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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A35689	The ruine of Rome, or, An exposition upon the whole Revelation wherein is plainly shewed and proved that the popish religion, together with all the power and authority of Rome, shall ebbe and decay ... written especially for the comfort of Protestants and the danting of papists ... / published by Authur Dent ; to which is added an epitome of Reverend Mr. Brightman his Exposition upon the Revelation.	Dent, Arthur, d. 1607.; Brightman, Thomas, 1562-1607. Exposition upon the Revelation.	1644 (1644)	Wing D1057; ESTC R29350	192,764	462

The Ruine of Rome OR An Exposition upon the whole REVELATION VVherein is plainly shewed and proved that the Popish Religion together with all the power and authority of Rome shall ebbe and decay more and more throughout all the Churches of Europe and come to an utter overthrow even in this life before the end of the World Written especially for the comfort of Protestants and the dancing of Pap●sts S●minary Priests Jesu●tes and all that cursed rabble Published by Arthur Dent Preacher of the word of God at South-Shoobury in Essex To which is added an Epitome of Reverend Mr. Brightman his Exposition upon the Revelation LONDON Printed by T. H. and I. Y. for Jo. Waterson and are to be sold by Charles Greene at his shop in Ivie Lane 1644. TO THE RIGHT Honourable his very good Lord ROBERT Lord RICH everlasting consolation and good hope through Grace TO be a father to the fatherlesse is properly the vertue of the most high and therefore meet for those who beare his name and office upon earth Among whom Right Honourable seeing it hath pleased his Majesty to count your Lordship faithfull and to put you in so high a service it shall I assure my selfe be matter of rejoycing unto your Lordship to take the Patronage of this poore Orphane which knoweth not whither to flye for succour but to you who did so many waies commend your favour to his late deceased Father that if he had lived to the birth of this his last off-spring it was his full purpose as many can witnesse to have committed it unto your Lordships protection as most meete among many to take this Patronage upon you that this young Infant growing up under your roofe may in time effect that indeed whereof it beares the name to be The ruine of Rome To speake of the excellent parts thereof and of what hope it is like to be in the Church of Christ I thinke needlesse and I feare the note of partiality it shall speake for it selfe I doubt will commend to all posterity his worthy fathers memory Now for my selfe right Honorable being so straightly bound to this duty in regard of my neere conjunction with my late Brother Master Dent and great importunity of his poore Widdow was the more willingly drawne hereunto in two respects The one to give some publike testimony of my love towards him and reverence of the rare grace which we all who injoyed his sweete society did continually in our comfort behold in him Whose learning his labours do shew whose diligence yea extreme and unwearied paines in his ministery publikely privately at home and abroade for foure and twenty yeares at least all our Countrey can testifie All which being adorned with so speciall humility do make his name the greater and our losse the more grievous I may not leave out this which I avow to be as certaine as it is singular that besides all other his great labours he had with the Apostle a speciall care of all the Churches night and day by study and fervent Prayer procuring the prosperity of Syon and the ruine of Rome And to end with his blessed end his life was not more profitable to others then his death is peaceable to himself scarce a grone to be heard though his Fever must needes be violent which dispatched him in three dayes And having made a pithy confession of his Faith this Faith said he have I Preached this Faith have I lived in this Faith I do live in and this Faith would I have sealed with my blood if God had so thought it good and tell my brethren so and drawing neere his end he sayd I have fought the good Fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith and now is that Crowne of righteousnesse layd up for mee the which the Lord that righteous Judge shall give me in that day and so gave up his last breath with these words I have seene an end of all perfection but thy Law is exceeding large The other respect my speciall good Lord for the which I am the more willing to come thus upon the Stage though my part be small full sutable to my ability is that I might be as the mouth of many to publish to posterity what high account all that know the truth among us at least do make of your Lordship that I dare say not the loynes onely but the soules of thousands do blesse you and God for you praying for a ri●h reward to be given you of the Lord and that with your ancient predecessor honourable N●hemiah the Lord would remember you herein and wipe not out all the kindnesse you have shewed on the house of you God and on the Ministers thereof