A Hundred Sermons on Revelation, Sermons · Sermon 73
¶ The Iudgement or punniſhement of the pourple whore is deſcribed: and alſo the ſinne, and vngodlines of the ſame. The .lxxiij. Sermon.
ANd there came one of the ſeuen Aungelles, whiche had the ſeuen vialles, The .17. chapt.& talketh with me, ſaiyng vntounto me: come, I wil ſhewe thee the iudgemēt of the greate whore, that ſitteth vponupon many waters, with whome the kinges of the earth hauehave cōmitted whoredome, and the inhabiters of the earth are dronken with the wine of hyr fornication. And he caried me awaye into the wilderneſſe in the ſprete. And I ſaw a woman ſittyng vponupon a roſe coloured beaſt, ful of names of blaſphemie, which had ſeuen heades, and ten hornes.
He hath hitherto diſcourſed in generall of the iuſte iudgemētes of God: albeit that in the meane time he hath touched ſome particular matters concernyng Babylon or Rome, rather than reaſoned. And nowe conſequently ſeuerally, and euidently he handleth the deſtruction or ende of the beaſt, and of his Image, of olde Rome and newe, I meane both thempire and papiſtrie: which he ſemeth to poinct as it were with the fingar. In the .13.14. and .16. chapt. he ſignified ſomewhat hereof, nowe he pourſeweth eueryevery thinge with a notable plentie and euidence. And the ſame that I ſayed in the beginning of this place, I repete here agayne: that hereby are affirmed, howe the iuſtice of God is ſhewed to be the ende of good and euill,The profit of this place cōcerning the deſtruction of Rome. that the godly are confirmed, and the iudgement to come eſtabliſſhed, as we confeſſe expreſſely in the apoſtles crede. The ſome of al is this: tholde and newe Rome, the Empire and Popiſh kingdome, which is the kyngdome of Antichriſt ſhall periſh for ſinnes, & great enormities. For he ioyneth together the beaſte, and the Image of the beaſte, the beaſt and one ſittyng on the beaſte, a prowde ſtrompet, ſo that they can not be ſeparated. Therefore muſte the place be expounded of both Empires.That S. Iohn ſpeaketh of Rome.
And leſte any man ſhould thinke me to be led with an euil affection, for vnderſtandyng theſe thinges of Rome, I will ſhewe by the teſtimony both of god & man, that the ſame expoſition is olde, and not newe, true, and not affectated. For ſtreight waye the Angel him ſelfe, as we ſhal heare, expoundeth theſe thinges of Rome. Aretas alſo an olde expoſitour of this boke: diuerſe expoſitours, ſayeth he, vnderſtande by the whore olde Rome. And the ſame by and by: whileſt he ſaieth the mother of whoredome, whether ſo euer you will, other olde Rome or newe, or the time of the cōmyng of Antichriſte (beholde the time of Antichriſte he ſayeth) you can not erre from the trewth, for that bothe cities (Rome and Conſtantinople) hath occupied thempire, and eueryevery of them hath ben ſatiated with the bloud of holy martirs, &c. Hitherto he. And what the moſte auncient wryter Tertullian, and S. Hierome hath ſpoken oftener than ones of Babylon and the purple whore, I hauehave heretofore reported in the .14. chapt.The order of this chapt.
And in this order he procedeth. Firſte he ſheweth the authour of this reuelatiō, after he gathereth the ſome of the reuelation or viſion. For agayne he treateth by viſions, to the ende al thinges might be more liuely & euident. And in dede ſome make this ſeuenth chapt. vntounto the .21. chapt. the ſixte viſion. As I admoniſhed in the beginning of this worke. Than noteth he the place and maner of the viſion. Finally he propoundeth the viſion it ſelfe, and immediately adioyneth the expoſition thereof. And in the proceſſe of this matter he vſeth a iudicial kinde of pleadyng, and that after a prophetical maner. For the Prophetes moſte often, and in the beginnyng ſet forth the ſinnes and wickedneſſes of the people before the eyes of al men: & thā they annexe vntounto it the iudgemēt, paine or punniſhement. For ſo doeth S. Iohn alſo at this preſent.
