to men is translated unto the state and condition of men shewing as before was said that not onely men shal be punished with some greevous punishment but also that the thing it selfe shal be utterly taken away never for to raise againe even as they who are cast to hell must not expect any returning or setting free Certenly we may gather and that not rashly from this strange and unacustomed taking of vengeance that God will shew by some visible signe how damnable and detestable he hath alwayes esteemed the Papacy And this last is that destruction of which in chap. 17.18 shal goe into destruction a iust reward of the Antichristian tyranny 21 And the rest were slaine with the sword Such then is the destructiō of the Prince of wickednesse now of his armies and souldiers Of whō ther is a differing punishment not so horrible at least in shew they shal be slaine with the sword of him that siteth on the horse that is by the word comming out of his mouth as though he should say they shal undergoe the punishments threatned in the word against the disobedient and such as resist the truth as in Ieremy Behold I wil make my words as fire in thy mouth and this people as wood and it shal devoure them chap. 5.14 What singular thing thē shal the destructiō of the Pope have For he also hath bin slaine with this sword That is true indeed but the word threatneth divers punishments according to the manner of the wickednesses the most greevous to the greatest the lighter to the lesse Peradventure because the ruine of the Papacy shal be more horrible than wee think it is exempted from the common order not because it is not denounced in the word but perhaps because it is lesse regarded of us and that we suspect it to be lighter then the event will shew Or as we have declared in ver 15. it may be that these souldiers after the overthrow received shall yeeld their vanquished forces to the truth and subiect their neckes to her yoke ¶ And all the foules were filled with their flesh The Victory being obtained the foules gather to the pray doo fill themselves with the spoiles That whole late Popish natiō shal be subiect afterward to the reformed Churh Every country being a nourrisson of the purer truth shal have some part of the regions before time given up to superstition made subiect to them Which thing seemeth to be signifyed by the foules satiated with the flesh of the slaine army Such then is the end of the Romish Pope and Papacy that remained a few yeeres after the city yet at length so much the more miserable because shee had such as did adorne her funerall with their teares and performed the last duties by weeping But ther shal be none left for the Pope to bewaile his misery but he shal die infamous without mourners or other funeral pompe Wherby at last is accomplished that prophetical parable of the ghests called to the marriage Mat. 22. Doubtlesse those good and evill sent for out of the high wayes are the Gentiles that embraced the calling after that the Iewes had refused it Among them the man that had not a wedding garment is the Church of Rome which despiseth the righteousnesse of faith neither regardeth to be clothed with the merit of Christ by imputation The King comming in and beholding her clothed with her ragges but not with that garment which onely he approoveth now at length biddeth his servants to bind her hād and foote and to cast her into utter darkenesse where is weeping gnashing of teeth For Christ speaketh not there of any one man but collectively of a very great multitude as the sentence added in the end declareth that many are called but few are chosen ver 14. From which at length we understand that the bright comming of the Lord with which Paul foreshewed that the man of sinne should be abolished 2 Thes 2.8 is not his last coming to iudgement but that wherby Christ shal take the Iewes into the fellowship of his holy Church at which time his Kingdome shal flourish most gloriously and shal exceed by infinite degrees all the brightnesse of the ages past as shal be made more evident from the things following After the Pope is destroyed the Dragon shal be abolished many other things accomplished on earth CHAP. 20. AFTER I saw an Angel comming down from heaven having the keye of the bottomlesse pit and a great chaine in his hande 2 And he tooke the Dragon that old serpent which is the Divill and Satan he bound him a thousand yeeres 3 And cast him into the bottomlesse pit which he shut up and sealed upon him that he should deceive the nations no more til the thousand yeeres were fulfilled for after that he must be loosed for a little season 4 And J saw seats and they sate upon them and iudgement was given them I saw the soules of them which were beheaded for the witnes of Iesus and for the word of God and which did not worship the Beast neither his Image neither had taken his marke upon their foreheads or on their hands and they lived and raigned with Christ a thousand yeeres 5 But the rest of the dead men lived not againe until the thousand yeeres wereful filled this is the first resurrection 6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection for on such the second death hath no power but they shal be the Priests of God and of Christ and shall raigne with him a thousand yeeres 7 And when the thousande yeeres are expired Satan shal be loosed out of his prison 8 And shall goe out to deceive the nations which are in the foure quarters of the earth Gog and Magog to gather them togither to battell whose number is as the sande of the sea 9 And they went up into the plaine of the earth and they compassed the tentes of the Saints about and the beloved city but fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them 10 And the Divill that deceived them was cast into a lake of fire and brimston where was both that Beast and also that False Prophet and they shal be tormented day and night for ever more 11 Then I saw a great white throne and one that sate on it from whose face fled away both the earth and heaven and their place was no more founde 12 And I saw the dead both great and smal stand before God and the bookes were opened and another book was opened which is the book of life and the dead were iudged of those things which were written in the books according to their workes 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in her and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them and they were iudged every man according to their workes 14 And hell and death were cast into the lake of fire this is the second
else where fully declared in this book wee hope that wee doo no violence to the truth if that we shal ioyne this place unto the meaning of other the like But some man wil say that wee have made mention of this calling in the former chapter it is true but that of the sixt viall was but begun not perfit and absolute as that of the last viall shall be wheÌ„ all the enemies shal be destroyed VVhich distinction of calling the former words doo manifest when in that first Iohn was commanded to write blessed are they which are called to the marriage supper of the Lambe chap. 19.9 VVherby it is taught that the first was not perfit where need was of such confirmation the office wherof is to seale up a thing not yet sufficiently known and to come which all being called had bin superfluous But Daniel writeth most plainly who hath distinguished both the callings by their times He setteth the first at the ende of a thousand two hundred ninetie daies The second at the ende of a thousand three hundred and five The distance between both is of fourty five dayes that is of so many yeeres as in an other place with Gods helpe wee will shew Dan. 12.11.12 VVee shall see likeweise in Ezechiel in the place before spoken off that the dry bones being covered with flesh and skinne did move themselves alike and approach one to an other Moreover after some time during which they were destitute of Spirit at length being quickened by the same doo live a true life and doo performe all those offices of life peculiar unto bodies endued with soules That approaching of the dry bones is that first calling of the former chapter The comming to of the Spirit giving to those bones perfit life is the latter calling this resurrection to which nothing shal be wanting unto perfit salvation Both which though Ezechiel comprehendeth in the same chapter yet he handleth the more distinctly afterward For first before that warre with Gog and Magog he mentioneth the resurrection as also Iohn that which was begun in the former chapter afterward when Gog was destroyed he describeth a most glorious building of the temple in the 40. chapter c. which is this secoÌ„d and full resurrection Therfore the first resurrection of the Iewes of the Iewes I say for the first resurrection of this chapter ver 5. is of the Gentiles into which notwithstanding shal fall at length this first of the Iewes that every way it may be the first shal be by and by after the destruction of Rome The second shal be straite after the Romish Pope and the Turke be destroyed This resurrection is a power to enter into the temple which the smooke did hinder to all untill all the seven last plagues were accomplished ch 15. the which is spent in destroing the Pope of Rome and the Turke as was spoken sufficiently before If I seeme to any to weaken the gâ—neral resurrection by taking so notable a foundation from it let him understand that it taketh no dammage from hence This place hath yet left a most strong ground to confirme the same For the Spirit doth not deceiv with a fained similitude but of which ought to be a most certen persuasion among Christians Otherweise certenly he had lost his labour if he had brought any thing lacking credit Moreover he should have driven to defperation in propounding that which must not be done for they would have thought that even so they had bin past hope but using a tipe of a thing that should most certeÌ„ly come to passe in his time he both maketh the calling undoubted and also declareth the manner wherby at length the resurrection shal be accomplished And thus much of the true sense of this argument now we wil prosecute the rest ¶ Then I saw a great white throne The preparation of God the iudge setting his people at liberty taken from a similitude of the general resurrection For the power and mercy of God shal be no lesse cleare in the molifying of men hardened by so long a revolting and in bestowing salvatioÌ„ upon them so past recovery then at length shal appeare in raising out rotâ—en bodies out of the graves The throne therfore is white most pure most gratious most comfortable in the very forme having a demonstration of mercy Great to declare the most imperial maiesty of God which now shal be made evident in this assembly of his people he sitteth also upon a throne ready to iudge because ther shal be no more any delay of rewarding the stay wherof before brought men into that opinion as if God regarded not the earth there fled from the face of him that sitteth on the throne both earth and heaven a great alteration of al things being made both the false Church plucked up by the rootes and also the true augmented with so great fruitfulnes that her former sorrowful face may seem to have fled away 12 And J saw the dead both smal and great Such then was the iudgment now at described those that shal be iudged These smal and great ar Iewes who before hated the faith and were spent with such calamities that they might seeme to differ nothing from the dead Now al of them shal appeare before God every one to undergo the iudgement either of life or death For now it shal be made manifest who ar elect and who reprobate They which yet shal resist the truth obstinatly shal be numbred amoÌ„g the last sheepe No remedy shal be used afterward wherby their stubburne minds may be subdued But why saith he small and great Whit her in the last resurrection according to the maner wherof al things are here applyed shal every one appeare in that stature in which they departed this life For this cause some have affirmed too rashly that every one shal rise againe in that talnesse in which Adam was created Which opinion both resisteth evidently this place and also taketh away the truth of the restored body if ther shal not be that iust stature in which they dyed ¶ And the books were opened The forme of iudging by books opened which are the consciences endued with the true light of Gods wil with a lively feeling of all their actions These shal now openly manifest to all men them in whom there is a syncere minde given of God and in whom lay hid hitherto the seed of election ¶ Then an other book Of Gods decree and election these things ar spoken after the manner of men considering that it is our manner for the helpe of our memory to recorde in books things done and in iudgmeÌ„ts to give sentence according to the truth of them Therfore election is no new thing neither dooth it depend on our pleasure but is founded on the eternal decree of God ¶ And the dead wer iudged c. After or according to those things which wer writteÌ„ in the books as once in the return froÌ„ BabyloÌ„s captivity
