should come to passe might be more famous Aâ—â—â—â—us his father governed the whole world by his sole authority noe warre being made for the space of three and twenty yeeres Sextus Aurelius Vulâ—r Hadâ—ianus also had peace the whole time of his empire except that once onely he fought by his Vice-Roy Eutrop. Brev. booke 8. Was not the thing worthy observatioÌ„ that after the peace of 44. yeeres all places should be suddenly troubled with the burning flame of warres Every man seeth that there is so great agreement of all things namely of the Prophecy Time and Event that it cannot be doubtfull but that the Spirit pointed as it were with the finger to this onely thinge Tertul. in his Apol. that a notable peace was granted at length to the Cristians by this Emperours decree but this came to passe after the warre of the Marcomanes in which having tryed the singular helpe of God against the enemyes by the prayers of the Christians who were souldiours in his army he could not but provide at leÌ„gth for their safety who had brought health both to him selfe and also to his Empire And yet he lived not longe after this warre the next yeere after the triumphe departing this life 5 And when he had opened the third seale c. The Beast of the third seale is a man chap. 4.7 mighty in reason experience of things Not but that the former Beasts were of this same force also and power but because this should be the chiefe thing wherein the third Beast should excell The voice also of this is more obscure then was that of the first which yet should be sufficient to teach the faithfull what punishement God would take of the world for their sake ¶ Tâ—â—â— I behâ—ld â—â—d loâ— a blaâ—ke horse The third type is a blacke horse the sitter on wâ—â—â— he â—â—â—th in â—iâ— haâ—â—â—â—â—es being commanded to bring in a dearth alâ—◠〈◊〉 the Bâ—â—â—s yet so as he should not hurt wine and oyle Therefore as â—oaâ—â—ng this â—orse the blâ—â—â—olour sitly agreeth to the hunger starveÌ„ who 〈◊〉 a body â—ithout blood â—ithout iuyce without colour as Ier. Lam. 〈…〉 pure thâ—â—â—oâ—â—ow is their bewâ—y become more darke then 〈…〉 8. Also through hunger the eyes are dimme covered with daâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 eyes receâ—ed light wheÌ„ he had put his haÌ„de to his mouth 1 Sâ—â— â—â— 28 〈…〉 which the sâ—â—ter hath in his haÌ„des is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wâ—◠〈…〉 to wit the beame of the balaÌ„ce on which the sâ—oles doe haÌ„ge 〈…〉 the whole A sâ—â— instrument for famine seeing 〈…〉 as weighed 6 Aâ—d I 〈…〉 Thâ—s vâ—â—â—â— is the 〈◊〉 being in the middes of the Beasts ch 5 6 〈…〉 uniâ—â—sâ—ll administratioÌ„ of thinges beiâ—g 〈…〉 Bâ—t seâ—â—ng this voice is â—â—â—â—d amoÌ„g the Beaâ—â— neither as 〈◊〉 goâ—â— out froÌ„ 〈…〉 â—lace by the same is signifâ—ed thâ—â— the very 〈…〉 but yet which alone should knowe the coâ—â—ll 〈…〉 ¶ A measure of wheâ—â— c. The Interâ—â—◠〈…〉 he â—â—â—en quaÌ„tity of this measure some give to it 3 〈…〉 8. â—â—esichius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are as it were â—ood divided which in one word 〈◊〉 called coÌ„monly Demâ—nsâ—on a sâ—â— mâ—â—â—â—re of corne Atheneus speaâ—eth â—ore dâ—â—inctly of it in his 3 booke Dâ—â—opsi shewing for how long a tâ—me this allowancâ— was calling it the sâ—stenance for one day Aristophanes in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bringâ—th somewhat a more full light where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 twitting the servants sayth whom I have taught to fashion foure loaves of bread to a Choenix to wit a measure of corne Therefore Chocnix conteineth so much corne as would suffice to make foure loaves The Scholiast addeth that foure great loaves were made of a Choenix and 8 small ones 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signify corne in generall in this place wheate or meale of wheate a dearer provision then barley three measures of which are not solde for more then one of wheate for a peny understand shal be folde or some like word Denarius is a latine word being worth ten pieces of silver The auncient writers make it equall in weight value to the Attike drachma that is seven pence It is of three kindes as some will have it one of which is worth after our accounte seven pence an other eight an other ten And thus much of the corne as touching the other sustenance he sayth and oyle and wine hurt not The latine translations reade the wordes being displaced thus and wine oyle hurt not the meaning is yet wine and oyle hurt not after the manner of the Hebrewes the copulative being put discretively The wordes wine oyle caÌ„not be referred unto those that went before as though he should say a measure of wheate shal be sold for a peny and three measures of barly for a peny likewise wine and oyle for a peny Iunius on this place thou shalt not doe uniustly for the wordes oyle wine are the accusative case of the following wordes thou shalt not hurt and not the nominative going before the verbe as the wordes measure and measures are Wherefore all succour for life should not be taken away but onely necessary things should be diminished Oyle and wine which serve for delicious dainties should be left unhurt because it had seemed good to God to punish the poorer sort first the Princes and states being reserved as dainties from famine to the pestilence For whom the famine could not consume because of their riches and aboundance those the pestilence should eate up and should kill with a speedy death as in the seale following So are the wordes The event is not so playnly mentioned of the History-writers as were to be wished who doe gather onely the more notable thinges and doe easily passe over for the most part thinges vulgar and common especially when as this famine consisted onely in the scarcity of corne not in a dearth of all victualls Yet God would have some tokens of it to be apparent as farre as might suffice to set out of danger the trueth of the Prophecy Commodus the sonne of Antoninus did succeede his father who being Emperour there was given by the mercy of God some breathing I thinke because froÌ„ the Emperour himselfe alone man kinde should have plague and pestilence enough Pertinax Iulian followe both of a short raigne and therefore lesse hurtfull At length Severus enioyeth the Dominion a cruell authour of a most grievous butchery whether of his owne accord or by the instigation of other men Then the third Beast cryed out admonishing the faithfull that God would punish the wicked loathing spirituall foode with a great penury of the sustenance of this life For Tertullian whoÌ„ by right thou mayest call a Man excelling in witte in good iudgment and in learning who hath almost as many argumeÌ„ts as wordes who through anger falling away unto the Heresy of Montanus by his infirmity also shewed that nothing perteining to a man was alienate from him this
were 12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixt seale and loe there was made a great earthquake the Sunne became blake as sack cloth of haire the moone was like blood 13 And the starres of heaven fell to the earth as a figge tree casteth her greene figges whē it is shaken of a mighty winde 14. And heaven departed away as a scroule when it is rolled every mountayne Yle were moved out of their place 15 And the Kings of the earth the Peeres the rich men the Tribunes the mighty men every bondman every free man hid themselves in dennes among the rockes of the mountaines 16 And sayd to the mountaines and rockes fall upon us and hide us from the presense of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe 17. For the great day of his wrath is come and who cā stande The Analysis SVCH is the Excellency of this Revelation The Events doe follow which first are the Seales secondly the Trumpets lastly the Vials For all the rest of the Prophecy is distinguished into three notable periode◠which containe the chiefe alterations to come in the world even unto the coming of Christ every one of which againe is divided into seaven points so as from the last of the former aryseth alway the whole sequent period As touching the Scales there is in every one a certen preparation afterward the type of the future thinges And the preparation is partly common wherby the Lambe openeth each one in order partly proper to the foure first which besides have an inviting by one of the foure Beastes to come and see There be sixe types of this chapter for so many seales are opened a white horse ver 2. a read ver 4. a blacke ver 5. a pale ver 8. The cry of the soules ver 9.10.11 and great earthquake to the ende of the chapter Analysis After J beheld when the Lambe had opened the first of the seales Nowe the Spirit entreth into the events which will instruct us touching all the changings succeeding by course in the world as farre as is expedient for the Church and which are of any moment unto the last end of all thinges A great matter and chiefly necessary to be knowne but such as into which noe understanding of mortall man can penetrate Therefore whom in the beginning I have prayed unto him doe I call upon againe having gone forward in some part by his alone grace that he will graunte mee happily to make an ende of the thinges that remayne who hath graunted mee so to beginne as I am persuaded is agreeing with his trueth Thou therfore most holy and most wise Lambe who alone hast deserved to take unscale the booke and not to that ende that thou shouldest have these secretes for thy selfe alone but that thou shouldest communicate them with thy Church as farre as shal be for her profit graunt I pray thee unto mee thy most unworthy servant according to thy bounteousnesse that perceaving cleerely what hidden and secrete things these seales conteine I may reveale the same holily unto the world to the edification of thy Church the ruine of Antichrist and the glory of thine owne name to be published unto all ages Amen In that wee have distinguished the Events into three rankes wee have the Spirit himselfe for our authour ioyning the trumpets to the seales the vials to the trumpets in such sorte as that alwayes the first thing of that which followeth doe aryse out of the last of that which wente before Therefore they bring in darkenes upon themselves who doe thrust togither into one the seales the trumpets the vials and also the seaven Candlestickes so as each one of every order should be ioyned one to another in equall degree as if the Father the Sonnes should be equall should runne togither the same terme of yeeres Furthermore seeing the seales ar as it were promises of future thinges the trūpets adversities approaching with great noise the vials things that are powred upon men by little and little and come upon them unwarres as wee shall after see overwhelme them it seemeth not to be convenient to cōfounde these contrary things togither so that the thinge should be promised and accomplished all at once and that the same thing should be done openly and secretly at the same moment of time but let us come to the wordes ¶ When he had opened saith he one Seale that is to say the first as Theod. Beza translateth it for after followeth the second third c. And so the Hebrewes every where use to speake But before I proceede to the thinges that are behinde that cold comment of the Jesuite is to be removed who thinketh that the opening of the booke is something diverse from opening of the seales as though nothing in the booke could be read and shewed unto us before that all the seales should be opened Which opinion verily faineth unto us I knowe not what booke of which wee have received never a word written neither doe wee understand from thence ought touching thinges to come For the Revelation hath nothing more besides the opened seales For out of them the trumpets come forth and againe out of them the vials as wee have advertised in the resolution so as all the rest of the Prophecy is limited with those thinges that are conteined in the seales as wee shall proove by manifest argumēts in their places If therfore after all the seales opened he hath found out some booke to be read it is Apocryphe that is a hid booke the originall and authority whereof is not known which peradventure may lie hid in the coffer of the breast of their Pope but which to reade and knowe the Church hath nothing to doe Furthermore it is needfull for the clearer understanding of the periodes first the termes of time wherein thinges are finished and every severall article of them to set downe some entrāce from whēce wee must begin which surely wee iudge to be by and by after this writing of John For that saying of the fourth chapter ver 1. I will shew thee the things that must be done hereafter calleth backe Iohn both to that moment of the Revelation given also teacheth to count from thence all thinges which are delivered in the booke following Therefore there is noe neede to have recourse unto the first ages of the world nor unto the Monarchies nor unto the times of Christ or the Evangelists or in any such thinge of the age past but John writing this Revelation by the commaundement of God about the ende of the Empire of Domitian as Ireneus sheweth in his 5 booke against heresies Eusebius out of Ireneus in the 3 booke of his Ecclesiasticall History chap. 18. At the ende of the raigne of Domitian about the ninety seaventh yeere from the birth of Christ wee thinke the beginning of the Seales to wit of
Mat. 26.40 after the same manner in Marcke 14.37 And so the best Greeke writers every where thou art in busines watch â—g the whole night Xenoph. Paediae 2. Sometime they are takeÌ„ for the terme of time when as in the 70. Iterpreters behold to morrow this very houre I will ruine a haile Exod. 9.18 So to morow about this very houre J will deliver them all wounded Iosh 11.6 In the New Testament yesterdâ—y the seventh houre the fever left him Iohn 4.52 The ninth houre of the day Act. 10.3.30 What houre I will come Revel 3.3 It is doubtfull therfore whether the words note the continuing of the power or the terme of beginning it The former signification containeth the second For if unto one houre they shall receive power with the Beast it must needs be that they receive it both togither at the same houre also and not the contrary seing the power of one may be continued longer then of the other of which both there was altogither the same beginning The Historie also accordeth with the former wonderfully clearer by a double and more general marke and giving a greater knowledge of the Beast whom seeing the Spirit without doubt would have to be most surely known let us iudge of right that there is this onely meaning of the words The vulgar Latine traÌ„slateth the following words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Beast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the Beast against the authority of all copies and contrary to the trueth it selfe For in the rising of the Beast the hornes are reckened in the first place yea also before the heads or any other shape of the body which thing had not bene done at all if they should grow up after ward chapter 13.1 Ribera will have the sense to be all one whether wee read with the Beast or after the Beast as though to beginne their reigne togither and after were the same time But he referreth neither of these to the time but unto service But this also is unlike and absurd seing to receave power either with or after the Beast caÌ„not be one with to deliver power to the Beast Beda deceived with the vulgar Latine seemeth to expound it so But I require a fit exemple of reason To commit fornication after Idols is to serve the same but if to receive power after one hath the same consideration doubtlesse the Pope of Rome serveth the Divill after whom he received power Seing therfore the words are so from hence let us observe a double marke of these Kings one that together with the Beast they rule the other that they shall enioy this power for a short time onely For that a short space in ver 10. the Angel expoundeth to be one houre And that which there was spoken of the seventh King onely here is attributed in likewise to all the ten Kings Not because having reigned this one houre they should exercise no powr ever after for how shall the Beast of whom together this is spoken enioy onely one houre of authority which hath two fourty moneths to tyrannise chap. 13.5 But because the first power after a few yeeres should be interrupted with some notable hurt for a time the ten Kings in their beginning should have tryal of the same adversity with the Beast to the ende that he might be more cleare and manifest to all men by this token Therfore that now we may see the very thing we have sayd in chap. 13.5 that thâ—se Kings are the first Christian Emperours which now shal be made plaine by the applying of every thing First the hornes are Kings neither of the common and inferiour sorte but Monarches and of very great authority who have crownes wherin they differ from the hornes of the Dragon as hath bin observed in chap. 13.1 He also hath tenne hornes proper to the heads to wit the City Rome where abode the Maiesty of the Highest Empire the other Provinces being subiect to this Queene But now the case being altered in the first rising up of Antichrist the chiefe Empire should be in an other place then at Rome as we know it came to passe when the Christian Emperours lived at Byzantium or Millane or Ravenna who retained in their owne power the chiefe soveraignty over the whole Christian world For hetherto they spake as Lords We because thou art a Christian have iudged thee worthy of the Bishoprick of our City as Constantius sayd to Liberius the Bishop of Rome Theod. book 2. chap. 16. Yea some ages after In the sixt Generall Council at Constance Act. 1. Constantine himselfe gave for a gift his Holy as they spake in these words I give to the Arshbishop of our auncient Rome Which thing also the Popes gladly acknowledged Boniface to the Emperour Honorius in Distinct 97. of the Church Rome is the City of your gentlenesse Gergorie unto Mauritius signifyeth his obedience in proclaming his law though he approoved not the sentence of the law As for mee being subiect to your cammaundement J have caused your law to be sent through many parts of the world book 2. Epist 61. at the ende And Agatho speaking of Rome This is the servile citie of your Maiesty in the Council of Const 6. Act. 4. Where then al this time was the Donation of Constantine Although even the very donation if a good and lawfull should be granted would bewray sufficiently in what place then the Empire was Secondly these Kings are the hornes of the Beast by whose means the dignity of the Pope of Rome increased while they drove farre away al the violence of the enemy which might seeme to be able to detract anie thing from it Neither onely gave they it leave to grow by their warres but also inriched it with exceeding wealth For although the Papists bragge impudently of Constantines donation as wee touched even now neverthelesse it is certen that they adorned both the citie and Pope with many privileges and that they which followed tooke away nothing but rather to have added to the heape Thirdly they are sayd tenne because so many of the first Emperours should be notable for their care and diligence in subduing the enemies of the Romanes Through which oportunity the Beast lately bread might get strength and might grow up to his perfect stature And these were 1. Constantine the Great 2. Constantinus ConstaÌ„s and Constantius his sonnes 3. Iulianus 4. Iovinianus 5. Valentinianus and Valens 6. Gratianus Valentianus secundus Theodosius the Great 7. Theodosius with Arcadius and Honorius 8. Arcadius and Honorius alone 9. Honorius and Theodosius Iunior 10. Theodosius Valentinius third For so Hierome Prosper Victor the Bishop of Tunise Marcellinus Comes and al other writers both Greek Latine whom I hav read doe recken for one the Emperours that reigned togither for the Romane Empire was but one though devided in states Governours as also the Image in Daniel ch 2.40 shadowed out one Kingdome by the leggs
to the judgement of Rome alone as I hope I vvill convince by necessarie arguments that she is altogether by Gods just judgement bereft of her lightes vvherby at length shee shall sodainly rush into eternall destruction Therefore let her minde judge these things as she pleaseth she shall knovv shortly vvhat it is by her inchantments to deceave her self others Thou in the meane vvhile o naturall Spouse be mindfull of the tempest at hand prepare thy self for it hale in the shoote be carefull of the helm look to plie the pūpe least in the entrance of the haven vvhich God forbidde thou make shipvvrake And novv see hovv very acceptable this Revelation ought to be to thee not onely for the future events of verie great moment indeede but also in regarde of the memorie past to vvhich if thou shalt turne thine eies thou shalt see even from the Apostles times that that continuall path in vvhich thou hast set thy foote steppes hath beene marked out vvith so plaine paternes as thou need desire no plainer historie also thou shalt enjoie a most pleasant remembrance of the dangers vvhich thou hast fuffred vvhich yeilde unto thee so many arguments of the in cōprehēsible providēce vvisdom love truth of God keeping thee safe amidst great distresses Surely this addition vvith the rest of the Apostolicall vvritings adjoined to the old Testament ministreth Histories of the vvorlde it self from the first beginning unto the latter end thereof for vvhich cause this unestimable treasure ought to be to every one most deare And these are the causes cōcerning you o Christian Churches of my publicke vvriting There are also some causes that concerne the Prelacie namely mercy vvrath mercy because I savv many ignorant rude and unskilfull in the heavenly truth as yet to vvorship Antichrist as a God Those vvere to be taken out of the javves of hell yf so it should please God For vvhich thing I vvill go before to shine unto them vvith so great plainenes of truth that they shall necessarily see so that they vvill open their eies that that Prelate of Rome is that man of sinne to vvhom yf they persevere to cleave they cānot be saved Truly my indignatiō is kindled against the Iesuites For vvhen by happe I fell on Ribera interpreting this same holy Revelation Doe saied I the Papists againe take courage that that booke vvhich of late they permitted scarce any mā to touch they should novv undertake the full handling thereof Was it a vaine shevv at the sight vvhereof yea in dimme light a fevv yeares agoe they trembled that novv they boldely endure to looke in to the same glasse crie out that some other thing is shevved in it then their Pope O vve drovvsy men sluggards if vve suffer it Therfore I thought that their croaking is in some sorte to be restrained esteeming that it would be worth the labour to shew to the Iesuites how wickedly they are madde how foolishly they trifle how they understand none of these Mysteries how it cannot be that here they should be any thing weise that if they desire the truth as they make a shewe at least weise they may have mee a helper to search it out or if otherweise they doe yet despise it being offred an aprouver of their condemnation But yf they will not be silent for I know that for a short time they shall fill heaven and earth with their noise yet I hope to have given that force of light wherby they being hereafter bereft of all shew of reasons they shall vomit forth no other thing then their mere blasphemies against God and men Thou holy mother by what kindnes clemency thou art towards thine pardon I beseech thee my slendernes where I shall have slipped chiefly respect not nor regarde the rudenes of my stile the scope of us both is the truth onely let mee stemmer unto thee mother after what manner soever I bring unto thee Mandrakes such as I could finde as for the curious who doe regarde wordes more then the truth ther are no herbs in our basket for them unlesse this that yf they be diseased with the drowsie sicknes of too much elegancie they may fetch hēce yf they please 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the perfume of bitumē or earth pitch and the herbe called Goates beard Strab. book 16. wherby as the Sabeans they may shake off their drousy disease and awaken their dull senses I pray God that you Christian Churches by understanding may profite in godlines and by true and earnest repentance may either quite remove away the evil hanging over you or be so armed with his might that in al stormes you may stand invincible A Citizen and Nourrisson of yours most unworthy THOMAS BRIGHTMAN A VIEW OF THE WHOLE APOCALYPSE The particular Prophesy Chap. 1.1 THE Preface sheweth the argument of the book 4. The Epistle sent in cōmō to the 7. Churches after the inscription doth tell who hath givē the Prophecy who hath received it the things heard by which it cōfirmeth the authority of it Chap. 2. The Epistles ar givē severally The first cōprehēdeth the languishing disease of the Ephesians 8. The Smyrneans are confirmed against the strength of the enemy 12. They of Pergamus ar reprehended for permitting Balaam the Nicolaitans 18. They of Thyatira ar reprooved of sinn for suffring Iezabell Chap. 3. The Sardians ar charged of hypocrisy 7. The piety of Philadelphia is cōmēded 14. The lukewarmnes boasting of the Laodiceans is with weighty words reprehended The common Prophesy Chap. 4. The cōmon Prophecy propoūdeth the generall type of the holy Church notable for her centre God ver 2.3 for the cōpassing about of the faithfull ver 4. for Gods protection ver 5. for gifts doctrine ordināces ver 5.6 ministers ver 6.7.8 finally for the whole publick worship ver 9.10.11 Chap. 5. The first of the things which ar spoken of in special is the dignity of the Prophecy which is declared first by the weakenes of the creature 6. by the merite of the Lambe 8. the celebration of all Chap. 6. The first speciall events ar the seales 1. The first is opened the truth prevaileth under Trajan Hadrian Antoninus Pius at the voice of the first living creature of Quadratus Aristides Iustin Martyr 3. at the voice of the said Iustin Melito of Sardis Apollinaris the secōd living creature the redd horse goeth forth under Marcus Antoninus Verus troubling all with warres 5. the third seal being opened the third living creature Tertullian cryeth out under Severus the Emperour whē the blacke horse did afflict the world with famine scarcity 7. The fourth seale is opened the fourth living creature Cyprian speaketh Decius being then Emperour when the pale horse wasted all with warre famine pestilence wild beasts 9. The fift seale is opened ther is given some breathing from the publick persecution under Claudius Quintilius The seales
