A Hundred Sermons on Revelation, Sermons · Sermon 57
¶ Of the power of the Romane Empire, and who worſhippe the beaſt: and of the deſtruction of Rome, and the Romane Empire. The .lvij. Sermon.
ANd power was geuen him ouer all kinrede, tongue, and nation: and al that dwel vponupon the Earth worſhypte hym: whoſe names are not wrytten in the Booke of life of the lambe, whiche was killed from the beginnyng of the world. Yf any mā hauehave an eare, let him heare. He that leadeth into captiuitie, ſhall goe into captiuitie: he that killeth with a ſword, muſt be killed with the ſworde. Here is the patience, and the fayth of Sainctes.
Of the power of ye Rom. Empire.The Apoſtle by the reuelation of Chriſte ſpeaketh alſo of the power & maieſtie of the Romane Empire. The Romane Empire was in dede of greateſt power in the time of Octauius Auguſtus, alſo in the time of Domitian his empire, and in the reigne of Traiane, alſo vnderunder Hadrian, Aureliane, Diocletian, and Conſtantine. The greater parte of the worlde inhabited obeied therunto, as al Europe in a maner, Aſia & Africke: as both latin and Greke hiſtories do teſtifie. Howbeit herof the lord warneth vsus, that we ſhould not curiouſely ſearch the counſelles of God, beyng inquiſitiue, whie God gaue ſo great power to the Romanes, whom he knewe would abuſe the ſame to the oppreſſion of Chriſtes Church? for where he ſaieth, that the power was geuen to Rome, he ſtilleth and appeaſeth all murmuringes. For Empires be of God. But he is moſt wiſe, rightuouſe, and holy. Where therfore he made the kingdomes of the world ſubiecte to Rome, he did it wiſely, iuſtely, and holily. In that the Romanes corrupte Gods ordenaunce, and committe themſelues to be gouerned of the Deuill, it cometh of euill.
Let our diſputations here ceaſe, for the wiſe man ſayeth alſo, that wicked men and hipochrites reigne for the ſinnes of the people. And that he reherſeth kinreddes, tōgues, and nations, he doeth after the imitation of the Prophet Daniel, which by ſuch a phraſe of ſpeach is wonte to ſignifie a moſte large and puiſſaunt Empire.
But what apperteyneth this to vsus, or what profit (ſayeſt thou) cometh to vsus herby, that the Romane Empire is ſo far extended through out the worlde? This verely, we ſee howe this prophecie hath hitte eueryevery thing rightly that wente before: therefore is there lefte no place to doubte of the thinges that followe. Let vsus conſider moreouer that moſte puiſſaunt kingdomes, which ſeme to men inuincible, maye of God be diſolued without any difficultie: lette vsus therefore learne to feare God, and to walke in his commaundementes, and to diſpiſe theſe earthly thinges.
Now alſo he declareth more expreſſely, who ſhall worſhip the beaſt:Who worſhippe the beaſte. for he ſayed, that men in the world ſhould be taken with admiration of the beaſte, and ſhal worſhip the beaſt: he now declareth the ſame, and ſo placeth the word of worſhipping, that he maye vnderſtāde it as wel of thoſe that are preſent as alſo to come. For he ſpeaketh not only of men of his time, but of al, which rauiſhed with the admiration of thempire, and maieſtie thereof, ſhal eyther denye or contemne the fayth of Chriſt. And he ſayeth, that al ſhal worſhip the beaſte that dwell vponupon Earth: and leeſte any man ſhould referre it abſolutely vntounto al, as though non of the trewe worſhippers of God ſhoulde be any, he annexeth, whoſe names are not written in the boke of life of the lābe, to wit the reprobates, not ye choſen: the vnbeleuers. I ſay, which cōtemne the word of the goſpel, diſdaigne to heare it, and be rebelles to Chriſt. Aretas the expoſitour. they dwell vponupon the earth, ſayeth he, which are moued with no care of heauenly things, nor of the glory that there is: or geue themſelues to earthly habitation, and applie themſelues to a beaſtly life according to the ſame. Thomas of Aquine bringeth alſo a teſtimony out of the .17. of Ieremie. They that departe from me, ſhall be written in the Earth. For they hauehave forſaken the veyne of liuely waters, euen the lord him ſelfe. Of the boke of life I hauehave ſpoken in the .3. and .5. chapt. and wil ſpeake of the ſame in the .19. and 20. chapt. of the Apocalipſe.
