Christ is notable in defeÌ„ding the Ministers of this Church He is even as mighty a keeper faithfull maintainer of all his faithfull servants in what place of the earth or what time soever they hav bin or shall be yet in some certeÌ„ both places and times he manifesteth himselfe more clearly to the world an aveÌ„ger than every wherin other as appeareth both in this city and antitype As touching the city Paul who planted the faith there first how many adversaries found he there J will abide saith he at â—phesus till Pentecost for a great doore and effectuall is opened to mee and the adversaries many 1 Cor. 16.9 Yet we reade not that any calamity came unto him He was beaten elswhere and stoned left for dead but here Demetrius stirring up the workemen against him he that holdeth the starres in his right hand not onely kept Paul free from all evill but also Caius Aristarchus Alexander pacifying the tumulte by the prudence of the towne clarke Act. 19. The same hand shielded Tychichus and Timotheus the Angels afterwards of the same Church Ephes 6.21 1 Tim. 1.3 And no lesse the Elders the ordinary Bishops of the Church whom Paul called to Miletum to give them his last farwell At length Iohn came to the same place and there abode many yeares stablishing all the neighbour Churches Neither did the rage of the tyrant proceede to his death but at length returning from banishement he dyed quietly in this city The power of the mighty and starre bearing hande gave such safety to his servants The like power also shined forth in preserving the Pastours through the whole time of the first Church An huge number indeede of the faithfull were slaine dayly but this is mervailous that in the opinion of meÌ„ it being necessary that the name of Christ should be extinguished utterly much more the Pastours against whom the Tyrants raged most of all there was made dayly so greate increase that it was spoken then commonly and truly That the blood of the Martyrs is the seed of the Church But Christ walketh among the candlestickes as often as he giveth a manifest proofe of himselfe being present and regarding diligently all thinges which perteine to the salvation of the faithfull In what city gave he a shew of more plentifull grace favour than in Ephesus wherto for teachers he gave Paul Apollos Tychicus Timotheus Iohn the Apostle besides many other Apostolicall men And where or when was Christ more manifestly conversant in the earth since his ascension into Heaven then in those first times untill about Constantine He did enrich so abouÌ„dantly the Church with all giftes he pricked foreward their sluggishnes corrected their negligence rewarded their vertue so as he might seeme by himselfe to compasse every one and view their labour with his owne eyes In one the same maner he is alwayes amoÌ„g the caÌ„dlestickes neither doth he sit idly but walketh about continually cometh to visit every thâ—ng so that he hath no need of a Vicar yet because by outward arguments this is not oftentimes alike manifest to the world therfore that which is properly singularly beloÌ„ging as it were to one city time is alleaged ¶ J know thy workes A narration and first of praise And it is common to all the Epistles in the beginning of the narration to professe that he knoweth certenly and tryeth every Angels workes Therefore neither shall reward be wanting at any time to vertue nor iust punishement to naughtines And as even now I have put in minde of a Vicar how wickedly serviceable are they who arrogate to themselves as an absolute lord the power over their felow servants seeing he throughly knoweth all things and is not in vaine conversant among the candlestickes The praise of the Ephesine Angell respecteth either his office in this verse or his vertue against outward evils ver 3. His office consisteth either in administring the worde and those things which are wont to accompany it usually the Sacraments and prayers or in exercising of discipline As touching that he saith I know thy labour and thy patience For the paines which is bestowed in preaching the word because it is laborious and full of troubles griefes is wont to be called labour in the scriptures as we pray you brethren that yee as knowledg them that labour among you c. 1 Thes 5.12 And they are worthy of double honour especially they that lâ—bour in the word doctrine 1 Tim. 5.17 But patience as a necessary companion must be adioined unto the labour of teaching which the Spirit sheweth saying and thy patience As also Paul The servant of God must not fight but must be gentle toward all men apt to teach suffering the evill men teaching them with meekâ—nes that are contrarie minded 2 Tim. 2.23.24 Therefore this Church was famous in the faithfulnes and diligence of teaching Beholde the example of Paul who by the space of three yeares daie and night ceased not to admonish everie one with teares Act. 20.31 Doe thou also coniecture from those godly Bishops who loved Paul so grealy whom also he againe loved no lesse Act. 20.37.38 Afterward minde Iohn and the rest But a matter that is cleare needeth not many wordes As touching her Antitype the matter is even as evident they did never more faithfully give themselves to teaching That Monster was not yet borne that anie should be Pastour that doth not feede at all Or that one should sit in the chaire of the teacher who as dumme should be sleepy distracted with other businesses There was then no Bishop who had the office of teaching who taught not most diligentlie Even also at Rome where it behoved that the mystery of iniquity should spring up betimes they ceased not as yet from this office The Pastor everie Lords daie at the least did plainelie and clearlie expounde those things which were read out of the bookes of the Apostles and Prophets then also he did admonish and exhort that they would folow those thinges which being holy and good they had heard rehearsed Iustin Apolog. 2. The same thing testify Clemens Origenes Tertullian Cypriam But the matter is so cleare and manifest as the contrary therto to be done at this day ¶ And that thou canst not beare the wicked Such was the care of teaching the maner of their Discipline was no lesse pure and sounde Which first is universallie set downe of what sorte it was toward all the wicked afterward speciallie what it was toward the clergie that I may so speake in the next words and hast tried them which saie they are Apostles c. The generall discipline did not tolerate men in any sorte living wickedly and with the offense of others but according to the manner of their faulte did rebuke either privately or before many if private admonition profited nothing then also at last it did debarre them from holy things if they would not obey them that
quite away before his times speaking of the Elders at length inferreth most clearly Whereupon saith he both the Synagogue and also afterward the Church had Elders without whose counsell nothing was done in the Church Which by what negligence it is growen out of use I know not unlesse peradventure by the slouthfulnes or rather pride of the teachers while they alone will be thought to be somwhat upon the 1. at Tim. chap. 5. He was not long after that time which we call the Primitive Church Yet he so speaketh as though some ages before his time this wholesome custome had bin abolished Which thinges doe clearly shew how in the later times the first love waxed cold altogether and at length went to nothing 5 Remember from whence thou art fallen Such was their sinne the remedie coÌ„sisteth of three members a iust consideration of their fall repentance and redressing of the discipline Which all together are required unto amendement and in the same order in which they are rehearsed Because we fall by little little we perceave not almost into how deep a pit we are fallen but let us looke back to the high toppe from whence we are fallen and we shall mervayle at the low gulfe in which we ly Wherupon he warneth that he minde from whence he was fallen Neither is it enough to perceive that we are fallen but very quickly we must get out of the gulfe by repentance He adioineth therfore repent But many doe deceave themselves and thinke that they have repented well when in very deed they have done nothing lesse Therefore last of all he requireth that the first workes be done For then thou shalt prove thy repentance iust if it shall bring forth true holines of workes and either shall returne to the first love if it were sincere or shal increase the same by adding a greater vnto it But why doth he require instantly the first workes especially in the Antitype which conteineth the space of about three hundred yeares Would he that the Church that was spred farre abroad and encreased with an innumerable multitude of citizens should returne againe to their cradell Or whether will he that there should be the same reason and respect of the whole eâ—rth which is of one city Now also it was nigh when the Church should have a Christian Magistrate Constantine being about to come straite way to the Empire and governement of the world What need should they then have of that former ancient discipline It was meet peradventure that Christ had waited for a little time and had not urged so earnestly the first beginnings of which there should be no use in shart time But these are the dreames of such as are sicke of a fever He that knoweth what is most fit for his Spouse requireth earnestly the first workes after so many yeares after the dispersing of his Church in so many places he willeth that shee labour againe in the word and that shee punish wicked men with the Ecclesiasticall Discipline He knew that the order appointed by him should fit aswell Provinces as Cities neither should hinder any whit the civill administration but further and adorne the same above all From hence then let us learne that that first governemeÌ„t is coÌ„mon to all times and places Neither to be permitted to mens pleasure to folow the way that they will but that alway in reforming the Church we must have recourse to the first beginnings unto which rule must be recalled whatsoever erres from the right way and not to frame it according to the corruption of the following Churches ¶ Or else I will come against thee quickly The threatning putteth to spurres and stirreth up the feeble strength of the remedy Often times the feare of perill prevaileth more with men then the hatred of wickednes He threatneth that he will come quickly and remove the candlesticke out of his place But what need is there that he should come who walketh in the middes of the candlestickes He dwelleth not among his as a revenger but as a brother defender from whence as often as he must take punishement he putteth on a new person and forme in which he appeared not before and is said to come from another place and to seeme now another from him whom before time they did know In the Greeke it is J will come to thee for against thee Now to remove the candlesticke out of his place is to take away the truth and dignity of the Church Which though it be not noted expressely by the Historiographers yet we may not doubt but that according to this coÌ„minatioÌ„ Ephesê° lost a while after the forme honour of a Church I coÌ„teÌ„d not about the name of a Church which I know shee have retained for many ages but for the first puritie by which alone God measureth a holy Church and not by coloured and naked names Much lesse is the candlestick to be understood of the Episcopall dignitie as the Iesuite would have it which wee reade to have continued from those times eight hundred yeares at least Therefore this candlestick was not quickly removed Did the Angel peradventure repent It is not likely seeing in the Antitype it is certen that that folowed in a shorte time which is threatned here to come to passe For the Angels proceeding in negligence as we have learned from those thinges which have bin before spoken Christ tooke out of mens sight the first golden candlestick by taking away his most holy ordinances of which the world was most unworthy on which the primitive Church was founded by himselfe and by his Apostles For there was a new face of things when Constantine came there remained yet the desire of preaching in the Bishops but the doctrine was fowlly contaminated in many points Reliques begaÌ„ to be in reckoning Temples to be adorned more magnificently all kinde of superstition to increase besides the pride of the teachers as a little before Ambrose have taught spoiled the Church of a necessarie helpe to rule their maÌ„ners In stead whereof Ecclesiasticall dignities were encreased all things being curiously sought out more for pompe then for truth And while men gave themselves to thinges of this nature the golden Candlestick which among the candlesticks did obteine worthyly the chiefe praise was removed out of his place This shall be more cleare then the light at noone day in the rest of the booke In the meane time let men see how evill they provide for themselves and the truth which thinke every thing right which they reade to have bin used in those times Rather let them goe to the entire age in which the candlesticke stoode in his place which after it was set in an other place the same was overwhelmed with darkenes neither could he give light to others 6 But this thou hast c This also availeth to quicken their carefulnes they might have bin proude of their present happines as though their owne godlines had procured it
unto Gregorie the seaven noe Pope reigned but grealy famous in this impiety Can any doubt where the Devill hath his Throne placed when he shall see so many Necromancers clothed in purple sit at Rome Rome therefore is Pergamus and not onely the city of Rome but the whole Romane dition as farre as the Dominion of the Romane Bishop did extende As long as this tyranny flourished in all those places subiect unto it there was the Seate of the Pergamen Church And they that keepe the name of Christ are the faithfull dispersed at that time in every place who not discouraged with the Romane tyranny reteyned firmly in the meane tyme the fouÌ„de doctrine of which sorte were many in the East in Africa in our Britanny and in other places yet rather apparent or manifest man by man then notable in any whole assemblyes For now was the time of the Church lying hidde as after shal be shewed more fully chap. 7. and 11. and 12. Antipas was slaine when about the yeare eight hundreth it began to be a matter worthy death to resist the Romane Bishop For beholde what a most fit name the Spirit giveth to the Pergamen Martyr He is called Antipas not with a feigned but true name which yet by almost so many letters syllables should declare that the Martyrs of this time should be Antipapes not that twoheaded or threeheaded Hydra whose heads should contend one with another for the Papacy but who should oppose themselves against these sacrilegious Popes desyring that that wicked power should be brought into order Of which sorte were Leo Isaurus killed after a sorte by Gregory the 2. when he was by him spoiled of the Empyre of the East Frederick Barbarossa was vexed with all maÌ„ner of iniuries The Bishop Florentine of lesse fame was condemned for teaching that Antichrist was come A certen man called Arnulphus or as others write Arnoldus was hanged at Rome because he had spoken boldly against the Pope Cardinals and Priests Gerardus Dulcimus Navarenses burnt alive with thirty others because they preached that the Pope was Antichrist and many others of which it were to long to make a catalogue neither is it my purpose The godly reader may coniecture from the Decrees which are found in the Right of Bishops how many Antipes or rather Antipopes were killed in this PergameÌ„ state The first of which is He that goeth about to take away the privilege of the Church of Rome given of the very higest head of all Churches he doubtlesse falleth into heresy and is to be called an Heretique Dist 22. All or the Patriarches againe Let him become Anathema with God which violateth the censure of the Romane Bishops Caus 25. q. 1. generall decree To which adde They are not homicides who through zeale of the mother Church are armed against excommunicats Caus 23. q. 5. Of the killers of excommunicats From which consider with thy selfe seeing the good will of the Romane whore hath bin alway the same even also before that these lawes were made how many Antipes have bin killed of the same after shee had gotten some power Yet many even in those times kept the truth faithfully so farre as it was revealed unto them for which cause a more glorious crowne is layed up for them 14 But I have a few things against thee The other part of the narration wherein the Angell is reproved for his too much gentlenes toward the wicked From whence it came to passe that this Church was infected with the doctrine of Balaam in this verse and the Nicolaitanes in the next There was but one plague of the Nicolaitanes in the Church o Ephesus unto this is added also Balaam Whose fornication which he taught had not respect so much to the defiling of the body as to the violating of godlines by Idolatry Which double corruption is so distinguished that the doctrine of Balaam is proper to the Antitype although it be rehearsed in the former place the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes to the type to wit of the very city Pergamus As towching that most fitly is the Pope of Rome in those first times compared to Balaam a secret hypocrite of great authority with Kings ready to any thing for lucre sake uttering some true oracles but as a diviner and man of the Ethnike superstition perswading the worship of Images to ConstaÌ„tine and Jrene Augustes as it may be seen in the Synodicall Epistle sent unto them as Balaam to the King Balaac that he would entise the Israelites beautifull women being â—et before them to offer sacrifices to Baal Pehor Num. 31.16 Nowe therefore wee see why BalaaÌ„ was reserved to this place to wit that he might signify his true afspring the Pope of Rome as like his father as one egge an other He in these times which we have spoken of should treade the Church under feete But this was the sinne of the Pergamen Angell that he suffered too favourably men to draw of the dregges of this false Prophet It was his duty to have bin instant in teaching admonishing reprooving correcting if peradventure the contagioÌ„ might had bin stayed that it should not spread further abroad Of which when the godly were some thing to negligent handling to geÌ„tly this man of sinne and halting or somewhat fayling as cometh to passe in a comon corruption gave occasion to the overseer of Churches both to contende with them and also at length to punish that estate And who knoweth not how tenderly and mildly they which embraced the trueth in those times touched in speaking or writing the Romane Tyranny They should had thundred against it most vehemently and spared noe sharpnesse of wordes but we shall finde that the Angell in this point performed not his duty But how then had he but a few thinges against the Angell seeing the whole state of the Church was so greatly corrupt Wonderfull is the gentle entreating of our God He requireth but a few thinges of theÌ„ to whom he giveth fewe The greater their corruption was so much the lesse he exacteth He requireth not so great ability of him that liveth in darknes as of them round about whom the cleare light shineth ¶ That they should eate of those thinges which were sacrificed to Idols that is being present at the worship of Idols should give honour to them Otherwise if any thing offerred to Jdols were solde in the shambels and the offence of some weake brother hindred not any man might well eate of it 1 Cor. 8. c. But the Spirit seemeth with good advisement to have spoken rather of eating that which is offered to Idols then of worshipping the Idoll that he might shewe the crafty and subtill way of this Balaam in provoking and alluring men to Idolatry It seemeth not so ungodly a thing to men to eate flesh sacrificed to Idols as to fall downe at the feete and give adoration to the Image Therefore this Balaam would endevour to winne men to his