For what other thing were so many skâ—rres and prints with which many Bishos were marked who after the tempest of tyrannicall persecution driveÌ„ awaie did meete in the Nicene Counsell then so many triumphant bowes of the victory gotten against the enemies Paulus Neocesariensis was bereft of the use of both his hands the sinewes being shrunke and cut by the persecutours with a whote iron Others had both their eyes put out Others their right handes cut of by the elbowe among which was Paphnutius Aegyptius In summe a man might have seen a company of famous and picked Martyrs gathered togither Theod. book 1. chap. 7. He was an Angell of an invicible courage whom so many calamities could not breake yea not bowe never so litle Now therefore if we shall gather all these things into one summe we shall see a most beautifull image of any excellent Church For beholde an Angell sparing noe trouble of his owne in the labout of teaching administring the disâ—ipline most religiously suffering none that should offende the Church with his naughtines either keeping farre away the leven of heretiques or taking it away most carefully at the very first And last of all for all these thinges undergoing boldly whatsoever the wicked enemies were able to inflict upon him Doth he in any thing need amending In nothing in deede if onely he had continued in his integritie but godlines fainteth by little and little unlesse it be kindled continually and often times a certen naked profession remaineth where all his power is utterly dead lyeth quenched as we shall see by by to have happened here As touching the wordes Montanus and the vulgar translation doe distinguish this verse otherwise also they put out and change some wordes And hast borne a burden and hast patience for my name hast not fainted So Aretas but the first words set out of order And hast patience and hast borne a burden But these readings want expresse signification which our kookes have which conioine togither burden trouble and perseverance The sentence becometh much more weake where this worde trouble is taken away 4 But I have somewhat against thee Hitherto was the praise The reprehensioÌ„ is for the leaving of their first love Of which even a light slaking had not wanted great faulte But to put of the same wholy how great wickednes For so the word thou hast left soundeth as if the Ephesine Angell were like to those widowes given to riot which Paul saith are to be condemned because they have cast awaie their first faith 1 Tim. 5.12 Although this losse of love was nothing to the heinous offence of the widowes For their Apostacy was manifest his onely a faint or rather no care and a very great negligence of godly duties the profession of the truth being kept But the Spirit speaketh of divers tymes as it appeareth from this that he saith that thou hast left thy first love and in the verse folowing biddeth them to doe the first workes FroÌ„ which it is perceaved easily of what sorte was this coldnes to it that the Angell who in the first times of the Gospell receaved faithfully executed the office of teaching observed diligently every on s maners to which forthwith he applyed a remedie by ecclesiasticall discipline afterward in the latter yeares did so languish that he was negligently occupied in the first labour permitted some of his floke to perish through ignoraÌ„ce some through the infirmity of the flesh to be carried headlong into destructioÌ„ no lawfull curing undertaken This is that love which Christ taketh grievously to be layd aside so shamefully For he sheweth that he is then truly loved when his sheepe are fed faithfully and with a syncere minde Wherto perteineth that thrise repeated commandement to Peter Yf thou lovest me feede my sheepe Ioh. 16.17 But in processe of time in this Church this fervency waxed colde or rather altogither vanished away as is manifest by the reprehension Such is our infirmity rushing a pace no lesse to the losse and destruction of spirituall life then our bodies hast continually to the graves Wherfore then is there too much cure of this none of that The Ephesians reteined an outward profession neither were any calamities able to take it from them as the former verse even now taught yet in the meane time they decayed by little and little neglecting those thinges without which true godlines cannot consist And this leaving of love seemeth to have come to passe then when Iohn had bin sent away into Pathmos Doubtlesse while he abode at Ephesus he suffered not either doctrine or discipline to decay but being at length bereft of so vigilant a watchman they fell into this detested drowsines The Bishop may be for an example although not of that city yet of a neighbour place who thorough the negligence of holy discipline suffered a certen yong man delivered to him of Iohn to be kept to become a thiefe and a robber Wherefore Iohn did worthily hit and cast in his teeth his good keeping Euseb Hist booke 3.23 But howsoever the history be silent in this matter it is certen that the Ephesine Angels fell together into shamefull negligence about these tymes Of which sort also wee finde the carelesnes of the Church growing in use by little and little In the first times while it had the Apostles for presidents and eye witnesses of all things the diligence of the Elders was fervent who did both preach the word of God faithfully and also further the godlines of their flocke carefully by discipline but at length after two hundred yeares froÌ„ Christs birth they suffered all things to waxe worse and worse by a manifest declining How began the discipline to be loosed and corrupted wheÌ„ the Martyrs Confessours gave rest to those that had falleÌ„ not onely without the Bishops counsell but also against their willes How this outragious disturbance of the heavenly rule troubled Cyprian we may see from his Epistles from whence among other causes of the incumbent persecution many of which he rehearsed at length he descendeth to this And what plagues what stripes doe we not deserve when noe not the Confessours doe keepe discipline who ought to have bin an exemple to others to good manners Epist book 4. 4. And not many yeares after Eusebius relating the condition of the Church in which it was a little before Diocletian began his persecution They saith he which were thought to be our Pastours reiecting the bond of godlines were busily occupyed in mutuall contentions among themselves These thinges onely increasing beiond measure contentions and threatnings and emulations and mutuall grudges and hatred folowing with all their might preheminence and dominion as it were kingdomes book 8. of Hist chap. 1. It must needs be that the edge of holy discipline was made blunt in wonderfull manner which was of no force to cut of such noxiour herbes But Ambrose who rehearseth that the divine rule was vanished
Devill of whose Synagogue they were the chiefe rulers ¶ Feare none of those things which thou shalt suffer Now he instructeth them against the future evills which were apparent to be more grievous then those that were past Those thinges with which the Iewes did trouble them at the present then also those false accusations of the Bishops while Constātine lived were light skirmishes of a sharper battaile following by and by after Therefore he describeth diligently all the manner of this combate who should be the chiefe Captaine of it with what kinde of cruelty he should rage to what ende and how long The Prince is the Devill whom after we shall learne to denote the Heathen Emperours open enemies of the truth as chap. 12.9 This doth comprehende also the Heretiques Christians in name but in very truth wolves devouring the flocke The kinde of punishement is the prison under which as the history teacheth is comprehended proscriptions confiscation of goods banishmēt slaughters fires tortures With all these thinges the Devill should greatly torment to drawe men from the truth But this persecution should endure for ten daies onely And a day in this booke is taken for a yeare The nūber also of ten some time signifieth properly some time by Synecdoche noteth out some uncerten number I thinke that both are here used that certen number should be of the Type and uncerten of the Antitype Therfore as touching Smyrna it selfe this persecution fell out in the times of TRAIAN which Devill a professed enemy of the truth did reigne next after this writing very fierce against Christians delivering men into prison and death that he might make them to renounce the profession of Christ Smyrna could not be free from the comon calamity especially when Bythynia being nigh to it did altogether abounde with the murders of the Christians as the Epistle of Plinius Secundus to Traian doeth shew From whence also it may be gathered after a sorte of what continuance the persecution was For in the fourteenth yeare of Traian Plinie relating to him the multitude of those that were slaine was an occasion of staying that rage and of obtayning some breathing What yeare it began it is not plainly set downe by the History-writers Some suppose that it was at the very beginning of his reigne but in the fourth yeare triumphing over the Daces and Scythians he seemeth to have had first his Kingdome hindred so as he could not have leasure to afflict the Christians But it is certen that he exercised his cruelty ten yeares at least It is likely that the end of that warre gave the beginning of tormenting Christians Neither is it needfull that this affliction be referred to Smyrna onely but that it was that generall of which he maketh mention in the Church of Philadelphia which should come upon the whole world Chap. 3.10 As touching the Antitype Constance and Valence Emperours in name Christians in deede noe lesse fierce against the orthodoxe and true godly people then once the Ethnike Devills were In which account also are holden the inferiour ministers of that wickednes of the people Syrianus a Captaine and Sebastianus Governour of the armies Manicheus Of the Bishops Eusebius once of Nicomedia then of Constantinople Macedonius Georgius Alexandrinus and others of that sorte not Bishops but monsters whose barbarous cruelty was scarce matched by any Tyrant Of old the matter was handled with brawles chidings and calumnies of all sortes But after the death of Constantine the Devill was to come forth on the stage and what broiles were raised up It was a light thing to drive holy men into banishement to cast very many into prison to kill almost an infinite number They tyrannised with torments and all manner of contumelious punishments Some were beaten with stripes unto death some marked in the forehead with prints of hotte iron some tormented with other tortures Yea the brestes were cut of from holy women Vnto some they were burnt of with a hotte iron to many with egges rosted in the fire to an exceeding great heat Who would beleeve that any such thing could have bin inferred upō Christians from men of Christian profession It cannot be shewed in fewe wordes how full of calamity those times were but see Socrat. book 2. and 4. Theod. book 2. and 4. Sozom. book 3. 4. 6. And although this tyranny did continue above fourteene yeares yet notwithstanding it doth make those ten daies of the same manner that we have sayd ¶ Be faithfull unto the death He provoqueth unto fortitude the reward being propounded to be Eternall life It is a profitable losse which is recompensed with so great gaine What should nor the godly undergoe most willingly being sure of such a reward It is fitted to the times ministring comfort against the losse of this present life To which purpose he spake before that he was alive which had bin dead that by his exemple they should learne not to feare death which they should know to be a meane between God and them of eternall happines 11 He that hath an eare The wonted conclusion warning all men to hearken diligently to these instructions touching fortitude and courage of minde in afflictions We were instructed before against the sluggishnes which is inbread in us here we are armed against outward violence The reward which is added to the end He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death is common to the whole Church That which was before belonged properly to the Angell the knowledge whereof notwithstanding was very necessary to the people as hath bin said before But seeing that this conflict was to be undergone as well of the people as of the Pastours confort also is given them by name to the same purpose that the former was but in a divers respect For there are two things which are wont to kindle the desire unto every excellent acte hope of reward and contemning of the perill that first was proposed to the Postours whose courage is wont to be more ready and valiant by looking into the reward This second to the People whom the feare of danger chiefly withdraweth from their duty suffereth them not to undertake any thing worthy commendation He teacheth therefore that they must not feare to spend their life if need be for the truth sake for there shall be no feare of the second death by which the body and soule perish for ever according to that of Christ Feare not them that kill the body but cannot kill the soule but feare him rather who can destroy both soule and body in hell fyre Mat. 10.28 This in hell fyre is this same which he calleth second death By the which the whole man shal be no lesse deprived of all solace in God as the body is destitute of all helpe being separated from the soule by the first death This is that horrible death to be feared in deede from which he that hath overcome death doe deliver his from which he
promised to free them that overcome He doth not promise to deliver them from the first being too light a thing either to be given by such a great price Rewarder or to be expected by those that ar his And what need is there to be defended from the first death which the necessity of nature will bring at length but to prevent it for the truths sake procureth a farre greater crowne He promiseth therfore that which is best and doth not allure us with a vaine shew of some light thing Analysis SO is the Epistle to the Smyrneans That to the Church of Pergamus is inscribed likewise to the Angell he that sendeth hath a two edged sworde The narration commendeth his constancy illustrated by the throne of SathaÌ„ and the comon times in which Antipas suffered ver 13. then he reproveth the sinne which he sheweth both of what quality it is consisting in suffering Baalamites ver 14. and Nicolaitans ver 15. and also the remedy for it namely repentance which he setteth forth by the danger of refusing the same ver 16. Lastly he concludeth with a solemne Epiphoneme and proposeth a reward the hidden Manna the white stone an unknowne name written upon it ver 17. Scholions 12 And to the Angell of the Church of Pergamus Towred Pergamus Pergamus so farre as the Spirit seemeth to respect the notation thereof in this place is as it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the tower of Troye as Hesychius expoundeth it to with a towred city high and superbe agreable to that which followeth in the next verse where the throne of Sathan is It is distant from Smyrna Northward about five hundred and fourty furlongs with a greater distance then Smyrna is from Ephesus in the last border of the North latitude as touching those seaven cityes A great diminishing of light fell out in the Smyrnean corner under Constantine Constance Valence even at the first turning from Ephesus first purity But nowe he goeth from Smyrna to Pergamus into the utmost darkenes the Church being about to suffer a greater defect of light then ever before this time since Christ was borne The Antitype of this Church is of longer time then the former as also the distance of place is greater conteining a great part of the kingdome of darkenes from the three hundred and foure score yeare to wit from Gratian where the former period ceased unto about the yeare one thousand three hundreth as in the explication we shall see ¶ These things saith he which hath c. The furniture of him that enditeth the Epistle is taken out of chap. 1.16 Which now he taketh before the other because he would shew himselfe such in practize in this Church For he would punish the rebells as he speaketh after ver 16. on whom no light punishement should be layd by a two edged sworde and that sharpe and the sword is the worde of God it selfe whose force should now be manifested in the subduing of the man of sinne Although this sword in this period is shaken rather then inflicted For he threatneth a fight against those that repent not ver 16. he cometh not forthwith to handy strokes 13 I know thy workes A narration of his more approved condition which is set forth two wayes that he neither denyed the faith allthough he dwelt in that place where Sathans throne is sâ—condly that neither in those dayes wherin Antipas was slaine It is not hard to know why it is called the throne of Sathan For the city where the Ethnike Emperours had their seat made warre professedly against the Lambe is called the Throne of the Dragon chap. 13.2 So of the foster inferiour cities which come nighest to the disposition of this chiefe city because they make a pallace more garnished for the Devill they are noted with the same name Nowe was the mother city of the Romane Empire in Asia For it is likely that this region being brought into a Province after that Atalus Philometor King of Pergamus had named the people of Rome his heire the Proconsull being sent to governe the same placed there the seat of his iurisdiction Plinie in his 5 booke of his naturall History chap. 30. saith that this City was by farre the most famous of Asia which glory should lesse agree unto it if the Proconsuls had had their dwelling in any other place seeing honour is wont eyther to come to cities or to departe from them together with the chief rulers Although before it perteined to the Romane power it was the head city of the Kingdome of Asia For so Livius speaketh entreating of Scleuchus the sonne of Antiochus He leadeth saith he to the assailing of Pergamum the head and tower of the Kingdome Decal 4. book 7. It was therefore a great thing to professe Christ in the hearing sight of so mighty a city spiteful against the truth There may not be prophecying in Bethel for it is the sanctuary of the king and the Kings house Amos 7.13 Aretas reporteth of Antipas that he gave testimony to the truth at Pergamus and that his martyrdome was kept even to his times But I finde noe more in any author worthy credit From this place it is evident that he was a very famous Martyr by whose sufferings was signified the rage of a most grievous persecution This is another praise that Pergamus had continued constantly in the faith when a fierce tempest raged very greatly It is an easy thing to professe Christ when a man may doe it either with honour or without danger But to reteine the profession of him without feare even with the danger of life is an excellent commendation and a point of true courage Wee have said that the Antitype was the Church from the foure hundreth yeare to the three hundreth above the thousandth When after Constantius Iulianus and Valence Smyrna being left it went further toward the North unto Pergamus that is was hidden in thicke darknes being brought under the power of that City where The Throne of Satan is namely ROME This is that Towred City The Tower of Troye whose Daughter shee boasted her selfe to be once the Mother City almost of the whole world the proude Lady and Queene of the Nations noe lesse famous for the stately Temples Theaters Highe Places then for the ample and large dominioÌ„ and Empire It is plainly called the Throne of Satan in the 13. chapter of this booke both because it was once the Seate of the Ethnike Emperours as at the place wee will shewe And also because they being taken away it was made the Seate of the Popes who during this time have most plainly shewed that they reigned by the helpe of the Devill and not of God Foure and twenty Popes were all given to Divelish arts some of which gave up themselves wholy to Sathan by covenant to obtaine the Popedome Yea by the space of whole foure scoâ—e yeares from Sylvester II.
