Church making her to long after his comming for her full redemption he that heareth who is inuited to say likewise is euery one that heareth this Prophecie and what a ioyfull estate the faithfull shall be in in Heauen For he cannot but wish and desire for this day Let him that is a thirst come as he longeth after the comming of the Lord to the perfecting of his happinesse so let him come to the Lord by faith and obedience and let him that will this is added to note not that by the power of his owne will he can doe thus but that his will must be sanctified and of vnwilling he must become willing God working in him a new will and new desires before that he can come vnto Christ this Fountaine of liuing water That which followeth is added as a necessary muniment vnto this and to all the bookes of holy Scripture against forgers of the Word of God which the Spirit did foresee would bee in after times Vers 18. For I testifie to euery man that heareth the words of this Prophecie if and man shall adde to these things God shall adde to him the plagues that are written in this Booke c. Vers 16. These are the words of our Sauiour Christ who had before spoken of his Angell whom he sent to testifie these things and therefore in the Originall it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I witnesse together Touching the rationall particle for some omit it as redundant but it is of great force to argue a necessity of attending to and reuerently regarding what is here set forth For that must needs be of great consequence which is guarded with such a caution If testimonies be alleaged onely to proue the truth of a thing it doth not so much moue to consider of it but it being auerred to be such as that it is danger of death to depraue it any way all men will beginne to attend vnto it as handling matter of life and death And what is spoken of this Booke by the like reason is well applyed by our Diuines to all Bookes of holy Scripture for why is it so dangerous to take away or to adde vnto this Booke but because it is of God And is it not as dangerous then to intermeddle in this kinde with any other of the Bookes of God such as all the Bookes of Scripture are But it is well added to this as the last as the charge of not putting to or taking away from the Bookes of Moses is added in the last of his Bookes Bellarmine excepteth against this inference Deut. 4. holding that the threatning pertaineth only to the detractors from or adders to this Booke and necessarily for otherwise with what colour could they obtrude to the people of God vnwritten traditions as being of equall authority with the Word of God How durst they take away the Cup in the holy Communion and the second Commandement out of the Decalogue and with such audacity change our Lord in many places into our Lady with many the like corruptions With what face could they hold and maintaine that all things necessary to saluation are not set forth in the holy Scriptures when as they are so compleat as that there may be no addition made vnto them But this exception will doe them no good when God shall iustifie his care to be a like tender ouer all other Bookes of Scripture as ouer this diuine Booke And that these words may be certainly knowne to be the words of Christ Vers 20. Saint Iohn saith for conclusion Hee which testifieth these things saith Surely I come quickly Amen Euen so come Lord Iesus For whose comming that we may be the more fit let vs acquaint our selues with the things herein contained sith they are left vnsealed to vs to this end and purpose and being acquainted with these mysteries which being explained as through Gods assistance thou hast them here presented vnto thee doe so euidently shew the Pope to bee Antichrist and his estate together with all that follow him to bee damnable halt not betwixt two opinions but bee a resolute reformed Catholike nothing doubting but certainly expecting their finall ouerthrow and confusion and thine owne deliuerance and euerlasting saluation which let vs all pray with this our blessed Apostle that it may come quickly Amen Trinuni Deo gloria Errata In the Catalogue of Names for Cicillus read Cyrillus PAge 27. for doe reade to p. 31. wandring r. wauering p. 44. or r. 2. p. 60. Ioh. 24. r. 2. p. 78. his r. has in marg p. 92. aninū r. animū in marg p. 104. run r. cun p. 140. was r. as p. 163. Secutoro r. Secuturo in marg p. 177. onus r. vnus in marg p. 183. word r. world p. 434. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. X. p. 485. Pope r. pompe p. 493. vilitate r. venerate p. 5 14. which time r. after which time
