway declareth what thing he vnderstandeth by the candelstickes and starres, calling the candelstickes churches, and the starres, Aungels of the churches. That is to witte,Seuen churches. Messagers, ministers and pastours. For the Lord chose vnto him selfe seuen famouse churches in Asia, with whom he treateth nowe generally and compendiously, vsing S. Iohn for hys [Page] interpretour: which he doth perpetually in all churches throughoute the world, and will neuer cease to do tyll the worldes ende. For the seuenth number, whiche is most vsed in this boke,Chap. 2, and .3 and is the numbre of fulnes, comprehendeth in it all churches. Wherfore S. Iohn doeth so propounde, moderate, and temper all thynges that he treateth with these seuen churches, that they may be applied vnto all the Churches that shalbe in the worlde, vntyl the worldes ende, for theyr learnynge and edifiyng. And for the same cause, these seuē churches may be exā ples of all other churches. For loke what thing then, did please or displease the Lord in those seuen churches, what tyme these thyngs wer reuealed: the selfe same in all other churches, shall please or displease him, so long as the worlde shall laste. And as he wolde haue those instructed and taught: so wyl he that all and singular be instructed at all seasons. Therefore in these seuen churches we haue examples of churches moste excellent in dede, and of God derely beloued: And agayne of moste corrupte, meane also, and finally mixed. And in these al is shewed, what is, or shall be, the disposition, maners and vertues of all the churches in the whole world, and of al tymes and seasons, likewise the vices of them and remedies of the same. Therfore the Lorde in these instructeth, reproueth, chideth, threatneth, exhorteth, comforteth, promiseth. Wherfore in these we shall see, as it were in a table set before vs, what the true and ryght doctrine of the churche is. And againe, which is the false and the corrupt doctrine. We shall heare and learne, that the churche beloued of God, must stande styll in the preachyng of the Gospell, once receyued of the Apostles of oure Lord Iesus Chryst: and muste loke for no new, nor other mo doctrines, and to haue no nede of other Reuelations: For the churche ys already instructed with a most complete doctrine. There is it taught also, what we ought to do with corrupte doctrines, and teachers. And where it is easy to fall into vices, this boke doth dilligently and plentifully minister medicines, teaching, how the churche falling downe maie be set vp and repared againe: And here it treateth much of true repentaūce, of the fruites of repentaunce, of the duties of Saincts or of very good workes. Moreouer, it exhorteth the afflicted to patience and constantie, and to the confession of Christes name, withoute feare, and to all godlynes: many times settyng forth the most ample rewardes of god, And also affirming that tourmentes are prepared for the disobedient and reuoltes. By this waie & meane. S. Iohn sheweth to the church how our Lorde Iesus Chryst being in heauen, on the righthande of his father, in the meane tyme, & neuerthelesse worketh in the middes of the congregation of his faithful, inspiring, quickenyng, kepyng and gouernyng it. And agayne, how the church liuing in this world, may l [...]ue notwithstanding in Christ, and be quickened of him, of whom it dependeth wholye, whom only it regardeth and in whom it is preserued. And who wyll not acknowledge this handlyng of the matter, to be all together Apostolicke, and right well grounded in the doctryne of Chryst? But in the worke it selfe, all and euery thynge, shall to vs be muche more euidently declared.
But where as Christ in the Gospel hath said, that the church his welbeloued spouse, shulde be exercised with sondry afflictions, in the whiche notwithstanding,The church is subiect to tēptations & persecutions. he wolde neuer faile her: Nowe in dede frō the right hand of his Father, he recompteth moste plentifully and in a most goodly order of all the dollefull destenies of the churche, to thintent that whilest the churche is subiecte to sundry euilles, she may remember these thinges, and coumfort her selfe, lest she beyng discouraged with aduersitie, she begin to doubte of the good wyll of God towardes vs, and fall againe to Idolatrye forsaken, into the errours of theyr Fathers, and into the slippery pleasures of this worlde: but rather that she go forewarde in the Religion of Chryste once receyued, that she holde on throughe constante patience to professe Chryste, to cleaue vnto him vnseparably, that at the length we maye also be ioyned with the same, in ye heauēly countrey. Which is verely the marke and ende of our lyfe, & the course of all faithful in this miserable world. Howebeit,Chapter .iiii. wheras in the calamities and persecutions of the faithful, and in the felicitie & triumphing of the infidels, the minde euen of the holyest seruaunt of God, is sore moued, and greuously tempted, before he come to declare the heauy and miserable destenies of the church, he setteth foorth vnto them, a moste beautifull type or figure of the reuerende, holy▪ and euermore blessed Trinitie, wherin is setforthe, to be sene of theyes of all men, the vnspeakeable wisdome of God, power & maiestie, the iuste gouernement of the same, and holy iudgement in all thinges: And is also declared, that almightie God the father, by that Lambe, that is, by hys sun, our onely redemer, in the vertu of the holy Gost, doth gouern well althinges, what soeuer they be eyther in heauen or in earth. And also the very destenies of the churche, which are written in the boke of his eternal prouidence, closed with seuē seales. There appereth the Lamb of God,The seuen hornes of the Lambe. Chap. v. setforth with seuen hornes: That is furnished with most ful power aswel princely as priestly, the greatest of al, and in all the most absolute. The Lamb receyueth, that boke of the ryght hand of hym that sitteth in the Throne, and vndoeth and openeth in order those seuen seales. For he receyueth of hys father all power, bothe in heauen and in earth. And that the Lambe alone openeth those seuen seales, it conteyneth a swete mistery, and ministreth a singular comfort to the faithfull. For where we beleue, that the Lābe of God, our redemer Iesus Christ doth loue mankind so excedyngly, that neyther in heauen nor in earthe, maye any thyng be founde, that loueth vs more intierly: And now see the very same, and none other to open the seuen seales,Seuen seales. which opened, sondry calamities issew out by and by, into the worlde: Who wold double, the same to be sent to him for his health, since they are sent not without his prouidence and disposition, who directeth al thinges for the saluation of his chosen? vnto all the which thinges, that notable matter is added, that al the spirites Angelicall, thelders also, and all heauenlye creatures, worshyp God and the Lambe, prayse and commende his righteousnes, and for his excedyng good gouernement, geue him immortall thankes. For therof we miserable mortall men, inuironed with synful fleshe, ought [Page] to learne, that we shuld acknowledg also, the iustice of God in all hys workes and not mumer at his gouernement and most rightfull iudgmentes: but rather to worship God, to submit vs vnto him, to prayse his righteousnes, and geue thankes for his moste holy gouernmente, and to crye with the prophet, thou art iust O Lorde, in all thy wayes,Chap. vi. and holy in all thy workes. These thinges, being on this wise promysed, and the mindes of the faithfull, thus instructed and prepared, in the opening of the seuen seales, seuerally is accompted and rekned vp, what and how greate euils shuld inuade men, from the which not somuch as ye faithful liuing in this world, shuld be free. Wares, slaughters, famine, pestilences are recyted, and suche other lyke plages: Agayne persecutions, seditions,Gospel or Consolation. and a great deale worse then al these the seducyng, and distroying of men through corrupt doctryne.
But because this boke of the Apocalippes, is most euangelicall & apostolical, it mingleth doubtles in all that declaration, often tymes ioyfull thinges with sorrowful, and comforteth the faithfull excedingly, in moste and greatest daungers. And therefore in the calamities,Chap. vii. troubles, euils and corruptions declared hitherto, the Aungel of God is brought in, who marketh the elect of God, in theyr foreheades: and all they in dede, throughe the goodnes and custodye of God, are saued from perdition. And of these are accompted innumerable thousandes. Wherby we learne that the mercy of God is moste ample in sauing of men: and that we ought to hope well, of the saluation of oure elders,We must hope wel of the saluation of oure forefathers. wherof though the most part lyued vnder the corrupt tyme of Papistrie, yet followeth not thereof, theyr saluation to be doubtfull, at the least euen for this cause, that we see, that God had, & hath his church at all tymes, euen when they be most daungerous: To haue hys sealed, to haue suche as worship hym, whiche like as in times paste, haue not bowed theyr knees to Baall. Al the which through his vnspeakable goodnes and mercy he hath saued from perdition, and mercyfully clensed, from all corruption.
And out of the seuenth seale,Seuen trompets. Chap. viii. are brought consequently seuen trō pets, by the which are denounced greuous conflicts of the faithful and infidels. Yet before that these things are expounded, Chryst is shewed before the Throne of God, making intercession for vs. And to him are the faithful sent, in their perils, to craue helpe of him, succour, and deliueraunce. And the Deuil, master of lyes, bloweth the one, sente to his men: Againe the holy spitite of God, soundeth the trompet to the Sainctes. They ioyne together in battell here, the godly and vngodly, the disciples of the pure, and of the corrupt doctrine, the soldiours of Chryst, and of the Deuil. Here are great daungers, and the minds of the godly ar more greuously afflicted and tempted with peruerse doctrynes in the churche, then with the cruel sworde of tyrantes, and almaner of calamities. Here are sondry heresies resited, which impugne and corrupt the euangelical veritie. And as by the seuen seales he vnderstode al maner of calamities, by the iust iudgement of God powred out vpon the worlde: so vnder the seuen trompets, he comprehendeth al heresies in the world, and pernitious opinions against thapostolical [Page] doctryne. And sheweth that amonges those corrupte deprauations, Mahometrie and Papistrie, did moste excell. He describeth the wanton and tedious clergie of the Pope,Chap. ix. whiche to men is euen intollerable, vnder the kynde of grassehoppers. And Lawrence Valla, a man excellently learned, though he was a Romane borne, and that of a noble house. Where the libertie mete for Christe, was of him more estemed, then so hard and monstrouse a bondage, coulde not refrayne, but inueyghed against the Popish clergie, and said: I verely yf I haue any fayth at all, beleue nothing to be more hatefull, neyther to God, nor to other men, then so greate a licentiousnes of the Clergie in temporall matters. And no lesse euidently expresseth, the Turkishe crueltie, vnder the kind of terrible horses breathing out smoke and fyres. By all the which thinges, he setteth forth the church to be moste miserably afflicted and tormented, vtterly after the same sorte, that we see thē vexed at this day, vnder the moste vnhappie papistrie, & mahometrie.
Againe yet lest any man shuld be in so great euils discouraged, and shuld thinke that God,The Gospel, or consolation. his promesses touching the endes of good and euill men, were vayne, & also concerning the deliueraunce of the faithfull, by the last iudgment. Agayne after the disposition and maner Apostolicall, he annexeth and setteth against all these perilles and calamities,Chap. x. a most strong consolation. For he bringeth forthe, the Lorde Chryst hym selfe confirming by a solemne othe, that doubtlesse an end of all these thynges shulde come: And that God of hys iustice wyll assuredly render rewardes to the godly, and punishment to the wicked. Where he dissembleth not, that Iohn himselfe, shall prophecy again, to write in thapostolicall spirite and doctryne, to kynges, nations, and many people. Moreouer, he affirmeth manifestly that he wyll send in to the worlde,Chap. xi. teachers of the veritie, and of certayne saluation, which also most sharply, shal rebuke the wickednes, and wicked men, of the moste corrupt last age, shall preache Christ, sincerly, and accuse Antichrist most greuously. These he shaddoweth by a figure of two excellent doctours. Whom he saith, for the libertie of preachinge, and constancie of fayth, shuld be most cruelly slayne of Antichrist. But he addeth, that these shall receyue of God, most ample rewardes: And that Antichrist shall laboure in vayne to suppresse by fyre and sworde, the preaching of the Gospell: for so muche as the Lorde shall oftentymes stire vp new preachers, which shal lighten the truth obscured. He addeth furthermore, that many shal daily reuolt from Antichrists kingdom, and that the same finally by the coming of the Iudge, shalbe vtterly brought to nought, and he maketh no conclusion, at this present in this place of the last iudgement of Christ, but differreth thexposition or treatyng of that matter, to an other place more cōuenient, which he treateth in the .xix. and .xx. Chapters. And these thinges hitherto hath he spoken generally of the perils, calamities, contentions, troubles, sectes, and persecutions of the churche of Chryst, whiche shal exercise it from the time of Chryst and his Apostles, to the worlds end. He annexeth consequently, a singular or priuate, and that a plentifull treatise of the most greuous conflictes and persecutions of the church. [Page] For it behoueth chieflye the sainctes, to haue knowne these thynges, that in the veri perilles and afflictions, they may remember this godly admonition, and beare in minde, that the Lorde hathe tolde before,Chap. xii. of the things that they now suffer, who ruleth & gouerneth al things, finally who can and wil delyuer them from al these euyls, when, how, and asmuche as he of his good wyll shall see it good. Firste therfore he propoundeth agayne, generally the partes of this conflicte or strife, a woman clothed with the sunne, crowned, traueling, which is a figure of the faithfull churche: he setteth against her a most fierse and cruel enemie, I say the great dragon, Red, with seuen heades, &c. A figure doubtles of that olde serpente, the Deuill. After are setforth theyr attempts, nature, force and conflictes or fyght.Seuen heads of the Dragon And here again for a cō forte it is expressed the victory of Chryst the head, and of the churche, and members of the same. Afterward the Lord by Iohn, rehearseth, seuerally in the vision, the special instruments or members of the dragon, by the which he assaulteth, and moste cruelly vexeth,Chap. xiii. and werieth the church. And these instrumentes are, the beaste with seuen heades and ten hornes, and the beast with two hornes, that is, thempire and false prophet, and the image of thempire.Seuen heads of the beast. These thynges he painteth out after the Imutation of Daniell so liuely, and (as it is sayd) with theyr owne colors, in the .xiii. and .xvii. Chap, that no man can chouse but fele, and muche more perceyue, of whom he speaketh: verely of the olde Romane Empire, and of Papistrie. He calleth beastes after the imitation of Daniell, cruell kyngdomes or empires. And the thyng it selfe declareth, that our very Lorde Iesus Chryst, the head and king of all Sainctes, suffered and was crucified vnder Ponce Pilate, gouernour of Iuri, but sent thither frō Rome, and gouerning althinges in the name of Themperour Tiberius. Agayne, euery man knoweth that the first persecutiō against the Christians, was styred vp by Nero Emperour of Rome. The seconde by Flauius Domitian Emperour of Rome, which intrapped also the Authour of this worke. And after this we reade of eyght other persecutions or mo styred vp by the residew of Romane Emperours, against the faithful spouse of Christ by the whiche she was cruelly rent in peaces and troden vnder foote. And that for no other cause, then for that she woulde not worship the beaste: that is, that she wold not receyue the superstions and heathen rites of the Romane Empire. I meane the false Gods, and idolatrie of the Heathen. And for that she worshipped one God, alone through Chryst, and cleaued to him & seruid him, after his Gospell. Here therfore are excepted Constance, Constantine, Gracian, Theodose, and other godly and christen princes or Emperours, which be not rekened vnder the deuelish beast. For an Empire or kingdom of it selfe, as. S Paule sayeth, is of God: wherfore yf good men rule, and geue not ouer themselues to be ruled of the Deuill, they shall verely appertaine to the body of holy church, and not to the abominable bodi of the beast. In the meane time, whilest that olde Rome wold not seriously repēt, and tourne to Chryst, forsaking theyr false gods and superstitions, at the last it was condemned of Chryst, by the law of like penaltie. For [Page] with the same measure, that the Romanes met to other nations, with the selfe same, did other nations measure agayne to Rome. Wherfore the Persians, Hunnes, Frenchemē, Alemans, west Gothians, Vā dalles, and East Gothians, invaded thempire, & rent the whole Empire in pieces. And at the last, beseged Rome it self, brake in to it, toke it, spoyled, sacked, burnt & destroyed it. And so at the length, the Lord Iesus by iust iudgement, reuenged the bloud of his seruauntes. And Rome lay, and yet lyeth in ruine, and shall neuer be repared to the aū cient beautie. And it behoueth the ruine of it, to remayne in token of the veritie, and reuengment of Christ Iesus: that euen therof al godly may gather, ye God wyll be most true in thother promeses of Christ also as yet not fulfilled. Moreouer the Romane Empire westward, laye neglecte without an Emperoure, aboue thre hundreth and twentie yeares, from Augustulus, whom Odacer a Germane oppressed, til Charles the great king of Fraunce. And in these times of desolation, that is, of thempire oppressed and extinguished in the west. The Bisshop of Rome, began by little and little to gather to him no smal power and possessions, by the authorytie which he toke vpō him vnder the pretence of Chryst and the Apostles Peter and Paule, tyll such time as he began to reygne also.The falle of tholde Empire is the rysyng of a new. But tholde Popes, his predecessours, wer not Princes in the Churche, ruling vnder pretence of Religion: but were ministers of the churche, simple pastours and poore. And Saint Paule prophecied, that of the ruine of the Empire, and destruction of the citie, Antichrist shulde spryng vp. For he sayd, only this holdyng now (or, only thys let that now deteyneth) tyll it come to passe that it be taken a waye, and then shall that wicked be reuayled. He signifye [...] therfore that Antichrist shuld not reygne, com, nor appere, before tha [...] olde Romane empire were taken away. For this being ouerthrowē, that the same See of Rome shulde be erected. For Tertullian, who lyued a thousand and three huddreth yeres past, in hys boke of the resurrection of the fleshe: Who, sayeth he, shall be taken out of the way, but ye state of Rome? whose departing, being dispersed in to ten kings, shall bryng in Antichrist. And. S. Hierom in the .xi. question to Algasia. The Romane Empire, sayth he, which now possesseth al natyons, depart and shalbe taken away: and then shal Antichrist come, the welspryng of iniquitie. The same authours, by Babylon in this boke of. S. Iohn,The two horned beast. vnderstand Roome. And Iohn hym selfe in this boke sheweth, that the seuen headed and mighty olde empire of Rome, being taken away, an other beaste shal aryse, and that with two hornes: that is to witte suche a Prynce, whyche shall chalenge to hymselfe, a double rule or kingdome, fulnes, I say, of power, aswell in thynges spirituall as temporall. And this same doth the whole worlde at thys daye acknowledge to be the Byshop of Rome, decked with his triple crowne (vndoubtedly of the three hornes, which accordyng to the prophecie of Daniell,Daniel .vii. eyther brought lowe, or toke away this base & contemned horne and Armed with two keyes, signifieng hym to be king and Byshop, the most myghty Monarke, in matters spiritual & temporall, Christes vicar in earthe, hauyng full power in Heauen and in [Page] earth. He hym selfe in tymes past, caused men to set vp the Image of the beast: that is, to set vp a new empire, after the Image and the Imitation of the olde Romane Empire. Whych thing after it was begon in Charles the great, a right noble prince, and furthermore auaū ced, and commen from the kings of Fraunce, to the Germans, which in dede were stoute, Godly, and worthye Prynces. The Byshop of Rome was not ashamed in straunge wise to vexe, trouble, excomunicate, depose, and to substitute others in theyr place, & to styre vp wars in many Realmes at ones, and set them together by the eares, so long till those kynges did frame themselues after hys wyll and appetyte, and wolde fall downe to kisse hys fete: And he hym selfe at the length toke vpō him thempire, & publishing his decrees to the whole world, boasted hymselfe to be the Monarche, or soule ruler of the world, who myght at hys pleasure bothe depose kinges, and set them vp in kyngdomes: Finally, that he was supreme iudg in earth, whych may iudg al men, but he hym selfe, may in nowyse be iudged of any man. Therfore lyke as in tholde empire, we sequestred from the cōmunion of the beastes all good men, which were, or liued vnder thempire: so in this new also we do alwayes except the graue and witty, the good & godly men, and al religious people, which mixed among them, not only abyde styll in Chryst, but also eyther abhorre and comtemne the beast, or to theyr power fight against him:The Characte of the beaste. Wherby they come not in the accompt of the beast. And this two horned beast, marketh his worshippers with a Characte: And those that refuse thys characte, he excommunicateth out of al mens company, so that it is lawful for them, neither to by nor sel: Yea more he condemneth them for hereticks & schismaticks, for damned and lost creatures. If thou confesse thy self now to be a Christian, and professe with a syncere and loyall hart the belefe or crede of the Apostles, & one holy church of Christ and of al saincts, and dost not aboue all thinges confesse the Pope to be Chrystes vicar in earth, with the fulnes of power, and the Romish churche, which is the mother of all churches, and can not erre: thou shalte seme as yet to haue confessed nothyng, but shalt be sayed rather to be suspected of heresy, and therfore to be more straytely examined. This thing can not be dissembled, for it is knowen to all men in the whole world. But to thintent, we shuld not erre in a matter so nedefull to be knowen, and that we might more easely flee Antichrist once knowne.The nombre of the name of the beaste. S. Iohn also addeth the nomber of the name of the beast, 666: by the whiche we verely come to the name, or knowledg of Antichrist. For if we accōpt from the settyng forth of the Apocalips, syxe hundreth threscore & syxe yeres, we shal come to the yeare of our Lord .763. To the same time, I say wherin the Bishop of Rome, forgettyng his humilitie, simplicicitie, pouertie and also his office and ministerie, set his mynd to beare rule, and receyued exceading great rewards of king Pipine and of other Princes, and prepared him selfe away, wherby afterward he climeth to the high dignitie of thempire. Which thynge in the worke it selfe shall appere more playnely out of historyes.
And as he did once or twise before, so now also. S. Iohn after the [Page] Apostolicke maner comforteth the afflicted and faithfull Churche, least haply in this distresse and continuall persecutions of Antichriste it shoulde falle,Comforte. Chap. xiiij. and shoulde thinke that religion and the church were cleane forsaken. He sheweth therfore, howe cruelly so euer bothe the ten horned beaste and the two horned beaste do rage, yet stondeth the lambe neuerthelesse in mounte Sion, not as the Dragon in the sāde: And that Christ, hath in this wicked worlde polluted of Antichrist, his chosen churche, which he will moste faithfully preserue euermore and mainteyne, he addeth, that howe muche so euer the beast coueteth to haue the sacred and holye preachinge of the Gospell oppressed, the Gospell shal neuerthelesse be preached, and that clerely, and that Babylon shall certenly falle, and the churche of Christe be established. He addeth moreouer for a comforte, that the soules of Saints that at in daunger or suffer for Christe, do assuredly and streightwaye flitte from this corporall death to eternall lyfe. Agayne, that the Lorde is ready to take vengeaunce of all his enemies, & to requyte them aboū dantly, which he sheweth trymly by ye parables of vintage & haruest.
Of the rewards &, punishments of good & euyll.And these things handled on this wyse, he procedeth to declare dilligently, not the laste place of thys booke, of thendes of good and euyll, men, of moste ample rewardes to be geuen to the worshyppers of Christe, and of moste greuouse paines and tormentes to be inflicted to the adherentes of Antichrist. Men of no smalle estimation sticke in these things doubtefull, and the common people herin erre more than shamefully: whilest for the present felicitie of the wicked and continuall miserie of the Godly they doubte whether paynes be appoynted for the wycked, or so greate rewardes for the godly. For euen for thys cause fewe kepe theyr standynge, and more laugh at Chryste and hys woorde, and imbrace the presente pleasures of thys present woorlde, followynge the more happie and victoriouse parte.
Chap. xv. Seuen vials.Therfore blessed Saint Iohn, not wythout cause (the Lorde commaundinge him) bestoweth very muche diligence in declaringe these thyngs exactely. And firste after hys maner he bringeth foorthe seuen Aungels, hauynge cuppes of the plages of God, and thaungels come out of the temple: signifienge the iudgements of God in punisshynge the wycked to be most ryghtuouse. And the seuenth nombre comprehendeth agayne all maner, and the most ful plages of God. The Aungels powre out these vialles vpon the Antichristianes,Chap. xvi. the enemies of Gods woorde, and the hard harted that can not repente. For God moste rightuouse plageth the impenitēt woorlde with sondry tormentes: reseruinge yet more greuouse then these, to punishe them in the woorld to come.Chap. xvij. But especially he exhibiteth the iudgement that is to witte, the punishement of the harlot in pourple, I meane of the Pope and the beaste, to be sene. Firste he brought foorth an honeste and noble matrone, to witte, the very spouse of Chryste: Nowe as it wer by opposition he setteth against her a proude whore, that false newe start vp Romishe Churche, who extollinge her selfe braggeth more of her outwarde apparell then of inwarde furniture. And he affirmeth that she shall perish for her greate offences, lyke as [Page] it is euident that tholde beaste was torne in pieces and burnt. And that strompet that is called the whore of Babilō, sitteth on the beaste. For Rome is the seate of the same church that is called both the Romane and most holy church. Wherby all men maye see that S. Iohn hath spoken so skylfully, that he hath as it were pointed with the fingarre (as they comonly saye) whom he meaneth, and of whō he speaketh, doubtles thauncient wryters, as I tolde you a little before, vnderstoode by Babylon Rome it selfe. But afterwarde he discourseth at length the destruction of Babylon wyth a maruelouse plentye of playne woordes, as it were powringe out a certen fludde of eloquēce:Chap. xviij. and compendiously collectynge all amplifications and figures that beautifie the speache, which are any where to be founde amonges the Prophets. But by the way he placeth among these, certen most pleasant thyngs of the mariage of the lambe,Chap. xix. and of the bryde preparynge her selfe to the mariage, and of the certenty of the saluation of ye godly and what maner a thinge that blessed felicity is. Whiche finished, he descendeth immediately to ye same laste iudgement, whiche I suppose is no where els in the whole scripture, as it is here not only so described, but also painted out with liuely couloures. For here is described the persone of the Iudge comynge to Iudgement with his saints & with greate power and gloryes. There stonde against him the ranks of his enemies breathing most cruell thinges againste the Saints of God. By and by succedeth the most terrible iudgement, but yet most iuste. For the false prophet is throwen downe into hell, downe is the beaste throwen, and down are cast all wycked and impenitent persons. There is shewed here moreouer the iustice and equitie of thys vniuersall Iudgement in thende of the worlde,Chap. xx. wherin is punishmēt taken of all persones of what nation, religion degree or state & sexe so euer they be, that are sequestred and alienated from the true religion of Christe. Where both the resurrection of the dead is touched, and the processe of the whole iudgement, is figured. Herunto he annexeth a most ioyfull disputation of the blessed lyfe, shewyng firste generally, what it is, and that it shall most certenlye be geuen to the faithfull, by the which treatise most strongely is beaten downe the distruste or diffidence that is naturally greffed in vs. After pryuatly and plentifully vnder the Type or Image of a most beautifull Citie,Chap. xxi. xxij. he shadoweth after a sorte, the place & palace of the blessed, omitting vtterly nothing at all, that is either ioyouse, cōfortable, delectable, or preciouse, which he affirmeth not to be in ye court celestiall most aboundantly & worlde without ende. Notwithstāding we know well inough that touching the ioy to come albeit s. Iohn hath hitherto spokē neuer so largely, yet hath there nothīg be sayd worthy so greate a matter, wher both ye prophetical & Apostolicalscrip. saith, yt which the eye hath not sene, nor ye eare hath hard, nor yet hath ascended into the harte of man; the same hath God prepared for those that loue him. But those things whiche I haue hitherto drawen into an abridgement (the title and conclusion of the woorke omitted, the order of the booke shewed also by the way). S. Iohn in his Apocalypse deliuered by Christe (as ofte I [Page] haue said, through the ministery of a most excellent Aungel, commendeth to the vniuersall Churche of Chryst, and chiefly to vs, in whom thende of the world hathe chaunced: wherin he hath taught nothyng at all contrary to that, which he hath taught in his euangelicall story, and his epistles.The doctrin of the Apocalypse is the apostolicall doctrine. Iohn .v. In his story he resiteth certen thinges, concernynge the persecutions of the church, by the wordes of our Sauiour Christ Of Antechrist nothing, vnlesse he sayd this only, which many vnderstode to be spoken of Antechrist: I came in my fathers name, and you receyue me not. If an other shall come in hys owne name, hym ye wil receyue. In thepistle, he touched by the way Antechristes matter, & sayde:1, Ioan.ij. dere children, the last tyme is at hand, and as you haue hearde, that Antechrist shall come, euen now many Antechristes haue begon to be. But in this last boke of his. S. Iohn toke vpō hym to declare peculiarly, and in dew order and plentifully, such things as oure lord Iesus Chryste, had distinctly and playnly reuealed to hym of that great Antechrist, and of the perills and persecutiōs of the church. And for that cause he appereth to haue vsed more plētiful copie, and a kind of speach, better furnished, more painted, variable and polished: so that it is no maruell, though the phrase of this boke vary somewhat from the style of his other bokes. Wherof we shal touche somewhat also, in this that followeth. In the meane time you wil say, there wanteth nothing in this boke, if you way euery thing more dilligently, whiche you shulde require of a boke moste euangelicall and apostolicall. We haue in the same, not only expressed, but also well expounded the chief articles of our belefe. Moreouer, innumerable places of the prophets are expounded in this boke. For the whiche cause this. S. Iohn was called of Iohn Decolampadius,The apocalypse is the paraphrasis of the Prophets. not without cause thexpositour of the prophets. And as the Apostles had this peculiar to themselues, to cō firme such thinges as they taught, by the wrytinges of the prophets: So in thexposition, of the boke it shall appere, that this holy wryter. S, Iohn, hathe either borrowed all his thinges of the scriptures, or to beautifie and confirme his writhinges by the scripture.What excellent and profitable things ar treated in this boke Bat chiefly this boke of. S. Iohn setteth forth the kingdom and priesthode of oure Lord and sauioure Iesus Christ, the power, glory, and maiestie, of his deitie and humanitie, the mistery and veritie of his redemptiō. And I doubt, whether after the Gospel there, may be founde in anye other boke of the scripture more goodly and more godly & fit descriptions of Chryste. Neither do I desire, that credit shulde be geuen to these my wordes, let the triall be made of the thinge it selfe. Yea the church also, the chosen spouse of Christ is painted out most beautifully, and she with her vertues and vices is touched, also the fall of her, and likewise, the reparation and reformation, and the conflict or fight of the same: here be moreouer described the perils, ayde, and victories: that you may seme to haue herein, an abridgemente of the story of the church. Moreouer, it appereth by this boke what is the true and sincere doctrine in the church of God, & which is false & corrupted. Furthermore it sheweth vs also sondry descriptions & figuratiōs of matters most weyghtie, but first and chiefly of that honorable Trinitie, of [Page] Chryst also (as I said before) our sauiour and iudge. Finally protectour and president, gouerning all thinges most iustely & in most goodly order for the saluation of his chosen, watching ouer his worde, and ouer his church, and ministers of the same: Iustifieng also, sanctifieng and preseruing all the faithfull, in the felowship of the churche: Punishyng lykewyse all the wicked, with all superstition and vngodlynes. Briefly no where neglecting the chosē, no where sparyng thenemies. Besides this it setteth forth to vs, the description also of the Deuil, & of al his mallice and warre: And setteth before oure eyes also, the horrible torments, and paynes that they suffer in hell. It setteth open to vs heauen it selfe, and sheweth what may be the hope of the faithfull: And affirmeth the true resurrectiō of al flesh. In this boke is taught, how great is the grace and mercy of almighty God, howe rightuous he is & true. Here is taught, what is the true repētaunce of the faithfull, here are taught the true good workes of the true faythe, what be the duties of true pietie, and what be the holy exercises, dew & to God acceptable of Sainctes in earth. Here are shewed also most diligently those wicked dedes, whiche are to God most hatefull. Here is shewed most plenteously, what shal at the length be thend of good men and euyll, what shal be the souerayne felicitie, and what the extreme misery and infelicitie. In somuche that this boke maye euen by the thinge it selfe or matter, that it treateth and setteth forthe, commende it selfe to all godly people, and may shew and proue in dede, that it was writtē by the spirite of thapostle.
Now all these matters are setforth and handled after the Apostolicke maner, and accustomed facion of holy scripture,By what meane and in what sort these are setforth. playne and ful of perspicuitie. At the beginning God propounded diuine matters, and the which concerned our saluation, as it were vnder a veale, and vnder figures, not to thintente to darken or obscure them: but rather to vnfolde them and set them foorth. For this maner of declaryng inuisible thyngs, by visible, is more fit to teache, more mete to moue, more apt for perspicuitie, and most conuenient and sitting, that things may be more depely imprinted in minde, and the lesse fall out of the same. And therfore we rede that sondry visions, were exhibited to the Patriarches, as to Abraham, Israell, Ioseph, Moses and others. Certes yf you take frō the bokes of the Prophetes, the visions, parables, and sundry figures of speache, how much, I pray you, shall you leaue of theyr doctryne? emongs these, be more notable in visions, Ezechiel, Daniel, and Zacharie. Neyther is thys maner of teachyng by visions, parables, and sundry figures, takē away in the new testament, lyke as I haue shewed els where. The very story of the Gospel doth figurate and teache most thinges by parables. And. S. Iohn himself in his Gospel, is veri much in the mention of light, darknes, of bread, water, of a Sheperd, and shepe, and suche other lyke. In the meane while I am not ignorant, howe great a difference, there is betwene parables, Metaphores or Allegories, and visions: But who agayne knoweth not, that in teaching, and setting forth of matters the maner of either to be after a sort al one, and of the same effect? For they serue [Page] for plainnes and perspicuitie. But let suche as think not a misse, that Parables taken of earthly things, differ very muche from heauenlye visions. Consider, how these celestial visions ar exhibited to the Apostle. S Iohn, by Christ now remayning in heauē, and requiring that his seruauntes, hauing theyr mindes lifted vp to heauenly thinges, shuld learne to sauour spirituall matters. Where he yet neuerthelesse hath obserued plaines and perspicuitie.The boke is plaine and may be vnderstand. I suppose verely this boke to be simple and playne to the faithful, that wil read it attētiuely & with deuotion. I graūt that thold expositours of this boke haue sticked ful oft in expounding the same, & could not alwayes wind thēselues out: but in the meane season it is euident, that the same men haue said oftner thē once, that hardely shuld this boke be vnderstand before it wer fulfilled. And in dede to those auncient fathers, the vision of Daniell semed vtterly most obscure. But whē such things wer accomplished, as he had hid vnder figures, there wanted not that sayde, how he had wrytten a story of things don, and not a prophecie of things to be don. And our lord him self also in the Gospel of S. Matthew. When you shall see, sayth he thabomination of desolation, which was spokē of by Daniel the Prophet, stāding in the holy place, he that readeth let him vnderstand. Doth not Esay also in a maner in all his prophecies, after the comming of Christ, and most of the misteryes of the kyngdom of God accomplished, seme likewise to haue compiled a most playn history? And doubtles, if we reade with diligence this same boke of the Apocalips, & confer those things which he speaketh vnder a shadow, with the same that stories testifie to be done: We shall say also, that he telleth plaine histories. I haue verely loued this boke from my youth vpward, I haue gladly red in it, & bestowed much labour, ther vpon, obseruing what things it had out of the bokes of ye prophets, & howe the prophecies herof did agree with thother prophesies of ye prophets, & doctrins of the Apostls. I haue searched finally, after the capacitie of my sklēder wit, diuers stories, which I thought to make for ye openyng of the sence of this prophecie. I haue searched also thopinions of other expositours: And haue diligentli compared domestical matters, which ar don now in our tyme, with this narration of Iohn: of al the which things, and chiefly being ayded by the helpe of God, whiche I called for, I haue gathered such things as I now do cōmunicate here to the godly readers. Hereunto came also the singular learnyng & diligence, and aptnes in expounding the holy scriptures of the most godly man. D. Theodore Bibliander doctour of Diuinitie in the vniuersitie of Zurick,Doctour Theodore Bibliander. who thirtine yeres past, red openly, and to his greate praise, this boke of reuelation: of whō, vnlesse I wold confesse my self to be very much holpē, I were excedingly vnthankful. There remaineth as yet a faithful relation of the same, imprinted at Basyl the yere of our Lord .1545. Wherin he disposeth this boke of. S. Iohn, & geueth a light to it with his scoles. And bothe of thold and new that I could get, I haue red ouer Aretas, the successor of Andreas bishop of Casaria,Who haue written vpon the Apocalips. whose expositions vpō this boke, he allegeth oftner thē once, S. Austen also, bishop of Hippon, and Primasius Bishop of Vtica. Neither haue I contemned Thomas of Aquine, nor dispised the ordinary [Page] glose, as they terme it, of the newer sort. s. Sebastian Meter-minister of the church of Bernes .xx. yeres since, a man of great vertu and learnyng, hath faithfully, and not without great fruite traueled in expowndyng this boke, whose commentaries vpō the Apocalips wer imprinted many yeres since at Zurick, by my frend Froschouer. And D. Fraunces Lambart of Auenion, a most godly and excellent learned man hath laboured in expoundyng the same boke, who had fyrste red it at Marsepurge, the noble vniuersitie of Hessia: And after in the same citie he caused to be printed and setforth, seuen bokes of thexposition therof, the yere of our Lord .1528, Moreouer, there was imprynted at Wittēberg. in Saxony a commentary vpon thapocalipse, written an hundreth yeres past, and sent to D. Luther out of the furthermost parts of Germany, namely out of Sarmatia and tartaria, which I red also: as likewise certen thyngs of D. Leuthers vpon this boke of Reuelation. And here I may not forget the most excellent learned men, and the which haue right wel deserued of learnyng, Erasmus of Roterdame, and Laurence Valla, who haue also lefte theyr annotations vpon thys boke. By all whose labours I confesse my selfe to be very much holpen: whiche I recite franckly for this pourpos, that I would dissemble nothyng, nor seme toffend against ciuilitie, or defraud any man wrongfully of his deserued praise: And therfore wold admonish the godly, that if I seme to any man to haue don any thing in this work prayse worthy, he may know that I haue don nothyng without coadiutours: And that he refer thys whole benefite to God thauthor and fountain of all goodnes, & geue hym thanks therfore. And al these thinges of myne I propound to be iudged of the godly readers & auditours, that they may take that shall seme good herin: and where I seme to haue erred frō the right rule, they may eschew the same. Neyther wil I contend with any man, neither will I enuy better learned, or better exercised, wherof som haue promised already commentaryes vpō this boke if they shal bring forth better thīgs: yea, I am alwaies ready my self, not only to receiue better thynges, but also to geue them thanks that offer the same. In the meane season I put out my talent, which I haue receyued of the Lord, that I may win som lucre with it for my Lord. And I beseche the Lord that he wold prosper it wel, and blesse thys my simple trafficke.
Here moreouer I take God to witnes, that I haue takē this pain, for no priuat hatred towards any man, for no desire of raylyng,That these cō cions are frēdly wretten. nor for any intent to procure any mās displeasure: but simply to expound this excellent and right profitable boke of the new Testament which haue lately with my commentaries setforth al the residue of the boks of the new Testament. And besides all this, many godly & learned men out of sondry places, in their letters writtē to me, haue required my expositiō vpō the Apocalips. To whose iudgmēt sins I gaue very much, I did in dede more easely consent to this editiō. And wherin ye meane time the hatfull cause of Antichriste (as many men cal it) came in the beginnyng of the worke to be handled, I neyther ought, nor myghte dissemble it.
Moreouer, this is playne, that I haue brought forth nothing in this matter, that is new, straung, or hath not ben heard of: nor that I role this stone alone. Now al the world crieth out, that no other antichrist shall come into the world, then he that is commen already in the Bisshops of Rome: Who shal in the meane time be slaine with the sword of God, his word in the harts of the faithful, and shortly shalbe wholy abolished, by the glorious comming of Christe vnto iudgement. If I shall suppresse and conceale this thing, the stones wyl cry out. For now is the time fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is cōm [...]n. Blessed, and for euer blessed be those,Theldest and most common doctrine is that the Pope is Antichrist. Gregory the first Pope. that watche and loke for Christ vnto saluation. Ireney an holy Bishop sayde, a thousand and foure hundred yeres sins: Antichrist where he is but a seruaunt, will be worshipped as God. Tertullian and. S, Hierom, (as I haue said now oftner thē once) haue expounded this prophecie of. S. Iohn touching Babilon of Rome plainly. Gregory the first of that name, who was also Bisshop of Rome, was not affrayd to pronounce openly, that he was the vauntcurour of Antichrist, that wolde suffer him selfe to be called the vniuersal and high Bishop. But then did the bishop of Constantinople, vsurpe to himselfe this title, who ran before the latter bishops of Rome. And in the, xxxv. epistle to Iohn Bishop of Constantinople. Al thinges, saieth he, that are spoken before are don. The king of prid, to wit antichrist, is at hand: And the which is not lawfull to be spokē, An army of priestes is prepared for him. For they serue in the bande of prid,Arnulphus bishop of Orleaunce. which wer placed to be guides of humilitie. And these things wrote Gregory, nine hundreth & fiftie yeres synce. Arnulphus a mā very godly & lerned, Bishop of Orleance .550. yeres since in the coū sel of Reins, speaking openly of the Bishop of Rome, brake out at the last into these wordes. What thinke you him to be that sitteth in the high seat, in the pourple garment, glistering with gold, whom, I say, think you him to be? Vereli, if he be destitute of Charitie, and be puffed vp, & extolled with only knowledg, he is Antichrist, sitting in the Temple of God, and boasting himselfe, as though he were God. But if he be neyther grounded vpon charitie, nor yet exalted with knoweledg, he is in the Tēple of God as an Idoll. Thus far he: who semeth by these his wordes, to haue alluded to the places of holy scripture. Apocalips .xix.ii. Thessa. ii. Zacha. xi. S. Barnard. Albeit that by reason of the infelicitie of his time, he agreeth not with him selfe in all thinges: Yet inueyhed so against the Pope, bishops, and clergie of his time, that if any shuld at this day, omitting his name, vse his words, he shuld be called the greatest heriticke that lyueth. Where notwithstanding al things ar now more corrupted, thē they wer in ye time of s. Barnard. His sermon which he had to the clergie in the counsell of Reines, remayneth. In his bokes of consideration he is moste vehement, especially in the .ii. and fourth boke. He liued about the yeare of our Lord .1150. In the yere of our Lord 1240. was sūmoned a coū sel of Princes and Bishops at Regenspurge,Eberhard bisshop of Salisburge. and that for the Tirā ny of bishops of Rome, most greuously oppressinge the godly Emperour. Friderick the second of that name. In the whiche Eberharde [Page] Archebishop of Salisburg standing dp. Vnder the Title, fayth he, of the greatest Bishop, we perceiue in a Sheperds clothynge, a moste cruell wolfe, vnlesse we be blind. Bishops of Rome haue war against al Christians, by attempting, disceyuing, & makyng war vpon war, waxing great, they kil and murther the pore shepe: peace and concord they dryue out of the earth, Ciuile warres, & domestical vprores, they coniure out of hell: dayly more and more, they weaken the forces of al men, that they may treade them all vnder foote, may deuoure all, and bring all into bondage. Hildebrād an hundreth and threscore and ten yeres past, first vnder the pretence of religion, layed the foundation of Antichristes kingdom: He first began this wicked war, which by his successours, hath ben continued hitherto. And by and by: The bishops of Babilon, couet to reigne alone, they can not abide theyre pere, beleue me for my experience, they wil not cease, til hauyng brought thē peroure vnder, and the dignitie of the Romane empire dissolued, & the true pastours oppressed, they may on this wise extinguish all thinges, tread al thinges vnder theyr fete, and sit in the Temple of God, and be exalted aboue al that is worshipped. He yt is seruaunt of seruaunts, seketh to be Lord of Lordes, in like case as if he were God. He hathe new deuises in his hart, that he may establish thempire for him selfe: He chaungeth the lawes, & setteth forth his owne lawes: That loste man, whom they are wont to cal Antichrist, polluteth, Robbeth, spoileth, defraudeth, sleyeth, in whose forhead is written the name of reproche: I am God, I can not erre: he sitteth in the temple of god, and ruleth far & nere. And a little after, the maiestie of ye people of Rome, wherwith in times past the world was gouerned, is takin out of the earthe. The kingdome is multiplyed, the gouernment dispersed into many, cut of, lessened, I wyl not say, rent in pieces. Themperoure, is a vayne calling, & is only a shadow. There be ten kings atones, which haue parted the world, which in times, was the Romaine empire, not to gouerne it, but to consume it. The ten hornes (which thing to. S Austē semed incredible) Turks, Greks, Egiptians, affricans, Spaniards, Frence men, Englishmen, Germās, Sicilians, Italians do posesse the Romane prouinces, & in them haue distroyed the Roman inhabiters: And a little horne hath growen vp vnder these, that hath eyes and a mouth speaking great things. It hath brought in subiection especially three kingdoms of Sicilie, Italy, and Germany, & compelled them to serue him, with intollerable tyranny, it vexeth the people of Christ, and the saincts of God, it confoundeth all thinges, concerning God and man, and attempteth deuelish things. And the residew which is to be red in the .685. leafe in the seuenth boke of Auentines cronicles, which in the yere of our Lord .1554. were printed at Ingolstad, by themperours priuilege, out of the which I wrot word for word al that I haue hitherto recited in ye name of Eberhard Archbishop of Salisburge. About the same time,Abbot Ioachim. Fraūces Potrarch. liued Abbot Ioachim of Calabria, who likewise calleth the Pope, Antichriste, and setforthe thapocalips with prophetical pictures, & scolies in Italiā. Fraūces Petrark, a man excellently learned, & most worthy mortall fame flourished [Page] about the yeare of our Lorde .1350. Who also least suche wrytyngs behynd hym agaynst the See of Rome, against the court there, and agaynst the Pope, that yf they wer comparde with these things, whych in our tyme .D. Luther wrote most bitterly against Rome, he may seme to be vtterly vāquished of him. In the .xx. epistle, he calleth the Popes court, both Babilon, and also the whore of Babilon, syttyng vpon the waters, the mother of all Idolatry and fornicatyon. There is moreouer a learned boke of Marsilyus Patauinus,Marsilius Patauinus. writtē for Lewis the .4, Emperour, agaynst the Pope, wherin he inueyeth sharply against the bishop of Rome, and his tirannicall lawes. In the same age, to wyt two hundreth yeres past, flourished also Micael Cosenas,Michell Cesenas. general of the Minories, who openly accused the Pope as Antichryste, and the church and See of Rome as the whore of Babylon dronken with the blod of saincts. An hundreth yeres since liued Laurence Valla, a gentleman of Rome of a noble house, who also obiected him self to the Pope and the Romish See,Laurence Valla. Hieronimus Sauonarola. for the which cause he was dryuen into exile: but of the kyng of Naples, he was honorably receyued. Moreouer, Hieronymus Sauonarola of Farrare. an excellente diuine and Philosopher in hys time, a man in holynes of lyfe (as he is sayde of many) notable, preached openly in Italy, that the Pope was Antychist: for the whych cause he was most cruelly burnt at Florēce by Pope Alexander the sixt. Thys is had yet in the Fresh memorye of men, where it was don about the yere of our lord .1499. Yet Iohn Fraunces Picus, Counte of Mirandula calleth the same Sauonarola, an holy prophet. Albeit that Nawclerus signyfieth in hys story that he did many thyngs for ambition sake and for vayne glyrye. And Marsilyus Ficinus attributeth to the same Sauonarola the spiryte of prophecye, in a certeyn epistle, Furthermore. Philippus Cōmines an Historiographer witnesseth that he was an holy man, and to haue had the spiryte of Prophecye. For they say how he prophecied of the sackyng of Florence and Rome, and the restauratyon or reformatyon of the church, and of many other thynges that shuld chaunce vnto Italy, whych came to passe there in the meane season. I remembre, whē I was yonge and followed my study in sondry vniuersityes, to haue hearde certen blacke Freers say, that Sauonarola prouoked the indygnatyon of Alexander the sixt, the courte of Rome agaynst hym by nothing more, then for that he preached against them in Italy the Apocalips of S. Iohn. What shuld I say, that the Waldensians foure hundreth yeres past in Fraunce, Itali, Germany, Boheme, Poland, and in other parts of the world, professing the gospel of Iesus Christ, accused the bishop of Rome with diuers wrytings, and continual prechings as the verey Antichrist, prophecied by. S. Iohn thapostle and therfore to be abhorred. They themselues beyng put to most greuous torments, haue constantly testifyed theyr fayth by gloryous martyrdoms, and stil do at this day. For they could neuer be roted out, which thing notwithstanding hathe ben full oft attempted by most myghtye kings and princes, inspired by the bishop of Rome, the wyl of God be [...]g otherwise. But why rehearse I these thynges, synce thys yeare [Page] 1556. was printed at Basill, a register of the witnesses of the veritie,All good men at all times haue spoken against the pope which before our time, haue spoke against the Pope, wherof the nomber in dede is great, and the more parte of them called the Byshop of Rome, with out any prouerbe, that Antichrist, which shuld come into the world? Therfore it is manyfest, that I in this my worke brynge forthe no vnwonted thing, or that hathe not ben heard of before, wher now we do plainly vnderstand that this song hath in so many ages b [...] songen, written, painted, printed, and beaten in of the best, holyest, and most excellently learned men, yea and confirmed to, with the vnmeasurable bloud of martirs. Furthermore, yf any remayne that be desirous of good thinges emongs the bishops or prelates of the churche, & in the clergie it selfe, let thē not be offended with me, in case any where in expounding the Apocalips, I bryng foorth theyr sayings & doings, and compare thē with the Apostls words: Let them rather be [...]ipleased with theyr owne wordes and dedes spoken and done [...]esydes and against Gods word, Let them leaue doing that they do: Yea,Daniel .xii. let them do penaunce, so shall they haue prayse in the churche of Saincts. But yf they hold on euen against their conscience to defend and maintayne their kinde of lyfe, theyr pleasures, theyr riches, theyr honours & dignities, and to accuse, persecute and murther the preachers yf the veritie, as enemies of the church: let them take hede, it chaunce not to thē sodenly, that the Gospel resiteth, of the dronkē seruaunt,Math. xxiiii. who did vexe and beate his fellow seruaunts: but was of the chief Lord him self oppressed, when he thought least of it, and hewen al to pieces.
But yf there were euer any tyme heretofore,Thapocalips in oure tyme is not only profitable but necessary. wherin it behoued to setforth, to vrge, and beate in this doctryne to al the people. This is chiefly necessary to be don in this our tyme. For this age of ours hath in the Popes kingdom, sharpe and quick wittes, which cōmend with maruelous prayses, both the Pope and the popish church, & perswade and dryue into the heads of the sort vnlearned, cleane contrary things to theuangelical and Apostolicall doctryne. Moreouer they haue wō derfull crafts, wherwith the wittier number are also disceaued. They haue welth and riches, authoritie, armure, munitiō, threatnings, promesses and torments, wherby some strong also are made wery, and ar hal [...]d away to the popish parte. There be many without experience, whych esteme not this thing as it ought to be estemed, suche care not, nor passe not what religion be preached, whether it be euangelicall or popish, or what thynge be of eyther beleued, or not beleued. For they suppose all these things to concerne them nothyng. In the meane season many perish and are in daunger, not a few fall away, diuerse stick in perplexitie, and the kingdom of Christ is abbreuiated. For the papistes omit nothing, which may make for reparing of theyr kingdom, and pullyng downe of the kingdome of Christ. Therfore where these fellowes spare in this case, nether paines nor cost, that they may conuerte all thynges to oppresse the faythe of the Gospell, and to dryue the sympler sorte to forsake it: We oughte not to suffer that the Churche, and the symple people afflycted and tempted in the same, [Page] shulde want that comfort, admonition, and doctryne, which in tymes past the lord Iesus him self by S. Iohn, hath prepared for these hard things & times, by reuealing this Apocalips. And in dede these things here haue a singular grace and vertu, which ar reuealed to vs of God. Neyther shal the aduersary and enemy of Christ be ouerthrowē with any corporal weapons, saue only with the sword of Gods word. For now it is nedeful that antichrist shuld waxe vile, & perish in the minds of men, that Christ alone might liue again, and be glorified for euer.
And thys my exposition I haue diuided into sermones, bothe for that I haue nowe,Conefonsor sermones. these yeares of a .1555. and .1556. expounded thys boke to the faithful church of Christ, which I serue, making in a maner these same sermons to the people: and also that being requested, I wold deliuer som copy, to such as wil read and expound the same boke to the churches committed to their credit also. Where not withstanding I admonish the readers, that they loke not for all thines of thys my work: or think that these things are to be rehearsed word for word to theyr auditours. For certen thinges, which I propounded to the people for the consideration of the time and place, I haue not setforth in these my sermons, studieng much, for breuitie: And other thynges, namely such as concerne the conferring of tongs, and the kind & maner of speakyng, and such other lyke, I rehersed not to the congregation: but haue written them here in my sermons, to the profit of those that wyl confer these things together more dilligētly. It shal be the part of the preacher to haue a respect chiefly to such thynges as make both for the plaines of speache, that he may be vnderstand, euen of the grossest sort: and also for the edifyeng of the audience, that he brynge nothyng, that shuld little profit. Let euery man therfore applye these things to the edifieng of the church where he is, hauing consideratiō of the place, time, and persons: Yet alwayes obseruing the true sence of the boke or of Gods words. For violēt wrestings, and long digressions far from the pourpos, deserue no prayse in preachynge: or what tyme swaruing ouer muche from the playne sence of the scripture, we boult out I wot not what mysteryes.
The dedicating of the worke.And all this work compiled not without my great labour & trauel, but chiefly by the grace of God, to the glory of Iesu Chryste, and written to the saluation and confirmation of his afflicted churche, I dedicate to you banished men, as many of you as comyng or driuē out of Fraunce, England, Italy, & other realmes and nations for Iesus Christ and the gospels sake, dwel in Germany, Swisserland, & other places, where God hath permitted you: And also I dedicate this my worke to all you, which dispersed in sondry realmes and nations, are consecrated only to Christ our Lorde, loking for his coming to iudgement, In the which we shall vndoubtedly be delyuered at the last frō all euils, and then shall be made that long loked for, and in al ages and most fortunate restitution, most expressely & constantly promised, both of the prophets and Apostles.Actes .iii. And surely your Godly zeale, banished brethern, which had rather forsake your countrey, then the Gospell, & to want your temporal cōmodities, then to be polluted with a religiō [Page] estraunged from Christe, deserueth no small prayse.Iames .i. Math. xxiiij But you haue nede of constancie, and wonderfull patience, that after you haue ben tried, you may receyue the crowne of lyfe, which the Lorde hath promised to them which perseuer vnto thende. The heauenly regeneration doeth not so chaunge vs, but that some doubtefull & trouble some dregges of olde Adam remayne. Therfore alwayes the regenerated fele sundry temptations, and harde conflicts: then especiallye, when suche things chaunce as they had leaste looked for. The godly therfore had euermore nede of consolation. But this booke of the Apocalypse doeth minister the same with greate plentie: whiche if you wyll reade ouer diligently, you shall finde all things that happen to you, & that vexe you nowe with painefulnes, to haue ben already so prophecied in this boke, as they nowe come to passe. Whereunto are added oftentymes most comfortable and swete consolations. Moreouer ye are not ignoraunte right honorable and dere bretherne, what chaūced to oure fathers the holyeste of all others. Howe they wandered in mansions vncerten, and howe they demeaned them selues in those most paynefull flittings, you vnderstande me to speake of Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, and Ioseph: whose peregrinations out of Chaldey into Palestine, from thence into Egypt, and agayne into Palestine, & from thence againe into Syria, and agayn into Palestine & Egypte, are well knowen to the whole worlde. Nowe what bannishements and perills abode that woorthie seruaūt of God and most excellēt prophet Moses, is not vnknowen so much as to those that be ignoraunte in matters of antiquitie. Whose faith the vessell of election S. Paule commendynge: By faith (saith he) Moses when he was greate,Heb. xij refused to be called the sonne of Pharaos daughter: And chose rather to suffer aduersitie with the people of God, then to in ioye the pleasures of sinne for a season: And estemed the rebuke of Christe greater richesse, then the treasures of Egypte, for he had respecte vnto the rewarde. What shall we saye that our Lorde Iesus Christe hym selfe was constreyned in his infancie to flee into Egypte, euen from hys swaddlynge cloutes teachinge his to suffer exile: who is red also in the Gospell to haue sayed: Foxes haue holes, and the byrdes thayre haue nestes. But the sonne of man hath not wher on to reste his head.Dan. xi. Of Antechriste we reade in dede that Daniel prophecied: whom who so will acknowledge, he will promote him to greate honours and make him the lorde of many, and shall distribute the earth for mony. Contrarywise we shall heare in the .xii. chapter of this Booke, that both Christe and the Churche his spouse, suffer greuouse persecutiō of the dragō: That Christ is takē vp into heauē, a blessed hath opened heauē also for ye fartheful: And there sheweth a place permanēt countrey, to them that haue in maner no habitation in earth. From thence he will come to Iudge the quicke and dead, and to assumpte vnto hym the faithfull into ioye euerlastynge, and to geue them what thyngs so euer he him selfe in the Gospell and the Prrphets and Apostles haue promysed. Of ye which most [...]mple hope this boke of Apocalypse most plentifully and goodly discourseth, instructyng all that desyre to heare [Page] certayne things and most full of comforte vnto all you therfore exiles and godly throughout the whole worlde, desyringe the comynge of Christe our Lorde and iudge of all, I offer and cōmende and dedicate this my labour. Receyue it with louing minds: which I setfoorthe to non other ende but that (fleenge Antichriste) you shoulde cleaue to Christe alone, fixinge all your truste in him alone, where we loke already from heauen for the selfe same Lorde,Philip. iij. whiche shall chaunge our vile bodye, that it maye be lyke fashioned vnto his gloryouse bodye, accordynge to the woorkynge, whereby he is able to subdew all thinges to hym selfe, he blesse vs all, and brynge vs in that daye, into the sight of hys father: that we maye see hys glorye, whych he had before thys woorlde was made, to him alone be glorye.
From Zurick, the moneth of Ianuarie, in the yere of our Lorde. 1557.
An Index or table of the most notable thinges and wordes conteined in thys work.
- ABbadon. 265
- Abominable parsons. 643
- Abomination is Idolatry. 512
- Abrahams Bosum. 198
- Absens & presens of Christ. 284
- Accusacion of Christ is for amē dement. 56
- Acknowledging of beleuers by God. 109
- Adding or minishinge from the script. 695. &c.
- Adoration externall and inward. 153.
- Aduersities remedies. 385
- Aduersitie conforted. 27
- Adultry Nicolas fault. 60
- Egypt for Rome. 327
- Affians of mariage. 563
- Affliction is fourfold .64. is sum tyme for tryall .68. is felt of the godly & vngodlye also. 487 is comforted. 27
- Age last corrupt. 599
- Aid of ye Turks pernicious. 275
- Air figure of holsū doctryne. 253
- Alarik captain of the westgoths 526
- Alleluya. 559
- Al shal not be saued, but the faith full only. 221.222.454.456. 628.
- Alteration figured by the moone. 349
- Ambassadore of the Pope. 493
- Amen. 124.125
- Amendement of lyfe, requyreth &c. 56
- Amires Princis of Mahomete. 273
- Anabaptistes .662. &c. wourthy to be sharply loukt vnto .290 theyr counterfeit paciens. 53
- Anadyplosis. 453
- Anathema. 696
- Antichrists beginninge .387. holines .111. kingdū cōtinews til the worlds end .221. shall haue an end .451. foundacion therof laid by Hyldebrand .415. hys palace where .618. his power. 388. his speach .389.390. hys subiects .421. he shall wourship God with gold and siluer .511. he hath reined, & Christe shall reine .339. shalbe slaine, howe. 318. his seat betwē ii. seas. 508 he is set forth by the Prophets 1. he ouercumeth and killeth. 323. &c. he is lyuelye painted. 348. his tyme .434. his vaūtcurror. 388
- Antipas martired .77. is praised. 77.
- Apocalyps neglected of manye, why .2. made by Iohn theuangeliste .4. approuid by iudgement of many olde wryters .5. oght to be commended to all men, 697. to be known and not hid .680. belongeth to all ages 30. to the hool church .19. to all churchs .61. serueth chiefly for our tyme .8. is euangelical .214 is gospellyke .284.439. is the last boke of the canonical scripturs why .673. expositiō therof taken out of the scripture .348. doctryne therof, what it is, 1. methode and perspicuitie .233. diuision .10.11. Commodities 676. a prophecie .677. the end therof .14. to know Antichrist and beware .259. whē & wher it was wrytten .26. whens it came .14. doctryn therof is generall. 83
- [Page]Appollyon. 265
- Apostles doctryn perfyt .98. how they are the foundation of the Churche .652. &c. theyr humilitie .28. counterfeited and fals. 52
- Apostolicall Pope, Rome, and sea. 511
- Apparill of the faithfull. 132. to miet the Lord in .565. defyled or vndefiled .107. the vse therof 107. of thehoore .510. of popish priestes .262. of the Antechristians. 316
- Ark of the testament is Christe 345
- Armie of great number. 272
- Armour of the faithfull. 120
- Arrius. 245
- Arrianz. 125
- Asia. 48
- Ascension of Christ. 22
- Asseueration of the scrip. 673. &c.
- Assistauns of Christ. 50
- Attila inuadith Rome. 527.
- Augustinus Steuchus, a papist. 338.
- Augustus began and ended the Roman Monarch. 528
- Aultar signifieth Christ. 197
- Aultar golden .267. is Christe. 236.
- Aungels good and bad .214. are ministers .651. ar mens kepers 486. ar pastors of churchs 45. are fugurs of preachers .446. their excellencie .569. &c. 570. they oght not to be nourshyp. 571.573.175. are our felo seruaūts .572. their office & dewtie 176. they prayes Christe .175. theyr description .175. do differ from blessed souls. 486
- Aungell signifieth. &c. 589. for a hool nacion .271. wourshipped of Iohn. 677
- Aungell of the botumles pit. 265
- Aungelicall heretiks. 177
- Aurelianus. 194
- Babel, confusion. 512
- Babylon title of the Romyshe Churche. 513
- Babylon for Rome. 451.502
- Badge of Antechrist. 422
- Badge of Gods children is faith 422. and the sacraments.
- Balans, token of right and equitie. 188
- Balaams doctryne. 80
- Bankets and masking. 81
- Banishment of Iohn. 27
- Bastards threatened. 94
- Bawl or gloob figure of inconstancie. 655
- Boastings of victories. 274.
- Bear Persian monarchie. 372
- Beast and image of the beast. 515
- Beasts .iiij. sign. al creaturs. 149
- Bed in the script. vsed for siknes wherwith. &c. 94
- Beginning God hath noon. 637
- Beginning of creatures of God. 125
- Beheaded for Christ. 602
- Beleuers who. 109
- Benedict abbot of Cassinea. 269
- Beno a Cardinall againste the Pope. 412
- Bible forbiddē .214. vncorrupted 695
- Bishopriks geuīg wrōgout of ye emperours hāds by the Pope. 416
- Bishops and Priests ol an. 387
- Bishop of Rome head of churchs 519. chief murtherer. 643
- Blak coulor. 188
- Blaming of sines by Christ is for repentaunce. 104
- Blamles lyf not to be trusted vnto. 224
- Blasphemies of the wicked .503. [Page] against ye faithfull .66. of Rome 508 of the Romains iii. wayes 378
- Blessednes of the faithfull, what 568.459 consisteth in ii. thyngs 633. what it is. 230
- Blessed, how they shalbe occupied heuen. 670
- Blessing, what it is .19. for praise 227
- Blis of the soul. 457
- Blis is rest from all labour. 462
- Blok man is not. 135
- Blud in the scrip. 208 betokneth offens and punishment. 319
- Blud sheding of Rome. 557
- Blud how it maketh whyt. 230
- Bludy garment token of a conquerour. 579
- Blyndnes. 128
- Blyndnes cured. 132
- Bookz of lyfe .109.625. of God. 156. open and shut .287. to eat a booke. 302
- Books of the holy scripture most excellēt .232. vncorrupted .695 why they wer put in writīg. 31
- Body humain of Christe in one place. 34
- Boldnes necessary for a preacher 681
- Bonarges. 288
- Boniface Bishop of Rome. 387
- Bosum of Abraham. 198
- Bottumles pit. 252
- Bow. 182
- Bretherne of Iohn and Christe 572
- Brotherhod in Christianity. 26 27
- Brotherhods of Saints. 572
- Bryd of the lamb. 563
- Buls of the Pope. 458
- Buryall denied by papists to the godly. 325
- Burthen taken for doctryne. 98
- Bying and barganing. 130
- Bying and selling forboddē. 424
- Bying and sellyng of pardons. &c 45 [...]
- Called who. 567
- Calling of ministers. 300
- Cādelz watched by chryst. 50. 51
- Candlestiks what they signifye. 46. 34
- Capacitie of man very small. 228
- Cardinals leaders of armies. 260.
- Carpocratytz. 59
- Casting out. 307
- Cat of the mountain. 372
- Cataphrygians. 90
- Cataphrygianz bragz of new reuelacions. 97
- Catholik churche communion of saints. 24
- Cerinthus heretike. 52
- Certentie of the scrip. 674. &c.
- Chalcolibanum. 37
- Chariot of God. 148
- Charitie. 88
- Charles the great renewed the Empire of the west. decaied. 409
- Chastisment of the Lord. 133
- Chein token of captiuitie. 591
- Chein that bynd the deuel, sincere doctrin. 608
- Cherubin. 148
- Children of God who. 109
- Choinix a mesure. 189
- Chosen affiāsed to the lamb. 563
- Chosen people lyuely temple of God. 305
- Christians worldly. 124
- Christ described. 21.124.162.32 283.577.
- Christ hath all power. &c. geuen him .161.165. is king of kings and Lord of lordes .522.581. is owner of all kyngdomes .338. sunne of god .87. God & mā. 87 very God. 36.96.16.137.163. 168.661.675. is very mā. 162 163.42. his power .43. is a lāb 162.440. greter thē Aungels saints. &c. 163.177. Lord of angels .16. was slain from the beginnyng [Page] .382. figured by Aungels .356. by Eliachim .43. is head of the Churche .36. prelat of the Churche .47. an aultar. 197.236. a mighty Angel .284. 236. offreth vp our prayers sitting on the right hand of God. 237. of the same substanse wyth the father coequall .41.42.668 670. is not authour of corrupting the treuth thogh he opē the sixt seal .205. cast out of ye church by the Pope & Mahomet, shall return with glory .283. is not fought against but the lāb. 521 author of thapocalyps .688. very God & lord of angels .689. author of saluatiō .218. begottē in vs .350. no creature .125. our best apparil .108. king & priest 35. trew .112. holy .111. a lyuely foūtain .252. word of God .579 most necessari to be known. 159
- Christ hath charge of seuē cādles 50.51. receiueth things of ye father how .166. shalbe subiect to the father .339. must be honored 449. is not al or sufficiēt to sum 210. is set forth in thapocalyps 9. hath the kei of Dauid .112. is the trew māna .84. fiedeth, leadeth, quikneth. 232 receiueth power & reineth .340. openeth the bouk. 158. knoweth our wurks 64. nieds no vicar .35. hys beginninge .125. his cumming of ij. sorts .223. his cūming to iudgemēt .24. his image setforth 33 his body suffred .268. hys humain body in one place .34. godhed euery wher. 34
- Church descrybed .350. is the citie of God .121. is both mother and doghter .366. is figured by the moon .207. bi a womā. 348 is belouid of God .116. dwels when Satās seat is .73. shalbe in the midst of troubles .305. hydeth it selfe .209. flyeth into wildernes .353. is emong the gentils .365. shalbe alwaies in the world .183. hath alwaies in this lyfe that may be reprehendid .79. traueleth and bringeth forth ij wais .350. remoued, whē 57. the garnishinge therof .510. glorye therof is to cum .648. chief enemies therof .347. hystory therof discoursid. 183
- Churche old of Rome distinguisshed. 542
- Church of Rome, church of Rom &c. 496
- Churchs fallible notz, peas and tranquility. 194
- Churchs how they wer gouerned at the beginning. 387
- Circes of Rome. 512
- Citie great or heuenly. 648. &c.
- Citye great diuyded into thre. 501
- Citye great is the romish church. 510
- Citye of God and name therof. 121
- Cityes greatest commendacion. 650
- Citizens of the kingdum of God, who. 109
- Clamitat in celis vox sang. &c. 198
- Cleannes fygured by fyre. 266
- Clergye compared to locuste. 256.
- Clergie innumerable. 255
- Clergie authors of warres. 260
- Clermont counsel. 613
- Clothed in whyt what they be. 229
- Cloud in the script. 285
- Columnz erecting. 120
- Comfort excieding, in thapocalips 12
- Comfort in tribulacion. 27
- [Page]Committing of hordum in the script. 507
- Commocions. 524
- Commotions and theyr causes. 206
- Commodities of thapocalyps. 12
- Condemned are iustly condemned. 589
- Confessing of beleuerz bp Chryst. 109
- Cōfessing of trespas is beginning of repentaunse. 56
- Confusion of Romishe Religion. 512
- Congregacions how they may be kept. 115
- Consolacion of the faithfull. 305. 306.
- Consolacion in affliction. 62
- Consolation in the Apocalyps. 12
- Consolation foloeth humility. 40
- Constancy. 73
- Constantin emperour abhorred Rome. 383
- Constitucions of man nied not. 299
- Constancie and continans figured by a square. 655
- Constantinoples destructyon. 275
- Constans in faith. 113
- Constitucions of men. 69. 100
- Contemners of the blessed lyfe. 232
- Contencion for tryfles oght not to be. 29
- Contracting of matrimony. 563.
- Conuersacion is our garment. 108
- Copz and gorgious things in the church. 510
- Corn prospering or perishing cū meth by God. 190
- Coronacion of a Pope. 511
- Corrupt doctryns hystorie. 234
- Couetous ryche men are poore. 128
- Couetousnes of the Romains. 393
- Could nor hoot. 126
- Coulor pale sign. &c. 190
- Counsel can not iudge the Pope. 406
- Councels generall. iiij. 268
- Counsel holsum. 129
- Counsel of Clermont. 613
- Counsels of God insearcheable. 380
- Counsels to condemn impuritye, nied not. 80
- Countenanse of Christ. 38
- Cowl of our lady. 132
- Creaturs al submit thē to Christ 178
- Creatures are not to be worshypped. 175.177.678.
- Creatures of Gods beginnyng. 125
- Croun. 183
- Croun of lyfe what. 69
- Croun token of a kyngdum. 349
- Croun, for honor, glory & victory 118.110
- Crosse foloeth Godes worde. 303
- Crueltie of Rome. 508
- Crueltie of Antichrist. 324
- Crueltie of the Romainns. 369
- Crueltie figured by Lyons tieth 262
- Crying for vengeaunse. 198
- Comfort in persecution. 204.333. 326
- Comfort gospellyk, 234
- Comfort againste Antechryst. 285
- Cumming of Chryst of ij. sorts. 223
- Curius inquirie of Gods iudgements. 144
- Curiositie in serching Gods coū sels repressed. 380
- Curiosity repelled by reurrense & submission vnto God. 152
- [Page]Curs banished. 670
- Cursing of the Pope. 399
- Damnacion eternall described. 455
- Damnacion euerlasting. 628
- Damnacion eternall for seducing 584
- Damned are iustly damned. 589
- Damned parsons. 641
- Dauid is called Christ. 357
- Day last or end of the world. 575
- Death of ij. sorts .605. spirituall 103
- Death after this death. 70
- Death for trewthz sake. 69
- Death of Christ. 22.172
- Death geues vp the dead. 627
- Dead ryse again. 626
- Decay and spiedy ruin compared to sand 367
- Decius Traianus. 194
- Decretals .404. decrees and decretalles. 100
- Defectyue reason. 277
- Defence figured by egles wings. 364
- Degrees of punishment. 585
- Decking of the church. 510
- Delais of returning to God. 224
- Delay of Gods help. 118
- Deliuerans in persecutiō. 364. &c
- Deniall of God. 460
- Denyall of Christ and hys gospel many wayes. 76
- Denyall of Christs name. 114
- Derth and famin. 189
- Descending of Christ from heuē 284.
- Desert of man. 248
- Deuill author of ill .185. a sclaunderer .356. vanquished. 591 bound .596. cast out, how. 595 608. where he reygneth .362. his four names .359. &c. wourshiped. 279
- Dioces. 403. &c
- Dioclecian. 194
- Dionysius Alexandrinus of the authoriti of thapocalyps. 6
- Dianaz temple. 48
- Disciplin. 133
- Diseaseas of churches howe they shold be holpen. 104
- Dispair of ill men what causeth. 210.211.212.
- Dispair remoued. 278
- Disposition or order of thapocalyps. 347
- Disputacions clamorus. 264
- Dissemblers .541.66. Iewls warm. 126
- Dissentiō in the church, no news 52
- Distroyers of the earth of diuers sorts. 344
- Distroyer Popes name, 265
- Destruction of reames thrugh reuolting from trewe religion, 271
- Diuersitie of opinions. 98
- Diuinitie of Christ. 64.13 [...]
- Do as ye would be doone vnto, 383
- Doctryn resembled by wynd, by leuen. 214
- Doctryn holsum figured by air. 253
- Doctryn euangelicall shalbe restored. 297
- Doctryn newe is not to be loukt for. 118
- Doctryn of Christ perpetual. 99
- Doctryn corrupted. 205
- Doctrin peruers figured bi smoke 253
- Doctryn new. 447
- Doctrin of Rome new. 443
- Doctryn peruers, is vncleanne [...] of hoordum. 51 [...]
- Doctryn hereticall compared to hail, darnel, leuen, chaff. &c. 242
- Dogges in holy script. 687
- Domz day. 575
- Domitian. 194
- Domitian banished Ihon. 27 [Page] would be called a God. 29
- Donec for euer. 604
- Door open. 113
- Dragon the great. 351
- Dragon fighteth. 357
- Drught and heat. 488
- Drunkennes. 82
- Drunkennes of Rome. 513
- Drawing. 135
- Drawing to God. 129
- Duleia and latreia. 570
- Dwelling emongst the il is daū gerous but not simply wicked. 75.76
- Dying in the Lord. 459
- Earthquak in the script. 206.334.
- Earth helpeth the godlye persecuted .366. shalbe burnt. 530
- Eating of a bouk. 302
- Egles wings. 364
- Elders xxiiij. in seats. 142
- Elders whether they be saued or no. 217
- Electors assigned. 411
- Eliachim a figure of Christ. 43.
- Elias cuminge before the iudgement. 298
- Emperour Client to the Pope. 405.416
- Emperour warring on Gods enemies in ye east, the Pope sets vpon him in the west. 615
- Emperours vnder the beast sum good. 407
- Emperours excōmunicated. 307
- Emperours reins from Charles how long. 411
- Empyre cōuerted from the frēch to the Germains .410. made desolate .418. wurshipped, how. 376. is the image of the beast. 420. new, and image of the old. 403
- Empyres be of God. 380.406. 515.
- End well all well. 223
- End of the worlde .575. most corrupt. 599
- End at hand. 295.500
- Enemies who .119. of the church. 347. of religion .114.116. praid for .199. theyr harmes reioyst. at. 553
- Englands fall reioysed at. 328
- Enoch and Elias cumming. 298 312
- Epicurism in the papists. 308
- Epicurz carlesnes in God confuted. 64
- Epicurs confuted. 502
- Ephesus light of Asia. 48
- [...]. 371
- Equalitie of the citie heuēly. 656
- Errors of saints. 571
- Euerlastingnes of God. 340
- Euerlastingnes signified by griē nes. 142
- Eucharistia, sacrifise how. 237
- Euil vsed vnto the good and profit of the elect. 407
- Euphrates riuer .270. dryed vp. 492.
- Exarchat geuē to the Pope. 435
- Exarchat of Italie. 431
- Excommunicacion. 306
- Excommunication strongst link of the popish tyranny. 307
- Excommunicaion Popes thunderbolt. 399
- Exposicion of the scripturz best alowed. 3
- Eye salue. 132
- Eyes of Christ lyke fyer .578. see all thīgs perfytly .165.87 quik sighted. 36.
- Face of Christ shyning. 285.286
- Face of man sign. 149
- Faces of men for humanitie. 261
- Faith of Rome, mark of the beast 424
- Faith or promis keping .88. consisteth in the cause of ij. mē. 249 requireth fighting and victory. [Page] 640. wher it appereth. 626, is not without the word. 219. necessary in troubles. 385. is the badge of Gods children. 422 441. affects therof. 640
- Faithfull only shalbe saued. 628.
- Falling down is wourshipping. 168. 678.
- Fals prophet a tail. 274. 351.
- Fals profets, wels without water. 483
- Fals preachers figs vntymlye. 208. locustz. 254. 260
- Fals teachers scorpions. 256
- Famin and penury. 189
- Father described. 20. 21
- Fear of God. 448
- Fear of God, what is foundaciō therof. 72
- Fear of God of ij. sorts. 212
- Fear of princes in a preacher, is to be cast away. 368
- Fear that is to be auoyded. 67.
- Fear in professing treuth oght to be banished. 77
- Fearfull. 641
- Felicitie chief to sie to God. 671.
- Felicitie of this worlde no dew estimacion of religion. 323
- Feruencie in godlines is necessary. 55
- Few good at Sardis. 107
- Fiet of the Pope kist. 521
- Fiet lyk bras. 87
- Figs fals prechers. 208
- Fight against wyckednes lefull. 119
- Figurs vtilitie and profit. 2
- First and socond death. 70
- First fruits. 444
- Flattery figured in a tail. 351
- Flight from Rome. 540
- Fluds of sectes, discencions. &c. 365
- Foundacion of the church. 652
- Fountain lyuly is Christ. 252
- Forfathers damd or not. 217
- Forgetting of God. 624
- Forgiuenes of sinnes. 23. wherby 247
- Forgiuenes, a whyt stoon. 84
- Forhed representeth the mynd. 220
- Fornication. 60
- Fornication what. 506
- Fornication simple sum take no sinne. 102. [...]03
- Fornication of diuers kinds. 280
- Fote setting on, figureth possessiō 286
- Four sign, many. 214
- Fourth number. 149
- Frailnes of mankynd to fall. 678
- Fraternities of saints. 572
- Frauncis Petratche of Rome. 537
- Frederik Barbaros Emperour trod vnder Popes fiet. 416
- Frechmen defend the Pope. 432
- Frie will. 159. 247. 248. &c.
- Frie willmen confuted, in that Christ is the beginnyng of the creat. &c. 125
- Frie iustification. 639
- Frienes of speach against Rome. 506
- Friely sign. 639
- Friers gray innumerable. 255
- Friers and Nuns. 196
- Frogs for papists. 496
- Furlong what it conteineth. 655
- Fyer sign. Gods vengeaunse. 467. &c.
- Fyr figure of puritie. 286
- Fyr from heuen. 399
- Fyr sent into therth. 238
- Fyr out of preachers mouthes. 317. &c.
- Garments keeping clean. 498
- Garments whyt wer. 229
- Garment to miet the Lorde in. 565
- Garmēts pure or defyled. 107
- Garnishing of the church. 510
- Gats of the heuenly citie. 651
- [Page]Generall Bish. Antichrists foor runner. 388
- Gentilz called to the kingdum of Christ. 20
- Gentils wildernes. 364. 353
- Gentilism broght in by the Pope 393
- Gensericus inuadeth Rome. 527
- Germain princes cōmended. 413
- Germains emperours. 412
- Glassie sea figur of the frail world and brittle. 473
- Glory belongeth to God, & how we shall giue it vnto him. 24. 151
- Glory of the saints. 632. 633
- Glori of the church of christ. 648
- Gnostici. 59. heretikz. 244
- God one. 180. authour of good. 185. no author of sinne. 531. no blok. 342. faultes when we receyue him not. 135. redy to receiue repentaunt sinners. 134. by his nature can not be diffyned. 141. is to be praysed why 562. &c. is creator of all things 155. Gods properties. 376. remembrāse of sinne & forgetfulnes. 544. honor standith not in gold & siluer. 511. word shal not be stopt. 331. worde, weapon of preachers. 317
- Godhed of Christ. 137
- Godhed of Christ euery wher. 34
- Godlines must increase, not stand at a stay. 89
- Godlye lyfe is necessary and hatred of papistry or Mahometry &c. is not inough. 277
- Godly mens beginning. 125
- Godly men subiect to euill also, why. 192. 193.
- Godli are they that kiep, not that hear or read only the commaundements of God. 686
- Godfrey of Bulloin. 613
- God and Magod. 608. 610
- Good intent. 226
- Good men, louk Saintz
- Good wourks. 89
- Gold to honoure God wythall. 510
- Gold siluer, and precious things in the temple is gentilitye. 308 Gold tryed. 130
- Gospell is euerlastynge. 447. is new doctryn. 590. was preached thrugh the world, a thousand yeres. 589. 447. had euer sum folders 600. causeth no ill in the word. 527. is no heresie. 445.
- Gospels contentes. 448. &c.
- Gospell preaching shalbe restored 297
- Gothz burn Rome. 526
- Gouernanse of God. 148
- Grace of God is originall of all our goodnes. 116. 117. is it that iustifyeth vs. 640. is compared to rain. 319. is not giuen for any desert of man. 248. comprehendith al gyftes of Christ. 698. what it is. 20
- Grek tung called hereticall of the Papists. 428
- Griennes sign. eternitie. 142
- Grudging at Gods gouernemēt rebuked. 178
- Habergions hart inflexible. 263
- Heretyk Pope. 604
- Heretikes aungelicall. 177. principall. 268
- Heresie how it oght to be confuted. 80
- Heresye oght nether to be maynteyned nor born wyih. 79
- Heresyes of diuers sortes. 244
- Heretikes maye be punyshed otherwyse then by the wordes 318
- [Page]Heretikz muste be examined. 52. 53. ordred .iij. waies of iij. statz 53
- Hail resembleth corrupt doctryn. 242. 243
- Hail lyk talents. 503
- Hand of Christe is a token of. &c, 50
- Hāds holding vp for an oth. 292
- Hand fasting or cōtract of matrimony. 563
- Happy or vnhappy who are. 343
- Harp in the scrip. 169
- Harps of God. 474
- Hart of mānō knowz but god. 96
- Harts inflexible habergions. 263
- Haruest. 465
- Hatred must be toward the diedz not the parson. 58
- Heads seuen, are 7. hils. 517
- Head of the churches. 519
- Head of the churches. 253
- Head of the church must be. &c. 51
- Hear of wemē for wātūnes. 262
- Hebeon. 52
- Hebrew tūg called Iewish of the papists. 4 [...]8
- Hebrew tungs maiestie. 533
- Heithen are all papists. 380
- Heithennish religion broght in by the Pope. 393
- Hel what. 627
- Hel figured by a wyn fat. 468
- Hel tormēts euerlasting. 455. &c
- Helias cumming. 288
- Heuen in the script. 209
- Heuen is atcheued with ye mynd in this world not with the body. 139
- Heuē opened to the faithful. 344 139
- Hid can nothinge be from Gods fyry eyes. 87
- Hierom for praiyng to saīts. 595
- Hierusalem new. 122. 632.
- Hierusalē ruin what it teacheth. 530
- High priestz ministry. 5 [...]
- Hildebrand Pope touk vpō him the authoritie of themperour. 414
- History of corrupt doctrin. 234. of Rome. 525. &c. of the church 183
- Hodgpotch of papistry & the gospell. 126
- Holy ghostz proceding. 20
- Holy ghost is seuē spirits. 20. 21
- Holy ghosts mystery. 146
- Holy ghosts signes thunder. &c. 145
- Holy ghosts operacions. 147
- Holy ghost, did not the Apostles geue, but God. 399
- Holines of God. 150
- Homicids. 643
- Honor of God. 449
- Honor dew to God. 152
- Honoring or worshipping of saīts 154
- Hoordum. 82. what. 506
- Hoordum better then matrimony with papistz. 81
- Hoordum & vnclennes by Baa [...] religion. 91
- Hoormongers and their kindes. 643. 281
- Hoot and could. 126
- Hope of the faithfull is not vayn 283
- Horn sign. power and kyngdum. 165
- Horns sign. kingdums & power. 371
- Hornz ij. of the lamb. 44
- Hors an image of pryde. 260
- Hors red. 185
- Horses of sundry colors. 182
- Hour, day, munth and yere. 271
- Hour, for the same tym. 519
- Humanity of Chryst. 22
- Human body of Christ in on place. 34
- Humanitye figured by faces of [Page] men. 261
- Humility to be lerned. 340
- Humility shal find comfort at the Lords hand. 40
- Humility of Saints. 153
- Humilitie of an apostle. 28
- Hunz inuade Rome. 527
- Hungary lost to the Turk. 275
- Hussis death reioysed at. 328
- Hymne of Saints. 172. 560
- Hypocrites. 127
- Hypocritz alwaies sū in ye church 79
- Hyre vnto euery one. 343
- Iacobyts heretiks. 268
- Iamz Syrus heretiks. 268
- Iasper stoon. 142
- Idol what, 644
- Idols of thē Gentils and Chrystians differ not. 280
- Idolaters. 644. their excuses for images. 374
- Idolatry, Nicolas falt. 60. prohibited. 280. reducid, by what men. 394. confirmed. 436
- Iesus diffined. 21
- Iesus face lyuely painted by Pilate. 60
- Iewes conuersion. 223
- Iewes fals. 115
- Iezabel cast into a bed. 94
- Iezabelism. 90
- Ignoranse without a teacher. 229
- Ignoranse of Christ without all confort. 159
- Ignoranse is a great ill. 128
- Ignoran̄se of the Turks &c. shal not excuse them. 589
- Iles be token nacions. &c. 210
- Image or shap is not attributed vnto God. 141
- Image of Christ not in colours. 33
- Image of the beast set vp. 402. the propertie therof. 403
- Image wourshipynge, agaynst God. 280. excused. 374. forbodē 432
- Images of fame. 120
- Impaciēs what it wurketh. 89
- Impenitent sinners. 278
- Imperfytnes in Saints. 104
- Impossible things thre. 37
- Imprisonment and bonds. 67
- Incarnacion of Christ. 352
- Incens. 169
- Inchaūting. 280. in Rome. 557
- Inconstancie figured by a ball or bowl. 655. by waters. 524
- Inheritauns spokē bi parte. 646
- Intent good. 226. 375
- Intercession of saints. 84
- Intercession of saints in heuen. 170
- Intercessiō of saints is noon. 203
- Interpretacion of the script. best allowed. 3
- Inuencions of men. 97. 375. 299
- Inuincible is Christ. 162
- Inuocatiō is but part of praiers 170
- Inuocacion of saints. 573
- Iohn the eighth Pope, a womā. 507
- Iohn theuāgelists prais. 17. banished by Domician. 27. returneth from exyl. 297. erreth. 571 wourshippeth the aungel. 677. dyed at Ephesus. 49. shall returne into the world befor the iudgement, how. 299
- Ioyes & triumphes of the godly. 473
- Ioyes of heauen. 633. &c. vndoutedly certain. 635
- Irun rod. 580
- Israell, all faithfull. 222
- Israels restoring. 222
- Italy no patrimony of S. Peter. 386. &c.
- Iubiley of Saints. 559
- Iudge inexorable Rhadamantus 212
- Iudge of the last iudgement. 622
- Iudge c [...]meth to iudgemēt. 576
- Iudging the quik and dead. 25
- [Page]Iudgement of Christ. 24
- Iudgement belōgeth to god. 555
- Iudgement of God. 449
- Iudgements of God of ij. sorts. 629
- Iudgements of God are paines of the wiked. 476
- Iudgement last. 575. 621. 465. 466. &c. is at hand. 295. is assured & iust. 341. is certein and spedie. 675. 676. is vnknown to vs. 337. is known to the father alone. 315. is coueted of ye church. 692. 698
- Iulius Maximinus. 194
- Iustice of God commended. 342
- Iustificaciō. 565. falsly attributed. 52
- Iustification where it is to be sought. 299
- Iustification by the law, whoos heresy. 243
- Iustificacions sequels. 640
- Keeping of Christes word. 116
- Key of Dauid. 112. of the botōles pit. 261
- Keyes signify charge and gouernement of the hous. 43
- Keyes of the Apostles. 112. of biding and lawsing. 590. of hell and death are in Chrysts hāds. 43. of the Pope. 252
- Killing gostly. 317
- King of Fraunce most Christen. 433
- King of Saints. 475. of locustes the Pope. 264
- Kings. 662
- Kings, we are. 24
- Kings clients to the Pope. 416
- Kingdums are of God. 370
- Kingdums are all Christs. 338
- Kingdumes all, theyr proprietye belongeth to the Pope, vse to theyr princes. 419
- Kingdum and priesthod chalēged by the Pope. 389
- Knoking that God vseth. 134
- Knowledge of God, necessary to be perswaded to the people. 72
- Knowledge of Christ. 73. 74
- Labours effects. 51
- Lāb is fought against, not christ 521. is maried. 563. is a figure of innocencie. 163. is slain. 164. kylled from the beginnynge. 381
- Laodicea. 123
- Latin church. 428
- Latreia and Duleia: 570
- Lawe of God signifyed by tan. 220
- Leage figured by the rainbow. 285
- Leag of God with vs perpetuall, 142
- Legats a latere. 493
- Leo Bishop of Rome. 387
- Luke warme. 126
- Libertie of speakinge the truth. 368
- Light heuenly, what. 650
- Linsie wulsie. 126
- Lyar, who 52
- Lyars with theyr kynde. 645
- Lying. 688
- Lyfe of ij. sortes. 605. ought to be loued aboue Christ. 362. procedeth from God alone. 668. is figured by the riuer of the celestiall Citye. 666. single. 443. present how it may be contēned 457. spirituall. 103. after thys lyfe. 70. euerlastyng. 629. 648
- Lyon described. 372
- Lyons teeth figure cruelty. 262
- Lyon in the scripturs. 162
- Locusts authours of ill doctryn. 254. of locusts. 257
- Long suffring of God. 128
- Lōg suffring of god contēned. 93
- Loue of God goes before our loue 116
- [Page]Loue of God originall of all verteuz. 116
- Loue of Chryste incomparable. 22
- Loue of our neibour perteyneth also to christianitie. 277
- Lumbards planted in Italye. 431
- Magik of Rome. 557
- Magistrats office toward heretiks. 53
- Magistrats how far they are to be obeied: 370
- Magog Iaphets sun. 610
- Mahomets beginnynge. 269. lawes. 270. religion patched. 126
- Mahometrye when it began. 608
- Mammon. 124
- Manhod of Christ. 162. 163
- Manicheus heresy. 244. 248
- Mankind deuided in to Iewes and Gentils. 223
- Manna hid are secret. 83
- Marchaundiez leful. 124
- Marchaundiez of the Pope. 549
- Marcus Anthonius verus. 194
- Mariage corporall and spirituall 443
- Mariage in the script. 563. of the lamb. 564
- Markes of the faithfull. 442. of Antichrist. 422
- Martyrs most plentiful in heuē. 196
- Martyrs ought to be honored, not called vpon. 78
- Martyrs what maketh. 77
- Martyr, cause maketh, not turment. 197
- Maruelling of Iohn, Daniel, & the godly. 514
- Mary the virgin. 352. inferior to popish priests. 263
- Masse. 170. patched. 126. 127
- Masking and bankets. 81
- Matrimonie. 563
- Matrimonye defileth no man. 443
- Maximila prophetis. 91
- Maximian. 194
- Mayzim a God. 609
- Measur for measure. 544
- Measuring for entēding to build 305
- Mediator only Christ. 203
- Members how they are attributed to God. 141
- Men of ij. sorts. 256
- Mercy of God trusty only. 224
- Mercy of God toward sinners. 134
- Mercy of God exceding. 97
- Mercy God forgets not, euen in the extremity of hys punishmēt 190
- Mercy of God iustifieth vs, & no merits of man. 639
- Merits. 565. of man. 248
- Merits of man haue no place in our iustificacion. 639
- Merits of our owne or others. 460. 462
- Merits and intercession of saints 84
- Metropolitās first ordeined. 387
- Michael Seruetus. 246
- Michael captain against ye Dragon. 356
- Michael typ of Christ. 356
- Millan warres. 190
- Millenaries error. 221
- Milston drowned. 556
- Milston cast into the sea. 536
- Mingle mangle christianitie. 126
- Ministers of the Churche, are Aungels. 589. are figured by wytnesses. 313. are defended and preserued by Chryste. 103. are forbodden Gouernement. &c. 386. theyre dewtye. [Page] and office. 300. &c. 590. to be obedient. 305. to be feruent. 302
- Ministeries effect. 302
- Ministerie of the Thyatirenians 88
- Miracles trew and fals. 397
- Mixture vnlawfull. 126
- Mockers of religion. 643
- Modestie preposterous. 506
- Monarchies figured. 372
- Mone token of alteracions. 349
- Mone as blud. 207
- Moneths .xlij. 310. fyue. 257
- Monotelitans heretiks. 269
- Monsters and wunders. 435
- Montanists. 90. 91
- Montanistes heresy. 244
- Morning star, knoledge increasing. 101
- Mount for spirituall meaninge. 648
- Mountains seuen. 517
- Mountains betoken reames. &c. 210
- Mountains figures of kingdums 244
- Mouablenes figured by waters. 524
- Mourning. 550
- Multitude is no good defense of errour. 107
- Multitude no dew prouf of religion. 524
- Mungrels gospellers. 127
- Munks honest lay men. 255
- Murmuring in persecucion. 195
- Murmuring at God, remoued 150. 152
- Murther of diuers kinds. 280
- Murtherers. 643
- Musik. 169
- Mutinie in persecution. 195
- Myters of Bishops. 261. 389
- Nakednes. 128
- Nakednes of the papistes, open. 498
- Name of the wryter of thapocalyps, why it is added. 677
- Name new, what. 84
- Names of men for nomber. 334
- Names for notable men. 106
- Name and estimacion. 66
- Name of the beast. 424
- Name of God. 578. of the iudge. 579
- Name of God wryten in forheds 671. geuen to the faithfull. 121
- Name of Christ is faith of Christ 76
- Nazarians heresy. 52
- Nero persecutor. 194
- New doctryn is not to be lookt for. 118
- New lerning. 447
- New lerning of Rome. 453
- New name. 122
- New name, what it sign. 84
- New song, signifi. &c. 171
- Newter. 127. 501. how they shalbe orderd in the last iudgement. 588
- Nicodemits. 541
- Nicolas a filthy heretik. 59
- Nicolaitans errour. 80
- Nicolaitans of our tyme. 81
- Notes and markes of the elect. 443. 444. &c,
- Number certain for vncertain. 334. 272
- Number of the name of the beast. 424. 426
- Nuns and friers. 196
- Obediens to whom it is dew, & how far. 370
- Odacer king of Rome. 528
- Odours ar praiers of saints. 237
- Oecolampadius for authoritye of thapocalys. 4
- Offens punished. 556
- Omnipotencie of God. 487
- Oppression sign by treading vnder foot. 309
- Order of thapocalyps. 347
- Organes. 169
- [Page]Originall sinne. 247
- Oth, what. 292. 294
- Oth or swearing of God. 290
- Ox and Asse yoked together. 126
- Oyl figureth matter of preching. 31 [...]
- Paciens. 62. 117. necessarye in trobles. 385. of saints. 456. of the Thyatirenians. 89. lefull & vnlefull. 51. 54
- Paintings of the last iudgement. 584
- Paintings proffit and commoditie. 2
- Paines of the vngodly after thys lyfe. 619
- Pains of hel euerlasting. 455. &c
- Pale hors. 190
- Palme token of victorie. 225
- Papists ar gentils. 308. are figured by froggs. 495. are exhorted to turne to Christ. 425. are Cataphrygians. 97. fals wytnesses. 313. if they be saued or no. 226. theyr coūterfait Christianitie. 66. 67. errour about power of saīts. 154. their pride and bragges intollerable. 338. their idolatry. 644. their stubbernes. 441
- Papists described. 347. &c. beginneth. 386. is new. 447. passeth far all gentilitie. 610. is way to perdicion. 226. is figured by a womā, why. 510. shall fal. 546 oght to be shūd & vertuous lyfe also practyzed. 277. first & chief principle therof. 390
- Paradys. 666
- Paradys is euerlasting bles. 61
- Pardons. 640
- Parricidie of Antichrist. 513
- Part, for inheritaunce. 646
- Part second of thapocalyps. 32
- Passion of Christ not feyned. 268
- Pastours dewtie. 113. to watch. 104. theyr office toward heretiks. 53 [...]
- Patmos the Ile. 28
- Paulus Samosatenus. 245
- Peas and quietnes in the church regarded. 29
- Pelagians confuted. 640
- Pelagius doctryn. 247
- Penauns. 55. 55
- Peny, sign. a great prys. 189
- Perdicion is not to adnihilate. 344
- Perfytnes and imperfytnes in saints. 104
- Perfytnes in non. 110
- Pergamos churche. 71. Seat of satan. 74
- Permission of God. 185. 532. &c.
- Persecutions premonished. 303. from whens they cum. 323. by the Dragon. 364. by the Romains, ten. 379. by Antichrist. 309. 321. maketh not a martyr. 77. of the churche. 193. causes therof. 195. when they shal end 451. shall neuer ceas till the worlds end. 584. theyr tyme is short. 202
- Persecutors set on by the Deuill 68
- Perseuerās. 119. in godlines. 118 in faith. 319
- Persons thrie 180
- Persons of the trinity discerned. 20
- Pestilens or plage. 191. 43
- Peter heretik. 268
- Peters seat is heuen. 490
- Petrarch of Rome. 537
- Phocas emperour made ye Pope head of churches. 519
- Philadelphia a citie of Lydia. 111
- Philosophers patriarks of heretiks. 243
- Phrase of scripture. 45
- Pictures of the last iudgement. 584
- People compared to waters. 524
- Peoples office toward heretiks. 53
- [Page]Pillers figure of treuth. 286
- Pillers erectīg, to what end. 120 inscripcion. 12
- Pipin captain of the frēch kings garde. 430. begins to rein. 435 is author of the Popes kyngdum. 409
- Pit bottumles. 252
- Plages. 320. 191. theyr cause. 481
- Pleasures what they brynge. 538
- Pleasurs of Rome 551. &c.
- Pledges of Christ. 564
- Poderes a priestly garment. 35
- Poks. 582
- Polycarp pastor of Smyrna. 63
- Pope openeth hel. 253. is made king. 433. 434. is king of locusts. 264. Lord ouer themperour. 405. is both Pope & emperour. 419. is a Monarch. 415. &c. is Lorde of all lands. 392. is almightie. 521. giueth grace. 399. giues the holi ghost 399. is called holy. how worthely. 111. is more feared then God. 448. hath not Chrystes power giuen him. 43. hath not the keis of Dauid. 112. nor the gouernmēt of things. 158. 159 holdeth anopē heresy, of ye souls state after this lyfe. 604. is against. 390. speaketh as the Deuell. 391. is not against Christe but againste the lamb. 521. is no head of the church. 36 51. is aboue the coūsel. 406. is vndouted Antichriste. 504. is author of all persecuciō. 323. is the cruelst murtherer of al. 643 was neuer without aduersaris 600. was resisted by many both emperors & kings. 408. was deposed. 415. hath nothing to sel. 131. he & al papists arheithē 308. is to be preached against. 425. he & all papistes are to be dieply cōsidered, not winked at & let alone. as sum would. 426
- Pope at the first had not so great power. 409. wer vnder thobediens of themperor at the beginning. 409. are omnipotent. 521. are sorcerers. 412. &c. mouers of wars & treason. 484. wer thrie at ons. 395. haue had deadlye wounds, 395
- Popes tytle. 323. his talk lyk the Deuils. 390. his power. 44. his vsurped power. 44. 404. 405. his pryd. 417. his pryd against princes 400. his wars. 250. his army described. 259. his tyrāny against princes. 416. his legats described. 493. his kingdū passeth Mahomets. 422. his cōfirmaciō of thēperor neglected. 411
- Popish church is the great citye. 510
- Popish doctryn concerning prayer. 340
- Popish priests ar Nicolaitās. 81
- Poperye how it oght to be fled. 540. &c.
- Poperie is not to be spared in sermons. 506
- Possessiō of the church entred by Christ. 286
- Power all is of God. 370
- Power vniuersally is submitted vnto God. 153
- Power haue we non of our self to good. 135
- Pouertie conforted. 65
- Preachinge rorynge of a Lyon. 287
- Praier is necessarye. 301. belongeth only to God. 340. how acceptable to God. 169. it hath ij. parts, inuocacion and praise. 170
- Praiers and thankes geuing are the oblaciōs of saints. 169. they are called sacrifice. 237. are part of Godlye wourshyp. 168. of [Page] Sayntes what they be. 237.
- Praying to Saints 170
- Praises of Saints. 559. 562. &c
- Preachers haue theyr original of Christe. 314. are called stars. 351. 208. 45. are called aungels 590. 446. are slain and reuyued. 331. against Antichryste what they muste be and wyth what qualities furnyshed. 300. they are in the hands of God. 45. and defended by God vntill their hour be cum. 322. their rewards. 662. theyr victorye is spirituall. 317
- Preching directed by Chryste. 183
- Preachinge called prophecying. 304
- Preaching syncere is a chein to bynd the Deuel. 608
- Preaching prohibited. 214
- Preaching of Gods word oft restored. 330
- Preache to the good and bad. why. 681. friely and clearely. 535
- Precious stoons. 658
- Preface of thapolalyps. 18
- Preparans fit to meet Chryste. 565
- Presens and absens of Chryste. 284
- Priestes popish excommunicated 307
- Priests popish ar Nicolaitās. 81
- Priestes popish pas our Ladye. 263
- Priests mo go to the Deuel then plowmen. 585
- Priests, christen men be. 24
- Priestly garment. 35
- Primate forbodden. 387
- Princes aduertized not to stryue against the treuth. 368
- Princes all sunnes to the Pope. 419
- Priscilla and Maximilia prophetisses. 91
- Pryd figured by horses. 260
- Pryd figured by Romains. 377
- Printyng. 287
- Proceding of the holy ghost. 146
- Profession of God oght to be opē 671
- Profession most noble when persecution is most hoot. 77
- Profession of religion openlye, is necessary. 76
- Profyt of this Apocalyps. 380
- Prognosticacion for euer. 181
- Properties of God. 376
- Prophets are promised. 312. are Gods messengers. 1
- Prophets fals are dogges. 687. compared to a tail. 274
- Prophets doctrin, of maners, repentans, and of Christ. 1
- Prophecy of iij. sorts. 16
- Prophecying for preaching. 304
- Prosperitie not of trew religion, the world saith. 374. 323
- Prosperitie abused. 546
- Prosperitie of the popish kingdū 396. of the wicked. 224
- Prosperous succes of vice. 282
- Punishment prepared for the wycked. 283. 686
- Punishment seuer for vnclennes 83
- Punishment is by degrees. 585
- Purgatory ouer thrown. 461. 71
- Quyet is non besyds Chryste. 211
- Quietnes in the church regarded 29
- Quier casting oui. 306
- Railyng vpon the faithfull. 66
- Rainbow, 285. 142
- Rain signify the grace of God. 319
- Reames all subiects to Rome. 520
- [Page]Reason defectiue is to be supplied 277
- Rebellion against God repressed. 153
- Rebuking of vice hatefull. 303
- Rebuking of the Lord. 133
- Reconciliaciō figured by the rainbow. 285
- Red colour. 351
- Redempcion chyefest verteu of Christs death. 172. 173
- Reentrie of Christ. 286
- Reformation leful. 57
- Reioysings of saints. 559. 338. at the destruccion of Rome. 553
- Reign of saints. 173
- Religion must be firmly holden, & boldly confessed. 76. in words & wurks. 271
- Religion consisteth in true knoledge of the last iudgement. 588
- Religions patched. 126
- Religion trew corrupted. 205
- Reliks. 572
- Remembrans of God. 624
- Remission likned to a whyt ston. 84
- Repentauns. 94. 129. 278. 55
- Repentauns apostolik. 105
- Repentauns or penauns, what it is. 82. 56. 57
- Repentauns shalbe rewarded. 83
- Reprouing of the Lord. 133
- Resurrection of the dead. 626. 585. 342. 22
- Resurrection first and secōd. 605
- Reuelacions new. 97
- Reuelacion from whense. 14. of three sorts. 16
- Reuolting from Rome & popery excused. 542
- Reward of faithfull preachers. 332
- Reward prepared for the godly. 283. 120. 121. 122. for good & ill. 685. 686. for vertew. 109. 108 462. for wourkes. 342. for repentauns. 83. for iniquitye. 81.
- Rewl, how we shall ascribe it to God. 24
- Rhadamantus. 21 [...]
- Riches. 128. of the faithfull. 131. spirituall. 65
- Righteusnes. 565. effect of christ [...] death. 173
- Riuer of water of lyfe from whē [...] it springeth. 668
- Riuers for all kind of afflictions. 365
- Rod of irun. 580
- Rome old and new. 508. is lady of all reames. 520. is taken and spoiled. 335. old, destroid and burnt. 525. taken thrys in ou [...] yere. 529. seuen tymes with [...] few yers. 384. thrie hundre [...] yeres without an Emperour 386. 40 [...]. came to a Dukedu [...] 431. is not head of all churches, 388. is no patrimony of s. Peter. 387. is Babylon. 502. 45 [...] is to be shūned. 543. is the sea [...] of Antich. ist. 504. seat of S [...] tan. 74. 75. is a hoor. 506. [...] cast down. 431. the tythes th [...] rof. 3 [...]
- Romains beast. 37 [...]
- Romain Empyre. 368. blasphemus. 371. is called a beast, wh [...] 369. is chief enemi of the churc [...] 347. bestowed vpon straunger [...] 518. new ēpyre. 385. now poo [...] and baar. 403. decaieth. 42 [...]. falleth. 38 [...]
- Romains pryd. 377. power. 380.
- Romish king confirmed by Pop [...] 405. Bishop, star fallen from heuē. 251. papistry, a beast, why 388. their new doctryn. 453. theyr religion receiued in fraūs 435. sea, chair of pestilens. 396. crueltie and other vices. 544
- Romish church, ons notable. 250 set out with worldly furniture. 510. is the great Citie. 510. is Sodome and Aegypte. 327. is [Page] daungerous to be spok against. 321. is no trew churche. 209. shall fall. 451
- Roring of a Lyon figured preaching. 288
- Root of Dauid. 162
- Root of a trie nurs of it, compared vnto Chryst. 690
- Rypenes to the sickle. 466
- Ryot of Rome. 551
- Sabboth chaunged into sunday. 29
- Sacrament externall markes of christians. 422
- Sacrifices of Christians. 169. is thanks geuing. 237
- Sacrifice signe of Christ. 382
- Sacrifice propitiatory for quik & dead. 170
- Saint of saints. 111
- Saints giue power to God and take it not to them selues. 154. theyr knoledge in heuen. 479. what they do in heuen. 670. 143. 474. what is theyr state. 230. are no greater then men. wherfore not to be sworne by. 293. they haue no administracion of thinges. 158. nor rewl ouer the elements. &c. 486. are no intercessors. 238. do not punish the wiked. 555. theyr humility in heauen. 153. they are briethern and felo seruāts. 203 are not to be wourshiped. 571. 573. 394. nor praid vnto. 170. theyr examples may we folo safely. 169
- Saintes fall. 56. how they desyr vengeaunce. 199. they shalbe renewed and glorified. 631. are neuer separated frō their head. 579
- Sak of hear. 207
- Sakcloth morning apparel. 316
- Saluaciō ascribed to whom. 225. of God thrugh Christ. 227. where it is to be soght. 299. whens it cums. 229. perfyt how. 361. what it is. 225. is of mear grace. 633. cums to vs friely. 639. is certein and seuer 566. 457. & that streght after death. 460. shall not be geuen to all. 456. 454. but to ye faithfull only. 628
- Saluation of thapostles, what. 19
- Sand figure of swift ruin. 367
- Saracens came out of Spain. 272
- Sardin ston. 142
- Sardis head city of Lydia. 102
- Sardis churchez infirmity. 103
- Sathanas an aduersary. 360
- Sathanas cast out, how. 595. loused. 598. &c. 608
- Satisfaction trew. 57
- Satisfaction of our own deuysing. 210
- Saued be ther sum of all naciōs. 225.
- Saued ar many at point of death 224
- Schisme obiected to the protestaunts answered. 542
- Scourgz of Gods wrath. 191
- Scorpions nature. 256
- Sclaūderz against the godly. 66
- Sclaunder punished. 556
- Scripturs is Gods word. 568. sealed, signi. authenticall and shut vp. 289. an authentik. 49 theyr authoritie. 567. 30. certeintie. 674. sufficiencie. 673. & that without councelles. 689. ar agreable with thēselues. 86 are perfit and sufficient to saluacion. 98. theyr phrase. 45. ye reading of thē restreined, causeth. &c. 215. they are swiet and better. 302. that they are vnperfit, is first ground of poprie. 390. are not obscure. 45. doutful, vncertain. &c. to whō. 308. [Page] broght in doubt by the Pope 390.
- Sea of Rome chair of pestilens. 396
- Sea of Rome inuaded by the deuel. 412
- Sea glassy. 147
- Sea shalbe no mor. 631
- Sea figure of the world. 244. 473
- Seals wherto they serue. 157
- Seal first opened. 182
- Seal second. 185
- Seal third opened. 188
- Seal fourt opened. 190
- Seal fift opened. 193
- Seal of the liuing God is Christ 218
- Sealing. 288. vsed for ij. endes. 679
- Seat described. 148
- Seats celestiall. 603
- Seat of Antichrist, where. 508. 618. of the Deuell where. 75
- Seat of the beast. 489. of Christ and Peter. 490
- Second death. 70
- Securitie from Antichrist, none whyls the world lasteth. 221
- Sedicions and theyr causes. 206
- Seducer. 360
- Seing of God, is chief felicitye. 671
- Selling of all things in ye church 308. 309
- Septicollis Roma. 517
- Septimus seuerus. 194
- Seruant, an aunciēt title of gods wourshipers. 16
- Seruetus renewed the heresy of Arrius. 168
- Seruetus vrged. 163
- Seruetans heresy. 42
- Serpentold. 359
- Seuenth number. 19. frequent in thapocalyps. 11. sig. perfectiō and fulnes. 165. 472
- Seuen formed spirit. 103
- Seuen fold spirit of God. 145
- Seuen heads hils, kings. &c. 370 371. &c.
- Seuen spirits, is holy ghost. 21
- Seuerus heretik. 268
- Shap of God is ther none. 141
- Shauing popish. 261
- Ship of S. Peter. 396
- Sibylla of thoriginal of antichrist 436
- Sickle sharp. 466
- Sied of God and of the woman. 366
- Sight restored. 132
- Signes for thynges signifyed. 382
- Signes, look miracles.
- Signes wherwith men are sealed. 219
- Siknesses. 191
- Silk is the iustification of saints 580
- Simonie of the Pope. 492
- Simony. 130. 131
- Sinnes of saints. 571
- Sinners shalbe punished of God and not only Papistes, Mahometans. &c. 277
- Single lyf. 443
- Sitting in the throne. 141
- Sitting in a throne. sign. &c. 156
- Sitting sign. gouernement. 148
- Sitting in glory how Christe geueth and geueth not. 137
- Slain ghostly. 317
- Sleeping of souls. 460
- Smoke figur of the wrath of god 253. of Gods presens. 479. &c.
- Smoke presumeth fyre. 560
- Sodom and Egypt. 327
- Song new sign. 171
- Song of all creatures. 150
- Song of victory. 360
- Sorcery. 280
- Sorcerers and their kinds. 644
- Souls and Aungel differ. 486
- Soul, from death of the body. 34
- [Page]Souls state after deth befor iudgement. 603
- Souls state after this lyfe. 457. they sliep not. 460. 225. 604
- Souls seperated from the body immortal. 196. where they remain. 197. in bles. 201
- Spewing out of newters. 127
- Spirit seuen formed. 103
- Spirit how men are in. 140
- Spirituall vnderstanding figured by a mount. 648
- Spiritually of the Pope described. 259
- Spous of Christ. 563
- Square, fygure of constancye. 655
- Standing sign. ministring. 240
- Star of the morning compared to Christ. 691
- Stars fall from heauen. 208
- Stars figure preachers & Bish. 250. 351
- State of saints, what. 230
- State of lyfe euerlasting. 648
- Ston whyt what it meaneth. 84
- Story of Rome. 525. &c
- Stryf in churchs. 52
- Subiects of Antichryste, who. 421
- Submissiō vnto god in all things 150. 151. 153
- Suffering of vngodlines is punishable. 90
- Sun of perdicion. 265
- Suns of the Pope are all kings 419
- Sun of God must be beleued vpō 449
- Sun of man is Christ. 34
- Sun coequall with the Father. 179
- Sun token of Christ. 349
- Sun waping dark. 207
- Sune third parte darkned. 248
- Sun passeth the mone, and popes kings. 417
- Sunday, how it oght to be obserued. 30
- Sunday in stead of the Sabath. 29
- Supper for souls, &c. 582
- Supper of the lamb. 568
- Supping with God. 136
- Supremacie. 409. 410
- Supremacie forbodden to ministers. 386. &c.
- Surfitting. &c. 82
- Surrēder of ye popes power. 411
- Swearing of Christ. 290
- Sword sign. power to hurt. 185
- Sword of the Iudge. 580
- Sword two edged. 38. out of Christes mouth. 73
- Swordes both in the power of the church. 404
- Swords ij. of the Pope. 389
- Sylens tokē of attentiuenes. 235
- Syluester the ij. Pope foloweth the Deuel. 412
- Synagoge of Sathan. 115
- Sines receyue the names of thinges. 45
- Sion mount figure of Christes kingdum. 440
- Tables of the law, both are to be regarded. 277
- Tail figure of a fals prophet. 274 351
- Tartarians receiue Mahomets religion. 270
- Tau letter sign. the law. 220
- Temples vse. 660
- Temple of God is heuen. 120
- Temple of God for secrets of god 345
- Temple for church of God. 305
- Temptacions grieuous. 282
- Temptacō of the godly hath his defens. 117
- Ten hornes. 524
- Ten tymes for often. 68
- Ten, number, for many. 518
- Tents of saints for the churche. 611. afflicted. 616
- Testimony of christ. 125. 572. &c.
- [Page]Testimony is syncere preaching. 322
- Thanks geuing for victory. 340
- Thanks geuing, praiers. 237
- Theft and his parts. 281
- Third number for strength. 495
- Thirst for ardaunt desyr 640
- This is my bodi, figuratiu spiech 45
- Thoghtz knowen only to God. 96
- Thomas an Inglish preacher. 604
- Thousand yeres. 593. 601
- Thretningz of Christ. 57
- Threatningz against the impenitent. 82
- Throon signifieth. &c. 141
- Throon of God. 136
- Thunders .vij. preachers. 288
- Thunderbolt of the Pope. 399
- Thyatira described. 86
- Title of thapocalyps. 13
- Torment maketh not martyrz. 77
- Torments of the wicked, perpetuall. 582
- Totila brent Rome. 528
- Tradicions of men. 97. nothyng niedful. 118. 673. 99. 100. 390. bring darknes. 207
- Traian persecutor. 194
- Translators of the script. 533. &c
- Transubstantiacion, is called god Mayzim. 609
- Treading vnder foot. 309
- Trew religion corrupted. 205
- Treuth figured by pillers. 286
- Treuth of Christ. 112
- Treuth neglected all misery foloweth. 190
- Treuth of the Gospel, most, heynous to impugn. 584
- Treuth is not to be kept in sylēs 368
- Treuth alwaies preached. 183
- Treuth had euer sum patrons. 600
- Treuth in Polycarpz opinion, 63
- Tribulacion of diuers sorts. 229
- Tribut of a dead man. 550
- Trinitie. 163. described. 145. distincted into persons. 14
- Tries sign. men. 243
- Trouble in churchs. 51
- Troubles and tumultes authors 206
- Trumpets vse. 241
- Trustines of the Thyatirenians 88
- Tryall or temptacion of Saints 68
- Tumultes. 206
- Turks imagin bankets in heuen 136
- Turks aid pernicious. 275
- Turkes receyue the religion of Mahomet. 270
- Turkish emperours beginning. 273
- Turning to God proffitable. 3 [...]
- Two number. 312. &c
- Tym certain for vncertain. 310. 326
- Tym past for tym to cum. 535
- Tym tyms and half a tym. 314
- Tyranny of Antichrist. 513
- Tyranny of the Bish. of Rome. 425
- Valentinians heretiks. 244
- Vandals inuade Rome. 527
- Vengeauns of God figured by fyer. 467
- Vengeauns of God against Papists. 464. 468
- Vengeauns is desyred ij. waies. 200
- Vengeauns reioysed at. 553
- Vertew we haue hoolly of God. 153
- Verteuz rewarde. 108
- Vertuous lyfe necessary, hatred only of papistry & other heresye is not inough. 277
- [Page]Vial, a cup. 169
- Vicar of Christ. 253. niedeth not 35
- Vicar Christ neuer appointed. 389
- Vicar of Christ, no trew church. hath. 441
- Victory of Christ and christians 358
- Victory of the faithfull. 136. 119
- Victory of preachers is spiritual 317
- Victories and felicitye of thys world. 274
- Victory of ouer the world. 100
- Violent vocacion. 129
- Virgins. 443
- Visions vtilitie. 2
- Visions of thapocalyps diuided. 11
- Visions godly terrible to weak naturs. 40
- Vision second. 138. 140. third. 347. fourth. 470
- Vnbeleuers. 642
- Vnderstanding of man, is weak. 228
- Vncleannes hated of God. 82
- Vncleannes of hordum, peruers doctryn. 512
- Vnction or anointing. 316. &c.
- Vngodlines or wickednes must be hated, not permitted or winked at. 90
- Vnity of God with man. 135. 136
- Vnitie of faith shal neuer be vniuersall as sumthink. 606
- Vniuersall Bishop. 251
- Vntil, put for euer. 604
- Vocatiō of ministers diuers. 300
- Vocation violent. 129
- Voluptuousnes. 538
- Voluptuousnes of Rome. 551
- Voluptuousnes of ye papists. 308
- Vomiting out of mungrels. 127
- Voyce of Christ. 37
- Voyce lowd or low to prais god withall. 176
- Wagis of euery one. 343
- Walles of the heuenly citie. 650
- Wantunnes figured by wemens lokz. 262
- Wantūnes & vnclennes. 81. look mor in fornication and adultry.
- Wars occasioned by the Deuell. 185
- Wars are bicause men receiue not the gospell. 186
- Wars moued by Popes. 484
- Wars betwen Popes & Emperors lasted 200. yeres. 419
- Wars of heretiks. 243. 244. &c.
- Wars of the holy land. 611. 612. 613. &c. did hurt. 598
- Warfar and victory of Christiās 119
- Warm lewk. 126
- Warnings that God vseth. 134
- Was and is not. 515. 518.
- Water of lyfe. 638. &c. 668
- Water into blud: grace into punishment. 319
- Water in abundans sign. a sea of all illes. 365
- Water for doctryn. 483
- Waters kingdūs dispersed. 524
- Waters sign. people. 442
- Watching exhorted. 497
- Weak in faith ordred a right. 51. 52
- Weapons of preachers Gods word. 317
- Wel of lyfe. 638
- Welth of Rome cōpared to Euphrates. 492
- Wemen prophets. 91
- Whyt aray. 108
- Whyt color. 182
- Whyt stoon is remission of sinnez 84
- Wicked oght to be hated with a holy hatred, and in no wis nourished or wenkt at. 79
- Weping of the ignoraunt. 159
- Will frye. 129
- [Page]Wil of man what it helpeth to saluacion. 694
- Wildernes figure of the Gentils 353
- Wildernes for heithennes & gentilesm. 508
- Wildernes Christ is in. 213
- Winning of brethern, how. 115
- Winged locusts. 263
- Wishing perteined only to ministers 19
- Witnes of Christ. 125
- Witnesses Apostles. 573
- Witnesses, figure ministers. 313
- Witch craft .280. of Rome. 557
- Wo, wo, wo. 249
- Wo third. 336
- Woman Pope. 507
- Womā figure of the church. 348
- Woman precher prohibited. 91
- Worde of God beginning of repentauns. 105
- Word of god & Christ al one. 579
- Word of God is tryed gould. 130 is sweet and better. 302
- Word of God and faith are not without the holy ghost. 219
- Word of God contemned, cause of all misery. 190
- Word of God broght in doubt by the Pope, as by the Deuell at the first in paradise. 390
- Word of Christ contemned. 38
- Word of Christ what. 114. how it is kept. 114
- Word of paciens, and of the crose. 117
- World figured by the sea. 473
- World is not euerlasting. 500
- World shalbe renewed. 631
- Worlds end at hand. 295
- World frail as glas. 147
- Worldlinges, 124
- Wounds of Antechrist healed. 395
- Wrytings. 636
- Wryting of ye scripturs, to what end. 567. 31.
- Wryting why it is vsed. 45 [...]
- Wullen cloth of Laddicea. 123
- Wunders and monsters. 435
- Wurks taken for heel conuersacion of men in words & dieds both. 104
- Wurks of the faithfull. 462
- Wurkes shall we be iudged by. 625
- Wurks good of God, il of the Deuell. 373
- Wurks of mens hands. 279
- Wurks of Christ in opposition to the wurks of men. 100
- Wurks must be preached in the church. 640
- Wurks of euery man rewarded accordingly by God. 96
- Wurinwud. 245
- Wourshipping signified by falling down. 168
- Wourship God only. 340. 450. 573. no creature. 175
- Wurship of God, is not ingould & siluer. 510. &c. is partly praies 168. externall and in spirit. 153 lawfull and vnleful. 645. of Idols. 644. &c. of aungels and Saintes. 678. of the Deuel. 279
- Wurthynes of saints. 108
- Wurthines figured by wynges. 263
- Wurthines we haue all of God 153
- Wyn new in old bottels. 126
- Wyn fat figure of hel. 468
- Wynd in the script. 214
- Yers, thre and a half. 310
- Zeal godly. 55
- Zeal feruent against heresies necessary. 86
- Zeal and feruentnes, remedy of warmnes or neutralitie. 133
RITHMI E VETVSTO CODICE DESCRIPTI Romanum quendam cognomento Lefranco taxantes.
SERMONS OF HENRI BVLLINger, vpon the Apocalipse reuealed to the holy Apostle and Euangelist S. Iohn.
☞ Of the authour of the boke of Apocalipse, of the argument and partes therof: Finally of the sondry vse, and moste profitable commoditie of the same. ¶ The first Sermon.
THe Prophetes of God of the olde Testament,What wer the old prophets, and their doctrine. were God his messengers to the people, expositours of Moyses or of Gods lawe, and euen ecclesiastical preachers, which applied the doctrine taken out of the lawe of God, to the people and tymes wherin they liued to thedifiyng of Congregations. And they al with one [...]ccorde haue chiefly handled two thinges in their Sermōs. For first the [...] haue reproued the corrupt maners of al states [...]n their tyme, alledging the rule and prescript of Gods law: And exhorting all men to repentaunce vnto God moste acceptable. And to many that were vncurable they threatened all kynde of plages, which they setting forth with all beau [...]ie of speache, shewed them plainly to be sene with the eye, if [...]aply they myght so be made afrayd, and healed. Secondly [...]hey promysed and set forth by the mouth of God, the Lord Christ, the true Messias: Whom also they described liuely, [...]nd with all his holy churche, teaching the faith in Christ, & [...]oth what good thinges are prepared for the faithfull in Christ: And also what be the true duties of pietie & godlines. Neither haue they concealed suche thinges as were nedefull [...]o be knowen of Antichrist: Admonishing vs most dilligētly [...]hat we should beware of that wolfe, or rather the most depe [...]ongeon of all abominations, and that we should stand fast [...]n the sincere faith of Christ. &c.
I haue taken vpō me, through the help of God and your [...]rayers, to expoūd vnto you the Apocalipse,The Apocalipse. which is a doc [...]rine concerning the matters of Christes churche reuealed [...]rom heauen of Christ in glory, and a som of all godly religion, an exposition and brief declaration of the Prophetes, & [Page 2] a prophecie of the newe Testament and story of the church
Howbeit, forasmuche as this booke is dispised of ma [...] good and well learned men, and for that all men for [...] most part ar fully perswaded that it is an vnprofitable bo [...] I wyll speake here somwhat of the same matter.
This boke is full of figures.First many abhorre this boke for this cause only that is full of visions, types and figures, for they suppose ho [...] this becometh not the Euangelicall and Apostolicall d [...] trine of the newe Testament. But by the same meane a go [...] part of Daniell should be cast away: Whiche neuerthele [...] is commended to vs of Christ hymselfe in Mathewe.Math. 24. [...] greatest matter of all, namely the callyng of the Gentils, shewed to S. Peter by a vision, as appereth in the actes.
Actes. 10.And the Prophet Ioel sayd also, howe the people of [...] newe Testament should see visions. And so doeth the bl [...] sed Apostle S. Peter, expounde the same place in the A [...] of the Apostles, speakyng of the people of the newe Tes [...] ment. And our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell, propoun [...] and declared to the people the moste part of the misteries parables, and in maner by fayned fables, as they call th [...] And how much thinke you doe these visions, types, and [...] gures of S. Iohn, differ from the same? This kynd of sp [...] doth not darken matters, but maketh them plaine: And [...] keth much for the efficacitie and perspicuitie, and for the c [...] firming of the memory. For by this meane, matters be [...] only declared with wordes, and heard with the eares: [...] are set forth also to be sene of the eies, and after a sort be fi [...] in the memory.The plaines of the scripture. Many for this cause attribute much to pa [...] ting: But I suppose that I may much more rightli attribu [...] very much to this maner of speaking and teaching, wher [...] the matter is vttered, not by a coulored, domme, & dead pa [...] ting, but as it were with a speaking & liuely maner set fo [...] to be sene of the eies. Whiche is therfore propounded, th [...] men myght rightly and exactly vnderstand the same. Alb [...] therfore that this whole boke in a maner consisteth of visio [...] and figures:What shall be the expositiō of this boke, Yet shall we in dede, through the inspiration [...] Gods grace, shew in our exposition, that all that same m [...] keth for the perspicuitie and plainenes, and not for the obse [...] ring or darkening of most high and godly matters. I wy [...] [Page 3] bring my exposition out of the very scriptures, by cōferring ioyning therunto the rule of faith and charitie. I will searche out the circumstaunces, the thinges that follow & go before: I wil bring similitudes & dissimilitudes: I wil adde also ther vnto the experience of things, & the faith of histories. Which maner of expounding the scriptures all interpretours haue always graunted to be sound & true.1 Cor. 14 1 Tess. 5 If better thinges shalbe reuealed to others, I wil gladly after the precept of the apostle geue place vnto my betters. For I offer these my doings to be wayed of ye godly, vpon this conditiō, yt they shuld trie al things, & that which they shal find to be good, to hold fast.
Secondly they obiect, that aswel new men as olde,How men of late days haue doubted of thauthoritie of this boke. of no smal authoritie, haue both doubted of this boke, & of the authour therof, & also haue contemned it, as full of fables, & vnworthy to be rekened canonical. Let those that so thinke geue me thesame libertie, I desire them, which they vsurpe tho thē selues, and thinke it lawful. For if the boke of the Apocalipse [...]hould therfore seme worthy to be contemned, for that some notable men, both old & new, haue doubted of the authoritie [...]herof: Why may it not recouer his authoritie againe, if I [...]hew that ye best doctours of the church both old & new, haue [...]ad a right good opinion of this boke? And here to thintent [...] wold dissemble nothing at al, I am not ignorant yt doctor Martin Luther, a man right notably learned,D. Luther in his first edi [...]ion of the new Testament in dutch, with a sharp preface set [...]efore, hath sticked this boke as it wer with a dagger. Howe [...]e it good & wel learned mē were offended with him for this [...]is iudgement, which in ye same found lack both of wit & mo [...]estie. The same mā therfor waying al things more vpright [...]y & diligēly, what time he corrected his dutch Bible. &c. My [...]orshipful maister semeth also not to haue set very much by his boke, & to haue ascribed it not to Iohn ye Apostle, but to Iohn whō thei called a diuine. But herein there is no doubt but yt he folowed plainly Erasmus of Roterdā, who is his annotations vpon the new Testamēt. In al the Greke copies, [...]aith he, that I haue sene, the title was not of Iohn thapostle, [...]ut of Iohn the diuine. Erasmus addeth that amongest the Grekes & certen old wryters, men doubted of this authour, whiche thing he declareth by the testimonies of Eusebius, [Page 4] and Hierom, of whose opinion shalbe spoken streightways. But the exempler or Spanishe coppie whiche is set foorth after the faith of the moste auncient and approued Grekes, exhibiteth to vs suche a title of ths boke. [...]: That is the Apocalipse of the holy Apostle and Euangelist S. Iohn Diuine. For the auncient writers say, how S. Iohn the Apostle and Euangeliste, for his excellent wryting of the sonne of God, was commonly called, Diuine. Wherof it followeth, tha [...] this title doeth attribute and not take from S. Iohn this booke. Certes Aretas was also, a Greke Aucthour, an [...] byshop of Cesaria: Of the auncientes, saieth he, certen hau [...] plucked this Apocalipse from the tongue of that welbeloue [...] Iohn, ascribing it to another: but it is not so. For that sam [...] Gregory, which as well as he, is called a Diuine, accom [...] teth this amongst those scriptures, whiche vtterly want a suspicion of counterfeiting: saying, as the Apocalipse of S [...] Iohn teacheth me. And the same man a litle after: But th [...] this boke was written by ye mouth of the holy ghost, S. B [...] sil, Cyril, Papias and Hippolytus,Hippolitus fathers of the church, a mete men to be credited. Thus saith he. What shal we say [...] that Erasmus confesseth, that the consent of the worlde, an authoritie of the churche to be of suche force with hym, th [...] he dare not refuse this boke?
Let vs heare now the iudgement of that moste excellen [...] best man D. Ioh. Oecolampadius,Oecolampadius. the moste faithfull p [...] stour of the churche of Basill, and excellently learned in [...] prophetical and in al the Canonicall scriptures, concerning this boke, which he left vs written in the .xii. Chap. of thei [...] [...] cond boke of his commentaries vpon Daniel: But S. Io [...] the Paraphraste or expositour of the Prophetes, saith he, ( [...] how muche he doth attribute to this our authour) whom maruel, why certen with so rasshe a iudgement doe reiect as a dreamer, and franticke, and an vnprofitable wryter [...] the church: Where neuerthelesse he propoundeth and sette [...] forth very many of the most secret & hid things of the old [...] [...] stament and of the Prophetes. But those great men do b [...] wray, what a wening they haue of themselues: Whose iu [...] gementes I would verely rather contemne as prophan [...] [Page 5] than I would cast away such a treasure. I could here bringe forth goodly testimonies of other newe wryters, but that I make haste to the iudgementes of the auncient fathers.
The eldest of all after the Apostles,The iudgementes of thauncient doctours of ye church of the Apocalypse. Iustine. whose wrytynges as yet remayne, Iustine and Ireney, the noble Martirs of Christ, ascribe this boke to Iohn the Apostle. For Eusebius in the .xviii. Chapter, of the fourth boke of the Ecclesiasticall story. Iustine, sayth he, mentioneth of the Apocalypse of Iohn, saying playnly that it is the Apostles. S. Hierom also in the lyfe of blessed Iustine wryteth, that Iustine expounded the Apocalypse of S. Iohn, but the same exposition remayneth not so farre forth as I knowe. The same authour wryteth that IreneyIreney. set forth the Apocalypse of S. Iohn, with a commentary, whiche also is not to be had. He hym selfe, who is red to haue lyued about the yeare of our Lorde, 160. Witnesseth playnly in the fift boke against the Valentinians, that this reuelation was exhibited to Iohn the Apostle a lytle before his dayes. We alledge certen wordes of his in the .xiii. Chapter of this boke. Tertullian,Tertulliā. who lyued about the yeare of our Lorde two hundred and .xx. in the fourth boke against Marcion. Albeit sayth he, that Marcion refuseth the Apocalypse of Iohn, yet shall the order of Byshoppes rekened vp to the very begynnyng, affirme S. Iohn to be authour therof. In graue matters, and reasoning against heretickes, he vseth gladly the testimonies of this boke.
The same thinges are also recited of the blessed Martyr S. Cyprian,S. Cypriā vnder the title of Iohn the Apostle in this Epistles, treatises and Sermons. Eusebius also in the .xviii. Chapter of the fift booke of the Ecclesiasticall historie,Apolloni. sheweth, that Appollonius a moste auncient wryter vseth the testimonies of the Apocalypse of S. Iohn:Theophi. And lykewyse Theophilus Byshop of Antioche. Whiche he affirmeth in the .xxiiii. Chapter of the fourth boke of the Ecclesiasticall story. Also Origen,Origen. a great man in the churche of God in the .xxv. Chapter of the sixt boke of the same Eusebius. And he wrote, sayeth he, the Apocalypse, whiche rested vpon the Lordes breste. &c.
I haue hytherto recited the opinions of the most auncie [...] Martyrs and Doctours of the christen churche, touchyn [...] the Apocalypse, I meane Iustine, Ireney, Tertullian, [...] prian, Appolonius, Theophilus, and Origen: I wyll shor [...] ly after brynge yet moo iudgementes boeth of the [...] and Latin wryters, of moste authoritie in the churche, ag [...] yng with the myndes of them that we haue alledged [...] therto: Howbeit I wyll fyrst touche briefly suche thyng as Dionisius of Alexandria,Dionisius Alexādria. left wrytten of the same boo [...] in the fyue and twenty Chapter of the seuenth booke of [...] sebius, whome I suppose they haue followed, as many [...] after hym haue spoken against this booke. He sayeth h [...] diuerse that were his predecessours, dyd vtterly repr [...] and reiecte this booke. Neyther hydeth he the cause, w [...] they so dyd, for that the kyngdome of Christe is affyrm [...] therin to be earthly. Wherunto doubtlesse they reser [...] that precious citie, and the reste whyche vnder terrestr [...] kyndes, figured spirituall thynges. Whiche when we [...] in the treatynge therof haue dissolued, declaryng thys bo [...] not to edifie the earthely kyngdome of Christe, but a spi [...] tuall and celestiall, no man I trowe, wyll reiecte a good a [...] Godly booke, for bycause certen abusyng the testimon [...] therof, geue vnto it a wrong sense.
Heretickes haue wrasted verey many places of [...] scripture,Chiliastes, or Millenaries. to the defence of their errour, shoulde therfore authoritie of the scripture it selfe be brought in doubte? I [...] fauoureth nothing at all the Chiliastes or Millenaries this boke: He geueth them no weapons.
Eusebius saieth very well in the ende of the third bo [...] speakyng of Papias, the first authour of the Millenaries He thought, saieth he, that after the resurrection Chri [...] should reigne here corporally with his a thousand yea [...] in earth. Whiche I suppose he thought for that he vnde [...] stode not well the Apostles woordes, neither that he co [...] dered not well those thynges that were spoken of hym [...] der figures, for that he was indewed with a small iudg [...] ment.
But in the meane tyme Dionisius hym self, I, sayth h [...] [Page 7] dare not reiecte this booke. He addeth by and by, that he thynketh it not yet to be the booke of Iohn the Apostle, but of some other, but yet who that should be, he knewe not. He gathereth also by certen coniectures, by the phrase of speach, and handlyng of the booke, and by the vnlykenes of wytte, that this boke should be an other mans, than his that wrote the Gospell, and Epistle. But seing that the argumentes of the story and Epistle be so diuerse, that neyther they two be lyke, and the argument of the booke of Reuelation moste diuerse of all: Why shoulde it seme maruell, though it agreeth not with them in all thynges?
This can no man denie, but that in consent of doctrine there is great agremēt. The Epistle to the Hebrewes semed to many to fauour in the syxt and tenth Chap. The Nouatians or Catharites. The diuersitie of style was noted to differ from the rest of Saint Paules Epistles. But if we should so iudge of holy scriptures, I knowe not what shuld be firme and sure enough. Leauing therfore this disputation in suspence, I wyll nowe procede to bryng foorth the iudgementes of other olde wryters concerning this boke.
EusebiusEusebius. surnamed Pamphilus Byshop of Cesarea, lyuing in the tyme of great Constantine the Emperour, and a moste dilligent reader of olde wryters, whome many suppose in deminishing the authoritie of this boke to fauour them, ryght eloquently in the eightēth Chapter of the third booke of his story, tauntyng the Tyranny of Domitian, affirmeth that Iohn exiled into Pathmos, wrote there hys Reuelation.
And where other Historiographers doe also the same. He againe in the .xxiiii. Chapter in the thyrd booke, concerning the Apocalipse, saith he, the opinion of men is diuerse, some approuing, and others reprouing the same. Again whē he should bring forth his opinion touching the Canon of the new Testament in the .xxv. Chapter. He ioyneth the Apocalipse with ye bokes vndoubted: although he dissembleth not that he wyll shew in another place what other men thinke therof. Whilest he this performeth, he recōpteth many more & better, which iudged ye Apocalipse to be of S. Iohn thapostle, [Page 8] and imbraced it as a moste Godly booke, than those which denied or reproued the same.
Epipha.Epiphanius Byshop of Salamine in Cypres, a Greke Authour also doeth manifestly ascribe this boke to S. Iohn the Apostle. Reade, that he hath left wrytten against Thelogians in the .xv. heresie. And S. Hierome attributeth very muche to this Epiphanius.Hierome. And S. Hierome hym self [...] ascribeth this boke to Iohn the Apostle, to Paulinus: Th [...] Apocalypse of S. Iohn, sayth he, hath so many Sacramentes, as it hath wordes. Moreouer Philastrius Byshop o [...] Griria,Philastri. whome S. Austen sayth he sawe with S. Ambro [...] at Millan, accompteth them for Heretickes, that reiecte th [...] Apocalypse of Iohn, and saye that it is not of Iohn the Apostle, but of Cerinthus an Hereticke. Verely S. Ambros [...] Ambrose. hym selfe alledgeth in his bokes testimonies of the Apocalypse, vnder the name of S. Iohn the Apostle.
S. AustenAusten. imbraced this boke as Apostolicall: and re [...] the same to his churche, leauing certen treatises vpon th [...] same. Primasius also Byshop of vtica in Africke, expou [...] ded the same as Apostolicall.Primass. Bede. Of Bede and the residue o [...] that sorte, I speake nothyng, synce his opinion is know [...] to all men.Andreas & Aretas. Andreas also Byshop of Cesaria, wrote vpo [...] this boke: As Aretas reporteth in his commentaries, who opinion I declared before.
Me thinketh I haue sufficiently confirmed the authoriti [...] of this boke, against them that diminishe the same. But th [...] same semeth strongest of all, that the thinge it selfe, and t [...] handlyng therof proueth, that it did procede from the Ap [...] stle. Whiche thyng we shall proue in the treatise it selfe. But in case those blessed fathers in their tyme did expound the Apocalypse to theyr churches,The Apoclipse must be expounded to the churches. why should it not be lawfull for vs also in our time, to expounde it to our men, whic [...] are in the ende of the worlde, where nowe all thynges [...] more fully then they were than accomplyshed? Yea the [...] thynges serue moste chiefly for vs and for our tyme, fyne that we trauell and be exercised vnder Antichriste.
In vayne therfore many prattell, that this boke is obscu [...] and can not bee vnderstande: And for the same cause to b [...] [Page 9] read in the Churche without any profit or fruite.
For to speake nothyng hereof, that nothyng is set forth in holy scripture, whiche hath not an excellent fructe: Neyther must we by and by dispayre of the true vnderstanding, although at the fyrst sight of the holy scripture it be obscure, whiche is opened of God hymselfe, and to be opened, is obteyned by prayers, and Godly exercises: Certes we are not ignoraunt that many had rather nothyng were spoken of Antichriste, to the intent he myght reygne more carelesly, and they them selues be lesse subiecte to perilles. But Christ commaundeth vs to trouble hym. Let vs therfore go forward in the worke of the Lorde.
And where it offendeth them,Iohn maketh much mention of Christ. that Iohn maketh little mencion or none of Christ, where notwithstanding the maner of Apostles is, to intimate alwayes Christ, and the grace of redemption: We suppose this same boke more throughly loked vpon, to proue the contrary. Whose argument nowe I wyll recite.
The Prophet Zacharie in the thirde Chapter,A full description of Christ. obiecteth the whole misterie of Christe to all mens eyes in a moste euident figure to be sene. For he seeth Iesus the hygh priest, appareled in vile garmentes, and lyke a coale that is taken out of the fyre, to suffer muche contradiction of the Deuyll: by and by the same to haue put of the vyle clothynge, and put on whyte garmentes, to be glorified, and proclamed kyng and priest and Sauiour of all.
This fygure the Apostle and Euangelist S. Iohn expoundeth: And first in deede the Gospell beyng set forth, he describeth Christ in vyle apparell, howe muche contradiction beyng taken he suffered of the wycked, tyll at the length he was nailed to the crosse. He toucheth there also his glory: Whiche notwithstanding, the Apocalypse therto annexed, he declareth more at large, shewyng the same vnto vs in a whyte garment and in glory, howe verely after this humblyng being exalting, he obteyned a name aboue all names: And now being in glory, howe he worketh neuerthelesse in the churche, the sauiour of all the faithfull in the churche. In his Epistle he commendeth this whole mistery of pietie and [Page 10] beateth in to all men.
For the whole booke is diuided into syxe partes.
The diuition & particion of ye Apocalips1 For first is set the title with the begynnyng and some o [...] the worke, and with a briefe narration: And all this in th [...] first part of the first chapter.
2 Secondly from the myddes of the first Chapter to th [...] fourth Chapter, is described Christ reignyng in glory, o [...] the ryght hand of the Father, and is declared, howe he i [...] conuersaunt in the Churche by his spirite, and ministery o [...] hys woorde. What thynge he teacheth from heauen, and what is the syncere doctrine of the churche: what is also th [...] reparing of Churches that are fallen, and the preseruatio [...] of thesame.
3 Than from the fourth Chapter to the .xii. Christ still admonisheth his Churche diligently by seuen Seales, and seuen trompettes, what thynges shall happen to the Church [...] all the whiche are moste iustly gouerned of God hym se [...] by the Lambe Christ.
4 Moreouer from the .xii. Chapter to the .xv, is more fully described the conflict of the Churche with the olde Serpent, and with the olde and newe beaste. Where also the f [...] myshe Tyranny both old and newe, and verey Antichrist hym selfe is trymly paynted foorth in his coulours: N [...] withstandyng that afterwarde also these thynges are agay [...] more playnly declared.
5 And from the fiftenth Chapter to the two and twenti [...] Chapter, are recited the paynes and tourmentes of Antichriste, and Antichristians, and the destruction of the sam [...] and the condempnation of all the wycked. Also the Iudg [...] Christe is sette foorth, and the processe of an external iudgement is fygured. There is also rehearsed the triumphe, Ioie, and rewarde of Sainctes. Where also heauen it selfe is opened to bee seene of our eyes, that now [...] we maye by faythe looke in to the same. The depthe o [...] Hell is opened, that we maye looke in to it also: And maye take good heade that we bee not throwen thether headlong.
6 Finally in the ende of the .xxii. Chapter, followeth the [Page 11] conclusion, and commendation of the woorke, with the sealing vp of the same.
And here I wyll not hyde an other diuision of thys woorke not to bee contempned,The boke diuided by visions. which I see the expositours haue followed. For fyrst they rehearse the Title and begynnyng. After they annexe the whole woorke it selfe, diuided by seuen visions. And in dede the seuenth numbre is moste frequent, and as it were peculiar to this booke. Finally they adde to the conclusion of the woorke in a maner comprised in the last Chapter. And these visions be compassed within their limites.
In the thre fyrst Chapters the first vision is expounded exhibityng Christ vnto vs reigning in glory, gouerning, ordering, correcting, and preseruing his churche.
The second vision beginneth in the fourthand, reacheth to the eight Chapter. That setteth forth God him selfe and his Christe to be loked vpon, whose moste iuste gouernment of all thynges in the worlde it commendeth, and openeth seuen Seales.
The thyrde vision hath seuen Aungelles soundynge with seuen Trompettes. Whiche treatise stretcheth to the xii. Chapter.
The fourth Vision sheweth the fighte of the woman wyth the Serpent, and setteth foorth to vs the olde seuen headed, and the newe two horned beaste to be seene, the description of Antichriste, and this in the .xii. xiii. and .xiiii. Chapter.
In the fift vision seuen Aungels power out seuen vials of Gods wrath, vnto the .xvii. chapter.
From thence begynneth the sixt vision, and extendeth to the .xxi. Chapter, and disputeth of the moste iust iudgement of God against Babylon, the whore of Babylon, and the Antichristians, finally against all wycked and impenitent persones.
The seuenth and last vision propoundeth to the eyes of all the faythfull, the glory and blysse euerlastyng [...] of Sainctes. And verely thys diuision of the woorke hath a [Page 12] great grace and affinite with the rest of the thynges, which in this boke are all in a maner treated by the seuenth nūbr [...] Let the reader followe whiche he wyll.
What profit is in the ApocalipseNowe of these thynges euery man may perceyue the thys booke is altogether Apostolicall, and exceadynge profitable to vs all, especially whome the ende of the world [...] hath ouertaken. And this booke shall bee easier for vs, f [...] that all thynges nowe are in a maner accomplyshed.
Daniell was thought to haue tolde of starke dreame [...] when before the Monarchies, he prophecied the Mona [...] chies. But after those thynges were accomplished, whic [...] he prophecied, he semed vnto many to haue compiled an h [...] story. The selfe same, I am sure, thou wylt iudge also: thys same boke of Saint Iohn. A fewe profittes only of m [...] ny we shall recite.
First we haue in this booke a moste full discription Christ, reignyng in glory, our kyng I saye, and Byshop And howe he gouerneth the Churche, and is the Sauio [...] of all faythfull. We haue also a moste gallaunte descri [...] tion of Christes Churche, and howe the same maye be bu [...] ded, repared, and maynteyned. Than haue we a perf [...] description of Antichrist, of his members, and Synagog [...] of his counselles, craftie deuises, kyngdome, crueltie, a [...] destructions of the same: From the whiche it byddeth [...] beware. Moreouer we haue an abrydgement of Histor [...] from Christes tyme, vnto the worldes ende.
Finally an absolute and certayne prophecie of thyng [...] to come, that we neede not to haue the prophecies of M [...] thodius, Cyrill, Merline, Briget, Nolhard & certen triflers
Furthermore we haue a great consolation and comfort of the churche in aduersitie, whylest boeth we see th [...] Lambe to open the Seales, and that all thynges are do [...] by Gods prouidence, and that there is an ende of euylle [...] And that the churche shall bee euermore, in dispitee of all th [...] Deuyls in hell. Last we haue a moste plentifull and sure do [...] trine of the Iudge and last iudgement, of paynes and of t [...] wardes.
All these thinges I say, shal the treatise it selfe shewe plainly, for our edefiyng through Iesus Christ our Lord.
OF THE TITLE OF THE whole worke, and exposition therof. The second Sermon. ☞ I said the whole boke was conteined in sixe partes.Thre membres of the first part. Now must we loke on the first part: Which hath chiefly three members: The title, beginning, and brief narration. For this present we wyll only speake of the Title, whiche is thus.
THe reuelatiō of Iesu Christ, The first Chapter. whiche God gaue vnto him, for to shew vnto his seruauntes, thinges whiche must shortly come to passe: And he sent and shewed by his aungell vnto his seruaunt Iohn, which bare recorde of the word af God, and of the testimony of Iesus Christ, and of all thinges that he sawe. Happy is he that readeth, and they that heare the wordes of the prophecie, & kepe those thinges which are written therin. For the time is at hand.
This title is plentifull,The title of the worke. and vttereth all profitable circumstaunces, that are to be declared in the beginnings of bokes.
First is set the Title, or inscription of the whole worke, that is, the Apocalipse, or reuelation of Iesus Christ, whiche verely was opened or reuealed by Christ Iesus him selfe.
This title streightway proueth,The reuelation of Iesu Christ. that this worke is no mans inuention, but a godly doctrine: As that whiche was opened by our Lord, kyng, and priest Iesus Christ, out of heauen, from the right hand of the father, executing there the office of the high Byshop, & as yet teaching vs profitable thinges. and albeit it be called also the reuelatiō of Iohn, yet is it chalenged [Page 14] to hym for none other cause, than for that as scribe he wrote and set it forth.
Frō whēce is that reuelation?Againe it is yet more playnly declared, from whence this Reuelation is: Euen of God hym selfe. For he saieth, which God, namely the Father, gaue vnto hym, to wytte, to Christ. For in the holy and blessed Trinitie, there is a distinction of persones. And albeit that all thinges of the father, be the sonnes also: And all thynges of the sonne, the fathers lykewyse: Yet the scripture mentioneth the father to geue vnto the Sonne, and the Sonne to receyue of the Father.
Whiche thynge all the auncient wryters, haue full Godly expounded, to be done by the mistery of dispensation. For the Sonne receyued somewhat of the Father, as man whiche otherwyse as the very Sonne of God sayeth Father,Iohn. 17 glorifie thou me with the glory which I had with thee, before this worlde was.
Moreouer the Sonne is the wysdome, word, and mouth of the Father, by whome God in tymes paste and nowe, spake and speaketh to the Fathers, Prophetes, Apostles, and to the vniuersall churche. The Father by dispensation gaue to his Sonne this office, that he should be Byshop. For no man hath sene God at any tyme: The only begotten whiche is in the bosome of the Father, he hath reuealed vnto vs. Let vs knowe therfore, this same to be a Reuelation Diuine, whiche God the Father, louynge mankynde, hath reuealed by the only Byshop Christ vnto hys Churche. And so it ioyneth together the Father and the Sonne, that neuerthelesse the holy distinction of persones remayneth safe.
To what vse and to whom it is reuealed.Nowe also is added, to what ende God the Father hath reuealed, or geuen the gyft of reuealing, to wytte, the office of priesthod, to his Sonne, our Lorde Iesus Christ: to the intent verely that the same beyng reuealed, he myght shewe it, and as it were set it before the eyes of his seruauntes, to wytte, his worshippers, and Christians, which are called the seruauntes of God for theyr wyllyng obedience. And as the seruaunt of a Lorde is a seruaunt, and oweth to his Lord all that he hath, or is worth: So we owe vnto God our selues whole, and all ours, or els we be free, and not bounde.
Here is also declared, vnto whom this reuelation is opened:Iohn. 8 To all the seruauntes of God. If therfore thou be glad to be called the seruaunt of God, heare this boke, and remember it: And knowe that this boke is prepared for thee of God.
After he compryseth in fewe wordes,What thinges are reuealed. what Christe reuealed to Iohn, thynges that must shortly come to passe. The destenies therfore of the Churche are recited, what good and euyll thynges shall happen to the Godly, and lykewyse what punysshementes must be inflicted to the wicked.
And let no man gather of this woorde, must, necessitie, as though God wrought not freely:How good and euyll thīgs must be done. Or that the wycked dyd euyll, not through their owne faulte, but by Gods compulsion. Good thynges must be done, bycause God wyllyngly byndyng hym selfe to vs by hys promesse, can not but doe that he doeth and promyseth: Neuerthelesse he worketh frely.
Good thynges must be done in the Godly, for bycause the nature of grace and faith is suche, lyke as the propertie of vngodlines is to contemne and transgresse. Wherfore they must also be punysshed. And bycause the worlde is suche, as it is, there must needes bee Heresies and calamities innumerable. And he sayeth these thynges must shortly be done that are reuealed, for bycause certen thynges began in the very tyme of S. Iohn. And although many thynges are founde to be doone a thousande yeares after,2 Pet. 3 yet sayeth the Apostle saynt Peter. A thousande yeares before the Lorde, be as it were yesterday. Therfore this Reuelation apperteyneth to the tymes of the primatiue and last Churche: And declareth what thynges so euer shal happen vnto it tyll the last iudgement. Yea and howe it shall reigne for euer.
Moreouer the maner of reuealyng is also touched.The maner of reuealing. For Christ reuealed those thynges, sendyng by hys Aungell, or his Aungell sent forth, vnto whome he gaue in commaundement what he should saye and doe. Whereupon thys Aungell is after also called Christe, bycause he represented the persone of Christe. Therfore must not the Aungell in this booke, but Christ alwayes be considered, the trewe Authour of all these thynges. And in dede the Diuinitie [Page 16] of Christ is here commended vnto vs, what tyme we hea [...] that Christ is the Lord of aungels. Wherof S. Paul to the Hebrues hath reasoned more at large.Hebre. 1 Moyses in the .xii. [...] Numbres setteth forth chiefly thre maners of propheciyn [...] or reuelation.Thre kyndes of propheciyng. Act. 16. First by vision, of the which sorte many are [...] scribed to Daniell, one notable to S. Peter in the .x. of th [...] Actes, and likewyse to S. Paul. And into this forme Inferre also the Apocalipse. Secondly by dreame: of the whic [...] sorte were those of Pharao and Nabuchodonozer kynges wherof Ioseph and Daniel were interpretours.Gen. 41 Daniel. 4. The Prophet Ioel in the second chapter, mentioneth of visions and dreames. For in the newe Testament also there be very many holy and prophetical dreames. Last of all Moyses rehe [...] seth a skylfull exposition, as many were made to Moyses▪ to the Apostles. Into whose fellowship the Apocalipse commeth after a sorte also, where visions are openly expounde [...] Here appereth the vnspekeable goodnes of God, whiche [...] many wayes procureth and worketh our saluation, and s [...] pleasauntly prepared offereth it vnto vs to inioye. Vnhappy is he, that knoweth not these thinges.
To whom it was reuealed, and by whom it was writtēBesides this, much mencion is made vnto whome Chris [...] hath opened this diuine and most excellent reuelation, eu [...] to Iohn. He commendeth hym, that is himself (for so was i [...] expedient for the confuting of his aduersaries, seing yt Pau [...] also many tymes mainteined his authoritie against the fal [...] Apostles) by foure Epithetes. For first he calleth himself th [...] seruaunt of Christ. This is the eldest and noblest title, whic [...] the fathers, Prophetes, and Apostles haue vsed. For they b [...] addicte and consecrate to God. Secondly Iohn testified th [...] worde of God amongst the Apostles, most expressely declaring ye diuinitie of Christ, especially where he testified & said In the beginning was the worde.Iohn. 1 &c. Moreouer he testifie [...] the witnes of Iesu Christ: Vnder the which name the Lord [...] himself in the Gospell, and S. Iohn in the .xii. chapt. of his Gospel, cōprised the whole Euangelicall doctrine. And was a seing witnesse of all these thinges. For in the first Chapter we haue sene, sayth he, his glory. And in the .xix. Chapter he sawe water and bloud gusse out of the Lordes syde. In his Epistle,1 Iohn. 1 that we haue sene, sayth he, and haue heard. &c.
Aretas noteth, that in certen Greke copies is added, that whiche is had also in the Greke copie of Spayne. And what thinges soeuer he hath heard, and what so euer be, and what so euer must be done after this.
That same Iohn therfore is authour of this boke,The cōmē dation of Iohn. whiche as he sawe the Lorde in flesh vpon earth, so he sawe the same in spirite reuealing these thinges in heauen: and propoundeth to the churche sightes most certen and sure. This Iohn was that beloued disciple of the Lord, whiche in the last supper, rested vpon his breste, vnto whom in his last will he bequeathed his mother on the crosse, one virgin to another.
He alone stode by at the aultar of the crosse whē Christ died: witnes of the true death, and of our purification. He lyued til the tyme of the Emperour Traiane, which thing Eusebius in his cronicles citeth out of Ireney, in the noting of ye yeare from the birth of Christ an hondreth and thre. Dorotheus a most aūcient wryter, affirmeth ye Iohn liued .vi. score yeares.
Last is touched also the profit of this godly worke or reuelation,The cōmodite of this reuelation that hereby the readers and hearers might be prouoked to diligence. Where this boke is called also a prophecie. For this boke by reason of the telling before of thinges to come, is the prophecie, of the newe Testament: Moreouer a prophecie, that is an exposition,This boke is a prophecie. whiche openeth and and expoundeth the olde Prophetes. And promiseth blessednes to the readers, hearers, and kepers of the things that are wrytten in this boke. Blessednes comprehendeth the benefites of the life present, so farre forth as the Lorde permitteth them to the godly: but chiefly of the lyfe to come. If the profit of this boke hath bene also spoken before in the first Sermon. And marke, that it is not enough to reade or heare this boke. It must be perfourmed in dede, and kept dilligently.
For the Lord sayd also in the Gospell: Blessed are they that heare the word of God and kepe it. They therfore that shall frame their lyfe after this boke, are happie. For both they flie the seducing of Antichriste, abide in the faith of Christ, & liue for euer more. &c.
And he finisheth the Title with an acclamation, by the whiche he moueth the hearers exceadingly: For the tyme is at hande, as thouge he should saie: Let no man thinke here, [Page 18] that straunge thinges, and the which concerne him noth [...] are tolde here, which shal come to passe at length after ma [...] worldes, they belong to euery one of vs. For they be wr [...] ten of matters that chiefly concerne vs, and euen of our o [...] affaires. So sheweth he that this booke is profitable for a worldes, men, & ages. God the father by his sonne teach [...] profitable thinges, and admonishing tyme enough and dewe season, be praysed worlde without end. Amen.
OF THE BEGINNING OF THIS boke, and the Apostles salutation: wherin are declared the misteries chiefly of Christ, secondly of our whole faith & redemption. The third Sermon.
IOhn to the seuen cōgregatiōs Asia. Grace be with you & pea [...] from him whiche is, and whic [...] was, & whiche is to come, and [...] the seuen spirites which are pr [...] sent before his throne. And frō Iesus Chri [...] which is a faithful witnes, and first begot [...] of the dead: And Lord ouer the kinges of t [...] earth. Vnto hym that loued vs, and wassh [...] vs from sinnes in his own bloud: And ma [...] vs kynges and priestes, vnto God his fathe [...] be glory and dominion for euermore. Ame [...] Behold he cometh with cloudes: And al ey [...] shal se him: And thei also which pearsed hi [...] & al kinredes of ye earth shal wayle ouer him Euen so. Amē. I am Alpha & Omega, the beginning & thending, saith ye Lord almight [...] which is, & which was, & which is to come.
The beginning or preface of the w [...]rke.Another pece of the first part of this boke, conteineth t [...] beginning or preface, wherin is the Apostles salutation, [...] the whiche he discribeth first the whole mistery of Christ, [...] condly [Page 19] of our faith & redemption. For so were the Apostles wont in the beginning of their writinges to comprise a brief some of salutation: Which thing in Paules Epistles is euery where to be sene. By the same description he getteth the beneuolence and attentiuenes of al men.
The Apostles salutation or greting is nothing els,What is ye Apostles salutation. but a blessing. Blessing is an old accustomed order, by the whiche the Patriarkes wished of God to their children al maner of good thinges, both of body & soul. Which verely in Genesis is described at large. And also the high priest had cōmaundement geuen to blesse the people: As we reade in ye sixt of Nū bres, especially he commaundeth to put his name vpon the people. Therfore it is a supersticion to say God verely, from whome euery good gifte descendeth frō aboue, blesseth, that is geueth good thinges: but ministers or men wishe only. And the Lord in dede in ye lawe promiseth, that he will graūt those thinges to the people, whiche the high priestes shoulde wishe them. Therfore nother wordes nor shauen crownes: but ye truth & power of God geue the giftes. We ought not therfore to doubt, but yt God wil graūt to vs also thapostolical blessing, yt being reconciled & accepted of God we might haue peace. And first S. Ihō repeteth his name, left we shuld any thing doubt of thautour,Iohn interpretour of Christ towardes the congregations. whō we see Christ to haue vsed as scribe & interpretour vnto al cōgregatiōs. But he repeteth not himself to be yt seruaūt of god, & witnesse or Apostle of Iesu Christ. It sufficed to haue heard yt at ye first beginnīg. Therfore he teacheth thē modestie & humilitie also, which haue obteined great giftes. Afterward he signifieth, to whō he wryteth, & to whō this boke apperteineth, to ye seuen churches of Asia, ye names wherof he will vtter shortly after. And Aretas bishop of Cesaria, by ye .vii. churches, saith he, & by the .vii. nū bre, he signified ye multitude of churches yt be in al places. So also Primasius bish. of Vtica in Affrick, expoūdeth ye .vii. nū ber. Therfor this salutatiō, this boke, & the whole doctrine of Iesu Christ, writtē by s. Ihō,To whom this booke apperteineth. apperteineth to ye whole vniuersal church of Christ throughout al ye world, & in all times & ages. Wherupō it belōgeth to all vs also as many as be of vs in ye church of Christ. For albeit thepistles be intitled to ye Romains & Galath. yet followeth it not therfore, yt they be not ours. [Page 20] And he wryteth expressely to the churches of Asia, not to t [...] churches of Hierusalem or Iewery: that he might so shew [...] that the kingdome of Christ, is comen also already to the g [...] tiles. And as God from the beginning chose Israell, in whi [...] he myght set forth a perfit example of the church, and cōm [...] wealth: so frō ye beginning of ye new Testamēt, he chose thos [...] seuen churches of Asia, which he might set forth to ye wh [...] Christen world. But in case Rome had ben set in ye first pla [...] amongest the churches, as Ephesus is, good God, ho [...] much wold the Romish sort make of it, for the estabishing [...] their supremacie.
The forme of the Apostles bessing.And the maner of the Apostles saluting wysheth gran [...] peace. Grace is the fauour of the deitie, and the reconc [...] ment, wherby God the father for Christ his sake is made [...] one with vs, our sinnes pardoned, & we adopted for his chi [...] dren. Therof arriseth the peace and tranquillitie of mynd [...] and the desire of concorde with all men.
And here he sheweth aboundantly, who geueth ye churc [...] his blessing, that is to witte, grace, reconcilement, & pea [...] God, and God thre in persons, the father, the sonne, and th [...] holy ghost, one God in essence. But here he discerneth th [...] persones very well. From him that is, to witte, the fathe [...] And from the seuē spirites yt is, from ye holy ghost: And fro [...] Iesu Christ, this is ye diuersitie of persons. And the signification of the vnitie is, when after the proprieties of persons d [...] clared,The holy gost is placed in the middes. he addeth: I am Alpha & omega. &c. And that the ho [...] ghost is set here in the middes, it disordereth not the miste [...] of the Trinitie: but appeareth to be an argument that he [...] the spirite as well of the father, as of the sonne, and that h [...] procedeth from both. As it is also proued by the wordes [...] our lord, the .xiiii.xv. and .xvi. of Iohn. Here is also describe [...] the whole holsome mistery first of Christ, than of the catholike faith, and of our redemptiō, so that herein you may find [...] the chiefest articles of the Apostles crede, & haue here a mos [...] goodly descriptiō of Christ our Lord. Hereof al mē shall iudg [...] how truly some men say,The father whiche is which was &c. that this boke, contrary to the [...] stome of thapostles, maketh litle mentiō of Christ & of faith
The father as fountain & original, of whom the son is ingendred, is first described: for that it is he whiche is, which [Page 21] was, and which is to come. Those wordes toke Iohn out of Moyses in the .iii. and .xxxiiii. chap. of Exod. & out of many testimonies of Esay. And he saith nothing, but that God the father is an eternall ensence, which cōsisteth by and of it self, and is and geueth life to all, and in all preserueth the same. And that this essence is suche, that it hath bene always with out beginning. For this is it, that he ioyneth to being, or existing, was. He addeth, and he that shall come ( [...]) which shalbe, and shal remaine euen to the ende, and to euerlastingnes without end. The Grekes deriue [...] of running, for that conning and running, he medleth with all matters: is euery where present, bringing help to the godly, or restreining and punishing the wycked.
And the holy ghost where he is but one,Seuen spirites. for the seuenfolde that is all maner of grace and giftes manifold, is here called, as I may say, Septenarie or of the seuenth numbre: And from the seuen spirites sayth Iohn, that is from that spirite, whiche is indewed with the seuenfolde grace. Those diuerse giftes are after a sorte declared of Esay in the .xi. Chapt. and els where in the scriptures. He is sayd to be in the sight of the throne that is before the throne of God, ioyned verely in gouernement with the father and the sonne. For the throne is many tymes vsurped for the kingdom. The holy ghost therfore is of the same glory, power, and maiestie with God.
Now is he commen to Christ,The description of Christ. whom by his properties he describeth moste aboundantly. You know, that Iesus is the proper name of Christ: which Matthew expoundeth, a Sauiour, Christ is the surname of his office and dignitie: as you would say, annoynted, that is, byshop and kyng.
1 First he calleth Christ our Lord, a faithfull wytnes,Christ a faithfull witnes. and that out of the .xlix. and .l. chapter of Esay. For he was sent of the father to the world out of heauen, an Apostle, whiche should testifie the wil of God, what he wold haue done with men. To witte that he would saue the worlde by his sonne,Math. 18. 2 Petr. 3 Iohn. 3 Math. 7.1 & by faith in him, which is obedient to the law of God. For he must do the will of his father. This Christ is a faithfull witnes, that is sure, constaunt and trewe: Of whose doctrine no man ought to doubt. No man hath seene God at any tyme: The only begotten whiche is in the bosome of the father,Math. 17. 2 Pet. 1 he [Page 22] hath reuealed. This therfore is the byshop and catholick d [...] tour of the church. Who so euer dissent from him, are to [...] eschewed. Heare him, saith the father.
Christ is ye first fruits of thē that ryse.2 He is the first begotten of the dead. For he died for o [...] sinnes verely: and rose again from the dead, & was made t [...] first begotten of the dead, Lorde & conquerour of death: I [...] whom we se that we shall also ryse again, & in what sorte. [...] whom the first of the Corinth. xv. And like as in the first pr [...] pertie he shaddoweth the humanitie of Christe, wherin h [...] taught also his deitie, in that he was the faithfull, true, & [...] tholique byshop, and is yet at this day: So in the second, th [...] articles of our belefe concerning the death of Christ, and h [...] resurrection are confirmed. To these also may be added t [...] article of the resurrection of the dead.
Christ is Prince of kynges.3 Christ is prince ouer the kinges of the earth, a monar [...] verely, and Lord of all rulers: Whiche hath taken a name [...] boue all names, the Lord of aungels, and of all creatures, [...] whom al things be subiect: As thapostle expoūdeth. Colos [...] Philip. 2. And he doeth not abolishe lawes & Magistrat [...] which wil be king of kinges, and Lord of lordes. For if tha [...] wer no kings, how shuld Christ be king of kings? The mo [...] sacred Emperours, Constance, Constantine, Theodose, an [...] Iustinian, knew them selues to be clientes of Christ: Tha [...] kingdom was Christes, & they to be subiectes. These Chri [...] acknowledgeth for his, by whō he gouerneth those he ha [...] redemed with his bloud. They that proudly rule ouer ye people, boast thē selues to be lordes of althings, & acknowled [...] not Christ to be monarch ouer all, be starke mad. And her [...] are comprehended such thinges as we confesse in tharticles of our faith, that Christ ascended into heauen, & sitteth on th [...] right hand of the father: that is, that he hath receiued high p [...] wer of al things in heauen and earth. Ephe. 1. Act. 2.
Christ loued vs.4 Christ hath loued vs with incōparable loue. For he hi [...] self saith: greater loue hath no man, than that a man shoul [...] leaue his life for his frēdes. This loue the Apostle amplefiet [...] in the fift to the Romains. And it was exceading great loue [...] moued Christ to come downe from heauen and be incarna [...] and to redeme vs by his death. With a free loue he loue [...] vs, prouoked by no desert of ours. For as this same Iohn in [Page 23] his Epistle canonicall speaketh the same of the father. In this is charitie, not yt we haue loued God, but yt he hath loued vs, & sent his son a propiciation for our sinnes: So is it to be vnderstād of the son, ye he hath & doth bear vs great good will, not moued thereto through our loue, wherewith we haue imbraced him. And of ye fre loue to mankinde, he gaue him self vnto death, & washed vs frō our sinnes. For streight waies is added, by his bloud.Christ washeth. Where thre thinges seme of vs to be obserued. First that Christ washeth, purgeth, purifieth or clēseth ye faithful: & that most fully, not partly. He alluded to the washings of the law, which he expoūded also. For Dauid saith: Pourge me with Hysope, & I shalbe made cleane, washe me, & I shalbe whiter than snow. The same phrase of speache repeteth Esay in the first chap. Micheas also sayth:Miche. 7. The Lord wil returne & wil haue mercy on vs, he wil treade vnder fete our iniquities: And thou shalt throw into ye depth of the Sea al their sinnes. And the Lord saith,Ezech. 36 I wil cast vpon you cleane waters, and you shall be mundified from al your filthines. The Lord Christ these thinges accomplishing, washeth vs, purgeth and clenseth throughly, aswell from the falte as the paine. He clenseth vs from our sinnes,Christ washeth all synnes. not from one, but from al. The which thing is proued both by former testimonies, & again in the first & second Epistle of S. Iohn. Last, the maner also of purifiyng is set forth, by bloud. For without the sheding of bloud no remission was made. Therfore through the mediation of death and bloudsheding there was full remissiō of all sinnes obteined for the faithfull.He washeth by bloud. Hebr. 9 They that bring forth any other maner of forgeuenes of synnes, ar iniurious to the death and bloud of the sonne of God. And here we may se plainly set forth an article of the Apostolicall crede. I beleue the forgeuenes of synnes.
In the fift place is shewed theffect of our redēption & purifiyng. For Christ hath brought to passe,Theffect of Christs redemptiō in ye faithfull. yt as many of vs as beleue in the father by ye son of God, shuld be kinges & prists to God & to his father. Aretas & the copie of complute reade not kinges but [...], that is kyngdome: the which is not red amisse. For we be ye kingdō of God, for bicause God by his spirit, not the flesh nor the worlde, ought to reigne in vs: And when we permitte the gouernment to the spirit, we be ye [Page 24] kingdō of God: The which thing S. Paul handleth at large in the sixt chap. to ye Romains. Moreouer we be made kings that is free,We be kinges. by Christ, that we should not serue the deuill, th [...] flesh, and the world, according to that saying of Zacharie, [...] being deliuered from the handes of our enemies, we migh [...] serue him without feare in holines and rightuousnes befo [...] hym al the daies of our life.We be priests. And Christe hath consecrated v [...] priestes with his spirite and bloud, that we should offer vp t [...] God spirituall sacrifices, our selues pure, prayers and pra [...] ses,1 Pet. 2 Ro. 12.15. Philip. 4. Hebr. 13 Exod. 19 and almosdedes. For that these be spirituall oblation [...] Peter and Paul do testifie. And these thinges toke S. Ioh [...] out of Exodus: For we of the Gentils that haue beleue [...] haue succeded in the place of the people of Israell reiecti [...] Christ through incredulitie. And these thinges geue a lyg [...] to that article of the Crede, I beleue ye holy catholick church the communion of sainctes. For we be as many of vs as b [...] leue, ye fellowship of Gods people, sanctified through Chris [...] to the seruice of God. Of whome be these thinges hitherto.
In the sixt place, in the discriptiō 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, wh [...] we ascribe to his goodnes our saluation, and all goodne [...] not to our own strength and merites. We geue hym ru [...] when we acknowledge hym to be Lord & head in the churc [...] workyng by hym selfe, not by the sainctes in heauen, to wh [...] he hath graunted power: Not by the Pope, whom he ha [...] constitute Vicar in earth. The whole glory & rule is Christs
Seuenthly in the description followeth the commyng [...] Christ vnto iudgemēt,Christ will com to iudgement. and the maner of his comming. F [...] as a cloude toke him vp from the eyes of the Apostles, e [...] so shall he come in cloudes to iudge the quicke and the dea [...] The scripture witnessing. And he addeth, that the eyes of a [...] 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 iudgemēt sha [...] be vniuersall. Wherin men arrising shall se Christ with th [...] owne eies. An other thing, that Christ shall come to iudg [...] 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. [Page 25] 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 ye 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 expoūded 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 yt is, which was. &c. Which were expoūded 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 companiō in tribulation, and in the kingdō & patiēce which is in Iesu Christ, was in the Ile of Pathmos for ye word of God, & testimony of Ies [...] Christe. I was in the spirite on the Sonday and heard behind me a great voice, as it ha [...] bene of a trompe, saying: I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last. That thou see [...] wryte in a boke, and send it to the congregations whiche are in Asia, vnto Ephesus, an [...] vnto Smyrna, and vnto Pergamos, & Thyatire, and vnto Sardis, and vnto Philade [...] phia, and vnto Laodicia.
NarrationThe last place of the first sheweth vnto vs a brief narrati [...] wherin the Apostle S. Iohn declareth the tyme and place this Reuelation, and by whose commaundement he wrou [...] sent the same to the seuen churches in Asia.
And againe now ye third time is the name of Iohn rehea [...] sed. He sawe vndoubtedly, that there would be some which to the ende they might take away the vse and fruite of th [...] boke, wold doubt of the authour: Against whom he repet [...] and reiterateth his name so oft, leest we should doubt & lac [...] the great commoditie of so worthy a boke.
S. Iohn is the brother of the faithful.He addeth to his name certen thinges, whiche instruct [...] touching the state of the Apostle, and certen profitable ma [...] ters. First he calleth him self a brother, namely of those s [...] churches, and of al ours: As where I haue admonished yo [...] that in the seuenth number are comprised all churches of [...] times throughout the whole worlde. We are all, so many [...] [Page 27] 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, & cost nothing: But the Monkes selle theirs dere. They be therfore disceauers and seducers.
After he calleth him selfe partaker in affliction, or oppression and persecution, as he that was euen now bannished by the Emperour Domitian, and liued in exile. And he ioyneth together and not separateth him selfe in the euill: That is cō mon to all the faithfull brethren.The persecution of Iohn and of ye whole churche. And verely it is one and the same persecution, that vexed the Apostles, and tourmenteth vs at this day. Let vs therfore reioyce, that we haue the Apostles and all the Martyrs of Christ fellowes of our trouble and affliction, that we be broken and bruised with the heauy burthen of euils. Let vs therfore be paciēt and long suffring. For it is not enough to be afflicted, and vexed with all kinde of euils (for many without any fruicte or prayse at all indure moste greuous paines.) But it becometh vs also to be patiēt in aduersitie. Therfore S. Iohn at this present ioyneth with all, patince. For the Lorde sayd in the Gospell. In your patience shall you possesse your soules.
After he addeth vnto tribulation & patience a kingdom, & that an heauenly not a terrestrial kingdom.A kingdō prepared for the pacient. And he bringeth in the kingdom for the comfort of the patient people. For also the Apostle S. Paul said, a certen and sure saying. For if we die with Christ, we shall lyue also with hym: If we suffer, we shall reygne with hym. &c. Let vs alwayes here with comfort our selues in aduersitie. For we are thruste downe, that we might ones be exalted againe .ii. Corinthians .iiii. And all these thinges are concluded in Christ Iesus, by whō we be both the children & brethren of God, and suffer many thinges patiently, and are made partakers of his kingdom. [Page 28] For euen for these thinges must we thanke him, and his m [...] rites, and not our own deserte.
The state of humilitie of thapostle.Let vs here note also, what and howe great hath bene the humilitie of the greatest and worthie Apostle of God, wh [...] was his state: Not plesaunt, but harde, yet in the pacience [...] Christ ioyfull. But where be they nowe, that glory in th [...] name of Apostles: Who in the meane time swellyng wit [...] pride, are addicte to filthie pleasures? Whiche I warne, th [...] we flee from them, as from Apostataes.
The place wherin the reuelation was shewed.And now he sheweth the place, where this diuine reuelation was made him, where also he was cōmaunded of Go [...] to wryte the same. The place was the Ile of Patmos. Th [...] same is accompted amonges the Ilondes called Sporad [...] of Plinie in the fourth boke and .xii. cha. It lay ouer again [...] Asia, and the citie of Ephesus, and was in thu sight boeth [...] Europe and Affricke, so that it semed to be as it were a mi [...] dle seate, or holy chaire, out of the which Christ preached [...] Iohn from heauen to the whole worlde. And in dede the co [...] selles of God are wonderfull, and his goodnes is vnspekeable, which reuealeth so great misteries, as it were in th [...] Romish pryson or Babilonicall captiuitie, to his faithfull.
Iohn persecuted for ye Gospel.Neyther hideth he the cause of his comming into the sam [...] Iland, I was there, saieth he, for the worde of God, and th [...] testimony of Iesu Christ. The word of God is the very so [...] of God, called of Iohn by a singular proprietie of speache the worde or sermon of God, as appeareth the first of Iohn and the testimony of Iesu Christ is the Gospell if self, whic [...] Iesus testified, and the whiche his disciples haue testified o [...] Iesu. Therfore for the confession and preaching of Ies [...] Christ, and of his holsome Gospell (for so he expoundet [...] also how he is made partaker of thafflictiō) Iohn was appr [...] hended in Asia, & by soldiours led to Rome, yt he might plea [...] his cause before themperour Domitian, who of his cruel nature condēned the inuocēt. And he was put into a cawdrō o [...] hote boiling oyl. Out of ye whiche when he escaped withou [...] harme, he was caried into Patmos. He aunswered no other matter before themperour, than Paul did .27. yeres past, before Nero. This was done in yt .xiiii. or .xv. yere of Domitiā And the .xxiiii. yeare after ye destructiō of the citie Hierusalē [Page 29] and after the birth of our Lorde .lxvi. Domician who would seme and be called a God, being slaine of his own men, after many murthers & cruel actes, died himself a shameful death, the .xv. yeare of his reigne. The authours hereof are, Suetonius in ye life of Domitian, Tertullian in the heretic. prescript. Eusebius in his chronicles, and in the third boke of the ecclesiastical history, in the .xvii. and .xviii. chapter. And hereto is added the common consent of all writers.
Moreouer he noteth the tyme also,The time of the reuelation, and of the sonday. in the whiche these misteries began to be reuealed to him, [...], in that solemne day of the Lord, namely the sonday. For so haue the auncient fathers called one of the sabbothes, that is to say the first day in the weke, wherin Christ rose again frō the dead. Math. xxviii. and Mark .xvi. And this day haue ye churches chosen to them selues in stead of the Sabboth day, as holy in the remēbraūce of the Lordes resurrectiō, wherin they might kepe their sacred and solemne assemblees. For that this day was solemnised and cōsecrated for assemblees in the congregation of Corinthe, appereth manifestly in the xvi. Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corintians, where the Apostle commaundeth to lay a part their collections in one of the sabbothes: The same day also the faithful did celebrate their seruice with S. Paul, in the .xx. of ye Actes. Wher Sozomenus reporteth in the .viii. chapt. of the first booke of the story tripertite, that great Constantine made certen holy daies, and euen the Lordes daie for one, whiche is called of the Heathen the sonday, it is to be vnderstande that he renewed rather the custome of the Apostles & catholique church, than to haue newly instituted the same. And frely of their own accord haue the churches receiued that day: for we read not that it was any where commaunded. And the congregations sawe how it was altogether necessary that there shuld be a certen tyme, in the whiche the sainctes should mete and come together. They chose therfore the day of the resurrection, nether did they maliciously contende among thēselues for these thinges, as ye histories testifie was done in ye churche afterward. And at this day verely, ye supersticious holy days being abrogated, it is better to obserue certain and moderat daies, and to kepe peace and quietnes in the churche.
But where this Apostle knewe, that the faithfull on the so [...] day serued God in all assemblees, where he could not be p [...] sent in body,The Sonday ought to be kept. in spirit and contemplation he was with the [...] And as he was thus in the spirite and contemplation of m [...] ters diuine, and in holy prayers, he heard a voice, whereof [...] wyll speake hereafter. But here we are presently taugh [...] what is the religion of the sonday, and how it is mete to o [...] serue it. Finally wordly men are reproued, whiche pollut [...] breake it with prophane workes and affaires. Dauid w [...] time he suffered persecution of Saul, lamenteth chiefly, t [...] he might not come to the Lordes tabernacle. Our men a [...] compt it a great felicitie, neuer to enter into the felloship Sainctes. And to abuse the sonday, in gamenyng, drinkin [...] dauncing, and worldly businesse.
By whose commaundement he wrote and sent the Apocalipse.These thinges on this wyse declared, he cometh at len [...] to the reuelation: setting forth before the expresse commau [...] dement of God, wherby he was commaunded both to w [...] the thinges [...]euealed, & also to send thē to the seuen church [...] of Asia. To the maner and maiestie of the reuelatiō that sa [...] chiefly apperteineth, that he heard a voice, and that notab [...] as the sound of a trompet. For so we reade it was done the law geuing at the mount Sinay. Now is declared who voyce it was, and who was the authour of the reuelation Verely the eternall God, which calleth hym selfe Alpha [...] Omega, that is the beginning and the ende: Or as it is sa [...] in Esay, first and last. Wherof els where.
Now followeth the commaundement whiche hath [...] partes. For first the Lord commaundeth S. Iohn to w [...] And to wryte suche thinges as he sawe, that is to witte, [...] Apocalipse. And that he should wryte nother in the san [...] nor on the walle, but in a boke: Verely for the edifiyng [...] profit of the churche present, and of all posteritie. After he [...] also commaunded to sende those writinges to seuen cong [...] gations, and verely to all the churches of the whole world [...] al times & ages. Therfore al these thinges belong to ye pro [...] of congregations, and that of al that be, haue bene or shal [...]
Thautoritie of the ScriptureHere of we learne, how great is the authoritie of the s [...] turs. It was not written nor cōpiled in bokes, but by Go [...] cōmaundment. There be notable testimonies of the bok [...] [Page 31] of Moyses, in the .xxxiiii. of Exod. and .xxxi. of Deuter. And to say nothing of the residue of the Propetes, is not Ieremy commaunded to wryte his Sermons againe, whiche kyng Ioachim had cut in pieces and burnt?The scriptures are ours. Doubtes S. Peter beareth manifest witnes, that the Prophetes receiued the misteries of God to none other ende, than thei shuld reueale them to vs: Which in dede might only be done by the scriptures. Now is Iohn moste apertly commaunded to wryte. What wyl we say, that he is also commaunded to sende his wrytinges to the congregations? Wherof againe we gather that God willeth right well to the congregations, and euen to euery one of vs. Let vs beware and take hede, that we put not from vs vnworthely so great benefites of God, to whō be prayse and glory.
