to hinder the proceedings of the Gospel These six visions are not a continued prophecie of things to come which shall in such order succeed one another for most of them doe extend to the end of the world but like vnto a Tragedy wherein the fame things are diuersly acted For so what is represented in the first vision here by one appearance is represented againe againe in others by other appearances the first setting things forth more obscurely the other more plainly and this iteration is made for more assurance as Peter saw a sheet let downe from heauen three times And as in a Tragedie in euery scene there is musicke to giue the more content and to delight the mindes of the spectatours so in these visions there is singing and praising of God These visions yet doe not all of them set forth the whole period of time to the end of the world nor the same occurrences within the compasse of the same time which one setteth forth with another but one some most remarkable matters and another others happening in that time Foure of them are vniuersall containing the whole time the first Chap. 4 5 6 7. the second Chap. 8 9 10.11 the third Chap. 12 13 14. and the sixt Chap. 20 21 22. The other two are particular because they serue to set forth onely the two last parts of the whole time which is diuided into soure First containing the time of the Churches wrestling and flourishing vnder the persecutions of heathen Emperours till Constantine the great The second the time of reigning and growing corrupt till the arising of Antichrist The third the time of Antichrists oppression till the two witnesses The fourth the time of Antichrists ruine and vtter destruction And these two last times only are handled in the fourth and fifth of these Propheticall visions the one setting forth the destruction of Antichrist vnder seuen vials chap. 15 16. and the other by casting him into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone chap. 17 18 19. And thus he sheweth that Nicolaus Collado before him vnderstood these visions and S. Augustine giueth an hint of it when as he saith that S. Iohn doth repeat the same things many wayes Lib. 20. de ci◠Dei cap. 17. as was touched before The same method almost is set forth by Gorran but others take it for a continued prophesie to the end of the world of things orderly succeeding one another For mine owne part hauing seriously considered that in these foure vniuersall visions it is still ended with the end of all things the euerlasting torments of the wicked and the ioyes of the godly which end is but one so that it must needs bee granted that this is diuers times repeated I doe not see how this method of Pareus can be excepted against or any other well iustified and therfore do suscribe hereunto and wish all others well to weigh it and I doubt not but they shall finde so great light to be giuen into the ensuing Prophesie as that they will acknowledge much help to the vnderstāding of many things to be afforded euen by this method Vers 9. I hasten now to the 9. verse Quest What was this Patmos how came Iohn thither Ans It is one of the Cyclad Ilands of the Aegean sea Plin. l. 4. c. 12. thirty thousand paces in compasse according to Pliny Others contend to haue it an Iland of the Icarian sea as Strabo Strab. l. 14. others say it is the same which is now called Possidium as Munster but which soeuer it was a desolate place hauing but few inhabitants How Iohn came there is intimated here Euseb l. 1. c. 34. Ieron Catal. and by Eusebius and Ierome expressed he was banished thither by Domitian in the fourteenth yeere of his Empire Tertullian saith that hee was first taken by the Gouernour of Asia at Ephesus Lib. de praescript and sent to Rome where Domitian commanded him to bee put into boyling oyle in derision of the Christian name which is taken from oyle but comming forth againe without any hurt he was banished into this Iland from whence hee was released againe vnder Nerua and returned to Ephesus Quest What meaneth he Vers 10. when he saith he was in the spirit vpon the Lords day Answ It is agreed by all that hereby is meant that he saw not the things following with his bodily eyes but being in a transe the Spirit reuealing them to him his soule being for the time taken out of his bodie and carried away with the Lord to behold them as the old Prophets and Peter and Paul were The Lords day The Lords day was the time wherein Christ arose from death and therefore obserued amongst Christians for their holy assemblies as the Sabbath was by the Iewes And as the resurrection and appearings of Christ vpon this day so this Reuelation at the same time maketh not a little for the honouring of this day Wherefore the Apostles appointed the assembling together vpon this day 1 Cor. 16. and it hath beene euer since obserued accordingly Onely some will not haue it kept with strict resting as the Iewes were commanded of old but only with comming together to the worship of God