A Hundred Sermons on Revelation, Sermons · Sermon 20
¶ The Lorde blameth ſore the churche of Laodicea. The .xx. Sermon.
AND vntounto the Aungell of the congregation, which is in Laodices write: This ſaith Amen the faithfull and true witnes, the beginning of the creatures of God. I know thy workes, that thou art nother colde nor hoat: I would thou were colde or hoate. So then becauſe thou art betwene both, and nother colde nor hoate, I wyll ſpew thee out of my mouth: Becauſe thou ſayſt: I am riche and increaſed with goodes, and hauehave nede of nothīg: And knoweſt not that thou art wretched, and miſerable, poore, blinde and naked.
The ſeuenth and laſt Epiſtle of our Sauiour Chriſte,The argument of ye epiſtle to ye Laodiceās is written by the hand of S. Iohn, to the Byſhop of Laodicea. The ſame is a great reproche of that people, in nothing commendable: And neuertheleſſe a faithfull admonition or exhortation to repentaunce. And after his accuſtomed maner, he ſignifieth to whome he wryteth, and from whom the Epiſtle procedeth. The Epiſtle is indited of Chriſt to the Byſhop of Laodicea, and to the whole congregation. Therfore ſome thing is to be ſaid of the Laodiceans, wherby the reſte may the better be vnderſtande and conſidered.
Laodicea the chiefe citie of Caria, after Strabo & Plinie, ſtandeth by the riuer of Lycus. Antiochus Theos, Laodicea.builded the citie, and named it after his wyfe. It was the welthieſt citie of Aſia: Whiche Vadiane alſo hath noted in his Epitome. It had by makynge of wollen clothe a moſte plentifull gayne. VntoUnto whome S. Paule ſemeth alſo to hauehave preached the goſpel. For he mentioneth of Laodicea, from whence alſo ſome men thinke he wrote the firſt Epiſtle vntounto Timothee.Coloſ. 4 Certenly it appereth that the Laodiceās had receiued the goſpel, euen by this Epiſtle, but corruptely. For they went about to matche the worlde and the churche together, and to ioyne together Chriſt and Mammon: And as it is ſayd at this daye.
The ſinne of the Laodiceans.Therfore they layd not aſide their auarice, and their immoderate trafficke (to vſe moderatly the trade of marchaundiſe without diſceptfulnes, no religion doeth forbid) and exceading great riot and pride, neyther ſemed they to wante any thing, but to hauehave and ſeme to hauehave all thinges, for that they were riche. Againſt theſe mē the Lord inueigheth greuouſly, declaring them to be very miſerable, and more than nedy & plaine beggars. For as in the churche of Philadelphia he blamed nothing, ſo in this he commendeth nothing at all.
Laodicea a figure of many churches at this day.You ſhall finde at this daie many lyke, to whome this is common and euer in their mouth: I hauehave learned both to be a goſpeller, and to be a ſouldiour, to drinke, to play the whoremonger, and liue at pleaſure. You ſhall finde like churches, ſeruing both Chriſt and Mammon, or marchaundiſe, Bacchus, Venus, and God of battel. Both they and al theſe here are confuted, and are called to repentaunce. Which argueth, that the mercy of God is greateſt, not forſaking nor reiecting ſo corrupt churches, and men full of ſo great filthines.
Wo be to them that cōtemne this vnmeaſurable mercy and goodnes of God and long ſuffering, and continewe in their miſchiefe.
The deſcription of Chriſt.Chriſt is here againe moſt plentifully deſcribed, who he is as in the fourmer titles. Certes it may be gathered of al that this is the beſt and moſte perfit deſcription of Chriſt, that there is no nede to begge of any other, to witte of humane matters. He ſetteth forth him ſelfe with a new name, and calleth him, Ho amen, that Amen. That ſame is an Hebrewe worde, and moſt commonly vſed in the Euangeliſtes, eſpecially in Iohn, S. Paul in the .ii. to the Corinthians the firſt Chapt. Chriſt the ſonne of God, ſaith he, which by vsus is preached amonges you, by me & by Syluanus & Timothee was not yea and nay, but in him it was yea. For all the promeſſes of God are in hym yea, and in him are amen to the praiſe of God by vsus. &c. But the Lorde expoundeth him ſelfe, why he called hym ſelfe that Amen. For I am, ſayth he, that witneſſe, I meane that truſtie or faythfull or conſtant and true. For Chriſt is geuen vsus of the father, that he ſhould teſtifie of the will of God the father. And his teſtimony, as he hym ſelfe repeteth oftener than once in the Goſpell of S. Iohn, is firme, conſtant, ſure, certain & true, hauing no falſetie, doubtfulnes, nor inconſtancie. And theſe thinges accorde right wel to this argument, wherin he reproueth the Laodicians of ſinne, and exhorteth them to repentaunce. It is a greuous matter for the fleſh to heare ſuche a doctrine: but where the certentie, aſſurednes, or veritie of the teacher is perceiued, it will commonly moue mens myndes if they be not altogether abiect and deſperate.