opinion that the faithfull should liue here with Christ in all manner of pleasure a thousand yeeres But the Greekes were neuer of that opinion neither can it possibly stand seeing nothing is more plainly in this Booke set forth than the eternity of Christ which was by Cerinthus impugned holding that Christ was not before the Virgin Mary Euseb l. 3. c. 39. The same Eusebius also writeth of another Iohn a Diuine whose Monument was seene at Ephesus together with the Monument of Iohn the Apostle whom to haue beene the Author of the two last Epistles of Iohn and of the Reuelation Dionysius Alexandrinus consenteth But this title The Diuine could not so rightly be giuen to any as to Iohn the Apostle and Euangelist seeing he excelled all others in writing of the Diuinity of Christ And therefore Arias Montanus to put it out of all doubt that the Apostle Iohn and not any other was the Author of this Booke hath prefixed this title The Reuelation of the holy Apostle and Euangelist Iohn the Diuine For though this bee not in the title yet so much in effect is in the Text chap. 1. vers 2. Iohn which witnessed the Word of God and the testimony of Iesus Christ and the things which he saw For this is plainly a Periphrasis of Iohn the Apostle seeing he gaue testimony to Christ by this name Ioh. 1. The Word In the beginning was the Word c. and here speaking of his comming to iudgement he setteth him forth by the same name Reuel 19.13 1 Ioh. 1. His name is the Word of God And he beginneth this Epistle with What wee haue seene with our eyes and haue beheld c. And in concluding the Gospell he is spoken of as a witnesse and his writing as a testimony This is the Disciple witnessing these things Ioh. 21.24 and wee know that his testimony is true Againe the circumstance of the place speaketh plainly that Iohn the Apostle and not any other was the Author of this Booke for this Iohn was banished for the Gospels sake into Pathmes by Domitian the Emperour Euseb 3. c. 18. Wherefore by the consent of all the best Writers the Author of this booke was Iohn the Euangelist and Apostle so saith Iustin Martyr dial cum Tryphone Iren. lib. 4. c. 37. Clemen Alex. Pedagog lib. 2. cap. 12. Orig. Hom. 7. in Ios Athanas in Synopsi Epiphan Haeres 51. Chrys Hom. 5. in Psal 91. Tertul. lib. 4. Contra Marcion Cyprian exhort Martyrij cap. 8. Ambros Psal 50. August 39. in Iohan. Hieron Catal. Scriptorum illustrium c. Grasserus comparing this booke with Daniel saith that they are alike in their Authors for as Daniel so Iohn was a man greatly beloued of the Lord If it bee demanded when he wrote this Booke Invita Ioan. Ierome answereth that hee wrote it when Domitian moued the second persecution after Nero the fourteenth yeere of his reigne And with him agreeth Ireneus a most ancient Writer Iren. l. 3. cap. 25. saying Iohn wrote the Reuelation almost in our time towards the end of Domitians Empire For Iohn liued longer than any other Apostle euen to the third yeere of Traian which was 102. from the birth of Christ according to Ierome which was six yeeres after hee wrote this Booke which was written Anno 96. And for this cause it is placed after all other bookes of holy Scripture because it was written after them all in time Reuel 22. and is as it were the seale of them all being fenced with a charge of adding no more as the first Bookes written by Moses were Deut. 4. Secondly touching the authority of this Booke Grasserus sheweth that it was sometime refused for canonicall amongst Christians as Daniel was amongst the Iewes because of the obscurity through which it was thought little beneficiall to the Church to be read But as Daniel was after the captiuity receiued into the Canon and afterwards had Christs owne testimony Rab. Samuel prooemio in Comment Dan. Mat. 24.15 though the Rabins doe still dispute whether it ought to be reckoned amongst the immediate workes of the holy Ghost so this reuelation was very anciently receiued into the Canon witnesse the Councell of Ancyra in the appendix which was before the Councell of Nice and the third Carthag Councell Can. 47. And good reason seeing it was written by an inspired Apostle and is testified by the Author to be the Reuelation of Iesus Christ Neither is there any doubt made of the authority of it at this day no not amongst the Lutherans themselues though Luther sometime in translating the new Testament left it out for the obscurity Touching the scope of this booke the ancient Fathers haue giuen vs little or no light into it For howsoeuer some of them haue written vpon it as Iustin Martyr Ireneus Lugdunensis Ieron in vita Iohan. Eus l. 5. c. 25. and Melito Sardensis as testifieth Ierome and Eusebius yet we want their bookes but onely that Ireneus hath something touching it lib. 5. cap. 21 23 25. and Augustine lib. 20. de Ciuit. Dei cap. 7. vsque ad 18. yet so many of later times haue written hereupon as that one a popish Writer numbreth 100. Alcasar But they of that side haue rather written to bleare mens eyes from seeing the truth than to inlighen them herein They generally referre the things here foretold to the end of the world when Antichrist shall come and tyrannize but three yeeres and a halfe whereas the Author of this booke testifieth that these things must shortly come to passe Vers 1. The obscurity of the things here deliuered hath deterred men anciently from writing vpon it For so Saint Augustine confesseth saying In the Reuelation there are many obscure things that may exercise the minde of the Reader Lib. 20. De ciuit Dâ—i c. 17. Obscura multa leguntur vt mentem legentis exâ—râ—â—al pauca in co sunt ex quorum manifestatione indagentur caetera cum labore maximè quia sic eadem multis modis repetit vt alia