1. Virgins follow the Lamb whithersoeuer, singing a new canticle. 6. One Angel euangelizeth
the Ghospel: 8. another Angel telleth the fal of Babylon: 9. the third declareth their torments
that haue adored the beast. Moreouer two hauing sickes, 15. one of them is commanded to reap
downe the corne, 18. the other to gather the grapes as in vintage, which are troden in the lake
of Gods wrath.
1. AND
⋮
The Epistle vpon S. Innocents day in Christmas.
I looked, & behold
✟
Christ, and the same number of elect that were signed chap. 7.
a Lamb stood vpon mount Sion, & with him an hundred fourtie
thousand hauing his name, and the name of his Father written in their foreheads.
2. And I heard a voice from heauen, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of
great thunder: and the voice which I heard, as of harpers harping on their harps.
3. And they sang as it were a new song before the seat and before the foure beasts,
and Seniours, & no man could
✟
'learne
μαθεῖν,
say the song, but those hundred fourtie foure thousand, that were
bought from the earth.
4. These are they which were not defiled with women. For they are
✟
One state of life more excellent then another. And virgins for their puritie passing the
rest, & alwaies accompanying Christ according to the Churches hymnes out of this place,
Quocunque pergis, virgines sequuntur. &c.
virgins. These
follow the Lamb whithersoeuer he shal goe. These were bought from among men,
✟
This the Church applieth to the holy Innocents that died first for Christ.
the first fruits to
God and the Lambs:
5. and in their mouth there was found no lie. For they are without spot before the
throne of God.
6. And I saw another Angel flying through the middes of heauen, hauing the eternal
Ghospel, to euangelize vnto them that sit vpon the earth, and vpon the Nation, and Tribe, and
tongue, and people;
7. saying with a loud voice: Feare our Lord, and giue him honour, because the houre
of his iudgement is come: and adore ye him
*
Ps. 145.
Act. 14.
that made heauen and earth, the sea and al things
that are in them, and the fountaines of waters.
8. And another Angel followed, saying:
*
Esa. 21.
Ier. 51.
Apo. 18.
Fallen fallen is that great
✟
The citie of the diuel, which is the vniuersal societie of the wicked misbelieuers and il
liuers in the world.
Babylon, which of
wine of the wrath of her fornication made al Nations to drinke.
9. And the third Angel followed them, saying with a loud voice: If any man adore
the beast and his image, and receiue the character in his forehead, or in his hand;
10.
✟
The great damnation that shal follow them that forsake Christ and the Church & worship
Antichrist or his image.
he also shal drinke of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mingled with pure
wine in the cup of his wrath, and shal be tormented with fire & brimstone in the sight of the holy
Angels and before the sight of the Lamb.
11. And the smoke of their torments shal ascend for euer and euer: neither haue they
rest day and night which haue adored the beast, and his image, and if any man take the character of
his name.
12. Here is the patience of Saints, which
✟
Faith is not enough to saluation, without fulfilling of Gods commandements.
keep the commandements of God and the faith
of Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ.
13.
⋮
The Epistle in a daily Masse for the dead.
And I heard a voice from heauen, saying to me: Write, Blessed are the head which
die in our Lord. From hence-forth now, saith the Spirit, that they rest from their labours. For
their workes follow them.
14. And I saw, and behold a white cloud: and vpon the cloud one sitting like to the
Sonne of man, hauing on his head a crowne of gold, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
15. And another Angel came forth from the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that
sate vpon the cloud:
*
Ioel. 3.
Mat. 13.
Thrust in thy sickle, and reape, because the houre is come to reape, for the
haruest of the earth is drie.
16. And he that sate vpon the cloud, thrust his sickle into the earth, and the earth
was reaped.
17. And another Angel came forth from the temple which is in heauen, himself also
hauing a sharp sickle.
18. And another Angel came forth from the altar, which had power ouer the fire: and he
cired with a loud voice to him that had the sharp sickle, saying: Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and
gather the clustters of the vineyard of the earth: because the grapes thereof be ripe.
19. And the Angel thrust his sharp sickle into the earth, and gathered the vineyard of
the earth, & cast it into the great
✟
ληνὸν
lacum. fat, trough, lake.
presse of the wrath of God:
20. and the presse was troden without the citie, and bloud came forth out of the presse,
vp to the horse bridles, for a thousand sixe hundred furlongs.
ANNOTATIONS.
Cʜᴀᴘ. XIII.
13. From hence forth now.)
This being specially spoken of Martyrs (as not onely S. Augustine seemeth to take it, but the
Caluinists them selues, translating, in domino, for our Lords cause) the Protestants haue no
reason to vse the place against Purgatorie or praier for the departed, seeing the Catholike
Church and al her children confesse, that al Martyrs are straight after their death, in
blisse, and neede no praiers. Whereof this is S. Augustines knowen sentence, He doeth iniurie
to the Martyr, that praieth for the Martyr. Ser. 17 de verb. Apost. c. 1. and againe to this
purpose he writeth thus most excellently tract. 84 in Ioan. We keepe not a memorie of Martyrs
at our Lords table, as we doe of other that rest in peace, that is, for the intent to pray
for them, but rather that they may pray for vs &c.
But if we take the wordes generally for al deceased in state of grace, as it may be also, then we
say that euen such, though they be in Purgatorie and Gods chastisement in the next life, and neede
our praiers, yet (according to the foresaid wordes of S. Augustine) do rest in peace. being
discharged from the labours, afflictions, and persecutions of this world, and (which is more) from
the daily dangers of sinne and damnation, and put into infallible securitie of eternal ioy with
vnspeakable comfort of conscience. and such in deede are more happie and blessed then any liuing,
who yet are vsually in the Scriptures called blessed, euen in the middes of the tribulations of
this life. Whereby we see that these wordes, from hence forth they shal rest from their labours,
may truely agree to them also that are in Purgatorie, and so here is nothing proued against
Purgatorie. Lastly, this aduerbe,`á modo, in Latin, as in the Greeke ἀπάρτι,
doth not properly signifie, from this present time forward, as though the Apostle had said, that
after their death and so forward they are happie: but it noteth and ioyneth the time past together
with the time present, in this sense, that such as haue died since Christs Ascension, when he first
entring into heauen opened it for others, goe not to Limbus Patrum, as they were wont before
Christs time, but are in case to goe straight to blisse, except the impediment be in them selues.
Therfore they are here called blessed, that die now in this state of grace & of the new Testament,
in comparison of the old faithful and good persons.