country but saith Strabo we maie iustly mervaile at these few who for desire of the place are carelesse of danger and heedelesse of sâ—ffetie or rather what the builders of the city minded Laodicaea Laodicaea by the river Lycus one of the greatest cities of Phrygia which reacheth to Caria neare to Colossie to whom Paule a prisoner at Rome wrote commaunding that the Epistle should openly be read in the Church of Laodicaea Whose letters also he commaundeth that the Colosians should reade Col. 4.16 A citie in time past of great wealth partly thorough the liberality of the cityzens who by their Testaments gave to it great riches partly by reason of selling of excellent soft woole and blacke as a raven for which causes their neighbours did much desire it Such are the seaven cities to whom this Prophecy was by name delivered described as in a table Some man perhapes maie mervaile where Rome then was to whome in steede of all it might have bin written very breifly as to her who bragge that shee is the head of all Verily Christ forgate himselfe who passed over his vicare nor would not send him so much as one letter who onely seemed to have bin spokeÌ„ unto But there is a ready answer why he wrote not to him he knew that he could not erre nor had neede of an admonisher Let therefore this omissioÌ„ be one of the prerogatives of Rome 12. I turned me therefore that J might see To see is taken sometimes by synecdoche for to perceive as Exo. 20.18 The whole people saw voices great lightenings the sounde of a truÌ„pet c. that is perceaved But here it remaines in his proper signification wheÌ„ he had sufficiently perceaved by hearing he now turned himselfe that he might use the benefite of the other seÌ„ce Therfore the other worde is chaÌ„ged froÌ„ his native significatioÌ„ noting by a voice the man whose voice he thought it was ¶ And being turned c. So was the hearing the things seene are partly thinges partly a person The thinges are seaven golden candlestickes the interpretation whereof we shall learne beneath at ver 20. In the meane while let us note that every godly endevour receaved greater fruite theÌ„ was loked for Iohn doeth turne himselfe that he might see the man beholde moreover seaven candlestickes of which he suspected nothing 13. And in the middes c. The person seene is Christ himselfe as is understoode out of ver 17.18 like the sonne of man because in a new shape taken unto him he caused himself to be seene not in that native forme which he tooke of the Virgine in which full of glory he sitted at the right hand of the father which may be the reason why the articles are not prefixed as in other places as Th. Beza hath observed This fourme is put on for the present condition of the Church therefore an other is taken where an other estate of the bride is described ch 19.11 12. c. EveÌ„ as also it coÌ„meth to passe elswhere in many places for Christ alwaies is one unchangeable neither for his owne sake doeth he so often change his fourme to whoÌ„ no alteration befalleth nor any shadow of turning but when according to his divers administration he useth a divers condition of the bride wherby he may both testify his conionctioÌ„ with her also may shew that he in those alterations of tymes forgettes her not he takes upon him fourme fit for the thinges He suffereth when shee suffereth he also triumpheth together with her what mervaile is it then in so neare a society if he susteine also a comon shape According to the same meaning Ireneus expoundeth this divers fourme So saith he the word of God alwaies hath as it were the proportion of things to come and shewed forth to men as it were the fourme of his fathers disposition teaching us what are the thinges of God book 4. ch 37. Neither is it without cause that he is with this habite in the middest of the caÌ„dlestickes manifesting by the same that this adorning doeth not simply absolutely beloÌ„g to him but as farre forth as he is coÌ„versaÌ„t with the Church for speciall time Wherefore in such visions we must not so much seeke what a one Christ is in himselfe as what his administration is what a one the bride is therby which he setteth forth to be viewed in himselfe as in a glasse Therefore as touching the interpretation of the speciall thinges the long garment is the perfect imputed righteousnes of CHRIST wherewith the bride is wholy covered from top to toe so as no filthy nakednes appeareth For this garment is not necessarie to Chr. but serveth to cover the bride which notwithstaÌ„ding Chr. weareth on his bodie declaring how comely for those times in this regard shee should be Neither lesse often than significantly is the righteousnes of faith set forth by a garment Blessed saith the Psalmist is the man whose sinne is covered Psal 32 1. And the guest wanting this garment is cast into utter darkenes Mat. 22.12 Afterward in this booke they are pronounced blessed which watch and keepe their garmeÌ„tes lest they walke naked their shame be seene ch 16.15 ofteÌ„ times so in other places And what doeth more fitlie reseÌ„ble the righteousnes of faith which loatheth our inherent righteousnes as a menstruous clothe neither can rest in any other thing except in this one garment of Christes righteousnes ¶ And girded about the pappes with a golden girdle made of silken threeds covered with golde But was the girdle made of such threeds onely But the Priestes girdle was made of embroidered worke pictured with scarlet purple violet and yellow flowers Exod. 28.39 Whose stuffe was onely of silke as Iosephe of the Antiquities book 3. chap. 8. And this girdle was comon to all the Priests There was another appertaining to the high Priest differing onely in this one thing that it was wrought with golde as Iosephus there speakes This then is a golden girdle not that it was wholly of golde but because the girdle of the High Priest was for this difference excellent Neither is this girdle proper to Christ but to the Bride for which cause this same is the girdle of the Angels beneath chap. 15.6 The which we doe atteine by Christ alone which hath not onely made his elect Priestes but also hath brought them to the honour of the chiefe Priest Seing therefore that this girdle is ours it signifieth most pretious faith in the heart And it is of Golde because what is more Golden and pretious than true faith Yea whose triall is much more pretious than golde that perished 1 Pet. 1.7 This girding is about the pappes because except faith hath her seat in the heart it is no faith And therefore the seaven Angels are girded after this maner chap. 15.6 because otherwaies it is wont to belonge to the loines especially under the law when faith was
Ioh. 1.12 He againe entertaineth us that wee maye suppe togither with him as often as with pure mindes wee come to the Sacrament of the Supper wherin he feedeth us with his owne flesh and blood most sumptuous delicious dainties above all that can be spoken or thought In which sense it is spoken in Luke chap. 13.29 Then they shall come from the East and from the West and from the North and from the South and shall sit downe in the kingdome of God that is men shall assemble togither to the Gospell from all quarters shall embrace the doctrine of the kingdome and shall be partakers of Chr. truely whose pledges they shall take bread wine sitting downe at his table in celebrating his sacred supper For he speaketh of the calling of the Gentiles whose faith and assenting to the whole truth he signifyeth by one sacramentall action These guests now Christ would call when in the meane tyme the Iewes of whom he speaketh in the parable did abhorre and despise the way of salvation as wee see it hath come to passe now for the space of many ages Wherto pertaineth that which in the same place the Iewes excluded doe alleadge requiring an entry for thēselves because of their former familiarity in eating drinking in his sight ver 26. as though they should say O Lord wee communicating at thy table have feasted merrily with thee in eating of thy sacrifices wilt thou locke the doore nowe against us For in this respect the meate of the sacrifices was the same thinge to the Iewes that the bread and wine is to us Neither are these thinges notwithstanding so to be taken as though the elect were limited within the boundes of this life but because the supper which is made on earth is a pledge of the eternall feast in the heavens These thinges therfore proove that a double and great good thing doe abyde in the English Church that is to say the preaching of the word and the lawfull administration of the sacraments In both which Christ bestoweth him selfe upon hispeople keeping a mutuall feast with them he first being received of us by hearing secondly entertaining us againe with the supper-of his body O wee therefore most impure as often as wee fly from and forsake hearing of the word for wee refuse Christ to be our guest O wicked despisers that wee are as often as wee withdrawe our selves from receaving the sacrament with our brethren For wee despise Christ bidding us to supper But these thinges are added for the singular confort of the godly For who would not quake and thinke of flying very quickly from this Church when they should heare that the condition of the Ministers is hated of Christ whom not repenting he will vomit out of his mouth shortly unlesse by the words of Christ himselfe they were assured of their communicating with him Praise be to thee therfore most meecke Lambe who finding the dore shutte against thee dost not departe quickly being moved with anger and fury and deprive us of all meanes of salvation but leavest yet an abondance of thy selfe to all that doe open to thee knocking by the word and despise not thy most sweete inviting by the Sacrements Therefore wicked and blaspehmous is their errour who doe fall away so from this Church aa if Christ were banished wholy from hence and that there could be no hope of salvation for them that tarry there Let them minde here Christ feasting with his people Will they be ashamed to sit downe there where they see Christ not be ashamed Are they holier purer then hee But why doe they not convince themselves by their owne experience They cannot deny but that they beleeved in Christ before they made a separation from us whence came this faith Cam it not from our preaching in our Church Can any then preach except he be sent Rom. 10 13. c. Why then doe they so perversly refuse for some blemish in the outward calling that worde whose divine force they feele in their harts Althoug the fruict it selfe doth noe more free from blame our corruptions then a true childe adultery And therefore neither may wee eyther take pleasure in them nor they forsake and fall away from us for some blemishes Wherefore returne to the unity of the Church which hath begate and nourished you Yf you fly from this Christ who suppeth with is elect in our assemblyes and welcometh them againe yee shall finde him no were In the meane time let us also minde how great evill wee call for upon our selves who by holding hard our superstitions doe throwe our brethren into so great danger Certenly if that hath any weight which the truth himselfe once confirmed it were better for such men that a milstone being hanged about their necks they were drowned in to bottome of the sea Mat. 18 6. I wish health of minde to both But more over this place is to be delivered from the fraude of the Papists who will have it to be in the power of men to open to Christ knocking Whether saith Bellarmine doth he not know that they cannot open Should he not be a foole who would knocke at the doore of his niggbour if he knewe certēly that none were within who could opē in his first book of grace and free will chap. 11. I answere he should not without cause be a foole if his onely end of knocking were that he mitght enter in But Christ knocketh at the doore of the reprobates whom he knoweth neither to be willing nor able to open not that he may enter in but partly that he may upbride thē with their impotency gotten by their owne fault partly that he may encrease their condemnation For so speaketh the Evangelist expressely Therfore they could not beleeve Iohn 12.34 Why then useth he wordes to them who have not ability to beleeve Christ himselfe sheweth If I had not come saith he and spoken unto them they should not have had sinne but now they have no cloke for their sinne Ioh. 15.22 Therefore he spake unto them that for the contempt and hatred of his onely begotten sonne their condemnation migh be the greater Such are the powers of the naturall man as is the love of the trueth in the Papists who seeing it refuse it wickedly 21 To him that overcometh J will give to sit word for word in the Greeke is He that overcometh I will give him in stead of I will give to the overcomer by the nominative case absolute as was observed before chap. 2.26 This third reason is taken from the reward of being a companion and partaker of his throne Not because the glory of every one of the children shal be equall to the honour of the Man Christ but because the glory maiesty of the head shall redounde to every one of the membres Therefore the thrones are not peculiar to the twelve Apostles of which see Mat. 19.28 but common to all the elect Althoug in a certen