atque alia dicere vidcatur cum aliter atque aliter haec ipsa dicere inuâ—stigatur Epist ad Paulin. and there are few things in it by the manifestation whereof other things may be found out with labour chiefly because he doth so repeat the same things many waies so as that he may seeme to speake diuers things when as indeed he is found out to speake the same things diuers waies And with him Ierome consenteth saying The Reuelation of Iohn hath as many Sacraments as words in euery word many vnderstandings lie hid For this cause euen they which haue written vpon it haue generally acknowledged that they were a long time afraid to aduenture vpon so difficult a worke but sith experience in these latter daies doth helpe much to enlighten these darknesses they haue professed that they haue with great assurance set forth their expositions reaping rather
more comfort and support from hence than from any booke of the holy Scriptures besides And for mine owne part I must needs confesse that almost twenty yeeres are now past since my entrance into the Ministery before I durst attempt any thing about so great a worke Amongst all the best Writers that I haue seene it is generally agreed that the scope of this booke is to set forth both the estate of the Church of God then vnder the figure of those Churches in Asia and thenceforth to the end of the world Onely some doe so vnderstand all things after the fourth Chapter to bee spoken of that which was to come as that they admit of no mixture of things past whereas others vnderstand in some of the visions a representation of some things past also for the more orderly proceeding to things to come Againe some expound the Epistles to the seuen Churches as Propheticall others only as Historicall granting that in them all are indeed admonishished whose case is alike Lastly some hold that euery succeeding vision almost setteth forth a new thing to come but others that the whole period of time to come from the daies wherein this booke was written with the most notable euents are comprehended in euery vision and so the same things are againe and againe iterated vnder diuers similitudes the former setting them forth obscurely the latter more plainly But whether coniecture be most probable we shall see in the proper places as we shall come to them in order Concerning the title of this booke with the singular commendation thereof in the three former verses there is no difference amongst Expositors For all agree that the Apocalyps in Greeke or Reuelation in English is an opening of hidden things such as all things to come are and therefore though they bee but darkly reuealed yet not so darkly but that wee may by diligent search vnderstand them else how is it a Reuelation Neither is it lost labour to take great paines to vnderstand what is here reuealed Vers 3. seeing they are pronounced blessed that reade and heare and keepe that which is here written And whereas it is intituled Vers 1. The Reuelation of Iesus Christ which God gaue vnto him it is by all agreed that this title is put vpon it for the honour of the worke and because it was not Iohn but Iesus Christ that reuealed these things by his Angel vnto Iohn and it is said to bee giuen him of God in respect of his humanity Lastly whereas it is added The time is neere it is to be vnderstood in respect of God to whom a thousand yeeres are but as one day That which followeth Vers 4 5 6. vers 4 5 c. giueth more occasion of question Why doth Iohn direct this booke to the seuen Churches in Asia and not to all Christian Churches in generall Quest if these things concerne all To this one saith Answ Fox That this haply is not done without a mystery the number of seuen being a number of perfection and so all Christian Churches wheresoeuer are saluted vnder their name or else because the Holy Ghost foresaw the power of Satan in persecuting to be first exercised against them as the euent also declared And this exposition is followed by Brightman and some others But because here is not only the number of seuen generally set down but also a particular enumeration of these seuen by name shewing that these are principally and first meant here others only by way of consequence or deduction laboring with the like vices or endued with the like vertues I rather subscribe to Pareus with whom also Gorran saith the same That this first vision doth directly concerne those seuen Churches only the rest all in generall This Asia was the lesser a part of the greater Asia in the seuen principall Cities whereof Iohn had founded Churches but being now banished hee is directed to admonish the Bishops left behind him of their duty And thus much shall suffice to haue spoken of these Churches here whether they be typicall and how shall be considered in the proper place I hasten now to another question in this salutation Quest whom he meaneth when he saith Which is which was and which is to come and by the seuen Spirits and Iesus Christ If the three persons in the Trinity why is eternity appropriated to the Father onely and if the Spirit is but one why is he called the seuen Spirits and why is Iesus Christ the second person in