The Image of Both Churches in Revelation 2, Chapter 14
The .xiiii. Chapter.
IN thys present chapter declareth the lorde vntounto Iohan / and vntounto hys faythfull seruauntes by him / the degre / estate / and condycyon of hys true beleuynge churche / now after he hath afore lyuelye described the bestyall churche of Antichrist and of hys horned spyritualte by the afore named .ii. mōstruouse Beastes. And thys ys that hys louers shuld knowe what they be which are of hys howsholde / ād what an helper they hauehave of hym in the middes of their aduersitees / to the confort of their sowles. And though they be here a monge those ragynge tyrauntes in terryble agonyes and peynes / persecucions and trobles / he ys neuer absent from them / nor wyll not be tyll he hath rewarded them with vnspekeable Ioyes.
The Text.
1 And I loked and lo / a lambe stode in the mounte Syon. 2 ād with him an .C. and .xliiij. thousande. 3. hauynge his fathers name writtē in their foreheades. 4. And I herde a voyce frō heauen 5. as the sounde of manye waters. 6. and as the voyce of a great thundre. 7. And the voyce that I herde / was 8. as the harpers that playe vponupon theyr harpers. 9. And they sange as it were a newe songe. 10. before the seate 11. and before the foure Beastes. 12. and the Elders. 13. And no mā coulde lerne that songe. 14. but the hundreth and xliiij. thousande. 15. which were redemed frō the earthe. 16. These are they which were not defyled with womē. 17. for they are virgynes. 18. These folowe the lambe whither so euer he goeth 19. These were redemed from menne. 20. beynge the first frutes vntounto God and to the lambe 21. and in their mouthes was founde no gyle. 22. for they are without spotte before the trone of God.
¶The Paraphrase.
1 I …oked (saith saynt Iohan) on the other syde / and in a thought as it were / I behelde that a lambe stode vponupon mounte Syon. Euen the lambe of God Iesus Christ / that alone toke awaye the synnes of the worlde. Alone doth he gouerne his faythfull churche / as the onlye ād immediate head therof / hauynge non other to assist him in that office. For who is the kynge ouer Syon but he? Who shall reduce Israel agayne to his folde but he? Onlye is he with his congregacyon / to ayde them with his worde / to bolden them with his sprete / & to strēg… then them with his grace.
2 And with him were present an hondreth and .xliiij. thousande / hauynge his fathers name written in their fore heades. So manye as hauehave in hart receyued his worde / and in faythe digested his ve…e / are the verye chyldren of Abraham / and are marked vpp for the sonnes of God by the seale of the holye Ghost.
3 For power hauehave they geuē thē to be Gods chyldrē that beleue in hys name. And thys is yt to hauehave hys name written in their fore heades. For their faythe declareth them Gods sonnes. Lete thys set Nombre be non impediment to the reader / to be taken here for the vnyuersall multitude of the faythfull / as well of the Gentiles as of the Iewes that beleueth / though yt otherwyse apereth in the .viii. chapter of thys boke. For so well ys the Gentile that hath faythe / a perfyght Israelyte, / as ys the Christen Iewe. Yea / moche rather was. Zacheus for hys faythe iudged Abrahams chylde / than was Symon for fulfyllynge the workes of the lawe. For God ys not parcyall. What so euer he be that feareth hym / and worketh ryghtousnesse / ys accepted with hym. And so ys yt ment here. And therfor ys not the differēce written here as in the other place / but all ys Ioyned in one / to cōprehēde all vnderunder one. And as touchynge the equall certente in Nombre both here and there. Lyke as yt ys ther… certeynlye knowne vntounto God / euen so ys yt here / though yt be vntounto vsus both innumerable and vncertayne. Not as concernynge the Nombre yt self / but the common vnderstandinge therof in the scripturs. For yf the Nombre of one seuenth be an infinite Nombre there / moche more of many seuenthes.
4 And I harde a voyce from heauen (sayth Saynt Iohan) which ys all one with the aforeseyd Syon / and ys the vnyuersall congregacyon of Christ / all clere from the superstycyons af menne. For / from Syon cometh the lawe of the lorde after Esaye / and the worde of God from Ierusalem.
5 Thys worde ys as the noyse of manye waters / whan yt ys in the mouthes of manye dyuerse peples / of dyuerse natyons and languages / one not vnderstandynge an other / and yet knowynge yt yche peple amonge themselues.
6 Verye lyke ys yt also to a great thō der cracke / myghtye / feare full / and terrible to the fleshe. Very harde ys thy worde lorde (sayd Christes disciples) who is able to abyde yt.
7 And the voyce that I harde (saith Iohā) was moche after the noyse that the harpers make whan they playe vponupon their harpes. Full of agrement are the holye scripturs / yea / full of swete hermonye and concorde. More precyouse are the verytes of the lorde than ys golde / and their melodye more swete than honye.
8 With them reioysed Dauid before the arke of the lorde. In thē toke Paule a stomake / and confounded the Iewes at Damas…us.