that the fal of the world and time of Antichrist is at hand Ierom in his Epistle to Ageruchia concerning Monogamie saith He that did hold is taken out of the way and doo we not understand that Antichrist is neer Also Gregory lib. 4. Epist 38. All things foretold are come to passe the King of prid is neer For if Antichrist were neer thirteen hundred yeres agoe or a thousand at the least as is evident by these testimonies how can it be that he is not yet come You answer that the ancient Fathers were deceived with opinion that the worlds end was neerer than in deede it was and that therfore Antichrist was then neer in false opinion not in very deed Wherunto I say If the ancient Fathers had grounded their sentence upon the persuasiō onely of the worlds end it must needs have been as they erred in this so also they had erred in Antichrist but seing they persuaded themselves so by other arguments and gathered not so much that Antichrist was neer because the end of the world was at hand as that the worlds end was at hand because Antichrist was neer needs must that be firm and stable which they avouched of this thing unlesse beside that vain opinion you can prov the other reasons also to be light But it is manifest by their words that they had suspicion of the worlds end by Antichrists coming not contraryweise For Ierome reasoneth from the impediment taken away that Antichrist was neer He that held saith he is taken out of the way and doo we not understand that Antichrist is neer Gregorie by the fulfilling all things that were foretold than which what can be a more certayn argument And you confesse that al the ancients minding the evilnes of their times suspected that Antichrists times were at hand They did not therfore upon suspicion of the end conclude of Antichrist For the last end is never made a signe of things going before but the things that goe before are determined to be signes of the last end The end seing it is the last and the most unknown even to the Angels in heaven and to the Son of man himselfe Mark 13.32 can give no fore-perceiving of things that are before more known By sure argumēts therfore they knew that Antichrist was at hand but that which they joyned therto of the last end relyed but upon an unsure humane conjecture They had received from Clemens Alexandrinus Strom. lib. 1. a false Chronologie of five thousand seven hundred foure skore foure yeres two moneths and twelve dayes past from Adam unto the death of Cōmodus the Emperour Therunto was added an opinion of the worlds durance six thousand yeres wherupon Cyprian in the preface de exhort Martyr saith the six thousand yeres are now almost fulfilled since the Divil impugned man And Lactantius lib. 7. cap. 25. Divinar Institut All exspectation seemeth to be more than of two hundred yeres Add unto these the conjecture of the worlds speedy end after Antichrists coming and then it will easily appear that great difference ther is between those things which are handled of Antichrist and of the end of the world The first they had found out by many Prophesies and undoubted signes the later they did persuade themselves by some likelyhood of truth and the infirme authority of men The like we doo see in Christs disciples which exspected as we knowe a temporal Kingdome Yet when they preached that Christ was come that the Kingdome was thē to be restored to Israel should any which saw not the Kingdom restored disanull their faith touching Christs coming surely he should doo them wrong For that Christ was come they knew by most sure arguments which could not deceive but their opiniō of the temporal Kingdom they drew from the dreggs of the common error Even so the ancient Fathers understood by true signes from the Scriptures that Antichrist was at the dores but that which they affirmed of the last end was of their own should not diminish the credit of that wherwith it is joyned Therfore you have not escaped by this your answer but by the sentence of the ancient Fathers it remayneth firm and stedfast that Antichrist is come and therfore it was not for nought that the Bishop of Florence one of your owne men openly avouched five hundred yeres agoe that Antichrist was then come to stop whose mouth the Councel of Florence was gathered But you thought it better that the fame of this Coūcil should rather come ūto posterity than that the acts therof should come unto their knowledge As touching the later men in the first place you mention the Samosatenians of Hungary whith whom I wil have nothing to doo Whatsoever they think or think not is al one to me until they return unto soundnes of mind The other learned men have a threefold difference Illyricus Chytraeus and Luther make Antichrists coming to be about the yere of our L. 500. Bullinger at the yere 763. Musculus about the yeere 1200. Surely the second rising of the Beast in whose territories they remayned did cast so strong a smel to those prudent men that they could retch their minds to no further thing even as hownds which when they fal upon the denn of the wild beast doo run with ful course and cry not senting anie more the several footsteps Therfore for the most part they transfer unto this second rising the things which belong to the first and bring in here some other things that are not to the purpose Neverthelesse this light aberration of the time of his rising taketh not away his rising but by their voices and cryes we know that Antichrist is though the moment when first he began to be was hidd from them Let us therfore run through your answers unto every of them that you may perceive how they have not so much erred as your selfe have laboured in vayn in oppugning their judgements Secondly therfore you encounter with Illyricus who saith Antichrist was thē born when Phocas grāted to the Bishop of Rome that he should be caled Head of the whole Church which fel out in the yere 606. You answer that he was not born at this time for two causes first because Antichrists temporal reign of 666. yeres which Illyricus would have to begin at that arising should now long since be ended and Antichrist should be dead Secondly that by his spiritual reign which Illyricus wil have to be of 5260 yeres the Centurie writers might exactly know the end of the world contrary to our Lords words Acts. 1. Mat. 24. I answer unto the first It is a foolish thing which you gather of Antichrists death at the end of 666. yeres when you see they give unto him a spiritual reign of 1260. yeres Can any one reigne 594. yeres for so many is this reign proroged beyond the temporal after he is dead But perhaps your spiritual Pope hath no more vital life without
marchandise not so much by sea as by land from whence they are called the marchants of the earth Furthermore these are the Peres and great men of the earth ver 13. in a higher place and honour then they which sell marchandise Last of al we shal see that the soules also of men are amoÌ„g the wares of these men ver 13. which by no meanes wil not suffer us to stick to the proper nature of the words Therfore certaine common marchants are not here to be minded although these also shall suffer great losse but the stately Lords Cardinals Archbishops Popish Bishops who exercise a marchandise of soules and flourish by this marchandise with the glory of Noble men For we shal see after that Rome is compared to Tyrus because she is no lesse noble a marte town of spiritual things then once Tyrus of al those things which belong to the deligts of this life as we may see in Pope Alexander of whom was this sung common Alexander sels the keyes the Altars yee Christ also First of all he had bought them then by right he may doo so But Baptista Mantuan writeth more fully not of Alexandre alone but of the whole company and daily custome of the Romish court with us are to be sold The Temples Preists Altars the Holy things the Crown The fyre Jncens the Praies Heaven God is to sell Who can desire a better furnished market Neither mayest thou think this to be the overmuch libertie of railing Poets but a iust complaint of more holy reformers Bernard saith that the sacred degrees are given unto an occasion of dishonest luâ—re and that gaine is counted godlinesse in his first sermon of the conversion of Paul Budaeus in his Pandects saith the Popes decreâ—s are not profitable for the governement of manners but I had almost said doo seeme to give authority to occupie a banke for love Ludovicus Vives on August of the Citie of God book 18. chap. 22. saith though all things almost are sold and bought at Rome yet thou mayest doo nothing without a law and rule and also of a most inviolable authority But it were an infinite thing to sayle in this sea no shore of which thou canst see howsoever thou shouldest obtaine a prosperous winde for some few dayes Such therfore are both the marchants wares Although I wil not deny the huge excesse also of things which perteine to the body by conveying wherof thither many have waxed verie rich But here chiefly the marchaÌ„dise of soules seemeth to be understood than which no science hath been more gainful now for manie ages Augustine the Monk perhaps at home of no estimation yet because he had brought the Britaines into bondage under Rome was made Archbishop of Canterbury Venefride the English man called Boniface his name being changed by this way became Bishop of Mentz and togither also Governour of the Church of Coloine Who can recken up all who have made a way for themselves to verie great dignities by this same meane Alan an English man a traitour betraying the faith his countrey Prince to the Pope deserved by this trade of marchandise to be amoÌ„g the Peeres of the earth having gained the dignitie of a Cardinals hat Yea that this trafique might not be cold whom gaine and profits moved not those the crafty whore inflamed with honours and glory The King of Spaine was made the Câ—tholike King of France the moâ—t Christian King The Swissers the Defenders of the Church and furthermore endued with two great banners both the Cappe Sword Some reward is wanting to no man to the end that they may exercise the more diligently that profitable marchandise Threefold therfore is the cause of the destruction of Rome because â—he is the mother of Idolatry the corruptresse of Kings and nations and that may be sâ—ffered no longer for her arrogancy and pride and buying selling of soules By which things this right excellent Captaine being moved shal undertake this expedition against her 4 And I heard an other voice Such is the first Angel and the Prince as it seemeth of this warre the second as an under Captaine dooth his office in counselling and exhorting But here is no mention made of the Angel but onely of a voice from heaven as though this exhortation were without an authour his name being concealed from whom it commeth For which cause we have said in the Analysis that this Angel is namelesse It is in deed an odious argument which he handleth wherupon peradventure he will conceale his name which being known would bring no profit but might procure some danger the adversaries being of so spitefull minds His speech is continued even unto the one and twentith verse so copious shal be the admonition of some faithfull man which togither with the preparation to this warreÌ„ shal be spread abroad godly and truly warning men of the present punishment of Rome Notwithstanding that which wee have spoken of his name concealed is not of such necessity as that it must needs be so seeing the like voice from heaven did shew his author as the event declared chap. 14.13 But it is likely to be true that the name is to be concealed ¶ Goe out of her my people The exhortation consisteth of two parts the first part perteineth to them which live in Babylon warning them that acknowledging at the length the filthinesse of that citie they forsake the same and depart to an other place that they would no longer for her sake expose themselves to certain destruction Wherfore some elect lie hidd yet in the dreggs of the Romish impietie whom God remembreth in the coÌ„mon destruction of the wicked He will not suffer Lot to perish togither with the Sodomits and he used the like exhortation long since to his people when the mother of this Babylon was to be razed Ier. 51.45 And this commandement shal not be made in vaine to his people to whom alone it is proper to obey his voice Therfore even as the mises perceaving before hand that the house will fall doo runne away out of their holes so they being wakened out of sleep by the Angels voice shal convey them selves by and by out of this detestable city ¶ Least ye be partakers of her sinnes For of what sinners the felowship is not forsaken their guiltines is conveyed to men Therfore he saith not that ye be not partakers of her punishments but which is farr more greevous of her sinnes This feare wil provoke and inforce them to runne away who are convinced in their consciences of the Romish wickednes 5 For her sinnes are heaped up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one following an other as chained togither at length they hav reached eveÌ„ unto heaven But if through the whole Papistical Kingdome Rome be the holy city Peters chaire which cannot erre this chained row hath suffered a great interruption which as it much exceedeth the ages of the Heathen Emperours so much the more
from Iohn to Constantine Aurelianus the rest even to the 19. of Diocletian 12. The sixt seale is opened then rage Diocletian Maximinian Hercule who finally being driven out of the Empire by the power of the Lambe for fear of him the tyrants fled hidde themselves Chap. 7. The seaventh seale first doth yeild a general patterne of the whole folowing age 1. Ther being coÌ„tention ambition heresy they trouble all things with warre they ar repressed by CoÌ„stantine the great untill he sealed up the elect provided for the faithfull being few base in that great calamity of the Church which forthwith followed â— In which dolefull time at length ther should be more prosperity then in time past a great felicity of the faithfull Chap. 8. Secondly of the same seaventh seale there is silence in heaven peace being obteined by Constantine 2. the trumpets ar prepared constantine gathereth the Nic. counsell to cutt off troubles whiâ—h therby are mor increased 6. The Angels blew at whose first blowing ther ariseth the coÌ„troversy of Consubstantiation 8. At the secoÌ„d a burning mountaine of ambition is cast into the Sea by the Decree touching the Primacie and dignitie of the Bishop 10. At the thirde a starr falleth from heaven the Arrian heresy being defended by Constance and Valence 12 At the fourth the third part of the Sunne is stricken that is the Church of Africke by the Vandales 13 The world is admonished of the neere grievous trumpets following by Gregory the great Cap. 9 1 At the fift blowing the bottomelesse pit is opened there come forth swarmes of locusts of religious persons in the West of Sarasens in the East 13. At the sixt the Turkes doe invade the world punished for the Romane Idolatrie Chap. 10.1 At which time the Turkes arise the desire of the truth is kindled in very many of the Vest 9. By whose labour Prophecy is againe restored to the earth Chap. 11.1 Preaching being restored thereis soÌ„evvhat a more full knowledge of the time past namely that the Church froÌ„ the daies of Constantine for a thousand two hundred sixtie yeares was â—idden in the secret place of the TeÌ„ple the Romanes in the meane while boasting of the holy Citie utmost Court 7. and in that in the end of those yeares the Romane Prelat would prepare warre against the Church cut the throat of the Scriptures by hâ—s Tridentine Counsell and make the same mere carkases triumphe over them for the space of three yeares an halfe tred also under foote the Saints in Germany by the power of Charles the fift which yet after three yeares and an halfe revived by them of Magdeburg and Maurice they stroke a very great feare into the enemies they overthrew the third part of the Romane dominion The Trumpets from Constantine to the yeare 1558. 15 The seaventh Angell bloweth about the yeare 1558 new kingdomes are made for Christ EnglaÌ„d Ireland Scotland coming to the Gospell Chap. 12. The first parte of the seaventh Trumpet as yet bringeth a fuller light of the time past the Centuries of Magdeburg being raised up The thing is repeated taught from the beginning 1. That the first Church of the Apostles was most pure but very much afflicted by the DragoÌ„ the Romane Heatnish Emperours who endevoured with all their power least there should be waie opened to any Christian to the chiefe Empire 5 That Constantine the Great the manchilde of the Church at length was borne at vvhose birth the first purity flieth into the VVildernes from the eyes of the vvorld that this Constantine did cast the Drâ—gon from Heaven the Heathnish Emperours being depulsed least againe they shoulde once beare rule in the Church 13. the hostile povver being takeÌ„ avvay froÌ„ the DragoÌ„ he persecuted the Church uÌ„der Christs name by Constance and Valence 15. And endevoured to swalovv her up flying avvaye by the overflovving of the Barbarians sent into the West 17. Which floud at length being dried up raised up the vvarre of the Saracens The first part of the seaventh trumpet of things past Ch. 13.1 The Dragon being cast out of heaven by Constantine establisheth his Vicar in the same place vvhich beast is the Romish Pope such as he did rise togither vvith CoÌ„stantine made great by the Counsell of Nice he vas vvounded by the Gothes possessing Italie vvas cured by Iustinian and Phocas also therby made greater then ever before 11. The seconde Beast is the same Romane Pope enlarged by Pipine and Charles the great vvho gave to him as a nevv birth vvherby he became most vvicked Ch. 14.1 For a thousand yeare from Constantine the Church vvas together vvith Christ hidden in most secret places but she did nothing of great fame in the vvorld 6. These thousand yeares being ended Wickliff preached the Gospell to the vvorld 8. Iohn Husse Hierome of Prage succeede vvho threatened the ruine of Rome 9. After those follovveth Martin Luther vvho very egerly setteth upoÌ„ the Romane Prelate 14. Aftervvard there is a harvest in Germany by Frederike the Saxon the other protestant Princes and free Cities 17. Also a vintage in EnglaÌ„d by Thomas Cromvvell Th. CraÌ„mer The second part of the seaventh trumpet concerning thinges to come Chap. 15. Hitherto of the first part of the seaveÌ„th trumpet of things past 1 The preparatioÌ„ of thinges to come is the seaveÌ„ Angels vvith their Viales 2 The reformed Churches disagree betvvene themselves but all triumphe for the overthrovv of the Pope of Rome 5 The Temple is opened and knovvledge increaseth the citizens of the Church are made ministers of the last plagues the end of which the nevv people of the Ievves expecteth before they come to the faith Chap. 16.1 The vials are povvred the first by our most gracious Queene Elizabeth and other Protestant Princes vvherby the vvhole flocke of Papists is full of ulcero us eÌ„vie 3. The second viale by Martine Chemnin against the Tridentine Councill vvherby the sea of the Popish Doctrine by the Iesuites the masters of the controversyes was made as it were the corrupt filthy blood of a woÌ„de 4 The third by William Cecill against the Iesuites vvhich are the welspringes of the popish doctrine so farre are our times gone The rest of the viales are to come but shortly to be povvred out 8. The fourth on the Sunne that is on the Scriptures by vvhose light meÌ„ shal be tormented shall boile in great anger and contentions 10. The fift on the citie of Rome the throne of the Beast 12. The sixt on Euphrates vvherby a vvaie shall be prepared to the Easterne Ievves that after they shall have embraced the faith of the Gospell they maie return into their ovvne countrie vvhen there shall be also a great preparation of vvarre both by the Turke against these nevv ChristiaÌ„s in the East and also in the West by the Pope 17. The seaventh on the aire wherby
