A Hundred Sermons on Revelation, Sermons · Sermon 7
¶ Of the Epiſtles reuealed out of the throne of God from Chriſt by an Aungell, and receiued and ſent of Iohn. Where alſo a parte of the Epiſtle to the Epheſians is expounded. The ſeuenth Sermon.
VNtoUnto the Meſſenger of the congregation of Epheſus write: Theſe things ſaieth he that holdeth the ſeuen Starres in his righthand, and walketh in the middes of the Seuen golden Candelſtickes. I knowe thy workes, and thy labour and thy patiēce, and …ow thou canneſt not forbeare them whiche …re euil: And examineſt them which ſaie thei are Apoſtles, and are not: And haſte founde …hem liars: & haſt ſuffered, and haſt patience: …nd for my names ſake haſte laboured, and …aſte not fainted. Neuertheleſſe I hauehave ſome what againſte thee, becauſe thou haſte lefte …hy firſte louelove.
Your charitie hath ſene a certen Image of the lord chriſt,Chriſte is prelate of ye Church. …itting on the right hande of the father in glorye: yet ſo, that … no wiſe he eyther forſaketh or neglecteth his Churche. Now followeth it more fully and plainely howe our Saui…ur Chriſte in Heauen executeth the office of the highe Biſhop, and teacheth the whole churche by his miniſters, rebu…eth, comforteth, and reteyneth it in her dutie: Finally tour…eth alwayes awaye thinges hurtefull, and auaunceth it to greater thinges. For here follow ſeuen Epiſtles, to the ſeuē Congregations: that is to witte,Seuen Epiſtles. vntounto all the churches in the …hole worlde. For this moſte ample and holſome doctrine …aye not be reſtreyned to a fewe, ſins Chriſt is Biſſhoppe …niuerſall.Thautoritie of theſe ep…ſtels.
But great is the autoritie of theſe epiſtles. For they are reuealed from the throne of God, by the ſonne of Go… ſpeaking by an Aungell, whiche preſcribeth what is to b… written in thoſe Epiſtles: S. Iohn receiueth and writeth th… ſame, through Chriſt his cōmaundement, and ſendeth the… to the ſeuen congregations: And verely they aperteyne n… leſſe vntounto vsus, than if now the bearer entring into the churc… ſhould deliuer theſe letters vntounto vsus.
Moreouer in theſe ſeuen Churches is figured vntounto v… the nature,The epiſtles be vniuerſall. maners, vices, medicines, rebukes, prayſes of … Churches in all times, and what ſoeuer is wonte to chaun… aboute them. Then by examples of moſte excellent mean… mixed, of Hypocriticall alſo and wicked. And theſe our Lo… dothe euidētly inſtructe, reproue, rebuke, and blame, praiſ… correct, moue, exhorte, comforte, the ſame he threatneth, an… promiſeth them alſo ioyfull thinges, &c. This is no light … cōmon example, but of the ſonne of God, the high and mo… bleſſed Biſhop: teaching vsus, howe we ſhould deale with … congregations after the capacitie & diſpoſition of eueryevery on…
And not without cauſe he chouſeth vntounto him ſeuen th… moſt noble cities of Aſia. Certaine it is, that Aſia was of … firſt inhabited, and from thence they were diſperſed into … ther partes of the worlde. Certaine it is alſo, that the Deu… ſet vp his Throne in Aſia, and there reigned in men throug… Idolatrie, murther, ambition, auarice, vncleanes, and filth… pleaſures. For the prouerbe is knowē, the laughter Iouica… It is knowen what the apoſtle wrote to the Epheſiās in th… iiii. and v. chapter. Therfore wold our Sauiour Chriſt oue… throwe that Throne of the deuill, and ſet vp that his Thron… of rightuouſneſſe and holines. Therefore goeth he firſ… and chiefly to them of Aſia, that by their example the whol… worlde might be corrected and amended.