that is given to him that sitteth on the throne is thankesgiving in which the Beasts goe before as the captaines standerd-beates of the publike congregation ver 9. Afterward the other body of the Elders followeth both in adoration ver 10. also in consent to the same glorifying ver 11. after that custome wherby God is worshipped in the christian congregations Such is the congregation of the Godly before God and some such might be alwayes although not evident and visible to the world in equall glory at all times Scholions Afterward J saw Those things being declared which are of some short time nowe the Spirit those boundes being enlarged pursueth with a continued order those thinges which should shewe the comon and entyre face of things from the time of this writing unto the last ende The handling of which things wil be admirable neither wil be accomplished and performed without his ayde alone which shewed these thinges first to his servant Trusting therefore to his grace I will proceed in the worke begun Vnto the finishing whereof howsoever other things shal be wanting certenly faithfulnes and diligence in searching out to my power shall not be wanting These first wordes are perteining to a newe preparation unto a newe prophesy For Iohn is noe more conversant on the earth but is taken up into heaven where through a doore opened he beholdeth wonderfull changes of things that were to be knowne by noe other way Therfore the manner of the Prophesy following is divers from the former That former is straighter even as also the place where it was seen a small Iland compassed with the sea this spred farre and neere passing all measure even as also the heaven it selfe containing all things within his compasse Furthermore a certen visible print and signe of thinges to come was there to be seene in those seaven cityes For the Churches that after were to be inlarged increased should be pourtrayed and drawne out by the will of God according to the present image and figure of them but there was noe token or shew among mortall men of the things to be spoken of in this second prophesy For the peculiar iudgements of which there is most speach here are to be fetched from that secret revelation alone Vnto the heaven then where liberty of this vision was given is added afterward the booke sealed with seaven seales then noe creature sufficient to open the same nor any sufficient power of any one except of the Lambe onely as wee shall see in his place All which things as they declare the excellency of this Prophecy so they require our greater attention and earnest bending of our mindes to them As touching the wordes the first voice is heard because there is the same author of both Prophecies and soundeth like a trumpet wherby the thinges heard may be made more certen and out of doubte might be perceived the better of Iohn as hath ben observed at chap. 1.10 It biddeth to come up hither where onely the things might be seene of which there was noe tracke or path made in the earth And he would not that he should see a farre of as through the doore by which meanes he might be deceaved or not see the thinge playnely enough but that he should be present and before him that he might have a certen undoubted knowledge of the things But that which followeth is not voyde of doubting howe he may say that he will shewe a vision of things which must be done after these For whether should the following Prophesy not take her beginning before that former of the seaven Churches should attayne his ende But in them wee see is intreated of thinges of our time or if wee respect the bare types many thinges to come were fore shewed moreover in those thinges that followe it shall noe lesse appeare that Iohn doth tell of things agreeing with their owne times so that the wordes cānot be so understood by any meanes Wherfore neither is that distribution firme wherein the whole Prophecy is distinguished into thinges present and future The Spirit followeth not such distribution but mixeth many future thinges with present as they are counted Wherfore these wordes after these thinges are not refferred in respect of their beginning to the end of the former prophecy but unto the present age of Iohn yea unto that very moment wherin the Spirit revealed these thinges from whence a newe beginning be in taken he describeth the continuall course and terme of time of the whole Church and annexeth those things which could not be understood sufficiently from the former types Therefore Theod. Beza well translated heta tauta by and adverbe hereafter But in respect of the end not without cause this second Prophecy is counted after the former as being of a farre longer time reaching unto the last cōming of Christ wheras that former is termined with farre narrower boundes Frō these things therfore there are as wee take it two things chiefly to be observed First that from this place those things onely are handled which doe follow the tyme of the revelation made For so he speaketh playnely And J will shew thee the thinges that must be done hereafter Which being marked of certen Interpreters I mervayle was not observed in their expositions But the times through the whole treatise to be confounded so by a whirlewinde that all thinges were wrapped in most thicke darcknes Wee being taught by their exemple wee will borowe light from hence for the exposition following The second that this Prophesy belongeth to the whole Church which is neither tyed to any particular Churches nor is ended with any other boundes then the whole frame of the world The Spirit set in the first place that particular Prophesy that he might relate comon thinges commonly without interrupting of the narration 2 Therfore I was suddenly ravished in the Spirit Here is the same authority altogither which was before as well from the person calling as from the persone called For it is the same holy inspiration of God which he mentioned in the first chapter verse 10. But what neede was there of a newe inspiration Had the former ceased that in a certen distance of time it might be kindled a fresh Without doubt the instinction was continuall without intermission but he saith that it was suddenly in the Spirit because the Spirit did frame him to receave newe visions unto which he perceived himselfe prepared forthwith The whole Revelation seemeth to have ben finished in that one Lords day chap 1.10 and therefore that there fell out noe intermission after that it began once to be exhibited ¶ And beholde a Throne was placed in heaven Such was the preparation by a newe calling now he cometh to the cōmon type of the holy Church The description of which was necessary before he should enter into the other Prophesy For when as her manifolde dangers and notable alteratiōs were to be rehearsed her flight returne
unskilfull multitude or of the base people and that he might either be present or absent at his pleasure but let him beholde here Kinges attending to the voice of the Beasts nor that once or twice and at certen tymes but whensoever the Beasts give glory that is as often as they doe execute their publike office The praysing of God of these and their adoration of God are ioyned allwayes togither so that neither may any thinke that he is free and discharged from his duty neither to have performed it enough at some fewe times 11 Thou art worthy o Lord The praysing which the Elders use in wordes is noe other thing then a subscribing to the crying out and shouting of the Beasts these celebrate the holines Dominion omnipotency and trueth of God The Elders nowe doe singe togither thou art worthy indeede o Lord to receave glory and honour which wee and all thy creatures worthily doe give to thee as though unto the sung of prayses of the Ministers the people should give their consent saying Amen But howe may God receive power They meane the prayse of all vertue and power Power can not be given to God otherwise but onely by acknowledging and praysing Which then shineth forth most cleerly when he sheweth his strength extraordinarily both in delivering his owne and also in destroying his enemyes ¶ For thou hast created all things The people ought not onely to consent to the thankes given by the Ministers in the meane time themselves being voyde of all knowledge of their owne as it commeth to passe in the Papacy where after the prayers not understood is sung Amen by the unskilfull common people or some as they will supplying their place but their consent ought to come from a true faith and that not confused and implicite but of which a true sense and feeling is setled in every on s harte peculiarly For the God of reason requireth a reasonable worshippe not unknowne rash and voyd of counsell Whereupon not without cause is added from what fountayne the declaration of the consent of the Elders to wit froÌ„ their owne acknowledging of the exceeding power of God both in creating all thinges and also in preserving the same and noe lesse from the sense of his most free good will by which alone being moved he made all thinges in the beginning and governeth and preserveth the same at this day according to that saying Who worketh all thinges after the counsell of his will Ephe. chap. 1. ver 11. For which cause there is repeated in the ende of the verse they have ben created that wee may understande that the will of God not onely hath rule in governing things at this time but also that it gave the first originall to the same And so is the patterne of the Christian Church so much the more famous then that of the Lawe by how much heaven in which Iohn sawe this figure is more excellent then the Mountaine where Moses sawe the Tabernacle There is the same ende and purpose of both of this that it might be a patterne of the worshippe to the Legall people which should holde even to the time of reformatioÌ„ of that that it might be a type unto Christians according to what square they should frame all their assemblyes both generally and specially Graunt O most high God that wee may be founde as faithfull in bringing backe all thinges unto the Heavenly patterne as Moses was unto that earthly Chap. 5. AFTER I sawe in the right hande of him that sate upon the Throne a booke written within and on the backe side sealed with seaven seales 2 And J saw a stronge Angell preaching with a lowde voice who is worthy to open the booke and loose the seales thereof 3 And noe man was able neither in heaven nor in earth nor under the earth to open the booke nor to looke theron 4 Therfore I wept much because none was founde worthy to open and reade the booke neither to looke thereon 5 Then one of the Elders sayd unto mee weepe not beholde that Lion of the tribe of Juda that roote of David hath obtained to open the booke and to loose the seaven seales thereof 6 Then J behelde and loe betweene the Throne and those Beasts and betweene those Elders a Lambe standing as though he had ben killed having seaven hornes seaven eyes which are those seaven spirits of God sent forth into all the world 7 He came and tooke the booke out of the right hande of him that sate upon the Throne 8 And when he had taken the booke those foure Beasts and those foure and twenty Elders fell downe before the Lambe having every one harpes and golden vials full of odours which are the prayers of the saints 9 And they sung a newe song saying thou art worthy to take the booke and to open the seales thereof because thou wast killed and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kinred and tongue and people and nation 10 And hast made us to our God Kings and Priests and wee shall reigne on the earth 11 Then J behelde and I heard rounde about the Throne and of the Beasts and Elders the voice of many Angels and the number of them was a thousande hundred thousands and ten hundred thousandes 12 Saying with a lowde voice worthy is that Lambe that was killed to receive power and riches and wisdome and strength and honour and glory and blessing 13 And every creature which is in heaven and which is on the earth in the sea and all thinges that are in them I heard saying unto him that sitteth on the Throne and to the Lambe be prayse and honour and glory and power for ever more 14 And those foure beasts sayed Amen And those foure and twenty Elders fell downe on their faces and worshipped him that liveth for ever more The Analysis I have spoken summarily of the common type the speciall Prophecy coÌ„prehendeth both the excellent dignity of this Revelation in this chapter and also the evâ—nts themselves in the rest of the booke That thinge is declared first in respect of the Creature secondly of the Lambe In respect of the Creature it is altogither unsearcheable as appeareth partly from the signing of seaven seales ver 1 partly from the testimony of all creatures which after the inquiry proclamed and the thing was caused to be cryed by the voyce of the Angell as it were of a common cryer ver 2. then also after tryall made at last ver 3. all doe acknowledge their owne unablenes Of which lastly there is a sorowfull consequente the weeping of John which this imbecility and despaire to enioye so excellent a good thing did wring out from him ver 4. In respect of the Lambe onely it is able to be searched out as first an Elder sheweth who conforteth Iohn ver 5. Secondly the LaÌ„be comming at the same instant and taking the booke ver 6.7 from whence at length aryseth the
