A Hundred Sermons on Revelation, Sermons · Sermon 8
¶ The ſeconde parte of the Epiſtle to the Epheſians where is ſpoken of Penaunce and of the Nicolaites. The Eight Sermon.
REmembre therefore from whence thou arte fallen, and repent, and do the firſte workes. Or els I will come vntounto thee ſhortely, and will remoue thy Cādelſticke out of his …lace, except thou repēt. But this thou haſt, …icauſe thou hateſt the dedes of the Nicolai…anes, which dedes I hate alſo. Let him that …ath eares, heare what the ſpirite ſayeth to …he congregations. To him that ouercometh wil I geue to eate of the tree of life, which is …n the middes of the Paradiſe of God.
The ende of ye lordes rebukes.The accuſations of our Sauiour Chriſt, which he vſeth … gainſte his ſeruauntes that be ſinnes, tende not to this en… doubtles, that men ouerwhelmed with reproches might b… aſhamed, diſpaire, & periſh: but rather that thei ſhuld ame… be reſtored & liue. Therfore the Lorde Ieſus to his blameyn… by and by annexeth an exhortation to repentaūce, that th… may be ſaued: And alſo deſcribeth the trew & lawful penaū …
For we hearde what thing he rebuked in the cōgregati… of the Epheſians: let vsus heare nowe what the lord require… of the ſame, and how he ſeketh to hauehave the errour reforme… verely by repentaunce, to the whiche he exhorteth. For … hauehave ſayed that the Lord ſtriketh and healeth: chiefly in th… caſe. Whiche doctrine ſurely is proper and perpetuall to th… churche of Chriſt.
He mentioneth chiefely of three thinges in this matter, in his counſel or exhortation to amendement.He exhorteth to repentaūce. Firſte he co… ſelleth or exhorteth to remēbre, foreign from whic… they are fallen: that is to ſaie, with how great louelove they ha… burned hitherto, and nowe howe coulde they be wared: … how fortunate and bleſſed a ſtate they hauehave ſtande hither… and nowe in howe vnfortunate and ſhamefull they lie … For the acknoweledging of the treſpas is the beginning repentaunce,The knowledge of ſinne. if beyng illumined by faithe we conſider we… what benefites we hauehave loſte, and in what miſerie we no… are in. He that weneth he hathe loſte nothinge, will ne… be moued to make any ſearche or inquiſition, he that th… keth him ſelfe to hauehave fallen from no felicitie, he will thin… of nothyng how he maye be reſtored. Therefore in amen… ment of lyfe it behoueth that acknoweledgyng and conf… ſion of ſinnes go before, by the whyche we maye lament b… fore God our pouertie and miſerie. And in dede they fa… not from felicitie, whiche were neuer in any felicitie. The… fore ſaie we,Sainctes fall. that holy menne maye fall, and alſo be reſtor… by repentaunce. Than after the acknoweledgyng of our … ſerie followeth repentaunce: that is the comynge agayne… our minde, that we goe not foorthe on alwayes like mad… menne and fooles, walkinge in the waye of vanitie an… vnrightuouſneſſe.Repētaūce For repentaunce is a retourning a co… uerſion and chaunge, wherby we are tourned awaye fro… euill, and are conuerted to good, in retourning to our witte, and working rightuouſnes.
For laſt of all followeth that, whiche expoundeth this repentaunce. Do the fourmer workes: To witte be hote again in louelove, worke the workes of faith, which are fruictes worthy of repentaunce. Beholde there nedeth no new lawes,Trewe ſatiſfaction. or long diſputations concerning amendement. Briefly, do the fourmer workes, not of the fleſhe, but thoſe whiche thou beganſt when thou firſt receiuedſt the Goſpel, and waſt borne again in Chriſt. Finally this is the true reformation, to do the fourmer workes of God. Not the latter, whiche the errour of the worlde hath deuiſed. This is verely, and ſhalbe the true repentaunce, to witte, the acknowledging of the ſinne, the conuerſion vntounto God and to good, and a tourning away from the Deuill and from euill, and working of the firſt good, or Godly rightuouſnes of the faith in Chriſt. There be many & ſondry diſputations of repentaunce and partes of the ſame, of the contrition of the harte, confeſſion of the mouth, & ſatiſfaction of yt worke: But lyke as there is none briefer thā this of Ieſus Chriſt, ſo verely is ther none better or more certain.
