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 fourth Chapiter.

THE TEXT.

1 After this I looked, and behold a dore vvas open in heauen, 2. and the first voice vvhich I hearde vvas as it vvere of a Trum∣pet, talking vvith me, vvhich sayd. 3. Come vp hither, and I vvill shevv thee thynges, vvhich must be fulfilled hereafter. 4. And immediatly I vvas in the spirite, 5. and be∣hold a seate vvas set in heauen, and one sat on the seate, 6. And hee that sate, vvas to looke vpon lyke vnto a Iasper stone, and a Sardine stone. 7. And there vvas a reyne bovve about the seate in sighte lyke a Sma∣ragde. 8. And about the seate vvere .xxiiij. seates. 9. And vpon the seates .xxiiij. elders sitting, 10. clothed in vvhyte rayment, 11. and had on their heads crovvnes of golde. 12. And out of the seate proceeded lyght∣nings, and thundrings, and voyces. 13. And there vvere seuen lampes of fyre burnyng before the seate, vvhich are the seuen spirits of God, 14. And before the seate there vvas a sea of glasse lyke vnto Christall. 15. And in the middest of the seate and rounde a∣bout

the seate, vvere foure beastes, 16. full of eyes before and behynde..

THE PARAPHRASE.

[illustration]

1

After thys speciall iniunction of my Lorde and maister Iesus Christ (sayth saint Iohn) I did cast vp mine eyes towards the skye lifting vp my hart to giue thankes vnto God. And anon as I seriously beheld the face of the fyrmament or maiestie of Gods works, I saw a doore open in heauē. Which was a significatiō to me, that God mynded to opē certain high mi∣steries of the scripture, & hidden se∣cretes concerning his kingdome or church vnto me his simple seruaunt.

2 And the first thyng that ascertai∣ned

me of the same from thēce, was a mightie great voyce as it had bene the stoute noyse of a Trompe, or the vehement blaste of an horne. The which voyce though it were fearfull vnto my fleshe (as commonly y^e com∣maundement of God is) yet was it solatious vnto my spirite, for so much as it familiarly talked with mée, and sayde these wordes.

3 Come thou vp hyther. Suspende thyne owne wil, wit, studie, practise, and iudgement. Condempne y^t thou hast of nature. Lift vp thy self aboue thy self, ascend in soule by the spirite and power of God, and I will shewe vnto thée thinges wonderfull, and such as must without fayle be fulfil∣led in euerie poynte hereafter by the vnuariable ordinaunce of God.

4 And as it had bene in a thought, I was sodenly by the Lordes power taken vp. I was in the spirit in déed, secluded frō all carnal imaginatiōs.

5 And anon I was ware of a beau∣tifull seat prepared in heauen, which moued mee to consider that before

the constitution of the world almigh∣tie God had appoynted by his spirite to raygne in his faithful church. For I sawe that one sate vpon y^t seate, as vpon the beautifull throne of his glorie. No where els raigneth God but among his chosen people. Hée dwelleth not in Temples made by hand, he resteth not in houses of mās preparation. Is the kingdom of God any where els thē within man? Hath God any Temple that hee more fa∣uoureth then mans faithfull harte?

6 And he that gloriously sate vpon that comely seate, was lyke by all similitude to a Iasper stone, and re∣sembled also a precious stone called a Sardine. Betokening that his raign is durable & strong, his power firme and invariable, his glorie cléere and precious, and that he him selfe is as the red Iasper beautifull and orient, and as the gréene Sardine, freshe, fayre, and neuer fading, that man shuld euer be desirous of him. Whose will to consider is our felicitie, and whose pleasure to folow is our per∣fectnesse.

7 And there was a fayre raynbow about that glorious seate, in sighte like a smaragde or an Amarald stone. Which signifieth his perpetuall co∣uenaunt of peace & loue to all them that haue fayth, which are so deare vnto him as is the apple of hys owne eye, or as that thing which hee desy∣reth most. And no lesse precious the sayde couenaunt is, then the fresh A∣meralde with his amorous hew and beautifull shewe of loue, that wée should the rather couette it. For no∣thing is more auydyously to be desy∣red, then is the swéete peace of God.

8 And about that excéedyng fayre seate or empyre of the Lorde, were xxiiij. other meane seates appointed, which put me anon in remembraūce of charitie, pacience, stedfastnesse, loue, ioy, peace, temperance, iustice, knowledge of god, méeknesse, & other fruites of fayth, with innumerable giftes of the holie ghost, wherein the seruauntes of God hath afore tyme and still doeth continually rest.

elders, or notable auncient men sit∣ting. Which séemeth vnto me to be Abell, and Noe, Abraham & Dauid, Moyses and Helyas, Ioseph & Iohn Baptist, the Prophets and Apostles, the Preachers & Martyrs, with such other lyke. To whom Christ promi∣sed in the regeneration to sitte with him vpon xij. seates, iudging the xij. tribes of Israel. These set numbers in y^e scripturs of xxiiij. or of .xij. & such lyke, noteth certaintie in y^e promisse of God towards them which are in themselues without number.