as Beza vpon this place accounting it a bondage brought vpon Christians when strict resting was by Constantine commanded and by other Emperours after But it may plainely bee gathered both from Chrysostome and Augustine that they held a cessation then necessarie from all worldly affaires of our callings Augustine saith Serm. 251. de temp Let vs obserue the Sabbath my brethren as it was appointed of old from euen to euen and being sequestred from countrey labour and from all businesse let vs attend vpon diuine worship only Hem. 43. in 8 Cor. 16. And Chrysostome The Lords day is the root and beginning of our life and therein are vnspeakable good things it hath rest and is free from businesses And indeed the one doth necessarily imply the other if diuine worship must be attended worldly businesse must needs be laid aside Otherwise it were not only a change but an abolition of the Sabbath which is a rest And it is to be noted that when Christ would make way to the abrogating of the old Sabbath hee did not iustifie any workes but such as were of present necessitie Whereas if he had meant that the Christians afterwards vpon their Sabbaths should haue more libertie hee would doubtlesse haue done or said something to intimate that also For that which followeth Vers 11. v. 11. I shall not need to say any thing there being nothing but a preparatiue to the vision with the vtterance of the same periphrasis of our Sauiour Christ which went before and a particular nomination of the Churches before mentioned touching which it shall suffice here to know that they were the greatest Cities of Asia the lesser wherein Saint Iohn had laboured in planting the Gospell and
Note that it concerneth euery one be he learned or vnlearned to reade and studie vpon the holy Scriptures that he may not be to seeke in his answers about the doctrine of faith Hom. 16. in Iohan when he is required thereunto Chrysostome doth sharply reproue Christians that labour not for knowledge that they may vnderstand the reason of the Christian faith alleaging how Artificers will fight in the defence of their profession and the Gentiles will argue strongly for their superstition and against the Christian religion and yet hee saith that many Christians are so ignorant that they cannot giue an answer what the Trinity is what the resurrection or why Christ was incarnate at such a time And lastly he refuteth that tenent that a simple soule is blessed that is one that is ignorant and knoweth nothing Oh how contrary to this is the teaching of the Papists at this day who commend ignorance and speake against reading of the Scriptures as most dangerous CHAP. 3. VERS 18 19 c. Being put to death in the flesh but quickened in the spirit Vers 19 Wherein he went preached to the spirits in prison which had sometime beene disobedient when once the long-suffering of God waited in the daies of Noah c. As Christ was both God and man so he dyed as man Occumen in 1 Pet. 3. and as God rose againe to deliuer vs from death and corruption For he was raised by the power of his deity to shew that we shal rise againe raising vp the bodies of many that were dead also for our further confirmation herein In which he went c. Here is shewed how the benefit of his passion extended to the vniust not onely liuing but dead long before because hee had said He suffered the iust for the vniust Wherein therefore is as much as for which cause that there might redound benefit from him to such as were dead long before as well as to the liuing namely to so many as liued well and would haue beene ready to embrace the faith of Christ if hee had come amongst them hee went and preached to them that they might bee deliuerd by him And that it might appeare that there haue beene alwaies meanes of comming to faith and obedience so that the condemnation of the vnfaithfull is iust he maketh mention of Noah who was long agoe euen almost from the beginning by whom they might haue beene conuerted And hauing spoken of the Arke and those that were in it saued by the waters he applieth it vnto Baptisme for as the waters then drowned the wicked world but those that fled into the Arke were preserued so by baptisme the wicked and vnbeleeuing deuils are drowned but the faithfull are saued as water washeth away the filthines of the flesh so baptisme cleanseth the soule in a mysticall and wonderfull manner and it is called the interrogation of a good conscience towards God because they only which apply their minds to an holy life are wont to make questions and to seeke vnto God by what meanes they may be saued and so vnderstanding that baptisme is the meanes they haue recourse thereunto Christ is said to haue died once it being implied Th. Aquinas Gorran Glos Ordin that hee shall die no more against those heretikes that held that he suffered in the aire for the deuils after that he had done suffering here vpon earth and to rouze vp the secure from sinne because if now after that Christ hath