A Hundred Sermons on Revelation, Sermons · Sermon 14
¶ That the doctrine of pitie is ſo fully ſ… forth to the churche, that there nedeth no newe Reuelations. And of the moſte large promeſſes of Chriſt made vntounto the churche. The .xiiij. Sermon.
ANd to you I ſay, and to others that be of Thiatira: Who ſo euer hauehave not this doctrine, and whiche hauehave not knowen the depenes of Sathan, as they ſay, I will put vponupon you none other burthen, but that whiche ye hauehave already: Holde faſt till I come. And whoſoeuer ouercometh and kepeth my workes vntounto the ende, to him wil I geue power ouer nations, and he ſhall rule them with a rod of Iron: And as the veſſels of a potter ſhall he breake thē to ſheuers. Euen as I receiued of my father, ſo wyll I geue hym the morning ſtarre. Let hym that hath eares, heare what the ſpirite ſaieth to the congregations.
He ſpeaketh here now to the Cataphrygians,The great mercy of God. and alſo to the faithfull of the churche of Thyatira that beleued rightly in Chriſt, and healeth their diſeaſes. Wherin appeareth the vnſpeakeable mercy of God, whiche ceaſeth not to ſpeake vntounto ſuche as are yet intangled with hereſie, and to heale their peſtiferous diſeaſes. And he admoniſheth all men, that thei loke for no new reuelations, but know rather that God hath through Chriſt and his Apoſtles ſet forth a moſte perfit doctrine, wherunto he wyll adde nothing: And therfore that they kepe faſte in memory ſuche thynges as they had learned already, and wherin they were nowe exerciſed.A new holy ghoſt and a new reuelation. For the Cataphrigians, called alſo Montaniſtes, bragged of a newe comforter, and a newe reuelation: As though al things had not ben fully ſet forth by the Apoſtles, but that many thynges were lefte as yet to be reuealed of them. As alſo at this day the maynteiners of the Popiſhe churche moſt ſtifly do affirme. And lyke as the Cataphrygians couered their trifles vnderunder the pretence of the holy ghoſt: So do the Papiſtes lykewyſe cloake the vayne conſtitutions of men, and ſet thē forth vnderunder a falſe colour of the holy ghoſt. As though the Lorde ſpake of their decrees, when he ſayd: I hauehave yet many thinges to ſay vntounto you, which now ye can not beare. Neuertheleſſe the faithful people of Thyatira, which had not the doctrine of Iezabell, but rather deteſted it, notwithſtanding as doubtfull, ſaid, that the Deuil was a certen depenes, and had a thouſand craftes, which could alſo tranſforme him into an aungel of light: And that they were but ſimple men, who being ignoraunt of theſe his wonderful craftes and ſubtilties, knew not what they might chiefly follow, whileſt the falſe Prophetes alſo make their boaſt of the holy ghoſt, and ſhine in miracles, and with great cōſtancie auouch their doctrine to be true. Ye ſhal finde at this day which wil ſay, I am a plaine ſimple man, & know not whether part I ſhuld cleaue to, ſince the doctours of both partes affirme with great cōſtā cie that they hauehave the truth on their ſide, & therfore will ſome ſay, thei ſhal agre better or euer I wil beleue any of thē al. &c.
What this in ye diuerſitie of opinions the godly ſhuld followe.The Lord therfore anſwering to both, ſheweth what they ſhould do: To you, ſaith he, I ſay that follow the doctrine of Iezabel, I ſay alſo to the reſt of the Thyatiremās, that follow not the Iezabeliſme, yet neuertheleſſe complaine in ſuch diſſentions, and wonderful craftes of the deuill, that they ſe not what is beſt: To you all I ſay, if ye be ſimple in dede, as you pretende, if ye will with al your harte imbrace the truth, geue your ſelues to ye ſimplicitie Apoſtolical, cleauing faſt to ſuche thinges as you hauehave once learned of the Apoſtles, neither loking for nor receiuing any new religions, or additions, conſtitucions or any other thing moreouer, than that you hauehave learned of the Apoſtles. For theſe thinges whiche you hauehave receiued are ſufficient to obteine ſaluation.