¶ THE BEGINNING OF THE worke is made, & a moste goodly description to vs exhibited of Christe kyng and byshop in glory, & neuertheles woorkyng in the Churche. The fifth Sermon.
ANd I tourned me, that I myght see the voice that spake with me. And when I was tourned, I sawe seuen golden candelstickes: And in the middes of the seuen candelstickes, one like vnto ye sonne of man clothed with a linnen garmēt [...]owne to the grounde, and gyrde about the pappes with a golden girdell. His head and his eares were whyte, as whyte wolle and [...]nowe: And his eyes were as a flame of fyre, [...]nd his feete like vnto brasse, as though they brent in a fournace: and his voice as ye sound of many waters. And he had in his ryght and seuen Starres, and out of his mouthe [Page 32] went out a sharpe two edged sworde, and hi [...] face shone euen as the Sūne in his strength.
Suche thinges as haue bene treated of hitherto in th [...] boke be in stead of the prologue or preface, as they terme [...] Now at last shall the matter it selfe be propoūded to vs.The som of these things vnto the .iiii. Chapter. H [...] therfore followeth the second part of this boke, whiche r [...] cheth to the fourth chapter. In the which is Christ describe vnto vs with his catholike churche. For first in dede is set [...] fore vs the moste sacred Image of Christ our Lord, teachi [...] what a one he is on the right hande of his father in glor [...] & how he sittyng on the right hand of his father, worketh n [...] uerthelesse in his churche continually, neuer absent, prese [...] alwayes. Of what sorte moreouer the churche is here [...] earth, is figured in those seuen congregations. Here therfo [...] are shewed the excellent giftes of churches, and agayne i [...] shamefull errours: How the Lord Christ confirmeth such [...] are sliding and ready to fall, establisheth those that stande [...] forteth the weake harted, restreyneth the folyshe hardy, a [...] preserueth thinges that are corrupt: Finally how faithful [...] stours of the churche must worke and trauell, with the pe [...] ple committed to their credit. For here is exceadingly w [...] taught, what is the reparing and preseruation of church [...] Where also a briefe somme of the whole ecclesiastical and [...] some doctrine brought in to an abridgement, shalbe set be [...] vs. For here is repeted from heauen of Christ in glory, [...] doctrine of true religion, whiche he had set forth more pl [...] tifully, when he was yet here in earth: And here most ap [...] applieth it to churches, after consideration of the same.
And in most goodly order the wordes are knit togethe [...] (as likewyse the whole boke is wrytten with playne wor [...] and hanging right well together, they are disceaued yt thi [...] it to be lose besomes or broomes vnbounde) Iohn heard voice behind him criyng: Wherupon he tourned backwa [...] that he might se the voyce speaking, that is to wit, hym t [...] spake. For Aretas also admonissheth, that there is a trope [...] the wordes. For no man seeth, but heareth the voyce. A [...] tourning him to see, he sawe a figure of Christ our sauio [...] Therfore when the Lorde speaketh, let vs tourne also w [...] [Page 33] all our harte,Let vs turne to ye lord speaking. that we may lykewyse deserue to se the misteries of the kingdom of God, for he gladly reuealeth him sel [...] to suche as tourne, and desire heauenly thinges: And from those that neglecte the misteries of the kingdome of God, al thinges of saluation are hidde.
Further more S. Iohn exhibiteth to vs the Image of Christ, our catholike kyng and high bishop sitting in glory:Thimage of Christ is set befor vs. in the whiche description are comprised the chiefest matters of Christ. For suche a taste of Christ is here geuen vs, as in this world may be of our weake flesh perceiued. But we shal se hym at the length in the world to come such as he is, in the fulnes of his maiestie, wherin shalbe ioye & life euerlasting: But this in this corrupt world, is yet graunted to no man.
So much therfore is permitted vnto vs that liue yet in thys worlde to be sene, as is profitable,1 Iohn. 2 and as our infirmitie may perceiue. But this same is not litle or nothing: but great and large and moste full of spirituall pleasure, I meane if we beholde these misteries of God with a faithfull eye, and mynde desyrous of Godly matters. And doubtles they be thynges certayn and true, that here are reuealed vnto vs. For they be reuealed by the very sonne of God. Let vs not wysh than to se more, or desyre greater thinges than these are: But take pleasure in those which Christ hath graunted vs. And let vs knowe for certentie, that a wonderful benefite of God is geuen vs in this vision. For who would not couet to se Christ in glory sitting on the ryght hand of the father? Who desyreth not to knowe what our Sauiour doth in heauen? And home being in heauē, is neuertheles present with his church in earth? But this sacred and holy Image instructeth in all these poinctes all the faithfull of Christe moste fully. Howebeit this Image of Christ is not to be set forth with colours, synce that colours can not atteine to the maiestie therof: but with the ecclesiasticall doctrine, whiche hath the promesse of the spirite of Christe: And is therfore more euident, and only mete for the true expressing therof. Let vs also prynt the same Image, not vpon any dead table with colours that wyll peryshe and fade, but in our hartes through the liuely spirite of God, whiche may also kepe it in our myndes, neuer to be [...]wipt out. And such thinges as are spoken in the seconde and [Page 34] third chap. Of this boke, are deriued of this description [...] Christ, that the maiestie of the thing might inuite vs to a s [...] gular diligence. The matter is very playne.
An aungell represēteth Christ.First we are taught who it is, whose Image is to vs ex [...] bited: Not the sonne of man him selfe in his own substaun [...] but lyke the sonne of man. The sonne of man after the phr [...] of the Gospell, is called Christ hym selfe very God and m [...] Here he shewed not hym selfe to be sene of Iohn in his ou [...] substaunce, but in the fourme of an Aungell, that represent [...] Christ: Whiche thyng is oftener then once founde in th [...] boke. We shal therfore referre all these thinges vnto Chris [...] not to the Aungell, whiche is the minister of Christ in th [...] mistery. And we shall see Christ in his owne substaun [...] what tyme our base body shall flitte from hence, and bey [...] reysed from the dead shall be glorified. In the meane ty [...] the soull from the death of the body tyll it ryse agayne, sh [...] clearely haue the fruition of the sight of Christ: Wherein, [...] I sayd before shall be the chief ioye and felicitie. We sh [...] nowe therfore see Christ as it were in a glasse, and so muc [...] as shall suffice vs. The Lorde open to vs the eyes of o [...] mynde.
Where Christ is abiding.He telleth moreouer, where he sawe Christ, in the midd [...] of seuen candelstickes. By and by we shall perceiue that [...] the candelstickes must be vnderstande the churches. Chri [...] is than in the middes of the churche. He sitteth verely on [...] ryght hand of the father, and after the proprietie of this [...] mane body, he is but in one place, and in no mo. As S. A [...] gustin declareth aboundauntly in the .lvii. Epistle to Dor [...] nus. Yet for as muche as he is also very God, he is lykew [...] in the myddes of the churche, as he promised in the Gosp [...] Whersoeuer two or three be gathered in my name,Mat. 18.28 the [...] am in the myddes of them. And agayne: behold I am w [...] you vnto the worldes ende. Therfore by his power diui [...] Christ remayneth and worketh in the churche present, a [...] not absent. (Leaue therfore to inquire, what Christ doth [...] the ryght hand of his father, whether he sitte continually?) And he is verely in the myddes of the churches, fyxed to [...] place, but shewyng hym selfe indifferently to all egall as helpefull. For he neyther accepteth persones, nor slepe [...] [Page 35] He is not paynted, he is not Idle, nothyng regardyng matters of the churche: But is chiefly and only attentiue to the saluation of the same. Suche a one he promysed him selfe to be in the .14.15. and .16. of Iohn. And seyng Christ is in the myddes of the churche, what Vicar moreouer shall he haue? Shall he haue that ennemy whiche is directly against hym?Christ hath no vicar. 2 Tessa. 2. For a Vicar is in steade of one absent: But Christ is in the middell of the churche, present, not absent.
In the text followyng Christ is described moste plentifully, many thynges are ascribed vnto him: And is declared in what sort Christ is in the mids of the church. And first indede is shewed, what garment he hath on: To wit both priestly & princely. By the which thing is figured, what maner of one Christ is in heauen & in earth: To wit bishop and king, intercessour, mediatour, & sacrifice, a moste perfit sanctification & iustification, a redemer and deliuerer of the faithful to his father, euermore working the saluation of his faithfull. As S. Paul teacheth, Roma. 8. Hebr. 7. PoderesPoderes. is found amōgst the apparell of Aaron, and it is a priestly garment. Whereof S. Hierome writeth to Fabiola, of the priestly garmēt. The second vesture of linnen is a coate downe to the fote, of double launde: Which Iosephus calleth Bissina. And it is called in Hebrew ketheneth, in Greke, [...]. This cleaueth iust to the body, and is so narrowe and strayte sleued, that there is no wryncle at al in the garment, and came downe to the legges. This was verely whyte and cleane.Girdel or a belte. For the Lorde Christ is an vndefiled Priest. Hebre. 7. Neyther weareth he agayne a foule vesture, as he did. Zachar. 3. Nor a purple, as in the .19. of Iohn. But a bright one, as he that hath obteyned a name aboue all names. But his gyrdell or belte is worne of Souldiours and triumphaunt persones: And it signifieth in Christ the dignitie roiall. For Christ is king, delyuerer and redemer of the faythfull. His victory is ours. He hath ouercome Sathan, Helle, synne and death.
But the belte or girdle of Christe is not set in the wonted place, to wytte, about the loynes. For as Aretas hath also admonished, ther ar no cōcupiscences to be restrained in Christ. Therefore is he not gyrded after the maner of synners, [Page 36] but about the pappes or brestes: to thintent we should vnderstande by the girding, that he is kyng of kynges, voyd [...] of all affections: Moste rightuous and holy in iudgements and gouernement: But yet in the meane tyme furnyshed fo [...] the defence of his church, as we haue red it written in the .9 [...] Psalme. The Lord hath put on strength & girded hymself, &c. Christ might seme to haue girded him selfe not after the maner that priestes or kynges vse, for that he hath obteyned [...] more excellent priesthod and kyngdome, induring for eue [...] To accomplishe these thinges it behoued hym to vse a te [...] ple, and palace not transitory, but heauen it selfe. Hebre. vi [...] and .ix. Yet in the meane tyme the effect pearseth in to th [...] church it selfe, that so he may be present in the church also.
The head & heares of Christ.But the head of Christ appeareth hoare, and his hea [...] whyte, lyke moste pure wolle, and whytest snow. Suche a head is ascribed also to the father of our Lord Iesu Christ, [...] the seuenth Chap. of Daniel. For they be of the same essen [...] And hereby is signified wysdome and age, and also the e [...] nitie and deitie of Christ. And by reason that Christ is Gi [...] therfore is he head of the church, ministring to the body li [...] spirite, wysdome, and all giftes celestiall. Ephes. v. Ca [...] Pope of Rome, that moste wicked man of synne doe th [...] What an head is he than? without lyfe, without brayne [...] moste folyshe. As he is described in the .xi. of Zacha. And is a shame, that we will not se these thinges, being blynd euer. Christ is euerlasting, omnipotent, and that knoweth thing: And he may be the health and head of the body. I [...] in the beginning, saith he, was the word, and the word [...] with God. &c. Christ him self: before Abraham was, saith [...] I am. Therfore the Heretickes lye, deniyng Christ to be [...] ry God, of the same substaūce with the father. He is the [...] dome of God, all thinges are subiect to hym. Ephe. the [...] And he him self fulfilleth all thinge, after the same sort be [...] present with his churche.
The eyes of Christ.Now are his eyes also not darkened nor blynde, but fy [...] and bryght. For Christ knoweth all thyng. Christes eye [...] watchful, nothyng is hyd from him, he seeth all thinges [...] are done, both good and euyll. And he seeth to the intent may iudge and require. He is light in darknes, and the si [...] [Page 37] of Christ is to good men ioyfull in perils. Finally the iudgementes of Christ are rightuous. The Prophet Dauid: The eyes of the Lord, sayth he, vpon the iust, and his eares are to their prayer. Agayne: The face of the Lorde is on them that do euyll. And like as the head is not plucked from the body, so Christ can not be absent from his churche. And seyng that his eyes are quicke sighted, and that the Lord forseeth al our thinges, and hath the charge ouer vs, how is he absent from his churche? What nedeth there any vicar?
And the fete of the Lorde are of copper,Brasē fete or lyke vnto brasse and frankensence burning in a fornace. For Chalcolibaum, is a worde compounded of brasse and frankensence.Eusebius. This noteth Erasmus, and that Swidas sheweth also the same, that there is a kynde of Copper more precious than gold: which he sayth is made of Salt peter and of a stone. Plin. in the xxxiiii. and .ii. Chapter. calleth it a kynde of brasse, whiche is digged out of the vaynes of the earth, in tymes paste had in price. It should seme to me to be the same, whiche in the first and tenth of Ezechiel is called Hasmal, a present remedy against poysons. For if wyne intoxicated be put into a cuppe therof, it wil hisse. And so is the death and poyson detected.
The moste cleane brasen and firy fete, do signifie the conuersation, and the wayes of the Lorde blameles, his iudgements right & iust. And that he so walketh in the church, and gouerneth al things, that in ye meane season al vncleanes be detec [...]ed and consumed, but he him selfe remaineth always moste holy and pure. For fire pourgeth. God is a consuming fire.
But the voyce of Christ,The voice of Christ. is as it were the noyse of many waters, not so muche for that all nations and people do commende and prayse him: But for as muche as the Gospel and worde of God, came into the whole worlde. Whiche voyce also moste mightie kinges could lesse asswage and appease, than they could do the gusshing of waters,Rom. 10 or to stoppe the wyndes in sackes. Therfore by the power of preaching the Lorde is always present in his churche.
The hand is an instrument of all instrumentes, especially the righthande.The right hand. In this Christ holdeth seuen starres, to wit seuen prelates or pastours of churches in Asia: And euen all the byshops throughout the whole world Christ by his power [Page 38] geueth to vs as Pastours, and instructeth, comforte [...] confirmeth & defendeth them, to the end they should preac [...] his worde. Wherby he may ioyne hym selfe to the churc [...] Christ worketh by them in the churche and preserueth th [...]
A two edged sword out of Christ his mouth.The same is more lyuely expressed in the wordes that f [...] lowe. For a sharpe two edged sworde commeth out of [...] Lordes mouth. This swearde, is the worde of God, as [...] ryght well declared in the sixt to the Ephes. and fourth to [...] Hebrewes. And this word or sworde hangeth not vpon [...] walle nor sticketh fast in the sheathe, nor hangeth by the f [...] but cometh out of the mouth. He sayth not, it came foort [...] it shall come forth: But it cometh forth, as the thyng th [...] in continuall operation, or perpetuall preaching through [...] the worlde. And it is two edged, sharpe and pearsing, as [...] in the heart of the Godly vnto saluation, as in the heart [...] the wycked to payne and condemnation. And yet at [...] day cometh out that sworde of the mouthe of Christ by mouthes of Ministers. The worde of Christe is in dede [...] temned of the world, and is called of many a fable: But [...] a sworde, and that a sworde out of Christes mouth. All [...] vnfaithfull do finde and shall fynde this, howe soeuer [...] resiste. With this sworde Christ kylleth the wicked. And effect of this sworde is greater than was the sworde of A [...] ander, Pompey, Iulius Cesar, or Marius, Attille, or [...] merlane. Neyther maketh it any skylle, though the w [...] now acknowledge it not. It shall doe in tyme to com [...] their greatest euyll. Doubtles with this spirite of his m [...] the Lorde continueth alwayes to comfort and gouern [...] churche, so that he is neuer absent from the same.
Finally the countenaunce of Christ shineth as the [...] doeth in his greatest strength about none, when it is [...] bryght, clere, and plesaunt, by the countenaunce we [...] men chiefly. Therfore by the countenaūce we know C [...] The countenaunce of Christ is light. Christ therfore is [...] And that verely a diuine and eternall lyght, lyghtyng a [...] that they may also be made the children of light: and tha [...] faces of saintes may shine in that day, as bright as the si [...] and as the face of Christ shone. Math. 13. and .17. And f [...] he doeth thus communicate this lyght vnto vs. (Iohn [...] [Page 39] and .1. Iohn. 1.) How is it to be thought that Christ should be absent from his churche? Thou seest how he is present.
And so hath our Lord Christ exhibited hym selfe to vs to be sene vnto saluation, and hath opened hym selfe wholy vnto vs, as he is, what he doeth for vs, and howe he is in hys churche. In these thinges are all the misteries of the Gospell comprehended. For what can you say of Christ, that you haue not herein comprysed. Let vs therfore remembre them. and wryte them in our myndes, that we may imbrace Christ kyng and byshop, and that we neuer let hym departe out of our armes. To hym be glory.
¶ How Iohn was affected towardes the vision to hym exhibited, the comfort of Iohn, and the exposition of the vision, applied vnto consolation. The sixt Sermon.
ANd when I sawe hym I fel at his fete euen as dead: And he layd his right hand vpon me, saying vnto me: Feare not, I am the first and the laste, and am alyue, and was [...]ead. And beholde I am alyue for euer more, [...]nd haue the keyes of hel, and of death, write [...]herfore the thinges whiche thou haste sene, [...]nd the thinges whiche are, and the thinges whiche shalbe fulfilled hereafter: And the mistery of the seuen Starres which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seuen golden candelstickes. The seuen Starres are the messengers of the seuen congregations: And [...]he seuen candelstickes whiche thou sawest, [...]re the seuen congregations.
It followeth how blessed S. Iohn was moued with that celestiall and wonderfull vision: And how he receiued consolation, more ouer the exposition of the vision applied to his comfort, with a commaundement to indite all these thing [...] diligently.
Iohn falleth downe & lieth like one were dead.What tyme he had fully sene this diuine and heauenly sight of Christ our Lord, sitting on the right hand of God i [...] glory, his strength failing him, he falleth down on the earth: and liyng at the fete of the Lorde, is lyke a dead body. W [...] reade that the same chaunced to Daniel in the .x. Chapt. And other men of God also haue bene feared with the visions o [...] Aungels. The women also in the new Testament tremble [...] at the sepulchre, seing Aungels. Peter was amased at th [...] greatnes of the miracle. Luke .v. And falling at the knees [...] the Lord, crieth out, go from me, Lord, for I am a synful m [...] For Godly visions bewray our infirmitie:The weakenes of mans vnderstāding Neyther be [...] apte or sufficiently pourged, to behold those supercelest [...] thinges with eyes and myndes sicke and not yet well pu [...] fied. Therfore must the elect be glorified in an other lyfe, th [...] they may be made partakers of the glory celestiall. In th [...] meane season here al godly are humbled and abased by hyg [...] visions and reuelations.2 Cor. 12 For they auaunce not them selue [...] proudly through the glory of reuelatiō: But perceiuing th [...] naturall corruption, they craue pardon, and the augmentation of the supercelestiall grace and light. For vnlesse we b [...] illumined with the spirite of God, we shal lye like dead folk [...] how so euer we receyue with our corporall senses the visio [...] celestiall.
Humilitie is comforted of the Lord.But they that humble them selues before the Lorde, fynd [...] a moste present consolation at the Lordes hande. Wherfo [...] there came to S. Iohn immediatly both in worde and de [...] a full consolation. For the Aungell representing the person [...] of Christ, layeth his right hand vpon Iohn: The whiche is token of amitie, protection, and of present helpe. For in [...] pressing this maner of speaking in dutche, we say therfore [...] laiyng on the hand is signified, that Christ is good to Iohn, ready to helpe him. Which incontinently he maketh play [...] by the addition of wordes, saiyng, feare not.Feare not. Whiche saiy [...] is common euery where in the story of the Gospel: And th [...] fore [Page 41] is most gospel like, that is to saye most lucky. For God commaundeth the humbled to be of good hope, and to liue assured vnder the protectiō of the highest. Which verely we vnderstand to be spoken not to Iohn alone but to al vs also, that we in like maner, albeit that we fele ye infirmitie of our fleshe, should yet hope well of the goodnes & mercy of God. Here followeth yt cause more fully declared, why Iohn shold not be affrayed. For the vision shewed was not exhibited for the terrour of him: but that Iohn might perceiue how great and mightie he is which is prepared for the defence of him & al the faithfull. As though he shoulde saye. Where thou seest how great he is, which hath taken vpō him to defende thee, who finally protecteth and gouerneth the whole Churche, there is no cause why thou shouldest be affraide. But rather execute boldely, that he cōmaundeth thee. Wryte that he cō maundeth to be written. Be not affrayed of men, feare God rather. For if good mē be so sore afrayde at the sight of him, where shal the enemies and contemners of God appere?
Therfore consequently he expoūdeth the vision, teaching who he is, which was sene like to the sonne of man walking emonges the golden Candelstickes. And he applieth this expositiō vnto comforte: that both Iohn & euery faithful maye perceiue, how mightie Christ is, & what the faithfull haue by him obteined. For the Aungell tempereth his speach so, that we maie seme to heare al things spokē to vs not by ye mouth of the Aungell, but of Christ him selfe.A diuisiō. And this exposition hath his partes. For first he declareth (as I said euen nowe) whose Image it was that was shewed. Than is annexed a cōmaundement to write this boke. After that is opened the misterie of the starres. Finally ye secretnes of the cādelsticks is reuealed: And al these thinges right plainly and briefly.
First thou hast sene, saieth the Lord, a vision,Christe is represented by the same vision, what he is, and how great he is. wherat thou waste amased: but feare thou not. For thou hast not sene any euill or fearful spirite, boding any misfortune: but my shape, whiche am thy redemer and Lorde. I am first and laste. And this maner of speakyng (as I warned a little before) he toke out of the Prophecies of Esaye, as it is to be seene in the .xli. xliiii. xlv. and xlviii. chapters. And he signifieth him selfe to be coequall, and of the same substaunce with the father in all [Page 42] thinges, very God, eternall, and incōprehensible. For loke what thinges the father attributeth to himself, the same also doth the sonne vsurpe. But there is no order or time certain to be vnderstāde in first and last, but plainly euerlastingnes. Therfore Christ here signifieth,Christ is egall with the father. that he is very God, egalle and of the same essence with the father from all eternitie. As the same is also muche confirmed in Iohn 1.5.10.14. and 17. chapter. This fighteth against the Heretickes, which at that time also, as at this daye the Seruetanes, denie the eternall deitie of Christ the Lorde. And thus, when the trewe God is of vs acknoweledged and beleued, he maye be for our Saluation. Yf Christe be not very God, he is not our saluation. For I am God, sayeth the veritie: And besides me there is no God, no Saluation.
Secondly he sayeth, I am liuing, and was dead: wherby he signifieth that he toke the true humane nature. The whiche many also at the same time denied: In like case as the [...] be some at this daye, whiche do playnely derogate from th [...] humanitie of Christe. Agaynste all suche maner of heresies the Lorde him selfe confesseth that he was dead. Wherby it is now manifest, that he is very mā, as he is also very God, of the same essēce with his father in deitie, as he is also of the same substaunce with vs in humanitie, like vnto vs in all thinges, sinne excepted. For he toke not the nature of Aungelles, but the sede of Abraham. And it behoued in dede tha [...] the sonne of man shuld be incarnate, that bothe he might di [...] & shede bloud.Hebr. 9. For the Testament in the dead is finally ratified neither is there any remission made without bloud she [...] ding. The Lord therfore dieth, and shedeth bloud, to the int [...] he might geue full remissiō of sinnes, and confirme the new [...] Testament. Yet euen he that was thought to be dead, nowe liueth,Christ that was dead liueth. and is that same liuing, who hauing vāquished death, the iii. daye rose againe from the dead, and repared life for a [...] beleuers, and inspireth into them his owne very life.
And therefore addeth immediatly: beholde I am liuing [...] world without ende. For nowe Christ dieth no more, death [...] shal not rule ouer him. But rather he is the life of al his fait [...] full, who in rising againe, brought agayne life: and that life euerlastinge, induringe I saye worlde without ende. As he [Page 43] him selfe declareth more at large. Iohn. 5.6.10. chapter. And thapostle to the Rom. 4.1. Corinth. 15. and 2. Timoth. 1.
Moreouer where many were wōte to doubte of this life gotten and repared by Christe, the Lorde him selfe confirmeth, that he saied, by an othe, and sayeth. Amen. As though he should saye, this is altogether trewe and vndoubted that I saye.
Finally he addeth,Christ hath the keyes of hell and of death. and I haue the keyes of Hell and of death. By the whiche woordes againe he comforteth exceadingly, and expresseth his power: and declareth howe great he is, and what we haue of him. Here must we speake by the waie of the kepe. The ordinary glose saieth very wel: he that hath the keyes of any house, sayeth he, letteth in whome he wil, and kepeth backe whom he will from entring in. Therfore Christ possesseth the keyes of death & hel, for that whom he will, he deliuereth from perpetual cōdemnation of death: And whom he wil,The keyes he suffereth to remaine iustely in the same daunger of damnation. And verely Esaye in the 22. speaking of Eliachim, whome he sayeth shoulde be made Iudge in the courte of Ezechias: I wil laye sayeth he the keye of the house of Dauid vpon his shulder: whiche shal open, and no manne shall shutte: shall shutte, and no man shal open. Therfore are the keyes put in the Scripture for the charge and gouernement of the house. Eliachim shall gouerne all thinge in the Courte of Ezechias vprightly. What soeuer he shall determine, no manne shal infringe, that whiche he shall abrogate, no manne shall restore. Christe therfore, a figure of whome Eliachim represented, shal him selfe haue also the chiefe gouernment in the house or kingdome of God: so that whom he will, he may quickē, and plucke backe from hel and from damnation: And againe whom he liste to condemne, he may distroie by his iuste iudgement. For he hath most ful power ouer death and hell.Ose. 13. 1. Cor. 15. For bothe two hath he ouercomen and made weake. And these thinges comforte the faithfull moste strongely, and reteyne them in all Godly duties. And that same is chiefly to be obserued, that he sayeth not, he had the keyes, or shall haue, but I haue, sayeth he, I haue I saye. He gaue not his power to the Bishoppe of Rome, but hath i [...] him selfe, and will kepe it still for euer. And he gaue [Page 44] not to the Apostles ful power of life & death, of saluation and damnation,The keyes of heauen geuē to the Apostles. and so vnarmed him selfe: but he gaue the keyes of opening and shutting heauen, as it were to his Ministers & seruitours, by the preaching of the Gospell: by the whiche he promised life to all that beleued, Christ him selfe shoulde geue that life for the truth of the promise: To whom so euer they should threaten damnation, Christ him selfe shuld condemne for the truth of his woorde. We see therfore that the Lord kepeth stil & exerciseth the power, and his ministers the ministerie (by preaching, not by absolute power.) Therfore the Pope is Antichrist,The keyes of ye bishop of Rome. which vsurpeth and taketh vpon him this full power and authoritie in Heauen and in Earth, and in the middes of the earth also, or beyonde all the earth, i [...] those vnfortunate Ilandes. I meane purgatory. By ye whic [...] craftie deuise he hath subtilly emptied the purses, Coffer [...], garuers and wine cellers,Apoc. 13. of foolish people that swarne from the articles of their beliefe, to wit I beleue the forgeuenes o [...] sinnes, the resurrection of the fleshe, & life euerlasting. Th [...] beaste dare vsurpe the two hornes of the Lambe,Daniel. 7. namely th [...] authoritie of King & Bishop, & therfore to hange two keye [...] vnder his triple Crowne: that euen by these Armes all the world maye perceyue, that this is very he, whiche, hauin [...] subdued three kinges or hornes, is cropē vp, & chalengeth t [...] him selfe all power in heauen & in earth, signified by the tw [...] keies. And surely the blindnes of our time is wonderful an [...] to be lamēted, that hauing eyes it seeth yet nothing. Let suc [...] as be wise, remēber, that Christe hath yet the keyes of deat [...] and Hell, his ministers the denouncyng of life and death.
Iohn is cō maunded to write.And nowe when he had declared these greate and mos [...] holesome matters, and had comforted the minde of Iohn, h [...] addeth the commaundement: write the vision exhibited, f [...] nally write those thinges also whiche muste be done shorte [...] after this. He placeth in the middes, and those that be: th [...] is, whiche are in dede, and trewe, and be not false. And thes [...] things are to get authoritie to this boke, finally to the who [...] scripture, whiche is reuealed with like truth of the selfe sam [...] Author. And as Iohn is cōmaunded to write without fear [...] so are we cōmaunded to Preache & publish the same boldly though the world be neuer so madde therat.
He addeth moreouer, the exposition that remaineth, and sayeth: The misterie of the seuen starres, &c. The reason semeth almost vnpersit. Therfore muste we vnderstande this is the mistery or sacrament of the seuen Starres and Candelstickes: that it maye be as it were a proposition,Sacramēt. and that the exposition shoulde folow immediatly: the seuen starres, are seuen Messengers, &c. And by Sacrament vnderstande a secret mistery, and the very exposition of the mistery. As yf you woulde s [...] here is to be noted the goodnes of Almightie God,The scripture expounded. whiche declareth to vs him selfe the hardest places of the Scripture. Where be they therfore that accuse the Scripture of obscurenes, and contende that it can not be vnderstāde? let vs here marke also the cōmon maner of speakyng of the whole scripture: seuen starres,The phrase of ye scripture. be seuen Messengers: The seuen lightes, are seuen Churches. For signes receyue the names of the thinges, although they be, & remaine in theyr owne substaunce, and bee not chaunged into another. This the very contentiouse persons do graunte also, whiche in the woordes of the supper, this is my body, will acknowledge no figuratiue speache at all.
Starres be called Aungelles. Aungelles be Gods Messengers, pastours of churches, so called in the ii. & iii. chapter of Malachie. For God sendeth preachers as Ambassadors to the people, and willeth them to be hearde in like case as himselfe. Luke .x. Iohn .xiii. Let no man therfore tary till the Lord him selfe come downe from heauen againe, and preach [...]nto vs. Euen now he preacheth to vs by his Messengers, whiche preache his, that is to saye the woorde of Christ, yf [...]ou contemne them, you contemne Christ. Preachers be [...]alled starres, by reason of theyr bright and Heauenly doc [...]rine, and for their purenes of life.2. Peter. 2 Iude. 1. Beware therefore you Preachers, that you be not wandering Planettes, leest ye [...]aue no light at all, neyther in doctrine, nor conuersation of [...]fe. For than ye shall be likened to starres that fall downe [...]ut of Heauen, as shall happen here after in this boke to the [...]alse teachers.
But those starres are not in the head, or in the fete,The starres be in ye right hāde of Christ. or on [...]he backe or sides: but in the right hande of Christ. Whiche [...]ing hath in dede a great consolation for the Pastours be [Page 46] in the right hande of God, in Gods protection, neither sh [...] any man take them out of his hande. God him selfe also [...] ueth pastours, and furnisheth them with necessarie good [...] of the Church. Therfore is the whole gouernement and gl [...] ry his. Wherefore the Apostle sayeth also: he that water [...] and planteth is nothing, but God that geueth increase.
Nowe as concernyng the Candelstickes, there was o [...] verely in the Tabernacle of Moses with seuen sockettes,Candelstickes. [...] set in seuen Candelles. In Salomons temple were ten ca [...] delstickes. The one represented a figure of Christ: And the [...] uen therupon, and the ten, betokened the vniuersalitie [...] Churches, whiche are lighted all of the only lighte Chris [...] and haue of this one, what light so euer they haue. And th [...] candelstickes are of Golde. The mistery whereof Aretas e [...] pounding: They are all golde, sayeth he, for the puritie a [...] preciousnes of faith liyng hidde in them. And in dede the [...] delstickes of them selues geue no light, but be receptacles [...] light. So of vs arriseth no light, but darkenes. But in [...] that light euerlasting, set a light in the candlesticke, the lig [...] shineth: if Christe illumine the Churche with faithe and [...] retie, than faith sheweth foorth her selfe in open confessio [...] and the purenes of life in conuersation. And this the Lord [...] quireth of his churche in the v. chapter of Matth. So let yo [...] light shine &c. And the apostle in the ii. to the Philipp. In t [...] middes of a frowarde and croked natiō shine like lightes the worlde.
And hitherto we haue handled the consolation of Chri [...] and the exposition of that great and celestiall vision, whe [...] we haue learned the misteries of the faith of Christ and of his Churche: to the ende we should knowe that Christ is the Lorde reignyng in his Church, and applying al thinges to the saluation of his faythfull. That he sendeth Preachers, teacheth by them, and kepeth and defendeth them. To him be Glory &c.
¶ Of the Epistles reuealed out of the throne of God from Christ by an Aungell, and receiued and sent of Iohn. Where also a parte of the Epistle to the Ephesians is expounded. The seuenth Sermon.
VNto the Messenger of the congregation of Ephesus write: These things saieth he that holdeth the seuen Starres in his righthand, and walketh in the middes of the Seuen golden Candelstickes. I knowe thy workes, and thy labour and thy patiēce, and [...]ow thou cannest not forbeare them whiche [...]re euil: And examinest them which saie thei are Apostles, and are not: And haste founde [...]hem liars: & hast suffered, and hast patience: [...]nd for my names sake haste laboured, and [...]aste not fainted. Neuerthelesse I haue some what againste thee, because thou haste lefte [...]hy firste loue.
Your charitie hath sene a certen Image of the lord christ,Christe is prelate of ye Church. [...]itting on the right hande of the father in glorye: yet so, that [...] no wise he eyther forsaketh or neglecteth his Churche. Now followeth it more fully and plainely howe our Saui [...]ur Christe in Heauen executeth the office of the highe Bishop, and teacheth the whole churche by his ministers, rebu [...]eth, comforteth, and reteyneth it in her dutie: Finally tour [...]eth alwayes awaye thinges hurtefull, and auaunceth it to greater thinges. For here follow seuen Epistles, to the seuē Congregations: that is to witte,Seuen Epistles. vnto all the churches in the [...]hole worlde. For this moste ample and holsome doctrine [...]aye not be restreyned to a fewe, sins Christ is Bisshoppe [...]niuersall.Thautoritie of these ep [...]stels.
But great is the autoritie of these epistles. For they are [Page 48] reuealed from the throne of God, by the sonne of Go [...] speaking by an Aungell, whiche prescribeth what is to b [...] written in those Epistles: S. Iohn receiueth and writeth th [...] same, through Christ his cōmaundement, and sendeth the [...] to the seuen congregations: And verely they aperteyne n [...] lesse vnto vs, than if now the bearer entring into the churc [...] should deliuer these letters vnto vs.
Moreouer in these seuen Churches is figured vnto v [...] the nature,The epistles be vniuersall. maners, vices, medicines, rebukes, prayses of [...] Churches in all times, and what soeuer is wonte to chaun [...] aboute them. Then by examples of moste excellent mean [...] mixed, of Hypocriticall also and wicked. And these our Lo [...] dothe euidētly instructe, reproue, rebuke, and blame, prais [...] correct, moue, exhorte, comforte, the same he threatneth, an [...] promiseth them also ioyfull thinges, &c. This is no light [...] cōmon example, but of the sonne of God, the high and mo [...] blessed Bishop: teaching vs, howe we should deale with [...] congregations after the capacitie & disposition of euery on [...]
And not without cause he chouseth vnto him seuen th [...] most noble cities of Asia. Certaine it is, that Asia was of [...] first inhabited, and from thence they were dispersed into [...] ther partes of the worlde. Certaine it is also, that the Deu [...] set vp his Throne in Asia, and there reigned in men throug [...] Idolatrie, murther, ambition, auarice, vncleanes, and filth [...] pleasures. For the prouerbe is knowē, the laughter Iouica [...] It is knowen what the apostle wrote to the Ephesiās in th [...] iiii. and v. chapter. Therfore wold our Sauiour Christ oue [...] throwe that Throne of the deuill, and set vp that his Thron [...] of rightuousnesse and holines. Therefore goeth he firs [...] and chiefly to them of Asia, that by their example the whol [...] worlde might be corrected and amended.
Ephesus.And amonges other cities of Asia and Iouia, Ephesu [...] was most famouse, called in the olde time the lighte of Asi [...] And amonges the xii. cities of Iouia accompted the princ [...] pall.The tēple of Diana. Neyther was there any other richer or more beautifu [...] Church sene any where in Asia, than the temple of Diana [...] Ephesus. It stode in the middes of the citie, a great wond [...] of the Greke magnificence, as writeth Plinie. This temp [...] is sayed to haue ben two hundreth and twentie yeres in m [...] king [Page 49] of al Asia: And set in a fenny ground, that it should fele of no earth quakes nor opening of the earthe. The length of [...]t was .ccccxxv. foote, the breadth .ccxx. It had pillers an hō dreth twentie and seuen, dedicated of so many kinges. Seke the reste oute of the epitome of the famouse D. Ioachim Vadiane. The apostle S. Paul firste illumined this citie with the [...]eame of the Gospel. Whose epistle to the same citie remayneth, and a plentifull story in the actes of the Apostles. After Paull was executed, Iohn went to Ephesus,Actes. 19. and from thēce preached to al Asia: from thēce also was he brought to Rome [...]o the emperour Domitian: To Ephesus he retourned after his exile: and there at length as the ecclesiasticall stories do testifie, he slepte in the Lord.
And before euery epistle, muche more to that of the Ephesians, is set a commaundement, write.This scripture is authētike. This cōmaundement geueth authoritie to the writynge, so that we maye not axe, whether this writing, ought to be credited? and whie it shuld [...]e beleued? For here is the expres cōmaundement of God, [...]nd the diuine authoritie, whereof curiousely to inquire is [...]hought not without cause vnlawfull. Moses wrote by the [...]ommaundement of God. And by the same cōmaundement of God wrote also the prophetes and Apostles. Whic than are not theyr wrytinges beleued to be Anthenticall? Certes Iohn sayed truely and wittely: he that knoweth God, hea [...]eth vs: he that is not of God, heareth vs not .1. Iohn .5. Curiouse questiōs cease, where the minde of the godly, or of any poore shepe knoweth the voice of his Lorde and Sheperde.
And let no man thinke, that this epistle beyng written to one Aungel, that is to a Bishop or pastour, apperteineth nothing to the Churche. For to the ende of the epistle is added an acclamation. He that hath an eare let him heare what the spirite sayeth to the congregations. Therefore the pastour is named, but ye Shepe are not excluded. All degrees & states in the church know, what is sayd vnto them. Ignoraūce saieth: That which is writtē to ye Romanes, cōcerneth me nothing. Yet neuertheles it is intitled to the Aungel,The argumēt of the epistle to ye Ephes. to the intēt they pastours may be admonished, what the state of ye Church is.
The arg [...]ment of the firste epistle is thus. Christ declareth that he ruleth ouer his church, that he taketh charge and [Page 50] gouernement of the same. Some thinge therin he prayseth and somewhat he blameth: In the meane time he exhorteth to repentaūce, threatening greuouse thinges, and promising most ioyefull. And also he applieth this epistle to al churches and cōmunicateth it to all cōgregations in the whole wor [...]. But the epistle is exhortatiue, for it instructeth the churches exhorteth and directeth.
And first in dede he sheweth, who he is, from whome th [...] epistle procedeth, that he may geue authoritie therunto: an [...] maye declare also that he is the head of his churche, the B [...] shop, Duke and gouernour. That part is takē of the imag [...] set forth in the firste chapter. And followeth the prophetic [...] maner of speaking: This sayeth he whiche holdeth the seu [...] Starres in his righthāde. For the Prophetes saye likewis [...] Thus sayeth the lorde God of Israell, thus sayeth the lor [...] of hostes. Thus sayeth the Lorde, whiche brought thee out [...] Aegipte, &c. And two especiall thinges he repeteth of the f [...] mer description,Seuen starres in the righte hande of Christ. wherby he wil be knowen and do vs to v [...] derstande, howe he beyng Lord and Bishop ruleth and m [...] keth in his churche. First he affirmeth that he holdeth in h [...] hand the seuen starres. The hande is a token of working, [...] protection, or deliueraūce. The starres we haue hearde to [...] the ministers, & the ministerie of the woorde, or the church Therfore Christ holdeth the ministerie in the church, and [...] ministers worketh the saluation of the faithfull. After he [...] firmeth that he walketh, not slepyng, or doyng nothing [...] the middes of seuen golden candelstickes. In the middes [...] sayed, to the ende we should vnderstand, that he geueth h [...] selfe indifferently to al men, and ruleth ouer al with like [...] and gouernement.To walke amongs ye Candelstickes. Fulwel wrote herof D. Fraunces lambe [...] What, saieth he is to walke or to be in the middes of cong [...] gations, but to assiste them, kepe, instructe, helpe them, [...] by al meanes to watche ouer them. For the whiche cause [...] saieth also in the last of S. Matth. Beholde I am with you [...] waies vnto the worldes ende. Hereof you haue a moste [...] figure in the lawe: wherin amonges other thinges whic [...] apperteined to the ministerie of the highe prieste, he had [...] charge of oyle and of seuen candels for those must he pour [...] and snafte, and poure in oyle, when it wanted. So Chris [...] [Page 51] the highe and true Bishop hath the charge of the seuen candelles, that is to saie, of al congregations: and is careful that they wante not that oyle, whiche is mentioned in the 44. Psalm. He watcheth, that they wante not the fire and light of the veritie. Finally he snafteth and pourgeth by faithe, what thinge so euer hath nede to be pourged in them. Thus farre he. Whiche thinges when they heare, whiche make the Bisshop of Rome head of the churche, It is maruell if by and by they vnderstande not theyr folly and madnes. Here the lord addeth also, that he knoweth the workes to witte all bothe good and euil, aswell of the Bishop as of his Churche. For the Lord knoweth al thinges, and is head Bishop of the Catholicke or vniuersall Churche whiche also remembreth the thoughtes of al men in the world at one instaunte: who seeth what is donne, and what is not donne, and what thinges are nedefull, nothing escapeth him. And suche in dede ought he to be, that is head vniuersall of his Church. And this sentēce is repeted, I knowe thy workes, in the beginninge of euery epistle. And verely it is full of comforte, when we heare that Christ knoweth all our doynges. For we beleue also that he hath a faithfull care of all our matters.
Now this great Bishop cōmendeth some thinges in this congregation of Ephesus. For good workes in dede are allowed of Christ, and he praiseth the same, to thende he might geue a spurre vnto suche as runne in his waye. For firste he alloweth the labour and patience bothe of the Bishop and Church.Labour & patience. Labour compriseth thought and care in the waie of God, mortifiyng of ye flesh, study of good workes, but chiefly the crosse & persecution, whiche the story testifieth to haue ben extreme and cruell in the time of Domitian. And excepte the persecuted haue patience, they can not indure the labour. Holy patience kepeth vs in worke and holy labour.
But leeste that patience shuld be stretched to those things wherein to be impatient is accompted prayse worthy,Not to beare euil. he addeth the seconde poincte that he prayseth in them, that thou canst not beare euill men. And by these euill he meaneth not weaklings, or such as erre without maliciousnes: But ye prophet Dauid saieth also, Psalm. 119. I haue hated ye wicked, thy law haue I loued. What we shuld do with the weake in the [Page 52] faith, or with them that erre of ignoraūce, rather than of o [...] stinate stubbernes, the Apostle hath taughte vs in the 14. [...] the Romanes. The example of our Sauiour. Hath thaugh [...] also, bringing againe that strayed Shepe vpon his shulde [...] into the shepefolde. Therefore the lord speaketh here of t [...] obstinate, of the disceauers which delight to erre thē selue [...] and to drawe others with them into errours, no Christē p [...] tience biddeth to beare with suche men.
And in the woordes followyng he declareth of what sor [...] those euill men were. And thou haste examined them whi [...] saye they be Apostles, and be not, and haste founde them [...] ayrs.Of false apostles in ye time of S. Iohn. Lo he speaketh of the false apostles, of whom in s. Ioh [...] time there was exceadyng great plentie. For they were [...] zareans mixing the lawe with grace, and attributing I [...] fication to the lawe and to our owne rightuousnes. Wh [...] the holy and great counsell at Ierusalem condemned, a [...] [...] pereth in the xv. chapter of the actes of the Apostles. S [...] a false Apostle was Hebion. Eusebius mentioneth in th [...] boke of the Ecclesiasticall story the xxvii. chapter. Here [...] was added Cerinthus that hereticke not Apostle. There [...] more also, whereof some denied the humanitie of Chri [...] some his deitie. Against whome wrote Iohn in his Gos [...] and in his Epistle: And Ireney in the firste boke against h [...] tickes. These the Lorde denieth to be Apostles, or Apost [...] call: which the Apostles haue also denied Actes. 15. And [...] wise the Apostle S. Iohn in his epistle canonicall: who [...] liar, sayeth he, but he that denieth Iesus to be Christe? But if suche trouble were in Churches whilest the Apos [...] were yet liuynge,Troublīg of Churches. if there were than so manye disceaue [...] what maruell is it, thoughe in the dregges of the worlde, witte in this our laste time, there be not a fewe soun [...] where be they nowe that wraste dissentions and troubles the defence of theyr errour? The Gospellers them sel [...] saye they are at dissention. God is God of concorde, he [...] than shoulde I beleue that God is amonge those that [...] sent? So might the Sophisters also haue reasoned in th [...] [...] postles time.
And here haue we a pefitte waye, in what sorte the ch [...] ches shoulde worke, whileste troublesome persons like f [...] [Page 53] Apostles attempte to diuide the Churche a sonder.Howe we shuld deale with heretickes. For such ringeleaders muste be tried and examined: And tried muste they be after the christen belefe, and doctrine of the Apostles, and inquisition muste be made, whether they be Apostles and trewe men, or false Apostles and lyars. When we shall haue founde them to be false Apostles and liars, and that they go forewarde obstinately in theyr wickednes, they be not to be suffered: as in dede the Ephesians did not vouche safe to beare with suche trompers. And we muste know that the Pastors ought one waye, and the Christen Magistrate another waye, and the people the thirde waye not to abide open heretikes. For the Pastour not only beareth not with them, in dissemblyng and takinge hede to him selfe of those wolues, but assayleth them with holesome doctrine, and re [...]ulseth them from the shepefoldes of Christe: But the Magistrate, bicause he is a christen Magistrate, and by his duty also, not only as a priuate person but also as a Magistrate, [...]ught to serue Christe, he aught also with the swoorde of [...]ustice to driue awaye poyson from the churche, and to pu [...]ishe manifeste blasphemies.The hatred that ye godly bear to the wicked. And the people are commaun [...]ed, neyther to heare them, nor receiue them, nor to haue [...]ny thinge to do with heretickes, and so not to abide them. They maye therfore be ashamed of their naughtinesse, and [...]retence of their peruerse patience, which thinke it no shame [...]o maynteyne Heretickes, and to flatter the manifeste ene [...]ies of Christe and the Churche. Psalm. 15. He is praysed, [...]hiche maketh not muche of the wicked: that is to witte, [...]n whose sighte the wicked manne is vile. Therefore is he [...]ghtly blamed, who so euer flattereth the vngodly. And [...] the hatred in dede is rather agaynste wickednes, than a [...]aynste the person of the wicked, whiche of it selfe is com [...]aunded to be loued. The Deuil at this daye reyseth vp the [...]de heresies of Hebion, Cerinthus, and of others in Terueto a [...]paniarde, and in the Anabaptistes, Libertines, and other [...]onsters, so that the thinge it selfe, and the daunger ther [...] commaundeth vs to watche, and to driue away the moste [...]uell wolues from the holy Church of Christe, whiche ne [...]erthelesse do set forth nothing more than patience and cha [...]tie, for this intente verely that they might be spared, and [Page 54] might vnpunished teache what they lifte against Christ, a [...] worke against his churche, yea teare it in pieces with th [...] wicked tethe.
But when these euil men are not suffered, but impugn [...] whiche seduce and are seduced,Patience & cōstauncie in batteil. a greate conflicte arrise [...] wherof againe are labours, thoughtes, carefulnes, watc [...] ynges, iniuries to be suffered for the name of Christ, and d [...] fence of the veritie. For vnlesse we be here diligent and p [...] tient, the disceauers ouer come. But herin did the churc [...] of the Ephesians behaue them notably wel, in so muche th [...] the Lorde nowe commendeth exceadingly the magnani [...] tie, patience and constancie of the pastour and of his churc [...] For neyther ought these thinges to be expounded, that [...] shoulde referre them vnto that patience, wherby euil me [...] are suffered, and permitted to procede in theyr malice a [...] disceiptfulnesse. For so should this place striue agaynst th [...] thinges whiche went a little before. Whiche thinge the [...] mon interpretour minded as it semeth to haue eschew [...] For thus he readeth, and thou haste patience, and hast suff [...] red, where it is in the Greke, and hast suffered and hast p [...] tience. He altered the order, and would not set, haste suffer [...] before: but haste patience: leste any manne shoulde vnd [...] stande that they had suffered the false Apostles. But set b [...] fore patience and put after sufferaunce: That we might v [...] derstande that they suffered not euill menne, but euill wrought by euill men. So they with patience trauailed [...] Christes name, to witte, to be mainteyned against naugh [...] heresies. And he addeth, thou hast not fainted, beyng wer [...] and broken with labours. For we are taught to ouerco [...] through patient constancie, whiche is rightly called in d [...] the accomplishment of euery good worke.
All and euery of these thinges we muste applie vnto [...] and vnderstande with what thinges we maye nowe also this daye please Christ our redemer, king and Bishoppe, truly we walke in the same steppes, wherin we see the co [...] gregation of the Ephesians to haue walked.
It followeth what thing he blamed in the same churc [...] that they haue lefte theyr firste loue. What time they fir [...] receyued the Gospell by S. Paul, and after by Iohn, a [...] [Page 55] other godly menne, there was sene a great feruentnes in the wordes and dedes of the faithefull: whiche thinge maye be gathered bothe by the actes of the Apostles, and also by the epistle of S. Paul to the Ephesians. Thei loued God and their neighbours with a moste feruent zeale. They burned in reforming of maners. But in processe of time this heate was well couled, and they wared colder in trewe godlines. This greate mischiefe he rebuketh in them, and as followeth desireth to haue it redressed. And here let vs note howe not only reuolting Idolatrie, and other great crimes are imputed to the churche, but also if we slacke any thinge in holye zeale: so that herof we may learne, how holy and blameles we ought to be before God. Doubtles we can not here excuse our selues before the diuine maiestie, whiche were xxx. yeres paste more feruēter in this cōgregatiō, than we be at this daye. &c. Our lord God lighten our mindes, that we may please him. To whome be glory.
¶ The seconde parte of the Epistle to the Ephesians where is spoken of Penaunce and of the Nicolaites. The Eight Sermon.
REmembre therefore from whence thou arte fallen, and repent, and do the firste workes. Or els I will come vnto thee shortely, and will remoue thy Cādelsticke out of his [...]lace, except thou repēt. But this thou hast, [...]icause thou hatest the dedes of the Nicolai [...]anes, which dedes I hate also. Let him that [...]ath eares, heare what the spirite sayeth to [...]he congregations. To him that ouercometh wil I geue to eate of the tree of life, which is [...]n the middes of the Paradise of God.
The ende of ye lordes rebukes.The accusations of our Sauiour Christ, which he vseth [...] gainste his seruauntes that be sinnes, tende not to this en [...] doubtles, that men ouerwhelmed with reproches might b [...] ashamed, dispaire, & perish: but rather that thei shuld ame [...] be restored & liue. Therfore the Lorde Iesus to his blameyn [...] by and by annexeth an exhortation to repentaūce, that th [...] may be saued: And also describeth the trew & lawful penaū [...]
For we hearde what thing he rebuked in the cōgregati [...] of the Ephesians: let vs heare nowe what the lord require [...] of the same, and how he seketh to haue the errour reforme [...] verely by repentaunce, to the whiche he exhorteth. For [...] haue sayed that the Lord striketh and healeth: chiefly in th [...] case. Whiche doctrine surely is proper and perpetuall to th [...] churche of Christ.
He mentioneth chiefely of three thinges in this matter, in his counsel or exhortation to amendement.He exhorteth to repentaūce. Firste he co [...] selleth or exhorteth to remēbre, [...] from whic [...] they are fallen: that is to saie, with how great loue they ha [...] burned hitherto, and nowe howe coulde they be wared: [...] how fortunate and blessed a state they haue stande hither [...] and nowe in howe vnfortunate and shamefull they lie [...] For the acknoweledging of the trespas is the beginning repentaunce,The knowledge of sinne. if beyng illumined by faithe we consider we [...] what benefites we haue loste, and in what miserie we no [...] are in. He that weneth he hathe loste nothinge, will ne [...] be moued to make any searche or inquisition, he that th [...] keth him selfe to haue fallen from no felicitie, he will thin [...] of nothyng how he maye be restored. Therefore in amen [...] ment of lyfe it behoueth that acknoweledgyng and conf [...] sion of sinnes go before, by the whyche we maye lament b [...] fore God our pouertie and miserie. And in dede they fa [...] not from felicitie, whiche were neuer in any felicitie. The [...] fore saie we,Sainctes fall. that holy menne maye fall, and also be restor [...] by repentaunce. Than after the acknoweledgyng of our [...] serie followeth repentaunce: that is the comynge agayne [...] our minde, that we goe not foorthe on alwayes like mad [...] menne and fooles, walkinge in the waye of vanitie an [...] vnrightuousnesse.Repētaūce For repentaunce is a retourning a co [...] uersion and chaunge, wherby we are tourned awaye fro [...] [Page 57] euill, and are conuerted to good, in retourning to our witte, and working rightuousnes.
For last of all followeth that, whiche expoundeth this repentaunce. Do the fourmer workes: To witte be hote again in loue, worke the workes of faith, which are fruictes worthy of repentaunce. Beholde there nedeth no new lawes,Trewe satisfaction. or long disputations concerning amendement. Briefly, do the fourmer workes, not of the fleshe, but those whiche thou beganst when thou first receiuedst the Gospel, and wast borne again in Christ. Finally this is the true reformation, to do the fourmer workes of God. Not the latter, whiche the errour of the worlde hath deuised. This is verely, and shalbe the true repentaunce, to witte, the acknowledging of the sinne, the conuersion vnto God and to good, and a tourning away from the Deuill and from euill, and working of the first good, or Godly rightuousnes of the faith in Christ. There be many & sondry disputations of repentaunce and partes of the same, of the contrition of the harte, confession of the mouth, & satisfaction of yt worke: But lyke as there is none briefer thā this of Iesus Christ, so verely is ther none better or more certain.
To these his exhortations and Godly coūcelles he addeth threatenings most greuous, if haply perill might pearse,He threatneth. that loue could not styre or moue. And he speaketh but fewe wordes in dede. But he vnderstandeth a great euill that can not be spoken nor declared. Except thou repent, I wyll remoue thy candelstick out of his place. The candelstick, as the lord him selfe hath expounded it, is the churche. Which standeth in her place, whylest she leaneth to Christ: and is of Christe preserued, so long as the preaching of the veritie is in ye same mainteined, and is in dede the churche of Christ: She is remoued out of her place, when she is without the preachynge of the truthe, and now leaneth no more vpon Christ, nether is of hym defended, but is forsaken, and is no longer in dede the churche of Christ. This is done of Christ himselfe, by his [...]ust iudgement, what tyme our vnthanfulnes, and lyfe that can not repent, driueth God to depart from vs, to relinquish vs to our errour & darknes, & leaue vs to disceauable men, &c. This sense Aretas acknowledgeth, who: to remoue the church, saith he, is, when it is lest bare and destitute of Gods [Page 58] grace: by reasō of the which nakednes, it wauereth in doubtfull perplexitie and in stormes that are cast to her by wicked men. And verely we se how at this day the churche of the Ephesians is remoued out of her place, and no longer inioyet [...] the holsome doctrine of Christ nor that it standeth vpon th [...] holsome rocke Iesus Christ [...] But is oppressed with the pes [...] ferous doctrine or rather madnes of Mahomet, and lieth i [...] sorrowe vnder the fete of the Turkes. We see at this day i [...] Germany (more is the pititie) many candelstickes remoued out of their place, not without the great triumphe of Sathā and losse of soules. Moreouer that same is also to be obserued in this threatening, that without terrour he sayth, I wil come to thee shortly. For it is a Phrase of speache. Fo [...] we say also,The Lord cometh to vs shortly. I will come to thee by and by: That is, I wyl come to reuenge and punish, and that perauenture soner th [...] thou lokest for. Moste certenly, when so euer I chaunce [...] come, I will take punishment of thee. Let no man therfo [...] thinke to escape vnpunished in a life that can not repent.
Repētaūce is thonly & true amendement.Again where ye Lord repeteth, except thou repent, he plai [...] ly testifieth, that the bosome of Gods mercy & clemency, i [...] ready open, if we do penaunce, how soeuer we haue offended him before, in the meane time we learne here openly & mos [...] certainly that we can by no counselles or consultations, [...] no armies nor policies preuaile one whit on our perils, [...] les we repēt. Therfore vnles we wil haue our churches to [...] subuerted, & geuen ouer to be seduced & distroied of ye deuill [...] his seducers, let vs repēt in time, & receiue again ye first loue.
Thou hast hated the dedes of ye Nicolait.Again he cōmendeth the singuler vertu in this cōgregat [...] especially for that thei haue hated the doings of ye Nicolait [...] which God him selfe also hateth. Let vs here marke euer [...] word. He saith not thou didst slie, or eschewe and contin [...] but thou hast hated. The force of hatred is great, mouing [...] to persecute, that thou hatest.
God hateth the dedes of the Ni [...]olaitans.Moreouer he saith not, thou hast hated the Nicolaita [...] but the workes of the Nicolaitans. For we ought to hate t [...] persone of no man for it self, but the vice in the man so ye w [...] we shal forsake it, we shuld loue the mā with al our hart. A [...] that must nedes be a great euil, which God him self cōfesse [...] that he hateth. Here al congregations shal vnderstand, yt th [...] [Page 59] ought also to hate by al meanes the heresie & abominatiō of the Nicolaitans. Albeit yt at this day ye name be extingwished yet the heresie & abomination of the Nicolaitans remaineth.
This Nicolas was of Antioche, one of the seuen deacōs, of whom mention is made in the .6. chap. of the Actes. He is said to haue reuolted from the puritie of faith, as Iudas did: And where he was before a Gentile (for it is said howe he was a Proselyte) he retourned in certen thinges to gentilitie as a dog to his vomite. The Nicolaitās be also Gnostici, and consortes of Carpocrates, filthie & most wicked people. Clemēs excuseth this Nicolas somwhat in Eusebius in the .3. boke. 29 chap. of the Ecclesiastical history. But that excuse semeth not sufficient or iust, since all the auncientes with one mouth accuse the same, and namely the very iudgemēt of God in this present and in the Epistles following. Ireneus condemneth him of this same place, in the first booke against the Valentinians chap. 27. &c. Tertulian in thend of Heret. prescrip. toucheth here wittely the factes of the Nicolaitans, and detesteth the same. Neuertheles he expoundeth them not, but passeth them ouer. And I know not how wittely Epiphanius hath vttered and declared in order the wicked and abhominable actes, neither to be thought nor told, and most beastly filthines, such as hath not bene heard of the heresie. 25.26.27. &. 31. &c. Philastrius also and S. Austen haue touched the Nicolaitans, either of them in their register of heresies. Shamefast [...]es wil not suffer me to recite. It is enough, if we know that same which in the epistle to Pergamum the Lorde him selfe hath expounded, calling the doctrine of Nicolaitans, the doctrine of Balaā the southsaier. But who knoweth not, what counsel he gaue to Balaac king of Moab & of Madian, and how he prostituted faire wenches to the yong men of Israel, by whose acquaintaunce intised, they both defiled thē selues with fornicatiō, & did eat also of meates offered vp to Idols, being made partakers of Baalpeor. Let him yt wil reade Iose [...]hus in the .iiii. boke of Antiquities. cap. 6. And doubtles the [...]acrifices of the Nicolaitans seme to differ nothing from the [...]ecrettes of Priapus, or Gerecinthia, or the mother of God [...]es, and the nightly seruice of Bacchus. Ireneus signifieth [...]penly yt the Carpocratites, who ar called also Gnostici, did [Page 60] not abhorre images, but paincted and facioned to thē selue [...] the Images of Iesus and Paule, with the Images of certi [...] Phylosophers: And that the Image of Iesu, as they talke, was made expressely of Pilate, who cōmaunded the face [...] Iesus to be painted liuely. &c. But howsoeuer that was, th [...] is certain, that thactes of the Nicolaitans were euill report [...] of for their fornications and adulteries: And that the Nicol [...] tans absteined not from images, nor from meates offred [...] idolles.1 Cor. 8.9.10. Fornicatiō Against the which errour S. Paul wrote also ma [...] thynges.
Hereof let vs learne to abhorre and flie fornication, a [...] neuer to thinke of restoring the Stewes or other places [...] whoredom. Fie for shame. Let vs learne hereby to kepe h [...] virginitie, syngle lyfe, and lawfull mariages, flie those d [...] the Nicolaitans, Let vs learne hereby, to kepe wel our sel [...] from Idols, idolatry, and from all straunge kyndes of w [...] shippinges. All those God hateth.
He yt hath eares to heare let him heare.And with an acclamation he pearseth the eares of al me [...] mouing al to attentiuenes and holy obedience. And appli [...] also this doctrine to all tymes and to all congregation [...] the world. He vsed his wonted speache, repeted so ofte in t [...] Gospell: He that hath eares to heare, let him heare. Not th [...] it is in our strength to heare and obey God. For God pr [...] pareth our eares, and with his grace frameth and draw [...] our hartes. And let them to whom the grace of God is g [...] ted, beware least through their negligence, vanitie, and lig [...] nes they lose it not. Let them shewe such dilligence, as G [...] in his worde requireth and prescribeth. They that do th [...] haue eares to heare. He sayth therfore, take ye hede to wh [...] God now speaketh, and whose hartes nowe he styreth a [...] moueth, that you lose not this grace through your neglig [...] be diligent, attentife, and circumspect, styryng vp in yo [...] selues the gift of God.
The spirit speaketh these thinges.Now also he prouoketh to dilligēce by authoritie diui [...] The spirite of God speaketh and reuealeth these things, [...] the spirite of men or of errour, for God speaketh by his s [...] rite, whiche is red to be the spirite both of the father and o [...] sonne. Moreouer he applieth all and euery thing to all co [...] gregations, where he sayth, what the spirite saith to the co [...] gregations, [Page 61] not to the congregation. It is now than manifest, and out of all controuersie,These thī ges apperteine to all churches. that those seuen churches do represent a figure of al churches throughout ye whole world, and that all they be instructed in those seuen.
Furthermore least any thyng shoulde wante to the iuste exhortation vnto repentaunce, to faith and dilligence, last he annexeth a moste ample promyse, and vseth an allegoricall speache, that it might haue the more grace with it.A most ample promis To them that ouercome he promyseth to geue the fruict of the tree of lyfe, planted in the paradise of God. And alludeth to the .2. Chap. of Genesis. And he translateth the sense from earthly thinges to celestiall. The paradiseParadise. of God (by the which som vnderstande the church) is that eurlasting blesse and felicitie, wherof the Lorde spake to the thief, saying: This day shalt thou be with me in paradise. Herein is the tree of lyfe Christ, communicating to vs his eternal life: Whiche we inioy and haue the fruition of, whilest being conueied into heauen by hym and with hym we liue. Finally this is that Ambrosia or Godly drinke, which ye heauenly father geueth vs to drinke. But this great and wonderfull good chaunceth not to euery one, but only to him that ouercometh. For Adam had not ouercome, but vanquished had died. If we therfore shall ouercome the flesh, the Deuil and the world, and that through Christ, we shal liue also in the world to come with Christ.
The complutention boke hath, whiche is in the middes of [...]he Paradise of my God. And Aretas expoundeth it,Of my God. and [...]ayth: Let no man herewith be offended. Al humble thinges [...]gree to the dispensation of the incarnation, whiche was made for our cause, since that he himself in the Gospel saith: [...] ascende vnto my father, and your father, to my God, and [...]o your God. &c.
And thus farre hetherto concerning the Epistle of Iesus Christ by Iohn to the Ephesians, and what profit our churches also, and euery of vs may receiue therof. The Lorde lyghten the eyes of our mynde.
¶ The second Epistle of Iesu Christ by Iohn to them of Smyrna is expounded. And is an exhortati [...] to patience, and consolation in afflictions. The .ix. Sermon.
ANd vnto the Aungel of the cōgr [...] gation of Smyrna wryte. Thes [...] thinges sayth he that is first an [...] the last, whiche was dead and i [...] aliue. I know thy workes, and t [...] bulations and pouertie, but thou arte rich [...] And I know the blasphemie of them which call them selues Iewes, and are not: but a [...] the congregation of Sathan. Feare none [...] those things which thou shalt suffer. Behol [...] the Deuil shall cast some of you into priso [...] to tempte you, and you shall haue tribulat [...] ten daies. Be faithfull vnto the death, and [...] will geue thee a crowne of lyfe. Let him th [...] hath eares, heare, what the spirite saith to congregations, he that ouercometh shall n [...] be hurt of the second death.
The argument of ye seconde Epistle.Iesus Christ from the right hand of the father, throu [...] the ministerie of an aungell by the Apostle and Euange [...] S. Iohn, exhorteth the congregations of Smyrna, than [...] flicted with all kinde of euils for the worde of God, vnto [...] feraunce, and comforteth the same sighing nowe vnder [...] crosse, promising great thinges to them that ouercome. A [...] verely ther can not of this maner and in this matter a be [...] or briefer exhortation and consolation be found. For in [...] wyse it is couched of the eternal wisdome of the father, [...] vnto all times,A generall comfort & exhortatiō to patience and to all that mourne vnder the crosse it [...] right well agree. For like as Christ at the right hande of [...] father is the catholique or vniuersal Byshop: so verely is [...] doctrine generall, which he him selfe also applieth to all c [...] gregations [Page 63] in the ende of this Epistle, and in others. And s [...] he declareth that he loueth his churche, and is present in the same by his power and ayde.
And verely it is to be marueled,The congregatiō of Smyrna excellent. that nothing is blamed in this churche, since that some faulte is founde in maner with all others. Therfore was the churche of Smyrna right excellent, howbeit not without any spirite. For the Lorde of his goodnes doth not impute vnto vs smal faultes (of the which the Prophet speaketh, who shall say, my heart is cleane? And from my hidde sinnes clense me) so that there be a feruent desyre or zeale of Godlines in vs, & that we be voyde of great enormities.
First is shewed, vnto whom this heauenly letter is sent,Thepistle is written to the shepeheard & to the flok to the Pastour of the churche of Smyrna, and to the whole flocke. For the captayne is sayd to haue soughten or fled, or to haue taken peace, when the whole armie together with him hath done this. And the stories beare witnes that Policarpus was that same messenger or pastour of the church of Smyrna, ordeined of the Apostles thē selues,Policarpe. namely of S. Iohn, Byshop there, and that he liued in the misterie of this congregation .lxxxvi. yeares. For so many he accompteth hym selfe before the Lieftenaunt Herode, what tyme he was brought to execution. For in the fourth persecution of the churche, Aurelius Antoninus, and Aurelius Comodus, being Emperoures, he was taken and brought to the gouernour: And at length for the open and sincere confessinge of Christ he was burnt. He had this very muche in his mouth: That nothing ought to be receiued for true, vnlesse it were knowen to be set forth by the Apostles. Ireneus affirmeth that when he was a childe he sawe this olde father a man of great yeares and reuerēce, in the third boke and third chapt. against heresies, where he telleth many thinges of him besides. As also doth Eusebius in the .iiii. boke of theccle. history [...]he .xiiii. and .xv. chapters. And S. Hierom in the register of [...]he famouse wryters of the Churche. Eusebius in his Chro [...]icis, noteth that he suffered Martyrdome in the yeare of [...]ur Lorde a. C.ixx. Whereby it appeareth that he was [...]ade Byshop of Smyrna in the yeare of our Lorde .lxxxiiii. [...]r there about. For we sayd euen nowe, that he had bene in [Page 64] that ministerie .lxxxvi. yeares. And therfore had he bene Byshop of Smyrna many yeares before the setting forth of th [...] Apocalipse whiche was written in the .xcvii. yeare, would [...] God all Pastours would set before their eies this good Policarpus to be followed, of whome there remayneth a not [...] ble Epistle to the Philippians.
After againe is the authour of the EpistleThauthor of the epistle. declared, whic [...] is set forth with two titles, taken out of the fourmer visi [...] of Iohn and descriptiō of Christ. Thus saith the first and [...] last. &c. Wherby is signified the eternall diuinitie of Christ [...] which wanteth beginning and ending. And of him selfe is [...] uerlasting. There is added, that he was dead, & liueth again [...] that is to witte, hath rysen from the dead. And this begi [...] ning accordeth right well to the matter. For they perceiu [...] that whosoeuer are afflicted for Christ & his Gospell of m [...] mightie kinges and princes, haue a Lorde and patrone m [...] mightie and more faithfull, whiche in no wyse can be ou [...] comen. Who can also in death kepe his, lyke as he reysed [...] Christ from the dead, to the intent we myght haue an op [...] testimony, that we shal liue with Christ, euen in death it se [...]
Christ knoweth the workes of his.And now cometh he to the matter it selfe, and the whic [...] thing he repeteth in al Epistles, he sayth here also: I kno [...] thy workes, to witte both good and euill. Thinke not that [...] neither know nor care for thy matters. Thou art verely ro [...] ten out in my handes, I know, see and care for thee and [...] thine. And these thinges boeth prouoke vs maruelously vertue, when we knowe that we haue God a loker on, [...] hath a care of vs: And also comforte vs greatly, which vnd [...] stande, how he that loueth vs, and in no matter neglecte [...] hath vs alwayes as it were before his eyes.
And here particularly he declareth what he knewe: A [...] first in dede the afflictions,Afflictions which verely they suffered in t [...] present persecution of the Emperour Domitian. And aff [...] tion is as it were a generall worde, to the foure kindes fo [...] wyng. For he rehearseth, touching their substaunce the s [...] ling of their goodes, and their pouertie: In their name [...] estimation, cōtumelies, reproches, or blasphemies: In bo [...] imprisonment, and bondes, yea and death also. For [...] these afflictions Godly men are exercised, for the truth sa [...] [Page 65] of the wicked. And in these may be cōprysed al other kindes of tribulation. The whiche the Epistle of Iesus Christ reciteth in a Godly order. There is nothinge therfore of these matters whiche the Lord Christ knoweth not.
Pouertie hath the first place.The pouertie of the faithfull. Neither ought we to take it here spiritually for the modestie and humblenes of mynde: although it be certaine, that the churche of Smyrna wanted not the same vertue: But there was pouertie and lacke of all things by reason of the spoiling of their goodes. For in time of persecution, by vertue of kings proclamatiōs, the goodes of the faithful professours of Christ ar cōfiscated to the kings vse, or permitted to ye soldiours, nobles, or promoters to take at their pleasure: The faithful thrust out of their houses, ar either driuen into exile, or go a begging: would God we wanted examples therof at this day. Let vs herof learne to beare & suffer paciently the like chaunces also, being perswaded that God knoweth our necessitie. And because it is an hard thing [...]or an honest man to honger and want with his familie, for a [...]omfort and consolation he addeth, but thou art riche.
This to the world semeth a paradoxe, or incredible.Spiritual ryches. What wyll they say, is he ryche that hath nothyng, and is brought [...]o the state of beggars? There be doubtles goodes and ry [...]hes of the mynde muche better than corporall substaunce.
For this may be had, without the true felicitie, of ryche men [...]f this worlde, that liue a moste miserable lyfe. Agayne you [...]hall see a poore man, concerning worldly goodes, but fur [...]ished with the rychesse of the mynde, for this cause only to [...]e happy and moste blessed. He coueteth nothyng, he is con [...]ent with his vocation: Neither would he chaunge his state with moste welthie and ryche kynges. Contrariwyse you [...]hall see ryche men but of an euyll conscience, and therfore [...]houghtfull and burthened with cares, and neuer mery. You [...]hall see poore men, but with mery hartes to leade a ioyfull [...]fe. Why than shoulde it seme maruell, yf he that is spoy [...]ed of his worldly goodes for Christe, and inriched with the [...]iftes of the minde, is glad and reioyseth in God, and taketh a good parte al chaunces, and for the same cause is iudged [...]o be verely ryche? Doubtles the wyse men of this worlde [...]we also, that the only wyse man is trewly ryche. Which is [Page 66] gallauntly discoursed of Cicero. Aretas sayth, in spiritual matters hauing a treasure hidde in the fielde of thy harte, which is Christ, by reason of whō thou art ryche also: Sinn [...] thou hast him thy protectour, who also when he was ryche, for vs became poore. &c.
Blasphemie agaīst the faithfulIn the second place is recited blasphemie, by the which [...] we vnderstande all maner of raylinges and sclaūders, whe [...] by the name and estimation of the faithfull is hurte. Of th [...] whiche sorte are these: They be heretickes and Schismatic [...] so many as be fauourers of this religion: They be wicke [...] people, dispisers of God and his saintes, the ennemies of [...] Gods seruice, and therfore the plages of the commō wealt [...] which if they be suffered, the common wealth must nedes [...] distroyed. And these thinges in dede many times vexe go [...] men more greuously, than the losse of their goodes. For w [...] wyll not set more by a good name, than by great ryche [...] Therfore the Lorde in Gospell of S. Math. the .10. Chapt [...] With many wordes healeth this disease: And exhorteth [...] that for the auoyding of that infamie, they should cōmit [...] thing vnworthy the name of christians.
What their persecuters be.In the meane tyme he declareth also, what moued the [...] thours of this mischief, whome he blameth also exceadyn [...] to thintent that ye godly shuld vnderstād, how greatly th [...] ennemies of all Godlines are of God misliked: And the [...] might also care the lesse for their hatred and persecutiō. T [...] saye in dede, that they be Iewes, where they be nothing [...] Thus also S. Paul handled the Iewes in the .ii. to the [...] mains. The Iewes are called confessours, honorers, and faithful seruaūts of God. But these blaspheme Gods na [...] they impugne the true faith, and oppresse them that prof [...] and worshyppe God. Therfore be they not Iewes. W [...] than? The Synagoge, congregation or assemblee of Sa [...] Thus the very sonne of God plucketh of the viserne fr [...] these varlettes, to the comforte of all those that suffer pe [...] cution, of them that set forth them selues with stoute titles the ende it shuld neuer greue them, that they are condem [...] of suche harlottes, the children of the Deuill. Christ att [...] teth to them the true title, and calleth them not the o [...] holy, and catholicke Churche of God, but the conspir [...] [Page 67] and schole of Sathan, as in whome, not the spirite of God, but of Sathan, inspireth lyes, iuggelinges, disceiptes, blasphemies, fyres and deathes. Therfore let it not greue thee at this daye, [...]n case it be thy fortune to be condemned for the Gospell, of those that call them selues moste holy, moste shining, moste reuerent, and most irreprehensible Prelates and Patrones of the olde churche, religion, and catholique faith, whiche haue on their syde, counselles, fathers, so many successions of Bishoppes, the prescript of so long time, and consent of so many Realmes. They be nothynge lesse than that they desyre to be called: But rather the champions of Antichriste, and the professed ennemies, and treaders vnder feete of all christen pietie. For whome is prepared euerlasting destruction.
After this he putteth an exhortation and a consolation moste euident, before the whiche setting also the sonne,Feare not. he sayth, feare nothyng of all that thou shalt suffer. The sonne of God hym selfe feared the crosse and death, and it is a naturall thyng to feare euilles, and death. Therfore we are not commaunded, that we shoulde non be men, and that lyke [...]toickes we shoulde saye howe the same thynges greue vs not, whiche neuerthelesse tourment vs exceadingly: but [...]he faithfull are incouraged, that they should stande strong [...]n the fayth, neyther that they should doe any thyng vnwor [...]hy the same for feare of punishement. We be therfore com [...]aunded boldly and cherely to contemne or suppresse feare, [...]nd to craue strength by the spirite of God, and to exercise it [...] temptations.
There followe reasons,He prophecieth the euilles to come. wherby he may obteine that he [...]ath perswaded, may confirme, comforte and exhorte them [...] pacience and constancie. He prophecieth therfore to the Godly, what thing they shall suffer: And toucheth also the [...]hird kynde of affliction, imprisonment and bondes, vnder [...]hiche we vnderstande all punishementes wherby our bo [...]ies are tourmented. But to be warned before of the euill, is great benefite. We are more easely ouercome of vnproui [...]ed perilles. And therfore the Lorde in the Gospell after S. [...]ath. the .x. Chapt. and after Iohn in the xv. and .xvi. Chapters [...]lleth his disciples of many euilles that should come vnto [Page 68] them, and addeth therto: These thinges haue I spoken to you, that when the tyme shall come, ye myght remembr [...] them, that I haue tolde you before. So nowe also faithfully warneth the faithfull in this Epistle.
The deuil afflicted ye faithfull.And he toucheth the authour of these euilles, saying: Th [...] Deuill wyll cast some of you into pryson. Therfore we perceiue that those euillies arise of the commō ennemy of mankynde, and of the saluation of the faythfull: Wherof we may coniecture, that he goeth about to intercept our saluation, and that we ought therfore to stande more earstly agaynst hym. The souldiours when they heare that their olde ennemy is at hande, waxe not sluggyshe, but cherefull. But the Deuyll inspireth euill men, corrupteth Princes and Mag [...] strates, whiche attempte persecution against the churche. S [...] we reade that Sathan afflicted Iob, that is to haue prou [...] ked the Chaldeis and Sabeis to kill his seruaūtes and dri [...] away his cattell. Here therfore they may see, with what s [...] rite they are incouraged, whiche at this daye persecute t [...] churche of Christ, for the profession of the veritie. The Go [...] ly haue that whiche may comfort them: For they heare th [...] the same filthie beast is set against them, whiche so oft be [...] vanquyshed of Christ the Prince of the faithfull, and of t [...] faithfull through Christes ayde, may without any difficul [...] be ouercome. And verely the Lorde permitteth to the De [...] and deuelyshemen power ouer his seruauntes. If thou m [...] uell why,Chende of afflictions. heare: That you may be tempted. God permitte [...] not his to Sathan, that they should peryshe, but that t [...] should be tempted and tried. Therfore to a good ende are [...] deliuered to the fyre, that we might be pourged from our thines, that the vertu of our faith mought shine, and G [...] might be glorified, and we made the purer. Who therf [...] wyll hereafter be impatient, when we heare that we for t [...] great good are put to euill? We reade in the .iii. of Wisdo [...] As golde is tried in the fire, so are the faythfull proued. T [...] parable hath S. Peter expounded at large in the .iiii. Cha [...] of the first Epistle.The tyme of ye afflictions of ye [...]aithfull. Where he that wyll may haue it mor [...] boundauntly.
Moreouer the tyme also of tribulation is assigned [...] that for ten dayes. The tenth nombre signifieth a multitu [...] [Page 69] For Iacob sayeth to his father in Lawe: Ten tymes haste thou chaunged my wages. Genesis .xxxi. and Numeri .xiiii. He sayth he was tempted ten tymes, that is often, and many tymes. Iob also affirmeth hym selfe in the .xxix. chapter. To haue bene iniuried ten tymes. The Lorde therfore sayth at this present. You shalbe diuersly and muche molested with euilles. Notwithstanding forasmuche as he putteth not monethes, yeares, nor ages, but dayes, he prophecieth that the euilles shall not be continuall, but that there shall always be spaces be twirte to breathe in, verely for the shortnes of persecution, firste Esay the .26. Chapter. Secondly S. Peter in the first. Petri. 1. Do comforte the faithfull. It is the parte of the faithfull not to prescribe God: But whether we be put to payne a long tyme or shorte, to take it patiētly. Let vs thinke rather, that in the long continuaunce of euilles, there is some ende also forsene of the Lorde: And that in the same tyme of breathing, we muste repare the euylles, and retourne vnto battell.
Laste,Promesse of lyfe. are the Godly incouraged by a moste ample and large promyse, in the whiche is also included the fourth and moste greuouse kind of affliction, also the bitter death it selfe, through fyre, halter, sword, water. &c. But in case thou be not affraide of death, but vanquishing it also, shall offer vp thy selfe vnto God, than wil I geue thee, saith the Lord, a crown of life. Hereunto is annexed the state of the Epistle, and some of all. Therfore be thou faithfull, cherefull, constant, euen to the very death, For the Lorde saith also in the Gospel: Who so perseuereth to the end, he shalbe saued. And we reade that the Apostel hath sayd, if we die with Christ, we shal liue with hym. And truely the crowne of lyfe is none other thynge, than eternall lyfe, and that euerlasting, celestiall and vnspeakeable ioye. And the Lorde alluded to conflictes, after the whiche luckely finished, the victours are crowned. Blessed is the man, sayth the Apostle S. Iames, that suffereth temptation: because that when he shall be tried, he shall receyue a crowne of lyfe, whiche the Lorde hath promysed to those of whome he is loued. Lyke thynges hath the Apostle S. Paul wrytten also in the first to the Corinthians the .ix. and in the seconde to Timothee the .iiii. Chapter. Therfore let it be [Page 70] harde hereafter for no man to lose this temporal life. Wher [...] as the same being lost for Christ, we shall receiue eternall life and otherwyse will we nyll we must die. Let vs therfore b [...] content rather to die blessedly, than to lyue miserably, so th [...] we see we may so please God.
Finally lyke as in the ende of the first Epistle, he comm [...] nicated and applied the same wholy to all tymes and chu [...] ches,All these thinges apperteine to al churches least any should suppose that these thinges concerne [...] him nothing: So in the end of this Epistle also, he both pre [...] cheth the spirite to be authour of al these thinges, and exho [...] teth all men to heare and obey dilligently, and affirmeth thi [...] to be wrytten vnto all congregations in the world for edifying. Moreouer the promesse of lyfe he communicateth to [...] saying: He that ouercometh shall not be hurte of the second death. This is spoken to all men & women, if thou ouercom [...] Therfore must we ouercome the world, the Deuil, the flesh [...] and all temptation. And we must ouercome by him, which faith, by his spirite, dwelling in vs: And that we shold wal [...] that way, wherin he hath commaūded vs to walke. If tho [...] ouercome,The first & secōd death thou shalt not be hurt in the second death. Th [...] mas of Aquine saith. That the first death is of sinne, the secō [...] of paine. We vnderstand plainly by the first death the na [...] rall separation of the soule from the body, whiche also co [...] meth to vs for sinne, as appeareth in the .iii. of Genesis. Th [...] same is comen to good and euyl. For we be all earth, and [...] to earth we shall retourne. And by and by followeth the [...] cond death and the second lyfe: They that beleue in Christ, ouercome, fele nothyng of the second death, but lyue, as t [...] Lorde hym selfe assureth vs in the .iii. and .v. Chapter of Ioh [...] He shall not come into iudgement, but hath passed frō dea [...] to lyfe. But the wicked or vnbeleuers are conueyed stre [...] wayes from the corporall death to death euerlasting: N [...] that their soules can die, yt is cease to be, or that their bod [...] ryse not agayne: But that being depriued of that celest [...] and diuine life of Christ, they fele euerlasting tourment [...] whiche state verely is ryghtly called death. These thyng are vnknowen to worldly men, which know no other life death but this temporal: But Gods veritie teacheth vs, th [...] ther is both an other life and death after this, to witte the [...] [Page 71] celestiall, and death infernall, or full of perpetuall sorrowes. That same doubtles is full of consolation, that we heare how the faithfull after the debt of this temporall lyfe payed once, they shall no more fele any tourmentes. What than doe the Monkes and freres prate of purgatory? bables. &c. Let vs prayse our sauiour Christe, whiche hath deliuered vs from death, and geuen vs the hope of lyfe euerlasting, to whome be glory, prayse. &c.
¶ The first part of the third Epistle of the cū stancie and cōfession of Christ in the tyme of persecutiō. The .x. Sermon.
ANd to the messenger of the Congregation in Pergamos wryte: This sayth he whiche hath the sharpe sworde with two edges. I knowe thy workes and where thou dwellest, euen where Sathans seate is, and thou kepest my name, and hast not denied my faith: And that in the daies, in the which Antipas was my faithfull witnes, whiche was slayne among you where Sathan dwelleth.
The third Epistle amongest those seuen celestiall proceding from the right hand of God,The argument of ye Epistle. is wrytten to the Pastour and congregation of Pergamos: Wherof the argument is thus. First he commendeth the constancie of their faithe in cruel persecutions: By and by he rebuketh those which clea [...]ed to the secte of the Nicolaitans: After he exhorteth them [...]o repentaunce. And this doctrine he applieth afterwards to all congregations throughout the worlde. Last he promy [...]eth moste ample rewardes to the faithfull.the church of Pergamos a t [...]pe Hereof we vn [...]erstande that the congregation of Pergamos, is set forth [...]s a type or a glasse to all churches, howe it behoueth them [...] walke before the Lorde: Firste so ofte as persecution [Page 72] shall arise: Secondly, when heresies breake out. For by the example therof he teacheth all to suffer aduersitie paciently, and opēly to professe the true faith: And also by the scriptur [...] to reproue heresies, & in flying from them to dispise the same.
Thinges common to al these seuē epistlesHowbeit all the Epistles in maner haue certen thinges cō mon: And that especially three. For it expressed plainly, t [...] whome the Epistle is sent, as in this present, to the messenger of the congregatiō of Pergamos, to witte vnto the P [...] stour whosoeuer he was, (perauenture Antipas) and to the whole congregation, as is sayd before. It is shewed moreouer,Of the authoritie of holy scripture. who he is that speaketh here, or who is the authour [...] this Epistle: Euen the Lord him selfe. Which getteth authoritie to the writing. For it is not thus to be thought that th [...] worde of God is not as it is spoken, because it is wrytten [...] man, indited of man, or written with inke, either in paper [...] parchemyn. For these make no more that the word of Go [...] should not be the worde of God, than that water should n [...] be water, if it runne out of a conduite of wood, lead, brasse [...] stone. For water euermore remayneth water. The diuersio [...] of the Conduite pypes maketh it not that it shoulde bee [...] water, as his substaunce is in dede. So sayth S. Paul, th [...] he verely is bounden, but the worde of God is not bound A man may be stoned, hanged or burnt, beyng a preacher [...] Gods worde: The worde of God that was put in the mo [...] of the Preacher is not burnt.God knoweth al thinges. The Lorde putteth it in t [...] mouth of an other, that the veritie shuld not be extinguish [...] but continually might sounde in the churche. Finally [...] without cause, in the beginning of euery Epistle, Christ do [...] intimate, that he knoweth all thinges of the churche. I sa [...] before that this is as it were the foundation of the feare [...] God, and of his true seruice. For imagin a man that is p [...] swaded with him selfe, that God neither seeth what men [...] nor knoweth what they thinke in their hartes. Shal not t [...] man, thinke you, fall into all vngodlines? He will crye, let [...] do what we liste, synce God knoweth not what we doe. [...] gai [...]e who wyll not cast of the hope of rewarde, and th [...]s [...] of good workes, after he be once perswaded that God k [...] weth not our workes? But if he knewe them not, howe [...] he iudge the worlde?
Neuerthelesse in euery epistle be certen especial and peculiar thinges. Of the which sorte in the epistle of Pergamos is,Out of Christ his mouthe a two edged sworde. that out of the first vision and description of Christ, in the beginning of the epistle he taketh to him the swearde, and that sharpe and two edged, whiche we heard to come out of the mouthe of Christ. By this is signified the iudiciall powerful of equitie and iustice, and also 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 woū deth 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 [Page 74] 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 ye 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 [Page 75] 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 ye 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 pronoū ceth. 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 ye 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 yt 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: [Page 76] 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 places, thou stickest daungerously vpō the stony rockes, wherupon thou mayest chaunce at the laste to suffer Shipwreake.
Religion muste be holdē fast.And two thinges he alloweth chiefly in this churche, first that they holde the name of Christ. For the Greke woorde [...] is not to touche lightly, but to holde fast, so that it can not with force be plucked awaye that thou holdest. And so they helde Christe moste depely fixed in their mindes. The name of Christ is the holsome workyng of our redemption and sanctification, besides the which there is no other name, as S. Peter sayeth, wherby we maye be saued. They cleaued therfore vnto Christ, as we reade of thapostles in ye 6. of Iohn. And necessary it is that euery one of vs holde faste the misterie of saluation rooted in our hartes.Religion muste be professed. Secondly, it is not ynough to retaine the misterie of saluation in our harte, vnlesse we professe it also with full and open mouth. Wherupō he addeth streighte waies, and haste not denied my faythe. Beholde how he calleth it faith nowe, which of late he called the name of Christ. And he calleth it properly his fayth, that is, not diuised or inuented by men, but set foorth of Christe him selfe by the woorde of his veritie. This trewe, right, and catholicke faith must we confesse and not denye: and professe it expressely aswel in wordes as in workes.
The maners of deniyng the Lorde.Christ and his Gospel are denied by mo wayes than one. They are denied by silence, when we holde our peace, what time we shoulde speake chiefly for the glory of God. Christ agayne is denied through dissimulatiō, as where Peter sayeth, I wote not what thou sayest. For he knewe right well what the mayde sayed: but feare caused him to dissemble. He is denied what time plainely & with expresse woordes Christ and his veritie is denied. He is denied with a figuratiue confession, what tyme in dede we confesse some what, but yet so darkely and so diffusely, that it is vnknowen what it is that thou professest. He is denied, when we fayne in our harte, that we kepe the true doctrine, and denie it in our workes, in bowynge our selues before Idolles, goynge to prophane [Page 77] churches, cōmunicating with the ceremonies of Antichrist: kneling on the grounde and worshipping that thing whiche our conscience gaue vs, and the faith set forth by the apostles taught vs to be no God. And verely all this deniall arriseth of feare, and of our corrupte affections. If there where so assuredly a rewarde propounded of men for the confessing of him, as thou arte sore affraide to be put to paine in case thou do confesse, there wolde seme no difficultie at all to professe Christ sincerely. Where therfore thou deniest or dissemblest, thou doest it for feare. But suche timorouse and fearefull deniers the lord shutteth out of his kingdome. The world therfore beyng dispised, the name of the Lorde muste be confessed boldely & without feare, accordyng to the doctrine of Christ Matth. 10. Marke. 8.
And this confession of the congregation of Pergamos is amplified and highly cōmended by reason of the time.We muste than professe when persecutiō is hote. For it is a great matter to professe Christ in no quiet but in most troublesome times. But it is manifest that the churche of Pergamos confessed Christ in the middes of the persecutiō, in the whiche was executed the holy martir of Christe Antipas: Wherof it followeth that the profession was noble. It is comonly saied, but these men sawe Antipas slaine, and yet could not be feared from the true faith, and these thinges in dede are set forth in fewe wordes, but in sense most ample to be followed of all churches. Some others reade here in my dayes. But the complutensian copie is better, whiche hathe, in the dayes wherin Antipas, &c. As though he should saye, And thou haste confessed my name in those dayes, wherin Antipas was my faithfull witnes, whiche for the same cause was slaine also.
Antipas is cōmended,The praise of Antipas & of martirs. and as it were canonised of the very sonne of God. And he is praysed that he was a witnes, that is a martir: And that in dede a faithfull witnes, by testifiyng, teaching, confessing, and keping his faith to the Lord, euen to the ende. Actes. 13. Perauenture he was pastour of this Churche, or some other man of singular constauncie amonges the faithfull. Certes fayth and not torment maketh martirs. And because this martir is praysed of Christe, we vnderstand that the agonies and cōflictes of martirs should [Page 78] be preached in the church of Christ, and many be excited and exhorted to followe their steppes. Therefore we affirme that the holy martirs of God are honoured, but not to be worshipped or called vpon. We condemne al those that speake against holy martirs, and associate them with those that slew them. But touchinge the worshippinge of Sainctes I haue spoken els where more at large, we learne hereof also, that they die not for euer, that die in this worlde for the name of Christ: neither that the martirs be polluted with worldly reproche, considering how they be commended by the mouth of God. To christ therfore king of martirs be honour, praise and glory worlde without ende. Amen.
¶ The latter parte of the third Epistle is expounded, wherein is spoken of the Nicolaitans, whiche are damned. And exhortation is made to repentaunce. The .xi. Sermon.
BVt I haue a fewe thinges against thee: Nume. 24 that thou hast the there, that mainteine the doctrine of Balaā which taught in Balacke, to put occasion of sinne before the children of Israel, that they should eate of meate dedicate vnto Idolles, & cōmitte fornicatiō. Euen so haste thou them that mainteine the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, whiche thing I hate. But be conuerted, or els I wil come to thee shortely, & will fight against them with the sworde of my mouth. Let him that hathe eares, heare what the spirite sayeth to cōgregations. To him yt ouercometh wil I geue to eate Māna that is hidde, & geue him a white stone, & in the stone a new name writē, which no mā knoweth sauing he that receiueth it.
In the first parte of this epistle the Lorde cōmendeth many thinges in the church of Pergamos,The lorde reprehendeth a few things in ye churche of pergamos, howe? in the seconde parte he will reprehende a fewe. And he sayeth a fewe thinges, not that the errour, of the Nicolaitans is a light offence, but that the sinne is in others rather, than in the trewe Church it self: to witte in them, whiche notwithstandinge that they were not of the bodye of the churche in dede, yet did they ioyne with the churche outwardely, and would be taken for membres of the same. After he speaketh modestly, least by exasperatinge ouer muche the sinne and errour in the faithfull, he shoulde trouble theyr mindes and discourage them vtterly. There is a measure in al thinges, as the common saiynge is. And if in a Churche so commendable, there is founde of Christ that is thought woorthie reprehension, what shall we saye of those that be lesse commendable?the church hath alwaies that may be reprehēded. yea whie should we not see in all churches alwaies some thing to be founde, that maye be blamed: not so muche for that the Sainctes are alwayes troubled with the infirmitie of the fleshe, as that euer more hypocrites and corrupte persons ioyne them selues to the church of God: suche as were here the Nicolaitans, and as Iudas the thiefe and traytour was in the nombre of Apostles. In Christ the churche is without any spotte or wrincle as the Lorde sayeth in the 13. of Iohn. And in the countrie to come shal moste fully be made perfit: whiche S. Austen also affirmeth.
And the Lorde Iesus reprehendeth in the churche of Pergamos, not that they mainteyne the Nicolaitan or Galaamitical doctrine, but that they haue suche as maintayne that doctrine. They offended therefore, for that they did not hate so muche the Nicolaitans as the Ephesians did:They offende that haue them whiche maynteyne wicked doctrine. of whome we hearde in the firste epistle, that they coulde not abide the wicked. Wherefore leesie the sowrenes of the leuen shoulde crepe further through out of the whole lumpe of dowe, the olde leuen muste be purged. It muste be tried, whether you fouour or cleaue to Heresies: And furthermore the Lorde requireth that we should not nurrish them, but that we should persecute them with an holy hatred. Whereof is spoken in the first epistle.
Moreouer he describeth the heresie of the Nicolaitans to [Page 80] the intent we maye see,What is ye errour of ye nicolaitās. wherefore he blameth it, wherfore he cōdemneth it, & wherfore it ought to be hated. And he describeth it trimly by the example of the Scripture, that chaste cares or shamefastenes mighte not be hurte or offended. I tolde you before how they were moste filthie thinges, which the auncient wryters reporte of the Nicolaitans. But all things are most aptely and chastely declared of Christ. They are taken out of the 22. 23. 24. 25. chapter of the fourth boke of Moses called Numeri. He calleth the Nicolaitan doctrine, the doctrine of Balaam, and that by a similitude. In Balaā the southsayer these wicked actes are manifeste: whereof it maye easely appere, of what sorte his doctrine was. First he toke the rewarde or price of iniquitie as s. Peter termeth it: And woulde curse them whome God hathe blessed, doynge cleane contrary to his owne minde. Secondly he geueth the king moste pestilent counsell: whiche the Scripture therfore calleth a sclaunder or offence. For he taught the king a waie or meane, wherby he mighte intise the people of God into certaine destruction, into the most vncleane feding of meats offered to Idolles, and into moste filthie whoredome. Al this than shall be compted the doctrine of Balaā, whiche in hope of filthy lucre beyng vttered agaynste Gods worde and his owne consciēce, teacheth Idolatrie, vncleane eating, and fornication: or reproueth not, but counselleth rather, when he knoweth the thing to be filthy. Euen so did the Nicolaitans, in speaking euill of the trueth and of christen purenes, gaue naughtie counsell to many, that they should be partakers of meates offered vp to Idolles, and couple with harlots, as in the first epistle I declared more at large.
How heresies muste be cōfuted.Here we perceiue by the example of our Sauiour Christ, howe heresies shoulde be confuted, not with braweling nor rayling wordes, but rather by the places and examples of holye Scripture: like as here at this present moste fittely is condemned the heresie of the Nicolaitans. And beyng ones of the Lorde condemned, it abideth condemned for euer: neither nede we any newe counselles, wherwith to condemne impuritie. Againe in case all the counselles in the worlde decree the contrary, yet remayneth this trewe and sure, which the Lord Christ here pronounceth: accursed be he that determineth [Page 81] otherwise.
And here it semeth good nowe to consider, whether the Balaamiticall and Nicolaitane doctrine in the churche be cleane extinguisshed.Of the Nicolaitās of our time. The name verely of Balaam and Nicolaitans we abhorre all, but the thinge it selfe aswell in the states of menne spiritual as temporal, is most openly foūde. For there be men in highe authoritie, in sondrie kindes of learnynge right excellent, moste expert in the lawes both of God and men, who neuerthelesse blinded with the rewarde of iniquitie, curse bothe the persones and thinges, whiche they knowe that God blessed. Of these S. Peter also made mention in the 2. Chapt. of the 2. Epistle. Thesame doe suggeste euill counselles to Kynges and Princes, tendyng to the distruction bothe of the preachynge of the Gospell and safegarde of the Churche. The same beyng geuen to Idolatrie, and drowned in fleshely pleasures, eate of the sacrifices of the dead, and euen fede of Idoll offeringes, and in fornications runne at riot. Consider I praye you what be the moste parte of popishe priestes, whereof they liue and be fed, what opinion they haue of holy matrimony, and how much they abhorre aduoutrie and whoredome. They dare be bold to cōdemne matrimony, and to iudge whoredome better: so that they maye in ioye the sacrifices of the dead, and many waies take theyr pleasure. Yf any for ye auoyding of whoredome be ioyned in lawfull matrimony, he is though vnworthie to sacrifice or to come at the aultar: but whore mongers are admitted thicke and three folde. And all they for the most parte are the most beastly bondslaues of the bealy, of whom you maie beleue that the holy Apostle of Christ s. Paul hath spokē: whose God is the bealy, & glory in reproche of them, that seke earthly thinges. And who will not acknoweledge these. And affirme them to be very Nicolaitās, mainteyning the doctrine of Balaā the inchaunter? amongs the tēporaltie you shal find men of al sortes which set more by the doctrine of Balaā, & wantonnes of zambre, than thei do by modestie,Nume. 25. grauitie & christen sinceritie. They loue the libertie and wantonnes of the flesh. They wil not haue youth & free people to be restreined by vertuouse lawes. They wil euen at this day banket & maske with the maidens of Madian, & follow their [Page 82] fleshly lust. For thei mainteine surfetting, drōknes, & whoredome. And these be also very Nicolaitans. And haue nother fewe nor abiectes to fauour theyr secte. And wante not their worldly reasons bothe many & great to maynteine the same.
God hateth all vncleanes.But let vs heare what Christ him self, sitting on the right hande of his father, iudgeth of thē. Those or that same which these men thincke, teache and doe I hate, sayeth the Lorde. What thinge can be spoken more greuously, than that God hateth the doctrine of the Nicolaitans? For the whole scripture of bothe Testamentes condemneth this Nicolaisme.
He exhorteth to amēdemēt.After this description & reprehension of the Nicolaitās, he procedeth like as in the fourmer epistles to exhorte them to amendement, or repentaūce. For where he saieth, repent, he vnderstandeth or cōprehendeth all penaunce, or repentaūce. That we sayed to be a conuersion vnto God, wherby we amende euil thinges for good, relinquisshing that is euill, & in stead therof placing that is good: & that of faith in the sincere loue & scare of God. Thou shalt amende therfore in case thou doest absteine frō meates offered vp to Idolles & from fornication, & receiuest the true religiō of Christ instituted, & doest possesse thy body in honour, not in the lust of cōcupiscēce: as S. Paul sayeth 1. Thessalon. 4. The church of Pergamos repē ted, in case they dissēbled not nor winked at ye filthines of the Nicolaitās, but stoutely with stode the same. The Nicolaitās repented, if laiyng their filthines a side, they receiued againe the puretie of faith & life. And to al & singular is saied, repent.
Threateninges againste the impenitēt.The Lord driueth them now also to repentaūce with greuouse threatnings: except thou amende sayeth he, I wil come to thee shortely of the whiche maner of speakinge, hath ben treated before. He addeth, and I will fight with thē with the sworde of my mouthe. With whom? with the impenitēt, and especially with the Nicolaitans. He threatened not vtter distruction or desolatiō to the church, wherof there was great hope yt they should pourge the olde leuen: but he threateneth the people impenitent. And like as a iudge, or magistrate or soldiour vseth the sworde, so doeth Christ his worde. And the worde in dede woundeth or sleyeth no man but in ye meane time it sheweth Gods worde so doeth the executiō of Gods power insewe. Therfore Christ, euen as he sheweth with his word, he sheweth yt he wil iud [...]e idolaters, be [...] gods, hogs, [Page 83] dogs, & whoremōgers, & not only iudge, but punish thē: And as he threatneth, he doeth.Christ fighteth with his sword. Thus fighteth he wt the sworde of his mouth. We haue an example in the Israelites, of whom were distroyed, for that they had followed the doctrine of Balaā. 25000. men. After were distroyed also the Moabites and Madianites, neither were the corrupte women spared. Whiche Moses in the 31. of Numeri discourseth at length. We see also at this day the sword of God to go through out the world, and to ouerthrow now these, now them, for none other causes, than for the which the Lord slewe and distroied Balaam with his adherentes. Therfore let vs feare the lord, and walke in his cōmaundements. For he will strike a farre of more greuousely with his sworde, when he shal pronoūce in iudgement, go ye cursed into fire euerlasting. &c. Math. 25. And he sayeth not expressely, I wil cutte you with the sword of my mouth. For we are many times and ofte seuered and cut with the word of God, to our great profit and discipline, & for our amendement. At this present he sayeth he wil fight: beholde he will fight, namely agaynst his enemies. Therfore he threateneth destruction. And we doubte nothing but that the impenitents of those & of al times shall be distroyed. For (as I saied euen nowe) at this daye we want not examples.
Agayne leest that notable & holsome doctrine should seme to apperteyne to a fewe men of Pergamos,This doctrine is comon or generall. and not to all in the whole worlde, he applieth this profitable doctrine to all churches. Of the whiche application we haue spoken ones or twise in the former epistles.
Finally after his maner to thentent we should al be more strongly moued to repentaunce: & obedience, he propoūdeth a promesse most ample: and yt to them that striue & ouercome the flesh, the world & the deuil: not to sluggardes, nor to such as lie in the mire of mischiefe. We are incouraged therefore with yt promisse, whiche is of three sortes. First he promiseth to them that fight manfully & ouercome, and do their duety, Manna, & that secret or hidde.Manna hidde. That externall Manna to all men knowen, is not the trewe Manna. For the vnthankful Israelites do lothe it, as a meat most light, & had rather haue the flesh pottes of Aegipte full of meate, onions, leekes and garlicke, that they mought eate theyr fille. They see not the Manna celestial figured by this outwarde Manna, geuyng [Page 84] al sweetnes and spirituall pleasure: The faithful see, that this hidde Manna is Christ, as he him selfe expoundeth it in the 6. of Iohn. Christ therfore geueth him self to them that ouercome, geueth him to them in meate, which filleth in dede. He that shal ones with trewe faith haue tasted Christ, wil wishe to haue none other meate geuen him. For in Christ he hath al thinges, in Christ he is complete, & with all good thinges fully satistised. O that our subtil disputers vnderstoode these things, they would reason nothing at all of the merites & intercession of Sainctes & suche other thinges, wherof whilest they reason after theyr woōted maner, thei declare thēselues not to haue tasted as yet howe good and swete is the Lord.
A white stone.After he promiseth to geue vnto ye victours a white stone, to wit absolution & remission of al sinnes, & that ful vndoubtedly. For Christ doeth verely absolue vs from our sinnes & from the paines dewe for the same, and from cōdemnation. And he alluded to thee custome of the aūcient men in iudgementes, in the whiche they condemned with blacke stones, & quitte menne with white. For these verses of Ouide are well knowen in the 15. boke of Metamorphos. The maner was in old time lōg agone to cast with blacke, & quitte with a white stone, and here we geue warning, that the remissiō of sinnes is not graunted to men liuing for theyr worke or merite: but that faithe is the victory, that ouercometh the worlde. The which S. Iohn him self testifieth: And yt faith in dede fighteth stoutely in our hartes, but in ye meane time it acknowledgeth in all things the grace of God, neither maketh it voide ye merite of christ. For as it is not slouthful, so is it againe fearful.
A newe name.Laste of all he promiseth, that he will write in the stone a new name, & that such as no mā knoweth, sauing he that inioyeth the same. Christ wil not geue vs only remissiō of our sinnes, but ye glory morouer & cōmunion of his heauēly ioye vnspeakable. Of this newe name bothe Esaye & other Prophets haue made mētion. Cōquerours had famouse names. If we ouercome we inioye ye glory celestial. That is so vnmesurable that it may only be perceiued by feling, not by speaking. For what so euer thou shalt say be it neuer so great, famous, or excellent, that is greater that shall be geuen to the ouercōmers. For the Apostle S. Paull citeth out of Esaye: [Page 85] That whiche the eye hath not sene, nor the eare hearde, God hath prepared for those that loue him. And in this present worlde also is geuen vs a quiet cōscience and ioye vnspeakeable: which they in deede fele, that do in ioye the same. They yt haue not tasted therof, can neuer beleue that it is so much, as it is in dede. Wherupon S. Paull sayed, and the peace of God whiche passeth all vnderstanding, &c. suche mindes so affected our Sauiour Christ graunte vs. Amen.
¶ The Epistle of Thyatirena is expounded, wherin are sondry vertues commended, and the vice of Iesabell reprehended. The .xii. Sermon.
ANd vnto the Messenger of the cō gregatiō of Thiatira write. This sayeth the sonne of God, whiche hath his eyes like vnto a flāme of fire, and his fete are like brasse: I knowe thy workes & thy loue, seruice & faith, and thy patiēce, and thy dedes which are mo at the last, then at the first. Notwithstāding I haue a fewe things against thee, that thou sufferest that woman Iesabell, whiche called her self a prophetisse, to teache & disceaue my seruaunts, to make them cōmit fornication, and to eate meates offered vp vnto Idolles.
The fourth epistle written to the Thyatirenians,The argumēt of the fourthe epistle. is more plentifull then the residue, and with manifolde fruites replenished. For it cōmendeth and praiseth in that churche excellent vertues, and singular giftes not a fewe. Streight wayes he reproueth in them, that they suffer ouer gētly the Iezabelisme, whiche he describeth what, and howe filthie it is. He threateneth them sore, vnlesse with perfit repentaunce, they amende theyr sinnes and wickednes. Further more he warneth, that they loke for no newe reuelations: but that they [Page 86] perseuer & abide in those which they had learned hitherto, & in the which they nowe are. Hither also with most large promisses he allureth them, & finally cōmunicateth & cōmendeth this doctrine to al churches. And there is a wōderful likenes and correspondaunce in al epistles: As the same may be sene also in al the bokes of the prophetes, in the story of the euangelistes,The scripture is in al thinges like & agreable to it selfe. & in Paules epistles. Wherof it maye easely be gathered, that the doctrine of the vexitie is most absolute perfit and plaine, and agreable to it selfe in al thinges. In so muche that if al the writinges of all other Apostles and Prophetes did remaine, we should haue had no more in those many and most plētuouse bokes, then we now haue in the holy Bible. God prouided wel for vs and for our infirmitie by this briefe waye. Here be seuen Epistles set in the 2. Chapter: but it is maruell to see howe like they be all, teachinge in a maner all one thinge.
The vse of this epistleThis fourth is chiefly profitable for those congregations whiche are sounde in the purenes of doctrine, and are pure moreouer in holines of life, but doe not with a feruent zeale enough persecute open heresies. There be other fruictes and cōmodities, whiche we shall speake of in order. But like as in al other epistles that goo before, first is set forth, to whom the epistle is sent, and from whom it cōmeth: So also in this epistle Thyatirene both the superscription as they terme it,The superscriptiō of this epistle & the subscriptiō is expressely set. It is sent to the Messenger of the church of Thyatira, & so to the whole churche, as I haue tolde you before oftētimes. And Thyatira is a noble and famouse citie of Lydia,Thyatira. in Asia, on the riuer of Hermus: where we reade yt the woman was borne, that solde purple, whiche was conuerted to Christ by s. Paull in the 16. of the Actes, it was a populouse citie, & much frequēted, so that it is no maruell though mē diuersly geuē, vncleane, curiouse, & heretikes did associate & ioyne them selues to the churche of God. The Geographers wryte many thinges of yt famouse citie of Asia.
Thautour of ye epistleAnd the author of thepistle is the Lord Christ him self, the high king & Bishop, which vseth thapostle his pen, or blessed s. Iohn for his Scribe or Secretarie, by whome he will haue those things published through out the whole world. And he getteth the epistle authoritie, whilest repeting certen mēbres [Page 87] of the former image & descriptiō, he sheweth him self in such sorte to be sene of the church, to be viewed in faithe, that they help ye matter wōderfully. He seeth here heresies & the secrets of hartes, and treadeth vnder his moste pure and cleane fete, what so euer auaūceth it selfe against Gods glory & veritie.
He calleth him selfe therfore the sonne of God,Christe the sonne of God and man. whome before we hearde to be the sonne of man. He is therfore and remaineth both, euen in glory, aswel the sonne of God as mā. In the diuine nature of the same substaunce with the father, in the humane nature cōmunicating with vs in al things, except sinne, the other nature is not swallowed vp in glory but two distinct & seueral natures without any permixtiō, abide in one persone vndiuided: which in dede be one Christ, very God & very mā, to be worshipped world without end. Herof we haue testimonies in the 1. of Luke, in the 1. of Iohn, & the 1. chapt. to the Romanes. And whiche of the heretickes or persecutours wil make warre with the liuing sonne of God?
After he attributeth to him selfe eyes,His eyes [...] flamme of fire. casting out fire and flamme. For nothing escapeth the knowledge & iudgement of Christe our Iudge, he beholdeth the raynes and hartes. Moreouer he lighteth some, and some he cōmitteth to euerlasting fire, therin to burne for euer. Nowe then if anye doe imagine with them selues, that they can hide heresies and malice in theyr hartes, they are disceiued. For in the eyes of Christ, the darkenes it selfe is light also. The same Lorde also hathe fete moste pourged and cleane, he treadeth downe all vngodlines: And where so euer he walketh with his shining feete of brasse, he consumeth immediatly all heresies and corrupte life. Therfore this prelate moste pure, and moste fitte and apte to pourge, finally beste furnisshed to boulte out the secrettes of hartes, sheweth to the cōgregations these things that followe: he himselfe walketh and is conuersaunt in the middes of the churche, bothe Kinge and Prieste.
And like as he hath in all epistles testified, that he knewe the workes of the same church, euen so he repeteth here also, to the intent we shoulde neuer admitte wicked securitie, as though the almightie and alwitting God knewe not vs and al ours, of the which matter I haue spoken sufficiētly before.
Now doeth he set forth gallaūtly euery worke of this congregation, [Page 88] and cōmendeth fiue most notable giftes or brightest vertues.Charitie. 1 Firste Charitie, whiche compriseth the loue of God and our neighbour: wherby is broughte to passe, that we preferre nothing in the world before God, neither hurte our neighbour, but rather heape vpon him all duties & benefites. This we owe to God and all our bretherne in the congregation. Of Charitie is spokē els where most abondātly, as in the gospel and epistle of S. Iohn. Secondly he praiseth Diaconian,Ministerie. 2. that is, the Ministerie. The whiche maye be expoūded two wayes. For either he vnderstandeth, as Aretas supposeth, ministeries towardes the poore and nedy, that is to wit dueties and paynes taken about the poore, by lēding, relieuing, succouringe, speaking faythfully in theyr cause, in geuing them meate, drinke, clothing, and visiting them. For so this worde Diaconia is vsed in the 2. epistle to the Corinth. &c. Or els he meaneth the ministerie of the woorde, by the whiche in teachyng, exhorting, comfortyng and rebukinge, we auaunce very muche gods glory, and the helth of soules. The Thyatirenians were doubtles diligēt in either of both. And accuse vs greuousely, whiche addicte to our owne affaires, do neglect our poore bretherne: who finally make the ministerie of Gods woorde odiouse, by our raylinge and sclaundering, especially with them that be ignoraunt as yet, and haue hearde nothyng of gods worde.
Fayth. 3.He cōmendeth also faith in the Thyaterians. Thomas of Aquine in his cōmentary vpon this boke admonissheth that faith cōmeth not of Charitie, because it is foūde set here in ye first place: but that Charitie & good workes spring of faith? And ye Iohn hath recited charitie before faithe, for that faith hath her estimation of Charitie & workes. Howbeit howe so euer it is faith semeth here not so much to be takē for trust in God, as for fidelitie & trueth & promisse kepte. For faithfulnes beautifieth all other giftes. Admitte that thou haste men seruaūtes & maide seruaūtes that are lucky enough in doing of their things, but imagine that the selfe same be in ye meane time vntrustie, slipper and disceiptefull: what shall auayle I praye thee, yt they be furnisshed with sondry giftes? Imagine againe that a preacher or Senatour be not so furnished with wisedome & experience of matters, but yet to be neuertheles [Page 89] faithfull, and with all his harte to doe all thinges vprightly, and to fauoure ye iust cause: shall not fidelitie here supplie his want? Great therfore is faith, that is, fidelitie, and veritie: That not with out cause the Apostle required this of the ministers in the .14. chap. of the first Epistle to the Corinthians, saying: That same is chieflye required of Stewardes, that a man be found trusty. This faith is also required of vs at this daie, this faith, good brethrē is rare: And therfore haue euils ouerflowed euery where. Let vs hartely praie to the Lorde, that he wyll graunte vs the same, and that we maye expulse out of our brestes vnfaithfulnes, and disceiptfulnes.
Hereunto is added patience,Patience. 4. whiche is praysed also in the fourmer churches. Which is a necessary vertue. For impatientnes causeth vs to murmur and grudge against God, that we stande not strong in the confession of faith, whilest we refuse to suffer patiently suche thinges as the ennemies of faith threaten to put vs to. But why defilest thou thy selfe with thefte? Why runnest thou into the warres of a forein prince? Why doest thou practise vsurie and bawdrie? For because thou lackest pacience in thy pouertie, which thou wilt releue with wicked doynges.
To be short, ye Lord now reciteth al maner of good works:To abond in good workes. 5. Wherin he chiefly commendeth, that many tymes they excelled them selues, in doing more and greater thinges. And this is a worthy praise. For the husbandman, that is to saye, the heauēly father pourgeth and cutteth the vines, that they may bryng more plentiful fruite. It becometh not the Godly to stande still at a stay, and not to procede in Godlines.
And moste shame of all it is, to be euer the longer the worse. As the finger, the longer the lesse: Whiche is obiected to children in scholes that learne nothing. Let vs be ashamed of our sloughtfulnes. &c. Let vs I say way these thinges dilligently in our myndes: and thinke oft, that God alloweth them, requireth them, and that they be the true seales of the faithfull walking in the veritie, and of suche as boaste of faith only a vaine name without the thing. If thou fele thy selfe not to be vtterly voyde of these giftes, prayse God: and knowe that none of all these thinges is of thy selfe, but of grace: And pray for the increase of these giftes. If thou be destitute of these vertues, [Page 90] mourne and lament before the Lorde, humbly axe hym forgeuenes, and require the aboundaunce of Gods giftes.
What thīgs are reprehended in the same churche.In the second place he reproueth some things in the same congregation, namely that they permitted Iezabel to teache &c. That same he calleth small, not that the doctrine of Iezabel of it selfe is litle, but forasmuch as though it be founde in others, rather then in the churche, yet did the church suffer it more gently, that is to say, did not persecute it with greater seueritie. But of this phrase of speache I haue spoken also before.Permissiō and cosent We allowe not the shameful actes of Iezabel nor cōent not to the same: But when we might let thē by more seuere punishment, we permit thē to abound & increase. Albeit therfore there be many goodly giftes in vs: Yet hath the Lorde ye same against vs, that we suffer vngodlines to reigne.
But in case the Lord blameth that same permission, howe muche more blame worthy suppose we the wickednes it selfe to be, I meane, the Iezabelisme? Whiche how vile and filthie it is, I wyll briefly declare.
Cataphrygians or Mōtanist.In like case as before by the example of Balaam alledged out of the scripture, he cōfuted the Nicolaitās, euen so at this present he bringeth forth the example of Iezabel, therwith to confute the Cataphrygians, or Montanistes. Aretas vnderstandeth the whole place of the Nicolaitās, which I dare not agre to by reason of yt whole cōpositiō of the epistle. I graūt that the Mōtanistes were partakers in filthines with the Nicolaitans. But Iezabel hath a peculiar thing by her selfe.
The story of Iezabel.Iezabel, as the sacred History testifieth in the .iii. and .iiii. boke of Kinges, the .xvi. and .xvii. Chap. &c. Was the daughter of Hethbahal king of Sidon, whiche maried to Achab, brought in the worshipping of Baal into the kingdom of Israel, building a goodly tēple in Samaria, & founding a great college of Baal his priestes. For Helias is red to haue slain of Baalites .450. euen of the kinges chapplains, & as it were Canons or prebendaries, and .400. ministers or countrie chaplains that serueth in hilles, woodes, & groues. Thesame woman therfore founded this religion & seketh to gouerne the propheciyng at her pleasure. For poursewing sore after Helias, she slewe very many of the Prophetes: Verely for that they would not teache after the womās appetite. Moreouer [Page 91] through Baal his religion was augmented whordome & all vncleanes. King Iehu obiecteth to king Ioram her sonne ye whordoms of his mother. So Iezabel also augmēted the eating of meates offered vnto idols, & all idolatrie throughout the whole kingdom: Euen than also, what time the lord in a solemne sacrifice by miracle in mount Carmel through the ministery of Helias, had declared to yt whole Realme that the religion of Baal was moste vaine & false, & that the religiō of thonly God of Israel was most sincere & true: For Iezabel neuerthelesse persecuted ye truth, and established falshod. Yea moreouer she toke vpon her gouernemēt in ciuile matters.
For she vsurped the kings seale, & countrefetied letters & sent them in ye kinges name to put Naboth to death, a right good and innocent man. Such in dede was filthy Iezabel.
Now after thexample of this defiled woman,Women Prophetes that is, heretikes. were womē in the church of Thyatira which chalēged to thē selues a prerogatiue in the religion & teaching in the cōgregatiō, taking vpon thē the spirite of prophecie: wherof they taught in dede but corrupt doctrine seducing thē, whō God by his doctrine had prepared to be his seruaūts. But these false prophetisses, corrupted their mindes, & brought forth a new doctrine & prophecie & many thinges not set forth in the scriptures, but fetched out of their own deuelish dreames & disceiptfulnes. And amōgs other things thei cōmunicated wt the Nicolaitans, in whordō, & participating of meates offred to idols. Wherof hath ben spokē before. And the lord semeth plainly to speake of the Cataphrygiās or Mōtanistes, whose foundatiō being laid in ye time of S. Iohn, after in processe of time, & especially in thempire of Antoninus .lx. yeares after the Apocalipse set forth, brake out more strongly & plentifully. They say howe Montanus had prophetisses Priscilla & Maximilla, whiche had visions, & brought in wōderful reuelatiōs into ye church. Of whom Eusebius treateth at large in the fift boke of theccles. story, Chap. 16. And Epiphanius in the .48. heresie. in Panario. Certes Iohn, or Christ him self by Ihon, going about at the first beginning to pluck vp & distroy the rotes of this heresie, by thexample of that wicked woman Iezabel, hath cō demned that same heresie. The scripture also elswhere prohibiteth a womā to rule, teache or minister in the congregatiō. [Page 92] By and by the Lorde hym selfe wyl confute the new prophecies, when he shall admonishe vs, that he will reueale none other new kinde of doctrine, besides that whiche he hath cō mitted or deliuered to his churche. Nowe also fornication, & the eating of meates offered to Idolles, are condemned els wherein the scripture moste seueeely, as before is sayd.
But since that those thinges so afflicted and troubl [...] [...]he churche of God in the time of the Apostles, it is not hard to gether how vndiscrete they be, whiche at this daye (as I shewed you before) for the hatred of the true religion restored, accuse it of sectes, whiche boyle vp in suche plentie, as though that filthines did proue, that the Gospel yt we preach were not the Gospell. For the Gospell that was preached of Iohn and the reste of the Apostles, was the moste true and moste pure Gospel, how so euer of the false Gospellers crept vp the Nicolaitans, Cataphrygians, and other sectes innumerable. Where neuerthelesse the Gospell impugneth and condemneth all suche maner of sectes, and mainteineth the Christian veritie and vnitie of the catholique church. Prayse be to the Lorde our God. Amen.
¶ The Lorde threatneth sore the impenitent, as he yt rendreth to euery man after his workes. The .xiij. Sermon.
ANd I gaue her space to repent of her fornication, and she repented not. Behold I will caste her in to a bed, and them that commit fornication with her, into great aduersitie, except they tourne from their dedes. And I will kill her children with death. And all congregations shall knowe, that I am he whiche searcheth the reines and hartes, and I will geue vnto euery one of you according to your workes.
To the fourmer errours and sinnes of Iezabell he addeth an other sinne nothing light, to witte,The abuse or contēpt of Gods longanimitie. the abuse and euen the contempt of God his long suffering. God doeth not by and by and out of hande destroy such as be in errour and sinnes also moste greuous. But sinners are wonte for the most part to abuse that long animitie of God vnto the occasiō and pretence of sinning more impudētly, saying: If god did so much abhorre these offences, he had distroyed vs long or this: But now he norisheth vs benignly, therfore doth he not so greatly mislike it. But this is an abuse of Gods long suffring. For the Lorde saith at this present, I haue geuen Iezabell a tyme to repent her, and to leaue her fornication, and tourne to the Lorde: Howbeit she hath not conuerted. Which thing the Lorde taketh in moste euill parte, that his grace shoulde be verely dispised and set at naught. Wherfore S. Paul to the Romains. Whether doest thou contemne the ryches of God his goodnes, long suffering and lenitie, knowing not that the goodnes of God prouoketh thee to repentaunce. &c. If than the Lorde hath not sodenly in our sinnes oppressed vs, let vs not therof take vnto vs a libertie to sinne, but let vs rather amende. S. Peter saith, the Lord is patient towardes vs, whilest he wil destroy none, but receiue all to repentaūce. ii. Petri. iii. Certes Iezabel her self, when after the death of her husband Achab, and the mortal fal of her sonne Ocosias she did not amende, nor within the .xii. yeares of her sonne Ioram, wherin he is red to haue reigned, did repēt her: Felt the wrath of God so muche more greuouse, for that it was long or it came.
And in the text followyng the Lord Iesus in dede threateneth moste greuously the Iezabelines, that is to witte,Sore threateninges. the Cataphrigians or Montanistes, vnlesse they wyll yet repēt in tyme. For he openeth againe the gates of his grace to the penitent, reciting, how he will plage the impenitēt. Wherby verely he assayeth to driue them into repentaunce by threateninges. For in reciting the kyndes or degrees of punishementes, he sheweth also diuerse kindes of them that be in errours, and declareth to euery one his iudgement, which they may by repentaunce eschewe. And he is thought to haue rehersed those kindes for this cōsideration, least any man happely [Page 94] should thinke him selfe giltles and free, in case he be neuer so litle partaker with Iezabel.
Iezabel shal be cast into a bed.First the Lord threateneth Iezabel her selfe, that he wyll cast her into a bed. He speaketh of the first authours of the euil and of the heresie, vpon whom he menaceth to send a sicknes. For the bed in many times in the scripture taken for the very diseases wherwith they be vexed that lie in bed. And we Germaines say, that he is taken with a moste greuous and deadly disease. And the Lorde plageth the archheretickes wt sicknes of body & soul. In the meane seasō also he weakneth the force of therrour, to thintent it might by litle & litle vanish away.
They that meddle wt Iezabel shalbe afflicted.Secondly he threatneth great affliction to such as haue to do with Iezabel: that is to say, to such as cleaue vnto false doctrine, receiue errours, delight in heresies, and go about to set forth the same. To these, I say, he threateneth most greuous afflictiōs, to witte of body and soul, of this present and of the life to come. He semeth to haue said somwhat more, than if he had recited certen kindes of punishment.
The children of Iezabel shalbe slayne.Finally he menaceth death to the children borne of this copulation and fornicatiō, to witte whore sonnes, & bastardes. And those are chiefly the childrē of heretickes, which stire vp a freshe, and restore newly again, heresies already condēned, meakened, and wearing away. These the Lord distroied with temporal and eternal death. And the ecclesiasticall story doth testifie, that ye Lord hath in dede punished most greuously not only the heresie of the Cataphrigiās, but al heresies in general. And certen thinges cōcerning the Cataphrygiās or Mō tanistes, are touched of Euseb. lib. 1. of the cl. story, Cap. 16.
The destruction of Achab and Iezabel wt al their posteritie.The Lorde semeth here to me to haue alluded to the olde story of Iezabel & Achab for them, as it were cast in a bed, frō day to day, euer since they began to worship Baal, he vexed with sicknes, and brought them lowe: And the people that receiued the religion of Baal, be put to much sorow, euils and afflictions. Finally their children he brought to a shamefull death. Their partakers also were slaine, that would haue had Baal his religion, safe and sounde, and euen to haue bene restored again. For after the death of Achab his father, not many daies after. Ochosias the sonne of Achab and Iezabel, [Page 95] bruised with an vnhappy fall and cast in bed, died .iiii. Reg. Cap. 1. And Ioram an other sonne of Achab and Iezabel, stricken through with an arrowe of Iehu was slaine. Athalia the daughter of Achab and Iezabel, the wife of Ioram kyng of Iuda, the sonne of Iosaphat, being diuided with yt sweard of Ioiadas, fell down before the gates of the temple. And Ochosias king of Iuda, the sonne of Athalia and Ioram, was slaine also by the power of Iehu. And after were put to death by the same Iehu, the .lxx. sonnes of Achab: And all ye pristes of Baal are slaine together in the temple, and before the Aultar of Baal, and not one of so great a nombre escaped. Yea the temple, the idol, and the seruice of Baal were quite and cleane ouerthrowen. This olde maruelouse, and wonderfull history the Lord calleth to memory, signifiyng that he lyueth yet a reuenger, and a punisher: Who will neither ouerpasse the iust limite, nor touche the same out of time. For he addeth and all congregations shal know. &c.
Notwithstanding this thing is notable and moste worthy to bee remembred, and no lesse full of comforte,Hope is se [...] open for ye penitent. that in this rehersall of punishementes, he putteth in as it were in the middes a mention of repentaunce, as though he should say, let no man thinke him selfe that he must be distroyed and perishe through a certen fatall necessitie. For if any wil repent, the gates of the grace of God are set open, his synnes shalbe forgeuen, and he shalbe taken in to fauour, and shall be deliuered from all those euilles? And after this sorte haue taught also the Prophetes, Ieremy in the .xviii. Chapter, and Ezech. in the .xviii. Chapter.
But where as the punishement is not by and by executed vpon the impenitent persones, you shall haue them that wyll exclame that God is a slepe, that he seeth or heareth nothyng. Therfore the Lorde hym selfe aunswereth them, and sayth: And all congregations shall knowe. &c.The Lord declareth yt he is reuē ger of the churche. When I shall doubtles at the laste execute my vengeaunce in dewe season. For then shall all men learne, that I neyther slepe, nor neglecte my seruauntes at any tyme, or wyll suffer those that deserue euyll of me and of my Churche to escape vnpunyshed. Furthermore Christe testifieth that he searcheth the [...]eynes and heartes of all men.
And he meaneth, that he knoweth all thoughtes and deuises of the harte, finally the appetite it selfe and all the desires of man, so that he can iudge truly therof, for nothing be it neuer so secret is hidde from Christ.Christ is God. Therfore is he very God. For it is the propertie of God, & belongeth to him alone to know the hartes of tho children of men: As Salomon testifieth in the iii. boke of kinges. Chap. viii. Christ therfore seeth the priuie & filthie workes both of the Nicolaitans, and all other beastly men. Whiche S. Paul saith are vnworthy, to come to light, or to be expressely declared to men. Ephes. v.
Christ geueth to euery man after his workes.Nother doth Christ know only all the thoughtes of men whatsoeuer they be, but geueth moreouer to euery man after his owne workes. And so the Apostle S. Paul teacheth saying: The iust iudgement of God shall be opened, whiche wyll rewarde euery man according to his dedes, that is to saie: Prayse, honor, and immortalitie, to them whiche continue in well doing, and seke eternall life: But vnto them that are rebelliouse and disobey the truth, and followe iniquitie, shall come indignation, & wrath, tribulatiō, and angwish. &c. In the .ii. to the Roma. For workes be the touchstones of faith and infidelitie: And workes whether they be good or euyll, be iudged of God and the Godly men, according as they procede of faith, or of infidelitie. Therfore what so euer any of vs shall sowe, the same shall he reape also. For God is the moste iust rewarder of good, and reuenger of euill. The same sentence as it is moste true, so is it the foundation of the true and Godly Religion. Glory be to God.
¶ That the doctrine of pitie is so fully s [...] forth to the churche, that there nedeth no newe Reuelations. And of the moste large promesses of Christ made vnto the churche. The .xiiij. Sermon.
ANd to you I say, and to others that be of Thiatira: Who so euer haue not this doctrine, and whiche haue not knowen the depenes of Sathan, as [Page 97] they say, I will put vpon you none other burthen, but that whiche ye haue already: Holde fast till I come. And whosoeuer ouercometh and kepeth my workes vnto the ende, to him wil I geue power ouer nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of Iron: And as the vessels of a potter shall he breake thē to sheuers. Euen as I receiued of my father, so wyll I geue hym the morning starre. Let hym that hath eares, heare what the spirite saieth to the congregations.
He speaketh here now to the Cataphrygians,The great mercy of God. and also to the faithfull of the churche of Thyatira that beleued rightly in Christ, and healeth their diseases. Wherin appeareth the vnspeakeable mercy of God, whiche ceaseth not to speake vnto suche as are yet intangled with heresie, and to heale their pestiferous diseases. And he admonisheth all men, that thei loke for no new reuelations, but know rather that God hath through Christ and his Apostles set forth a moste perfit doctrine, wherunto he wyll adde nothing: And therfore that they kepe faste in memory suche thynges as they had learned already, and wherin they were nowe exercised.A new holy ghost and a new reuelation. For the Cataphrigians, called also Montanistes, bragged of a newe comforter, and a newe reuelation: As though al things had not ben fully set forth by the Apostles, but that many thynges were lefte as yet to be reuealed of them. As also at this day the maynteiners of the Popishe churche most stifly do affirme. And lyke as the Cataphrygians couered their trifles vnder the pretence of the holy ghost: So do the Papistes lykewyse cloake the vayne constitutions of men, and set thē forth vnder a false colour of the holy ghost. As though the Lorde spake of their decrees, when he sayd: I haue yet many thinges to say vnto you, which now ye can not beare. Neuerthelesse the faithful people of Thyatira, which had not the doctrine of Iezabell, but rather detested it, notwithstanding as doubtfull, said, that the Deuil was a certen depenes, [Page 98] and had a thousand craftes, which could also transforme him into an aungel of light: And that they were but simple men, who being ignoraunt of these his wonderful craftes and subtilties, knew not what they might chiefly follow, whilest the false Prophetes also make their boast of the holy ghost, and shine in miracles, and with great cōstancie auouch their doctrine to be true. Ye shal finde at this day which wil say, I am a plaine simple man, & know not whether part I shuld cleaue to, since the doctours of both partes affirme with great cōstā cie that they haue the truth on their side, & therfore will some say, thei shal agre better or euer I wil beleue any of thē al. &c.
What this in ye diuersitie of opinions the godly shuld followe.The Lord therfore answering to both, sheweth what they should do: To you, saith he, I say that follow the doctrine of Iezabel, I say also to the rest of the Thyatiremās, that follow not the Iezabelisme, yet neuerthelesse complaine in such dissentions, and wonderful craftes of the deuill, that they se not what is best: To you all I say, if ye be simple in dede, as you pretende, if ye will with al your harte imbrace the truth, geue your selues to ye simplicitie Apostolical, cleauing fast to suche thinges as you haue once learned of the Apostles, neither loking for nor receiuing any new religions, or additions, constitucions or any other thing moreouer, than that you haue learned of the Apostles. For these thinges whiche you haue receiued are sufficient to obteine saluation.
The Lord layth none other burthen vpon the churchAnd these wordes of the Lord must be wayed more dilligently, to the ende we may perceiue the great fruicte that is in thē [...]: that is I wil lay vpon you none other weight or burthē, besides this that you haue. The Lord affirmeth that he wil adde nothing more to ye doctrine euangelical set forth by ye Apostles, as to that which is most perfit. Certes if the doctrine of Moises were so perfit, that the Lord him self did prohibite, that no mā shuld adde or take away any thing frō the same, but only shuld doe that which was cōmaunded, as we reade in the .4. and .12. Chap. of Deut. Who would doubt that there should wante any thing in the doctrine of Christ the sonne of God? He therfore now affirmeth, that he wil lay nothing vpon them, more then he had laid, and the which they beare at that time.
What burthen is.A burthen in the sermons of the Prophets is takē for doctrine of graue & weightie matters. The Apostles also call the [Page 99] lawe a yocke & burthen. Where therfore ye Lord saith yt he wil not lay vpon the church any other burthen, he saith howe he will not reueale any other doctrine, nor further charge thē, wt other rites or ceremonies, than such as he had ordeined & imposed already. And with these wordes of Christ accord those things very wel, which are red in thapostles epistle Sinodical Act .xv. For by the cōmon consent of the congregation, & after the minde of the holy ghost, they say they wil impose nothing moreouer vpō the church, thā such things as they had receiued already of S. Paul, & a few things yt they added for a declaratiō of ye same. Wherupō S. Paul said to the Galath. If an angel from heauen preache vnto you an other Gospel, besides that which is preached, let him be accursed.
What than? [...] holde fast,The doctrine of christ is perpetuall. namely yt which you haue receiued, suffering it not to be plucte out of your hādes: Hold fast I say, with touth & nayle, til I come: yt is to say vnto ye last iudgemēt. Therfore he testifieth expresly, that this doctrine shalbe perpetual, & vnchangeable, & therfor to be kept most stifly of al mē, & not to be shrōke frō, though al the world crie out, & perswade the cōtrary. Aretas Bish. of Cesaria He required of thē nothing els, saith he, but that thei wold kepe safely the godly pledge of faith vntil his coming. This if we shal do, we may easely eschew the craftes of the deuil, & disceauable cloudes. For whatsoeuer they shall bringe forth, whatsoeuer they shal forge & faine, or die with the coū terfeited colour of ye holi ghost, we shal haue always recours to ye simple doctrine of Christ set forth by thapostles, wherin alone we shal rest, reiecting althīgs yt shal not acerd wt ye same.
And this holsome doctrine of Christ confoundeth al traditions,Against the tradi [...]ions of men. & subuerteth al constinitiōs made since the time of the Apostles. The godly may always obiect this sayin of Christ to ye traditioners. I wil lay none other burthē vpō you, besides yt you haue: That same hold fast vntill ye last iudgement. They shal alledge that same also, that the Apostles deny that they will adde nothing more. Act. 15. Christ spake this in the tyme of S. Iohn, in the yeare of our Lord .lxxxxvii. Therfore what so euer lawes, traditiōs, decrees haue bene made since that time, we know they were not imposed of Christ, which saith so expressely that he will lay none other burthen on the [Page 100] faithfull. Where then become the decrees and constitutions of worshipping Images in the churche, for the consecration and celebrating of masses. What shall we say to the decretalles of the Byshop of Rome? They are all ouerthrowen and stricken downe as it were with a thonderbolte, by this only sentence of Christ. I wil impose none other burthen, thē that you haue, kepe that vntill the iudgement. Beholde, he sayth, vnto the iudgement least any shoulde imagine in the meane season, that another thing had pleased the holy ghost. Let vs therfore perseuer in the same.
Most large promesses.Hereunto he annexeth after his wonted maner most ample promesses, yt through hope of so great rewardes he might pluck them from errours, & ioine them to the true religion. And like as in the fourmer epistles he hath said, he that ouercometh, so here he repeteth the same, admonishing vs not to slepe but to watche, & fight māfully. And he ouercometh that kepeth the workes of Christ vnto the ende. The workes of Christ by a priuie opposition are set against the inuentions & workes of men.The workes of Christ. The workes of Christ fignifie both doctrine and faith, and whatsoeuer good workes insew vpon the same the seruice of worshipping of God, & the obseruatiō of Gods word. For in the .28. chap. of S. Math. The Lorde saith to his disciples, teace you them to kepe those thinges which I haue commaunded you. He speaketh with an emphasie, whiche I haue commaunded you, not such as you shall haue inuented of your own braine. For the Lord alledgeth out of the Propheth in the .xv. of the same S. Math. saiyng: In vaine do thei worship me, teaching the doctrines of men. Therfore these workes haue no promesse: But the workes of Christ, whiche he him selfe hath ordeined, & the which are done of his spirit, and of true faith, whilest we forsake our errours & cleaue to the truth, they haue a promesse moste ample.
The victory of the h [...]ad Christ and his mē bres.And promiseth two notable thinges. The first: lyke as my father hath promysed me victory, and perfourmed it, that I ouercome all my ennemies, and triumphed ouer them, the same being brokē in pieces lyke vessels of clay or earth with out any difficultie, so wyll I geue vnto you also power and victory against all vngodly. And that same promesse at ye last shalbe fully accomplished in the last iudgement, in the which [Page 101] all the ennemies of Godlines shalbe caste vnder the feete of Christ: As it is declared in the Psalmes, especially in the .ii. and .Cx. Psalme. And in this world also Christ affirmeth that his seruauntes shall spiritually rule ouer his ennemies: Like as Christ, although he were tormented and died, yet neuerthelesse he ouercame his ennemies. The holy and ecclesiasticall stories beare witnes of these thinges sufficiently.
The latter: I will geue him the morning starre. And he vnderstode the knowledge of Christ increasing dayly more and more, and so euen Christ himselfe,The morning star. in lyke case as the day in the rysing of the morning starre waxeth brighter and brighter: In the whiche sense the Apostle S. Peter is red to haue vsed this allegory in the .ii. Epistle first Chapter, or at the least he promised a clerenes most bright. For Daniel sayth, howe the faithful in the resurrection shall shine like the firmament. The whiche thing also the Lord Christ alledgeth the .xiii. of Math. And the Apostle alluding hereunto sayd, that one star was brighter then an other: So lykewyse in the resurrection one shalbe made brighter then an other. These promisses be most great, neither can I thinke that any greater can be geuen vs. God graunte vs grace, that we may be made partakers of so great thinges.
Finally he applieth this epistle to al churches and ages of the world. Wherof since we haue spoken oftener than once, there is no cause that by oft repeating I should be tediouse to any man. To the Lorde our God be praise and glory.
¶ He blameth certen thinges in the congregation of Sardis: notwithstanding he sheweth streight wayes a remedy, wherby they may be healed, & be safe. The .xv. Sermon.
AND write to the messenger of the congregatiō of Sardis, this saith he that hath the spirites of God, and the .vii. starres. I knowe thy workes: Thou hast a name that [Page 102] thou liuest and thou art dead. Be awake, and strength the thinges which remaine, that ar redy to die. For I haue not founde thy works perfit before God. Remember therfore howe thou hast receiued and heard, and holde fast & repent. If thou shalt not watche, I wil come on thee as a thefe, and thou shalt not knowe what houre I wyll come vpon thee.
Two kindes of men in one churche.In one congregation of Sardis were two sortes of people, professing on either side the name of Christ. But some in dede answered but litle to the holy profession, liuing more licenciously, than became them: And the others in holines of lyfe set forth the doctrine of our sauiour that they professed. The first sort the Lord Iesus accuseth in this Epistle by S. Iohn: And sheweth also a medicine for the disease. And the later he exhorteth to perseueraunce, commending their integritie. Therfore this Epistle is deuided in two partes, verey fit and profitable for our time.
The first part of the Epistle cōteineth those things which we haue now recited: Nether doth he procede herein in other order, than we haue sene him to haue proceded hitherto. For first he sheweth to whom it is dedicated, and sent: Namely to the Pastour of the congregation of Sardis,Sardis. and therfore also to the whole church. Sardis is said to haue ben the head citie of Lydia or of Maonia, the metropolitane citie of Cresus the most riche king of Lydia, whom Herodotus writeth that king Cyrus ouercame, a towne most famous, and pricked and painted with pride, that it was a wōder: And addicte to voluptuousnes. For Strabo in the .xiii. boke of Geographie testifieth that al the maidens therof were harlots, who mentioneth more of the same citie. Certes it semeth to haue kept his olde wonte, euen at suche time also as it had receiued the name of the Lord: And therfore to haue bene more geuen to fornication, and al maner of filthy lust. The which thing the Lord semeth to haue blamed in them, as S. Paul likewyse persecuted the self same vise in the Corinthians. The worlde can hardly beleue that simple fornication is sinne wherupon in that great counsel of the Apostles,Actes. 15. both thei and the elders [Page 103] and the whole assemblie with one minde decreed, that the gē tiles should absteine from fornication. The deuill at this day goeth about many times to defile the church again with fornication, to set vp stewes, and that by authoritie and openly whordom might be practised. For so being cast out, he taketh seuen worse spirites, enterprising to possesse that place again out of the whiche he was exiled by the preaching of the Gospel. We must therfore resist him, least the Lorde Iesus him self do accuse vs, as he doth here accuse them of Sardis most greuously.Christ hath and sēdeth the spirite. Then is the Lord Iesus declared to be authour of the Epistle, not without praise. 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 thē. 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 mē ar in the churche, with thē 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 Lo [...]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, yt wydowes liuing in wātones, being aliue were dead. They be dead therfore which haue not Christ liuing in thē by faith & spirit. [Page 104] Which haue not the vertue of Christ workyng in thē, 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 thē. 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 cō gregation their dutie. Wherof we learne howe like diseases of churches are to be holpen. That belōgeth 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 holpē 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 vnderstādeth 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, ye flesh fighteth against the spirite: In so muche that Iob sayd, how he feared all his workes, and therfore fled to the clemē cie of the iudge: Notwithstanding they be perfit and full in respect of Christ. For he is our fulnes, and in hym we are cō plete, [Page 105] 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 cōmaundeth to teache faith diligently, and beate it in, that they maye b [...] 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 repentaūce 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 repentaūce 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 thē by the threatnings. Whiche are in dede to be referred aswell to ye ministers, as to the people, in the congregation. Againe the Lord vseth parables, whiche we reade that he vsed in S. Matth. 24. Where with the same he exhorteth to watchyng & sobrietie. Whiche place sins it is there expounded at large, I nede not to vse many wordes aboute it here. To the Lorde be prayse and thankes geuyng for euermore.
¶ He alloweth and commendeth those that couet to liue godly in the Churche of Sardis, exhorting them that they would so holde on and procede. The .xvi. Sermon.
BVt thou haste a fewe names in Sardis, whiche haue not defiled their garmentes: And they shall walke with me in white, for they are worthie. He that ouercometh shall be clothed in white araye, and I will not put out his name out of the boke of life: And I will confesse his name before my Father, and before his Aungelles. He that hath eares let him heare what the spirite sayeth to the congregations.
The argumēt of this parte.The seconde parte of this heauenly epistle is conteined in these poinctes, in the whiche is praised and cōmended the innocencie, holines and integritie of the faithful in the congregation of Sardis, in true religion. He exhorteth them by a promesse moste large vnto perseueraunce. Last he propoundeth agayne vnto them moste ample rewardes: euen to the corrupte sorte, in case they amende: and to the faithful, if they continewe as they be.
The complutensiā boke hath thus [...]: But thou haste a fewe names in Sardis. Whiche is as much as if he had saied, they be not al corrupt and dead with thee, although in dede those be very fewe. And so Aretas readeth it in Greke, and the cōmon translation in Latin other copies haue, whiche Erasmus followeth, thou haste a fewe names also at Sardis: that is, euen in Sardis hast thou names,Names. but fewe. And he put names for notable men. Which maner of speaking is also in our langage. For we saye, there is no man of name, for no excellent or noble personage, he signifieth therefore, that there be in the same Churche noble [Page 107] personages, and that noble in soundenes of faith and holynes of life: but very fewe,Few good. if they shoulde be referred or compared to the numbre of Hipocrites or dead, whiche in dede are a greate deale more. Nother oughte we here at to maruel. For the Lorde sayeth also in the Gospell, that many be called, fewe chosen: And that the greater parte of this world walketh in that broade and wide waye of perdition, Matth. 20. and 7. The whiche also S. Peter repeted in the 2. chapter of his latter epistle. That they are rather to be hissed at, than confuted, whiche seke to defende theyr errour, by a multitude. You shall heare very ofte at this daye. You are but a fewe in nombre, we are innumerable, and therfore our matter is the better.
But that same excellent thinge is chiefly to be obserued,What is cōmended the church of Sardis. that although they were but fewe good, yet neuertheles the Lorde cōmendeth and extolleth those fewe, doubtles for the example and imitation of al other churches. The wordes in dede are shorte, but the praise moste ample and large. That they had not defiled their garmentes: whiche is as muche as if he had sayed, you haue not polluted your soules with straunge opinions or spottes of heresie. For you haue remayned sincere in the true faythe: your bodies also, and the whole conuersation of your life, you haue not defiled with filthie lustes, with fleshely pleasures and voluptuousenes. Doubtles this is the greatest prayse and most certaine signe of perfit godlines: wherewith I would wishe that mo of vs were marked. But the maner of speache here requireth also an exposition.The allegorie of apparell in ye scripture. The allegorie of garments is often and much vsed in holy scripture. The vse of apparell inuented of God him selfe, and shewed to our forefathers, hath this chiefe propertie, to hide the priuie partes of our body, to beautife and set forth the body, and kepe of heate and colde. And therfore Christ him self is called the garment of Christiās, and in the gospel in dede the wedding garment. Whervpon thapostle aduiseth vs to put on the new mā, which is made after God euen Christ him selfe. Roman. 13. Ephes. 4. Coloss. 3. For Christ couereth not only our priuie partes, but all the filthines also of the soule, he adorneth and beautifieth vs, and driueth frō vs all iniurie, and all euill. And we defile this garment, [Page 108] when neither in faith nor in holines of life we do aunswer to our professiō. For Christe is our garment, and Christianitie, sincere faithe, and holines of life are our apparell: And euen faithe and our conuersation is our garmente. For asmuche therfore as the Sardensians were of a sincere fayth, and vncorrupte maners, they are saied to haue kepte their garmēts cleane and vndefiled. The lorde also geueth nowe a rewarde vnto vertu.To walke with christ in where graye. And they shal walke with me, sayeth he, in white araye. These excellent things verely doeth he rehearse to reteyne the Sardensians in theyr dutie, to nourrishe them to greater things and to moue other also to sinceritie and integritie. Sainctes walke with Christ in white araye, that is to saye, haue fruitiō of the same glory, wherin we beleue Christ to shine. For he desireth his father, that he will graunt to the faithfull, that where so euer he is, they may be with him, and see his glory, &c. in the 17. of Iohn. And with S. Matth. in the transformatiō or clarifiyng, the face of Christ appered bright like the sunne, his apparell and rest of his body as light. So appered Christ vnto Iohn in the first chapt. of this boke, clothed in white araye. Nowe therfore sayeth he, the godly that haue not defiled their garmente, shal accompany me, hauing put on light also.Sainctes be worthy of glory. He addeth an other thing, for they be worthie. This is the greatest prayse, when the Captaine sayeth, that the soldiour is worthy of honour and glory. The greatest shame or ignomie is, when it is sayed with vs, thou arte vnworthy. The first kind of speache sheweth him to be most excellent in al kinde of vertue, whiche is sayed to be worthie of eternal light, by the later is signified, that he whiche is accompted vnworthy of a good and excellent thing, is maruelouse negligent and vngraciouse. But here we nede not to reason of the merite and deserte of worthines. God pronoū ceth his to be worthie of glory, the godly referre al the goodnes that is in them vnto grace, and still complaine of theyr vnworthines. Not to reproue God of liyng, but to prayse and cōmende the excellent goodnes that is in him: acknowledging in dede that he rewardeth good workes, and dignifieth the worthines of sainctes: but they are nothing proude hereof, but acknowledge al this to come of grace. This appereth in the doctrine of the Gospell, Luke. 17. Matth. 25. where [Page 109] Sainctes cōmended of God, for the workes of mercy, seme the acknowledge nothing therof.
Howbeit he declareth more at large the most ample promesses of God,Greate rewardes of vertue. wherby he maye not onlye reteyne in their duty the Sainctes and vndefiled Sardensians, but mighte also reduce al others that go astray at al times into the waye of repentaunce, integritie, and holines. And three thinges he promiseth: first in dede, white apparell, that is to saye, gloryfiyng, and light euerlastinge, and the gloriouse company of Christ, wherof I haue spoken already. Secondly, and I wil not, sayeth he, put out his name out of the boke of life. For like as Cities haue bokes, wherin the names of theyr Citizens are written:The boke of life. righte so is God in the scriptures sayed [...] (after the maner of men) to haue a boke of life, or of his electe. What that boke is, and whose name is red in the same, none of vs can tell, sins none hath loked therein. We must learne of the scriptures, who be the citezēs of the kingdome of God. For that theyr names be written in the boke of life no man nede doubt. And S. Iohn sayeth: so many as haue beleued, he hath geuen them power, that they maye be made the children of God. S. Paull saieth: He that hath not the spirite of Christe, he is none of his. And the spirite crieth in the mindes of the godly, Abba father. The same Apostle sayeth: God hath predestinated vs, that he might adopte vs for his children, through Iesus Christe. Moreouer: he hath chosen vs in Christ, before the foūdations of the world were layde. Therefore are al beleuers written in that numbre celestiall. Who so euer therefore beleue not, or perseuere not in the faith, eyther they are not written in the boke of life, or els they be put out againe of the boke of lyfe. Finally the sonne acknowledgeth the beleuers and such as perseuer in the true faythe, before his heauenly father, and his Aungelles. And here he repeteth theuangelicall doctrine out of the 10. chapt. of S. Matth. and 8. of S. Marke. And doubteles it is a greate matter in that vniuersall iudgement, to be knowen of the sonne of God, of the highe iudge, to be saluted and frendely spokē to of him, and that to our greate prayse. If any Prince would in a great assemble of people knowe thee, yea imbrase and cōmende thee, howe happie and fortunate woldest thou [Page 110] thinke thy selfe? But then shall imbrase thee the very sonne of God, king of kinges, and lorde of lordes. Let vs thinke of these thinges in time, and amende our maners.
For that all these thinges apperteyne to vs, that laste and wounted acclamation of S. Iohn proueth: let him that hathe eares, heare, &c. Wherof we haue spoken els where. To the Lord be prayse and glory.
¶ The Lord cōmendeth the vertues, namely the constancie of the congregation of Philadelphia. &c. The .xvij. Sermon.
ANd write vnto the Aungel of the congregation of Philadelphia: this sayeth he that is holye and true, which hath the keye of Dauid, whiche openeth and no man shutteth: And shutteth and no man openeth. I knowe thy workes. Beholde I haue sette before thee an open dore, and no manne can shutte it: for thou hast a little strength: And haste kepte my worde, and haste not denied my name. Beholde I shall geue some of the congregation of Sathan, whiche call them Iewes, and are not, but do lie: Behold, I wil make them, that they shal come and worship before thy feete.
the church is not blamed, but yet is it not therefore perfit. 1. Iohn. 1. Rom. 3.In al other congregations the Lord at the leest foūd some faulte, in the only churche of Philadelphia he blame [...]h nothing: not that any man is founde in this flesh so perfit, that he hath not nede of the grace of God. For Dauid crieth out: enter not Lord, into iudgement with thy seruaunt, for no mā liuing shall be iustified in thy sighte. But S. Iohn and S. Paull also make all mē subiect to sinne: which thing also S. Austen discourseth learnedly agaynst the Pelagians. Therfore that [Page 111] blameth nothing in this congregation, it is not to be vnderstand, as though it were not defiled with dayly faultes: but therfore he imputeth nothinge, for because the sinceritie and integritie of faithe couereth & hideth what vice so euer there be. For there is no cōdemnation to them that are graffed in Christe Iesu. And albeit that other churches haue also the right faith, yet this excelleth especially, &c. It might be referred chiefly to the Bisshop of the same Churche.
In this sixte epistle he cōmendeth the sincere faith, and cō stancie of faith, and admonissheth to perseuer, propounding ample rewardes. And it hath muche learning and diuerse: whiche shall appere in the treatise therof.
And the lord herin followeth the same order, which we see he hath followed in others. For it is one & the same kinde of doctrine with all churches and in al times. Firste therfore is shewed, vnto whom the epistle is written or dedicated: to the pastour and whole cōgregation of Philadelphia.Philadelphia. Philadelphia was a citie of Lydia, neither very famouse, nor yet obscure. We reade how it hath bē oft shakē with earthquakes, and repared againe. Strabo mentioneth therof in the 12. boke of Geographie, and so haue other authours also. Yet it made it self famouse by vertues. After is the Lorde Christ signified to be Authour of this epistle, who at other times also hath tolde S. Iohn what he should write.
And to Christ are attributed three things or rather Christ attributeth three things to him selfe, yt he is holy, true, & hath the keye of Dauid: The which he hath borrowed of ye Image of the first Chapt. Christe is holy,Christe holy. because he is pure & cleane from al filthines, & from al vnrightuousnes, very God, a cō suming fire, doyng no man any wrōg, hauing nothing at all that may be blamed. For to him ye Seraphin sayng rightly, holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth: Esaye. 7.Christe the Saincte of Sainctes. Christ is also the holy one of the Sainctes, a sanctification I saye that sanctifieth all, that be sanctified. The same loueth holines in sainctes. Christ therfore is moste truely called. Antichrist the Pope hath taken vpon him this title, and so filthy sitteth on this beaste, as if you should call a priuie or a Iakes a Rosier. Spitte vpon that vile and filthy beast, whiche suffereth him self to be called the most holy father, and worship Christ the [Page 112] holy one of all holy, vnlesse you had rather vnderstande by that holines not euery holines, but pope holines that is to witte, stinking & swimming full of al abominations. Christe is like wise called trewe,Christe is true. because he is eternall and faithfull, euermore constaunt and incorrupte. He can neyther disceiue nor be disceiued. The same moste constantly kepeth his promesses. All his wordes be vndoubted and trewe: Albeit that fleshe, that can abide no delaye, begin many times to doubt, yet no one poincte or iote of them falleth awaye. The trueth of the Lorde indureth for euer. Thou standest vpon a moste sure foundation, if thou leane vnto Christe, whiche in the 14. of Iohn also calleth him selfe the veritie.
The keye of Dauid.Laste he addeth, whiche hath the keye of Dauid. I spake of the keye in the firste chapter. He alludeth to the 22. Chapt. of Esaye. Wherby is signified the diuine & almightie power of Christ, by the which he bringeth vs purified into the kingdome of heauen: whiche worke verely nother deuilles, nor any power can let. The same casteth doune the vncleane into hel, nother is there that can deliuer or differ the same. He sayeth therfore aptely and expressely, he hath, not had or shal haue, but he hath now. For he alone hath this power, which he cōmunicateth with no man els. The Pope of Rome lieth, whiche sayeth that he hathe this power. The only sonne of God excelleth in this prerogatiue.Keyes geuen to the Apostles. Thapostles as ministers and preachers, haue receyued the keyes of knoweledge and of vtteraunce, of learning, instruction and introduction, by the whiche also in threatening they exclude infidels out of the kingdome of God, binde them in their sinnes: almightie God whiche hath the highe power ratifiyng the iudgement of the minister, whiche he pronounced not of him self, but of Christes wordes. But these thinges agree righte well with those that follow of the opened dore, which no man can shut, and so to the whole matter.
For now the Lorde procedeth to tell, what he would: And as he hathe sayed in all epistles, he repeteth in this also, that he knoweth al things of this and of al other congregations.
And he commendeth so the perseueraunce in faithe in this congregation,Thou hast no power. that he signifieth with all, that the same also did procede of the grace of Christ. Thou haste, sayeth he, litle [Page 113] power, and as it were no force and strēgth, which this world regardeth, as power, riches, wordly wisedom, lucky successe, plentie of frendes, and such other like things. Therfore thou canste attribute nothing to thy selfe, nothinge to thine owne strength, not so much as this that thou arte a churche, & that the veritie of the gospell is freely preached with thee.I haue set before thee an open dore. For I set opē this dore. And by my strength I kepe open the same, that no man can shut the same dore: to witte the preachinge and grace ones graunted, by any meanes to prohibite, let, or take away. To open the dore, is a cōmon phrase of speaking, vsed of thapostle, in the 1. to the Corinth. 16. and the 2. Corinth. the 2. He openeth the dore, whiche geueth an occasion, and prepareth the waye to enter in. By the worde therefore was opened the dore of life. The faithful might enter in: the infidels coulde not stoppe this waye. For the hande of Christe helde the dore open. And these thinges in dede do declare,No mā cā shut ye dore whereof it is that in cities, townes, and villages not greatly furnished with any force or power, ye course of the gospel procedeth with so lucky successe: And where many go about by layng waite, craftes and policies, threateninges and persecutions to shut the dore, they cā not. These things are not done through our cunning & wisedome, but of the grace of God.
Howbeit if any man list to vnderstand those thinges and such as follow herafter peculiarly of the pastour or bishop of the church, I wil not be against it. For where he was hūble, and instruct with no worldly wisedome, yet furnished with God his grace, he opened the waye of saluation, which now they coulde not shut vp, as many as soughte to abrogate the preaching of the gospel. The vertue of Christ kept him.
And nowe more expressely he preacheth or cōmendeth the faithfull constauncie in faithe of the pastour & congregation:The commendation of perseueraunce in faythe. Thou hast kept, saieth he, my worde, and hast not denied my name. When the Lorde opened the dore, lighted the candel, & gaue heauenly giftes, the pastour with the congregation receiued them, and receiued kepte thē, and so kept denied them not, nother trode thē vnder foote. This is an excellent praise. Would God there were many such churches founde at this daie. Here mayest thou learne also, O thou church of Christ, here maye you learne all and singular, what is the duty of [Page 114] pastours, of the churche, and of all and singular godly men and women. Thy merite was none at all, God of his grace shone vnto thee. Thy worthines was non, thy desert, power nor authoritie: Christe of his mercy hath reuealed him selfe vnto thee. Imbrace him therefore that offereth him selfe to thee, holde fast and neuer at any time let him go. &c.
The word of Christ is to be kepte.And note that the Lord sayeth, my worde, not euery mans worde, but mine. What the worde of Christ is, it is knowen to al men. For that which is written in the Gospel, and first in dede by the Prophetes, and after by the Apostles was set forth in holy writte, is the worde of christ. It is not Christes worde that striueth with the same, although it be set forth by Counsels and holy fathers. Christe doeth not acknowledge that worde: he acknowledgeth his for his owne. And this must be obserued and kept. The word of Christ is obserued, what time it is not corrupted with additions,The word of Christ is kepte howe. detractions, and wrastinges, but in case it be kepte sincere in his naturall sense. It is not kepte, when it is corrupted or depraued with mens inuentions, and peruerse interpretations. The worde of Christ is kepte, when it is cōmended not with the mouth alone, but is also expressed with godly workes in the whole life, & beautified with holines. It is not obserued, when with out repentaunce men liue most filthily. Finally the word of Christ is obserued & kept, when it is not with any lothesomnesse of ours or impatiēce cast awaye, denied & forsaken. And therfore he annereth incōtinently, and thou hast not denied my name. I haue spoken els where largely of confessing and deniyng of Christes name. These things verely did the Philadelphiās, & with these vertues through faith pleased ye lord. By these also maye we cōmende our selues to our Sauiour.
The Lord conuerteth thenemies vnto the churche.Furthermore the Lord sheweth, with how great a reward he would honour that constauncie of the godly in faithe. Ye haue nowe, sayeth he, many enemies by reason of your pure religion: but in case ye thus holde one, I wil cause that those same enemies shal become your frēdes, and finally fellowes of your religion: In so muche that they that haue hitherto condemned you for wicked doers and heretikes, shal come vnto you with great humilitie, to axe you forgeuenes, ready to receiue your religion, & to worship him whome they haue [Page 115] blasphemed. And they shall come in moste humble wise, and with the greatest humilitie that maye be. For so sayed Esaye before that it shoulde so come to passe in 49. chap. wherunto the Lord alluded at this present.
In the meane season he toucheth the Iewes the singular enemies of the sayth,False Iewes. whom he calleth the Sinagoge of Sathan. For their teacher was none other but the Deuill, as in dede they haue no better at this daye. He calleth them false Iewes and liars. For neyther they confessed the Lorde, nor glorified god, nor beleued in Christ their Messias. But they that are Iewes in dede, be not suche: as the Apostle S. Paull saied in the 2. Chapter to the Romans. The power of God cō streyned many of them, forsaking their Iewishenesse, to goe to the Christen religion.
Therefore if we couet or goe about to reteyne also in our Churches the pure worde of God,Howe congregatiōs maye be kepte. & to receiue our enemies humble, we shall not atteyne to these thinges by warres or wronges, by raylyng and approbriouse wordes, but by constaunte faith. But if eyther we professe our faith not purely, or beautifie not the same with vertues, what maruell is it, though enemies abide enemies still, and continewe to hate vs euery daie more haynously than other, and at length oppresse vs, and extinguishe the lighte of God his worde with many? let vs learne dere bretherne, by godlynes, constancie and holines to winne our bretherne. The Lord Iesus graunt vs his grace to perfourme the same.
¶ He exhorteth them to perseuer in the true fayth propoundyng most ample rewardes. The .xviij. Sermon.
ANd they shall knowe, that I haue loued thee: because thou hast kept the wordes of my patience: therefore will I kepe thee from the houre of temptacion, whiche wil come vpon all the worlde, to tempte them [Page 116] that dwell vpon the earthe beholde I come shortely. Holde fast that thou hast that nomā take awaye thy crowne.
To kepe ye worde of Christ.An excellent vertue is commended in the congregation of Philadelphia, that they haue kepte the worde of Christ, not euery worde, but the worde of Christe, and haue not denied it. And he hath begonne to rehearse moste large rewardes, whiche bothe he hath geuen to this church, and is also ready to geue to any other like in the zeale of godly religion. For we are allured by rewardes.
Enemies are made frendes.Firste I will conuerte, sayeth he, thine enemies, that they may be made thy frendes & bretherne, that cōming into the congregation, they maye worship Christ, whome they haue blasphemed hitherto, yea yt they shal submit them selues hū bly & lowely: As we reade of S. Paull, which in the 15. chapt. of the 1. epistle to the Corinthians sayeth that he is vnworthie to be called an Apostle. &c. And this is a wonderfull benefite. For God is glorified by such as are cōuerted, & the trueth is set forth, liyng and superstition are confounded. Wherof the Sainctes can not but be exceadingly glad. The faythful also are deliuered out of the Deuils clawes, and are saued.
The church of God beloued.Than followeth an other benefite of God. Thenemies of God shal know & finde, that the church, and euery mēbre of the same be the wel beloued children of God. Thenemies of the church suppose, the faithful to be wicked, gods enemies, heretikes, churchrobbers, hated of god, & vnworthy to liue. But they shal vnderstand that nothing is derer to God than the church, as for ye which he gaue his sonne, which he chose also for his spouse, and hath made pertaker of his kingdome.
Of ye loue of god cum vertues.But of this loue of God, wherby he, prouoked by no desertes of ours, but of his only grace & natiue goodnes hathe ioyned him selfe to the churche, al vertues doe procede: That chiefly which immediatly followeth, yt the church hath kept the worde of patiēce. The same Iohn in his canonical epistle: not that we, sayeth he, haue loued God, but yt he hath loued vs &c. Therfore where the obseruation of the worde of patience is annexed as the cause of loue, it muste be religiousely expoūded, that the fauour of god, & al our giftes be verely of [Page 117] grace, but yet that he of the same grace doeth as it were requite and rewarde vs for our paynes. Wherof the Sainctes are not proude, but humbly acknowledge and preache grace euery where and in al thinges.
Agayne he cōmendeth the perseueraunce of the faithfull in the true religion. Thou hast kept, sayeth he,What is ye worde of patience. the worde of my patience. The worde of patience is the Gospel of eternal saluation: whiche is otherwise called of S. Paull the worde of the crosse, and that for two considerations. First for bicause he describeth the crosse and patience of Christe wherby we are saued. And again he perswadeth vs also to beare ye crosse, and patiently to suffer with Christe, Matth. 16.2. Timoth. 2. Neyther muste any man loke for any perseueraunce of him that is impatient. The Lord sayeth in the 12. of Luke, in your patience you shal possesse your soules. Therfore hath eyther the pastour or the church of Philadelphia kept the worde of patience, to witte in reteyning in their hartes the patience of Christ through fayth, and in shewyng patience in wordes or saiynges, and susteyning muche trauel in body. Whiche in dede is the beste waye to kepe churches safe and sounde, and euery one of the faythful. Let them kepe, I saye, the worde of Christe his patience, and the rest commit to the Lord.
For it followeth: And I will kepe thee agayne from the houre of temptation, &c.The houre of temptation. The houre of temptation is expoū ded two wayes. For eyther he speaketh of heresies and of heretikes, by whose talke, and craftie iuggelynge, leudenes, and disceiptfulnes is tempted the faythe, simplicitie, and integritie of the faytheful. Wherof the Lorde treateth muche in the 13. Chapter of Deuteronomie. Or els he speaketh verely of the persecutions, whiche the emperours of Rome haue inflicted, emonges whome Traiane a most mightie Prince set forth sore proclamations agaynste the Christians. Wherof Plinie also made mention in the 10. boke of Epistles, the hō dreth and one. But Christ preserued the churche of Philadelphia, and kepeth also at this daye the faythfull by his worde and power in the perilles of heretickes and heresies, and finally of persecutions also: so that the faythfull maye stande sure in all controuersies and receyue nothing of heretikes that is straunge from gods worde, and also geue no place in [Page 118] persecutions. Christ causeth many times that the burthen of persecution presseth not so heauily. Therfore let vs alwayes be constaunt in gods worde, and permitte the defence to our Lorde God. He wil not neglecte vs, &c.
The Lord helpeth in time.But for as muche as in temptations and afflictions the Lord semeth many times to our fleshe to tary ouerlong, and in maner to neglect his: for we saye the Lord preuenteth, and addeth, beholde I come shortly. Shortly, I say, that is to say in time: not to late nor to hastely. The which we saie, neither to soone nor to late, but in dewe time and season. If the lorde therfore shal seme to be ouer slowe, dispaire not: for he will come timely enough, when he shal see it good. Doe not thou prescribe vnto him the maner and meane of deliueraunce, but abide the Lordes leasure. Reade what goodly and holesome thinges S. Paull hath written concernyng this matter in the ende of the 10. chapter to the Hebrewes, where a place also out of the 2. Chapt. of Abachuc is alledged.
Holde fast that thou haste.And nowe he exhorteth in fewe but most euident wordes to perseueraunce in pietie, wherein they had excelled hitherto. And he sayeth two thinges holde [...] holde faste that thou hast. They had the gospell of Christe, and the worde of eternal life, the true fayth and godly religion. These thinges he commaundeth to holde faste, and to persist in the religion ones receyued. And whilest he commaunded them to kepe that they had, he signifieth by the waie, that no new or other doctrine is to be loked for: but that this ones receyued doeth suffice. Let vs not thinke therefore in the gouernement of the church vpon other lawes, vpon other traditions, than of the Gospell of Iesu Christe. This is sufficient for the churche. After reasonynge as it were of the losse, he sayeth: Therfore must thou watche diligently and holde strongly the gospel, for this beyng taken away thou arte spoyled of thy crowne. The crowne is a token of vertue and victory. We saye.
Conquerours and worthie of the Empire, are crowned. The virgin loseth her crowne, that is defiled. Therfore heretikes, false prophetes, and seducers take awaye the crowne, what time they seduce and corrupte: therefore sayeth the Lorde: Thou haste gotten honour and glory, see that no man take it from thee. So we reade that S. Paull spake in the 2. to [Page 119] the Coloss. Let no man take from you the victory. In the 18. of Ezechiel the Lorde testifieth, that he will not impute rightuousnes to the iuste, in case he forsake and leaue his rightousenes let vs praye therefore, that we maye euermore perseuer in the worde of the Lorde.
¶ He procedeth in recityng moste great rewardes. The .xix. Sermon.
HIm that ouercometh wil I make a piller in the temple of my God, and he shall goe no more out. And I will wryte vpon him the name of my God, and the name of the citie of my God, newe Ierusalē, which commeth downe out of Heauen from my God, and I will wryte vpon him my newe name. Lette him that hathe eares heare, what the spirite sayeth to the congregations.
Our Lorde procedeth in raccomptynge muche more ample rewardes, whiche he woulde geue to them that ouercome: And so he tempereth his wordes, that we maye easely perceyue, this promesse not onlye to apperteyne to the congregation of Philadelphia, but to all the Churches in the whole worlde, yea and to euerye of the faythefull. And as we haue oftentymes repeted already (for I am not asshamed to repete, seynge that the Lorde him selfe so greately vrgeth the victorye) agayne we saye, that those thynges are promised not to suche as fighte lightly or negligently (for diuerse fighte,The warfare & victorye of Christiās. and by and by runne awaye) but to those that ouercome and perseuer to the ende. For our life is a warfare vpon earthe: whiche Iob also hath confessed. The soldiour hath a sure purpose to ouercome his enemies. Our enemies are, the deuil, the world, and the fleshe. Against [Page 120] these we muste ernestly fight: of none other intent, but that we may ouercome. The Apostle in the 6. to the Ephes. described the armour of the faithful. In victory the Sainctes consider sinceries and integritie, that we lose nothyng of the veritie knowen: but let vs reteyne the pure worde of God, and sincere fayth, and let vs kepe our bodies & our soules cleane from all pollution, and that to our liues ende. He propoundeth moste ample rewardes by promesse.The maner of erectīg pillers. Wherby he alludeth to the maner of Grekes and Romanes, who decreed Images to suche as deserued wel of the cōmon welthe in the whiche also they wrote theyr vertues, for whose cause they were set vp eyther in the court or market place or els where. They semed by this meane to deliuer to theyr posteritie as it were by hande the glory of their elders, whiche they made also as it were euerlastyng.Piller in yt scriptures. Otherwise the vse of this vocable Columne, or piller is diuerse. Ieremie is called of God a piller for his constancie. The Apostles are called of S. Paull in the 2. to the Galath. chiefe pillers, for their excellencie, and that the churches leaned vpon them, for the preaching of the veritie. The church it self also is called the piller & base of veritie, for asmuch as it is groūded vpon the sure rocke Christ. In the Temple of Salomō stoode two columnes or pillers, figures of the euerlasting kingdome of Christ, [...]. Timo. 3. and of the holy churche. In this place a piller is taken for a man, in glory and beautie excellent. For he sayeth not that he will erecte a piller for a godly man: but I wil, sayeth he, make him a piller, that is to saye, I wil beautifie him with honours and glory euerlastyng.
But where shall this piller be set? where shall the glory of Sainctes be famouse?The piller is set in ye Temple. not in Courte, or market place: but in the Temple of my God. And the Temple of God, is heauen it selfe, and in our worlde the holy Churche. Gloriouse therfore shal he be in the churche of Sainctes, aswel militaunt, as triumphaunt. Albeit therfore that the very godly heare euill in this worlde: yet this worlde shall peryshe, Christe shall reigne for euer, and the Sainctes shall reigne with him. Their glorye then shall remayne for euer and euer. And where he sayeth, of my God, Aretas expoundeth and saieth: This saiynge of my God, taketh not awaye the diuine [Page 121] nature, that is sene in Christ, but establisheth, as I may say, the consubstantialitie. For it declareth the vnion of two natures, whiche are in the persone of our Lord Iesu, to witte of his deitie and humanitie, euen after vnderstanding, yet not confusely, to be indissobible. For they aunswer mutualy one another, because of the assumptiō of the humane nature, the diuine to the humane, and likewise the humane to the diuine proprieties. &c.
Moreouer the perpetuitie and stablenes of the glory of the sainctes and faithful is signified, where it is added,Stable gl [...] ry. and he shall go no more out. For many times pillers are brokē and cast down, and renowne ones gotten perisheth and fadeth away. But Christ promiseth to them that ouercome, that they shall neuer be cast out of the fellowship of Sainctes, neyther that the glory of the faithfull should be obscured at any time. And thus farre of the piller it selfe.
Here followeth of the inscription of the piller,The inscription of ye piller. of what sort it shalbe. Thre thinges chiefly are wrytten in the Sainctes, to witte the name of God, the name also of the citie of God, and the new name of God or of Christ. Whiche we shal discusse in order. First the name of God is ascribed to the godly, that is, they them selues are called by the name of God, & be the children and heires of God. Whiche is discoursed at large in the first of Iohn, and the .viii. to the Romains. Ouercomers be ye childrē of God. And what can you deuise to be more honorable, than to be, and be called the sonne, not of kyng nor Emperour, but of ye liuing God? But this same noble grace the Lorde graunteth to thē that ouercome. In the first of Iohn the .iii. and .v. Victours be citezens of the citie of God. Chap. Secondly to the ouercomers is inscribed the name of the citie of God: that is to say, the Godly man is wrytten in the nō ber of the citez ns of the citie of God, and is verely a citezen of the citie of God, I saye euen of the citie of God. It was a great matter in tymes past, to be a citezen of Rome: But it is farre greater to be a citezen of the citie of God. The citezens inioye all priuileges and commodities, finally the glory of the citie.the church is described what i [...] is. But this is greater and more than that it can be declared at fewe wordes.
But the churche, is the citie of God: And the citie of God, is the churche. Whiche is here set forth with thre epithetes or [Page 122] titles, of the whiche it is easy to iudge, what the churche is, or what we shuld thinke therof. The church is the citie of God. For lyke as the citie, is the fellowship of citezens: Euen so is the churche the communion of sainctes. The Prince of thē is Christ, the head of the churche. The rounde worlde it selfe was a figure of this churche, and the very setting vp of the tentes, in the middes wherof was sene the Tabernacle, a token of the deitie present, as it were a cohabiter. &c. For the Lorde is in the middes of the churche. As we haue red in the xxvi. of Leuit. And in the .2. to the Corinth. the .6. Secondly the churche is called new Hierusalem. For the olde was a figure of the newe. This corporall churche is new Hierusalē, that is to say spirituall. Whiche S. Paul also affirmeth in ye iiii. to the Galath. For in the thirde place is expounded that newnes. It is not builded of men, but cometh downe from heauen aboue. For vnlesse we be borne from aboue of spirite and of sede immortall to witte the word of God, we can not be members of the churche. And we are borne by a spirituall regeneration, the children of Christ & of the church. Wherof the Lorde himselfe discourseth at large in the .iii. of Iohn.
1. Petri. 1. And S. Paul the first to the Corinthians the .iii. & iiii. There shall be more sayd of the new Hierusalem in thend of this boke. But of these ye vnderstande, what is the churche of Christ, the fellowship of the faithfull, regenerated by the worde of God. &c.
The viccours get a new name.Finally in them that ouercome is wrytten a new name, and that in dede ye new name of Christe: Not only that they should be called Christians of Christ, but because the name is a brief description of euery thyng and nature, and a newe name is promysed: It followeth that we should vnderstande that men shall be renewed, chiefly by glorifiyng. He promyseth therfore a glorifiyng to the Godly. Wherof is spokē els where in the .xvii. of S. Math. 1. Cor. xv. Phil. iii. And the first of Iohn the .iii. These most ample rewardes the sainctes may verely loke for, if they fight that they may ouercome.
Hereunto is annexed the wonted acclamation, by the whiche both this doctrine is applied and communicated to all churches through out the worlde. And is declared that it [Page 123] came not of men as vayne, but of the very spirite of God moste true. This spirite the Lorde graunt vs.
¶ The Lorde blameth sore the churche of Laodicea. The .xx. Sermon.
AND vnto the Aungell of the congregation, which is in Laodices write: This saith Amen the faithfull and true witnes, the beginning of the creatures of God. I know thy workes, that thou art nother colde nor hoat: I would thou were colde or hoate. So then because thou art betwene both, and nother colde nor hoate, I wyll spew thee out of my mouth: Because thou sayst: I am riche and increased with goodes, and haue nede of nothīg: And knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, poore, blinde and naked.
The seuenth and last Epistle of our Sauiour Christe,The argument of ye epistle to ye Laodiceās is written by the hand of S. Iohn, to the Byshop of Laodicea. The same is a great reproche of that people, in nothing commendable: And neuerthelesse a faithfull admonition or exhortation to repentaunce. And after his accustomed maner, he signifieth to whome he wryteth, and from whom the Epistle procedeth. The Epistle is indited of Christ to the Byshop of Laodicea, and to the whole congregation. Therfore some thing is to be said of the Laodiceans, wherby the reste may the better be vnderstande and considered.
Laodicea the chiefe citie of Caria, after Strabo & Plinie, standeth by the riuer of Lycus. Antiochus Theos, Laodicea. builded the citie, and named it after his wyfe. It was the welthiest citie of Asia: Whiche Vadiane also hath noted in his Epitome. It had by makynge of wollen clothe a moste plentifull gayne. Vnto whome S. Paule semeth also to haue preached the gospel. For he mentioneth of Laodicea, from whence also some [Page 124] men thinke he wrote the first Epistle vnto Timothee.Colos. 4 Certenly it appereth that the Laodiceās had receiued the gospel, euen by this Epistle, but corruptely. For they went about to matche the worlde and the churche together, and to ioyne together Christ and Mammon: And as it is sayd at this daye.
The sinne of the Laodiceans.Therfore they layd not aside their auarice, and their immoderate trafficke (to vse moderatly the trade of marchaundise without disceptfulnes, no religion doeth forbid) and exceading great riot and pride, neyther semed they to wante any thing, but to haue and seme to haue all thinges, for that they were riche. Against these mē the Lord inueigheth greuously, declaring them to be very miserable, and more than nedy & plaine beggars. For as in the churche of Philadelphia he blamed nothing, so in this he commendeth nothing at all.
Laodicea a figure of many churches at this day.You shall finde at this daie many lyke, to whome this is common and euer in their mouth: I haue learned both to be a gospeller, and to be a souldiour, to drinke, to play the whoremonger, and liue at pleasure. You shall finde like churches, seruing both Christ and Mammon, or marchaundise, Bacchus, Venus, and God of battel. Both they and al these here are confuted, and are called to repentaunce. Which argueth, that the mercy of God is greatest, not forsaking nor reiecting so corrupt churches, and men full of so great filthines.
Wo be to them that cōtemne this vnmeasurable mercy and goodnes of God and long suffering, and continewe in their mischiefe.
The description of Christ.Christ is here againe most plentifully described, who he is as in the fourmer titles. Certes it may be gathered of al that this is the best and moste perfit description of Christ, that there is no nede to begge of any other, to witte of humane matters. He setteth forth him selfe with a new name, and calleth him, Ho amen, that Amen. That same is an Hebrewe worde, and most commonly vsed in the Euangelistes, especially in Iohn, S. Paul in the .ii. to the Corinthians the first Chapt. Christ the sonne of God, saith he, which by vs is preached amonges you, by me & by Syluanus & Timothee was not yea and nay, but in him it was yea. For all the promesses of God are in hym yea, and in him are amen to the praise of God by vs. &c. But the Lorde expoundeth him selfe, why [Page 125] he called hym selfe that Amen. For I am, sayth he, that witnesse, I meane that trustie or faythfull or constant and true. For Christ is geuen vs of the father, that he should testifie of the will of God the father. And his testimony, as he hym selfe repeteth oftener than once in the Gospell of S. Iohn, is firme, constant, sure, certain & true, hauing no falsetie, doubtfulnes, nor inconstancie. And these thinges accorde right wel to this argument, wherin he reproueth the Laodicians of sinne, and exhorteth them to repentaunce. It is a greuous matter for the flesh to heare suche a doctrine: but where the certentie, assurednes, or veritie of the teacher is perceiued, it will commonly moue mens myndes if they be not altogether abiect and desperate.
