The image of both Churches after the most wonderfull and heauenly Reuelation of sainct Iohn the Euangelist, contayning a very fruitfull exposition or paraphrase vpon the same. Wherin it is conferred vvith the other scriptures, and most auctorised histories. Compyled by Iohn Bale an exyle also in thys lyfe, for the faithfull testimony of Iesu.

THE TEXT.

1 And I sawe seates, 2. and they satte vpon them, 3. and the iudgement was giuen vnto them. 4. And I sawe the soules of them, 5. that were beheaded for the vvitnesse of Iesus, 6. and for the vvorde of God. 7. vvhich had not vvorshiped the beast, 8. neither his Image, 9. neyther had taken his marke vpon their fore∣heads, 10. or on their handes, 11. And they ly∣ued, 12. and raigned vvith Christ, 13. a thou∣sand yeares. 14. But the other of the dead men lyued not againe, 15. till the thousande yeares vvere finished.

The Commentary.

1 Whiles the Dragon was thus ty∣ed vp and throwne into the bottomles pit for a ••housand yeares space, a cer∣tayne continuance of beinge, the elect had. Whose peaceable estate and con∣dition for that time the text here fol∣lowing declareth, by maner of recapi∣tulation. After the afore rehearsed vi∣sion of the serpent. I behelde (saith S. Iohn) seates prepared without num∣ber. I saw the harts of faithfull belée∣uers (which are the seats of wisdōe af∣ter Stlomon) bewtifully garnished w^t vertues by the preaching of y^u Apostles & other godly techers. Uery peaceable & quietus were these seats. For thogh they had in the worlde on euery syde tribulation, yet had they their contci∣ences quieted in Christ. They conside∣red themselues partakers of the hea∣uenly calling, and reioyced in hope of the glory of gods children.

2 Upon these seates sate they which are afore called that people whome Sathan should no more deceine. They setled them selues in the wisdome y^e god loueth. They groūded theyr dwel∣ling

w^t discreation in his vnderstan∣ding and knowledge. Fast dyd they cleaue to his louinge worde. And for none aduersitie woulde they moue theyr foote from the hard rock whiche is Christ. Thus sate his people in the beautifull seates of peace after Esay in the tabernacles of trust, and in a most plentuous rest, the deceuers and mockers put aparte.

3 And as they were thus quieted, the iudgemente or true vnderstan∣dyng of the Lordes verytie was gi∣uen vnto them. Their sences were o∣pened, and great knowledge had they in the scriptures. The figures and prophesies that were hyd to other, were manifeste and open vnto them. The Dark vale was remoued from Moyses face, and the light of the laws appeared. They coulde then decerne good from euill, light from darknesse, and swéete from sower. The yoke was then taken from them, & no lon∣ger were they subiecte to straungers. Dead men perceiued the secrets of the Booke. The eyes of the blinde might sée without mist of darknesse.

They whiche afore tyme were of an erronious spirite, had than the ryght vnderstanding, and were learned in the lawe. In their inward partes was the knowledge thereof planted of the Lord, and the truth written in theyr hartes, he becomming their God & they his people. Bycause we should not se∣perate the dead from the quicke, or the departed from the liuing, and so iudge them dyuers, cōsidering they both are of one God, and liue by one spirite, be∣ing of one hope and calling. The holy ghost doeth here couple them togither, as shéepe of one pasture, féeding all of one spirituall meate, and drinkyng of one spirituall rock accompanying thē, and as members of one misticall body of Christ in thys present reuelation.

4 I also (sayeth saint Iohn) behelde in this secrets mysterie of the spirite the innocent soules of godly men and women, that were beheaded of cruell tyrauntes for the faithfull testimony of Iesu and the constante assercyon of the true word of the Lord God. I per∣ceyued by the scriptures that his true harted witnesses remained not in deth

with the wicked, but passed through•• with the rightuous from the death vnto lyfe, & had the lyfe euerlasting. They are not forgotten wyth the vn∣godly, but they nowe followe the lambe, and dwell where as he dwel∣lethe. Else would Paule neuer so er∣nestlye haue desired to be dissolued frō this fleshe, and so to be wyth Christ.

5 Not onely is this here spoken of them that wer beheadded, and of none other else, thoughte it séemeth so in the letter, but of all them that hath dyed for the veritie. For than should Esaye, Ieremye, Ezechiell, Amos, Micheas, Zacharye, Steuen, and Iames the lesse, with all those that hath bene burned, strangled, quar∣tred, drowned, stoned, crucyfied, spyt∣ted, racked, ••layed, boyled, stycked, shot throughe wyth arrowes, and that hath suffrid all other terrible tormen∣tes, be rekened to be none of that number. Beheaddyng is here taken for depriuacion of lyfe, lyke as the heade is in scripture taken some∣tyme for the soule, sometyme for the whole man.

