VponUpon the
.xij..xii. Sonet or vision.
I saw (sayth S. IohnJohn) a
woman sit vponupon a scarlet colored beast.
This
woman did a far off seeme to be honest &and vertuous, but in deede she was farre otherwise, as ye
shal heare.
This beast is that great
Antechrist (of whom we hauehave spoken right now) or rather the bodie of the
diueldivel, containyng within him the Pope, Cardinals, patriarkes, legates, bishops, doctors,
abbots, priours, chanons, Monkes, friers
prebendaries, priests, indulgences, bulles, Nonnes, and the reste of all suche diuelyshedivelyshe
sectes, beyng full of hypocrisie and dissimulation, reignyng wythin the whole Popedome. In lyke manner all
Magistrates,
and secular powers (that
fortifie and defende, as well the Pope him selfe, as also the abhominations
and detestable idolatrie which
the Romishe church doth
vseuse) be he Emperoure, King, or Prince, Duke,
Earle, or Lorde, MaiorMajor, IudgeJudge, Chauncellor, Bailie, Constable, or whatsoeuerwhatsoever,
that maintaine, defende and
vpholdeupholde by force and violence any thing
against God and his truth.
Of whose number I my selfe hauehave bene sometime, and that (to myne owne great griefe be it spoken) thorough meere
ignorance,
thinkyng to do God great seruiceservice. Wherof I am now ashamed and most earnestly repent me, and am sory for it. And I pray God that this, nor any of the rest of my
sinnes, be layde vntounto my charge, but that he will pardon me thorough hys infinite
goodnesse and mercie, in the
name of
his dearely
belouedbeloved Sonne
IesusJesus Christe, oure onely
SauioureSavioure and redeemer. And I thanke hym from the bottome of my hearte, that
it
hathe pleased hym of his mercie, without my
deseruingsdeservings, to
hauehave
called me wyth the Apostle S. Paule,
out of the shadowe of death
and the companie of hys enimies,
to the knowledge of his eternall
wisedome in the felowship of his true spouse his churche. Of these I say, which seeke not themseluesthemselves, nor any thing in this worlde, but seeke the glorie of
him that bought them, and the accomplishment of his kingdom, counted in
the sight of the world, as outcastes, but glorious in the sight of God. This
beaste is
whole of the colour of scarlet reddish, in token
of greate
tyrannie, sheddyng of bloud and murthers, which they
cõmitcommit
against those which will not agree to their wicked
&and
diuelishdivelish institutions.
She is also ful of
ignominious blasphemous names: as, your holynesse,
your clemencie, your
lordship, your fatherhod, your mastership, your
serenitie, your worthinesse,
honour,
reuerencereverence, magnificence, bounty,
vicar of God, spiritual lord, phisition of the soule, defender of the
faith,
supreme head of the church, and many other, as it is seene
dayly by their letters and writyngs.
MoreouerMoreover their too too muche knowne
trumperies, and
IackJack an Apes plays, are no lesse
blasphemous
than processions, confirmations, greasyngs, purgatorie, Masses for
al soules, pilgrimages, pardons,
mattins
AueAve Maria stella, or SalueSalve
regina, Placebo,
Candlemasse,Candlmaſſe,
Palmsonday.
&c.etc.
This beast had seuenseven heades, and ten hornes,
signifiyng all his subtil
practises, his craftie fetches and false conspiracies, therby to impeche
and withstande the graces of God, and giftes of the holy Ghost: And
vnderunder a cloke of authoritie, through
tyrãnishtyrannish violence resist the
commaũdementscommaundements
of God.
And this woman was arayed in purple, and gilded with golde and precious stones and pearles. Which signifieth their
coapes of gold,
corporal, stoales,corporal,stoales,corporals,stoales stauesstaves, miters
&c.etc. and other like
trumperies of
silk, purple,
crimosin sattin, redde coloured, bordered
wyth golde, pearles and
precious stones,
and aboueabove
this, theirthis their counterfaite
pietie and shewe of holinesse.
This painted,
pampred vpup, and so gaily
decked Romish churche bragged and boasted muche of hir Gospel and
hir
Apostles, of
golde,golde
siluersilver, wood or stone, decked and arayed wyth
all kinde of costlynesse, whiche is
but an outwarde appearaunce,
for
they looke for
nothyng lesse than to imitate or follow, and to
expresse them in their
conuersation.conversation.
She had a cup of golde in hir hande full of abhomination and filthinesse of hir
fornication.
This cup, is hir
false and cursed Religion,
whiche
she dayly communicateth, distributed aboute the Chalice,
whiche hir
Merchauntes doe so wickedly abuse.
It containeth
all kynd of false
and
dyuelishdyvelish
doctrine, all kinde of erroures, lyes, and
beastlynesse,
all manner of craftie workes of hypocrites, all manner of
inuentionsinventions of fleshly wysedome, all
mans wittie
deuisesdevises, eyther by crafte, arte,
or otherwise
inuentedinvented, as also all straunge kinde of worshippyng, of
idolatrie, fornication, Sodometrie, and all other kynde of iniquitie.
Outwardly she seemeth to be gilded, she reporteth yea
&and boasteth
to
sette forth the glorie of God, namely the
magnfying of the name
of Christ.
They say, they preache the sacred Scripture, they
lyuelyve in chastitie, and all is
nothyng
else, but a false, a
counterfaite,
and deceiptfull shewe of holynesse, full of hypocrisie and dissimulation,
a
couercover or cloke of all mischiefe and abhomination, it
is but
the
bare letter, and the onely name,
as the rest of all their doings are.
And in hir forhead was a name written, a mysterie, great Babylon. A
name declaring what manner of woman she is. She is knowne wel inough
by hir
naughty fruites, of such as are skylful of godly knowledge,
and
hauehave also the spirite of
vnderstandyng.understandyng. So that they beyng illuminated,
conducted and ledde by the spirite of GOD, maye easily
perceyueperceyve,
iudgejudge,
and knowe, accordyng
vntounto the Scriptures, that shee is nothyng else
but an
vnshamefasteunshamefaste and pestyferous whoore, full of all iniquitie,
abhomination and wyckednesse. But thys
iudgementiudgement is hydden from the
Infidels, the whyche
are so bewitched and inchaunted by the meanes
of their fayre outwarde shewe, their
humble kneeling, creepyng, and
gaye Ceremonies, that
what soeuerwhat soeverwhatsoeuerwhatsoever
she doth, speaketh, or
commaundeth
and
taketh in hand, they make muche of it, worship and imbrace
it,
as holy, honest
&and perfect good: which thing God permitted for theyr
vnbeliefsunbeliefs sake.
She is called
mother of whoredomes and abhominations of the earth,
muche passyng
the towne of the Chaldees in all kinde of wickednesse,
for she is the mother and fountaine both of spiritual and carnall whordome
and abhomination. And I saw
that she was the maried wyfe of the
deuylldevyll.
For
I saw hir
dronke of the bloud of Sainctes, and with the bloud of the martyrs of IesusJesus,
which she outragiously and most
seuerelyseverely hath
persecuted and
slayne.
And when I saw hir so, I maruelledmarvelled with great maruellmarvell, not onely bicause
I
saw hir defiled and sprinkled
of murther and
sheding of innocent
bloude, but also bicause of hir greate and abhominable blasphemies.
And
most of al, I was
aboueabove
measure amazed and
maruelledmarvelled,
that
almightie God coulde or woulde suffer or permit
so long hir intollerable
wickednesse and detestable and horrible impietie.
This woman
is
called of the Angell, the great whore:
that great Citie which ruled
ouerover the kings of the earth, namely
Rome.
It is no meruailemervaile though she be called that great whore, for no where was at any time more
straunge and superstitious, worshippings, vaine institutions, cold &and trifling ceremonies, bisides
sectes, errors, and false Prophets, yea so many kind of vncleãnessesvncleannessesuncleãnessesuncleannesses raigned in hir, more than euerever did raign in Sodome
or
Gomorre, or the miserable land
of Egipt. This Babilonish whore or disguised Sinagoge
of these shauenshaven and greased ones, sitteth vponupon many waters, which is, many
foolish, inconstant, and waueringwavering people, and not
vponupon those which are grounded vponupon the sure rocke of Gods word, and the true doctrine of the articles of the christian faith. With
this
most wicked, vile, and stinking whoore and common strumpet to all men, hauehave the moste mighty Kyngs, Princes and Potentates,
committed
spiritual whoredom, in that they consent to
diuersdivers and sundry kinds of their straũgestraunge, new found, and altogither superstitious
Ceremonies, and other their most wicked decrees.
Heere if I shuld make a discourse
of al that might be spokẽspoken of in this place, time should faile me. My purpose &and
meaning at this present, is onely to make a shorte
exposition and declaration vpponuppon
these oure visions, and that in as fewe
wordes as is possible, to the
consolation &and
edification of all godly and faithfull Christians. Seeing thẽthen, what through the subtiltie
&and craftie
fetches of Babels priestes on the one side, and what for the
cruell
&and
straight plackets of Princes on the other side:
the dwellers vpõupõvponupon earth or the worldly minded, are all dronke of the wine of hir
wickednesse and abhomination,
and spirituall whooredom. They are al fallen
without the prescript rule of Gods
holy word, to a straunge and new found kinde
of seruingserving of God. MoreouerMoreover, not only these as couetouscovetous, carnall, and other wicked and sinnefull persons hauehave folowed their abhominations, but also an infinite
nũbernumber
eueneven of the elect and chosen of god,
hauehave bene intangled, yea and hauehave
giuengiven
credite to their false lies and erroures.
They were so nusled, and busily occupied with their
fonde and fained traditions, with their naughtie customes and inuentions,inventions, that they more like
senselesse persons, without any discretion or vnderstãding,understãding,vnderstanding,understanding, yea without any respecte of
Gods holy word, wandred from all godlinesse
&and
grace. Not only hauehave they stouped, bowed, and kneeled before
stockes
and
stones, lighting candels before it, made Crosses, blessing it,
kissing it, &and held vpup their hands to it, but also hauehave put their confidence in it.
NeuerthelesseNeverthelesse it shall not continue alwayes,
for it foloweth.
The .x. horns which thou sawest vponupon the beast:
Signifying
the
Kings, Princes, and their
subiectssubjects, which heeretofore were
fauourersfavourers,
seruauntesservauntes,
and maintainers of the Romish churche,
seeking to doe
good to that whoore, yea to their owne damage and hinderaunce, bicause
of the good will and blinde
zele they bare
vntounto hir:
EuenEven as a man
which
louethloveth a
light and an
vnhonestunhonest woman, is through hir
louelove and
alluremẽtsallurements, so blinded, that he considereth not hir
vnhonestunhonest
behauiorbehavior,
nor
cãcan mislike any thing in hir,
but
frameth himself alwayes to
hir pleasure, frendship or
seruiceservice, and so much as in him lieth, hating,
contemning, and putting to death, through
vnlawfullunlawfull
loue,louelove,love
(wherewith
she hath
bewitched
him)him), all them which (
meaning his
health)wealth) warne
him of
hir, and tel him of his
fault,fault how he is
deceiueddeceived and greatly
misused:
setting before his eyes hir fraude, falshoode,
vnshamefastnesse,unshamefastnesse,
fainednesse, and
vnfaithfulnesse,unfaithfulnesse, all which he cannot
iudgejudge of,
vntiluntil his eyes be open, and his
vnderstãdingvnderstandingunderstãdingunderstanding
illuminated by the grace of
God, so that when he
perceiuethperceiveth how he was beguiled and
deceiueddeceived, he
hateth and defieth
hir the more.
EuenEven so are
now a dayesnowadayes the eyes of
many Princes and Kings, Countreis, Townes and Cities, and other wel
disposed opened, and their hearts are touched by the mighty working
of
gods holy spirite, and
by the meanes of preaching
&and
hearing of
the woord
of God, so that now they defie the whoore with all hir traditions
and abhominations which they
were wont to maintain and defend so willingly.
Yea those I say which for
very blinde
zeale and
louelove which they
bare
vntounto hir, were contented to kisse hir feete, shalbe as now hir
mortall and
deadly ennimies. They shal not
passe vponupon hir aucthoritie:
they shall condemne hir
vsagesusages: they shall take from hir the Realme
and dominion which she
now
vniustlyunjustly possesseth: they shall deny hir
tribute and
obeisaunce, or to doe hir
any homage, and at length shall
leaueleave hir desolate and comfortlesse. This shall
not Princes
only do, but Kings and
other temporal Magistrates, yea
eueneven the
Metropolitanes,Metropalitane, Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops and Prelates.
Of which, many ensamples are at this instant to be
foũdfound. And more followers of these ensamples,
wil be heerafter. Which
albeit
they were the hornes of the beast to
defend yͤthe whoore withal, yet shal they so abolish hir,
mislike hir,
and
forsake hir, that at length she shal be left whole
naked.
They
shall chase,
pursue, and hunt the Babilonish whoore of
Rome, with the
cleare trumpe of Gods holy word,
that
she shall become pale and colourlesse,
ready to sound.
Cal to remembraunce what God hath
wrought by his
seruauntsservaunts,
IohnJohn Wicliffe,
IohnJohn Hus, Martine Luther, Oecolampadie, Zwinglie,
Melancton, Capito, Bucer, Caluin,Calvin, Theodore de Beza, Viret, Peter Martyr,Peter Martyr
Bullinger, Alasco, Brenti⁹us Regius,
and other moe. All whiche
hauehave brought low
their Reliques, Crucifixes
&and
Idols,Idols (which they call
sainctes,)sainctes), Abbayes,
Purgatorie,
Masses for all soules and Indulgences. And
moreouermoreover God
shall raise some not inferior to them, which shall make so muche
a doe,adoe, and bring hir to such a fall,
that she shal not be able to
recouerrecover againe, so that no man shall regarde hir any more, neyther shall there
be any found to
set hir
vpup
againe. They shall strip hir naked, that
so many as behold hir,
may
cry out vponupon hir,
&and detest hir, and finally
consume hir flesh.
MoreouerMoreover they shal, bisides the taking away from
hir al
tẽporaltemporal
reuenuesrevenues, rents, and al other worldly pleasures,
confound hir
peruerseperverse and carnal
iudgementjudgement of the scriptures, and so consequently
consume and make weake
the keeping and
obseruingobserving of all hir whorish
Ceremonies. Last of
all, they shall
all to burne hir with fire,
and bring to nought the whole
masse of their Decrees,
Decretalles,
Canons, Customes, and all other
kinde ofkind eof Idolatrie. When as all these
abhominations shall cease, and be gone
by the meanes of the preaching
of the Gospel, then this whoore shall
not be seene any more, bicause
the harlot continueth
no longer
than hirthen hir
estimatiõestimation lasteth. Take away
their
customs and Ceremonies, their
iewelsjewels and costly raiment, their
Images (the light of their dominion)
their
paternitie and estimation,
keepe back their Altares,
their Masse, Bishops, Priests, Miters,
StauesStaves,
Crosses and Banners: of what estimation (I pray you) shalbe
their holy
(as they terme it) whorish Church?
whichWhich
standeth in nothing else than
in outward false
shew of many gay trifling and vaine hipocritical
Ceremonies.
This kind of consuming of the flesh, or this maner of burning,
is not only declared by external prouesproves and euidẽteuidentevidẽtevident
examples, as it is
come to passe in many places in our dayes to diuersdivers Friers, Monkes
or Priests, which setting themseluesthemselves
for the defẽcedefence of the Romish church,
were killed and slaine. And yet shall it be with them, eueneven as Baals Priests with the prophet
Helias about the riuerriver
Kison,Rison, but are
yet spiritually by a mistery of that which hath bene
foretold.
For the Foules, as ye shall heare, shall consume hir
flesh.
For god
hath (saith the Angell)
put in their hearts to fulfill his
will. God
hath
giuengiven by inspiration of his holy spirite in the minds of those
aforsaid, and such like persons,aforesaid,and such like persons to
accomplishe in this behalfeaccomplish in this behaalfe
his secrete will and pleasure. Namely to
roote outrout out wholy and
altogither thataltogither,that false and hipocriticall religion, to suffer no longer the enormitie
and foule
abhominatiõabhomination of that Antechrist.
After all these manifold
ReuelationsRevelations,
I saw
an other angel (saith
S.
Iohn,)John,)Iohn),John), signifying
the true ministers and preachers sent in these our dayes. As
also
in the .vj..vi. Chapter of the
ReuelationRevelation, is made
mentiõmention of the Angell
which had the
seale of the
liuingliving
God. Again in the .x. chapter,
of the angel which was
enuironedenvironed with the cloud, and in the
.xiiij..xiiii. Chapter, of the Angell which
published and cried
out the fall of
Babilon,
comming from heauenheaven downeward
All which is to declare
that the godly preachers are
sent of God (
hauinghaving
receiuedreceived great power,
feruentfervent zeale, and stedfastnesse of the spirite of God)
to
declare and
pronounce the
wil of god
valiantly,
to the
ouerthrowoverthrow
of
that pestilent whore.
For like as the father hath the life
within
him,
eueneven so hath his
sõnesonne Christ
IesuJesu also, and in him
liuelive his
seruauntesservauntes,
without any feare.
And the earth was light of his brightnesse.
Not
of the Angell which was but a Messanger, was the earth lightned, but
of
the power which was
giuengiven
vntounto him. Wher Gods word is once truely
preached, there the whole earth is
lightned of the brightnesse of the
glory of God.
And this Angell cried aloud, she is
fallen. That great
Babilon, which was so proud,
hie minded,
&and so common a whore, that
blasphemous sinagoge of the hipocrites, is turned
vpsideupside downe. She
is by
the
iustjust
iudgementjudgement of God, brought to great ignomie and shame.
Hir first
ouerthrowoverthrow was, when as the
prince of this world was
ouercomeovercome and vanquished through
yͤthe death of our
sauioursaviour
IesusJesus
Christ.
Consider
and ponder well in your minde,
the destruction of
IerusalemJerusalem, after what sort the
IewishJewish
seruiceservice ceased, and tooke an end: namely when
the materiall temple was throwne down,
and
not one stone left
vponupon an other. Now in this our time, she shal
hauehave a more sharper and
seueresevere
iudgementjudgement through the publishing
&and
preaching of gods word, to the
comfort of all
beleeuersbeleevers. Which although
it be somewhat as it were
deferred, yet let them be as well assured of this hir
iudgementjudgement to
come, as we
know and certainly
beleeuebeleeve
the other
to be come. Cal to
remembrãceremembrance, and compare this
place with the
haling &and
plucking downe
of Abbays,
Frieries, and other religious houses (as they cal them)
in
Germanie, England, and in other places, and
make your accompts,
that more and more sorowes shal happen,
and surely fal
vponupon hir shortly.
