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THE APOCALYPSE OF IOHN THE APOSTLE — CHAPTER VI

Edwin Wright

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 VI transcribed herewith can be accessed online by referring to pp. 709–712 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.



THE APOCALYPSE
OF IOHN THE APOSTLE

Chap. VI.

1 Foure ſeales of the ſeuen being opened, there folovv diuerſe effectes againſt the earth, 9 vvhen the fifth ſeale vvas opened, the ſoules of martyrs deſire that the iudgement may be haſtened : 12 and at the opening of the ſixt, there are ſignes ſhevved of the iudgement to come.

1. And I ſavv that the Lambe had opened one of the ſeuen ſeales, and I heard one of the foure beaſts, ſaying, as it vvere the voice of thunder, Come and ſee. † 2. And I ſavv : And behold a vvhite horſe, and he that ſate vpon him had a bovv, and there vvas a crovvne giuen him, and he vvent forth conquering that he might conquer.

    † 3. And vvhen he had opened the ſecond ſeale, I heard the ſ​econd beaſt, ſaying, Come, & ſee. † 4. And there vvent forth an other horſe, redde: and he that ſate thereon, to him it vvas giuen that he ſhould take peace from the earth, and that they ſhould kil one an other, and a great ſvvord vvas giuen to him.

    † 5. And vvhen he had opened the third ſeale, I heard the third beaſt, ſaying, Come, & ſee. And behold a black horſe, and he that ſate vpon him, had a balance in his hand. † 6. And I heard as it vvere a voice in the middes of the foure beaſtes ſaying: Tvvo poundes of vvheate for a penie, and vvine and oile hurt thou not.

    † 7. And vvhen he had opened the fourth ſeale, I heard a voice of the fourth beaſt, ſaying, Come, & ſee. † 8. And behold a pale horſe: and he that ſate vpon him, his name vvas death, and hel folovved him. and povver vvas giuen to him ouer the foure partes of the earth, to kil vvith ſvvord, vvith famine, and vvith death, and vvith beaſtes of the earth.

    † 9. And vvhen he had opened the fifth ſeale : I ſavv ″ vnder the altar1 the ſoules of them that were ſlaine for the vvord of God, and for the teſtimonie vvhich they had. † 10. ″ and they cried2 vvith a loude voice, ſaying, Hovv long Lord, holy & true, iudgeſt thou not and ″ reuengeſt thou not3 our bloud of them that dvvel on the earth? † 11. And vvhite ſtoles vvere giuen, to euery one of them ⸬ one : and it vvas ſaid to them, that they ſhould reſt yet a litle time, ″ til their fellovv-ſeruãtes be complete,4 and their brethren, that are to be ſlaine euen as they. ⸬ This one ſtole ſignifieth the glorie or bliſſe of the ſoule onely. but at the day of iudgement they ſhal haue it doubled by adding the glorie of their body alſo.

    † 12. And I ſavv, vvhen he had opened the ſixt ſeale, and c behold there vvas made a great earth-quake, and the ſunne became blacke as it vvere ſack cloth of heare : and the vvhole moone became as bloud : c The tribulation that ſhal fall in the time of Antichriſt. † 13. and the ſtarres from heauen fel vpõ the earth, as the figge tree caſteth her greene figges when it is ſhaken of a great vvinde: † 14. and heauen departed as a booke folded together : and euery hil, and islandes vvere moued out of their places. † 15. And the kinges of the earth, & princes, and tribunes, and the riche, and the ſtrong, and euery bond-man, and free-man hid them ſelues in the dennes and rockes of mountaines. † 16. And they ſay to the mountaines and the rockes: * Fall vpon vs Oſee. 10. Lu. 23,50., and hide vs ſrom the face of him that ſitteth vpon the throne, and from the wrath of the Lambe: † 17. becauſe the great day of their wrath to come, and vvho ſhal be able to ſtand?

ANNOTATIONS
Chap. VI.