singular ioy and thankesgiving of the whole Creature but apart first of the Church ver 8.9.10 and of the Angels ver 11.12 After of the rest of the Creature ver 13. Last of all the Church togither subscribing to the common ioy reioycing of all thinges ver 14. Scholions Afterward I saw at the right hand the cōmon translation hath In the right hande as also the Interpreter of Aretas but all the Greeke copies with one consent have at the right hande They peradventure have put it in the ablative case because it followeth after in the seavēth verse that the Lambe tooke the booke from the right hand But this is noe sufficient cause to departe from the naturall property of the wordes when it may be that the weaknes of the creatures might be made to appeare the more the booke at the first was not in the right hande but at the right hande from whence if there were noe power to open it being offered and layd before without asking much lesse would there have ben any if he had held it in his handes Afterward when the debility of the Creatures was found out the booke was taken into his handes that the dignity of the Lambe might be the better knowne not taking it up hastily lying at his side but receaving it from hande to hande As touching the intent of this vision it seemeth good to the Spirit after the lively representation of the true Church in the former chapter which was to be layd as the fundamēt of all the building following before that he should come to the particular Prophesyes to put men in minde of the incomprehensible excellency of this Prophecy For wee are wont such is our slouthfulnes to passe by very greate and excellent thinges carelesly and sleepingly unlesse peradventure some body pull us by the eare and require instantly diligence mentioning the greatnes of the thing Least perchance the same thing should fall out in this place he setteth before our eyes that this is a Prophecy of that kinde which conteineth in it all the dāgers that at to be undergone of the Church through her whole race on earth yet wrapped in so great obscurity that no created minde can beholde it a farre off much lesse unfolde the same to others An argument in deede most worthy to be knowen and farre most pleasant of all thinges opening to us the hidden Mysteries with exceeding great desyre whereof men are inflamed or otherwise in searching out of them they torment themselves rashly and in vayne And yet neverthelesse it is not to be desyred onely for this cause to knowe it but because also it conteyneth events of that moment that it would be very hurtfull and for rowfull to the Church if they should wholy be concealed Therefore Iohn wept being privy to the dangers and togither therewith also minding the lacke of a guide And in deede the Church hardly holdeth on her course though this lampe be given her Howe miserable had shee ben left utterly in darknes and not perceiving sufficiently eyther which waye shee should goe forward or where to set her foote safely Iohn therefore had had iust cause to weepe if there had ben hope noe where of opening the sealed booke But the sudden assault of griefe bereft the holy man of understanding and suffered him not to thinke in whom there was ability while at length he knewe by the putting in minde of an other Therefore this Prophecy is famous for the worthynes of the argument excellency of the Mystery plēty of fruict but farre way most excellent because he alone was founde worthy to open the same who by his death founde out a redemption for the elect This is that thing for which the Church on earth the Angels in Heaven lastly the universall Creature reioyceth greatly and that not for a glorious shewe without the trueth of the thinge as the manner is in humane writinges in which the thinges are amplifyed for to adorne and set them forth but from a true feeling and iust cause of reioycing as hereafter wee shall see through Gods his helpe In the meane time shall not this exceeding great ioye of Heaven and Earth kindle in men a diligence to reade a desyre to understand and an endevoure to observe It is in deede a thing worthy of our serious meditation into which I have digressed and discoursed in many wordes because I see that the Interpreters eyther not to have marked the intendement of this chapter or at the least otherwise then was meete to have spoken nothing at all of a matter very needfull and necessary ¶ A Booke written within and on the backeside The first commendation of the Prophecy is from a Booke a copious writting and Seaven Seales in this verse That which is recorded in a Booke must without all controversy be certē being a faithfull helper of the memory whereas that which is noe otherwise grounded then onely upon the memory may easily in continuance of time eyther be utterly extinguished or at the least wise corrupted Whereupon GOD biddeth Ieremy for the greater credit of that Prophecy to write all the wordes that he spake unto him in a Booke in the thirty chapter of Ieremy and in the 2. verse So carefull is he to provide against our doubting that wee should not thinke otherwise of the things then of such as are written in publike bookes graven as it were in brasse so as they can neyther be altered nor forgotten The plenteous writing is shewed in that the booke was written within and on the backe side on both sides of the leafe And he speaketh after the olde māner of writing in somewhat lōge parchments which afterward were wounde about some rounde smooth peece of wood frō whence they were called volumes Christ is sayd to have unrolled the booke and rolled it up againe as in Luke chapter 4 verse 17. And the outside that I may use the wordes of the most learned Theod. Beza alway remayned cleane unlesse the inside was not able to containe the whole writing for then they wrote on the outward part which sorte of writinges were called exteriour writings as being written on the backe side This so great prolixitie therefore did containe not onely the chiefe points which peradventure might be included in some narrow place but also every most small thinges so that neither is there any neede to seeke and fetch ought from any other place which perteineth to the knowledge of future thinges and that wee knowe also that nothing can be done without the will of God The Complutent edition and some others read without but on the backe side is more often used from whence is written on the backe side as wee have shewed a little before Finally howe pretious are these Mysteryes which God hath with himselfe sealed up with so many seales The creatures could not so much as to looke on the BOOKE as is in the fourth verse much lesse was there neede of seales for to hidde
elect shall he not also obtayne all things for us that may avayle any way for our good The seaven hornes is that supreame power wherby the man Christ sitting at the right hande of the Father ruleth and governeth all things according to that which Christ being raysed froÌ„ the dead sayd to his disciples all power is given mee in heaven and in earth Mat. 28.18 Therefore that most meeke Lambe wanteth not those weapons wherby he chaseth away his enemyes althoug by his great patience he seemeth not to regarde the iniuries which they doe And thou mayest observe that it is not needfull that the parables and similitudes should agree in all thinges seeing here to the Lambe contrary to nature are attributed seaven hornes and as many eyes that is gifts of the Spirit wherewith Christ endueth the faithfull They are sent from him seeing noe man can be partaker even of the least gift unlesse he bestowe it on them For God heareth not sinners but from his fulnes wee all receive and he being gone to his Father sendeth the Conforter unto his which leadeth them into all trueth as in the Gospell of Iohn chapter sixteene ver seaventh and thirteene A visible token whereof were once the cloven tongues like fire sitting upon the Apostles and that miraculous gift of speaking suddenly with other tongues Act. 2.3 c. With which faculty not onely the Apostles were endued but afterward also others embracing the faith Neither are they onely sente into all the world that they may conferre the comfortable knowledge of salvation to the Elect But that CHRIST may search out all thinges that are done in his Church yea which are done in any other place of the world Wherefore howe great impudency is it to thrust upon the Church a visible head seeing the LAMBE is furnished with so many eyes neither hath them idle and unoccupied but sendeth them forth with all diligence into the whole world The care of Christ taketh not indede away the Ministers eyther Ecclesiasticall or Politicall which he hath ordained But to faine and invent a newe kinde and degree and that under a pretence that CHRIST is absent is proper onely to that man who is directly opposite to Christ As touching the wordes some Copies reade as is noted in the Greeke Bibles lately set forth at Frankeford which are that the relative may be referred as well to the hornes as to the eyes After which manner also Aretas readeth this verse And the Hornes may be sayd to be sent into the whole world when CHRIST putteth forth his power in succouring his owne servantes and destroying his enemyes But it agreeth more properly to the eyes which when wee turne toward any thinge wee are sayd to cast them upon the same 7 He came and tooke the booke out of the right hand of him that sat on the throne There is a double consideration of Christ one so farre as of the eternall God sitting togither in the Throne with the Father chap. 4. ver 3. The other so farre as he is of the Mediatour attending on the throne and prepared and ready to performe those things which make for the salvatioÌ„ of his people There is the like regard of the Spirit who as he is the Eternall God partaker of the Throne compassing the same about as in the fourth chap. and third verse But according as he sanctifyeth the Church with created giftes there are seaven Spirits before the Throne seaven burning Lampes seaven Hornes and seaven eyes 8 Having every one Harpes and vials A reioicing and thankesgiving of the Church for this greate benefite of taking and unsealing the Booke Therefore they take unto themselves fit and proper instruments for this purpose Harpes and Vials that is to say Prayses and thankesgiving For Vials full of odours are the harts of the Saints which the Spirit hath filled with a fervent desyre of calling upon GOD the Harpes perteine to gladnes of minde and reioicing in prayers is the very thankesgiving But he alludeth to the manner of the Temple where the LEVITES praysed GOD with Musicall Instruments and the PRIESTES had their Pottes and Bowles set before the Altar full of odours as wee reade in the Prophete Zachary chap. 14. ver 20. ¶ Which are the prayers of the Saints He speaketh not of the offerring of prayers for the dead which are made of them that are alive on the earth but as I have shewed in the former chapter all that which is attributed to the Beasts Elders declareth what exercises the Saints goe about with all diligence in the militant Church So also after in verse 10. And wee shall raigne say the Elders upon the earth not preaching doubtlesse the Kingdome of the soules departed but of the holy men on earth The heartes of these as golden vials doe breath out and yeeld up prayses and thankes for those greate benefites which are obtained for us by Christ If the Elders ofâ—er onely the prayers of other men as the Iesuite interpreteth they should be dumbe in the common ioy of all things Nay rather the benefite is theirs for they themselves shall raigne say they therefore they offer not other meÌ„s but their owne prayers 9 And they sung a newe sunge It is called a newe songe in respect of more plentifull grace ministred nowe since Christ hath ben exhibited then was in olde time under the shadowes of the Lawe The auncient people did not prayse the man Christ so openly and clearly before he had taken unto him our flesh as at this day the faithfull doe prayse him clothed with oâ—r nature from whence not without cause this more manifest praysing is called a newe sung But he alludeth unto the manner of the Lawe where newe greater benefites are celebrated in newe formes of prayses conceaved of purpose whereupon there is so often mention of a newe songe in the booke of Psalmes ¶ And hast redeemed us Therefore the Beasts and Elders are men redeemed by the blood of Christ neither in deede some twelve chiefe men of the Iewes and as many Christian twelve Apostles with the foure Evangelists For this whole company was not chosen out of every Tribe and tongue and people and nation but out of the nation of the Iewes onely but of all the faithfull in every place all which this holy company and bande mustered indifferently from all places of the world doe worthyly note out as wee have observed upon the fourth verse of the 4. chapter And it is sayd significantly out of every Tribe c. not all Tribes c. because all men are not redeemed by the blood of Christ but onely the elect as Aretas hath well observed 10 And hast made us to our God Kinges Some copies doe reade them so this whole verse in the third person but Aretas and the common Latine translation doe reade in the first person wee have expounded these thinges before But why doe they mention this benefite in the cause of taking the