For what other thing were so many skâ—rres and prints with which many Bishos were marked who after the tempest of tyrannicall persecution driveÌ„ awaie did meete in the Nicene Counsell then so many triumphant bowes of the victory gotten against the enemies Paulus Neocesariensis was bereft of the use of both his hands the sinewes being shrunke and cut by the persecutours with a whote iron Others had both their eyes put out Others their right handes cut of by the elbowe among which was Paphnutius Aegyptius In summe a man might have seen a company of famous and picked Martyrs gathered togither Theod. book 1. chap. 7. He was an Angell of an invicible courage whom so many calamities could not breake yea not bowe never so litle Now therefore if we shall gather all these things into one summe we shall see a most beautifull image of any excellent Church For beholde an Angell sparing noe trouble of his owne in the labout of teaching administring the disâ—ipline most religiously suffering none that should offende the Church with his naughtines either keeping farre away the leven of heretiques or taking it away most carefully at the very first And last of all for all these thinges undergoing boldly whatsoever the wicked enemies were able to inflict upon him Doth he in any thing need amending In nothing in deede if onely he had continued in his integritie but godlines fainteth by little and little unlesse it be kindled continually and often times a certen naked profession remaineth where all his power is utterly dead lyeth quenched as we shall see by by to have happened here As touching the wordes Montanus and the vulgar translation doe distinguish this verse otherwise also they put out and change some wordes And hast borne a burden and hast patience for my name hast not fainted So Aretas but the first words set out of order And hast patience and hast borne a burden But these readings want expresse signification which our kookes have which conioine togither burden trouble and perseverance The sentence becometh much more weake where this worde trouble is taken away 4 But I have somewhat against thee Hitherto was the praise The reprehensioÌ„ is for the leaving of their first love Of which even a light slaking had not wanted great faulte But to put of the same wholy how great wickednes For so the word thou hast left soundeth as if the Ephesine Angell were like to those widowes given to riot which Paul saith are to be condemned because they have cast awaie their first faith 1 Tim. 5.12 Although this losse of love was nothing to the heinous offence of the widowes For their Apostacy was manifest his onely a faint or rather no care and a very great negligence of godly duties the profession of the truth being kept But the Spirit speaketh of divers tymes as it appeareth from this that he saith that thou hast left thy first love and in the verse folowing biddeth them to doe the first workes FroÌ„ which it is perceaved easily of what sorte was this coldnes to it that the Angell who in the first times of the Gospell receaved faithfully executed the office of teaching observed diligently every on s maners to which forthwith he applyed a remedie by ecclesiasticall discipline afterward in the latter yeares did so languish that he was negligently occupied in the first labour permitted some of his floke to perish through ignoraÌ„ce some through the infirmity of the flesh to be carried headlong into destructioÌ„ no lawfull curing undertaken This is that love which Christ taketh grievously to be layd aside so shamefully For he sheweth that he is then truly loved when his sheepe are fed faithfully and with a syncere minde Wherto perteineth that thrise repeated commandement to Peter Yf thou lovest me feede my sheepe Ioh. 16.17 But in processe of time in this Church this fervency waxed colde or rather altogither vanished away as is manifest by the reprehension Such is our infirmity rushing a pace no lesse to the losse and destruction of spirituall life then our bodies hast continually to the graves Wherfore then is there too much cure of this none of that The Ephesians reteined an outward profession neither were any calamities able to take it from them as the former verse even now taught yet in the meane time they decayed by little and little neglecting those thinges without which true godlines cannot consist And this leaving of love seemeth to have come to passe then when Iohn had bin sent away into Pathmos Doubtlesse while he abode at Ephesus he suffered not either doctrine or discipline to decay but being at length bereft of so vigilant a watchman they fell into this detested drowsines The Bishop may be for an example although not of that city yet of a neighbour place who thorough the negligence of holy discipline suffered a certen yong man delivered to him of Iohn to be kept to become a thiefe and a robber Wherefore Iohn did worthily hit and cast in his teeth his good keeping Euseb Hist booke 3.23 But howsoever the history be silent in this matter it is certen that the Ephesine Angels fell together into shamefull negligence about these tymes Of which sort also wee finde the carelesnes of the Church growing in use by little and little In the first times while it had the Apostles for presidents and eye witnesses of all things the diligence of the Elders was fervent who did both preach the word of God faithfully and also further the godlines of their flocke carefully by discipline but at length after two hundred yeares froÌ„ Christs birth they suffered all things to waxe worse and worse by a manifest declining How began the discipline to be loosed and corrupted wheÌ„ the Martyrs Confessours gave rest to those that had falleÌ„ not onely without the Bishops counsell but also against their willes How this outragious disturbance of the heavenly rule troubled Cyprian we may see from his Epistles from whence among other causes of the incumbent persecution many of which he rehearsed at length he descendeth to this And what plagues what stripes doe we not deserve when noe not the Confessours doe keepe discipline who ought to have bin an exemple to others to good manners Epist book 4. 4. And not many yeares after Eusebius relating the condition of the Church in which it was a little before Diocletian began his persecution They saith he which were thought to be our Pastours reiecting the bond of godlines were busily occupyed in mutuall contentions among themselves These thinges onely increasing beiond measure contentions and threatnings and emulations and mutuall grudges and hatred folowing with all their might preheminence and dominion as it were kingdomes book 8. of Hist chap. 1. It must needs be that the edge of holy discipline was made blunt in wonderfull manner which was of no force to cut of such noxiour herbes But Ambrose who rehearseth that the divine rule was vanished
to them It is not so saith the Spirit but in that the punishmeÌ„t is yet witholden it cometh not of thy approved faithfulnes and diligence but of the onely mercy of God wherby he spareth that little good which thou hast yet left For as he would not have destroyed Sodome if ten good men had bin found in it so his wrath waxeth not hotte against his as long as any hope of good is remaining in them It was but a small thing therefore that letted that he should not by and by translate the candlesticke neither shoul suffer it to abide any longer among them But what was this small thing To wit that he hated the workes of the Nicolaitanes that is of them whose chiefe author was Nicolas of Antioche once one of the seaven Deacons Act. 6. Who taught that wiv s ought to be comon and that it was an indifferent thing to commit adultery as Ireneus Theodoret and others doe declare For as touching that Clemens Alexandrinus Strom. book 3. doth attribute this heresy rather to the wickednes of his folowers who drew to this foule licentiousnes the fact and saying of Nicolâ—s which had respect onely to the removing of iealousie it seemeth scarce credible For Iohn would have spared the credâ—t of the man and would have tolde the ringleader of so great filthines neither would have suffered his name to have bin borne falsly of wicked men The Ephesine Angell therefore was pure from the contagion of this sinne What were the Angels of the Primitive Church They were no lesse free from this blemish This heresie was soone reiected for his owne foulenes But after we shall see that the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes did extende not onely to the filthines of the body but also was transferred unto spirituall fornication ver 15. Were they also without fault in this parte In the first hundred yeares the Church remayned a chaste virgin in the next ages it began to waxe wanton defyling somewhat the mariage bed partly with unprofitable opinions partly with foolish ceremonies but somewhat fearfully privily at the first nothing according to that impudency which came together with Constantine and afterward In this respect therefore Christ suffered it a loÌ„g time although he saw that their first love had waxed cold 7 He that hath an eare c. An Epiphonematicall conclusion comon to all the Epistles Wherein he sheweth that all whatsoever thy be ought to hearken to these admonitions of the Spirit Properly in deede they beloÌ„g to the Angels but it concerneth us all greatly of what sorte their coÌ„dition shall be They eyther offende or doe their duty not for themselves alone but their coÌ„dition is ioined eyther with the great good or evill of the whole flocke But what doe these things so long agoe past pertaine to us There is the same disposition of all Churches and of every one severally wherupon it is very profitable for us of what age soever to beware by their eville Although all will not obey these admonitions but they onely whose eares the Spirit openeth For they are bidden to heare that have eares And therefore we ought not to mervayl if we shall see many to contemne securely these threatnings and to thinke that these prayses and reprehensions belonge not to them at all But what is that which he willeth to be heard That which foloweth by and by saith the Iesuite To him that overcometh J will give to eate c. Forsooth the Spirit would have the last clause to be heard of all Churches and of all the members of any Church but all that which was before the Bishop shall have privatly for himselfe A witty indeede and trusty exposition Are not the Epistles pronounced universally and inscribed to the Churches Chap. 1.11 Would it not profit them very much to be instructed touching the state of their Angels and to understaÌ„d what they might require of them by right They are sent indeede by name to the Angels not that they should keepe them close to themselves as mysteryes but that by their meanes they might be communicated to the Churches whom the Lord useth as his Ambassadours to speake to his spouse Which doth yet more appeare from those that folow For it doth not fit a Bishop onely which after is written to them of Smyrna Beholde it shall come to passe that Sathan shall cast some of you into prison c. ver 10. or that to them of Thyatira and to you J say and the rest of Thyatira ver 24. That I say nothing that in some of the Epistles the exhortation to heare shutteth up the whole matter as to the Church at Thyatira ver 29. To the Church at Sardi chap. 3.6 at Philadelphia ver 13. at Laodicea ver 22. Whereupon if the Church be reserved to the Epiphonema she ought to open and shut the eares all at one time For there foloweth nothing to be heard ¶ To him that overcometh I will give to eat of the tree of life The reward in everie one is fitted to the times and is one and the same everie where Iesus Christ alone For what greater thing can he give to his elect Or what thing shall we need if we doe enioy him But according to the divers conditioÌ„ of times he is set before us in a divers manner In this Primitive Church he is the tree of life in the middes of the Paradise of God Why Because the first state of the Spouse was wholy like to the first happines of Adam in Paradise of which that was a certen visible image and figure restored in the last times on earth after our so long banishment from thence For there was a tree of life in the middes of the garden like a shadow here Iesus Christ borne of a Virgin was conversant with us in the middes of mortall men there all kinde of beautyfull plantes most profitable both for sight and for meate here a copious abondance of of all giftes which belong either to salvatioÌ„ or to ornament there one river but dividing it selfe from the garden into fower heads here one voice of veritie among all the Apostles but which beginning at Ierusalem was spred abroad into the foure quarters of the world watering all landes whersoever it floweth with peace and salvatioÌ„ What pleasantnes was wanting there that the minde of man can thinke of What is not here sufficiently furnished by him at whose administratioÌ„ the Angels themselves are amazed To wit that terrible Angell with a shining sword keeping the way to the tree of life it is now removed out of his place and an entraÌ„ce againe is opened into the gardeÌ„ most full of true pleasure Christ therefore promised that they which shall keepe themselves pure froÌ„ the corruptions of these times neither shall forsake their first love shall continue those true citizens of this holy Church and that they shall have free leave to eate of Christ that true tree of life in the middes of this new Eden
ceremonies of the law By which thinges they have made themselves to be the Synagogue of Sathan and not a congregation of saints whatsoever they affirme to the contrary in wordes In the Antitype are Iewes as many as intangled in errours challenge to theÌ„selves alone the trueth faith salvation and promises of God speaking of nothing but the temple the temple of which sorte were the Arian Bishops under Constantine Constance and Valence and such as are at this day the Romanists glorying no lesse in the Chyre of Peter then of olde the Iewes in their temple These onely will be Catholikes their Church to be the onely spouse of Christ that noe salvation can be found out of their congregations But let them deceave themselves with as goodly wordes as they will by their true name they are false Iewes in shew onely Christians who gather congregaâ—ions in the honour of the Devill God acknowledgeth theÌ„ not which thrust upon him an other worship theÌ„ that which he hath appointed froÌ„ heaven Some of these therefore are giveÌ„ to this holy Philadelphia seeing there are many dayly whoÌ„ God of his singular mercy plucketh out of the iawes of Antichrist enlightneth their eyes that they may acknowledge embrace the truth AmoÌ„g which are Peter Vergerius Peter Martyr Hier. ZaÌ„chius MartineÌ„gê° many other both ItaliaÌ„s other natioÌ„s who first being papists were afterwards converted to the trueth ¶ Behold J say Excellent doubtlesse was once the victory of the PhlladelphiaÌ„s over the Iewes no lesse famous shal be at leÌ„gth the triuÌ„phe of this Church over the Papists Hitherto we have fought with theÌ„ by pen inke but the time shortly cometh wheÌ„ they shal be rooted out by weapoÌ„s chiefly by the labour of this Church as after shal be shewed more playnly Rome shal be destroyed of some other but being overthrowne holy Philadelphia shall pluck up by the rootes the remnaÌ„ts of the Popish kingdome so as no name of it shal be left as wee shall shew in chap. 19. For this worship of the false Iewes perteineth to that time wheÌ„ the Romish beast being cast into hell all his hostes shal be killed with the sword that cometh out of the mouth of him that sitteth upon the horse ¶ And they shall know that J have loved thee For hitherto thou art made a mocking stocke neither doe unthankefull men acknowledge any love of mine by the singular gift of godlines which I have bestowed on thee But then I will adorne thee with those things also which are in account with the world thou shalt set up a token of victory over thy enemyes shalt inrich thy selfe with their spoyles that every one may be compelled to coÌ„fesse that thou art dearly beloved whoÌ„ contrary to all hope they shall see increasâ—d so woÌ„derfully O holy Philadelphia cherish thy hope with these things neither be grieved in minde whatsoever the world saith otherwise 10 Because thou hast kept c. My worde doctrine which I have taught the world with great patience and which is also to be preached allwayes with the like patience which I see thee to have used to thy great perill yet thou hast abode constantly in thy duty ¶ J will keepe thee also c. But what is it to keepe froÌ„ the houre Would not God suffer the teÌ„tatioÌ„ to touch the PhiladelphiaÌ„s at all It could scarse be done that they should be free altogither in the comoÌ„ calamity of all the world To keepe therfore is to deliver as the Lord did keepe them out of the handes of their enemyes that is delivered Iud. 2.18 as though he should say I will not suffer thee to be overcome in that teÌ„tatioÌ„ but I will give thee strength by which thou mayest not onely beare conragiously the calamity but also overcome be victor But what is this houre of teÌ„tatioÌ„ In the type it selfe that persecutioÌ„ doubtles under Traian which Philadelphia togither with all the other Churches susteined Neither is it to be omitted why in the Epist to the Ang. of Smyrna he sayd that the same afflictioÌ„ was of x dayes which in this place he included in one houre in both places he respecteth the coÌ„curring of the type Antitype there because uÌ„der CoÌ„staÌ„tine CostaÌ„ce ValeÌ„ce within which times wee have shewed that the Antitype of the Smyr Church is to be limited there should be a loÌ„g calamity raging in the greatest part of that space he defyned that afflictioÌ„ by x. dayes in which he noted both the yeares so many as TraiaÌ„ should go on with rage also that loÌ„g delay in the Antitype under the ChristiaÌ„ Emperours But seeing in the Antit of the Philad Church there should be afflictioÌ„ farr greater then all yet short he hath ioyned the same trouble of times in one houre in the type This teÌ„tatioÌ„ therfore yet to come which shall come upon the whole world is the last fight of the Rom. Antichrist in the west of the MahumetaÌ„ Turke in the East very terrible in the whole preparatioÌ„ but on which the Church shall carry away the victory to be preferred farre before all the triumphes and the victoryes of all men Of which is here giveÌ„ a tast the full declaration is reserved to his owne place But seeing in this battell there shal be a comoÌ„ victory of the whole Church and here seemeth to be promised some thing proper to this alone peradventure this tentation shal be an other which shall goe before that warre And before wee have heard that in the Church of Germany some grievous thing doth hang over their head For he threatneth that he will come as a thiefe Then also in the Church following wee shall see that some storme is to be expected Wherefore it is to be feared that shortly this tentation wâ—ll come upon us and shake the Christian Churches with an horrible teÌ„pest Besides the coniâ—cture of this place the sinnes which reigne every where not without causâ— indeede may increase this feare It shal be profitable for every one to prepare himselfe that he may stand firme in that day And wee may gâ—ssâ— at the greatnes of this tempest in some sorte from the very words themselves For they promise that this alone shal be kept pure sound and undefiled whereto belongeth also the reward of Pillars ver 12. What then shal be done with the other Churches The future disturbance of all things seemeth so miserable that there shal be left noe face of any Church any where besides For it seemeth that those Churches at length shall by the iust iudgement of God come to nothing which have not regarded a full reformation 11 Beholde I come quickly Hitherto the good thing the way to preserve is by constancy unto which he exhorteth first by his quicke coming The Philadelphike Church felt the houre oftentation by and by after this writing For Traiane succeeded next after Domitian under whom Iohn receaved this Revelation Neither shall the newe