He addeth moreouer an other thing,The beginning of the creatures of God. whiche declareth his dignitie. For he calleth him selfe the beginning of the creatures of God. Neyther ought the Arrians to seke here any defence for them selues. For neyther is it mete by any one place, muche lesse by a litle worde, to subuerte the whole scripture, & to striue with the articles of the crede, the liuely tradition of the Apostles. Our sauiour Christ is considered after his deitie and after his humanitie. After his deitie, he hath no beginning, but is rather the beginning (actiuely as it is commonly sayd, not passiuely of all thinges and creatures. Neyther is he a creature: For al thinges ar made by him. Which thing both the Euangelicall & Apostolicall scriptures proue Iohn. 1. Colos. 1. and the Hebr. 1. where thou hast places expositours of this same one. After his humanitie he is called the beginning of the creature of God (namely man, whiche is called a creature by reason of his excellencie, and for that he is the Lorde of creatures, for whome all thinges were made) as he is called the first begotten of the dead. For in Christe mankynde is repared, that it hath not perished: God loked vpon the coūtenaunce of his Christ, when he first made mā. For Christ is the beginning, that is to say, the preseruer of ye humane nature: As it hath els where bene told you at large. Hitherto we haue had the description of Christ, which is called Amen, & the beginning of the creature of God, by whom verely all thinges are made, which is very & true God, witnesse of the diuine will of God. &c.
Now he telleth the churche what opinion he hath of her, & what she is, that is to say blameth her. And as he hath beaten in to all the fourmer, that he knewe all their workes: so doth he to this also. And first he sheweth, that he knoweth this of the churche of Laodicea, and especially of the Byshop therof that he is neither colde, nor hote. He addeth, [...], I woulde it were better, if thou were altogether colde, or throughly hote: But now thou arte lewke warme, or bloud warme. An Allegorie taken of mens meate, or of colde, hote, or warme water, and it is in a maner applied prouerbially. He is colde, that openly followeth the worlde,Colde. beyng wrapped in heathennisshe errours and synnes of this worlde, he boasteth no thyng, or wyll seme to haue any thing to doe with the true Religion.Hote. He is hote, whose breste inflameth with the holy ghost, contemneth the worlde, loueth the trewe Religion exceadingly, and lyueth an holy lyfe. He is warme or betwene both,Warme or betwene both. whiche hath neyther forsaken the worlde, his errours, and synnes, nor hath fully receyued Christe, his veritie and rightuousnes, but serueth partely the worlde, partly Christ: In outwarde thynges he sheweth hym selfe to be a Christian, in resorting to holy assemblees, and receiuing the Sacramentes, but inwardly he is so beseged of the worlde, that he lyueth a worldly lyfe, rather than a Christian. Suche a mixture the Lorde alloweth not,Luke. 5 whiche els where forbiddeth to plowe with an Oxe and an Asse, and to make a garment of linen and wollen: To poure newe wyne into olde bottels, & to patche an olde garment with newe cloth.
A mixture and compositiō of corrupt and whole.In Religions and rytes that lightnes and mixture can be lesse allowed of God. For you shall haue, that wyll temper together sondry Religions, and of many compile some one. Mahomet composed his Religion of the Iewyshe and christian Religion. Many at this day make an hogepotche of papistrie and the Gospell, or bake a chuchurnullis as the Germaines call a cake of sondry graynes. If a Papiste see this kynde of seruice, he knoweth it not for his: And if the Gospeler see it, he knoweth it for none of his. For it is a mixture of whole and corrupte, where the sound part hath no more strengthe, the corrupte for the moste part hath the greater. Of suche sorte are the masses that are vsed at this day of many, [Page 127] neither altogether Papisticall, nor yet wholy Euangelicall. For the Lordes supper appereth not in them: The Popishe masse also is cut of and altered in the same. If we beleue that Christ set forth the best rule of Religion and lyuinge, why followe we not that same only Maister? But we set more by the fauour of men, whiche in no wyse we will lose. For we set not so muche by the fauour of Christe, as to call that saying of the Apostle to memory, if I should please men I should not be Christes seruaunt.
But heare what the Lorde saith to these mungerelles.Galat. 1 It were better, saith he, thou were eyther colde or hote. It were better thou were a synner or an heathen, than an Hipocrite, and a mongerell. For so mightest thou be more easely holpē, according to that saying of the Lorde, If you were blinde, ye should haue no sinne.Iohn. 9. Nowe where ye seme to your selues iust and sufficiently taught and furnished with Godly rites and cultes that please God, you leaue no place to further instruction, but contemning the worde of God, and Christes institution, ye preferre your mixtures before all the iustifications of God. The Lorde also in the Gospell sayth vnto the Pharyseis: Amen I saye vnto you, that Publicanes and cō mon harlottes go before you into the kyngdome of God.Math. 12
The other membre is playne enough, that it were better they were hote, namely with the spirite of God, whiche thing the Apostle requireth in the .xii. Chapt. to the Romains.
Furthermore he threatneth to plage them, if they continue, as they haue begōne to be newters: [...].The Lord speweth out ye newters. I wil spewe thee out of my mouth. By the whiche maner of speaking two thinges are signified: Both the lothsomes whiche God conceaueth of this newtralitie or warmnes: And the vomiting out, which punisheth ye same. warm water prouoketh a vomite. Wherūto he appereth to haue alluded, as likewise to that olde phrase of speaking, the lande hath vomyted the Chananites, and the same shall vomite vp you also. Therfore these composers or mongerelles with their temperature and mixture doe so displease God, that they ingender in hym a lothsomnes, be vnto hym an abhomination, that finally he shaketh them of, the same we vnderstande of them that ioine together Christ and Mammon. And the phrase of speache [Page 128] is to be noted, [...] now therfore, or so forasmuche as, or now seing it is so, &c. Moreouer the longaminitie, or longe suffering of God is here noted, whiche plageth not immediatly, vnlesse there appere nowher any hope of amēdemēt.
Vnhappy ryches.He expoundeth more fully the sinne of the Laodiceans, & what is the cause of their tepiditie: Because they loue riches, wherin they truste, supposing them selues to want nothing: They thinke them selues to be wise, and to se all thinges, & to be sufficiētly furnished with thinges spiritual and temporal. It is lesse, wher they say, we are riche. More that followeth, I am increased with goodes: That is to say, I haue gotten so muche richesse, that I want nothing.
A great rebuke.That same he now confuteth, and sheweth that they are vtterly disceiued, and to be miserable people. For he rebuketh them greuously, and sayth, thou knowest not that thou arte suche, as thou art. That ignoraunce, is a great euill, and the beginning of desperate blindnes, when a man thinketh to haue, that he hath not. For such perseuer in their errour, and admit no counsellour. Therfore saith the Lord, thou knowest not that thou art [...] miserable, wretched, weried and worne with euils. For they are toyled with many labours, that serue this worlde. [...] miserable. Thou seest not thyne owne miserie: Others that se, are ful sory. Thou seest not in what case thou art. This kynd of speach signifieth a mā very wretched and desperate, whose miserie others see, but he him selfe seeth nothing, [...] poore or a begger. Thou thinkest thy selfe very riche, but thou art a starke begger. Couetouse riche men, are poore: They are poore also in vertues. The people of Laodicea were blynde, as the Phariseis were called blynde in the .ix. of Iohn. Well sighted in wordly matters, in heauēly blynde as betels. Naked, or destitute of good workes. Voyde of thy wedding garment. They notwithstanding were rychely arayed with garmentes of most fiue wolle. But before God thei appered naked. Let the gallauntes of this worlde, or proude pecockes rather, so well eyed, and gorgeously appareled, marke these thinges wel. The Lorde geue them vnderstanding.
¶ The Lorde geueth holsome counsell to the Laodiceans, admonishing them to repent. The .xxj. Sermon.
I Counsell thee to bye of me golde tried in the fier, that thou maiest be ryche: And whyte rayment, that thou maiest be clothed, that the shame of thy nakednes do not appere: And annoynte thyne eyes with eye salue, that thou maiest see. As many as I loue, I rebuke and chasten. Be feruent therfore and repente.
Forasmuch as God willeth not the death of a synner,Holsome counsell. but rather that he should conuert and lyue: Therfore after a greuous blaming of ye church of Laodicea, he geueth her holsom counsell, admonishing & exhorting the same to repentaunce, and signifieth with all what is true repentaunce.
The Lord vseth the word of counselling,I counsell thee. not of commaunding, to thintēt to confound the madnes of them, which vnlesse they be violently drawen, thinke not them selues admonished, allured or called of the Lord. And whilest thei loke for such a drawing, they neglect al gods counsell, & fall from the true saluation. God counselleth his elect such thinges as are holsome: The chosen obey good counselles. God toucheth their hartes inwardly, and outwardly by preaching of the worde, and by sondry admonitions he pooleth and driueth man from euill to good. This counsel of God is not to be dispised, and an other violēt vocation to be imagined. God his word must be heard. To day, saith ye Prophet, if ye heare his voice, do not harden your hartes. When the Lorde counselleth with his worde, & the hearers harden their mindes, they do that through their owne fault, and are made authours of their own distruction. But they that receiue Gods counsell, receiued it not by the force of free will, but of the grace of God, which worketh in vs to wille and to perfourme.
Therfore when the Lorde counselleth holsome thinges, the chosen pray that they may receiue the same: And thei receiue them through grace, obeiyng the counselles of God.
The some of the holsome counsell.And the some of the holsome counsell is this: Bie of me, saith the Lord, golde tried in the fire, that thou may be riche, maiest bie apparel, and maiest get eie salue to annoint thyne eies. He setteth these thinges as a medicine against the diseases, which he discouered before, calling the church of the Laodiceans, poore, naked, and blinde. Now therfore he teacheth them how they may be riche, may be clothed, & may receiue their eyes or sight again, if they verely get them selues golde tried, or concoct or purified.
Gold triedAnd gold tried in the fire, is golde moste purified & cleane, hauinge in it no grossenes or mettall, but pure and cleane golde. Hereby is shadowed the worde of God, wherof the Prophet sang: The worde of the Lorde, is a pure worde, syluer tried in the fire, seuen tymes pourged in a vessel of earth. Certenly the worde of God is light, comming of the eternal and moste pure lyght, hauing no parte of humane filthines or affections, sauouring of none errours, teachyng nothyng that is corrupt. Howbeit of it selfe it shall profit a man nothing, vnlesse it be receiued with a true & sincere faith. Therfore do I not separate faith from the worde, and say therfore that the pure and sincere faith is signified by golde. Wherof S. Peter said, that the faith of our hartes be pourged. For although there be in vs spottes and infirmities, yet is faith, by reason of the subiect wherupon he resteth, moste pure.
The worde of promission, and euen Christe hym selfe is the obiect of faith, whiche is the very purenes it selfe. Wherfore the Lorde counselleth that the Congregation of Laodicea, should bye golde tried, he counselleth that they should heare Gods worde, and beleue it in deede. For the Lorde vseth the worde of byeng, for receiuynge, hearynge, and obeying.
How the word of bying is vsedFor 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. [Page 131] 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 ye 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 [Page 132] goodes to be true riche. These foles shalbe iudged of the wisdom of God, as it is manifest in the .12. cha. of S. Luke. And besides this, they yt 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 ye 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 ye 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 ye 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 tried gold: That is purefied & pourged, wherby thou maist be riche, be arayed in whyte, and mayst haue a medicine wherwith to annointe thine eyes, that thou maiest see. To God be glory.
¶ He draweth them also hereby vnto repentaunce. The .xxij. Sermon.
BEholde I stande at the dore and knocke: If any man heare my voice and open the dore, I wyll come in vnto hym, and will suppe with him, and he with me: To him that ouercometh wyll I graunt to sitte with me on my seate euen as I ouercame, and haue sitten with my father on his seate. Let hym that hath eares, heare, what the spirite saith to the congregations.
Hereby also the Lorde allureth the Laodiceans to repentaunce, shewyng that euery time is mete for conuersion, and that God is euermore ready to receiue sinners, and prouoketh them alwaies that they should amēde and liue. And this matter he expoundeth in an allegoricall and goodly speache,Allegorical speche. taken out of the fift chapt. of the boke of Canticles. For he faineth the Lorde to stande at the dore and knock, yea and to promise to them that opē the greatest familiaritie and ioyes vnspeakeable.
First therfore is declared ye beneuolence of God towards sinners, and his most ready will alwaies to receiue the same, yea and his infinite study to moue men to repentaunce, that they might liue. For the Lord standeth at the dore, and knocketh. The worde of standing doth signifie, that God is always prepared, always watcheth ouer our saluation. For he sitteth not styll, nor lieth not on the one syde lyke a sluggarde: He standeth busely to his worke. And I stand saith he, not I stode, or shall stande: But I stande euermore ready, euermore louing and gentle. What doeth he? He knocketh, & that in dede at the dore, desiring to be let in. For like as he yt knocketh at the dore seriously, coueteth to be let in: so God desireth ernestly to be of vs receiued. And God vseth sondry kindes of knocking. For he warneth, & exciteth wt his worde by the Prophets, againe by signes & wonders, & also by sondry chaūces & mouings.Howe the Lord knocketh. These thinges may be sene in the citie of Ierusalē. He sendeth to them his Prophets & Apostles. He sheweth diuers wonders. He bringeth on thē sorowfull [Page 135] chaunces, that they might admonish thē: Such as are reported, Luke. 13. of the Galileans, & of those whome the toure of Siloe had ouerwhelmed. We may se the like at this day, how the Lord knocketh. Therfore he said truly, Hierusalē, Hierusalē. &c. Math. 23. These ar doubtles ye partes & doings of god which wil not yt a sinner shuld die, but rather conuert & liue.
Than must we se, what is required of vs,Our part is to heare and to opē verely yt we shuld heare the knocking & noise of the knocker, & that also we opē & receiue suche as desire to come in. Here are they confuted, which speake of man as though he were a blocke, & image I know not what maner of drawing, saiyng: It is neither in yt runner nor in the willer. &c. Certen altogether absteine from well doing, saying, if I be chosen, it is enough. But the scripture requireth euery where hearing & obedience. We knowe that thelect are only saued, & that thelect in Christ: In Christ to be they that beleue: That faith is of hearing, hearing by ye word of god. Therfore saith ye Prophet, this day if you heare his voice. &c. This same is recited of the Apostle. Heb. 4. The Apostle also. 2. Tim. 2. In a great house there be not only vessels of gold, but of earth also. If any pourge him self. &c. And therfore ye Lord saith, I knocke: It shal be thy part, not to dispise him that knocketh, but to opē vnto him. And he reciteth in dede two things, to heare, which both in the .8. & .9. of Iohn is required of the children of God, & of the true shepe: And to open, that is to receiue the Lord, or beleue, to obey, & to frame them selues after the wil of God, & to do penaunce. Notwithstanding we must here beware, that we thinke not that man hath power of him self to receiue the Lord. The Lorde illumineth his elect, and by him we can do al thinges, without whō we can do nothing. Other places must be cōferred with this as Iohn. 15.2. Corinth. 3. Philip. 2. They therfore that open, do open by the grace of God. They that open not being wrapped in their sinnes, through their owne faulte open not, and not through any faulte of God.
Let vs heare moreouer what ye Lord promiseth to thē that open, yt is to say, to suche as receiue Christ wt true faith.What we shal get by opening. The Lord promiseth to them two thinges chiefly. First, I wil go into him, saith he. The scripture signifieth, ye Christ dwelleth euery wher through faith in ye hartes of ye faithful, & wt a most [Page 136] strayte knot to be ioyned vnto them. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud, abideth in me, and I in him. These thinges are spoken of the Lord in the .vi. of Iohn. And in the xiiii. chapt. he saith. He that loueth me, wyll kepe my worde: And my father and I will come vnto hym, and will make abode with him. S. Paul saith that he liueth not nowe, but that Christ liueth in hym. The same affirmeth that Christ through faith dwelleth in the hartes of the faithfull. And so ye Lord entreth the hartes of them that let hym in. Not the least part of felicitie consisteth in this coniunction. For to be vnited with God, is blessednes, whiche beginneth here, and is made perfit in an other lyfe. And therfore in the second place the Lord saith: And I will suppe with him, and he with me. Wherby he noteth not only againe a moste dere frendship & familiaritie (for the table is consecrate to amitie) but rather ye fruition of eternall glory. For by the supper are signified, the ioyes celestiall, greatest, and vnspeakeable, which after their soules the Godly receiue immediatly after death: But more fully in the ende of tymes, when the bodies shal arise againe. Therfore is it not applied to a diner, but to a supper, as it is also in the .14. of Luke. Thē if we receiue Christ, we shal haue him dwelling wt vs cōtinually, whilest we liue in this world. And in the worlde to come we shall haue the full fruition of al the ioyes celestiall. These thinges be certain and true. For otherwyse in the life to come there shall be no riotouse bankettes, suche as the Turkes do imagine.
The thron of God is prepared for the penitent.He annexeth also an other generall promesse, wherby he exhorteth and moueth to the study of godly religion & to repentaūce. For to him that ouercometh is promised the kingdome of heauen. And he saith to him that ouercometh (wherof I haue spoken in thother epistles) not to him ye fleeth or to a coward. &c. He propoūdeth also thexāple of the cōquerour Christ. For we must ouercome, as he hath ouercomē. He in dede ouercame most perfitly: we after our litle strēgth, fight, and ouercome. And verely the true victory in vs, is ye liuely vertu of Christ: that is to say, by him they ouercom, whosoeuer ouercome. And like as he hauing ouercome death, & vanquished the world & the deuill, ascended into heauen, & sate on the right hand of the father: so he promiseth vs also ouercomming, [Page 137] that he wil geue vs ye seat of his father: not yt we sitting on the right hande of God, should iudge ouer al flesh, beyng made Christes: but that beynge made pertakers of euerlasting glory, and deliuered from all iudgement, we maye appere in glory, when he shal come to iudge the quicke and the dead. We reade of a like promise made to ye disciples Matth. 19. and Luke. 22. And so assuredly shall this glory come vnto vs, as Christ him selfe did verely ascende into Heauen, and sate in the glory celestiall.
And here we must note a speciall thing, that Christ geueth here that thing, whiche in the 20. of Matth. he denieth that he can geue to Iames and Iohn, that is to sitte in the glory celestiall. Therfore this place expoundeth that.The diuinitie of Christ. For Christ after his deitie geueth that, whiche after his humanitie he denieth that he cā geue. This place then proueth, that Christe is very God, geuer of eternall life, &c.
He addeth after his maner an acclamation, wherby he applieth this epistle to al congregations, and affirmeth it to be inspired of the spirite of Christe. Whereof we haue spoken before.
And we haue treated hitherto of the seconde parte of this worke wherin are declared the moste excellent poinctes of our religion, who & of what sorte is Christ,The sum. sittyng in the glory of the father, howe he is presente in his churche, and gouerneth the same as kynge and priest, by his spirite, by his worde and Sacraments. What also and of what sorte is the church of Christ: what is the true and righte doctrine of the churche: what opiniōs are wicked. What is to be done with erroneouse doctrines and seducers: howe the churche fallen and afflicted maye be repared: what is true repētaunce, and what are the dueties of the godly, and many other thinges of like sorte. To God the father be prayse, thankes geuinge, and glory, through Iesus Christe our Lorde.
¶ The seconde vision is shewed to S. Iohn, wherin he seeth God in his Throne with Elders, whome he describeth gallauntly. The .xxiij. Sermon.
AFter this I loked, and beholde a dore was open in heauen, and the first voice whiche I hearde was as it were a trōpet talkyng with me, whiche saied: come vp hither, and I will she we thee thinges whiche muste be fulfilled herafter. And immediatly I was in the spirite: and beholde a seate was set in heauē, and one sate on the seate. And he that sate, was to loke vpō like a Iasper stone, and a Sardine stone: and there was a rainebowe aboute the seate, in sighte like a Smaragde. And about the seate, were xxiiii. seates. And vpon the seates, xxiiii. Elders sittinge, clothed in white raymente, and had on theyr heades crownes of Golde.
The thirde parte of this worke reacheth from the beginning of the 4. chapter, vnto the beginning of the 12. chapter. And conteyneth a notable vision, moste holesome, and of muche fruicte. The first vision, which we hearde expounded in the 3. chap. exhibiteth a figure of Christ, and of his church, and howe the Lord reigneth in the same, how also the church behaueth or oughte to demeane her selfe. In the seconde vision S. Iohn declareth, howe by a most iuste and most holy gouernement God gouerneth all thynges by Christ, which chaunce and are done to the churche in the worlde and of the worlde.The argumēt of the seconde vision. In these are rehearsed the most sorrowful destenies of the church, calamities, plages, and destructions, famines, persecutions, reuoltinges, heresies, conflictes, and other euilles moste greuouse of the same sorte. &c. Who also and what and howe iuste God is, rightuouse and holy in all his iudgementes, here is described: That he is Authour of all: That God throughe the moste wittie and excellent gouernement of Christe ruleth all thinge: that the holy Aungelles also and al creatures do acknoweledge him, and geue glory [Page 139] vnto God. For so it teacheth vs also in al our doynges,Thende of this visiō. and euen in the very greuouse calamities and persecutiōs, wherof it shall prophecie moreouer, the acknoweledge the prouidence and good wil of God towardes vs, and his most iuste gouernement. This if we shal do with quiet mindes, we shal beare also moste heauy burthens patiently: we shall cease with curiouse questions to inquire, whye God permitteth Antichrist to spring vp, to increase and reigne, to oppresse the religion and Sainctes of God? Then shal cease also the blasphemouse mutinyng of those, which are not affraide to saye. God is in dede the Lorde, he is almightie, he doeth what he will, and as he will: we are bonde seruauntes, and rather worse than bondemen. We are forced to beare what so euer he wil laye vpon vs, &c. As thoughe God were vniuste, and after a tirannicall feare terrible, and ruled after a carnal lust. It is most shameful to thinke thus, much more to speake it. This vision shal declare, that God by his prouidence gouerneth althinges, and that the same is iust in al his wayes, and holy in al his workes.
And firste S. Iohn is prepared to receyue this vision,A preparatiō to this vision. yea and we also are prepared in him. For when he had sene the dore in heauen to be wyde open, he hearde withall, come vp hither, &c. It is surely a benefite not to be expressed with tonge, that the Lorde openeth heauen for vs miserable men mortall, and suffereth vs to see what is done therin, or what he him selfe doeth there, and what his workes or iudgments be towardes men. Let no man saye herafter, that God doeth in Heauen what thinges he liste, not passinge vpon vs that crepe vpon earthe, and who also muste suffer that we woulde not. For nowe he maketh as it were an accompte of his workes and beyng assured admitteth thee as a looker on of the matter.
And here he declareth with a godly voice,The mīde muste be lifted vp. what Iohn shuld do, and how he should behaue him self. Christ biddeth Iohn ascende into supercelestial places, not in body, but in minde. Therefore muste our minde be lifted vp into the contemplation of Heauenlye thinges, and be pourged as muche as maye be from earthely affections, that we maye beholde [Page 140] heauenly thinges with an heauenly contemplation. What will we saye that the example of Iohn followeth immediatly. And incontinently I was in the spirite: that is, in a spirituall cōtemplation, or rauished with the spirite into the faithful consideration of those thinges whiche were shewed me.
The some of thinges to be sayd.Now also is compiled an argument of things that should be tolde: I will shewe thee what thinges muste be done herafter. For after the Tipe of God, orderyng or gouernyng al thinges iustely through Christe, immediately are declared the destenies of the churche by seuen seales, and seuen trompettes, in the which are euery where interlaced moste comfortable consolations and ful of efficacitie.
A tipe of God workynge all thinges iustely.And first of al before the Seales and trōpettes is set forth a figure or tipe of God, and his moste rightuouse iudgement and gouernement in al thinges: and that through out the 4. and 5. chapt. wholy, that it mighte prepare vs to the reading or hearyng of those thinges whiche shal followe in the 6. 7. and 8. chapt. And seme to others, and to mans iudgement to be greuouse, harde, and vniuste. And the Tipe or vision was after this sorte.The some of ye visiō, & generall order of ye same. In heauen it selfe appered a seate or throne of Maiestie. He that sitteth therin, holdeth in his right hande a boke, closed with Seales. By him that sate stode a lambe, whiche taketh the boke, and openeth the Seales therof. And out of this Throne also procedeth a seuenfolde spirite, wonderfully vtteryng his vertues. Before the seate appeareth a glassie Sea, bright, and euen like Christal. The throne it selfe resteth like a wagon vpō foure beastes ful of eyes & winges, beneath appering rounde about, and inuirunnyng or compasing the throne. A rainebowe like a smaragde goeth roūde about the same. Aboute the Throne by a circle appere xxiiii. Seates, and so manye elders sittyng in them, crowned, and in white arraye. This is the order of this seconde vision. In their place shal be declared what the Lābe, what the beastes, what the Elders and the other partes did. It sufficeth nowe to haue touched the chiefest poinctes of the vision, and a shadowyng some of the same.Visions exhibited many times befor.
Secondely we must see, what euery thyng signifieth. For herof dependeth a greate parte of the whole misterie: as concernyng the maner of vision, S. Ihon bringeth no newe thing [Page 141] of the reuelation of Christ. For we reade that such maner of visions were exhibited for the moste parte to the prophetes, as to Esaye in the 6. chapt. To Ezechiel 1. and 11. chapt. And to Daniel in the 7. chapt. &c.A Throne. And a Throne signifieth a maiestie imperiall & administration iudicial. And because the Throne is not in earth, but is sene in heauen: we shal thinke, that the prouidence and administration of gods iudgementes be celestial, sounde, most holy, and cleane voyde of al corruption. And vpon this same Throne is one sitting, sitting I saye,Sitting in ye Throne. not lyinge or standinge. For God the iudge of all is of a quiet minde, neyther is he moued with any affections like men. Here is none affection, iniurie, vnrightuousnes in the vniuersal gouernement of al thinges to be thought vpon. Elihu. in the 34. chapt. of Iob, sayeth: Farre from God be wickednes, and iniquitie from the Almightie. For the worke of mā wil he render to him, and accordynge to the wayes of euery one he wil rewarde them. For verely God will not condēne in vaine, neyther will the almightie subuerte iudgement, &c. And Aretas Bishop of Cesaria an olde expositour admonissheth,God is presented by no humane shape. that of pourpos the shape of man was not attributed to him that sitteth in the seate. For albeit that afterwarde mention be made of a righthande holdyng the boke, yet is here no shape of manne exhibited. But he sayeth also simply one sitting, he geueth him no name. The cause is ready: for God by his nature cā not be defined, as he that is inuisible, and vnmeasurable: After the maner of men in dede humane membres are attributed to him, but to be expounded by a trope. Moreouer when the same God appered to the people of Israel in Sina, they hearde a voyce only, but the Israelites sawe no shape. As Moses witnesseth in the 4. chapt. of Deuteron. Doubtles that they shoulde not expresse with an Image the incomprehensible, and shoulde cōmitte idolatrie, the greate sinne and wickednes. S. Paul in the 17. of the Actes denieth that the deitie is like the forging of men. To the Romanes. He ascribeth to the greatest folye Idolles made after the shape of men whiche shoulde represente God. Wherof we haue spoken els where. In the meane season are rehearsed two preciouse stones, whiche by theyr collours do after a sorte shaddowe the nature of our God, and admonishe the [Page 142] godly of greater and more excellente thinges. A Iasper is a grene stone like an Emeraude. Grenes signifieth the perpetuitie of God, and that he quie [...]teneth and kepeth in life all thinges. But the Sardine loketh with a fine coulour like a bright red. For God dwelleth in light inaccessible: The same is a consumyng fire, and also charitie it selfe. For the nature of stones reade Plinie, &c.
The rainebowe smaragdine.But a raynebowe inuironeth the Throne rounde aboute, a raynebowe for the moste parte is of diuerse coulours: but here it is of one coulour and that of a Smaragde, to witte grene. The raynebowe is a token of a perpetuall grace, and couenaūt made after the fludde, as is declared in the 9. chapt. of Genes. And verely the Throne of the hyghe iudge mighte put vs wretched menne in feare: Therefore the raynebowe putteth vs in remembraunce of Godes grace, and that God whiche by his prouidence gouerneth all thinges hath boūde him selfe in leage to man kinde, to whome verely he wissheth well. That leage is still grene, and alwayes of force. The goodnes of God towardes menne is perpetuall. For though heauen shoulde fall, and out of this Throne procede moste greuouse thonderboltes, and calamities shoulde fall vpon vs like a storme: yet is God in leage with vs, and loueth vs derely.
xxiiii. Elders in seates.Aboute the Throne are sene sette .xxiiii. seates, and in them sitte xxiiii. Elders, as Senatours of the moste mightie kingdome of God, and fathers of the Hierarchie celestiall: This nombre is made of xii. and xii. But xii. Patriarches signifie the whole people of Israell, and the olde churche before Christe. The Christen churche was planted and sprange vp of the twelue Apostles, after the incarnation of Christ, wherupon that xii. numbre comprehendeth the whole churche of the newe people. Therefore is the whole vniuersalitie of Sainctes assembled in heauen, and triumphing with Christ theyr king. And therefore be they clothed in white rayment, to witte pourged by Christe, and pure and cleane from all corruption. Crowned also, bycause they haue ouercomen and nowe reigne in eternal glory, verely kinges and priestes through Christe. The description also of theyr behauour admonissheth, that in them is nothynge wauntinge, but to be [Page 143] truely blessed: and therefore they be shewed sitting, not that they are iudges, or iudge for Christe, but because they reste from their labours, and be of most quiet and pure affectiōs, sitting with the high iudge. But what thing doe these? They geue God no counsell, what he should do, or by what meane or waye he maye doe this or that, but they allowe his iudgementes. For they know all his workes to be iuste and holy. The whiche shal immediatly follow. What shal we do than? shal it be mete for vs to inquire of the iudgementes of God, or prescribe what he shoulde do or not do? I thinke not you haue in this vniuersalitie of sainctes, al patriarches, al iudges and kinges, al princes, & the whole people of God: you haue emonges these, king Salomon him selfe, and the moste excellent and wittiest Princes of the world: you haue the Apostles, and men Apostolical, Martirs, and the wise men of the whole vniuersal worlde. Wilte thou condemne their iudgementes? following therfore theyr example, busy not thy selfe to moue curiouse questions: prayse the iuste iudgementes of God, and know that the Lord is iust in al his wayes, and holy in all his workes. To whom be glory.
¶ Here is described the procedynge of the holye spirite, and operation, the almightie knoweledge of God, and howe the Throne of God is borne vp or susteyned of the foure beastes, and what the beastes doe. The .xxiiij. Sermon.
ANd oute of the Seate proceded lightenynges and thonderinges and voices, and there were seuen lampes of fire, burnynge before the seate, whiche are the seuē spirites of God. And before the seate there was a Sea of glasse like vnto Christal. And in the middes of the seate, and rounde aboute the seate, were foure Beastes full [Page 144] of eyes before and behinde. And the first beast was like a Lion, the seconde beast like a calf, and the thirde beaste had a face like a man, and the fourth beaste was like a fliyng Egle. And the foure beastes had eche one of them sixe wynges, and rounde about without and within, they were full of eyes. And they had no reste daye nother night: saiyng, holy holy holy is the lord God almightie, whiche was, and is, and is to come.
The marke & ende of ye firste parte of this vision.Our Lorde Iesus Christe, as the faithefull pastour of his church, wil vtter the destenies and wōderful calamities that wil come vpon the churche. Therfore to the intent he might stoppe the mouthes of suche as mutiue and be inquisitiue of the iudgementes of God, and might perswade al mē to haue patience in these stormes of euilles, he setteth forth a treatise before, wherein he sheweth that all thinges are done or permitted to be done of God by his most iuste prouidence, and are gouerned or ordered by the Lambe, with a iudgement most rightuouse and holy. For who so beleueth and remembreth this, in what chaūces so euer he happen, he submitteth him self humbly and lowly and obediently to his God, and crieth alwayes, the Lorde is rightuouse in all his mayes and holy in al his workes. And this is the moste true state of the first parte of this vision, which is done in the 4. and 5. chapt. And is more ouer most elegaunt, moste pleasaunt, and moste full of consolation. Althinges are more liuely set forthe and perceyued in suche fitte and heauenly representations, than they can be vnderstande in bare wordes.
A recapitulatiō or brief rehersall.First is recited a Throne, & that in dede a celestial throne, leeste in the workes, in the prouidence and iudgementes of God, we shoulde Imagine any thynge carnall or corrupte. Secondly he that sitteth on the throne is represented vnto vs by two coulours, Grene and red. For God is an eternal essence geuyng to al their greues or beyng. The same burneth in loue towardes man kinde, and willeth wel vnto man: but to the disobedient and rebelles he is a consumyng fire. And [Page 145] the throne is inuironed with a raynbow grener than grasse, comfortyng vs, that we should not be dismayed at the sight of that Godly throne, but should remembre alwaies, that he whiche sitteth in the throne, iudge & gouernour of al, is most true and kepeth his promesses: & to be that same leage frende of oures .xxiiii. Elders sitte rounde aboute the throne, which already are signified what they be, and as it were shadowed: streight waye in the ende of the iiii. chapt. and in the fifte shal be declared, what they doe, or what they saye. Doubtles all the Sainctes in heauen are lokers on, of the iudgemētes and workes of God. For the iudgementes of God be not sutch, that they should flee the light and knoweledge of Sainctes.
Now followeth, out of the Throne proceded lightninges, &c. In the throne is he that sitteth and the lambe, that is, the father and the sonne, and frō them bothe procedeth the holy ghoste. For by interpretatiō it followeth immediatly, which are the seuen spirites of God. For the lightenyngs,the signes of the holy ghoste. thonderings, & other thinges rehearsed signifie, or be tokens of the holy spirite: whiche els where is red also to be shadowed by fire, & water, and winde, and by firie tounges. But no man wil thinke, that the holy ghost, whiche is one in substaunce and of the simple nature diuine, should be plucked into seuen partes. For I tolde you in the first chapt. how the seuen spirites of God are put for the seuenthfolde, most ful, and most perfit spirite of God.
We haue in the beginning of this visiō the whole misterie of the blessed Trinitie, so much as is nedeful for vs to know,The holy Trinitie. & beleue, & professe. There is one Seate, in that one seate are conteined the sitter lambe & spirite: therfore there is one diuine essence & nature, and thereof is one power and maiestie, one rule, because ther is one throne: briefly there is one god, true, & eternal, for euermore blessed: As Moses also in the 6. of Deuter. and al the prophetes and Apostles haue euery where taught. Howbeit in this only & vndiuided substaunce is sene a most plaine distinction of persones. For there is he that sitteth in the throne, & the lambe, and from bothe procedeth the holy ghoste. This misterie of the Trinitie we professe in the Crede. This appereth openly in the incarnation of our lord, whilest the aungell sayeth to the virgin, the holy ghoste shal [Page 146] come vpon thee, and the power of the hiest shal ouershadow thee: And yt which shal be borne of thee, shal be called ye sonne of God. Likewise in the baptisme of Christ is hearde a voice from heauen vpon the Lord: This is my wel beloued sonne. The holy ghost also appereth in ye likenes of a doue. Wherupon the lord cōmaunded vs also to be baptized in the name of the father & of the sonne & of the holy ghost. This professiō is certaine & true, and so set foorth by the most manifest scriptures & liuely preaching of ye apostles: like as Tertullian declareth against ye heretike Praxeas. We ought rather beleue & cleaue vnto these things, than to the monstrouse & blasphemouse Spanish sophistrie of Serue to a man most corrupte.
Of the holy ghost.But especially here is declared vnto vs the whole misterie of the holy ghost, and that in fewe wordes, which in ye gospel of Iohn is vttered more at large. First his procedīg is noted, which verely in times past mē affirmed rashly to be set forth in no parte of the scripture.Procedīg. S. Iohn here, out of the throne sayeth he, proceded lightninges, &c. And by & by: whiche are the seuen spirites of God. And this worde [...] in Greke doeth signifie a proceding or going out, but S. Iohn her saieth [...], that is proceded or wente forth. And therfore that auncient coūsel of Constantinople decreed rightly: [...] that is & (I beleue) in the holy ghost the lord, that quickener, proceding of the father, &c. But because ye Lord him self in the gospel speaking of the holy ghost sayeth, he shal glorifie me: for he shal take of mine, & shal shew vnto you. Al things what so euer the father hath, are mine. Therefore I sayed, yt he shal take of mine, & shal shewe it vnto you: no man wil vnderstād the spirite to procede of the father only, & not also of ye sonne, wherof also was longe contention betwene the Grekes and Latines. For if he procede of the father, he procedeth of the sonne also. For euen for ye same cause at this present he is red to procede out of the Throne. But in the Throne is not only he that sitteth, but the lābe also, of whome in the 5. chapt. shal be added, that the lambe hath seuen eyes, which are the seuen spirites of God, sent into the whole world. Albeit therfore yt in the 15. of Iohn, the holy ghost is sayed to procede frō the father: yet there is set before: whō I (saieth the sonne) wil sende [Page 147] vnto you frō my father. To be short, if there be one substaūce and nature of the father & of the sonne, I see not howe ye holy ghost should procede frō the father, that he shuld not procede of ye sonne also. Let vs rather leaue those scrupulouse disputatiōs to idle wits: let vs beleue, yt ye spirite procedeth frō both.
Moreouer the vertue or effecte and operation of the holy ghost, is here also set forth & declared gallauntly.The effecte & operatiō of the holy ghost. For first he lighteneth, when he illumineth the obedient, and feareth the rebelles with sore threatenings. Secōdly he thōdereth, what time he inueygheth against this vngraciouse world, & reproueth the same of sinnes, thonderinge out the terrible iudgementes of God. Two Apostles in Marke are called ye sonnes of thonder, or thonderers. He vttereth moreouer holesome voices of doctrine, exhortation and consolation, by men, for the fauour of men. Finally where the operation of the holy ghost can not sufficiently wel be expressed, yet by the seuenth nombre he compriseth and accomplissheth his fulnes, and sayeth, that seuen firie lampes are burning before the Seate, burnyng I saye, not quenched, or smoking. For the grace of the holy ghoste is bright and full of efficacitie, wherof is spoken also before: and where these thinges are founde in the Throne, howe should any man thinke, that the iudgementes from thence procedyng shoulde be in any parte corrupte, defiled or to be blamed? by the holy ghost al thinges are preserued, and by his prouidence al thinges are wrought.
Hereunto is added an other thing, a glassie Sea before the seate, in clerenes and brightnes representing Christal.The glassie Sea. Herby is signified this fraile worlde, whiche is subiecte to God, and as it were in his sight. And also in other places of holy scripture, by reason of the vnstablenes, tossinge and tourmoyling thereof, it beareth the figure of this variable and moste vnconstante worlde. And certenly the state of this worlde is more brickel than glasse. Some what hereof shal followe in the 15. chapt. But what things so euer are done in the world through a maruelous varietie, al the same shine as in a glasse before the Throne, so that God seeth them all as it were in a Christall: whose eyes or knowledge the leeste thinges that be can not escape. For we shal not thinke, that such thinges as are done in the worlde, are done rasshely, and by a certen [Page 148] fortune to happē or chaunce besides the knowledge of God, or to be of God vnknowen.
A fuller descriptiō of the Seate.After this he retourneth againe to the throne, to the intent he might finally finishe, that whiche he had begonne ones to describe: and might shewe also, all the workes of God, that are done by his creatures, to be most holy. And ye roial seats, chayres or Thrones of kinges are wonte to be borne vp and beautified with beastes, as Salomons seate was with lions: whiche is to be sene in the 3. boke of Kinges the 10. chapt. In other places the moste excellent beastes do drawe the triumphaunt chariotes of Princes. After the same maner therfore by a phrase of men beastes are set to the throne of God. For God in his prophetes is caried vpō Cherubin,Cherubin. that is in his godly chariot. And Ezechiel in the .10. chapt. nameth openly Cherubin, beastes, and the whole text proueth, that the place must be vnderstande of god his chariot, drawē by beastes, in the which he him self was caried out of the citie of Ierusalē. There is in poetes much mentiō of the chariot of the Gods, taken haply by the firste writers out of the holy scriptures. For Sathan, the Ape of God, goeth aboute alwayes to diffame the worde of veritie. But we, omitting the triflinges of Poetes, wil consider the sober description of this cariage, of God or rather of gods throne. Almightie God sitteth in this seate. Sittyng in the Scriptures, is gouernement. Here is signified than ye God sitteth in al his creatures:God sitteth vpon [...]eastes. that is to saie, gouerneth his creatures, and by his moste wise prouidence worketh all in all, in vsinge euery creature according to his good & iuste pleasure after the nature of euery one. We shall saye than, that by those beastes are vnderstande all the creatures of God, dispersed throughe out the foure quarters of the world: that is comprehended in the whole world.
And first is shewed in what place of the throne the beastes were:Where in the throne be the beastes. to witte in the middes of the Throne, and in the circuit of the same. You wil are, if they be in the throne, how should they be about the Throne? if they be about the Throne, how be they in the middes of the Throne? The thynge muste be so conceaued, as I admonisshed also before, that we should vnderstāde, that vnder the Throne the middes of the beastes doe with their hinder partes reache to the middes of the [Page 149] Throne inwardely, and so as it were to haue borne vp the Throne: And with their fore partes, I meane, with theyr brestes, and heades and winges to haue stande forth, and so to haue compassed the Throne, and as it were inuironed it rounde about. For so mighte they seme to be in the middes of the same Throne, and rounde about the same.
After,What maner of beastes they were. what maner of beastes the same were is described dilligently, in numbre they were foure. For in times past also the nombre was expressed of Ezechiel: And the partes of the worlde are trimly signified by the fourth nombre, comprehending the vniuersalitie of thinges. And some here haue forged the foure Monarchies of the worlde, &c. And euery beaste had his face, and his bodye, sixe winges, and the same ful of eyes within, as also theyr bodies were ful of eyes. The firste represented in shape and fashion a Lion, the seconde a Calfe, the third a Man, & the fourth a fliyng Egle. By these appere to be signified all creatures, visible and inuisible, reasonable and vnreasonable, and that the moste excellent. For after in the .v. chapter we shal heare, that al creatures ioynctly together doe worship the Lambe, and him that sitteth on the Throne. And verely God vseth them all, the Sunne, the Moone, the Starres, the ayre, the fire, and briefly all liuinge thinges. And suche creatures as he hath chosen, to the intent to worke any thing by them, he maketh the same to be of efficacitie, instructing euery one after their state and condiciō, that they should want no wisedom, reason, strength, power, patience, labour, quickenes nor swiftenes. The face of man signifieth witte and wisedom, as also the eyes signifie a foresighte, watchefulnes, subtilties, and luckenes in doynge of thinges. The Lions face betokeneth force and strength, and stoutenes or magnanimitie: As the sighte of an oxe or a calfe betokeneth induring of labour: The Egle & the sixe winges swiftnes. As for an example: God chose vnto him the Assirians or Babilonians, whiche should distroye Niniue. These therfore, as it is in Nahum, the lord prepared and furnisshed, that they were swifter than Egles, and the reste as you may reade in the 1. and .2. Chapt. of Nahum. And so be al creatures ministers of the iudgemēts of God, cōming out of his iudiciall Throne.
What the beastes do.Than it is touched also, what those beastes doe. They goe aboute the Throne, awaytynge alwayes for God his commaundement, that they may applie the same cherefully, spedely, and stoutely. Neither haue they any reste (marke howe he saieth, haue, not shal haue, or haue had, but haue) any rest: that is to witte, they be in cōtinewall doynges of God. But heare may we not vnderstāde, that they be greued with any painefulnes. And also thei honour god with cōtinual praise. Aretas: it signifieth, sayeth he, no laboriouse thing. And they haue no rest, but a continuall Tenure, aboute the singyng of godly prayses, &c.
The songe of the beastes, & what we muste learne therof.Finally here is set also the fourme of the himne and praise of al creatures. In olde time Dauid songe also: prayse ye him Sunne and Moone, &c. The same himne is set in the 6. of Esaye. And what do all creatures commende in God, whose seruice God vseth, and whose force and operation they fele? chiefly holines. These thinges do chiefly concerne the some of the matter. For they teache God to be holy, vnspotted, iuste, good, omnipotent, doyng althinges, eternal, the beginning of thinges, and preseruer. For they saie, holy lord God omnipotent, whiche was, &c. Whiche wordes verely we did expounde in the first chapt. Who woulde not gather therof, the workes and iudgementes of him to be most holy & iuste? who therefore shall hereafter reproue the iudgementes and workes of the Lorde? Iuste is the Lorde in al his wayes, and holy in al his workes. This Testimony of all creatures maketh vs willing, ready, chereful and carelesse, that we should willyngly quiet our selues in the iudgementes of God, and murmure at him in nothing, whīe he should do this or that? But wholy submitte our selues vnto God, beleuing all his workes to be good, and to be done for the profit of the godly, and for the most iuste punishment of the wicked. Holy is God the father, holy is God the sonne, and holy is God the holy ghoste, holy is one God in Trinitie, blessed for euermore. Holy are al his workes, and his wayes vndefiled. And we reade more rightly three times holy than niene times after the example of the complutensian boke. For the fourmer lection the prophet Esaye approueth. To God almightie be prayse and glory.
¶ Here is declared what the Elders did about the Throne, and how they sange vnto God a song of prayse. The .xxv. Sermon.
ANd whan these beastes gaue glory and honour, and thankes to him that sate on the seate, which liueth for euer & euer: The .xxiiii. Elders fel downe before him that sat on the Throne, and worshipped him that liueth for euer, and cast their Crownes befor the Throne, saiyng: thou arte worthie lorde to receyue glory and honour and power. For thou haste created all thinges, and for thy willes sake they are and were created.
This most godly vision wel and rightly vnderstande,The fruits of this vision. and reposed in faithful memory, instructeth vs rightly in iudgeyng rightly the workes of God, that we should feare God, be patient, and submitte our selues wholy to God, and geue all glory vnto him. For this is the very fruicte, that cometh vnto vs, and the ende of all thinges that here are spoken.
And by the waye he inferreth in repetyng what the beastes did: and declareth also what the .xxiiii. elders did.Thexāple of the Elders. Herby we are manifestly taught, what we also owe vnto God, and what we shall iudge of his workes, and howe we should behaue our selues towardes him herin.
Those beastes, that is to say, the whole nūbre of creatures, whose ministerie God vseth, in the gouernement of things, ascribe three thinges vnto God sitting, that is to saye, ruling and gouerning al thinges, to God I say liuing for euer, that is to saye, eternall, liuinge, and geuynge or inspiringe life into all thinges. Firste in dede glory, [...], whiche is a maiestie, or greate estimation, a reputation, worshyp,Glory to god dewe. or good opinion: when we thinke well of God, protesting that [Page 152] there is nothing better than he, greater, more worthye, more iuste, more holy & more excellent. This glory are we alwaies commaunded to geue him, & to esteme nothing in this world derer and more preciouse than God. Secondly they geue to him honour [...],Honour dewe to God. and [...] in Greke signifieth honour and price, and the dewe and bounden duety that we owe to any. We owe vnto God reuerence and submission, as to the supreme good, and the only and trewe lord of al. S. Paul in the 13. to the Romanes speakinge of obedience dewe to the magistrate: to whome ye owe feare, sayeth he, geue feare: And to whom you owe honour, geue honour. In the third place followeth benediction, whiche he called, [...], yt is thankesgeuing, and praise. For we be commaunded to prayse all the workes of the Lord, and to geue thankes for the same. Iob is saied to haue blessed or thanked God, for the most greuouse affliction that he sent him. For he sayed: like as it pleased the Lord, so hath it bē done: the name of the lord be blessed. Whilest the beastes do attribute al these things to him that sitteth on the throne, by their exāple they teache vs, what we should do verely to geue al these & singular things vnto god. Which if we do, al murmuring shall cease, & disputations cōmenced of searchinge & examining the workes of God through out curiositie. With the laude and praise of the beastes is ioyned the hymne or songe of the .xxiiii.The songe of ye .xxiiii. Elders. Elders. This is the churche triumphaunt, the cōpany of al Sainctes, Patrtarches, Prophetes, Apostles, Martirs, &c. as I declared to you before. Mortall men haue not here an example of some one saincte, or wise man: but of all holy, godly wise and worthy menne. They haue put of their fleshe, and wante affections and errours: They be therfore of vncorrupte iudgementes, so that there can be no more clere or pure examples ministred to vs. Three or foure thinges are taught vs concernyng these Elders, whiche they did or perfourmed, not to euery body, but to him that sitteth on the throne, and liueth for euer & euer. For so be the titles of God repeted, wherof is spokē before. We tolde you also that the seates of the Elders were sette rounde about the Throne, in whiche they sate clothed with white rayment, crowned with crownes of Golde, liuynge with him that liueth for euer.
They first arise out of their seates or chaires,The senanatours fall downe before god and fal down ( [...] falle) vpon their knees or on their face before god. And in falling or kneling down, they shewe a submission or lowlines of mynde, that we might learne with great humilitie and reuerence to submitte our soules and bodies to our God, submitting I say, our selues and all our thinges to his good wyll and pleasure. But if the blessed soules, now purified, and already hauing the fruition of the sight of God, fall down before the Lorde. What should not a wretched man do miserable, mortall, and a synner? Let hym be ashamed of rebellion and slouthfulnes, whiche seeth so great submission in the moste noble and Godly soules of heauenly dwellers.
Than the sainctes worship,The saīcts worship. and worship in dede none other, but him that sitteth on the seate, and liueth for euer, the father, the sonne, and the holy ghost, God thre and one, euerlasting & almighty. Therfore let vs also worship this God, followyng ye example of all sainctes.To worship adoration. We worship God with externall adoration, if we vncouer our heades, knele & bowe before him. In spirite and truth and with inwarde worshypping, if we depend wholy of him, consecrate vs whole vnto hym, and wholy loke vpon him, as one the only, soul, incomprehensible, moste wyse, beste, and greatest, moste rightuous and moste mercifull. And they that thus fall down before the throne of God, and so worship him, they do not contende wt God, about his workes, they do not expostulate with God vnpatiently, why he doth this, and permitteth that?
Vnto all these thinges is added,The saicts cast of their crownes. that they plucke of the crownes of their heades, & cast them away before the throne, at the fete of hym that sitteth in the throne. This is not only a notable modestie, but also an humble humilitie wantinge an example. Primasius an expositour of the Apocalypse, assigning verely vnto God, sayth he, whatsoeuer vertue, and whatsoeuer dignitie they haue. For to hym is attributed rightly, whatsoeuer is wonne or gotten: Of whome, he that ouercometh, is ayded. Thus saith he. They testifie and signifie also, that they would not take vpon them any Godly power, that they would not reigne, they would not as the counsellours of God, geue counsell to God, or prescribe vnto him the least thing in the worlde: But to submitte vnto God all [Page 154] power, all rule, and the whole gouernment, them selues and all others to be gouerned. For they haue experience, and see no man in the worlde vniuersall, in heauen or in earth to be wyser, mightier, greater, yt none doeth more faithfully, more dilligently, more safely and better gouerne all thinges. Let vs reste therfore, O brethren, to the iudgement of sainctes, and let vs consent herein with them in all thinges.
Yea & with expresse wordes they testifie, why they threwe away their crownes: Not that being vnthankefull to God, they esteme not highly his giftes: But for that they playnly acknowledge al glory to be dew to him alone. Therfore they accorde very well with the beastes and all the creatures of God, and saiyng an Himne to the high Prince, they confesse him to be worthy to receiue glory. &c. And he said to receiue not that he had it not before: But for that it shuld seme a most vnworthy thing, if either they or any other creature, woulde chalenge vnto them those thinges which apperteine to God alone.To receiue glory. These thinges apperteine to no creature. &c. And they commende God highly, whom they call their Lorde & God. Some copies adde [...], which art holy. For thei do & agree in all things wt the beastes, which cried also, holy holy holy, Lord God omnipotent. To the same gaue they also glory & honour, wherof before. So also ye elders ascribe to him nowe the selfsame thinges. And especially they attribute to God power [...] and take it from thē selues. Why than doe the Papistes attribute power and operation to the sainctes in heauen. Which neuerthelesse here plainly them selues attribute this to God alone.Sainctes geue power to God & take it not to them selues. S. Ihō & Peter liuing toke it not in good part, that the people semed to attribute to them somwhat of godly power. For when they had restored one that halted before the tēple, & the people were in admiratiō therof they said, ye men of Israel, what maruel you at this? or why loke ye vpon vs [...] as though through our owne power or holines we haue brought to passe, that this man should walke. The God of our fathers hath done this. &c. But how much lesse shall we now thinke, that being deliuered from al corruption, they would require any godly power to be geuen, or diuine honour attributed. &c.
They adde also or render a reason, why they submit both [Page 155] them selues, & al theirs vnto God, & attribute to the same glory, honor, & power. For thou, say thei, hast created al things,God yt creatour & preseruer of al thinges. and by (Dia) thy wil, they are, & were created. This glory of God is wōderful & vnmeasurable. How great, say they thou art, & that al power & glory is dewe vnto thee appereth of the making & creation of the world vniuersal. No man was with thee at ye creation therof, no mā gaue thee coūsel what or how thou shuldest do, no man helped thee thus much. Who than shuld approch vnto thee to be partaker in power? who shuld glory before thee God & maker of al things? Thou alone madest al things, alone preseruest al, & alone gouernest al. Thou willest, & they were made: Thou saidest, & they were created. It was enough to haue said, it was enough to haue willed. And in dede al thinges at this day haue their being through thy wil, without any painefulnes & trauel of thine. Thou gouernest al thing in best & most goodly order. This testifieth ye wonderful course of the stars, the plesaunt chaūge of things, the most swete & plentiful fruites spring of ye same. Who thā wold not gladly submit both him self & al his to thee & to thy gouernment, who wold not cōmit al his thinges vnto thee? Who wold not acknowledge ye power & glory to be thyne? Let vs marke these thinges with attentiue mindes, that we may also appere such before God as we sethe sainctes in heauen appere. God graunt vs this.
¶ Of him that sitteth in throne, & holdeth ye boke in his right hand sealed with .vii. seales: What that sealed boke is. The .xxvj. Sermon.
AND I sawe in the right hand of him that sate on ye throne a boke written within and on the backe side, sealed with seuē seales. And I sawe a strong angel preaching with a loud voice: who is worthy to open the boke & lose the seales therof? And no man in heauen nor in earth, nother vnder the earth, was able to open the boke, & to ioke theron. [Page 156] And I wept much because no man was foūd worthy to open and reade the boke, nother to loke theron.
He now procedeth to describe more fully hym that sitteth on the Throne: Of whome he had touched certen and a fewe thinges before. In this pece is no smal force of this our matter. For now wyll he shewe that, whiche in this treatise is principall, that all thinges whiche are done in the worlde through God his prouidence are moste iustly and holily gouerned by Christ. Whiche thing all the sainctes of God, and creatures acknowledging, for an exāple to vs, that we shuld do the lyke, do prayse and celebrate him that liueth for euer.
And it shall behoue vs to way euery worde, synce that in euery one are greate misteries, & nothing is spoken in vaine. And verely that God almighty sitteth in a Throne.God sitteth in a throne And by sitting is signified not only the power of iudging, rulyng & gouerning: But also a quiet mynde (not troubled with any euill affections, after the maner of iudges of this world) and great equitie in all thinges. Secondly a booke is sene in the right hande of hym that sitteth, of the whiche boke we must speake more at large.
Here appereth an allusion made, as ther is in many other places of the scripture, to the princes of this worlde, whiche haue bokes of the lawes, of priuileges, of institutes what thing is done, and is to be done, finally of secretes, of actes, of condemned, and of citezens, of lyfe and of death. For so is both the boke and bokes assigned to God. Moises saith in in the .33. of Exodus. Put me out of the boke of lyfe, &c. In the Psalmes is muche mention of these bokes of God: In the Psalm. 56.69.139. In the seuenth of Daniel, bokes are opened wherof mentiō is made also in the .20. of the Apocalipse. We reade in the .3. of Malach. of a boke of remembraunce before God. Therfore this boke of God conteineth all the counsels of God, al his workes and iudgementes. For we shall heare by and by,The booke in ye right hād of him that sitteth that all thinges that are done in the worlde come out of this boke, as it were out of a fountaine or wel spring.
And thre thinges are chiefly spoken of this boke. Firste, that it lieth not in the Throne, or in the bosome of hym that [Page 157] sitteth, or vnder the Throne, or that it hangeth before or behinde the Throne: But it is in the right hand of God. Herby is signified the operation or power of God, & the same moste iust and moste mightie.The booke writtē wtin and without. For the boke is not sene in the lefte hande. God therfore worketh, and conteineth or ministreth all his workes and iudgementes moste holily. Secondly that boke is written within and without or on the back side. For in the prouidence and iudgementes of God, all thinges are conteined both good and euil, lucky and vnlucky, sharpe, and softe, swete and sewer, visible and inuisible, priuie and aparte, and all thinges in generall.
Finally the boke is sealed with seuē seales. For it is most strongly closed and fastened.The booke sealed with seuē seales For the iudgementes & works of God are firme, true, iust and such as can not be withstād. The vse of seales amonges men is diuerse, notwithstanding it may be contriued in two poinctes.The vse of seales. First Seales are set to because of fidelitie, truth and rightuousnes. And a great deliberation is had in setting to of seales. For they are not put to vniust matters vayn or false. Therfore seales be tokens of a certentie and testimonies of a right. It semeth an vnworthi thing to speake against sealed wrytinges. By the seales therfore that are set to the boke of God is signified, that the iudgementes and workes of God are moste firme, true, and iust what so euer are done by his prouidence, and ar ordeined by Christ. It shal therfore be a shame to finde fault with the iudgementes of God, or to speake euill of his workes. Againe by seales are secretes kept, that they be not sene of euery mā, but of them only to whome they are appointed. The iudgementes therfore and workes of God are for the moste parte hidde, and not open to all men, sauing to suche as the Lorde hath appointed, namely to the faithfull and obedient.Seuē s [...] les. But there be seuē seales only, for that in them the fulnes of times, and of thinges to be done in these times throughout ye world and churche, and of the iudgementes and misteries of God are comprehended.
Now therfore the opening of the boke,The opening of the boke and seales. and the vnsealyng therof, is nothing els, but the reuealing of God his iudgementes and the declaring or vttering of his most secret counselles: Finally the moste holy and iust operation, dispensation, [Page 158] and execution of his will. Nothing in that opening is done against the veritie, fayth, loue, and iustice of God.
Who is worthy to opē ye boke and seales therof.And with many wordes, and also moste dilligently and goodly is treated here of the openyng of the seales, who verely might be thought worthie to open to the churche, the secret iudgementes of God, and to execute and minister his holy workes: that is to saye, to whome the kingdome is geuen and gouernement of the diuine prouidēce. For an Aungell, and that not of the cōmon sorte, but a stronge, and worthie one, with a loude voice crieth, to make vs all attentiue, and that we shoulde note diligently, who he is that shoulde both open the boke, and vnloose, or vndoe the seales. And he holdeth longe in suspence the hearer, beholder or reader, before he will shewe him, to the intent verely to cōmende him to vs exceadingly. No man, sayeth he, in the whole vniuersal world, neither emonges the Aungelles & sainctes in heauen, nor emongs earthly men, and vnder the earth, was founde, whiche coulde eyther open or vnseale the boke.
To Christ alone belō geth the kingdome and the power of gouernemēt is taken from others.Let vs obserue, that there is none that can open the boke, and open the seales, besides Christ alone. Whie than is the administration of thinges attributed or communicated to sainctes, none can open to vs the counselles and iudgements of God, no man can gouerne those iudgements & workes of God, that he worketh in the world, saue only Christ the lord: whie than are so great benefites sought for of Sainctes, and be imputed to them, if eyther the sicke be restored to helthe, or that a mortall man do receiue any other gifte or benefite▪ many will saye, I receyued this in dede of gods benefite, but through the meditatiō, and power and merite of this or that saincte, vnto whome God graunted this, that he should rule ouer suche a disease, and might heale suche as calle vpon the name of the Saincte, or the name of God by the Saincte. These are here confuted now by the wordes of the Lord and S. Iohn, saying, that no man in heauen or in earth is founde, whiche coulde open the boke. Yet neuerthelesse aboute the Throne sate the xxiiii. Elders, representinge the Type of all Sainctes in glory, not one of al thē was found, which could open the boke. Therfore be thei a great deale madder, which do attribute the gouernement of things in the church to the [Page 159] Pope a most corrupte and filthie man. Only Christ receiued al power in Heauen and in Earth: as we shall incontinently more fully vnderstande.
S. Iohn wepeth,The weping of S. Iohn. for that he vnderstode a weightie matter to consiste in the openinge of this godly boke: and yet sawe he no man at al, which coulde eyther open or vnseale it. Neyther did he as yet fully vnderstande the matter. And he bare the figure of them, which vnderstande not the iudgementes of God, nor know not that al thinges are through God his prouidēce holyly gouerned by Christ. For in them nothing els remaineth, but mourning and heauines. Certenly withoute Christ and his opening, wherby he reuealeth to vs the diuine misteries and iudgements, no man can rightly iudge of the same. For vnlesse we vnderstand, the seales to be opened by Christ, and that al thinges are done by his order whiche loued vs, and gaue him selfe for vs: what thinge shall be lefte in vs, but sighinge?
But he rehersed three thinges, to open, rede and loke vpō. No man liuing openeth, for that no man is mete for so great a charge, saue only the sonne of God. No manne readeth or vnderstandeth fully the iudgements of God, but the sonne, and to whom he hath reuealed, so muche as any man hathe. No man loketh on it, that is to saye, can beholde the workes and iudgementes of God, but he shal be offended, excepte he be indewed with the spirite, & purified with the same. Therefore we must axe grace of him, that we maye vnderstande so muche of Gods iudgementes as shal suffice, and may iudge wel of the same.
Aretas Bishop of Cesaria, an expositour of this boke: neither any, sayeth he, of those that lacke fleshe, nor any of them that are in the fleshe, nor yet of suche as are deperted leauing their fleshe behinde them, hath receiued a perfit knoweledge of godly matters. And by and by after: nother only is there any which could open it, but also not so much as loke vpō it: that is to saye, coulde not loke attentiuely on the iudgments of God. and so forth. And the cōtexte of the whole place proueth sufficiently, that S. Iohn speaketh here of the iudgmēts verely: but chiefly of the gouernement of thinges. The Lord Iesus be glorified for euer. Amen.
¶ Here is liuely described the Lambe in the throne of God, receiuing the boke of the hand of him that sitteth and opening it. The .xxvij. Sermon.
AND one of the Elders sayd vnto me, wepe not: Beholde the Lion, whiche is of the tribe of Iuda, ye roote of Dauid, hath obteyned to open the boke, to lowse the seuen seales therof. And I behelde, and lo, in the middes of the seate, and of the foure beastes, and in the middes of the Elders, stode a lābe as though he had bene killed, whiche had seuen hornes, and seuen eies, which are the seuen spirites of God, sent into all the worlde, and he came & toke the boke out of the right hand of him that sate on the Throne.
By Christ all thinges are gouerned.Forasmuch as Iohn had wept, that no man was worthy so muche as to loke on the boke of him that sate on the seate, muche lesse to open it: One of the .xxiiii. Elders comforteth hym. His name is not expressed, wherfore it semeth to be required both vaynely and curiously. Notwithstanding there be some of the expositours, which suppose hym to be the patriarch Iacob: Verely for that shortly after his oracle or prophecie is recited. And so the authour descendeth in a moste goodly order vnto the description also of the sonne of God, by whome the celestial father, as al the scripture euery where approueth, gouerneth al thinges. Hitherto hath he described hym that sitteth on the seate, and before that the holy ghoste. Wherfore these are holsome and moste profitable doctrines for the churche, wherby the true faith is confirmed.
The comfort of this elder, and verely the heauenly & most Godly doctrine tendeth to this ende, that we should vnderstande, that all the complaintes, weping, grudging, and the [Page 161] sondry tourmoylinges of our minde, can not be quenched, appeased & quieted, vnlesse we see and beleue, that to Christ (as here is moste playnely and manifestly set forth) is geuen of the father al power in heauen and in earthe: and therfore to be constituted like as the only redemer, so also the head, Prince, and gouernour of al, whiche vnder the seale of fayth and veritie, shoulde gouerne all thinges that are by God his prouidence ordeyned, and euen now dispiseth them, and reuealeth vnto vs so muche of God his iudgmentes as do suffice vs. This if we beleue with a faythful and syncere minde, we shal haue quiet consciences in al the workes of God, euē suche as are harde to indure, and seme to some men most vnreasonable. For we know that he by whome all thinges are gouerned, is of our nature and kinde, yea euē our owne brother: and such verely as fauoureth vs with al his harte, hath suffered death for vs, and loueth nothynge better in all the world than man: Moreouer whiche hath ouercomen death, sonne, the Deuil and Hell, and hath ouercomen them for vs. Who wil nowe than suspecte his gouernement, permission or operation? Thou haste a brother in the Princes Courte, whome thou arte assured to fauour thee from the botome of his harte: thou hearest saye, howe he hathe geuen vnto him of the Prince the gouernement and iudgement of the whole countrie, woldest thou sticke or be lothe to submitte thy selfe vnto him? naye rather thou doest truste and hope to obteyne any thing of thy brother.
Therefore let vs remembre,The kingdome and power is geuen to Christ. howe the Scripture not here only, but euery where doeth teache, that Iesus Christe the Sonne of God, and in dede of the same substaunce with vs after his humanitie, in diyng for vs, to haue deserued to haue a name geuen him, whiche is aboue all names, and that althinges shoulde be subiecte to his gouernment, what so euer be in the worlde visible or inuisible. For so S. Iohn testifieth in the .1. Chapter. And S. Paul also to the philipp. 2. Coloss. 1. and to the Hebrewes the .1. Chapter. He is sayed at this present to haue ouercomen or obteyned to open the boke, and lowse the Seales therof. Therfore by the knoweledge of him, and through faith in him, we obteyne, that with a ioyefull minde we maye loke vpon the boke, the iudgementes and all the [Page 162] workes of God, and quietly and patiently to beare the openyng therof, and gouernment of al together. &c.
A most gallaunt & ful descriptiō of Christ.But to the intente we maye iudge more rightly of Christ gouernour of all, although he hath already described him right liuely: yet now he procedeth to paincte him out in his, that is to saye, moste godly and goodly coulours, that we should not be nothing affrayed of his gouernement, nother that we should not with quiet mindes most willingly submitte our selues wholy to his gouernment.
First is sayed, that a Lion of the tribe of Iuda hath ouercomen:Christe a lion of the tribe of Iuda. to wit that same Christ of oures: to haue ouercomen the Deuill, sinne, death, the world, hell, and al power of the aduersarie. And he ouercame in diyng, and so atchieued the high dignitie, and was made Lorde of all. The Deuil is also called a Lion of S. Peter. Salomon and the Prophetes call tirannes Lions.1. Peter. 5. Our Authour therfore calleth Christ a lion, not of the common sorte, but of the tribe of Iuda. For he alludeth to the prophecie of the patriarch Iacob, whiche is in the .49. of Genes. he prophecieth there that Schilo shal come, with plentie and good lucke, whiche like a lion that hath taken his praye, nether is there any manne that can driue him from it, can defende those that be his, whom he hath caught out of the dragōs clawes, so that no hostile power dare ones hisse against him. Christ therfore is declared a victour or cō querour greatest,Christe is only moste inuincible. most mightie, and most inuincible. Which belongeth to him alone. Yet shal you finde Kings, which are euery houre ouercomen of wicked lustes, whiche wil suffer them selues to be called, inuincible. Briefly, this first note in the description of Christ, sheweth yt Iesus Christ gouernour of al, is yt very same, whom the patriarches & prophetes haue prophecied to come into the world, a prince most inuincible.
Secōdly Christ is called the rote of Dauid, wherin he appereth to haue alluded to that saiyng of Esaye in the .11.Christe the roote of Dauid. chap. Than shal a budde come forth of the stocke of Iesse, & a flour shal ascende out of the rootes therof. Namely Marie the daughter of Dauid, of whom that most sacred floure Christ sprang & came, was the stocke of Iesse. And of the very rotes of Dauid, or of the virgin, I meane of the most true humane nature, Iesus Christ was borne very man into the worlde. [Page 163] For he toke no where the Aungelles nature, but the sede of Abraham. He is therfore our brother,Hebr. 2. of the same substaunce with vs, after his humanitie. These things do comfort vs exceadingly, and confute heretikes most strongly: which faine that Christe hath not a very humane body. We haue more herof in the .1. of Matth. and .1.2.3. of Luke. Christe is in ye mids of ye seate. After it is expresly spoken of the same our lorde, that he is in the middes of the Throne, in the middes of the .iiii. beastes, and in the middes of the .xxiiii. Elders: and is therfore exēpted out of the nōbre of creatures, out of the numbre of Aungelles, and out of the numbre of Sainctes. For he is greater than these, to wit of the same substaunce with the father, in glory & power equal. For the father is in the middes of the Throne, from thence procedeth the holy ghost: euen there is founde also now the lambe Christ, not only very man, but also very God.Christ is very God. And is a distincte person. For the blessed Trinitie knoweth not any cōfusiō. The father is God, the sonne is God, the holy ghost is God: yet are al three but one God, the father in his subsistence, the sonne in his, and the holy ghost in his, not makyng three Gods, but three proprieties and persones in one indiuisible and eternal essence. And where as Christ is mentioned to be in the middes of the beastes, and in the middes of Elders: he is doubtles signified after the diuine nature to be euery where, to be the life and preseruation of all creatures, also in the middes of his chosen, and of his Church. Therfore like as we beleue Iesus Christ to be very mā, so let vs also beleue him to be very God, of the same substaunce with God the father. Therfore let Seruiet perishe with Arrius and Mahomet, and as many as denie Christ to be the sonne of God, coequal with the father in al thinges. Furthermore he is now also called a lambe,Christ is a lambe. not that he is a shepe of nature, but for that by a lambe is prefigured the innocent redemer of the worlde, and the only holesome sacrifice of all faithfull. A lambe is a token of innocencie, and from the beginning appointed for sacrifices. Abel offered vp a Lambe, after the lawe was offered a dayly sacrifice, in the morning a lambe, and at euening a lambe. For christ is the expiation of them, whiche were in the beginning of the world, and which in the ende shalbe. The Paschall lambe in the .12. of Exodus. [Page 164] Whose bloud prohibited the Aungel distroier from the houses and tentes, represented the figure of Christ, by whose preciouse bloud we are reconciled to God. This expositiō of the Paschal lambe S. Peter him self in the .1. Pet. 1. and S. Paull in the .1. to the Corinth. 5. haue brought. Esaye accordeth with them in the .53. chapter. And so expounded by the Apostle S. Philip in the 8. of the Actes. Finally S. Iohn Baptist, whiche with the fingar stretched out and poinctyng to Christ, exclamed: beholde the Lambe of God, whyche taketh awaye the sinnes of the world. Let vs therfore beleue, that ye same Iesus Christ, vnto whom al power is geuē of the father, to be our deliuerer, our expiation, reconciliation, innocencie, sanctification, iustification and euerlastyng saluation: as he whom we shal heare in the xiii. chapt. to haue bē slayne from the beginning of the world, for so much as his only death, & one oblation made from the beginning of the world, and continually to the worlds ende, doeth sanctifie al those that are sanctified Which the Apostle also affirmeth in the .10. to the Hebrewes.
Howebeit this lambe or sauiour of the worlde is sayed to stand in the middes of the throne, verely for that now he executeth thoffice of a catholicke kinge, and priest & gouernour, beynge alwayes ready and prepared to saue. So S. Stephen also in the .7. of the Actes seeth him standing. Or els in other places we reade that Christ sitteth on the right hande of the father. To the which this place gayne saieth not, considering that to sitte, is bothe to rest and to reigne.
Moreouer this our Lambe appereth in the Throne of the diuine maiestie,The lamb appeareth as slayne. as if he were killed: not for that he was not slayne in dede, and dead (for that same is a little after excessed moste exactely) but for that he remayned not in deathe, but the thirde daye rose agayne from the dead, to thende he mighte so declare him selfe to be the life, and resurrection of the faythful. Or verely, for that after his humanitie he is red to be slayne, after his deitie to be immortall, and subiecte to no reproche. Wherfore in the old lawe the one of the goates in the 16. of Leuitic. is slayne: but the other is not killed but by the worke of a man herunto appoynted is led forthe into the deserte. Neuertheles there is of the expositours, which expounde it thus: he is sayed as though he were slaine, for asmuche [Page 165] as after S. Chrisostome and S. Austen he hath reserued as yet the seares of the woundes of his death in token of his victory. &c.
Furthermore this lambe Christ Iesus our lord hath .vii.The lābe hath seuen hornes. hornes, not yt in dede he carieth so many hornes like a goate of Iude. An horne, as appereth by Daniel, and by the songe of Zacharie in the 1. of Luke, signifieth power and kingdome. The .vii. nombre is the nombre of fulnes. It is therfore signified that Christ is indued with al kinde of power, diuine, humane, imperial, pontifical, roiall, briefly moste absolute. In the 13. chapt. we shal heare that the beaste hath taken to him two hornes, as it were of the lambe, whereof I shal speake in his place. Daniel in the 7. chapt. And rule, sayeth he, was geuen him, and honour and kyngedome, that al nations and tounges mighte worship him, whose rule is an euerlastinge rule, which shal not perish nor decaye at any time. Now hath he seuen eyes also. These he expoundeth, and sayeth,The lābe hathe .vii. eyes. whiche are the .vii. spirites of God, sente into the whole worlde. I shewed you before, that the .vii. spirites are called a seuenfold spirite. Here therfore is signified the fulnes of ye spirite, which the lord powereth out vpon al flesh. Here is signified the vniuersal knowledge of the sonne, in whose sighte are present, what thinges so euer are done in heauen and in earth, opēly & priuely. For the spirite of Christ, that vnmeasurable force, incomprehensible and most diuine, searcheth and pearseth al thinges, nothinge is hidde from his eyes, whiche viewe the whole world.
And such is Christ, as we haue hearde described hitherto,What is ye gouernour of all, and who openeth the seales. whome the Patriarches haue before sayed shoulde come, a victour and triumphant cōquerour alone verely inuincible, very man of our owne substaūce, and also our very brother, yet very God neuerthelesse, of the same substaunce with the father and the holy ghoste, the reconciler, redemer, and the only saluatiō of the world: hath suffered for vs, and the same risen agayne from the dead, and ascended into heauē, hauing al power in heauen and in earth, whiche seeth al thinges, cō municateth his spirite vnto men, and is the most faithful keper and defender of al mā kinde: This Christ Iesus our lord, came and receiued, he conueyed not or stale it away, but toke [Page 166] that boke of the prouidence diuine, of the iudgementes of God, of the vniuersal, gouernmēt of al things, that he might open, and lowse the Seales thereof: that is to saye, that he might reueale to vs yt are redemed with his bloud the iudgementes of God, and mighte dispose and order al thinges in heauen and in earth. Therfore sins we know that the gouernour of al thinges, is geuen to vs a redemer, Kyng, Bishop, and our only saluation, who will not from hence forth willingly submitte himself to his gouernement? And seyng we nowe vnderstande certenly, how that vnder the seale of faith and veritie al things are done by Christ, who dare hereafter more curiousely inquire of his workes and iudgmentes, vnto whose credite and gouernement we should nowe cōmitte althinges,Howe the sonne is saied to receiue the boke at his fathers hande. in case they were in our power? Notwithstanding we shall obserue, that the sonne doeth not so receyue these thinges of the father, that the father is depriued therof. For in the .5. chapt. of S. Iohns Gospel, the Lorde sayeth: my father worketh vnto this time, & I worke, &c. Certes the sonne is called the worde, mouth, and arme of the father, &c. or that after the humanitie the sonne mighte seme lesse than the father. For very godly Aretas, where the lambe, sayeth he, receyued the boke of the right hande of him that sitteth on the Throne, it must be vnderstande on the behalfe of his humanitie: As also that he was slayne. For concernyng his deitie, none of all those thinges that maye worthely be spoken or thought of God, is seuerally assigned to three persones, sauing the maner of bringyng forth, of him that begetteth and of him that is begotten, and of hym that procedeth, &c.
This description of Christ is singular, moste excellent, very euangelicall, and ful of consolation: and therfore is it chiefly to be layde vp in the botome of our hartes. Where we finde also that they were disceaued in theyr iudgment, which were not affrayde to saye, that in this boke, besides the Apostolical maner, fewe thinges were taught of Christe, and of our redemption. Let vs praye vnto the Lorde, that he would vouchesafe to illumine our mindes. Amen.
¶ Here is described adoration and prayse geuyng or an Himne songe vnto Christ of the beasts and Elders. The .xxviij. Sermon.
ANd when he had taken the boke, the foure beastes, and .xxiiii. Elders fel downe before the lambe, hauynge Harpes and golden Vialles ful of odours (which are the prayers of Sainctes) and they sange a newe songe, saiyng: Thou arte worthy to take the boke, and to open the Seales therof: for thou waste killed, & haste redemed vs by thy bloud, out of all kinredes and tongues, and people and natiōs, and haste made vs vnto our God, Kinges and Priestes, and we shall reigne on the earth.
We haue hearde,Christ is ye true & only monarche. that the lambe hath receyued the boke of the hande of him that sitteth in the Throne, that he might open it, and lowse the seales of the same: that is we haue vnderstande, that Christ is the only and eternall Sauiour and Lorde, vnto whome all power is geuen in heauen and earth: that he than only and euermore saueth, that he reuealeth to vs the misteries and iudgementes of God, that he finally gouerneth and disposeth al thinges in the worlde. It followeth moreouer how al the creatures of God behaued them selues towardes this sonne of God, the monarche and gouernour of al thinges. This thing is set forth with a maruelouse figuratiue and plentiful speache in the Tipe of the .iiii. beasts, and xxiiii. Elders, &c. Certenly that we might of their gestures, wordes, and workes vnderstande, what it is mete for vs to do in the iudgementes of God.
For this example is verely manifolde, and euen of sixe partes, suche as you shall hardely finde propounded in [Page 168] any other matter.An exāple manifolde whereby we learne how to behaue oure selues towardes ye gouernour of al thīgs. And in this matter is of very greate force. First in dede we haue hearde in the .iiii. chapt. that the foure beastes cried out before the Throne of him that sate: holy, holy, holy, lord God omnipotent. Seconde we vnderstande that the .xxiiii. Elders fel doune, worshipped, cast away their crownes, and sange an Himne. Nowe followeth the thirde degree of this example. For as firste the beastes and Elders did these thinges seuerally, so now ioyntly with one accorde the beastes and Elders fal downe together before the lābe. Let vs therefore fall downe also in all the iudgementes and workes of God, before the lambe gouernour of al, and let vs worship. For although it be not here added, and they worshipped: yet are they to be vnderstand for this intent to haue fallen downe, that they might worship. For to fal downe, is to worship. Whiche thing is also perceiued by this that foloweth.The lābe is worshipped. For they offer praiers to the lambe, that is to witte, singe an Himne, whiche is a parte of godly worshippinge. Morouer it foloweth immediately, that euery creature sang an Himne to him that setteth in the Throne, and to the lābe, &c. And verely two thinges especially and diligently S. Iohn treateth in this example. For first he painteth out gallauntly the behauiour of the beastes and elders. After he annexeth the Himne, prayse geuyng, or songe. And so much as apperteyneth their behauiour. Afore al thinges they fal downe before the lambe: as euen nowe I sayed.
Christe is very God to be worshipped wt the father in the same glory.And this place is of efficacitie enough to proue the deitie of our Sauiour Christe. For these thinges ought to be conferred with those whiche are written vpon the same wordes in the .iiii. chapt. The .xxiiii. Elders fell downe before him that sitteth in the Throne, and worshippe him that liueth for euer and euer: And now it is sayed, that the selfe same elders haue fallen downe before the lambe: wherupon it followeth that he that liueth for euer and the lambe be worshipped with like glory, culte, and honour: And that the sonne is coequall with the father, to be worshipped for euer. Wherby now is opēly perceyued the abominable and detestable errour of Arius and Seruetus,Seruetus renewed ye blasphemy of Arrius. confuted at this present not only of the beastes, but also of the whole cōgregation of Sainctes in heauē. Idle men reason subtilly, and peruerte & wraste gods worde [Page 169] after their wonted giantly boldenes, at their pleasure: we wil rather followe the examples of all sainctes and creatures in the worlde, and will worship the lambe with hym that sitteth in the throne blessed for euermore.
Agayne there are obiecte to vs the Elders liyng prostrate on the pauement, holding in their hādes harpes and vialles.Harpes & vialles. An harpe in the Psalmes and holy historie is an instrument of musicke, cōsecrate to prayses diuine. Of the vialle, of what shape or fashion the cuppe was, the writers of vesselles treate muche: I vnderstande it to be simply a cuppe or a bolle, suche as we reade there were many in the tabernacle and temple, appoincted bothe for drinke offeringes, and also for swete odours and incense. Neuerthelesse these thinges in the holy heauenly dwellers be not to be taken corporally, but spiritually, after a suffiguration. For what the spirite of God vnderstode, the reuealer of secrettes, S. Iohn him selfe addeth which be the prayers of Sainctes. Therfore is signified, that Sainctes offer prayers to God: whiche are muche more acceptable to him,Musicke & incense prayer. than the swete melodie of Musicall instrumentes is to man, or pleasaunt sauour of swete gumes or of incense. Aretas the expositour, in that they haue Harpes, sayeth he, it sheweth a concorde and agrement in geuynge God thankes. And herof we learne agayne, what we should do in the contemplation & vnderstanding of the iudgementes and workes of God. The lord is to be praysed & blessed, because he is good, and his mercy indureth for euer. But if thankes must be geuen to God, if his workes and iudgmentes are to be praysed, why do certen men expostulate with God, blamyng, or bringing in suspicion his iudgemētes? let vs learne moreouer, that Organes and those corporall incenses do no longer become the churche of God.
Of this place S. Ireney in the 4. boke agaynste heresies,The true sacrifice of Christiās. in the .33. and .34. chapt. sheweth, that the prayers and thankes geuyng of Sainctes be the same oblation whiche Malachie prophecied to be offered vp through out the whole worlde. And shortely after Tertullian followed the same exposition agyynst the Iewes, and in the iiii. boke agaynste Marcion: whom other doctours of the Churche haue followed. But those pleasaunt sophisticall triflers, I meane the popisshe diuines, [Page 170] do as it were triumph in those thinges, yet leade they in the meane time a shadowyng and a most vaine triumphe. For they applie these thinges to their sacrifice, wherin they fayne them selues vnder the some of bread & wine to offer vp to God the father the body & bloud of Christ, a propiciatory sacrifice for the quicke and the dead. But Ireney and Tertullian speake not of such a sacrifice, but of the oblation of prayers, which the massemonging Prieste offereth not vp alone, but the whole cōgregation of Christ sanctified in his bloud, geuynge thankes in the lordes supper to God the father for theyr free redemption. These holy fathers neuer knewe the sale Masses of these Chananites.
Againste praying to sainctes in Heauen.Of this same place of S. Iohn the selfe same Papistes go aboute to proue and to establishe the praying to Sainctes in heauen. Beholde, saye they, the Sainctes are sayed to praye openly in heauē. But they nede not to praye for them selues, and therefore as intercessours and Patrones they praye for their clientes and worshippers in Earth. I aunswer, that the Sainctes in dede praye in heauen, but that you addyng the kinde and maner of praying, do expounde it to be intercession, patchyng to a piece of your owne, do forge and coūtrefet the same, and maliciously and falsely do belye it. S. Iohn here expoundeth him selfe, so that he nedeth not your patchyng. For he addeth, and they singe a newe songe. Yea and he reciteth the whole fourme of this song, leeste any mā should corrupte that whiche he had sayed of prayers. And that same fourme conteyneth prayse and blessing or thankes geuyng, and not intercession, or inuocation. For certayne it is euen by the doctrine of the Apostle. 1. Timoth. 2. and to the Philipp. 4. that there be two chiefe kindes of prayer: inuocation and prayse or thankes geuyng. But the thing it selfe playnly proueth, that S. Iohn speaketh here of the latter, and not of the first.The shadowes of ye lawe are expoūded. And where as this place expoundeth certen Tipes, shadowes or misteries of Gods lawe, by the same we maye rather confute the intercession of Sainctes in Heauen, for their worshippers. For in the lawe is permitted one onlye golden Aultar of incense. And the same represented a figure of Christ. For one Christe is the mediatour and intercessour betwixt God and man. It was not laweful for the people of [Page 171] God, to burne incense, but vpon this Aultar only. It was not laweful for any man, to prepare or make for him selfe an odour of those kinde of gumes, whereof the diuine incense consisted, and to smell to it: as appereth in the .30. of Exodus. Whie than doe not these vnderstande, that prayers belonge to God alone, and that the Sainctes in Heauen woulde not smell of suche incense? Dauid in the .141. psalm. sayeth, let my prayer be directed as incense in thy sighte, the listynge vp of my handes an euening sacrifice. The Deuill desireth to haue suche maner of incenses to be made vnto him: As appereth in the .4. of Matth. and in S. Austen of the Citie of God. But our heauenly Sainctes, are not Deuilles. Whie vnderstonde they not that this Aultar of incense standeth nowe in Heauen on the ryght hande of the father, and there maketh intercession for vs: and that for his sake the father is reconciled to vs, and we are accepted of God, and that by him alone we muste offer vp our prayers vnto God, whiche are els abominable? Whie see they not the heauenly Sainctes at this present to attribute al things to the only lambe alone, and to chalenge nothyng to them selues? Finally that they make no mention of their worshippers: but plainely testifie, that the only lambe was and is worthie, whiche should take the boke, &c.
And the praise or thankes geuing of the heauenly sainctes he hath called a newe songe,What is a newe song. whiche in the Scriptures is no newe thynge. For the Sainctes saye, that they will singe in Earth vnto God a newe songe, Psalm .xxxiii.xcvi.xcviii.cxliiii. Esaye .xlij. And newe songes be called these newe balades or verses in meter, whyche are made of some newe benefite or noble acte done. And because the minde of manne is delighted greately with newe benefites, they synge a newe songe, whyche with a ioyefull mynde prayse GOD, and geue him thankes with theyr inwarde affections. Finallye they synge a newe songe, whiche wyth purified myndes and renewed with the Spirite doe laude GOD: whiche thynge was chiefely geuen to those heauenly Sainctes. Whereof we learne agayne howe it behoueth our mindes to be affected and furnisshed in the prayers and prayses of GOD. This same, sayeth Aretas, [Page 172] I cal a new songe, by whose benefite we, whiche beyng lighted in al partes of the earth, departing from the antiquitie of the lawe written, and walkynge in the newnes of life, are taught by the holy ghost to singe a geuing of thankes.
The himne or prayse geuing of ye sainctes in heauen.To these thynges nowe is added the Himne of Sainctes that we might also haue a fourme howe to prayse God. And in the Hymne they singe, that al things are subiecte to christ, and al thinges ordered by his gouernment, that he humbled him selfe to the deathe, and was therefore exalted aboue all thinges. Now are also the vertues or effectes and wonderful benefites of his death cōmended vnto vs, that estemyng the gouernour of his benefites done to vs, we maye beleue also that his gouernement shal be holesome for vs, and therefore maye submitte our selues to him willingly in faythe and patience. Whiche verely is the chiefest ende of those thinges whiche here are treated with so great diligence.
Christe alone is worthy to open the boke.Firste they cōmende the Maiestie and dignitie of Christ, that he alone is founde in the whole vniuersal world, whiche hath rule ouer al, which is the only sauiour of the world, the reuealer also of godly misteries, and gouernour of all. For this is to take and to open the boke: whiche we haue nowe oft times repeted. Secondly they annexe the cause, why this glory should be only of the lambe or sonne of God: because, saye they, thou waste killed. And they vnderstande by the lesse the more, to witte his whole incarnation, and the whole misterie of our redemption, death, resurrection and ascensiō into heauen, and the residewe. He therefore is the true and only mediatour of God and men, he is the only sauiour, as he that alone was incarnate & crucified for vs: he is the only gouernour, whiche by his humilitie deserued to be exalted, Philipp. 2. And he is a most fitte gouernour of al thinges, as of whome al men maye, as of their most faithful sauiour, and euen their brother, hope well, what thinges so euer chaunce vnto them through his gouernement, &c.
The vertu & effecte of the death of Christe.In the meane time they cōmende most highly the vertue or effecte of Christes death. For this beynge rightly vnderstande we are more ready to submitte our selues to that gouernour, whom we knowe to be our sauiour, whiche loueth vs derely, and would haue al saued. And the chiefest effect of [Page 173] Christes death is redemption,Redēption redeminge includeth captiuitie. We were prisoners and seruauntes of sinne, of death, and very bondeslaues of the deuil and hel. And the sonne of God came and toke flesh, and shed his bloud (for so also is the maner of redemyng vs expressed of the elders) and he hath wasshed vs from our sinnes, and beyng purified he hath raunsomed vs from the power of death, hel, sinne and Sathan, that nowe we be of God. Therfore they saye expressely, thou hast redemed vs to God. We be therfore of God: the deuil hath no more power ouer vs: we are the freemen of Christ, deliuered through his bloud. 1. Peter. 1. Hebrewes. 9. And for asmuch as we be nowe of God, to witte iustified frely, by his grace, through the bloud of Christ, as the apostle sayeth also in the 3. chapt. to the Romanes, we ought to serue God verely in the newnes of spirite, not the flesh and the deuill, in the oldenes of the letter and of our fleshe. Whiche the same Apostle discourseth more at large in the 6. to the Romanes.
Whome also he hath redemed, they declare by the waye,Who are redemed. men verely of euery tribe, &c. In the which rehersal he doeth Imitate Daniel in the 7. chap. and signifieth an vniuersalitie. For the lord hath died for al: but that al are not made pertakers of this redemptiō, it is through their owne faulte. For the lord excludeth no man, but him only whiche through his owne incredulitie, and misbelefe excludeth him selfe.
Of redēption followeth an other effect of Christes death,Righteousnes foloweth iustification and redemptiō. for that it maketh men iustified to God kinges and priestes. For they that be iustified, worke rightuousnes. I haue expounded this place concerning the priesthood and kingdom of Christians in the firste chapter where you maye haue it.
The Sainctes adde moreouer that they shal reygne vpon earth, to wit through the vertue of Christ: not corporally,How sainctes raigne vpon earth as the Millenaries do imagine, and the Turkes followyng the same, imaginyng corporal thinges in this worlde, and ioyes in Paradise terrestriall. For the whole scripture promiseth better thinges. Neither must the godly be so geuen to corporal thinges, that they should hope for nothing aboue corporal matters. The Sainctes speake here of the last iudgement wherin it shal appere to the whole world, and to al that dwel vpon the earth, that the Sainctes, which some time semed to [Page 174] the world to haue ben wicked, vngodly, peacebreakers, heretickes, and parricides, and for the same cause haue ben slaine, be iust, holy kinges and priestes of God. So I saie they shal reigne vpō earth. The which thing is declared more at large in the .iii. and .v. chapt. of the boke of wisedome.
Let the Sainctes, I saie, consider these thinges, when they be oppressed of the wicked for the veritie and rightuousnes, through ye permissiō of Christ gouernour of al, in this world, let them neuerthelesse glorifie the Lord God, and praise him without ceasyng. To him be glory for euer.
¶ Here is described the commendation and Hymne sayed vnto Christ of the Aungels and al creatures. &c. The .xxix. Sermon.
ANd I behelde, & hearde the voyce of many Aungelles aboute the Throne, & about the beastes and the elders, & I hearde thousande thousandes saiyng with a lowde voice: worthie is the lambe that was killed, to receiue power, and riches and wisedome, and strength and honour, and glory, and blessing. And all creatures which are in heauen, and on the earth, and vnder the earth, and in the Sea, and all that are in them, hearde. I saiyng: blessing, honour, glory, and power be vnto him, that sitteth vpon the seate, and to the lambe for euer more. And the .iiii. beastes sayed, Amen. And the .xxiiii. Elders fell vpon their faces and worshipped him that liueth for euer more.
In the fourth place nowe come the Aungels of God also [Page 175] to the Elders and to the beastes,The Aungels also prayse Christ. I meane to the most excellent creatures of God, and together with them prayse with an hymne God and the lambe: doubtlesse for an example to vs, that, as I ofttimes saie and repete, we might vnderstand what thing becometh vs also.
Of Aungels Dauid in .c.iiii. Psalm. speaking emōgs other thinges: which maketh, sayeth he, his Aungels spirites,Of Aungels. and his ministers a flame of fire. He testifieth therefore that the Aungels were made or created of God. By their substaunce he calleth them spirites, & by a parable a flame of fire, which is pure, bryght, moste swifte, pearsyng, and burnyng. Therfore after their sorte and meane the Aungelicall spirites be altogether suche: whome by their office he calleth ministers,Reade. 24. sermon folowyng. to witte of God and manne. For S. Paull also to the Hebr. brynging this same place of Dauid, be they not al, sayeth he, ministring spirites, whiche are sent forth into ministerie, for them which be heyres of Saluation? verely vnderstandyng men. These thinges teach vs to iudge rightly of Aungels, and that no man should worshippe ministers, or any be they neuer so excellent creatures, for theyr godly giftes. Nother in dede can the Aungels or Sainctes abide them selues to be worshipped. Here doubtles they attribute all glory to God and to the Lambe, to God three and one, that all we should doe the like. Here is also declared the place, wherin the Aungelles were, about the Throne, about the beastes, and about the Elders. Therefore they garded al these places rounde about as it were a garde. Daniel in times paste sawe thinges not muche vnlike these in the .7. chapt. Certenly they stande like ministers and seruitours, ready to do seruice. Aungels are sayed also to be about the godly vpon earth, & to attende vpon the saluation and ministerie of men. In the .34. Psalm. Dauid singeth, he beyng afflicted called vpon the lorde, and the Lorde hearde him, and from all his troubles he deliuered him. The Aungel of the lord pitcheth his tentes about them which feare him (the lord) & he deliuereth thē. And not much vnlike things you maye reade in ye .91. Psalm. And thou shalt here note, that those that be afflicted do cal vpō the lord, and not the Aungels: And that the lord doeth heare, and deliuer, and for the workyng therof vseth the ministerie of Aungels, [Page 176] as his ministers. And like as no man that is wel in his witte doeth reuerence, cal vpon, and worshippe the sonne, for that God by the same geueth great benefites to men. So no mā honoureth, calleth vpon, and worshippeth Aungels for that God vseth their ministerie in deliueryng of men.
The nūbre of Angels.Now also he putteth the nōbre of Aungels, but a certaine for an vncertayne, thousande thousandes for innumerable. He alludeth in the meane time to that saying of Daniel in the 7. chapt. Thousande Thousandes serued hym, and ten hondreth thousande assisted him. Of a greate and innumerable armie we are woonte to esteme the power of kinges. What than shall we thinke of the power of our God, whiche is the God of hoostes, and whome not only innumerable legions of Aungels, but all creatures serue? And what an excellente prayse is it, whiche is songe together of so many blessed spirites?
For after this, the proper duetie or office of Aungelles is touched: They singe prayses to God, and cōmende the lābe of God, and that with a lowde voice. It skilleth not greatly wheter with a lowe or an high voyce thou singest prayses to ye Lord: but for asmuche as they that crye with a lowde voice, are for the moste parte sore moued, as ouerwhelmed wyth great sorrow, or with great gladnes reioysing, therfore shall we prayse God with a lowde voyce, in case with a stoute spirite, and with the inwarde affection of the harte we shal prayse God.
The Himne of the Angels, sayde in ye prayse of Christ.The aungelical Hymne is now annexed, which accordeth in al thynges with the Himnes of the Beastes and Elders. For they celebrate the lambe, that is to saye the sonne, which as he is the sauiour alone, so hath he deserued to receyue all power and glory, & to gouerne al thinges: as is sayed before.
And seuen thinges do the Aungelles attribute to the lābe, that is to Iesus Christ our Lord, on the right hande of the father. First [...], power to witte godly, almighty, viuificatiue, and conseruatiue. Of this I spake also before. Secōdly [...] richesse. For he is riche, as the Apostle sayeth, for al that cal vpō him. Rom. 10. And Primasius: Christ him self, saieth he, is the treasure of al good things, &c. For schaddais, the sufficiencie of al goods of the minde and body: And if it [Page 177] be lawful to attribute a prophane worde vnto God, he is very Saturne, fulfillyng al creatures. And sins the Aungelles do so cōmende Christ, who woulde thinke, that men should so scrape to themselues, as though they themselues could fil their owne desires? Than they attribute to Christ wisedom, to witte godly and great. For the sonne is the wisedome of the father. Wherof treateth Salomon much. By this wisedome cā he rule al things by most agreable and best gouernment. Who shall saye? Thus it should haue ben done. The wisedom of God hath most goodlily & wel made al thinges from the beginnyng, so that our reason can iustly blame nothing: what thing shal we blame than nowe in the vniuersal gouernmēt of Christ? They ascribe vnto Christ also strength to execute verely such thinges as he hath most wisely ordeyned, finally strength to defende his, and to subdewe the aduersaries. For he is almightie. Such thinges as follow, honour, glory, and thankes geuing, are declared before, what they be, and of what force: sauyng that the thing he called first [...] he calleth now [...], blessing, prayse, and geuyng of thankes.
This Hymne sayed in the praise of Christ,Christe is greater thā Aungels, & the lord of Aungels. teacheth that Christ is very God, of the same substaunce and coequal with the father, greater than Aungels, yea the lord of Aungelles, whom the aungels themselues also worship, as S. Paul in the 1. to the Hebr. hath declared. Here than are confuted who so euer preferre Aungels to Christ. The heretikes are confuted that are called Aungelical, to witte worshippers of Aungels. The aungels themselues do here reproue their errour: that not without cause they are accompted of S. Austen emongs heretikes. Yf richesse, glory and honour be dewe to Christ alone, and that he excelleth them, wherfore are the same cō municated to creatures? Otherwise we admonish all godly, that they thinke highlye of Aungels, and acknowledge and maruel at the benefites of God in them: and that we loue the same as bretherne, and felowes, and coinheriters of the same saluation: much lesse contemne or blame them, Whereof I wil speake more at an other time.
Hitherto hath he recited the excellent prayses, the Panegyrical verses or Himnes of the excellent creatures of God, [Page 178] of those Elders in dede especially and generally of al,The praise & agrement of all creatures, to ye glory of Christ. moreouer of Aungelles also, sayed vnto Christ our redemer and prince. And yet not with these contented he addeth morouer in the fifth place, the agrement, and prayse, and submission of al the creatures in the world, to the intēt that if haply we be not moued with the excellent example of the excellent creatures, Elders and Aungelles, nowe at the laste we might be abasshed, whiche see all creatures of their owne accorde to do their duetie. For manne sins he is Lorde of all, and all thing were for him created, howe I praye you shal he offende more haynousely agaynst God, whiche hath made him Lorde ouer all, than if by his hardenes, ingratitude, and maliciousnes he not only doeth not his owne duetie: but is rather inferriour to al creatures: as he whiche alone contendeth with God, and attributeth not to him dewe prayse. Therefore doeth this example greatly excite man, that he should submitte him selfe vnto God, and geue God the whole glory: and in no wyse striue with God, nor complayne of any thinge. But marke I praye you with howe diligent a diuision of thinges he compriseth all creatures, excludeth none, the Deuill only excepteth, what time he raccompteth the creatures that are in Heauen, whiche are in Earth, which are vnder the Earth, and in the Sea: finally he addeth, and all that be therin. Therfore if all thinges created doe celebrate and worshippe him that sitteth in the Throne and the lambe, and submitte themselues vnto him: is it not a shame, yea and a soule shame, that manne alone, Lord of all, should reuolte to the sworne enemie of God, the Deuill, & with him to expostulate with God, to taūte and blame and finde faulte with his iudgementes and gouernementes to complaine of his workes and will?
How al creatures can praise god.You maruell, I wote well, howe al creatures, syns many of them be voide of reason, and insensible can prayse God. Howebeit this figure prosopopeia that is the faynyng of persones is very common with al the prophetes, and chiefly with Dauid, prayse ye him Sunne and Moone, sayeth he, praise him ye bright starres. Prayse the Lord from the earth ye Dragons and all depe places, fire, hayle, snowe, Ise, &c. And by suche maners of speakyng the Prophetes would [Page 179] incourage and stire vp men to prayse God: seyng that creatures whiche haue no life, do after their maner prayse God, see that you after your maner doe prayse God in Hymnes and spirituall Psalmes. And in dede Dauid sheweth a plaine reason, whie he commaundeth bodies that haue no life to prayse God, let them praise, sayeth he, the name of the lorde, whie? because he commaunded, and they were created. As though he should saie: they be his creatures, and in that they remayne yet, they haue it of him: therefore lette them make the name of God gloriouse, as of their maker and preseruer. And he signified also the maner of praising, where he addeth, he hath ordeyned them, that they should indure for euer: he gaue them an ordenaunce, neither is it transgressed. As if he should haue sayed. Where they neglecte no parte of those things, wherunto thei are made, but are ready in their place, order, and time, and do their duety exceadingly well, do they not preache vnto men the wonderfull wisedome and power of God? For in an other Psalme also dauid sayeth, the heauens shewe forth the glory of God, and the firmament declareth the workes of his handes. &c. Thus I saye the creatures with out life do praise and cōmende the name of God vnto men, what time they are moued, worke wonderfully, and obediently do the thing were vnto they are appoincted.
The Hymne of al creatures, like as that was of the beasts,An Himne sayed vnto Christ of al creatures. and Elders and Aungels, is here also trimmely described, although briefly. But where it hath nothing, that hath not bē declared before, I wil not by oft repetyng and speakyng the same thinges, molest and werie the gentle hearers. Howbeit that one thing semeth chiefly to be obserued, that they ioyne him that sitteth in the throne, and the lambe together, so acknowledging the sonne to be coequall with the father, and they both to be worshipped with like honour, and with like praises to be celebrated and cōmended. They attribute peculiarly to the lambe Empire or kingdome, for that he receiued the boke of the father, as is declared before: to wit al power, and authoritie to gouerne al thinges.
The foure beastes singe to it Amen,A cōs [...]nt is approued, dissente is reproued. eyther so confirmyng the Hymne of the creatures, or thus declaryng their consent with them. To the intent we should with one minde praye [Page 180] together and prayse God blessed for euermore. With these are moreouer confuted the dessensions of men. The Lord alloweth the concorde and agrement of menne, and requireth vtterly, especially in prayers and godly prayses. For he cō maundeth in the Gospell to laye downe thyne oblation, whiche thou wouldest offer, in case thou doest remēbre any discorde betwixt thee and thy brother, to goe vnto him, and to renewe amitie, and than to retourne to thine offeringe: which in the prophetes is called an abomination, in case it be offered of myndes possessed with rancour and mallice. &c.
Thelders worshippe agayne.Finally the elders fal doune agayne and worshippe him that liueth for euer, doubtles that by their ofte worshipping al we in earth might be moued vnto obedience. For if these thinges be done in heauē of the blessed spirites, what I praye you is mete for vs to do here in earth? And marke, that they are sayed to worship him that liueth for euer, who neuerthelesse fell downe firste also before the lambe, and before the Throne, out of the which the spirite proceded, and wherupō sate he that sitteth: wherof we gather, that the Father, the sonne, and the holy Ghost, are in dede distincte in persones, yet these three not to be three Gods, but one God liuing for euer.A medicine agaynst all heresies. And verely this notable vision and treatise maye be in the steade of a moste effectuall remedy agaynst sondry poysons of heresies, especially of the Arrians and Seruetanes, or rather perdetanes, moreouer agaynst diuerse and curiouse disputations and temptations touchyng the workes, iudgmentes and prouidence of God. Yf we be wise, we will obediently submitte our selues to the liuing God with all the creatures and Sainctes of God, worshipping him, and with the Prophet criyng: thou art iust Lord in al thy wayes, and holy in al thy workes. Thou hast created vs, al thinges are thine. Thou gouernest al thinges in best order. Thou louest man. Thou hast geuen vs thy sonne. Thou by thy sonne our redemer gouernest al thinges vprightly. We worship thee the father, the sonne and the holy ghost, one very god. To thee is dewe the kingdom, honour, and glory for euer and euer. Amen.
¶ Two seales are opened, and the directe course of Gods worde is, and a cruel course of warres against the disobedient. The .xxx. Sermon.
ANd I sawe when the lambe opened one of the seales,The .6. chapter.and I heard one of the foure beastes saye, as it were the voice of thonder: come and see. And I sawe, and beholde a white horse: And he that sate on him had a bowe, and a crowne was geuen vnto him: And he went forth conquering, and to ouercome. And when he opened the seconde seale, I hearde the seconde beast saye: come and see. And there went out an other horse that was red, and power was geuen to him that sate there on, to take peace from the earth, & that they should kill one an other. And there was geuen vnto him a great sworde.
Hitherto hath thapostle, prepared the auditours to heare with a quiet minde, the iudgementes of God and fatal destenies of the church, and patiently to beare all aduersitie, and that we should worship him in al thinges, and geue glory to his name: consequently he expoundeth in a most goodly order the iudgementes of God, and destenies of the Church, shewyng how the sonne of God gouerneth the ordenaūces of God and his eternall prouidence. And this is as it were a Prognostication for all times and Ages vnto the worldes ende.A cōtinual prognostecatiō of al times frō the birth of Christ. For we shal not thinke that here are rehersed only the actes of one age or two, but of al. And first al thynges are generally described by partes, afterwarde particularly, when we come to the openyng of the seuēth seale. The some is, the lord sendeth forth the preaching of the trueth into the world, which when men refuse and dispise, they are distroyed with [Page 182] warres, and other calamities innumerable.
Attentiuenes here is necessarie.But before al thinges S. Iohn is excited (and in him all we) to be attentife. And one, that is to wit the first of the beastes doeth excite him. One of the Sabbat is set for the firste daye in the weke, that same is verely the sondaye. The voice of the beast is like vnto thonder. Wherby is signified that here is treated of greate & most weighty matters. For most great and terrible thinges followe, whiche shake the whole world. Therfore let vs not playe the slepy sluggardes, let vs not be blinde and deafe. Doubtles the sloughtfulnes of our time is such, that we little consider the workes of God and what is done in our time. The storkes, swallowes & Turtels, and the rest of liuing thinges passe vs, which ful wel obserue their time. Therfore are we here wel stired vp, that we shuld not be slouthful, but should marke what thinges are declared and shewed vs of the Lord.
The firste seale is opened.And when S. Iohn had diligētly marked what was don, he seeth the lambe, Christ I meane our redemer, open one seale, that is to saye the first: And streight wayes came forth a white horse, on whom he that sate, had a bowe bent, and an Arrowe in it. To him was geuen a crowne, and he wēt forth conqueryng, that he might ouercome. This is the vision: the exposition wherof is easie. For the Lorde sayeth, that he will declare the destenies of the church.
HorsesHorses. of sondry coulours are also brought forth of Zacharie in the .1. chapt. And thei signifie the variable course and state of the people of Israel. The white coulour is cōsecrated to Innocencie,The course of Gods worde. puritie, victory, and felicitie. Therfore by the white horse is signified the lucky vtteraunce of Gods word, or prosperous preaching of the Gospel. For vpon the horse sitteth a horseman, which guideth the horse, & hath a bowe. Certenly Christ doeth prosper the course of the preachyng of the Gospell. And the .45. Psalm. doeth attribute to the same shaftes or Arrowes.A bowe. For he striketh his enemies far of, and bringeth them into his subiection. Briefly with the worde of his mouth he subdued to him self people and nations. Esaye in the .49. bringing in Christ speakyng, sayeth: And he put my mouth as a sharpe sword, the shadow of his hande couered me, and he put me as a piked Arrow, he hidde me in his [Page 183] queuer. Through Christ therfore procedeth the preachyng of the word, he geueth strength to the preaching, he shaketh his bent bowe. What force so euer the worde hath, that same is whole dewe to the Horseman.
To the same is geuen a Crowne,A crowne. to witte a kingdom and all power of rulyng. For Dauid propheciyng before sayed, the Lord shall sende forth the rod of his power out of Sion, to rule emonges thine enemies. Moreouer there is geuen him a crowne, that he maye crowne suche as serue him faithfully. And it is a phrase of speakyng, and he wente forth conqueryng, that he might ouercome: for that whiche is, he that went forth is a conquerour, and to this ende went forth, that he mighte ouercome. For it signifieth that Christ will auaunce the preachyng of his worde through out the worlde, no manne beynge able to resiste, and euen in dispite also of Hel gates. For the worde of the Lord indureth for euer.
And this place teacheth,That the church shal be alwaies and the preachinge of ye word. that the Church shal be alwayes in the world, & likewise alwayes the trueth preached, though the enemies bowelles burste. But if we reade ouer the story of the Churche, we shal better vnderstande al thynges, and shall perceyue that this Prognostication hath alwayes ben moste certayne. Christe was ones through the ministerie of the worde shewed to the world by the Apostles, and the matter proceded moste luckely, howe muche some euer the most mightie of this worlde resisted the same. The thing is wonderfull, in case those fiue hondreth yeres be considered, whiche immediately after the incarnation of our Lorde are accoumpted. In them wente forth the conquerour that he might ouercome: And ouercame in dede, the whole world receyuyng Christ, and worshippyng him. Sins those yeres, as before also, certen sedes of errours began to be sowen abroade. The Bisshoppes began to contende for the supremacie, and who should be the vniuersall head of the Church in earth: They began to reason of the vse of Images in the Church, and broughte them into Churches in dede, as also they called the Bisshoppe of Rome the supreme and generall head of the Churche in earth. And mightie Princes, and in a maner the whole state of learned menne conspired in [Page 184] these opinions: but he hath vanquished, which wente forth, that he might vanquish. He had in his church innumerable, whiche bowed not their knees before this Baal. A thousand yeres after the incarnation of Christ, the Bishoppes began to prophanely to pollute the lordes supper: and other vndefiled doctrines of faith: but what I praye you did they preuayle by so many counsels, determinations, and indeuours most ernest? he that went forth to ouercome, hath ouercomē. That white Horse hath stoutely inuaded to the saluation of many. For how great battels in these last fiue hōdreth yeres the godly and learned mē haue susteyned against the Popes and Bisshoppes, stories beare witnes. At this daye also appereth through out the whole worlde, howe luckely yet that white horse goeth forwarde, which hath pearsed euen vntill our time. The Gospel is beleued, neither can that faith be extinguished with any waters or fires.
Thou makest exception, that they were heretikes whiche resisted the bisshop and See of Rome in these .500. last yeres, as Bertrame, Iohn Scot surnamed Dunse, Berengarius, Arnoldus Brixianus, Waldo Wicleffe, and Husse, Luther, and Zwinglius, and such other men of the same sorte, moreouer certen of these were ouercomen also, and put to death by the Pope. I aunswer, that as men they might erre in many thinges: but in those thinges wherin with the Scripture they consente agaynst the See of Rome, I affirme that they erred not, but sayed the trueth. Wherupon it is certaine that Christ ouercame by them. What time Micheas, Helias, Zacharias, Amos, Ieremias and others preached by the worde of God agaynste Idols and worshippers of Idols, they were also condemned for seditioufe and heretikes: yea and certen of them were taken out of the waye: but was the veritie vanquisshed? Antichrist is saied that he shuld haue good fortune, and that he should punish & afflict the strong, and the people of God: but men beyng ministers may be oppressed, the ministerie neuer decayeth. S. Paull sayeth that he is bounden for the Gospels sake, but the Gospel not to be boūden. Therfore hath he ouercomen hitherto, and shall ouercome still, which went forth that he might conquer. They stumble vpō this conquerour as at the stone of offence, who so euer, and [Page 185] what so euer they be, whiche seke to interrupte the playne course of the Gospell.
Moreouer what time the seconde seale should be opened the seconde beast,The secōd seale is opened. to witte the Ore or Calfe exhorteth agayn S. Iohn to attentiuenes, and that we should consider what is propoūded vnto vs. And now cometh forth the red horse, whose coulour is somwhat like fire: there sitteth also on him a rider, to whom power is geuen to disturbe peace in earth, and that menne should kill one an other. For there is geuen him a great sword. The red horse signifieth ye state of warres,Calamitie of warres. ful of fire and bloud. He that sitteth on this horse is Mars, or rather the father of lies, I meane the Deuil, whiche was a murtherer from the beginnyng. He gathereth to him the dregges of men to make ciuile commotions, for the warres, destruction, firyng, slaughter, and desolation. You see from whence the breakyng of peace is, whych God hateth. And we heare howe it is geuen him: Marke geuen, by the iuste iudgement of God to be permitted, that troublyng al peace, he should take it away, and set menne together by the eares, that one maye wounde and kil an other. For so we reade in the .1. of Iob, howe Sathan had power geuen him of God agaynst Iob. Vnto blouddy soldiours is geuen a great sword, great power to hurte, a wonderfull force of fighting: As also Nahum expoundeth it. Nother is it a rare thinge in the scriptures for Monarkes, tirannes, and mightie men of warre to be called, a sworde. For so Ezechiel called Nabuchodonosor: and Esaye called Sinacherib king of Assyrians a whetstone.
And the chiefest rightuousenes is,God is of good thī [...]s the deui [...]l authour of euill. to geue euery man his owne. Therfore this place doeth iustely ascribe that which is good vnto God, and that whiche is euill to the Deuill. But, thou sayest, if God permitte, the same that he doeth not prohibite he doeth. He prohibiteth not warre, for because iustice wil not suffer him so to doe: but he cōmaūdeth him by warre to punish the wicked, and to trie the good: but in permittyng warres God offendeth nothinge, seyng that for moste iuste causes he permitteth the same. For they would not imbrace peace offered them by the preachers of the Gospell, therfore were they worthy to be intangled with warres. The Iewes knew not the daye of Christes visitation, therfore were they [Page 186] worthely visited of the Romanes and distroyed: And this thing is in the world perpetuall, that they that wil not obeye the Gospell, muste obeye the Captayne of the warres: they that wil not heare christ, must heare Antichrist. Thou mayest not contende with God, whic he doeth this, and permitteth that. Worship God rather, as thou hast ben taught in the .4. and .5. chapt.
Let vs peruse ouer stories, and see and suche warres be not founde, wherin men haue slaine themselues with mutuall woundes, and haue killed one an other like beastes. If you wil reade Herodiane, Orosius, and other good Historiographers, you maye finde that the Romane Emperours haue ben troubled with moste greuouse warres, for none other cause, than that thei refused peace offered to them by the gospell. For none other cause was Rome it selfe at the last taken by the Westgothians, of the Eastgothians burnte and distroyed. The lord had geuē them Christen Princes: but they loued more Idols. For Simmachus gouernour of the citie was so bolde to require a restitution of Idolatrie. I speake nothing now of Athila, nothing of the Persian and Affricane warres. And what time there was a wonderful strife emōgs the Bisshoppes about the supremacie, the Saracenes sprang vp and became mightie. After the Thousande yere beganne the holy warre, whiche as it was most bloudy, so was it of longest continuance. Neuer any suche warre was made in al the world. Boniface the .8. instituted firste the yere of Iubiley, a moste wicked manne, who also did exhibite him selfe to be sene of the people both Pope & Emperour. But the same yere of a thousand and three hondreth, wherin he did these thinges, arrose vp in Asia the whippe or scourge of God Ottoman, the original of themperours of Turkes which reigne at this daye. For so when Salomon buylded places of Idolatrie, his enemies sprang vp, which wonderfully vexed and afflicted the kingdom of Salomon. What warres are made now a dayes, and what be the causes of warres, al wise men do see. We wil not receaue the peaceable gospel: It is reason therfore, that the Turkissh Armies should inuade vs, that we maye both fele Antichrist to be a stoute warriour, and maye al abhorre and deteste him.
But what other thing remayneth here, than that beyng conuerted to God through Christ, we maye serue the lord in syncere fayth, and holy puretie? for except we conuerte, the are is layde at the tree roote, &c.
¶ Here is opened the .iii. and .iiii. Seale, and is declared what the world shall suffer of honger and Pestilence. The .xxxi. Sermon.
ANd when he opened the thirde Seale, I hearde the thirde beaste saie: come and see. And I behelde and lo, a black horse: and he that sate on him, had a paire of Balaunces in his hande. And I hearde a voyce in the middes of the foure beastes say: A measure of wheate for a penny, and three measures of barley for a peny: and oyle and wine see thou hurte not.
And when he opened the fourth Seale, I hearde the voice of the fourth beast saye: come and see. And I loked, and beholde a pale Horse, and his name that sate on him was Death, and Hell followed after him, and power was geuen vnto them ouer the fourth parte of the Earth, to kyll with sworde, and with honger, and with death of the beastes of the Earth.
Christ exalted aboue all thinges,A repetitiō and Lord of all in heauen and in earth, openeth the seales of the boke diuine, that is to witte disposeth and gouerneth with great rightuousnes the ordenaunces and iudgementes of God: and firste in dede he geueth a prosperouse course to the preaching of the gospell, sendyng alwayes faythefull ministers preachyng the Gospel of the kyngdome of God, peace, and concorde. But for asmuche as euyll men do contemne the Euangelical peace, [Page 188] they are certenly worthy to be molested with cruell warres. Therfore the lambe openeth the second seale, and there rushe out cruel warres, slaughters, seditions and robberies.
Attention.But before the thirde Seale is opened, the thirde beast resemblyng ye countenaunce of man, exhorteth vs to take most diligent hede: that when we see these thinges come to passe whiche are here spoken of before, we shoulde consider from whence they come, and for what causes they are sente, and that they maye be tourned away by dewe repentaunce. Certen referre these thinges absolutely to chaunce and fortune, some agayne to the naturall causes, of God, and the diuine operation no respect had at al: Where we knowe that God vseth natural causes after his good wil and pleasure. Let vs watch therfore, loke and consider, and know that the rightuouse God worketh al thinges for the saluation of the chosen, and the ouerthrowe of his enemies. That blacke horse with his rider, shewyng a balaunce in his hande, signifieth the vnfortunate or sorrowfull time of scarsetie, famine and penurie of al thinges.The thirde seale is opened. For it is a worthie and a cōdigne punishment, that they that do nothing esteme ye bread of life, nor haue no consideration of the foode of soules, but both reiect it themselues, and by their tirannical proclamations bringe to passe that it is not receiued of others, finally whiche for the bread of life do spoyle the godly of their goodes, and most wickedly waste the same in all kinde of riot, should be driuen to bie thinges necessary at excessiue prices: yea and can not finde things necessarie, but should pine for honger. We know that the black colour is vsed in mourning and heuinesse:The black horse. and that when the fleshe and bloud are consumed for wante of meate, the skinne groweth blacke and euill fauoured: and therefore this horse is blacke.
The rider of this horse holdeth in his hande a balaunce? [...],What zygon is. with two scales hanging at either ende of the beame, which we cal a paire of weightes. Aretas sayeth that a balaunce is a token of right and equitie. For thou hast sitten, sayeth Dauid vpō thy Throne which iudgest rightuousnes: therfore is a balaunce the iudgement of the iust iudgment of God. Aretas hath not alledged these things amisse, howbeit we ought rather to preferre the exposition of S. Iohn him [Page 189] selfe. For a voice is hearde from the middes of the beastes, which expoundeth to vs the ballaunce. For it soundeth, a measureA measure. of wheate for a peny, and thre measures of barly for a peny. And this measured called Choinix, signifieth a diet or dayly meate: as Erasmus hath in his prouerbe, sitte not vpon thy measure. The same in his annotations vpon this place: Choinix, sayeth he, is a measure of wheate, or other breadcorne, which is sufficient for one dayes meate. Budaeus thinketh that it wayeth .iiii. pounde, Pollux. iii. The worde therfore signifieth, that a very little meate shal coste a great price, and yet not to be gotten for monie. Which chaū ceth in the time of famine. What the Romane peny is worth Budaeus sheweth: we vnderstande by it playnly a great price. Therfore two things are signified, scarsitie or derth of corne, and famine. Dearth reiseth the price beyond reason. Famin hath nothing to bie, though he hath neuer so muche monye liyng by him: but hongreth, waunteth, pineth, and at the last miserably, consumeth to naught: wherin verely dearth and famine do differ. The Germanes discerne them by seuerall wordes calling dearth scarsetie, and famine, honger. Yet are they for the most parte indiuisible.
And we reade in the olde storie of the Bible,Darth and famine. that for the contempte of the preaching of Gods lawe, and the bringing in of a straunge kinde of worshipping God, the Israelites in the times of Helias and Helisaeus were most greuousely punished with honger and penurie. These things be plentifully declared in the .3. boke of Kinges the .17. and .18. Chapt. Also in the .4. of Kinges, the .6. and .7. Chapt. Moreouer in the time of the Emperour Claudius, whilest the Apostles preached the Gospel faithfully, and the Iewes and Gentiles stoutely repulsing it, famine moste greuousely afflicted the Romane Empire: whiche thing S. Luke reherseth in the Actes of the Apostles .11. chapt. Which thinges were done in dede before this reuelatiō was to S. Iohn exhibited. Sins that time the Historiographers recite sondry and innumerable famines, dearthes and penuries, in diuerse countries, sent of God for contempte of the trueth. Nauclerus mentioneth of a famine in the yere of our lord. D.xxxix. wherin mothers also deuoured their owne children. What hath chaunced in our memory [Page 190] in those warres of Millan and els where, it is no nede to reherse. They be yet fresshe in memory, and written in the stories of Galeacius Capella. We felt some parte herof also in the yere of our Lorde. M.D.XXIX. and the yeres followyng. The iuste Lord punissheth, and more will punisshe the greate ingratitude, and contempte of his Godly worde: as he did in the destruction of Ierusalem, woulde God it would please the worlde moste blinde, through repentaunce to conuerte vnto God when he punisheth and with free and willing mindes imbrace the worde of veritie: for so should ther be more felicitie and lesse miserie.
God forgetteth not his mercy in punisshyng.Howebeit for a comforte at the ende of this Seale is added, and Oyle and Wine see thou hurte not. He nameth the kindes moste necessarie for the vse of manne, and meaneth, that God doeth mercifully reserue some thinges, that be chiefly necessarie for mans vse, especially for the electes sake, that all should not perishe and pine in generall. Wherby we vnderstande that the lorde forgetteth not his mercy, euen in the middes of afflictiō and plagues that he sendeth. Thus in times paste mindyng to punish Aegipte and other nations with famine, he sent before Ioseph, by whome he might preserue the house of Iacob, and other people innumerable. You see herein most clerely, that it is of God, that sometime the corne is blasted, and the vines and oliues perish: and to be of him, that the corne increaseth, and wine also. So hath he also before protested in the lawe, Leuitic. 26. And Deuteron. 28.
the fourth seale is opened.We are comen nowe to the fourth Seale, at the opening whereof, and to beholde the operation, we are excited of the Egle, the fourth beaste. Of whome we haue spoken before ones or twise. And the pale HorseThe pale horse. commeth forth, in Greke [...], whyche coulour resembleth withered grasse and Herbes. Salomon in the .12. Chapt. of Eccles. calleth the coulour apperyng in dead bodies, and their countenaunces, Golden licour. All Poetes call death Pale. And the rider in dede is expressely called Death. We vnderstande the course of the plage and of all diseases, and euen of death it selfe: whome Hell followeth, that is to saye a pitte or a graue. [Page 191] For Scheol in Hebrewe signifieth a pitte or a graue. But if you will nedes vnderstande it of the place of them that be damned, doubtles they be caried headlong into Hel, so many as here with sickenes consumed, die with out fayth and repentaūce. Therfore hell followeth death rightly. But if thou hadst rather by hel vnderstande, a graue: it signifieth that all shal be ful of coarses and sepulchres.
And that in dede plagues and pestilēces most mortal haue sore afflicted the Romane Empire,Plague & diseases. Orosius is wittenes in his seuenth boke in the Actes of L. Aurel. Verus and Decius Emperours, the most cruell persecutours of our fayth. Euagrius in the .29 Chapter, of the .4. Boke of the Ecclesiast. story telleth of a maruelouse plague that lasted about .50. yeres. And all men knowe with what a pestilence and soden death Italy was wasted in the time of Maurice Emperour. And Gregory bishoppe of Rome. The time would fayle me, in case I would recite out of Histories al the plagues and calamities of all times. What is done at this daye, and hath ben done in our memorie, you your selues knowe beste. There are spronge vp newe diseases, whose names to our elders were neuer knowen. With these euilles and calamities God wasteth the worlde, and euer hath done to the intente that by plagues he might call vs agayne to repentaunce. Thus verely we shall iudge alwayes of calamities. Yf any iudge otherwise, they are not amended, therfore are they punished here, and after this shal burne in perpetual tourmentes.
To these moreouer is added an other thinge also,Foure scourges against the incurable. and power was geuen them, &c. For when menne will not amende with simple Calamities, the euilles or plagues of God are doubled. The same are raccompted in the lyke order and nombre with the Prophetes, Ieremie the .15. Chapt. and Ezechiel in the .14. Chapter. For they be these, Sworde, Famine, Death or Pestilence, and beastes: so are they recited in the Lawe also. With these as it were sent in from the iiii. partes of the world, God most rightuouse executeth his iudgementes.
And let vs obserue this chiefly, that power is geuen thē of God to kil, and that ouer the fourth parte of the Earth. For [Page 192] we learne, that God alone is he that quickeneth, and sleyeth, and that he worketh the same moste iustely by his instrumentes, finally that al his thinges are numbred and done in order. Wherupon he powreth out his furie vpon the thirde parte of the world. For he knoweth, whom he shuld punish, and whom he should nurrishe tenderly.
A [...] misery.Certenly stories testifie, how in desperate matters, when all thinges are brought to an extremitie of mischiefe, God hath brought in sworde, pestilence, famine, & beastes, which haue plaged men. And ful aptly here doeth Aretas recite the wordes of his predecessour S. Andrew, Bisshop of Cesaria out of the Eccles. story of Eusebius, in the .9. boke .8. chapt. And verely with in the fiue hōdreth last yeres, Historiographers tel of many suche like thinges, and we haue sene some.
Therfore if we couet to be quitte of so great euilles, let vs serue God in trueth, annd make muche of his worde, which he hath sent to heale vs. And reason it is that such as reiecte soūde doctrine, should be vexed with sondry diseases of soule and body, &c.
The good are also subiecte to these euils.You wil saye, but these euilles inuade also the best that is. So they doe in dede. Whie God permitteth this S. Austen sheweth at large in the first boke of the citie of God. Certenly to the godly al thinges tourne to the best. The theues suffered the same death of the crosse, that Christ did, and he as they: but the consideration of them is farre diuerse. The apostles and innumerable Martirs dye of the sworde, likewise do soldiours in the warres, but with vnlike lot. The Godly are made pertakers of the passion of the sonne of God. The vngodly are punisshed for their wickednes, and their sufferyng is without glory: yea rather this is the begynning, vnlesse thei acknowledge him that striketh them, of euerlasting tourmentes, The Lorde preserue vs from euyll.
¶ The fifth Seale is opened, and the persecution of the faythfull set before our eyes, and also the state of Martirs in an other world. The .xxxij. Sermon.
ANd when he had opened the fifth seale, I saw vnder the Aultar, the soules of them that were killed for the worde of God. And for the testimony whiche they had, and they cried with a lowde voice saiyng: howe long tariest thou, lorde, whiche arte holy and trewe, to iudge, and to auenge our bloud on them that dwel on the earth? and long white Garmentes were geuen vnto euery one of them: and it was sayed vnto them, that they should reste for a little season, vntil the nombre of their felowes and bretherne, and of thē which shuld be killed as they were, were fulfilled.
The fifte Seale beyng opened of the lambe, he exhibiteth to our eyes, or rather obiecteth to be sene the continuall persecutions of the churche: and sheweth vnto vs diligently, what is the state of them whiche die in persecutions. Verely the Lorde Christ sendeth forth ministers and preachers for the saluation of men. And they vnthankefull, ouerwhelme with al kinde of iniuries the faythefull messengers of God, and at length most cruelly slaye them. Of the whiche matter sins the talke of men emonges themselues is diuerse, the very sonne of God at this present doeth gallauntly instructe his church, declaryng what the godly shal suffer.
And first in expounding the same,Of the persecution of the church. we shal speake generally of the persecutions, wherwith aswell the ministers, as all the faithful church also, is diuersely exercised. The lord Christ hath shewed vs before in the Gospel many things touching the persecutions to come verely that he mighte prepare the mindes of all the faithful to battell and patience. The places be in the .10. and .24. of Matthew: In the .12. and .21. of Luke: in the .14.15. and .16. of Iohn. And also the actes of the Apostles tel of many thinges, whiche the godly suffered in that most holy primitiue Church, should he haue ben thought to haue [Page 194] ben well in his wittes, if any mā than should haue saied: he [...] of it appereth, that thapostolical church, is not the church, for that it is subiect to al the mockeries, iniuries and slaughters of al men? whie than doe we not acknowledge at this daye, that they are fowly disceaued, which measure the church by the outwarde peace and tranquillitie of thinges? Paulus Orosius in the .7. boke of histories raccompteth ten greuouse persecutions, reysed agaynst the church frō the time of the Apostles vntil themperour Cōstantine: which time did not fully accomplish the space of .ccc. yeres. The first was stired vp by Nero, a monstrouse man, wherof also Tacitus mentioneth in his Chronicles. This same rid out of the waie Peter & Paul, the most holy? Apostles of Christ. The seconde destruction of the church brought in Domitian, which in the same his persecutiō most greuously afflicted both this our S. Iohn, and the whole churche also: and when he was brought to Rome, banished him into the Ile of Pathmos. The thirde raysed Traiane, wherof Plinie gouernour of Asia maketh mentiō in the 10. boke of Epistles. In this was Ignatius an holy Bishoppe cast and deuoured of wilde beastes. And M. Antoninus verut molested the church with the fourth persecution, & consumed with fire Polycarpus a bishop most worthie. Septimus Seuerus moued the fifte persecution, which Eusebius pourseweth in the .6. boke of the Ecclesiastical story. Iulius Maximinus killed Pamphilus martir, and Sextus raged cruelly againste the church. And Decius Traianus beganne the seuenth persecution, and executed very many that professed Christ. And Licinius Valerian Emperour beheaded S. Cyprian the good Bishoppe of Carthage, and was the eight persecutour of the churche, Aurelianus verius began the .ix. persecution, whiche he but litle auaunced, for God most iuste toke him away immediately. But Diocletian and Maximian shed more christen bloud, thā any other of the Romane Emperours. Reade I praye you the beginning of the .8. boke of the Eccles. story of Eusebius. Compare those things with our time, and iudge and coniecture what will shortely come to passe, and what our state will be. Persecutions are agayne renewed after Constantine, vnder Constantius and Iulian. But the moste terrible and greuouse of all haue boyled vp vnder Antichrist, [Page 195] and haue indured nowe by the space of fiue hondreth yeres and more. What is done at this daye, al the world seeth. The grounde is wete with the bloud of Martirs. Which things S. Iohn foresawe.
And the causes of persecutionThe causes of persecution. do arrise partely of the gouernement of Christ, whiche openeth here the fifte Seale: and partely of menne. The Lord sendeth vnto his the Crosse and fire, to quicken suche as are slowe, and to make those cleane that are couered with ruste, and maye fine the corrupte Golde. For so the Scripture defineth in the .11. chapt. of Daniel, and the Apostle .1. Peter. Chapter .4. Christe therfore not to distroie, but to trie, permitteth very many things to Tirannes agaynst the Church. The godly men also procure to themselues the heauy hande of the Lorde, whilest in dede they beleue rightly in the sonne of God, and depende only of him: but neuerthelesse are intangled with sondry and euill affections, and committe suche actes as not becometh them. This maye you see declared at large in the beginnyng of the eight boke of the Ecclesiastical story of Eusebius, whiche I lately alledged. And the Tirannes that persecuted had an other respect: as Sinacherib and Antiochus, than our Bisshoppes and Princes haue at this daye. For these nowe are moued with the hatred of Religion, and are pricked forewarde of Sathan. They will haue in any wise their Idolatrouse religion mainteyned, and the religion of the Gospell vteerly distroyed. They can not abide to haue their Idolles or other sinnes reproued: for this cause are they mad at the faithfull and suche as frankely speake agaynst & blame ther Idolles and wickednes. And thus doeth the persecutiō arrise, boyle vp and procede.
The whiche when the faithfull see increase thus,Mutining in persecution. and fele themselues sore oppressed, they maruel, howe longe the lord wil winke at this. Many crie out, the Lorde neglecteth his matters. The Lorde semeth to deale vniustely with his seruauntes he semeth vtterly to forget them. Neither is there any doubte but that many by murmuryng offende the Lord greuously. Now therfore are we taught, that we might haue hope and patience.
And at this present Heauen is opened to vs, and shewed [Page 196] vs to beholde,The sum of such thīgs as are opened to vs in this seale. where as be the soules of them that are slaine in persecutions, and what is their state is declared: morouer, that God forgetteth not to be reuenged: whie also he differreth the same and how long. These thinges are spoken to the consolation of al the faithful, that are now afflicted with persecutiō. Farre other thinges are exhibited here vnto vs, than painters instructed or rather corrupted of with monkes and Freres set forth to vs: to wit a great company of Monkes and Nunnes couered in Heauen with our ladies coule, as though the greatest parte of them should be saued. S. Iohn sheweth vs neuer a Frere, but rather many martirs, whom the Freres at this daye make before other men. Herof therfore, as of the doctrine of veritie we shal learne, what state or degree is most plentifull in heauē, not that we should thinke no man but only Martirs to be saued (for so many as truely beleue in Christe, and crucifie their fleshe with the concupiscences of the same, shal be associated with holy Martirs, and reioyse with Christ for euer) but that chiefly the holy Martirs are saued, whome the madde world supposeth to be lost.
Soules seperated frō the body be immortal.But al thinges here must be examined of vs most diligētly. For this place as it is most manifeste, so is it ful of moste holesome doctrines. First S. Iohn seeth, and sheweth vs as it were poynting with his fingar, the soules, & that of those that were slaine, to wit the spiritual & immortal substaunces, which the body beyng lost and consumed do remaine a liue. The body may be killed, the soule can not be killed. Whiche our Sauiour hath liuely expressed in the .10. of Matth. In the 12. of Luke, he sayeth: be not affrayde of them which sleye the body, and after this haue nothing that they can do more, &c. Therfore tirānes might wel kil the bodies of Martirs, they had no power ouer their soules. This place witnesseth manifestly, the soules of men not only to be immortall, but also liuing or watcheful, not slepyng to remayne & liue in Heauē. For there be that thinke the soules departed from the body to slepe:The cause maketh martyrs, not the punishment. which thing is most vayne.
Nowe also the cause is shewed for the which the Martirs are slayne: for the worde of God, and for the testimony that they had: they were not put to death for their wickednes or euill doynges, but for the trewe religion, wherby they confessed [Page 197] and preached that word of God, which was in the beginning, and was made fleshe: and the Gospell which they had committed vnto them, the testimony of God and eternal life, which also thei ministred and preached. Of the word of God and testimony of Iesu Christ I haue spoken in the first Chapt. For no other cause at this day are slaine innumerable of Bisshoppes, kinges and princes. Yf they were aduouterers, vsurers, blasphemers, & wicked doers, they shuld be in some estimation: nowe where they professe the onely sonne of God, and preache the Gospell, they are murthered without mercy. Here haue we also certenly defined, who be very Martirs in dede, not they that suffer tourmentes: but they that are tourmented for gods word. For the cause maketh the Martir.
But where are the soules of them that are slayne for the word of God shewed vnto vs? vnder the Aultar,Where the place is of the soules slayne for gods word the Aultar is after in the .8. chapt. set in heauē, before the throne of God. Therfore the soules of al Sainctes are in Heauen, before the Throne of God, which was also signified before in the Tipe of the .xxiiii. Elders. The Lord hath sayed also, where I am, there shalbe also my seruaunt. But the lord is in heauē: therfore the soules of the faithful, whose bodies haue ben slayne,The souls vnder the Aultar. or buried without slaughter, be no where els but in Heauen. Neuerthelesse it waunteth not a singular misterie, that they are layed vnder ye Aultar, as vnder a shadow, through whose benefite the soules may be wel at ease. I told you before, and here againe repete, that the aultar signifieth Christ. For he is also the golden aultar, intercessour, and propiciation for our sinnes. For the propiciation and mediation of Christ we are receiued into the Ioyes celestial. And Christ is our life & saluatiō. Vnder him we lie hidde, as vnder a couer or a shadow. Thomas of Aquine expounding this place of S. Iohn: by the aultar, sayeth he, is signified Christ, in whom and by whome we should offer to the father, what good so euer we doe: and through him is made acceptable, what so euer is pleasaunte to God. Vnder this Aultar, namely vnder christ, be ye soules, not only in the state of life, (to witte whilest we liue here in earth) but also in the state of our countrie (to wit in heauē) as vnder him of whome they are couered, as vnder a shadowe [Page 198] agaynst all euill. Thus sayeth Thomas. But I suppose that there is an other thing also signified, that martirs are made confourmable to the Aultar, that is to the passion of Christ, and therfore to reste now vnder the Aultar Christ. For they that are pertakers with him in passion, doe cōmunicate also with him in glory.The aulter and bosom of Abrahā. For like as the bosome of Abrahā, is called a receptacle, and that porte and hauon of Saluatiō, into the whiche the soules of thē are receiued, which had the faith of Abraham: so do we vnderstande the aultar to be a place of blessednes in heauen, wherin they rest, which with true faith haue acknowledged Christ the aultar, propiciation, sanctification and satisfaction: and haue moreouer in suffering offered them selues to God in Christ, through patience, an acceptable sacrifice to God. Vnder this Aultar was gathered the first martyr Abel: and after as many as haue died for religiō, and shal begathered, who so euer in bearing the crosse: through tribulation enter with Christ into glory.
The saītes crye vnder the Aulter.Now is also declared what they do vnder the Aultar. The very martirs I saye, crye, not the beastes, as they haue done hitherto: and they crie out with a lowde voyce. No man shal Imagine, that the blessed soules in Heauen doe complayne, be sorowfull, doe accuse and be troubled. These thinges are fayned to an other ende, to the intent we should gather therof, that God forgetteth not his, that he putteth not out al reuengement, that he seeth, feleth, and regardeth the iniuries and deathes of his seruauntes. Where the vengeaunce followeth not immediately, God is thought of many to slepe, and to haue no respect vnto his. We heare therfore, that the holy Martirs crie, and that with a lowde voyce. He appereth to haue alluded to that same in the .4. of Genesis. The voyce of thy brothers bloud crieth vnto me, to witte for vengeaunce.Crying sinners. For the Diuines call certen sinnes criyng, as those whiche are red in the Scriptures to crie vnto God, as is at this present the shedyng of bloud: the sinne of Sodome, in the .9. of Genes. the oppression of widowes and orphanes, in the .22. of Exodus, wages for worke deteyned, Deuteron. 24. and Iames the .5. How longe so euer therfore God differreth vengeaunce be it neuer so many yeres, yet is not the bloud [Page 199] of the iuste forgotten before God. S. Paule in the .12. to the Hebrewes crieth out and sayeth, that the bloud of Abell speaketh. In the .18. of Luke the Lord sayeth, that the afflicted do crie bothe daye and nighte for deliueraunce. Would God they would wayegh these thinges, whose feete are swifte to shede bloud. God would not in times paste be mercifull to his people, for that much innocent bloud was shed emonges them by the meane of Manasses theyr kinge: as appereth in the .4. boke of Kinges. Therefore dere bretherne let vs consider wel at this daye, what we doe, and let vs not shede rashly innocent bloud.
Certenly the wordes are expressed of S. Iohn,Whether ye Saincts in heauē desire vēgeāce whiche the Martirs cried to the Lorde: howe longe, saye they, Lord, whiche arte holy and trewe, &c. They put God in remembraunce, not as ignoraunt, or inconstaunt, but as knowyng, and moste stedfastely mindefull of holines and trueth. For in asmuche as the Lorde is holy, he hateth all prophane and vncleane persones, and spareth them not. For as muche as he is true, he maynteyneth and defendeth his chosen, and punnissheth and oppresseth his enemies as he hath promised by his worde. Sins therefore thou arte suche, saye they, O God, why doest thou not iudge, and auēge our bloud, of them which in earth, as in their kingdome exercise tiranny, and oppresse euery good man? Al this signifieth none other thing, than that God for his owne sake, whiche is holy and true, will neuer forget the iniuries of his seruauntes. Therefore we vnderstande these thinges to be spoken by a figure called Prosopopeia: that is the fayning of a persone: not that the Sainctes in Heauen do expostulate with God, but that we by suche a figure might vnderstande that God hath care of Martirs, because he is holy and true. S. Austen in the .68. question vpon the newe Testamente: Seynge the Lorde, sayeth he, hath taught vs to praye for our enemies, what is the cause that the soules of those that are slayne crye out as doeth the bloud of Abell, and require that they maye be auenged? And he maketh aunswer: Sainctes be not impatient, that they should vrge that thing to be done now, which they know shal come to passe in the time prefixed, which neither can be preuented, nor yet delayed: but by this saying he [Page 200] woulde shewe, howe God will auenge the bloud of his seruauntes, leest bycause he semeth now so patient, that wicked warre shuld be thought vnpunished, which is made against the Sainctes: that both he might driue a feare into them that persecute the seruauntes of God, and might also exhorte the sufferers vnto patience. Thus sayeth he. And this in dede semeth the playnest sense of al others, especially if we consider the things that follow in the lordes aūswer, and it was sayed vnto them that they should rest, &c.
Primasius Bishop of Vtica expoundyng this place of S. Iohn,Sainctes, not incensed with carnal vnderstāding. it is not to be thought, saieth he, that the Sainctes are incensed with a carnall vnderstanding and stoutenes to be auenged, sins we knowe that through the aboundaunce of charitie the very enemies are of thē also in this case beloued: but it is euident that they prayed agaynst the kingedome of sinne, and to haue ernestly desired the other thinges of that kingdom, wherof we saye, thy kingdome come. For it is not lawful, to thinke that they woulde couet any thinge agaynst the pleasure of God, sins their desires depende vpon his wil, &c. And S. Gregory: what is it, sayeth he, that ye soules make request of reuengement, but that they desire the laste daye of iudgement, and the resurrection of bodies slayne? Aretas noteth here also out of the commentaries of S. Andrew bishop of Cesaria: moreouer the Sainctes appere hereby to wisshe for the ende of the worlde. Wherfore they are commaunded patiently to abide, vntill the accomplishement of their bretherne,Hebr. 11. leest they should be fulfilled with out them, after the holy Apostle.
Vēgeaūce is desired two waiesHowbeit Thomas of Aquine in the exposition of the Apocalipse sheweth yt vengeaunce is required of god two waies. First in dede with an euil and malliciouse affectiō, which the Scripture doeth vtterly represse. Secondely by a Zeale of rightuousnes, and after the wil of God is iudgement required agaynst them that be vncurable. After he annexeth this: therfore do the blessed soules require vengeaūce of their enemies, albeit they intende it not chiefly, bicause of a Zeale of rightuousenes, and affection of godly loue they grudge, as also doeth god him self at the wickednes of the persecutours, who impugne God him self, and seke to hinder his religion, [Page 201] and tourment suche as worshippe him, wherfore they would haue their mallice and power at an ende. Thus farre he. But where as the Scripture euery where agreably witnesseth, that the sainctes in heauen are free from greues & affections, and to liue nowe a newe life moste farre from all payne and perturbatiō, and that they haue submitted their willes to the will of God, whom they maye followe in al thinges, approuyng all his iudgementes, saiynges and doynges, yea and reuerencing the same: I suppose we nede not to reason more subtily hereof at this present, but simply to vnderstande, that by this figuratiue speache (as criyng is also els where attributed to the bloud of martirs shed) is signified, that the bloud of the oppressed shal neuer be forgotten of God, and that before him the iuste iudgement and vengeaunce is prepared, to be executed in his time against the enemies and cōtemners of God: but chiefly agaynst the persecutours of the worde, and the murtherers of Sainctes. Which thing is more fully declared by this that followeth.
For by the same that followeth such aūswer was made to the complaincte of Martirs,What was aunswered to ye martirs requiringe vengeaunce. that we may vnderstand what is the state & glory of sainctes in heauen, which haue offered their bodies for the Testament of God: and that God hath not forgottē the bloud spilte: but that he wil at length requite those bloud sheders when he seeth time. But where he hath reserued this time to him self, when he wil rewarde the bloud suckers, it is not our parte to inquire curiousely therof: but rather to be in a readines, that if he will that we also should suffer for the Testimony of Iesus Christ, we should runne spedely and cherely through afflictions vnto glory doubting nothing, but that we shall be ioyned to the blessed Martirs, in heauen, and that the iuste iudge in that daye wil render to al the enemies ol God, the Churche, and Gods worde, after their demerites. And albeit the time of persecution doe seme a world to the flesh: yet is it here, and els where in the scriptures called shorte.The state of soules in heauē is moste happy. But these thinges muste be sene and considered by partes.
First doubtles the state of soules in heauen is in al things most fortunate. The which is figured by the white garmēts. For the glory of ye blessed is signified, that are nowe in light, [Page 202] and fele nothinge of darkenes, of this garmente I haue spoken before. And it is sayd expressely, and white garments are geuen to euery one of them. For euery soule receiueth his rewardes: And the body also at thend of the world shal receiue his owne garmente. S. Gregory? Saintes as yet, sayeth he, haue the fruition only of the blesse of the soules: but in thend of the world, they shal receiue two stoles or garmentes, for with the perfecte ioye of the soules they shall be clothed also wyth the incorruption of bodyes. Hereof shall be reasoned more dilligently about thende of the .vii Chapter. where this place shal be declared more at large. After it was sayde to the blessed soules ( [...]) that they should rest. Therfore they be altogether in quiet, and fele no perturbation, whiche in the .xii. Chapter. shall more plainely be declared. Notwythstanding that it may be referred to delay and breathinge, as though he should haue sayd. It was signifyed to the soules, that they should yet differ and abyde. For it followeth: yet a lytle whyle. Therfore God signifyeth, that after a little tyme he wyl delyuer hys, and punnishe the aduersaryes.
The tyme of persecutiō is shortAnd the noting of the time semeth to be taken of the .2. Chapt. of Abacuk, whiche place is also alledged of the Apostle in the .11. to the Hebrew. For yet a little while, for bicause he that shall come, wil come, and wil not tary. And the iust shal liue of his faith, &c. In the .26. of Esaye we reade these wordes (after he hath shewed the resurrection to come, and the laste ende of the worlde) goe therefore my people, and enter into thine inner chābers, and shut thy dores after thee, hide thee a litle while, euen for a momente, till the indignation be past. And likewise S. Peter called all this time of affliction vnto the iudgement, a shorte time, that we mighte take comforte therin .1. Peter .1. And .2. Peter .3.
To these also is ioyned an other thing, whiche more fully accomplissheth the time, till three fellowes and bretherne were fulfilled, whiche should also be slayne for the worde of God. Therfore let vs no more herafter inquire, when persecution shal haue an ende? or whie the Lorde differreth vengeaunce, and howe longe? For we heare that the numbre of the electe muste be accomplisshed. But where that time is knowen to God alone, lette not vs be curiouse: but lette vs [Page 203] thinke of suche thinges as concerne our dewetie, that if the case so require, we maye also die strongly for the Testament of our Lorde God, that we maye be associated to our bretherne, and our fellowes, and haue the fruition of the blessed sight of our redemer. The numbre shal be accomplisshed in the ende of the world, at the last iudgement. Hitherto therfore shal last the persecution: but than assuredly wil the Lord requite it, as also the Prophet Malachie hath wittenessed, in the .3. and .4. chapter.
Hereof we learne also,What we should iudge of ye saintes ī heauē what we shoulde iudge of the holy Martirs in Heauen, and blessed soules: the same that we learne here of Gods worde. Bretherne and [...], fellowe seruauntes (as also Aungelles, in the .19. and .22. of the Apocalipse) they are expressely called, not Lordes and founders. For although the wordes muste be vnderstande of vs yet liuyng, yet is there a relation. For if we be theyr bretherne and fellowe seruauntes, they be verely our bretherne also, and Gods seruauntes with vs, and euen fellowe seruauntes. Now though we graunt that they praye in Heauen, what I praye you praye they here, but that God would auenge and punnisshe? and what doe they obteyne? As we reade that Christe sayed to his mother, requiryng wine at the mariage, womā what haue I to do with thee? my houre is not yet comen: so likewise are the Martirs here cōmaunded to tary & abide the time of God appoincted. The which we beleue that the Sainctes doe. What can we saye than of their intercession and praying for sinners vnto God? there is one only mediatour geuen, euen the Lorde Christe, let vs goe vnto him in al our necessities, he alone shal suffice al, and in all.
These thinges are spoken hitherto of the persecutions of al times, so that in the meane time they haue ministred most comfortable consolations to all that suffer persecution to the ende of the worlde: and haue likewise cutte of curiouse questions, and sette vs saue and whole in the will of God, wherein we only restynge, maye knowe that the same is best for vs.
It behoueth vs therefore to gather certen sure saiynges, [Page 208] wherwith to comfort our selues as with the moste certayne sentences of God pronounced. First, that God is trewe and iuste: and therfore not to neglecte his, but to tender with fatherly care. And if he caste vs into any daunger or difficultie, the same verely shall tourne the godly to great profit. Yf he shal take vs awaye by tourmentes, that he deliuereth vs frō euilles, from miseries, and corruption of this world, and rendereth for the same euerlastingnes. Secondly it is certen sins that God is iuste and trewe, that he will requite the wicked after theyr desertes. Agayne if he make menne fortunate in this worlde, that the same in dede apperteyneth to their destruction. Where he is slowe to punish, that is done through Gods long suffering: but that God recompenseth this slownes with the weightines of the punisshement, in case they be incurable. Where as these thinges vndoubtedly are moste certayne, what remayneth there, but that we shoulde committe our selues and al ours to the Lord our God? He knoweth the time and meane wherby to auenge his, and to plague his enemies. To him be glory for euermore. Amen.
¶ The sixte seale is opened, and the corruptyng of the sincere doctrine is exhibited. The .xxxiij. Sermon.
ANd I sawe, when he had opened the sixte seale, and beholde there was a greate earth quake. And the Sunne was as blacke as a sacke cloth made of heere: and the Moone waxed euen as bloud: and the starres of Heauen fel vnto the earth, euen as a figge tree casteth from her her figges when she is shaken of a mightie winde: and Heauen vanished awaye as a scroll when it is rolled together.
The sixte seale opened of the lambe,Corruptīg of ye sound doctryne in the church. openeth vnto vs generally, and setteth forth to be sene of the eyes of all men, the corruption of the doctrine in the church, with this mourning & terrible effecte of the same. Nother is there any other thing sayed here in the sixt seale, as also in the fiue fourmer seales, than that which was prophecied before of the same our lord Iesus Christ in the .24. of Matth. that the Gospell should be preached through out the world: and how there should come warres, famines, pestilences, & persecutions most greuouse: and false prophetes, whiche should disceaue men, whom also they should drowne in moste greuouse sorrowes.
Neuerthelesse these thinges must religiousely be expounded. For it is not to be thought,Chryste is not author of ye corrupt doctrine. for that the lambe openeth the sixte seale, and the Sonne by and by waxeth blacke, that Christ is authour of the corrupte & euill doctrine. For Christ it is, that soweth in the fielde good sede, the hostile man soweth darnell: As the Lord him self expoundeth it Matth. the .13. For Christe teacheth sownde doctrine by the Apostles and sincere preachers: which whē it semeth vile to the world and can not please, of his iuste iudgement he leaueth the contemners to their affections, and as the Apostle S. Paull sayeth,2. Thess. 2. he sendeth vpon them the efficacitie of illusion, that they may beleue lies, and so maye be iudged all whiche had rather beleue a lie than the veritie. And the seducing through corrupte doctrine, is a more hurteful euill, than are the blouddy persecutions. Yea and the seducers and false prophetes haue done more hurte to the churche, than haue cruell tirauntes. Finally men are more greuousely punished what time they are relinquisshed to be seduced of disceauers, than when they are obiected to be torne in pecs of their murtherers. Therfore is it a most greuouse plague of god, and vtterly to be abhorred, for the simple veritie dispised, to be deliuered to liyng disceauers, which after the demerites maye, with reuerence be it spoken, al to be shite, and be pisse thee. For where the gospell is purely preached vnto many, these men saye, I vnderstand not what these men teache vs out of the Gospell: but this I can see that the olde haue all to be rayde vs, and these newe bothe to be pisse and beshite vs. Therefore shalt thou haue teachers, which shal perfourme to thee in dede the same that [Page 206] thou talkest. Would God we waunted examples: and did not see certen nations, which haue here tofore had the free & pure preaching of the gospel, and now spoiled of al veritie, to sigh vnder the pleasure and boldenes of most wicked disceauers, whiche treade Gods worde vnder fote, and condemne it for heresie, and stoppe the mouthes of the wretched people ful of mans dunge. This is the punishment of the veritie dispised.
The deprauatiō of ye doctrine in ye church.And this place maye not be expounded of one certen age, sins as yet things are rehearsed in general: but of that whole time, which reacheth from the age of the Apostles vnto the laste iudgement. It conteineth therfore the corrupte doctrine of Valentine, Marcion, Manichaeus, Arius, Macedonius, Nestorius, Eutyches, Donatus, Pelagius, Priscillians, and finally of all Heretikes, and the mingle mangle of Mahomet composed of the same, and chiefly the sophistrie and moste corrupt doctrine of Antichrist and of his ministers.
But what time the lambe opened the sixte seale, there was not hearde now as before the voyce of the Beastes, Elders, or Martirs, but a terrible earthquake. An earthquakeAn Earthquake. in the Scriptures doeth signifie a wonderfull commotion of all thinges, troubles tumultes, and greate alterations. And verely greater darkenes arriseth of nothing els, than by alteryng of Godly religion, and receyuyng of wicked doctrine. For so arrise sectes, seditions, warres. You maye see many examples hereof in the story of the auncient people, whiche are redde to haue ben greuously shaken, so ofte as they haue chaunged theyr religion and kynde of doctrine. By this Earthequake therefore is signified that exceadynge great trouble shal arrise herof, for that a new and a straunge kinde of doctrine should be brought into the world of men amisse incensed.
Authours of tumults & troubles.Here haue you, that you maye aunswere vnto them, whiche impute to the Gospell and to the Preachers thereof what so euer troubles, seditions, and commotions be at this daye in the worlde. Helias hath ones made aunswere for vs, whiche maye serue for all times, the place is in the thirde boke of Kinges .18. Chapter. I haue not troubled Israell, but thou and thy fathers house, whiche haste forsaken God, &c. [Page 207] Hereunto apperteyneth also the story of Ieremie in the .44. Chapter. Where al the euilles that than vexed the wicked are imputed to the sinsere doctrine and to the Prophet Ieremie without cause. Learne here morouer what to aunswer them, whiche saye: it is like, that God hath permitted his Church so many yeres to lie and rotte in errours, &c.
And the corrupte doctrine is described by partes, euen from the toppe to the toe,The sunne waxeth darke. and the effecte also of the corrupte doctrine is annexed. And firste of all the sunne, a planet most bright, not only waxeth darke, but blacke also. And immediatly is added an Image or a parable, [...] like an heery sacke which is wouen or made of heeres or of bristels. The sunne lighteth and geueth life to the worlde. And thorowe Christ, which is the life of the world, we are illumined and quickened. He casteth abroade from him the bright beames of the Euangelicall veritie. And like as Christ is not darkened in him selfe: so nother the veritie of the Gospell, whiche of nature is with out pollution. By reason of the blacke clowdes that ouer ride it, the lighte of the Sunne waxeth black and is impeched: and of the traditions of men, and deprauing of the scripture arriseth darkenes and blackenes in matters of religion. The Gospell of it selfe is bright and hole [...]ome: Christ is lighte, full redemption, helth, and life most perfit. But when menne had rather seke of others doctrine, life, and saluation, than of Christ and his holesome Gospell, moste thicke and grosse darkenesse arrise in the mindes of those menne. For there is establisshed an other doctrine, rightuousenes, intercession, redemption, saluation and life than that of Christ. They that receyue that doctrine,A sacke of heere. seme to haue put on them a shirte of heere whiche pricketh, burneth and vexeth continually. For there is no reste, quietnes, securitie or spirituall pleasure and repaste of corrupte doctrine, but only tediousenes. Christ pure, and sincerely receiued, is to man a ioye vnspeakeable, and a most bright and ioyefull light.
After is added, that the whole moone, not a parte only,the moone is as bloud is become blouddy. For an image is again annexed, as bloud. The moone receiueth light of ye sunne, & is subiect to courses, or chaunges, whilest one while it increaseth, an other while [Page 208] decreaseth, and signifieth the church. The church set vpon the rocke, is not vnstable: but by reason of the variable fortune, is subiecte to moste diuerse chaunces. For now the churche triumpheth, streight wayes beyng oppressed she mourneth: nowe she increaseth in nombre, by and by she is diminished. And the church is lighted of Christ. But whilest the Sunne it selfe is darkened, the moone can not chose but be most obscure. BloudBloud. in the scriptures betokeneth great wickednes, chiefly Idolatry and false worshipping of God. The Lord in the .17. of Leuit. sayeth that he will accompte straunge worshipping for bloud. Therfore when faith and knowledge are darkened in Christes churche, it can not be chosen but that bloud shal arrise in the vniuersal church: that is to witte, the corrupte worshipping of God, which the Lorde estemeth as murther: there must nedes innumerable sinnes and wickednes spring therof. For the liuely doctrine of Christ beyng corrupted, al thinges must of necessitie be most corrupte, and swarme ful of superstitions and iniquities.
To these is added an other thinge, whiche helpeth these thinges that are spoken: starres fal from HeauenStarres fall from Heauen. vnto the earth. Daniel called starres preachers in the .12. chapt. As also S. Peter .2. Peter .2. Therfore do the preachers of churches reuolte from the heauenly doctrine of Christ, brought and reuealed from heauen, and reducyng men to Heauen, and keping them in heauenly conuersation: And receyue earthly, that is the doctrine of men. By the which thing it commeth to passe that both the sunne is obscured and the moone is made blouddy. Starres shine, preachers should set forth to the whole world Christe the trewe light: but this haue they neglected beynge addicte to their owne traditions. To these is also added an Image,The starres fel vpō the yearth. [...], as the figge tree casteth of her figges beyng shaken of a vehemēt winde. Here is signified the corruption of preachers, and that a great numbre of them. For the figge tree was made, to bring forth swete fruictes: so was the ministerie of the worde ordeined for the saluatiō of men. Howbeit the figges did ripe, Therfore they remayne grene or vntimely fruictes. Wherby is signified that the preachers were not ripe in trewe knowledge of Christ: and therfore to [Page 209] be shaken downe with euery winde of doctrine, that bothe they haue admitted and set forth earthly things. The plentie of false teachers is signified to come in that ye vntimely figges fal downe in great plentie.
Of these thinges nowe followeth an other,Heauē v [...] nisheth awaye. and Heauen went awaie, [...], as it were fled out of mens sight and vanisshed awaye. Agayne is added an Image or a similitude [...] like a scrolle folden vp or rolled together. Heauen in the Gospell signifieth many times the kingdome of God. Therefore the kingdom windeth vp it selfe in earth, and the church doeth as it were hide her selfe, not that at the last there should be no church at al (for the churche shal be alwayes vnto the worldes ende) but for as much as in the ende of the world the church shal lie hidde, neyther shal it be thought to be the trewe churche, which is the trewe churche in dede. The letters & wordes are not wipte out of the boke, but are not sene, yea rather are hidde, when it is rolled vp. It is manifest at this daie, what S. Iohn ment by this parable. For al in a maner iudge, that newe starte vp Romish church, to be the trewe church, which in very dede is not the church of Christ: and the church which is the spouse of Christ is iudged to be heretical: therfore is the church wrapped vp and as rolled together. The Lord vnfolde & preserue the same: Amē.
¶ The effecte of corrupte doctrine is expounded, and that the Aungels let that the winde blowe not. The .xxxiiij. Sermon.
ANd al mountaines and Iles were moued out of their places. And the Kinges of the earth, and the great men, and the riche men, and the chiefe Captaynes, and the mightie men, and euery bondeman, and euery free man hidde themselues in dennes, and in rockes of the hilles, and sayed to the hilles [Page 210] and rockes: fal vpon vs, and hide vs from the presence of him that sitteth on the seate, and frō the wrath of the lambe: for the great daie of his wrath is come. And who can indure it?
Chapt. 7. And after this sawe I .iiii. Aungels stand on the foure corners of the earth, holding the foure windes of the Earth: that the windes should not blowe on the earth, nother on the See, nor on any tree.
Hilles and Iles are moued out of their place.Now followeth the effect of the corrupte doctrine in men. And hilles and Ilondes are moued out of their place: wherin is also a respecte had to the earthquake, as though by the earthquake thei were remoued from their place. And mountains and Iles do betoken, realmes, nations and people, so stedfast in faith, that as moūtaines and Iles be immouable, & are not shaken with the stormes of the Sea, so these might seme to be immutable. Neuertheles at the alteration and corrupting of doctrine, they are nowe also remoued out of their place, & quite ouerthrowen. And such as reade Histories shall finde euery where, that such haue ben disceiued by craftes of heretickes, by the power of Mahomet, & by the hipocrisie of the pope, whom you would not haue thought shuld haue bē abused, in so much that whole Cities & Realmes haue cleane reuolted. For seducinge is of efficacitie namely in suche as nowe begin to slippe and slide from the rocke of the church.
They hide them in dennes.And they that beyng shaken, are remoued from the sure foundation, get them into caues and rockes of Hilles. For it is vnpossible, for him that holdeth not Christ wt a sure faithe, to be quiet. For like a raging Sea he is tossed hither and thither. For where as he hath not the sure and certayne maner of life, nother committeth him selfe to be only ruled by the Scriptures, that he might holde the certentie, he is contente to be led of euery one that he meteth with. Wherfore we see them, vnto whom Christ alone is not all, to seke saluation in Pilgrimages, in heremitages, in Monkerie, in more seuere discipline, in satisfactions, and I know not in what other follies, or rather blasphemies. And these in very dede are sayed [Page 211] to hide themselues in dennes and caues of stone. And thinke they may lie hidde safely in them, make satisfaction for their sinnes, and please the Lord.
But in rehersing many kindes of menne,Who hide thēselues so? he compriseth al states in the worlde. For of all sortes of men there haue ben founde not a fewe nor of meane state, whiche haue not taken vpon them the heremiticall and monasticall life, and haue bounden thēselues to a straite kinde of liuyng. Here therfore are rekened vp kinges, [...], greate men or princes, riche men, [...], captaines ouer thousandes or chieftaines, [...], strong or mightie men in this world, bonde mē chiefly, & free men, whom we cal at this daye gentlemen. But howe many kinges & princes and noble gentlemen are set forth to be sene in the churches of Abbeyes, paincted in tables & hanged on trees, whiche haue liued some time a monasticall life?
But entryng into monasteries, woodes, and wildernes,Fall vpon vs Mountayns. and taking vpon them a kinde of straiter life, sondry satisfactions, pilgrimages, and other like disciplines, haue not yet so atteyned to the quietnes of minde: yea they are now more affrayde than they were before, and are fallen into vtter dispayre. For in these things wherin they sought for quietnes, they haue founde none: no, besides Christ there is founde no quiet nor rest. That thing which I saye here, do they vnderstande right well whiche liue in these straytenesse vnder the vnhappie Papistrie. And the wordes whiche S. Iohn reciteth here be of suche as are in greatest distresse, and euen in desperation, where they crye vnto the hilles, fal vpon vs, &c. For so this worde is vsed also with Osee in the .10. Chapter. and with Luke in the .23. Chapt. And herby is signified a conscience most afflicted and most intricated, seyng or perceyuyng no where any comforte or consolation: but couetyng none other thing than present distruction, to the intent to be deliuered from the present euil & intollerable greue of mind. Such a thing is that of Turnus with Virgill in the .10. boke of Aeneidos.
Causes of desperatiō.Morouer the causes of this feare, dispaire and hiding are, the face of him that sitteth on the Throne, the wrath of the Lambe, and for that they perceiue how they can not abide to stande before God in the daie of wrath and gods vengeaūce. Therfore they flee from the face of God, they flee from the Lambe, that they might eschewe the vēgeaunce, if they could escape it. The feare of God is commended to vs in the scriptures, and thei which feare not God are condemned: but the scripture speaketh of a feare ioyned with true faith and loue. For S. Iohn sayeth, loue casteth out feare. Euen so the same Scripture preacheth to vs God as iuste, and sheweth him to be angry with sinne: neuerthelesse declareth him to be benigne and merciful to such as acknowledge their sinnes, and axe forgeuenes, that his only begotten sonne is geuē of God to mankinde, by whose mediation we maye come to the Throne of God, whiche otherwise no man maye atteyne to. It preacheth Christ the sonne of God to be the Lambe, that is a propiciation for the sinnes of the whole worlde: and that the same calleth al vnto him, excludeth no man, but promiseth and offereth vnto al, al things of life and saluation. But where as corrupte Preachers, Freres and popishe Priestes haue forsaken this simple and most pure doctrine, holesome and ful of consolation, shewe that God is like to Rhadamantus a iudge inexorable, and set forth Christ rather as one angrie than fauourable, they doe alienate doubtles the mindes of men from God: that now they maye saye expressely, who is worthie to come into the sight of God? no man shal be saued before this God most seuere, and his sonne a iudge most rightuouse. They tourne them therfore to sundry meanes of saluation thei chouse them mediatours and intercessours by whose mediation, meane and merites they maye redeme to thēselues the fauour of the angry deitie. But sins that with God the only mediation and intercession of the sonne is of force these wretches are disapointed of their pourpos, and at the length fall into that same desperation. When they perceiue that the monastical life, and their merites, cā not stande before God, they flee from the face of God: and tourmented with the prickes of their conscience knowe not what they maye do, whither they maye tourne them, where is the true [Page 213] saluation. Therfore we iudge thē rightly to be most blessed, whiche through Christ acknowledge the father as a father: and through Christ haue accesse to the father, as fauouryng them & louing them: acknoweledging verely in the feare of God their sinnes, but yet with a trewe faith hoping for remission of sinnes, knowyng that they are through Christ reconciled to God the father. The monastical, heremiticall, satisfactoriouse, & pharisaical faction acknowledgeth fully this doctrine, therefore are they tourmented with sorrowes that can not be vttered. If speake not here of the monasteries or Monkes of this our time, in whome we see almost no conscience at al, nor other intent, than to be addicte to Idlenes, voluptuousnes, and to beare rule. In times past were found men ful of conscience, entring into celles and woods, for non other cause, than that they might so be saued. Of suche 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 [Page 214] 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 ye 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 [Page 215] 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. 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 ye 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 [Page 217] 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: yt is to saye, whom alone they yt 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 ye 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 [Page 218] 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 ye 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 ye Seal of ye 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, [Page 219] 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 ye spirit of god, wt 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, ye gospell of your saluatiō, wherin after ye beleued, ye were sealed wt the holy spirit of promesse, &c. These thinges are not diuided. For faith is not without ye 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 ye 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 ye liuing god. In Exod. 12. the postes or dore chekes of ye 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 ye signe waunted faith, beyng vsed of the holy mē of god. For the godly receiueth not ye ordenaūces of god wtout faith. Therfore the same power of Christ preserued the Israelites frō distructiō, which now kepeth ye faithful frō the infectiō of Antichrist. Ezechiel .9. one sealeth ye foreheades [Page 220] of yt 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 ye 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 ye middes therof. And here it is saied, til we seale the seruaūts of our God. Therfore are ye 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 ye 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 [Page 221] 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 nū bre 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 shalbe 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 [Page 222] 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 ye waie is reasoned of ye 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 accō plished. Hereunto I aunswer plainely, that we shal shamefully erre with Papias, Iustine, Ireney, Tertull. and Lactance, and with those that are called Millenaries, vnlesse we iudge here vprightly. I beleue therfore yt the same restoring, wherof the Prophetes speake, muste be diuided into three times: that the first be & so be called historicall, which extendeth frō king Cyrus vnto great Pompey, & the which Ezras, Nehemias, and the Authour of the boke of the Machabeis describe and teache to be fulfilled. The second to beginne at the comming of our Sauiour, and procede vnto Antichrist, and to his distroying, which in dede the Apostles and Euangelistes haue moste diligently described, and wherin they testifie many thinges to be accomplisshed: And that the thirde time should beginne from the gospel restored, and the last iudgment, and continewe foreuermore: whiche restitution verely semeth to be of al other most perfit & complete, wherin God wil geue vnto man most fully, what things so euer he hath promised by the mouthes of the prophetes and Apostles. Hereof hath S. Peter most manifestly made mention in the actes the .3. chapt. saying: it behoueth Christ to take heauen, vntil ye time of restoring of al things, which god hath spoken by ye mouth of al his sainctes frō the time of the prophetes. And the Lord him selfe in the gospel, speaking of the last iudgement, sayed: lifte vp your heades because your redemption draweth nere.
Or happely we may on this wise diuide this matter perauenture more plainely: the restoring of Israel, or of al faithful, is verely either corporall, or spiritual. The corporal maye be called historicall, and was perfourmed by Cyrus, Zorobabel, Iehosua, Ezras, Nehemias and the Machabeis: And the spirituall [Page 223] is fulfilled, or shal be yet accomplisshed by the cōming of our holesome Messias our lord Iesus Christ. And the cō ming of the lorde is of two sortes: the firste in dede is in the flesh, in the which we beleue many things, the Apostles bearing witnes, to haue ben fulfilled of Christe: in the latter he shal come agayne from Heauen into iudgement. In that comyng he shal most fully accomplisshe, such thinges as we see as yet not perfourmed. And doubtles al our hope is herunto referred, and comforted by this comyng. Those thinges that are spoken of the Apostle in the .11. to the Romains of the conuersion of the Iewes, are fulfilled partly, and partely are fulfilled dayly, and as yet shal be fulfilled.
Now we retourne to the plenty of them that shalbe saued and are already saued from the middes of the kingdome of Antichrist, to be declared.Many thousands of Iewes be saued. S. Iohn diuideth the vniuersalitie of man kinde into Iewes and gentiles. Of the Iewes are raccompted an hondreth and fourtie and foure thousande. And after our iudgement, of a thousand Iewes there semeth scarsely one or two to be saued: but where by the testimony of our sauiour him selfe, so great a numbre is saued: there is lefte verely, of this numbre certayne, an infinite multitude of this stifnecked people to be gathered which shal be saued. And they are not saued by the Lawe, or by circumcision, or by their damnable obstinacie: but vp the grace of God in Christ their Messias, the only redemer, reuealed to them of God mercifully, and of them receyued faithfully. For if the thefe on the crosse mighte be saued, nowe leauinge his lyfe, what shal lette, innumerable Iewes to be saued by the same meane? neuerthelesse I will here determine no measure. Neyther will I also by this meane make frustrate the ministerie of the worde and Sacramentes. Howbeit I know the thinges to be trewe, that here are spoken: the measure or maner is knowen to God, neither is there any thing with him vnpossible. And hereunto serueth the Apostles doctrine, in the .11. to the Romains.
You wil saye:If the ende be good, al is good. this doctrine wil make men to neglect their owne Saluacion: where already nowe there are that saye, if the ende be well, then is all well. As though they shoulde haue sayed, how soeuer thou liuest in this world, drowned in [Page 224] pleasures and bloud, and geuen to gloutonny, beleue only at the last ende of thy life, and thou shalt be saued. Doubtles I am not ignoraunt that there be many vncleane hogges and filthie swine, abusing the worde of the veritie and consolation of the Gospell: but shal the abuse of prophane men take awaye the veritie from vs? The childrē of God which know that there is none other propiciation or satisfactiō for sinnes, but the oblation of Christ, cease not therfore to renewe their life dayly by repentaunce.
The godly abuse not gods mercy to ye libertie of sinnynge.Thus although the godly doubte nothing, but that innumerable at the last ende of their life are conuerted and saued of the Lorde, yet do they not abuse this mercy of God to the libertie of the flesh, but are affraied. For ther be other places diuerse, which reteyne them in order and duety. For the lord sayeth: thou arte made hole, go and sinne no more, leest some worse thing happen to thee. Item, let vs do good whilest we haue time: the time will come, when we can not worke. The parable of ten virgins declareth vnto vs the same. Also if the iuste shall vnneth be saued, where shal the sinner and wicked appere? moreouer tempte not the Lord thy God. And innumerable others of like sorte. And when the Sainctes shall haue all their life time demeaned themselues blamelesse in the rightuousenes of God, yet in the laste time of theyr life thei trust not to ye same, but to God his mere mercy through Christ. They remember alwayes howe greuousely he was rebuked in the Gospel, first in dede he, that inuied the good lucke of him that laboured with him in the vineyarde, for that he had receyued so muche wages, coming into the vineyarde about the laste houre of the daye, as he had receyued that had laboured al daie long, and agayne the thriftie sonne, for that he was sory that his wastefull and prodigall brother was receyued agayne of his father, & a feeste also made him, and for him that was alwaies obedient, and toke paynes cō tinually, no such thing was prepared.
Innumerable people of al parts of ye world are saued.But the gentiles he contriueth not into any certen numbre, but saieth how he sawe a great multitude, which no man could tel: no more thā they coulde the starres, sande, herbes, or grasse how many they were in nūbre. He signifieth therfore, that in al the worlde, at al times innumerable are saued [Page 225] by Christe neuerthelesse leeste any man should thinke that it should preuaile or hinder him to saluation, to be borne of this or that nation tribe or tonge: S. Iohn addeth incontinently, of al tribes, people and tonges to be ordeyned to saluation indifferently. Therfore this difference hindereth saluation nothing: but are founde in Inde, Aethiopia, Barbaria, and in the furthest parte of Libia, in Scythia, Tartaria, and in the vttermost endes of the worlde, whiche are saued by the grace of Christ.
And because it hath much doubtfulnes to reason of things to come, S. Iohn here moste expressely speaketh of them,The faithfull in heauē reioyse. which are not to be saued, but already haue atchieued saluation, and are in Heauen, to the intent we should not doubte of their saluation. And also shaddoweth the maner of saluation and blesse euerlastinge. This treatise confuteth those which suppose the soules to slepe, not to haue the fruition of the godhead before the iudgement, nor to be as yet in heauē. First he sayeth, howe they stande before the Throne, and in the sighte of the lambe. For the firste felicitie in the blessed life, is to see God as he is, and to inioye his glory, to be with Christe in glory. Iohn .17.1. Iohn .3. white stoles are the garmentes of triumphant and cleane persones. As herafter shal be declared more at large, and hath ben noted ones or twise before. It betokeneth that the blessed soules are decked with light, &c. And the Palme also is a token of victory.The palme Plinie treateth much of the Palme in the .4. Chapt. of the .13. booke. Al men write that the Palme was the moste auncient badge of a conquerour. And wherefore this tree chiefly was chosen for this vse of men of most antiquitie, Aulus Gellius sheweth the cause in the .6. Chapt. of the .3. boke of Noct. Att. Writing that in a Palme tree there is a certen peculiar thing, whiche agreeth with the nature of stoute and noble men. For if you laye sayeth he, greate weightes vpon the wood thereof, the Palme geueth not place downewarde, but riseth vp against the weight, and beareth vpwarde. And for this he alledgeth the authoritie of Aristotel, and Plutarche, vnto whome you maye adde also Plinie .16. boke .24. Chapter.
Vnto al these thinges is annexed an exceding great noise, wherby not only they geue God thankes, and prayse his [Page 226] mercy:To whom thei impute theyr saluation. but also shewe and testifie moste manifestly, whome they maye thanke for their saluation. And they saye, saluation to him, &c. For so [...] is rather, as also Erasmus hath noted. For they signifie that God is not blessed in him self only, but to haue cōmunicated this saluation vnto them, and saued them. Of the Throne or seate of God was spoken before in the .4. chapt. God the father him selfe sitteth on the seate. It is therfore a phrase of speach, which hath this cense: we owe this our saluatiō and blessednes to our God, which sitteth in his Throne.
Agayne they cōmunicate this saluation to the lambe also, that is to Christ. For God by his grace through Christe saueth the beleuers. And where as Christ is called the lamb, the whole misterie of the incarnation and redemption is remembred in the word Lambe, that beyng in dede reconciled to God by the bloud of the hoste,Iohn .6. Ephes. 1. Rom. 3. we be nowe the heires of God, and the sonnes of God. &c. Therefore the Sainctes in Heauen, and our fathers already saued, and dwelling in heauen, doe testifie, and in testifiyng teache, that they be iustified and saued not by Mahometrie, or Poperie, or any other obseruaunces, but by the mere grace of God in Christ.
Errours ar cōfuted.Hereby are confuted two opiniōs, right hurtefull to the whole worlde. The first weneth, that the Papistes be saued for their simplicitie, and seuere discipline. For bycause, saye they, they know no better things: and the workes that they doe, they doe them of a good intente, therfore are they saued by the same. That is moste vayne and moste vngodly. They adde, vnlesse we shuld iudge thus, doubtles there should not one of the Papistes be saued. Certenly I saye playnely, that no man is saued by papistrie, no more thā by Mahometrie. For it is called the waye of perdition euen of S. Peter him selfe.2. Pet. 2. Howebeit I thinke not therfore, that no man of the nū bre of Papistes is saued. But I beleue that innumerable, as I sayed before, haue at the lēgth sene the filthines of papistrie through the illumination of God: and the papistry forsakē, to haue imbraced the sincere Gospell, and so by Christ alone to be saued.
The latter supposeth, that euery manne in euery and what so euer his religion be, shall be saued. Agaynste these the [Page 227] Sainctes here crie: how they that are saued, are saued by the grace of God through Christ.Euery mā is not saued in his religion. Therfore none other religion saueth. There is non other name geuen to men, wherin they must be saued, but that of Christ Iesus. None other waye is open into heauen, nor any other dore: he that affirmeth any other, is called of the veritie a thiefe and a murtherer. Yea they vtterly abolishe Christ, and the whole scripture, who so euer contende that euery man is saued by his owne religiō. Neyther can I tel, whether any other thing so hurtful can be Imagined. Therfore lette vs holde that thing, whiche all the Sainctes in heauen haue taught vs, that saluatiō is of God through Christ.
All the Aungelles in Heauen confirme these thinges,The cōfirmation of Aungelles, example & songe. leest any thing should waunte, which belongeth to a sure and certayne testimony: and also teache vs by theyr example, what we should doe. They sing together Amen: wherby they also testifie, that saluatiō is of only grace through Christ. Againe they fall downe, and worship God. But howe muche more ought we men mortall by worshippyng to attribute to him this honour? And by singing an himne, they exhibite to vs a forme of seruing God, finally of iudginge rightly of God, that we attribute nothing to any creature to the reproche of the creatour, whiche belongeth to God alone: but ascribe all thinges to God wholy. The wordes of this Hymne are expounded in the .4. and .5. chapt. that I nede not here to tary aboute them. They putte blessing for prayse, the reste of the wordes are playne.
And nowe lette vs learne, beyng taught by so many testimonies and examples of all Sainctes, forsaking al vayne & wicked opinions, to geue al glory to God through Christ: to whom be prayse and thankes geuyng. Amen.
¶ Here is expounded who they be that are are clothed in white, from whence is saluation, and what is the trewe blessednes. The .xxxvi. Sermon.
ANd one of the elders aunswered, saying vnto me: what are these which are arayed in longe white garmentes, & whence came they? And I sayed vnto him, lorde thou wotest. And he sayed vnto me: these are they whiche came out of greate tribulation, and made their garmentes large, and made them white in the bloud of the lambe: therfore are they in the presence of the seate of God, and serue him daye and night in his temple, and he that sitteth in the seate, will dwel emong thē. They shal honger no more, nother thirst, nother shall the sunne light on them, nother any heate: For the lambe whiche is in the middes of the seate, shall fede them, and shall leade them to fountaynes of liuyng water: And God shall wipe awaye all teares from theyr eyes.
The occasion of this exposition.S. Iohn saw the soules of Martirs resting vnder the aultar, couered with white garmentes. The selfe same sawe an infinite multitude of all nations and people, saued from the Idolatrie of the gentiles, and superstition of Antichrist, couered also with white garmentes. Vpon this occasion three thinges shal now be expoūded vnto vs, what they are which are clothed in white garmēts? whence they haue that whitenes, purenes, and saluation? Finally what is the state or felicitie of these, or what is the trewe blessednes?
The weaknes of mās vnderstandinge is holpen by an expositiō diuine.What time S. Iohn had sene them, he marueled without al doubte, what they were, neuerthelesse he is red to haue inquired nothing. But of his owne accorde one of the .xxiiii. Elders, offereth him selfe to him an expositour, doubtles an excellent teacher, a Patriarche and prophet, finally a maister celestial, to whome we maye iustely geue credit. Here appereth the ignoraunce of mans witte. For like as the Eunuche [Page 229] of Aethiopia in the .8. Chapt. of the Actes of Apostles acknowledgeth his ignoraunce, excepte an interpretour and mete teacher were geuē him: so at this present also blessed S. Iohn him selfe beyng demaunded, whether he knewe them that were appareled in white, confesseth his want of knowledge: yet he ascribeth to his teacher the knowledge therof, by this meane through a most humble modestie requiring a further declaration. Finally here appereth the vnmeasurable goodnes of God, which taketh in hande to teache vs that are rude and vnworthy. We haue many exāples herof euery where in the prophetes, and in the holy gospel of Christ.
And in the beginnyng streyght wayes he declareth to S. Iohn, and to all the faithful in the world,What the [...] are, & from whēce thee come clothed in white what these are that are clothed in white: And expoundeth with all from whence they came. For with one & the same aunswere he dispatcheth both two. He sayeth briefly, that the clothed with white in Heauen be the godly people of all times and ages, whiche at the length haue escaped ( [...]) out of great tribulation. Tribulation is founde to be sondry and diuerse. For first it is tribulation, which cometh of laying wayte and persecution of Tirauntes. This apperteineth to Martirs alone. Wherof we haue spoken in the .6. chapt. Whiche for asmuch as in this worlde they were ouerwhelmed with reproches vnspeakeable, for the worde of God, they haue in an other world receiued white garmentes. Than is there an other tribulation, which arriseth of the feare of God, and is a care of obteyning saluation. This is sory for the vnrightuousenes and corruption of man. It is sory for the greuouse abominations of Antichrist. And these also, albeit they be not made Martirs, yet are thei in an other life clothed with white. Finally they haue tribulatiōs and are molested after the flesh, so many as mortifie their fleshe with the concupiscēces therof. And because thei mourne here, in the world to come they shal receyue comforte and consolation.
