The seconde tome or volume of the Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Newe Testament conteynyng the epistles of S. Paul, and other the Apostles : wherunto is added a paraphrase vpon the reuelacion of S. John.

¶ The .xiiii. Chapter.

The texte.

¶ And I loked, and lo a lambe stoode on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred and xliiii. thousande hauing his name and his fathers name written in their foreheades. And I heard a voyce from heauen, as the sounde of many waters, and as the voyce of a great thounder. And I hearde the voyce of harpers harping with their harpes.

HEre foloweth, what rewarde they shall haue, whiche folowe not* 1.1 this horned beast, nor them that worship it. The lambe vpon the mount Sion is our Sauiour Christ, rulinge and gouer∣ning in his holy christen churche, and sorowing for his faithful elect. This great nomber, after the customable vse of the scrip∣ture, sygnifieth the infinite and exceadinge great nomber of gods elect from the beginninge of the worlde vntil the ende therof, vnknowen vnto the whole worlde: Althoughe the nomber of the wicked and damned sorte be also a great nomber. These electe are they, whiche without feare, shame, or compulsion haue confessed, knowledged, honoured, spred furth, noysed abrode, preached and taught the name of the heauenly father before all the worlde, a∣gainst all the spyte and resistinge of the deuyll, of all his ministers, and of the wicked worlde.

The texte.

¶ And they song as it were a new song before the seate, & before the foure beastes, and the elders, & no man coulde learne y^• song: but the hondred & foure & fourtye thousande, whiche were redemed from the earth. These are they, whiche are not defiled with wemen, for they are virgins. These folow the lambe whither soeuer he goeth. These were redemed from men beynge the first frutes vnto God and to the lambe, and in their mouthes was founde no gyle. For they are without spot before the trone of god.

This heauenly voice, and moost pleasaunt musycke, is the incessaunt, con∣tinuall, and endles prayse, thankesgeuinge, reioysinge, mirthe and ioye of all faithfull and blissed in eternall blisse, in the kingdome of God and of our lord and sauiour Iesus Christ. For they syng a new song, of a newe benifite, grace and acte of God whiche hathe fulfylled in Christ in tyme conuenient and before ordeyned and appointed, that thing whiche from the beginninge of the worlde, was promised vnto all holy patriarkes and olde fathers, and loked for of all people and nacions, and beleued vpon vnto saluacion of the electe, whiche are redemed with the deare pryce of the most precious heart bloude of Christ, shed vpon the crosse in the earth. These electe confessours and singers of laudes and prayses vnto God, are they, whiche are not defyled with earthly, vnsemely plea∣sures of this worlde, more delighting in fleshly lustes and filthines, than in any right godly and christen loue of gods worde and heuēly vertues, chast though∣tes, or right godly doctrine and ceremonies: in the exercyse wherof, they shoulde haue suffred no maner of pleasure, care or loue of any transitorye thing, to haue hyndred them. For this cannot be vnderstanded of any suche bodily chastitie or virginitie, as religious parsons, Monkes, Nonnes, Priestes, Deacons & suche other haue pretented & falsely made their boast of, vnto the world, whiche hath be founde to be so rare, and so groslye broken and negligētly kept, and so wonder∣full seldome geuen of God vnto the vowers therof. And thoughe it were kept, yet was it not profitable and necessarye vnto the right, christen and godly rely∣gion and gods seruice of the Apostles, whiche is onely praysed and commended in y^• gospel and of S. Paule. Would God there were lesse of suche wylde grosse and wanton chastitie and virginitie, but lytle praysed of the most auncient holy fathers (Oh that it wer lykewyse lesse extolled and estemed of the fathers of our time) seyng it hath bene so great a blot vnto Christes true religion. Here might muche be said, and muche more be lamented: our Lord graunt that it may sone be amended, and redressed. These holy frendes of God, as Enoche, Noe, Abra∣ham, Isaac, Iacob, Iudas, Ioseph, Dauid, Moyses, and Aaron: These patri∣arkes and prophetes, I saye, yea and without doubt Peter and Paule, with other infinite olde holy bysshops, are also in this register withal the blissed elect, and they are the most pleasaunt and acceptable frute vnto the lorde, desierous of his mercye and grace, and beloued of him from euerlastinge, and ordeyned vnto his kingdome, as ioyfull and desierous first frutes, whiche men doe eate with a great lust, desire, and appetite with highe praise and thankes geuynge, as it ought to be. Their faithe, is so acceptable and pleasant before God (as it was geuen them of his plentifull grace) that it beyng accompanyed with true loue and hope, without the which it can not be, decketh and hydeth all th••ir syn∣nes, howe many, howe great, and howe greuous so euer they were. And vnto them all euyls and misfortunes (euen their synnes also) and all maner of thin∣ges, hapned and ended vnto the best. As it hapned vnto Dauid, Peter, Paule, and Marie Magdalene, and vnto al holy sainctes and elect, sanctified through the bloude of the innocent lambe Christ our sauiour. For althoughe all men

and all sainctes are synners before God, yet for the lambes sake, in whome they truste, they are reputed without spot and blame before the iudgement seate of God.

