giue all glory to him alone and not to any creatures And the reason is yeelded because the houre of his iudgement is come that is the time of the manifestation of the Gospel or lawes of the most high God for so the word iudgement is often taken in the scriptures Here we are to obserue one speciall thing to wit that the Gospel which this Angel flyeth withal containeth the briefe summe of al the doctrine which Luther Caluin Peter Martyr and the rest haue taught out of Gods word agreeth in al points with it For what other thing did they al preach teach and write but that men should turne from idols to the liuing God from fearing glorifying worshipping creatures to feare worship and glorifie God alone which hath made al things What other thing doo all the Preachers of this age publish proclaime in al their sermons but this Feare God and giue glory onely to him Is not this the Epirome and short summe of the doctrine of all the Preachers of England Scotland Germany Fraunce Denmarke and all the rest and therefore I conclude that this Angel must needes be vnderstood of the preachers of this last age which now these fourescore yeares haue founded the Trumpet of the Gospell against all the inuentions of Popery And blessed bee God wee see these thinges fall out in our daies and are eye-witnesses of the fulfilling of them And there followed another Angell saying It is fallen it is fallen Babylon that great City for she gaue to all nations to drinke the wine of the wrath of her fornication Here is set downe the blessed effect of the preaching of this euerlasting Gospel which is the downefall of Babylon For as when the cleere sunne ariseth vppon the earth the thick mists and cloudes are dispersed euen so when the bright beames of the Gospel do shine forth vnto the world Babylon that darke kingdome vanisheth away incontinently And as it is writtē in the eighteenth Chapter chapter 18.1.2 So soone as the earth was lightened with the glory of this euerlasting Gospell Babylon immediately falleth Therefore now before I goe any further my purpose through the assistance of God is to prooue these fiue points out of this verse and that which follweth vnto the twentith Chapter to wit First that Babylon here signifieth Rome Secondly that Rome shal fall and how Thirdly that Rome shal fal finally and come to vtter desolation in this life Fourthly by whom and when it shall be ouerthrowne Lastly the causes of the vtter ruine and ouerthrow thereof But before I go about to prooue that Babylon here is Rome I would haue it carefully obserued what is meant by Rome viz. not the topographie of Rome that is so much groūd only as is compassed within the wals of that City but the regimēt gouerment prerogatiue that is claimed by vertue of that monarchie whereof Rome is the head By Rome is meant the power and authority of Rome or to speake plainelie by Rome is meant the Romane monarchy Further we are here to obserue the reason why the Holy-Ghost calleth Rome Babylon for Rome litterally properly taken is not Babylon in as much as they were two diuers Cities one in Italy the other in Chaldaea But Rome is called Babylon mystically figuratiuely as the Holy-ghost speaketh spiritually and by a kind of allusion For as the old Easterne Babylon did a long time oppresse the church of the Iewes so Rome this Westerne Babylō hath long oppressed the church of the Christians As the Easterne Babylon did many yeeres hold downe the people of God in miserable bondage and seruitude so the Westerne Babylon did a long time keepe the Christian Church in spiritual thraldome and misery In which respectes Rome is spiritually compared to Sodome and Egypt chapter 11.8 To Sodome for filthinesse and to Egypt for idolatry and keeping Gods Church in spirituall bondage and slauery And thus we see the reason why Rome is called Babylon which is not simply and properly but after a sort that is by a phrase of speech or trope which they call a Metonymie or changing of names when that is giuē to one thing which is proper to another for the likenesse of quality that it hath with it or adioined vnto it Now hauing shewed the reason why Rome is called Babylon and what is meant by Rome we are to proceed to the first point which is to prooue that Babylon in this place signifieth Rome which although it bee granted of all sound diuines and auouched in the writings of the best learned both new and olde so as it shal need no great proofe yet I wil ad three or foure reasons out of this booke to make it more plaine and apparant First therefore I doe thus reason out of the seuenteenth Chapter and laste verse chapter 17.18 Babylon is that great City which reigneth ouer the Kinges of the earth but there was no other City which did reigne ouer the Kings of the earth when Iohn writte this book but only Rome Therefore Rome is Babylon For as for Ierusalem it was at that time made an heap of stones The first proposition is auouched by the Angel of God expounding vnto Iohn what is meant by the great whoore chapter 17.1 whose damnation he had shewed him before and by the woman which sate vppon a scarlet coloured beast The woman which thou sawest saith the Angel to Saint Iohn is the great City which raigneth ouer the Kinges of the earth That is to say Rome or the Romish synagogue and malignant Church For the Angel could not speake more plainely except he should haue named Rome then to say thus The woman the great whoore of Babylon is the great City which raigneth ouer the Kings of the earth For if one should say the great City of Englād euery man knoweth that thereby is meant London if one should say the great City of France euery one knoweth that thereby is meant Paris so when the Angell sayth the great city which raigneth ouer the Kings of the earth all that liued in those times knew that therby was meant Rome For Rome was the chiefe City of the monarchie and is put in this booke for the whole monarchie and the religion thereof as hath beene sayd before My second reason is this chapter 17 verse 5. Babylon is the mother of whoredomes and abominations of the earth Babylon is that great whoore with whom haue cōmitted fornication the Kings of the earth chapter 17. verse 2. the inhabitants of the earth made drunke with the wind of her fornication But Rome none but Rome is such a one Therfore Rome is Babylon My third argument is this Babylon is that City which hath had seuen seuerall gouerments But only Rome hath had seuen seueral kind of gouermēts therfore Rome is Babylon The proposition is prooued from the words of the Angel expounding vnto Iohn what is meant by the seuen heads of the scarlet
againe and the Papists looke for a day It stands vs then all vpon which loue Christ and his Gospell that wee should be well appointed and throughly armed against them And for this purpose the Reuelation of S. Iohn is of great vse necessitie As I said before so I say againe that it is the Prophesie of our time written to this speciall ende that by it wee might bee both fore-warned and fore-armed If wee doo consider the whole matter of this booke wee shall easily finde out the vse and end of it For the excellent matter of it doth argue the excellent ende and vse of it Now then as concerning the generall matter of this booke here are to bee founde very large and liuely descriptions of the most glorious person of Christ chapter 1 and all his excellent offices both of King Priest and Prophet and also most notable descriptions of the Church and of the Ministers of it and of the persecutions and afflictions which it must of necessitie passe through in this world Also of Gods mercifull prouidence for his Church and most vigilant care ouer it in the middest of all extremities Here are set before our eyes very liuely descriptions of the Churches deadly enemies both of Sathan himselfe and his three great instruments the Romaine Emperour the Pope and the Turke Here are set downe all their cruell persecutions of the Church and their vtter ouerthrowe in the ende Here are described hell death the resurrection and the last iudgement Here also the very kingdome of heauen is at large described with all those great rewards infinite glory and endlesse felicitie which remaine for all the faithfull worshippers of God I conclude therefore that for as much as this Prophesie is of such excellent contents therefore the vse and necessitie of it must needes bee verie great And for this cause Iohn is willed and commaunded by Alpha and Omega chapter 1.19 to write the things which hee had seene the things that were and the things that shall come hereafter By the things which he had seene is meant that glorious vision mentioned in the first Chapter vers 13 14 15 16. wherein Iesus Christ did appeare vnto him in the middest of the seuen golden Candlestickes in most glorious manner as is there described And all this was in the I le of Pathmos where Iohn was first called and authorised to this worke and therfore he is willed first of all to record this vision which hee had alreadie seene By the things that are hee meaneth the present state of the seuen Churches of Asia which were then the most flourishing Churches in the world as they are described in the second and third Chapters and in them the estate of all other Churches By the things that shal be he meaneth all the prophesies of this booke which were to bee fulfilled in their time al those strange accidents which should come to passe in processe of time and the seuerall ages of the Church euen vnto the end of the world Thus we see how Iohn receiueth a precise commandement from the sonne of God to write things past present to come that they might stand in record vnto all posterities from generation to generation Thus much touching the fift circumstance which is the ende and vse of this booke Now followeth to speake of the last circumstantiall point which is the authoritie of this Prophesie which is strongly confirmed from the Author of it which is Iesus Christ and therefore it is called the Reuelation of Iesus Christ which God gaue vnto him chapter 1.1 And againe it is written I Iesus sent mine Angell to testifie these things in the Churches chapter 22 16. Here wee see plainely that Iesus Christ the very sonne of God the Alpha and Omega is the Author of this booke for hee subscribes his name vnto it and sets his hand and seale vnto it Needes therefore must the authoritie of it bee very great which commeth from so great a personage for looke what dignitie and authoritie he is of from whom the booke commeth of the same dignitie authoritie is the booke it selfe An other strong argument to confirme the authoritie of this booke may be taken from the protestation of Iesus Christ in these words I protest vnto euery man that heareth the words of the Prophesie of this booke chapter 22 18. if any man shall adde vnto these things God shall adde vnto him the plagues that are written in this booke And if any shall diminish of the words of the booke of this Prophesie God shall take away his part out of the booke of life Here wee see how Iesus Christ maketh the authoritie of this booke equall to all other the Oracles of God to the which it is not lawfull for any man to adde or detract vnder paine of condemnatiō It maketh much also for the authoritie of this booke that S. Iohn doth so often repeate reiterate and inculcate his owne name I Iohn I Iohn I Iohn I Iohn the Apostle I Iohn the Euangelist I Iohn the Diuine Shewing by all these repetitions how needfull a thing it was that the faithfull should bee throughly instructed who he was euen one of the Lambes twelue Apostles and therefore to be voide of all suspition and doubt concerning the authoritie of this booke and not once to imagine it to bee any inuention of man or faigned deuice sith it was penned by so great an Apostle Moreouer the authoritie of this Prophesie is confirmed by foure reasons in the last chapter The first is the affirmatiō of the Angell who saith chapter 22.6 7 8. These words are faithfull true The second is the authoritie of the most high God himselfe in these wordes vers 6 The Lorde God of the holy Prophets sent his Angell to shewe vnto his seruants the things which must shortly bee fulfilled The third is the testimonie of Iesus who pronounceth them blessed which keepe the words of this Prophesie For saith he Behold I come shortly vers 7 Blessed is hee that keepeth the words of his Prophesie The fourth and last is the witnesse of Iohn in these words I am Iohn which heard and sawe these things vers 8 Now it may bee demaunded what is the cause that here are so many things heaped vp for the confirmation of the authoritie of this booke Surely wee must thinke there is some speciall cause and reason of it For the holy Ghost dooth not vse to deale so much and so earnestly in a matter but vpon great cause We may easily gather what the cause is This booke painteth out the whore of Babylon and the whole kingdome of the great Antichrist together with all Sathans cunning and sleight therein and for this cause Sathan hath laboured especially to weaken the credit and authoritie of this booke Hee by some meanes in olde time preuailed thus farre that euen among some Churches of true Christians the authoritie and truth of it was doubted
THE RVINE OF ROME OR AN EXPOSITION vpon the whole Reuelation Wherein is plainly shewed and proued that the Popish Religion together with all the power and authoritie of Rome shall ebbe and decay still more and more throughout all the Churches of Europe and come to an vtter ouerthrow euen in this life before the end of the world Written especially for the comfort of Protestants and the daunting of Papists Seminary Priests Iesuites and all that cursed rabble Published by Arthur Dent Preacher of the word of God at South-Shoobery in Essex Apoc. 18. vers 7.8 She saith in her heart I sit as a Queene and am no widow and shall see no mourning Therefore shall her plagues come at one day death and sorrow and famine and shee shall be burned with fire for that God which condemneth her is a strong Lord. LONDON THE EPISTLE TO THE Christian Reader BEing often requested gentle Reader and much importuned by sundry both learned and godly to publish that doctrine of the Apocalyps which diuers of them with liuely voyce heard publikely deliuered I did at last vpon my most mature deliberation yeeld vnto their reasonable request I meane the reasons of their request Indeed I doe ingeniously confesse that I am the vnmeetest of many which this age God be thanked doth afford to deale in a matter of so great importance or any wise to be imployed in so great and honourable a seruice as this is But if I doe industriously vse my small talent and be found faithfull in a little I hope it shall haue both chearefull and comfortable acceptation with the Church of God For this I presume will bee granted of all that hee which hath but a little strength and yet putteth it forth to the vttermost to doe good withall is more to be commended then he which hath thrise his strength and vseth it not to the helpe and benefit of others And true it is indeed that sundry worthy labours of diuers excellent men vpon the Apocalyps are already extant so as he may seeme to powre water into the Sea or goe about to mend the crowes eyes that will attempt to adde any thing to that which is already published But know this O Christian Reader that the Lords garden is so large and plentifull of all most sweete and pleasant flowers that where any one hath gathered a Nosegay most fragrant and delectable another may come after and gather another not to be contemned For the wisedome of God is such an vndrainable fountaine and head-spring that where one hath drawne much before another may come happely and draw as much afterward yea though thousands doe succeede yet can this fountaine neuer be drawne drie Be it farre from me to arrogate any thing to my selfe aboue others for I am priuy inough to mine owne meanes and do freely confesse that in this worke I haue receiued much light from others and therefore do not as a iudge giue sentence vpon other mens workes but as one that would furnish the same feast bring in my dish among them Or as one that in the same cause would come in as a third or a fourth witnesse to testifie and confirme the same thing And verily through the gracious assistance of Gods spirit my simple purpose and indeuor is to giue a lift to the vttermost of my power to further that which is already happily begun and to prouoke others of greater gifts to come after with their great lights and Lanternes in their hands to discry and discouer whatsoeuer in this Prophesie is not yet fully seene into I am not ignorant that some would not haue this booke medled withall nor in any wise to be expounded among the common people because say they it is so darke and hard to vnderstand But let all such leaue their owne opinions and hearken what the holy Ghost saith Blessed is he that readeth and they that heare the words of this Prophecy c. What can be said more or more effectually to stirre vs vp to heare and reade and with all gladnesse to embrace this booke then to tell vs that in so doing we shall be blessed For the thinges contained in this booke be no trifles they be not things onely for a shew to mooue wonderment or to delight the curious minds of men but such as indeed do giue true blessednesse vnto all those that are well instructed in them What thing is greater then to bee blessed for euermore If we be not exceeding dull yea euen like stockes and stones it must needs moue vs stir vs vp For who will wittingly willingly loose his own blessednes or suffer it to be taken from him when as he may haue it If any will obiect that a man may be blessed well inough without the knowledge of this booke and that there bee bookes inough in the Scripture to procure our blessednesse without this and that thousands are now in heauen which neuer knew what this booke meant I answere that all this doth not take away the necessary vse of this booke for the holy Ghost doth pronounce a blessing vpon the heads of those that reade and studie this booke not because a man cannot be saued without it but because of the great comfort which it ministreth vnto vs of this age and hath ministred vnto all the Churches since the Apostles times For it is the Prophesie of this age and the Prophesie of all the ages since Christ wherein is fully shewed what shall be the estate and conditiō of the Church in the seuerall ages thereof vnto the ende of the worlde For God according to his admirable wisdome mercy hath neuer from the beginning left his church without a Prophesie for the great comfort thereof For we know that immediately after the fall of our first parents God himselfe for the great comfort of his Church did foretell and foreprophesie long before of that restauration which should be made by the Messias his sonne according as it came to passe in the fulnesse of time Afterward he did foretell his people of Israel of their great seruitude and intollerable bondage in Egypt and also of the ende and full determination thereof after foure hundred and thirtie yeares After all this he foretold by his seruants the Prophets of the captiuitie in Babylon and the full expiration thereof at the end and tearme of seuentie yeares And yet further for the comfort and consolation of his people he foretold by Daniel and Ezechiel of the great afflictions troubles which his Church should endure by the persecutions of the diuided Greeke Empire I meane Alexanders posteritie especially the Kings of Egypt and Siria which descended of Ptolomeus and Seleucus whom the scripture calleth the Kings of the North and of the South by the space of 294 yeares and of the precise determination thereof at the comming of the Messias Loe then what care God hath had of his Church in all ages before the comming
