The Image of Both Churches in Revelation 2, Chapter 12
¶The .xii. Chapter.
NOw foloweth in order the .vi… trōpet blowing or the pure declaracion of Christes ioyfull tidinges for the last age of the churche / vnderunder the .vij. scale openynge / with the wōders & maruels that their after enseweth.
The text.
1 And the seuēth angel blewe 2 and there were made great voyces in heauē. 3. saynge. The kyngedomes of this worlde are our lordes and his Chrystes. 4. and he shall raygne for euermore. 5. And the .xxiiij. elders whych sate before God on their seates. 6. fell vponupon their faces / and worshypped God / saynge. 7. We geue the thankes / lorde God almyghtye / whych art and wast / and art to come. 8. and For thu hast receyued thy great myght / ād hast raygned 9. And the nacyons were angrye. 10. and thy wrathe is to come. 11. and the tyme of the dead that they shulde be iudged. 12. and that thu shuldest geue rewarde vntounto thy seruauntes the prophetes and sayntes. 13. and to thē that feare thy name / small and great. 14. and shuldest destroye them whych destroye the earthe.
¶ The Paraphrase.
1 And the seuenth angell blewe (sayth Saynt Iohan). The seuenth sort of syncere preachers shall vtter their message accordyng to the wyll of God / they shall declare his pleasure as he hath appoynted them. For thowgh it be spoken here as past and done / for the certente of the thynge / yet is it not fulfylled in effect. The worde of God was wythout begynnynge / and hys promes euerlastynge / yet ys yt not all perfourmed in his creaturs / but manye thynges are yet to come.
2 After this blast of the angell were made greet voyces in heauen. Manye (the congregacyon or kyngedome of God / his Gospell ones purelye publyshed by the preachers) shall spea…e godlye thynges to the edyfycacyon of other. The symple poore weakelynges / idyotes / and infantes shall vttre the hydden wysdome of God to the confusion of the great wyse menne and sage senyours of thys worlde. Yea / the liones in the strete / the out castes of the worlde / the forsaken people / shall wonderfullye prayse the lorde.
3 And these shall be their saynges / whā they shall se the Antichrystes confused and not able to speake agayne. The kyngedomes of this worlde / that were …ou… tyme wycked / cruell / and vnfaythfull / are now become the lordes & hys Christes / of his onlye grace and goodnesse. Now fall they to the worde that afore thought it folyshnesse. Now cleaue they to the truthe that sumtyme ded abhorre it. Now hauehave they in hande the gospell / that afore ded persecute it as sidiciouse lernynge and heresye.
4 And in thys congregacyon shall he reygne euermore. Continuallye is he with them / that in faythe retayneth his veryte. All this shall they vttre wyth no small reioyce. For doubtlesse after the seuenth seale openynge / and the gospell preachynge / than a paceable tyme shall be / and fygured it is by the half howre spoken of afore. For it shall not continewe to the ende. Longe maye not Christes churche be vnpersecuted. But yet thys peace for the tyme shall not onlye be an inwarde peace in the conscyence (as ys alwayes amonge the faythfull) but an outwarde / quiet also / or a season wythout persecucyon abrode.
5 And the .xxiiij. elders (sayth saynt Iohan) or the greatt nombre of sayntes departed (which sitteth before God on their seates / or resteth in hys swete peace / in soche graces of the sprete as he gaue them by theyr lyfe tyme / as charyte / stedefastnesse / louelove / ioye / peace mekenesse / ryghtousnesse / and soche other lyke) fell downe flatte vponupon their faces.
6 Most humblye hauehave they euer submytted them selues / referrynge vntounto God the father the benefyght of theyr creacyon / and vntounto Iesus Chryst hys sonne the fre gyfte of theyr redempcyon. Yea / specyallye at thys tyme / beynge vnderunder the aulter of God / and knowynge by his mere goodnesse the nombre of theyr bretherne shortlye to be fulfylled / and them selues wyth them to be at a gloryouse lyberte / after their ghostlye sort they lawde hym saynge.
7 From the verye depeth of owr spyrytuall hartes / we render vntounto the most hygh thankes Lorde God almightye / eternall father / Sonne / and holye Ghost / which art one essencyall God / and werst without begynnynge / and shalt be without endynge.
8 For thu hast taken vponupon the thy grete myght. Now hast thu shewed thy wonderfull powre. Euer hast thu raygned amonge thy peple / but neuer so gracyouslye / so plentuouslye / and so gloryouslye for owr behoue.
9 The heythen euermore were angrye whan thy t…wthe apered. Madde were the wycked Antychrystes whan thy glorye shyned / and their pryde demynished. They fretted for anger / they swelled for wodenesse / yea they s…ewe thy seruauntes / and burned vp thy peple.
10 But now is thy wrathe towardes thē. Now will thy āger breake out / now wyll thy vēgeaūce apere. Now shall thy terrible iudgemēt without mercye be declared frō heauē vpō all vngodlinesse of those cruell enemies that with-holde thy truthe in vnryghtousnesse.
11 Now shortelye enseweth the tyme of the dead / wherin they shall be iudged some to ioye some to heuynesse / some to glorye some to peyne.
12 Now approcheth the glad season wherin thu hast appoynted to rewarde the true seruauntes the prophetes / and the faythfull beleuers / made sayntes by the onlye deathe of thy sonne / and all them that yet feareth thy name / wyth eternall felicyte.
13 Non wylt thu seclude from this thy lyberall goodnesse / for no weakenesse nor pouerte. But so well the small as the great / the lowe as the hygh / the poore as the ryche / the sycke as the whole / the vnlerned as lerned / shall tast of thy inestimable clerenesse.
14 Onlye shalt thu destroye them that destroyed the earthe / compellynge both it and all that therin is / not to serue the their heauenlye creator / but theyr owne stynkynge desyres / lustes / and corrupt affec…yons / thy glorye not ones estemed nor regarded. Herin maye we coniecture / that the seuenth seale ones opened / ād the .vij. trompet blowne / the last iudgement daye is not farre of. Blessed is he that watcheth for the lordes commynge.
