committed fornication with the whore Vntill the words of God that is his decree touching the rising of Antichrist revealed in the words of the Prophets and Apostles be fulfilled After the fullfilling whereof God put into their hearts to hate the Romish Strumpet that is detest Popish Idolatry embrace the Gospell of Christ forsake yea and oppose the Whore Why therefore should we wonder that so many great Emperours so many religious Kings of Germany France Spaine England c. have with such zeale defended Popish Idolatry the Romish Church and Antichrist the Pope almost these 800. years in defence of whose magnificence and glory they have made so great wars and shed so much Christian blood We hear that God did put it into their hearts that they should do so and not otherwise so that the Angell wills us to rise from the events and secondary means unto the secret yet just judgement of God Here againe we have cause greatly to admire that after so long fornication some of the Kings as of England Scotland Denmarke Sweethland Many powerfull Princes also of Germany Bohemia France Poland and Hungary having laid down their armes against the Lambe and embraced the heavenly Doctrine of salvation brought to light by the Two Witnesses in the ages of our predecessours do at this day hate the Romish Adultresse and make her naked We have cause I say to admire the Fact and extoll Gods judgement to Heaven Certainly the Kings did not repent either rashly or by their own understanding God put it into their hearts that they should repent of their whoredome hate the whore and make her desolate The LORD is to be intreated that he will put the same into the hearts of the rest of the KINGS that is to take knowledge shun and hate the Whore and to give their power no longer unto the Beast but unto the Lambe Some Textuall scruples do here offer themselves which I shall explain after I have opened what yet remains in the Text. 18 The woman which thou sawest is the City The Angell openeth the whole mysterie of the whore This woman is popish Rome see chap. 11.8 14.8 16.19 that we might not think the woman sitting upon the waters to be an Asian or Vtopian Nymph It is saith he that great City before he often calls it Babylon Now he sets it forth by a more remarkeable note Having dominion over the Kings of the Earth Now what is this Is it the whole multitude of ungodly men in the world as some of the fathers wanting the experience which we have now have thought Nay it is Rome yea Popish Rome For the Writers saith Ribera In cha 17 sec 20.22 who have otherwise interpreted it are forced by the truth it selfe to yeeld unto us that Rome is that whorish City to be destroyed and overthrowne Again The foregoing words God put it into their hearts belong to the desolation and burning of Rome for they shew the cause of so great desolation effected by them who rather were thought should have proved friends With this sense which is certainly true c. Thus we have the interpretation of one sworn Iesuite Let us hear another Lib. de P. R. cap. 2 Babylon saith BELLARMIN that great City standing on Seven Mountaines and having dominion over the Kings of the Earth is ROME Neither was there any other City which in Johns time had dominion over the Kings of the Earth then ROME and it is most notorious that ROME is built upon seven Mountaines Let us hear a third Vest pag. 817 This Verse saith ALCASAR causeth no small difficulty to them who expound it otherwise then of ANGIENT ROME But in our exposition nothing is more cleare What can we desire more The great City is Rome both because the same is built upon seven Mountaines As also because it onely in Iohns time had dominion over the Kings of the Earth But now perhaps it hath not yea but it hath For whatsoever it possesseth not by force Quicquid non possidet armis Relligione tenet it holds by Religion Wherefore the two latter Iesuites do in vain seek an evasion that not Popish but Heathenish Rome is this City for they are confuted by Ribera their own companion ingeniously confessing that Heathenish Rome long agoe burnt to ashes by the Gothes and Vandalls hath no place here but that it is Popish Rome that now is yet notwithstanding he saith that it is to be burnt before Antichrists comming which latter refutes the former It remains therefore that the whore sitting on the Beast is Papast Rome O Rome hearken to Clemanges De corrup Eccle statu Cap 26 What saith he dost thou thinke of thy Prophesie to wit of John in the Revelation Dost thou not beleeve that it belongs at least in some measure unto thee Thou hast not so lost shame and sense to deny these things Wherefore looke on it and read the damnation of the great whore sitting upon many Waters and there contemplate thy worthy actions and what shall befall thee Again therefore we gather this argument Babylon that Great City standing on seven Mountaines is the Seat of Antichrist Popish Rome is Babylon that Great City standing on seven hills Therefore Popish Rome is the Seat of Antichrist Furthermore He which ruleth in the Seat of Antichrist is Antichrist The Pope of Rome ruleth in Antichrists Seat Therefore the Pope of Rome is ANTICHRIST There remains three scruples to be discussed from ver 17. I. How God puts into the hearts of Kings that is worketh in the hearts of men without impeachment of their liberty II. Seeing God is said to put three things into the hearts of the Kings One in its owne nature good viz. The hatred of the Whore Two things in themselves evill viz. Their agreement with the Beast and fight with the Lambe Whither he puts this after the same manner into their hearts and whither it will not hence follow that hee is the Authour of sinne III. In granting which thing some maintaine that these Kings were not converted how then are they said in spoiling of the whore to doe the will of God seeing they were ignorant of it Neither spoiled they her so much out of affection to piety as of desire to the prey Now first how God workes in the hearts of men the liberty of their will remaining Of this Question both in the Hypothesis and in the Thesis the explication is the same being not a little difficult For if God workes in the hearts of men he seemeth to determinate or limit their wills to one thing Now if God limit the wil then man seems not to act freely seeing that is said to be free which is unlimited in respect of a thing Furthermore God seems to move and bend the wills of men according to his own will or pleasure But that which is moved and bent by anothers will seems not to act freely Now the Scripture on the
therefore we are bound to render due prayse to him because what he hath it is all for our good Glorie that is both the glorie of his Godhead as also the exaltation of his glorious reigning at the right hand of the father Dominion this respecteth both his omnipotencie which he hath from all eternitie as hee is God as also his authority over all creatures which he received in time as hee is the mediator For ever ever The Hebrewe ar golam sheweth the eternity of Christ for our consolation Amen a particle confirming so it shall be or so be it 5 Argument of Chr. deity from Aman to be faithful Furthermore here we have a fift and most manifest argument of Christs divinity For the effects attributed to Christ are divine For he is God Ioh 3 16. 20 28. Exod. 19 6. whose love is the fountaine the cause of our salvation it is God who hath purchased the Church with his owne blood It is God who hath made us kings and priests to himself for none but God can give the spirituall kingdom and Priesthood it is God to whom glory and dominion is dew now all those things being of right attributed unto Christ it plainly sheweth that he is God Vers 7 Behold he commeth with clouds and every eye shall see him This confirmeth the former argument that these things are certainly spoken of Christ seeing it is hee which must come to judgement it is hee whom every eye shall see to come in the clouds of heaven with power and majestie it is hee whom the soldiers pierced and at whose comming all the kinreds of the earth shal waile and the wicked shall cry saying to the mountains fall on us to the hills cover us Luk. 23 30. Isay 2 19. Hence it is apparent that John evē here attributes glory dominion unto Christ for the words to him be glory and dominion behold hee commeth doe manifestly accord But some may say why is there here a promise of his comming not onely to strengthen our faith touching his glorious returning to judgement but chiefly for the comfort of the godly and terrour of the wicked For now Christ being bodily absent seemeth as it were to have forsaken the Church in her affliction but our redeemer will come in the cloudes now the wicked rejoyce tyrants tyrannise and Antichrist rageth against the Godly as if they were left orphants But they shall see the judge comming gloriously in the cloudes him I say whom they have injuriously condemned pierced and still daily doe afflict in his poore members yea and shall bitterly howl when they shall hear that sentence pronounced Matth. 25 41. go ye cursed into everlasting fire c. This seemeth to bee the true meaning of the place the opinion therefore of Alcasar is absurd who refers this to the comming of Christ for to make the Church victorious in the conversion both of Jewes and Gentiles for that which followeth is contrary to his exposition With cloudes This is more then in the cloudes which is spoken of us for wee at the comming of Christ shall be caught up in the cloudes to meete the Lord in the ayre 1 Thess 4 17. And it noteth the divine majesty of Christ for it is spoken of Iehova God Psal 97 2 Cloudes and darknesse are round about him This confuteth the ubiquity of Christs bodily presence for he shall descend from heaven in the cloudes and with the cloudes therefore his humane nature is not nor ever shal be every where For how then could he possible come with cloudes which are not every where hence it is when we celebrate the Lords supper 1 Corinth 11 26. wee are commanded to shew forth his death till hee come So then hee will come visibly with the cloudes the which is a strong reason to prove that his body is not the mean time invisibly hid in under or about their host altar or chalice Every eye shal se him Synecdoche part being put for the whole that is all men both good Bad yea the very soldiers enemies which pierced him on the Crosse shal see him which serves to terrify all ungodly scoffers who because they see him not here on earth with their bodily eyes thinke not that he reigneth gloriously in the heavens But to their wo and condemnation they shal see him comming for they shal wayle before him that is horror and trembling shal come on them at the sight of the judge and hearing the sentence of their just damnation This is taken out of the prophecie of Zacharie 12.10 where Jehovah speaking of himself saith they shal looke upon mee whom they have pierced they shal mourne for him in that day there shal be a great mourning in Ierusalem A repenting mourning in the elect but in the reprobate of final desperation This very text John the Euangelist alledged upon the crucifying piercing of Christ by the soldiers Ioh. 19 37 hence we gather two things First that Iohn the Euangelist was the penman of this booke For hee alone here and in his Gospel applieth that place in Zacharie unto Christ The second is concerning the deity of Christ for that which Iehova in Zacharie speaketh of himself 6 Argument of Chr. divin they shal se me whom they have pierced Iohn attributes it to Iehova Christ pierced on the crosse who is neither the father nor the holy Ghost Therfore the son Iesus Christ crucified and pierced in the flesh is Iehovah And this is the sixt argument of the deity of Christ Even so Amen The two particles doe strongly confirm the comming of Christ to judgement to the end that the godly now in afflictions and troubles may no way doubt of their future deliverance neither the wicked thinke to goe unpunished who scoff at our faith and confidence The word nae even so with the Greekes and Latins is an asseveration Amen with the Hebrewes is a certain affirmation which two words usuallie put together exclude al maner of doubting as if he had said this is determined cōfirmed can not bee altered They are too curious who in the words seeke for a mystery viz. the calling of al natiōs unto Christ Vers 8. I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending Here some interpreters beginne the vision whereas the preface here endeth For the person of whom he before sayd that he should come in the cloudes he presents here before our eyes as present and crying from heaven for the comfort of the Godly and terror of his enemies as if he should say doe yee doubt behold I am present I who am Alpha Omega the beginning the ending the Almighty c. who therefore shal hinder my comming to judgement or call it into question Thus in the Gospel he cryed out to the gainsaying Iewes Ioh. 8 2. I am the light of the world c. Ribera supposeth that these are the words of the holy
kings that we read of to be persecuted or to shun these tyrants Besides the following words hide us and fall upon us are not expressions of the godly groaning under the crosse but of the wicked dispairing for feare of wrath as the cause annexed shewes for the great day of his wrath is come which cannot be possiblie understood of the day of the Diocletian persecution Others therefore have thought that these things appertaine to the last times and the punishments of persecutours So Andreas The kings saith hee and all the princes rich men c. shall rather desire to be hid in mountaines rocks and caves then to feele the wrath and scourges of the Lambe which at Antichrisis comming shall overwhelme those miserable men Or certainely they shall thus greatly quake for feare of the judgements prepared for them after the resurrection of the flesh which never shall have an end Therefore this fourth Act of the vision concerning the final punishment of reprobates is briefly annexed to the matter going before and answereth successively to the third Act howbeit neyther this nor the third is yet fullie ended in this Chapter as before we noted For as the third Act hath two parts the first setting forth Antichrists tyranny over the Christian world in the three former verses the other his restraint and the sealing of the elect afterward described in Chap. 7. So likewise the fourth Act consists of two parts both full of joy and consolation to the Church the first whereof describeth the final and universal destruction of the wicked in the three last verses of Chap. 6. The second sets forth the happy condition which the saintes shall enjoy with the Lambe in heaven from v. 9. of Chap. 7. unto the end thereof Now we come to handle the punishment of the wicked the which here is but briefly touched but afterward more largely set forth in the following visions The generall doctrine is this that however the wicked for a while oppresse and afflict the Church yet they shall one day finallie perish their rage cruelty in seeking to destroy the godly shall turn to their utter overthrow ruin for ordinarily injury goes before destruction Now the reason hereof is because God is just will not suffer their crueltie to goe unpunished And also he is omnipotent and able easily to cast downe the kings of the earth which have risen up against him to bee short he is faithfull and true to performe the promised deliverance and glorie unto the saintes Now here is described 1. The condition of the adversaries 2. their trembling and despaire and thirdly the cause thereof And the kings And here is not so much copulative as continuative or adversative for then the kings or but the kings c. For it signifies the effect of this great Antichristian earthquake we have not in this place neyther Antichrist nor his false prophets and parasites by whose fraud he was advanced here named not as if they should go unpunished but because their destruction is purposely more manifestly described in the following history and especially in the fift and sixt visions by many fearfull expressions These here are named kings great men rich men tribunes and mightie men and all bondmen and freemen that is both high low all of the laicks as they call them of what degree soever who have been instruments eyther by their authority or wealth to advance Antichrist to that hight of tyrannie and cruelty or who for the establishing of his power have drawen the sword or been helpfull in making or kindling of the fires wherin the martyrs were burnt But this also is to be extended more largely unto al the enemies of the Church even from the beginning of the world Who these kings and great men are viz. as well such as persecuted the godlie under the law as Nimrod Pharaoh Saul Ahab Nebuchad-nezar Antiochus c. as those under the Gospel viz. Herod Nero Domitian Trajan Severus Decius Diocletian Julian Valens and whosoever else have bent their bow against Christ and insulted over his truth or at this day doe seek to uphold Antichrist But in the end an unhappy and lamentable destruction shall come upon them Before we come to treat of this great catastrophe I againe desire the reader not to thinke it strange that we expounded the mountains Ilands spoken of in v. 14. to be kings and nations though it seems that they are here onely expreslie named For before they were more obscurelie and restrainedly set forth by the names of mountaines Iland moved out of their place by Antichrist that is by him seduced shaken and subjugated but here in generall is prefigured the overthrow of all enemies eyther under or before Antichrists time This also by the way we may take notice of that Andreas understands by kings of the earth them whose power and studie onelie is in and about earthlie things as having nothing to doe with Christ heaven Chief captaines Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying captaines over thousands such as among the Romans had the chief charge over souldiers for in a Romane Legion which consisted of seven thousand and somtimes more there were ten bandes of souldiers whereof the first bande was the greater having 1105 footmen and 132 men of armes and properlie such as had charge over this bande were called chiliarchi collonels or chiefe captaines Vegetius lib. 2. de re milit cap. 2. 