notable errours that there hath bin scarce at my time any other more foule and deadly Lamentable in deede is the fall of the famous men whose labour was once courageous and no lesse profitable against the comon enemyes And what a crowne had they received if they had continued in the same warrefarre and had not as cruell Elephants turned back of the enemyes wasted their owne friendes But my office is of an Interpreter and not of a quereller and therefore I leave of these things This death invaded not onely some perticalar men but also many whole cityes and provinces as may appeare by the booke of Concorde published in the yeare 1580. which is not of so great force to stablish the errour with the consent of so many as to testify this miserable calamity of the brethren And to this errour touching the Supper of the Lord and person of Christ were many other also added to wit of Originall sinne of Free will of Iustification of Good workes of the Lawe and Gospell of Indifferent things and of Predestination Therefore death assaileth with a manifoulde dart how great must the slaughter be seing shee casteth to ground even with one great troupes of men ¶ For J have not founde thy workes perfit The reason why so many fell into death The Church of Sardis as farr as it seemeth admitted not the syncere truth of God but reteined some Ethnike superstition The Church of Germany did indeede cast away many Popish errours yet in the Sacrament of the supper shee sticke still as it were in the clay of bodily presence not as Rome dreaming of a changed substance of bread and wine into a true and reall flesh and blood but no lesse contrary to and disagreeing from the trueth conioining the true flesh and blood togither with the outward signes affirming that he is present here on earth This leaven Luther never cast out but contended fiercely with Zuinglius Oecolampadius for to defend retaine the same Neither would God which afflicted so grievously the Corinthians for the prophanation of this sacred mystery so as many were weake and sicke and many slept 1 Cor. 11.30 have goe away unpunished the neglect of amending in this point Of which punishement to come some proofe was made whâ—n Luther was constrained for the defense of an uniust cause to fly for succour to Vbiquity and to confirme many other things touching the manhood of Christ which are contrary to the truth But for the heat of contention he could not so well consider and minde that froÌ„ those beginnings and flourishes he should understand God to be angry How did he not beware of that errour which did draw with it so great a multitude of wicked opinions Why feared he not what might have happened to others having tryed in himselfe into what case he himselfe was brought in disputing But his eyes were holden that he could not forsee for the time to come and turne away this so grievous punishment froÌ„ his people Wherfore their workes were not perfit because a full reformatioÌ„ was not used but onely one errour chaunged into an other noe lesse grievous And God is wont often times to punish sinne with sinne 3 Remember therefore c. The second remedy is to remember and repent Theod. Beza translated thus remember what thou hast received And so indeede some time the worde pos seemeth to be taken For that of Mark take heed what thou heare chap. 4.24 Luke hath it thus take heed how you heare chap. 8.18 But when he saied even now that theire workes were not full before God he seemeth not so much to exhorte that they would reteine those thinges which they had received for so they should have continued in their former errours as that they should remember the manner of receaving So as pos in this place ought to remaine in his owne proper signification denoting rather the quality then the substance of the thing He warneth therfore the Sardenses that they goe backe to the first institution and amende things fallen into decay after the rule of that alone Even as also the Germane Church that they minde what Luther propounded to himself at the beginning and make their reformation according to that rule But he regarded noe other thing at the first then that all humane inventions driveÌ„ away onely the divine truth revealed in the scriptures inspired of God might prevayle For so in the preface of his assertion of the artickles coÌ„demned by the Bulle of the Pope Leon x. First saith he J will that they beare mee witnesse that I will not be compelled with the authority of any at all how holy a father soever unlesse as farre as he shal be approved by the iudgement of divine scripture Againe Let the first principles then of Christians be none other but the word of God but all men conclusions be fetched from hence and againe to be reduced thither and tryed therby Those first of all ought to be knowen of every one not sought out by men but men to be iudged by them Whereupon also he rehearseth that of Augustine in his 3. booke of the Trin. be not bound unto my Epistles as unto the Canonicall Scriptures c. Therefore wee may not cleave in the bookes of Luther as the Vbiquitaries doe and they which corrupt the Sacrament by the late devised consubstantiation but as he thought he must be wise onely out of the scriptures so all his writings are to be brought backe to these holy balances Why doe wee give greter authority to his bookes then either he to the bookes of others or himselfe would have to be given to his owne A matter indeede of great moment and in which alone consisteth the turning away of the eminent evill Vnlesse men turne their eyes to these things and have their eares bent to heare their voice and also those things performed which they shall commande an other scourge remayneth for Germany more bitter then that which even hitherto hath afflicted her not lightly What godly man taketh not great griefe minding the destructioÌ„ of so many brethren by a pernitions errour so long conteÌ„tions of minds so sharpe battels both of wordes and weapons But he must needes be more vexed when he considereth with himselfe that there is not yet an end of these evills but some greater thing to hang over their heads unlese they repent betimes I could not but warne the brethren of the danger least I should heare with my great griefe them to be afflicted and full of calamity whoÌ„ I desire in Christ Iesus to flourish And I hope that howsoever my iudgment shal be troublesome yet my good will shall not be ungrate ¶ Yf thou shalt not watch I will come c. The perill that he threatneth is his coming as a thiefe and that in an unexpected time He doth not expressely mention what kinde of evill shall come although in some parte it may be gathered from the similitude which often times is
that repented forsooke their errours with which they were possessed before time Of which sorte were many in Germany before the booke of Concord was published when in most universityes the chiefe teachers understood the true doctrine of the supper of the Lord and the opinions of Vbiquitie corporall presence in the supper every where were contemned as witnesseth Georg. Sohnius in his exposition of the August Cōfes which appeareth more clearly from the Synode of Desdrense in the yeare above 1571 where it was ordained by the comon consent both of all the Superintendants of the Dukedome of Saxonie and also of the Doctours of the Vniversityes of Lypsia and Wittemberg That the Vbiquitie of the body of Christ was an horrible prophanation of all the articles of the Creed and a renewing of all Heresyes Gallobel in the yeare 1592. And since that time a perfitter light breaking forth every day many were raysed up from their drowsines and opened their eyes to the truth Whom also even as well as the other he adorneth with white garments who gave a penny to them that were hyred at the eleventh houre Mat. 20.9 Such then is the first reward two yet doe remayne ¶ And I will never put his name out of the booke of life The second reward applyed to the times For because very many in these tymes should fall from the trueth and many cityes peoples provinces regions should cōsent to errour as at this time it is evident how farre and wide the contagiō spread abroad flying also over the sea and infecting those Northern regiōs Gotia and Suetia by which their approving of errour they should blot their names out of the register of the saints and should cut of from themselves the hope of life unlesse they should repent least I say the falling away of so many should trouble the saints he biddeth his conquerours to be of good courage Christ himselfe would set them free from falling howsoever they should see infinite nūbers to rush downe violently on their right and left hand For it is he alone who first calleth us backe from errour then sanctifyeth confirmeth us in the trueth least at any time we should revolte from it Therefore howsoever this reward be full of confort yet it teacheth that the time should be lamētable through the fall of many For to betray and forsake the trueth is not a light matter as many suppose who easily are caried away with every winde of doctrine but it is an argument of a man of no reckonning with God But how wilt thou say can they be blotted out which once were written in the booke of life especially seeing that this booke is the booke of the Lambe as in the chap. 13. 8. that is wherein those that are written the Lambe acknowledgeth them for his counteth them heires of eternall life neither is there any of those that are given to Christ that can ever perish Ioh. 6.37.39 17.12 I answer that these things are spoken in respect of us For there is a twofolde booke of life one as I may say of vocation an other of election Into the first are put all who by the preaching of the Gospell are taken into the fellowship of the Church who rightly doe seeme unto us to be partakers of life and endued with the hope of eternall salvation For the scriptures are wont to speak so generally giving thankes to the Father who hath made us meete to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light Who hath delivered us from the power of darknes and translated us into the kingdome of his deare sonne in whom we have redemption by his blood the forgivenes of sinnes c. So the Apostle speaketh of the multitude of the Colossians without difference chap. 1.12 And after the same manner every where in other places Yet men may be put out of this booke For many are called but few chosen Mat. 22.14 And it is declared after in the 7. chap. by an exemple Dan and Ephraim being passed over in the rehearsing of the tribes as souldiers put out of wages and cassed out of the register For God of old as in a certen visible shadow of this booke cōmaunded the genealogies of each tribe among the people of Israell to be kept diligently Wherto also perteined that of raysing up seed to the dead that his name should not be put out from his people Deut. 25.6 In which respect also the Psalmist wisheth to certen reprobates who held a place in the Church like true citizens that God at length would separate them frō the congregation of the Saints and manifest them to be meere hypocrites Psal 69.29 Wherefore all are put out of this kooke of life who forsake the fellowship of the holy Church either through errour and heresy or wickednes or other cause whatsoever not that for this cause they are blotted out of the booke of Election but because by this way they make manifest that they were never written in this booke as Iohn saith they went out from us but they were not of us 1 Ioh. 2.19 But the other booke to wit of Election is never spotted with any blottes but the names once written in doe cōstantly remayne in the same without rasing out Although these bookes are not so open and evident that they can be read of all men without difference but it is declared to every one severalty by the Spirit that is found in this register in what estimation and account he is ¶ But J will confesse his name The third reward is of confessing their name Which sheweth not onely the falling away of many but also that others shal be compelled by force So as there is great neede of the power of the Spirit least any weakened by the iniuries and threats of adversaries doe forsake the trueth For the confession of their name before his father is for the confort of confessing Christ and his trueth boldly and without feare So sending his Apostles to preach furnisheth and instructeth them against the feare of affliction Mat. 10.32 And who knoweth not to what inhumanity cruelty proceeded the hatred of them who call themselves Lutherans against the professors of the truth In the yeare 1580. was obtruded upon the Ministers of the Churches and Schooles the booke of Concorde avouching the execrable errour of Vbiquity A subscriptiō was commaunded in the name of the Princes the refusers were proclaimed Sacramētaryes or put out of their places In the yeare 1591. Christiā Duke of Saxony being dead Paul Kreilius Chaunceler suspected of Calvinisme as they speake was cast into prison Vrbanus Pierius Professor of Wittēberg was lead captive into prisō Gundermānus of Lipsich cōmitted prisōner In the yeare following was appointed a newe visitation they went through all Saxony they that would not subscribe to the articles were removed from their offices What should I rehearse the broyle of Lipsich the yeare following when all the university men on every side assembled
meane time let us knowe that this shal be a fearfull punishement for first Christ will take great pleasure in reiecting from himselfe this Angell For what can be more pleasante to a man that hath a disposition and will to vomit then to be eased by and by of the cause of his griefe Even as Moses threatneth to the Apostate Iewes that Iehovah will so reioyce in destroing and rooting them out as before he reioyced to doe them good Deut. 28.63 Secondly because he will cast out this Angell with greate dishonour For an uncleane place is sought for vomiting howsoever Antonius in the assembly of the people of Rome governing the publike businesse filled his owne bosome and the tribunal with gobbets of meate Thirdly that the Angell shall never recover his former dignity For farre be it that the Prince and Authour of all cleannesse should ever returne to his vomit But this punishement was not to be inflicted to the whole Laodicean Church but to the Angell alone that is to all lukewarme Pastours partly because of that which wee spake even nowe partly because the Church is wont to be mentionned expressely where shee is intreated of As unto the Ephesine Angell I will remove thy candlestick out of his place chap. 2.5 It shall therefore be peculiar to the Ecclesiasticall men without the destruction of the whole Church Neither is it to be doubted but the same at length happened to the Laodicean Angell which here is denounced The which thinge is also certenly to be expected in his Antitype unlesse shee shall prevent it by repentance For it shall come to passe that that faithfull witnesse shall overthrowe this whole Hierarchy and not alwayes suffer men seeking onely honours and riches not those things which are Christ to enioy even this false fâ—licity Certenly a great and reprochfull iudgement abideth those lukewarme on s Of which though they be troubled with noe feare as having with their terrour put to flight all the noyse there of yet though all shall hold their peace he will not deceive who hath threatned that he will punish It is also to be feared that the Church may feele some adversity through contagion and consenting to Such as are the Angels such becometh shee for the most part and none is so ignorant of the matters who seeth not plainely that the whole body is sicke of the same disease But have mercy upon us o thou beginning of the workmanshippe of God deale not with us according to our sinnes thou knowest our making that wee are dust and ashes How should not earth wax cold Rayse up in us the burning heate of thy love dissolve J pray thee our yce neither suffer us to please our selves in our miparted godlines but kindle us with thy heavenly fire unto a full heate and fervency that wee may both avoide thy lothsomnes of us and may alwayes enioy that pleasantnes which thou givest to them whom thou lovest Amen ¶ For thou sayest I am riche Thus was the nature of the sinne The cause is double a false perswasion of their owne worthynes and ignorance of their misery That grew from their wealth which was of earthly and not spiritual riches for against these he opposeth the riches which he biddeth the Angell to buy of him in the next verse Neither could he have ben lukewarme if he had expected spirituall riches from any other then from Christ alone but rather throughly cold and altogither a stranger from grace being become voyd and separated from Christ Gal. 5.4 But he seemeth to have abounded in earthly riches because of the wealth of the city which wee spake of chap. 1.11 For which cause peradventure Archippus was more negligent of his ministery whereupon Paul would that he should be admonished Col. 4.17 although small fruit seemeth to have followed thereof seeing that even unto these times of this Revelation there was so great matter of boasting and that also not newly bred but gathered from old time The abondance therfore of things for this life begate this lukewarmnes And it is noe newe thing that prosperity doth steale away our mindes draw men away from God This warning is often in the lawe that they should take heede to themselves least being fullfedd and filled with good things they should forgeth Iehovah And the boasting is threefolde the first of the present wealth The second of long continuing The third of a perfit and absolute to every use For so the wordes require that J am rich should be referred unto the present riches I have ben rich unto those that are past I want nothing unto a certen fulnes From which further must needs spring a certen persuasion of a permanent state and also constant felicity for the time to come And it is to be observed that he bringeth in this Angell boasting in his owne wordes otherwise then was done hitherto yet this not in vaine seeing nothing is uttered rashly of the H. Ghost But as touching the Anghel of Laodicea a clearer application offereth not it selfe In our England the congruency is so manifest that nothing could have bin expressed more lively For what other cause can wee bring of our lukewarmnes the Popish gouvernement mingled with the pure doctrine then the love of riches honours Men suffer not this hope to be taken from them but they had rather have a halfe godlinesse togither with the inioying of their riches then a full and perfit reformation with the losse of them Yet least they should seme to preferre any thing before the trueth with dishonour they prayse some what proudly our present happines in the published bookes and in the assemblyes as wee may see from the writings of many men which have come forth in these last yeares Not without cause therfore the Spirit maketh this Angell vaunting him selfe but in the same setting before our eyes our notable glorying And wee have said that the first bragging was of the present riches Howe doth our Angell triumphe in this respect and lifteth up the head above all other reformed Churches In other places there are poore and basse Pastores almost of a vulgar state condition nor of any greater authority then their godlines and learning can procure unto them But our Bishops are Peeres of the Realme superiour in honour to many great states also in riches company of men and mayd servants in magnificence of houses and all the other pompe of the world equall to any even the greatest Earles Howe riche is the reste of the Clergy The Deanes Arch-Deacons Prebendaries Chaplaines heaping and gathering togither many benefices as they call them doe match Squires at least in early revenues Doe not this amplify and encrease very greatly the glory of the Church that her ministres doe shine in garments of silke and Velvet doe walke in the streetes with the retinue of noble men so drive farre off the contempte of the ministery Where canst thou see after the Pope expelled a Church
unskilfull multitude or of the base people and that he might either be present or absent at his pleasure but let him beholde here Kinges attending to the voice of the Beasts nor that once or twice and at certen tymes but whensoever the Beasts give glory that is as often as they doe execute their publike office The praysing of God of these and their adoration of God are ioyned allwayes togither so that neither may any thinke that he is free and discharged from his duty neither to have performed it enough at some fewe times 11 Thou art worthy o Lord The praysing which the Elders use in wordes is noe other thing then a subscribing to the crying out and shouting of the Beasts these celebrate the holines Dominion omnipotency and trueth of God The Elders nowe doe singe togither thou art worthy indeede o Lord to receave glory and honour which wee and all thy creatures worthily doe give to thee as though unto the sung of prayses of the Ministers the people should give their consent saying Amen But howe may God receive power They meane the prayse of all vertue and power Power can not be given to God otherwise but onely by acknowledging and praysing Which then shineth forth most cleerly when he sheweth his strength extraordinarily both in delivering his owne and also in destroying his enemyes ¶ For thou hast created all things The people ought not onely to consent to the thankes given by the Ministers in the meane time themselves being voyde of all knowledge of their owne as it commeth to passe in the Papacy where after the prayers not understood is sung Amen by the unskilfull common people or some as they will supplying their place but their consent ought to come from a true faith and that not confused and implicite but of which a true sense and feeling is setled in every on s harte peculiarly For the God of reason requireth a reasonable worshippe not unknowne rash and voyd of counsell Whereupon not without cause is added from what fountayne the declaration of the consent of the Elders to wit froÌ„ their owne acknowledging of the exceeding power of God both in creating all thinges and also in preserving the same and noe lesse from the sense of his most free good will by which alone being moved he made all thinges in the beginning and governeth and preserveth the same at this day according to that saying Who worketh all thinges after the counsell of his will Ephe. chap. 1. ver 11. For which cause there is repeated in the ende of the verse they have ben created that wee may understande that the will of God not onely hath rule in governing things at this time but also that it gave the first originall to the same And so is the patterne of the Christian Church so much the more famous then that of the Lawe by how much heaven in which Iohn sawe this figure is more excellent then the Mountaine where Moses sawe the Tabernacle There is the same ende and purpose of both of this that it might be a patterne of the worshippe to the Legall people which should holde even to the time of reformatioÌ„ of that that it might be a type unto Christians according to what square they should frame all their assemblyes both generally and specially Graunt O most high God that wee may be founde as faithfull in bringing backe all thinges unto the Heavenly patterne as Moses was unto that earthly Chap. 5. AFTER I sawe in the right hande of him that sate upon the Throne a booke written within and on the backe side sealed with seaven seales 2 And J saw a stronge Angell preaching with a lowde voice who is worthy to open the booke and loose the seales thereof 3 And noe man was able neither in heaven nor in earth nor under the earth to open the booke nor to looke theron 4 Therfore I wept much because none was founde worthy to open and reade the booke neither to looke thereon 5 Then one of the Elders sayd unto mee weepe not beholde that Lion of the tribe of Juda that roote of David hath obtained to open the booke and to loose the seaven seales thereof 6 Then J behelde and loe betweene the Throne and those Beasts and betweene those Elders a Lambe standing as though he had ben killed having seaven hornes seaven eyes which are those seaven spirits of God sent forth into all the world 7 He came and tooke the booke out of the right hande of him that sate upon the Throne 8 And when he had taken the booke those foure Beasts and those foure and twenty Elders fell downe before the Lambe having every one harpes and golden vials full of odours which are the prayers of the saints 9 And they sung a newe song saying thou art worthy to take the booke and to open the seales thereof because thou wast killed and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kinred and tongue and people and nation 10 And hast made us to our God Kings and Priests and wee shall reigne on the earth 11 Then J behelde and I heard rounde about the Throne and of the Beasts and Elders the voice of many Angels and the number of them was a thousande hundred thousands and ten hundred thousandes 12 Saying with a lowde voice worthy is that Lambe that was killed to receive power and riches and wisdome and strength and honour and glory and blessing 13 And every creature which is in heaven and which is on the earth in the sea and all thinges that are in them I heard saying unto him that sitteth on the Throne and to the Lambe be prayse and honour and glory and power for ever more 14 And those foure beasts sayed Amen And those foure and twenty Elders fell downe on their faces and worshipped him that liveth for ever more The Analysis I have spoken summarily of the common type the speciall Prophecy coÌ„prehendeth both the excellent dignity of this Revelation in this chapter and also the evâ—nts themselves in the rest of the booke That thinge is declared first in respect of the Creature secondly of the Lambe In respect of the Creature it is altogither unsearcheable as appeareth partly from the signing of seaven seales ver 1 partly from the testimony of all creatures which after the inquiry proclamed and the thing was caused to be cryed by the voyce of the Angell as it were of a common cryer ver 2. then also after tryall made at last ver 3. all doe acknowledge their owne unablenes Of which lastly there is a sorowfull consequente the weeping of John which this imbecility and despaire to enioye so excellent a good thing did wring out from him ver 4. In respect of the Lambe onely it is able to be searched out as first an Elder sheweth who conforteth Iohn ver 5. Secondly the LaÌ„be comming at the same instant and taking the booke ver 6.7 from whence at length aryseth the