10 And the foresayd elders or men of rype discretion, were cloathed in white rayment or apparell of inno∣cencie according to the commaunde∣ment of the holye Ghost. For their works were pure and cleane before God, rysing only of fayth, and were neuer defyled with the filthie tradi∣tions of men.

11 They had also vpon their heads as myghtie rulers, and gouernours, crownes of fyne golde, in token that they had héere the gouernance

in his worde, and shall hereafter be partakers with Christ in his heauē∣ly kingdome and glorie.

12 Great is the maiestie of y^e trone of God, and the power muche. For from his heauenly seate into the vni∣uersall world procéeded lightnings, and thunderings, and voyces, which are the manyfolde and dyuers re∣spectes of his worde. For a fearfull lightenyng it is when it rebuketh, throweth downe, and condempneth the sinner. It is a terrible thunde∣ring, when it feareth, threateneth, and commaundeth thynges contra∣rie to the fleshe. And it is a solaci∣ous voyce agayne when it rayseth, reléeueth, and quickeneth the de∣solace conscience with comfortable promises. And full is all the scrip∣ture of these, which commeth from Syon, and the swéete worde of God whyche commeth from Hierusa∣lem.

13 And there were seuen lampes of flamyng fyre burnynge before the sayde trone of God, which are the

seuen spirites of God, or the vniuer∣sall giftes of the holie ghost, prefigu∣red in the scriptures by the seuen lightes of one Candelsticke, the vij. eyes of one stone, and by vij. hornes and eyes also of the lambe. These shewe light euermore before Gods sight. The church without them in no wyse can be the trone of God.

14 And before the sayd seate, there was as it had béene a sea of glasse, a plentifull vnderstanding of the veri∣tie, fyrst giuen vnto Christ by the fa∣ther, and then vnto the church or cō∣gregation by the spirite of Christ. And this sea was lyke vnto a Chri∣stall cléere, beautifull and pure, with∣out any corruption of humaine fan∣tasies.

15 In the middest of that heauenly seate, & in the circuite of the same, were iiij. beastes séene, of diuers na∣ture and shape, not signifying the iiij. greater Prophetes, nor yet the iiij. Euangelistes (as no small num∣ber of doctors hath fantasied) but ra∣ther y^e vniuersall number of all faith∣ful

beleeuers, & earnest setters foorth of the veritie in the foure quarters of the whole world. And this may be gathered by the noyse of their wings in Ezechiel by their crying of sanctus sanctus, sanctus, & by their shewing of mysteries of the opened seales of the booke, as héereafter foloweth. By whom are to be vnderstande the sin∣cere openings of Gods word, and the continuall praysing of his glorious name. These beastes are in the mid∣dest of the seate or congregation of God, when they teach them and ex∣horte them to persist in the trueth. They are also in the circuite of the same, when they diligently labour to defende them from the doctryne of diuils, and errours of hypocrites.

16 These beastes were full of faire eyes before and behinde. Which is a cléere knowledge in the mysteryes of Gods word. The sincere fauorers of Gods heauenly truth doth sée ma∣ny wonderful things, and know ma∣ny secrete maruels, not only concer∣ning matters past, but also of iudge∣ments

to come. So many eyes haue they, as they haue perceyued very∣ties. For they once made spirituall by fayth, discerne all things. They are taught of God. And y^e holy ghost doeth lead them into all trueth.

THE TEXT.

1. And the first beast vvas lyke a Lyon. 2. The second beast lyke a Calfe, 3. and the third beast had a face lyke a man, 4. and the fourth beast vvas lyke a flying Egle. 5. And the foure beasts had eche one of them sixe vvings. 6. And round about vvithout and vvithin they vvere full of eyes. 7. And they had no rest neyther day nor night, say∣ing: Holy, holy, holy is the Lorde God al∣mightie, vvhich vvas, and is, & is to come. 8. And vvhen those beastes gaue glorye, and honour, and thankes to him that sate on the seate, vvhich lyueth for euer and e∣uer. 9. The xxiiij. elders fell dovvne before him that sate on the trone, & vvorshipped him that lyueth for euer, 10. and cast their crovvnes before the trone, saying. 11. Thou art vvorthie Lord to receyue glorie and ho∣nour, and povver. 12. For thou hast created all things, and for thy vvilles sake they are and vvere created.

THE PARAPHRASE.