For in the zeale of God and uprightnesse of my heart not to give titles unto men which is not my wont but to provoke all of like honorable condition to follow your Godly practice this I say that as your pure Religion is the Crowne of your nobility so this is the Crowne of your Religion that besides your ordinary presence in the publicke assemblies of the Church your zeale to God and lov● to his people hath herein especially bin manifested to the world in your continuall c●r● to plant faithfull Preachers in all those livings which have been in your Lordships gift or which by all your friends you could procure What is the worthy fruite thereof cannot indeede be valued much lesse by me now uttered yet this I say with common consent of all found-hearted Protestants that if the true Prophets of God be the chariots and horsemen of Israel then may we refer to this honourable practice of your Lordship and of other like Christian Patrones as to a chiefe meanes under God and under the Religious regiment of our gracious Soveraigne the safety of his Highnesse person this admirable tranquility of the Realme that notable ruine of Rome which is so worthily with us effected and shall be assuredly elsewhere in due time accomplished And to say all in few words to this may we referre the safety of soule and body of many thousands in the Land who though they doe and shall live by faith yet doth their righteousnesse farre exceed the righteousnesse of all Popish hypocrites both in duty to God and to their dread Soveraigne our noble King Whereupon I may conclude that I scarce thinke of any service more honourable to God and profitable to his Church then this care to bring into the Lords Temple such painefull Labourers as both by life and Doctrine do faithfully build up the same Goe on therefore Right Honourable and cease not to shine out in this darke World with such light of good example And withall rest upon his word who cannot lye that you shall shine in the Kingdome of light where into shall enter no uncleane thing neyther whatsoever worketh abomination or lies but they which are written in the Lambs Booke of life To which blessed inheritance immortall undefiled and that

Jerusalem therefore lyeth foure-square because it can never be moved but standeth fast for ever as the Apostle saith Seeing wee receive a kingdome which cannot be shaken Heb. 12.28 let us have grace whereby we may so serve God that wee may please him with reverence and feare The Angel with his golden measuring rod measureth the square sides of the city both in length breadth height and depth of it and findeth each of them to be 12000 furlongs which after eight furlongs to the mile maketh in our accompt 1500 miles and so the whole square of this great city cometh to 6000 miles which is a goodly compasse and noteth unto us the great largenesse of Gods kingdome and that there is roomth enough for all the inhabitants thereof yea most pleasant and commodious rooms as our Lord Jesus saith In my Fathers house are many dwelling places John 1.4 if it were not so I would have told you for I go to prepare a place for you After this hee measureth the thicknesse of the wall and findeth it to bee an hundred and fourty and foure cubits thick which after our common account of two cubits to a yard amount to seventy and two yards which is a jolly thicknesse even so thick as no cannon can pierce and therefore altogether inexpugnable as hath been said before And the building of the wall of it was of Jasper Verse 18. and the city was pure gold like unto cleere glasse And the foundations of the wall of the citie were garnished with all manner of precious stone Verse 19. The first foundation was of Jasper the second of Saphire the third of Chalcedony the fourth of an Emerald The fifth of a Sardonix the sixth of a Sardius Verse 20. the seventh of a Crysolite the eighth of a Beryl the ninth of a Topaze the tenth of a Chrysophrasus the eleventh of a Jacinct the twelfth of an Amethyst And the twelve gates were twelve pearles Verse 21. and every gate is of one pearle and the street of the citie is pure gold as shining glasse As wee have heard of the forme of this goodly city so now we are to hear of the matter of it that is to say of what stuffe it is made First Saint John telleth us that the whole city is of most pure and glittering gold like unto glasse and that the wall was of Jasper most green and flourishing and also that the very foundation of the wall was beautified adorned with twelve sundry kinds of precious stones which hee reckoneth up We count it a great matter here below to compasse and close in our houses with a wall of brick and none can doe it but men of place but alas what is that to this wall What is brick to precious stones and pibbles to pearl But Saint John addeth that the gates were of pearle and the streets of the city of pure gold Oh how brave how beautifull how glorious how glittering how gorgeous how admirable a city is this for if the gates be of pearl and the streets of gold then what are the inner rooms what are the dining chambers and what