not only pronounce sinne to be forgiuen as the reformed churches hold and which they denie but properly to forgiue sinne Seeing Christ hath power ouer hell and death we must reuerence him do him all honour and obedience we can if we haue not done this already yet now to begin if we haue then to do it more Seeing he hath the key of death he can shut open saue and destroy But if we dishonour and disobey him then he will not shut but open the doore to death and hell to plague vs. We thinke all is well Christ he is a Sauiour and all shall be well he is mercifull and so make him our packehorse of our sinnes but we must know he is not onely a Sauiour but a Iudge he can destroy and saue open and shut he hath the key of heauen and hel and of death This is a comfort to the godly which cleaue to Christ that he can keep them frō hell death so as they cannot hurt them and this consideration might comfort vs in time of persecution in the time of sicknesse or any calamitie Write these things In these words he describeth Christ by a second action for after he had comforted S. Iohn now he giueth him a commandement which commandement was giuen in the eleuenth verse before and here repeated to Iohn againe First because Christ intended by this to shew Iohn his especiall care of his Church that he is now still a prouident and carefull head of his Church and therefore sayth not once Write these things but the second time that the Church of God might vnderstand in al ages to come that it is necessary mē should know the estate of the Church for else he would not haue repeated it againe if it had not bene very necessary It is necessary for men to know that the estate of the church is to be in troubles that they might the better prepare thēselues to beare thē Thirdly he doth it that S. Iohn might be more assured certainly of his calling to write and pen this booke Fourthly that the Church in all ages might be fully assured without doubt that this booke is a booke of God and part of holy Scripture not inuented by man but reuealed by God to Iohn for the good of the Church Obiect But though Christ reuealed his wil aright Iohn might mistake it and erre in penning Answ. S. Iohn penned this booke both for matter and maner as Christ gaue it to him for this we must know that there is a difference betweene Apostles and Prophets in the old and new Testament and Ministers of the Gospell for they were called immediatly by God and Christ and had speciall assistance of the spirit of God which appeareth by those promises they haue made to thē by God as Christ saith He which receiueth you receiueth me c. Luke 10. 16. And It is not you which speake but the spirit of my Father therfore feare not And Iohn 14. The holy Ghost shall leade you into all truth which though some apply it to all Ministers yet if we mark the place it can agree to none but the Apostles And they meeting at Ierusalem concluded as it seemed good to the holy Ghost to them so that we see they could not erre though they were but men But it is not so with the Ministers of the word they may and do erre often Now S. Iohn being a faithfull Apostle he receiued this of Christ without errour and so penned it In this commaundement of Christ is a plaine diuision of this whole booke Write the things thou hast seene that is this vision I haue offered to thee the things thou sawest In the secōd place he sets downe the present estate of the church Thirdly the things to come that is the future estate of the church to the end of the world So that this booke containeth two things in it first the estate of the church in time present secondly in time to come to the end of the world the words of Christ make this diuision plainly If it be lawfull to vse diuisions then it is lawfull to set downe rules for direction of diuiding aright but the first is lawfull ergo the second Therefore the art of reasoning and diuiding as also Rhetoricke is not vnlawfull as some would haue it The mystery of the seuen starres Here is the third action of Christ which is the interpretation of the vision which he had shewed to Iohn and he onely interprets the principall parts of it Now Christ expounds this visiō to Iohn namely because he was to shew himselfe to be an holy man of God namely a Prophet Now the principall thing in a Prophet is to be able to expound visions either his owne or any others as we see in Daniel Now that he might shew himselfe to be an absolute Prophet in this booke Christ doth not onely shew him the vision but the intertation of it he expounds it that Iohn might be incouraged in penning and receiuing the things in this booke Now Christ expounds not the whole vision but the two principall parts what is meant by the seuen starres and seuen candlestickes namely by the seuen starres seuen Angels of the seuen churches by the candlestickes we shewed before In this verse note why Christ expounds the two principall parts leaues the rest vnexpounded The reason is first because Christ hath giuen his church power to expound visions and scripture Now if he had expounded euery part and circumstance then there had bene no matter left to the church to exercise her power Secondly to stir vp to diligence study of the scripture both Ministers all mēbers of the church for if all were plaine then men wold be idle neuer take paines to interpret the word therefore Christ expounds the chiefe and leaues the circumstances and appurtenances for the church to interpret Thirdly that men might dayly grow in knowledge of the Scripture for if all were knowne at first they would not study to increase in knowledge fourthly to stir vp inuocatiō for grace to vnderstand Scripture Now these Ministers are called Angels which be the Pastors and Ministers of the church Mat. 11. 10. Iohn Baptist is called Christs Angel or messenger or Ambassadour By this we haue direction to expound another place of Scripture where it is said Women must be couered because of the Angels that is because of the Ministers for the couering of the head in the church of Corinth was a signe of subiection and inferioritie contrary to our vse Now the women when they come into the congregation before the Ministers they must be couered to shew their subiection and submission to the Gospell and doctrine deliuered to them Seeing Ministers be called Angels that is messengers and Ambassadors they must behaue themselues as Ambassadors they must haue speciall care first of the matter of the ambassage secondly of the maner that they deliuer nothing but their Lords
taught by his grandmother Lois and Eunice his mother in the Scriptures But hence some gather without ground that as a womā may not teach so not gouern But this cannot be proued out of the word and it hath no force For though a woman may not teach and stand in Christs stead in the congregation yet she may gouerne and stand in his stead in the Common wealth be a Queene Dutchesse Countesse c. For there is special reason why she may not stand in Christs stead in the Church seeing men onely so stand in his stead for Christ tooke on him the person of a man not of a woman but that letteth not but she may stand in his stead in the Commonwealth if she come to it by succession seeing it is her patrimonie and inheritance And we haue great cause to blesse almightie God for the gouernment of a woman more then any which euer yet ruled ouer vs. But it is said the man is the womans head therefore he must beare rule not she Ans. He is the head that is more excellent as he is man but not in regard of any gifts for a woman may passe a man in grace and gifts of God and other respects and so may haue rule ouer the man though he be more excellent as he is man she inferiour as she is woman The second fault reproued in the Church of Thyatira is the suffering of a woman to teach and seduce Then as to suffer a woman to teach openly in the Church is a fault so to suffer her to seduce is a fault likewise Seeing Christ reproueth them for suffering her we see it is not left to mans will to teach and hold what he will but men must be restrained that they teach and hold nothing which standeth not with the word of God they must reproue patrons and defenders of sects and schismes and new doctrines for which our Church is to be commended which hath lawes for Papists Protestants and Recusants which is both lawfull and commended by Christ. To aggrauate these two faults he describeth her by her properties first that she is called Iesabel that is one like Iesabel secondly by her action she called her selfe a Prophetesse First the woman Iesabel But why doth Christ call her so First because this woman was like Iesabel and did in her person reuiue the wicked manners and opinions of Iesabel for as Iesabel was an idolater brought in idolatrie the worship of Baal among the Israelites so this woman in the Church of Thyatyra Secondly as she was giuen to fornication so this woman was a maintainer and teacher of the same Thirdly as Iesabel was a woman of authoritie and by her authoritie did countenance and defend her sinnes false religion and the worship of Baal so this woman was also of great authoritie and by the same taught and maintained her diuellish opinions In this reason see the practise of the diuell who laboureth in ages following to renew and reuiue the vices and sinnes which were before their errors For as he had Iesabel in Ahabs time who was a patron of fornication and idolatrie so in the Apostles time he had this woman who renewed these opinions another Iesabel like her The end is to further his kingdom for the diuell seeth that these meanes most dishonour God hurt his kingdome and most of all build his kingdom and so he dealeth in al ages to reuiue the opinions errors scismes of old So they which follow Machiauel imitate the doings of Achitophel So the Papists reuiue the errors of the Scribes and Pharises they which separate themselues frō our Church the opiniō of the Donatists the Family of loue the error of the Valētinians The second reason is because by this name he might draw thē to dislike of her and not to follow her but that she might be in as great disgrace as Iesabel was in the old Testament And this Christ doth to teach vs in reading the bookes of the old and new Testament if we reade of any wiked men that we should dislike their vices and errors take heed of them and auoid them nay if we see them in vs we must dislike our selues for them and contrarily if we reade of a vetruous man or woman we must imitate their vertues like and loue them and our selues for them if we haue the same The second argument whereby he describes her is her action Which calleth her selfe a Prophetesse that is she doth chalenge to her selfe to be such a one as taught the word by the instinct and help of Gods spirit and that all she taught was the word of Gods spirit She taught fornication was no sinne and that one might go into the Idoll temple and eate of their offerings and yet she pretends all to be done and taught by Gods spirit making him the teacher and author of her errors Seeing wicked men and women father their errors on Gods spirit we must labour to get the spirit of discerning to know whether the spirit be of God or not and we must not be of no religion because many teach false doctrine but rather labour to haue the spirit of discerning to try the spirits which we heare Againe when we are accused or slandered we must be content for we see this woman taught false doctrine and yet fathered it on Gods spirit which indeed was not of him but of the diuell and so made him the author of errors Now if the Lord be thus dealt withall made the author of lies by wicked men shall not we be content if we be slaundered who by our sinnes deserued the same As she chalenged her selfe to be a Prophetesse so she proued her selfe to be one namely by her owne testimony and her owne word she said she was one Here Christ sheweth the note of a false Prophet namely a mans owne word and testimony but a true Prophet hath many tokens and arguments to proue him to be so As in the Primitiue Church they spake sundry tongues without study often wrought miracles as seales of a true Prophet Secondly they held vnitie of doctrine in integritie of life and conuersation to confirme their callings Thirdly they had excellent gifts giuen them of God as zeale courage and constancy to maintaine their callings which were extraordinary but this woman had nothing but her owne word and bare testimony In the second place the more to disgrace her and the church of Thyatira her teaching was described by the end which was to deceiue men Here is another marke of a false Prophet to teach to seduce and draw men to some sinne or wickednesse The end of true teaching is godlynes but of false it is to draw men to sinne in life and conuersation After he describeth her seducing by two arguments first the persons my seruants secondly the meanes to make them commit fornication and to eate of things offered to idols For the persons my seruants this increaseth her fault seeing they
propoundeth doctrine to mens consciences to be beleeued vpon paine of eternall death Christ sheweth in the bookes of the old and new Testament that no man can make one article of our beleefe nay he which teacheth any other doctrine then that is accursed Gal. 1. Secondly Christ hath absolute power to prescribe regiment to his Church how and in what maner and also the persons by whom it shall be gouerned So Moses made the tabernacle according to the patterne Christ shewed him Salomon built the Temple according to the forme he saw by reuelation 1. Chron. 28. 12. Thirdly Christ hath authority to prescribe times for his worship to appoint Sabbaths c. And Gen. 1. as he created the Sabbath so hath he power alone to alter it no creature can prescribe a time to Gods seruice to the end of the world but Christ alone Then it is not true that the Church hath power to appoint two Sabbaths in one weeke or one in many weekes for it is Christs honour to prescribe his worship and the time of the same The second part of Christs soueraigne power is to iudge to haue power to determine of his owne will without helpe of any man or Angell And in this regard it belongeth to him to giue sense of the Scriptures he alone gaue them he is the lawgiuer and must expound his owne law Secondly Christ alone must decide questions and controuersies concerning faith Then the Church hath not any such power but from Christ by helpe of the written word by which Christ expoundeth them to vs. The third part of this soueraigntie is that Christ can saue and destroy open and shut he alone hath the keys of heauen and hell he can open that is pardon sinne properly And he alone promiseth this pardon and can performe it being God and as he giueth the pardon for sinne so he giueth also eternall life sauing mens soules Secondly he hath power to shut to cast some into hell and to destroy when men liue in sinnes and dye in thē without repentance he hath power to hold men in sins after to cast them into hell and shut them vp for euer Seeing Christ prescribeth this doctrine to the soule and consciēce to the most secret part of mans soule such doctrine as can saue and destroy we see Christ he is Lord of the Church he is Lord of the most secret wils and affections of the chiefest part of the mind The Papists say that by vertue of this key of Dauid Christ can set vp and depose kings and princes at his pleasure but this they hold craftily to bring in the damned power of the Pope But it will do them no good for Christ as he is Mediator of the Church and gouernour thereof he deposeth none he maketh no king but as he is God so he maketh and pulleth downe at his pleasure being farre aboue all men And hence kings are called Gods because they represent Christ as he is God Christ as he is Mediatour maketh men spirituall kings but he maketh not temporall kings but onely as he is God For if he had such power why did he refuse to deuide the inheritance saying Who made me a Iudge and to punish the adulterous woman confessing he was not a Magistrate From this power is another deriued frō Christ namely the power of the keyes which proceedeth from the power of Christ and by which power the key of Dauid is put in execution Mat. 16. 19. I will giue thee the keyes of heauen Now this power of the keyes is a ministerie granted to the Church of God to open and shut the kingdome of heauen First it is a ministerie that is a seruice and dutie for that which the Ministers do is but a seruice done to the Church and they be but seruants and stewards of Christ in the Church of God in gouerning it So then it is no authoritie but a seruice When Adam fell we all fell in him and he thrust himselfe and all mankind out of Gods kingdome by his sinne closed vp heauen gates against vs. Now since that fall Christ became man and in his manhood dyed for our sinnes and made satisfaction to God for them and this satisfaction of Christ is the thing which properly openeth the kingdome of heauen and nothing else properly Christ alone can open and shut the Church can only reueale and pronounce the will of God then no otherwise she openeth or shutteth but by declaring the same to be open or shut To the Church of God That is to the companie of true beleeuers called to saluation by Christ to them onely is this key giuen Mat. 18. 18. the promise is made onely to the Church and Gods people not to all societies of men The end of it is to open and shut How Christ he knew best Ioh. 20. 23. where he sheweth what is the key and what to open and shut namely to pardon and remit sinnes and no way else can men open and shut Now we must distinguish betweene giuing sentēce pronouncing that sentence The first belongs to Christ alone the second to man who forgiueth sinne not by giuing sentence but pronouncing sentence giuen alreadie by Christ in heauen And to make the church to forgiue sinnes properly is to robbe Christ of a speciall honor due to his Godhead Then the right vse of the power of the keyes is when the church of God vseth them onely in the name of Christ to open and shut first as his seruants and stewards secondly according to his will and word not mans traditions and affections Thirdly to bring sinners to saluation to beget and continue them in repentance They being so vsed haue a promise namely What you bind on earth is bound in heauen c. and it is the means by which Christs power is put in execution Now this power of the keyes giuen to the Church hath two parts first the ministerie of the word secondly spirituall iurisdiction The first Mat. 16. 19. namely the ministerie of the word is set downe and authorised by Christ I will giue thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen that is the word of God and whose sinnes thou shalt bind by that word they shall be bound by the cords of their sinnes in heauen c. This ministerie of the word is a key to open and shut two wayes first by teaching expounding the word of God and doctrine of saluation and this is a key Luk. 11. 52. You haue taken away the key of knowledge The key of knowledge is the doctrine of the word of God Secondly the ministerie of the word is a key in men lawfully called in that they apply in the ministerie thereof the curses of the law to them which liue in sinnes and the promises of the Gospell to the repentant heart So it openeth and shutteth the kingdome of heauen for that which the Minister pronounceth by Gods word to be bound on earth is fast bound in heauen
