A Hundred Sermons on Revelation, Sermons · Sermon 101
¶ Punniſhment is decreed to the corrupters of this boke. The lord ſayeth, that he wil certenly come to Iudgement. The church wiſſheth for his commyng. The .Cj. Sermon.
I Teſtifie vntounto eueryevery man that heareth the words of the prophecie of this boke: if any manne ſhall adde vntounto theſe thinges, God ſhal adde vntounto him ye plages that are written in this boke. And if any man ſhal miniſh of the wordes of the booke of this Prophecie, God ſhal take away his parte out of the boke of life, and out of the holy citie, and from the thinges which are written in this boke. He which teſtifieth theſe thinges, ſayeth, be it. I come quickely: Amen. Euē ſo come lord Ieſu. The grace of our lorde Ieſu Chriſte be with you al. Amen.
13. In the .13.A penaltie for the contemners & corrupters of this boke. parte of this concluſion is decreed a paine for the contemners of this boke, but eſpecially for counterfetter or forgers, which (as D. Bibliander hath ſayde full well & godly) dare attempte to corrupte or falſefie this godly inſtrumēt, and holy charter of thempire and Biſſhopricke of Chriſt, by addyng any thing or takyng awaye, or alteryng the trewe meanyng and ſenſe thereof. This place is taken out of the common vſage of men. For Princes are wonte in thende of their writynges to eſtabliſhe the ſame agaynſt deprauers by menacinges and threatenings. Antichriſt, the Ape of our lord Chriſt, about the ende of his Bulles addeth: yf any man ſhall raſſhely preſume to go agaynſt this our cōmaundement, or malapertly to infringe the ſame, let him knowe that he ſhal incurre the indignatiō of Almightie God and the bleſſed Apoſtles Peter and Paule, and our high diſpleaſure. And likewiſe in keping of treaſures and publicke things, where daū ger is feared, they ſet on writinges and ſealyng with waxe. For the whiche cauſe verely where the Lorde was not ignoraunt that there would be ſome which wold ſeke to oppreſſe and aboliſh this boke, he ſendeth it wel Armed to all poſterities. We reade in olde Authours, that certen heretikes in the beginnyng of the church toke very muche vponupon them in corruptyng of the ſcriptures: yea and that ſome of them to hauehave reiected whole bokes of the holy Scripture. And Tertullian imputeth the ſame vntounto Marcion, whiche alſo depraued holy bokes. Howebeit through the goodnes of God it came to paſſe, that we hauehave neuertheleſſe receyued the holy bookes whole and vncorrupted. Whiche thing S. Hierome ſheweth playnely in his commentaries vponupon Eſaye the .3. booke. And Eraſmus of Roterodam in the Apologie of the newe Teſtamēt, and alſo in his Apologie agaynſt Iames Latomus. &c.
Howebeit the Lorde at this preſent doeth no newe thing,Nothing to bradde… nothing to be miniſſhed. whileſt he commaundeth that nothing ſhoulde be added, or taken awaye. For ones or twiſe he commaunded by Moſes: Thou ſhalt adde nothing to my worde, nother take frō it any thing. And Salomon in the .30. of the Prouerbes, cōmaundeth the ſame. But many maruell, and finde faulte, that he hath threatened ſo many plages to the corrupters. Whie than do not the ſame mē blame and reproue in S. Paule, that he hath in one worde compriſed as many plagues and diſpleaſures, as S. Ihon hath here recited, where he ſayde vntounto the Galath. Although I, or an Angel from heauen ſhal preach vntounto you a goſpel, other than this that we hauehave preached vntounto you, let him be an outcaſte, or accurſed. And the ſame wordes againe he doubleth & repeteth. Wherefore if they graunt that Paule hath herein ſo little offended, that he hath deſerued prayſe alſo: let them leaue blamyng of thoſe thinges, whiche are here moſte pourpoſely placed of our lord Ieſu Chriſt him ſelfe by S. Ihon in their place & time dewe. Verely Anathema (whiche worde S. Paule vſed) is he, that is cutte of from the felowſhip of al good men, deuoued to extreme punniſhement, and euen ſubiecte to all the euilles bothe of this preſent life and the life to come. Whiche thinge maye be gathered of Deuteronomie and other holy bokes.
Who adde & who take …waye.And he addeth and taketh awaye, not whiche vſeth other diuerſe, and playner wordes in expoundyng a ſentence of the reuelation: but he that putteth in any thinge contrary to the true ſenſe, and variyng from thoſe thinges which are here of the lord expreſſed: or he that taketh awaye any thing, obſcureth or peruerteth, which here the lord himſelf hath expreſely ſignified. Wherupon Thomas of Aquine: he addeth to ſayeth he, which putteth to a lie: he miniſſheth, which taketh awaye any thing of that which is written therein, or alſo in deniyng gayne ſayeth the ſame. Thus much he. Therefore this addition and ſubſtraction, conſiſteth not in wordes only but rather in ſenſe. For nother the prophetes in expoundynge the lawe at large, are thought to hauehave added any thing to God his worde: nother the Apoſtles preachyng the libertie of the goſpel, are ſaide to hauehave taken any thing away frō the lawe.
And to teſtifie,To teſtifie. is vnderunder the religion of a teſtimony to affirme any certen thing, or with a proteſtation to vrge & beate in any thing erneſtly, and euē as it were to binde the hearer, that he ſhuld certenly know that theſe thinges that are ſpokē do hāge ouer him, & that God wil plage, vnleſſe he do obey.