The Lord layth none other burthen vponupon the churchAnd theſe wordes of the Lord muſt be wayed more dilligently, to the ende we may perceiue the great fruicte that is in thē foreign: that is I wil lay vponupon you none other weight or burthē, beſides this that you hauehave. The Lord affirmeth that he wil adde nothing more to ye doctrine euangelical ſet forth by ye Apoſtles, as to that which is moſt perfit. Certes if the doctrine of Moiſes were ſo perfit, that the Lord him ſelf did prohibite, that no mā ſhuld adde or take away any thing frō the ſame, but only ſhuld doe that which was cōmaunded, as we reade in the .4. and .12. Chap. of Deut. Who would doubt that there ſhould wante any thing in the doctrine of Chriſt the ſonne of God? He therfore now affirmeth, that he wil lay nothing vponupon them, more then he had laid, and the which they beare at that time.
What burthen is.A burthen in the ſermons of the Prophets is takē for doctrine of graue & weightie matters. The Apoſtles alſo call the lawe a yocke & burthen. Where therfore ye Lord ſaith yt he wil not lay vponupon the church any other burthen, he ſaith howe he will not reueale any other doctrine, nor further charge thē, wt other rites or ceremonies, than ſuch as he had ordeined & impoſed already. And with theſe wordes of Chriſt accord thoſe things very wel, which are red in thapoſtles epiſtle Sinodical Act .xv. For by the cōmon conſent of the congregation, & after the minde of the holy ghoſt, they ſay they wil impoſe nothing moreouer vpō the church, thā ſuch things as they had receiued already of S. Paul, & a few things yt they added for a declaratiō of ye ſame. Wherupō S. Paul ſaid to the Galath. If an angel from heauen preache vntounto you an other Goſpel, beſides that which is preached, let him be accurſed.
What than? foreign holde faſt,The doctrine of chriſt is perpetuall. namely yt which you hauehave receiued, ſuffering it not to be plucte out of your hādes: Hold faſt I ſay, with touth & nayle, til I come: yt is to ſay vntounto ye laſt iudgemēt. Therfore he teſtifieth expreſly, that this doctrine ſhalbe perpetual, & vnchangeable, & therfor to be kept moſt ſtifly of al mē, & not to be ſhrōke frō, though al the world crie out, & perſwade the cōtrary. Aretas Biſh. of Ceſaria He required of thē nothing els, ſaith he, but that thei wold kepe ſafely the godly pledge of faith vntil his coming. This if we ſhal do, we may eaſely eſchew the craftes of the deuil, & diſceauable cloudes. For whatſoeuer they ſhall bringe forth, whatſoeuer they ſhal forge & faine, or die with the coū terfeited colour of ye holi ghoſt, we ſhal hauehave always recours to ye ſimple doctrine of Chriſt ſet forth by thapoſtles, wherin alone we ſhal reſt, reiecting althīgs yt ſhal not acerd wt ye ſame.
And this holſome doctrine of Chriſt confoundeth al traditions,Againſt the tradi…ions of men. & ſubuerteth al conſtinitiōs made ſince the time of the Apoſtles. The godly may always obiect this ſayin of Chriſt to ye traditioners. I wil lay none other burthē vpō you, beſides yt you hauehave: That ſame hold faſt vntill ye laſt iudgement. They ſhal alledge that ſame alſo, that the Apoſtles deny that they will adde nothing more. Act. 15. Chriſt ſpake this in the tyme of S. Iohn, in the yeare of our Lord .lxxxxvii. Therfore what ſo euer lawes, traditiōs, decrees hauehave bene made ſince that time, we know they were not impoſed of Chriſt, which ſaith ſo expreſſely that he will lay none other burthen on the faithfull. Where then become the decrees and conſtitutions of worſhipping Images in the churche, for the conſecration and celebrating of maſſes. What ſhall we ſay to the decretalles of the Byſhop of Rome? They are all ouerthrowen and ſtricken downe as it were with a thonderbolte, by this only ſentence of Chriſt. I wil impoſe none other burthen, thē that you hauehave, kepe that vntill the iudgement. Beholde, he ſayth, vntounto the iudgement leaſt any ſhoulde imagine in the meane ſeaſon, that another thing had pleaſed the holy ghoſt. Let vsus therfore perſeuer in the ſame.