Epheſus.And amonges other cities of Aſia and Iouia, Epheſu… was moſt famouſe, called in the olde time the lighte of Aſi… And amonges the xii. cities of Iouia accompted the princ… pall.The tēple of Diana. Neyther was there any other richer or more beautifu… Church ſene any where in Aſia, than the temple of Diana … Epheſus. It ſtode in the middes of the citie, a great wond… of the Greke magnificence, as writeth Plinie. This temp… is ſayed to hauehave ben two hundreth and twentie yeres in m… king of al Aſia: And ſet in a fenny ground, that it ſhould fele of no earth quakes nor opening of the earthe. The length of …t was .ccccxxv. foote, the breadth .ccxx. It had pillers an hō dreth twentie and ſeuen, dedicated of ſo many kinges. Seke the reſte oute of the epitome of the famouſe D. Ioachim Vadiane. The apoſtle S. Paul firſte illumined this citie with the …eame of the Goſpel. Whoſe epiſtle to the ſame citie remayneth, and a plentifull ſtory in the actes of the Apoſtles. After Paull was executed, Iohn went to Epheſus,Actes. 19. and from thēce preached to al Aſia: from thēce alſo was he brought to Rome …o the emperour Domitian: To Epheſus he retourned after his exile: and there at length as the eccleſiaſticall ſtories do teſtifie, he ſlepte in the Lord.
And before eueryevery epiſtle, muche more to that of the Epheſians, is ſet a commaundement, write.This ſcripture is authētike. This cōmaundement geueth authoritie to the writynge, ſo that we maye not axe, whether this writing, ought to be credited? and whie it ſhuld …e beleued? For here is the expres cōmaundement of God, …nd the diuine authoritie, whereof curiouſely to inquire is …hought not without cauſe vnlawfull. Moſes wrote by the …ommaundement of God. And by the ſame cōmaundement of God wrote alſo the prophetes and Apoſtles. Whic than are not theyr wrytinges beleued to be Anthenticall? Certes Iohn ſayed truely and wittely: he that knoweth God, hea…eth vsus: he that is not of God, heareth vsus not .1. Iohn .5. Curiouſe queſtiōs ceaſe, where the minde of the godly, or of any poore ſhepe knoweth the voice of his Lorde and Sheperde.
And let no man thinke, that this epiſtle beyng written to one Aungel, that is to a Biſhop or paſtour, apperteineth nothing to the Churche. For to the ende of the epiſtle is added an acclamation. He that hath an eare let him heare what the ſpirite ſayeth to the congregations. Therefore the paſtour is named, but ye Shepe are not excluded. All degrees & ſtates in the church know, what is ſayd vntounto them. Ignoraūce ſaieth: That which is writtē to ye Romanes, cōcerneth me nothing. Yet neuertheles it is intitled to the Aungel,The argumēt of the epiſtle to ye Epheſ. to the intēt they paſtours may be admoniſhed, what the ſtate of ye Church is.
The arg…ment of the firſte epiſtle is thus. Chriſt declareth that he ruleth ouer his church, that he taketh charge and gouernement of the ſame. Some thinge therin he prayſeth and ſomewhat he blameth: In the meane time he exhorteth to repentaūce, threatening greuouſe thinges, and promiſing moſt ioyefull. And alſo he applieth this epiſtle to al churches and cōmunicateth it to all cōgregations in the whole wor…. But the epiſtle is exhortatiue, for it inſtructeth the churches exhorteth and directeth.
