¶ He exhorteth foure congregacions to a mende. and sheweth the rewarde of him that ouercommeth
CAPI. II.
[ A] * 1.1VNto the messenger of the congregacion of Ephesus wryte: these thynges sayth he that holdeth the seuen sterres in his ryghte hande, and walketh in the myddes of the seuen golden candelstyckes. I knowe thy workes, and thy labour and thy pacience, and how thou canst not forbeare them which are euyll, and examinest them which saye they are Apostles, and are not: and hast founde them lyars, and dydest wasshe thy selfe, And hast pa¦cience: and for my names sake hast laboured and haste not faynted. Neuerthelesse, I haue somwhat agaynst the, for thou haste lefte thy fyrste loue. Remembre therfore from whence [ B] thou arte fallen, and repent, and do the first workes. Or elles I wyll come vnto the short∣ly, and wyll remoue thy candelstycke oute of his place, onlesse thou repent. But this thou hast, bicause thou hatest the dedes of the* 1.2 Ni∣colaitans, whiche dedes I also hate. Lette hym that hath eares, heare, what the spirite sayth vnto the congregacions. To hym that ouercommeth, wyll I gyue to eate of the tree of lyfe, whiche is in the myddes of the Para∣dyse of God.
And vnto the aungell of the congregacion of Smyrna wryte: These thynges saythe he [ C] that is fyrste, and the laste, whiche was deed, and is alyue. I knowe thy workes and tribu∣lacion and pouertie, but thou art ryche. And I know the blasphemy of them which call them selues Iewes and are not, but are the con∣gregacion of Sathan. Feare none of those thynges whiche thou shalt suffre. Beholde the deuyll shall cast of you in to pryson, to tempt you, and ye shal haue tribulacion .x. dayes. Be faythfull vnto the deathe, and I wyll gyue the crowne of lyfe. Let hym that hath eares, heare, what the spirite sayth to the congrega∣cions:* 1.3 [ D] He that ouercōmeth, shall not be hurt of the seconde deth.
And to the messenger of the congregacion in Pergamos wryte: This sayth he which hath the sharpe swerde with two edges, I knowe thy workes, and where thou dwellest, euen where Sathans seate is, and thou kepest my name, and hast not denyed my faythe. And in my dayes Antipas was a faythful wytnes of myne, whiche was slayne amonge you where Sathan dwelleth. But I haue a few thynges agaynste the, that thou hast there, them that maynteyn the doctryne of Balam* 1.4 whiche taughte in Balake, to put occasion of synne before the chyldren of Israel that they sholde eate of meate dedicate vnto ydoles, and com∣myt fornicacion. Euen so hast thou them that maynteyne the doctryne of the Nicolaytans, whiche thynge I hate. But be conuerted, or elles I wyll come vnto the shortly, and wyll fyghte agaynste them with the swerde of my mouth. Let hym that hath eares, heare what [ E] the spiryte sayth vnto the congregacions. To hym that ouercommeth wyll I gyue to eate Manna that is hyd, and wyl giue him a white stone, and in the stone a newe name wrytten, whiche no man knoweth, sauynge he that re∣ceyueth it.
And vnto the messenger of the congrega∣cion of Thiatira wryte. This sayth the sonne of God, whiche hathe his eyes lyke vnto a flambe of fyre, whose fete are lyke brasse: I knowe thy workes, and thy loue, seruyce, and faythe, and thy pacience, and thy dedes, whi∣che [ F] are moo at the laste then at the fyrst. Not∣withstandyng I haue a fewe thynges against the, * that thou sufferest that woman Iesabel which called her selfe a prophetesse,* 1.5 to teache and to disceyue my seruauntes, to make them commyt fornicacion, and to eate meates of∣fered vp vnto ydolles. And I gaue her space to repent of her fornicacion, and she repented not. Beholde, I wyll caste her in to a bedde and them that commyt fornicacion with her, in to greate aduersitie, excepte they tourne frome theyr dedes. And I wyll kyll her chil∣dren with deathe.* 1.6 And all the congregaci∣ons shall knowe that* 1.7 I am he, whiche ser∣cheth the reynes and hertes. And I wyll gyue vnto euery one of you accordynge vnto youre workes.
Vnto you I saye, and vnto other of them of Thiatira, as manye as haue not this ler∣nynge, and whiche haue not knowen the depenesse of Sathan (as they saye) I wyll put vpon you none other burthen, but that whiche ye haue alredye. Holde faste tyll I come, and who so euer ouercommeth and ke∣peth my workes vnto the ende:* 1.8 to hym wyll I gyue power ouer nacions, and he shall rule them with a rodde of yron: and as the ves∣sels of a potter, shall he breake them to she∣uers: Euen as I receyued of my father, so wyll I gyue hym the mornynge sterre. Lette hym that hath eares, heare, what the spirite sayth to the congregacions.