Moſt large promeſſes.Hereunto he annexeth after his wonted maner moſt ample promeſſes, yt through hope of ſo great rewardes he might pluck them from errours, & ioine them to the true religion. And like as in the fourmer epiſtles he hath ſaid, he that ouercometh, ſo here he repeteth the ſame, admoniſhing vsus not to ſlepe but to watche, & fight māfully. And he ouercometh that kepeth the workes of Chriſt vntounto the ende. The workes of Chriſt by a priuie oppoſition are ſet againſt the inuentions & workes of men.The workes of Chriſt. The workes of Chriſt fignifie both doctrine and faith, and whatſoeuer good workes inſew vponupon the ſame the ſeruice of worſhipping of God, & the obſeruatiō of Gods word. For in the .28. chap. of S. Math. The Lorde ſaith to his diſciples, teace you them to kepe thoſe thinges which I hauehave commaunded you. He ſpeaketh with an emphaſie, whiche I hauehave commaunded you, not ſuch as you ſhall hauehave inuented of your own braine. For the Lord alledgeth out of the Propheth in the .xv. of the ſame S. Math. ſaiyng: In vaine do thei worſhip me, teaching the doctrines of men. Therfore theſe workes hauehave no promeſſe: But the workes of Chriſt, whiche he him ſelfe hath ordeined, & the which are done of his ſpirit, and of true faith, whileſt we forſake our errours & cleaue to the truth, they hauehave a promeſſe moſte ample.
The victory of the h…ad Chriſt and his mē bres.And promiſeth two notable thinges. The firſt: lyke as my father hath promyſed me victory, and perfourmed it, that I ouercome all my ennemies, and triumphed ouer them, the ſame being brokē in pieces lyke veſſels of clay or earth with out any difficultie, ſo wyll I geue vntounto you alſo power and victory againſt all vngodly. And that ſame promeſſe at ye laſt ſhalbe fully accompliſhed in the laſt iudgement, in the which all the ennemies of Godlines ſhalbe caſte vnderunder the feete of Chriſt: As it is declared in the Pſalmes, eſpecially in the .ii. and .Cx. Pſalme. And in this world alſo Chriſt affirmeth that his ſeruauntes ſhall ſpiritually rule ouer his ennemies: Like as Chriſt, although he were tormented and died, yet neuertheleſſe he ouercame his ennemies. The holy and eccleſiaſticall ſtories beare witnes of theſe thinges ſufficiently.
The latter: I will geue him the morning ſtarre. And he vnderſtode the knowledge of Chriſt increaſing dayly more and more, and ſo euen Chriſt himſelfe,The morning ſtar. in lyke caſe as the day in the ryſing of the morning ſtarre waxeth brighter and brighter: In the whiche ſenſe the Apoſtle S. Peter is red to hauehave vſed this allegory in the .ii. Epiſtle firſt Chapter, or at the leaſt he promiſed a clerenes moſt bright. For Daniel ſayth, howe the faithful in the reſurrection ſhall ſhine like the firmament. The whiche thing alſo the Lord Chriſt alledgeth the .xiii. of Math. And the Apoſtle alluding hereunto ſayd, that one ſtar was brighter then an other: So lykewyſe in the reſurrection one ſhalbe made brighter then an other. Theſe promiſſes be moſt great, neither can I thinke that any greater can be geuen vsus. God graunte vsus grace, that we may be made partakers of ſo great thinges.
Finally he applieth this epiſtle to al churches and ages of the world. Wherof ſince we hauehave ſpoken oftener than once, there is no cauſe that by oft repeating I ſhould be tediouſe to any man. To the Lorde our God be praiſe and glory.