9 And swetelye they vttred with their voyces a songe that semed all newe / before the seate of the lorde / before the .iiii. Beastes / and before the auncyēt elders. This songe is the worde of the lorde / all newe both to the good ād to the yll. The faythfull it reneweth in the sprete of their myndes / prouokynge them to do on a newe māne in Christ. The hartes of the vnfaythfull it so hardeneth / that they in disdayne and spyght doth call it newe lernynge / as ded the ignoraunt multitude at Capernaum / and the worldly wyse menne of Athenes.
10 Before the seate of the lorde was this songe vttred / which is the godlye disposed multitude. For lyke as the harte of an hipocrite is the verye seate of sathan / so is the hart of a faythfull manne the seate of God and habitacle of the holye Ghost.
11 Before the .iiii. Beastes was it opened also by this nomber of godlye teachers. Which Beastes are the pryuate congregacions of the lorde / remayninge here yet in the fleshe / in the .iiii. quarters of the worlde.
… Finallye before the elders was it songe also. For non other doctrine is it / nor Gospell of glad tydinges / than hath bene sens the begynnynge / nor thā hath bene thankefullye receyued of owr olde auncetours the Patriarkes / the Prophetes / the Apostles / and the faythfull fathers.
13 And no manne coulde lerne that newe songe / but the aforesayd hondred ād xliiii. thousande / which were redemed from the earthe. On mightye / wonderfull / yea and terrible sentence of the lorde. Non that take them selues for the peple of God / cā be accepted afore him for the true sede of Abrahā / nor for the iust ministers of his worde / vnlesse they betokened afore with the holye sprete of his promes / and so predestinate to the lyfe euerlastinge.
14 Non can syncerelye do that godlye office to the profight of other / vnlesse he be whollye taken from all fleshlye and worldlye affectes. No manne canne come vntounto me (sayth Christ) vnlesse it be geuen him of my father.
15 The wilfull Iewes beleued not because they were not the shepe of his marke. Neyther is it of him that willeth no… of him that ronneth but of the only martyr of the lorde. Necessarye is it therfor that his sprete draweth moueth / and in…meth the hart. Els can not the songe be swete / neyther in hym that singeth nor yet in the hearer. The notes of thys newe songe are Gods heauenlye verytees / regestred in the faythfull hartes.
16 And they that ded synge them to the prayse of the lorde / were not defyled with women. Wyth no straunge doctrynes / nor yet Prophane worshyppynges ys their faythe contamynate / that vnfaynedlye hauehave done on Iesus Christ. No… the spowsage of their sowles hauehave they broken by no fylthye tradicyons of mē ne. Onlye hauehave they with Dauid sought the Testymonyes of God / and thought non lyke vntounto them. Onlye ded they cleaue to hys precyouse lawes / estemynge all other but chaffe / and verye whoredome in the sprete.
17 Therfor are they virgins marryed vntounto Christ in faythe / as were the Corynthyanes by Paules preachynge / whom he wyshed to continewe a chast virgine vntounto Christ. Neuer ys the maydenhede of the sowle lost / tyll erronyouse doctrine be receyued from the massengers of Antichrist the Byshoppes and Hipocrites.
18 The virgins / or vncorrupted beleuers doth folowe the lambe whersoeuer he becōmeth. They go after Christ / that beleuynge hys worde / doth fashion their lyues vntounto yt. Lyke as they folowe Antichrist / that fashion their workes to hys doctrine. They walk in hys steppes / that forsake themselues with him / that beareth the crosse of persecucyōs with him / or that suffreth death for the truthe with hym. And not they that seke thēselues / lyuynge here in all pompe / voluptuousnesse / and Tyrannye. From thys place fatche the blinde Papistes / a great argument for their wyuelesse chastyte / and that nō foloweth Christ but they in this muster / because they are vnmarryed. Neyther maye Abraham / Moyses / nor Dauid / Zacharye / Peter / nor Philip / walke in this Nōbre / because they had wyues. So parelouse a thynge yt ys to hauehave a wyfe. It ys great maruele they ad…itt Marye Christes mother to yt / because she had a husbande. Oh / ignoraunt Assee / and verye beastlye Idiotes. I thynke yow folowe Iudas which had neyther wyfe nor chylde / vnlesse he had thē syttynge by other mennes fyers / as manye of yow hauehave yet at thys same daye. What is virginite before God more than is marriage? No more than is circumcysyon in comparyson to vncircūcysyon. And that ys nothynge. No more maketh the one than the other / to a Christē lyfe. Onlye ys yt faythe effectuallye workynge by louelove / that the lorde requyreth of vsus.
Onlye respected he the faythe of Marye / and not her virginite. They which lyue in matrimonye after the worde of God / are accepted afore him for virgyns / and so are named of Saynt Paule. An other ca…illacion they hauehave / that non which hath offended afore / can be of this nombre. But they consyder not what is spoken here afore / that they were redemed from the earthe / and that the sprete of the lorde hath puryfyed their hartes through faythe. Neyther hauehave they grace to remember that Christes innocēcye is rekened for an whole & perfight rightousnesse vntounto them that beleue in him / but they must bringe in soche tryfles / as are their owne beggerlye merytes.