are the lodging roomes But here we may not grossely imagine that the kingdom of God is of such metall and matter indeed as is here described But the holy Ghost would give us some taste of it and after a sort shadow out unto us under these things which are in most precious account amongst men what the glory and excellency of the immortall kingdome is For otherwise there is no comparison betwixt gold pearl and precious stones and those heavenly invisible and immortall things which wee looke for and hope for through Christ which in very deed are so great so glorious and so unconceivable that gold pearl and precious stones are scant so much as any shew shadow or resemblance thereof And I saw no Temple therein Verse 22. for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it And this city had no need of the Sun Verse 23. neither of the Moone to shine in it for the glory of God did light it and the Lamb is the light of it And the people which are saved shall walk in the light of it Verse 24. and the kings of the earth shall bring their honour and glory unto it And the gates of it shall not be shut by day Verse 25. for there shall be no night there And the glory and honour of the Gentiles shall be brought unto it Verse 26. And there shall enter into it no uncleane thing Verse 27. neither whatsoever worketh abominations or lies but they which are written in the Lambs book of life In this new Jerusalem there is no Temple as was in the old Jerusalem for there shall be no need of any no need of doctrine of sacraments of prayer in the old Temple wherein the law was taught sacraments administred sacrifices offered and many other rites and ceremonies observed But Saint John saith that now God and Christ shall be all in all They shall be the Temple of the most holy city And all the elect shall fully know them and dwell with them for ever And as the city hath no need of any Temple so hath it no need of any light either of Sunne or Moon for the glory of God and the brightnesse of the Lambe doe light it for ever whose incomprehensible brightnesse doth as farre excell the brightnesse of the Sun and Moone as they doe excell a little candle at noone day But it may be demanded Who shall dwell in this so glorious a city and in this so great a light Saint John answereth that the people that are saved shall walk in it that is all the Israel of God all true beleevers which are happy that ever they were born that they may come to the possession of such a kingdome as is here described For Saint John saith that the resplendent brightnesse of this city is so great that even the kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honour unto it And also that the glory and honour of the Gentiles shall be brought unto it Oh how unspeakable is the glory of this citie that kings shall throw downe their crownes and scepters before it accounting all their pomp and glory but as dust in respect of it For the magnificence and pomp of all the Potentates of the earth shall here be laid downe And albeit none of the Kings and Nobles of the Gentiles might be admitted into the old Jerusalem yet all the Gentiles that beleeve shall be admitted into this new Jerusalem and made free denizens thereof for ever And although the gates of this citie alwayes stand open both night and day as not fearing any danger of enemies yet no unclean thing shall enter into it but onely they which are written in the Lambes book of life Thus wee see how gloriously the holy Ghost hath described unto us this citie of the Saints

to these wholesome warnings with all speed The whole state of this Church of Laodicea is worthy of serious consideration as Mr. Brightman applies it to England in this and divers Chapters for he speakes of our times as if he were now living And further he saith in his Epistle and elsewhere in his Commentary that many are the miseries the Christian Churches must suffe for there will bee a long and dolefull Tragedy which will overthrow with scourges slaughters death and ruine and that the Sword of the Lord shall be made drunke in their blood except they receive warning and amend But yet saith he Be of good cōfort Germany France and Britany and all you Christian Churches this is the last Act for after this Theater and long Tragedy is past there will succeed in the roome thereof happy dayes with abundance of peace and all good things And it is his judgement if I may not say his Prophesie comparing one Scripture with another and times with times That before the yeare 1650. the Jewes shall be called the Whore of Romes nose shall be slit and she stript of all her glorious garments and attire her power and sinews cut and the Pope himself shall run out of Rome into Avignon or in Bononia or thereabout one of his owne Cities and the City of Rome shall be burnt with fire And that the King of Spain and the King of Polony and some other Kings shall bewaile her and would faine helpe her but dare not because they shall be afraid of their owne safety lest they be devoured or scorched with the same fire And further he saith that the Emperor of Germany