suffered they liue in sinne there will be no more redemption for them Mortificatos car ne vtuificatos autem spirtus seeing Christ dieth no more That he might offer vs vp vnto God being quickened in the spirit that is either the holy Ghost or our spirit because the true Christian dieth to the flesh but liueth to the spirit In which he went that is in a spirituall manner by internall inspiration euen before that he was incarnate preaching by Noah by his Angels whom he vsed as his Mâ—nisters to declare his will in those times To those that were in prison that is of the flesh of sin errour according to that Ps 141. Take my soule out of prison in one translation therefore it is To them that were shut vp in the flesh When they expected Gods patience that is thinking that God would still with patience beare with them They were saued by the water because the water lifted vp the Arke and eight persons are mentioned as alluding to him that should rise againe the eighth day and to the time of the generall resurrection which some thinke shall be vpon the same day Baptisme is like vnto the Arke and so is tribulation through which a Christian must goe in diuers things First The Arke was made of boords hallowed so the Church consisteth of persons afflicted Secondly The Arke was of incorruptible wood so are Christians such as will not be corrupted Thirdly They that were saued in the Arke were saued by Noah signifying rest so the Church is saued by Christ Fourthly Out of the Arke none were saued so neither out of the Church Fiftly The waters being increased the Arke was borne vp higher so the Church grew greater by tribulations But the Baptisme that saueth is not any Baptisme for there is no such thing in the Iewes baptizings or in Iohns baptisme or in that of heretikes in which there is onely water but not the spirit but the baptisme vsed in the true Church wherein the Minister demandeth whether he beleeueth and renounceth the deuill c. exacting a pure conscience in him that commeth to be baptized which good conscience tendeth to God and he that comming with such a conscience is baptized Iuther in 1 Peter 3. is saued by the resurrection of Iesus Christ that is exemplariter rising from sinne to vertue as he rose againe Rom. 6. Christ is said to be put to death in the flesh when the man Christ died vpon the Crosse his naturall faculties ceasing he not liuing by meat and drinke and rest any more as is vsuall amongst men that are liuing here And he was quickned in the spirit that is was raised vp againe to a spirituall life wherein he liueth for euer both in soule and body And liuing this life now he preacheth not vocally as hee did but spiritually when his Apostles and other Ministers preach being spiritually present with them vnto the end of the world The spirits vnto which he is said to preach are they that were sometime disobedient in the daies of Noah not that they precisely are meant but such as they were for when hee preacheth in wardly to mens hearts and spirits now hee may well be said to preach to the spirits in prison because some are such as they that now are in prison were so that they are in the number of rebellious spirits to whom it is daily preached Here is therefore a Synecdoche whereby the part is put for the whole The eight
long time Some vnderstand the time of the reigne of the ten persecuting Emperours a Brightman Some precisely but ten dayes Lastly some the ten yeeres of Traians persecution who raged all that time like a Deuill till that by Pliny the second writing vnto him of the innumerable company of Christians that were put to death a cessation was obtained Yet one will haue it referred to the ten yeeres of Dioclesians persecution Fox for that lasted iust ten yeeres according to Eusebius For mine owne part I preferre that exposition of the ten persecuting Emperours euery ones time being his day and their times are said to be but ten dayes that is but a short time to comfort the faithfull in their sufferings and because with the Lord many yeeres are but as a day A long time cannot be meant because this would haue greatly discomforted them nor an vncertaine time for the comfort of the faithfull in their sufferings is that God limiteth the time of their sufferings to the very day beyond which they shall not passe For Traians time they had their persecutions as sharply repeated ouer againe after it and for Dioclesians it were much that comfort should not bee spoken to them against any before for though no persecution were so terrible yet they were all terrible enough to shake their faith had they not beene supported with this comfort that they should haue but ten such brunts and then be deliuered Touching the different title giuen to the reward here promised Vers 12. He shall not be hurt of the second death this serueth to arme them against the feare of death bodily according to the argument of the Epistle and as hath beene already touched THe third Epistle is to the