19 And therfor it foloweth also. These faithfull beleuers (sayth Saynt Iohan) were redemed from menne / beynge the fyrst frutes to God and to the lambe. By non other were they redemed / than by Christ▪ For of all the elect nombre / he is the onlye rightousnesse / wysdome / holynesse / and redempciō. From the corrupt / blynde / and frowarde multitude hath he called them / taken them / ād clered them. And of deformed synners / hath he made them fayre / of vyle pure / of wreched gloryouse / of blinde perfyghtlye seynge / of lyars true sayers / of obstinate gentyll / of yll good / & of vnfrutefull profytable. For he yt is that taketh awaye the stonye harte / and geueth a softe harte for yt / so makynge vsus Abrahams children. Thus are we redemed from menne / wh… we are taken by hys goodnesse from soche corrupt vsages as mannes nature is inclined vntounto.
20 And for non other purpose / but to be the first frutes vntounto god / as were the aulter offeringes in the olde lawe / in the hā des of the high prestes. For so moche as the elect Nombre are but a fewe or a serten taken out from the vnyuersall multytude / & are the porcyon of the lorde (as were the seyd offerynges) perteyninge vntounto Christ the onlye byshop of our sowles / they are his first frutes. Yea / ād hys owne verye mysticall members / and all but one offerynge vntounto God the father by hym. For he is the onlye lambe that dyed for them / hys owne bodye beynge the onlye oblacyon and sacrifice.
21 And in their mouthes was founde no gyle. For non other wordes vttered they but hys pure testymonyes. Non other taught they but hys vndefyled lawes. Non other perswaded they to be obserued of other / but hys immaculate Gospell or easye burden of Christ. No importable yokes layed they vponupon mennes / shulders / neyther of Ceremonyes / fastinges / nor masse hea…ynges.
22 For they are without spotte before the trone of God. Both before them that are faythfull and hauehave right iudgement in the sp…e…e (which are the verye seates of God) apereth their doctrine pure / and also their lyfe innocent / before God him self. Neyther are they spotted with fylthye tradicions / nor yet with vncomlye examples. And as concernynge their former synnes / they shall not be imputed vntounto them. They are remitted in Christ / and so forgotten afore God. Though this that here hath bene spoken be concernynge the whole Christen multytude and her preachers / yet doth it most specially touche the Iewes or Israelytes that shall in this latter age be conuerted vntounto Christ. And so do I counsell the reader to vnderstande it. For the mounte Syon after the fleshe was theirs. Not defyled are they wyth vnmarryed wemen / which are the whoryshe lawes ād vncleane Supersticions of the Gentyles / vponupon non other harpe hauehave they commonlye harped but vponupon the scripturs / though it hath not bene to the pleasure of God / tyll now in thys latter age / wherin they shall whollye turne vntounto Christ.
The Text.
1 And I sawe an Angell. 2. flye in the myddes of heauen. 3. hauynge an euerlastynge gospell to preache vntounto them that sytte and dwell on the earthe. 4. and to all nacyons / kynredes / ād tonges / and people. 5. saynge with a lowde voyce. 6. feare God. 7. and geue honoure to him. 8. For the houre of his iudgement is come. 9. And worshyp hym that made heauen and earthe. 10. and the see / and the fountaynes of water.
¶The Paraphrase.
1 An other Angell sawe I (sayth Saynt Iohan) flye in the myddes of heauen. For Chryst was the first Angell or massenger of the euerlastynge couenaunt of the father. This Angell here mencyoned is non other than he that had the seale of the lyuynge God in the vii. Chapter / and he that was clothed wyth a clowde in the tenth chapter. And he betokeneth those feruent mynysters wh…m God hach sent in this latter tyme / to admonishe his peple to fle from the errours of Antichrist and returne to his heauenlye veritees.
2 He flyeth in the myddes of heauen. An ernest / feruent / and faythfull course take they in the middes of Gods congregacion (which is his heauenlye kyngedome here / to whō this reuelacion is written / lyke as ded Paulus / Sylas / & Barnabas / Timotheus / Titus / and Clemēs / with other of the Apostles / syncerelye to declare his worde. Mightye stomaked are they in Gods cause / both in their wordes and wrytinges.
3 An euerlastinge gospell had this angell to preache vntounto them that sytte and dwell vponupon the earthe / & to all nacions / kynredes / and peple. His eternall testament and couenaunt of peace hath the lorde geuen vntounto them / to preache delyueraunce to the captiue / helthe to the wounded / lyfe to the dead / and remission to the sinnefull. Yea / to vtter that worde that is stronger than is heauen or earthe / and that shall neuer fayle him that trulye beleueth.
4 The sounde of this gospell must go the worlde ouer / as in the Apostles tyme. EueryEvery where must it be spredde to the increase of faythe. Amonge all nacions of the earthe / amonge all kynredes of the Israelytes / amonge all lāguages of the worlde / ād amonge all kyndes of peple / of what sort so euer they be / whether they sytte vponupon the earthe or dwell vponupon the earthe / whether they be hygh or lowe / gouernours or subiectes / masters or seruauntes / owners or fermers. So that they sytt not nor dwell not within the earthe / or hauehave their felicyte here. For that is holye shuld not be geuen vntounto dogges / nor yet pearles layed before swyne.