6 For standing by Christes veritie, confessinge hym God and man, dyd they loose their liues, which was in the end no losse vnto them but a pro∣fitable winning. For vnto such remai∣neth the crowne of lyfe, the delyghtes of Paradise, and a seate wyth god.

7 These worshipped not the beast∣lye Antichrist, the verye body of Sa∣than. They bowed not downe, nor yet gaue them selues to such wycked tradicions as that carnall generacion made for their beasty bellyes sake.

8 Neyther reuerenced they thys pro∣digious Image, or such vngodly prin∣ces and magistrates as (their trewe offyce set a parte) dyd counterfet hym in crueltie and diuelishnesse. But they rightlye considered with y^e faith∣full Machabées and apostles, that in such case it was much better to obey God than men.

9 Neither had they in their lyfe time taken the printe of his filthie seale vpon their foreheades, professinge in their inwarde consciences those dia∣bolicall rules.

10 Nor yet on their handes, agréeyng

to vse them in the outward conuersa∣cion of their bodyes. No yoke woulde they drawe with the infidels, thinking that Christ coulde haue no agréement with Beliall. For through faith they perceyued (as he that is of the spirite discerneth all things) that though they séemed glorious in the face of y^e world, yet were they before God abhomina∣ble sacriledge. Diligētly they searched the scriptures, and beleued not all spi∣rites, but first proued them whither they were of God or naye. By that knewe they that the homage of soule ought to be giuen to none other than to one liuing God alone, and that none other preceptes of liuing were to bée followed of them, than Christ their sa∣uiour had taught. All other traditions of mē tooke they for straūge doctrine, & for crafti colors of diuilish deceitfulnes

11 Therfore whā they were thought of the wicked to be dead, they liued in all swéetnes of y^e spirit, in desire of his lat∣ter commyng which shall bée to theyr double glory.

12 And they reygned w^t Christ the pa∣stour & high bishop of their soules, not

onely here were as they suffred wyth hym for a thousand yeres space, but also aboue where as he sitteth on the right hand of gods maiestie seat, thou∣sand wythout end. Than raigneth the godly numbre most of all, whan they seme to y^e wicked least of all to reigne, as whan they suffer persecution and death for Christ. For after none other sort reigneth hys churche here, thā he reigned afore them, whose tryumphe was greatest vpon the crosse.

13 The thousand yeares of y^e reigne of the godly, stretcheth here no farder than the thousande years of the fall of the vngodly, Christes yeares also de∣ducted which is the head of his congre∣gation. For as the one kyngdome de∣creased, the other alwayes increased, very fewe Christian martyrs are con∣staunt witnesses perceiued, frō thence forth. For as it appeareth by the his∣torye many were abiured and recāted (which was not séene in the former age) and all in a maner, a small num∣ber of the poore, except, vtterly renoū∣ced the veritye, for the cruell behauior of the Antichristes. In these ii. sortes

afore rehersed, of them that sate vpon the seates and of them that were be∣headded for the testymony of Iesu, is it to be marked, that all were not martyrs whome God alowed for his in the prymatiue churche, but that there were of both sortes. So well was he accepted that mortyfied the de∣sires of the fleshe, and offered himselfe a lyuinge sacryfyce vnto God as hée that gaue his life for the veritie.

14 But the residue (sayth saint Iohn) or the other sort, called the deade men for that they were not numbred with the ryghtuous, neyther among them that sate vpon the seates, nor yet a∣monge them that were slayne for the witnesse of Iesu, lyued not agayne af∣ter they were once dead, tyll the thou∣sand yeres of their death was through¦ly fulfilled. The time was whan they which wer dead through sin, did heare the voyce of the sonne of God. They fatihfuly beleued y^e word therof, & so it reuiued in him vnto y^e lyfe euerlasting, which was both y^e life & light of men. Wher as y^e froward con••ēners of y^e ly∣uing word, hauing their cōsciēces sea∣led

w^t y^e beasts marke, remained stil in their infidelitie, which is y^e very death of y^e soule, & so were by the right iudge∣mēt of God lost for euer. For the sin a∣gainst y^e holy ghost (which is a resistāce against y^e manifest truth) shal neither be forgeuen in this worlde nor yet in the world to come.

15 A time without end doth this word till, cause this thousand here to be, af∣ter the commō vsage of the scripture. Noe sent forth a Rauen out of y^e arke, whiche returned not agayne tyl the waters were dryed vp, that is to say, he neuer returned again. Ioseph knew not Mary til she had brought forth hir first borne sonne. That is to say he ne∣uer bodely knew hir. Thou shalte not out of prison till thou hast payde y^e vt∣termost mite .i. thou shalte neuer out. With an hundreth of suche places in the Bible.