¶ And after that, I loked, and beholde the temple of the tabernacle of testimony was opē in heauen, and the seuen angels came out of the temple whiche had the seuen plages, clo∣thed in pure and bright lynnen, and hauynge their brestes girded with golden girdels. And one of the foure beastes gaue vnto the seuen angels seuen golden vyalles full of the wrath of God, whiche lyueth for euermore. And the temple was full of the smoke of the glorye of God and of his power, and no man was able to enter into the temple, til y• seuen plages of the seuen angels were fulfylled.
Nowe as the gospell is come abrode in to the worlde thorowe Christ and his Apostles, to the synguler profite of the faithfull and elect, and to the saluacion of their soules, euen so is it a stomblynge stone, offence, cōdemnacion & an hurte or losse vnto the wicked, and speciallye vnto the kyngdome and dominion of Rome for a long space, whiche hath resisted it with force, with dyuerse assaultes of body, goodes and possessions against the true faith, and with cruel tyranny, whiche the almightye and rightuous god at his tyme, hath alwayes taken in hande to punyshe most greuouslye, and hath brought it also to passe. The ope∣nynge of the tabernacle of testimonye, is the manifest fulfillynge in the newe testament, of those mysteries and secretes, whiche were hydden and sygnified in the olde testament vnder diuerse ceremonies. The seuen angels whiche came out of the temple, are the multitude of ministers and preachers of the gospell: which serueth vnto the wicked for the increase and augmentaciō of their dam∣nacion. For the whiche cause they maye be called plages (as Christ was called of Simeon, a fall) but to the comforte of saluacion vnto the electe. These an∣gels and euangelical preachers must be pure in al their conuersacion, and must haue their breastes girded about with faith and loue with all the harte, soule and mynde, garnysshed with all godly vertues. To one of the angels dothe Christ geue (thorowe the .iiii. beastes as is also sygnified in the .iiii. Chapter) power to bringe furthe and to publyshe abrode the gospell, whiche maye be sig∣nified by the vyals full of the wrathe of God against the wicked and vnfaith∣full. But full of grace and mercye vnto the faithfull whiche abyde and suffer bothe payne and ioye, welth and woe. And thus is the temple of God the Chri∣sten churche, fylled with swete smellinge smoke of the prayse, honour and good∣nes of God, truly confessing and knowledginge the power and might of God.