5 And he cryed wyth a lowde voyce. With a mightye feruent sprete do they beate it into the heades of menne / both by wordes / writinges / and all they can make / to hauehave the feare of God / and to geue him his dewe honoure. And this is the doctrine they teache / and the counsell they geue.
6 Feare ye God in all that ye do for the first poynt of godlye wysdome is to dreade least we offende him. Be constaunt in the worde / ād feare no displeasure of menne. For nomore can they do in their anger but slee the bodye / and brynge it to the rest of God. No power hauehave they ouer the sowle. Feare him onlye therfor / that whan he hath destroyed both / maye throwe them into helle.
7 Geue honour vntounto him / worship him / and serue him alone. Prayse him / ād glorifye him aboue all. But yet after non other sort thā he hath appoynted / which is in faythe / sprete / and veryte / and not in outwarde shaddowes with obseruacyon of tymes. He trulye honoureth him that trusteth in hym / that beleueth hys worde / and that in spyght of all Antychristes confesseth it afore all menne. After this sort therfor feare him / and worshyp him / nothynge doubtynge the assaultes of enemyes.
8 For the howre of his iudgement ys come. At hande is it that all the Antychristes and hipocrites shall by the invincyble worde of God be iudged / condempned / and destroyed. From heauen shall his wrathe be declared vpō all their vngodlynesse. With the sprete of his mouthe shall the lorde consume thē / and not longe after wyll the great daye of his indignacion towardes them lyght sodenlye vponupon them.
9 With all faythfull obsequy worship him therfor that create heauē and earth in wonderfull strengthe and bewtye.
10 That made the see and the fountaynes of water with all that in them doth moue / whose power is eternall / knowlege non other God but hym. Non other helper / redemer / nor sauer but his Crist. For all other Chrystes not sent of him are but Antychrystes. Onlye bowe your knees vntounto him / for onlye is hys strength euerlastynge. Onlye obeye his lawes / for onlye a…e hys lawes cleane.
The Text.
1 And there folowed an other Angell saynge. 2. She is fallen / she is fallen / euen Babylō that great cyte. 3. for she made all nacions drynke of the wyne of her whoredome.
¶The Paraphrase.
1 And there folowed an other angell (sayth Saynt Iohan) which betokeneth an other sort of preachers / whose offyce is here appoynted thē of the holye ghost to declare vntounto the peple the certente of the fall / of the aduowterouse / cursed / ād malygnaunt churche of hipocrites / here fygured by wreched Babilō. For though all the true prophetes and preachers hauehave but one worde of God in their mouthe / yet passeth it diuerslye from them. VntoUnto yche of them is geuē a dyuerse vtteraunce of the sprete to edifye. One is softe meke and gentyll / as was Dauid / Iohan / ād Peter / an other is boystuouse / harde / ād vehement / as was Helias / Esaye and Paule. And all this worketh the self same one sprete. This diuersyte of teachers was neuermore plentuouse in the worlde than now in owr tyme figured here by these two angels. Praysed by the lorde therfor.
2 And the tenoure or grounde of this latter sort of preachers is this. She is fallen / she is fallen / euen myserable Babylon th… great cyte of whordome / because she made all nacyons to drynke of the wrathefull wyne of her fornycacion. So sure is it that the execrable churche of Antichrist shall be ouerthrowne / and vtterlye destroyed / as it were now perfourmed in dede. Nothing shall be vnroted out that the heauenlye father hath not planted. Sonner shall heauen & earthe peryshe / than this promes be vnfulfylled.
3 For with the stinkinge whoryshnesse of her supersticiouse worshippynges / hauehave she poysened all nacions & peples / vnderunder heauē. The great gouernours / ād lerned lawers of the worlde / hath she made in maner of beastlye dronkerdes / wytlesse / faythlesse / ād gracelesse / by their prostibulouse doctrine. And this shall be declared more at large in the .xvij. chapter folowynge / where as she is more plentuouslye described.
The Text.
1 And the thirde angell folowed them. 2. saynge with a lowde voyce. 3. If anye worshypp the beaste and his Image. 4. ād receyue his marke in his fore head / or on his hande. 5. the same shall drynke of the wyue of the wrathe of God. 6. which is poured in the cuppe of his wrathe. 7. and he shall be punnyshed in fyre and brymstone. 8. before the holye angels. 9. and before the lambe.
¶The Paraphrase.
1 The thyrde Angell also (sayth Saynt Iohan) folowed them in the thyrde kynde of preachynge of the same self massage / that in the mouthe of .ij. or .iij. faythfull wytnesses all veryte myght stande.
2 And by this angell are they signifyed / that by the worde of God stifflye impugne their wicked lawes and vngodly ordynaunces / whose maner of ernest preachinge is this.