elect shall he not also obtayne all things for us that may avayle any way for our good The seaven hornes is that supreame power wherby the man Christ sitting at the right hande of the Father ruleth and governeth all things according to that which Christ being raysed froÌ„ the dead sayd to his disciples all power is given mee in heaven and in earth Mat. 28.18 Therefore that most meeke Lambe wanteth not those weapons wherby he chaseth away his enemyes althoug by his great patience he seemeth not to regarde the iniuries which they doe And thou mayest observe that it is not needfull that the parables and similitudes should agree in all thinges seeing here to the Lambe contrary to nature are attributed seaven hornes and as many eyes that is gifts of the Spirit wherewith Christ endueth the faithfull They are sent from him seeing noe man can be partaker even of the least gift unlesse he bestowe it on them For God heareth not sinners but from his fulnes wee all receive and he being gone to his Father sendeth the Conforter unto his which leadeth them into all trueth as in the Gospell of Iohn chapter sixteene ver seaventh and thirteene A visible token whereof were once the cloven tongues like fire sitting upon the Apostles and that miraculous gift of speaking suddenly with other tongues Act. 2.3 c. With which faculty not onely the Apostles were endued but afterward also others embracing the faith Neither are they onely sente into all the world that they may conferre the comfortable knowledge of salvation to the Elect But that CHRIST may search out all thinges that are done in his Church yea which are done in any other place of the world Wherefore howe great impudency is it to thrust upon the Church a visible head seeing the LAMBE is furnished with so many eyes neither hath them idle and unoccupied but sendeth them forth with all diligence into the whole world The care of Christ taketh not indede away the Ministers eyther Ecclesiasticall or Politicall which he hath ordained But to faine and invent a newe kinde and degree and that under a pretence that CHRIST is absent is proper onely to that man who is directly opposite to Christ As touching the wordes some Copies reade as is noted in the Greeke Bibles lately set forth at Frankeford which are that the relative may be referred as well to the hornes as to the eyes After which manner also Aretas readeth this verse And the Hornes may be sayd to be sent into the whole world when CHRIST putteth forth his power in succouring his owne servantes and destroying his enemyes But it agreeth more properly to the eyes which when wee turne toward any thinge wee are sayd to cast them upon the same 7 He came and tooke the booke out of the right hand of him that sat on the throne There is a double consideration of Christ one so farre as of the eternall God sitting togither in the Throne with the Father chap. 4. ver 3. The other so farre as he is of the Mediatour attending on the throne and prepared and ready to performe those things which make for the salvatioÌ„ of his people There is the like regard of the Spirit who as he is the Eternall God partaker of the Throne compassing the same about as in the fourth chap. and third verse But according as he sanctifyeth the Church with created giftes there are seaven Spirits before the Throne seaven burning Lampes seaven Hornes and seaven eyes 8 Having every one Harpes and vials A reioicing and thankesgiving of the Church for this greate benefite of taking and unsealing the Booke Therefore they take unto themselves fit and proper instruments for this purpose Harpes and Vials that is to say Prayses and thankesgiving For Vials full of odours are the harts of the Saints which the Spirit hath filled with a fervent desyre of calling upon GOD the Harpes perteine to gladnes of minde and reioicing in prayers is the very thankesgiving But he alludeth to the manner of the Temple where the LEVITES praysed GOD with Musicall Instruments and the PRIESTES had their Pottes and Bowles set before the Altar full of odours as wee reade in the Prophete Zachary chap. 14. ver 20. ¶ Which are the prayers of the Saints He speaketh not of the offerring of prayers for the dead which are made of them that are alive on the earth but as I have shewed in the former chapter all that which is attributed to the Beasts Elders declareth what exercises the Saints goe about with all diligence in the militant Church So also after in verse 10. And wee shall raigne say the Elders upon the earth not preaching doubtlesse the Kingdome of the soules departed but of the holy men on earth The heartes of these as golden vials doe breath out and yeeld up prayses and thankes for those greate benefites which are obtained for us by Christ If the Elders ofâ—er onely the prayers of other men as the Iesuite interpreteth they should be dumbe in the common ioy of all things Nay rather the benefite is theirs for they themselves shall raigne say they therefore they offer not other meÌ„s but their owne prayers 9 And they sung a newe sunge It is called a newe songe in respect of more plentifull grace ministred nowe since Christ hath ben exhibited then was in olde time under the shadowes of the Lawe The auncient people did not prayse the man Christ so openly and clearly before he had taken unto him our flesh as at this day the faithfull doe prayse him clothed with oâ—r nature from whence not without cause this more manifest praysing is called a newe sung But he alludeth unto the manner of the Lawe where newe greater benefites are celebrated in newe formes of prayses conceaved of purpose whereupon there is so often mention of a newe songe in the booke of Psalmes ¶ And hast redeemed us Therefore the Beasts and Elders are men redeemed by the blood of Christ neither in deede some twelve chiefe men of the Iewes and as many Christian twelve Apostles with the foure Evangelists For this whole company was not chosen out of every Tribe and tongue and people and nation but out of the nation of the Iewes onely but of all the faithfull in every place all which this holy company and bande mustered indifferently from all places of the world doe worthyly note out as wee have observed upon the fourth verse of the 4. chapter And it is sayd significantly out of every Tribe c. not all Tribes c. because all men are not redeemed by the blood of Christ but onely the elect as Aretas hath well observed 10 And hast made us to our God Kinges Some copies doe reade them so this whole verse in the third person but Aretas and the common Latine translation doe reade in the first person wee have expounded these thinges before But why doe they mention this benefite in the cause of taking the
the first period is to be set at that time from whence wee shall see every ech thing which followeth to flowe with a ready course stopped and stayed with noe uneven places The event in the unfolding will shewe what is the limite of every Periode These things being thus established let us returne unto the declaration of the wordes afterward wee shall see the thing it selfe and coherence thereof The first preparation is of the Lambe opening the first seale For he is the word of the Father who doth minister unto us whatsoever understanding wee have of Gods will And the events are called Seales both because they containe a mystery most hidden from the understanding of the prophane multitude Isay 8.16 and also because these first experimeÌ„ts should be pledges of future thinges Not that wee should undersâ—aÌ„d these to be bare forshewings of things and empty promises who doe onely denounce the troubles in word the execution whereof is coÌ„manded in some other place in this booke for that is no where to be founde but that they are signes of that kinde which bring togither with them their eâ—ecution and doe give a firme pledge of future things He openeth the sealeâ— in order one after another and not all togither with one labour both because the manner of the thinges to be donâ— did so require that also the whole Prophecy was not to be uttered at once but to be drawen 〈◊〉 peece-meale as it wâ—re for abâ—â—â—ty of a dâ—yly pâ—ttance The second pâ—â—pâ—â—tion is of one of the foure Beastâ— calling Iohn to come and see And this one Beast is the first to wit a Lion Chap. 4. â— But the â—â—â—stâ— are Goâ—â—â—â—â— of the Churches as hath ben observed in the foresaid plâ—ce â—hoâ—e laboâ—â— Gâ—d useth to instruct others These call men to see and obsâ—â—â—e â—ot onâ—ly bâ—caâ—se it is their office to forewarne the Chuâ—ch of thâ—â—â— that â—re to â—oâ—e to passe whether good or bad but especially â—ee◠〈…〉 thingeâ— next to come should be notable through their faithfulnes diâ—â—â—â—nce in this â—â—â—ter But the Lion speaketh first because they wâ—ich firâ—t â—hâ—â— begâ—â—ne the coÌ„bate should have like courage successe noâ— lesse prâ—vâ—iliâ—g in thâ—â— tâ—ey goe about then Lions making their pray The voice is â—n it 〈…〉 â—â—der penetring very farre that it might be heard of many Câ—â—â— saith he see speaking to Iohn representing nowe the person of the faithfull who likewise should be stirred up by the voice of the ministers to observe thâ—se wonderfull events which thing also is common to the three sâ—â—es following that being once spoken here it may be understood in the rest 2 J behelde therefore and loe a white horse The first type is a white horse and the sitter on him with a bowe and a crowne As touching the horse he is a warlike and swift beast to which worthily God compareth his actions both here in other places because with great courage swiftnes they will breake through whatsoever men shall make against Zach. 6. The white colour is ioifull proper to some famous solemnity as in the triumphe of Diocletian and Maximian After saith Pomponius Letus the chariot of the triumphers of golde and pretious stones which foure horses drewe comparable in whitnesse with the snowe But a rider is attributed to this and the rest that wee may knowe that they wander not up and downe rashly at their pleasure but are ruled and governed by the raines of Gods Providence And it may easily be gessed what manner of sitter it is from the analogie of the 8. verse For there he is noted by name that sitteth on the pale horse whose name seeing it is death his name may be life or trueth that hath so noble and pleasant a forme But whereas he is furnished with a bowe and crowne and went forth conquering that he might overcome by the same thinges is signifyed that an assault farre of shal be made and that a notable victory shall ensue thereof which should not vanish away with the present successe but should even also flourish with future happines For a bowe is a weapon of that kinde as with which the enemyes are hiâ—te both farre and neare But the Crowne is a token of victory so as both in the horse sitter on him all things are ioyous prosperous So is the interpretation of the wordes wherwith the History doth agree so wonderfully that noe picture doth more lively represente his paterne then the type of this seale the condition of those times Wee know that while Traiane was Emperour after Iohn was gone from Paâ—mos to Ephâ—sus that is by and by after the Revelation was written a most lamentable persecution waxed very hotte and fierce which raging even unto the fourteenth yeere at length by the letters of Pliny second Proconsull of Bâ—thyâ—ia it was some â—hat quenched and mitigated Neverthelâ—ssâ— the first Beasâ— had not yet spoken For Pliny was a heathen man and noe member of the Châ—rch much lesse the chiefe ruler Neither sâ—â—â—d the trouble wholy through his admonition onely this was obtayned that the Christians should not be searched for unto punishement but onely should be punished wheÌ„ they were brought unto the Governours accused Eus Feel Hist book â— 33. Wherfore the fight yet coÌ„tinued TraiaÌ„ being dead a fewe yeares after it waxed more fierce under AdriaÌ„ who at leÌ„gth going on with rage unto the destructioÌ„ of the name of ChristiaÌ„s the Lion roared out even the first Beast as the thuÌ„der For God raysed up Quadratus the Bishop of Athens also Aâ—stides a Philosopher citizen of the same city who as lioÌ„s stoutly regarding not the daÌ„ger of their life in respect of the good of the Church spake to AdriaÌ„ by Apologies then also in face pleaded the cause of the Christians By which the mindes of the faithfull were raised up with attente of the eveÌ„t not in vaine seeing froÌ„ thence followed a great change forthwith For the white horse his sitter with a bowe crown weÌ„t forth that is the truth triuÌ„phed ioyfully wheÌ„ the Emperour being overcome by the oration of those godly men did ordaine that noe Christian should be condemned unlesse he were convicted of some crime punisheable by the Civile lawes This was a manifest victory of the trueth and a greate token of future hapines Euseb Hist booke 4 ch 3. But her power was more excelleÌ„t under the next Emperour Antonin Pius about the beginning of whose Empire the Christians being againe miserably oppressed from the former hatred at length Iustin Martyr Leo administring the word of God in the habite of a Philosopher as sayeth Euseb booke 4.11 wrote Apologies for the Christians unto Antonin to his sonnes and to the Senate of Rome wherby he effected God working togither with him that it was enacted by publike decree that noe man should trouble Christians in that respeâ—t because they were Christians but if any would proceede to molest them the acâ—usâ—d
And in deede it might easily be understood that the time was not farre of when an ende should be put unto publike murders seeing all degrees of men did encline with so great gentlenes to the trueth But this Seale hath both some thing proper in the rest of this chapter and also common in chap. 7. That is the last triall of the Seales the first part of which conteineth the going on of the sorrowfull Tragedie and all the former calamityes ver 12.13.14 The secōd the ioyfull isue in subduing the enemyes and appeasing all hurliburlies ver 15.16.17 As touching that Aretas reporteth from the monuments of Andreas that very many sayd that this earthquake was a passage from the persecutions which were brought upon them for Christ his sake unto the time of Antichrist And so the scriptures are wont to call some notable alteration an earthquake as where it is sayd yet once more I will shake the earth Heb. 12.26 It signifyeth the remooving of those thinges that are shaken as Saint Paul declareth And in the olde Testament the going of the children of Jsraell out of Egipt is called an earthquake as Psal 68.9 The earth was moved and the heavens dropped at the presence of God Those Interpreters have touched the point according to the trueth but onely they did misse in this that living under Antichrist they expected him yet to come not knowing that he was come longe a goe Which errour of the auncient Fathers as who being further of from the last event were lesse able to perceive the matter it selfe the Papists snatch to themselves greedily and here they make a very great gaping and distance of time leaping over from the times of Traiane in which they conclude the former Seales unto the last ende of the world which they reserve to their Antichrist as though by this earthquake all iudgement of that which is right had fallen unto them But whether is it likely that a whole thousand and five hundred yeeres and yet to come wee knowe not how many more have bin passed over with silence and that all the rest of the Prophecy was stuffed togither into the narrow straites of 3. yeeres and an halfe as Fraunces of Ribera the Jesuite will have it It is indeede a profitable abridgement and a short way to set free his Lord the Pope from a very great feare For it could not be but as often as he should beholde his face in this glasse he would seeme to himselfe to be Antichrist unlesse the Iesuite now did make it apparant that all that was but a phantasme which made him afraid That nothing is here spoken of the present time neither of that which is past through many ages but that all the speech following is of the time yet to come But wee will put away this smoke mist through Gods his helpe neither will wee suffer that the Pope seeming to himselfe a triksy felow should love himselfe to destruction also will make playne that the Jesuites doe not interprete but moke the scriptures ¶ And the Sunne became blacke These figurative and hyperbolicall speeches doe shewe that there should be a persecution the most fierce of all those which the Church endured at any time from Christs birth till nowe For so the Prophetes are wont to speake when they pointe at any great calamity as Isaiah He will clothe the heavens with blacknes he will make their covering as a sacke cloath chap. 50.3 And Ieremy When I beholde saith he the heavens they have noe light ch 4.23 and the heavens above shal be blacke ver 28. but most playnly in Ezechiell speking of the overthrowe of the Egyptiās When I shall put thee out I will cover the heavens and make the starres thereof darke I will cover the Sunne with a cloude and the moone shall not make her light to shine all the cleare lights in the heaven I will make darke upon thee and bring darkenes upō thy land saith the Lord ch 32.7.8 Many such places doe teach that these speeches are not to be refferred to the last iudgement onely as some doe expounde but also to other times which those auncients did see of whom spake Aretas even now who would have these thinges to be understood of the passing over to Antichrist This blacknes of the Sunne the other disturbance of the creature perteineth to that horrible slaughter wherby those wicked men Diocletian Maximinian endevoured to roote out the Church For wee shall see that the Sūne Moone doth note stably through this booke the chiefe ornaments of the congregation of the faithfull so that the Sunne may signify the Scriptures the Moone that excellent glory of godlines wherby the saincts doe shine after they have borrowed light frō thē That both these should be miserably defyled by this common calamity this seale sheweth it The accomplishement whereof is recited by Eusebe booke 8.2 For when the Emperours in the nineteenth yeere of their reigne ordained by publik decrees that the bookes of the holy scriptures should be committed to the fire in the middes of the marked wee sawe sayth Eusebius with these very eyes that the sacred Scriptures inspired of God were cast in to the fire in the middes of the market place and in the same place a little after the Kinges letters patents did fly to fro in every place wherby it was commaunded to abolish the scriptures So this Sunne as a sacke cloath of haire noteth not onely generally that the publicke ioy should be turned into very great sorrow but also especially that outragiousnes wherby cruelty was exercised against the sacred scriptures Neither could it be otherwise but when the fountaine of light was darkened the Moone which hath her light onely borrowed should fade away into the darke colour of blood as almost alwaye it happeneth when shee is kept from having society with the Sunne 13 And the starres from heaven fell to the earth The starres were Ministers Pastors of the Churches chap. 1.20 In which signification they are used both here in other place afterward Many of thē through feare should revolte from the trueth which is shewed by the falling from heaven to earth Neither that onely after many dangers and divers calamityes wherby being weakened they should yeeld but in the very first assault they should fall downe as greene figges that is with very little adoe even at the first rumour of perill for the figge tree most easily looseth her fruit before maturity neither tarrieth almost for the violence of stormes but with any light blast of winde maketh an untymely birth that I may so say Plin. booke 16.26 Of which thing the Spirit maketh mention in so fine a similitude that the faithfull being forwarned should not be discouraged with the so easy falling away of many Eusebius sheweth that the thing fell out altogither as it was here foreshewed For after that first decree of demolishing the temples burning the scriptures there was added an
of the cruell enemyes wherewith the sixt chapter was concluded For the common type of which sorte was the whole seaventh chapter doth not interrupt the order of things And indeede such quiet dayes followed by and by after those trumpets For Maxentius being overcome at Rome by Constantine and Maxentius in the East by Licinius howe glad a day appeared to the Church through the whole world Howe great delectation howe great ioy howe great triumphe was ther of all degrees How pleasant was it that the prisons were opened that men were called backe from the mines that their feete were loosed from boundes that their neckes were delivered from the axe Neither onely to have these thinges but also an Emperour of which never any man before did so much as dreame who endevoured exceedingly to adorne by all meanes that he could every one of the meanest that was named a Christian Eusebius triumphed not without cause singing with the wordes of the Psalmist Goe to see yee the workes of Iehova how he maketh desolatioÌ„s in the earth causing warres to cease unto the ende of the earth howe he breaketh the bow and cutteth in peeces the speare he burneth the chariots with fire booke 10. 1. Nowe both the Augustes as well Licinius as Constantinus with one minde did procure diligently not onely the peace of the Church but also the ornaments of peace as it is apparaÌ„t from the Decrees published in the name of them both Euseb booke 10. chap. 5. c. But this was a short peace and in very deede but of halfe an houre continuance For first the Augustes themselves were at concorde scarse one three yeeres space afterward when they were reconciled Licinius assaileth openly the Christians and attempteth a generall slaughter There came more over civill warre which waxed fierce among the rulers of the Church the Bishops themselves who being voide of all feare of the coÌ„mon enemy did fall one upon an other with the weapons of wordes as if they had ben weary of peace even assoone as they had tasted the sweetnes of it with the top of their lippes See Aurelius Victor of Cesar part 2. Euseb booke 10. 8. 9. and upon the life of Constantine booke 1. to the ende beginning of the second Furthermore those thinges which wee have noted before at the first verse of the seaventh chapter 2 And I saw those seaven Angels Such hath ben the Silence from which at length proceedeth the second periode distinguished from the former because the entrance into this began not but at the ende of the seales For shall the TruÌ„pets be aunswerable to the Seales which are brought to their last ende before the Trumpets be prepared to sound More over take away the TRVMPETS from this seaven Seale that which wee leave unto it beside and above the Silence of halfe an houre is a certen small thing and more slender and baren then beseemeth the dignity of it I see that such an opinion hath pleased some learned and Godly men but he that shall marke and observe the thing diligently shall perceave that the same is quite coÌ„trary to the methode of the REVELATION The Heralds of this Periode are the seaven Angels Trumpeters The words themselves doe not shewe playnely whether these Angels were good or noe They are sayd to stande before GOD but this is a doubtfull kinde of speaking in so much as it may be attributed as to the evill so to the good Angels and therefore it is sayd that SATAN presented himselfe togither with the Sonnes of GOD before the Lord as wee reade in the Booke of Iob first chap. ver 6. But the proportion of the BEASTS in the Seales and of the seaven ANGELS Ministers of the Viols every one of which was clothed with Pure Linnen as wee shall see in the fifteenth chapter of this booke and at the sixt verse may cause us to esteeme and iudge these Trumpeters in the same number of Holy ones especially seeing that the article those seaven ANGELS hath also the force of nothing some that were knowne of which wee had none before unlesse the finger be pointed unto those seaven SPIRITS of God sent forth into all the world of which wee have seen in the fift Chapter and at the sixt verse Wee sayd that the foure ANGELS of the seaventh Chapter are the foure first Trmmpets but wee meane not the TRVMPETERS themselves but the events which followed when they blew those their Trumpets But the parts of this Periode are distinguished by Trumpets because these events should be more notable more famous and manifest to all men and as it were sung with the publike and lowde voice of a Trumpet In receaving of which there is a certen preparation before they beginne the worke it selfe because by and by after the silence made there should be given some token of the troubles to come before the rage should waxe hotte and be kindled To which is to be referred that Schime betweene Cecilianus and Donatus of Afrike of which wee made mention before the Apostasy of Licinius and his wicked entreprise against the Church The Contention in the East touching the Lords Supper or Passeover But especially the infection of the Arian Heresy the which assoone as it sprung up began to spred quickly farre and neare and to kindle so great close and secrete hatreds that neither the scorning of the enemyes on the theatres nor the most earnest desire of the EMPEROVR himselfe testifyed both by his letters and teares and also by the Embassage of Holsius Cordubensis a most famous old man could not avayle any thing at all to quench the flame for this see the second book of Eusebius upon the lyfe of Constantine in his letters to ALEXANDER and Arius All these thinges as Trumpets were given in the sight of all men as bâ—ing indeede sorrowfull presagies of the future blowing of the Trumpets 3 Then an other Angell came Hitherto the preparation of the seaven ANGELS Nowe followeth what manner of entrance was made to the events following in one ANGEL Whom wee may not suppose to be any Spirituall substance such as are the ANGELS properly so called that is to say GABRIEL or any of that sorte as the Iesuite would have it but a Man according as this Booke of the Revelation is wont to speak in the which there is nothing more common and ordinary then to give attribute the name of an Angel unto Men. Furthermore this heaven is the Holy Church on earth the Altar the more inward holy place of the same the Ministery of the High Priest which the Angels properly so called doe never execute but the trueth of which belongeth onely to Christ the type unto men onely who have a nature fit for sacrifice about which thing the office of the Priest is chiefly occupied of which nature seeing the Angels are voide neither can they represente the Priest Neither any where in the scriptures are these dutyes attributed to them Furthermore the ministery
the Africane Vandals And so much the more because by their meanes it was brought to passe that the Sunne in those countryes did go downe alway to this very day for after that horrible darkenesse which the Vandals brought in God by his fearefull iudgement gave up those nations to the Mahumeticall madnes whose hellish darknes at this time sufferreth noe confortable Sunne beame to shine upon them Howe is it to be lamented that that part of the world which afore time was beset with most famous lights Tertullian Cyprian Augustine and others almost infinite is nowe altogither become blacke and doth not shine with one little sparkle But so is thy will most holy Father who hast compassed about us Europeans left alone and most wickedly abusing thy holy name with very sorrowfull spectacles of thy wrath both toward the East South So therefore are the foure first trumpets Contention Ambition Heresy Warre those foure Angels which Constantine the Great for a time restrained But the first and third trumpet belongeth to the East the second to the West the fourth to Africa The Prophecy of this chapter conteineth about two hundred thirty yeeres to wit from the beginning of the reigne of Constantine unto the yeere of Christ five hundred thirty and three at which time Belisarius carried away captive Gilimer and destroyed the name of the Vandals in Afrique Evag. booke 4.16 Yee may fetch a larger declaration from Eseb upon the life of Constantine from Socrates Theodoret Sozomene Evagrius Procopius of the warre of the Vandals and Victor of Vtica touching the persecution of the same men whose Commentaries God would have to be extant for the light and credit of this Prophecy 13 And I sawe and heard one Angell Nowe he cometh to the three last trumpets much more troublous then the former as appeareth from the comon preparation in this verse For as though the usuall sounding of the trumpet were not of sufficient force to cause feare a common Proheme to these three full of terrour is prefixed every severall afterward is declared by their transitions As touching the wordes some reade for an Angell an Eagle as Aretas the Complutent Edition and the common translation brought hereunto as it seemeth because the fourth Beast was like a flying Eagle chap. 4.7 But the word one being adioyned maketh against it For it was wont to be the limiting of a thing uncertaine and indefinite But the Eagle the fourth Beast was onely one wherefore it had ben superfluous to say I heard one Eagle Therefore one Angell agreeth better which word is generall and by right may be limited with some addition as Andreas readeth and some other Greeke Copies Furthermore he is called an Angell which flyeth through the middes of heaven after in chap. 14.6 But this one Angell is some one man alone picked and chosen out from the rest to some peculiar office 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not the middes of heaven as the Astronomers call it who call midday in this wise but the middes betweene Earth and heavē to wit the middes of height not of lenght as the Angell appeared to David 1 Chron. 21.16 But seeing heaven is the holy Church and the earth the false and counterfaite which carrieth the name shewe onely of the true this Angell being seen betwixt both seemeth not to have attained the purity of that and yet to have flowne somewhat aloft beyond the dregs and filth of this He cryeth with a lowde voice that he may be heard of all men that there shall come farre greater calamityes frō the three trumpets that are to come then yet have gone before But that these shall come upon the inhabitans of the earth who doe counterfait holines whereas in very deede they are withered branches and rotten members The time and congruency of the matter doe make me to thinke that this Angell is Gregory the Great Bishop of Rome he was one as it were taken out of the rable of many Bishops whose labour God would use to profit his Church But although he sate unwares in the chaire of wickednes yet God knoweth to plucke his out of the iawes of Hell And significantly doubtles is he called one as though it were a miracle for any one of any goodnes to be founde among that degenerating route This Gregory did fly in the middes of heaven pressed downe with many superstitions and errours that he could not be enrolled a citizen of the heavenly city Whose neverthelesse singular good will care diligence right iudgement in many thinges lifted him up on high farre above the rest of the common sort and that company of superstitious ones He cryed with a lowde voice denouncing to the world a great calamity by ANTICHRIST who should come straight way The King saith he of pride is at hande and wich is unlawfull to be spoken an army of Priests is prepared booke 4. Epist 24. Againe the King of pride is at the doores in the same booke Epist 38. In the same place againe where is that Antichrist which chalengeth the name of universall Bishop and for whom is prepared an army of Priests to attende upon him He is at hand sayth he and at the doores yea he was farre neerer then he thought in whose chaire he sate even himselfe but by his account he could not be farre of Neither is it lawfull to diminish the Popes credit who could not be deceaved especially avouching the same thing so often and in earnest Seeing therefore that this Gregory next after the fourth trumpet that is the Vandalike persecution so expressely cryeth out aloude that Antichrist is at hande then whom noe greater plague and calamity could befall the earth and that a fewe yeeres before that the Monster borne longe agoe broke forth into the open light it must needes be that he was this Angell who is shewed almost so playnly by this type as if he had ben named CHAP. 9. THEN the fift Angell blewe the trumpet and I sawe a starre fall from heaven into the earth and to that starre was given the key of the bottomelesse pit 2 He opened therefore the bottomelesse pit and there arose a smoke out of the pit as the smoke of a great fornace and the Sunne was darkened and the ayre by the smoke of the pit 3 And there came out of the smoke Locusts upon the earth and unto them was given power as the scorpions of the earth have power 4 But to them it was sayd that they should not hurt the hay of the earth neither any greene thing neither any tree but onely those men which had not the Seale of God in their foreheads 5 And to them was commanded that they should not kill them but that they should be tormented five moneths and that their torment should be as the torment of a Scorpion when he hath stung a man 6 Therefore in those dayes shall men seeke death and shall not finde it and shall desire to dye and death shall