Church of Pergamus The third Epistle contained in six verses 12 13 14 15 16 17. wherein their constancy in the faith is commended and the following of the doctrine of Balaam condemned with an admonition to repent vnder paine of being stricken with his sword and incouragement to ouercome by the hidden Manna and a white stone with a name written thereon promised Quest 1. Why is the Lord set forth here Vers 12. as hauing a sharpe two-edged sword Answ Because as all agree he is to deale with rebels against the truth whom hee threateneth to cut off with the sword One hath a conceit vpon the name Pergamus signifying the diuision of hornes Gorran because Heretikes haue two hornes to push at the truth one is the wresting of the Scriptures the other is their sophistry in arguing against which a two-edged sword is opposed Quest 2. What is meant by Satans throne Vers 13. which he saith was there and who was Antipas his faithfull Martyr Answ I omit to speake any thing of the Angell of this Church because I finde nothing said of him who it should be Satans throne according to most argueth the height of impiety and sin and his dwelling the continued course hereof and withall the outward eminency of this place For the seat of the persecuting Emperors is called afterwards the throne of the dragon Chap. 13.2 and of the Deuill and Satan Chap. 12.9 so that it may hence be gathered that Pergamus was a royall city and so it was indeed for it was the seat of Attalus Philometor a king after that of the Roman Proconsuls Liu. Decad. 4. l. 7. And most notoriously sinfull this city was for it was giuen to idolatry according to Arethas more than any city in Asia Antipas as Arethas thinketh was a Pastour of that Church burnt to death in a brazen bull for the profession of the Christian religion whereby they could not yet be made to shrinke But God still had a Church there and why not then in the midst of Popery If it be obiected if there were any many yeeres agoe it was inuisible so as this Church was not I answer it might be so indeed and yet true that there was such a Church as in the dayes of Elias but it was not so inuisible but that the Antichrist of Rome could finde them out in all ages to put them to martyrdome Quest 3. What is meant by holding the doctrine of Balaam Vers 14. Thou hast there such as hold the doctrine of Balaam Answ Here is not onely made mention of Balaam but vers 15. of the Nicolaitans also which whether it be a taxation of two vices or of one diuersly expressed some make question But it is most likely by the manner of speaking Parous that it is onely declared by this circumlo quution wherein the wickednesse of the Nicolaitans did consist which was before passed ouer in silence After the maner of Balaam they were Authors to the Christians of eating things offered to idols and of fornication for so the sequele of the History of Balaam doth declare Num. 22.23 24. that he aduised Balaak to set faire women to call the Hebrewes to their idolatrous feasts and thence to luxury For this doth so necessarily append vpon the other that Ierome hath rightly said Venter vino aestuans citò despumatin libidinem Vicina sunt venter genitalia pro vicinitate membrorum sequitur confoederatio vitiorum Vers 17. The bellie boiling with wine doth soone seeth ouer into lust And againe The belly and the genitals are neere together and therefore through the vicinitie of members followeth a confederation of vices Quest 4. Why is eternall blisse here propounded vnder the name of hidden Manna and a white stone two names or two wayes when as other Epistles propound but one Answ Most Expositors obserue three wayes of setting forth the reward here the hidden Manna the white stone and the name written in it vnknowne to any saue to him that hath it But they may well come vnder two because this name is comprehended in the second For the diuers rewards named more than in other Epistles before going the like course is vsed also in the three Epistles next following but I finde nothing by Expositors obserued hereupon but onely that this is spoken according to the necessity of these Churches being more oppressed by the wicked aduersaries and so hauing more temptations where almost all were enemies Whereunto if we adde that more is here spoken for the amplifying of the benefit promised we shall attaine to the full reason of this variety More particularly the reward is compared to hidden Manna that is the pot of Manna kept in the Arke for a monument of what God had done for the Israelites in feeding them miraculously in the wildernes with Manna when other food falled it is said to be hidden because the people might not looke into the Arke to see it Exod. 16.33 Heb. 9.4 To this Manna it is alluded here because as that was ministred vnto the people of Israel in the wildernesse so they were preserued when in mans reason they must needs haue perished for want of food so the