The Text.
1 And the temple of God was opened in heauen. 2. and there was sene in hys temple / the Arke of hys Testamente. 3. And there folowed lyghtenynges / and voyces / and thondringes / and earthquake. 4. and moche hayle.
¶The Paraphrase.
1 And the temple of god (sayth Saynt Iohan) was opened in heauen. Euydēt wyll the godlye and spirituall estate of the true Christen churche seme in those dayes / the gospell syncerelye preached. In faythe shall menne seke their lyuinge father / and not in dead Images nor other corruptible thinges. In sprete and veryte shall they worshyp hym and not in dumme ceremonyes nor outwarde shaddowes. Speared is Gods temple / whan hys true worshyppynge is hydde. And opened it is agayne / whan that is clerelye seane. Tyll Chrystes commynge in the fleshe nothynge therof apered. With the keye of Dauid opened ke the misteries therof. Wherbye throwgh faythe the conuersacyon of manye is now and hath bene euer send in heauen.
2 This temple thus open / anon the Arke of Gods holye testament was seane therin. Christ sheweth hym self in his owne colours / whan the gospell is truly receyued / which is that Arke / wherin all the ryches of Gods couenauntes / and the preciouse treasure of his promes is reposed / to mannes behoue. And speciallye those by whome we are reconcyled and saued. By him are we onlye brought to Gods fauer agayne / and graciouslye redemed. Yea / all the sort of vsus hauehave receyued of his habundaunt and ouerflowynge fulnesse. The syght of this Arke in the temple is non other / than a clere knowlege of hym in hys congregacyon. So oft are his mysteries euydent / as this temple is opened. So manye tymes are they knowne as his worde is truly tawght.
3 And no small frute is to be thought to come therof. For there folowed lyghteninges / voyces / thonderinges / and earthquakes. Dyuerse respectes hath the veryte of God / accordynge to dyuerse audyences. In maner of lightenynge it moueth some / makynge of earthe heauen / and of synners godlye people. A sownde or a noyse onlye it is to some menne / not regardynge the frutes therof. To some it is an occasyon of anger / spyght and madnesse / and to some of open blasphemye agaynst the Holye Ghost. For what els doth the clergye / malycyouslye withstandynge it / but wylfullye worke agaynst knowlege? And what doth the vndyscrete …ayte / blynded by them / but Bable they woote not what?
4 And a great hayle also folowed / which betokeneth the vehement and sharpe iudgementes of God… towardes soche enemyes of his veryte. The most terryble tempest of his I…e abydeth them. The Lorde shall breake into the lande (sayth the Prophet… Esaye) lyke a sore rempest of hayle that breaketh downe stronge holdes or castell…s. And the proude crowne of the dronken Ephraemytes shall be troden vnderunder fote. Not onlye ys the last age appoynted to these thonderynges / and earthquakes / but they beganne also so sone as Christ apered in the fleshe. No sonner was the yonge babe borne / but Herode for madnesse sought to slee hym in hys verye infancye. The Pharisees ād Scribes / the byshoppes / prestes / and lawers swelled at hys preachynge and neuer left tyll they had slayne hym. And this rewle with the prelates and hypocrytes hath contynued euer sens / and styl shall do tyll the latter daye. Onlye ys there and shall be a moderacyon / that somtyme yt ys not so extreme as at some. For yf yt were alwayes a lyke / there shuld non be left.
The Text.
1 And there apered a great wō der in heauen. 2. A woman clothed with the Sunne. 3. ād the Moone vnderunder her fete. 4. and vponupon her head / a crowne of .xii. Starres. 5. And she was with childe. 6. and cryed / trauelynge in byrthe. 7. and payned / redye to be delyuered.
¶The Paraphrase.
1 And there apered / sayth Saynt Iohā) a great token in heauen▪ For no wonder ys thys token here to be taken / as in other places of the Scripture / but for a type or fygure / contayninge vnderunder mysterye greate thynges.
2 A woman was seane clothed with the sonne / yea / of Iohan▪ For to Gods onlye electes ys the veryte shewed to auauntage. Not Marye Christes mother ys this woman / though manye hath so fantasyed in their commentaryes. But yt ys the true christen churche of whom Marye ys a most notable member
3 Thys woman the churche (as Salomons cantycles specyfyeth) ys fayre / louelye / plesaunt / swete / wholsome / dilectable / vndefyled as the Mone / excellent in clerenesse as the sonne / and gloryous as an armye of menne with their banners and stremers. Thys woman ys bewtyfullye decked with the shynynge sonne of ryghtousnesse. Nō ys of her that hath not done on Iesus Christ / beynge renewed in their hartes by faythe. Her chyldren are not they that persecuteth Gods worde / no more than was Annas and Caiphas. Ioannes and Alexander.
Thys women … to hauehave the mo… ne vnderunder her f…te. To the churche or congregacion of God are all other creature …. …ll … thinges hauehave the lorde su…dewed vntounto her. She ys the ryght …heyre and inheritoure of them through Christ / they with her to be delyuered from the bondage of corrupcyon & to serue in liberte.