The occasion of
hir fall, and the desolation before the lord, is this:
She is become a
dwelling place to deuilsdevils,
more than
euerever she was before
hir first fall,
for now enter they a great many at once, yea wel
seuenseven for one.
And she is become a keeper of vncleaneuncleane sprites.
For all manner of
Idolatrie is maintained and kept by hir spirituall Courtiers and holy
fathers (as they call them) as be their Bishops and priests. Here raigneth
Simonie, bying and selling of
benefices, sacriledge,
vsurieusurie,
ambition,
fraude,
couetousnesse,covetousnesse, desire of money,
&and to shed bloud,
enuieenvie,
malice, lecherie, gluttonie, pride,
vncleannesseuncleannesse, and all other wickednesse.
She is become a sauegardsavegard or cage of all vncleneunclene
and execrable birdes.
For in
hir dwelleth the adulterous Bishops, the buggerous
Cardinals,
and lecherous Prelates, and
a heape of
Sodomitish Monks and Friers,
Nunnes, and Sisters. All these compareth
Esay the Prophet to wilde
beastes:
namely
to Dragons, Ostriches, Eagles, Monkeis, Owles, Mermaides,
and other
rauenousravenous and greadie birdes, and monsterous and straunge
beasts: for
amongst them hath bene
vsedused alwayes, and is yet at this
present, all manner of vaine and foolishe
toyes, as mockings, scoffings
and
iestingsjestings, with crossing,
coniuringconjuring,
gasing, singing, playing, and
diuersdivers other
folish &and
straunge fashions to mocke God
withall.
Heere we might
speak and reherse many things: Namely of the keeping
of their
stewes, and how
they goe a whoring two maner of wayes: whereunto
we might
ioynejoyne and declare what gaine and profite the ruffian
prelates
get thereby. As it is to be seene, namely at
Rome, what
reuenuesrevenues and
rents,
that great and soueraignsoveraign
ruffian getteth by his whoores. And
afterward of the drouning and killing of
childrẽ,children, and secretly murthering,
and
casting in
corners and ditches, as is
vsuallyusually
practised amongst
these
riggish and lecherous prelates.
It is fallen, For all the
kinreds and nations of the world, except
a very fewe of simple and
seely souls,
which god through his
vnspeakeableunspeakeable goodnesse, mercy and grace hath chosen and predestinated to him selfe,
HaueHave dronken of the wyne of the wrath of hir
fornication, Bicause
they
hauehave
not rendred thankes to almightye God, when
occasion, oportunitie
and time
serued,served, therefore they are fallen into that bottomlesse pit
of all
errour and
abhomi
nation,
to the losse both of body and
soul. They
hauehave very carefully and
narowly searched to runne a whoring
after their hurtfull and
damnable witchcraftes and inchauntments,
beleuingbeleving and crediting
their false doctrine and teachings, and so consequently
apply
thẽthem
seluesselves to expresse
it in their
conuersationconversation and
liuingliving.
And the
Kings of the earth,
not
hauinghaving
before their eyes the
louelove and feare of
God,
hauehave
committed
fornication with thys
vile and
filthie whoore. Yelding
thẽthem
seluesselves
to many false, Idolatrous,
and
straunge worshippings. In such sorte, that by the
teachings, admonitions,
and
persuasions of their holy fornicatours, they
hauehave
broken the
bonde
of peace,
and
hauehave warred against the true children of God. Which
notwithstãdingnotwithstanding
yͭthat they
hauehave wrongfully molested and troubled, scornefully
intreated and mocked, violently oppressed and persecuted,
hauehave yet
(chasing and banishing them) confiscated their lands and goodes, turning
their
wiueswives and litle children out of the doores
a-begging.a begging. AboueAbove
all this, so murther they and slay all such
as they can catch,
and shed very much innocent bloud, as hanging, drowning, or
burning
them most cruelly without any
cause, yea without any remorse of conscience,
eueneven as if there were neither hell nor
heauenheaven, God nor
deuildevil, life
nor
death, and
as if there were no
iudgementjudgement,
or no
accoumptes to
be
giuengiven before God of all their doings and crueltie. Also
their mitred
Merchaunts, and
shauenshaven
Massemongers,
factors and sellers of mennes
soules, are waxen very rich and welthy by
selling of their
Oile, Creame, Salte, Holy water, Shrift, Candels, Blessings, Crosses,
Banners, Ashes,
Palmes, Incense, Waxe, Beades, Bulles, and Pardons, letters of Dispensation to
contract Matrimonie, licences to eat flesh, egges, butter. &c.etc.
All which not God, but they
vponupon paine of
euerlastingeverlasting damnation, to
their owne commoditie and profite
hauehave
forbidden. Of like qualitie
are their Images,
Ringing of Belles, their Reliques, Bones of departed
Sainctes, and other like things. Whereby, and by many other of their
fained holinesse, they
are
be
come
(through the aboundaunce of
their goods and richesse)
so lusty, spiteful, proud and lofty, that
they
hauehave obtained the possession and
gouerninggoverning of Countreis and Realmes,
of Cities, Fortresses and Castels, and many other pleasaunt places,
Woodes,
Warrennes, Parkes, Farmes,
Conduits, Fountaines, Hounds, Horsses,
and Mules. So that in aucthoritie and
power, in riches, and substance,
and in all kinde of plesant things, they
are nothing inferior to Kings
and Princes.
MoreouerMoreover, they are not ashamed to take other mennes
wiueswives to fulfill
their most filthie and
vnsatiableunsatiable desires, yea honest mennes daughters,
maidens, and
seruauntesservauntes, yea and yong men too, which they most abhominably
and shamefully defile,
marre and spoile. I
leaueleave you to consider what
gaines Bishops
&and Prelats gather of the
first fruicts andfruicts of the tenths,
of Buls, Pardons, and
resigning of benefices. Againe it can not well
be tolde, what golde and
siluersilver they get by singing and saying of their
Collects, by going and gathering of their yearely Offerings, and
the great
liuingslivings,
reuenuesrevenues and rentes, which their Cathedral Churches,
Abbeis, Religious houses
and
CouentsCovents
hauehave, so that in al things they
passe the welthiest. There is no kind of
pleasure come it
neuernever so
farre off, be it
neuernever so deare and costly, but they wil
hauehave a tast
of it.
Notwithstãding,Notwithstanding, they
cãcan play so wel the
hipocrites at their
sermons,
yͭthat it seemeth they regarde nothing lesse than the vanitie
of this world, and praise
aboueabove measure fasting and abstinence.
But they hauehave their rewarde heere, and shall heereafter hauehave
their portion with the dissemblers and hipocrites, where shall be weeping, wringing of hands, and gnashing of
teeth.
And I heard another voice, an other
warning of the spirite, whereby
the
true and faithfull ministers of God are instructed and taught,
warning
vsus and saying:
Goe out of hir my people, come away
with
Esdras out of that wicked
Babylon,
goe
forthe with
Abraham out of
Caldee,
runne
and flie with
Lothe out of filthye
Sodome, and meddle
no more
wyth that whoorish Church of
Rome, denie, forsake,
and detest
wholly hir false and fained holynesse, hir foule and filthy ceremonies,
abhorre hir dissimulation and hypocrisie,
curse and ban their trifles
and
iestingsjestings, and
hauehave no felowship more wyth these whooremongers,
Nicolaites,
&and
Balaamites. Lifte
vpup, and repent from the bottom of
your hearts your former follie and abhominations which you
hauehave done
in times
past, and come to me (sayth the Lord) all ye that
trauailtravail and are
heauieheavie loden, and I shall refresh you.
Get ye away from among them, without looking behinde you,
that ye be not partakers of their sinnes, which is the
vẽgeancevengeance and ire of Gods wrath, and indignation.
At all tymes and seasons
there
hauehave bene holy and godly men, and well
learned fathers, whiche through their excellent and
diuinedivine woorkes
and writings
hauehave exhorted and cried (especially since the comming
vpup of the Pope) for redresse and reformation of the churche,
for the
amendemente of many faultes, and to see brotherly exhortation and
christian discipline
vsedused in
the same. As by
Bertrandus Herebaldus,
BerẽgariusBerengarius Thuronensis, Bruno
Andeganensis, Peter Damianus, Valeriane Medeburgensis, Bernard⁹us
ClareualẽsisClareualensisClarevalẽsisClarevalensis, Robertus Tuitiensis, IoachimJoachim
Abbas, Cyrillus Græcus, IoãnesIoannesJoãnesJoannes Salisburgensis, Gilbert⁹us
Lãtcestrius,Lantcestrius, Angelus Hierosolimitan⁹us, Guilhelmus de sancto Aniore, Guido Bonatus,
Nicolaus Gallus, Hubertinus de Casali, Pelius Casali, Petrus, IoannesJoannes, Marcilius PatauinusPatavinus,
IoãnesJoãnesIoannesJoannes Paris, Arnold⁹us de villa nouanova, Michael
Cæsenas, Gulielmus Occam, Nicolaus de Luca, Marcus de FlorẽtiaFlorentia, IoãnesIoannesJoãnesJoannes
wiclefus, IoãnesIoannesJoãnesJoannes Hus, Michael de Bononia, IoannesJoannes
Hildeshem, Dantes Aligerius, FrãciscusFranciscus
Petrarcha, Nicolaus Clemadis, Petrus de Aliaco,
IoannesJoannes Gerson, Laurentius Valla, LodouicusLodovicus Arelatensis, IoannesJoannes Segebius, Thomas
RedonẽsisRedonensis Gallus, Mattheus Palmarius, DauidDavid Boys, Dionysi⁹us Chartusian⁹us, IoãnesIoannesJoãnesJoannes
Miluerto,Milverto,
IoannesJoannes Gorchius, IoannesJoannes de VsaliaUsalia
VVormacẽsisVVormacensisWormacẽsisWormacensis, IoannesJoannes Ghyler, IoãnesIoannesJoãnesJoannes
Crutser,
VVessalusWessalus Groenegensis, Eneas SiluiusSilvius, Redoricus Samorensis, IulianusJulianus Brixiensis, and
Hieronymus
SauonarolaSavonarola. Beside these there be other which are of oure time, as
IoãnesIoannesJoãnesJoannes Reuchlin, Baptista Mantuanus, Baptista Panetius, IohannesJohannes Creston⁹us, Erasmus,
Lutherus, Zwinglius, CaluinusCalvinus,
and more other.
All whiche, the Papistes for the moste
parte
hauehave condemned for heretikes.
To rehearse here their
wrytings, their reasons and testimonies, it
would
require
1681. to: tooto
too much time, I muste therefore
leaueleave it behynde. I
hauehave onely rehersed some of their names to thys end and purpose, that
it myght appeare to the Reader, that at all tymes God hath had one
or other, that hath not ben in all
poynts consenting to their blasphemies.
Albeit, the light of Gods truthe was not
then so perfectly
reueledreveled
vntounto them as it is
now a dayesnowadayes (God be praised)
vntounto
vsus.
Many godly and
vertuous Emperours &and
Princes,
hauehave by generall Counsels, and by al other meanes possible assayed and prouedproved to hauehave a refourmation and amendemente made of all absurdities, and abuses, whiche were crepte into the
churche,
but they
hauehave alwayes met with wicked and
vngodlyungodly princes which resisted them and
letted them of their vertuous enterprises,
whiche also maintained those Antechrists in their impietie
&and wickednesse,
defending them with toothe and
nayle to the
vttermosteuttermoste:
neuerthelesseneverthelesse it
is without any doubt, that these, as
Pharao, with all his power
in the red
Sea, and as that proude kinde of Phariseys and priestes
of the
IewesJewes
in the Citie, bicause of theyr manifeste blasphemies
perished, so shall
likewise at the hour and time of God appointed,
all these perishe and vanishe away.
For the sinnes of this whoore, or the innumerable blasphemies of this false religion, the great abhomination
and
filthie idolatrie, the burning, hangyng, drowning, and sheading
of innocente
bloude,
are come vpup into HeauenHeaven,
there to
desire the
vengeance of
God, for their
vncleannesseuncleannesse
&and
vnshamefastnesseunshamefastnesse, hath
caused
&and
prouokedprovoked Gods wrath and indignation against them.
And God hath remẽbredremembred their iniquities,
Thethe
multitude
&and greatnesse wherof
ar come vpup into heauenheaven.
Therfore
hauehave they most
iustlyjustly
deserueddeserved the
threatened plagues of the most righteous God, no lesse than
Sodome and
Gomorre,
for their transgression and wickednesses: which when
it was foretolde them, made light of it,
and went forwarde to
al
mischiefe,
vntiluntil
God pouring out his vengeance, destroyed them
with fire and
brimstone.
Rewarde hir eueneven as she hath rewarded you,
Measuremeasure vntounto hir againe
with such measure as she did measure
vntounto you. Take ye good heede,
and looke
narowly, ye that
hauehave gotten the
iudgementjudgement seate:
Crie
vponupon hir,
eueneven as she dyd crie
vponupon you, snare hir, as she hath snared you.
Againe, as she hath
heretofore wrongfully molested and troubled you,
scornefully intreated, yea, and by hir Traditions
iudgedjudged
and
condemned
you
eueneven
vntounto death, so nowe do ye
likewise rebuke hir, and exhorte
hir of hir wyckednesse,
iudgejudge hir like a very harlot, and condemne
hir by the mightie and true worde of God
to
euerlastingeverlasting fire, whiche
can not be quenched.
And giuegive hir double according to hir workes. And in the cup that she hath filled to you fill hir the double. That is,
render
vntounto hir double in all punishmentes, and
giuegive
vntounto hir
eueneven for worldly punishements whiche she hath brought
vponupon the elect of
God, hellishe torments. For
cor
poral
and bodily troubles and
vexations,
eternal
pains and torment of the minde: for the blame and ignomynie
of thys worlde, perpetuall
shame and confusion: for temporall death,
euerlastyngeverlastyng
damnation both of body and soule.
And the cup. &cetc. That is al kinde of troubles,
aduersitiesadversities and miseries
whiche she filled to you out of hir cup, that is, caused to come
vponupon you, shalbe doubled to hir againe: for (as it is sayd) she shall
receyuereceyve
for temporall euilsevils, euerlastingeverlasting. The holy Ghost calleth here double,
that
which is withoute comparison,
eueneven as a little tyme to no time or euerlastingnesseeverlastingnesse. Hir pleasure and
ioyjoy shall be
conuertedconverted into sorowes
and griefes, hir mery and pleasaunt talke, hir
iestyngsjestyngs and laughyngs
into weepyng, mournyng, wringyng of handes and gnashyng of teeth.
Hir
commaundings shal be turned into
crauingscravings, hir
reuerencereverence into contempt,
hir honoure into shame.
&cetc. For she hathe pretended moste faynedly
an holy kynde of priesthode, she boasteth and braggeth much of that
whiche
they are furthest from. She
hath
vsurpedusurped and
wrõgfullywrongfully taken
vponupon
hir, and proudely claimed
vntounto hir a royall
maiestiemajestie and
highnesse.
Whiche two kynde of dignities she hath yet worse
vsed:used: lette
hir therefore wayte and attende on the plagues and punishementes due
vntounto hir pernicious temeritie and arrogancie. Take away hir
pleasaunt
Euphrates,
wyth the spoyle and greate
reuenues,revenues, wherewithall she
hath hytherto
so
vniustlyunjustly maintained and kepte hir selfe, and
throw
hir in the deepe pit of all miseries and wretchednesse.
For she sayth in
hir heart, I sitte being a Queene,
enuironnedenvironned
with
ioyjoy and pleasure,
I am the
chiefe
of the
vniuersalluniversall worlde, on me dependeth the Catholike
and
holy Churche, I
hauehave
authoritie and power in
HeauenHeaven, earth, and
Hell: I
hauehave also might to
binde and to loose, to
sauesave and condempne:
It standeth not with me, as it doth with those that be not of this
worlde, for all thyngs
here are at my commaundement.
I am no widowe, I am not desolate.
The hyghest powers and
gouernoursgovernours
of thys worlde do assiste and defende mee,
putting to death al
those that say against me.
Nero, Domitian, TraianTrajan, or Maxence, were
neuernever more addicted to the defence of my predecessours, than
are
now adaysnowadays
the Princes of our tyme readie to maintaine wyth fire and
faggot my
Decrees, Traditions and Ceremonies.
Therefore I shall see no mournyng. I shall
continue
alwayes, I shall be called Madame at all tymes: my
kyngdome shall abyde for
euer,ever, my seate shall no man take awaye from
me, I shall
neuernever fall, nor any
euilevil
can come
vpponuppon mee.
After thys sorte, boaste (wyth no small presumption) our Papistes
also, saying:
That the lyttle vessell of Sainct Peter may wel by the reason of
weather
and
tempeste be shaken, and with the
waueswaves of the sea troubled, but
neuernever can be
ouerwhelmedoverwhelmed or perishe: hereby goyng aboute to
proueprove
that theyr superstitious and Romyshe churche should
abyde styll, and
neuernever be
ouerthrowneoverthrowne. But they consider not of what abilitie and power
the Lambe is, whiche
abideth
vpponuppon the mount
Syon,
against whom they
stick and make warre against
continually: whose congregation
and
little flocke they persecute daily with great tyrannie,
crueltie,
and rigorousnesse.
Therfore shal hir plagues come at one day. God shall
once poure
vponupon this wicked race
&and
malignant church,
Death, sorowes,
hunger and sworde,
eueneven as he dyd sende
vponupon the
synfull Cities
fire
and
Brymstone. They shalbe
depriueddeprived for
euerever of the
life whiche is
in Christe
IesuJesu,
they
shall remaine in
sobbes and teares, they shal
not ceasse to mourne, to wring their
handes,
and
gnashe their teeth,
they
shall be inheritours of
euerlastyngeverlastyng darkenesse,
theyr
worme shall neuernever die, they shall hunger and
neuernever be satisfied. And this
whoore with the whole generation of
hypocrites shall be burnt with
vnquencheableunquencheable
fyre, prepared for the
deuyldevyl and his aungels. This sentence
is not so
seueresevere as
true, for the Lorde who shal
iudgejudge them, is of
power and might: he is holy and faithful in mercie, true in his
worde
and promise,
maruellousmarvellous in all his
workes,
fearefull,
terrible
and righteous in his
iudgementsjudgements
against the wycked. No man then shall
be able in those dayes to
withdrawe any part of the threatned vengeaunce
of hys wrath from the
euillevill doer.
