The Bible and Holy Scriptures conteyned in the Olde and Newe Testament. Translated according to the Ebrue and Greke, and conferred with the best translations in diuers languges. VVith moste profitable annotations vpon all the hard places, and other things of great importance as may appeare in the epistle to the reader

CHAP. II.

1 He exhorte foure Chuches. 5 To repentance. 10 To per∣seuerance pacience and amendement. 5. 14, 20. 23. Aswel by threatenings. 7. 10. 17. 26. As promises of rewarde,

1 VNto thea 1.1 Angel of the Church of Ephe∣sus write, These things saith he thatb 1.2 hol deth the seuen starres in hisc 1.3 right hand, and d 1.4walketh in the middes of the seuen golden candlestickes.

2 I knowe thy workes, and thy labour, ād thy pacience, and how thou canst not forbeare them whiche are euil, and hast examined thē whiche say they are Apostles, and are not, & hast founde them lyers.

3 And thou hast suffred, and hast pacience, &* 1.5 for my Names sake hast labored, and hast not* 1.6 fainted.

4 Neuertheles, I haue (somewhat) against thee, because thou hast left thy firste 1.7 loue.

5 Remember therefore from whēce thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first workes: orels I wil come against thee shortly, and wil remoue thyf 1.8 candlesticke out of his place, except thou amende.

6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the wor∣kes of theg 1.9 Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

7 Let him that hathe an eare, heare, what the Spitit saith vnto the Churches, To him that ouercometh, wil I giue to eate of the tree of h 1.10life whiche is in the middes of the Paradise of God.

9 ¶ And vnto thei 1.11 Aungell of the Churche of the Smyrnians write, These things saith he that is first, and last, Whiche was dead and is k 1.12a liue.

9 I know thy workes andl 1.13 tribulation, and pouertie [but thou artm 1.14 riche] and (I knowe) the blasphemie of them, which say they are Iewes andn 1.15 are not, but (are) the Synagogue of Satan.

10 Feare none of those things, whiche thou shalt suffer: beholde, it shall come to passe that theo 1.16 deuill shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may bep 1.17 tryed, and ye shall haue tribulationq 1.18 ten dayes: be thou faith∣full vnto the death, and I will giue thee the crowne of life.

11 Let him that hathe an eare, heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches. He that ouer∣cometh, shal not be hurt of ther 1.19 secōde death

12 And to the Angel of the Church whiche is at Pergamus write, This saith he which hath the sharpes 1.20 sworde with two edges.

13 I knowe thy workes and where thou dwel∣lest, (euen) where Satanst 1.21 throne is, and thou kepest my Name, and hast not denied my faith,u 1.22 euen in those dayes when Antipasmy faithful martyr was slaine among you, where Satan dwelleth.

14 But I haue a fewe things against thee, be∣cause thou hast there them that mainteine thex 1.23 doctrine of * Balaam, whiche taught Balac, to put a stumbling blocke before the children of Israel, that they shulde eat of things sacrificed vnto idoles, and commit fornication.

15 Euen so hast thou them, that mainteine the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, whiche thyng I hate.* 1.24

16 Repent thy self, or els I wil come vnto thee shortely, and will fight against them with the sworde of my mouth.

17 Let him that hathe an eare, heare what the spirit saith vnto the Churches, To him that ouercometh, wil I giue to eat of the Manna that isy 1.25 hid, and will giue hym az 1.26 white stone, and in the stone aa 1.27 newe name writen, whiche no man knoweth sauing he that re∣ceiueth it.

18 ¶ And vnto the Angel of the Church which is at Thyatira write, These thyngs saith the Sonne of God, which hathe his eyes like vn∣to a flame of fyre, and his fete like,“ 1.28 fine* 1.29 brasse,

19 I knowe thy workes and thy loue, andb 1.30 ser∣uice, and faith, and thy pacience, and thy wor kes, and that (they are) mo at the last, then at the first.

20 Notwithstanding, I haue a fewe things a∣gainst thee, that thou suffrest the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 * c 1.31Ie sabel, which calleth her self a Prophetesse, to teache and to deceiue my seruants to make themd 1.32 commit fornication, and to eat meats sacrified vnto idoles.

21 And I gaue her space to repent of her forni∣cation, and she repented not.

22 Beholde, I wil cast her into a bed, and them that commit fornication with her, into great affliction, except they repent them of their workes.

23 And I wil kill here 1.33 children with death: and all the Churches shal knowe that I am he which * searche the reines and hearts: and I wil giue vnto euerie one of you according vnto your workes.

24 And vnto you I say, the rest of them of Thya tira, As many as haue not this learning, ne∣ther haue knowen thef 1.34 depnes of Satan [as g 1.35they speake] I wil put vpō you none other burden.

