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The Text

[1] And when he had opened the seventh seal, [2] there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. [3] And I saw seven angels [4] standing before God, [5] and to them were given seven trumpets. [6] And another angel came [7] and stood before the altar, [8] having a golden censer. [9] And much of odours was given unto him [10] that he should offer of the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar [11] which was before the seat. [12] And the smoke of the odours which came of the prayers of the saints ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand. [13] And the angel took the censer and filled it with fire of the altar [14] and cast it into the earth. [15] And voices were made, and thunderings, and lightnings, [16] and great earthquake. [17] And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets [18] prepared themselves to blow.

The Paraphrase

  1. 1.

    In the seventh seal-opening (which is the next and the last) there was silence in heaven (saith Saint John) by the space of half an hour. This signifieth that there shallFootnote 1 be in that age that peace in the Christian church which Christ brought with him from heaven and left here with his disciples. Then shall wretched Babylon fall, then shall the bloody beast full of blasphemous names perish, then shall the great antichrist with his whole generation come altogether to naught, then shall the fierce dragon be tied up for a thousand years. Then shall reign peace and concord, the truth shall be beloved, God’s word shall be had in estimation, and his servants shall live without check. Happy are they that shall see those days.

  2. 2.

    This silence shall endure but half an hour space, which may be the thousand years that are spoken of here afore, considering that all the age after Christ is but the last hour, and a thousand years before God is but as the day that is past. In the time of this sweet silence shall Israel be revived, the Jews shall be converted, the heathen shall come in again. Christ will seek up his lost sheep and bring him again to his fold that they may appear one flock, like as they have one shepherd.Footnote 2

  3. 3.

    And I saw (saith Saint John) seven angels standing before the majesty of God (which signifieth the preachers of his word for the seven several times of the seven seals opening), to every seal corresponding an angel, for all that the preachers hath done from the beginning of the gospel to the time of this last seal-opening shall then appear at once. In that day (saith Isaiah) the trumpet shall be blown, they that were lost shall come from the Assyrians, the scattered flock shall come from Egypt and worship the Lord in Jerusalem.Footnote 3

  4. 4.

    These angels stood before the presence of God as ministers of acceptation, ready to execute his heavenly will and commandment.

  5. 5.

    And to them was given seven hollow trumpets; the ministration of his word was unto them committed. They ran not forth unsent, they spoke not uncommanded. They blew their trumpets one after another. As the seals were opened, the mysteries they declared as came to their course.

  6. 6.

    And another angel (saith Saint John) of a much higher nature than these came forth—yea, even the angel of the covenant that was so sore longed for—came to his holy temple.

  7. 7.

    He stood before the altar, he humbled himself, he became man, he took the shape of a servant.

  8. 8.

    He had in his hand a golden censer. This Lord Jesus Christ, the sovereign messenger of our salvation, took it upon him alone to be our mediator, our advocate before God, and the only atonement for our sins.

  9. 9.

    And much incense of odours was given unto him by the great faith of Abraham, John Baptist, and of all the sanctified number,

  10. 10.

    That he should offer up unto God so much of the prayers of all the faithful believers upon the golden altar, or in his glorified nature, as was right afore him,

  11. 11.

    Which altar is now before the throne of God. He hath an everlasting priesthood, he is able to save them that come unto God by him and liveth immortal, standing on his right hand as one ever ready to make interpellation for us. All they consented in oneFootnote 4 that he should be their general attorney, considering he was their only saviour and redeemer.

  12. 12.

    And the sweet smoke of the odourous incense which came of the wholesome and fervent desires of them that had faith ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand. By his only merit was their faith accepted, and for his death’s sake their works pleased God.

  13. 13.

    The said angel took the censer; he prepared his godly spirit. He filled it with fire of the altar, which was his eternal charity.

  14. 14.

    And he cast it into the earth; with power he sent it down in cloven fiery tongues upon his apostles, of whose plenteous abundance all we have received.

  15. 15.

    And as it was come down, there were noises, thunderings, and fearful lightnings, for it rebuked the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgement. It reproved the world of unfaithfulness for condemning the light of God’s verity. It threatened it for superstitions, hypocrisy, and outward observations. And utterly it condemned it for obstinacy of corrupt interpretations.

  16. 16.