The 〈◊〉〈◊〉

¶ And I sawe another angell flye in the myddes of heauen hauinge the euerlastinge gos∣pell, to preache vnto them that syt and dwell on the earth, and to all nacions, kynredes and tonges, and people, saying with a loude voyce: Feare God and geue honoure to him, for the houre of his iudgement is come, and worshyp him, that made heauen and earth, and the sea, and fountaines of water. And there folowed an other angell, sayinge: Babilon is fallen, is fallen, that great citie, for she made all nacions drincke of the wyne of her forni∣cacion.

The true and faithfull preachers of the holy gospell, are ofte called an∣gels, as they maye well be. Of the whiche, the kyng Christ, sendeth manye in to the kingdome of heauen, accordinge as the state of the worlde at dyuerse times requireth. That the holy and sincere doctrine, the gospell might sone and frute∣fully flye throughe the christen churche. Whiche thing the wicked dragon doth sore ha••e, and is greuouslye dyspleased therwith, and therfore he persecuteth it with muche falsehede, and with great power, throughe his ministers and de∣puties. And yet notwithstanding the gospell of God remayneth euerlastinglye in his churche, euen from the beginninge of the worlde vntyll the ende, wherof no man in the worlde can excuse him selfe. For the voyce and trueth therof is this, bothe open and cleare: that God onely is the lorde, and that we must serue him in trueth and innocencye of lyfe, and shewe all loue and trueth towarde our neighbour, as the very naturall reason teacheth and all right and pure consci∣ences (lyghtned with gods worde) do confesse. And the loude voyce of the gos∣pell soundeth thus: Feare God, as godly children doe their moost louynge fa∣ther, honour him onely, for all grace, and goodnes can come from none but from him onely: and feare his iust and rightuous iudgement (that it be not resisted) against all wickednes, vngodlines & vngraciousnes: And worship him onely with inuocacion, that hath made heauē and earth, and al that is therin. Against this gospell, dothe the dragon euermore speake, with his first borne and eldest sonne Antichristes: whiche syns Caims tyme, hath euer continued euen vntyll the aduersaries, whiche at this tyme doe openly resist the manifest and open knowen trueth, because they thincke and imagine, that it wyll be an hinderaūce vnto their pompe, pryde, vngodly and abhominable lyuinge. But this trueth and worde of God can not be hindered nor suppressed: Soner and rather must all that fall and be destroyed, whiche the dragon hath imagined and dyuised a∣gainst this lambe, the worde of God, against this trueth and against all maner of right godlynes: as well the Babilonicall confusion, as all maner of wycked lawes and decrees and all maner of falsehede and tyrannye. The holy gos∣pell, rightly vnderstande, shall beate downe, confounde and vtterly destroye that cursed and abhominable Babilon, how mightye and strong so euer it hath bene, for the great whoredome wherof she hath made all the worlde to drincke is nowe come to lyght and knowen.

The texte.

¶ And the thirde angell folowed them, saying with a loude voyce: If any man worship the beast and his ymage, and receaue his marke in his forheade, or on his hande, the same shall drincke the wyne of the wrathe of God, whiche is powred in the cuppe of his wrath. And he shalbe punyshed in fire and brymstone, before y^• holy angels, and before the lambe. And the smoke of their tormente ascendeth vp euermore. And they haue no rest daye nor night, whiche worshyp the beast and his ymage, and whosoeuer receaueth the print of his

name. Here is the pacience of sainctes. Heare are they that kepe the commaundementes and the faith of Iesu.