  1. 9. Vnder the altar.] Conſecration of altars vvith Saincts relikes. Chriſt as man (no doubt) is this altar, vnder vvhich the ſoules of al Martyrs liue in heauen, expecting their bodies, as Chriſt their head hath his body there already. And for correſpondence to their place or ſtate in heauen, the Church laieth commonly their bodies alſo or relikes neere or vnder the altar, vvhere our Sauiours body is offered in the holy Maſſe : and hath a ſpecial prouiſo that no altars be erected or conſecrated vvithout ſome part of a Saincts body or relikes. Conc. African. can. 50. Carthag. 5. can. 14. See S. Hierom cont. vigilant c. 3. S. Augustine de ciuit. li. 8. c. 27. S. Gregorie li. 5 ep. 50. li. 1, ep. 52. li. 2 ep. 58. Vvhervnto the Prophet ſeemeth here to allude, making their ſoules alſo to haue their being in heauen, as it vvere vnder the altar. But for this purpoſe note vvel the vvordes of S. Auguſtine (or vvhat other auncient Writer ſoeuer vvas the author thereof) Ser. 11 de Sanctis. Vnder the altar (ſaith he) of God I ſavv the ſoules of the ſlaine. What is more reuerent or honorable, then to reſt vnder that altar on vvhich ſacrifice is done to God, and in vvhich our Lord is the Prieſt : as it is vvritten, Thou art a Prieſt according to the order of Melchiſedec? Rightly do the ſoules of the iuſt there call for reuenge of their bloud, vvhere alſo the bloud of Chriſt is ſhed for ſinners. and many other goodly vvordes to that purpoſe.
             Saincts be preſent at their tombes and relikes. This place alſo the vvicked heretike Vigilantius (as S. Hierom vvriting againſt him vvitneſſeth c. 2) abuſed to proue, that the ſoules of Martyrs and other Saincts vvere included in ſome certaine place, that they could not be preſent at their bodies and monuments (vvhere Chriſtian people vſed in the primitive Church to pray vnto them, as Catholike men doe yet) nor vvhere they liſt, or vvhere men pray vnto them. To vvhich the holy doctor anſvvereth at large, that they be vvhereſoeuer Chriſt is according to his humanitie: for vnder that altar they be. The Caluiniſtes hereſie concerning the Sainctes confuted by S. Hierom long agoe. Part of his vvordes be theſe, that you may ſee hovv this bleſſed father refuted in that Heretike that Caluiniſtes ſo long before they vvere borne. Doeſt thou (ſaith he) preſcribe lavves to God? Doeſt thou fetter the Apoſtles, that they may be kept in priſon til the day of iudgement, and be kept from their Lord, of vvhom it is vvritten, They folovv the Lambe vvitherſoeuer he goeth. Apoc. 14. If the Lambe be in euery place, then they that be vvith the Lambe, muſt be euery vvhere. And if the diuel and vvicked ſpirites gadding abrode in the vvorld vvith paſsing celeritie, be preſent euery vvhere: ſhal holy Martyrs after the ſheading of their bloud, be kept cloſe vnder the altar, that they can not ſturre out from thence? So anſvvereth this learned doctor.
             They vnlearnedly acuſe S. Hierom as an Vbiquiſte. Vvich miſliketh our Caluiniſtes ſo much, that they charge him of great errour, in that he ſaith, Chriſt according to his humanitie is euery vvhere, as though he vvere an Vbiquetarie Proteſtant. How S. Hierõ ſaith, Chriſt & his Saincts are euery vvhere. Vvhere, if they had any iudgement, they might perceiue that he meaneth not, that Chriſt or his Saincts ſhould be perſonally preſent at once in euery place alike, as God is : but that their motion, ſpeede, and agilitie to be vvhere they liſt, is incomparable, and that their povver and operation is accordingly. vvhich they may learne to be the holy doctors meaning, by the vvordes that folovv of the Diuel and his miniſters: vvhõ he affirmeth to be euery vvhere no othervviſe but by their exceding celeritie of being and vvorking miſcheefe novv in one place, novv in an other, and that in a moment. For though they be ſpirites, yet are they not euery vvhere at once according to their eſſence. And for our nevv Diuines it vvere a hard thing to determine, hovv long Satan (that told our Lord he had circuited the earth) vvas in his iourney, and in the particular conſideration and tentation of Iob : and hovv many men he aſſaulted in that his one circuite. Iob. 1. No, no. ſuch curious companions knovv nothing, nor beleeue nothing, but that they ſee vvith corporal eies, and teach nothing but the vvay to infidelitie.↩️


  2. 10. And they cried.] That Saincts pray for vs, S. Hierom proueth againſt the Heretike Vigilantius. S. Hierom alſo againſt the ſaid Vigilantius reporteth, that he vſed an argument againſt the praiers of Saincts out of this place, for that these Martyrs cried for reuenge, and could not obtaine. But vve vvil report his vvordes, that you may ſee how like one heretike is to an other, theſe of our daies to thoſe of old. Thou ſaieſt in thy booke (ſaith S. Hierom c. 3.) that vvhiles vve be aliue, one of vs may pray for an other : but after vve be dead, no mans praier ſhal be heard for an other : ſpecially ſeing the Martyrs aſking reuenge of their bloud, could not obtaine. So ſaid the Heretike. Againſt vvhich the holy Doctor maketh a long refutation, prouing that they pray much more after they be in heauen, then they did here in earth : and that they ſhal be much ſooner heard of God, then vvhen they vvere in the vvorld.
             But for the Heretikes argument framwed out of theſe vvordes of the Apocalypſe thus, These Martyrs did not obtaine, ergo Saincts do not pray for vs : it vvas ſo friuolous, and the antecedent ſo manifeſtly falſe, that he vouchſaued not to ſtand about it. For it is plaine that the Martyrs here vvere heard, and that their petition ſhould be fulfilled in time appointed by God (vvherevnto they did and do alvvaies conforme them ſelues:) for it vvas ſaid vnto them, That they ſhould reſt yet a litle time, til &c. And that Martyrs praiers be heard in this caſe, our Sauiour testifieth Luc 18 ſaying, And vvil not God reuenge his elect that crie to him day and night? I ſay to you, he vil quickly reuenge them. And if God do not heare the Saincts ſometime nor graunt their requeſtes, is it therfore conſequent that they do not or may not pray? Then Chriſt him ſelf ſhould not haue praied his father to remoue the bitter cuppe of death from him, becauſe that petition vvas not graunted.↩️


  3. 10. Reuengeſt thou not?] Hovv Martyrs crie for reuenge. They do not deſire reuenge vpon their enemies for hatred, but of charitie and zeale of Gods honour, praying that his enemies and the perſecutors of his Church and Saincts, that vvil not repent, may be confounded : and that our Lord would accelerate his general iudgement, that ſo they might attaine the perfect crowne of glorie promiſed vnto them, both in body and ſoule : which is to deſire the reſurrection of their bodies, vvhich then ſhal triumph perfectly and fully ouer the perſecutors that ſo cruelly handled the bodies of the elect, vvhich ſhal then appeare glorious to the enemies cõfuſion.↩️


  4. 11. Til their fellovv ſeruantes be complete.] There is a certaine number that God hath ordained to die for the teſtimonie of truth and the Catholike faith, for conformitie of the members to the head Christ our cheefe Martyr. and til that number be accompliſhed, the general condemnation of the vvicked perſecutors ſhal not come, nor the general reward of the elect.↩️