Hereunto he annexeth a notable thing after the maner of Apoſtles, which are alwayes wonte, ſo ofte as they hauehave occaſiō to celebrate and intimate Chriſt, and the miſterie of his redemption. S. Iohn therefore ſayeth, howe the lambe hath ben killed and offered vp from the beginnyng of the world. And it is with out controuerſie,The lambe ſlayne frō the beginning of the world. that by the lambe is vnderſtande Chriſt.
It is therefore demaunded, howe he was ſlaine from the beginning of the world. Many here tourmente themſelues at the length they expounde, that Chriſt was ſlaine in Abel, and in all ſainctes, by perticipation not by paſſion. Certenly we maye not expounde this place after the lettre. For Chriſt coulde not be ſlayne, before he was borne. Moreouer the Apoſtle affirmeth, that Chriſt ſins the beginning of the world, hath not ben ſlaine oftener than ones. Reade what he ſayeth in the .9. chapt. to the Hebrew. And yet can not the moſt and trewe worde of God be contrary or repugnaunt to it ſelfe. Therefore ſaye we after the comon rule of expoundyng the Scriptures, that the ſignes hauehave the names of the thinges ſignified. For the Lambe was called a paſſouer or paſſyng by, wherof it was a ſigne. Circumciſion was called the leage or conuenaunt it ſelfe, ſacrifices are named ſinnes. So verely from the beginnyng of the worlde ſacrifices were ſlayne, whiche were ſimbolles or ſignes of Chriſte to be incarnated and offered vp ones for the clenſyng of ſinnes. We vnderſtande therfore by this teſtimony of Chriſte, that all the ſacrifices of the auncient fathers, were ſacramētes of Chriſt, and that the redemption of Chriſte hath from the begynnyng of the worlde ben of efficacitie to all the faythful. Therfore this place is notable and worthie to be obſerued. Hitherto apperteyneth the Apoſtles teſtimony in the .1. to the Corinth. the .10. That al our forefathers hauehave eaten of the ſame ſpirituall meate wyth vsus, and dronken of the ſame drynke, and that they dranke of the rocke followyng them, whiche was Chriſt.
Of the deſtructiō of ye Romane Empire.And hitherto hath he ſpokē of the maieſtie of the Romane Empire, blaſphemies & ſinnes. Nowe followeth of ye diſtruction of ſo great an Empire, & punniſhmēts of ſinnes. Wherof notwithſtanding ſhal be ſpoken againe in the .17. chapt.
And with an Acclamatiō, moſt comonly vſed in ye goſpell, & as it were peculiar to Chriſt, he ſtireth vp al his auditours, and crieth out, he that hath an eare to heare lette him heare. Verely it was to men a wonder, and ſemed vncredible, that ſo great a Maieſtie coulde falle: but yet it falleth. The faythfull marueled alſo what ſhoulde be the ende of blaſphemies, ſlaughters, iniuries, abominations. Moreouer the doctrine that followeth, is notable, excellent, and worthie to be kepte in memory. Therefore he ſtireth vp all men to attentiuenes, and than he ſayeth: whoſoeuer ſhall leade into captiuitie, ſhall go into captiuitie: whoſoeuer ſtriketh with the ſworde, &c. For in ſuch ſort he declareth the deſtructiō of Rome and the Romane empire, that he confirmeth with al the iuſtice of gods iudgemēt. And alſo with a maruelouſe breuitie of goddes ſentence, geuen or pronoūced againſt Rome, he ſuppeth of that vnmeaſurable power. And this is both by the law of God, by the law of nature, and by the law of al natiōs receiued as a thing moſt iuſt, that eueryevery man ſhulde loke to hauehave the ſame done to him, that he doth to an other. For to this be longeth the ſentence reherſed of Noe in the .9. of Gen. He that ſhedeth bloud, his bloud ſhalbe ſhed. The ſame is repeted in the .33. of Eſay. Wo to the that ſpoileſt, ſhalt not thou be ſpoiled? A teſtimonie wherof is Niniue with ye Prophet Nahum, and Babilon with al the prophets. Therfore hath the Lorde taught in the goſpell, whatſoeuer ye wold that men ſhuld do to you, do you the ſame vntounto them alſo. With what meſure you meat vntounto others, with the ſame ſhall others meat vntounto you agayne. Whoſoeuer ſtryketh with the ſworde, with the ſword ſhall periſh. Therefore it is moſte reaſonable, that ſins Rome hath ſpoiled the whole world, and iniuried al nations, and made cruel war vponupon al men: it ſhuld be againe of al nations inuaded, ſpoyled, torne, and troden vnderunder foote. Let vsus marke this iudgemēt of God, & let vsus fear god, and do good vntounto men. For here is ſentence geuen againſt al men that do iniurie to their neighbours, but eſpecialli thoſe which inuade innocēts with vniuſt wars, & which thei be hired to make &c.