    There was also a terrible earthquake, as it was, come into the world. The ungodly rulers were moved, the ambitious prelates were vexed, the covetous lawyers fretted, the hypocrites and priests waxed mad—yea, they are not yet quieted to this day. They still lie and prate, they blaspheme and accuse, they persecute and kill, they hang, burn, and drown; their malice hath none end.

  17. 17.

    And the said seven angels (saith John), which are the universal preachers of God’s verity, having their seven trumpets, or full authority given them of the Lord,

  18. 18.

    Prepared themselves by power of the Holy Ghost to execute their offices and to blow each one in his course.

The Text

[1] The first angel blew, [2] and there was made hail and fire [3] which were mingled with blood, [4] and they were cast into the earth. [5] And the third part of the trees was burnt, [6] and all green grass was burnt.

The Paraphrase

  1. 1.

    The first angel first stood forth and blew his trumpet. The apostles after the first seal-opening (which was at the coming of the Holy Ghost) went forward with the gospel and taught it the world over. And when they had believed and thoroughly received the word whichFootnote 5 were predestinate of God to be partakers of the glory with Christ, the residue, still blind and obstinate, persevered in their infidelity and so perished,

  2. 2.

    For upon them came hail and fire which were mingled with blood. Their wickedness overwent them, their stubborn stomachs stirred up their fury, their fierceness kindled ever more and more, and their madness made them blind.

  3. 3.

    And these they coupled always with cruelty and murder, for when Christ’s disciples had preached the gospel, the wicked sort of the Jews and Gentiles in no case would believe it, but their obstinacy so blinded them, and their malice so inflamed them, that they sought their death and procured the effusion of their blood. Over all the Acts of the Apostles this is evident.

  4. 4.

    And they were cast into the earth. So occupied their earthly hearts this willfulness and anger with thirsting of innocent blood that all grace in them was extinguished and all goodness clean consumed.

  5. 5.

    The third part of the trees was burnt and all the green grass came to naught. Though the chosen people were ever the lesser number and the wicked the much greater (as in ZechariahFootnote 6), yet are they not here so noted, forsomuch as in the sight of the Lord the infinite rabbleFootnote 7 of infidels are nothing to the small flock of faith. Consider also that in Zechariah’s time the Jews were the people of God, which were nothing in comparison to the Gentiles. But now are the Gentiles his people, which ever exceeded themFootnote 8 in number. The third part of the trees, withered in their wickedness, were found without fruit in the Gentiles.

  6. 6.

    All the Jews, which sometime were the green grass by the manifold gifts of God and by Christ’s coming of them, were then burnt up clean. True faith went from them and their own malice blinded them. Though this were verified of them only which were at the first seal-opening and the first trumpet-blowing, yet doth it touch the bloody antichrists, hypocrites, and ungodly rulers, withstanding God’s word to this present day, the poor Christians being green and bringing forth fruit in patient sufferance.

The Text

[1] And the second angel blew [2] and, as it were, a great mountain burning with fire [3] was cast into the sea. [4] And the third part of the sea turned to blood, [5] and the third part of the creatures which had life died, [6] and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

The Paraphrase

  1. 1.

    The second angel blew his trumpet at the second seal-opening, which signifieth the preachers declaring the secret mysteries of God’s verity immediately after the apostles’ time.

  2. 2.

    And as they were at the pleasure of the Lord so doing, a monstrous thing in a manner of a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea. A cruel sort of false disciples and wicked brethren arose up from among them; all earthly minded to covetousness, puffed up with pride and ambition, inflamed also with anger, spite and vengeance, they boistrously entered in among the people, so mutable and fickle as the sea, which changeth with every wind. These are the mountains that swell up, thinking much of themselves. These are the rising hills that boast so much of their good works, of whose overthrow by God’s word both Isaiah and John Baptist did prophesy. Such fiery mountains were Jannes and Jambres that maliciously resisted MosesFootnote 9; so were Pashhur and Shemaiah which vexed the prophet Jeremiah. Such burning hills were Caiaphas and Annas against Christ; Diotrephes, Herpocras, Ebion, and Cerinthus against John the Evangelist; Demetrius, Bar-jesus, Hymeneus, and Alexander against Paul,Footnote 10 with such like moody prelates resisting the truth to this present day. Such smoky mountains of contradiction doth daily withstand Christ in the edifying of his Christian church, as rebuked Zerubbabel in the building of the Jews’ temple.Footnote 11

  3. 3.