Peter is specially called Babylon Note that Ierome in this place accounted Rome to be Babylon the younger daughter of Babylon the elder And secondly that this was not his opinion onely but the consent of many other in his time and namely of such as vsed to interpret the Prophet Esay Thirdly and especially consider that he affirmeth Rome in the Apocalypse to be especially called Babylon So that Babylon in the Apocalypse by his iudgement can be vnderstood for nothing else but Rome because Rome is there specially figured by Babylon What meaneth Ierome so often to beate in this naile that Babylon is Rome If it had slipped out of his pen but once he might haue bene pardoned for his ouersight but when he hath neuer done writing that Rome is Babylon why should we account him any longer for a Catholike For in his Preface vnto the booke of Didimus De Spiritu sancto which he translated out of Greeke into Latine writing to Paulinianus he vttereth these words Cùm in Babylone versarer purpuratae Meretricis essem Colonus iure Quiritum viuerem c. Of late saith he when I was in Babylon and was an inhabitant of the purple Harlot and liued after the lawes of the Romaines I thought to intreat somwhat of the holy Ghost What needed Ierome in this place so odiously and contumeliously to call Rome by the name of Babylon but that he could neuer consider Rome otherwise but to be the See appointed for Antichrist For in other places where he interpreteth the Scriptures and Prophecies concerning Antichrist we may lesse maruell if he interpret Babylon for Rome because no reason could leade him to expound it otherwise But here talking pleasantly with his friend what necessitie compelled him to vse such descriptions of Rome but that this perswasion was so deepely grauen in his mind that Babylon is Rome that neither in earnest nor iest he could forget it but is alwaies harping vpon it as though he thought scorne to call Rome by any other name then that he had learned in the Scriptures to be Babylon and the purple harlot For in like maner writing to Marcella a vertuous Gentlewoman of Rome whome he allured to forsake Rome and to dwell neare vnto him in Bethelem one speciall reason that he vseth to perswade her is this That as Bethelem whither he wold haue her to repaire is situate in the holy Land and the place consecrated to the birth of CHRIST so Rome where she desired to remaine was the Babylonicall harlot according to the Reuelation of S. Iohn appointed for the birth of Antichrist which there should arise and exercise his tyrannie and from thence should deceiue the whole world with his wicked wiles But who so will reade the workes of Ierome may find yet more places in which he is bold to call Rome Babylon the very See of Antichrist Whereby it is apparant that it is no new or strange matter to seeke Antichrist at Rome when such old Doctors of the Church so commonly in Commentaries Epistles and other writings do teach vs that Rome is Babylon and the Scripture affirmeth that Babylon is the See of Antichrist But let vs leaue S. Ierome and see what other say of the same matter S. Ambrose writing a Commentarie vpon the Reuelation of S. Iohn is of the same iudgement Of the authoritie of the worke I wil moue no question at this time seeing it is commended to vs by Cuthbert Tonstall late bishop of Duresme who found it in an old Librarie and first set it in print vnder the name of that great S. Ambrose and is willing that men should so thinke of it It is good authoritie I say against the Papists being commended by so Catholike a Prelate and because they are wont to receiue whatsoeuer cometh vnder the name of an old Doctor though it be neuer so vnlike his writing and crie out vpon vs for reiecting at our pleasure the workes of auncient Doctors that make against our doctrine as though we reiected any without cause or they refused none for any cause whereas Pigius their great Patron blushed not to reiect the report of two generall Councels the fift and sixt of Constantinople which are commended to vs by publike faith of the Church of Constantinople because in the one Pope Honorius is condemned and accursed for an heretike and in neither of both the Popes Legates could haue the highest place according to the request of their ambitious Maister But as for this Ambrose if he were not Ambrose of Millaine yet is it apparant by the stile that he was some auncient Writer of the Latine Church and he throughout this Prophecie interpreteth Babylon to be Rome and Antichrist to be sought no where but at Rome Primasius also a very auncient Writer who likewise commenteth vpon the Apocalypse expoundeth these Prophecies of Antichrist to be fulfilled in the Romaine Empire and of the citie of Rome S. Augustine in his learned worke De Ciuitate Dei not once or twice but oftentimes is bold to call Rome Babylon and Babylon Rome as in his sixteenth booke and seuenth chapter he calleth Rome another Babylon in the West And in his eighth booke and second chapter he calleth Babylon of Caldea the first Rome and Rome of Italie the second Babylon willing men to consider that in the beginning of the citie of God which was the Church in Abrahams time the first Rome that was Easterne Babylon her enemie was builded in Caldea and about the same time that the first Babylon was destroyed lest the citie of God should lacke her enemie the second Babylon which is Rome in Italie was erected It is a strange matter that the same citie which is the professed enemie of the citie of God should be the mother of all religion and the very citie of God it selfe O Augustine thou wast not well aduised to make the Citie of Rome enemie to the Citie of GOD that Rome shold be the same to the Church of GOD that Babylon of old was to Ierusalem The same Augustine in the 22. Chapter of the 18. booke calleth Rome another Babylon and daughter of the first Babylon And in the 27. Chapter he calleth Rome westerne Babylon By these other testimonies of old Writers that might be brought but for tediousnesse I suppose it is sufficiently proued that Babylon in this my text spoken of is Rome and that we should not seek Antichrist to proceed from any other place then from Rome But what need I trouble my selfe to seeke further testimoniall for confirmation of this matter that Babylon is Rome then of the Papists themselues which affirme that S. Peter in his Epistle where he sendeth salutations frō the Church gathered in Babylon by Babylon vnderstandeth Rome And they learne it of Ieronime which in the life of S. Marke doth so expound it So greedie they are to find a place in Scripture where Peter should be said to haue bene at Rome that they are content to
LECTVRES VPON THE THREE FIRST CHAPTERS OF THE REVELATION PREACHED IN CAMbridge Anno Dom. 1595. by Master William Perkins and now published for the benefite of this Church by Robert Hill Bachelor in Diuinitie To which is added an excellent Sermon penned at the request of that noble and wise Councellor AMBROSE Earle of Warwicke in which is proued that Rome is Babylon and that Babylon is fallen Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord for they rest from their labours and their works follow them REV. 13. 13. LONDON Printed by Richard Field for Cuthbert Burbie and are to be sold at his shop in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Swan 1604. ⧠To the right VVorshipfull Sir Edward Montagu Sir Walter Montagu Sir Henry Montagu and Sir Charles Montagu Knights M. Iames Montagu Doctor of Diuinitie Deane of his Maiesties Chappell and M. Sidney Montagu Esquire the Ladie Susan Sandys and the Ladie Theodosia Capel children of that right worthy and religious Sir Edward Montagu of Bowghton in the Countie of Northhampton Knight and of the Ladie Elizabeth his worthie wife sister to the right Honorable Sir Iohn Harington Baron of Exton and father to the vertuous Ladie the Countesse of Bedford Grace and Peace RIGHT Worshipfull as the Patriarch Iacob had twelue sonnes so Christ the Messiah had twelue disciples but as Ioseph was beloued aboue all those sonnes so Iohn was beloued aboue all the disciples Ioseph was apparelled better then the rest and Iohn was inspired farre better then the rest Had it not bene for Ioseph Egypt had wanted her food temporall and had it not bene for Iohn the Church had wanted her food eternall The future state of Egypt was reuealed to Ioseph and the future state of the Church was reuealed to Iohn The one was exiled because his father loued him and the other exiled because his Maister loued him The place of his exile was into the Island of Pathmos being before by Traian put into a vessell of scalding oyle But that God who shewed his visions to Abraham in the mount to Iacob in the field to Ioseph in the stockes to Moses in Midian to Ieremie in the prison to Daniel in Babylon and to the Apostle Peter in the house of a Tanner euen he sheweth his visions to Iohn in his exile He is not bound to persons he can aduance whome he list he is not bounden to place he can reueale where he list For persons he can preferre Abel before Cain Iacob before Esau Dauid before Eliab Matthias before Iudas He can make Moses a Courtier Iob a Potentate Samuel a Iudge Dauid a King Salomon a Soueraigne Elysha a plowman Amos a Neatheard Ieremie a Priest Daniel a Prince Isaiah of the bloud Royall Matthew a Publicane Peter a Fisher and Paule a Tent-maker to be penners and preachers of the word of God For place as no time can prescribe against the King of a nation so no place can prescribe against this King of all nations The wind bloweth where it listeth and the Spirit worketh where it listeth It pleased Christ who is called in this Reuelation that faithfull witnesse that first begotten of the dead that Prince of the kings of the earth Alpha and Omega the first and last he that hath the keyes of hell and of death which hath that sharpe sword his eyes like fire his feete like brasse the seuen Spirits of God the seuen Starres in his hand the key of Dauid who is called here Amen the beginning of the creatures of God and in Daniel he that reuealeth secrets it pleased this Christ to reueale secrets to Iohn Not by dreame as to Iacob or apparition as to Moses or by voice as to Adam but partly by vision and partly by voice as he did when he turned Saule into Paule This Iohn was Legatus à latere that Ambassadour who leaned on his Lords brest He writeth Christs historie there he sheweth his loue to Christ he writeth the Churches historie there Christ sheweth his loue to him especially in this that he will do nothing which he doth not reueale to his seruant this Prophet For the Church in his time we may see how it stood in the three first Chapters and what condition it should haue for the time to come it is plainely set downe in the rest of this booke If we respect the generall estate of the Church after Iohn had described the authors of this Reuelation which are God the Father chap. 4. and Christ his Sonne chap. 5. he cometh to the works of God which are predictions cha 6. obsignations chap. 7. indignations chap. 8. 9. Predictions of things to come obsignations of such as must be saued indignation on things to be destroyed And for the more particular estate of the Church hauing chap. 10. shewed his warrant to write he cometh to her actions first in her Prophets secondly in her bodie In her Prophets their fighting falling rising chap. 11. In her bodie comparing her to a woman clothed with the Sunne chap. 12. and describing her by her combats conquests triumphs her combats defensiue chap. 13. and offensiue in Christ by words chap. 14. threatnings chap. 15. and iudgements chap. 16. her victories gotten against that whore chap. 17. and 18. the Beast chap. 19. and the Dragon chap. 20. And all that glorie which she shall haue in the kingdome of God is vnder the type of Ierusalem most comfortably set downe chap. 21. 22. The things in this booke were I grant very darke to them that liued in the dayes of Iohn as the Prophecie of Daniel was to them who liued in the time of Daniel But as that Prophecie being fulfilled we can now tell what was foretold in it so many things being fulfilled which were foretold in this booke we may easily see what is meant by it and the posteritie to come shall better vnderstand this booke then we do because it may be all things are not yet fulfilled Neither is this booke like the cities of the Anakims or the tree of knowledge which may not be reached to for blessed is he that readeth the words of this booke But to come to these three Chapters written by Iohn surnamed the Diuine expounded by one a most worthie Diuine The first Chapter is a Proeme or Preface to the booke the two latter are Epistles dedicating this booke The dedication is made to seuen seuerall Churches and by name to the Ministers which are called Angels In the word of God Ministers haue many excellent titles giuē them though now they are scarcely graced with titles they are called Prophets Seers Remembrancers Trumpets Watchmen Husbandmen Stewards Maydens Fishers
is for brethren to dwell together in vnitie Aristotle could say that parents were not blessed vnlesse they were after their death blessed in their children And surely it is no small part of a fathers blessednesse to see his children like to flourish when he is gone Nay of all monuments that parents can leaue behind them there is none as one saith like to a vertuous sonne But all parents are not so blessed Adams two sonnes could not agree in one field Abrahams in one house Isaaks in one wombe Dauids in one pallace nor those two brethren in the diuision of an inheritance And though concord amongst brethrē especially such as must deuide the inheritance be very rare yet do you euen in this most comfortably agree You are not as Simeon and Leui Romulus and Remus Eteocles and Polynices Atreus and Thyestes Aeta and Perseus but as Castor and Pollux Dauid Ionathan Ioseph and Beniamin and as a true friend is described to be one soule in two bodies It seemeth that as Agrippa the brother of Augustus was beholding to Salust for that one sentence Small things increase by concord but perish through discord so you haue all learned the same lesson as being perswaded that as the members of a bodie being once dismembred they cannot possibly be ioyned againe so if naturall brethren be once vnnaturally disioyned no glue will conioyne them fast againe It were infinite to shew examples of brotherly loue and hatred and others haue eased me of this paines Now that good God who hath brought you from one roote placed you in one countrie aduanced you to like credit and giuen you one heart giue you also one inheritance in the kingdome of heauen Thus right worshipfull I am bold to speake vnto you and the world knoweth I speake the truth and the Lord knoweth I desire not to flatter Go on therefore I beseech you continue in loue be setled in the truth and labour to honor him who thus honoureth you Be not caried away with the shew of this world but thinke religion the best nobilitie and that as Prudentius said Generosa Christi secta nobilitat viros Cui quisquis seruit ille verè est nobilis He noble is that comes of Christ his race Who serues this Lord he surely is not base And this made Theodosius more to thanke God that he was a Christian then a king considering that he must lose the one he could not lose the other Now as to one of you I am bounden in particular and by him being a Minister the despised Ministry is not a litle graced so for him I pray that he may be an Abraham to our Abimelech a Nathan to our Dauid a Iehoida to our Ioash an Ebedmelech to Ieremiah an Elisha to the widow of this Prophet deceased a light in the Court a trumpet in the Church and that Ahashuerosh may long hold out his golden scepter vnto him that by his meanes great men may not want such as will tell them the truth no earthly Alexander accounted a sonne of Iupiter and that no man may be more respected then a good Pastor and that he may euer remember that saying of wise Salomon He that loueth purenes of heart for the grace of his lips the King shall be his friend His Cyrus will not be spoken to verbis bissinis in silken words to his Alexander he needeth not speake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either sweet words or no words For if one Antiochus might be surnamed holy another good Prince called the Good King much more may he whose religious knowledge surpasseth all the Princes that haue bene of this nation and whose humilitie is such that he will haue his sonne to remember that he dissereth not in stuffe but in vse from the rest of his people and that by Gods ordinance I am the bolder for that one to make choice of you all in the dedication of this booke no man knew loued conuersed with and respected this Author more then he He resorted to him in his health visited him in sicknesse and preached a learned Sermon for him at his death Concerning this author as he said of Carthage I had rather be silent then say litle and his worthie labours do speake enough for him by name that his Posthume dedicated to his excellent Maiestie by an excellent Diuine In a word therefore whatsoeuer this man did he desired to profite others by it he thought as it is written of Bernard in his life that he was not his owne man but deputed to the seruice of others He was neuer idle but as Hierome reporteth of Ambrose and Bernard of himselfe he did either reade or meditate or pray or conferre or counsell or comfort or write or preach And thus as the Embleme is of a faithfull Teacher he like a waxe candle in giuing light to others in a short time extinguished himselfe Yet in this short time of his what art was he not a maister of what vertue was he not endued with He was a complet Diuine and hath this blessing in the Church that no mans writings are read of all sorts and in all countries with greater grace and profite then his He was peaceable in the Church patient of wrongs and free from ambition For as Ierome said of Nepotian aurum calcans schedulas consectabatur he regarded not his purse but followed his booke and as Bernard said he liued in terra auri sine auro in a kingdome of gold without gold An excellent gift he had to define properly deuide exactly dispute subtilly answer directly speake pithily and write iudicially and how he preached if these Sermons do giue a testimonie what witnesse had they who often heard him themselues I haue published of his now two Discourses and I onely did it that these his labours might not perish I haue no benefite by them but exceeding great paines And since I vnderstand that his other labours are in the hands of his friends to make benefite for his children I will ease my selfe of the like labour be a means that they may haue the benefit of the future impressions of this booke the which how faithfully I haue published I appeale to the godly and indifferent Reader and I hope no honest minded man will be hired to calumniate it Thus as one desirous to be seruiceable in my calling profitable to the Church not forgetfull of my friend and to testifie the happinesse of your house which was in your fathers time and is now as it is said of Aurelian the Emperors Referta piis Ecclesia Dei replenished with the godly and a Church of God and withall to leaue a monument of my dutie to you all I haue as you see published this exposition of seuen Epistles vnder your eight names nothing doubting but it will be as welcome to you as
