THE APOCALYPSE OF IOHN THE APOSTLE — CHAPTER II
Nota Bene: Before proceeding, the reader is advised to review our post titled, PREFATORY TO THE TRANSCRIPTION OF THE APOCALYPSE OF JOHN THE APOSTLE as well as our post titled, THE ARGVMENT OF THE APOCALYPSE OF S. IOHN. The reader is also advised that the source text of THE APOCALYPSE OF IOHN THE APOSTLE — CHAPTER II transcribed herewith can be accessed online by referring to pp. 701–704 of the original Rheims New Testament through the following link: THE NEVV TESTAMENT OF IESVS CHRIST, TRANSLATED FAITHFVLLY INTO ENGLISH, out of the authentical Latin, according to the beſt corrected copies of the ſame, diligently conferred vvith the Greeke and other editions in diuers languages: Vvith Argvments of bookes and chapters, Annotations, and other neceſſarie helpes, for the better vnderſtanding of the text, and ſpecially for the diſcouerie of the Corrvptions of diuers late tranſlations, and for cleering the Controversies in religion, of theſe daies: In the English College of Rhemes. PRINTED AT RHEMES, by Iohn Fogny. 1582.
Chap. II.
He is commaunded to vvrite diuers things to the churches of Epheſus, Smyrna, Pergamus, and Thyatîra : praiſing them that had not admitted the doctrine of the Heretikes called Nicolaitæ, 22 and calling others by threates vnto penance: 26 and promiſing revvard to him that manfully ouercommeth.
1. And ⸬ to the Angel of the Church of Epheſus write, Thus ſaith he vvhich ″ holdeth the ſeuen1 ſtarres in his right hand, vvhich vvalketh in the middes of the candleſtickes of gold,⸬ That vvhich before he vvilled him to vvrite to the church, he now vvilleth to be vvritten to the Angels or Biſhops of the ſame onely. vvhere vve ſee, it is al one, to the Church, and to the head or gouernour therof. † 2. I knovv ″ thy vvorkes and labour, and thy patience2 : and that thou canſt not beare euil men, and haſt tried them which ſay them selues to be Apoſtles, and are not, and haſt found them liars: † 3. and thou haſt patience, and haſt borne for my name, and haſt not fainted. † 4. But I haue againſt thee a fevv thinges, bicauſe ⸬ thou haſt left thy firſt charitie. ⸬ By this vve ſee is plainely refuted that vvhich ſome Heretikes hold, that a man once in grace or charitie can neuer fall from it. † 5. Be mindeful therfore from whence thou art fallen : and doe penance, and doe the ſirſt vvorkes. But if not : I come to thee, and ″ will moue3 thy candleſticke out of his place, vnleſſe thou do penance. † 6. but this thou haſt, ″ becauſe thou hateſt4 the factes ″ of the Nicolaïtes,5 vvhich I alſo hate. † 7. He that hath an eare, let him heare vvhat the Spirit ſaith to the Churches, To him that ouercommeth, I vvil giue to eate of the tree of life, vvhich is in the Paradiſe of my God.
† 8. And to the Angel of the Church of Smyrna vvrite, Thus ſaith * the firſt and the laſt, Apoc. 1,17. vvho vvas dead, and liueth, † 9. I knovv thy tribulation and thy ⸬ pouertie, but thou art riche : and thou art blaſphemed of them that ſay them ſelues to be Ievves and are not, but are the ſynagogue of Satan. ⸬ This Church repreſenteth the ſtate of them that are ſpoiled of their goodes, empriſoned, & manifoldly afflicted for the catholike faith. † 10. Feare none of theſe thinges vvhich thou ſhalt ſuffer. Behold the Deuil vvil ſend ſome of you to into priſon that you may be tried : and you ſhal haue tribulation ten daies. Be thou faithful vntil death: and I vvil giue thee the ⸬ crovvne of life. ⸬ The ſingular revvard of Martyrdom. † 11. He that hath an eare, let him heare vvhat the Spirit ſaith to the Churches, He that ſhal ouercome, ſhal not be hurt of the ⸬ ſecond death. ⸬ The death of the body is the firſt death : the death of the ſoule, the ſecõd. vvhich Martyrs are ſureſt to eſcape of al men.