    They stir up the sea, they move the weak people and make them blind as asses.Footnote 12 In their hate they provoke the princes to cruelty and malice. They cause them to punish the poor preachers and to put aside the truth, lest they should fall unto it.

  4. 4.

    By reason of this burning hill falling into the sea, the third part of the water turned into blood, the third part of the people, seduced by them,Footnote 13 became hateful murderers. Not only they accused God’s servants, but alsoFootnote 14 as bloodthirsty beasts they consented to their deaths, not considering that he which doth but only hate his brother is an homicide.

  5. 5.

    The third part of the creatures which had life died. Of those which seemed to be faithful among them, a great number were worse than naught. Dissembling with faith, they betrayed the truth and wrought much wickedness. Many martyrs were then everywhere,

  6. 6.

    So that the third part of the ships were destroyed also. Many churches or private congregations (called parishes) for fear of losing their goods and for doubt of imprisonment and death refused the faith and fell clean from the truth, and so were perished and lost (for ships in the scripture betokeneth them).

The Text

[1] And the third angel blew, [2] and there fell a great star from heaven, [3] burning as it were a cresset.Footnote 15 [4] And it fell into the third part of the rivers and into fountains of waters. [5] And the name of the star is called Wormwood. [6] And the third part of the waters was turned to wormwood, [7] and many men died of the waters because they were made bitter.

The Paraphrase

  1. 1.

    When the third angel blew his trumpet at the third seal-opening, there fell from heaven a great mighty star burning like a cresset.

  2. 2.

    As the preachers of that time opened the truth of God, many great doctors and excellent learned men—as Arius, Macedonius, Eutyches, Valens, and such other—declined from the sincere faith and fell to blasphemous opinions concerning the godhead.Footnote 16

  3. 3.

    These seemed glorious to the earthly minded people—they appeared notable and famous to the blind, forsaken sort, yet was their learning madness and their doctrine fables and lies. But this is here to be noted: that they which are true teachers remain still in heaven; they persevere in the Christian church, whereas the other are fallen clean from thence by apostasy and errors so that they are none of Christ’s.

  4. 4.

    This star fell into the third part of the rivers (which are the scriptures perverted) and into the fountains of waters (which are God’s own very words depraved). These have the false doctors (yea, pernicious heretics) infected with their errors, corrupted with their lies, and with their false interpretations made them bitter and unsavoury,

  5. 5.

    For the name of the star was Wormwood, whose nature is to withdraw all sweetness. These with their bitter heresies and their noisomeFootnote 17 doctrine destroyed the pits of Abraham,Footnote 18 they troubled the text, they mixed the truth with falsehood, they poisoned the waters, they took away the lovesomeness of them, they left them impure and imperfect (not that they can be so of themselves, but of their false working), they made them unpleasant, unprofitable, yea, and most perilous unto many.

  6. 6.

    For it followeth: when the third part of the waters (which are the scriptures corrupted by them) was turned into wormwood, or bitterness of errors,

  7. 7.

    Many men died of them. They perished by those doctrines because they were made bitter, yet were not all men cast away, for two parts were left undefiled, and many that drank the poisoned waters evomitedFootnote 19 them again. Only were they lost that retained them still. The pure waters are here doubled unto the waters infected, for double in value is the verity before God and the true minister thereof worthy double honour, whereas the other are nothing at all.

The Text

[1] And the fourth angel blew, [2] and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars, [3] so that the third part of them was darkened. [4] And the day was smitten [5] that the third part of it should not shine, and likewise the night. [6] And I beheld and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven [7] and saying with a loud voice: [8] ‘Woe, woe, woe to the dwellers of the earth, [9] because of the voices to come of the trumpets of the three angels which were yet to blow’.

The Paraphrase

At the fourth seal-opening the fourth angel stood forth and blew his trumpet. Never was the time yet so perilous but some true preachers hath been in it. Were there never so many heresies abroad, yet have there reigned some godly ministers (what though they were unknown to the world?). Many sincere fathers were in the desert wilderness when most mischief was in doing among the cruel tyrants, which, privily resorting to cities, taught them whom God had appointed to be saved. Of this number was Paul, Anthony, Hilarion, Macarius, Pambo, Theonas, Ephrem, and such like.Footnote 20 And long since their timeFootnote 21 Anastasius Persia,Footnote 22 Theophylact, Fulgentius,Footnote 23 Bede, Alcuin,Footnote 24 Strabus, and such other many. Notwithstanding all that they taught and wrote was not gospel, all was not without superstition, though they lived in much pureness of life.