of his sonne in the flesh so to foretell both of the affliction it selfe and also of the iust period and determination thereof And shall we not thinke that God hath the like care now for his church which then he had or hath he not as great and as prouident care for the good of his Church since the promised Messias was actually exhibited as before Yes assuredly and much more too for if his care and prouidence was so great for his Church being in her ward-ship and minoritie then much more now being come to her ripenesse and full age If when it was lesse glorious then much more now being farre more glorious Therefore now vnto vs he foretelleth by his seruant Iohn what shall be the estate of the Church vnto the end of the world and therefore Blessed is hee that heareth and readeth this booke sith it foretelleth of the Churches afflictions in this age by the whoore of Babylon and of the full end and determination thereof It sheweth iustly and precisely what the Church hath suffered since the Apostles times in seueral ages and what it shall suffer and also how all the enemies thereof shall shortly be troden vnder foote What can be more ioyfull or comfortable to all the people of God then to know afore-hand that Babylon shall fall Rome shall downe Antichrist the great persecutor of the Church shal be vtterly confounded and consumed in this world notwithstanding all plottes and policies crafts and deuises to the contrary notwithstanding all forces armies cunningly contriued and raised vp against the Church by Seminary Priests Iesuites Pope Cardinall and King of Spaine For all these in this age do very busily bestirre them and ransacke all corners of their wits to repaire the ruines of Rome and to make vp the breaches which are made in the walles of Babylon their great citie But alas all in vaine for it shall fall It shal fall It shal fall as Dagon before the presence of the Arke do what they can spight of their hearts maugre their beards it shall fall finally it shall without all hope of recouery for hath the Lord spoken it and shall it not come to passe or can any word of his euer fall to the ground Sith therefore the Iesuits and Secular Priests do so fiske about and croake in euery corner as greatly fearing the fall of their Babylon and the drying vp of their Euphrates it standes vs all in hand to be as resolute for Christ as they are for Antichrist and as studious to vphold the kingdome of God as they are to vphold the kingdome of the diuel And for this purpose it is very requisite and necessary that all the Lords people should be acquainted with this booke and armed against them with the things reueald in this Prophesie For this booke is a most precious Iewell which God hath bestowed vpon his Church in this last age and it is great pitie that all the seruants of God are not better acquainted with it especially in these times for now in this age is and shall be the very heate of the warre and brunt of the battell betwixt Papists and Protestants betwixt God and Belial betwixt the armies of Christ and the armies of Antichrist Now this Prophesie laieth all open and plainly telleth vs what shal be the issue and successe in the day of battaile which side shall haue the victory and which side shall goe downe And therefore very needfull it is that it should be expounded againe and againe and all the Lords people made throughly aaquainted with it For in this age wherein we liue this Prophesie can neuer be inough opened and beaten vpon that all good Protestants may bee armed with it against future times euen as it were with an armour of proofe S. Iohn plainly telleth the people of his time euen the Churches of Asia that they should be blessed by reading and studying this booke because they should thereby be both forewarned and forearmed against many eminent troubles and future dangers For saith he The time is at hand that is to say some things were euen then to be fulfilled For some matters foretold in this booke did begin to be fulfilled euen presently after they were shewed vnto Iohn for the mistery of iniquitie did euen then begin to worke The Church in the Apostles time had her conflicts The ten great persecutions began euen then to be raised vp Heresies shortly after beganne to spring and sprout Afterward by degrees the great Antichrist did approach towards his cursed seate And after all this S. Iohn foretelleth how hee should take possession of his abhominable and most execrable seate and sea of Rome How he should raigne and rule for a time as the Monarche of the world How he should preuaile against the Church and make warre against the Saintes How he should raigne but a short time and afterward come tumbling downe as fast as euer he rose vp and decrease as fast as euer he increased Therefore Blessed is he saith S. Iohn that diligently readeth and peruseth this booke that thereby hee may foresee all these thinges and bee armed against them For as the Heathen man saith Leuius laedit quicquid praeuideris antè Foreseeing daungers do least hurt Now to apply all this to our times I say they are twise happie that are studious and painfull in searching out the true sense and meaning of this Prophesie that thereby they may be strengthned against all the assaults of the Papists our professed enemies and the enemies of Gods Church and stick fast to the euerlasting truth of God knowing for a certaintie that these sonnes of Belial shall not long preuaile The date of their raigne is almost out and the time draweth on apace wherein both they and their king Abaddon shal be laide in the dust But I will now proceed to a new reasō to proue that this booke of the Reuelations ought not to be concealed but openly preached and published to the whole Church of God in this age My reason is taken out of the 22. chapter of this booke ver 10. in these words Seale not the words of the Prophesie of this booke for the time is at hand Here is a flat commandement from God that this booke and the doctrine of it may not be sealed vp that is to say kept close from the knowledge of Gods people but it must lie alwaies vnsealed that all men may open it read it and see what is in it for it is a borrowed speech taken from sealing of Letters For we all knowe that when Letters are sealed none may open them or reade them but onely those whom it doth concerne but if they be of purpose left vnsealed then any man may reade them without daunger So the Lorde willeth and commaundeth that this booke of the Reuelations should of purpose be left vnsealed that all the people of God might reade it studie it and knowe it If any man doubt whether the Metaphor
of Sealing be thus taken in the scripture let him reade the places quoted in the margent and in all these places hee shall finde it taken in this sense Whereby it doth euidently appeare that the minde and meaning of God is that this booke should be proclaimed and published in all the Churches And vpon this grounde I holde that euery Minister of the Gospell standeth bounde as much as in him lyeth to Preach the doctrine of the Apocalyps to his particular charge and congregation for euery Minister of the Gospell must shewe vnto his people all the counsell of God and keepe backe nothing as Paul testifieth that hee did to the great comfort of his conscience But the doctrine of the Reuelations is a part and parcell of the counsell and will of God therefore it must not be concealed or kept backe from the knowledge of the people of God And in these dayes I thinke it not only meete and conuenient that it should be so but in truth absolutely necessary But now me thinketh I heare some man say what must this book of the Apocalyps be preached made knowne to the commō people alas what should they do with it It is not for them to meddle withall It is not for their diet I answere and yet not I but the holy Ghost that this booke must be made knowne to all the seruāts of God For Saint Iohn calleth it the Reuelation of Iesus Christ which God gaue him to shew vnto all his seruants It is plaine therefore that al the seruantes of God both men and women yong and old rich and poore must be made acquainted with this booke Moreouer Iohn is commaunded by the God of heauen to set downe all the visions which the Angell shewed him and to write them all in a booke and send them to the seuen Churches of Asia that is to people of all sortes and conditions And therefore this booke doth not only concerne preachers and deep diuines but euen all the Lords people whatsoeuer for it doth minister great comfort and strength of faith to all the people of God that liue in this age But here the Papists obiect that this booke is full of darkenesse and obscuritie and therefore not for the common people to meddle withall nay say they there are as many misteries as words in it and therefore what should men trouble their heads about it But no maruell though the Papists say so much for it is the wound of their kingdom and the battery of their Babylon As for others both learned and godly which in this point are almost of the same mind that they will not meddle with this booke of the Reuelations I cannot but maruell at it The modesty and humility of some very rare and reuerend men for learning great variety of gifts which notwithstanding scotch much at this book is greatly to be commended But if I were worthy to giue them aduice I would wish them in this behalfe to change their minde and to be of another resolution for I dare auouch it that there is nothing in this Prophesie which study and diligence with prayer and humility may not ouercome True it is indeed that the shell is thicke and hard to breake but being broken the kernell is most sweet and pleasant If any be discouraged with the darkenesse obscurity of it let him hearken to these reasons following First it is called a Reuelation which is as much to say as an vncouering of things which did lie hid if it be an vncouering and reuealing of things then no doubt it may be knowne and seene into For reuealed thinges are for vs and our children If it be a Reuelation how say some that it cannot be vnderstood For it is contrary to the nature of a Reuelation to be so darke that none can vnderstand it But shall we say that the holy Ghost which is the spirit of truth hath giuen a wrong name vnto it God forbid For if it hide matters or so set them forth that it cannot be vnderstood then it is not rightly called a Reuelation If this booke be so mysticall that it cannot be vnderstood If the interpretation of it be vncertaine If the common people cannot be taught to vnderstand it how then should the holy Ghost say Blessed is he that readeth the words of this Prophesie c. Let any man iudge that hath common sense Can any man be blessed by hearing and reading those things which he vnderstandeth not I trow no. Then it followeth that this booke may be vnderstood and no doubt is vnderstood of many and might bee better vnderstood of many moe if they would bend their wittes and studies vnto it The holy Ghost as I said before willeth and commaundeth that the words of this Prophesie should not be sealed vp Whereby it is euident that he would haue them read and made knowne to all Then I reason thus That which is open and vnsealed may be read and knowne But this booke is open and vnsealed Therefore it may be read and knowne If men say the matters of this Prophesie are sealed and hid and God say they be vnsealed and open whether shall we beleeue men or God If any shall reply say we feele finde by experience that the words of this booke are hard to be vnderstood I answere that the fault is in our selues because we are so negligent in the search and study thereof For if we did with that humilitie and reuerend care that ought to be in vs search after the things reuealed in this booke we should finde that they be not sealed vp but lie open to bee read and knowne True it is indeed that if any man light vpon some peece and take it by it selfe he shall finde it very darke But if he looke vpon the whole course of matters throughout the booke and marke and obserue diligently how things be iterated hee shall finde no such darknesse as he feareth for there is a notable coherence of matters and course of times obserued in this booke euen from the first chapter vnto the last as God willing shall more fully plainly appeare in the particular opening and interpretation thereof One great obiection against this Prophesie is that the Fathers confesse it is full of mysteries and that they could not vnderstand it If they could not vnderstand it say some how how shall we vnderstand it Is it not great arrogancy for vs to say wee vnderstand it better then they did I answer no. For a man of meane learning in comparison may now in these daies more easily vnderstand expound this booke then the learnedest Doctors and Fathers in auncient time The reason is this we liue in an age wherein the most of the things prophesied in this booke are fulfilled Now the fulfilling of a prophesie is the best exposition of it But as for the Fathers they liued in a time wherein many of these things were not come
to passe nor fulfilled and therfore more hard for them to interprete and vnderstand for those things in this Prophesie which are not yet fulfilled are hardest for vs of this age to vnderstand and resolue of But when a Prophesie is fulfilled it is an easie matter to say this was the meaning of the Prophet Some things in this booke were fulfilled before the daies of the Fathers and some thinges in the daies wherein they liued and both those they did clearely vnderstand Some things were fulfilled after their daies as the rising and raigning of the great Antichrist which they did not so clearly see into Hereupon it commeth to passe that many things which vnto them were very obscure are vnto vs most cleare manifest as being already fulfilled insomuch that all which are not wilfully blinded may see and vnderstand them yea the most vnlearned Be not therefore discouraged gentle Reader at the darknesse difficultie of this booke Doe not preiudicially resolue and set downe with thy selfe that the naturall sense of this booke cannot be giuē nor the true meaning found out but that we must be faine when we haue done all that we can to rest in vncertaine coniectures some following one sense and some an other as seemeth most like and probable But no man can say confidently and precisely this is the meaning of the holy Ghost Oh be not of that minde good Christian brother for if we haue not an vndoubted certainty for the sense meaning of this Prophesie we are neuer the nearer and that is it which the Papists would driue vs vnto But know for a certainty that the naturall sense of this booke is to be found out as well as of other bookes of the Scripture And that we might not be left to our selues in the darke and to our vncertaine coniectures and doubtfull interpretations Behold the mercifull goodnesse of God to his Church who himselfe doth expound the darkest and most misticall things in this Prophesie or at least so many of them and so far as the rest are thereby laid open and made manifest The Lord himselfe expoundeth some things in the first Chapter which giue cleare light to the first vision The Angell expoundeth diuers other things In the 17. Chapter which is the key of this prophesie the Angel doth of purpose open and interpret all the greatest doubts of this booke as who is the Whore of Babylon who is the beast what be his seuen heads what be his 10. hornes what be the waters which the woman that is the Whore of Rome sitteth vpon Moreouer for the better vnderstanding of this Prophesie we must note that the writings of Moyses and the Prophets vnto which there bee sundry allusions and from the which sundry things are drawne do cleare diuers things in this Reuelation The knowledge of antiquities ministreth much aide to the vnderstanding of this Prophesie The knowledge of the histories of the Church and the particular state thereof in diuers ages bringeth great light The obseruation of the phrases and maner of speech vsed by the old Prophets doth helpe also not a little The serious and deepe weighing of all the circumstances of the text conferring one thing with another the cōsequents with the antecedents the antecedents with the consequēts furthereth greatly for the bolting out of the true natural sense And furthermore as the spirit of God is the author of this prophesie so the same spirit is the best interpreter of it doth opē and reueale it to all such as vsing al other good meanes are earnest and humble suters vnto God for the illumination thereof whereby they may vnderstand both this and all other the mysteries of his will which the Apostle saith God hath reuealed vnto vs by his spirit For the spirit searcheth all things yea the deepe things of God To all this may be added the knowledge of artes tongues and the learned writings and interpretations of sundry excellent men which all do bring great furtherance to the vnderstanding of this Prophesie Sith then there be so many helpes for the opening and expounding of this Reuelation why should any be discouraged from the reading and study thereof But if any man demaund a reason why Saint Iohn writeth this Reuelation in such misticall and allegoricall maner I answere that there may be diuers reasons yeelded hereof First that the world being blinded might fulfill the things herein specified Secondly because Iohn was to publish this Reuelation in such maner and forme as he had receiued it from Iesus Christ which was figuratiue and allegoricall Thirdly because it was much more wisedome to foretel the destructiō of the Romaine Empire which al that time bare the sway almost ouer all the world vnder couert and figuratiue speeches then in plaine tearmes least the Romaine Princes should rage more against the Christians euen in that respect The like also may be said for Daniels darke maner of deliuering his Prophesie For if he had vttered those things in plaine tearmes which he spake darkely and allegorically it might haue cost him his life For the heathen enemies would neuer haue endured to heare that all their Empires glory and renowne should fall one after another and one by another and that the Iewes were the onely holy people whome God did defend and to whome in the ende God would not onely giue a quiet possession of their owne land and kingdome but also a kingdome euerlasting that through their Messias and great deliuerer But to grow to a conclusion gentle Reader thou shalt find in this poore trauell First an exposition of the first 13. Chapters after thou shalt find the next 6. Chapters vnto the twentith reduced all to one head which is to proue the 5. points propounded and last of all the 3. Chapters following briefely and plainely expounded If any through lazinesse will not or through want of leisure cannot read ouer this short trauel yet for his cōfort let him read those things only which are written vpō the 14. Chapter And thus Christian Reader hoping that thou wilt not neglect that which may be for thine owne good I commēd thee to God to the word of his grace which is able to build further and to giue thee an inheritance among all them that are sanctified Thine in the Lord Arthur Dent. Vpon the 14. Chapter of this Booke these fiue points are handled First that Babylon in this Booke of the Reuelation is Rome Secondly that Rome shall fall and how Thirdly that Rome shall fall finally and come to vtter desolation in this life before the last iudgement Fourthly by whom and when it shall be ouerthrowne Fiftly the causes of the vtter ruine and ouerthrow thereof Apoc. 18. vers 4. I heard a voice from heauen say Goe out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sinnes and that ye receiue not of her plagues THE RVINE OF Rome or an Exposition vpon the Reuelation Wherein is plainly
shewed and proued that the Popish Religion together with all the power and authoritie of Rome shall ebbe and decaie still more and more throughout all the Churches of Europe and come to an vtter ouerthrow euen in this life BEfore I enter into the exposition of this Prophesie I thinke it not amisse to handle sixe circumstantiall points which may giue some light to the whole matter following and they be these First the instrument that writ this booke Secondly the time when he writ it Thirdly the place where he receiued it Fourthly the persons to whom he writ it Fiftly the ende and vse of his writing this Prophesie Lastly the authoritie of it As touching the first it is agreed vpon amongst the soundest Diuines that Iohn the Apostle or Euangelist Iohn the Disciple whom Iesus loued was the Authour and Instrument of penning this Prophesie as hee himselfe testifieth saying I am Iohn which sawe these things and heard them And he receiueth a commaundement from Iesus Christ which hath the keies of hell death that hee should write the things which hee had seene and heard and set them all downe together in a booke Now we all know that the testimony of Iohn is of great weight though hee be but a man for hee is such a man as is firmely to be beleeued in all that he speaketh Hee is an Apostle an Instrument of the holy Ghost and so guided by the spirit of God that he speaketh vttereth nothing that is his owne He was well knowne to the Churches to be one of Christs Apostles his authoritie among all the faithfull was throughly knowne and approued For we must consider that what an Apostle did vtter hee did vtter it as the instrumēt of the spirit which cannot erre For the prophets Apostles did not write the holy scriptures as they were men only nor yet as they were Ministers of the church only but as they were the immediate certain instruments of the holy Ghost of purpose chosen set apart to pen publish the holy bookes of God This S. Peter confirmeth saying Prophesie came not in old time by the wil of man but holy mē of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost The Apostle Paul also affirmeth the same touching his Gospell which saith he was not after man neither receiued hee it of man but by the reuelation of Iesus Christ Therefore whē this our Apostle saith I am Iohn which saw these things and heard them hee giueth vs to vnderstand that hee was both an eye and an eare witnesse Hee bringeth not matters which he hath heard by vncertain report he deliuereth this book to the churches they which receiued it at his hāds did know him to be a most faithfull seruant of the Lord euen a great Apostle which deliuereth not any thing but that which he had receiued of the Lord and therfore he testifieth that he saw heard al the things which he hath written in this booke And moreouer he testifieth of himselfe that he was called and authorised by Iesus Christ to write this Prophesie did nothing herein of himselfe or of his own brain For saith he I Iohn heard behind me a great voice as it had bene of a trompet saying I am Alpha Omega the first and the last that which thou seest write in a booke send it vnto the Churches Here we see how Iohn is called authorised by Alpha and Omega that is Iesus Christ to write this doctrine of the Apocalyps But may some man say was not Iohn called before was he not one of the Lambes 12. Apostles had he not now many yeares executed the office of the Apostleship right faithfully must hee now haue a new calling a second calling what needs he being an Apostle to be called authorised again To this I answer that this matter now in hand was a new a special work and therfore requires a new special calling It is a strāge reuelation therfore requireth a new authoritie to meddle in it For in this prophesie God dealeth with Iohn as he did with the old prophets in like cases For whē he wold foreshew vnto any of thē speciall matters he called them by glorious visions as we may read what a goodly visiō Esay had what a vision ful of glory Ezechiel had what a visiō Daniel had euē in maiestie like vnto this which Iohn hath here Thus then it is to be considered Iohn now is as one of the old Prophets to foreshew things to come therefore the Lord appeareth vnto him in vision and calleth him and authoriseth him therevnto as he appeared vnto them called them Let this then suffice for a reason of Iohns new calling to his new worke and office And thus much touching the first circumstance Now followeth the second circumstance which is the time whē Iohn receiued this Prophesie which is noted to be vpon a Lords day It is the day which S. Paul to the Corinthians calleth the first day of the weeke in which the Churches did meete for the holy exercises in religion which is also euident because hee saith they came together to breake bread Now the obseruation of a seuenth day is of diuine institution euen from the beginning It is naturall morall and perpetuall for God blessed the seuenth day and sanctified it We are therfore to thinke that although Iohn now in his exile was absent in bodie from the church assemblies yet he was present with them in spirit commending them most earnestly vnto God in his holy praiers and meditations and therefore it is said that hee was rauished in the spirit vpon the Lords day So we reade that the like befell vnto Daniel when hee was prisoner in Babylon the like also vnto Ezechiel who was taken by the spirit in the visions of God and carried to Ierusalem The like to Peter the like to Paul But the speciall reason of Iohns rauishment in the spirit at this time was that thereby hee might be made more fit and capable to receiue and vnderstand all those great mysteries and heauenly visions which now should be shewed vnto him And withall let vs obserue that all men are alwaies most capable of heauenly things when they are most in the spirit for God doth euermore most reueale himselfe to such as are most in praier reading and meditation and to such as make greatest conscience to spend his Sabaoths Christianly and religiously according to his great commandement And let vs alwaies be sure of this that the more feruent zealous we are in religious duties the more familiar acquaintance we shall finde with God and he will at all times be the more open-hearted vnto vs and will hide nothing from vs that may be for his glorie and our good For such as are much in heauenly contemplatiō he doth reckē not amongst his seruants but amongst his dearest friendes