shall destroy Rome if he set to the worke it being most proper for him but if he did not some other shortly will have the praise of that victory Therefore saith he you godly Princes take the matter in hand and set to this worke it shall not be a thing of so great trouble as you thinke for feare not the huge armies that will come to helpe her If you thinke the Spaniard or the French-man or any other King will raise mighty forces against you to defend her as being Romes friends these are altogether vaine feares scare-crowes goblins bug-beares for simple people for her friends shall stand afar off with waiting testifying their love sighing and sobbing but taking no paines nor striking a stroke to deliver their Whore being now an old withered harlot but crying Alas alas that great City And againe he further saith And you the rest of the Christian Princes you need doe nothing only be valiant and of a good courage in dispatching your worke for the Lord and matters shall prosper as happily as you desire and understand at length by what way you may procure to your selves honour and tranquilitie so quietnes and joy to the whole Christian world Therefore draw your swords against Rome for you shall prevaile And saith he within 45 yeares after Rome is destroyed the Pope once more gathering all his friends together to try his last chance shall then be utterly overthrowne being about the yeare 1686. which wil be the longest time he can continue But Rome being destroyed and the Jews call'd there will bee then to the end a most happy tranquility and things very great indeed and to be admired the joy will be so much that it will be strange and unexpected for in the place of former troubles there will be perpetuall peace and then Kings and Queens will be nursing fathers and nursing mothers unto the Christian Churches Then the great Turke shall be 40 yeares on the decaying hand and lose many Countries but in the yeare 1696. he also shall be utterly overthrowne and then Christ shall raigne with his Ordinances chiefe in the world They that please to examine these quotations in the Margent by Master Brightmans Booke on the Revelations which which hee wrote above 40 yeares ago they shall finde the composer hereof hath endeavored as neere as he could to render the Authour in his owne words including much in so little roome Yet not to forget that hee saith further of England and Ireland Although Christ be angry with us by reason we are so far from a perfect Reformation and they which labour to bring in the Popish ceremonies hated of God to endanger the overthrow of our Kingdome yet he saith Christ hath begun his Kingdome at that time he wrote which was in the dayes of blessed Q. Elizabeth who happily begun and proceeded in the worke of Reformation according to the time and those dayes she lived in the finishing whereof will be required of this Generation otherwise expect God hath a sad controversie with this Land But Christ hath begun his Kingdome both in England and Ireland to reigne evermore and the enemies shall endeavour many enterprises yet they shall vanish like smoake and they shall never prevaile to overthrow Christ his Kingdom begun here for they will never want Christian Princes to maintaine his Truth begun which he saith begun from the yeare 1558. For the seventh Angel blew his Trumpet for this time and saith he would raigne evermore He further saith that ere long before the yeare 1650. the fourth Angell shall powre out his Violl upon the Sun which Sun he interprets the holy Scriptures which illustrate the mindes of men as the beames of the Sun doe the eyes of the body This Violl being powred on them shall give them greater force and edge more vehemently to scorch the man of sin so that hee shall gnash and rage aginst this Sun which hath so discovered his ugly hew to the world and it shall not onely burne and vexe him and those of his houshold but also hypocrites and all others who are not endued with true godlinesse That they shall even boile with envy and strife and all bitternesse of minde like the men of Atlas which curse the Sunne because it parcheth them with too much heate And lastly hee saith for the better understanding of what hee meanes that the City of Rome is not limited to that City but extends as farre as the Pope hath any dominion So that the Citty of Rome is in destroying if any of her dominions bee in destroying as he interprets the Holy Ghosts meaning But the Pope is to be quite and fully overthrowne at the yeare 1686. Therefore by computation Rome must bee in destroying at 1641. in some of his Dominions So I conclude this briefe Relation of what Mr. Brightman largely insists upon shewing his grounds in his Book why he affirmes these things with Christs counsell to this Church of Laodicea I counsell thee to b●y of me gold tryed in the fire that thou mayest be rich and white rayment that thou mayest be cloathed and that the shame of thy nakednesse doe not appeare and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve that thou mayest see FINIS LONDON Printed for Richard Harper 1644.

