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 Consequently, bicause ye shall not suppose this matter lyght (sayth sainct Iohn) as many thinketh that whiche hath not the testimony of men, besides the aucthoritie of God, I Iohan Boa∣nerges, an earnest thunderer out of the gospell, & a stirrer vp mens hartes to the study of heauenly things. Yea a man knowne, not only to you Afianes, but also the whole Christianitie, for that Apostle whom Christ peculyarlye loued.

2 Euen I am the same selfe Iohan, which haue both heard these wonder∣full things with myne eares, and also haue séene them through y^e great good∣nesse of my lord God with myne eyes, for your singular commoditie and pro∣fite.

3 None other matter doe I héere wryte vnto you, at the commaunde∣ment of Iesus Christ for your healthe and saluation, but such as I haue both heard and séene for the same, beleue them if ye wil. In my other writings, as are my gospell and my fyrst Epistle, whervnto I neuer subscribed, ye haue

throughly beleued mée. Giue no lesse credence now than vnto this, whervn∣to I subscribe my name. For so haue I done here, that ye should the rather be∣leue it, and receyue it as most whole∣some doctrine of saluation. After thys sort did Paule adde his name to hys sayings, that they should be the more earnestly receyued.

4 And as concerning my parte, truly whan I had thus harde them & séene them, the wonderfull mysteryes of them so rauyshed my spirites, that I in a maner clearely forgate my selfe.

5 Yea, I was so farre from my right remembraunce for the vehemency of them, that I fell downe flatte to the grounde, prostrate before the féete of the Angell, mynding to giue vnto him the whole homage of my soule, which is onely due vnto God that created my soule.

6 And what though this Angel which had thus opened vnto me all these wō∣derfull mys••eries afore, where Iesus Christ him selfe (as I thought him no lesse in déede) yet sought I not to haue worshipped him in that similitude, cō∣sidering

also y^e God will haue no part of his honour giuen to any other than vnto himselfe onely.

7 Wherefore he charitably admoni∣shed me of it, and sayd thus vnto me.

8 In any wise beware thou doe no such homage vnto me, which apere here to thée but a creature, least therby thou offende y^e Lord god. For daunger may be in such case, though the intent bée godly, if any part thereof shoulde re∣mayn to the creature, as thou knowest wel inough. Nothing maiest thou wor∣shippe that thy outwarde syght offreth vnto thée, for in them hath fayth no place whych is a substaunce of things vnséene. And God hath taught thée to worshipe him in no creatures, neither in breade nor wyne, man nor angell, but in spirit and veritie onely, muche lesse than to worshippe the selfe crea∣tures, or Idols in their stede, whych is much worse.

9 Though I be the sonne of God and sauiour of y^e world, yet am I in this of∣fice but a creature, and thy fellow ser∣uaunt. A sent messenger from God as thou art, an opener of his godly minde

and pleasure as thou art, to sygnifie y^• vnto thée, which he wolde haue thée againe to signifie vnto his people.

10 And in this point am I not onely thy companion, or in this message ioyned fellowe with thée (for so well is it my reuelation as thyne) but also I am a lyke companion to thy former brethrē Ezechiell, Daniell, Zacary, and such other, which had the gyft of prophecie and were prophetes in déede, as thou art now doing lyke office with them thus vttering gods mind in misteries.

11 Yea, farthermore, I am a fellowe seruaunt likewise and a companiō to∣gither of all thē y^• w^t reuerence obserue the faithfull testymonies of this pre∣sent booke or prophecy. In token wher∣of I toke the shappe of a seruaunt, I fulfylled the lawe, and was conuersāt among men.

12 So thou worshippe not me there∣fore, but worship thy onely Lord god. For alone shouldest thou seke him and loue him, honour him and serue hym, prayse hym, and glorifie him. None o∣ther gods shalt thou haue in my sight, saith the eternall and omnipotēt Lord.

Obserue the same rule in worshipping that I taught thée to obserue in pray∣er. Remember I taught thée not to pray vnto me whome thou séest, nor yet vnto any dead sainct whome thou séest not, but vnto thy lorde God whom thou hast only in beleue, saying our fa∣ther which arte in heauen. I tolde thée also that God was a spirite, and that he would only be sought in spirite, and in nothing that thou séest with thyne eyes. Therefore worship God & not mée. Consider here (good reader) y^e vn∣godly vyolence of the papistes, enfor∣cing the simple multitude to worship a drye wafer cake, to knele vnto it, to holde vp their handes, to make theyr prayers to it, and to call it their God, making them to beleue that it is gods commaundement they shoulde so doe. Oh, abhominable Antichristes, Oh, fil∣thie Balaamites, séeking your owne bellyes & glory to your confusiō. Way this place throughlye with the other scriptures, & be once ashamed of your beastly and blasphemous madnesse. Ye will peraduenture say, it is Christes body. But truly that is all false. For

thereof is no mutuall perticipation, where one eateth vp all. No shewyng is there of y^e Lordes death til he come, where all is done in a foren language and nothing vnderstanded. Christ brea∣thed not vpon the bread with hoo, hée, haue at all, as you doe. He only tooke it in his holy handes, and gaue thankes vnto God. The wordes of thankesgy∣uing he lefte not behinde him for you to ••unger with, for he knew yée afore for subtile workers. He kept not that bread to him selfe, nor yet closed it vp in a boxe as you doe. But he brake it and distributed it vnto other. In lyke case the disciples did neyther worship it nor him at that season. For if they had, he would haue forbidden it them, and haue taught the same self doctrine that he sheweth here vnto Iohan. On∣ly did they take it & eate it in his remē∣braunce, and that was his institution. And where as it is this vsed, there is both his body and bloud receiued. But otherwise not. The breade that was lefte of this consecration or breaking, which was so holy as the other, was neyther housed nor churched, boxed

nor pixed, but remayned there styll to the housholders, to be eatē of whom soeuer lusted. Neyther doth the diuini∣tie of your sentēcioners as of Thomas of Aquine, Dons, Dorbel, Guido, Ba∣conthorp, and such other, appoynt ther∣vnto that kynde of honour that ye suf∣fer the people to giue vnto it, but a far meaner honour called Hiperdulia. But you can wynke at such matters & suf∣fer both them and your selues to go to the diuell for worldly lucer. Nothyng holdeth long with you, neither christes doctryne nor your owne. But that yée make now, ye marre to morowe. And that at one tyme is a lawe, at an other tyme shal be none at al. Such are your wauering wonders.