is not my purpose to pleade their cause thy beggerlines o Angell is to be reproved of mee which wilt thou nilt thou thou canst not but acknowledge if thou wey the thing with thy selfe in earnest Thou dost aboūde indeede in riches but nothing is more filthy then the way of getting them Shall the begger after he hath filled his purse with asking almes cast away his patched cloake and in silke vaunt him selfe to be rich wealthy What other thing is thy boasting then the bragging of riches which thou hast gathered most dishonestly by begging And yet I doe not speak these things to that end as though the stipend of the godly Pastors who holily both enter into and execute their office should be meere almes For the labourer is worthy of his wages neither can this distribution be sayd to be freely bestowed any more then is any made to one which liveth of his publike office God which made the earth hath so given it to the children of men that he reserveth a portion to himselfe which he hath bestowed on them who earnestly bend themselves to holy things Therefore the Patrones doe not give of their owne when they doe appointe the yearly rents to the Pastours of the Churches for their paines but deliver them to those to whom they are due and of which they have ben the keepers onely Wee speake not I say of such speciall persons but generally of the state of the Clergy the manner of which is so ordained that the Angell manifestly groweth rich by almes and in deede is noe other thing then a Lord Begger There is added to beggery blindenes wherby the evill becometh farre more grievous For what is more pittifull then a blind begger whom necessity constreineth to seeke his living abroade and the want of sight suffereth him not to seeke But this is a blindnes of minde wherby a man being deprived of a witty and prudent minde cannot provide for himself touching things profitable and honest before God and men The Angell then being voide of this wisdome sinneth even so in administring his office as of late he sinned by beggery in the manner of getting And this is the worst kinde of blindnes which for the most part neither acknowledgeth his owne darknes neither can suffer patiently admonition yea doth use the staffe wherby he ought to have tryed the way against him that sheweth him of the danger Yet thou art to be admonished o miserable Angell howe froward and angry soever thou shalt be it may come to passe that at length thou mayst see and be wise if not at least wise I may be without danger of setting a stumbling blocke before the blinde if I have seen the pitte and not shewed it him And that I may deale with thee more favourably I will make thy selfe iudge whether thou be better sighted then I accuse thee although this be unreasonable in on s owne cause wherein thou must needes be twice blinde Call therfore to remembrāce with mee your last constitutions which are wont to be wisest handled in the Convocation at London and published in the yeare 1597. what medecine dost thou make for the Church being sicke First thou decreest that fitte men be admitted unto Ecclesiasticall holy orders and benefices as they call them The title in deede recreated many and very many did iudge thee nowe at length to use thine eyes This kinde of men hath made the Church sad a great while There was hope of remedy when thou shouldst see and acknowledge the disease For of evell manners doe aryse good lawes But howe wisely hast thou met with this evill and satisfyed mens expectation wey well with thy selfe after give sentence Thou knowest that it was ordained in a statute of the Realme that none should be admitted unto holy orders but he that should be foure and twenty yeere olde at least and have brought before the Diocesan the testimony of such men as the Bishop knoweth to be of sounde religion both of his honest life and also of his professing the doctrine of our Church yea have ben able to render a reason of his faith in the latine tongue or at the least hath ben endued with some speciall gifte of preaching Although this were long agoe enacted the Church hath ben greatly troubled with a newe rable of most unworthy men With what cautions then hast thou helped the imbecility of the lawe For wise and quick sighted men are wont when they have perceived the weaknes of the lawe to helpe with more sharpe lawes for that point wherby they see the impudency of men to breake through Thou in deede hast established manie things but I pray what serveth for the worthynes of Ministers That noe man be received to holy orders unlesse at the same time he shall exhibite the presentation of himselfe to some benefice then void or who shall not bring a certificate from some Church wherein he may serve the cure of soules that is where he may play the Curate under some one in reading of prayers or who hath not ben appointed in some College or at least who is not to be admitted of the same Bishop unto some Benefice or to a Cure To what Idiote or any the worst man may not these thinges perteine But thou proceedest and addest other thinges as vayne as these Moreover if he shall be sayest thou of an other Dioces unlesse he shall bring dimissory letters be full foure and twenty yeeres olde and hath taken some degree in the Vniversity which last is required onely in men of another Dioces finally that holy orders be not given except on the Lords day or holy dayes Excellent ordinances in deede for which the reformed Churches may be ashamed What doe these thinges profit at all that a fit man be admitted What that after should be ordayned ministers either more learned or more honest Wilt thou on the H. Spirit crying by Paul who is fit for these thinges obtrude a man with a presentation with a Certificate with Dimissorye letters or who hath ben licenced on the Lords dayes But I will not debate the matter harder onely I appeale to thy conscience What I pray have you provided in this matter who hast covered the wall ready to fall with such foolish plastring What touching plurality of Benefices Thou decreest that it is to be restrayned And well in deede for it is an hainous thinge that one should be a sheapheard of sheepe which he feedeth not or at least should receive any fruite from them which take noe profit from him It were meete therfore that here thou shouldest bring forth whatsoever skill thou hast to cure this evill which not onely the divine oracles but also comon sense cōdemneth of sacrilege What remedy then doest thou apply Namely Let no man enioy this faculty unlesse he be at least a Master of Arts and a publike and fitte preacher of Gods worde A notable Physician in deede What have Maisters of Arts deserved so ill
at your hands that thou would have those first burdened with so great a sinne Thou confessest that Plurality is an evill thing and to be corrected yet thou permitest this mischiefe to them In deede it is a notable privilege of their degree wherby they first are licensed to be evill But whether thoughtest thou that the destruction by these meanes would slay more secretly There are so many thankes be to God as if all letted by no other religion should use of the liberty of thy constitution more parishes I beleeve should want Pastours resident with them then at this day they wante So thou doest stay and represse prudently the evill by augmenting of it But peradventure it is enough for thee to deceave men onely with a title and pretence of repressing plurality Moreover there is an ordinance made touching hospitality in the Benefices cared for And this is the calamity of our Church that the Ministers doe not feede the poore with beefe That of binding the Regulars to make sermons in their owne proper persons would seeme to belonge to a sharper sight unlesse peradventure it should call them away from other places where their labour is more necessary I let passe the Matrimoniall ordinances That is worthy remembraÌ„ce touching excesse about Excommunication to be reformed For thou seest it to be defiled shamefully with many pollutions I would to God thou wouldest see and regarde as well those thinges which belong to the holy and lawfull reforming of it But why doest thou first deny that herein any thing can be inovated or altered without a great mutation to the whole Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction and of very many lawes of this Realme yet afterward thou wouldest reduce the same to his auncient honour and dignity Wouldest thou make a reformation without an alteration Thou wilt have nothing to be changed that the lawes may not be violated yet thou pretendest to recall the former comelines It pittiest mee that thou canst not see thyne owne blindenes But by this provision thou hast openly shewed what reformation wee must expect such indeede by which noe amending maye be made Therefore the Title might had ben enough for this thing Yet that thou mightest seeme to doe that which thou doest not at all thou usest a certen forme of ordinances For let us see howe they answere and agree to the promise First thou ordainest That in grievous crimes the sentence be pronounced either by the Archbishop Bishop Deane Archdeacon or Prebendary in his owne person What is this auncient use of prononcing the sentence by them whose names except onely the Bishop had not ben heard in deede in the Church as long as the true honour and dignity of excommunication remayned Why is there noe place left for the Pastour of every congregatioÌ„ to whom once it belonged to pronounce the sentence Peradventure it makes noe matter to him what is done to his sheepe or it maye be that he is not fit nor endued with iudgement and wisdome enough In very deede this feaâ—e might peradventure have prevayled some what in time past But nowe it ought not seeing thou hast set us free enough from it in the first booke of the Decrees For it is not to be doubted but that he that hath ben furnished with Presentation Certificate and the other things with which thou hast in the same place instructed him should be fit enough and more then fit unto every parte of his office Or if I must deale with thee in earnest what letteth that the Pastour using the counsell of others and making diligent inquiry may not pronounce the sentence as well as either the Bishop or Prebendary or any other But thou wilt say wee will not have this matter to be handled by common advise but to stande to the iudgement of one alone Is this the meaning of thy reformation and yet darest thou make mention of the honour and dignity of the auncient use Christ commaunded to tell the Church Shall any one susteyne the place of this Church One in deede for order sake did pronounce the sentence but the matter was iudged not by his sentence onely but by the advise of the whole assemblie and Councill Neither would PAVLE have the Jncestuous man to be excommunicated but when the brethren were gathered togither and consented as wee reade in the first Epistle of the Corinthes chapter five verse fourth And so the Church for some ages after as is cleare from Origene Tertullian Cyprian and others Wherfore I woulde mervayle that thou doest promise so boldly concerning the former and ancient dignity but that I knew that blinde men feare not the faces of men But what if this thyne amending which thou pretendest doth lay open a way to impunity of grievous crimes The Commissary as long as it perteined to him twice at least every yeere did compell the Church WardeÌ„s by vertu of an othe that they should present wicked men Nowe while he should doe that there is noe cause peradventure when the Priest associated with him cannot denounce the sentence against such man And in deede it is not to be hoped for that the Church Wardens willingly will flee unto the Bishops Archdeacons or Prebendaryes whom they knowe not where they may finde or who peradventure are farre of from them and a iourney cannot be made without charges when being present and that at other mens costs they can scarce be driven by othe to bewray the guilty Thou oughtest to have minded these things and not to have used a remedy worse then the disease it selfe Secondly thou speakest of Excommunication for contumacy which hath noe newe thinge from thy former decrees But the repeating of the old manner is with thee a reformation least peradventure any boxe should want a superscription although there be nothing in it I passe by the ChaÌ„ge of Penance the foule things of the Officials the excesse of Apparitors of taking away whoÌ„ you ought rather to have intreated then of moderating them and Registers Thou thy selfe howe mayest speake howe well thou hast used thyne eyes who passing by many great evills eyther art wholy occupyed about tryfles or if peradventure thou hast touched any weygty matters thou makest them either worse by curing or in deede nothing better Certenly by many reasons thy blindnesse is proved But Christ open thyne eyes I will not so much deale with thee by wordes as for thee by prayers For I have not purposed the handling but onely the iudging of these things The third part of the disease is nakednesse garments are used that wee may provide for shamefulnes Out of which when one is put his ignominy is set openly in the sight of men according to that of the Prophete Beholde I am against thee saith the Lord of hosts and will uncover thy skirts unfolding them upon thy face that J may shewe thy nakednesse to the nations and to the Kingdomes thy nakednes Nah. 3.5 Therefore this nakednesse is a reproch dishonnour and contempt whereof this
peculiar manner they are attributed in the same place to the Apostles as it may be wee will shewe in an other place And wee have sayd often that the rewards are fitted unto the times and to contayne a Prophesy which is here also to be respected Christ therfore mentioneth the throne which he obtayned after his sacrifice finished on the crosse shewing that the like thinges are to be endured also of his afterward they shal be partakers of his throne Therefore by this making mention of it he lesseneth the affliction and so the consolation of it he setteth himselfe for an example as though he should bidde us looke upon him and not to be overcome of any troubles when wee see that he ascended into his throne of supreme dignity by this way And wee knowe how much this contending for reformation hath cost many excellent men whose sufferings shall not be forgotten although they be not recited of mee Onely let them confort their faintnes of heart with the expectation of his throne What thoug they be trode under foote while they shall see others to flourish with the dignity of Peeres of the Realme Christ hath prepared for them a throne with himselfe Let noe man regarde an earthly chayre as hitherto they have confirmed abundātly that they are farre of from such desire whatsoever ambitious men prate otherwise who doe coniecture of other by themselves 22 Let him that hath an eare heare Nowe therefore thou whosoever hast felt Christ to be thy guest hast tasted agayne of the daintyes of his table left up thyne eates attēd to the thing which the Spirit saith to the Churches Let man goe rest not in him but regarde the conveniency of all things from the beginning to the end And complaine not of the newnes strangenes as though thou wouldest appoint Christ to whom when he should reveale his secrets Wee know that somethings have bin sealed up unto the determined time But if it be needfull that thou confesse it to be a divine truth let us all endevoure earnestly Princes Peeres Angels people that wee may turne away the evill that hangeth over our heades What an horrible thing is it to be vomited out of the mouth of Christ with loathing and abhorring The land vomited our once the Chananites and they were destroyed utterly Shall their punishement be lighter whom not the land but Christ himselfe shall spue out Therefore let us use the remedy seriously Wee have neede of zeale wherby wee may attayne a full reformation Wee hang yet betweene Heaven and Hell The contagious vapour of the Romish marsh doth molest and annoy us our sylver hitherto is foule with drosse our wine is mixt with water Christ will suffer no longer such Angels that are in the middle What if this myne admonition be the last token and signe to thee of bewarring Let us therfore give eare not whet our teeth against the stone that is hurled But let us quake for feare of the hande that threwe it Thou o Christ who tookest lingring Lot by the hande to pull him out of the city open our hearts who are slow and prolonge the tyme that wee may obey thy warnings and exhortatiōs Chap. 4 AFTER I saw and behold a doore was opened in heaven and the first voice which I heard as it were of a trumpet talking with mee said come up hither and I will shewe thee what things must be done hereafter 2 Then straight way J was ravished in spirit and loe a throne was set in heaven one sate upon the throne 3 And he that sate was to looke on like a Iasper and a