Neither oure Lady with castyng of hir beades into the
ballaunces of S. Michaell, neyther S. IohnJohn
Baptist, with hys
lambe holdyng a crosse, neyther S.
Peter wyth hys Key, nor
S. Paule, wyth his sworde (as they vseuse to make them) yea and if Moyses, Samuel,
and the rest of the Prophetes, with Noe,
DauidDavid, and IobJob, would make
intercession yet shoulde they not be hearde.
And the Kings of the earth, namely the worldly and
carnall Princes whiche
hauehave committed
fornication, and lyuedlyved in pleasure with hir,
in all
vncleannesseuncleannesse and
filthynesse,
shall bewaile hir, when they shall see hir
ouerthrowenoverthrowen and so yll intreated, it shall
grieuegrieve
them sore, that they may or
can not maintaine and defende hir with water, fyre and sworde against
God and hys saincts, for they shall be nothyng well pleased with
the
ordinaunces and institutions
of Christe, bycause they doe hate nothyng
more
than the workes of the spirite, that
is, to
frame theyr
liueslives according to the will of God. It shall anger them to
the hearte,
that
they are not able to burne still and slay all those that
speake,
write, or
preache agaynst the deedes of the fleshe and do
reprouereprove them
of their
fornication, adulterie, and theyr
mischeuousmischevous and inordinate
lyfe, and rebuke them
of theyr moste abhomynable idolatrie.
And lamente ouerover hir, when they shall see the
smoke of hir
burnyng.
And shall stande a farre of, for feare
of hir tormentes, crying and saying: Alas, alas, that greate citie Babylon, that myghtie Citie.
Alas, our mother the holy Churche of
Rome, so many holy fathers, Popes,
Cardinalles, and Byshops: Alas, for our Monkes,
Chanons, and Friers
with their so holy, so
deuoutedevoute
and straight
lyueslyves and
rude garmentes.
Alas, for so many Pardons, Indulgences, and confessions, so many
principall hye Feastes, Holy dayes, and gay Coapes and Garmentes. Alas for oure
holy Water, holy Candelles, holye Palmes, holye Ashes, hallowed Belles,
organs play, and
prick song,
and the rest of our so gay ceremonies.
With these and the lyke wordes shall
they bewayle hir, trembling and
quakyng for feare,
&and
crying out on this maner: Wo, wo, to that strong
&and great citie Babylon,
yͭthat mightie citie: for in one houre is thy
iudgementjudgement
come. Thou art sodainly perished with
yͤthe
sword of his
mouth, before thou canst be aware of it.
Alas, who shal now pray for
vsus? who shal now sing our
Diriges, masses of
Requiem, and do the funeralles
for our soule? Whether
shall we go nowe to shrifte? who shall now
absolueabsolve and pardon
vsus our sinnes? where shall we nowe fetche oure
ashes? Who
shall consecrate
vsus our Candles and Palmes? who shall sing or ryng
and
cast holy water at oure burials, and redeme
vsus out of purgatory?
Suche shal be the complaints of the wicked and faithlesse persons.
And the merchants of the earth, whiche do make any trafike of the marchandise
of their Temple (whiche place dothe
serueserve
them in steade of the market)
as well
amongest the
Mahometistes, as the
Pa
pistes.
But bycause
we are moste troubled and molested here in
Europe, of that popishe
Antechriste, we
shall
endeuoureendevoure
to speake as we
hauehave done hitherto
most of hym. These merchantes then (I say)
shall bewayle hir, and mourne
ouerover hir, very sore, and muche more than the Kyngs dyd.
For no man buieth their ware any
more;more.
theyr pedlary is
nothing set by any
more.more
The wares or merchaundises of theyr shoppes, are
Masses, prayers,
blessyngs,
Crosses;Crosses, theyr cakes, greate and small, whyche they sell
(to get the more, as it is
esteemed) in steede of God theyr maker,
Holy breade, holy water, Candels, relikes, Pardons,
Scala cœli, Diriges,
Annuaries, and
dyuersdyvers other lyke, whereby they get the very sweate
and bloude of the poore
silly soules.
All whiche they sell for good money daily, and yet they keepe
neuerthelesseneverthelesse: For the people hauehave but the hearyng,
the eye syght, or a taste of trifles.
And eueryevery Shippe maister, and all the people that occupie shippes, and shipmen, and whosoeuerwhosoever
trauailetravaile on the sea, shall stande afarre
of: That is to say,
all
Bishops, Ordinaries, Abbots, Parsons, UicarsVicars and Massing Priestes, and other lyke, liuynglivyng on the sea: Of these waueryngwaveryng,
blinde and
zealous people, al these (sayth the voyce)
stode a farre
1847. of: offofoff,
eueneven as the merchants did,
and cried. In like maner
When they saw
the smoake of the burnyng, saying: What Citie was lyke vntounto this great Citie in
ryches, power, wealth, and voluptuousnesse? No Prince or lorde
is better entertained, of al thyngs better
prouidedprovided, and more
attendance
giuengiven
vponupon him than these
shauelingsshavelings be. For their truste and confidence
is onely in this Citie, this
is theyr God: Herein consisteth their
whole felicitie and blessednesse.
These Shipmen shall (bycause of theyr greate losse)
so weepe and wayle, that men shall cast
duste vpponuppon theyr foolishe and fond wytlesse
heads: That is to saye, theyheads, that is to saye. They
shall be so wrapped in darkenesse, that they
shall not see in
theyr
vnderstandingunderstanding
bycause of theyr
vnbeleefevnbeleefe, and
also their knowledge
shall bee made dull, blunte,
and beastly,
by the meanes of
iealousiejealousie, furie, and rage. All this shall they do,
to shewe theyr greate
griefe: as for theyr repentaunce, it shall be
lyke
vntounto that of
Cain,Caius,
Pharao, Esau, Antiochus, and
IudasJudas, their predecessoures. And in theyr sorrowe, they
shall complayne
on thys
manner:
Alas, alas, that greate Citie, that woorthie and moste
famous
Rome, that sweete and
pleasaunt
Babylon, oure holy
mother,
wherein we were made so ryche, so proude, so myghtie and
glorious, that al
the
worlde dyd dreade, honour and
serueserve
vsus, and we felte no trouble,
no kinde of
aduersitieadversitie, or miserie,
is now made desolate, she is fallen.
The apples that thy soule lusted after,
are departed from thee, the
learned, the wyse and men of vnderstandingunderstanding whiche thou for the maintenance of thy beautified whoordom desiredst (sayth the menacing voyce of the
holy Ghost) are
now departed from thee, and wil not (since they
hauehave
seene and considered thy great abhomination)
hauehave to do with thee any more, but they shall forsake and leaueleave thee, cursse and abolishe thee quite: and
where
as
they were wonte to prayse,
make muche of, and
magnifye thee before the worlde, shall nowe defye thee, yea,
and (by
the
testimonie of the holy and sacred Scripture) rebuke,
condempne
and confounde thee. Of the common sort also men of an honest and ciuilecivile lyfe, whiche were wont to defende thee, nothyng suspecting but
thynkyng that all these
trumperies, and beggerly Ceremonies were profitable and necessarie to be obseruedobserved (notwithstanding that thy lyfe and conuersasationconversasation
was wicked and too too
haynous) shal speake agaynst thee, &and flie
from thee as soone as theyr eyes and vnderstandingunderstanding
by the vertue of the
spirite of God shalbe opened, seyng that thou arte
detestable and diuelishedivelishe. Briefly, no man, hauehave he
neuernever so little a taste of Gods
holy word,
shalbe able to abide thee, or suffre thy manyfest
whordom any longer: for thy vpholdersupholders are but
dissemblers,
men plesers,
flatterers,
railing
Sophistes, Scoffers, brawling Canonists,
Sorbonists,
Epicures, Libertines, and other vngodlyungodly and slaunderous persons, very Antechristes.
Touching
honest, sober,
discrete and vertuous persons, busie in godly
works,
fearing God, and seeking his glory
from the bottome of their hartes, which also desire with all their
strength, zeale, and feruenciefervencie to set forthe the same, they shall leaueleave
and renounce al thy pestiferous &and
dangerous wayes.
These grosse and fat shippe men, and mariners shall say yet.
Woe, woe, Alas, alas, that great Citie wherein we were made rich, all that had
ships on the
sea, by hir costlinesse, for in one houre she is made
desolate.
We
which had Bishopriks, Abbays, Benefices, Prebendaries, and great Reuenues,Revenues, amongst these foolish vnstedfastunstedfast, and worldly minded people, waxed by al maner of wayes welthy and riche, through the deare and
costly wares which oure
shippes were laden withall on eueryevery side, which ar
innumerable. We (I say) are in great heauinesseheavinesse, and in such a perplexitie when we remember of that so great and famous Citie, as we are not able
to expresse, bycause of hir so sodaine fall, being in one houre.
¶
The .14. vision containing the
iustjust
iudgementjudgement
of god
ouerover the assembly of Antechrist,
and that gratious vengeaunce of
the
innocẽtinnocent bloud of his good and faithful
seruauntsservaunts: which I
hauehave taken out of
the .xix. chapter of the
ReuelationRevelation, where
it beginneth in this maner.
I
Sawsaw the heauensheavens open: that is to
say, thesay. The misteries of God were
shewed me, and his secretes were fully
declared and expoũdedexpounded
vntounto
me, I perceiueperceive that through faith and humblenesse, great knowledge
of the misteries of God were obtained.
For
the
heauensheavens are
opened when Gods word is freely preached, and are
shut vpup
when it is not
preached, or not regarded, but in the stead of it, men are fedde
with dreames and
lies. And behold a white horse
appeared vntounto me. Heereby
are ment the true and faithfull ministers of the word of God:
whose
office and condition
is,is (as
S. Paule
saith)saith), to
announce throughout all the whole world this heauenlyheavenly doctrine,
and instruct, teach, &and admonish both great
and small. And he that sate vponupon him, was
called faithfull and true. This is the onely and true
sonne of
God
which is called faithfull, iustjust, and true, bicause he is founde faithfull,
and vnfallibleunfallible in hys promises and woorde, for the
Lord (saith the
Psalmist) is very
righteous in all his wayes, true in his
sayings, perfect in all his doings. He cannot but
teach a rightaright, and speake a
trouth,
for he is the
truthe him selfe. No more cannot those which
are indued with his spirite, who
leadeth and conducteth them in all truthe. He hath done
according to iusticejustice and equitie in condemning that wicked
and abhominable whoore, in destroying that filthie sinagoge of Sathan, in deliueringdelivering
and exalting his poore afflicted Churche. First of all he did
fight in his owne persone, as a worthy Champion
against
the
deuilldevill, hel, and damnation, whom he hath
ouercomeovercome, conquered and
vanquished by his
owne death, and glorious passion. And now doth he ouerthrowoverthrow the DeuillDevill,
and all his adherẽtsadherents, by the meanes of his faithful
seruauntsservaunts, distributers of his
holy
woord and mysteries,
which he nowe graciouslygracisuſly sendeth vnderunder the figure of the white horsse.
For his seruauntsservaunts (as
Abacuck
testifieth) are lustie and wel animated
horsses, whom the Lord conducteth, which ar (as IeremieJeremie
calleth them) whiter than snow, by the meanes of their vnfained,unfained, and vndefiledundefiled faith. And his eyes were like as a flame of
fire, mightie and cleare. Whereby is not only vnderstandedunderstanded his godly wisdome and knowledge, whereby
he knoweth and iudgethjudgeth al things, but also all the heauenlyheavenly and spirituall giftes of the holy
Ghost. Behold sayth Zacharie,
vponupon the only
stone (which S. Paule
expoundeth to be
Christ)Christ,) shalbe .vij..vii. eyes, which
are the .vij..vii. spirites of god, wherwith god doth lighten the
hearts of his chosen, and kindleth the fire of his louelove in yͤthe minde of his
faithful. His word is a
lãternlantern to their feete, hys law and testimonies are
pure, and vndefiledundefiled, giuinggiving light to the eie. And
vponupon his head were many
crownes.
EuenEven as the same was seene (being a figure of Christ)
vponupon the head of
IesusJesus
the
sonne of
IosedechJosedech
the high Priest,
to
signifie that
IesusJesus Christ is the soueraignesoveraigne and king
aboueabove
al kings, which hath power
in heauenheaven and earth for euerever. He ruleth
and gouernethgoverneth al nations with an iron rod. For he is the Lord of
hostes, the euerlastingeverlasting
king of glory. He is a mightie and puissãtpuissant
gouernouregovernoure,
setsetting ouerover the Mount Sion
his holy hil. He giuethgiveth prosperitie and
gouernmentgovernment to Kings, and his elect and chosen are crouned in him with
grace and mercie for euermoreevermore. For he reseruethreserveth
in heauenheaven for vsus,
an
inheritance immortall and vndefiledundefiled: Againe, he hath layed
vpup for them that keepe the
faith, a
crowne of righteousnesse, and wil giuegive a
crowne of
life to them that be faithfull vntounto the death. &c.etc.
All warrefares
and victories of the saincts depend vponupon him only. And he
had a name written, to wit,
almighty, maruellousmarvellous and feareful, Adonai, Emanuel, a name aboueabove all names, eueneven the holy one of Israell,
the Lorde of Sabaoth, the Lord of hostes, our redemer, sauioursaviour, and righteousnesse.
No man knewe this name but hym
selfe and them whiche he hathe
reueledreveled it vntounto, neither fleshe nor bloude, nor
Heathen, Turke, IewJew, or
false Christian is able to cõprehendcomprehend thys name aright:
Albeit they
hauehave good signes and tokens, yet
no man can say that IesusJesus is the Lord,
without the inspiration of the spirite of God, who openeth the very
truth of God. The number of Gods elect are also signified or comprehended
vnderunder this name, which the world can not acknowledge nor vnderstandunderstand.
And he was clothed with a garment dipt
in bloud. His mortall bodie which he tooke vponupon him for our redemption, was so sore beaten and
greuouslygrevously wounded, that from the soule of the feete to the very
crowne of the head,
eueneven from top to toe, nothing was lefte whole or sound. This mighty Champion is
he which
came from Edom and Bosra,
whose garmentes
were
sprinkled with bloud, his clothes were rayed, eueneven as of those that tread the wine presse. For his manhoode suffred most shameful
&and
painefull death. He him selfe alone trode the wine presse
of his wrath, and had none to helpe him. He his owne self was woũdedwounded for
our sinnes, and
our infirmities
were layd vponupon him, and by his
stripes we are healed. And his name was called
the
word of God.
Christ
IesuJesu the sonne of god,
is
that eternall and euerlastingeverlasting word of God,
which was from the beginning by God,
by whom also
heauenheaven and
earth are
made, and
all that in them is, the verye Image of his
substance in whom the father is represented, wherby also we vnderstandunderstand and know
the wil of the
father, for the word of God is a true guid of the conscience. This
word was made flesh:
that is, became mãman for our sakes, sauingsaving,
iustifyingjustifying, and glorifying all those that
beleeuebeleeve on him. And the warriers which were in heauenheaven, followed him vpõvponupõupon white horses.
These are the true &and faithfull ministers which follow their maister and
chief captain
Christ IesuJesu
vponupon white horsses: that is in innocency of life and
godly
cõuersatiõconuersationcõversatiõconversation which they professe. These horsses are nothing else
than their mortal bodies redy to battaile. For true christiãschristians
mortifie
their flesh, yͤthe concupiscence therof,
&and
bring their carnal lusts
vnderunder
subiectiõsubjectiõsubiectionsubjection,
&and their bodies obedient to yͤthe spirit. They become
seruauntesservauntes to righteousnesse, and not to sinne, they are
worthy
Souldiers of God, for they follow the Lord of Hostes: suche an armie saw the seruaũtservaũtseruauntservaunt of the Prophet
Elizeus in Doathim in
a vision.
They were clothed with fine linnen, white and pure,
signifying the simplicitie and innocẽcieinnocencie which they hauehave in Christ IesusJesus their captaine, and
good and perfect gifts which the Lord
giuethgiveth them. As S. IohnJohn
him
selfe expounded them a little before, where he sayeth that the fine linnen are the true iustificationsjustifications which they hauehave of none other, but from theyr head Christ. These are yͤthe
spirituall
weapons wherof S. Paule
speaketh, saying: Though we walke in the flesh, yet we do
not
war after yͤthe flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal
but mighty through god to cast down
holds:
and out of his mouth wẽtwent a sharp sword,
which is that wonderful iudgmentjudgment of his word. Through this sharpe sword are the faithful and beleuersbelevers
sauedsaved to life euerlasting,everlasting, and the wicked infidels iudgedjudged to euerlastingeverlasting death and damnation.
For
it is vntounto some a
sauorsavor
sauior
of life vntounto life, and
to others a
sauorsavor
sauior of death, vntounto death.
With this sword shall be
cut 2007. of: offof
off the
dead braunches which in him beare no fruicts,
and the rotted
members from the
body. In like manner shalbe the
good from the
bad,
and the Goates from the sheepe,
with this sword deuideddevided and separated: Oh
how
terrible, fearefull, and sharpe shalbe the iudgementjudgement of the Lord, the rod and scepter of
his dominion against the wicked in those dayes, as he shall
say:
Goe from me ye curssed into euerlastingeverlasting fire:
Again,
how
comfortable &and
ioyfuljoyful a thing shall it be for the elect to see
them
seluesselves
exempted of this condemnation, and to
hauehave the fruition
of that
souerainsoverain
blessednesse in eternal glory.
For he it is that
treadeth the wine presse of the fiercenesse and wrath of
almighty God. That is: he shall
poure forth his vengeaunce vponupon the proud and infidels, and shall punish them most greuouslygrevously with his strong &and mightie arme,
stretched ouerover their heads, striking them in his rage &and furie, wherunder
all
things are set.