by your countenance it may be profitable to the Church The God of heauen giue you all that blessing of blessings which if Ierome say true few men haue that you may transire à deliciis ad delicias go on from grace to grace and be a long time happie in this life and for euer happie in the life to come London Saint Martins in the fields from my worshipful friend Master Oldisworths house by which familie as Paul was by the house of Onesiphorus in the time of this late and I wish I may say the last visitation I haue receiued no small refreshing March 12. 1604. Your VVorships to command Robert Hill Fellow of S. Iohns Colledge in Cambridge LECTVRES VPON THE THREE FIRST CHAPters of the Reuelation REVEL 1. 1. The reuelation of Iesus Christ which God gaue vnto him MY purpose in choosing this text is to speake of the three first Chapters of this booke namely the seuen seuerall Epistles written to the Churches in Asia which containe sundrie vses instructions fit for our time and age Before we come to the matter we must consider of one question which is whether this present booke of the Reuelation be canonicall or not for some haue heretofore some now do call the authoritie of it in question But we hold that it is canonicall of equall authoritie with other canonicall Scriptures Our arguments and reasons be these The first is because the doctrine contained in this booke is Apostolicall as anie which diligently reades the booke may perceiue Secondly because the style and maner of opening and expounding the prophecie contained in it is Apostolicall that is plaine simple and easie if we consider that it is a prophecie Thirdly because this booke hath bene approued generally of all Churches refused of no one Church in any age since Iohn wrote it it was neuer called into questiō but of some particular man neuer of any whole Church Fourthly the things foretold in this booke came to passe as they were foretold As among the rest in one for all may appeare by that signe Iohn saw in the thirteenth Chapter two beasts came one out of the sea the second out of the earth the first signifying the Romaine Empire the second the Romaine apostaticall Church which both are come to passe in this last age Now follow the reasons which some alleage to proue it not canonicall but they be all of no force First S. Iohn he names him selfe in this booke where he neuer named himselfe once in all his Gospell no not then when he had iust occasion to name him selfe but sought to auoid it therefore they conclude that it is not his booke but written by some other and published in his name The reason is not good For there is great difference betweene an historie and a prophecie S. Iohn in his historie doth not name himselfe for there is no necessarie reason why one in an historie of another man should name himself But in a prophecie as this booke is it is more requisite he should mention his owne name And so did other Prophets as Ieremiah mentioneth his name in his booke at least an hundred times so Esay and Daniel in euerie Chapter mention their names Then seeing they do it so often it is no maruell if S. Iohn in his booke repeate his name yet he doth it but fiue times in the whole booke They obiect that his style in this booke is not the same with that he vsed in the penning of the Gospell Ans. The difference of the stile riseth from the difference of the matter seeing there he writes an historie here he pens a Prophecie Againe here he writes not his own words but those which he receiued from Christ by particular reuelation They say his booke hath bene reiected in diuerse ages as not canonicall Ans. It cannot be proued that it was euer refused of any generall Church but of some priuate man Now the disallowing of any priuate man cannot make a whole booke to be reiected for then the Epistle to the Hebrewes and Iames his Epistle should not be canonicall which be receiued of all Churches Now come to the words which containe two parts First a Preface Secondly a Vision The Preface first containes an entrance to his matter from the first to the ninth verse the vision from the ninth to the end of the chapter The Preface hath two parts First the title of the booke Secondly the inscription The title in the three first verses the inscription from the fourth to the ninth verse The title in these words The reuelation of Iesus Christ c. A reuelation is nothing else but a manifestation or discouerie of things secret in respect of men for the common good of the Church and so this word is taken here Reuelations from God in the Scriptures were of three kinds first by dreames secondly by vision thirdly by created voice of God face to face as we may see Num 12. 6. 8. 4. partly by vision partly by voice Now this was not by dreame for he receiued these things not by dreame vision or voyce alone but by vision from Christ and by voice from God so then it is mixt partly receiued by vision partly by voice vttered from God In these three first verses the Reuelation is described by seuen arguments first by the author Iesus Christ secondly the end thirdly the persons to whom it was directed fourthly the matter fiftly the instrument sixtly the manner of deliuering it seuenthly the fruit of the reuelation The first argument by which it pleaseth the holy Ghost to describe this reuelation is the author vz. Iesus Christ he is the author of it it comes from him It is called his reuelation in these respects first not to exclude the Father and the holy Ghost but to shew the speciall office of Christ for the peculiar office belonging to the second person is to reueale and to publish and to manifest the will of God the Father to the Church and for that cause he is called the Angell of the couenant the doctor of the Church the wisedome of the Father because his office is to reueale the will of his Father to man Secondly it is called the reuelation of Iesus Christ to teach vs to put difference betweene this reuelation and all satanicall reuelations for as God hath his true reuelations so Satan his ape hath his counterfeit reuelations and deliuers them in shew like to Gods but they differ much First the diuels reuelations be for the most part ambiguous and doubtfull that a man cannot tell how to take the speech and phrase he giues them in but the reuelations of God and that in this booke are certaine and in plaine tearmes deliuered Secondly the diuels reuelations be betweene him and his instruments wicked and bad men these in this and other bookes be to the godly to his children and seruants as here to Iohn and the Church
Thirdly the diuels tend to maintaine idolatrie errors and wickednesse Deut. 13. these to maintaine true Apostolicall doctrine and the true worship of God Thirdly it is called Christs reuelation to shew that Christ now ascending into heauen and entred into his kingly office doth still rule order and gouerne his Church and for that cause it is not called the reuelation of God the Father or of the holy Ghost but of Iesus Christ because he guides and gouernes the Church Seeing Christ Iesus now ascended into heauen entred into his kingly office doth giue his Church reuelations we see his constant care of his church in this last age of the world For as in the first age he gaue doctrine necessarie for saluation and that time and after he gaue his Church Prophecies so in the new Testamēt he published the doctrine of the Prophets plainly and also the doctrine of faith repentance by the Apostles and now after all these being ascended vp into heauen he hath no lesse care of his Church for he hath giuen it now in this last age a notable Prophecy and reuelation by Iohn Which God gaue vnto him These words be added to shew how he came by this reuelation and whence he had it he had it giuen him of the Father and these words explane the former to shew that Christ was the author of it God gaue him that is God the father not the whole Trinitie For where this name God is opposed to Christ there it signifies the first person namely God the Father and the first person is often called by this name alone God because he is first in order and the fountaine of the Deitie For Christ receiues his diuine nature and Godhead from the Father by communication the holy Ghost from them both the Father receiues it from none God gaue to him How can it be giuen to Christ seeing he was God and had all things Ans. We conceiue of Christs 2. wayes first as he is God secondly as he is Mediator and head of the Church and so he is both God and man As he is God the Father giues him nothing seeing he is by nature the same with the Father in all things saue in proprietie of persons Secondly he is conceiued as the Mediator not God simply but God-man or God made man and so he is said to receiue of the Father in respect of his manhood as he is God-man or God incarnate So he saith All power is giuen me of the Father Mat. 28. that is as he is Mediator and God incarnate and head of his Church Phil. 2. God gaue him a name c. not as he was simply God but as he was Mediator and in his manhood so here the reuelation was giuen him not as he was God simply but as he was head of the Church Mediator and God incarnate Neither can any say hence Christ shall be inferiour to the Father in regard of his Godhead for he receiues it from the Father as he is God-man not simply God and as he is man and Mediator he is inferiour to the Father and confesseth that in that respect God the Father is greater then all And Paule saith God the Father is the head of Christ. 1. Cor. 3. 11. 6. 3. as Christ is the head of the Church God-man Nay as Christ sits at his Fathers right hand he is inferiour to him not as God but as Mediatour and looke as he receiues all power of the Father so must he restore it againe as he is head of the Church Now followeth the meanes how he gaue Christ this reuelalation He gaue it to Christ and made him Lord of it so that he made this his royaltie and priuiledge for Christ being king of his Church and this booke of reuelation being part of his lawe to the Church he is king also of this booke as part of his law and royaltie Againe they were reuealed to Christ before they were reuealed to any creature man or Angel and that as he was man for his manhood being vnited to his Godhead he could not but know them ere any man or Angell knew them as he was man First we obserue that this booke of Canonicall Scripture is Christs he is Lord of it and the right of it belongs to him alone For as the lawes of a land belong to a Prince and to none else so these lawes the bookes of this Scripture they be Christs as his royaltie priuiledge for God gaue them to him and to none but him only and he sent his Angels to reueale it to the Church Now that which is said of this booke may be said of all the bookes of Scripture that as the royaltie and interest of this belongs onely to Christ being giuen to him alone so the same followes of all other Then hence I gather no man in the world hath authoritie aboue these lawes aboue this booke for this is Christs priuiledge nor of any other by proportiō For these be Christs lawes al must be subiect to them none must be aboue them for then it should follow that they were giuen to men as well as to Christ Iesus Hence it followeth that if all be subiect to these lawes then no man hath authoritie to dispense with the Scriptures or the Gospell of Christ for that is to make men to haue royaltie interest and title into these Scriptures Monarches and Princes haue great authoritie in their iurisdictions but they must all be in subiection to these lawes of Christ for they be indeed great haue authoritie ouer their subiects yea more ouer all causes yet only those which be the causes of men they haue no authoritie in causes of God as the Scriptures and the Sacraments Seeing these bookes be Christs royaltie and he alone hath soueraigne interest in the Church authoritie we note that he alone can expound Scripture without helpe of Scripture he alone can giue the true sense of Scripture Indeed men can giue the sense of Scripture by Scripture for they haue a ministerie here and by Scripture they expound Scripture but Christ alone without Scripture can giue the true sense of Scripture This condemnes the popish doctrine which giues the Church absolute power and authoritie to expound and determine of Scripture without helpe of the Scripture for that is to take Christ his royaltie and priuiledge and to giue it to men but Christ alone hath absolute authoritie to determine of his owne lawes men indeed in the Church haue a ministeriall iudgment by helpe of the Scriptures We see the excellencie of all the Scriptures which is the same with this booke Now this booke it is the gift of God to Christ Iesus his sonne yea a most excellent gift now this is not affirmed by any writings of men though neuer so excellent This should teach vs to reuerence the Scriptures more then any mens writings whatsoeuer Then this sheweth the blindnes of this age which delight onely in the hearing
and reading the writings of men contemning the word of God And yet the writings of men be sinfull and erronious euery way imperfect the writings of God holy certain and euery way absolute being giuen to the Sonne as he is king priest and Prophet To shew to his seruants cōcerning this testament shortly to be done In these words be 3. arguments for the description of this Reuelatiō First the end vz. to shew it secondly the persons his seruants thirdly the matter of it vz. things shortly to be reuealed The end of this reuelation was to manifest declare to his seruants to wit the Church of God his seruants and children to publish to them those things which should shortly be fulfilled and this is the maine drift of this Reuelation Hence then we note that the Papists erre who say that lay men should not haue the word but barre them the reading of the Scriptures but the holy Ghost saith this reuelation was to reueale things to come not onely to the Clergie nor to the doctors of the Church but to his seruants if so then to the lay man as well as the Clergie vnlesse they will say he is none of his seruants Then this I gather if that this booke being most hard must be learned of the lay man then those bookes which be not so hard must be learned and read and much more those which be more easie as the historie of the Gospell the Epistles c. Secondly the persons are the seruants of Christ this booke then of Reuelation belongs not to all men indifferently but it is written for the seruants of Christ that is such as repent of their sinnes beleeue truly in Christ and shew their faith by the fruites thereof in their liues And so the Lord saith he will reueale his secrets to his seruants the Prophets and the Lord will not keepe backe but reueale to Abraham the things he was to bring vpon Sodome and Gomorrha Then seeing those to whō the Lord shewes his will to whom he declares this book and others they must be his seruants we must not content our selues only to heare the word and receiue the Sacraments but we must seeke to be his seruants we must repent truly beleeue in Christ and shew this faith in obedience and then the Lord will more and more daily acquaint vs with his will And the cause why we heare the word daily and neuer profit but be as ignorant and blind as before the cause is because we be not his seruants we be bare hearers neuer practise that we heare in faith and obedience we repent not neither liue a new life by repentance in new obedience For else if the Lord see any which is his true seruant he approues of him he likes of him and acquaints him daily with his will and word increaseth his knowledge and obedience Secondly seeing that this reuelation is written for the seruants of Iesus Christ I obserue that Christ is true God the reason is because they be called his seruants that is Christs The reason stands thus he which is Lord of the Church the members thereof and also of Angels as it followeth after he is true God but Christ is Lord of men and Angels ergo he is true God His seruants not to all men to the whole world and euery singular man but to his seruants Hereby we see the opinion of those which hold God would haue all to be saued and cals all men is false For if he called all effectually then he would offer al the meanes to wit the word of God that so they might be called but he writes it not to all but to his seruants now that which is true of this booke is true of the whole Scripture The Lord shewed his word to Iacob not to all the world not to all nations as to him Psal. 147. 19. 20. he shewed to Iacob that is his true members his seruants and true Christians Now followeth the matter which is the fourth argument of the description of this reuelation vz. Things which shortly must come to passe and in this the matter of this booke is distinguished from all other bookes of the Scripture which speake generally of things either present or now past but this speakes of things to come The matter of this booke is described by two arguments first these things be necessarie they must be done Secondly by the circumstance of time shortly or quickly First the matter is things to come which must be done so speakes the holy Ghost in many places of the word As Christ saith shewing the necessitie Offences must come so Paule saith There must be heresies Act. 14. We must through manie tribulations enter into heauen c. So to Timothy they which be godly must suffer afflictions Shewing in all these places that things which are to come must necessarily come to passe But this doctrine agrees not with mans reason though it be the will of God for men will say If all things come to passe necessarily then it takes away mans free will for necessitie and free will can not stand together Answer They may Indeed constraint and mans will can not stand but mans will and vnchangeable necessitie may stand both together As I shew thus In God there is absolute free will yet he doth many things of necessitie as he willeth that which is good necessarily for he can not possibly will that which is euill but willes that which is good most freely So Christ he died necessarily he could not but die for he died in regard of Gods counsell and yet he died most willingly and gaue himselfe most freely to die when he suffered death ergo these two mans free will and vnchangeable necessitie though not constraint may stand together Men will obiect againe If things come to passe by necessitie then it is in vaine to vse anie meanes as to heare the word receiue the sacraments for Gods will must come to passe do we what we will do Answer These men must consider that as God hath appointed what things must come to passe so he hath appointed the meanes how they must come to passe Then seeing the Lord hath appointed as well the meanes as the ende we should by this necessitie rather be induced to vse the meanes then not to vse them To make this more plaine we must know there is a double necessitie one is absolute another is but in part I call that absolute necessitie which can not be otherwise possibly As that God liues it cannot be otherwise he is omnipotent he cannot but be so There is a necessitie which is not absolute but in part as when anie thing done is necessarie because it depends on necessarie causes As fire to burne this is not absolutely necessarie but in part because it depends on that order which God set in things in the creation It is not absolute for if God should change that order in the creation
