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 .xvi. Chapter.

The texte.

¶ And I hearde a great voyce out of the temple saying to y^• seuen angels: go your wayes, poure out your vyalles of wrathe vpon the earthe. And the first angell went, and powred out his vyalle vpon the earth, and there fel a noysome and a sore ••otche vpon y^• men which had the marke of the beaste, and vpon them which worshipped his ymage. And the seconde angell shed out his vyalle vpon the see, and it turned as it were into the bloude of a dead man: and euery lyuinge thing died in the see. And the thirde angell shed out his vyalle vpō the riuers and fountaynes of waters, and they turned to bloude. And I hearde an angell saye: Lorde, whiche art and wast, thou art righteous and holy, because thou hast geuen suche iudgementes, for they shed out the bloude of sainctes, and prophetes, and therfore hast thou geuen them bloude to drincke: for they are worthye. And I hearde another out of the aultar saye: euen so Lorde God almightie: true and righteous are thy iudgementes.

THe mercye of God vouchsaued to preserue, augment & to pros∣per the regiment of the Romaynes, at y^• beginninge of y^• whiche whan it was in most quietnes, the tyme was come that Christe shoulde be borne. And God offered his grace vnto this kyng∣dome and sent them his holy gospell thorowe the holy apostles to the synguler welth and profyte bothe of that kyngdome and also of y^• whole earth: out of y^• which y^• world might lerne peace, loue, humilitie, pacience, gentilnes, temperance and all true vertues, and speciallye faithe in the one onely God, and hope of saluacion in tyme to come, & also true christen loue one to another. This dothe the gospel and all writynges of the apostles exhort and moue men vnto, mooste earnestly. But this so holy and profytable doc∣trine, and inuincible trueth hath the dragon alwayes withstanden and resysted, with his beast the Empire and regiment of Rome, the first and seconde, wherof is spoken before. And for this cause this kingdom hath wel deserued many and diuerse punishementes, whiche the lorde God hath permitted thorow his mini∣sters of rightuousnes whiche are to be vnderstande in this place by the angels and the vials full of plages whiche are come and fallen vpon the dysobediente and the contemners and despysers of faithe, loue and of the trueth. The firste* 1.1 plage is fallen vpon all ydols and false goddes whiche they had set and packed together in one tempel of Pantheon, that is to saye all goddes. But the y∣dolatrye of these false Goddes was subuerted and ouer throwen thorowe out the whole Empire of Rome thorowe the holy gospel as the Chronicles doe euidently testifye. Thus dyd the religion and gods seruice of the Romay∣nes first fele the wrathe of God againste their wylles, but all hapned vnto the faithfull for the best to the honour and glorye of God and to the furtheraunce and profyte of the Christen churche and congregacion. The seconde plage of the seconde angell, is the seconde iudgement of God againste the re∣giment of Rome, and this is imbeselynge and diminyshe of their power and dominion▪ many landes and people fallynge from them, and that with muche bloude sheddynge of the Romaynes as it is playnely mencioned in the stories, as of Nero, Domicianus, and Iulianus and dyuerse other.

The thirde plage maye be vnderstande of the destruccion of the citie of Rome thorow y^• Gothes & wandales and other enemyes of the Romaynes▪ which had no maner of lettes or hynderaunce neyther of hylles nor of dales, of see nor of waters, neyther by any host or power of men nor yet by any strength or keping of cities. Of this plage of the Romaines al stories make mencion at large. And as than had y^• bloody kyngdom of Rome an end, for the whiche cause the angel crieth iustly, lorde thou art rightuouse. &c. The angell of the waters may be ta∣ken for the angell of God whiche did gather together suche a great multitude of people, which came altogether against this kyngdom, because it had so long plaged al people and shed so muche holy martirs bloode for the true and christē faithes sake which must nedes be reuēged. And therfore is this rightuous and manifest iudgement of God praysed againe the seconde tyme, and preached of goddes angels with highe thanckes geuynge.

The texte.

¶ And the fourthe angell powred out his vyall on the sunne, and power was geuen vnto him to vexe men with heate of fyre▪ And the men raged in great heate: and spake euyll of the name of God, whiche hath power ouer those plages, and they repented not, to geue him glorye. And the fyfte angell▪ powred out his vyalle vpon the seate of the beast, and his kyngdome wexed derke, and they gnewe their tonges for sorowe, and blasphemed the God of heauen for sorowe and payne of their sores, and repented not of their dedes.