follow that it is a vaine thing to search into these mysteries wheras we are in sundry places commanded and incouraged so to doe The third is absurd because they enter into heauen who goe thither in soule as all the godly doe continually whensoeuer they depart out of this life The fift is too particular in applying this entring to the Iewes and both fift and seuenth too much strained in making the smoke a signe of obscurity for as these plagues shall be executed certainly we shall be more enlightened in the mysteries of God here set forth Note Note that the world is deceiued in their common tenent that they can repent when they list let them consider this example and tremble taking time before the smoke of Gods anger for their persisting in sinne become so great that not one of them can enter his Temple The Israelites hardened themselues Heb. 3. wherefore God sware that they should neuer enter into his rest no more shall they that now harden themselues in hope of turning afterwards soone enough to obtaine mercy Againe see a reason why now a long time the proceedings of the reformed religion hath beene almost at a stand little ground more being gained of the Papals It was thus appointed to bee in the purpose and decree of God long agoe whilst the vials are powring out against the Papacy none can enter the Temple But the time shall come when that all these vials being emptied the nations shall thicke and threefold be brought in with vs to worship God aright CHAP. XVI AND I heard a great voyce out of the Temple Vers 1 c. saying to the seuen Angels Goe and powre out your vials of the wrath of God vpon the earth And the first went and powred out his viall vpon the earth Quest 1 c. What are the plagues here figured out and at what times are they or shall they be executed Answ Some hold that the iudgements of God vpon the world for sinne euer since the time of the Gospell Napier are here figured out in seuerall ages 1. From the yeere 71. to 316. when the Roman Empire was iudged diuers wayes 2. From 316. to 561. when the seat of the Empire being translated to Constantinople it was left as a prey to the Gothes 3. From 561. to 806. when Mahumetisme ouerspred the world and became a great plague vnto it 4. From 806. to 1051. when contentions were rife about images and men blasphemed calling them Gods that were no Gods 5. From 1051. to 1296. when Zadock an Emperour of the Turkes inuaded the Roman Empire more and more to the great astonishment of those that were of this Empire 6. From 1296. to 1541. in which time was Ottoman the great Turke who wan Constantinople comming from Euphrates and then by the solicitation of agents on both sides said here to be vncleane spirits they were stirred vp to fight many battels both they of the Popish and of the Mahumetan religion 7. From 1541. to 1791. when all shall either be Papists Protestants or Neutrals being diuided into three parts and in this age the world shall end And thus they parallel these seuen vials with the seuen trumpets before going Others not much differing for they referre these plagues also to this large space of time by the first vnderstand the great Fox plague vpon the heathen persecutors in the dayes of Gallus and Volusianus which was a little before the ten yeeres persecution by Dioclesian By the second and third the destructions of heathen Emperours by violent deaths being as the sea and of subordinate powers vnder them being as riuers By the fourth that extraordinary heat of the Sunne in the campe of Antoninus Philosophus the Emperor about an 162. in his expedition against the Marcomanni when his whole army hauing beene oppressed herewith by the space of fiue dayes together and now ready all to perish a great showre of raine was obtained by the twelfth legion being full of Christians By the fift the ruinating of the Roman Empire by the Gothes Vandals c. By the sixt the iudgements which came vpon the world by the Turkes and Tartarians before figured out vnder the sixt trumpet after which all ioyne together against the truth the Dragon which is the Deuill the beast which is the Pope and the false prophet who is the Mahumetan for though one of these is against another yet in this they ioyne all together that they persecute Christ in his members Iudg. 5.19 But they assemble together none otherwise than Iabin and Sisera did at Megiddo that is to their owne destruction in the end By the seuenth the end of all things Neither of these expositions can stand because the first of these plagues is inflicted vpon such as beare the marke of the beast as is expresly said vers 2. Wherefore they must needs haue all reference to the latter times after that Antichrist had long tyrannized and compelled men to beare his marke putting to death all that refused so to doe Others therefore more rightly apply these plagues vnto the times since that Antichrist began to be discouered by men zealous for the truth of God But yet in the particular declaration of themselues they differ much one from