fadeth not that God of his mercy would bring you my hearts desire and prayer is and shall be and in the meane season that the yeeres of your life being multiplied your life may be full of honour to God profit to his Church and comfort to your owne soule Your Honours most deeply bound Ezekiel Culverwell The Epistle to the Christian READER BEing often requested Gentle Reader and much importuned by sundry both learned and godly to publish that Doctrine of the Apocalyps which divers of them with lively voyce heard publickely delivered I did at last upon my most mature deliberation yeeld unto their reasonable request I meane the reasons of their request Indeed I doe ingeniously confesse that I am the unmeetest of many which this age God be thanked doth afford to deale in a matter of so great importance or any wise to be imployed in so great and honourable a service as this is But if I doe industriously use my small talent and be found faithfull in a little I hope it shall have both cheerefull and comfortable acceptation with the Church of God For this I presume will be granted of all that he which hath but a little strength and yet putteth it forth to the uttermost to do good withall is more to bee commended then hee which hath thrice his strength and useth it not to the helpe and benefit of others And true it is indeed that sundry worthy labours of divers excellent men upon the Apocalyps are already extant so as hee may seeme to powre water into the Sea or goe about to mend the Crowes eyes that will attempt to adde any thing to that which is already published But know this O Christian Reader that the Lords garden is so large and plentifull of all most sweet and pleasant flowers that where any one hath gathered a Nosegay most fragrant and delectable another may come after and gather another not to bee contemned For the wisdome of God is such an undraineable Fountaine and head-spring that where one hath drawne much before another may come happily and draw as much afterward yea though thousand doe succeede yet can this fountaine never be drawne dry Be it farre from me to arrogate any thing to my selfe above others for I am privy inough to mine owne meanes and doe freely confesse that in this worke I have received much light from others and therefore doe not as a Judge give sentence upon other mens workes but as one that would furnish the same feast bring in my dish among them Or as one that in the same cause would come in as a third or a fourth witnesse to testifie and confirme the same thing And verily through the gratious assistance of Gods Spirit my simple purpose and indeavour is to give a lift to the uttermost of my power to further that which is already happily begun and to provoke others of greater gifts to come after with their great lights and lanthornes in their hands to discry and discover whatsoever in this Prophesie is not yet fully seene into I am not ignorant that some would not have this booke meddled withall nor in any wise to be expounded among the common people because say they it is so darke and hard to understand But let all such leave their owne opinions and hearken what the Holy Ghost saith Blessed is he that readeth and they that heare the words of this Prophesie c. What can be sayd more or more effectually to stirre us up to heare and reade and with all gladnes to imbrace this Booke then to tell us that in so doing wee shall bee blessed For the things contayned in this booke be no trifles they be not things only for a shew to moove wonderment or to delight the curious minde of men but such as indeede doe give true blessednesse unto all those that are well instructed in them What thing is greater then to be blessed for evermore If we be not exceeding dull yea even like stockes and stones it must needs move us and stirre us up For who will wittingly and willingly lose his owne blessednesse or suffer it to bee taken from him when as he may have it If any will object that a man may be blessed well inough without the knowledge of this booke and that there be Bookes inough in the Scripture to procure our blessednesse without this And that thousands are now in Heaven which never knew what this Booke meant I answer that all this doth not take away the necessary use of this Booke for the holy Ghost doth pronounce a blessing upon the heads of those that Reade and Study this Booke not because a man cannot be saved without it But because of the great comfort which it ministereth unto us of this age and hath ministred unto all the Churches since the Apostles times For it is the Prophesie of this age and the Prophesie of all the ages since Christ Wherein is fully shewed what shall be the estate and condition of the Church in the severall Ages thereof unto the end of the World For God according to his admirable wisdome and mercy hath never from the beginning left his Church without a Prophesie for the great comfort thereof For we know that immediately after the fall of our first parents God himselfe for the great comfort of his Church did foretell and fore-prophesie long before of that restauration which should be made by the M●ssias his Sonne according as it came to passe in the fulnesse of time Afterward he did fore-tell his people of Isael Genesis 3 Gen. 15 of their great servitude and intollerable bondage in Aegypt and also of the end and full determination therefore after foure hundred and thirty yeeres After all this he foretold by his servants the Prophets of the Captivity in Babylon and the full expiration thereof at the end and tearme of seventy yeeres Ieremy 2● And yet further for the comfort and consolation of his people he fore-told by Daniel Daniel 7 Ezech. 3 and Ezechiel of the great afflictions and troubles which his Church should endure by the Persecutions of the d●vided Greeke Empire I meane Alexanders Posterity especially the Kings of Aegypt and Syria which descended of Ptolomeus and Seleucus Daniel 8 Daniel 9 Daniel 1● whom the Scripture calleth the Kings of the North and of the South by the space of 194. yeeres and of the precise determination thereof at the comming of the M●ssias 〈◊〉 then what care God hath had of his Church in all ages before the comming of his sonne in the flesh so to foretell both of the affliction it selfe and also of the just period and determination thereof And shall we not thinke that God hath the like care now for his Church which then he had or hath he not as great and provident care for the good of his Church since the promised Messias was actually exhibited as before Yes assuredly and much more too for if his care and providence