1 These iiij. beastes hath iiij. diuers exteriour similitudes, which are not els but the outward tokens, testimo∣nyes, and signes of faith, or the fruit∣full workes thereof only procéeding. For fayth is neuer without hir hole∣some fruites. The first beast was in similitude lyke vnto a Lyon, strong and mightie in power. And that are they which hath layde asyde the olde man of sinne with his féeble faynte workes, and conuerted them selues into y^e ghostly image of Christ, which is the mightie stronge Lyon of the Trybe of Iuda, for that they myght haue the victorie ouer sinne.

2 The seconde beast was fashyoned lyke vnto a Calfe, much vsed in the olde lawe to bée offered vp in sacry∣fice. And suche are they, which forsa∣king them selues and mortifying the corrupte lustes of theyr fleshe, doeth walke in a newe Christian lyfe, and offer vp them selues vnto God as a

lyuing sacrifice, readie to suffer all kyndes of persecution and death for his names sake.

3 The third beast had a face in fa∣uour lyke a man, hauing reason, wit, and discrecion. And those are they which through pollicie of fayth and prudencie in the spirit, so wysely and discretely order them selues in that they goe aboute, that nothyng is against y^e glorie of God, but al things worketh for the best in them.

4 The fourth beast was lyke vnto a flying Egle, which buyldeth hir neast very highe in the harde rocke stone. Which are those godly persōs that liuing héere in this mortall bo∣die, by the counsell of the holy Ghost haue their conuersation in heauen. They séeke for those thinges which are aboue, where as Christ is sitting on the right hand of God. In whom only as in the sure rocke they buylde all their whole hope and trust. By these foure similitudes is the true congregation of God knowne from the painted sinagoge and coūterfaict

church of Sathan glorifiyng hir selfe in vaine glorie, pompe, crueltie, rape, simonie, lyes, hatred, sectes, murther, Idolatrie, sedition, and tirannie, with other fruites of the flesh, whose God is their bellie, and theyr ende damp∣nation. And though these iiij. simyli∣tudes be diuers, yet doe they respect one congregation after Ezech. which euer more applyeth all .iiij. vnto one beast. And euerie one of the sayd iiij. beastes had .vj. winges about him.

5 The winges whereby Gods peo∣ple are raysed vp vnto him, is fayth, hope, charitie, iustice, mercie, & veri∣tie, with such other vertues as euer more accompanyeth them. By these are they lifted vp vnto heauenlye thinges. By these auoyde they the common mischieues of the world. By these obtayne they a plentuous quy∣etnesse in God, abyding their sauiour and redéemer Iesus Christ. And wher as in Ezechiell the sayd winges ap∣pearing but iiij. are here founde sixe, we may gather this. That the gospel now published, the giftes of the holy

ghost are more high, plentifull, and o∣pen vnder christ, then afore time vn∣der Moyses.

6 Round aboute them without and within the sayde beastes were ful of eyes. The seruants of the Lord hath Godly wisdome and knowledge eue∣ry where inwardly to consider hea∣uenly things durable, sure, and per∣fite, and neuer to perish. Outwardly agayne to iudge earthly things cor∣ruptible, wretched, and vaine, and shortly to be ended.

7 Neither day nor night could the sayde beastes cease from the praise of their Lord God, saying: Holy, holy, holy. Or blessed art thou almightye father, blessed art thou almightie sonne, blessed art thou almighty holy ghost, distinct thrée persons in trinity, and in substaunce one Lorde God al∣mighty, which was withoute begin∣ning, and is of him selfe onely, and shall be for euer, & euer, euerlasting. And what is this els but y^t the righ∣teous feruently eprayinge, geueth continnuall thankes vnto GOD

reioysinge amonge them selues in psalmes, in hymnes, and in spiritu∣songes, praysinge hym euermore in their harts.

8 And when those .iiij. beastes, or faithfull, feruent, sincere, and pure beleuers héere beléeuing in the flesh, gaue glory, honour, and thanks from the, iiij. quartes of the earth, in pro∣fessing the verity, in teaching it vn∣to other, and in liuinge accordinge to the same. And that vnto hym which sate on the seat, which is god almigh∣ty reigning ouer that congregation, which lyueth for euer and euer and hath of his kyngdome none end.

9 Anone stepped forth the .xxiiij. el∣ders, or the whole, perfit, and vniuer¦sall number of them which hath res∣ted in the Lorde, and they with all méekenes fel down before him which sate on the throne. They submit∣ted themselues vnto him, ackowle∣ginge him for theyr onely Lorde. They worshipped him also with dew reuerance, & gaue high thankes vnto him, as vnto their eternal liuīg god.

10 Yea, finally they threwe downe their crowns before the throne of his eternal maiestie. They cōfessed their owne good workes, merites, and de∣seruinges to be nothyng at all. But their whole health, wisdome, know∣ledge, vertue, holines, rightuousnes, and redemption to be onely of his ly∣berall gift and vndeserued goodnesse.