another Some by the first plague vnderstand the French pox the beginning whereof is noted to haue beene ann 1494 in the Neopolitan warre made by the French and Spanish Bullinger by meanes of an whore in their army with this loathsome disease especially the Friers and Nuns of France are plagued who are such infest enemies against Matrimony By the second the pestilence which is caused by the corruption of waters and aire By the third the chiefe Doctors of the Romish religion who are compared to riuers of bloud because such incendiaries of war in all parts of Christendome By the fourth some great drought breeding feuers and hot diseases in mens bodies the cōmon effect whereof is to make them outragious By the fift the obscuring of the glory of the Popish religion by the arising of the light of the truth that being now detested as full of errours abominable which before drew all men vnto it as most venerable By the sixt the taking away of the profits of the Roman Sea which were wont to come from the countreys round about whereby it shall be made weake and feeble and so be quite ouerthrowne by the professours of the truth who are meant by the Kings of the East for they are said to be Kings and Priests vnto God and as Euphrates was to Babylon so the Popes rich reuenues are a defence to his Sea Against this plague the Pope bestirreth himselfe sending out his Legats which are said to bee three euill spirits like frogs because they are euer croaking in the eares of kings and princes of the earth to moue them to warre for the defence of holy Church and they are three that is a full number likely to
wanne Constantinople and made it the seat of his Empire seeking to draw the world of people which came vnder his iurisdiction from Christ vnto the impostour Mahomet which was ann 1300. And when corruptions in the Church being long in hatching were growne to that height that they which were seduced by them might as well be counted to be deceiued by the Deuill as the Gentiles of old were seeing the like idolatries with images Masses and Crucifixes were daily committed and a Queene of heauen was also set vp the blessed Virgin Mary c. which was also about the same time as I haue shewed more at large in my booke called An Antidote against Popery pag. 66. Since that time the Deuill hath notoriously raged againe by the Turkes in the East and the Pope in the West but for our comfort it is called but a short time wherein they shall thus proceed and then by the finall iudgement they shall all be cut off and receiue according to the deserts It is not to be taken for a short time according to man but according to the diuine phrase directed thus for consolation it being indeed but a short time with the Lord though in our account it be long 324. yeeres being already past since and God knoweth how long this rage shall yet endure If it be obiected that it seemeth contradictory in it selfe to hold that the Deuill was imprisoned and at the same time Antichrist his great Lieutenant was in the world the Pope and Turke it must be considered that their beginnings were so slender both of the Turke for want of that power and of the Pope whose mystery of iniquity was long in comming to a full height as it seemed not good vnto the Spirit of God to point at their first beings through the instigation of Satan but at such a state as wherein Satan might euidently appeare to haue broken out of hell againe to abuse the world as hee did in the time of Heathenisme Quest 2. And I saw thrones and them that sate vpon them c. Who are they which are said here to sit vpon thrones Vers 4. and to haue the iudgement committed vnto them What is the liuing againe of those that were slaine for the truth and their reigning with Christ a thousand yeeres and when shall this time be Who are the rest of the dead that arise not till after these thousand yeeres expired Vers 5. And why is this called the first resurrection and they pronounced blessed that haue part in it are there any more resurrections than one or are they only blessed that suffer death for the truth And are all the rest of the dead without this blisse Bullinger Pareus Arethas Answ Some will haue those that sate vpon thrones and had iudgement giuen vnto them to be all one with the soules spoken of immediatly after for these soules liue and reigne with Christ a thousand yeeres which is all one with sitting vpon thrones and hauing iudgement giuen vnto them for it is written Giue thy iudgements O Lord vnto the King because he that sitteth vpon the throne is wont to iudge and to haue the power of iudging from God is to rule and reigne They vnderstand this therefore of the glorified estate of the soules of the faithfull who either suffered vnder the heathen Emperors or in this time of a thousand yeeres For being considered altogether as one mysticall body they may bee said to reigne a thousand yeeres though some of them came so late into this blissefull condition as that they were