were 12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixt seale and loe there was made a great earthquake the Sunne became blake as sack cloth of haire the moone was like blood 13 And the starres of heaven fell to the earth as a figge tree casteth her greene figges whē it is shaken of a mighty winde 14. And heaven departed away as a scroule when it is rolled every mountayne Yle were moved out of their place 15 And the Kings of the earth the Peeres the rich men the Tribunes the mighty men every bondman every free man hid themselves in dennes among the rockes of the mountaines 16 And sayd to the mountaines and rockes fall upon us and hide us from the presense of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe 17. For the great day of his wrath is come and who cā stande The Analysis SVCH is the Excellency of this Revelation The Events doe follow which first are the Seales secondly the Trumpets lastly the Vials For all the rest of the Prophecy is distinguished into three notable periode◠which containe the chiefe alterations to come in the world even unto the coming of Christ every one of which againe is divided into seaven points so as from the last of the former aryseth alway the whole sequent period As touching the Scales there is in every one a certen preparation afterward the type of the future thinges And the preparation is partly common wherby the Lambe openeth each one in order partly proper to the foure first which besides have an inviting by one of the foure Beastes to come and see There be sixe types of this chapter for so many seales are opened a white horse ver 2. a read ver 4. a blacke ver 5. a pale ver 8. The cry of the soules ver 9.10.11 and great earthquake to the ende of the chapter Analysis After J beheld when the Lambe had opened the first of the seales Nowe the Spirit entreth into the events which will instruct us touching all the changings succeeding by course in the world as farre as is expedient for the Church and which are of any moment unto the last end of all thinges A great matter and chiefly necessary to be knowne but such as into which noe understanding of mortall man can penetrate Therefore whom in the beginning I have prayed unto him doe I call upon againe having gone forward in some part by his alone grace that he will graunte mee happily to make an ende of the thinges that remayne who hath graunted mee so to beginne as I am persuaded is agreeing with his trueth Thou therfore most holy and most wise Lambe who alone hast deserved to take unscale the booke and not to that ende that thou shouldest have these secretes for thy selfe alone but that thou shouldest communicate them with thy Church as farre as shal be for her profit graunt I pray thee unto mee thy most unworthy servant according to thy bounteousnesse that perceaving cleerely what hidden and secrete things these seales conteine I may reveale the same holily unto the world to the edification of thy Church the ruine of Antichrist and the glory of thine owne name to be published unto all ages Amen In that wee have distinguished the Events into three rankes wee have the Spirit himselfe for our authour ioyning the trumpets to the seales the vials to the trumpets in such sorte as that alwayes the first thing of that which followeth doe aryse out of the last of that which wente before Therefore they bring in darkenes upon themselves who doe thrust togither into one the seales the trumpets the vials and also the seaven Candlestickes so as each one of every order should be ioyned one to another in equall degree as if the Father the Sonnes should be equall should runne togither the same terme of yeeres Furthermore seeing the seales ar as it were promises of future thinges the trūpets adversities approaching with great noise the vials things that are powred upon men by little and little and come upon them unwarres as wee shall after see overwhelme them it seemeth not to be convenient to cōfounde these contrary things togither so that the thinge should be promised and accomplished all at once and that the same thing should be done openly and secretly at the same moment of time but let us come to the wordes ¶ When he had opened saith he one Seale that is to say the first as Theod. Beza translateth it for after followeth the second third c. And so the Hebrewes every where use to speake But before I proceede to the thinges that are behinde that cold comment of the Jesuite is to be removed who thinketh that the opening of the booke is something diverse from opening of the seales as though nothing in the booke could be read and shewed unto us before that all the seales should be opened Which opinion verily faineth unto us I knowe not what booke of which wee have received never a word written neither doe wee understand from thence ought touching thinges to come For the Revelation hath nothing more besides the opened seales For out of them the trumpets come forth and againe out of them the vials as wee have advertised in the resolution so as all the rest of the Prophecy is limited with those thinges that are conteined in the seales as wee shall proove by manifest argumēts in their places If therfore after all the seales opened he hath found out some booke to be read it is Apocryphe that is a hid booke the originall and authority whereof is not known which peradventure may lie hid in the coffer of the breast of their Pope but which to reade and knowe the Church hath nothing to doe Furthermore it is needfull for the clearer understanding of the periodes first the termes of time wherein thinges are finished and every severall article of them to set downe some entrāce from whēce wee must begin which surely wee iudge to be by and by after this writing of John For that saying of the fourth chapter ver 1. I will shew thee the things that must be done hereafter calleth backe Iohn both to that moment of the Revelation given also teacheth to count from thence all thinges which are delivered in the booke following Therefore there is noe neede to have recourse unto the first ages of the world nor unto the Monarchies nor unto the times of Christ or the Evangelists or in any such thinge of the age past but John writing this Revelation by the commaundement of God about the ende of the Empire of Domitian as Ireneus sheweth in his 5 booke against heresies Eusebius out of Ireneus in the 3 booke of his Ecclesiasticall History chap. 18. At the ende of the raigne of Domitian about the ninety seaventh yeere from the birth of Christ wee thinke the beginning of the Seales to wit of
the first period is to be set at that time from whence wee shall see every ech thing which followeth to flowe with a ready course stopped and stayed with noe uneven places The event in the unfolding will shewe what is the limite of every Periode These things being thus established let us returne unto the declaration of the wordes afterward wee shall see the thing it selfe and coherence thereof The first preparation is of the Lambe opening the first seale For he is the word of the Father who doth minister unto us whatsoever understanding wee have of Gods will And the events are called Seales both because they containe a mystery most hidden from the understanding of the prophane multitude Isay 8.16 and also because these first experimeÌ„ts should be pledges of future thinges Not that wee should undersâ—aÌ„d these to be bare forshewings of things and empty promises who doe onely denounce the troubles in word the execution whereof is coÌ„manded in some other place in this booke for that is no where to be founde but that they are signes of that kinde which bring togither with them their eâ—ecution and doe give a firme pledge of future things He openeth the sealeâ— in order one after another and not all togither with one labour both because the manner of the thinges to be donâ— did so require that also the whole Prophecy was not to be uttered at once but to be drawen 〈◊〉 peece-meale as it wâ—re for abâ—â—â—ty of a dâ—yly pâ—ttance The second pâ—â—pâ—â—tion is of one of the foure Beastâ— calling Iohn to come and see And this one Beast is the first to wit a Lion Chap. 4. â— But the â—â—â—stâ— are Goâ—â—â—â—â— of the Churches as hath ben observed in the foresaid plâ—ce â—hoâ—e laboâ—â— Gâ—d useth to instruct others These call men to see and obsâ—â—â—e â—ot onâ—ly bâ—caâ—se it is their office to forewarne the Chuâ—ch of thâ—â—â— that â—re to â—oâ—e to passe whether good or bad but especially â—ee◠〈…〉 thingeâ— next to come should be notable through their faithfulnes diâ—â—â—â—nce in this â—â—â—ter But the Lion speaketh first because they wâ—ich firâ—t â—hâ—â— begâ—â—ne the coÌ„bate should have like courage successe noâ— lesse prâ—vâ—iliâ—g in thâ—â— tâ—ey goe about then Lions making their pray The voice is â—n it 〈…〉 â—â—der penetring very farre that it might be heard of many Câ—â—â— saith he see speaking to Iohn representing nowe the person of the faithfull who likewise should be stirred up by the voice of the ministers to observe thâ—se wonderfull events which thing also is common to the three sâ—â—es following that being once spoken here it may be understood in the rest 2 J behelde therefore and loe a white horse The first type is a white horse and the sitter on him with a bowe and a crowne As touching the horse he is a warlike and swift beast to which worthily God compareth his actions both here in other places because with great courage swiftnes they will breake through whatsoever men shall make against Zach. 6. The white colour is ioifull proper to some famous solemnity as in the triumphe of Diocletian and Maximian After saith Pomponius Letus the chariot of the triumphers of golde and pretious stones which foure horses drewe comparable in whitnesse with the snowe But a rider is attributed to this and the rest that wee may knowe that they wander not up and downe rashly at their pleasure but are ruled and governed by the raines of Gods Providence And it may easily be gessed what manner of sitter it is from the analogie of the 8. verse For there he is noted by name that sitteth on the pale horse whose name seeing it is death his name may be life or trueth that hath so noble and pleasant a forme But whereas he is furnished with a bowe and crowne and went forth conquering that he might overcome by the same thinges is signifyed that an assault farre of shal be made and that a notable victory shall ensue thereof which should not vanish away with the present successe but should even also flourish with future happines For a bowe is a weapon of that kinde as with which the enemyes are hiâ—te both farre and neare But the Crowne is a token of victory so as both in the horse sitter on him all things are ioyous prosperous So is the interpretation of the wordes wherwith the History doth agree so wonderfully that noe picture doth more lively represente his paterne then the type of this seale the condition of those times Wee know that while Traiane was Emperour after Iohn was gone from Paâ—mos to Ephâ—sus that is by and by after the Revelation was written a most lamentable persecution waxed very hotte and fierce which raging even unto the fourteenth yeere at length by the letters of Pliny second Proconsull of Bâ—thyâ—ia it was some â—hat quenched and mitigated Neverthelâ—ssâ— the first Beasâ— had not yet spoken For Pliny was a heathen man and noe member of the Châ—rch much lesse the chiefe ruler Neither sâ—â—â—d the trouble wholy through his admonition onely this was obtayned that the Christians should not be searched for unto punishement but onely should be punished wheÌ„ they were brought unto the Governours accused Eus Feel Hist book â— 33. Wherfore the fight yet coÌ„tinued TraiaÌ„ being dead a fewe yeares after it waxed more fierce under AdriaÌ„ who at leÌ„gth going on with rage unto the destructioÌ„ of the name of ChristiaÌ„s the Lion roared out even the first Beast as the thuÌ„der For God raysed up Quadratus the Bishop of Athens also Aâ—stides a Philosopher citizen of the same city who as lioÌ„s stoutly regarding not the daÌ„ger of their life in respect of the good of the Church spake to AdriaÌ„ by Apologies then also in face pleaded the cause of the Christians By which the mindes of the faithfull were raised up with attente of the eveÌ„t not in vaine seeing froÌ„ thence followed a great change forthwith For the white horse his sitter with a bowe crown weÌ„t forth that is the truth triuÌ„phed ioyfully wheÌ„ the Emperour being overcome by the oration of those godly men did ordaine that noe Christian should be condemned unlesse he were convicted of some crime punisheable by the Civile lawes This was a manifest victory of the trueth and a greate token of future hapines Euseb Hist booke 4 ch 3. But her power was more excelleÌ„t under the next Emperour Antonin Pius about the beginning of whose Empire the Christians being againe miserably oppressed from the former hatred at length Iustin Martyr Leo administring the word of God in the habite of a Philosopher as sayeth Euseb booke 4.11 wrote Apologies for the Christians unto Antonin to his sonnes and to the Senate of Rome wherby he effected God working togither with him that it was enacted by publike decree that noe man should trouble Christians in that respeâ—t because they were Christians but if any would proceede to molest them the acâ—usâ—d