He addeth moreouer an other thing,The beginning of the creatures of God. whiche declareth his dignitie. For he calleth him ſelfe the beginning of the creatures of God. Neyther ought the Arrians to ſeke here any defence for them ſelues. For neyther is it mete by any one place, muche leſſe by a litle worde, to ſubuerte the whole ſcripture, & to ſtriue with the articles of the crede, the liuely tradition of the Apoſtles. Our ſauiour Chriſt is conſidered after his deitie and after his humanitie. After his deitie, he hath no beginning, but is rather the beginning (actiuely as it is commonly ſayd, not paſſiuely of all thinges and creatures. Neyther is he a creature: For al thinges ar made by him. Which thing both the Euangelicall & Apoſtolicall ſcriptures proue Iohn. 1. Coloſ. 1. and the Hebr. 1. where thou haſt places expoſitours of this ſame one. After his humanitie he is called the beginning of the creature of God (namely man, whiche is called a creature by reaſon of his excellencie, and for that he is the Lorde of creatures, for whome all thinges were made) as he is called the firſt begotten of the dead. For in Chriſte mankynde is repared, that it hath not periſhed: God loked vponupon the coūtenaunce of his Chriſt, when he firſt made mā. For Chriſt is the beginning, that is to ſay, the preſeruer of ye humane nature: As it hath els where bene told you at large. Hitherto we hauehave had the deſcription of Chriſt, which is called Amen, & the beginning of the creature of God, by whom verely all thinges are made, which is very & true God, witneſſe of the diuine will of God. &c.
Now he telleth the churche what opinion he hath of her, & what ſhe is, that is to ſay blameth her. And as he hath beaten in to all the fourmer, that he knewe all their workes: ſo doth he to this alſo. And firſt he ſheweth, that he knoweth this of the churche of Laodicea, and eſpecially of the Byſhop therof that he is neither colde, nor hote. He addeth, foreign, I woulde it were better, if thou were altogether colde, or throughly hote: But now thou arte lewke warme, or bloud warme. An Allegorie taken of mens meate, or of colde, hote, or warme water, and it is in a maner applied prouerbially. He is colde, that openly followeth the worlde,Colde. beyng wrapped in heathenniſſhe errours and ſynnes of this worlde, he boaſteth no thyng, or wyll ſeme to hauehave any thing to doe with the true Religion.Hote. He is hote, whoſe breſte inflameth with the holy ghoſt, contemneth the worlde, loueth the trewe Religion exceadingly, and lyueth an holy lyfe. He is warme or betwene both,Warme or betwene both. whiche hath neyther forſaken the worlde, his errours, and ſynnes, nor hath fully receyued Chriſte, his veritie and rightuouſnes, but ſerueth partely the worlde, partly Chriſt: In outwarde thynges he ſheweth hym ſelfe to be a Chriſtian, in reſorting to holy aſſemblees, and receiuing the Sacramentes, but inwardly he is ſo beſeged of the worlde, that he lyueth a worldly lyfe, rather than a Chriſtian. Suche a mixture the Lorde alloweth not,Luke. 5 whiche els where forbiddeth to plowe with an Oxe and an Aſſe, and to make a garment of linen and wollen: To poure newe wyne into olde bottels, & to patche an olde garment with newe cloth.
A mixture and compoſitiō of corrupt and whole.In Religions and rytes that lightnes and mixture can be leſſe allowed of God. For you ſhall hauehave, that wyll temper together ſondry Religions, and of many compile ſome one. Mahomet compoſed his Religion of the Iewyſhe and chriſtian Religion. Many at this day make an hogepotche of papiſtrie and the Goſpell, or bake a chuchurnullis as the Germaines call a cake of ſondry graynes. If a Papiſte ſee this kynde of ſeruice, he knoweth it not for his: And if the Goſpeler ſee it, he knoweth it for none of his. For it is a mixture of whole and corrupte, where the ſound part hath no more ſtrengthe, the corrupte for the moſte part hath the greater. Of ſuche ſorte are the maſſes that are vſed at this day of many, neither altogether Papiſticall, nor yet wholy Euangelicall. For the Lordes ſupper appereth not in them: The Popiſhe maſſe alſo is cut of and altered in the ſame. If we beleue that Chriſt ſet forth the beſt rule of Religion and lyuinge, why followe we not that ſame only Maiſter? But we ſet more by the fauour of men, whiche in no wyſe we will loſe. For we ſet not ſo muche by the fauour of Chriſte, as to call that ſaying of the Apoſtle to memory, if I ſhould pleaſe men I ſhould not be Chriſtes ſeruaunt.