to whom he will make knowne all things that he hath heard of his Father But now let vs proceed to the third circumstance The third circumstance is the place where Iohn receiued this Prophesie and that is set downe to be the I le of Pathmos which as the Geographers write is a litle desart Iland lying in the Aegean sea wherein it is reported that Iohn the Apostle was banished by the Emperour Domitian about the yeare of our Lorde 96. and there receiued and writ this booke of the Apocalyps where note by the way that there is no place so obscure or vast wherein a godly mind may not aspire vp vnto heauen and receiue a great largesse of supernaturall things for Daniel in prison Peter in a Tanners house Paul in a broken shippe receiued a superabundant measure of grace more to be esteemed then all the golde of India Some write that this I le of Pathmos is accounted amongst the Ilands called Sporades which lye ouer against Asia and the Citie of Ephesus and was in the sight both of Europe and Affrica so that it seemed to bee as it were as middle seate or holy chaire out of the which Christ preached by Iohn from heauen to the whole world And indeed the counsels of God are wonderful and his goodnesse vnspeakeable which reuealeth so great mysteries to his faithful as it were out of the Romish prison and Babylonicall captiuitie Moreouer Iohn declareth the cause of his comming into the same Iland for hee saith he was there for the word of God and the testimonie of Iesus Christ that is for the preaching and constant profession of the Gospell of Christ Histories doo report that Iohn was apprehended in Asia and by souldiers ledde to Rome that hee might pleade his cause before the Emperour Domitian who most sauagely and cruelly condemned the innocent and caused him to bee put into a cauldron of hotte boiling Oyle out of the which when hee by miraculous prouidence escaped without harme hee was carried and conueied into the I le of Pathmos But immediately after Iohns banishment God met well inough with this persecuting Emperour Domitian For in the fifteenth yeare of his raigne hee was most cruelly and shamefully murthered by his owne seruants And thus much for the third circumstance Now it followeth to speake of the fourth circumstance which is the persons to whom this prophesie is written and that is set downe in the first chapter and first verse to bee all the seruants of God As many therefore as be the seruants of God must attend vnto this booke heare it reade it and remember it for to all such it is dedicated by the holy Ghost to all such it belongeth for all such it is written and recorded Some do falsely and foolishly imagine that it was giuen onely to Iohn and that it might likewise bee giuen to some speciall men as to some great schollers or deepe diuines which could tell how to vse it and how to weld it But wee see how grossely they erre for the holy Ghost saith it belongeth to all the seruants of God And moreouer chapter 1.11 Iohn is willed and commaunded to write all the things which hee sawe in sundrie visions in a booke together and to send it to the seuen Churches which are in Asia because the Lorde would haue it remaine in perfect record vnto the vse of the whole Church both that the Church might haue the custodie of this booke and also that it might bee a faithfull witnesse vnto the ende of the world that this booke was written and penned by Iohn the Apostle of whose truth and sinceritie the church had sufficient experience True it is indeede that there are but seuen churches named but vnder these seuen Churches all others are comprehended It had bene an infinite matter to recken vp all the particular Churches which were then in the world and to haue opened their seuerall estates therefore vnder these seuen Churches of Asia and their particular and seuerall estates the state of the vniuersall Church militant is laid open I conclude therfore that the whole doctrine of S. Iohns Reuelation appertaineth to the vniuersall Church of Christ throughout all the world and in all times and ages since it was written and recorded And that as all scripture is written for our instruction and comfort and as all scripture giuen by diuine inspiration is profitable to teach and conuince c so this booke of the Apocalyps is written for the speciall comfort and instruction of the Church in these last daies And so I do conclude this fourth point The fift circumstantiall point is the end and vse of this Prophesie chapter 1.1 which is to publish and blaze abroad the things which must shortly come to passe that is all things prophesied in this booke and to be fulfilled euen to the end of the world And whereas he saith that these things must come to passe hee doth vs to vnderstand how great the stablenesse and assurednesse of Gods determination is For looke what things are foreappointed by Gods determinate purpose they are altogether vnchaungeable for the Lord is God and he is not chaunged And he saith My determination shall stand and all my will shall come to passe And Christ saith Heauen and earth shall passe away but my word shall not passe It is therefore most certaine that euery particular thing contained in this prophesie shall bee fulfilled in Gods appointed time For God hath disclosed these things to his sonne Christ not to the end he should shut them vp againe in himselfe but that he should shewe them forth to the godly that the whole Church might fare the better by them It doth then stand vs all vpon to enquire and search into these things which must so shortly come to passe that thereby wee may bee strengthened and comforted against all future dangers And Christ saith Beholde I come shortly Blessed is hee that keepeth the words of the Prophesie of this booke But how shall we keepe them except wee knowe them and how shall wee know them except wee reade them and studie them If therefore we meane to bee partakers of this blessednesse wee must not onely esteeme this booke to bee very profitable but absolutely necessarie for all the seruants of God to be exercised in And if euer there were any time wherein it behoued to set forth to vrge and to beate in this doctrine to all the people of God then is it chiefly necessarie to bee done in this our time For this age of ours hath in the Popes kingdome many sharpe and quicke wits which commend with maruellous praises both the Pope and the Popish Church and buzze into the eares of the common people and vnlearned sorte many things cleane contrarie to the doctrine of the scriptures The Iesuites Priests are growne exceeding craftie and cunning The Papists are rich wealthy and full of armour and munition Poperie seemeth to make a head
of The holy Ghost did well foresee this practise of Sathan and therefore bringeth the moe reasons for the confirmation therof If the credit and authoritie of this booke should neuer haue bene impugned there needed not any such special confirmatiō But now God be thanked there is no question or controuersie concerning the authoritie of this Prophesie It is receiued as authenticall by the common consent of all the Churches Almost all the auncient Fathers do acknowledge it to bee Canonicall The new writers doo with one voice giue their consent approbation vnto it The Papists themselues do acknowledge it to bee the sacred vndoubted word of God though of al scriptures they cannot endure it should be medled withall because it cutteth them so neare the bone Moreouer it may not be omitted that God is called the Lord God of the holy Prophets chapter 22. verse 6. which proueth that this Prophesie is of equall authoritie with the Prophesies which were of olde in as much as the same God is the Author of it And this booke is to be held in the same account with the bookes of Moses and of the Prophets for all things contained in it shall as certainly be fulfilled in their time as theirs were In Esay in Ieremie in Ezechiel in Daniel and in the rest we find many things which the Lord shewed by thē lōg before they came to passe Euē so there be many things foreshewed fore-prophesied in this booke which in their time shal be assuredly fulfilled Nay we see and know that many things here fore-tolde are already fulfilled some things are come to passe euen in these our daies Hee that shall looke into the times that are past since this Prophesie was giuē shal finde that all things haue fallen out agreeable to the Prophesie of this booke And surely if there were none other thing to perswade vs touching the authoritie thereof this might suffice that euery thing hath fallen out iust and iumpe as this Prophesie did foreshewe It is our great negligence that we do not clearely see so much And I do humbly entreate all the people of God to looke more diligently and narrowly into it in all time to come And thus much concerning the circumstances Now as concerning the booke it selfe it may very fitly be deuided into three visions as it were into three generall parts The first vision is contained in the three first Chapters The second vision is contained in the next eight Chapters following from the 4. to the 12. Chapter And the last vision is contained in all the Chapters following from the 12. to the ende As concerning the first vision my purpose is not to stand much vpon it because it is plaine and easie to vnderstand and because it containeth no Prophesies of things to come but onely openeth the present state of the Church at that time also because I haue alreadie touched the summe of it in handling the circumstantiall points I will therefore content my selfe with a very briefe opening and resolution of it beginning at the first Chapter CHAP. I. The summe of the first Chapter THe first Chapter containeth foure principall things The Title of the booke The salutation of the Churches The maner of Iohns calling to receiue this Prophesie The description of Christ the person that calleth him The Title of the booke is set downe in these words The Reuelation of Iesus Christ which God gaue him vers 1 It containeth three things First the Author of the booke which is Iesus Christ receiuing it from God the Father vers 1.2 Secondly the end and vse of this booke which is to shewe vnto all the seruants of God the things which must shortly be done vers 3 Thirdly the singular fruite and benefite which the Church shall receiue by it in these words Blessed is he that readeth and they that heare the words of this Prophesie c. vers 4 The salutation is in these words Iohn to the seuen Churches which are in Asia Grace bee with you peace c. It containeth a description of the Trinitie or three persons in the God-head The Father is described of his eternitie namely to be he which is which was and which is to come vers 4 The holy Ghost is described of his diuerse gifts and operations and therefore is called the seuen spirits which are before the Throne or which proceed from the Throne but S. Iohn speaketh here of the holy Ghost according to the vision shewed him in the fift chapter where Christ is said to haue seuen eyes which are the seuen spirits of God sent into all the the world Of the which afterward vers 5 6. Iesus Christ is described of his three great offices of King Priest and Prophet and also of his glorious power and eternitie vers 7.8 First touching his kingly office hee is called the Prince of the Kings of the earth that is vers 5 King of Kings for he is King of Sion He is a King to rule and gouerne his Church Hee must raigne ouer the house of Iudah for euer Hee must raigne ouer all his enemies and in the middest of all his enemies euen till he haue trode them all vnder his feete And this benefite we haue by it that we are made Kings in him in this life to raigne ouer our corrupt affections and after this life to raigne as crowned kings foreuer with him in infinite glorie and endlesse felicitie Secondly touching his Priest-hood vers 5 hee is said to loue vs and wash vs from our sinnes in his bloud For hee is our onely high Priest which by his owne bloud hath once entred into the holy place and obtained eternall redemption for vs. Hee onely it is which through the eternall Spirit offered himselfe without fault to God to purge our consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God So then by vertue of his Priest-hood and sacrifice wee are reconciled vnto God haue free accesse vnto the throne of grace and are made Priests in him to offer vp spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through him vers 6 For hee hath made vs Kings and Priests vnto God euen his Father Thirdly concerning his Propheticall office hee is called that faithfull witnesse For hee said to Pilate vers 5 For this cause was I borne and for this cause came I into the world that I might beare witnesse vnto the truth And the Apostle saith Hee witnessed vnder Pontius Pilate a good confession So then Iesus Christ is one of those three great witnesses which beare record in heauen Iesus Christ is the Prince of Prophets euen that great Prophet that should come into the world through whom all the counsels of God are reuealed vnto vs he is that only begotten son which is come downe from the bosome of his Father and hath made knowne vnto vs whatsoeuer he hath receiued of his Father Hee both by his doctrine life and miracles hath borne witnesse vnto the truth
state of his church but one that continually worketh out the good thereof Concerning his prouident care ouer his faithfull Ministers he is said to carry them in his right hand for hee had in his right hand seuen starres that is vers 16 vers 20 the Ministers of the churches As Christ saith the seuen starres are the Angels that is the Ministers of the seuen churches Ministers are compared to starres because they should shine as bright starres in this darke world both by life and doctrine Christ is said to hold them in his right hand because he alwaies defendeth them against the malice fury of the world which of all others is most outragiously bent against them and their fauorites But let men take heed of ouer bold presuming to pul the starres out of Christs right hand least they smart for it The world is very busie this way they thinke to wring them out of his hands but alas poore soules they are not able he holdeth them too fast who can pull them out of his right hand If they continue bold and busie this way they may hap at last take a beare by the tooth and peraduenture pull an olde house vpō their heads An other reason why Christ is said to holde the 7. starres in his right hand is because he worketh by them and their ministrie as an Artificer with his toole in his right hande The things which Christ hath done by these instrumēts are glorious and admirable For by the ministery of the Gospell he hath cōuerted many sinners saued many soules then the which nothing can be more honorable wonderfull and therfore the word of God which is the Ministers weapō is compared to a sharpe two edged sword vers 16 which came out of Christs mouth Now vnto all this may be added that Christ saith he was dead but now aliue because hee died and rose againe And also that he saith Hee had the keyes of hell and death that is authoritie and power ouer hell and damnation For he hath absolute power to open and shut binde and loose and therefore it is written chapter 3.7 He hath the key of Dauid which openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth All this setteth forth the great power glory of Christs person and all aimeth at this marke end to commend vnto vs the authoritie of this booke because it commeth from a person of so great dignitie excellēcy Last of all it remaineth to shewe how Iohn was affected with this vision wherein Christ did so gloriously appeare vnto him vers 17 for he saith When I sawe him I fell at his feete as dead Wherein hee sheweth how greatly hee was amazed and daunted with the sight of Christs most glorious personage Hee was striken with such an astonishment feare that there was almost no life or spirit left in him and all this was to humble him euen to the ground in as much as by it he findeth his owne weakenesse and imperfection not capable of such a sight so farre as to endure it It was no doubt profitable or rather necessary that this holy seruant of God should thus be humbled and made fit to receiue this reuelation with the greater reuerence from his great Lorde and maister And also it maketh much for our profit as appeareth in that euery part of this vision is rehearsed in the Epistles to the Churches But to conclude Iohn being thus humbled and cast downe in himselfe is comforted and raised vp by Christ who laid his right hand vpon him and willed him to feare nothing For saith he I am the first and the last vers 17 and am aliue but I was dead behold I am aliue for euermore In which wordes hee dooth greatly cheare vp Iohns heart and telleth him plainely that this might and terrour of his person is bent onely against the wicked enemies of his Church nothing at all against the friends thereof but contrariwise that all this power and glorie might and maiestie is wholy and altogether for the good of his Church Wherein wee may all clearely see and knowe to our great comfort that the same arme of God which casteth down the wicked raiseth vp the godly the same power wich woundeth them healeth vs the same hand which destroieth them saueth vs the same might and maiestie wich hurteth them helpeth vs. For whatsoeuer is in God is wholly for his and wholy against those that are none of his And thus much concerning the first Chapter CHAP. II. and III. I Haue thought good to handle these two Chapters together and in a generall and compendious maner to set downe the most speciall matters contained in them both not meaning to insist vpon euery particular both because these two chapters are plaine and easie to vnderstand also because they haue bene sufficiently beaten vpon by many These two Chapters doo generally containe seuen Epistles written to the seuē Churches of Asia wherein the present estate of the Churches of Asia is very liuely described and in them the state of all other churches then militant vpon the face of the earth Euery one of these seuen Epistles containeth foure things First an Exordium or entrance into the matter Secondly a generall proposition Thirdly a narration Lastly a conclusion The Exordium or entrance of euery Epistle containeth two things namely the person to whom the Epistle is written and the person from whom the Epistle is written The proposition is one the same in all these Epistles contained in these words I know thy workes The narration containeth the matter of each Epistle and cōsisteth of commendations and discommendations of admonitions reprehensions threats and promises The conclusion of euery Epistle is one and the same in these words Let him that hath an eare heare what the spirit saith to the Churches First concerning the person to whom these Epistles are sent he is named in the beginning of euerie Epistle To be the Angel of such a Church By this word Angel he meaneth not the inuisible spirits which we call the Angels of heauen for the things attributed to these Angels can in no wise agree to the inuisible spirits as to be Angels of seueral churches to be neither hotte nor cold to leaue their first loue to repent and amend and sundry such like attributes throughout all these Epistles But by the word Angell he meaneth the Minister or Pastor of euery church which therefore is called an Angell because he is the Minister of God as the word signifieth As also because euery faithfull Minister ought to be receiued and regarded as an Angell of God as the Apostle witnesseth of the Galathians that they receiued him as an Angell of God yea as Christ Iesus And he giueth many admonitions in his Epistles to this effect for hee would haue all faithfull and painfull Ministers to be greatly reuerenced and had in double honour to be acknowledged had in singular loue for their workes sake to