The fourthe plage went ouer the seconde regiment of Rome whiche had both the temporal & spiritual gouernance, and was twise worse than the first. For as muche as thorow her .ii. hornes it had power bothe ouer bodye and soule, ouer the doctrine, and ouer the polytike lawes, with mouthe and hande, againste God, and also against the temporall gouernaunce, against Christe and all his ministers. Howe it hath dealte with the Emperours, and what rule they haue kepte amonge them selues one Romyshe Pope against another practising all wicked sciences of the deuil bothe with quicke and also with deade mē, against many good and godly Kynges and Emperours: and againe how ofte Rome and the Papacye hath bene greuously plaged of God with rebellyon, treason, murther, poysonynge, nigromancye and with suche other kindes of wickednes as are neuer herde of in any other storyes, we maye reade in the storyes of the Popes and of the Emperours, from the time of Charles the great vntyll late dayes. That by this meanes the summe of christen vertue and godlynes is turned into very desceite, fraude, falsehede and hipocrisie. And the moste parte of all the wicked Popes were religious men and mooste false traytours to the gospell of Christe. As for repentaunce there is none founde by this deuilyshe flocke. The fyfte angell with his fyfte plage fallen vpon the seate of pestilence, is rebellyon and resistance against the gospell raysed vp thorow false teachers whiche haue preached bothe without, and also against the holy lawe and scripture of the lorde, and haue rayled against many godly and faith∣full men, leauynge and refusynge holy scripture and settynge vp the studye of Aristotle in the steade therof, whiche in the papacye hath bene more regar∣ded and estemed than the holy worde of God. By the meanes wherof so many greuous errours are crepte into the churche as well in matters of faythe and relygion, as of dyscipline and Christen behauour.

Muche deuision, many sectes by the meanes of so many orders of religions, and so many glorious names and tytles, yea and heresyes also. Of the which al stories are full, from Emperour Fryderiche the first of that name vntyl y^• ende of the thirde Frydierche. In the whiche tyme there was muche trouble raysed vp in the christendome in the seculer iurisdiccion, thorowe the Turke, and in the spirituall thorowe the beggyng orders of religious parsons and of the hyghe heathnyshe scholes and vniuersities. Of the which times muche might be wryt∣ten, heuy inoughe to be red, but to auoyde tediousnes vnto the reader, it shall be intermitted at this tyme.

The texte.

¶ And the syxte angell poured out his vyall vpon the great ryuer Euphrates, and y^• wa∣ter dryed vp, that the wayes of the kynges of the east shoulde be prepared. And I saw thre vncleane spirites lyke frogges come out of the mouthe of the dragon, and out of y^• mouthe of the beast, and out of the mouthe of the false prophet. For they are y^• spirites of deuyls, workynge miracles, to go out vnto the kynges of the earthe and of the whole worlde, to gather them to the batayle of y^• great daye of God almighty. Beholde, I come as a thefe▪ Happie is he that watcheth and kepeth his garmentes, lest he walke naked, and men see his fylthines. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrue tonge Armagedon.

Consyder and waye yf this angell maye not sygnifye the spirite of Helias in oure tyme, whiche spreedeth abrode the gospell in to all the worlde, bothe with worde and dede to the confusion and vtter destruccion of all errours, and to the profyte and reformacion of the worlde in all states and degrees. For this seede can brynge forthe no nother frute. But the great Eu∣phrates▪ of the pretensed spiritualtye, is so sore fallē from their first rule, that it is become more worldly and secular than the very secular state, in so muche that it is vtterly dryed vp and wythered from the gospel syncerely preached. Which is not to be merueyled at, for it is euen of very necessitie. For falsehede, deceyte, lyes and Hypocrisye must be opened and dysclosed by the trueth of gods word, and by the preachinge of the gospell: that syncere loue, trueth and faythe in the worde of God, with a sure confydence of the harte in the lorde God, myght be taught and prynted into the naturall wyt and vnderstandinge of man. And therfore it is necessarie that suche wrestynge of the true knowledge and doc∣trine shoulde be dysclosed vnto suche as haue any vnderstandynge and are not vtterly corrupte, euen vnto worldlye princes and hygher powers, and that the innocencye and clearnes▪ and also the synguler profyte of the doctrine of the gospell might come to lyght that they myght see and confesse that it is the very trueth, and so acknowledge and imbrace this Sunne rysinge vp. Al∣thoughe this doctrine be to stronge for their bloude and fleshe and they beyng fleshlye, ouer weake in strengthe to lyue after the gospell. Nowe against this euangelicall Sunne and manyfest knowledge of the trueth, shall aryse .iii. maner of enemyes whiche shall assaulte it. First the deuyllyshe dragon, the great enemye of God and of all goodnes, the botomles pyt of all wyckednesse, with whome the mercye and goodnes of God dalyeth and playeth to shewe and declare his mercye and goodnes manifestlye before men. The seconde is the beaste at Rome, of whome we spake before, the very right Antichrist, whiche speaketh and worketh all that he can against the gospell of Iesus Christe, wherunto he preferreth his decretalles, and wyll be Lorde ouer