Here foloweth the iudgement and sentence of God against all them whiche worship this beast of Antichrist, resisting and withstandinge the gospell, and enuye and hate the lambe and wil robbe him of his honour dewe vnto him, and wyll dyffeate Christ of his kingdome whiche God the father hath geuen him that he shoulde be kynge of all kynges, and also an euerlasting onely priest and immortall, whome Antichrist with his .ii. hornes goeth aboute & studieth to ba∣nysshe expell and ouerthrowe and to set him selfe vp, in the temple of the christē churche, as thoughe Christ shoulde nothinge care for his churche, but were ab∣sent and had forsaken it, and had broken his promisse. And as thoughe the gos∣pell were in his (I meane Antichristes) power, and in suche an hart as is rather possessed with a deuyll of pryde, infydelitie, and of abhominable presumpcion to condemne the holy gospel, and to stablyshe and set vp al suche thinges as maye subuerte and ouerthrowe the gospell, as ydolatreous and supersticious ymages to be honoured in the churche, hethenishe ceremonies onely inuented for pompe, couetousnes, pleasure, pastime, and to bleare and deceaue the simple. He geueth vnto his sworne champions his marke of supersticious orders wherwith he bewitcheth and inchanteth them, wherof neyther S. Peter nor S. Paule neuer made mencion nor neuer knewe. And besydes this he byndeth them with a wic∣ked othe and a deuillyshe vowe, against all godlynes, and all to confirme and stablyshe his pompe and abhominable pryde against all heauenly and earthlye power institute and ordeyned of god, without all maner of shame and feare. Al they whiche consent vnto this damnable beast, or eyther worship or maynteyne him, they shall surely suffer the wrathe of God whiche is alreadye prepared in the Babilonicall cup, powred out of God, and redye at hande, wherof they shall drincke not onely in the botomles pit of hell, but also euen here in this worlde accordinge to the effecte and doctrine of gods worde, and to the preachinge of the holy prophetes, of Christ him selfe and of the apostles, w^t as muche shame, opprobry and destruccion as is possyble for them to haue in this worlde. And yf their vnrepentant harte shall heape vnto them selues the treasure of y^• wrath of God, goyng forwarde in their wickednes without repentaunce, and neuer re∣turning backe vntil their last howre, vntyll their very death, than is it not pos∣syble but that their damnacion begon here in this worlde in all myschefe & wic∣kednes and without sorowe repentance, or amendment, leauynge example vnto their posterite to committe and to maynteyne lyke wickednes, it is not possible, I saye, but that the smoke of their payne & torment shall ascende vp from euer∣lasting to euerlastinge, without any maner of rest daye or night, with all those which dyd euer helpe vnto suche vngodlynes or consent vnto it, & opened such a dore vnto wickednes, and woulde be extolled and praysed therfore, with their Antichristes marke contrarye to the holy token of gods electe, whiche they haue in their foreheades, namely the holy worde of God, for the whiche they haue suffered muche payne and opprobrye, but with excedynge great pacience, for Iesus sake.

The texte.

¶ And I hearde a voyce from heauen, sayinge vnto me: wryte. Blessed are the deed, which herafter dye in the Lorde, euen so sayth the spirite: that they rest from their laboures, but their worckes folowe them.

In so great danger of the faithful vnder the iurisdiccion of Antichristes abho∣minacion with his .ii. hornes, and vnlawfull vsurped power vpon bodye and soule, vtterly against the worde of god, whiche is the onely comforte of al faith∣full soules, is it necessary that some comforte come vnto them from heauen a∣boue, whiche the lambe sendeth vnto all true christians, thorowe the holy gos∣pell, which the spirite of God writeth in their hartes to beleue stedfastlye that it can not be otherwyse in this worlde, but that all they whiche wyll folow Christ must beare the crosse euen vnto death as Christe the innocent lambe dyd, but afterwardes shall they see nothing but euerlastinge saluacion merited & pur∣chased vnto them thorowe the passion and death of Christe to the iustificacion and merite of eternall saluacion, of all the electe. Whiche comforte shall be muche greater in their soules in the kynkdome of Christe, than is possible for al the merites of man to deserue or obteyne: And speciallye at suche tyme as the glorified bodye shall be ioyned and vnited againe vnto the blissed soule, after the latter daie. And therfore the good workes of the faithful as thei doe not goe before their faith and loue, but are onely the frutes of them, euen so shall they not preuent the merite of Christ for all electe from euerlastinge, but as the spirit of Christ saythe, they folowe and come after them, whan they haue obteyned rest and peace thorowe the free grace and mercye of God, and thorowe the merite of Christes rightuousnes, after this, I saye, thorowe faithe haue folowed good workes out of an humble and obedient heart, whiche workes the lorde wyl gra∣ciouslye crowne as his gyftes, and receyue and rewarde them as acceptable vnto him.

The texte.

¶ And I loked, and beholde a whyte cloude, and vpon the cloude one syttinge lyke vnto the sonne of man, hauinge on his heed a golden crowne, and in his hande a sharpe spckle. And another angell came out of the temple, cryinge with a loude voyce to him that sate on the cloude. Christ in thy syckle, and reape: for the tyme is come to reape, for the corne of the earthe is rype. And he that sate on the cloude, thrust in his syckle into y^• earth, and the ••arth was reaped.