then it may be fire should ceasse to burne as it did in the three children in the ouen Now in this place where he saith These things must be done it is not to be meant of absolute necessitie but of that which is but in part for they must come to passe necessarily onely in regard of Gods decree In them selues they be contingent necessary by the vnchangeable decree of God In regard of which decree of God all things which come to passe be necessarie yet can it not be inferred therefore man hath no free will For this necessitie taketh it not away neither the second causes but rather disposeth them and inclines mans free will Secondly the matter is described by the time shortly or quickly But how can this be true seeing things spoken of in this booke came not to passe a thousād years after which is a lōg time Ans. They may be said to come to passe shortly though a thousand yeares after in two respects First of God to whom a thousand years is but as one day Secondly in regard of men for though a thousand years seeme a long time to men ere it be expired yet when it is once past it seemes but a short time Which must shortly come He sets downe these wordes for two causes First to terrifie all carnall and carelesse men for it foretelleth iudgements and destructions to those which liue in their sinnes which be enemies to the Church of God and so it strikes a terror into their hearts seeing their destruction comes shortly And no doubt if anie carnall man could lay this to his heart that iudgement must come quickly it would rowze him if he belonged to Christ or else would terrifie his soule We here liue still in our sinnes though we heare the word daily we neuer repent of our sinnes But if we which be so carelesse wold consider that destruction and iudgement must come shortly to those which be carelesse it would stirre vs vp to repentance if we had anie grace Let these carelesse men let these consider that the hand of God may be on them quickly take hold on them ere they be aware Let the young man not runne on in his sins lest the Lord come ere he be prepared and prouided For the Lord will come quickly his iudgements they make hast and are not farre off they delay not Secondly the holy Ghost setteth downe this circumstance of time to arme the seruants of Christ the true members of the Church against all persecutions afflictions calamities which might befall them For the children of God being afflicted and crossed they might be impatient and discouraged but lest they should be so the Lord here telleth them that his coming shall be shortly they shall not alwayes beare the heauie burthen of afflictions on their shoulders but for a while a short time and then the Lord will come and ease them deliuer them and comfort their troubled minds lest they should be swallowed vp with griefe It followeth Which he sent That is which reuelation he sent and shewed by his Angell These words are set downe for two causes First to shew that S. Iohn he opened and published this booke not rashly but by calling and warrant from God This teacheth vs what must be our dutie in all our actions whatsoeuer we take in hand we must looke we haue our calling and warrant This was the Apostles practise as here S. Iohns he opened not this reuelation before he had speciall warrant So must we looke for our warrant in the word and till we haue it we must not enterprise anie thing If this dutie were practised there would be more conscience in the seruice and worship of God more care and conscience in our dealings with men then there is Secondly he setteth downe these words to get more reuerence and greater authoritie to this booke that it might more be accepted of and therefore he saith it was sent by an Angell to the Church And this is a verie good reason to get credite to it and reuerence For if an earthly Prince should write his letter to his subiect and withall send it by one of his gard no doubt the subiect would receiue it most reuerently The Scriptures they be the epistle of God sent to his Church not by anie but by his Angell then this should procure a thousand times more reuerence seeing God sends his letter to his Apostle S. Iohn and so to the Church by the hand of an Angell Now followeth the fifth argument of the description of this reuelation which is the instruments of this reuelation whereby it is conueyed from God to the Church and these be two First an Angell Secondly Iohn the Apostle or Euangelist The first instrument is an Angell by whom he sent this Reuelation to conuey it to his Church And so the Lord hath vsed their ministerie in other places of the scriptures So when the Law was giuen it was by the hand of an Angel Daniel had many of his dreames expounded by an Angell And the seuen visions in this booke of the Reuelation were shewed to Iohn by an Angell Yet we must take heede we gather not hence that we may worship them or pray to them because they be present about vs and see our wants but before we pray to them we must haue a commandement from God and a speciall promise that they can and will heare and helpe vs else we must not pray to them The second instrument is Iohn the Apostle and Euangelist which penned one of the Gospels that Disciple whom Iesus loued sonne to Zebedeus kinsman to Christ. Now to procure credit and more reuerence to his reuelatiō he describeth himselfe by two arguments First calling himselfe his seruant Iohn Secondly by an effect Which bare record c. First he cals him selfe the seruant of Christ not the Disciple of Christ not Christ his cosin or kinsman which he might haue done but he cals himself the seruant of Christ. For he had learned that which Christ speaks Mat. 12. 50. He which doth the will of my Father he is my mother sister and brother not he which is kinsmā or cosin but in this to do his fathers wil stands the note of his kinsman And in this to be the seruant of Christ stands the dignitie of a Christian. Had not the blessed Virgin Christs mother bene a seruant of Christ she had neuer bin saued by Christ. Then by this we see it is nothing to helpe a man to saluation to be borne of great kinred to come of Princes noble bloud but to be the seruants of Christ to do the will of Christ this is to be allyed and cosin to Christ. And if we will be the seruants of Christ we must become new creatures we must leaue off our old seruice and as S. Paule saith he knewe not Christ in the flesh but serued him in the spirit And we must not content our selues to be his
seruants in the generall calling of a Christian but in our particular callings For S. Iohn was his seruant not onely in beleeuing in him and obeying him generally but in beleeuing and obeying him in the particular calling of an Apostle So Paule he was the seruant of Christ not only generally but in the speciall calling of the Gospell in preaching the same This example of his and the Apostles must be our direction we must not content our selues with the generall calling of Christians but serue Christ in our particular callings It is not inough to professe Christ in publike assemblies to heare the word receiue the Sacraments but in our particular callings we must serue him at home as the magistrate not onely in his generall calling of Christianitie but in his particular calling as he is a magistrate the Minister as he is a Minister the maister of a familie as he is a maister and so all men in their particular callings must obey Christ. And if the maister of a familie come to the assembly heare the word receiue the Sacraments yet in his familie faile and performe not the duties of a maister he is but an hypocrite he is no true Christian though men accept so of him because he must be obedient to Christ both in generall and particular calling Now followeth the second argument by which Iohn is described namely the effect that he bare record of the word of God Which Iohn bare this record partly by preaching partly by penning the Gospell of Christ. And because the word of God hath two parts the Law and the Gospell he shewes in the next words that he meanes especially the Gospell of Christ adding Of things done and sayd by Christ. And lest any man should call his testimonie into question he saith he testifies that whereof he was an eye witnesse he saw it and therefore could not be deceiued and therefore his testimonie was true The end why he alleageth these words is to shew that he is a faithfull pen-man of this booke that so it might haue more reuerence for he which was faithfull in penning the Gospell of Christ the same also is faithfull in penning this Prophecie of the Church By these words we may gather that to testifie the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles to be the truth of God is a true note of a true Prophet And by these we may distinguish betweene a true Prophet and a false if they bring the doctrine of the Apostles and the Prophets it is true Deut. 13. If they worke wonders and their doctrine be to draw men from the true God they are false Prophets and must be put to death And our Sauiour Christ being asked of his authoritie he alledges Luk. 10. 1. Iohns testimonie and confirmeth Iohns testimonie to be true asking them this question The baptisme of Iohn was it from heauen or of men shewing that Iohn was a true Prophet seeing his Baptisme that is his doctrine was from heauen Hereby we see the difference of a true Prophet and false alledged by the Papists is no true difference for they say If one can worke miracles he is a true Prophet whereas Deut. 13. false Prophets may do that But the true marke of a true Prophet is the doctrine deliuered by the Prophets and Apostles and he which brings this though he can not worke a miracle is a true Prophet Now followeth the sixth argument by which this reuelation is described which is in the manner of propounding and deliuering of it to the Church And this maner and forme of deliuerie of it stands in foure degrees First God the Father giueth it to Christ the Mediator Secondly Christ the Mediatour and head of the Church giueth it to an Angell Thirdly the Angell conueyes it to Iohn the Apostle Fourthly Iohn directed and assisted by the holie Ghost deliuereth it to the Churches Now as this particular booke was so no doubt all the whole Scriptures were conueyed to the Church Now in that the Lord hath so conueyed his Scriptures to man we see his perpetuall care and loue of man and of the members of his Church Also we see the great excellencie and dignitie as also the perfection of these bookes seeing they were deliuered to man by God and by him he deliuers his will to his Church This shewes the blasphemie and sin of the Church of Rome who call the written word of God a dead letter a dumbe iudge they hold that generall Councels be equall to the word that the vniuersall consent of the Church is aboue the Scriptures it giues life and sense to them which otherwise they say of themselues be but an inkie and dumbe word But we see they be farre aboue all these for they be most absolute and perfect and also most excellent seeing they being giuen of God the Father to Christ the mediator and head of the Church and by him conueyed to an Angell who deliuers them to Iohn and he published them to the Church these degrees of the deliuerie of thē shew they be most excellent and perfect Blessed are they which heare c. Here is the seuenth and last argument of this description of the Reuelation which is by the fruite effect and the profite which comes of it being heard or read and ioyned with marking and attention it brings happinesse Blessed That is blessednesse which stands in the fellowship of God and life euerlasting belongs to them which heare and reade this booke and marke it keepe it in memorie remember the things contained in it being a prophecie of the estate of the Church partly present partly to come Blessed is he which reades Here the holy Ghost setteth downe the proper end of the Scriptures of this booke particularly For the ende of this booke and so of all other bookes of the Scriptures is to bring men to happinesse and felicitie and life euerlasting Ioh. 20. last the Scriptures be to make vs beleeue in Christ that so beleeuing we might haue eternall life 1. Ioh. 1. ◠He declared to them the word of Christ that by it they might haue fellowship with God the Father Sonne and holy Ghost which fellowship is true happinesse it selfe Ioh. 5. 39. Search the scriptures for in them you thinke to haue eternall life And in this they differ from all other books and writings of men For mens writings being penned either by the light of nature and so be thence erronious and misse of the end of happinesse and euerlasting life or else they be penned by them which haue light by by the word and so as they agree with the word they be grounded on the word and haue all their truth from it Seeing the end of this booke as of the other bookes of scripture is to bring men to happinesse we see the opinion and practise of the Church of Rome is damnable who barre the people of God from reading and hearing the Scriptures in their vulgar tongue for in barring them of
must haue our eares opened to become listeners and pliable to the word that when the Lord cals vs to do his wil we may answer with Dauid I am ready to do thy will O God Further after we haue read or heard the word we must practise that we heare in performing true repentance and laboring faithfully in our vocation for as we see men of trades become cunning by the continuall practise of their trades so if we practise true obedience in repentance and our vocation we shal be skilfull in the word It followeth Which are written in the booke of this prophesie The child of God must keepe and remember the whole word of God yet it is his speciall duty to keepe these prophesies which are to come So the Angell bids Daniel seale vp the booke of the Prophesie till the time come that is remember and keepe it diligently So Mathew 24. 15. When they shall see the abhomination of desolation speaking of things to come he would haue them to marke and remember what he saith Mat. 24. 25. Behold I haue told you before where he shewes that when any great things are to befall the Church then we must in these be most carefull to remember them For the time is at hand Here is a reason of the former words Blessed is he which readeth c. Seeing the time of the accomplishing of this Prophesie is at hand and must shortly be fulfilled therefore those be blessed which reade and keepe this prophesie and it is an answer to a secret obiection For they might haue said We need not reade this Prophesie seeing it shal not be fulfilled in our dayes but he addeth The time is at hand and so taketh that obiection away Now seeing these words were in the first verse and here repeated againe he would teach vs that they containe some waighty matter for vs to be considered and to be earnestly thought of Now S. Iohn addes these words for two causes first because the Church though it cannot be ouertaken with deadly sleepe yet it may slumber and be cast into some beginnings of sleepe as the fiue wise virgins though they slept not so carelesly as the other yet they all slept not a deadly sleepe but a slumber for in the Church there may be some remnants of security Cant. 5. 2. The Church sleepes but so as she alwayes listens as awaken being in a light slumber Now least the Church should be carelesse sleeping and drowsie the holy Ghost addes these words The time of the last iudgement is at hand Secondly he addes these words to confirme the Church and all the true members of Christ against afflictions seeing by these words he foretels them that they be to last but a short time the time of iudgement is at hand the affliction cannot long endure Then this should comfort those which suffer for Christ his sake In this that Christ foretels the Church that now in the last age the time is at hand we must be assured that whatsoeuer befalleth the mēbers of Christ shal shortly befal them temtations afflictions the crosse and calamity shall presently befall vs the time of iudgement is at hand it will presently befall vs. And if we had this confidence that the last iudgement is at hand it would make vs do all in good conscience stay vs frō many sins and the want of this is the cause of much mischiefe for so the bad seruant thinking his maister would defer his comming he smites and beates his fellow seruants And the old world liued in sinne and would not beleeue the flood should come though they were foretold of it till they were all swept away by water We then should lay this to our harts euer think the Lord is at the doore he is presently to come to iudgement And we ought the rather to thinke of this for we haue had ease peace and the Gospell flourishing this 8 yeares with all temporall blessings Now the state of the Church is now peace and now trouble and persecution Now then seeing these crosses which must fall on the Church they be to be done presently we cannot but looke for affliction and persecution after so long peace and preaching Iohn to the seuen Churches in Asia grace and peace c. In this fourth verse is the second part of this Chapter which is the inscription of this booke wherein is first the party which writes it and dedicates it secondly the parties to whō it is dedicated first the party which dedicates it is Iohn secondly the parties to whom the seuen Churches in Asia In the inscription are two parts first a dedication secondly a salutation contained from the fourth till the ninth verse In the dedication there be first the party which dedicates it secondly the parties to whom it is dedicated The party which dedicates it is Iohn who here againe in this fourth verse repeates his name yet so as he repeates no more but his bare name without any titles of commendation he repeats it againe to shew and certifie euery Reader of this booke that he was without all doubt the true pen-man of the holy Ghost in writing this Reuelation But though he repeate his name yet he doth not adde any titles of honour as he did in the first verse many titles of praise and commendation This he doth to giue vs a true patterne of modesty and humility which is neuer to speake in our own causes to our owne praises but onely in cases of necessity when Gods glory may be aduanced and the credit of our particular callings maintained This Paul practised who often humbles himselfe and cals himselfe the least of all the Apostles yea the chiefe of all sinners yet when the credit of his Apostleship came into question then he sets out himselfe shewing he was a true Apostle and aboue those which did falsly call themselues so 2. Cor. 11. So may we when the glory of God or the credit of our particular callings be in question set out our selues with titles of commendation The persons to whom he wrote were the seuen Churches in Asia concerning them note two things first he cals them Churches secondly in Asia Why writes he to the Churches rather then to the Church seeing there is but one true Church Ans. The Church may be considered first as it is the whole company of the elect and so it is but one secondly as it is parted and diuersly sundred into parts as in one country there is one Church or one part of the Church is in one city or towne another part in some other And there may be many Churches seeing euery congregation professing the Gospell of Christ is a Church being a member of the true Catholicke Church as the sea is but one yet there be many parts of the sea which lying against other countries are called by their names as the English French Spanish Italian sea So the particular Churches in particular countries townes and
cities be Churches though not the Catholicke Church but members of it Note first the matter of this book concernes the Church seeing it is a propheticall history concerning the estate of the Church from the time of Iohn to the end and therefore it is meet it should be dedicated to the Church Secondly it is dedicated to the Church seeing the true members of the Catholicke Church be the pillars and ground of truth not that their authority is aboue the word but because they preserue the scriptures as a treasury from age to age And they be pillars and grounds of truth because they giue testimony to the truth of Gods word 3. Because they publish the truth of Gods word in and by the ordinary ministery of the word and so the church being the pillar and ground of truth it is fit this booke should be dedicated to it Secondly he writes it not to all Churches but makes choise of these seuen Churches in Asia first because they were then most famous as the Chapters following and histories of the Church do shew Secondly he sayes not to the Churches of Ierusalem and of the Iewes but of Asia to shew them that which was long before foretold was now fulfilled namely that the Gentiles according as the Prophets foretold should be called which now was verified seeing the Gentiles dwelt in Asia Seeing Iohn wrote and dedicated this booke to the Churches in Asia many yeares after Christ not to the Church of Rome then we see that the Papists are deceiued who would haue their Church the mother Church and all other Churches must rely on theirs but if that Church of Rome had bene the mother and most famous no doubt Iohn would haue dedicated it to her But he doth dedicate it to the Churches in Asia shewing they were then more famous then Rome 2 Now followes the salutation Grace and peace c. Salutation is of two forts ciuill or religious ciuil as that which men vse ordinarily with one another 2. religious which is more peculiar and proper to the Church and so it is here a religious salutation And seeing the Apostles vse it commonly in all their Epistles may be called an Apostolicall salutation They vsed this in all their Epistles Grace and peace c. which they did because their ministery was of grace and peace and they made their salutation answerable to their ministery for their Apostleship stood in these two to preach the word and to pray for the people that they might haue grace peace And the apostles vse this phrase in manner of blessing for when their ministery stood in two actions in preaching and praying for the people vnder the second action of praying was contained this to blesse the people and so did the high Priests and Leuites as also Christ he vsed this so Ministers to shew their duty more fully after they preach the word they blesse the people Grace be with you Most excellent words and containe in them the summe and substance of the whole Gospell Grace signifies two things first Gods fauour and good will secondly his graces Here it signifies his fauour because in this salutation grace is opposed to peace which is a grace of God so that it cannot be meant of a grace of God then by it is meant his good will and fauour whereby he accepts of vs for Christ his sake S. Iohn begins with Grace first and not with Peace because grace is the ground of peace and all blessings graces of God We must first be in Gods fauour then we must looke to haue prosperitie and graces from God Grace is the ground of all blessings as of our election vocation redemption iustification sanctification of faith repentance and perseuerance in faith and repentance nay it is all in all in the matter of our saluation For this cause he begins with it And peace Peace is taken first for welfare and good successe in things of this world by Gods blessing Exod. 18. 7. Moses askes Iethro his father in law of his peace that is of his welfare and so it is partly taken in this place Secondly it is taken for that vnity and blessed concord we shall haue in the kingdome of God and so it is especially taken here And being thus taken it hath sixe parts first when we haue peace with God which is when we stand in the fauour of God reconciled to him in Christ Iesus Secondly when we haue peace with Gods Angels in that they guard vs and cary vs as a nurse doth her child in her armes that we hurt not our feete at any stone and when they reioyce at our good estate Psal. 91. 11. The third is peace with a mans selfe when his conscience will not accuse him but excuse and cleare him as when our conscience is washed in the blood of Christ Phil. 4. 7. this peace passeth all vnderstanding The fourth is peace with the church So Act. 4. 32. those which beleeued were all of one mind and heart had peace with each other So Esa. 11. 6. The wild beast and the Lion the Lamb and the Cockatrise and the yong child shall lie together Fiftly this peace fauor of God is with the enemies of God so far as it is for the good of the Church and the glory of God So Ioseph had peace in Pharaohs house So Daniel had peace with the Kings Eunuches for though he was free when the children were cast into the ouen yet he did not reuolt but being fauoured they saued him The sixt is peace with all Gods creatures beasts birds all creatures in heauen and earth Ose. 2. 18. The Lord will make a couenant betweene vs and all his creatures Psal. 91. 13. The child of God he shall tread vpon the lion and serpent and they shall not hurt him for when a man is in Gods fauour what creature dares to hurt him nay al the creatures are ready and willing to serue him Grace and peace As though he had said first you must be in the fauour of God you must haue vnity and reconciliation with and in Christ and then this peace welfare prosperity in all good things as farre as is necessary yea then concord and vnity with God and all his creatures will follow Whereas the Apostle wishes them grace in the first place he would teach vs that this Gods fauour is to be sought for aboue all things yea in the first place Psal. 4. 6. Many say Who will shew vs any good But Dauid he seekes this grace and fauour of God Lord lift vp the light of thy countenance vpon me let me be in thy fauour And often he sayes the Lord he is his portion inheritance and his lot shewing to be in the loue and fauor of God is to be preferred before all things in the world So must we seeke first to be in Gods fauour make that our chiefest care seeke it aboue all things but we litle