not therein aboue a hundred fifty twenty or ten yeeres before the expiration of this time As a man may say of any family to which an estate hath remained from generation to generation fiue hundred yeeres this hath beene their inheritance fiue hundred yeeres though some of them came not to it till twenty or ten yeeres agone And it is to be noted that not they onely who suffered death came within the compasse of this number but also all those that keepe themselues in the midst of Popish corruptions vndefiled with them for it is added and whosoeuer haue not worshipped the beast nor his image c. For that which is further added the rest of the dead liued not againe till the thousand yeeres were expired Vers 5. They vnderstand it in a spirituall sense of all that were corrupted in religion that were void of true grace for they which are so are dead and these liue not againe till the thousand yeeres ended that is neuer for though they shall liue againe yet they shall not liue as the liuing of the faithfull is spoken of in ioy and glory for onely such as haue part in the first resurrection are thus blessed and happy that is they which receiue the truth into honest and beleeuing hearts and cleaue to it not hauing any tang of the leauen of the common corruptions in religion Some others agreeing in this Brightman Forbs that the soules here spoken of are they that sit in thrones yet differ in the exposition of this their sitting and liuing and reigning for they apply all to liuing and reigning by grace and cleaning to Christ in the acknowledgement and profession of his truth for this is truly to liue and reigne with Christ though outwardly they were poore despised and persecuted seeing by grace wee are made to sit together in heauenly places but withall they say that the flourishing estate of the Church is here set forth in this time the Deuill being put downe in remouing the rule and dominion from Heathen to Christian Emperours in whose time the soules of such as suffered in the dayes of the Heathen are said to liue and reigne because they were honourably esteemed of and reuenge was now in some part taken vpon their aduersaries And of these one in particular viz. Brightman seemeth to hold that the thousand yeeres here spoken of are a different time from the former thousand yeeres beginning soone after ann 2300. for he saith that of them three hundred yeeres are now expired And Pareus maketh mention of some that held the same Others expound this sitting vpon thrones Aug. de Cin. Dei lib. 20. cap. 7. Dent. of the Preachers of the word of God and Ecclesiasticall Gouernours now being lifted vp and exercising their discipline with authority Others holding two seuerall things here set forth Napier expound the sitting in thrones of the Popes dignity in the dayes of Pope Siluester ann 315. to whom Constantine the Great gaue the iudgement when he set him vp so high and his successors after him and the soules the soules of such as were by the Popes appointment afterwards put to death viz. all true hearted Christians They which stand for a different time from the thousand yeeres spoken of before are certainly in an errour because by all circumstances in the Text the time is all one For the Deuils being bound and loosed againe is also
here mentioned as the boundary of this time as it was of the former Moreouer here were a strange gap opened into an expectation of this world to last yet seuen hundred yeeres which is against all probability That exposition which referreth the thrones to the Pope cannot stand in reason for Satan being bound it is not to bee thought that his Lieutenants the Popes aduancement should be shewed but rather the aduancement of such as withstood him Neither can I subscribe to that of the glorified estate of the Saints departed vnto whom the rest of the dead are opposed who liued not againe till the thousand yeeres expired because some visible alteration is here doubtlesse set forth at the binding of the Deuill seeing otherwise the accomplishment of this Prophecy could not haue beene conceiued of by the faithfull vpon earth for their comfort when as it was without doubt set forth for this end and purpose And as for that exposition whereby these things are applied vnto the Prelates and Rulers of the Church the description of being set vpon thrones and hauing power of iudgement is too glorious to agree vnto them Wherefore I preferre that of the sensible most happy alteration in the state of the world in the dayes of Constantine the Great for then thrones were set for Christians and they had the power of iudging who before were iudged and in this time the soules of the faithfull who had beene put to death for the Christian religion in the time of persecution might well bee said to liue and reigne with Christ because they had beene set forth as lying vnder the Altar and crying for reuenge vpon those that shed their bloud Chap. 6. vers 9. all the time that the Heathen reigned