Althoughe the right faithfull, garnyshed with good workes after y^• worde of God, were euermore sure of their saluacion, yet not withstandynge the iud∣gement of God whan his tyme is come, goeth forwarde against all suche thin∣ges as are set vp against the worde of God. As it was readye at hande at one tyme by reason of the obscuringe and blyndinge of gods worde amonge y^• Ie∣wes thorowe the cursed Talmud, wherunto they gaue more faith and credence, and cleaued more earnestly vnto it, than vnto the lawe of God and to the pro∣phetes. And lykewyse among the christians, specially among the hyghe bys∣shops and prelates w^t their glorious tytles of Popes, Patriarkes, Cardinals Primates and suche other orders, of the whiche, one euer desiered to be aboue a nother, sekyng alwayes their owne glorye, lust, pompe, honour and dignitie, and not the wil of God, faithe, godlynes of lyfe nor yet the gospell whiche they haue alwayes pretended, falsely and craftilye to colour and cloke their myschefe and wickednes. As concerninge the Turkes faithe we can saye but lytle what their greatest faut, wickednes and beastlynes is, we haue had more knowledge by writinges than by any profe or experience. But it is to be feared, yf God be not mercifull vnto vs, we shall learne it soner than we woulde. In the myddest of all this thorowe the trompet of the gospel beyng blowen out in our tyme af∣ter a wonderfull sorte, thorowe the spirite of Helyas, whiche appeareth & com∣meth

abrode plentuouslye and effectuouslye, is rysen and daylye ryseth suche a mouynge and sterringe vp of mens hartes, suche a knowledge of the truth, such a lyght and lanterne of doctrine, and such a iudgement of Antichristes workes, suche a feare of the wrathe of God: so that there is a good hope that y^• holy and holsome seede of gods worde so plentiously sowne and spred abrode, shall not returne againe without great frute and edif••enge of the faithe and the lyfe of men. For as for the Iewes whether they wyll or no, they must nedes despaire of their workinge, their faithe, their doctrine, and of all their state, whan as they see that the whole kyngdome of heauen, (whiche they take to be theirs peculiarely,) to be taken from them and to be made common vnto all them that feare God thorowe the whole worlde more than euer was founde by them. Euen so also a∣monge the christians, the doctrine and profession of the holy gospell, true faythe and all godlye vertues, shall waxe and increase in the heades and rulers of the christendome as it shall also be ioyfullye receyued of all true Christen subiectes, notwithstandynge that the nomber of them shall alwayes be least: And also the knowledge, vnderstandinge, lernynge and readynge of the holy scripture shall somwhat increase amonge the spirituall prelates, as it shoulde be hoped for and with most earnest and feruent prayer desired and called for of god. And it is well to be thought and to be beleued, that the Lord wyll doe his parte also euen in suche wyse as is here promysed so y^• Antichrist beyng thus put to shame (but yet remayninge styll impenitent) shall be reaped downe with the syckle of gods worde thorowe the spirite of Helyas, and shall be cut downe & thresshed, not to the destruccion but to the profyte, edificacion, and saluaciō of the world. This hath our Lorde and sauiour Christ brought to passe, whiche is alwayes the heade of the churche, who is not onely present therwith, but also doth gra∣ciouslye rule and gouerne it, edifieth and helpeth it, and he with and roteth out the enemies and aduersaries with the sickle of his rightuous iudgemente, and shall vtterly banyshe and consume them accordinge vnto his moost victorious and muincible worde.

The texte.

¶ And another angell came out of the temple, which is in heauen, hauynge also a sharpe syckle. And another angell came out from the aultar, whiche had power euer fyre: and cryed with a loude crye to him that had the sharpe sickle, and sayde: thruste in thy sharpe sickle, and gaddre the clusters of the earthe, for her grapes are rype. And the angel thruste in his syckle, on the earth, and cut downe the grapes of the vyneyarde of the earthe: and caste them into the great wynefat of the wrath of god, and the wynefat was troden with∣out the cytie, and bloude came out of the fat, euen vnto the horse brydels by the space of a thousande and syce hundred furlonges.

Lyke as before the iudgement of Antichrist and his felowship was pro∣phecied in this world, with the spirite of Helias and with the syckle of the gos∣pel: euen so doth the spirite of god in this place prophecie further of y^• other iud∣gement which shal happē afterwarde at the latter daye vnto these obstinate, im∣penitent and blynde contemners of gods iudgemēt in euerlastinge damnacion after the latter iudgement. Whiche damnaciō (or hell) is here vnderstande and signified by the great fat of gods wrathe, where all the wicked shall come toge∣ther, and with one stampe & treadinge of gods iudgement, sentence, and rightu∣ousnes, shal be euerlastingly trodē, as muche more greuouslye thā by y^• worldly and temporall punishement in this lyfe, as the heate of the fyre is more paine∣full and intollerable vnto the bodye of man, than are the cloudes vnto y^• earthe

or any darkenes vnto the eyes. Whiche so greuous damnacion and destrucciō is sygnified by the feareful bloude whiche floweth ouer the earth that the hor∣ses treade therin euen vnto their brydles. Thus vseth the holy scripture to des∣crybe and paynt the greuous and terryble iudgement of God, by suche greate, vgsome and terryble figures.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The lambe