the doore and doe knocke chap. 3.20 Of which sorte are many in other places It fell from heaven unto the earth by revolting from the holy Church to a degenerating company of ungodly men But this fall nowe first began to be marked after the sounding out of the fift trūpet For that which is done leisurely and privily is not perceaved to be a doing before that it be manifestly come to passe The key of the bottomelesse pit given is a power granted over infernall darkenes which was shutte up in the bottome of the pit of hell for that is the bottomelesse pit Now first this power was granted to sende forth the smoke howsoever the fall from heaven was before that the trumpet sounded Nowe that wee may finde out who this starre is the thing is not to be measured by one or two circūstances for so wee shall finde very many to have fallen from heaven but all things are to be taken togither which surely whomsoever they shall fitte he doubtlesse is that very man whom this Prophecy painteth out unto us it cannot be that the holy descriptions should be generall and common so as they may be applyed to divers things contrary to the meaning of the Spirit But it is to be observed that this trumpet is not limited within any certaine boundes of the third part as the former but to have free liberty to spread farre abroad in what place soever it will as in the common proheme the Angell cryed out in the ende of the former chapter woe to the inhabitans of the earth as though the calamity should be contained within noe other limits then of the whole earth from whence it cometh to passe that the latter trumpets exccede the former not onely in the very kinde and continuāce of the evils but also in the space and largenes of the countries thēselves to which they should bring dammage These thinges being thus layd wee shall finde that this trumpet sounded immediately within three yeeres after that Gregory died whom evē nowe wee shewed to be the Angell flying from the middes of heaven about the yeere from the birth of Christ sixe hundreth and seaven At which time Boniface the third obtained of Phocas the parricide that the Bishop of Rome should be universall then also Mahumet in the East whom Robertus Cetenensis and Bibliander refer unto the same time in the eleven table albeit I thinke that others more truly doe reffer him to a fewe yeeres after as touching the summe of the thing there is noe difference was beleeved of his owne people to be a greate Prophet Both starres fell from heaven before this time The Romane defection is manifest in the Idolatrous worshipping of reliques in attributing that to the Saincts which is proper to God alone that I may not recite many other wicked superstitions when as it would aske a longe time even for to number them Gregory that middle Angell whom by right thou mayest call holy in comparison of many other that were to come in howe plaine words doth he bewray the impiety of this seate herein The holy Martyrs sayth he our defenders are present they will be asked and they require to be sought Therefore in your prayers seeke yee these helpes finde yee out these defenders of your guiltines in his Homilies on the Gosp Againe Which Holy Peter of late could be your helper in all things and more over he is able to forgive your sinnes booke 4. Epist 34. Againe let him put his trust in the grace of the omnipotent God and in the helpe of the blessed Apostle Peter in the booke 4. chap. 39. Moreover from the crosse in which is the wood of the Lords crosse and the haires of John Baptist wee have alwayes confort of our Saviour through the intercession of his fore runner booke 7. Epist 126. Neither was he the first authour of this Idolatry neither did they which followed indevour to overthrowe it but rather increased it with all their power And not without cause indeede the fall of this starre became thē first knowen when the Bishop began to be called universall then yet the eares of all men might ring with the late crying out of Gregory He is Antichrist who chalengeth to himselfe the name of universall Bishop Frō which also it is manifest howe both they deceive and are deceived who require instantly the testimonies of Ambrose Hierome Chrysostome Augustine or of any other Father by which expresly it may be proved that the Pope of Rome is Antichrist seeing his fall could not be so plainly discerned before the blowing of the fift trumpet which doubtlesse sounded not before these holy men ceased to be among the living The fall also of Mahomet from heaven is evident The Saracenes had received the true faith of Christ by the instruction of Moses a certaine Bishop of that people when Mavia the Queene reigned as in Socrates booke 4.36 or Mania as Sozemene calleth her booke 6. 38 At which time Valens governed the Empire of Rome in the East From this beginning or peradventure from Zacomus the Prince who flourished a fewe yeeres before the trueth seemesh to have ben spred among them unto the times of HERACLIVS corrupt without all doubt with much filth and corruption as is wont to come to passe in processe of time yet not quite abolished as it is cleare frō Mahumet himselfe who acknowledged the Scriptures and tooke to himselfe companions or rather had for maisters Sergius of Constantinople a Nestorian Monke and Iohn of Antiochean Arian Wherefore it is plaine that both of them had fallen The key was given to the Bishop of Rome in that manner which I have said For an ordinance of the Emperour being established that the Bishops of Rome should have full power to assemble generall Councills and to disolve them to confirme and disanull the thinges which should be decreed in the Councills and that the City of Rome should be the heade of all holesome life when before Constantinople was so esteemed because of the seate of the Emperour as writeth Pomponius on Phocas what could not this key open Doth not the Pope worthyly boast of the Keyes and carrieth them an ensigne for his armes least perhaps any should be ignorant that he is the same whom Iohn sawe should come And this is that difference betweene the other superstitious men and the Pope of Rome Many others did give more to the Saincts departed then was meete and defiled themselves with the most grievous sinne of Idolatry yet to noe other was given the key to open the pit but to this universall Bishop Let noe man therefore to hide the Antichrist call forth the defense and fellowshippe of others that erred but let him ioyne togither all the properties nor iudge of him for one alone But as touching Mahomet what could not he obtaine of the simple multitude being counted of all a great Prophet Whose sowning from a disease the rude multitude beleeved to have bin
asssembled Indeede Martin Agatho Bishops of Rome condemned also the same Heresy who yet cannot be counted among this haie being tied to the earth by other veines to wit a most fowle Idolatry of which the Church of Constantinople was more pure which received not true and expresse Images before the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Coūcill a fewe yeeres after under Iustinianus second as sheweth Antonius Contius in the third part of the Decrees in the third chap. of distinctions the sixt holy Councill and Polydor. Virgil. in his 6. booke and 13. chap. concerning the Inventours In the times of Leo Isaurus the same Locusts came flying againe about the yeere 719. with a farre greater number of shippes and more hurtfull armies But God sufferred them not to hurt his haie which he himselfe doubtlesse had moved in stirring up Leo to prohibite that wicked Idolatry which haie time became yet more evident when Gregorie the second excommunicated the Emperour and deprived him of the Empire and of his felowshippe that is cut him of frō the wicked earth because he had ordayned that holie images and pillars should be throwne downe and destroyed Therefore the Locusts are driven away by battaile by famine by a sea-fire by tempest and haile mingled with fire that they might acknowledge God to be the defender of his haie and the whole navie of shippes tenne onely excepted did perish of which tenne five also were intercepted of the Emperours souldiers the rest at length arriving at Syria that they might be tidings bringers of that horrible slaughter It was Doubtlesse a manifest example of the haie saved from the iniurie of the Locusts Besides these Locusts the whole East was also full of Monkes but as the scorpions in some landes doe not hurt as in the Jlande Pharo in the Norike Alpes and elswhere so in very many places they bring death without any remedy and as the Locusts destroy very often whole nations with famine some time also they are for meate so the poison of the Monkes was more sharpe in the West part in that it did not enter into the East neither were they much hurtfull in the West to the cut grasse Discreete men to whom the trueth did shew it selfe more clearly despised the hypocrites without feare and sufferred not themselves to be devoured of them as the other unskilfull multitude which through a shewe of Godlines became a pray ¶ Neither all greene thing neither all trees but onely those men which have not c. The meaning is that some greene thing and some trees should be delivered from this vexation of the Locusts all the rest being yeelded up to their cruelty who had not the seale of God in their foreheades In the former chapter and seventh verse the third part of trees was burnt and all greene grasse to wit of that third part because all that part of grasse and of trees should be of the cōpanie of the cast awayes But unlesse some trees should be counted in the number of the elect the foure Angels should not have bin forbidden before to stay their rage even for one moment of time ch 7.1 Here therefore a fewe are taken out of a great number as the naturall force of the wordes doth shewe sufficiently The wordes doe beare doubtlesse that interpretation which the most learned Theod. Beza bringeth thus neither any greene thing nor any tree but onely the men c. For the universall signe all is taken some time for any as chap. 7. ver 1. neither upon all tree that is upon any where the Complutent edition readeth upon any tree and chap. 21.27 any thing that defiled or any defiled thinge as hath the Common translation Also the particles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be understood by way of opposition but onely the men c. as but they onely which are written in the booke of life of the Lambe chap. 21.27 But here I thinke that it is rather to be translated according to the proper signification of the wordes by way of exception thus except onely the men which have not the seale c. The difference is that exception is alwayes of a thing of the same kinde opposition may be of any divers thing whatsoever And this placeth every greene thing and every tree in the number of the sealed that attributeth the same thing to some certen trees and onely to some greene thing counting the rest of the grone in noe place of those that are to be saved more agreably to that which wee mentioned before chap. 8.7 Neither is it needfull in the other places alleadged to departe from the naturall property of these particles if wee shall consider the matter diligently From these thinges then it is prooved that there are some within the compasse of the false Church whom God chalengeth to him selfe by a privie sealing and that this greene thinge and trees are men as wee have interpreted chap. 7.1 the exception requiring it which noteth expressly men sealed that also the greene thinge and trees should be men out of the number of which men are excepted And surely there were many men yea some Kingdomes England Denmarke Germanie c. whether the rage of the Sarracenes came not and in those places where they raged did they exercise tyranny over any other then those men who had not the marke of salvation What other strife doe the History-writers of those times and places report then about the sepulchre and the crosse of the Lord and such vaine things wherewith Christians were bewitched Neither did superstitious Locusts vexe any other men but those which were addicted to their superstition as even nowe wee said 5 And to them was commanded that they should not kill them Howe great is their power wee may perceive from the degree of torment from the continuance of it estimation of death as a lighter thing As touching the first it was not permitted them to kill but to tormente Howe may this agree to the Saracenes who shed so much Christian blood These thinges seeme to be spoken not simply but in comparison Yf consideration be had of that slaughter which in the next trumpet was to come the Saracenes may well be thought not to kill At their first beginning the Christian name was not so much hated neither was there neede of any great murder when the nations which they set upon gave out their vanquished handes yeelding almost of their owne accord to have fellowshipe in that ungodlines In the latter times there was a more fierce and bloody victory by howe much the battell was more eger But the Spirit did purposely chose out that kinde of speaking which might agree very well to both the troupes of Locusts For those in the West should not be so fierce and cruell in killing the bodies But this comparative speach noteth both the cessing of these in this respect neither taketh from the other all killing though farre lesse then that which was to come ¶ But that
very fewe being left there In the next ages wee shall finde the History very silent as touching the making mention of Churches in those places But wee doe limit this first invasion within the space of an hundred and fifty yeeres not because at the ende of this time they were dispoiled straiteway of the countries which they subdued but because afterward they fought with ill successe against the Romanes often times vanquished killed put to flight hardly keeping that which had ben gotten much lesse getting any more At the yeere 780. about the ende of Leo Copronimus that is after the hundreth and fifty yeere since which time they first grewe stronge their insolency was restrayned by almost continuall received slaughters by domesticall discordes Leo hanodraco brought them under in Asia Constantine who raigned with Irene his mother put them to flight Nicephorus was beaten by Leo Armenius The same did Theophilus Michael the sonne by Basilius Petronas and Andreas Captaines and the other following Emperours founde noe lesse good sucesse against them so that nowe there being a manifest decay of their former prosperity not without cause their florishing sommer may be thought to have ended in the East they began to braunch out in the Mediterrane Ilands in Italy Peloponnesus all which places by the space of an other hundred and fifty yeeres they cruelly spoyled and destroied The inhabitans of Cyprus being thrust out of their dwelling places and transported other where about the yeere 807. at length by the prosperous conduct of Zimisca recouvered their native countrie after an hundred and three score yeeres This space is greater by a fewe yeeres but some weakening and infirmity is wonte to goe before the last destruction so as the vigour may agree very well unto the number set downe They bring in subiection to them all Sicilia assailed often before about the yeere 867 neither could they be expelled wholly froÌ„ thence before that Georgiê° Mamaces destroyed them utterly about the yeere 1060 more or lesse Zonaras reporteth that not longe after they returned under the power of the Agarenes but Ambustus Catacalon many thousandes of them being killed repressed them so that they neither durst nor could bring much hurt to the Christian inhabitans This space also is longer theÌ„ the determined monethes unlesse peradventure the dwelling of the Saracenes was not so troblesome to the inhabitans in those yeeres numbred over and beside But in Italy the thinge is more cleare About the yeere 830 the Saracenes being called out of Babylon for aide shee felt destruction by and by from them whom shee sent for to be her helpers for they brought a very grievous desolation upon the chiefe part of that country neither was there any pause of the vexation Otto second being Emperour in the yeere 980 that is by a plaine accounte in the hundreth and fifty yeere after the spoiling begun killed them with so great a slaughter that from thence he got a name and was commonly called the Death of the Saracenes Here is so great a consent of the time as if the Spirit had respected this country alone and in it had ordained an example of his wrath in delivering her up for to be spoiled of these Locusts which was the teacher of impiety to the whole earth and out of which an other kinde of Locusts did spring noe lesse noisome then that former But touching them wee shall see by by let us prosecute those thinges which remayne concerning the former Therefore this first company which by a limited space of an hundred and fifty yeeres did robbe and slay in sundry places by a certen interchangeable course at length newe troupes of Turkes followed Who at first were troblesome not so much by the dammage which they brought by themselves as that in taking by force the countries of the Saracenes who abode in heapes togither in the East they drove them forth more into all the West But after the poison of the Agarenes waxed olde least the Christian name should enioy even a very little peace the Turkes tooke upon them their office which they performed more cruelly then they themselves whom they succeeded For beginning at Romanus Diogenes in the yeere 1073 who being taken of the Turkes and againe sent away having his eyes first put out was killed of his owne people The Turkes not enduring that their good turne should thus be nothing regarded of the Romanes vexed and tooke away the whole East untill a newe invasion of the Scythians made them feare and constrained them to devise howe they might defende themselves rather then to molest others wherby they were brought to seeke peace of Iohannes Duca Emperour of Rome who then lived at Nice Byzantium being lately taken of the Latines Which fell upon the yeere 1223. see Niceph. Gregoras in the second booke of the Romane History For so it pleased God the supreme governour that the Turkes as Locusts Scorpions should vexe before that after the manner of cruel Lions they should make horrible slaughters without any difference of sexe or of persons And therefore worthily their assayling untill the yeere 1300 was called robbing by the History-writers rather then warre undertaken rather with a minde to take booties then with anie hope to possesse the places which they had taken This rehearsall hath ben some thing full of wordes but my desire is to bring light unto the History which that I may doe I regarde nothing my owne trouble The other kinde of Locustes are our Religious ones in the West part of the world who as longe as the Saracens were in their chiefe strength had not yet attained their perfection They overflowed indeede before through great abondance but the sommer was not yet very hotte wherein they should most of all tyrannize untill in the times of Innocent the third the Dominicans Franciscans the Poore The Penitent the Observants the Trinitaires the brethren of the Holy Ghost and other infinite of scowring of that kinde arose with full power to vexe men at their pleasure There was noe age so abounding with religious as Polydore Virgil and other learned men have observed Neither did some writers thinke that all the orders were even to be reckoned up both because they would have regard to brevity and also because they were wonte often to spring up after the manner of todstooles as saith Polydore Virgill in booke 7.3 And certenly nowe was the Power of darknesse the Locusts being armed with their stinges Hildegardis the Abbesse sawe from God and bewayled a fewe yeeres before the misery to come by the begging Fryars and hungry Locusts and not longe after experience taught the world that her sorrowe was not in vaine This plague dared longue neither left it any thing uneateÌ„ up wholly untill about the yeere 1360 to wit and hundred and fifty yeeres after their power receaved at length a West winde began to blowe by Wickleffe and other godly men which shaking them of from the boughes ceased
Rome did so play the Devill in the Provinces as if Sathan had gone forth from the face of the Lord to scourge the Church But chiefly men sought death and founde it not being terrifyed of these locusts with the feare of Purgatory They would willingly have died the common death of the body which all antiquity iudged alwayes to be the Haven and ende of all miseries but when the Locusts thundred out that the flames of Purgatory were not inferiour to hell fire in torment they quaked for feare being about to die and felt themselves to be spoiled of all confort of death From hence it was that for to be freed from this their feare they did give to the Locusts whatsoever they would aske yea often times when they did aske nothing at all Yet neverthelesse howe of necessity did the miserable soule stagger and was vexed when even common sense did teach that sinnes cannot be purged by any corruptible price Thought therefore anguish of minde did presse them downe on every side considering that a bought confidence did free them from paine little or nothing at all 7 And the forme of the Locusts A description of the Locusts which first in cruelty are like unto horses prepared unto battell There is a great alacrity of this beast unto fight he diggeth his feete in the valley and reioyceth in his strēgth going forth to meete the weapons he moketh at feare and is not made afraid turneth not backe through feare of the sword Iob. 39 25. There should be no lesse promptnesse in the Locusts Famous are the invasions of the Sarracenes in all the Histories the warlike prouesse of the Popes bande hath not peradventure ben so observed of all which yet is as cleare and famous if wee consider the thing neerly What souldiers used Innocent the third to roote out the Albingenses Besides Dominicus the mourninge trumpetour and Heralde of this warre who a little after was made one of the foure Princes of the Begging Fryards he mustered an army of the Crosse-bearers by whose aide as it were of horses running to the battell he hoped to represse the heresy as they call it to abolish it utterly This order had indeede their originall before nowe but shortly after being brought almost to utter decay Innocent restored it for this warre that the mischievous persons as it were halfe dead might be brought againe from Hell by the authority of the same man by whose meanes they should have power to tyrannize and to vexe the world a fresh more spitefully see Polydore Virgill of Invent. in the third chapter of the 7. booke Neither did the POPE whose manner was to confounde all thinges and to set KINGES togither by the eares as PROBVSTVLLENSIS sheweth in an assembly at Wirizburg under Honorius the fourth afterward use any other incensours to raise up hatred Yea as often as the Popes were to make warre for the Pope is martiall not without cause when as the Locusts his subiects are so warlike a full armie of Crosse-bearers was at hande to fight for their King Hildegardis fore-shewed worthyly that these Hypocrites should be sowers of privie grudges who reioice in nothing so much as in cōtention and bickering ofmen ¶ And on their heads were set as it were crownes The first propertie was generall nowe he followeth on the thing he began by every mēber The Crownes on their heades like unto Golde are the shaving and rasing of the head which in time past was of great estimation among men even as a crowne of Gold so called doubtlesse because the crowne of the head being shaven seemeth to appeare in the middes like to a crowne In howe great account it hath bene some time Bellarmine sheweth out of Hierome in an Epistle to Augustine which is the 26 among the Epistles of Augustine I pray thy crowne saith he that thou wouldest salute in my name thy brethren my Lord Alipius and my Lord Evodius And Augustine in an Epistle to Proculian a Bishop Epist 147. Yours doe adiure us by our crowne ours doe adiure you by your crowne Mee thinke I heare yea by this Scepter Homer Iliad 1. Both kinde of Locusts was notably knowen by these crownes Herodotus in Thalia maketh relation to the Arabians that their haire is shorne as Dyonisius himselfe was wonte And they are shorne beneath like a globe shaving their temples But the shaving of the Monkes religious men was of all other most famous Polyd. Virgil speaking of the Benedictines They are shaven saith he with a rasour from the crowne of the head lower then halfe of the skull the haire beneath cut of after the forme of a small circle about the eares and the temples compasseth the head like crowne from whence the crowne of the head it selfe being shaven is called a crowne booke the 7. chap. 2. See howe fitly he interpreteth Herodotus minding noe such thing but onely moved with the conveniency of the thing it selfe For that which he saith they are shorne belowe rounde he hath translated elegantly The haire belowe cut of in the likenes of a little circle a thing longe a goe forbidden to the Iewes you shall not cut rounde the crowne because of the Arabians neighbours as it seemeth who were shorne after that manner that in noe thing they should be like the Jdolaters Levit. 19.27 But it is meet that these Monkes who differ onely in name from the ungodly Gentiles should agree with them in the likenes of polling their heades The golde of this crowne that is the authority and dignity of this shaving wee may see from hence that they were wont to make obtestations by their tonsure as even nowe in the Epistles of Hierome and August Ys the dignity thereof was so great when yet the superstitiō was very yōg of what gravity and authority was it after it came to a perfit ripenes Frances de Ribera will have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be an Helmet after the māner of speaking of the Greekes but he is deceived 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indeede sometimes is used in that signification in Homer as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but never 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as may be understood from Plutarch Sump 8. Problem 6. The Latines sayth he doe call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a crowne from the head as Homer by similitude have called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an helmet So Hesychius describeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But there is noe such thing concerning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To that saith he Servius affirmeth upon that of Virgill all according to the custome had shorne haire hid with an helmet on which place Servius writeth thus a crowne that is an helmet and he hath used the speech of Homer for he called an helmet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I doubt not but Servius knewe that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in Homer and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but because of the likenes of the wordes the Printers