of the cruell enemyes wherewith the sixt chapter was concluded For the common type of which sorte was the whole seaventh chapter doth not interrupt the order of things And indeede such quiet dayes followed by and by after those trumpets For Maxentius being overcome at Rome by Constantine and Maxentius in the East by Licinius howe glad a day appeared to the Church through the whole world Howe great delectation howe great ioy howe great triumphe was ther of all degrees How pleasant was it that the prisons were opened that men were called backe from the mines that their feete were loosed from boundes that their neckes were delivered from the axe Neither onely to have these thinges but also an Emperour of which never any man before did so much as dreame who endevoured exceedingly to adorne by all meanes that he could every one of the meanest that was named a Christian Eusebius triumphed not without cause singing with the wordes of the Psalmist Goe to see yee the workes of Iehova how he maketh desolatioÌ„s in the earth causing warres to cease unto the ende of the earth howe he breaketh the bow and cutteth in peeces the speare he burneth the chariots with fire booke 10. 1. Nowe both the Augustes as well Licinius as Constantinus with one minde did procure diligently not onely the peace of the Church but also the ornaments of peace as it is apparaÌ„t from the Decrees published in the name of them both Euseb booke 10. chap. 5. c. But this was a short peace and in very deede but of halfe an houre continuance For first the Augustes themselves were at concorde scarse one three yeeres space afterward when they were reconciled Licinius assaileth openly the Christians and attempteth a generall slaughter There came more over civill warre which waxed fierce among the rulers of the Church the Bishops themselves who being voide of all feare of the coÌ„mon enemy did fall one upon an other with the weapons of wordes as if they had ben weary of peace even assoone as they had tasted the sweetnes of it with the top of their lippes See Aurelius Victor of Cesar part 2. Euseb booke 10. 8. 9. and upon the life of Constantine booke 1. to the ende beginning of the second Furthermore those thinges which wee have noted before at the first verse of the seaventh chapter 2 And I saw those seaven Angels Such hath ben the Silence from which at length proceedeth the second periode distinguished from the former because the entrance into this began not but at the ende of the seales For shall the TruÌ„pets be aunswerable to the Seales which are brought to their last ende before the Trumpets be prepared to sound More over take away the TRVMPETS from this seaven Seale that which wee leave unto it beside and above the Silence of halfe an houre is a certen small thing and more slender and baren then beseemeth the dignity of it I see that such an opinion hath pleased some learned and Godly men but he that shall marke and observe the thing diligently shall perceave that the same is quite coÌ„trary to the methode of the REVELATION The Heralds of this Periode are the seaven Angels Trumpeters The words themselves doe not shewe playnely whether these Angels were good or noe They are sayd to stande before GOD but this is a doubtfull kinde of speaking in so much as it may be attributed as to the evill so to the good Angels and therefore it is sayd that SATAN presented himselfe togither with the Sonnes of GOD before the Lord as wee reade in the Booke of Iob first chap. ver 6. But the proportion of the BEASTS in the Seales and of the seaven ANGELS Ministers of the Viols every one of which was clothed with Pure Linnen as wee shall see in the fifteenth chapter of this booke and at the sixt verse may cause us to esteeme and iudge these Trumpeters in the same number of Holy ones especially seeing that the article those seaven ANGELS hath also the force of nothing some that were knowne of which wee had none before unlesse the finger be pointed unto those seaven SPIRITS of God sent forth into all the world of which wee have seen in the fift Chapter and at the sixt verse Wee sayd that the foure ANGELS of the seaventh Chapter are the foure first Trmmpets but wee meane not the TRVMPETERS themselves but the events which followed when they blew those their Trumpets But the parts of this Periode are distinguished by Trumpets because these events should be more notable more famous and manifest to all men and as it were sung with the publike and lowde voice of a Trumpet In receaving of which there is a certen preparation before they beginne the worke it selfe because by and by after the silence made there should be given some token of the troubles to come before the rage should waxe hotte and be kindled To which is to be referred that Schime betweene Cecilianus and Donatus of Afrike of which wee made mention before the Apostasy of Licinius and his wicked entreprise against the Church The Contention in the East touching the Lords Supper or Passeover But especially the infection of the Arian Heresy the which assoone as it sprung up began to spred quickly farre and neare and to kindle so great close and secrete hatreds that neither the scorning of the enemyes on the theatres nor the most earnest desire of the EMPEROVR himselfe testifyed both by his letters and teares and also by the Embassage of Holsius Cordubensis a most famous old man could not avayle any thing at all to quench the flame for this see the second book of Eusebius upon the lyfe of Constantine in his letters to ALEXANDER and Arius All these thinges as Trumpets were given in the sight of all men as bâ—ing indeede sorrowfull presagies of the future blowing of the Trumpets 3 Then an other Angell came Hitherto the preparation of the seaven ANGELS Nowe followeth what manner of entrance was made to the events following in one ANGEL Whom wee may not suppose to be any Spirituall substance such as are the ANGELS properly so called that is to say GABRIEL or any of that sorte as the Iesuite would have it but a Man according as this Booke of the Revelation is wont to speak in the which there is nothing more common and ordinary then to give attribute the name of an Angel unto Men. Furthermore this heaven is the Holy Church on earth the Altar the more inward holy place of the same the Ministery of the High Priest which the Angels properly so called doe never execute but the trueth of which belongeth onely to Christ the type unto men onely who have a nature fit for sacrifice about which thing the office of the Priest is chiefly occupied of which nature seeing the Angels are voide neither can they represente the Priest Neither any where in the scriptures are these dutyes attributed to them Furthermore the ministery
they should be vexed To wit the men that were without the marke There is a defect of the relative they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifieth to be tryed here it is used for to be afflicted tormented or any way to be vexed as every where in the holy Scriptures elsewhere Montanus and Plantines edition reade that they should vexe which they seeme rather to take that the sentence might be lesse harsh but Aretas and the Common translatiō have it in the passive as also Theod. Beza Neither is it in vaine that there is made so sudden a passing frō the verbe active to the passive but to shewe that this sorrowfull time is not to be measured by the furie of them that tyrannize but by the calamity of the sufferers which thing bringeth great light to understand the continuance of the torment of which in the next wordes which follow ¶ Five monthes Primasius readeth sixe monethes but the Greeke copies with one consent and the Common translation have five This place is indeede very darke and such as hath alwayes much troubled the Interprepreters For howe may so small a space agree to the Kingdomes either of the Sarracenes or of the Papists Let every day be counted for so many yeeres that five monethes should be at least as much as an hundred and fifty yeeres after the manner of the Scriptures in other places as in Ezechiel fourty dayes every day for a yeere I give thee and according to the continuall custome of this booke as hereafter wee will shewe God willing yet neverthelesse what is this so small and short a distance of time to these so longe continuing tyrannies Wherfore Bullinger and some others of our countrymen doe thinke that this number is assigned as it were of the hotter monethes in which especially the Locusts are wonte to be in chiefe strēgth for all the graunted space of tyrannizing how great soever it shall be The which opinion seemeth to mee like to be true unlesse that the very great care of the accounte which is used in other places required here also some certen and limited thing The Iesuites being like unto the Cuttell doe purposely as I thinke powre out here their darkenes to the ende that all thinges being confounded and disordered they may lurke the more safely they will have so many common monethes to be signified as though that woe had ben in vaine which the Angell flying through the middes of Heaven had sung before the three last trumpets Did he not foreshewe by the same that the plagues to come should be more grievous then those which were past What greater thing shall this trumpet have then the former if the Locusts in whō lieth the whole force of it neither are endued with power to kill and also that the power which they have is of so short time It was a great destruction which the former trumpets brought in and full of terrour neither passing over in a moment yea not in a fewe yeeres as wee have shewed but if this calamity be so shortened neither shall it compare with the former evils in grievousnes of torment and also in respect of the shortnesse of the paine it would be found much easier But I will not stād long in refuting the toies of the Iesuites It is most iust that they who will coyne figures at their pleasure where they are not should not see the same where they are in very deede having as it were their eyes blinded The thing peradventure may be somewhat more apparant if wee observe certaine positions the first of which is this whole Kingdomes and their Kinges are not spoken of here but onelie the Locusts and their exceeding great power which wee see to rise up by certen degrees First they come forth out of the smoke the smoke out of the pit opened the pit is not opened before the key be given neither is the key given assoone as the starre fell but some long time after From which it is necessary that the Angell be farre more auncient then the infernall generation For who requireth the issue of ones body to be equall to the parent Wherefore that is not to be cast upon the Kingdome it selfe and Kings which is proper to the Locusts Whose age is not to be regarded from hence but onely the sommer time vigour of this overflowing cōpany of vile persons The sommer time I say because neither the first originall of the Locusts nor the last ende seemeth to be limited in this space For they must needes have a beginning to growe before they have a power to hurte But after their power should be diminished they should hurt noe small time through the stinke of their rotten carkeises The seconde the time is not to be counted from the bringers of the paine but from the sufferers Whereunto have refference that verbe passive that they should be vexed of which we spake even nowe For it importeth much from whether of them wee make the accounte if the reckening be from the Locustes themselves they should have power to vexe in noe place of the world but for the space of these five monethes onely but if respect be had to the sufferers the same distance of time shal be given to certaine countries and shal be esteemed according to the diversity of places howsoever the continuing of the Locusts in some place it may be shal be longer Frō which followeth a third position that the five monethes are not once onely to be numbred but so many to be understood figuratively as there are countries which were to undergoe the same calamity for so greate a space of yeeres Which foundations being laid we shall see noe small consent of the History The first troupe of Locustes was of the Saracenes who beginning about the yeere 630. to fly about Mahomet being their captaine in the first five monethes that is the first hundred fifty yeeres afflicted most miserably the whole Arabia Syria Mesopotamia Armenia Persia they tooke likewise Egypt spoiled Afrique and at length entred into Spaine True wilt thou say but they have helde all these places except peradventure Persia Armenia and some parte of Arabia not onely for an hundred and fifty but more or lesse foure hundred yeeres I deny not but in the meane time it is to be considered howe long they were trou belsome to men of the Christian name in those places It is certaine that there were congregations of Christians in great number when first the Saracenes invaded and that they were not utterly rooted out by and by but after a long continuing misery at lēgth they were wholy destroyed by death by slaughter by falling away to that impiety waxing strong which became every day more confirmed by an accesse of newe strength By which things it came to passe that the countries which before time perteined to the worshippers of Christ in the space of those five monethes became all to the infidels either noe Christians at all or