the scripture, ouer the churche and ouer the whole world, and yet he wyll be ta∣ken and estemed for the vycar and debyte of Christ, and S. Peters frende, and the most holy father, and for the head of the whole holy christendome. And who∣soeuer contraryeth or gainesayth this, he must dye, and also be cursed and made the deuylles, by the power of this beastes mouthe. The thirde is the false pro∣phete: not one person but an whole order and multitude of byshops, and rely∣gions parsons, monckes, friers. &c. Whiche by their office and callynge ought to mainteine and supporte the true doctrine, but haue appoynted and bent them selues, their whole lyfe and state, vtterly against the doctrine of the gospel: that nothing can be more vnlike the state of the Apostles, eyther in doctrine, religion or lyfe, than is their order and state. Wherof it is not nedefull to make manye wordes, howe they haue alwayes resisted the doctrine of the gospell. These are suche .iii. foule vncleane spirites, as none can be founde more vncleane, whiche notwithstandynge doe worke great tokens and miracles. The deuyll with great wonders bothe amonge the Turkes and the Christians. The papacy, by forcerye, witchcrafte and nigromancie. The monkes and religious spirituall sorte withall suttyltie, falsede & crafte of suche miracles as are or haue ben done wherby (as it hath ben & is euident inoughe) they haue begyled bothe riche kin∣ges, princes and y^• whole world, of their goods & possessions, thorow their false doctrine. And they fight and kepe batel alwayes against y^• holy gospel, as Gog and Magog did against Ierusalem, with dyuerse victories and triumphes, but they shal be ouercome at length thorowe the power of gods worde, and of y^• gos∣pell reueled and come to light, thorowe the spirite of Enoche & Helyas, of the whiche is before mencioned, in the great daye of God the almighty, which shall come at suche tyme as no man is ware of, and whan all men thincke to be most sure euē at suche tyme as the wickednes of these .iii. spirites shal be most strong and at the highest. As than shall the godly ministers of the gospel, indewed and strengthned with the spirite of Helias, ioyfully come furthe against these deuils and against al maner of errours bothe of the faith and of the outwarde lyfe. As than shall those be happye whiche watche and are careful with great diligence for the christen doctrine and religion, whiche are clothed with the power of the holy goost and with a right zeale, whiche set furthe the workes of God, as dyd Helyas, not onely with wordes and wrytinges, but also with lyfe, deedes, exam∣ples, continuaunce and constantnes in goodnes, without any pryde or desyre of vayne glorye, that no man shall euer see any shame by them. But the iudgemēt of God hath gathered the .iii. vncleane spirites into one place, into the eternall fyre of damnacion, and euerlastinge shame, payne, and confusion, whiche is pre∣pared and promysed to the deuyll and his angels. For Harmagdon maye syg∣nifye as muche as the iudgement of curse.

The texte.

¶ And y^• seuenth angel powred out his vyalle into the ayre. And there came a voyce out of heauen from the seate, sayinge: it is done. And there folowed voyces, thonderynges, and lightninges: and there was a great earthquake, suche as was not sence men were vpō the earth, so mightye an earthquake and so great. And the great citie was deuyded into thre parties, and the cyties of al nacions fell. And great Babilō came in remembraunce before God, to geue vnto her the cuppe of the wyne of the featcenes of his wrathe. Euery yle al∣so fled awaye, and the mountaynes were not founde. And there f••ll a great hayle (as it had bene talentes) out of heauen vpon the men, and the men blasphemed God, because of the plage of the hayle, for it was great and the plage of it sore.

This seuenth angell is more harde & vncerten to interprete and to expounde, than all the other. Lyke as it is more vncerten to wryte of thinges to come, than of suche thinges as are alredy past. It may wel be a great feare in tyme to come that y^• kyngdom of the Turkes for a short space, shal be a great plage & sorow, an heuy iudgemēt ouer the corrupte & decayed christēdome. Whiche plage may here be founde & marked out of these wordes, y^• it shal happē & come to passe be∣fore suche tyme as the Lambe & his ministers shal rule vpon y^• earth, that both Iewes & heathen shal be conuerted vnto Christ y^• it may be sayde, it is al done, and so vp y^• the full end of the worlde to come, & the terrible iudgement of God to fal vpō one sorte & parte of men whiche shall than be a lyue, whiche is y^• first parte. And the other part is of them whiche shall ryse vp vnto euerlastynge sal∣uacion. And y^• thirde, is of them which are already damned, which is and shalbe the greatest part. Vnto whom this iudgemēt, & all that shal goe before or come after it, shal be more fearful & terrible thā any hart can thincke, or any toung ex∣presse, which terrible & heuy thing is here sygnified (as muche as is possyble) by the terryble voyces, thonders, lightninges, earthquakes, & ouerthrowing of the greatest & mightiest cities & kingdomes, as Babilō & Rome were. What thing can be thought or ymagined more terrible & fearfull? Whiche thing this cursed and damnable worlde shall and muste suffer by the rightuous iudgemente of God, and it muste fele the great wrathe of God, forasmuche as it hath alwayes despised the blessed gospel and Christ our sauiour and redemer. And therfore the great and heauye stroke and plage of gods rightuous iudgement shal fal vpon the worlde, and yet shall it not amende them, but as damned parsons, shall cast and set them into euerlastinge blasphemye of God wherin they are hardened, and wil not amende. Whiche is the highest & greatest plage that the lorde God maye or wil sende vpon his enemies.

Notes

• * 1.1

  This name is nowe tur∣ned and cal∣led al sainc∣tes.