A Hundred Sermons on Revelation, Sermons · Sermon 86
¶ The deſcription of the iudgement, wherin punniſhment is taken of Antichriſtians and vngodly. The .lxxxvi. Sermon.
AND I ſawe an Angel ſtand in the Sunne, and he cryed with a loude voyce, ſayeng to al the foules that fly by the mids vnderunder the heauen: come & gather your ſelues together vntounto the ſupper of ye great God, that you may eate the fleſh of Kyngs, and of high captaynes, and the fleſh of mightie men, and the fleſh of horſes, and of them that ſit on them, and the fleſhe of all free men, and bonde men, both of ſmall and great. And I ſaw the beaſt and the Kinges of the Earth, and their warriours gathered together, to wage battayle againſt him that ſat on ye horſe, and againſte his ſoldiours. And the beaſt was taken, and with him that falſe prophete, that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceaued them, that receyued the beaſtes marke, and them yt worſhypped his Image. Theſe bothe were caſt quicke in to a pond of fyre burnyng with brimſtone: and the remnaūt wer ſlayne with the ſworde of him that ſat on the horſe, which ſword proceded out of his mouth, and all the fowles were fylled with their fleſh.
¶ The deſcriptiō of the Iudgemente, and pūnyſhmēt of ye wickedImmediatly after the deſcription of the Iudge, and a certen lyuely picture, a deſcription no leſſe euident foloweth of the iudgement: that is to ſay, howe Chriſte hauing vanquiſſhed his enemies, committeth them to perpetuall tourmēts. And the Apoſtle vſeth a prepheticall phraſe and eloquence. For by a fyguratiue ſpeach, al foules are called to the ſlaughter and feaſte, that they mighte be filled with the fleſhe of the ſlaine. And firſt an alluſion is made of ſuch as ſley wares and prepare a feaſte, whereunto they may call their frendes, and make them chere. Againe an alluſion is made, to the murther and ſlaughter of enemies, whereof wylde beaſtes and rauening foules are fylled. Nother is there any thyng hereby ſignified, but Chriſt ſhall ouerthrowe all the vngodly, and take puniſhmente of the ſame. Before was ſette forth a ſupper for the godly, wherewith they are refreſſhed and fulfilled. Nowe is prepared a feaſt of the ſolemne ſlaughter, whereby the vngodly receyue no commoditie, nother are they ſatiſfied, but rather are ſlayne and deuoured, that is to ſay periſh. For no man wyll imagine, that the wicked ſhall be ouerthrowen at ones, and after weried of wylde beaſtes, and gnawen of foules, and ſo all punniſhment to make an end to gether. For ſo ſhoulde their payne ſeme to be none at all. But by temporal parables, eternall thinges are fygured. Theſe are taken oute of the Prophetes, namely oute of the .66. chapter of Eſaye, and the .39. of Ezech. where are red in a maner ye ſame wordes what time he couereth & wrappeth the vngodly with calamities, I meane warres, and deſtructions, and with other tormentes as it were killeth them: but chiefely, when at the laſte iudgement he committeth them to paynes euerlaſtyng.
And this ſlaughter is declared of the Angel,An Angell ſtādyng in the ſunne. ſtāding in the ſunne, & criyng with a lowde voice. Wherby is ſignified, that the daie of iudgement ſhal be ſolemnely proclamed with trō pettes, & ſhal be a notable daye. That no man can be ignorāt herein, but that al thinges herof ſhal be hearde of al mē. And therfore he crieth with a lowde and an audible voice. And he calleth to gether, as it is in Ezechiel, the birdes and foules to deuoure kinges, and men of al ſtates, age, and ſexe: that is to ſaye, that all theſe muſte be called together, to ſuffer eternall punniſhement and deſtructiō. Therfore he reciteth dilligently kinges, chiefe captaynes, ſtronge men, and of all ſortes, to witte the perſecutours of Chriſt, Antichriſtians, vngodly, cō temners, and impenitent perſones.