And here muſte we repeate ſome thyng out of Hyſtories,The deſtructiō of Rome and ye Romane Empyre. whereby the veritie of this propheſie may be better knowen and vnderſtand. When the moſt excellēt Prince Conſtantine had receiued the gouernment of thempire, as it were abhorring Rome, he builded Conſtantinople, and made it the ſeate or manſion of thempire. And from that time the Maieſtie of Rome began to fal vntounto ruine. VnderUnder themperour Gratiane, a Prince moſte wittie, the Barbarians were a great terrour to the Romanes, wherupō Gratiane made a leage with them. Stilico father in lawe to Honorius, a Vandall borne, deminiſhed the wages of the Gothians, and other leage fellowes of the people of Rome: for the which cauſe they toke Armour: yet beinge pacified agayne, they were ſtirred vp afterwarde through the mallice of Stilico & of Duke Saule, & vnderunder the cō duite of Athalaricus their King, they haſt them to Rome, lay ſeige to it, & beſiege it by the ſpace of two yeares, at the lēgth toke and ſpoiled it. Which ſeige and ſpoyle S. Hierome in his Epiſtle bewayleth much. Oroſius writeth much & chriſtianly hereof in the .29. chapter of the .7. boke of Hiſtories. It is reported that Rome was taken the fyrſte day of Apryll, in the yeare .412. Yet the Gothians immediately leauyng the Citie, remoue into other places there by: neuertheleſſe, beynge agayne inflamed with fury they returne, and vnderunder their captayne Athaulphus, they plagued & ſpoyled Rome, worſe then they ded before. The Kynge had determined, extinguyſhing the name of Romaynes, to hauehave called the Citie Gothia, if he had not ben diſſwaded of Galla Placidia, daughter to Honorius. A fewe yeares after, Rome was taken agayne of Genſerychus, King of Vandalles: and that which was inryched and repliniſhed, with the robberies of al natiōs, was by fourtene dayes together emptied cleane. After came Odacer with the Germanes: and putting downe the name of Emperour, reigned ouer the citie himſelfe as king, by the ſpace of .15. yeares. Whom Theodorichus of Verona expulſed and ſlew. And there reigned with his Eaſt Gothes about .50. yeares. Than was it recouered of Belliſarius, for Iuſtinian Emperour of Grece, but to the vtter deſtruction of Rome. For Totilas Kynge of Gothia diſcomfyted both the Greke and Romayne Armie at Placence: after he beſeiged Rome, ſcaled, toke, ſacked, ouerthrew and ſet it on fyre. The citie burned thirtene dayes. Nother was there any man in it, by the ſpace of fourtie dayes. Reade the .4. boke of Sabellicus the .8. Aeneade. Perauenture I ſhall diſcourſe more at large of the diſtruction of Rome, in the .17. chap. Wherfore within the ſpace of .136. yeares, Rome came ſeuen tymes into ſtraungers handes, and was ſacked moſt cruelly, and fell on the edge of the ſworde, and was led into captiuitie:Councell how ye godly ſhall demeane thē ſelues in ſo great euils which hath long ſtricken with the ſwoorde, and led away all nations priſoners. This was the iuſt iudgement of God.
And S. Ihon annexeth a doctrine, howe the godly ſhulde behaue thēſelues in ſo greate troubles and aduerſities. Here, that is to wit, whileſt the Romanes reigne and rage, alſo in thoſe blouddy and cruel alterations, and deſtruction of the Romane Empire, the Sainctes ſhall nede to hauehave patience, or perſeueraunce and fayth. Theſe two vertues ſhal kepe the faithfull, that they periſh not alſo. Of patience the lord ſpeaketh in S. Luke the .21. chapt. In your patience ſhal you poſſeſſe your ſoules. Of faith ſpeaketh bleſſed Iohn: and this is the victory, that ouercometh the world, euen your faith. Impatience and incredulitie hath led away many into the deniyng of the faith, to idolatrie and to al vngodlines. So learne we alſo, how to arme our ſelues in our dayes againſt all vngodlines. The lord deliuer vsus from euill. Amen.