4 VponUpon her head was also a crowne of twelue starres / which betokeneth not onlye the twelue Apostles declarynge the glorye of Christes kyngedome immediatlye after hys deathe / but all other godlye mynistres of the worde also / which hauehave done the same euer sens. Onlye regneth the true Christen churche by the worde of God / by the syncere scrypturs / by the doctryne of the Apostles / and neyther by superstycyons nor ceremonies / neyther by cownsels nor customes by doctors nor fathers / by myters nor rochettes / by typpettes nor whodes / by shauen crownes nor syne gownes / by crosses nor copes / by belles nor torches / by shrynes nor gyl…e Images / nor yet by .xii. cupples in a …yuerye with golden cheanes and garden …. Her bewtye consisteth onlye in faythe / and in the obseruacyon of Gods holye commandemētes. Her true mynysters or preachers as verye chosen Starres / sheweth forth hys glorye to the edyficacyō of other / & not their owne pompe aod magnificence
5 And she was as ys the woman with chylde. She cryed trauelynge in byrthe / and was payned as one redye to be delyuered. With Christ ys the churche bygge whan her members are in full faythe. In the hart ys he euermore conceyued / and delyuered forth soche tyme as he ys declared vntounto other. For thys cause Christ called them hys mother which had faythe and thervpon ded the wyll of hys father. Of faythe in the first promes that Christ shuld destroye the Serpent / was be first conceyued in Adam and Eua / and so grewe forth in ryghtouse Abell / in Seth / Enos / Enoch / Noe / Sem / Thare / Melchisedech / Abraham / and Loth. And as the promyses waxed stronger (as in Abraham / Moyses / Dauid / and the Prophetes) and the peple of God more in nombre / so wexed the woman byggar and byggar / tyll the fulnesse of her tyme was come that she shuld be delyuered. Which was soche tyme as Christ apered to the worlde / taught / and was cōuersaūt here amonge mēne. And this course hauehave she kepte euer sēs / & shall do to the latter daye in thē that beleue. Thus hauehave she had Christ in her wombe sens the beginninge.
6 And beynge full of hys heauenlye sprete / she hath cryed in the Patriarkes and Prhphetes / in the Apostles & faythfull mynysters / as one trauelynge in byrthe. Her crye was the myghtye and stronge declaracyon of Christes doctryne / the feruent zele and desyre of the glorye of God / and of all-mennes helthe in Christ. She trauayleth euermore a newe lyke as ded Paule / tyll Christ be fashioned in her Christen members. Wyth all her strengthe she laboureth that the promysed Sede maye increase in the faythe of all menne.
7 Fynallye she ys payned with labours / dolours / blasphemyes / trobles / and terryble persecucyons / and neuer ys delyuered without them. Neuer ys Christ ernestlye receyued / tyll some of her membres doth suffre. The constaunt sprete and inuyncyble standynge by the truthe in them / hath conuerted manye. And lyke as the payned woman in all her agonyes / ys moche conforted by the hope of a chylde / so are Gods faythfull wytnesses / trustynge that by their pacyent and glad sufferaunce / Christ shuld be receyued and ryghtlye fashyoned in manye. Yea / thys causeth them to reyoce in all aduersite / and lyttle to esteme their paynes.
The Text.
1 And there apered an other wonder in heauen. 2. for beholde a great reed Dragon. 3. hauynge seuen heades. 4. and ten hornes. 5. and seuen crownes vponupon hys heades. 6. and hys tayle drue the thirde parte of the starres. 7. and caste them to the earthe.
¶The Paraphrase.
1 After thys (sayth Saynt Iohan) apered in heauen an other token or maruele / all dyuerse from the first. The true churche (which is Gods kingedome) was neuer yet without cōtradyccyō / nor with out the craftye assaultes of enemyes. Adam was not so sone created / but he was immedyatlye assaulted of Sathan. Christ entered not so sone the worlde / but he was bye and bye persecuted. The deuyll goeth aboute lyke a roaryngely on / sekynge whome he maye deuowre.
2 For beholde there was seane a great reed dragon / betokenynge the seyd deuyll with his whole retynewe / full of deceyt / craft / malyce / poyson / pryde / and fercenesse / to enforce the psore weakelynges to cōsent vntounto hys falshede. All reed hys b…ye semed / in token that they which are of hym / are all full of cruelte / spyght and bloud shedynge / afflyctynge the constaunt beleuers for withstandinge hys assaultes. Seldō ys ke out of the earthe / as wytnesseth Iob / but commonlye in the companye of menne / impugninge the faythfull. And no powre ys able to matche hym / vnlesse yt commeth from aboue.
3 The seyd dragon had seuen heades / sygnyfienge all the craftye wyles / and subtle suggestyons / that he hath practysed and vsed agaynst Christ & hys worde vnderunder all the .vij. seales openynge & the vij. trompettes blowynge▪ Verye easye yt is to cōiecture what maner of heades they were / markynge other places of the scripture. A Serpentes head shuld seme to be the first / consyderinge that in the Serpēt he deceyued our first parētes with his benemed craftes. This heade so malycyouslye poysened māne / that God repēted hym of hys creacyō / and destroyed hys whole kynde in the flood .viii. persones onlye reserued. After the flood had he the head of a Calfe for the seconde / in sygnificacyon of the shamefull Idolatrye / and wycked worshyppynge that then begonne in Nemroth / and so contyned in the heythen. The thirde was the head of a lyon / full of pryde and oppression / expressed first in the cruell reigne of the Assyryanes and Caldeanes / ād after in the proude byshoppes and prestes. The forth was a Beares / head / full of rauyne and cruelnesse / betokenynge the f…rce kyngedome of the medes and perseanes. Consequentlye hys fift head was lyke a leopardes head of manye colours / full of fycklenesse and change ablenesse. And that was the vnconstaunt reygne of the Grekes. Hys sixt was the head of a Beast farre vnlyke all other beastes / which sygnyfyeth the kyngedome of the Romanes with their monstruouse lawes more than nedeth. The seuēth ys not vnlyke to a mannes head / includynge all carnall wysdome / with all deuyllyshe polycyes and craftes / and thys ys the verye papacye here in▪ Europa / whych ys the generall Antichrist of all the whole worlde almost / whych hath alreadye subdued and destroyed the Empyre of Rome. For he ys called the Apostata and manne of synne. By thys onlye head ys the Dragon named the enuyouse manne. The whole bodye foloweth the heades. As the deuyll ys malycyouse / wycked / ferce / cruell tyrannycall fal…e / execrable / and deceytfull / …o are all hys members. In the prudence of the fleshe after him they walke in Idolatry / hipocreyse ād all other fylthynesse. And lyke as a fore Christes … these heades were in the Serpe … the golden Calues / in the kyngedome of Babylon / in Nemroth / in Pharao / in antiochus / and in the pharisees and S…ribes byshoppes / lawers / and prestes / so hauehave they bene sens hys tyme vnderunder the v… seales openynge / and the. vij. trompettes blowynge / after the same … Under the first / he had a Serpentes head in the Iewes / ☞most malycyouslye and subtyllye withstandinge Christ and hys Apostles / pretēdynge the zele of God & hys lawes. Under the seconde / he had a calues head in the Idolatours / which sl…we the cons…eunt wytnesses of Christes veryte. Under the thirde / the head of a proude lyon in the bolde rable of heretykes / presumynge agaynst Gods worde to afferme vngodlye thynges. Under the forth / the head of a Beare / in the gredye multytude of holye hypocrites and spirituall Antichristes / which hath rauyshed vp the substaunce of thys worlde / vsurpinge the empyre of the same. For then begonne the papacye with Mahometes myscheff. Under the fift / the head of a leoparde / in the dyuersyte of pestilent sectes or execrable locustes / of whome euerye one reioyseth in hys owne colour and inuention. For then ded they sore increase. Under the sixt / the head of a Beast vnlyke to all other / in the Tyrannye of wycked gouer… blynded and perswaded by the Prestes to flee Gods seruauntes for the vpholdynge of their stynkinge generacyon. For then was and ys yet done moche murther / vpō soche as confesseth the truthe. Under the seuenth or last seale openynge / shall he hauehave yet styll the head of a māne / in fleshelye polycyes and falshede of the pope and hys prelates / in the doctours and prestes / tyll God vtterlye shall destroye them with the breathe of hys mouthe.