Sardin stone and round about the throne was a rayne bowe in sight like unto an Emerald 4 And round about the Throne were foure and twenty seates and upon the seates I sawe foure and twenty Elders sitting clothed with white rayment and having crownes of golde upon their heads 5 And there proceeded from that Throne lightnings and thunders voyces and seaven lampes of fyre burning before the Throne which are the seaven spirits of God 6 There was also before the THRONE a Sea of glasse like to Chrystall and in the middes of the Throne and which compassed the Throne foure beasts full of eyes before and behinde 7 And the first beast was like unto a Lyon and the second beast like unto a Calfe and the third beast having a face like a Man and the fourth beaste like a flying Eagle 8 And the foure beasts every one of them by themselves had six winges rounde about and within were full of eyes saying day and night without ceasing Holy Holy Holy LORD GOD that almighty one which was and which is and which is to come 9 And when those beasts shall give glory and honour and thankesgiving to him that sitteth upon te throne to him I say that liveth for ever and ever 10 The foure and twenty Elders shall fall downe before him thaat sitteth upon the throne and shall worship him that liveth for ever and shall cast their crownes before the throne saying 11 Worthy art thou o Lord to receave glory and honour and strenght because thou hast created all things end by thy will they are and have bin created Analysis HITHERTO hath ben the Prophesy of particular Churches that of the whole Church followeth which propoundeth first the matter summarily in this chapter afterward specially in the rest of the chapters This conteineth a new calling of Iohn consisting in the thing seen a doore open in heaven in the first voice heard of a trumpet ver 1 and lastly in the effect wherby he was in the Spirit forthwith in the beginning of the second verse and also the universall type of the future Church which is described in the rest of the whole chapter Whose Prince as it were the centre is most glorious by the Throne most delectable in sight shining with heavenly brightnes rounde about ver 2.3 The membres of this centre as it were the circunference are the foure and twenty Elders full of maiesty reverend in their seates age holynes and crownes of golde ver 4. The things accōpanying these persons are partly giftes which God hath bestowed on the holy congregation partly the worship it selfe which the congregation of the faithfull doth yeelde unto him The gifts are first of protection wherby proceede from the throne lightnings thunders and voices for the punishment of the wicked world because of their entreprises against the congregation of the saints ver 5. Secondly of sanctification wherby he presenteth the holy congregation blamesse before him not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing of these the interne are the seaven lampes burning before the throne ver 5. The externe and their instrumental causes are the Sea of glasse the Beasts whose place number eyes of the body the proper countenance of every one and adorning of winges are described in the ver 6.7.8 Afterward their office ver 8. And the worship
of Oxen the prudence of men last of all the contempt of earthly things of the Eagles Yet not without cause some proper thing here is applyed to every one severally Peradventure that therby the Spirit may shewe in what principall vertues the Pastors should excell others according to the foure diverse seasons The first age after Iohn gave famous men in all those vertues chap. 6.1.3.5.7 Whose fortitude yet most of all appeared wherby they did both suffer and overcome the most fierce cruelty of the tyrants The age following after Constantine ministred Oxen when liberty was taken from the Ministers every excellent man was oppressed under the yoke of Antichrist with the burdens of humane ceremonies The Ghospell recovering life againe by Wicklefe Luther affoarded men who being weary of the Romish bondage both desyred earnestly and at length obtayned the Christian freedome Wee doe expect yet Eagles which the calling of the Jewes will give at length when the Ghospell shal be restored fully and brought to his perfit glory which this Prophecy will shewe shall come shortly Thē the Bishops shall beholde the Sunne with steddy sight and shall search out with mervaylous quicknes of understanding whatsoever yet lyeth hydde in the trueth of God neither frō our times māners shall they basely creepe on the earth minding earthly things but shall fly upon high having all their conversation in heaven 8 And every of the Beasts c. Hitherto of the form of their body the form of their winges is described by a triple property nūber stāding eyes Every Every one hath six winges so many as had also the Angels in Isaiah 6.2 but not of like use as it seemeth For the Angels with two did cover their face with two their feete with two they did fly But the placing of them of the Beasts is such as it is not fit for this thing For they are rounde about them behind on their sides before them that they cannot serve fitly to cover either the face or feete Neither in deede are they given them for flight For what neede have they to fly who have the place of their abode betweene the throne and the circuite of the Elders Therefore they belōge to ayde succour by which they fly most readily into every parte to helpe others Such an office is twofold in the Church one of Helpers an other of Governours 1 Cor. 12.28 That belongeth to the Deacons and Widowes whom once the Apostles appointed to looke to the poore and those that had any infirmity of body by a divine ordinance least that they attending to such businesse should become lesse carefull about prayers and the administration of the word Act. 6.2 c. 1 Tim. 5.9 This office belongeth to the Elders who are appointed to governe onely mens manners and are moderators of the discipline Teir office is shewed by the eyes of which the winges are full within For to what ende els should there be newe eyes in the winges when before the whole body was beset with eyes In deede those eyes of the body are of knowledge and science and therfore doe sticke neerer being in the body it selfe which the Ministers may as well want as their owne eyes wich are ioyned to their body with so neere a coniunction but these eyes of the winges being removed a little farther of are placed as it were in a watch tower to search out every on s manners executing the Office of watches and wardes as the Apostle sheweth saying Obey your Teachers submitte your selves to them for they watch for your soules as they that must give account Heb. 13.17 And how fitly is it that this kind of eyes is within and under the winges For they must looke onely to the flocke which dependeth upon them as Peter warneth 1 Epist 5.2 They ought not to care for anothers flocke or at least they must watch over the Christian people For what have wee to doe to iudge thē that are without wee must iudge them that are within God iudged them that are without 1 Cor. 5.12.13 Such a Tabernacle was seene in the mount as touching his ministers according to which patterne the Christian Church was framed by the Apostles whose besides the Pastors ordained also these Helpers in every congregation which should governe the reformation of manners togither with the Pastors whom Paul mentioneth commaunding that the Elders which rule well should be had in double honou◠specially they that labour in the word doctrine 1 Tim. 5.17 For such are blinde and which in understanding doe not understand who avouch that this two kinde of Elders can not be proved from this place Further what else shall wee understand to be those Governements in the 1 Cor. 12.28 then the office of them who are appointed to this charge In the beginning of the verse Paul reckened up Apostles Prophets and Teachers upon whom lyeth the administration of the word unto which after some other things interposed namely namely Powers Gifts of healings and Helpes at length he adioyneth Governements that by this order interrupted and discontinued by so great a space wee might knowe that these Governements is a certen distinct thing from the charge of teaching Furthermore of what sorte were those Elders which were conversant togither with the Apostles in the Church of Ierusalem Act. 15.4.6 Were they such as bestowed all their labour in teaching the people in the publike assemblyes It is likely that the Apostles abiding there layed asyde this care of teaching and gave thēselves to execute a certen Lordshippe A few yeeres before they suffered not them selves to be pulled from prayers and teaching Act. 6.4 but at length peradventure this exceeding love was abated they followed their ease and gave over the duty and charge gladly to the Elders Away with this folly the holy mē were not sleepy with slouthfulnes neither did they affect ambitious dominion over others which they forbad others by their example 1 Pet. 5.7 But to their power labouring in that which was the principall they used those Elders as the eyes of the winges to take good heede to the holines of their flocke It is also evident from the use of the primitive Church as was sayd before in chap 2.2 But first of all Ambrose is a substantiall witnesse in this matter upon the 1 to Tim. chap. 2.4 Whēce also the Synagogue and afterward the Church had Elders without whose counsell nothing was done in the Church which by what negligence it is growne out of use J know not unlesse by the slouthfulnes or rather pride of the Teachers while they alone wil be thought some what Such are his wordes from which it doth most clearly appeare what sorte of Elders the Primitive Church had such in deede who with ioint studyes and counsels regarded the dignity of every one togither with the Pastors Ambrose complayneth that these were worne away whē those other preaching Elders fayled not in his time neyther could fayle and
that by the negligence or pryde of the Teachers And it is manifest frō Hierome that an other kinde of governing was by and by growne in use in stead of those Elders For he mentioneth to Rusticus of the Ecclesiasticalll Senat The Church saith he hath a Senat a company of Elders without whose counsell the Monkes may doe nothing And againe And wee have our Senate of Presbyters Gratian. C. 16. q. 1. The Church But the Senate was become much unlike to the integrity and institution of the first time as wee learned even nowe from Ambrose after whose time age men labour in vaine to finde out this kinde of Elders which he complayneth to have perished and come to nothing before his times Those winges therfore togither with the eyes are those Deacons and Elders Of which what picture more fitte could have ben given In them is required simplicity in these diligence Rom. 12.8 That first is signifyed by the eyes in the wings this second by the wings with eyes From which first is perceyved howe necessary these Offices are in the Church For they are the winges of the Ministers What is a bird without winges Yet this lacke is more dammageable because a bird being destitute of winges perisheth her selfe alone the Pastours being voide of thē the whole flockes are set in daunger of destruction For they are winges of helping as wee have said wherby aide is ministred not so much to the Ministers themselves as to the people And seeing the Apostles had need of Deacons that a more necessary worke might not be left of them could they by themselves observe every on s life without the hinderance of the administration of the word Therefore they tooke to themselves the winges full of eyes which the Beastes have before the Throne and have taught by their owne example howe maimed and lame the Pastors are to whom these winges are wanting Againe wee learne that these Offices are advantages and additions as parts hanging to the Pastours ioyned to them as necessarily as winges to the body from whence they drawe life and by whose benefit they are moved and upholden And that therefore a divorse is not rightly made betweene them as in the common wealth of the Scaphusians where none of the MINISTERS are present in the Consistory but learned men out of the Senate and for the most part some DOCTOR of the Lawes is chosen amonge the Iudges of the Consistory See for this Iosias Simlerus in his treatise of the Common Wealth of the Helvetians Neyther are those excuses of any moment wherby it is pretended that another manner of governing not lesse profitable is used in stead of ELDERS and DEACONS as it is done in Englande Is it not say they provided in a speciall manner for the poore by the statutes of this Kingdome And doe not the Church-Wardens present wicked men unto the Commissaryes What neede is there of other Elders and Deacons especially indeede seeing all that way is wholy severed from all overseeing of the Pastors to whome alone these winges ought to be fastened and not to any other body of Commissaries God give therefore Winges to the Beasts that his people may be holpen all whose holines almost is lost because the Pastors being destitute of their winges full of eyes there is none that with an earnest and true affection of minde will looke into the diseases and sikenesses and fly speedily for to heale them Lastly our brethren are to be intreated that they will speake more modestly of the ordinance of God least giving themselves to reproaches and raylings they be found to open their mouth against heaven it selfe ¶ Day and night without ceasing saying Hitherto hath ben the preparation unto their Office nowe it followeth of what sorte their Office it selfe is which is shewed by their unwearisome diligence in praysing the Lord. Which one thing in deede sheweth sufficiently that these Beasts by their charge and Office are stewards of the Mysteries of God to wit Pastours in whom he hath put the word of recenciliation and whom he hath made his Ambassadours who should intreate and pray the people in CHRIST steade that they would be reconciled unto God It is in deede the duty of every one to prayse God without ceasing Such diligence the Apostle requireth in all Christians saying Pray continually in the first Epistle of the Thessalonians chapter five ver 16. But especially it belongeth to them who ought to give themselves to this study with their whole mindes and thoughts For as Paul councelleth Virgins that they might cleave fast to the Lord without any distraction in the first Epistle to the Corinthes chapter seaven ver 35. That should be the onely care of them that bende themselves with all diligence unto holy things all whose businesse both in the day time and in the night is bestowed in meditating on the things of the Lord You sayth the Psalmist which stand in the house of God every night Psalme 134. ver 1. Were there any prayers before day breake or in the night time as in the Monasteryes of the superstitious Monkes Not at all But this kinde of speaking sheweth that their whole labour was spente in worshipping the Lord Such as then was the study of the Levites and of them especially who departed not from the Temple neither day nor night for the space of the weekes of their course in the second booke of the Kinges 11.5 in Luke chapter first ver 23. And such ought to be the care of all who deale with holy thinges by profession They who are deteyned with the affaires of this life because they have their mindes withdraen from the contemplation of heavenly things worthily may be sayd to leave sometime their care of serving God by cōparisō with the Ministers Seeing then so continuall a paynes is required to the Ministers may they intermeddle with other Politicall and civill affaires Shall they whose mindes ought never to be vacant from holy meditations so farre intangle themselves with earthly cares that they can minde very little divine thinges Christ who alone was fitte for every administration would not be a iudge to divide the inheritance between the disagreeing brethren Which office he refused not for any inability to performe it but onely for our exemple To whom also he hath appointed boundes of our power least by wandring without our limites wee should be unprofitable both to our selves and also to others The Princes saith he of the Gētiles beare rule over them and the Nobles exercise power over them but it shall not be so amonge you Mat. 20.25.26 Of which commandement when the Apostles understood this to be the meaning that they should take upon them nothing that might hinder never so little their holy function they would not suffer so much as that the care of the poore should be layd upō them though most neerly ioyned with godlines that they might not wāder any whit from their duty Therefore the Romish