3 If anye mā worship the Beast / which is the great Antichrist. And his Image / which are those gouernours that taketh vponupon them his blasphemouse titles / names / auctoryte / or defence. If anye manne also receyue his marke in his fore head / beleuynge their lawes to be a chrysten doctrine / or hauehave the pryn…e of hys seale vponupon his ryght hande / which is to fashion his outwarde workes after the same. The same manne shall drynke of the wyne of Gods wrathe / whych are the dregges of the pure wyne powred in the cuppe of his hygh dyspleasure. He shall tast of the euerlastynge dampnacyon / that is reserued in the latter curse or fearefull sentence of their most terryble iudge. To worshyp the Beast ād his Image / is to accept them in conscyence / and in the outwarde obedience with full consent of the hart. For that they blasphemously… pretende / without gods auctoryte. As the Pope for Gods vycar or forgeuer of synnes / Mahomete for the great Prophete of the lorde / the …ewlers of the earthe for the popes elder or yonger sonnes / for most christen kynges / and defenders of the faythe of that holye churche.
4 To receyue the Beastes marke in their fore heades and handes / is both to agre to soche decrees / tradycyons / lawes / constitucyons / actes / and proclamacyons / as they vnderunder those tytles hauehave made / onlye for their owne couetousnesse and pompe / and neyther for the glorye of God nor yet for the right mayntenaunce of the chrysten common welthe / as I hauehave declared afore. And also to be sworne to the same / to subscrybe to it / to geue counsell or ayde to it / to maynteyne it by lernynge / to mynister in it / to execute vnderunder it / to accuse / pō nyshe / and put to deathe for yt / or to thynke yt lawfull and godlye with soche lyke.
5 These marked worshippers shall tast of the cuppe of Gods indygnacyon / of calamyte sorowe and wrechednesse in the dayes of their fall here / and after the last iudgement of vnspekeable peynes and most greuouse tormentes / in euerlastynge fyre prepared for the deuyll ād his angels.
6 The dregges that the lorde hath poured out (sayth Dauid) shall the wycked of the earthe drynke. Cleane contrarye are these Angels to the horned mynysters of Antychryst. For they maynteyne the Popes errours / these the onlye verytees of Chryst. They laboure for the glorye of theyr Pope / these seketh the onlye honoure of God. They pra…e that their holye churche shall cōtinewe / these saye it shal downe with shame. They requyre worshyp to the Beast and his Image / these will report it blasphemouse / and the rewarde therof dampnacyon. Marke in these .ij. sortes the preachers of owr tyme / and iudge which are of God. Agaynst both beastes in Chrystes quarell shall these Angels contende. Agaynst the Pope and his bishoppes / Mahomete and his doctours / wyll these godlye mynisters replye (whō the lorde hath sent in thys latter age for that purpose) condēpnynge by the scripturs their auctoryte / iurisdiccion / and power / declarynge also the plages that wyll fall vponupon them for wytholdynge the truthe of God in vnryghtousnesse.
7 For these Antichristes and their worshippers with so manye as beareth their token shall be ponnished in fyre and brymstone / before the holye Angels / and before the lambe. Fyre shall be kyndled (sayth Moyses) in the anger of the lorde / and shall burne vntounto the bottome of hell. VponUpon the vngodlye (sayth Dauid) shall he rayne snares. Fyre / brymstone / storme / and tempest shall be ther porcyon to drynke. The vehemēt indignacion and myghtye iudgement of God / shall lyght vponupon them / as vponupon Sodome and Egypt / and shall both deuoure them and consume them.
8 And this shall be in the syght of Angels. Which are not onlye the spretes of heauen / but also the churche of the faythfull. Yea / the ryghtouse shall reioyse whan he …yth the destruccion / and shall washe his handes in the bloude of the wycked.
9 In the presens of the lambe shall it be also. For he is euermore with his flocke / and shall be vntounto the ende of the worlde / wherin he shall sytte and con…dempne them.
The Text.
1 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth vp euermore. 2. And they hauehave no rest daye nor nyght. 3. which worship the Beaste and hys Image. 4. ād who so euer receyueth the prynt of his name. 5. Here is the pacycyence of Sayntes. 6. Here are they that kepe the commaundementes. 7. and the faythe of Iesu.
¶The Paraphrase.
1 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth vp euermore / as the flame of a fornace wyth most horryble stynke / for a perpetuall sygne of their ponnyshment / lyke as it ded from Sodome and Gomor / whā the lorde ouerthrewe thē.
2 So that they hauehave no rest neyther day nor nyght / so manye as worship the Beast and his Image / receyuynge the print of his name.
3 Both in this lyfe are they crucyat… with a troblouse and doubtfull conscience / and also after this lyfe with vnspekeable peynes. For neyther shall theyr worme dye / nor yet their fyre be quenched / all fleshe abhorrynge them.
4 Thus shall they be wyth the Beast tormented / which hauehave the sprete of the beast. For lyke as all the faithfull (which hath bene from the begynninge) belongeth to one mistycal bodye in Christ / ād shall be preserued by hym / so doth the wicked perteyne to one mystycall Antichryst / hauynge all one sprete with him / and so shall with him perishe.
5 Here is the pacience of the Sayntes. In this lyfe are their trobles. No pleasure is for thē in this worlde / but hate / rebukes / slaunders / lyes / persecuciōs / & deathe of their bodyes. Their lyfe vponupon earthe is cōtinual afflicciō / but gloryouse is the frute of their labours. Manyfolde are the mysfortunes of the rightouse / but the lorde cleareth them of all.