25 But that which ye haue all ready, holde fast til I come.

26 For he that ouercometh and kepeth my workes vnto the end, * to him wil I giue po∣wer ouer nations,

27 And he shal rule them with a rodde of yron: (and) as the vessels of a potter, shal 〈◊〉〈◊〉 be broken.

28 Euen as I receiued of my Father, so will I gi∣ue him the morning starre.

29 Let him that hathe an eare, heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches.

Notes

• a 1.1

  To the Pastor or minister whi∣che are called by this Name becau se they are Gods 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and haue their office commune with Iesus Christ who also is called an Angel.
• b 1.2

  Read. chap. 11. 3.
• c 1.3

  In his protectiō
• d 1.4

  According to his promes.
• * 1.5

  Mat 28. 20.
• * 1.6

  He wilbe with them to the end of the worlde.
• e 1.7

  Thy first loue, that thou hadest towarde God & thi neighbour at the first preachīg of the Gospel.
• f 1.8

  The office of the Pastor is com¦pared to a cādel∣sticke or lampe for asmuche as he ought to shine before men.
• g 1.9

  These were he retikes whiche helde that wiues shulde becōmune & as some thinke were named of one called Nico∣las, of whome is wrot. Act. 6. 5. which was cho∣sen among the Deacons.
• h 1.10

  Meanyng the life euerlastyng: thus by corporall benefites he rai∣seth thē vp to cō∣sider spirituall blessings.
• i 1.11

  This is thoght to be Policarpus who was mini∣ster of Smyrna 〈◊〉〈◊〉 yeres, as he hym self confessed be∣fore He rodes Whē as he was led to be burned for Christs cause.
• k 1.12

  The eternal di∣uinitie of Iesus Christe is here most plainely de∣clared with his man hode, & vi∣ctorie ouer death to assure his that they shall not be ouercome by death.
• l 1.13

  This was the persecutiō vnder the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Domitian.
• m 1.14

  In spirituall treasures.
• n 1.15

  They are not Abrahams chil∣dren accordyng to the faith.
• o 1.16

  Here he nameth the autor of, al our calamitie in couraging vs mā fully to fight a∣gainst him, in promising vs the victorie.
• p 1.17

  The end of af∣flictiō is that we may be tryed & not destroyed.
• q 1.18

  Signifying ma nie times as Ge∣nes, 31. 41. Nomb. 14. 22. Althoght there shalbe com¦fort and release.
• r 1.19

  The first death 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the natural death bodie, the secōdeis the eter nal death: frō the which all are fre that belieue in Iesus Christ.
• s 1.20

  The Worde of God is the sword With two edges. Ebr. 4. 12.
• t 1.21

  All to Wnes & countreies When 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Gods Worde, and good liuing is banished, are the throne of Sa∣tan, & also those places Where the Worde is not preached syncer∣ly, nor maners a right reformed,
• u 1.22

  In the verie heat of persecu∣tion & slaughter of the Martyrs they continued in the pure faith and therefore are commēded after a sorte.
• x 1.23

  All suche are like counsellours to Balaam, Which for luere persuade to idolatrie, or Whoredome.
• * 1.24

  Nō. 24. 14. & 25. 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• y 1.25

  And not com∣mune to all.
• z 1.26

  Suche a stone Was Wont to be giuen to thē that had gotten anie victorie or prise, in signe of ho∣nour, and there∣fore it signifieth here a token of Gods fauour and grace: also it Was a signe that one Was cleared in iudgement.
• a 1.27

  The newe na∣me also signifieth renome and ho∣nour.
• “ 1.28

  Or, alcumine.
• * 1.29

  Iohn. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 24.
• b 1.30

  To helpe the Saincts. *1. King. 16. 31.
• c 1.31

  As that harlot Iezabel mainteined strange religion and exerci∣sed cruelrie against the seruants of God, so are there among them that do the like,
• d 1.32

  They that consent to Idolattie and false doctrine, commit spirituall Who redome, Whereof fo∣loweth corporal Who redome, *Hose. 4. 13. *1. Sam 16. 7. *Psal. 7. 10. *Iere. 11. 29. and 17. 10.
• e 1.33

  Thē that followe her Wayes.
• f 1.34

  The false theachers termed their 〈◊〉〈◊〉 by this name, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thogh it conteined the most depe knowledge of heauenlie things, and Was in deed drawen out of the depe dongeon of helleby suche termes now the Anabaptists, Liberti∣nes, Papists, Arrians, & evse to beautifie their monstruous errors and blasphemies. *Psal. 2 9.
• g 1.35

  The children of Iezabel.