And firſt in dede he ſheweth, who he is, from whome th… epiſtle procedeth, that he may geue authoritie therunto: an… maye declare alſo that he is the head of his churche, the B… ſhop, Duke and gouernour. That part is takē of the imag… ſet forth in the firſte chapter. And followeth the prophetic… maner of ſpeaking: This ſayeth he whiche holdeth the ſeu… Starres in his righthāde. For the Prophetes ſaye likewiſ… Thus ſayeth the lorde God of Iſraell, thus ſayeth the lor… of hoſtes. Thus ſayeth the Lorde, whiche brought thee out … Aegipte, &c. And two eſpeciall thinges he repeteth of the f… mer deſcription,Seuen ſtarres in the righte hande of Chriſt. wherby he wil be knowen and do vsus to v… derſtande, howe he beyng Lord and Biſhop ruleth and m… keth in his churche. Firſt he affirmeth that he holdeth in h… hand the ſeuen ſtarres. The hande is a token of working, … protection, or deliueraūce. The ſtarres we hauehave hearde to … the miniſters, & the miniſterie of the woorde, or the church Therfore Chriſt holdeth the miniſterie in the church, and … miniſters worketh the ſaluation of the faithfull. After he … firmeth that he walketh, not ſlepyng, or doyng nothing … the middes of ſeuen golden candelſtickes. In the middes … ſayed, to the ende we ſhould vnderſtand, that he geueth h… ſelfe indifferently to al men, and ruleth ouer al with like … and gouernement.To walke amongs ye Candelſtickes. Fulwel wrote herof D. Fraunces lambe… What, ſaieth he is to walke or to be in the middes of cong… gations, but to aſſiſte them, kepe, inſtructe, helpe them, … by al meanes to watche ouer them. For the whiche cauſe … ſaieth alſo in the laſt of S. Matth. Beholde I am with you … waies vntounto the worldes ende. Hereof you hauehave a moſte … figure in the lawe: wherin amonges other thinges whic… apperteined to the miniſterie of the highe prieſte, he had … charge of oyle and of ſeuen candels for thoſe muſt he pour… and ſnafte, and poure in oyle, when it wanted. So Chriſ… the highe and true Biſhop hath the charge of the ſeuen candelles, that is to ſaie, of al congregations: and is careful that they wante not that oyle, whiche is mentioned in the 44. Pſalm. He watcheth, that they wante not the fire and light of the veritie. Finally he ſnafteth and pourgeth by faithe, what thinge ſo euer hath nede to be pourged in them. Thus farre he. Whiche thinges when they heare, whiche make the Biſſhop of Rome head of the churche, It is maruell if by and by they vnderſtande not theyr folly and madnes. Here the lord addeth alſo, that he knoweth the workes to witte all bothe good and euil, aſwell of the Biſhop as of his Churche. For the Lord knoweth al thinges, and is head Biſhop of the Catholicke or vniuerſall Churche whiche alſo remembreth the thoughtes of al men in the world at one inſtaunte: who ſeeth what is donne, and what is not donne, and what thinges are nedefull, nothing eſcapeth him. And ſuche in dede ought he to be, that is head vniuerſall of his Church. And this ſentēce is repeted, I knowe thy workes, in the beginninge of eueryevery epiſtle. And verely it is full of comforte, when we heare that Chriſt knoweth all our doynges. For we beleue alſo that he hath a faithfull care of all our matters.
Now this great Biſhop cōmendeth ſome thinges in this congregation of Epheſus. For good workes in dede are allowed of Chriſt, and he praiſeth the ſame, to thende he might geue a ſpurre vntounto ſuche as runne in his waye. For firſte he alloweth the labour and patience bothe of the Biſhop and Church.Labour & patience. Labour compriſeth thought and care in the waie of God, mortifiyng of ye fleſh, ſtudy of good workes, but chiefly the croſſe & perſecution, whiche the ſtory teſtifieth to hauehave ben extreme and cruell in the time of Domitian. And excepte the perſecuted hauehave patience, they can not indure the labour. Holy patience kepeth vsus in worke and holy labour.
But leeſte that patience ſhuld be ſtretched to thoſe things wherein to be impatient is accompted prayſe worthy,Not to beare euil. he addeth the ſeconde poincte that he prayſeth in them, that thou canſt not beare euill men. And by theſe euill he meaneth not weaklings, or ſuch as erre without maliciouſnes: But ye prophet Dauid ſaieth alſo, Pſalm. 119. I hauehave hated ye wicked, thy law hauehave I loued. What we ſhuld do with the weake in the faith, or with them that erre of ignoraūce, rather than of o… ſtinate ſtubbernes, the Apoſtle hath taughte vsus in the 14. … the Romanes. The example of our Sauiour. Hath thaugh… alſo, bringing againe that ſtrayed Shepe vponupon his ſhulde… into the ſhepefolde. Therefore the lord ſpeaketh here of t… obſtinate, of the diſceauers which delight to erre thē ſelue… and to drawe others with them into errours, no Chriſtē p… tience biddeth to beare with ſuche men.