Agayne leeste any man should ascribe life and saluation to martirdom as to our worke,Frō whēce is lyfe and saluation. and to repentaūce as to our deserte, the Lord moreouer declareth by thelder expressely, frō whence that life and saluatiō procedeth, and how that whitenes and puretie chaunceth vnto vs. And they haue wasshed [Page 230] their garmentes, sayeth he, and made them white by the bloud of the lambe. And here is founde a diuerse readyng. And [...], that is, that they haue inlarged their garmentes, so that he might appere to haue alluded to the families of great Princes, which vse, for the settyng forth of their renowne, to put on moste wide and moste sumptuouse garmentes. But in my opinion the complutensian copie and Aretas seme to reade more rightly and more simply or plainly, and [...], haue wasshed, as also the olde interpretour hath translated it. For by this exposition by & by followeth, and haue made white. Primasius readeth, and haue made their garments white in the bloud of the Lambe. And herby is signified, that the saluation and purification of the faythfull is of the bloud of Christ,how bloud springled should purifie. and of non other thing. Where verely bloud springled whiteth not, but polluteth. Therfore must we vnderstande these thinges spiritually, to witte that the very, natural and humane bloud of Christ, shed ones on the Crosse, beyng sprincled vpon vs spiritually (as S. Paull to the Hebrew. the .10. expoundeth) and receyued with fayth, although it touche vs not naturally and corporally pourgeth vs from al sinnes. And therefore we reade in an other place, that Christ pourgeth vs with his bloud. For bycause sanctification is the only worke of God. Therfore where ye saintes are sayed now to haue wasshed, and whited their garments, by the bloud of the lambe. It signifieth that they haue receiued by faith the pourgatiō prepared by bloud. And this doctrine is catholicke and of the right faith, which hath so many and so great testimonies in the holy Scriptures. Finally we perceyue how those whiche are saued from the kingdome of Antichrist, are saued by the merite of Christ alone, & by none other thing, as I haue also shewed you before. Morouer by and by is inferred: therfore be they in the sight of gods seate. For what cause I praye thee? bicause they haue washed and whited their garmentes in the bloud of the Lambe: therfore for the merite of Christ haue they entred into Heauen,What is the state of sainctes & the trewe blessednes. and there are inuironned or clothed with eternall light.
Finally the elder declareth moste at large, what the state of Sainctes is, and what is the trewe blesse of the faythfull. And these thinges are certen tastes, set here for a cōsolation. [Page 231] Or els such things as the eye hath not sene, or ye eare hearde, that same hath God prepared for those that loue him. And he reciteth many thinges, of the which he wil haue vs to gather the excellencie of eternal saluation, & what good thinges we obteyne in the same.
First stand the Saincts before the Throne of God. In the Throne is the maiestie of god to be worshipped for euer and the blessed Trinitie. And the Sainctes stand before the seate, not as thei are wounte that tary before the gates. For as the most intier frendes of God, they are alwayes in the sight of God, & haue the fruition of his deitie. Wherof the lord speaking in the Gospell: praye ye, sayeth he, that ye maye escape these thinges, and stande before the sonne of man. And also Dauid: the accomplishment of ioyes is in thy sight, and pleasauntenes in thy right hande for euer. And there is annexed an other thing, which maye expoūde that stāding: they serue God in his Temple bothe day and night. That seruice hath pleasure and no painefulnes. And thei serue God in the temple, as God is wonte to be serued in the Temple. For they kepe holy dayes, they are glad, reioyse, be mery, prayse: and so they offer vp sacrifices, and are refresshed with heauenly repaste. And this ioye shall be euerlastyng and perpetuall: which is signified by daie and night. Otherwise in the blesse euerlasting there is no mighte at all, nor anye chaungeable course of time. Hereunto is added, that he that sitteth in the seate, that is the diuine maiestie, [...], will dwell in them: that is to witte, God wil be al in al, or he wil leane ouer them, and as it were a tente or tabernacle, will ouershadowe them, defende and kepe them, and geue him selfe whole to be inioyed of them, as moste familiar and frendely to them. Moreouer they shall honger no more, nother shall they thirste. For all infirmitie and miserie is taken awaye from the blessed soules, and bodies glorified. They are filled with al good thinges without any lothsomnes, with a most ioyeouse fulfillynge. Nowe the sunne falleth not vpon them, nor the heate: whiche phrase of speache betokeneth, that they are put to no trauel nor paine, but are deliuered at ones from all displeasure, and all paynefulnes, and to be at moste pleasaunt reste.
Agayne is set in the cause of so greate felicitie, Christ the lambe, that is to saye Christ mediatour and redemer: in the middes of the seate, that is, very God. For he, as both Ezechiel. in .34. chapt. and the lord also him selfe in the .10. of Iohn. Wittenesseth [...] that is to saie wil fede them,Christ fedeth and quikneth like a sheperde, and as a Captaine of life will leade them to the fountaines of liuely water: that is to witte, will quicken them for euer, & preserue all his in that felicitie. He vseth in this treatise wordes of the prophetes most accustomed, and vsed euery where, that climyng vnto higher thinges, we might after some sorte esteme heauenly giftes. Hereunto he ioyneth as yet a notable benefite: and the Lord will wipe al teares from their eyes. Which wordes he hath borrowed of Esaye. For Sainctes in this world tourmoyled with sondry euils, haue shed most plentiful teares: but in the world to come, the Lord comforteth them, gladdyng them with ioye euerlasting, nother geuyng thē at any time any occasion of grefe.Iacob. 16 And therfore he sayed in the Gospel, verely I saye vnto you, ye shall wepe and lament, but agayne the world shall reioyse: and ye shal mourne, but your mournyng shal be tourned into ioye. And your harte shal reioyse, and your ioye shal no man take from you. We shall heare the like thinges vnto these also in 21. of the Apocalipse. &c.
Against the cōtemners of ye blessed lyfe.Hereof they perceiue, howe shamefully they transgresse, which haue alwaies in their mouth, if I should contene this life present for religiōs sake, who shal tel me, what is yt other other life to come? perauenture if I neglecte this, in an other world I shal get nothing. For here we haue a most manifest testimony, that as most assured saluatiō is prepared of God in heauen for the faithful: so is it also moste ample and great: in so much that the Apostle in an other place sayeth, that th [...] afflictions of this time present are not egall, to ye glory which shal be reuealed to vs. The Lord graunt vs, that we maye acknowledge these thinges.
¶ Whilest the .vii. Seale is opened, and the Aungels with trompettes come forth, Christ the intercessour of his church offereth vp before his father the praiers of his faithful. The .xxxvij. Sermon.
ANd when he had opened the .vii. The .8. chapt. seale, there was silēce in Heauen about the space of half an houre. And I sawe seuen Aungels standyng before God, & to them were geuen seuen trompettes. And an other Aungell came and stoode before the Aultar, hauing a golden censer, & much of odoures was geuen vnto him, that he shoulde offer of the prayers of al sainctes vpon the goldē aultar, whiche was before the seate. And the smoke of the odoures whiche came of the prayers of al sainctes, ascended vp before God out of the Aungels hand. And the Aungel toke the censer, and filled it with fire of the Aultar, and caste it into the earth, and voices were made, and Thonderinges, and Lightninges, and Earthquake.
I suppose ther be no bokes in the world, of whomsoeuer,The excellency of ye bookes of holy scripture. or when soeuer they were written, which maye cōpare with the bokes of holy scripture, as concerning the sincere veritie, pure simplecitie, and plaine order. Nother perauenture that maye seme any maruell to any man, knowing that the same are written in dede of men, but inspired of the holy ghoste. There be edifices most skilfully builded of men, and framed and cōtriued in a most goodly order. But what beaultie wil you iudge them to haue, in case ye compare them with the creation of the worlde, and with that most beaultifull order, whiche we see dayly in all thinges created, and chaungeable course of times? the moste excellent workes of men haue nothyng in them, yea seme vile, in case you compare them with the workemanship of God the creatour.A recapitulation. But for the moste bright order and most playne treatise this boke of the Apocalipse hath emonges others moste notable, an excellent and wonderfull prayse. S. Iohn promised a some of the matter, [Page 234] signifiyng that he wold speake of those thinges, which shuld be done in the church from his time vntil the iudgemēt. And the faithfull doe knowe to what ende they should take those thinges, not to thintent their curiositie might be mainteined or satisfied: but that they sufficiently warned before, shuld not fal, but take hede to themselues & hold faste the true saluatiō. And forasmuch as there is muche talke emonges men; whie God doeth thus, or permitteth that, and whie he prohibiteth not these or those thinges: S. Iohn hath exhibited to vs a most holesom visiō, by ye which we may learne not to talke against God, & not to contende with him but to acknowledge, al his iudgments to be rightuouse & iust. Which thing verely both al the Sainctes in heauen, and also angelicall spirites do acknowledge, and attribute to God al glory. And thus hauing prepared the mindes of the Auditours, he cometh to ye thing it self, and declareth the fatall destenies of the church. Vnder the .vi. seale he toucheth generally the corruptiō of doctrine, which sins it is more perillouse & more pestilent than al daū gers of mans body, or outwarde perilles, he reasoneth yet more fully therof: and nowe particularly vnder the opening of the .vii. seale reciteth, howe farre the same stretcheth. For he declareth how many, how great, & what maner of sectes, heresies and troubles shall arrise in the church, & howe hurtful they shal be to the churche. And this place conteyneth an Historie of the corrupte doctrine, of heresies or sectes and troubles euer sins the time of S. Iohn vnto the last iudgemēt: It is extended through out the .8.9.10.11. chapt.
A consolation euen euāgelical.Neuerthelesse before the trompettes come forth, for a consolation as it were by a little digression, is placed a remedy, which the faithful in al ages may vse in that pestiferouse corruption to kepe safe their soules, & the integritie of the same. For many times in this boke are broughte in moste strong consolatiōs in maters of most difficultie. For al the .10. chap. shall serue also to this Argument. And the remedy that he sheweth, is this: that we muste flee vnto Christe redemer of of mankynde, intercessour & propiciatour. And that we shall be safe vnder his defence, that we muste offer vp to him our prayers continually. And verely the Lord in the Gospel, reasoninge of the greatest daungers of the Deuill, prepared [Page 235] for the company of Apostles, and beyng at hand. Yet addeth he by and by, that whiche mighte comforte their sorrowfull mindes: I haue prayed for thee Peter, that thy fayth should not faile, &c. Beholde we are saued in greatest distresse, thorow Christes protection, that we should not fainte in fayth. Howbeit, as euery where the Euangelicall and Apostolicall letters do intimate, our continual prayers, which we offer to God through Christ, must be ioyned to our truste in Christ. And in fewe wordes the intercession of Christ at the righte hande of God, and effecte and maner of the prayer of the faithfull are here set forth to beholde.
But we shal declare euery thing in order. He spake in general vnder the .vi. seale of corrupt doctrine, in the seuenth he wil declare the same particularly and most aboūdantly. And whileste the seuenth seale was opened, there was silence in heauen almost halfe an howre. Of this silēce the expositours write diuersely. But as I thinke the hearers are excited by this silence to a diligent and attentiue hearyng. For silence hath an admiration and an expectation of matters moste weightie. Salomon sayeth in the .9. of Ecclesiast. the wordes of wise menne are hearde in silence. When weightie matters should be proclaymed and set forth, the crier is woonte to proclayme silence. And in dede they be matters of great importaunce that followe, which vnlesse we obserue with great attentiuenes, we shal perish in sectes and seductions. Those spirituall wickednesses be more daungerouse than corporall perilles.
And nowe whilest in silence they loke for with an admiraration what should come, the last seale beyng opened, behold there appere seuen Aungelles trompetters, of these we shall speake afterwarde.
Nowe is placed & set forth a remedy to be taken in so great euils, as I sayed. The whiche,A remedie agaynst all kinde of sectes trō peries and troubles. to the intent it might be more liuely, and maye be printed more depely in our brestes, is set forth to be sene with a moste godly vision. Before the seate, and in the compasse almoste of the seate, appereth a golden Aultar. And there came an Aungell and standeth at this Aultar: the same hath in his hande a golden censer, into this the Sainctes put their offeringes. He offereth thē before the [Page 236] seate, and the smoke of the odoures ascendeth vp from the hande of the Aungel before God.
Christe is the golden Aultar.We sayed in an other place, that the golden Aultar of incense, was the Lord Christ him selfe, whiche is bothe Aultar and sacrifice and priest: as S. Paule witnesseth to the Hebre. The same is called an Aungell, to witte the same of whome both Esaye maket mention in the .9.Malach. 3. Chapt. and also Malachie saying: beholde I sende mine Aungel, which shal prepare the waye before me, and sodenly the Lorde shall come vnto his temple, whom you seke for, and the Aungel of the couenaūt, whō you desire: beholde he cometh, saieth the lord of hostes. The fourmer Aungell, that is to saye messenger or Ambassadour, was Iohn Baptiste, whiche prepared the waye for the Lord.Marke. 1. He, to witte the later Aungel, came immediately after the preachyng of Iohn, and made complete that euerlasting couenaunt. The same nowe appereth on the right hande of God in Heauen.
what christ doeth at ye righthand of the father.And two thinges of him are vttered. Firste, that he stode before, or in, or vpon the Aultar. We may here Imagine nothing corporally: but we must thincke that by this maner of speakyng is signified the priesthood of Christ. He appereth alwayes in the sighte of his father, for vs: As S. Paull hath taught the .8. to the Romains, and .9. Chapter to the Hebrewes. He pleadeth therfore the cause of his church before God, and is aduocate for the faithfull. The same morouer standeth before the Aultar, the same standeth in the middes of the seate. For he is coequall with the father after his deitie, after the which he standeth in the seate: and after his humanitie, is of the same substaunce with vs, according to the which dispensation he is red as Bishop and very man to stande before the Aultar. The latter, which is to be obserued, is this, that christ holdeth in his hande a golden censer. For he hath taken our very nature without sinne, that he might make intercession for vs, and offer vp our prayers to God the father.
Christ offeceth vp our prayers.And leeste any man should doubte, that he receyueth our prayers, and offereth them to God, finally that the true office of the Church might also appere, offeryng vp al thinges by Christe, there is added, to him are geuen many odours. But to what ende? that he might geue them vpō the golden [Page 237] Aultar, and that before the seate, as though you should saye, that he might bring them into the sight of God.
And because of a further declaration, leeste we should not know the trewe odours, whiche please God, and whiche the faithful offer vnto God through Christ:The trewe odoures be the praiers of saintes. ones or twise he addeth, that those odoures be the prayers of Sainctes. And he meaneth by Sainctes, not those that dwel in heauen, but vs in the earth, which are sanctified with the spirit of our God, with the bloud of Christ, baptisme, faith and worde. Iohn .13.Philip. 4. And the prayers be inuocatiōs, and geuyng of thankes. And he saieth expressely of al Sainctes, leest any should feare that he and his prayers offered by Christ were excluded. Yf thou beleue, thou arte holy, and thy prayer is of God accepted. What the prayers of Sainctes be, it appereth in the Lordes prayer, which we offer vp to the father in the name & words of Christ: hallowed be thy name, thy kyngedome come, and the residewe, which all fight with those sectes and corruptiōs of trewe doctrine.
Ireneus alledgeth this place in the .31. and .32. chapt. of the .4. booke. And by this meane he calleth Eucharistia whiche is geuing of thankes, the sacrifice of Christians. For the mainteyners of papistrie do corrupte that place, and vtter it so, as though it mente that the prieste should sacrifice the real body of Christ for the quicke and the dead. But the holy Bisshop of Lions knew this filthie errour. Away with them and their sophistrie, whither they are worthie. I haue spoke also befor, something of the same matter.
And that it might clerely appere vnto all menne,the smoke of the odours ascendeth. that the prayers of the faythfull, offered to God through Christ, are pleasaunt and acceptable, ther is added: and the smoke of the odoures ascendeth, that is to saie, the prayers of the faithful were of God accepted: Therfore let vs offer dilligently our prayers vnto God through Christ. For he heareth vs, and deliuereth vs from euill. And the scripture many times calleth our prayers an acceptable sacrifice to God. The pla [...]es are in Osee. 14. in the .50. Psalme. And in many other places. In the .141. the prophet sayeth. Let my prayer be directed as incense in thy sight, the lifting vp of my handes an euenyng sacrifice. Primasius expoundyng this place, sayed how Christ [Page 238] is sayed to haue taken of the prayers of Sainctes. For bycause through him the praiers of al maye come swetely vnto God.Hebrew. 13 Herof the Apostle: by him we offer vp alwayes a sacrifice of prayse vnto God, that is to saye, the fruicte of lippes confessyng his name.
Agaynste praiyng of Sainctes.Herby is cōfuted the opinion of them, which suppose that the Sainctes in heauen be the intercessours of the faithfull, which should cōmende their prayers vnto God, & make the waye open to God. For what nede haue they to procure to thēselues other intercessours or aduocates? what lacke finde they in Christ? or whom maie they preferre or compare with Christ? what shal we say that euē at this, present the odours are offered vp by the hande of the Aungel? The celestial sainctes were present with the Lorde, and were sene aboute the seate: but which of them taking the censer, and gathering the prayers of the faithfull, offered them vnto God? It tourned Ozias or Asarias the king to displeasure, that he toke in hand the censer minding to sacrifice, and to execute the priestes office: the same would be worse for the heauēly dwellers, naye they should not remayne in Heauen, in case they toke vpon them the office of the only Bisshoppe. &c.
He filleth the censer with fire & sendeth it into the Earth.After this we haue heard, that Christ filled the censer with fire taken from the Aultar, and sent it downe into the Earth. By the whiche narration he retourneth agayne to finish the exposition of the trompettes. This fire, is the grace of the holy ghoste. That is put into the censer, is taken of the Aultar, is sent doune into Earth. For Christe toke the fulnes of the spirite, as S. Iohn sheweth in the . [...]. and .3. chapt. Christ is Aultar and censer. Of the Aultar here is takē fire. For the holy ghoste, is the spirite of the Father and of the Sonne. Whom, sayeth he, I will sende you from my father. Him he sente into earth, vnder the shape of firie tounges: he sendeth him also at this daye into the hartes of the faithfull, that he maye inflame them. This is the same fire, which the Lord in the gospell of Luke sayeth,Luke .12. that he will sende into the Earth, and would that it should burne.
Moreouer the effecte of this fire followeth immediately. For there were made thonderinges, and voices, and lightninges, and Earthquake. By the voices of the Gospell the [Page 239] woundes of sinners are healed, and the hartes of men lighted by the illumination of the holy spirite, &c. Of the whiche thinges we haue spoken also in the .4. chapt. and .24. Sermō. Of the preaching of the Gospell, as Haggeus also prophecied it should come to passe, insewed a wonderfull commotion of all nations, &c: Sathan also was stired, whiche reysed vp his ministers through out the worlde agaynst holesome preachyng of the Gospell. For there sprange vp sectes, whome the mayneteyners of the veritie resisted, fightynge with them. Whereof nowe he wil reason at large. The Lord geue grace, that these thinges maye bothe be spoken and hearde with much fruicte.
¶ Of the seuen Aungelles trompetters, and of the trompettes: and of the first .ii. and .iii. trompet. The .xxxviij. Sermon.
ANd the seuen Aungels which had the seuen trompettes, prepared themselues to blowe. The firste Aungell blewe: And there was made hayle and fire, which were mingled with bloud and they were caste into the Earth: and the thirde parte of trees was burnt, and all grene grasse was brēt. And the second Aungell blewe, and as it were a great Mountaine burnyng with fire was caste into the See, & the third part of the See tourned to bloud: and the third parte of creatures whiche had life died, and the thirde parte of Shippes were distroyed. And the thirde Aungell blewe, and there fell a great starre from Heauen, burnyng as it were a cresset, and it felle into the thirde parte of the Riuers, [Page 240] and into the fountaines of waters, and the name of the starre is called Worme wood, and the thirde parte of the waters was tourned to Worm wood. And many menne died of the waters because they were made bitter.
Our lord Iesus Christ hath kindeled in earth a bright and holesome fire, which the Apostles and men Apostolical haue euery foote more and more inflamed. But contrary wise sathan seketh to quenche this holesome fire, & not only to corrupte and depraue this doctrine of saluation: but also to abolish it and ouerwhelme it with lies. The meaner and maner herof is at this present described, and euen paynted out gallauntly, to none other ende, but that the faithful beyng warned and fully taught, might be wel ware of that pestilent infection. For the scope or ende of this boke is, to preserue the church safe and sounde from corruptions, or at leest to repare the same beyng corrupted.
The seuen Aungelles stande in ye sighte of God.S. Iohn therefore sawe seuen Aungels stande in the sight of God. To stande signifieth to minister, and compriseth the faith and diligence of Ministers. Seruauntes stande before kinges, ready to do seruice, and to execute al theyr commaū dementes. We reade in the .1. chapter of Iob. The sonnes of God came, and stoode before the Lord, and Sathan came also into the middes of them. The blessed Aungelles are called the children or sonnes of God. They come to doe seruice before God: Sathan preaseth in emongs them, forasmuch as he is also the minister of God, for ye executiō of those things, whiche apperteyne to the wrath and indignation of God agaynst the wicked. Al elementes be Gods ministers, and finally al the creatures of god. For he is the lord of Sabaoth, the God of hostes, whiche for the saluation and iudgement of men vseth wel and rightly all his creatures: euery one accordyng to his nature and disposition. For he vseth the ministerie of Aungels, like Aungels: and so the seruice of Deuils, as Deuils in dede. But where as the seuēth numbre is the numbre of fulnes, conteyning in it self al times: for there be seuen dayes of creation and rest, there be seuen worldes or ages: certenly seuen Aungelles appere before God, for that [Page 241] they betoken all battels that shall be foughten to the ende of the world.
For to these seuen Aungels are geuen seuen trompettes, and the Aungels already had the trompettes, and euen prepared themselues to blowe the on set.The vse of trompets. Where chiefly the vse of trompettes is to be searched for. The same is most plentifully described of Moses, in the .10. of Nombres. The vse of trompettes was diuerse, as it is also at this daie. First by the sounde of the trompet the people of Israel were called together, to consult of the cōmon welth. Agayne at the sounde of thē the Senate of princes of the people did assemble. Moreouer they were warned by the trompet, when & who should remoue their tentes. Furthermore the trompets blewe vnto battel, what time they ioyned to fight, as maye be sene in the .20. of Deuter. The people moreouer were called together with trompettes on the holy dayes to publicke and diuine seruice. Sounde with the trompet in Zion, call the congregation, sayeth Iohel, gather the people. There was more ouer a feaste of trompettes, and a Iubiley, hauing the name of the blowyng and sounde of trompets: as appereth in the .25. of Leuit. Finally the preachyng of the veritie was figured by the sounde of trompettes, neyther might any other blow the same but priestes. For it forceth much to whom you cōmitte or deliuer the signes publicke.
Of this sundry vse of trompettes, none shall agree better to our mater, than the warlicke. For this world hath a shape of warre. In it are the campes of good men, and the campes of euill: the tentes of Catholickes, and tentes of heretickes. The chiefrayne of these is Sathan, and of those Christe: the Captaine and Emperour of these is the Deuill, of the other the sonne of God. And now the Aungels sounde their trompettes, and blowe the onset: not that the good Aungels and God him selfe is the Authour of heresies and of heretickes, whose original is referred to Sathan and sinne: but soūding their trompettes they geue in dede warnyng to all men, and signifie that most greuouse warres shal arrise in the worlde, and euen in the church it selfe. But diuerse men are diuersely moued and worke in warre accordyng to their natures. The trewe catholikes beyng warned by the trompet, take heade [Page 242] to themselues, praye, and finally taking in hande spirituall weapons, prepare themselues vnto battel and māfully fight for Christ, and for maynteinyng and defending the veritie. Heretickes, sectaries, and menne of corrupte mindes, accordyng to theyr mallice, takyng to them also Armour, runne sorth and fighte agaynst Christ and the veritie, defende lies, and such as be weakelynges they take, spoyle, beate downe and distroye. The good shepardes, are the trompets of God and of Christ: the Deuill bloweth vp Archeheretickes and beginners of sectes.
Of the good, and of their fight, we shal heare in the .11. and in the chapt. following. Neuertheles in euery cōflict we must vnderstād that the sainctes slepe not, nor be any where idle, but to doe their duetie euery where. It was nowe in dede enough for the lord to shewe vs the heretikes & sectaries sighting, & to declare, how much they maye hurt, that we might watche more dilligently, and beware of all corruption.
The firste trompet or fight.The first Aungel soundyng the first trompet, denounceth vnto vs the first conflict. All and singular battels haue some thing like, and diuerse. It is like, in that all heresies doe impugne Christ, and would haue the trueth of the Gospell, eyther extinguisshed, or wrasted out of the true sense. And that same is singular or diuerse, that at an other time, Sathan assayling other doctrines, hath spred abroade in the Churche sundry heresies. Therefore whilest the Aungell soundeth the trompet, that is to saye proclaymeth warre, he warneth the Sainctes to watche. Therfore as he is yet blowing, through Gods permission, accordyng to his iuste iudgement, by the meane and suggestion of Sathan, ther was made hayle and fyre mixed with bloud, the whiche beyng so tempered, was sente or fell vpon the Earth. For S. Paule acknowledgeth spiritual policies in the heauenly spirites. And the Scripture in a certen place doeth figure rightwell, the sounde and holesome doctrine by the heauēly dewe and showre that maketh the earth fruictefull: most rightly therfore S. Iohn cōpareth the false and hereticall doctrine to hayle. For that destroyeth the fruictfull places of the earth, and marreth vtterly the plē tiful fruicte of the earth. Wherfore like as els where the peruerse doctrine is called darnell, leuen, chaffe, &c. so is it here [Page 243] called haile. But this hayle is tempered, and of a wonderful mixture. For it hath fire and bloud ioyned with it. These thinges muste be expounded after an allegorie, not after the letter. Haile is water congeled wt colde.Hayle is corrupte doctrine. And water they haue called the wisedom of the scripture: haile therfore shal be false wisedom. Yet fire is put vnto it. The pretense of ye scriptures and inspiration of the holy ghost, wherunto is added bloud, the euil affection of man, to witte the vice of Ambitiō, wrath, contention, hatred and like affections. Of these is compounded an haylie doctrine, hurtfull doubtlesse and pestilent. For when false doctrine ruleth or depraueth the Scriptures, and wicked affections of teachers are ioyned with all, a pestilent doctrine arriseth. Such was frō the beginnyng the doctrine of the Nazareans, or Mimeorites, and of the Hebionites, cōtending that iustification came not by the only faithe of Christ, but by the law. Our men fought sharpely, to wit S. Paule & thother Apostles, against this perniciouse doctrine. And frō the beginning many corrupt with Philosophie,Diuinitie corrupt by Philosophie. others blinded with mens traditions, haue brought forth most corrupt opinions. Histories beare witnes herof. And Tertulliane not without cause called Philosophers the patriarches of heretickes. For S. Paule most diligently warned, that the godly shuld be ware of Philosophie. They that haue not kepte thē selues from it, & haue set more by Philosophie, & I know not what traditions, they in stead of the heauenly dewe & swete showres, haue cast into the church great heauy haylestones.
And haue verely hurte the church very much. For the .iii. part of trees was burnt, and also al grene grasse. This nūbre is intimated in foure trōpets, and in fixe likewise. And it semeth to signifie, that a greate parte of men inconstaunte and vnstable are seduced & lofte, geuing thēselues to be distroyed of wicked men: agayne, the best part of the saythful to be saued. The lord him self knoweth the numbre exactely. It is enough for vs to know these thinges which he hath reuealed vnto vs, nother to searche curiousely any further.
That men are signified by trees,Trees. appereth by the .9. chapt. where it is sayed, & they had cōmaundement, that they shuld not hurte the grasse of the earth, nother any tree, sauing only men, whiche are not &c. After he had sayed, saue only those [Page 244] trees, which were not marked: but he had rather saye, men, that he might as it were with this keye vnlocke the misterie. Nother is it rare to shadowe men in the scriptures by trees, floures, and grasse: as we maye gather of the .1. Psalme, the. 40. of Esaye, and the .12. chapt. of S. Matthew. But that latter poincte, that al grene grasse was brent, muste be fauourably expounded. For who can beleue that al men were distroyed by those first heresies? we vnderstād therfore that the mindes of the faithful were diuersely afflicted and tourmoyled with those errours and troubles: but yet as the Golde tried in the fixe, not to be vtterly consumed.
The secōd trompet.The second Aungel soundeth the trompet, signifiyng that newe warres are nowe a brewyng: and therfore exhorteth, that al the godly would defende themselues with weapons. And there is cast into the Sea not a Mountaine, but as it were a Mountaine burning with fire. The sea beareth a figure of the world,A burning moūtaine. than the which there is nothing more vnstable. It is a thing most frequented in the prophetes, to call this our world, wherin we liue, a sea. By mountaines are signified kingdomes, witnesse Esaye in the .2. chapt. Daniel the 2. And Zacharie in the .4. chapt. And Christ him selfe in the .7. of Matth. By remouing of hilles or mountaines, signifieth any harde thinge, and by the opinion of many impossible. Nowe therfore springeth vp an heresie and a doctrine in the church, as it were a burnyng Mountaine, as the which was in dede most furnished, and as it semed inuincible. We reade that such was the heresie of the Valentinians, Valentinians. whose secte the holy martir Ireneus teached to be diuided into many. Suche was the fury of the Manicheis Manicheis. and Montanistes. Montanistes. They semed to many to burne with the spirite of God, and to be whole nothinge els but the spirite, and all their oracles to be of the holy ghoste. Manichaeus called him selfe the Apostle of Iesu Christ. The Montanistes bragged of a newe holy ghost. Ther was moste greate plenty of this darnell throughout the vniuersall church. Nother was the successe therof small. For the thirde parte of the Sea was made bloud. The Apostle signifieth the wickednes of sectes. For howe vile and impudent were the heretikes called Gnostici, the valentinians, and Manicheis, Ireneus, S. Austen, and Epiphanius doe testifie. And a [Page 245] great part of the creatures in the Sea perisshed. And he speaketh of such as haue soules, not of fishes in dede, but menne. Many shippes moreouer were lost, to witte Mariners, and Ilonde men, beyng corrupte with these heresies.
That time those heresies sprange vp in dede of those Authours which I named: but as yet thei be not vtterly extinct, corrupte men buddyng vp in a maner at euery time, and renewyng the olde errour. Wherupō a bitter strife remayneth yet at this daye in the church: and we are dayly admonished, that we should beware of those corruptions.
The thirde Aungell bloweth his trompet, proclaymyng new warres:The third trompet. and behold a great Starre fell doune from heauen, burning like a cresset, and infecteth the thirde parte of riuers and fountaines of waters,A burning cresset. that starre is called wormwood. I tolde you in the .1. Chapter that Starres are called, Preachers, Bisshoppes, and notable men in the churche. It signifieth therefore that some notable man should fall awaye from the trewe faith into heresie, wherwith he should infecte a great parte of the world, in corrupting the Scriptures, and sounde doctrine of fayth. And these thinges seme to be fulfilled in Paulus Samosatenus Paul Samosatenus and Arrius. Arrius. This creshet burned horribly, and inflamed the whole worlde without recouerie. That pestilence denied the deitie of Christe, and made the whole Gospel to vs moste bitter. For if Christe be not very God, how is he a Sauiour, King, Bishop, intercessour, mediatour, and saluation of the faithful? He quenched the light, that denied the deitie of Christ. Therefore is he called by the name of wormwood. The prophet Ieremie vsed the selfe same allegorie, or metaphore, or allusion, in the .9. and .23. chapt. And Amos in the .6. where he sayeth, that the Iudges haue tourned iudgement into Wormwood.
The Scripture and doctrine whiche is trimly figured by riuers and fountaines, corrupted of the Arrians was to many the occasion of death. The Scripture and doctrine of the Gospel, is of it selfe mortal to no man, but rather liuely to al [...] corruption maketh it deadly. Poyson put in wine, maketh the wine deadly: the wine of it self killeth no man, but rather gladdeth and reioseth al men. Reade the Ecclesiastical stories of Eusebius, Theodoretus, Sozomenus, Socrates, and others, and [Page 246] ye shal perceyue howe aptely S. Iohn hath written all these thinges, and how rightly they are al fulfilled. No smal parte of that bitternes hath flowed vnto our time, whilest that old errour is often times by the instigatiō of the deuil renewed. For what that vncleane beaste Michell Seruetus Michell Serueto. a spaniarde vomited against the Sonne of God, for his impenitent wickednes, and continuall plasphemie burnte at Geneua, the world knoweth. We muste praye therfore to the Lorde, that in suche daungerouse conflictes, he would kepe vs safe and sounde. Amen.
¶ The fourth and fifte trompet is expounded, of the opening of the botomlesse pitte, and of grasse hoppers creping out into the Earth. The .xxxix. Sermon.
ANd the fourth Aungel blewe, and the third parte of the sunne was smitten, and the thirde parte of the Moone, and the thirde parte of starres, so that the third parte of thē was darkened. And the daye was smitten, that the third part of it should not shine, and likewise the night. And I behelde, and hearde an Aungell fliyng thorow the middes of Heauen, and saiyng with a lowde voyce: wo, wo, wo, to the inhabiters of the Earth, because of the voyces to come of the trompe of the thre Aūgels, which were yet to blowe.
The .9. chapter. And the fifte Aungel blewe, and I sawe a starre fall from Heauen vnto the Earthe. And to him was geuē the keye of the botomlesse pitte. And he opened the botomles pitte, and there arrose a smoke of the pitte, as it [Page 247] were the smoke of a greate fornace. And the Sunne and the ayre were darkened, by the reason of the smoke of the pitte. And there came out of the smoke locustes vpō the earth: and vnto thē was geuen power as the Scorpions of the Earth haue power. And it was sayed vnto them that they should not hurte the grasse of the Earth, nother any grene thing: nother any tree, but only those menne which haue not the seale in theyr forheades, and to them was commaunded that they should not kill them, but that they should be vexed fiue monethes, and their payne was as the payne that commeth of a Scorpion, when he hath stonge a manne. And in those dayes shal men seke death, and shal not finde it: and shall desire to die, and death shall flie from them.
The fourth trompet declareth an hurtful and a long strife,The .iiii. trompe. whiche arrose in the churche of the doctrine of Pelagius. This Pelagius taught, that the sinne of Adam, hurte him alone, and not mankinde, and therefore that in the same all men die not. That man hath free will, so that he maye doe good. Nother that he shoulde be free, if he nede the helpe of God. Which if he hath it, he maye the more easely do good:The doctrine of pelagius. yf he haue it not, that he maye yet neuerthelesse worke it by his owne vertue, and maye deserue euerlasting life. Therefore that our victory is not of the helpe of God, but of free will: and that remission is not geuen to the penitentes after the grace and mercy of God, but after the deserte and workynge of them whiche through repentaunce are worthye of Godes mercy, and the residewe whiche Saincte Austen reherseth in the hondreth and sixte Epistle to Boniface, that Pelagius had renounced: whiche neuerthelesse in an other place he sheweth that the same had taught, and retourned [Page 248] to his vomite: As in the register of heresie, the .88. heresie. The same against two epistles of the Pelagiās, in the .2. boke. 2 chapter to Boniface. The Manicheis, sayeth he, denie that a good man had the beginnyng of euill of free will.Whileste fooles eschewe one vice they runne into an other. The Pelagians saye also, that an euill man hath free will sufficiently to fulfil a good precept. The catholicke doctrine reproueth both these, and to them sayeth, God made man right, &c. And to these sayeth, yf the sonne hath made you free, you ate verely free. And in the .9. chapt. the same Authour. Where we saye that the wil of man vnto euil is free, to do good that it muste be made free by the grace of God, it maketh against the Pelagians. And where we saye that the euill, whiche was not before, is comen of him, it is agaynst the Manicheis. Moreouer in the .8. chapt. Pelagius sayeth, that the thing which good is, maye soner be accomplisshed, if grace helpe therto. By the whiche addition, that is in adding, more easely, he signifieth verely that he thinketh thus, that although the help of grace waūt, he can yet, albeit more hardely, perfourme that which is good by free will. Agayne the same in the .47. Epistle to Valent. Who falle into the errour of the Pelagiās. That man, saieth he, falleth into the errour of the Pelagians, whiche supposeth the grace of God to be geuen for any deserte of man, whiche grace alone maketh manne free, through Iesus Christe our Lorde. But agayne he that thinketh, when the Lord shal come vnto iudgement, that man is not iudged after his workes which might now by reason of his age, vse the free choyse of will, is neuerthelesse in errour. He sayeth in a maner the same thing in the .2. booke the .18. chapt. of the merites and remission of sinnes.
The third part of the sunne, of ye Moone & the starres smitten.With this doctrine of Pelagius was stricken, that is to saye, darkened (for so S. Iohn him selfe a little after expoundeth him selfe, saying in so much that the third parte of them was obscured, &c.) the thirde parte of the sunne, to witte of Christ, which is the trewe sunne of rightuousenes. For the Pelagians doctrine denied the grace of Christ, & with mans merite trode vnderfote the merite of Christ. Whereby also the thirde parte, that is to witte a great parte of the Moone, namely the church, is red to be smitten and darkened: moreouer the thirde parte of starres, I meane preachers and ministers wounded, hath not taught with such light as became [Page 249] them. For stories witnesse that this heresie hath sore infected diuerse partes of the worlde, that euen Bisshoppes and learned menne haue followed this noysome errour. At Palestine in the Easte was assembled a Sinode of Bisshoppes, which droue Pelagius to recant. They disputed also at Rome sharpely against the Pelagian doctrine: and Counsels were assembled, which condemned the same. Ther were Sinodes assembled in Affrica, and after much reasoning sentence was pronounced against Pelagius. For many were dayly taken with this infection. For the doctrine is pleasaunt, whiche waunteth not euen at this daie his mainteyners and defenders. For it semeth godly, and for the study of vertue nedeful, to affirme free wil, and mans merite: agayne it appereth to be licentiouse to attribute al thing to Gods grace.
He addeth,Nother daye nor night shone with the third parte therof. that nother the daie shone with the thirde parte thereof, nother yet the night with his thirde parte. For like as grace coulde not be fully perceiued by the doctrine of Pelagius, no more coulde sinne. And S. Austen in the .2. boke of originall sinne .23.24. chapt. sayeth, that the Christiane fayth consisteth properly in the cause of two men. For by the one we were solde vnder sinne, by the other redemed from sinne: by the one throwē headlong into death, but by the other deliuered vnto life, &c. And whilest al these thinges are spoken, they are spoken to this ende, that we might beware of those Heresies.
And hitherto haue we spoken of the foure trompes, and greatest conflictes in the churche: there remayne three trompettes: which haue now a little preface set before them, wherby the mindes of the hearers might be excited.
And S. Iohn sayeth, howe he sawe an Aungell flying thorowe the middes of heauen, and hearde him criyng: wo, wo,Wo to the inhabiters of ye earth. wo to the inhabiters of the Earth, and that for those thinges which should chaunce vnto men than, when the other three trompettes should be blowen. Therfore vnto euery trompet is Ioyned an wo. Whiche we expresse very well in dutche by owe, owe, owe. For the Grekes saye, and S. Iohn wrote in Greke, [...]. And it signifieth verely, yt the times of the fourmer conflictes were sharpe: but yet that suche as follow shal be a great deale sharper and crueller. For I tolde [Page 250] you in an other place, that this vocable wo, compriseth the euilles bothe of this life present, and also of the life to come, aswell of body as of soule. Therfore shall the times of Papistrie, Mahometrie, and of the last iudgement, be most daingerouse.
Som read an Egle for an Angell.The complutensian copie hath an Egle, where we reade an Aungell fliyng thorow the middes of heauē: perauenture because he founde it so in Aretas. Yea and the cōmon translation, commonly called S. Hieromes, hath an Egle for an Aūgell. And therfore Primasius readeth it so likewise, which semeth to haue followed the olde translation in all thinges. But the Egle is swifte, and of moste sharpe sight, signifiyng the almightie knowledge of God, and expedition vnspeakeable in doyng of thinges.
The fifte trompe.The fifte trompet comprehendeth a moste cruell battell, whiche the Pope stired vp, in admitting errours into the world, yea rather bringyng in, settyng forth, and defendyng them, by his vngratiouse Locustes that eate vp all thinges. He lasteth to the worldes ende. Of whome he will agayne discourse more plentifully and more properly in the .13. and 14. chapter. &c.
A starre falleth from heauē into the Earth.The Original of this euil is referred to the fal of a starre. For a starre hath fallen from Heauen to the earth. Starres, as I shewed you in the beginnyng of this boke, aboute the ende of the .1. chapt. represente vnto vs the state of Ministers, or Bisshoppes. For as the starres shine in Heauen: so Bisshoppes illumined with heauenly light, ought to shine in the church aswell in doctrine as honeste lyfe. And hitherto they stande in Heauen, so long as they doe theyr duetie: they fall to the Earth, what time forgetting the heauenly conuersation and doctrine, they thinke vpon earthly things, speake and followe honoures, pleasures, and such like corruptions. A little after will he cal him an Aungell, whome now he calleth a starre.Of the churche of Rome. The Churche of Rome was notable and pure, cōmended also ones by the prayse of the Apostle. The same had Bisshoppes, that is to saye, ministers of the church, vnto the emperour Constantine, about .32. for the most part very well learned, moste holy (yet men) and moste gloriouse martirs of Christ. Againe from the emperour Constantine vnto [Page 251] Gregory the great are accompted Bisshoppes or pastours of the church of Rome, about .32. emonges whom there were not a few diligēt enough, learned, and godly: but yet emōges these were founde also, whiche blinded with the euill of Ambition, began more to incline to seke honours, and gloriouse titles, than the doctrine of Christ concernyng humilitie and simplicitie, and the example of Christ, and apostles hath permitted. Christ fled, when the people would haue chosen and made him king. He sayed, that kinges should reigne, that Apostles and their successours should serue. If kings therfore had offered them realmes and riches, they should not haue receyued them. What certen Bishoppes of Rome practised with the churches of Affricke, and how they would haue ruled ouer them, the stories doe plainely declare. Notwithstanding there were founde emonges the latter Bishops as Pelagius and Gregory surnamed great, which greuousely accused the Bishops of Constātinople, for that thei went about to establish ye church of Constantinople, as chiefe of al others in the world, and the Bishop thereof vniuersall. Nother was Gregory asshamed to saye expressely, that he is the vauntcurrour of Antichrist, who so euer would couet the name or title of the vniuersal bishop. But Boniface the .3. of that name moued nothing herwith, required and obteyned of themperour Phocas no long time after the death of Gregory, yt the church of Rome might be called and taken for the chiefe and head of al churches.Bishops of Rome a starte fallē frō heauen Wherby the Bishopes of Rome plucked out of heauen, and caste to the earth, vtterly began to cleaue vnto earthly thinges, to care for earthly thinges, yea euen to aspire to the empire and chiefe rule and gouernement. Here haue you, what starre fell from heauen to the Earth.
And to this starre (he calleth him afterward the Aungel of the botomlesse pitte) or Bishop (I name one, I vnderstande all of that state and succession in that seate) was geuen the keye of the botomlesse pitte.A keye is geuen to ye starre, or Aungel. Christe verely kepeth the keye of Dauid: as I shewed in the .2. chapt. of this boke. The same gaue to the Apostles the keyes of the kingedome of heauen, power to open or to shut heauē: that is to wit, the ministerie of preaching the Gospell, wherby is shewed & assuredly promised the forgeuenesse of sinnes and eternall life to beleuers: [Page 252] and the reteyning of sinnes, & certaine damnation is threatened to the vnbeleuers. No godly mā doubteth but that these keyes were geuen also vnto Bisshoppes of Rome: agayne euery man knoweth that the latter popes would not vse thē lawfully, but corrupting the Euangelicall veritie, and infecting the lawefull ministerie, haue gotten them counterfetted keyes. Therfore is geuen to them of the Prince of darkenes the keye of the botomles pitte, to witte corrupt and counterfet doctrine, and not the Apostolical, but apostaticall ministerie, wherby as it were from hell set open, they haue brought forth outrageouse errours and superstitions, and vngodlines of all sortes.The popes keyes. And I suppose it hath chaunced not with out Gods prouidence, that Bisshoppes of Rome are called Clauigers or keye bearers, and weare keyes in their Armes. But you shall not vnderstande them to be the keyes of the kingdome of heauen, but of the botomlesse pitte rather: sins he is a teacher of errours and of all abomination: Authour moreouer of all warres and dissentions, leadyng them euen vnto Hell.
God is a liuely foū tayne.God is in dede the fountaine of perpetuall goodnes, and of all veritie: whiche opened in Christ by the Apostles in the preachyng of the Gospel, refressheth with holesome water al that thirste for eternal saluation. Of this foūtaine Esaye maketh mention in the .55. chapt. And Ieremie in the .2. chap. The Lorde also in the Gospel after Iohn in the .4. & .7. chapt. and in diuerse other places.
The botō lesse pitte.Against this liuely fountaine of euerrunnyng waters, is set the botomlesse pitte, vnsearchable I saye by reason of the mallice of Sathan, full of vngodlines, abomination, and a [...] kinde of liyng. From hence blubbereth vp into the world by false teachers and ministers of Antichrist what errour and abomination so euer is in the world. For Sathan the father of lies, spreadeth abroade in the worlde by his instrumentes what darkenes so euer there is.
The botō les pitte is opened.Therfore the starre or Aungel of the botomles pitte, that is the Pope or Bishop of Rome openeth the bottomles pitte with a keye, and by & by ascendeth vp the smoke of the pitte. For I haue spoken hitherto of the beginnyng of euill: nowe shal follow of the proceding and setting forth of the same.
The Pope by his corrupt ministerie openeth Hel,Smoke out of the botomlesse pitte. and not Heauen. Out of hell ascendeth or riseth a smoke. Smoke in some places of the Scripture, is a token of the presence and wrath and vengeaūce of God: as where in the time of Esaye a smoke rose in the Temple of Salomon, 3. boke of Kinges. 8. chapt. Esaye. 6. In the .19. of Exod. We reade, smoke ascended from the moūtaine, as out of a fornace. You reade in the .18. psalm. Smoke wente vp in the wrath of God, fire burnte from before his face. At this present, smoke semeth to signifie hurteful and deuillish opiniōs. Smoke hurteth the eyes, and suffereth not clerely to see the trueth. So doeth also peruerse doctrine, it daseleth the eyes, taketh away iudgement, & blindeth with errour. And worthely do they suffer these thinges of the smoke of God his wrath, & of the lies of disceaueable men, whiche haue forsaken the light of the Gospell, and the grace and perspicuitie of Gods veritie. Vnder the name of this smoke infernal, are conteyned the opinions, and abominable doctrine, that the Bishop of Rome, as he is the prelate of the chiefe churche and Sea Apostolicke, so to be pastour vniuersal and Apostolical: and morouer the head of the church militaunt, the vicar of Christ in earth: whose voyce muste be hearde aswel, as Christes him self: that he hath full power in the church, the keyes of the kingdome of heauen, &c. And the reste of the like sorte. That the same ordeyneth and geueth to al churches Bisshops or Pastours, which should gouerne al other churches after the prescripte of the church of Rome. &c.
But how great this smoke is, and howe effectuall,How great smoke & of what effecte. it is liuely expressed: it ascendeth, sayeth he, as the smoke of a great fournace. And signifieth that the popish opinions, and doctrine are thicke, or grosse, manifolde, and apparent: where in dede they be nothing but smoke and vanitie puffed vp and vayne. But it is of such a power, that it darkeneth the sunne and the ayer. I haue tolde you ofte times nowe that Christ is the sunne of rightuousenes. And we cal the ayer the holesome doctrine, wherwith the soules of the faithful are refresshed. Therfore by the popishe doctrine the sunne & the ayer, that is Christ and the Gospell are obscured. Christ is the pastour vniuersall, the high and only Bisshop, the head & helth of the faithfull, whiche freely forgeueth sinnes: the whiche is [Page 254] preached by the Gospell. This doctrine waxeth vile, what time the Pope is admitted for head of the churche, with the ful power of graunting indulgences for all sinnes. Thus is the sunne darkened.
Howebeit the euil procedeth further, and setteth vp it selfe in the churche a greate deale more effectuall.Of the smoke arrise locustes. For out of the smoke came forth Locustes vpon the Earth. For what time through the false perswation of corrupt doctrine, the eyes of al men were blinded and loked not rightly vpon Christ, and his only gospell, and all men reuerenced the Pope, as the vicar of Christ, the head of the church, and a man Apostolicall, and as it were the mouth of God, and he nowe made Bisshoppes and priestes, and nurrished, auaunced and establisshed Monkes and Freres: an infinite multitude of the clergie increased moste luckely, I meane by a moste plentiful increase, and numbre that coulde not be numbred. For he him selfe immediately in the wordes that followe, and with a fuller exposition declareth, that he speaketh nothing of those little wormes the Locustes. For he sayeth, and it was commaunded them, that they should not hurte the grasse or haye of the earth (& verely the clergie liueth not with haye) nother any grene thing, nor any tree, but menne only. As though he should saye, I speake nothing of grassehoppers suche as in times past distroyed Aegipte: but I speake of pestilent men, affliccyng men with the poyson of doctrine. But a little after they are so described in euery poincte, that no man nede to doubte that the false clergie thereby is signified.What are Locustes. The whiche thing Primasius also sawe, which in his commentaries vpon this boke sayed: he putteth thauthours of euil doctrine. For like as the Locuste hurteth with her mouth, so do they teare with theyr preachinges: as we reade, gready Wolues not sparyng the flocke, &c. Thus sayeth he. There be also other causes wherefore he likened the false clergie to Locustes. Yf the locuste be alone, he semeth to be moste contemptible: so there is nothing more vile than a solitarie Monke or Frere, priest or sophister: but if they swarme together, they be a terrour to men, neither can they be driuē away with any force, they eate & distroye all. When the prophet Ioel would shewe a great euil to come, he saieth that the Locustes wil come. In [Page 255] somer they singe, leape, lyue at ease and pleasure, to the losse and hinderaunce of husbandmen. The same thinges mayest thou see also in the clergie.An excuse & exceptiō. I speake nothing here of holy priestes, that is lawful ministers of the church, of good men, honest and learned: I speake nothing of the auncient & holy Monkes, whiche were burthenouse or greuouse to no man, and wer no preachers, but very lay men, getting their liuing with their handes, in the churche subiecte with other faythful to the pastours of the churche, &c. I speake of the vnlawful, sluggerds, Idle bealies, deuourers of vitaile, but chiefly of false teachers.
And doubtles the Popes clergie is moste rightly cōpared to grassehoppers or catarpillers.The clergy is innumerable. For both they are innumerable, and they occupie and cōsume al thinges. In times past the ministers of the churches mighte be numbred. For the nombre was but smal: nother were vnprofitable or vnnecessarie persones nurrished of the church goodes. There remaineth a constitution of themperour Iustinian, where emongs other things: we ordeyne that there be not at any time in the sacred great church aboue .lx. Priestes, men Deacons an .C. Subdeacons .lxxxx. and readers an hondreth and ten, nor aboue .xxv. singers: that the whole nūbre of the clergie of the greater churche maye consiste in .ccccxxv. persones, and besides an .C. dore kepers, as they terme them. Therefore in the moste holy great church of this our noble Citie of Constantinople, and in those three churches to the same vnited (to witte in the churche of our Ladie, S. Theodore, and S. Irenes, let there be so great a multitude of ye clergie. This some of the ministers of this imperiall citie and moste large churche establisshed fiue hondreth and twentie and fiue persones. But how many at this daye may you finde at Rome, or in an other greate Citie Priestes, Monkes, Freres and Nunnes? They excede this numbre foure times and more. And to leaue out many thinges that mighte here be brought in, Pope Pius Sabellicus sheweth in the .9. booke of Aeneidos. the .7. Chapter. That the secte of graye freres was so greately multiplied through out the worlde, that than they helde and possessed .xl. prouinces, and vnder euery one diuerse Cloysters and conuentes (wardens they call the rulers) and [Page 256] exceded the numbre of three score thousande men: in so much that the master of the whole order, whome they call general, hath ben hearde many times, to offer the pope preparing an Armye against the Turkes thirtie thousand fighting men of the order of S. Fraunces, which should be well able to serue in the warres, and yet be no hinderaunce or let to theyr religion or seruice. And nowe who is it that knoweth not howe many orders ther be of Monkes & Freres: you maye therfore accompte other orders after the rate of the order of S. Fraūces, and though you attribute to euery one but the one half of that numbre, to what a some wil it amounte? To these if you adde the colledges more and lesse, through out so many diocesse, persons, vicars, chaplaynes and parish priestes, thou wilt graunte that not without cause the popishe clergie is compared to locustes.
Locustes distroye al grene thinges.But howe they light vpon and deuoure all thing, I nede not with many wordes to declare. It is comōly sayed, whe [...] so euer thou seeste any place, fertile and holesome, where euer thou ridest or goest, thou shalt finde it full of the clergie, and possessed with religiouse men.
He reasoneth also expressely of the power of these Locustes.Of the power of ye locustes. He setteth them forth by a parable: and power was geue them, sayeth he, as the Scorpions of the earth haue. A Scorpion is a flattering and in maner a domestical worme, which sodenly striketh with his tayle, or rather with the stinge of his tayle, and so poisoneth. Therfore with flattering wordes the clergie of Antichrist disceyueth and powreth in the poyson of venemouse doctrine. So speaketh the Apostle also of false teachers in the .16. chapt. to the Romains. Through fayre speache, sayeth he, and flatteryng, they disceiue the hartes of the simple. Theyr power therfore is none other, but euil doctrine, wherewith as it were with the venome of Scorpions they infecte the simple Christians, but especially those tha [...] contemne the doctrine of the Gospell.
Whome ye Locustes can hurte.For there followeth a declaration, whome these Locustes maye hurte. There be two kindes of men. The one in dede willyng and witting will perishe, and are the open and professed enemies of the holy Gospel: whome by the iust iudgement of God these Scorpiolocustes distroie with their poyson. [Page 257] The other beyng more simple, doe erre rather of ignoraunce, than of obstinate mallice: these sins they haue a seale in theyr foreheades (wherof is spoken in the .7. chapt. are not stongen of the Scorpiolocustes. For the power of this euill is limited, and not out of measure. Therfore was it geuen to the locustes, that they should not kil (not those wicked which had rather dye than liue) those simple. They hurt verely, but not as the vnfaithfull to death. And they vexe them fiue monethes. And that tourment is the trouble of the conscience, which they tourment with threatnings, hipocrisie, and wonderfull terrours.
There is added for a cōforte, fiue monethes.Fiue monethes. The locustes verely come out in the moneth of Aprill, and liue vntill September, and when they haue liued wholy fiue monethes, incontinently they die. It signifieth therefore that suche as are cōsecrate to godlines shal fele these tourments a little while: nother that the disceyuers shall alwayes preuaile: but that there shal be spaces to reste and breath in, wherein the godly through the trueth maye be recouered. For the locustes distroye not, & are sene al the yere long. There semeth therfore a comparison to be here in this determinate nūbre, that the sense should be: like as the locustes liue not lōger, than from Aprill to Septembre: so doubtles there is a time prefixed to those seducers, and false Popishe clergie. Euen thus hath also the Apostle S. Paul him self comforted the church: which after he had prophecied that the church should be wōderfully vexed of hipocrites & false teachers, incontinently he addeth: and like as Iamnes and Iambres resisted Moses, 2. Tim. 3. righte so doe these resist the trueth, men of a minde corrupte, and lewde as concernyng the faith: but they shall preuaile no longer. For their madnes shal be manifeste to al men, like as that was of the other. And Primasius: they are ment here, saieth he, which although they were intangled with false doctrines, yet hauing remorse about the ende of their life, they receiue Gods veritie. Againe we see, as I warned you in the .7. chapt. that al did not perish, whiche were ones intāgled with the snares of Antichrist. For at the length through the mercy of God they escaped, & required the grace of God to be geuen them through Christ, forsaking al superstitions, we see moreouer, [Page 258] by reading of histories, how god hath at certē times opened the veritie by his faithful ministers, through whose preachyng the lewdenes of the Locustes is interrupted, that menne began to smell them out, and to eschewe the same: not withstanding the regenerated, many times haue retourned, &c. And likewise other ministers haue retourned home, &c.
How great is the force of the poyson.And furthermore he declareth, howe great was or is the force of this euil. Their tourmēting, sayeth he, is as the tourment of a Scorpion, when he hath striken a man. At the first there is no greate payne felte, by little and little it gathereth strength, and at the laste aketh exceadyngly. Yf remedy be had in time, the poison is not deadly: if it be not takē, he dieth that is stongen therwith. To the declaratiō of this tourmēt, whiche men fele in their consciences, apperteyneth this that followeth, and in those dayes men shal seke death, &c. And it is a like phrase of speache in a maner, as is that same, mountaines fal vpon vs, and couer vs, &c. Wherof I spake in the. 6. chapt. And it is the voyce of one that is sore afflicted, and brought in a maner to dispaire. Doubtles the popishe doctrine of merites, of the monastical perfection, & of other such like doctrines, haue driuen many headlong into desperatiō. Hereunto is added, that the times of the locustes were most full of sorrowes: wherof al histories cōplayne. The lyfe was not pleasaunt, the Locustes did so set menne together by the eares emongs themselues, &c. And to be briefe, they brought men in such case, that they wisshed to die. The Lord Iesus deliuer vs from the poyson of these Locustes.
¶ The Locustes are described by a maruelouse Hypotiposis, the Popish clergie: and is shewed, of what sorte the Antichristian warre shalbe. The .xl. Sermon.
ANd the similitude of Locustes was like vnto Horses prepared to battel, and on theyr heades were as it were crownes, like vnto golde: and theyr [Page 259] faces were as it had ben the faces of mē. And they had heere, as the heere of wemen. And their teth were as the teth of Liōs. And they had habergions, as it were habergiōs of yrō. And the sounde of their winges was as the sounde of chariotes when many horses rūne together in battell. And they had tailes like vnto Scorpions, and there were stinges in theyr tailes. And theyr power was to hurte mē fiue monethes. And they had a king ouer them, which is the Aungel of the botomlesse pitte, whose name in the Hebrewe tongue is Abadon, but in the Greke Apollion.
We haue spokē already of thoriginal & power of the locustes:To vnderstande and beware of ye locustes. neuerthelesse leest any mā should be impeched with any obscuritie, so yt he could not know the locustes: & beware (for this is thende of ye whole prophecie to vnderstād ye misteries of Antichrist, & beware) now also he describeth the locustes wt a wonderful suffiguration, & theyr fight agaynst Christ, and against the doctrine of godlines of al other most perillouse.
And there is no doubte but that the whole Armie of the Pope is here described,The spiritual hooste of ye Pope is described. especially the spiritualtie as they terme it. For the soldiours of the Emperour, kinges, and all princes serue him, whom they call seculare. But in the popes tentes of the spirituall Armie be Cardinalles, Patriarches, Archebishoppes, Bisshoppes, Abbottes, Prelates, nother is there any nōbre of Priestes, and religiouse persones of both sexes. Hereunto appertaine many vniuersities, Doctours, and Maisters, great Champions of the Pope: these be verely those Locustes, of whome the Lorde Iesus speaketh of here. I knowe howe displeasantly many will take this my exposition. And I would gladly (God is my witnes) haue spared them: but all the blame is in them, whiche in wordes and workes bewraye, and declare themselues to be locustes. For except ye thing it self crie out, that those things are done of them, whiche by the exposition are now brought to light: [Page 260] I will not desire that credit should be geuen to me. I speake nothing here in the fauour of any manne, nother for hatred. Let God him selfe be iudge betwixt vs, let the veritie it selfe iudge. Certenly al expositours with one consent vnderstand by locustes false teachers.
But lette vs see the description of the Apostle S. Iohn by the reuelation of Iesus Christ, which doeth iniurie to nomā, which slaundereth no man.Al thinges are made playne by parables. And he sheweth the Homoiomata, that is to saye, the similitudes of locustes, by the which they maye be figured, and as it were set before our eyes, to be like the things which he bringeth forth. For vnto euery part he applieth a parable or similitude, wherby he expresseth moste aptly the disposition and maners of the locustes.
Horses prepared to battell.First he sayeth that locustes are like vnto horses prepared to battel. By the whiche parable he signifieth many thinges at ones: that the clergie shoulde not only be ambitiouse and prowde (for an horse is an Image of pride) but moreouer rebelliouse and bolde, and euē cruelly, fierse, and in their incredulitie, and in all their errours most obstinate. Beyng vtterly ignoraūt of reuersion, that is of repentaūce. For S. Iohn semeth here to haue alluded vnto these wordes of Ieremie: howe chaunceth it that this people is not tourned away frō so frowarde an auersion: They cleaue stiffely to disceipt, they refuse to retourne. I marked and hearde, and they spake not right: there was none that was sory for his euil, & that would saye, what haue I done? euery one of them did runne his course, as it were an horse dislodged into battel, certes with this kinde of men there is none amendement. They thinke rather all, howe they maye allure others into errours with them. He signifieth morouer that the clergie shal be warlike, and the Authours of warres, and shal moue warres against the Sainctes and true worshippers of God. For they haue the secular power, as they cal it, ready. Of longe time nowe there haue ben in maner no warres, which haue not ben reysed by this kinde of men. Stories beare witnes hereof. Yea and in this our time cardinals and Bisshoppes haue had the leadyng of Armies, &c. Finally there is signified herby that the clergie shal continually vexe & wery with spiritual warre also, the trewe church of Christ. Wherefore in the .11. chapter. [Page 261] we shal heare howe the beaste commeth out of the botomles pitte, and maketh warre with the excellēt prophetes of God. They mixe therfore and practise aswell spiritual as corporal warres. Laste of all is signified, that the popes clergie shal be wel fed, faire and wellikyng, and geuen to voluptuousenes, lustes and pleasures of the body. For this kinde of people represente not horses that be gaunte or leane, suche as goe to plowe and carte: but such as are wel kept and fed euē to serue vpon in the warres. For beholde with me and consider, of what sorte the clergie is (for the most parte) and you wil say, that they are here set forth in theyr coulours.
Secōdly vpō theyr heades, sayeth he, as it were crownes,Crownes. like vnto golde. Rabanus Maurus in the .3. chapt. of the firste boke of the institution of Clerkes calleth the shauinge of the priestes crowne, a kingedome, a token verely of the dignitie of a king and prieste. For Priestes and Monkes or Freres boaste themselues to be kinges and priestes, and yet in dede are neyther of both. For the trewe faythfull before God are kinges and priestes .1. Peter .2. But by the ordeyning or shauing of the Pope, they receiue nothing either of kingdom or priesthood. Full well therfore S. Iohn, vpon theyr heades, sayeth he, as it were crownes like vnto golde: for he sayeth not, they were crownes, but like as they were crownes of golde. They were not crownes in dede, neyther were they dewe vnto them. And yet notwithstanding in the ende of the world now they haue taken vpō them diademes, or miters, and crownes of golde also, and the same most preciouse. Yet haue they done this by no right. In times past Bisshoppes of Rome did were white miters, in token of puretie and sincerenes, finally of the knowledge of both Testamentes: but none of the Apostles nor Apostolicke men ware them. Therfore they bewraye themselues like a Ratte with their owne vtteraunce, the which I suppose to be done by Gods prouidence, that they might be knowen, and eschewed of Christes shepe as crowned wolues.
Theyr faces were as the faces of men,Faces of men. not as the faces of Locustes. So likewise in Daniel to Antichrist are attributed ye eyes of a man. To wit industrie and policie. These mē pretende a great humanitie, thei be furnished with fayre speach, [Page 262] you woulde thinke if humanitie were lofte, it mightie befounde in them: but they fayne these thinges, to the intente that in creping thus into mens bosomes, they maye bring theyr matters to passe, and disceiue. In craftes, disceipte, wilines and practise, as they terme it, the Popes Legates, Ambassadours, Priestes, and Religiouse persones, excell all other wisemen of the worlde. They prease into al assemblees of all menne, they will be made priuie to all thinges, they take all thinges for the bringyng of theyr matters to passe, they semble and dissemble all thinges, they can easely supplant and begyle, euen suche as be moste wittie. Moreouer they are learned, witty, eloquent, and wonderfull craftie in all thinges. The thing it selfe speaketh and testifieth, that I write the trueth.
Wemens lockes or heere.And they had heere, like the heere of wemen: by the which similitude he noteth theyr wantonnesse, Idlenes, whorisshe apparell, and effeminate mindes. For they be commed and piked, and very finely apparelled, delightyng in wemens Iewels, wearing costely garmētes, especially in the church, where they ought moste of all to shewe humilitie and frugalitie. Whiche of the Apostles went euer so decked (or rather disguised) in the Temple or without the temple? The excesse and costelines of apparell of Priestes and Monkes geueth no place to the costely arraye of the Persian Kinges. Againe the thing it selfe speaketh. S. Austen in an homelie vpon the seuenth of the Apocalipse, in the heere, sayeth he, he wold vnderstād and shewe, not only an effeminate or womanly sexe, but also eyther or both sexes. This sayeth he. Which I leaue to be construed and scanned of others.
The teeth of Lions.In attributing to them also the tethe of Lions, he signifieth their crueltie agaynst the poore and faithfull professours of Christ. They are most cruell in persecutions, and of bloud moste thirstie, neyther are they moued herin with any compassion. They destroye also with the sworde all thinges: many deuise sondry tourmentes. They excelle in tiranny Busirides and Phalarides: the thinge it selfe speaketh agayne. For yf Kinges, Princes or Magistrates, would spare the sely wretches, the priestes and Freres crie out that it is not lawfull: finally they incense the mindes of all Princes and Magistrates [Page 263] agaynst Gospellers, in prescribyng fourmes of inquisitions and oppressions. Hereto is added some of them are storers, hourdyng vp with vnsatiable couetousenes, and religiouse robberies, Kinges treasures. Agayne some other wasters succede, whiche sette abroade euill gotten good, and waste it prodigally in riotte, disyng, whoryng, in practise or warres. Therefore are the teeth of Lions attributed to them rightely: In like case as Amos is red to haue attributed to the false Prophetes. They had also HabergionsHabergiōs (Thoracas) whiche is a defence for the breste, called a breste plate, or a vauntgarde. Others expounde it, cureties, but they couer all the body, Habergions doe properly couer the breste. And hereby is signified, that their harte should be obstinate and inflexible. They are stiffe necked and straite lased, nother departe one heere breadth from theyr errours, but euen forge that the same Sea can not erre: yea and that the Pope can not erre. For nother can they abyde to be taught and admonisshed, but playnely the Churche of Rome, saye they hath neuer erred: therefore there remayneth none other thinge, but that thou muste subscribe to it, or els be condemned for an heretike, and suffer death. It is signified moreouer that these shall be through an other mans protection moste safe. For they haue theyr immunities, they haue theyr pryuileges, they haue the secular power alwayes ready to fight at theyr request, they haue theyr fraternities, felloweshippes, leages and affinities. What should we saye that Bisshoppes and Abbottes be the sonnes, bretherne and Cosins of Princes? who so euer therefore toucheth them, he hath touched the apple of the Princes eye. For euen for the maynteinyng of them and their state, all men fight as it were for lyfe and landes.
To the Locustes moreouer are ascribed winges.Winges Locustes. For they are exalted aboue the common state of menne, whilest they are taken and accompted for the moste fortunate and moste excellent in the world, &c. Yea and impudently they bragge, that herein they are worthier and greater than the Virgin Mary, for that she bare ones in her wombe the Sonne of God, but they can calle him dayly vnto the Aultar? &c. And whilest they flie, they make such an noyse, as horses do, [Page 264] drawyng warlicke chariottes,Warlicke charettes. and nowe ready to inuade the rankes of enemies: that is to saye, al theyr doynges are most vehement, most warlicke, to men horrible, and deadly. Herunto apperteyne the clamorouse disputations of Sorbone and other scholes, excommunications, sentences geuen at Rome, the popes bulles and wrytinges, the boastinges of decrees, and they be in obstinacie inuincible. All these thinges make a noyse together, and thonder terribly.
Hereunto is added, that by theyr decrees and counselles they breake a sunder, or inuade. Wherupon Daniel attributeth also to Antichristians, prosperitie: he shal doe, sayeth he, and shal prosper. And they inuade in suche sorte, as we haue sayed also before, men wil desire to die, supposing that there is no deliueraunce.
The stinging tailes of Scorpions.Of the tayles of Scorpions, and of fiue monethes I haue spoken before in the fourmer Sermon. Theyr venemouse doctrine is noted, which neuerthelesse at certen times shalbe reproued, that godly men maye beware therof. And whoseeth not, yea who feleth not also, howe greuouse or harde is this fight or battell, that is made of such Locustes? Therefore hath the lords mouth ioyned rightly an wo with ye locustes. Men wisheful rightly to dye, to the ende they might be deliuered from so great daungers. Lette vs waye and consider these thinges at this daye, and let vs praye that we maye ouercome and escape the moste pestilent poyson of Antichrist.
A king of Locustes.For nowe also is broughte forth the kinge of these locustes, and is pointed as it were with the fingar of Christ. He setteth him out by three titles, that he maye the better be knowen. The locustes, sayeth he, haue ouer them a kynge. This king is not lawefully geuen them, but they themselues haue that kinge ouer them. For who knoweth not, that by the policie of the spirituall fathers, the Pope exempted from the iurisdiction of princes, should rule ouer all the spiritualtie? For thei acknowledge none other Magistrate, than the pope of Rome: and rayle vpon secular princes (for so they cal them) and wil not obeye them. Al they binde and sweare thē selues to the see of Rome, which to haue saue and soūde, they care not, though al other mē perish. The fourme of swearing is knowen, which is made of Bisshops, Abbottes and doctours [Page 265] to the Pope. And if kinges and princes do but touche with their litle fingar one that is annoincted with the Bisshoppes oyle, although he be a church robber, a murtherer, a thiefe, and paracide, they are holden accursed and they and theyr realmes excomunicated. Thus I say the locustes haue the pope king ouer them.
The same is called also the Aungel of the botomles pitte?The angel of ye botō les pitte. and streightwaies in the .11. chapt. he shal be called the beeste which ascendeth out of the botomles pitte. Christ descended to vs from heauen, the Aungell of the Testament and great counsel. Whome who so euer disdaigne to heare, they heare worthely the angel of the botomles pitte, that is to witte Antichrist sent of Sathan him self from hel. For he is the aduersarie and enemie of Christ, in whom corporally dwelleth the Deuil: As also thought S. Hierome, that the Deuill should wholy inhabite that great Antichrist.
Therfore also a trewe name,Abbadon & Apollyon. and a trewe title most agreable is geuen him. For thei lie, which salute, and cal him, most blessed father, moste holy Pope, &c. Christ setteth forth with an other stile, and geueth him other titles. His name, sayeth he, was Abbadon in Hebrewe, and in Greke Apollyon. He publissheth his name in eyther tounge, for none other cause, than for that in eyther Testament, wherof the one is written in Hebrew, the other in greke, this title is attributed to him. Abbadon or Abbaddon, or Apollyon signifieth a waster or destroyer. But Daniel in the .7.8. and .11.The childe of perditiō chapt. And Zachar. in the .11. doe attribute to Antichrist this vertue and propertie. S. Paul calleth him the sonne of perdition, to wit most lost, most damnable, and the greatest Authour of perdition and damnation: whiche finally shall be vnto many Authour of slaughter, by sondry warres. For through false doctrine he distroyeth soules, and with tiranny by fire and sworde he wasteth the lande, and those that refuse to obeye him, moste cruelly. Let the Popes actes be considered, and the practises of spirituall fathers: lette them be applied to these oracles of God, and than let a cōparison and iudgement be made. And this is as it were the keye, openyng to vs the sense of this place, and that it should be expounded of Antichrist, whome S. Paull called the sonne of perdition. Habad in Hebrewe [Page 266] signifieth, is loste or distroied. And therof cometh Habbaedon, perdition or destruction. So in Greke Apoleo and Apollyme signifieth to lose and distroy, herof is Apollyon. The Lord Iesus slaye this destroyer with the breath of his mouth, & take him away vtterly by his gloriouse commyng.
¶ The sixte trompet is expounded, where is created of Saracenes and turkishe matters. The .xli. Sermon.
ONe wo is paste, and beholde two woes come yet after this. And the sixte Aungel blewe, and I hearde a voyce from the foure corners of the golden Aultar, whiche is before the eyes of God, saiyng to the sixt angel, which had the trompet: lowse the foure Angels, which are bound in the great riuer Euphrates. And the foure Angels were lowsed, which were prepared for an houre, for a daie, for a moneth, and for a yeare, for to slaye the the thirde parte of men. And the nombre of Horsemen of warre, were twenty times ten thousande. And I hearde the nombre of thē. And thus I sawe the horses in a vision, and them that sate on them hauing firie habbergions of a yalowe and brimstony colour, and the heades of the horses were as the heades of Lions. And out of theyr mouthes wente forth fire, smoke, and brimstone. And of these three was the third part of mē killed: that is to say, of fire, smoke, & brimstone, whiche proceded out of the mouthes of them. For their [Page 267] power was in their mouths, & in their tailes for their tailes were like vnto serpentes, hauing heades, and with them did they hurt.
The sixte cōflicte or fight is of Mahometrie by the Saracenes, Turkes & Tartariās, most cruelly foughten and with muche wo. And would God it were foughten. For we perceiue dayly by the thinges themselues the misterie of the prophecie, and see the fulfilling, and euen experience it also.
At the sounde of the trompe of the sixte Aungell S. Iohn heareth a voice from the foure corners of the golden Aultar,The some of the vision. that is to saye from the middes of the Aultar: neither is there any cause, why we should seke a misterie in the fourth nōbre. And he speaketh of that Aultar, whiche is before the eyes of God. That voice commaundeth, the Aungell trompetter to lowse the foure Aungels bounden in the great riuer of Euphrates. Whiche thing as soone as it was done, an innumerable armie of horsemen marched forwarde, and sleyeth and distroyeth the third parte of the earth, that is the third parte of men. And those horsemen, and the force or power therof is most diligently described.
We learned of late, that the golden AultarThe goldē Aultar. doeth signifie Christ, sitting on the right hād of the father. He is purer and more preciouse than golde: he is priest and sacrifice of all the faithful, standing before the eyes of God, to witte pleasyng God, wherin or in whome his soule is pleased with al faythfull, whose vertue suffiseth all. And suche a one God the father would haue him to be preached and beleued of all the faythfull in the worlde. Such a one also the auncient church instituted of the Apostles beleued and taught him: vntill by the worke and instigation of the Deuill, menne moste corrupt sprange vp in the churche, whereof these deny the deitie of Christe, those the humanitie, others plucked a sonder the persone consisting of God and manne, and others confounded the natures, or proprieties of natures. The goodnes of God suffered this longe patiently, many times sendynge faythfull and open defenders of the veritie, whiche mighte roote out those blasphemouse errours: the whiche we haue red to be done by seuerall Bisshoppes or Preachers of the church, or by ecclesiastical assemblees, which we call coūsels: [Page 268] such as were the counsells Nicene, Constantinopolitane, Ephesine, and Chalcedonian: In the whiche were cōdemned Arrius, Macedonius, Nestorius, Eutiches, and other monstres of heretikes which impugned Christ. Howebeit the vncurable peruersenes of men gettyng the vpper hande, there was none ende of alteration and blasphemies. For two great Bishops of no smal churches,Peter and Seuerus deny thaultar Christ to be dead. Peter patriarche of Antioche, and Seuerus of Constantinople springyng vp, in the reigne of the emperour Iustinian, impudently and moste wickedly affirmed (as the actes of the .5. counsell of Constantinople doe plentifully enough declare) that the body of Christ was vtterly in corruptible, and verely deified, neyther subiecte to any affections, as oures are. For that the worde was so made fleshe, that by and by it began to be one nature, to wit diuine, that Christ was made [...], yt is incorruptible. These thinges should seme to procede out of the most wicked schole of Valentinian, Marcion, and Manicheus. Iames Syrus, Iames Sirus. surnamed Zā zalus, of whom at this day the Iacobites are named in the east countrie, toke vpon him to defende the doctrine of Seuerus. He taught that Christ, for that he was incorruptible, neyther to haue suffered, nor ben crucified: but that some other was put to tormētes for Christ, Christ only standing by inuisibly and loking on. This opinion was madde, by many testimonies of the Scripture, and finally repulsed and ouerthrowen with the articles of our fayth.
Christ suffered verely.For we professe in our belefe, suffered vnder Ponce pilate, was crucified, dead and buried. The prophetes tolde expressely before that he should suffer and die, that he hath suffered and died the Apostles haue witnessed, of whom S. Iohn behelde the death and passion of Christ on the crosse. Nother reade we that the Lorde was euer so much offended with his disciples, as he was with Peter goyng about to diswade the passion as vnworthie the sonne of God. For he sayed, goe behinde Sathan: thou fauourest not those thinges which are of God, but which are of mē. Therfore should they not haue renewed the errour and madnes confuted. He semeth to reason probably, that God might haue redemed the worlde by an other meane, than by the incarnation or passion of the sonne of God: to be an vnworthie thing, that we should beleue [Page 269] the sonne of God to haue ben beaten with the hādes of the wicked, and moreouer slaine. But this probablenes is of vncleane fleshe, not of God, yea it is of Sathan him self. Yet hath this absurde & moste wicked opinion founde not a fewe followers. For the heresie of the Iacobites conteyned in the Alcorane, is spread abroade farre and nere ouer al the Easte countrie. Wherof it is playne, that the golden Aultar was of them moste filthily polluted: and the merite of Christes passion denied, the dignitie and maiestie of the priesthood and sacrifice of Christ trodē vnder fote. There were besides these other most corrupt opinions in the Weste, &c. Which thing worthely kindled the iuste wrath of God. For of his iuste iudgement he permitted Mahomet to make newe lawes, and to spread abroade the Iacobisme farre & nere through out the world. For they that wil not heare christ worthely heare Antichrist: whiche thing the Apostle hath also in the .1. chapt. to the Romains, and .2. Thessa. 2. chapt. affirmed. Therefore is hearde from the Aultar a voice of him that sate on the righte hand, and commaunded to lowse the foure Angels bounden in the riuer of Euphrates, that is to witte to bryng forth into the world distroyers, which may ouer runne a great part of the world.
For the heresies of the Nestorians, Iacobites, The original of Mahomet and his religiō. Monotelitanes beyng of force, Monkes and freres now increasyng, and of Benedicte Abbot of Cassinea. Greatly augmented, moreouer idolles or Images comming vp in the churche, and taking strength, and the pride and vnfaithfulnes of the Bisshoppes approchyng, Mahomet the destroyer of ye world was borne in Moecha a citie of Arabie, of parētes very obscure: the same was broughte vp of Sergius a vile Monke polluted with all kinde of heresies.Ye reade a like thinge in .3. booke of kinges. 11. chapt. of Salomon and his enemies. Whiche after he was cōmen to the age of xxv. yeres, belied him self to be the prophet of God. And thorowe sedition beyng driuen out of Moecha, where a greate rabble of Iewes, Iacobites, Christians, Paganes, and heretikes were gathered, he went into the nexte cities, and houses, and secretly by the space of ten yeres, he so instilled his doctrine into miserable mē, that euery where through out Arabie ther was founde a greate multitude of Mahometes secte. Than Homar Homar. a bolde fellowe, taking to him about .lxx. other men [Page 270] ready to fight, asked Mahomet what he would haue done. He aunswered: verely my will is, that executyng the commaundementes of the lawe, ye cleaue vnto it in riches and pouertie, and cleaue to gether with mutuall and stedfaste loue: that ye defile not other mens wiues by adultery: that ye absteyne from euil, and prohibite others: that ye do good your selues, and perswade others: that ye make warre in the name of God, and that by feare and force ye sette forth the lawes to the disobedient: for the whiche thinges verely I promise you Paradise. At this talke they gaue ech other their faith.: Homar with his sworde drawen swore, that he wold not suffer that the preaching and lawe of Mahomet should be kepte any longer secret: thus verely what by preachyng & what by the sworde Mahometisme preuayled very muche in shorte space. They brake into Moecha, they put downe other religions, and beheaded suche as resisted, and there this newe Solon Mahomet proclaymed a newe lawe in the Temple at Moecha. A great multitude of seruaūtes and vnthriftes resorted to that wicked fellowe. Who sent Ambassadours to the people aboute him, and sollicited them to receyue his religion, and perswaded many that wickednes. These thinges were done vnder thēperour Heraclius about the yere of our lorde .620.The beginning of the destructiō of ye whole worlde spiritual and corporally And that wicked and moste absurde lawe of Mahomet yet remaineth, and is called the Alcorane, so that it nedeth no further declaration. Ful well therfore Nicephorus in his history, [...] than, [...], sayeth he, the Saracenes began the desolation of the whole worlde. Saracenes were called the followers of Mahomet. Certes they subdewed Arabie, the Saracenes and Persians, they inuaded also Siria and Aegipte, Chaldey, and Armenia. After arrose the Turkes and Tartarians, receyuing the religion of Mahomet, who haue subdewed in a maner all the prouinces of the Romane empire in the east & to the South.
By the riuer of EuphratesEuphrates. moste famouse in al Asia flode Babilon, the seate of the Monarchie oriental: and the moste mightie people of the East, the Assirians, Babylonians, Medes and Persians, which were lordes of the world before the Monarchie of Grece and of Rome, semed to be as it were drouned, buried and hidde, and euen bounden in the same riuer. [Page 271] For the Macedonians of the west, were gouernours of the world, and after them the Romanes: and these most mightie nations, whiche we nowe named serued them. But after the golden Aultar, was as I saied, defiled, and innumerable people in the East and Weste reuolted from the trewe christian fayth, God styred vp agayne the orientall distroyers of the worlde, whiche hath ben longe as it were layde a slepe. For the prophetes testifie, that those nations were the scourges of the world: the same whippes therfore god agayn brought forth by his iust iudgement. Certes we reade in the .10. chap. of Daniel, that there was an Aungel of Grece,The .4. angels doe signifie the most strōg nations of the Easte. and an Angel of Persia, and that by them the whole people are vnderstād. So nowe are reysed vp the nations of the Easte, Arabians, Saracenes, Turkes and Tartarians, who for sinne might waste the worlde, and the Easte might rule agayne: as Lactantius out of Sibille prophecied should come to passe, let the Weste serue.
Lette vs learne of this treatise, that all euilles,The beginning of calamities of forsakyng. and chiefly the desolation and distruction of Realmes, doe rise of the reuolting from the trewe religion to the false. The folishe people at this daye Iudge cleane contrary, and for the same cause are miserably distroyed. Let vs learne that fierse natiōs are restreyned and kepte backe of God, that they should not hurte: that the same be stired vp of him to take iuste punishement of the impenitentes. Thus was Sinnacherib, Salmanasar and Nabuchodonozor, called the seruaūtes of God, which executed his iudgementes. Therefore let vs feare God, and perseuer in the trewe religion.
Morouer the Saracenes,Prepared daye and houre. Turkes & Tartarians are most dilligently described. Firste is cōmended in them a wonderful expedition and celeritie, the principall vertue in warres. They are euer, sayeth he, ready at euery momente to execute the iudgementes of God. Therfore he reherseth al partes of time, euē euery houre of the daye. And so there is no securitie frō them: thou canst be neuer in suretie. They are by & by in armure, & come vnloked for, they inuade, & spede theyr matters most luckely. He addeth that through their most cruell & spedy armures the third parte of men in the world should be slayne. Verely Asia, Affricke, and Europe haue felte of the [Page 272] moste cruell slaughters and distructions of the Saracenes, Turkes, and Tartariās, euer sins the time of Mahomet vnto our dayes, about the space of .ix. hondreth and .xx. yeres. And also the priestes of Mahomet are very quicke and diligent, to allure men into theyr errours, neyther waunte they lucky successe.
The nombreNombre. is also noted in a maner infinite, and the nō bre sayeth he, of the armie of horsemen is twenty times ten thousande, [...]. And Mirias is the nombre of ten thousande: so that two myriades of myriades should make twenty times a thousande Myriades. And so the olde translatour hath red or translated it: and Erasmus, twenty times ten thousande. The dutche translation hath, many thousande thousandes. Laurence Valla in his annotatiōs vpan the newe Testament doeth interprete, as hath the dutche translation, thousande thousandes. But howe so euer it be, certayne it is by the conference of other places, that a certen nombre is put for vncertayne, that is to saye for exceadynge great: and to be signified, that the horsemen of the Saracenes, Turkes, and Tartarians should be innumerable. For we reade in the .7. of Daniel, thousande thousandes serued him, and ten thousande millions stode before him. And he speaketh of Aungelles (whome he signifieth to be innumerable) and of theyr ministerie. So also in the fifte of the Apocalipse, I hearde, sayeth he, the voice of many Aungelles, and thousande thousandes sayng with a lowde voyce, &c. Certē ly the stories testifie that the Saracenes came out of Spaine into Fraunce in nombre foure hondreth thousande. Paulus Aemilius in the .2. boke of thactes of Frenchmē, reciteth that Charles Martell ouercame three hondreth three score and .xv. thousande Saracenes. And Matthias a Michon in the .1. booke 8. chapt. of Sarmatia in Asia. Tamerlanes, sayeth he, had an armie of .12. hondreth thousande. Moreouer it is playne, that there were neuer in any age or memorie greater Armies of horsemen led out of any nation, than of Turkes, Saracenes and Tartarians. S. Iohn addeth, that he hearde their nōbre, eyther for that he would so confirme, that he had sayed, how theyr power should be greatest: or for that he would partely signifie, that theyr victories also were nombred, and should [Page 273] haue an ende. That in Daniel is most notable, Mene, Thekel pheres: that is, hath nombred, hath wayed, hath diuided. He hath nombred, sayeth he, thy kingdome, and hath brought it to an ende.
And at the beginning and also in the times that followed, the matters of Mahomet increased exceadingly. After Mahomet him selfe they had in order .xxv.The power & successe of Mahometanes. Amires (for so they called theyr kings or princes) which ruled with great power vnto the yere eight .C. three score & ten. About this time the .xv. Amiras called Mahomet, went aboute to driue out and oppresse Imbrael gouernour of Babilon, which sent for Muchulet the Turke out of Scythia agaynst Amirā. And ye Turke dispatched his matters, and droue many of the Saracenes out of Asia, and the Turkes began to reigne in the East. And the Saracenes expulsed out of those parties, came into Affricke: from thence sayling into Sicilie and other Ilandes, they possessed Spaine also: and ouer rode other natiōs nere, and inuaded Italy, spoiling Rome, and consuming with fire many goodly buildynges. Concerning the which matter ye may reade Volaterane in the .12. boke of Geograph. in the threfolde Arabie. About the yere of our lord .M.CCC. the Turkishe emperours had theyr beginning of Ottoman, who possesse at this daye a great parte of Asia, Affricke and Europe. Herof hath writen Baptista Ignatius in thende of the .2. boke of the Romane emperours, and Paulus Iouius. Many of the Tartarians receiued the religion of Mahomet, & haue most greuousely plaged the world, wherof Mathias a michon writeth in Sarmatia of Asia. And doubtles the people of Mahomet haue ben of very greate power, and be so still euen at this daye.
Now are painted out also the horsemen and horses wherupon they ride,Horsmen, Horses. that is to witte the maners and power of the Mahometanes are described. The Horsemen had on habergions, not of yron, but firie of yelow and brimstony colour. Therfore fire, Hiacinth and sulphur, were in stead of the brest plate, theyr Armure. For the Hiacinth he putteth by and by smoke. For Hiacinth in colour resembleth smoke nexte vnto fire & flame. And the horses had Lions heades, & Serpentes tailes with heades. The horses breathed out of their mouths [Page 274] fire, smoke, & sulphur. With these plagues, sayeth he, to wit fire, smoke, & brimstone, the thirde parte of men were slayne. Thei did hurt also mē with the Serpētine tailes. He addeth, theyr power was in their mouth, hurt in the tayle. These appere to be vnderstand and expounded spiritually and corporally. For ye Mahometanes by their wicked doctrine, which is aptly compared to fire distroiyng, to smoke blinding, and to stinking sulphure, haue distroyed innumerable. Finally with a lionish or tirannical force they haue cōstreyned many people to receyue theyr Alcorane: and moreouer what time their false prophetes seme to flatter (for Esaye sayeth, a false prophet is a taile) they playe the serpente, and infecte menne with the moste corrupte poyson of doctrine. Out of their mouthes procede not only blasphemous lawes, but also maruelouse prayses, greate boastinges of victories, abominable blasphemies. Where saye they, is your christen faith? our religion of Mahomet ouerōmeth al. Al your things are miserable. Beyng vaunquished ye serue like boūde slaues euery where. The thing it self declareth, yt our religion is true, and yours starke false. And in dede ye Mahometanes reigne in a maner euery where, in victories & riches they are fortunate & noble. That thing maketh the Christians affraide, & causeth many to reuolte. For what is done emōgs vs, is to manifest to al mē. The gospellers haue ones or twise fought vnluckly. and abide euery houre great persecutions: the papistes ouercome & reioyse. There are foūde therfore many thousandes, which say, how the thing it self speaketh, whether religion is better. Doubtles this great felicitie holdeth many still in errour, which would els be gētle & tractable. Therfore it is no maruel, though turkes or mahometanes preuaile very much wt their mouth, sins emōgs christians, victories & the felicitie of this world is of so great force in maner wt al men. And yet they excell with their mouth & boastinges, in the thing it self and in veritie. For although the Turkes be victoriouse, yet is their religion moste false, most wicked and moste absurde.
And corporally, how those thinges may be expoūded, ther is no man that seeth not, whiche knoweth the Turk [...]sh histories. The Mahometanes burne with fire and brimstone, for hardely is ther any other nation, whiche hath so wasted the [Page 275] world with fire, as this. Which waie so euer thei tourne thē, al thinges burne with a light fire, all is full of smoke. Their princes are lions, & their gouernement is like lions, al things tirānical. They cōmaunde cruel thinges, nother cometh ther any other thinge out of their mouthe, than that is blouddy. Therfore haue many of them called themselues the wrath of God & the whippe or scourge of god. And verely this wrath of the lord followeth corrupte doctrine and swaruing frō the faith. With these three plagues fire, smoke and brimstone the third parte of the world is slayne and distroyed.
Morouer the Serpentes taile admonissheth chiefly,The Serpētes taile wt heades. that they do hurte very much. For in case the Mahometanes or Turkes haue any where entred in leage with christen Princes, thei haue not done it without crafte and guile. They that haue beleued theyr promesses and flattering wordes, & haue required and had ayde of them, haue nurrished a Serpent in their bosome.
Herof remaine two notable examples.The ayde and flatteringes of ye turkes are pernicious A discorde arrising betwene the emperour of Constantinople and his Princes. Whilest Marcus lorde of Bulgaria ioyned him selfe with the princes, or lordes of Grece, themperour was cōpelled to require aide of Amurathes the first of that name the .iii. turkish Emperour after Ottoman. And he ayded themperour gētly. For he sent into Grece .12000. chosen turkes, with whome the emperour beyng ayded, he discomfited and put to flight Marcus him self & the rest of the rebelles. But that same amitie was the beginning of the distruction of thempire of Constantinople, & of al the calamities of Grece. For when Amurathes vnderstode by the soldiours whiche retourned home, that Grece was both a most goodly coūtrie, & not strong, by reason of the discorde & dissention of Princes: he determined to transporte thither immediately, vnder pretense of persecuting thēperours enemies. And so began to possesse Grece it self, which both his sonnes & nephewes with in an .C. yeres brought wholy into their subiection. In our time arrose a discorde for the realme of Hōgarie betwixt Ferdinando, which nowe is Emperour, and Iohn Vayuode Prince of Hongarie: which beyng not able in strength to matche Ferdinando, was driuen to craue ayde of Solyman Emperour of Turkes. [Page 276] The Turke was by and by ready with great faithe and dilligence placing Iohn in his kingdome: howbeit we see, that immediately he beyng extincte, the Turke inioyed the kingdome of Hongarie. Would God therefore that Christen Princes would not trust the turkish nauie and warfare. For whilest the Mahometane laugheth vpon the Christian with a frendely countenaunce, he intendeth to put a Serpent into his bosome, and to distroye him. And we are also at this day in this sixte, as also in the fifte fighte, in the Papisticall and Mahometicall corruption, wickednes and tirāny. The lord Iesus deliuer vs from al these euilles by his gloriouse commyng vnto iudgement. Amen, Amen.
¶ What should be done to the reside we of impenitentes, in this meane while felyng none euill, of the Locustes and Horses. The .xlij. Sermon.
ANd the remnaunte of the menne, which were not killed with these plagues, repēted not of the dedes of theyr handes, that they should not worship deuilles, and images of golde, and siluer, and brasse, and stone, and of wood, which nother can see, nother heare, nother goe. Also they repented not of theyr murther, and of theyr witchcrafte, nother of theyr whoredome, nother of theyr thefte.
The waūt must be fulfilled in ye reason.It is spoken aboūdantly, how greate calamitie shal come vnto the world of the locustes and horses vnder the fifte and sixte trumpet: & where it is sufficiently knowē, that al are not subiecte to the locustes and horses, neyther to be punnisshed of them, which neuerthelesse committe thinges also worthie of punnishment, some man might maruel, whether these beyng free and exempted from these plagues, may safely leade an impenitent life? he preuēteth and sayeth, and the residewe [Page 277] of men, which also committe shameful things against God, and yet are not slayne with these plagues set forth, maye not thinke to escape vnpunnished. For euen they shal be punnisshed also of God most iust. For the speache is defectiue, and therfore to be made vp, both by the tenure herof, and also by the catholike sense of the whole Scripture, which is that all impenitent persones are punnisshed of God: & that so much more greuousely, the more carelessely that they haue abused gods longanimitie, beyng nothing moued with any examples of Gods iudgemētes. Yet sayeth he not this by expresse wordes. It was enough for him to reherse the wickednes, wherin they were drowned. For herof maye euery man gather, what is dewe to such offenders. Aretas a Greke expositour, expounding this place. This speache saieth he, sheweth an excellencie of insensibilitie, that is of the wantonnes and lasciuiousenes of them, which haue spent the time graunted them of God to repente in, aboute vanity, that euen for the worthines of their slougthfulnes they might receyue theyr rewarde: yea euen before the eyes of the vngodly the very rewarde is put in effecte: yet these men not only by the sight of these terrible thinges, which they had present before theyr eyes, were made neuer a whit better, but also worse, & more and more wrapped in sinne, haue fulfilled theyr course, &c. Thus farre he.
Hereof we maye gather that it is not sufficient to a godly and blessed life, that a man be not a papiste,What is requ [...]red of the very godly. or a Mahometane: but that of euery one of vs is required a trewe faith, which maye make vs to walke in al the commaundementes of God: and that we should know, that al must be greuously punnisshed of God, so many as transgresse the lawe of God, of what religion condition, age, state or degree so euer they men be of. For God most iuste hath no respecte of persons. Who so euer haue sinned without a law, sayeth the Apostle, shal perishe with out lawe: and who so euer haue sinned in the lawe, by the law shall be iudged. Certēly S. Iohn semeth here now to bring forth both the tables of the lawe, & therby to reproue the sinnes and wickednes of the vngodly men, of who [...]he will also that iudgemēt be gathered. The first table setteth forth the seruice of God, cōmaunding to worship one [Page 278] God, not to worshippe Idolles, &c. The seconde geueth preceptes of liuing, and teacheth the loue of our neighbour, forbiddyng murther, adulterie, thefte and like mischiefes. S. Iohn bringeth forth two sinnes, done against the first table: and three or foure cōmitted agaynst the seconde. Neyther is there any doubte, but that he compriseth vnder these all like or not vnlike, more or lesse offences agaynst God, and his will. Who so euer therfore thou arte, yf thou offende against the diuine law, thou shalt be punnished. Yf thou seme in this world to escape free, and to flitte from hence happy, the same maye chaunce vnto thee, that happened to the riche glutton: whose iudgement is described in the .16. of Luke. Briefly he shal be punnisshed, who so shal offende God. God knoweth the maner, whether he shal punnish here and in the world to come, or in the world to come only: and graunt here a voluptuouse life.
They are dāned that repent not.And we must chiefly obserue in this treatise, that sinners be not here condemned. For we are all sinners: so should no man be saued. They are damned that doe not repente, which verely die in their sinnes, without repentaūce: Thapostle denieth that Idolaters, aduouterers, theues, couetouse persōs, extorcioners, &c. shal possesse ye kingdome of God, but he addeth: but such were you verely, but you are wasshed, but you are sanctified, but you are iustified by ye name of our lord Iesus, & by the spirite of our god. And in case thou doest doubt whether thou mayest come againe into fauour with God, if thou beyng ones lighted and iustified, doest fall agayne into sinne, learne of the fall and sinne of S. Peter, that thou maist be restored: and the same that we reade written, howe seuen times falleth the iust, and riseth againe, &c. Therefore lette vs learne herof, how effectuall is repentaunce, and howe pestilent lacke of repentaunce. Yf thou be, or hast ben an idolater, thou oughtest not to dispayre, tourne vnto the lorde, and doe penaunce. Yf thou fall againe, abide not still in thy wickednes. Whereof I haue spoken more in an other place. But if thou wilt not retourne vnto God, nor leaue the euill custome of sinne, neuer loke for any grace of God. Thou shalt perish in thy sinnes.
It remayneth that we declare in fewe words the fourmes [Page 279] of sinnes, set forth here of S. Iohn, vnder the which as I sayed before, he hath doubtles comprised like offences, that of like thinges the same iudgemēt be had. First he sayeth as it were generally,The works of mens handes. neither haue thei repented frō the workes of their handes. For albeit that with this note or marke idolatrie is condēned in the prophetes, yet do I extende it vnto all other dedes proceding of the force of mē. For our worke is verely sinne: & the good worke is of the grace of God and of regeneration. And this generall thinge ones setforth, he addeth diuerse partes kindes, and fourmes, two agaynst the firste table, and foure or three agaynst the seconde.
It is agaynst the firste commaundement,To worship the deuill. to worship Deuilles. For our very God will haue him selfe alone taken for God, honoured and worshipped. And who is so madde, sayest thou, that will worshippe Deuilles? Verely ther be certen people in the East, which are sayed to worship Deuilles, for none other ende, but that they should not hurte thē. This is a barbarouse and folisshe people, whie doe they not rather worshippe him, whiche is only able to restreyne the Deuill, that he can not hurte? Howebeit this wickednes stretcheth farre. For they in dede worshippe the Deuill, whiche will seme to worshippe Gods. For this matter is estemed not of the opinion, or intente of the worshipper, but of the lawe maker. For the gentiles would not seme, that they sacrificed to Deuilles: but would haue taken it most displeasaūtly, if any should haue sayed that they worshipped the Deuill. Thou arte a most vile and moste impudent varlet and sclaunderer, they would haue sayed, which darest so reproche the goddes and vs. But S. Paule neuerthelesse, I saye not, sayeth he, that an Idolle, or that is offered vnto Idolles is any thing: but this I saye, that the thinges which the gentiles offer vp,2. Cori. 10. they offer them to Deuilles, & not to God. For where there is one only God, & he alloweth only these sacrifices, whiche are offered to him, calleth straunge Goddes deuils, & Idolle offeringes sacrificed to the deuil: of this iudgemēt is the thing estemed, & not of the fonde intente of men. King Saul would haue offered to God ye burnte offering of Samuel: but Samuel tolde him, that he should cōmit idolatrie, & magicke, &c. This is an harde saiyng, but yet trewe. Wherof I haue spoken in [Page 280] an other place more at large. The worshippyng of Images of God and of the Sainctes is against the precept of the first table.To worshi [...] images. For al Idolatrie is prohibited. S. Iohn here with couler defineth Idolles, and taunteth them also, alludyng to the wordes of the prophet in the Psalme .114. The Idolles of the gentiles, are siluer and golde, the worke of mens handes: a mouth they haue and speake not, &c. Therfore it appereth of the matter, that Images haue nothing of religion. For they be of earth, of golde, brasse, stone, timbre, &c. Agayne of the fourme and shape it appereth, that Images are vayne. For the fourme resembleth a moste grosse shape, and euen a leasing. For nother God, nor the Sainctes were of that shape, whiche the Idolles represent. And now there is no vertue in them. They see not, they heare not, &c. Ho [...] than do they represent God or the sainctes? I haue spoken of Idolles els where. They that thinke how ther is a diuersitie betwixt the Idolles of Christiās and those of the gētiles, let them shewe that theyrs are not of wood, or that those other doe see, heare, &c.
Murther.The sinnes that follow, are against the secōde table, which commaundeth, thou shalt do no murther, thou shalt cōmitte none adulterie, thou shalt not steale. There be many kindes of murthers. For they sleye moste cruelly, whiche haue no sworde, but a venemouse tongue. Many kill with corrupte doctrine. There be māquellers, and parricides, and murtherers, &c. Except these repēt, they shal not enter into the kingdome of God. And they that swell with enuie and mallice, are homicides, as S. Iohn saied in his canonicall Epistle. 1. and .3. chapt.
Witchcrafte, or poisoning. [...], Poysun, Witchcrafte or sorcerie, or inchaunting, apperteyneth to murther. Poysoning, louecuppes, and inchauntmentes, were in the time of S. Iohn most frequented, through out the Romane Empire: at this daie those wicked artes are renewed. But they shal be punnished of God, so many as applye themselues to the same.
Fornication.Fornication hath also diuerse partes. To the same belong whoredom, inceste, adultery, and if any other thing be more abominable than these. The gentiles supposed, that simple fornication, that is to witte, betwene two single persones, [Page 281] was no sinne. But the Apostle defineth the contrary in the 1. to the Corinth. 6. and .15. of the Actes. This pestilent opinion at this daye is reuiued in many. But sure it is, that 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. cōmaundementes. 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 vpō 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 whē 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 frō heauē 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. [Page 282] 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 tēptatiō in ye felicitie of the Antichristiās. For the godly oppressed; iniquitie triūpheth in al places: the veritie being trodē 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 punnishmēt 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 thēselues 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, ye courses of times dewly retourning. Who therefore knoweth, whether a rewarde be prepared for the godly, or punnishmēt 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 executiō, 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 wt 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 & cōfirmation of the faithful, leest they should any where doubte of the fidelitie of gods promesses, or reuolte from the trewe religiō to the false: therfore against Antichrist, the blacke Aungell of [Page 283] the botomles pitte, is set the bright or shining Angel of heauē 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 cōmaundeth S. Iohn to eate ye open boke which Christ held in his hande, & to prophecie againe. By al the which thinges to the cōfort 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 lōg 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 descriptiō of Christ. moste holesome, and moste full of consolation, declaryng his force in the ministerie, by the ministers of the worde, whō he hath clothed with vertue from aboue, & by the weake things of this world, ouercōmeth and beateth together the strōgest 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 yt he is now felte of al mē to be cōmen againe, vnto whō he semed hitherto to haue absented him self some what to long. And I doubt, whether ther be in [Page 284] all the canonical bokes a [...]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 descriptiō of Christ by partes.
Christ a mighty Angell.We haue shewed in the .v. and .vi. trompe, that Antichrist the Pope and Mahomet are strōg. 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 the sede of Abraham, and is much greater than Aungelles, but that is lord of Aungels. Which the Apostle sheweth in the .1. and .2. to the Hebrewes. But it is the aungell of great counsel, to witte the ambassadour of God the father vnto vs, as Esaye and Malachie called him, to teache the will of the heauenly father, and to worke our saluation, and now also appointed, that frō the right hande of the father as king and Bishoppe, he should kepe and defende his church. This Christ I saye geuen to men, is strong, not weake. Strong to ouercome and breake a sonder all the force of this worlde, of his enemies, of Antichrist, of the Deuill and of hell gates. No man therfore nede to doubt, but that he may be defended by this strong giaunt: no mā nede to despeire in any perilles or matters be they neuer so desperate, sins Christe almightie liueth, which is able to helpe wery matters. He therfore muste be called vpon of vs in al daungers: of him we must loke for helpe patiently and w [...]th stedfaste faith.
An Aungel cam doune frō heauē.A starre in dede is fallen from Heauen, but in the meane time of Antichrist crepte out of the bottomles pitte, & Christ descended from Heauen. The Lord cōmeth not from heauen corporally, but vnto the last iudgement: but spiritually he is sayed to retourne, so ofte as he hath semed a little, to haue withdrawen and absented him selfe. For he is neuer absent, he is euer present with his, which is euery where. And he is sayed to be absent, when his ayde is not felte, but are tourmoyled with aduersities, and as it were broken with euilles. Christe therefore descendeth vnto vs so ofte as he geueth vs ayde and counsell standing in nede. So in the most daungerouse [Page 285] conflicte of Antichrist and Mahomet, finally of heretickes and of al other aduersaries, Christ him selfe with his spirite is present with his, helpeth his, incourageth and animateth his, and defendeth his.
Antichrist as it were clothed and wrapped with the smoke of the botomles pitte, is euill fauoured:Aungel couered wi [...] a clowde. and Christ couered and as it were decked with a clowde, bothe sheweth him self to be God, whiche can conueye vp his aboue the ayre and clowdes into his kingdome, and can raine downe dewe or holesome shoures to cowle and make fruictfull his chosen. A clowde many times in the holy historie was a token of God present. A clowde toke vp Christ as it were girded from the eies of his disciples. Clowdes with Esaye in the .45. and .60. chapt. droppe downe grace. Finally we shall be taken vp in the clowdes with al the chosen to mete the Lord in the ayre. Antichrist is crowned with a crowne, whiche he gote to him self by craftie meanes, by flatterie, threatenings & disceiptes: and kepeth the same by wicked practises, blouddy weapons,An Aungel crowned wt the raynebowe. and all kinde of craftie inggelyng and vngodlines. But the rainebowe is on the head of Christ. For he is kyng of peace, pacifiyng and reconciling al thinges vnto God: recōcilyng also mē themselues together with the bonde of charitie. The raynebowe is a token of the leage & amitie of God towards vs, as we mentioned before in the matters of Noe. Of Antichrist is wo, desperation, anguisshe, and a moste afflicted and troubled conscience. Christ is a consolation, and peace of the conscience, that no man nede to saye: ye Mountanes fal vpon vs, and couer vs. For the faythful deliuered, crie Abba father. The same Lorde Christ sayed also in the Gospell: in the world ye haue affliction, but in me peace. And agayne: come to me all that labour and are burthened, and I will refresshe you. Therfore the raynebowe sitteth on no mans head more rightly, than vpon Christes head. For in the head of this angell appered the raynebowe, as though it had bē his crowne or Diademe. And now we vnderstande, from whence consolation and pacificatiō is to be loked for in most greuouse perilles and afflictions of Antichrist.the face of the Angell was as the sunne.
The sunne through the smoke of the botomles pit, reysed by the Aungell therof beyng darkened moste filthely, was a [Page 286] great grief to the world. But the face of this our Aungell is clere, and clarifieth, and shineth as bright as the sunne: as in times past also he is sayed to haue shone in the .17. of S. Matt. The brighte face of Christe bringeth ioye and vnspeakeable gladnes to the beholders, and pacifieth the mindes. And the same is sene of vs spiritually and by faith. S. Paul is the beste expositour of this place in the .2. to the Corinth. 3. and .4. chap. Certenly of the ful knowledge of Christ, wherby we beleue him to be geuen vs of the father, that by him shoulde be accōplished, and he himselfe alone shuld be to vs al thing, & as a most ioyful light arriseth in the mindes. For we are lighted of the light, as is declared in the gospel of S. Iohn. Howesoeuer therefore the terrible darkenes of errours & calamities be ouer cast in the world of the prince of darkenes by ye pope and Mahomet, & other corrupters of Gods veritie, yet the light which is in the mindes of the faithfull through faith in Christ, directeth, lighteth, comforteth and preserueth.
The fete of the Angel, pillers of fyre.Antichrist hath the tailes of Scorpions most venemouse: but the fete of the lord Christ are as pillers of fire. Al thinges of Christ are firme, right, and most cleane. In an other place also the veritie of the lord is figured by pillers. And god him selfe is called a consumyng fire, burnyng vp all vncleanes. Morouer fire pearseth, nother can it be easely quēched, whē it beginneth to catche, and to burne. And who shall lette the course of the fire of the holy ghost:He setteth his fete on the Sea & lande. with these is ioyned an other thing, that the Angel set his right fote vpō the Sea: and the lefte on the Earth. But to set fote, is to chalenge to him self some possession. For as we saye in dutche, for that which is, to fire the minde to dwell in any place: so we reade of the Hebrewe phrase, what so euer your fote shall treade vpon, shall be yours: that is, what so euer ye shall winne, shall be your owne right and possession. And Christ semed as it were to be cast out of his possessiō by Antichrist, Mahometanes, and the rest of his enemies. For we haue heard many times that they haue wonne landes and Ilandes. But this vision instructeth vs, that Christ recouereth agayne, reentreth i [...] possession, and bringeth vnder his subiection, suche places [...] semed to haue ben taken and lost both by sea and lande, tha [...] is in al partes of ye world. For by the preaching of the gosp [...] [Page 287] many are recouered, which were plucked awaye frō the true religion: that now I nede not reherse, that Christ hath in all parts of ye world his chosen, which neuer bowed their knees to Baal. In them hath he a moste strong and moste purified kingdome, figured by the firie pillers. Certes thapostle calleth the churche a piller and base of veritie .1. Timoth. 2. And Christ him self also sayeth that his kingdome in the world is vnmouable, howe so euer it be assayled of Antichriste. The gates of hel shal not preuaile agaynst it, and his church.
And like as Antichrist coueteth to haue ye boke of the gospel shutte, and closed, obscure and vnperfit:The Angel holdeth in his hand a boke open. so the lord Christ holdeth the boke open in his hande. He openeth, and no man shutteth. You vnderstād therfore wherof it cometh that Antichrist, although he be of moste great power, can not at this day shut the gospel boke, which he seketh with al his force to do. Of christ & his spirite we haue the word bright & clere. By the grace of Christ we haue the bright preaching of the gospel, cōtrariwise a darke & an intricate sophistrie of Antichrist: of this boke shal follow herafter more plēti [...]ul thinges. Herunto apperteineth the worthie inuention and godly benefite of Printing, neuer cōmended enough. This openeth bokes,Printing. and sendeth them abroade into the world in dispite of all the enemies of Gods veritie, and scattereth them abroade in euery corner of the world. So that they whiche can not heare preachers, to them come godly bokes not without fruicte.
The sownde of Antichristes winges,The Angel roareth like a lion. is as the noise of charettes, when many horses runne into battel: therefore Christ also maketh a noise, and crieth in dede with a lowde voice. S. Iohn addeth a parable. He roareth ( [...], he loweth, which is asmuch as if he had sayed, he roareth. For Erasmus, perauenture, saieth he, the Grekes kepe not ye difference betwixt [...] and [...] as the latines doe betwene Rugire and Mugire that is to roare & to lowe) as a Lion. We haue hearde before how Christ is called a lion of the tribe of Iuda. Therfore like as when a liō reareth, as Amos noteth in the .3. chap. Al are affrayed of themselues: so when the Lord Christ crieth by his word al the wicked are amased. Wherby is signified that the gospell shalbe preached agaynst Antichrist constantly and with Authoritie, to the terrour of Gods enemies. [Page 288] And doubtlesse although the princes aswel spirituall as temporall, seme to contemne and vtterly to dispise the preaching of the Gospell, yet is it certayne by many tokens and coniectures, that they are excedingly fore affrayed, of that preachyng whiche as vile they dispise. For they indeuour with all force of minde, and herunto applye all theyr counselles, that thei might abolish that same preaching. But in case thei suppose it to be of no force, whie are they so affraied therof? whie are they at so great charges? whie can they neuer be at rest? herunto apperteineth the common prophecie, which telleth, that whilest antichrist reigneth, Helias shal come, which with a sharpe, liuely, & manly preaching, shal confute the triflings of Antichrist. Therefore the spirite of Helias, and his ernest preachyng, is that roarynge of the Lion, whiche roareth out Christes veritie.
The voyces of the seuen thō ders.And as soone as that roaryng was hearde, the seuē thonders vtter also theyr voyces. By the which voyces are signified the sondry graces of the holy ghost, and chiefly the terrible preachyng out of the veritie of the canonicall scriptures, as appered in the .4. chapt. of this boke. For with the gospel in the latter ages shal be expounded agayne the Scripture of the prophetes, whiche semeth as it were to thonder agaynst Antichrist, agaynst sinnes and wicked people. Verely Iames and Iohn bretherne and Apostles of Christ, of the free, plaine, & ernest preachyng of the trueth are called of the lorde Boanerges, that is the sonnes of thonder, thonderers, that is to witte excellently sharpe in preaching, and to be feared.
He is forboden to write the voices of thōders he is cōmaunded to seale them.And S. Iohn would by and by haue written the voices o [...] preachyng of the thonders, but he is forbidden so to do: b [...] is cōmaūded to seale them only. For sins the holy scripture, through the inspiration of the holy ghost, was writtē and [...] forth already by the seruauntes of God the Prophetes and Apostles, what nede were it to wryte and set it forth againe. Those thinges are sufficient for the godly that are written. Therof maye the preachers take vnto thē agaynst Antichrist and al sectes thonderinges, lightenings, and thonderboltes. And where he is cōmaunded to seale vp the thinges set forth already, it alludeth to the laste chapt. of Daniel: and that sealyng is referred aswell to the godly as vngodly. Sealed letters [Page 289] are doubtles of most authoritie. S. Iohn therfore by his sealyng maketh not now the Scriptures authenticall, but in sealyng them declareth, that they are authenticall enough: so to the full scriptures no godly man goeth about eyther to adde, or diminish. Thus I saye the Scriptures are sealed to the godly, as to thē that are most perswaded, that the scriptures are most perfit and Authentical, which may most fully suffice in the church for trewe pietie against all vngodlynes. Where the wicked will not see this, & seke not for al thinges of godly religion in the Scriptures, nother care greatly for the scriptures: what maruell is it, though the Scriptures be sealed to them, that is shutte vp, whiche they neyther greatly care for, nother vnderstand, nor yet wil vnderstande? And on this wise is Christ sette against Antichrist, and recouereth agayne his church, discomfiteth and subdeweth Antichrist: to whom be malediction for euer.
¶ The Lord Christ perfourmeth an othe, and confirmeth his electe, that they should not doubt of the fayth of Gods promesses, &c. The .xliiij. Sermon.
ANd the Angel which I sawe stāde vpon the sea, and vpon the earth, lift vp his hande to Heauen, and swore by him that liueth for euer more, whiche created heauen and the things which therin are, and the sea and the thinges which are therin, that there shal be no more time: but in the daies of the voice of the seuenth Angell, when he shal beginne to blowe, euen the mistery of God shal be finisshed, as he preached by his seruauntes the Prophetes.
But whilest the wicked triūphed, and thenemies of God, Antichrist & Mahomet, ouercame with most lucky successe, [Page 290] whilest al good men were oppressed, and disceipte and liyng reigned euery where, many men will thinke that there shall neuer be an ende, nother of these euilles, nor yet of the world. For the Apostle S. Peter knowe this, sayeth he, that in the latter dayes shal come mockers, which wil walke after their owne concupiscences, and wil saye, where is the promesse of his cōming? Of whom Malachias also reasoneth in the .3. and 4. chapt. But to the intent the goodnes of God might heale the woūdes of the godly, and might auaunce them in the veritie agaynst liyng and reuolting, and establisshe them in the same, Christ cōmeth abroade: and sweareth in the sight of al men solemnely. Which thing must be expounded by all circumstaunces. For it is a thing of moste weight, moste ful of comforte, and right holesome and necessarie for al men.
Christe sweareth.There is no doubt, but that he alludeth to the laste chapt. of Daniel, wherin also the Angel of the lord sweareth, confirming by a solemne othe, that such thinges as haue hitherto ben tolde to the Prophet by prophecie, shal be all fulfilled in their times, therfore this mightie Angel sweareth now also, yea euen Christ him selfe, whiche set his fete on the Sea and Lāde. For by the state and behauour of the body he sheweth stedfastnes, leeste we shoulde doubte any thing of his fayth and veritie: whiche sins he is lorde of all, standeth moreouer vpon fete, not fleshely, but of firie pillers. Al thinges therfore of Christ be certayne, sure, and vnmouable. He that resteth on him, standeth surely, he that beleueth his wordes, shal not be confounded. And it is no newe thing, that Christe sweareth. For we reade very ofte in the Scripture that God hath sworne. We reade in the Gospell that the same Lord Christ hath moste ofte repeted, verely I saye vnto you, verely verely I saye vnto you. Whiche is an othe of one swearyng. When Caiaphas adiured the lord in iudgement, Christ did not conceale, and by holding his peace dissembled, but with expresse wordes confessed the veritie. Whereof thou mayest learne, that the Lord when he forbadde to sweare at al, mente not the sacrament of swearyng. Which where the bussardely Anabaptistes wil not vnderstande, they styre vp wonderful trouble, worthie to be put to silence with more seueritie.
But whie, or to what ende othes be made or taken, the [Page 291] Apostle (out of the lawe in the .22.why othes are taken.) hath declared at large in the .6. to the Hebrewes, to witte, that menne waueryng and doubtful might be confirmed, and certified, and made quiet. Doeth any manne doubte, whether thou deale faythefully with him: God commaundeth to auouch it by a sacrament, to the ende al diffidence maye be taken awaye. Apostle: men sayeth he, sweare by him, whiche is greater, and is to the same an ende of al controuersie, in case it be confirmed by a [...] othe. In the whiche consideration God mindyng more aboundantly to shewe vnto the heyres of promission the vnchaungeable stedfastenes of his counsell, expresseth an othe. Euen so at this present where the diuine prouidence did forsee that vnder the kingedome of Antichrist the hartes of the faythfull should be moste greuousely tempted, and that many by reason of the moste prosperouse fortune of Antichrist and all the wicked, shoulde be harde harted to beleue Gods promesses, and that many,The stedfastenes & certētie of Gods promesses. whiche thing also Daniel in the .11. chapt. Prophecied, should reuolte to Antichrist: it semed to God good to confirme his promesses by an othe, and that a solemne othe by his sonne: to the intente that suche as will be wise, maye thinke, if an honeste man and a trewe should cōfirme his promesse to thee by an othe, thou woldest thinke it an vnworthie thinge to doubte of his promesses: howe much lesse shall it be laweful for thee to doubt of yt promesses of the Sonne of God, and of all his wordes by a solemne othe confirmed: beleue therfore the sonne of God sworne, beleue his Gospell moste confirmed, although the skye shoulde fall, and the Earth gape neuer so wide. God can not lie, whiche is the veritie, and that the eternall veritie: whiche nother disceaueth nor is disceaued: whiche is mercifull, and loueth menne so, that he tempereth him selfe also after their capacitie. For euen for vs and for our infirmitie he perfourmeth a Sacrament, leest he should seme not to satisfie vs in all thinges: and that all occasions of incredulitie, and reuoltyng to Antichrist, and to the filthie worlde might be cutte awaye.
Nowe come we also to waye the maner or fourme of the othe. Two things are here recited: the maner of the swearer,the maner or fourme of Christe his othe. and the solemne wordes of the swearer. For he sayeth, howe [Page 292] the Angel lifted vp his hande towarde heauen: which in dede is the moste auncient rite and holy ceremonie of swearers. For we reade the same of Abraham in the .14. of Genes. And in the .12.To lift vp handes. of Daniel is written of an Aungell: which liftyng vp to heauen his right hande & his lefte swore. We verely holde vp our right hande. But where we saye, that geuing of voyces we wil holde vp both our handes: we signifie that we wil vtterly be of that sentence, that we heare there propounded. Therefore the holdyng vp of bothe handes doeth signifie a most perfit fidelitie, and moste assured confirmation of the thing sworne. Certenly in the holy scriptures the lifting vp of the hande is oftener than ones put for an othe. Whereof perauenture we Germanes haue borrowed, where we say, that is to saye, thou shalt confirme me this by an othe. And in matters most seriouse and graue we are wont to vse some outwarde ceremonie, wherby we maye make the wordes and the thing it self as it were more notable & graue. Wherupon when we praie vnto God, we lifte vp our handes. And verely an othe is as it were the calling vpō the name of god. Wheruppon it is cōmonly accustomed, with great feare to perfourme othes. For al men arrise, and put of their cappes, as they were ready to fall on their knees before the sighte of God him selfe. When bargayne or contracte is made with wordes, the right handes are ioyned together also, in token of fidelitie. Therefore when we take a solemne othe, we lifte vp our hand towarde heauen, where we beleue that the Lord sheweth him self gloriouse to the faithful: from whom we fele that al good thinges come vnto vs: from whēce we perceiue also that vengeaunce doeth fall vpon the periured, and contemners of God. Hitherto therfore Christ applieth him selfe vnto vs: and after the maner of men, to the ende that menne maye be made the quieter, he lifteth vp his handes vnto heauen.
Solemne wordes to sweare by him that liueth for euermore.And the solemne wordes of the swearer be these: he sware by him that liueth for euermore, whiche made Heauen, and the thinges that are therin, &c. So reade we of Abrahā in the 14. of Genes. I lifte vp my hande to the high lord God, possessour of Heauen & earth. And in the .12. of Daniel. He sware by him that liueth for euermore. Also in ye .4. of Ieremie. And [Page 293] thou shalt sweare, the Lorde lyueth. We say so truly as God lyueth, and againe, so God helpe me. And this is a trew maner of swearing. God the creatour, is here most plentifullye and most properly expressed, and here are all creatures seuerallye expressed. He alone is the creatour, he alone is lyuing for euermore, as he that is life of himselfe, and geueth life vnto all. This creation verely and viuification, is not communicated to others. As also he alone knoweth the harts of mē: that hereof we may learne to sweare by the name of God alone, not to adde to him any creatures, which know not the heartes, neither are lyfe of themselues, but are lesse than he: adde also lesse than men, as they that are made for men. Next after God, there is nothing greater than man. Therfore let not mā sweare by any other thā by God. For al the gētiles sweare by a greater, yf thou swearest by ye sainctes, or by the Gods, thou shalt sweare by men, egal verely, and not greatter. God alone is greatest and best. Therfore must we sweare by the name of God alone, lyke as the scripture teacheth elsewhere, in the .6. and .10. of Deuter. 23. of Exod. 23. of Iosue. 4. and .5. of Ieremy .45.65. of Esay, and else where.
But seyng that is in dede God himselfe, howe sweareth he, sayest thou, by him that lyueth for euermore: that is by god? he sweare doubtles by him self, as in many other places of the scripture. Or els he sware after the dispensation and assumptiō of the humane nature: after the which he sayed, my father is greater than I, which notwithstanding in his deitie was neuerthelesse coequall with the father.
And the same that I now rehersed,A faithfull doctrine of taking othes. is the most simple and most trewe doctrine of othes and fourme of swearyng. And yet ther be some which vnderstād that doctrine wel enough, but neuerthelesse for the fauour of men would sweare gladly by Sainctes: and therfore demaunde, whether thei may not ioyne Sainctes to god, especially in this sense, vnlesse I perfourme this, I wil not be accōpted in the nombre of sainctes? I aunswer, that they maye not: aswel for that we haue no expresse maner of swearing, which obediently to the honour of God we ought simply to follow: & also for yt they which require and prescribe this fourme, would haue vs to sweare by the names of Sainctes in heauē, and so to acknowledge that [Page 294] we are holpen and punnished by their vertue and power. Which if ye do and acknowledge, ther is no doubt but thou doeste greuousely transgresse thy sincere religion. Certes if thou confesse God here before men, he will also confesse thee before his father and his Angels: yf thou deny him, he will also deny the. &c. An othe is as it were thy confession, wherby thou confessest, whome thou doest acknowledge and beleue to be thy chiefe filicitie, the reuēger also of euil & rewarder of good. Yf thou shalt therfore ioyne Sainctes vnto god himselfe, and match them together and say, so help me God and his Sainctes: These so coupled with God, thou shalte graunt to be thy Gods, which can both helpe and hurt the. Therfore take hede what thou doest. Reade S. Austen in the 145. Epistle to Publicola.
What Christ did sweare.Howbeit we must see moreouer, what the Angel sware by this custome and solemne woordes. For in this one thynge consisteth the whole somme of the matter. The Angell in the 12. chap. of Daniel ded sweare. Because for a time, times, and halfe a tyme, and in the wyndinge vp, to scatter the hand of the holy people, all these thinges shall be fully done. So this our Aungell here sweareth that there shall be no more time, but in the dayes of the voyce of the seuenth Angell, when he shal begynne to blowe his trompe that the misterie of God shal be fulfilled, but here let no man vnderstand that all time vtterly, and that euerlastin [...]nes it selfe should be abolished and that there should be nothing more after the iudgement: but there shall not be alwa [...]es suche a time, as nowe is, and suche as the wicked inioye in this worlde, supposing that the courses of times shal be alwayes, that the worlde shal continewe alwayes, that they shal alwayes flourishe in honours and pleasures, oppressyng the Godly. This shall not be, sayeth he, nother shall there be any more suche a time that shall perishe and be subiecte to chaungeable courses. For aboute the laste iudgement shall perisshe, or be renewed, all these thinges that shall perishe, and lyfe and glory euerlastyng shal succede, I meane the time of eternitie with al ioye moste replenisshed. Therefore sayeth he not simplely, that there shal be no more time: but addeth, in the dayes of the voyce of the seuenth Aungell, that is to witte, at the laste [Page 295] iudgement, that the misterie of God should be made consummate, perfit, and fully complete. What this secret,The mistery of God what it is. or misterie of God is the Apostle expoundeth and sayeth, 1. Corinth. 15. Beholde I tell you a misterie, we shall not all slepe: and the residewe whiche are red there, the misterie of God therefore is nothyng els, than that the ende, of all corruptible thynges is at hande, and the happie and euerlastyng worlde shal succede: for that Christ shall than come to iudgement: that Antichrist by him shalbe abolisshed, that he with the whole body of the wicked shalbe distroyed, the dead reysed vp agayne: the wicked to euerlasting perdition, the godly to eternal life: for that death, sinne and al corruption must be taken awaye from the godly, and be troden vnder fote, and al miserie imposed to the wicked, that they may be tourmēted world without ende. And for asmuch as many times menne doubte thereof, (as I haue sayed nowe ofte) Christe hath sworne, that all these thinges shall assuredly come to passe, and that the godly shal be consummated with al glory, and that the wicked shall be consummate with all kynde of tourmentes. And this is that great misterie of God, for the whiche the very Sonne of God beynge incarnate, dead, and reysed agayne from the dead ascended into Heauen, that he might conuaye vs thither to him, hauyng subdewed Hell, Sathan, Antichrist and all vngodlynes. Therefore as in the. 6. chapter was sayed to the Martirs, that they should reste for a little season, till the nombre of chosen be fulfilled: so here we heare also, that the mis [...]erie of God shall at length be fulfilled, &c. The whiche is spoken to this ende also that the godly shoulde be of quiet mindes, and patiently abyde deliueraunce. Yf therefore this consumation be differred, lette vs abyde patiētly and constantly, confirmed in Christ, and his Euangelicall veritie: as also the Apostle of Christe S. Paule hath taught vs out of the Prophetes, in the .10. chapt. to the Hebrewes.
Moreouer for a further declaration is added,The prophets also haue shewed this misterie. as God [...] that is, hath euangelized, with a good and a lucky message hath preached, to wit by the seruaūts his prophetes touchyng the ende of the world, the last iudgement, of the euerlasting punnishment of Antichrist, and al wicked, & of the [Page 296] glorifiyng of the godly, &c. Nother sayed he these thinges for a declaration only, but for confirmation also. For by the oracles of the prophetes the faithful are comforted, whose oracles sins they haue neuer failed in any thing: nother shall they in the ende disceyue, in such things as they had prophecied concernyng the last iudgement. And againe we see how great is thautoritie of the auncient scripture, and that the vse of it is excellēt in the church euangelicall: wherin we see both Christ and his Apostles to confirme all theyr saiynges with prophetical scriptures, and also to illumine, set forth and declare, or demonstrate. The testimonies of the prophetes concernyng the last iudgement, of the rewarde and punnishmēt of the godly and vngodly, of the abolishyng of Antichrist, of death, and of al corruption, are in the .110. Psalme, in the .24.26.27. and .46. also in the .7.11. and .12. of Daniel. in the .14. of Zacharie .3. and .4. of Malachie, and also els where. Thapostle hath cited Osee .1. Corinth. 15.
Therfore let vs lift vp our heades, bretherne, let vs watch and pray, for because our redemption draweth nere. Deliuer vs Christ from al euil. Amen.
¶ S. Iohn deuoureth the booke receyued at the Aungelles hande, and prophecieth agayne to the gentiles, nations and Kinges. The .xlv. Sermon.
ANd the voice which I hearde frō Heauen spake vnto me agayne, and sayed: goe and take the little boke, which is open in the hande of the Angel, which standeth vpō the sea, and vpon the earth: and I wente vnto the Angel and saied vnto him, geue me the litle boke. And he sayed vnto me, take it, and eate it vp, & it shal make thy bealy bitter, but it shalbe in thy mouth as swete as hony. And [Page 297] I toke the little boke out of the hande of the angel, & did eate it vp, & it was in my mouth as swete as hony: & as sone as I had eaten it my bealy was bitter. And he sayed vnto me: thou must prophecie againe vnto the heithē, and tongues & people and to many Kinges.
This is the .iii. comfort, which in this .x. chap. is cōteined.The apostolical doctrine is restored against Antichrist. For vnder the persone of S. Iohn is shewed here, yt thapostolical & euangelicall doctrine must be restored in the laste times before the iudgemēt against Antichrist & Mahomet. And he might briefly haue sayed. The apostolital doctrine, as it was preached of Iohn, shal florish again: but he had rather expresse the same by a goodly vision, at ye last to adde a plaine & briefe expositiō of the visiō. Which is, thou must preach againe. &c.
And those things al expositour do expoūde agreably,Iohn preacheth agayne. first in dede of the persone of Iohn, which vnder the Emperour Nerua, retourned into Asia from exile, by the space of fiue yeres, or ther about againe preached the gospel. For he liued til the .3. or .4. yere of the reigne of themperour Traiane: Secondly of al preachers, before the laste iudgement, indewed with the spirite and doctrine of S. Iohn, and constantly professing Christ against Antichrist. Primasius expounding this place: the certaine meaning, saieth he, is directed to S. Iohn, whiche must yet beyng deliuered from exile, not only bring this reuelation to the knowledge of Christes church: but also preach more depely the Gospell to people and nations, to tongues and many kinges: notwithstanding no man doubteth but that this voice agreeth also to the whole Churche, which neuer ought to cease from preachyng, &c. Thus saieth he. The ordinary glose expoundeth these wordes: although this be vnderstande of the very person of S. Iohn, yet euen herein is vnderstāde, that the lord wil haue his church likewise instructed and taught by other preachers also. This apperteineth to the consolatiō of the faithful, which shal liue in the dayes of Antichrist, & the residewe. Thomas of Aquine also: In S. Iohn him self, sayeth he, other preachers are vnderstande, whome the lord in the time of Antichrist will haue to preache instauntly to great & small. So much sayeth Thomas.
Before the iudgement cōmeth Enoch agaīst Antichrist. Aretas Bisshop of Cesaria, an expositour of this boke, reciteth of this place of S. Iohn, that the opinion of the cōmon people was that S. Iohn with Enoch and Elie shuld come againe into the world before the iudgemēt, to wit corporally, & ernestly and constantly to preache against Antichrist. The self same doeth Aretas repete with a more plentiful expositiō, where in the .11. chapt. He expoundeth the wordes of Iohn concernyng the two witnesses, &c. Certes where in the .44. of Ecclesi. it is writtē, that Enoch was trāslated that he might teache the heythen, many haue expounded it, as though he should corporally retourne, that he might teach the gentiles against Antichrist: where by the very translation made in times past he teacheth rather the gentiles, that there is an other life prepared for the seruaūtes of God, & that the same is also dewe for the bodies, sins that Enoch was translated both in body & soule: against the opiniō of Epicure, and the madde world, supposing none other life to remaine after this, & that the bodies, do putrefie, and neuer to rise agayne. This Enoch semeth to come spiritually to that laste age, for that the lorde him self prophecied that a like thing should come vnto it, as chaunced before the deluge or flud of Noe. For like as many than beyng carelesse contemned the iudgementes of God, nother feared they any perill, or hoped for any better life: so cometh it to passe also in the last age, in the which Enoch constantly preacheth by them, which establissh and maineteyne eternall life, and the resurrection of bodies agaynst the Epicures. Before the iudgement cōmeth Helias agaīst Antichrist. Helias in the mounte Thabor appered in glory with our sauiour Christ vnto three chosen Apostles: neyther is it to be thought that about the ende of the world he must be thruste out of the heauenly palace, and agayne be subiecte to corruption, and obiected to the cruell handes of Antichristians, which might teare him in peces. For like as in ye time of our sauiour Christ Helias in vertu and spirite, I meane S. Iohn baptiste went before Christ the Lord: so also before the iudgement Helias shal preache in them againe, which indued with the spirite and vertue of Helias, shal cal awaye the mindes of al men from the worshippyng of creatures, to the adoration of the eternal and only God. Helias cried out, howe longe do ye halte one bothe sides: yf the Lord be God, followe him: yf [Page 299] Baal be God, followe him. And nowe shal the Helianes crie:3. of Kings 18. yf Christ be the perfection of the faythful, what nede is there of mans inuentions and constitutions to worke a perfectiō? Yf Christ be our iustification, satisfaction, purificatiō, our only mediatour and redemer, wherfore are these thinges attributed to mans merites? whie are sainctes accōpted intercessours in heauen? whie is saluation ascribed to many other stinking things? Helias cried out: how long halte ye on both sides? As though he should saye, it is not lawful to part your hartes betwixt two Gods, nother is it lawful to atttribute al thinges of life & of saluation, but vnto God alone. The fellowship of the kingdom is in this case enuiouse in dede. The Helianes shal crie: if rightuousenes be of the lawe, Christ died in vaine. No man can serue two maisters. Christ shall profit you nothing, which seke saluation in the traditions of men. Come ye vnto Christ: he is the perfection of the faithfull, & in him we are complete. And like as Helias greuousely accused Achab, Iezabel and the Baalamites: righte so shall the Helians most sharpely inueye against kinges and Bishoppes Idolaters and Antichristians. Thus I saye Helias cometh againe, hath commen, and shal come before the iudgement.
Nother shal S. Iohn prophecie otherwise before the iudgement.Before the iudgement Iohn came against antichrist. He shal not retourne into the Earth in his body out of Heauen: but the preachers indewed with the doctrine of S. Iohn, shal renewe al his doctrine, thei shal expounde such thinges whiche he hath lefte vnto the church written in his Gospell, in his Epistles, and in the Apocalipse. This booke hath a while layne hidde, contemned also of good and learned men: yet preachyng the same, that is conteyned and set forth in this boke. but it shal be brought to light of others, & be set by: as it is playne that in this our memorie is done of many. And of al these thinges we doe clerely perceyue, how Antichrist muste be impugned and slayne, not with carnall Armures, but with spirituall: to witte by sincere doctrine, framed after the example of Enoch, Helie and Iohn, and taken out of the holy scriptures. Wherof we shal speake more fully in the .11. Briefly the doctrine of Iohn about the laste iudgement shal be renewed agayne, and be knowen to the worlde in despite and agaynst theyr will. And vnder the doctrine [Page 300] of Iohn we vnderstande the whole euangelical and Apostolical doctrine, in the writing & settyng forth wherof S. Iohn also imployde a singular trauell amongs the most excellent.
What thei must be, & with what quali [...]ies furnisshed yt preache against antichrist.And in the meane season in the same vision is figured the whole maner of the faithfull and lawefull Preachers to be matched with Antichrist, what thei ought to be, & with what qualities furnisshed. First S. Iohn is called, by a voyce spoken to him from heauen, with a cōmaundement goe. Therfore is Gods vocation chiefly necessary, leest any mā should take vpon him this office with an euill affection. Moses was called, the prophetes and Apostles were called: some in dede immediately from God, not of men, nother by men: some of God also, but yet by men and of men. The apostles of Christ were not called of men boasting the lawfull succession, from Caiaphas, Annas & colledge of priestes: neuerthelesse had their vocation of Christ, and approued their vocation in dede, to wil by preachyng of the veritie. Therefore albeit we cannot at this daye referre our vocation to the Pope and Bisshops, braggyng of the lawful succession: yet for asmuch as we are able to approue it in very dede, and by the testimonies of Christ, that our doctrine is Christes doctrine, & therfore that our ministerie is lawful, we care not a whit for theyr opprobriouse and rayling words, which crie, that we be not called that we be not ordeyned by the Pope.
To ye called is geuē a sure cō maundemēt to take the boke of the hāde of the Angel.But to him that is called is geuen a sure cōmaundement, to witte that he take the boke: not euery boke, but the booke open, and that of the hande of the Aungel, and agayne of the Aungel standyng vpon the sea & lande. That Angel is Christ the Lord, Lord of the whole Earth, of the Sea and al thinges conteyned therein. He with his hande offereth to his ministers a boke open, to witte the holy scripture: and chiefly his sacred & holy gospel, wrapped with no darkenes, nother closed, but right manifest to thē that wil see. For albeit that for thantiquitie of the tongue, for the proprietie of speach, for the figures, & rites, places, things, & stories out of memory some places maie appere somwhat harde: what doeth this darken or obscure the misterie of fayth and saluation, neuerthelesse most open & plaine? who vnderstandeth not, what he should beleue, what he should do, & how he should pray, euen of the [Page 301] Articles of ye faith, of the .x. cōmaundementes, and the lordes praier? The some of faith and of doctrine is certaine & plaine.Esaye. 29, 2. Cor. 4. This boke therfore opened, Christ offereth to his ministers. And S. Iohn hath [...], & not [...], a little boke, not a boke. For if ye compare the holy bible, especially the gospel boke, with other lawes, bokes, and especially the decrees and decretalles of the Pope, the little boke of the holy gospel shal seme very smal. Primasius expoundyng this place: he semeth, sayeth he, to vnderstande the veritie of the lawe and prophetes manifested in Christ: therfore he sayeth not now, as before, that he taketh the sealed, but the open boke. For Christ is the ende of the lawe, for rightuousnes to al that beleue, and so forth. Therefore the lord Christ him selfe geueth vnto the sincere preachers none other preaching, than his owne, to witte the Euangelicall. For he is the light and redemer of the worlde, rightuousenes and life, nother is there saluatiō in any other. This preaching is not fetched nor takē of others, than of the handes of the Angel, not of the handes of ye Pope or Bishops. Christ sayeth, go forth into the whole worlde, and preache the Gospel to euery creature, teachyng them to kepe al thinges which I haue cōmaunded you.
Now is also required obedience of the ministers,The obedience of ye ministers. that they obeye the cōmaundement of God: and that they craue and receyue, that which they are cōmaunded to axe and receyue. In vayne doe some loke for a drawyng and working of saluatiō outwardely, and with out then to be finisshed, through the only inuisible operation of God. Yf God will haue me blessed and iuste, saye they, let him worke in me what he wil. Moreouer they themselues are not careful, how they should applie themselues to the grace of God workyng by grace. Agaynst their vngodlines is it, that we heare now, howe S. Iohn applieth him self to the cōmaundementes of God, not without grace. For he goeth to the Aungell and sayeth, geue me the boke. For the Lord must be prayed: we must reade diligently, as S. Paul also cōmaundeth: we muste learne, and obeye the commaundementes of God,The Lord denieth nothing to thē yt are. and not tary til God without vs do drawe vs.
And the lord denieth nothing to them that are willing, do are and are dilligent, which in the Gospel sayeth: I wil geue [Page 302] you a mouth and wisedome, whiche al your aduersaries shal not be able to gaine saye. Moreouer: my heauēly father will geue his holy spirite, to suche as desire of him. Therfore sayeth the Aungel nowe: take the boke. Neuerthelesse he putteth here an other commaūdement: eate it. He alludeth to the .2. and .3.A feruentnes & dilligence of ye ministers is required chapt. of Ezechiel. Where the prophet is likewise commaūded of God to eate a boke offered vnto him. For S. Iohn here inuenteth no newe thinge. S. Ambrose: to eate a boke, sayeth he, is to laye vp the vnderstanding of the scriptures in the secret bowelles or entrailles. He semeth by a trope both to intimate an ernest desire, and beate in a singular diligence. For we deuoure with a gredy desire, suche thinges as we haue long and much coueted to eate. They are sayed also to haue deuoured bokes and authours, which thei haue perfitly learned and can. We saye in dutche, Er hat den Galen, oder Prisciane gar fressen: that is to saye he hath learned him perfitly. It is required therfore of the preachers, that thei learne the holy scriptures with a desire, and that they learne and remembre them whole and exactely. Without a desire and seruentenes of minde thou shalt profit little in the study of holy Scriptures: and vnlesse ye learne the Gospell exactely, vnprofitably shalt thou preache the same. The ministers therfore maye be asshamed of theyr ignoraunce, which are more geuen to Idlenes, Tauernes, hūting, dising, and other worse thinges, than to the study of holy Scriptures. They beyng farre vnlike the apostle S. Iohn, shal in this warfare against Antichrist winne smal renowne, vnlesse they doe awake out of theyr prophane slepe, and cherely do their dewty without doubt most holy.
The effecte of Gods word swete & better.Nother is here dissembled so much as the effecte of the ministerie, and worde preached. It is swete in the mouth as hony. For Dauid hath songe also: the iudgementes of the lord are to be desired aboue much Golde and preciouse stones, and sweter than hony or hony combes. This swetenes is euer felte in the inwarde manne, and the faithful lighted with the trueth, hath alwayes continuall Ioye: but yet muste we not conceale, what it semeth to the flesshe, and what is the effecte thereof in the outwarde manne. It maketh verely the [...]ealy vitter: whiche is also a phrase of speache, vnto which [Page 303] oures aunswereth, signifiyng that the same whiche is propounded vnto vs, is both payneful and greuouse. The word of God therefore bringeth the mortifiyng of the flesshe, trauelles, paynefulnes, the crosse, and aduersities innumerable, whiche with a strong and constaunt patience we must ouercome. For the Lord in the Gospell preached repentaunce or mortification, and emonges other thinges made very much mention of persecutions, wherwith his should be alwayes exercised. Primasius: when thou shalte haue deuoured the booke, sayeth he, thou shalt in dede be delighted with the swetenes of the worde diuine, and with hope of saluatiō promised, and pleasaunt tasie of Gods rightuousnes: but doubtles thou shalt fele a bitternes, when thou shalt beginne to preache both to the deuoute and vndeuoute. For the preachyng of Gods iudgement ones hearde, doubtles through the bitternes of repentaunce some beyng cōuerted to better are chaunged: and others agayne beyng offended are more hardened, and beare greate hatred and mallice towardes the preachers. The wiseman sayeth, thou shal rebuke a wise mā, and he wil loue thee: reproue a foole & he will hate thee therfore, and so forth.
Nother are these thinges saied only,Paynefulnes is felt. but also are done and felte: for S. Iohn: and when I had deuoured it, sayeth he, my bealy was made bitter. And we fele at this daye the most greuouse hatred of mightie menne to witte of spirituall fathers, and temporall Princes. Many are driuen into exile, innumerable are shutte vp in prisones, an infinite multitude are slayne with sondry kindes of deathes. All these thinges did the Prophetes prophecie should come to passe, our sauiour him self in the Gospel gaue vs warnyng therof: the lord here telleth vs againe the same tale. Therfore let vs be strong and counstaunt in the Lord, and fight agaynst Antichrist vnto the ende of our life. The Lorde will not forsake vs, whiche leeste we should be vanquished of those aduersities, tolde vs of them dilligently before. And thus muste they be instructed which shal warre against Antichrist before the last iudgement.Thexposition of the vision.
Laste as I sayed in the beginnyng of the Sermon, is set a briefe expositiō of the visiō. For the Angel saieth vnto Iohn, [Page 304] thou must prophecie agayne to the Heythen, &c. By this visiō, sayeth he, I wold declare nothing els, but that thou must preach againe to the world, first by thy self in Asia, after thou shalt retourne from exile: secondly by faithfull ministers euē to ye worldes ende, which shal spreade abroade this doctrine, now set forth by thee, with sondry tongues through natiōs, and therwith shal beate downe Antichrist.To prophecie. And suche as are accustomed to reade the scriptures know that to prophecie, is takē for to preach. For prophecie, is preachyng, they were in times past called prophetes, which at this daye be preachers, as we maye gather of the .1. Corinth. 11. and .14. chapter. And the doctrine of Iohn is tourned into the Syrian tongue, Aethiopian, Aegiptian, Germane, Spanish, French, English, Italian, to be short in a maner into al lāgages: in al these preacheth S. Iohn at this daye by faithful ministers. The gentiles be they neuer so barbarouse & rude heare S. Iohn teachyng: and so do the people of many nations. Al these receyue not a little comforte in these most daūgerouse dayes of Antichrist, and haue receyued of them also before this time, which long sins renewed the apostolical doctrine against Antichrist. The same doctrine is brought at this daye, and was brought in times past also vnto kinges and Popes though they kicked and spurned agaynst it. The thing I speake is not doubtful. For we bothe heare and see these thinges euen at this daye. Histories also reporte many thinges herof. Lande and glory be to God. Some copies in the latin are corrupt, which haue Igitur for Iterum. For S. Iohn sayed, thou muste prophecie [...], which signifieth Iterum again, not Igitur. For he signifieth that he beyng dead also must preache to many nations in sondry tongues, by faythfull ministers that shall fighte against Antichrist. The Lorde assiste with his spirite all godly Preachers of the Euangelicall veritie and Apostolicall doctrine. Amen.
¶ S. Iohn measureth the temple, and sheweth that God hath a care of it: and the quire he excommunicateth. The .xlvi. Sermon.
ANd there was geuen me a reede like vnto a rodde, The 11. chapter. & it was sayed vnto me: rise and mete the Temple of God, and the Aultar, and them that worshippe therin, and the quire which is within the Temple, caste out, and mete it not: for it is geuen vnto the gentiles, and the holy citie shall they treade vnderfote .xlii. monethes.
The lord is yet in cōforting, and in describyng the hostile warre against Antichrist: and sheweth that the churche shall not be forsaken in those Antichristians and turkish difficulties: that the enemies shal neuer so quietly inioye althinges, but that the churche shall haue also her champions or defenders, which shal most valcauntly resist Christes aduersaries.
And those things are figuratiue,The some of this sermon. which are rehersed in the beginning of the chapt. and seme to be taken out of the .40. chapt. of Ezechiel. As be those also which are spokē in the .7. chap. of the faithful sealed, out of the .9. chap. of the same prophet. For he is commaunded to measure the temple, and to cast out the inwarde quire: wherof he sheweth the cause. And he meaneth not the Temple of Hierusalem,The tēple. whiche laye in ruine, nother should be repared, after the prophecie of Daniel and Christ: but the very church of God, I meane the whole nombre of the chosen. For S. Paule calleth the faythful the Temple of God, liuely verely, as also S. Peter .1. Peter .2. And .1. Corinth. 3. And .2. Corinth. 6.Aulter. We haue sayed nowe ofte times, that Christ is the only Aultar in the church, and sacrifice for sinne, and Priest and intercessour on the right hande of the father. The worshippersWorshippers. be they that worshippe God through Christ in spirite and veritie, and serue him lawefully or with feare. So many as be such, that is, who so euer cleaue vnto Christ the only peace maker of the faithful, & serue god truely by faith, they be the very Temple of God, & the trewe church. These hath S. Iohn measured:To mea [...] the tēple. &c. that we should vnderstāde how the lord fixeth his minde to buylde vp the church, not to distroye it. For they that will buylde mete the platte, [Page 306] wherupon the buildinges should be set: as appeareth in the 40. of Ezech. Then was also the tēple destroyed of the Chaldeis, as ye church is now wasted by the Papistes & Turkes: But the Lorde promiseth by this measuring, that he will repare the ruines of the churche of the merite of Christe, and faithful worshippers: moreouer he signifieth, that the faithful in these troubles ar numbred (before we heard they were sealed) and sure whome no hostile power can hurt in al these difficulties. For as the Aulter Christe is vndefyled, and cannot be polluted or destroyed by any power of the Deuil: So are the shepe of Christ knowen to God, and perish not: As also the same Lord Iesus Christ testifieth in the .10. of Iohn, and the Apostle in the .2. Timothe. 2. Briefely the faythfull of Christ be in the cōmunion of god and of all his good things, in the care, buildinge, numbre, and defence. This is a moste assured consolation. Howbeit where the Lorde in the gospell prophecied, that the true faythful shoulde be excomunicated of the false teachers, & here also foresaw, what shuld chaunce to the vngodly pastours of the false byshoppes: he sayth verely that they apparteine nothing to the buildinge of God,The quire with in muste be cast out. but to be of God excommunicated, to the intent the godly should not feare their censure and cursinge. And here is the election of two sortes, whereof the first is more allowed, that is, [...] the hall or quyre that is within, cast out; that is to saye, declare thē that be in this quire, to be cast out of God. Verely the Antichristians wil be within the Tē ple, or inwarde partes of the temple, & the chiefest part of the church, in so much that who so euer acknowledgeth not thē, and follow them not in al thinges, & frame him selfe conformable to the churche of Rome, is iudged to be an heretike. The inwarde quire in the lawe was the statiō of priestes, the place wherin they were when they should do sacrifice. And whilest he sayeth the quire must be caste out, he signifieth figuratiuely that the Antichristian priestes shal be throwē out. For the place is set for the thing cōteined therin. And where he sayeth, caste out. This he sayeth, those whome God hath shut out, declare thou to be cast out. For God doeth excommunicate, man pronounceth & executeth Gods iudgement. The latter lection is of this sort: & the quire ( [...]) which [Page 307] is with out, cast out. So hath the Spanish copie. And howe shal you caste out that which was with out before? Therfore I like, as I sayed, the former reading. But we reiect not this reading nother. For the hall that is with out, signifieth the Colledge or felowship not cōmunicating with thonly aultar Christ, or with the true church of Christ, such as al this boke sheweth the Popes to be with al their familie. Morouer the Phariseis & priestes caste out him yt was borne blynde,What is to cast out. Iohn the .9. that is to saie, did excōmunicate him for the confession of Christ, and the lord sayeth in the .15. of Iohn: Yf any abyde not in me, he is caste out, as a braunche, and whithereth. Therfore whilest S. Iohn is commaunded here to caste out the Colledge of priestes, he is verely cōmaunded to declare. that those priestes were excōmunicated, which wold be and seme the chiefe prelates of Christes church. He is also forboden, to mete this quire. For bicause God will not edifie but distroye them: nother haue them nōbred emonges his. For he hath reiected them. Who thā wil herafter care this much for the excōmunicatiō of them that are excōmunicated? wicked popes haue excōmunicated Emperours noble men and godly: & discharging their subiectes of their fidelitie haue set them in their princes toppes. The storie of Gregory the .2. is knowen against Leo Isauricus: and of Gregory the .7. agayns [...] Henry the .4. And of Innocence also, agaynst Fredericke the .2. and of other Bishoppes against right good princes. Doubtles the chiefe stringe of the popish tyranny hath ben excommunication, which the Lord here lowseth.
Nother doeth the Lorde counceale,The quire is geuē to the heathē. whie he pronounceth the priestes, or inwarde quire excōmunicated; for because it is geuen to the heathen. Which phrase of speach is as much of force, as if you should saie: for as much as in the quire they playe not the priestes or faithful ministers, but the gentiles, which haue occupied this place. But the gentiles are rightly shutte out of the fellowshippe of God and the church: where the lord him self in the gospel saied: if he heare not the church let him be vnto thee as an heythen & publicane. Vndoubtedly they that be not in the Temple or churche, or els be in the inner quyre, that is to saye, which wil be accompted emongs the prelates of the church: and yet hold not of Christ, but are [Page 308] more comformable to the heythen, than to Christianes: are accompted most iustely excluded emonges the gentiles.
The pope and all papistes are heythen.And now let vs see, wherfore he accompteth antichrist the pope with his membres emōges the heythen. They that are borne of god, heare the word of god, & glorifie it: they that be not as yet borne of God, but remaine gētiles, not only heare not gods word, but also blaspheme ye same. So these men wil not heare gods worde, & seke with all their indeuour, how to feare men awaye frō the scriptures, which are Gods word. They saie that they be obscure, doubtful, vncertaine, & vnperfet. Those that beleue & cleaue to the same thei cal heretikes: & the doctrine takē out of the same, heresie. Agayne they that haue not Christ their head, & as braunches growe not to the vine, haue no cōmunion with Christ, & be gentiles. But such is the pope & his adherentes, persecuting Christ stil, & al those that affirme Christ to be the only head of the churche, Christ alone to be our rightuousnes & life, yt al the faithful are made fully cōplete by Christ. He that thus beleueth, they pronoūce him an heretike. Moreouer the gentiles worshippe Idolles, call vpon creatures, suppose God to be honoured with corruptible thinges as gold, siluer, & preciouse things, dedicated to the Temple, and set vp to beaultifie the same. But what other thinge doe they in the churche at this daye? Thou seest playnely heathen Temples when thou seest their churches. The life also of the gentiles is shamefull and filthie: they are geuen to voluptuousenes, ful of surfetting, addicte to filthie luste, they stinke in whoredome, and excede in gorgeouse apparel and pamperyng of the body. See what thinges the Apostle writeth of the life and conuersation of the heythen in the .4. and .5. chap. to the Ephesians. And in the .1. chapt. to the Romaines. And in the .1. to the Corinth. the .5. and .6. chapter. Nowe what the life of the Pope is and of his spiritualtie, the thing it selfe to openly testifieth, that euen for this cause only they might and ought to be accompted emongs the excōmunicated, the Apostle him self pronouncyng the sentence of excōmunication, in the place whiche we haue nowe cited, the .1. to the Corinth. the .5. We maye put herunto their Epicureisme. For if thei set by any religiō, if they haue any feare of God in them, whie do they selle all thinges in the church, [Page 309] forgeuenes of sinnes, heauen, Christ, the oblation of Christ, matrimony, ministerie, briefly al thinges? whie call they in doubt diuerse articles of our belefe? what meane these doubtful disputations of the immortalitie of soules, and resurrection of bodies? whie make they a mockerie of the life euerlastyng?
Hereunto is added, that these treade vpon,The holy citie is troden vnder fote. yea spurne the holy citie: for therfore maye they iustely betaken for excommunicated. This holy citie, is not that earthly Hierusalem, but the church of God, whereof the holy citie was a figure: as S. Paule expoundeth in the .4. chapt. to the Galathians. For the earthly Hierusalem, according to the saiynges of the prophetes, hauyng played her parte, laye in asshes neuer to be restored. The lord therfore signifieth that the holy church of Christe, should through the tiranny of Antichrist and Antichristians be troden vnder fote. And it signified more, that he sayed, to treadeTo treade. vpon: than if he had sayed to afflicte and persecute. For treadyng vpō is ioyned with the greatest despite of him that is troden on: and hereby is signified an extreme assayling and wōderful crueltie of the enemies, which they practise on them thei ouercome, and haue to vse at their pleasure. We reade in Daniel of the Romanes: The beast had great yron teth, eatyng and breakyng smal, and the rest treadyng vnder her fete. For wanton beastes are woonte to treade with their fete such thinges as they can not deuoure, when they be full. And Salomon in the .27. of the Prouerb. A soule that is ful, sayeth he, treadeth the hony combe. Malachie in the .4. chapt. speakyng of the ioye of the godly: ye shall leape, sayeth he, as calues of the heerde, and ye shall treade vpon the wicked, whiche shal be as duste vnder the soules of your fete. Briefly S. Iohn by treading signifieth the oppression of the church ioyned with greate tiranny, and wantonnes, and with the excedyng great mockerie and gladnes of the wicked. And semeth playnely to haue alluded to these wordes of the godly prophet: O God the heathē are comen into thine inheritaunce, thy holy Temple haue they defiled, and made Ierusalem an heape of stones. The dead bodies of thy seruauntes haue they geuen to be meate vnto the fowles of the aire: and the fleshe of thy Sainctes vnto the beastes of [Page 310] the lāde. Their bloud haue they shed like water on euery side of Ierusalem, and there was no man to bury them: & the rest that followeth. in ye .78. Psalme. And a little after in this chap. shal follow mo thinges of the persecution of Antichrist. Nother shal these thinges be obscure, in case you compare them with those, which are done at this day in the church of rome agaynst the louers of Christes gospell.
The rekenīg of .xlii. monethes.Besydes here is shewed a certayne time, in the which the persecution of Antichrist should be cruell against the church, to wit the space of two and fourtie monethes. In the accōpte wherof some tourment themselues maruelousely. I suppose playnely that a certayne time was assigned, & that not without cause, & yet not withstanding an vncerten time to be vnderstand. A certaine time therfore is assigned, that we might vnderstande, that God hath appointed an ende of their furies: which as he him self alone doeth know, so would he signifie to his faithfull the same time not in yeres, but in monethes only, for a cōsolation. For we suffer more easely, that which we perceiue shal cōtinewe but a fewe monethes. This sense hath also Aretas after a sorte touched, writing thus: we suppose that the time of .xlii. monethes doeth expresse a shortening of time, about the comyng of Antichrist: for the which affliction to be executed vpon the louers of God,Math. 24. Christ very God sayeth, that those dayes should be abbreuiated. And these .xlii. monethes, are three yeres & a halfe, wherein it shall come to passe that the faithful, and the very tried, shal be troden and suffer persecution. Thus sayeth he.
Thre yeres & a halfe, ye yeres of Antichrist.Doubtles al expositours in a maner beyng verely taught by this place, haue attributed to the kingdome of Antichrist, and to his most cruel persecutions, not mo yeres than three and a halfe. For so many yeres make .xlii. monethes, yf ye put to a yere .xii. monethes. Howbeit the Scripture and the thing it self speaketh, that the kingdome of Antichrist should be a great deale longer. Wherupon I sayed, that a certayne time is assigned of thapostle, & an vncerten time vnderstand: that is to saye, al that same time, that is rekened frō the fatall yeres .666. wherof is mentioned in the .13. chapt. of thapocalipse, vntil the last iudgemēt. And whie I do expounde a certen time by an vncerten, these be the causes. First, for asmuch [Page 311] as the same nombre of monethes is put here in the .13. chapt. And is ascribed to the olde Romane Empire, verely that in their tribulations the Sainctes might vnderstand, & comfort themselues, that there is an ende appoincted to their tirāny, which is knowen of God: and that the Sainctes should no more be sorrowful, than if they should be cōstreyned to abide their tiranny a fewe monethes only. Otherwise if ye should accompte from the firste yere of Iulius Cesar, and bring the course of time vntil that yere, wherin Odacer at Rome, al emperours of the weste beyng takē awaye, was acknowledged for King, you shal not finde only three yeres and an half, but about fiue hondreth and .xvii. yeres. Yf you shal bring the accompte from Iulius to the empire taken awaye, and geuen to the pope, you shal finde about .767. yeres. The later cause: for that Daniel, the Lorde Christe, and the Apostle S. Paule, agreablely do saye, that the persecution of Antichrist should last vnto the iudgemēt. But who shal rekē vnto vs the yeres and dayes of the last iudgement? And therefore must the nō bre certayne be expounded by the vncerten, and must thinke that al thinges are nombred & prefixed in the counsel of god, which neuer neglecteth his faithfull. To him be glory for euermore. Amen.
¶ Of the two prophetes fightyng manfully agaynst Antichrist, and of their power. The .xlvij. Sermon.
ANd I will geue power to my two witnesses, & thei shal prophecie a M. cc. and .lx. daies cloted in sacke cloth. These are two oliue trees, & two cā delstickes stādyng before ye God of the Earth. And if any man wil hurt them, fire shal come forth of their mouth, & deuour their enemies And if any man will hurt thē, this wise must he be killed, these haue power to shut heauē, [Page 312] that it raigne not in the dayes of their propheciyng: and haue power ouer waters to tourne them to bloud, and to smite the earth with al maner plagues as oftē as they will.
These thinges apperteyne also to the consolation of the faithful.Prophetes are promised. For the lord promiseth that he wil sende prophetes: that is preachers, whiche shall mayneteyne and defende the veritie of the Gospel, and glory of Christ, assayle Antichrist, and distroye his kingdome, and auaunce the saluation of the faythfull. In the fourmer chapt. 8. and .9. was described the fight of Antichrist and heretikes agaynst God & his Christ, and against his church: & now at fewe wordes is set agaynst the same the cōtrary fight, & the army of Christ is munstred.
Two prophetes.And he bringeth forth two Prophetes, that is preachers: not for that there shalbe two only, but for that he wil so signifie that the power of Christ in the worlde should be and seme to worldly men small (as I shal tel you anone) in the meane time he vnderstandeth al faithful preachers and pastours of al times, whiche offer themselues to resiste Antichrist and heretikes. There be that expounde these thinges of Enoch and Helie, which shal come corporally before the iudgemēt. Howbeit S. Hierome in the epistle to Marcella doeth referre that opinion to Iewish fables, signifiyng that these thinges must de spiritually expounded of those prophetes, as are also the most things of this boke. And in maner al expositours with great concorde, doe interprete all these thinges of these Prophetes spiritually, and not corporally after the lettre. I suppose that for two causes there be two Prophetes only here rehersed.
First, for that he would allude to the olde Historie or prophecie of Zacharie, which is in the .4. chapt. It was thought than also to the people of Israel, retourned from Babylon, that the reparyng of the Tēple was vnpossible, for that they had many and mightie aduersaries, and they were weake and fewe, and their gouernours Zorobabel and Iehosua contemned: but through the mightie hande of God, and his faithful ayde it came to passe, that the power of their aduersaries vanisshed awaye as vayne, and they indespite of hell [Page 313] gates buylded vp their Temple right, so the Lorde sayeth it shal be in that later age, that the ministers most contēptuous and very fewe in nombre, shal buylde vp Christ his temple, and repare it, & shake the most mighty power of Antichrist. Herunto I suppose belongeth that saiyng of Daniel: and when they shal fal, they were holpen with smal ayde, &c. Secondely for this cause chiefly he accompteth only two witnesses, for that it is red written in the Lawe, in the mouth of two or three witnesses euery worde shal stande. It is iudged therfore a full testimony, whiche shall be confirmed with the agreable declaration of two. Where therfore the lord sayeth that he wil geue two Prophetes, it is asmuch to saye, as that he wil geue so many ministers as shal suffice, which shal both builde vp his church and also plucke downe and rēt a sonder the kingdome of Antichrist. There be of the expositours, which thinke that by two witnesses are vnderstande two testamētes. Howbeit we see that the Lord speaketh here of witnesses, not of the thing testified or to be witnessed, which neuerthelesse we separate not from the witnesses.
The Apostles and Apostolicall men are called witnesses euery where in the Gospel, and in the .1.Who be witnesses. chapt. of the Actes of Apostles. Witnesses are ordeyned in iudgement that they should faithfully vtter that whiche they haue sene or hearde, that they should forge nothing of themselues, & to the things that should be testified should nother adde or put any thing, nor take awaye any thing. So likewise are placed of God in the church of God, the witnesses of God, that is to saye ministers: and of them is required, that they Imagine nothing of their owne braine, nother put to nor take away any thing from Gods worde, but simply declare to the church of God the thinges they haue sene in the story of the Gospell and hearde of the prophetes and Apostles. Therfore are thei false witnesses, nother worthie to be called the witnesses of God and of Christ, which bryng not the Gospell. They be rather the Popes witnesses, whose decrees & decretalles they bring forth, and beare witnes of them to the folish people. Therefore shal those two prophetes be witnesses of Christ, and shal bryng witnes for Christ out of the most trewe Scriptures.
And the beginnyng of them is here referred to God and [Page 314] to his Christ as the original of Antichrist is reduced to ye deuil him self.The original of prophetes. I wil geue, sayeth the lord, to my two witnesses, and they shal prophecie. Christ sendeth preachers, & geueth to them also that they can preach. The which is a wonderful comforte. For like as the deuil many times sendeth, instructeth, and helpeth his false prophetes. So Christ leaueth not his church destitute, and geueth to this ministers habilitie of teachyng and doyng luckely. For in the Gospel also he promysed and sayde: I will geue you a mouth and wisedome, which they shal not resist, so many as be agaynst you. These thinges ought to comforte vs, in the greuouse consultatiōs, trayhisones & assaultes of the enemies of the Gospell. Christ wil not forsake his ministers, so thei be faithful, and depende vpon Christ alone.
The time of ye preachyng of the prophetes.Now is also declared the time of the preaching of the gospel agaynst Antichrist, verely al that time wherin Antichrist shal treade the Temple and holy citie. For a thousande two hondreth and .lx. dayes make .xlii. monethes, yf you put to euery moneth .xxx. dayes. But we hearde before that Antichrist should treade the church .xlii. monethes. Agayne therfore is a certaine nōbre put for an vncertaine. And here is signified, and that with a misterie is here defined the time of daies, not of monethes or yeres. For though the function of the ministerie be neuer so harde and daungerouse: yet so shal God comforte and confirme them, that they maye appere a fewe dayes only, not monethes or yeres to suffer persecutiō, & to trauel in this laboriouse worke of the Lord. And where I haue sayed that those nombred dayes are put for an vncertentie of time, this hath moued me, that by and by in the .12. chapt. the same nombre of dayes shall be assigned: for the which yet he hath set before, for a time, and times, and halfe a time. Whiche appereth playnely to be taken out of the .7. and .12. chapt. of Daniel. I knowe that the same is expounded of many for three yeres and a halfe: that the time, should signifie a yere: times, two yeres: and halfe a time, half a yere. But euery manne maye perceyue that the thing it selfe is repugnaunt to that nombre of yeres, if he be at the leeste any thing sene in stories. In the .7. of Daniel. the other beastes, sayeth he, gaue ouer their rule, and spaces of life were graunted, [Page 315] for a time, and a time. But who will expounde these thinges of two yeres only: sins it is euident, that the Babilonians, Persians and Macedonians reigned many yeres? he signifieth therfore that those kingdomes should reigne so long, as God would permitte them, and geue them power to reigne. We saye in Dutche where yet we appoynt no time prefixed. In the same chapt. of Daniel is put the same phrase of speache, that the Sainctes shal be deliuered into the hande of Antichriste, for a tyme, tymes, and halfe a tyme. And in the .12. chapt. he sayeth that his Prophecie shal be fulfilled in a time, times, and halfe a time. But who shall beleue that within three yeres and an halfe all those thinges shoulde be accomplisshed, which he declared in the whole worke? Whie than doe they restrayne the times of Antichrist to three yeres and an halfe, especially his persecution? whie see they not the destruction of Antichrist, and the peace of Sainctes, and the daye of iudgement, to be the same daye? For Daniel sayeth, that the beaste should be caste downe hedlong into Hell, when the seates be furnisshed. And Paul sayeth, whome he shal destroye with his comyng, and who shall shewe vnto vs the certayne daye of iudgement? It is knowen to the father alone. Lette them leaue therefore with their supputations to striue with the Gospell. It appereth therefore that the Lord by that kinde of speakyng as it were by a riddle, to haue diffined no tyme certayne: but rather to haue admonisshed the godly of longe sufferyng, of patience and constancie: and to haue cōmaunded that we should not ouer curiousely searche the instaūt of this time, but should rather permitte it to christ him selfe, in an other place saiynge: It belongeth not to you to knowe times, and the momentes of times, whiche the father hath reserued in his owne power: but watche, that when the Lorde shall come, he maye finde you watchyng. Therefore whether so euer the Lorde shall differre his iudgement a longe, shorte, or meane tyme, be you constaunt. So at this present he sayeth, howe the ministers of Christe shal preach al that tyme, wherein Antichrist shal persecute. And verely if thou reade the stories, thou shalt finde, that the most vertuouse & best learned men, haue in all ages, now for the space of these seuen hondred yeres and more, constantly [Page 316] resisted the Popes enterprises, their great abominatiōs, and craftie iuggelinges and seducinges of monkes and Freres. Of the persecutions that thei haue suffered, I wil speake herafter.
The apparel of the prophetes.Furthermore also the apparel of these prophetes is shewed, that hereof also maye be gathered the maner of doctrine. They shal not be clothed in softe or preciouse apparel, as veluet, sactin, or damasne, or crimosine ingrayned, but in sackecloth. And sackecloth, as appereth in the Prophetes is for a mournyng garment, and for suche as are penitent. Therfore like as S. Iohn was coursely appareled,Matth. 3.11. and preached repē taunce. So shal these also moue vnto repētaunce and amendement of life, and perswade men to frugalitie, and riot and al vntemperauncie they shal persecute. Certenly al good and learned men nowe these seuen hondreth yeres haue required nothing els of the Pope and Clergie, and of the people but repentaunce and a reformation: for the which they haue had small thanke at their handes. But what the apparell of the Antichristianes is, there is no man ignoraunt at this daye. Certen of it differeth not much from whorishe. Consequently he declareth more fully and more at large, of what sorte thei shal be, and also their ministerie, what also shal be the effecte, and vertue of their preachyng. And the same he setteth forth and declareth with sondry figures taken out of the scriptures.
The prophetes be oliues and candelstickes.And first he alludeth againe to the .4. chapt. of Zacha. These be two oliues, &c. with oyle lightes are nurrisshed: oyle therfore signifieth the matter of preachyng or of Sermons. For Candelstickes bearyng lightes, are preachers, shewyng abroade the light of Christ, and of his gospell through out the world. And that preachyng of light is taken out of the scripture, as also the light of a cādel is nurrisshed with oyle. Oyle is a tipe of the holy of al holy. Wherfore S. Iohn calleth also the holy ghost, vnctiō. Certes the holy scripture, is the inspiration of the holy ghoste. Therefore those preachers shall preach Christ out of the scriptures. And so preaching the gospell of Christ through the inspiration of the holy ghost, they are sayed to stande before the sight of God of the earth: that is to saye, these be in the protection, in the cure, and prouidēce [Page 317] of that God, by whose prouidence ar gouerned whatsoeuer are in heauen or in earth.The prophetes stād before god. For he appeareth to haue alluded to these wordes of Zachary. The eyes of the Lorde, loke ouer the whole earth: And these be the two childrē of oyle, which stande before the gouernoure of the whole earth. And these thinges comforte exceadingly the faythful preachers, which se that god hath a care of them, I meane God the Lord of al.
Agayne, they be nother Olyues, nor candlestickes, shewing the light of the Gospel, so many as of Antichristes parte esteme dregges and doung of men, in the place of the oyle of the holy ghost, and power them also into the candle: nother shewe they any lighte, but darkenes, and opinions of moste corrupte men. Against these S. Iohn reasoning, these things haue I written to you, sayth he, of these which disceiue you. And the vnction which you haue receyued of him, abydeth in you, and you haue no nede that any man shuld teach you: but lyke as the very vnction teacheth you of al thinges, so is it trewe, and no leasinge.
Nowe are also the weapons of these preachers descrybed,The armure of ye prophetes. wherewith they may defend their cause, and fyght againste their enemies. Yf any man will hurte them ( [...]) fyre esseweth out of their mouthe, and deuoureth their ennemies. And this [...] signifieth, with a pretensed mallice, and against iustice to hurt or to iniurie: and first he sayed to hurt. Yf any therfore of the champions of Antichrist, shall assayle those preachers, and shall blame their doctrine and ministerie, streight waies shal they bring forth of the holy scriptures Gods worde, & so shal represse and ouercome their enemies. For that these thinges maye not be expounded after the letter, that same chiefly proueth, that by and by we shall heare, that those prophetes shal be vaunquisshed, and put to death of Antichrist: to witte corporally. Who than can not gather herof, that the victory of preachers is spiritual, that their aduersaries vanquisshed of the veritie, may liue in dede bodily, but through the vertue of the veritie they maye seme to be ghostly slaine.Fire goeth out of the Prophetes mouthes. And therefore as it were by an interpretation is added: and if any wil iniurie thē, so must he be slayne. So I saye, by fire verely whiche goeth out of their mouth. And who will saye, that materiall and naturall fire should come [Page 318] forth of a mans mouth? And S. Paul also expounding these thinges, taking the maner of speaking of Esaye, reasoning of Christ & of Antichrist: whome he shal kill, sayeth he, with the breath of his mouth. Beholde S. Paule calleth it the breath of the mouth, whiche S. Iohn named fire. We reade also in the .xxiii. chapt. of Ieremie, is not my worde as fire, and as a mallet breaking the rocke? And againe in the .5. chapt. In as muche as you speake this worde, beholde I will make my wordes in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall consume thē. Of Helias we reade in the .4. of Kinges .1. chapt. that callyng downe fire from heauen he bodily burnte the kinges seruaūtes. Which example where the disciples Iames and Iohn alledged, the lord forbadde them, that he might admonish them of their function, to witte that they muste fight with long suffering and with the word of the veritie. Which thapostle in an other place cōmaundeth expressely, to wit in the .2. Timoth. 2. Wherby we are plainely taught, that Antichrist must not be vanquisshed with corporal weapōs by th [...] ministers, but with spiritual. For he must be slaine with the gospel, wt that most sharpe sword, & fal downe and die in the brestes of men, that he may be vtterly contemned, & knowen to be Antichrist. And where many cōfounde the ministerie of the word & the power of the magistrate, & for the same cause take the sworde out of his handes, cōmaunding that in this case he may not strike heretikes and blasphemers, affirming that they ought not otherwise to be punnisshed than by the word: let them learne to discerne better betwixt offices, & not to geue yt libertie to blasphemers, & to all maner of seducers, & to such as hauing ben a thousand times cōuicte of heresie, cease not to infect innumerable, & bring them into perditiō, vnlesse they be straitely pūnisshed by ye magistrate. Let euery one therfore applie their owne office, & herein follow the rule of veritie and equitie, & than shal thinges be in better order.
They haue power to shut heauē.Furthermore he addeth more expresse things concerning their power & ministerie, euen herein alluding also to sondry tipes of the scripture. For first he sayeth, they haue power to shut heauen that it rayne not in the dayes of their propheciyng. And he alluded to the story of Helias which is red in the 3. of Kinges the .17. chap. And they must be spiritually applied [Page 319] to this our busines. For like as Helias through, the power of God, did prohibite, that it shuld not raine: so shal the preachers of the gospel frō the disobedient, or such as wil not heare the word, but had rather be seduced with popish abominations, shut vp heauen it self, that is shall assuredly testifie yt it is shut of God, for asmuch as through Christ alone, as the only gate yt waie is opened vnto heauē, whom they not withstanding do contēne: & shal tel thē also sharpely, that the grace of God is denied thē, which is only graūted by Christ. For the prophetes are authours, that raine doeth signifie the grace of god, & fruictful watering sent downe frō heauen. Therfore al the time of their prophecie thei shal cōstātly testifie, yt thei are through their greatest deserte, & their own faulte depriued of that celestiall grace, light & life, so many as had rather haue ye Popes dragges than the true bread from heauē. And againe we vnderstād that thei haue power geuen thē to open heauē to ye beleuers. Wherof here is now no place to speake. For ye things are more manifest, which are writtē in ye gospel cōcerning ye keies of ye kingdom of heauē, & herunto chiefly belōg, than yt I shuld nowe rehearse thē: sins I haue both at other times, & before also in this same boke spokē of them at large.
Secondly he alludeth to the story of Moses, & sayeth,thei tourne waters into bloud. that power is geuē to these prophets to tourne waters into blod: which discordeth nothing with the fourmer mēbre. For the water of godly wisedome, is a figure of the grace and reliefe of the spirite. Bloud betokeneth offence and punnisshment. For that sentence of the lawe and of thapostle is wel knowē: your bloud be vpō your owne head. Therfore shal these prophetes testifie, that God hath verely sent his worde of saluatiō, to saue al beleuers, but that this shal be to the vnbeleuers through their owne faulte vnto condemnatiō. For they that heare the preachyng of Gods word, and beleue it not, heare it to their owne condēnatiō. And so is the gospel at this daie preached to many with out fruicte: as beyng corrupted with the popish doctrine, by force wil not be wise, &c.
Finally they haue power to strike the Earth with euery plague, so ofte as they wil. But they will not,they strike the Earth wt plagues. excepte Gods worde, by the whiche they beyng inspired and instructed are gouerned, shall commaunde them. For they wil do nothing [Page 320] wilfully, they will not followe their affectiōs, but the worde of God. Howebeit they are saide to strike the earth with plagues, when out of Gods word thei threaten, that God with plagues wil punnish the sinnes of mē. Those plagues are recited in the .26. & .28. of Deuter. Wherfore in case they threaten to impenitent persons warre, pestilence famine, sickenesses and other calamities, God will sende them to such as are vncurable, as the lord sayeth oft him selfe in Ieremie. Agayne and on the contrary parte they shal in riche with all blessyng those that obeye gods word, what time they shal shewe forth the Lordes blessing.
Thus muche hath he spoken hitherto concernyng the preachers of the Gospel, which shal fight agaynst Antichrist, in that last age before the iudgement, and shal buylde vp the church, & confirme the beleuers. Thou thy self shalt obserue, in what preachers thou shalt perceyue these markes, and the same shalt thou acknowledge for the lawefull prophetes of God. And shalt acknowledge with all, how great a benefite of God it is, to haue trewe and faithfull preachers of Gods word. The lord our God confirme al ministers of his worde in the settyng forth of his trueth, to the worldes ende.
¶ Of the cruell fight of Antichrist agaynst the Prophetes of God, whome he ouercommeth and sleyeth, and shamefully vseth them. The .xlviij. Sermon.
ANd whē they haue finished their testimony, the beast that cam out of the botomles pitte, shall make warre agaynst them: and shall ouercome them, & kille them. And their bodies shal lie in the stretes of the great citie, which spiritually is called Sodome & Aegipte, where our lord is crucified. And som of the people, and kinreddes, and tōgues, and [Page 321] of nations, shall see their bodies three dayes and an halfe, and shal not suffer theyr bodies to be put in graues. And they that dwell vpon the Earth, shall reioyce ouer them and be glad, and shall sende giftes one to an other: for these two Prophetes vexed thē that dwel on the earth.
We haue hearde of the cōtinual preachyng of the preachers, which shall obiecte themselues to Antichrist, & to his armie, for christes veritie, and the church of the faithfull, & that al the time that Antichrist shall exercise tiranny against the church: consequently our lord Iesus Christ will teache vs by thapostle and Euangelist S. Iohn, after what condition the sainctes shal fight, and howe Antichrist shall incountre with them: which also apperteyneth to consolation,The persecution of Antichrist. & a necessarie admonition, leest any mā should be discouraged with the felicitie of the Antichristians, and calamities of the faithful. He speaketh therfore expressely of the greuouse persecutiō of antichrist, which hath now cōtinued these many yeres (I meane al that time, wherin the bishop of Rome hath vsurped, & takē vpō him authoritie ouer al churches) with some smal spaces of respite to breath in of the Lord permitted. This persecutiō of Antichrist is more greuouse & longer, than euer was any, eyther emongs thaunciēt people of God, or in the primitiue church. Certenly for these fiue hōdreth yeres, who so euer, of what state or condition he were of, began to speake neuer so little against the church of Rome, he felte incōtinētly hatred, imprisonement, bannishment, and death. This do stories testifie: which shewe also, that persecutiō so much the more increased, as the Bisshoppes themselues and theyr champions Monkes and freres, were increased in nombre and power.
And the lord declareth most diligētly, when, who, of what estate, where, when, & with how great crueltie Antichrist shal playe the tiraunt against the faithful seruauntes of God. He addeth immediatly, that all his enterprises shall be vtterly vaine: and how great shal be the rewardes of constaunte ministers, and also the calamities of the Antichristians.
The testimony of Prophetes muste first be finished before the persecutiō come on.And first in dede, he admonisheth playnely what time persecution must be moued: not before the testimony of the prophetes shal be finished. I shewed you before, that the testimonie is the sincere preaching of the gospel. Aretas saieth: what testimonie? That he which shall be present, is not Christ, but a deceauer, and a pestilent seducer, &c. And so great is the goodnes of God, louing his church, that he wil not suffer the preachers to be taken away, till they haue finished their preachinge. For the gospell must be openly preached to all men for saluation, and deliueraunce from anguish, craftes and disceiptes, and from the seducers of Antichriste. And they shall finish their ministery with sondry wrytinges, and continual preachinges. Thei shal finish I say, when it shal please God. For some preach and abide safe and sound many yeares, beynge safe and sure from persecutions: And others are immediatly apprehended, cast in prison and slaine. Thus are these things done, as semeth to god good: which must euer be credited, what meane so euer he vseth, & to auaunce his glory, & further the helth of his church. Here cōmeth to passe also, as we reade oft times in the gospel, that the lord was not takē, for asmuch as his houre was not comen. Therfore shal a certaine houre also be appoincted of God to the preachers. Before this houre they be safe & sure, though the deuill be neuer so madde, tirauntes rage, & bloudsuckours and thenemies of faith laye in waite. We maruel sometimes, how ye preachers of the gospel coulde preach in so great a cōpany of wolues so long time, & that directly agaynst wolues. Whie they were not by and by torne in peces?God de [...]ē deth his Prophetes vnto theyr houre. The lorde God almightie hath kept, which would first haue them throughly to finish the testimonie of the veritie. He letted therfore their enemies, and gaue strength to his seruauntes to preach. To him shall we render thankes, that many good preachers in times paste, & of late daies D. Luther, and D. Zwinglius, & other faithful witnesses of God, coulde in so wicked a worlde, and in so great power of Antichrist, execute their ministerie, so many yeres, in dispite of Hell gates. Notwitstandyng that the Princes and Magistrates deserue also to be praysed, for the lawefull defence shewed them: yet should this haue ben none at all, vnlesse the power of God would haue had it so.