To theſe his exhortations and Godly coūcelles he addeth threatenings moſt greuous, if haply perill might pearſe,He threatneth. that louelove could not ſtyre or moue. And he ſpeaketh but fewe wordes in dede. But he vnderſtandeth a great euill that can not be ſpoken nor declared. Except thou repent, I wyll remoue thy candelſtick out of his place. The candelſtick, as the lord him ſelfe hath expounded it, is the churche. Which ſtandeth in her place, whyleſt ſhe leaneth to Chriſt: and is of Chriſte preſerued, ſo long as the preaching of the veritie is in ye ſame mainteined, and is in dede the churche of Chriſt: She is remoued out of her place, when ſhe is without the preachynge of the truthe, and now leaneth no more vponupon Chriſt, nether is of hym defended, but is forſaken, and is no longer in dede the churche of Chriſt. This is done of Chriſt himſelfe, by his …uſt iudgement, what tyme our vnthanfulnes, and lyfe that can not repent, driueth God to depart from vsus, to relinquiſh vsus to our errour & darknes, & leaue vsus to diſceauable men, &c. This ſenſe Aretas acknowledgeth, who: to remoue the church, ſaith he, is, when it is leſt bare and deſtitute of Gods grace: by reaſō of the which nakednes, it wauereth in doubtfull perplexitie and in ſtormes that are caſt to her by wicked men. And verely we ſe how at this day the churche of the Epheſians is remoued out of her place, and no longer inioyet… the holſome doctrine of Chriſt nor that it ſtandeth vponupon th… holſome rocke Ieſus Chriſt… But is oppreſſed with the peſ… ferous doctrine or rather madnes of Mahomet, and lieth i… ſorrowe vnderunder the fete of the Turkes. We ſee at this day i… Germany (more is the pititie) many candelſtickes remoued out of their place, not without the great triumphe of Sathā and loſſe of ſoules. Moreouer that ſame is alſo to be obſerued in this threatening, that without terrour he ſayth, I wil come to thee ſhortly. For it is a Phraſe of ſpeache. Fo… we ſay alſo,The Lord cometh to vsus ſhortly. I will come to thee by and by: That is, I wyl come to reuenge and puniſh, and that perauenture ſoner th… thou lokeſt for. Moſte certenly, when ſo euer I chaunce … come, I will take puniſhment of thee. Let no man therfo… thinke to eſcape vnpuniſhed in a life that can not repent.
Repētaūce is thonly & true amendement.Again where ye Lord repeteth, except thou repent, he plai… ly teſtifieth, that the boſome of Gods mercy & clemency, i… ready open, if we do penaunce, how ſoeuer we hauehave offended him before, in the meane time we learne here openly & moſ… certainly that we can by no counſelles or conſultations, … no armies nor policies preuaile one whit on our perils, … les we repēt. Therfore vnles we wil hauehave our churches to … ſubuerted, & geuen ouer to be ſeduced & diſtroied of ye deuill … his ſeducers, let vsus repēt in time, & receiue again ye firſt louelove.
Thou haſt hated the dedes of ye Nicolait.Again he cōmendeth the ſinguler vertu in this cōgregat… eſpecially for that thei hauehave hated the doings of ye Nicolait… which God him ſelfe alſo hateth. Let vsus here marke euer… word. He ſaith not thou didſt ſlie, or eſchewe and contin… but thou haſt hated. The force of hatred is great, mouing … to perſecute, that thou hateſt.