And in the woordes followyng he declareth of what ſor… thoſe euill men were. And thou haſte examined them whi… ſaye they be Apoſtles, and be not, and haſte founde them… ayrs.Of falſe apoſtles in ye time of S. Iohn. Lo he ſpeaketh of the falſe apoſtles, of whom in ſ. Ioh… time there was exceadyng great plentie. For they were … zareans mixing the lawe with grace, and attributing I… fication to the lawe and to our owne rightuouſnes. Wh… the holy and great counſell at Ieruſalem condemned, a… … pereth in the xv. chapter of the actes of the Apoſtles. S… a falſe Apoſtle was Hebion. Euſebius mentioneth in th… boke of the Eccleſiaſticall ſtory the xxvii. chapter. Here … was added Cerinthus that hereticke not Apoſtle. There … more alſo, whereof ſome denied the humanitie of Chri… ſome his deitie. Againſt whome wrote Iohn in his Goſ… and in his Epiſtle: And Ireney in the firſte boke againſt h… tickes. Theſe the Lorde denieth to be Apoſtles, or Apoſt… call: which the Apoſtles hauehave alſo denied Actes. 15. And … wiſe the Apoſtle S. Iohn in his epiſtle canonicall: who … liar, ſayeth he, but he that denieth Ieſus to be Chriſte? But if ſuche trouble were in Churches whileſt the Apoſ… were yet liuynge,Troublīg of Churches. if there were than ſo manye diſceaue… what maruell is it, thoughe in the dregges of the worlde, witte in this our laſte time, there be not a fewe ſoun… where be they nowe that wraſte diſſentions and troubles the defence of theyr errour? The Goſpellers them ſel… ſaye they are at diſſention. God is God of concorde, he… than ſhoulde I beleue that God is amonge thoſe that … ſent? So might the Sophiſters alſo hauehave reaſoned in th… … poſtles time.
And here hauehave we a pefitte waye, in what ſorte the ch… ches ſhoulde worke, whileſte troubleſome perſons like f… Apoſtles attempte to diuide the Churche a ſonder.Howe we ſhuld deale with heretickes. For ſuch ringeleaders muſte be tried and examined: And tried muſte they be after the chriſten belefe, and doctrine of the Apoſtles, and inquiſition muſte be made, whether they be Apoſtles and trewe men, or falſe Apoſtles and lyars. When we ſhall hauehave founde them to be falſe Apoſtles and liars, and that they go forewarde obſtinately in theyr wickednes, they be not to be ſuffered: as in dede the Epheſians did not vouche ſafe to beare with ſuche trompers. And we muſte know that the Paſtors ought one waye, and the Chriſten Magiſtrate another waye, and the people the thirde waye not to abide open heretikes. For the Paſtour not only beareth not with them, in diſſemblyng and takinge hede to him ſelfe of thoſe wolues, but aſſayleth them with holeſome doctrine, and re…ulſeth them from the ſhepefoldes of Chriſte: But the Magiſtrate, bicauſe he is a chriſten Magiſtrate, and by his duty alſo, not only as a priuate perſon but alſo as a Magiſtrate, …ught to ſerue Chriſte, he aught alſo with the ſwoorde of …uſtice to driue awaye poyſon from the churche, and to pu…iſhe manifeſte blaſphemies.The hatred that ye godly bear to the wicked. And the people are commaun…ed, neyther to heare them, nor receiue them, nor to hauehave …ny thinge to do with heretickes, and ſo not to abide them. They maye therfore be aſhamed of their naughtineſſe, and …retence of their peruerſe patience, which thinke it no ſhame …o maynteyne Heretickes, and to flatter the manifeſte ene…ies of Chriſte and the Churche. Pſalm. 15. He is prayſed, …hiche maketh not muche of the wicked: that is to witte, …n whoſe ſighte the wicked manne is vile. Therefore is he …ghtly blamed, who ſo euer flattereth the vngodly. And … the hatred in dede is rather agaynſte wickednes, than a…aynſte the perſon of the wicked, whiche of it ſelfe is com…aunded to be loued. The Deuil at this daye reyſeth vp the …de hereſies of Hebion, Cerinthus, and of others in Terueto a …paniarde, and in the Anabaptiſtes, Libertines, and other …onſters, ſo that the thinge it ſelfe, and the daunger ther… commaundeth vsus to watche, and to driue away the moſte …uell wolues from the holy Church of Chriſte, whiche ne…ertheleſſe do ſet forth nothing more than patience and cha…tie, for this intente verely that they might be ſpared, and might vnpuniſhed teache what they lifte againſt Chriſt, a… worke againſt his churche, yea teare it in pieces with th… wicked tethe.