6 Here are they vexed that kepe the commaundemētes & the faythe of Iesu. Here are they had in derisiō / that behaue thē selues as the ministers of God in moche pacience / affliccions / nede / anguyshe / laboure / strypes / imprisōmēt / & soche lyke.
7 Here are they chastened of the lorde with many sore stormes / that they shuld not be dampned with this worlde. Moche hauehave they here to suffre of enemyes / that onlye cleaueth to the worde of God in lyfe and doctrine.
The Text.
1 And I herde a voyce frō heauē sayēge vntounto me. 2. write. 3. Blessed are the dead / which hereafter dye in the lorde. 4. (euē so sayth the sprete) that they maye rest frō their labours. 5. but their workes shall folowe them.
¶The Paraphrase.
1 And I harde a voyce from heauē (sayth Saynt Iohan) saynge vntounto me.
2 Wryte with thy penne / or marke surelye this sentēce folowinge for thē that here suffreth in the truthes quarell.
3 Blessed are the dead / or they which are alredye departed / and that also shall here after depart in the lorde. This voyce from heauen are the infallyble scripturs / assertanynge the faythe of Iohan / of the swete rest of the Sayntes in the handes of God. And that their ende is not without honoure / as the vayne sort supposeth / but they are counted amonge the dere chyldren of God. Let them therfor that suffer in this age be ernestlye spreted / and not feare the tormentes of the enemyes in Christes cause.
4 For from hence forthe (the sprete sayth) that they rest from their labours. In a wonderfull quyetnesse dwell they / by the verye sentence of the holye ghost / and shall neuer more fele of anye woo. God hath cleane wyped awaye all teares from their eyes / all sor…wes ād peynes from their bodyes / the first daungers beynge past. Happye are they therfor and most godlye fortunate / that are slayne for Christ / because they wyll not worshyp the Beast and his Image / nor corrupt their faythe with their wycked lawes / but in a pure Christen beleue departeth from hence to the lorde. Theyr porcyon is in the lande of the lyuynge / and their lotte amonge the holye ones.
5 For certen…ye their workes doth folowe them. The promise… …warde of God for constantlye standynge by the veryte / for the frutes of their christen pacience / and for other exercyses of theyr faythe / is euermore to their glorye present with them. Not as deserued of thē / but of Christ / in whose faythe they wrought here / and for the promes sake / that they shuld be Gods heyres togyther wyth Chryst. The lyuelye worde also / which they ernestlye receyued here and so roted in their faythe / wyll neuer suffre them to peryshe / nor to be hurt of the …conde deathe.
The Text.
1 And I loked / and beholde. 2. a whyte cloude. 3. and vponupon the cloude one sittynge lyke vntounto the sonne of manne. 4. hauynge on hys head a golden crowne. 5. and in hys hande a sharpe syckle.
¶The paraphrase.
1 I loked yet further (sayth Saynt Iohan) and euydentlye before me apered a whyght cloude / which betokeneth the true mynisters of Gods worde. Whom the holye ghost calleth cloudes by Esaye / Dauid / Peter / and Iudas. For from thē falleth vponupon the peple the swete droppes of hys verytees.
2 Whyght they are as mylke for their faythe in the worde. And for their Christen conuersacyon not blotted with Hypocresye of mennes corrupted customes.
3 VponUpon this cloude was one syttynge lyke vntounto the sonne of manne / which ys verelye Christ / in hys gloryfyed manhode. For euermore ys he amonge hys trewe preachers / geuynge them soche vtteraunce and wisdome / as all their enemyes are not able to withstande. Alwayes walketh he amonge the .vij. candelstyckes / which are hys congregacyons as we had afore
4 He had vpō hys head a goldē crowne / in token of hys eternall and vncorrupt kyngedome / & in hys hande a sharpe syckle / which ys the sharpe iudgemēt or ryghtuousnesse of hys worde / for ther with shall he reape hys latter harnest. Accordynge to hys worde and promes shall he iudge good and euyll.
5 Thys syckle receyued he of hys euerlastynge father / soche tyme as he gaue ouer vntounto hym hys vnyuersall iudgemē tes. By the order of thys vysyon shuld the preachers seme in the last age of the churche / moche to admonyshe the peple of the latter daye / with the commynge of Christ agayne to iudge both the quicke & the dead as ys in their crede / or beleue.
The Text.
1 And an other Angell came out of the temple. 2 cryāge with a lowde voyce to hym that satte on the cloude. 3. Thrust in thy sycle / & reape. 4. for the tyme is come to reape. 5. For the corne of the earthe is rype. 6. And he that satte on the cloude. 7. thrust in hys syckle on the earth 8 and the earthe was reaped.
¶The Paraphrase.
1 And an other Angell (sayth saynt Iohan) came out of the temple / which ys the congregacyon of faythe / consecrated as an holye temple vntounto God in the bloude of the vndefyled lambe Iesus. This Angell betokeneth those iust mēne / that with Symeon and anna the doughter of Phanuell / in this latter age are desy…rouse of the glorye of God / and of the fynall redempcyon of man from bodelye corrupcyon.