And I saw an Angell standing in the
Sunne, signifying
the Apostles and al true
ministers of the word of god
which stand
in the
bright
&and cleare
sunne of righteousnesse,
which
is Christ
IesuJesu, that amiable and
shining morning starre. And these worthy witnesses
stand
fast in a stedfast
assurãceassurance of faith in his name, against the
whole multitude of Antechrist, without
mouingmoving of their feete from
yͭthat well grounded
stone, which is Christ
IesuJesu, which for nothing in
this world, be it
persecution, paine,
torment, or deathe, will shrincke
therefro.
And he cried with a
loude voyce to all the Foules that did flie by the middes of heauen.heaven.
This voice
cried, and shall
call
vntiluntil
the worldes end, with a
feruentfervent and constant mind,
vntounto al foules
which flie
vnderunder
heauenheaven, to them which are humble of mind, and
become
spiritual through faith and
heauenlyheavenly giftes. These flying foules
laying
aside,
&and quite abolishing all worldly plesures or corruptiblenesse,
lift
themseluesthemselves
vpup
aboueabove their affections on hie, and make their
cõuersationconuersationcõversationconversation
to be in
heauen,heaven, and lead heere in earth an
heauenlyheavenly
life. These are
the
chosẽchosen soules which the father feedeth and sustaineth
wythoute
their own deserts. Such a
one was
AbrahãAbraham
in
Mesopotamie,
Moyses in
Sinai,
Helias
vponupon
yͤthe mount
Carmelus,
Daniel
amõgstamongst
yͤthe lions,
Paul in
Damasco,
S.
IohnJohn
in
Pathmos, and many moe
eueneven
herein
England,
and in other places, and shalbe to the worlds end.
The
maner of their calling is: Come assemble you in
vnitieunitie of faith
and mind, knit your
seluesselves togither in Christ
IesuJesu, in
louelove which is
the bond of
perfectnesse, that the
peace of god which passeth al
vnderstanding,understanding,
keepe
your hearts
&and mindes in Christ
IesuJesu our Lord.
Prepare ye (sayth
the Angel)
to come to that great and supernaturall good
supper of the Lord: Which is
that eternall and
euerlastingeverlasting refreshing of the soul.
Come on and tast of the most daintiest
dishes,
&and most sumptuous fare,
which
neuernever
eye hath seene, neither eare hath heard,
neither came
into mannes heart, which God hath prepared for them
yͭthat
louelove him,
learne
out of gods holy word what his good wil
&and pleasure is, folow
the same in life
&and maners, flie from al worldly pleasures.
LiueLive soberly, temperately, chastly
&and
righteously in the feare of god,
attending and waiting
vponupon the
cõmingcomming
of our Lord and God. Finally,
order and frame your life so,
that ye may eat the fleshe of kings, that
ye may by exhortation and ensample,
teach the worldly
gouernersgoverners
to
conuertconvert
vntounto the Lord, and to forsake all maner of filthie,
carnall
and sinnefull lustes.
And that ye may eat the flesh of all captaines and
mightie men, pluck down the hie minded hearts of
tirãtstirants, to bring
vnderunder their crueltie and
loftie stomacks,
deuourdevour also the flesh of
the
worldly rich and proud
mãman, cause him to
leaueleave
2061. of: offof
off al worldly pleasures,
excesse, and manifolde vanities.
And the fleshe of horsses, and of them that sit on them. And the flesh of al fre men &and
bõdmen,bondmen, and of smal and great Regard neither
horsses nor them that sit on
thẽthem, but teare their flesh in peeces.
Spare no man, neyther hie nor low, rich nor poore, bond nor free, but
checke and taunt them, that they
leauingleaving their old
&and wicked wayes,
turne to the lord. As for the obstinate and stubborn which wil not
bow but
resist, break them and hew them in pieces, punish the
wicked and carnall worldlings
of what degree so
euerever they be, and
these
beastly Antechristes
&and cruel
Grashoppers which sit on them:
take
away the pride and loftinesse from these loitering prelates, and
idle bishops, and also of
thẽthem that imitate and follow their
mischeuousmischevous hipocrisie,
deliuerdeliver the oppressed, and turne back the cruell
persecution
from the innocents, poure downe thy wrath
ouerover the wicked according
to their desertes, and let none escape.
Imitate the
Eagle and Kite,
resort there where as the dead
carkasses,carkasses
(men without
liuelylively faith,
and drouned in
sinne)sinne), be. Teache
eueryevery one to walke honestly in their
vocation, let
Princes
vnderstandunderstand that it
behouethbehoveth them to be learned
and wise in all
sciẽcessciences: but
aboueabove
al in the holy Bible which be
the Scriptures, and that it becometh
thẽthem to walke in the feare of
god, not to do al things
vnaduisedlyunaduisedly, and according to their owne pleasure,
but orderly, as reason and equitie doth require, not to oppresse the
poore, innocents and fatherlesse, but
to aid, succoure and helpe them,
and to
punishe the
wicked and malefactors, nor
vseuse
extortion in
taxing
ouermuchovermuch their
commens &and
subiectssubjects. The rich
&and welthy, that
they be merciful, good
stewards
&and distributers of
yͤthe gifts of God
cõmittedcommitted to their charge. To the hipocrites
&and Idolaters, that they
leaueleave
2089. of: offof
off
their vaine trust or
confidenceconfidence, in any creatures,
&and returne
vntounto the
liuingliving God. Again the whoremonger, that he goe no more like
a beast and Mule in
whom is no
vnderstandingunderstanding, after other mennes
wiueswives,
but rather take
his own wife, to flie al occasions of
euilevil.
CõmaundCommaund
the
ruler to be faithful in his calling, and the
Commons
louinglylovingly to obey. The
wife to be true and obedient to hir husband:
againe,
the
husband to be
friendable and
louingloving to his wife, defend hir,
cherish and nourish hir,
eueneven as Christ defended his Church, and cared
for
hir.
Children to be
obediẽtobedient to their Parents, the Parentes not
to
prouokeprovoke their children to wrathe. And the
seruauntsservaunts to obey them
that be their masters.
&cetc. Thou shalt
eate the flesh of the Giantes,
and drinke the
bloud of the Princes of the
earth, of the
Weathers,
of Buckes and Bulles
which shall be slayne at
Basan.
And I
saw the Beast, and the Kings of the earth, and their armie.
That is, these
Ruffians and lecherous Bishops, Monkes, Abbots, and the rest of
these
shauelingsshavelings
of Antechrist, with the Princes of this world,
cruel tyrants,
catchpols and hangmen of the Beast, are
assembled together,
to consult
and gather
souldiours, and set them out
to fight
against him which sate
vpponuppon the white horse, to make warre against Christ and his
belouedbeloved Churche, his
chosen and
peculiare people, his
seruauntsservaunts which without
any kind of
doubt or
waueringwavering, follow him.
They seeke (I say) to kil and slay
these pleasant birdes, bicause they did eate and consume
their
fleshe.
They rebuked their euillevill corrupt maners and vnrighteousunrighteous dealing, their wicked and
abhominable life, therefore they make warre against Christ,
where
so
euerever the worde of God was sincerely preached and taught,
the glorye of God
preferred, and the securitie and naughtinesse of
mannes sinfull and
abhominable
life
reprouedreproved, there hath alwayes
insurrections, tumultes and seditions risen amongst the hipocrits of
traiterous enterprises.
For
the word of God is a
signe of contradiction, and the stone of offence. These Princes
and captaines with their most
cruel souldiers are set on,
prouokedprovoked
and stirred by the malice of
these Idolatrous Bishops and Prelates,
eueneven as
Pilate and
Herode
were
mouedmoved of
Annas
and
Caiphas to put Christ to death.
And as
Felix
gouernourgovernour of
IurieJurie
at the request
&and pleasure of
Ananie the hie
priest, kept
S. Paule in prison. The Emperor
TraianTrajan
and other tyrants
should
neuernever
hauehave
persecuted the Christians
vntiluntil this day, if their
horsses had not bene pricked so fast
and so often with the spurres
of wicked and
leude Prelats.
And what diligence
&and
endeuourendevour they
hauehave done to
ouerthrowoverthrow, vanquishe and roote out the truthe, may
be
seene by their letters, wrytten
and sent to so many Kings and Princes.
No small
a doeadoe had they to bring
IohnJohn
Wicliffe
in discredite and slaunder
with
the people, the which
(
after he had ben buried
fortie yeares) toke vpup his bones, and burned them with fire, and cast the ashes into the riuerriver,
shewing their tiranny
vponupon
his bones, whome they coulde
not be
reuengedrevenged of in his lyfe time, no not for all their requestes
and sutes made to the kyng
of Englande, Richarde by name.
Againe,
Sigismunde the Emperor wold
neuernever
hauehave done contrary to his
promise fortified by a safeconduct graunted
vntounto
IohnJohn Hus, to goe
and come safely to the Counsell at
Constance, <had not the wickedness of the prelates>Constance, and
in a manner forced
hym: for if he would be the image of the beast,
&and an obedient child
of the Romish church, he must doe all as it pleased them. It is
manifest
what diligence and
trauailetravaile they hauehave assayed, what violence and force they hauehave
vsedused, to banishe and chase the truth of the Gospell out
of
Germanie,
what practises, craftie policies and fetches they hauehave sought to deface it here in Englande, and what crueltie and tyrannie they shewe in France, to the vtterutter
destruction of the countrey we
hauehave seene and see, and yet dayly at this instant feele they. And
aboueabove all,
hauehave we felte, and
as yet feele the
experiẽceexperience of it
in
low
Germany
(our
natiuenative countrey) and
Flaunders,
where as soone
as Gods
worde was sincerely preached, and the Gospell of
IesuJesu
Christ
opẽlyopenly declared, O how
SatãsSatans
kingdome was rente
&and diminished?
how idolatrie and superstition was brought low,
&and
all excesse, surfetting
&and dronkennesse, all wickednesse and vice, all pride
&and
naughtinesse
beat
down
&and forsaken. The whooremongers
&and adulterers began to be
ashamed of their filthinesse: priests
&and Friers misliked of their
estate, and durst not say Masse, go on
procession
&and funeral,
&and other of their
abhominatiõsabhominations: they
coueredcovered their crounes, let grow
their beards, hid
thẽselues,themselues,thẽselves,themselves, yea
&and demed
yͭthat they were
such. Many
light women were
conuertedconverted, many ruffians
&and baudes were
astonied for
yͭthat they saw their houses not so much
haunted as before. These
with
yͤthe rest of the
spiritual baudes and ruffians, were well
ashamed
and
wist not
where to hide
thẽseluesthemseluesthẽselvesthemselves, bicause of
yͤthe light, which
did shine so
bright in the worlde. On the other side, consider
how
the
kyngdome of Christe increased,
augmented and multiplied
daily,
how the honor of
God was set foorth, the name of the Lorde was magnified
and
inuocatedinvocated, praised and blessed. Howe many people
whiche hitherto
hauehave
liuedlived like ignorant doltes in al
securitie &and beastlynesse, were
then come to knowledge and
vnderstanding,understanding,
&and
leauingleaving their former
life,
gauegave
thẽseluesthemseluesthẽselvesthemselves to vertue
&and godlinesse,
&and
cleauyngcleavyng
to that
whiche they
heard, expressed it in their life
&and
cõuersationconuersationcõversationconversation. Last
of al, it was
maruelmarvel to see how charitie, humilitie, sobriety, honesty,
&and al other godly
exercises,exercises
yͤthe works of the
spirite,spirite
wer put in practise
amongst this new
springing churche: and contrarywise, the dedes
of
the
flesh forsaken,
&and layed aside. But that great dragon the
diueldivel,
that olde serpent, who from
the beginning hated the truth,
&and mans
felicitie, seing his kyngdom go to wrack, hys gay
&and finely disguised
church decay,
hys pilferyng trashe
&and beggerly Ceremonies nothing
set by: yea and seing his beastly bodie,
&and al his membres by
yͤthe
preaching of Gods word so cleane
vncouereduncovered, and beaten to the grounde,
did waxe madde
and
outragious. Wherefore he
mouedmoved
&and
stirred
vpup kings, who entring in allegiance and alliaunce with his
Antechrist,
gathered a counsell against the Lorde and his churche, to scatter
and
put asunder hys
flocke,
and toaud to kill and slay his chosen.
Which thyng
afterwarde they practising made them vpup, and not without treason,
inuadedinvaded the countreys there, not to
gouernegoverne accordyng to
iusticejustice and
equitie, but
violently and
tyrãnouslytyrannously to rule and reigne, yea notwithstanding
their
priuileagesprivileages enacted and giuengiven by acte of parliament, confirmed and established by
othe of the Prince him selfe, hauehave they yet against all
reason and lawe oppressed the commons, and innocents.
As for the
christians, it is too well knowne howe they are
vsedused, therfore I
leaueleave
2188. of: offof
off
to speake any more of that matter, not
mistrusting but that it
shall be
declared at large of some diligent writer. But
what is their
purpose? The Lorde against whom
they
striuestrive, is too
strong, he knoweth
all theyr enterprises and
imaginatiõsimaginations,
&and
laugheth
them to scorne,
He seeth their fall and
ouerthrowe,overthrowe,
and the
victorie of his chosen,
and the
deliuerãcedeliuerancedeliverãcedeliverance of his people is in his hande.
Let them rage neuernever so sore, lette
them murther and slay neuernever so many, blessed are
they
whiche die in the Lorde, they shall
neuernever be able to roote oute the
truth, muche lesse to obtaine any
victorie agaynste God, for
the Lambe is strong, and abideth
valiantly vponupon that vnmouableunmovable
&and inexpugnable
mounte Syon,
hauynghavyng
wyth hym an hundreth and .44000..4400000. These be
as many as hauehave
receyuedreceyved hys
true faith, and are the true
seede of
Abraham,
hauinghaving the
seale of the
holy Ghost,
bearing the name of their father
engrauedengraved on their forhead,
redeemed &and bought from the earth,
predestinated and
chosen to life euerlastingeverlasting, whiche are
not defiled with women,
whose
soules and faith are not spotted with
false doctrine or idolatrie and superstition papistical.
These ar virgins which receiuereceive not the
false,
hipocriticall and whoorish doctrine of yͤthe
Antechrist. These
be the virgins whereof the holy Ghost speaketh, and not them
only
(as they saye) whiche neuernever maried, else
Abraham, Moyses, DauidDavid, Zacharie, Peter, Philip, and the reste of the godly whiche
hauehave bene maried, coulde hauehave ben of the number of those virgins:
for
they iudgejudge
mariage to be vncleaneuncleane, and a deede of the fleshe. They are not ashamed to aduouchadvouch
in their Decretals, that it is better and a
smaller offence to kepe a hũdrethhundreth hoores, than to marrie or contracte matrimonie, after they hauehave vowed chastitie. Oh beastes that ye are, the spirite of
Chastitie did neuernever cause you to forbid holy matrimonie, but it
was the spirite of vncleannesseuncleannesse
Asmodeus, Beelsebub, and that spirit
whereof the Sodomites, and them of
Gomorra
were driuendriven. These foule spirites made you to do it, to accomplishe the
prophecies of S. Paule,
and of Daniell, whiche
amongest other wordes, speaketh of Antechrist
on this maner: He shal
exalt
him selfe aboueabove all, which is called God.
For the
God of hys predecessors he shal make
no count of. He shal
louelove neither God nor woman, but only his Maosim, for
he exalteth himself
aboueabove all things. The
naturall
duetie and affection
whiche God hath
graffed in man &and wyfe, to louelove and hauehave
company,company comforte and
healpe one of the other, to increase and multyplie, is the onely
meane whych God
hath prouidedprovided
to preuentprevent the decay of mankynde. It is also a greate kinde
of beneuolencebenevolence and friendeshyp, wherein the one parte of
mãsmans nature honoreth (aswel for the likenesse, as for the creatours sake)
the other in the feare of God, whome they in the state of matrimonie, not onely serue,serve,serueserve (if it be well vsed)used)vsed),used), but honour
and worship. Then, the duetie of a good husbande is, according
to Gods
worde, to labour, and with the sweate of his browes to get
his bread, to care
and prouideprovide for hys familie, for his wyfe and chyldren, that shee neyther thorough pouertiepovertie, hunger, or other cause of wretchednesse,
hauehave no occasion to committe or do any thyng agaynst the rule of honestie
and prescript commaundement of God. A good wyfe
agayne, wyll be diligent and carefull for all
things necessary and belonging to the
house, she shall be sober, honest, faithfull
and busie. This affection and
kindenesse, wherof we speake here, procedeth out of the naturall louelove,
gyuengyven
vntounto
vsus by nature, and all men in generall are bounde to obserueobserve
it. This naturall
kyndenesse and diuinedivine
louelove hath not this monstrous beast and beastly monster Antechrist,
nor his sodomitishe greasy ones.
They lurke onely in their dennes, and
wyth daintie dyshes and delitious meates fil their bellies, and make merrie, they care for no bodie, they beare neither honest louelove, nor heart, or any good wil to woman,
neither for
propagation, nor for the ordinance of God, who is the
author
&and instituter of it. They labour not to maintain their
wife,wife. they seeke not
to defẽddefend any against dishonestie,
rauishmentravishment or shame, they desire none for their owne, but when they lust, they
take one nowe, and an other to morowe, and then sende hir packing, to
hauehave neither
trouble, cost,cost nor
charges of hir, nor of the childe, but like vnkyndelyunkyndely
Cuckoes lay theyr egges into other folkes nestes. Whether these things
tende
to the despysing &and disgracyng of women or not, iudgejudge you. And surely the
rather for that they, not passing for the ordinãceordinance
of God, but reiectingrejecting it, take one or other of their acquaintaunce
after theyr owne minde, forsooth to cast hir 2256. of: offof
off like a broken pot, and to take an other so often as they lust. But what great euylevyl and
inconuenienceinconvenience dothe proceede and followe here hence, is to be
seene in great Cities, where these belly gods for the most part
vseuse to haunt, as at Rome, and in other places where any Byshoprikes or canonistes
or colledges be, where ye
may see an infinite numbre of queanes and painted
CurtisãsCurtisans, which get their liuingliving by yͤthe
letting of their flesh and body to
these beastly
&and
vnnaturallunnaturall kind of people, to whom they beare neither heart nor good will for
abusing them seluesselves. In that they hauehave to do with them, they loose their honestie &and
fame, they
marre and
destroy both body and soule. I leaueleave the murtheryng and slaying of children, whiche is no synne amongst them: beside many other vncleanunclean,
vnnaturallunnaturall and most abhominable filthy
deedes vsuallusuall amongst them in theyr priuieprivie chaumbres and celles. These bee the fruits of their promised sworne vnchastunchast
chastitie.