the Trinity placed last contrary to the order of all other Scriptures It is agreed by all Answ that here are set forth the three persons of the Trinity but how there is some difference Brightman telleth of one Arethas Brightman that by the first words Which is which was and which is to come vnderstood the three Persons of the Trinity because the Father is elsewhere also set forth by this name Which is Exod. 3.14 the Sonne by this name Which was Ioh. 1.1 and the Holy Ghost by this name Which is to come Ioh. 16.8 but this hee disclaimeth because there is such a distinct enumeration of the three Persons as that this must needs be vnderstood of the nature of the Deity ascribed onely to the first Person to set forth his constant and immutable truth in his promises vnder the Gospell which is vnder the Law which was and at the end of the world which is to come Some referre this description to Gods Essence onely but it is most probable that God hath thus set forth himselfe for our sakes that wee might haue comfort in his certaine accomplishment of his promises and therefore a word is vsed to set him forth already comming 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this truth present past and to come is ascribed to the first Person onely as to the fountaine and Author respect being had to the order of doing but it is common to all three persons onely because the Sonne and the Holy Ghost execute these things it is not ascribed here vnto them Againe touching the seuen spirits the same Author saith that the holy Ghost is thus called respect being rather had vnto the gifts of the spirit in the Saints than vnto his nature and thus he is said to stand before the throne not as inferiour but for orders sake here and elsewhere the Spirit and the Son are spoken of as ministring to the Father because by them the things here set forth are immediatly executed Lastly the Sonne is put in the last place in regard of the large description of him intended as by whom wee are made partakers of all benefits Pareus reckoning vp diuers expositions of these words which is which was and which is to come Pareus some vnderstanding them of the Sonne which is one God with the Father which was in the beginning and is come to iudge all men and some of the Father which is of
himselfe hauing his beginning from none which was before all time which is to come to iudge the world some of the essence of the Trinity euery Person being by this periphrasis vnderstood expoundeth them of God the Father though common to euery hypostasis as a periphrasis of his eternity which is now was before all worlds and shall be for euer and euer for so which is to come is to be expounded which shall be without any mutation or shadow of change and hee obserueth the same description of the Sonne vers 8. Touching the seuen spirits hee sheweth that some haue taken so great offence at this that they haue reiected this booke for setting forth seuen spirits when the Spirit of God is but one Some againe by the seuen spirits vnderstand the seuen Angels that minister before the throne of God as Lyra Andreas Ribera c. for there are seuen principall Angels to whom the care of mankinde is committed of whom it is spoken Tob. 12.15 I am the Angel Raphael one of the seuen which are before the Lord and Clem. Alex. saith Lib. 6. Strom. There are seuen Angels who haue the greatest power by whom God prouideth for all men But this cannot stand because he prayeth for grace from the seuen spirits to giue which is a propriety of the godhead onely and therfore the seuen spirits are ioyned vniuocally with God the Father and the Son as being together with them the efficient cause of grace By the seuen spirits therefore in this place is to be vnderstood the holy Ghost according to the most common exposition both of ancient and moderne Diuines it is called seuen spirits either for the multiplicity of graces or reference being had to the seuen Churches for which it is as sufficient as if there were seuen spirits Touching Iesus Christ put in the last place it is to bee vnderstood that a precise order is not obserued in other places in speaking of the Trinity for 2 Cor. 13.13 Iesus Christ is first named and then God the Father All other expositors speak almost to the same effect so that what hath already beene said may fully suffice for the resoluing of all these doubts without adding more Whereas there is a little difference in expounding that periphrasis of God which is which was and which is to come vnderstand both his eternity and his immutable constancy and it will easily be reconciled and so it will be no small comfort vnto vs to consider that God will be the same gracious God vnto his Church that euer he hath beene and is so farre from delaying as that he is euen now vpon the point of comming to accomplish what he hath promised Quest Why is Christ called a faithfull witnesse and the first-borne from the dead When as it is to him that all others giue witnesse and hee is not the first that arose from the dead for Elisha raised one and Lazarus was raised vp before and many dead bodies of the Saints arose at the time of his passion Answ The