4 The seyd dragon had also .x. hornes / or all subtle wayes wherwith to impugne the feble weake nature of manne / or to prouoke hym euermore to rebell agaynst Gods commandementes.
5 Upon hys seuen heades he had .vij / crownes / sygnyfiēge therbye that both he and hys members hath not onlye possessed the afore named vices / but also they hauehave ouer the worlde reigned in thē and yet do to thys daye. In pryde / falshede / malyce / crafte / cruelte wyckednesse / & all other myscheues triūphe they yet.
6 And hys tayle drue towardes hym the third part of the starres (& in conclusion shrewe them downe to the …arthe. By worldlye promocyons / lucre / fauer / and other flatterynge / fan…asyes / hath he tangled manye lerned menne / and plucked thē cleane from Christes true churche / and from the lyfe of the gospell / so prono…ynge them whollye to geue them selues to the stodye of erronyouse doctryne and lyenge prophecyes / to seduce the worldlye multitude and kepe them in perpetuall blindenesse.
7 So that they are now cast into the earthe. They are become all carnall / fylthye and vngodlye in al their wisdome / stodye / ād workes / in all their counsels / preachynges / and teachinges. Now are they the wycked Apostles of Sathan / no longar maye they shyne in the fyt mament.
The Text.
1 And the dragō stode before the woman / which was redye to be delyuered. 2. for to deuoure her childe as sone as it were borne / 3. And she brought forth a man chylde. 4. which shulde rule all nacyons with a rod of yron 5. And her sonne was taken vp vntounto God / and to his seate. 6. And the woman fled into wyldernesse. 7. where she had a place prepared of God. 8. that they shulde fede her there. 9. a thousande / two hundred / and thre score dayes.
1 Before the afore seyd trauaylinge womā stode thys dragon / redye to deuoure her childe / so sone as it were borne. Euer more …s the deuyll waytinge his praye / where as the gospell is syncerelie taught / least anye therbye shuld become the children of God.
2 He sel…eth all craftes / polycyes / and ingynnes / to take the worde from the har… / least they beleuynge yt shuld be saued. Thus Tought he to deuowre Christ after the letter / appoyntinge Herode to slee hym sone after hys byrthe. and whā he se that waye wolde not take / yet left he not of tyll the Iewes had slayne hym. Not thus yet satisfyed / he laboured by the byshoppes to extynguishe the faythe of hys resurreccyon / least that shuld profyght vntounto lyfe. More ouer where as the Apostles ād other godlye mēne / hath geuē Christ vntounto other in maner as they receyued hym / he hath left no cauteles vnsought by hys malygnaunt members euer sens to depryue Gods people therof.
3 Soche a man chylde (sayth Saynt Iohan) brought thys woman forth / as with an yron rodde shuld rewle all nacyons. Neuer ys the true churche Idle / but conceyueth Christ at the gospell preachynge / retayneth hym in faythe / and bryngeth hym forthe in teachynge other the same. No woman chylde ys he / impotent / weake and feble / but a manchylde / brynginge with hym alwayes a strange / myghtye / and inuincyble sprete / wher as he is vnfaynedly receyued. For he is the mightye lorde that ys valeaunt in battayle.
4 With the yron wande of hys worde inuyncible shall he gouerne hys meke spreted flocke / that non other lawes shall they require. With the same also shall he subdue al powers which are not of hym / and dryue them downe to the bottom of helle. For by faythe onlye in him to the victorye gottē ouer the worlde
5 This childe was also takē vp to God / and vntounto his trone. Where as the deuyl thought to deuowre hym / and to wrappe hym vp for euer vnderunder deathe / he put hym besyde hys purpose. Uyctoryouslye he arose vp from deathe to lyfe / he ascended vntounto heauen / and now sytteth vponupon the ryght hande of God the father almyghtye. And where as he ys now / there shall hys faythfull folowers and mynysters be here after. for that is hys / is also theirs / byrthe / lyfe / deathe / resurreccion and ascencion.