6. Every bondman and every freeman that is all other enemies of inferiour ranks who were strong to shead the blood of the saintes and to persecute blaspheme the Gospell now fearfull indeed shall be the end of every one of them as it followeth And hid themselves in the dens Wee read that the godlie in times of persecution often fled into mountaines woodes and deserts hidings themselves there for fear of tyrants as the historie of the Machabees and others witnesse But here not the godly under persecution but the persecutors themselves are spoken of as is plainly to be gathered by what followeth they hid themselves in dens that is they now shall doe that themselves which formerly they constrained the saintes to doe it signifies their extreem fear and perplexity as not knowing where to turn themselves for to finde any succour Now their kingdoms palaces fortresses and munitions of warre now their armies legions militarie bandes c. cannot helpe them but in vain doe they fly unto dens rocks which shall not be open to receive and hide them And therefore they shall despairinglie cry Ah fall on us and hide us The voyce of men without hope of mercy and salvation and wishing that which no wise man would desire to wit to be crushed under the mountaines and miserablie brought to nothing This is a proverbial description of the wicked despairing by which is intimated that such shall be the horrible appearance of things as that they shall an hundred times rather desire any cruel
Antichrist he having I say seen Mahumet in the East and the Romish Bishops in the West oppressing the Church by fire and sword and imposing their decrees and idols upon all depraving Christian religion by their manifold traditions heathenish and Iewish superstitions in so much as unto the Churches of the West was left almost nothing but the bare name of Christ Now least Iohn seeing these things should thus have thought with himself what shall Christ be thus opprest and kept under by Antichrist shall there bee no more a Church no more sincere preaching no more faithfull valiant teachers to oppose Antichrist shall indeed the elect also be drawen away into errours of whom Christ saith that it is impossible they should be seduced Now hence it is that this present sight of the blowing windes and of the four Angels labouring in vain to hinder their operation is exhibited unto him shewing how the godlie should continually oppose Antichrist and be sealed in their foreheads signifying their safety and preservation unto the end Alcasar presupposeth howbeit not truly that these things appertaine unto the seventh seale but it is repugnant unto the very text in Chap. 8.1 and though it did yet would it no way help the consequence which thence he draweth Four Angels standing Now concerning these Angels let us see who they are Who are these four Angels what they did and the cause thereof By these Angels I understand Satan his Angels by whose powerfull working Antichrist invaded Christs kingdom and established his owne with all deceit of unrighteousnesse and withall I understand all Antichrists agents both ecclesiasticall and secular as Kings and Emperours who to uphold his kingdom have laboured by fire sword to suppresse the preaching of the Gospel so likewise Cardinals Bishops Monkes Canonists Inquisitors Jesuites who deceiving the world under an angelicall shew of holinesse have stronglie advanced his kingdome these are four a definite number beeing put for an indefinite as alluding to the foure corners of the earth on which they stand that is have their Bishopricks Lordships Colledges and Fraternities there fixed Now by four corners the whole earth is meant and here it noteth that no place shall be free from the mischievous devises of these wicked Angels Others again interpret these Angels standing on the four corners of the earth after this manner The Mahumetans in the East who suppressed the doctrine of Christ for however they seem to permit the European Christians the freedom of their religion yet the same is don deceitfully as thereby the easier to draw the rest of the Christian world under their power and so if they could altogether to blot out the very name of Christianity The South they understand to be the verie seat of the Romane Antichrist The North is possessed by the Popes sworn vassals And the West by the Spaniard his first begotten son and the most Christian French king as they stile him all which have hithertoo mightily hindered the windes from blowing upon the earth sea trees But we may as fitlie applie this to the Popes spirituall Angels standing upon the four corners of the earth seeing he hath every where his Legates a Latere his creatures I say to maintain his Antichristian primacie and to hinder the blowing of the windes by their fraudulent devises preachings writings disputations miracles all manner of working by deceit and unrighteousnesse The reason why Ribera contendeth that not evill Angels but the good Riberas opinion weighed are here intended is to free Antichrists ministers from suspicion But most Popish writers doe hold the contrarie Mart. Delrius libr. 2. mag disquis quaesi 11. thinkes them to be very hurtfull pernicious devils Alcasar would faine refute him but his tongue will not let him therefore he leaves it undecided whether they bee good or evil at last he faineth a dream of four Aeoluses brideling the windes with bonds and imprisonment Now is not this a worthie exposition of this mysterie But Ribera wil maintain his opinion with arguments The devils saith he are not in corners of the world but in the midst of the great men of the earth in provinces and cities and to be short wheresoever they bee they hinder the preachers of Gods word As if Iohn understood not this same thing by the four corners of the earth He therefore too childishlie restraines these corners of the earth unto the utmost places or mathematicall centers thereof forasmuch as by a synecdoche the whole world is here signified But he further objecteth that God is wont to punish the world not onely by evill Angels but also by the good Angels as we see Gen 19. and 2 Sam. 14. 2 King 19. Isai 37. c. which Austin also confirmeth lib. 9. de Civ D. c. 5. but it sufficeth that for the most part it is don by the evill Neither is there any weight in this that the other Angel as joyning himself with them saith VNTIL WE HAVE SEALED THE SERVANTS OF OVR GOD for he makes not the Angels which were readie to hurt the earth c. companions with him in sealing but closelie he pointes out the good Angels which were present with him Holding the foure windes that they should not blow Now he shewes what the Angels did in which we are to consider what the four blowing windes are and what is meant by the earth sea and trees and how they held the windes from blowing on the earth Ribera understands it properlie of the four cheife windes The litteral exposition of Ribera cannot hold described in these known verses Asper ab axe ruit Boreas furit Eurus ab ortu Auster amat medium solem Zephyrusque cadentem These windes the foure Angels indeavoured to hinder from blowing upon the earth c. that is they desired to destroy all things both in the sea and in the land as also the fruits of the trees For if the windes should altogether cease from blowing all things of necessity would soon come to decay forasmuch as all living creatures by them are cherished preserved Therfore he supposeth that hereby is signified the outward calamities falling upon the persecutours of the saintes his reason is because the literal sence is to be followed except a plaine reason doth necessitate the contrary Now indeed this is true notwithstanding if we should always expound the visions of this booke litterally much absurdity would follow thereupon besides the following words doe yeeld us a manifest ground that the letter here is not to be observed for the elect are said to be sealed thereby to be freed from hurt Now we know that the godly are not free from outward calamities as pestilence famine wherby the earth sea trees are hurt therfore it doth necessarily follow that we must understand it of an immunity of another kinde of hurt Andreas understands hereby the dissolution of lawfull order the most certaine event of the evils
wealth then to performe holy duties An instance for this we have in Hungarie for by the means of these Locusts she lost her two kings Vladislaus Ludovick together with the two lamentable overthrowes discomfitures by the Turks at Varna Mocha And crownes on their heads Ribera but ungroundedly understands hereby the crowned helmets of Kings and Princes which should make up the army hee dreameth of But Helmets will not well suit with the haire here mentioned v. 8. Besides it is manifest that the Locusts are described by a threefold ornament of their head viz. their golden crownes humane face comely haire the which three things may most fittly be applied to the Poopish clergy for their heads beeing hallowed they curiously shaue and cut their haire round crownâ— wise as it is called in which they say they are like unto kings because they may as kings command the consciences of the laity and impose lawes upon them The King of the Locusts weares on his head a triple crowne of most fine and bright gold as governour both of heaven earth and hell The Cardinals weare mitres glittering with precious stones which first was set on the head of Pope Sylvester by Constantine the Emperour if it may be credited The Bishops and Abbats also have precious ornaments wrought with gold and silk so that we need not much scruple what is meant by these crownes Faces of men They are men but they alter their shape by profession habit separating themselves from men however they retaine humane faces least men should abhorre and avoyd them This signifies the fained humanity of these spirituall Locusts none seems more affable then they They know how to flatter the Pope himselfe Kings Princes Courtiers c. insinuating themselves bejond measyre into the favour of all both men woemen beeing very acceptable to the world esteemed as peaceable wise sober and godly persons whereas indeed they are carnal and plotters of mischief Many of them also are learned eloquent and wonderfull crafty by which they gaine authority both to themselves to their followers 8. Haire as the haire of woman This is the third ornament of their head which serues to take away Riberas literall exposition of a real military army Synnecdoche Women doe much delight to cheerish coulor and soften their haire so these Locusts are tender and effiminate they curiously shave and compose their haire moreover in their clothing are delicate tender and gorgeous wearing long robes silken embroidered garments Now it s a question if Austin alluded not to this place De opere Mon. cap. 31.32 upbraiding the Monkâ—â— of his time for their ricit effeminate nourishing of their haire calling them hairie bretheren who carrie about their hypocrisie to sale fearing least a shaven holinesse should be lesse esteemed then a hairie And their teeth were as the teeth of Lyons He alludes to the Locusts in Joel 1.6 Lyons are rayenous terrible So these under a humane face hide theyr Lyons teeth by which they snatch all things empty the common treasures devoure widowes houses lay wast orphans fieldes all under pretence of religion towards the godly falling into their hands they are cruel merciles witnesse the Spanish Inquisition other histories They make use also of their Lyons teeth in their letters disputations cruelly tearing or blaspheming the truth teachers thereof least they should seem to bee overcome 9. And they had breast plaets Iron shieldes breast-plates keep off blowes from the hart noting that it is not easie to hurt these Locusts having diverse breast-plates As first their priestly rites priviledges by which they are exempted from all civill power insomuch that they may not be attached by the magistrat for criminal causes This breast-plate Henry IV. Frederick I. sought to break in peeces but for this very thing they were cruelly persecuted by Apollyon the king of Locusts Not long agoe the Venetians also unable to beare the insolencies horrible wickednesse of the Locusts would not suffer them in their territories but it s to be feared they shall not escape the curse of their Abaddon for it Secondly they have for their breastplate kings princes other powerfull patrones favourites vassals of the Pope by whose weapons they are sheltered defended that none without eminent danger can doe them any hurt Thirdly the orders societies of Monks spiritual fraternities are so closely linked together that they can hardly be broken For as a brest-plate made closely knit together of many little rings cannot be pierced thorow by the edge of the sword so these Locusts by a brotherhood are so linked in one by oathes vowes as none can hurt them but they on the contrary may easily hurt whomsoever they please The sound of their wings was as the sound of charets Locusts have little wings yet by beating them together make a great noyse so these by their secret wings make a dreadfull sound Their wings are their priviledges by which they have lift up themselves above the condition of al other men growne to that hight of impudency as to despise government speake evill of dignities are a terrour to Kings Emperours Out of these wings proceeds the terrible hishing of their sermons disputations and seditious writings sparing no man of what state or qualitie soever but keeping them under with feare of excommunications And as Chariots strongly compassing an army about cannot easily be broken so these by the sound of their priviledges preserve their Cloisters They runne also to warre and whosoever subjects fals not downe before them they bitterly curse and anathematize 10. And they had tailes like to scorpions This whole verse is explained by vers 3. 1. where it is shewed what is the power of scorpions and how far the same was given unto the Locusts viz. not to hurt all but such onely as were not sealed in their foreheads nor to kill but to torment them with the torment of scorpions neyther perpetually but for five monthes All which both what it is and how it hath been don by them I have there shewed The summe is this in their faces they seem frindlie like men Their tailes are hurtfull like scorpions Hony is in their mouth but gall in their hart such as they intoxicate with their doctrins they mortally wound like unto them that are stung with the scorpions taile In word countenance and gesture they promise salvation but whom they strike they draw with them thorow purgatorie into destruction Anonymus saith well that Officials Commissaries Deacons Registers Chancelours Apparitours are the Pralates tailes who like venemous serpents by their wicked life and doctrines however they pretend purity poison both clergie and people 11. And they had a king over them The monarchical politie of the Locusts now followeth In Prover 30.27 it is said that the Locusts have no king But these have one For they are unlike