this last day when he shall see his Iudge with his eyes then it wil stirre it wil torment him it will attach accuse and condemne him it will lay to his charge his sinnes his contempt of Christ and his word his vnbeleefe in the time of grace it will be as a thousand witnesses to condemne him This should cause all men to labour to get a good conscience washed and purged in the blood of Christ which will not lay to our charge any one sinne but assure vs we be in the fauour of God which wil not make vs feare but looke vp to our redeemer and to reioyce in him We must take heed when our conscience lieth asleepe and accuseth not no not at death for it will then deceiue vs but search and examine our hearts and consciences and seeke to haue them washed and bathed in the blood of Christ. Lastly he confirmeth this doctrine of the second comming of Christ by a double note of asseueratiō Euē so Amen One of these is taken frō the Ebrewes Amen the second from the Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euen as we auouch a thing first by a simple and bare affirmation or negation secondly by an earnest asseueration thirdly by an oath Now in that S. Iohn vseth these two kinds of assuring in this weightie matter of Christs second coming we see our dutie we must not vse the like at any time or thing but onely in matters of weight and moment so S. Iohn here he shall come and that certainly vndoubtedly it shal be so Then the practise of thē is wicked which vse these words in matters of no weight at euery word and much more which bind euery word with an oath which is far more Yea though our Sauior oftē vseth these words of asseueration yet onely in matters of weight and moment and when the hearers were to be certified of the truth of a thing which was of importance 2 He would by this shew that the coming of Christ is certaine and most vndoubted and to make vs out of all doubt he addeth these two words of asseueratiō Euē so Amē most certainly it will come then we should often thinke of this matter for in our nature there is a corruption which perswadeth vs that the coming of Christ is not yet that we shall not be summoned either by generall or particular iudgement therefore as the wicked seruant we deferre the comming of Christ. To take away this corruption he saith he cometh yea certainely vndoubtedly he cometh and that out of hand Thirdly to shew a speciall note and marke of Gods child for he doth not onely asseuere but withall desireth and longeth for the coming of Christ Lord let it be so Amen let it euen be so They long for and desire Christ his coming to iudgment but the wicked could wish with all their hearts that it might neuer be The godly they know that when Christ shall come then they shall haue that crowne of immortalitie and glorie which he hath prepared for all which desire his coming But the wicked and they which are not reconciled to God in Christ nor assured of their owne saluation they cannot for their life once wish and desire the coming of Christ. So that by this one note we may iudge of our owne estates whether we belong to Christ or not for if we desire and long for his second comming to iudgement if we wish he would come quickly then it is a certain token and signe we be reconciled to God in Christ that we belong to him But if as yet we feele not this longing and hungring desire in vs then we must suspect our selues and labour to feele it euery day for it is the desire of the Saints and of all the true children of God After that S. Iohn had described Christ at large here in this eighth verse he bringeth him in speaking of himselfe by a figure I am Alpha and Omega saith the Lord. The end and scope of this eighth verse is to confirme the former description of Christ. The reason is thus framed He which is the beginning and the end of all he is sufficient to be a King Priest and Prophet and is both able and willing to bestow all blessings on his Church This first part of the argument is omitted the second part is contained in this eighth verse But I am the beginning and the end c. I am sufficient c. In this eighth verse are three points concerning Christ first he is the beginning and the end I am alpha and omega secondly he is was and is to come thirdly he is almightie omnipotent 1 The first point is that Christ is the beginning and the end which he expresseth by a comparison taken from the Greeke alphabet or the A. B. C. of the Grecians for as in their Greeke alphabet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the first letter and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the last so I saith Christ am the beginning of all things and the end of all as those letters in the Greeke alphabet so am I in all things the first and last Out of this that Christ borroweth this comparison from the Greeke alphabet the Papists gather that the word may be read and deliuered to the people in an vnknowne toung because Christ here vseth an vnknowne toung to those whom he gaue this vision But though the vnlearned and vnlettered English man knoweth not what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is yet the Church to whō this booke was written being the Grecians knew what they meant generally Againe though the spirit of God vseth a strange word in one place we may not follow that in the whole word of God in the whole seruice and worship of God as the Papists do Christ is said to be the beginning and the end first because he is the very first of all things there was nothing before he was he had a being when all other creatures were not but begunne to be then was he the same that he is now he had his being and subsisting before all creatures and for this saith S. Iohn chap. 1. verse 1. In the beginning was the word that is the Son of God he had his being and subsisting when all other creatures wanted it and began to be This proueth the eternitie of Christ because he had his being before any creature was created he was a substance and essence begotten of the Father before all worlds not created as other creatures are or made of any other Secondly he is called the beginning because he giueth a beginning to all creatures for all things which were created were created by him and had their being from him So that he is the true beginning of all things Coloss. 1. 16. All things are from him he is the beginning of all and all are for him he is the end of all Seeing Christ giues a being to all things then we when
subsisting These words proue the Godhead and eternitie of Christ the second person The end why Christ alleadgeth them is to certifie him that these things he was about to shew him came from God and therefore he bringeth his owne testimonie namely I which speake vnto thee am God therefore the things I deliuer vnto thee are from God euen from Iesus Christ the second person in the Trinitie which am God equall to my Father In this testimonie of Christ note a singular care of God in respect of his Church he is carefull not onely to reueale his will to his Church but withal to certifie his Church of the truth of the same As here he telleth Iohn that they come from God to certifie his soule and conscience in the truth of the same so he reuealeth not onely his will but withall assureth men of the truth thereof Act. 10. Peter hath a vision and withall the Lord assureth him of the truth of that visioÌ„ And when Christ preached his Fathers will he wrought many miracles which were as sâ—ales to confirme the same that it came from God Seeing the Lord he doth not only declare his will but withall assureth men of the certainetie and truth of his will this first confuteth the Papists who teach that the word of God is certaine in it selfe but to vs it is not certaine till we heare the testimonie of the Church which maketh the Scripture which is vncertaine to vs though certaine in it selfe to be certaine to vs. But we must here know and learne that the Lord doth not onely reueale his will to his children but withall vseth meanes to certifie mens hearts of the truth thereof and so the word of God is most sure not only in it self but euen to men though the testimonie of the Church shold neuer speake word of the same â— This confutes all carnall men There be many which will be of no Religion because there is as they thinke no certaintie in Religion seeing mens opinions in matters of Religion be so diuers that one cannot tell who speakes the truth Indeed we differ in many points of religion and so many men so many diuers opinions yet the true members of Christ they differ not in the fundamentall points of Religion And though all the world should differ in opinion yet it followes not there should be no Religion but the doctrine taught by the Prophets and Apostles should stand sure and be the true Religion of God for euer and the Lord can make men out of it to learne his will and assure them of the certainty of Religion Now followeth the commaundement That which thou seest write in a book c. This hath two parts first S. Iohn must write the things he receiueth secondly he must send them to the seuen famous Churches of Asia Now the Lord commaunds Iohn to write these things in a booke and he must set downe that which he receiued of God to send it to the seuen Churches of Asia because he being now in banishment and could not come to them and be present with them to instruct them therfore he must write these in a booke that so they might be holpen by them Secondly he must not only write them in a booke but send them to these seuen Churches first that they might be confirmed and strengthened in the matters of faith now in the cruell time of their persecution secondly that they might keepe these books for the Church of God which is the pillar ground of truth first because it publisheth the word secondly because she keepeth the same from time to time and also giues testimony of the truth of the same So then that these Churches might keepe publish and giue testimony of these things he must send them written to them Hence we learne that the word of God written is an excellent help for the church of God to edifie the same else he would neuer haue commaunded Iohn to send this booke to the seuen Churches in Asia This confutes first the Papists who hold that the writteÌ„ word is but a dead inky letter a nose of waxe to be turned any way secondly the Anabaptists who looke for reuelations contemne the written word but seeing the Lord bids him send it to the seuen Churches in Asia he sheweth it is an excellent meanes to edifie the Church We may learne that the reading of this booke as of other Scripture is Gods ordinance whether it be publike or priuate and that they must be so vsed as Gods ordinance with reuerence and good conscience Indeed the word preached is the ordinary meanes to begin faith and to worke repentance but the reading of them publikely and priuatly hath his proper vse to confirme our faith yea to increase knowledge faith and repentance in vs. Write and send it to the seuen Churches c. Here is the third point namely that a man in the crosse and persecution may be the deare child of God S. Iohn a famous Apostle and deare seruant of God yet he is in banishment and continues a long time from all company of men yet God reuealeth his wil to him and maketh him the pen-man of this book which he giueth to none but them which be his seruants Then a man may be and continue in banishment yet be the deare seruant of God We reason if a man be in the crosse and persecution and continue in the same he is surely out of Gods fauour but we see the contrary in Iohn In the end of the verse he setteth downe the names of these seuen Churches in particular and these seuen places were seuen most famous cities in Asia in which were planted seuen most excellent Churches of all those parts of the world and for that cause here are named one by one Then I turned backe Here is his preparation or entrance into the vision When I heard a voice behind me being loud and great I turned to see him which deliuered it to me In the preparation we must consider first the meanes to moue Iohn to attention namely a voice secondly the end to make him attentiue and to inioyne him his dutie namely to write and to send it to the Churches Now followeth the second part of his preparation which is that he turned backe when he heard this loud and great voice to see who it was which gaue the voice By this practise of S. Iohn we may learne our duty for as he dealeth with the man which giues the voice so must we deale with God S. Iohn heareth a voice and then he turnes backe to see who it is so must we do with the Lord we are all by nature ready to turne from God and runne from him as fast as we can by our sinnes Now when the Lord speaketh to vs by the preaching of the word when we are running on in another way we must turne to him turne our hearts to his wayes confesse our sinnes to him that so
any openly wicked in life or doctrine we must not keepe any priuate companie with him shew him no speciall familiaritie but withdraw our selues from such as burdens to vs. And hast examined them This sharpe dealing of the Church of Ephesus hath 2 parts the first is examination the second cōdemnation of the false Apostles The first part is the discouerie of these false Apostles The second the opposing of her selfe against them being discouered The discouerie of the false Apostles teacheth two points first that God hath giuen to his Church and to the Ministers and members of it speciall grace and wisedome an excellent gift of discerning 1. Cor. 2. 15. 1. Cor. 11. Spirituall men endued with the Spirit of God can discerne of the Lords bodie and bloud betweene bread and wine in the Sacrament and common bread and wine 2. Cor. 13. Proue your selues shewing that the Church and the members thereof haue power and the gift of wisedome to try whether they haue faith or not 1. Ioh. 5. Trie the spirits And here she hath power to discerne of false Apostles and by this gift the Church of God differeth from all other societies of men no societie saue the Church of God hath this gift to iudge betweene good and bad truth and error true Apostles and false Apostles Secondly we gather hence that the Church of God can iudge whether a Church be a true Church or not Some men it pleaseth to call this to question nay to deny that there is any Church in England but call it the synagogue of Satan and say there is no ministerie in it no word no Sacraments Now seeing the Church of God can iudge of vs in England and the churches in Germanie in Scotland other Euangelicall and reformed Churches iudge the Church of England a true Church it is so though they deny it For we must rather stand to the iudgement of one or many particular true churches then of any one priuate or of many men Yea seeing the church of God can iudge of false Apostles it hath also power to iudge of Scriptures to iudge which books be canonicall which are not And that which the church of Rome saith is false that the Church indeed can iudge but as it hath authoritie from their Church This Church of Ephesus had this power long before Rome was in such name nay it was in this time of Iohn of farre greater name then Rome and more famous and excellent The second point in what things this discouerie of false Apostles consisteth in what this iudiciall action standeth which God hath giuen to the Church It standeth in two things first examination of false doctrine and false teachers Secondly condemnation of thē after examination For the first he saith And hast examined for the second and found them lyers To come to this examination the Church of Ephesus had a gift of examination and did examine false Apostles and their doctrine But how may a particular Church examine a false Apostle and his doctrine To do this the man or Church which would do it must first prepare themselues and make them fit to examine and in this preparation must haue an humble heart and lowly spirit for God reuealeth not his will to proud men such as haue high minds in their conceit And in this humbling of himselfe he must cleane renounce his owne wit and reason and in regard of himselfe become a foole in his owne reason if he will be wise in the word of God After this preparation he must make prayers to God in his spirit that the Lord would reueale the thing to him and that he would open his eyes by the meanes vsed to iudge of truth falshood Luk. 11. Iam. 1. 5. In the next place he must labour throughly to know and well to conceiue of their false doctrines he must seek to vnderstand them their grounds the differences betweene them and the truth For it is a fowle fault to propound a mans error and not in that meaning he propounded it or gaue it They must further proue and trie whether the doctrine be of God or men To do this he must come to the word of God which must be iudge in the matter not a dumme letter as the Papists hold but the true iudge in all matters and most sufficient Esa. 8. 19. 20. Ioh. 5. Search the Scriptures Only the Lord must be iudge in his owne matters he must giue sentence and no Angell Saint or man Now this he doth in the written word therefore they must search whether such doctrines be contained in the Scriptures or can by necessarie consequence be collected out of them They must after all this looke to their liues for it is not possible that a false Apostle should lead a good life We must looke on his faith and repentance and the fruites of them for though he may bleare the eyes of the world yet if his life be well sifted it will appeare by his faith and repentance he is but an hypocrite and therefore Mat. 7. Christ biddeth vs trie them by their fruites A bad tree cannot bring good fruite but if a man trie and tast them though they appeare beautifull to the eye yet we shall find them to be but hypocriticall and this is a iudgement of God vpon such that they shal be descryed by this one marke by their liues and conuersations If they teach false doctrine they haue liues answerable they cannot but liue accordingly There was neuer any which was a famous hereticke in the Church but his life was stained with monstrous sinnes as the historie of the Church declareth The second part of the discouerie is condemnation or sentence against them for after she had examined them finding them not that they seemed to be she pronounced them to be false Apostles and lyers Note she calleth them lyers vseth sharp speeches and yet sinneth not seeing Christ commendeth her so Ministers to shew their hatred against vice may vse sharpe speeches not to raile or taunt but only to shew our hatred and misliking of sinne So Iohn Baptist calleth them a generation of vipers Christ called Herod a Foxe Paul the Galatians fooles In that she calleth them lyers it sheweth three things first that they spake falsely and deliuered that which was vntrue secondly that they sinned of knowledge thirdly that they did it of malice to hurt and deceiue the Church for these three be the properties of a liar Againe here we see that which Paul Act. 20. foretold by the spirit of Prophecie to be fulfilled that among the Ephesians should arise lyars on them which professed the Gospell with them Againe if men in the daies of the Apostles they being yet aliue durst so take on thē Apostolical authoritie to cal thēselues Apostles and were none no maruell if the Pope of Rome durst sixe hundred yeares after them take this vpon him and say he is Peters successor to take on him Apostolicall power