6 The womā fledde after this into the wyldernesse. What els doth te iust people of God? but flee the cōtagiousnesse / vanyte / tumulte / fornicaciō / Idolatrye / and fylthinesse of this worlde? sekynge God in the solytarye hart / ād not in outwarde fantacies. I gote me awaye farre of (sayth Dauid) and remayned in the desert. Monkes / nonnes / chanons & fryres / hath fledde into monasteries / couentes / ād howses / but nothynge after this sorte. For in all voluptuouse pleasurs hauehave they there lyued. The vnfayned solitarye manne after Hieremye / continueth peceablye with him self / ād hath his hart aboue.
7 In the sayd wildernesse had she a place prepared of God. Which is nō other but Gods protecciō / defence / & sauegarde / promised in the scripturs. That the lord shuld preserue vsus as he ded his chosen peple of Israel / whan he wente before them in a clowde vponupon the daye / and in the nyght in a pyller of fyre. Dauid boasted hym self that God was his refiuge / and that he dwelled vnderunder the defence and shaddowe of the hyghest. So longe as the lorde is my gouernour (sayth he) I can wante nothinge. He fedeth me / he sustayneth me / I doubt no daunger / for he ys with me. Hys staffe stayeth one / hys worde and promes ys my whole confort.
8 And there wyl the lorde fede her (sayth saynt Iohan) for the space of a thousande / two hondreth / and .lx. dayes. Non other are fende with the scripturs & promises of God (which ys the bread of children not to be geuen to dogges) but they which fleeth into thys desert from the Dragon / forsakynge both head and tayle / both suggestions / and lawes / both customes and constytucions. For all are deuyllyshe. Non other escaped the plage of Sodome / but they which fledde cleane from thens. Lor…es wyse but lokynge backe onlye towardes yt agayne / was turned into a salt stone.
9 The nombred dayes here are non other but the afore wrytten tyme of the two witnesses / the tyme of Helias preachinge / the tyme of Iohans preachynge / the tyme of Christes preachinge / or the tyme of the gospell preachynge from Christes ascencyō to the latter ende of the worlde. That ys the verye tyme of the feadynge of hys churche. And not open ys thys feadinge here / but secrete in the wldernesse / amonge a sorte vnknowne to the worlde / hauynge the pouerte of sprete without shauynge / anoyntinge / or Hipocrytes apparell. And not onlye hath the lorde thus noryshed hys peple in this spirituall respect / but also in bodye. Whan they hauehave bene greuouslye handled / spoyled of their goodes / impresoned / and exyled / gracyouslye hath he releued them / and prouyded for them both solate and confort a… the hādes of thē whom they neuer sawe afore. So that the iust hath not felt hym selfe forsakē / nor his childrēseking bread.
The Text.
1 And there was a great battayle in heauen. 2. Michael ād his angels. 3. fought with the Dragon / ād the dragon fought and his angels. 4. and preuayled not. 5. neyther was theyr place founde anye more in heauen. 6. And the great dragon / that olde Serpent / called the deuyll and sathanas. 7. was caste out. 8. which deceyued all the worlde. 9. And he was caste in to the earthe / and his angels were caste out wyth hym also.
¶The Paraphrase.
1 And there happened at that tyme (sayth saynt Iohan) a great battayle in heauen. In the churche is euermore variaū ce and stryfe without ceasynge / betwixt the sprete and the fleshe / the good ād the badde / the faithfull and the vnfaithfull. Non other is this battayle but a verye contradiccion / a dyuersite in faythe / stodye / opynion / wyll / ād worke / about the lawes or commaundements of God / ād also about the lawes and tradycyons of menne. Thys battayle is wayghtye in cause / multitude / ād continuaunce. The cause therof is Christ / the gospell / faythe / rightousnesse / mannes helthe / Gods hygh honour / ād soche other lyke on the one partye. VponUpon the other partye the cause is / errour / hipocrisie / lyes / ydolatrie / auarice / pryde / cruelte / fylthynesse / with all soche other. So great is the multitude / that non is fownde out of its Non is there but are in this armye. Eyther they are good or badde / faythfull or vnfaythfull / ryghtouse or vnrightouse. The rightouse are of the hoste of Michael / the vnrightouse are vponupon the dragōs syde. Continued hauehave this battayle frō the first beginninge / and so shall styll to the latter ende. Yea / thowgh the dragon be bownde or tyed vp vnderunder the .vij. seale openynge / that he rage not then as he hath done afore. Yet shall the sprete of wyckednesse / and a mynde to do mischef reygne inwardlye styll in his members. for a Sathan can be but a Sathan / and a deuyll a deuyll.
2 Michael and his angels fought vale auntlye with the dragon. Spyrituall are they which hath done on Christ after the mynde of Paule / and spirituall is their armour. Their gyrdinge is verite / their brest plate rightousnesse / their shilde a sure faythe / their weapon the worde of God / their helmet the hope of helthe / and for stedefastnesse of their fete their showinge the gospell. By interpretacion is Michael to saye / who is as God? or who is lyke vntounto God? And he betokeneth the constaunt ministers and syncere teachers of the gospell. The angels of Michael are all they that in a sure faythe confesseth the eternall magnificence of God / and that non is lyke vntounto hym. Contrarye wyse the dragons angels are the hipocrites / lyēge prophetes / and erronyouse teachers.
3 These fyght with the dragon / and the dragon and hys angels with them. For he that ys not with Christ / ys agaynst hym. With the ryghteouse ys Michael. For mynystrynge spretes are the angels ordayned for the confort of them which shall be saued. And commanded they are to wayte vpō the faythfull / to preserue and defende them. The wycked sort hauehave the deuyll & hys chaplaynes to fyght for them / the ryghtouse hauehave Michael and hys angels. The wycked fyghteth with errours ād lyes / the ryghteouse with the onlye veryte of God.