wicked common-wealth of old Rome Now the truth is nothing can be more vainely spoken And I wonder that the Iesuite when he wrote these things had not considered that he himselfe lived in Spaine where the ancient Moores formerly inhabited IV. He addes from Chap. 16.19 That Great Babylon came in remembrance before God 18.5 Babylons sins have reached unto heaven and God hath remembred her iniquities Therefore saith he towards the end of the world her old sins which hitherto for religion sake seemed to be forgotten shall againe be remembred and punished because of the new and like transgressions added to the former But first not onely things done long agoe are said to come in remembrance before God but also such things as are newly done by an Anthropopatheia for so in Act. 10. The prayers and almes of Cornelius which he daily performed are said to come up for a memoriall before God Secondly albeit his glosse were granted yet there were no need that new Rome should be punished for the sinnes of the old for as much as Popish Rome for these thousand years and more hath abounded in all manner of villanies for which the Lord most justly may take vengeance on her Lastly he flees unto the Oracles of the Sybills But they speak nothing touching the Popes ejection or apostacy of the Romanes from the faith of Christ unto Heathenisme but only touching the destruction of Rome therein agreeing with the prophesie of this booke By all which things it appeareth that whatsoever the Iesuite alledgeth for the upholding of the credit of the Pope it is nothing but a frivolous dotage of a dreaming writer The summe of the place is this That Babylon here threatned with destruction is Rome not of the Pagans which ceased in Constantines time Nor new heathenish Rome the which as the Iesuite feineth shall thrust out the Pope But Popish Rome which a long while hath boasted her selfe to be the Mother of Churches and from whose breasts all the nations and kings of the earth have sucked their errours superstition and idolatry Thus our insoluble argument is no way weakned by the Iesuite but stands firme against the Romish Antichrist But now when we speak of Rome we understand not simply the walled city or palaces towers and stately walkes thereof but chiefly the Pope himselfe with his whole kingdom and power over the Westerne Churches of which afterward in Chap. 17.18 Now why is Rome named Babylon Why Rome is called Babylon lib. 2. cap. 3. hist The cause may be the likenesse that is between them of which OROSIUS Behold saith he the rising of Babylon and Rome is alike their power is alike their greatnesse times good things and also evill But I rather thinke the reason is their likenesse in tyrannny and destruction The old Babylon afflicted the ancient Church Rome the new Babylon hath oppressed the new Church The Old is fallen The New shall fall Babylon is fallen is fallen The doubling of the threatning denotes the certainty and hastning of the destruction Therefore also it is said in the preterperfect tense hath that is is fallen because it shall certainely and suddenly fall like as we say of a dying man that he is dead or the like Neither did the Angell prophesie vainely For even during the preaching of this Angell while Luther I say yet taught a great part of Babylon fell both in Saxony Germany and other neighbouring Countries But touching the destruction of Babylon it followes in Chap. 18. Alcasar againe by his consequence is forced to make blacke white applying the ruine of Babylon to the conversion of heathenish Rome to the faith of Christ making the sence of the words Babylon is fallen is fallen that is is converted to Christ Now who ever heard so great an absurdity The whole context and consent of all interpreters evinceth that the ruine of Babylon signifies not mercy but punishment And therefore so impudent a depravation of holy Scripture is to be rebuked Because she made all nations drinke This reason evidently refutes Alcasars absurdity The cause of Babylons destruction shall be her fornication by which she hath most foully defiled her selfe with the Kings and Inhabitants of the earth for she is the Mother of all whoredomes This fornication as before was shewed is idolatry by a propheticall and metaphorical phrase for idolaters like harlots do by spirituall uncleannes perfidiously violate their faith to God prostrate themselves before their Idols and run headlong into utter destruction as we have largely expounded in our Commentary on Hosea Chap. 1.2 Of the wine of her fornication For the Pope obtrudes his idols on all nations who therefore are said to drinke of the wine of his wrath because idolatry through the corruptnesse of mans nature is more pleasing to all then the true worship of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a figure when with a little change of a word the sence is wholly altered In the Greeke is an elegant * parenomasia in the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For as Antichrist gave all to drinke of the wine of his fornication so shall all drinke of the wine of Gods wrath because they suffered themselves universally to be drawne aside to the worship of Idols by the pretended authority of the Catholick Church Idolatry is compared to wine because by its sweetnesse and outward lustre it is pleasing unto the flesh and much desired Also from the effect for it makes idolaters madde furious and blinde like as wine takes away the sence of a drunkard The wine of wrath so named from the effect because it stirres up Gods wrath and drawes downe his judgements As also from the efficient cause because God in his anger doth justly inflict blindnesse on the worshippers of Antichrist according to that of Paul 2 Thes 2.11 For this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should beleeve a lie that they might be damned who received not the truth It might seem the words here should thus be read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the wine of her fornication as in Chap. 17.2 The inhabitants of the earth are said to have been made drunke with the wine of her fornication c. because the wine of fornication is opposed to the wine of Gods wrath vers 10. The same shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God But all copies have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the wine of the wrath c. Not here onely but also in Chap. 16.19 18.23 The use of this preaching The use of this Angels preaching doth plainely respect both the godly and the wicked The godly are exhorted to the duty before published by the former Angell To feare God and not the Beast To give glory to God not to Antichrist And lastly to worship God the Creator of heaven and earth not the Beast or his Image Also in Chap. 18.4 he admonisheth all such as desire to be free of Babylons
This is my opinion touching the smoake untill I understand that something more agreeable is alleadged CHAPTER XVI The Argument Parts and Analysis The Preparation of the Vision we heard viz Seven Angells stand in the Theatre of Heaven with seven Vialls full of the wrath of God ready to poure out the same Now followeth the vision or the pouring of them out with the events namely horrible plagues and the effects thereof for the Angells having received commandement in order poure out the Vialls upon divers elements and places whence followes the joy of the godly the misery of the Antichristian adversaries and at last their rage and destruction THe Parts of the Chapter are two The former containes the commandement of God verse 1. The second the execution in the rest of the Chapter distinct in their pourings out according to the number of the Angells and seven Vialls The first on the earth with the effects thereof A noisome sore fell on the worshippers of the beast verse 2. The second on the Sea with its twofold effect The corrupting of the Sea and death of all living creatures in it verse 3. The third on the Rivers the effect whereof is first internall the waters are turned into blood ver 4. secondly externall a twofold gratulation 1. of the Angell of the waters praysing the righteousnesse of God ve 5. in rendring like for like ve 6.2 Of a voyce out of the Altar assenting to the former ver 7. The fourth on the sun the effect whereof is threefold 1. The scorching of men ver 89.2 Their blasphemies 3. Their impenitency ibid. The fift on the throne of the beast the internall effect whereof is the darkning of the Antichristian Kingdome ver 10. and a twofold externall effect 1. blasphemies against God and the moving cause viz. their paines and sores 2. Their obstinacie in sin ver 11. The sixt on Euphrates the internall effect whereof is the drying up of the waters thereof and the end of it to prepare the way for the Kings of the East The externall three unclean spirits who are described 1. by their originall out of the mouth of the Dragon the Beast and the false Prophet ver 13. 2. By their figure or shape they are like to frogs ibid. 3. by their disposition it is divelish ver 14. 4. By their cunning and impostures working miracles ibid. 5. By their function or office to raise up warre against God ibid. here an exhortation to the Saints is inserted in these troubles to be watchfull ver 15. 6. By the execution of their charge the gathering of the enemies into Harmageddon ver 16. The seventh on the aire the event whereof is the last judgement or consummation of all things This is proclaimed 1. By voyce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is done ver 17. 2. It is figured in foure types 1. By horrible tempests verse 18. 2. By the division of Babylon and the ruine of the cities of the Nations And the efficient cause hereof Gods remembrance of Babylon ver 19. 3. The flight of the Islands and Mountaines ver 20. 4. Haile of a talent weight fals on the wicked the effects whereof are blasphemies against God v. 21. Thus we have the Argument and Order of the Chapter to the understanding whereof it seemes requisite in a generall way to premise a few things 1. Of the scope and of the seven Vialls whether they be the same with the seven Seales and seven Trumpets 2. Of the seven Angells pouring out the same 3. Of the last Plagues following thereupon I. Of the Scope and Vse of the Plagues and of the seven Vialls whether they be the same with the seven Seales and seven Trumpets COnsidering that I spake in the Preface of the Scope of the Vision I will now onely adde that the consideration of the Order makes very much for the comfort of the godly and terrour of the adversaries In the former Vision indeed are contained the plagues by which the beast with his associates afflicted the Saints In the third Vision the beast fought against and killed the two witnesses contumeliously abused their Carkasses and the inhabiters of the earth triumphed over them being slaine In the fourth Vision the Dragon persecuted the woman and made war with the remnant of her seed The beast also molested the Saints by Warre and overcame them to the great applause of his worshippers and to them onely it was permitted to buy and sell such as refused to worship the beast were slain Thus the tyranny of the beast stood in its vigour and his kingdom flourished and was greatly admired at Here on the contrary we shall heare of the Plagues by which the beast and his followers shall be tormented Now in the end indeed of the foregoing vision Babylon and the worshippers of the beast were vexed by the preaching of the Angells But in this Vision the Saints begin to sing in triumph over the beast and the Angells are joyned to them pouring out seven Vials c. Touching these it may be demaunded whether they agree with the seven Seales and seven Trumpets It is answered although there be some likenesse of effects in the six Trumpets and six latter Vialls yet the seven Vials do not altogether answer to the seven Seales and seven Trumpets The reason is plaine by verse 2. both of this and the foregoing Chapter from the time because the vialls begin to be poured out on the marked ones of the beast Chap. 16.2 long after the beasts rising even when he was already in part overcome Chap. 15.2 But the originall of the beast is first treated of in the sixt Seale and fift Trumpet as we noted on ver 1. of Chap. 13. The pouring out therefore of the vialls followed after the opening of five Seales and the sounding of foure Trumpets the sixt Seale and fift trumpet being almost ended and the fourth period of the Christian Church begun which as we noted on Chap. 15.1 tooke its beginning from the measuring of the Temple or Reformation of Evangelicall Doctrine in the West and is to endure unto the end II Of the seven Angells pouring out the Vialls Who they are and what the pouring out of the Vialls is THese seven Angells are thought by most to be such preachers whom Christ in the last times will raise up against Antichrist and according to their threatning inflict these plagues on Antichristians If so then these Angells of the fift Vision should analogically answer to the two witnesses of the third Vision and to the three angels of the fourth Vision because all these are publishers of the Gospell against Antichriste unlesse perhaps they so differ in time as what at first was done by two that is a few afterwards was done by three that is more and at last by seven that is very many were raised up to oppose Popery If we take this sense then the golden Vialls given to the Angels should be that golden and eternall gospell which