For
what I pray you is chastitie
or virginitie more before
God than
marriage? no more than
circumcision
to
vncircũcisionuncircũcisionvncircumcisionuncircumcision, one is neither better nor worse before god than
yͤthe other, cõcerningconcerning
the life of a christian man. Christ IesuJesu
requireth
&and
demaũdethdemaundeth only of vsus tru faith working thorough charitie: so thẽthen al they
yͭthat lead their lyfe in the holy state of matrimonie, accordyng
to the word of
God, are
reputed virgins, as S. Paule testifieth:
The
Lambe whyche taketh away the sinne of the world stands with
them,
which yͤthe father hath giuengiven him vponupon that strong mounte Syon. Contrarywise,
the Dragon and the beast with all theyr adherents, are set vponupon the slyding sandes of the sea, their kingdome, their power their
myght,
their lawes, statutes,
and ordinaunces, theyr free will and wycked
purpose, their proude titles hauehave no sure foundation, but are buylded only vpponuppon
the waueryngwaveryng sandes of doubtefulnesse and falshode, agaynst whiche when any
tempeste or winde of Gods holy worde bloweth, sodainly it is mouedmoved and ouerthrowen:overthrowen: yea and these vile shauelyngsshavelyngs
them seluesselves are these sandes, whereon their captain the dragon stãdethstandeth,
they are the chair and dwellyng place of the diueldivel.
Thoroughe them,
as
instrumentes, and false prophetes, he
vsedused to speake, to commaunde,
and execute all hys
deceiptfull and false hypocrisies and idolatries.
It is then moste sure and
certaine, that this beast with all theyr
beastlynesse, can
neuernever abyde long. For it followeth, that
the Beast was apprehended and taken, and with hir the
false Prophetes whyche did
signes and wonders before
hirthem. As heretofore
IannesJannes
IamesJames
and
IambresJambres,
the
enchaunters of
Egypt,
wente aboute to counterfaite the signes,
whiche
Moyses and
Aaron
dydde in the presence of
Pharao:
lykewyse
doe these
false inchaunters
peruertpervert the truth in these oure days, namely
in
that they shew greater wonders, than any heretofore hath ben heard
of: That is,
that they
(as they affirme and violently holde) can
turne very bread into naturall fleshe
and bloud, and that so cunnyngly
that it can not be once
perceyuedperceyved, neyther in
beholdyng,beholdyng
feelyng or
tastyng of it
otherwyse than breade. And more other: as to redeeme
soules out of Purgatorie, by sacrifices and
workes ofworkes supererogations,
and other shamefull braggs, wherwith he
deceyueddeceyved them that
receyuedreceyved the beastes
marke and seale, and worship his image.
These both, namely the head and the bodie, the beast, and the false
prophete,
were
aliuealive caste into a lake of fire, burning with
Brimstone:
These shall surely thorough the power and ryghteous
iudgementjudgement of God,
receyuereceyve theyr portion wyth the hypocrites and false Prophetes.
And the remnant which folow, of what state and condition so
euerever they
be,
were slayne with the sworde of him that
sitteth vponupon
the horse,
which
commeth out of his mouthe.
This sworde is (as is before sayd) his mightie and true word,
which
hath within
hym spirite and life. Such then as are not afrayde of
this
worde, but obstinatly
cleauecleave faste to their false doctrine and
ordinaunces, also those whiche beyng striken of this sworde, and beleeve
not, nor repentyng them of their misdedes, frame
their lyfe accordyngly,
shall perishe without doubt with this sword for
euermoreevermore.
And all the foules are
folkes whiche God of hys mercie, hathe chosen
and plucked from these worldly
pleasures and naughtie desires,
shall be
howesouerhowesover the matter goeth
filled with
their fleshe,
whether they
be sauedsaved or damned:
For if they be
sauedsaved
these shall be gladde bycause
that theyr numbre is
increased. Againe, on the other syde, shall they
reioycerejoyce, when that they see the wicked and obstinate, through
the
iustejuste
iudgementjudgement of God punished. The
righteous (sayeth
DauidDavid) seeing
the vengeaunce of God, shall
reioycerejoyce, and shall washe their feete
in the bloud of the wicked:
EuenEven so shal the
vngodlyungodly, which resist
God
and his holy worde, with al their vainglorie and pompe, sodainly
and with a greate noyse
perishe. The Lorde shall destroy them for
euerever.
The
wicked doers (sayeth
DauidDavid) fall, they are cast downe,
and
are not able to stande.
Agayne, he sayeth:
As
for the
vngodlyungodly, they shal perishe and come to naught: and when the enimies of the
Lorde are
in theyr floures they shall vanishe, yea eueneven as the smoke shall they consume away. They shall
perishe in their wickednesse like a shadow,
and wither away as the thistle, and lyke
the chaffe and dust, which the winde scattereth
away from the grounde, so
lykewise the way of the vngodlyungodly shall perish.
This wyll surely come
vponupon the wicked as
it hath done in al ages, and as we
hauehave
seene it with our eyes, and
dayly shall see it more and more. But they which feare God and
louelove hym, shall obtayne hys grace and mercy, and shal
enioyenjoy his faithful
promises, the inheritance of
his
euerlastingeverlasting kyngdome, as ye may heare
nexte folowing.
I
sawe (sayth S.
IohnJohn)
a newe heauenheaven, and a new earth.
S. Peter
sayth also, that
eueryevery
thing (going before the
iudgejudge) shalbe clensed
and purified,
and
not consumed, for al things must be changed and
made
cleane of all
corruptiblenesse.
He meaneth not
(sayethsayeth Aretes)
that the creatures
shoulde consume away, and be no more, but onely
yͭthat they seruingserving to a better vseuse, shoulde be renued, so the godly
and chosen shall be
deliuereddelivered two maner of wayes, that is to say: Here
in this worlde from sin,
&and
hereafter
of death
&and damnation,
&and so shall be
led
&and conducted
vntounto the true libertie
&and
ioyfulljoyfull
inheritance
of
yͤthe children of God.
The first heauenheaven
defiled with the pryde of the angels, and the fyrst
earth corrupted with the manyfolde wyckednesses of man, were passed
away altogether, and
shall be no more, not that the
veritie of them
shall vanishe, but the nature,
complection, and qualitie of them shal
change and turne into sinceritie and perfection.
And there was no more sea,
yͭthat is,
yͤthe vaine
&and
inconstãtinconstant people were no more: for
al prickings
&and remorse of conscience, al desperation, mistrustfulnesse
&and doubt, shall be taken quite from
yͤthe godly
&and chosen. All kind
of
anger, sorow,anger sorow &and
aduersityadversity shal be turned into
ioyejoye and peace of
the holy Ghost,
all hindrance, feare, persecution, tyrannie,
violence,
and
aduersitieadversitie whyche we
en
dure
heere in the troublous sea of
thys
worlde,
shal
ceasse at the day of the lord, when we shall see hym
face to face. And the
sea shall be no longer
subiectsubject to vanitie, than
all other creatures,
but shall be purified from all corruption, and
shall henceforth be so
cleare as any christall, although it remaineth
the
same
substãcesubstance.
And I IohnJohn sawe, by
reuelationrevelation and permission of God,
the holy Citie, new IerusalemJerusalem
come downe from God out of heauenheaven
. By good reason is
this holy Citie the
congregation and churche of God called newe
Ierusalem,Jerusalem,
come downe from God hir Creatour and maker, for she is
holy, not of
hir self, but of him that made hir, and chose hir to be his
welbelouedwelbeloved spouse,
prepared lyke a bride trimmed for hir
husbande, for she is
purified and made newe againe, as the well
trimmed bride
for hir husband,
the lambe Christ
IesusJesus. This bride shall hereafter through
regeneration
and renuing of the holy
Ghost shew glorious
&and perfect holy:
so
long
as she
cõtinuethcontinueth here, she maketh
no accompt of any thing in this
worlde, but doth
gouernegoverne hir selfe accordyng to
that rule which
he hir husband hath lefte hir, namely his holy woord. But heerafter
shall she (being
deliuereddelivered
frõfrom sinne, wretchednesse, and all kinde
of corruptions) more perfectly follow his steppes. She is called new
heere on earth,
for so much as
she hath
laide off, and
put away throughe
the vertue of Gods holy spirite, the
olde man with all his lustes,
and
hath no fellowship with the
vnfruitefullunfruitefull workes of darknesse.
But heereafter shal she be new by his
fauourefavoure and grace, for so muche
as she shall be
deliuereddelivered from sinne, deathe, and all manner of corruption.
She
is called the new
IerusalemJerusalem
both heere and hereafter, bicause
that all their
Citizens are of one beliefe: yet shall they be heereafter
of like glorie and
vnitieunitie. Heere hir
Citezens are among the Sainctes,
and
the familie of God, and there shall they be
both children, and
inheritors with
Christ.Christ,
Sheshe
came downe from god out of
heauenheaven:
hir Christian faith is
neither of fleshe nor
bloud,
but by the gratious
ReuelationRevelation of the
heauenlyheavenly father. But
IerusalemJerusalem
(sayth
S. Paul)
which is
aboueabove, is free and mother
ouerover
vsus all. She is that Citie
which
God hath builded. She is furnished with the
gift of faith, and
wͭwith the fountaine of life,
prepared and trimmed to be a faire and
glorious churche,
without any spotte or wrinckle. She is
clensed
from hir
sinnes through his bloud, she is very costly, and
wel fauoredlyfavoredly adorned
&and beautified with
ioyjoy, peace, long suffering, pacience, and
other more vertues of the spirit:
eueneven as an
honest and true Bride
is dressed and trimmed for hir
louingloving
&and deare husband. The bride
(sayth
DauidDavid)
standeth on thy right hand in a
vesture of fine gold.
But hir raiments (so long as she is on earthe)
are
inuisibleinvisible, they
are spiritual
iewelsjewels of the soule and minde, and not of the body.
And I heard (sayth
S. IohnJohn) in the midst of this last vision,
a mightie
voice out of the
heauenheaven, the
euerlastingeverlasting and onely throne of GOD, a
voyce saying after this sort
vntounto me. Loke
vpup and
beholde, for your
owne (and al other
beleevers)
cõmoditiecommoditie
and instruction,
the holy Tabernacle of the
Lord, which shall be with the chosen for
euerever, is
also heere wyth the
Militant
Church
vponupon earth.
MoreouerMoreover, consider
that
eueryevery beleeuingbeleeving
soule is a Temple of the holy Ghost. As
Christ
him selfe testifieth:
He that
louethloveth me, and keepeth my word, I and
my father will come to him, and dwel
with him. In like manner speaketh
God by the Prophet
Ezechiel:
saying,
I wil make a bond of peace with
them, which shall be
vntounto them an
euerlastingeverlasting
couenauntcovenaunt, I will set
my sanctuarie among them for
euermoreevermore. My dwelling shalbe with them,
yea I wil be their God,
&and they shal be my people. The same also he
confirmeth heere in this place, saying:
He will
dwell with them, and they shalbe his people, and God
him selfe shalbe their God.
In
suche sorte that they shall
neuernever
acknowledge any other, than him only.
He shal alwayes comfort and strengthen
thẽthem
heere by his holy spirit,
and heereafter by his
presẽcepresence so mightely defend and surely keepe
them, that they shall
neuernever faile him heere,
nether afterward be seperated
from him.
And God shall wipe away all teares from
their eyes, so cleane
that no
kinde of trouble or feare, shall make them afraid,
neither
any
aduersitieadversitie shrinke or make them
heauieheavie. The same also saith the
lord
by his Prophet: I
shall make a pleasant
IerusalemJerusalem,
and I
my
selfe wil be glad with hir. From that time forward shall there be
heard
within hir, no more sorrow
nor paine,
neither shall there be
any death, for
death shall be destroyed for
euermoreevermore. The conscience of man shall
not then be
subiectesubjecte to any mistrustfulnesse or other infirmitie, but
shall
hauehave
ioyjoy in the holy Ghost. They shall through sinne, not
die
any more, but
shall
liuelive through faith in God. That cruel whoore shal
drink drõkedronke
no more in the bloud of the Martirs, for she
with al
hir adherents, and wicked tirantes, shall be kept in that filthie lake
which burneth with fire and brimstone
for
euermoreevermore: So that no kinde
of trouble,
persecution, slaunder, hatred, malice, anguish or
pain,
or any kind of
aduersityadversity, crueltie, or wretchednesse, which coulde
be
deuiseddevised, can hurt or hinder them: for sorowes, wailing, and
weeping,
shall
be
put farre from them.
The building of the frame, and the
situation of this citie was
four square, which signified
not
only vntounto
vsus the sure grounde, and stedfastnesse of the true
Christian faith, which God keepeth tenderly nourisheth and augmẽteth
augmenteth in his elect, but also
sheweth yͤthe
euerlastingeverlasting certaintie of that mightie
and inexpugnable kingdom of Christ, and that hope which is neuernever ashamed:
for whosoeuerwhosoever
beleuethbeleveth and dependeth vpõvponupõupon Christ, shall neuernever be confounded.
WhatsoeuerWhatsoever
is foure square,
abideth firme &and
vnmoueable,
unmoveable,
and is not subiectsubject to rolling or vnstablenesse,unstablenesse, like a boule or speare, or
any thing that is roũdround. In like maner hauehave
we to consider of the
four squarenesse of this new Ierusalẽ,IerusalẽIerusalem,Jerusalẽ,Jerusalem,IerusalemJerusalem
(wherof material IerusalemJerusalem
being also square was a
figure)figure), that none of what so euerwhat so everwhatsoeuerwhatsoever kindred,
language or nation he be, shall hauehave either preferment heere in this citie, or be
lesse regarded, for whether he be frõfrom the East or the West, from the South or the North, rich or poore, Grecian or Barbarian, if he be but a true beleeuerbeleever, he shall be receiuedreceived and accepted of
God. Wherof we
hauehave a manifest ensample in the Gospell, where
Christ
teacheth by the
Parable of a certaine housholder, which hired labourers
into his vineyard, who calling them
vntounto
him in
yͤthe
eueningevening,
gauegave as much to them
that wrought but an hour, as he did
vntounto
them that
wrought the
whole day. The walles of this Citie are
strong and well furnished, wherout we
may cõcludeconclude and gather, that the blessednesse of saluationsalvation
or Gods promises are
sure and strong, in so much
that hell gates can not preuaileprevaile
against, or withstand them. These walls
are of such a
height, that no enimie, be
he
neuernever so craftie, subtile,
or wise,
by anye meanes of faire speach, dissimulation or
hipocrisie,
is able to get
ouerover them, onely must they enter through the gate
which is Christ
IesuJesu.
This holy
IerusalemJerusalem
is glorious, blessed, heauenlyheavenly and spiritual, not made by mans hande, but it is made and
builded of God the heauẽlyheauenlyheavẽlyheavenly father, the father
of light (of whom all good and perfect gifts onely do descend &and are sent down) Therfore hath she
a maruellousmarvellous, and incomprehensible light and wisdome of almightie
God. The Lambe IesusJesus Christ
is hir light, and his
word the lanterne to
hir feete. And hir shining light and spiritual
wisdom was like an oriental
stone, most precious: for his word is more costlier than
golde, yea than the
moste finest golde.
This Citie hath tweluetwelve gates
for to
open and to shut, with sundrie names, bicause of the diuersdivers
natiõsnations and languages. For from eueryevery side of the worlde, come the people to the churche of Christ, yet
passe they al through one gate,
which is Christ IesuJesu.
None (saith he) cõmethcommeth to the father but by
me. I am the doore to enter into the sheepe
folde. Who so euerWho so everWhosoeuerWhosoever
entreth
through me,
shall be sauedsaved.
Thys
IerusalemJerusalem hath tweluetwelve gates.
And
on eueryevery
gate was a very costlye and precious Pearle, for
the doctrine of the Gospell is precious and costly without comparison, whereby
so many as are ordained from all coastes of the earth, enter into the kingdom of Christ.
And at these gates were set tweluetwelve Angels.
In that respecte DauidDavid
also did sing,
saying: The
Angels of the Lord are about
the tents of them that feare him, to keepe them. He did
set a garde vponupon the walles of
IerusalemJerusalem,
(sayth Esayas) to annoũceannounce his worthy name: So that it is wel garded &and
fenced round about. The
DiuelDivel with all
his
host hauehave no force against it.
No man is able to draw
any one
out of his hands.
And aboueabove these gates were written honorable names, namely the names of
the
tweluetwelve tribes of Israell, which are
IudaJuda, Ruben,
Gad, Assur, Nephthalim, Manasle, Simeon, LeuiLevi, Isachar, Zabulon,
IosephJoseph
and
BeniaminBenjamin. These names were wrytten heere, bicause the
right inheritance was
promised to the seede of Abraham, and Christ
IesusJesus was the true seede of
Abraham,
and by him are we made children of the promise.
The
walles of the Citie hath
tweluetwelve foundations,
groũdedgrounded
vponupon
yͭthat strong and mightie stone Christ
IesuJesu, which is
vnmoueableunmoveable:
for so much that
from the beginning the Church of God
vponupon
hym hath bene
builded and grounded. Uppon him did
Adam,
Noe,
Abraham,
Moyses,
DauidDavid,
Helias, with the rest of the godly fathers
that
euerever were, build,
&and remaine
stedfast,
although they were neuernever so lõglong
before him, or shall be after him, for they
beleuedbeleved certainly
on the
promises
which God had wrought to
thẽthem by Christ.
They all,
being
vnderunder the cloud, did eate of one kinde of meat, and
dronke
of one spirituall stone which is Christ
IesuJesu, which afterward is come
into the flesh.
No man may lay any other foundation (sayeth
S. Paule)
than that which is layd alreadye,
which is Christ
IesuJesu. Upon this
one, strong, and
euerlastingeverlasting foundation, were laid and builded these
tweluetwelve
foundatiõsfoundations
agreeable vntounto him. Namely
the tweluetwelve
Apostles of the Lambe,
Peter, IohnJohn, IamesJames, Andrewe, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Mathew, IamesJames the minor, Simon, Thade,
and
Mathie. These were prefigured
by
yͤthe
tweluetwelve stones whiche
IosueJosue
erected in
Galgala,
for a memoriall
&and remembrance of the passing of the children of
Israell on dry land
through the
IordanJordan.