threefold office of Christ by the consent of all is here set forth the faithfull witnesse his Propheticall the first-borne from the dead his Priestly Prince of the kings of the earth his Kingly office and he is called the faithfull witnesse as the head and chiefe of all that with their bloud haue sealed the truth the same is said of him also Ioh. 3.11 chap. 5.31 32. chap. 18.37 1 Tim. 6.13 1 Ioh. 5.7 He is said to be the first-born from the dead because the chiefe and the Lord of all who arose from the dead by his owne vertue and shall raise vp all at the last day And of these offices the first thus set forth serueth to shew the vndoubted certainty of these things and the other may comfort vs in respect of our resurrection whereof his rising againe is a certaine argument when wee shall bee borne againe to immortality as we were first borne to corruption Quest How are wee made Kings and Priests vnto God Vers 6. and wherefore are these things commemdrated Answ Wee are made Kings Rom. 8.16 because assumed to bee coheires with him of the kingdome of heauen Rom. 12 1. and Priests because wee offer our selues vp as a liuing sacrifice vnto God when we mortifie our sinnes Now this together with his loue towards vs and his washing away of our sinnes are reckoned vp as three effects of his threefold office giuing vs perpetuall occasion of ascribing all glory and praise vnto him Quest Why is mention made of his comming with the clouds when they that pierced him shall see him Vers 7. Answ For the comfort of the godly and for the terror of the wicked for though he may seeme for euer to be absent in the midst of so many miseries endured by his Church yet hee shall come againe to iudge and reward euery man according to his workes at what time the cause of the Church shall bee vindicated and his bloudy and cruell enemies which haue pierced him shall weepe and waile and seeke in vaine to hide themselues from his angry and terrible presence And it is to be noted that he saith He shall come with the clouds not in the clouds to intimate his diuine maiesty this being a part of Gods glory in his going forth Psal 97.2 Clouds and darknesse are round about him Quest Why is it againe repeated which is which was Vers 8. and which is to come Alpha and Omega Answ Ribera expoundeth this of the Trinity as if these words were the beginning of the vision but by the consent of all others it is spoken of Christ to put it out of doubt if any should question his comming to put his enemies to confusion for there is no doubt to be made hereof because he is the Lord Almighty thus he was at the first and thus he will bee at the last That it is spoken of Christ appeareth also vers 11. and 17. and so it is applied by Nazianzen Orat. 35. Ambros lib. 2. cap. 3. de fide and Athanasius in Matth. 11.27 Whereas he addeth saith the Lord this is done after the manner of a Prophet And hitherto of the proeme or entrance of this booke now followeth the body of it which Pareus diuideth into seuen visions the first whereof is from vers 9. of this Chapter to the end of the third containing nothing propheticall but altogether doctrinall and historicall The other six visions are altogether propheticall of things to come but onely in three places where the argument of the vision requireth a repetition of some things past as Chap. 12. where is a repetition of the first beginning of the Gospel and Chap. 17. where mention is made of fiue kings which had beene before and Chap. 20. the beginning of the binding vp of Satan for a thousand yeeres being begun fiue and twenty yeeres before at the destruction of Ierusalem when the Iewes had no further power
hereafter CHAP. XIV AND behold a Lambe standing vpon mount Zion Quest 1 Vers 1. and with him an hundred forty and foure thousand hauing his Fathers name written on their foreheads c. Who are these and to what time is this to be referred What is that musicall voyce which commeth from heauen and the new song sung there which none could learne but these one hundred forty and foure thousand And what is meant by saying that they are virgins and follow the Lambe and that they are the first fruits vnto God and that no guile is found in their mouth c. Answ I will not delay the Reader much here with diuersity of expositions for this place as I take it is parallel to that in the seuenth Chapter so that as there after much violence and bloud-shed of the seruants of God spoken of before it is added as a comfort that of euery tribe were sealed twelue thousand making vp all together this number of one hundred forty and foure thousand In calling him the Lambe he taketh vp the speech vsed Chap. 7.8 All worship the beast whose names were not written in the booke of life of the Lambe which stood fast vnto the truth of God notwithstanding the danger of those persecuting times solikewise here after the beasts bloudy proceedings against all that would not worship him spoken of in the fore-going chapter this comfort is added that the Lambe Christ Iesus all the time of Antichrists reigne standeth vpon mount Zion that is is vigilant ouer his Church to preserue it from perishing and hee hath still with him