  1. 1.

    These blew the trumpet as they had received that time, but the false hypocrites and the antichrists so prevailed more and more under Muhammad and the Romish pope that all Christianity and spiritual holiness was turned into superstitious sects. None was well-christened that had not a monkish disguising. None was thought spiritual unless he were shaven on the crown. Then brought they in many new ways of salvation to prove Christ but a second saviour—as pardons, pilgrimages, masses, and Friday fastings. Then was God able to help no disease but images were sought up everywhere—Saint Job for the pox,Footnote 25 Saint Roch for the pestilence,Footnote 26 Saint Germanus for the ague,Footnote 27 Saint Apollonia for the teeth-ache,Footnote 28 Saint Gratian for thrift-losing,Footnote 29 and Saint Barbara for gun shotFootnote 30—that lady in that place and that lady in that, this rood here and that rood there, and he that did miracles here could do nothing there. Thus was all changed into devilshness and their preachers for lucre confirmed always the same, which were many more in number than were the true messengers of God.

  2. 2.

    In this most corrupted and dolorous age, the fourth angel blowing his trumpet, the poor forsaken disciples showing the truth, the third part of the sun was smitten, so was the third part of the moon, and also the third part of the stars. Good creatures, they found the third part of God’s heavenly word sore blemished by the hypocrites, the Christian church piteously disfigured by the antichrists and the inferior ministers thereof darkened by tyrants and cruel magistrates.

  3. 3.

    By their wicked stroke the light of God’s verity was hidden and appeared less by the third part than it was afore. Less was Christ the son of righteousness known, less was the Christian church faithful, and less were the preachers godly. More ignorance was at that time than afore, more superstition, hypocrisy, and falsehood, wherefore the third part of them all was darkened.

  4. 4.

    At that time also, by reason of them, the day was so smitten that the third part thereof showed no clearness, and so was the night likewise.

  5. 5.

    In no case might Christ shine in the curates and religious which took themselves for the day, nor yet Christian fruits in the common people which were esteemed the night. Only were their will-works allowed, and their dirty traditions thought godly. The true trumpet-blowers (or ministers of the Word) were then compelled by cruel commandments and the commons by cruel laws, enforced in no case to meddle with the truth, lest their abominable doings were espied. In this therefore mark what a detestable thing false doctrine of hypocrites is, for it bringeth in all darkness and ignorant blindness, and it shadowethFootnote 31 under pretence of virtue all wickedness and sin.

  6. 6.

    And then (saith Saint John) I beheld an angel flying through the midst of heaven, as it had been an eagle, which betokeneth certain peculiar servants of God, illumined with some knowledge and leading an high conversation in the church. Such wereFootnote 32 Joachim Abbas,Footnote 33 Cyrillus of Carmel,Footnote 34 Angelus of Jerusalem,Footnote 35 Telesphorus of Cusentia,Footnote 36 Reinhardus,Footnote 37 and others; and since their time, Petrus Johannis,Footnote 38 Robert of Usecio,Footnote 39 Johannes de Rupescissa,Footnote 40 Arnoldus of Villanova,Footnote 41 Hieronymus Savonarola,Footnote 42 with such like.

  7. 7.

    These, perceiving the light of God’s verity and the true teachers thereof daily diminishing, considering also the mighty increase of darkness, with a loud voice they cried; earnest writings they sent the world over under the title of revelation and prophecy,

  8. 8.

    Saying by the threatenings of scripture: Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitators of the earth. More wickedness is coming, more blindness and more darkness to the ungodly infidels and earthly minded people. It will still be worse and worse to the foolish ignorant sort through the errors, lies, and abominable superstitions of the false antichrists and cruel chaplains of Baal.

  9. 9.

    And this rebuking cry was because ofFootnote 43 the voices of the other three angels were yet to blow with the trumpet, whose blasts they should also more deeply yet condemn. By prophecies and scriptures hath many godly men perceived aforehand, with Paul, the fall of faith, the increase of errors, and that diverse should decline from the truth, and earnestly they have premonished the governors of it. Yet have they neglected the warning and utterly despised them for it, leading the people into the depth of all errors and filthy abominations.