They were also signified by
other
tweluetwelve stones,
whereon
Elias the Prophet builded an aultare
vponupon the mount
Carmelus,
in
the name of the Lord. The sure grounde of
these foundations,
was,
the
Confession that Christ was the very sonne of the
liuingliving God.
Upon this foundation
they all builded, by the announcing, preaching,
and writing of that which
the Prophets and true preachers did
beleeuebeleeve.
Namely, that he, that is, Christ,
was the
Lambe of God which taketh
away the sinnes of the
world, for they soughte the way of
saluationsalvation,
and
laboured for the kingdom of God and his righteousnesse,
shewing
them
seluesselves thereby to be the
liuelylively workemen of this spirituall building.
Heere we learne then that the faythe and
doctrine of the
Prophets
and Patriarkes, is all one with the Apostels,
&and are all grounded
vponupon Christ
IesuJesu.
WherevntoWhereunto
S. Paule accordeth very wel, saying:
Now
are ye no more straungers, but citizens with the Saincts: and are builded
vponupon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets. And by
these
tweluetwelve
foundations are not
onely vnderstandedunderstanded they afore named, for then shold
Paule
(which him selfe did more
laboure than they all)
of this
number be excluded: In like maner should be
Barnabe, Sylas, Agabus,
IudasJudas
the righteous,
IohnJohn
which was otherwise surnamed
Marke, with
many other more of the like vocation
and calling, and also all other
faithfull and true ministers, which are of the like faith, and teach
that doctrine. For ye must consider that the number of
tweluetwelve in this
place, is a
perfecte and a common number, as the number of
seuenseven and
ten in other places,
cõtainingcontaining the whole
vnderunder the chiefest and principallest.
The buildings of the wall of it, was of IasperJasper.
This signifieth,
that in Christ
IesuJesu, are the most costliest, the moste pleasantest,
louingestlovingest, and surest things that can be
deuiseddevised. For they which beleeve
in
him aright, shall alwayes abide freshe, greene, lustie, well
fauouredfavoured and
liuelylively, and they shall be verye mightie, yea great and strong pillers
of his holy and
vndefiledundefiled
Temple. He that
beleeuethbeleeveth
on me, and keepeth
my
worde,worde (sayth our
SauioureSavioure
Christ)Christ), shall
neuernever taste of death.
And the Citie was pure golde like vntounto cleare glasse.
The
Church
of God is without any spot or wrinkle.
It
is pure and
vndefiledundefiled like
the
golde that is
tried in
yͤthe fire
.vij..vii. times.
The light of the
Citie is
IesusJesus Christe,
which
neuernever did any sinne, neither in word
or deede. His death and sheading of his
bloud, hath made this citie
more costly than pure golde.
And the foundations of the wall of the
Citie, were garnished with all maner of pretious stones, which preciousnes
notifieth vntounto
vsus the costlinesse of oure
saluationsalvation.
1 The first foundation was IasperJasper, which being of a green
colour, noteth vntounto
vsus that the faith of the forfathers, is not yet
dead nor withered. The faith of
Enoch
appeareth
vntiluntil this day,day
day (the firstday, the (first which called
vponupon the name of the
Lord),Lord) and of more, which all are
yet true, freshe and greene.
2 The second foundation was of Saphire, whose colour is blew and somwhat whitishe, a stone in deede which at the firste looke seemeth to
be of no great value, signifying vntounto
vsus the simple and seely soules, the which although they
be (wyth holy
IobJob
and Thoby) of no value in the
sight of the world, yet are
they highly regarded of God throughe their faith and good life.
3 The third of a Chalcedonie, which is yet lesse set by (to our seeming) 2568. then: thanthen
than the
Saphire, but of nature very costly, strõgstrong, and vertuous. Of this nature were
Helias,
IohnJohn Baptist, and such like, which liuedlived
in the
desert painfully and very straightly, yet prouedproved they most pretious at their appointed time,
rebuking and reprouingreproving
boldly the wickednesse and sinne of the people,
drawing them frõfrom the same, eueneven
as the Chalcedonie pulleth and taketh away the duste from any thing, reprehending and iudgingjudging very sharply the Idolaters and hipocrites.
4 The fourth of an Emeraud, which of himselfe is not onely greene, but maketh the aire
round about him shew of yͤthe same coloure. Of this condition was
IeremieJeremie
and S. Paul,
which without
ceassing,
preached and spred abrode the doctrine of life,
after they had once receiuedreceived and known the same.
5 The fifthe is of a Sardonix, which word
is deducted of Sarda and Onix, and is of nature vnderneathunderneath blackishe, and red on the outside,
&and white within: so all those that are
meeke of heart,
which with
DauidDavid
and
Marie Magdalene acknowledge &and
confesse their sinnes before God, through faith
are pure and holy. Althoughe
I am blacke (sayth the true
Church) yet am I
neuerthelesseneverthelesse fair and cleane. Albeit our
outward mãman (saith S. Paule) perishe,
therefore doe we not goe forward, or are any thing weary, for
the inward man renueth and augmenteth eueryevery day.
6 The sixth of a Sardius, which is of
the similitude of red earth. EuenEven so are those which esteeme them seluesselves as vnworthyunworthy
children of Adam,
notwithstanding that they hauehave
receiuedreceived many
goodly giftes &and
great benifites of God, which (as Philo
expoundeth it) are the red earth. Of thys nature
and companie was the virgine
Marie the mother of Christ, which
called and esteemed hir selfe to be but an handmaide. And for all the honoure, fauourefavoure, and other great benefites which were
shewed vntounto hir, she saide that hir spirite
reioysedrejoysed in God hir sauiouresavioure. Of this sort was Abraham
also,
calling him selfe but duste and ashes before the
Lord.
7 The seuenthseventh of a Chrisolite, a stone of al kind of colours
shining like golde, and as a burning fire, casting sparkes and
a great shine from it. Heere vnderunder are comprehended those which hauinghaving the wisedom of the holy Ghost, kindle and lighten other men
therewithall, and make them altogither hot and burning, &and bring them to the feruentfervent
louelove of God &and their neighboures.
So did
Moyses and Esay,
Barnabas
and Paule, in whom aboundantly appeareth
the graces and glory of God.
8 The eight is of Berll, which is of a sad &and
deadish greene: Signifying such true and
faithful Christians, which through cõpassioncompassion
&and pitie, sorowfully hauehave bewailed &and
lamented the fall of their brethren. Of this
good and diuinedivine nature was SteuenSteven,
praying for them which did stone hym to death. Thus did Samuel in his time, which with great
sorowes &and complaints,
mourned
ouerover
Saul
yͤthe king, what time he sawe him cast out of the fauorfavor of God.
9 The ninth of a Topace, cõtainingcontaining in it the colour of al other stones. And this representeth all them which are adorned with al maner of vertues,
as Daniel was a man full of godly desires,
and IohnJohn
the
EuangelistEvangelist
whom Christ louedloved most of al,
yͭthat did write the ReuelationRevelation in Pathmos.
10 The tenth of a Chrisophrasius, whose nature is to shine like gold, and yet greenish in the sight. Such are those, who hauinghaving
receiuedreceived good knowledge &and perfecte wisdom of God, distribute vntounto others according vntounto the
talent which god hath
deliuereddelivered
vntounto
thẽthemthẽthem.
therbyTherby
to awake the sluggish and dreaming people,
and bring to heauenlyheavenly meditations. Amongst those, may Ezechiel wel be coũtedcounted, which in his time did see maruellousmarvellous
things, and wonderful straunge ReuelationsRevelations.
11 The eleuentheleventh of a IacinctJacinct, the colour of which stone is like vntounto water, hauynghavyng
stripes glistering like the bright shining
beames of the Sunne. By this stone are represented, suche as doe
seeme to be
ignorant, and are counted noddies &and fooles before the world, which notwithstãdingnotwithstanding
hauehave
heauenlyheavenly wisdom inough, although in sight very ideots, voyde of all knowledge, yet
neuerthelesseneverthelesse are they instructed and taught of God, to reuealereveale hidden and secrete mysteries of the numbre. Of those are Ozee, IoelJoel, Amos, &and whiche was but a poore shephierd, with the rest of
the small prophets. Such were also Andrew, Peter, Philip, Thomas, and the rest of
the Apostles of Christ.
12 The twelfth an Ametist, this is of a violet or purpure and rosie colour, and this signifieth them,
which abide zelous, meke and stedfast in the knowne truthe of
the Lorde, whiche also are
ready at all times
to die and shed their bloude eueneven for the same: suche were the seuenseven brethren of the Machabees,
with their mother. Such were also
IamesJames
the greater, and
Antipas
that faithfull witnesse, with many more disciples and martirs.
No man can shew any
greater louelove than this, when any mãman
bestoweth hys lyfe for hys friendes. All these
sayth our SauiourSaviour, are blessed, and the kyngdome of heauenheaven doth belong vntounto them. On this maner then is notified
by these fundations, the same
which the true and faithfull ministers and pastors of the churche of Christ, according to the
diuersitiediversitie of gifts giuengiven
vntounto them, hauehave
buylded vponupon, some gold, siluersilver, or precious stones: but such as hauehave added to this buildyng, any wood, hay, or stubble,
which are customes, traditions, and other dũbedumbe
Ceremonies, or else vayneglorie, worldly honoure, riches, and pleasures, shall
neuernever be accompted among thys heauenlyheavenly companie. These fundations hauehave ben prefigured by the
precious stones, which were in the stomacher of Aaron the
high Priest, and in the costely and royall garmentes of the Kyng of Tyrus. He whiche is desirous to know more of the nature, condition
and propretie of these precious stones, may reade
Plinie his .xxxvij..xxxvii. booke of naturall Histories, or Bartholomeus de proprietatibus rerum: and concerning
the mysterie and allegorie, reade Saint Hierome
vponupon the .54. Chapiter of Esaye, or
Beda, Haymo, Costasius, BacõthorpBaconthorp, Eleyne, TilneyEleyne Tilney, and dyuersdyvers more other, whiche
hauehave written vpponuppon the ReuelationRevelation.
It
suffiseth vsus, to hauehave shewed thee (according to the meanyng of Saint Austen)
that these stones doe signifie the manyfolde gyftes and diuersdivers graces of the holy Ghost: for the onely spirite of the lord worketh all
these thyngs dyuerslydyversly. Hee measureth hys gyftes vntounto
eueryevery one according to hys good will and pleasure, the whiche altogether
are singular, precious and moste excellente, as it shall well appeare in that great and ioyousjoyous day of the chyldren of God.
And the Angell (sayeth Sainct
IohnJohn) whiche dydde shewe all those foresayde
thyngs,
mouedmoved me in spirite, to take the more heede to the
gracious
and mercifull purpose of the Lorde, and to bryng me to a more deeper
knowledge of his misteries,
shewed me a pure RiuerRiver of water of life,
whiche is therefore called the Water of
Lyfe, bycause it maketh whole,
and
gyuethgyveth
saluationsalvation to oure soules. Thys
RyuerRyver is nothyng else but
the
flowing veritie and the worde of
SaluationSalvation, or the myghtie doctrine
of Christe. Thys is that sweete
RyuerRyver, whyche proceedeth of
Edom,
to
refresh
Paradise, which
diuidingdividing
it selfe in foure, watereth the
foure parts of the earthe. This runnyng
water maketh the Citie of God
very pleasant and
delectable. This
riuerriver is
maruelousmarvelous
comfortable,
springyng into eternall
lyfe, it is here a spirituall comfort for the
childrẽchildren
of God, and shalbe hereafter that incomprehensible glory
of the Sainctes in
heauen.heaven.
To whome shal we go (sayth
Peter) but
to
thee, for thou hast the worde of eternall life. The vertue and nature
of this water is to
satisfie, purge and
clẽseclense, to comfort, to make
whole and healthful, for it proceedeth
and floweth
frõfrom the
maiestiemajestie
of God, it commeth from that eternal and excellent schoole of the father,
and thence proceedeth forwarde to the
ouerfulnesseoverfulnesse of the lambe Christ
IesuJesu, and his
diuinedivine spirite. I will
poure cleane water (sayth the
Lorde)
vponupon you, and ye shall be free from all your filth
&and
vncleannesseuncleannesse,
I will also
gyuegyve you a
newe hearte, and plant in you a new
spirite.
In the middes of the strete of it, and of either side of the riuerriver was the tree of
life. This
riuerriver
signi
fieth
the two testamentes
of
the Lorde,
wherby stode that moste pleasant tree of lyfe, namely
Christ
IesusJesus the mediatour and pastour, the
sauioursaviour and redeemer of
the worlde. Out of the roote and
progenie of
DauidDavid, spryngeth
thys tree (according to the fleshe)
conceyuedconceyved of the holye Ghost, borne
of the virgin
Marie. As
the tree of life, in the beginnyng was planted
in the middest of
Paradise,
eueneven so is hee spiritually in the
middest
of his Churche, whiche
is his moste pleasaunt garden: if that grounde
or earth which maketh the trees twice fruitefull in the yeare, be called
happy, so may this garden by
good
reason,rereason,
well be called happy and
blessed, where blessed, Where
this tree standeth, whiche
neuernever
is without frute,
nor drieth
vpup, or withereth, which dothe not onely beare twyce a yeare
fruite, signifiyng all the
vnspeakableunspeakable giftes of the holy Ghoste, but
rendreth his frutes
eueryevery month of the yere, that is, continually,
bothe Sommer and
winter. All they which are thys Congregation
&and people
hauehave continually so long as they
lyuelyve, greate Consolation in all
theyr assaultes and trialles,
and in all kinde of
aduersitieadversitie bothe
spirituall and temporall.
And the leauesleaves of the trees seruedserved to heale the nations with. The
promises and the worde
of GOD are spirite and lyfe, the
nature,nature
propretie
and vertue of them,
are blessednesse and eternal
saluationsalvation. These
leauesleaves can not by any meanes wyther awaye. When Gods worde is sincerely
preached and taughte, then we remember the benefites of oure
deliuerauncedeliveraunce,
then is oure
conscience appeased and satisfied, and the minde mery
and
gladde, then dothe the soule of man
reioycerejoyce, and rendreth therfore
to GOD the Father moste heartie
thanckes, worthie prayses, syngyng
and magnifiyng hym for his eternall goodnesse and mercie. So
then the
Nations are
quite healed and made healthfull thorough beleefe, and
cleauingcleaving
faste
vntounto the woorde, acknowledgyng and confessyng Christe
IesuJesu to be their onely
SauiourSaviour, righteousnesse, and true holynesse.
The woorde of GOD written, or preached, is lyke
vntounto the leafes,
which beyng well and
reuerentlyreverently
receyued,receyved, by the woorkyng of the
holy
Ghost, is of muche importaunce and wayghtie,
healthfull strong
and myghtie in operation, muche lyke
vntounto the mustard seede.
AboueAbove
all thyngs (sayeth
Zorobabell) is the
Truthe moste
strong, and
ouercommethovercommeth all: For it is the wyll of
the Lorde whiche
neuernever shall perishe.
This
worde then (I
saye,)saye),
is so myghtie and victorious, that the Congregation
of
Christe, and true beleeuersbeleevers, whatsoeuerwhatsoever trouble, persecution or violence they doe suffer, shall yet eueneven in their extreme paine and
distresse be comforted and quieted in cõscienceconscience and spirite,
beeing well assured,
that God keepeth them as the very
apple of his
eie: for they
know that they ar vnderunder his protection &and
gouernancegovernance: and that
hereafter they shal inherite (how contẽptuouslycontemptuously so euerever they lyuedlyved here) eternall glory, felicitie and blessednesse in the presence of
God, in that new &and
heauenlyheavenly
Ierusalem.Jerusalem.
Of whiche glorie and blessednesse
to make a discourse, I shold labor in vain, and bysides that
neuernever get
my purpose,
nor finish mine enterprise: For
neuernever
no eare hearde
it, nor
eye sawe it, neyther came it into any heart: And to say al,
neuernever any man was able to comprehend it, that God hath prepared
for
his elect that
louelove him.
Ye
hauehave nowe (gentle Reader) sufficiently (as I hope) herd, what wickednesse,
thraldome, laboure, paine, and trouble,
couetousnessecovetousnesse, concupiscence,
and ambition bringeth to them that
louelove it, follow
it, wishe for
it,
and seeke after it. Lykewise ye may consider here, howe and after what
sort they draw man from
God, from naturall reason, from all goodnesse,
and mutuall and brotherly
louelove,
vntounto all kinde of iniquitie, crueltie
and
vnnaturalunnatural vices: and oftentimes come so farre, that they not
onely
bryng other men in great danger to attaine to their purpose, but they
themseluesthemselves also body and soule. Ye
hauehave hearde also, that the
DeuillDevill,
the Prince of
this worlde, is a father and the author of al wickednesse,
&and wicked doers, and how that that
mischeuousmischevous Antechrist (whiche within
a few yeres hitherwards
hath ben
reueledreveled) did proceede and was
borne of him: as ye may see more
euidentlyevidently out of
this Genealogie folowing.
The booke of the Generation
of Antechrist, the
desolatour and
childe of perdition.
FIirst the
diuelldivell begot
Darknesse.
And darknesse begot
Ignorance.
Ignorance begot
error and his brethren.
Errour begot Freewill, Ignorance, and
Selfe
louelove.
Merites begot
forgetfulnesse of the grace
of
God.
Forgetfulnesse of the grace of God begot
Transgression.
And Transgression begot mistrust.
Mistrust begot
Satisfaction.
Satisfaction begot
sacrifice of the Masse.
Sacrifice of the Masse begotte
Popishe
Priesthode.
And popish priesthod begot
SuperstitiõSuperstition.
Superstition begot
Hipocrisie the Kyng.
And hypocrisie begot
Lucre.
And Purgatorie begot the
Fundation of
Pentions.
Fundation of Pentions begot
Patrimonie of the church.
And Patrimonie of the church begot
MãmonMammon of iniquitie.
And Abundance begot
Fulnesse.
Crueltie begot
Domination.
Simonie begot the
Pope and the Cardinals his brethren in the
transmigration of Abhomination.
And after the Transmigration of Abhomination, the pope begot the
And the Mysterie of iniquitie begot
DiuineDivine
Sophistrie.
DiuineDivine Sophistrie begot
ReiectionRejection of holy Scripture.