plentifull leave to enioy his presence then in the times going next before Yet howsoever he came downe from heaven he was clothed with a cloude not knowne indeede plainly to the world but covered yet with so great darkenesse that he was to be seene as it were through a lattice He carrieth the rainebowe on his head a notable messenger of the olde covenant and of faire weather both that wee may understand him to be faithfull and constant in his promises and also that the former stormes shal be driven away dayly more and more by little and little untill at length a cleare sky shall returne on every side His face shineth like the Sunne Christ indeede being most glorious at least in that parte in which he is knowne and perceived of men but his feete doe yet burne with fire because his lowest members on the earth must burne yet with a great heate of affliction Although there should be noe danger of perishing in this fire for the feete are pillars yea and that also of Brasse chap. 1 15. For these thinges belong to the same time see chap. 2.18 So therefore Christ carrieth in his owne person an image of the present Church under the sixt Trumpet Which began to encrease againe about the yeere 1300 yet covered with much darkenesse which notwithstanding gave hope of a more perfit restoring in due time in the meane while revealed the most sweete face of Christ which the world had not seene a long time although the faithfull in the meane season were troden downe with manie calamityes 2 And he had in his hande a little booke open To whom fitteth better an open booke then to him who hath opened the seales of it chap 5.5 Because therefore Christ commeth forth with an open booke it is taught that nowe againe after longe ignorance leave shal be given to men to knowe the trueth as wee knowe it came to passe about that time For at once the Turkes began to wax strong in the East and most learned men to arise in the West who maintained the trueth boldly But it is onely a little booke which he hath in his hande to wit a small booke either because the ende nowe approching there should not remaine so many alterations but that they might be contained in a little booke as after in the sixt verse delay shal be no more or rather because the knowledg of men in this time should be slender and small whereunto perteineth the clothing with a clowde as wee have shewed at the former verse ¶ And he put his right foote upon the Sea This grosse Sea of the inferiour world is the doctrine of the corrupt Church as chap. 8.8 No lesse also perteining to them whose is the administration of this doctrine The Earth conteineth the rest of the common people who in name are Christians But the feete are the members of Christ to wit his faithfull servants by whom as it were by feete he walketh on earth Of these the right foote is the stroÌ„ger by which being set upon the Sea it is declared that Christ nowe at length will chuse out some from that vile sorte of Ecclesiasticall men for to be his feete and faithfull members Also the left foote placed on the earth sheweth that he will take out likewise some from the lay people who although they could not compare with the Ecclesiasticall those right feete in excellency of giftes yet they should be made his true members enioy the same honour with them Such right feete were Iohannes de Poliaco Martinus Patavinus Iohannes de Ganduno Michael Cicerius Michael de Coriaria Guilielmus Ockam Gerardus Ridder Iohannes Rochetalada Armachanus an Jrish Bishop Ioannes Wtcklefus and others Christ drew them out of the salt sea of the Popish doctrine whom hee tooke out from the company of Ecclesiasticall men and brought them to sweeter and wholsomer waters of the trueth Out of the lay people he had for his left feet Ludovicus Bavarus the Emperaur Marsilius Patavinus Dantem Aligherium and many others who defended to their power the trueth seene and acknowledged 3 And he cryed with a loude voice as as Lion roareth Hitherto hath ben the description of the Angel nowe the chiefe cause of the things that were to be sealed up is set forth to wit the crying out of an Angell like a bellowing Lion for so the Greeke word signifyeth properly that which belongeth to Oxen and the like beasts Lions are properly said to roare albeit some times it is attributed to Asses and Camels as Hesichius sheweth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to make a roâ—ring like unto Asses Camels and oxen But the Angell belloweth bccause he must speake softly and dared not to lift up his voice for there is ioined togither with it he cryed with a loude voice but that he might shewe that the meekenes and patience of the oxen is nowe to be mixed with the courage of the Lion And so indeede Christ as it were revived againe then in his members cryed out strongly which crying out neverthelesse carried a shewe of the bellowing oxen onely neither yet made any man greatly afraid Those first springing up Christian Worthies strove by lamentings and complaining speaches yet neverthelesse they bare a grievous yoke of bondage which they could not shake of whatsoever strugling they made against it ¶ The seven thunders uttered their voice Which as an Echo answered this lowing And these seven thunders are I suppose those Angels of which afterward in chap. 14.6 c. Surely the time agreeth fitly as wee will shew at the place then also their office may worthily be likened to thunder which sounded againe when this roaring was uttered For taking their beginning from thence they made a noise with so great roaring that such as despised the lowing of the Angell should at length begin to tremble for feare of this thunder But it is an excellent thing that the thunders speake not but at the crying out of the Angell even as also the Echo hath noe voice of it selfe but onely yeeldeth againe the voice which it hath received so those restorers of the truâ—th howsoever the world condemned them of novelties brought notwithstanding nothing but that which themselves had learned of God 4 And when the seven thunders c. Such were the causes now is shewed the care of Iohn whom when the seven thunders were heard being about to write a voice from heaven prohibiteth biddeth to seale them up These misteries were to be kept secret as before the booke could not be read as long as it was sealed chap. 5. For these times knewe not what those thunders did speake neither did they marke whereunto at length they would come ¶ And write them not So Aretas the Common translation and other Greeke Copies as though these wordes should declare what that Seale should be to wit not to put in writing but to have it secret for himselfe alone But is any thing revealed privately to Iohn which
seventh whose Analysis shal be after ver 14. Scholions 1 A reede was given mee After the preparation made as wee have heard in the first times of the trueth springing a fresh and many excellent men bending themselves diligently to the study of good letters whose fervency was such that for the space of two hundreth yeeres after one thousand three hundreth they might seeme to eate up bookes After I say this preparation at length about the ende of the sixt trumpet the matter came to this conclusion proposed in these wordes That is the Prophecy did shine more plainly and a more plentifull knowledge of the times both past and present the learned men sawe by the booke which they had received of the Angell that the Church nowe many yeeres had bin much afflicted so as it could not be seen of the world then also at that present to be wonderfully vexed of Antichrist For this Prophecy is a repeating of a long time past as Moses wrote Prophetically the first beginning of the world which name howe great estimatiō procureth it to the History But to com to the matter this Prophecy I say calling to minde the time past containeth all the space of the former trumpets as it appeareth from the specifying of the time which is added in the next third verse For if will coūt backe the two and fourty moneths in which the Church should be in the temple they conteine not onely that houre day moneth and yeere of the sixt trumpet of which wee have spoken in chap. 9.15 but also beside the five moneths of the fift Trumpet in the same place ver 5. those foure times repeated to all which neverthelesse there remaine yet nine moneths reckened over and besides which to what other thing cā they be referred then to those foure first trumpets of the eight chapter But peradventure thou wilt say these fourtie two moneths take their beginning at the end◠of that houre moneth and yeere of the foure Angels chap. 9.15 both thes◠spaces togither may perteine to the sixt Trumpet which thing cannot be by any meanes For the whole sixt trumpet is troubleous to the wicked in which respect it is called the second woe chap. 9.12 11.15 But if the times be disposed in this manner it hath little misery for them who by the space of two and fourty moneths triumphed in all mirth when in the meane while the Godly are afflicted What so great hurt should the sixt trumpet bring them if after that short trouble of one yeere moneth day and houre they should have a threefolde longer felicity and more It is most certen therefore that this Prophecy reacheth backe even to the first beginning of the trumpets but that it is set in this place because the whole race of this time could not be perceived before that it should be brought to an ende And nowe indeede God raised up learned men Philippus Bergomensis Franciscus Guicciardinus Martin Luther John Carion Philip Melancthō Gaspar Peucer Henry Bullinger Iohn Sleidan John Functius others who linking togither the histories of things that were done represented this face of the Church in their writings Which Prophecy doubtlesse was to be added at lēgth necessarily For not without cause some might aske what was done with the true Church when the Haile smoke the third part of the grasse the burning Mountaine turned the Sea into blood the Locusts and the other fiendes tyrannized In all these Trumpets hath ben a wonderfull silence concerning it Nowe therefore the Spirit sheweth by this Prophecy revived of what sorte the condition of that time was in the meane while least that alone should be passed over for whose sake this writing was undertaken Therfore this chapter is to be ioyned with the seaventh where the Prophecy touching the Saincts ceased To the same perteineth that sealing and this that I may so say Temple measuring and it is the same wholly and all one thinge except that that belongeth to every severall cityzen this to all iointly and to some chiefe members Nowe as touching the wordes the reede given is the power graunted of the trueth wherby the Saincts should measure the length and breadth of the true and lawfull worship least in a wonderfull confusion of things they should swerve from a due proportion In so much as it is like a rod it teacheth that the trueth shal be much holpen and borne up by the authority of head rulers For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is very often taken for an ensigne of honour the Scepter which Kinges beare in their handes by which name also are called the roddes which are carried before the Magistrates likewise an instrument of exercising power as in the Poete Circe accomplished her charmes with a rod and Mercure with his white wande The Temple therefore was to be measured by the labour of some chiefe man as wee heard it came to passe in the seventh chapter where Constantine the Great was the Minister of scaling For while he provided for the peace of the Church and maintained the trueth carefully he procured a safe place of refuge for a fewe holy men from the contagion of the times ¶ And the Angell stood by which wordes are wanting in Aretas and by that meanes he maketh the reed it selfe the bidder arise and mete But the labour of Angels conioyned elsewhere where the like businesse is done seemeth also to require here that nothing should be done but in the presence of the Angell see Ezech. 40.3 and after Revel 21.16 Wherefore Theod. Beza hath well restored this place from the Complutent Edition ¶ Mete the Temple The true Christian Church is shadowed by the type of the olde temple every severall part of which was described once most exactly and measured by the commaundement of God himselfe to the ende that men should knowe that this house is framed of God that it is not of humane building and therefore they should not take ought upon them in changing things at their pleasure as though the celestiall wisedome had not sufficiently provided for the most convenient maner of every thing The things to be measured are the Temple the Altar and the Ministers of the worship The Temple was devided into the most holy and the holy place which had the altar of the burnt offring set at the doore He biddeth him to mete these onely of the whole building small partes of the whole and onely the more secret roomes For the tabernacle before time being thirtie cubits long and twelve broad was sixteen times and more lesser then the court Afterward the temple enlarged by Salomon and by the Angell in Ezechiell had farre more spatious courts The temple then alone being measured sheweth that the true Church shal be brought into very narrowe straights limited with small boundes and remooved wholly from the sight of men For the holy place was not opened to the people but the Priests alone ministred in that place of which sorte
placed in equall dignity with the Holy Scriptures Here the Interpretation of the Scriptures was taken away from the Scriptures and made subiect to mens pleasure but chiefly to the Popes Ever since the world began the Holy and Sacred Scriptures were not so much abused both openly and by publique authority ANTIOCHVS in deede a good while since inflicted a grievous wounde in commaunding the Holy Bookes to be burnt in the fire Likewise DIOCLETIAN and other Tyrants But the iniurie of these TRIDENTINE FATHERS is farre more grievous For they were Ethniques enemies stricken with a certen fury and madnes wholly repugnant to all the trueth These alone wil be counted CATHOLIQVES very great and chiefe friends the thing a long time and much consulted of guided by mature and ripe iudgement the very PILLARS and upholders of the TRVETH and upon whom noe spotte of errour can be cast How must it needs be that their act was of no authority and these men of very great neither is there cause why any should obiect Marcion the Eucratites Cataphrygians and such monsters of which some reiected one part of the sacred Scriptures and some another at their pleasure There is very great difference as touching the greatnes of the hurt betweene the dotages of obscure Heretiques and the deliberat actes and Decrees of an gathered Councell especially which chalengeth to it selfe to be credited with out exception It is therefore a thing especially worthy remembrance and worthy that the Church should be put in minde of by so notable a Prophecy The event and time doe consent so wonderfully that every equall arbitratour will easily acknowledge that I have not willfully sought this interpretation but that I have ben lead as it were by the hande to the same by the very order and disposition of the matters As touching the assemblyes of the faithfull which in these last times did first appeare in Germany they were assailed with a most cruell warre the same yeere The same Beast made this warre likewise by the help of the Emperour Charles the fift otherwise a noble man greatly to be cōmāded but obeying the Pope too much through the common errour of the Princes From whence not without cause that is attributed to one which being proceeded from two or more yet notwithstanding is done by one ioint endevour The overthrowe in this warre was received about the two and twentieth day of Aprill in the yeere following to wit 1547 when the armies of the Protestans were put to flight Iohn Frederike Duke of Saxonie himselfe Ernestus of Brunswick the Lātgraves sonne and not very long after the Lantgrave himselfe were taken Which calamity stayed not in these fewe but also afflicted many others both Governours and Cityes which partly yeelded themselves of their owne accord partly were wonne by force In one moment sayth Beza bewayling the misery of that time seemed to be overthrowne whatsoever had ben builded up in so many yeeres and with so great labours and they onely were counted happy of the most part whom sudden death had taken away from these hurlie burlies such are his wordes The remembrance of that time is sorrowfull to all the godly when the holy and wise Princes inflamed with a desire onely to defende the trueth not themselves alone but the Churches togither with them which as newly borne did lament among the weapons came miserably into the power of the enemies But now was the time of darkenesse in which these two Prophets must be killed and made a mocking stock Although wee must reioice in the same adversities which ar a calling to remembrance of the divine Prophecies confirming certenly the confidence and faith of our hope as saith Tertullian in his Apologie 8 And their corpses shall lie There is this difference betweene Antiochus the Romish Beast He in burning up the bookes of the Lawe would not have so much as the karkeises to remaine This sufferred the dead corpses but onely for a mocking stocke and for a greater ignominie The cruell Beast is not satisfyed with blood but desireth some more grievous tormēt For their pierced corpses are cast forth into the streetes of the great city that they might be a spectacle to all men and an ornament to the triumphe of the Romish Beast And what other thing of these Scriptures now remained then a very karkeise wholly without all authoritie power and life when all interpretation was brought to the Apostolique Chaire neither might they mutter any thing at all which the Bishop of Rome should not breath into them The Spirit speaketh so exactly that he may leave them noe tergiversatiō He knew that the Pope of Rome whatsoever he should doe against the truth would boast neverthelesse that to him nothing is better of more account and more inviolable then the Scriptures themselves But that noe man may be deceived with a bare name the Spirit speaketh evidently that after the Tridentine Councill noe Scriptures should be in the possessiō of the Romanes but a dead carkeise of noe strenght and power ¶ In the streetes of the great citie which spiritually is called Sodome and Egypt This great City is that whole dominion of which Rome is the mother City in which sense the tenth part of the city falleth after in the 13 verse A street is some part of the Romane dition wherein this spectacle is exhibited to be seene the ioy whereof spreadeth it selfe through the whole Empire But the great citie it selfe togither with her chiefe citie is described in the rest of the verse and that by two expresse names a notable marke also being added least any perhaps should mistake the city And also for a greater assurance wee are admonished that these names are not to be takē properly but spiritually that is aenigmatically figuratively allegorically The first name is Sodom a city once very famous for her filthines nowe for her punishement a most fit exemple of the tower and chiefe habitation of this great citie For is not the city Rome become famous for her horrible lusts above all the whole world In the iudgement of all the Poete Mantuan hath truly songe of her in these wordes Shame get thee to the country townes if they al 's ' doo not use The same corrupted filthines Rome now is all a Stewes Which is no lesse declared by an other taking his leave of Rome thus Rome farre well nowe I have thee seen ynough it is to see I le come againe when bawd I meane knave brothel beast to be But that you may the better acknowledge Sodome heare what a certē man answered to one asking a question touching Rome Say what is Roma Amor Love if backward you it spell Rome loves the male kind Say no more J know thy meaning well Hath not Hieronymus Zeged Mutius declared this plainely in his Cynedicall bookes defending this horrible villany and approved by the Bulles and lettres patents of Iulius the third him selfe With whom Iohannes Casa associated himselfe being
Councell he seemeth not to have ben able to speake more plainely By the same providence of God it come to passe that the Emperours forces were gathered from sundry nations Germanes Hungarians Italians Spaniards and others that the corpses of the Prophets should be set for a thing to be looked on of all meÌ„ as it were in the scaffold of the whole world Sleid. in the yeere 1547. 5 Three dayes and an halfe Some will have this to be the same space with that of two and fourty moneths and a thousand two hundred three score dayes But the wordes doe shewe plainely that they are diverse spaces For this distaÌ„ce of three dayes and an halfe taketh not his beginning before the thousand two hundred and threescore daies be accomplished For so before in ver 7. And when they have finished Afterward these three daies and an halfe the Prophets lay slaine and unburied But that space of a thousand two hundreth and three score daies is a time of Prophecying in sackcloth so as by no meanes they can be referred to the same time Let us therefore give unto them their owne place and set them next to the moneths Which after the likenes of the former dayes doe signify three yeeres and an halfe in which the Papists should reioyce in their owne behalfe for that the Scriptures were vanquished and the Churches subdued as they thought to their Angell of the bottomelesse pit as it came to passe partly at Tridentum and Bonnonia partly in Germany There after the deadly sentence was given against the Scriptures in the yeere 1546 the 8. of Aprill from thence for three whole yeeres and an halfe the Fathers triumphed in the mixed assembly of all nations as if the matter had ben executed manfully and excellently and prepared themselves to suppresse the rest of the trueth untill at length by the death of Paul the third the Conventicle was interrupted Which thing fell on the yeere 1549. the 9. of November that is on the third yeere and an halfe after the Scriptures were trode under foote The very fewe weekes that remaine hinder not the agreement seeing the Spirit thought not good to devide the matter into smaller portions then into three daies and an halfe In Germany the Church which by the confederate armies of the Emperour and Pope seemed to have ben put downe for ever in mens opinion lay as it were halfe dead for the same space to wit from 22. of Aprill in the yeere 1547 unto the first day of October of the yeere 1550. when at Maidenburg it began to lift up the head againe being nothing afraid neither of the Emperours proscription or conspiracie of the Princes or whatsoever any enemies could doe against them Sleid. booke 22. and 23. You may observe further how vaine a thing that is and in noe place agreeing with it selfe which every where is spread abroad concerning the three yeeres reigne of Antichrist For these three daies beginne not before that the two and fourty moneths shall be finished both which spaces yet neverthelesse he shall raigne From whence after their owne account that wee may graunt unto them the moneths to note three ordinary yeeres and an halfe he shall rule seaven yeeres at the least Although this be small also to coÌ„taine so great tyranny as wee before have declared But wee see how almost every word by it selfe doth disproove that invention ¶ And shall not suffer their carkeises to be put in graves They shall deprive them of all common honour which wee owe one to another by the right of humanity And surely when the Ministers of the Ghospell desired earnestly that all things might be done according to the rule of Gods word the Emperour obtrudeth to the world that ungodly Interim the Scriptures commaunded to be silent and not to mutter against it But in what a chafe was the Bishop of Artois when the men of Auspurg Trevers and Basell alledged for their excuse that they had not receaved the forme of doctrine because it disagreeth from the sacred scripture Doe you thinke saith he that the Emperour may not make lawes and prescribe a certen rule as of civill so also of holy thinges Sleid. booke 23. In the very Councell of Trent what in the name of the rest aÌ„swereth Pictavius to the MaÌ„cilane Ambassadours For when they required that the same order might be taken for them which before time was for the Bohemians according to the forme of the decree of Basell That the Scriptures in every controversy might be in stead of a iudge Pictavius obiected to them againe that the Scripture was a vaine and duÌ„be thing as also are the other politique lawes and that unto it must be added the voice of the Iudge that it may be wel understood Sleid. booke 23. He graunteth that the Scripture nowe is nothing but a vaine and dumbe thing that is altogither a carkeise And why should he not so boast being privie to himselfe that it was lately slaine by his labour and of the rest of the Tridentine Fathers But while they deny to give this honour to the Scriptures that they would not suffer them to obtaine that authority which a fewe and contemned worshippers would have given them willingly it was like as if they should forbidde their corpses lately thrust through pitifully to be buried Pilate when Ioseph Nicodemê° asked the body of Christ gave them leav that they should bestowe what cost they would upon it But when the Protestants made humble request that they might at least wise burie the car keises of the Scriptures among themselves although not in any solemne grave but onely under the simple turffe of their cottages the Scarlated Fathers denyed it stiffely The Church was handled in the like manner For after that the Duke of Saxonie and the Lantgrave were taken prisonners the cities put to a fine and very many noble men utterly cast out of favour the Emperour proscribeth the people of Maidenburge by writings spred abroad the sentence whereof after the usuall forme is this let noe man aide them by any meanes whatsoever neither acquaint him selfe with their case they which shall doe otherwise shall put themselves in perill of their goods and life What is this else then that noe man should dare to make the funerals of the wretched Church cruelly murdered Maidenburg was left as a remnant of the poore miserable where assemblies of the faithfull were kept But might noe man helpe this firebrand reserved from the burning without danger of his life Doubtlesse it is apparant seeing they suffered not the duties touching burials to be performed to their slaine carkeises 10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall reioice over them The citizens of the false Church as before chap 7.1 c. These should reioice over them and be glad and should sende gifts one to an other as in common ioy And surely not without cause being nowe freed from the great trouble wherewith the Scriptures and the most