euen in these times of greatest streights and hundred forty and foure thousand followers that is many thousands thorowout the twelue tribes of his whole Church dispersed ouer the world set forth thus in allusion to the old Church of God vnder the Law And these followers of his are vnmoueable as mount Zion that is most fixedly adhering to his truth for so the firme standing of the faithfull is described by the Psalmist saying Psal 125.1 They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion that can neuer be remoued And they haue Gods name in their forehead to set forth their constant confident professing of the truth of God all superstitions of Popery which are a marke vpon the forehead of those that follow the beast being vtterly abandoned And as after the sealing there an infinite multitude are brought in with white robes and palmes praising God with whom the Angels ioyne making a most sweet consent it being a representation of the ioyfull condition in heauen of such as haue suffered for Christ in this world but now are triumphing there that the languishing spirits of such as are yet militant vpon earth might be recreated the more cheerefully to beare the terrible brunts of hottest persecutions who were before set forth by the sealed ones so here is an intimation of an infinite multitude already reioycing in heauen in that he saith that hee heard the voyce as it were of many waters and of a great thunder and of harpers which sung a new song for these speeches may well set forth an infinite multitude whose noise is as the noise of great waters and great thunders but this seemeth to be spoken of their congregating together to this heauenly harmony which is performed as it were by harpes and singing of a new song that is a most rare and excellent song of the praise of God and of the Lord Iesus Christ which song the faithfull here doe learne but none else because none but they doe praise God all others magnifie the beast but these by their praising of God from honest and sincere hearts sanctified by the truth begin euen now to come into the quite of heauen to which they and none but they shall be vndoubtedly ioyned at the last praising God for their deliuerance perfected as now they doe for the fountaine and beginnings hereof the Lord Iesus Christ and his spirituall graces and the ioy of the holy Ghost resulting here-from whereby they doe euen now as it were sit together in heauenly places And as there an Angell is brought in questioning with Iohn and telling him who these were and of their perfect holinesse through the bloud of the Lambe set forth by white robes washed therein and of the Lambes being in the midst of them and leading them forth to the waters of life so here Iohn is directly informed that these one hundred forty and foure thousand of the Church militant are most excellent and worthy persons all immaculate and vnspotted before God both for that he imputeth no sinne vnto them being iustified by faith in the bloud of the Lambe and for that they haue kept themselues virgins vnto God not hauing committed fornication with the beast by idolatry who is afterwards called also the great whore and haue a simple honest heart like Nathaneel who is said to be without guile so that they could not be blamed either for the common vice of others by fornicating in such manner nor for hypocrisie and double dealing in professing the truth as aiming at some sinister end or by yeelding in shew vnto those idolatries thinking that as long as their hearts were right they might in shew be such for the safeguard of their liues These were not too blame any of these wayes for they were ready in giuing witnesse to the truth to lay downe their liues And they are said to be redeemed from the earth and from amongst men to note the power from whence they were inabled vnto this in what a most happy condition different from other men they are when others as men of the earth perish at the destruction of the earth and earthly things these are by the Lambe deliuered and made partakers of that fulnesse of ioy that makes their fellow seruants who went into heauen before to play and sing in such an admirable harmony And these are led forth by the Lambe for they follow him whither soeuer he goeth they follow him in suffering and they follow him into glory that where he is they may alwayes be Napier Pareus Brightman Fox c. That this is parallel to that in Chap. 7. most consent and it setteth forth the number of such as were not carried away with the common streame of corruptions preuailing in the time of Popery and the Lord Iesus appeareth most significantly as a Lambe because he yet suffered his enemies in their persecuting but he standeth to shew his vigilant care ouer his Church Arethas Some thinke that this is a diuers thing from that in Chap. 7. there being set forth the sealed amongst the Iewes here the sealed amongst the Gentiles some hold Alcasar that the faithfull vnder the persecuting Emperours are set forth but all things so fitly agreeing and this comming immediatly after the description of the beast as a thing contemporanean with him I can see no ground of such opinion It is