ReiectionRejection of holye Scripture begot
Tyrannie.
And Tiranny begot murther of Saincts.Saincts
Murther of saints begot
dispising of god.
Dispising of God begot
Dispensation.
Dispensation begot
Licence to sinne.
And Licence to sinne begot
abhominatiõabhomination.
Abhomination begot
Confusion.
And Confusion begot
TrauailTravail of
yͤthe spirit.
TrauaileTravaile of the spirit begot
Disputation
and
matter to seeke for the veritie, by
the which that desolatour
Antechriste
hath bene
reuealedrevealed.
You
hauehave hearde also (gentle Reader) howe that the
DiuellDivell wyth all
hys adherents, accordyng to the veritie of Gods holy word, and his
righteous
iudgementjudgement, shal be throwen and cast into the pit of eternall
pardition of
vnquenchableunquenchable fire, which hath ben prepared for him and
hys angels, hys
seruauntesservauntes and followers, marked with his marke from
the beginning of the worlde: where shall be gnashyng of teeth, and
wringyng of
the handes eternally.
MoreouerMoreover, it hath ben said, howe
that neyther hee, nor all hys membres are able to do any thing against
IesuJesu Christe, nor agaynste hys kyngdome
or
Churche. Which bicause
they are not of the
world, therefore the world and all that belongeth
to the world,
hauehave from the beginning hated them, persecuted and afflicted
them, as well Sathan himself, as the world and
yͤthe worldly minded:
as it is seene dayly, and shal be, so long as the worlde
continueth:
notwithstanding there hath bene sometime a little quietnesse seene
and shall be, it is possible yet, namely so long as the malice
and
violẽceviolence
of Sathan and his membres be bridled
&and
tied shorte, so
long
shall the godly people
hauehave peace
&and quietnesse, and shal see
some yeares of grace. Furthermore, it was shewed you, how that Christ
IesusJesus became man for
vsus, and is now in eternall glory in the kingdome
of
his father, with al his Apostles his chosen, with all suche as
beleeuebeleeve through them in him, whiche
hathe bene prepared for them from the begynning,
where is and shall be
vnspeakableunspeakable
ioyejoye. Here you may see and
iudgejudge of God, and
the
deuildevil, Christ, and Antechrist, the kyngdome of God,
and of Sathan, the
Churche of Christe, and the synagoge of
Rome, or the assemblie of the reprobate, the broade waye, and the straite
gate,
heauenheaven and hell, eternall lyfe and
euerlastyngeverlastyng death. Nowe then,
if
eueryevery one might choose the one or the other of these two wayes,
I
beleuebeleve that no man would be so foolishe or ignorant, that
would not
choose rather
saluationsalvation than condemnation, to ascende into
heauenheaven,
than to goe into hell.
NeuerthelesseNeverthelesse those that will be
sauedsaved, and
are desirous to be accompted
vnderunder the numbre of the elect, muste diligentely
take heede, that they wander not, nor bee
deceyueddeceyved by
eueryevery wynde of
doctrin. For lyke as
couetousnessecovetousnesse, pride, arrogancie, ease of the
body, voluptuousnesse, and plesure of the worlde, hath chased and
dryuendryven
away all maner of
deuotion,devotion, zeale, and godly exercises pertayning
vntounto true christian religion at the
primitiueprimitive churche: In lyke maner
shall the
DyuellDyvell not yet ceasse or
leaueleave
2848. of: offofoff
to raign and rule in his
membres, notwithstanding that the childe of perdition, that
Antechrist
is already manyfested, and openly shewed: yea he attempteth yet
dai
ly
by the meanes of suche vices,
a little before mentioned, to rayse
vpup
eueneven in the reformed Churches among the brethren, dissention and
trouble.
And it is to be feared, that in the ende he shall
preuaileprevaile
more and more. For it is
writtẽwritten, that
iniquitie shal abounde, and
hauehave the
vpperupper
hande, and the charitie of many shall wax colde.
But
so many as beare more
louelove to God, and seeke more to please hym than
the
diuelldivell, they must take good heede to do that which pleaseth
him,
according to his
reuealedrevealed wil: For whom, it is not sufficient to know
Antechrist, to blame
him, to speake and reporte of him as his doings
deseruedeserve, but it is requisite for them most chiefly, to
confesse the
name of the Lorde
eueneven from their very hearts, to honour
&and
feare
him, to
beleuebeleve and put all
confidẽceconfidence
in hym, to
louelove hym, and as
neere as we can, to expresse him in oure
conuersationconversation, thorough
louelove
vnfaynedunfayned, therby to shew oure
seluesselves to be hys Disciples:
For not eueryeeverye one (sayeth oure SauioureSavioure
Christe) that sayeth Lorde, Lorde, shall
enter into the Kyngdome of heauenheaven, but
suche as doe the will of my father.
Again, saythe Christe:
WhosoeuerWhosoever
louethelovethe hys lyfe
heere in thys worlde, shall loose it, and who so hateth his lyfe
here
for my names sake, shal keepe it to life
euerlastingeverlasting. Againe, he that
will be my Disciple,
let hym
folowe me, and where I am, he
shal be
also. Who so
seruethserveth me, my Father shall honoure hym. The
seruaunteservaunte
is
no better
than hys maister, and a messenger is no more than he
that sente hym. If we
keepe the
commaundements of Christe, we shall
remaine in his
louelove,
eueneven as hee did the will of hys father, and
remayned in his
louelove. Hys commaundement is, that we
louelove one an other,
as he
louedloved
vsus, let
vsus therfore henceforth leade a good lyfe
&and
cõuersationconuersationcõversationconversation, according to the wyll of the Lorde, and frame our
lyfe
to the doctrine
and exaumple of our maister and Lorde
IesuJesu Christ,
in keeping the commaundementes of the Lorde Christe. Lette
vsus
not
be wrathfull,
but
louelove one an other.
Praye (sayeth the Lorde) for
them
that persecute you, and speake
euyllevyll of you,
and be ye
perfect
as I am perfecte. That
thys our
sinful body might be destroyed, and
that henceforth wee
serueserve synne no more: for he that is dead, is free
from sinne. Let
vsus then thinke, that we are dead to sinne, and
liuelive not to our
seluesselves, but to our Lorde and
SauiourSaviour
IesusJesus
Christ.
Let
not sinne (saith the apostle S. Paule) raigne in your mortall body,
that ye shoulde obey the lustes
thereof, but be ye true
seruantesservantes of righteousnesse
vntounto
life,
&and not
seruauntsservaunts of
sinne,sinne
of the fleshe
or the
world,world
to death, neyther
gyuegyve ye henceforth your
mẽbresmembres, as
weapons of
vnrighteousnesseunrighteousnesse
vntounto sinne, but as weapons of righteousnesse
vntounto GOD.
For when we were the
seruauntesservauntes of synne
we were not vnderunder righteousnesse,
what frute had we then in those things, wherof we are
nowe
ashamed?ashamed: for the
ende of those things is death, but contrarywise,
the fruite of
righteousnesserightousnesse is
euerlastingeverlasting
life. Brethren, it is now
tyme to awake from sleepe, forasmuche
as the
nyghte is passed, and
the day approcheth, and is
eueneven at hande.
God hath freely sent his true and faithful ministers, and
giuethgiveth his
woord
plẽtifullyplentifully to be preached:
let vsus cast away then the workes
of darkenesse, and take vntounto
thee the armour of light,
&and walke
honestly as in the daye time, not in gluttonie &and
dronkennesse, nor
in chambering &and
wantonnesse,
nor in strife, nor enuyingenvying, but put ye
on the Lord IesusJesus Christ,
&and take no thought for the fleshe,
to fulfill the lustes thereof, but according to the good pleasure of
God,
in al spiritual exercises. The workes of the flesh are notorious
&and
manifest, as adulterie, fornication,
vncleanesse,uncleanesse, wantonnesse,
Idolatrie, witchcraft, hatred, debate, emulation, wrathe, contentions,
heresies,
enuieenvie, murthers, dronkennesse, gluttonie, and suche like.
The
workers whereof, are
yͤthe most wretches
and miserable
slauesslaves
that
euerever wer: yea they are
threatned, that
who so euerwho so everwhosoeuerwhosoever
cõmittethcommitteth
such things,
shall
not enherite the kingdom of
heauẽheavẽheauenheaven. On the other side, the
fruites of
yͤthe spirit are
louelove,
ioyjoy, peace,
long suffering,
gẽtlenessegentlenesse,
goodnesse, faith, meekenesse, temperancie, and suche like.
After
this sort ought
eueryevery christian
mãman
to
walke, being carefull to mortifie
his own flesh,
exercising himself in these good works which God hath
prepared for him to
walke in,
casting
2915. of: offofoff the old
mãman, which is corrupt
through
deceiuabledeceivable lusts: be ye therfore renued in
yͤthe spirit of your
mind, and
put ye on the new man, which
after god, is
created in righteousnesse
and true holinesse. Wherfore cast
2918. of: offofoff
lying
&and
speak
eueryevery man
true
vntounto his neighbour. For we are members
yͤthe one of the other.
Be angrie
but sinne not: let not the Sunne goe down
vponupon your wrath, neither
giuegive
place to the
DiuellDivell. Let him that stole, steale no more,
but
let
him rather labour
and work with his
handshands, the thing that is
good,
that he may
hauehave to
giuegive him that needeth.
Let not corrupt communication
proceed out of your
mouth, but that which is good to edifie withal,
that
it may minister grace
vntounto the hearers. And
greeuegreeve not the
holy
spirite of God, by whom ye are sealed
vntounto the day of
redẽptionredemption.
Let all
bitternesse, anger, and wrath, crying and
euilevil speaking, be
put away from you
with all maliciousnesse. Be
ye courteous one
to
an other, and
tẽdertender hearted,
forgiuingforgiving one an other,
euẽevẽeueneven as
god
for Christs sake,
forgaueforgave you.
Be ye then followers of god as
dear
children,
walk in
louelove
euẽevẽeueneven
as Christ
hath
louedloved
vsus,
&and
hath
giuengiven him self for
vsus, to be an offring and a
sacrifice of a sweet
smelling
sauorsavor to god. So then
fornication and all
vncleannesseuncleannesse,
or
couetousnesse,covetousnesse,
let
it not be once named
amõgamong
you, as it becometh
sainctes. Neither
vseuse
ye filthinesse, nor foolish
talking, neyther
iestingjesting, which are things not comely:
but rather
giuinggiving of thãksthanks.
For this ye must know, that no whoremonger neither
vncleaneuncleane
persõperson,
nor
couetouscovetous person, which is an Idolatour, hath any inheritaunce
in
the
kingdom of Christ,
&and of God.
Let no man
deceiuedeceive you with vaine
wordes, for by such things cometh the wrath of
God,
vponupon the children
of
disobedience. Be not therefore companions wyth them:
for so much
as ye were once in
darknesse but are now light in the
lord,lord:
walk therfore
as it becometh children of
light, for the fruite of the spirit is
in
all goodnesse,
righteousnesse and truthe.
ApproueApprove and assay
that which is pleasing to the Lord,
and
hauehave no fellowship with the
vnfruitfulunfruitful works of darknesse, but
eueneven
reprouereprove
them
rather:
take
ye heede that ye walke circumspectly
and wisely, not like the foolish,
but as the wise, and redeeme
yͤthe time,
for
eueneven these dayes are
euillevill and dangerous days. Therfore be ye not ignorant, but
replenished
with knowledge and
spirite.
Let the woord of God dwell in you
plentuously in
all wisdom,
teaching and admonishing your own
seluesselves in psalms
&and spirituall songs, synging
with
gracewith a grace
in your hearts,
giuinggiving thanks
always to god the father of our Lord
IesusJesus Christ,
submitting your
seluesselves one to the other in the feare of God.
WiuesWives submit your
seluesselves
vntounto your husbandes, as
vntounto the Lord: for the husband is the heade
of
the wife,
eueneven as Christ is the heade of the Church, and is the
sauiouresavioure of his bodie. Therefore as the Church is in
subiectionsubjection
vntounto Christ:
EuenEven so let the
wiueswives be to their husbandes in
eueryevery thing.
Ye husbands
louelove your
wiueswives, dwel with them
as men of knowledge,
giuinggiving honor
vntounto
the woman, as
vntounto the weaker vessell:
eueneven as they
which are heires togither of the grace of life.
EuenEven as Christ
louedloved
the Church, and
gauegave him selfe for it, that he might sanctifie
it,
and clense it, and make it
vntounto himself a glorious Church, without
any spot or wrinckle, but that it
should be holy and without blame:
So ought men to
louelove their
wiueswives as their owne bodies: for he that
louethloveth his wife,
louethloveth him self. For no man
euerever yet hated his owne
flesh, but
nourisheth
&and
cherisheth it, as the Lord doth his Churche,
for we are members of his bodye, of hys
flesh, and of his bones. For
this
cause shal a man
leaueleave father and mother, and shall
cleauecleave to
his wife, and
they twaine shall be one flesh.
Children obey your parents
in the Lord, for this is right.
Honour thy father and
mother which
is the first
commaundement
cõmaundement,commaundement,
with promisse. Againe, ye Fathers,
prouokeprovoke
not your children to wrath, but bring them
vpup in
instructiõinstruction,
&and
information of the Lord. Ye
seruauntesservauntes
must obey
vntounto them that be
your
bodily
maisters according to the
flesh, with fear
&and trembling
in singlenesse of your heart,
as
vntounto the Lord. Not with
seruiceservice to the eye,
as men pleasers, but as the
seruantsservants
of Christ: doing
the wil of God from the heart, with a good will
seruingserving the Lord,
&and not men: being well assured that
whatsoeuerwhatsoever good thing any
mãman doth, that
same shall he
receiuereceive of the lord, whether
he be bonde
or
free. Therefore ye maisters, doe the same thing
vntounto them, putting
away threatening, knowing that you
hauehave a maister also in
heauenheaven, with
whom there is no respect of persons. Finally, I beseech you
all
indifferent,
of what estate, condition, or calling so
euerever ye be, that ye wil
shew your self
an ensample
in word and
conuersationconversation in all good workes,
keeping your selfe alwayes
vnderunder discipline, and true doctrin, without
any
damage ordamage of preiudiceprejudice to any, keeping the word whole
&and
irreprehensible,
yͭthat the
aduersariesadversaries might be ashamed,
hauinghaving no occasion
to speake
euillevill of you with the truthe.
Therefore
submit your
seluesselves to Princes,
rulers, and
powers, and be
readie to euerieeverie good
worke. Accuse
or
blame no man, be ye not spiteful,
cõtentiouscontentious or wrathful, but amiable
and peaceable, shewing
louingloving
kindnesse and courteousnesse to all
men. Girde the loynes of your heart.
Stande manfully, and put your
whole trust and
cõfidenceconfidence in
the grace which is now offered. Let your
louelove be
vnfainedunfained.
Abhorre that which is
euillevill, and
cleauecleave to
yͭthat
which is good. Be
affectioned to
louelove one
an otheranother with all
reuerencereverence.
Be not
slouthful or negligent to do
seruiceservice, but be
feruentfervent
in spirite.
Frame your selfe according to the time.
ReioyceRejoyce in hope, be patient
in tribulation,
cõtinuecontinue in prayer, distribute
vntounto the necessitie of the
Saintes,
giuinggiving
your selfe to Hospitalitie.
Blesse them
which
persecute you, blesse I say
&and cursse not,
if it be possible, as much
as in you is.
HaueHave
peace wyth all men. Be all of one minde, of
one
concorde and one
iudgement,judgement, that
iudgement.judgement. That
nothing be done throughe contention
or vaine glorye, but that in meekenesse of minde
eueryevery man esteeme
other better than him selfe.
Let no man seeke his owne, but the profite of other men. Be
feruentfervent
in
louelove,
hauehave brotherly
louelove among you, without the which, al
other
things are nothing to speake of, of what faith so
euerever we boast our
seluesselves to
hauehave.
LoueLove is courteous, long suffering, not
enuiousenvious, not
guileful, nor puffed
vpup, desireth no dishonestie: It
seeketh not hir
owne, is not
prouokedprovoked to anger, it thinketh no
euillevill, it delighteth
not in
vnrighteousnesseunrighteousnesse, but
reioysethrejoyseth in the truthe, endureth all
things, hopeth in al things, and
neuernever faileth. Through very
louelove and
charitie, is Christ
IesuJesu
become man for
vsus, and hath humbled him selfe
in al kind of
obediẽceobedience through
louelove, and suffered death on the Crosse
to
sauesave
vsus. So then let
vsus abide in charitie, and
doe well without
wearinesse: for that
which man soweth, that same also he shal reape.
If he sowe in the fleshe, he shall reape againe of the fleshe, perdition.
But if he sowe in the spirite, he shall
reape of the spirite, life.
Therefore continue in wel doing,
although ye suffer rebuke and ignominie
of the world. Be humble and
meeke with
Abraham, Moyses and
DauidDavid
. Be long suffering and pacient with
IobJob
and
Thobie in al kind
of troubles,
aduersities,adversities,
&and
tribulations. The Lord alwayes
vsethuseth
to send his rods first of
all ouerover his house: therfore when he
chastneth
vsus for our sinnes which we
hauehave done in times past, we must paciently
beare it.
It must be of necessitie, that the
godly suffer persecution to exercise their faith,
and shew their louelove and
feruenciefervencie.
Abraham
was
prouedproved heere of the Lord,
&and
IobJob
troubled and molested, and were both found faithful and
cõstantconstant. The
Apostles were mery and glad, that they were foũdfound worthy to suffer iniurieinjurie, wrong, contempt
&and
hatred
for yͤthe name of IesuJesu Christ. The Lord
trieth and prouethproveth the
godly as golde in the fornace. He
chasteneth al them which hee
louethloveth, and scourgeth eueryevery sonne which he receiuethreceiveth. It is
only
faith which
ouercommethovercommeth all euillevill, and obtaineth victorie through pacience. The fruite
springing vntounto eternall life, is maruelouslymarvelously
assaulted
in the godly, whilest we be heere in this world.