God hateth the dedes of the Ni…olaitans.Moreouer he ſaith not, thou haſt hated the Nicolaita… but the workes of the Nicolaitans. For we ought to hate t… perſone of no man for it ſelf, but the vice in the man ſo ye w… we ſhal forſake it, we ſhuld louelove the mā with al our hart. A… that muſt nedes be a great euil, which God him ſelf cōfeſſe… that he hateth. Here al congregations ſhal vnderſtand, yt th… ought alſo to hate by al meanes the hereſie & abominatiō of the Nicolaitans. Albeit yt at this day ye name be extingwiſhed yet the hereſie & abomination of the Nicolaitans remaineth.
This Nicolas was of Antioche, one of the ſeuen deacōs, of whom mention is made in the .6. chap. of the Actes. He is ſaid to hauehave reuolted from the puritie of faith, as Iudas did: And where he was before a Gentile (for it is ſaid howe he was a Proſelyte) he retourned in certen thinges to gentilitie as a dog to his vomite. The Nicolaitās be alſo Gnoſtici, and conſortes of Carpocrates, filthie & moſt wicked people. Clemēs excuſeth this Nicolas ſomwhat in Euſebius in the .3. boke. 29 chap. of the Eccleſiaſtical hiſtory. But that excuſe ſemeth not ſufficient or iuſt, ſince all the auncientes with one mouth accuſe the ſame, and namely the very iudgemēt of God in this preſent and in the Epiſtles following. Ireneus condemneth him of this ſame place, in the firſt booke againſt the Valentinians chap. 27. &c. Tertulian in thend of Heret. preſcrip. toucheth here wittely the factes of the Nicolaitans, and deteſteth the ſame. Neuertheles he expoundeth them not, but paſſeth them ouer. And I know not how wittely Epiphanius hath vttered and declared in order the wicked and abhominable actes, neither to be thought nor told, and moſt beaſtly filthines, ſuch as hath not bene heard of the hereſie. 25.26.27. &. 31. &c. Philaſtrius alſo and S. Auſten hauehave touched the Nicolaitans, either of them in their regiſter of hereſies. Shamefaſt…es wil not ſuffer me to recite. It is enough, if we know that ſame which in the epiſtle to Pergamum the Lorde him ſelfe hath expounded, calling the doctrine of Nicolaitans, the doctrine of Balaā the ſouthſaier. But who knoweth not, what counſel he gaue to Balaac king of Moab & of Madian, and how he proſtituted faire wenches to the yong men of Iſrael, by whoſe acquaintaunce intiſed, they both defiled thē ſelues with fornicatiō, & did eat alſo of meates offered vp to Idols, being made partakers of Baalpeor. Let him yt wil reade Ioſe…hus in the .iiii. boke of Antiquities. cap. 6. And doubtles the …acrifices of the Nicolaitans ſeme to differ nothing from the …ecrettes of Priapus, or Gerecinthia, or the mother of God…es, and the nightly ſeruice of Bacchus. Ireneus ſignifieth …penly yt the Carpocratites, who ar called alſo Gnoſtici, did not abhorre images, but paincted and facioned to thē ſelue… the Images of Ieſus and Paule, with the Images of certi… Phyloſophers: And that the Image of Ieſu, as they talke, was made expreſſely of Pilate, who cōmaunded the face … Ieſus to be painted liuely. &c. But howſoeuer that was, th… is certain, that thactes of the Nicolaitans were euill report… of for their fornications and adulteries: And that the Nicol… tans abſteined not from images, nor from meates offred … idolles.1 Cor. 8.9.10. Fornicatiō Againſt the which errour S. Paul wrote alſo ma… thynges.