thought their state good inough being puft vp with conceitednes yet are they charged to be poore naked and blinde and therevpō counselled admonished to buy spiritual gold that they may be rich and spirituall garments to hide their nakednesse and spirituall eye-salue to annoint their eyes that they might see Concerning reprehensions Ephesus is reproued for going backward Pergamus and Thyatira for suffering and maintaining corrupt doctrine as formerly hath bene shewed Sardis for dulnesse deadnesse and vnsoundnesse in their manner of worshipping God Laodicea for lukewarmnesse and conceitednes Touching threats Ephesus is threatned that except they repent and do their first workes their candlesticke should be remoued out of his place that is the Church should bee translated to some other place but not destroied For God doth remoue but not destroy his Candlestickes Pergamus is threatned that vnlesse they did speedily repent Iesus Christ would come shortly and fight against them with the sword of his mouth Thyatira is threatned that except they repent them of their workes they should be cast into a bed of affliction and all their fauourites should be slaine with death Sardis is threatned that if they did not watch and awake Christ would come suddenly vpon them as a thiefe and they should not knowe what houre hee would come Concerning promises they be very great large for euerlasting ioy and the very fulnesse of glory is promised to all that fight the good fight of faith and ouercome in the spirituall battell against the flesh the world and the diuell Ephesus is promised that if they fight it out couragiously and constantly to the ende they should eate of the tree of life which is in the middest of the paradise of God Smyrna is promised in like case that they should not be hurt of the second death Pergamus likewise is promised to eate of the Manna that is hid and to haue the white stone of victorie giuen them Thyatira is promised to haue power giuen them to rule ouer Nations to be lightned with heauenly brightnesse like the morning starre Sardis is promised to be cloathed with white aray that is with heauenly glorie and to haue their name continued in the booke of life Philadelphia is promised to haue a pillar made in the Temple of God that is a firme and vnmoueable place of eternall glory Laodicea is promised to sup with Christ and to sit with him vpon his throne for euermore Thus wee see what great and precious promises are made to all Churches that fight and ouercome in this their spirituall battell and conflict Concerning the conclusion it is one the same to all these seuen churches Wherein they are exhorted that such as haue eares to heare should heare ponder and consider all the foresaid praises and dispraises admonitions reprehensions threates promises And it is therefore said such as haue eares because there are very fewe to be found that haue circumcised and sanctified eares to heare and vnderstand heauenly things This is proper to the elect this is but to whom it is giuen And thus briefly and generally we see what was the present state of euerie one of the Churches of Asia vnto which this Prophesie was to be sent so that by them we may see in what estate the vniuersall Church militant was at that time For as some of these seuen as yet stood firme and others had much declined so was it with all other churches Hitherto concerning the first vision containing generally the inscription of this booke Iohns salutation to the Churches Iohns new calling The excellencie of Christ which called him And the present estate of the Church Now we are to proceed to the second vision contained in the next 8. chapters to the 12. wherein is shewed what should be the future estate of the Church in all ages euen vnto the ende of the world CHAP. IIII. THe principal things contained in this 4. chapter is a description of the person of God the Author of this booke who is most gloriously described of that excellent glorie that is in himselfe and of his royall throne which he sitteth vpon of his goodly retinue and troupes of Saints and Angels attending about his most glorious throne Wherevnto is added the diuerse qualities both of Angels and Saints both in themselues and their owne natures as also in their manner of praising and worshipping of God This is the generall summe and sense of this chapter But for the better clearing and more full opening of it I will come to the words of the text and open them as they lie in order vers 1 After this I looked and beholde a doore was open in heauē and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me saying Come vp hither and I wil shew thee the things which must be done hereafter These words After this haue relation to the first vision spoken of before as if hee should say after I had receiued the former vision concerning the present estate of the Church now I had an other vision concerning the future estate therof and therfore he saith a doore was open in heauen that he might come in and see al these things which should be reuealed vnto him For the opening of the doore in heauē doth here signifie the vnlocking of heauenly things vnto Iohn or his entrance into them for so the word doore is taken 2. Cor. 3.12 Apoc. 3.8 After the opening of the doore hee is called vp with a loude voice like a trumpet saying Come vp hither For although the doore was opened yet durst hee not enter in till hee was called and commanded to come in For in these cases he doth not presume in any thing as of himself without speciall warrant and direction As the scripture saith No man taketh this honour vnto himselfe but he that is called of God as was Aaron The voice that calleth him is like a trumpet that is loude and shrill that he might be stirred vp more diligently to attend vnto the contemplation of these great secrets which should be reuealed vnto him This voice commandeth him to come vp hither which sheweth that Iohn was rapt vp in the spirit vnto the heauens to see this vision This voice promiseth to shewe him things which must bee done hereafter that is that hee should be made acquainted with the future estate of the church as alreadie he was with the present estate thereof vers 2 And immediately I was rauished in the spirite and beholde a Throne was set in heauen and one sate vpon the Throne Vpon this suddaine and extraordinary calling by so heauenly and loude a voice Iohn was forthwith rauished in spirit For as the Prophet Ezechiel was by the spirite in the Visions of God carried from Chaldea to Ierusalem So this holy Apostle is carried by the spirite in the Visions of God into heauen and by the same spirite is made fit and capable of all these heauenly Visions
next chapter when wee come to the opening of the seuen seales thereof For the things which fall out vpon the opening of the seuerall seales do plainely declare that all is meant of the particular matters contained in this present booke This booke is said to be in the right hand of him that sitteth vpon the throne because all the secrets reuealed in it come from the counsell and decree of the most high God and are ordered by his meere direction and prouidence It is called a written booke to shewe that the things contained in it are so firmely decreed in the counsell of God that none of them shall faile but come to passe and bee fulfilled in their season They are such as wee may write of as wee vse to say and therefore for the certaintie of them they are here said to be written in a booke This booke is said to bee written within and without for the multitude and varietie of matters contained in it For there were both many and great things which should fall out in the world from the time that Iohn receiued this Prophesie vnto the end of the world This booke is sealed with seuen seales that is to say perfectly sealed because the things contained herein are counsels and secrets onely knowne to God til it pleased him to reueale them to his church by his sonne The elect Angels knew nothing of the things written in this booke before the seales were opened vers 2 And I sawe a strong Angell which proclaimed with a loude voice Who is worthy to open the booke and to loose the seales thereof Here is proclamation made to all creatures that if there were any manner of persons in heauen or earth among men or Angels that would take vpon them to open and expound this booke that they should come forth and shewe themselues and bee very willingly and gladly heard But alas the next verse doth shewe vers 3 that none in heauen or earth was able to open the booke and expound it wherevpon Iohn wept very much vers 4 because no man was found worthy to open and interpret this booke The cause of Iohns weeping and lamenting was for feare the Church should bee depriued of such profitable and excellent things as hee knew were contained in this booke Such was his loue to the Church such was his zeale and care for the people of God An example worthy of all imitation to mourne and weepe for the concealing of the booke of God and to reioyce in the opening of it But Papists and Atheists are of a contrary minde for they reioyce in the concealing and keeping close of the scriptures and are much grieued with the opening and reuealing thereof because thereby their hypocrisie and villany is detected and discarded Vpon this one of the Elders said vnto Iohn Weepe not vers 5 Beholde the Lion which is of the Tribe of Iudah the roote of Dauid hath obtained to open the booke and to lose the seales thereof Here we see how Iohn is comforted and cheared vp by one of the Elders being now very pensiue and sad and is willed to plucke vp a good heart and to bee of good cheare for hee could tell him good newes to wit of one that could open and expound this booke and all the secrets in it and that is Iesus Christ the great reuealer of secrets and onely expounder of all riddles and hidden mysteries as before hath bene spoken Iesus Christ is here said to be of the Tribe of Iudah because he is lineally discended of that Tribe according to the flesh and his humane nature He is compared to a Lyon by allusion vnto Iacobs words in his last will and testament concerning Iudah namely that hee should couch as a Lyon and as a Lionesse none should stirre him He is fitly compared to a lion for his great admitable power strēgth for he raigneth and must raigne ouer al his enemies and in the middest of all his enemies yea till he hath troade all his enemies vnder his feete He is called the roote of Dauid both here and also in the 22. chapter of this booke verse 16. because he sprung out of Dauid the sonne of Ishai as a braunch out of his roote as the Prophet did foretell that A rod should come forth of the stocke of Ishai and a graft should growe out of his rootes And the Apostle saith that Christ was made of the seede of Dauid according to the flesh vers 6 Then saith Iohn I beheld and loe in the middest of the throne and of the foure beastes and of the Elders stood a Lambe as though he had bene killed which had seuen hornes and seuen eies which are the seuen spirits of God sent into all the world Here Iohn taketh a view and sight of Iesus Christ from the verie middest of the throne of the foure beastes and the Elders Christ doth not appeare about the throne as do the Saints and Angels which are but ministers and ministring spirits but in the verie middest of the throne and the foure beastes c. because hee is God euerlasting coequall and coeternall with the Father in whom as the Apostle saith dwelleth all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily or essentially And here afterward the same worship and honour is ascribed vnto him both by the Saints and Angels which before is ascribed vnto God the Father Christ is here compared to a Lambe for his innocencie for the scripture saith He was as a sheepe dumbe before his shearer Hee is the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world He is the Lambe slain from the beginning of the world Hee is compared to a Lyon for his great incomparable strength in cōquering hell death and damnation and all infernall power And to a lambe because he hath dispatched all this vpon the Crosse by the sacrifice of himselfe once offered for hee neuer did more liuely shewe forth his Lyon-like power then when hee was as a lambe slaine and sacrificed vpon the Crosse This Lambe Christ is here said to haue seuen hornes which signifie his manifolde power or fulnesse of power or perfect power according as this metaphor or borrowed speech of horne is vsually so taken in all the scriptures This Lambe also is said to haue seuen eies which are interpreted to be the seuen spirits of God that is the manifolde graces and gifts of the Spirit which hee giueth vnto his Church Now then to conclude this point for as much as the number of seuen in this booke is a number of perfection and alwaies noteth perfection therefore by Christs seuen hornes and seuen eies wee may and that soundly vnderstand his perfect power and his perfect sight and knowledge in all things For his seuen eies are so taken in the third chapter of the Prophesie of Zacharie where it is said Vpon one stone shall be seuen eies Meaning that Iesus Christ the corner stone of the
and of the straunge accidents and euents which followed vpon the opening of euerie seuerall seale For in this chapter sixe of the seales are opened by the Sonne of God and the mysteries thereof disclosed vnto Iohn that he might declare thē to the Church for the comfort and instruction thereof This chapter containeth sixe principall things arising from the seuerall opening of the six seales and they are these vers 1.2 vers 3.4 vers 5.6 vers 7.8 vers 9.10.11 The spreading of the Gospell Great persecutions following therevpon Famine Pestilence Complaints of the Martyrs vers 12.13.14.15.16.17 Fearefull vengeance vpon the worlde for sheading the bloud of Gods Saints vers 1 After I beheld when the Lambe had opened one of the seales and I heard one of the foure beastes say as it were the noise of thunder Come and see Now after all these former matters Iohn did verie intentiuely fixe his eye vpon the Lambe being now about to open and vnclaspe the first seale of the booke and all on the sudden hee was admonished and stirred vp by one of the Cherubins that he should drawe neare and come vp and take knowledge of these great and important matters which were now to be reuealed vnto him And to the end that he might be throughly awaked and stirred vp to attention in so waightie matters it is saide that the voice of the Angell which spake vnto him was like the voice of a thunder So that hereby Iohn was throughly rowsed fitted and prepared to receiue these heauenly visions Therefore I beheld and loe there was a white horse vers 2 and he that sate on him had a bowe and a crowne was giuen vnto him and he went forth conquering that he might ouercome Iohn keeping his eye steadie vpon the Lambe hauing now opened the first seale doth in a vision see a white horse c. By this white horse is meant the ministerie of the worde of God and the first preaching of the Gospell by Christ and his Apostles and the successors in the Primatiue Church chapter 19.11 The white horse is taken in this sense in the 19. chapter of this Prophesie where our Lorde Iesus beeing vpon this white horse beateth downe all his enemies before him For who is able to resist his worde and the ministrie of it In the first chapter of the Prophesie of Zacharie our Lord Iesus purposing to build vp his church being in a very ruinous estate after the captiuitie is brought in by the Prophet on horsebacke both for the reedifying of his Church and also for the punishment of the Babilonians his enemies and the enemies of his people In the 45. Psalme the church the spouse saieth thus to her beloued husbande Christ Gird the sworde vpon thy thigh ô thou mightie one the sworde of thy glorie and comely beautie and with thy comely beautie ride on prosperously for the businesse of truth and of meeke righteousnesse c. Now in all these places of the scripture wee do plainely see that when Christ goeth about either to broach his Gospell or build vp his Church or to be reuenged on the enemies thereof hee is brought in on horsebacke And this doth strongly confirme and warrant this exposition seeing it is not any imagined sense or new deuice of mans braine but such a sense as other places of scripture will verie fully beare out Moreouer if wee doo seriously consider and deepely weigh the purpose and intendment of the holy Ghost in all this it will not a little helpe and further this exposition For the chiefe scope and drifte of all is to describe the state of the Church from the Apostles time to the ende of the worlde chapter 1.1 For this Prophesie serueth to shewe vnto Iohn the thinges that must shortlye come to passe Now wee all knowe by blessed experience that the first estate of the Church did consist in the preaching of the Gospell by Christ and his Apostles and therfore this must needs be vnderstood of that time estate of the church For Iesus Christ is he that sitteth vpon this white horse that is by the ministery of his Gospell he conquereth and subdueth the nations vnder him There may bee three reasons alledged why this horse is saide to be of a white colour First because the doctrine of the Gospell which was preached by Christ and his Apostles was pure and sincere being without all spots and blots of error and heresie For the white colour in the scripture doth signifie puritie sinceritie innocency ioy glory and beautie Secondly because the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles was full of ioy and comfort As it is saide of Samaria after Phillip had set the Gospell abroache there that there was great ioy in that Citie Thirdly because the ministery of Christ and his Apostles was very glorious and beautifull as it is written How beautifull are the feete of them which bring the glad tydings of peace c. And againe with thy comely beautie ride on prosperously for the businesse of truth c. If any man demaund a reason of Christs sitting on horse-backe and riding forth on horse-backe I answere that it doth most fitly represent that maruellous swiftnesse wherewith the light of the Gospell should be carried and spread not only throughout all Iudea Samaria and Galile but also throughout all the kingdomes of the world For is it not a wonder to consider how swiftly and as it were on horseback and also how farre ouer the Heathen nations within a fewe yeares after Christs ascention the doctrine of the Gospell was preached and of multitudes imbraced He rode forth indeed prosperously and swiftly vpon this white horse euen the ministrie of the Gospell for the businesse of truth and of meeke righteousnesse and his right hande wrought fearefull things as saith the Psalmist Moreouer it is here saide that Iesus Christ hath a bowe in his hand And in the 45. Psalme from whence it seemeth all these phrases and speeches are borrowed hee is saide to haue sharpe arrowes in his hande whereby he pierceth the heart of his enemies Now this bowe and arrowes doo signifie the piercing power of the Gospell whereby the world hath bene subdued vnto Christe For all the arrowes of the Gospell which Christ shooteth out of this bowe which is euen the tongue of his ministers doo sticke in the hearts of men yea they pierce into all the secret places of the soule For the ministrie of the Gospell is liuely and mightie in operation sharper then any two edged sworde and entreth through euen vnto the deuiding asunder of the soule and the spirit of the ioynts and the marrowe and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart Heere is yet further mention made of a crowne which was giuen vnto Christ and that hee went forth conquering that hee might ouercome This crowne signifieth the victorie which he getteth ouer the worlde with his bowe and arrowes For the Psalmist