it come withall must arme themselues with Christian courage and fortitude not to feare too much Thirdly they must be faithfull to God in regard of their promise and couenant in baptisme in keeping faith and good conscience and in defence of true religion euen to death So that they must heare these three the first concerning Gods prouidence seeing and regarding his church the second concerning Christian fortitude courage in afflictions the third our faithfulnes constancy in defence of faith a good conscience maintaining of true religion to the end These three are the things they should heare and consider and so we must consider and learne the same To excite them and vs to these three things to heare and know the three duties he giueth two reasons first because the Spirit speaketh the second is the persons to whom he spake not to one but all Churches directly to them of Smyrna and in them to all churches to all of vs no man is excepted but must heare him The second part of the conclusion is a promise He which euercometh shal not be hurt That we may ouercom two things are required first to renounce and go out of our selues secondly to cast all our hope trust and affiance in Christ which when we do then we haue sauing faith and this ouercometh all our enemies The second thing is to keep faith and a good conscience to defend true religion to the end of our dayes against all enemies And shall not be hurt of the second death that is eternall death for the first death is when the bodie and soule are separated in this life the second when both bodie and soule are separated from God for euer In which separation Reu. 21. consisteth the destruction of a man euen the suffering of the fire of the eternall lake It is then as if he said though he shall suffer the first death yet he shall not be hurt of the second he shall escape that fire and lake for euer This is a most comfortable and happie promise to escape the lake of hell Here note first to whom this promise is made to them which ouercome to them which renounce themselues put their trust and affiance onely in Christ and labour to keep faith a good conscience to the end Then if we would ouercome it is not enough to know to teach or heare of religion but true profession is ioyned with fighting against all the enemies of the same with christian courage let none of them raigne ouer vs but fight till we ouercome and get victorie ouer them all then we ouercome indeed and then to vs is made this promise Alas it is nothing to know or approue religion and yet to liue in sinne and to let the diuell the world and ourflesh raigne ouer vs. Then we must neuer content our selues with bare profession but labour to say in our hearts that we are conquerers of hell death c. by grace of Christ in vs and then we haue a blessed promise of freedome from the second death and of eternall happinesse we shall not feare the fire of hell the burning lake Furthermore in these words is answered a question which many a mans heart maketh but few in the truth of heart can answer How may I escape the burning lake how can I flie and auoid the second death Ans. Thou must in this life turne truly to God from all thy euill waies renounce thy selfe beleeue and put thine assurance in Christ and withall endeuour to keep faith and a good conscience to the end and then thou shalt escape the second death the fiery lake of hel shal not hurt thee though thou shalt tast of the first yet thou shalt not see the second death Would any haue his soule escape this burning lake haue his silly soule free from the torments of hell let him turne to God renounce himselfe put his trust and confidence in Christ neuer turne to his former sinnes and withall take heed to maintaine and keepe faith a good conscience and maintaine pure and true religion to the end and then he shall be free from the burning lake Further we see by these words that of the two deaths the second is the worse and most properly death for the first is but a preparation to the second the second is the cruell death and destruction of body and soule This is yet the madnes of men that they feare the pangs of the first and not of the second neuer thinke of the burning lake like children which feare shadowes and neuer feare fire or water but suffer themselues to be drowned or burned And to the Angell which is at Pergamus In these words is the third particular commaundement of Christ to Iohn for the penning and publishing of this third Epistle to the Church of Pergamus By the Angell of this Church is meant either the Minister and Pastor or company of the Ministers gouernors of the same So often in the word one is put for a multitude This particular commaundement is giuen to Iohn by Christ to assure him of his calling to pen this booke and Epistle secondly to assure the Church of the authoritie of the booke seeing it is deliuered by Christ himselfe The Epistle hath three parts first a preface secondly a proposition thirdly a conclusion The Preface in these words Thus saith he with hath that sharp c. the proposition in the thirteenth verse the conclusion in the seuenteenth verse Thus saith he Here he sheweth in whose name he wrote this Epistle to wit Christs who is described that he is not onely a Prophet and Priest but a King in gouerning and guiding his Church for he hath a sword in his hand which is described first that it hath to edges Secondly it is sharpe meaning by it the word of God so as not onely the doctrine of the law but the promises of the Gospell are of the like power Hebr. 4. 12. Christ is thus set out to comfort the Church of Pergamus for by this Christ signifies three things first that he by power of the word killeth sinne wounds it at the heart he killeth and slayeth the corruption of our nature so deadly that it cannot recouer againe secondly that he wil strengthen and maintaine the church and the members of the same by this sword against al their enemies for he will not onely hurt the enemies but defend his by his sword Obiect How doth he wound them by the word Answ. The word must be knowne and beleeued of vs. Now when we know and beleeue the law and the threates thereof and the points and promises of the Gospell then if afflictions come faith by which we beleeue them maketh vs that we are comforted and armeth vs against all afflictions and persecutions so that nothing can hurt vs but if we beleeue it not then the word is to vs as a sword in a sheath not drawn out nor vsed to defend or driue backe our enemies but
he which receiues it for no man can know or discerne it then men must not thinke strange though be be not called by this new name The world knoweth vs not 1. Iohn 3. 1. Now in that he which hath this new name knowes it and seeth that he is the child of God and fellow-heire with Christ that he is called iustified sanctified and that none knowes it but he which hath receiued it This cōfutes the Papists who say they know it but not certainly but in hope and by coniecture and probabilitie But we see he knowes it certainly infallibly without doubt for he knowes it better then any other other men know it by coniecture but he knoweth it certainly No man knowes this new name so certainly infallibly and frō within as he which receiues the same for no man can determine of the faith adoption or calling of any but himself for that is proper to God to search the heart This must stay our censure and iudgement to iudge men to be hypocrites to condemne either the better or bad sort of men for we know not a mans heart his faith is but knowne to God and himselfe Obiect How farre may we iudge of anothers state of saluation Answ. We iudge of another mans estate either certainly or not certainly as when one iudgeth and sets downe certainly and resolutely that such men are elected to saluation without all doubt but this is proper to God no man can know the spirit of man but God and the man himself and so farre as it pleaseth him to reueale the same to some of his children as to Dauid he reuealed the damnation and reiection of some for which cause he prayeth for their destruction Now besides this there is the iudgement of charitie when we iudge of another as charitie moueth vs now charitie maketh a man iudge the best This charitie hath two parts first it is not to despaire secondly it is to iudge of a mans saluation vndoubtedly to be perswaded of it certainly We must not despaire though we see men liue in sin And we must iudge certainly of mens saluation and without doubt that they be called effectually in that they testifie their faith by their obedience not that we can set down certainly but we must in charitie iudge so of them And this is charitie in the highest degree when we iudge that such a one is the child of God by the fruites of his faith Here again they of the Church of Rome are deceiued making the Church to haue this note and property to be visible but not visibilitie but election adoption and faith are the principall markes of the Church Now these cannot be seene onely the fruites of them may And to the Angell Here beginneth the fourth particular Epistle The end scope of these words is to certifie the church of Thyatyra that Iohn had a speciall commandement and calling from God first to write this Epistle secondly to certifie all Churches to the end of the world that he had a commandement and calling from God to write not onely this Epistle but this whole booke and for that cause this is seuen times repeated To the Angell c. The Epistle beginneth here These things write c. and continueth almost to the end of this Chapter in it note three parts first a Preface secondly a Proposition thirdly a Conclusion The preface or entrance in the eighteenth verse all which were in the former Chapter verses 5. 14. 15. These things saith In the preface note first in whose name it is written namely in the name of Christ. The cause why his name is in the Preface is set downe before Christ is described by three arguments first he is the Son of God secondly his eyes are like a flame of fire thirdly his feet like fine brasse Christ is here said to be the Son of God In the former Chapter he was called the sonne of man here the Sonne of God By God he meaneth not the Godhead as it is absolutely or common to all the three persons but by it is meant the Father who when he is conferred with any person in the Trinitie is called God not that he is more God then the Sonne and holy Ghost or that they be not equall but for order in that he is the first person frō him the Godhead is cōmunicated to the Sonne and holy Ghost How Christ is called the Sonne of God we may know by these two rules first Christ is the Sonne of the Father not in respect of his Godhead or as he is God but in respect of his person and in respect of his person he is begotten of the Father before all worlds For the Godhead of Christ the Sonne is not begotten or begetteth not nor proceedeth but he hath one and the same Godhead with the Father therefore it no more begetteth or is begotten or proceeding then his The second rule Christ is the Sonne of the Father not by creation as the Angels and Adam nor by grace as true beleeuers in Christ but by nature in that he is begotten of the substance of the Father before all worlds Because the Father cōmunicated to him from himself his whole Godhead and nature and by this communication of the Godhead to his Son wholly he is said to beget the Sonne and he is said to be begotten of the Father The end why Christ is called the Sonne of God is namely to stirre vp in this Church of Thyatira care and diligence reuerence and attention in marking and obeying the things of this Epistle seeing that he which teacheth them is the Sonne of God teaching vs in their example when we heare the word read or preached we must haue attention diligent care and feare seeing it is the Sonne of God which speaketh to vs. When Pilate was condemning Christ and heard he was the Sonne of God he was affraid Shall an heathen man which knew not God feare to heare of Christ the Son of God and shall not we tremble to heare him speake to vs himselfe At the voice of Christ the mountaines melted and the rockes claue asunder and shall not our stonie and rockie hearts tremble to heare him speake to vs out of his word His eyes were like a flame of fire We must not take these words literally but as in the former Chapter for Christ is set out as he appeared in vision to Iohn By his fierie eye is meant first that in him is infinite wisedome he seeth all things he knoweth by his fierie and piercing eye all things present past and to come Secondly it signifieth his vigilancie and watchfulnesse ouer his Church and euery particular member of the same for these two ends first to preserue and protect his own children secondly to take reuenge and punishment on his enemies Thirdly by his fierie eye is signified his anger against sinnes and sinners Christ is said to haue fierie eyes to teach vs that he can discerne secret and hidden
vs to know that our names particularly are knowne to Christ and be written in his bil which is the King of heauen and earth The Lord to comfort Moses in trouble vsed this that he knoweth him by his name and so should it be to vs that our names are knowne to Christ and he will accordingly help vs. 2. Timoth. 2. there it is made the foundation of saluation that the Lord knoweth who be his Which haue not defiled These were commended for sinceritie and vprightnesse of life and conuersation though the rest of the church were dead yet these were aliue and kept themselues from all appearance of sin Now Christ commending them he leaueth in them a patterne of sinceritie for vs to follow to be as a looking glasse to see how we should professe religion We must not onely know and speake of the Gospell but we must liue accordingly we must keep our garments frō pollutiō liue without al occasion of sin and that we may liue sincerely we must first abstaine frō al sin in our own persons take heed we practise no sin Secondly we must take heed of contagion of sin not partake in other mens sins by cōsent or winking at them or giuing counsel to sin Thirdly we must abstaine from all occasions of sinne from all appearance of euill we must not once name sin nor giue the least approbation thereof Let not fornication be named among you Eph. 5. Then we must behold this patterne labor to be like them that Christ may commend vs as he did them and this we must do by liuing well for religion stands not in knowledge but in practise and by doing these three that is abstaining from the practise of all sinne from the contagion of sin and from all prouocation to sin we shall imitate them and become a most excellent people and a worthy church of Christ. Out of this place the Papists gather that a man after baptisme may liue without al mortall sins for these few hauing put on Christ liued free from all sinne nay from all appearance of sin But first though they liued so till this time yet how proue they they liued so after secondly they be said to keepe their garments vndefiled not because they sinned not at all but because they liued and endeuored in constant purpose not to sinne but in all things to please God and so the Lord accepts their will and constant endeuour for the deed and they be righteous before God and no sinners but keepers of the law And these shall walke with me in white Here after the commendation is a promise to walk that is liue in white that is in ioy and happinesse Eccles. 9. 8. Let thy garments be white that is reioyce and take thy lawfull pleasure in the things of this life The church before was threatned to haue Christ as iudge and to destroy them but these few they shall not taste of his wrath but be with Christ for euer in glory and happinesse By which we see that men which communicate not with the sins of townes countries or nations shall not partake in iudgement with them Lot liued in Sodom yet his righteous soule was not partaker of their sins neither was it of their punishment Gen. 19. Ezech. 6. 9. they which mourned for the sins of the people were marked and in the destruction not touched By reason of our long peace sins abound so that there is plentie of sin of contempt of the word of religion c. These sins call for iudgment and wil haue iudgement now if we would escape this iudgement we must take heed we communicate not with these sins and then we shall escape though we liue in Sodome After the promise followeth a reason of the same For they be worthy Hence the Papists gather that a man by his workes may merit heauē because here they be worthy of reward be worthy to walke with Christ in glory But I answer all true seruants of God be worthy of life euerlasting because God the father giueth Christ to euery true beleeuer so that euery beleeuer may truly say Christ is mine and withall he giueth the spirit of Christ which stirreth vp in the heart true iustifying faith which layeth hold on Christ applieth him and all his righteousnesse Now Christ being giuen to vs by God and receiued of vs by faith is wholly ours and his righteousnesse is made ours by imputation so that Christ with all his benefits is truly ours and when one stands thus iustified in Christ and clothed with his righteousnesse he is said to be worthy of saluation not for any thing of his owne but for Christs righteousnesse for there is a double righteousnesse one of the person as when Christs righteousnesse is imputed to vs another of the work as when a work is done answerable to the rigour of the law and then it is meritorious Now Christ speaketh here of the worthinesse of the person not of the worke of the person standing righteous in Christs righteousnesse Verse 5. To him which ouercometh Here is the conclusion in it note two parts first a promise secondly a commaundement of these before To him which ouercometh that is which getteth victory ouer all his spirituall enemies which we do by holding faith and a good conscience in all things to the end and this is first the partie to whom Seeing that the promises are euer made to him which ouercometh we must labour to haue that estate in conscience truly to say we haue laboured in all things to keepe faith and a good conscience and to thinke it a miserable estate to be ouercome of any enemy be it sin the diuell the world or our flesh I come to the thing promised which is threefold in words but one in substance namely glory happines and life euerlasting First He shall be clothed in white aray that is with eternall glory happines and life Out of this the Papists gather that a man may do a good work in respect of reward It is true indeed one may do so as Moses had respect to the recompence of reward Hebr. 11. 26. yet that must not be the principall end but faith to edifie the church and other men thē we may do it to receiue eternal life as a reward And will not cut his name out of the booke of life Here two questiōs must be assoiled 1. What is the book of life 2. Whether one can be blotted out of it for thou hast the booke of life in Gods predestination or his decree in election by which he hath ordained some men to life in his good pleasure this decree of God is called in a resemblance the booke of life For as a General in the field hath his book wherein he writes al his souldiers names and a Magistrate keepes a record writing in it all the citizens of that citie so God hath his decree wherein he writes the names of all those whom he will saue in his