And what time the faithful in the churche shall be sufficiently admonisshed, so that such as will be wise,Persecution cometh on. and not of a set pourpose perish, maye all escape the snares of Antichrist, and liue in Christe, immediately shall followe persecution. For so soone as the Pope shall heare with his dregges, that he is assayled, he wil streight waye beginne to thonder, and lighten, finally to craue & styre vp the secular power againste Heretikes. For he sheweth expressely, who shall be this enemie of these prophetes and preaching, to witte the beast,The beast stired vp persecutiō. that is the Bisshop of Rome notable by his most cruell, tirānicall and beastly power. Of the beast shal be spoken more aboundantly in the .13. and .17. chapt. where we shall heare that she cometh out of the earth, out of the botōlesse pitte, & out of the depe pitte of hell. For the originall of that wickednes is referred to non other parente, than the deuil the prince of hel, a lier & murtherer. And the thing it selfe speaketh at this daye, that al persecutions & conflictes are moued, stired & inferred of the Pope & of his blouddy ministers of mischiefe. Of the same Authours arrose al the calamities of fourmer times.
And he fighteth with the ministers and ministerie of christ with sophistrie, with craftie and subtile practises,The beast fighteth wt the Prophetes. excōmunication, deathes, and terrours. Haymo: Antichrist will put in vre sondry kindes of tourmentes, sayeth he, & such as he can not ouercome, he wil assaye to vanquisshe with doctrine. He will geue rewardes, and wil promise swete wordes, and shal shewe also false miracles, &c. And seyng it hath pleased ye lord to call that seate the beast, wherfore should we call it the holy See? yf the Pope be that bloubdy beaste, whie should we salute him most holy father?
He sheweth morouer, with what lucke,Antichrist ouercommeth, and howe? he killeth. and with what [...] tesse antichrist shal sight wt the prophetes. He shal ouercome, sayeth he, and kill them. The same the lord sayed playnely in the Gospel, Matth. 10. and Iohn. 16. And before also Daniel in the .7. and .11. chapt. Some thinges are spoken also before in this boke of the holy martirs. The lord geueth this warning in time, leest if we should see the preachers of the euangelicall veritie slayne, we should doubte of the veritie of the preachyng, or esteme the matter of religion after the felicitie of this worlde. Whiche neuerthelesse many doe at this daye. [Page 324] For most men saye: yf this were the preachyng of the veritie, as it is sayed to be, the most true God would not forsake his owne cause. But nowe sins the preachers are oppressed and distroyed, whie should we not gather, that their matter is false, and theirs trewe that ouercome? But if we might so reason, than the Prophetes, Christ, and the Apostles defended a very euill cause. For all in a maner beyng oppressed of their enemies, in the ende were slayne also. Full good than was the quarell of the Iewes, Phariseis, and the moste wicked enemies of Gods worde? Howbeit, thou wilt saye, sins the veritie is inuincible, how is antichrist saied to ouercome? He shal not ouercome doubtles, by sure testimonies, by holy Scriptures, or strong reasons: but by force, imprisonment, sworde, and fire. For therfore by interpretation immediatly followeth: and he wil kill them. Therfore by killyng he shall seme a conquerour. For if in a combat Aeneas shal ouercome and sleye Turnus, Aeneas shal be called a victour. And hitherto in dede Antichrist ouercommeth: and although the Martirs be slayne, yet doe they before God receyue the rewarde of victours: because their cause is iuste, and the veritie ouercometh in them. The enemies ouercome with the multitude, pompe, authoritie, power, fauour, richesse and other like thinges: we in the goodnes, and excellencie of the cause, and finally by better testimonies of the Prophetes and Apostles.
The crueltie of Antichrist.We haue now the maner of the fight and victorie. He shal fight and ouercome by carnall weapons, and shal be subdewed with spirituall armure. Hereunto is added, what crueltie he wil vse against the Prophetes. The which he expresseth in two sentences: and their bodies shall lie in the stretes of the citie: and they shall not suffer their bodies to be put in the graues.
Theyr [...]oarses lie in ye stretesThe firste sentence betokeneth an extreme crueltie, ioyned with an vtter contempte. For all filthie thinges are caste out into the strete, yea the Dunge of all stretes is troden vnder fete. Antichrist therefore shall handle the Prophetes moste shamefully, in so muche that all will beleue that they haue power ouer them, and shall as it were spurne them wyth theyr feete, and take them for outcastes [Page 325] & wicked persons, which beyng taken out of the way, al thinges shal be safe. Certes the maner is in some cities, to caste into the stretes the bodies of them that are executed, to the intent that al mē might treade on them, and driue cartes ouer them, for the terrour of others: and to signifie that those men executed were moste detestable, and put to death for no small crimes. And herunto apperteyneth that Antichrist by secular power, hangeth vp some ministers of the churche openly in Cities vpon the gallouse, and fasteneth others with chaynes to a poste, and so burneth thē with a slowe fire, and at laste killeth them, and they are so terribly tied to the pale in chaynes, that he maye hoyste them vp, and let thē downe into the fire agayne, and so singe them and lifte them vp agayne to the terrour of al that loke on. What wil ye saie that he iudgeth them vnworthie of the laste honour?The dead coarses are not buried burial is the laste honour that is done vnto man: but he wil not suffer the bodies of the faithful to be buried. Thus perauenture he expoundeth, that he saied before, and their bodies shal lie in the stretes. At this daye not only sepulture is denied to suche as suffer for the gospel, but also thei digge vp & burne the bones of the dead,This dyd watson by Bucer at Cambr. whiche liuing would not receyue the Popish sacramentes. For in case any man departe, and hath whispered the priest in the eare, confessyng to him al his sinnes, and hath not axed absolution of him, nor receyued his God of bread, or suffered him selfe to be regenerated with extreme vnction: although he departed in the trewe sayth, yet for as much as he hath not vsed those Popish ceremonies, and hū bled him self to the Pope, the partie shal not come in christen buriall, but is buried on the dunge hill with dogges. The thing it self speaketh at this day. Morouer these Antichristes wil seke by this meane to abolisshe al memorie of the godly. For Monumentes are made to reteyne the honeste memorie of the dead. But the rightuouse shal be in eternall memorie. &c. And they in dede thinke that they do like good catholickes: but the lord Iesus expoūdeth their worke, and sayeth it is extreme crueltie. Than what shall you thinke of them, which blinded with the hatred of ye true religion, like wolues and Rauens flie vpon the bodies of the dead Martirs, and poole them a peces, and handle them most shamefully?
But cruel and blouddy is that crueltie, it shal continewe by the space of three dayes and an halfe,Three dayes and an halfe. the whiche al the expositours vnderstande for a shorte time, certaine in dede, but yet vncertayne: as I tolde you before of the monethes and yeres. Therefore I suppose this shortenesse of time to be brought for a consolation. We saye also, for the Lord geueth to the afflicted spaces to breath in: & shorteneth the sorrowful dayes, to the ende we might be able to abide it. Yf therefore our patience be tempted in a greuouse cruell persecution of Antichrist, let vs thinke, that our Lorde God hath in a rekenyng al the dayes of our calamitie: and that he hath shortened the same, for the consolation of the weake.
The place is tolde where the prophetes muste be slayne.And the very place, where this crueltie muste be wrought agaynst the prophetes, he expresseth playnely, & as it were poincteth it with the fingar. To witte the great citie. And it is the citie of God, and is also the citie of the deuil: it is the citie of Abel an innocēt, it is also the citie of Cain the parricide: it is the catholicke citie of sainctes, it is also the Sinagoge of Antichrist. These cities are opē through out ye whole world, and are inclosed with no strayte walles: thou might call this citie, the lordeshippe, dominion, kingdome or empire, or fellowship of the wicked. Where so euer therefore Antichrist or Pope of Rome hath iurisdiction, and euen in the Romisshe church it selfe, through out al nations & people, these thinges whiche we haue hearde shal be done agaynst Martirs. For settyng forth that citie with more playne tokens: their bodies, sayeth he, shal lie in the stretes of the great Citie. And by an expositiō he addeth: which is called spiritually Sodome and Aegipte. Moreouer: where also our Lord was crucified. And agayne: and they shall see of people, and kinreddes, and tongues and natiōs, therfore by this he vnderstode not any strayte, nor yet any large citie inclosed with walles: but that citie stretcheth through out the world wherin dwel nations, kinreddes, people, &c. Sodome and Aegipte are farre a sonder, nother can they be ioyned together with any walles. Againe our Lorde was crucified in the citie of Hierusalem, whiche is also called of the Prophetes Sodome and Gomorrha: but he is crucified dayly in his membres through out the world. And there is one and the same citie and societie of al the wicked in [Page 327] the worlde, as there is one body of the godly. Let vs knowe therfore how that citie wherin the bodies of the prophetes lie in the stretes, is the citie of Cain, and the Romish church scattered ouer the world. The same is called Aegipte and Sodome, but spiritually.Spiritually. Where we see this vocable [...] spiritually, to be vsed in a sense farre from the lettre, for otherwise there is no spirite at all, eyther in Sodome, or in Aegypte: for they be altogether flesh. Therefore insense of a parable, and by a comparison, this citie is called Sodome & Aegypte. Sodome & Aegipte. What Sodome was, appereth of the .19. chapt. of Genes. and .16. of Ezechiel. Her sinnes went vp to heauē. But what maner one is at this daye, & a longe time hath ben the churche of Rome, all men know, excepte it be they that wil not know. And the Apostle in the .1. to the Romaines hath expounded. And Aegipte robbed the children of God of their libertie, oppressed them with vile bōdage, and prohibited them from the trewe worshippyng of God. So likewise the Romish church hath spoyled the church of Christ, of the libertie gotten by Christ: hath wrapped her in filthie seruitude, that she might serue in the dirte of mens tradicions. It prohibiteth moreouer by all force and power, that she shall not in retournyng to the gospel, serue God truely. And verely our lord Iesus Christ was crucified on Mounte Caluarie, at the citie of Hierusalē:Where our Lorde was crucified. and also the articles of our fayth expounding the same, saye, that he suffered vnder Pōce Pilate. He was the Romane gouernour, it is manifest therefore, that Christ suffered vnder the Romane Empire. Vnder the same Empire, and vnder the iudgement thereof, were executed the Apostles and auncient Martirs. Vnder the Empire of newe Rome fal yt prophetes also at this daye by sworde and fire. Also people, kinreddes, tongues and nations obeye this Empire, nowe called the churche, so that preachers in all places, the beaste so willyng and commaundyng, are aprehended, and slayne with cruell deathes, people kinreddes and nations lokyng on.
To the augementation and moste aptely expressyng the crueltie, that thinge apperteyneth chiefly,The wicked reioyse at the calamities of ye godly. that these earthly men (possessyng in these landes a church all together carnall) shall reioyse and be glad ouer the calamities and miserable deathes of Prophetes. The same did also the Lorde him selfe [Page 328] prophecie before in the .16. of Iohn. Verely verely I saye vnto you, you shal wepe & lamēt, but the world shal reioyce, &c. Yea they shal sende giftes, saieth he, and letters of reioycing. That this was done in the counsel of Constaunce, what time Iohn Husse, Bankettes were made for ye fal of England. and Hierome of Prage were burnt Histories make mention. We haue hearde very lately, howe after Englande was fallen agayne to the Romishe religion, what ioye and gladnes, what bankettes and triumphes the Papistes made in all places. So ofte as the ministers, or other faithfull are burnt, the selfe same kepe solemne chere and pleasaunte bankettyng, singyng. Te deum Laudamus. And letters of reioycing flye to & froe in some other places with sollemne procession they reioyce at the miserie of the faithfull, but the Lorde seeth these thinges, which tolde lōg sins that the same things should now come to passe.
They are glad they are lighted of theyr burthen.And the cause of this excedyng gladnes is non other, than that those prophetes vexed them that dwell vpon earth. For they that loue the earth, and couet earthly thinges, are sore offended with the free preachyng of the veritie, whiche they hate more than dogge and snake. For they desire eyther to atcheue honours, riches, and pleasures, or if they haue them to kepe stil the same: but they are sore affrayed leeste through preachyng the same should be shrewedly shakē or wholy taken from them. Therefore they desire nothyng more than to be ridde and deliuered of their clamours, and immediately to haue them taken out of the waye. For so thinke they that they shal be safe, and inioye their pleasures at wil. With like affection and Counsell in the feaste of Herode, was coueted nother kingedom, nor great some of Golde, but the head of Iohn Baptiste. The Popes had rather at this daye haue the heades of certen ministers of the churche, than so many thousande crownes. Yea moreouer the ministers of churches are called plagues, 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 ye 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 [Page 330] 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 [Page 331] 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 ye 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 [Page 332] 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 out of this life. But contrarywise the Lord here pronounceth, and declareth euerlasting rewardes to be for them prepared. For theyr soules deliuered from their bodies, are streight waye taken vppe into heauen: and their bodies reysed at the last iudgement, ascende into heauē also, that there they maie reioyce with Christ for euermore. But to the intent that this godly promesse of the euerlastyng and inestimable rewarde, might be of more authoritie and credit with al men, the Lord propoundeth it not simplely, but most gallaūtly decked and [...]rnisshed, for he setteth before, that a voyce was sente to the prophetes, and that from heauen: morouer, great, or lowde. For great is the consent of Patriarches, Prophetes and Apostles with the very sonne of god, in most assured doctrine: wherupō we beleue vndoubtedly, that those which suffer for the confession of Christ, are saued both body and soule. And that doctrine was brought frō heauen, that there is no place lefte for doubtfulnes. There be testimonies in the scriptures both manifest, and many, as in .26. of Esaye .12. of Daniel .10. and .16. of Matth .14. of Iohn, and diuerse others. What shuld we saye that at this present is brought an expresse testimony hereof? for a voice soundeth from Heauen ouer the afflicted with the tiranny of Antichrist:Come vp hither. come vp hither. That is asmuch to saye, as, I see the lewdenes and crueltie of the Antichristians to be such, that there is no place lefte you in earth. They tourmoyle and persecute you as plagues, and vnworthie to liue on the earth: come ye therefore hither to me, into the heauenly palace, whither I my selfe came also after the crosse and opprobriouse death. We reade in the Gospel that the iudge shall saye to the godly, come the blessed of my father, &c.
They wēt vp into heauen in a clowde.Furthermore leeste any man should thinke these wordes to be vayne, the lord adioyneth by S. Iohn, and they ascended into heauen: not for that the resurrection is made already, but for the vndoubted certentie of the thing, he speaketh of the thing to come, as if it were paste: of the which sorte are [Page 333] founde many lyke phrases euery where in the Prophetes. Helias in times past ascēded into heauē both soule and body, as we reade in the .4. boke of Kinges the .2. chapt. by the same miracle he shewed than also, what rewarde the Lorde hath prepared for the faythfull preachers of Gods worde, nother is there any other thing here nowe repeted. He addeth, how they went vp in a clowde. For a clowde toke vp Christe our head from the eyes of the disciples: and we shal be also taken vp in a clowde to mete the Lord in the ayre, as the scripture reciteth in the .1. of the Actes, and the .1. to the Thessalonians the .4. chap. Albeit therfore that preachers, & those which beleue the preachers be excōmunicated of Antichrist, & through open and shamefull punisshmentes should seme to be sent to the Deuill: yet Christ receiueth them deliuered from al euils, vnto him, into the palace of Heauen.
Vnto this he addeth an other thing also: and their enemies sawe them.Their enemies sawe them. They saw I saye, with an horrible feare, for whilest they shall see them, whom they haue condēned for gods enemies, as the trewe and honorable frendes of God to be in glory: therof they shal gather, that they themselues shal be deputed into the fellowship of Deuilles. Reade herof a plentiful cōmentary in the .3. & .5. chapt. of the boke of wisedome. Albeit therfore that the preachers of the Gospell in this present worlde be iudged and seme and appere before the world as damned: yet in that same daye, wherin all men shal be assembled, so many as euer haue ben, be now, or shall be, vnto al it shal be manifest, yt these be the most dere frēdes of God, and that their cause is best. And herewith wil the lorde haue them comforted which are persecuted, condemned, dispised, and spurned for the preachyng of Gods worde. By these thinges he prepareth & establissheth the mindes of the faithful, that thei be not discouraged with the rebukes, reuilinges and oppressions of Antichrist and his limmes.
Finally the Lorde addeth also certen thinges of the miseries of the Antichristians,The calamities of the Antichristians. wherwith the rightuouse Lord beginneth to punnish them, & to interrupte their wicked ioyes, that at the last in an other world he maye put ye same to tourmētes, that neuer shal haue ende. In that same houre, sayeth he, the same time doubtles wherin they shall afflicte the prophetes, [Page 334] shal be made a great Earthquake, & the tenth parte of the citie shal fal. And the tenth part we vnderstād to be great, yet so, that the more parte shal remaine in errour. As S. Peter prophecied should come to passe, in the .2. of Peter the .2. And the Lord him selfe also in the .7. of Matth. And he semeth to recite two euilles, which hāge ouer them, calamities, and reuoltinges. For S. Iohn him selfe semeth to adde an exposition, and to saye: and there were slayne in the Earthquake the names of seuen thousande men. And the residewe were affrayed, and gaue glory to God of Heauen.
Therfore I suppose by the Earthquake to be signified excedyng greate alterations,Seuē. M. men slaine wt ye earthquake. commotions, seditions, warres, slaughters and distructions. And he sayed the names of men after the Hebrewe phrase, for a nombre of men. And he put, 7000. a nombre certayne, for an vncertayne: as where it is sayed to Helias, I haue lefte me seuen thousande men, which haue not boughed their knees to Baal. For if it signifieth a great multitude. Likewise he signifieth here also, that no smal nombre of Antichristians shal be dispatched out of the waye by slaughter and sondry or all kindes of calamities. Agayne he signifieth that the tenth parte of the world, that is to saye the adherentes and fauourers of the Romisshe churche shall reuolte not a fewe of them from the same church, beyng feared with the preachyng of God his worde, and with plagues inflicted to the enemies of God his worde, and so they shal forsake the Romisshe churche, that they shal geue all glory to the God of Heauen.
The tenth part of the citie falleth.Hitherto being abused with the Romish trifles, and sophisticall opinions, they haue not geuen all glory wholy to the trewe God, creatour of heauen end earth, and the inhabiter and geuer of heauen, whilest they haue attributed more vnto creatures. mens inuentions, and to errours, than to the veritie: and communicated the glory, which they owe to God alone, vnto sainctes also, and to the workes of their handes: but now beyng instructed with the preachyng of the gospel, they wil depende of God alone, and wil ascribe al glory vnto him through Christ.
Nowe if ye conferre herwith histories not olde (for wherunto shoulde I moleste you with a long rehersall) but lately [Page 335] made, & that with in these hondreth yeres, thou shalt geue a wōderful light herunto. Whē the preachers of Boheme were burnt at Constaūce, a great cōmotion of the people insewed immediatly, the Bohemers mouyng mortall warre against the Romaines. Aeneas Siluius him selfe wrote of that warre, wherin many thousandes of menne were slayne, and many places distroyed and layde waste. Moreouer innumerable men, forsake ye sea of Rome. In our memorie where through the instigation of Rome a greuouse persecution was stired vppe agaynst the faithfull, and certen thousandes of faythful slaine, besides the expectation of al men,Rome taken. Rome was taken in the yere of our Lord .1527. and so defaced and spoiled, that the same calamitie might be cōpared with those olde and greatest that euer were. Nother yet do the princes cease to warre emonges themselues, and to weaken themselues with mutual distruction, whiche neuer cease in a maner to shede the bloud of the faithful. But we are glad and reioice, that a wō derful nombre at this daye do reuolte from that Romish see, and geueth to God through Christ all glory. To him be glory and rule for euer and euer. Amen.
¶ The seuenth Angell bloweth the trompe, and the elders singe a song of prayse. The .l. Sermon.
THe second wo is past, The .12. chapter. and beholde the .iii. wo will come anone. And the seuenth Angell blewe, & there were made greate voices in heauen saiyng: The kyngedomes of this world are made our lordes & his christes, and he shall reigne for euermore. And the foure and twenty Elders whiche sitte before God on their seates, fel vpon their faces, and worshipped God saiyng: we geue thankes to thee Lorde God almightie: whiche arte [Page 336] and waste, and art to come: for thou haste receiued thy great power, and hast raigned.
By the seuen trompes Angelicall not only the destenies of the church are shewed, but all the godly are also excited to watche, and to kepe spirituall warre.
And to the three last trompettes, as most daūgerouse, are ioyned three woes,thre woes. signifiyng, as I sayde in the ende of the 8. chapt. that al kinde of troubles and most greuouse afflictions shal chaūce in these times, wherby men shal be brought in greatest distresse. And the first in dede he hath seuered frō the seconde and thirde, by these wordes: one wo is past, and lo two woes are yet to come after this. Whiche maner of speach doeth not breake of the matters, but frameth ye speach in order. For the popish wo ceaseth not, when the Turkisshe wo cometh on, but afflicteth the churches to gether. That maner of speaking is geuen therfore to the order: so now he discerneth the thirde wo from the seconde: signifiyng in dede that Mahometes lawe shal indure to the last iudgemēt: and yet in the meane time denieth not, but that Papistrie shal cō tinewe so long also, wherof he hath hitherto in the .11. chapt. discoursed many thinges, hauyng finisshed the matters of Mahomet in the .9. chapt. Therfore the sense of the Apostles wordes semeth to be this: you haue hearde of the firste and seconde wo, heare furthermore also of the thirde and last wo.
And we must marke (which thing maketh chiefly for the consolation of the godly) that the Apostle sayeth expressely, that the first and seconde wo are paste. For so he signifieth, that these two greatest tirannes shall haue an ende, and that God hath euen prescribed them certen limites and boūdes, which they can not passe. Let vs therefore reioyce, that God hath a care ouer vs, which will not neglecte, nother will permitte the wicked to do more than apperteyneth.
The third wo cleaueth to the wicked, & will come anone.The thirde wo shal sticke, not in the godly, but in the wicked what time beyng oppressed with the laste iudgemente, they shall goe besides theyr expectation with their head the Deuill, to euerlastyng tourmentes. No tongue be it neuer so eloquent, can vtter those vnspeakeable paynes of this thirde wo. Wherefore Daniel sayeth also in the .12. chapt. And the [Page 337] time shal be herd, such as hath not ben since the beginning of people. But whē this wo shal be, is not expressed, nor determined, as nother ye day of iudgemēt: which is knowen to the father alone, & therfore must not be searched of vs ouer curiously. That same is sufficiēt for vs, that it shal come shortely. For the Lorde sayth in the gospel, that he will for the electes sake shortten those harde tymes. And agayne, when these thinges begyn to be done, loke vp and lifte vp your heades, for your redemption approcheth nere. But these thinges begynne not nowe to be done, but are already accomplysshed. Wherfore it cannot be chosen, but that our redemption is at hand. Away than with thought and care, wherewith many tourment themselues, that God delayeth ouer long, that he geueth ouer much to the wicked, that the godly are vexed to sore, and in maner forsaken, muche more neglected. For the veritie sayth: And beholde the thirde wo shall come anone, to witte in time. For in the tenth chapt. he affirmed by a solemne oth, that he will come vnto iudgement. Nowe as concerning the very moment and oportunitie of time, geue glory to God, and acknowledge him in the courses of tymes, and in all thinges and creatures, to vse an oportunitie moste exquisite. Where therfore thou confessest in thy crede, I beleue that the Lorde shall come from the right hande of the father, to iudge the quicke and the deade: confesse also that he wyll come in tyme most dewe: And lyke as from the beginnyng of the world, he hath neuer forsaken or neglected those that serued him, so will he no more neglecte them in the ende of the worlde.
For it foloweth,The .vii. Aungell bloweth ye vii. trōpe. that may expounde the thinges that go before. And the seuenth Angell blewe. For he declareth that the iudge is now at hand, he raiseth from the dead, the godly and vngodly: the godly vnto ioy, the wicked to payne euerlasting. These shalbe new battelles, but to the wicked vnfortunate, and altogether miserable. Of the trompet of this Angell, you reade in the gospell of S. Matthew. in the .24. chapt. and in S. Paule in the .4. chapt. of the firste to the Thessa. He shoulde adioyne nowe, the whole maner and discourse of that last iudgement: but he wyll differre it to the .19. and .20. chapt. In the meane time wil he recite as he hath promysed, [Page 338] the furies of Sathan againste the churche, and howe he will vse those notable instrumentes the olde and newe Romane Empire, to committe murther, and in maner to distroye the churche: wherein not withstandyng the wicked shall in this world also be put to moste greuouse punnishmentes. Nowe omitting, or rather reseruynge these thinges to their owne place, he celebrateth the gratulatiōs, reioycinges and praises of Sainctes.
The reioycyng of the wicked is insolent & intollerable.The pride and arrogancie of the wicked, and chiefly of the Antichristians hath semed hitherto in the world intollerable: thei haue oppressed the godly, bragged of their victories and haue boasted of theyr owne felicitie with full chekes: and as we shall heare in the .18. chapt. of this boke, that beaste hath sayed: I sitte as Quene, & am no widowe, and shal neuer see any sorrow. For voices are hearde from Rome: al Empires are oures. It is knowen what maner of thinges Augustinus Steuchus an Italian and chiefe champion of the Popes holines hath set forth in this cause against Laur [...]ce Valla, about the donation of Cōstantine. And dayly are hearde the brags & reioycings of the papistes, of the euerlasting cōtinuaūce of the See of Rome, of her victories, & oppression of the preachyng of the Gospell, & that the same hath her power stretched through out the world, &c. But in that day (what time verely our lord Iesus Christ, shal abolish al power, rule, & authoritie & shal haue made al his enemies his fote stoole accordyng to the scripture in the .110. Psalme. And in the .1. to the Corinth. the .15.) Ther shal be hearde againe the voyces of the gladde and ioyeful, singing trewe and eternal triumphing songes in heauen. For Angelles and sainctes shal sing together: wherfore the voices shal be greater & more durable, thā the voices of Christes enemies, which last but a smal season.
The songe of the Elders.Nowe also he rehearseth the songe or triumphaunt dittie, and reioycyng: the kingdomes of this worlde are made our lordes, & his Christes, and he shal raigne for euer more, Amē. He sheweth two thinges, that all kingedomes are made the fathers and the sonnes: and that he shal raigne for euermore. Al kingdomes were before also our lord Iesus Christes: but the same appered not so plainely to al men, what time the bisshop of Rome also vsurped the same to him selfe, & oppressed [Page 339] thē which did only celebrate the name of Christ. But in that it shal truely appere, and that to all fleshe, that al kingdomes were euer, and yet remayne of one & the eternal God. Christ therfore ouercometh, the veritie ouercometh, ye gospel ouercometh, the churche ouercometh: they that are vanquished, shal be led to hel, Mahomet with his, & the Bishop of Rome with his. There is added, yt Christ shal raigne for euer more. Antichrist in dede hath raigned, and the wicked haue reioyced in this worlde, but a very shorte time: but nowe shall the godly reigne with christ for euer more. Nother doeth he now diuide the kingdome of the father & the sonne, but sheweth it to be comon, where he sayeth that the kingdomes are made: that is to saye. it is openly declared, that al kingedomes are of God the father and the sonne, and that he shal reigne with his electe for euermore. So you may see that the place of S. Paule maye not be expounded after the lettre, which is writtē in the .1. to the Corinth. the .15. chapt. of that the son [...] must be subiected, & shall deliuer the kingdome to his father. For he shall deliuer the kingdome, to witte the church: that is to saye, shal bring, and present it to the father, and in his membres shal be subiecte to the father, with whom not withstanding he him selfe shal reigne for euer. Thaffirmatiue vocable is annexed, Amen. Leeste any man should doubt one whitte of these celestial misteries. Howbeit he doeth more playnely expounde afterwarde, what those voices are that were spokē in Heauen, whilest he annexeth the narration of the .xxiiii. Elders, and of such thinges wherwith they praysed God.
And here the most goodly & beautifull order of this boke semeth to me worthie to be obserued. In ye beginning of this visiō he brought in the same elders, teaching vs by their exā ple & himnes, what we should do: the same therefore he bringeth againe also in the ende of this vision, that we might be instructed againe by their wordes & doynges, not only concernyng ye last iudgement, of what sorte it shal be, most rightouse doubtles, as al his iudgementes are (which ye whole visiō approueth) but yt also we shuld vnderstād, what becometh vs, & what we shuld do: verely that we should worship god, & submit our selues whole vnto him: & beleue stedfastly yt both ye iudgement shal assuredly come, & yt also it shalbe most iuste.
A geuynge of thankesThe himne or prayer, which they offer vp vnto God, is a kynde of prayse. For it is a thankesgeuyng or reioysing for victory. For in such sort they geue God thanks, that neuerthelesse they celebrate god highly, and reioyce to themselues and to al godly for their saluatiō. For they geue god thanks for their saluation. And cōmend his iustice and veritie, which he sheweth in this his iudgement, rewarding the good with good things, and the euil with euil. Therfore like as they rise out of their chayres and fal downe before almighty God: euen so aught we also both nowe and euer to do. Whereof is spoken more in the .4. chap. Here we should learne humilitie, and that God alone is to be worshipped, & that to him alone al praiers or inuocatiōs, or geuing of thāks must be offered: the which thing is cleane repugnaūt to the popish doctryne.
We se now ye very thankesgeuing, than the which no better can be found. They geue thankes vnto God. Let vs therfore thanke him also. And also cōmend & exalte him, whylest they call him the Lord, and God almightie: and also they celebrate his maiestie, where they say: which arte, and which waste, and which arte to come. They allude to the wordes of God, spoken in oulde tyme to Moses in the .3. of Exodus. By the diuersitie of tymes, the eternitie of God is fygured. But of this kynd of speach I haue spoken more in the first chapt.
Christe in iudgement receyueth power and kingdome.And nowe they declare, wherefore they geue thankes: for thou haste receiued thy great power, and hast reigned. God verely neuer laide asyde his power, that he nedeth to receiue it agayne: but what time he sheweth not the same, and permittith very much to the vngodly, that they by their power can infringe, & preuayl against gods word, he semeth to haue layde it away. Therfore now that he oppresseth the wicked, and as a iudge auaūceth the godly, maintayneth the veritie, and destroyeth lying, he is truly sayed to haue receyued his great power. Lykewise now is he said to reigne, not because he reigned not before, but forasmoch as the lord hath reigned in the mids of his ennemies, so that some time it was doubtfull and vncertayne, whether Christe reigned or Antichriste: yea that he hath had the vpper hand, and Christ hath ben oppressed: now yt Christ hath broken al the power of his aduersaries, he is said most truly to reigne. And very wel Erasmus [Page 341] admonissheth in his annotations vpō the newe Testament, that the translatour had tourned more aptely, Ebacilensas, yf he had sayed, thou hast obteyned a kingdome. For the latin men saye, Regnauit, He hath reigned, whiche hath lefte reignyng: as they haue liued, which liue no more. But with the Grekes it is otherwise at the leeste wise in these wordes. To our iudge most iuste, most mightie, and most rightuouse, be prayse and glory, for euer and euer. Amen.
¶ The thankes geuyng of the Elders is expounded, the Temple is opened in heauen, the arcke appereth, and there were made lightenynges, &c. The .li. Sermon.
ANd the heythen were angrie, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead that they shoulde be iudged, & that thou shouldest geue rewarde vnto thy seruauntes the Prophetes and Sainctes, and to them that feare thy name, smal and great: and shouldest distroye them which distroye the Earth. And the Temple of God was opened in Heauen. and there was sene in his tēple the Arche of his Testament: & there followed lightnings, and voices, and thonderinges, & earthquake, and a great hayle.
I shewed you,Of the last iudgemēt. howe the Elders did so geue thankes vnto God for their saluation, that withall they extolled Gods rightuousenes, and excellēt veritie, which he sheweth in his iudgement most rightuouse, wherein he rewardeth the godly with iust rewardes, and plageth the wicked with deserued punnishmentes. And vnder this figure of speache they teach vs, that both the iudgemēt shall assuredly come, and that the same in al thinges shalbe most holy and iuste. Would God they would dilligently consider these thinges with thēselues [Page 342] which iudge them to talke of tryfles, that make mention of that horryble and most dreadfull day of iudgement. For we loke for thinges more terrible, than any toung beit neuer so eloquent is able to expresse.
The tyme of wrath is come.He rehearseth the wrath or tyranny of infidelles, againste the faythfull cruelly and continually executed, and so verely, that God semed to many to be a blocke, and nother coulde nor wolde be angrie. But the iudgement ones made, the elders extoll Gods veritie, and say the wrath is come. Doubtles the holy Prophetes of God haue alwayes threatned punishmentes, testifieng that God is angrie, both with the sinners and with sinnes: but where the wrath of god appeared not immediately, the Prophets appeared to feare men with vayne terrours, and as it were, make them affrayde of their shadowes, but now, say the elders, the veritie hath appeared, and the wrath of God is come. And the wrath of God, sheweth it selfe in the iuste vengeaunce of God.
The tyme of the dead is come.Moreouer they extoll in that also the veritie and iustice of God, for that the tyme of the dead is commen, that they be iudged. Hitherto whylest the worlde florished, they semed to tel fables, and grandames tales, which spake of the resurrection of the dead, and the lyfe to come. For the resurrection of the dead was contemned of Philosophers, and men of this worlde. But the elders reioyce also, that the same tyme is come, and that the dead are reuiued, that is, that the bodies of the dead are rysen agayne, and cummen to iudgement. Whereof the Apostle speakynge: we muste all sayth he, appeare openly before the iudgement seate of God, that euery one may receiue such things as are done by the body according as it hath done, whether it be good or euyll .2. Corrinthi. the .5. chapter.
God in the iudgement wel requyre the hyreFurthermore they moste highly commend Gods iustice and veritie, when also they declare exactely, howe God by his iust iudgement, rendresh to euery one that is his. He declareth therfore what he rewardeth, & whome he rewardeth. First he payeth wages or hyre. For rewarde is promysed of God vnto good workes. For in the .13. of Ieremy the Lorde saith: refrayne thy voice from weping, for there is a reward for thy worke. And the Lorde sayth also in the gospel, be glad [Page 343] & reioice, for your reward is great in heauē. And agayne: the sonne of manne shal come in the glory of his father with his Angelles, and than shall he render to euery one after his doinges. So the Apostle sayed, that euery one muste ryse in his owne body, that euery one may receiue such thinges as are done by the body, whether it be good or euill. Whylest this world florisheth, and the wicked reioice in their voluptuousnes, and the godly are afflicted, and afflicte themselues with continuall mortifieng, the flessh iudgeth, that these lose both labour and cost: but ye other to be very happie. Which thing is also declared in the third & fourth chapt. of Malachie. But at the laste iudgement it shall finally appeare, that the godly haue not laboured in vaine, nother that the wicked haue contemned God vnpunished, and dispysed godlines. For God rewardeth euery one, after ye qualitie of his worke: the which he calleth wages. Neuerthelesse, the godly abuse not in the meane time this sayeng, acknowledgeing it, to be of fre mercie, that they haue beleued, and wroughte with good fayth: & that good worke of theirs therfore, to be accepted of God, because they be in Christ. Whereof I haue written in the .3. boke the .10. chapt. Of the grace of God iustifieng, shewing that of reward, desert cannot be proued.
Secondly thei declare, to whome he geueth reward,To whome rewarde is geuen. I say to two sortes of men: to good I mean, & euil. Againe he raccompteth many kyndes of good men. First he calleth these the seruaūts of god, as thei that be subiecte to the empyre of god alone, and obey him in al things. By and by he nameth thē prophets, techers of churches. Of whose state mo things ar spoken in the .11. chap. These some to be more vnfortunate than any others in this world, and ar accompted of many as great offēders, which being taken out of yt way, all clearenes shuld seme to come againe. Therfore be thei iustlie raccompted in the rigister of them, which receiue a reward of ye lord, to wit in recōpence of their trauell. Now into this accompte come also ye saints. that is to sai, al godly which being sanctified through fayth wt the spirit & bloud of god, haue lyued an holy life, keping thēselues from al worldly pollutiō. Moreouer in ye godly reward & nōbre of holy saincts are reckened such as fear ye name of the lord: that is, thei that be very holy [Page 344] and religiouse in dede. Finally leeste any man should thinke any of the faithfull excluded, he addeth, to small and greate: that is to saye, vnto men of al ages, state, and sexe, &c.
The lorde distroyeth thē whiche distroyed the Earth.After he cometh to the euill, and addeth: and shouldest distroy them that distroyed the earth. These thinges seme borrowed of the prophetes, with whom is much mention of the distroyers of the earth, whom the lord should distroye at the length. And vnder the name of distroyers S. Iohn vnderstandeth first Tirauntes, Kinges, and Princes, that be persecutours of the church. Also menne of warre and souldiours, whiche by vniuste warres distroye all thinges with sworde and fire. Secondely he vnderstandeth vniuste 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 tourmētes 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 re [...]arde of the godly: & that whiche before he treated vnder the fourme of a thankeful prayse and a ioyouse triumphyng, he propoundeth now consequētly 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 [Page 345] 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 ye 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 heauē was sene the Arche of his Testamente.Arcke in ye Temple. For God made a conuenaunte or leage with the faythful, that he would be theyr God, their fulnes, and a most plētiful Sea of al goodnes, a most aboundaunt, and moste sufficient plentie of all thinges. The confirmation, testimony, and declaration wherof is the Arke of cō 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 heauē. 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 expoūdeth the same also diuersely, and propoūdeth the same to be sene. Hitherto [Page 346] 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 saluatiō: 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, frō 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 tokē in Heauen a woman clothed with the sunne, and the Moone vnder her fete, & vpō 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 [Page 347] an other token in heauē, and beholde a great red Dragon, hauing seuē 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 mā 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 & dispositiō 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 to sette forth the thyng it selfe as it were to be sene with the eyes,The argumente of ye 12.13.14. chapt. in the three chapt. next followyng the .12.13.14. He repeteth all thinges more depely, and describeth liuely & dilligently the partes of this conflicte, and after also the fight it selfe. Therfore after the church ones described, which abideth the brunte of this warre, he describeth also the Dragon that moueth the warre: he declareth howe busily he watcheth, & againe leeste any man should be discouraged, he addeth, howe vnluckely not withstanding he fighteth, Christ verely ouercoming him, finally god impeching & defeating his enterprises, and yelding him vanquished to the faithfull. Nowe he decribeth the chiefe instrumentes, whiche Sathan vseth in assaultyng and persecutyng the church, to witte the olde and newe Romane Empire, and herein filthie [Page 348] Papistrie, wherin Antichrist is also liuely paynted. By and by not withstanding he annexeth to these vnlucky thinges, for the consolation and comfort of the godly, that the lambe standeth neuerthelesse on Mounte Sion a conquerour, hauyng his churche with him, howe so euer this worlde rageth and be neuer so madde and cruell, that the gospel is preached in dispite of Antichrist: and al men warned to beware of Antichrist: where also he beginneth to reason of the iudgement of God agaynst the wicked, that he mighte prepare him awaye to those thynges whiche he will speake in the .5. parte, touchyng the paynes or punnisshmentes of the Antichristians, which treatise he beginneth in the .15. Hitherto therfore he treateth of the fighte or conflicte of the churche and of the wicked, namely of Antichrist, all the whiche the father of all murther and of al iniquitie the Deuil inspireth.
These things are taken out of the .iij. chapt. of Genes.Therefore like as this whole boke is taken out of the scriptures, and expoundeth excedingly well the olde scriptures: so these thinges also whiche are by and by in the beginnyng rehersed, seme to be taken out of the .3. chapt. of Gene. Where the lorde sayeth: I wil put emnetie betwixte thee (meanyng the Serpente) and the womā, betwixt thy sede, and her sede: her seade shal breake thy heade, and thou shalt bite his heele. For you shall reade in the ende also of this chapt. And the Dragon was angry with the womā, and went his way that he might make warre with the residewe of her sede.
And he describeth aboue al things the partes of this conflicte,A tokē appered in Heauen. her which was assayled by warre, and the whiche moued the warre, to witte the churche and the Dragon. And he sayeth, how a token of these thinges appered in heauen. For he would not only saye or wryte, but also set them forth to be sene of the eyes, and in maner to paincte, to the intente all thinges more playnely might be sene. And where he sayeth those tokens were great, he admonisheth, that thei were and be thinges of moste weight, and matters of greatest importaunce.
The woman the churche.Firste he describeth the church of God of all times vnder the tipe or figure of the woman. Nother is it a straunge or rare thing, sins at the first beginninges of thinges the womā beganne to represent the tipe of Christes spowse the church, [Page 349] as is to be sene in the .2. of Genes. And so hath the Apostle expoūded the tipe in the .5. chapt. to the Ephes. That I nede not nowe to recite, that Esaye hath oftener than ones vnder the tipe of a woman figured the churche of God: reioyce thou barren, sayeth he, which bryng forth no children, &c. Finally that S. Paule to the Galath. 4. chapt. hath set forth Sara a figure of the church: whiche Salomon also in his canticles discoursed at length in describyng of his spowse. The churche than is that woman coupled with Christ her spowse in true fayth and continual loue. After he applieth certen thinges seuerally to the Virgin Marie, vnto whom not withstanding the thinges that go before, and followe after doe not altogether agree: whiche thing bothe Methodius and Primasius doe shewe, and other expositours also with great accorde.
This woman is clothed with the sunne.The womā is clothed with the sunne. The scripture calleth Christ the sunne of rightuousenes, and lighte of life. S. Paule commaundeth the churche to put on Christ. He therfore is the light, the life and rightuousenes of the churche: by Christe is couered the nakednes of the church: Christe is the ornament and beaultie of the church, through him it shineth in the world.
The Moone is subiect to alterations, is variable,the moone vnder her fete. and receyueth sondry colours: she increaseth, and decreaseth: and although it shine, yet appereth it alwayes ful of spottes, and borroweth her light of the Sunne. Therefore all courses and alterations of times, and what so euer is mutable and corruptible in this world, al affectiōs also & infirmities, the church treadeth vnder her fete: all the light that she hath, she hath it of Christ, the light of her rightuousenes increaseth & decreaseth: finally she gathereth alwayes some spottes of the nature of flesh, which she can not leaue but by death. Therefore she shineth in dede, howebeit the church feleth some obscurenes: as the Lorde hath sayed also, euery braunche bearyng fruicte he pourgeth, that he maye bryng forth more fruicte. And he that is wasshed, is al cleane, and nedeth no more but to wasshe his fete.
Furthermore a crowne is the honour of the head,A crowne of twelue starres. & signe of a kingedome. Christ is the beautie, comelines and king of ye church. In this crowne are no precious stones, but starres. [Page 350] For in Christ are, and beaultifie and lighten the church, the Patriarkes, Prophetes, & the twelue Apostles, whiche haue light of the crowne, and powre out the same into the church. Hereby therefore is signified the doctrine of the ministers, as in the first chapt. of this boke. Nother is the shinyng ministerie the smallest portion emōges the most excellēt things of the church.
A woman wt childe nere her trauell.Moreouer that woman hath in her bealy: which in a certen phrase of speache is as much to saye, as that woman was with childe: and had not only a great bealy (as we saye) but after the maner of women trauelyng cried out, and labouryng was full of payne that she might be deliuered. Whiche properly apperteyneth not to the virgin Marie, but to the churche. For the primitiue churche of that first promesse of the blessed sede, conceaued in her minde an hope moste assured, that at the length the sonne of God should be borne of a virgin, to witte the sede promised, whiche should breake the Serpentes head. Therefore did the church with an ernest desire, and with moste feruente prayers couet and wisshe, that Christ might ones be ingendred, in and by the excellent mē bre of the same the holy virgin. Moreouer Christ is begotten in his faithfull, when through his vertue they be regenerated. For S. Paule: my little Children sayeth he, whome I trauell for agayne, till Christ be shaped in vs. The Churche therefore trauayleth, and bringeth forth after two sortes: bodily, whilest she ernestely coueteth with out paine that christ mighte be borne of the virgin: and ghostly by fayth and regeneration, whilest she desireth to be made conformable to Christ in her membres. This therefore is the nature and disposition of this woman, that with a gready desire imbracing the incarnation of Christe and redemption, she would fayne haue it knowen to many: and that many times she wissheth to be regenerated and reformed after the Image of Christ.
The description of ye church.This is verely a goodly descriptiō of the church. Herunto compare them, which at this daye set forth themselues with the title and pretence of the church: and iudge, how wel they agree with this description. But this trewe church of Christ is brought in daunger and battell.
Let vs heare now in the secōd place,the discription of the deuil vnder the shape of a Dragon. & as it wer on the cō trary parte, what maner one is the aduersarie or ennemie of the church: to witte that oulde serpent, which was a lyer and a murtherer from the begynnynge, the onely authour of all euyll, of all mischiefe, of all errours, of all iniquitie, murther and disquietnesse, and moste vngraciouse Deuyll: whome afterwarde he calleth Sathan, seducer of the worlde, and decketh him wyth other tytles, mete for such a maiestie.
This is the Dragon, and that the greate Dragon,The great Dragon. to witte of great power through oute the worlde in his membres. And a Dragon, for bycause in oulde tyme he toke vpon him the shape of a serpente, and disceaued our parentes. Of Dragons Plinie and other authours wryte many thinges. The Scripture in some places,Esay. 27. calleth the Deuyll a wrythen Serpent. For he is wonderfull subtyl, and can turne himselfe in to fouldes infinite, that he maie disceaue, and kepe the disceaued in erroure.
He is red. For he is full of fyer,Red. and bloud of sainctes and of innocentes. A right bloud hounde, the parent and patron of al persecutours and bloudie souldiours. In him sticke yet the spottes of the bloud of Abell. He smelleth yet, of the shedding of the bloud of the Prophetes, and Apostles.
The same hath seuen heades:Seuen heades, & ten hornes. vppon euery one of these is sene a crowne royal. He hath also ten hornes. For the Deuyl is called the Prince of this worlde: and hath in very dede ben gouernour of the wicked rulers of al ages, and ring leader of all hornes and blouddy realmes. He was therfore the head of Ninus, the King and and prince of Pharao, chief captaine of Balthazer King of Babilon, of Cambyses also the Persian, of Antiochus the Macedonian, of Iulius Caeser the Romane, and likewyse of all other tyrauntes.
The Prophet Esaie called a false prophet, tayle,Tayle. by reason of his soothing and flatterring wordes, for that with his mealy mouth and swete words, he crepeth in fauour with great men. Therfore with flattering and deceaueable wordes, and lyeng promesses, wherewith (as in times past) he promiseth his worshippers godly thinges, he perswadeth to al wickednes, starres, that is to say, preachers & notable men: whom taken from heauenly things, he casteth vnto earthly things, [Page 352] that hauyng forgoten celestiall matters and their holy office and duetie, they maye cleaue nowe vnto earthly thinges, beyng wrapped in the earthly foldes of the Deuilles taile. And thus in dede he shal corrupte not a fewe. For he putteth the thirde parte of starres, for a great nombre of notable menne, whose ministerie he vseth agaynst the church. Hereof there be many and that notable exāples of al times in al histories.
The Dragons enterprise agaīst the church.And after he hath described this fowle and filthie beaste, and sworne enemie of al sainctes from the beginnyng of the world: streight wayes also he vttereth his attēptes, treasons and bitter poyson agaynst the church, and howe he beganne to moue warre. This dragon, sayeth he, stode before the woman, whiche was ready to be deliuered: and he stode watchyng, dilligent, attentife, and awayting busily, at al times: and he obserued, and toke that occasion of hurtyng the church, nother hath he omitted any oportunitie. But the ende of all his enterprises was, to deuoure the sonne, borne of ye spouse of God. He hath alwayes euen from the beginnyng of the world gone aboute to intercepte the glory of Christ: & if any faithful beyng of the church regenerated spiritually be made confourmable to Christ, he attempteth also to bryng them into errours and distroye thē. Wherefore S. Peter not without cause sayed, that the Deuill goeth aboute like an hongry Lion, sekyng whom he maye deuoure.
Christe was incarnate, & geuen to the church.He sheweth now by the waye, that Christ, as he was promised, is exhibited to the church, nother that the dragō could do any thing agaynst him. Wherupon he wil haue vs vtterly to conclude, that he shal haue no power ouer vs nother, if we abyde in Christ. For nowe he skippeth from the vniuersal church to the singular and most excellent membre thereof the virgin Mary, and knitteth vp in fewe wordes the misterie of the incarnation: that excellent woman, whereof is spokē in the .3. of Genes. the doughter of that Matrone, I meane the church, the holy Virgin, brought forth a man childe, that is to saye her first begoten, king and priest: as S. Luke testifieth in the .2. chapt. By and by he declareth, what and of how great power he is, and whie he called him a man childe. He it is, of whome (Dauid) prophecied in the .2. Psalm. That he should rule al nations with a rod or sceptre, not of wood or [Page 353] leed that is pliable, but of iron to witte stronge and durable, namely the worde of God: but suche as will not obeye Gods worde, with an iron staffe, that is with power, which no manne is able to resiste, he will beate downe farre and nere. But for this so mightie a prince Sathan layde an Ambusshe, that olde Dragon, which stired vp agaynst the chiefe of the Iewes and gentiles: but he founde in him nothing at al, as the lord him selfe sayed in the .14. of Iohn: no more shall he at the laste finde any thing in the faithful of Christ: moreouer whilest the Dragon attempted greate thinges agaynst Christ by thelders of the Iewes, beyng risen from the dead, the Lord was taken vp, as it were out of the throte or hotest assaultes of the Dragon, vnto his heauenly father, and sate on the right hande of God the father, the olde Serpentes attemptes made frustrate. And thither also wil he receiue vnto him his faithfull, though the Serpentes guttes should burst. For through hope we sit together with our head in the places supercelestial. Ephes. the .2. And this is the chiefe and greatest hope of the church in this conflicte. For thus he gathereth: the Dragon moste strongely and fiersely inuadeth not only the auncient churche, but euen the very head of the church, and redemer Christ: howebeit with his furie outrageouse he could nothyng preuayle: therefore he shal no more preuaile agaynst his membres.
Now he retourneth againe to the church, and sayeth:the church fleeth into wildernes. after the dragon could bringe nothing to passe agaynst the sonne of God, he wente and made warre agaynst the church, and the churche fled into wildernes. Certenly Iewrie in the prophetes is compared to a place most frequented: the gentiles are called a deserte or wildernes. Therefore after Christes ascention, the Apostles departyng out of Iewrie, repared to the gentiles: yea and the Iewes inspired of the red dragon, caste out the church out of their limites: which was constreined, as appereth in the Actes of Apostles, to flee vnto the gē tiles. And where the Lorde hath prepared a place for his churche, and the churche was greately augmented emongs the gentiles, certenly it was through his grace (and by no merite of man) whiche prepared the place, whiche calleth, directeth and kepeth his shepe, the same hath disposed, and yet [Page 354] doeth dispose for this churche ministers or pastours, which may fede it, as the rauens did Helias, al the time that shal be, vnto the worldes ende. For as for the nōbre of those daies I discoursed before. And by this exposition is signified that the dragon shal fight stoutely against the church, so that she shal be cōpelled to flee: but how much so euer he shal rage against the churche, the lorde God shal yet prepare a place in earth, wherin she maye dwell safe: and will euer sende pastours to fede. He sheweth moreouer, that the flight shall not alwayes be reprochable. The Lord saue and kepe vs. Amen.
¶ The description of the conflicte of Christe and the Church with the Dragon: the dragō is ouercome, the heauenly dwellers sing prayses. The .liij. Sermon.
ANd there was a great battell in heauē, Michaell & his Angels fought wt the dragon, & the dragō fought & his Angels, & preuailed not, nother was their place foūde any more in heauē. And the dragon that olde serpent called the deuil and Sathanas, was cast out. Which deceaued all the world. And he was cast into the Earth, & his Angels were cast out with him also. And I hearde a lowde voice, which sayed in Heauen: nowe is saluation and strength and the kingdome become our Gods, & the power is Christes: for he is caste downe, which accused them before God daie & night. And thei ouercame him by the bloud of the Lambe, and by the worde of their testimony, and they loued not their liues vnto the death. Therfore reioyce ye heauens, and ye that dwell therin. Wo vnto the inhabiters of the earth, and the [Page 355] sea: for the deuill is comen doune vnto you, which hath great wrath, because he knoweth, that he hath but a short time.
Thapostle hath spoken of the partes of the notable fight & worthie battel: he hath spoken also of attēptes & pourpos of the dragō, which verely applieth al his coūsels to this intēt, that he may deuoure al godlines, that is, might distroy it vtterly: he hath shewed how he began to moue warre agaynst the church, which fled into ye wildernes: & now as it were leauing the womā in the wildernes, he semeth to bring forth other soldiours, whiche geue battel to the dragon, & most valeauntly do impugne & also discōfit him & al his power. S. Iohn therfore describeth the singular fight of one most excellent, to witte Michaell, which ouercame the Dragon: and describeth the general fight annexed with yt particular. For he addeth, yt al the Angels of Michael fought agaynst the dragon.
And first is heauē shewed to be the place of the fight or cō flicte. For in heauen, sayeth he, was fought a great battaile.The place of conflict. And it is euidēt, yt Sathan was at the beginning of al things cast out of heauē into the earth, and therfore that he moueth no warre in heauē, nor reiseth any tumulte there. For heauē is a place of rest & ioye, not of debate and contention. Therefore this must be attributed to the visiō. For the lord hath in heauen by signes represented this battaile to be sene, whiche in dede is fought in earth in the middes of the church.
But here is set forth an image of a notable fight, wherby is shewed what hath ben, & what is yet done in earth. I saied euen now, that this cōbat was in dede particular, but to haue a general fight annexed. For Michael fighteth whiche is as captaine of this warre: and Michaelles Angelles fight also:Who fight. which must be wel discerned, although that Michaell & his Angels make but one parte only. On the other side fighteth the dragō, as emperour of this warre, & his angels fight also. And these verely make non other partes, thā we haue heard before in the beginning of this chapt. That the partie of this fight were ye church & the deuil. Neuertheles leest the victory should be attributed to the church, & not rather to Christ, the womā must now be omitted, and Michael brought in fighting. [Page 356] Whereupon there is in these thinges some difficultie: but it shal be easie enough for him, that will marke euery thing in order.
Who is yt Michaell captaine of the warre against the Dragon.First we must see, what that Michael is, & there is in dede no doubte, but that the Angel Michell appered in the vision, with an Army of Angels fighting. And that on the contrary parte against thē fought the Dragon with an hoste of deuils. But for asmuch as we hearde in the beginning, yt these were tokens, they must nedes signifie & betoken other thinges. I suppose here therefore to be signified, Christ the head of his church, king & protectour, with his mēbres, Apostles, Martirs & faithful. Nother is it a rare thing, that Christ should be figured to vs by Angels: but is euen moste accustomed, that Angelles are called the ambassadours of God, & the faithful seruaūtes of Iesus Christ. Christ therfore head of the church & the faithfull membres of Christ, fight against the Dragon, yet after a diuerse sort. For christ ouercame him alone in the cōbat with out helpe of any creature, whilest in temptations he discomfited him at the last, & also by diyng on the crosse, & rising agayne from the dead,How christ hath fought wt the dragō. he al to brake his head. This is the only, trewe & singular victory: wherby afterwardes are obteyned the victories of Christes mēbres, goten of that general fight, wherein Christ fighteth not now only hande to hande with the Deuill, but all the membres of Christe at all times vnder Christ their Captayne fight against the Deuill, and in the vertue or victory of Christ, fight and ouercome: as we shal heare by and by in the songe of prayse.
Why Michael is Christ.But for great and sondry causes we affirme Christe to be figured and signified to vs vnder the tipe of Michaell. We know by the scriptures as many of vs as be learned, yt Michael, as also Gabriel, be the names of good Angels of god. Michael signifieth, who as God? And who I praye you is such, as God, but in whome thexpresse Image of the fathers substaunce, & which is the Image inuisible, and worde of the father from the beginnyng, I meane the very sonne of God Iesus Christ? Michael in the .10. & .12. chapt. of Daniel, is president, protectour & Patrone of the Iewish nation. And it is plaine, that the people of Israel had from the beginning non other tutour and patrone, but Messias him selfe, the blessed [Page 357] sede. This appereth in the .7. of Esaye, were we reade, that the lord spared the people of Iuda, and the princelicke Citie for Christ. In an other place he sayeth moste openly, I will defende that citie for my selfe, and for my seruaunt Dauid. And Dauid is called Christ, in the .34. of Ezechiel. Christ is therefore in very dede gouernour of his people, whiche neuerthelesse in defendyng and deliueryng his, vseth the ministerie of Angelles: who also attribute nothing to themselues, but all glory to God alone. Morouer that excellent victory, cā not with out offence of godlines be ascribed to Michael the archangel. For so omitting our Messias Christ, we should cō mende Angels being made & worthie to be called Angelical, rather than Christians. In the lawe was written, the sede of the womā shal breake the serpentes head. But the lord neuer toke the nature of an Angel, but the sede of Abraham, and by sinne hath condemned sinne. There shal followe anone in the songe. Now is saluation and power, &c. And there is added: for the Deuil is cast out. And this saluatiō hath Christ alone accomplisshed, wherfore it is necessary, that Christ the conquerour of Sathan be signified by Michael.
And the Dragon fought hande to hande agaynst the lord,The dragō & his Angels fight. not only matched with him in the deserte, but also neuer ceased to tempte and assayle him, so longe as he liued here on earth: he stired vp also agaynst him the Phariseis & Princes of the people, kinges and the Romane gouernour, and so at the laste brake the lordes heele. This was the greatest fight of the Dragon. The same Dragon inspireth now kinges and Princes, wicked Priestes and cruel men, his Angelles which maye warre vpon the churche. And all these verely do persecute and vexe the churche in the power of the red Dragon. Stories declare ye same to be done before Christes time: the same testifie, and experiēce proueth, the like to be done from the ascension of Christ into Heauen, vnto this present daye, and vnto the worldes ende.
Now is also declared with what lucke they foughtwith what lucke they sought. on eyther side: to witte most luckely concernyng Christ, most vnluckely as touchyng the Deuill or red Dragon. And in this fight, as also in the songe immediately following, is cōteined the whole fruicte of this disputatiō. For herof al godly may [Page 358] learne that Sathan our enemie is vnarmed: and that Christ in this conflict is on our syde, as our Emperour & captayne at all tymes, by whome all the godly maie easely in all conflictes ouercome. Therfore this matter of battel and victory is set by and by after the beginning of the moste daūgerouse battaile wyth Antichriste, and Antichristians, whych are the broode or tailes, and scales of the serpent, and champions of the Dragon, for a comfort and consolation. And the naturall order is here altered, which treateth nothyng of the successe of the battaile, til he hath set forth al the conflicte before. But this battaile shall be continewed hereafter in the reste of the 12. and all the .13. chapter.
Christ ouer commeth, and christianes ouercome also.He declareth at thre wordes, first the victorie of Chryste, secondly of al christians. The first is [...], they preuayled not, they had no strength. Doubtles the force of the deuyll is greate if God permitte, and clerely greatest, in consideration of the iuste iudgement of God, as also appeareth in Iob, that he is able to slake & breake the strongest thinges. But the Lorde sayth in the gospel.Ihon .14 Math. 16 The Prince of this world came, and against me he hath nothing. Again in the gospel: The gates of Hell shall not preuayle againg her, the rocke I meane, and secondly againste the church. Although therfore the Deuyl make an horrible vprore, and cruelly rage against Christ and his church, yet is he without force. For the vertue of Christe preuayleth.
The seconde parte is, nother was theyr place any more founde in heauen, which maner of speach signifieth no other thing, than that the reprobate Angell is put from al dignitie, glory & power: moreouer that he hath no more any place in the church, or emonges the electe of God: not that the deuil should not retourne, or should not tempte, or renewe warre, but because he hath no place parmanent. Herunto apperteyneth that the Lord so ofte repeateth in the Gospel, and now the Prince of this worlde is caste oute, in the .12.14. and .16. chapters of Sainct Ihon. Moreouer, by other places of the Scripture it is manifeste, that the Deuyll is shut out of heauen. And it shall be easie for vs to shutte him oute, which being cast out by the sonne of God, hath no place in vs, vnlesse we our selues geue place to him. Which we shoulde not do, [Page 359] the Lord admonisheth vs dilligently, that we should watch. The story is knowen in the .12. of Matth. of the Deuill, pourposing to retourne, and therfore toke vnto him seuen worse spirites. But wherefore doest thou heare him, whie doest thou obeye him, whome thou seest shut out of Heauen? Notwithstanding that herby is signified also, that the Deuil was so fully vanquished of Christ, that he was also driuen to forsake the place of the battayle.
For the thirde membre,Sathan cast downe to ye earth. as it were expoundyng the seconde addeth: and he was caste to the Earth. For they that are throwen to the groūde, are iudged to be ouercome. Therfore a full victory and perfit conqueste is signified. Howbeit he was ones most valeauntly throwen to the Earth. Of our lord Iesus Christ, in the misterie of our redemption, and in the vertue of the same is dayly cast to the Earth, of the faithfull. And like as the Deuill hath no place permanent in heauen nor in the chosen: so verely doeth he inhabite all earthly, that is to saye menne sauouring the earth, and contemnyng heauenly thinges. Yea and we heare that his Angels are cast out with him. For the Lord in the gospel of S. Iohn the .16. chapt. sayeth: In the world you haue afflictiō: but be of good there, I haue ouercome the worlde. And S. Iohn in his Canonical epistle: you are of God little children, sayeth he,1. Iohn .4. 2. Iohn .5. and you haue ouercome them: for he is greater that is in you, thā he is that is in the worlde. And this is the victory that ouercame the world, euen your fayth.
And by the waye he expoundeth,The nature of the deuil is figured by certen wordes. what we shoulde vnderstande by the dragon, of whō he hath spoken hitherto, to wit the olde enemie of man kinde. He setteth him foorth with his titles, attributinge to him foure names, that hereby also we may vnderstande his nature the better, and maye beware of that wicked murtherer. Firste he calleth him the olde Serpent. For at the beginnyng by the Serpent he infected with the poyson of death and sinne our first Parentes, and by thē the whole vniuersal world: as is to be sene in the .3. of Genes. and the .5. to the Romains. Therfore I sayed in the beginning of this chapt. that he is called a Dragon. After he calleth him the Deuill, that is to saye a sclaunderer, or a false accuser. For by and by it followeth, which may expoūde this word, [Page 360] for the accuser of our bretherne is caste out, &c. A goodly exā ple of this thing is declared in the .1. and .2. chapt. of Iob. [...] signifieth to accuse or blame, and [...] is an accusation, and [...] a crime or complaincte.
Thirdly he calleth him Sathanas, in the Hebrewe word, to witte an aduersarie, for that he is in al things against god, and obiecteth him selfe and resisteth men in holy matters, yf happely he might hinder or corrupte them. Laste he is called [...] seducer, disceauer, or he that supplāteth and betrayeth the whole world. For this the Lord attributeth to him in the .8. of Iohn, for that he hath ben a lier from the beginning, and is the father, that is the foūtaine and original of al liyng, disceipte, of errours and seducyng, and of al euill. For all errours and heresies, al deceiptes, and all leasinges, finally all kinde of euils, haue flowed out of this most filthy welspring And who is he that heareth these thinges, which wil not abhorre that vile beast? they must nedes be starke madde, that seke by al meanes to be in fauour with that wicked spirite.
He should now here consequently annexe the residewe of this fight, to witte how the Dragon persecuteth & assaulteth the woman, and she agayne by fliyng resisteth, and ouercometh through Christ. But he suspendeth the same narration yet a little while,A songe of victory. & placeth now a songe of victory, and triū phe of sainctes in heauen, of the Angelles and blessed soules. The some wherof is, that Christ hath ouercomen, & that the faithful do ouercome in Christ: and therfore muste heauens themselues, and al that dwel therin, reioyce and singe. And I repete that these things are interlased in the daūgerous Antichristian and Romish sight, for a cōsolation, leest the saincts should in those great daungers by reason of their natural infirmitie be discouraged: but callyng vpō the name of Christ, should fight manfully, when they vnderstande vnder whose banner they fight, and with whome they fight: verely wyth one ouercomen vnder Christes stādart. And when we heare that the Dragons force is broken, we shal thinke that the furies of eyther beast, aswell the ten horned as the two horned, are weakened in the faith of christ. This geueth also no smal courage in this conflicte, that we see that the Dragon hath no power ouer them that are sprinkled and purified with the [Page 361] bloud of Christ, but ouer earthly and worldly men. And this triumphe is heauenly. For voices are hearde out of heauen, singyng a mery note, to the intent that the reioycing of the blessed spirites might haue more authoritie, grace, and efficacitie emonges the pore afflicted.
Thei al with one voice singe merely, that saluatiō & power is now made perfit, for by the Lordes death and resurrectiō,Perfit saluation by Christ. God hath wrought power, and made perfit the saluatiō promised to the fathers, to witte whilest he trode downe the serpentes head, abolisshed sinne & death, and restored life. Thus is the kingedome of God in this worlde establisshed in the electe, whilest euen by the power of Christ the Prince of this worlde is caste out and ouercome. For the cause followeth, wherfore we must so reioyce, and what vertue and power of Christ hath shewed it selfe, or howe saluation is made perfit: because, sayeth he, through Christ, the Deuill is cast downe, that is to saye ouercome and vāquisshed, that he can no more accuse mankinde before the iudgement seate of God. Hereunto belongeth that S. Paule wrote.Rom. 8. Who shall accuse the electe of God? It is God that iustifieth, who is he that condemneth? It is Christ, whiche died, yea whiche rose agayne, which is also on the right hande of God which maketh intercession for vs.
Moreouer the heauenly dwellers do not only preach the victory of Christ, but of all the faythfull,Christ hath made also ye faithfull victours. which they obteyne agaynst Sathan in the fayth of Iesu Christ: that it maye herof at the leest appere, what we should vnderstande before by Michael, and by his Angelles. And he beateth in dilligently, that Christians ouercome not Sathan by their owne merites, force, or strēgth, but by the merite and grace of Christe. And they sayeth he, to witte the Angelles of Michael, ouercame the Dragon by the bloud of the Lambe. For in asmuch as the faythful are purified by the bloud of Christe, Sathan hath nothing against them: but sins they haue the spirite and fayth of Christ, they ouercome the Deuill also. So in times paste the distroyer had no power ouer those houses, whiche were marked with the bloud of the Lambe: Exod. 12. And he addeth an other thinge, for the which the faithful ouercame: for the worde of the testimony of Christ, which is the gospel. [Page 362] Which because it is inuincible & eternal, they ouercome all thinges of this worlde, who so euer abide in the liuely and eternal word of the veritie. And euen in the gospel most trewe the lorde himselfe hath promised that he wil not forsake his, and wil fight for thē. Therfore must the faithful nedes ouercome. To these thinges is added more the effecte of Christes purifiyng. They loued not their life more than Christe: and therfore haue thei geuen it for Christ vnto death, and so haue ouercomen. For many are vanquisshed by this one thing, that they wil not hasarde their life for Christ.
For these great benefites of God they exhorte nowe heauens themselues, and all the inhabiters of Heauen, that is to saye they exhorte one an other, to singe a ioyeful songe. And that which the heauēly sainctes saye they do here, they teach the sainctes in Earth to doe also, and instructe, of what maner and sorte they ought to be, which shal ouercome Sathan in battaile, to witte purified by the bloud of Christ, cleauing to the testimonie of Iesu Christe, and contemners of their own life, to whom it semeth not greuouse to dye for Christes sake.
In whome the Deu [...]ll hath place.Finally aboute the songes ende they declare, in whome the Deuill shal raigne and take place: to witte in earthly and fleshely menne: who verely mocke at godly thinges, and only set by these worldly thinges, and suche as shall perisshe: for the getting and keping whereof, they will not sticke to doe any thing be it neuer so harde, where for Christes cause they will abide to do or suffer nothing. Vnto these they denounce an horrible wo, to wit the curse of this present and of the life to come.
But in whome the Deuill possesseth his kingdome, in the same also he vttereth his mallice against the elect, & that his great mallice. For he rageth most cruelly against the godly, and against godlines. He rageth also most extremely against those his worshippers, whom he polluteth with all kinde of filthines, and with al shame and reproche defileth.
Agayne I suppose that same to apperteyne to the comfort of the godly, that is spoken of a shorte time. For Sathan in dede through Antichrist shall moste cruelly rage agaynst the church, but those dayes shalbe shortened for the electes sake. [Page 363] By the way is noted also the wicked nature of sathā, which knowing that the last iudgemēt is at hande, wherin he must be throwen headlong into hell, thinketh to requite & recompence the shortnes of time with the crueltie of his wrath and deuelish furie.
And hitherto of the victory of Christ and his Sainctes: nowe followe with lesse terrour, yet horrible thinges of the warre, which the dragon moste gredely and fiersely moueth against the Matrone of God. The lord Iesus bryng him in subiection vnder our fete. Amen. Amen.
¶ The Dragon persecuteth the woman: she is defended and preserued of the Lorde. The Dragon standeth on the sande, &c. The .liiij. Sermon.
ANd when the dragon saw that he was cast to the Earth, he persecuted the woman, whiche brought forth the man childe. And to the womā were geuē two winges of a greate Egle, that she might flie into ye wildernes, into her place where she is nurrished for a time, two times & half a time, from the presence of the serpēt. And the dragō cast out of his mouth water, after the woman, as it had bē a riuer, that he might cause her to be caught of the floude. And the earth holpe the woman, & the earth opened her mouth & swalowed vp the riuer, which the Dragō cast out of his mouth. And ye dragon was wroth with the womā, and went & made warre with the rēnaunt of her sede, which kepe the cōmaundements of God, & haue the testimony of Iesus Christ, and he stode on the Sea sande.
The persecution of ye Dragon.That which before he had begonne, to speake of the persecution of the Dragon, and flight of the church, and had differred it a little, to declare the victorie of Christe: now he resumeth and finnisheth, and descrybeth the fyghte liuelie, and moste expressely and constauntly annexeth many tymes the help of God, which is geuen to the church through the grace of God.
When Sathan therefore, sawe himselfe ouercommen by Christ, and quite cast out, he begā to rage against the church redemed with the bloud of Gods sonne, and vexed her with greuouse persecution. For immediately after Christes assention, a great persecution was styred vp against the Apostles and Apostolicall church. For the Apostles put in prisonnes wer greuously rebuked with words, and also scourged with roddes and whypped. Stephen was stoned, Iames beheaded with the sworde,Actes. 26. finally by the meanes of Paule (which than played Saule) innumerable were caste in pryson, and put to cruell tourmentes.
On the contrary part he reciteth the present ayde of God, which he vttereth by a fyguratiue kynde of speach,Gods deliueraunce. after the nature of the visiō for the more efficacitie. For he sayth, how to the woman, I meane the church, were geuen two winges of a great Egle, by the helpe wherof she fled into the wildernes, where she hydde her selfe for a tyme, safe from the Dragons sight. And here is signified, that a large power is graū ted to the church of fleyng, & escaping the furies of Christes enemies, & of setting forth the gospel emonges the gentyles.
The Egles wynges.Wherof you may read in the .11. chapt. of the Actes of the Apostles. And not without cause he mētioneth of the Egles wynges, and that of a great Egle. For Moses in Deuter. maketh mention vnder this fygure, of the defence and ayde of God almyghtie: lyke as the Egle, sayth he, flyeth ouer her yong, and stretcheth abroade her wynges, and carieth them on her shulders, so the Lord hath also kept and auaunced the.
A place for the church in desert.Furthermore he saith, there is a place geuen to the church in wyldernes, to witte prouided of Christ, which turneth to to him whome he wyll, and prepareth for himselfe a spouse. And he nourysheth the church emonges the gentyles with his Euangelicall worde, as he nourished in oulde tyme his [Page 365] people in the deserte with Manna. And the time of the church he prescrybeth not. For he vseth agayne a kynde of speach as it wer a riddle, borowed out of Daniel: which God vsurpeth when he wyll haue the tyme to vs vnknowen: which since we knowe that good and iuste thinges consiste in him, we should not curiously inquyre after. Whereof I haue spoken before. Doubtles it is playne that the church emonges the gentyles, shall continue & remaine to the last iudgement. But the day of iudgement can no man diffyne.
Agayne he declareth,He vomiteth a floude after ye woman. with what furyes the Deuyll inflamed, shall make a newe and a continuall warre against the church. When he sawe the church emonges the gentyles to be daylie increased and established, he vomited after the woman water: and that we might know the fygure, he addeth, as it were a ryuer. For he signifieth, that the Deuyll hath powred a sea of euylles into the church, sectes I meane, discentions, tumultes, seditions, persecutions, wherewith the whole worlde hath ouerflowed. Verely he raysed vp euery where al magistrates and priestes against the Apostles, and Apostolical doctrine. Reade the Actes of the Apostles the .13.14.15. and the chapt. folowyng. Nother is it a rare thyng in the Psalmes, by waters, flouds, and riuers, to vnderstand all kynde of afflictions. And to this end he raysed vp those great euylles, and powred them on the godly, [...], that he myghte cause the church to be caryed awaie wyth the floude: that is, that he myght take awaie the godlie, and the doctryne of pietie. And this is the continuall endeuoyre of Sathan, herunto he applieth all his consultations and doinges. So in thempyre of Nero and Domitian, he studied to wash away the church by the bloude of Sainctes, but yet in vaine. For therfore I suppose it is sayed, he vomited a floude of euyls after the woman, not vpon the woman.
For God neuer fayled his afflicted churche: In so much (which a man may maruayle at) that the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed vp the floude powred oute of the serpents mouth. This earth dranke vp in oulde time, and couered the bloud of Abell. And here is signified, that the godly abyding persecution, haue helpe, from whence they loke not for: as Dauid in times past is red to be deliuered by the help [Page 366] of the Palestines, thinking nothing les than to delyuer Dauid oute of the handes of King Saule: but yet whyleste they go aboute an other thing, they bring to passe that, which semed good to the Lorde, which can turne the euil counselles of euil men to the profyte of the godlie. And doubtles we see many tymes in the Actes of the Apostles, that the earth hath swallowed vp a floude of euylles: that is to say, that earthly and worldly men, doing in the meane tyme an other thing, haue procured peace to the church. So doeth that Towne clarke or recorder of Ephesus, pacifie the multitude of the Ephesians, which were all on a roare and worse than madde. Lysias the head Captayne, taketh away Paule out of the blouddy handes of the Iewes: so doth the Centurian defend Paule, that he shoulde not be slaine of the souldiours in the shipwreake. The ciuile warres begonne immediatelie after the death of Nero, gaue peace vnto the church vntyll the Empyre of Domitian. But the oulde Serpent that can neuer reste, attempteth newe warres. For nowe beyng wood madde with the church, he goeth to make warre, against the remnaunt of the womans seede, which verely is to be borne vntyll the iudgement, of the church by the worde. And so maketh way to the Romayne persecutions, which folowed incontinentely after the tyme of Saincte Ihon, in the Empyre of Rome, and the Antichristiane persecutions reysed after the Empyre subuerted. Whereof shall be spoken in the .13. chapt. &c.
the church begetteth. Galath. 4.Neuerthelesse hereof it appeareth chiefely, what Saincte Ihon vnderstandeth by the woman, the same verely which engendreth the seede of God. The church is called both the Mother and daughter. The daughter, because she is engendred by the worde preached in the church: The mother, for that by the worde, she bryngeth soorth spirituall chyldren to Chryste. For the seede of God, and the seede of the woman, be all those which kepe the commaundementes of God, and haue the testimonie of Iesu Chryste. They kepe the commaundementes of God, which make much of Gods lawe, and frame all parts of theyr lyfe according to the same. They kepe not Goddes commaundements, which sette nothyng by the lawe or worde of God, nother frame theyr lyfe after the same. Of this matter is spoken at large in the fourtenth. [Page 367] The testimony of Iesu Christ is nothing els, but the gospell of Iesu Christ, preaching vnto vs the free remissiō of sinnes. They haue this, which possesse it by fayth.
And where he sayeth,The dragō stādeth on ye sea sand. that the Dragon stode on the Sea sande, it is a preparation to thinges that followe: for by & by he sayeth, how the beast the principall instrument of the dragon, came out of the Sea by the deuilles meanes. And it hath a consolation, that the dragon is sayed to stande on the sande, and not on the rocke. For it signifieth that the furies of Sathan shall not longe indure agaynst the church, and that the kingedome of the Deuill shal be rumouse, and fall to decaye, whose foundations are layde vpon the sande.
¶ He exhibiteth a noble instrumente of the Dragon to be sene, the olde Romane Empire, which describeth what maner a one it is, &c. The .lv. Sermon.
ANd I sawe a beast rise out of the see, hauing seuen heades,The .13. chapter.and ten hornes: and vpon his hornes ten crownes, and vpon his head, the names of blasphemie. And the beaste whiche I sawe was like a Cat of the Mountane, and his fete were as the fete of a beare, and his mouth as a lion. And the dragon gaue him his power, & his seate, & great authoritie: & I sawe one of his heades as it were wounded to death, & his deadly wounde was healed, and al the world wōdered at the beast, and they worshipped the Dragō, which gaue power to the beaste. Instrumēts by ye whiche the deuil hath wrought & worketh.
S. Iohn procedeth to describe by ye reuelatiō of Iesus christ, the notable instrumentes of the deuill, wherby he hath afflicted the church of Christ with continual & most greuouse persecution. And he speaketh of the olde and the newe Romane [Page 368] Empire. S. Iohn could not without excedyng great daūger vtter, much lesse describe those thinges, a man not furnished with any mans helpe, and therto bannished, and driuen into exile. For ye Romane Empire was takē for godly, inuincible, most sacred and euerlastyng. Neuerthelesse the Apostle both speaketh and writeth hereof in such sorte, that it semeth that he can not eschewe the title of a seditious person, and offende against the holy maiestie both of the emperour and Empire. But what I praye thee woldest thou do, God cōmaunding thee so to speake and write?
The vnpatientnes & boldenes of ye world against the crewth. Math. 21.The world also rageth at this daye, when they heare realmes and policies chastised by Gods word for sinne and wickednes cōmitted: and lordely enough some Princes set forth proclamations, commaundyng that no such thing be hearde any more. But the Lord sayeth in the gospell: yf these holde their peace, stones shall speake: signifiyng vtterly, that the trueth muste be preached, nother that it can be oppressed or quenched with any decrees, threatenynges, force of Armes, or punnishmentes. Therfore if they should at this daye kepe silence, vnto whom the office of preachyng is committed, the lord wil stire vp other preachers, which though al the world saye naye, wil beare witnesse to the trueth. Therfore I would counsell princes, that thei vexe not themselues in vayne with those their sondry attēptes agaynst Gods trueth. For they shal not preuaile. The veritie shal vanquish. For he that then furnisshed Iohn, agaynste the Romane Empire, that time most florisshyng and puissaunt, the self same also at this daye reuealyng his trueth to the world nowe broken and waxen olde, wil ouercome doubtles. Wo to those stifnecked natures, which loue to seduce. Let al preachers learne, by the exā ple of the Apostle S. Iohn, to vtter frely such things as they haue receiued in commaundement, and to feare no man. He is greater which is in vs (as the same S. Iohn saied in the .1. Iohn. 4.) than he that is in the world.
The beast, is ye Rom. Empire.And the beast he calleth the Romane Empire of great authoritie, and as it were godly, notwithout most weightie cō siderations. For the lorde kepeth still the phrase of the scripture, imitatyng Daniel, which in the .7. chapt. attributeth the name of beaste to the Romane Empire. And S. Hierome, [Page 369] expoundynge the Prophecie of Daniel, by the beaste vnderstandeth the Romane Empire: and supposeth that therfore it is not called a Lion, nor a Beare nor Libarde, but a beaste: that what crueltie some euer ye canne Imagine in beastes, by the same ye maye vnderstande the Romanes doubtles in maners they haue shewed themselues beastes. Mithridates the moste renoumed kynge of Pontus, speakyng of the Romanes in the .xxxviii. booke of Iustine: As they themselues reporte, sayeth he, that their founders were nurrisshed by suckyng of a Wolfe: so haue all that people Wolues mindes, neuer satisfised wyth bloud, of rule and Riches Hongry and emptie. And nowe howe filthy beastes many Romane Princes haue ben, theyr owne wryters testifie, chiefely Suetonius, and others that haue written of the Emperours liues. And that the people of Rome were also of beastely maners, the .1. chapt. of the Epistle to the Roma. proueth.
You will saye, I knowe well,The good & godly are excepted. sins S. Iohn comprehendeth vnder this Image the whole body of the Romane Empire, shal we cal Conustant, Constantine, Theodosius and other godly Emperours beastes? I saye howe the Scriptures vse this maner of speakyng, and by beastes in dede vnderstande Empires, all though they calle not all those that dwell in those Empires beastes with out any difference: therfore we vnderstande them exempted in all Empires, that liue a life to God acceptable: and know assuredly, that nother Daniel, nor S. Ihon woulde haue defiled with wordes suche innocent men, and al prayse worthie. Yea in all this treatise of the Empire and of Antichrist, we excepte alwayes such men as are innocent and excelle in vertue. Wherof we shal happely speake more hereafter.
And firste he sheweth the beginnyng of this Empire.The original of the Empire. A beaste commeth out of the Sea, on the sande whereof standeth the Dragon: and in the .17. chapt. it is sayed, howe the beaste came out of the botomlesse pitte. Therefore the beginnynge hereof is referred to Sathan. Notwithstandyng we muste here take dilligent hede, that we take awaye nothing from the lorde our God, the whiche he chalengeth to [Page 370] him self. The Scripture in sondry places, but chiefly by two moste excellent witnesses, by Daniel in the .3. chapt. and S. Paule in the .13. chapt. to the Romaines, hath set forth, that kyngedomes and Empires are of the Lorde, and that he setteth vp & deposeth kinges. There is no power, sayeth thapostle,Nowe the Rom. Empire is of God & of the dragō. but of God. And hitherto in dede thapostles cōmaunde to obeye Princes and magistrates. Howe is it than that we heare, that the Romane Empire came out of the botōles pit, sins the Apostle speaketh of the same? doubtles the Romane Empire is not absolutely of the Deuil. For God is the authour of Monarchies, and preserueth realmes and policies, geuing therunto certen faithful seruaūtes. But sathan medleth with mens matters, and corrupteth both kinges, & kingdomes: and so long they be of the Deuil. The Christianes in all politike matters obeyed Emperours, but cōmaundyng Idolatrie they obeied them not.3. Kings. 11 Certaine it is, that God did institute the kingdome of Israell or of ten tribes by the prophet Ahiab: yet neuerthelesse the lorde crieth out in an other prophet,Amos. 8. they haue reigned in dede, but not by me. For the lord would haue had those kinges to haue framed al thinges after his word, and to reigne in the feare of God: and where they did not so, but followyng the instigation of Sathan ordered al thinges after their owne luste, they are rightly saied to reigne, not of God, but of ye deuill. Therfore haue the godly obeyed kinges: but they obeyed them not cōmaundyng wicked thinges, although they toke them for their kinges, God had instituted the order of priestes: not withstandyng Christe calleth the doynges of the same priestes the workes of darkenes. And S. Peter sayeth: we muste rather obeye God than men. So verely the Romane Empire, which was of God, came also out of the Sea (as Daniel sayeth also) out of the troublesome world, and euen out of Hell, beyng made great through slaughter, murther, seditiō and treason. For the people of Rome with the moste parte of Emperours regarded the Deuil and the world, and not God.
The Rom. Empire of seuē headsAnd what the empire of Rome is at this daye, he figureth now also, it hath seuen heades, & ten hornes, and euery horne had his crowne, signifiyng verely, that by hornes are signified [Page 371] kingedomes. Nother doe we here bring in any newe or farre fetched exposition. In the .17. chapt. the Angel expoundeth him selfe, and sayeth, that by seuen heades are signified seuen mountaines or hilles, and euen kinges also. In Rome are accompted many hilles, but there be seuen notable. For there is mounte Palatine, Capitoline, Auentine, Coelius, Esquiline, Viminalle, and Quirinalle: Propertius expoūding the same in one verse (whiche I haue expressed in two) sayeth: Septem vrbs alta ingis toto quae praefidet orbe.
And therfore is called of ye Grekes, [...], of seuē hilles. And verely the citie is taken for the whole Empire. So haue there ben also many kinges & Emperours, which are cōprised in the seuenth nōbre: but yet is it certayne, that the seuēth nombre of kinges also is exactely founde in the historie. For at the beginning whē Rome was first builded, there reigned seuē kinges in order, Romulus, Numa, Tullus Hostilius, Aucus Martius, Tarquinius Priscus, Seruius Tullius, Tarquius Superbus: who expulsed by reason that Lucrese was rauished of the kinges sonne, they were ruled by confulles, by ten men, & by Dictatours, vnto the time of Iulius Caesar, who first vsurped to him selfe againe a kynges crowne: after whome reigned Antony & Octauian, called Augustus, Tiberius, Caius, Claudius and Nero, againe seuen. In Nero thempire receiueth a plage: From thence againe are accōpted seuen, Ottho, Galba, Vitellius, Vespasiane, Titus, Domitian, Nerua. From him was the Empire deuolued to Vlpius Traiane, a Spaniarde. Therefore the Romane Empire could not by plainer markes be expressed. To this Empire also Daniel attributed ten hornes, aswel for that it was collected of many kingedomes, as also that it was disparsed agayne into many. Wherof shal be spoken in the .17. chapt. And it is a comon thing to the Scriptures, by hornes to signifie kingedomes and power.
And to this kingdome the lord Iesus ascribeth open wickednes, ye he calleth it blasphemouse. For he addeth:The Romane Empire blasphemouse. and vpō his heades the name of blasphemie, that is to saye, what plasphemie so euer may at any time be any where diuised, al [Page 372] that same shall be founde manifeste in this Empire, and chiefely in the heades. For yf ye beholde the hilles of Rome, chiefly the Mounte Capitoline, ye shall finde it called of Cicero, the mansion place of the Gods, verely for that it conteyned in a maner the Images of all the Goddes. For on those hilles were sene the Temples of Iupiter after all his properties, &c. The Temples of Saturne, Iuno, Minerua, of Mars the reuenger, of Hercules, Ianus, Venus, Apollo: also the Temples of Fortune, Helth, Victory, concorde, and suche other. But yf ye loke vpon the Princes themselues, Caius woulde haue his Images sette vp in Temples, and the people to sweare by his name. Nero blasphemed the name of Christe, and by sheddyng of innocent bloud sought to abolissh the Gospell. Domitian commaunded him selfe to be called God and the Lorde. And others also haue required godly honours, menne swimming in blasphemies, and stinking, in all wickednes.
the power of the Romane Empire of monarchies oppressed.Furthermore by an Image compacte of sondry beastes he sheweth, howe the Romane Empire increased, and obteyned suche power, and what be the maners thereof. In the 7. chapt. of Daniel. By the eatte of the Mountayne is signified the monarchie of Grece or Macedome, by the Beare the Persian, and by the Lion the monarchie of the Chaldeis or Babilonians. And it is playne, that the Romanes ouercomyng those nations, and putting downe and subdewyng to thēselues those monarchies, came vnto the supreme toppe of gouernemente. For they subdewed to themselues the east partes chiefly by Lucullus, Pompey, and Crassus, Macedonie and all Grece, by Paulus Aemilius: a good parte of Affricke by Scipio and Marius: Aegipte by Octauius Augustus: and so forth. And lyke as they were in religion vngodly: so in other maners not vnlyke moste wilde beastes. For as the Libarde or Panther is spotted and of sondry colours: so are the Romanes, a collection of many nations, borne to make sedition and slaughter. The beare doeth only goe vpon his fete,The Romanes are beastes. but with the same also striketh, & catcheth his praye: so the Romanes did nothing els, but strike, fight, & take spoiles. And as the force of a Lion is emonges foure foted beastes [Page 373] most excellent, and the Lions mouth vnsatiable and stinking: so was the Romane Empyre moste strong, couetouse, neuer contented, and the very matter and corruption of mischiefe.
And S. Ihon declareth in dede more expressely,The Dragon geueth to the Ro. his power and seate. that the Romaines haue of the Deuyll all that wickednes, crueltie, and mischiefe: the Dragon sayeth he, gaue vnto that beaste, his power, and that greate: he gaue also his seate. Which is asmoch in effecte, as if he had sayed: the Deuill reigned whole in the Romaines, and the Romaines wrought by the Deuyl, all that they did. For the Deuyll is the originall of murthers and lyes. Of the deuyls seate I haue spoken in the seconde chapter of this booke. Howebeit we muste knowe, that all power is of God: but he by his iust iudgement doth permit many things to the Deuil ouer the children of misbeleif. For S. Paule in the .2. to the Thessa. the .2. chap. When he had spoken of the most mightie workyng of Sathan, by tokens and kyng wonders, wherewyth they shoulde be deceaued, that wolde not receaue the truth, he addeth immedately: therfore God shall sende them strong illusions, that they may beleue lyes, and be iudged all that beleued not the veritie, &c. For (as I haue ofte admoneshed) we must take good hede, that we mixe not the workes of God and the Deuyll together. Good workes are of God, euil are of the Deuyll. Now leest any man shulde maruayle, why God permitteth so moch to the Romains and the deuil their head, and doth not infringe theyr force for the electe sake, S. Ihon interlaceth an heauie chaunce of the people of Rome, and of the whole Empyre, which chaunced to them, immediately after the first persecution moued against the church of Christ, and after the moste shyning Apostles executed, verely to reuenge that innocent bloud. For he seeth one of those heads, as it were wounded to death. For Nero which first of the Emperours, stirred vp the first persecution against the church, with his owne hand sticked himself. And he was the last Emperour of that familie. And left the Empire so afflicted, that it was lyke enough to haue fallē to decaie. Certen prouinces reuolted. Galba, Ottho, and Vitellius, fought emonges themselues, and made ciuile warres. This Vitellius moreouer, droue Sabinus, Vaspasians brother, suspecting none euill, with others, into the Capitoll [Page 374] house, and settyng the temple on fire, distroyed bothe Temple and men together, and made all one heape. Nother doeth Orosius conceale, whie these thinges happened, saying: by and by Rome solfed, by the murther of princes, and ciuile warres, for the iniuries done to the Christen religion.
The deadly wounde is healed.Notwithstanding the Apostle addeth, that the wounde made was healed againe. For Sextus Aurelius victour Vespasian, saieth he, refresshed in a shorte time (see what is the deadly wounde) the wery worlde that longe waunted bloud, this sayeth he. Here haue you, that he sayed, the deadly wounde was healed agayne. For other writers discoursing the same more at large, set forth: how Vespasian retournyng to Rome, accompted nothyng more noble or better, than to establisshe and beautifie the comon welth that was sore afflicted and decayed, to bryng in order and frame the prouinces and cities that were disordered by tumultes and seditiouse vprores, to reforme the warlicke discipline ouer licentiouse, and to punnisshe offenders. He repared with newe buyldinges the citie defaced with olde firinges and ruines: he builded agayne the Capitoll house that was burnte: and erected the Theater in the middes of the citie, the most auncient Monumente of the Empire, &c.
The folishnes & vn [...]odlines of ye worldMoreouer he toucheth now sore the folishenes & wickednes of the world. And there was an admiration in the whole earth, &c. For the world followeth the present felicitie, & estemeth al thinges after their good or euil fortune. For that religion, saye they, is most noble, stable and trewe, which is famouse in victories, and shineth with the ornamentes of this worlde. Therefore for the maiestie of the Romane Empire, which they had in greatest admiration, the most part of men receaued the Romish religion, & defended the same as sincere. But S. Iohn declaring the enormitie of this sinne, sayeth: and they worshipped the dragon, &c. he sayeth not, they worshipped Gods,They worshipped the Deuil. or wood and stones: but they worshipped the Deuill. Idolaters will saye, that they worshippe and honour Gods, and are not ignoraūt, that Images are made of matter corruptible? and that the worship that they do vnto them redoundeth, not to those dead signes, but to them, whereof they be signes. Thus verely will all Idolaters saye: vnto [Page 375] whom if you saye, you worshippe wood and stones, thei wil aunswere quickely, that they haue greate iniurie done them. For they be not so folisshe (they will saye) to worshippe that thing, which they made with their owne handes, &c. But the Apostle whiche knewe well enough those ciuile expositions, and wilie shiftes of Idolaters, speakyng frankely agaynste them, respected not that, which they alledged for thēselues: but that same rather, which God iudgeth, and the veritie of the thinge pronounceth, and sayeth: and they worshipped the Deuill or the Dragon. So Paule in the .1. to the Corinth. the .10. chapt. The thinges, sayeth he, that the heythen offer vp, they offer thē, not to God, but to Deuilles. But this did the gētiles denie. But God in this case passeth not vpon the iudgemētes, and intentes, and denialles of men, but pronounceth after his owne iudgement. In the .17. of Leuit. He sayeth: yf ye offer vnto me oblations otherwise, than I haue prescribed, ye shal defile your selues with bloud. Let now the massemōgyng priestes crie out till they be hoarse againe, we offer to the Lorde God, not to straunge Goddes: yet shal the Lordes sentence stande moste trewe for euer, that they transgresse with vnlaweful worshipping, no lesse than if thei committed parricidie. As also Esaye beareth witnes in .66. chapt. The lord god alloweth the sincere obediēce, which we shewe vnto his lawes, he careth nothing for our inuentions & good intentes. Thus at this present he sheweth at fewe wordes, as the thing is in dede, that all idolaters worship the Deuill. Yf we would at this daye esteme these things rightly, we shuld not so contende as it were for life and landes, aboute maineteyning of Images in the church. The Lord Iesus light our hartes and mindes to see his trewth.
¶ The beaste is worshipped, and he blasphemeth the name of God, and the Sainctes of God, and finally maketh warre with the Sainctes. The .lvj. Sermon.
ANd they worshipped the beaste, sayyng: who is like vnto the beaste? who is able to warre wyth hym? [Page 376] And there was geuen to him a mouthe to speake great thinges, and blasphemies: and power was geuen vnto him, to do .xlii. Monethes. And he opened his mouth vnto blasphemie against god, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heauen. And it was geuen vnto him to make warre with the sainctes & to ouercome thē.
The beaste is worshipped, & how.He sayed, that the world worshipped the dragon: now he addeth, that the same worshippeth the beast. Howbeit seyng the beast is the empire, some mā might maruel, how the empire might be worshipped? But we at fewe wordes say, how they worshippe the empire, which receyue the decrees, rites and superstitiouse ordenaunces of thempire, and of them depende whole. And there were not a fewe at that time, who in fauour of the Romane Empire denied the faith of christ, and reuoltyng from the churche, ioyned themselues in religion and sacrifices to the felloweship of the Empire. They in very dede worshipped the beaste. Moreouer that thing which is only dewe vnto one God, the same did the Romanes attribute to their empire. But who so euer ascribeth vnto any thing diuine properties, doeth verely deifie and worshippe the same. And ye properties of god be these, to haue no match or pere, that he alone is greatest and best, immortall, eternal, most mightie, moste inuincible. For so saye the Prophetes: who is like vnto thee, O God, in heauen and in earth? who is as thou? who can resist God? But the Romanes did attribute all these thinges to their Emperours, and to their empire, sayng, as S. Iohn also reciteth: who is like vnto Rome? who is able to warre with it? they called their Emperours Goddes, best, greatest, most puissaunt, and most inuincible. Thempire it self they called eternal. Ye may see these thinges yet in most auncient authors and coynes. So many therfore as were not asshamed to attribute these thinges to the Romane Princes and kingdome, are saied rightly to haue worshipped the beast. And what other thing I praye you is done at this daye, whilest for the fauour of Emperours, Kinges, [Page 377] Popes, and their realmes, the veritie is denied, or wrasted after the affections of men? These worship the beast also.
Nowe is geuen also the beaste a mouth speakinge greate thinges, and blasphemies.A mouth speakyng great thinges. Of blasphemies we shall speake more anone. But for asmuch as the Romane Empire obteyned greatest victories, and helde most gallaunt and solemne triumphes, it semeth to haue occasion geuē to boaste proudely of the victories, & to chalenge those thinges to themselues, whiche were in dede wrought through the power of God. And doubtlesse there do yet remayne the greatest and moste licentiouse bragges of the Romanes, that they are conquerours and lordes of the world. But such pride was greuously punnisshed in Nabuchodonozor the King. Whereof you maye see in the .4. chapt. of Daniel. S. Peter affirmeth that God resisteth the proude, and geueth grace to the humble. God hateth the arrogant, and taketh awaye their names frō the Earth.
And where some man might demaunde.How long shal Rome be thus prowde [...] But what ende shal there be of iniuries, pride, finally of intollerable arrogā tie, and blasphemies? S. Iohn preuenteth and sayeth: and power was geuen him to do, that is to worke violence, xlii. monethes: that is to saye, so longe time, as it semeth good to the Lorde: whiche neuertheles, although he would haue the time to be to vs vnknowen, yet is knowē to him, so that the godly maye promise themselues, that this euill shall indure but a fewe monethes, of this nombre haue I reasoned in the 11. chapt. and .xlvi. Sermon. And haue shewed in the former places that those nombres were equiualent, to wit the thousande two hōdreth and three score dayes, the .xlii. monethes, the time, two times, and half a time. God therfore admonisshyng vs as it were by a riddle, will not haue vs curiousely to inquire after times, which he hath kept in his own power, it is sufficient to vs that he hath assigned all thinges in their luste limittes.
Now followeth a plētiful treatise of Romish blasphemies.Of ye blasphemies of old Rome, First he sayeth by a trope, he hath opened his mouth: wherby he hath signified his boldenes, and libertie, yea licētiousenes of speakyng. For we saye he would not ones open his mouth: whē we signifie, any mā that wil not speake frākely. [Page 378] But the Romanes, and companions of the Romish superstition blaspheme God thre manner of wayes. For fyrste they blaspheme the holy name of God in this, that they do prefer their false Gods and their superstitions to the true God, to the true and most holy religion. For where they ded admit in the citie of Rome the Gods of al nations, and their religions, the religion of the only God of Israell they vtterly refused: for that they vnderstoode howe he wolde be worshipped alone, and by non other rite, than that which he himself had prescribed. But they had rather reteyne wickedly those their many gods, and their religion although most absurde, than to commit themselues into the tuition of one, and to reseaue a moderate & simple religion. Authour. Aurel. August. I raccoumpte not nowe the blasphemouse wordes of them, vttered against the true God, about that tyme chiefly, when Vespasian and Titus triumphed, after the Iewysh war finished, both of the Citie distroyed, and the people of God ouercome. There were caried aboute in the triumph the holy vessels of the Temple, and euen the God of the Iewes as vanquished and bounden, was sene led into the Capitoll house, to make his supplication to their great God Iupiter, as it pleased them. Whereupon we vnderstande that the name of God was no whit lesse outrageously blasphemed, at that tyme, than it was in olde time of the Palestines or Philistians, what tyme they set the Arcke in the temple of their God Dagon: lykewyse of Rapsake, and Synnacherib, moreouer of Balthazar Kyng of Babylon in the .5. chapter of Daniel. But the offendours are founde out at the laste.
Secondely the Romaines blasphemed the Tabernacle of God. That same oulde Tabernacle of the people of Israell, was not onelye the offyce, or place of religion and worshyppyng, but also a token of Gods presence. For God is nowe presente in the myddes of his Churche, a fygure of whome, the Tabernacle of witnesse represented. But the Romaynes called the Christen church wycked, foolysh, seditiouse, whorysh, and detestable: whych they also moste greuouselie ded persecute, and sought to destroy by al meanes: hereunto also they bent their whole power.
Finally they blasphemed also the heauenly dwellers,Gods Sainctes ouerwhelmed with reproches. the happie and blessed soules of Sainctes, Propheies and Apostles, whom thei called wicked, seducers, peace breakers, blasphemers, heretikes and sinnefull persons. For at this time, whilest S. Iohn wrote these things, diuerse Apostles, vnder the Romane Empire, had nowe ben executed and slayne, as plagues of the worlde, yea their memorial and doctrine condemned. But hereof you perceyue, how displeasauntly God taketh it, if any man raile vpon godly preachers, and holy ministers of churches. For the Lord taketh the reproche spoken as it were agaynst him selfe. There remayne yet at this daye certen blasphemies of this sorte with Cornel. Tacitus in the .21. booke of Augustallus, written agaynste Moses and the people of God.
Morouer God permitteth the beast, that he should warre vpon the Sainctes, and ouercome them.The beaste maketh war with ye sainctes. For the Romane Empire vnto the time of Constantine the greate stired vp ten most greuouse persecutions against the church. Wherof you maye reade Eusebius bisshop of Cesaria, and Orosius in the history which he wrote to S. Austen. And this place chiefly apperteyneth to the instruction and comforte of the churche? For the Lord also in the Gospell prophecieth of the destenies of the church, to the consolation and information of the godly, as appereth in the .15. and .16. chapt. of S. Iohn. And how the Sainctes be ouercome I declared in the .11. chapt. The Lord Iesus preserue his church. Amen.
¶ Of the power of the Romane Empire, and who worshippe the beast: and of the destruction of Rome, and the Romane Empire. The .lvij. Sermon.
ANd power was geuen him ouer all kinrede, tongue, and nation: and al that dwel vpon the Earth worshypte hym: whose names are not wrytten in the Booke [Page 380] of life of the lambe, whiche was killed from the beginnyng of the world. Yf any mā haue an eare, let him heare. He that leadeth into captiuitie, shall goe into captiuitie: he that killeth with a sword, must be killed with the sworde. Here is the patience, and the fayth of Sainctes.
Of the power of ye Rom. Empire.The Apostle by the reuelation of Christe speaketh also of the power & maiestie of the Romane Empire. The Romane Empire was in dede of greatest power in the time of Octauius Augustus, also in the time of Domitian his empire, and in the reigne of Traiane, also vnder Hadrian, Aureliane, Diocletian, and Constantine. The greater parte of the worlde inhabited obeied therunto, as al Europe in a maner, Asia & Africke: as both latin and Greke histories do testifie. Howbeit herof the lord warneth vs, that we should not curiousely search the counselles of God, beyng inquisitiue, whie God gaue so great power to the Romanes, whom he knewe would abuse the same to the oppression of Christes Church? for where he saieth, that the power was geuen to Rome, he stilleth and appeaseth all murmuringes. For Empires be of God. But he is most wise, rightuouse, and holy. Where therfore he made the kingdomes of the world subiecte to Rome, he did it wisely, iustely, and holily. In that the Romanes corrupte Gods ordenaunce, and committe themselues to be gouerned of the Deuill, it cometh of euill.
Let our disputations here cease, for the wise man sayeth also, that wicked men and hipochrites reigne for the sinnes of the people. And that he reherseth kinreddes, tōgues, and nations, he doeth after the imitation of the Prophet Daniel, which by such a phrase of speach is wonte to signifie a moste large and puissaunt Empire.
But what apperteyneth this to vs, or what profit (sayest thou) cometh to vs herby, that the Romane Empire is so far extended through out the worlde? This verely, we see howe this prophecie hath hitte euery thing rightly that wente before: therefore is there lefte no place to doubte of the thinges [Page 381] that followe. Let vs consider moreouer that moste puissaunt kingdomes, which seme to men inuincible, maye of God be disolued without any difficultie: lette vs therefore learne to feare God, and to walke in his commaundementes, and to dispise these earthly thinges.
Now also he declareth more expressely, who shall worship the beast:Who worshippe the beaste. for he sayed, that men in the world should be taken with admiration of the beaste, and shal worship the beast: he now declareth the same, and so placeth the word of worshipping, that he maye vnderstāde it as wel of those that are present as also to come. For he speaketh not only of men of his time, but of al, which rauished with the admiration of thempire, and maiestie thereof, shal eyther denye or contemne the fayth of Christ. And he sayeth, that al shal worship the beaste that dwell vpon Earth: and leeste any man should referre it absolutely vnto al, as though non of the trewe worshippers of God shoulde be any, he annexeth, whose names are not written in the boke of life of the lābe, to wit the reprobates, not ye chosen: the vnbeleuers. I say, which cōtemne the word of the gospel, disdaigne to heare it, and be rebelles to Christ. Aretas the expositour. they dwell vpon the earth, sayeth he, which are moued with no care of heauenly things, nor of the glory that there is: or geue themselues to earthly habitation, and applie themselues to a beastly life according to the same. Thomas of Aquine bringeth also a testimony out of the .17. of Ieremie. They that departe from me, shall be written in the Earth. For they haue forsaken the veyne of liuely waters, euen the lord him selfe. Of the boke of life I haue spoken in the .3. and .5. chapt. and wil speake of the same in the .19. and 20. chapt. of the Apocalipse.
Hereunto he annexeth a notable thing after the maner of Apostles, which are alwayes wonte, so ofte as they haue occasiō to celebrate and intimate Christ, and the misterie of his redemption. S. Iohn therefore sayeth, howe the lambe hath ben killed and offered vp from the beginnyng of the world. And it is with out controuersie,The lambe slayne frō the beginning of the world. that by the lambe is vnderstande Christ.
It is therefore demaunded, howe he was slaine from the beginning of the world. Many here tourmente themselues [Page 382] at the length they expounde, that Christ was slaine in Abel, and in all sainctes, by perticipation not by passion. Certenly we maye not expounde this place after the lettre. For Christ coulde not be slayne, before he was borne. Moreouer the Apostle affirmeth, that Christ sins the beginning of the world, hath not ben slaine oftener than ones. Reade what he sayeth in the .9. chapt. to the Hebrew. And yet can not the most and trewe worde of God be contrary or repugnaunt to it selfe. Therefore saye we after the comon rule of expoundyng the Scriptures, that the signes haue the names of the thinges signified. For the Lambe was called a passouer or passyng by, wherof it was a signe. Circumcision was called the leage or conuenaunt it selfe, sacrifices are named sinnes. So verely from the beginnyng of the worlde sacrifices were slayne, whiche were simbolles or signes of Christe to be incarnated and offered vp ones for the clensyng of sinnes. We vnderstande therfore by this testimony of Christe, that all the sacrifices of the auncient fathers, were sacramētes of Christ, and that the redemption of Christe hath from the begynnyng of the worlde ben of efficacitie to all the faythful. Therfore this place is notable and worthie to be obserued. Hitherto apperteyneth the Apostles testimony in the .1. to the Corinth. the .10. That al our forefathers haue eaten of the same spirituall meate wyth vs, and dronken of the same drynke, and that they dranke of the rocke followyng them, whiche was Christ.
Of the destructiō of ye Romane Empire.And hitherto hath he spokē of the maiestie of the Romane Empire, blasphemies & sinnes. Nowe followeth of ye distruction of so great an Empire, & punnishmēts of sinnes. Wherof notwithstanding shal be spoken againe in the .17. chapt.
And with an Acclamatiō, most comonly vsed in ye gospell, & as it were peculiar to Christ, he stireth vp al his auditours, and crieth out, he that hath an eare to heare lette him heare. Verely it was to men a wonder, and semed vncredible, that so great a Maiestie coulde falle: but yet it falleth. The faythfull marueled also what shoulde be the ende of blasphemies, slaughters, iniuries, abominations. Moreouer the doctrine that followeth, is notable, excellent, and worthie to be kepte in memory. Therefore he stireth vp all men to attentiuenes, [Page 383] and than he sayeth: whosoeuer shall leade into captiuitie, shall go into captiuitie: whosoeuer striketh with the sworde, &c. For in such sort he declareth the destructiō of Rome and the Romane empire, that he confirmeth with al the iustice of gods iudgemēt. And also with a maruelouse breuitie of goddes sentence, geuen or pronoūced against Rome, he suppeth of that vnmeasurable power. And this is both by the law of God, by the law of nature, and by the law of al natiōs receiued as a thing most iust, that euery man shulde loke to haue the same done to him, that he doth to an other. For to this be longeth the sentence rehersed of Noe in the .9. of Gen. He that shedeth bloud, his bloud shalbe shed. The same is repeted in the .33. of Esay. Wo to the that spoilest, shalt not thou be spoiled? A testimonie wherof is Niniue with ye Prophet Nahum, and Babilon with al the prophets. Therfore hath the Lorde taught in the gospell, whatsoeuer ye wold that men shuld do to you, do you the same vnto them also. With what mesure you meat vnto others, with the same shall others meat vnto you agayne. Whosoeuer stryketh with the sworde, with the sword shall perish. Therefore it is moste reasonable, that sins Rome hath spoiled the whole world, and iniuried al nations, and made cruel war vpon al men: it shuld be againe of al nations inuaded, spoyled, torne, and troden vnder foote. Let vs marke this iudgemēt of God, & let vs fear god, and do good vnto men. For here is sentence geuen against al men that do iniurie to their neighbours, but especialli those which inuade innocēts with vniust wars, & which thei be hired to make &c.
And here muste we repeate some thyng out of Hystories,The destructiō of Rome and ye Romane Empyre. whereby the veritie of this prophesie may be better knowen and vnderstand. When the most excellēt Prince Constantine had receiued the gouernment of thempire, as it were abhorring Rome, he builded Constantinople, and made it the seate or mansion of thempire. And from that time the Maiestie of Rome began to fal vnto ruine. Vnder themperour Gratiane, a Prince moste wittie, the Barbarians were a great terrour to the Romanes, wherupō Gratiane made a leage with them. Stilico father in lawe to Honorius, a Vandall borne, deminished the wages of the Gothians, and other leage fellowes of the people of Rome: for the which cause they toke Armour: [Page 384] yet beinge pacified agayne, they were stirred vp afterwarde through the mallice of Stilico & of Duke Saule, & vnder the cō duite of Athalaricus their King, they hast them to Rome, lay seige to it, & besiege it by the space of two yeares, at the lēgth toke and spoiled it. Which seige and spoyle S. Hierome in his Epistle bewayleth much. Orosius writeth much & christianly hereof in the .29. chapter of the .7. boke of Histories. It is reported that Rome was taken the fyrste day of Apryll, in the yeare .412. Yet the Gothians immediately leauyng the Citie, remoue into other places there by: neuerthelesse, beynge agayne inflamed with fury they returne, and vnder their captayne Athaulphus, they plagued & spoyled Rome, worse then they ded before. The Kynge had determined, extinguyshing the name of Romaynes, to haue called the Citie Gothia, if he had not ben disswaded of Galla Placidia, daughter to Honorius. A fewe yeares after, Rome was taken agayne of Genserychus, King of Vandalles: and that which was inryched and replinished, with the robberies of al natiōs, was by fourtene dayes together emptied cleane. After came Odacer with the Germanes: and putting downe the name of Emperour, reigned ouer the citie himselfe as king, by the space of .15. yeares. Whom Theodorichus of Verona expulsed and slew. And there reigned with his East Gothes about .50. yeares. Than was it recouered of Bellisarius, for Iustinian Emperour of Grece, but to the vtter destruction of Rome. For Totilas Kynge of Gothia discomfyted both the Greke and Romayne Armie at Placence: after he beseiged Rome, scaled, toke, sacked, ouerthrew and set it on fyre. The citie burned thirtene dayes. Nother was there any man in it, by the space of fourtie dayes. Reade the .4. boke of Sabellicus the .8. Aeneade. Perauenture I shall discourse more at large of the distruction of Rome, in the .17. chap. Wherfore within the space of .136. yeares, Rome came seuen tymes into straungers handes, and was sacked most cruelly, and fell on the edge of the sworde, and was led into captiuitie:Councell how ye godly shall demeane thē selues in so great euils which hath long stricken with the swoorde, and led away all nations prisoners. This was the iust iudgement of God.
And S. Ihon annexeth a doctrine, howe the godly shulde behaue thēselues in so greate troubles and aduersities. Here, [Page 385] that is to wit, whilest the Romanes reigne and rage, also in those blouddy and cruel alterations, and destruction of the Romane Empire, the Sainctes shall nede to haue patience, or perseueraunce and fayth. These two vertues shal kepe the faithfull, that they perish not also. Of patience the lord speaketh in S. Luke the .21. chapt. In your patience shal you possesse your soules. Of faith speaketh blessed Iohn: and this is the victory, that ouercometh the world, euen your faith. Impatience and incredulitie hath led away many into the deniyng of the faith, to idolatrie and to al vngodlines. So learne we also, how to arme our selues in our dayes against all vngodlines. The lord deliuer vs from euill. Amen.
¶ Of an other beast, which cometh vp out of the Earth: that is to saye, of Antichrist. The .lviij. Sermon.
ANd I behelde an other bea [...] c [...] vp out of the Earth and he had two hornes like a lambe: and he spake as did the Dragon.
The Apostle S. Paule playnely testifieth,What is thende of this prophecie. Rom. 15. such thinges as are written to be written for our learnyng, that through the patience & consolation of the scriptures we maye haue hope: wherfore we must also applie therunto these things present. For Christ the lord of all, when he foresawe how greatly sathan should by his chosen membres the olde and newe Romane Empire, afflicte the church, would haue vs dilligently admonished of euery thing, to the intent that al afflicted persones should hereof learne patience, and conceaue comforte and hope, and not be discouraged with the heauy burthen of euilles. Like as he hath therfore diligently described the olde Romane Empire, and shewed as it were p [...]yntyng with the fingar what mischief it should worke to the church, & admonisshed al to haue faith & patience: right so wil he from hence forth describe poperie or Antichristianisme, in ye which descriptiō he setteth forth before our eyes, what so euer the sainctes [Page 386] shall suffer: that beyng warned before, they maye abide more manfully persecution, and lesse yelde to mischauntes.
The secōd beaste cometh not forth tyll the first be taken awaye.And in goodly order beginneth he to sette forth Antichrist after the Romane Empire torne and taken awaye. For Daniel sayeth, that a little and small horne shoulde arrise vp emonges the ten hornes, and three of those hornes to poole downe, plucke of, and caste awaye, and so to atteyne vnto greate power. For he signifieth, that the Romane Empire beyng diuided, and brought now vnto decaie Antichrist shal arrise, whiche should procure to himselfe a newe, and countrefet Empire. And S. Paule sayeth also, that Christe shall not come vnto iudgement, till Antichrist haue gone before: and that he shall not come nother, vnlesse this be firste taken awaye, whiche hindereth and letteth, that he can not come. The whiche S. Hierome and other holy expositours do vnderstande of the Romane Empire,2. Thess. 2. whiche muste be plucked vp, and taken awaye, and that then shall Antichrist arrise. But the Maiestie of the Empire was distroyed aboute the yere of our Lorde .480. when Odacer inuaded Rome. For from that time by the space of .300. yeres and more, ther was no Emperour of the Weste after Augustulus. And besides this vnder the Emperour Iustinian, Rome was brente and layde waste of Totila. Sins the whiche time the Bisshoppes of Rome haue begonne to loke a lofte, and to thinke vpon a newe kingedome.
The secōd beaste of ye Earth.And therefore the Lorde sayeth, that this beaste arriseth of the very earth. The kyngedome of our lorde Iesus Christe cometh from heauen, and bringeth to heauen. Papistrie cometh nother of Christ, nor of his doctrine, but cometh out of the Earth: that is to witte, of euill meanes, Ambition, auarice, treason and crueltie. What ministers of the churche Christ ordeyned, is easely perceyued by the Gospell of Iesu Christ. That he forbadde them gouernement, supremacie, superiorite and maioritie (as they terme it) appereth of the .18. and .20. chapt. of S. Matthew. and .22. of Luk [...]. Therefore do the Actes of Apostles, and the doctrine of Peter testifie, that Peter was a Minister, and not Lorde of the Apostles, muche lesse Prince of the citie or Empire of Rome. For they lye lowde, that saye, howe Rome and Italy are the [Page 387] Patrimonie of S. Peter, geuen him of the Lorde. At the first the Apostles, and Apostolicall men, ministers of churches, gouerned the churches equallye, neyther ded one take vpon him more preheminence than an other. Which thyng I am able to proue, by many testimonies of auncient wryters, yf nede requyred. Aboute the counsell of Nice, and a litle before that tyme, when churches were greatly multiplied, were ordeyned, and custumably receyued Metropolitanes, instituted in dede by a laudable (but yet mannes) ordinaunce: that is to witte, in a certen prouince or head citie was ordeyned a Byshop or Pastor, which shoulde haue as it were, thē ouersighte of the reste, and shoulde serue for the calling of Synodes or assemblees. Yet was it than dilligently prouided, that he shoulde not be called Primate: leeste any manne should thinke himselfe preferred before others in power, but in order. Nother was the Byshop of Rome at that tyme, exalted aboue all others: but there were dyuerse Metropolitanes, whereof the byshop Rome was one. The Niceyue counsell confyrmed that same custome, and woulde haue it ratified. Socrates in his ecclesiastical Historie the .5. boke the .8. chapt. reciteth many Metropolitane churches in Asia. S. Hierome to Euagrius, and in an epistle to Titus sayeth playnely, that in oulde tyme churches were gouerned by the common counsell of priestes or elders, and that time Byshops and priestes were all one: After by the custome of the church, not of the veritie of the Lordes ordinaūce (I rehearce Saincte Hieromes wordes) Byshops were preferred before priestes, yet muste they gouerne churches together.
And of that same custome,Howe the Bisshop of rome came to his supremacie. yea rather of the abuse of the custome, Antichrist had his beginning. For Boniface Bishop of Rome began fyrste to take vppon him dominion ouer the churches of Affricke. But he was immediatelye repressed by the sixte Affricane coūcell, where at Sainte Austen is red also to haue bene: After that, began also the Byshop of Cōstantinople to chalenge to himselfe the Supremacie, for this cause chiefelie, that Constantinople was than the courtelyke Palace, and chiefe Citie of the Empyre. Howe beit here certen Byshoppes ded resiste him: emonges whome was Leo, Bishoppe of ould Rome. There remayne certen Epistles of his [Page 388] to the Emperour of Constantinople, to the Byshops of the Easte, and to others. So was this trouble for that tyme also appeased. But streight way an other Byshop of Constantinople blynded wyth Ambition, requyred a fresh, to haue the supremacie geuen hym. Whome Pelagius and Gregory Byshoppes of Rome wythstood: And this later so impugned the supremacie of the Patriarch of Constantinople, that he sticked not to call him the vauntcurrour of Antichrist, which woulde vsurpe the tytle of generall byshop. There remayne not a fewe epistles wrytten of this matter, in his register.
Neuerthelesse a fewe yeares after, when the Byshoppes of Rome were sore affrayde, leeste that dignitie shulde be geuen to the byshoppes of Constantinople, Boniface the .3. obteyned of themperour Phocas a parricide, that he which was bishop of old Rome, might be taken for the vniuersal bishop, and Rome for the head of al churches: which constitution set vp the Pope in Authoritie,Apostolicall. that he was nowe, taken of the moste parte of the west Bishops for Apostolicall, and manie matters brought before him to determine: whereby he got the fauour of many Princes, chieflie of Fraunce, by whose ayde he droue oute of Italie both the Emperour of Grece, and kinges of Lumbardie, and brought Rome, and the beste & most florishing partes of Italie vnder his own subiection. Thus I saye out of the earth cometh vp the seconde beaste.
Beaste.Furthermore, Christe callth the Romish papistrie beaste, for that in Auarice, Couetousnesse, Tyrannie, Crueltie, and euen in beastlinesse, he differeth nothing from the olde beast, of whome I haue spoken before.
Hitherto of the originall of Antichrist or Pope, and of the newe Empyre: furthermore S. Ihon procedeth to descrybe that second beast lyuelie, that we shuld al know and eschewe the same: and fyrst he reasoneth of the power of Antichriste.
The beast had two hornes.That other beaste, sayeth he, had two hornes: and he addeth, lyke a lambe. For of them is spoken in the fifte chapter of this boke. And the Lord signifieth the priesthod and kingdome, whyche the Popes vsurpe to themselues, affyrmynge that power is geuen them in Heauen and in Earth, in spirituall matters and temporal. For therefore they geue in their Armes two Keyes, that is to saie two hornes: They boaste [Page 389] that they haue two swoordes. Of the which blasphemies, he that wyll be fullye instructed, let him reade the wordes of the beastes of Boniface .8. in the sixte Decret. of maiorit. and obediēce. One holy: agayne Clement .5. second boke of othes: finally Gregorie .9. or rather the first boke of Innocent the .3.33. tit. de maior. & obedient. All Histories make mention that Boniface the .8. ded in the yeare of our Lorde .1300. institute the first Iubeley, and in the same opēly before the people to haue shewed in the way of ostentation the Pontifical and Emperiall maiestie, whylest on the one day he appeared in the apparel of a Byshop, on the other hauing put on purple robes shewed himselfe to the people like an Emperour. They caried before him two swordes. And he himself cried, lo here are two swordes: as though he shoulde poincte with his fingar to the whole worlde, that he and certen of his predecessours and all his successours, were that two horned beaste. What shall we saie that all bishops by him consecrated, weare vpon their heades miters or two horned caps. Vnlesse therfore we be blynder than was Tyresias, we see with our eyes, who is that great Antichriste.
And here we muste obserue, that he sayeth not,Lyke a lambe [...]. that those ar the hornes of a lambe. For Christ kepeth stil both the priesthod and kingdome with the faithful in the church: nother doeth he resigne the same to any other, he hath appointed no Vycar. For he executeth continuallie at the righte hande of the Father, the offices both of King and Bishoppe, and this all faithfull fele with ioye. He sayeth therefore, lyke a lambes. For the Pope wyll make all men beleue, that he hath receiued of Christ Priesthod, and Empire, that he is Christes Vycar: wher he is nothyng lesse. He bragth euery where, that he is the great shepparde, and hath receyued the keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen: And that of the very lambe of God, in the Apostle Saincte Peter: and therefore that all Bishoppes are subiecte to him, finallie, al Kynges, Princes, and people.
He procedeth to shewe moreouer,He spake as the Dragon. what the talke of Antichriste is, what is his doctryne, and what is his speach. He spake, sayeth he, as ded the Dragon. The Dragon is the Deuyll, as before is playnelie shewed. Therefore he ascribeth to [Page 390] Antichryste or Popery, Diabolicall doctrine, or a deuyllysh mouth or toungue. We muste see therefore, howe the deuyll speaketh: that we may so vnderstande rightlie, howe Antichriste speaketh. In Paradise he so tempereth his talke, that he calleth in doubte the certentie and veritie of Gods word, and by that occasion placeth his owne worde, in steade of the worde of God. Is it so, sayth the Deuyll, hath God forbydden you,Genesis .3. vnder perill of your life, that ye shoulde not eate of the fruicte of the tree of knowledge of good & euil? yea rather yf ye eate therof, ye shall be made lyke vnto God. And after the same sorte Antichriste in his Poperie bringeth the veritie of the Scripture in doubte, which by all meanes possible he disfameth as vnperfecte, maymed, obscure, and doubtefull. And by and by vpon that occasion, he bringeth in his traditions, & decrees, wherewith he maye patch vp that, which he contendeth to want in the Scriptures. But in his traditions he affirmeth thinges contrary to Gods worde and so disceaueth men. And all men knowe, that haue any skill of popysh matters, that the fyrste and chiefe principle and foundation of Papistrie is, that the Scriptures are vnperfecte and obscure, and therefore to haue nede of traditions. Moreouer the Dragon speaketh openlie against the lawes of God: and so doeth the Pope manifestelye. God wyll be worshypped alone: the Pope addeth to him Sainctes. God forbyddeth Idolles and Idolatrie: the pope cōmaundeth them playnely. God wyll haue his name to be sanctified, and his name to be sworne by onely: the Pope by dispensing with othes, polluteth the name of the Lorde, and commaūdeth vs to sweare by the names of Gods. God commaūdeth vs to kepe holie the Sabboth daye: The Pope bringeth this in contempte, setteth forth his owne holy daies, and maketh double feastes. God commaūdeth vs to honor our parents: This doeth the Pope abbrogate, and commaundeth to make more of Abbotes and Abbesses. God commaundeth, thou shalt not kyll, thou shalt not commit aduoutrie, or steale: The Pope graunteth moste ample indulgences and pardons to his soldiours for rash warres, made at his wyll and pleasure: spoyleth with his sacrileges al churches: and he with his mayden priestes fylleth all the world with aduoutries, whoredomes, [Page 391] to speake in the meane time of nothing els more filthie. And where God forbiddeth lies, and false witnes: the Pope, and his whole doctrine (which he setteth forth besides the Scripture) is sowed of lies: and not only he dispenseth with false witnesses, but permitteth also to breake safe conduites and publicke fayth geuen, and yf he hate the Prince, absolueth the subiectes from the othe of their fidelitie and obedience: geueth libertie to al cōcupiscences, and maketh lawes, which nurrisshe the desires of the flesshe. And whiche shall be the Dragons mouth, yf this be not it?Math. 4. The Dragon moreouer is red to haue spoken and sayed to the Lorde: all these thinges will I geue thee (for he shewed him the kingedomes of the worlde) yf thou wilt falle downe and worshippe me. What other thing speaketh the Pope? doeth he not inriche his obedient children with the Riches of this worlde, especially such as will fall downe and kisse his fete? I suppose the Deuill would neuer be so shameles, as to offer to the Lorde his fote to kisse: but that beaste in the sighte of God and his Aungelles, and of al the world, dare put out his fote, marked (not with out a great mockery) with the signe of the Crosse, and profer it to be kissed of all the childrē of God. I can not bring forth the horrible and innumerable blasphemies out of the decrees and decretalles. For I am ashamed of such vngodlines. Who therefore wil not acknowledge that Sathan him selfe doeth in this beaste reigne and rage? God shortely confounde the same. Amen. Amen.
¶ Agayne of the power of Antichrist, and howe the fourmer beaste is worshipped. The .lix. Sermon.
ANd he did all that the firste beaste coulde do in his presence. And he causeth the yearth, and them whiche dwell therein, to worship the first beast whose deadly woūde was healed.
The secōd beaste executeth the power of the first.Agayne he reasoneth of the power of the seconde beaste, or Antichrist and of poperie. He doeth or executeth, sayeth he, the power of the fourmer beaste: that is to saye, exerciseth the same authoritie, that the old Romane Empire exercised. Where he addeth, in his presence: Aretas expoundeth, in followyng immediately after, and euen in imitatyng the same. But what power and authoritie they exercised, I declared before in his place, about the beginnyng of this chapt. Therfore as the Romane Emperours supposed all kyngedomes and prouinces to be theirs, and to appertayne vnto them: so do the Bishops of Rome make their boaste that all realmes are theirs. I geue nothing here to affection or hatred. There came forth lately a boke printed at Liōs, of Augustinus Steuchus keper of the Popes librarie, in the which he reciteth out of the register of one Gregory (I suppose the .7.) all the kingdomes of Europe, Spayne, Englande, Fraunce, Denmarke, Hongary. &c. The proprietie whereof apperteyneth to that seate of Rome, the vse vnto the Princes, Clientes of the same see. Ful ofte haue the Popes assayed to bring into subiection to them and to their Sea the kingdomes of the Easte also, and that vnder pretence of the holy warre, and recoueryng the Lordes sepulchre. And like as the olde Romanes vexed with continuall warre the nations that did not acknoweledge or obeye the olde Romane Egles: so the See of Rome in our time, and in the memory of our forefathers hath put to busines and trouble, those kingedomes, and nations and people, that went aboute to reuolte, and would not acknoweldge those double keyes, that is to saye two hornes. For who knoweth not with what cruel warres he vexed in times past the lande of Boheme? who knoweth not what Germany and England hath suffered in fourmer yeres? So verely the seconde beaste exerciseth gallauntly the Tiranny of the olde beast. The olde beaste set forth proclamations concernyng religion, and paiyng of tributes and customes, and so impouerished in a maner all realmes, their richesse beyng brought to Rome. And what other thing doeth that seate at this daye? what hath it done nowe, to reken the leest, these fiue hondreth yeres? who therfore doeth not see, that the seconde beaste exerciseth most aboūdantly the power of the first beaste? A certen man made [Page 393] verses in Latin tauntyng the couetousenes, and disceiptes of Rome: and where Rome doeth magnifie her selfe to be head of the world, which in Latin is Caput, thus sayeth he:
He addeth hereto an other thing,Who worship ye first beaste. that this seconde beaste doeth procure, that they that dwell vpon Earth should worshippe the first beaste. Which doubtles we see fulfilled in the Popisshe kyngedome two wayes. For firste the Papistes haue procured, such authoritie and reuerence to the Romane Empire, which they cal both sacred & holy, that as many as liue at this day, whē they heare but the name of the Romane Empire spoken of, doe Imagine a certen diuine thinge, and brought vnto them from Heauen. I graunt, that there haue ben many right noble Princes, godly, and al praise worthie, in that same Empire: as was Constaunt, Constantine wyth some of his sonnes, Gratiane, Valentinian, Theodose, and diuerse others. I graunte, that vnder these and such other like the Empire was holy, and was in dede thempire of Christ. For Christ was acknowledged with a trewe fayth: and yet we see, how the lord Iesus hath neuerthelesse, as Daniel hath done also, called that Empire a beaste, doubtles figuratiuely and for the tirannes. Therfore we must wisely and iustely attribute to euery one that is his, and not without respecte to imbrace and reuerence that blouddy Empire for sacred and holy. And we haue also declared before, in what sorte kingedomes are of God, and howe farre their workes are to be allowed that are in kingedomes. And hereof shall be spoken a little after yet more plentifully.
Secondly the seconde beaste causeth men to worship the first, herein chiefly,Poperie hath reduced gentilisme. that Papistrie hath brought agayne the heythennish maner, the names only chaunged. For I tolde you before, that the firste beaste was worshipped, in this that sely menne receyued the Romanes religion, and worshipped Idolles. The heythen did verely confesse the high God almightie. but thei ioyned to him many Goddes, vnto whom they submitted elementes, diseases, Artes, countries, cities, [Page 394] the membres and partes of man, and such other like things. Aeolus was God of the windes, and Neptune of the Sea, Pluto ruled in Earth, Mars was God of warre, Minerua and Apollo of artes, Aesculapius ouer diseases, Hercules and many moe. Venus was lady of Loue, and the Goddesse Iuno of mariage. Nother was there any membre in the body, that had not his God: so had all Countries and Cities theyr sauyng goddes, and euery house their domestical Goddes. To them afterwarde they framed Idolles, that is tokens and memorialles, whiche might bryng those heauenly goddes into the memorie of the Earthly dwellers. They builded for thē chapelles and churches, they instituted priestes, holy daies, rites and Ceremonies. These things are foūde in the bokes of the gentiles, & in our histories, and also in their writinges, which haue cōfuted the heythen Idolaters. But in the popish kingdome at this day, the names beyng only chaunged, who can denie, that the same culte, the same religion, naye very superstitiō is not renewed? of these thinges I haue treated at large in my booke De origine erroris. The Papistes teache, that the Sainctes in heauen reigne with God, and that to them are subiecte sickenesses, artes, limmes or membres, cities and althinges, and muste therfore be called vpon and worshipped. Sainctes are expressed and represented by Images, to these Images are erected Aultars and churches: briefly, it is done to them, that was done to the Goddes and Idolles of the Heythen. Who therefore vnderstandeth not nowe, that Antichrist hath procured, that the first beaste might be worshipped, that is to witte, mighte be of force agayne, and that the olde Idolatrie and superstitiouse worshippyng might be renewed and frequented?Who worship ye first beaste vnder the seconde.
And as we haue red it to be sayed before, and they worshipped him all that dwell in Earth, whose names are not written in the booke of life of the Lābe: so sayeth he also here plainely, and he causeth the Earth, and the inhabiters of the Earth, that is they that seke & regarde only earthly thinges, to worshippe the firste beaste. For all be not polluted with popish Idolatrie. For hereunto apperteyneth the noble historie of Leo the thirde Emperour, and Gregory the seconde, and of other Popes, through whose wickednes Idolatrie [Page 395] was agayne brought into the church: which I wrote of long sins in my worke De origine erroris.
Nother with out a misterie is this hereunto annexed,Whose deadly wounde is healed. whose deadly plague was healed. For he semeth to compare together the firste and seconde beaste, and to shewe the lickenes of the same. And I tolde you, howe many menne at the firste were kepte still in the Romanes errours and Idolatrie, for that the Goddes, by Vespasians meanes, were sayed to haue preserued the common welth, whiche els with ciuile warres was as it were brought to ruine. Finally we reade in stories, that the Empire of Rome hath many times receiued deadly woundes: but yet by and by, through the wisedome and valeauntnes of some noble men, the Goddes (as they speake) so willyng, haue ben healed againe. In that nō bre are rekened Lucius Septimius Seuerus, Valerius Aurelianus, C. Aurel. Val. Diocletian, &c. By whose lucky successe, triumphes, and victories to the Empire restored, many haue ben moued to saye, who seeth not, that Rome shal be eternal, and that the Romane religion is to the Goddes most acceptable, and that the Emperours also and publicke weale is indued with a certen deitie, and is to be honoured? after the same sorte the kyngedome of the Pope or Antichrist hauing tried moste diuerse chaunces, hath very ofte escaped out of desperate daungers. Force and policie hath afflicted it, and also the religion of Henry the .3. Emperour, and of his sonne Henry the .4. Fridericke the first and second vexed the popes. There were also other mightie Princes, whiche inflicted mortall woundes to the See of Rome.
Agane there were Bishoppes of Rome which with singular craftes haue cured their woundes agayne:The woū des of Antichriste healed. of the whiche sorte was Gregory the .7. Vrbane ye .2. Paschalis the .2. Calixtus the .2. Alexander the .3. Innocentius the .3. Honorius the .3. Gregory the .9. Clement the .4. & .5. Boniface the .8. Iohn the .22. and diuerse others. But was not that feate in greatest perill in times paste, when three Popes were created at ones: whereof one was resident at Rome, the seconde went to Auignon in Fraunce, and the thirde liued in Spayne? But all these three putte downe by the power, diligence, authoritie and policie of the Emperour Sigismunde, and the counsel of Constaūce, [Page 396] that deadly wounde was fayre healed in Martin the .5. And this felicitie, and restoryng the Popish kingedome, perswadeth many effectually, that poperie is of God, and the popishe religiō to be most certen and trewe: as that which hath so ofte ben of mightie princes assayled, might in dede be shaken, but neuer yet ouerthrowen. The acclamation of all the Romishe is knowen: the shippe of S. Peter is tossed in dede with stormes, but can neuer be drouned. But Daniel him self also hath prophecied that this shuld so come to passe, saiyng: and he shall prosper, and shal doe what he will, and shall kill the strong and holy people, at his pleasure, and guyle shalbe directed in his hande. Whiche thinges they doe not marke, whiche are at this daye so much offended with the felicitie of that chayre of pestilence, and the beaste therof. Therfore like as the dayes of mourning, and soden destruction came vpon olde Rome, and vtterly destroied both the citie and Empire: euen so shal we heare in the .17. and .18. chapt. That Babilon shal haue her fatall destenies. The Lorde Iesus confirme vs in the faith of Iesus Christe, and deliuer vs from the guiles, lucky successe, and felicitie of that Romish Antichrist. Amen.
¶ Of the signes of Antichrist, and Image of the beaste of him reysed. The .lx. Sermon.
ANd he did great wonders, so that he made fyre come downe from heauē into the yearth in the sight of men, and deceaued them that dwelt on the earth by the meanes of those signes whiche he had power to do in the sight of the beaste, saiyng to them that dwelte on the Earth: that they should make an Image vnto the beaste, whiche had the wounde of a sworde, and did liue. And he had power to geue a sprite vnto the image of the [Page 397] beaste, and that the image of the beast should speake. And should cause that as many as would not worshippe the Image of the beast should be killed.
He procedeth moste dilligently to describe Antichrist and his kingdome, which so greatly impugneth ye faith of Christ, and afflicteth his church, to the intent he mighte be knowen and eschewed of al men.
He sayeth nowe he shall do great wonders,Of trewe miracles. by the whiche he vnderstandeth miracles. Wherof some be true, and some false. I call those trewe miracles, which are done in dede, and are not by any craftie iuggelyng countrefeted, and the which allure mē to the veritie, and set forth the veritie. Of the which sorte out of doubte were the miracles of the Prophetes and Apostles, holy Martirs, and chiefly of Moses and Christe. These do good vnto men, hurte not, nor emptye pore mens purses: yea more they glorifie God, and make the treweth to be beleued, in drawyng men only vnto God as to the fountayne of all goodnes. So Iohn testifieth of the lordes firste miracle done in Cana of Galiley, and sayeth: This is the firste token that Iesus did at Cana in Galiley, and shewed his glory, and his disciples beleued on him. This token was trewe, and suspected of no iuggelyng, it was a benefite bestowed vpō pore folkes newely maried, by the same God was glorified. His disciples moued herewith, and the sprite of God workyng also inwardely, beleued on Christ. So do all trewe miracles testifie Christ to be helthful and beneficiall, & therefore alone to be called vpon, and worshipped. So doe Iohn and Peter interprete the signes or miracle that their thēselues wrought in the .3. of the Actes of Apostles. And of such miracles we haue greate plentie in the Euangelicall, Apostolicall, & Ecclesiasticall storie: nother haue al those any other ende, thā that we must beleue in the sonne of God, as which alone geueth life and al good thinges.
And false signes I calle those that are done through deuelishe crafte or inchauntement,Of fals [...] signes or miracles. or by the craftie iuggelyng and subtill sleight of wicked men: as be those of witches and inchaunters: such as the wise men of Pharao were, and Symon [Page 398] Magus: and those wherof mention is made in the .13. of Deu [...] ter. Finally suche were the miracles of the Freres, brent at Bernes in Swisserlande: and greately it is to be feared leest such haue ben the most parte of the miracles of al Mounkes and Eremites. Likewise those are called false also, whiche although they be done in dede, yet beare they witnes to a lie agaynste the trewth, confirmyng the Pope to be head of the church, that images are to be worshipped, that we must pray vnto Sainctes, and go a pilgrimage for religion yea rather for superstitions sake, that we must worshippe a newe God liynge hidde vnder fourme of Bread and Wine, that God muste be honoured with vowes and Monkish conuersatiō, and yf there be any other thing of like sorte. With suche disceauable signes are filled at this daye all Temples, churches and chapelles. These haue perswaded much euen wise men, and do also at this daye. Whiche thing the Lord prophecied should come to passe, saiynge: there shal arrise false Christes, and false Prophetes, and shal shewe great signes and wonders, that euen, if it were possible, the elect should be brought into errour. And S. Paule also: the comyng of Antichriste, sayeth he, shal be after the workyng of Sathan, with al power, and signes, and liyng wonders, and the reste, whiche is red in the .2. to the Thessal. 2. And we knowe that many Bisshoppes of Rome haue wrought signes: but that same is not so excellent, but that the Bisshoppe of Rome hath confirmed what miracles so euer haue ben wrought in al Christēdome, and augemented the same with his bulles and indulgences. Doubtles all had a contrary ende to the miracles of Christ, and yet haue, for they do not profite men, but emptie their purses, put men to sondry charges, and leade them awaye from the faith of Christ, to the faith of Antichrist, confirming his religion, superstitiō and doctrine. Nother doeth he place these his miracles emongs the last of his argumentes, what time the simplicitie of the gospell is impugned. But if we be wise, we will beware of them, as of a most present pestilence.
He maketh fire to come down &c heauē.And emonges his miracles the lord by S. Iohn reherseth that aboue all thinges, he causeth fire to come downe to the Earth, and that in the presence of mē. And he semeth to haue alluded to the story of Helias, wherof we reade in the .4. boke [Page 399] of Kinges the .1. chapt. and whereof we mentioned in the .11. chapt. We reade that it was no smal miracle in the Actes of the Apostles, that al the laiyng on of thapostles handes, the holy ghost was geuen. Symon Magus also did couet the same grace: but he was sore reiected of S. Peter the Apostle: as we reade in the .8. chapt. of the Actes of Apostles. And here is to be obserued (as also S. Austen hath admonished in ye .15. boke de trinit. the .26. chapt.) yt thapostles gaue not the holy ghost: for it is God alone that geueth the holy ghost: therfore at the prayers of thapostles, & at the imposition of hādes, the holy ghost was geuen from heauē. Wherfore S. Iohn Baptiste saied how he baptised with water, but yt Christ shuld baptise with fire and with holy ghost. And by fire is figured ye holy ghost.The Pope geueth grace. But Antichrist the Pope shal make his boaste that he hauing power geuen him frō heauen, graunteth the grace of the holy ghost. Doubtles in the time of cōsecrating, he saieth, that he geueth the holy ghost. So likewise in auricular cōfessions, & absolutions, they bragge yt thei geue full absolutiō of sinnes which in dede is a great miracle. Thei laie their hādes vpon the sinner that confesseth, and saye: howe they absolue him from the payne and crime, and that by the power receyued of that moste holy See of Rome. Primasius expounding this place: It is no maruell, sayeth he, though that beaste, which fainedly vsurpeth to him selfe the name of the Lambe killed and yet liuyng, doe fraudulently chalenge to him selfe also this gifte of the holy ghost colourably by Imitatiō, and fayne a donation to his ministers: as we remembre that Symon Magus coueted, but coulde not obteyne. Hitherto he.
There is an other fire also,The Pope casteth a thōderbolt at his enemies. which Antichrist calleth doune from heauen, and casteth and throweth at his enemies, to be reuenged on them: to wit the darte and thonderbolte of cursing, this was terrible to kinges, princes, & people. And these haue so much feared the thonderbolte of excōmunication, yt they haue done & graunted many thinges, which otherwise no mā shuld haue gote of thē. The story is knowē of themperour Henry the .4. For Platina in ye life of Gregory ye .7. sheweth, that this Emperour was excōmunicated by the Pope. After he addeth these things of themperour: he came spedely to Canosse (where the bishop was with Mathilda) and by and [Page 400] by laiyng a side his royal robes, went bare foted to the gates of the citie, and humbly required to be let in. His entring denied he toke in good parte, notwithstanding that the winter was sharpe, and al was frosen harde. Remaynyng thre daies in the suburbes of the Towne, and continually crauing perdon, at the length at request of Mathilda and the Erle of Sauoye, & the Abbot of Clunies he is absolued. Fridericke Barbarouse that he mighte be reconciled to the Pope, layed his necke vnder his fete to be troden on, full manifeste are the iniuries done of this beaste, to other kinges also and people. I wil yet tel of one. The Venetians besieged Farrare, which payeth tribute to the Churche of Rome, for the whiche cause they were excommunicated by Clement the .5. Therefore Fraunces Dandalus, which was after created Duke, wente into Fraunce, where that time the Bisshop was, to are perdon for that offence. Lōg it was or euer he was admitted to come in the Popes sight. At the last he was led with an yrō chaine aboute his necke to the Bisshoppes table, lyke a Dogge, and there fayne to lie vnder the table emongs the dogges so lōg, til the wrath of Clement (without all clemencie) beyng ouer paste, he put out that ignominie from his countrie. And was therefore alwayes after called dogge of his owne countriemē: for yt he had layne like a dogge at the Popes table for to gette absolution. This is written in Sabellicus in the ende of the .9. Aeneid. the .7. boke. The Pope in excommunicatinge vseth tapers or candelles of waxe burning, which he throweth downe to the grounde from on highe: that euen thereby we might perceyue, that it is he that calleth downe the feareful fire from Heauen vpon men in earth. And these thinges doeth the beast in the presence of men, to wit with great confidence & boldenes: finally to make mē affrayde, and to kepe them in awe. For after the same kinde of speaking S. Paule commaundeth also, to rebuke a great man offendyng before all men, that others maye be affrayed. 1. Timoth. 5.
He disceaueth by signes.Howbeit the Lord addeth the vse and effect of Antichristes wonders, to thende the church might iudge rightly of them: and he deceaueth, sayeth he, the dwellers on the Earth by reason of the miracles, &c. He shall seduce by these signes or miracles, to wit by that grace of the spirite, whiche he faineth [Page 401] that he geueth, and with those his excommunications wherwith he would seme to caste men downe into hell, that dwell vpon Earth, that is to saye more geuen to earthly than to heauenly thinges. And he shall leade them from the fayth of Christ, vnto his tromperies. Therefore must we iudge of the tokens and doctrine of Antichrist, for that they seduce men. Leaue maruelyng therefore, howe it hath chaunced, that the Pope hath allured to his side so many menne of wisedome and learnyng. You haue hearde already, by what meanes this is done. Therefore be not you alwayes fooles, learne, take hede, and beleue Christe and his Gospell, and cleaue thereunto.
Agayne he sayeth,The beaste doeth miracles in ye sight of the beaste. that power is geuen to the beast (verely by the iuste iudgement of God, that according to thapostles saiyng, they maye be iudged, whiche had rather beleue lies, than the veritie) that he shoulde worke those miracles in the sight of the beaste. What is it to worke miracles in the sight of the beaste, but to do them in the presence of all men, boldely and with out feare, euen to feare & disceaue the very beast? Here therfore nowe we heare of two beastes. The beaste that doeth the wonders: and that later beaste in whose sight that other fourmer beaste doeth those signes.In the .19. chapt. Yea it shall followe hereafter, that both the beaste, and the false Prophet, whiche doeth these miracles before the beaste, by the whiche he also deceaued the beaste, shall be caste bothe into fire euerlasting. Who therfore is the former and the two horned beaste, but the Pope? the very same is the false prophet also. And who is the beaste, in whose sight the Pope worketh wonders, but the Image of the beaste, and therfore a beaste also, in asmuch as thempire is reysed of the beaste, and gouerned by the spirite of the beaste.
For it followeth, that the beast setteth vp an Image of the beaste,The beaste setteth vp an Image of ye beast. and that of the same beaste whiche had the wounde of a sworde, and liueth: that is to wit, of that olde Romane Empire. Now therfore is erected a new Romane Empire, which neuerthelesse is not called playnely a beaste, but the Image of the beast: that is to saye, an Empire in dede, but the which cometh not so nere to the olde, by as farre, as an Image differeth from the true example. For the olde Romane Empire [Page 402] is as it were an example, whereof thempire set vp by the Romish Antichrist, is only an Image, representation, shaddowe and as it were a dreame, hauyng neuerthelesse some sumilitude of the same.
Howe the Image of the beaste was set vpI tolde before, and shewed out of stories, howe the olde Romane Empire was torne and rent in pieces, & taken quite awaye. In times paste the one Emperour gouerned in the Easte at Constantinople, the other in the Weste at Rome or at Rauenna. But from Augustulus by the space of thre hondreth yeres and more, there was no Emperour of the Weste. And suche landes as were the Emperours, were now possessed of others, and the Empire was vtterly loste. Therefore about the yere of our lorde eyght hondreth, what time Charles the greate, Kynge of Fraunce came to Rome, vpon Christemas daye, Leo the .3. of that name, Bisshoppe of Rome, setting the Crowne vpon Charles head made him Emperour, all the people saiyng with a lowde voice, to Charles the Emperour crowned of God, be long life and victory. These thinges are red in all stories, especially in the .4. booke of Auentinus his Cronicles of Bourbonois.
The beaste sayeth to ye inhabiters of ye Earth that they shuld make an Image to ye beast.Agayne when this Empire semed to wauer and to slide, and therefore lyke shortely to falle, the Bisshoppe of Rome instituted seuen Princes Electours. Some referre this ordenaunce to Gregory the .5. whiche was Pope when Otth [...] was Emperour. And some to Gregory the .10. whiche called Rafe of Abspurge to the Empire. Whereof shal be more sayed anone. But the Lorde by S. Iohn sayeth expressely, howe the beast sayed to the inhabiters of the Earth, that thei shuld make an Image of the beaste. For the Popes haue by speakyng, and not by fightyng (as appereth in the stories of Bisshoppes of Rome, especially of Leo the .3.) erected a new Empire. For by preachyng, perswadyng, and practysing, they brought the Empire to Kinge Charles. Certenly Platina in the life of Leo the .3. The Bisshop, sayeth he, minding to gratifie by some meane king Charles, which had deserued right well of the churche, in the churche of S. Peter, after solemne seruice done, by the voyces and prayers of the people of Rome, with a lowde voyce declareth Charles Emperour, and crowneth him. &c.
But nowe we muste see more dilligentlie,What is properlie ye Image of the beaste. wherefore the newelie erected empyre is called of the Pope, the Image of the oulde beaste. And here in dede, myghte manye thynges be alledged: but I shall recyte of many things onely a fewe. Aboue all thinges, it is called the Image, both for that it is named the Empyre it selfe, and wolde be taken for the oulde Empyre, where it is in dede a name wythoute the thynge, and a vayne tytle, wythoute that aunciente power, maiestie, and glorie. For vnlesse the Emperour haue the Kyngdome of his owne by inheritaunce, what Kyngdome shal he haue by the name of Emperour? shal he haue Rome? shal he haue Italie, the oulde seat of the Empyre? shal he haue Fraunce Spayne, Hongarie, Germanie? For although Germanie be nowe taken for the seate of the Empyre, yet hath shee her owne Princes, her owne free Cities, and the which inioye their Priuileges, although they be called Emperiall. Theodorycke of Niem, a Germayne, and a familiar friende of certen Popes, which wrote also the lyues of certen Byshoppes of Rome, which were last before the counsell of Constaunce, in the thyrde booke the .xliii. chapt. of his Stories. Of what magnificēce, sayeth he, the Romaine Empyre is, at the leestwyse openlye sene in Germanie. For you shal haue there an Archbyshop or a Byshop, which hath of yearely reuenewes twyse so much more,The pouerty and barenes of the Romayne Empyre. as the Kyng of Romaynes receyueth in all his dominions. And agayne, a temporall Prince, that hath more landes than hath the Emperour. And so forth.
Moreouer in the ould Empire, ther was some mightie monarke, which vsed full Aucthoritie, and was honoured of all men as a God in Earth. As Caius, Domitian, Dioclesian, and others. His Image representeth the Pope, Byshoppe, and Kynge, and as it were a certeine God terristrial, the greatest Monarke, with fulnesse of power. Furthermore Rome, or the oulde beaste, had a mooste honorable Senate. So hath the Byshppe of Rome also, a Princelyke Senate of prowde purpled Cardynalles. For they bee in maner all Princes. The booke of the Romayne gouernementes reciteth the Vicar, or Lieutenaunte of the Diocesse of Asia (a Diocesse in Greke [...] is a disposition, administration, dispēsation, [Page 404] gouernemente, or iurisdiction) the Vycar of the Diocesse of Thracia, and of Pontus. So was there a noble man president of the gouernementes in Italie. He had manye Diocesses vnder. And no fewer had the Lieutenaunt of Fraunce. And lyke as the Counte of Strasbourgh, the Captayne generall of the soldiours at Spires, and the General of the soldiours at Woormes, ded acknowledge the Duke of Mentz a Proconsull: So at this daye, the Byshoppes of those Cities are subiectes to the Archebyshoppe of Mentz. The Byshoppes therefore seme by the Popes ordinaunce, to succede in the place of the Romayne gouernementes. Certeinelie you shall see the moste parte of these Byshops called not onely moste reuerend fathers in Christe, but also most Noble & myghty Dukes and Princes of the Empyre. And this is also manifeste, that the Emperour of the oulde beaste had his legions, the Romaine Egles or enseignes, and moste expert and puissaunt Captaynes of warre. But the high Bishop and kyng of Rome hath in that Imagerie Empyre obedient children, kinges and Princes in Europe not to be dispised:Tharmies and power of ye Popes sworde. whom he may cōmaunde yf nede requyre, to stretch foorth the secular power. For so thundreth Boniface the .8. in the firste boke de Maior. & Obedient: doubtles sayeth he, whosoeuer denieth the temporall sworde to be in the power of Peter, he vnderstandeth a misse the worde of the Lorde, sayeng: put vp thy swoorde into thy sheath (howe subtiilie and howe aptelie). Therefore are both swords in the power of the church, to wit both the spiritual and materiall sword: but this must in dede be exercised for the church, the other of the church. The spirituall by the prieste, the materiall by the hande of kinges and soldiours, but at the will and patience of the high prieste. &c. The oulde beaste had his lawes written, and published daylie in a maner newe.Decretals The Popes therefore after the imitation of the emperiall lawes, haue written decretalles, and many tymes make newe lawes. Yea, moreouer they saie howe the voice & precepts or cōmaundemēts of the pope are aswel to be receiued & taken, as the words of our Lord Iesus Christ the son of God, and Apostle S. Peter. They adde moreouer these things also: that we muste stand to the popes determinatiō. That where the pope is, there is the generall counsell. [Page 405] Where the Pope is, there is our common countrie. He is compelled or reproued of no man, althoughe he be called an heretike. He hath all lawes in his breast, or in the scroll of his breaste: he may interprete or expound all thinges. The same doth ratifie no sentence: and it is in him alone, to take away one mans right, and geue it to an other. He maie take awaye priuileges, and at his wyll and pleasure not onely to chaūge bishops, but also to depose the emperour himselfe, and to declare no sentence of themperour. All the world is the Popes diocesse: and the pope is the ordinarie of al, hauing fulnes of power aswell in spiritual matters as tēporall. For he is Lord of Lordes, and hath the righte of the King of Kinges ouer all subiects. For he hath no pere: and is all thinges, and aboue all, and it is necessarie to saluation, to be vnder the byshop of Rome. For ther is one consistorie or iudgement seat of God and of the Pope. These thynges haue I taken oute of their owne books, to witte of their Decretalles and gloses. There is a boke of Antony Russell of Aretine, of ye power of the Pope and the emperour, where in you may read innumerable things of the same sort. But of these thinges which I haue noted hitherto, I suppose it be made playne enough, how the Pope which is here also called the false prophete, hath sette vp the Image of the beaste.
Hereunto Ihon addeth an other thyng:And he had power to geue a spirite to the Image of the beaste. that the empyre thus establyshed, and all thynges sette in order, the beaste or false prophete doeth moue all that weighte, and putteth lyfe into the Image, so that it can speake: to witte the same, that the false prophete hath geuen it to speake. For excepte the pope do confyrme the election of the Kyng of Romaines, he shall not be thoughte worthie of the name of Emperour .22. quest .5. de forma, in the glose thēperour sweareth to the pope, as the Client to his Lord. The same maiste thou reade in the firste boke the .9. title. de iure iurando, in Clementinis. Moreouer who seeth not, how aswell the Emperour as other Princes, are inuironed wyth a cōpanie of Byshoppes, whych inspyre them, what they shoulde speake, or doe, and howe they shoulde behaue themselues in all thinges. For this cause are sent also the Legates, that are called Legati a latere. And it is not vnknowen, that in all Princes counselles for the moste [Page 406] parte the spirituall haue the chiefe rule. They be for the most parte, Chancelours, Secretaries, Ambassadours, and what not? And their Pope & King sayeth openlie, howe he ought to iudge al men, but to be iudged of no man. Yea, and his creatures also vsurpe the same vnto themselues. Yf ther be any assemblee, there the Byshop of Rome commonly ruleth by his spirite, and gouerneth the chiefeste matters, especiallye matters of religiō. For vnlesse the decrees please the fathers, they threaten that theye wyll abrogate, suche thinges as the States haue decreed. But yf there be called a counsell generall or nationall, it is wholly ruled by the popes spirite. This speaketh and determineth as it pleaseth the Pope. For vnlesse it decree after the Popes pleasure, he wil go aboute to abolysh all to gether. For we hearde of late, that the Synode or counsell is there, where the Pope is. And Innocentius the .9 in the .3.The Pope is aboue ye coūsell: but the coūsell of Basil reasoneth the contrary. quest. The iudge, sayeth he, shall be iudged nother of themperour, nother of ye whole Clergie, nother of kings, nor of the people. And the glose vpon the same place noteth, the counsell cannot iudge the Pope, &c. Wherefore yf the whole worlde shulde geue sentence in any matter against the Pope, it appeareth that we ought to stand to the Popes sentence against them al. Yea the same glosier in an other place: The Pope yf he wyll, sayeth he, maye dispence againste the Counsell. For he is more than the Counsell. Moste trewely therefore sayde the Lorde at this present, howe the beast had power, to geue a spirite to the beaste, and that the Image of the beaste shuld speake. For whosoeuer shewe not themselues obedient, and willinge instrumentes vnto this beaste in all his affayres, are accoumpted for dead and rotten membres, and therefore to be cutte of from this vitall bodye. Yea for sooth.
Empyres at of God, the corruptiōs of empyres of euyll.Howbeit in the meane tyme, leest I shuld blame any man prayse worthie, or seme ouer much to taunt them that haue deserued none euyll, or should be sayde not to acknowledge the goodnes of God workyng in Empyres, but rather to fynde faulte with the same, and to confounde and put to gether all thinges both good and euyll, without any choyce or respecte, certeine thinges are here by a long, yet necessary digression, to be admonished, and better declared. I admonish [Page 407] therefore and repete, that the Lorde our God is the authour of Empires, and ordeyneth the same for the welth of menne: but that the Deuill ioyneth him selfe with the good ordinaunces of God, and accordyng to his euill nature corrupteth those good ordinaunces of God, by mouyng mens affections diuersly, and appliyng them to euil matters. Wherupon in gouernementes very many thinges arrise whiche are to be mislyked of the Godly: as are tiranny, alteration of the state, and suche other like. Neuerthelesse, albeit God hateth all wickednes nother can allowe any euill, we see, that he of his infinite goodnes vseth the euill gouernementes of menne vnto the good or profit of his. For God loueth his churche excedingly: and seketh to relieue and comforte al man kinde by Empires, although not altogether, or in all thinges commendable.
I wil not therfore denie,Gouernemēt not to be discommended, & good princes vnder ye Image of the beaste. that sins the Empire of the weste was renewed. that is to saie, sins the Image of the beast was sette vp, these seuen hondreth yeres, they haue many times gouerned so, that it hath easely appered yt god hath wrought the helth of his people in the gouernementes. Daniel figured by beastes the foure Monarchies of the worlde, whiche neuertheles supposed not that al their Princes were beastes, nother condemned he al Princes, neither thought that there hath bene or should be no good thing in them, although the most parte were moste corrupted. There were founde in the olde Romane beaste (to speake nothynge in the meane time of the Princes of Assiria, Bavilon, Medes, Persia, or Macedonie) whiche haue set forth profitable lawes, sette in the bookes of Iustinian. There haue bene founde vnder that moste cruell olde beaste, whiche haue auaunced the trewe religion of Christe, and defended moste ernestely the churche of God, suche as before we sayed was Constaunce, Constantine, Theodose, and diuerse others: whiche come all vnder the nombre of the Empire, but not of the beaste, but in as muche as the beaste signifieth the Empire. So maye there be founde Princes vnder the Image of the beaste not a fewe, whiche haue bothe set forth holesome lawes, and haue imployde greate benefites vpon mankynde: as haue done Charles, Lewis and Lotharie of Saxon and others. [Page 408] Notwithstanding that thei themselues in many thinges cannot be allowed of the godly. There are founde emonges the later kinges of the newe Empire, whiche in power and maiestie were not muche vnlike the olde, in vertues not muche behinde them, but in certen thinges egall. There are founde whiche haue assayed to pourge thempire from Popishe corruptions, and to bryng the Popes vnder Corum: but with no great or good successe. For what the Otthones, Henrickes, Lodouickes, Friderickes, briefly many Frenche Princes, Saxones, Sweuians, Bauarians, and of Austrich haue ben, many notable testimonies of histories do reporte: which testifie that certen Kinges both of Fraunce and of other realmes also, haue not bowghed their knees to this Baal: or if thei haue done at any time, yet haue they repented, and haue shewed some token at the leeste wise, wherby the wise might perceiue, that they set not much by that beaste.
Holy men are excused & excepted.Here therfore are to be excused al holy and excellent men, which haue liued in the whole course of time, wherein the Image of the beaste erected hath reigned. And I meane Emperours, Kinges, Princes, Bishops, States, Cities, & people of the empire and other realmes, whiche liued, but yet were not vnder the vnhappie image of the beaste: for because they offered not themselues to the sprete of the beaste to be therof moued and gouerned: nother haue spoken expressely, that thing whiche the beaste gaue to speake: but rather haue spoken against the beast, and haue much mislyked his doyngs. Therfore as I haue not comprised in the olde Monarchies, and namely in the olde Romane beaste, the godly prynces and good gouernement, nother haue condemned them of beastialitie, (if I maye so terme it) so nowe nother in bayting the Image of the beaste, do I confounde the good and godly princes and people, and their gouernement not euill with the corrupte doynges of Antichrist. For euer I excepte moderate and profitable empires, honeste men and godly, how so euer they liue vnder the Image of the beaste, yet not after the inspiration of the beast or false prophet.
A prophecie is to be expounded after ye cō sideration of thinges & times.Hereunto I adioyne this also, that thempire was not sodenly establisshed after the will and pleasure of the Bisshop, but by diuerse spaces of times, sondry attēptes, and traysons [Page 409] innumerable: therfore at the length it was deuolued to an extremitie of corruption, and as I may saye, bestialitie. Wherby it appereth that the prophecie of S. Iohn, is to be applied to the thinges themselues, and to the times, after the state, malliciousenes and corruption of euery thing & time. That same is moste certayne, and by comon consente of all historiographers playnely testified, that in Charles the greate, through the meanes of Pope Leo the thirde, thempire in the weste decayed was renewed: and that thus the image of the beaste, that is to witte, of the Romane Empire, was erected. And albeit that at this time thempire decayed in the weste was restored by the Pope: yet is it euidēt, that the Popes in the beginning of this Empire by certen donatiōs and giftes much in riched, did not as yet vse so greate power, as they vsurped to themselues afterwarde, when they had ouerthrowen and deposed certen Emperours. For al though the donatiō seme to be made by king Pipine, and the pope is red than to haue receiued the beginning of his kingdome: yet that he was subiecte to Emperours and kings with the Citie of Rome also, this same emōges other thinges proueth, that in the French Cronicles of the Actes of king Charles in ye yere of our lord eight hōdreth and one, thus it is founde written: afterwarde hauyng set in order the matters of the citie and Bishoppe of Rome, and of al Italie (therefore did Italy than also obey the Emperour) not only publicke, but also (marke) ecclesiasticall and priuate (for all the winter themperour did nothing els) departing frō Rome with his sonne Philip he came to Spolet. The same authour in the Actes of the yere eight hōdreth and 16. Stephen, sayeth he, elected in the place of Leo the .3. taketh as greate iourneyes as he could to come to the Emperour, sendyng in the meane time two Ambassadours which might treate with themperour (Ludouicus pius) for his consecratiō. So likewise in thactes of the yere eight hondreth and .17. is shewed howe Paschalis beyng chosen sente an Ambassade to Lewis the Emperour. In thactes of the yere .823. the same Bishop stode at the examination and iudgement of themperour. You maye finde in thactes of the next yere that themperour Lotharie establisshed the matters of Italy and Rome. Yet doeth the same authour againe make mention of the donation [Page 410] of King Pipine, which gaue to S. Peter Rauenna, and Pentapolis and all the gouernemente. Yet doeth he make no mention of the donation other of Charlemaygne, or of Ludouicus pius. The .43. distinct. maketh mention thereof. I Lewis. &c. in the glose is written thus. There Lewis geueth Rome and diuerse other thinges to S. Peter and to Paschale the Pope. All historiographers in maner make mention of the donation of the Kinges of Fraunce. An Abridgement of all gathereth out of the librarie Dolaterane in the third boke of Geographie, in the actes of Pipine and Charles. Wherby ye maye easely coniecture, what maner of Canon is set forth in the .96. distinct. in these wordes. Constantine the Emperour hath geuen and graunted to the Apostolical See the Crowne and all the Emperiall dignitie is the Citie of Rome and in Italy, and in the weste partes. Which by and by after he discourseth with a longe exposition out of the life of S. Siluerster, wrytten (as they saye) by Gelasius, in the chapt. followynge. But Antony Bysshoppe of Florence denieth in his History, that this donation doeth remayne in any olde bokes. Cusanus and Laurence Valla haue impugned the same: nother hath Ottho Bisshoppe of Frisyng in the .3. chapt. of the .4. booke of his storie, nor Marsilius Pataninus in the defence of peace, nor Raphael Volaterane allowed the same, nor many mo that I coulde reherse. Moreouer in the Cronicles of Kinges of Fraunce, set before the story of Paulus Aemilius of the actes of Kinges of Fraunce in the yere. 755. thus you maye reade: Pipine agayne entred into Italy, and Aistulphus subdued, he gaue giftes to Maximus Bisshop of Rome, also the Dukedom of Rauenna of very great lādes, leeste any man should vnthankefully & vniustely take awaye this larges from the French Kinges, ascribyng to themperour Constantine, which Pipine gaue to the church of Rome, agaynst the wil of the Greke Emperour affirming the same possessions to be the right of the Empire. From thence Pipine first receiued and brought into Fraunce the Ecclesiasticall rites of the Romanes and ceremonies of songes.Thempire conueyed from the Frenchmē to the Germenes. &c.
Howebeit the gouernement of thempire Charles posteritie was not very stable and permanent. For from the firste yere of Charles, wherein he was created Emperour, vnto [Page 411] the seuenth yere of Conrade, whiche was Nephewe to Lewis the .3. by his Brother, the laste of the house of Charles are accompted aboute an hondreth and .19. yeres. For Charlemaigne reigned Emperour .14. yeres, Lewis .26. Lotharius .15. Lewis the seconde .21. Charles two yeres, Caluus surnamed the seconde Charles. .3. Crassus. .12. Arnulphe .12. Lewis the .3.10. Conrade .7. Conrade liyng on his death bed nominateth Kinge, Henry Duke of Saron surnamed Falconer. And thus was the Empire translated to the Germanes. This Henry called the firste, came neuer in Italy, neuer was consecrate or crowned of the Pope. His Sonne Ottho, the firste of that name, sente for in Italy, is red to haue gone thither with a greate Armie, beyng receyued at Rome, and saluted of the people Emperour and Auguste. Ottho Frisinge in the .6. boke of Histories the .17. chapt. affirmeth out of the decrees, that Pope Leo the .8. of that name did cōsecrate this Ottho the firste King of Germanes. For his father Henry refused it, Albert Krantz in the .10. and .11. chapt. of the fourth booke of Saxon matters, affirmeth that Pope Leo made a surrender of all suche thinges as the Popes had receyued of the kinges of Fraunce, and the authour defendeth this surrender made to be trewe. Howebeit the keper of the Librarie testifieth, that Ottho confirmed the donatian of the kinges of Fraunce, Pipine, Charles, and his sonnes. There remayneth morouer in the decrees a copie of the othe, the .43. distinct. wherby kyng Ottho bindeth him self to the Pope, that he shall intermeddle with nothyng that cōcerneth the Pope and the Romanes: secondely that he shal restore al the landes of S. Peter that shal come into his handes. Which thing let the reader iudge what they are.
Shortely after this time, about the yere of our lord .996.Electours They saye how by the decree of Pope Gregory the .5. and by the consent of Ottho the .3. Emperour, the seuē princes Electours were assigned, vnto whō the defence of the church (as sayeth Wimpelingius) and the Romane Empire was committed. In the whiche thing all Historiographers and wryters doe agree, and that of the Italianes Blondus, Platina, Sabellicus, Volaterane, Egn [...]tius and others: of Germanes, Albertus, Nauclerus, Carion, Functius, and certen others: [Page 412] diuerse haue made no mention of this ordinaunce. Wherefore Auentinus in the .5. booke of Cronicles Folio .510.707. sayeth that he knoweth (I can not tel how certēly) that after the death of Fridericke the .2. the Electours were instituted, and confirmed of Gregory the .10. But how so euer that matter standeth, certayne it is that there hath ben many amonge the seuen princes electours both feruent and earneste in true religion, and excellent in all kinde of vertues, and especially the seculars as they tearme them, who hath muche misliked the tiranny and impietie of the Popes of Rome, in so muche that they haue stoutely oftentimes withstande them. Our age doubtles is muche bounde to this order or state, that a good parte of the preachyng of the holy gospel is reformed, the which both they with other princes of Germany moste worthie of praise do (by Gods inspiration) valiaūtly against the furies of Antichrist defende and mantayne. The Lord increase in them, & in other godly Princes through the whole world his giftes, and mercifully kepe and preserue thē. But to returne to the prosis and order of the Historie, certayne it is, that immediately after Gregory the .5. the Deuill inuaded the see of Rome. Nother could Platina dissemble this thing, a writer of Popes liues knowen to all men,See what he sayeth of Popes in the life of Syluester .3. which hath very fauourably spared his lordes and maisters, and many times hath couered their abominable actes: yet writyng of the successour of Gregory the .5. Siluester the .2. sayeth he, before called Gilberte, a Monke of Florey, forsakyng his monasterie, followed the Deuil, vnto whom he gaue him self whole. And by and by he addeth: Gilbert moued with Ambition, and a deuelish desire to rule, through briberie gote firste the Archbisshopricke of Reyns, after of Rauenna, and after with greater suite, the Deuill furtheryng him, he obteyned to be pope: yet vnder this cōdicion, that after his death he should be the Deuilles wholy. &c. He that would knowe the full story, and abridgement taken out of Antoninus, The See of Rome vtterly corrupted. Nauclerus and others, lette him reade the .9. boke of Funccius Cronicles, vnder the yere .998. Beno a Cardinall supposeth at this time to be fulfilled those thousande yeres, after the which, the Deuill breakyng lowse, beganne agayne to rage in the worlde. Wherof shall followe certen thinges in the .20. chapt. of this booke. [Page 413] Notwithstandyng I shall not refuse to gather here certen thinges out of this Benone Cardinall, and briefly to recite them here for the declaration of our matter.
Therefore Beno in the life, and actes of Hildebrande, The mallice of the Popes vexyng the emperours called Gregory the .7. one Gerbertus which had infected the citie with sorcerie, (sayeth he) after the thousand yeres fulfilled coming vp out of the botōlesse pitte of Gods permission, was Pope 4. yeres, and chaungyng his name, was called Siluester the 2. And after Gilberte the yere .25. (I suppose it should be red .32. And howe they reigned these yeres Stories testifie, and that very euyl Theophilactus his schollar atchieued the seate violently, called Benedict the .9. He had a dere frende and priuie to all his doynges one Gratiane, Archeprieste of S. Iohn porte latin. Vnto whome Hildebrande a Monke of Cluney, forsakyng his abbeye, did familiarely cleaue, and became a familiar frende of his. But Benedict fearyng him selfe, solde his seate to Gratiane Maister of Hildebrande, receiuyng of him fiue hondred thousande poūdes, which promoted to the office was called Gregory the .6. Neuerthelesse they had shortly a thirde Pope, Sabinus, and he was called Siluester the .3. Themperour therefore Henry the .2. a godly man, valeaunt, wise and stoute, goyng to Rome, to pourge the church (for as yet the Bisshoppes vsed not full authoritie) compelled Benedicte or Theophilacte the Magician to flee, cast Gregory in pryson, and sent a waye Siluester to his olde Bisshoprike: And he holdyng a Counsell, placed the Bisshop of Bamberge, whom he called Clement, in the seate, of whome also he receyued the crowne. And he brought Gregory with his disciple Hildebrande with him into Germany. In the meane time Benedict retournyng to Rome from flight, vexeth Clement, and with much inchauntynge infecteth the Citie: and by letters receyued from Hildebrande out of Germany, he learneth what is done in the Emperours court. Gregory dieth there in prison, and lefte Hildebrande his heire both of his false packyng and of his monie. Clement dieth also. Whom Damasus the .2. succedeth immediately, but streight wayes poisoned: by reason of the tumulte that was in the citie, the Emperour sendeth Bruno (Bisshoppe of Tully, commen of the noble house of the Erles of Holst) a worthy mā. Here Beno annexeth: in whose [Page 414] trayne through the ouer much sufferaūce of the Emperour. Hildebrande was permitted to retourne: by this permission to subuerte bothe the Bisshoprycke and Empire vnder pretence of religion. And this Beno herein was a trewe prophet, whiche sayeth thus also in the storie of Hildebrande: and telling Bruno many things, by the waie crepte into his fauour: and as sone as he came to Rome, obteyned of him, that he was made one of the kepers of S. Peters Aultar. And in a shorte time he filled his coffers. And he also recōciled his olde Lord and maister Benedicte, fayning repentaunce disceiptfully to Leo the .9. (for so Bruno beyng made Pope was called) and through the counsell of Benedicte, otherwise called Theophilacte, he armed Leo agaynst the Normannes, and betrayed him vnto them. The Germanes therefore slayne by treason, scarsely the Pope all desolate escaped. This sayeth Beno. And certē it is that this Monke Hildebrande, Gregory the .7. from that time forewarde aspired to gette the seate: and in the meane time whilest it was gouerned of others, he incensed and ruled the Popes, as Leo the .9. Victour the .2. Stephen the .9. Benedicte the .10. Nicolas the .2. and Alexander the .2. But they smell of Hildebrandes stile, that are set forth in the name of Leo, Nicolas and Alexander. But at the length he him self clome vp into the chayre, in the whiche he so vsed him selfe, that no man vnlesse he were starke blinde but might see, that his deuelish gouernement, hath requited most aboūdantly Henry the .4. the sonne of Henry the thirde, his fathers cariyng of him into Germany. And he beganne openly, and impudently to take vpon him the power of the emperour. Nother can it be tolde at fewe wordes, in what detestable wise this beaste did afflicte bothe the Emperour and empire, al the while he was Pope, for the space of .12. whole yeres. An Abridgement of that story hath Iohn Functius compiled in the .10. boke, vnder the yere of our Lorde .1074.
Diuerse opinions of Gregory the .7.I know that Platina, and many Italian wryters yea and some Germanes also doe highly cōmende the religion and vertues of this Gregory the .7. by the whiche thyng the Popishe tiranny, vnder the pretence of religion is wonderfully augmented and confirmed, and many blynded. Yet is it comen to passe agayne through the grace of God, that men [Page 415] of graue authoritie, religion and vertues, haue fayre and wel plucked of the visure from this beaste. Therefore haue Synodes and Counselles not to be cōtemned condemned this Gregory: and first in dede the Coūsell of Mentz, wherein were 19. famous Byshopes. Than was assembled at Brixia a Synode of .30. Bisshoppes, and of the moste parte of the nobles of Germany & of Italy. There was also a Counsell assembled at Wormz, where Kinge Henry beyng presente, all the Germane Bishoppes (excepte they of Saxonie) deposed the Pope from his function. The Epistles and fragmentes of these Coūselles are founde in the Cronicles of Verspergens.-chiefly. He is accused by these openly of all wickednes and vngodlines, of Hypocrisie and crueltie. We haue rehersed a little before, what Cardinall Benno, a wryter of his time, hath committed to wrytinge. There remayne also testimonies of Sigisbert, an olde wryter, concernynge this Pope. Who so will maye reade the .5. booke of Auentinus, from the .162. and so forth: And also the preface of the .6. booke. The same Authour in the .7. booke reportynge the wordes of Eberharde Bisshoppe of Salisburge, had in the Counsell of Regenspurge. Hildebrande, sayeth he, 170. yeres sins vnder pretence of religion, layde firste the foundation of Antitichristes kingedome. This wycked warre he him selfe firste beganne, whiche by his successours is continewed hitherto. Firste they haue excluded the Emperour from the Popes election, and referred the same to the people and priestes of Rome. After, they also mocked, & thruste out, they goe about now also to bring vs in subiection & bondage, to thintent thei might reigne alone. And the things that follow. But ye thing it self declareth, that there haue not liued many Popes more bolde and impudent than this, whiche haue auaunced more highly the maiestie of the seate. He excōmunicated themperour Henry the .4. and depriued him of the dignitie imperial: moreouer he stired vp his subiectes agaynste hym, and absolued the rebelles and traytours from their othe of fidelitie: and he him selfe like a Monarke, gaue the Crowne of the Empire vnto others at his pleasure. The powre therefore and Treasoure of the Empire hath be so worne and wasted what wyth ciuile, and what wyth foreyne warres, [Page 416] that these many yeres nowe the kinges of Almaigne haue neyther ben able to recouer their force, nor yet to resiste the most arrogaunt tiranny of Popes: And thus at the laste the Pope is become a Monarch, and Emperours, Kinges and and Princes are made their Clientes and wardes.
When Gregory the .7. was dead there succeded .4. Mōkes of Hildebrandes secte and faction, of his maners & kankred nature, as it were heires and sonnes that go nothing out of kinde, Victor the .3. Vrbane the .2. Paschal the .2. And Gelasius the .2.Anno. 1119 Paschalis caused the sonne Henry the .5. (oh wicked and detestable parricidie) to warre agaynst the father, that miserable Henry the .4. And shortely also, Gelasius the .2. and Callistus the .2. do excōmunicate also Henry the .5. And cease not to vexe this prince also, till they had wronge out of his hādes the gifte or electiō of Bisshopperickes.The gifte of Bishoprikes takē frō themperours. And that to the great and inestimable profit of the See of Rome: and to the vnrecouerable losse of Germany, &c. These thinges are described more at large of Vrspergens. in the Cronicle of the yere .1122.
In the times followyng, the audacitie, & power of Popes increasing hourely, the Germane kinges haue resisted them stoutely enough, but yet with small successe. Where in the meane season we must remembre the wordes of the Lord, vttered by Daniel, saiyng: and there shall arrise a Kinge of a shameles face, and vnderstanding propositions, & his strēgth shall be fortfied, but not in his owne force: and it can not be beleued howe he wil distroye al thinges, and he shal prosper, and do. &c.
the tirāny of Popes against emperours. Anno. 1178I wil touche therfore in fewe wordes, what thinges in the times followyng Popes haue attempted agaynste kinges, and boldely done for the establisshyng of their Empire and Monarchie. Pope Alexander the .3. did excommunicate Fridericke the .1. called Barbarousse, & trode him vnder his fete. And where the good Prince sayed, how he sheweth this obedience to S. Peter: the beaste exclamed, settyng him selfe also before Peter, and sayed, both to me and to Peter, and stamped on him: Pope Innocentius the .3. coulde not abide, much lesse allowe Philippe the sonne of Fridericke, Anno. 1189 created Emperour: but commaunded the electours, to chouse an other, I meane Ottho Duke of Saxon, whome notwithstandyng shortely [Page 417] after he excommunicated also. That proude beast sayed, that he would take from Philippe the emperial crowne, or lose his Apostolicke Miter. Vnto this Innocent are ascribed those most proude wordes, which are red in the decretal of Gregory the .9. de Elect. in the .6. title .34. chapt. on this wise: that the princes haue right and authoritie to chouse a king, and afterwarde to auaūce him to be Emperour, we acknowledge, as we ought, as to whome of righte and auncient custome it is knowē to appertayne: especially sins that such right and authoritie came vnto them from the Apostolicall Seate: which translated the Romane Empire frō the Grekes to the Germanes in the persone of greate Charles.See howe thei vsurpe all power to themselues. Howbeit the Princes must know agayne, that the right and authoritie to examine the person chosen kyng, and to be promoted to the empire, belongeth vnto vs, which do annoincte, consecrate and crowne him, &c. The same in the first boke the .33. Titl. de maior. & obedient. Wryting to the Emperour Constantine. So much diuersitie, sayeth he, as there is betwixte the sunne and the Mone, so great a difference is there betwene Popes and Kinges, in Gods name.
But the Emperour Fridericke the .2.Fridericke the .2. well langaged. Nephewe to Barbarousse, an excellent prince, many Popes did excommunicate: Honorius the .3. Gregory the .9. and Innocentius the .4. And in dede Gregory the .9. whilest Fridericke that excellent Prince made warre in Syria for religion with the Soldane, inuaded and kept the prouinces of Fridericke. An. 1227. 1228. 1247. There were most cruell warres and discordes betwixte the Popes and this Fridericke. The same Innocentius the .4. excommunicateth Conrade the .4. of that name, and Sonne of Fridericke the .2. and stireth vp the Prince of Thuringe agaynst him. And when the Emperour Conrade was dead, the Pope obteyned the good willes of the Neapolitanes, to yelde themselues to the See of Rome. Conrade had lefte a Sonne and heire Conradine, and Manfrede his bastarde brother, whiche would be called king of Sicilie. Wherefore Pope Vrbane the fourth (some haue Clement the .4.) agaynste Manfrede sente for Charles, brother to kinge Lewis the Frenche kynge, Erle of Prouince and of Saunte, to come with an Armie into Italy,Anno. 1263 and called him [Page 418] King of both Sicilies. Who ouercome and slewe Manfred at Beneuent, & receiued the kingdomes of Sicilie of the Pope to do him homage. But Conradinus Duke of Swauelande, accō panied with Fridericke Duke of Austrich leadeth out of Germany a right wel furnished Armie into Italy against Charles for the recoueryng of his olde and fatherly kingdome. But vanquisshed of Charles at the lake Fucine, he was taken with duke Fridericke. Anno. 1266 There were slaine, as it is saied .12. thousand. The occasion of so greate an euill were the Popes, chiefly Clement the .4. which beyng demaunded of Charles the worthie Prince, what he should do with his prisoners, aunswered so, that the Frenche men vnderstode that they must suffer. Therfore he put them both to the sworde. In whome the house and posteritie of the moste noble Dukes of Austriche and Swauelande is sayde to haue failed. Paulus Aemilius discourseth this gere more at large in the .7. booke of Frenche Actes, and Auentinus in the .7. booke. But yet might not the Ire and furie of those moste holy fathers be so pacified, conceiued hereof, that the most noble Dukes of Swauelande had for gods glory and the comon welthes sake, most godly and most constantly resisted the Romish Bisshoppes, Wolues I would haue saied.