his scourges These seven thousande Papists are slaine their bodies being not killed but they deprived of their great revenues of Monasteries Collegies and such yeerly rents without any hope of recoverie Was it not as death to those idle bellies to be bereaved of their delights that men who lately gave their mindes to feede themselves onely should be constrained nowe to feede others by word life or some profitable labour or themselves to be an hungred But by the Angustane decree the right of such possessions was confirmed to the Princes of the Protestants and that afterward without danger the same might be bestowed upon the Ministres of the word Schooles the poore and other godly uses without any feare of extortion This doubtlesse was the thing that slewe them that nowe they should be brought to poverty in trueth who before abounding in all riot onely counterfaited the same But to what ende is the number of the slaine lesse then according to the certaine portion of the falling city For seven thousande onely were killed but the tenth parth of the city falleth surely because the calamity of the ruine should be greater then that of the death For that perteined to the whole multitude of the Popish name the killing was peculiar to the Ecclesiasticall men whom this alteration vexed most of all bringing with it the losse of their goods The common people who suffered the losse onely of their former opinion bare it more patiently Therefore whose griefe was small noe death of theirs is mentioned Howe doeth the Spirit declare unto us these events one after an other and conveniently He doth all things alone who before the things come to passe doth tell the condition of them so distinctly and exquisitely The rest of the Popish religion before acknowledging the iust vengeance of God in the destruction and calamity of those Church men gave glory to the God of Heaven that is were converted to the true creatour in whose stead they worshipped late Images made of some matter and Idols And who knoweth not that almost an infinite number of men stirred up by these scourges opening their eyes to the shining light did forsake their former superstitions Wee see thē from the beginning to the ende howe this whole Prophecy agreeth exactly with the event The seven last bookes of Sleidans Commentaries doe afforde a more full declaration both of the battell and death and resurrection of the Prophets The whole Prophecy is of about a thousand two hundred fifty Julian yeeres from Diocletian unto the yeere 1555. how farre also Sleidane proceeded both in writing and living Analysis And thus farre is the sixt trumpet second Periode the last followeth declared by the seventh trumpet which is declared summarily in the rest of this chapter afterward particularly through al the rest of the booke The summarie exposition commendeth the Kingdome of Christ partly by word partly by a signe that is both of the Rulers of the Christian assembly ver 15. and also of the foure and twenty Elders whose gesture is mentioned in ver 16. Secondly their speach ver 17. which setteth forth the glory of this Kingdome by the rage of the enemyes the manifest wrath of God in subduing them and finally by the rewarding of the good and evill ver 18. Last of all the signe is the temple open the Arke seene lightnings sent forth and voices ver 19. Scholions The second woe is past A transition from the second more grievous trumpet to the last But whereas he saith that the second woe is past it is not to be understood as though nothing of it at all should nowe remayne but onely that the strength of it was broken and much weakened which should decay more also every day while at length it should be utterly destroyed For those foure Angels of the ninth Chapter whom wee have shewed to be the Turkes are not altogither destroyed at the sounde of the seventh Trumpet but are onely hastening to destruction So they came after the LOCVSTS not expecting till not one Locust should remaine but when they waxed olde rushing in furiously as wee have shewed in the ninth chapter at the 12. verse And beholde the third woe willcome anon Why is the last Trumpet called a voice which shall give a full and right forme to the Church In regard of the wicked whose ende nowe appeareth and the rewarding of all their sinnes both by punishements begun on earth and also eternall in hell It is said to come anon because of that small delay which should come betweene that resurrection of the Prophets which even nowe he spake of and the last sound of the Trumpet and also because shortly the last calamity of the wicked is brought to passe which shal not stay so long a time as the former Trumpets but shall come quicly with swift winges 16 Therefore the seventh Angell blewe the Trumpet and there were great voices in heaven Blewe the Trumpet to wit in the yeere 1558. as the events doe make manifest for then were there great voices in heaven that is great ioy arose in the reformed Church for so the word heaven doth signify as often before neiter are these voices terrible such as are ioyned with the thunder and lightnings after and else where but of praise and thankesgiving as their argement is shewed in the next following wordes Whose voices they are is gathered from that which is said by and by that when they were heard the Elders fell downe upon their faces in the next verse which they are wont to doe at the voices of the foure beasts chap. 4.19.20 Therefore they are the Rulers of the Churches who for some notable benefit which the sound of the seven Trumpet brought doe provoke their flockes to the praysing of God They shewe what manner of benefit this is when they say the Kingdomes of the world are become our Lords and his Christ c. What meaneth this Doth Christ nowe first reigne Surely he shall reigne alwayes even in the middes of his enemies But nowe chiefly his Kingdome is to be praised when he maketh his maiestie visible after a sorte in the very Kinges in so fashioning and forming their harth that they cast downe their crownes and scepters at his feete and wholly doe give their minde to the promooting of his glory But neither is this any newe thing He raigned so in olde times by Constantine and other godly Emperours Also in these last ages those famous Princes of Germany had restored this Kingdome long since Tho whom may be ioyned Gustavus King of Suevia and Christian King of Dennemarke who in the yeere a thousande five hundred thirty eight changed away the Antichristian impiety for the Ghospell I answere that the Prophecy meaneth not that the Kingdomes nowe first became of the Christian name but onely that they should be greatly encreased at the sound of this Trumpet for then especially wee doe say that one doth raigne when wee see the boundes of his
Prosper witnesseth in his booke de Ingratis in these wordes Rome is the Seate of Peter which is become the Head of Pastorall power to the world whatsoever shee holdeth not by force of armes shee holdeth it by religion And againe in his second booke of the calling of the Gentils chap. 6. Rome by the soveraigntie of Priesthood is more increased by the tower of religion then by the Throne of power Vnto which is added Ammian Marcellin in his 27. booke as he is cited by Bellarmine that he marvaileth not though men contend with so great desire for the Romane Popedome seing the riches and maiestie of it are so great But that the Dragon gave him this power appeareth from hence that the name of Rome was honourable to all men because of the auncient Empire of which once it was the Seate and therefore that they easily yeelded to any promotion of hers but of this more largely at the 6. verse 3 And I sawe one of his heads as it were deadly wounded Montanus Plantines Edition doeth omit I saw as though the Dragon togither with the throne power had given also one of the heads wounded which is contrary both to the faithfulnesse of the other Copies for Aretas the Common translation read I saw all other also to the truth of the history For the Beast had not a wounded head at his first beginning For first he was afterward he is not in chap. 17.8 as at that place wee shall shewe more fully In these wordes he commeth to the second condition of the BEAST The dammage consisteth in the wounding of one of his heads which now once or twice wee have advertised to be seveÌ„ hills and Kings from chap. 17.9.10 VVhether then of these kindes should suffer this calamity Surely if the wounde inflicted be to come into the power of the enemy scarce can one of the hilles receive a wound but all wil be wounded togither VVherfore more properly it beloÌ„geth to the Kings any one of which being afflicted with this wounde the rest abide whole from the same Although this hurt cannot be so proper to a King that it should not also be common to the Hills And these Kings are seven Governements or Principalities by which the City of Rome hath ben governed to wit those celebrated by all Kings Consuls Decemviri Dictatours Tribunes Emperours Popes as wee will make plaine at the 17. chap. If now it be demaunded to which of all these this calamity should happen the place which even now wee spake of declareth it evidently to the seaven head namely the Popes For so speaketh the Angell and another that is the seventh is not yet come and when he shall come he must continue a short space being hurt with a wound as it were quite killed with the same for Iohn saith as it were wounded to death as Aretas well puts us in minde for he should not be altogither destroyed by this blow But now after that it is manifest touching the Heads this wound was inflicted when Rome forsaken now a good while of the Emperours abiding partly in the East at Byzantium partly in the West at Ravenna beginning againe to flourish under a newe GovernemeÌ„t of Popes was smitten with an exceeding great storme by the Gothes Vandals Hunnes and the rest of the Northern people Which vexed most miserably the whole VVest part In this common calamity that late Empresse of the nations Queene of the whole world escaped not scotfree but sufferred a greater destruction then almost any City besides oftener taken by assault sacked wasted for an hundred two and thirtie yeeres at the lust of the Barbarians First Alaricus about the yeere 415 besieged and tooke it Of which thing Hierome speaking but after he saith the most famous light of all countries is cleane put out yea the head of the Romane Empire cut off and to speake more truly the whole world is destroyed in one Citie c. In his Proheme of Ezech. But in more wordes eloquently in an Epistle to Principia a Virgin The Citie is taken which tooke the whole world c. In what lamentable manner would he have bewailed if it had befell him to heare of the ofteÌ„ conquerings and spoiling thereof which followed For Rome now was consumed not once but was taken a second time by Adaulphus who gave her such a deadly wound that she was minded to change her name and to be called afterward Gothia The third time Gensericus the Vandal tooke it The fourth time Odoacer Rugianus reigning there fourteene yeeres Theodoricus the King of the Gothes slewe him whom at length Totilas followeth by a cerâ—en order of succession He the fift time overthrew and rased it bringing it to that wildernesse that neither any man nor woman could be found in it by the space of fourty dayes according to that of the Sibyll Rome shal be a perpetuall ruine and shee that hath ben seen shall not be discerned Albeit I thinke not that shee hath yet endured that calamity which Sibyll speaketh of although that now past may be a notable proofe of that which is to come Who in those times would not have thought that the seven hilled Citie had utterly perished VVho would not have supposed that the dignitie of the Popes to wit the seventh head had bin past remedy Therefore the Constantinopolitane Bishop and he of Ravennas the authority of Rome being as it were utterly gone laboured greatly as the next heires to drawe the same to their Churches But they were both much deceaved The head was not wounded unto death but as it were unto death Therefore the wound waxing more fierce Zozimus Bonifacius Celestinus about the yeere 420. having supposed a Nicene Councill chalenged the Primacy and they did moove so much as was sufficient to shewe that some life was left but they had a shameful repulse because this was the time of the wound on every side Pelagius also not long after before the skarre had closed altogither wrested the scriptures to the same ende but his endevour comming to no proofe declared that both the head remained alive and also that it was of no power For the raigne of the Gothes darkened the light of the Popes dignity neither could now any acknowledg her the chiefe who at home being the basest and servant of the Barbarous people scarce had a place where to abide For at once the Emperours dwelling at Rome at what time the Apostles were in authority restreined Antichrist that he could not come forth to be seen abroad so the new erected Kingdome of the Gothes in Italie was an other thing with holding which did repell his put out hornes for a time compelled him againe to hide him selfe in his shell Rightly therefore now the head did seeme to be wounded which was not able to shake off the yoke neither by any strength of his owne neither by any hope that he had from the East seing the Emperour
Clergie neither of Kings nor of the people Againe God would have the causes of other men to be ended by men Likewise The whole Church through the world knoweth that the holy Romane Church hath right to iudge concerning all men neither may any iudge of her iudgement This is called a power of doing for excellency sake such as indeede belongeth to no Emperours who refuse not to he refrained with the boundes of lawes and all their actions to betried by the rule of equity and justice As touching the wordes Aretas readeth And power was given him to make warre moneths c. In like manner also Montanus and Plantines Edition The Common translation absolutely as also Theodorus Beza and the rest of the Greeke Copies The like use of this word in a like matter in Daniell favoureth this reading He shall cast downe saith he the trueth to the grounde and shall doe and he shall prosper in the eight Chapter the twelve foure and twentiest verse and he shall prosper wonderfully and shall doe So in the eleventh chapter verse twentie eight He shall doe and shall returne to his owne lande In which places is signifyed a certaine free and chiefe power of doing which should not feare the iudgement of any The time of doing are two and fourty monâ—ths the same space wherein the temple remaineth measured the two Prophets mourne and the woman lyeth hid in the wildernes as in the 11 chapter second verse and 12. chapter sixe verse from whence the beginning of all these is to be judged the same At one time the Church is banished the Prophets weare sackecloth and the Beast or Antichrist is borne to wit in that first refreshing after the publike persecutions about the yeer 300 as before hath ben said But shall there be also the same ending Shall the Beast be deprived of all power to doe and the womaÌ„ returne our of the wildernes togither This peradventure is against it that after the two and fourty moneths ended he maketh warre with the two Prophets and overcometh them which is a thing of no small power as wee have shewed in the 11. chapter verse 7. Furthermore there remaineth yet a warre farre a way the most grievous to come long after those moneths as wee shall see after in the 16. chapter Last of all if there be the same ende of the moneths in regard of the Beast which there is of the woman how shall he have power to doe two and fourty moneths seeing some great parte of them did lay sicke yea as it were dead by meanes of his wounded head This space then seemeth to containe the whole tyranny of Antichrist so as that time when the wound was greene be taken away from it But wee have already shewed that this sickly time was ended with the raigne of the Gothes in the 3. ver which continued an hundred and fourty yeeres Therefore if wee take away these yeeres from the moneths of the womaÌ„ lying hid wee shall finde that at the ende of this lurking to with at the yeere 1546. that 37. moneths ten dayes only of the flourishing Kingdome of Antichrist wer past There are wanting therefore to this 5. moneths 20. dayes which if wee shall count from the yeere 1546. the last ende of Antichrist shall come out at the yeere 1686. or there about For so wee shall learne from other scriptures that he shall utterly perish about that time It may be that his destruction shall prevent this terme for neither doe I now reckeÌ„ curiously neither peradventure doe the History-writers nuÌ„ber the yeeres so faithfully as is meete But it shall not be graunted him to proceed further the furthest space being set downe by mee But peradventure these moneths are not the space of time from the first beginning unto the last ende of the Beast but onely the former yeeres of his raigne as many as may suffice to manifest him aboundantly to all men In which respect as they begin togither with the moneths and dayes of the woman and Prophets so also they have an ende togither The mention of the warre with the Sancts beneath in the 17. verse confirmeth this sense which warre wee have declared to have befallen at the ende of these moneths in chap. 11.7 From which exposition the Beast is said to have power to doe two and fourty moneths of the most part of these moneths because that small distance of time in which he should hide himselfe by reason of his wounded head should have a very little reckening made of it in respect of the whole number neither is the power which shal be afterward like to that of former time as the experience of this time proveth sufficiently wherein wee see the Popes forces since that warre was made that is since the Councill of Trent are become a great deale feebler and weaker so that his power is almost nothing to that which it was in former ages This latter is more plaine wherfore it pleaseth mee the more Yet notwithstanding I would not hide any thing as much as in mee lay where I should see the least doubt that either my selfe might finde out the trueth or at least wise might stirre up others to search it out 6 Therefore he opened his mouth to blasphemy Hitherto hath ben the given power now the thing it selfe is performed these two are distinguished because the heigh of impiety should not be looked for the first day but he should come to it by certene degrees and in processe of time But first he prepareth himselfe to blaspheme God and his name afterward his Temple last of all those that dwell in Heaven He blasphemeth God by vaunting himselfe to be God not as other Princes but sacrilegiously beyond the condition of mortall men as to whom power is given in Heaven and in Earth who shall rule from Sea to Sea and from the River to the endes of the world as may be seen in the first booke and 7. chap. of the Ceremonial pontifical And as the Pope Sixtus confirmed openly in these wordes Whosoever accusâ—th the Pope shall never be forgiven because he that sinneth against the Holy Ghost shall never beforgiven neither in this nor in the life to come See the first Tome of Councills in Purgat of Sixtus Thence followeth that which Boniface the eight singeth so loude thus Wee declare define and pronounce to every creature that it is upon necessitie of salvation that they be subiect to the Pope of Rome Extrav of Maiorit obed one holy SecoÌ„dly he opened his mouth against the Tabernacle That is the true Church of God lying hid and being as a stranger on the earth For this Tabernacle is the same that the Temple was in chap. 11.1 the dwelling place of God conversing with his people in the desert which sheweth evidently at what time chiefly he should cast out these blasphemies to wit when the Church should dwell in the wildernesse and should be knowne onely to a fewe obscure
destruction But let no godly man be offended if hee see the reprobate to returne to their Beast the Spirit hath foreshewed that this loade stone shall draw unto it this refuse that hereafter they may not marvaile Why all of ungâ—dly and dissolute life are more prone to the Pope thâ—n to the trueth ¶ Of that Lambe which was slâ—ine from the beginning of the world VVithout cause Aretas will have a transposition of the wordes to be here so that this should be the sense Whose names are not written from the beginning of the world in the booke of life of the Lambe which was slaine He will have the names to be written from the beginning of the world but not the Lambe to have ben killed from thence But the things are not well devided which the Spirit ioyneth togither For if the Lambe be from the beginning of the world it must needes be also that he was slaine from the beginning of the world But CHRIST is not a Lambe but for sacrifice neither can he be a sacrifice otherwise then by death As therefore by the eternall Decree of God he was the Lambe appointed for to save the Elect so by the same Decree he was slaine from before the foundations of the world VVose force was noe lesse available to deliver the Elect before his death was accomplished in the flesh then after he had endured and sufferred the same in the crosse and in the grave 9 Let him that hath an eare heare An acclamation the sense whereof is That this Beast is to be knowne with all diligence howsoever there shall be many who will not hearken and will deny a thing so perverse are they more cleare then the Sunne at noonetide But all yee elect give eare and with as great diligence as you can flie from this plague Which by these markes is so proposed before your eyes as that you may see her not as by the nayles but by the whole frame of her body 10 Yf any leade into captivity These things pertaine to the consolation of the godly who were to fight with this monster the first confirmation is taken from a certeÌ„ punishment which shall come in his time that is to say although they shall see the Beast mighty for a longe time and carying many by companies into bondage yet they should be of good courage For at length they should see him also ledde into captivity He shall perish with the sword although now he kill with the sword whom he will The confort is like to that in Esay Woe to thee that spoilest who thy selfe is not spoiled and to thee traiterous man against whom they dealt not traiterously when thou shalt cease to be a spoiler thou shalt be spoiled c. chap. 33.1 ¶ Here is the patience and faith of the Saincts A second consolation All those thinges serve for the Saincts for the exercise of their faith and constancy And surely a great courage is required in so great daungers but by how much the dangers shal be greater so much the more shall the praise of the godly be brighter therefore let no man quake for feare of the danger but let him minde that this Beast is the occasion for him to get glory by 11 Afterward I saw an other Beast Thus farre of the first Beast the second followeth an other indeede in beginning and originall but in nature and disposition altogither the same Whereupon the seventeenth chapter maketh mention of one onely under one comprehending both as was observed at the fift verse of this chap. For which cause also the Spirit doth not make a particular description of every member but rehearseth those thinges onely which are proper to the new rising other things as farre as it seemeth being common to this with the former First he ascendeth out of the earth both augmented by the authority of earthly men and those of the laity as they call them whom chiefly the earth signifyeth and also exceeding in honours those very men by whom he was advanced For that which commeth up from the earth is lifted up above the earth having it put under his feete by whose weight he was lately oppressed So the former Beast rose out of the Sea having sea men put under him out of whose company he came and plunged up This ascending fell out upon the times of Gregory second about the yeere 726 when the Pope trusting in the aide of the Longobardes smote with the lighâ—ning of excommunication Leo Isaurus the Emperour and withdrewe Rome it selfe and Italy and all Hesperia from hiâ— obedience For now indeede the Beast began upon the earth who not onely exercised a powre over the Ecclesiasticall route but also bridled the lay men by his authority their chiefe head the Emperour who although before time he had given a great power to the Pope over the Clergie yet he pressed downe the same even till now by his maiesty as it were by a certen weight more heavie theÌ„ the Hill Aetna that he should not lift up his crests above the Emperour But now the earthly dignity yeeldeth to the Beast to be troden under foote of him at length who grew up so farre onely by the favour of the Emperours Therefore Zacharias the next that it might be manifest to all men that the Popes were now loosed from the prison of eartly dignity deposed Childericke the King of France and commaunded Pipine the Father of Charles the Great to be created King in his stead But yet it was more cleare in Leo the third who translated the Empire froÌ„ the Grecians to the Germanes and annointed Charles the Great for Emperour VVhat a more great proofe can there be of the supreme power on earth then to take away the Empire from whom he will and to bestowe the same againe upon whom he shall thinke good The Popes following persisted in the same steppes esteeming the Emperours as it were balles in reiecting the same from their office and appointing other in their roome at their pleasure VVhereby Bellarmine being moved wrote indeede truly and agreable to this Prophecy All the Emperours who have ben since Charles the Great are bound to the Pope for their Empire in his 5. booke of the Pope of Rome chap. 8. For ever since that time the Beast rose up from the earth being higher then all earthly power to which are added earthly dominioÌ„s and possessions of landes ioyned with this originall which the Pope before time either wanted altogither or at least enioyed but small fewe as great as were sufficient to maintaine a Bishop not which should make any shew of a Kingdome For in former ages Italy was tributary to the Emperours which at length the Gothes possessing made it to pay tribute to them when they were slaine under Iustinian it returned againe to the Empire administred by Captaines The Romane Pope had yet noe Provinces untill this earthly rising up had given him landes sufficiently For is it likely that the Pope by
the counsels of godly men about the end of the first yere of her raigne she removed many most worthily out of their Prelacies and other ecclesiastical dignities and benefices who glorying onely in the mark of the Beast denyed due obedience to their lawful Prince Among them was the Archbushop of York the B b of London Elie and 14. others besides men of meaner note Deâ—ns Archdeacons Parsons Vicars and the like How needs must men be vehemently burned when they saw their dignities lands fearms faculties honours to bâ— bâ—â—towed on their adversaries and themselves in the meane time to 〈◊〉 desâ—ised and contemned Many could not bear the sorow but flâ—d â—ver sea because therof to sâ—ek so much ease as not to behold it otherâ— at home payning away with greif in secret places al of them sleeing the light and sâ—ght of men whom to behold so merry and joyful was as yll â—s a bitter death And though they changed the aier yet was not their payn asswaged when the Pope himselfe and that whole nation by but hearing it onely were very sorely tormented Which he abundantly testified by his Bulls against our most noble Queen severely commanding all subjects to forsake their allegeance unto their Prince neyther could they be stayed by any religious regard of oath wherof that violatour of al Law both of God and man did discharge them But thanks be to God he yet laboured in vayn wherby his torment is much the more increast For thus sayd he with himselfe as Saul did of old Have ye al conspired against me Js ther none of you that is sory for my sake Wil no man ease my boyle with the blood of that Queen which hath wrought me so much woe Have patience good Pope this is the time of thine ulcer not of thine ease But his sicknes suffreth him not to rest Therfore he rageth felly with venemous libells he incenseth the Kings with al earnestnes to wage warr he privily sendeth Iesuits the bellowes of al seditions to betray their country he secretly suborneth ungracious cut-throats to kil their sacred Prince finally he applyes himselfe by whatsoever means he can to styrr up troubles wherby he may work the utter destruction of the realm and of us all But having tryed all wayes in vayn through the mercy and goodnes of our God these two and fourty yeres both he the Prince and head of mischeefs and his desperate children doo scarce refrayn from tears because they nought worth tears doo see In France about the same time that we may see this soare was universally spred among the Papists when Charles the 9. began his reign and dayly the Papists authority did more and more decay a great part of Nobility joyned themselves to the purer doctrine of the Peers of the realm very many the Queen mother for fear I suppose of her English neighbour was much busied about religion and not obscurely favoured the professours therof or at least feigned it some of the Papists weÌ„t more seldom to their woÌ„ted temples many which stuck more fast to their old opinions kept themselves so within their private wall that they durst scarce be seen in publik meetings For what other disease I pray then for the payn of this ulcer Germany had angred the Thracian stock long before But at the same time the wounds erst inflicted now growing more full of atter were changed into ulcers The decree of Charles as we sayd before was heavy wherin peace and liberty was granted to religion but the lesse hope they had to repele the same the sharper did it prick theÌ„ dayly For Emperour Ferdinandus succeeding his brother thought it best to rest in the former decrees wherto he had consented at Augusta before he was Emperour Maximilian his son did alwayes mislike that manner of propagating Christian religion with armes or compelling any to receive it that were unwilling How untollerable was this moderation to the ulcerous Papists that burned with desire of revenge But now let us see in a word how this ulcer wil not be touched Which the Council of Trent verily shewed in the second session under Pius 4. in the yere 1562. where this busines was committed to some chosen men for to consider of divers censures and books eyther suspected or pernicious that is that by al meanes they should have care ther went out nothing among the people that nipped the Popes authority and Romish superstition in any one word Doubtlesse the ulcer is very egre and virulent that can indure nothing that is rough or hard Therfore whatsoever is layd to it let it be tender and soft For this cause did Pius the 4. set forth an Index of the forbidden books which Sixtus the 5. afterwards augmented and Clemens the 8. lately recognized VVherin it is appointed which books men must quite absteyn from and which one may use so they be corrected Certainly the Pope prescribes a diet for his botchie patients Among other rules of correcting this is one that al things be wel lookt to and attentively noted not onely the things that offer themselves manifestly in the course of the work but if ther be any that secretly doo lurk in the Scholies in the summaries in the margins in the tables of the books in the prefaces or epistles dedicatorie Instruct de correct book D. 2. How suspicious is sicknes Verily this fear of running upon any thing that may offend hath shred off in many late writers whatsoever was in them of soundest iudgment and more free truth But the bookes are in al mens hands wherby they may perceive what it is that payneth these brand-marked persons and where Although one purging Index set forth by Philip the 2. King of Spain in the year 1571. may be in sted of many And least thou mightest think perhaps that they are troubled coÌ„cerning late writers onely or the marginal notes of others they doo violence to the very words of the ancient Fathers For example in a certaine edition of Augustine which Iohn Gibbon an English Iesuite Doctor of Div. Professor at Trevers perused in the disputatioÌ„ about Saincts Thes 207. there these words are no more read yet doo not we constitute temples preisthoods holy things and sacrifices to the Martyrs c. as the ancient true copies have in the 8. book of the City of God chap 17. but contrary thus we doo constitute temples preisthoods holy things and sacrifices to the Martyrs because not they but their God is our God c. O impudent falsers which make Augustine to affirm that which he openly denyeth that I speake not how unapt you feyghn his words to be that sacrifices are to be constituted to the Martyrs because they are not God The Ratts doo perish by their own bewraying Francis Iunius in the yeere 1559 saw at Lions with Trellonius some pages of the true Ambrose cancelled and rased by two Franciscan Friers and other new ones substituted in place of the former after their own wil