it selfe ver 3.4.5 III. The interpretation of the Vision in the rest of the Chapter In the first Iohn is invited by the Angell to contemplate a new Vision ver 1. The Argument thereof being the judgement or condemnation of the great whore ibid. Whose person is described generally by two adjuncts 1. Of her seat or throne upon many waters 2. Of her abominable fornication as the cause of her condemnation v. 2. with whom the kings have committed fornication c. In the second is noted 1. The place of the Vision in the wildernesse 2. The Vision it selfe A woman sitting on a beast ibid. 3. The monstrous shape of the beast ibid. 4. The attire of the whorish woman ver 4. The name on her forehead ver 5. and her cruelty ver 6. In the third is shewed a twofold occasion of the interpretation Iohns great admiration ver 6. and the readinesse of the Angell to interpret ver 7. The interpretation followeth 1. Of the Beast ver 8.9.10.11.12.13.14 2. Of the woman ver 15. unto the end The beast is unfolded first in the whole secondly according to his parts Of the whole Beast is shewed 1. The fourefold state also his authority among the inhabitants of the earth ver 8. to which is annexed an exclamation stirring up to attention ver 9. The parts of the beast are unfolded 1. The seven heads that they are so many mountainâ—s and so many kings ver 9.10.11 2. The ten hornes that they also are so many kings ver 12. 3. The conspiracy of the kings with the Beast against the Lambe ver 13. 4. The fight of the kings with the Lambe ver 14. To 〈◊〉 the woman here is shewed 1. her seat on many waters ver 15.2 her 〈◊〉 desertion and burning ver 16. The secondarie causes whereof shall be the hornes of the beast ibid. The first and chiefe the divine motion ver 17. 3. The surname of the woman the great city reigning over the kings of the earth c. that is Rome ver 18. CHAPTER XVII The first Part of the Chapter The Preface of the VISION 1 And there came one of the seven Angels which had the seven vials and talked with me saying Come hither I will shew unto â—ee the judgement of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters 2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication and the inhabiters of the earth have bin made drunke with the wine of her Fornication THE COMMENTARY AND there came one of the seven Angells The occasion of the Vision is the invitation of the Angell unto a new Vision Now whether this Angell were the first of the seven by an hebraisme it matters not Brightman takes him to be the fift who poured out the Viall on the throne of the Beast But it may be as well any one of the other for every of them did poure out the last plagues on the beasts kingdom Notwithstanding it seems to be the seventh or last who with his Viall raised an earthquake whereby Babylon was destroyed for this shal be the judgement of the great whore to which Iohn is now invited to behold the same he had heard indeed by the preaching of the second Angell in Vision fift chap 14 8 the fall of Babylon and even now in the earthquake he saw the division or rent thereof chap 16.19 but the Type was something obscure here therefore in a more evident vision the tragical judgement of Babylon is manifested to him Come hither I will shew unto thee The sense is not I will reveal or expound unto thee in words but I will bring thee to the very beholding of the thing it selfe as if he should say I will no longer describe Antichrist in words but will now set him forth plainely before thy eyes Now as this was a Vision so it was a mentall transportation as appeares verse 3. The scope or drift was that Iohn should wrire these tragicall apparitions to the terrour of Babylon and comfort of the godlie The friendly manner of speaking Come hither and the whole matter teacheth us what the Apostle speaketh Heb. 1.14 that the Angells as ministring Spirits are with alacrity imployed about these things which serve for our consolation and salvation not to the end that we should worship them for thus Iohn is prohibited to do but that we might rejoyce and give thankes to God chap 19 10 22.9 who so careth for us as for our sakes to send forth the Angels as ministring spirits The judgement of the whore In one word he shews the Argument of the Vision 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the judgement of the whore for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Condemnation which is not meant of a temporall spoiling and burning which the whore shall suffer by her lovers but to be cast for ever into the lake of fire and brimstone the which Christ the Iudge shall himselfe execute at the last day Of the great â—hore Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a double Article Regula articulorum non semper perpetua as if he spake of a whore before known whereas indeed there was nothing formerly mentioned of her And therefore the rule will not alwayes hold that articles are never put but before things that are knowne Vnlesse perhaps he denotes this Whore by a double article because she was knowne to the Angell as if hee should say I will shew unto thee that famous Harlot or Strumpet well knowne to all the heavenly inhabitants and what her end shall be seeing as yet thou knowest it not She is not that woman Jezabell which seduced some of the Church of Thiatyra by her fornication Chap. 2.20 For the description shews that here a far more famous whore is noted For this Strumpet sits not in Thiatyra but upon many waters and upon the beast the meaning whereof shal be opened on ver 3. ver 15. By calling her a whore and a great one that is insatiable and far exceeding other Strumpets in lust and filthinesse he teacheth us that the guilt and cause of her horrible judgement shall be her fornication and not simply fornication the punishment whereof might happily not have bin so capitall but joyned with detestable perfidiousnesse namely her loathsome adultery as when a Bride forsaking her Bridegroome or a wife her husband shamefully prostitute themselves unto strangers which sin both by humane and divine lawes is punished by death This may not be taken of corporall fornication for this harlot is afterward called a Citie and fornication could not be committed with the walles or houses thereof Therefore it is rather to be understood of spirituall fornication viz. apostacy from God perfidiousnesse and Idolatry Now wherefore the scripture doth so often compare this to Fornication I have shewed in my Commentary on Hosea Chapter 1. and Chapter 2. Betwixt Christ and the Church is a spirituall mariage Eph. 5 32 Hose 2 18 He as the Bridegrome hath espoused the Church as his
owne Bride in faithfullnesse righteousnesse and judgement and will shortly consummate the mariage at his last comming as we shall heare Chap. 19.7 in the mean while enjoyning her to remaine pure and chast unto him And thus the Apostle laboured to present the Churches of Rome Corinth c. as chast Virgins to Christ that is free from the leaven of Superstition idolatrie and humane traditions such a Church I say was at Rome in the Apostles dayes and some while after and here is represented in her apostacy by this woman the same Church as shall appear by that which followes Isa 1.21 But how is she now become a harlot Because as of old Ierusalem that holy City casting off the worship of God and polluting her selfe with traditions superstitions and idolatrie is therefore called an Harlot So the Christian Church as Egesippus witnesseth in Eusebius remained not long after the Apostles death a chast Virgin But touching the declining condition of the Church and especially that of Rome enough hath bin spoken in the foregoing Visions and more shall bee said hereafter The fornication of kings with the Romish whore 2. With whom the Kings committed fornication The cause of her judgement is more expresly signified viz. her Fornication with the Kings of the Earth for this is a noble Strumpet enticing Monarchs and Kings of the Earth to lie with her But how by perswading the kings her lovers under the Title of the Catholicke Faith to receive her Superstitions Idol-worship Decrees and Decretalls and so bewitching all of them by her faire shew of holinesse that as Samson was enslaved to Dalilah and Hercules to Omphala so these willingly serve dedicate and give themselves and their kingdomes as Tributaries to the Apostolicall Sea Christs Vicar and Peters Successour that avaricious Strumpet Now who these Kings of the Earth are we shall see in the opening of the hornes To the Kings are joyned the Inhavitants of the Earth that is Earthly men Idolaters and sworne enemies of the Gospell for with these also shee playeth the Harlot as despising no sorts of people but with an unsatiable lust doth promiscuously prostitute her selfe unto all both rich and poore bond and free Imprinting the Character of her Idolatry on them all Recogn lib. 9 and giving them power to buy and sell her spirituall wares herein imitating those women of Susia who anointing themselves as Clemens writeth with costly ointments and adorned with Ornaments and precious Stones like unto this Whore verse 4. used to goe abroad with great Pompe accompanied with hand-maids indifferently alluring whosoever would whither strangers or servants to commit follie with them This being permitted them by their owne Husbands By the wine of her Fornication hee understands the glorious Superstitions and Magnificence of the Apostolicall Sea and Vizard of the Catholicke Church The wine of fornication the which earthly men have as greedily embraced as thirsty lovers drink the wine offered them by their beloved ones Therefore they are said to be made drunke because being bewitched with a blind love of Superstitions they stand for their Idols beyond all sense and reason furiously hating and persecuting the Gospell of CHRIST If thou kill a man it s a finne with them to bee bought off with a little money Romes idolatry But if thou uncover not thy head to the Idol Image of Marie or turne thy backe upon it it s a wickednesse to bee punished by death as having committed Crimen lesae Majestatis against her Behold the mad drunkennesse of Idolaters occasioned by this wine of Fornication The second Part of the CHAPTER The Vision of the Whore upon the Beast 3 So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wildernesse And I saw a woman sit vpon a scarlet coloured Beast full of names of blasphemy having seven heads and ten hornes 4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour and decked with gold and precious stones and pearles having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthinesse of her fornication 5 And upon her forehead was a Name written Mystery Babylon the Great The Mother of Harlots And abominations of the Earth 6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the Saints and with the blood of the Martyrs of Iesus and when I saw her I wondred with great admiration THE COMMENTARY AND he led me in the Spirit Thus much of the Preface Now followes the first Act of the Vision Where first we are to observe the motion unto the same and the place In that Iohn doth againe say he was led by the spirit as Chapter 1.10 and Chapter 4.2 it shewes that hee was not in a continuall Extasie of Visions The motion unto the Vision was not of the body but the minde for bodily he remained in Patmos beholding there the wildernesse and the sights with the eyes of his mind like as Ezechiell bodily remaining in Chaldea was in spirit in the Temple of Ierusalem The place where he saw this was the wildernesse But what Is the Woman the Beast Rome and Antichrist in the Wildernesse Do they not inhabit the largest possessions and most sumptuous palaces I do not dislike that some understand by wildernesse Gentlilisme which Antichrist under the name of Christ hath brought into the Church hence in Chapter 11.1 the Antichristian Clergy is signified by the name of Gentiles And indeed the Antichristians imitating the Paganes do fall downe before Idols of wood and stone made with hands And as Paganes so Antichristians make God beholding to them by the merit of workes save onely that these abuse the holy Name of Christ as a pretence for their Idolatry which the other know not of Notwithstanding in my opinion there is an higher mysterie in it Before Chap. 12. the chast Woman Mother or Church being persecuted by the Dragon fled into the wildernesse when as after Constantines time being shaken with the floodes of Heresies and Superstitions she withdrew her selfe by degrees out of the sight of men Now here Iohn sheweth what he saw in the wildernesse in stead of that woman He saw indeed a Woman also or Church but a whorisâ—â— woman or adulterous Church riding on a beast that is being Antichristian There I say where before he saw the Woman clothed with the Sun the chast spouse of Christ viz. at Rome he now finds a whorish woman This forsooth is that continuall succession of the Romish Popes This is the venerable antiquity of the Popish Church The succession of the Romish Chur. to wit like as in the wildernesse the whorish woman succeeded the chast woman and banished matrone so at Rome the whorish Apostaticall succeeded the true Apostolicall Church and in place of Bishops holy Martyrs and Confessours excelling in faith and godlinesse are come in the great high Priests of Rome terming themselves universall Monarchs being indeed proud and wicked Idolaters who as Genebrard confesseth are altogether fallen away from the
of the Ancient Romane Empire onely as in these expressions He changed my wages ten times This people hath tempted me ten times for many times or often Now this could not be said of the seven former heads because the Angell did distinctly number them Thus it cannot be obscure who these Ten Kings are Vndoubtedly they are all such as hitherto have held the Christian world at the appointment and command of the Romish Pope Of which read Angustinus Steuchus touching Constantines donation against Valla Sect. 94.97.103 where he maintaines that all kingdoms in Christindome as Hungarie Spaine France England c. are subject and tributary to the Pope Which have received no kingdome as yet We have shewed who the Ten Kings are now of their originall when and with what successe they should reigne At the time of the Revelation they had not as yet received the kingdome for hitherto the sixt head reigned in the Romane tyrants The seventh head also was to reign a short space on the mountaines of the woman in Rome and afterward some while out of these mountaines at Constantinople in the Christian Emperours before this also the beast having swallowed up the seventh head was to be made the Eight king The word therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not as yet notes the time from the revealing of this Prophesie which was Anno 14. of Domitian and of Christ 96. untill the Empire of the West taken from the Greeks by Pope Leo and given to Charles anno 800. being I say 704 yeers But receive power For shall receive by an ennallage usuall to Iohn which the Particle not yet sheweth for if they had not then as yet received the same it shews that they should receive kingly power afterward But when In one houre with the beast Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One houre and so rendred it signifies the little time their kingdom should continue But the Angell sheweth not how long their power should continue but when they should receive the same For what kind of kingdom would that be to continue but one hour Therfore the old Version and Beza do more rightly render it In one houre as in Chap. 3.