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 vnto the Angell of the congrega∣tion, vvhich is in Laodicia, vvrite. 2. This saith Amen, the faithful and true vvitnesse, 3. the beginning of the creatures of God. 4. I knovv thy vvorkes, that thou art ney∣ther cold nor hote. 5. I vvould thou vvere colde or hote. 6. But bicause thou arte be∣tvveene both, and neyther colde nor hote, 7. I vvill spevve thee out of my mouthe. 8. Bycause thou sayest thou arte rych and increased vvith goodes, and hast neede of nothing, and knovvest not hovv thou arte vvretched and myserable, poore, blynd, and naked. 10. I counsell thee to buye of mee gold tryed in the fyre, 11. that thou mayst be rich, and vvhyte raiment, that thou mai∣est be clothed, 12. that thy filthie naked∣nesse doe not appeare. 13. Anoynt thine eyes vvith eye salue, 14. that thou maist see.

THE PARAPHRASE.

1 And now laste of all my deare

friend Iohn (sayeth the Lord Iesus) forget not to admonish by the hande writing also, the elder of the Chri∣sten congregation which is in Lao∣dicia, a notable Citie of the Asianes, which pretendeth to be a iust people or a companie to whom fayth is re∣kened for righteousnesse, and are no∣thing lesse. In the sight of men they appeare good, and their works séeme glorious, yet are they before God no sincere Christians, but dissemblyng hypocrites in déede.

2 Cause them to knowe certainely that this is the charytable warnyng of him, which coueteth all things to be well, perfecte and good, and is in verie déede a witnesse faithfull and true, yea, the eternaall veritie it self, for that they shoulde giue the more creadite to his sayings.

3 Moreouer hee is the oryginall be∣ginning, not only of the creatures for so much as hee was that worde by whome God created all thinges in the beginnyng, but also of the crea∣tures of God, for so much as he be∣commyng

fleshe in this latter age restored them agayne to the peace and fauour of God, for y^• they should euermore séeke vnto hym in theyr néede as to the verie fountayne or well spring of all goodnesse.

4 Thy workes are euidently open before me (sayth that Lorde) and I know them in their kynd. I sée thou arte neyther cold nor hote. Thou art neyther a full infydell, nor a full be∣léeuer, neyther a perfecte pagane, nor a perfect Christian. Thou arte ney∣ther constant in the faith, nor yet all without faith. Outwardly thou arte hote, but within thou arte colde as yse. Inwardly thou abhorrest y^e word of God, yet doest thou not outward∣ly condemne it.

5 I would thou were eyther colde or hote, eyther a Christian or none at all, eyther a perfect louer of the veri∣tie, or els a full hater of it, and not a dissembling hypocrite as thou arte, iudging euill good, and good euill, cal∣ling darkenesse light, and light dark∣nesse, making sower swéete, & swéete

sower, allowing fables and lyes, and contempning the wisdome of God. None is so farre from the kingdome of heauen as is a false Christian. Much sooner is he conuerted to the trueth that is all colde or all without fayth then he that vnder the colour and pretense of Gods lawes mayn∣tayneth errours and lyes.

6 For so much therefore as I fynd thée betwéene both, and neyther of both, halfe colde, halfe hote, and ney∣ther fully cold nor hot, neither faith∣fully giuen to Gods worde nor all whole without it, but a false glosing hypocrite.

7 I will begin to vomet thée as a morsell out of season, and spewe thée out of my mouth as a thing out of kynde. Thou shalte not be disgested. Neyther shall my worde allow thée, nor my promisse admitte thée to rest with Abraham Isaac, and Iacob, in the kingdome of heauen. But thou shalt be throwne foorth into exteri∣our darknesse, where as shall be wée∣ping & gnashing of téeth. I will caste

thée out, detest thée, and abhorre thée. For much worse are they that abuse or dispyse the gift of God, then they which neuer receyued it.

8 Thou pratest very sore of thy ry∣ches, thy merytes, good déedes, and deseruings. Thou boastest thy selfe much of thy increase in goodnesse by déeds of supererogation and workes more then néede. Yea, thou arte not ashamed to thinke thy selfe so great∣ly to abound in learnyng, wisedome, rightuousnesse, and holinesse, that all hath néede of thée, and thou of none, sellyng to the wretched Idiotes of the world, thy masses, thy dyryges, thy fastings, thy memories, thy knée∣lings, thy crouchings, with other idle obseruations.