out as much as thou wilt that these speaches ar blasphemous and after thy manner accuse the holy trueth of God of ungodlines But it is not to be expected that wordes should teach thee whom stripes can not teach Yet neverthelesse though thou shalt receive noe profit here of all the godly shall detest thee who by these abominations bringest a most cruell fiend upon the Christian world Art thou not ashamed to exhorte the Christian Princes unto warres against the Turke whom thou makest invincible by thy Idols To pretende a minde to fight against a cruell enemy but to minister privily unto him that aide wherby all our forces ar made a pray unto him Yf thou desirest from thy heart that this spoiler of the world should be repressed or rather extinguished cast away thy dung hill Gods forsake thy sacrilegious Primacy amende the rest of thy corruption according to the rule of true godlinesse then shalt thou see this mortall and cruell mōster covered indeede with all villanies to fall of his owne accord which could not stand surely one moment unlesse he were holden up by these thy sinnes But neither wilt thou be admonished neither can he be overcome before thou beest overcome as after shal be manifest 21 Neither repented they An other kinde of sinnes which are foure murders sorceries formcation thefts of which he that knoweth not Rome to be the shoppe he seeth but a little in the cleere sunne shine at noonetide CHAP. 10. THEN I sawe an other Angell comming downe from heaven clothed with a cloude the rainebowe upon his head his face was as the Sunne his feete as pillars of fire 2 And he had in his hande a little booke opened and he put his right foote upon the Sea and his left on the earth 3 And cried with a loude voice as a Lion roareth and when he had cryed sevē thunders uttered their voices 4 And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices I was about to write but I heard a voice from heaven saying unto mee seale up those thinges which the sevē thunders have spoken and write them not 5 And the Angell which J saw stande upon the sea and upon the earth lift up his hand to heaven 6 And sware by him that liveth for evermore which created heaven things that are therein the earth and the things that are therein the sea and the things hat are therein that time shal be noe more 7 But in the dayes of the voice of the seventh Angell when he shall beginne to blowe the trumpet even the mysterie of God shal be finished as he hath declared to his servants the Prophets 8 And the voice which J heard from heaven spake unto mee againe and said goe and take the little booke which is open in the hande of the Angell standing upon the sea and upon the earth 9 So J went unto the Angell saying unto him give mee the little booke and he said unto mee take it and eate it up and it shall make thy belly bitter but it shal be in thy mouth as sweete as honie 10 Then J tooke the little booke out of the Angels hande and ate it up and it was in my mouth as sweete as honie but when I had eaten it my belly was bitter 11 Then he said unto mee thou must prophecy againe among the people and nations and tongues and to many Kinges Analysis SVCH then is the first part of the sixt trumpet to wit the evill the comfort followeth consisting partly in the authority of the revealer partly in the thinges revealed His authority appeareth from the power of a certen Angell coming downe from heaven notable by his clothing ornament of his head shining of his face bright burning of his feete ver 1. Likewise knowledge which the booke open in his hande sheweth and his presence everie where declared by so great a pulling asunder of his feete ver 2. The thinges revealed are either to be Sealed up or to be communicated Those have their principall cause the voice of the Angell their instrumentall cause Seaven thunders ver 3. Likewise their consequent which conteineth both the endevour of Iohn in writing also the prohibition that he should not write ver 4. The things to be commumicated are either touching the finishing of the mystery of God in the times of the seventh trumpet confirmed by an othe ver 5.6.7 or of the gift of prophecy restored againe to the Church the preparation whereunto is set downe in the rest of the chapter Prophecy it selfe followeth in the eleventh chapter The Preparation is occupied either about the Signe or about the Interpretation that before the booke received hath a commaundement to take it in the eight verse and the obedience of Iohn in the ningth verse After the same delivered both a commaundement to eate it up and also an instruction touching the diverse tast of it in the ningth verse and the triall made by Iohn in the tenth verse Last of all is added the Interpretation in the eleventh verse Scholions Then I sawe an other Angell Wee referre these thinges in the Analysis 〈◊〉 the confort of the sixt trumpet which is fitly added For who would not almost faint through wearinesse of so long continuing trouble hearing noe other thing in the Church for a long rowe of yeeres then violent stormes of haile burning mountaines falling starres the Sunne darkened troupes of Locusts serpents with a head at both endes casting out flames of fire wherby an infinite number of men should burne miserably Nowe therefore to them that have ben as it were a long time and much tossed on the maine sea is the land pointed at and the haven shewed in which at length there might be rest from these troubles neither this onely but also in the meane time a prosperous winde is breathed forth which may cause a readier sayling For which purpose a most mighty Angell came downe from heaven divers frō those who blewe the trumpets or of whom mention was made long agoe elsewhere For they were servants this is the very Lord Christ as whose clothing countenance voice whole decking is more imperiall then can befall to any creature Neither doth so strange a forme and unlike to the true nature of man hinder considering that it hath ben manifest from the first chapter that he taketh upō him that outward shew especially which may serve most to the declaring and confirming of the things propounded Therefore as touching the description of him he is called strong because he hath strength sufficiēt to deliver the Church from those adversities wherwith it shal be oppressed He cometh downe from Heaven because nowe at length after a long distance of time he would visit his Church from which he seemed to have ben absent now a long time And about the blowing of the sixt Trumpet when the foure Angels were loosed in the yeere 1300 as was sayd before Christ began to give a more
plentifull leave to enioy his presence then in the times going next before Yet howsoever he came downe from heaven he was clothed with a cloude not knowne indeede plainly to the world but covered yet with so great darkenesse that he was to be seene as it were through a lattice He carrieth the rainebowe on his head a notable messenger of the olde covenant and of faire weather both that wee may understand him to be faithfull and constant in his promises and also that the former stormes shal be driven away dayly more and more by little and little untill at length a cleare sky shall returne on every side His face shineth like the Sunne Christ indeede being most glorious at least in that parte in which he is knowne and perceived of men but his feete doe yet burne with fire because his lowest members on the earth must burne yet with a great heate of affliction Although there should be noe danger of perishing in this fire for the feete are pillars yea and that also of Brasse chap. 1 15. For these thinges belong to the same time see chap. 2.18 So therefore Christ carrieth in his owne person an image of the present Church under the sixt Trumpet Which began to encrease againe about the yeere 1300 yet covered with much darkenesse which notwithstanding gave hope of a more perfit restoring in due time in the meane while revealed the most sweete face of Christ which the world had not seene a long time although the faithfull in the meane season were troden downe with manie calamityes 2 And he had in his hande a little booke open To whom fitteth better an open booke then to him who hath opened the seales of it chap 5.5 Because therefore Christ commeth forth with an open booke it is taught that nowe againe after longe ignorance leave shal be given to men to knowe the trueth as wee knowe it came to passe about that time For at once the Turkes began to wax strong in the East and most learned men to arise in the West who maintained the trueth boldly But it is onely a little booke which he hath in his hande to wit a small booke either because the ende nowe approching there should not remaine so many alterations but that they might be contained in a little booke as after in the sixt verse delay shal be no more or rather because the knowledg of men in this time should be slender and small whereunto perteineth the clothing with a clowde as wee have shewed at the former verse ¶ And he put his right foote upon the Sea This grosse Sea of the inferiour world is the doctrine of the corrupt Church as chap. 8.8 No lesse also perteining to them whose is the administration of this doctrine The Earth conteineth the rest of the common people who in name are Christians But the feete are the members of Christ to wit his faithfull servants by whom as it were by feete he walketh on earth Of these the right foote is the stroÌ„ger by which being set upon the Sea it is declared that Christ nowe at length will chuse out some from that vile sorte of Ecclesiasticall men for to be his feete and faithfull members Also the left foote placed on the earth sheweth that he will take out likewise some from the lay people who although they could not compare with the Ecclesiasticall those right feete in excellency of giftes yet they should be made his true members enioy the same honour with them Such right feete were Iohannes de Poliaco Martinus Patavinus Iohannes de Ganduno Michael Cicerius Michael de Coriaria Guilielmus Ockam Gerardus Ridder Iohannes Rochetalada Armachanus an Jrish Bishop Ioannes Wtcklefus and others Christ drew them out of the salt sea of the Popish doctrine whom hee tooke out from the company of Ecclesiasticall men and brought them to sweeter and wholsomer waters of the trueth Out of the lay people he had for his left feet Ludovicus Bavarus the Emperaur Marsilius Patavinus Dantem Aligherium and many others who defended to their power the trueth seene and acknowledged 3 And he cryed with a loude voice as as Lion roareth Hitherto hath ben the description of the Angel nowe the chiefe cause of the things that were to be sealed up is set forth to wit the crying out of an Angell like a bellowing Lion for so the Greeke word signifyeth properly that which belongeth to Oxen and the like beasts Lions are properly said to roare albeit some times it is attributed to Asses and Camels as Hesichius sheweth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to make a roâ—ring like unto Asses Camels and oxen But the Angell belloweth bccause he must speake softly and dared not to lift up his voice for there is ioined togither with it he cryed with a loude voice but that he might shewe that the meekenes and patience of the oxen is nowe to be mixed with the courage of the Lion And so indeede Christ as it were revived againe then in his members cryed out strongly which crying out neverthelesse carried a shewe of the bellowing oxen onely neither yet made any man greatly afraid Those first springing up Christian Worthies strove by lamentings and complaining speaches yet neverthelesse they bare a grievous yoke of bondage which they could not shake of whatsoever strugling they made against it ¶ The seven thunders uttered their voice Which as an Echo answered this lowing And these seven thunders are I suppose those Angels of which afterward in chap. 14.6 c. Surely the time agreeth fitly as wee will shew at the place then also their office may worthily be likened to thunder which sounded againe when this roaring was uttered For taking their beginning from thence they made a noise with so great roaring that such as despised the lowing of the Angell should at length begin to tremble for feare of this thunder But it is an excellent thing that the thunders speake not but at the crying out of the Angell even as also the Echo hath noe voice of it selfe but onely yeeldeth againe the voice which it hath received so those restorers of the truâ—th howsoever the world condemned them of novelties brought notwithstanding nothing but that which themselves had learned of God 4 And when the seven thunders c. Such were the causes now is shewed the care of Iohn whom when the seven thunders were heard being about to write a voice from heaven prohibiteth biddeth to seale them up These misteries were to be kept secret as before the booke could not be read as long as it was sealed chap. 5. For these times knewe not what those thunders did speake neither did they marke whereunto at length they would come ¶ And write them not So Aretas the Common translation and other Greeke Copies as though these wordes should declare what that Seale should be to wit not to put in writing but to have it secret for himselfe alone But is any thing revealed privately to Iohn which