Thempire made desolate.But these Parricidies and blouddy warres displeased all good mē euery where, and chiefly the wise and godly Princes, so that they vnderstode how they must eschew that Empire and flee from it as from the plage: as the which was not only but a shaddowe, but moreouer would vtterly consume his yerely reuenewes and treasour, which should receiue the office. For now was it knowen through out the world, what the moste valeaunt and excellent Princes of Germany had nowe about .119. yeres, from Henry the .4. to the Sonnes of Fridericke the .2. suffered of the bolde ambition, and vncredible mallice of the Popes: and that many of them had loste both their liues with their auncient kingdomes, and their [...]ibertie most excellent of all.
And here was thempire with out any Emperour for certē yeres: which I am wont to cal a desolation of the kingdome or Empire. For the Popes with their inuincible and intollerable [Page 419] pryde and tyrannie had so weakened the force of the Emperours, that the empire semed subuerted & destroyed: nother coulde there any be easely founde, which ded set by it, or thoughte it worthie to be desyred. At the laste at the commaundement of Gregory the .10. which helde a Counsell at Lions, was chosen Counte Rodulph of Abspurg: which although he forsoke not the thing offered, yet being oft requested to come to Rome, is sayed to haue aunswered: the waywarde steppes of fete do feare me sore, meaning by this dixaine, that he trusted not the Popes, which by their craftes had destroyed both many Prences of Germanie, and also innumerable people comming to Rome. And this Rafe is red to haue ben crowned Kyng in the yeare of our Lorde .1273. the .200. yeare after Gregory the .7. And so longe time lasted the fight of Popes and Emperours. A little whyle after, whyleste Alberte the sonne of Rafe was chosen Emperoure, and the election was referred to Boniface the .8. of that name, he stoutely reiected the same, and shewed by and by in word and dede, that he was both Pope and Emperour, which by right had both swordes. Which I expounded in the .58. sermon, & the same doth Albert Krantz declare excedingly well in the .8. boke .36. ch. of Saxon matters. In the place of King Albert, was substituted Henry Prince of Lucemburge. But what authoritie ouer him & thempire chalēged Clement the .5 pope, he that list, may know of the Clemētines. For there is a long treatise therof in the .2. boke .9. tit. I could also rehearce many other lyke things of pope Ihon the .22. and of others, if I ded not thinke it superfluouse.
For of these things which I haue rehersed hitherto,The proprietie of kingdomes is the popes, but the vse of Kings and Princes. it appereth sufficiētly, that the popes thēselues by a mischeuouse boldnes, haue takē to thēselues thempire, do boast thēselues for monarkes, do abuse the seruice & ministerie of kinges, as their wards & cliētes: yet to pretend the name of sōnes, to the intent thei may haue them the more obediēt. For so in times past wrote Gregory the .7. to Geusas king of Hongary: which place read in the .17. chap. of this boke, the sermō .75. yet vnderstād we in the meane time yt the gretest part of Princes & Nobles haue not knowen ye same beast, but haue rather impugned him, & therfore not to come in ye nombre of the beast, [Page 420] but in asmuch as they lyued vnder the Empire, yet estraunged farre from the beaste.
By this I woulde haue them aunswered, which wyll exclame and saie: who can take it in good parte to haue the holy Empire called the Image of the beast, and so many noble Kings and Princes, Cities and people praise worthie? But I nother oughte nor wyll chaunge the manner of speakinge which the scripture vseth. They be the Lordes woordes all, which Daniell in oulde tyme, and nowe Ibon, haue reuealed to vs: but I maie excepte and excuse, such as are excused by the testimonie of scripture. The way is ready & briefe: whosoeuer wyll be free from the beaste, let him take hede that he be not inspired withe the Popes spirite: and that he speake not and doe, that the Pope commaūdeth against godlynes. Let him rather be ruled with the spirite of Christ: and so shal it come to passe, that dwelling in the middes of Babilon, he shal not lyue after the iniquities of Babilon, but in the Kingdome of Christe.
They that shall not worship ye beaste shalbe slainIt foloweth: and the beast shal cause, that whosoeuer shal not worship the Image of the beast, shall be slayne. And it is all one offence, to worship that oulde beaste, and to worship the Image of the newe beaste. Of the worshipping of him, I haue spoken a little before. Therfore doe they worshippe the Image of the beaste, which admitte the decrees, and those ordinaunces of the seate and Empire, speaking the inspiration of the beaste: which allowe the Romish religion, which fall to the kyssing of the fee [...]e, and shew themselues in all things obedient chyldren of the seate, and are faithfull to the popish Empire. Nowe yf any wyll not be suche a one, and woulde be content with Christianitie, would abhorre Rome the seat of the beast, and detest the Image of ye beast, he lyke a church robber and traytour, is iudged vnworthie of lyfe. There is a Canon in the .5. boke of Decret. the .7. tit of heret. Wherein withoute any circumstaunce of wordes, Lucius the thirde of that name, determyneth playnelye, that heretykes are strycken with an euerlastinge curse, whosoeuer beleue and teache otherwyse of the Sacraments, than the church of Rome beleueth and teacheth. He commaundeth moreouer, that such beynge depryued of all dignitie, shall be committed to the [Page 421] iudgement of the secular powers, to be punished with dewe correction. But yf the temporall maiestrate wyll not punish, & so defend the church, that than he shal be also depriued of al honour, &c. But why do I tary in rehearsyng these thinges? All men at this daie knowe and see, what thynges are done daylie. They are condemned, exiled, excomunicated, shut vp in prisons, vexed with sondrie tourments, at the length also cruelly slayne, whosoeuer shall refuse to worshippe both the beaste and his Image. The Lorde Iesus, the true Kyng and Byshoppe of his church succour vs, and restrayne the crueltie of the vngraciouse beaste. Amen.
¶ Of the marke and numbre of the name of the beaste. The .lxj. Sermon.
ANd he made all both smal and great, rych and poore, free and bonde, to receyue a marke in their ryghte handes, or in their foreheads. And that no man might by or sell, saue hee that hath the marke, or the name of the beaste, eyther the numbre of his name. Here is wisdome. Let him that hath witte, count the numbre of the beaste. For it is the nūbre of a man, and his nūbre is sixe hondreth threscore and sixe.
He annexeth the rest, wherby Antichrist may be knowen, and shunned. And verely he maie chiefly be knowen of these thinges that folowe.
And he speaketh of the subiectes of Antichriste,The subiects of Antichriste. and of this newe Kynge, and Byshoppe. He wyll procure to hymselfe, saieth he, an infinite multitude of al kynd of men, of al states and degrees. For his Kyngdome shall be ample and large. Therfore doth the Lord resite here, certeine kynds and states of men: And vnder the same vnderstandeth, whatsoeuer is [Page 422] of the same state in the whole world. The Romish Antichrist brought vnder his subiection smal and great, rich and poore: free, to witte nobles, and bond. For we see that Emperours, Kynges, Dukes, Marquesses, Earles and Baronnes, Realmes, Countries, Cities, Patriarches, Archbishops and Byshops, Prelates, Doctours, Clarks, and Laie men obey him: also men of greatest power, riches & wisedom, together with ye poore people. There is none such a kingdome, & so diuersly cōpacte in the world, no not emonges the Mahometistes. And al these verely willingly are subiect to the seate: yea thei haue perswaded with thēselues, that thei cannot wel liue, that they cannot be saued, vnlesse they be subiecte to the See of Rome.
The marke of Antichr.And lyke as Princes discerne their subiects & seruauntes by culloures and cognisaunces, and the common people also their cattell by seueral brands and marks, wherby thei may be knowen whose they are, or whom they serue. For euery man hath his cullours: he white and blacke, he red & blewe, an other white & red, some blacke & yelow, which they geue their soldiours & seruauntes to weare, & thei professe thereby to be reteined to him or him. And as they marke their horses with their brand, and set their marks vpon household vessel: So shall Antichriste doubtles haue also his [...] to wit, his marke, whereby he may both bynde wen to him, and so boūden shal marke, that they may be discerned from others, and by this meane maie weare the badge, and as it were the cullours of their Lorde and Maister. And he wyll geue his marke on the right hand, or on their foreheades.
The mark in the right hand or foreheades. Aretas and Primasius, finally all expositours agreablie, do expounde it the confession of the mouth, and studie and operation of a good woorke. We haue hearde verely, howe Christe in the seuenth chapt. ded imprinte on the foreheades of his seruaunts faith, by effectual charitie. And in very dede the signe of Gods children, is fayth, and loue that cometh of the same fayth. So do the writings of the Euangelistes and Apostles testifie. Neuerthelesse, Christ hath also the externall marke of his seruauntes, those holesome Sacramentes of the church, Baptisme and the Lordes Supper.
Howebeit yf any be baptized at this day, and be partaker of the Lords supper, cal vpō God the father with the Lordes [Page 423] praier, and vtter his faith by a sincere cōfession of thapostels Crede: morouer confesse those to be good workes, which are done in faith after the rule of the ten cōmaundementes, and besides this doe shine in good workes: shall he be taken for a true catholicke and right christen mā? In olde fime doubtles al men would haue imbraced him for a Brother. But what shuld he be at this daye in the Popes kingdome: Thou shalt seme by al these things to haue confessed nothing at al of the true faith, except thou plainely professe yt thou beleuest after the faith & tradition of the church of Rome: & that thou doest acknowledge those for good workes whiche the churche of Rome hath approued. Vnlesse thou beleue & professe on this wise, in vaine shalt thou confesse al the fourmer matters. No though thou saiest moreouer that thou beleuest the lawe, the prophetes, the gospel, & Apostles. They will like thee a great deale better, if thou sayest thou arte an obedient childe of the Apostolicall See and church of Rome: than if thou shouldest saye, that thou arte the childe of God, a christen manne, that thou puttest thy whole truste in the sonne of God, whiche is the only saluation and rightuousenes. Yea ye shall finde thē, which wil by and by at these wordes crie out, that they smell of heresie, & a minde infected with poyson. I fayne nothing, experience it selfe wil witnesse, that I saye trewth. And thus doeth the Pope marke his men both in the forehead & righthande. Thus are the Romishe whelpes discerned from other faythfull, as it were by markes.
Besides this there is an other thing. Al papist [...]s do plainely testifie, that vnlesse a man be marked in the forehead with Chresme by the Bishoppes hande, he is no christian: how so euer he be baptised, & beleue in Christ Iesus. Whereof it followeth, that they attribute more to their confirmation & annoincting of the Bishop, than to the christen faith. Reade the boke called Summa angelica in the title of confirmation. This therefore is a sealyng of the Popisshe religion: the Christen markes of Christ are sufficient. The Pope also by an other waye imprinteth his marke in the righthande of mē, by he [...] ting of vowes, & perfourming of othes, as they terme it. For they that make a vowe in entryng into any religion as they call it, as it were by a stipulation made, do binde themselues [Page 424] to the Pope and See of Rome. Furthermore Antichrist the Pope by othes also to be perfourmed by the holdyng vp of the right hande doeth binde and bring in daunger to him, Emperours, Kinges, Archbisshoppes, Princes, Bishoppes, Doctours, Vniuersities, and all states. They promesse that they will attempte nothing agaynst the church of Rome, nor agaynst the high Bisshop thereof, nor yet agaynst the priuileges and statutes of the See. There remayne the maner of othes in the decrees and decretalles. I touche these thinges briefly. They see more, that shutte not their eyes. And al men beholde, how the Pope hath set his marke on the righthand and forehead of men.
He forbiddeth that no man bée nor selle.There followeth againe of the fierse crueltie, and blouddy tiranny, which Antichrist practiseth agaynst the Christians, that is to saye agaynste them whiche will not receyue the marke of the beaste: that is, whiche will not prostitute themselues to the luste of the Pope, and the seate of pestilēce. Antichrist, sayeth the lorde, by his power shall brynge to passe, that none maye by or selle, saue he that hath the marke of the beaste, &c. And these come all to one effecte, the marke of the beaste, the name of the beaste, and the nombre of the name of the beast. For he hath the marke of the beast, which acknowledgeth the seate, and professeth the faith of Rome: and euen to whom the christen faith is not enough. He hath the name of the beaste, who so euer he be that will be named an obedient childe of the holy See of Rome, and acknowledgeth the Pope to be head of the vniuersall church. He hath the nombre of the name of the beaste, whiche hath a societie with the beaste, whiche societie that nombre bewrayeth or sheweth. Therfore excepte thou acknowledge the Pope to be supreme head of the churche in Earth, with the fulnes of power: vnlesse thou professest to followe the fayth of the holy church of Rome, and to deteste all thinges what so euer that See hath condemned, thou arte forbidden fire and water. That same hath the lord called to prohibite, that thou mayest nother bie nor selle. We saye in dutche, signifiyng one that is bannished out of al mens company. He vnderstandeth therfore excommunication, that horrible thonderbolte of the Pope, wherewith are stricken all those, that haue set more by Christ, than [Page 425] by the Pope, or the which haue lothed the Popes decrees in comparison of the Gospell. Let him reade, that liste the sixte decretall of Boniface the .8. in the .5. boke the .2. titl. de hereticis. Also Clement the .5. booke .3. Title. de hereticis. But he that will knowe exactely a compendiouse treatise of tiranny, and a glasse of butcherie, let him reade the Bulle of Martin the .5. whiche is subiecte to the Sessions of the Counsell of Constaunce, and is written to Bishoppes and inquisitours of heretical prauitie. Emonges other thinges, there is one, which geueth a wonderfull lighte to this place whiche we nowe expounde: where it cōmaundement, that they do not permitte them that dispise the communion of the churche of Rome, to kepe or dwell in any house or lodgynge, to make any bargaynes, or occupie any trafficke or trade of Marchandise, or to haue any cōforte of humanitie with the faithfull of Christ. Reade thou the reste, leafe .134. Herunto maye be added, that in Popishe churches is the greateste biyng and sellynge of all. But vnlesse his crowne be shauen, and his handes imbrewed with oyle, that is, except he hath receiued in the foreheade or head and in the righthande the marke indelible (for so they terme it, that can not be put out) he hath no marchandise lefte him in the house, nor so much as a little corner. But Christ whipped these marchaūtes, or byers and sellers ones or twise out of the temple: Antichrist hath brought them in agayne. And this is verely a wonder, thei shewe more fauour at this daye to Iewes, Turkes, and heathen, than to Christians. For vnto the only gospellers is no place permitted: verely for that they ascribe al to Christe, preache Christe only, leaue nothing to the Pope, but rather accuse him moste constantly, and bitterly.
But what shall we saye to them,Counsell for the seduced. whose handes and foreheades haue ben defiled with the marke? I bid them to wash themselues with ye bloud of Christ, forsake Antichriste, and tourne vnto Christe, in relinquisshyng their errours and repenting them. In case thou haste bounden thy selfe to Antichriste by an othe, doe not perfourme that rashe and wicked othe, by vngodly speakyng agaynst the gospel. Do penaūce, make thy purgation, retourne vnto Christ, and thou shalt be saued.
Here is wisedome.Nowe leest any man here should chatter, that we maye be Christians, & aboundantly instructed in heauenly wisedom, although we do heare or speake nothing of the pope and popishe matters, that those disputations are vnprofitable, yea odiouse, and to apperteyne to the stiring vp of troubles, and therfore to be hurteful and foolishe: that same our Lorde preuenteth, and sayeth expressely, here is wisedom in the knowledge and righte iudgemente of these thinges consisteth the trewe, heauenly and godly wisedome. Vnlesse we be wise in this thing, we shal be fooles, and not wise. The Lord therfore exciteth the hearers to the study of inquyringe after Antichriste, and to beware of him when he is founde. For in the 14. chapt. we shall heare, that they shall drinke of the Wine of Gods wrath, as many as haue receyued the marke of the beaste, and worshipped his Image. Wherefore they shall drinke at the same table with Christe of the cuppe of lyfe and of the grace of God, so many as haue dispised Poperie. And who shall denye it to be the trewe wisedome, by the whiche we maye come from the wrath of God, to the grace felloweshippe and participation of the same: Moreouer the lord adioyneth, that men indewed with vnderstandyng, not witles, and ful of hurtful follye, should recken the name of the beast: that is to saye, should be dilligently occupied in this matter, that those thinges should be dilligently searched for, whiche worldely menne affirme to be curiousely sought and inquired after,We are cō maunded diligētly to seke after Antichrist. not only without any profit, but with losse also, Moreouer the Lorde commaundeth to accompte the nombre of the name of the beaste. He addeth that the same is not harde to do. For this nombre to be the nombre of a man, to witte which a dilligēt man maye easely by fayth & industrie attaine to. For so doeth Aretas expounde it also, saiyng, that nombre is comon and knowen to men. Let them leaue than to trouble our godly studies, which blame our sermōs made against the Pope, and laugh at our dilligence such as it is in expoundyng popishe abominations, finally whiche suppose we spende our time in vayne in the accompte of times. They do heare here, excepte they will heare nothing, that we haue receiued cōmaundement of the lord, so to do: moreouer that the lord testifieth, that wisedome is herein.
And here I geue warnyng that the maner of speakyng is to be obserued,The nōbre of ye name of ye beast. that we wery not in vayne bothe our selues and our auditours through the inquisition of a certen name in the nombres. For that it is sayed to be the nombre of his name, as though he wold a certaine name shuld be gathered & composed of these charactes [...]: as for the most part is gathered of these thre lettres or charactes [...], this name Christ. Nother waūt they, which thinke how by these thre charactes no other thing is signified, than the name of christ: which the lord him selfe in the .24. of Matth. prophecied, that Antichriste should vse. Certes he calleth him self Christes vicar. I know rightwell, that the proper names of great men, haue ben sealed by prophecies and signified before: as Iosias, Cyrus, Iesus. But here thou canst gather no such thing, but forceably and as it were agaynst the heere. I vnderstande therefore by the nombre of the name of Antichrist or beaste, the very accōpte, wherby we come vnto his name. And a name is a briefe definition or description of any thing, whereby, it is knowen of what sorte and maner it is. Which thing in this our cause, the nōbre supplieth, whiche bringeth vs vnto those times, which geue him his name, whereof he taketh his name, yt is whiche times reueale vnto vs Antichrist spoken of before in the prophetes, and shewe vs who and what he is, or whō we should take for Antichrist, euen him verely, whiche hauing brought lowe three kinges, he him selfe starteth vp of naught, and to the distruction of the true religion beginneth to reigne.
And nowe he sheweth vs expressely this nombre nominall as I maye calle it,The nōbre of .666. yeres is expounded. and vocalle which maye leade vs vnto Antichriste, that we maye knowe who it is, and when we knowe him, we maye beware of him, and commaundeth vs to nombre the yeres sixe hondreth sixtie and sixe. For so many importe these Greke letters [...]. In expoundyng of the which nombre the expositours haue varied wonderfully. I like best the exposition of the blessed Martir S. Ireney, which perauenture an hondreth yeres after the setting forth of the Apocalipse, wrote his boke against heresies, & saw some, whiche hearde S. Iohn preach, with S. Ireney maketh also Andreas the good bishop of Cesaria, which with Aretas speaketh thus: the perfit rekening, & iuste accompte of the nōbre, as likewise [Page 428] other thinges which are written of the same Antichriste, the oportunitie of time shall open,Time shal reueale antichrist. and very experience, to suche as will watche dilligently. For if it were necessary, as some of the Doctours suppose, that this name should be manifestly knowē: he that sawe him, would doubtles haue reuealed. But the diuine grace allowed it not, that the name of this pestiferous beaste should in this godly boke be rehersed. Thus farre Andreas.
The exposition of Ireneus.After the same sorte also the holy Martir of Christ Ireneus before Andreas lefte written in the .5. boke agaynst Heresies. For aboute the ende of the booke: it is surer, sayeth he, and with out daunger to abide and tary for the fulfillyng of the prophecie, than to suspecte and gesse at euery name: where as many names maye be founde hauing the foresayde nombre, whereby notwithstanding the question is not aunswered. Yet by and by he sayeth: the name [...] conteineth the nōbre of .666. And very like it is to be true. For this vocable hath a very kingdome. For thei be latines, that now raigne. This sayeth he.Antichriste shalbe a latine, as also Sibilla prophecied And doubtles this good doctour erred not one whit, indued with the holy spirite of God. For we see that the church of Rome is called the latin churche, and the Pope the high Bisshop of the latin church. We see al seruice in churches sayde in the latin tongue. In Courtes & al iudgementes of Bisshoppes the latin tōgue only vsed. Moreouer no man shall serue in this churche, excepte he be a latiniste. What wil you saie that these latinistes cal the Hebrewe, that is to wit, the holy tongue, by an opprobriouse name Iewish, the Grece Church & tongue heretical? The Bibles in Greke and Hebrewe be of them suspected. For they will haue the latin Bibles only to be authenticall, and to be red of all men as authenticall. But these thinges are better knowen, than that I nede to admonisshe and recite them here with many wordes. Neuertheles this holy mā Ireneus doeth not wholy affirme this his coniecture as moste certayne, whiche notwithstandyng he sayed yet was moste probable and like to be trewe. For he addeth: notwithstandyng we will not be in hazarde herein (for he recited also the name [...], the royall or tirannicall name of Nimrod) nother will we affirmatiuely pronounce, that he shal haue this name: knowing, that in case [Page 429] it were requisite that his name shuld be manifestly preached at this present time, it should doubtles haue ben vttered by him, whiche had sene also the reuelation. But this nombre of the name hath he shewed, that we mighte beware of him when he cometh, knowyng who he is. And he concealed his name: for that is not worthy to be preached of the holy ghost and so forth.
Neuerthelesse the same before this sheweth vs away,A place of Daniel in ye .7. chapt. lighteth this place. how to accompte those .666. yeres. For thus he sayeth: knowyng the sure nombre, whiche is shewed vs of the Scripture, that is to saye, of .666. let the godly abide or loke for, firste the diuisiō of the kingdome into ten, afterwarde the same reigning and beginnyng to refourme their matters, and to augment their kingedome, he that cometh vpon the sodayne, chalenge to him selfe a kingdome, and shal put the foresayde kinges in feare, hauyng a name conteyning the foresayde nombre, to knowe him verely for the abomination of desolation. This agayne sayeth he.
But who seeth not, that the holy Martir sendeth vs to the prophecie of Daniel, whiche in the .7. chapt. sayeth, howe the Romane Empire shall be diuided into many kingedomes: & how in the middes of those kinges shuld rise vp a litle horne, whiche should ouerthrowe and abase three hornes: and that the same shoulde beginne to reigne prowdely, tirannically, and wickedly, agaynst bothe God and menne, but chiefly to the faithfull intollerable?
Let vs see than, how and when these thinges are fulfilled.The Romane Empire falleth Where the Romane Empire had godly Emperours, nother yet would wicked Rome bowe her styffe necke vnto Christ, but alwaies most obstinately aspired to her olde and wonted Idolatrie, which it coueted to haue restored: and finally whē the fatal time was at hande, wherin the lord most rightuouse thought to requite blouddy Rome, he armed against her the Gothians, Vandales and Germanes, which subdued & distroied the lady of the whole worlde, and distroyed the whole Empire of the which matter seke more in the .57. Sermō, and in the sermons followyng.Many hornes or kinges arrise.
And it is euident by Histories, that the Romane Empire, the Gothians beginnyng to inuade it, did slide, prouinces reuolting [Page 430] in euery place, and was seuered in many kingdome. For to speake nothing of Asia and Affricke, the Persians wasting that, and this the Vandalles, al Grece followed the Emperour of Constantinople, and likewise other nations nere. The Westegothes possessed all Spayne, and the French mē of Franconie subdued Gaulles and Germany and the nations adioynyng to the same. The Eastegothes and Lumbardes, obteyned Italy. Thus verely mere establisshed many kingdomes & in steade of Rome reygned many kinges. Howebeit whilest these kinges considered, how they might beste in large their kingedomes, and put downe and expulse others, full craftely the Bisshoppe of Rome played his parte also. For he obteyned the supremacie ouer all Bisshoppes. And so gote him great authoritie with Kinges and realmes, yea and linked himselfe in league and amitie with Kinges and Princes. Whereupon quickely and sodenly, or as the Martir of Christ prophecied, vpon the sodayne, he starte vp, and at laste vsurped a kingedome, to witte of Rome. For by his iudgementes falsely taken for Apostolicall, he put downe kynge Childericke, of the lignage of Merouinges, the lawefull king of Fraunce: and auaunced Pipine, than Captaine of the French garde, to the crowne. And so he ouerthrewe or plucked downe one horne: and bounde vnto him a most mightie Kinge, by whose power afterwarde he was a terrour to the kinges of Grece and Lumbardy.
Of thexarchate of Italie.For aboute the yere of our lorde .269. the Emperour of Constantinople, expulsing the Eastegothes, did institute a newe gouernement in Italy. But sins this kinde of rule and gouernemente is not knowen to all menne, I will briefly recite what and howe greate it was by the wordes of Nauclerus the Historiographer, ex generat. .20. Than beganne, sayeth he, the Citie of Rome and Italy to haue a newe maner of gouernemente, by the whiche they loste more the dignitie, glory, and feare ouer all the worlde, than of all the calamities, whiche these .160. yeres haue afflicted them, and at the laste had lefte Rome to be inhabited of wilde beastes. For Longinus brought in a newe name of dignitie, thexarchate of Italie: that is the high Magistrate. Whiche kepyng still at Rauenna, went neuer to the Citie of Rome. And in the gouernement [Page 431] of Italie, and of Cities he kepte firste this order, that the president should not gouerne the prouince or region, but euery Citie had their Magistrate to gouerne them, whome he called Dukes. Wherefore making Rome egall with other Cities and Townes, in this thinge only he honoured the same, that he called the Magistrate place in Rome, presidēt. But they that did succede him, were called Dukes, as they were afterward many yeres, so that it was called the Dukedome of Rome, as the Dukedome of Narnia and Spolet. Nother after Narset and Basill had it any more eyther Consulles, or Senate lawefully assembled: but by a Duke of Grece, whome the highe Magistrate sente from Rauenna, the comon welth of Rome was gouerned a long time. Thus much he.
I suppose any manne maye hereby without any difficultie perceyue, the Prophecies to be fully accomplisshed,Rome vtterly caste downe. and the Romane Empire to haue fallen into asshes. For shee that had ben the moste mightie Lady of the worlde, is sene nowe to bee made a vile gouernemente, neuer a deale more excellent, than that of Spolet and Narnia. &c. And here is to be knowen, that this Exarchate in Italy, was the thirde Lordeshippe instituted sins Augustulus was slayne, in whome the Histories saye, that the Empire of the weste was finisshed and ended. For first when Augustulus was slayne, the Germanes vnder their king Odacer possessed Rome. Afterwarde the Eastegothes by the conduicte of theyr Duke Theodoricke of Verona, Odacer expulsed and slayne, reygned at Rome and in Italy. Laste of all the Eastegothes by the Lumbardes expulsed and slayne, this Exarchate was instituted. And Lumbardes beyng called into Italy of the Grekes, agaynst the Gothes, woulde no more goe out agayne, for that they sawe the lande fertile and Riche, pleasaunt and aboundyng with sondry pleasures.The Lumbardes. Warynge therefore of greate power in Italy, they subdewed to themselues many Cities and people of Italy, establisshyng nowe the fourth domion, whiche they called the kingdome of Lūbardes. They had most puissaunt kinges. Howbeit that exarchate of Rauenna, although they layde dilligent awayte for it, & wente about to inuade it. [Page 432] yet coulde they neuer extinguish it: till the Bisshop of Rome put to his helping hande, pretendyng the sinceritie of religion.
The mainteyning of Idolatrye maketh of the Bishop of Rome a king.Historiographers accompte sixtene Exarches in order, which reigned aboute an hondreth & foure score yeres. The 15. of thē was called Paulus. Nauclere in the .25. generat. Leo the .3. sayeth he, Emperour of Constantinople cōmaunded, that they that were subiecte to the Romane Empire, should plucke downe al their Images, breake them, and burne thē. Contrarywise the Pope, (some will haue him Gregory the .2. some the .3.) wrote to the whole worlde, that they should not obeye these so wicked cōmaundementes of the Emperour. Platina sayeth more in the life of Gregory the .3. Gregory by consente of the clergie of Rome depriueth Leo the .3. Emperour of Constantinople bothe of the Empire, and also of the communion of the faithfull, for that he had plucked downe Images. Nauclerus sayeth moreouer: But so great authoritie at that time had the Popes decrees, that first they of Rauenna, and after the people and soldiours of Venise, made an open rebellion agaynst the Emperour and thexarche in Italy. And the treason increased dayly. For Marinus Spatarius, Duke of Rome, and his sonne Adriane, passing through Chā pania, were slaine of the Romanes. In whose stead they created Duke of Rome one Peter. They of Rauenna also, whilest some helde with the Emperour, and some with the Pope, in a tumulte made, slewe Paule thexarche and his sonne. Thus writeth Nauclere.
The frēch mē are sent for into Italy by ye Pope.In these cōmotions the Lumbardes, supposyng the occasion so long wisshed for to be nowe offered, through the conduite of Luitprande their king, inuade the lādes of thempire, and besege also Rome it self. But Pope Gregory the firebrāde of al the sturres in Italy, the soldiour and practicionar of the same, and like no priest nor preacher, sendeth for Charles Martell king Pinines father with his French chāpions into Italy against the Lumbardes. Howbeit this Charles perswadeth the kinge of Lumbardes frendely to departe from the Citie. But yet not long after Aistulphus kinge of Lumbardes spoileth againe the lādes of Rauëna, reneweth the Italian warre, and winneth Rauenna it selfe, and demaundeth tribute of the [Page 433] citie of Rome. But Stephen the .2. Pope, which aspired to the gouernement of Rauenna, & wisshed the Lumbardes distroyed, of king Pipine of Fraunce, vnto whō not long sins pope Zacharie by his wrongeful iudgement (as many suppose) had geuen the kingdome, required ayde, and deliueraunce, as it were offering him the kingdome. Therefore are the Frenchmen in armure, couetyng also to winne Italy. Whilest king Pipine entred into Italy, he met with the Ambassadours of the Emperour of Constantinople, whiche required, that he would restore Rauenna and thexarchate and landes thereof, to the Empire, whose of righte it was, and not the Pope or Romanes. Pipine aunswered, howe he warred for S. Peter and ye pope: and to go aboute, that the Lumbardes shuld not vexe the church. And that he would take from them thexarchate, and other rules of Italy, and deliuer them to the pope, whiche he perfourmed in dede. For he ouercame kinge Aistulphe, toke from him the gouernement of Rauenna, and deliuered it to the Bisshop of Rome.
Herein maye all men see,The kings ouerthrowen, the Pope him selfe is made a kīg vnlesse it be those which will see nothing, how this contemptuouse Bishoppe, and very smal horne, hath at one pusshe ouerthrowen two hornes. For he hath put themperour of Constantinople frō the gouernmēt of Italy: and hath put downe the King of Lumbardy & caused his people to be driuen out of Italy. For a fewe yeres after, the Pope, by the force of Charlemaigne, put downe Desiderius the last king of Lumbardy, and distroied withall the whole people of the Lūbardes. And thus starte vp the Pope, & became as it were king of olde Rome, & of the chiefe parte of Italy. And now ar the beginnings of the kingdome laied, but as yet he reigned not with full authoritie, as is declared before. Eberardus therfore Bisshoppe of Salisburge, whose wordes I recited in the preface of this boke, extendeth these things further. But I suppose this our exposition to accorde with ye prophet, with the thinges & times. And the pope gaue to king Pipine for so great a donatiō, a title, as Platina sheweth in the life of Stephen the .2. that al kinges of Fraūce shuld be called moste Christen. Afterwarde was the Image of the Empire bestowed vpon Charles: whereof is spoken before.
And leest the Pope should seme to haue receiued nothing, [Page 434] whilest king Pipine gaue him therarchate, the stories reporte thus:The Pope made a most mightie king. thexarchate was diuided into two regiones, in Pentapolis and Aemilia. Pentapolis had fiue cities, Rauenna, Cesena, Classe, Forum liuij, and Forum popilij. In Aemilia were, Bononie, Rhezo, Parma, Placence, and all the lādes that lie from the borders of the Placentines and Ticinians vnto Adria, and frō Adria to Arimine, &c. But he that liste maye reade the Donation of Ludouicus pius, in Volateranes Geographie, where he nombreth the kynges of Fraunce. We saye nothing yet of this that afterward he vsurped to him self power ouer kings and realmes, finally ouer all churches and soules, so that we must confesse, that a more maruelouse prince neuer liued.
Thou hast here a briefe and compēdiouse story, declaring how the Pope hauing hūbled & ouerthrowē three kinges, he him self began to be made a king. But let vs now apply herunto the nōbre of the name of the beast,The popes power augmēted both in spiritualties & in temporallies. to thende it maye so be knowen to the whole world, yt there is no other Antichrist to be loked for, than the bishop of Rome, that is comē: which in dede laied the foundatiō of his kingdom vnder thēperour Phocas, did builde it vnder the kings of Fraūce: and inlarged the same vnder themperours Henrickes & Friderickes, finally hath establisshed it vnder themperours followyng: reigneth in our time, and hath done certen ages already paste, &c.
The supputation of .666. yeres must be rekened from the time, wherin S. Iohn sawe the reuelation. Ireneus sayeth: It was sene no longe time sins, but in a maner in our dayes, about thende of the reigne of Domitian. And Eusebius in his chronicles saieth, that it was in the yere of our lord .97. Therfore there remayne yet thre yeres to accomplish an hondreth yeres from the birth of our lord. Adde therfore to an hōdreth yeres,The fatall yere of our lord .763. these yeres of the nōbre of the name of the beast .666. & substracte those three yeres of the first hondreth, and thou shalt haue the yere of our Lord .763. whiche was the .13. yere, or there aboutes of king Pipines reigne, and the .7. of Pope Paul. Notwithstandyng that there be wryters of stories and times, which attribute to Paull but one yere, &c.
Now muste we not loke only what thing happened in the very instaunt of the yere .763. but what chaūced in the nexte yeres fourmer and following. Whereof I will recite a fewe [Page 435] thinges oute of the writers of stories and tymes.
Nauclerus in the .16. generat. In the yeare of our Lord.Wōders & Monsters. 750 saieth he, vnder Pope Zacharie, and vnder themperour Constantine the .5, began the .26. generatiō, in ye which was made an alteration of the Kingdome of Fraunce, an abolyshment of the Kyngs of Lumbardie, and a translatiō of the Romane Empire from the Grekes. These so greate alterations, the wonders dyd happly pourtend, which hapned at this tyme. In Mesopotamia the Earth roue a sunder by the space of two myles, and a Mule was sayed to haue spoken with a mans voyce. Ashes fel downe from heauen. Ther were wonderful Earthquakes. Crosses appered vpon mens garmēts. These things wrote Nauclerus. The lyke are red in the storie of Eutropius, in ye .22. boke, vnder ye yeare of Cōstantine ye .6. moreouer in the Historicall glasse of Vincent, & in Fasciculo temporū.
In the yere of our Lord .751.Pipine is made King through the coūsell of Zachary the Pope, Pipine the master of the Kyngs household, oppressing his lord Hilderych king of Fraūce, began to reigne, and reigneth .18. yeres. This writeth Aemilius in the .2. boke of kings of Fraūce. And in the yere .755, Pipine entreth into Italie with an Armie, vanquisheth the King of Lumbardes, and geueth the whole gouernemente of Rauenna to S. Peter, The exarchate is geuen to the Pope. against the wil of the Emperour of Constantinople. Vespergensis in chronicis. You see, howe in stead of ye Emperour, the Pope beginneth after a sort, to reigne at Rome and in Italie, the hornes be shaken of, according to the prophecie. Mathew Palmer in his chron. vnder the yeare .756: the Romane Empire, sayeth he, reuolting a pace in the Easte,The begynninges and preludies of the Empyre translated. and the Emperour persecuting the Christians, (Idolaters he shoulde haue termed them) Pope Stephen gaue to the kynges of Fraunce the Emperiall titles and dignities, and cōfirmed Pipine, and the successours of his stocke onely for their kyngs, al others vtterly excluded, and in the name of the people of Rome, called hym Patricium. Hitherto Palmer.
Ihon Functius in his Chron. In the yeare of our Lord .756 the rites and ceremonies of the church of Rome,The Romish religion obtruted. were caried into Fraunce & first receiued. In the yeare of our Lord .757. Paule is made Pope, and immediately followeth that fatall yeare of our Lord .763. as the middle poinct betwixt the yere [Page 436] 750. & .770. or .773. Wherein these thinges haue all together chaūced, which both geue the name to Antichrist, and whereof, as euery thing els is knowen by his name, so hath he also his name and is knowen.
In the yeare of our Lorde .768. Stephen the .3. helde a counsell at Rome in the church Laterane of the byshops of Fraūce & of Italie:Idolatry is confirmed. and decreed, that none shuld be ordeined bishop of Rome, but a Cardinal. He condemned moreouer ye Greke counsell of the Emperour Cōstantine against Images, which he cōmaunded both to be had and worshipped. These things writeth Antoninus in Chron. tit. 14. Cap. 1. & .5.
After this, that great Charles, the sonne of Pipine, sent for into Italie by pope Adriane, Charles cōfyrmeth al thinges. taketh Desiderius King of Lumbardes, and putteth downe the Kyngdome of Lumbardes. This was done in the yeare of our Lorde .773. and also the two hondreth & fourth yeare, after that the Lumbardes were arryued in Italie. And he confirmed and augmented the donatiō of Pipine his father. As many Historiographers make relation. Ihon Functius in Cron. addeth, that through out the whole Realme of Fraunce,Euen so was the masse obtruted to ye Germaines. at the cōmaundement of Charles, the Ceremonies of the Romish church were instituted. We haue nowe than the name of Antichrist, of the nombre .666. We knowe who he is, and whome we shoulde beware of.
I can not here omitte, but at fewe wordes muste note the supputation of Sibilla, concerning the originall of Antichrist to my iudgement, very agreable to the fourmer accoumpte. For the .8. bokes of Sibelles oracles, taken out of the librarie of the honorable cōmon welth of Auspurg, were set forth by the moste godly and learned man, D. Xistus Betuleius, in the yeare of our Lorde .1545. and that in Greke. And this Sibilla Erythreae, or whatsoeuer she were, prophesieth in the .8 boke, that Rome shal fal, and be burnt with fier. The wordes of Sibelle in Greke are to this effecte.
And this thing was accōplished, at what time Totilas Kynge of Gothes fyred the Citie, as we haue rehearsed before. And [Page 437] shortelie after in the same Oracles are these annexed.
and the residue which are read there.
She byddeth accoumpte from the burninge of Rome fiftene Kinges. After whome shall come a newe Kinge, whome she describeth. And it is manifest that Rome was taken, spoyled and burnt, vnder the Emperour Iustinian. After ar accoumpted from Iustine the yonger, to the Emperour Theodosius, 15. After Theodose, succedeth Leo the .3. whose name was Isauricus, she calleth those kings delicatos that is, geuē to pleasures. Because the most parte of them were not very valiaunt, but vnder Leo .3. Italie reuolteth from themperour: And shortlie also the gouernement called the Exarchate, was geuen to the pope of Kinge Pipine, againste the Emperours mynde. We se therfore that the supputations do agree. For we haue also brought to kinge Pipine the yeares .666. And so a newe kynge ariseth, whome Sibille nameth [...] notable by reason of his whyte hat or myter. For so she noteth the Byshop (which in oulde tyme dyd weare on their heades whyte miters) yt shuld be a king. She geueth him a name also. For she sayeth how he hath a name nere vnto Ponti. For adde to the worde Ponti, fex, and you haue Pontifex. She annexeth certen notes or marks also: yt he shall regard earthly things, and not heauenly: and that he shal also prouide ( [...]) and geue rewardes, with his vngraciouse fote. And that is rightly spoken, sins that after Domitian and Dioclesian, none of all the Kynges, saue the Pope, hath offered his fote to be kissed: whereby fooles thinke, they receyue greate rewardes. But omitting these thinges, let vs retourne into the waye.
The blessed marter Ireneus speakyng of this Kyng, in the same .5. boke. In the beast comming, sayeth he, ther is made a recapitulation of all iniquitie, and of all deceipte, to the end [Page 438] that al Apostatical power concurring and concluded in him,Antichriste is the sinke of al vngodlyn [...]sse and wickednes might be throwen into a fournace of fyer. And that he hath spoken this thing by the spirite of prophesie, all men wil confesse, that haue red the lyues of the Byshops of Rome: but especially of Siluester the .2. Benedictus the .9. Gregory the .6. Gregory the .7. Vrbanus the .2. Paschalis the .2. Alexander the .3. Innocentius the .3. Gregory the .9, Boniface the .8. Clement the .5 Ihon ye .22. to speake nothing of diuers others. What in our dayes haue done, Iulies, Clemētes, Leos, and Paules. Spayne, Fraūce, England, Hōgarie, and Germanie, and other Realmes speake, which haue ben set together by the eares, and intangled emongs thēselues with most cruel wars. The bloud of martirs shed speaketh, which crieth vnto ye Lord. What remaineth therfore, but yt we shuld take hede to our selues, & beware of this man of sin, and cleaue to our redemer Christ our Lorde, beseching him, that he wold come shorty, and delyuer vs from all euyll. Amen, Amen.
¶ Christe standeth vpon Mounth Sion, hauynge his churche: and is deserbed by notes, which and what shall be the shepe of Christe. The .lxij. Sermon.
The .14. Chapter. ANd I loked, and lo, a lambe stode on the moūt Sion, and with him 144000. hauing his fathers name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heauen, as the sounde of many waters, and as the voise of a great thonder. And the voyce that I hearde, was as the harpers, yt play vpon their harps. And they soung as it wer a newe song before the seat, and before the foure beastes, and the elders, and no man coulde learne that song, but the hondreth and .xliiii. thousand which were redemed from the earth. These are they [Page 439] which were not defiled with wemen, for thei are virgins. These followe the Lambe, whither so euer he goeth. These were redemed from men, beyng the first fruictes vnto God, and to the Lambe, & in their mouthes was founde no gyle. For they are without spotte before the trone of God.
Like as he hath hitherto mixed ioyefull thinges with sorrowfull,A consolation, and preachyng of ye gospel and annexed a consolation to moste harde & cruell chaunces: so nowe he adioyneth also to the tirannie of the Romane Empire an exposition hauing bothe a consolation and an exhortation moste graue and weightie. Vndoubtedly by the description of the Romishe tiranny, and reigne of Antichrist it might haue semed, that the Church and the preachynge of the Gospell had ben vtterly loste, and that vngodlines should haue triumphed for euer: he declareth therefore by a most excellent vision, howe Christ shall reigne notwithstandyng in his chosen, and shal ouercome, and shal haue his churche continually, and that righte famouse. He describeth what the electe shal be. He addeth that the preaching of the Gospell can not be so oppressed, but that it shall rather be preached with great Constancie through out all the worlde. And that Rome also shal fal, and al the vngodly be pūnished. He exhorteth therfore most ernestly, that we haue not to do with Antichrist, leeste also we be made pertakers of his damnation, And to thintent there might waunt nothing that cō cerned a full comforte, he addeth, that thinge whiche maye chiefly confirme the mindes of al the godly euen in the greatest daungers, howe they that die in Christ doe flitte streight wayes from the corporall death vnto lyse euerlastynge. Whiche finisshed, he tourneth to the description of the punnishement to be taken assuredly of the Antichristians. Wherfore if the Bokes of the Gospell and newe Testament be to be estemed for the manifolde description of Christe, and of saluation by him obteyned for the faythefull, yf they are to be estemed of the comforte, and preaching of the gospel: this is doubtles a boke most gospel like, as that which by a cōtinuall [Page 440] tenour to perillouse thinges annexeth consolation.
The Lābe standeth on mounte Sion.S. Iohn therfore seeth the Lambe standyng vpon Moūte Sion. Christ therfore slepeth not, he is not ignoraunt of the perilles and conflictes of his churche: but he standeth as prepared to ayde and succour his. He standeth as a king inuincible, whome nother the Dragon, nor the olde nor the newe beast hath ouerthrowen. For I haue tolde you oftener than ones, especially in the .5. chapt. that by the Lambe is vnderstande Christ. For he is the lambe and price of our redemption vntill the iudgement: but than laiyng a parte the office of an intercessour, he shall be a moste seuere, and also a moste holy iudge. And Christ standeth, not in the sande, as did the Dragon: but on a Mounte, and that vpon mounte Sion. Mounte Sion was a figure of Christes kingdome, as appereth playnely in the .2. Psalme, and the .2. of Esaye. And the kingedome of Christe, is the church, aswell triumphante, as militaunt: therefore in the felloweship of Sainctes standeth Christ, the ioye and glory of them that are in heauen, and the life and helper of them, whiche fight as yet in Earth. Let vs beleue therfore, that in the Antichristiane persecutiōs Christ wil neuer faile his faythfull: as he is red neuer to haue fayled the olde Sainctes vnder the olde Romane Empire afflicted. For this consolation serueth chiefly for vs, which are vexed of Antichrist: and serued for them also, whiche suffered martirdome vnder the olde Romane Empire. Nother is there any doubt, but that they cōfirmed themselues herewith in the greatest persecutions.
With the lambe are. 144000.But that same is moste full of consolation, that the lambe is not alone, but hath with him an hondreth and foure and fourtie thousande: that is to saye a most ample church. How so euer therfore the beaste rageth and sleyeth the confessours of Christ, yet shal there be alwayes a church, that shall neuer be plucked vp euen in the Earth. He setteth a nombre certen for vncerten, and yet certaine and determinate: for that the nombre of them that shal be saued shal seme small in comparison of them, which shal worshippe the beastes, and perisshe. Howebeit we vnderstande that the nombre of them shal neuertheles be greatest, which shal be the body of the Church, vnder their head Christ, euen than also, what time the Pope [Page 441] with all the limmes of Antichrist shall haue powred out all their furie. Of this nombre of the electe I haue spoken in the 7. chapt. where the selfe same nombre is set.
And as the Antichristians beare the marke of Antichrist in the righthande and foreheades: so verely the shepe of Christ,Thei haue the name of ye father in theyr foreheads. and which shal be the church, the spouse of christ, vnder their head Christ, shal haue their marke also in their foreheades, to witte the name of the father of the Lambe. For Eius is to be referred to the Lambe. And he speaketh not of an externall marke, whiche should be printed on their foreheades, but of the marke of their mindes. The same is faith, the signe of all Gods children. And the fayth in the Father and the Sonne, whiche are not without the holy ghost. And howe shouldest thou beleue, that almightie God is thy father, vnlesse thou vnderstande the same to be obteined of the sonne? This faith therfore is here vnderstande to be a christen, not a Iewish or Turkishe fayth, whiche yet confesseth God to be the father. But sins they haue not the sonne, as sayed S. Iohn in his Epistle, they nother haue the father. Therfore the true membres of the church of Christ, the trewe shepe, doe beleue that they haue a mercifull father through the sonne, by whome they knowe that the father beyng pacified, hath geuen all thinges of life and of saluation in his sonne. They that seke not for saluation and all goodnes in the only mediatour the sonne of God, haue not doubtles the right marke of the children of God in their foreheades. At this daye all will be christiās, but neglectyng Christ, thei depēde wholy of Sainctes. Therfore their faith is not the trewe marke of the children of God. No they nother knowe the father nor the sonne. And therfore they persecute those that cleaue wholy to the father by the sonne. And seyng Christ is with his church, what nedeth the church a vicar? Certēly it can not be the true church, whiche hath a vicar of Christe, for than it waunteth Christe whom the trewe church can not waunte.
It was not enough for the Apostle to haue sayed, that the church was vnited with Christe: vnlesse he had added moreouer with many wordes, howe he hath sene the churche affected, and how she demeaned her self, than verely, when the beastes did afflicte her: that euen we may learne therof, what [Page 442] is the hope of Sainctes in greatest daungers, & of what sorte it behoueth vs to be in persecutions and temptations.
He heareth the voice of many waters.First he heareth a voice from heauē, as the voice of many waters. Waters in the Scriptures many times doe signifie people. We vnderstande therfore herby, that the church shal be populouse, and speaking: to thintēt to dissemble nothing, but frely to professe Christ. And therefore he heareth also the sounde of a great thonder. For the church getteth from heauen power to preache and shewe forth the Gospell grauely, though the worldes bowelles burste. And verely of the frāke & constaunt preaching of the gospel Iohn and Iames are called with Marke the sonnes of thōder. And cōcerning the preachyng of the gospell shall followe more afterwarde. He heareth moreouer a melodiouse harmonie of menne singyng to their harpes, & singing as it were a newe song. The which is chiefly referred to the sainctes in heauen, singing eternall prayses to God: secōdely to ye sainctes liuing here yet in earth, which also offer vnto God continually prayses & thankes geuyng. Therfore how so euer their hartes be made sorrowfull in perilles and aduersities, yet their spirite reioyceth in the Lord. For no mā coulde learne that same songe, saue thelecte. For like as none of the heauenly dwellers can expresse or vnderstande the excellencie of the ioyes of the life to come, and the praises of God, excepte he dwell emonges the heauēly inhabiters, & be pertakers of the moste godly life: so excepte any man liuyng yet here in Earth be regenerated, he nother seeth how great is the felicitie of the faithful, nother cā he iustely esteme, the prayses which they offer vnto God. Touching the newe songe I haue spoken in the .5. chapt. And certenly to wordly men the thinges seme as they were newe, whiche the faithfull bring forth of Gods worde.
The true markes of ye faithful.Nowe doeth S. Iohn describe also what maner ones the shepe of Christ shal be, which shal continewe in the church of Christ, dispising the furies of the beastes. Vnto whome also the marke of his fathers name in their forcheades is expounded.They are redemed from the Earth. We shall perceyue moreouer, what be the true markes of the faithful. First they are redemed frō the earth. Doubtles al we bearing the earthly Image of the earthly mā, were solde vnder sinne, for the whiche cause we are also subiecte to [Page 443] maledictiō. But the lord hath bought vs with the price of redemption, payed vpon the crosse, so that now we are shapen newe after the Image of the heauenly man, to with beyng adopted for the children of God. Of the which redemption the Apostle hath spoken in the .1. Corinth. the .7. and to the Roma. the .3. & in other places. S. Peter also .1. Pet. 1. And for asmuch as the faithful knowe themselues to be bought and adopted by Christe to the heauenly inheritaunce, they are addicte to serue their redemer only, and inseperablely cleaue to him.
Morouer they are virgins,They are virgins. not defiled with women in expoūding the which thinges thauncientes torment thēselues, leeste any thing here should seme to redounde to the derogation of holy matrimony, wherby doubtles, witnes thapostle in the .1. Corinth. 7. and .13. to the Hebr. no man is defiled. I am here asshamed to bring forth the trifles of the Papistes. For who cā heare the vncleanest of al mē reasoning any thing of cleanes? They wil hereby mainteyne & colour that single life of theirs: but al men see neuerthelesse, excepte they be blinder than betelles, what filthines hath ben cōmitted and is cōmitted dayly, vnder the pretence of this vngraciouse, & most vncleane singlenes. But the Lord speaketh nothing at this present of corporal mariage, but rather spiritual. For it is manifest, that thapostles as the brideleaders of our sauiour, haue brought the churche to our Sauiour a chaste virgin, whiche hath not had to do with any straunge or foreine womā: that is to saye, which is not defiled with the participation of euill doctrine. Reade Salomon reasonyng of that woman grauely in the .4. chapt. of the Prouerb. Reade moreouer thapostle in the .2. to the Corint. 11. excedingly wel teaching, that the faithful are an vndefiled virgin the spouse of Christ. The faithfull therfore which liued vnder the tiranny of the beastes, receyued no straunge doctrine of Idolles, and of other prophane cultes, nother do at this daye admitte the popish infectiō, but kepe their maydenly mindes for their husbāde Christ, beyng despowsed vnto him by faith most sincere.
These follow the lāb, whether so euer he goeth.They follow ye lābe whither so euer he goeth. That is to saie, they care for no man but Christ, they desire no man but Christ: in him they repose al their ayde, al their cōfort, al their ioye, al saluation, to him alone haue alwayes respecte, in him [Page 444] they know themselues to be complete: which one and alone is to them al thinges. Moreouer whither so euer Christe calleth the faithful by doctrine and exāple, yf it be to very death and moste cruell butcherie, they followe willingly and cherely. Whereby it cometh to passe, that in the world to come, they cā neuer be seuered from him. For where so euer Christ is, there is also Christes minister: as he him selfe hath witnessed in the .12. and .14. chapt. of Iohn.
They are also redemed frō men,Redemed from men. deliuered verely through the grace of Christ, that they should not follow this corrupte and vncleane world, by all kinde of pollution. For Christ by his spirite and worde calleth his out of this worlde, that although in body we are cōuersaunte in the world, yet should we with al our minde abhorre the worlde, & the thinges that are therin. Furthermore for this intente hath he chosen, and redemed his from the bondage of men or of the worlde,First fruices to god. that they should be first fruictes to God the father & to his sonne. Which place the moste godly and excellent learned man D. Fraunces Lamberte expounding in his cōmentaries vpon the Apocalipse: it is manifest, saieth he, by the .23. of Leuit. the .15. of Numeri. and .18. of Deuter. what firste fruictes be, and that they were gathered for the Lord, and went to the high priest. But Christ is that high priest, vnto whome the spiritual first fruictes apperteyne, to witte the godly, & sanctified to God. These things are confirmed of the Apostle, which sayed, that Christ gaue him selfe for vs, to the ende he might redeme vs from all iniquitie, and might purifie vs to him selfe an especial people, a follower of good workes. Therefore do the true faithfull singularly applie them to godlynes, and that they maye be the first fruictes, & a most excellēt present of the lord, sins they know themselues to be redemed for this ende, that all the reste of the time of their life, they might serue God.
In their mouth no gyle.In their mouth is founde no gile. He sayeth not, no cōcupiscence, or euil motiō to be founde in the hartes of the faithfull: but denieth that there is any gile in their mouth. For albeit that the faithful be troubled and vexed with the affectiōs of the fleshe, yet so loue they the trewth, that to their knoweledge they wil disceaue no man. And chiefly do dissemble nothing, that apperteyneth to the confession of the trewth and [Page 445] veritie, nor vse any gile in the doctrine of the Gospell.
They be morouer with out spotte before the trone of god,They be without spotte. not by their owne vertue, but by ye sanctification of Christ: which S. Paule also affirmeth in the .5. chapt. to the Ephesi. And he hath spoken it aptly, before the trone. For S. Austen sayed, that our sanctification should at laste be made perfit in the world to come.
These I say be the trewe markes of the trewe faithful, and of the trewe church of Christ. Let euery man search here the secret corners of his harte, & consider dilligētly in his minde, whether he be marked with these signes: and let him busily praie vnto God, that if he fele them, the lord would confirme them: if he fele them not, that the Lord would printe them depely in their mindes.
¶ The Aungel preacheth the eternall gospel of Christe. The .lxiij. Sermon.
ANd I sawe an Aūgell fliyng in the middes of heauē, hauing an euerlastyng Gospell to preache vnto them that sit & dwel on the earth, and to all nations, kinredes and tunges & people, saiyng with a lowde voice: feare God, and geue honour to him, for the houre of his Iudgement is come: and worshippe him that made heauen and earth, and the See and the fountaines of water.
Antichrist desireth nothing so much to be oppressed, as the preaching of the Gospell. For euen therfore hath he instituted the inquisitours of hereticall prauitie for h [...] dare calle the Gospel heresie. Therfore he burneth the Gospel bokes, and preachers of the gospel, and euery where restreyneth the readyng of the gospel, and Euangelical bokes. Wherefore the simple suppose, that it can not be but that gospel with all his [Page 446] adherentes should perish vtterly. Now therfore in the lordes consolation is brought in a vision of an Angel (for he is stil in the vision) fliyng in the middes of heauen, hauing the euerlasting gospel, and preachyng to the world. Whereby is signified, that the gospell shal be preached vnto men, in despite of al the enemies therof. And he gathereth a briefe some of such thinges as by the gospell are preached to the worlde. Those same appertaine also to the cōforte of the church, whiche vnder the olde beaste suffered persecutions for the Gospel. We will briefly consider euery thing.
The angel is a figure of the preachers.Firste it is euident euen by the fourmer thinges, that by thangel is signified the ministers of the worde, and the very ministerie of the gospel. Certes ye scripture calleth preachers Angelles. For so is S. Iohn Baptiste named of the prophet Malachie. Wherof is spokē before. And the ministers by this honourable title are admonished, of puretie, & of most sincere faith. For Angels be gods ministers: whō thei only regarde, loue, and honour: whose cōmaundemētes thei execute most faithfully, sincerely, and dilligētly. Such it besemeth preachers to be in their kinde and office. And like as Angels cannot be hurte through the treasons and iniuries of men: so God defendeth his ministers, vntill the houre appointed. So is Peter deliuered out of prison, in the .12. of thactes. So is Paul in Shippewreake, &c. And he sayeth an other Angell, for that he hath brought in already sondry visiōs of diuerse Angels. Notwithstanding that, other, semeth to be put for the firste. For he annexeth to this yet two angels moe. The first wherof he calleth an other, the later the thirde.
He flieth through ye middes of Heauen.And this Angell flieth in the middes of heauen. By this thinge is signified the lucky course and procedyng of the preachyng of the gospell. It is also written in the prophetes, his worde runneth swiftely. Psalm .19. Dauid compareth the runnyng of the preachyng of the gospell, to the course of the sunne, ioyefull as a giaunt he runneth his waye: i [...] the vttermost parte of heauens he arriseth, and runneth againe to the same, neyther can any man stoppe him, nor hide him self frō the heate thereof. The sunne shineth in all places. Therefore shal the preaching be free. For as we cā nother plucke backe nor hinder, the thinges that are aboue vs in thayre & skie: so [Page 447] shall we nother plucke downe, nor hinder him that flieth in the middes of heauen. The wordes and writinges flie, they flie farre & wide where. Nother can the veritie be oppressed. God hath geuen to the world Printyng, wherby the gospel is preached and runneth farre, wide, and most swiftely.
And this Angell hath the euerlastyng gospell.The gospell euerlasting. Wherin is the greatest cōforte. For it signifieth, that the veritie shal be in the world inuincible. And for many causes is the Gospell called euerlastyng. Firste, because the veritie is immortall, which can not be bounden, how so euer the ministers are fettered & slayne .2. Timoth. 2. secondely the gospel is eternal, for bicause it was shewed to our firste fathers, prophecied in the lawe & prophetes, fulfilled of Christ, declared by thapostles, & by the grace of God brought vnto vs. Yea & before al times was predestinated. Reade the .1. to the Ephes. For euē for this cause is it called euerlasting, for asmuch as it apperteineth to vs & to our posteritie vnto the worldes ende, and not only to our elders. And because it is euerlastyng, they lie whiche at this daye calle it a newe doctrine or learnyng. Papistrie is newe, whiche hath his originall, what time euery thing was ordeyned. &c. Moreouer the Apostle sayeth: yf I or an Angel from heauē shal preach any other gospell, or besides the same that ye haue receyued, let him be accursed.
And we heare expressely, that the Aungel had not only the Gospell, but that he had preached the gospell.The angel preacheth. Many in dede haue the gospel, but dumme, and written in bokes. The gospel must be shewed forth and pronounced. He declareth also vnto whom the gospel must be vttered and preached: to the inhabiters of the earth: for it must be cried out to such as are drowned in earthly matters, and they muste be reysed out of their slepe. And after his maner and imitation of blessed Daniel in the .7. chapt. He rekeneth vp nations, kinredes, tunges, and people: and thus signifieth that the gospell shal be preached [...]ough out the whole worlde. Whiche thing the lord sayde also should come to passe in the .24. of Matth. and than that the ende should come. And we see at this daye, that the gospel hath in a maner thondered through out the whole world. And here I geue warning leeste any disceaue him self. Thapostle in the .1. Timoth. 3. and .1. Coloss. yt the gospell was [Page 448] preached through out the whole world in his time. Howbeit al men had not than receyued it, but a fewe. Do not therfore Imagine with thy selfe, that the Gospel is not preached, vnlesse al receyue it.There shal no more be made one sheperde & one shepefolde. They are abused, that promise to thēselues before the iudgement a concorde of all nations, for that it is writtē, that there should be ons one sheperde, and one shepefolde. For the same was accōplisshed, whilest of the Iewisshe Synagoge and dispersion of the gentiles, the lord prepared to him selfe one church, wherof Christ is head, and pastour, and Antichrist shal at the length by his laste comyng be abolished. Therfore shall he alwayes resiste Christe.
He preacheth with a lowde voice.Furthermore where he seeth & heareth this Angell preach the gospel with a lowde voice, he meaneth that the preachers shall with great constancie and frankenes, also with shrylle voices and most ernestenes preach the gospell agaynst Antichrist. And we see at this daye, that the more cruelly the faithful are greued and oppressed, the more feruently and lowder they crie, and that also they be called clamorouse criers.
What the Aungell preacheth.Moreouer he compriseth in a briefe some, what thinges are to be set forth in the preaching of the gospel, chiefly in the laste times. First he sayeth: feare God. The feare of God is the beginning of wisedome: therfore not to feare God, is the beginnyng of foolishenes,The feare of God. & of al errours. The feare of God, hath nothing comon with the feare of the world. The godly man is not affrayed of God, as a gilty seruaunt feareth his maister, and that more punnisshment, than his maister, whō he hateth rather. For the feare of God hath the reuerēce and loue of God. It attributeth to God the supreme Maiestie, imbraceth faith, and hath a faithful care, wherby it awayteth vpon God, worshippeth, prayseth, and professeth the same. Doubtles because we more feare men, than God, we feare more the Pope, and the mallice and hatred of him and his, therefore do we not execute iustice vprightly, nor professe the trewth frankely, nother yet set forth the gospel. But the lord in the Gospel sayeth: feare ye not them, which maye kill the body & haue no power ouer the soule: rather feare ye him, which condemneth both body & soule to hell fire. Certes the feare of God is not only the beginnyng, but also the bonde of al vertue. Hereafter we shall heare that the feareful shal be [Page 449] caste into hel, with the beaste & with the false prophet. Therfore let God be our feare, like as Esaye teacheth in the .8. cha. Let vs feare God for our sinnes committed. Here fewe are affraide: but many are affraide to speake the trueth, to mainteyne godlines, and to rebuke wickednes.
Secondely the preachyng of the Gospell comprehendeth the honour of God. For he sayeth: and geue him honour.the honour of God. And thou doest not seperate the sonne from the father. For he in the .5. of Iohn sayeth thus: the father hath geuē al iudgement to the sonne, that al shuld honour the sonne, as thei honour the father. He that honoureth not the sonne, honoureth not the father, which sent him. And in very dede the father cā not be honoured, but by ye sonne. For we honour him, when we beleue him to be true, & receyue Christ the sonne of God, as the only rightuousnes & perfection of al faithful. By faith therfore chiefly we honour God, than reuerēcyng him only by faithful obedience, & walking in his commaundementes. S. Iohn in his Canonic. he that beleueth not the sonne, sayeth he, maketh God a liar (see howe ye maye highly dishonour God) which beleueth not the testimony which God hath testified of his sonne. And this is the testimony, that God hath geuē to vs eternal life: & this life is in his sonne. He that hath the sonne, hath life: he that hath not the sonne, hath not life. We are therefore, forbidden, els where, than in Christ alone, to seke life & al goodnes. But the papistes honour the Pope, and his cōstitutions, his Sainctes also, and honour not God alone. They in graue in theyr cuppes, Soli deo gloria: to God alone be glory: but yet in the meane season thei persecute thē, whiche will not ascribe the glory dewe to God alone vnto their folish trifles. But the Gospell wil crie out, that to God alone al glory is dewe.
Hereunto is added a spurre,The iudgemēt of the sonne of God. whiche maye pricke them to feare & glorifie God: for the houre of his iudgement is come. The Gospel therefore in the latter dayes shal beate into men the last iudgement. This hath a wonderful effecte to obteine of men amendement of life. And it is pourposely sayed, it is come: and not, the houre of his iudgement shal come. For so is the certentie of his iudgement expressed, and we are warned, to loke for that same daye euery moment. The Apostle [Page 450] vsed the same argument in the .17. chapt. of the Actes to them of Athens, and to the Corinth. the .2. Epist. 5. chapt. Lette vs remembre, O bretherne, that strayte iudgement: let vs amende our faith and maners, and al thinges that agree not with the gospell. For certenly we shal die, certenly we shal be iudged. But then, when we shal promise our selues peace, shall come sodayne destruction. Watche.
To worship God.Finally the Gospell teacheth to worshippe God alone. Than doe not the faithfull worshippe Idolles, to whome so euer they be erected. They worship not the Pope ouerwhelmed with wickednesse: much lesse doe they kisse, and by kissinge worshippe his vngraciouse and stinkyng fete. They worshippe not the God Mauzim of the wafer makers,Daniel. 11. the God in the boxe, which is worshipped in palaces & churches as shutte vp in the pixe. They worshippe not Sainctes: but God alone. Therefore lifte vp your hartes vnto heauen and worshippe. We haue here in Earth wōderful workes, which maie moue vs to worshippe this God alone. He is maker of heauen and Earth, and of the See. Who is greater? who is mightier? Therefore worshippe him, the trewe God? Matth. 4. He annexeth here fountaynes of water, for that the miracle and benefite of waters is greate. For if we consider the originall sprynge, substaunce, pleasauntenes and commoditie of fountaynes we shal be compelled to wonder. God be praysed.
¶ An other Angell preacheth, that Babilon shall fal: and an other diswadeth all men from the felloweshippe of the religion of the beaste. The .lxiiij. Sermon.
ANd there followed an other Aungel, saiyng: she is fallen, she is fallen euen Babylon that greate Citie: for she made all nations drinke of the wine of her whoredome. And the thirde Angell followed them, [Page 451] sayeng with a loude voyce: yf any man worship the beast, and his Image, and receiue his marke in his forehead, or on his hand, ye same shall drinke of the wyne of the wrath of God, which is powred in ye cup of his wrath. And he shal be punished in fyre & brimstone, before the holy Angels and before the Lambe: and the smoke of their tourmente ascendeth vp euermore. And thei haue no rest day nor night, which worship the beast and his Image, and whosoeuer receyued the prynte of his name. Here is the patience of Saincts. Here ar thei that kepe the cōmaundements, and the faith of Iesu.
For the comfort of the faithful flocke of Christ,❀ The Romysh Churche shall fal. is brought forth an other Aungell, a type of all godly preachers, which preacheth with great constancie, that the kyngdome of Anti-Christ shall fall, howe soeuer it promiseth to it selfe euerlastingnesse. And hereof the Sainctes gather, that persecutions shall with all be finisshed, with all other abominations through out the worlde. For where for the continuall persecutions of the wicked, all the Saincts cannot but be maruelouselye sadde: They muste nedes verely hereof receyue no small ioye and comforte, that they here, howe they shall not indure alwayes.
and here it is sayed that Babilon shall fall. And in dede it were foloyshnes,Babilon. to expounde these thinges of the ould Babilon in Asia, which was fallen long sins, scarcely any token thereof beinge leste:Rome. we muste therefore vnderstande it of an other, which is in her flowres, and euen by a figuratiue speach, we must vnderstande it of Rome.Antonomasia. For there is a greate Cozinnage as it were, betwixte both Babilon was the first Monarchie, Rome is the laste. Babilon sore afflicted the people of God, So doeth Rome greuouselye vexe the church of God. Babylon burthened Israell wyth a greueouse captiuitie: So Rome vexeth the church, wyth more than a [Page 452] long captiuitie. Babilon ouercame the people of God, and burning the Citie of Hierusalem, and destroieng the temple, led away Israell captiue: so Rome also hauing rased the citie of Hierusalē, and subuerting the temple, triumphed of Israell. Babilon planted Idolatrie, superstition, and all abhomination, auaunced, maintained, and set forth the same vnto al men: but at the length when she woulde haue thought leest of it, the people of God being sodeynely delyuered, she was vtterly subuerted. So is Rome also, the mother & nurse, and reuyuer of all abominations in the church of the laste tyme, wherein she shall perish at the last, all those that beleue truly in Christe being delyuered. And especiallie it is called great. For howe greate and mightie the church of Rome is, all we see and by experience knowe at this daye. Nother am I the firste that vnderstand by Babilon, Rome. For many expositours reading the first Epistle of Saincte Peter, in the end of the epistle, do vnderstand by Babilon, Rome, Certes Oecumenius sayeth: And here he calleth Babilon Rome, for the excellencie and brightnesse of the Empire: the which Rome obteined a long tyme sins. But this the more auncient wryters expound more playnelie, as Turtullian in his boke againste the Iewes, which sayeth: so Babilon with sainct Ihon beareth the fygure of the Citie of Rome, therfore also great, and proude in her kingdom, and a murtherer of the saincts. The same words in a maner, he repeteth in the thirde booke against Marcion. And no lesse playnely Saincte Hierome calleth Rome Babilon: and that same Babilon wherof S. Ihon speaketh in the Apocalipse. Read the epistle of Paula and Eustochium written to Marcella, by the helpe of sainct Hierome. Reade himself in the .11. questiō to Algasia. Againe in the preface to the boke of Didymus of the holy ghoste, to Pauliniane. Also in the end of ye .2. boke against Iouinian. The same in the life of S. Marke: Peter, saith he, in ye first epistle, vnder ye name of Babilon, doth figuratiuely signify Rome. But S. Ihon wil expounde himselfe in the .17. chapter. And we vnderstande that the Citie of Rome shall fall chiefly, with all her vngodlynes: And with the same also, the Romish superstition and abomination, through oute the worlde. And the Aungell in dede, sayeth she is fallen, which is yet to fall: And that by the [Page 453] propheticall maner of speaking,Anadiplosis. wherein that which shal assuredly come to passe is vttered, as though it wer now done. To signifie the certentie thereof, that reduplication or iterating of the worde also apperteineth, she is fallen, she is fallen.she is fallē, she is fallē. This is also repeated in the .18. chap. where it shalbe shewed howe it is taken out of the Prophetes, &c. Notwithstanding both a desyre and Ioye also, might seme here to be signified. For such thinges as we haue longe, and with a desyre loked for, we receiue them nowe cumming and saie, thou art come, thou arte come at the laste longe loked for, and nowe makest me glad. For the sainctes with a great desyre, loke and long for the distruction, of that most wicked, most vyle, and most troublesome kyngdome of Antichriste.
The cause is shewed also of the destructiō of the commonwelth and church of Rome:Why the Romyshe Church shoulde fal for that she hath caused all nations to drinke, and hath made them dronken wyth wyne of wrath of her fornication. And verelye the effecte of wyne in men is greateste. Therefore doctrine is compared to it in the Prophetes. Therefore Rome with her vncleane and corrupt opinions, hath made all people dronken. And it is called the wyne of the wrath. For loke with whome God is angry, he suffereth them to erre in the way of the Romish church. For in asmoch as God hath reuealed the sincere doctrine of lyfe, by his onely sonne, and moste chosen Apostles: and men receaue not the same: God is iustely offended with them, and geueth them ouer into a reprobate mynde, that thei may followe shamefull errours: As Saincte Paule also prophisied shuld come to passe in the .2. to the Thess. 2. chapt. This wyne is called moreouer, the wyne of her fornication, whereby she her selfe hauing firste played the harlot, is become nowe also the Maistres of fornicatiō, and as it wer bawde to al others. This maner of speakyng is right well knowen, euen oute of the Prophetes. Rome ded not persiste in the doctryne of the Gospell, and of the Apostles, but inuented a newe, and that contarry to the Gospel, of the vycar of Christ in earth,The deuilysh doctrin of Rome. of the power of keyes, of indulgences and pardons, of iustification of works and merits, of satisfactiōs & cōfessions, of worshipping of Images, & prayeng to saincts, of celebrating masses, and worshipping of the sacramēt of ye aulter, as thei terme it, [Page 454] of monkery and vowes, and such other innumerable. This doctrine as Apostolicall, auncient, and chresten, she drinketh of to all people: and so plucketh them from Christ, withdraweth them from the Gospell, seduceth them from the oulde christianitie, and destroyeth innumerable soules. Therefore God powreth oute to her also of the cuppe of his wrath, and bryngeth her also to destruction for euer.
He disswadeth all frō the fellowship of the Romysshe church.And vpon this occasion he disswadeth all men from the felowship of the Romish church or papistrie, that we haue nothing to do with the Romish religion, vnlesse we will be part takers also of the euerlasting pūnishmēt. He reasoneth therfore of the losse and punnishments, and descrybeth greuouse and horrible paines, yf happlie men might so be feared from that vngodlines. The Angell therfore crieth, and that with a loude voice. Wherefore let al ecclesiasticall preachers learne, that they must earnestly, and tirribblie crye oute in this case, that all flee the communion of the Romish or popish church. I know doubtles what the common people beleue and saie, that all shall be saued at the laste daye, what religion so euer they be of: and namelie yf any remaine an open papist. But we can nother condemne nor absolue any man, sette them in Heauen, or cast them to Hell. God liueth a rightouse iudge. He alone knoweth, who shal be saued or damned. We ought therfore of right, to credit his iudgements. But where as he pronoūceth openly, that the fauourers of the Romish church shall be damned, who am I to say the cōtrary: or what men will pronoūce otherwyse? Let vs heare therfore the sentence of the iuste iudge, and let vs beleue the worde of the sonne of God, and let vs beware of the popysh religion.
What it is to worship the beaste & his Image, and what it is to receiue the marke in the forehead and on the right hand, I haue sufficiently declared before in the .13. chapt. Brieflye they worship, and receyue the marke of the beaste, which do participate with the Popish church or religiō: finally which obey the wycked decrees of the Empire, and perseuer in the obedience of the See without repentaunce. Aretas expounding this place: to worship the beast, saieth he, and to receaue his seale, is, to esteme Antichrist to be God, and in word and wo [...]ke, to set forth such thinges as he coueteth.
And here in an horrible wise, & with propheticall wordes,The descriptiō of eternall damnatiō. is described euerlasting damnation, prepared for them, who forsaking Christ the sauiour, cleaue vnto Antichrist ye distroier. Like as they haue dronkē of the corrupte doctrine infused of the Pope: so againe shal they drinke, that the iust lord shal powre out of ye cuppe of wrath. And the wine that is powred in the cuppe of Gods wrath, is the strayte, exquisite, & moste greuouse iudgement of God, wherin beyng angrie, he inflicteth to the Antichristians horrible & vnspeakeable punnishement. A like maner of speach is red in Ieremie the .25. chapt. And like as pure wine, not delayed, is of most efficacitie, and pearseth: so the iudgement of God, wherein he will procede against the Antichristians, shal be most greuouse, such as no tongue be it neuer so eloquent can expresse.
And for a further declaratiō shortely after followeth, what they muste drinke of: verely fire and brimstone. Perauenture the Lorde alluded to these wordes of Dauid in the .11. Psalm. Vpō the vngodly he shal rayne snares fyre brimstone storme and tempeste, this rewarde shall they haue to drinke. He semeth moreouer to haue alluded to the burnyng of Sodome, and to the .30. chapt. of Esaye, in the ende whereof is shewed, that hell shall be wide enough to receyue all the vngodly, and that matter shal neuer waunte to nurrishe the fire neuer to be quenched. He expresseth moreouer a greuouse payne, where he sayeth, that they shall be tourmented: and that in the sight of the lambe, and holy Angelles, that so they maye receyue condigne punnishement for euer of their contempte, wherby they haue despised the lambe, and messages of Angels. Likewise in the .13. of Luke the Lord sayeth: there shal be wepyng and gnashing of teth, when ye shal see Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob and all the prophetes in the kingedome of God, and you to be shutte out, &c.
And that same apperteyneth also vnto euidence,Hipotiposis. & to stire vp a terrour in the mindes of all men, where he addeth by a figuratiue speach: and the smoke of their tourmēt ascendeth vp euermore. Therfore shal the burning and punnisshement of the vngodly be euerlasting, and neuer to be finished world without ende. And we seme here at this description, as it were before our eyes to see the flames of eternall damnation [Page 456] caried vp on highe: and caste vp with them greate heapes of smoke, to rolle vp, and disperse them farre and wide. I remē bre here that of Virgill.
Euerlastyng punnisshment.And that no kinde of terrour might waunte, moste aptely and most aboundantly he expresseth the perpetuitie of euerlasting punnishment, saiyng: nother haue they reste daie nor night. So sayeth the Lord in the .9. of Marke. Their fire is neuer quēched, and their worme shal neuer die. They erre therfore, which promise to the damned after many worldes deliueraunce from their tourmentes.
And not in vayne he repeteth, that which he had sayed before, how thei that worship the beast shal suffer these thinges. And therfore he repeteth it, leste, as it happened, we should esteme it as a light matter. They shal be damneth, sayeth the veritie, which receyue the Popish culte and religiō, and perseuere in the same.Epiphonema. To all this is annexed an acclamation, or double sentence, notable and holesome. For in as much as the wisedome of God did foresee, what aduersitie remayned for the godly in this world, which they might surely loke for at Antichristes hande, whiche professed the trewth, therefore for a comforte and consolation he addeth: here is the patiēce of Sainctes, which is asmuch as if he had saied: and here shal patience take place, wherby the Sainctes maye ouercome al euilles. Here had we nede to haue a stoute courage, & a sure and cōstaunt minde. In the .12. of Luke the Lord likewise requireth patience in persecutions. Here therfore is counsel geuen, howe the sainctes should behaue themselues, to wit that they should suffer patiently those euilles, that Antichrist shall worke agaynst them. And there followeth an other sentence, which lighteth this: here are they that kepe the commaundementes of God, and faith of Iesus. Thei shal ouercome thorowe patience in so great euilles and daungers, whiche kepe the cōmaundementes of God, the foundation wherof is the faith of Iesus Christ: which verely put al their trust in christ, heare the worde of the gospell, and kepe the cōmaundemētes [Page 457] of God, not of men. The like vnto these are red in the .24. of Matth. and the .10. to the Hebrew. Aretas: in this same time of Antichrist, saieth he, the patience of Sainctes is shewed. Thā is the speache figured, as it were by a question moued. And who be they whome he calleth patient? After, as though he should aunswere: they that kepe the commaundementes of God, and faith of Iesu. For thei when perilles approche wil set more by God, than by death and temporall euilles. This sayeth he. I praye God these things be as faithfully perfourmed of vs, as they are easely vnderstande. The Lorde graunt vs his spirite.
¶ The faithfull assuredly and streight waye flitte from the corporal death vnto life euerlastyng. The .lxv. Sermon.
ANd I hearde a voice from heauen, saiyng vnto me: wryte, blessed are the dead whiche hereafter die in the Lorde. Yea the sprite sayeth, that they reste frō their labours. But theyr workes follow them.
Albeit he hath oftener thā ones spokē of the state of soules in an other world,Of the certayne saluation of ye faithful. and of ye felicitie of the faithfull which are killed for religions sake: yet was it here chiefly requisite to treate of the same matter. For I sayed, howe many must be killed of the beaste. Now leeste they for feare of death should chouse rather to worshippe the beaste, than to be slayne: leest happly hauyng lost this life, there were no other life to be loked for in the world to come, most dilligently, and most certenly he treateth of the state of soules, and of the felicitie and blesse of soules, which as sone as they die, they atchieue, assuredly and streightwaye flitting out of this worlde into life euerlasting. But they that know these thinges, and haue conceaued them by a true faith, how thei shal vndoubtedly slitte frō the corporal death into the blessed life, it can not be chosen but that they shal more boldely contemne the life present.
Most certē tables of saluation are to vs exhibited.And this holesome doctrine is comprised in three poincts. For first he sheweth the certentie therof: secōdly he declareth what it is: laste he setteth forth and lighteth the same by circūstaunces. At the first verely he semeth to allude to the maner, accustomably receyued of al nations, that such thinges as they wuld haue thought to be certen, and vndoubted, they would also cōmitte to writing to leaue them vnto posteritie. But the certentie & veritie or Authoritie of the thing is estemed of thauthours, which first haue dispatched any matters emonges thēselues, and after haue caused the same to be put in writyng. At this present therfore is God shewed to be authour. For S. Iohn saieth: and I hearde a voice from heauen. And by and by addeth: ye the spirite sayeth. Therefore there is no doubte, but that the sonne of God him self hath spoken and reuealed these things.Our lord Iesus Christ. For him he sawe at the beginning of this reuelation: after he seeth diuerse kindes of Aungelles, but he seeth not Christ speaking to him. But he heareth now his voice from Heauen, he heareth the spirite speakyng, by whom the lord sayed, whilest he was yet cōuersaunt in earth with his disciples, that he would treate and speake al thinges in the churche. Let vs beleue therefore that the wordes which are here recited, by christes doyng, to be a celestiall oracle certen and trewe, whereof we ought not to doubte. And S. Iohn thapostle & Euangelist is cōmaūded to write the saiynges of Christ from the heauēly seate. Which thing he doeth: & so at Christes cōmaundement sendeth them vnto al posterie, vnto vs also & to our ofspring euen to the worldes ende. But if tables written by the chaūcelours or secretaries of kinges and Princes, beyng notable men, deserue credit: we maye much more iustely & rightly beleue this writing, which the sonne of God inditeth from heauen: & that beloued disciple of Christ, the apostle and Euangelist S. Iohn writeth. Thou hadst ones a confidence in the Popes bulles (they maye well be called bulles, sins thei be more vaine than bulles or blabbers in the water) sent from the See of Rome, wherein thou as one assured didst put ful truste to haue remission of sinnes and blessed life. And shalt thou not nowe be accompted madde and out of thy witte, in case thou wilt not beleue this heauenly writyng. That other was indited by the spirite of Antichrist, [Page 459] by the Pope the man of sinne, and childe of perdition: & written of some disceauer infected with Simony and sacrilege, which in life and maners was filthines it self. But in Iohn is nothing but cleanes, puretie, & integritie: and the very sonne of God which prescribeth these things to S. Iohn, is the very veritie and life,This writing is frely geuen. the light of the world & lord of heauen and Earth, of life & death. See than how safely thou mayest laine to this heauenly writyng, which here is offered & geuen thee frely. Thou nedest not to disburce for the same one farthing. The Pope instituted in the church biyng & selling & deuelish bargayning about perdōs & other things, which were plaine disceiptes & illusions, playne mocheries, and open blasphemies, & therfore accursed for euer: as S. Peter also pronoūceth in the .8. of the Actes. God him selfe diswadeth al men from such tromperies, and bargaines wicked & vayne, in the .55. chapt. of Esaye, where he promiseth agayne, that he wil geue to the godly al plentie of al good thinges.
And now let vs heare, what the writte is,Blessed at the dead whiche die in the lord. & what S. Iohn is cōmaunded from heauen to put in writing. It is a shorte sentēce, as also in many places, the wisedome of God cōprehēdeth in fewe wordes the true some of blessednes: so prouiding for our infirmitie, that we nede not to cōplaine that the doctrine were ouer longe, which we with our slender vnderstandyng are not able to attayne to. The Lord therefore pronounceth, them to be blessed, whiche die in the Lord, then we must see what he vnderstandeth by blessednes, and who thei be that die in the lord, blessednes is that high felicitie, which chaunceth to the faithfull in an other world, in the which we shall see God him selfe as he is, and haue the fruition of him vnto a ioyefull, and neuer lothsomefulnes. We shall liue in the same with all the Sainctes for euer, and shall haue ioynes that can not be expressed with tunges of men. Of the whiche shall followe more afterwarde. They shal reste from their labours. And more plentifully in the .21. chapt. And they dye in the Lorde, whiche by faith greffed in Christe, layne to him alone, depende wholy vpon him, only regarde him and desire nothynge els but hym alone. For they are sayed to liue in Christe, in whome Christ liueth by faith, they that liue in Christ do frame their whole life after the will of Christ. And [Page 460] they die in the lord chiefly and before all, whiche for the confession of the lordes faith, suffer death, and offer thēselues to tourmentes. And not they alone, but those also, whiche although they die of the sworde of the persecutours, yet die, when the Lorde calleth them in the trewe christen fayth. For these are also blessed, as the Lord in S. Iohn, verely verely I saye vnto you, yf any man kepe my worde, he shall not see death for euer. Howebeit they die not in the lorde, which eyther deny god, that they might not be slaine: or trust to their owne merites, & intercessions of Sainctes, or to other mens workes be they monkes, freres, or massemonging priestes, and so departe out of this life, thinking that thei shal be holpen by other mēs workes. To be briefe, the veritie of the lord pronoūceth them al blessed and fortunate which departe out of this world in true faith.
Finally the Lord him self adioyneth a notable declaration of this his briefe sentence. For he sette forth the circumstaūce of the time,When and how saluation commeth to ye dead. and the maner of the blessednes. For it is wonte to be demaunded, what time saluatiō and felicitie happeneth to the dead? whether incontinently, or after a time? that is whether our soules flitte by and by and immediately after the death of the body to the blessed seates? or whether they be intercepted for a certen time, so that they might be pourged in purgatorie, before thei enter into heauen? or whether they be holden with a slepe, and loke for the resurrectiō of the bodies, to the intent they might than awake, and together with their bodies enter into heauen: vnto all the which things the celestial oracle aunsweryng, forth with, sayeth he, that is by & by cometh vnto soules that same felicitie. In the latin copies this place is poincted thus, blessed are th [...] dead which dye in the lorde. Forthwith nowe sayeth the spirite, that they maye reste from their labours. In like maner readeth the Spanish or Complutēsian copie. But Aretas and the Greke copies, and also the exampler of Paris is thus poincted, that [...] should be the ende of the sentence, as Erasmus noteth. After followeth, [...], which is yee, verely, certēly sayeth the spirite. The sense is therfore, that ye faithfull beyng dead shal streight wayes & immediately atchieue saluation. For [...] (which word S. Iohn vseth) signifieth, from the very instaunt, from [Page 461] that houre immediately, incōtinētly. This suffereth no space betwixte, but expresseth that, which we are wonte to note by the dutch phrase, beyng admonisshed therfore by a diuine oracle, and confirmed by a writte brought from heauen, let vs al be assured that the soules of al faithfull do flitte from the bodily death into life euerlasting. These thinges are confirmed and made playne also by other places of Scriptures innumerable: I wil chouse out only a certen fewe, and those also the testimonies of our sauiour, whiche is the light of the worlde, and the worde of life. In the .3. chapter. of S. Iohn he sayeth expressely, that the faythfull are so deliuered frō death by his crosse, as in times paste by the sight of the brasen Serpent the Israelites were deliuered from the deadly sting of venemouse poison. And playne it is, that they were deliuered incontinently and most fully. In the .5. of Iohn the same sayeth, he hath passed from death to life. Let this place be waied dilligently, and it shal appere the same alone to satisfie in this matter. In the .6. of Iohn he sayeth openly, and I will reyse him in the laste daye. But he reyseth not the bodies only at the laste iudgemente, but in euery mans laste daye, that is in the death of euery one, he preserueth the soules, that they should not perish, or be tormented, &c. We haue in the gospel examples moste clere: to witte of Lazarus the beggar, which was by and by after his death caried vp of thaungelles into the bosome of Abraham: and of the thiefe, whiche hearde of the lord, this daye shalt thou be with me in Paradise: and of Stephen saiyng, Lord Iesus receyue my spirite: but especially of our Sauiour, saiyng on the crosse, father into thy handes I commende my spirite, &c.
By these are quite ouerthrowen, what thinges so euer the monkisshe and Antichristiane doctrine hath buylded of purgatory, of trētalles, and of the miserable state of soules in an other world. Whereof they made a moste shamefull gayne. They are also confuted which beleue, that soules be mortall, moreouer that soules slepe in another world. Where they cā not so muche as here in this infirmitie slepe. Therefore you wil saie it is madnes to thinke, that soules slepe beyng quitte of the burthen of the body.
But cōcernyng the maner of the blessednes of Sainctes, [Page 462] they reste from their labours.Blessednes reste frō al labours. Saluation therfore, is a moste ioyeful tranquillitie. Awaye go at ones diseases, sickenesses, griefes, affections, sorrowe, famine, thirste, colde, briefly all thinges that vexe or trouble men. Rest and tranquillitie, ioye and blesse come in place. And sins the dead reste from theyr labours, who can beleue that they be vexed with tormentes? but leeste any man should neuer so little doubte herof, he annereth a confirmation, [...], yee, or certenly, verely sayeth the spirite, the dead shal be quiet from al their griefes. Let no mā therfore doubte.
Theyr workes follow them.And he addeth an other thing, that the workes of sainctes followe thē: that is to saie, after that the sainctes be departed hence, than are they rewarded in another world, if they haue done any thing wel, if they haue suffered harde thinges. For there is a rewarde prepared for vertues. The which the sainctes do hope for and receyue without boasting of their owne deserte, and not in contēpte of the merite of Christ. For they acknoweledge, that God in his sainctes crowneth his owne giftes. And this is spoken of the rewarde of workes for the consolatiō of them, which suffer many things in this world. So sayed the lord in the Gospell: your rewarde is plentifull in heauen. And the Apostle affirmeth euery where, that rewardes are prepared for them, that are crucified here with Christ. And here let vs marke dilligently, that these thinges are spoken also of the spirite of Christe vnder the religion of an othe. For the worlde dispiseth religiouse persones, & suche as suffer for religiō, and obiecteth, that they lose their labour and coste. Cōtrarywise the spirite by an othe auoucheth, that rewarde is prepared for vertue.
Followe them.Lette vs marke also this, that is sayed, theyr workes and not other mens, also, followe them, and are not by others sent after them. Let no man therefore disceaue him selfe, let no man thinke, that after his death there should be sente to him into purgatory by soule priestes a fardell of other mens merites. Those are not good workes, which ar done by priestes & freres besides and against Gods worde, but prouocations of Gods wrath. And be they not in the gospel shut out of the kingdome of God, which runne to others, to bye them oyle. The Scripture in an other place. Lette vs doe good, whilest [Page 463] we haue time, the time wil come that no man can worke. Let vs watch therfore, and of faith do good workes in dede.
¶ The Iudgement of the Lorde is described vnder the paraboles of haruest and vintage. The .lxvi. Sermon.
ANd I loked, and beholde, a white clowde, and vpon the clowde one sittyng, like vnto the Sonne of man, hauing on his head a golden crowne, and in his hande a sharpe sickle. And an other Aungell came out of the Temple, criyng with a lowde voyce to him that sat on the clowde. Thruste in the sickle and reape, for the corne of the Earth is ripe. And he that sate on the clowde thruste in his sickle on the Earth, and the Earth was reaped. And an other Aungell came out of the Temple, whiche is in Heauen, hauyng also a sharpe sickle. And an other Angell came out from the Aultar, whiche had power ouer fire, and cried with a lowde voyce vnto him that had the sharpe sickle, and sayde: thruste in thy sharpe sickle, and gather the clusters of the Earth, for hyr grapes are rype. And the Angell thruste in his sickle on the earth, and cutte downe the grapes of the vineyarde of the Earth, and caste them into the greate wine fatte of the wrath of God: and the wine fat was troden without the citie. And the bloud came out of the fatte, euē vnto the [Page 464] horse bridelles, by the space of a thousande and sixe hondreth furlonges.
The vengeaunce of god agaīst ye Antichristians.Now goeth he to ye description of gods iudgement, especially agaynst the Antichristians, and agaynst al the vngodly. This parte might be ioyned with the matter followyng, and chapters followyng, as that which is of the same argument. And it apperteyneth to the consolation and confirmation of the faithfull, persecuted of Antichrist. There be that thinke, how there shal neuer be any iudgement. Howe so euer therefore thei oppresse their neighbours, they thinke neuer to fele any displeasure of that matter. Moreouer the faythfull are tēpted also, whilest they see the wicked florish, and thēselues to wither dayly. Therefore they thinke also that the lorde carieth ouerlong. Ye more they expostulate with the lorde, and saye: whā shal there be an ende of iniuries? if Christ wil come to iudgement, whie doeth he differ it so longe, and to so great molestyng of his? The lord therefore sheweth nowe, that the iudgement shal certenly be: and shall be than, what time all thinges shal be ripe: to witte whē the iniquities of the Amorrheans shall be complete, and the measure of iniquitie filled. When wicked menne therefore are waxed ripe, the Lord will come to iudge. In the meane time we muste abide in cōstancie and patience. As husbande men tary for haruest and vintage. If any through impatiencie reuolte, he is not allowed of the Lorde: as the Apostle alledgeth out of the Prophete in the .10. chapt. to the Hebrewes. And as we maye haue a desire and a longyng after haruest and vintage, so maye we not expostulate with God, because he tarieth longer thā our wishe is: likewise we ought not to contende with the same, whie he cometh so late vnto iudgement. And like as haruest and vintage are certenly loked for, and come, so without all doubte God will punnish the wicked, and saue the godly. And these are verely as it were tastes of all that followe plentifully and are more expressely declared: and are annexed to the fourmer matters, for that they apperteyne to the consolation of the godly.
And to the intent al thinges might be more manifeste, by parables brought in, be setteth forth al thinges to be sene before [Page 465] our eyes. And he vseth in dede two parables borrowed out of the Prophetes and doctrine of the Gospell. For the prophetes ful oft do figure the iudgemēt of God by haruest and vintage. Certes in the .3. of Ioel the lorde sayeth: I will sitte in the vale of Iosaphat to iudge al natiōs. Thruste in the sickle, for haruest is ripe, &c. And it is also most knowē, what is red touchyng the same matter in the story of the Gospell. We muste therefore wryte out these thinges more inwardely into our hartes, and feare God, and abide his redemption in patience.
First is treated the parable of haruest, than the parable of vintage:Haruest. bothe two shewe that the Lord wil be iudge and that in his moste dewe time, agaynste all those, whiche eyther thinke there shall be no iudgemente, or expostulate with the Lorde that he commeth so slowely and late, &c. And firste in dede is described the owner of the haruest, the Lord him selfe and iudge Iesus Christ. He is sayde to be like vnto the sonne of manne: not for that he is not now the very sonne of man, and for that he shall not come vnto iudgement in the very humane nature, whiche he hath ones taken of vs, and neuer put it of (for he is verely the sonne of manne,The description of ye Iudge Iesus christ. and remayneth on the right hande of the father: and shall verely come in the humane nature to iudge the quicke and the dead) but he semeth to haue alluded to Daniel, & to haue expressed his phrase of speach, saiyng: I loked in the mightly vision, and lo, there came one in the clowdes as it were the sonne of manne, &c. Where we reade also the description of the iudgemente agaynst the beaste. And therefore he hath here made mention also of a clowde: and I sawe a white clowde, and one sitting on the clowde, &c. Moreouer the Aungelles in the actes saie, so he shal come, as ye haue sene him goe vp into heauen. And they sawe him taken vp, and a clowde to receyue him, and conueye hym out of theyr sight. Therefore shall he come agayne in a clowde vnto iudgement. We reade oftentimes in the Psalmes, that God sitteth on a white clowde. By the waye therefore is signified the deitie of the iudge. Therefore is this iudge very God and very manne, the Sauiour of the faythful, the reuenger and iudge of the infideles. We are sent therefore by S. Iohn to the .7. chapt. of Daniel.
A golden crowne on his head.Then he weareth a Golden crowne on his head: not that there is any corruptible golde in Heauen, but for corruptible men so he speaketh, that they maye vnderstande their iudge to be the hygh kynge: and maye gather thereof, that no man is able to resiste the power of this kyng. For otherwise our Lord hath no nede of any corruptible golde.A sharpe sickle. Finally our lord here hath a sickle, and that right sharpe. Wherby is signified his iudgement excedyng strayte, and distruction of the wicked. In the .3. of Matth. The iudgemente of the Lord is cōpared to a fanne, of blessed Iohn. He addeth, that the axe is layde at the roote of the tree: wherby he signified that certaine iudgement was at hande or rather destruction.
Corne ripe to ye sickle.Now followeth an expositiō of the proceding of the iudgement, & he perseuereth in the parable. For he speaketh as if a seruaunt retournyng home out of the feldes, did shewe vnto his Maister whiche loked for the houre of haruest, that the Corne was now ripe (the hardenes of the grayne is a token of rypenes) and that it is time to be reaped. For els it is no nede to admonish him yt knoweth al thing of any thing, that he remēbreth not: much lesse of the howre of iudgemēt which none of thaungels knoweth, but the father alone. Therefore we ascribe this wholy to the parable: and we vnderstād that a certen houre of iudgemente is appoincted, whiche when it shal come, the godly with out delaye shall be deliuered, & the vngodly condemned. An other Angel, sayeth he, came forth. For before we hearde how diuerse came forth. This crieth wt a lowde voice, as one that wil tel of a matter most greate and certayne, & to be declared in the church with excedyng great out cries, to the cōforte of the faithfull, which ought nothing to doubt of the iudgemēt, & to the terrour of ye wicked, which seme to contēne the same. And this criyng angel cometh out of the tēple. For we hearde before, that S. Iohn sawe a temple in heauen. And where the crier of the iudgement cometh out of the temple, it signifieth, that no vnrightuousnes of ye iudge is here to be imagined. For the temple is cōsecrated to holines & rightuousenes, and is called the house of God. Iustely therfore he iudgeth, & in iuste time he iudgeth, & iustely executeth al things. Thangel biddeth ye iudge do that thing, which he of himself was aboute to do. Thrust in the sickle, saieth he, [Page 467] and reape. Two causes are alleaged. Firste, for the howre is come, that thou shuldest reape. Therfore a certeine howre of iudgemēt is appointed, which when it cometh, the iudgemēt shalbe most certenly. And it is commen for thee, saieth he, for all iudgimēt is geuen to the sonne. Than, for the corne of the earth is ripe. As though he shulde say: the iniquitie of earthly men is growen vp to the highest, therfore is it reason that it shulde be cut downe. And God alone knoweth, when the iniquitie of the Earth is fulfilled, &c.❀ A moste quicke iudgement. But when it shal come thereunto, there shall nede no great preparation, deciding or pondering of causes. At one word he finisheth the iudgemēt, and the execution of the same, and as it were swalloweth vp and deuoureth the whole earth in a momēt, saieng: herewith he thrust in his sickle, which sate vpon the clowde, on ye earth, and the earth was reaped. The rest of the things which seme to belong here vnto, take out of the .13. chapt. of Math. And that which he hath saied hitherto, he repeteth, and beateth in by an other parable. For bi this he shadoweth ye same, which the other parable did commend. That plentie maketh for the playner euidence, and beateth in most dilligently the certentie and veritie of the iudgement, leest herin we shulde doubte anything, and wauer with the vnfaithful world. The parable is takē of vintage. The same is vsed very oft of the prophets, speaking of the destruction of any nation. And the Lord also in the gospel compareth his people to a vyne. And the Angel holdeth in his hand a sharpe sickle. He representeth a fygure of Christ, which hath al power of iudgement alone. A sharpe sickle, is the straight iudgement, as was spoken of the sickle before. This Angell cometh oute of the temple also, to witte a iudge moste rightuouse. Vnto him crieth an other Angell, which had power ouer fyer, which cometh out from the Aulter. For before we heard, that ther is an aulter in the temple, and that vnder this Aulter do reste the soules of the blessed Martirs. Here therefore is fygured,Vēgeance vpō the vngodly. that God doth nowe remembre the bludshed of his seruauntes, which for the profession of the onely Aulter (that is Christ the priest & onely sacrifice) were slaine, and nowe to procede to take vengeaūce,The angel hauing power ouer fyer. hytherto long delayed. Therfore this Aungell is sayed to haue power ouer fier. Fier many times in the Psalmes fignifieth [Page 468] Gods vengeaunce. This Aungell therfore is here, as it were Maister of execution, and captayne of vengeaunce. For Angels in Daniell also, as Gods ministers, ar saied to haue rule ouer thinges: not that we shulde worship and honour these ministers, but the Lorde that worketh by them. The sun and moone are the lightes of the world: but therfore no wiseman wil worship them. Here is signified playnely, that vēgeance is certainely prepared for them which shed innocent blud on the earth, and that this vengeance shal chiefly be executed in the end of this worlde. Albeit that he punnysh neuerthelesse greuousely before the end also here in earth, namely parricides: in so moch that the Psalmograph sayeth, men of bloud shall not lyue halfe their tyme. &c.
And as in the parable of harueste, harueste was finished with a shorte sentence: So is here also vintage ended at few wordes. For so soone as the vngodly shall see Christe in the clowdes, with the printes of his woundes, and his Sainctes with him, whom thei haue contemned, hated, persecuted and slayne: they wyll gather streight wayes, that they by their iust desert must be alotted with Deuylles, whome they haue folowed and serued. Therfore shal there nede no long discussing of the matter. Euery mans conscience shall accuse him, and the sinnes of euery man shalbe manifest to al creatures: The vngodly shall stand before the iudge with great confusion, in vtter contempte, in payne and feare, and sorrowes not to be expressed, and shall go streight wayes into paynes and tourmentes that shall neuer haue end.See the .3. & .5. chapt. of the boke of wisdom Hereof I say, it behoueth ofte tymes to make mention, hereof it becometh many tymes to warne all men, that they may beware in tyme, and take hede to themselues.
Howe beit S. Ihon himselfe at fewe wordes fygureth the euerlasting dānation and vengeaūce, which God executeth vpon his enemies.A wyne fat wythoute the Citie. And he fameth a wine presse or a winefat, that he may so tary in the allegory, and that made withoute the citee. And by exposition he calleth it, the great wynefat of Gods wrath. For the same is hel, or the place of pūnishment and condemnation. Into this wynefat, shall be gathered the clusters of the Earth, or grapes of the earth, I mean the earthly, and vngodly men. And the citie of God, is heauē it self, [Page 469] the seate of the blessed, which shall afterwarde be descrybed moste aboundauntly in the .21. chapter. But that wine presse is set without the Citie. For in an other place of the Gospell the Lorde sayeth also, that the wicked muste be caste oute, into the vttermost darkenesse, where is weping and gnashing of teth.
But this wynefat is rightlie called the wynefat of Gods yre. For the wrath of God is executed therin: and they with whome God is angrie for their sinnes, are shutte vp therin, that there they may according to their demerits, be tormented and vexed for euer, and withoute ende. And he calleth it great, for that the place is wyde enough to receiue all the vngodlie. As also Esaye hath admonished in the end of the .xxx. chapter. Others reade of the great wrath of God.
There is added, that out of the fatte or wyne presse there runneth no wyne, but blud, and that in most plentie. Which he shadoweth by a maruelouse and horrible Hypperbole. The bloud flowed far and broad, by the space of a thousand and sixe hūdreth furlongs. Againe it was very depe. For it came vp to the brydles of the horses, of them I meane, which went and wrastled in the bloud, to wit in their owne bloud. By the which Hyperbolical speach is signified, that the multitude of the vngodlie shalbe greatest, and that God wil most aboundauntly reuenge that vnmeasurable blud, which the wicked haue spilte in earth. They were delighted whilest they lyued in earth, with warres, slaughter, persecutiōs & martirdomes: Therfore will God moste iust, powre vnto them in an other worlde blud enough,Thou hast thursted for bloud, drīke blud in so moch that being drowned in their owne blud vp to the chin, thei may seme to bath them in their owne bloud. And here we must remēbre, the horses prepared to battaile of whō we spake in the .9. chap. shalbe drowned in euerlasting tormēts. Thus, thus at ye last wil the lord auenge himselfe vpon his enemies. Let vs call vpon him, and abyde patiently and valeauntly. The Lorde graunte vs his grace.
¶ The Angels of seuen plagues are brought forth. Moreouer the triumph and prayse of Christes holye Maritrs is described. The .lxvij. Sermon.
The .15. Chapter. AND I saw an other signe in heauen great and wonderful. Seuen Angels, hauing ye seuen laste plagues. For in them is fulfylled the wrath of God. And I sawe as it were a glassye sea mingled wt fyer, and them that had gottē victory of the beast, and of his Image, and of his marke, and of the nombre of his name, stand on the glassy Sea, hauing the harpes of God: and they sung the song of Moses the seruaunt of God, and the song of the lambe, sayeng: great and maruelouse are thy works Lord God almightie, iust and true are thy wayes, thou King of Sainctee. Who shal not fear (O Lord) and glorifie thy name? For thou onely art holy, for all gentiles shall come and worshippe before the, for thy iudgementes are made manifeste.
The argument of the fifte parte.Vpon occasion of harueste and vintage expounded in the laste parte of the fourmer vision, is annexed the fifte parte of this godly worke, which represēteth vnto vs the fourth visiō of this worke, whiche some make the fifte. The same is of the iudgemēts of God, it hath two parts: wherfore it might also be deuided into mo visiōs, but we had rather vse fewer. For first he discourseth most largely of the paynes or tourments prepared of God, & to be executed vpon Antichrist his membres, and all the vngodlye: here is treated of the iudgement of the whore of Babilon, of the destinies and ruine of Rome, and the church of Rome, of the reioicing and song of saincts, of the comming of the iudge vnto iudgement, of the payne and euerlasting destruction of all wicked. And these are intreated in the .15.16.17.18.19. and .20. chap. Than also he reasoneth most excellētly of the reward of saincts, and of the euerlasting filicitie, thorow out ye whole .21. chap. and a good part of ye .22. euery where is set open hel it selfe, and heauen it selfe: [Page 471] And is geuen vs in maner to loke in this fleshe mortall, euen into very hell it self & into the very palace of Heauen. Nother shal you finde any where in all the Scriptures with a continual treatise so plenteouse a disputation of the iudgementes of God, of the tormentes of the wicked, & of the felicitie and ioyes of the godly, as in this presente.
And ful necessarie is this treatise especially in this our last and vngraciouse world,A most plē tiful & dilligent treatise of the iudgemēts of God. wherein men neglectyng the spirite of God, are become like brute beastes altogether carnall, regarde the flesh, and wholy depende thereof. Happy are al the victoriouse, welthie, honorable and gloriouse Antichristians: miserable are the pore and dispised trewe christians, and subiecte to the iniuries & persecutions of al men. Therfore do the carnall men esteme al thinges of the present fortune, and crie it out that their religion and conuersation pleaseth God, and the Christiās to displease. The godly are here also greuously tempted, as they were also in times past, reade Psalm. 73. and the .1. chapt. of Abacucke. The vngodly promise themselues, that they shal reigne for euer: at the length also they contēne the iudgementes of God, nother thinke they that euer it wil come to passe that they shal be punnisshed. The talke of punnishementes to be diuised of melancholicke persones, and to be vttered of mallice: and therfore they saye and thinke them not to be regarded: but to be mery in this worlde. Therefore it behoued the place of Gods iudgementes to be most largely and dilligently decided, and to be set as it were before the eyes of the hearers: to the ende al might rightly vnderstāde, what should be assuredly the ende of good and euill. But the punnishmētes of the vngodly are diuerse, to witte of this life present, and to come. And the punnishmentes of this present life are almost innumerable: and the tourmentes of the life to come are eternall and vnspeakeable: and as there is no comparison betwixte the paincted and trewe fire: so is there none betwixte the punnishementes of this present life and that to come. But in case men would ernestly beleue, that vnspeakeable ioyes and euerlastyng tormentes are prepared of God for good and euill: doubtles al would sinne lesse & serue God more dilligently. But let vs see nowe, what is the treatyse of S. Iohn concernyng the same.
The originall of the doctrine of the iudgementes of God.First he sheweth the original of al things that follow, not to be earthly, but heauenly. For he seeth an other token in heauen. He saieth an other, for that in the .12. chapt. we heard that mention was made of an other certen signe. And he calleth that a signe or token, which signifieth an other thing, and therefore not to be considered of it selfe: but in asmuche as it bringeth into knoweledge an other certen thinge, and that much greater thā it sheweth at the firste sight. He calleth this signe, that is to witte, that same visiō, great and maruelouse. For the iudgementes of God are greatest, and moste wonderful. Whilest thei are executed, the vngodly maruel, which had thought such thinges should neuer haue comen to passe: the godly also maruell at the great power of God, his moste iuste rightuousnes, and his ripenes and faythfulnes in deliuering and sauing his people. Than he declareth, what signe was shewed him in Heauen, and by that celestiall vision: he sawe seuen Angels, hauyng in seuen cuppes, plages. That is, he perseyued God prepared and furnisshed with power diuine, wherewith he both might and would sende plages and condigne punnishementes, aswell vpon Antichrist him selfe, as vpon his membres, and all the vngodly men in Earth, for their wickednes committed agaynst God.Seuen angelles & seuē plages. And as we haue many times warned you in this boke, the seuēth nombre, is the nōbre of fulnes. Wherefore God hath ministers enough and enough, by whose seruice he maye plague and distroye the vngodly. And therefore seuen plagues, are all maner of plagues. Temporall plagues are aboundantly recited in the 26. of Leuit. and .28. of Deuter. Riche is the Lord, and in euerlastyng plagues of most diuerse kindes also. For the Scripture in certen places reherseth a gnawyng worme, a fyre vnquenchable, weping and gnasshing of teth, outwarde darkenes and many other of like sorte. But these seuen plagues he calleth the laste: and immediately sheweth the reason, for in them is the wrathe of God fulfilled. For on those laste and most corrupte ages the Lorde wil powre out his plague, and that the plagues of his iuste wrath, and shall powre them out most fully to the ende, and shall execute his ful wrath against the vngodly, for euermore.
Yet now he suspendeth a while that narration begonne of [Page 473] the Angelles masters of the plagues:The ioyes & triūphes of ye godly. and placeth or sendeth before the greate ioyes of the blessed Martirs, triumphes, songe of praise reioycynge and thankes geuynge. And this Ioye is interlased here in the treatise of punnishementes, for the consolation of the faithful, that they should knowe themselues deliuered from punnishmentes. And if it fortune, whilest the wicked are punnisshed, that any displeasure touch thē also (as it can not be chosen, but the wicked beyng plaged, some discōmoditie must also arrise vnto the faithful) that thei maye vnderstande yet, that the daungers of the discōmodities, must with the excellent aboūdaunce of ioyes be recompensed. For hereby is signified, how the godly reioyce, whilest the lord executeth his iustice. To be also the chaungeable course of thinges, that those that haue ones wepte in the world, should now be glad and ioyefull, accordyng to the saiyng of our sauiour in the .16. of Iohn. Morouer it behoued by the testimony of all Sainctes to be declared to the Sainctes that dwell in Earth, that the iudgementes of God be rightouse and true: whiche thing vnderstande, questions and sondry mutininges agaynst God do cease.
First he seeth them which ouercame Antichrist, and haue had nothing to doe with him: as we saye in dutch, for this I suppose be signified by that plentiful rehersal of certen membres (the declaration wherof is setforth before) in heauen, not in some dortour, or no where, as some men gather. He sawe I saye, in heauen the blessed soules stande vpon a glassy See,A glassy See mixed with fire. mixed with fire. And in an other place I haue tolde you, that the See figureth the worlde, by reason of the rage and vnstablenes therof. Certenly Daniel so taketh in the .7. chapt. And it is called glassy because of the frailetie and bricklenes. For worldely thinges shine, but they are soone broken. Whereupon it is sayed that wordely things are as brickel as glasse: whiche whilest they shine, breake. And not with out cause is fire mixed with worldely thinges. For the Sainctes, whilest they be conuersaunt in Earth, fele alwayes in a maner the fire of affliction. Whereof spake S. Peter. 1. Pet. 4. And they stande vpon a glassy See mingled with fire. For cōquerours treade vpon the worlde, and vpon al the tourmentes & mockeries of the world, as triūphyng ouer all worldely thinges. [Page 474] The Prophet in the .66. Psalm. bringeth in the Sainctes singyng a ioyeful songe vnto God, and emonges other things saiyng, thou hast brought vs into snares, thou hast layde tribulations vpon our backe, thou haste set men in our neckes. We haue passed through fire and water, & thou hast brought vs out into a place of reliefe. Therefore do there followe alterations in an other world. Wherfore Aretas expoūdyng this place: the glassy See, sayeth he, semeth to intimace nothyng els, than by the Sea verely the multitude, and by the glasse the brightnes, by fire the puretie of them, which are worthie that blessed life. And certenly the same wordes in diuerse respectes maye signifie diuerse thinges, and make the sense agreable.
Hitherto we haue hearde, that the sainctes are in heauen, where they triumphe ouer the world vanquisshed: but nowe we shal heare more clerely, what they do in heauen, and how they singe vnto the lord a songe of thankes & prayses, which fully agreeth with the Psalm. 66. The harps of God. And he attributeth to the blessed martirs harpes, as he did to the Elders. These he calleth of God, as you would saye diuine and celestiall, mete to set forth the prayses of God. For a celestial Iubeley is signified whereof is spoken in the .5. chapt. He addeth moreouer, to expresse the musicke: and they singe. And declareth also the maner of their singyng,The songe of Moses & the lābe. the songe of Moses the seruaunt of God, and the songe of the Lambe: Therfore this songe of the Sainctes, is reioycyng ditty, triumphaunt and of thankes geuyng. For like as in times paste Marie with the cōpany of virgins Israeliticall, at the appoinctement of Moses sange a songe, when the Israelites were deliuered out of the bondage of Aegypte, and Pharao was drowned in the red Sea with his whole armie: whereof you maye reade more in the 14. and .15. chapt. of Exod. So the blessed soules in Heauen prayse God, whiche hath deliuered them from Sathan, Antichrist, and the worlde. And the songe of the Lābe is the christiane thankes geuing, by the which the vertue of Christ and his redemption, is praysed of the Sainctes. For like as the olde fathers after the eatyng of the Paschalle lambe made a iubiley, & gaue God thankes. So the blessed Sainctes nowe infraunchised with the full libertie of the children of God, [Page 475] geue thankes vnto Christ theyr deliuerer.
Finally reciteth the order and fourme of their songe.Kinge of Sainctes. God is highly commended herein, which is called the Lord, God, almightie, Kynge of Sainctes, as for whome the Sainctes warre, by whome also they be gouerned, and whiche defendeth, mayneteyneth and kepeth the Sainctes. And he is called holy, in whome is no spotte, no iniquitie. And before all thinges they prayse his workes, whiche they call greate and maruelouse. These are manifest in Heauen and in Earth. They declare the power, wisedome, & iustice of God. Therefore they inferre by and by: that the wayes, that is the considerations of God, which he followeth in gouerning and doyng of thinges, be trewe and iuste. For he disceaueth not, he doeth no man wronge. Therfore God is iuste in punnishing the Antichristiās, and deliueryng his. For although he seme to neglecte his, yet kepeth he fayth to the godly: as a kynge that neuer neglecteth his.
Now they alledge, what it becometh all men in the Earth to do also: it is reoson that al men feare thee, and glorifie thee in all thinges, nother to accuse and murmure at thy iudgementes. There is added an other reason for he alone is holy, without sinne, and with out spotte. None of all the creatures hath this. Although many gentiles nowe cōtemne God, yet shal they ones come and worship: shal knowe their owne filthines, and the holines and rightuousenes of God. For the iustice, and iudgement of God, whiche are not yet reuealed, and therefore are contemned, shal be ones reuealed, that all the godly of al natiōs may attribute glory to the rightuouse God. These thinges verely prepare also the reader and hearer to the treatise nowe followynge concernynge the iudgementes of God, and pūnishmentes of the vngodly. The lord open the eyes of our mindes, that we maye see these thinges with fruicte plentifull.
¶ The seuen Angelles are described, coming forth to execute the seuen plagues. The .lxviij. Sermon.
ANd after that I loked, & beholde, the Temple of the Tabernacle of testimony was open in Heauen, and the seuen Angelles came out of the Temple, whiche had the seuen plagues, clothed on pure and bright linnen, and hauynge their brestes gyrded with golden girdels. And one of the foure beastes gaue vnto the seuen Aungelles, seuen golden vialles ful of the wrath of God, which liueth for euermore. And the tēple was ful of smoke, for the glory of God, and for his power: and no man was able to enter into the Temple, till the seuen plagues of the seuen Angelles were fulfilled.
The fruictes of the treatise of Gods iudgementes.He retourneth now to the description of the iudgementes of God, from the which he had made a little digressiō. This treatise hath much fruicte. For the iudgementes of God, be the punnishmentes or paynes of the wicked, the testimonies of Gods rightuousenes and veritie. Againe the godly are herwith confirmed in their hope. For they see that one Iote doeth not fall from the wordes and threateninges of God, although he be of longe suffering, winketh at them long, and euen semeth to fauour and to spare the vngodly. The godly therefore perceyue that their hope is not vayne. They learne also to feare God, and to praye continually, leeste beyng dronken with the pleasures and felicities of this world, they reuolte frō God to vngodlines. Finally the wicked are feared with paynes, are prouoked to repetaunce which whilest they refuse, they fele vndoubtedly plagues, as Pharao felte.
The description of ye seuen Aungelles.But before the Angelles powre out the cuppes of plages receyued, they are most gallaūtly and dilligently described. And is shewed, from whence they came out: that is what is the originall of the iudgementes of God. They come out of the temple set open, and that out of the temple of the Tabernacle [Page 477] of witnes, which is in heauē. For Moses sawe a temple on the mounte, and that also in heauen, after the similitude whereof he was commaunded of God to make the tabernacle of witnes. Therefore was the tabernacle of witnes facioned and builte after the shape exhibited and sene in heauen, which the blessed Apostle to the Hebrewes calleth [...] to wit the very example or patron. For it was sayed to Moses, see that thou makest euery thinge accordyng to the Patron, which was shewed thee on the Mounte. Which thing Moses did accordingly. But such thinges as came forth of the Tabernacle of witnes made in earth, semed to the Israelites iuste and holy. Herof were ared the oracles and aunswers of God, which it was not lawefull to speake agaynst. Therfore when we heare nowe that the very iudgementes of God agaynst the wicked world,Thangels come forth of ye tēple. paynes and punnishmentes come out of the trewe temple it selfe, the patron I meane and that celestial, who should herafter doubte that al the iudgemētes of God, wherwith he plageth the vngodly, be sacred & holy? And whilest ye vngodly are plaged, that we muste thinke nothing els, but that a sentence as it were an oracle is comen or pronounced from heauen, whiche it is vnlawefull to gayne saye? to conclude, the diuine iudgementes do procede out of the very tr [...]ne of God, wherefore they can not but be moste holy. Otherwise we shal heare in the .21. chapt. that there is no temple in heauē. These be therfore Tipes and figures, not matters trewe and permanent: but after they haue signified this, for the which they were instituted, passyng and fadyng awaye.
Hereunto also apperteyneth the apparell of Angelles,Aungelles clothed in brighte white linē. that hereof [...]oe maye also esteme the iudgementes of God. They are sayed to be clothed in pure lynen, or cleane and white, or bright ( [...]) wherby is signified, that the iudgementes of God, are vnspotted and bright. For we haue hearde that these thinges which S. Iohn sawe were signes. Therfore we maye not Imagine carnal thinges in heauenly matters, but spiritually to expounde, suche thinges as in the signe seme to be as it were corporall. The garment in this worlde is chaunged with the state of thinges. For they vse white garmentes in victories and triumphes, blacke at burialles [Page 478] and mourninges, red in battel. Here is signified therfore that the iudgementes of God are most pure, & that God ouercometh and triumpheth ouer the vngodly. At the resurrection and ascention of our lord Angelles appered in white garmentes, & shyning bright, to signifie the glory of Christ: Now is the very breste girded with a girdel, and that in dede with a golden girdell. Golde is a token of purenes. In the breste is the seate of affections. The girdell byndeth, moreouer prepareth for the iourney. Therefore it betokeneth, that the iudgementes of God are prepared, and in a readines: the same to waunt affections, that is to saye, not to be pronounced or done of enuie or mallice, loue or fauour, but to be iuste, moderate and vpright.
One of the beastes geueth vials.And one of the beastes gaue vnto the seuen Angels reuengers & punnishers seuen bolles, & the same ful of gods wrath. Now although God nedeth not ye helpe of creatures, nother receiueth any thing of them, as waūting any thing: yet sins he made not his creatures in vaine, & doeth thinges in order, al creatures doubtles (for I sayed in the .4. chapt. how by the beastes the vniuersalitie of creatures is signified) bestowe their labour agaynst the wicked, and what so euer they haue of God (and they haue al thinges) at his wil and cōmaundement, they imploye willyngly and franckely to execute the iudgementes of God. Thus fire fallyng from heauen vpon Sodome and the cities aboute it, did minister the plage or cup of Gods wrath to the Aungel reuenger. So the water ouerwhelmed Pharao and his hoste. So the Earth opening swallowed vp the company of Chore, Dathan and Abyron. &c. Thus the Armies of the gentiles imploye themselues to take punnishement of the vngodly. The walles of Iericho fall, the hayle distroyeth the Chananites. Thus God without any difficultie punnisheth his enemies, seyng al creatures are ready to ayde and assiste. And the viall or cuppe is of golde. For againe is signified the iustice & equitie of Gods iudgementes. And where God is called a reuēger liuyng for euer: his eternitie and maiestie is signified, whiche neuer the transitorie thinges of this worlde, and humane infirmities shall ouercome. In the sight of the liuyng God, all the wicked shal fall, and perish euerlastingly.
After this the Apostle seeth,The temple ful of smoke. the temple filled with smoke for the maiestie of God, and for his power. That smoke is a signe of Gods presence, it appereth by many places of the Scripture, but chiefly in the .8. chap. of the .3. boke of Kinges. Than is it also a token of Gods wrath. For Aretas: smoke, sayeth he, is a tokē of Gods wrath: according as it is sayed, smoke ascended in his wrath. And nother is smoke with out fire, nor fire without smoke, &c. Morouer smoke hurteth the eyes, and maketh them blinde. So in Esaye the .6. The temple of God, which Esaye seeth, is filled with smoke. And at this present not only apeareth the presence of god, and of his wrath to be signified: but also to be figured, that the iudgementes of God be vnsearchable, so that the things which he him selfe reuealeth not to vs, we can not atteyne to. For his maiestie is infinite, and his power passeth al thinges. Primasiu, Bisshoppe of Vtica in Affricke expoundyng this place: Thinke, sayeth he, that same to be signified by smoke, that all menne can not penetrate the secrettes of Gods iudgemētes, and that the eyes and mindes of mortall men shal at the contemplation of the plagues inflicted dasel, gropyng in darkenes: which nowe he determineth to vtter, and vnto the finall ende of the same, he affirmeth, the smoke to abide still in the temple. Thus sayeth he.
Now followeth that semeth to expounde the same:No man could enter into the temple. and no man coulde enter into the Temple, &c. But certayne it is by the veritie of the euangelicall & Apostolical doctrine, that the soules passing out of the body before thende & last iudgemēt, go right into the blessed seates, and haue there the fruition of the ioyes promised of god so true. Therfore is an other thing signified, to wit that before thende of all thinges the saincces can not clerely see al the iudgemēts of God. For here we see by a glasse, there face to face, & shal know God him self, & the veritie & maner of his iudgementes. Primasius, nother coulde any man enter into the tēple: that is could penetrate ye secret, til the seuen plages of the seuen Angels were finished. Wherfore the Psalmographer: This, sayeth he, is labour before me, til I may enter into the sanctuarie of God, & may vnderstande the cōclusion of matters, &c. Here is signified therfore, that Sainctes before the iudgemente shall not knowe the [Page 480] secret misteries of Gods iudgementes. Let it than suffice vs, that he him selfe hath vouchsafed to open to vs: for the reste let vs beleue, that the lorde is iuste in all his wayes, and holy in al his workes. To him be glory.
¶ The three fourmer Aungelles powre out their vialles vpon the Antichristians, and all the vngodly. The .lxix. Sermon.
The .16. chapter. ANd I hearde a greate voyce out of the temple saiyng to the seuē angelles: go your wayes, powre out your vialles of wrath vpon the Earth. And the first went, & powred out his vialle on the earth, and there fell a noysome sore botche vpon the men whiche had the marke of the beaste, and vpon them that worshipped his Image. And the seconde Angell shed out his vialle on the Sea, and it tourned as it were into the bloud of a dead mā: and euery liuing thing died in the Sea. And the thirde Angell shed out his vialle vpon the riuers and fountaines of waters, and they tourned to bloud, and I hearde an angel of waters saiyng: lord which arte and waste, thou arte rightuouse and holy, because thou haste geuen such iudgementes: for they shed the bloud of Sainctes, and Prophetes, and therfore hast thou geuen thē bloud to drinke: for they are worthie. And I hearde an other Angell out of the Aultar saiyng: euen so lord God almightie, true and rightuouse are thy iudgementes.
After he hath spoken in generall of the rightuouse iudgementes of God, he procedeth nowe particularly by the seuenth nombre, and declareth at large the plagues of God,The plagues of Aegypt. which in this world also he inflicteth to the wicked, but chiefly the Antichristians. This place aunswereth to the same, or at leest hath many thinges like to it, whiche in Moses boke of Exod. from the .7. chapt. to the .12. For in all those whole chapters are described the ten plagues of God, wherewith for sinne he plaged kynge Pharao and the whole realme of Aegypt. These plagues are comprised in goodly verses of D. Musculus our worshipfull Godfather.
These plagues are expounded also in the .150. Psalme. In the .15. chapt. of Exod. the Lorde sayeth: yf thou wilt heare diligently the voyce of thy God,The cure of plages. and wilt doe that is right in his sight, and wilt kepe all his statutes, I will sende vpon thee no disease, whiche I sent vpon the Aegyptians, for I am the Lorde, healyng thee. We learne therefore of the treatise of the plagues of God, to feare God, and to walke in his cō maundementes. Nother is it repugnaunt to this sentence of God, that we reade, howe Iob, and other holy menne, and walknng in the cōmaundementes of God, were vexed with greuouse diseases. For these are priuate and are not chiefly inflicted for sinne, but for the exercise of fayth, and increase of vertues.
Men for the moste parte ascribe the causes of plagues to the starres, and to other matters:The true cause of plagues. and therfore do not tourne to the Lord strikyng them, in amendement of life most euill, but we are taught by the treatise of Moses, which we alledged out of Exod. and by this present disputation of S. Iohn, that God himselfe punnisheth the sinnes and wickednes of men, although he vse the seruice of menne and elementes, vnto [Page 482] whom as to the nexte causes men impute the euils receiued, whiche they suffer iustely of God for their sinnes.A voyce out of the Temple. For the whiche cause at this present is hearde a voyce, not out of the ayre, or from the Earth, but from the Temple of the Lorde trewe, iuste and holy, commaundyng the Angelles to come out, and powre their vialles vpon the heades of menne. The wicked therefore are plagued of God him selfe. But a vialle is no other thing, (I spake of the worde in the .5. chapt.) but the iuste iudgement of God, or vengeaūce of men deserued. Angelles powre out their vialles, so ofte as men are punnisshed with plages through meanes of God appoincted. And that voice which is hearde from the temple, is great. For no man can resiste God, nor infringe his decree. When he commaundeth, al creatures do obeye.
The firste Angell shedeth his vialle.But whilest this first Angel, executour of gods iudgemēt, powreth out his plague vpon men, there fell [...] a noysome sore botch vpon men. This plage aunswereth to the sixte plage of Aegipt. And that botche signifieth a canker, a fistula, and swelling sores or boyles, but chiefly the pockes of Iude, which others cal the disease of Naples, some the French pockes,the pockes first. and some the Spanish: verely for that in the warre of Naples (whiche was made by the French men and Spanyardes in the yere of our Lorde. 1494.) they came vp firste in the campe of whores, whiche infected the Armie. Whiche Mainardus the Phisition discourseth at large. But howe so euer diuerse and venemouse sores doe infecte many greuousely, yet doe the French pockes chiefly corrupte the Abbayes of Monkes and Nūnes, and colledges of priestes, aboue others. For they geuyng themselues to moste filthie fornication, do abhorre and deteste in others holy matrimonie, and therfore receyue thereof, the rewarde of their iniquitie. Therfore is it sayed here expressely, that the Antichristiās should be with this disease vexed, or rather pūnished. Ye shall finde some, whose face is eaten with this disease. All whoremongers and aduouterers for the moste parte are troubled with this plage. Iob also the excellent seruaunte of God was couered with sores and boyles, but by the singular counsell of God, as I touched also before. Therefore it is no maruell, though some time very good men free from the vncleanes of [Page 483] whoredome, be also infected with this disease.
The second Angell shedeth his viall on the Sea:pestilēce. [...] and therfore the bloude of lyuing thinges, became all to gether such as is in deade men, to witte corrupt, and turned into matter. Whereupon all that lyued in the sea died. The Sea is euermore stirring, and variable: full rightlie therfore by this the worlde is signified, or vnconstaunt men in the world: these for theyr sinnes, are infected with the Pestilence, and dye in great plentie. In the words is ye fygure Synekdoche, where euery liuing soule is said to dye. This second plague aunswereth to the fifte of Aegipt. Vnder this plague we comprise all kynde of Pestilences and plagues. Ezechias also was taken with the plague: as many Godly men also die of the Pestilence, but by the singuler counsell of God.
The thirde Angell shed his viall on the ryuers and fountaynes of waters, which were by and by, turned into bloud.Bloude. 3. This aunswereth to the first plague of Aegipte. The Aegiptians had drowned in Nilus, the newe borne bodies of infants, and had oppressed the innocent Israelites: Therefore were they worthie to drinke of Nilus. For water, bloude.
Water otherwise in the Scripture signifieth doctryne, as in Ezechiell and Zachary. Therefore do the ryuers and fountaynes of waters, signifie ecclesiasticall preachers and Princes, whome God hath geuen to the people for a defence and reliefe. Certenlie Saincte Peter calleth false prophets welles waunting water. 2. Peter. 2. In the .17. chapter we shal heare, that by waters are vnderstand people. This therefore is the plague of God, the Princes of the people, and preachers of peace, are become the authours and ringleaders of rebellion and of warres: In the which they fall and kyll one an other, which shede the bloude of Sainctes. And albeit that in warres the godly are also plaged, yet knoweth the Lord how to requyte their paynes, and to ease their sorrowes. Saincte Austen decydeth this matter at large, in the firste booke of Christen doctrine. But if we loke vpon the variable Historie of Italie, Fraunce, Germanye, and Hungarye, and of other Realmes, that glorye to be called Christians: we shall fynde them to haue bene the blasing firebrandes of warres, which [Page 484] ought of dutie to haue ben the Princes of peace.Warres stirred vp by Popes And lyke as the Lorde sayeth in the Gospel, there must not a Prophet die any where els, than at Hierusalem: So must ther no warre be moeued, but by Popes of Rome, Byshops and Prelates. I will only resyte a fewe. Pope Gregorye the .2. through sedition, expulsed themperour Leo Isauricus out of Italie. Pope Stephen brought in Pipine King of Fraunce, into Italie againste the Lumbardes. The same ded Charlemaigne at the motion of Pope Leo the .3. driue clean out of Italie, hauing slaine many of them with the sworde. Pope Gregory the .7. a moste wicked man, stirred Peter King of Hungarie, to warre with the Emperour Henry the .4. intangled all Italie & Germany with warres, and droue Henry to fight many fields, and battels, that wer not light. Vrbane the .2. of that name, tourmoyled with warre both Easte and West and all other partes of the world, which he called holy, taken in hand for the recouering of Hierusalem. This warre was long, cruell, greate and blouddy, suche as in all worldes you can not fynde the lyke. What Alexander the third, wrought against Fredericke Barbarousse, and howe he raysed vp all Italie againste him, the Stories do tell. And whylest Fredericke the second warred in the holy lande, Gregory the nynth taketh from him Naples. Here the Abbot of Vrspurge sumeth, that so great a wickednesse shoulde be committed of a Pope. There arrose by the Popes meanes and motions, great factions in Italie, of the Guelphians and Gibilines. Clement the fourth, brought in the french Armie, by the conducte of king Charles, into the kingdome of Naples: and put Conrade Duke of Swalande from his inheritaūce, and caused him and Fredericke Duke of Austryce to be slayne to gether, with manny thousandes of the Germanes. Pope Ihon the two and twentie, armed Fredericke Duke of Austrich, and Leopolde, against the Emperour Lewes the fourth, of the house of Bauier. Boniface the eight, cōmaunded king Albert Duke of Austrich, to beare Hostyle banners against Philip the French King. As Martin the fifte stired vp a greuouse warre against the Bohemers. Eugenius the fourth, betrayed the Conquerour Ladislaus king of Poll and Hungary, to Amurathes ye great Turke, to be vanquished [Page 485] and slaine through treason, sending his Legate Iuliane Caesarinus Cardinal about the practise, which perished also in that vnluckie ouerthrowe. Where cometh to mynde that sayeng in Virgill: Tolumnius himselfe the southsayer is slayne. Pope Sixtus the .4. sent to the moste puissaunt nation of Swisses, a red scarfe or band, with a bull hanging at it, wherein he graū teth most large indulgēces to such as wil fight for the church of Rome. Iulye the second through much and great bludshed of the Swisses, began to expulse the french kyng out of Italie: which at length Leo the .10. brought to passe, receyuing the Emperour Charles the .5. whose sonne ruleth yet in Italie Clement the seuenth began to oppresse him agayne, but death disapointed his enterprises. Paule the thirde, ioyned the force of Italie with Charles the fifte, and warred on the Germanes for obedience denied to the See of Rome, and the Gospel receiued. In the which war was taken Philippe the Lantzgraue of Hasse, & Ihon Fredericke Duke of Saxon, Prince Electour. Greate vilianie and crueltie, was wrought by the soldiours in Germanie. Pope Iulye the thirde, began to dalie with the frenchmen: and stiring vp the warre of Parma and Mirandula, brought the frenchmen to Senes. There arrose a most greuouse warre by sea and land, both in Fraunce, and Italie and also in Germany, which indureth at this day: The Princes and people teare a sonder one an other, they drynke their bloude moste aboundauntly, which neuerthelesse in the meane season, persecute Christes church moste greuousely. The Lorde sende peace.
And nowe where the godly might maruell,¶ God is righteouse in his iudgementes. why God so suffereth the worlde to be shaken and tourmoyled with mutuall warres: the Angelles preuent the marueling and complainte, and shewe not onlie the cause, but also praise the iustice of God in these iudgements. And he bringeth in two Angels, as mete and sufficient witnesses of this businesse:Angels gouernoures of things. The one he maketh ruler of waters, the other speaking out of the aulter. He semeth here in to followe Daniell, which also in the tenth chapter, sayeth that Angelles as gouernours, were set to rule ouer Prouinces. Not that God doeth not worke and gouerne al things in waters & in all elements and Regions: but for that he vseth the trauell of Angelles, as his ministers. [Page 486] But where the Papistes gather hereof, that Sainctes rule ouer elements, diseases, limmes, cities, and euery part in man, it is folish and superstitious, and smelling of Idolatrie. For the maner of Angelles and of blessed soules is cleane diuerse, moreouer, the Scripture attributeth vnto them farre other things, than it doeth to these. Thou shalt read nothing of the blessed soules, as hauyng any thyng to do with men here in Earth, in the whole Scripture. But in sondry places of the Scriptures, you shall reade that Angelles are set to be mens kepers, and to serue them with dyuers ministeries. Agayne, ye read not, that ye godlie haue for this cause geuen any godly honour to the Angelles: no, we shall heare in this booke howe Saincte Ihon woulde haue worshipped an Angell, but was prohibited of the Angell ones or twyse.Chap. 19. and .21. Moreouer, here the Angell rendreth a reason, why the water is tourned into bloude, and commendeth here in Gods iustice. For turning his talke vnto God: thou art inste, sayeth he, O Lord which arte, and which wast. &c. He pronounceth him righteouse, as he that will do no man any wrong, and therefore calleth him also holy. In the mean time he signifieth his euerlastingnes, and that he geueth being vnto all thinges, where he sayeth: which arte, and which waste, &c. Of this phrase of speache is spoken in the first chapter. And the true righteousnes geueth to euery one his. Therefore the Angell sayeth: Therfore Lord thou arte righteouse, and declareste thy righteousnes to the world, in that thou hast geuen them bloude to drinke, which haue shed the bloude of the Prophetes: that is, of preachers, for preaching of the truth. And not their bloud only, but haue shed also the bloude of thy holy faythful I meane, whom for the true professing of the faithe they haue vexed, and at laste slayne. Therfore are they worthie, that they thēselues shuld agayne drinke the bloude of them and theirs: that is, shulde fall by mutuall warres, tumultes, and slaughters, verely before recited.
The Angel speketh oute of the ault [...]r.These thinges are confirmed by an other Aungell which speaketh from thaulter, and not without cause from the aulter. For we heard before in the .6. chap. that vnder the aulter the soules of them that are killed crie out and say, how long is it that thou auengest not our bloud on them, &c. Therfore [Page 487] nowe is the talke vttered out of the Aultar to the ende we should vnderstāde, that God forgetteth not the bloud of his sainctes, but reuēgeth it in iuste and dewe season. Now here in also cōmended as it were by the waye the omnipotēcie of God, that the vngodly maye vnderstande, howe in the time of affliction and vengeaunce, there shal be no power able to resiste the almightie. To him alone be glory. Amen.
The .iiii. and .v. Angelles shed theyr vialles. The .lxx. Sermon.
ANd the fourth Angell powred out his vialle on the Sunne, & power was geuen to him to vexe menne with heate of fire. And the men raged in great heate, and spake euill of the name of God, whiche had power ouer those plagues, and they repented not to geue him glory. And the fifte Angell powred out his viall vpon the seate of the beast, & his kingedome waxed darke, & they gnewe their tungues for sorrowe, and blasphemed the God of heauen for sorrowe & payne of their sores, and repented not of their dedes.
The godly esteme not their afflictiōs sent by the iuste iudgement of God, as the punnishmētes of sinners,The afflictions of ye godly and vngodly. but as exercises of the fayth, how so euer they acknowledge themselues to be iustely afflicted for their sinnes committed: yet here they commende neuerthelesse the grace of God, conuertyng the punnishementes of sinners into the exercises of fayth. To the vngodly punnisshementes are plagues, whiche nother they can suffer patiently, nor glorify God, but rather blaspheme him, & suppose that they suffer vnworthely. Therfore are the plages of god to thē most greuouse, where neuerthelesse much more cruel things are for thē prepared, to wit, that they should suffer in an other worlde euerlastyng damnation. [Page 488] Therefore the plagues of this worlde infli [...]ed to the vngodly, are as it were certen preparatiues and preambles of more greuouse tourmentes.
Drought ye iiii. plage.The fourth Angel poureth out his viall on the sunne, and to the same was geuen power to plague men with heate or fire. This plage do many expounde allegorically, vnderstandyng by the sunne Christ exhilaratyng the consciences of the faithfull: and the fame to be darkened in the mindes of men chosing rather the darkenes of Antichriste, than the light of Christ: and therefore do the consciences erryng, and seduced with errour, burne with sondry lustes & desperations, wherby they be driuē at the length to sondry blasphemies. Which exposition as I do not vtterly reiecte, so (after my iudgemēt) the sense shal be more playne, yf we vnderstande the fourth plague to be an heate and great drought, a barrennes of the Earth, and scarsetie of Corne, finally an intollerable thurste afflictyng both men and beastes, and laste bredyng and ingē dring hoate diseases. For so we haue red in the threatenings of the lawe: I will geue an heauen of brasse and an earth of yron. In the time of Helias for contemnyng and reiectyng the worde of ye lord, God plaged Israel with a sore drought, as you maye see in the .3. boke of Kinges, the .17. and .18. chap. Ieremie also describeth the like drought and heate in the .14. chapt. Agayne the lorde defended Israell with a pillar of a cloude by the daye, and a pillar of fire by night. Moreouer we haue hearde heretofore in the Apocalipse: the sunne shall not fal vpō them, nother any heate. And iustely is this world plaged with burnyng heate, as the which offendeth greuously, burneth with sondry lustes, and also by wicked proclamations prohibiteth the coulyng & refressyng of Gods worde.
Theffecte of this plague is greate.For the effecte of this plage followeth. And mē sayeth he, burned with great heate. At ye first, sayeth he, beyng inflamed with a exceding great heate, they were euen ragyng madde. For we reade in stories yt mē beyng afflicted with ouer much heate, haue felte greuouse displeasures and tormentes bothe of body and minde. Than he addeth, that followeth of the fourmer membre: the impatiēcie of the heate prouoked them to blaspheme God, and euen him that had power ouer these plagues: to witte, for that hauyng full power so to do, he will [Page 489] not deliuer them so vexed with burning heate. Cōtrarywise the children of Israel in their tentes beyng stongen with serpentes, inflamyng the whole body with the stinge,Nume. 22. did repente nother did they blaspheme God. But comyng vnto Moses, they sayed we haue sinned, for we haue spokē against the Lord, and agaynst thee. Praye the lord, that he will take awaie from vs these serpentes. They blaspheme therfore the name of the lord, so many as through vnpatientnes do murmure against the iudgementes of God, nother wil acknowledge themselues to be rightly and iustely pūnished crauing perdon, finally is added, nother did they repente that they might geue glory to God, &c. For the lord plageth vs, to the ende that beyng afflicted we should repente, and geue God the glory, confessing, as I sayed before, that we be punnished iustely,Howe the godly & vngodly behaue them selues in afflictiōs. and ought with wepyng and waylyng to tourne to the lord strikyng vs. But these like Pharao nother acknoweledge theyr sinne, nother praye vnto God, nor yet are amended, but many times ouercome thēselues in malliciousenes. Hereof we learne the diuersitie betwixte the godly and vngodly, and howe both vse themselues in afflictiōs. For they geue glory vnto God, and amende their life: these geue not God the glory, but become worse than themselues. To geue God the glory, is to geue place vnto God, not to resiste, but to acknoweledge their sinne, and Gods rightuousenes: and not this only, but also the mercy of God and clemencie towardes the penitent, and the same to require humbly.The darknes of the romish see the .v. plague.
The fifte Aungell powreth his cuppe vpon the seate of the beaste. That a seate or trone is vsed for a kingdome, is more manifeste than that it nede to be proued by testimonies, sins that S. Iohn himself doeth by & by for a seate place a kingdome. And also in times paste the maisters, or rather ministers of churches taught sitting, & had their stoles & chaires in holy assemblees. That saiyng in the gospel is knowen: In the chayre of Moses sitte the scribes and Phariseis, &c. It is knowē that in aūcient time ther were seates of Patriarches, Hierusalem, Antioche, Rome, Alexandria, Constantinople and others: and that the same are called Apostolicall seates, forasmuch as the Apostles haue taught there. And so is the Apostolicall seate vsed for the Apostolicall doctrine it selfe. That [Page 490] seate erected and established at Rome by the Apostles and Apostolicke men, the beast that is the Pope hath subuerted, and in the place therof erected the seate of pestilēce, which he dare neuerthelesse cal the seate of Christe,Thapostolicall seate of Christ & S. Peter. and the seate of S. Peter. Christe hath no more any seate in Earth, saue that he dwelleth in the hartes of the faithfull church. Otherwyse the trewe seate of Christ, is the right hād of the father. The trewe seate of Peter, is heauen it selfe. Rome is no longer his seate: for the Apostolicall doctrine and Patriarchall chayre is destroyed and troden vnder fote: & in steade therof is an earthly Empire or kingedome set vp by the Pope. Yea more he pourseweth the Apostolical seates by force of armes. Nowe therefore God hauyng cōpassion vpon his, poureth out his wrath and plague on the see of Rome, illuminyng men with the light of the Gospel, to the ende they might know and see the wickednes and abomination of the Romisshe See. The which is a wonderfull benefite to them that be lighted, and a greate griefe and tormente to the Romish sorte. For theffecte of the plage followeth: and his kyngdome was made darke. This plague aunswereth to the .9. of Aegipte. For like as thicke darkenes plaged the Aegyptians, bright light reioyced the Israelites, so were the Papistes tourmēted with shameful errours than shall it grieue them also to haue their errours detected, and their glory obscured: the faithful shall reioyce in the light of Christ. For now beginneth, and already hath begonne the maiestie of the seate, and of him that sitteth therein, to be obscured. That which was ones called an holy seate: is now of the godly & learned called, wicked Rome, the whore of Babylon, the mother of al fornications, the denne of theues, Sodome, Aegipte, the red harlot by reason of the pourple senate of Cardinalles, which weare red and purple. It is comonly sayed and truely, the nerer Rome, the further from Christe. They call and that moste rightly, the Cardinalles, bishoppes, and spiritual fathers, the familie & limmes of Antichrist, men disceaued and disceauers, with Symony and filthie lust moste corrupte. Therfore the kingdome of the beast (so he expoundeth the seate) was made darke. There is added furthermore, howe the worshippers of the seate of the beaste haue and do behaue themselues. Firste for payne and [Page 491] sorrowe, indignation, wrath and enuie, they gnawe or bite their tunges: which is the gesture of angry mē, and that impotently angry, I meane that burne infuriouse rage.The furie of the papistes againste the gospellers. It is a phrase of speach, signifiyng howe they will rage with greate furie agaynst the trewth opened, which they would haue vtterly hidde and oppressed. Agayne they blaspheme the Lorde of heauen, & maker of al, both for that he afflicteth them with botches, and sondry plagues, & also for that he casteth a darknes vpon their kingdome. For euen therfore the Romish, cal the preachers of the gospel disceauers & heretikes: and the very doctrine of the gospel, heresie. But this reproche redoundeth to him which is authour of the same doctrine. Finally thei do not repent them of their doynges, of theyr Simony, of their craftie iuggelyng, sacrileges, idolatrie, and al vngodlines. And the apostle sayeth, howe euill men, and disceauers will waxe worse and worse, disceauing and beyng disceaued. Therfore is it no maruel, though you see the papistes at this daye, with a stiffenecke to procede obstinately in their errours. But the greatest plague is to be forsaken of God, and stubbernely to mayneteyne their errours & vngodlines, and therin to perseuer. The Lord deliuer vs from euill. Amen.
¶ The sixte Angell shedeth his vialle. The .lxxj. Sermon.
ANd the sixte Angell powreth out his vialle, vpon the great riuer of Euphrates, and the water dried vp, that the waye of these kynges of the Easte shoulde be prepared. And I sawe three vncleane spretes, like frogges come out of the mouthe of the Dragon, and out of the mouth of the beaste, and out of the mouthe of the false prophet. For they are the spretes of the deuiles workyng miracles, to goe out to the kynges of the earth, & of the [Page 492] 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: [...]he drying vp of Euphrates y• sixte plage. thende 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 cōmodities and pleasures. Here therefore are signified, by Euphrates, richesse, munition, pleasures, cōmodities, 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 vnderstāde,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 [Page 493] 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 substaūce, 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 ye 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 ye 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 cōmon welthes vncorrupted.
First he sheweth dilligently the original of legates, to the [Page 494] 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 vnderstādeth not, that it signifieth ye deuil him self. They come forth therfore frō the deuil. For al ye affaires of their ambassade cōsisteth 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 instructiōs or cōmissions 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 cōtrarywise vncleane. For he him self is of nature, or rather of his owne corruption, and reuoltyng from God impure, and authour to mē of all impuretie and vncleanes. He signifieth therfore, that those legates shal be men of a deuelish vncleanes. And in dede if you laye hereunto the life, maners, and conuersation of those legates laterall, and of theyr families, you shal finde in maner nothyng els, but extreme vncleanes, filthines and [Page 495] beastelynes, monstrouse luste, whoredome and aduoutrie, and detestable fornications, wonderful surfettyng, blouddy craftes and counselles. Therefore the thing it selfe speaketh: and the thinges that the legates do euery where, are a commentary of this place. And where there be three vncleane spretes rekened, some doe expounde it of diuines, laweyers and religiouse as monkes and freres, of the which thre sortes for the most parte ar chosen the Popes ambassadours. I vnderstande simplely by the thirde nombre, that those legates shal be most furnished with all hostile authoritie, & that they shall all agree wel emonges themselues, and all helpe one an other: that what so euer one semeth to lacke, an other maye supplie. Salomon in Ecclesiastica, a threfolde rope or line, sayeth he, wil not lightly breake.
But now that no man shuld finde any lacke of light,They be like frogges. by a parable brought in, he setteth as it were before our eies what maner ones these legates shal be, verely frogges of the marrishe or fenne, and criers importune and tediouse, foule and filthie. And he sayeth not that they be frogges in dede, but like frogges. For like as frogges by their importune criyng are moste tediouse and troublesome, and the fennie are also filthie: so doe those legates loue earthly thinges and filthynes: and by their complainetes, accusations, prouocations, wrytinges and disputations altogether froggelyke and fenlyke, be hatefull bothe to God and men. They are nothing asshamed: yf they be interrupted a little, by and by they retourne to their olde songe,Aristophanes in ranis. [...]. For there is no other tune with them, but [...]. Primasius reasoneth very muche of Frogges. Emonges other thinges: it is mete for those false Prophetes like frogges criynge in the nighte, to make a damnable noyse by barkynge of errours. For frogges bothe by reason of the place, sight, and troublesome noyse are so hatefull, as the Deuill wyth his is knowen to be abominable to the trewth, and wyth iuste fyre to bee rightely condemned, &c. Thus sayeth he. And lyke as the Frogges of Aegypte reysed out of the duste, by the Deuelisshe arte of the Magiciens cryed out agaynste Gods veritie, callynge agayne by Moses and Aaron the people of GOD to the trewe libertie [Page 496] and worshippyng of God: right so doe the Popes legates moleste with talke the preachyng of the gospell, the free deliueraunce, the christiane libertie, and trewe seruice of God. And like as the frogges doubble and reiterate euen to make one wery to heare, that same their [...]: euen so these fennish beastes of Rome, haue euermore in their mouth, the most holy See, the most holy father, ye holy church of Rome. The holy churche of Rome erreth not, the holy churche of Rome muste be obeyed. He that will not obeye her, is an heretike and a schismatike. These thinges full many times and ofte, and to al menne, and in all and singular causes will they reiterate, and repete that their one and the same songe [...].
The sprite of Deuils.The Lorde annexeth by S. Iohn, and so yet more clerely declareth: for they be spretes of Deuilles workyng miracles, &c. [...] (whiche is here vsed in Greke for deuill) hath his name of sondry knoweledge, and skilfulnes of thinges: and semeth to be in a maner indifferēt, although it be commonly put for the Deuill. Neuerthelesse for a difference they are called Eudaimones, and Cacodaimones, as it were good and euill workers. For the Grekes saye that [...] is called of [...] that is knowyng or skilfull. For [...] is called an experte Artificer. The Lord therefore signifieth, that the Popes legates shal be spretes of Deuilles, that is to saye, spiritual fathers (but indewed with the spirite of Sathan) wise men or skilfull, craftie workers to bryng their matters to passe. And therefore he annexeth, workyng wonders. Whereby he semeth to allude to the Magiciens of Aegipt, who also wrought miracles, and deteyned kyng Pharao in lies against the veritie. S. Paule moreouer in the .2. to Timoth. the .3. chapt. compareth the wise men and ministers of Antichrist to the Magiciēs of Aegipt. And right well knowen it is, that the legates doe euery where boaste of miracles, which haue bē done in their church and religion, and so kepe stil the hartes of kinges and princes in popish errours. Of miracles speaketh S. Paule in the .2. to the Thess. 2. And I haue sayed some thing hereof in the .13. chapt.
Here is shewed moreouer the ende of all the treatise and counselles of the Popes legates: that they might go forth to [Page 497] the kynges of the whole earth, to assemble them to battaile.The legates are in all kynges courtes. &c. Thei shal crepe into the courtes of al kinges and princes. Ye shall haue doubtles in all kinges courtes in a maner the Popes legates. And what do they? Thei inuironne kinges & princes. They see that no faithfull manne be admitted to the kinges speache, they learne to know al the kinges counsell, which they write and signifie to Rome: and yf they mislyke any thing, that they maye infringe and subuerte the same: and that they alwayes beate in that songe of theires, to witte [...], that is verely obedience, which all menne owe to the holy Sea: finally that they arme kynges and princes to defende the churche of Rome, and distroye heresies. This I saye is the battel of that same daye of the great God almightie, that is to saye, whiche shal be parted by the commyng of the sonne of God vnto iudgement, and the whiche shall indure to the commyng of Christ vnto iudgement, which shal than auenge the bloud of his, from the handes of that vgly beaste. And he calleth the daye of iudgement, the daye of the great God: as doeth also S. Paule in the .2. to Tit. And the daye of God almightie: as he that shal than shewe his omnipotencie, and euen his power diuine, whiche semeth now to the vngodly by reason of his long sufferaunce to slepe. This necessarie and moste profitable description S. Iohn hath set in here, by the reuealyng of Iesus Christ, to the ende that we should watche and beware of them.
Hereafter followeth a faythfull admonition and exhortation to watchyng,An exhortation to watchyng. leeste we fall a slepe and perishe with the Antichristians in the cares and pleasures of this worlde. And he sayeth howe that daye of the lord wyll come sodenly, and when we shall leest loke for it. For the lord here repeteth that thyng, whiche he sayde also in the Gospell: beholde I come like a thefe. These thinges are red in the .24. of Matth. and are repeted of the Apostle in the .1. to the Thess. the .5. chapter. And verely that same soden commyng of the Lorde exciteth the mindes of vs all, and prouoketh to watch, leeste we shuld at vnwares be oppressed. He adioyneth also immediately a profit prepared for them that watche. Happy, sayeth he, is that man that watcheth. He addeth morouer, how the godly [Page 498] should demeane themselues in watchyng.Kepe thy garm [...]ntes that thou go not naked. Howe they must kepe their garmentes, that they be not defiled: and take hede moreouer that they walke not naked, leeste their filthines be espied. Touchyng garmentes I haue spoken moste largely in an other place of this boke. He kepeth his garmētes, that kepeth his life and conuersation vnspotted of worldely filthines. He walketh not naked, which putteth on Christ. But his shame is sene, that sinneth impudently. But chiefly is their shame sene, whose whoredomes, aduoutries and fleshly lustes are knowen, and open to the eyes of al menne. And here is the state of them to be lamented that are called spirituall, and rather in dede to be detested than to be described. Blessed are they whose sinnes are couered, and happy are they that haue learned to be ashamed. Vnhappy are as many as cā not blushe, but set such a face of the matter, that they glory in their sinnes and wickednes.
The destructiō of ye frogges.After this he toucheth at few wordes the destruction both of the legates and also of them that are deceaued of the legates, and suche as fight agaynst God and trewe religion, for the mayneteyning of the Romisshe maiestie. The legates in dede doe assemble menne of their faction vnto battel against the Godly: but the lorde hath gathered the same into a place whiche is called in Hebrewe [...], whiche some interprete the distruction of the Riuer, and some the armie of desolation. But howe so euer that is, the sense semeth easie: they are in dede assembled of the legates, that they mighte withstande, or prohibite the destruction of the Riuer, and ruine of Rome. But the Lorde shall also assemble the selfe same, that in the very same place and worke they maye be destroyed of the Lorde. Which finally at the laste iudgement we beleue shall be accomplisshed. To the Lord Christ our redemer and reuenger be prayse and glory. Amen.
¶ The seuenth Aungell powreth out his vialle. The .lxxij. Sermon.
ANd the seuēth Angel powreth out his Viall into the Ayre. And there came a great voyce out of Heauen from the seate, sayeng: it is done. And there folowed voyces, thonderinges, and lightnings, and there was a great Earthquake, suche as was not, synce men were vpon the Earth, so mightye an Earthquake and so great. And the great Citie was diuided into thre partes. And the cities of nations fell. And great Babilon came in remē braunce before God, to geue vnto her the cup of wyne of fearcenes of his wrath. And euery Ile fled awaye, and Mountaynes were not founde. And there fell a great haile, as it had bene talentes, out of Heauen vpon the men, and the men blasphemed God because of the hayle, for it is great, and the plague of it was sore.
The seuenth and last cup poured out into the ayre,The laste iudgement of God fygured by ye seuēth Angell. signifieth the parturbation and alteration of all elementes: and the horrible, but yet iuste iudgemente of God, and fynallye the ende of all thinges, & paynes euerlasting. The thinges be inclosed wyth fyguratyue speaches, taken for the moste parte out of the Prophetes, and by a priuie comparison brought oute of the holy storie. Which is done for this consideration, that all thinges might be more full of Maiestie, and that euery man shoulde more dilligentelie, search for the sence of an excellēt matter, which found ones, he might kepe and retaine in perfecte memorie.
And what tyme the Ayre is moued,Sore tempestes. sondry and horrible tempestes arryse in the ayre. And the Lorde Iesus in the gospell after Mathew testifieth, that aboute the last comming of [Page 500] Christe, the powers of heauen shall be moued. And as soone as the cuppe was powred out into the ayer, and a great tempest arrysen, a voice sounded [...], it is done. By the which voyce is signified,An ende is at hande. howe all thinges are at an end, euen of the whole world, moch more of wicked papistrie. And this voice is heard out of the very temple of heauen, and trone of God, leest we should doubte any thing of the veritie and certentis of the sentence geuen, and againe of the vertue and power of him that doeth pronounce it. Therfore are they shamefullye disceaued, so many as affirme the worlde to be euerlastinge, and that they shal reigne alwayes vpon earth, and inioy the pleasures therof. A voyce from heauen, out of the most holy temple of God, and euen oute of the moste sincere trone of the Almightie, speaketh, that it is done. For he speaketh of the time to come as though it were paste, that we might as certenly knowe that all worldlie and popish thinges shoulde haue an ende, as we vndoubtedly knowe the thinges to be done, which are already past. Let vs therfore watch, and put no confidence in the thinges of this worlde, which are moste deceiptful. All thinges shal fal to decay, and come to naught, men onely, and the blessed spirites, remayning through the grace of God, the vnhappie also remayning perpetually, appointed to perpetuall punnishment by the iustice of God.
A fygure of Goddes iudgementAnd lyke as the holy Prophetes ded by fygures set forth the iudgemente of God to be sene of mennes eyes, so nowe here the Lord Iesus by Saincte Ihon in a figuratiue speach, shaddoweth the terrour of that horrible iudgemente. For he sayeth howe ther shal be thonderinges, voyces, lightninges, and thōderbolts, & an earthquake, so terrible, that the world hath neuer at any tyme felte the lyke. For Saincte Peter also in the ende of his latter epistle, reciteth terrible thinges of the laste day, and burnyng of all worldlie thinges. But the quaking and terrour of mennes myndes, shalbe yet a great deale more terrible than al these.
The godly are exempted frome cruell terrours.The Lord in S. Mat. gospel. Than shal wayle sayeth he, all the kinreds of ye earth. For the vngodly, whose cōsciēces are wicked & corrupt, shall fele those terrours & tourmēts vnspekable. The godly like as according to ye saiēg of our sauiour, thei com not into iudgemēt: so although yt thei also by reason [Page 501] of the infirmitie of the flesh, be some what astonied at the sodaine alteration of things, and the terrible tearing and crashing of all elementes, yet forasmoch as they haue knowen before, that the same shulde come to passe, and beleue the Sauiour sayeng, your redemption draweth nere, they gather vp their spirites, and comfort themselues in Christ, and reioyce in him, comming to iudge or condemne the vngodly, but to saue the godly. And herein is alluded to sondry stories of the holy scriptures, but chieflly to ye burning of Sodome, to the drowning of Pharao in the red sea, and ruine of Iericho, &c. Those were verelie but seueral destructions, and yet terrible aboue measure: therfore what thinke we that laste destruction will be, which shall be generall?
Than shall that great Citie be cut a sunder,The great citie shalbe deuided in to .3. parts. the vniuersalitie of men in the great church, deuided into thre partes: that is to saie, in the end shal there thre kindes of menne be found in the Church. There be true Christians, which attribute to Christe his true glorie, that is, all thinges of true saluation, and cleaue to him alone by sincere fayth. There be Papistes, which after the lettre ascribe vnto Christe many thinges, but not as became them: for they ascribe those thinges to Antichriste, which belong to Christe alone: and in cōmunicating with him, such thinges as be not to be cōmunicated, they deny Christ. For yf the Pope be head of the church vniuersall, yf he be king and priest, &c. Wherfore is Christe preached to haue those thinges alone? There be moreouer Newters, which will not seme to denie Christe, and yet attribute not a litle to Antichriste, whome yet neuerthelesse in many things they contemne and despyse vtterly. These haue no certayne religion, but established and conceaued at their pleasure, as it liketh or pleaseth them, to beleue this or that. There is a great numbre of these men at this day, deryding and mockyng whatsoeuer is not tuned after their moste light, and wanton Lucianicall wittes. You may fynde also in the gospell, a felde sowen with sondrie seede, to bring forth moste dyuerse fruictes, yea euen cockle and darnell, which at length in the ende of the worlde shalbe gathered. &c. Math. 13.
Moreouer the Cities of the Gentiles (sayeth he) shall fal,The cities of the Heathen fall. by the which I vnderstan̄d the Iewish, Turkish, and straunge [Page 502] religions, plucked into sondry sectes or heresies. But euery one of these haue their societies, rytes, and lawes, which they commend to be the beste, and such as shall endure for euer: but they shal fal also. The only religion or faith of Christ shall preuayle and ouercome. Aretas expounding this place after the same sorte: The Cities of the heathen, sayeth he, falling downe, be dyuerse opinions of faith about religion, &c. They (I say) are fallen all.
Great Babilon came into [...] remēbraunce of God.But especially it was mete and requisite, he affirmeth and sheweth diligently, that the Citie and church of Rome shuld be destroyed, and committed to perpetuall tourments. I declared sufficientlie before, that Babilon is Rome, whiche in very dede is greate, not in Italie onelie, but through out all Fraunce, Spayne, Germanie, and other Realmes: the citie and church of Rome hath seemed to many, that it shoulde be euerlasting and triumphaunte for euer. Herein the Epicures crie, that God careth not for these inferiour thinges: but that euery man liueth here, eyther happelie or v [...]happelie, according as he hath discretelie and wittelie framed his lyfe: that knoweth not of our pleasures and displeasures, and our conuersation. But contrariwise Sainct Ihon affirmeth, that the Lorde hat remembred Babilon: and so to haue remembred her, that he hath determined to commit her to tourmentes. The which he vttereth by a prophetical phrase of speach, that he might geue vnto her, the cup of wyne of indignation, or fearcenesse of his wrath: that is to say, that he might pūnish her accordinglie, as the great indignation and wrath of God requyreth. Therefore she shall haue no small punnishmente: for the wrath of God is not lighte, but moste greueouse and hotte. For he requireth and recompenceth the slackenesse of punnishment, with the extremitie of payne and tourmente. The lyke thinges you may reade in the .3. of Malachie: howe God hath bokes written. Touching the cup also, of the wyne of Gods furie, to spoken of before oute of the Prophetes.
❀ [...]l Iles flee.Nowe also emonges other thinges by a figuratiue speach he sheweth, that the vngodlye haue no refuge, nor way to escape. Otherwise wolde the richer so [...]te, in daūgers hyde thē selues farre of in Ilandes, that they might be out of gunshot: many flee into the Mountaines, that they maye there lurke [Page 503] safely. But nowe he sayeth, howe the very Ilandes flee, and therefore that fleyng they can not be ouertaken. He addeth that the Mountaynes, that is to saye, no places of refuge or lurking can be founde. Therfore there remaineth nothing but that al vngodly in general beyng taken should be put to tormentes.
Furthermore he addeth, that hayle as bygge as talentes should be caste downe from heauen vpon wicked men: and that suche as hath not ben remembred to haue fallen in no memory of mē.Hayle like talentes. And he semeth to haue alluded to the story of the Chananites, which is in the .10. cha. of Iosua. To be short here is signified that the greuouse and ineuitable iudgement of God pronounced agaynst al vngodly, shal at the general iudgemēt tormente the wicked with such an extremitie, that no eloquence of men, no sence nor vnderstandyng cā attaine vnto: for it is alwaies more greuouse. Primasius expounding this place, sayeth: he setteth the wrath of reuēgemēt, in haile. Whereof we reade: the wrathe of the Lorde falleth downe like hayle. Nother doeth he without cause mention of a talente weight. For with equitie wil he inflicte iudgement, &c.
Here is shewed the obstinate and vncurable mutining and impatiencie of the wicked,The wicked blaspheme god in their tormentes. wherby they are incensed against Gods iudgementes, vomiting out blasphemies agaynst the Iudge him selfe and his iudgement. I haue handled these thinges more briefly, for that we haue hearde in a maner the same before aboute the ende of the .11. chapt. To the Lorde be prayse and glory.
¶ The Iudgement or punnishement of the pourple whore is described: and also the sinne, and vngodlines of the same. The .lxxiij. Sermon.
ANd there came one of the seuen Aungelles, whiche had the seuen vialles, The .17. chapt. & talketh with me, saiyng vnto me: come, I wil shewe thee the iudgemēt [Page 504] of the greate whore, that sitteth vpon many waters, with whome the kinges of the earth haue cōmitted whoredome, and the inhabiters of the earth are dronken with the wine of hyr fornication. And he caried me awaye into the wildernesse in the sprete. And I saw a woman sittyng vpon a rose coloured beast, ful of names of blasphemie, which had seuen heades, and ten hornes.
He hath hitherto discoursed in generall of the iuste iudgemētes of God: albeit that in the meane time he hath touched some particular matters concernyng Babylon or Rome, rather than reasoned. And nowe consequently seuerally, and euidently he handleth the destruction or ende of the beast, and of his Image, of olde Rome and newe, I meane both thempire and papistrie: which he semeth to poinct as it were with the fingar. In the .13.14. and .16. chapt. he signified somewhat hereof, nowe he pourseweth euery thinge with a notable plentie and euidence. And the same that I sayed in the beginning of this place, I repete here agayne: that hereby are affirmed, howe the iustice of God is shewed to be the ende of good and euill,The profit of this place cōcerning the destruction of Rome. that the godly are confirmed, and the iudgement to come establisshed, as we confesse expressely in the apostles crede. The some of al is this: tholde and newe Rome, the Empire and Popish kingdome, which is the kyngdome of Antichrist shall perish for sinnes, & great enormities. For he ioyneth together the beaste, and the Image of the beaste, the beast and one sittyng on the beaste, a prowde strompet, so that they can not be separated. Therefore muste the place be expounded of both Empires.That S. Iohn speaketh of Rome.
And leste any man should thinke me to be led with an euil affection, for vnderstandyng these thinges of Rome, I will shewe by the testimony both of god & man, that the same exposition is olde, and not newe, true, and not affectated. For streight waye the Angel him selfe, as we shal heare, expoundeth these thinges of Rome. Aretas also an olde expositour of this boke: diuerse expositours, sayeth he, vnderstande by the [Page 505] whore olde Rome. And the same by and by: whilest he saieth the mother of whoredome, whether so euer you will, other olde Rome or newe, or the time of the cōmyng of Antichriste (beholde the time of Antichriste he sayeth) you can not erre from the trewth, for that bothe cities (Rome and Constantinople) hath occupied thempire, and euery of them hath ben satiated with the bloud of holy martirs, &c. Hitherto he. And what the moste auncient wryter Tertullian, and S. Hierome hath spoken oftener than ones of Babylon and the purple whore, I haue heretofore reported in the .14. chapt.The order of this chapt.
And in this order he procedeth. Firste he sheweth the authour of this reuelatiō, after he gathereth the some of the reuelation or vision. For agayne he treateth by visions, to the ende al thinges might be more liuely & euident. And in dede some make this seuenth chapt. vnto the .21. chapt. the sixte vision. As I admonished in the beginning of this worke. Than noteth he the place and maner of the vision. Finally he propoundeth the vision it selfe, and immediately adioyneth the exposition thereof. And in the processe of this matter he vseth a iudicial kinde of pleadyng, and that after a prophetical maner. For the Prophetes moste often, and in the beginnyng set forth the sinnes and wickednesses of the people before the eyes of al men: & thā they annexe vnto it the iudgemēt, paine or punnishement. For so doeth S. Iohn also at this present.
First, thauthour of this horrible vision,who sheweth this vision. is the lord Christ himselfe: but he vseth the ministerie of an Angell, and that of one, which comyng out of the temple of the diuine maiestie, was appoincted with sixe others to powre out plagues and vialles. This is the head minister. And it was semely that the iudgement of Babilon should be vttered by an Aungell that had the rule ouer tormētes. The lord Iesus himselfe wil take punnishment of the beaste, for whom this triumphe is reserued. And we vnderstande that suche thinges as are set forth and treated here, haue proceded from the highe Bisshop him selfe Iesus Christ: and the maners of speakyng to be Angelicall, heauenly, and godly. Who shall than blame vs, yf we, vsing the wordes of Angelles and of Christ himself, shal saye that the Bisshop of Rome and all Popery to be that purple, and great and most comon harlot. It appereth also to many [Page 506] that seme godly, that moderation is neglected, whan these thinges are repeted of the preachers,Free mouthes agaīst Rome. whiche are playnely set forth to vs by the expresse wordes of Angelles and of Christ. It semeth that they woulde shutte and stoppe the mouth of Christ him selfe. Howbeit they attempte that in vayne. For if the preachers holde their peace, the stones wil crie. For it behoueth, that like as the glory of Christ, so the shame of Antichrist should be knowen to the whole worlde. But they offende moste greuousely which in the sermons made against Antichrist, require I know not what modestie. As though he ought to be spared, which spareth no good man. As though that doctrine were not modeste, which is taken and receiued of the mouth and wordes of Christ. After in the .18. chapter. We shal heare the lorde commaunde: render vnto her: as she hath rendred vnto you, &c.
The some of ye visiō,Secondly he compriseth in fewe wordes the some of all, and sheweth whereunto we should referre al thinges. Come sayeth the Angell to S. Iohn, and I wil shew thee [...] the iudgement, condemnation and punnishement of the greate whore. And where he sayeth, of the great whore, he doeth intimate what the crime is or cause of punnishement, fornication, infidelitie, or vngodlines. This vision also apperteineth hereunto, that we might vnderstande, how Rome should be punnished or destroyed, that is to saye the Romane Empire, or the kingedome of the Pope or of Antichrist: and wherfore or howe it deserueth to be destroyed.Rome is a whore. She is a whore, and a great and an erraunt whore. And who knoweth not, that a mariage is contracted betwene God and all and singular faythfull? that God is the brydegrome, and the churche his spouse? she is bounden than & coupled to her husbande alone in faith and trouth. Yf she breake this faith, and loue others, geue her to them, cal vpō, and honour them, she is a whore. Whereof I haue spoken many times both in this boke and els where.
And a moste common thing is it in the Scriptures, to call reuolting, vnfaithfulnes, impietie, superstition and Idolatrie, fornication or whoredome. Yf any man desire testimonies hereof, he shal finde in the .8. of Iudges, 1. of Esaye, 2. and 3. of Ieremie. the .16. of Ezechias, in the .1.2. and .3. of Osee, and [Page 507] other places. Rome therefore was a greate strompet, and is also at this daye a moste stynkyng harlot: For whic, she is full of Idolatrie, worshippyng of creatures, and abominable superstitions. Nother is she herselfe only polluted with all filthines, but compelleth morouer the whole world to serue, and that to serue in Idolatrie and superstitions. What will you saye that through the wonderfull prouidence of God it came to passe, that a woman fayning herselfe a manne, dyd clyme vp to the See of Rome, was created Bisshoppe, and called Iohn the .8. whyche was one Gylberta, a greate whore, borne at Mentz. For thus woulde God declare, that the Bysshoppe of Rome sitteth a whore vpon the beaste. And herein I follow the constant consent of al Historiographers. Neuerthelesse I am not ignoraunt, that there be some which haue thought; howe this Iohn was intruded into the seate vp an harlot, and for that cause was called an harlot.
Furthermore olde Rome had power to do these thinges,She s [...]teth vpō many wat [...]rs. for she sate vpon many waters that is, had dominion & rule ouer many people, and sondry nations. Ye al [...]o the kinges of the Earth haue cōmitted whoredome with her, wh [...] lest they haue submitted themselues to the Romanes, bonden themselues in leage,The princes [...]mi [...]te whoredom and receyued of them superstitions and Idolatrie. For the children of Israell were also sayed to haue committed whoredome wyth the Aegiptians, for that they had ioyned amitie with them, and were become fellowes in prophane religions. And so newe Rome the Popes kingdome stretcheth farre and wide, and the Kinges and Princes of the Earth committe whoredome with her. Therefore doeth the worde of the Lorde calle it filthye whoredome, whiche the Romisshe name an holy bonde and obedience. There is added, and they that dwell vpon Earth are made dronkē. For he signifieth, that beyng infected with errours, yea rather asotted, & cleane out of their wittes, they haue ben madde in Idolatrie, and yet rage in their superstitions, like drōkardes, and can not for furie receaue the preaching of the gospel. Touchyng this wine of fornication and whoredome, and of that dronkennes I haue spoken in the .14. chap. And it is aptly spoken, that dwellers vpō Earth are made dronkē, not so much for that menne dwellyng vpon Earth are made [Page 508] dronken, as for that earthly mē and choked with earthly desires, shall become faithfull worshippers of the Romish See.
Thirdely, he expoundeth the maner of the visionThe maner of the vision. thus: I was caried awaye in sprete. Wherfore with his body remayning in Patmos, in spirite he sawe a womā sittyng on a beast, and distroyed with fire. Such be many visiōs and sightes in the prophetes. And he noteth also the place, wherein he sawe the beaste, not in heauen, nother in the temple or tabernacle, or in a fruictful place,The beast in the wildernesse. but in the wildernesse. Esaye calleth the gentiles and heythenes, wildernesse. And verely tholde Romanes and newe with their superstitions haue had no place in the church, but are without the church: God forbidde thā, that we should acknowledge the churche of Rome to be head of al faithful churches. And at this daye many of them which are called most holy and most reuerent, differ nothing from the gentiles, their titles and hipocrisie only excepted. Wherof is spoken before in the .11. chapt.
Fourthly and laste he exhibiteth this vision or tipe of olde and newe Rome, and the ruine and destructiō of them both, and with all describeth most dilligently the wickednes of eyther of them. And first must the beaste be considered, after the woman sittyng on the beaste. The beaste representeth the figure of olde Rome: the woman of the newe and of Poperie. And the woman sitteth vpon the beast. For the image of the beast hath succeded, and hath placed her seate in olde Rome. For Daniel also affirmeth, that Antichrist shal pitche his seate or palace betwixte two Seas,The beast is rose coloured. to witte the Hadriatical Sea called commonly the goulfe of Venise, and the Tyrrhene or Tuscane Sea. And the beaste is rose coloured, it is of a red and bright colour like Crimosine. For Rome hath ben moste cruell and blouddy, and swimmyng altogether in the bloud of al mē, but especially of Christians. How much bloud shed Marius, Sylla, Pompey, Iulius and others, after histories Plinie hath reported. Rome hath with sworde & fire distroyed the whole world. The ten persecutions of Christians before the Empire of Constantine are most commonly knowen.
Howe the beaste was full of the names of blasphemie, I shewed in the .13. chapt. Rome abounded with chapelles and Idolles. Dayly it blasphemed God, Christe, the gospell, and [Page 509] rente the church a sonder. Of the .7. heades and ten hornes, is spoken also in the .13. chapt. And certen thinges shall followe in this same chapter playne enough. And thus muche hitherto of the olde beaste: here followeth of the woman sittyng vpon the beast.
¶ The same matter is yet still treated of, and the vision is expounded. The .lxxiiij. Sermon.
ANd the womā was arayed in purple and rose colour, & decked with gold, preciouse stone, and pearles: and had a cup of golde in her hād, ful of abominations, and filthinesse of hyr whoredome. And in hyr forehead was a name written, a misterie: great Babilon the mother of whoredome and abominations of the Earth. And I sawe the woman dronken with the bloud of Sainctes, & with the bloud of the witnesses of Iesu. And when I sawe her, I maruailed with a greate wonder. And the Angel sayde vnto me: wherefore maruailest thou? I wil shewe thee, the misterie of the woman, and of the beaste that beareth her, whiche hath seuen heades and ten hornes. The beast that thou seest, was, and is not, and shall ascende out of the botomlesse pitte, and shal go into perditiō, and they that dwel on the earth shal wonder (whose names are not written in the booke of life from the beginnyng of the worlde) when they beholde the beast that was, and is not. And here is a minde, that hath wisedome.
He describeth excedingly well and liuely, and setteth forth to be sene of the eyes of all men, that same woman before named the great whore. About thende of the chapter he expoū deth himselfe, & sayeth: and the woman, which thou sawest is the great citie:The womā is ye greate citie, lady of kinges. great verely, as she that beareth rule ouer the kinges of the Earth. He meaneth therefore the very citie of Rome, and euen the popish and Romish church, and the pope himself with al his creatures and chapplaynes, whiche make a great and strong citie, rulyng ouer al kinges and princes of the Earth. For who knoweth not, that Rome & the prelates of the church, doe rule euen aboue magistrates and princes? consider what is done in the courtes of kinges & princes, and by whose aduise and counselles the princes of the Earth are chiefly gouerned. And in callyng papistrie a woman, he alludeth to the .5. and .7. chapt. of the Prouerbes of Salomon, who also likeneth craftie & disceiptful philosophie, & worldly wisedome to a faire woman full of sondry craftes and giles.
The apparell of the woman.And now also he painteth out gallauntly and euidētly the apparell or clothing and very whorish behauiour of this woman. She is furnisshed with no good qualities inwardely, wherby she maye cōmende her selfe to the world & to her louers: therfore she excelleth in outwarde deckyng of herselfe, where she is inwardely full of all abominations: for all the world like vnto ye Phariseis and hipocrites, whom the lord saieth are without, li [...]e shinyng tumbes of marble, but within replenisshed with all corruption and filthines, and euen stinkyng. And hereby is signified chiefly that the church of Rome and kingdome of Antichrist setteth forth it self altogether with worldly furniture, to witte with golde, siluer, preciouse stones & al costely arraye. These thinges are founde in the olde people, beyng vnder the discipline of the lawe: they are founde also emōges the gentiles, which suppose not god to be rightly honoured, but with the preciouse things of this world. But we know that the leuitical priesthood is abrogated with al the outwarde araye & that now ye church decketh her self with vertues, hateth and abhorreth outwarde garnisshing. Lactantius confuteth at large the externall deckyng in religiō or godly worshippyng, in his boke of Institut. de vero cultu. &c. Moreouer all olde writers shewe, that God is not [Page 511] worshipped of the christians with golde & siluer: but wt faith, charitie & rightuousnes. What wil ye say that Daniel in ye .11. chap. sheweth that Antichrist shal worship God with golde, siluer & precious things? which thing he cōdēneth & reiecteth.
And doeth it not appere here plainely,The Pope paincted forthe is shewed to the world. that the lord Iesus himself hath setforth to vs the Pope or Antichrist painted as it were in a table. For he appereth altogether such, & in such like apparell he sheweth him selfe to be sene of all men, as the whore of Babilō is decked with at this present. And he chalengeth to him selfe this apparell by a certen right. For the Papistes bring forth a false fained donation of Constantine, emonges other thinges pronouncyng thus, in the Distinct. 96.The donatiō of Cō stantine fained. We geue and dimise to blessed Siluester and to all his successours the palace laterane of our Empire: moreouer the Diademe, to witte the royal crowne of our head (whiche the Pope calleth a kingdome, & hath made it triple) and also our purple robe and coate of Crimosine, and all our imperiall araye. &c. I can not here omitte, but must nedes wryte out a fewe thinges of Platina, the Popes secretarie, de vitis pontif. For describyng the life of Clement the .5. at the Popes coronation, sayeth he, were present Philippe kyng of Fraūce, and Charles his brother, Iohn Duke of Britaine, which ouerwhelmed with the fallyng of a walle, dieth (see the diuine and iust iudgement of God) with many others, whilest the pompe of the Coronation, as the maner is, was led through the citie. Kyng Philippe also by the same ruine was sore hurte and lamed: the Pope stricken of his horse, loste a Rubie out of his myter that coste sixe thousande Ducates. This he.
This whore moreouer drynketh to all nations of the cup of Circes, whiche the lorde calleth of Golde.She drinketh to thē carouse. And it signifieth doctrine. For to geue drinke is to teache, Ezechiel .34. Golde betokeneth sincerenes and purenes of doctrine. Doubtles vnder pretence of sincerenes and veritie diuine, Rome hath easely perswaded all people, to receyue the doctrine of the Romish Sea. For the Pope hath both named him self Apostolicall, and the church of Rome also Apostolical. And in the Canones hath lefte wrytten: right so are all the lawes of the See Apostolicke to be taken, as though they were confirmed by the godly mouth of S. Peter him selfe. Distinct. 19. [Page 512] Reade the .20.21.22. Distinct. Therefore the more simple sorte of the world haue supposed, that they receiue the very worde and lawes of God, what time they receyued the decrees and doctrine of the church of Rome. But our lorde Iesus Christ doeth here declare vnto vs, what hath ben, and what is euen at this daye their doctrine, and sayeth: ful of abominations, and vncleanes of her filthie luste. And the scripture calleth abomination, Idolatrie, Deuter. 7. chapt. Moreouer the false worshippyng of God, superstition, and suche other thinges like. The vncleanes of whoredome in the Prophetes is nothing els, but peruerse doctrine, and peruerse religion, not attributing al good things to God alone by his sonne, but rather diuiding the harte, and appliyng them bothe vnto creatures, & to wicked worshippynges. But suche is the doctrine and religion of the Romish See. Therefore is her great sinne here recited, that she hath with her euill and venemouse doctrine seduced and infected al nations, and euen nowe also reteyneth them in superstition and Idolatrie. A lyke place is in the .16. chapt. of Ezechiel. And I suppose that our lorde Iesus Christ vsed here now wordes very filthy, to the intent he might plucke awaye from the Romish decrees and Canons their authoritie and viserne, & that their filthines mighte appere vnto al men, and be knowen, and eschewed.