secret counsell The second question is Whether one can be put out of this booke Ans. A man is written in this booke two wayes first in the iudgement of God truly secondly in the iudgement of men Now if a man be truly written in the counsell of God then he cannot be put out but if he be onely in the iudgement of men he may be blotted out For the first they cannot because Gods counsell is vnchangeable and Rom. 8. whom he predestinates he calleth iustifieth and sanctifieth This golden chaine cannot be broken but whom he predestinateth he glorifieth ergo they cannot fall finally As for the other being onely in the iudgement of men as all be liuing in the church professing Christ these may be put out Psal. 69. Let them be blotted out of the booke of life he prayeth that they might be manifested that they were neuer indeed in the booke of life Hence first we see the number of the elect is certaine for their names are in Gods bill they cannot be put out but remaine for euer This then is no vniuersall election for what neede God a bill or booke to write in some if all were elected Seeing some men being in this booke onely in the iudgement of men may be blotted out and manifested to men to be but hypocrites then we must take heed of all sin and make conscience of euery sinne for so often as we sin we reach vp a pen to heauen to crosse our names to blot them out as much as in vs lieth Let vs then looke to haue our consciences assured that we be in that booke which we may if we find our consciences free from all sin and from all appearance of sin But some godlesse person will hence gather I will liue as I list for if I be in the booke of life I shall be saued if not damned liue how I can But these deceiue themselues for if their names be in it they cannot liue in sin but in faith and obedience in newnesse of life and repentance for he which is predestinated is iustified and must liue in repentance and faith and as surely as he shall be saued he shall liue in faith and repentance 3. I will confesse him in the kingdom of heauen That is at the last day I wil take him for mine he which thus ouercometh and liueth in faith a good conscience I wil confesse him to belong to me to be my mēber I wil separate him from al the world and take him to my selfe and pronounce to him the sentence of absolution Come thou blessed of my Father Math. 25. The end why Christ propounds this third blessing is to moue euery person in the church of Sardis to confesse Christ in this world for he reasons thus If thou shalt confesse me before men I wil confesse thee before my Father if not I will deny thee euen before my Father And so to vs if we will haue Christ confesse vs before God we must confesse him before men and let no creature make vs deny him but stand out against all his enemies euen against the gates of hel and the diuel which is indeed a hard matter for flesh blood yet Christ perswades vs to do it to take paines to professe him before all men for he will confesse vs before God If a King should come in company and choose out one and come to salute him familiarly call him by his name and take him by the hand that would be a great credit but what a happinesse is it to haue Christ Iesus King of all kings to come and call vs by our names take vs by the hands confesse vs to be his friends and pronounce the sentence of absolution before God his Angels the diuel and all men euen our enemies Vers. 7. And write vnto the Church of Philadelpha Here beginneth the sixth particular Epistle reaching to the fourteenth verse And as before euery particular Epistle was set downe a particular commandement to write so here Christ giueth Iohn a particular commandement to write the end of which commādement is to warrant Iohns calling as before often I haue shewed The Epistle hath three parts first the Preface secondly the matter thirdly the conclusion The Preface is in the seuenth verse and it sheweth in whose name this Epistle was written to wit in the name of Christ. And as in other Epistles Christ was described to get credit to the Epistle so is he here by two properties first of holinesse secondly of truth besides he is desscribed by his kingly office which hath the keyes of Dauid The 1 propertie of Christ is he is holy But how can Christ be holy seeing he cometh of Adam as he is man To this many answer that Christ tooke his substance indeed from Adam yet so sanctified as that it is free from all sinne This though it be true yet is not sufficient for as we take from Adam the corruption of nature so we haue from him the guilt of sin Now though sanctification taketh away corruption of nature yet it taketh not away the guilt of sinne Then the true answer is this All which come of Adam by naturall generation and that commaundement which God gaue in the creation Increase and multiply they take from Adam both corruption of nature aud guilt of sin for both be equally conueyed to vs from Adam But God to preuent this ordained that Christ should be borne not by naturall generation but by a miraculous conception and so though he take of man mans nature yet he taketh not mans sinne which he should as well haue had if he had come by ordinarie and naturall generation Now in that it is said Christ is holy note that he is so first in regard of himselfe secondly of vs his church In regard of himselfe first as he is God his Godhead is holy nay his diuine nature is holinesse it selfe there is no difference betweene Christ as he is God and his holinesse Secondly in regard of his humane nature it was not onely free from all sin but filled with all holinesse aboue all men and Angels he had the holy Ghost without measure Thirdly in his actions he was holy as in his actuall obedience and fulfilling the law Secondly Christ is holy in regard of his Church euen of vs his members because he is the author of all holinesse in vs we haue all our holinesse from him nay he is the very roote of holinesse not as the Father or the holy Ghost but in a more speciall maner because from Christ as the roote springeth holinesse in all his members And as from Adam being the root in whom all mankind stood was conueyed sin and corruption to all which came of him so from Christ being the roote is conueyed holinesse to all his members in him he is our sanctification because we fetch our righteousnesse from him as a branch doth sappe from the root for the humane nature of Christ is the very
bow and crowch and humble our selues before him And this is the cause why most of the people euery where content themselues with outward and formal worship with mumbling ouer their Creed Pater noster and the tenne Commandements they were neuer smitten downe with feare of Gods iudgements and their owne sinnes their natural pride was neuer beaten downe with their owne vnworthinesse Then if we would be true worshippers of God let vs come willingly let vs worship God in soule and bodie and let vs come with humbled hearts with mortified minds and affections and so we shall worship him aright The second fruite of the conuersion concerneth man Before thy feete meaning the church of Philadelphia namely that they being conuerted to the church of God should reuerence it and the members thereof They shall cast themselues downe in the congregation as men not worthie to be mēbers of the church but as a footstoole for them to trample and tread on by reason of the great sinnes which these conuerted Iewes had before committed This their exceeding reuerence shewes it selfe in the roote of the same which is a base conceit and vile opinion of themselues and so should euery true conuert study to confesse namely that he is the greatest sinner of all Gods children and thinke so basely of himselfe that he can be content to be not a member but the footstoole of the congregation and this must we follow if we be truly cōuerted we must haue a base opiniō of our selues think we are the most vile of all Gods people giue place to all men in regard of our sins Paul Tim. 2. calleth himselfe the chiefe of all sinners and we must do the like for the proud Pharisaicall heart is farre from repentance but the lowly and humble heart is accepted of God And shalt know that I loue thee Here is a reason of the former words for why did these persecuted Iewes become true worshippers of God and beleeue in him and reuerence his church The reason is because I wil make them perswaded that I loue them and this is the ground of all true reuerence All superiours haue reuerence due to them by Gods ordinance as the father master Magistrate c. Now that they may haue true reuerence of their inferiours they must first labour to be beloued of the Lord and then they procure to themselues true reuerence for the loue of God to vs is the ground of this Then those which excel in birth or riches they must not looke to be reuerenced for them but for that they be loued of God And whence cometh it that men in authoritie as the father master Magistrate Prince c. want their due honor and reuerence but because they seeke not the ground of it namely to be in the fauour of God Because thou hast kept the words of my patience Here is the second promise of Christ namely preseruation of this church in time of most bloudie persecution This Epistle and booke was written by Iohn after Christs ascension in the daies of Diocletian Now after him came Traian who raysed a most bloudy persecution against the church in al countries putting to death many of Gods children Now of this persecution Christ foretels this church and withall makes this promise that he will preserue them out of the Emperors hand and addeth a reason They were constant to obey his Gospell In the promise consider first the occasion Because thou hast kept secondly the thing promised Deliuerance thirdly a prediction or prophecie of that which should come on this Church The occasion Because thou hast kept the word of my patience Some vnderstand by word of patience the cōmandement of patience which she shold obey but that is too narrow but it signifieth the doctrine of saluatiō taught in Christ. And this doctrine of saluation is called the word of patience first because the doctrine of the Gospell teacheth vs patience secondly because it is an instrument of patience to worke it in vs for when a man beleeueth his saluation in Christ then he is patient in all things Thirdly and especially because the Gospell cannot be obeyed constantly to the end without patience For a time one may obey but it is impossible to obey and be constant to the end without patience The good ground bringeth foorth fruit but in patience Luk. 8. This Church receiued the doctrine of the Gospell and constantly beleeued it for which is promised deliuerance in persecution Then we see that the grace of God well vsed is rewarded with plentie and increase of grace so that they which haue but small measure of grace yet if they be faithfull the Lord will reward it with greater increase This should make vs take pains to increase and vse our talent of faith patience repentance and obedience to the glorie of God and good of men and the Lord will double and triple the same otherwise he will take that talent from vs. The doctrine of the Gospell being a doctrine of patience how necessarie is it for vs to learne the same seeing the calamities and afflictions belonging to any calling are very many We must get our bread in the sweat of our browes and no man is free from sicknesse sorrow and death Now if we would indure these afflictions we must haue this grace of patience and constantly beleeue the doctrine of saluation by Christ which will make vs patient in any crosse whatsoeuer Againe we professe the Gospell of Christ now this is a doctrine not of disorder but of all order and moderation teaching vs to moderate and hold in our affections and will whereas if we want it we are caried away at their pleasure My patience Christ calleth it his because he is the author of it and worketh it in vs. And this is added to beate downe the pride of this Church For when Christ commended them for obedience they might begin to be too proud Therefore he hauing commended her lest she shold be so he telleth her it is not her owne but his gift he putteth it into her heart And this may beate downe the pride of our hearts when we consider that we haue nothing of our selues but all good things in vs come from Christ he bestoweth them on vs he giueth all nothing we haue of our selues What hast thou that thou hast not receiued why then should we be proud of it I will deliuer thee That is from the great and bloudie persecution of Traian which lasted fourteene yeares wherein many of Gods children were put to death Hence note that God hath set downe the very times and houres in which he will trie the faith of his children Deut. 8. the Lord led Israel through the wildernesse fortie yeares to trie them Chap. 13. 3. he sendeth false Prophets to trie his seruants whether they will cleaue to him or not So the Lord hath set times to trie his for their sins and to see what grace is in their hearts So he
other interpretation Onely I will here note that forasmuch as all figures types and colours contained in this booke may so conueniently be applied to Rome as though they had bene properly appointed to describe her as they were indeed it is great preiudice against Rome although no plainer proofes might be brought But when so plaine arguments are brought foorth that without too much impudencie cannot be auoided and all other figures and darke speeches agree accordingly it is a manifest coniunction that Rome is none other but this Babylon But to begin with these plaine places as I haue promised the first shall be out of the eleuenth Chapter of this Reuelation the place before alleaged where it is declared that God in all times yea in the greatest persecution would maintaine his Church and reserue at the least two witnesses which should testifie of his truth in spite of Antichrist and his adherents Which although the monstrous beast that ariseth out of the bottomelesse pit should murther and slay yet God should restore them to life again continually stirring vp a sufficient number to beare witnesse of his name and doctrine In that Chapter I say is contained that when the beast had murthered them he should enuie them the honour of buriall and so their bodies should lye in the streete or market place of that great citie which is spiritually called Sodoma and Aegyptus where our Lord was crucified Declaring thereby that as Rome had slaine and crucified the head so should Rome persecute the members And in the same Citie where their Lord was murthered the seruants should be persecuted But here a man would thinke that I were impudent to affirme that our Sauiour Christ was crucified at Rome whome all the world knoweth to haue suffered death at Ierusalem But you must call to remembrance that at the first I gaue warning that I did not vnderstand Rome for the topographie of Rome that is so much ground onely as is compassed within the walles of that Citie but for the regiment gouernance and prerogatiue that is claymed by reason of that Citie or Monarchie whereof Rome is the head and then I shall easily proue that Christ was crucified at Rome For by whome was he condemned was it not by Pilate the Deputie or Lieutenant of the Romain Empire For what cause or crime was he adiudged to die was it not for treason pretended to be committed against the Romaine Empire With what kind of execution was he put to death was it not such as was vsuall by the lawes of the Romaines for such hainous offences as were vniustly laid to his charge Finally was not the place wherein he suffered within the circuit of the Romaine Empire May I not then iustly affirme that he was crucified at Rome whē by the Romaine Iudge he was condemned for a crime against the Romaine state and executed by a kind of death appointed by the Romaine lawes and in a place of the Romaine dominion As for the Iewes they had at that time no authoritie to put any man to death as they confesse themselues when Pilate bad them take him and iudge him according to their owne lawe meaning they shold decree some light punishment against him They answered It is not lawfull for vs to iudge him to dye As touching the cause although they accused him of blasphemie in that he made himselfe the Sonne of God yet could he not be condemned for that because Pilate would admit no accusation but such as contained a crime against the Romaine lawes And as for the death of the crosse it is manifest to be proper to the Romaines for the Iewes would haue stoned him if they might haue condemned him for blasphemie according to the law of Moises And that the Angell in that place by no meanes can vnderstand Ierusalem it is manifest by these reasons first that he calleth it that great citie which tearme could neuer be spoken of Ierusalem Also he calleth it Sodoma and Aegyptus which was the sea of the monstrous beast Antichrist which in other places is often called Babylon Whereas no man euer did imagine that Ierusalem should be called Sodome Aegypt or Babylon Adde hereunto that Ierusalem the place where Christ suffered was vtterly destroyed in S. Iohns time whereby it is euident that by this great citie spiritually called Babylon Sodoma and Aegyptus is meant none other but the Romaine Empire which crucified the head and should also bring foorth to put any man to death and he hath deserued the monstrous beast Antichrist which should torment and afflict the members which began with murther of the Lord and should continue till it were destroyed in murthering of the seruants And by this plaine text which cannot be wrested to any other sense this great citie of Babylon where Christ was crucified is proued to be Rome and the authoritie rule and power of the Romaine Citie The second plaine and euident proofe which I will vse at this time shall be taken out of the thirteenth Chapter of this Reuelation where that euill shapen beast is described which is the head of the persecuting malignant Church hauing seuen heads and ten hornes and is the same which afterward in the seuenteenth Chapter beareth the great whore Babylon the mother of all abhominations of the earth Who so therefore will compare these things that are written in this booke concerning the description of that monstrous beast with those things that the Prophet Daniel in the seuenth Chapter of his Prophecie describeth of the foure beasts and specially of the fourth which all men confesse to be the Romaine Empire except he be too much blinded with frowardnes and peruerse affection he must needes acknowledge that this Beast which Iohn painteth out is the same that Daniel setteth out which containing in it the crueltie of the Leopard the Beare and the Lion which were the former Monarchies is vnlike to them all and therefore is the fourth Empire which all the world acknowledgeth to be the Monarchie of Rome What should I speake of the number of the hornes equall in both and generally of all other parts of their description which is set foorth so like and almost with the same words both of the one and of the other that it were meere madnesse to imagine that this beast which Iohn describeth should be any other then that Daniel had so long before portraited Then if the Beast in Daniels description doth signifie the fourth kingdome as the Angell expoundeth it which no man will denie to be the Romaine Monarchie the same monstrous Beast being here painted out in this Reuelation with the same shape colours and conditions must needes signifie the Romaine Empire and so Babylon by this reason also is proued to be Rome The third argument or proofe is taken out of the seuenteenth Chapter of this Reuelation and the ninth verse where the Angell expounding to Saint Iohn the mysterie of the Beast with the seuen heades declareth in very plaine wordes that the