But heare what the Lorde ſaith to theſe mungerelles.Galat. 1 It were better, ſaith he, thou were eyther colde or hote. It were better thou were a ſynner or an heathen, than an Hipocrite, and a mongerell. For ſo mighteſt thou be more eaſely holpē, according to that ſaying of the Lorde, If you were blinde, ye ſhould hauehave no ſinne.Iohn. 9. Nowe where ye ſeme to your ſelues iuſt and ſufficiently taught and furniſhed with Godly rites and cultes that pleaſe God, you leaue no place to further inſtruction, but contemning the worde of God, and Chriſtes inſtitution, ye preferre your mixtures before all the iuſtifications of God. The Lorde alſo in the Goſpell ſayth vntounto the Pharyſeis: Amen I ſaye vntounto you, that Publicanes and cō mon harlottes go before you into the kyngdome of God.Math. 12
The other membre is playne enough, that it were better they were hote, namely with the ſpirite of God, whiche thing the Apoſtle requireth in the .xii. Chapt. to the Romains.
Furthermore he threatneth to plage them, if they continue, as they hauehave begōne to be newters: foreign.The Lord ſpeweth out ye newters. I wil ſpewe thee out of my mouth. By the whiche maner of ſpeaking two thinges are ſignified: Both the lothſomes whiche God conceaueth of this newtralitie or warmnes: And the vomiting out, which puniſheth ye ſame. warm water prouoketh a vomite. Wherūto he appereth to hauehave alluded, as likewiſe to that olde phraſe of ſpeaking, the lande hath vomyted the Chananites, and the ſame ſhall vomite vp you alſo. Therfore theſe compoſers or mongerelles with their temperature and mixture doe ſo diſpleaſe God, that they ingender in hym a lothſomnes, be vntounto hym an abhomination, that finally he ſhaketh them of, the ſame we vnderſtande of them that ioine together Chriſt and Mammon. And the phraſe of ſpeache is to be noted, foreign now therfore, or ſo foraſmuche as, or now ſeing it is ſo, &c. Moreouer the longaminitie, or longe ſuffering of God is here noted, whiche plageth not immediatly, vnleſſe there appere nowher any hope of amēdemēt.
Vnhappy ryches.He expoundeth more fully the ſinne of the Laodiceans, & what is the cauſe of their tepiditie: Becauſe they louelove riches, wherin they truſte, ſuppoſing them ſelues to want nothing: They thinke them ſelues to be wiſe, and to ſe all thinges, & to be ſufficiētly furniſhed with thinges ſpiritual and temporal. It is leſſe, wher they ſay, we are riche. More that followeth, I am increaſed with goodes: That is to ſay, I hauehave gotten ſo muche richeſſe, that I want nothing.
A great rebuke.That ſame he now confuteth, and ſheweth that they are vtterly diſceiued, and to be miſerable people. For he rebuketh them greuouſly, and ſayth, thou knoweſt not that thou arte ſuche, as thou art. That ignoraunce, is a great euill, and the beginning of deſperate blindnes, when a man thinketh to hauehave, that he hath not. For ſuch perſeuer in their errour, and admit no counſellour. Therfore ſaith the Lord, thou knoweſt not that thou art foreign miſerable, wretched, weried and worne with euils. For they are toyled with many labours, that ſerue this worlde. foreign miſerable. Thou ſeeſt not thyne owne miſerie: Others that ſe, are ful ſory. Thou ſeeſt not in what caſe thou art. This kynd of ſpeach ſignifieth a mā very wretched and deſperate, whoſe miſerie others ſee, but he him ſelfe ſeeth nothing, foreign poore or a begger. Thou thinkeſt thy ſelfe very riche, but thou art a ſtarke begger. Couetouſe riche men, are poore: They are poore alſo in vertues. The people of Laodicea were blynde, as the Phariſeis were called blynde in the .ix. of Iohn. Well ſighted in wordly matters, in heauēly blynde as betels. Naked, or deſtitute of good workes. Voyde of thy wedding garment. They notwithſtanding were rychely arayed with garmentes of moſt fiue wolle. But before God thei appered naked. Let the gallauntes of this worlde, or proude pecockes rather, ſo well eyed, and gorgeouſly appareled, marke theſe thinges wel. The Lorde geue them vnderſtanding.