Furthermore leeste any shoulde be ignoraunt, what the same woman were,A name written in ye forehead, which may open the mistery or vnderstandyng. whiche is here setforth to be sene, and that all might flee that greate witche Circes, he wryteth her owne name in her very forehead, that al men might reade it, and that she might by no meanes be vnknowen. For he calleth a misterie the vnderstandyng or signification of a secret, for by a trope is Rome called Babylon. Wherof I haue spoken before. And after the true signification of the worde Babel soundeth confusiō. And Rome hath brought an exceding greate confusion into the church. For like as the primatiue church of Rome set forth the gospell in the weste countrie: so the first simplicitie and purenes ones extinguished, the later Bisshoppes, regardyng more ambition and couetousenes, than humilitie, liberalitie, and godlines, haue brought into the whole world al maner of Idolatrie and superstition. Certenly she is called of the Lorde expressely the mother of the [Page 513] whoredomes and abominations of the earth. For we maye thanke the church of Rome, for all the corrupte doctrine and vngodlines that is in the church. She is ye original of idolles, Masse, and other abominations. Therfore is she moste worthie, to be punnisshed with moste greuouse tourmentes. And this verely is the moste worthie title of the Romish churche. Others calle her Apostolicall, diuine, chiefe, and of all moste holy: The Lord Christe calleth her Babylon, and that great, a moste common harlot, and euen the mother of the abominations, and whoredomes of the whole worlde, fightyng agaynst God and his annoyncted. Therefore lette al the holy and obedient children of God the father flee from her. I wil not here make rehersal, how she is also the mother of al abominatiōs and whoredomes, euen after the flesh. For whilest the church of Rome hath prohibited lawful mariages and of God permitted to ecclesiasticall persones, it hath opened the gates to fornications, adulteries, whoredomes, & lustes abominable. There nede no wordes, the thing it self speaketh.
Vnto these he annexeth a crime of al other most greuouse:Dronken which the bloud of Sainctes. dronkennes, tiranny, and parricidie. And here also he vseth an amplification. For he sayeth howe that greate Circes the moste venemouse witche and Sorcerer, is not sprinkled, or imbrewed, or wette, but dronkē with the bloud of saincts, I meane of holy martirs, which haue borne witnes to Iesu Christ, by preachyng of the gospell, and ascribyng al thinges of saluation to Christe alone. But howe many thousandes, naye millions of Martirs through the instigation & meanes of the Bishop and churche of Rome, haue ben executed with moste extreme and horrible punnisshmentes, with in these sixe or fiue hondreth yeres, histories make mention. What hath ben done, and what plentie of mans bloud hath benne shed euen within these .30. yeres, whiche our memory doeth attayne to, my harte grudgeth to recite. Great is this crime also, for the whiche Babilon is plagued of God by iuste and moste greuouse tourmentes. And ful aptely is here mention made of Martirs, that is of the witnesses of Iesu. For they that cōfesse the Euangelical doctrine of Christ, to be the true & absolute doctrine, that christ is the only head of the church, the only priest and Bisshop, mediatour and facrifice: and shal [Page 514] not ioyne with all, in the meane time that the doctrine of the churche of Rome is also moste perfit, to be had in like reuerence with the doctrine of the gospell, that the Pope is head of the church militaunt, and in earth the true vicar of Christ, and pastour generall, and that the Sametes in heauen praye for vs, and that the masse is a trewe and real sacrifice for the sinnes of the quicke and the dead: they are condemned for heretikes and Schismatikes, with sworde and fire to be rooted out of the Earth.
And hitherto reacheth the misterie of the vision, by horrible sightes set before our eyes, wherein is liuely described both the olde Romane Empire, and chiefly the Poperie of Rome with their sinnes and crimes heynouse and full of enormitie. Hereafter shall followe an exposition of the vision, to the whiche at the laste shall be annexed the punnishement to be taken of Antichriste, and the whole Antichristiane Citie. But in case ye shall applie all these thinges whiche are spoken of the woman to olde Rome, I will not be agaynst it. For there was also a religion at Rome, whiche consisted in golde and preciouse things. Olde Rome had a cuppe of false wisedome, wherewith she made dronken and infected al nations. She was therefore the mother of abominations and whoredomes, as of whome the prouinces learned superstitions, &c. Howebeit these thinges peculiarly, do concerne the Pope. Notwithstandyng that olde Rome also was dronken with the bloud of Sainctes, &c.
S. Iohn maruayleth at the sight of the [...]east.S. Iohn maruaileth excedingly, when he saw the womā. For Daniel also maruailed till his harte almoste failed him, when he sawe that Romish beast, as appereth in the .7. chapt. of Daniel. All godly in a maner maruayle also at this daye, when they see so great things graūted or permitted of God to the church of Rome agaynst the pure sincerenes. For the prelates of the church are fortunate, victoriouse, puissaunt, and in sauour with al princes: & bryng to passe what so euer they imagine or liste. Happy is he that is not in them offended. Reade the .73. Psalme. Howe good is God to Israell, to them that be right in harte, [...]h [...]xposition of the v [...]sion. &c.
The Aungell, as chiefe minister, vttereth the misterie to S. Iohn and the whole Churche: that is to saye, openeth [Page 515] the secrete and true meanynge of the vision by partes moste dilligently. And he speaketh in dede of the whole bodie of the beaste, notwithstanding that the beaste hath certen thinges peculier, and likewise the whore: yet the Angel himselfe, sayeth: I will shewe thee the misterie of the woman, and of the beast that beareth her. Neuerthelesse this same is also a darke speaking, where in the beginning of the exposition he saieth: the beast which thou saweste, was, and is not. The Romane Empire was yet whylest Domitian ruled: but it was no more such, as it had ben before. For from the first Monarch Iulius, it was as it were by inheritaūce in the house of Caesars, vntill Nero. For in him the beaste receaued a deadlie wounde: but it was healed, and dyuerse Emperours reigned not of any one familie. The Empire therefore had ben in the power of one house before, but after Nero it was not so. Agayne the Romanes possessed the Empyre after Nero. From Nerua, which is the .7. after Nero, the Empire was deuolted to Traiane, vnder whome it was puissaunt and strong. Therfore it was and it was not. Whereof S. Ihon himselfe will speake a litle after. Moreouer the Stories testifie, that the Empyre of Rome was extinguisshed, and in his place sprang vp an other, which is also called the Romane Empire: whereof you may say moste truelie it was, and is not. For that oulde Romane Empire, was the most ample and noblest Empire in the world: but this newe, nowe erected of the Pope, is none such, but rather an Image of the beaste (as I sayed in the .13. chapt.) a shadowe and a dreame. Therfore we doubt nothing but that in this vision is exhibited to vs a type, both of the oulde and newe Empire, but chieflye of Poperie.
And nowe he sheweth none other originall of the beaste,The originall of the beaste. but hellyshe and deuelysh. For he sayeth, howe he shall come vp oute of the bottomelesse pitte. Whereof is spoken before. All Empyres verely, as witnesseth Daniell in the .2. chapter, be of God. But in case the gouernours be corrupted, the begynnyng or original is referred to the Deuil, not of the Empyre in dede, but of the corruption. Here is added moreouer, what ende that vnhappy Empyre is lyke to haue at the last: and goeth into perdition. For it is cutte vp by the rootes in earth, and addicte in an other worlde to payne euerlasting.
Who be ye woorshippers of the beaste.But lyke as he shewed in the thirtene chapt. who shoulde wonder at, that is, should honour and worshippe the beaste: so here he repeteth the same, not the chosen children of God, but earthly men, and reprobates, whose names are not written in the booke of lyfe. Whereof we haue spoken before. He annexeth an acclamation: and here (aduerbiallie) is a mynd, that hath wisedome. The Lorde exciteth all the hearers to the dilligent consideration of these things, leeste being disceaued we perish. They be fooles that maruel at the beastes felicitie, victories, pōpes, maiestie, riches, and pleasures, and submit thēselues to him. They be verely wyse, that vnderstand the Empyre to be taken awaye, and nowe that vnder the shaddowe of an Empyre, lurketh Antichriste the Chylde of perdition, and man of sinne, to be eschewed of al the godlie. For these are conuerted to Christe. In whome they knowe that they haue all things of lyfe and saluation, and to liue in him. To him be prayse and glory.
¶ The godly vision is yet more playnely declared. The .lxxv. Sermon.
THE seuen heads, are seuen mountaynes, on which the woman sitteth: they are also seuen Kinges. Fyue are fallen, and one is, & the other is not come. Whē he cometh he must continue a space. And the beaste that was, and is not, is euen the eight, and is one of the seuen, and shal go into destructiō. And the .x. hornes which thou sawest, ar .x. kings, which haue not yet receyued the Kyngdome, but shal receiue power as kings at one houre with the beaste. These haue one mynde, and shal geue their power and strength to ye beast. These shal fight with the lambe, & the lambe [Page 517] shall ouercome them. For he is Lorde of all Lords, and King of al Kings: and they that are on his side, ar called chosen, and faithful.
The Angell expounder of misteries, procedeth to declare to sainct Ihon the misterie of the beaste exhibited, and of her iudgement, & that by partes. And at this present vttereth thre thinges: what is signified by seuen heades: Whie he sayed of the beaste, he was and is not: and what the ten hornes do betoken.
He expoūdeth seuē heads two wayes, first by seuen mountaynes, vpon which the woman sitteth,7. Heades ar .7. hilles whom in the ende of the chapter he calleth the great Citie: to witte great Rome, which all surname Septicolle, as standing vpon seuen mountaynes. Moreouer the beaste hath seuen heades, because be had many times seuen Kinges. Whereof I spake also in the 13. chapt. At this present he rekeneth so the seuen Kinges, that there is no doubte, but that it is Rome whereof he speaketh. Which I suppose be the Lordes chief intent in these matters. For he coulde not speake more expresselie, vnlesse he should haue expressed the name of Rome also: but the name of Babilon we hearde expressed before. Fyue, sayeth he, are fallen, to witte syns the deadlie wounde was geuen, in the death of Nero, in the space of .14. peares. For immediatlie after Nero, beganne Galba to reygne: who beyng slayne, Otto reigned: which after he had kylled himselfe, Vitellius succedeth, which was also kylled of the Flauianes. For after him, Flauius Vespasiane was Emperour: after whome Titus, the beste Prince of all. And these fyue fell with in .xiiii. yeares. He addeth, and one of those is, that is to witte, reigneth nowe, verely the sixt in order, Domitiane, the son of Vespasiane, and brother to Titus a moste vngraciouse man, which persecuted the faithful, and had cōdemned S. Ihon into exile. An other, sayeth S. Ihon, is not yet cōmen: namelie Cocceius Nerua. For after he came to the Empire, and lyued most vertuously, and most righteouslye ordered the Empire, he taried not long. For when he had reigned one yeare, thre monethes, and nine daies, he died. And thus moch hytherto of the seuen Kynges, and of the seuen heades of the beaste. These thinges so certayne appertaine, [Page 518] not so much to the expositiō of this place, as to the consolatiō of the faithful: which here may clerely perceaue how Empires consist in the hand and prouidēce of God almightie, which knoweth his, and hath a care of ye godly, although thei may seme, by reason of their greuouse persicutions, and cruel tourmentes, to be of God neglected.
The beast was, and is not.Consequently he expoundeth, wherfore he saied of the beast he was, and is not: verely for the eight king of Romanes, Vlpius Traiane. For he is the eight from the Empire wounded in Nero: Traiane was of the seuen, that is to say, was adopted of Nerua the seuenth Emperour. And hytherto the Romane Empire was gouerned, firste in dede of Caesars, after of the noblest Citizens of Rome. But of this Traiane, which succeded Nerua, the writers of Histories say, yt he was the first straūger that ruled the Empire. For he was a Spanyarde. The Empire therfore was or hath ben in the handes of the Romanes, nowe it is so nomore. For a Spanyard succedeth, so that the Empire nowe semeth, that it might be called Romish Spanish. And for as moch as Traiane persecuted Christ and his membres, he also went into perdition. And let no man thinke that this was the only and sole cawse, wherfore S. Ihon sayed, howe for Traiane it was sayed: he was, and is not. For he hath pronounced expressely, and he is the eight: as though he shoulde signifie, that there be other causes also, for the which it was saied, that the Romane Empire was, and nowe is not, whereof is spoken before.
Ten hornes, are ten Kinges.Hereafter foloweth also the exposition of the ten hornes. And the same hornes are here resited, which are spoken of in the seuenth of Daniel, and in the .13. of the Apocalipse. Nother is there any cause, whie ye shulde superstitiously sticke to the tenth numbre. For in the .14. of Num. the Lorde sayeth, how he hath bene nowe tempted ten tymes of the Israelites: for many tymes. Here is signified therefore, how the Romane Empire shall be dispersed into many Kingdomes. For whether you saye kynges, or kyngdomes, the matter is all one. Doubtelesse the Romane Empire beginning to fal to decay, there sprang vp kynges in the East and Weste, which inuaded ye Romane Empire, Persians, Gothes, Vandalles, Lumbardes, and I wote not what others: at the last in Spayne, [Page 519] Fraunce, Hongarie, I speake not of Affricke and Asia, were founde diuerse kinges, & the Romane monarchie ceased. Of these kinges the Angel warneth vs for diuerse causes. These, sayeth he, haue not yet receyued the kingdome. For whilest S. Iohn wrote the Apocalipse, Domitiane ruled, and the Romane Empire was yet mightie and stronge, and so remayned stille certen ages. When therfore dyd they receaue their kyngedome? They receaue, sayeth he, power as kynges at one houre with the beaste, namely the seconde. For these thinges can not be vnderstande of the first and olde Romane Empire. And Primasius, expoūding this place, admonisheth,The kings receyne power wt the beast. that an houre here is taken for a time present. Therfore at the same time, the beast, that newe Empire groweth vp and increaseth, and the kynges receyue might and power. For the decaye of the olde Empire, was the strength of kinges, and of the newe Popishe Empire. And in dede themperour Phocas commaunded the church of Rome, and the Bisshop therof to be head of churches. Whiche gaue a certen beginnyng to the Popes dominion, as also in the .13. chapter. I haue recited: which he obteyned at the lēgth more fully vnder king Pipine, and other Princes of Fraunce and Germany, but Nauclerus speakyng of the Empire of Phocas in the .21. Generation. The enemies, sayeth he, of the Romane Empire, by the slougthfulnes and cowardise of Emperours, made stronger, had taken awaye in the Weste countrie with the Ilandes Germany, Fraunce, Spayne, Hungary, Slauonie, and a good parte of Italy, and thereto a greate parte of Affricke: and in the East partes, Cacannus of Thracia, King of Hunnes inuaded the Iberians, Armenians, Arabians, Dardanes, and the middle partes of Macedonie and Grece. And the Persians in a maner possessed all Assiria, the Sarracens destroyed Egipt, fye for shame, our strength hath so fayled vs through riot, couetousenes, and voluptuousenes, that the Romane Empire stode than only in name. Hitherto he. The same thinges haue we discoursed more at large in the 13. chapter of this worke.2. Thess. 2. And verely Daniel sheweth howe emonges those ten hornes, one other little horne should grow vp, whiche shoulde strike of three, and take their place, and reigne wantonly, crwelly, and wickedly. Wherefore [Page 520] the Popes Empire, and those sondry kingdomes grewe vp in a maner aboute one and the same time.
The kings haue one minde.He sheweth moreouer, what maner of kingdomes those shal be, and how they shal demeane thēselues towardes that latter beast, namely towarde the church of Rome: thei, saieth he, haue al [...], one opinion: they beleue al one thing, & be of the same religion. He speaketh chiefly of the westerne kynges. For they al receyue the decrees of the Bishoppe of Rome, and honor them, as most obedient childrē of the most sacred & holy church of Rome. They shal deliuer to the beaste [...], their power, [...] their authoritie, or kyngedome. For they submitte themselues to the See of Rome. Yf the church of Rome haue nede of an Armie or force of armes, the kinges sende their power gladly to hym: which the most noble kingdome of Boheme felte about an hondreth yeres sins, though it were to no great commoditie, and beautifull triumphes of the inuaders. Yea morouer they acknowledge thēselues to owe homage and feaultie to the moste holy and supreme Bishop in al the world. Hereunto chiesly apperteyneth that which Augustin. Stewchus in his boke against Laurence valla, concernyng the donation of Constantine, in the .94. Section, hath written on this wise: Gregory the .7. vnto Geusa king of Hungarie: we suppose it is not vnknowen to thee, sayeth he, that the kingdome of Hungarie, like as other most noble realmes also, ought to be in the state of his owne libertie, nother that it ought to be subiecte to any kyng of an other realme, saue to the holy and vniuersall mother church of Rome, which hath her subiectes, not as seruauntes, but as children. Hereunto addeth Steuchus: thou hearest with what gouernement the church ruleth, that she maye interteyne her subiectes, not as seruauntes, but as childrē. She putteth not kinges out of their possession, but permitteth them to reigne as her sonnes: who reignyng, she reigneth her selfe also. Neuerthelesse she will be knowen for Quene and Lady.Quene & Lady. Thou hearest how al the moste noble realmes be subiecte to the Apostolical See. Euen there he sheweth that the moste noble kingdomes of Spaine, Fraūce, England, Denmarke, Russelande, Croatie, Dalmatia, Arragonie, Sardinia, Portugalle, Bohemia, Sweuia, and Norwaye, be subiecte & tributaries to the church [Page 521] of Rome. In the Section .97. He addeth moreouer: although the kinges reigned, and continued in possession: yet are they wonte to acknowledge her as Quene, and trewe Lady and gyuer of their kingdomes. And in the Sect. 105. The old monumentes of all Popes are full of highe authoritie,A mouth verely speaking great thinges. whereby they haue with their Empires gouerned the whole worlde, hauing the rule and order of al landes, which power and authoritie that impudente praiser of the Romishe See is not asshamed to call omnipotent or almightie.
And doubtles we see at this daye, great Ambassades sent to Rome by the westerne kinges newely elected & crowned, to the intent to kisse the Popes fete or too of Antichrist, and to offer dewe obedience, as they cal it. Therefore did he calle them before not kinges absolutely, but as kinges. For they acknowledge a superiour, and be euen as it were seruauntes or wardes of the seruaunt of seruauntes. Of whome he hath made proper verses:
Hereunto the Apostle addeth a thing yet more greuouse.The fight with the lambe. These Kinges, I meane the confederates of the Pope, and obedient children of the Church of Rome, indewed with the spirite of the beaste, shall fight with the Lambe. Whereby is signified the tiranny, which kinges, and princes, and certen other states of the Romane Empire do practise, & long haue practised agaynst Christ & his gospel. Concerning the lambe we haue already spokē enough before. Iohn Baptist, poinctyng with his fingar to Christ, sayeth: beholde the lambe of God, which taketh awaye the sinnes of the world. Therfore shal the Romish princes fight, not agaynste Christ himselfe, for they will be christians, but agaynst the Lambe, that is, the sanctification, iustification and satisfaction of Christ. For yf any man saye at this daye, that the sonne of God is most holy, by whome alone sinnes are forgeuen, and we are sanctified: and saye not also, that the Bisshop of Rome is moste holy also, whiche purgeth by pardons graunted, but shall saye rather, that perdons are playne disceiptfulnes, and the Pope most vncleane of all: he shal doubtles nother be takē for right catholicke, nother shal he be spared for confessyng the lambe [Page 522] of God. Yf any man shal confesse that iustification is only in the sonne of God alone, and that men are iustified by fayth only, and not also by our workes and merites, he shal be caried to death or to prison, nother shal the confession of the lambe of God preuayle him any thing. Yf any man shal say, that he is fully purged through the only oblation of Christe on the crosse, as of a lambe without spotte, and sacrificed frō the beginnyng, neyther that he nedeth any popish Masses, wherby the shauelynges boaste that they make a dayly offering for the sinnes of the quicke and dead, whiche in dede is both false, and blasphemouse, he is streight wayes hurried to prison, and from thence drawen to the stake and brente. We can not denye but that this is true, seyng there be at this daie innumerable exāples of Romishe kinges and princes in this behalfe. We shall not nede therefore to fetche our exposition farre of, how these kinges, which wholy depēde of the Pope shal fight with the lambe. I speake here nothinge of others, which cleaue whole vnto Christ.
And therefore for a comforte is consequently annexed, and the Lambe shall ouer come them.The lābe shall ouercome thē. For albeit that Popish kinges and Princes seme to ouercome the Sainctes, whom they burne, murther, and distroye, yet Christ liueth for euer, the redemption of Christe florissheth. As moste godly that good poete hath songe:
Kinges perish, kingdomes perish or be chaunged: but the trewth is neuer chaunged, Christ perisheth neuer. He adioyneth a most strong reason: for he is Lord of Lordes, and king of kinges. Therfore shal they be made a fote stole for the fete of the Lambe, as many as shall striue agaynst him. You see agayne, whie S. Iohn sayed before: they receiue power as kinges. For all kinges are vnder Christ, whiche excelleth all lordes in the worlde. For to him is geuen power in Heauen and in earth. Let vs therfore be of bold courage. For the lord is Emperour, and our king almightie, immortall, and inuincible. He wil come shortely in the clowdes of thayre, to iudge [Page 523] the quicke and the dead, &c.
Moreouer victory is promised assuredly to vs that be seruauntes of Christe.Called, chosen, faythfull. And they that be with him or on his side called, chosen and faithful. We be chosen in Christ before the foundations of the world were layde, that we should beleue in him, & be saued, the first, to the Ephes. Hereunto we be called by the preachyng of the gospel. Reade the .2. to the Thess. the .2. chapt. And we ought to geue thankes vnto God for euer, &c, Let vs holde faste these thinges, & be in the troubles of this world constant, and without feare. To God be glory.
¶ Agayne this vision is more fully declared, and the punnishment of the beast is shewed. The .lxxvj. Sermon.
ANd he sayde vnto me: the waters whiche thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are people & folke, and natiōs, and tunges. And the tē hornes, which thou sawest vpō the beast, are they which shall hate ye whore, and shal make her desolate and naked, & shall eate her flesshe, and burne her with fire. For God hath put in their hartes to fulfill his will, and to do with one consente, for to geue her kingdome vnto the beast, vntil the words of God be fulfilled. And the woman whiche thou sawest, is that great citie, whiche reigneth ouer the kinges of the Earth.
The Angel sent of the lord Christ, vttereth to Iohn and the whole world the misterie of the beast reuealed: but especially her iudgement or punnishement, for her heynouse crimes. Which he wil pursewe also in the chapt. followyng.
And nowe he expoundeth the signification of waters, ouer the which the whore ruleth, to witte the Romish power. [Page 524] Waters signifie,Waters vpon waters the whore sitteth. kingdomes dispersed through out ye world. Which he expoundeth after his maner, altogether propheticall, as was also noted before, by three vocables. For in namyng people, folke, nations and tunges, he comprehendeth as it were innumerable natiōs, distincte with sondry langages and maners. But where nothing is more mouable or vnconstaunt than waters, and when they be ones stired vp more furiouse and outrageouse: the cōmon folke or people are rightly compared to waters, whiche are also for their vnstablenes called mouable or vnconstaunt, and for their rage both furiouse and madde.
CōmotiōsTherefore not without cause al wise men haue greuousely condemned seditions, which we are wonte to calle tumultes or vprores: as by the whiche are assembled many naughtie natures, and occasion is geuen them to breake out at their luste, and to hurte. But seyng that so many natiōs were subiecte to the Romane Empire, and haue erred neuerthelesse in the trewe fayth, what shall it preuayle hereafter to reken vp many and sondry kingdomes, which should consente in any religion: as though the sincerenes & veritie of religion should depende vpon a multitude of men agreyng in the same.
The iudgemente of God agaīst Rome.Nowe followeth the iudgement of God agaynst blouddy Rome, which is the chiefest thing in this vision: the some of al is, Rome shal be rent in pieces, and burnt with fire: as we hearde also in the .13. chapt. like as she hath done to others, so shal be done vnto her. And these thinges are to be expoūded first of olde Rome, and after of new: and in the same must the wordes be firste considered, than a conference of stories must be had, out of the whiche the trewth of the prophecie maye appere.
Ten hornes, signifie kynges, which haue risen of the tearyng a sonder of the Romane Empire,The hatred of ten hornes against the whore. suche as were the kinges of Westgothes, Eastgothes, of Germaynes, Frēchmen, Lumbardes, Hunnes, Vandalles, &c. These nations serued ones the Romanes, and toke their wages, they fauoured them, and to their owne losse brought their matters to passe: no otherwise than as an erneste louer serueth some one harlot, from whome he can by no meanes be withdrawen, as whom he loueth moste feruently, but at laste perceyuing her [Page 525] vntrewe dealyng, he beginneth to hate the same most deadly. So these nations and others, beganne so to persecute the name of Romanes, that they would haue no monumētes or fote steppes of them any where to abide or remayne. All the prouinces of the Romanes were filled ful of Romane posies, Images, pillers, tittles and writinges: but in the same, especially in Germany, & the borders therof, how many I praye you, of so great plentie remayne? The cities, wherein the Romanes had their garnisons, ar vtterly destroied, that scarsely there appere any fote steppes therof at this daye.
And like as an honeste man hauyng a whore to his wife, a shameles strompet, doeth not only hate, but also forsaketh the same, troubleth her, & tourneth her naked, hauyng plucked from her al her wifely apparell and ornamentes:Ezech. 16, Osee. 2. (for so God in his prophetes threateneth to doe vnto his people for their vnfaithfulnes:) so nations reuolted from the Romane Empire, distroyed and impouerished the same, spoyling the riches thereof, which the Romanes had heaped together by the robberie of al nations:They shal eate her flesh. they spoyled euery where also the Romane prouinces. And where it is sayed that those kinges shal deuoure the flesh of the beaste, it is to be vnderstande of the maner of speakyng. For so are we wonte to saye, what time we signifie extreme crueltie and mallice without mercy: therfore like as Rome hath ben moste cruell towardes all nations, euen so shal al nations most cruelly teare her, and finally shal burne her with fire.
Nowe let vs compare with these thinges the historie,A story of ye destruction & burnyng of Rome. and see how they were fulfilled in tholde Rome, and maye be yet fulfilled in the newe. And first we will speake of olde Rome, & after of newe. And verely olde Rome grewe many yeres, and practised robberies through out the whole worlde, and distroyed the Sainctes of the most highest: wherfore it was worthy, that the punnishment thereof should extende and indure many yeres, and so as it were by degrees to descende to the last burnyng and destruction thereof. There be gathered the yeres of her punnishmentes about .136. in the whiche she beyng impenitent, was vexed and tourmoyled with continual calamities, slaughters, and vexatiōs. And herof I compiled an abridgement in the .57. Sermon of this worke the. [Page 526] 13. chapt. And here I will repete a fewe thinges, and will reherse certen other things more playnely and at large. As the Lorde in punnishyng the Niniuites and Hierosolomitanes, declared his longe sufferyng and clemēcie, and also his streight iustice: right so in procedyng slowely, to distroye Rome, he lefte them mercifully space to repente in, which seyng thei refused to do, he wasted and destroyed them terriblely as impenitent. He gaue therfore to Rome excellent good Princes, Constaunce, Constantine, Iouiane, Valentinian, Gratiane, Theodose, &c. By whose dilligent labour, and godlines he disclosed the furies and ragyng idolatrie of the Heythen, and also restored and established the true religion. But as in the time of Iosias the olde kankred errour and abominable idolatrie coulde not be rooted out of their hartes, but that the greater parte had rather haue still the abominatians of the Amorrheans: so the Romanes both in the citie and in the prouinces aspired gredely to the restitution of tholde idolatrie. Therefore like as he tamed at the length with greuouse warres the inuincible vngodlines of the Iewes, and destroyed the citie of Hierusalem, so by the warre of Gothes and Vandales, and inuasions of Barbarous nations (so the stories terme them) he destroyed prowde and wicked Rome, with her prouinces,The Gothes burne Rome. and finally consumed the citie with the sworde and fire of the Gothes. The very name of the enemie cried out, that the vengeaunce was not executed by men, but of God himselfe. For the Germane vocable of Gothes, doeth signifie the people of God, or Gods people. For God in highe dutch is called Gott: thereof cōmeth the gotthes, Die gotther, the people of God. Therfore God, and not man did chasten, tourmoyle and at last distroye Rome. Which thing S. Iohn at this present speaketh most expressely.
Alaricke a westgotth.First in thempire of Honorius & Arcadius, the westgothes, (by ye conduit of Alaricke) besiege the citie, assaulte it, take it, spoyle it. S. Hierome to Principia doeth greately lament this chaunce of Rome, in the Epitaph of Marcella: but Orosius as I also rehearsed in the .57. sermon, doeth, in my iudgement, more rightly cōmende the iuste iudgement of God in Rome afflicted. It is playne, that Rome was than for the grenousenes of her sinnes, chastised with mercy, but where the Romanes [Page 527] would not acknowledge the hande of the striker, it came to passe, that Alaricke beyng dead, the victorious army hauyng now Adolphe to their captaine, retourned out of Lucania, & spoyled the riches of Rome much more gredely now than they did before.
From the whiche time was graunted agayne to Rome a space of repentaunce, about .42. yeres.Atth [...]la king of Hunnes. In the meane time by distructiōs & ouerthrowes geuen by the Hunnes in their prouinces, & that great and wonderfull, they are admonished to be wise. What will they saye that Athila him selfe with his Hunnes inuadeth now Italy it self, & now hangeth ouer the necke of Rome? There chaunced than a thing, which had ben able to haue tourned the Romanes to the seruice of the true God, in case there had remayned in thē one sparke of thankfulnes. For the minister of the church of Rome, Bisshoppe Leo (the ambitiouse pride of Popes was not yet knowen) a preacher of the Christiane fayth, and a stewarde of Christes misteries, making supplicatiō to Athila, obteyneth peace for Rome, & by a manifeste oration tourneth awaye the blouddy enemie from the neckes of the Romanes. This was an exceding great benefite, which God by his seruaūt would shewe to the Romanes, in case they would yet cease to hate the religion of Christ, and to sclaunder Christ, as though he poured out euilles into the worlde, and that there came no good nor quietnes of the preachyng of the gospell. For euen now (not to speake of others innumerable) he hath imploide vpō come a benefite inestimable, and that by the preacher of the gospel. This was done in the yere of our Lord .454.
Howebeit whilest the Romanes proceded after their accustomed maner,Gēserich. a Vandal. and nowe also Valentinian a Prince not euill was murthered, and by a tumulte many vnworthie thinges were done, nother did there any token of thankefulnes towardes Christ appere, or signe of trewe conuersion: through the meanes of one woman Eudoxia the wife of Valentinian, whyche her selfe also suffered many vnworthie thynges in that Tumulte, it was broughte to passe, that Genserichus kynge of Vandalles, sayled out of Affricke with three hondreth thousande to Rome, and toke it, and by the space of fouretene whole dayes, he gathered vp the treasures [Page 528] brought thither out of al partes in a maner of the world inhabited. Than coulde the intercession of Leo doe nothing, saue that the Vandalles absteyned from killyng and burnynge: which was also a benefite of God not to be contemned. The firste king of Westgothes, which brake into Rome was called Alrich, others cal him Atalarich: but this king of Vandalles is named Genserych, and so Rome an whore is made desolate and naked, spoyled I saye, whiche beyng inriched with the spoyles of all nations was hitherto prowde. Howbeit it was not nowe altogether defaced and brent: the whiche was no small benefite, which Christ agayne shewed to Rome for an amendement.
And yet moreouer are graūted aboute twentie yeres, in the which neuertheles, as in ye ten tribes of Israel before the destruction of Samaria,4. boke of kinges. were practised continuall murthers, whilest tē princes raigne at Rome: yet so for al that, that there was neuer one of these whiche was not of an other eyther slayne, murthered or expulsed. Augustulus emōges these was the laste. For as Augustulus succeding Iulius gaue the beginning to ye Romane monarchie, so Augustulus ended the same.
Odacer a Germane.For the Romane legions beyng extinguished, & the name imperiall by the Germanes, Odacer, (whiche toke his name of destroiyng of landes, Oedacher, and was called as it were a distroyer, wanne Rome, and in it raigned kinge aboute .15. yeres. Yet is he expulsed agayne, and slayne (at the iustigation of Zenon Emperour of Constantinople) by Theodoricke Prince of the Eastegothes.Theodoricke an Eastgoth. And the Eastegotthes raigne at Rome about fiftie yeres, til the Emperour Iustinian sent Bellisarius into Italy with a greke armye, to recouer the same: whom the Eastgothes, beyng ayded with a power of Germanes, sent vnto them by Theodoper kyng of Fraunce, valeauntly resisted. They warred in Italy by the space of .18. yeres continually, with fortune variable.
Totila Balduffe or balduillAt the laste Totila Baldeuille ouercome. He toke and burnt the citie of Rome, and yet not sodainely. For he gaue a time to deliberate. But where he could not so preuayle, he distroyed Rome, and as S. Iohn hath prophecied burnte her with fire. Al stories make mētion of this destructiō. Iohn Auentine in the .3. boke of Cronicles, of the same matter hath written [Page 529] this Totilas besegeth Rome, & taketh it, the .16. kalēdes of Ianuarie (17. of Decembre) in the yere of the christen saluation 548. Totila gaue all the goodes to the soldiours, but he commaunded by proclamation, that their bodies should be free. Frō thence he sent ambassadours with his pleasure to newe Rome (Cōstātinople) vnto Iustinian. He required of themperour Italy, & the leage as it had bē vnder themperour Anastase, & Theodoricke king. Which if he might not obteyne, Totila threatened, that he would rase the citie, whiche he coulde not kepe, & abolish ye Romane name. Iustinian answered how Bellisarius was in Italy, vnto whom he had cōmitted Italiā matters. Totila therfore, where themperour would not graūt his requestes, determined to rase the citie of Rome. The greatest parte of the walles in most places he made euen with the grounde, & setteth the Capitolle house on fire. He commaundeth al Citizens with their wiues & childrē to departe out of the citie. The cōmons of Rome were dispersed in the townes of Campania. The Senatours and nobilitie Totila kepte with him for pledges. Than was fire put into euery house. Thus Rome beyng fired in al places, Totila lefte it vacant .13. dayes the fire brent clere. The citie of Rome was .40. dayes in that solitarines, yt there was neyther mā nor woman in the same. The citie ouerthrowē he remoued his campe towardes Lutania and Calabria. Bellisarius came to the citie lefte vacant, and soner than a man would haue thought, fortifieth a parte of the citie with ditch, walle, rampare, and turretes of wood. For all coulde not be restored. Totilas was with him, but repulsed, departed to Tibur. Bellisarius is sent for into Grece by themperour, Totila besegeth Rome and taketh it. So in one yere Rome the head of the world, the lady of al nations, was taken thryse, thus wryteth Auentinus. Leonarde Aretine writing of the Italian war against the Gotthes, in thende of the 2. boke. After this, sayeth he, Totila departing frō Rome with his whole armie, lefte it vtterly desolate and vacant, &c. Who will saye nowe, that S. Iohn hath not in fewe wordes comprehended the destructiō of olde Rome, whiche the stories afterwarde haue plentifully described: and finally howe after the same maner as it was prophecied, it hath followed the prophecie, after .451. yeres. And that so euidētly to haue propounded [Page 530] in fewe wordes, that you would thinke presently to beholde Rome both falling and burnyng.
New Rome also shall fall wt her empireAnd like as in the storie of the gospel the lord intermireth a prophecie of the destruction of Ierusalem, and of thende of the world, that euery mā might, of this that he seeth the citie of Hierusalē, right so as the lord had prophecied, to haue perished, nother that one stone hath remayned vpon an other, gather by like trouth & certentie that this world shal fall: So maye we of this that we see tholde citie of Rome fallen, & so great an Empire, which was thought shuld haue lasted for euer, brought to naught, gather also that new Rome with her shaddowe or image of thempire, shal as sure as daye fall, & be brought to naught. And firste in dede the Saracenes & Turkes, whiche ruled, and yet raigne in the prouinces subiecte to the Romane Empire, as in Asia, Grece, Aegypte, Affricke, Slauonie, and base Hungarie, and therfore be rightly accompted emonges the ten hornes, doe hate worse than dogge or snake both Poperie it selfe, and Rome, and all that Imagerie Empire. Yea & stories also testifie, that they haue oft times made inuasions, and spoyled Rome it selfe. What is done at this daye, experience it self teacheth. But whether the Turke, or the christen Princes themselues, conuerted to Christ by the Gospel, shall spoyle this newe Rome, destroye it vtterly and burne it with fire, the Lord knoweth, who semeth here to intimate some suche thing hereof. This is certayne, that Christ alone with his hand shal bring downe Antichrist, and abolish him with his comming. Certaine it is, that the Earth, and al the workes that be therin shal be brēt. For thus is thapostolical doctrine: and that al these things shal be in thende of the world. Reade Paule .2. to the Thess. the .2. And Peter the .2. Epistle the .3. chap. Morouer there arrise in sondry kingdomes of the world learned men, which ones being bounden to the See of Rome, haue defended her & her stinking idolle: but after cōuerted to Christ, beginne to hate both Rome, & the Romish churche, which also they assaile, & burne with the fire of Gods word. Therfore al the glorie, dignitie and welth of the Pope & poperie hath perished & perisheth daily in the godly. Al that be godly wise hate Rome & romish wares. Al crie out, that this Sodome is worthie to be brente with fire fallyng [Page 531] from heauen. Nother is ther any doubt, but that a greuouse vengeaunce is prepared agaynst her.
And briefly is shewed a reason,God hath put into ye heartes of kyngs. &c. wherfore the Kings shuld rage so cruelly against the beaste, and why these thinges are done in such sorte and maner, as we haue hearde. For God sayeth he, hath geuē into the hartes of thē, [...] that is: that they should worke his will, & shuld do with one mynde and consent. For where some referre [...] his, to the beaste, that semeth to far of, and straunge. It is referred rather to the nexte, to God I meane, which put into the heartes of the kinges to do his wil, I say of God. For it is the mynde and will of God, that the beast shulde perish, that punnishment be taken of her, for shedyng of innocent bloude. The same God will procure that kinges shal not be at discord, but at concord, that being of one mynd and accorde, they may execute Gods iudgemēt. So we read in the Prophetes, that God put in to the heartes of kynges, Salmanaser, Sinnacherib, Nabuchodonoser, Cyrus and others, that they shuld do as they are red to haue done, to wit in pū nishing the wicked, and defending the godly. And ther is also mention made in Histories, howe Alaricke Kynge of the west Gothes was in dede disswaded by a seruaunt of God, that he shuld not make such haste to distroy Rome: but that he aunswered. Ther is one that cōtinually troubleth me and sayeth, go, distroy Rome. And he that put that mynde and wyll in to the hearte of Alarich, Adolphe, Genserych, Odacer, Theodoricke and Totila: The same yf he wyll, and when he wyll, and in to what Princes he wyll, shall put, that they also shall doe their dewtie againste this newe Citie and churche of Rome.
The angel anexeth, how God moreouer hath put into the harts of kings, yt they shuld geue their kingdom to the beast, til ye words of God be fulfilled. The which the interpretours expound & say, howe God hath permitted, that they shoulde cōceaue this coūsel in their mynds, to deliuer ye kingdome to the beast. But I suppose it to be more playne, yf we symplye confesse God to be authour of no sinne, and that men sinne as compelled by no fatall necessitie, but through their owne faulte and vice. Therefore God woulde, as by his woorde [Page 532] also he hath expressed and taught, that kynges shulde deliuer their Kyngdomes to Christe, the high Kyng: which where it pleased them not, but had rather for sondry causes of ye flesh and the worlde, delyuer their kyngdomes to the Pope, and submitte themselues to the See (as they call it) Apostolicall, God of his iuste iudgemente hath forsaken them, and geuen them ouer (as S. Paule wrote the 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 ye 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 ye 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 [Page 534] 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 godBut 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 [Page 535] 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 the glory of God, and saluation of soules, be preached with lowde voyces, howe so euer the worlde prohibiteth and persecuteth the same. And lette them obserue those thinges whiche thinke that menne maye be restreyned by proclamations, fire and sworde, that they shall not with voyce moste clere preache agaynste Antichrist. The fooles are disceaued. They houe fought and contended herin these sixe hondreth yeres and more, nother could any man though he raged neuer so fiersely, brynge this preachyng a slepe. It breaketh out many times, and pearseth farre euen at this daye also through out the whole worlde: therefore the glory of this Angel is yet, & euer shal be shinyng and bright, and his voyce and preachyng most strōg, though the Popes guttes burste.
Now followeth the prophecie of thaungel,She is fallen, she is fallen Babilon. the some wherof is: Rome shall perishe, neyther shall any steppe of her be lefte. This vttereth he prophetically, as he did also in the .14. chapt. She is fallen, she is fallen greate Babilon. She is fallen, he sayde, for shal falle: puttyng the time paste, for the certentie of the thing, for the time to come: whereunto the doublyng also apperteineth. Likewise spake the Prophetes. Macrobius marueleth at the wonderfull breuitie of Vergill. And emonges other things in the first chapt. of the .5. boke of Saturnalles, wilt thou heare Virgill, sayeth he, speakynge wyth so muche breuitie, that breuitie it selfe can be no more straitely hampered and drawen together? And feldes where Troye was beholde howe in very fewe wordes he hathe supped offe a mightie greate Citie: And hath lefte no ruine at all. [Page 536] Hitherto Macrobius. These thinges shal we more trewly and more rightly applie vnto our Prophetes moste eloquent in their tunge, & chiefly to S. Iohn. For what could be thought more briefe, than that which he sayed, she is fallen, she is fallen great Babilon? For S. Iohn both expressed the greatnes and maiestie of the citie, and swallowed it vp whole, no ruine at al lefte, for he signified that both olde and newe Rome, although it seme stoute, inuincible, and eternall, yet shal it fall: and so fall, that nothing thereof shal be lefte. Which shortely after he setteth before our eyes more expressely by a certen Chria, whilest the Angel takyng vp a milstone, and casting it into the bottome of the Sea, addeth: thus or with such a violence shal Babilon that great citie be ouerthrowen, & shal be founde no more. Therefore was there neuer any thing, is, or shal be in the worlde so mightie or vnpregnable, whiche the inuincible power of God can not bring to naught, when he will, and when the fatall howre is come. Olde Rome is loste, and that mightie monarchie decayed: there is fallē also the superstition and Idolatrie of the heythen, that hath reigned many yeres: newe Rome shal perish also with her Imaginarie Empire: the kingedome also of the Pope or Antichrist which hath longe a sotted and plagued the worlde shall falle, and fade with smoke.
Morouer by a figuratiue speach taken out of the prophetes,And it is made ye habitatiō of deuilles. he sheweth the maner of the destruction by consequēces: and is become the habitation of Deuilles, &c. For so hereby he signifieth that it shall be destroyed, that the place whiche was before much frequented of men, shal be now the habitation of wilde beastes and deuelles, delighting in wildernes, as our lord also testifieth in the .12. of Matth. And he alluded to the wordes of the Prophetes. Esaye in the .13. chapt. And Babilon the beaultie of realmes shal be ouerthrowen, as the Lord subuerted Sodome and Gomorrha: it shal not be inhabited, but beastes shal there take there rest, and the satires or heerry shal there leape. The same thinges are repeted also in the .50. of Ieremie. And in the .51. he sayeth: & babilō shalbe in heapes, & an habitation for Dragons, a wōder and a hissing, that no mā may dwel there. Not much vnlike things are red in the .26. of Ezech. of the subuersion of Tyru [...]. And that olde [Page 537] Rome was destroyed, I shewed before: and for the space of fourtie daies and more, inhabited of no man. And that we see it inhabited agayne, it letteth nothing the veritie of Christes prophecie. For Fraunces Petrarche an Italian, and emonges the best learned Italians not hindermoste, in a certen epistle to a frende, expoūding these wordes of the Apostle S. Iohn, emonges other thinges, sayeth, thou art verely become such already, for how much better is a wicked man, and of desperate doynges, than a deuill? verely thou art become the habitation, or rather kingdome of Deuelles: which by their craftes, albeit in mās shape, raigne in thee, &c. Petrarche liued and wrote these thinges aboute two hondreth yeres sin [...]. And in an other certen epistle, speakyng of olde and newe Babilon: she was, sayeth he, worste of al others, and at that time most filthie: and this nowe is no Citie, but an house of findes and spretes, and to be shorte, the sinke of all sinne and shame, and that helle of the liuyng, signified longe before by the mouth of Dauid, than it was founded or knowen. And the selfe same agayne: what so euer thou haste red of Babilon in Assiria or Aegipte, what so euer thou hastered of the foure Labyrinthes or Mazes, finally what so euer thou haste red of the waye to hell, of the darke wordes there and laques of fire and brimstone, compared to this hell, it is a fable: here is that prowde and terrible Nimroth: here is Semiramis with her quiuer: here is vnmercifull Minos: here is Rhadamante: here is Cerberus deuouryng al thinges: here is Pasiphae put to the bulle, amō grelle kinde, as Virgill sayeth, a yonge of double shape, Minotaurus by name a monstrouse monymēt of vnlaweful lust, Finally here mayest thou see what so euer is confused, what so euer is blacke, what so euer is or may be fayned horrible & hugly. &c. These things hath he, & many other moe like these writtē in other epistles. But what thinke you wold he write nowe, yf he sawe the courte of Rome at this daye? whiche is doubtles many wayes more corrupte, than it was than. Briefly S. Iohn signifieth after the sentence of Christ kyng and iudge, that Rome both olde and newe, together with gē tilisme and Antichristianisme shall perish vtterly, and neuer be restored agayne.
The causes before ones or twise rehersed, he repeteth and [Page 538] beateth in againe,The causes of the ruine of ye citie & empire. vngodlines, idolatrie & seducing of al people & nations, whom they haue cōmpelled by tourmentes to receiue impietie. Where crueltie, tirāny, and bloud also hath place. I spake of ye wine of whoredome before in the .14. cha. and elswhere, so that it nedeth not to repete the same againe with tediousenes. And herunto is added an other new cause, and the marchauntes of the Earth [...] of the power or plētie of her pleasures, were made rich. And he saied, of the power of pleasure: for, of vnmeasurable, mightie and vnsatiable luste were made riche. For where as Rome abounded with spoiles, which it had gredely taken of al nations, and brought to Rome, they were geuē to al kinde of riot & wātones. Therfore the maisters of voluptuousnes, and diuisers of delicate pleasures, and marchauntes of most preciouse wares reparyng thither, founde euermore thē that would bie, intertayne, and set by thē, and were so made riche of the voluptuouse and riotouse life of the Romanes. Therefore the Apostle noteth an incredible studie of moste sumptuouse riot, in meate, drinke, apparell, buildyng, in pampering and cherisshyng of the bodye. The Romishe also of our time striken with the same rage both in Italy and without, spēde excedyng muche richesse in liuyng riotousely. This is sene chiefely in those spiritual fathers, Bisshoppes and Abbottes, and in the whole Romishe clergie. But God neuer suffered riot and tiranny longe vnpunnished in any nation. Therfore is Babilon fallen also, therfore shal the church of Rome falle too. Therefore let priuate men also loue temperancie, and to absteyne from riot and pride. To the lord be glory.
¶ Counsell is geuen to the godly, which are cōmaunded to go out of Babilon. Enemies are stired vp against Babilon, & they are cōmaunded not to spare her. The .lxxviij. Sermon.
ANd I hearde an other voyce frō Heauen saying: come awaie from her my people, ye ye be not partakers of her sinnes, leest ye receiue of her plages. [Page 539] For her sinnes ar gone vp to heauē, & the lord hath remēbred her wickednes. Rewarde her euen as she rewarded you, & geue her double according to her workes. And poure in double to her in the same cup, whiche she filled vnto you. And asmuch as she glorified her self & liued wantonly, so much powre ye in for her of pūnishment, and sorrow for she sayeth in her hart: I sitte being a quene, & am no widowe, & shal see no sorrow. Therfore shal her plages come at one day, death & sorrow, and honger, and she shal be brente with fire: for stronge is the lord God which shal iudge her.
The seconde place of this chapt. is the faithful coūsel of the lord, geuen to the godly,The counsel of God for ye faithfull, howe thei should vse themselues. how they should demeane thēselues in the felicitie and destruction of the citie. Rome hath in dede of long time ben lady of the world, the richesse & pleasures of the whole world haue bē sene at Rome. Yf any at Rome or in the prouinces, shewed himself tractable & obedient to the Romanes, & loued much the Romishe religion, & made him conformable to the corrupt maners of ye Romanes, he was much made of, & might come as it were by degrees to high promotiō & dignitie, to the greatest richesse, & most chosen pleasures. Yf any man would resist the Romish religiō, and would not assente to the Romanes: he was vexed with persecution, he was spoiled & driuen into exile, or cast in prison, or led to execution. Therfore were the godly greuously tempted, & knew not whither to tourne them. As we see the like done at this daye in newe Rome, and popish kingdome through out the world. Wherefore God, which will not that man should perish, but be saued, geueth here the beste counsell of true felicitie and saluation: which so many as obeye, are blessed.
And streight wayes from the beginnyng he sheweth the authour of this coūsell, to thende he might get it authoritie, & that we might boldely receiue it. I hearde, saieth he, an other voice from heauē, from God therfore out of heauē procedeth [Page 540] this counsell: which they that followe, obeye God: they that obeye it not, contemne and dispise the counsell of God. And what is this counsell?Flee from Babilon, is ye coūsel of God. briefe, playne, possible, honeste, & holesome, doubtles: come awaye, sayeth the Lorde, from her, to witte Babilon, Rome both old and newe, my people: that is to saye, you that will be called the people of God, and be written in the nombre of the citizens of God. This same is his counsell, and none other. The same counsell God by his prophetes gaue to his aunciēt people, when they were in the captiuitie of Babilon. For thus sayeth Esaye in the .48. and 52. chap. departe, departe, come ye awaye from thence, touch no vncleane thing. Come awaye frō her, be ye made cleane, which beare the vesselles of the Lord. And Ieremie in the .51. chapt. flee from the middes of Babilon, and let euery manne saue his soule, that ye be not roted out in her wickednes. For the time of Gods vengeaunce is at hande, he will rewarde her. The lorde therefore counselleth to flee, and that so our soules shuld be saued. For els vnlesse we flee, we shall perish. Howbeit the Prophetes taught not the Israelites to flee out of Babilon bodily, by motion localle, as they terme it. For Ieremie in the .29. chapt. exhorteth the people captiue to dwel in Babilon, and to make their prouision there, til the time of deliuerie come.¶ What flight is counselled. For than must thei come out of Babilon. In the meane season he would haue them departe not by bodily motion, but by vnlikenes of maners. For albeit they shall dwel in the middes of the superstitiouse, vngodly, and Idolaters: yet would not the lord haue them made like vnto thē. That fleyng therefore in this, that they should absteyne and refrayne themselues from vngodlines, idolatrie, sinnes, to witte, bloud, vsurie, pride, lecherie, and other like vices: but to perseuer in true godlines and innucencie.
In like maner now, whiter so eu [...]r the godly shoulde haue fledde vnder the olde Romane Empire, they shoulde euery where haue fallen agayne into the handes of the Romanes: like as we also at this daye,1. Cor [...]n. 5. although we chaunge our place, yet haue we poperie eyther nere, or iminente. Therefore the Apostle sayeth well: we muste get vs out of the worlde, if we will not be conuersaunt with sinners. This therefore is the trewe and godly flight, if remaynyng in this world bodily, [Page 541] in minde & maners we departe furthermost out of the world, so that we absteine from al idolatrie, and prophane worshippyng, if we allowe it not, if it pleaseth vs not: if we nother assent, nor frame our selues to the maners of the vngodly: yf we shall not betraye our religion, eyther for menne, or for worldely gaine. So therefore the Christians which liued vnder the Romane Empire, fled Rome so, that they vtterly absteyned from worshippyng of idolles, and the corrupte maners of the gentiles, althoug they liued emongs the heythen. For that the auncient churches in Asia were suche, we haue hearde in the .2. and .3. chapt. of this boke. Albeit therfore that we also dwel vnder the Popish kingdome, and in thempire, that persecuteth the gospel: yet must we flee papistrie, that is to saye popish churches: none of ye godly ought for worshipping or obedience sake to enter in, none to acknowledge, allowe or vse any Popish rites or ceremonies: but from their vices and corruptions to flee so farre as is possible. For so the Apostolical scripture teacheth vs in the .12. to the Roman. 2. Corinth. 6. in the .5. to the Ephes. and .1. Pet. 4. And S. Iohn at this present as it were expoundyng him self: be not ye, sayeth he, pertakers of her sinnes, [...], communicate not with her sinnes. And sinnes be not only those which are done agaynst the seconde, but also that are committed, and that much more agaynst the first table: of the which sorte are idolatrie, impietie, the abuse of Gods holy name, straunge worshipping, agaynst the .2. and .4. precepte of the first table. Those were than, and so are at this daye taken for very good workes, where they be abominations. Partakyng is chiefly in the cōmunion of sacred thinges, agayne if they be geuen to the same dissolute riot with filthie men. Yf therfore we beware of those thinges, we flee out of Babylon, and followe the good counsel of God.
But herein we offende at this daye cōmonly,How men offende at this daye agaīst this counsell of God. whiche are called gospellers. For many thinke it to be sufficient, in case thei obserue I wote not what religion in their harte priuely: and openly doe cōmunicate with them, whiche maye eyther helpe or hurte. Ye shal haue them, that wil crowch and kncle before idolles, whiche will heare Masse and popishe seruice. There be some that know many abominatiōs of the popish [Page 542] priesthood, but yet neuerthelesse make their sonnes priestes. Because that promotions, and that clerkly life, that is to saie the welthie and pleasaunt life liketh them wel. There be some that intrude their childrē through the bonde of wedlocke into the middes of Papistrie: nother doe these regarde any thing els, but richesse, and worldly honours and frendeshippes. Against al these the prophetes with the Apostles, and at this present Christ the sonne of God from the righthande of the father, thondereth and crieth out a lowde, come awaye from her my people, and be not partaker with her sinnes. These wordes do not admitte any wittie or ciuile reasoning, nor carnall or craftie qualifiyng. For it followeth, leeste ye receaue of her plagues. For if ye like Rome, if ye like the Romish religion, if Romish prelacie please you, richesse and promotiōs, yf the Romish corruptiō contente you, let the iudgement, payne and damnation dewe to Antichristianisme contente you also.
We haue moreouer at this present, what aūswere we may make to the Romanistes,What thou mayest aū swere to ye crime of reuolting. obiecting & laiyng to our charge reuoltyng or apostasie, & for the same cause also the crime of Schisme. Ye haue fallen, saye they, from the holy church of Rome, & by that same forsakyng declare openly, that ye are sectaries and Schismatikes. Whereunto we aunswere, that we put a distinctiō in the church of Rome. For we acknowledge a certē olde church of Rome, notable, and Apostolicall. Of the whiche wrote S. Paule: your fayth is shewed in the whole world. Frō the same who so euer departeth, without doubte shal be both a Schismatike, and also perishe for euer. There is agayne an other church of Rome, newe, and cleane contrary to the olde, no longer nowe Apostolical, but Papisticall rather, wherein be not the ministers of the worde and Sacramentes, but either princes, nothing vnlike the gētiles: or marchauntes, of whom the Sacramentes, the remissiō of sinnes, heauen it selfe, and all thinges in the church are to be solde for a little mony. They teach a doctrine swaruing quite from the doctrine of the gospell. These are openly, not infected, but swimmyng and stinkyng of moste shameful vices euen of the filthines of whoredome: to speake nothing nowe of Christen bloudshedyng. Nother is there sene in them any [Page 543] repentaunce. With these to perseuer, with these to cōmunicate, is to perish euerlastingly. Therfore from these mens cō pany the lord cōmaundeth vs here to departe, yea and to flee frō. Therfore, that we haue done, we haue done at the lordes cōmaundement, which openly here cōmaundeth vs to come awaye, departe, and flee from the purple whore, and frō this Babilon. There be also other notable places commaundyng this departing: which who so liste to know and consider, let thē reade Deuter. 13. Ieremie the .23. the wordes also of the lord in the gospel of Luke the .6. chapt. the .7.23. and .24. of Matth. Reade both the Epistles of S. Paul to Timoth. especially the .6. chapt. of the .1. and the .3. and .4. chapt. of the .2. In the .16. to the Romanes he sayeth: I beseke you bretherne, marke them which cause diuision, and geue occasions of euill, contrary to the doctrine which you haue learned, and auoyde them. For they that are suche, serue not the Lord Iesu Christe, but their owne bealy: and through flatteryng wordes. &c.
And rendring the cause, whie we should flee from Babilō,Whie Babilon is to be auoided he vttereth the profit, and disprofit. Leeste ye receaue of her plages. For who so euer matcheth him selfe with the vngodly, idolaters, filthie & vncleane persones, receyueth the same rewarde with them: and the rewarde of this life presente, a curse, a reprobate minde, & sondry calamities, recited in the 16. chapt. and elswhere, and after this life, euerlastyng tourmentes. Therefore he treateth of no lighte matter, when he threateth of flyeng from Babilon, or of auoyding the Romish religion. Many beleue these thinges: for that they consider not, how great is the abomination of ye church of Rome before God: and therfore heare these thinges as it were a fable, and perseuer in the same kinde of life, wherin they ar and haue liued hitherto. But he lieth not, that sayeth, howe they that prouide not for themselues to flee out of Babilon, shall shortely perish with Babilon, and with the whole fellowship of the wicked. Wo be to them.
Howbeit for asmuch as ye wicked in this world ar cōmonly fortunate (whereof many gather,That God remēbreth wickednes yt God knoweth not our matters, or at leest if he know thē, not to care greatly for thē) there is added of thapostle, or oracle brought from heauē: for her sinnes are cōmen vp to heauen, & the lord hath remēbred [Page 544] her wickednes. God verely neuer forgetteth iniquities. For al things are euermore present before him. Yet semeth he not to remembre, when he punnisheth not. For so men suppose: but when he pūnisheth and visiteth sinners, he semeth vtterly to haue had consideration of our matters, and to haue remembred wickednes and wicked menne. Therefore God is rightuouse, and mindeful of euil, and of good also: and when he seeth time will recompence all mens workes, and chiefly the euill. In the meane time he signifieth also, that the sinnes of olde and newe Rome are great and full of enormitie. For in the .19. of Genes. the sinnes of Sodome are sayed to haue ascended vp to Heauen, and as it were to haue exclamed agaynst the doers of them, and required vengeaunce. So we reade in the .51. of Ieremie that the sinnes of Babilon ascēded vp to the clowdes. For S. Iohn in a maner euery where vseth the places of Scripture, to the intent he mighte get his boke more authoritie, although otherwise inspired of ye holy ghost And in dede the olde Satyrical poetes as Horace, Iuuenall, and others wrote sore agaynst the sinnes and vices of old Rome. There remayne also at this daye many sharpe writinges agaynst Rome, and the Cardinalles and Prelates of the Romish churche, and Pasquillis innumerable (Pasquille at this daye is a Satyrical writer one in stead of many) that as well at this daye as in times paste the sinnes of Rome crie vp vnto heauen it selfe.
Rewarde her, as she hath rewarded you.He procedeth after this to raccompte agayne the plagues, and most certayne destruction of Rome, whiche is the thirde place of this chapt. where also is excedingly well described the most horrible and cruell maner of destructiō and subuersion thereof. For God is brought in callyng on and exhorting the soldiours, and the cōmissaries and executours of his iudgement vnto vengeaunce: and that they should punnishe her moste extremely, and spare her not, but rewarde her moste aboundantly, and mete vnto her by the same measure, wherwith Rome hath measured to others. For here taketh place that same of the Lorde, and cōmon saying with all nations: with the same measure wherewith you mete, others shall mete vnto you agayne, and there shall be geuen good measure, pressed, shaken, and runnyng ouer. Therfore seyng [Page 545] that Rome hath robbed the whole worlde, and seduced the whole worlde, rightly and by the iuste wrath of God was she spoiled, and vtterly subuerted. The which things did the Gotthes with great faith and dilligence: so that we can not doubte also, but that newe Rome, and that See Apostaticall, muste of her enemies, whom the Lord hath prepared, and of the Aungelles gatheryng the tares, be plucked all to peces. And what shal become of her in an other world, we maye gather hereof, that he beateth in so ofte, that her euilles shal be doubled without mercy, her payne also, mourning, and greuouse tormentes. These thinges doubtles are greuouse and horrible. Would God they might be perceyued of faythfull mindes. And agayne this place is written out as it were worde for worde of the .50. chap. of Ieremie: where you reade to this effecte: be auenged on Babilon, and as she did, do ye vnto her. Spoile and destroye sayeth the Lord, and accōplish all that I haue cōmaunded thee. Destroye her, that nothing remaine. Intrench rounde aboute, that no man escape. Rewarde her after her worke: & according to al thinges that she hath done, do ye vnto her. For she hath ben prowde agaynst the Lord, and agaynst the holy one of Israel. Thus sayed the lord in Ieremie. Thou seest therefore where the lord hath borrowed his owne at this present. Thou seest what euery citie, or cōmon welth, or man maye promise himselfe, yf beyng inriched by the losse of others, he liue voluptuousely & proudly in this world. For God is the same alwayes, and his iudgementes are egall agaynst al vngodly.
And he hath meddled withal the causes of subuersion,The vaine glory pride & securitie of Rome. crueltie, couetousenes, extorsions, slaughters, burninges, wherwith Rome hath made desolate the whole world. But he procedeth more expressely to recite other causes: to witte pride, glorying ond boastyng, securitie, riot, pleasures and voluptuousenes. For it followeth: as muche as she hath glorified her selfe, and liued wantonly, &c. And agayne: for in her hart she sayeth, I sitte a Queene, &c. He hath borrowed these thinges also out of the .47. of Esaye. Where Babylon glorieth thus also and with so many wordes. Rome in times past gloried, her selfe to be Lady of the worlde, and that she shuld be euerlastynge. For they stāped in Siluer coynes, of Rome [Page 546] eternall. They had thought that the kingedomes should neuer haue ben plucked from her. She thought therefore that she should neuer haue ben a widdowe. And I doubte not but the Germanes borrowed of the Romanes that Germane worde Romen, by the whiche they meane to boaste or bragge stoutely: whiche semeth to haue ben peculiar and proper to the Romanes. She was careles or insecuritie. She had not thought to haue bē subuerted. She saied, I shal see no mournyng, I will haue no mournyng chere, I wil alwayes singe, Gaudeamus. The Romanistes at this daye also full brauely make their boaste, that no Emperours, no Kinges, no people, no heretikes and Schismatikes (for so they terme the enemies of the Romisshe wickednes, men godly and learned) haue yet luckely assayled Rome. That the enemies of the churche of Rome haue alwayes ben oppressed, that she hath alwayes triumphed ouer her enemies, these seuen or eyght hondreth yeres and more. That the shippe of S. Peter maye be sore tourmoyled, tossed, and ouerwhelmed with Waues and billowes, but can not be drowned: and therefore that the See of Rome shal be perpetual quene and lady of al realmes and churches. &c.
Rome shal perish vpō a sodayne.But heare nowe the iudgement of God: for as muche as she is prowde, vayne gloriouse, carelesse and wicked, in one daye shal come her plagues. Aretas noteth, that by one daye is signified a sodayne destruction: and that she shoulde than perish, when she would haue thought leste. And her plagues he reciteth in order, death, mournyng, famine and fire. And stories testifie, that these thinges were by the Gotthes fulfilled accordingly in olde Rome: whereof I haue spoken before. Therfore we doubte nothyng at al, but that newe Rome also shall by menne, and by Gods Aungelles be torne a sonder and pluckte vp by the rotes. And leest any manne should thinke this vnpossible (for greate is the power and maiestie of eyther Rome, in so muche that he that should haue sayed in S. Iohn his time, Rome shall falle, should haue semed to haue spoken a thynge as much impossible, as if he had sayde, the skye shall falle) he annexeth incontinently: for stronge is the Lorde God that shall iudge her. Therefore lette vs not doubte of the falle of Papistrie. For the Lorde is trewe, [Page 547] iuste, and almightie. To whome be glorye for euer and euer. Amen.
¶ A doleful song or mourning, and lamentation of Rome, which the Princes and Marchaunts make for her. The .lxxix. Sermon.
AND the Kynges of the earth shall be wepe her, and wayle ouer her, which haue committed fornication, and liued wantonly with her, when they shal se the smoke of her burning, and shal stand a farre of, for feare of her pūnishmēt, saieng: alas, alas, that great citie Babilon, that mightye citie: for at one howre is thy iudgement come. And the marchauntes of the Earth shall wepe and wayle in themselues, because no man wyll by their ware any more, the ware of golde, and siluer, and of preciouse stone, of pearle, and silke, and purple, and skarlet, and al thynen wood, and all maner vesselles of Iuory: and all maner vessels of moste preciouse wood, and of brasse, and of Iron, and Synamon, and odours, and oyntmentes, and frankensence, & wyne, and oyle, and fyne flowre, and wheate, and cattel, and shepe, and horses, and charets, and bodies & soules of men. And the Apples that thy soule lusted after, are departed from the. And al things which wer deinty, and had in price, are departed from thee, and thou shalt fynde them nomore. The Marchauntes of these [Page 548] thinges, which were waxed rich by her, shall stande a farre of for feare of the punnishment of her, weping, and waylinge, and saieng: alas, alas, that great Citie, that was clothed in silke and purple, and scarlet, and decked wt golde, and preciouse stone, and pearles: for at one howre so great riches is come to naught. And euerye shyppe gouernour, and all theye that occupy ships, and shipmen which worke in in the sea, stode a farre of and cryed, when they saw the smoke of her burning, and said: what citie is lyke vnto this great citie? And they caste duste on their heads, and cryed wepyng, and wayling, and saied: Alas, alas, the greate Citie, wherein were made rich al that had shyppes in the Sea, by the reason of her wares: for at one houre is she made desolate.
A lamentation & wayling ouer Rome.In the fourth place of this chapter, followeth the weping or waylinge, or lamentation of Rome, brent and destroyed. The coppie is plentifull and maruaylouse, by an euident Hipotiposis, settinge all thinges before our eyes. And our Lord God hath alwayes a familier manner, that what tyme he wyll euidentelye shewe before, and fixe in the heartes of all men the ouerthrowe or destruction of a nation, Kingdome, or Citie, he wyll commaunde his Prophetes to syng an elegie, or lamentable song. And in such kynde of lamentations is shewed not onely the subuersion, but also the causes of destruction, and maner of desolation are rehersed: the end also or vse is declared, leest others be made lyke vnto that nation, and become partakers of the destruction. We haue manifest examples in the wrytinges of the Prophetes, especiallye the lamentations of Ieremye, and the whych agree better to this place the dolefull dittie of Tyrus songe of Ezechiell, in the .27. and .28. chapters. And verely it appeareth that S. Ihon hath borowed many thinges from thence.
Nother is there any matter here, to busy our selues much aboute. The some of all is this. Rome shall fall, and perish vtterlie, that there shoulde be nothing lefte, eyther of the Empyre, or of that See, much lesse of the riches and pleasures. The which was partlye fulfilled in oulde Rome, and partlye shall be fulfilled in the newe at the daye of iudgement.
Howbeit nother Christ himself,Kings and marchātes mourne. nor the Apostle is brought in, bewayling the subuersion of Babilon: but wicked persō nes are induced, which are firste to be cōsidered. For they be Kynges and Princes of the Earth, marchauntes, or gouernours of ships or mariners, which haue all cōmitted whoredome with this strumpet, and by her companye haue bene made rich. And verely ould Rome was furnished with the amities of Kynges: and agayne the presidentes sent of them to gouerne Prouinces, semed euery one to be Kynges and Princes. And for asmuche as the riches of Rome were great, and all states were wonderfully set a ryot, the marchauntes there, gote exceading much gaigne. Moreouer ther was sayling to Rome oute of the Easte, South, and Weste, I meane out of Syria, and Aegipte or Affricke, and out of Spayne it selfe, and vttermoste partes of the worlde. But what tyme Rome beyng destroyed lay ruinouse, and the Empyre was rente in pieces, they coulde not but lamente, whose lucre and pleasure was lost.
Newe Rome hath also, besydes those temporal,The marchaunts of new Rome euen peculier marchauntes and Princes of her owne. For the prelates of the church be Princes. And in the church of Rome, all the Sainctes of God knowe, howe to occupie the traffique of marchaundyse. For what holy thing is not to be boughte in that seat? Marchaūdise is practised in forgeuenes of sinnes, in pardons and satisfactōs, in ecclesiastical benefices, in worshipping of Images and Sainctes, in masses, in burialles, in sayeng diriges for the dead, and almoste in all spirituall matters. Hereof cometh an vnmeasurable gaigne, and the greateste occasion of pleasures. Other marchaūtes bye their ware very dere: the Romish Cananites, pay not one denier or farthinge for their wares, but sell the same for an vnreasonable price. Nother suppose I that euer there was any marchaundise lyke vnto this in all the worlde, nor yet a more gaynefull [Page 550] lucre of a thing of naught. Erasmus hath also touched these thinges, in the prouerbe to aske tribute of a deade man. And where as before the day of iudgement, the Lorde Christ shall destroy Antichrist with the spirite of his mouth, and that gaigne begynneth to be minished, we see howe euery where emonges these spirituall marchaunts, complaints and grudgynges arryse. Than what maner of lamentation and wayling thinke ye that wyll be, where the same Lorde by his coming, shal vtterly abolish the same Antichrist, and they must go in to fyre euerlastinge? Agayne we muste somewhat also consider the mourning. To mourne of it selfe, is no sin. For the beste and holyest men haue lamēted their dead, and their calamities, & destructiō of cities and realmes. For Abraham mourned. The lamētations also of Ieremye remaine, ouer the citie of Hierusalē. The faithful mourned with a great mourninge for Stephen in the Actes. Howebeit in the lamentation they kepte a meane, and referred all thinge to the glory of God, and saluatiō of foules. The vngodly and worldly men do not mourne after this sort. They neuer remēber the sines of men, for the whiche the righteouse Lorde punnisheth the world, nother do they referre the euylles of them and theirs to the glory, veritie, and iustice of God, or amēdment of maners: therefore are they not sory that God is offended, nor requyre forgeuenes of sinnes: but it greueth them that occasion of sinninge is taken from them, that their pleasures and lucre is past. And nowe wayle Princes, marchaūts and mariners, not for the fauoure of God loste, not of true compassion, or loue of their neighbour, but for loue of themselues, for the losse of earthly things, for the destruction of goodly, auncient, strong and preciouse things: but chiefly for their lucre loste, and pleasures taken away. The Apostle maketh mention of eyther grefe in the seconde to the Corrinthians the .7. chapter. And surely this sorrowe and mourning is nothing els, but a descriptiō and a shaddowing of a moste certen and greateste destruction, and that of men vngodly. And ful well and pourposely doeth he set forth the wayling both in the behauiour of the mourners, & also by their woordes. To their gesture apperteyneth, that they wepe, wayle, crye oute, and caste dust on their heads. To their wordes are referred these [Page 551] thinges, wo, wo, alas, alas that great citie. &c. The whiche is repeted of the marchauntes and saylers.
Moreouer are touched here also the causes of destructiō,The riot, voluptuousnes & pleasures of Rome. the riot and voluptuousnes, wherin Rome flowed. And likewise are rehersed the welth, riches, maiestie, pride, and pleasures of either Rome. And here by the way are warned, what all worldely men maye loke for, in case they addicte thēselues to the pleasures & voluptuousenes of this world: which was at Rome, and is vnmeasurable. Nother haue we red in any stories, that natiōs haue long continued, which haue ben geuen or vanquisshed of worldly pleasures. To builde, to eate, to drinke, to be clothed, and to haue seruauntes men and wemen, is lawefull: but a measure muste be kepte in these as in al other thinges: the benefites of God muste be acknowledged, & those may not be more set by than vertu: but at Rome, & in the world, passing ouer godlines & meane, these thinges are only regarded, desired, and beloued. In buildinges and householde stuffe al thinges were sumptuouse, & vnmeasurable. They are of golde which might haue ben well of earth or tinne: of siluer, where wood or iron might haue serued. And when wood was chosen, it was not euery wood, by [...] thynen, yt is to saie, most excellenste was chosen. Thynen appereth to be named of Thyia, a tree, to the which Theophraste attributeth great honour, reporting yt the famouse bildinges of olde temples were made therof, & a certen immortalitie of mater incorrupt induring on houses against all wethers, &c. Plinie hath this in ye .13. boke, the .16. cha. In seruice also they vse men, like beastes: nother haue they any beastes for their owne vse, but most chosē. Thei haue horses & mules exceding fine. They haue their horselitters, Cochees, & charettes right notable: al thinges glister with golde, preciouse stones, & purple: and al thinges are wrought and diuised for pride & sumptuousnes. What shall we saie that the wholt bandes of their men go al in silkes & veluet, wearing their maisters colours? The lord himself of al, sitting on the shulders of his Belphouiers, is borne on high, and is caried on mens bodies as the most noble charette. In the meate and drinke of these menne all thinges are moste delicate, exquisite, and variable. Their drinke is costely, straunge and immoderate. The apparell of [Page 552] their body is also ouersumptuouse. Their garmentes glister with golde, and are stiffe with pearle. Their cōmon garment is of Crimosin satten. They vse also oinctemētes and apples of desire: which maye both be vnderstande of the fruictes of trees, and also of Pomanders conteinyng musche and smellyng swete, and of odoriferouse sauours.
Thende of pleasures.Finally in al thinges is to be considered, what the ende or windyng vp is of riot, pride, and voluptuousenes, and howe vnstable is the fauour and frendeship of men. Here all things perish ones, nothing remayneth safe. And they perish verely in one houre, that haue ben prouided for many yeres. They flee from vs in daunger, whiche haue receyued great gayne at our handes. Yea they stāde a farre of, and out of daunger, and lamente the dollefull chaunce: no man commeth nere to helpe or deliuer vs. Euery mā is afraide of his owne skinne. Let vs learne therfore to truste in God, to despise pleasures, to put no confidence in fleshe and frendeshippe of men. For whilest thou art fortunate, thou shalt haue many frendes: yf the world beginne to froune on thee, they wil al forsake thee, in whom thou puttest thy trust, and leaue thee in the breres. And this is the chiefe ende of all these thinges as I shewed at the first: Rome shall fall, and be made desolate for euer. The lord our God restrayne al euill. Amen.
¶ The reioycyng of Sainctes for the ouerthrowe of Babilon, the drownyng of the fame, and the causes of drowning or destruction are rehersed. The .lxxx. Sermon.
REioyce ouer her thou heauen, and ye holy Apostles and prophetes: for God hath geuen your iudgement on her. And a mightie Angell toke vp a greate Milstone, and caste it into the sea, saiyng: with such violence shall that great citie Babilon be caste, and shal be [Page 553] founde no more. And the voice of harpes and musiciās, and of pipers and trompettes shall be hearde no more in thee: & no craftes man, of what so euer crafte he be, shal be founde no more in thee: and the sounde of a Mille shall be hearde no more in thee: and the light of a cādel shal shine no more in thee, and the voice of the bridegrome and of the bryde shall be hearde no more in thee: for thy marchauntes were princes of the Earth, and with thine in chauntementes were deceaued all nations: and in her was founde the bloud of the Prophetes, and of the sainctes, & of all that were slaine vpon the Earth.
In the fifte place of this chapter the Angell of the Lorde exhorteth, al the sainctes of Heauen to reioyce,The reioycynge of Sainctes for the destructiō of Rome. and that for the ouerthrowe of Babilon. And this reioycyng of Sainctes is set agaynst the wayling of the wicked. For as they lamente for the causes of pleasures taken from them: so the Sainctes reioice ouer vngodlines oppressed, and the glory of God reuenged. We are verely forboden in the Prouerbes of Salomō, and in the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles, that we shuld not be glad of the calamities of our enemies, nother that we should saye euill or do euill to our enemies. Whiche thing is perpetuall, and commaunded to all men, neuer to be altered by any dispensation: but we must obserue in the meane time, that men doe reioyce diuerse wayes. Menne are glad many times of the destruction of their enemies, and that of hatred & mallice: which is not done without sinne. Others are glad agayne of the calamities, and plages of the vngodly, yet bearyng no mallice towardes them, whiche are in this miserie: vnto whom thei wold doubtlesse haue wished a better state, if they might haue ben perswaded to haue tourned but they reioyce rather ouer iustice reuenged, and the godly deliuered from the tiranny of the wicked. Whereof we reade that the [Page 554] prophet sayde in the .58. Psalme. The rightuouse shal reioice, when he shal see vengeaunce, he shall wasshe his fete in the bloud of the vngodly (to witte he shall pourge his affections and euill maners,That the Sainctes reioyce at ye destruction of the wicked. what time he shall see the bloud of the vngodly spilte: which he beleueth to be done for a documēt, lest we should follow our euill affections, & that our bloud shuld be shed also of the moste iuste God by his ministers) and a man wil saie: verely there is a rewarde for the rightuous, verely god iudgeth the earth. Therfore are the rightuouse glad, & reioyce when they see vengeaunce. And it is not sayde, that they couet, or wishe for vengeaunce. Vengeaunce is mine, sayeth the lord, I wil rewarde. When the lorde therefore rewardeth they are glad for the deliueraunce, and for ye veritie established and confirmed: and reioyce not of an hatred they heare towarde the oppressours, whom they haue wished lost and destroyed. The godly wisshe euermore the wicked to be conuerted, and to retourne into fauour with God. But whē they see them moued with no repētaunce, but obstinately to procede, and falle into their owne destruction, and that God doeth intercepte them, for the saluation of the faythfull, and deliueraunce of the godly: the godly reioyce at this deliueraunce, and prayse the iustice of God. Notwithstanding that they had alwayes rather, if it mighte haue ben, that the loste had otherwise led their life: but nowe sins it can be no otherwise, through their owne obstinate mallice, they speake not against the iudgementes of God, but rather commende the same. These thinges verely do the sainctes in Earth. And the Sainctes in heauen sins they be purified now from all affections, their reioycing is altogether most pure, so that it were superfluouse to reason curiousely therof. But where the heauenly reioyce at the destruction of the wicked, we maye easely iudge howe muche they erre, whiche truste to the helpe or prayers of Sainctes: where neuerthelesse they alter nothing at all of their wicked life. It shall be easie also to discusse their doubte and carefulnes, which feare leest they should be sory also, seyng their bretherne, sisters, frendes and kinsfolkes cō demned. For the Sainctes do plainely consent to the will of God, and extolle the iudgementes of God, and reioyce therat, and can be sory no more.
And he biddeth heauē reioyce,Reioyce thou heauen. as many times in the Psal. we reade the like phrase: vnlesse you had rather by Heauen, vnderstande heauēly dwellers, such as we beleue thapostles & prophetes to be. For at the same time when S. Iohn wrote these thinges, all thapostles in a maner were slaine. And here is to be knowen, that the Romish beast had deuoured, that is to saye, afflicted & slaine, not only the sonne of God, our lord Iesus Christ: but also Iohn the Baptist, all the Apostles of God, and al the martirs of Christ. By the prophetes we vnderstande, not only those olde, but all the faithful preachers of the gospel. For we haue hearde oftener than ones before, that the faithful preachers of the worde be called prophetes. He annexeth more ouer a reason whie they ought to reioyce: for God hath geuen your iudgement of her. For in the .6. chapt. the soules of Martirs crie vnder the Aultar: howe longe Lord auengest thou not our bloud on them that be on Earth? nowe therefore they prayse Gods iustice, whiche as he than promised that he would auenge, so hath he nowe auenged in dede.
And by this place we learne,Sainctes do not pū nishe the wicked. that all iudgement is geuen to the sonne, and that no Saincte in heauen can iudge or pū nish an euil man on Earth. For it is moste false, that Sainctes are sayed to punnisshe their enemies: S. Anthony with the holy fire, Valentine with the fallyng sickenes, and other with other diseases, God alone, as in the .16. chapt. is declared at large, punnissheth, and sendeth and taketh away sickenes. And moste certayne it is, aswel by this, as also by many other places of this boke, that God slepeth not, but will whē he seeth time, reuenge and punnish most certenly. The martirs when they should die, had cōmitted all their iudgement to the Lorde their God. He iudgeth nowe the iudgement of Sainctes of Rome: that is after his iuste iudgement taketh punnishment of Rome, for that she had with wrōgfull iudgement oppressed the Sainctes.
In the sixte place of this chapter he retourneth to the description of the subuersion of Babylon. And it is a moste clere, and euē a certen eyely and euident demonstration by a similitude. For takyng vp a greate stone, in quantitie like a Milstone, he casteth the same into the Sea, and makyng [Page 556] a declaration of his so doyng,Babilō is drouned in the Sea. sayeth, thus sodaynely, and with such a violence, ( [...]) shal Babilon be cast downe, &c. This place is taken out of the ende of the .51. chapt. of Ieremie, where you reade in a maner the like thinges worde for worde. And here is now brought in a strong Angell, leest we shoulde thinke that the force of Rome were happly stronger than that it could be broken. But it shal be broken of a strōg Aungell. And the thinges that be sodainely drowned appere no more. Here is signified therefore, that with a sodayne destruction Rome shal falle, that there shal no token thereof be lefte, & that it shal falle without any difficultie, it shal be made to plumpe, and neuer more be sene. And the Lorde in the gospell affirmeth, that the crime or sclaunder must be punnished with a Milstone hanged aboute the necke: yea and that same not to be punnishment greuous enough, although emonges the Syrians it was accompted for vile and shamefull, sins the crime deserueth to be punnished with a much more greuouse or crueller paine. Wherefore Primasius supposed, that here by the waye is signied, how Babilon, for offences geuen to the worlde, should be drowned in the Sea, as it were with a milstone tied fast to her necke. Doubtles if euer any citie, if euer any kingedome were hateful by reason of greatest offences, and geuen to the Christians innumerable sclaunders: Rome and the Romane Empire, and euen the Popishenes of the church hath hurte most by sclaūder, and yet hurteth. Wherefore it is no doubte, but that it hath bē plaged most greuously, and shal be yet more punnished of the Lorde.
Agayne by propheticall and figuratiue speaches he signifieth a notable desolation, and that the same place should neuer after be inhabited for euer. Such like maners of speaches shall ye finde in the .24. of Esaye, and .26. of Ezech. and in diuerse other places. Al pleasure, sayeth he, shal perish, especially which was wont to be taken of Musicke. All craftes shall be layde downe. Briefely there shal be no more any habitation for men.
The causes of her desolatiō.In the seuenth and last place are set forth agayne the causes of this subuersion, and that more notable three. The first: Thy marchauntes were princes of the Earth. For they that haue occupied marchandise in the church of Rome, and yet [Page 557] do, are in a maner princes. Of whom I haue spoken before. Here is noted therfore their pride, auarice, and sumptuousenes. Aretas: he calleth them marchauntes, sayeth he, whiche tourmoyle and trouble the whole worlde, as it were certen fayres, &c. The seconde: for with thine inchauntementes all nations haue ben seduced. There is no doubte, but that inchauntyng, and magicke raigne in Babilon, and that there is founde plentie of fortune readers, necromanciers, and inchaunters: yet here appereth chiefly to be signified, seducing, Idolatrie, and impietie, or errour of doctrine. Suche an inchaunter was Iezabel, as appereth in the .4. booke of Kinges the .9. chapt. which practised inchauntementes in very dede, and bewitched men with corrupt religion. And euen so hath Rome seduced the whole worlde, and yet seduceth. For the which cause she deserueth most greuouse punnishment. The last cause of subuersion: for in thee is foūde the bloud. Bloud shed can not be whipte awaye nor clensed from them, that shede innocent bloud.The sheding of bloud. And although it be not streight waye required: yet will there come a time when it shal be required of God, and than is it founde. And he maketh mētion of thre sortes of bloud. Firste of the bloud of Prophetes, of them I meane, which haue preached the Gospell, and haue ben the fathers of the faithfull. Secondely of Sainctes to witte holy martirs. Finally of al menne that haue ben slayne in earth to witte dwelling here and there through out the world: whom we vnderstande to haue ben dispatched and taken out of the waye, by the warres, seditions, and tiranny of Rome. So we reade also in the first oratiō of Ieremie, that God straitely requyreth the bloud of his seruauntes spilte. Doubtles all shedyng of bloud is greuouse (the same excepted which is iustely done of the magistrate) yet is one more heynouse than another. For he that killeth a preacher of the gospell, more greuousely sinneth, than he that dispatcheth a priuate person: and he whiche for religion sake slayeth a man, and maketh a martir, sinneth more heynousely, than he that killeth a man in the warre. Therefore al the bloud shed of Rome after any sort, shal be required of Rome, & is required. Thus the lorde spake also of the citie of Hierusalē, Matth. 23. The lord Iesus haue mercy on vs, & loke vpō vs with theyes of his mercie. Amen.
¶ The reioycinges and Himnes of sainctes are recited for Rome destroyed, and all vngodlines taken awaye. The .lxxxj. Sermon.
Chapt. 19. AND after that, I hearde the voice of muche people in Heauen, saying: Alleluya. Saluatiō and glory, and honour, & power be ascribed to the Lord our God. For true and rightuouse are his iudgemētes, because he hath iudged the greate whore, whiche did corrupte the earth with her fornication, and hath auenged the bloud of his seruauntes of her hande. And agayne they sayde, Alleluya. And the smoke of her ascended for euer more. And the .xxiiii. Elders, and the foure beastes fell downe, and worshipped God that sate on the seate, saiyng. Amē: Alleluya. And a voyce came out of the seate, saiyng: Praise our lord God al ye that are his seruaūtes, and ye that feare him both smal and great. And I hearde the voice of much people, euen as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of great thō deringes, saiyng: Alleluya. For our lord God omnipotent raigneth. Let vs be glad and reioyce, & geue honour vnto him: for the marriage of the Lambe is come.
God neuer forsaketh his seruauntes.For as much as the Apostle in this boke most plentifully hath described the oppression of Sainctes, and the cruell mischeuouse, and prowde assaultes of the persecutours of the Gospell, whereby they both mocke God, and tourment his sainctes, whereupon euermore at all times the complainctes [Page 559] euen of the godly men are red to haue risen, as though God through his longe sufferyng and great patience, should seme to neglecte the oppressed: he discourseth also moste at large nowe, the reioycinges and prayses of Sainctes, wherby thei extolle the veritie and iustice of God, neuer neglectyng his, and most greuousely punnishing the vngodly persecutours. Howebeit they reioyce here chiefely, and prayse God for the taking awaye of Antichriste, and all vngodlines with him. Whiche verely is the first place of this chapter. The seconde confirmeth al Sainctes, leeste they should doubte any thing of the saluation of the faythfull, which he sheweth to be most certayne. The thirde place reciteth the sinne of blessed Iohn: and the faithfull doctrine of the holy Aungel, that we should worshippe no creatures, be they neuer so holy. In the laste place is described the iudge, or reuenger Iesus Christe, commyng to iudgement: there is moreouer described the perdition or punnishement of al vngodly, which the iuste and holy lord taketh of them. Which place verely begōne in the .11. chapt. of this boke, and suspēded hitherto, repeted somewhat in the .14. is now at the last finisshed.
And verely the Iubiley of Sainctes is diuerse, plentifull, and manifolde, ouer the loste and condemned enemies of the godly. Firste he heareth a voyce, and that a greate, of much people in heauen. He sheweth therfore in generall, that all heauenly, (the Aungelles not excepted) synge prayses to God in heauen. Whiche we vnderstande shal be at the laste iudgement, all vngodly troden vnder fote. And before these thinges be done they are rehersed and described, that hereby the godly maye in daungers and tourmētes comforte themselues, and maye abide stedfaste in the true sayth: beleuynge that they also, though nowe oppressed, shall singe prayses of thankes to God.
And verely he hath here compiled the whole Himne, saide in the prayse of God the reuenger. He placeth formoste, Alleluya: Alleluya. after he annexeth the prayses, Saluation and glory. &c. And Alleluya signifieth, prayse ye the Lorde. He vseth a most common, and of all men beste knowen in the primitiue church. For certen Psalmes haue this title, Halleluyah. For the chaūter so exhorted & stired vp the people, to praise God. [Page 560] So after the same maner now also, the saincts as it were cō prising the argument of their songe, saye, Alleluia. And these vocables haue more grace in ours and straunge langages, than translated. So haue remayned in the churche, Osanna, Amen, Saela, Maranatha, and diuerse others. Whereof also writeth S. Hierome to Marcella and Damasus.
The himne of sainctes.Now followeth the himne: saluation and glory, & honour, &c. And those thinges they prayse in God, & ascribe vnto him wholy. Whereof I spake in expoundhng the .4. and .5. chapt. of this boke. Moreouer they prayse God, of that whiche in this cause is principall: for his iudgementes are iuste & true. Which saying semeth worthie to be printed moste depely in the hartes of al men, as the which in temptations maye not a little erecte them. And wherefore the iudgementes of God be iust and true, he addeth, because he hath iudged the great whore: that is to saye, taken worthie and condigne punnishment of the greate whore. Hitherto the Lorde hath semed to many ouer slowe, and to much fauourable to Rome, and the Romish church: but than shall they see that God is most iust. Of the whore is spoken before.
Yet doeth he repete here agayne her moste heynouse and greatest sinnes. Firste corruption through whoredome and inchauntement. Whereby is signified seducyng by corrupte and wicked doctrine. The later, the shedyng of the bloud of holy Martirs. Wherof we haue already spokē many times. Therefore God punnissheth the corruption of doctrine, and crueltie of the Romish churche practised agaynst the sainctes of God.
The prayses of god to god are acceptable.And like as in the beginnyng they sange Alleluia, so in the ende also they repete the same. By this repetition declaring, that the prayses whiche also we powre out to God in Earth, be to God most acceptable. And by and by is added a sentence, whiche might seme to be put to eyther of S. Iohn, or of the diuine heauenly dwellers themselues. Wherby is signified, that the burning of the vngodly shal be perpetual, and shal neuer haue ende, as likewise Esaye hath sayed in the .30. and .46. chap. And the lord himself in the .25. of Matth. and .9. chapt. of Marke. The smoke [...]ose by. For when he sayeth smoke he vnderstādeth that there is fire there vnderneth. Lette vs ernestly thinke of [Page 561] these thinges, so oft as the pleasures and cōmodities of Antichrist do flatter vs. For this perpetual fire is prepared for all vngodly, especially Antichristiās. And thā seuerally he bringeth in praisyng God the .xxiiii. Elders, and foure beastes, by the whiche the vniuersalitie of creatures is vnderstande. Touching the which thing see what is sayde in the .4. and .5. chapt. of this boke. And first not only they knele, but also fal downe, to thende we should vnderstande, what we ought to do in earth. And thei worship God that sitteth in the throne, nother Aungelles, nor spirites, nor yet any creatures. Furthermore with two wordes he shaddoweth their himne. For they singe, Amen, and Alleluya. For they cōfirme God to be iuste, and his iudgementes to be rightuouse, and that iustely he pūnisheth the whore. And therfore that he is to be praised.
Nowe cōmeth also a voyce out of the trone,A voice cō meth out of ye throne to witte from God him selfe, but by the ministerie of an Aungell. For it followeth: singe prayse to our God. Beholde he sayeth, our God. Therfore he accompteth himself here in the nombre of them, which haue God cōmon with men. Therefore he was an Angel, which recited those thinges of God. Therfore that the sainctes do now, they are commaunded to do. For in the middes of the prayses, this voice is hearde from God by the Angell. And he cōmaundeth to prayse, and that the true and only God. He sheweth moreouer, who should praise him: all the sainctes, that is al ye feare God, whether they be great or small. By this commaundement therefore is signified, that God is delighted with the prayses of holy menne, and liketh them. Wherof we now that dwell in Earth, learne to praise the lord without ceasyng, and with a sincere hart. We learne that no mā is excepted, of what so euer degree or age, sexe or condicion he be of.
Agayne an other Himne is annexed,The diuine prayses are greatest. as it were an example of obedience. For God by the Angell commaundeth the sainctes to prayse. Now therfore they obey God, and offer to him praises. And howe great these prayses were, he sheweth by a double comparison, and by a maruelouse breuitie, and euident maner. For he sayeth, how the voices of the singers were shrille, as the gusshing and noyse of many waters: also like the clappyng or crackyng of greate thonders. Yf suche [Page 562] breuitie and perspicuitie were founde in Homere or Virgill, it shoulde haue many maruailers thereof, whiche would extolle and commende the elegancie. But no man marueleth, no man setteth forth or commendeth the holy Scriptures and elegancie and efficacitie of the same, wauntyng example. And agayne is annexed an Hymne, the beginnyng whereof, as of the fourmer, is also Alleluya. And like as in the fourmer himne the Sainctes haue celebrated, that God doeth iustely punnishe the wicked: so in this they preache that God raigneth, and shall seme euen freely to saue the Sainctes. They commaunde therefore to prayse the Lorde. The reason, for bicause sins he is omnipotent, he raigneth. He hath verely raygned euermore: but sins so many thinges haue ben permitted by him to the vngodly, many haue thought that the vngodly, and chiefely Antichrist hath reigned: but now sins he hath oppressed him, and auenged his glory and his seruauntes, it is made manifeste to all menne, that God alone raigneth for euermore. They alledge also an other cause, whie God should be praysed, ye rather whie the godly shuld be glad and reioyce: for the mariage of the Lambe is come. For as much as that time is nowe come, wherein the lambe him selfe will bryng in the children of God, his wel be loued spowse, those I meane whome by his bloudshed he hath redemed, to ioyes euerlastyng. Of the mariage shal be spoken a little after at large. Prayse and glory be to our redemer Christ Iesus the Lord. Amen.
¶ Of the mariage of the Lambe, and of the makyng ready of the Lambes wife. The .lxxxij. Sermon.
AND his wife made her selfe ready. And to her was graūted, that she shuld be arayed with pure and goodly silke. For the silke is the rightuousenes of Sainctes.
The sainctes celebrate the Lord with prayses, reioycinges [Page 563] and Himnes. There be causes innumerable: yet two notable aboue others. The first, for ye Lord hath iudged the whore, and auenged the bloud of Sainctes. The second, for the mariage of the lambe is come. They reioyce therefore at the iustice of God, whereby he hath punnished the vngodly: and at his mercy or grace, by the whiche he geueth to the godly a blessed lyfe. But here muste we speake of the mariage.
Ther is very much mention made in the holy Scriptures both of the oulde and newe testamente,Matrimony and mariage. of matrimonie and mariage. The which may not be expounded after the letter, but by an allegory: leest with the Turks and mahometistes, we fall in shameful and mōstrouse absurdities. For spiritual things are figured by corporal matters. Of the spiritual this is the some: God the father the louer of mankinde, wil saue men by his son. This thing is declared by a parable of wedlocke and mariage. And in matrimonie there is a contract or makynge sure, there is coupling or handfaste makyng of eyther partie, and finally mariage.
In the contracte not onely the yong man and the mayde ar affiaūced,The contract or makyng sure. but also the whole maner of the mariage to com is appoincted, and an order taken. For the lawyers say, that affiauncyng is a promesse of the mariage to come. This contracte was made at the beginning of the world, where God promiseth that he wyll delyuer mankynde by his sonne, and receiue him into glory. Hereunto appertaine all the promises of Christe, of the remission of sinnes, and euerlastinge lyfe. Moreouer the duties of the spouse are prescrybed. She promeseth to be obedient, and other thinges, &c. Christe the sonne of God the father, brydegrome, affiaūceth to himselfe al the chosen through his free grace: he promiseth them his righteousnes, all heauēly gyftes and eternall lyfe. He taketh vpon him moreouer al the infirmities of the bride, and pourgeth her filthines. And the bryde is affiaūced to him by faith, as it is with Osee, and byndeth her selfe wholly to him: after whose will and lawe she frameth her selfe wholly. For she is the body of a liuely head. As S. Paul saieth in the .5. to ye Ephe. The bride leaders be the, prophets, patriarkes, Apostles. So Ihon Bapt. in ye .3. of Ihon, calleth himselfe the frend of ye brydegrome. He addeth, to be the spouse of Christ. S. Paul. 2. Cor. 11 [Page 564] I haue maried you to one man a chaste Virgin, &c. Hereunto the .16. chapter of Ezechiell semeth to appertayne.
And the ioyninge together of eyther partie, is made after they be affiaunced, with certen ceremonies: to wit by taking ech other by the handes, and certen wordes spoken, there is geuen a token or a ring, &c. But immediatly after the beginning, was a league or bonde made betwixte God and men, which is ofte tymes red of, not withoute ceremonies, certen wordes and sacrifices repared, as by Abraham, Moses and others. God byndeth himselfe to men, and men to him, and that notwithout Sacramentes. Hereunto belonge all those thinges, that God woulde be in league with man, and haue men bounden to him, and all his thinges communicated to vs. And this mariage, of all others is most straightly ioyned and made, whyleste the sonne of God hath vnited our fleshe into one and the same person with him, and hath commaunded the Apostles to preach vnto all, that he wyll haue a communion with the faithful. Of the which communion are red many things euery where in the scriptures. And he hath geuen a pledge of faith and perpetual amitie,A pledge. not a ring of gold, but rather the sacramentes: yea euen the holy ghost, as S. Paule sayeth in the .2. to the Cor. 1. and to the Ephesi. the first.
And the mariageMariage. shall be solemnized in the resurrection of the dead. The soules verely passe from the death corporal, into lyfe euerlasting: but yet the full restitution, and saluation of man is not made perfect, except the body come also. Therfore at the resurrection cometh the mariage of the lambe, that is, of Christ our redemer. Than are we caried to mete Christ in the ayer, than he bringeth in his wyfe into the bed chamber of eternall glory and blesse, than shall be holden that feast and deintie supper, than shal the bryde inioy for euer the loue of the brydegrome. This shall be verely the mariage of the lambe. And the mariage shalbe the merier, for that the whore beinge caste oute and condemned, the wyfe and honeste matrone shal haue the ful and perfect ioy alone. At this ioy, and at this mariage, the holy inhabiters of heauen do reioyce.
The preparation of ye bryde to ye [...]ariage.Moreouer the Sainctes resite here also a certen preparation of the Bryde, that by the waye the godly maye vnderstande, what thinge beste becommeth them, and whereunto [Page 565] they shoulde apply themselues in the last age. Let vs prepare our selues to mete the Bridegrome. For we loke for the iudge euery howre. And we prepare our selues not in one howr or day, but all our lyfe time. And howe we shoulde be prepared, the Lord himself sheweth by the parable of ten Virgins. Let vs decke our selues with true fayth againste Antichriste in the later dayes.Math. 25 Luke. 21. Let vs beautifie our selues with the works of charitie, the works also of righteousnes, chastitie, and temperauncie: Let vs not be corrupted and defiled with drōkennes, bloude, and cares of this worlde.
Furthermore leest any shoulde ascrybe this preparation to his owne merite, strength and vertue,The bryds araye. and that we shoulde see also, that the same preparatiō doth chiefly consiste in prouyding of the garment, S. Ihon addeth incontinently, and to her was graunted, that she shoulde aray or apparell her selfe. Yf it be geuē, than is it not by our force or meanes prepared, 1. Corinth. 4. chapter. Yf it be geuen, than is it not bought by popish trafficke. Reade the .8. to the Actes. And he expresseth also the kinde of garmēt, of cleane or pure silke, & shyning or brighte. For we reade also in the gospell of the wedding garment. The Apostle ful oft exhorteth vs, that we shuld put vpon vs the Lorde Iesus. These things be in alligorie. But he by and by expounding nowe this kynde of garment, sayeth: that silke is the righteousnes of sainctes.¶ Iustifications or ryghteousenesse. Sainctes he calleth the faithfull. But where there is one only iustificatiō of faith through Christe, S. Ihon speaketh iustifications in the plurall nombre. For they that be freely through Christe iustified by fayth onely, doe incontinently sondry and many workes of righteousnes. For he that is iuste as the same Ihon saieth,1. Ihon. 3 the same worketh righteousnes. Therfore be ther iustifications, to witte the righteousnes of fayth iustifieng, and the righteousenes of workes iustifieng: that is to saye, declaring vs to be iustified by fayth alone. For we are purified by the bloud of Christe freely, the which we receyue by fayth: and be fully iustified, witnesse Paule in the .3. to the Romanes. Agayne they that be righteouse, do sondry workes of righteousenes, and cōmend themselues vnto God. So do they not appeare naked, but clothed with ther wedding garmēt, as we touched also in the thirde chapter of this booke
A pure and bright garment.And full aptely is the garment of the bryde called pure or cleane, not for her selfe, whome we knowe to be alwaies hindered and weakened by the fleshe, but for the spirite sanctifieng, and bloude of the sonne of God: as Saincte Paule testifieth Ephesians the fifte, and fyrste of Ihon the fyrste. The garment is sayed moreouer to be shyning and bryght, and that for the glorifieng of Sainctes to come. Whereof is made mention in the .12. of Daniell, and .13. chapter of Mathew. For of righteousnesse followeth glory. For whome he hath iustified,Roma. 8 the same hath he also glorified. Vnto him be prayse honour and glory.
¶ Of the certētie of the saluation of Sainctes, and what blesse or Saluation is. The .lxxxiij. Sermon.
AND he sayed vnto me: wryte, blessed are they which are called vnto the lambes supper. And he said vnto me: these are the true sayenges of God.
Of the certētie of the saluatiō of ye faithfull.The second place of this chapter is, of the certentie of the saluation of the faithful: where is signified in the meane season, what and of what maner, is the blesse of the faithful. For ther is saied enough already of the mariage of the lamb, and that is to say, of the glory and blesse of the chosen: but many thinges are suggested to man in this lyfe, which bring saluation in doubt, and go aboute as it wer to make it vncertaine, and therefore waueryng myndes are here nowe confyrmed. This doctrine is profitable for afflicted and troubled cōsciences, and ouerthroweth and beateth downe the doctrine of sophisters, affirming that man is neuer assured of his saluatiō, for that in an other place the wise man saieth: man knoweth not, whether he be worthy of loue or hatred. Where he hath spoken that vpon an other occasion, and to an other ende, as I haue declared in my booke of the grace of God, &c.
¶ Ihon is cōmaūded to wryte.At this present therfore is shewed, that the saluation of the faythfull is most certayne. For first the Angell comaundeth the Euangelist to wryte. This is taken of the maner of men, [Page 567] which put in writing their Testamentes, conuenauntes, and bargaines, & than seale the same, for the cause of credit and for a perpetual memorial of the thing. And they that haue suche kinde of writinges, are of a quiet minde, & thinke themselues safe and assured, agaynst al craftes, and subtill practises. And therfore to the intent that the minde of mā might be quieted in the matter of saluation, he causeth as it were an instrumēt to be written, wherby al ye godly might be assured of certaine saluation. The same maner of writyng our lord in other places followeth in weightie matters. As we maye see in the .8. and .30. chapt. of Esaye, and in the .2. of Abacuke. Wherefore it is lesse to be marueled, whie the Apostle S. Pvule so ofte alledged that same out of Abacuke: yt rightuouse shal liue by faith. For this only testimony of God, as that whiche is cited out of the godly instrument, might be in stead of all.
And where God cōmaunded openly Moses and Ieremie to write (whereof we maye doubtles iudge,The authoritie of holy Scripture. and certenly gather that other Prophetes also, Apostles and Euāgelistes, wrote not without commaundement) we see, of what authoritie the bokes of tholde & newe Testament be with al the godly. For they be diuine, autenticall, they be the instrument and testament of God, the bokes of God himselfe, which are rightly beleued, without any other helpe or cōfirmation. We beleue the testamentes and sealed writinges of mē: how much more ought we beleue the bokes of the Scripture canonicall?
Againe is manifestly declared to S. Iohn, what he should wryte:The called are blessed. blessed are they which are called to the mariage of the Lambe. Therefore it is euident, that nowe it is cōfirmed both by the diuine oracle & lawefull instrument, that those whiche are called to the Lambes supper be and shall be bless [...]d. This same was pronounced by oracle diuine, and written Autentically. What place than of doubtefulnes is lefte? vndoubtedly blessed are the faythfull, greffed in Christe. For they be nowe called, vnto whome the gospell is preached, by the which thei are called to the participatiō of the giftes of God, but chiefely to eternal life through Christ: and thei which not only heare the ver [...]e of the gospel, but that also receyue it, & beleue it with their har [...]e. For many be called, and fewe chosen. For ye gospel is preached to many, & the grace of God is [Page 568] offered in christ, but they receyue it not. But such as through the grace of God doe receyue it with true fayth, are blessed. For they are not only called to the Mariage, but also come vnto the mariage, and inioye that weddyng supper. These thinges seme to be taken out of the doctrine of our sauiour which he taught in the .14. of Luke, of them that were bidden to the mariage. Reade that same place.
What that blesse is.Neuerthelesse by the waye is declared, what that blessednes of the faithfull is: nothing els verely, than the fruition of the supper of the lambes mariage. A supper is made whē the daye draweth towardes an ende. So is full saluation geuen to the godly about the ende of the worlde, at the resurrection of the dead: as in the fourmer sermon is expounded. And verely all those thinges be altogether allegoricall, which represente vnto vs a certen signification of eternall life and glory. Otherwise we haue learned of the doctrine of the Prophetes and Apostles, whiche the eare hath not hearde, nor the eye hath sene, nor haue entred into the hart of mā, the same hath God himselfe prepared for them that loue him.
These saiynges of God be trewe.Finally is annexed agayne a moste weightie assertion, or confirmation hereof. For he heareth it vttered by an oracle from heauen, [...]. These wordes or saiynges of God be true. They be verely true, and be of God. Or els, they be trewe, for thei be of God. Erasmus hath translated: these wordes of God are true. And so hath the vulgare translation: these sayenges of God are true. By a double reason therefore are these thinges confirmed, whiche are here propounded: both for that they be true, and because they be of God. Although they come bothe to one poincte. For sins they be of God, whiche is veritie, they can not but be true. Therefore let vs beleue these thinges, and leaue no place vnto doubtefulnes.
The scripture is gods wordHere is cutte of the occasion of subtile reasonyng, that the scriptures and preachynges set forth of men out of the scriptures, are not the worde of God: for that they be written on Paper with Inke, and pronounced with mans voice, & with a sounde passyng awaye: where the worde of God is nother humane, nor corruptible, nor passyng awaye. For the celestiall oracle doeth here pronounce manifestly, that the saiynges [Page 569] were written into the boke of S. Iohn, and pronounced of the Aungell, and to be true, and to be gods worde. So Paule affirmeth also in the .1. Thess. 2. chapt. that the worde that he preached of him, was the very worde of God. Likewise S. Peter, in the .1. Peter. 1. Therfore let curiouse men leaue bringyng forth of these Paradoxes, & cease from their disputing, that the word of God written, and preached, is not the word of God. Than is not verely the worde of God, what time such thinges are written or spoken agree not with the holy Scripture of God. The mindes of the faithfull are rather to be allured to this poincte, that thei beleue, and cleane vnto al wordes of the scripture declared in their righte sense, as the most certen wordes of God. For els, to what thing shall we trust? what thing after this shal we haue vndoubted and certayne. To God be glory.
¶ The facte of S. Iohn is declared, whiche woulde haue worshipped the Angell, and of the Angell prohibityng. The .lxxxiiij. Sermon.
AND I felle at his fete, to worship him. And he sayde to me: see thou do it not. For I am thy fellow seruaunte, and one of thy bretherne, and of thē that haue the testimony of Iesus. Worship God. For the testimony of Iesu, is the sprete of Prophecie.
Here is added the thirde place of this chapter, to witte the doyng of the Apostle S. Iohn, and the Aungel of God. S. Iohn would haue worshipped the Aungell:Thexcel [...] cie of Aungelles. but he is prohibited of the Angel, whiche biddeth him worship God. And before al this acte and enterprise of Iohn semeth chiefly to be considered. Angelles are surely right noble creatures, and of greate power, by whome the lord executeth greatest affaires. They take vpon them for the moste parte the shape of men, and very oft appeare vnto men, serue, kepe, and doe good vnto thē, [Page 570] accordyngly as God vseth their ministerie.Hebrew. 1. For the Apostle speakyng of Angelles (as I tolde you in the .29. Sermon) be they not al, sayeth he, ministring spretes, which are sent forth to serue for their sakes whiche shall be made heyres of saluation? And these thinges doeth the Scripture make playne by sondry examples.Genes. 18.19. Three appered to Abraham in mans likenes, whiche were Aungelles, instructyng him, two deliuered Loth him self out of the handes of the Sodomites, and brought him out of the fire:Genes. 32. whole armies of Aungelles inuironne Iacob, defendyng him agaynst the force and violence o [...] his brother Esawe. Exod. 34. The Lorde sente his Angell before Moses and the children of Israell, to leade them through the wildernes into the lande of promission.4. kings. 6 4. kinges. 19. Firie charettes compassed about Helizeus. An Angel leuied the siege of Hierusalem, slayeng an hondreth foure score and fiue thousande of the Assiryans. Daniel hath Angelles familiar with him. Likewise the fathers and other Prophetes. An Aungell deliuereth Ioseph out of all care:Math. 1.2. the same deliuereth the wise menne from the treason of Herode: by and by he commaundeth to conueye awaye Christ into Aegipt:Matth. 4.28. Angelles minister to Christ, in white garmentes they testified that the Lorde was risen, and ascended into heauen.Actes. 1.5.10. and .12. The same bryng the Apostles out of prison, one of them deliuereth Peter out of Herodes prison. An Angell is sent to Cornelius an Italian captayne. Angelles many times talke with Paule. Oftentimes they imploye great benefites vpon men. They declare themselues through God to be of greate power. And whileste menne obserue those thinges,❀ Whie Iounwold haue worshipped the Angel. they would worshippe Aungelles: as euen at this present, where the Apostle S. Iohn vnderstande that Christ him self by his Angell did open to him so great misteries for the profit of churches, whilest he maruayled at his brightnes and godly giftes, he would by and by haue worshipped this his Angell the bringer of misteries: not that he intended or pourposed to reuolte from God, and couered in stead of God to worshippe an Angell for nother is it lawefull ones to Imagine suche a wickednes of so greate an Apostle. He woulde therefore haue worshipped and honored the Angell with Dulia as they terme it, (and as Thomas of Aquine expoundeth it) not with Latria: that is to saye, to worshyppe [Page 571] and honour God, as God: but the Aungell somewhat lesse, as an excellent messager of God. Howebeit herein he offended, to the ende that al menne should vnderstande that they sinne, howe many so euer doe worshippe and honour Aungelles or excellent creatures with godly worshippe. As all the worshippers of Sainctes doe at this daye in Papistrie. Nother haue they any other shifte to colour their errour but that same distinction, that God is worshipped and honoured with worship latrical, and Sainctes and Angelles with worship dulical, and the virgin Mary with honour hiperdulical, and I wote not what thinges els, which I am both ashamed and loth to reherse.
And it appereth that S. Iohn here was intangled with the same errour:S. Iohn erreth. whom otherwise we must nedes cōfesse to haue sinned by Apostasie, and would haue worshipped the Angell for God, or with God. Which are both two wicked, and vnworthie such a manne. But in ease he worshipped God, and would neuerthelesse haue worshipped the Angel also, what thing els did he, than offende in the worshippe dulicall. And verely God hath permitted so worthie a man to erre, as he did also Peter and Thomas; to the intent he mighte heale ou [...] infirmities: that is to witte, that by their errours we might learne to beleue more rightly, and to honour God more purely. For this present place teacheth openly, and other like examples of errours, that all the sayinges and doynges of Sainctes are not to be allowed without any differente.
For now here followeth the facte of an Angel most excellent, that is to saye, a godly confutatiō of the errour.That no [...] A [...] gell [...]s [...] Sa [...] sh [...]uld be worshipped. First he sayeth not lightly, do not as thou haste pourposed: but greuousely condemning his facte, he sayeth with a certen vehemencie, see thou doest it not. We haue a like phrase of speach here in Swicerlande, what time (signifiynge in any wise to be ware) we saye, Long vnd thu das nitte. Loke thou doest it not. Wherefore we haue learned by the testimonie of the angell, that now nother Angels nor sainctes are to be worshipped. For seyng the Lord himself sayeth of Sainctes, thei shal be as the Angelles of God: I see not whie they shoulde not match the Sainctes with Angels. And we haue verely learned that they maye be worshipped nother with culte latrical [Page 572] nor dulical. And to worship, is with a minde to honour, to fal at the fete, to bowe downe and knele. As I haue sayed els where.
After thangel sheweth reasons, whie he ought not to worshippe: for I am thy fellowe seruaunt. He sayeth not seruaūt, but fellowe seruaunt: to witte of the same office with thee, vnder the same lord and maister. For Angelles serue God after their maner: and so doe menne serue God after theyr maner: yet are all seruauntes, and that the seruauntes of one maister. And it is agaynste reason that one seruaunt should honour and worship and other of his fellowes, beyng of the same state and creation. It is therfore an vnworthie matter, that the faithful should worship the Apostles, Prophetes, or Martirs: muche lesse doeth it become them to honour their dead bones. And leeste any man should saye, how thangel in dede in respecte of the moste excellent Apostle S. Iohn, confesseth himself to be his felowe seruaunt: but that there is an other consideration to be had of other men, which come not nere the dignitie of blessed Iohn: & therefore sins we be much inferiour, we maie worship Angelles and Apostles our superiours:The bretherne of Iohn, and Christ. he preuenteth and sayeth, and of thy bretherne. And who be the bretherne of the Apostle S. Iohn? the Angel him selfe aunswereth, and sayeth, whiche haue the testimony of Iesu. The testimony of Iesus, is the gospell, & the very fayth fixed on the gospell, comprehendyng with a faythfull minde Iesus. Wherfore al ye faithful of Christ, be Iohns bretherne: therefore is the Angel their fellowe seruaunt also. And therefore none of the faithful ought to worship any Angel or Apostle: the lorde him selfe also in the .12. of Matth. calleth all that obeye his worde or preachyng,Christē fraternitie. bretherne. And here is dilligentely to be noted, that by faith we are made the bretherne of Christ, of Angelles and Apostles. This shuld the Monkes and Freres haue beaten in and set forth, and not the fraternitie of our Lady, 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 [Page 573] the propheticall and Apostolical doctrine. And therefore ye 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 pū nishementes 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 [Page 575] 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, [Page 576] 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 cō uersation of them, whiche in the dayes of Noe and Loth, regarded worldely thinges only, dispised heauenly, & laughed them to skorne that gaue them good counsell, till the wrath of God was kindled, and fell vpon them, when they leest loked for it. We see al tokens that are sayde shuld come before the daye of our Lord, to be fulfilled. Let vs watche therefore: and these thinges on this wise cōsidered, let vs see and heare with great and dilligent attentiuenes, what maner of iudge of al shal come, and what that iudgement shal be of the godly most wished for, to the vngodly horrible and with trēbling to be feared.
Heauen open.First S. Iohn in the vision seeth heauen open. For by a vision, to the ende all thinges might be more euident, he not only telleth so great a matter, but setteth it also before yt eyes to beholde: and that he sayeth, he sayeth of the reuelation of Iesu Christ: leest any should obiecte and saye, arte not thou a madde fellowe to talke thus of matters vnknowen? For what is he that knoweth, who or what that iudge shal be? or els what that iudgement shall be? Therefore he telleth these thinges from the iudge Christe himselfe, and by an heauenly reuelation. For other places of the Scripture shewe, that the Lord shal come in glory and Maiestie: therefore with a great and most shining brightnes of light, with fire and excedyng great clerenes. For so it is sayde in the .24. & .25. of S. Matth. in the .7. of Daniel. And the .2. Thess. 1. chapt. Therefore by the openyng of heauen is signifsed, that the whole world shal be lightned with glory and brightnes, and that the same daye shal be most shining and clere. Others vnderstande, that the iudgement can not be fully perceyued, but of the celestial reuelation. Whiche as I confesse to be moste true, so thinke I heare some greater matter to be signified.
The iudge commeth forth from iudgemēt.Than followeth the description of the iudge, as of a noble and stoute warriour, consisting of many partes. The godly vnderstande hereby, that the kepar, watcheman, & reuenger [Page 577] of the church slepeth not, whom the wicked belie, not to perceiue, what wrong thei do to the godly, nother to care for the superstitiouse Christians, as they terme thē. They see moreouer that they erre, if they thinke Christ at any time ouer fauourable, and to winke ouer long at the calamities of his seruauntes. For now he commeth forth a iudge and reuenger. There be many excellent descriptions of Christ in this boke, as in any other: but this is most elegaunt & liuely, whiche I haue accordyng to my smalle talent, expounded by partes. Thou shalt euer thinke of greater thinges, til it shal be geuen to beholde them presently with our eyes.
Our iudge cōmeth on horsebacke, & that on a white horse:He rideth on a white horse. not that he nedeth the helpe of corruptible horses in heauen, but thus he speaketh after the maner of men, that we might imagine greater thinges. Cōquerours ride on white horses. Here is signified therfore, that our iudge shal be a cōquerour & a triumpher. Others suppose by the white horse to be signified his most pure humanitie. I vnderstand rather the white clowde. For the same toke him vp from the eyes of his disciples, what time he ascended into heauē of mounte Oliuet. In the same he shall come agayne to iudge. And like as Kinges are caried on horses and charettes: so the Psalmiste ascribeth to God clowdes as horses and charette.
2. Our iudge is [...] faitful & true. Faithful,Faithful [...] true. to his faithful. True in al his promesses towardes the godly & vngodly. They are disceaued, & shall see themselues to be disceaued at the iudgement, so many as haue contemned the promesses & threatening [...]s of God as vaine, & esteming thinges after the successe of this world, iudge the wicked to be happy and fortunate, and the godly to be wretched and miserable. Hereof hath the Prophete Malachie reasoned in the .3. and .4. chapt. And seyng the iudge is faythful & true, he iudgeth and fighteth in rightuousnes, to witte, geuyng euery man his owne, rewardes to the good, and punni [...]hmentes to the euill. This kyng doeth not iudge and fight, as the kinges of this world are wont, followyng vanitie, and corrupte affections. And Christ is saide to fight, when he rewardeth the vngodly after their demerites, thapostle: we must al, sayeth he, be manifest before the iudgement seate of Christe, that euery man maye [Page 578] receiue such thinges as he hath done by his body, according to that he hath wrought be it good or euill .2. Corinth. 5.
His eyes like a flame of fire. 3. The eyes of the Iudge are like a flame of fire. For as no man can escape, or hide him from the iudge or iudgement: as he searcheth the secretes of all, nother can there be any thing hidde from his sight: so are his eyes terrible and fearefull against the vngodly.Psal. 16. Rom. 2. The godly agayne are by the sight of the lord fulfilled with all pleasure, ioye and gladnes. Flamyng and firie eyes are attributed also to Christ in the first vision: where you maye see more. And the Scripture euery where testifieth, that the iudge knoweth al thinges, euē the secrettes of hartes. Thou doest folishly therfore, whiche thinkest thou hast wonne the felde, and to haue sinned vnpunnisshed, whē thou haste escaped the knowledge and iudgement of man. There remaineth an other iudgemēt, wherin al the doynges of the wicked shal to their vtter shame and cōfusion be reuealed before all the world. The sinnes of the godly are couered, by him through whose benefite thei be iustified,Rom. 4. and absolued from payne and crime also.
4. Our Iudge hath very many crownes vpon his head: for he alone gouerneth al realmes & nations. As also Daniel hath signified in the .7. chapt. He alone might trewely be called Affricanus, Europeus, and Asiaticus, Parthicus, Persicus, Germanicus, Gotthicus, and others. Whiche our kinges haue ful fondely chalenged to themselues, affectatyng so the Monarchie, where Christe alone is the true Monarke for euer. This iudge & mightie Prince shal strike of the triple crowne from the head of the Bisshop of Rome. More, there shall be none so mightie a king in the whole worlde, that shal be able to resiste him, and make warre agaynst him.
A name vnknowē. 5. Our iudge hath a name writtē, which no man knoweth saue he himselfe. This shal be more playnely opened anone. Christe hath a name vnspeakeable, for he is the true God, eternal, incomprehensible and Almightie. This name knoweth no man but him selfe. For firste the Maiestie of God is greater, than that it maye be comprehended of any creature: agayne the name of God is agreable to no man, but to him alone: for the name of God, in this signification, maye not be cōmunicated. For he is very god, & besides him none: which [Page 579] thing Esaye repeteth ofte. He is the Sauiour, Kynge, Monarch, and Iudge: which thinges al belong properly to him alone, and are not common to others. Moreouer the Lorde himselfe saieth in the gospel: no man hath knowen the sonne but the father: nother hath any man knowen the father, saue the sonne, and to whome the son hath pleased to reueale. Besydes this, we se here vnperfitly: and the glory of the diuine maiestie is so great, as euen nowe I sayed, that mannes capacitie is vnable to conceyue such a glory. No man therefore saue God alone knoweth his name.
6. The vesture of our Iudge was sprinckled with bloude.A blouddie garment. Whereby is signified victory, and slaughter of his enemies: which shall anone be added aboute the ende of the chap. And he toke this note of our iudge out of the .63. chap. of Esay. He alludeth to cōquerours returning from battayle, whose garments, & armours, are imbrewed with the blud of the slaine. And betokeneth the iuste seueritie of the Iudge, and greate slaughter of the enemies.
7. The name of the iudge is nowe expressed:The name of ye iudge, the worde of God. which is vtterly vnknowen to the vngodly. And the Iudge is called the worde of God. For the son is the word and speach of God, the expresse marke of the diuine substaūce: in whome the father himselfe is expressed: and of whome as of the worde the true messager of the hart, we vnderstand the wyll and mynd of the father. These holy wordes of the gospell are knowen: In the begynnyng was the worde,1. Ihon. Hebre. and the worde was with God, &c. Therefore Christe the worde was made fleshe, the Lorde God and Iudge of all.
8. To ye Iudge is added an Army, not of Angels only,The Army of ye Iudge is whyte. with whom he ofte repeted in the gospell that he wold come vnto iudgement: but of al the faithful, or saincts, which at no time, no not here ar sequestred from their head. For first at ye soūde of the trumpe blowē vp the Archangell the Sainctes arryse, and the liuing also with the dead are chaūged, and are taken vp to mete Christ in the Ayre. Here, here in the clowdes and bryghte Ayre, appeare with Christe the happye and blessed victours. By and by the vngodly ryse also, and those that lyued at that day, are chaunged with them that ryse agayne, to payne and confusiō. But they se the Saincts with Christe [Page 580] in heauen, and in glory, and fele incontinently vnspeakeable tourmentes. They come to passe doubtlesse, and are fulfilled which thinges are described it the .3. & .5. chapt. of Wysedome. Saincte Ihon therfore sayeth, that this Armie is in Heauen, not in Earth. He sayeth howe they followe Christe. For the same sayed the Apostle also, in the firste to the Thessalonians, the .4. Moreouer he addeth that they wer clothed, and appeared not naked: and expresseth the kynde of garment. They were clothed (sayeth he) in silke, whyte and cleane. For sainctes in Christe obtayne righteousenesse and glory, are made cleane and are glorified.Sanctifieng & glorifieng. And this sense hath Sainct Ihon himselfe a little before opened to vs, sayeng: silke is the iustifications of Sainctes.
9. Oute of the Iudges mouth procedeth a two edged and sharpe sworde [...],A sworde oute of the iudges mouth. which cutteth on eyther syde. It is not sharpe on one syde, and blunte on an other, it cutteth on both sydes indifferently. Whereby is signified a iust sentēce pronounced of Gods mouth againste the wicked. For againste them the sentence of God is a sworde, pearsing euen to their heartes. Wherefore it is also called sharpt. The iudgemente of our iudge is streighte and seuere, but yet iuste and righteouse. What that sworde is, in the gospell is declared: verely that heauy and immutable sentence, get you hence in to fyre euerlasting. Math. 25. Whereupon it foloweth in the words of the Euangelist: that with the same he may stryke the heathen, to witte that he may damne, and put to perpetuall tourmentes all vnbeleuers.
¶ He shall rule them with an Iron rod. 10. And he shall rule them with a rod of Iron. By the same kynde of speach in a maner he sayeth the same, that he sayde before. For they that woulde not receyue or acknoweledge with repentaūce the staffe of instruction and discipline postorall, shal fynde in iudgement and fele the Iron sceptre, wherwith he shall breake them all to shyuers, lyke potters vessell. Nother shall any power resist or preuayle againste him. And this maner of speaking is taken out of the Psalme .110. For Saincte Ihon vseth gladly the wordes of Scripture to the ende to make his booke more cōmendable, or more pleasaūt and acceptable.
11. He treadeth the wynefatte of the wyne of wrath. &c. [Page 581] Agayne he sayeth the same, that he ded before:He nedeth ye winefa [...]. but by an other parable nowe vttered, & the same taken out of the scriptures, to witte out of the .63. chapter of Esaye. The effecte or some is, he wyll powre out his wrath vpon the vngodly, and punnyshe them moste extremely, with his almightie hande, whereunto all things geue place, geuing their heads a blow. See what is sayed here of in the .14. chapter of this boke.
12. Againe is shewed the name of this iudge,¶ King of kings, and Lorde of Lordes. & in the name is maiestie & power of all others greatest. He hath the name written on his garment, and on his thigh. By these is declared the true humanitie of Christe, after the which he is exalted, as the Apostle saieth in the second to the Philippians. And to him is geuen a name which is aboue al names. Here he is called King of Kinges, and Lorde of Lords, very God, Lord, monarke, and iudge of all men. For so do the other Apostles speake also in the .2. & .17. of the Actes. And there might seme in this name of the Iudge, as it were a cawse to be shewed, wherefore he is here appoincted Iudge ouer all. Because he is Kyng and Lord of all. To whome be glory for euer. Amen.
¶ The description of the iudgement, wherin punnishment is taken of Antichristians and vngodly. The .lxxxvi. Sermon.
AND I sawe an Angel stand in the Sunne, and he cryed with a loude voyce, sayeng to al the foules that fly by the mids vnder the heauen: come & gather your selues together vnto the supper of ye great God, that you may eate the flesh of Kyngs, and of high captaynes, and the flesh of mightie men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the fleshe of all free men, and bonde men, both of small and great. And I saw the beast and the Kinges of the Earth, and their warriours [Page 582] gathered together, to wage battayle against him that sat on ye horse, and againste his soldiours. And the beast was taken, and with him that false prophete, that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceaued them, that receyued the beastes marke, and them yt worshypped his Image. These bothe were cast quicke in to a pond of fyre burnyng with brimstone: and the remnaūt wer slayne with the sworde of him that sat on the horse, which sword proceded out of his mouth, and all the fowles were fylled with their flesh.
¶ The descriptiō of the Iudgemente, and pūnyshmēt of ye wickedImmediatly after the description of the Iudge, and a certen lyuely picture, a description no lesse euident foloweth of the iudgement: that is to say, howe Christe hauing vanquisshed his enemies, committeth them to perpetuall tourmēts. And the Apostle vseth a prepheticall phrase and eloquence. For by a fyguratiue speach, al foules are called to the slaughter and feaste, that they mighte be filled with the fleshe of the slaine. And first an allusion is made of such as sley wares and prepare a feaste, whereunto they may call their frendes, and make them chere. Againe an allusion is made, to the murther and slaughter of enemies, whereof wylde beastes and rauening foules are fylled. Nother is there any thyng hereby signified, but Christ shall ouerthrowe all the vngodly, and take punishmente of the same. Before was sette forth a supper for the godly, wherewith they are refresshed and fulfilled. Nowe is prepared a feast of the solemne slaughter, whereby the vngodly receyue no commoditie, nother are they satisfied, but rather are slayne and deuoured, that is to say perish. For no man wyll imagine, that the wicked shall be ouerthrowen at ones, and after weried of wylde beastes, and gnawen of foules, and so all punnishment to make an end to gether. For so shoulde their payne seme to be none at all. But by temporal parables, eternall thinges are fygured. These are taken oute of the Prophetes, namely oute of the .66. chapter of Esaye, [Page 583] and the .39. of Ezech. where are red in a maner ye same wordes what time he couereth & wrappeth the vngodly with calamities, I meane warres, and destructions, and with other tormentes as it were killeth them: but chiefely, when at the laste iudgement he committeth them to paynes euerlastyng.
And this slaughter is declared of the Angel,An Angell stādyng in the sunne. stāding in the sunne, & criyng with a lowde voice. Wherby is signified, that the daie of iudgement shal be solemnely proclamed with trō pettes, & shal be a notable daye. That no man can be ignorāt herein, but that al thinges herof shal be hearde of al mē. And therfore he crieth with a lowde and an audible voice. And he calleth to gether, as it is in Ezechiel, the birdes and foules to deuoure kinges, and men of al states, age, and sexe: that is to saye, that all these muste be called together, to suffer eternall punnishement and destructiō. Therfore he reciteth dilligently kinges, chiefe captaynes, stronge men, and of all sortes, to witte the persecutours of Christ, Antichristians, vngodly, cō temners, and impenitent persones.
Here is shewed the cause of the damnation and destructiō of the vngodly, whilest their enterprise, indeuour,The cause of damnation, resisting of the trewth. & attempte is shewed. Thei are now assembled to fight a battaile against Christe, and his electe, that is agaynst the churche, who? the beaste, the Kinges of the Earth, and their Armies, Captaynes and Soldiers, fightyng both spiritually and corporally. And here nedeth no longe commentary. Reade the stories of the churche for the space of these fiue hondreth yeres. And see what is done at this daye of Popes, Bisshoppes, and Princes, and of theyr coūsellers and ministers. Parliamentes are called, in them are blouddy decrees and lawes made agaynst the gospellers. And a greuouse persecutiō attempted agaynst the Gospel and churche. The spirituall fathers cluster together, they consulte, and crie out, that there muste a counsull be called. Wherefore I praye you? to the intente that newe doctrine (as they calle it) of the Gospell, maye be cutte vp, rooted out, and plucked vp by the rootes. And therfore they stande alwayes ready to fighte, are many times assembled against God & his annoincted, to fight with the lord Christ, and with his chosen. Nowe a dayes yf at any time peace be concluded, and the moste blouddy warres of Princes taken [Page 584] vp, other in the composition of peace, or immediately after, consultations are had, how to oppresse the godly. But there is no other kinde of sinne more heynouse, than to impugne the veritie of the Gospell. And therefore is this the chiefeste cause of the condemnation of the wicked at the same daye. It is accompted at this daye emonges the chiefest vertues of Princes, if a Prince will geue no place to the preachyng of the gospel, but the same shut out, wil defende and maineteine the church of Rome, with those doctrines, rites, and ceremonies falsely called olde. Suche are called right & good catholickes, most christen, and defenders of the fayth.
The beaste is taken.But nowe is their damnation, and the maner thereof annexed. And the beast is taken. And he speaketh of these notorious offenders [...], as it were takē with the maner, and taken in dede beyonde their expectation. For in the middes of their enterprise are they intercepted, whilest they be yet in great hope, & thinke verely to bring many thinges to passe agaynst Christ and his church, then in the selfe heate and wickednes of impugninges and persecution they shalbe comprehended. Whereupon also this is manifest, that persecutiō & impugning of the veritie shal perseuer to the worldes ende. But who shal be taken? the beast and the false prophet, which wrought miracles. Touchyng these thinges, see what is sayde about the ende of the .13. chapt. The cause of eternall damnation is agayne here placed. For he hath seduced the worlde by his inchauntementes and crafty iuggelynges, by his decrees and commaundementes. Whereof I haue spoken before oftener than ones, as also in the .17. chapt. &c. The fellowship also of his condemnation is adioyned: so many as haue receyued the marke of the beaste, and haue worshipped the beast. Wherof we wil now repete nothing. These things are declared in the .13. chapt. And albeit nothing can or ought to be proued by the pictures: yet is it neuerthelesse certayne, that Paynters haue borrowed hereof those their olde payntinges of the laste iudgement.
For we see the olde pictures of the laste iudgement, painted an hondreth yeres sins and more, to represent and exhibite to vs a great rabble of Priestes, Monkes, and Freres, and al maner of spirituall fathers: but chiefely the ghostes of [Page 585] kinges and Popes, whiche are hurried to helle, and burne in the botome thereof with fire euerlastyng. Whereupon it is sayde, that there go mo priestes thā plowmē to the deuel, &c.
Furthermore the damnation it self, and maner of tormēt,A lake of fire burning with brimstone. or the torment it selfe shal be fire. For S. Iohn sayeth: these two are cast quicke into a ponde, burnyng with brymstone [...] into a lake or stāding water as be in fenne coūtries, for such is the description of helle, and of thextreme punnishmēt, as is also described with Esaye in the .30. cha. Tophet was longe sins prepared, the same is also prepared for the kynge, whiche he hath made bothe wide and depe, the inwarde parlour therof is fire, great store of wood, which the blaste of the lord, or streame of sulphur setteth on fire. Not muche vnlike things are red in the .66. chapt. & in the gospel of Iesu Christ. Marke the .9. Matth. .25. and in other places in maner infinite. And the plague of Sodome is knowē to all men, Genes. 19. The laughynges therefore of the vngodly sknorners dispised, the godly had rather beleue these thinges, than to proue them. For here is helle set open as it were for vs to loke into it. Let vs feare.
And two here are singularly named.These two are cast into ye ponde. For sins they haue ben authours of all euilles, of right they muste be chiefe in paines or tormentes. For the wise man also hath sayde, terriblely, and sodēly wil he appere vnto you, for it shal be a most harde iudgement to thē that beare rule:Sapiēt. [...]. and the mightie shal suffer mightie tormentes. For the Scripture also sheweth in an other place, that there be degrees of punnishement, after the qualitie of the crime. And let vs not thinke here that the head is punnished with out the membres. For the whole body of Antichrist shalbe condemned to tormentes. Al vngodly shal be punnished, as hereafter shal be more plainely, and in the ende of the .20. chapt. declared.
But that same is also especially to be noted,They are caste into the po [...] quicke. that it is saide howe they shal be caste quicke into helle. For so is signified the resurrectiō of the dead. Here is signified, that in the iudgement the world yet remayning shal be taken in the flesh, not as yet dead but liuyng: whiche S. Paule expresseth liuely .1. Thessal. 4. And we pronounce openly in the crede, saying: frō thēce he shal come to iudge the quicke and the dead: not only [Page 586] the iust and vniuste, but the dead, to witte remaynyng in the flesh, and liuyng. Antichrist therefore shall liue at the daye [...] iudgemēt, & shal not be extinguished before. The persecution of Antichrist shal indure, with all vngodlines, euen to the last daye. And like as Chore, Dathan, and Abyron, and the reste of the conspiratours, were taken in the very crime of rebellion, and swallowed vp quicke with their tabernacles, and all their thinges of the Earth openyng: so at the daye of iudgement Helle gapyng wide shall receyue and swallowe vp all the vngodly, but chiefely the Antichristians. The which many now beleue not, but in that daye shall so finde it with vnspeakeable paynes, and horrour incredible, and al we shal see it with these our eyes. Euery one putteth truste in his owne secte, and hopeth to obteyne saluatiō in his superstition. But the thinges that we here at this presente, are tolde vs of the iudge him self Christ, as most certayne and vndoubted, and after a sorte are set forth to beholde.
And the rē uaunt are slaine with ye sworde.And what shall be done at that iudgemente with the residewe of the vngodly, and impenitent? shall the Antichristians only be damned for Antichristianisme? S. Iohn addeth: and the remnaunt are slayne with the sworde, &c. For in the 25. of Matth. is pronounced by the mouth of the iudge: go into fire euerlastyng, prepared for the deuill and his Angelles. For I was hōgrie, and ye gaue me no meate, & so forth. For if they be to be damned by the iuste iudgemēt of God, which when they might haue done good to men, haue not done it: what I praye thee shal come of them, whiche not only haue shewed no liberalitie to the nedy: but haue moreouer spoiled suche as had honestly and were liberall, of their goodes: and they afterwardes haue spent the same in liuyng riottousely: and so haue brought them that were of honest substaūce into extreme miserie: and by this meane haue robbed the pore also, which were wont to be holpen through their liberalitie, of their helpe & succour? here are also comprehended, heretikes, Iewes, Gentiles, Mahometistes, and all other like.
¶ And all foules are filled.At thende is repeted, that all foules are filled with the flesh of the damned. The whiche we vnderstande to be repeted by a figuratiue speache: and yet not to be expounded after the lettre, but by that maner of speakyng to be signified, that all [Page 587] vngodly and impenitent persones shal be punnisshed moste aboundantly. Primasius expoundyng this place: we ought not, sayeth he, to vnderstande it so carnally, that we shoulde beleue the Sainctes (for by birdes, he expoundeth Sainctes) to be satiated with the flesh of the wicked: but the equitie of Gods iudgement beyng to the Sainctes reuealed, by the which redemyng the ful nomber of the chosen, the residewe he hath decreed to be damned, they are saide to be filled with this knoweledge of rightuousenes, whiche in this life a man maye honger or thirste fore, but not perfitly comprehende. And Esaye also speaking of the vngodly: and thei shal be, sayeth he, for the fulnes of sight vnto al fleshe, here I suppose to be set the foresayde fulnes of soules. And by and by: and the foules maye be taken in the euill parte, for the Angelles that transgressed, whiche after they haue brought their followers to destruction, their euil desire accomplisshed, they are sayde to be filled with the fleshe of the condemned, takyng satietie of their damnation, vnto whome they were Authours of errours. Thus muche Primasius. But for my parte, as I doe not mislyke these things, which are doubtles spoken truely, so thinke I that the same are not to be sifted so nere, whiche spoken figuratiuely, and after the propheticall imitatiō, seme to intimate no other thynge, but (as I sayde a little before) that all the vngodly should be distroyed, by the great power of God, and extreme tormentes. Therfore let vs feare God, to whom alone be glory.
¶ Of the bright veritie of the gospell, which by the ministerie of the Apostles was spred abroade through out the whole world, & by a thousande yeres. The .lxxxvij. Sermon.
AND I saw an Angel come downe from heauen, The .20. chapter. hauyng the keye of the bottomlesse pitte, and a great chayne in his hande. And he toke the Dragon that olde Serpent [Page 588] (whiche is the deuill and Sathanas) and he bounde him a thousande yeres: and caste him into the bottomlesse pitte. And he boūde him, and set a seale on him, that he should deceaue the people no more, till the thousande yeres were fulfilled. And after that muste he belowsed for a little season.
The greatest force of religiō consisteth in ye knowledge of the laste iudgemēt.Seyng the greatest poinctes of religiō and true godlines, consiste in the true knoweledge, and vnderstandyng of the laste iudgement, as I ofte admonish: to our great commoditie S. Iohn discourseth with so much dilligence the treatise of the laste iudgement. And after his accustomed maner, to the intent all thinges that he propoundeth maye haue the more perspicuitie, he not only declareth the matter in words, but setteth them forth by visions as things present to be sene with the eyes: and that to the faithful. For to the vnfaithfull, al these thinges, although moste godly & diuine, seme starke trifles and fables. But the wisedome of God shall laugh at them also, when she seeth her time: as she threateneth in the Prouerbes of Salomon. And also soluteth certē questiōs, which are wonte about this matter to be moued.
What shal become of them, that he nother Christiās, nor Antichristians?And he sayde, how the beaste with the false prophet and all his adherentes should be caste, at the laste daye into hell: but where the firste parte is nother Antichristiane, nor yet Christian, but rather of their owne sense and arbitrement, to be a rule and lawe to themselues: such as be verely the Nestoriās, Iacobites, Georgians, &c. Or those that be heythen yet or gentiles, moreouer Iewes and Turkes: some man might maruaile, and demaunde, what shal be done with them, or what shal come of them? S. Iohn maketh aunswere: and the remnaunte were slayne with the sworde of him that sat on the horse, &c. Agayne where a godly man might maruaylle, how they should be condēned, which borne emongs the Turkes, heretikes, Iewes and gentiles, neuer hearde the Christian veritie? S. Iohn preuenteth this imagination, and by the beginnyng of the .20. chapt. sheweth, with what a Maiestie, perspicuitie, and euidence the veritie of Christes gospell was [Page 589] notified to the world:with what a maiestie ye veritie of Christ was set forth to the world. howe also al force and power was takē awaye from the deuill, and that by the space of a thousande yeres: wherein the preachyng of the gospel thondered continually: so that they be vtterly inexcusable, so many as haue not receyued the gospell of Christ. For the preachyng of the gospell was not obscure, but most clere & manifest, nor shorte and contracted, but published by the space of a thousande yeres, it was not receyued of a fewe little ones, but of al people and natiōs vnder the sunne. Therfore is it a grosse ignoraunce of the Turkes, Heretikes, Iewes and gentiles. For although in times paste the veritie semed to haue ben notably knowen, now it is not so: yet certayne it is, that the maiestie of the gospel hath ben so great in the worlde, that there is nowe also mention with al men therof: and by their owne mallice they hide their eyes, which vnderstande nothyng of Christ. Therefore is that sayeng of the Apostle euen nowe of force also: yf our gospell be hidde, in those that perisshe is it hidde, vnto whome the God of this worlde hath blinded the mindes of them, which beleue not, that the light of the gospel should not shine vnto them &c. 2. Corinth. the .4. They that are condē ned are iustely cō demned. chap. Wherupon we now gather, that none of them whiche are damned in the world, are damned with out deseruyng. Which thing the Apostle also S. Paule hath touched in the Epistle to the Romanes in the .1. and .2. chapt. Here therefore is a profitable and necessarie place treated, of the famouse preachyng of the gospell through out the world, the course thereof induryng a thousande yeres.
And this treatise procedeth in this order. First is thangell described, after his worke or effecte is declared. And laste is the sealyng of the time. Touchyng the description of the Angell, first in dede he is named an Angel,The angel signifieth ye order or state apostolicall. and commeth forth abroade: howebeit the whole state Apostolicall is hereby vnderstande, in the which shineth excedingly S. Paule the doctour of gentiles nother is it maruaile, that the order of Apostles is signified by an Angell. For an Angel signifieth a messager, ambassadour, or an Apostle. And therefore the prophet Malachie called Iohn Baptist the vauntcurrour of our lord, an Angel: beholde I sende my Angel before thee, &c. And ministers of the church are oftener thā ones in this boke called [Page 590] Angelles. But in case the worthines & nobilitie of the name please the ministers, let the Angelicall puretie, and excellent faith please them also. An ambassadour doeth and sayeth nothing, saue that which he hath receyued in cōmission, of him that sent him: so also let the ministers set forth nothing, saue that which he hath receyued of the Lord, in the Scriptures.
¶ The angell came downe frō heauen.Secondly this excellent Aungell is sayde to come downe from heauen, not that the bodies of Apostles came from heauen, but for as much as their vocation and office was geuen them frō heauen. For the sonne of God, which came downe from heauen, chose the Apostles, and sent them forth into the worlde. Which thing is declared in the .10. of Matth. and .20. of Iohn. Marke .16. and Luke .24. And S. Paule sayeth to the Galathians, that he was called, and ordeyned an Apostle nother by men, nor of men: but of God through Christ. Wherupon it appereth, howe greate is the authoritie of Apostles. For they be not they which speake, but the spirite of Christ and of the father, which speaketh in them. Therefore he that dispiseth their doctrine, despiseth God the father & the sonne. They lie moreouer, that saye, how the gospell is a newe doctrine forged of wittie men. Reade the .1. chapter of the fourmer and later epistle of S. Peter.
Thangell holdeth in his hande the keye & chayne.After this the Aungell is sayde to holde in his hande those two excellent instrumentes, the keye and chayne. Let vs see, what is mente by the same. Doubtles by these two instrumentes S. Iohn vnderstādeth nothing els, but the free, trewe, holy, & liuely preaching of the gospel: by the which it came to passe, that both hell was locked from the faithfull, & the deuil was holden and kept faste boūden in chaines, that he coulde not hurte the godly so much as he would, and seduce whom he liste. For so hereafter S. Iohn will expounde him self.
And the keyesKeyes. of bindyng & lowsing the apostles receiued of the Lord, in the .16. of Matth. and .20. chapt. of Iohn. They open by the preaching of the gospel the botomlesse pitte, and helle it self to the vngodly, when they shewe vnto them their damnation in hell, for their vngodlines. They shutte vp helle from the godly, whilest by the preachyng of the gospell they open heauen, and bring the faythfull to the ioyes celestiall. I haue spoken of the keyes at large in an other place. A chayne [Page 591] is the signe of captiuitie.Chayne. By the preachyng of Gods worde the Deuill is taken and bounde. Whereof it cōmeth to passe, that the common painters haue painted the Deuil bounden with chaynes to certen notable preachers.
By thinges that followe this keye,He taketh the dragō. and significatiō of the chayne is better declared, whilest the effecte of the Apostolicall preachyng is expounded. For he addeth: and he toke the Dragon, &c. And he repeteth the names of our enemie out of the .12. chapt. where euery thing is expounded. Where you maye also loke for the same. And the Aungell did binde Sathan, whiche is the ende and vse of the chayne, verely that he should not be stirre him, and inuade and distroye the faythfull. Moreouer there followeth an other thinge yet more vehement: and he sente him into the bottomlesse pitte: to witte he caste him headlonge into the botome of hel, that he should not murder the faythful. There followeth an other thing yet more greuouse: and he shutte him vp, that he shuld not come out agayne. This is the ende and vse of the keye. Furthermore he set a seale vpon him. But letters, prisones, graues are wonte to be sealed, and that for truste and credit, leest any manne shoulde vndoe them, but that they mighte remayne shutte, sealed and safe. And all these thinges signifie a full and most perfit victory, which we haue obteined through Christ, by the worde of the gospell preached vnto vs, and cōmunicated through fayth. For euē for vs he ouercame, ouerthrewe, bounde, locked vp, and sealed the enemie, that we might be safe and sure from him. Finally it followeth, which may declare al and singular partes hereof:That he shoulde no more disceaue the people. to the ende he should deceaue the people no more, to witte by such meanes as he dyd seduce them before the victory of Christe, & before the gospell preached through out the worlde. For they were all thinges full of vngodlines and errours. Tēples of Gods or Idolles were euery where, Idolles were worshipped, the same gaue oracles, Aultars smoked with the bloud of men & beastes. All wickednes raigned. Arte magicke, witchcrafte, parricidies, whoredomes, were practised without punnisshemente. No man can easely expresse, not in a longe oration, how shamefully Sathan had disceaued the worlde, howe assuredly [Page 592] be raigned, and with what intricatenes he hath boundē vnto him mankinde like a bondeslaue. Let him loke, who so liste, vpon Grece. Italy, and Asia: & in the same, Corinthe of Grece, Rome of Italy, and Ephesus the head citie of Asia. He shal finde abominations abominable, and will saye, that the deuil hath raygned in them wholy, and had dayly with newe giles bewitched the sely wretches. But after that Paule alone (I will speake nothing now of the other Apostles) came to Corinth, Ephesus and Rome, and there had preached Christe: who can not see, howe truely S. Iohn here sawe the Deuill bounden and faste shutte vp? I am the briefer in this matter most plentifull, for that I thinke I haue done enough, yf I shewe only some fotesteppes, wherein goyng ye maye come to a muche more ample consideration of these thinges. Hereunto appertayne those diuine wordes of S. Paule, which are red in the 26. of the Actes, spoken before king Agrippa, and the princes of Syria and Festus proconsull there. For this intente haue I appered vnto thee (sayeth the lord to S. Paule) that I mighte ordeyne thee a minister and a witnesse both of suche thinges as thou hast sene, and also of such wherin I shall appere vnto thee after this, deliuering thee from the people and nations, whereunto I nowe sende thee, that thou mayest open their eyes, that they maye tourne from darkenes to light, and frō the power of Sathan vnto God, that they maye receiue forgeuenes of sinnes: &c. In the .1. chapt. of the Epistle to the Colossians, as also in diuerse other places, S. Paule sheweth, that Christ hath ouercome Sathan, and that the same Christ hath redemed vs, & brought vs out of the kingdome of darknes into the kingdome and light of the sonne of God.Christ hath bounden Sathan. Therfore where the Apostles and ministers are here saide to binde and shute vp Sathan, it is by the waye of their ministerie to be vnderstande. Euery man also maye iudge of the thinges that haue ben treated hitherto, whether he haue profited in the doctrine of the gospel, which he hath a longe time hearde in the temple. For in case thou thy self be as yet bounden stil with the chayne of the Deuill, thou haste not yet hearde the gospell, as apperteyneth: but if thou felest that the Deuill is bounde with the chayne, and that thou rulest the Deuil, and the Deuill not thee, the matter goeth well. Crie vnto God: [Page 593] Lorde confirme this, and increase, that thou haste wrought in vs, &c.
And cōcerning the time of this most shining trewth of the gospel,A thousād yeres. it is sayde how it shal indure in the world a thousand yeres. For he saieth expressely: he boūde him for a thousande yeres. And againe: that he shuld no more deceaue the people, til the thousande yeres were fulfilled. I know that the opinions of thexpositours, touchyng these thousande yeres, be diuerse. I know, how the heresie of the Chiliastes or Millenaries by Papias Authour hereof, as Eusebius reciteth in the .3. boke of the Ecclesi. historie, was taken hereof. I will not here stāde aboute to confute the opinion of others, which also would be ouerlong and tediouse, and not of so great profit. I wil only vtter my owne to be wayed of the godly readers, than will I leaue it free for euery man to followe that thinge, which he shall thinke moste agreable to the treweth, and profitable for the godly. And I vnderstande playnely and simplely, that S. Iohn speaketh of a thousande yeres, whiche ranne on by continuall course from the time of Christ, vntill the laste corrupting of the Euangelical preachyng and church of Christ.
Nother am I very scrupulouse in searchyng out the terme of the supputation of these thousande yeres.The beginning of the accōpte of a thousāde yeres. Simplely I appoyncte the beginnyng of the rekening in the open preachyng of the Gospell, and what time the worde beganne now to be receyued, and was nowe receyued of the Gentiles. I suppose therefore that there maye be three termes or times appoyncted, whiche neuerthelesse shall come all to one rekenyng, differyng little or nothinge emonges themselues or hauynge smalle diuersitie, not passynge halfe a yere more or lesse. Ye maye therefore, yf ye please, beginne the supputation of the thousande yeres from the .xxxiiii. yere of Christes birth, wherein Christe also ascended into heauen, and Paule beyng called to the ministerie, and drawing the gentiles into the felloweshippe of Gods people by the preachyng of God his worde, began to restrayne Sathan. And thou shalt come to the yere of our Lord .1034. and to the Bishoprycke of pope Benedicte the .9. whiche after he clome by vnlaweful meanes into the chayre of Saincte Peter, as they calle it, practysed [Page 594] arte magicke, & was ioyned in leage with the deuil: of whom he was caried away also, what time he had solde his bisshoprike before the Pope Gregory the .6. Reade the storie of Cardinal Benon, whereof is mentioned before in the .13. chap. and let reade other stories. Certayne it is, that the Deuill at those daies did occupie the Apostolical seate, as thei terme it. Reade the stories from Syluester the .2. and so forth. Thou wilt saye than, that aboute that time the Deuill brake lowse agayne, and seduced the people, especially by Popes. Or beginne the supputation of the thousande yeres from that time, wherein Paule beyng bounde for the Gospell at Rome, testified that the gospell was preached through out the worlde. That was aboute the yere of our Lorde .60. from thence accomptyng a thousande yeres, thou shalte come to the yere of our Lorde 1060. when Nicholas the seconde was Pope, vnder whom it is written that the veritie was diuersely tempted and corrupted, and that Gregory the seuenth dyd than also by his craftes and enterprises trouble the whole world. Or beginne the supputation from the destruction of Hierusalem, what time the Iewes cast of, the Gentiles in great nombre entred and were receyued into the place of the Iewes reiected, whiche was the yere of our Lorde .73. and thou shalt atteyne to the yere of our Lorde .1073. euen to Pope Gregory the seuenth: in the whiche time not a fewe Historiographers wryte that the Deuill him selfe raygned. Doubtles neuer manne hurte godlines, or more stoutely auaunced impietie, than dyd this Gregory, otherwyse called Hildebrande. Of him I haue spoken before in the .13. chapt. Where also I admonisshed you, that Cardinall Benon dyd accompte those thousande yeres from the birth of the Lorde, and concluded in Syluester the second. It is euident therfore, that the gospel hath had a notable place in the world, nother hath ben quenched for the space of a thousande yeres: that is to saye, from the time of thapostles, vntil the yere of our lord was rekened 1073. or there aboute. What was done at that time & after, we shal heare when we shal come to that sayeng. And when the thousande yeres shal be fulfilled, &c.
Some man wil say, I cannot see that the preaching of the [Page 595] Gospell hath continued in the worlde so long tyme, to witte a thousande yeares, For it appeareth by Histories, that the doctrine of merites, satisfactions, and iustification of works, ded incōtinently after the Apostles time, lay their first soundations. We knowe that the intercessions of Sainctes, and the worshipping of relicques, were defended of Saincte Hierome, which departed out of this world the yeare of our Lordes incarnation .422. We knowe that the Bishop of Rome ded immediately after the death of Gregory the firste, take vpon him to be head and catholique Pastor of the church vniuersall. We knowe that aboute the same time, to wit aboute the yeare of our Lordes incarnation .630. Mahomet seduced a great parte of the world. We knowe that shortely after, arrose that detestable contention about the hauing of Images in the churches of Christians. We haue heard that S. Ihon hath assigned to Antichriste yeares .666. Fynally, it is manifeste that the Deuyll hath by murther, parricidie, and all kynd of mischief raigned in the children of misbelefe. Wherfore thou sayeste, I see not howe the Deuyll hath ben bounden a thousande yeares: and locked in chaynes.Howe the deuyl hath ben boūden a thousand yeares. I aunswere that the things which are alledged hitherto, are true: yet neuerthelesse to be true, and so to remayne alwayes, which S. Ihon by the reuelation of Iesu Christe hath affirmed, that the Deuyll shoulde be shutte vp for a thousande yeares, and remayne bounden, tyll a thousande yeares were at an ende. And the same we declare on this wyse. The Lorde sayde in the Gospel. Nowe is the iudgement of the world, nowe shall the Prince of this world be caste out. And where as it is not lawfull to doubt of the veritie of Christes wordes, yet neuerthelesse is he not red to be so caste oute, but that he hath ben of greate force in the worlde, and hath bene called of the Apostles themselues, the Prince of this worlde. Howe than is he sayde to be cast oute, and to tempte the godlie, to raigne, and to be caste oute of his Kyngdome?
He is cast out of the church, and of the faithful,Howe Sathan is cast oute, & yet vexeth the faythfull. not that he cometh not againe, and tempteth, for alwayes he returneth, and seketh to plucke backe the redemed (but for that he possesseth no more the ful empire. For Christ now liueth, & raineth in the church and Sainctes. These, as S. Austen saieth, he assayleth [Page 596] from without) he is cast oute of his auncient possession, but he laboureth to recouer his olde habitatiō. And thus was Sathan bounde, and shutte vp for a thousand yeares, as he that possessed not the faythfull of Christe through out the worlde, nor ruled them at his pleasure, and after his mallice, although he hath tempted and vexed them. So was the holy ghost denied to be geuen, not that he was not in the world and in the Prophets: but because he was neuer so plentifully powred oute vpon all fleshe, as after the glorifienge of our Lorde Christe. In the same sense we say, that death and sinne are taken away from the faythfull, and troden vnder fote. As S. Paule therfore, which in the first chapt. to the Colloss. saide, that we are translated oute of the kyngdome of darkenes, in to the kyngdome of light: sayeth neuerthelesse to the Corinthians, that the God of this world, hath blynded the myndes of the vnfaythfull: so S. Ihon at this presente sayeth, howe the Deuyll is bounde and sealed, by the space of a thousande yeares, and the very same sayeth afterwarde, the reste of the dead reuiued not, til the thousand yeares should be fulfilled: that is to say, in al those thousand yeares beleued not, which set more by the beast, than they ded by Christe. And they verely through their owne faulte, and instigation of the Deuill beleued not, and perished. Therfore ded Sathan exercise his force in them. Which to the faithful in dede is bounden, and tyed faste, but to the vnfaithfull free and ouer familier. Lykewyse Hell is shut to the godly, to the wicked open. Wherefore also we confesse in the crede, lyfe euerlasting, and not death or damnation euerlasting. For the faithfull haue no Hel, or there is no Hell prepared for them: but for the vngodlye. For Christe hath broken Hell, but for his faithfull: to the vnfaythfull all thinges of hell are yet moste stronge, and these haue Hell.
¶ The power of the Deuyll by Christ broken.Agayne the Deuyll is sayed to be bounden, shutte vp, and sealed: for since the redemptiō of Christ, his power hath not bene so great in the worlde, as it was before. Wherefore S. Ihon expoūdeth himselfe, and sayeth: that he shuld deceaue the people no more. What is this more? but that he shal not so seduce them from hence foorth, as he hath done hitherto. Therefore al be it in the meane whyle he shall deceaue some, [Page 597] yet in those thousand yeares he hath not raigned so fully, safely & at large, as he ded before, and as it is permitted him after those thousand yeares to rage. Therfore these things ar spoken by a cōparison, and not absolutely. And the thing it selfe, or experiēce teacheth, that they are not to be vnderstand absolutely, and after the bare lettre. Although therfore that Sathan hath in these thousand yeares also, blowen his poyson vpō many, and hath troubled the world, yet this is nothing, in comparison of those thinges, that haue followed after the thousand yeares euen vntill this day, and shall followe hereafter vnto the worlds end. In oulde time also he raigned fully emongs the Gentiles through Idolatry. But a thousand yeares fell downe their temples and Idolles, with all other instrumentes of vngodlynesse.
We reade truely,Certen articles of religiō assayled. howe there were in the Apostles time that affirmed, that men are iustified by the lawe and workes. Whereupon sprange vp the doctryne of satisfaction and merites. But the same doctryne was confuted by the Apostle Saincte Paule, aboue other Apostles. Saincte Austen also, and after him Bede, moste constantlie haue defended the doctrine of grace, and redemption by Christ. The same continued safe by the space of a thousande whoale yeares. But afterwarde, Freres getting the vpper hande, the doctryne of satisfaction and mannes merites ded preuayle: whereupon was vtterly obscured the doctrine of Iesu Christe, conserning the free remissiō of sinnes, & imputing of righteousnes. Ther grewe vp an opinion with certen of Sainctes, makyng intercession or prayeng in heauen for their worshyppers. The relicques began to be worshipped ouer soone. Neuerthelesse such as wer illumined claue fast to the onely intercessour Christ, and honored not relicques. But after those thousande fatal yeares, many attributed more to Saincts, than to the very holy one of Sainctes. We see what is done at this day. The writings of Monkes and Freres testifie, how much the worshipping of creatures hath increased within these .iiii. hondreth yeres, or there aboutes. Who wyl deny that exceding many haue ben deceaued of Heretikes? But who can gather thereby that the Gospell hath bene vtterlie loste, & that Sathan hath raigned fullye?
The Byshoppe of Rome hath ascended in to the toppe of Mounte Zion, and will be called the head and Pastour generall of the whole catholique church. Howbeit the Easte most constantlie resisted, and so ded other partes of the world also. At the lengthe after a thousande yeares, he made his boaste most impudently, that the fulnesse of power was geuen him, which he got by hoke and croke, and after vsurped the same. Mahomet seduced many, yet neuerthelesse the Patriarchall churches persisted, and the Easte honoured Christ, lykewise South and North, so that the thousande yeares agayne had their lighte, nother hath Sathan in these raged so much, as he hath since those yeares were complete. Doubtelesse since the Turkes begāne to rule and raigne, al matters of religion grewe euery daye worse and worse. And the warre into the Holy land ded very much hurte to religion, and gaue greate courage to the Saracenes and vngodlye: whereof I shall speake afterwardes. And Images beganne to be sette vp in temples, and to be defended. But the Histories testifie that the same was done with greate difficultie, and hardlie could the vse of them be obtayned, all good men moste constantlie resisting. And what time they were now admitted, yet were not the Idolaters so starke mad, as we se they are nowe, and haue ben certen yeares paste. Wherefore it is rightly sayed, howe after a thousand yeares, Sathan shulde be loosed from his chaynes, which before also moued the vnbeleuers, yet fynally rageth more furiously.
S. Ihon assigned to Antichrist a certen numbre of yeares, to wit .666. Whereof we myghte vnderstande the name of Antichriste. But therefore it foloweth not, that the Deuyll was than quyte lowsed, or the lyght of the Gospell vtterly extinguisshed. For the Apostle in his time, speakyng of him: The misterie, sayeth he, of iniquitie nowe worketh. Antichriste therefore hath his seedes, he hath his beginnyng, he hath his rysing vp, his growyng and increaces. But after a thousand yeares, he went to worke moste impudently and most boldly, which before also had vttered his maliciousnes: but nowe moste venemously of al he speweth oute his poyson, oppressing Kynges, and all that speake neuer so little againste him. We knowe moreouer that in these thousande yeares paste, [Page 599] the Deuill hath raygned in many by murder, periurie and innumerable and vnspeakeable euilles. But if ye consider what hath ben done sins those thousande yeres, and what is done at this daye: you will saye those ages of the thousande yeres to haue ben Golden and Siluer worldes: and oures nowe for these fiue hondreth yeres to be of brasse, Iron, leed,The corruption of ye last age. and claye. Lactantius in the seuenth booke of Instit. the .15. chapter towardes the laste ende of the worlde, sayeth he, the state of worldly matters muste nedes be altered, and iniquitie preuayling, to incline to the worse: so that these our times, in the which iniquitie and mischiefe is growen to the highest degree, yet in comparison of that vncurable euil, maye be accompted fortunate and in maner Golden ages. For iustice shall than ware so thinne, vngodlines, couetousenes, wilfulnes and luste shall be so common, that if there shal be than happly any good menne, they shal be a praye to the wicked, and euery where vexed of the vnrightuouse. And euil menne only shall be welthie, and the good tourmoyled in all vexation and miserie. All righte shall be confounded, and lawes shall perisshe. Than shall no man haue any thinge, saue that whiche is eyther euil gotten, or euill kepte. Goldenes and violence shal haue all. There shal be no faith in men, no peaxe, no humanitie, no shamefastnes, no trewth. And the remnaūt which are red there. By all the whiche our dayes nowe seme to be paincted liuely.
But what is that, whiche is annexed,He muste be loused a little season. that the Deuill must belowsed for a little season? semeth this a little season, whiche continueth nowe fiue hondreth yeres? And this place we expoūde so, as that same in the gospel: vnlesse those dayes were shortened, no fleshe should be saued. For it is euidently by stories, that nother the Deuil, nor Antichriste, hath inioyed that his kingedome longe quiet. For euermore, and in all ages haue sprong vp some holy and learned menne, which beyng illumined and comforted or God, like Enoch and Helie, haue resisted the vngodly and vngodlines, and haue maineteyned the true religion. Wherby consciences afflicted of Antichrist haue receyued comforte, God of his mercy so temperyng matters, that the chosen shuld not despeyre into great temptations, errours and darkenes.
Therefore both Sathan and the Pope could inioye these matters but a small season. For immediately after the thousande yeres sprange vp the Waldois, whiche constantly impugned the Pope, and his vngodlines. The lord hath reysed vp certen kinges, emōges whom be the Friderickes Germane Emperours, Lewis of the house of Bauier, & many others. The Popes also haue ben at dissention emōges themselues, whilest many haue ben chosen, and euery one of them wil be the vicar of Christ, and so teare al that ecclesiasticall body of theirs with Schismes. There rise vp agaynst these preachers erneste & vehement, Wycliffe, Husse, Hierome of Prage, and diuerse others. What is done at this day, & hath ben now these 30. yeres and more, agaynst superstitions, and idolatrie, agaynst the Pope, and al his clergie, the Papistes themselues crie out and al partes of the world can testifie. Therfore is the Deuill lowsed a little season. The Lord Iesus treade him vnder our fete shortely.
¶ What those thousande yeres shall be, and of the certayne felicitie of soules after the death corporall, and of the firste resurrection, and seconde death. The .lxxxviij. Sermon.
ANd I sawe seates, and they that sate vpon thē, and the iudgement was geuen vnto them: and I saw the soules of them that were beheaded for the witnesse of Iesu, and for the word of God, which had not worshipped the beaste, nother his Image: nother had taken his marke vpon their foreheades, or in their hādes: and they liued and raigned with Christ a thousande yeare: but the other of the dead men liued not agayne, vntill the thousande yeres were finisshed. This is the [Page 601] first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath parte in the first resurrection. On suche hath the seconde death no power, but they shal be the priestes of God and of Christe, and shal raigne with him a thousande yeres.
By these S. Iohn declareth him selfe,Here is declared what those thousande yeres shall be. expoundyng what those thousande yeres shal be. Not suche doubtles, as very many, (emongs whom are accompted also the Millenaries or Chiliastes) do Imagine with themselues, in the whiche they saye, there should be tranquillitie vpō earth, and in the which yeres the sainctes here in Earth shal raigne corporally with Christ in moste exquisite pleasures and ioyes. For S. Iohn himselfe confuteth this opinion, whilest he sheweth, how the sainctes should be beheaded of the beaste and of his Image: and that the others which remayne in death, should not liue agayne, or receyue the gospel of Christ. It is manifest therefore that the beaste, & his Image shal be in those thousandes yeres. It is euident that the Gospell of Christe shall by those thousande yeres so shine, that Sathan shoulde be so strayte tied in chaynes, that neuerthelesse all should not receyue the gospell, nother shuld there be quiet tranquillitie: but that the Sainctes for Christes veritie should suffer persecution of the beaste, and that many shuld not beleue the gospel, but rather withstande the same and perisshe. Yet that the Deuill in the meane time shall not haue so great power, as he hath obteyned sins the thousande yeres were finisshed: nother that the gospel should in those thousande yeres be so darkened, as it was after corrupted and depraued. And he toucheth with all certen opinions righte notable and necessarie, and openeth the same, to witte what should be the state of them, which eyther are killed for Christ, or reiecte Antichrist: verely for that their soules do not slepe til the iudgemēt, but liue with Christ in heauen. He treateth moreouer of the first resurrection, and seconde death. Thus vnto them that maruaile, where the soules of the dead shal become, and what they shal do immediately after the corporal death, he aunswereth, and so much as is requisite to know declareth.
The soules of thē that be beheaded.Therefore S. Iohn seeth seates, and those that sitte on them. And who be those that sitte? he addeth by an exposition, and sayeth: and the soules of them that are beheaded. For by an exposition it is taken, as though you should saye, they that sat on the Heauenly seates, were the soules of them that are beheaded. Soules are not beheaded, but bodies: the soules remayne in their state and life. Wherefore he sayeth the soules of them whose bodies were beheaded or slayne. And here lette vs note, that S. Iohn speaketh not of the bodies reassumpted, chaūged, or reysed againe at the last iudgement, but of the soules deliuered from the bodies of the martirs. For he speaketh of soules lowsed frō the bodies, before the Iudgement, accordynge as euery one in his time liueth here in this worlde, and is called from hence by death. For Aretas also Bishop of Cesarea expoundeth this of the soules of Martirs: yet thinketh he not neuerthelesse that no man should be saued, vnlesse he die by the tirauntes sworde. For he addeth this moreouer: or verely he nameth to be beheaded tropically, which haue mortified their membres, that are on Earth. Hitherto he. And we also haue shewed before, that first and chiefly the holy martirs are rewarded with eternal life, secondely all they that haue honoured God truely, and haue done penaunce, and crucified their flesh with al the concupiscences thereof.
Beheaded for Christ.And he sayeth expressely, that the sainctes were beheaded, not for thefte, murder and mischiefe, as also Saincte Peter teacheth, 1. Peter. 4. But for the worde of God and testimony of Iesu Christ. The word of God, [...] is the very sonne of God our Sauiour: and the testimony is, that holesome gospell, and the very preachyng and professyng of the same: lyke as by the conference of Scriptures we haue declared before. They are rekened moreouer emonges the Sainctes, whiche haue not worshipped the beaste, &c. And suche are the Martirs beheaded or slayne, for that they haue worshipped God, but the beast and his Image would they not worship. Howbeit al are not slaine, that reiecte Antichrist, and therfore particularly as a peculiar membre he rehersed thē also. But what it is to worshippe the beaste, and his Image, and to receyue his marke, &c. I haue declared before at large in the .13. [Page] chapt. Nowe lette vs see, what their state is, that shede their bloud for Christ, and abhorre Antichrist with all his inchaūtmentes: they liued, sayeth he,Of ye state of soules after death before the iudgemēt. to witte by fayth in this presente worlde. As S. Paule sayde also: I liue not I nowe, but Christe liueth in me. And of that same life followeth life euerlastyng, in an other worlde. Wherefore S. Iohn hath annexed, and they raigned with Christe a thousande yeres: to witte all that whole processe of time. Not for that they raigned not & liued with Christe afterwarde, but for that their soules hitherto, or to the iudgement, haue not slept, but haue liued rather in Heauen a blessed life. The whiche also from the beginnyng he declareth by an other notation. For he seeth a seate ( [...]) set, and the soules sitting in them. And by a figuratiue speache he signifieth, that certen seates, and honourable places, are prepared in heauē for the blessed soules, as also the Lorde him self sayeth in the gospel: In my fathers house are many mansions, and nowe I goe to prepare you a place. He calleth the seates thrones, alludyng to the royall Trones of kinges. But of these celestial seates, we must conceaue, greater, diuine, and spiritual matters. They sitte in thē not for that they doe nothing els but sitte on a cusshion: but they raygne, triumphe, rest, liue, and haue fruitiō of the comforte, ioye, and glory euerlasting. This I saye is the maner of the soules and spirites to sitte. He addeth moreouer, howe to those soules was geuen iudgement, verely for that they ar exempted from iudgement, and come not into iudgement (euen as our sauiour sayeth) but haue passed frō death to life. It is also declared in an other place, in what sense the saincts are sayed to sitte vpon the seates, and iudge the world: where it is manifeste in dede, that all the iudgement of God is geuē to the sonne. It is euident therfore by this vnfallible place of scripture, that the soules of saincts slepe not after the death of the body, vntill the laste iudgement, but to liue in Heauen with Christe. But at the iudgemente they shall retourne to their bodies reysed agayne, and together with their bodies shal be receyued into blessed seates. And this is the state of the faythfull. From this hope lette vs neuer suffer ourselues to be withdrawen. In my Decades I haue discoursed more at large of the soules separated from their bodies [Page 604] and haue shewed that they do not slepe.
A towle errour of Iohn the 22. pope.And here I can not refrayne, but must nedes set forth and recite that whiche D. Iohn Funceius, a learned man dilligent, and one that hath red much sheweth in the .10. booke of his Chronologie, vnder the yere of our Lord .1332. in these wordes: aboute this time the moste holy father Pope Iohn, the .22. of that name, felle into this heresie, which also he professed opē ly, and taught that the soules sawe not God before the laste daye. For so had his father taught him, deceaued by the visions of Tantalus, which were cōmonly caried abroade in writyng. And Pope Iohn sent two preachers to Paris, to witte a couple of Freres one of the order of preachers, an other Minorite, whiche might professe his errour there. But one Thomas a preacher of Englande resisted the Pope stoutely, whome the Pope committed to pryson. And the Kinge of Fraūce called a Synode in his palace, in the foreste Vitinian, where all that were assembled subscribed agaynst the Pope. Than the kinge sent Ambassadours to the Pope, exhortyng him to recante his errour, and that he would deliuer Thomas out of prison. Which inlarged the prisonier: and also (as it is sayde) following the admonitiōs of his frendes, at the houre of death repented. So much Funccius. It is a shame therefore for some, which at this day in so great light of the gospel dare renewe that moste folishe errour affirmyng that soules separated from their bodies lie snoring I know not in what dormitorie or dortour, nother to fele any thing, till at the daye of Iudgement they be ioyned agayne to their bodies, and rife agayne.
The remnaunt of ye dead liued not againe.S. Iohn addeth: and the remnaunt of the dead liued not agayne, til the thousande yeres were accomplished. Not that they liued afterwarde, but that they reuiued neuer at all. As the Scripture speaketh in an other place, Michol Dauid his wise remayned barren, vntill the daye of her death: not that she had childe after her death. But whom doeth he meane by the rēnaunt of the dead? surely all we that descende of Adam, are dead. As S. Paul right wel declareth in the .5. chapt. to the Romanes. But we haue hearde how some through faith haue receyued Christe, and so beyng quickened, haue shed their bloud for Christ, and would not worshippe the beast, nor his [Page 605] Image. Now is added to this membre: but the remnaunt of the dead, whiche are nother regenerated through fayth, nor would bestowe their life for Christe, but had rather worship the beast and his Image, these I saye for their vnbeliefe liued not. For without faith there is no trewe life in this worlde.A double life & double death. We speake nothing here of the vital or naturall life. And we saye that life is double or of two sortes, to witte the one spiritual, which is of faith and of the sprete of God, and of Christ, whiche is by fayth receyued and liueth in the hartes of his, and his life in him. For the Lorde him selfe sayeth: he that eateth me, he shal liue also for me. Thother life is euerlasting, to witte of an other world, in the whiche we shal see God as he is, and shall be as he is, liuyng in God and with God for euermore. Cōtrariwise death is of two sortes, spiritual, wherby wauntyng Christe, and his sprete, and voide of fayth, we liue in sinne. The Apostle speakyng of this death, sayeth, that a widdowe liuyng wauntonly, beyng a liue is dead. And the Lord also to the disciple, that wold retourne home, and burie his parētes, sayeth: suffer the dead to burie their dead. There is also a death euerlastyng, that is euerlastyng wretchednes and miserie, whiche followeth the spiritual. Yet see what we haue sayde of double death in the .3. chapt. of this boke, in expoundyng the Epistle to them of Sardis. Wherefore S. Iohn here signifieth, that there shall be many in these thousande yeres, which shuld not receyue the gospel with a liuely faith, and therfore should remayne in death: as the Lorde sayde in the .8. of Iohn. Therfore they erre shamefully, which suppose that al nations in the whole vniuersal world shal come ones to an vnitie of fayth, and most assured peace in this life.
And S. Iohn himself agayne expoundyng himself sayeth. This is that firste resurrection. Whiche I praye you? by the which menne receyue Christ by the true fayth,Of ye firste resurrectiō and the seconde. and rise from sinne in the newnes of life. Of this thapostle speaketh muche in the .6. to the Romanes. The same to the Ephes. out of Esaye: awake, sayeth he, that slepeth, and rise from the dead, & christ shal shine vnto thee. Therfore be they not pertakers of ye first resurrection, so many as nother acknowledge their sinnes, nor be regenerated, nother are quickened by fayth in Christ, nor rise againe with Christ in the newnes of life. The seconde [Page 606] resurrection is that vniuersall resurrection of al flesh: wherein shall all menne arrise in dede, but with vnlike state for the faithfull rise vnto life euerlastyng: the vnfaythfull to death euerlastyng. Whiche the Lord him selfe also hath repeted out of the .12. chapt. of Daniel, in Iohn the .5. chapt.
Theffecte of the first resurrectiōAnd he sheweth by occasion, and after an Apostolicke maner, a threfolde fruicte or effecte of the first resurrection. First sayeth he, blessed and holy is he, which is pertaker of the first resurrection. He is bleste, sayeth he, happy, and heyre of celestiall and eternall life. Holy: that is to saye purified, sanctified, and iustified. For fayth in Christe doeth sanctifie, and make blessed. Than in such as be thus sanctified the seconde death hath no place nor power. And the firste death, is the death of sinne: therefore is the seconde death eternall damnation. See what I haue spoken hereof before in the .2. chapt. of this boke, in the Epistle to the church of Smyrna. Finally the faythfull are made the priestes of God and of Christ, the electe I meane, segregated, notable, excellent, bothe of God and Christ moste derely beloued, which in eternall life might offer eternal prayses to God. It is repeted agayne, and they shal raygne with him a thousande yeres. And this signifieth, that al Sainctes shal raigne with Christ for euer, but chiefely the soules, euen olso before the iudgement.
Primasius Bisshoppe of Vtica expoundyng this place: it is not spoken, sayeth he, not only of Bisshoppes and Priestes: but like as we cal al christes, by reason of the mistical chrisme or oynctement: so are all priestes, for that they be membres of a Prieste: of whom the Apostle S. Peter: an holy people, sayeth he, a royall priesthood: thus saieth he. But this whole place of the bindyng and lowsing of the Deuill, of the thousande yeres, and of the firste resurrection, and seconde death S. Austen hath wel and dilligently for his time, and for so much as he coulde see discoursed at large in the .20. boke De ciuit. dei. I propounde these thinges of mine to be dilligētly considered of the faithful. Let euery mā holde that which he shal thinke most consonaunt to the trewth. To the lord our God be praise & glory, now and euermore. Amen.
¶ What shall be done when the thousande yeres are expired, of the worlde deceaued, of warre and greuous persecution of the godly, and of the euerlasting payne of the wicked. The .lxxxix. Sermon.
AND when the thousande yeares are expired, Sathā shal be lowsed out of his pryson, and shall go out to deceaue the people, whiche are in the foure quarters of ye Earth, Gog and Magog to gather them together to battaile, whose nombre is as the sande of the Sea. And they wente vpon the playne of the earth, and cōpassed the tentes of the sainctes aboute, and the beloued citie. And fire came downe from God out of heauē, and deuoured them. And the Deuil that deceaued thē was caste into a lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet were and shal be tormented daye and night for euermore.
He declareth herby,What shal be done after ye thousāde yeres. what shal happē after those thousande yeres. And he sayeth chiefely two thinges, that the deuill shal be lowsed out of his prison, yt he maye deceaue the people in the worlde, and may assemble Gog and Magog vnto battaile. To the which agayne he annexeth other two, a moste cruell persecution of the church, and payne of the wicked, and euerlasting damnation of the deuil and his membres.
And the seducyng of the world must againe be expounded by ye figure Sinecdoche. Howe the worlde is deceaued agayne. For the sense of the scripture will not permit vs to vnderstāde, that there shuld be no godly lefte at that time. For we beleue all that there is a church, & that an holy church, & shal be alwayes in the worlde vntil the iudgement. And we haue hearde morouer in this boke, how many thousandes are sealed yt they should not perish. And also that [Page 608] the dragon must be lowsed for a little season. Like as therfore we reade in the gospel, that Sathan is cast out, and his kingdome taken frō him: where neuerthelesse S. Peter warneth & sayeth, that the deuil goeth about like a roring Lion, & seketh whom he maye deuoure: verely for that the greatest force of Sathan is for the faythful infringed, by Christ that mightie champion and noble conquerour, the Deuill not withstandyng goyng about and aspiryng agayne to the Empire, and to be restored to his former place: so at this present we vnderstande, that Sathan lowsed after those thousande yeres, raungeth now abroade more frely, exerciseth greater authoritie, seduceth more people in the worlde, and ruleth further, thā he hath raygned these thousande yeres: yet so that there shal be neuerthelesse in the world a fellowshippe of Sainctes dispersed and vexed miserablely. For immediately S. Iohn sayeth, that the beloued citie of God is besieged of the enemies. Therefore shal the church be in the middes of the enemies. Wherefore al that same place muste be expounded not of the veritie & religion wholy extinguisshed, but of the more large & ample power and seduction of sathan the old serpent.
The deuil cōmeth out of pryson.Wherefore he sayeth, that when the thousande yeres shal be expired, the Deuill shall be lowsed out of that his prison, whereinto through the power & might of Christ, or preachyng of the Apostles he had ben shutte. For the chayne ones broken, to witte the sincere doctrine and preachyng of the gospel corrupted and depraued, he came out: and to this ende he came out, that he might deceaue the gētiles, that is to saye al people and nations, which are dwelling in the foure quarters or partes of the Earth, I meane in the whole vniuersall worlde: and to the ende he mighte allure Gog and Magog, namely fierse men, barbarouse, worldly, mocking and contemnyng the true religion, addicte to robberies, and geuen to euill thinges, and regardyng only corruption and naughtines, that he might drawe, I saye, suche men to vnrightuousenes, and kepe them still in errours. For such doeth Ezechiell signifie Gog and Magog to be. But those whiche through the diuine grace be not such, shal not be deceaued of Sathan: but groūded on Christ, shal perseuer in the doctrine of prophetes and Apostles, and shall rightly worship Christ, shall abhorre [Page 609] Antichrist, and al naughtines in the world.