Hereof let vsus learne to abhorre and flie fornication, a… neuer to thinke of reſtoring the Stewes or other places … whoredom. Fie for ſhame. Let vsus learne hereby to kepe h… virginitie, ſyngle lyfe, and lawfull mariages, flie thoſe d… the Nicolaitans, Let vsus learne hereby, to kepe wel our ſel… from Idols, idolatry, and from all ſtraunge kyndes of w… ſhippinges. All thoſe God hateth.
He yt hath eares to heare let him heare.And with an acclamation he pearſeth the eares of al me… mouing al to attentiuenes and holy obedience. And appli… alſo this doctrine to all tymes and to all congregation… the world. He vſed his wonted ſpeache, repeted ſo ofte in t… Goſpell: He that hath eares to heare, let him heare. Not th… it is in our ſtrength to heare and obey God. For God pr… pareth our eares, and with his grace frameth and draw… our hartes. And let them to whom the grace of God is g… ted, beware leaſt through their negligence, vanitie, and lig… nes they loſe it not. Let them ſhewe ſuch dilligence, as G… in his worde requireth and preſcribeth. They that do th… hauehave eares to heare. He ſayth therfore, take ye hede to wh… God now ſpeaketh, and whoſe hartes nowe he ſtyreth a… moueth, that you loſe not this grace through your neglig… be diligent, attentife, and circumſpect, ſtyryng vp in yo… ſelues the gift of God.
The ſpirit ſpeaketh theſe thinges.Now alſo he prouoketh to dilligēce by authoritie diui… The ſpirite of God ſpeaketh and reuealeth theſe things, … the ſpirite of men or of errour, for God ſpeaketh by his ſ… rite, whiche is red to be the ſpirite both of the father and o… ſonne. Moreouer he applieth all and eueryevery thing to all co… gregations, where he ſayth, what the ſpirite ſaith to the co… gregations, not to the congregation. It is now than manifeſt, and out of all controuerſie,Theſe thī ges apperteine to all churches. that thoſe ſeuen churches do repreſent a figure of al churches throughout ye whole world, and that all they be inſtructed in thoſe ſeuen.
Furthermore leaſt any thyng ſhoulde wante to the iuſte exhortation vntounto repentaunce, to faith and dilligence, laſt he annexeth a moſte ample promyſe, and vſeth an allegoricall ſpeache, that it might hauehave the more grace with it.A moſt ample promis To them that ouercome he promyſeth to geue the fruict of the tree of lyfe, planted in the paradiſe of God. And alludeth to the .2. Chap. of Geneſis. And he tranſlateth the ſenſe from earthly thinges to celeſtiall. The paradiſeParadiſe. of God (by the which ſom vnderſtande the church) is that eurlaſting bleſſe and felicitie, wherof the Lorde ſpake to the thief, ſaying: This day ſhalt thou be with me in paradiſe. Herein is the tree of lyfe Chriſt, communicating to vsus his eternal life: Whiche we inioy and hauehave the fruition of, whileſt being conueied into heauen by hym and with hym we liue. Finally this is that Ambroſia or Godly drinke, which ye heauenly father geueth vsus to drinke. But this great and wonderfull good chaunceth not to eueryevery one, but only to him that ouercometh. For Adam had not ouercome, but vanquiſhed had died. If we therfore ſhall ouercome the fleſh, the Deuil and the world, and that through Chriſt, we ſhal liue alſo in the world to come with Chriſt.
The complutention boke hath, whiche is in the middes of …he Paradiſe of my God. And Aretas expoundeth it,Of my God. and …ayth: Let no man herewith be offended. Al humble thinges …gree to the diſpenſation of the incarnation, whiche was made for our cauſe, ſince that he himſelf in the Goſpel ſaith: … aſcende vntounto my father, and your father, to my God, and …o your God. &c.
And thus farre hetherto concerning the Epiſtle of Ieſus Chriſt by Iohn to the Epheſians, and what profit our churches alſo, and eueryevery of vsus may receiue therof. The Lorde lyghten the eyes of our mynde.