away as a scrole when it is rolled and euery mountaine and I le were moued out of their place Vpon the opening of this sixt seale very dolefull and fearefull things which doo followe As earthquakes the darkening of the Sunne the obscuritie of the Moone the falling of the Starres the rolling together of the heauens the remouing of mountaines Iles out of their places the howlings and horrors of kings and captaines other great potentates of the earth which all are things very terrible and fearefull to beholde and all these do represent and figure out vnto vs the most fearefull tokens of Gods high displeasure and most heauie indignation against the wicked world Very grieuous things fell out vpō the opening of the 2.3 4. seales but they are farre more grieuous which followe vpon the opening of this sixt seale for this sixt seale containeth an aggrauation and encrease of all the former iudgements For now after the crie of the Martyrs for vengeance GOD the auenger of the bloude of the righteous doeth shewe himself from heauen and declare his wrath in more fearefull manner then before euen to the great astonishment of all the creatures in heauen and earth So horrible a thing is the sheading of the bloud of the Christians For now we see plainely that God heareth the cries of his Martyrs and commeth as a Giant or as an armed man to take vengeance of all their enemies For Pretious in the sight of the Lorde is the death of his Saints and hee is much mooued with the crie of their bloud as here wee see And therefore now threatneth to holde a generall Assises wherein hee will make inquisition after bloud and arraigne and condemne all such as are founde guiltie thereof according as the persecuting Emperours and many others did finde and feele by wofull experience For if God be angry but a little who may endure it Now although the Stories do report that in those dayes which was aboue 300. yeares after Christ there were many great and fearefull Earthquakes in diuers nations and cities of the world yet it is apparant that the Earth-quake here spoken of cannot bee taken literally nor any of the rest here mentioned For there was neuer any time neither is it mentioned in any Chronicle that euer the Sunne was as blacke as sacke-cloth of haire or the Moone turned into bloud or the Starres fell from heauen or the Heauens rolled together like a scrole or that Mountaines and Ilandes were mooued out of their places Therefore of necessitie all this must bee vnderstood metaphorically that is that God did in so straunge and fearefull a manner manifest his wrath from heauen by tumults commotions seditions alteratiōs of kingdomes as if these things of the Sun Moone and Starres had bene visibly represented to the eye An earth-quake in this booke and other bookes also of the scriptures doth by a borrowed speech signifie commotions of common-wealth troubles tumults vprores and great alterations of states kingdoms The darkning of the Sun Moone and Starres rolling together of the Heauens do by a metaphor in the scriptures signifie the fearefull wrath and angrie face of God which they being not able to endure are said here to blush at to couer themselues to hide themselues to be ashamed of thēselues to remoue out of their places no more to do their offices c. For as birds doo hide themselues and thrust their heads into bushes when the Eagle commeth abroade And as all the beastes of the forrest doo tremble and couch in their dennes when the Lyon roareth And as that subiect doth hide himselfe and dare not shewe his head with whom the King is displeased So here it is saide that the whole earth doth tremble and all the celestiall creatures are amazed and confounded with beholding the angry face of God against the worlde in so much that they do as it were drawe a canopie ouer them hide themselues vnder a cloude and surcease to do their offices The darkning of the Sunne and Moone is taken in this sense in the second of Ioel and also in the second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles For there God promising and foretelling that in the last dayes he would abundantly powre forth of his spirit vpon all flesh which is to be vnderstood of the plentifull preaching of the Gospell in the Apostles time and the aboundance of grace that was giuen with the same addeth that for the contempt of so great grace and mercie he would shewe wonders in heauen aboue and tokens in the earth beneath Bloud and fire and the vapour of smoake the Sunne shall bee turned into darkenesse and the Moone into bloud before that great and notable day of the Lord come The meaning of the Prophet is as Peter also dooth expound it that God from heauen will shewe such apparant signes of his wrath against the worlde that men should bee no lesse amazed then if the whole order of nature were inuerted And this was performed when as the Iewes for the contempt of Christe and his Gospell were most miserably destroied by the Romanes Euen so here vnder the opening of the sixt seale God dooth threaten that for the murdering of his sonne Christ and his Apostles and innumerable Christians hee would bring straunge iudgements and extraordinarie calamities vpon the worlde according as all stories do shewe that those times were full of bloud-sheads commotions famines pestilence and miseries of all sortes I am not ignorant that the darkening of the Sunne and Moone and the falling of the Starres from heauen are sometimes in this booke put for the obscuritie and corruption of pure doctrine and the falling away of the Pastors of the Church from their sinceritie and zeale But in this place the circumstances will not beare that sense First because heere the darkening of the Sunne and Moone c. is ioyned with an Earth-quake the rolling together of the Heauens and the mouing of Mountaines and Ilands out of their places which argueth a most horrible confusion and concussion of all things Secondly because afterward in the eight chapter hee doth of purpose speake of the corrupting of pure doctrine the falling away of the Ministers referring it to that chapter as his proper place Thirdly because the kings and captaines of the earth here immediatly mentioned would neuer haue bene cast into any such perplexities and horrours vpon any corruption of doctrine and the ministrie as here we reade of For commōly men are not any whit touched or moued with that or such like things Last of all because the scope and drift of the holy Ghost vnder the opening of this sixt seale is to describe corporall not spirituall visible not inuisible iudgements For he doth orderly and of purpose handle them in the next chapter Now whereas it is said in the last three verses that the Kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men vers 15 and the chiefe Captaines and
And the forme of the Locusts was like vnto horses prepared vnto battel on their heads were as it were crownes like vnto gold their faces was like the faces of men vers 8 And they had haire as the haire of women and their teeth were as the teeth of Lyons Hitherto we haue heard of the petigrew poisoned stings of these vile Locusts and how they vexed the inhabitants of the earth all the time of the great Antichrist Now we are to vnderstand of their form and likenesse for the spirit of God dooth here paint them out in their colours that all men may discerne them and beware of them First it is said that they were like vnto horses prepared vnto battell that is they were as strong and fierce as barred horses to rush and run vpon all such as should but once mute or mutter against them or their authoritie Moreouer they haue crownes of golde vpon their heads which sheweth and signifieth that they were the conquerors of the earth Lords of the world and who but they for in those daies no man nay no Lord or King durst quitch against a Monke a Frier or a pild Priest for if any did they were sure to smart for it They had also faces like the faces of men that is they set faire faces vpon matters and pretended great deuotion in religion flattering the people and making them beleeue that they could giue them pardon of all their sinnes and bring them to heauen when as in very truth for their bellies and for their gaine they did cunningly smoothe with the nobles the rich the mightie setting faire faces vpō al their proceedings and as S. Peter saith Through couetousnes with fained words they made merchandise of mens soules and did closely winde themselues into the hearts of the simple people by their fawning insinuations being in very deede most notable flatterers and hypocrites They had haire as the haire of women that is they were altogether effeminate being giuen to delicacie lust and wantonnesse they were drowned in whoredome al kind of beastlinesse being a shoale of most filthy villaines Their teeth were as the teeth of Lyons to catch snatch all that they could come by They deuoured all the fat morsels euery where they got the church-liuings into their hands they first made impropriations they incroached vpon temporall mens lands they swallowed vp all euerie where If we looke vpon the Abbeys Priories and Nunneries wee may easily iudge what teeth they had Moreouer it is said they had Habbergions like to Habbergions of Irō that is they were so strongly armed with the defence countenāce of the Pope that no secular power durst once quitch against thē Their wings were like the sounde of chariots when many horses runne vnto battell that is with fluttering noise terrible threatnings they stroue to vpholde their kingdome Also in Churches and Pulpits they make a roaring noise and take on terribly to maintaine their abhominable Idolatry They had tailes like vnto scorpions and there were stings in their tailes vers 10 For with their poisoned doctrine stinging authoritie like adders snakes they stung many to death Moreouer power was giuen them to hurt men fiue moneths that is all the time of Antichrists raigne as before hath bene shewed vers 11 They haue a king ouer them which is the angell of the bottomelesse pit whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greeke he is named Apollyon that is destroying As the foules haue a king ouer them which is the Eagle the beastes the Lyon mortall men some chiefe gouernour vnder whose protection and subiectiō they liue so here these hellish Locusts are said to haue a king ouer them which is the Angell of the bottomlesse pit that is the diuell or the Pope which you will vnder whose ensigne they fight and vnder whose defence they liue Their kings name in Hebrew is called Abaddon and in Greeke Apollyon The words are both of one signification that is destroying for both the diuell himself his vicar the Pope are destroiers and wasters of the Church of God One woe is past And beholde yet two woes come after this vers 2 Wee haue heard at large what this first woe is namely the plague of the worlde by the Pope and his Cleargie Now wee are to heare of the seconde woe which is the most huge and murthering army of the Turkes wherein the third part of men were slaine Some do expound this second woe of the kingdome of Antichrist and his armies but that it is not so may appeare by these reasons following First the Angell denouncing woe woe woe denounceth three seueral woes and therefore it is said One woe is past and behold yet two woes come after this It followeth then that this is a distinct and seueral woe from the former and therfore cannot be the same Secondly this woe containeth specially a bodily slaughter of the third part of the world and of the wicked reprobates but the first woe was specially a plague of mens soules as we haue heard and therefore this cannot be the same with the first Thirdly we are to vnderstand that this booke describeth all the greatest calamities and plagues that should come vpō the world in any age after Christ and therfore we may iustly think that the kingdome of the Turkes is not left out seeing it was one of the greatest plagues that euer came vpon the world But the kingdome of the Turkes is described in no other part of this Reuelation and therefore must of necessitie be here described vers 13 Then the sixt Angel blew the trumpet and I heard a voice from the foure corners of the golden Aultar which is before God vers 14 Saying to the sixt Angell which had the trumpet loose the foure Angels which are bound in the great riuer Euphrates Now we are come to the description of the second woe which followeth vpon the blowing of the sixt trumpet by the sixt Angell And first of all hee saith He heard a voice frō the foure corners of the goldē Aultar chapter 8.3 By the golden Aultar is meant Christ as before hath bene shewed with the reasons thereof Frō this Aultar the voice commeth to the angel which blew the sixt trumpet that wee might knowe it is the voice of the mighty God the cōmandemēt of our Lord Iesus The voice commandeth the sixt Angell to loose the foure Angels which are bound in the great riuer Euphrates By these foure Angels which are thus bound at Euphrates is meant many diuels or angels of darkenesse as we heard before chap. 7. verse 1. Their binding signifieth their restraint by which they were helde backe from doing that mischiefe which they desired to do Their loosing signifieth that power was giuen them to performe that which they wished They are saide to bee foure in number because they should raise an horrible plague in the foure corners of the earth both East
West North and South The sense is that the diuels haue yet further and greater scope giuen them to plague and destroy the inhabitants of the earth These diuels had exceeding great power in the kingdome of Antichrist but they are vnsatiable in mischiefe and so after a sorte lie still bound till they haue their desire The place where they lie bounde is Euphrates wherein is a mysterie for Euphrates literally taken is a great Riuer which ranne so nigh the citie Babylon in Chaldea that it was a mightie defence vnto it so that the citie could not be taken vntill they that laide siege vnto it cut out trenches and deriued the waters an other way Now for the mysterie it is this Rome in this booke is called Babylon By a metaphor and after the same manner the great Riuer Euphrates as wee shall see afterward chap. 16. signifieth the power wealth and authoritie which that citie Rome euen this westerne Babel hath to defend it selfe Then it followeth that in this power authoritie and strength of Rome the diuels lie bounde for they waited through the power of Rome to worke yet farre greater mischiefe and therefore are saide to bee bounde so long as they were restrained The mischiefe which they plotted and purposed to bring to passe by the authoritie and power of Rome was the hatching and bringing forth of the Mahometish religion which in very deed did spring from the darknesse of Rome as from his proper roote and originall cause The diuels did foresee that out of the superstitions and Idolatries of Rome defended by their great power and authoritie Mahometish religion might very well bee framed and therefore not being content to plague the West part of the worlde with Poperie and Idolatrie they do greedily desire also to plague the East part of the worlde with the false religion of Mahomet They are not satisfied with plaguing and poisoning all Europe with abhominable Idolatries except also they plague and infect all Asia Affrica with the Turkes most execrable religiō so insatiable are the diuels in working mischiefe Now in the meane time they think thēselues too much straightned bound and tied vp in Rome Romish religion except they may be loosed and proceede further to ouerspread the whole world with all impieties and most horrible abhominations A man would thinke that when the diuels had preuailed so far as to place Antichrist in his cursed chaire and to breede the swarmes of Locusts out of the smoake of hell they might haue bene satisfied for then as wee say hell seemed to be broken loose But yet all this cannot satisfie the vnsatiable diuels but they will haue the religion of Mahomet established to poison and plague all the East parts of the world in their soules and also they will haue the most huge cruell and sauage armies of the Turkes raised vp to murder and massacre milliōs of men in their bodies in the west parts of the world as presently we shall heare Now till all this bee effected they are saide to lie bound at Rome But here we see that this sixt Angell hath a precise commaundement from Iesus Christ to loose these diuels which lay bound at the great riuer Euphrates that they might plague the whole world farre and neare at their pleasure so now all the diuels of hell are let loose and let vs heare what followeth And the foure Angels were loosed which were prepared at an houre at a day at a moneth and at a yeare vers 15 to slay the third part of men Now the diuels being loosed and vnbounde by speciall commandement from Christ were in a readinesse to execute their mischiefe This ascending by degrees from a short time vnto longer longer From an houre to a day c. dooth signifie that as the diuels were prest at hand at an houres warning as we say to put in practise whatsoeuer they had plotted so they were as forwarde to continue the same From an houre to a day from a day to a moneth from a moneth to a yeare that is frō time to time vntil the date of their commissiō was out for their time was limited and their commission bounded as afterward we shall see And this is our comfort that both the Papacie is limited to fiue monethes and the Turcisme to houres daies monethes and yeares The diuels power is limited though it grieueth them full sore They cannot doo what they list they cannot continue as long as they would After the number of horsemen of warre were twentie thousand times ten thousand for I heard the number of thē vers 16 Now vpon the loosing of these diuels here followeth the description of a most horrible plague which they raised vp and it is a huge army a murthering army an army in number exceeding great for he saith They were twentie thousand times ten thousand that is two hundred millions or two hundred thousand thousands But we may not think that this army was euer all at one time or in any one age but here are the armies of many ages reckened vp and the full plague of many yeares set forth How could Saint Iohn number such an army may some man say He answereth this doubt and saith Hee heard the number of them Hee did not number them but the number was tolde him Moreouer it is to be noted that as this army did exceed in number so also in terror and strength and therefore they are said to be all horsemen For an army of horsemen are both more strong and more terrible then any arm of footemen vers 17 And thus I sawe the horses in a vision and them that sate on them hauing firy Habbergeons and of Iacinth and of brimstone and the heads of the horses were as the heads of Lyons and out of their mouths went forth fire and smoake and brimstone Heere is the description of these horsemen and horses as they appeared to Iohn in a vision First touching the horsemen it is saide that they were very well armed with Habbergions that is coates of Maile Corselets or Curets and that of a fiery colour and of the colour of Iacinth that is of smoake as appeareth in the last clause of this verse and also of the colour of Brimstone For as horsemen in compleate armour were wont to weare in their breast-plates and targets certaine ensignes and colours whereby they might be made terrible to their enemies So these Turkish warriours and horsemen do holde out their colours of fire smoake and brimstone as it were flagges of defiance against the whole world threatning present death to al that should withstand them or as if they meant to spet fire and flame them or to choake them with smoake and brimstone then burne them vp with fire brimstone All this their colours and ensignes in their breast-plates and Habbergions did portend Now as concerning their horses no doubt they were as fierce as the horsmen They were great Launces they had heads like
description of Christ and his glory vers 2 The second sheweth how the Gospell should be preached in many nations and kingdomes by the Ministers of this last age whereby all aduersarie power should be ouerthrowne vers 6.7 The third is a watch word giuen to the world by Christ that when the seuenth Angell should blowe the trumpet the world should ende vers 9.10.11 The last doth shewe how all faithfull Preachers being called and authorized by Christ should trauell and take paines in the studie of Gods booke and afterward should publish the knowledge thereof far and neare vers 1 And I sawe an other mightie Angel come downe from heauen cloathed with a cloude the Raine-bowe vpon his head and his face was as the Sunne and his feete as pillars of Brasse This Angel of might is Christ as appeareth by the description of him by all the consequents following for he is said to be cloathed with a cloud which signifieth his great glory and maiestie For he shall come in the cloudes of heauen to iudge the world that is with great pompe and glory The Raine-bowe was vpon his head which signifieth the couenant of peace with his church as before chap. 4.3 His face was as the Sunne which signifieth comfort and deliuerance to his church the dispelling of all the smoake of the bottomelesse pit as the Sun scattereth and driueth away the thicke mists His feete are as pillars of Brasse which signifieth that he should tread downe all his enemies vnder his feete both Pope and Turke for hee must raigne till hee haue destroied them all The Pope a long time kept all the kings of Europe in awe The Locusts were of great power The Turkes preuailed exceedingly But what are they all to this mightie and glorious Angell Christ What is their power to withstand him What can Abaddō the king of the Locusts do against this mighty king of Sion What can the Turkes most terrible horses and horsemen do against this Angell which sitteth vpon the white horse Alas alas they are able to do nothing They must all bee troden downe vnder his feete of brasse And hee had in his hand a little booke open vers 2 and hee put his right foote vpon the sea and his left vpon the earth This little booke signifieth the Bible It is called little in respect of the great and huge volumes of Popish bookes though in it selfe it bee large It is saide to bee open that all men might looke into it because it had bene shut a long time before euen during all the time of the darkening of the Sun and the Ayre by the smoake which came out of the bottomlesse pit But although it was long shut vp in the time of Poperie and lay buried in a straunge tongue yet now it is opened and publikely preached vnto all the seruants of God And all this no doubt is to be vnderstood of Luthers time and all the times euer since the Gospell was spread abroade after the great darkenesse For some hundred yeares agoe it was hard to finde an English Bible but now God be thanked there are thousands to be found in the hands of Gods people And therfore the things here prophesied of are fulfilled in our daies for wee liue vnder the opening of the seuenth seale and the blowing of the sixt trumpet and the powring forth of the sixt viall as here doth partly appeare and shall God willing be made more manifest whē we come to the 16. chapter Now wee are diligently to obserue that as the opening of this booke the preaching of the Gospell by Luther his successors hath dispersed the former darkenesse and beaten downe Poperie so also hath it driuen backe the Turke and taken from vs all feare of him which in former ages was the terrour of the worlde for since men haue looked into this booke repented of their Idolatrie and turned vnto God with all their hearts The Turke and his power hath not bene feared especially in these parts where the Gospell is preached For God in his mercifull prouidence towards his Church hath diuerted his power an other way and set him aworke else-where So that if men cannot be brought to beleeue that God raised him vp as a scourge for Idolaters and a plague for Idolatrie and other foule sinnes according to the wordes in the former chapter where it is said They repented not of the workes of their hands c. yet when they see that at the opening of the booke of God and forsaking Idolatrie the feare of him is remoued let them beleeue it What can be more plaine then that this opē booke in the hand of the Angell hath deliuered vs from the Pope and from the Turke A most happie opening of this blessed booke Moreouer it is said that hee put his right foote vpon the sea and his left on the earth The setting of Christs right foote vpon the sea signifieth that he is ruler of the sea and standeth as firmely vpon the sea as vpon the land The setting of his left foote vpon the earth doth signifie that he is Lord of the earth and true heire to all things in it And cried with a loude voice as when a Lyon roareth vers 3 and when he had cried seuen thunders vttered their voices This crying with a loude voice like the roaring of a Lyon doth signifie the manifestation of the wrath of Christ against all his enemies for now hee beginneth to roare against them as a Lyon whē he is hungry roareth for his pray Therefore now both the scorpion Locusts the fierce horses and horsemen are like to goe to the pot By the 7. thunders which vttered their voices is meant those perfect and exquisite iudgemēts which now were to be infflicted both vpon the kingdome of the Pope and of the Turke We haue heard before that 7. is a perfect number in this booke that thunder is put for the thundring of Gods wrath and all such broiles and plagues as follow therevpō And this is the reason of this interpretation And when the seuen thunders had vttered their voices vers 4 I was about to write but I heard a voice from heauen saying vnto me Seale vp those things which the seuē thunders haue spoken and write them not It should seeme these seuē thunders did so speake as they might be vnderstood for Iohn was about to write the things which they spake thinking that they were vttered for that ende and purpose that he should deliuer them in writing to the churches But he receiueth a commandement to the contrarie for he is willed not to write them but to conceale them vntill the appointed time But some man may say Why were they vttered seeing they must be concealed and kept close I answere it was not in vaine for first though the particulars bee not expressed what the thunders spake yet here we are taught that there remaine most fearfull iudgementes against all the oppressors of