The things must
needes fall vponupon
vsus, seeing we are
vnperfect.unperfect. Let
vsus therefore be
stedfast and
vnmoueable,unmoveable,
hauinghaving a good hope alwayes in our affliction,
trouble, or
persecution, in the losing
&and forgoing, be it of our
friends or
goods, yea our bodies,
yͭthat we shalbe
recõpẽsedrecompensed greatly
for
a litle trouble which we heere
indure: God wil
proueprove
&and
trie
vsus, and
receiuereceive
vsus (if so be we abide constant) as an
acceptable
sacrifice
of sweete
sauouresavoure. Let
vsus then
depend
wholy
vponupon him, and he shal
keepe
vsus, let
vsus hope and trust
vponupon him, and he wil not forsake
vsus, let
vsus
stedfastly
cleauecleave
vntounto him,
&and he shall not
leaueleave
vsus destitute.
Therefore my deare brethren, let
vsus consider and
ouerrunneoverrunne
al ages
and times, and
diligently marke, if at any time any one was put to
confusion and shame, which trusted in the Lorde. He which called
vponupon him in faith
and confidence, was he
euerever forsaken or
contempned of
him? Was there
euerever
any, were he
neuernever so wicked, which turned to the
Lord, not
receiuedreceived? No surely, for God is
mercifull, long suffering,
and readie to
forgiueforgive. He heareth in the
day of trouble, and
he is at hande to all
them that call
vponupon him. He is a
protectoure
and defendoure of all those
that seeke him in truthe, and trust in
him. But fie
vponupon them, curssed are they that are faint hearted,
inconstant,
wauererswaverers,
vntempereduntempered braines, yea mockers and very libertines, fearing
men,
poore princes more than God, which
hauehave a greater care of these
transitorie
goodes, and
hauehave muche rather to please the worlde than
God, bycause they looke for none other God heere, than to hauehave that they
luste and desire for their belly: yea they say in their
heartes,
there is no God. They would gladly leaueleave to God the heauens,heavens, so that they might remaine vpponuppon
the earth. They know none other heauenheaven
3063. then: thanthenthan heere on earth, which rather might be called an hel,
than heauenheaven, bicause we
all are subiectesubjecte to many infirmities.
Bisides that, they
cãnotcannot
hauehave heere any
rest or quietnesse in minde or
conscience. Neyther can they hauehave things as they would, be they neuernever so rich. These men, as they are altogether worldly &and carnal,
so can they neuernever come to any knowledge of God. For the worldly and
naturall men canne not
perceiueperceive the things which are of the spirite of God, neither consider they the
gloryous
maiestiemajestie of God, neither are they so muche as once
carefull of the life to come.
Woe be vntounto
the sinnefull lips, slouthfull
hands, to the sinner which keepeth two
wayes. Woe to the dissolute of heart, for they shall not be
defended, bicause they beleeuebeleeve not. Woe vntounto the vnpacientunpacient, that hauehave lost and forsaken the right way to decline and wander in the crooked way.
Woe
vntounto them, for what shall they say when the Lord
shall searche them out? Let vsus
louelove the Lord therfore all we
that feare him. Let vsus put our confidence in him, let
vsus remaine faithful, and let vsus walke according to his holy will, let
vsus searche
diligẽtlydiligently after those things which please him, let vsus prepare our heartes, and frame our seluesselves to be acceptable in hys sight, and
humble our soules before his face, let vsus paciently abide the time,
vntiluntil he send vsus succour, helpe and comfort,
saying:
It is better to fall in the hands
of the Lorde,of men,
than in the hands
of menof the Lorde:
for as he is great and mightie, so is he also merciful. Let vsus then be
pacient, and not shrinke, yea rather let vsus manfully
striuestrive in the
middest of our troubles, afflictions and miseries,
knowing that
aduersitieadversitie engendreth pacience,
&and pacience trial or probation, probation hope,
&and hope
shall not be ashamed, for the
louelove of God is poured into our
hearts. Goe forwarde then my brethren
to all good works, and make your
selfe sure to the Lord, and to the
power of his might: Take
vntounto you
therefore the
whole armour of God,
that ye may be able to resist in
the
euillevill day. Stand therfore,
hauinghaving your
loynes girded with the truth,
&and
hauinghaving on the brest plate of
righteousnesse, and your feet
shod
with the
preparation of the Gospell of peace.
AboueAbove all, take
vntounto you the shield of faith, wherewith ye may quenche the fierie dartes
of
the wicked. Take
vntounto
you also the helmet of
saluationsalvation, and
the
sword of the
spirite, which is the worde of God, and
pray without
ceassing in all
your
assaultes and
necessities,necessities) making your prayers
in
hũblenessehumblenesse of the spirite. Be diligent and watchfull. Be you
wise
and suttle like
Serpents,
&and simple without fraude or guile as
DouesDoves.
Be
sober
&and watche, for your
aduersarieadversarie the
DeuilDevil, who goth about
like a roaring Lion, seeking whom he may
deuouredevoure. He
vsethuseth a thousand
sleights
&and fetches, many kinds of wayes,
diuersdivers and sundry meanes
to entrap and snare by.
Resist ye him therfore, be stedfast in faith,
and
defende thy selfe with the armor right nowe before mentioned.
Beare your selfe manfully, confirm and refresh your self
eueryevery time
with
that excellent meat of the
spirite, which doth not perish,
which
is the word of
god, that ye might withstand him both day and
night
like a good souldior, and
all his assaultes.
Take ye heede therefore to
giuegive any place to
euillevill, but set your selfe valiantly and couragiously
against him, at what time he shall assault you, either by faire or
foule
meanes, by flatterie, in shewing you the riches, the
glorye
and
pompe of this world, to none
other ende and purpose, than
to
entrap and
deceiuedeceive
you, or by crueltie, persecution, or trouble,
to
ouercomeovercome and vanquishe you, if ye hearken
vntounto him any manner of
way.
And
bicause he can
transforme him selfe into an Angell of light,
it is requisite and
necessarie that
eueryevery sprite be
prouedproved by the touche
stone of Gods
holye worde, if so be that it agreeth therewith, so must
it be holden for good, be
beleeuedbeleeved and followed. But if so be that
it in any parte be contrary to that, it muste according to the
Apostle
S. Paules saying be
accurssed. Let no
euillevill take any roote in your
heart, but pluck it out forthwith. God
is meeke, holy, long suffering,
mercifull, and altogither good, but feeling that any one
bringeth
any
thing contrarye to these
particularities appropriated vntounto
God,
be ye sure that
that spirite is not of God: from those refraine your selfe,
resisting them wyth the weapons before mentioned.
Be sober and humble in mind, content
with a litle, not caried
away
of
couetousnessecovetousnesse after the richesse and glorye of this world,
neither
be ye seduced by the pleasure of carnall concupiscence, and voluptuousnesse
of this world, which are deceitfull, and bring great paines to them
that folow after them. But to keepe
your self the rather cleane from
the thraldom of them, way and consider
how vain,
vncertaine,uncertaine, and vile
a thing it is: what
euillevill
proceedeth
frõfrom it. Againe, remember that
all flesh is
grasse
&and hay, and all the glory, honor, force and
might of it, as the
floure
of the field. The grasse withereth, and
the floure fadeth away.
Yea all Princes and people are but hay,
where
ouerover, if
yͤthe breth of the Lord doe but
blow, it becommeth dry,
&and the floure of it falleth.
But
yͤthe word of the lord abideth for
euerever.
Thou lettest man Lord (saith
DauidDavid) passe away as the
hearbe which
is greene in the morning,
and
at night is
cutte downe. The time of
our life is three score and x.
yeres and thoughe men be so strong that
they come to foure score yeares, yet is
their strength then but laboure
and paine.
What is man (sayeth he) or what
is the wisedome of
man?
The numbre of hys dayes are a hundreth yeres at the moste, and
a thousand yeares
compared
vntounto
eternitie, are not so much as a drop
of water to the whole sea, or as a little duste
vntounto the sandes of
Affrike, for that commeth to an ende, and eternitie hath none ende,
but continueth alwayes. All
fleshe waxeth olde as a
garment, and all
that is made and can be seene, shall
perish in season. The generation
of fleshe and
bloude is suche, that when one is borne, an other dieth.
One kyngdome increaseth, an other decreaseth:
Who so euerWho so everWhosoeuerWhosoever
committeth
wickednesse, shall perish
with them. Blessed is the man, which through
wisedome exerciseth hym selfe in al goodnesse, and declareth
holy things
with
vnderstãding.vnderstanding.understãding.understanding. This many of the Heathen Philosophers, and other
Pagans, could
well discerne and
iudgejudge of, by naturall reson:
the which also
did contemne and forsake riches, greate estimation and
authoritie,
bicause
of many labours, paines, and
vnquietnesse,unquietnesse, and other
euylsevyls,
whiche
here-
hence
proceede for to passe
ouerover
&and spende their time
in more quietnesse, would not be
intangled with any kind of thing that
mighte hynder them of their
studie and
other exercises.
Cecilius Metellus, a valiãtvaliant captain wold
neuernever
receuereceve the office of Dictator
which was offered him, neither the charge of a
CõsulConsul or magistrate, saying that
he wold spend that in quietnesse, yͭthat he had gotten by great trauailetravaile and paine in yͤthe warres. The Philosopher Anatillus dyd refuse to be gouernouregovernoure of Athenes, saying that he would be rather a seruauntservaunt of good men, than a hangman of the wicked. Nicodius
did not regarde nor
made any accompt of the great tresure which kyng Cyrus
sent him for a present to go with him to war.
Aristotle forsooke the good entertainment of Alexander the great, bicause he had rather
be at Athenes, to
reade to his scholers after his accustomed maner, Philosophie.
Apollonius Thianeus
leauyngleavyng hys owne natiuenative countrey, toke his iorneyjorney to go
thoroughout whole Asie, to goe to see the philosopher Hirarchus in Indie.
M. Curius
contemned the great sum of
gold the
Samnites
offred him: The great Philosopher
Crates, mentioned in yͤthe beginning of
our boke, cast al his goodes &and riches into yͤthe
sea. The inhabiters of the Isle of Varales
being aduertisedadvertised of the auariceavarice
&and
couetousnessecovetousnesse of their neibors, threw al
theyr tresure, their gold &and
siluersilver into the sea, bicause they shold not take occasiõoccasion to make warre against them for their goods. Upon a day in the
presence of Phillip king of the
Macedonians, was mouedmoved a question among the philosophers, namely: What was the greatest
thing in this worlde? Whereunto one aunswered, It was the Sunne: the
next sayd, the sea: the thirde, the
mount of
Atlas:
the fourth sayd: that great
and learned Poet Homere. Shortly,
eueryevery one sayd that which semed him best. But the wisest of
them all,
aunswered after thys sorte: The greatest and most cõmendablecommendable thing
is, the heart and courage of Man, whyche dothe not regarde worldly and transitorie
Riches.
But I coulde rehearse here, a greate many more
of examples, yf neede
shoulde so
require, and tyme
serueserve. But if
the Heathen
hauehave done thys, howe muche more ought
ChristiãsChristians to do
that in knowledge
&and discretion, which
they dyd in
ignorãceignorance? And
to draw your
seluesselves the rather from all vayne and transitorie thyngs,
whiche leade men
vntounto all
euillevill, and to addresse your selfe with heart
and mind towards the
Lorde, ye must call to remembrance often, the
wrath which shall come to the
seruantsservants of
vnrighteousnesseunrighteousnesse, the
childrẽchildren
of the worlde, the fleshe and the
deuilldevill at the last day. Agayne,
call to minde that
worthie reward and glorious
inheritãceinheritance
whiche
the children
and
seruantsservants of God
hauehave prepared for them. The tyme passeth,
and is turned from mornyng
vntiluntil
eueningevening. Therfore be ye wyse, and
hauehave
the feare of God before your eyes, keepe your
self from doing
of
euilevil, in these dangerous dayes. The foole hath no consideration
of the time, but the wise man
vnderstandethunderstandeth all that belongeth to knowledge,
and taketh heede to
instruction. He which findeth wisedom, esteemeth
it, and maketh much of
it.
A wittie man in talk
(sayth the wise man) walketh wisely.
Also they
hauehave knowen veritie and
iusticejustice, and
hauehave searched after true
iudgementjudgement. Withdrawe your selfe
then,then (if ye
will be counted wise before
God)God), from the vanitie of this present
worlde, and
caste aside all manner of voluptuousnesse, pleasure, and
carnall Concupiscence.
For yf you folow the
peruerseperverse
iudgementjudgement of the
worlde, and
giuegive the bridle to the wicked desires of the body, it
will
cause your enimies to
reioicerejoice
ouerover you. Let it not
greuegreve
you, to
see
yͤthe wicked prosper, to be regarded, and to come to high promotion:
Be not ye abashed or displesed, for
consideratiõconsideration of
tẽporalltemporall felicitie,
which god
gyuethgyveth
here
vponupon earthe
vntounto the
vngodlyungodly, wicked, and carnall
libertines, to
Epicures,
bellygods, and other, seing they
are of no continuaunce, they shal
fall, vanyshe, and come to naught, they shall
consume lyke smoake, and perishe like the herbe and floure of the
fieldes: But truste
ye in the Lorde, and go forward from goodnesse to
better. Christe
IesuJesu our
SauiourSaviour, to the comfort of all troubled Christians,
war
neth
vsus, saying: Feare not ye him which killeth the body,
seing
he can not hurt the soule, whiche is in the Lordes keepyng,
though
yͤthe body be
neuernever so miserably tormented or yll intreated, yet are
we
sure, that God shall raise it
vpup agayne, and so body and soule being
ioynedjoyned,
receyuereceyve
euerlastingeverlasting
ioyjoy and blessednesse. Contrary wyse, all
the wicked which persecute the true membres of Christ, as doth at thys
day, that wycked tyrant the Duke of
Alba,
with all his
adherents,adherents very hangmen and cruel
murtherers of the Pope, shall
hauehave an
ylfauoredylfavored and shameful end here in this worlde, and hereafter
hauehave
eternall ignominie
and confusion in
the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone:
The
reward in deede of all such
tyrantes and wicked ones, as nowe be, or
euerever
were: as
Nero, Dioclesian, Dioscore, Maximian,
IouianJovian, Maxence, Licinus, Constantius, Phocus,
and many more other, whose
fearefull
and terrible examples
ought to
mouemove the cruell tyrantes of our dayes,
were it not that they by the
iustejuste
iudgementjudgement of GOD, were hardened
in
theyr
wycked malicousnesse.
Examynyng then the naughtie ende
of these wicked tyrantes, and waying again, our good end and sure
consolation,
which we gather out of the worde of God, we ought by good reson to
reioycerejoyce and be glad of oure estate,
&and from the bottom of our harts
to thanke the Lorde oure God, that it hath pleased him to cal
vsus to
such a good state, and
that he hath thoughte
vsus worthy to suffer any
thing for his name sake. Then be of good cheere, and take courage,
and takyng thy crosse
on thy shoulder, followe stoutely Christ
IesuJesu,
thy kyng and only head.
But if thou wilt do this, thou must contemne,
cast
3243. of: offofoff
and forsake (
eueneven as Christ did) al
couetousnessecovetousnesse, worldly
honor, carnal
lusts
&and concupiscence, and thou shalt finde, that it
is much easier to
serueserve the Lord,
thãthan to be a
slaueslave to this wretched
world: for hys
yoke is light,
&and his burden is
easy. Be ye therfore
strẽgthnedstrengthned
&and
cõfortedcomforted by vertue of gods holy spirit: neither
purpose or desire either by worde or deede any thing
yͭthat
displeaseth him:
put
al thy trust
&and
cõfidẽceconfidence
in him. Thus doing, let him be the
marke
whereat thou shootest, the
conductyng starre, the compasse
&and true token, wherat thou saylest, the way whereon thou goest, the
rocke whereon thou
standest, the sure grounde wheron thou buyldest,
the strength and
fortresse wherin thou trustest, the ende
whervntowherunto thou hastest, the good whiche thou desirest, the lyfe whiche thou
seekest,
the comfort which thou
dost wishe for, the treasure wherefore thou
labourest, thy glory, perfection,
&and all thy truste and confidence.
So then it shall come to passe, that no
kinde of
euillevill shall hurte
thee, neyther fyre nor water, losse of goodes or honoure, wife,
chyldren,
of
friendes, lande, house, inheritance or any other possessions,
neyther yet contempt, sclaunder, backbityng, persecution, banishement, or any
other myserie sufferyng for hys name sake.
HaueHave no regard
vntounto the
inconstancie and
variablenesse of Fortune, nor
vntounto the
vncertaintieuncertaintie
of richesse and time, then shalt thou in
pouertiepovertie be riche, in reproche
highly regarded, in distresse mery, in
heauinesseheavinesse glad, in prison at
libertie and abroade. Therefore
bridle thy lust, and
refraine
thy heart from al worldly, carnal, and transitorie riches, and be lifted
vpup in mynde and spirite to
heauenlyheavenly and
vncorruptibleuncorruptible
treasures: so
shalte thou be
regenerate
of the holy ghoste, and being confirmed
by the worde of God, may well be called
Microcosme,
that is, the whole
worlde
vpponuppon
the little foote. Ye shall be true Christians, Kings
and Priestes, esteeming
neuerthelesseneverthelesse youre
seluesselves as
vnprofitableunprofitable
seruantesservantes.
Ye shall
lyuelyve happily and plesaunt, and quiet in conscience:
ye
shall knowe
your owne: and being throughly
persuaded of the truthe,
ye shall
abyde stedfast and
vnmoueableunmoveable, not
waueryngwaveryng
wyth
eueryevery wynde.
No kynde of affection,
enuieenvie, hate, anger, sorowe or payne, shal trouble
you,
ye shal put away al wickednesse,
&and make no accompt of worldly
matters, but youre
conuersationconversation shall be in
heauenheaven: ye shall then continually
meditate of God and his kingdome, that beyng busie therwithall, ye
myghte contemne al worldly things from the heart. Nothyng then
shall
be able to separate
you from the
louelove of God, but ye shall go forewarde
in
all vertue and godlynesse, till suche time as it shall please
Almighty
God to take
oure soules
vntounto hym, then shall we see hym moste perfectely
face to face. Unto the
which perfection and
ioyfulljoyfull sight, vouchsafe
to bryng
vsus O Lord
Almightie, the father of our Lorde IesusJesus Christ, thorough the same
his only and welbelouedwelbeloved sonne: To whom with the holie ghost be all honor and
glorie, power and dominion euerlastinglyeverlastingly. And to
all faithfull christians here vponupon earth peace and comfort of the holy gost, and
hereafter life
euerlastyngeverlastyng.
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