4. As vengeable and as ferce as they are / yet preuayle they not / neyther ys theyr place fownde anye more in heauen. Faythe hath the vyctorye by the promyse of God / though the blynde worlde seyth it not. Ouercomen are the wycked whā their enterpryses taketh not / and cleane ouerthrowne whā their beggerye ys contempned. And neuer ys the full vyctorye gottē / no more than yt was in Christ / tyll the tabernacle of thys bodye be layed a syde. At that daye ys the crowne gotten / whom the lorde hath layed vp for the ryghtouse. And lyke as there ys daylye fyghtynge / so ys there in some / daylye vyctorye. Dayly are the angels of darkenesse ouerthrowne / daylye are they cast out of heauē / whych ys the true churche. Daylye are they cōdēpned by the worde of God / & iudged for rebels agaynst the holye Ghost / whose synne ys neuer forgeuen.
5 No place hauehave they anye more with the chosen / no eleccyon nor acceptacyon / afore God. The more light they hauehave had & the more they hauehave tasted of the truthe now forsakinge yt & rebellyng against yt with the deuill / the farder they are frō God / & the more nygh vntounto dāpnacyon. Neuer beleued he trulye / that so had receyued the worde. Lett nō thynke to be saued / vnlesse he perseuereth to the ende.
6 And the great Dragō / or captayne of all the vnfaythfull sort / that olde croked Serpēt whych deceyued Adā & ys called the deuyll or malycyouse accuser / yea / & also Sathan the most cruell aduersarye with all hys elyentes & spirituall adherentes / are certayne & sure to be cast out.
7 With the ryghtouse shall they hauehave no porcyon for all their gloriouse tytles. With the godlye shall not their names be regestred / for all their holye vnccyōs. But with the prince of this worlde they shall be throwne forth.
8 For he by them / & they by hym / hath deceyued all the worlde / in lyenge tokēs & wōders / & in the operacyō of errours / to the vtter dāpnacyon of all thē that cō senteth to theyr wyckednesse.
9 And he was cast into the earthe / & his āgels also were cast out with him / which is not els but that they are reserued to eternall dam…nacion. For seruynge the creature rather than the lorde that made all / God hath forsaken them / and geuen thē ouer to their owne shamefull lustes. All grace ād goodnesse hath he takē frō them / and in all darkenesse hath he lefte them. Nothinge is now behynde but helle fyre / prepared for the deuyll ād his angels. The churche thus first bryngynge forth Christ amonge the Iewes / ād so by their cruelte dryūe out into the wyld desert of the Gentyles / hath bene there fedde of God in persecucyon euer sens / ād shall be styll tyll the terme come out of the aforesayd thowsande / two hondreth / and thre score dayes / whose ende is in the lordes handes.
The text.
1 And I harde a loude voyce / which sayd. 2. In heauē is now made saluaciō / and strength. 3. ād the kyngedome become our Gods. 4. … the power his Christes. 5. For he is caste downe which accused them before God daye & night. 6. And they ouer came hym by the bloude of the lambe. 7. and by the worde of their testimonye. 8. And they loued not theyr lyues vntounto the deathe. 9. Therfor reioyce ye heauens / and ye that dwell in thē. 10. No to the inhabyters of the earthe and of the see. 11. for the deuyll ys come downe vntounto yow. 12. whych hath great wrathe. 12. bycause he knoweth that he hath but a short tyme.
¶The Paraphrase.
1 And I harde a myghtye great voyce (sayth saynt Iohā) which is the whole agremēt of all the sacred scripturs. And the voyce sayd thus vntounto me.
2 Now is there in heauē saluacion. In the churche is the helthe of sowle now that the Idolatrie with other abhominacions is throwne forth / & she cleane delyuered frō their beggerie. Now apereth the power of the lorde / that his gospell is trulye preached.
3 Now is it become our Gods kyngedome / that their doctrine is not of menne.
4 Now hath yt the whole srengthe of hys a noynted. All Christes labours / merytes / and deseruynges / hys natyuyte / passyon / resurreccyon / and ascencyō / ys now her owne good. Christes vyctorye ys theirs / hys crowne / hys scrpture / hys seate / & kyngedome ys theirs. Yea the possessyō of hys fathers ryght hande vsus theirs.
5 For the enemye of oure bretherne is throwne downe / which cruellye accused thē before God daye and nyght. The ad̄uersarye Sathā which quareled before the lorde agaynst paciēt Iob / and vexed hym sore in hys substaūce and fleshe / neuer ceasynge to thys daye to troble the ryghtouse with Antichristes and tyrauntes / ys now ouer comen by the vyctorye of faythe / and hys power greatlye demynyshed in hys members. Now is the kingedome of God increased / moche peple beinge vnfaynedlye cōuerted vntounto Christ
6 Conquerred hym they hauehave by no power of their owne / neyther merytes nor workes / but through the inestimable strēgthe which ys in the bloud of the immaculate lābe Iesus Christ / and through the in vyncyble worde of hys veryte / which they to the worlde hauehave testyfyed.
7 In the wytnesse therof hauehave they constauntlye suffred / and through faythe in them hauehave they with hym aptayned vyctorye ouer the worlde / synne / helle / deathe / & the deuyll Not their owne bodyes hauehave they spared to wynne this cōquest.
8 But moche more hauehave they loued Christ and hys truthe thā themselues / accountynge yt auauntage to geue theyr lyues for hym.
9 Therfor reyoyce ye heauens / and all yow that in them doth dwell. Ye angels a boue ordayned for mannes confort / ye sayntes departed from the myst…yes of this worthe / ye faythfull beleuers remay…inge in this lyfe / and ye feruent fauorers of the lordes veryte / be glad that your bretherne hath gote the vyctorye of the deuyll and his angels to the glorye of Christ.
10 But woo vntounto the wreched inhabitauntes of the earthe / and of the see. No small daunger is towardes them that hath harde the voyce of the lorde / and styll yet wyll folowe the course of thys wordle. No light parel hāgeth ouer thier heades / that are inconstaunt / fickle / and wauerynge / geuynge backe with eueryevery blast for the plesure of their fleshe.
11 Take hede of yt therfor / for vntounto yow that are soche / the deuyll ys come downe with hys subtle suggestyons ād craftes / with hys wylye cauteles and ingyns. …monge yow doth he remayne watchynge to hauehave his praye / as he ded amonge the chyldren of Israel / whan they were become vnfaythfull.