the Church which Christ hath thundred out with terrour against them And when the time determined is come they shall be seene and vnderstood but in the meane time they bee sealed vp and kept close according to that of Iob Why should not the times bee hid of the Almightie so as they which know him should not perceiue the times appointed of him and that of Daniel These things are sealed vp vntill the time determined vers 5 And the Angell which I sawe stand vpon the sea and vpon the earth lift vp his hand to heauen vers 6 And sware by him that liueth for euermore which created heauen and the things that therein are and the earth and the things that therin are the sea the things that therein are that time should be no more vers 7 But in the daies of the voice of the seuenth Angel when he shall begin to blowe the trumpet euen the ministrie of God shall be finished as he hath declared to his seruants the Prophets The summe of these three verses is that Christ giueth warning of the last iudgement that men might awake and looke out in time And because men for the most part are carelesse and secure putting the euill day farre from them as the Prophet speaketh Therefore here Christ bindeth it with a solemne oath and solemne gestures therevnto annexed as was the lifting vp of the hand in auncient time Gen. 14.22 The thing that our Lord Iesus deposeth is that Time shall be no more that is Time as it is now or the state of things as they be now but he telleth vs flatly that as sixe Angels haue alreadie blowne their trumpets so when the 7. Angell should blowe the mysterie of God shall be finished that is the time of punishing the wicked and rewarding the godly should come which is therefore called a Mysterie because the world vnderstandeth it not They thinke there is no such matter They imagine there is no reward for the iust or punishment for the wicked as the Prophet saith But the holy Ghost saith Verily there is a reward for the righteous Doubtlesse there is a God which iudgeth the earth And here it is said that God hath declared it to his seruants the Prophets And the voice which I heard from heauen vers 8 spake vnto mee againe and said Goe and take the little booke which is open in the hand of the Angel which standeth vpon the sea and vpon the earth vers 9 So I went vnto the Angell and said vnto him giue me the little booke· And he said vnto me take it and eate it vp and it shall make thy belly bitter but it shall bee in thy mouth as sweete as honey vers 10 Then I tooke the little booke out of the Angels hand and ate it vp and it was in my mouth as sweete as honey but when I had eaten it my belly was bitter vers 11 And hee saide vnto mee Thou must prophesie againe among the people and nations and tongues and to many kings The briefe sense of these foure verses is that the Preachers of the Gospell being called allowed and authorised by Christ vnto their ministry should study the scriptures with great diligence eueÌ„ vntil they had eaten vp the booke of God then they should preach publish vnto all nations kingdomes that truth of God doctrine of the Gospell which now a long time had lien hid in the raigne of Antichrist It is to be obserued that Iohn in this place representeth the person of all the ministers of the Gospell which should be raised vp in these last dayes for the ouerthrowe of Antichrist and the restauration of true religion for Iohn himselfe did not liue to these times Further it is to be noted that all godly Students and zealous Ministers do eate vp the booke of God by reading study praier meditation they finde it sweete in their mouth that is they finde and feele great ioy and comfort in the studie and meditation thereof especially wheÌ„ God reuealeth therby great and hid secrets vnto them giueth them to vnderstand the mysteries of the Gospell counsels of his will which are locked vp from the wise and prudent of this world This I say is sweeter vnto their mouth then hony and the hony combe Concerning this phrase of eating vp the booke looke Ezech. 2.9 for here the holy Ghost alludeth therevnto This booke being so sweete in the mouth yet being eaten and digested is bitter in the belly There may bee three reasons yeelded of this bitternesse First because it being once taken downe into our soule by godly meditatioÌ„ doth mortifie our corrupt nature bring vnder our lusts therefore seemeth bitter to flesh and bloud Secondly because afflictions trials do alwaies necessarily followe the sounde digestion of the Gospell Thirdly because the doctrine of the Gospel being swallowed by the Ministers therof must not be kept to themselues as it were closed vp in their stomacks but they must out with it againe as if it were some loathsome bitter thing which must needes be cast vp again And for this cause it is said in the last verse that they must prophesie againe among the people and nations and tongues and many kings Now blessed be the name of the Lorde our God who hath giuen vs to liue in this age wherein we do with our eies behold and see the fulfilling of all these things let vs therefore praise God for this great worke which wee see wrought in our daies and let vs still more and more magnifie this lâ—ttle booke which will vtterly destroy Popery and bring downe the proude Antichrist do all that fight for him what they can CHAP. XI WE haue heard that the little Booke should be opened and the Gospell preached and published to many nations and kingdomes after the great darkenesse of Popery and that this was done by Luther Melancton Caluin Peter Viret Peter Martir Bullinger Bucer and all their faithfull successors vnto this day Now in this Chapter we are to vnderstand of the effect good successe of their preaching and publishing the Gospell which was that the Church should be restored reformed and built vp thereby which a long time had bene wasted and oppressed by the tyrannie of Antichrist and that many should imbrace the Gospell forsake their Idolatries and turne to God with all their hearts yea whole nations and kingdomes in Europe should be conuerted to the faith as we see this day God be praised So then the principall drift of this Chapter is to shewe those thinges which yet remaine to be fulfilled vnder the blowing of the sixt trumpet which is the preaching and preuailing of the Gospell euen vnto the worldes ende and also the thinges which follow vppon the blowing of the seuenth trumpet which is the resurrection last iudgement This Chapter containeth sixe principall things as it were the sixe parts thereof First ver 1.2 it
Papacie was aloft and the Roman Empire ioyned with it so that the eyes of the world were dazeled with the pompe and magnificence thereof and they said What is like vnto it or who is comparable to the Pope the seuenth head thereof For then the blinde worlde thought that the power of the Popes was not onely aboue all things in this world but also did reach euen vnto heauen and hell For they imagined that the Pope might carie to heauen whom hee would and whom he would he might cast downe to hell and therefore who could warre with the beast And thus wee see the reason of their wonderment and of their speech All stories and experience it selfe doe shew that there was neuer anie power in the world so wondred at as the vsurped power and maiestie of the Pope after he came to bee the head of the Roman monarchie For then the world supposed that hee had power euen as God and that he might depose and set vp kings and Emperours at his pleasure Then it is cleere that vnder the dominion of the Popes Rome hath beene in her highest exaltation and glorie For the Papacie was the seuenth head of the beast whereby the whoore of Babylon was supported in her most magnificall pompe and pride vers 5 And there was giuen vnto him a mouth that spake great things and blasphemies and power was giuen vnto him to do 42. moneths ver 6 And he opened his mouth vnto blasphemy against God to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle and them that dwel in heauen Here are set down the proud and blasphemous speeches both of the old and new Romane Empire and of the old and new Romane Emperours For this beast as I said before comprehendeth al the Roman Empire both vnder the Heathen Emperours and the Popes Touching the great things and blasphemies which the old persecuting Emperours haue belched out against the God of heauē it wold require a volume to set them downe in particulars I wil therfore only mention two or three for exampels sake As first that of Caius Caligula which would haue his image set vp in temples to be worshipped as God and that the people should sweare by his name Nero also did openly blaspheme the name of Christ and required diuine honour to be giuen vnto him Domitian commanded that he should be called God and Lord. Many others required the like things and so al the world woondred and worshipped this blasphemous beast Now as the sixt head which was the old empire of Rome was ful of the names of blasphemy so the seuenth head which is the new Empire vnder the dominion of the Popes which he here chiefely speaketh of did most of al blaspheme For the Pope did challenge vnto himselfe al power both in heauen and earth he would be worshipped as God he vsurped authority ouer the worde of God he did take vpon him to forgiue sinnes He did most blasphemously incroach vpon all the offices of Christ as king priest prophet He hath commāded the Angels He hath erected blasphemous images and caused pictures to be made of the Godhead He boasteth and craketh great things of his Papal power of Peters keies of Peters chaire of Peters succession of his miracles of his two swords and of his manifold praerogatiues roial One of the Popes poisoned his God another cast his God into the fire another would eate his peacocke in despite of God Some of thē counted the religiō of Christ a tale or a fable some drank to the diuel some said they could doe as much as God It were infinit to set downe al their blasphemies for it is saide of the whoore of Babylon that she was full of the names of blasphemy Let this suffice for the vnderstanding of this text that as the olde heathenish Emperours did blaspheme so the Popes being heades of the Empire did most of al blaspheme And as it is here said they did not only blaspheme the name of God but also did open their black and blasphemous mouthes against his tabernacle that is his church calling it a cōpany of heretickes schismatickes apostataes and such like and also against them that dwell in heauen that is the spirits of iust and perfect men which are in heauē as Luther Caluin Melancthon and such like Moreouer it is to be noted that this mouth was giuen vnto this monstrous beast thus to blaspheme and speake great things But this is to be vnderstood that it was giuen in the wrath and iust iudgement of God vpō the world to plague them withal because they regarded not the knowledg of the truth But it is added that this power of the beast thus to worke his actions was limited vnto 42. monethes so that although he rule and rage for a time yet shal he not long continue ver 7 And it was giuen vnto him to make war with the Saints and to ouer come them and power was giuen vnto him ouer euery kindred and tongue and nation ver 8 Therefore all that dwell vpon the earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the booke of life of the Lambe which was slaine from the beginning of the world These two verses do set forth the great power which was giuen vnto this beast both in fighting against Gods people and also ouercomming of them and murdering of them by heapes As we reade of thousands murdered in the first ten great persecutions and ten thousands by the Popes since they came to exercise the ciuill authority and iurisdiction of the Romane Empire and that in al countries and kingdomes of Europe as it is here said that power was giuē vnto him ouer euery kindred and tongue and nation And it is added that all that dwell vpon the earth that is al the subiects of the Roman monarchy shal worship the beast and make a God of him as we read they haue don And the chiefe motiue therof was his blasphemous mouth boasting threatning great things if any did withstand him and also his mighty power and authority whereby he bare downe al before him For if any did but mute against him he was sure to smart for it And thus through his tyrannicall power he subdued al nations vnder him and made them stoupe and fal downe and worship him But it followeth that for al this none of Gods elect did worship him or submit themselues to his religion and authority but only those that dwell vpon the earth that is earthly men as papists atheists and reprobates and al such whose names are not written in the booke of life Christ is called the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world because the sauing power of his death was from the beginning to all beleeuers although hee was not actually exhibited vntil the fulnesse of time Yf any man haue an eare let him heare Yf any lead into captiuity he shall goe into captiuity ver 9 ver 10 yf any kill with a sword he must be killed by a
For they are virgins that is chast worshippers of God which are not polluted with the defilemeÌ„ts of Antichrist These follow the Lamb Christ whersoeuer he goeth They heare his voyce they professe his worship and obey his doctrine they abhorre Antichrist they followe not the beast nor receiue his marke They are bought from men and bought from the earth as it is sayd before that is they are redeemed and bought with a price from the corrupt lumpe of mankind and cursed race of Adam that they might bee the first fruits vnto God and to the Lambe that is wholy consecrated to his worship and to serue him in righteousnesse and true holinesse all the dayes of their life In their mouthes was found no guile That is they doe declare their innocencie and vprightnesse both in their words and works as those which Christ hath chosen out of this world and bought with a price thorough his bloud in whom they are without spot or speck before God vers 6 Then I saw another Angell flie in the middest of heauen hauing an euerlasting Gospell to preach vnto them that dwell on the earth and to euery nation and kinred and tongue and people vers 7 Saying with a loud voice Feare God and giue glorie vnto him for the houre of his iudgement is come and worship him that made heauen and earth and the sea and the fountaines of waters Hitherto the holy Ghost hath taught vs how the Church was preserued vnder the tyrannie of Antichrist and greatest waues of persecutions and that euen then they did purely and faithfully worship the true God Now he proceedeth to foreshew the ruine and downfall of Antichrist and plainely to prophesie the vtter decay of the kingdome of Babell This doctrine therefore we are to hearken vnto with great attention and cheerefulnesse because it doth so much concerne our good the good of the whole church also because we liue in the dayes wherin we see it is in part fulfilled First therefore wee are to vnderstand what is meant by this Angell heere mentioned to wit not anie celestiall Angell or inuisible spirit as it is sundrie times taken before but by this Angell and the two Angels following are meant all the faithfull Ministers of the Gospell which should bee raised vp in these last dayes for the ouerthrow of Rome and the deliuering of the Church from vnder the captiuitie of Antichrist which may plaineâ—y appeare by this that it is said this Angell preacheth the euerlasting Gospell vnto them that dwell on the earth which cannot properly agree to the celestiall spirits Wee haue heard out of the tenth chapter that Iesus Christ did open the little booke which is the Bible and did giue authoritie to his faithfull Ministers to goe preach and publish the doctrine thereof to manie nations countries and kingdomes chapter 10.11 nowe vnto that agreeth this which is heere spoken of and is a further opening and declaring of that which is there set downe For as there Iesus Christ commeth downe from heauen and openeth the little booke which had beene long shut vp vnder the darknesse of Poperie and the smoake which came out of the bottomlesse pit so heere Christ Iesus raiseth vp his faithfull Ministers and preachers to publish and proclaime the doctrine of the Gospell which had long lyen hidde vnder the outragious persecutions of the two monstrous and most hideous beasts chapter 18.1 To this also agreeth that which is written in the eighteenth chapter of this Booke where Saint Iohn seeth an Angell come downe from heauen hauing great power so that the earth was lightened with his glorie By which Angell is meant all the Preachers of this age And the Angell is saide to haue great power For what is more powerfull then the ministerie of the word And moreouer it is sayd that the earth was lightened with his glorie that is with the brightnesse of the preaching of the Gospel whereby the darkenesse of Poperie was dispersed and driuen away and Babylon falleth vpon it as there you may reade and as heere we shall see the like effect by and by Moreouer it is heere sayd that this Angell flieth in the middest of heauen that is verie swiftly carrieth this euerlasting Gospell thorough all the Churches For when Gods appointed time was come wherein he would goe about the ouerthrowe of Poperie he caused his euerlasting Gospell to be set abroach and to spread ouer many kingdoms and nations as wee see this day Now because these kingdoms where God would haue the knowledge of his Gospell diuulged were manie and great therefore heere is expedition required and this Angell doth carie it not standing but flying And all this we see perfectly fulfilled with our eyes when God raised vp Luther Zuinglius Melancthon Peter Viret Caluin Bucer Bullinger Peter Martyr and all their worthy successours vnto this day which haue spred the euerlasting Gospell verie farre and caried it verie swiftly ouer England Scotland Germanie Denmarke Polonia Sweuia Russia and many parts of France and Flaunders Another reason why this Angell is said to flie in the middest of heauen is because no power of man shall euer be able to stay the course of this euerlasting Gospel which this Angel carieth abroad no more then men are able to stoppe the course of the Sunne in the heauens or a cloud in the skie For this Angel flyeth in the midst of heauen far aboue the reach of the beast and al Kinges and Potentates that stand for the kingdom of the beast Therefore let them doe al what they can they shal neuer be able to stop the course of the Gospel For it is called the arme of God his very arme holdeth it forth to the world and who is able to bend it in or to turne it backward There be three reasons why the Gospell is called euerlasting First because it is in his owne nature euerlasting as it is written the worde of the Lord indureth for euer Secondly because it putteth vs in possession of euerlasting things As it is written Thy word O Lord endureth for euer in heauen Thirdly principally because as it was long before Antichrist was hatched so it shal continue when he and his kingdome is dead and rotten Saying with a loud voice Feare God ver 7 and giue glory vnto him c. Here is sette down the doctrine which this Angel preacheth with a loud voice that is with great zeale The summe whereof is this Feare God and giue glory vnto him and worship him that made heauen and earth c. The sense is that the true and euerliuing God should only be feared and worshipped and all glory should be giuen to him alone through Christ and none to Antichrist none to Cardinals and Legats none to Angelles none to Saintes none to images roods crosses and crucifixes Here then is set downe an abridgement of the doctrine of this euerlasting Gospell namely that men should onely feare God and worship him and
