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 Commentary.

1 And as concerning the afore named cytie, or worthy congregation of the Lorde, the curse that the earth had in the worke of Adam, shall clerely be

taken from it. Neuer more frō hence∣forth shall therein be any thinge that God is not pleased with. For Christ hath redemed hir from the curse of y^e lawe, sustaining thereof the penaltie to make hir innocent. So that nowe there is no dampnation to them whych are in Christ Iesu, folowing the doctrine of the spirite, if painfull aduersitie, losse of goodes, detriment of fame, syckenesse, persecution of bo∣dy, or any other troublous crosse hap∣peneth, it is euermore for the best to them that are faythfull. Perfectlye shall these be taken awaye wyth all the corrupte fruites of Adam in the regeneration, whan to theyr glorye both heauen and earth shalbe blessed, all that is cursed throwen into the lake of euerlasting fyre.

2 And for a more sure token that thys will be true, the hygh seate of God the eternall father, and of the Lambe Iesus Christ wyth the holy Ghost, one Lorde almighty in thrée personages, shalbe contynually there in. In the house of Iacob shall hée reygne euermore and of hys kingdōe

shall be none ende. Amonge them will he fixe hys dwelling place here, which loueth hym and obserueth his cōmaun∣dementes, and there will he not be se∣perated from them, but be still their e∣ternall God.

3 Moreouer as hys true seruauntes, here shall they worship hym in spirite and in veritie, and so serue hym in a sincere fayth perfourming such Godly workes as he hath prescribed vnto thē, and not such as mens fantasyes hath dreamed. They shall so mortyfie their olde man, destroying the body of sinne, that no longer shall he obeye the con∣cupiscence, nor become a captyue ser∣uaūt vnto wickednesse here. But nowe delyuered from sinne, they shall doe on a newe man which is rightly fashyo∣ned of God, and so become his seruaū∣tes in rightuousnesse. And in y^e world to come they shall serue him according to the knowledge that they shall haue than, which now is incomprehensible and vnspeakeable.

4 Hauinge the spirite of Christ, they shall here sée hys face of saluation in the myrroure of fayth, whych is to

haue knowledge of hys Godhede. And after thys lyfe they shall beholde him in glory, lyke as he is in dede, much more perfectly than dyd Iacob, which sawe hym face to face. Moreouer soo shall these hys seruauntes respect his vsage, that whatsoeuer they doe here in worde or in dede, they shall doe it with all godly feare, lowlynesse, and reuerence, alwayes thinkyng hym to beholde their dedes.

5 They shall also perceyue hys glo∣ryous name to be writtē in their fore∣heades, or regestred in their fayth, féelyng the swéetnesse thereof to their saluatiō. Besides y^• not onely shall they cōfesse God w^t their mouth, but also in their outward cōuersaciō shal they day∣ly apere as hys faythfull seruauntes and children.

And as concernyng the gloryous day, by that name than shall one knowe an other to be a frée cytizen of heauen. Consyder (sayth Saynt Iohn) howe louyngly the Father doeth vse vs. Not onely here doo we beare the name of hys chyldren, but also there shall we be sure to bée his sonnes in déede.

6 No maner of night or darcknesse of humayne doctryne, shall appere anye more in that cytie. But hauing Christ and his veritie, all vnprofitable doub∣tes, fantasies, errours, lyes, and false myracles, shall these citizens detest here. And after this lyfe are no suche matters to be loked for, all things thē being clere and perfect. Though they some time were darkenesse, yet are they now lyght in the Lorde, and will walke styll therein as y^e children ther∣of, tyll they come to the God of Gods in the euerlasting Syon.

7 There shall they haue néede of no candell or of wisdome borowed of mē.

8 Nor yet of y^e matteryall sun which mynistreth light to y^e day, by whom is ment y^e high sience of philosophers cō∣ceiued of y^e creaturs aboue w^tout faith. Those forē lightes may his ministeres wel vse, but truely his church nedeth thē not hauing much better than they are of christ & of his Aposils. Uery dark lights are they, wher his bright beāes once apereth, which is y^e clere sunne of rightuousnes. Abhominable lyes & er∣rours did he proue y^e high learning of y^e

bishops & lawyers, as he doth yet their decrées & lawes, their schoole, diuini∣tie and sentences, their ordinarie que∣stions and quodlibetes.

9 All these stinking mistes set apart, the mercifull Lorde aboue, which is the omnypotent God, giueth them a light sufficient. His eternall sonne is vnto them suche a cleare shyning cres∣set, as no great blast can extinguishe, nor cloude with darke shadowe ble∣mishe. Of most tender mercy sent hée that day spring from aboue, to dyrecte their féete here in the way of his peace.

10 And after thys laborous pilgry∣mage, in the sabboth of perpetual qui∣et shall hée lyghten them throughlye with his most glorious presence, and with him shall they raigne for euer and euer in full felicitie and glory cō∣tinuing. In this life beginneth y^e king∣dome through fayth, but there shall it be perfourmed in the perfecte sight of the godhead. The proude raigne of ty∣rauntes is here but for a time, the lesse it is to be feared. The méeke raign of the rightuous continueth for euer, the more it is to be sought for and desired.

The fruites that are here very harde and sower vnto them, shall there bée inestimable swéete, gentile, beautiful, perfecte, and pleasaunt, hauing theyr full rypenesse. No neede shall it be thā to run by sea and lande for the wyse∣dome, power, and glory of Christ, for in that day shal they be with euery one present. Here haue they but little pre∣tie beames of y^e light, very small drops of the water, and a smel of the fruites a farre of. Likelihoodes, figures, & my∣steries haue they only now of the bea∣titude to come. But there shall they be sure to haue them in full sight, tast, and sauer, and plentuously to be satis∣fied with them. Scarse is it here in cō∣parison to that it shal be there, as one droppe of water to the whole sea, or as an hādful of sād is to y^e whole earth.