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what hour I will come that is in or at what houre And Iohn 4.52 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yesterday at the seventh houre Now here an houre is not astronomically taken for the twelth part of the day 1. Ioh. 2.18 but metaphorically for an indefinite article of time as Iohn in his Epistle little children it is the last houre that is the last time so here in one houre is to be understood at one and the same time they shall receive their power with the beast namely when the beast shall come to be the Eight king usurping the Empire of the West and armed with both Monarchicall swords Thus undoubtedly the holy Ghost points as with the finger vnto the history of Leo III. that when he began to create Emperors and Kings then also he began to be the Beast and the Eight King With the Beast The old Version After the Beast as if it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but it is in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Beast Neither do I find it otherwise in any Copy though Alcasar saith he hath but alledgeth no Author The sense comes much to one for whither they shall receive power one houre after the Beast or at the same houre with the beast yet shall they reigne together but we are rather to keep to the Greek reading and sense They receive power in one houre that is at one and the same time with the Beast They receive From whom from the Beast who out of the fullnesse of his power shall give kingdoms unto them not so for the Angel saâ—th not from the beast but with the beast for how soever they shall receive it through the wicked means of the beast yet they receive it from God to whom onely it appertains to give and transfer kingdomes and from whom is all power But the holy Ghost thus speaketh that they are to receive their power with the beast for two causes First The kings received power from God because although the translation of the Empire under which the welfare of other kingdomes is contained was brought to passe by the rashnesse and boldnesse of the Beast Notwithstanding God himself intending to punish the intestine dissentions and other sins of the Eastern nations did by means of a necessary and lawfull war of Charls against the Lombards the destroyers of Italy and the Empire justly translate the Imperial state from the Greeks unto the French seeing it is God that ruleth in the kingdoms of men Dan. 4.25 and giveth them to whomsoever he will And therefore the kings here received their power not from the Beast but from God although the perfidiousnesse of the Beast came in between like as in the Schisme of the ten tribes notwithstanding the sedition of Ieroboam yet that alteration of the kingdome is ascribed to God Return ye every man unto his house because this thing is of Iehovah 1. kings 12 2. Therefore by this circumstance the spirit again points unto the history of Leo that when he began to create Emperors and kings Then also he began to be the Beast and Eight king Whence it is manifest that when the Romane Pope boasteth of the translation of the Empire from the Greeks unto the French and Germanes he glorieth in nothing but in his owne wickednesse and seditious perfidiousnesse Secondly because the kings were so to receive power as to have the same with the Beast that is to reigne with his favour they should have it I say for his advantage not without the Beast but with him that so the Beast might reign with them and by them For the Pope will not be accounted an Emperor or king but will have with and under him other Emperors and kings of his own inauguration and making as his vassals Therefore are they said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As it were kings which indeed shall bear the title and ensignes of kings yet shall they not be absolute kings as the seven heads were and therefore Ribera saith most truly They shall have indeed the name of kings But in truth Antichrist himself shall reignt and they obey him For they shall onely be intrusted by the Pope and hold their kingdomes from him evther directly as Fee-Farmes or Coppy-holds or indirectly as sworn to the Church of Rome Thus I rather take the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As because of the following matter which confirms this sense then of the obscurity of these kings who in comparison of the former Mouarchy shall be but the shadows of kings as it were although this sense be also true and agrees with the former Notwithstanding that which is spoken of one hour is not so to be taken as if all these kings received their power together but with some
difference of time for if the last hour with Iohn in his Epistle includes diverse ages why then may not one hour here include certain years As therefore those kingdomes which were taken from the Romane Empire by the Barbarians received not the Christian faith together so they received not their power all together with the Beast but some before others after as it followeth and so gave the same unto the Beast viz Italy France Germany and Britany sooner Spaine Poland and the Northern kingdomes later Lastly it is to be observed as before I noted that the old version in stead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at one houre with the beast hath it in one hour after the beast as if it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So the sense should be That these kings should reigne a little while after the Beast which is contrary to Riberas fiction that they should reigne a little before Neither wil his wrested Glosse help him They shall receive power after the beast that is into the obedience of the Beast because they shall obey Antichrist as Chap. 13.4 The whole world wondred after the Beast For there it is not Meta to Therion but Opiso to Therion Besides if they shall obey Antichrist the which thing he confesseth because they shall receive power after the Beast how doth this agree with his former fiction that the Beast here is the devill and not Antichrist 13 These have one minde We have heard who the Kings are when and by whose favour and helpe they received the kingdom Now we shall heare their counsells and intentions These to wit Kings have one mind The old Version and Beza one Counsell The consent and great conspiracy of the kings among themselves and with the Beast is hereby noted which is recorded not as a thing praise worthy in them but as wonderfull For they shall be Kings very different in manners nature tongues and people who ordinarily by mutuall discord and hatred make great wars each with other but yet for all this when the Beasts matter is on foot laying aside their hatred they shall have one mind and counsell as it followeth And shall give their strength and power to the Beast that is vide concil windeck in progn pag. 12. hinc petitum shall conspire together in defence of the Pope they shall all I say joyning their armes and forces together mightily labour to uphold the Idolatry and power of the Romish Sea And indeed he must be very ignorant in Histories who knows not that this hath fully for divers ages bin accomplished for although some Emperours and Kings being provoked by the arrogancy of the Beast have sometimes taken up arms against him The Pope notwithstanding by the help of other Princes and by his Capitoline fulminations hath evermore easily suppressed them Neither indeed did such oppose the Idolatry of the Beast but the flagitiousnesse of his person or else the perfidious counsells of his Cardinalls and still reverenced the Monarchicall pontificacie Moreover this place plainly shews what kingdomes are signified by the hornes that the Ten hornes do not promiscuously denote all and every of the Kings and kingdoms which of old belonged to the Romane Empire but those only which shall remain in these latter times in the Western Christian World And therefore as for other kingdoms of Africa Asia Thracia Mysia Greece Albania and Seruia which long agoe have bin wasted by the Barbarians being now under the oppression of Perfians Turks and Saracens are not to be numbred amongst these the names of any of them being scarse left to Christians And this is evident because these ten Kings have one mind imploying their power and strength in defence of the Beast whereas the Turkes and Barbarians now lords of those kingdomes have not one mind with these Kings but in a hostile manner oppugne both them and the Pope also 14. These shall make warre with the Lambe It followes for what end they will give their power and strength to the Beast viz. to oppose the Lambe or make warre with him The Lambe is Christ as formerly we heard The Beast therefore shall be the head and Captaine of the warre The Kings his Auxiliaries and Intrusted ones But here it may be demaunded whither this war be the same with that before spoken of in Chap. 16.16 and shall follow afterward in Chapter 19.9 or another And whither these be other KINGS then the kings of the earth there A hard Question which can scarsely be here resolved If it be the same war then how are they said to be here overcome by the Lambe being to begin their war afterward in Chap. 19. and then to be vanquished by Christ But if it be another then the question will be what war this is What that Again if they be the same Kings how then is it said v. 16. of this Chap. that they persecute the woman and Chap. 18.9 that they shall bewaile Babylon and mourne over her whom themselves have burnt with fire And shall again war against Christ Chap. 19. And why are they here called Kings onely but there Kings of the Earth If they be divers Who are these and who the other I will answer to both in a few words here but more fully hereafter In respect of the parts and cause Whether the warre here be the same with that in chap 19.18 the war is the same for the Beast with the Kings his Tenants both here and there doth fight and shall fight against Christ in defence of his throne Neverthelesse it is divers in time and manner This fight of the Kings against the Lambe began presently after they had received their power and strength and given the same unto the Beast that is they have defended the Monarchicall Power Idolatry and decrees of the Romish Pope above 600. years against Christ But the other Battell unto which were gathered the Armies of the Kings in Hermageddon and so shall be fought afterward was at length begun to be managed after the drying up of the Waters of Euphrates that is after the Kings of the East had diverted the holy Taxes and Treasures of the Romish Jupiter and this war shall be prosecuted with the greatest fury against Christ untill the end yet not altogether by the same Kings for many of those ten Kings who of old fought against the Lambe despairing of the Victory shall repent at least most of them and turne their sword against the whore and burn her with fire These kings here the kings of the earth are not the same as is said ver 16. But such other Kings as remain with the Beast being stirred up by the uncleane spirits shall at last take up armes and with greater fury fight that Fatall Battle the issue whereof shall be the Beasts and their utter destruction so that the latter properly with their Associates not these are named Kings of the Earth Now we return again to the war here treated of Where first
election through the last judgement of practicall reason for without such a determination the wil and choice of man should be nothing at all Now howsoever this judgement of practicall reason which the Sophisters confesse is the root of liberty be sometimes also determinated out of it self Act 14.16 that is by God I say sometimes not alwayes for God doth not determinate all acts of the will but oftentimes leaves men to their own wayes and suffers them to run headlong into destruction Notwithstanding this determination is not done without the voluntary judgement of our reason and choice of the will without any coaction yet in a manner to us indeed inexplicable but known to God Who worketh all things after the counsell of his owne will Ephe. 1.11 To the second Argument That which is governed by the divine providence acts not freely c. I ANSWER it is false unlesse it be understood with the same distinction to wit if it be governed by a providence without our own deliberation and choice For that which God governeth shewing the object to the understanding and efficaciously moving the will to chuse the same that notwithstanding man doth freely chuse although he be inclined by the will of God to whatsoever he pleaseth What it is to act freely For the creatures freedom in acting is not to act without the government of any but with deliberation and by a voluntary motion of its own will although this motion be raised and ruled by another And that I may return unto the determination of the will It is not repugnant even to morall Philosophie For Aristotle lib. 3. Ethic. Cap. 5. saith That man is the originall of his own actions as of his children and denies not but that in some occurrences the will is determinated to one thing the liberty thereof remaining suppose in vitious men drunkards and incontinent persons who after they have brought a vitious habit upon themselves do indeed commit their vices freely yet also necessarily and determinately because their will by a vitious habit which they are not able to shake off is determined to vice To conclude it is plain from these things in the Hypothesis that God put into the hearts of the Kings the liberty of their will remaining to doe what they did determinately and in the Thesis that the concurrence of God governing and determinating the will of man as he pleaseth doth not at all take away the liberty of the same II. Whether God after the same manner put good and evill into the hearts of the Kings and whether hence it will follow that he is the Author of sin Touching the good there is no question about it for this all that are godly doe willingly grant viz. that God as the Scripture saith workes both the will and the deed without overthrowing the liberty of our will as before we shewed Notwithstanding Pelagius did not grant the same and a Philosopher will no more grant the determination of the will in vertue then in vice But the Philosopher is answered by the doctrine of heathens themselves as erewhile wee heard out of Aristotle Pelagius and such as follow him object the Theologicall knot in evill things touching the cause of sin For if God also determine the evill of man as for examples the hearts of the Kings as touching things evill in their owne nature as suppose to conspire together with Antichrist and to fight against the Lambe hereby God seems to be the Author as it were of their evills and the Kings excusable This indeed Pelagius of old objected to Austin as at this day the Pelagian Relickes in pretence to maintaine the righteousnesse of God as if it could not be otherwise maintained but in the sense of bare permission viz. that God is said to do that because he permits it to be done But first the glosse of bare permission is a manifest abusing of sundry places of Scripture in which it is plainely affirmed that God did and that indeed most holily which men have done most wickedly Joseph touching the parricide of his brethren saith Gen. 45.8 It was not you that sent me hither but God sent me hither before you Touching the hatred of the Egyptians against the Israelites Psal 105. verse 25. God turned their hearts to hate his people to deale subtilly with his servants Touching Shimeis cursing 2. Samuel 16.10 The Lord hath said unto him Curse David Of Absoloms incest 2. Sam. 12.12 Thou didst it secretly But I will do this viz. give thy wives unto thy neighbour before all Israel and before the sun Of the Rebellion of Jeroboam and the ten Tribes 1. Kin. 12.24 This thing is from me And in the same place touching Rehoboams tyrannicall answer ver 15. Wherfore the King hearkned not unto the people for the cause was from the Lord. Touching the spoiling of the Babylonians Isa 10. ver 6. I will give him a charge to take the spoile and to take the prey Touching the seduction of the false Prophets Ezech. 14.9 I the Lord have deceived that Prophet So of the seducement of Ahab by the false Prophets and Satan 1. Kin. 22.20 Who shall perswade Ahab c. and the Lord said Thou shalt perswade them and prevaile also Goe forth and do so Of the Rapine of the Arabians Iob 1.21 The LORD gave and the Lord hath taken away Touching Christs crucifying Act. 4.27 Herod and Pontius Pilate have done those things which thy hand and counsell determined before to be done By these and the like places both the evill works of men and Satan are ascribed unto God not absolutely but in some respect viz. so far as God by the same accomplisheth his secret judgements not as the authour of mans wicked deeds God forbid but as a most righteous performer of his judgements in and by them for to imagine that God executeth not his judgements but barely permits them agrees not with faith and godlinesse Secondly the glosse of bare permission in many places would be blasphemous take for example the place in hand Wilt thou say that God put it into the hearts of the Kings that is permitted it to be put Who then put it into their hearts Thou wilt say the divell and hereby thou makest the divell to put that into the heart which the Scripture expresly saith that God did wilt thou make the devill to be God Besides the divell will never perswade the kings to oppose the whore Consider therfore whither this thy glosse doth not by an open blasphemy attribute satans work to God and on the contrary the work of God to the divell Thirdly the glosse of bare permission imports heresie for under it lies hid the Pelagian denyall of the divine grace and providence and the establishing of humane strength against grace For this glosse hath flowed if not primitively yet chiefly from the School of Pelagius as may be seen in Austin Lib. 5. Cont. Iulian cap 3 against whom Julian the Pelagian