may say if they come forth out of the Temple it may seem the Church is yet in secret by which argument we have serched out the time of the former Prophesie chap. 14.15 They in the former chapter came out of the Temple being shutt these out of it being opened The Church alwayes dwelleth in the TeÌ„ple for what other fitt hospitage can she have But this Temple is not alwayes after one manner Some while it is shutt in the time of mourning solitarines which was the condition thereof when those reapers grape-gatherers came out of it Some while it is open manifest when the day shineth more cheerful and pleasant and in this estate it was when after the victory over the Beast the seven Angels came out of the same 6 Clothetd with pure and bright linnen These Angels have a more ioyful attyre then had the two witnesses which were clad with sackcloth chap. 11.3 for this time carieth an other hiew Yet these garments are common to all the elect though they be fitter for some times then for othersome For they are the garments of Aarons sonnes Exod. 28.42 And all the elect are made Preists Al the faithfull now doo dwel in the Temple wherinto of olde none might come but the Levites By this attyre therfore is signifyed the cleannes of the Angels through the imputation of Christs righteousnes alone And least any should despise this imputation as a base thing and not fit for any to stand in Gods sight arayed with it as the blasphemous Papists at this day persuade their people therfore he sayth these garments are both pure bright wherein the maiesty of God neyther sees any spott nor any thing that may hinder the highest perfection of glory ¶ And girded about the brests with golden girdles These garments are to be tyed about every one in particular by faith as with a golden girdle the girding is about the brests because this apprehension and application is nothing at all unlesse it have place in the hart So Christ himselfe was girded before chap. 1.13 not for that he needed so to be but onely for to teach us and to represent the Church of that time which was in that part very comely 7 And one of the 4. Beasts It doth not appear which of them by name it was especially seing one of the Beasts may be eyther of order or of distribution of order as when it signifieth the first at chap. 6.1 J heard one of the four Beasts that is the first to weet the Lion Of distribution when in usual manner of speech it may perteyn alike to any of the fowr But it skilleth not which of theÌ„ it be That agreeth unto all which beloÌ„gs to every one al whose vertues being ioyned togither doo give us a pattern what manner of man every faithful minister ought to be as is observed on chap. 4.7 Here the intendement is that we may know how these seven Angels doo draw out of the precepts and institutions of some holy Minister of the Ghospel that which they after doo turn and apply unto the bane of the enemies of the Church Not that this some Minister is to be understood of any singular man but of many that agree in one faith and doctrine as Philip Melanchton Martin Bucer Peter Martyr Henry Bullinger Iohn Calvin and the other servants of God which flourished about that time Out of whose godly and learned writings so many have drawen very excelleÌ„t and golden understanding of holy things that they have been made fitt therby to combat with Antichrist and to finish the remaynders of that warr which the others had so happily begun ¶ Gave to the seven Angels seven golden vials 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a vial sayth Atheneus is so caled by changing of a letter as it were Piálee that is conteyning in it to piem hâ—lis ynough to drink for it is bigger then a cup. book Dipnosophist 11 Yea he makes it a wide and ample vessel like a cauldron which importeth very great wrath to be appointed for the last times These vessels perhaps are used here in such respect as God of old opening the fâ—oud-gates of heaven destroyed al the earth with the floud or as when he consumed Sodom and Gomorrhe with a shore of brimston from heaven For then he seemes to powr out on the heads of men destruction as out of vials Most fitt weapons for the power of God which needeth no forces for to overthrow the enemies but can take them al away even with a small aspersioÌ„ And now behold how fit instruments are attributed to every sort of events In the first place were Seals because the first events were confirmations and pledges of those that were to come Then came Trumpets signifying evils â—ssayling men with great noyse and denouncing also some heavier thing to be expected yf they did not repent Now last are made ready the vials large vessels to conteyn Gods judgment and mâ—st fit to accomplish the perdition of reprobates Neither is ther any noyse in the powring out as was in the sounding of the trompets For Gods judgements to come doo make afrayd for they ar threatned that they may be avoided but when they are present they fal on men privily are not perceived What are these vials then and of what sort First they are the holy minds of the seven Angels intelligent capable of the will of God out of which this baleful liquour is powred upoÌ„ the reprobates Secondly the Beast giveth them by instructing and informing the same minds with holy institutioÌ„s Thirdly they are ful of the wrath of God not wherwith God is angry against them but by which he executeth iudgment upon the wicked Finally they are golden that thou the judgments be most severe yet are they most just pure and precious But mark how dreadfull is this wrath which is of God that liveth for evermore which words are added that we may know the wrath shal be eternal For the wrath is such as is his power whose wrath is kindled 8 And the Temple was filled with smoke Hitherto hath been the preparation of the Angels that which foloweth upon it in respect of this renewed Church is a manifest signe of Gods presence such as was of olde in the Tabernacle Exod. 40.34.35 But thou wilt say the time of the Gospel requireth some more evident token In deed so God deal more opeÌ„ly with us by many degrees then he did under the law but whatsoever caÌ„ be bestowed on us whiles we are on earth though illustrated with the light of the Gospel is but smoke and obscurity in respect of that revelatioÌ„ which at last we shal have in heaven But here he teacheth that Gods preseÌ„ce is clear in the Church though the enemies count it but as smoke and can see no more into it then mâ—n when duskish smoke dooth take away their sight And who but the blind perceiveth not God present in our Churches
death 15 And who soever was not sound written in the booke of life was cast into the lake of fire The Analysis VVEE have spoken of the destruction of the Beast the destructiō of the Dragon followeth whose history seing it is the conclusion of the whole warrfare of the Church under the crosse first he repeateth briefly the things before spoken secondly by a new Prophecy he declareth the last ruine of him The repetition is framed according to three times the first in which the Divell was taken in the first verse The secōd how long he was bound in the second verse the third when and how lōg he should be loosed in the end of the third verse And all these thinges briefly which after are repeated more largely by mentioning therewithall the state of the Church of what sorte it was in the meane time through every of those periods In the first wherin the Dragon was taken the saints were beheaded at the beginning of the fourth verse In the second wherin the Divill or Dragon was bound there was an unlike conditiō of men for the saincts raigned a thousand yeeres which was the time of the prisōment of the Divill both in respect of the soules slaine in the former period and also in respect of them that were on earth who strove with the Beast neither did submit under his yoke by any meanes in the same verse The other lived not againe all that time but being deceived by the frauds and impostures of the Beast lay as it were dead and buried in their errors in the fift verse The third period which is of the Divill being loosed relateth both the condition of the elect and also the furie of the Dragon raging againe Those thousande yeeres being expired the elect lived not a few as in the second period but they rose againe in a farre greater multitude the errours of the Beast being left and themselves converted unto true godlines Which resurrection is called the first and blessed because of the Priestly and Kingly dignity long continuing of the raigne with Christ in the sixt verse The furie of the Dragon after a thousand yeeres prisonment shal be revived in the seventh verse He shall muster souldiers known by name Gog and Magog infinite in multitude in the eight ver He shall spoile all farr and neare and shal besiege the tents of the saincts in the beginning of the ninth verse and so farr proceedeth the repetition of the former ages That which dooth follow from thence is to come his attempt against the beloved City and utter overthrow both of the army in the ende of the ninth verse and also of himselfe in the tenth verse And thus farre is the destruction of the enemies afterward the happines of the Saints is handled wherby the Church shall shine having escaped all these calamities Which felicity is declared two wayes both by the gathering togither of the saincts in the rest of this chapter and condition of them being gathered in those that followe The gathering hath a preparation and execution The preparation is of the Iudge fitting upō a great throne in the eleventh verse The execution is partly summarily toward them that are to be iudged where the forme of iudgement is out of certē bookes according to the workes verse twelve and the māner of standind before the iudgement seate the resurrection in the thirteenth verse partly by name upon death and hell and those that were not founde in the booke of life in the fourteenth and fifteenth verse Scholions 1 After J saw an Angel come down How great paines the interpreters have taken in this chapter we may see it by their commentaries Especially the Papists torment themselves very much to whom this is a labyrinth out of which they cannot rid themselves no more then of all the other things in this booke in which they wander hither and thither and erre neither can finde any comming out any where as it must needs be where the truth is not for a guide The former exposition the rehearsall of a great part of which is here made will make I hope all things easy ready to us First then in repeating things past to the end that the thinges spoken of before here and there touching the Dragon being now proposed to be seen all at once may the better be understood he speaketh of his apprehension which briefly sheweth by consequent that he was loosed before in that time made those sturres which he is wonte when he hath the raines loose From which it may be gathered easily what was the cōdition of the primitive Church as long as this disturber might confoūde all things at his pleasure But at length his furie was bridled his power weakened by the Angel a description of whom is here made Who this Angel is we have learned from the former things to weet that it is Constantine the Great who being borne the manchilde of the Church making warre for his mothers sake against the Tyrants the Heathen Emperours the Dragon it selfe He is said to come downe from heaven bringing unexpected aide in chap. 12.6.7 c. So the Angel being to fight against the whore and to assaile her unwares was said to come down frō heaven in the eighteenth chapter and first verse He hath the keye of the bottomlesse pit power to open the same and shut up the Dragon but not to cast forth the hellish smoke in which respect onely the key was givē to the Angel of the bottomlesse pit chap. 9.1 There is therfore a great difference between these two keyes The great chaine are the foundations of the Christian liberty layd by him by which he held the Dragon bound as with chaines by a long succession of time that he could not move himselfe to make any trouble For now the way was stopped up against those Heathen to the chiefe soveraignty or if they attained to it by fraud as Iulian yet they were so bound tyed with this chaine that they could not exercise their former cruelty 2 Who took the Dragon Overcame him by open warr chap. 6.15 12.7 For whē those tyrāts were overcome the strēgth of the Dragō was takē away neither could he entreprise any such thing as he exercised before The Heathen Emperours are noted by the names of the very Divell as also in chap. 12.9 the articles being also added for the preheminence of the wickednesse because they may by right be esteemed by his name of whose poyson malitiousnes and wickednes they have bin the ministers Worthily doth a man beare his name whose manners and disposition he taketh upon him This apprehension signifyeth that whole first period frō the time of Iohn and before even unto Constantine the last part of it being put for the whole For saying that now the Dragō was takē he would have it to be understood that before he ran to and fro devising as much evill as he could as we learned in the