2 These shall crye with a loude voyce / with a feruent sprete shall they call vntounto Christ / which sitteth vponupon the cloude.
3 And this shall be their sainge. Thrust in the syckle and reape. Sende forth thy … worde. And lyke as yt hath created all thynges / so lete yt now trye and iudge all thinges.
4 For the tyme ys at hande to reape. For we are those vponupon whome the endes of the worlde are come.
5 And doubtlesse the corne of the earthe y… rype / the worlde is at the best that yt will do. As it hath bene euer / so ys yt styll / all togyther sort vponupon myscheff. Lete thy worde therfor fynyshe all / as yt hath beganne all. With the breathe of thy mouthe / … the great Antichrist / … of synne / the sonne of perdycyon / and the aduersarye that hath exalted hymself aboue God. Poure out thy indygnacion vponupon the kyngedomes that will neyther knowe the / worshyp the / nor alone call vponupon thy name. Thu hast called thy haruest the ende of the worlde / lete it now fynyshe all in dede. Diuyde the chaffe from the corne / the wicked sort from the ryghtouse. Gather the wheate into thy garner / and burne the chaffe in vnquencheable fyre.
6 And he that satte on the cloude thurst in hys syckle on the earthe / and anon the earthe was reaped.
7 He hath sent hys myghtye worde / so quycke in operacyon as fyre. Which shall not onlye consume the wicked generacyon of the Beast / but also reserue them to eternall dampnacyon.
8 The earthe shall be cleared of thē as of all other fylthye corrupcions / and hell replenyshed with them / to their perpetuall care.
The Text.
1 And an other Angell came out of the temple. 2. which ys in heauen. 3. hauynge also a sharpe syckle.
¶The Paraphrase.
1 And an other angell (sayth saynt Iohan) came out of the temple which ys in heauen or from the great nombre of Angels / hauynge also a sharpe syckle in his hande.
2 This Angell betokeneth those heauē lye spretes that the lorde shall sēde forth to gather togyther hys chosen from the iiij. wyndes / whan hys token shall apere in heauē These are the reapers of the lordes haruest. These are they that shall go forthe to gather all nacyons / and to separate the gottes frō the lābes / the yl from the good / and shall cast them into a furnace of fyre / where as shallbe waylinge and gnashinge of tethe.
3 And therfor ys their syckle here named sharpe. Non other is their syckle / but this appointed office. Non other ys their haruest / but thys gatherynge togyther. But these massengers shall not forthe tyll they hauehave commandement. And therfor sayth Saynt Iohā consequētlye.
¶The Text.
1 And an other Angell came out from the aulter. 2. which had power ouer fyre. 3. and cryed with a lowde crye vntounto hym that had the sharpe syckle / and sayde. 4. Thrust in thy sharpe syckle. 5. and gather the clusters of the earthe. 6. for her grapes are rype. 7. And the āgell thrust in hys syckle on the earthe. 8. ād cutte downe the grapes of the vyneyarde of the earthe. 9. and cast them into the great wynefatte of the wrathe of God. 10. And the wynefatte was trodē with out the cytye. 11. and bloude came out of the fatte. 12. euē vntounto the horse brydles. 13. by the space of a thousande and sixe hundred fourlonges.
¶The Paraphrase.
1 And an other Angell came out from the aulter which had power ouer fyre. This ys the lorde Iesus Christ / whom Malachias calleth the Angell of the couenaunt that was longed for. He ys the aulter of the ryghtouse / and by hym are they a swete sacrifice vntounto God. Els coude they be but verye abhominacyon. Tyll the iudgement daye shall he be an aulter of meanes makynge to God the father for vsus. But that daye ones come / no longer shall he be an aulter or an aduocate / but go cleane from yt. He shall than become a iudge ouer all the worlde / rewardynge euerye one accordynge to their workes. Hitherto hath he mekelisytten vppon the cloude / and not cutte with his syckle. He hath had in hys hande the iudgement / and not iudged.
2 But now hath he power ouer fyre. By fyre (which ys vnderunder hys obedyence / as are all other creaturs els) shall he at that daye iudge the vnyuersall worlde. And more sharpe / vehement / quycke ferce / myghtye / and terryble shall hys sē tence be to the wycked / thā ys any fearefull / flaminge / or cōsumynge wilde fyre.
3 For with a lowde voyce shall he crye vntounto him that hath the sharpe syckle. An ernest charge and commandement shall he geue at that daye to the ministers of his yre / for to cast them into exteryoure darkenesse / after thys sort here vttred in mysterye.
4 Thrust in thy sharpe syckle / ād gather the clusters of the earthlye vyneyarde / for the grapes therof are r…pe.
5 Execute the vengeaunce committed vntounto yow / and rote out this ranke ry… …ouse generacyon of the rauenouse Epicures.
6 For now are their myscheues at the full. Now are they most curyous in their facyons and fedynges / most couetouse in their compassynges / most vayne in their stodyes and most cruell in their doynges. For with them shall yt be (sayth Christ) as yt was in the dayes of Noe and Loth. They shall buylde and banket / ruffle and ryot / bye and sell / and plante for their pleasurs.