12 Tares wyll he sowe to destroye the good sede / for his wrathe is great to se him self thus deiected / ād his hate is excedinge / beholdinge his kingedom decayed. Amonge yow must he wreake his anger / for he cānot harme the faythful. Through his enuye same deathe first in to the worlde. If ye wyll escape his snares / loke ye geue no place vntounto hym / but in faythe resist him manfullye.
13 He wexeth now madde / and fretteth with him self. He mindeth to make hauock and to do moche myschef / because he knoweth that his tyme is shorte. No longe season shall he hauehave from hence forth to deceyue. The latter daye he perseyueth not to be farre of / wherin great tormentes abydeth both him & his. And that maketh him so wode. That maketh him so insaciablye desyerouse to noye / not carynge what spyght he worketh agaynst God. And no wycked wyle leaueth he vnsought / to perfourme his cruell intent. Woo vntounto them therfor that in these dayes taketh no hede. Woo vntounto them that Rombreth in wanton pleasurs / whan most daunger is / and the deuyll most bysye / not attendynge to the call and warnynge of God.
The Text.
1 And whan the dragō same / that he was caste vntounto the earth 2. he pursued the womā / which brought forth the man chylde. 3 And to the womā were geuen two wynges of a great Egle. 4 that she myght flye into the wildernesse. 5 into her place / where she is noryshed for a tyme / tymes / and halfe a tyme. 6. from the presence of the Serpent. 7. And the Dragō caste out of his mouthe water after the womā / as it had bene a ryuer. 8. that he myght cause her to be caught of the floode. 9. And the earthe holpe the woman. 10. and the earthe opened her mouthe. 11. and swalowed vp the ryuer / whych the Dragon caste out of hys mouthe. 12. And the Dragon was wroth with the woman. 13. and went and made warre with the remnaunt of her sede. 14. which kepe the commaundementes of God. 15. and hauehave the testymonye of Iesus Christ. 16. ād he stode on the s…esande.
¶The Paraphrase.
1 And whan the Dragon or most furyouse serpent the deuyll / the head master of pryde and father of lyes / sawe that he was throwne downe vntounto the earthe by the valeaunt ho…te of God. Or soche tyme as he perseyueth the Idolatrye / superstycyon / pompe / Hipocresye / ād other abhominable fylthynesse / destroyed by the worde of God in hys malygnaunt Synagoge of proude paynted prelates.
2 Thā persecuteth he the poore woman / whych brought forth the manchylde. Than vereth he the true congregacyon that teacheh nō other but Christ / & cōfesseth non other sauer / helthe / & redemer. Them doth he torment and ponnyshe by hys mytred Mahowndes & hys shauē Sodomytes / subduynge vntounto them for that purpose the power of kynges / and myght of magistrates. Then sytteth Annas in consystorye / and Cayphas in sessyons vponupon lyfe and deathe. Then bryngeth the woman her chylde forthe in peyne. By the martyrdome or deathe of godlye wytnesses ys Christ delyuered / and lefte here behynde in the hartes of manye.
3 And vntounto the woman were geuē two wynges of a great egle / or the two testamentes of God / contayninge the Prophecye and Gospell / with the louelove of God and oure neyber. And these myghtye wynges were geuen her that she myght flye with them into the wyldernesse. Euermore whan daungerouse persecucyon ys / the members of Christes congregacyon (which are left here behynde) hath auctoryte of the olde lawe to flee from yt wyth Iacob / Moyses / Dauid / and Helias / of the newe lawe also with Christ and hys Apostles. If they pursue ye in one cyte (sayth the lorde) flee yow into an other. Not onlye to saue your bodies / but to f…uctifye in the peple. Set ye into the desert. Teache thē that were not taught afore. Yf ye cā not be suffred openlye to preache / instructe menne priuatelye in howses. Playe not the sluggardes in the lordes vyneyarde. Be not niggardes ouer his fre treasure. But as ye hauehave plēiuouslye receyued it so liberallye distrybute it agayne.
4 From the face of the dragon hath the woman thus power to flye into the wildernesse by the scripturs / whan her chylde is delyuered and takē vp to the trone of God for the vnthankefulnesse of the peple / that they hauehave not in faythe receyued him. And in moche daunger are they lefte / hauynge the deuyll and his angels throwne downe amonge them wyth theyr wyles and craftye snares. In moche more parell are they / them they were afore.
5 A place hath she in this desart apoynted of God / wherin she is norryshed for a tyme / for tymes / and for the halfe tyme / which is not els but his speciall proteccion amonge them that be poore in sprete / and are iudged outcastes of the worlde. There is the true churche norryshed wyth the pure worde / not mixed wyth the leuen of Pharysees. There is the faythfull congregacion at all tymes fedde / without the tradicyons of hipocrites. Onlye are they releued with the veryte / & satisfied with the lyuinge prom… ses / & hauehave bene sens the tyme of Christ. Yea / sens the tyme of Daniell and afore. And thys fedynge tyme of the lorde in secretnesse / hath bene somtyme shorter / sumtyme longer / and sumtyme shortest of all / accordynge to the tymes of persecucyon / and of blyndenesse in the enemies.
6 To flee from the presence of the Serpente / hauehave they euermore had commandementes of the lorde / and to shurne the suggestions of hys angels. Warned they hauehave bene in no wyse to go forth / whan they saye / Christ ys here and there / for so moche as their craftes are soche as wolde (yf yt were possible) deceyue the verye electes.
7 And the Dragon (sayth saynt Iohan) ded cast out of hys mouthe water after the woman. A… doctrine, of Hypocresye / errours / and lyes hath alwayes passed from the Synagoge of Sathan. Non other frutes hath gone from them / than waverynge superstycyons / Idolatry / and Heythen ceremonies. These hath …lowed forth lyke a great ryuer. Daylye, hauehave they augmented / and contynuallye increased. Innumerable are the cō berouse and vnprofitable burdens of their fantasyes and dreames / wherwith they noye mennes conscyences / drowne their small faythe / & ouerloade their sowles.
