To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
1 And the seauenth Angell poured out his vial. 2. Into the ayre, 3. And there came a great voyce out of heauen from the sate sayinge. 4. It is done. 5. And there followed voices, thun∣derings, and lightninges. 6, And there was a great earthquake. 7. Such as was not since mē were vpon earth. 8. So mighty an earthquake and so great. 9. And the great citie was deuy∣ded
into three parts. 10. And the cities of the nations fell▪ 11. And great Babtlon came in remembraunce before God. 12. To geue vnto her the cup of Wine of the fiercenesse of hys wrath. 13. And euery Ile fled avvay. 14. And the mountaines vvere not founde. 15. And there fell a great haile. 16. As it had bene ta∣lents. 17. Out of heauen. 18. Vppon the men. 19. And the men blasphemed God, beause of the plague of the hayle. 20. For it vvas great, and the plague therof vvas sore.
1 Fynally the seuenth Angell wente forth vnder the seuenth seale, opening as God had eternali determined, thro∣wing out the content of his viall into the aire. For the seauenth age of the christen church by the very set purpose of God, are manye conuerted to the truth, and become with Paule the ves∣sels of election, that afore were with Iudas the vessels of wrath vnder the great aduersary of God. Neither is it any blemishe vnto them to be called here, that they were afore, vials of wrath, consyderynge that SIMON Leprosus, beinge once healed of hys
leprosie was euer after called a leper. In case lyke Paule, after his conuer∣sion was not ashamed to reporte him∣selfe both a Pharisie & also the sonne of a Pharasie.
2 These, by the mighty determina∣tion of Gods stronge iudgemente, are sent into the ayre. Most effectually are they lightened with the spirit of god, and prouoked stifly to stand vp against the aereall powers regning in the fi∣ckle fantasticall Antichriste and hypo∣crites, condempninge by Gods worde their vniuersall doctrines and deuil∣lishnes. These powers are no lesse than diuilles, whome Christe calleth fowles of the ayre, Peter and Iohn mans aduersaries, and saint Paul the gouerners of these darknesses in spiri∣tuall wickednes.
3 Whiles these things are in doing, out of heauen, which is the vniuersal congregation, yea, from the verye throne of god whiche is the elect faith∣ful number (for thei are ye only seat of God) came a voyce of reioysinge, say∣ing after this sort.
4 It is done. All things are finished.
Christs glory once manifestly knowne the world is at an ende. The wicked hath done all their mischies, and the number of our brethren is fulfilled. Thus shall they preache a full deliue∣raunce of the captiues, & ye peaceable yere of ye Lord. This is ye silence of an halfe houre space, mencioned afore in ye viii. chapter, and the returne of this world vnto Christ in the .xii. chapter. Not that there shall in those dayes be no enemies (for the remnaunte shall styll remayne) but that they shall not then openly dare rage, persecute, and kyll, the world being at such a vniuer∣sal quiet.
5 Yet shall there happen in those dayes, voyces, thunderings, and light¦nings. Uoyces of swéete blessings and delectable promises to ye faithful cōgre∣gation. Thunderings of terror to the vnfaithful multitud cōmanding thīgs contrary to ye flesh. And feareful light∣nings of condemnation to there pro∣bate hipocrits and desperat obstinats.
6 And al from one word of the Lord, or one gospell preaching in diuerse re∣spects, no small earthquake folowyng
vpon the same. What commocions, heuye complayn tes, fearfull trem∣blynges, sorowes, cryes, griefes, sighynges, waylynges, grudginges, gruntynges, gronynges, wepynges, and handes wryngyng wyl be among ye earthly minded Antichrists and hy∣pocrits, bishops, priests, prelates, holy watter mongers, and parrish clarkes, lawiers, whores, caruers, paynters, & waxe sellers, whan their whoryshe church shal be turnedouer by iudgmēt of the sayd word is easy to coniecture.
7 Such a one wyll this earthquake be (saith the text) so mighty & so strōg, as neuer was yet since men were vp∣on the earth, or since that earthly ge∣neration first beganne. Than shall be cleane taken away the carnall church of Antichrist or the smered Sinagoge of shauelings. Neither shall the Pope with his disgysed rable any more be séene here, nor yet Mahomet with his monstrous muster.
8 In such wise shal their laws, sects & ceremones be destroied in those daies that no man shal be found so bolde as once to allow one of thē openly. Than
shal ye glory of Christs name shine the world ouer, he making of his enimies his footestoole.
9 Moreouer in this terrible earth∣quake the great spirituall cytie called Sodom and Egipt, or the holy whorish mother the church shall be diss••uered into thrée parts, of the which two shal styll be wicked, the third cōuerted vn∣to godlines. Two partes shall be dis∣persed (saith Zachary) the thirde shall remaine to the Lorde. Of them which haue and shall go out of minsters and monasteries, colleges and couentes, churches and cloysters, parrishes, and nunneries, one sort shal inwardlye be geuen to Antichrists superstitiousnes and hipocrisie. An other sorte vpon di∣uers fleshly consideracions, shall fay∣nedly fall to the Gospel. The thirde sort onely of loue towardes God and zeale of helth in their neighbors, shall vnfainedly cleaue to the scriptures.