Cage of uncleane birds ver 2. 2. Two causes of the destruction One fornication by which she hath defiled all nations and Kings of the Earth The second Luxuriousnesse and most filthy trading with the Merchants of the Earth verse 3. In the second voyce are three things I. An exhortation unto the Godly under Antichrists kingdome ver 4.5.6.7.8 II. The lamentation of the Kings Merchants and Mariners of the Earth This shall be the former effect in the ungodly from verse 19. unto verse 20. III. A turning to the heavenly inhabitants Rejoyce c. This shall be the other effect in the Saints ver 20. I. The exhortation unto the Godly living under Popery is two-fold First to go out of Babylon Come out of her my people with three reasons 1. Least they might be defiled with conversing with the wicked 2. Least they be partakers of their plagues and ruine ver 4. 3. Because the inevitable time of vengeance is at hand ver 5. Secondly that they might render double unto her which I. he amplifies by Phrases foure times changed and prophetically set forth ver 6. 7. II. He perswades by a reason from the equallity because she proudly lifts up her selfe I sit a Queene ver 7. III. He expounds the kind of punishment ver 8. she shall be burnt with fire and the first cause hereof Gods power and righteousnesse ver 8. II. The lamentation is distributed into three sorts of men The first are the Kings of the Earth of whom it is said 1. What they did before They committed fornication and lived deliciously with the whore ver 9. 2. What they should do beholding the smoake and fire 1. They shall see it burning a farre off trembling and mourning saying Alas Alas 2. Acknowledge the judgement of God ver 10. The second are Merchants of the Earth whose wayling is described first generallye They shall weepe and mouâ—â—â— and it is Illustrated both by the procreating cause Their gaine ceasing in regard of the contempt of their wares verse 11. As also by a Register of their divers merchandize among which also are the soules of men ver 12. 13. Lastly by the effect on Babylon it selfe which shall be deprived of all her delights verse 14. Secondly specially what thâ—â— did before They bad gathered riches and what then they will doe Tremeâ—â— and mourn to behold her burning afar off v. 15. 2. Cry Alas Alas and the cause of their wavling is shewed viz. by comparing the present condition of the whore with her former ver 16. The third are the Shipmasters and Saylers of whom likewise is noted 1. What they did before They reaped gaine to wit by Babylon 2. What then they will doe 1. Behold her destruction a farre off ibid. 2. Cry out What City is like c. ver 18. 3. Testifie their griefe both by signes as casting dust on their heads ver 19. As also by weeping and crying Alas Alas adding the procreating cause of their sorrow ibid. III. The turning of the second voice unto the heavenly inhabitants to close up the lamentation with joyfulnesse The Proposition is Rejoyce The reason is taken from the remote impelling cause because Babylon is punished for her Tyranny exercised against the Saints ver 20. In the third voice is the finall and irrecoverable destruction of Babylon I. Figured out by a Symbole which is both acted by an Angell A mighty Angell tooke a stone like c. As also expounded Thus with violence shall that great City be throwne down ver 21. II. It is amplified by the effects 1. She is deprived of musicke 2. Of trade 3. Of all manner of corne 4. Of light 5. Of Mariage-Feastings ver 22. 23. III. This is approved by three inforcing causes 1. The Luxuriousnesse of Popish Traders 2. Their witchcraft and seducing of the Christian world ver 23. 3. Their cruelty against the Saints verse 24. The first Part of the CHAPTER Publishing the Ruine of BABYLON 1 And after these things I saw another Angell come down from heaven having great power and the earth was lightned with his glory 2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice saying Babylon the great is fallen is fallen and is become the habitation of devils and the hold of every unclean spirit and a Cage of every unclean and hatefull bird 3 For all Nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication and the Kings of the Earth have committed fornication with her and the Merchants of the Earth are waxen rich with the abundance of her delicacies THE COMMENTARY ANd after these things I saw another Angell What Origen writeth touching the song of Songs that the History thereof is after the manner of an Interlude acted by four persons appeares more clearly to have bin observed in this Prophesie as hitherto we have still observed For as in Comoedies divers persons come and go on the Theater so we see done here In this sixt Vision the first person was the Angell having seven Vialls leading John into the wildernesse and shewing unto him the Babylonish Strumpet on the Beast and expounding the mystery of both which things being done another Angell came forth on the Scene to declare the judgement of the whore under the Type of Babylon Therefore Iohn saith that he saw another Angell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 After these things viz. which were acted and spoken by the former Angell Of whom is expounded in three Verses whence he came what for an Angell he was what he did and spake Descending from Heaven The place from whence he commeth gives divine authority to his Message For he comes from Heaven as Gods Herauld and therefore publisheth the judgement of Babylon in the Name of God that so we might not question but all shall certainly come to passe Who this Angell is which is foretold by this heavenly Messenger Who he was it is not needfull to enquire The following description sheweth that he was one of the chiefe Emissarie Angells of God Neither is it of necessity to understand it of Christ seeing the action of this Vision is distributed between many Angells This might be demaunded whether these three Angells proclaiming the ruine of Babylon be the same with the three mentioned Chap. 14. The first of whom proclaimed the eternall Gospell The second the destruction of Babylon in the same words in which this also proclaimed it The third deterred men with threatnings from worshipping of the Beast and committing fornication with the woman I suppose they are not the same Because the time and argument of the Act differs The former came forth long before these viz. when God in compassion to his people was about to restore the Gospell suppressed by Antichrist and purge the Church from the dregs of Popery which as we shewed was first done by Wickleffe Husse Jerom of Prague afterward by Luther Melanchthon Zwinglius Calvin and the following Preachers of the Gospell for these restored both the doctrine of Grace and first
Cardinalls Anointed Fathers Coped Bishops Silken Prelates fat Monkes Glittering Clergy and multitudes of people did abound in all manner of riot and luxuriousnesse there shall Devills Ghosts Scrich-Owls and all manner of hatefull birds inhabit This horrible judgement if the Pope Cardinalls and Clergy did read it were wonderfull if they could containe from teares and not thinke of repentance and flight from Babylon But to be inraged against me against the Prophet and against God what is it but to kick against the prickes Ribera demands wherefore evill spirits rather love and inhabit desert places then to frequent the company of men Before Christ they did so to the end appearing to travellers they might by terrour induce them to Idolatry After Christ he feineth another cause viz. to deterre Hermits and Monkes from abiding in the wildernesse But as the Question is foolish so the answer is as ridiculous The Lord Iesus Mat 12.43 saith that the devills being cast out of man do wander through dry places seeke for rest but find none So that it rather seems they are banished into desert places as it were into a large prison that they might not disturbe the society of men And so much the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying properly an hold or prison seems to import Not that they never return unto men but this they cannot do unlesse God permit them Indeed their proper domicile or abode is Hell into which Satan is thrust with his Angells yet in the mean while by Gods sufferance they often go forth some raging in the ayre others wandring through the deserts Now what do the wicked differ from deserts And therefore they more familiarly insinuate themselves and delight to be with them Hence it is that in the Papacy many are troubled with apparitions and evill spirits whether truly or feinedly others know that so Exorcists may have matter and occasion for their impostures Now this kind of Devills is wholly vanished from us by the shining light of the Gospell of God 3. For they have drunke of the wine The causes of so horrible desolation are divers times declared in this Chapter The causes of Babylons destruction that we might understand the righteousnes of Gods judgement Neither would the justice of God inflict so horrible punishments but for grievous wickednes Now their are two or three if we divide the former The first cause is In regard all Nations had drunke of the wine of her fornication that is because Babylon hath filled the Christian world with abominations and Idolatrous worship The Propheticall Phrase is before expounded on Chap. 14.8 where in stead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have drunke here used it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made to drinke And so the Kings Edition reads here also the sense being one only if we read it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is in Chapter 14. the guilt of the whore is more expressed thereby The second cause is fornication with the Kings of the Earth Not corporall for that could not be committed with a City therefore we must understand it of spirituall fornication that is the Idolatry which Rome hath obtruded on the whole Christian world and which she hath maintained by the approbation defence and zeale of the Kings her Vassals Now what was that Ribera sends us backe to the Idolatry of old Rome the which we have before refuted First it is contradictory to histories which shew that the Romanes did not obtrude their Idols on other nations but made the Idols of all people 's their own least any of the gods should not be worshipped at Rome Christ only excepted Secondly God hath not till now differred the punishment of Old Romes Idolatry and wickednesse This fornication is nothing but Popish Idolatry but most grievously punished the same long agoe through the Vandals Gothes Hunni who three or four times spoiled and ruinated the Romane City Lastly here is treated of Rome in the last times which can be applied to no other then Popish Rome now she shall not be punished for anothers but for her own whoredom And therefore this fornication can be nothing else save Popish Idolatry which the whole Christian world hath drawne from the breasts of Rome their Mother And the Merchants of the Earth are waxed rich Here is a third cause which hitherto hath not bin mentioned The lasciviousnesse and riot of her Merchants Through riot Magnesia and Colophon were lost according to the Proverbe It was also the overthrow of Sibaris and shal be the ruin not of old Rome which now is not but of new Popish Rome of whose riot lasciviousnes Sodomie simony I need not say any thing it being notorious to the world Read if you please the selected Epistles of Franciscus Petrarcha The riot of Popish Rome who above two hundred yeares agoe most eagerly upbraided the Papall Court for its most excessive luxuriousnesse and Pompe What would he have done had he lived till now But thou wilt say the Angell seems not to note the riot but the richnesse of these Merchants Now should this be the cause of so great a judgement Is wealth or merchandize in it selfe vitious not in the least but because these Merchants being as it were masters of new delights and pleasures were not inriched by honest trading but as it is in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the power or abundance of her lasciviousnesse that is because to their own excessive gain they have most earnestly furnished the Romish whore with all manner of riot and delicacies But who are these Merchants Ribera here also sends us to the riot and merchandize of Old Rome I confesse old Rome did much abound in these things but she hath ceased to be for a long time and so it makes nothing to the thing here in hand Neither did Old Rome obtaine her power and wealth by merchandize but force of armes not by Mercury but Mars Besides these Merchants are called Great men and Princes of the Earth ver 23. Therefore they are not common Merchants who bring in and carry out ordinary wares profitable and necessary for mans use But that singular kind of merchandize spoken of ver 13. sheweth that a speciall rank of merchants is noted for they shall buy and sell the soules of men What more palpable then that these Merchants are no other save Prelates and Princes whom they call Ecclesiasticall and all the sacrificing traders in spirituall wares Friars Monkes c. And that this merchandize is that whole Court of conscience reserved and unreserved Cases Indulgences Annuities Vacancies Commendums Dispensations Tithes and sale of Ecclesiasticall riches through which Channels the wealth and treasures of the Christian world have flowed to Rome and the whole Popish Clergy hath every where gathered so much riches as that Kings Princes Earles Cities Communities have scarcely wherewith all to maintaine their Politick State honestly Pope Alexander the sixt was a mighty Merchant in these things Of