Here is ſhewed the cauſe of the damnation and deſtructiō of the vngodly, whileſt their enterpriſe, indeuour,The cauſe of damnation, reſiſting of the trewth. & attempte is ſhewed. Thei are now aſſembled to fight a battaile againſt Chriſte, and his electe, that is agaynſt the churche, who? the beaſte, the Kinges of the Earth, and their Armies, Captaynes and Soldiers, fightyng both ſpiritually and corporally. And here nedeth no longe commentary. Reade the ſtories of the churche for the ſpace of theſe fiue hondreth yeres. And ſee what is done at this daye of Popes, Biſſhoppes, and Princes, and of theyr coūſellers and miniſters. Parliamentes are called, in them are blouddy decrees and lawes made agaynſt the goſpellers. And a greuouſe perſecutiō attempted agaynſt the Goſpel and churche. The ſpirituall fathers cluſter together, they conſulte, and crie out, that there muſte a counſull be called. Wherefore I praye you? to the intente that newe doctrine (as they calle it) of the Goſpell, maye be cutte vp, rooted out, and plucked vp by the rootes. And therfore they ſtande alwayes ready to fighte, are many times aſſembled againſt God & his annoincted, to fight with the lord Chriſt, and with his choſen. Nowe a dayes yf at any time peace be concluded, and the moſte blouddy warres of Princes taken vp, other in the compoſition of peace, or immediately after, conſultations are had, how to oppreſſe the godly. But there is no other kinde of ſinne more heynouſe, than to impugne the veritie of the Goſpell. And therefore is this the chiefeſte cauſe of the condemnation of the wicked at the ſame daye. It is accompted at this daye emonges the chiefeſt vertues of Princes, if a Prince will geue no place to the preachyng of the goſpel, but the ſame ſhut out, wil defende and maineteine the church of Rome, with thoſe doctrines, rites, and ceremonies falſely called olde. Suche are called right & good catholickes, moſt chriſten, and defenders of the fayth.
The beaſte is taken.But nowe is their damnation, and the maner thereof annexed. And the beaſt is taken. And he ſpeaketh of theſe notorious offenders foreign, as it were takē with the maner, and taken in dede beyonde their expectation. For in the middes of their enterpriſe are they intercepted, whileſt they be yet in great hope, & thinke verely to bring many thinges to paſſe agaynſt Chriſt and his church, then in the ſelfe heate and wickednes of impugninges and perſecution they ſhalbe comprehended. Whereupon alſo this is manifeſt, that perſecutiō & impugning of the veritie ſhal perſeuer to the worldes ende. But who ſhal be taken? the beaſt and the falſe prophet, which wrought miracles. Touchyng theſe thinges, ſee what is ſayde about the ende of the .13. chapt. The cauſe of eternall damnation is agayne here placed. For he hath ſeduced the worlde by his inchauntementes and crafty iuggelynges, by his decrees and commaundementes. Whereof I hauehave ſpoken before oftener than ones, as alſo in the .17. chapt. &c. The fellowſhip alſo of his condemnation is adioyned: ſo many as hauehave receyued the marke of the beaſte, and hauehave worſhipped the beaſt. Wherof we wil now repete nothing. Theſe things are declared in the .13. chapt. And albeit nothing can or ought to be proued by the pictures: yet is it neuertheleſſe certayne, that Paynters hauehave borrowed hereof thoſe their olde payntinges of the laſte iudgement.
For we ſee the olde pictures of the laſte iudgement, painted an hondreth yeres ſins and more, to repreſent and exhibite to vsus a great rabble of Prieſtes, Monkes, and Freres, and al maner of ſpirituall fathers: but chiefely the ghoſtes of kinges and Popes, whiche are hurried to helle, and burne in the botome thereof with fire euerlaſtyng. Whereupon it is ſayde, that there go mo prieſtes thā plowmē to the deuel, &c.
Furthermore the damnation it ſelf, and maner of tormēt,A lake of fire burning with brimſtone. or the torment it ſelfe ſhal be fire. For S. Iohn ſayeth: theſe two are caſt quicke into a ponde, burnyng with brymſtone foreign into a lake or ſtāding water as be in fenne coūtries, for ſuch is the deſcription of helle, and of thextreme punniſhmēt, as is alſo deſcribed with Eſaye in the .30. cha. Tophet was longe ſins prepared, the ſame is alſo prepared for the kynge, whiche he hath made bothe wide and depe, the inwarde parlour therof is fire, great ſtore of wood, which the blaſte of the lord, or ſtreame of ſulphur ſetteth on fire. Not muche vnlike things are red in the .66. chapt. & in the goſpel of Ieſu Chriſt. Marke the .9. Matth. .25. and in other places in maner infinite. And the plague of Sodome is knowē to all men, Geneſ. 19. The laughynges therefore of the vngodly ſknorners diſpiſed, the godly had rather beleue theſe thinges, than to proue them. For here is helle ſet open as it were for vsus to loke into it. Let vsus feare.
And two here are ſingularly named.Theſe two are caſt into ye ponde. For ſins they hauehave ben authours of all euilles, of right they muſte be chiefe in paines or tormentes. For the wiſe man alſo hath ſayde, terriblely, and ſodēly wil he appere vntounto you, for it ſhal be a moſt harde iudgement to thē that beare rule:Sapiēt. …. and the mightie ſhal ſuffer mightie tormentes. For the Scripture alſo ſheweth in an other place, that there be degrees of punniſhement, after the qualitie of the crime. And let vsus not thinke here that the head is punniſhed with out the membres. For the whole body of Antichriſt ſhalbe condemned to tormentes. Al vngodly ſhal be punniſhed, as hereafter ſhal be more plainely, and in the ende of the .20. chapt. declared.