11 And as men most highly reioysing they cryed vnto him, saying thus: It is thou (O Lord God, & most mightie creator) that is alone worthie to re∣ceyue all glory, all honour, and all thankes for that hath bene wrought, in heauen, & in earth, and none other els but thou.

12 For thou hast alone by thy vnser∣cheable wisedome created all things, and brought them foorth out of no∣thing. And for the onely pleasure of thy will they are now at this pre∣sent tyme in substance and fashyon, and were created of thée at the begin∣ning, not onely to be at thy commaū∣demēt, but also to be euermore thāke∣full vnto thée, and to laude thée, and

prayse thée for euer.

Notes

• Apoc. 1. Iohn. 13. Psal. 120. 1. Thes. 7. Eccle. 43. Ezech. 1. Act. 14. Luc. 24.
• Ezech. 3.
• Psal. 28. Esai. 18. Iohn. 6. Mat. 6. Hier. 31.
• Ephe. 5. Col. 3. Phil. 3. Gala. 5. 1. Cor. 12. Apoc. 1.
• Rom. 8. 2. Cor. ••••. Psal. 44.
• Sapi. 9. Ephes. 1. Iohn. 14. Psal. 77. Act. 7. 2. Reg. 7. Luc. 7. 1. Cor. 6.
• Esai. 54. Ezech. 28. Dan. 7. Psal. 44. Dan. 4. Abacuc. 3.
• Psal. 16. Sapi. 15. Luc. 6. The raine¦bow is the couenaunt. Zacha. 2. Prou. 8. 1. Reg. 3. Ezech 28. Iohn. 16. 2. Cor. 13. Phil. 4.
• The .xxiiij seates are vertues. Gala. 5. Esai. 11.
• Apoc. 5. Mat. 19. Hebr 11. Eccle. 45. Ephes 4. Mat. 19.
• Numbers in the scrip¦tures. Dan. 7. Apoc. 7.
• Hebre. 11. Apoc. 14.
• VVhat are mēt by the crownes.
• Ezech. •• Psal. 96. Apoc. 16. Zacha. 6. Act. 2. Iohn. 16.
• Psal. 118. Rom. 16. Iohn. 6. Esai. 2. Iohel. 2.
• Cant. ••. Esai. 11. Zacha. 4.
• Zacha. 3. Apoc. 5. Iohn. 15.
• Ezech. 47. Apoc. 1. Iohn. 14. Psal. 11. Mala. ••.
• Mala. 3. Ezech. 1. Ioannes ba∣••othorpe. Albertus & alii. Ezech. 10. Dani. 3.
• Ezech. ••. Esai. 6. Apoc. 5. Franciscus Lambertu••
• Georgius aemilius. 1. Pet. 5. Ezech. 5. 1. Tim. 4.
• Ezec. 1.1••▪ Iohn. 15. Math. 13. Luc. 8. Iohn. 8. Haymo. 1. Cor. 2. Iohn. 6. Iohn. 16.
• Ambrostus Ansbertus. Rom. 3. Gala. 5. Prou. 30. Prou. 28. Col. 3. Rom. 8. 2. Cor. 3. Apoc. 5.
• Esai. 11. Exod. 2••. Gala. 5. Col. 3. Rom. 6. Rom. 12. 2. Tim. ••.
• Eccle. 8. Hebr. 12. Rom. 8. 1. Cor. 2. 2. Cor. 10.
• Iob. 9. Hiere. 49. Rom. 6. Phil. 3. Col. 3. Hebre. 10. 1. Cor. 10.
• Ansbertus & Haymo. Apoc. 2.
• Apoc. 1••. Gala. 5. Phil. ••.
• Lambertus Ezech. 1. Ezech. 10. Esay. 6. Esay. 4••. Hebr. 11. Gala. 5.
• Ephe. 1. Iohn. 15. Rom. 2. Tit. 2. Ezech. 1••.
• Rom. 8. Iohn. 1. Ezech. 10. Psal. 4. 1. ••or 2. Apoc. 21. 3. Reg 3. Eccle▪ 1.
• Psalm. 33. Esay. 6. Athanas••us Augustinus Fulgencius, Apoca. 1. Esay. 44.
• Primasius Aph••••. Colo. 3.
• Robertus Tuitiensis. Esay. 11. Psalm. 118,
• Esa. 6. Exod. 15. Luc. 1.
• Apoca. 5. Albertus Magnus.
• Psalm. 82.
• Gregorius magnus. 1. Cor. 1. Tit. 3.
• Psal. 85. 2. Mach. 1. Rom. 11. Hest. 13.
• Iude 9. Psal. 103. Gen. 12. Hest. 13. Eccle. 3. Ion. 1. Ephe. ••.