the future tence but in the present because admiration belongeth not to a future but to a present dignity From which let us observe what wondring is a token of reprobation to weet of a Beast reviving after the hurt received which is the second Beast in chap. 15.11 Even until that time he was not so desperately impious but that he might easily deceive the Saincts but at length he came to that naughtinesse that he must be banished from the Kingdome of God who will acknowledg him to be such an one by admyring as he professeth himselfe to be But wheras the Angel in these words prosecuteth not his variable condition beyond the third time therby he sheweth that he shal be openly knowne to the world before his last ende shall come 9 Here is the mind Thus farre the Beast hath bin shewed us according to his whole now he entreth into the interpretation of some chiefe parts wherunto he prepareth himselfe a way by this Preface Which yet is uncertaine whither it is to be referred to that which went before or to this which followeth it seemeth being set in the midst to have respect to both alike for to cause attention The speach seemeth defective and to be supplyed after the manner of that in chap. 13.18 Here is wisdome let him that hath wit count c. So here is wit let him that hath wisdome understand as in the Epistles to the seven Churches let him that hath eares heare or it may be a perfit sentence of it selfe here is the minde that hath wisdome as though he should say consider the foresaid chaunges likewise consider the interpretation the understanding of which things is true wisdome indeede wherby a man may avoide eternall destruction But these are the wordes not onely of exhortation but also of Prophecie which declare that in the most open light in which the Beast shal be set every one shall not acknowledge him but they onely who are endued with wisedome and have their eyes inlightened of God The Beast is like in this thing to the whore whose name written in her forehead was a mysterie which should be hidden from very many no lesse then some obscure and inexplicable riddle For Prophecies fulfilled become not manifest to all men as we wil after shew that Bellarmine trisleth but unto some certaine men to whom it is given to understand the rest remaining in their former blindnes Which short admonition confuteth a threefold errour of the Papists one touching the common name Antichrist the other of the doctrine the third of the publique persecution of which wee will speake more at large in the refutation at the ende of the Chapter ¶ The seaven heads are seaven hilles upon which the woman sitteth as touching the partes first he teacheth what are Heads both permanent in this verse and transitory in verses 10.11 wherby it may be knowne what is this whore in regard both of the place and of the time Those heads are seaven moūtaines upon which the woman sitteth that is seven hilles of the city of Rome Palatinus Quirinalis Aventinus Caelius Viminalis Aesquilinus Janicularis by which this City is renowmed through the whole world and thereupon called of the Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seaven hilled by Varro And this circumlocution seemed fitter for the eloquent kind of speaking of the Poets then the specifying of a proper name Virgil in the second of his Georgiques toward the end hath these wordes to weet Rome is become the most beautifull of things which hath enclosed her seaven towers with one wall Likewise Ovid in his first book de Trist Eleg. 4. speaketh thus of it But Rome is the Seate of the Empire and of the Gods which from seaven Mountaines vieweth the whole world And againe in the third book ver 7. And while Rome the victorious shall beholde the subdued whole world from her seven Mountaines I shall be called Martia And God would have the thing testifyed not onely by the verses of Poets but also by a publike festivitie For the Romanes kept the Fest called Septimontium because of the seventh mountaine ioyned to the city and Rome become therupon Septicollis as Plutarch relateth in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These things are so manifest that the Papists themselves ar now cōstrained will they nill they to confesse them We have shewed that Bellarmine preferreth this sense before the rest in his 3. book ch 13. of the Pope of Rome Ribera the Iesuite yeeldeth also the same cōfirming it with many words on the 14. chap. of the Revel num 30. frō whēce no cōtroversie could now remaine of this thing if onely men were in their right wits but wee hav touched before their madnes who doo separate the things which ar ioyned togither by an ūdivided bād They grāt that the whor is Rome yet by no means doe they abide her to be the seate of Antichrist as though they could be sundred of which the one sitteth upō the other carryed but if this cōjoyning be too weake behold a straighter yea a most straight such as of the head with the body so as they which shal remov the Beast to any other place thē to Rome must make him to be without his heads Frō hēce therfore I thus cōclude demōstratively The city where remaine fixed the heads of the Beast or of Antichrist is the seat of Antichrist Rome is the city wher remaine fixed the heads of Antichrist Therfore Rome is the seate of Antichrist By no meanes can yee giv mee the slippe ô ye Papists This argument must needs be as firme sure as ar the very mountaines of your Rome Yet what you ar able to obiect against it we wil discusse by by in confuting your devised Antichrist 10 And they are also seven Kings Such ar the permanent heads the transitorie which ar seven Kings doo follow Ther is a double application of this one type teaching that ther is an inseparable ioyning togither of the mountains and Kings From whence is ministred an other necessary proof of the seate of Antichrist thus The seate of seven Kings is the seate of Antichrist Rome the citie of 7. mountaines is the seate of 7. Kings for the heads are both mountaines Kings Therfore Rone is the seate of Antichrist But who ar these 7 Kings not so many singular persons as Victorinus would have it but soveraignties regimēts For if every several head should note out singular mē 5. of which wer fallē in Iohns time to wit Galba Otho Vitellius Vespasianus Titus Titus Domitianus the 6. ruled then Nerva the 7 was to be expected whom remaining alive but for a little space should succeede straighway Traianus the 8. togither also the 7. If I say the heads ar to be so counted it must needs follow that this Beast should have ceased in his last head Traiane that the world should not now feare that he should doo any mischiefe Vnles perhaps we think whē all his
the Apocalyps Moreover wher you make those 1290 dayes in Dan. 12. to be also of Antichrists reign besides that which we have shewed in the former chapter how it can no way be referred hereunto see how great a new contrariety you make in the account For neither dooth this number fall under the reckning of the time times and halfe a time seing it cānot be divided into three whole ones and a halfe neither agreeth it with Iohn who numbreth precisely 1260 dayes But say you this number is of the death of Henoch and Elias whom Antichrist shal survive one moneth Vnto this I say then Antichrist shal reign not onely three yeres and six moneths as Ireneus saith expressely in the end of his 5. book neither three yeres and a halfe onelie with an exclusive particle as Cyril speaketh Cateches 25. but a moneth over the number shal now be added and for 6. moneths ther shal be 7. Neither shal the halfe of a time prefigure six as Ierom saith on Dan. 7. but seven And thus while you goe about to make Daniel Iohn agree you set the Fathers against them both But let us leave these disagreers and draw the truth out of the true fountains I confesse that the number of 1290 dayes is not of Antichrists whole reign but is ended at the death of the two Prophets whose names I now stād not upon that Antichrist shal survive they two being slain but not one moneth onely as you falslie suppose but manie yeres the number wherof we have gathered elswhere which thing verilie is from hence manifested For the two Prophets are killed under the sixt trumpet chap. 11.8.14 and Antichr perisheth under the last which comprehendeth 7 other plagues caled vials under the last wherof he is quite abolished Shal therfore al the seven vials have their effects in those your 30. dayes So four daies shal be attributed for the execution of everie one for they are not powred out al togither and confusedly but the same order and course is kept doubtlesse in the executing that is kept in the declaring Wherfore to let passe the five first vials those unclean Spirits of the sixt which come out of the mouth of the Dragon of the Beast and of the false Prophet and goe forth unto the Kings of the whole earth to gather them togither unto battel shal they effect al this in the four daies next before the last We have heard of Antichrists incredible swiftnes going over the whole earth in so smal a space of his reign but greater shal be the speed of these his ministers who shal both survey the whole earth in foure daies and bring forth unto battell verie populous armies Verilie this expedition is most expedite or soon dispatched and such as onelie deserveth properly the name of an expedition Doo you not yet perceive how false absurd trifling and mere ignorance the things are which you babble about these matters When yow shal prove that the seven last plagues shal be al to be accomplished in 30. daies we wil assent unto you that Antichrist shal survive the two slain Prophets one moneth onelie as also that ther is an agreement of these numbers in Daniel and Iohn in the meane while we wil determine that these two have their divers intendements and doo not Prophesie of the same things by these numbers Thirdly I say although that whol indefinite space did consist with most exact agreement of those eyther moneths or daies yet are yow never the neerer for obteining your purpose For the question is whither those moneths or daies or yeres be to be taken properly or no not whither the account doo agree which may agree alike whither they be taken properlie or figurativelie seing there is the same proportiō in the type and the truth though neither the type be the truth nor the truth the type How therfore doo you prove that they are to be taken properlie By testimonie you say of the Fathers some of which you bring forth in the answer to Chytreus and the men of Maydenburgh I answer those ancient Fathers are to be pardonned that being ignorant of the event thought they should hold fast unto the letter but seing manie things are now made clear by the issue whosoever dooth abuse the patronage of their names to confirm himself in errour he shal procure on his own head just condemnation Therfore you must eyther bring forth some thing of greater weight or freely confesse that that reign of 3. yeres and a halfe hath no defense from these Scriptures Secondly you prove it by this that the time of the Divil loosed and of Antichrist should be verie short as Apoc. 12.12 Woe to the land and sea for the Divil is come down unto you having great wrath knowing that he hath but a little time I answer a little and indefinite time concludetht nothing at al for a certain and definite reign of 3. yeres and a halfe so that little help or none rather you get from this place Moreover that which you cal the time of the Divil loosed is the time of the Divil bound who so soone as he was cast out of heaven was cast into prison For everie place is to him lothsome like a prison without the assemblie of the Saincts among whom he most coveteth to converse for greater oportunitie to his wickednes wherupō the Lord saith that the unclean Spirit being cast out of a man walketh through dry places as in which ther is no pleasure for his minde Mat. 12.43 c. But these things we have made evident in explayning the Prophesie Seing therfore the Divils prisonment is for 1000 yeres here that time is spoken of wherunto you wil have Antichrists durance to be equal his reign shal be much longer by this place than you are willing to grant But say you how can so manie yeres be a little time I answer if the words be rightly interpreted here is no mention of durance but of opportunitie For wher you read knowing that he hath but a litle time it is properlie thus knowing that he hath litle opportunity So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properlie signifieth noting the qualitie of time not the quantitie wherby it is distinguished from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Ammonius sheweth And reason convinceth that so it is to be taken in this place If it should be understood durance the Divil should be angry for the thousand yeres of his prison in which he liveth by those words as we have said as being bound for a lesser space than he would Which how farr it is from his disposition his diligence night and day to destroy men dooth sufficiently shew The time therfore was longer than he desired but the opportunity litle leav being now given him onelie over his own whō he had rather spare and shew his crueltie on the elect Wherfore this place is nothing to the matter for many causes The second is Apoc. 20.3 he bound him for
living heads ar cut off he yet remaineth alive or they being cut off other as it were a new Hidra spring up of which yet Iohn made no mētiō But that we may not thinke that those 7. are taken figuratively where are the ten Kings that arose togither with Nerva It must needs be that these were togither with the seventh head in the twelft verse beneath or how when Nerva was dead seemed the Beast not to be especially seing before his death he had adopted Traiane or for what cause wer they rather reprobats that wōdred at Traiā then those former for such is the cōditiō of the seventh head that the followers of him are reprobates before in ver 8. Many things of this sort doo not suffer any peculiar men to be meant Hereunto is added the manner of speaking which is such that it bewrayeth that the Kings are so long the heads of the city as long as the mountains ar Otherwise for some short time perhaps the heads wer both the mountains Kings but to a farre longer time they neither were nor should be if there should be made a separation of the heads which the Spirit ioyneth togither the mountaines onely remaining after the other be dead Therfore the Kings howsoever they al wer not togither as the mountains yet shall obtaine as long continuing a name of heads as those But concerning the person the time shall yeeld a demonstration in the eleventh verse But if the Kings be Dominions of what sorte are they Ribera the Iesuite being privie to himselfe that the thing cannot be touched so lightly but that the soare wil be renewed therewith flyeth unto the seven ages of the world the first of which he maketh from Adam to Noe The second from Noe to Abraham The third to David The fourth to the transmigration into Babylon The fift to the comming of the Lord The sixt from thence to Antichrist The seventh from him even to the day of iudgement Which wit of his bringeth into my remembrance that of the Poe◠If the foolish Painter will conioine unto a mans head The neck of a horse so of birds feathers over spred c. For to see being let in freinds keepe your selves from laughing The Iesuite passeth the Painter who hath framed an head which may be applyed alike to all and every city of the whole world The Spirit would deliver a certaine marke wherby the Throne of the Beast might be known the Iesuite as the houpe faineth the griefe to be in an other place that he may withdrawe from the neast I know notwhither But understand Ribera that the seven mountaines belong to the city of Rome alone But that those seven Kings appertaine to the same city to which the mountaines For the heads are both mountaines and Kings and therefore that these Kings belong to Rome alone so doo we free thee from the great labour of seeking proving by a most certaine argument that he is found at Rome to finde whom thou hast compassed all landes in vaine But the time is spent to no profit in confuting thy toies which yet I could not passe over wholly but would admonish the Papists at least by this small labour that they should not suffer themselves to be deceived any longer by the trisles of the Iesuites The thing it selfe is thus These dominions are proper to that city whereunto belong the mountaines the seven regiments are those by which the citie hath ben no lesse famous then for her seven mountaines And Cornelius Tacitus in the beginning of his history nūbreth these regiments in this wise Kings held the City of Rome at the first L. Brutus instituted freedome the Consulshippe the Dictatourshippes were taken up for a time neither continued the power of the office of the Decemviri above two yeeres nor the Tribunes authority pertaining to Consuls was of force any long time c. The power of Pompey and Crassus went quickly to Cesar By which wordes he declareth plainely that sixe kindes of government had held at Rome from the building of the City even unto his time Kings Consulls Dictatours Decemviri Tribunes of the souldiers Emperours the seventh of Popes he knew not being taken away from the living before he could see it ¶ Five are fallen Kings Consuls Dictatours Decemviri Tribunes For those five kinds of ruling had ceased wholly and vanished away before Iohn his time ¶ One is the sixt kinde of governing by Emperours in whose power was the chiefe rule of things when Iohn lived ¶ And an other is not yet come The seventh King the Pope was not yet a Governour of Rome when the Apostle lived And not without cause hath he shunned the adjective of order for he saith not the seventh is not yet come but an other is not yet come by the same signifying that this seventh shal be very greatly unlike the former All these were Political Kings the seventh should be spiritual or of a mixt kinde unlike to every one before from whence it is manifest that the Christiā Emperours are not the sevēth King For they differred nothing in civill governement from the former onely they tooke unto them the Christian religion And in auncient times new religions were often added the forme of governement in the meane time nothing altered Furthermore the seventh King ought to governe in the same place where the seven mountaines are as hath bene declared in the former verse But the Christian Emperours never had the seate of their Empire at Rome But the whole use of the citie was the Popes from whom alone after the seventh King began her glorie did grow That member is not yet come teacheth that there was a very short time remaining to the cōming of the seventh King For so we are wonte to speake of things that will come not very long after Therefore foolish is Ribera the Iesuite who assigneth the sixt kind of governing after the comming of Christ even unto three yeeres and an halfe more or lesse before the last day and together with him all the Pastists who will not have Antichrist to be expected before that same very time as though the Angel saying is not yet come should speake of a man whom the world yet seeth not after a thousand five hundred yeeres ¶ And when he is come After the seventh Kingdome to weet of the Popes shal be begunne the Dragon being cast out of heaven and Constantine the Great being Emperour ¶ He must tary but a short time About an hundred yeeres after Constantine then to be overwhelmed for a time by the overflowing of the Goths and Vandals who so evil entreated Rome the tower of the new dominion that it might seem to hav perished utterly Gensericus bereaved it wholly of every dweller see Blond in his second book of his first Decad. And Totilas againe brought it to a wildernesse so as neither man nor woman was left in it as the same Blond writeth in his second book of his
first Decad. See chap. 13.3 11 And the Beast which was and is not That is and that seventh King the Pope which had come and was as touching the rising and originall of his power for the space of an hundred yeeres after Constantine And is not after that time utterly perished in mens opinion by the invasion of the Barbarians this Beast I say is the eight and one of those seven Wherby it is to be observed that the seventh King by himselfe alone doth obtaine the name of the whole and to be called that Beast whose description was in the eight verse by foure succeeding courses of times All which chaungins are proper to this one from wheÌ„ce now at lenght after the second mutation wherof he made mention in the former verse he addeth a double condition of him in the very words of the first description shewing in the same that these words and when he coÌ„meth he must continue a short space are all one with these the Beast which was and is not ¶ And he is the eight to wit King For here octavus the eight agreeth not in gender with Bestia the Beast The common translation translateth amisse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the eight Beast For there are not eight Beasts but eight Kings the seventh of which is this Beast The pronoune relative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee seemeth in this place to be a demonstrative as sometime also else where he is the eight King that is the eight King Also the whole antecedent member of the senteÌ„ce maketh the supposite of the verbe substaÌ„tive as though he should say The Beast which was and is not is both that eight Kinge and also is one of the seven This eight King is the same Pope after his dignity recovered from that maine overthrowe which the Barbarians did make when his wounded head wâ—â— câ—â—ed as in chap. 13.3 or when the Beast which is not did asceÌ„d from the bottomlesse pit as at the 8 verse of this chapter or when the second Beast arosâ— from the earth chap. 13.11 When Gregorie the second his next successours did appeare with two hornes Pipine and Charles the Great For we have shewed already before that all these things perteined to that third mutation But from whence then is this eight hath the Beast eight heads which even now were but seven In no wise but this eight is the same with the seventh of the same nature purpose soveraignty wherupon it is added and is one of those seven onely of a greater impiety blasphemy and sacrilege wherin he passeth the seventh The Popes in their beginning after Constantine were not so wicked as after Phocas But more lesse doo not distinguish the kinde Therfore the Pope revived is the eight most worthy of all to be pointed at with the finger and to be sayd that it is hee From which now the reason may be apparant why in chap. 13. one Antichrist is painted out by a double Beast to wit because he is the seventh King the eight ¶ And goeth into destruction To be destroyed utterly in his due time this last member is the fourth time of the Beast fetched from the general interpretation in ver 8. And so that which there is sayd was and is not and shall ascend out of of the bottomlesse pit and shall goe into destruction here is expressed in words some what divers so as to the first member these are answerable when he shall come to the second he must continue a short space to the third and he is the eight King and one of the seaventh the fourth is the same in both places Wherfore that which was spoken generally of the Beast wee may see perteineth to the speciall mutation of the seventh head Seing then this Beast is the seaventh King who should have the next place after him who bare rule in Iohn his time and the regiment of the Popes at Rome followed by and by that Heathen Empire by a second most sure demonstration wee have found out both Antichrist himselfe and also the time wherin he was borne Which that it may become the clearer may be proponded after this manner The seventh King succeeded next after the Heathen Emperours who made the sixt King reigning at that time when Iohn wrote ver 10. Five are fallen one that is the sixt is But Antichrist is the seventh King ver 10.11 Therfore Antichrist succeeded next the Heathen Emperours and seeing the Pope of Rome after the time of the Heathen Emperours is that seventh King as before we have manifested it followeth also necessarily that the Pope of Rome from the time of the Heathen EMPEROVRS is that chiefe Antichrist of whom the Scripture forewarne us so diligently and that the City of ROME from the same is the whore See now yee Iesuites from how necessary principles the argument proceedeth apply what engins you can to overthrow the same you shall doo more good then if you should bring ladders to conquer heaven But your things which you doo treate off concerning the time of Antichrist are divised are absurd and more foolish then any toyes as wee shall after declare 12 And the tenne hornes which thou sawest are ten Kings Thus farre touching the Heads Now followeth the Hornes which by their consent doo bring yet a more full light of time For by how much thinges are neerer togither they are so much the more clearer and the more perceived and observed Therfore to the end that that seventh head might become knoweÌ„ by more tokens and his first beginning more undoubted it is furnished with these hornes as it were with a certen pompe and company of servants by whose noise as it were we should be stirred up to regard his comming The Angel expoundeth these hornes to be tenne Kings which afterward are described of what sort they are both by their Kingdome in this verse and mind in verse 13. and the warre which they shall make verse 14. Their Kingdome is declared by a double or twofold time the first of it not yet received Who sayth he have not yet received a Kingdome The second of it received but they shall receive power at one houre with the Beast The first meeteth with a doubt wherby some body peradventure might thinke that these Kings reigned at the very same time in which Iohn wrote no saith he they reigne not yet but shall reigne shortly For otherwise the warning had bene superfluous if they should not come but about three yeeres and an halfe before the last day The second time exhibiteth yet a clearer knowledge of the thing by a certaine mutual bewaying which the hornes and the Beast doo one for an other They shall receive power as Kings at one houre with the Beast for so I translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the accusative case in which these words are taken some time for the space of time as these last have wrought but one houre Mat. 20.12 Also watch with me one houre