† 12. And to the Angel of the Church of Pergamus vvrite, Thus ſaith he that hath the ſharpe tvvo edged ſvvord, † 13. I knovv vvhere thou dvvelleſt, vvhere the ſeate of Satan is : and thou holdeſt my name, and haſt not denied my faith. And in thoſe daies Antipas my faithful vvitneſſe, vvho was ſlaine among you, ⸬ where Satan dvvelleth. ⸬ The ſpecial reſidence of Satan is vvhere the faithful are perſecuted for Chriſtes truth. vvhere not to deny the Cath. faith for feare, is much here commended. † 14. But I haue againſt thee a fevv thinges: becauſe thou haſt there, them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, vvho taught Balac ″ to caſt a ſcandal6 before the children of Iſrael, to eate and commit fornication: Nu. 24,14. 25,2. † 15. ſo haſt thou alſo them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaïtes. † 16. In like maner doe penance. if not: I vvil come to thee quickly, and vvil fight againſt them vvith the ſvvord of my mouth. † 17. He that hath an eare, let him heare vvhat the Spirit ſaith to the Churches, To him that ouercõmeth I vvil giue the hidden manna, and vvil giue him a vvhite c counter : and in the counter, a nevv name Written, vvhich no man knovveth, but he that receiueth it. c ψῆφον, calculũ
† 18. And to the Angel of the Church of Thyatîra vvrite, Thus ſaith the Sonne of God, vvhich hath eies as a flame of fire, and his feet like to latten. † 19. I know thy ⸬ vvorkes, and faith, and thy charitie, and miniſterie, and thy patience and thy last vvorkes moe then the former. ⸬ None of theſe are any thing vvorth vvithovt the other. † 20. But I haue againſt thee a fevv thinges : becauſe thou permitteſt ″ the vvoman * Iezabel7 3 Reg. 18., vvho calleth her ſelf a propheteſſe, to teache and to ſeduce my ſeruantes, to fornicate, and to eate of thinges ſacrificed to idols. † 21. And I gaue her a time that ſhe might do penance: and ″ ſhe vvil not repent8 from her fornication. † 22. Behold I vvil caſt her into a bedde: and ″ they that commit aduoutrie vvith her,9 ſhal be in very great tribulation, vnleſſe they do penance from their vvorkes: † 23. and her children I vvil kil vnto death, and al the Churches ſhal knovv * that I am he that ſearcheth the reines and hartes 1 Reg.16. Pſ.7,10. Ier.11,20., and I vvil give to euery one of you ⸬ according to his workes. ⸬ Vvho ſeeth not here that good vvorkes deſerue ſaluatiõ; as il workes damnation : and that it is not faith alone that God revvardeth but faith vvhich vvorketh by charitie? † 24. But I ſay to you the reſt vvhich are at Thyatira, vvhoſoeuer haue not this doctrine, vvhich haue not knowen the `depth’ `depthes of Satan, as they ſay, I vvil not caſt vpon you an other vveight. † 25. Yet that vvhich you haue, hold til I come. † 26. And he that ſhal ouercome and keepe my vvorkes vnto the end: ″ I vvil giue him povver10 ouer the nations, † 27. and * he ſhal rule them vvith a rod of yron Pſ. 2,9., and as the veſſel of a potter ſhal they be broken, † 28. ⸬ as I alſo haue receiued of my father: and I vvil giue him the morning ſtarre. ⸬ This great priuilege of the Saĩcts riſeth of the povver and preeminence of Chriſt, vvhich his father gaue him according to his humanitie, and therfore to deny it to Saincts, is to deny it to Chriſt him ſelf. † 29. He that hath an eare, let him heare vvhat the Spirit ſaith to the Churches.
ANNOTATIONS
Chap. II.
Chap. II.