coloured beast whereupon the woman sate chapter 17 9. The seuen heads sayth he are seuen Kings that is seauen orders or states of kingly gouerment for seuen Kings in this place are not put for seuen seueral men which were Kings as some do take it but for seuen seueral gouerments as it is taken in Daniel The foure great beastes sayth the Angel there are foure Kinges that is foure kingdomes gouerments or monarchies as al men know So here by seuen Kinges is meant the seuen seuerall regiments of Rome That is to say by Kings Consuls Decemuiri Dictators Triumuiri Emperours and Popes wherof the first fiue were then fallen when Iohn wrote one was chapter 17.10 that is the Empire and one was to come that is the Papacy My last argument is this Babylon is that City which is situate vpon seuen hilles but onely Rome of all Cities in the world is situated vppon seuen hilles therefore Rome is Babylon The proposition is auouched by the Angel which saith in the seuenteenth chapter that the seuen heads of the scarlet coloured beast are seuen mountaines whereon the woman sitteth that is seuen hilles whereon the City of Rome is scituated whose names are these Capitolinus Palatinus Auentinus Exquilinus Celius Viminalis and Quirinalis as al Poets and Historiographers doo testifie One sayth thus of Rome Septem quae vna sibi muro circundedit arces another thus Septem vrbs alta iugis toto quae praesidet orbe Another calleth Rome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the City with seuen heades that is seuen hilles It is cleere then by these reasons that Babylon in this place signifieth Rome As for the exposition of the Papists which affirme that Babylon here signifieth the vniuersall society of the wicked it is fond ridiculous for the Holy ghost sayth Babylon is that City which raigneth ouer the Kings of the earth But to say that the vniuersall society of the wicked raigneth ouer the Kinges of the earth is absurd and ridiculous Therefore to say that Babylon is the vniuersall society of the wicked is absurde and ridiculous The distinction of the Iesuits here is also as friuolous as their exposition for they say if Babylon be Rome then it must be vnderstood of Rome vnder the heathen Emperours but not vnder the Popes But the Angel sayth the woman that is the whoore of Babylon or Antichrist sitteth vpon seuen mountaines ergo shee sitteth at Rome and Rome is the seat of Antichrist and consequently Rome vnder the Popes is Babylon Moreouer we may reason thus against the Popish distinction That which was Babylon vnder the heathen Emperours is the same which is here prophecied to bee the chiefe City and seat of Antichrist But Rome was then Babylon ergo Rome is now Babylon for Rome is that City which the Angel sayth shoulde bee the seat of Antichrist And this book doth shew that the great Antichrist shoulde raigne in the same City where the heathen Emperours had raigned therfore it standeth firme that Rome vnder the Popes is Babylon This then beeing graunted that Babylon here is Rome it followeth that Rome shall fall for the Holy-Ghost sayth Babylon is fallen speaking in the present tense as the maner of y e scripture is in prophecying of things to come For whatsoeuer God hath determined to cōe to passe is as it were already don because of the certainty of it and for this cause also the word is doubled It is fallen It is fallen Wee see then most cleerly that almost 1500. yeers before Rome began to fal the certaine fall thereof was foretold This place of it selfe is cleere inough to prooue my second point which is that Rome shal fal But my purpose is to reduce and gather all the fiue Chapters following to certaine heades to prooue the maine points which I haue propounded first then I reason thus to proue the second point that Rome shall fall That City and kingdome which hath the seuen vialles of Gods wrath emptied and powred downe vppon it cannot stand but must needes fall But Rome is that City which hath the seuen vialles of Gods wrath powred downe vppon it Therefore Rome cannot stande long but must needes fall The proposition is manifest and not to bee denied The assumption is prooued throughout al the sixteene Chapter and especially in the tenth and the twelfth verses chapter 16. Ver. 10 Vers 12 where the vials of Gods wrath are expresslie saide to be powred downe vpon the throne of the beast and in the second verse of that Chapter it is auouched ver 2 that the second viall was powred down vpon the men which had the marke of the beast and vppon them which worshipped his image Howe then can the throne of the beast hould out or how can they which haue receiued the beastes marke stand vp long For there is a great Emphasis or vehemency in the manner of speeche For he dooth not simply say the wrath of God chapter 15. verse 7. but the fulnesse of Gods wrath he dooth not say should bee a little sprinkled but powred downe as it were by pailefulles vppon the kingdome of the beast How then can the kingdome of the beast stande which hath so many great ordinances and so many double cannons discharged and shot off against it Surely it must needes fal My second reason is this The beast that was and is not and yet is shall go into perdition chapter 17 But Rome is the beast that was and is not and yet is Therfore Rome shal goe into perdition The assumption is set downe Chapter 17. verse 8. For the Romane monarchie was great in the daies of Iulius Caesar Augustus Claudius Tiberius and therefore it is said that it was But in the raigne of Nero Otho Galba and Vitellius it was greatlie decayed and therfore it is said it is not meaning so great as it had beene and yet in some sort it was and therefore it is said and yet is Now this beast shall go into perdition Therefore the Romane monarchie shall bee destroyed and consequently the Papacie For the Romane Empire holdeth vp the Papacie as it is written that the woman or whoore of Babylon sitteth vppon the Scarlet coloured beast which had seuen heades and tenne hornes that is the Roman monarchie which beareth vp the whoore and beareth vp the Papacy but the Holy-ghost sayth this beast that is the Romane Empire shall go into perdition chapter 17. verse 8. Then it followeth that the papacy shal follow after for if the beast that she sitteth vpon which beareth her fal vnder her then shee must needes fall together with him But we see God be thanked that the Roman monarchie is in a manner quite fallen therefore the Papacy cannot stand long My third argument is this The beast that was and is not being euen the eight one of the seuenth shall go into destruction But Rome is the beast that was and is not being the eight and one
Gidnon which signifieth the subtiltie of destruction because the blinde kings and Nobles of the earth shall by the subtiltie and craftie perswasions of the Iesuits and Seminarie Priests be entised to fight against the Protestants in a place where they shall haue a famous foile Some deriue Armageddon of Har which in Hebrue signifieth a mountaine and Megiddo which is the place where the godly king Iosias was slaine and so this place should be called Armageddon the mountaine of Megiddo for the slaughter of kings that shall be there To the which the Prophet Zacharie alludeth saying In that day there shall be a great mourning in Ierusalem as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddo Well we doe see that all these significations and deriuations of Armageddon come to one thing in effect which is that the great armies which assemble themselues in battaile against the Lord shall bee destroyed and therefore it is not much materiall to dispute which is the more likely signification of the Word But this let vs obserue for our comfort that whensoeuer wee shal see the kings Captaines Nobles and Potentates of the earth being solicited by the Iesuites priests and the false Prophet to leuy great armies and make great powers to fight against the Gospell and the true professours thereof for the maintenance of great Babylon they shall not preuaile but bee vtterly ouerthrowne and destroyed As in part wee see fulfilled in the yeare of our Lorde 1588. when the great and inuincible Armado of the Spaniards as they thought which was long in preparing against vs and at last by the instigation of the Iesuites brought vpon vs came to Armageddon as we know God be praised And in all time to come in the like case let them look for the like successe Well now to grow to some conclusion of this point wee doe plainely see that Rome falleth their kingdome waxeth darke their Euphrates drieth vp they espie it The Dragon the beast the false Prophet send out their frogs into all countries and kingdomes hoping to preuent it by the help of the kings of the earth and especially the king of Spaine but alas all in vaine for they must come to Armageddon when they haue done all that they can For God fighteth from heauē against them God bringeth them downe and no power of man is able to vphold them But now let vs proceede to prooue the third maine point which is that Rome shall fall finally and come to vtter desolation For all sound Diuines are perswaded of the fall of Babylon and doe graunt that it falleth and is in falling but all are not so thoroughly perswaded of the finall fall thereof in this life Therefore now I wil proue by manifest Scripture that Rome shall fall for a doo First if the things be deeply considered and narrowly looked into which Saint Iohn saith shall fall out vpon the pouring forth of the seuenth vial of Gods wrath by the seuenth Angel they doe fully portend a deadly downfall and vtter ouerthrowe of Rome For the seuenth vial is not poured vpon the earth or sea or fountaines of waters or on the Sunne as the first foure vials were which signified some particular iudgements but it was poured forth into the verie aire chapter 16.17 which signifieth the vniuersalitie of it and containeth the most general and most grieuous iudgment and vengeance of Almightie God vpon the whole bodie of the kingdome of Antichrist a little before the last day The text saith that vpon the pouring forth of this viall there was a loud voice heard out of the temple of heauen from the throne that is vers 17 from the verie presence of God saying It is done It is dispatched The vtter ouerthrowe of Rome is fully concluded of and all things finished which belong to the pouring forth of the seuen vials which containe the seuen last plagues wherein the whole wrath of God is fulfilled as appeareth chap. 15. as before it is said Babylon is fallen chapter 15.1 because it should certainly fal So heere God himselfe saith It is done because it shal certainly be done For whatsoeuer God hath determined to be done is as it were alreadie done because it shall most certainlie be effected Sith then the Lord hath pronounced this of Rome there remaineth nothing but a dayly accomplishment of it and let all the papists know for a certaintie that they must go to their geare they must come to their paiment there is no way of euasion For hath the Lord spoken it and shall it not come to passe Now vpon this that God saith It is done followeth presentlie that there vvere voices and thunderings and lightenings chapter 16.18 and there vvas a great earthquake such as was not since men were vpon the earth euen so mightie an earthquake What is meant by thundrings lightenings and earthquakes in this Booke I haue before shewed to wit chapter 6.12 commotions seditions tumults vprores and alterations of states kingdomes and common-wealths and then the meaning of this place is that there shall be horrible shakings cōcussions tumults great alteration of states in al y e kingdoms which are subiect to Antichrist none of them shall escape For this seuenth viall of Gods wrath vpon the kingdome of the beast is compared to a most horrible and blustering tempest raised vp in the whole aire that is in all places of Antichrists dominions And it is specially to be noted as a thing of great moment that the holy Ghost saith There was neuer such an earthquake as this since the world beganne and since men were vpon the earth For assuredly so soone as the seuenth Angell poureth forth his viall the kingdome of Poperie shall go downe a maine which shall not belong before the end of the world as all circumstances heere doe shew After all this Saint Iohn telleth vs the effect of this thundering lightning and extraordinarie earthquake which is chapter 16.19 that the great citie was diuided into three parts that is there shall bee a most horrible rent and diuision in the citie of Rome and throughout all the Popes dominions What this rent and diuision is and how it shall bee I cannot determine being a thing to come as all the rest comprehended vnder the pouring forth of the seuenth viall But this I am sure of that Rome shall go downe and there shall be such tumults vprores rents diuisions dissipations and concussions in Rome and throughout all the Romish iurisdiction as neuer was heard of nor read of since the world began For Saint Iohn addeth that Babylon came in remembrance before God vers 19 to giue vnto her the cup of the wine of the fiercenesse of his wrath That is God doth now at length call to mind all the wrongs done to his people all the righteous bloud shed for the space of seuen or eight hundred yeers by the whoore of Babylon that he may be fully reuenged and execute the
bee the flesh of kings and Captaines c. Now out of all this may be strongly concluded that heereafter in all time to come when the armies of the Pope which is the beast the armies of the king of Spaine who hath giuen his power and authoritie vnto the beast is his great vpholder when the Armies of the Cardinall his great confederate whē the armies of the Leaguers his great adherents yea whē al these all other Popish armies shall ioyne band thēselues together against the christian kings and defenders of the Gospell they shall haue a notable ouerthrow insomuch that their dead carkesses shall euen couer the earth and the foules of the aire shall come to their great supper which the Lord of hosts will make readie for them For assuredly and out of al doubt they that liue shall see the fulfilling of all this and shall see the popish armies go downe by heapes in all countries and kinstdomes and be made meat for the foules of the aire For the holy Ghost saith chapter 16. v. 16. They shall come to Armageddon that is the place where their Armies shall be destroyed And againe If anie leade into captiuitie chapter 13. v. 10. he shall goe into captiuitie If anie kill with a sword he must be killed with a sword For as the Popish forces haue in former time taken captiue the people of God and cruelly murdered them so nowe the time draweth on apace wherein they themselues shall be taken and put to the sword And therefore now at last I conclude that Rome shal fall finally and come to vtter destruction in this life For as Rome did rise vp by degrees in this life so Rome shall fall by degrees in this life As Rome grew vp to her full height and highest pitch in this life so it shall come to her lowest ebbe and greatest declination in this life I meane before the comming of Christ vnto iudgement For the falling downe of haile like talents vppon the kingdome of the beast shall bee in this life The extraordinarie earthquake vpon the dominions of Antichrist shall be in this life The comming of the Popish Armies to Armageddon shall bee in this life The mourning of the kings merchants and marriners for the ouerthrowe of Babylon shall bee in this life The great battaile betwixt the beast and him that sitteth vpon the white horse shall be in this life before the day of iudgement The pouring foorth of al the seuen vials of Gods wrath vpon the kingdome of the beast shall bee euen in this life For it were an absurde thing to say anie of these things shal bee after this life or to say that these things shal not bee til the verie comming of Christ for they are all things to be effected heere in this earth and the holy Ghost doth describe them as things to be done vpon the face of the earth for otherwise wee could haue small comfort in anie of these things if they should not bee done heere in earth or if they should all bee deferred till the verie comming of Christ and in the meane time Antichrist shal stil preuaile But it wil be obiected that Saint Paul saith The Lord shall consume Antichrist with the spirit of his mouth and abolish him with the brightnesse of his comming Therefore before his comming he shall not be vtterly abolished True it is indeede hee shall not vtterly be cut off in all his members til the verie comming of Christ For there will bee some Papists remaining in all countries euen vnto the end there be some nay manie that will carie the beasts marke euen til the last day But the holy Ghost in this Prophesie speaketh of the reuolting and falling away of kingdoms and countries from the sea of Rome whereby it shal come to passe that it shal bee exceedingly weakened and brought so lowe that the kings of the earth shall easily take it or as the holy Ghost speaketh shal easily passe ouer their Euphrates chapter 16. v. 12. being dried vp and enter their Babylon But then wil some man say Shal there be no Pope at all a little before the comming of Christ I answer and not I but the holy Ghost for mee Hee shall bee a poore Pope chapter 17. v. 16. a naked Pope a desolate pope a Pope whose flesh shal be torne whose flesh shal wither as wee shall heare anon He shal be such a Pope as Ishbosheth was a king when Abner and all Israel fel away from him He shal bee such a Pope as the king of Portugall is a king But it will be obiected How knowe you this are you a Prophet can you foretel of things to come I answer Saint Iohn was a Prophet and indued with a prophetical Spirit in this matter of his visions and reuelations and I speake no more then Saint Iohn hath set downe And therefore I hope I speake within compasse for I do but relate Saint Iohns words and explaine them in such measure as I am able This Prophesie doth plainely declare that Babylon shall fall Rome shall come downe the Pope shall neuer be esteemed againe And I doe beleeue it to bee so I beleeue God I beleeue his word I beleeue all that is spoken in the Scriptures and I doe endeuour to perswade others also For sith the holy Ghost hath so plainely and so fully foretold it why shoulde we not beleeue it Why are we so slowe to beleeue all that is written in the Scriptures Hath God spoken it and shal it not come to passe Shall any iote of his word faile Shall wee thinke hee iesteth with vs when hee doth so often and so seriously tell vs of the downefall of Rome Surelie surelie the cause why men are not fully perswaded of the finall fall of Rome is because they doe not diligentlie peruse this booke of the Apocalypse But let men be studious and diligent in this booke and they shall bee out of al doubt that Rome is the great whoore of Babylon that the Pope is Antichrist and the Papacy the beast But nowe mee thinketh I heare some man say how is it like that Popery shal fal downe more and more heere amongst vs sith it hath so many friends backers and vpholders and seemeth to gather strength and make an heade againe I answere that al is but a lightening before death I answere that al is but the stopping of a water-brooke or making a damme ouerthwart it which wil cause it to swel more and breake ouer with greater violence I answere that all is no more then is foretolde that 2the Iesuits shal come forth like frogges out of their puddles and marish groundes and keepe a croaking for a time til they haue croaked their owne destruction and many others For they shal neuer set vp Popery here in England to stand and continue doe what they can I must needes confesse that our sinnes beeing so horrible and outragious as they are and being
grown to such an height and ripenesse do deserue some fearefull vengeance and that God hath a iust controuersie against vs as sometimes he had against Israel because there vvas no mercie nor truth nor knowledge of God in the land but swearing lying killing stealing and whooring and bloud toucheth bloud and therefore saith God the land shal mourn c. But yet I hope for his couenant sake for his great mercies sake for his names sake for his glory sake and for his Church sake he will be gratious and fauorable vnto vs not bring vpon vs that vēgeance which our sins haue deserued or at leastwise though he correct vs as indeed he hath iust cause we may iustly feare it yet he will doe it in mercie for our amendment and not in wrath to our destruction as he saith by his Prophet I will not vtterly destroy thee but I vvill correct thee by iudgement and not vtterly cut thee off But howsoeuer it shall please the most wise God to deale with vs yet this I say and am perswaded of that Poperie shall neuer bee established againe in this kingdome my reason is because the euerlasting Gospell caried abroad by the Angell that flieth in the middest of heauen shall spread still more and more throughout all the kingdoms of Europe chapter 14.6 as appeareth Chap. 14. ver 6 for otherwise how shal Rome fal how shal the Iewes euer be conuerted how shall fire come downe from heauen and deuour both Gog and Magog chapter 20.9 as the holy Ghost foretelleth shall come to passe and as we shal heare more anon Moreouer Saint Iohn telleth vs plainly that in these last dayes the Gospell shall bee preached to many people and nations and tongues and to many kings And further he saith that in this age wherein wee liue many shall renounce Idolatry repent and giue glorie to the God of heauen But some man may say how proue you that this kingdom is one of them which S. Iohn speaketh of and which he meaneth wherein the gospell shall be preached vnto the end of the world I answere that it is prooued out of the 17. chapter of this prophesie where the holy ghost telleth vs flatly that those ten kingdomes of Europe which had a lōg time ben the ten hornes strength of the beast chapter 17. verse 13 being of one minde had giuen their power authority vnto the beast should now in these last daies rise vp against the whore of Babylō make war against her hate her make her desolate But this kingdome is one of those ten hornes ver 16 and one of those ten kingdomes which a long time had giuen her power authoritie vnto the beast Therefore as this kingdome hath happily begun to hate the whore and to make her desolate and naked so vndoubtedly shee shall continue vnto the end of the world For if this kingdome and other kingdomes which now hate the whore doe not continue how shall shee bee made desolate and naked c Then it should seeme the beast shall reuiue and recouer himselfe againe and so S. Iohn shall be found a false prophet But God is true and all men are liers Saint Iohn shall bee found a true prophet and therefore these kingdomes of Europe which haue begun to hate the whore shal cōtinue neuer giue her ouer till as the holy ghost saith they haue eaten her flesh burnt her with fire that is till they haue vtterly deuoured her But heere it will be obiected that in the latter daies iniquitie shall haue the vpper hand I answere first that I finde no such place of scripture But this I find that our Lord Iesus foretelleth his disciples that very shortly after his death resurrection many seducers and false teachers should arise which should deceiue many and draw them away from the loue of the gospell and saith hee because iniquitie shall bee increased the loue of many shall bee cold But this speech of our sauiour doth not properly concerne our times But yet it must needes be granted that the wicked shall wax worse and worse the world shall not amend but still bee worse and worse chapter 14. ver 1 14 18. and grow to a greater height and ripenesse of sinne as appeareth in this prophesie Yet for all this wee must note withall that the number of true beleeuers in those last daies chapter 11. ver 1 ver 11. ver 13. shall bee very many as this booke doth also teach But it may bee obiected how can this geare stand together that in the last daies there shall bee multitudes and millions of reprobates and most wicked abhominable persons and yet withall a great increase of true beleeuers I answere that the world will bee alwaies like it selfe impious and vnbeleeuing But the church shall purely worship God and that with daily increasing euen vnto the end But now me thinketh I heare some man say what likelyhood is there of all this which you write touching the ouerthrow of Rome Doe wee not see that Rome is yet strong Doth not Italy Spaine the greatest part of France and Netherland and Germany stand for her defence Hath not the whore still many and great bearers and vpholders what likelyhood is there thē that euer she shal be brought so low as you speake of I answere that in this case we must not aske this question what likelyhood We must not consult with flesh and bloud Wee must not take counsell of humane reason For God is maruellous in his deuises and when hee hath once decreed and determined of any future euent he will compasse it by meanes far surpassing all humane reach and capacitie yea by such plots and deuises as mans wit could neuer haue once dreamed of For hee hath all meanes in heauen earth in his hands and is admirable in all his proceedings and therefore we may not aske this question what likelyhood or how can it bee or how can it possiblie come to passe What likelyhood was there an hundred yeeres past when Rome was in her height and all the kingdomes of Europe stood for her that euer she should haue been forsaken of so many of her old friends as at this day shee is What likelyhood was there that when the Pope could commaund the Emperor and all the kings of Europe and their kingdomes that euer hee should haue beene brought so low as at this day hee is God bee thanked What likelyhood was there that euer poore Martin Luther should stand out with the euerlasting gospell in his mouth against the Pope Emperour as it were the whole world yet dye in his bed in a good old age What likelyhood was there that Henry the eight of famous memory should renounce Rome oppose himselfe against the Pope and suppresse the Abbies Priories and Monasteries in this kingdome and take their lands and liuings into his owne hands Therefore I