Antichrist with his Prelates hath ceased long agoe in many ages past to be in the number of these Beasts Howe farre also are our Bishops from them who have forsaken prayers the administration of the word not that they may looke to the poore but that they may handle civill affayres and enioy the honours of this world Whom thou mayest see oftener in the iudgement seat then in the Pulpite and to differre nothing from the Politike Magistrates but onely in name and apparrell Doe they day and night extolle our God with meet prayses of his holines God open their eyes that they may see howe excellent things they leave for thing of no value that at length acknowledging their errour they may returne to better things al trifling lets being cast away The Psalmist telleth openly that they are blessed which dwell in the house of the Lord and that in this respect because they prayse God continually Psal 84.5 What then shall wee chaunge with this office which so great King being destitute of envied that I may so say to others through a godly zeale But too much it may be is already spoken of this matter too much in deede to him that speaketh the trueth but to all that love their errours I doe feare that they will not be enough The office of these Beasts is declared not onely by this care but also by the forme it selfe of the thankesgiving for they cry Holy Holy Holy by which thrise repeated crying togither they prayse the one onely Iehovah seeing in repeating they say one certen thinge which one also they acknowledge to be three in repeating thrise that which they gave to one wherby likewise they esteeme every each one person of equall honour commending each with equall prayse For holines containeth within it all prayse which signifyeth such a purity which is sprinkled and mixed with noe spotte or blemish And this the Beasts doe give to God not onely setting forth the same soe in words but also in making the people holy or at least in using that labour wherby to their utmost power they may make them From whence of all the testimonialls of Gods prayse this chiefly doth sounde and ringe againe in the lyppes of them that serve God Some bookes doe repeate these wordes six times but Aretas agreeth with our copyes and these wordes are in other places of Scripture Isay 6.3 So is the title of holines this the Beasts doe set forth by a double kinde of Power and Trueth wherunto perteineth that distributive nowne which is and which was and which is to come as was declared before chap. 1.4.7 And they mention first of all the Power shewing the incōprehēsible glory of holines which is most hard where one hath liberty to doe what he will He that can doe all thinges and yet in the least thinge abuseth not his power and authority it must needes be that his glory exceedeth the comprehending of every minde Againe howe hard is it to keepe the promise which thou hast made when they to whom thou hast promised doe breake their promise almost every moment O therfore the unmeasurable holinesse of our God whose truth mens infidelity doth not hinder 9 And when those Beasts shall give Hitherto the giftes with which God doth notably adorne his Church nowe the worship is described to which the Beasts and Elders togither doe earnestly bende themselves The māner whereof is such that the Beasts have the chiefe doing in the action and goe before the Elders with their voice as the Ministers are wonte in the assembly of the people For these thinges are spoken according to that order which God hath appointed in his Church wherby all the people doe give worship to God the Minister being the leader But it is to be observed that this action of giving glory doth differ in a respect from that of the former verse For that perteined to private care which is continuall their whole office tending to this onely ende this is proper to their publike function and at certen time as is manifest from those thinges which followe in the next verse As touching the wordes Theod. Beza translateth when they did give and so the other wordes they did fall downe they did cast of by the imperfect tence but the property of the time is to be kept seeing a future thinge is here foreshewed and not a thing past reported 10 The foure and twenty Elders shall fall downe The action of the people governed by the conduct of the Ministers And it consisteth in two thinges in gesture in this verse and in words in the following The gesture is threefolde of casting downe themselves before him that sitteth on the throne of worshipping and casting of their crownes The first signifyeth their cheerfull hast that at the voyce of the Beasts they fall downe by and by The second the iust worshippe given to him to whome alone it is due The third the sincere trueth of their minde in performing this adoration in that putting off their owne dignity they acknowledge themselves his servaunts before whose throne they cast their crownes But how wilt thou say doe the Elders fall downe when the Beasts doe give glory seeing the Beasts are employed in this labour day and night without ceasing Doe the Elders never sit in their thrones but fall downe alwayes prostrate on the groūde Wee must remember that which I said even nowe that the private care of the Beasts is one thing their publike action an other That hath noe intermission this is performed with certen respites to this alone this throwing downe of themselves perteineth From whence there is a double argument that all these thinges belong typically to the Christian assemblyes on earth There are noe set times of worship in the heavens but all that eternity is bestowed about this thing Secondly neither shall there be any neede of leaders and rulers to performe the worshippe For Prophecy shall then cease 1 Cor. 13.8 much more the Ecclesiasticall Policy which is ordayned in respect of this but every one being a Priest thē not onely by right but also in practize shall prayse God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost without the mediation and helpe of any other then himselfe Seeing therfore this type is proper to the Church on earth let every one consider with himselfe earnestly howe greatly it belongeth to them to frequent the publike assemblyes with all diligence that as often as the Beasts give glory to him that sitteth on the throne he may fall downe before the throne and worshippe him that liveth for ever Certenly they that contemptuously sit at home and neglect the congregations of the faints or in the meane time make iourneyes and withdrawe themselves in any other unnecessary manner shewe openly tha they belonge not at all to that most honorable company of the Elders And let not any deceave himselfe by his honours dignityes and excellency as though the publike assemblyes were either of the
from them But by these meanes he will declare and manifest howe greatly wee ought to reverence his secrets 2 And J saw a strong Angell publishing There is a great dignity of the Prophesy from the certenty largenes scaling up but nowe a greater appeareth seeing the highnes thereof surmounteth every created Spirit For it is not of that kinde which the more prudent sorte of men can comprehende by any skilfull foreknowledg but wherein all must needes confesse their ignorance The which for to shewe he alludeth to the manner of Princes who in difficult thinges are wont by great rewards to provoke their subiects by the voyce of a Cryer to try their strength and there is almost none whoÌ„ in such businesse some small hope will not thrust forward to make tryall If so be that noe man cometh forth what is this else than an open confession of their imbecillity So the Angell is sent to enquire who is worthy to opeÌ„ the booke If noe man offereth himselfe let us acknowledge our owne impotency and the power of our Mediatour and togither also let us honour with due reverence these holy mysteryes for which cause God causeth in us this feeling of our owne want of power as of old in Adam before whoÌ„ ere he gave him a wife he set all creatures that noe fit helper being found he might make the more accounte of the wife given him ¶ Who is worthy He maketh not inquiry of the power and strength but of the deserte and worthynes For even all the creatures if they should coÌ„spire togither are able to doe nothing to wringe out perforce the things from God Whatsoever wee obtayne wee enioye it at his will and pleasure and by entreaty and the Lord being iust in giving his thinges regardeth their worthynes upon whom he bestoweth his benefits whom unlesse either their owne or an others iust dignity shall commende they can hope for noe good thinge from him But if a bare foreknowledge of future thinges shal be of so greate importance in what estimation is the knowledge of salvation to be had 3 And noe man was able A free confession of the creature that it is able to doe nothing herein Let them therefore looke to it who doe make her a patronesse for theÌ„selves in matters of greater moment Why then should wee mervayle if noe man understandeth any of these thinges not onely among the Gentiles although the most quickwitted of them but also not in the whole Kingdome of the Papists noe not that blasphemously unerring Pope himselfe with all his Seraphicall Doctours arrogating to them selves the victory of all knowledge learning prudence and wisdome These thinges surmount all humane sharpenes of witte least peradventure thou reiect rashly that which shall not please those our maisters And the distribution of thinges in heaven in earth and which are under the earth may be understood froÌ„ the proclaiming of the Angell he made enquiry who was worthy Therfore the inquisition perteined not to the Devils and soules punished for sinnes For what hope or shewe of worthynes could be here Therfore the thinges in Heaven are the Angels they in the earth Men living they which are under the earth are the Saints sleeping in their graves Whom he signifyeth in this manner by that one part which cometh neerer to our sense In which respect Iacob sayeth and I shall goe downe to my sonne mourning into the grave Gen. 37.35 In these alone their might be some question Therfore that place is to colde for to kindle a Purgatory ¶ Nor looke thereon for so hath Theod. Beza the common translation hath looke upon I should rather turne looke in For so the sentence encreaseth seeing this is greater then not to open The booke could not be looked in so long as it did remaine sealed whereupon the addition would be superfluous in this sense 4 J wept therefore It is a lamentable thing in deede that the Church should wante the gift of Prophecy But Iohn bewrayed his infirmity having forgot or at least wise not minding that nothing is so hidden that could be unknowne to our chiefe Prophet of which he would not teach his Church so farre as should be expedient for his Wherefore one of the Elders warning him that he should not weepe doth togither with gentlely reprove his ignorance or rather forgetfulnes as though it were a shamefull thinge for a teacher not to knowe that which the common sorte of the faithfull should not be ignorant of 5 Beholde he hath obtayned Many as it were contending but one obtayning the victory before the rest He seemeth to speake after the manner of the former proclamation wherby the thing was put as it were to a publike strife and tryall and in which Christ bare away the chiefe prayse yea the whole ¶ That Lyon of tâ—e A circumlocution of Christ the King fetched from Gen. 49.9 But what hath the Lyon to doe with seales Our sinnes did remove farre froÌ„ us all the mysteries of God Which when Christ hath by his mighty power abolished and conquered for ever the enemyes the Devill and death worthyly with this name as a badge of the victory he cometh forth to obtayne that for us which our enemyes kept away ¶ The roote of David So hath Th. Beza translated rightly the Hebrewe word to which the Greke worde answereth and is some time taken for a roote as is in Isaiah He groweth up as a tender plante before him and as a roote out of a dry ground chap. 53.2 But a roote properly groweth not out of the ground but that which springeth from the roote neverthelesse this in deede is such a roote that also togither it is the roote of David that is the fountayne and welspring from whence salvation and life flowe unto David so that nothing can be more significant then this word neither hath there bene at any time any roote besides of this kinde See Psalm 101.1 Mat. 22.43 c. 6 Then J looked and beholde betweene the Throne Word for word in the Greeke is in the middes of the Throne as before in chap. 4.4 c. The Lambe is in the middes of the Beasts and Elders to wit in the assembly of the faithfull in the middes of the Church ¶ A Lambe standing as though he had ben killed The Lambe is described by his triple offâ—â—e These wordes as thâ—â—gh he hath ben slame perteine to his Priesthood being eternall through the eternall power of his death Seaven hornes declare him to be a Kinge Seaven eyes which are so many Spirits and the taking of the booke shewe him to be the chiefe Prophete The skarre of a deadly wound is a token that he once dyed and teacheth that the Father doth give all things to his Church for the merite and through the beholding of it For this is it wherby our Priest once entring into the holy place hath obtained eternall redemption Heb. 9.12 And in that he hath once gat redemption for the
elect shall he not also obtayne all things for us that may avayle any way for our good The seaven hornes is that supreame power wherby the man Christ sitting at the right hande of the Father ruleth and governeth all things according to that which Christ being raysed froÌ„ the dead sayd to his disciples all power is given mee in heaven and in earth Mat. 28.18 Therefore that most meeke Lambe wanteth not those weapons wherby he chaseth away his enemyes althoug by his great patience he seemeth not to regarde the iniuries which they doe And thou mayest observe that it is not needfull that the parables and similitudes should agree in all thinges seeing here to the Lambe contrary to nature are attributed seaven hornes and as many eyes that is gifts of the Spirit wherewith Christ endueth the faithfull They are sent from him seeing noe man can be partaker even of the least gift unlesse he bestowe it on them For God heareth not sinners but from his fulnes wee all receive and he being gone to his Father sendeth the Conforter unto his which leadeth them into all trueth as in the Gospell of Iohn chapter sixteene ver seaventh and thirteene A visible token whereof were once the cloven tongues like fire sitting upon the Apostles and that miraculous gift of speaking suddenly with other tongues Act. 2.3 c. With which faculty not onely the Apostles were endued but afterward also others embracing the faith Neither are they onely sente into all the world that they may conferre the comfortable knowledge of salvation to the Elect But that CHRIST may search out all thinges that are done in his Church yea which are done in any other place of the world Wherefore howe great impudency is it to thrust upon the Church a visible head seeing the LAMBE is furnished with so many eyes neither hath them idle and unoccupied but sendeth them forth with all diligence into the whole world The care of Christ taketh not indede away the Ministers eyther Ecclesiasticall or Politicall which he hath ordained But to faine and invent a newe kinde and degree and that under a pretence that CHRIST is absent is proper onely to that man who is directly opposite to Christ As touching the wordes some Copies reade as is noted in the Greeke Bibles lately set forth at Frankeford which are that the relative may be referred as well to the hornes as to the eyes After which manner also Aretas readeth this verse And the Hornes may be sayd to be sent into the whole world when CHRIST putteth forth his power in succouring his owne servantes and destroying his enemyes But it agreeth more properly to the eyes which when wee turne toward any thinge wee are sayd to cast them upon the same 7 He came and tooke the booke out of the right hand of him that sat on the throne There is a double consideration of Christ one so farre as of the eternall God sitting togither in the Throne with the Father chap. 4. ver 3. The other so farre as he is of the Mediatour attending on the throne and prepared and ready to performe those things which make for the salvatioÌ„ of his people There is the like regard of the Spirit who as he is the Eternall God partaker of the Throne compassing the same about as in the fourth chap. and third verse But according as he sanctifyeth the Church with created giftes there are seaven Spirits before the Throne seaven burning Lampes seaven Hornes and seaven eyes 8 Having every one Harpes and vials A reioicing and thankesgiving of the Church for this greate benefite of taking and unsealing the Booke Therefore they take unto themselves fit and proper instruments for this purpose Harpes and Vials that is to say Prayses and thankesgiving For Vials full of odours are the harts of the Saints which the Spirit hath filled with a fervent desyre of calling upon GOD the Harpes perteine to gladnes of minde and reioicing in prayers is the very thankesgiving But he alludeth to the manner of the Temple where the LEVITES praysed GOD with Musicall Instruments and the PRIESTES had their Pottes and Bowles set before the Altar full of odours as wee reade in the Prophete Zachary chap. 14. ver 20. ¶ Which are the prayers of the Saints He speaketh not of the offerring of prayers for the dead which are made of them that are alive on the earth but as I have shewed in the former chapter all that which is attributed to the Beasts Elders declareth what exercises the Saints goe about with all diligence in the militant Church So also after in verse 10. And wee shall raigne say the Elders upon the earth not preaching doubtlesse the Kingdome of the soules departed but of the holy men on earth The heartes of these as golden vials doe breath out and yeeld up prayses and thankes for those greate benefites which are obtained for us by Christ If the Elders ofâ—er onely the prayers of other men as the Iesuite interpreteth they should be dumbe in the common ioy of all things Nay rather the benefite is theirs for they themselves shall raigne say they therefore they offer not other meÌ„s but their owne prayers 9 And they sung a newe sunge It is called a newe songe in respect of more plentifull grace ministred nowe since Christ hath ben exhibited then was in olde time under the shadowes of the Lawe The auncient people did not prayse the man Christ so openly and clearly before he had taken unto him our flesh as at this day the faithfull doe prayse him clothed with oâ—r nature from whence not without cause this more manifest praysing is called a newe sung But he alludeth unto the manner of the Lawe where newe greater benefites are celebrated in newe formes of prayses conceaved of purpose whereupon there is so often mention of a newe songe in the booke of Psalmes ¶ And hast redeemed us Therefore the Beasts and Elders are men redeemed by the blood of Christ neither in deede some twelve chiefe men of the Iewes and as many Christian twelve Apostles with the foure Evangelists For this whole company was not chosen out of every Tribe and tongue and people and nation but out of the nation of the Iewes onely but of all the faithfull in every place all which this holy company and bande mustered indifferently from all places of the world doe worthyly note out as wee have observed upon the fourth verse of the 4. chapter And it is sayd significantly out of every Tribe c. not all Tribes c. because all men are not redeemed by the blood of Christ but onely the elect as Aretas hath well observed 10 And hast made us to our God Kinges Some copies doe reade them so this whole verse in the third person but Aretas and the common Latine translation doe reade in the first person wee have expounded these thinges before But why doe they mention this benefite in the cause of taking the
