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I was in the spirite on a sondaye, and hearde be hynde me a great voyce as it had bene a trempe, saying: I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the sast. That thou seest: wryt in a booke, and sende it vnto the seuen congregacions whiche are in Asia, vnto Ephesus, and vnto Smyrna, and vnto Pergamos, and vnto Thiatira, and vnto Sardis, and vnto Phi∣ladelphia, and vnto Laodicia.
The lordes daye is the sondaye, whiche the holy Apostles, (thoroughe the ho∣ly goost which they receyued at whytsontyde) did institute to be sanctyfyed and kept holy of the Christen churche, in the steade of the Iewes Sabboth day, not without very necessarye laudable and expediente consyderacions. Eusebius wryteth that S. Iohn dyd rule the churche of Ephesus after S. Paules death and lyke wyse also, the other churches in Asia, and therfore was commaūded of Christ in this place, to sende this wrytynge vnto them, forasmuche as he know them best, so that in processe of tyme it myght be common vnto all churches for their edefyeng & instruccion, as it came also to passe. And vnto thē also he wrote his gospel (after that he was delyuered out of Pathmos,) against y• heretykes, whiche began at that tyme to ryse.