9 But thou remembrest not that thou arte wretched of thy self, & wic∣ked of thyne owne nature. Thou con∣sidrest not y^• thou art myserable and sinfull in thy lyfe, poore without vn∣derstāding & knowledge, feeble with∣out the strength of Gods spirit, blynd without iudgement and fayth, and

naked without veritie and all good Christen workes.

10 I charitably therfore admonish thée to remember thy selfe. I counsel thée also as one mynding thée good, to bye of me golde tryed in the fyre. Come vnto me with faith, and aske in the feruentnesse of soule. If thou be féeble harted, say: Lorde increase my fayth. Desire my heauenly word to thy comforte, with vnderstanding to perceiue it and know it. It is trea∣sure much more precious then golde, it is sweetenesse more dulcet thē ho∣nie. And tryed it is moste pure and cleane by the holy Ghost. Thou shalt haue it without payment. Thy good harte shall only suffyse mée.

11 Diligently procure it that thou mayest be riche in fayth and righte∣ousnesse, in y^e merits of Iesus Christ, and in the fauour of God by them, and that thou mayest be cloathed in white rayment of innocencie & clean∣nesse, not only before men, but also before God.

12 Be neuer without veritie, fayth,

righteousnesse and charitie, with o∣ther giftes of the holy Ghost, least the filthie nakednesse of hypocrisie, and sin, for all thy paynted colours appeare to thy confusion. Let thyne owne dyrtie merites alone, & decke thée with the precious deseruings of the sonne of God, that thou mayest haue thy sinnes wyped away, cléere∣ly forgiuen, couered, and neuer more imputed vnto thée by him.

13 And to auoyde the blyndenesse, sée thou anoynt thine eyes, thy mind or affection, thy iudgement or know∣ledge, with the eye salue of clerenes which is Iesus Christ, the swéete smelling oyntment of health.

14 Consider y^t he alone was borne for thée, and dyed for thée. And take him for thy only wisdome, satisfacti∣on, holinesse, and redemption y^t thou mayst hereafter sée. Let this precious lycour take from thine eyes all fil∣thie corruptiō: and whatsoeuer thou shalt hereafter do in word or in déed, doe all in the name of that Lorde, gyuyng thankes vnto God the fa∣ther

by him. For he is the salue that shall heale thée, and the lighte that shall cléere thée.

Notes

• Iohn. 19. 2. Thes. 2. Laodicia ciuitas Asie Rom. 4. Mat. 6. Luc. 11. Esai. 1.
• 1. Tim. 2. Psal. 144. Iohn. 14. Apoc. 19. Apoc. 21. Eccle. 1. Iohn. 1. Iacob. 1. Phil. 2.
• Mat. 11. Iohn. 4. Hebr. 4. Prou. 24. 2. Pet. 2. Gala. 3. Rom. 2. 1. Cor. 13.
• Phil. 3. 1. Tim. 1. Gala. 2. Act. 20. Iude 1. 2. Pet. 2. Esai. 5. 1. Tim. 4▪
• Mat. 3. Luc. 3. 2. Tim. 4. Iohn. 16. Luc. 18. Gala. 4.
• Apoc. 2. Mat 25. Rom. 1.
• Iohn. 18. Mar. 8. Iohn. 12. Mar. 22. Mich 3. Luc. 9. Hebr. 6.
• Luc. 18 Eccle. 7 Apoc. 18.
• Math. 2•• Luc. 11 Iohn. 2 Soph. •• Apoc. 1•• Amos. 5 Eccle. 1.
• Psal. 143. Prou. 14 Rom. 5. Ephe. 4 Apoc. 1••.
• Psal. 55. Mat. 7. Luc. 17. Iohn. 19. Psal. 18. Eccle. 23. Mala. 3. Esai. 52. Prou. 23. 1. Cor. 4.
• Apoc. 7. 2. Pet. 3. Rom. 12.
• Gala. 5. 2. Cor. 5. Apoc. 17. Esai. 64. 1. Pet. 1. Psal. 31. Rom. 8.
• Psal. 18. Iohn. 8. Cant. 1. Esai. 63. Act. 4. 1. Cor. 1. 1. Iohn. ••••▪
• Ephe. 1. Coloss. 3. Hiere. 17.