we are therefore it was needfull for the better strengthning of their hope cōfort in afflictiōs that they should know the very time determined but because the Church of the christians liueth vnder most cleere comfortable promises of deliuerance therfore God according to his deepe wisedome would haue our faith exercised in an assured expectation of the accōplishment therof though the precise time be concealed An other reason may bee this the vtter ouerthrow of Rome falleth out to bee but a little before the comming of Christ to iudgement as appereth in this prophesie Now then if wee knew the day or yeere certainely when Rome should fall finally it would giue vs too much light vnto the knowledge of the last day which God in great wisedome hath of purpose hid from the knowledge of all men yea and of Angels I know right well that a certaine learned writer doth precisely determine the vtter destruction of Rome to fall out in the yeere of our Lord 1639. But by the fauour of so excellent a man bee it spoken I see no sufficient ground thereof But touching this matter of the time of Romes finall fall I will deliuer mine opinion and my reasons submitting my selfe to the iudgement of the learned for I would bee loth in this or any other thing to goe beyond my compasse or to passe the bounds of modestie and humilitie and therefore doe refer all to bee tryed by the sicle of the sanctuary I doe therefore thus iudge that the vtter ouerthrow of Rome shall bee in this age I meane within the age of a man my reason is this We of this age liue vnder the opening of the seauenth seale the blowing of the sixt trumpet and the powring foorth of the sixt vial For the first it is manifest because the opening of the seauenth seale containeth all things that shall fall out to the end of the world as hath beene shewed and proued before For the blowing of the sixt trumpet that also is plaine because vnder the blowing thereof the little booke was opened and the gospell preached as wee see in this age For the powring downe of the sixt viall of Gods wrath that also is most cleere because thereupon the great riuer Euphrates drieth vp and the Iesuits are sent out to sollicit the kings of the earth to battaile against the Church as wee see fulfilled in these our daies Then I reason thus Rome must fall downe finally in that age wherein the little booke is opened and the euerlasting gospell preached but in this age the little booke is opened and the euerlasting gospell preached therfore in this age Rome must fall downe finally And againe I reason thus Rome must fall downe finally in that age wherein the riuer Euphrates that is the fortification of Rome drieth vp and the Iesuits are sent forth to stop the leake thereof but all this falleth out in this age as wee see with our eies Therefore in this age Rome shall fall downe finally The reason of the proposition is because in this age the popish armies shall come to Armageddon Moreouer this I say and not I but the Lord when the seauenth Angell bloweth the seauenth trumpet then commeth the end of the world But the sixt Angell hath sounded the sixt trumpet long agoe as appeereth by the effects Therefore it cannot be long ere the seauenth Angell blow But Rome must fall downe finally before the seauenth Angell blow as hath beene shewed before Therefore the vtter fall of Rome cannot bee long deferred I doe not determine either of day month or yeere because it is not reuealed But I guesse at an age because the holy ghost pointeth vs vnto an agent But all these things I set downe for the comfort of Gods Church not desiring to vnderstand aboue that vvhich is meet to vnderstand but to vnderstand according to sobrietie Now it resteth to speake of the last maine point vvhich is the causes of Romes vtter ruine and ouerthrow chapter 14 8. Chap. 18.3 Chap. 19.3 Chap. 17 2. vvhich first of all are set downe foure seuerall times for falling to be because she made all nations drunke with the wine of the wrath of her fornication They which outwardly make others drunke or commit fornication vvith others are vvorthie to be seuerely punished How much sorer punishment are they vvorthie of vvhich doe the same spiritually and therfore vvoe be to Rome An other cause of the destruction of Rome is for that she hath shed the bloud of all the Prophets Martyrs chapter 16.6 Chap. 18.24 and Saints as it is vvritten In thee was found the bloud of the Prophets and of the Saints and of all that were slaine vpon the earth What is he vvorthie to haue that is a most cruell bloudsucker nay vvhat is he vvorthie to haue that shal murther a kings children yea that shall murther his eldest sonne and heire apparant to the crowne But Rome hath murthered thousands of the king of Heauens children Yea Rome hath murthered the great heire of Heauen and earth I meane the very sonne of God For Christ vvas put to death by the Romane power and authoritie and by a Romane Iudge chapter 11.8 as before hath bene shewed Therefore let all men iudge vvhat Rome is vvorthie to haue Moreouer S. Iohn telleth vs that Rome with her enchantments hath deceiued all-nations chapter 18.23 Then let the matter be referred to the iudgement of any indifferent man to determine and set downe vvhat punishment sorcerers and enchanters are vvorthie of especially spirituall sorcerers and enchanters Besides all this the holy ghost saith chapter 18.2 that Rome is the habitation of diuels and the hold of all foule spirits and a cage of euery vncleane hatefull bird What think you is like to come of an habitation of diuels What trow yee vvil be the end of a shoule of foule feends a company of most vgly mōstrous helcats What is like to become of a cage of Howles Rauens and Vultures Yea a nest of Vipers Toades Snakes Adders Cocatrices all the most stinging serpents and venemous vermin in the world What wil be the end of pild Priests filthie Friers maungy Monks roguing Iesuits Are not these a cage of vncleane birds What doe they studie what doe they plot what doe they practise euery daye but seditions periuries murthers cōspiracies treacheries treasons all maner of villanies If I had no other reason to persuad me that Rome shal fal come to a miserable end yet this onely would make me so to think that these villanous Iesuits do teach conclud in their cursed conuēticles y t it is not onely lawful but also meritorious to murther any christiā prince y t is not of their catholike religiō oh mōstrous villains ô most hideous helhoūds haue not these monsters suborned diuers desperate caitiffes to embrue their hands in the bloud of christian princes How many haue beene their plots now desperate
haue beene their practises to murther poison our gratious and noble Queene the French king the king of Scots and other Christian princes But can such proceedings prosper can such courses bee blessed can a man bee established by iniquitie No no let them know for a certaintie that God will crosse and curse all such diuellish proceedings as hitherto hee hath done his most holy name be praised But if any man list to know more of the proceedings and practises of Iesuits let him read master Doctor Sutclieffe his answere to Parsons wardword a booke worthie to bee read and knowen of all men But now to grow to a conclusion of this point and to winde vp together all the reasons and causes of Romes ruine thus I doe determine that forasmuch as Rome is the great whore chapter 17.2 with whom haue committed fornication all the kings of the earth forasmuch as Rome hath made all nations drunke with the wine of her fornication forasmuch as Rome hath deceiued all nations with her inchantments forasmuch as Rome is a denne of diuells and a cage of all vncleane birds forasmuch as Rome hath shed the bloud of Apostles Martyrs and Saints forasmuch as Rome hath murdered the sonne of God Therfore it shall at last come to most miserable destruction being that Chittim which in the end must needs perish for what punishment what paine vvhat torture vvhat torment can be inough for this damnable whore which hath committed such execrable and most outragious villanies Bee it therefore knowen vnto all men by these presents that Rome for all her most monstrous and prodigious sinnes shall fall still more and more and come to a fearefull destruction euen in this life But some man may say what shall become of Rome and of all her friends after this life S. Iohn answereth that if any man worship the beast and his image and receiue his marke in his forehead or on his hand the same shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God and hee shall bee tormented in fire and brimstone before the holy Angells and before the Lamb. And the smoake of their torment shall ascend and they shall haue no rest day nor night which worship the beast c. Heere is sentence of eternall damnation passed vpon all the friends of Rome Oh that all papists would consider this in time think with themselues what a wofull thing it is to bee a papist for they and their kingdome must goe downe in this life and in the life to come they must bee tormented in hell fire for euer For Saint Iohn saith flatly that all papists shall bee cast into the great wine presse of the wrath of God where they shall bee strained and tread till bloud come out of the wine presse vnto the horse bridles by the space of a thousand and sixe hundred furlongs And againe hee saith that the beast and the false prophet were taken aliue and cast into a lake of fire chapter 19.20 burning with brimstone Let all men therefore take heed how they ioyne with the papists for wee see what shall bee their end both in this life and the life to come Therefore let all Gods people come out of Babylon and hasten out of Sodome least they bee wound vp in their iudgements Let all wise men practise the pollicie of the Gibeonits who when they saw that Iosuah did so mightely preuaile against the Cananits beare downe all before him did very pollitikely prouide for their owne safety and by subtile meanes enter into league with Iosuah and the Israell of God So let all that haue any care of their owne saluation speedely forsake Babylon which otherwise will fall vpon their heads and flie to Zion which shall stand fast for euermore And thus hauing reduced all the fiue Chapters following to proue these foresaid points I will proceede vnto the twentith Chapter for there is almost nothing of any moment or difficultie in the 15.16.17.18 and 19. Chapters but it hath beene already opened and expounded Chap. 20. SAint Iohn hauing in the former chapters plainely and plentifully set down the vtter ouerthrow both of the beast the false prophet that is the Romane empire and the papacie doth now in this chapter set forth the condemnation of the dragon their graund captaine which set them all on worke For there hath as yet beene no motion of him which hath beene the beginner and raiser vp of the rest and the great worker of all mischiefe therefore now commeth his iudgement and condemnation now because hee hath beene a more generall worker and his mischiefe hath extended larger then the kingdome of Antichrist therefore in this 20. chapter ther is an historie of him set foorth by it selfe First how he seduced the nations before the comming of Christ afterward how Christ at his comming bindeth him by the light of his Gospell from seducing the nations and so holdeth him shut vp for the space of a thousand yeeres in which the Church did flourish greatly and many were raised vp vnto the spirituall life But when the thousand yeeres were expired Sathan was let loose and went foorth againe to seduce and by the great Antichrist the Turk gathered innumerable multitudes into his armies to fight against the Church which armies are called Gog and Magog But they are all ouercome and destroyed and that olde serpent himselfe is caught and together with his instruments the beast and the false prophet is cast into hell fire to bee tormented for euer And this is the summe and principall drift of this Chapter It containeth fiue principall things as it were the fiue parts thereof The first is the binding ver 1.2.3 and chaining vp of Sathan by our Lord Iesus for the space of a thousand yeeres The second is the flourishing of the Church ver 4 5.6 during the time of Sathans captiuitie The third is ver 7 8.9 the loosing of Sathan after the thousand yeeres expired and the wofull effects thereof ver 10 The fourth is the casting of the Diuell into a lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet were ver 11.12.13.14.15 The fift is a glorious description of the last iudgement wherein euery man shall bee iudged according to his workes The text ver 1 AND I saw an Angell come downe from heauen haueing the key of the bottomlesse pit and a great chaine in his hand ver 2 And he tooke the dragon that old serpent which is the diuell and Sathan and bound him a thousand yeeres ver 3 And cast him into the bottomlesse pit and hee shut him vp and sealed the doore vpon him that hee should deceiue the people no more till the thousand yeeres were fulfilled so after that hee must bee loosed for a little season This Angell heere spoken of is our Lord Iesus who is therefore said to haue the key of the bottomlesse pit because he hath power and authoritie ouer hell and death as we
Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end the first and the last ver 14 Blessed are they that doe his commandements that their right may bee in the tree of life and may enter in through the gates into the citie For without shall bee dogges and enchanters and whooremongers and murtherers and Idolaters and whosoeuer loueth or maketh lies Heere is first an exhortation to publish and proclaime the knowledge of this booke to all people and in no wise to conceale it or keepe it close as formerly hath beene shewed in the epistle Heere is a further admonition that they which are vnrighteous should bee vnrighteous still c. Which is no allowance or encouragement granted vnto wicked men to continue in their euill waies but is rather a terrible threat if wee take all the wordes together in this and the next verse as if he should say if men will needes continue in their filthines yet certainely Christ will come shortly and reward them according to their workes Or else it may bee a phrase of speach which they call an ironicall concession as in another place the holy ghost saith to the young man Walke in the wayes of thine owne heart and in the sight of thine eies but know that for all these things God will bring thee vnto iudgement So likewise in other places After this heere is blessednesse pronounced vpon all such as keepe the commandements of God and it is said that there right is in the tree of life not meaning thereby that their keeping of the commandements is the cause of their right in Christ but onely an effect or consequence For our good works doe not goe beefore as causes of our iustification but follow after as declarations of the same For by doing wee are not made iust in the sight of God but onely declared to bee iust in the sight of men And as for the keeping of the commandements wee doe it not in such perfection as Gods iustice requireth but in such measure as his mercie accepteth through Christ And heere the holy ghost saith that all they which haue a right in Christ which is the tree of life and indeauour to keepe the commandements shall enter in through the gates into the new Ierusalem but on the contrarie all the rout of reprobates whom hee calleth dogges enchanters whooremongers c. shall bee vtterly shut out as hauing nothing to do in this euerlasting citie their portion beeing allotted in the infernall lake ver 16 I Iesus haue sent mine Angell to testifie vnto you these things I am the root and the generation of Dauid and the bright morning star ver 17 And the spirit and the bride say Come And let him that heareth say Come and let him that is a thrift come and let whosoeuer will take of the water of life freely ver 18 For I protest vnto euery man that heareth the words of the prophesie of this booke If any man shall adde vnto these things God shall adde vnto him the plagues that are written in this booke ver 19 And if any man shall diminish of the wordes of the booke of this prophesie God shall take away his part out of the booke of life and out of the holy citie and from those things which are written in this booke ver 20 Hee which testifieth these things saith surely I come quickly Amen Euen so come Lord Iesus ver 21 The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ bee with you all Amen The authoritie of this booke is heere againe ratified from the person of him vvho is the author of it that is Iesus Christ vvho is heere called the root and generation of Dauid both because he is discended of the house of Dauid according to the flesh and also because the eternall kingdome vvhich all the prophets did foretell should spring out of the house of Dauid vvas indeed and in truth established in Christ vvho is our true Dauid and our righteous braunch and as it is heere said the bright morning starre vvhich hath most gloriously risen vpon the vvorld to dispell all darknesse and to bring the great and euerlasting light Moreouer heere is great protestation made in the eightene and ninteene verses of great plagues to bee inflicted vpon all such as shall adde any thing vnto this booke or take away any thing from it Which also maketh greatly for the confirmation of the authoritie of this booke for that to the which nothing may be added and from the which nothing may be taken away must needes bee absolute and perfect But this booke is such a one therefore this booke is absolute and perfect being a part of Gods euerlasting truth Last of all heere is set downe the feruent desire of the bride after the bridgrome for shee being inflamed with the spirit desireth him to come and make vp the match betwixt them that shee may bee ioyned to him in marriage celebrate the solemnization and liue together with him in the eternall triumph Which is the sence of these words the spirit and the bride say come and let him that heareth say come For it is proper and peculiar onely to the brid to heare waite and long for the comming of Christ And let him that is a thirst come That is all such as thirst after righteousnesse may truely say come sweet Iesus For they are allowed freely to drinke of the water of life The plaine menaing of all this is that the Church being directed by the holy ghost most vehemently prayeth and longeth for the comming of Christ that shee may haue her topfull happinesse and full fruition of all those super excellent things which are prouided and purchased for her through him And therefore to satisfie her desire Iesus Christ the heauenly bridegroome saith I come shortly To the which the bride saith Amen Amen Euen so be it Come Lord Iesus come quickly and make an end of these sinfull and conflicting daies that all thy deer ones may haue and enioy their long â—â—ked for happinesse and felicitie in the heauens for euer and euer FINIS Apo. 1.3 Gen. 3. Gen. 15. Ier. 25. Dan. 7. Ezech. 38. Dan. 8. Dan. 9. Dan. 11. Apoc. 9 11. Esa 29 11. Dan. 12.9 Apoc. 4.1 Apoc. 10.4 Apoc. 1.1 Apoc. 1.11 Deut. 19. Apoc. 1. â— Apoc. 22 7. Apoc. 22.10 1. Cor. 2. Apoc. 22. verse 8. Apoc. 1. verse 19. Apoc. 1. verse 11. 2. Pet. 1. verse 21 Gal. 1. ver 12. Apoc. 1. ver 10.11 Esay 6. Ezech. 1. Dan. 10. Apoc. 1.10 1. Cor. 6.2 Act. 20.7 Dan. 7.2 Ezec. 3.12.14 Act. 10.10 2. Cor. 12.2 Iohn 15.15 Apoc. 1.9 Apoc. 1.1 Rom 15.4 2. Tim. 3.16 Mal. 3.6 Esa 46.10 Math. 24.35 Apoc. 22.7 Cap. 2. Cap. 3. Cap 7. Cap. 12. Cap. 7. Cap. 8. Cap. 15. Cap. 12. Cap. 1â— Cap. 9. Cap. 18. Cap 19. Cap. 14. Cap 20. Cap. 21. Cap. 22. Cap. 1.1 Cap. 1.4 Cap. 1.9 Cap. 22.8 Heb. 9.12 Heb. 9.14 Iohn 18 37. 1. Tim. 6.13 1. Iohn 5. Coll 1 1â— Heb.