by the Kings a long time or many years but be suddenly taken because of her security like as in one night Cyrus suddenly tooke carelesse Babylon being forsaken of her friends and driven to despair having no power to defend her self The grievousnesse of the punishment is aggravated by enumeration of four Plagues Death Mourning Famine Fire every one of which shall answer to her sins she promised her self perpetuall happinesse but Death shall cut her off she delighted in all kind of pleasures therefore sorrow shall overthrow her She continually gave her self to gluttony riot c. Therefore Famine shall kill her she burnt the godly Martyrs as Heretickes therefore with Fire shall she be utterly consumed by the Kings sometimes her lovers who shall fall from her and turne their swords which they formerly imployed for her against the Godly into her own bowels See Chap. 17. ver 17. For strong is the Lord He prooves that her lot and portion shall be irrecoverable from the omnipotencie of the Iudge the which he opposeth to the Romane power that we might not think the thing foretold impossible the which immagination hath beguilded many even to this day Stapleton hath writ a Booke of the admirable greatnesse of the Romane Church which he saith shall so remaine for ever Lipsius also had no other end then to flatter Rome in his Book which he published about the same time touching the admirable greatnesse of the Romane City Iohan. Paul Windek About this time also a certaine Parasite of the Romish Seat spread abroad a Prognostication about the future state of the Church wherein he affirmed that the Evangelicall Doctrine and Christian Churches should shortly perish The Romane Seat remaine stable and constant so is this opinion settled in the mindes of Papists that it is impossible the Romane Power should be overcome through any Plots or devices or the Romish Hierarchy linked and fastned together with iron bonds as it were should ever be overthrown by any But 2. Strong is the Lord which judgeth her Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Judging in the present tence Andreas and Montanus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who hath judged because in his unchangeable decree he hath devoted her to condemnation some thinke because this shall happen in one day and suddenly that like Sodom she shall be burnt with fire from Heaven but because it was said before that the Kings should burne her it seems rather to be meant of fire suddenly thrown into the City by the Victorious army Hitherto the Exhortation the Lamentation followes 9. And the Kings of the Earth shall bewaile her The wicked lament the wretched condition of Rome First Kings then Merchants Lastly Shipmasters Now what and how great their mourning shall be and the cause thereof common to them all is shewed to be the losse of their former riot and gaine And therefore there is the lesse difficulty and reason to insist upon it This generally is to be noted from the lamentation that a temporall judgement on Rome is here described not the last judgement in the end of the World for wicked Kings Merchants and Shipmasters shall see and bewaile the same In the first place the Kings of the Earth are brought in mourning as being more worthy and powerfull who were chiefe in committing filthines with the Romish Strumpet They shall bewaile and lament for her That is because of her sudden and miserable destruction who these are is noted by two Epithites they are Kings of the Earth committing fornication and living deliciously with her By both we may understand that they shall be enemies of the Gospell Vassalls Sonnes Spirituall Lovers of the Romish Seat For the first Epithite 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Earth is allwayes in this Prophesie taken in an evill sense for Kings Nations and worldly men given to earthlie worship By the latter Epithite the cause also of their mourning is shewed they shall lament excessively because they are deprived of their sweet converse with the whore by means of her unexcepted destruction What that converse was we have opened on verse 3. and divers times before It may be demanded who these Kings of the Earth shall be Ribera feineth that they shall be the same Ten Kings who burned her with fire who these Kings of the Earth are repenting and bewailing the destruction of the most renowned City like as Titus is said to have mourned for the burning of Ierusalem and the Temple But it is a vaine Fiction for those Kings shall be converted unto the faith These shall be Kings of the Earth Enemies of the Gospell Ioseph lib 7 de bell Iud. c. 24. The cause also of the mourning is different These shall lament because they can no longer commit fornication and riot with her But the former Kings after they had once by the divine mercie of God repented of their sinne refused any longer to commit fornication with her for it is said They shall hate the Whore and make her desolate Therefore we affirme that these Kings of the Earth shall be such of the Ten as still remaine with the Pope 10. Standing a farre off for feare The gesture and voice of these Mourners is noted standing a farre off and crying Alas alas In which he prevents an objection Why shall they not rather take up Armes and succour the distressed Citie Feare and trembling shall hinder them signifying that the Lord will so astonish them as that they shall not so much as thinke upon armes or succour for the feare of the divine judgement will make them to seeke shelter for themselves For in one houre Before In one day Her judgement shall be so sudden that before the report of her Siege be far spread the Citie shall lie in ashes Thus high things are on a sudden brought to nothing Trees of great height are long in growing but rooted up in one houre They call it judgement to wit of God the just Iudge whose vengeance shall be so manifest that the very enemies shall be forced to confesse that so great a Citie was thus suddenly overthrowne not by humane force but by the judgement of God being angry 11. And the Merchants of the Earth shall weepe Merchants succeed the Kings in mourning the Merchants I say of the Earth whom we have shewed to be spirituall Traders Treasurers of the Popish Court Paenitentiaries and Granters of Pardons c. The which plainely appeares by the adjunct cause of their sorrow and kind of Merchandize Because no man buyeth her merchandize any more But gold silver and pretious stones shall not be out of esteem because of the destruction of one Citie For by the overthrow of one Mart-Towne trading is not taken away from other places but the fall of one is rather the rising of another as not long ago in the low Countries Antwerpe sometime a noble Mart-Towne decaying was the flourishing of Amsterdam Therefore it is manifest that here properlie merchandable wares are not
noted but the gainfull hunting of the Romanists their Bulls of indulgence and spirituall tributes by which they have emptied the treasuries of the Kingdomes Provinces and Cities of Christendom Buyeth them no more For these things shall be discovered to be but bastardlie wares meere impostures which the Pope falsly claiming to be Successour of Peter and Paul had obtruded on the world to be beleeved as necessarie to salvation ANONYMVS Their wares By which they merchandized with the goods of the Church No man shall buy them any more Because all simonie and covetousnesse shall then eternally cease from the Church And by these Merchants are meant hypocrites also who sell great holinesse for a temporall reward 12 The merchandize of gold and silver This whole Catalogue of wates is taken by a certain allusion from Ezechiel 27. where the destruction of Tyrus then a most noble Mart-Towne is likewise described for like riot and pride There the neighbouring Nations and Peoples are reckoned up who all of them brought both their own and forraine merchandize unto Tyrus The Edomites brought Caedars and Firre trees from Lebanon The Macedonians Ivorie The Aegyptians fine linnen and broidered worke They of the Isles of Elishah silke and purple They of Tarshis silver iron tin lead Tuball and Meshech slaves horses mules c. So here the Holy Ghost would have us to understand the diversitie of peoples who have brought those wares to Rome that is enriched the Romane Sea with treasures and rich tributes In vita sylvestri Vnto this royall Court saith Platina flowes the encrease of Tarshis in Cilicia from the possession of Tyrus comes Oyle Spices Cassia Baulme also from the places where it growes with Saffron Salt Peper Cynnamon c. Here the conjecture of most learned Brightman is verie propable The merchandize of gold silver pearles the Spaniards by their Navigations bring to Rome Italy furnisheth her with Cinnamon Frankincense Ointment Wine Sicilia Sardinia Corsica with fine floure and wheat Germanie with beasts England with sheep France with horses and chariots Helvetia with men And all of them together with soules of men all of them being forced to beleeve that it is of necessitie to salvation to be subject to the Pope all alike are affrighted with feare of Purgatory from whence they cannot bee redeemed but by meanes of gold and silver To be short through covetousnesse and feined speeches the Romane False-Prophet makes merchandize of the souls of all men Now to dispute of the qualitie of each sort of this merchandize I think it needlesse some are known and in use amongst us Others being out-landish are anknowne to these parts the descriptions whereof may be sought in Plinie Dioscorides and other Writers of naturall things Fine linnen called Byssus a most excellent sort of linnen Of Purple and Scarlet See Chap. 17. ver 4. Silke Or silken cloth spun of the finest silken threed being of a great price Fine flowre being made of the flowre of wheat And all thyine wood Or odoriferous wood as the Cypresse Juniper Caedar the word comes from the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THUOO to send foorth a smell And of horses viz. the merchandize of horses And slaves Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bodies from Ezechiel 27.13 Meshech and Tuball traded with the souls or persons as most translate it of men and vessels of brasse c. the which all do expound of selling slaves But here the Holy Ghost doth distinctly put 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the bodies and souls of men The Old Version Of slaves and the soules of men Therefore this merchandize of souls is different from that of slaves neither can we otherwise understand it then of that spirituall trade which is exercised about the redemption of soules out of Purgatory For hence comes up their Courts Temples Altars Masses Monasteries Cloysters Legacies Pilgrimages Annuities Waxe-candles and all other gainfull workes in Popery All I say was done to redeem soules Therefore RIBERA on this place doth vainly feine two sorts of slaves of whom some were sold to serve Others to be slain that is to fight with beasts in the Circle The which although it be true yet no reason can be given why these latter should be called soules The soule saith he signifies the life with the Hebrews indeed but not so with the Greeks and it is against him For thus soules should signifie slaves appointed not to death but life 14. And the fruits that thy soule lusted after Gr. The harvest of thy lust is gone from thee The Old Version Apples of thy desire because the Autumne is Apple-time It is an Hebraisme for the desirable fruits of thy palate shall faile thee namely their delicious Banquets delicate Iunckets with which though the Romane Clergy glut themselves twice or thrice in a day yet they fast And all dainty and goodly things He understands the variety of dainty dishes with which the riotous Fathers use to fill their tables now all this shall cease The fire will put an end wholly to these delights The change of the construction is here observeable For whereas before the Heavenly voice declared the mourning of Merchants and their severall wares here he suddenly directs an Apostrophe to Rome it selfe and so it is againe in the third voyce ver 22.23 Therefore BEZA conjectures that this verse is here inserted from the Apostrophe there Which opinion is the more probable because it is certaine that this Booke of old was greatly neglected and the authority questioned by the speciall subtiltie of Satan least these mysteries should in time be manifested yet he leaves the verse in his place because of the consent of Copies Now we know that such an Enallage or change of persons is not unusuall to the Prophets and to John in this Prophesie as we had it in the beginning of Chap. 1. verse 7.8 Are departed from thee Montanus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are perished from thee Andreas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sense being all one 15. The Merchante of these things He returnes to the mourning of the Merchants and describes the cause thereof with the manner Which were enriched The cause of their mourning shal be in regard of the losse of their gainfull wares by which they gathered abundance of wealth insomuch as one Canonship was worth by the yeer ten or twentie thousand florines One Bishoprick or Cardinalship an hundred yea three hundred thousand At so high a rate hath the Pope sold these Places Now by the destruction of Rome all the hope of gathering wealth this way shall be cut off yea the riches which they have gathered shall expose them to danger because the Annuities Legacies Tithes c. shall be ceazed on This therefore is no small cause of sorrow They shall stand a far off Namely for feare least they be hurt by the flames thereof And indeed how should her Merchants any way helpe her seeing her Kings stand a far off trembling for fear 16. Alas
expresly forbid us to injurie or hurt others or to give our selves to filthinesse and pollutions Wherefore it is a prevention of a secret objection against the Commandement of publishing this Prophesie Thou commandest the Prophesie to be published but the world will abuse the publishing thereof For some hereby will do hurt that is be occasioned to do injurie to Christians as Tyrants and Antichrist applying to themselves the Visions touching the Dragon and Beast the fall of Babylon the judgement of the whore and her casting into the Lake of sire Others shal be filthy that is will turne all things unto laciviousnesse of the flesh and in hope of going unpunished will commit all foule iniquities because they shall see their judgement to be deferred wherefore it seemeth far better that the Prophesie should be sealed then published Vnto this care of Iohn the Angell answereth first by a comminatory concession or grant He that will hurt let him hurt still Hee that will bee filthy let him be filthy still as if hee should say It is true indeed some from this Booke will take occasion to hurt and do injury others to be filthy But what of that Let them hurt let them be filthy to themselves the mysteries of God are not therefore to be kept secret These shal be accidentary effects of the Booke hurtfull to none but to hurtfull and filthy persons For they shall doe injury and be filthy to their owne destruction So Dan. 12.10 The wicked shall doe wickedly unto which words our Prophet seemes to allude Therefore they are not words of permission or approving of injustice and silthinesse but of threatning a secret judgement because the adversaries of the Church and impure swine being delivered up of God unto a reprobate sense shall by their wickednesse most of all hurt themselves This is the first cause of not sealing the Prophesie Secondly he answereth by a comfortable promise He that is righteous let him bee righteous still He that is holy let him be holy still The imperatives 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let him be righteous or justified for which the Kings Copy hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let him do righteousnesse and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let him be holy or sanctified with the Hebrewes have the force of futures for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they shal be justifiyed and sanctified still This is the other reason of not sealing the Prophesie because properly it worketh saving effects in righteous and holy persons as if he should say although the wicked shall wrest this Scripture to their destruction yet therefore it is not to be kept secret from the Elect who by the promises exhortations and consolations thereof shal be more confirmed in righteousnesse piety and holinesse This I take to bee the naturall meaning of the place Here first we may see the two-fold and contrary effect of the Scripture and Doctrines The two-fold effect of Holy Scripture For some thereby grow worse and worse to their owne hurt but others are furthered thereby to Salvation That indeed by accident because the wicked understanding the Scripture corruptly pervert the same to their destruction 2. Pet. 3.16 Rom. 1.17 But this by it selfe because the Gospell is the doctrine of Salvation to every one that beleeveth Wherefore although all are not reformed by our Doctrine but that some abuse the Gospell unto laciviousnesse neither ought we to be offended nor yet the wicked to accuse the Gospell as the cause of wickednesse For so the Doctrine of Christ and the Apostles was saving unto beleevers but to the offence and destruction of the dis-obedient by their owne default 2. Cor. 2.15 We are saith Paul unto God a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish To the one we are the savour of death unto death but to the other the savour of life unto life Secondly we learne The Doctrine of justification by faith not to bee kept close because of the abuse thereof that the doctrine of the Gospell touching free justification by faith is not to be past by in silence because some abuse the same unto licentiousnesse of life For he that is filthy let him be filthy still Neither is the doctrine of Praedestination therefore to be past over because some abuse the same unto carnall security others to despaire by saying If I am praedestinated I shall bee saved although I defile my selfe with all manner of filthinesse If I am a reprobate although I labour after holinesse yet I shall be damned This is the devils most false and unsavoury Logicke or rather calumnie of old objected against Augustine and Orthodoxe Teachers by the Pelagians For they joyne repugnant Tom. 7. Aug. lib. 5. hypognost in prooemio yea impossible things together for Praedestination cannot stand with the purpose of filthinesse because it is made not onely to Salvation but also unto the antecedents of Salvation viz. Faith Repentance and Holinesse as the Apostle teacheth Ephe. 1.3 He hath electe◠us in Christ that we should be holy c. Reprobation on the contrary cannot cohere with holinesse or a purpose thereunto because Reprobates by their owne malice neither will nor can labour after holinesse Now in whom there is a serious desire of holinesse they have a sure Testimonie in themselves not of reprobation but of their election Thirdly this place teacheth Iustification Sanctification distinct benefits of Christ. 