Thus shal ye vngodly sorte be coupled stil wt ye godly in eueri land & prouince & be ye much greater number, yet shal they for ye time attēpt nothing against them, the truthe so strongly regning.
Neuertheles yet is it to be thought yt they shal then haue nothing to suffer, cōsidering yt it is a kingdome of suffe∣rance. Christ to be head of that congre∣gation suffered once incommoditie or other alwaies, so long as he was here lyuing. It shall therfore behoue them which are his misticall members, al∣wayes to suffer. For the seruant is no better then his Lord, nor the soldiour then his head capitayne. And to make this good, the lord sayeth in Zachary. The same third part will I leade tho∣row fire, and purge it as siluer or gold in the furnace. Then shall euery god∣ly creature follow Christ in bearinge his crosse. They shall mortyfie theyr fl••shly members, sleyng al fornicatiō, filthynes, ••dolatry, couetousnes, pride anger, and malice.
They shall helpe, suffer, and for∣beare one an other, hauing pittifull compassion vpon the weake, sicke, and néedy. No duty beséeminge a christian shal they leaue vndone.
10 Therfore this great or generall cytie thus deuided, al other perticuler
or national cities muste also fall. The blasphemous Pantheō of Rome once perishing, all other churches of ye vn∣faithfull must néedes folow soone after in their course. For the foūdation takē away, yt buildyng cannot endure. So yt from thenceforth shall be no Popish sects, no supersticious ceremonies, no Hethenish obseruatiōs, nor opē Idola∣try in all the world▪ But when ye rem∣nāt of the wicked shal attempt afresh to raise vp again such abhominatiōs, the Lord shal sodainly without war∣ning fal vpō them with his most fear∣full & tirrible last iudgment.
11 Great Babilō the aforsaid mother of all whordom & filthinesse, shal than come in remembrance before god. He shall than consider hir abhominable blasphemye, hir pryde, crueltye, mur∣ther, & sinnes without number, way∣ing them in righte ballance according vnto iustice.
12 He shal also reward hir to drinke the fierce cup of his wrath or wine of his great indignacion, which is ye per∣petual death of soule. The very dreg∣ges of his Ire shal shée taste, yea vn∣speakable
sorowes & paynes without ende. For none other is it to come in remembraunce before him at yt day, but to be cōdempned, & receiue punish∣ment according to hir déedes.
13 Then shall euery Ile (which is a place of refuge within ye sea) flée away and not tarry. The mountaynes that are wonte to giue succour vnto them that be on the land, shal not at ye day be founde. No comforte shall shée thē haue nor sure helpe any where.
14 No remedy will be at that day to flée from the fearful face of the Iudge. Then will neither merites nor yet soule masses helpe, neyther blessinges nor knéelings, sacrifices nor sensings, wawlings, nor ringings, bussings nor singings, but will she nyll shée, néedes must shée abyde his heauy and tirrible sentence.
15 And there fell great hayle (sayeth the texte) as it had bene waightie ta∣lents. Alwayes must it be remembred that commonly the tyme paste is vsed in this hrophecie for the tyme to come, for the certayntie of the things héere spokē. This haile is none other thē the
heauy tempest or plague of ye said fear∣full & tirrible iudgements of ye Lord, which shal on yt woful day fal sodaynly as a thicke hayle vpon the miserable multitude of them yt boasted thē selues to be ye holy church & vpon their wicked folowers, cōpared here vnto Babilon.
16 This plague is here also for none other cause lykened vnto talents, but for yt it is in wayght & measure to bée ministred vnto them by the preordina∣tion of God. So much paine and sorow is due vnto that whorish generation, as shée hath glorified hir selfe in filthy delightes, & so many punishmentes to be rewarded hir. Yea, double must shée haue according to hir workes.
17 Out of heauen shall this vehemēt hayle fall, from the fearful sentence of the Lord Iesus Christ, which shal than sit as a Iudge in the myddest of hys faithful congregatiō; they fitting with him as the body with the head in con∣dempnation of the wicked.
18 And vpon ye men shal it light. For the great whore or ye citie called héere Babilō, is in this place to bée takē for that it comprehendeth, euen for men,
in whom also are included women by the common vsage of the scriptures.
19 These men shall spightfully blas∣pheme God bicause of ye hayle, plague, or terrour of their torments. They shall crye out of him, wishing that hée had no such power so to torment them.
20 For the tempest is great, and the sufferaunce thereof excéeding painfull. As the Lorde is mightie, so are hys iudgements whan they fal. Uehemēt, fierce, and strong is the Lorde (sayeth Esay) as is the tempest of hayle brea∣king out on euery side, & bearing down strong holdes.