And sodenlye as a snare shall that terrible daye lyght vponupon them vnbewares / as ded deathe on the couetouse iourer.
7 And the Angell (sayth Iohan) thrust in hys syckle on the earthe / he cutte downe the grapes of the vineyard of the earth / and so ded cast them into the greate wyne fatt of the wrathe of God.
8 Accordynge to their commission they shall plage the earthlye mynded / for here ys the tyme past for the tyme cōmynge vsed / for the certente of yt. Wyth soden deathe shall they perce thē in this worlde / that contempnynge Christes doctryne hath folowed the course therof in all concupiscence.
9 And fynallye they shall throwe them into the lake of myserye / the pyt wythout water …nto the stynkynge …regges of hel…e / where as fyre and brymstone shall be rewarded to drynke. For the vyneyarde of the earthe ys the carnall Synagoge of Hypocrites … and the grapes therof are the gloryouse glottons / and franke f…dde porkelynges of that gredye gulfe / euen the enemyes of Christes crosse / whose God ys their bellye / whose glorye is their confusion / and whose ende ys their dampnacyon / for they are earthlye mynded. This wyne fatte of the wrathe of God ys non other than hys greate bengeaunce / to be poured vponupon the vnfaythfull. Or els helle / prepared for the deuyll and hys angels. Greate / not onlye for the innumerable multytude that yt hath and shall receyue / but also in that yt is insacyable.
10 And this wyntfatt was troddē without the cyte. Nothynge perteyneth yt to that cyte (of whom famouse thynges are spoken) which ys the congregacyon of God / nor yet to the good creaturs of God. No / not vntounto thys worlde / which shall at that daye be tryed and pourged by fyre. But vnderunder the earthe shall yt be / and farre without thys worlde / secluded from the face of heauen in fylthye and vnspekeable darkenesse.
11 For bloud wyll come out of thys fatte / euē vntounto the horse brydles. Wherin is expressed not onlye the terrour of the place / but also of the peynes ther in contayned. For bloud shedynge and murther are thynges verye horrible & fearefull to beholde / contayninge in thē depriuacyon of lyfe / which ys most terrible of all. The habundaunce therof betokeneth the greatnesse of the grefe in the sufferaunce of them. The treadinge downe also sygnyfieth / that no rayse towardes anye relefe is to be loked for of them that be there. VntoUnto them which at that daye shall be in the cyte / wyl he that sytteth in the trone make al thynges newe. All dolour / affliccyon / so rowe / peyne / penurye / / wrathe / condēpnacyon / and deathe / shall be past with them. Onlye shall they be trodden downe in this wynefatt of Gods wrathe / that lyued here lyke beastes without reason / and that wandred here lyke horses and mules in their owne filthye lustes.
12 All shall be ponnyshed there / that was here vnbridled / vnordred / and vngouerned after the worde & pleasure of God. And therfor yt ys here sayd / vntounto the horse brydles. Euerye manne shall receyue in bodye accordynge to that he hath done / whether yt be Good or euyll. They that hauehave wrought the storke of God in faythe / shall reape accordynge vntounto yt. The brydles also betokeneth the measure of gods iudgemēt / not as concernynge the tyme which …s euerlastynge / but concernynge the peyne ryghtlye measured accordynge to the in aquite. For the lorde hath sett his iudgementes ouer the wicked in wayght and measure / the stripes agreynge in quantyte to the excesse of synne / so moche torment to hauehave / as their reioyse hath bene in wyckednesse.
13 The space of these terrible tormētes or ponnyshmētes of hell / ys a thousande and .vi. hondred furlonges. A furlonge of the Grekes ys called the …onne of hercules / and yt ys in lenghte an hondred and .xxv. passes or steppes. And commonlye they vsed accordinge to that lenghte / to measure their playenge places. Of whome Paule maketh mencyon to the Corinthyanes beynge Grekes / by them that rōneth in a course / and that proueth mastryes. In thys thousande and .vi. hō dred furlonges here / ys comprehended the whole and vnyuersall course of the wycked for the .iiii. quarters of the worlde. The nombre of an hondred ys euermore an whole complete and perfyght nombre. And .iiii. hondred .iiii. tymes nō bred ys .xvi. hondred / which maketh this nombre of a thousande and .vi. hondred / the nombre of .iiii. respectinge alwayes the .iiii. climates of the worlde / which are the common habitacions of sinners. In them course they in all wanton kyndes of lyuinge. In them worke they their mastryes of all vngodlye obseruacyons and false worshyppinges / walkinge in the large or open waye which leadeth vntounto deathe. Accordynge to the nonbre & measure of this course / hath God here measured the place and ponnyshment. Not withstandinge neuer ys he without mercye. Maruelouse he ys in hys workes and iudgementes / which are vnsercheable. Blessed ys he that shal hauehave his part in the cyte or congregacyon of the ryghtouse / and that shall se the peace vponupon Israell / whan the lorde shall leade forth them with the euyll doers / that hath yoked themselues with their lawes. The lorde graunt vsus ones to tast the prosperyte of Hierusalem. Amen.