Concernyng the paynes or plages, which he threateneth at this preſent, is ſpokē in the .15. 16. 17. and .18. chap. &c. Likewiſe is declared before that might be here ſpoken of the boke of life, and of the holy citie. Moreouer he cōprehendeth here alſo all good thinges in like maner, whiche are promiſed in this boke to the godly and obedient ſeruauntes of God, of al the whiche thinges, the contemner, falſifier and corrupter of this boke ſhal be depriued. With how great euilles and daū gers than do they intangle themſelues, whiche would hauehave this boke vtterly ſuppreſſed, and let, that it ſhoulde not be expounded openly, and come in to the handes of al mē? agayne it is moſt certayne, that they ſhall obteyne of God all maner of bleſſing, ſo many as hauehave a good opinion, and thinke deuoutely of this boke, and wil ſet forth and commende vntounto al men the thinges that are written in the ſame to the glory of God, and ſaluation of the faithfull.
14. In the fouretenth place is ſealed,Thus ſaieth he that teſtifieth theſe thinges. and euen ſigned as it were with a ſubſcription, the authoritie of this boke. For it followeth, he ſayeth that beareth witnes of theſe thinges: or he that teſtifieth theſe thinges. For in maner all the expoſitours ſuppoſe thoſe to be Chriſtes words, as though he him ſelfe, for a confirmation had putte to the ſame, and ſayde: I Ieſus hauehave propounded al theſe thinges, and eſpecially ſuch as concerne the threatenynges agaynſte the corrupter, as a true witnes, and the ſame to be vndoubted. For Aquinas: here ſayeth he, is brought in Chriſte, affirmyng the foreſayde menacyng, and approuing al thinges that are written in this boke. But I for my parte, reſeruyng the iudgementes of others ſafe, ſuppoſe this to be the ſubſcription of S. Iohn the writer of this boke. For the Notaries, Secretaries or chauncelers of Princes are wonte at the ende of the kinges or Emperours letters or writynges, to ſubſcribe their name. And verely S. Iohn in the Hiſtorie of the Goſpell hath obſerued the ſame maner. For in the .19. chapt. he ſayeth: and he that ſawe, bare witnes, and his teſtimony is trewe. And at thende of the Hiſtorie he ſubſcribeth and ſigneth vnderneth with theſe wordes: this is that diſciple, whiche beareth witnes of theſe thinges, and wrote them, and we knowe that his teſtimony is trewe. For al the church knewe and confeſſed this. In like maner he ſemeth at this preſente to hauehave ſubſcribed theſe thinges alſo in his owne name & to hauehave ſayed. He that teſtifieth theſe thinges, ſayeth.
Chriſt cometh certeynely to Iudge.15. In the .15. place he bringeth in agayne the lorde Ieſus himſelfe ſpeakyng and promiſing that he wil certenly come to iudgement, verely to redeme and glorifie the godly, and to punniſhe the wicked. Therefore with a great aſſeueration he ſayeth, euen ſo (foreign) ſurely, and doubtles I come quickely: although I ſeme to tarye longe, and to ſome not to come at al. Neuertheleſſe yet moſte certenly, and in time doe I come: as before alſo is ſayde and declared. And the ſame thing is repeted, in maner with the ſame wordes, oftener as a thinge moſt worthie to be marked and knowen.
He annexeth immediately the fayth and wiſſhe, and great deſire of S. Iohn, and of the faythfull church, or of any godly, ſubmittyng him ſelfe to the promeſſe, and ſayeng, Amen, euen ſo, foreign. That is to ſaye, we acknoweledge it to be moſte certayne, and vndoubted, that thou promiſeſt that thou wilt come. Therfore doe we loke for thee the Iudge of the quicke and the dead: yea & praye with our inwarde bowelles, come lorde Ieſu. For els where alſo we praye dayly. Thy kingedome come. And al the godly with ſighes vnſpeakeable wiſh for the commyng of the Iudge, for glory. Whereof the Apoſtle treateth in the .8. chapter to the Romanes, and we hauehave touched the ſame matter before.
The Apoſtles bleſſing.In the laſte place of the concluſion he wiſſheth, after the Apoſtolicke maner, the grace of our Lord Ieſu Chriſte to all the hearers and readers of this boke. S. Paule in the .2. Epiſtle to the Theſſ. the .3. chapt. Thus I wryte, ſayeth he, in eueryevery Epiſtle, the grace of our lord Ieſu Chriſte be with all you. Amen. He therefore here agreeth to him ſelfe, as the Apoſtolicall ſprete doeth eueryevery where. Grace comprehendeth the whole matter of the redemption and giftes of Chriſte. He wiſſheth therefore to vsus al the bleſſyng, whiche we hauehave in Chriſt Ieſus our Lord. Whereof moſte plentifully and beſi… hath diſco…ed …he veſſel of election. S. Paule in the .1. chap. to the Epheſ… … …he lord Ieſus whiche hath reuealed to vsus theſe holy miſteries, write the ſame in our mindes, and deliuer vsus from Antichriſte, and from all euilles: and kepe vsus in the true faith and in his grace. VntoUnto him be honour and glory, prayſe and thankes geuyng, together with the father and the holy ghoſte, for euermore: Amen. Come Lorde Ieſu our redemer, and onlie Sauiour, and gloryfie them that loke for thy commyng moſte wiſſhed for, that we maye gloryfie thee for euer. Amen.
foreign.
VIVET TAMEN POST FVNERA VIRTVS
ET SI MORS, INDIES ACCELERAT
❧ IMPKINTED AT at London by Iohn Day, dwelling ouer Alderſgate, beneath Saincte Martins.
Cum gratia & priuilegio Regiae Maieſtatis, per Septennium.
Theſe bokes are to be ſold at his ſhoppe … the gate.
End of the text · Henrich Bullinger, A Hundred Sermons on Revelation (1561)