Firſt, thauthour of this horrible viſion,who ſheweth this viſion. is the lord Chriſt himſelfe: but he vſeth the miniſterie of an Angell, and that of one, which comyng out of the temple of the diuine maieſtie, was appoincted with ſixe others to powre out plagues and vialles. This is the head miniſter. And it was ſemely that the iudgement of Babilon ſhould be vttered by an Aungell that had the rule ouer tormētes. The lord Ieſus himſelfe wil take punniſhment of the beaſte, for whom this triumphe is reſerued. And we vnderſtande that ſuche thinges as are ſet forth and treated here, hauehave proceded from the highe Biſſhop him ſelfe Ieſus Chriſt: and the maners of ſpeakyng to be Angelicall, heauenly, and godly. Who ſhall than blame vsus, yf we, vſing the wordes of Angelles and of Chriſt himſelf, ſhal ſaye that the Biſſhop of Rome and all Popery to be that purple, and great and moſt comon harlot. It appereth alſo to many that ſeme godly, that moderation is neglected, whan theſe thinges are repeted of the preachers,Free mouthes agaīſt Rome. whiche are playnely ſet forth to vsus by the expreſſe wordes of Angelles and of Chriſt. It ſemeth that they woulde ſhutte and ſtoppe the mouth of Chriſt him ſelfe. Howbeit they attempte that in vayne. For if the preachers holde their peace, the ſtones wil crie. For it behoueth, that like as the glory of Chriſt, ſo the ſhame of Antichriſt ſhould be knowen to the whole worlde. But they offende moſte greuouſely which in the ſermons made againſt Antichriſt, require I know not what modeſtie. As though he ought to be ſpared, which ſpareth no good man. As though that doctrine were not modeſte, which is taken and receiued of the mouth and wordes of Chriſt. After in the .18. chapter. We ſhal heare the lorde commaunde: render vntounto her: as ſhe hath rendred vntounto you, &c.
The ſome of ye viſiō,Secondly he compriſeth in fewe wordes the ſome of all, and ſheweth whereunto we ſhould referre al thinges. Come ſayeth the Angell to S. Iohn, and I wil ſhew thee foreign the iudgement, condemnation and punniſhement of the greate whore. And where he ſayeth, of the great whore, he doeth intimate what the crime is or cauſe of punniſhement, fornication, infidelitie, or vngodlines. This viſion alſo apperteineth hereunto, that we might vnderſtande, how Rome ſhould be punniſhed or deſtroyed, that is to ſaye the Romane Empire, or the kingedome of the Pope or of Antichriſt: and wherfore or howe it deſerueth to be deſtroyed.Rome is a whore. She is a whore, and a great and an erraunt whore. And who knoweth not, that a mariage is contracted betwene God and all and ſingular faythfull? that God is the brydegrome, and the churche his ſpouſe? ſhe is bounden than & coupled to her huſbande alone in faith and trouth. Yf ſhe breake this faith, and louelove others, geue her to them, cal vpō, and honour them, ſhe is a whore. Whereof I hauehave ſpoken many times both in this boke and els where.
And a moſte common thing is it in the Scriptures, to call reuolting, vnfaithfulnes, impietie, ſuperſtition and Idolatrie, fornication or whoredome. Yf any man deſire teſtimonies hereof, he ſhal finde in the .8. of Iudges, 1. of Eſaye, 2. and 3. of Ieremie. the .16. of Ezechias, in the .1.2. and .3. of Oſee, and other places. Rome therefore was a greate ſtrompet, and is alſo at this daye a moſte ſtynkyng harlot: For whic, ſhe is full of Idolatrie, worſhippyng of creatures, and abominable ſuperſtitions. Nother is ſhe herſelfe only polluted with all filthines, but compelleth morouer the whole world to ſerue, and that to ſerue in Idolatrie and ſuperſtitions. What will you ſaye that through the wonderfull prouidence of God it came to paſſe, that a woman fayning herſelfe a manne, dyd clyme vp to the See of Rome, was created Biſſhoppe, and called Iohn the .8. whyche was one Gylberta, a greate whore, borne at Mentz. For thus woulde God declare, that the Byſſhoppe of Rome ſitteth a whore vponupon the beaſte. And herein I follow the conſtant conſent of al Hiſtoriographers. Neuertheleſſe I am not ignoraunt, that there be ſome which hauehave thought; howe this Iohn was intruded into the ſeate vp an harlot, and for that cauſe was called an harlot.