But that a deuelisshe deceauyng hath passed through the world farre and nere, sins the thousande yeres expired,What deceauynge shal be in ye worlde after ye thousāde yeres. experience teacheth, and Histories witnesses of times testifie. For it is playne, that duryng those thousande yeres, there were famouse churches of Christe in the Easte, whiche not withstandyng to haue ben distroyed within these fiue hondreth yeares we lament. Therefore the wicked and abominable secte of Mahomet began sixe hondreth yeres after the birth of Christe, and from that time forth was auaunced by the Saracenes, but preuailed at the last after those thousande fatall yeres. For howe great is the power of Turkes nowe in Affricke, Asia, and Europe, no man is ignoraunt. And Papistrie had his beginnyng and procedyng ouer soone: but after a thousande yeres it was of full force. For Bisshoppes of Rome through the abuse of excōmunicatyng haue oppressed euē most mightie Emperours & Kinges. For who knoweth not with what shameles boldenes the popes haue withstād both Kinges and Keysars, Henries, Fridderickes, Lewysses, and many other Princes, whom their lewdenes hath vexed, vanquished, and ouercome? After muche and greuouse contention the Popes extorted to themselues the consecratyng of Bishoppes. Thei vsurped moreouer the church goodes also, by the which (such a force hath lady monie) they might do in the world what they liste. For by this meanes Papistrie receiued strongest sinewes. Moreouer after those thousande yeres was reysed vp & established that God Mayzim, The God Mayzim. of whō also Daniel maketh mention, whiche brought also a greate strength vnto Poperie. I meane transubstantiation, and the horrible polluting of the lordes supper, and manifolde abuse of the holy misteries. And of the force hereof increased an infinite nombre of priestes and filthie Freres. For after those thousande yeres at the length came vp the secte or order of Iacobines, Celestines, Gilbertines, of Graye freres, blacke freres, white freres, and many other freres, and monstrouse Mounkes, whiche haue craftely cropen in the fauour of all princes, to thintent they might know al their secretes by auricular confession. Than began all thinges more impudently to be set forth & solde in the church, than euer before. Superstitions [Page 610] and vnprofitable & hurtful ceremonies ouerflowed. For we haue sene thirtie yeres sins and more, how much increased dayly idolles and Idolatrie, worshippynge of creatures, and abuses innumerable about the same, pilgrimages to dumme Idolles, and an infinite nombre of the same sorte. I recite not that holy matrimony waxed now vile after those thousande yeres, in so much that ministers of churches were prohibited to marye. Than waxed whoredome rife, rape, and aduoutrie, and yet more filthie thinges thā al these, &c. I pas ouer here very many thinges: this only I reherse, yf ye compare the rites, ceremonies and superstitions of Papistrie with the heythen gentilitie (as I haue partely shewed here and there in my workes) ye will saye that Papistrie passeth farre all gentilitie. For in case, the false opinion and perswation ones taken awaye, ye doe waye what Papistrie is in it selfe: you will graunte, that there was neuer suche a corrupte thing in the worlde. Full rightly therefore sayeth S. Iohn, that Sathan is broken lowse out of pryson.We say in Englisshe hell is broken lose. By the whiche prouerbe he signifie matters extremely corrupted, nothing to be done in his place or decent order, but althing confused, all tourned vp side downe, at the will and luste of the euill sprete.
Gog and Magog at gathered to battaile.Herunto is added an other thing, that the thousande yeres expired Sathan shuld gather Gog and Magog to battaile. By the which wordes doubtles S. Iohn hath alluded the prophecie of Ezechiel, which we reade in the .38. & .39. chapt. Ezechiel semeth to haue prophecied of the warres of Macedonie and of Antiochus, speakyng hereof by a propheticall phrase, and an hiperbolicall amplification. The Prophet sayeth that Gog is the lande of Magog. And euident it is that Magog was Iaphetes sonne, whiche dwelt at Mounte Cancansus, and extended his Empire to Aethiopia and Aegipte. And afterwarde out of Asia, and that out of the Easte partes, Antiochus Epiphanes made warre on the people of God. The same was a figure of Antichrist: as all expositours doe confesse. Wherefore it appereth that S. Iohn bringeth forth these his things by waye of comparison. As though he shoulde saye like as in tymes pasie the people of Gog and Magog dyd sore moleste and afflicte the people of God: so in the times of [Page 611] Antichriste, moste greuouse warrss shall arrise, wherewith the church of God shalbe shaken and layde wast. And sayeth verely that the hoste of these distroyeis shalbe innumerable. He addeth after the maner of the Scripture aparable for perspecuitie: as the sand of the Sea. And also by an other phrase of speakyng he signifieth, that the enemies of Gods people shal be bolde, and ready to ouer runne the whole world, and and turmoyle all thinges with warres. For he sayeth: And they wente vpon the playne of the lande. As much to say, as they beyng swifte & bold, shal rūne ouer al the world. Euery where, & through out the wyde world shalbe cruel warres.
For most purposely he addeth:Theicōpat fed aboute the tents of Sainctes & beloued of God. and thei compassed about the tentes of Saincts, and beloued Citie. And meaneth that the church of God shall be moste greuouslye plagued with those Gogicall and barbarouse warres. For in times paste Hierusalem was called the chosen and beloued Citie: but after she reiected the worde of the Lorde, she was no more beloued of God, but rather reiected and hated. Therfore Saincte Ihon speaketh of the Catholique church, which Sainct Paule also in an other place oute of Esaye nameth, Hierusalem that is aboue. The same is also called the tentes of Sainctes. For the faythfull are in the church as it were in tentes, fyghting againste Sathan, the worlde, sinne, and flesh. And where he sayeth, they compasse aboute the tentes of Sainctes: he sayeth some what more, than yf he had written, they assayled or beseiged, or assaulted the tentes of Sainctes. For they compasse them aboute, which geue the assaulte rounde aboute, and vexe them moste greuouslie, as though they were already taken, that no hope can appeare to any man, no refuge or waye to escape.
Vndoubtedlie if we conferre these things with Histories,¶ The church plagu [...]d moste greuouslye by ye holye warres. we shall fynde that the church hath ben many times assayled with cruell warres: but neuer yet with crueller, than after those thousande fatall yeares. I meane the holy warre as they terme it. Whereof haue written at large William Archbyshop of Tyrus, the Abbot of Vrspurge in Chronic. Item Benedecte Coltes, and Paulus Aemilius in the fourth boke de reb. gestis Francorum. Fynallye Volaterane in the eleuenth booke of Geographie in Coelesyria and Palestine.
Historiographers report many things of the battel af Troy. Others suppose that those of Assyria and Babilon wer greatter. Many extol the warres of the Persians and Macedomans, as in very dede thei wer horrible. The Romanes haue also their warres Punicall, Methridaticall, Ciuile, Cimbricall, and Germanicall: but I suppose verely that the warre, which they call Holy, was more cruell than all these, more bluddy and sore, and of longer continuāce. In this haue ioyned together in maigne battaylles, with multitudes of men innumerable, in a maner all nations and people of the whole world inhabited. Wonderful & monstrouse slaughters haue ben made. There haue died more hondreth thousāds of men than can be credited. It hath continued moreouer many yeares, yea mo than the fourmer, or any warres that euer were in the worlde. Furthermore it was done with moste hostile myndes. And the whiche maketh moste for this purpose, in this war were exasperated the Oriētal Saracenes, Turkes Aegiptians, Babiloniās, and other barbarous nations, that they brent with an vnquenchable hatred againste the christian religion, and wente aboute to plucke it vp by the rootes, and a great parte thereof haue plucte vp, and cease not to do yet at this day. That same warre therfore moste greuouse of all others, was cause of the persecution of the faythfull in the Easte and Weste. And to the intente I may note somewhat hereof, and may rehearse, for those that be ignoraunte in stories, it is playne, that vnder that Chylde of pardition Pope Gregory the .7. there were many & most famouse churches in the Easte, and that Patriarchall churches yet safe: but whileste this Pope aboue all others, dealte wickedly againste Christ the son of God, and his holy church, lyke as we read in the time of Salomon, that after he had reuolted, many enemies arrose against him, and that moste cruell: so in the wicked and tyrannicall raigne of Gregory the seuenth,In ye tyme of pope gregory the .7 euyls begā to ouerflo. Solymanne the Turke inuaded Antioch, at the whyche time the Emperours of Grece are sayed to haue ben dispatched of the East countrie. And the Turkes marching forewarde, are sayde to haue inuaded and vexed first, the straits or ports of the Caspiane hilles, and the countrie of Armenia, aboute the yeare of our Lorde .764. Whereof there is nowe no time to speake. [Page 613] After Solyman succedeth Belchiaroke the Turkyshe Prince, whome others call Belzet, which also inuaded Grece it selfe, the Emperours of Constantinople dispised. Alexius, which then was Emperour is sayd to haue demaunded aide of the westerne men against the Turks. And also one Peter an Heremite (whō certē Historiographers blame most greuouslie, not without cause) comming oute of the Easte, and running through oute the Weste, crieth Alarme. Vrbane the seconde, whome some call Turbane, and disciple of Gregory the .7, calleth a great counsell at Cleremounte in Fraunce,The counsell of Cleremounte. wherin he propoundeth a question of the recouering of the holy lande, and deliuering the Lordes sepulture oute of the hands of the Infidelles. That counsell putteth me in remēbraunce of that which is described in the .8. booke of Kinges the .22. chapter, vnder Achab and Iosaphat, for the recouering of Ramoth Galaad, oute of the hands of the Syrians. For ther was in this also a deceauing spirit, there were Achabbes, there were Iosaphats, and many other thinges lyke. And to the intente not to make many wordes, a iourney is decreed against the barbarous infideles of the East. This was done in the yeare of our Lorde .1095. In the meane time Peter the Heremite bestirred him a pase, and gathered certen thousandes, which he leadeth through Hongarie in to Asia. And immediately after, followe the vnlucky captaines Folkemar, and Gottschalke priestes, which by the way distroying all with fyre and sworde are slaine.The fyrste voiage into the holy lande. At the last Godfrey and Baldwyne most noble Princes, with certen excellent Captaynes and Noble warriours, with an innumerable multitude of men trāsported into Asia: which they say was done in the yeare of our Lorde .1096. And within .4. yeares space at the moste, or thre, they had taken by assault or surrēdrie, the Cities of Nice, Heraclea, Tarsus, Antioch, and Hierusalem. The Abbot of Vrspurge reporteth that there was so much bloude shed in the Citie of Hierusalem, that in the very temple it selfe, the horses stode vp to the knees in the blud of the slayne there. The same man telleth of a notable battayle foughten at Askalon,A notable battayle. in the which aboute fiftene thousand footemen, and fyue thousand horsemen of Christians, ouerthrewe and discomfited Solimanne of Babilon, furnisshed with an hondreth thousande horsemen, [Page 614] and four hondreth thousand footemen, and that there were slayne in that battaile, aboue an hondreth thousād men. And this iourney of Godfrey was the first emonges the woorthy voiages of Syria or Asia.
2. After this voiage folowed others mo, and that beste furnished. For whilest the victorie and good lucke of them that went firste into the East was highlie extolled and commended through out the West, William Prince and Duke of Poictiers beinge put in greate hope, leadeth also about an hondreth thousand footemen in to the Easte countrie. The yeare of our Lord was accompted .1101. But of so great a nombre scarcely one thousande are written to haue retourned home in safetie.
3. After in the yeare of our Lorde .1147. through the exhortation of Barnarde Clareualle, Lewis Kynge of Fraunce, and Conrade Kyng of Germanie, and Fredericke Prince of Swaland, toke their iourney in to the Easte, which led with them an Armie almoste innumerable: but the same died in a maner all, scarcely the Princes lefte on lyue.
4. In the yeare of our Lorde .1189. what time the Citie of Hierusalem was taken by the Soldane King of Persia, where the Christians had kept it onely about .89. yeares. The Emperour Fredericke surnamed Barbarousse, Philippe Kynge of Fraūce, Richard Kyng of England, and other Princes most puissaunte, leuied an exceding greate Armie of Christen people, to recouer the Citie and Holy lande: and very luckelye transported their Armie in to Asia, but after had moste euyll lucke. For the Emperour Fredericke was drowned: and the whole Armie, as Vrspurgens. testifieth, died of the plague.
5. The fifte (and that famouse indede) voiage in Syria made the moste mightie Kinges Philippe of Fraunce, and Richard of Englande surnamed Coeur de Lion. The same was done in the yeare of our Lord .1191. Howbeit they retourned withoute any woorthy exploicte done, wauntinge not a fewe of their menne.
6. And Palmerius a Cronographer: Henry sayeth he, the sonne of the Emperour Barbarousse, sent an Armie in to Syria: which retourneth agayne the nexte yeare. The Christians therefore being destitute of ayde in Syria, loste vtterly all the [Page 615] dominion, that they had lefte. He seaketh these things in the yere of our Lorde .1198.
7 Agayne in the yere of our lord .1213. Pope Innocent the .3. of that name sendeth his letters publicke to al the faythful of Christ, wherein he exhorteth them to take armour agaynste the infidelles, whiche possessed the holy lande.Innocente ye .3. as did Vrbane ye 2. ringeth a larme. Yf any manne haue leasure, and liste to reade the letters, he shall finde them in the Chronic. of Vrspurg. And not longe after in the yeare of our Lorde .1215. he holdeth a generall coūsel in Laterane, wherein warre is decreed agaynst the Easterlinges. And also Honorius the .3. aboute the yere of our Lord .1217. treateth and confirmeth the same thinge. Whereupon many christen Princes, mette at Accon, whiche some time was called Ptolemais, and made mortall warre vpon the Easterlynges. Wherein they toke the noble citie Damiata. Yet nother the ende nor fruicte aunswered so great enterprises, and costes, perilles and losses.
8 Therefore Fridericke the .2. and Emperour moste excellent, hopyng to doe some good, marcheth also with an enge and well furnisshed armie into the Easte: whiche they saye was done in the yeare of our Lorde .1234. In the meane season whilest he doeth valeauntly in the Easte, the Bisshoppe of Rome Gregory the .9. of that name, takyng an occasion (I vse the wordes of Vrspurgens.) of the absence of the Emperour sente a greate armie into Apulia, The pope setteth vpon themperour in the west, whilest he warreth in the Easte. and toke awaye the landes of the Emperour. Whiche was absent in the seruice of Christe, (whiche is moste wicked to be spoken) and kepte them thus subdued to his owne vse, and by no meanes wold suffer those whiche had taken the holy crosse (that is to saye, whiche should go a warfare to the Emperour) to take shippyng or passage, but letted them to his power aswel in Apulia as in Lumbardie. And more such stuffe, whiche they maye reade that haue leasure, in the same. Wherefore themperour constreyned, his matters there lefte vnperfit, to falle to a cō position with the enemie, retourned, that he might recouer such thinges as the Pope had taken from him.
9 And no longe time after, to witte in the yere of our Lord 1248. Lewis Kinge of Fraunce with his bretherne Roberte and Charles, and a moste puissaunt army, sayleth into Syria: [Page 616] where Robarte is slaine, and Charles taken of the Soldane, is hardely deliuered at the laste, and with a fewe escapeth.
The same king Lewis of Fraunce, in the yere of our Lord 1270. imbarketh himself with his three sonnes at Marselles, to sayle into Affricke. The plague light vpō his Armie in the enemies lande, wherwith both the father and the sonne died, and the whole Armie receyued an excedyng great calamitie.
And agayne, although they had but euill fauoured lucke in the warres against the Barbarians, yet was it neuerthelesse treated agayne in the counsell of Lions vnder Gregory the .10. about the yere of our Lord .1273. of recouering the holy land, But Palmerius in the yere of our Lorde .1291. Where many thousandes of the Christians, sayeth he, were slaine in Syria by the Saracenes, al the reste for feare fled out of the countrie. And the Chronicle of kinges of Fraūce. Aemilius, sayeth he, made here an ende of the holy warre (to witte in the yere of our Lord .1291.) Ptolemais in the Easte beyng destroyed by the Soldane. It is manifeste therefore that this Barbarous and gogical warre hath lasted aboute .195. yeares. So longe time as I knowe no other warre in the world that euer was made with such obstinate mindes, with so great armies, and so muche shedyng of mans bloud. We see in the meane time the tentes of sainctes, and the citie of God beloued, to witte the faithful church through out the world in the Easte especially, and in the west also, to be most greuousely afflicted, and more than oppressed and destroyed, a fewe smal remnauntes only remaynyng: that not with out cause we maye perceiue that the lord sayed in the gospell: but when the sonne of man shal come, shal he finde any fayth in the Earth?
Here is a place of Daniell treated by the waye 11. chapt.The moste holy and wise Prophet of God Daniel semeth to haue foresene and prophecied al those thinges, as he did al the reste concernyng Antichrist, which after he had spoken at large of the power of Antichrist, & worshippyng of the God Mayzim against the Apostles institution, he adioyneth in the 11. chapt. And in the time of the ende, to witte the ende of the world and laste iudgement approachyng, shal sette vpon him, namely vpon Antichrist, the king of the South, and the king of the North shal fall vpō him like a whirlewinde, with charettes and horsemen, with a strong and greate Nauie, and [Page 617] shall inuade his realmes, he shall ouerflowe with armies, to witte innumerable, and he shal passe through, that is to saye, he shal ouercome all like a conquerour doyng what he liste. For we haue perceyued, that the armies sent into the Easte by the counselles, and motion of the Bisshop of Rome haue molested by Sea and lande the turkes and also the Soldane of Babilon & Aegipte. What will ye saye that Daniel poincting as it were with his fingar the war called holy, addeth? He shal come also into the chosen lande, and inuade the lande of desire: namely Iewrie, whiche some time was called the chosen, delectable, and pleasaunt lande. And many shal falle, in the warre verely, that shal be made for the recoueryng of the holy lande. It followeth in Daniel, these shal be deliuered out of his hande, Aedom and Moab, & the Princes of the children of Ammon. For those nations are not red to haue ben so destroyed as the reste were, by the Saracenes, and after by the Turkes, for that they framed themselues to them in time. Daniel annexeth, and he shal laye his handes vpon realmes, nother shal the lāde of Aegipte escape. For it is euident, that the same also was possessed of the Soldanes princes of Babilon, and of themperours of Turkes. It followeth, and he shal haue the rule of the treasures of golde and siluer and all the preciouse thinges of the Aegiptians. By the whiche the prophet hath signified the inestimable treasures and richesse, and excellent maiestie of the Soldanes, and Turkish Emperours. All the whiche thinges, euen so as the Prophet hath sayde, experience proueth to haue ben, and as yet to be fulfilled. The Prophet addeth, finally the Libians and Aethiopians shal be in his iourneyes. Which tholde trāslatour hath tourned. He shal passe also through Lybia and Aethiopia: or as others haue trāslated it, they shal be in his waye. And he meaneth that those regions shall be open to those Barbarous Soldanes and emperours of Turkes, by leage, vicinitie, and amitie. S. Hierome expounding this place: when Aegipte, sayeth he, was taken, those landes were also affrayde. Wherfore he sayeth not, that he toke them: but passed through Lybia & Aethiopia. Whether sense of these so euer thou chousest, t [...]ou shalt not erre, as I thinke, frō the trewth. And Daniel addeth the brute from the Easte and frō the North shal trouble hi [...], [Page 618] in so much that he shall goe forth in a great furie to distroye and kill many. The whiche S. Hierome sheweth muste be vnderstāde of Antichrist. The Pope of Rome affirmeth that the seates Patriarchall are subiecte to him, as Hierusalem, Antioche and Alexandria, and the holy lāde to be his right. And he heareth, out of the East, and out of the North that al those partes are possessed of the Soldanes, and Emperours of Turkes: he calleth therefore great counselles, and decreeth warre against them. He heareth moreouer that Cōstantinople is taken, that the Rhodes is wonne, Dalmatia subdued, Bulgarie and Hongarie vanquissed, &c. Agayne therefore he sommoneth coūselles, he armeth kinges, he leadeth forth soldiours, he moueth warre, and decreeth that warre shall be made for the recouering of the holy lāde, and to roote out the Turkes. So verely this Gogmagog warre is not yet ended or appeased at this daye. Whereby it cōmeth to passe that an infinite multitude of men are slayne on eyther side. Furthermore at the ende of this Prophecie, the prophet sheweth, and as it were with his fingar poincteth, the palace or seate of Antichrist, by Antiochus figured before: leeste any manne should not know,The seate & palace of Antichrist. where Antichrist were to be founde. And he shall plante, sayeth he, or sixe the tabernacle of his palace betwixte two Seas: to wit the Hadriatical Sea, called now the goulfe of Venise, and the Tirrhene or Tuscane Sea, in the mounte of desire of holines: that is to saye in the pleasaunt and holy hille. We haue hearde certenly, that the palace of S. Peter is preferred both before mounte Zion, and also Sinai. There sitteth the most holy, in the seate of holines. There is moste full remission of al sinnes. There is the mouther, & supreme head of al churches. There is the high courte and iudgemēt, from whēce maie no mā appeale. There sitteth the king of kinges, and high Bisshop, whiche so farre excelleth in brightnes and Maiestie the Emperour and other kinges, as the sunne doeth the Moone and Starres. There is thought to be perfit holines, and al the treasures of Christ and of his Sainctes. Therefore saide Daniel rightly, that Antichriste shall dwell in the noble and holy hille, namely in the seuen hilly Rome: as we hearde also in the .17. chapt. Finally he prophecieth also of the ende of this most puissaunt prince, Antichrist, & sayeth: [Page 619] and what time he shall come to his ende, no man shall helpe him. For Christ comming to iudgement, shal thrust him out of his seate. And Daniel in the .12. chap. followyng describeth the iudgement. To Christ alone be glory.
Lette vs consequently procede to adde to a fewe thinges, concerning the paynes of the vngodly, and the euerlastyng condemnation of the Deuil and his membres. S. Iohn: and fire came downe from heauen, and deuoured them. And the prophet Amos in the .1. chapt. calleth Gods vengeaunce, fire, as the others do also. Wherfore S. Iohn signifieth, that the vengeaunce of God shall falle vpon all the enemies of the church. In times paste also fire commyng downe from heauen burnt vp Sodome and Gomorrhe: and also consumed the enemies of Helias. And although corporally fire doeth not alwayes falle from heauen, yet shall the persecutours of the church neuer escape vnpunnisshed, in that they haue vexed the Sainctes of Christ. Doubtles yf we will beholde and cō sider, what was done in that holy warre, and what chaūceth dayly, we will saye that the vengeaunce of God is most present bothe agaynst the Turkes and the Papistes. But if any man vnderstande, that aboute the ende of the world fire shall rage and consume the wicked, as also S. Peter mentioneth of fire and burnyng out of the prophetes .2. Pet. 3. I will not be agayns [...] it.
Laste of all he toucheth also the euerlastynge damnation of Sathan and all his membres. For where the Lorde sayde in the Gospell, yf the blinde leade the blinde, bothe shal falle into the ditche: it followeth, that both Sathan the deceauer, and the people of him seduced, shoulde be caried together to helle: where S. Iohn nowe placeth, and as it were ioyneth to gether the deuil, Gog and Magog, the Saracenes, Turkes, briefely all nations deceaued, the Beaste, and false Prophet, and all the Antichristians. We see therefore, that the iudgement of God is rightuouse, the which to describe, he retourneth nowe agayne. And we admonisshed before, by this speache, they shall be tormented daye and nighte, &c. The perpetuitie of damnation to be signified. From the whiche the Lorde our God deliuer vs: to whome be glory for euermore. Amen.
¶ The Iudge, and laste iudgement is described, with the resurrection of the dead. The .XC. Sermon.
AND I sawe a greate white seate: and him that sat on it, frō whose face fled awaye both the Earth and heauen, and their place was no more founde. And I sawe the dead, both great and smal stande before God: and the bokes were opened: & an other boke was opened, whiche is (the boke) of life, and the dead were iudged of the thinges whiche were writtē in the bokes, according to their dedes. And the Sea gaue vp her dead, whiche were in her, and death and helle deliuered vp the dead, which were in them: and they were iudged euery mā according to his dedes. And death and hel were caste into the lake of fire. This is the seconde death, and who so euer was not fownde written in the booke of life, was caste into the lake of fire.
The order or disposi [...]iō of this place.S. Iohn had begonne to speake of the vniuersall and laste iudgement, about the ende of the .11. chapt. And resumed the same to be finisshed in the .19. chapt. Where we hearde, that Antichrist shuld be throwē downe out of his seate and glory into helle. Where chaunced a question to arrise of thē, which although they cleaue not to Antichrist, yet are they not ioyned with Christe, what shal become of them at the last iudgement? That same when he had soluted, and shewed the equitie of Gods iudgementes, he retourneth as it were with an after songe to the description of the generall and laste iudgement, and compēdiousely describeth thesame: and that more generally now, than before in the .19. chap. Where he semeth [Page 621] chiefly to haue treated of the destruction of Antichriste: yet so that he shewed after a sorte also, what should happē to the other vngodly. Now he handleth more generally the self same iudgement, shewing that al shal be iudged herein, and setteth forth the same wholy as it were paincted to be sene of our eyes. For after his wonted maner he expoūdeth al this matter by an heauenly vision, that he might not seme only to tel the thing to our eares, but also to shewe it forth to be sene of our eyes, to thintent it might be more depely printed in our mindes. And al these thinges are most certen and vndoubted (as I also admonisshed you before) reuealed of the iudge Christ him self. But the iudge and Lord himself can be ignoraunt in nothinge of this matter. Nother can we perceyue that S. Iohn hath hitherto ben deceaued or abused in any thing that he hath set forth to vs, but hath hitte rightly al and singular poinctes, as we see, that cā testifie his prophecies to be fulfilled: whie than should we so muche as doubte ones of suche thinges as are spoken of the iudgement? Therefore let vs credite these thinges, and not be emonges the mockers, whom the Apostle S. Peter prophecied should come & saye: where is the promesse of his commyng?The consideratiō of the laste iudgement is of greatest in i [...]portaunce. doubtles this matter is of greatest importaunce, the foundation and rote of our faith. Here are to vs expoūded not a fewe articles of our sincere and catholicke fayth, chiefely these: I beleue that Christ shal come to iudge the quicke & the dead: I beleue the cōmunion of Sainctes, the resurrection of the fleshe, and life euerlastyng. Let vs therfore be dilligent in hearyng and marking these thinges, leeste we be accompted of their nombre, which heare with out any fruicte the misteries of the kingedome of God: but lette vs rather prepare our selues to goe mete the iudge, to the ende we maye with the wise virgins, enter with the brydegrome, to the mariage, and ioyes euerlastyng.
And the description or demonstration of this vision hath these thinges chiefely: what the iudge shal be:The principall articles of this [...]ace. who shal be iudged: how they shal be iudged: of what sorte shal be the [...] surrection of the dead: and of euerlastyng damnation: finally who shal be properly damned. Which things I shal in order accordyng to the grace that God hath geuen me, declare as playnely as I can.
¶ What iudge at ye last iudgement.What maner of iudge there shal be, we haue vnderstād before: at this presēt he is shadowed by certē notes or markes. These thinges agree with the same vision, which is described of Daniel in the .7. chapt. Where by the waye we see agayne how this boke hath his testimonies of the prophetes, of whō it is cōmended to vs, like as Iohn also expoundeth to vs the prophets. S. Iohn seeth a seate, and that white & great. For the iudge him self sayde, that he would come in glory & maiestie, to witte with great light. And we beleue also that his iudgemētes are rightuouse, iust & white. And Aretas an expositour sayeth: the seate is great, because he sitteth therin, of whō the prophet sayde: great is the Lord, & great is his power, &c. And in the seate as iudge of al, & that moste rightuouse, he sitteth, furnisshed with all power & vertue. For al this signifieth the worde of sittyng. They that are to be iudged stāde, he sitteth. Therfore he calleth him that sitteth, as you would say iudge. For other name he geueth not. But we beleue, that al iudgement is geuen to the sonne, and that he is appoincted iudge ouer all. S. Iohn therfore seeth, and also sheweth vs to beholde the Lord Iesus Christ commyng in the clowdes of the ayre, a rightuouse & mightie iudge. S. Paule also in the .2. to Titus calleth him a great God: not that there is one great god: and an other little God, but that the Maiestie of our Lorde Iesu Christ shal at that daye moste euidently be sene, and the lord him selfe shal than shewe him selfe to the world with greater glory and power, than euer heretofore.
Frō whose fight heauen fleeth.The same shall appere also moste seuere and moste iuste. Wherupon S. Iohn sayeth figuratiuely, from whose face fled awaye both heauen and Earth. For if those thinges whiche haue not sinned, dare not come in the iudges sight, but seke as it were to saue themselues by Sight: where I praye thee shal appere the vngodly & sumer? And doubtles the prophet Malachie also: who, sayeth he, shal abide the daye of his commyng? or who is able to stande, when he shal appere? So in the sixte chapter we hearde, that heauen fled backe, and was folden vp like a scrolle, that the mountaynes also and Iles flitted, and that Kinges and Princes and other men hidde themselues in caues: and sayde to the hilles and rockes, falle vpō vs hide vs from the face of him that sitteth on the seate, [Page 623] and from the wrath of the lambe, &c. By whiche wordes although be described the effecte of a desperate cōscience out of corrupte doctrine: yet the same shall appere chiefely in this iudgement, what time the seuere and moste rightuous iudge shall appere. A muche like figure is red in the .18. Psalme. Where is added, and their place was no more fownde: it is annexed to amplifie the matter, not that Heauen and Earth shal be no where, but for so muche as they dare not (whiche is spoken by a figure) appere in the iudgement of God. By al these thinges therfore is signified, that the vngodly beyng destitute of all counsell, shal not knowe at that daye whither to tourne them, or what to doe: but trembling and despayryng to be vexed with vnspeakeable tormentes before the seate. It might be thought in the meane season, that S. Iohn signifieth this also, howe heauen and earth should at the cō myng of the iudge be renewed. The whiche also the Apostle S. Peter more playnely expresseth in the .3. chapt. of the seconde Epistle, whiche neuerthelesse referreth and applieth al those his sayinges to the same sense that we haue touched before. For he sayeth: seyng than that all these thinges shall be disolued, what ought you to be in holy conuersation, loking for and hasting the cōmyng of the day of God? Aretas of Cesaria: the flight of heauen and earth, sayeth he, signifieth no chaungyng of place, (for whither should they flee?) but flight & flittyng from corruption to incorruption, and the laste cō myng of the lord, vnder the which this mortal body of ours shal putte on immortalitie, and the face of the Earth shal be renewed. This sayeth he, a like phrase of speach is had in the 12. of the Apocalipse, of the Angelles caste downe out of heauen: nother was their place founde any more in heauen, &c.
Nowe toucheth he also who shall be iudged,Who shall be iudged. verely the dead. For he sayeth: and I sawe the dead. And shorteth after we shall heare, that the dead shal be reysed vp. Therfore they shal be iudged that rise from the dead. Neuertheles the liuing are not exēpted, whome the Apostle sayeth most manifestly shal be iudged in the .4. of the first to he Thess. But these he nameth not at this present, the dead he nameth: for that the resurrectiō of the dead is more hardely beleued: & more easely beleued, that those which remayne in flesh should be iudged [Page 624] at that daye. And verely the soules neuer die, the bodies die. Therfore where it is sayde here, that the dead shal be iudged, we meane that al those, which are dead at that daie shal come in their owne bodies to the iudgement of Christ. And al men must be iudged.All mē are iudged. Wherefore S. Iohn seeth great and smalle: that is to witte, men of all sortes, state, sexe and age. Kinges and princes are not excepted, the common people shall not escape, nother children, nor olde folkes, men nor wemen. All these seeth he standyng before the face, or iudgement seate of God. The gilty or accused, or to be accused shal be set before the iudgemente seate of God. And S. Paule also testifiyng expressely of this matter: we must al, sayeth he, appere before the iudgement seate of Christe, that euery one maye receaue in his body, accordyng to that he hath done, whether it be good or euil .2. Corinth. 5. chapt. but after a diuerse maner appere both good & euill. For the wicked as giltie are brought to be iudged and punnished, and that their giltines maye be openly knowē to al creatures.The vngodly are iudged, not the godly. The good, for asmuch as they be iustified and quitte, & haue nowe no more gilte nor crime by reason of Christes satisfaction, appere in iudgement with glory, ready to iudge the vngodly after their fashiō and maner, and not to be iudged of any. And this thinge is singular that, he sayeth, that we shall be iudged in the sighte of God. For who can appere in the sight of the tremblable God, and fire consumyng all thinges, saue he that is purged with the bloud of Christe? and what shall we thinke can be hidde or escape the sight of God, seyng all thinges?
How men shall be iudged in the laste iudgemēt.S. Iohn moreouer declareth, howe the dead shoulde be iudged: bokes, sayeth he, are opened: and an other booke is opened, &c. Therefore by the bokes, after by the boke of life: that is to saye, of such thinges as are written in those bokes, the dead are iudged. For the Scripture ascribeth vnto God the maner of men, wherby men are wonte to write for themselues remembraunces, leest they should forget thinges: but with God al things are ones and alwayes present, he nother forgetteth,The forgettyng & remēbryng of God. nor remembreth: not withstanding the Scripture attributeth to him both. Howebeit God is sayde to forgette, when he helpeth not, or punnissheth not: agayne he is sayde to remēbre, what time he helpeth or pūnisheth. In Malachie [Page 625] the vngodly saye, howe God hath no care of mens matters, nother doeth he for the godly, nor yet pūnisheth the wicked. But immediately aūswere is made: than thei that feared the lord spake euery one to his neighbour: the lord gaue eare and hearde & a boke of remembraunce was made in his presence, &c. As followeth. Therfore their bokes opened, that is to say, the secrettes of al mē brought to light, or made manifest, the lord shal iudge what so euer hath ben thought, saide, done, or lefte vndone. The bokes also of consciences (for the cōscience is in stead of a thousande witnesses) shal be opened in iudgement, God reuealyng and iudging al thinges. For S. Paule speakyng of the gentiles: they, sayeth he, shewe the worke of the lawe written in their hartes, their cōscience also bearyng witnes, & their thoughtes accusing one au other, or also excusing, in that daye, wherein the lord shal iudge the secrettes of menne, according to my gospell, through Iesus Christ. And these are in dede the bookes whiche shall be vnclosed in the iudgement. Whereof it appereth, that the iudgement shal be done with most expedition, nother shall euery man be reasoned with all, by bookes written to make the iudge wery, as the ignoraunt might imagine hereby.
But what is that singular boke of life,The boke of life. which also shalbe opened in the iudgemēt? of ye boke of life is spokē in the .3. cha. There you may see. To be brefe, the boke of life hath but one article: he yt beleueth in the sonne of god hath life euerlasting. And therfore mē are iudged of this yt is writtē in the boke of life. For they that beleue are saued: they that beleue not, are already iudged, that is to saye are most assuredly damned.
And for asmuch as faith sheweth it selfe by workes,Euery mā is iudged of his workes. incredulitie also hidde in the harte bewrayeth her self by workes: therefore S. Iohn addeth incontinently, accordyng to their workes. For man in the Scriptures is likened to a tree. And the tree is iudged of the fruicte, whether it be good or euill. A tree hath a growing or increasing life which in latin is called, Anima vegetatiua, & a nature or disposition, bringyng forth fruicte after his nature & kinde. But that soule vegetatiua & that good dispositiō, bringing forth in vs good fruicte, yt is to saye good workes, is a liuely faith in Christ, where the same is, there the man is regenerated, & hath a good disposition: [Page 626] therfore cā he not scharse by reasō of his good dispositiō, but bring forth good fruictes. Therfore after our workes we shal be iudged al. For the iudgemēt must be open & manifest: but faith appereth not, but in workes. For it is ye gifte of God, & is of it selfe inuisible, to witte a sure truste in the promesses of God. And it is sene in workes. Howbeit therof it followeth not, that men ar iustified by workes also, & not by faith only: but that by workes faith is declared, which purifieth & iustifieth, that afterwarde we may be able to bring forth ye workes of rightuousenes. It followeth, how in iudgemēt no pretēce, no hipocrisie shal be allowed. For many say thei beleue, whiche declare their faith by no good workes. We learne herof, yt no boke shal be of force at the last iudgemēt, saue the bokes of God, or the bokes of cōsciēces, wherin god writeth wt his fingar: finally the boke of life writtē of God before ye worlds were made, through his diuine predestinatiō, wherby he hath predestinated vs, yt he might adopt vs for his childrē by christ Iesus. And the rest, which S. Paul reciteth in ye .1. to the Ephes. Therefore shal the hurtefull bookes of Iewes. Christians in title only, and Turkes, as the Thalmud, decretalles and Alcorane perishe. These shal be of no force at al in the iudgement.
Of the resurrection of ye dead.Now he retourneth to ye dead, of whō he had made mentiō before, & leest any mā shuld saie: how shal the dead be iudged, which were drowned in the sea, whith were swallowed vp of fishes, & deuoured of wilde beastes, which were consumed wt fire, or in the earth, were brought into duste? he preuenteth, & declareth, that the bodies of the dead rise agayne, & beyng so restored come to iudgement, & saieth: and the sea gaue vp the dead, yt were therin: that is to saie, which had perished in the Sea. And by these wordes also hath he touched the maner & meane of the resurrectiō of the dead, & hath sent vs withal to the .1. of Genes. The maner of ye resurrection is gods omnipotēcie, as S. Paul also witnesseth in ye .3. to ye Philip. For god by his omnipotencie reiseth vp, & calleth those things yt are not, that thei may be. Yf this thing seme vnto thee new or vnpossible, beholde ye beginnyng of things, & therof esteme ye small restitution. Was not ye Sea or water frō the beginnyng? but is it writtē to haue had any fishes frō the beginning? none at al. But God cōmaūded that the water shuld be replenished wt fish. And did not streight at gods cōmaūdement all maner [Page 627] of fishes appere, where before there was not one? what maruell is it thā, yf god in thende of things, cōmaund the Sea, & other elemēts also, to yeld again their dead, & thei obey their maker? Verely the Lord in the gospel saieth, that they which are in their graues also,Ihon: 5 shal heare the voice or cōmaūdemēt of the sonne of God, and shal ryse againe. The bodies moreouer of them that dye, are turned for the most parte in to the same elements from whence they were taken oute. There is that putrifieth in the earth, and is cōuerted in to earth. Ther are some consumed with fyre. There are some that perishe in water. Some hang in the ayre, and are there consumed. But at the Lordes commaundent, by what kynd of death so euer they perish, they shall ryse agayne to the iudgement whole. Aretas also Bishop of Cesaria perceiued this and sayed: he reciteth these things, to the intent he might declare what the finall and vniuersal resurrection shall be. For where many beleuyng not that the same shall be, do say, that it is by no meanes possible, to be in those bodies, which haue ben long corrupted, and broughte to that poincte, that they be not at all: this sermon nowe correcting this, sayeth: Lyke as the bodies, when they were not, began to be, not by a certen chaūce, or of themselues, but of the four elements, namely of Water, Fyre, Ayre, and Earth: So also beyng reasonably returned agayne into the same, may be of the same cōposed againe. &c.
And for a further declaratiō he addeth agayne:Death and hel gaue vp them. &c. and death and hell gaue vp those, which were in them, dead. For he vnderstādeth by death, any kynd of death, as though he shulde say: death it selfe restoreth to the Iudge & iudgement, whom soeuer, after what sort soeuer he hath dispatched. Death therfore is fayned to be as it were a person, which holdeth the dead in himselfe, or in a prison. And hel hath yet but a fewe bodies (for some we read to haue gone down to hell quicke) but the soules of the wicked. The same retourne to their bodies, that the whole man may be iudged, body and soule. Others by hell, after the Hebrewe phrase, vnderstande a sepulture or graue. Agayne is repeted, that the whole man shal be iudged body and soule, after euery mannes workes.
Thus much hitheto of the resurrectiō of the dead,Of euerlasting damnation. wherof in our bokes els wher, we haue treated more at large. In the [Page 628] laste place followith of euerlastinge damnation, and who be properly condemned. And Hell, sayeth he, and death are cast in to the lake of fyre. Whereof hath ben spoken before. And Hell here signifieth not the place of pūnishmēt, but those that are inhabiters of Helle, to witte whose soules are yet deteined in hel, or appointed thither. Death also signifieth those that are deade in sinne, and they which from the spirituall or tēporall death, go straight way to death euerlasting. Wherevpon is immediately annexed. This is the second death, by the which verely they that are dead to Christe, are adicted to perpetual fyre, and that lyue to Antichrist and the world. Others expounde these thinges hereof, that after the iudgemēt the Saincts shal nother be buried any more, nor die. Which S. Paule affirmeth also out of Osee in the firste to the Corinth. the .15. chap. Aretas and Primasius make with vs. For Aretas saieth: and he calleth death and hel, those that haue cōmitted thinges worthie of punnishment, as fulfilling the numbre of the second death. And Primasius, by these names, sayeth he, he signifieth the Deuil (because he is authour of death, and paynes in Hell) and also the whole fellowship of Deuylles. For this is the same, that he spake more playnelye before, by the way of preuēting: and the Deuil, which deceaued them, was caste in to the lake of fyre and brimstone. And that which he added there more obscurely, sayeng, and the beaste & the false prophet, here more playnely. So much Primasius. And who knoweth not, that the membres muste followe the head, all vngodly the Deuyll, the head of all vngodlynes.
Whych ar not writtē in the boke of lyfe.And moste euidētly he expresseth, who properly at the iudgement, are addicte to fyre euerlasting: they that are nother written, nor sound in the boke of lyfe. Therefore shall the only faythfull in Christe, in whome they are predestinated vnto lyfe euerlasting, shall be saued. All others, of what religion so euer they be, or what so euer kynd of lyfe they haue lyued be it neuer so strayte, shall perish. Others referre these words to such as are lefte a lyue at that daye. For we beleue that the son of God shall iudge both the quicke and the dead. Doubtles whether they be lyuing, or whether they be dead, certain it is, that no man shall be saued in any other, but in the fayth of Iesu Christe, all the resydewe shall be damned. And this [Page 629] is the finall end of the good and euill. To Christe Iesu iudge of all, and redemer of the faythfull, be prayse and glory for euermore. Amen.
¶ That the worlde shall be renewed, the Saincts glorified and made blessed: and what that felicitie shall be, and howe certeyne. The .XCj. Sermon.
AND I sawe a newe Heauen and a newe Earth. The .21. chapter. For the first Heauen and the first Earth were vanished away, & there was no more Sea. AND I Ihon sawe that holy Citie newe Hierusalem, come downe from God oute of Heauen, prepared as a bryde garnished for her husband. And I heard a great voice from the seat, sayeng: beholde, the Tabernacle of God is with men, and he wil dwel with them. AND they shal be his people, and God himselfe shall be with them, and shal be their God. And God shal wipe awai al teares from their eyes. And there shall be no more death, nother sorrowe, nother shal ther be any more payne. For the ould thinges are gone. And he that sat vpon the seat, saide: behold, I make al things newe. And he saied vnto me, wryte: for these wordes are faythfull and true. And he sayed vnto me, it is done.
I admonished you aboute the begynning of the .15. The order chap. of this boke, that the fifte parte of this worke began at the .15 chap. and treated of the iudgementes of God righteous and iuste. And forasmuch as the iudgementes of God are of two sortes, in this that he requyteth the euyll according to their [Page 630] wickednes, and rewardeth the good with rewards: I sayed howe this place consisted of two parts. For first I sayed that S. Ihon most plentifully treated of torments to be inflicted to Antichrist and all vngodly: secondly of rewardes, especially in the end of the world, to be imployde vpon al sainctes. For ofte times haue we heard in this boke that the soules seperated from the body, are immediatly after the corporall death, taken vp in to lyfe euerlaking, but that the felicitie of al most complete, chaūceth to the faithfull in the ende of the worlde, what time the bodies now raised againe, receiue the rewards of glory euerlasting. And this place is treated through oute al the .21. chap. & beginning of the .22. cha. And lyke as in the former parte he hath set hel in a maner wyde opē, & shewed ye euerlasting torments as it were to be sene presently: so in this later part he vnlocketh after a fort, or openeth heauen it selfe, that with the eyes of faith, we shulde se what hope and glory abydeth for Sainctes. And with all is most clerely expoūded the article of our faith,¶ I beleue lyfe euerlasting. I beleue lyfe auerlasting. And agayne for the more perspecuitie he declareth these things by a visiō. Which others nōbre the seuēth & laste. Therfore ar al things figured spiritually, not carnally to be vnderstand and taken. Doubtles the matters are excellēt vnderstand, euen after the letter: howbeit we must thinke of spiritual matters, and greater alwayes, than the speach of man can atteine to. For we know as taught by the doctrine of the Prophets & Apostles, to be alwaies true that is said: yt the eye hath not sene, nor the eare hath not hearde, nor ascended in to the hart of man, those things which god hath prepared for them yt loue him. 1. Cor. 2
The chiefe articles of this place of ye g [...]orye of the blessed.And the chefest poincts of this place be these. First he sheweth that ye world shalbe renewed. Secōdly he signifieth that the Saincts shalbe glorified & blessed. And declareth in general what that same fiticitie shal be. And incōtinētly he confirmeth these things by many reasons, moreouer he describeth the place, the courte & Palace of the blessed, and lykewise the glory and felicitie of Saincts. The which in the beginning of the .20. chap. he finisheth vp excedingly wel, vnder the figure of a r [...]uer & [...]ree of lyfe. And lyke as he hath for the most part borowed al his things out of ye bokes of prophets, the which S. Ihon also with his reuelation lighteneth: so hath he also at [Page 631] this present borrowed these out of the .65. and .66. chapt. of Esaye. And .37. of Ez [...]chiel, and the laste chapters of the same.
Of the renewyng of the world he speaketh plainely,Of the renewyng of ye world. as doeth also thapostle S. Peter in his later Epistle, the .3. chap. that al thinges verely shuld be purged by fire, & not wholy abolished & adnichilated, but should doubtles be purified from all corruptiō: for Aretas: he signifieth not, sayeth he thextinguisshing of the creature, but a renewyng for the better. Therfore sayeth S. Iohn expressely, that he sawe a newe heauē, & a newe earth, wherunto he addeth by exposition: that the first heauē, & the first earth are vanisshed awaye: to wit they are chaūged in their qualities: so yt the corruptible thinges are now gone, created for corruptible vses. For euen so is the Sea no more, also doubtles subiecte to corruptiō, but chaūged into better. S. Austen, and his scollar Primasius suppose that the troublesome state of the world (signified not seldome in ye scriptures by the Sea) about thende of the world shal cease. Reade ye .17. chap. of the .20. boke De ciuitate dei. Expoūding this place, he reasoneth likewise at large of this innouatiō of the world, in the same .20. boke De ciuitate dei, & .18. chap. & other places. I thinke mere in this matter to put awaie al curiositie: & if any hid thing appere therin, that it be reserued vnto yt daie, in the which we shal see al thinges euidently. And I suppose yt these things cōcerning the renewyng of heauē & earth ar not therfore spokē, yt so ther shuld any place be prepared for vs, which we shuld inhabite again in these inferiours partes vnder heauē (for we beleue yt we shal flie vp into heauē, & go mete ye lord in the clowdes, according to the doctrine of thapostle. 1. Thess. 4.) but for ye our mindes are thus confirmed, that the faithful shal vndoubtedly be renewed & glorified. For if heauen and earth, made for man, be renewed & purefied: who wil doubte now, that men themselues shal be moste chiefely clarified?
For cōsequently now S. Iohn declareth,Sainctes muste be glorified. that the Sainctes shall both be renewed & glorified, & placed in blessed seates: & signifieth yet generally what ye glory of saincts shal be. After he will declare more at large and seuerally all those thinges moste dilligently. For he heareth an Angel sayeng: come I wil shewe thee the bryde the wife of the lambe, &c. The same now figuratiuely he nameth a citie, & that in dede holy, & new [Page 632] Hierusalem. And a citie signifieth aswel the place & habitatiō, as them that dwelle in the place, I meane the citezens themselues. This citie therfore is not only the place of the blessed, but also the very cōmunion of sainctes, in olde time prefigured in the citie of Hierusalem. But he putteth a greate difference betwixte this of our newe, and that visible and corporall Hierusalem.Hierusalē. For he calleth ours holy: that other in the lande of Palestine was prophane, polluted with the bloud of Christ, prophetes and Apostles, & for the same cause destroyed vtterly. Ours is also called newe. For the cōmunion of Sainctes shal be renewed at the same daye. And therefore by interpretation followeth, cōmyng downe from heauen: not that the habitation of Sainctes after iudgement shall againe be in earth: but that the glory and renewyng shal be graūted from heauen of the diuine maiestie & power. As also S. Iames is red to haue sayde, euery good gifte and euery perfit gifte is from aboue, commyng downe from the father of lightes. And S. Paule also in the .4. to the Galath. sayde that the free church is the heauenly Hierusalē. The same in the .1. Corinth. the .15. The firste man, sayeth he, of the earth earthly, the seconde man the lord himself from heauē. Such as that earthly was, suche are they also that be earthly: and suche as that heauenly was, such are they also that be heauēly. And as we haue borne the Image of the earthly mā, so shal we beare also the Image of the heauenly. Therfore sayed S. Iohn most rightly, that the churche of Sainctes commeth downe from heauen, to witte frō heauen receauing her glory. For againe by a demonstration: prepared of God, sayeth he, as a bryde garnished for her husbande. For the Apostle in the .2. to the Corinth. the .5. We know, sayeth he, that yf our earthly mansion of this tabernacle be destroied, we haue bildyng of god, a mansion not made with hande, euerlastyng in heauen. And anone: he that hath prepared vs for the same is God. He remoueth from his sainctes al corruptiō, but geueth and teacheth to be purified with al giftes of the body, that so they may be garnisshed worthely, and maye dwell in the euerlastyng bryde chamber with their brydegrome Christe. Wherefore this garnisshynge consisteth in the abolishinge of all corruption and mortalitie, and in the gifte of vncorruption, immortalitie, [Page 633] and glory. Of the purefying and deckyng of the bryde speaketh the Apostle S. Paule also in the .5. chapter to the Ephesians. And in this worlde beginneth the purgyng and trimmyng, and finally at the ende is finisshed most perfitly. For than shal the church haue nother spotte nor wrincle, al corruption verely wiped awaie, and al glory receyued. And here learne by the waye, that the Sainctes are prepared of God: therefore saluation to be of mere grace.
And he procedeth to declare yet more playnely,What shal be the eternall felicitie. what the glory shal be: whereof in this worke he hath ben occasioned to speake oftener than ones. Blessednes chiefely consisteth in two thinges. For God will geue vnto his Sainctes all that good is, and wil take from them al euill: and so shal these for euer inioye the souerayne good, and felicitie most perfit, and shal waunte al payne and miserie. S. Austen in thende of his boke De ciuit. dei: Howe great, sayeth he, shal that felicitie be, where no euill shal be, no good shal waunt? and this declaration of eternal felicitie hath her partes, whereby she is made manifest. For firste a voyce, and that a great cried from the Trone: beholde the tabernacle of God with men. The coniunction of God with holy men, was in time paste prefigured by the Tabernacle of wittenesse, whereby God testified that he would be in the middes of his people. And the same shal he at thende after the iudgement verfourme most aboū dantly. And therefore that voyce annexeth:In ye presence and fruition of god shal b [...] al good. &c. and he will dwell with them, and they shal be his people, and God himselfe with them, and will be their God. The whiche S. Paule semeth to haue vttered more succinctely and briefely, and God shall be all in all. For what so euer is good, what so euer is faire, what so euer is pleasaunt and delectable, what so euer the minde of mā can imagine to be wisshed for, briefely what so euer apperteyneth to the true and perfit felicitie, and blessed life. That same shall that great God almightie be whole, and shal shewe in him selfe most fully. And like as al and singular menne do inioye vnto a pleasaunt satietie the amiable brightnes, and hol [...] some heate of the sunne, that neue [...]theles the same loseth nothing by the same: and albeit that al men vse the sunne in common, and euery man [...]e neuerthelesse inioyeth the same as proper and peculiar: right so in another [Page 634] world we shal vse that eternal light, and ioye euerlasting and vnspeakeable. Whereof incontinently shal followe thinges more plentifull.
God will deliuer the Sainctes from all payne.And than, like as God in himself geueth to the glorified al goodnes, so wil he remoue al euil from the same: so that they be not only deliuered frō calamities, but the same shal neuer retourne, nor be feared more. The whiche in moste plentifull wise he declareth, by wordes borrowed out of the oracles of the prophetes. God shal wipe awaye, sayeth he, al teares frō their eyes. Which kinde of speach he vsed also in the .7. chap. verely taken out of the .25. and .65. chap. of Esaye. And Dauid also in .126. Psalm. They that sowe in teares, sayeth he, shall reape in gladnes. He semeth to haue alluded to moothers, which wipe the eyes of their tender and dere childrē criyng, comforte the sorrowfull, and cherishe them hurte or bruissed. Therfore if the Sainctes haue suffered any payne or grefe in this world, when they shal come into an other world, it shal be requited thē, and prouided, that they shal fele no more aduersitie. The lord sayde also in the gospel: verely verely I saie vnto you ye shal wepe and lamēt, but the world shal reioyce: and you shal be sorowfull, but your sorowe shall be tourned into ioye, &c. In the .16. of Iohn.
Consequently he declareth yet more fully by nombryng of the calamities, that the sainctes in an other life shall be deliuered at ones from al euill: and death shal be no more. For they shal be rewarded with life euerlastyng. Therefore shall there be no more feare of death, whiche is in a maner more bitter than death it selfe. The same affirmeth the Apostle in the first to the Corinth. the .15. alledgyng the testimony of the Prophete Osee. There shall be no mournyng nor sorrowe, whiche drieth vp the bones, although most ful of iuyce. For the ioye of Sainctes shal be perpetuall. There shal be no clamour, no complayncte, no expostulatyng or vmbraydyng. For whie, there shall be no iniurie, no mallice or enuie. This worlde sowndeth and redoundeth full of the clamorous and cries of poore wretches. But in the blessed seates shal be no miserie. There shal be no payne ( [...]) labour, sickenes, werines. The cause hereof, for the olde thinges are gone. There is nowe an other life, yea and that a moste diuerse maner of [Page 635] liuyng, from that whiche we liue nowe. Therefore what soeuer is of sinne, and subiecte to corruption, shall there be taken awaye: as the Lorde sayde in the Gospell,Iohn. 5. the children of this worlde doe marrie, and are maried: but they that shal be accompted worthie to attayne to that other worlde, and resurrection from the dead, shall nother marrie, nor be married. For they can dye no more: for they are egall with Aungelles, and be the children of God, sins they are the children of resurrection. Luke. 20. chapt. But of eternall life we haue spoken, more in our cōmentaries vpō the .12. of Matth. And the Lorde him selfe in Iohn collecteth the some of all, and sayeth, howe he maketh all thinges newe. Therefore in the world to come we shal thinke of no carnal nor corrupt thing, but an heauenly.
But the mindes of the faythfull are greuousely tempted in this matter, the Deuill suggestynge,A weightie cōfirmatiō yt all these things are vndoubted which are spoken of the blessed life. that the hope of the faythfull is vayne: and that is a thing moste folisshe, to contemne good thinges presente and certayne, for glory vncertayne. There be innumerable others of the same sorte, which come to the minde of manne, and trouble and shake the faith of eternall life. The Lord therefore the faythfull Phisition of his, leeste they should fele any hinderaunce in this behalf, cō firmeth these thinges g [...]auely and many wayes: declaryng the hope of the faythfull to be moste certayne, and al thinges to be vndoubted, whiche are or shall be taught of eternal life, of the felicitie and glory of sainctes. And he placeth this assertion as it were in bat [...]ayle raye, after he hath certenly collected the some of felicitie, whereunto by and by he will adde fuller thinges after the vision exhibited.
And here is to be vnderstand, that the certentie of the blessed life is shewed moste expressely of al by these wordes: and he sayde vnto me, wryte, &c. And neuerthelesse by the former wordes also no weake reasons of the veritie be gathered.
And firste in dede he sayde: I Iohn sawe. And we knowe Iohn 1 to be an Apostle and witnesse of the trewth, whose testimony it is vnlaweful to distruste. Seyng therefore this godly mā, sawe the thinges himselfe, whiche he reherseth, to doubte of the same were a wickednes.
Secondly he heareth a voice, & a great, moreouer pronounced 2 [Page 636] out of the Trone, to wit of the .xxiiii. Elders & spretes angelicall, & of the whole heauenly hoste. And who can doubte of their testimony, whiche already are in blesse euerlastyng? They know, and haue experiēce what the felicitie is, therfore they speake and testifie that is tried and knowen.
3 Moreouer he him selfe that sitteth in the Trone, speaketh and testifieth, saying: beholde I make al thinges newe. God is true, and in him is no leasyng. And seyng he testifieth so playnely, that life euerlasting shal be: and we see him declare it also, of what sorte it shal be: no place for doubtefulnes hereafter is relinquisshed.
4 And the thinges that he hath shewed and declared of the happie life, he cōmaundeth immediately to wryte. Thinges are written for a perpetuall memorial of the thing, which we knowe to be true and substantial. For wrytinges or testimonialles whiche are written or made and sealed, by the lawe of nations, and common custome of men, haue the force of an vndoubted testimony. But such letters or testimonialles are made and sealed at the commaundement of God. For God commaundeth S. Iohn to write those same, which ar taught of the blessed life: and therefore they be true, vndoubted, and infallible. As he himself immediately annexeth and saieth: for these wordes are faythful & true, stable I saye, & immutable what can be spoken more euident than these? here is also the authoritie of holy Scripture establisshed. But he addeth an other thing almost more vehement: and he sayde vnto me, it 5 is done. By the which maner of speaking is signified, eyther that the ende is commen, and all thinges accomplisshed, like as it is vsed in the .16. chap. or els that the thing which is spoken, and beleued to come, to be so certaine as though it were done already. We Germanes so ofte as we will signifie, that the thing whiche we haue pourposed, or promised and sayde, to be sure, we are wonte to saye, Es ist gemacht, it is done. Let vs therefore beleue assuredly these and all Gods wordes. Moreouer let vs geue our lorde God moste hartie thankes, which with so great faith and dilligence susteyneth & confirmeth our hope: and hath commaunded these misteries of our saluation to be put in writyng, and publisshed to the whole world in all ages. To him be glory for euermore. Amen.
¶ It is furthermore declared, that the hope of the euerlastyng and blessed felicitie and glory to be certayne and vndoubted. The .xcij. Sermon.
I Am Alpha and Omega, the beginnyng and the ende. I wil geue to him that is a thirste of the wel of the water of life freely. He that ouercommeth, shall inherite all thinges. I will be his God, and he shal be my sunne. But the feareful and vnbeleuing, and the abominable, and murtherers, & whoremongers, and sorcerers, & idolaters and liars shall haue their parte in the lake, that burneth with fire and brimstone, whiche is the seconde death.
Vnto all the former commeth nowe the sixte testimony of the certentie of the true felicitie of the faythfull,God is beginnyng & ende. taken of the very nature of God. For he pronoūceth of himself and sayeth, I am α and ω: And immediately by exposition, the beginnyng and ende. This he toke out of Esaye, with whō the lord sayeth oftener than ones, I am firste and laste. And here let no man imagine that God is firste in order, referryng the beginnyng to the consequences, as though he had a beginnyng: or that he is called the laste or ende, as though he shuld ones haue an ende: but the contrary rather in this fourme of speakyng is to be vnderstand, to witte that God hath no beginnyng, no ende, but to be euerlastyng, of whom al thinges haue their beyng, & by whose decree al things haue an ende: where he himself indureth for euer, and his yeres neuer fade: like as in an other place the prophet sayeth, and the Apostle also. And for asmuche as he is eternall, without beginnyng and without ende, which liueth alwayes, and al thinges that liue he quickeneth, and preserueth in life: howe I praye you [Page 638] should not he quicken the faithfull? So certayne therefore is the life, saluation and felicitie of the faythfull, as it is certaine that God is life, and that in dede life euerlastyng. For he is euerlastyng, & the life of the faithful. Of the phrase of speach, I am α and ω, I haue spoken in the first chapt. and third Concion or Sermon.
God hath promised euerlastīg saluation.The seuenth testimony of our vndoubted saluation is taken of the veritie of God, and his promesses, & hath a certen cosygnage with the former. For that which God hath promised, the same also cā he perfourme with no paine. He hath promised, a blessed life, moste assuredly therefore will he perfourme the same to the faithful. And he alledgeth the promise of God in dede at this present, & bringeth in God speakyng to Iohn and to vs also in these wordes: to him that thirsteth I will geue of the wel of liuely water: that is to saye, I, that am life and eternal, and euen eternal life, will geue the faithful to drynke the water of life, that is to saye I will quicken him, preserue him in life, and deliuer him from death and al euils, and wil rewarde him with al heauenly giftes. Who can here doubte of the veritie of him that promiseth, especially sins this place or this promise is red in mo places than one. Dauid in the .36. Psalme singeth plaine: thy mercy, O lord, reacheth vnto the very Heauens: and thy faythfulnesse vnto the clowdes: thy rightuousenes is like the strong mountaynes, thy iudgementes are like the great deepe. Thou lorde sauest both manne and beast. How excellent is thy mercy O God? And the children of menne shal put their truste vnder the shadowe of thy winges. Thei shal be satisfied with the plētuousnes of thy house: and thou shalt geue them drynke out of the riuer of thy pleasures. For with thee is the wel of life, and in thy light shal we see light. Full many of these thinges are in the Prophetes, and are expounded of our sauiour him selfe in the .4.6. and .7. chapter of S. Iohn. Where he sheweth, that he geueth water, and holesome drynke to the faythfull, whiche at the length shoulde sprynge vp into life euerlastynge. Moste certayne it is therefore, that the faythfull are quickened by Christe: and therefore, the blessed lyfe of the faithful is, and shal be moste assured and certayne, as promised by so many expresse promesses of God. Of this water of [Page 639] life we had some things in the .7. chapt. of this boke towarde the ende, and shall haue certen playne matters in the beginnyng of the .22. chapt.
But in the meane while and by the waye,How e [...]e [...] nall l [...]fe is cōmunicated to vs. he sheweth and declareth vnto vs, after the Apostolicke maner, who willingly and ofte declare vnto vs the maner of our saluation, howe eternall life is communicated to vs, to witte free, [...], freely whiche notwithstandyng for the doubtefulnes of speach, or vnderstandyng of wordes we expresse not properly the force of the greke worde [...]. They are iustified sayeth the Apostle in the .3. to the Romanes. [...], freely through his grace: that is to saye, by the mere mercy of God, by no merite of manne. For the same Apostle in the same Epistle to the Rom. the .6. chapter. The rewarde, sayeth he, of sinne is death: and where on the contrary side he shoulde haue sette, and the merite of rightuousenes eternal life, for this membre he placeth rather, and the gifte of God is life euerlastyng. And addeth incontinently, through Christ Iesus our Lorde. Therefore S. Iohn sayeth rightly, that eternall life happeneth to the faithfull frely: that is, by the very grace of God,Saluatiō cōmeth to vs freely. And of this vocable freely. through the merite of Christ, and by no deserte of man. For if we coulde by our workes & rightuousenes deserue eternall life, than Christ had died in vaine, [...], for naught. There was no cause why he shuld die, seyng we might of our selues haue bē saued. There is no effecte, nor merite of Christes passion: such effecte verely as it is in very dede, yt by the bloud of Christ alone we be purified. For if there were or had ben an other meane of saluatiō, Christ neded not to haue ben incarnated & haue suffered. And that this vocable [...], ought after this waye and maner to be expoūded, many other places of Scripture proue. In the .10. of Matth. the lord saieth: frely, [...], haue you receiued, freely geue. The lord wil not haue his Apostles to receiue any recōpence for the gifte of healing. But speaking of the ministerie, he sayeth: the workeman is worthie his hire. In the .15. of Iohn the lord sayeth: they haue hated me without cause [...], doubtles without my desert, or vndeserued of my parte. In ye .2. Corint. 11. thapostle saieth, that he preached the gospel to the Corinthiās frely, [...], for he toke no rewarde or recōpēce therfore. And in the .2. to the [Page 640] Thessal. the .3. chapt. nother haue I taken, sayeth he, bread of any man for naught, [...], to be shorte, where S. Iohn sayeth, that life is geuen to the faithfull free [...] he claymeth al things of our saluation to the grace of God, and merite of Christes passion and plucketh it from mans merittes. And the same affirmeth Esaye also in the .55. chapt. rebukyng folish menne, spending their monie aboute thinges of naught. Here ought therefore to cease the faires of indulgences and pardons, and holy thinges in the church. Let the Pelagians kepe silence.
Wh [...]t is required of them that be iustified frely.Howbeit leest any by the free preachyng of the grace and merite of Christ, agaynste the deserte of man, should gather, that the blessed life chaūceth to Idle folkes, slepers, and ceasing frō all good workes: and that God alone worketh, and we worke nothing: but only to suffer the operation of God in vs, and for the same cause nothing to be required of vs: he preuenteth, and first the lord sayeth that he will geue to them that are a thirste to drinke of the water of life. There is required of vs therfore fayth, and a feruēt desire of godly thinges: not that faith is oures but is geuen of God. For by thirste to signifie the faythful desire of a godly mā, the Lord himselfe is authour in the .5. of Matthewe pronouncyng them blessed, which honger and thirste for rightuousenes. And also in the 6. of Iohn the Lorde him selfe vnderstandeth by drinkyng to beleue. Faith therfore is required of vs, that is that we shuld thirste for the water of life. The which self thing also the lord graunteth by his spirite and word, as els where we haue declared. And he sayeth howe he yt is freely iustified must fight also: nor fight only, but must ouercome. Therfore the dueties of charitie be required, wherof is spokē in the .2. and .3. chapt. of this boke. Wherein is most frequent mentiō made of this fight and victorie. And God will than acknoweledge such as labour thus valeauntly for his childrē, to them will he shewe him selfe a father, and take them for the heyres of all their fathers possessions. They are bastardely childrē, which beyng idle bragge of faith, prayse God with their mouth & wordes, and deme him with their dedes. Ye see therefore that bothe muste be preached in the church: that we be iustified and beautified frely: & so beyng iustified must worke good workes [Page 641] wherunto notwithstandyng, as to their merites they ascribe not saluation, but to the mere grace of God through Christ.
Whereupō consequently and on the contrary parte he reciteth, who be excluded from the felowshippe of the blessed life and of the blessed, compilyng a register of sinnes and of wicked men, such as he hath compiled also about the ende of the .9.21. and .22. chapt. And such as the Apostle hath in a maner recited to the Corinthians.
And we suppose that in S. Iohn his time these sinnes were moste common, nor sufficiently knowen,Who are excluded frō ye true felicitie. as apperteyned. Many also at this daye iudge more lightly therof, than trewe godlines permitteth. And we doubte not but that in this register, whiche in eight kindes or membres is comprised, are conteined al other like sinnes and wickednesses. But we vnderstande that helle fire is assuredly dewe vnto them for their sinnes committed, whiche nother haue any faith at all, nother can by any meanes be perswaded to repente, and tourne vnto God. For in the firste Epistle to the Corinth. the 6. chapt. Ye were, sayeth he, suche, but ye are purged by the bloud of Christe, and with the sprete of our God. Therefore yf we haue ben suche at any tyme, lette vs repente: or in case we be fallen into these sinnes agayne, lette vs rise vp, and tourne to the Lord, which calleth vnto him sinners, and promiseth pardone and grace. But wo be to the vncurable, walkyng alwayes and without repentaunce in the waye of iniquitie.
And we shal touche seuerally eight partes of this register.Fearefull. Firste are placed the fearefull. But the Lorde him selfe was affrayde, and euen quaked for feare of death: the Sainctes of God haue feared also, and often fled for feare: yet are they not for this cause condemned in the Scriptures. Therefore an other feare is ment, to witte that same immoderate feare, by the which compelled, we do for feare of menne, that thing whiche God hath prohibited: and we our selues conuicte in our owne consciences, vnderstāde that we sinne in so doyng: or what time through carnall feare we leaue vndone that thing whiche God hath commaunded vs: briefely, when we more feare men, as princes or leagefellowes, or enemies, or any other men what so euer they be, than our lord God him [Page 642] self. And therfore the Lord himselfe in the gospel sayde: feare ye not them which kille the body, and can not kill the soule, &c. Matth. 10. The same in an other place sayeth: he that denieth me before that aduouterouse generation, I will denie him also before my father in heauen. Doubtles it is a fowle shame to feare more a moste wicked manne, than moste holy God. But men offende in this behalfe at these dayes most greuousely. For some attribute so muche to wicked and cruell persecutours, that euen for them they will commaunde to peruerte the preachyng of the Gospell, or to kepe silence al together. There is that will sette more by the Kinge, Prince, Erle, Baron, Citezen, or plowmā, Bishop or Abbot, or some flatteryng Frere, or vile massemongyng Prieste, and will fayne and dissemble for his fauour, rather than he will frely confesse the trewth, and feare and glorifie God to be feared only. Vnto them sayeth Esaye: saye ye not conspiracie, and be not affrayde of terrour of the enemies, nother be you discouraged. But rather sanctifie the lord of hostes: let him be your terrour, let him be your feare. He shal be the sanctuarie, and stumblyng stone, and the reste in the .8. chapt. of Esaye. For vnlesse we put awaye this vayne and wicked feare, and goe about to funisshe vp the Lordes worke valeaūtly, constauntly, and without feare, we shall surely be caste downe to helle. Let timorouse menne thinke hereof, and calle vpon the Lord, and take vnto them the sprete of strength, and of wise and godly boldenes: and do the worke of the Lord not negligently, but dilligently, valeauntly, and constantely. He is greater that is in vs, sayeth S. Iohn in his Canonicall, thā is he that is in the worlde.
VnbeleuersVnbeleuers. are not weake in the fayth, modeste, & fearing God: but such as beleue not gods word, promising, cōmaū ding threatening, nother follow God, nor his Christ: but rather follow straunge Gods, had rather beleue fables, & haue withdrawen their hartes from God. And of these is there a great multitude at this day which notwithstāding haue al in their mouth, yt they beleue God & his worde, but they beleue not the preachers: thinking verely yt their incredulitie is thus sufficiently excused. But where the preachers shewe nothing els but the word of God, thei cānot but contēne gods word, [Page 643] whilest they dispise the Sermons of the preachers.
In the thirde place followeth,Abominable. that the tourmentes of Hell are dewe [...], to the abominable, & detestable. For [...] signifieth abomination and stench. He noteth therfore abominable and detestable men, to whom al religion is a mockerie, which deride God, and his word, and blaspheme all holy thinges, the children of Beliall, vncurable, and spurners. These although thei knowe the truth, yet thei knowe it to their owne condemnation, seing thei contemne it knowē, and with dogs and hogs returne to their vomite and wallowyng in the myre. Whom also the Apostles haue noted. Peter in ye second epistle the .2. &: 3. cha. S. Paule in the .3. to Titus. and .12. to the Hebrewes. Iudas Thaddeus through out the chefest parte of his epistle: S. Ihon himselfe about the end of the .22. chapt. reciting in a maner the same register, calleth them dogges. And would God we wanted examples at this daye of abominable men, and such kynde of dogges. But there is no cawse why we shoulde maruayle hereat, considering that we liue in the time of all other most corrupt of Noe and Loth: Mathew the .24.
Of Homicides ther be sondry kyndes.Murtherers or Homicides. For we kil with the hart, mouth & worke. Whereof you may se thexpositours of the .x. cōmaūdemēts, chieflie D. Musculus. But I thinke the world had neuer a more notable, mor cruel, and more shameles murderer, yea paricide most verely, according to ye word of Christ in the .8. of Iohn, the firste begotten child of the Deuyll, than the Bysshoppe of Rome. For he in a maner at all times, for these fyue hondreth yeares and more, hath blowen the trumpet to all the greuouse warres of Europe or Christē dome: and agayne hath graunted to murderers, especiallie warring for the See of Rome, most large & ample pardons, and promised heauen to them that die in that warfare: al the which, being many of them excellent men, had not the great mercy of God ben, he had destroyed bothe body and soule.
Than S. Ihon raccompteth whoremōgers.Whoremongers. And he nameth the lowest kynd, to the end we shulde vnderstand the higher and vyler as rape, adultrie, incest, and Sodomitical: nother that we shoulde exclude here glottonie, dronkennes, and all kynde of riorousenes, and nourryshing of voluptuousenes. [Page 644] Where doubteles we see that S. Paule vnder the vocable of whoredome, cōprehendeth all filthy lust and riot. But in our dayes whorehūting is made so cōmon, yt euery most shamefull whoremonger is admitted to the aulter: a maried priest that kepeth holy matrimonie is expelled from the same. For the which we may thanke Syricius, and other Popes: whom the Apostle hath greuously noted, in the first to Timothe. 4.
SorcerersOf Sorcerers is spoken in the .9. chap. of this boke. S. Ihon hath [...], and he meaneth magiciēs, inchaūters, sothsayers, witches, and by deuillish craftes loue makers. The latin men vnderstand them also, that geue poyson to drinke.
IdolatersIdolaters. be worshippers of Idolles. And maruayle it is, that the Papists at this day, deny thēselues to be Idolaters. For what other thing is an Idol, but a shape or image made of any matter visible, representing the fourme of God or a Saincte, but without spirite? An Idoll therfore is an Image of wood, stone, or metall, representing the shape of God the father, of God the sonne, or of S. Peter, &c. Dauid describeth an Idoll, & sayeth: the Idolles of the heythen are siluer and golde, euen the worke of mennes handes. They haue mouth and speake not: eyes haue they and see not, &c. Psal. 113. And I wolde fayne knowe what the Idolles of the Papistes differ from these? Concerning worshippinge of them, they can not denye, but that they worship those Idolles of wood and clay. For thei attribute to them holy names, and euen the sacred name of God, to be cōmunicated to none other, saieng: this is (pointing to stone or wood, that is, an Idol of wood) God ye father, this is God ye son, this is S. Peter. I tremble in my minde, whylest I report these things: especially sins the lord himself hath said, whom wil ye make me like? Esay. 40. And S. Paule calleth this plainly, coūterfeting folishnes: and expresly denieth ye godhead to be like a stone artificially polished: Ro. 1. Act. 17. Againe these Images, which thei call their gods & saincts, made wt mens hands, thei bring into the churches, namely a place of worshipping, and set them vpon the altars: vnto these they go on pilgrimage, fall downe before them and worship, sence them, offer oblations to them, and hang Iewels on them. And moreouer attribute to them also a parte of the heauenly doctrine and instruction, sayeng that [Page 645] the vnlearned sort are taught and admonished by these. And what is to worship, yf this be not? Let them se therfore, whether thei can herein excuse themselues before God and men: and prouyde rather to saue their soules. How be it all these thinges thei wype away as it were with one word, and say: we worship not the signes, but the things signified. Than yf the signes were taken away, wold ye returne to the Idolles on pilgrimage? do ye not thinke it done in a maner to God himselfe, that you se done to the Idolles? do ye not punnish am Image breaker, as a traitour againste ye diuine maiestie? For he shal not seme to haue cut a sunder wood, but to haue defiled God himselfe. Therfore ye acknowledge somewhat more in this wood, than wood alone. For you thinke yt some diuine thing is hid therin: and therfore is this wood accompted of you no comōwood. Which thing you declare also by sundry tokens otherwise. Moreouer ye gētiles excused themselues after the same maner, saieng, that thei worshipped the thinges, and not the signes. But this semed not a sufficiēt excuse vnto godly men: as it is to be red in Lactancius and Athanasius in their bokes againste the gentiles. But God hath at one word cofuted you and saied, who hath requyred these thinges at your handes? yf any will exhibite to me worship, let him worship after the prescripte of my moste Holy lawe. They worshippe me in vaine, teaching the doctrines of men. These things haue I declared somwhat more at large, to the intent that such as wil yet hear any reason, and in whom the word and lawe of God hath any place, might know & auoide that grosse and mortall sinne of Idolatrie.
And lyars comprehend men that are lighte of their tung,Lyars. sclaunderers, taletellers, whisperers, deceauers, couetouse persons, theues, vsurers, bribers, and al maner of hypocrites and slipperie persons. For as God is veritie, so loueth he veritie, simplicitie, constancie, integritie. This vice of lyeng reigneth at this daie farre and wyde. For there is the leeste, or rather no faith at al in the earth. The Lord be merciful to vs.
And touchynge the lake or ponde, burnyng with fyre and brimestone, and of the second death, I haue spoken before in the nynetene and twentie chapters. And els where. And he signifieth, that all these and the lyke shall be caste downe of [Page 646] the Lorde into the euerlastinge fyre of Hell. For he putteth here part for inheritaunce, as also in the eleuenth Psalme: he shall rayne vpon the vngodlye fyre and brymstone, and this is part of their cuppe: And in the .24. of Mathew. And shall put his part with hipocrites. And we say also, he hath no [...]e obtayned his righte: or he is pūnished as he is worthy. Like as Sainctes therfore obteyne the Kyngdome of Heauen by inheritaunce: so are euerlasting tourments in steade of inheritaunce to the vngodlie. To the Lorde the righteouse Iudge be prayse and glorie. Amen.
¶ Here is set foorth a goodly picture, a discription or figure of the blessed seate, and of the heauē ly lyfe and glory euerlasting. The .xciij. Sermon.
AND there came vnto me one of the seuen Angelles, which had the seuen vyalles full of the seuen laste plagues: and talked with me sayeng: come hither, I wil shew the the bryde, the lambes wyfe. And he caried me away in spirite to a great, and an high moū tayne, and he shewed me the greate Citie, holy Hierusalem, descēding out of heauen from God, hauing the brightnesse of God. And her shyning was lyke to a stone most preciouse, euē a Iaspar clere as a Cristal: and had great and high walles, and had twelue gates, and at the gates twelue Angels: & names writtē, which ar the twelue tribes of the children of Israell: on the East part three gates, and on the North syde three gates, and towarde the South three gates, and on the west syde thre [Page 647] gates: and the walle of the Citie had twelue foundations, and in them the names of the Lambes twelue Apostles.
S. Iohn retourneth to the description of the citie celestial,A description of the heauenly citie. whiche in the beginnyng of this chapter he had attempted. He hath inferred certen thinges in place righte necessarie, touchyng the certayne hope of the faythfull: whiche after he hath finisshed, he semeth afterwarde to vnlocke and set open Heauen, that the godly, with the eyes of fayth, mighte as it were loke herein, and see clerely what is the hope and glory of Sainctes to come. For vnder the tipe of a moste beautiful citie, he setteth forth a picture or description moste euident of the blessed seate, or palace & citie of God or of the euerlasting countrie and church triumphant. We shal not here faine and forge to our selues thinges earthly and corporall, but spirituall and celestiall. For the sprete of God will haue vs by occasion of temporall thinges, with our mindes to ascende to eternal, and by temporal thinges, more excellent. Therefore are al thinges figured, with amplifications, Hiperbolies, and ful of other figures. We shall therefore imagine in these farre greater thinges: as we are wonte to do, what time we reade or heare such thinges as our lorde hath taught vnder the parables of weddynges and feastes.
And firste is declared vnto vs,The shewer of ye heauēly visiō. who is the shewer of this godly and wonderfull vision: that is to saye, who is the opener of the misteries, verely an Aungell of God, and the very same, whiche before in the .17. chapter to the same Iohn sayde, come, I will shewe thee the damnation of the greate whore, &c. For it is the same God, whiche punnissheth the vngodly, and geueth rewardes to the godly, and denounceth vnto menne by his ministers those his rightuouse iudgementes. Moreouer sins we see them to be moste certen, and partely also accomplisshed, whiche he shewed before of the iudgemente of Rome: who would not gather, that the same shall be also moste certayne whiche the same nowe vttereth and sheweth of the euerlastynge glory of the faythfull? And gatheryng a some of the thinges whiche he will shew him, he setteth before and exhorteth him, to follow him, [Page 648] sayeng: come, I wil shewe thee the bryde the wife of the lābe. Of her hath ben ofte times spoken before. He signifieth the congregation of Sainctes, coupled by fayth to our Sauiour Christe. And not only sheweth to Iohn (and in the same to vs al) the spowse: but the glory also geuē her of God. The meanyng therefore is this: come, I will shewe thee, what shal be the glory of the church of Christ in the life to come, what shal be the state of the life euerlasting. Certes he speaketh also very many thinges of the churche, but chiefely of her glory in the world to come.
The maner of the reuelatiō.Thā toucheth he also brefely the maner of reuealyng. For he addeth, and he toke me vp in sprete into a greate and high mountayne. Therefore like as in the fourmer visions he was caried awaie in sprete, his body remayning in Pathmos: and as we haue red and admonisshed before, that suche maner of visions and rauishmentes happened to Ezechiel: euen so sayeth he nowe also that he is caried awaye in sprete, & in minde to haue sene the thinges which the Angel shewed. Wherfore if we will also reade or heare these thinges to any profit, we must lifte vp our mindes, and be caried vp in our sprete, and thinke, that al these thinges must spiritually be vnderstande. Aretas: rightly, sayeth he, in the mountayne was shewed the heauenly life & conuersation of the Sainctes. For with them is nothing earthly, lowe or abiecte: but all thinges loftie and high. This he. Certenly what time in the Gospell the Lorde Christe would exhibite to his disciples a certen taste and saye of the glory to come, he conueyed them vp into a Mounte, and was transfigured before them: which thing S. Matthewe affirmeth in the .17. chapt. to haue chaunced to Peter, Iames, and Iohn.
And now he annexeth the vision it selfe, and generally and briefely describeth or shaddoweth the blessed seate and glory of the life to come: afterwarde he amplifieth the same more largely, particularly, and as it were by partes, and so enlarged and beaultified he setteth it forth as it were to be sene of the godly.The citie of God ye great citie. And he calleth the heauenly countrie, and habitation of sainctes, the great Citie. For it is the citie of the great king, and in it shal dwell an innumerable nombre of the blessed, and of Aungelles thousandes infinite, and shal haue the [Page 649] fruition of greate glory: nother is there any feare, leefte the place should not suffice so great an hoste of men and spretes, or that it shal be ouer strayte. Great is ye citie of God, which is verely able to receyue all good men aboundantly. In the gospel of Iohn the Lord sayeth: in my fathers house are many mansions, and so forth. the .14. chapt. The selfe same place is called holy Hierusalem. For like as no filthines shal there be espied, so shal there no vncleane persone there appere. Of the heauenly Hierusalem is spoken before. Thomas of Aquine: sayeth: She is sayde to haue descended from heauen, for that what goodnes so euer the holy church hath, she acknoweledgeth her selfe to haue receyued it of the grace of God. But of this matter I haue spoken in the laste Sermon.Hauyng ye glory of God. And the citie of God, I meane heauē, hath the seates of God and the blessed, the glory of God, that is to saye the diuine maiestie and brightnes, and what great thing so euer the minde of manne can thinke or imagine, or in all thinges the vnspeakeable excellēcie of God, such as nother the eye hath sene, nor the eare hath hearde, nor yet hath ascended into the harte of manne, 1. Corintb. the .2. chapt. These thinges hath he sommarely, and generally touched hitherto.
And cōsequently he declareth by particulars and at large that celest [...]all glory, and blessed seates.The citie of God most ample & large. For what thinges so euer are [...]mple, what so euer are in cities commendable, the same a [...] playnely founde in this our citie moste excellent, as the largenes, strength, maiestie, surenes, excellencie, beaultie, pleasauntnes and plentie of thinges. These thinges I saye, and al other like do wōderfully excelle in the citie of our god, and in our fathers house: and where as these thinges are on this wise set forth and amplified moste liberally, yet semeth there nothing at al sayde, in case a mā consider the vnspeakeable maiestie of the glory celestial.To what ende these things are spoken. But al these things are alledged of the lorde by S. Iohn to this ende verely, that we should be taken with the desire of so worthie a life, and shuld thinke in our tribulations, and troubles, that the afflictions of this present worlde are nothing, beyng compared with so excellent & souerayne glory: finally that al are madd [...], which beginne to doubte of the eternal hope of the faythfull. V [...]ry many thinges of this sorte are red also in Ezechiel in [...]t. 40. [Page 650] chapt. and after. We will touche euery parte of this treatise, vsyng neuerthelesse a succincte breuitie, leest we should be tediouse to any man. And verely he toucheth the principal and moste commendable thinges of Cities, and in them sheweth that the citie of God excelleth.
The light of this Citie.In cities and houses the chiefest prayse is, if all thinges be light and clere: for darkenes is horrible & vnpleasaunt. Therfore is an excellent light declared to be in the citie or house of the lord. There is added a parable, whereby is shewed the excellēcie of this light. It is like a most preciouse stone, suppose a Iaspar, as it is cōmonly called, or a Chrysolithe, or some like stone moste brighte. And S. Iohn him selfe addeth more, as it were a Iaspar stone like a Christal. This is a newe maner of speakyng, but it hath a maruelouse grace, if we vnderstāde it rightly. For a Iaspar is grene, a christal is bright. He semeth therefore to saye, howe that celestial brightnes is continually grene, & whithereth neuer: that is to witte that the heauenly light is euerlasting, & in it self after a sorte waryng grene, and in growyng grene wareth bright and reioyceth all heauenly dwellers. For herafter followeth: for the glory of God hath lightened her, & the Lambe is her light. This brightnes and most ioyeful light the Lord in the gospel of Iohn promiseth in sondry places: and the whole blessed life, of this not the leste parte, is called cōmonly blessed light, & light euerlastyng, or light of heauen. It semeth to haue ben prefigured in the golden cādelsticke of the tabernacle, &c. For if it were not harde for our Lord God to geue vnto precious stones wonderfull colours & brightnes: yf he illumine this world full of naughtie men wyth moste goodly lyghtes, the Sunne Moone & Starres, what a lighte I praye thee, maye we thinke to haue in heauē, where no man shal dwell but the beste, and of God most derely beloued? Of this light muche mention is made with Esaye and in the Psalmist.
the walles of ye citie.Walles in Cities are moste notable and excellent, in case they be high, thicke, and strong, able to abide all force of enemies, and defende the Citezens from al iniuries and to kepe them in peace and securitie. The heauēly walles therfore, are both great or strong, and also high or vnpregnable. Hereby is signified, that the protection of Sainctes in heauen shal of [Page 651] God be most safe and sure, so that the Saintes shal be inperfit securitie, and exempte from all feare. There shall no man trouble or take awaye their ioyes: as the lord in the .16. of S. Iohns gospel hath affirmed. For there shal be perpetual securitie, and gladnes in heauen moste perfit and euerlastyng.
Moreouer in the walles are placed gates,The gates of the citie. by the whiche mē go into the citie. In the wall therfore of the heauēly coū trie shal be twelue gates, that is to saye, a most large entryng into eternal life shal be opē on euery side. And we beleue, that there is no other waie to heauē, no other porte or gate, or any other dore or posterne to remaine, than the only & sole Christ Iesus our lord: as he himself hath taught in Iohn the .10. & .14. chapt, But for asmuch as he hath appoincted Angels or prophetes, & Apostles also, porters of heauen, to whō he hath cō mitted the keyes of the kingdome of heauen: & these do bring the chosen, and lette them into the heauenly countrie, many gates verely are red to haue ben and be. And for a further declaration is added, that in euery gate was an Angel,Twelue Angels in the gates. in nōbre twelue. And we haue hearde in the beginnyng of this boke, that Angelles, are gods ministers, and pastours of churches, sent of God for the saluation of mē, I meane that thei might bring them by the worde of veritie, and holy ministerie, through fayth into life euerlastyng. Morouer we reade how the soule of pore Lazarus diyng was caried by Angelles into the bosome of Abraham. Whie than should we maruell that Angelles stande at the gates? For by the true and only gate Christ, they bring in the faithfull into the heauenly countrie.
And agayne for a further declaration is annexed,In ye gates are writtē the names of ye childrē of Israell. and in the gates were names written, whiche are the names of the twelue tribes of the children of Israell. For the Lord would signifie, that he vsed the industrie of Patriarches and Prophetes of all tribes, in openyng heauen vnto mē: and againe that all the chosen of al tribes appertayne to the felloweship of felicitie. We shal see therfore in heauē the Patriarches and Prophetes, and all the Sainctes, whiche before the cōmyng of Christ are written in the registers of the heauenly: like as the Apostles also sawe Moses and Helias talking with Christ in the Mounte. Wherfore not without great cause wrote the Apostle to the Hebrewes: you are cōmen to the moūte Sion, [Page 652] and to the citie of the liuing God, to the celestiall Hierusalē, and to the multitude of many thousande Angelles, and vnto the congregation of the first borne, which are written in heauen. And the reste which is red in the .12. chapt.
The situation of the gates.And he toucheth also the situation of the gates. For he assigneth three vnto euery parte of the skie. Nother doeth he this without consideration. For our sauiour himselfe sayeth in the gospel, that they shal come from the East and from the Weste, and shal reste with Abraham, Isaac and Iacob, in the kingdome of heauen. Aretas also searcheth here the misterie more dilligently, and supposeth that no man shal enter in by these gates, saue he, whiche both acknowledgeth the eternal trinitie of God, and also vnderstandeth the misterie of the crosse of Christ. For he sayeth howe the twelue tribes are diuided by the Trinitie of the fourefolde figure of the worlde, &c. Wherupon Aquinas also: who so euer are saued, saieth he, they are iustified by the fayth of the holy Trinitie publisshed in the foure quartes of the world by the Apostles preachyng.
The foundations of the Citie.Now sheweth he also, that the foundations of this citie are most sure and vnmouable. For the walle of the Citie, sayeth he, hath twelue foundations. Touchyng the foundation of the churche and our saluation haue spoken expressely Dauid in the Psalmes. Esaye also in the .28. chapt. our Lord and sauiour in sondry places of the Gospell. Peter moreouer in the Actes, and first epistle: likewise the Apostle S. Paule, whiche sayde, any other foundation can not be layde, thā that which is layde, whiche is Christ Iesus, 1. Corinth. 3. Howe than are layde here twelue foundations? doubtles Christ remayneth one and a sure foundation. Howebeit in as muche as in placyng and reuealyng him, the Lord hath vsed the ministerie of the twelue Apostles, for this cause the citie is sayde to haue twelue foūdations. Not that the Apostles are in dede the foū dations of the church and our saluatiō, but in this that Christ that trewe foundation, was by the twelue Apostles made knowen to the faithfull, and as it were layde vnder, whereupon the beleuers haue buylded themselues by the Apostles fayth. Whereupon he sayeth pourposely, & in those twelue, the names of the lambes twelue Apostles. For the gospel also, whiche is bothe in very dede and vnchaungeably Iesus [Page 653] Christes alone, is called also of Iohn, Matthew, Marke & Luke, of Peter and Paule bicause it hath ben preached by them. And we vnderstande hereby not only the church, whiche was before the commyng of Christ of Patriarches and Prophetes, beyng receyued into heauen to reioyce in God: but also the church Apostolical, I meane that al men in the whole world, whiche haue beleued the Apostolicall doctrine, shal liue with al the Sainctes in that heauenly countrie: all the whiche we shall bothe see, and with them also shall glorifie God for euermore.
Primasius Bisshop of Vtica dissenteth not much from this our exposition,Whether thapostles be foundatiōs of the church. expounding how the Apostles are called foū datiōs. For thus hath he lefte written: where we know, that the church hath one only foundation, that is to saye Christe, we ought not to be moued, yt here he sayeth she hath twelue. For in Christ haue thapostles deserued to be the foūdations of the Churche: of whome the Apostle an other foundation, saieth he, can not be layde, besides that which is layde Christ Iesus. In him are also the Apostles sayed to be light, sins he sayeth vnto thē, you are the light of the world: where Christ alone is the true light, which lighteth euery man commyng into this world. Christ therefore is the light illuminyng, and they the light illumined. And after a fewe wordes the same Authour. Here it behoueth, sayeth he, to acknoweledge the twelue Apostles to be foundatiōs, yet called in the only foū dation Christ Iesu. Hereunto apperteineth also, that he hath not concealed the name of the Lambe. The Apostles therfore be foundations, but in one foūdation Iesu Christ. And christ alone without the Apostles is rightly called the foundation: but the Apostles without Christ, could by no meanes be called the foundations of the churche. These thinges Primasius. Which Aretas Bisshop of Cesaria declareth more briefly and playnely, and sayeth: they are in dede called foundations, for that thei haue layde the foundations of the christen faith: and gates, for that by them that is to witte by their preachyng, there maye be founde nowe, that maye bring them to the christen fayth. Thus much he. Doubtles the Apostle S. Paule in the .2. to the Ephes. calleth Christe the foundation of Apostles and Prophetes, whiche verely in preachyng they [Page 654] haue layde, and to the whiche they haue leaned, and by the which also they are saued. To him be glory.
¶ Yet agayne is described the seate of the euerlastyng countrie in heauen. The .XCiiij. Sermon.
AND he that talked with me, had a golden reede to measure the citie with al, and the gates therof, and ye walles thereof. And ye citie was buylte foure square, & the length was as large as ye breadth of it. And he measured the citie with the reede .xii. M. furlōgs and the length and breadth, and height of it were equal. And he measured the wall therof 144. cubites, after the measure of a manne which the angel had. And the building of the walle of it was of Iaspar. And the citie was of pure gold, like vnto cleare glasse: & the foū dations of the walles, & of the citie were garnished with al maner of pretious stones. The first foundation was a Iaspar, the seconde a Saphyre, the third a Calcedony, the fourth a Smaragde, the .v. a Sardonix, the .vi. Sardeos, the .vii. a Chrysolite, the eight Berall, the .ix. a Topas, the .x. a Chrisoprasos, the .xi. a Iacincte, the twelft an Amatist. And the twelue gates were twelue pearles, & euery gate was one pearle, and the strete of the citie was pure golde, as a thorowe we shining glasse.
He procedeth in describyng the blessed seates, and that life of the world to come, vnder the Image of a most goodly and [Page 655] most excellēt citie. We shal vnderstande al thinges not after the letter, but after the sprete. All thinges are sayed for our comforte, and to the ende we should stoutely contemne this world, & the pleasures thereof, & the furies of persecutours: & should alwayes desire so great, & the same euerlastyng good thinges promised vs, we haue hearde in the description, yea euen sene foure singular thinges of this heauenly citie as it were of a liuely picture, what a lighte it hath, what walles, what gates also, and foundations. Now in the fifte place followeth, what is the widenes, receipte or largenes of this Citie. For hereof are cities commended. And necessarie it is, that the greatest nombre of Citezens, should haue the largest or greatest Citie.
Therefore commeth forth a meater of this citie,He measureth ye citie with a golden reede. an Angell sent to Iohn from heauen, holdyng in his hande a reede, that is a long polle or measuryng rod, not of wood, or leed, but of golde. And by the measuryng he would we shuld esteme the quantitie of the blessed seate. In the meter therfore and in the measure we shall not nede to seke any greate misteries. For the eternall wisedome and prouidence of God hath prepared seates for his chosen: and that in a golden order, that is to witte most purified, which is signified by the g [...]lden reede or measure. For the iudge in S. Matth. prouoketh the She [...]e to take the inheritaunce, prepared from the beginnyng of the world. He alone knoweth also, who be his.
The situation of the citie is declared, planted in a square,A squadre or squares ye Citie. wherby is signified the strength and stablenes [...] the blessed in heauen. For the place is no balle, bowl [...], or globe, rolling and easie to tourne. Nother nede we to doubte of [...]he certentie therof. For hope shameth no man: [...]nd he that [...]eleueth in Christ, shal neuer be confounded.
Moreouer the length,The lēgth & breadth. breadth and heigth of th [...] citie are equal. Euery side, in his squadre, hath twelue thousande furlonges, whiche make in al fourtie and eight thousande in the whole circuite. Touchyng the furlonge,Furlonge. what & how much it conteyneth, I see that learned menne varie. Plinie in the .2. boke the .23. chap. attributeth to a furlong an hondreth & .25. passes, that is to saye, sixe hondreth & .25. fote. Yf ye nowe accompte these things, & diuide them into miles you shall [...]nde [Page 656] that the citie is most ample and large. There be some that reken it .150. Germane miles. Hereby I suppose to be signified, that the place and space is great enough, what innumerable multitudes so euer of Angelles, of blessed spretes and men shal flitte into the blessed seate, and dwel therein. As also the lorde in the Gospel sayde: In my fathers house are many mansiōs. In the .30. chap. of Esaye about the ende is shewed, that there shal be space and place enough in helle also for the wicked.Equalitie. And the equalitie on euery side declareth, that men of people or nations shal haue no prerogatiue. For whether so euer thou be of the East, or of the Weste, whether thou be Greke or Barbarian, so that thou be a faithfull, thou shalt be receyued of the Lord. Moreouer in the gospel equalitie is declared, whilest the pēny is payed not only to him yt wrought in the Vineyarde al daye long, or half the daye, but vnto him also, which came into the Vineyarde in the euenyng.
¶ The height.The height of the wall is doubtles vnmeasurable. Wherof we gather, that the blessednes is most sure: and that none can come into the same, but by the gates. For no manne can clime ouer such an height, no mā can scale those walles, whether he be enemie, that wold moleste thē: or hipocrite, which goeth aboute as it were by stelth to winne heauen.
Where he sayeth, and he measured the walle thereof, an hondreth and .44. cubites, it cā not surely agree with the furlonges:The thicknesse. therefore must we nedes vnderstand it of the thickenes of the walle. By the which agayne is figured the strēgth and securitie of the blessed. It is added, how the Aungel dyd mete with the measure of a man, which the Angel had: that is to saie, that the Angel measured the wonted cubites, and furlonges to men accustomed.The measure of a mā, which the Angell had. Wherefore this Angell had the same measure in this metyng, whiche is commonly vsed of men. For so would he signifie that the place of eternall felicitie should be determinate and certayne. For there shal be after the resurrection bodies true and determinate. Yf there be any other misterie herein, perauenture it is the same, which the Lord spake of in Luke, Luke. 20. namely of the blesse of the faithfull in an other worlde: they be egall with Angelles, and are the children of God, sins thei be the children of the resurrection. Yf any man wil accompte these nombres more exactely, and [Page 657] shewe higher misteries, I will gladly geue place. I suppose here rather celestial thinges to be figured, than either Arithmetical nombres, or geometricall proportions to be taught. Neuerthelesse I can willingly graunt, that those artes helpe to the vnderstandyng of the Scriptures.
In the sixte place he treateth of the matter of this heauēly Citie. For Cities are cōmended of the stuffe and matter.The matter of this citie. The sayeng of Cesar Augustus is well knowen, who is sayde to haue spoken of Rome: I foūde it of bricke, I leaue it of marble. And the cities buylded of stone, are iustely preferred to those that are of timber, and suche as are buylte of free stone squared, to them that are made of rough stone. But what is the buildyng or matter of the citie celestiall? That same he declareth by fiue partes of membres.the walles. Firste the walles are of Iaspar. Let no man here forge to him self carnal thinges. The Iaspar is grene. The celestial Citie alwayes florisheth, God his protection neuer fayleth.
2. The citie it self, that is to say, the buildynges in the citie, the palaces and houses, are pure golde. For al things be purefied in the eternall countrie. There is no vncleanes,Habitations. no euil affectiōs, there shal be no trouble or payne. As the lord sayde also in the .19. chapt. of Matth. Disputyng agaynst the Sadduceis. Therfore like as golde is most tried and pure, so shal the celestial habitation be most cleane. Therfore must the bodies also that shal dwell in heauen be clarified or glorified. He addeth, that this golde most pure is not glasse, but in brightnes doeth represent most pure and shinyng glasse. For in heauen al thinges are clere. There we shal be sene face to face. There we shal moste perfitly know al thinges.
3. Foundations. And first he sayeth generally that the foundatiōs of the citie, are beaultified with al maner of precious stones: after particularly he reciteth by name the stones yt are most excellent. Doubtles nothing is more preciouse, nothing more excellent, than Christ the foundatiō of our saluatiō, than thapostolical doctrine, wherby we are induced to ye knowledge of Christ & of our saluatiō. And he setteth in order .xii. stones, to thintent we shuld vnderstand, that there is not one precious stone alone placed for the foūdatiō, but a rowe of one sorte in such a lēgth, as the side is square, & so cōsequently likewise in [Page 658] al partes of the squadre. For the first order therfore is placed a Iaspar stone, that is to saye, in the first place of the foūdatiō Iaspar stones are set in their ranke: agayne in the next rowe vpon the Iaspars are laide Saphyres, through out ye whole space, in such length as the foundation was, & so consequētly the other stones were couched and layde in order. By all the which is signified, that the foundation of our saluatiō is both most excellēt and sure. Which we ought of right to set more bie, thā by the price of al the Iewelles in the earth. And there are founde men godly & beneficiall, which bestowyng, or sellyng these earthly Iewelles, according to the Apostles doctrine in the .1. to Timo. the .6. prepare for themselues a good foundation in an other world. There are foūde fooles, which are ouer much in loue with Iewelles, & many times in stead of precious stones that coste very much beyng polished, thei bie glasse. Ful worthie doubtles to be deceaued. Verely precious stones haue their vse & vertues, nother were thei made of God in vaine. But we must alwayes remembre that saying of the wise man: al thinges are not mete for al men.
Precious stones. 4 By the register of preciouse stones he semeth to haue alluded to the precious stones that were set in the attire of the high bishop, in the .28. of Exod. Nother doubte I, that S. Iohn toke these things partely out of the .54. of Esaye, which place S. Hierome expoūding, sendeth thē that desire to knowe more of stones to Epiphanius, & to the .37. boke of the Natur. Hist. of Plinie. Aretas in his commentaries, applieth the twelue precious stones to the .12. Apostles of Christ. There remaine moreouer the writynges of Bede vpon this place: out of whō toke Thomas of Aquine such things as he hath in his cōmentaries vpon the Apocalipse. I see not howe I can with any great fruicte tary longer in this treatise. Wherfore I referre the curiouse reader to these Authours: it is enough for me to haue shewed, that by these costely Iewelles is signified the excellencie of the foundation of our helth and saluation.
The gatesMorouer in the fourth place is declared the matter of the gates. They were of one whole pearle euery of them, whereof the price is excedyng greate. The gate of heauen is Christ, and the porters of heauen are Apostles as is declared before. Therfore are the gates most preciouse and most strong. [Page 659] In the .13. chap. of S. Mathewes gospel, Christ himself and the saluation that is of him, are compared to a Pearle, which the marchaūt selling al that he hath, byeth for himselfe, thinking himselfe rich enough, yf he may haue this Pearle.
5. In the fift place is also described the Strete, what it is.Strete. In the Cities here in Earth, the stretes are many times myrie, though otherwyse the cities be neuer so famouse & noble. Where they be notable, they are paued with stone or bricke: but the Strete of our Citie, is paued with golde both cleane and bright. For in heauen is founde no noysomenes, no obscure darkenes. All these thinges doubtles are spoken moste beaultifully: but yet must far greater thinges be vnderstand and imagined: and we muste indeuour with all our myght, that the thinge which the tung of man can not vtter, nor our mynde here for the greatnes & excellencie conceaue, we may at the length beholde the same in Heauen presentlie, and may experience the same in those our glorified bodies, throughe Iesus Christe our Lorde.
¶ Furthermore yet is described the euerlasting countrie in Heauen. The .xcv. Sermon.
AND I sawe no temple therin. For the Lorde God almightie and the lambe is the temple of it, and the Citie hath no nede of the Sunne, nother of the Moone, to lightē it. For the brightnes of God doth lighten it, and the lambe is the light therof. And the people which are saued, shal walke in ye light of it: & the kinges of the earth shal bring their glory & honour vnto it. And the gates thereof shall not be shut by day. For there shal be no night there. And they shal bring the glory & honour of ye Gētiles to it. And there shal enter into it [Page 660] none vncle an thing, nother what soeuer worketh abomination, or maketh lyes: but they which are written in the lambes boke of life.
The Aposte procedeth in the descriptiō of the diuine or celestiall Citie, to comfort and kepe the faithful in all temptations and afflictions. Therfore in the seuenth place he discourseth of the temple.The tēple. For in famouse Cities ther is no smal cō sideration and prayse of churches. This is manifeste by all writers of stories places and times. What temple is than in heauen? none at all. For S. Iohn: and I sawe, saith he, in the citie of God no temple. This place repugneth not with those thinges which are in the .11. and .15. chapters of the temple in Heauen. For the temple is there exhibited in a figure and vision, not that there is in dede any temple in Heauen: but that thus mighte be signified Gods iustice and certayne saluation promised in the Scriptures, lyke as we haue in those places declared.
No temple in Heauen.And what is the cause, that there appeareth no temple in heauen? The diuine reuelation aunswereth: for ye Lord God almightie, and the lambe is the temple in that our heauenly coūtrie. The vse of temples is this. The Lord first instituting the tabernacle, after the temple, wold haue it testified that he wil be present in the middes of his people, a father, Lord, and defender. And therfore ar thei saied in the scriptures to come vnto the Lord, which came either to the tabernacle or temple of the Lord. The temple moreouer was erected for preaching and praier and the externall seruice of God, for receauing of the Sacramēts, or offering vp of sacrifices. But the Saincts in the heauēly coūtrie haue no nede of all these things. Therfore thei nede no tēple. Therfore is no temple sene in heauen. For the Lord god nowe sheweth himself to them to be inioyed of ye same, the saincts ar now wt him, wherfore thei nede no tokē of his presēce. We ar taught by doctrine what God is, & what is his wil, and yt we be saued by ye lambe: but now that we se god himselfe face to face, and yt saluatiō is cōmen by the lambe of God, what nedeth there a temple in heauen? By praier we require life and ioyes euerlasting: now since these are happened to the electe what nedeth any house of prayer? [Page 661] The Sainctes nowe withoute any temple, offer vp eternall praises vnto God. And seing that sacrifices and sacraments haue no further place in the euerlasting coūtrie, I se not why there should be any temple in Heauen. We rest, and kepe in Heauen, an euerlasting Sabboth. This place moreouer proueth, that Christ is very God, coequall with the father, as to whome he is ioyned inseperablie in all glory. Nother is the Holy ghoste seperated from the father and the sonne, which els where is saide to dwell in vs: for the which cause, we are called the temples both of God and of the Holy ghost, of the Apostle, in the first to the Corinth. the .3. and the second Cor. 6.
The eight place of this description is repeted of the lyght celestial,The lyght of the citie, God. and that not without great cause: yea and the same light is agayne cōmended in the .22. chap. For in buildinges there is nothing more excellent than light. Otherwise without light, all things are blynde. Furthermore he sayeth not, that the Sunne and Moone shulde be nomore: but that the Citie of God shoulde not nede those lightes. He sheweth the reason: for the glory of God hath lightned it. And the glory of God, is the diuine, celestial, and vnspeakable brightnes of his vnapprochable light, which he inhabiteth, and according to his good pleasure, cōmunicateth to the chosen. The Lorde Christe (which here is called the lambe, for the misterie of redemption) illumineth the blessed. For by him we ar clarified, and inioy that eternall, moste beaultifull, and celestial light. S. Ihon hath borowed this place out of the .60. chap. of Esay, where we read: The Sunne shall not be there, for the lighte of the daie. And the brigtnesse of the Moone shall not shyne there: but the Lord shall be to the thee a perpetuall light, and thy God (shall be) thy brightnes. Furthermore the seates of the blessed, are thoughte to be fixed aboue the Sphere of the Sunne and Moone, and also the brightnes of Saincts to excell farre the light of the Sunne and starres. The same hath Esay testified also in the .24. and .30. chap. To God almightie and light eternall, be praise and thankes geuing, which hath prepared so great things for vs, and geueth vs giftes such as no tung can exprsse.
He sheweth in places mo than one,¶ Who be Citizēs of this Citie. who are partakers of that light, or who be Citizens of this celestiall citie, and what [Page 662] is the state of the Citizens. All nations & people saued, are citizens of the eternal coūtrie. Here ar two things to be noted. First, that ye gentiles are made inheritours of glory, and that without any choise. For here excelleth not the Iewe, nor the Greke, nother Romane, nor Barbarian. Agayne yet not all without respect, and confusely obteine euerlasting light, but the saued only: that is to sai, whom Christ hath saued and redemed from sin, the Deuil, Antichrist, and from the curse and the world. And Christ saueth thelect and faithful. They therfore shal in dede be partakers of ye light: These ar the citizens of the countrie euerlasting. But what is their state and inhiritaunce? Thei shal walke in the light of God the father & the lambe: that is to say, they shall haue the fruition of the light and of God himselfe, to their ioiful swetnes and fill. For it is a figuratiue speach, to walke in the light, for that which is, to inioy light. Verely in the .88. Psalme is red with a figure not much vnlyke: Lorde thei shall walke in the light of thy countenance. And againe: Thou shalt make knowen vnto me the fote path of lyfe, the fulfilling of ioyes is in thy sight, & gladnes in thy right hand for euermore
Kinges are in ye courte of heauen.But especially the places in heauen, and in that Palace diuine, are for Kings. Kinges ar gouernours, and captaines of the people, as they be, which are called Kynges and Princes, gouernours, Magistrates, rulers aswel of the politique, as ecclsiasticall gouernement, Doctours, maisters, teachers, Artificers, and Parentes. For their dutie is, vertuouslye to gouerne their subiectes, scollers, or childrē, to kepe them vnder awe or discipline, to chastise, and directe them to the dueties of life and all godlines. This yf they do, they shall haue a worthie place prepared in Heauen. For Daniell saieth also in the .12. chapter. But the teachers shall shine as the brightnes of the firmamēt: and they that bring many to righteousnes, as the starres euerlastingly. O therefore, O happie are you, yf ye bringe many to execute the office of righteousnes. But wo be to you Princes, and teachers, and maisters, and Parentes, yf herein you be negligent. There is prepared for you in hell a place moste horrible and myserable, as also Ezechiell hath testified. But yf Kynges haue their place, and the same right honourable, in Heauen, wherefore do the Anabiptistes [Page 663] teache, naye whie doe they lie, that a Christiane can not execute the office of a Magistrate? For here are Kinges mentioned to be in heauē, not only as men, but as thei were kinges, that is, as they were good kynges, and executed their office duely, and not forsaking their place, haue liued a priuate life. For it followeth, they shall brynge their glory and honour vnto it. And what is that glory, and what is the honour? it followeth agayne: and they shal bring the glory and honour of nations into it: that is to saye, they shal bryng into heauen with them, the very nations, their people and subiectes, whō they haue holpen in trewe godlines and saluation, in teachyng, correctyng, defendyng, alluryng or drawyng, &c. And these be their glory and honour, for S. Paule in the .2. to the Corinth. the .1. chapt. sayeth, for we be your glory, as you shal be oures also in the daye of our Lorde Iesu. And agayne in the .1. to the Thess. the .2. chapt. the same Apostle sayeth: for what is our hope, ioye, or crowne of reioycyng: are not you, in the sight of our Lorde Iesu Christe, at his commyng? for you are our glory and ioye. Ful wel therefore sayeth Aquinas: S. Iohn speaketh after the maner of cōquerours, which bryng their spoyles into Cities. Therefore he fayneth that Princes, preachers, and parentes bryng with them into heauen such as they haue wonne, whiche to them shal be an honour and glory. These thinges alwayes let vs thinke vpon, and do our duety inioyned vs of God, which we perceyue in the euerlasting countrie to haue so great rewarde. For it shal be the greatest glory that maye be, to stande with so many wonne in the presence of the eternal God, Lābe, and al sainctes. Contrarywise the greatest shame to stande with so great a multitude of men lost, and that loste through our faulte and negligence. Reade what thinges are written in the .1. chapt. of the boke of wisedome, &c.
In the tenth place followeth the custody of the gates celestiall.The gates are not shut in the daye. Certenly in greate Cities there is greate and dilligent watching and wardynge & hede taken to the gates, that they be shutte and opened in dewe time and season. But in heauē there shall nede no such carefulnes. The reason is. The gates are not wonte to be shutte in the day, but at night. But in the euerlastyng countrie there is no night, therfore are the gates [Page 664] neuer shutte. There is doubtles no night, but continual day. There is no treason, no Ambusshes or wayte laide, no perils or daungers: all thing, in generall are safe, peaceable, quiet, sicker and sure. The same thinges are red also in Esaye, but some thing in a diuerse sense. Aretas: here is a double vnderstandyng, sayeth he, for eyther he meaneth that there shal be peace and securitie, and that so great, that it shall not nede to kepe the citie by shuttyng of the gates. Or els that there also the godly gates of the Apostolicall doctrine are open for all men, vnto their learnyng, which haue more perfection, &c. Certenly they shal nede no teachers nor guides, which see al misteries now presently, & are brought into heauen it self.
The cleanes of the heauenly [...]tie.And especially cleanes in Cities is highly commended, if there shewe or appere nothing that offendeth the sighte, hearyng and smellyng, which is lothsome to loke vpon, and to be abhorred. And in priuate houses the chiefe prayse is, yf all thinges shyne, and stande euery thing in order, and lie not scattered and stinke.
Now therefore in the eleuenth place he sheweth, that there shal be nothing in heauen, that maye offende, that is to saye, which shall not be pleasaunt and delectable moste cleane and nete, absolute and complete. The same place also muste be referred to the personnes. For it followeth: saue they that are written in the lambes boke of life. We vnderstande therfore, how into the kingdome of heauē shal not enter whoremongers, Idolaters, liars, deceauers, & what so euer is vncleane, and not purged with the bloud of the sonne of God through fayth. This same the Apostle affirmeth in the .1. to the Corint. the .5. and .6. chapt. and to the Ephes. the .5. chapt. Dauid also demaundeth: Lord who shal dwell in thy tabernucle, or who shal reste in thy holy hille. And aunswereth incontinently: he that walketh without spotte, and worketh rightuousnes, and that which insueth in the .15. Psalm. Finally here shal be fulfilled suche thinges as are written in the .23. chapt. of Deuter. Touching thē which are prohibited to enter into the church. Wherfore this place hath a secret doctrine and priuie admonishment, instructyng vs, that if we wil, or couet to be heyres of the euerlasting coūtrie, we should al applie our selues whilest we liue here in Earth, to rightuousenes and Innocencie. [Page 665] For it shal followe in the .22. chapt. For without are dogges and inchaunters and whoremongers: &c. The Lord bryng vs by the waye of rightuousenes vnto life euerlastyng.
¶ He continueth yet in describyng the blessed seates. The .xcvi. Sermon.
AND he shewed me a pure riuer of water of life, cleare as Chrystall,The .22. chapt.proceding out of the seate of God, and of the Lambe. In the middes of the strete of it, & of eyther side of the riuer was there wood of life, whiche bare twelue maner of fruictes, & gaue fruicte euery moneth: & the leaues of the wood serued to heale the people withal. And ther shal be nomore curse, but the seate of God and the lambe shal be in it, and his seruauntes shall serue him. And they shal see his face, and his name shal be in their foreheades. And there shal be no night there: and they nede no candle, nor light of Sunne: for the lorde God geueth them light and they shall raygne for euermore.
In the twelfth place is described of Iohn the pleasauntnes,The pleasauntenes of the citie of God. trymnes, the plentuousenes and aboūdance of foode in the Citie of God. Riuers make cities pleasaunt and delectable. Without fountaynes, sprynges and holesome waters cities decaye, and are scarsely worthy the names of Cities. But in case they waunte victualles, they are wholy loste. Therefore this our heauēly Citie excelleth, and is most noble in al these thinges: nother hath it vitayle only, but geueth the same vnto vs with greate pleasure, and finesse moste pleasaunt. For trees in this Citie doe not only beare fruicte, but geue also a [Page 666] pleasaūtnes vnspeakable & inestimable. The riuer moreouer runneth through the middes of the stretes: on the bankes of eyther side are trees moste beautiful to beholde, bearing the fruictes of life. And as I haue many times in this description intimated, so I repete now the same againe that those things are not to be vnderstande after the letter as the Millenaries take them. For the Lord talketh with vs and euen lispeth, to the ende we might after the imbecillitie of our witte cōceaue these thinges. Yf any shuld wisshe for earthly things, I wene he could couet no greater thinges, thā be here described. We shall thinke therefore, if the Lorde coulde geue these earthly thinges, yf he woulde, whie can he not geue greater to the soules of the godly and bodies glorified? yea the Lorde will that beyng withdrawen from the contemplation of earthly thinges, we shoulde loke altogether for celestiall and diuine, worthie of blessed soules and bodies clarified. Whiche verely howe greate, and what they shall be, no tunge of manne can expresse to vs, be it neuer so eloquente. For the Lord hath prepared greater thinges for his seruauntes, than here we can comprehende. Therefore he bringeth forth here matter [...] moste ample, that after a certen maner we mightie conceaue heauenly thinges muche more excellent than they be. Therfore the sense and meanyng of all those thinges, whiche are spoken here of the riuer of life, and wood of life, by an amplification right excellent, is none other, but that the blessed in the heauenly countrie shall be quickened of God, and preserued in that happie life with highe delectation for euermore. And there is no doubte, but ye S. Iohn hath borrowed these thinges, as he doeth all the reste, (sins he is the expositour of the Prophetes) out of the Scriptures. And therefore hath he alluded to Paradise, whose description set forth in the seconde of Genesis, doeth with this description of Heauen very well agree. For there springeth also a riuer in Paradise, whiche immediately is diuided into foure heades and watereth the garden of pleasure moste pleasauntly.The very paradise of ye faithfull is heauē it selfe. In the same Paradise is the wood, that is the tree of life, bryngyng forth liuely fruicte to the eaters: as it is expounded of S. Austen in the .13. booke De ciuitate dei. The .20. chapter. But for the sinne of our firste parente we were caste out of that Paradise: [Page 667] and Christe is come, to the ende he mighte brynge vs agayne into Paradise, that is to saye into high felicitie. Now therefore that trewe paradise, prepared for vs of Christe, is shewed in heauen, and is here described, into this Paradise entred the Lorde after death, and brought with him into the same also the faythfull thiefe, to whome he sayed: verely I saye vnto thee, this daye shalte thou be with me in paradise. Therefore ought we not here to forge to our selues the gardens of Aleinous in Earth, or in the ayre aboue the globe of the Mone, and reason of Paradise terrestriall. Our Paradise is celestiall, whiche is prepared for vs in heauen: as S. Paule hath sayde in the thirde to the Philipp. And Paradise is called a garden of pleasure, as at this presente it is called a golden Citie or of preciouse stones, verely by a trope on eyther side. Hereunto apperteyneth also a place of Zacharie in the .14. chapter. There is also an other place of Scripture in the .47. chapt. of Ezechiel. Whiche is this, and translated or written out by S. Iohn into this place in a maner worde for worde: by the riuer sayeth he, on eyther side of it shall growe vp all maner trees that beare fruicte, whose leaues shall not falle, nor the fruictes fayle, but euery moneth shal they bring forth newe fruictes. For their waters flowe out of the sanctuarie, and their fruictes shal be meate, and their leaues medicinable. And Ezechiel vnder a figure seeth that same blessed life, and happie seates, whiche S. Iohn at this present seeth, by the shewyng of the Angell. And eyther of them both seeth the happie seates after the same sorte, & vnder the like figure. For there is one only blessednes, common to al the faythfull of the whole world. The Patriarches, Prophetes, Apostles, and Martirs atchieue all one felicitie. They see the Riuer on eyther side, and the same runnyng out of the Sanctuarie, or seate of God. They see on eyther side the riuer, trees planted that bryng forth the fruictes of life. They bring forth fruictes euery moneth fresshe and newe: and the leaues of eyther do heale. I suppose the olde Poetes borrowed out of the Scriptures suche thinges as they wrote in verses concerning Ambrosia and Nectar, the meate and drinke of the Goddes.the meates & drinkes of goddes. That shorte verse of Martiall is knowen.
And Grammarians deriue those vocables of immortalitie. But our S. Iohn here reasonyng more elegantly & better of these matters, sayeth, how the Aungel shewed him a riuer, which he commendeth vnto him by such properties, as water is wonte to be cōmended: of the purenes, brightnes, and clearenes. He addeth a parable, whiche geueth light to that he hath sayde, and sayeth, cleare as a christal. After he addeth, that this riuer is the riuer of the water of life, to witte liuely water, which preserueth the drinkers therof in life. Finally he sheweth also the originall or springe head of this riuer, deriuyng the same from the seate of God, of the whiche seate or Trone I haue spoken in the .4. and .5. chapter of this booke. And by all these thinges is signified nothing els, but that life procedeth of God alone, which he geueth to thē that serue him in that blessed countrie pure, cleare, bright, moste tried and most perfit, and altogether diuine. Touchyng the liuely springes and fountaynes of waters, we haue touched some what in the ende of the .7. chapt. of this boke. Marke againe, that God & the lambe are so ioyned together againe, that no man vnlesse he be madde, wil denie the sonne to be of the same substaunce with the father.
The vitaile of this citie.Now followeth the victual of this diuine citie. The meate in the coūtrie euerlastyng, is the tree of life. And it is the Hebrewe phrase the woode of life, for the tree of life, or liuely meate. For there is added bearing fruicte. And whether you vnderstande that S. Iohn sawe one only tree, as also in paradise was one tree only: or mo, as in Ezechiel, so that by the general word we maye vnderstande the particular kindes of trees, it shal be all one. The Situation of the tree he sheweth dilligently, to be sette in the middes of the strete of the Citie, and on eyther side the riuer (whereby doubtles is gathered that there were many trees) to witte on the bankes of the riuer, that they maye sucke vp liuely iuyce out of the riuer, which floweth frō the Trone. And hereby I suppose is signified, that the heauenly fode is common and free for all, not locked vp, or kepte for a fewe. It is founde in the middes of the strete of the citie: than doeth the meate stande opē, and is not hidde. And it draweth a liuely force out of ye riuer, whiche springeth out of the seate. For that heauenly life is [...] God, [Page 669] & floweth to al his electe. Moreouer it is also declared moste dilligently, what maner of fruicte this shal be: the tree of life sayeth he,The fruic [...] doeth fructifie or bring forth fruicte twelue times in the yere, so that euery moneth it beareth fruicte freshe and newe. The first fruictes to men are deintie: and they that doe cōmonly abhorre olde fruicte, had rather haue newe. Therefore in that blessed coūtrie of oures shal nothing be tediouse, vnpleasaunt, lothesome, or in any wise to be reiected, but all thinges shal be most pleasaunt, most delicate or deintie, fresh and delectable.
Nowe also he neglecteth not the leaues, &, as Ezechiel did,The le [...] ues. sheweth some vse of the same. They serue, saieth he, for a medicine to heale ye people. Not yt ther shal be diseases or sores in yt heauēly coūtrie: but yt the blessed shal haue continual & perpetual helth. These people he calleth gētiles: not yt the gētiles are yet vncleane, but for that thei were ones suche, but nowe beyng purged by Christe, liue hoale & sounde for euer more.
And by those allegories hath he hitherto figured by partes those blessed seates,To what ende these are writtē. prepared for the faithfull in that euerlasting countrie, vnder the Image of a moste noble citie: which after he hath shewed vs, he semeth as it were to haue opened heauen it selfe, and set forth the eternall felicitie to be sene in a maner with mortall eyes, and euē to haue poincted with the fingar, to no other ende, than that we should be stronge and constant in the fayth of our lord Iesus Christ: & should neuer thinke ones, who hath euer sene those blessed seates, whereunto we are called by the deniyng of all pleasures? what yf thou shouldest dispise the pleasures presente, and shuldest obteyne none in time to come? This thought is wicked. Faith teacheth thee otherwise. But what sayest thou more? desirest thou to know and see such things as God hath shewed thee? Thou hast sene enough and aboūdantly at this present. The lord hath sheweth thee aboundantly enough of life and pleasure celestial at this present. Indeuour now only, that the deuill, the world & Antichrist troden vnder, thou mayest aspire and be lifted vp into those heauēly seates. Moreouer beware thou be not more curiouse, than is mete or requisite: and that thou sekest not to knowe mo, and more exacte thinges of the heauenly towre, and perpetuall ioyes, than the Lord himself, [Page 670] which only knoweth these things, hath to thee reuealed. Let this euident demonstration of eternal life suffice vs. I beleue neuer none hath disputed better or more rightly, more elegantly and more euidently of the blessed life, thā here S. Iohn hath done. Let vs therefore repose our selues in God, let vs beleue his wordes, let his reuelation suffice vs, and let vs desire to be ioyned with him in this heauenly courte, in all felicitie and eternal life most perfit.
A [...]ome collected of ye doctrine of the blessed life.And now S. Iohn recollectyng the chiefest poinctes of this matter, and concludynge this place of eternall life, he finissheth this euerlastyng felicitie in seuen membres: whiche we will but touche only, for that many thinke we haue spoken hereof already sufficiently, and plentifully enough. And to beginne with al, there shal be no curse, no execration, no malediction, nother warre, nor famine, nor diseases, nor yet any suche thing,There shal be no more curse. as is recited of Moses emonges the curses in the 27. and .28. of Deuter. Not that all are accursed, whiche are subiecte to the same. For Iob and other holy menne, were tormented with sickenes: but that commonly the accursed, vnbeleuers and wicked are plaged there with. Not that they should be exercised and profit in godlines, but that thei shuld first be afflicted here, & so by certen degrees passe vnto greater tormentes. What than?
The seate of God in the citie.The second membre inseweth: but the Trone of God and of the Lambe shal be in that citie. To witte the kingdome of God shal be there, and God shal raygne and al blessyng, no malediction, in the chosen. Therefore what ioyefull thinges so euer the Prophetes Christ and the Apostles haue spokē of the kingedome of God, the same shal be in heauen, and the blessed shal haue the fruition thereof. And agayne are ioyned together inseperablely the father and the sonne in the vnitie of essence, which neuerthelesse in the distaūce of persones are excedingly wel not diuided, but discerned. These misteries of the blessed Trinitie are knowen vnto the faythful.
His seruātes shall serue him.Here followeth the third membre. Some may maruaile, what the blessed shal do in the world euerlastyng. Therefore S. Iohn sayeth, and his s [...]uauntes, [...], shall serue him, God I saye and the Lambe, they shall worshippe him in honouryng, praysing, & magnifiyng him for euer. Therefore [Page 671] shal they wholy addicte themselues to godly worshippyng. Whiche thing shall in dede be to him great pleasure. As also S. Austen sheweth in an other place.
Fourthly, they shal see the face of God.They shall see ye face of God. S. Austen treateth much of seyng of God, to Paulina: and warneth godly, that we shoulde not here Imagine to our selues carnall thinges. Moses in the .33. of Exodus. And Philippe the Apostle in the .14. of Iohn haue accompted it for the highe felicitie to see God, as he is, and as it is commonly sayde, face to face. And there is vndoubtedly in this sighte and fruition, highe felicitie and ioye euerlastyng and moste complete: howebeit in this present world, as the lorde sayde to Moses, it chaunceth to no mā. The holy fathers haue in dede sene God, but by a shape, and so farre forth as he hath vouchesaued to reueale and shewe himselfe to them to be sene. Like as Tertullian sheweth in the boke agaynste Praxeas: but with full eye, to see the full glory of God with ioye inestimable, is than firste graunted vs, what time beyng deliuered from miserie, and purged frō corruption, we shal also in body be clarified: than at the laste, as S. Iohn sayde also in the .1. of Iohn the .3. we shall see him as he is. Iob moste rightuouse speakyng of this vision of God,Iob. 19. sayde: when they shal haue put aboute or clothed (to wit the father, sonne, & holy ghoste) this (namely my body) with my fleshe: I shall beholde God out of my flesshe: whome I shall see to my selfe, and mine eyes shall loke vpon, and no other. The which is my only desire. Of this seyng spake Paule also the Doctour of Gentiles, and sayde: nowe we see in a glasse,1. Corinth. 13. euen in a darke speaking: but then shall we see face to face, &c. And of this vision S. Austen hath also disputed in his booke De ciuitate dei. aboute the ende.
Fiftely, they shal haue ye name of God in their foreheads:The name of God written in their foreheades. eyther because they shal be the children of God, as we haue hearde in the Epistle to the Philadelphians, in the .3. chapter of this boke. And verely in the coūtrie celestiall it shal be manifestly knowen to all, who be the children of God: In this world they are commonly taken for the children of the deuill which in very dede are the childrē of god. But this shal clerely appere in an other world, to ye great glory of ye chosen. And verely the brightnes of God shal shine from the foreheades, [Page 672] or countenances of the electe: as in times past the brightnes of the lord shone from the face of Moses & Christe. Or because al Sainctes shal knowe one an other, sins the vertue of God resteth in their countenaunces: which sense I perceyue hath pleased Primasius. Or for that they shal be priestes before the Lord for euermore: as the prophetes haue taught of the chosen. In olde time the high prieste bare the very name of God in his forehead in a plate of golde, bounden to his head with a lase. Vndoubtedly in the heauenly countrie the glory of the children of God shal be wonderfull greate, of those chiefely that haue confessed the name of Christ in earth: for these the celestial father shal glorifie.
God lightneth the chosen.In the sixte mēbre is repeted agayne, which hath ones or twise ben spokē before, that the electe in heauē are illumined with the glory diuine, wherof hath ben spokē enough before.
In the last and seuenth membre comprisyng as it were all thinges of life and felicitie, and vttering with one word: they shal raygne,They shal raigne. sayeth he, for euer more. The lord Iesus graunt to vs his faithful, that suche thinges as we haue now hearde plentifully of his mouth, we may shortely experience in our soules and bodies, and may crie with ioye, to God the father most mercifull, and to Iesu Christ the redemer most mightie and benigne, and to the holy ghost the most swete comforter be prayse and glory for euer more. Amen.
¶ The conclusion of this worke, wherein is established the autoritie of the same, and the some collected briefely. The .XCvij. Sermon.
AND he sayde vnto me, these sayinges are faithfull and true. And the lord God of the holy prophets sente his Angell to shew vnto his seruauntes the thinges whiche muste be shortely fulfilled. Beholde I come shortely. Happy is he that kepeth the saying [Page 673] of the prophecie of this booke. I am Iohn which saw these things, and I hearde them. And whē I had hearde and sene, I fel downe to worship before the fete of the Angel, which shewed me these thinges. And he saide vnto me: see thou do it not. For I am thy fellowe seruaunt, and of thy bretherne the prophets, and of them which kepe the sayinges of this boke. Worship God.
The sixte & last parte of this worke conteyneth the conclusion,The conclusion of this worke which affirmeth the thinges which we haue heard to be diuine, certayne, and vndoubted: for he collecteth the chiefest thinges, & moueth al men to faith, & study of godlines, that in stedfaste hope we shuld loke for ye iudge of al, to come shortly, and to iudge the quicke & the dead. And in goodly order this laste boke of the Canonical scripture finisheth the godly narration & doctrine, with the iudgement, & ende of all thinges.The Apocalipse is ye laste boke of the canonical bokes of ye scripture. For the holy Scripture beginneth at the firste originall of al thinges, and continueth a narration vntill the ende of all thinges, conteyning in it self the vniuersalitie of things, and al such thinges as are requisite to be knowē of matters nedeful and profitable. And al those thinges hath our good Lord geuen vs to be knowen in the holy scripture, that is to say, in the Canonical bokes. For they be false harlottes, that saye, that al thinges which apperteyne to the true & full godlines, & saluation of the faithful, are not set forth in holy writinges, and therefore to haue nede of traditions. They in dede haue nede of those traditions, which wil vtter their craftie wares: we nede none, which esteme al their wares not worth a gally halfpenny to be bought of any man. For Esaye hath sufficiently diswaded vs from their disceauable & craftie iuglinges, in the .55. chapt. And this conclusion conteyneth aboute .16. Articles. Which we shal discusse in order.
Immediately after the beginning is set a graue asseueration,That these thinges be true & vndoubted. yt the thinges which he hath sayde or writtē hitherto are true, sure, certaine & vndoubted, [...] he hath in a maner the same sentēce also in the .19. chapt. [Page 674] of this booke. And he calleth faythful sayinges, whiche are stable, ratified stedfaste and vndoubted. And the sentence is referred in the thinges whiche he hath spoken of the blessed life to the world to come, leest we shuld be lefte in any doubtfulnes. Agayne it is referred to the whole narration of this boke. And this sentence semeth to be a clause of assertiō, and confirmyng the certentie of the matter propounded: as be those also in the prophets: for the lord hath spoken: & againe, thus sayeth the Lord of hoostes: and that same moste vsed in the gospel, verely verely I saye vnto you. And that in the Epistles apostolical, God is my witnes, that I lie not. And the goodnes of god doeth succour our infirmitie, wherby many times we doubting of the veritie of Gods words do wauer, & confirmeth our hope with these as it were ankers. Wherefore these must be dilligently beaten in & vrged in the ecclesiastical doctrine. Aretas expoundyng this place: as the wōted maner of this holy Euangeliste is alwayes, so is it here also. For like as in his gospel, in token of loyaltie he sayeth: & we know that his testimony is true: so in this place also, setting to his seale, he sayeth, these sayinges are faithful and trewe. Hitherto he. Therfore shal it be an vnworthie thing to doubt be it neuer so little of the thinges that are writtē in this boke, and in other bokes of the canonical Scripture.
The Authour of this worke God of the holy Prophetes.Secondly he repeteth, who is the Authour of this worke, and all these thinges are reuealed to him. And verely there is none other Authour but the lorde God him selfe, and that the God of the holy Prophetes. The which hath a great efficacitie, for he sheweth him not only to be one & the same god of both Testamentes, whiche by his spirite hath inspired the prophetes & Apostles: but also biddeth vs secretly to esteme the veritie & certētie of this boke of the prophetical matters. For if he coulde in olde time telle his people before of things to come, & vtter al thinges by the prophetes, what maruell is it, yf he nowe also perfourme the same by S. Iohn? And if all those thinges came to passe, which the prophetes did prophesie to come, nother did there any word, no nor one iote fal vnto the grounde, which was not fulfilled: there is no man also that wil doubt of the veritie of this boke, yf at leest he cōsider that the same God which in times past was wt the prophets, [Page 675] is nowe also with blessed Ihon. The Prophets said, howe the land of Chanaan shulde be deliuered in to the possession of the children of Israel: it was deliuered. The selfe same prophecied that the people of Israel shulde for their sinnes be cast out agayne of the same land in to Babilon: thei were cast oute. After thei prophecied againe yt thei shulde be deliuered, shuld repare ye Citie, to the which Christ wolde come, which shuld redeme mankynd, & cal into the fellowship of life and blesse, all nations: They were deliuered, they repared their Citie: Christ came, and redemed mankind, and the gospel was preached through out ye whole world. What thyng than remayneth, but that the church shuld be turmoiled, Antichrist shuld come, and raigne, and that the true Christians and he shulde wage battaile together, and the Iudge come at the last vnto iudgement, and reward euery one according to his doinges? And this place proueth the diuinitie of Christ infalliblie.Christe very God. For what can be spoken more plainly, than was saide? The Lord God of holy Prophetes sent forth his Angel. So in the first chapter is saide: The reuelation of Iesu Christ, which God gaue him. And a little after he saieth: I Iesus sent my Angel, that he might testifie vnto you, &c. Herein therfore is shewed the vnitie of the substaūce diuine, and destruction of persons.
And the maner of the reuelation is shewed,Howe this booke was reuealed. or repeted and collected rather: he sent his Angell. Christe therefore by his Angell sheweth all thinges to S. Ihon. For no man hath sene God at any time: nother shal the Lorde come downe againe from heauen before the iudgement. Wherfore this whole vision was exhibited and declared bi the Angel, which was the messager of Christ the Lorde. Wherefore all thinges are properly referred to Christ which sent the Angell. But to whom ded he shew or reueale these thinges? To his seruaunts. For the cōtemners of God laugh at these thinges, and take them for fables. But God loueth his worshippers, and warneth them of all thinges in due season.
3. The some of this booke in two poincies. Now he gathereth the some of such things as he hath treated hitherto. The same ar chiefly cōnteyned in two poincts. For he sheweth hitherto, what thinge must be done ( [...]) shor [...]. For this boke conteineth the destinies of the church from the Apostles time to the worldes end. Therfore he prophesied [Page 676] not a farre of, but the thinges that began in the very time of S. Ihon. And yf they muste be done, who shall resiste? Not that I wyll establyshe the necessitie of the Stoyckes, but that I acknowledge the mightie workyng of God, after his prouidence and righteousnes. After he addeth another membre: Beholde I come quickely [...]. For this boke comprehendeth many things, which concerne the iudgemēt it selfe, and the last iudgement, to the which I will come so swiftely, and vnloked for, that the wicked and light men shall loke for nothing lesse. For the Lorde sayeth in the Gospell: it shall be as in the dayes of Noe and Loth. And in the howre that you thinke not, the sonne of man wyll come. Item, as the brightnesse cometh foorth of the Easte, and shyneth in the Weste: so shall be the comming of the sonne of man. And therfore the Lorde sayeth nowe also at this present: Beholde I comme quickely. For sodaynely, whyleste he seemeth in the meane tyme to doe an other thyng, at vnwares he bryngeth in the Lorde speakyng, and that a matter wonderfull, as this particle. Beholde importeth. For S. Paule hath written also, whileste they shall saie peace and securitie, sodayne destruction shall come vpon them.
The cōmoditie of this booke. 4. But what profit shall the seruauntes of God loke for of this boke? In a short sentence he cōpriseth much, and saieth: happie is he that kepeth the woordes of the prophesie of this boke. Felicitie & blessednes, is the fruict that is taken of this boke. In this present worlde being lincked with Christe, w [...] shall walke in the way of righteousnes, and eschew the craftes of Antichriste: and shall not fele the tourmētes which arrise in the conscience, of the corruption of religion depraued. And when we depart hence, we shal go straight to those blessed seates. This is the highe blessednes and felicitie. And let vs marke, that it is not enough either to haue sene, or heard, or red this boke: it muste nedes be kepte. For we muste beware that it goeth not in at one eare, and oute the other, that we forget not the things that are told vs, but that we rather frame our whole lyfe after the doctryne of this boke. And he attributed to it the title of prophecie. All the Scripture is called a prophecie, as much as to say diuine: But consyderyng howe this boke for the more parte therof sheweth things to [Page 677] come vnto the church, it is rightly called a prophecie.
5. He repeteth againe and beateth u [...],The writer of this boke Ihon which repeteth his name. both his name and also that he is a witnes that sawe and heard, who maie surely be credited. And thus he wil get authoritie to this boke. For it muste nedes be had in greate estimation, that which was conceaued and written of the Apostle and Euāgelist S. Ihon. Many accompt a faulte in Iohn, that he so dilligently expresseth his name. But maruell it is, that they obserue not the same also els where, and of others not withoute prayse. Ded not the selfe same Ihon repete and inculke the name of a Disciple in the story of the Gospell? who shulde reprehend this? I see not therfore what he hath offended herein: But rather sins he foresaw in the spirite, that many wold speake against this boke, not withoute great cause, and with much fruicte, and also of extreme necessitie he importuned his name. And the Apostle S. Paule also to the Galathians: Beholde I Paule say vnto you, sayeth he, in ease ye be circumcised, Christe shal profite you nothing. The same also, to moue affection, inculketh his name to Philemon. Aretas therefore very aptely expounding this place. And this, sayeth he, a certen proprietie of speach in this Apostolicall soule. For euen as he ded in the Gospell also, where he sayth: And he that sawe hath borne witnes, and his testimonie is true: the same doeth he in this place also, testifieng that he was both an hearer and beholder of these things, which are prophicied. For hereby he winneth credit to the things which had ben sene. Thus much he. Others haue thought that not without cause, S. Ihon hath in this boke repeted his name oftener, than in his story for that men wil more hardlye beleue a prophecie speaking of things yet to come, than a story, which telleth of matters paste.
6. In the sixte place he annexeth,whie Ihon wolde worship the Angel agayne. what chaunced to him agayne with the Angell, reuealing vnto him these huge misteries. A lyke story for all the worlde, had we in the ninetene chapter, where also we expounded the same: where he that liste, may see. And yet the expositours demaund, howe chaū ceth it, that agayne Ihon doeth the same, that he did before, and was prohibited of the Angel? Thomas of Aquine weneth that S. Ihon being besydes himselfe by reason of the excellencie of visions, dyd this as one astonied: The glose: before [Page 678] sayeth he, the Angell forbadde, that he should not worshippe him with Latria, here he prohibiteth, that he worshippe him not with Dulia. But to me appereth (preferring alwayes the better iudgemēt of others) In S. Ihon to be shewed to all the godly, howe great is the frailnes of man to fall, vnlesse he be restrained and drawen backe by the mightie hande of God. The Angel had shewed Ihon expressely before, that he shoulde not do, that he than did, and now repeteth it againe. For hauing as it were forgotten those things, by reason of the excellencie of the Angel, he wold surely haue done him some worship. For so we permit to our selues more than is decēt, especially toward nobler personages, whom for thexcellēt gyfts of God we esteme worthie, whom we may also without the offence of God euen worship. That opiniō deceaueth in our time ye most part of them, which against the comlines of syncere religion worship and honour Saincts. But the Angel of the Lorde here nother forgeth nor bringeth foorth any newe doctrine, but that olde in forme, as thei terme it, to the intent we shuld vnderstād, that the will of God is alwayes one and perpetuall, which will not haue the most excellent creatures to be worshipped, but one God alone to be honoured. He repeteth therefore the same causes, which he also obiected before. Therfore be they alwaies of force, with all, & at al times. S. Ihon in the meane time semeth, that he wold commend vnto vs the excellencie of this vision or reuelation: and that the Angel did admonish him cōstantlie of his dutie, and vs al by him, that the thing which is proper to God, we shulde transpose to no creatures, and it deserueth exceding great prayse here, that S. Ihon here discembleth nothing: but by expresse wordes committeth to writing his fall, and rebukyng of the Angell moste euidently. For by his fall he wolde admonish, that the godly shulde not fall in lyke cases, but geue all glory to God. Here semeth also to be obserued, a maruelouse affection in the maner of speakyng. For the Angell crieth out to Ihon being ready to fall downe nowe, yea prostrate already, and nowe aboute to worwip, [...]: See thou do it not, that thou verely intendest to do. Here is expressed the carefulnes of mynd, and haste, wherwith he goeth about to preuent the enterprise of Ihon. And thus diligent are the Holy spirirites [Page 679] in heauē in letttyng al things, that by any meanes do tourne vs frō God, to ye worshipping of creatures, much lesse would they thēselues be worshipped, or to haue ye things attributed to them, which the Papistes at this day attribute by force of Armes. The Lorde of clemencie & mercie conuerte them to a right minde, that thei maye attribute al glory to God. Amē.
¶ S. Iohn is commaunded not to seale this boke, but to publishe it, hauyng respecte to no man. The .XCviij. Sermon.
AND he sayd vnto me: seale not the sayenges of the prophecie of this boke. For the time is at hande. He that doeth euill, let him doe euill stil: & he which is filthie, let him be filthie still: and he that is rightuouse, let him be more rightuouse: and he that is holy, let him be more holy.
7 The seuenth place that is treated in this conclusion, forbiddeth Iohn, that he seale not the boke written,Seale not the boke. [...], sayeth the Angel, seale it not. And certenly letters and bokes are wonte to be sealed, eyther for credit & confirmatiōs sake, or els that they should not be openly red of al men: but those only, to whom they are assigned. An Angell sayeth to Daniel in the .12. chapt. And thou Daniel close the wordes, and seale the boke vntil the laste time. He is commaunded to shut his boke, that is to saye, to make an ende, nother to loke for any more reuelatiō: finally he is cōmaunded to shut it for the vngodly, vnto whom assuredly this boke shal seme darke & closed. For it followeth: for many shal erre, & knowledge shal be manifolde. For thei that are not ruled by the certayne & sure word of God, haue nothing at al certenly tried & knowē, but wander through manifolde or sondry & vncertayne opiniōs, iudgementes, and traditions of men. For Daniel sayeth, that knowledge shal be variable: yt is to say, there shal be innumerable opiniōs & sectes of the religion & seruing of god: where [Page 680] neuerthelesse there is but one only trewe opinion, doctrine, fayth or religion, the fame I saye, whiche Daniel set forth in his boke, which boke also he sealed: that is to saye, cōfirmed it as it were with godly seales, as authenticall, or authorised, and which was worthie to be credited: howebeit at this present S. Iohn is not commaunded in the same sense and meanyng not to seale his boke, which we know to be altogether autenticall:This boke shoulde be open for al men. but such a thing as this is the Angel meaneth, cō ceale or couer not, & hide not this boke: whom God therfore would haue to be writtē, that it might be a publicke doctrine in the whole world wherby al men might be instructed in the thinges that are reuealed from heauen, that they be not thorowe the craftes and tiranny of Antichrist withdrawen from the kingdome of Christ, vnto the kingdome of Antichrist: for God would that al these thinges should to all men be moste common and manifestly knowen. And this sense hath Aretas opened also, sayeng: Seale them not, sayeth he, that is, kepe them not sealed to thy self, but publishe them to all. The reason is annexed: for the time is at hande, wherein verely these thinges which I haue sayde, shal come to passe. Wherfore the faythful had nede of warnyng, cōfirmyng and comforte. Consideryng therefore that this boke is set forth, that it might admonishe, strengthen, and comforte the faythfull, the same ought not to be shutte but wide open. For this is the good will of God, that this his word should be preached in his church to the profit of al faithfull. Let them loke therefore, what they doe, whiche would haue this booke not only shutte vp, but cleane taken awaie: nother thinke it can be vnderstande as obscure and full of darke speakynges. But to God be prayse and thankes geuyng, whiche hath vouchsaued to prouide for vs faythfully & in time by this most profitable and moste necessarie boke.
¶ These thīgs must be beatē in both to the hearers & to suche as will not heare. 8 The eight place of this conclusion semeth to treate of a certen preuention. For some man here might saye: thou wilt haue this boke to be open, and come vnto al men of al states, sexe and ages: but there shal be some, whiche wil vtterly contemne the same. In vayne therefore shall it be preached, in vayne shall we vrge these writynges, with them especially, which shal deride the same, and expounde them this waye or that [Page 681] waye at their pleasure. But he semeth to preuent this, & saye: doubtles there shall be vnrightuouse innumerable, whiche shal procede vnbridled in their iniquities, and shall more and more excede and passe themselues: but yet there shall be also rightuouse, whiche perseueryng in al rightuousenes, shal increase in holy vertues, and herein also shal surmounte themselues: wherfore spare not thou to vtter to thē al, such things as in this boke I haue cōmaunded thee, being nothing careful for the successe therof: let me alone with that: execute thou thoffice of preachyng. I wil bryng to passe, that thy faithfull preachyng shal not be vayne. And let them alone, if thou see certen that will be altogether filthie, and perish in their filthines, seyng they contemne al thy faythful labour. For thou haste done thy duetie, and arte blameles: and they perishe through their owne fault. Wherfore I wil nother haue thee, nor yet no other to be ouer careful, what time you see many, contemnyng the puretie of Gods word, had rather wallowe in filthines. And we reade els where also,Math. 24. 2. Corin. 2. that the Gospell is preached to many for their condemnation, and the sauour of the gospel to be swete vnto some vnto saluatiō: and to others an intollerable stēche vnto perdition. A like place in a maner is in the .2. chapt. of Ezechiel, where we reade that the Lorde sayde to the Prophet: thou sonne of man, I sende thee to the childrē of Israel, to a people rebelliouse, which haue rebelled agaynst me, they and their fathers haue dealte traytorously with me vntil this daye. They be childrē of an harde fauour, and of a frowarde harte. I sende thee vnto them, and thou shalt tell them: thus sayeth the Lord God, whether they will heare, or not heare: for it is a rebelliouse house, that they may knowe yet, howe there hath ben a Prophete emongs them. And thou sonne of man feare thē not, nother be thou affraide of their wordes: for they be contentiouse and prickyng like thornes, and thy dwellyng is with Scorpions. But therfore shalt thou not be affrayde of thē, thou shalt speake my words vnto them, whether they wil heare them, or no.
Howbeit we must here take hede,God commaundeth not that the wicked shoulde walke still in their wickednes that we vnderstāde not that God cōmaundeth, that the vngodly shuld procede to be more vngodly, where thangel sayeth: he yt is vnrightuouse, let him be vnrightuouse stil, &c. For it semeth in maner to be [Page 682] such a saying, as that same is in the gospell: that thou doest, doe it more spedely. For he commaundeth him to doe, that thing which he knew he would do. After the same sorte here also, that he knewe the wicked would do, he sayeth they shal do: nother willeth he that their doynges shuld trouble Iohn, & the faythfull preacher, seyng there shal be also many good, whiche shal also applie themselues vnto rightuousenes. We are wonte also to saye with a muche like phrase: yf it will no otherwise be, we muste be content. Not that we bidde him that perissheth, to perishe: but that so we reproche to him his madnes, & signifie that he perissheth through his owne fault, willingly and wittingly. Aretas: It is no exhortation sayeth he, but rather a rebukyng of euery one, vnto the whiche study he applieth him selfe. And Thomas of Aquine: The sense is, sayeth he, he that hurteth, lette him hurte stil. That is he will hurte, by doyng other euilles: that the Angel be vnderstande to haue sayde these thinges in propheciyng, not in wisshing, &c. And so the meanyng were: the wicked contēning the prophecie, shall continewe to be wicked, the godly agayne shall growe in the holy study of rightuousnes. Which sense truely semeth moste playnest of al. Nother differ they muche from these, that are red in the .12. of Daniel by these wordes: go Daniel sayeth the Angel, and searche not ouer curiousely the instaunt of the laste time: for the sayinges are closed and sealed, vntill the laste time. Very many shall be purified and made white and caste newe. But the wicked shal doe wickedly and al vngodly shal not vnderstande. But the learned shal teach. From these thinges swarue nothyng at al the wordes of the Apostle, [...]. Timo. 3. speakyng and propheciyng of the later times: all that will liue godly in Christe Iesus, shall suffer persecution for rightuousnes. Notwithstandyng euill menne, and deceauers growe worse and worse, whilest they both leade others into errour, and erre themselues. Therefore seyng the later age of this worlde shal be such, let vs, which are called to this function, procede constantly to auaunce, set forth and beate in, the very worde of God, and reuelation of Iesu Christ vnto al men, regardyng nothing, what the worlde and worldly men speake agaynst it.
And ful elegantly he setteth two sortes of men against two [Page 683] others, the vnrightuouse agaynst the rightuouse,The vnrightuous [...] & filthy are set against the righteuous and holy. and filthie to holy, [...], sayeth he, he that doeth euill, let him do euil: or he that is vnrightuous, let him be vnrightuous: or he that hurteth by persecutīg ye godly, [...] let him hurt stil, or furthermore. Agaynst this he setteth: he yt is rightuous, let him be more rightuous, let him procede further, & grow more & more in al godlines, & go beyōde himself in rightuousnes, both of faith and workes. For by rightuousenes of faith we are iustified: by the rightuousnes of workes, we are declared to be rightuouse. And thei that be rightuouse, not only hurte no man but also profit & do good to al. Contrarywise the vnrightuous, which waunt true faith, waūt light: & walke therfore in darkenes, & doe the workes of darkenes: persecuting both the rightuouse, & rightuousnes, & molestyng al mē. And that there should be such men in the later dayes, the lord hath also prophecied in the .24. chap. of the gospel after Matthewe.
An other kinde of men, is of vncleane, polluted, filthie and vile, [...], &c. He that is filthie, sayeth he, lette him be filthie stille. And the interpretours of the Greke tunge admonisshe that [...], is that filthines, which we gather with our nailes endes. And he signified vncleane persones in body & soule, Idolaters, fornicatours, gluttons, and suche like. Agaynste whome he hath placed, the holy, pure, and cleane: that is to saye purified by faith, and appliyng thēselues busily to sanctification. Therfore like as the filthie do more and more wallowe themselues in the mire, and araye and defile thēselues to vilely: so the godly doe more and more applie themselues dayly to cleanes and holines of life. The lorde Iesus iustifie and sanctifie vs for euermore.
¶ He gathereth suche thinges as he hath taught of the laste Iudgement, and of the rewardes of the godly, and of the tormentes of the wicked. The .xcix. Sermon.
AND beholde I come shortely, and my rewarde is with me, to geue euery man accordyng as his dedes shalbe. [Page 684] I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and thende: the first and the laste. Blessed are they that kepe his commaundementes, that their power maye be in the tree of life. And maye enter in through the gates into the citie. For without shall be dogges & inchaunters, and whoremongers, and murtherers, and idolaters, & who so euerloueth & maketh lesinges.
A brefe rehersal of ye last iudgement, & of rewardes & tormentes. 9 The ninth place of this conclusion, is of the comming of the lord vnto iudgement, and of the rewarde prepared for the good, and appoincted tourmentes for the impenitent and wicked for he collecteth at this present, that he treated more dilligently and more at large in the .19. and .20. chapt. and other places of this booke. And this place before all others he inculketh and vrgeth most ernestly. For it is of great importaunce, if we both vnderstande it rightly, and ponder it very ofte in our mindes. For we shall the lesse licenciously sinne, but shal watche more dilligently.
The lorde Christ cō meth shortly.And in this conclusion of S. Iohn the persones are often chaunged. For now speaketh Iohn him self, and incōtinently he bringeth in the Lord speakyng. As at this present verely he maketh the lorde Christ himselfe to speake, and saye: behold [...] I come quickely. For the worde pronounced out of Christes mouth is of more authoritie, and hath more credit with all, than that the Apostle speaketh: & in sayeng that he will come shortely, he would stire vp all men to watch, repent, & praye. For in the Gospel he sayed: watch, for you know nother the daye nor the houre. Your Lord will come at an houre, when you thinke leest. He feareth therefore the slougthful and vncleane persones, whiche comforte themselues, that the Lorde shal not come at al, and if he come, that yet it shal be lōg first, and perauenture neuer. Agaynst whom he pleadyng, sayeth howe he will come quickely. Agaynst the same also reasoned Malachie in the .3. and .4. chapt. And S. Peter in the .2. the .3. chapt. Moreouer in affirmyng that he will come shortely, he comforteth the godly tempted and tossed diuersely in this world. For the godly some times crie also, that the Lorde differreth [Page 685] his cōmyng ouer lōg, that he is to benigne to his enemies. Wherefore he saieth, yt he wil now come sone enough, that is to saie in dewe time: that he may both deliuer his seruauntes, and distroye & rote out his enemies and contēners.
For it followeth, what a one, howe, and to what ende he wil come: he wil come gloriouse with great maiestie & power to deliuer and saue the faithfull, and condemne the vngodly, for he sayeth, and my rewarde with me. Which words seme to be taken out of the .40. chapt. of Esaye. And signifie,And my rewarde wt me. that God is furnished aboundantly with al implementes, wherewith it behoueth a rewarder and reuenger to be furnisshed with. Therefore he sayeth, the rewarde which I shall geue to euery one, after his doynges, I haue presently with me, and that ready, and plentifull. For our king and Iudge wanteth not power and treasure: as many times the Kinges of this world, eyther can not paye their Soldiours wages, as they ought, or haue it not ready, and differ the payement a longe time. But this our Captayne: and my rewarde, sayeth he, is with me. And immediately expoundyng himselfe, he sayeth: that he wil rewarde euery one accordyng as his doyng shal be. For so the Apostle also in the .2. to the Corinth. 5. saieth, how we must al appere before the iudgement seate of Christ; that euery one maye receiue such thinges as are done by the body, accordyng as he hath done, whether it be good or euil. For in the .16. chapt. of the gospel of S. Matth. the lorde sayde like [...]ise, that the ti [...] [...]ould come, that the sonne of manne shuld come in the glory of his father, with his Angelles, and then shal he render to euery one after his doinges. The same is taught of the Apostle in the .2. chapt. to the Romanes.
And to the intent no manne shoulde doubte,I am [...]. and Ω. but that our iudge can accomplisshe in dede, that in wordes he sayde he would do, namely to render to euery mā after his doynges, he adioyneth, and sayeth, I am Alpha and Omega; the beginnyng and the ende, &c. By the whiche wordes he signifieth, that he is very God, eternall, and almightie. The sentence is taken out of the .43. and .45. chapt. of Esaye. And is expounded before. These thinges teache vs, that Iesus Christe is very God, and therefore the rewarder of al, most bountiful and most rightuouse.
Rewardes prepared for ye godlyConsequētely agayne, expressely, more playnely, and by a pertition, S. Iohn with his wordes declareth, what, and to whome the Lorde will geue. And firste in dede he treateth of rewarde prepared for the good, after of punnishemente appoincted for the euil by the iuste iudgement of God. And rewarde is payed, or geuen rather, as S. Paule sayeth, to them that kepe his cōmaundementes, namely Christes. For not they that reade, or heare the commaundementes of God, or boaste and preache them are blessed: [...]. Iohn. 3. but they that kepe, and perfourme them in dede. For so hath our Lorde and sauiour Christ taught vs in the Gospel after Matthewe the .7. chapt. and Luke. the .11. And his commaundementes are those that are expounded in the ten preceptes, or in the gospell restreyned to the loue of God and our neighbour, or the whiche are named of S. Iohn thapostle faith & loue. It behoueth vs therfore to be religious, in case we loke to receyue a rewarde of God. And what is the rewarde that is geuen of the iudge to the godly worshippers of God? That is taken thre maner of wayes. For first they are called happie & blessed. Secondely they shal haue power ouer the wood of life, that is to say the fruictes of the tree of life shal be in their power: that is to wit, thei shal liue an eternal life with Christ, as before is declared. For he alludeth to the fourmer thinges. Laste: thei shal enter in, sayeth he, by the gates into the citie (to wit before also described) into the countrie euerlastyng.
After this he toucheth, or collecte [...]h [...]ls [...] the punnishmētes appoincted for the wicked:Without dogges. and verely in one worde compriseth al together, whilest he sayeth, without. For by this only vocable he excludeth the wicked out of the heauenly coūtrie, and includeth or incloseth them in helle, and helle tormētes vnspeakeable, endles and innumerable. And S. Iohn here followeth the lord in the gospel saying:Matth. 8. I saye vnto you, that many shal come frō the Easte and from the Weste, and shall reste with Abraham, Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen: and the children of the kingedome shal be caste out into the outwarde darkenes, there shal be weyyng & gnasshyng of teth.Matth. 25. So likewise in the parable of the ten virgins, the gate is sayde to be shut, and the folisshe virgins shutte out of the ioyes celestiall. Euen the [...]e he commaundeth the vnprofitable [Page 687] seruaunt to be cast out into the outwarde darkenes. Likewise in the .13. of Luke, the Lord sayeth, howe the vnbeleuers shalbe expulsed out.
And who be they I beseche thee,What holy scripture of dogges. which in that laste iudgement shal be caste out? Dogges, and the residewe whiche are recited in the register of the condēned. The vocable of Dogs is not alwayes taken in the holy Scriptures in the euill parte, but yet for the moste parte. Abner the Prince of kyng Saulles warres: am I the head of a Dogge, sayeth he, to Isboseth, whiche defende the house of Saull agaynste Iuda? Signifiyng that he had incurred the displeasure of the tribe of Iuda, for that he had reteined ten tribes yet in their duetie, and vnder the dominion of the house of kinge Saule. Els where, as in the .15. of Matthewe the gentiles, or heythen, or estraunged from the people of God seme to be called Dogges. As some at this daye call the Turkes, namyng them Turkish do good: that is to saye turkish infidelles. Now also the prophet Esaye calleth the false Prophetes dogges, shamelesse, rauening, vnsatiable, not able to barke and defende the lords Shepef [...]lde, or els vnwillyng and slepie. After the same signification the Apostle sayeth to the Philippians: beware of dogges, beware of euill workers, &c. Moreouer in the holy Scriptures are called dogges angrie men, fierse, cruell, contemners of godly thinges, barkers at the trewth, sclaunderers and persecuters thereof, and blasphemers. For in the .22. Psalme. Dauid a figure of Christ the lorde crieth: Dogges haue inuironned me rounde aboute, the counsell of the malignaunt hath compassed me. Whom he now calleth Dogges, by and by he nameth malignaunt. And when Semei cursed Dauid, Abisai the sonne of Zaruia sayeth: whie doeth this dogge that shall die curse my Lorde the kynge?Math. 27. And the lorde in the Gospell forbiddeth to caste that is holy to dogges, or pearles to Swine. Finally they are called dogges, these filthie men, vncleane; without repentaunce, wallowyng themselues in the dungehill of sinne and wickednes.
For S. Peter calleth suche dogges retournyng to their vomite. And the lord prohibiteth,2. Peter. 2. that no man bring the price of a strompet or dogge into the Temple. For euen therfore the Iewishe Priestes refused the price of bloud offered of Iudas. [Page 688] Therefore vnder the name of dogges we vnderstande heythen or infidelles, false Prophetes or deceauers, cruell men, blasphemers, persecuters of the veritie, cursed speakers, contemners of the trewth, vncleane and filthie, &c.
And as for the membres that followe, haue ben expoūded before, to witte in the .9. chapt. and about the beginnyng and in the ende of the .21. He loueth & maketh lesinges. chapt. To a lie he addeth here, he that loueth and maketh. For many make them not opēly, but they loue, fauour and auaunce them. Many both loue and make them. They loue a lesyng chiefely, whiche mainteyne liyng learnyng, and delighte therein. But hereof moste purposely Primasius Bishoppe of Vtica: to all these thinges, sayeth he, must be geuen not dilligence of expoūding, but carefulnes of auoyding the euils. The lord Iesus saue vs frō al euill. Amē.
¶ Christ is shewed agayne to be Authour of this booke, how great he is here. Here is also declared the desire of the church, wisshyng for the commyng of Christ, and the liberall promesse of the Lorde. The .C. Sermon.
I Iesus sent mine Angell to testifie vnto you these thinges in the cō gregations. I am the rote and generatiō of Dauid, and the bright mornyng Starre. And the spirite and the bryde sayde, come. And lette him that heareth saye also, come. And let him that is a thirste, come. And let who so euer will, take of the water of life, free.
The Authour of this booke Christ.The tenth place of this conclusion sheweth againe the authour of this worke to be Iesus Christ, whiche is brought in here of S. Iohn speakyng, to the intent the thing that is spoken maye haue the more authoritie, and credit be geuē more easely of the Auditours to the whole worke. Wherefore nothing is to be ascribed to S. Iohn, but the writing of ye worke, [Page 689] that is to wit, that he first saw al these thinges, indited & committed them to writing. And the maner also of the reuelation is repeted. Christ himselfe came not downe into the earth, or into these lower partes, but sent forth his Angel, which from Christ, & in Christes name opened & shewed these thinges to S. Iohn. The ende also of the Angelles sendyng or reuelatiō is specified, that he should testifie these thinges in congregations, and to you al that are in the world, vnto thende of the world. And we learne of those fewe wordes that credit muste be geuen to this boke, as that which is propoūded of the very sonne of God by his Angel and Apostle, and that in dede propounded to all that are in the church. Agayne that Iesus Christ is very God, the lord of Angelles: as S. Paule also affirmeth in the .1. chap. to the Hebrewes. Christ very God. Of the which thing is spoken also before. And these moste clere testimonies of the scripture ought to moue the faithful more, thā al the dotages of Seruetus the Spaniarde, and Seruetanes playing the Arrians and Iewes. Let vs obserue moreouer, that Christe sente his Angell, not to Iudge or to teache: but [...],The holy writinges are Authē ticall. that is to testifie. Testimonies lawefully taken, or committed to wryting and sealed, it is not lawefull to speake agaynst. For they are altogether taken for Authentical. But all this boke was written by S. Iohn, and is a witnes or the testimony of the Angell of God. Therefore is it vnlawefull to doubte any thynge thereof. And also ought to haue the same opinion of all other bookes of the olde and newe Testamente. For the Prophetes and Apostles are called the witnesses of God: and the Gospell, and doctrine of the Prophetes and Apostles, the witnes or testimonie. He is madde, that thinketh not the Canonicall Scripture to be of it selfe Authenticall, vnlesse it be first made authenticall by the approbation of the church and Counselles. Moreouer we vnderstande that the doctrine of this whole boke belongeth not only to the seuen churches of Asia, but to all dispersed through out the whole worlde: and therefore to apperteyne chiefely and singularly vnto vs, whiche liue at this daye at Zuricke or in Swycerlande, Englande, Fraunce or Germany. Aretas Bisshoppe of Cesaria: that he should testifie, saieth he, that is to saye, that [...]e should proteste not priuely, nor obscurely, but in the audience [Page 690] of all Churches, dispersed in all the worlde, that no man pretendynge wilfull ignoraunce, shoulde remayne vncorrected.
And incontinently the Lord him selfe also sheweth and declareth,Christe is the roote & stocke of Dauid. who, and howe greate he is, and what we faythfull haue layde vp in store in him. And he vseth agayne parables and allusions for the more perspicuitie: And firste he calleth him selfe the roote and generation of Dauid, that is to saye a trewe and naturall man. For we hearde before that he was very and naturall God. And he cutteth of from al Heretikes deniyng and impugnyng the trewe flesshe of Christe, all Senewes: moste strongely prouyng, that he after the fleshe is of our owne nature. Whereof he is called also in the Scripture the fruicte of the wombe of Dauid, and he that is rysen of his loynes. Moreouer it is sayed to the Dauidicates virgin and mother of God: thou shalte conceaue in thy wombe and bryng forth a sonne. Therefore he calleth him selfe also both the roote and generation of Dauid. And the phrase of speache is to be marked. For the like is red in the .16. of Ezechiel. Thy roote and thy generation is of the lande of Chanaan: that is to saye, thy birth is of the Chananites, or thy of sprynge is of people polluted, yet semeth here neuerthelesse also an other certen thyng to be signified. For the rote beareth a tree, and nurrisheth or quickeneth the same. The roote is not borne or nurrisshed of the tree: and Christe the Lord is the foundatiō, and preseruation of the house of Dauid, and Churche of the faythfull. That Dauid is preserued, that the ofspryng of Dauid is not rooted out, whiche ofte times hath deserued to be, it is done in respecte or merite of Christe the Lorde: Christe hath saued them, the same saueth also, so many as are saued, as he that is of al the promesses made vnto Dauid the head, vertue add some and euen perfection, as in whome is perfit saluation, and all fulnes, as the clere testimonies of the Prophet Esaye beare witnes in the .7. and .37. cha. and els where, also in the 3. of Osee, 34. &. 37. of Ezechiel. And not a much vnlike place is in the .3. boke of Kinges. the .15. chap. Iohn also the .1.Christ is ye bright morning starre chap. of this boke named Christ the rote of Dauid. &c.
Agayne the Lorde calleth hym selfe a Starre, and that not obscure, but shynynge and brighte, and euen the mornyng [Page 691] Starre. When he called hym selfe a Starre, he had respecte to the moste auncient Oracle of Balaam that most wise Prophet in the Easte. He prophecied that a Starre shulde arryse out of Israell, that is to say a celestial starre, and euen the very sonne of God shoulde be borne of a woman. And that the same starre did arrise the magiciens, being also of the Easte, testifie in the .2. chap. of S. Mathew. And it is called bright, because Christe is the light, illumining all men that come in to the world. Of the which matter the same S. Ihon hath treated much in the first, eight, and nynth chapt. of his Euangelicall story. The same our Lorde is also the morning starre, so called of S. Peter, 2. Pet. 1. And of this our S. Ihon in the .2. chapt. of the Apoca. For lyke as Lucifer arrising, draweth the daye starre after him: so Christ shyning in the hartes of the faithfull, doth lighten them more and more in this present world also, and in the lyfe to come doth cloth them whole with the light celestiall. Thomas of Aquine expounding this place: the morninge Starre, sayeth he, is to witte the messager of the day, that is the euerlasting felicitie through his resurrection. And these thynges haue we hearde hitherto of the mouth of Christe, concerning Christe, who and howe great he is, and what treasures we haue layde vp in store in him. He is very God and man, was incarnate for vs, that he might be our roote, vertue, lyfe, light, and saluation. Therfore haue we reposed in him, all fulnes of Saluation. And so we see agayne, that this boke is written with the Apostolicall spirite, which spirite verely so ofte as occasion serueth, reasoneth excellently of Christe, and preacheth his saluation, and commendeth the fayth in him, vnto all the faithfull. The same spirite therfore hath inspyred eyther booke both of the Gospell, and Apocalipse of Saincte Ihon, and caused them to be written of the same Authour.
11. In the eleuenth place is brought in speaking the church,The desire of ye church for the cō myng of Christ. wyshing the comming of Christe vnto iudgement. For sins our Lorde Iesus Christe is so good, so benigne and holsome, whome all this booke hath promysed to come, and to delyuer the church of Sainctes afflicted in this worlde, nowe is resited the desire of the same his church, wyshing and calling the Lorde, sayeng, come. For anone we shall heare the Lorde [Page 692] promising, and saieng, be it I come quickely: And the church agayne reporting Amen. Euen so come Lord Iesu. And that the spirite within our body crieth busily to the Lorde for our deliueraūce and glorifieng, the Apostle mentioneth much in the .8. to the Romanes. Notwithstanding that by the spirite may be vnderstand euery spirituall man also. And therefore Aretas, he nameth them spirite, sayeth he, which are accompted worthie of the spirituall mariage: And the bryde, the church it selfe. Thus sayeth he. Of the bryde we haue spokē many times in this worke, so that we nede not to be tediouse in repeting the same. Howe be it with a wonderfull desyre all the godly couet that the Lorde wolde come vnto iudgement: To the wicked that daye is terrible & abhorred, to the godly moste ioyfull and wysshed for. For the godly perceaue that they shall ones be deliuered from all euylles, and plentifully rewarded with all good thynges, that the glory and veritie of God shall be auaunced and established, that all vngodlynes shall be abolished, and the wicked by the iust iudgement of God tormented. Wherupon S. Peter in the .3. chapt. of the Actes, calleth this day the restoring & perfourming of all such things as God hath at any time spoken by the mouth of his Prophets. In that same day therfore shall all the promesses of God euen of the greateste matters, be fulfilled througely. Therfore sayeth the Lord in the gospell: lifte vp your heads, for your redemption draweth nere. They that mourne and are desperate like, cast downe their heads: The Lord biddeth vs lifte vp our heades, to be cherefull and of good hope. For we shall certenly be delyuered and glorified, which haue ben in the world a laughing stocke, and had in derisiō of all men. Therfore muste the places be expoūded fyguratiuely, which pourport the exceding great lamentation and howling that shall be in that day. For the wicked for anguyshe and payne and vtter desperation shall crye oute, and teare themselues: The godly shall reioyce in him, whome they see comming, shewynge the woundes wherewith they are redemed. Lyke as therefore the desyre of Sainctes was greateste, when the first commyng of our sauiour approched nere, as in Symeon alone appeareth, Luke the second, right so at the second comming of Christe vnto iudgement, all Saincts with vncessable [Page 693] voyces shall crie, and continually do crye, come Lorde Iesu, come and delyuer vs, come and maynetayne thy glorie and church, almoste broughte to naught: come our redemer and Sauiour so wished and loked for, dispatch vs from euilles, graunt vs the good thinges promised, &c.
Wherfore the things that follow,Come. may be referred eyther to the church or to S. Ihon, that eyther the church or S. Ihon shulde say: And let him that heareth say, come. Aretas expoū ding this place briefely and well: by these wordes he insinuateth them, saieth he, which ar not yet assūpted to the flocke, yet ready to heare godly matters, and geue their dilligence to knowe the Lorde. So much he. And doubtelesse the desyre of the godlye is so greate, that they couet that all creatures shoulde praye the Lorde to come vnto iudgement: as many times we se in the Psalmes, the godly to exhorte the Sun and Moone & all creatures, to praise and speake wel of the Lorde.
12. The .12. place of the conclusion, conteineth a most large promesse and comforte of Christe.❀ And le [...] him that is a thyrste, come. For he promiseth agayne frankelie. As thoughe he shulde saie: I knowe what thinges the faithfull shall suffer vnder Antichrist, what also and howe great crafte the same shall practise. All thinges will he sell for money, Heauen and Earth, and those things also which are not in his power: And he shal deceaue many, and shal spoyle many: And al the godly shall he vexe and oppresse with greuouse persecution. Therfore yf I tary long, and come not incontinently, in asmuch as the wisshes of Sainctes couet the same, you that loue and beleue in me, flee Antichriste, geue not your selues to be spoiled of him: loke ye for me, haue recourse vnto me. He that is a thirst, that is, he that desyreth an heauenly gyfte, or he that is in angwysh or tourmented with cares, and sondry euilles, let him come to me, to me I say let him come: I shall fyll him with good thinges, delyuer from euyll, and wyll comforte him, and strengthen him with my spirite, in al maner daūgers, that he may paciently beare and ouercome all euylles. And he semeth to haue borrowed these holsome wordes and most ful of consolation, of the doctrine of Esaye, which is in the .55. chapter, and in the seuenth chap. of Ihon. Hereof are spoken certen thinges aboute the beginning of the .21. chapt. Where we re [...]de [...]he Lord to haue saide: [Page 694] And to him that is a thirste wil I geue of the well of the water of life frely.
And he that wille.But where he sayeth: and he that will: he meaneth not, as many mistake him, that it standeth in our will, that we maye be saued. For we knowe that the Apostle hath sayde: it is not in the wille, nor in the rūning, but in the mercy of God. The Lord of his owne good wil saueth vs: yet not withstanding he saueth not the vnwillyng, but the willyng. But he geueth vs that we maye will: accordyng to that saying of thapostle, it is God that worketh in vs both to will and to accomplish. Primasius: by no good giftes, sayeth he, goyng before he receyueth the water of life frely. For what haste thou, sayeth the Apostle, that thou haste not receyued? Therefore haue we receyued of God frely the wil of cōmyng also: vnto whome we gaue nothing firste, that we should be: much lesse that we should of sinners be made rightuouse. Thus sayeth he. Not withstandyng it might seme to be such a maner of speakyng as is emonges the Germanes: which is I make it free for al to come: I doe clerely exclude no man, I bid al come: so, and he that will: that is to saye, come al, and receiue water, &c. To the lorde be glory.
¶ Punnishment is decreed to the corrupters of this boke. The lord sayeth, that he wil certenly come to Iudgement. The church wissheth for his commyng. The .Cj. Sermon.
I Testifie vnto euery man that heareth the words of the prophecie of this boke: if any manne shall adde vnto these thinges, God shal adde vnto him ye plages that are written in this boke. And if any man shal minish of the wordes of the booke of this Prophecie, God shal take away his parte out of the boke of life, and out of the holy citie, and from the [Page 695] thinges which are written in this boke. He which testifieth these thinges, sayeth, be it. I come quickely: Amen. Euē so come lord Iesu. The grace of our lorde Iesu Christe be with you al. Amen.
13. In the .13.A penaltie for the contemners & corrupters of this boke. parte of this conclusion is decreed a paine for the contemners of this boke, but especially for counterfetter or forgers, which (as D. Bibliander hath sayde full well & godly) dare attempte to corrupte or falsefie this godly instrumēt, and holy charter of thempire and Bisshopricke of Christ, by addyng any thing or takyng awaye, or alteryng the trewe meanyng and sense thereof. This place is taken out of the common vsage of men. For Princes are wonte in thende of their writynges to establishe the same agaynst deprauers by menacinges and threatenings. Antichrist, the Ape of our lord Christ, about the ende of his Bulles addeth: yf any man shall rasshely presume to go agaynst this our cōmaundement, or malapertly to infringe the same, let him knowe that he shal incurre the indignatiō of Almightie God and the blessed Apostles Peter and Paule, and our high displeasure. And likewise in keping of treasures and publicke things, where daū ger is feared, they set on writinges and sealyng with waxe. For the whiche cause verely where the Lorde was not ignoraunt that there would be some which wold seke to oppresse and abolish this boke, he sendeth it wel Armed to all posterities. We reade in olde Authours, that certen heretikes in the beginnyng of the church toke very muche vpon them in corruptyng of the scriptures: yea and that some of them to haue reiected whole bokes of the holy Scripture. And Tertullian imputeth the same vnto Marcion, whiche also depraued holy bokes. Howebeit through the goodnes of God it came to passe, that we haue neuerthelesse receyued the holy bookes whole and vncorrupted. Whiche thing S. Hierome sheweth playnely in his commentaries vpon Esaye the .3. booke. And Erasmus of Roterodam in the Apologie of the newe Testamēt, and also in his Apologie agaynst Iames Latomus. &c.
Howebeit the Lorde at this present doeth no newe thing,Nothing to bradde [...] nothing to be minisshed. whilest he commaundeth that nothing shoulde be added, or [Page 696] taken awaye. For ones or twise he commaunded by Moses: Thou shalt adde nothing to my worde, nother take frō it any thing. And Salomon in the .30. of the Prouerbes, cōmaundeth the same. But many maruell, and finde faulte, that he hath threatened so many plages to the corrupters. Whie than do not the same mē blame and reproue in S. Paule, that he hath in one worde comprised as many plagues and displeasures, as S. Ihon hath here recited, where he sayde vnto the Galath. Although I, or an Angel from heauen shal preach vnto you a gospel, other than this that we haue preached vnto you, let him be an outcaste, or accursed. And the same wordes againe he doubleth & repeteth. Wherefore if they graunt that Paule hath herein so little offended, that he hath deserued prayse also: let them leaue blamyng of those thinges, whiche are here moste pourposely placed of our lord Iesu Christ him selfe by S. Ihon in their place & time dewe. Verely Anathema (whiche worde S. Paule vsed) is he, that is cutte of from the felowship of al good men, deuoued to extreme punnishement, and euen subiecte to all the euilles bothe of this present life and the life to come. Whiche thinge maye be gathered of Deuteronomie and other holy bokes.
Who adde & who take [...]waye.And he addeth and taketh awaye, not whiche vseth other diuerse, and playner wordes in expoundyng a sentence of the reuelation: but he that putteth in any thinge contrary to the true sense, and variyng from those thinges which are here of the lord expressed: or he that taketh awaye any thing, obscureth or peruerteth, which here the lord himself hath expresely signified. Wherupon Thomas of Aquine: he addeth to sayeth he, which putteth to a lie: he minissheth, which taketh awaye any thing of that which is written therein, or also in deniyng gayne sayeth the same. Thus much he. Therefore this addition and substraction, consisteth not in wordes only but rather in sense. For nother the prophetes in expoundynge the lawe at large, are thought to haue added any thing to God his worde: nother the Apostles preachyng the libertie of the gospel, are saide to haue taken any thing away frō the lawe.
And to testifie,To testifie. is vnder the religion of a testimony to affirme any certen thing, or with a protestation to vrge & beate in any thing ernestly, and euē as it were to binde the hearer, [Page 697] that he shuld certenly know that these thinges that are spokē do hāge ouer him, & that God wil plage, vnlesse he do obey.
Concernyng the paynes or plages, which he threateneth at this present, is spokē in the .15. 16. 17. and .18. chap. &c. Likewise is declared before that might be here spoken of the boke of life, and of the holy citie. Moreouer he cōprehendeth here also all good thinges in like maner, whiche are promised in this boke to the godly and obedient seruauntes of God, of al the whiche thinges, the contemner, falsifier and corrupter of this boke shal be depriued. With how great euilles and daū gers than do they intangle themselues, whiche would haue this boke vtterly suppressed, and let, that it shoulde not be expounded openly, and come in to the handes of al mē? agayne it is most certayne, that they shall obteyne of God all maner of blessing, so many as haue a good opinion, and thinke deuoutely of this boke, and wil set forth and commende vnto al men the thinges that are written in the same to the glory of God, and saluation of the faithfull.
14. In the fouretenth place is sealed,Thus saieth he that testifieth these thinges. and euen signed as it were with a subscription, the authoritie of this boke. For it followeth, he sayeth that beareth witnes of these thinges: or he that testifieth these thinges. For in maner all the expositours suppose those to be Christes words, as though he him selfe, for a confirmation had putte to the same, and sayde: I Iesus haue propounded al these thinges, and especially such as concerne the threatenynges agaynste the corrupter, as a true witnes, and the same to be vndoubted. For Aquinas: here sayeth he, is brought in Christe, affirmyng the foresayde menacyng, and approuing al thinges that are written in this boke. But I for my parte, reseruyng the iudgementes of others safe, suppose this to be the subscription of S. Iohn the writer of this boke. For the Notaries, Secretaries or chauncelers of Princes are wonte at the ende of the kinges or Emperours letters or writynges, to subscribe their name. And verely S. Iohn in the Historie of the Gospell hath obserued the same maner. For in the .19. chapt. he sayeth: and he that sawe, bare witnes, and his testimony is trewe. And at thende of the Historie he subscribeth and signeth vnderneth with these wordes: this is that disciple, whiche beareth witnes of [Page 698] these thinges, and wrote them, and we knowe that his testimony is trewe. For al the church knewe and confessed this. In like maner he semeth at this presente to haue subscribed these thinges also in his owne name & to haue sayed. He that testifieth these thinges, sayeth.
Christ cometh certeynely to Iudge.15. In the .15. place he bringeth in agayne the lorde Iesus himselfe speakyng and promising that he wil certenly come to iudgement, verely to redeme and glorifie the godly, and to punnishe the wicked. Therefore with a great asseueration he sayeth, euen so ( [...]) surely, and doubtles I come quickely: although I seme to tarye longe, and to some not to come at al. Neuerthelesse yet moste certenly, and in time doe I come: as before also is sayde and declared. And the same thing is repeted, in maner with the same wordes, oftener as a thinge most worthie to be marked and knowen.
He annexeth immediately the fayth and wisshe, and great desire of S. Iohn, and of the faythfull church, or of any godly, submittyng him selfe to the promesse, and sayeng, Amen, euen so, [...]. That is to saye, we acknoweledge it to be moste certayne, and vndoubted, that thou promisest that thou wilt come. Therfore doe we loke for thee the Iudge of the quicke and the dead: yea & praye with our inwarde bowelles, come lorde Iesu. For els where also we praye dayly. Thy kingedome come. And al the godly with sighes vnspeakeable wish for the commyng of the Iudge, for glory. Whereof the Apostle treateth in the .8. chapter to the Romanes, and we haue touched the same matter before.
The Apostles blessing.In the laste place of the conclusion he wissheth, after the Apostolicke maner, the grace of our Lord Iesu Christe to all the hearers and readers of this boke. S. Paule in the .2. Epistle to the Thess. the .3. chapt. Thus I wryte, sayeth he, in euery Epistle, the grace of our lord Iesu Christe be with all you. Amen. He therefore here agreeth to him selfe, as the Apostolicall sprete doeth euery where. Grace comprehendeth the whole matter of the redemption and giftes of Christe. He wissheth therefore to vs al the blessyng, whiche we haue in Christ Iesus our Lord. Whereof moste plentifully and besi [...] hath disco [...]ed [...]he vessel of election. S. Paule in the .1. chap. to the Ephes [...] [...] [...]he lord Iesus whiche hath reuealed to vs [Page 699] these holy misteries, write the same in our mindes, and deliuer vs from Antichriste, and from all euilles: and kepe vs in the true faith and in his grace. Vnto him be honour and glory, prayse and thankes geuyng, together with the father and the holy ghoste, for euermore: Amen. Come Lorde Iesu our redemer, and onlie Sauiour, and gloryfie them that loke for thy commyng moste wisshed for, that we maye gloryfie thee for euer. Amen.