And whosoeuer worshipped not the beast as they departed out of this life they had communion with them in this their erection all these thousand yeres that is the body of the Saints being considered as one but not euery particular member For they all and euery of them liued and reigned in this time of a thousand yeeres though some a longer some a shorter part of it Their liuing and reigning then here spoken of must needs haue reference to their lying and crying before mentioned and therefore as that was spoken of to set forth times of persecution without any appearance of a deliuerer that might reuenge that innocent bloud so here is nothing else set forth but a deliuerance of the Church and a putting of power into the hands of the faithfull to reuenge themselues vpon the heathen as was sometime giuen to the Iewes by thē meanes of Hester Ester 8. and Mordecai For although the soules of the faithfull did liue and reigne with Christ before mmediatly after their separation from the body yet because vnto perfect dominion it is not onely requisite to be in glory and ioy with the Lord but to haue our enemies beaten downe and destroyed they are not said to liue and reigne with the Lord till this accomplished Touching the rest of the dead who are said not to rise againe till these thousand yeeres ended I cannot thinke that it is meant of the dead in sinne and superstition who rise not till then that is neuer because they which were before spoken of are corporally dead for they were slaine and these are plainly a part of them for hee saith the rest of the dead and therefore corporally dead also I suppose then that by the rest of the dead the innumerable company of them that haue died since the beginning of the world are meant the time of whose resurrection is not to bee expected till after these thousand yeeres lest when we heare of some liuing and reigning with Christ and of thrones set and the iudgement giuen we should imagine the generall resurrection and Christs comming to iudgement to be here meant This is the first resurrection Vers 5. Vers 6. Blessed and holy is hee that hath part in the first resurrection c. This may seeme to bee plaine for a bodily resurrection maintained from this place by the Chiliasts because the liuing of the soules before spoken of being here reiterated is called a resurrection which cannot bee taken but for the rising againe of the body seeing the soule falleth not at all But it is to bee vnderstood that these words are metaphoricall and not proper the rising of the Church from vnder persecution to such an estate as wherein the truth is propagated with authority is as it were a resurrection from the dead and therefore is so called and because of the life that vniuersally came then into the world by meanes of the Gospell thus propagated it is called the first resurrection as the conuersion of the Iewes which shall be is called by the Apostle Rom. 11.15 Life vnto the world from the dead which is all one as if he had said with our Prophet here a resurrection They are said to be blessed and holy that haue part in this resurrection that is the faithfull of these times are aboue others blessed in this that they rule and reigne the world being now Christian and are not vnder the dominion of their enemies neither shall the second death seize vpon them as vpon none else that are in the like condition that is by the power of the Gospell and spirit raised vp from the death of sinne to the life of righteousnesse For of a bodily resurrection it cannot possibly be vnderstood as I haue already proued but being thus vnderstood all things will most excellently agree I saw thrones set and them that sate vpon them c. that is it was represented vnto me how in the time of Constantine the Great the faithfull should begin to rule and reigne in this world And I saw the soules c. that is and at that time it was shewed me by the altered condition of such as had giuen their liues for the truth who before were set forth as crying but now as ruling and reigning in token of an end put to those calamities and a beginning made of prosperity that the case of the Church was altered and this lasted a thousand yeeres This is the first resurrection c. that is this the faithfuls being aduanced to rule and reigne here being a meanes to conuert so many millions in all parts to the truth is as it were a generall resurrection going before that at the last day against which they are well prepared that haue their part in this by being quickened in grace for the second death shall neuer seize vpon such but they shall reigne with Christ a thousand yeeres by the prosperous and flourishing estate which the Church enioyeth here and afterwards for euer by being actually possessed of the kingdome of heauen in body and soule for euermore Note Note that the onely way to be safe from euerlasting destruction in hell is by making a resurrection before the last resurrection that is a resurrection vnto grace