Furthermore olde Rome had power to do theſe thinges,She ſ…teth vpō many wat…rs. for ſhe ſate vponupon many waters that is, had dominion & rule ouer many people, and ſondry nations. Ye al…o the kinges of the Earth hauehave cōmitted whoredome with her, wh… leſt they hauehave ſubmitted themſelues to the Romanes, bonden themſelues in leage,The princes …mi…te whoredom and receyued of them ſuperſtitions and Idolatrie. For the children of Iſraell were alſo ſayed to hauehave committed whoredome wyth the Aegiptians, for that they had ioyned amitie with them, and were become fellowes in prophane religions. And ſo newe Rome the Popes kingdome ſtretcheth farre and wide, and the Kinges and Princes of the Earth committe whoredome with her. Therefore doeth the worde of the Lorde calle it filthye whoredome, whiche the Romiſſhe name an holy bonde and obedience. There is added, and they that dwell vponupon Earth are made dronkē. For he ſignifieth, that beyng infected with errours, yea rather aſotted, & cleane out of their wittes, they hauehave ben madde in Idolatrie, and yet rage in their ſuperſtitions, like drōkardes, and can not for furie receaue the preaching of the goſpel. Touchyng this wine of fornication and whoredome, and of that dronkennes I hauehave ſpoken in the .14. chap. And it is aptly ſpoken, that dwellers vpō Earth are made dronkē, not ſo much for that menne dwellyng vponupon Earth are made dronken, as for that earthly mē and choked with earthly deſires, ſhall become faithfull worſhippers of the Romiſh See.
Thirdely, he expoundeth the maner of the viſionThe maner of the viſion. thus: I was caried awaye in ſprete. Wherfore with his body remayning in Patmos, in ſpirite he ſawe a womā ſittyng on a beaſt, and diſtroyed with fire. Such be many viſiōs and ſightes in the prophetes. And he noteth alſo the place, wherein he ſawe the beaſte, not in heauen, nother in the temple or tabernacle, or in a fruictful place,The beaſt in the wilderneſſe. but in the wilderneſſe. Eſaye calleth the gentiles and heythenes, wilderneſſe. And verely tholde Romanes and newe with their ſuperſtitions hauehave had no place in the church, but are without the church: God forbidde thā, that we ſhould acknowledge the churche of Rome to be head of al faithful churches. And at this daye many of them which are called moſt holy and moſt reuerent, differ nothing from the gentiles, their titles and hipocriſie only excepted. Wherof is ſpoken before in the .11. chapt.
Fourthly and laſte he exhibiteth this viſion or tipe of olde and newe Rome, and the ruine and deſtructiō of them both, and with all deſcribeth moſt dilligently the wickednes of eyther of them. And firſt muſt the beaſte be conſidered, after the woman ſittyng on the beaſte. The beaſte repreſenteth the figure of olde Rome: the woman of the newe and of Poperie. And the woman ſitteth vponupon the beaſt. For the image of the beaſt hath ſucceded, and hath placed her ſeate in olde Rome. For Daniel alſo affirmeth, that Antichriſt ſhal pitche his ſeate or palace betwixte two Seas,The beaſt is roſe coloured. to witte the Hadriatical Sea called commonly the goulfe of Veniſe, and the Tyrrhene or Tuſcane Sea. And the beaſte is roſe coloured, it is of a red and bright colour like Crimoſine. For Rome hath ben moſte cruell and blouddy, and ſwimmyng altogether in the bloud of al mē, but eſpecially of Chriſtians. How much bloud ſhed Marius, Sylla, Pompey, Iulius and others, after hiſtories Plinie hath reported. Rome hath with ſworde & fire diſtroyed the whole world. The ten perſecutions of Chriſtians before the Empire of Conſtantine are moſt commonly knowen.
Howe the beaſte was full of the names of blaſphemie, I ſhewed in the .13. chapt. Rome abounded with chapelles and Idolles. Dayly it blaſphemed God, Chriſte, the goſpell, and rente the church a ſonder. Of the .7. heades and ten hornes, is ſpoken alſo in the .13. chapt. And certen thinges ſhall followe in this ſame chapter playne enough. And thus muche hitherto of the olde beaſte: here followeth of the woman ſittyng vponupon the beaſt.