1. Cor. 1.30 1. Cor. 6.11 that the benefits of Iustification and Sanctification are distinct which the Papists do corruptibly confound For Iustification consists in the free pardon of sinne and imputation of Christs righteousnesse Sanctification in regeneration and newnesse of life The former is in relation the latter in action So the Scripture distinguisheth these two where it saith that Christ is made unto us Righteousnesse and Sanctification And againe Ye are justifyed ye are sanctifyed Fourthly Papists do vily abuse this place to establish their second justification which they say is actuall and meritorious through good workes For the words let him be justifyed still they expound let him be justifyed yet more or let him being righteous become more righteous Therefore they say they that are justified can bee made more righteous or more just through charity and good workes ANSWER First although the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 still might signifie increase of Righteousnesse yet the inference would not follow touching increase of righteousnesse through Charity For we are no where said to be justified by Charity but alwayes through or in Faith Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth rather signifie perseverance then increase For as hee said The Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stil noteth continuation of time Let him be unjust still let him be filthy still for let him goe on to doe injuriously and to be filthy so he saith Let him be righteous still sanctifyed still for let him persevere in righteousnesse and holinesse for the Particle
everlasting light But Everlastingnesse is not of this Life He saith also The dayes of thy mourning shal be ended Now the mourning of the Church shal not be ended in this Life but in the Church-Triumphant where God wil wipe away all teares from our eyes there I say shal be no longer mourning nor cry nor death nor sorrow as in ver 4. 24. And the Nations that were saved Thus much of the building and glory of the Citie Now also hee speakes of the Citizens who they shal bee what good things they shall enjoy and who shal be kept out of the same For the first he saith that the INHABITANTS of this Citie shall bee THE NATIONS THAT ARE SAVED consisting not onely of the common people but Kings also for he saith Kings shall walke in the light of it that is shall eternally enjoy the glorious presence and majesty of God How the nations are the City Citizens And the Kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into this Citie Here first it is demaunded if this Citie bee the glorified Church how then are the Nations distinguished from the same seeing the Nations that are saved are nothing else but the Church it selfe I ANSWER The order of the Vision is to be observed for seeing he saw the glorified Church under the forme of a Citie it was convenient that hee should see also some Inhabitants of the Citie Although therefore the saved of the Nations be the Church it selfe Notwithstanding he doth not unfitly distinguish the Church taken collectively from the Church it selfe distributively considered for thus also an Earthly Citie may be collectively considered as a Common-weal or communitie of Citizens and distributively as many or particular Citizens Adde to this that the Nations are not the whole City for the Elect Patriarchs Prophets and Iewes belong also unto the same Secondly it may be demaunded how the Kings should bring their glory into this Heavenly Citie seeing all Authorities Kingdomes 1. Cor. 15.42 How kings shall bring their glorie into the heavenly Ierusalem and Powers shall then be put downe and that there shal be no Kings then and that in the Heavenly City no earthly thing can be brought Lastly seeing all shal rather receive their glory there then bring any into it Which seemeth to be the chiefest argument of them who hold that here is intended not the Heauenly but the Earthly glory of the CHURCH in this Life The Answer is easie First we are to note that this verse also is taken out of Isai 60.3 And the Gentiles saith he shall come to thy light and Kings to the brightnesse of thy rising the which is spoken indeed of the conversion of the Gentiles and Heathenish Kings But as before I said that whole Oracle speaketh not onely of the inchoated glory of the Church in this Life but with the beginning joynes the full accomplishment thereof that shal be in the Heavens as there it evidently appeareth in ver 11.18.19.21 Wherefore that place is to be applied unto the Heavenly Citie not as it began in this Life but as it shall be at last consummated in the life to come And the meaning is that then that oracle shall truely and perfectly bee fulfilled when as the Nations that are saved shall walke perfectly in the light of Jehovah And that the KINGS also who in this life have brought their glory and honour into the Church that is subjected themselves unto Christ shal enjoy the same light for ever and ever Therefore he intendeth not as if then there should be any Earthly Kings to bring their earthly glory into heaven for we shal al be Kings and Priests to God but that the Kings which now bring their glory to Christ shall together with the Nations walke in the light This sense is confirmed by the Participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saved So that then they shal be saved already and not afterwards Rom. 8.24 as yet beeing in this life I confesse we are saved also in this life but it is in hope But then they shal be saved in deed because they shall walke in the Everlasting light Thirdly also it may be demaunded How the kings of the earth are joyned unto the inhabitants of the heavenly Ierusalem seeing hitherto in the Revelation the Kings of the Earth are called for the most part enemies of Christ and followers of Antichrist Chap. 6.15 16.14 17.1.18 18.3.9 19 19. How they should here be reckoned among the Inhabitants of the Heavenly City ANSWER They are here called Kings of the Earth not that they shal be Kings when they enter into this City but because sometimes they were such For in Chap. 17.16 it appeareth that some if not all of the ten Kings of the earth which had given their power unto the Beast should desert the Beast eat the flesh of the whore and burne her with fire therefore some of them shal be converted unto the Lambe and with the Nations that are saved shall walke in the light of this Citie 25. The signes of assured peace And the gates of it shall not be shut This is the Second Part viz. the felicity and firme peace of the Citizens the which while Cities enjoy they flourish in riches and glory but the peace tranquility and security of this City shal be perfect and perpetuall This he sheweth by two signes One is because the gates shall not be shut by day But thou wilt say the gates of our Cities also are not shut by day It is so indeed in time of peace but in war the enemy besieging a City and labouring to break in of necessity the gates must be shut that the Citizens may be preserved from hostile invasion But the gates of the Citie on high shal not be shut by day but alwayes stand open to signifie that there shal be no danger of adversaries but everlasting peace to the Citizens thereof For there shall be no night there This is the other sign of their everlasting peace For in the night while the Citizens sleep the gates are shut least they should be set upon unawares in the dark There shall be no night because the glory of God shal expell the darknesse by everlasting light so that the rising or setting of the Sun or Moon shal not cause night or darknesse Therefore the Citizens shal never sleep or shut their gates for fear of danger These things being spoken after the manner of men do in some sort shadow out unto us that eternall security and peace which we shal enjoy in Heaven To this also is applied out of Isaias the 11. ver of the said 60. Chap. though there spoken in a sense somewhat different from what it is here Therefore thy gates shal be open continually they shall not be shut day nor night that they may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles and their Kings may bee brought where is signified another cause of not shutting
the gates then here Here it shal be of security There for the exercising of spirituall trading night and day that is for the gathering of all Nations and the Kings of the Nations unto Christs kingdom Therefore the gates shall not be shut that is no man shal be kept out of the Church but they shall alwayes stand open that is all men shal be called unto the Church by the preaching of the Gospell Whence it is evident that the Prophesie there speaketh properly of the state of the Church-Militant and that the same is here applied unto the security of the Church-Triumphant 26. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the Nations unto it What in ver 24. he had said of the Kings onely he extends unto all Nations viz. that hither they should bring their glory and honour They shall bring the glory of the Nations for the Nations shal bring their glory By an Hebraism he nameth the GLORIE AND HONOUR OF THE NATIONS for the Nations that shal be glorified which then shal walk in the light of this City Which again makes nothing for the Church-Militant unto which indeed the Nations do bring their glory that is subject their wealth Cities Provinces and Kingdoms to Christ But by doing of it in this life they also bring the same unto the Heavenly City because for this Earthly glory they shall receive Heavenly glory Now this also is taken out of Isa 6. ver 11. and therefore is to be applied in the same sense as the former unto the Coelestial Citie 27. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth This is the Third who are to be kept out of the Citie as enemies and unworthy Inhabitants who on the contrary are to be admitted as worthy dwellers There are three sorts of men to be kept out Defiled ones Workers of abomination and Lyars they being such as in ver 8. he had said should bee cast into the Lake of Fire namely the fearfull unbeleeving murderers whoremongers sorcerers Idolaters and all lyars Of whom we there spake neither is the reason obscure why these should have no entrance for all such persons are excluded out of the kingdom of God in this life by the expresse voyce of the Gospel Be not deceived 1. Cor. 6.9 neither Fornicatours nor Idolaters nor adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankind nor thieves nor covetous nor drunkards nor revisers nor extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God Rom. 2.16 Because therefore Christ will judge according to the Gospell of Paul all these shall not onely be kept out of the Heavenly City but also by the Judge his sentence be cast into the lake of fire Now this also is contrary to the opinion touching the Church-Militant for much defilement enters in it and many dregs have as yet their influence there forasmuch as the Church of the called is a Field mixt with wheat and tares a floore containing chaffe and wheat a not drawing good and bad fish But the purity and perfect cleannesse of this City altogether agrees to the state of the Saints in Heaven But they which are written in the Lambs Book of Life That is the elect onely and faithful that are borne again in this life shall enter into the City above See our Exposition on Chap. 3.5 13.8 17.8 20.15 CHAPTER XXII The Argument Parts and Analysis THe Heavenly Citie he further commendeth by the River of living water running through it and by the tree of Life allwayes bearing fruit and standing in the midst of the street and on either side of the River Lastly by the Seat of God and the Lambe in the same as also by the happinesse and eternall glory of the Inhabitants thereof At length hee concludes the whole Prophesie by a short recapitulation of the things hitherto spoken and by the commendation of much profit thence flowing unto the godly as also by establishing the inviolable Authority of this Booke The Parts therefore are two THe former endeth the description of the Coelestiall Citie in the first five Verses The latter is a conclusion of the Prophesie thence unto the end In the former are foure commendations of the City I. The pleasantnesse by the running River the excellency whereof he commendeth both by the purity of the waters as also by its originall ver 1. A River of water c. proceeding out of the throne c. II. The fruitfulnesse and abundance of necessaries from the tree of life whose seat or place he first describeth In the midst of the street and of either side of the River ver 2. Secondly he commends the fruit both from the abundance It beares twelve manner of fruits as also from its continuall bearing Every moneth Thirdly hee praiseth the leaves by the excellency of their effects for healing c. III. The puritie and majesty of the Citie both by removing of all corrupting causes There shall be no curse in it ver 3. Neither night or darknesse ver 5. as also by an exposition of the great majesty because it shall be the throne of God and the Lambe and because his servants shall serve this great majesty ver 3. IV. The eternall felicity of the Citizens This he sets forth by foure degrees 1. By the sight of God 2. By the name of God written in their fore-heads ver 4. 3. By divine illumination 4. By the everlasting Kingdom ver 5. In the latter part which is a very Patheticall conclusion respecting the commendation of the Prophesie three persons are brought in speaking one after another every one almost twice viz. The Angel the Lord Iesus and Iohn The Angell first commends unto Iohn the dignity of this Prophesie ver 6. And he said to me these sayings Rendring two Reasons 1. The authority of the Revealer The Lord of the Holy Prophets c. 2. The truth of the matter revealed these sayings are faithfull and from the time which must shortly bee done ibid. The Lord Iesus first promising his comming shortly commendeth the Prophesie by its saving effect Behold I come quickly Blessed is hee that keepeth c. Iohn setting down his name repeateth his error in worshipping of the Angell and the Angels forbidding him to do it ver 8.9 I John c. The Angel in the second place forbids Iohn to keep this Prophesie secret ver 10. Seale not adding a two-fold reason 1. From the certainty because the time is short ibid. 2. From a two-fold effect one hurtfull accidentary It shall provoke the wicked to wrath ver 11. He that is unjust let him be unjust the other saving and proper which shall confirme them that are righteous and holy He that is righteous c. Againe the Lord Iesus by proclaiming his comming to be at hand ver 12. Behold I come quickly commendeth the Prophesie ver 14. Blessed are they that c. by divers Arguments 1. From the end of his comming ver 12. My reward is with