booke Because it is proper in deede to a Kingly power to prevayle with God and to beare away those thinges from him wherof lately they had noe power nor ability Wherfore they sing that they are made Kings to God as though they should say that they not onely are Kinges because they have subdued Death Sinne and the Devill but chiefly because they have God regarding their commodityes keeping nothing from them which any way may make for their good This is that Kingly power most noble in deede and alway to be praised But where they say they shall raigne on earth from hence that is evident which even nowe wee said at the eight verse that this is the company of the militant Church reigning on earth For why should the Saints in Heaven having attayned heavenly glory reioyce in an earthly dominion 11 And I heard round about the Throne and the Beasts The glorifying of the Angels who apart from the Church prayse God of whom there is another cōsideration thē of men redeemed by the blood of Christ for these being fallen are restored and they are upheld that they fall not And therefore are placed without the circuit of the Throne the Elders to whom yet they are next on every side garding the Church both that they may watch for her safety and also may reioyce in her behalfe for her prosperity From whence in the seconde place is rehearsed their gratulation as though they would learne every day more and more from the Church the incomprehensible mystery of redemption in which they behold with such earnest desire 1 Pet. 1.12 ¶ A thousande hundred thousand The common translation hath not these wordes a thousande hundred thousand but Aretas the Complutent edition and other copies read them And so in Daniel 7.10 from whence this place seemeth to have ben taken albeit the Iesuite will have nothing to be added in the common translation of such purity is it But where ought to be a greater number then where every kinde of Creature which is in Heaven and beneath with one consent agree to prayse the Lambe ver 13 Therefore he had better covered his shame if he would rather confesse freely the defect then to defende a manifest fault 12 To receave power Worthy is the Lambe that was killed that nothing should be so heard which his power may not overcome for he hath deserved by his death in such sorte that he should have power over all things Therefore by right all prayse is given unto him as to the most mighty most rich most wise c. the common translation for riches readeth Godhead without the authority of any Greeke copyes Notwithstanding it must be soo because so it seemeth to the Iesuites that the olde Jnterpreter hath followed alwayes the more corrected copies I would passe by such things if the impudency of the adversaryes did not compell mee to make them manifest at least in a word 13 And the whole creature All the Creature reioyce at this Prophecy evē they also which are void of reason because from thence they may perceive plainly that there shal be an ende at length to their labours Which time they expect with earnest affection much desyring to be freed from this yoke of vanity Rom. 8.21 ¶ And which are on earth in the Greeke it is and which are in the earth that is to say which live in the overmost part of the earth and under the earth which ly hid in the most inward bowels The whole creature expecteth a renovation not onely that which sheweth it selfe abroade is to be seen but also which lyeth hid within in secret But seeing here he speaketh of creatures voide of reason for it was spoken before of the whole kinde of reasonable creatures who would had from hence built and erected Purgatory but men voyd of reason But for wante of other guests they are compelled to stuffe their Popish banqueting chamber with bruit beasts ¶ And which are in the Sea and all things which are in them The common translation corruptly hath it thus And which are in the Sea and which are in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a chāge of gender wherby figuratively persons are attributed to the thinges created See Theod. Beza 14 And the foure Beasts The beginning the end of the thankesgiving is attributed to the Church because this benefite doth most of all belonge to her Therefore her glorifying is double one wherby shee goeth before all the rest in praysing the other wherby shee accordeth with the reioycing creature But the foure twenty Elders follow the leading of the Beasts as it is wont to be done in the Church where the people speaketh to God not so much in their owne as in the Ministers wordes and yeeld themselves wholy to his government to be ruled as touching religions and manner of worshippe as wee have observed in chap. 4.9.10 CHAP. VI. After I beheld whē the Lambe had opened one of the seales I heard one of the foure Beasts saying as it were the noise of thunder come see 2 Therfore I beheld loe there was a white horse he that sate on him had a bow a crowne was givē unto him he wēt forth cōquering that he might overcōe 3 And whē he had opened the secōd seale I heard the secōd Beast saying come see 4 And there wēt out an other horse red power was givē to him that sate therō to take peace frō the earth that they should kill one an other there was given unto him a great sword 5 And when he had opened the third seale I heard the third Beast saying come see Then I beheld loe a blacke horse was there and he that sate sate on him had balances in his hande 6 And I heard a voice in the middes of the foure beasts saying a measure of wheate for a penny and three measures of Barly for a peny and wine and oyle hurt thou not 7 And when he had opened the fourth seale I heard the voice of the fourth Beast saying come and see 8 And I looked and beholde a pale horse and his name that sate on him was death and hell followed after it and power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth to kill with sword and with hunger and with death and with beast of the earth 9 And when he had opened the fift seale I sawe under the Altar the soules of them that were killed for the word of God and for the testimony which they maintayned 10 And they cryed with a loude voice saying howe long Lord which art holy true doest thou not iudge and avenge our blood requyring it of them that dwell on the earth 11 And longe white robes were given to every one and it was saide unto them that they should rest for a little while untill their fellow servaunts and their brethren be accomplished who are to be killed even as they
the first period is to be set at that time from whence wee shall see every ech thing which followeth to flowe with a ready course stopped and stayed with noe uneven places The event in the unfolding will shewe what is the limite of every Periode These things being thus established let us returne unto the declaration of the wordes afterward wee shall see the thing it selfe and coherence thereof The first preparation is of the Lambe opening the first seale For he is the word of the Father who doth minister unto us whatsoever understanding wee have of Gods will And the events are called Seales both because they containe a mystery most hidden from the understanding of the prophane multitude Isay 8.16 and also because these first experimeÌ„ts should be pledges of future thinges Not that wee should undersâ—aÌ„d these to be bare forshewings of things and empty promises who doe onely denounce the troubles in word the execution whereof is coÌ„manded in some other place in this booke for that is no where to be founde but that they are signes of that kinde which bring togither with them their eâ—ecution and doe give a firme pledge of future things He openeth the sealeâ— in order one after another and not all togither with one labour both because the manner of the thinges to be donâ— did so require that also the whole Prophecy was not to be uttered at once but to be drawen 〈◊〉 peece-meale as it wâ—re for abâ—â—â—ty of a dâ—yly pâ—ttance The second pâ—â—pâ—â—tion is of one of the foure Beastâ— calling Iohn to come and see And this one Beast is the first to wit a Lion Chap. 4. â— But the â—â—â—stâ— are Goâ—â—â—â—â— of the Churches as hath ben observed in the foresaid plâ—ce â—hoâ—e laboâ—â— Gâ—d useth to instruct others These call men to see and obsâ—â—â—e â—ot onâ—ly bâ—caâ—se it is their office to forewarne the Chuâ—ch of thâ—â—â— that â—re to â—oâ—e to passe whether good or bad but especially â—ee◠〈…〉 thingeâ— next to come should be notable through their faithfulnes diâ—â—â—â—nce in this â—â—â—ter But the Lion speaketh first because they wâ—ich firâ—t â—hâ—â— begâ—â—ne the coÌ„bate should have like courage successe noâ— lesse prâ—vâ—iliâ—g in thâ—â— tâ—ey goe about then Lions making their pray The voice is â—n it 〈…〉 â—â—der penetring very farre that it might be heard of many Câ—â—â— saith he see speaking to Iohn representing nowe the person of the faithfull who likewise should be stirred up by the voice of the ministers to observe thâ—se wonderfull events which thing also is common to the three sâ—â—es following that being once spoken here it may be understood in the rest 2 J behelde therefore and loe a white horse The first type is a white horse and the sitter on him with a bowe and a crowne As touching the horse he is a warlike and swift beast to which worthily God compareth his actions both here in other places because with great courage swiftnes they will breake through whatsoever men shall make against Zach. 6. The white colour is ioifull proper to some famous solemnity as in the triumphe of Diocletian and Maximian After saith Pomponius Letus the chariot of the triumphers of golde and pretious stones which foure horses drewe comparable in whitnesse with the snowe But a rider is attributed to this and the rest that wee may knowe that they wander not up and downe rashly at their pleasure but are ruled and governed by the raines of Gods Providence And it may easily be gessed what manner of sitter it is from the analogie of the 8. verse For there he is noted by name that sitteth on the pale horse whose name seeing it is death his name may be life or trueth that hath so noble and pleasant a forme But whereas he is furnished with a bowe and crowne and went forth conquering that he might overcome by the same thinges is signifyed that an assault farre of shal be made and that a notable victory shall ensue thereof which should not vanish away with the present successe but should even also flourish with future happines For a bowe is a weapon of that kinde as with which the enemyes are hiâ—te both farre and neare But the Crowne is a token of victory so as both in the horse sitter on him all things are ioyous prosperous So is the interpretation of the wordes wherwith the History doth agree so wonderfully that noe picture doth more lively represente his paterne then the type of this seale the condition of those times Wee know that while Traiane was Emperour after Iohn was gone from Paâ—mos to Ephâ—sus that is by and by after the Revelation was written a most lamentable persecution waxed very hotte and fierce which raging even unto the fourteenth yeere at length by the letters of Pliny second Proconsull of Bâ—thyâ—ia it was some â—hat quenched and mitigated Neverthelâ—ssâ— the first Beasâ— had not yet spoken For Pliny was a heathen man and noe member of the Châ—rch much lesse the chiefe ruler Neither sâ—â—â—d the trouble wholy through his admonition onely this was obtayned that the Christians should not be searched for unto punishement but onely should be punished wheÌ„ they were brought unto the Governours accused Eus Feel Hist book â— 33. Wherfore the fight yet coÌ„tinued TraiaÌ„ being dead a fewe yeares after it waxed more fierce under AdriaÌ„ who at leÌ„gth going on with rage unto the destructioÌ„ of the name of ChristiaÌ„s the Lion roared out even the first Beast as the thuÌ„der For God raysed up Quadratus the Bishop of Athens also Aâ—stides a Philosopher citizen of the same city who as lioÌ„s stoutly regarding not the daÌ„ger of their life in respect of the good of the Church spake to AdriaÌ„ by Apologies then also in face pleaded the cause of the Christians By which the mindes of the faithfull were raised up with attente of the eveÌ„t not in vaine seeing froÌ„ thence followed a great change forthwith For the white horse his sitter with a bowe crown weÌ„t forth that is the truth triuÌ„phed ioyfully wheÌ„ the Emperour being overcome by the oration of those godly men did ordaine that noe Christian should be condemned unlesse he were convicted of some crime punisheable by the Civile lawes This was a manifest victory of the trueth and a greate token of future hapines Euseb Hist booke 4 ch 3. But her power was more excelleÌ„t under the next Emperour Antonin Pius about the beginning of whose Empire the Christians being againe miserably oppressed from the former hatred at length Iustin Martyr Leo administring the word of God in the habite of a Philosopher as sayeth Euseb booke 4.11 wrote Apologies for the Christians unto Antonin to his sonnes and to the Senate of Rome wherby he effected God working togither with him that it was enacted by publike decree that noe man should trouble Christians in that respeâ—t because they were Christians but if any would proceede to molest them the acâ—usâ—d
trumpets The second time is of an infinite innumerable multitude whose citizens ar described partly by those things which Iohn himselfe could understand by himselfe to wit by the things seen whence they were where they stood and in what apparell ver 9. Likewise by the glorifying of God heard both of themselves ver 10. and also of the Angels consenting to the same ver 11. and more fully praysing God in their behalfe ver 12. Partly by the instruction of an Elder whereunto a way is prepared by a question ver 13. a confession of ignorance in the beginning of the verse following afterward a full doctrine is added which sheweth that they came out of great affliction but that nowe they are blessed through the imputation of the righteousnes of the Lambe ver 14. testifyed by their constant desyre to serve God and of him againe by his defense ver 15. then also by an eternall freedome from all evills ver 16. and last of all by the fruitiō of good thinges ver 17. And this second time for the most part is of the Viols Scholions 1 After I sawe foure Angels This whole Chapter belōgeth to the sixt seale wherein a newe common type is set forth of thinges that are to be done afterward The former was common to all the three periods chap. 4 This conteineth onely the two latter to wit the Trumpets and Viols For the Spirit reioyceth for perspicuity and consolation sake to set before our eyes often times certen common figures both that the thinges may be more apparant and also that the event beheld a farre of may recreate the minde being in heavines But when after that isue of the former calamityes which was spoken of in the ende of the former chapter the seaventh seale should bringe in divers sorts of troubles before he cometh to declare them he setteth as it were this table in the sight of all men in which viewing the future image of the holy Church wee should knowe assuredly that the same can in noe wise be abolished and cleane taken away howsoever horrible tēpests might seeme to appeare and cast downe all things to utter destructiō This purpose of the Holy Ghost being considered will free us frō the great confusion wherewith the Interpreters are wont to shuffle togither all things and to cast upon the most wise distributour of the times a wrapping intangling which cānot be unfolded which surely if ever elswhere it is most of all shunned in this booke wherby it shal be made manifest that the Spirit is not a lover of confusion but that he alone is the principal authour of all right and prudent dispensation ¶ Foure Angels These are not the foure Angels of the last time which is yet to come a little before the ende of the world For their endevour in holding backe the winde goeth a little before the sealing as the next words make playne But they that are sealed must reigne a thousand yeeres on earth and those not reaching to the ende by some ages as wee will shew by the helpe of God at the twentith chap. ver 4. But it grieveth me to cōtend so often with this Iesuiticall Monster that I may make short if every verse almost doe not disprove this exposition let it obtaine what authority it can More over neither are these good Angels when as that which they entreprise perteineth rather to the destruction of soules then of bodyes Certenly the prohibition doth not altogither take from them the power of hurting but restraineth it onely for a time till the sealing was finished which is apparant to have ben done before that the Trumpets doe blowe Wherefore they rush in togither with the Trumpets being already prepared to bring in trouble and stayed onely with the let of sealing assoone as that should be dispatched they should fly greedily upon that from which they would not refrayne themselves unlesse they had ben constrained Therefore both they doe bring those foure mischiefes which ar threathed by the foure first trumpets and also unhappy and pernitious effectors of so sorrowfull events They may be shewed by name from those Trumpets so that the First may be called Contention the second Ambition the third Heresy the fourth Warre These foure Angels did take to themselves the foure corners of the earth ech one being ready from their stations to bring in that mischiefe which in the next wordes is mentioned For assoone as any tranquility appeared when nowe Diocletian was driven away and the other Tyrants the Bishops began forthwith to be given exceedingly to privie discords What meanes assayed not Constantine the Greate to quench this raising flame who appointed a Synode at Rome and commanded Miltiades and Marcus to sit in examination of the controversy against Caecilia But when the Synode was not able to ende the strife he appointed for chiefe doer in the same businesse Aurelius Bishop of Syracuse whom togither with his fellowes in office he commanded to goe from the Citie Arles in France and the matter being heard againe to set them at one that were at variance The counter-writings of Constantine touching this thing are to be seen in Euseb booke 10. 5. The Antichristian ambition sprung up in the times of the Apostles least wee should thinke that it fayled nowe in playing her part But now saith Paul you knowe what letteth that he should be revealed in his time for the mystery of iniquity worketh already 2 Thessal 2.6 And surely one would scarce beleeve but that those arrogant boastings of the Chaire of Rome with which the Decretall Epistles doe abounde were forged of the posterity and afterward to have bin ascribed falsly to the auncient Fathers so impudēt and vaine are they unlesse Firmilianus had proved that they are their owne at least for a great part whose names they beare For speaking of Stephanus then Bishop of Rome He that so boasteth sayth he of the place of his Bishoprike and avoucheth that he holdeth succession from Peter upon whom the foundations of the Church are set shewing playne enough how the Bishops then were given to boasting amonge the Epistles of Cyprian Epist 75. This same age was famous by the beginning of the Heresy of Arius whom wee have sayd to be the third Angell Neither was the Northerne Barbarousnes which had brought longe agoe the Romanes under the yoke quiet in those times as may be seen in Euseb upon the life of Const booke 4. Albeit that in stirring they prevayled not yet there wanted not a desire to troble the state that wee may easily now acknowledg the prōtnes of these foure Angels And they did in such sorte divide the world among themselves that Contention did invade with force from the East Ambition from the West Heresy from the South Warre from the North the chiefe quarters of the world being so occupyed that the holes out of which the vitall winde should issue were altogither stopped frō the earth as shall be made more playne in his