8 Thys stynkynge water ded the Serpent vomete out by hys rauenouse Antichristes) which are hys insacyable mouthe) to stoppe the passage of the woman▪ He powred yt forth in habundaūce that he myght cause her to be caught of the flood. Soche ys alwaies the myscheuouse nature of the deuyll ād hys angels. Vengeable assaultes hauehave they / and innumerable craftes to deceyue the innocent not knowinge them. Oure first mother Eua was thus trapped in the begynnynge / & so had bene drowned with Adam her husbande / had they not had faythe in the promysed sede. An innumerable multytude hath bene and are yet to this daye swallowed vp of this flood and without great difficulte non escapeth yt. Excedinge ys the compasse / stodye / and practyse of this false generacyon. Evermore powre they out their poyson / they dyspute their matters with errours & lyes / with counsels and customes / hauynge vponupon their syde the darkened powers.
9 Yet ys the lorde mercyfull to hys pore congregacyō / that they are not drowned with al this fylthye floude. Non of yt ones toucheth their hartes. No parte of their faythe doth all thys ryff raff hynder. This dyrtye baggage accōbreth not their sowles. Onlye are they satysfyed with the wholsom doctryne of Christes sprete. And the earthe ded helpe the woman (sayth Saynt Iohan) The carnall multitude / the wyse menne of this worlde / the verye reprobates from God / all drye with out the true faythe / dranke vp this fylthye water.
10 They opened their mouthes wyde / and swallowed vp the great ryuer cleane / which the Dragon cast out of hys mowthe. This erroniouse doctryne was euer more plesaunt vntounto them. Moche more hauehave they alwayes delyghted in lyes / and olde wyues dreames than in Gods truthe. Therto hauehave they geuen their eares / with all auydyouse gredynesse and superstycyouse deuocyon hauehave they embraced them. But the lyuinge waters of the lorde sauoreth not in their mouthes / their owne broken cys…e…nes doth please them best. Better ys to a swyne a fylthye puddle / than a swete rōnynge water. No where wyll he drynke / but where he maye wallowe hys earkas. No doctryne pleaseth them / vnlesse yt maynteyneth their synne.
11 In drynkynge vp this flood / yet ease they this woman. In seeke multytude ys chrystes smal flock not myssed, no… lo…ed for / nor yet manye tymes in their abhominacyōs perceyued to be absent. So gracyouse to them ys the lorde / that in no wyse are they harmed with those vnwholsō waters. They are not caught of that pestilent flood. It ouerwhelmeth not their faythe.
12 And the dragon was wrothe with the woman (sayth sayth Iohan) frantycke and madde ys the Synagoge of Sathan / whan their wanton ware is forsaken / abhorred / and despysed. Than frette they for anger / than swelle they for wodenesse. Than wher they their tethe vponupon the innocēt sowles / and wolde teare them in peces for verye spyght. Thā Imagyne they newe cawteles and wyles / and therupon procure they newe lawes to be made / to trappe them in snares that they escape no waye.
13 For the dragon in hys wrathe / made warre with the remnaunt of her sede / which kepte the commandementes of God. All maner of wayes hath thys Serpente assayed to destroye Christes true churche. The Apostles he vexed with the Pharisees ād P…estes / for the first age. With false bretherne and tyrauntes trobled he their successours for the seconde age. For the thirde / with innumerable Heresyes ded he accōbre them. For the fourth / with dānable sectes of Hypocresye ded he oppresse them. For the fifte brought he the worlde into a damnable peace of Idolatrye and supersticyō. And for the sixt (seynge he can not yet preuayle) he maketh open warre vponupon the remnaunt of her sede.
14 Now doth hys Synagoge of Prelates / Prestes / Hypocrites / and tyrauntes / make wycked lawes agaynst them. Now do they persecute them for kepynge the commandementes of God / in marryage / in receyuinge meates with thankes geuynge / and in not goynge out to seke Christ here and there in their Masses and mutterynges / in their outwarde colours and shaddowes.
15 Now put they them to deathe / which hauehave the Testimonye of Iesus Christ / preachynge hym for an onlye teacher necessarye / for an onlye mediatoure and aduocate / for an onlye sauer and redemer / for our onlye ryghtousnesse / wysdome / and helthe. For their warre ys onlye agaynst them that kepe Gods commaundementes / and that hauehave the wytnesse of Iesu Neyther ys yt agaynst bawdes nor whores / agaynst murtherers nor theues / agaynst Idolatours nor Hypocrites / sorcerers nor Sodomytes / aduowterers nor glottons / Idyotes nor lyars / Idle prestes nor vagabondes / scysmatykes nor traytours. Non of these seke they out. Non of these accuse they as their sessyons / but the onlye readers of th… gospell / and poore fauorers of Gods truthe.
16 VponUpon the …re sande stande they euer more with their grāde captayne / to fyght thys battayle. Nō other lawes hauehave they to grownde themselues vponupon / but their owne tradycyons and …customes / with soche fantastycall actes as they daylye make / or procure to be made of Princes for their owne wycked purpose. And as their lawes are beggerlye and weake / so is their vsurped auctoryte / so are their proude tytles / so are their myters / their anoyntinges / and pompouse funccyons. All are sande / duste / and rotten powder before God / not grounded vponupon hys worde. All are vnprofytable chaffe. Yea / their selues are a grounde vnfrutefull / sandye / and vnsure / fytt for the dragon to stāde vponupon to fyght agaynst Christes members. For they are the verye seate of Sathan / and hys contynuall dwellynge place. And that he can not do by hymselfe / he bringeth euermore to passe by them. Innumerable also are their deuyllyshe practyses / their wyles / ād their subtiltees to vpholde their master / as a… the sandes of the see.