and so by many parts he concludeth that the Pope is greater then the Emperor But here a man might help him what by Geometrie and what by Arithmeticke for where as the Sunne is 166. times greater then the earth and the earth 39. times greater then the Moone as is proued by Mathematicall demonstration the Pope should be 6474 times greater then the Emperour This is one noble exposition that is set forth to aduance the dignitie of the Pope and his kingdome Another like to this is vpon the words of the Apostles which answered vnto our Sauiour Christ when he commaunded him that had no sword to sell his coate and buy one signifying the great daunger that was at hand Lord say they here are two swords These swords saith the Glosar are the Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall power which remained in Peter and therefore his successor the Pope hath preheminence of both No doubt a worthy interpretation and that agreeth well with the text and doth the Pope great worship Againe S. Paul saith to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 2. The spirituall man iudgeth all things and he himselfe is iudged of none This spirituall man saith the Interpreter is the Pope which is Iudge of all the world and may not be controlled of any man no though he draw with him innumerable soules into hell fire there to be tormented with the diuell and him for euermore yet no man must be so bold as to find fault with him or to say Domine quid ita facis Lord why do you so Is not this an handsome exposition Yea I promise you euen like vnto this other Statuimus vt Clerici nec comam nutriant nec barbam radant We decree saith the Canon of an auncient Councell that the Clergie shall neither weare long haire nor shaue their beards The Glosar finding this Canon to be so cleane cōtrary vnto the custome of the Popish Clergie who vse to weare long haire and to shaue their beards thought he would draw it at the least if it would not come by faire meanes to maintaine the laudable custome of the Popish Clergie and by exposition of one word he maketh the whole Canon to serue his turne Therefore Statuimus saith he which is we decree is to be expounded for Abrogamus which is we disanul or abrogate and so the sense afterward falleth out very plaine for the popish Priests thus We disanul that Prists shold go without long haire or vnshauen beards A right cunning interpretation and proper for the place and such in effect are all those that serue for the maintenance of the Popes authoritie and the religion of Poperie Therefore he that is of so sharpe iudgement that he will mislike and refuse those plaine expositions which I haue brought of the places before alleaged and except against them as inforced constrained and far fetched let him like of praise magnifie and admire these interpretations which are sought to vphold and establish the Popes throne and religion as rightly faithfully and truly collected Atque idem iungat Vulpes mulgeat Hireos and by as good reason let him ioyne for his plough not Oxes but Foxes and milke for his paile not she Goates but he Goates as the Poet saith Now that I haue proued Babylon to be Rome by authoritie of Scripture it followeth that I must shew for the same the consent of auncient Doctors And as in my former probation I touched onely such places as did plainly directly and manifestly set forth my purpose so in this behalf I wil deale with the Doctors Not such as they are wont to alleage against vs names indeed of great and reuerent antiquitie but workes of meere falshood and forgery bewraying their authors not to be such as they are fathered vpon but such as out of the bodie of blindnesse and superstition of much later time haue begotten them Such are the decretal Epistles of the old Bishops of Rome Linus Clemēs Anacletus c. Of which Clemēs writing to S. Iames forsooth in his second Epistle chargeth him very earnestly that the Pixe be cleanly kept so that there appeare no Mise dong or any other filthines among the fragments of the body of Christ with many other like Apostolicall commaundements The impudencie of whose authors appeareth notably in this that whereas they were ignorant buzzards that could not write true Latine they would ascribe their counterfeit Epistles to so learned fathers as though at that time when women and children spake Latine naturally as their mother tong the Bishops were so vnlearned that they did write so barbarously and were not able to vtter their mind in true Latine But leauing those delicates for such as long after them I will vse no authoritie for this purpose but such as they cannot refuse but that that is auncient catholike and autenticall I will begin therefore with Irenaeus one of the most auncient and autenticall writers that the Church hath who in the fift booke of his treatise against all heresies speaking of the sea of Antichrist vpon the last verse of the 13. chapter of this Reuelation where it is said that the number of the beasts name is six hundred sixtie and sixe sheweth that the opinion of many in his time was that seeing this name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is in English the Latine man or Romane in the numerall Greeke letters containeth this number that Antichrist must be sought at Rome His words are these Sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nomen sexcentorum sexaginta sex numerorum c. valde verisimile est quoniam verissimum regnum hoc habet vocabulum Latini enim sunt qui nunc regnant Also saith he this name LATEINOS containing the number of 666. is thought to be the name of Antichrist and it is very like so to be for that which most vndoubtedly is a kingdome hath that name for they be Latines which now do raigne You see by this testimonie of Irenaeus that this prophecie of old time was vnderstood of Rome and that the mumber of the beasts name is to be found in one that beareth rule at Rome If this exposition or explication of the beasts name had bene deuised by Luther Zwinglius or Caluin it might haue bene suspected as a thing imagined of spite and enuy against the Church of Rome but when it is brought forth by so auncient a Doctor which liued not many yeares after this Reuelation was giuen as he himself saith that it was but a litle before his time vnder Domitian the Emperor which died thirteene hundred yeares before Luther was borne we must needs iudge it both to be very auncient and voide of all partialitie Wherefore I will passe ouer diuers other applications of that number to other names which neuerthelesse hit Babylon home because they haue bene sought out of late by such as beare il wil vnto Rome For I thinke this is sufficient with all reasonable men of equall iudgement to proue that this is no new opiniō
to seek the sea of Antichrist at Rome They themselues to proue their doctrine catholicke alleage authoritie of eleuen or twelue hundred yeares antiquitie behold this opinion is thirteene or foureteene hundred yeares old that Antichrist should be a Romaine and that the sea of his tyrannie should be at Rome The second witnesse of this assertion that Babylon is Rome is Tertullianus a very auncient writer also who in plaine words affirmeth that Babylon signifieth Rome in the third booke against Martion which denied that Christ had a true bodie Wherefore Tertullian vseth this reason against him That thing which hath a figure of it must be a thing of truth and so discoursing of many things figured and the figures of them cometh to these words Sic Babylon apud Iohannem nostrum Romana vrbis figuram portat perinde magna regno superbae sanctorum debellatricis that is to say euen so doth Babylon in the Apocalips of our S. Iohn beare the figure of the citie of Rome which is altogether as great and as proud in raigne and as great a persecutor of the Saints as Babylon was You see therefore most clearely and plainely that Tertullian with all his learning could not interprete these things that be written in this Reuelation concerning Babylon to be applied to any other citie then Rome and he is also a witnesse voide of all partialitie or affection to either part of them that striue in our dayes for he departed neare about foureteene hundred yeares before our time why should he not then be credited in this case Well next vnto him I will ioyne Chrysostome in his Commentarie vpon the second Epistle to the Thessalonians the second chapter in his fourth Homilie where as S. Paul speaking of the manifestation of Antichrist saith they knew what was the stay that he was not presently reuealed But when that stay is taken away he should be reuealed in his due time Chrysostome expoundeth this stay to be the Romaine Empire which must giue place vnto Antichrist that like as the Persians came in place of the Chaldeans the Grecians in place of the Persians and the Romaines in place of the Grecians euen so Antichrist should inuade the Empire of the Romaines Vacantem imperij principatum inuadet tentabit ad se rapere hominum Dei imperium Antichrist saith he shall inuade the vacant principalitie of the Empire and shall assay to draw vnto himselfe the Empires both of God and men And is it not manifest that the Papacie grew and tooke increase by the decay of the Empire and at the fall of the Monarchie chalenged full possession of all dominion both spirituall and temporall Of the same iudgement is S. Ierome writing vpon the same place of Paul vnto Algasia in the eleuenth question whose words are these Nec vult apertè dicere Romanum imperium destruendum quod ipsi qui imperant aeternum putant vnde secundum Apocalypsim Iohannis in fronte purpuratae meretricis scriptum est nomen blasphemiae id est Romae aeternae c. that is neither will he openly say that the Romane Empire shold be destroyed which they that gouerne it thinke to be euerlasting wherefore according to the Reuelation of Saint Iohn in the forehead of the purple whoore there is written a name of blasphemie which is Rome euerlasting Lo here another witnesse of good antiquitie and sufficient credite which not onely agreeth plainely with Chrysostome that Antichrist should take possession of the Romaine Empire when it should be decayed in the Emperours but also most plainely agreeing with Tertullian calleth that Babylonicall strumpet which is described in the seuenteenth chapter of this Apocalypse that purple whoore of Rome and the name of blasphemie to be Rome euerlasting as though he had heard the Pope brag of the eternitie of his sea which he saith is the rocke against which the gates of hell cannot preuaile But he is foully beguiled for Rome the sea of his Popedome is by Saint Ieromes iudgement that Babylom of whom the Angell preached that howsoeuer she boasts of her eternity She is fallen she is fallen euen Babylon that great city and neuer shal rise againe They crie out against vs that we raile and speake contumeliously of the holy sea of the Pope when we cal Rome the whore of Babylon but when the old Doctors to whose iudgement they themselues appeale from the authoritie of the Scriptures feare not so plainely in their writings to paint out the Babylonicall Strumpet in her right colours and in flat words to say she is Rome the mother of all abhomination and the sea of Antichrist why should we be blamed for saying as we are taught by them And especially of those men that make so great vaunts that the iudgement of the Fathers is altogether on their side by whom they offer to be tried when they dare not abide the iudgment of the Scriptures Againe consider I pray you if the old Doctors before Antichrist were openly reuealed did vnderstand by the Scriptures that he should sit at Rome what thinke you would they haue said and written if they had liued in these daies and knowne and seene all that was prophesied to be fulfilled in him With what confidence suppose ye would they haue inueyed against him With how open mouthes would they haue cried out vpon him At least wise do you not thinke in your conscience that when they had considered the authoritie of the Pope and his wholesome doctrine they would haue changed their minds and recanted their writings against Rome and repented that euer they had called her the purple whoore of Babylon seeing she is the holy mother Church of Rome the sea of the most holy father the Pope the head of the same Church I must needs say thus much in your behalfe ô ye Papists as ill as I loue you that if Ierome Tertullian and the rest of the Doctors did so account of Rome as you affirme of them they were much too blame to defame her with such odious names as to call her the whoore of Babylon which must needs make her vehemently suspected to be the Church of Antichrist and not of Christ for what Papist in these dayes dare say that which Ierom said that Rome is that purple Harlot Babylon which S. Iohn speaketh of in the Apocalypse The same Ierome in his 13. booke of Cōmentaries of the Prophecie of Esay vpon the 47. chapter writeth in this maner Licet ex eo quod iuxta 70. scriptū est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est filia Babylonis non ipsam Babylonē quidam sed Romanā vrbem interpretantur quae in Apocalypsi Iohannis Epist. Petri Babylō specialiter appellatur c. That is to say For as much as the seuentie Interpreters write not the daughter Babylon but the daughter of Babylon some do interpret thereof not Babylon in Caldea but the citie of Rome which in the Reuelation of S. Iohn and the Epistle of
root from whence is conueyed to vs all righteousnesse Seeing Christ is holy both in himselfe and in vs yea the root of all holinesse we must note this maine principle of all true religion which is to be set and ingraffed into Christ as a branch into a tree and being once in him to become new creatures to labour to feele the power of Christ killing in vs the old man our naturall corruptions and also renewing in vs the new man and the image of God in righteousnesse and true holinesse to feele the power and vertue of Christ as sensibly in vs as we feele the corruption of nature and shew this vertue we receiue of Christ euen as a branch sheweth the sappe it receiueth from the roote by the leaues and fruite 2 Seeing Christ was thus holy he propoundeth to vs a patterne to follow teaching vs to be holy as he was holy to make conscience of al sinne to be conformable to him to marke what he did and to imitate it 1. Ioh. 3. 4. We must purge our selues of sinne and be pure as he is pure for he which is not holy as he is holy shall haue no benefit or fellowship by his death and passion Thirdly we see that title giuen to the Bishop of Rome is blasphemous to call him Holinesse as it is common in all their speeches to him Now he in that taketh to him the title of Christ which is a part of Christs honour communicable to none else nay he taketh more on him then Christ here doth for Christ is called but holy he is called holinesse it selfe The second title of Christ is truth Christ is called true in three respects first because without errour and ignorance he knoweth al things as they be in themselues so do not creatures but by vertue from him Secondly because what he willeth and decreeth he willeth and decreeth seriously without fraud deceipt or any contradiction as appeareth in the whole Scripture wherein is nothing contrarie to it selfe but all without chaunge and alteration Thirdly because he maketh good all his promises in his word he accomplisheth and performeth them all he is the performance of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea and Amen Seeing Christ is true nay truth it self we see a difference betweene Christ and all false spirits for they be spirits of errors the diuell is a lyer from the beginning he is the father of lyes nay his nature is to lie he can do nothing else but Christ is true nay truth it selfe euery way true in his knowledge in his will and in his promises he is true Seeing Christ is absolutely true we must beleeue in him and beleeue his promises in his word without doubting for seeing Christ is true nay truth it selfe what need we call his promises into question And this shold be the very prop of our faith that he which promiseth is true therfore wil perform his promise So in persecutiō in trouble and affliction trust in Christ he hath promised to helpe he will not faile because he is most true of his promise Seeing he is so true he propoundeth himselfe to be followed of vs. Christ he knoweth things truly he willeth and decreeth things seriously so should we promise and performe and make good our lawfull promises Psal. 55. The Lord hateth the deceiptfull person Reu. 20. without that is in hell be all deceiptfull and lying persons Psal. 15. It is a note of a member of the Church and of Christ to be true and faithfull and to speake truth from his heart for the diuell is the author of lies 3 Christ is described by his kingly office which hath the keyes of Dauid First let vs see what is meant by the key of Dauid Esay 22. 22. speaking of Eliakim saith I will put the key of Dauid vpon his shoulder for Ezra had bene Hezechiahs Steward an ancient steward in many kingdomes but in his dayes he began to be negligent in his dutie therfore he decreed to cast him out and to place Eliakim in his stead 2. King 18. 18. and therefore saith he will put the key of Dauid that is the gouernement of the kingdome of Iudah on his shoulder for by Dauids house is meant the kingdome of Dauid and the giuing of the key is the placing and inuesting him into his office and giuing him the authoritie of the kingdome of Dauid Christ here hath the key of Dauid great and large authoritie of the Churches as a chiefe Gouernor in a kingdome It will be said Dauids key was temporall Christs kingdome spirituall Ans. First Christ had Dauids key properly for when Christ was borne the scepter was departed from Iudah to the Romaine Emperour so that Christ then was the next to it and had true right to the crowne and kingdome Luk. 3. And Christ challenging his right saith Mat. 17. 26. That the Kings sonnes be free and therefore he need not to pay tribute 2 Christ had Dauids key typically and figuratiuely for Dauids tēporall kingdome was a figure of Christs spirituall kingdome so Dauid was a figure and type of Christ therefore he is often called Christ and Ezec. 3. Christ is called Dauid Now he is said to haue Dauids kingdome and not Neroes or any other because their kingdomes were kingdomes of darknesse and miserie and cursed kingdomes but Dauids kingdome was a kingdome of light a blessed kingdome hauing those men which were acceptable to God and therefore was a type of the kingdome of Christ. Then where Christ is said to haue Dauids key it is not so to be vnderstood that he had the same with Dauid but that which is signified by Dauids key Christ Mat. 2. is called a Nazarite not that he vsed their rites and customes for he dranke wine they did not but because he was that signified by a Nazarite namely by Sampson Iud. 13. For as he slue more by his death then by his life so Christ he saued more by death then by his life yet Christ was a Nazarite that is seuered from all sin and pollution And so Christ had Dauids key that is the spirituall key signified by his temporall key which key signifieth authoritie power and gouernment of the church of God Which openeth and none shutteth In these words Christ hath relation to an house where when one openeth the doore he openeth the house and so Christ he openeth and he shutteth which sheweth his absolute and soueraigne authoritie he hath the key of Dauid and he hath it absolutely no creature is aboue him but he can shut or open at his pleasure Now this key is the power of Christ. In his hand which is a supreme soueraignetie ouer the church by which he can saue or destroy Now this soueraigne power of Christ hath three parts first to prescribe secondly to iudge thirdly to saue and destory First to prescribe he hath an absolute power without constraint of any creature to commaund what he will haue done or not so he