But that ſame is alſo eſpecially to be noted,They are caſte into the po… quicke. that it is ſaide howe they ſhal be caſte quicke into helle. For ſo is ſignified the reſurrectiō of the dead. Here is ſignified, that in the iudgement the world yet remayning ſhal be taken in the fleſh, not as yet dead but liuyng: whiche S. Paule expreſſeth liuely .1. Theſſal. 4. And we pronounce openly in the crede, ſaying: frō thēce he ſhal come to iudge the quicke and the dead: not only the iuſt and vniuſte, but the dead, to witte remaynyng in the fleſh, and liuyng. Antichriſt therefore ſhall liue at the daye… iudgemēt, & ſhal not be extinguiſhed before. The perſecution of Antichriſt ſhal indure, with all vngodlines, euen to the laſt daye. And like as Chore, Dathan, and Abyron, and the reſte of the conſpiratours, were taken in the very crime of rebellion, and ſwallowed vp quicke with their tabernacles, and all their thinges of the Earth openyng: ſo at the daye of iudgement Helle gapyng wide ſhall receyue and ſwallowe vp all the vngodly, but chiefely the Antichriſtians. The which many now beleue not, but in that daye ſhall ſo finde it with vnſpeakeable paynes, and horrour incredible, and al we ſhal ſee it with theſe our eyes. EueryEvery one putteth truſte in his owne ſecte, and hopeth to obteyne ſaluatiō in his ſuperſtition. But the thinges that we here at this preſente, are tolde vsus of the iudge him ſelf Chriſt, as moſt certayne and vndoubted, and after a ſorte are ſet forth to beholde.
And the rē uaunt are ſlaine with ye ſworde.And what ſhall be done at that iudgemente with the reſidewe of the vngodly, and impenitent? ſhall the Antichriſtians only be damned for Antichriſtianiſme? S. Iohn addeth: and the remnaunt are ſlayne with the ſworde, &c. For in the 25. of Matth. is pronounced by the mouth of the iudge: go into fire euerlaſtyng, prepared for the deuill and his Angelles. For I was hōgrie, and ye gaue me no meate, & ſo forth. For if they be to be damned by the iuſte iudgemēt of God, which when they might hauehave done good to men, hauehave not done it: what I praye thee ſhal come of them, whiche not only hauehave ſhewed no liberalitie to the nedy: but hauehave moreouer ſpoiled ſuche as had honeſtly and were liberall, of their goodes: and they afterwardes hauehave ſpent the ſame in liuyng riottouſely: and ſo hauehave brought them that were of honeſt ſubſtaūce into extreme miſerie: and by this meane hauehave robbed the pore alſo, which were wont to be holpen through their liberalitie, of their helpe & ſuccour? here are alſo comprehended, heretikes, Iewes, Gentiles, Mahometiſtes, and all other like.
¶ And all foules are filled.At thende is repeted, that all foules are filled with the fleſh of the damned. The whiche we vnderſtande to be repeted by a figuratiue ſpeache: and yet not to be expounded after the lettre, but by that maner of ſpeakyng to be ſignified, that all vngodly and impenitent perſones ſhal be punniſſhed moſte aboundantly. Primaſius expoundyng this place: we ought not, ſayeth he, to vnderſtande it ſo carnally, that we ſhoulde beleue the Sainctes (for by birdes, he expoundeth Sainctes) to be ſatiated with the fleſh of the wicked: but the equitie of Gods iudgement beyng to the Sainctes reuealed, by the which redemyng the ful nomber of the choſen, the reſidewe he hath decreed to be damned, they are ſaide to be filled with this knoweledge of rightuouſenes, whiche in this life a man maye honger or thirſte fore, but not perfitly comprehende. And Eſaye alſo ſpeaking of the vngodly: and thei ſhal be, ſayeth he, for the fulnes of ſight vntounto al fleſhe, here I ſuppoſe to be ſet the foreſayde fulnes of ſoules. And by and by: and the foules maye be taken in the euill parte, for the Angelles that tranſgreſſed, whiche after they hauehave brought their followers to deſtruction, their euil deſire accompliſſhed, they are ſayde to be filled with the fleſhe of the condemned, takyng ſatietie of their damnation, vntounto whome they were Authours of errours. Thus muche Primaſius. But for my parte, as I doe not miſlyke theſe things, which are doubtles ſpoken truely, ſo thinke I that the ſame are not to be ſifted ſo nere, whiche ſpoken figuratiuely, and after the propheticall imitatiō, ſeme to intimate no other thynge, but (as I ſayde a little before) that all the vngodly ſhould be diſtroyed, by the great power of God, and extreme tormentes. Therfore let vsus feare God, to whom alone be glory.