But when theſe euil men are not ſuffered, but impugn… whiche ſeduce and are ſeduced,Patience & cōſtauncie in batteil. a greate conflicte arriſe… wherof againe are labours, thoughtes, carefulnes, watc… ynges, iniuries to be ſuffered for the name of Chriſt, and d… fence of the veritie. For vnleſſe we be here diligent and p… tient, the diſceauers ouer come. But herin did the churc… of the Epheſians behaue them notably wel, in ſo muche th… the Lorde nowe commendeth exceadingly the magnani… tie, patience and conſtancie of the paſtour and of his churc… For neyther ought theſe thinges to be expounded, that … ſhoulde referre them vntounto that patience, wherby euil me… are ſuffered, and permitted to procede in theyr malice a… diſceiptfulneſſe. For ſo ſhould this place ſtriue agaynſt th… thinges whiche went a little before. Whiche thinge the … mon interpretour minded as it ſemeth to hauehave eſchew… For thus he readeth, and thou haſte patience, and haſt ſuff… red, where it is in the Greke, and haſt ſuffered and haſt p… tience. He altered the order, and would not ſet, haſte ſuffer… before: but haſte patience: leſte any manne ſhoulde vnd… ſtande that they had ſuffered the falſe Apoſtles. But ſet b… fore patience and put after ſufferaunce: That we might v… derſtande that they ſuffered not euill menne, but euill wrought by euill men. So they with patience trauailed … Chriſtes name, to witte, to be mainteyned againſt naugh… hereſies. And he addeth, thou haſt not fainted, beyng wer… and broken with labours. For we are taught to ouerco… through patient conſtancie, whiche is rightly called in d… the accompliſhment of eueryevery good worke.
All and eueryevery of theſe thinges we muſte applie vntounto … and vnderſtande with what thinges we maye nowe alſo this daye pleaſe Chriſt our redemer, king and Biſhoppe, truly we walke in the ſame ſteppes, wherin we ſee the co… gregation of the Epheſians to hauehave walked.
It followeth what thing he blamed in the ſame churc… that they hauehave lefte theyr firſte louelove. What time they fir… receyued the Goſpell by S. Paul, and after by Iohn, a… other godly menne, there was ſene a great feruentnes in the wordes and dedes of the faithefull: whiche thinge maye be gathered bothe by the actes of the Apoſtles, and alſo by the epiſtle of S. Paul to the Epheſians. Thei loued God and their neighbours with a moſte feruent zeale. They burned in reforming of maners. But in proceſſe of time this heate was well couled, and they wared colder in trewe godlines. This greate miſchiefe he rebuketh in them, and as followeth deſireth to hauehave it redreſſed. And here let vsus note howe not only reuolting Idolatrie, and other great crimes are imputed to the churche, but alſo if we ſlacke any thinge in holye zeale: ſo that herof we may learne, how holy and blameles we ought to be before God. Doubtles we can not here excuſe our ſelues before the diuine maieſtie, whiche were xxx. yeres paſte more feruēter in this cōgregatiō, than we be at this daye. &c. Our lord God lighten our mindes, that we may pleaſe him. To whome be glory.