1. Holdeth the ſeuen.] Chriſts care of his Church. Much to be obſerued, that Chriſt hath ſuch care ouer the Church and the Bisſops thereof, that he is ſaid here to beare them vp in his right hand, and to vvalke in the middes of them : no doubt to vphold and preſerue them and to guide them in al truth.↩️
2. Thy vvorkes, labour, patience &c.] Special vertues required in a Biſhop. Things required in a Biſhop. firſt, good vvorkes, and great patience in tribulation. next, zeale and ſharpe diſipline tovvard offenders is here cõmended in them. thirdly, vviſedom & diligence in trial of falſe Apoſtles and preachers comming in ſheepeſkinnes : where is ſignified the vvatchful prouidence that ought to be in them, that Heretikes enter not into their flockes.↩️
5. Vvil moue.] Sinne is the cauſe that God taketh the Cath. faith from coũtries. Note that the cauſe vvhy God taketh the truth from certaine countries, and remoueth their Biſhops or Churches into captiuitie or deſolation, is the ſinne of the Prelates and people. And that is the cauſe (no doubt) that Chriſt hath taken avvay our golden candleſticke, that is, our Church in England. God graunt vs to remember our fall, to doe penance and the former vvorkes of charitie vvhich our firſt Biſhops and Church vvere notable and renovvmed for.↩️
6. Becauſe thou hateſt.] Zeale againſt Heretikes. Wve ſee here that of al things, Chriſtian people (ſpecially the Biſhops) ſhould haue great zeale againſt Heretikes and hate them, that is, their vvicked doctrine and conditions, euen as God hateth them. for vvhich onely zeale, our Lord ſaith here that he beareth vvith ſome Churches and Prelates, and ſaueth them from periſhing.↩️
6. Of the Nicolaites.] Nicolaites the firſt Heretikes ſo called, as a paterne of Arians, Lutherans, and the like peculiar callings. Heretikes haue their callings of certaine perſons, as is noted at large Act. 11, 26. Theſe had their name of Nicolas, one of the 7 firſt Deacons that were chosen Act. 6. Vvho is thought to haue taught communitie of vvomen or vviues, and that it vvas lavvful to eate of meates offered to idols. Vvhich later point is ſuch a thing, as if one ſhould hold it lavvful to receiue the bread or vvine of the nevv Communion, vvhich is a kinde of Idolothyta, that is, idolatrous meates. for though ſuch creatures be good by creation, yet they be made execrable by profane bleſſings of Heretikes or Idolaters. And concerning the name of Nicolaites giuen here by our Lord him ſelf to thoſe Heretikes, it is a very paterne and mark vnto the faithful for euer, vvhat kinde of men they ſhould be, that ſhould be called after the like ſort, Arians, Macedonians, Neſtorians, Lutherans, Zuinglians, &c. See S. Hierom cont. Lucifer. in fine.↩️
14. To caſt a ſcandal. ] Balaam ouercomming Gods people by perſuasſion of lecherie and bellicheere, vvas a type of Heretikes. Ioſephus vvriteth that vvhen Balaam could not curſe Gods people, nor othervviſe anoy them, he taught Balac a vvay hovv to ouerthrovv them: to vvit, by preſenting vnto them their Heathen vvomen very beautiful, and delicate diſhes of meate offered to Bel-phegor: that ſo being tempted they might fall to heatheniſh maners and diſpleaſe God. li. 4. Antiq. c. 6. To vvhich craftie counſel of Balaam the Apoſtle reſembleth Heretikes fraude, vvho by offering of libertie of meate, vvomen, Church goodes, breache of vovves, and ſuch other licentious allurements, cauſe many moe to fall, then by their preaching. 2 Pet. 2,15 Iuda v.11.↩️
20. The vvoman Iezabel.] Zeale againſt Heretikes. He vvarneth Biſhops to be zealous and ſtout againſt falſe Prophets and Heretikes of vvhat ſort ſoeuer, by alluding couertly to the example of holy Elias that in zeale killed 450 falſe prophets of Iezabel 3 Reg. 18., Achab and Iezabel. and ſpared not Achab nor Iezabel them ſelues, but told them to their faces that they troubled Iſrael, that is, the faithful people of God. And vvhether there vvere any ſuch great vvoman then, a furtherer and promotour of the Nicolaites, vvhom gthe Prophete ſhould here meane, it is hard to ſay.↩️
21. She vvil not repent.] Free vvil. God is not author of euil. See free vvil here moſt plainely, and that God is not the proper cauſe of obduration or impenitence, but man him ſelf onely. Our Lord giueth ſinners ſo long life, ſpecially to expect their amendment: but Iezabel (to whom the Apostle here alludeth) vvould neuer repent.↩️
22. They that cõmit aduoutrie vvith her.] They that communicate vvith Heretikes, ſhal be dãned vvith them. Such as communicate vvith Heretikes, ſhal be damned (alas) vvith them, for, not onely ſuch as vvere in their hartes, of Iezabels religion, or invvardly beleeued in Baal, but ſuch as externally for feare vvorſhipped him (vvhich the Scriptures call, bovving of their knees to Baal 3 Reg. 19. v. 18., Ro. 11.) are culpable, as novv many bovv their knees to the Communion, that bovv not their hartes.↩️
26. I will giue him povver.] Saincts alſo are Patrones, not only Angels. Obſerue that not onely Angels haue povver and regiment ouer Countries vnder God, but novv for the honour of Chriſts humane nature, and for his miniſterie in the vvorld, the Saincts deceaſed alſo, being in heauen, haue gouernement ouer men and Prouinces, and therfore haue to doe vvith our affaires in the vvorld. Vvhich is againſt the Heretikes of theſe daies, that to take avvay our praiers to Saincts, vvould ſpoile them of many ſoueraine dignities, vvherein the Scriptures make them equal vvith Angels.↩️