place ¶ Holding the foure windes of the earth Wee have seene the Angels their standings their endevour is to take away the winde from the earth the foure saith Iohn windes of the earth which yet is one by nature but divers according to the countryes from whence it bloweth But this winde is not properly to be understood seeing such a calamity hath never befallen albeit many ages now are past since this Prophecy was accomplished For if it were proper howe should not the stopping up hurt as well the sealed as the reprobate who dwelt togither and one with an other I therefore understand the winde to be the force and faculty of the Holy Ghost whom Christ coÌ„pareth to the winde Iohn 3.8 the winde saith he bloweth whither it listed so is every one that is borne of the Spirit For as of olde that disordered Chaos and seed of this our world could not otherwise consist then as it was quickened of the Spirit who moved himselfe upon the waters Gen. 1.2 So neither doth this earth nor sea nor trees come to the feeling of any vitall strength unlesse that sanctifying winde doth lye upon them from whose breathing they doe as it were drawe their life It is not indeede in the power of any creature to restraine the force of the heaveÌ„ly Spirit yet the trueth being stopped which he used as his chariot not without cause the passages may be sayd to be stopped wherby he should blowe to our good ¶ That the winde should not blow upon the earth nor upon the sea c. Nowe the thinges are reckoned up from which they would had restrayned the winde to wit from the Earth the Sea the Trees The Earth before were the Heathen Nations as chap. 6.4.15 Afterward it seemeth to signify alway not men wholy repugnant to the name of Christ but the common sorte mixt company of the corrupt Church which hath succeeded in the place of the Gentiles as chap. 8.13 12.9.12.13.16 13.11 c. The Sea signifyeth the doctrine sometime true and then it is placed before the Throne within the coÌ„pas of the Elders where it is of glasse like to Chrystall most cleare most pure as chap. 4.6 More often it is brought to shew false doctrine in which sense it resteth and is quiet as in his channell in the bosome and embracing of this earth which it doth fasten togither with his humidity though grosse and brinish through secret passages least being by nature easy to be reduced in powder and not cleaving togither it should be dissolved through her atidity For unlesse there were some bande of consent amonge the counterfeit citizens even the wicked assemblyes could not stande The trees wee understaÌ„de to be meÌ„ froÌ„ ch 9.4 wher coÌ„maÌ„demeÌ„t is giveÌ„ to the Locusts that they should not hurt any tree but onely the meÌ„ that hav not the seale of God in their foreheads Now the exception is alway of the same kinde of which that is froÌ„ wheÌ„ce the exception is made therefore when as men are excepted it must needes be that the trees also are men not indeed of the basest sorte condition but who shewe theÌ„selves above others with their high dignityes and lift up their heades among the rest being more famous in the Christian Assemblyes But if the Angels would have hurt onely this earth sea and trees why was there not free leave graunted them Because in that vile heape many of the elect lay hidden who were to be provided for for their sakes the Angell from the East would have the confused multitude to be spared neither any hurt to be done to any untill order was taken for them for whom it was necessary The wicked gaine the deferring of punishment for those fewe good whom they have dwelling among theÌ„ ¶ And I sawe an other Angell which was come up from the East in greeke which did ascend some copyes doe reade coming up the Hebrewes figuratively doe take these wordes to ascende and descende for to departe to goe forth to goe to returne as he went up from Ierusalem that is he returned and left of to assault it 2. King 12.18 But it is well ioyned with the rysing of the Sunne because the Sunne seemeth to ascende from the East untill he be come to the middes of heaven The first occasion of sealing being declared there is now described by what Minister it was done Whom both the respect of the time and all circunstances doe proove to have ben Constantine the Great He succeeded in the Empire after that the Lambe had thrust out Diocletian and the other Jdolatrous Tyrants But he came up from the rising of the Sunne having come from the Easterne countryes to receive the Empyre For being a yong man he served in warre under Diocletian in Syria But after his vertu had procured him envy so as often through secret trecheries he was in perill of his life he was compelled to get himselfe out of the East as speedily as he could and to goe to his Father So Eusebius writeth he was provoked to flight for his safety in the life of Constantin orat 1. Zonaras saith that he was given of his father for an hostage to Galerius of whom when he sawe that he was hated through envy and that in the battell at Sarmatia he was cast forth of set purpose to danger and againe for the same intente commaunded to fight with a Lion both which battells he executed with good successe by flight at length he escaped away to his Father togither also by these meanes avoided the danger and obtayned his Fathers Empire the seate whereof afterward he placed at Bizantium Therefore whether wee respect his first returne from the East or minde the decrees which after the Empire was established touching the worshipping of the true God by Christ did fly often from thence into that part of the world that was under Rome the History agreeth very well with the Prophecy but that former seemeth to come nigher to the meaning of the Holy Ghost because of those thinges that follow ¶ Having the Seale of the living God Both himselfe instructed in the true knowledge of God and endued with very great authority to spread abroad the same unto others whom while by his owne exemple and zeale he provoked to embrace the trueth he is sayd to marke them with the seale of the living God and to take them for Gods chiefe treasure He cryed with a lowde voice promoting the trueth by Edicts published removing farre of to his power all that which might hinder the amplifying of it He did represse for a time according as it was appointed of God those foure Furies of Hâ—ll which were prepared to hurt whereof wee have heard at the first verse He restreined the Ambition of other men by his owne maiesty Howe great labour did he take to pull up by the rootes all contentions who esteemed nothing more excellent then to seate peace among the Bishops
translation and some other Copies and so it seemeth that it should be read both that the greatnes of the evill may be the more perceived and also that those thinges which follow may be understood the more easily this first being set downe which is the chiefe He commeth nowe to the second effect which was hurtfull onely to the wicked the sealed being well defended from the evill of it For saith he they were cast into the Earth which wee have taught to signify Earthly men wholy addicted to the thinges of this life But this showre rained not upon the whole earth but onely upon the third part But he calleth it the third after the common manner the whole being distributed in to three parts Which third part was the East to wit Asia and the bordering places EVROPE and AFRIKE understood it rather by hearing then in very deeded VALENS and VRSATIVS Bishops the one of the city Mursia in the country of Pannonia the other of Singidon a city in the Superior Mysia did endevor and laboured much to fill those parts with this poison But God who is mercifull did in his kindnesse restrayne and represse this mischiefe within the boundes of the third part of the world least that in overwhelming the whole Church it would at length destroy and overthrowe the same utterly ¶ And the third part of the trees was burnt The trees are the foster children of that Earth of which I spake even nowe and those more stronge tall then any of the rest as after in the 7. chap. but the Greene grasse signifyeth the newe borne Infants of the Church and the common multitude But the tēpest seemeth to rage more grievously against the Grasse then against the trees for of these the third part onely is on fire but all the grasse is burnt up But this whole grasse belongeth to that third part onely even as that third part of the trees are all trees of the East from whence the condition of the trees is nothing better then of the grasse These things teach that all of the Christian name as well the highest as the lowest who lived in those countryes of the third part of the world and were not in trueth grounded and built upon Christ should be so miserably smitten with this storme that they should make shipwracke of their salvation But you will say that they were destroyed before that is true doubtlesse in Gods councill yet it often cometh to passe that reprobate men doe flatter themselves for a time with a certaine false hope and doe with very great care delight to followe some outward religion which afterward the time doth prove manifestly to have ben meere hypocrisy and a vaine appearance of holines so those burnt trees grasse should make shipwracke of their counterfait god lines dashing themselves against the rockes of so great ungodlines of the Bishops And howe could it be but all in whose hartes the trueth hath not taken deepe roote either should be carryed into errour or which is worse should contemne all religion should revolte from Christ himselfe should hate the worshippers of him whom they should see to be bent to this onely thing that they may rayse up strifes contentions and troubles Well wrote Constantine in an Epistle to the Councill gathered togither at Tyrus he upbraided the Bishops in that they did nothing else but sowe dissentions and hatreds and those things which did tende to the utter ruine of man kinde Socrat. booke 1. 34. But there needeth noe witnesses in a matter not doubtfull The exceeding great mercy of God is rather to be praysed which kept a fewe safe from this storme 8 Afterward the second Angell blewe the trumpet as it were a burning moūtaine The first effect of the sounding of the trumpet of the second Angel is a great mountaine burning with fire cast into the Sea The second effect is the death of the third part of the creatures that lived in the Sea As touching the first Mountaines in the scriptures are Princes States of a Realme Loftie minded all of that sorte as Isaiah saith that the day of the Lord shal be upon all the high mountaines and upon all the hilles that are lifted up and upon every high tower and upon every stronge wall chap. 2.14.15 From whence it seemeth here to note Kingdomes Principalities Honours Dignities the Pompe of the world and Traine folloing great men and the Ambition of such thinges This Mountaine burneth with fire as Vesuvius or Aetna because the desyre of honour and riches is fervent neither are men wont to be occupyed coldly in getting such thinges It is throwne into the Sea because the ambition of these things is cast into the doctrine a newe decree of the Councill being made touching order and honour of which their Ancesters never had a thought For wee have shewed before the Sea to be the most pure doctrine of the true and heavenly Church chap. 4.6 but of the earthly and false the foule and grosse chap. 7.1 Seeing then that this is the meaning of the words wee shall finde that the second Angell by and by after the first sounded the trumpet among the same Nicene Fathers For after that sentence was given touching the coessentiall nature of the Sonne of celebrating the Easter upon one and the same day of Miletium they turned themselves unto the making of Canons by which the Ecclesiasticall Discipline should be ruled Amonge other Canons they make a Decree touching the Primacy of the Metropolitanes that the Bishop of Alexandria should have authority over all the Churches in Egypt or Lybia and Pentapolis because the Bishop of Rome had the like custome Likewise as in Antioch and the other Provinces let the honour of every Church be reserved And that no man ordained without the will and knowledge of the Metropolitane should be counted a Bishop that honour also be given to the Bishop of Ierusalem and consequently that he may receive honour the dignity neverthelesse proper to the Metropolitane City remaining Surely this burning Mountaine was cast into the Sea when from this beginning there was strife among the Church men about dignity and honour as for the maintenance of religion and their private sustenance Indeede the obscurer Churches were wont in former times to goe to the learned and skilfull Bishops of more famous cityes and to aske their advise if any doubtfull thing had fallen out and to crave their aide to whom the excellency of the place procured more authority but that which they did before of their owne accord nowe must be done necessarily and those whom lately they saluted as their brethren and felowes in office they were now to be acknowledged by higher titles From hence came into the Church exercising of authority and having dominion by which in a short time after all thing were turned up sidowne Constantinople thought that shee was regarded nothing according to her worthines by this Nicene Decree wher fore a fewe yeeres
after a Councill being gathered in the same place under Gratian and Theodosius the elder shee ordained in plaine wordes that the Bishop of the City of Constantinople ought to have the honour of Primacy next after the Romane Bishop because that it is newe Rome see the first Councill at Constantinople Canon the fift By which things both shee bewrayed her owne ambition and also shewed some what more fully what those some thing obscure circunstances of wordes in the Nicene decree meant ¶ And the third part of the Sea became blood The Second effect is the corruption of Doctrine the death of the things in the Sea The Doctrine is turned into blood that is into a nature wholy growing out of kinde Before indeede it began to be foule and thicke defiled with many superstitions but afâ—er the desire of Lordship Primacy was mixed with it it became an horrible blood But what this third part is the History sheweth clearly In the former sounding of the trumpet the East was smitten with the haile nowe the West is punished with the bloody waters as some time Egypte Now Rome must play her part which not content with the Primacy of Order the which the Niâ—â—ne Fathers gave her strove as much as shee was able to get her selfe the highest estate also of power over all the rest And shee had many opportuniâ—â—es doubtlesse before others as to be the head City of olde time and noâ— y t longe agoe that preiudice of the Nicene Decree the exceeding peace the which shee enioyâ—d when in the meane time the whole East was inflamed with the deadly firâ—brandes of dissentions finally ordained as it were a sanctuary the orthodoxes being driven out of their seâ—tes under a coulour of defending of whom shee crept in by stealth to that dominion which in her heart shee sought so greedily For while both the banished Bishops of whom shee seemeth to deserve well praysed her of a gratefull good will more then was meete and shee vaunting her selfe the more freely in a good cause shee exercised a certen empire and dominion unwarres over all men Which coming of hers appeareth evidently in Sozomenus in his 3. booke chap. 8. Athanasius of Alexandria Paulus of Constantinople Marcellus of Ancyra and Asclepa Gazensis being cast out of their people fled for succour to Rome the defence of whom Iulius Romain tooke freely neither was that to be reprooved unlesse he had made craftily to himselfe from hence a steppe unto tyranny For so he writeth to the Churches in their behalfe as though the power were his owne to command any thing imperiously As if it were meete that he because of the dignity of his seate should be carefull for all he restored to every one his owne Church But when letters were sent every where touching this matter through the East being as I said full of authority and power which he arrogated to his seat the Easterne Bishops in other things not to be approved did this well and according to their duty that they thought the arrogancy of the man was to be convinced of them and the Romish ambition to be reprooved freely And from hence is that which they answere that the Romane Church doth strive and contende with all men about honour as if shee were the schole of the Apostles made at the beginning the mother City of Godlines although the teachers themselves of the doctrine came from the East and were men of that country c. There was added to his cunning of boasting so insolently of the Apostolike Chaire a crafty interpretation of all duty as of due obedience the saluting of his brethren and fellowes in office by the name of honourable Sonnes and other notable fraudes of that sorte as Damasus in his Epistle to the Constantinopolitane Councill doe shewe in these wordes In that saith he your charity most honourable sonnes giveth due reverence to the Apostolike Chaire by the same thing you procure very much reverence to your selves For although it apperteineth to us chiefly to order the sterne and rudder which wee have taken upon us to governe in the holy Church in which the holy Apostle sate a teacher yet wee confesse our selves to be unworthy of so great an honnour Theodor. booke 5. chap. 9. Incredible is the charity of the Romane Pope who embraceth noe otherwise then as Sonnes so many Bishops present in the Councill In the next age his unsatiable desyre brake forth more evidently Three most Holy Popes who could not erre Zozimus Bonifacius and Celestinus are convinced of falshood belying the Nicene Councill to stablish their owne Principality The sixt Councill of Carthage albeit they reprove so great a naughty act more gently then was meete writeth to Celestinus that they could not finde any such thinge in the truer Councils which are received for Nicene being sent them from holy Cyrill and Atticus of Constantinople out of the originall which they long a goe sent from thence by Faustinus as out of a part of the Nicene Council and therefore they warne him that he would not doe that wherby he may seeme to bring into the Church of Christ the smokie pride of the world So in short time their impudency increased neither from hence forth did they cease before that Rome the conqueresse had taken from all the rest the apple of contention The Nicene Fathers tought to provide for the peace of the Church by placing some chiefe Patriarches as it were in a watchtower above the rest but the issue convinceth them both of an exceeding great errour and aberration and of their labour to be very ill and unprofitably bestowed and togither also it teacheth howe much safer and better it is to continue and keepe within the boundes and simplicity of the divine and most holy word of GOD then that wee should alter or change any thing in it leaning unto humane wisdome and inventions of men Such is this third part into which the burning montaine was cast and that the doctrine afterward became most fouly corrupted marred now it is mor knowne thankes be to God theÌ„ that is needfull to spende time in proving it Wee shall finde that this is the continuall Cokou song of all the Papists an immoderate boasting of the Apostolique Seate whether they doe refferre all things wrestingly the Sunne and Moone the two swordes and the Church built upon Peter 9 And the third part of the creatures dyed There remaine yet two partes of the second effect one touching the death of the creatures in this Sea the other of the dâ—stroying of the shippes The creatures in the Sea are all that basest company of the Clergie as they call them of which sorte are the Doore-keepers Râ—â—ders Singers Exorcists Acobythes Subdeacons Deacons Archdeacons Deanes Religious Monkâ—s Brethren and the rest of that kinde The Shippes are those of a higher degree whose office was to take paines in preaching the word and to transporte it hither and thither as merchants
except Athanasius and Paulinus drunke this deadly poison of the Arians and Emmonians see Hierome against the errours of Iohn Bishop of Hier. Not onely Nilus was turned into bitternes but also the rivers and fountaines of Thracia Hellespont Bithinia and the whole continent region in all which places the Arians expelled out of the Churches all that were of a right iudgement and punished them shamefully Sozom. booke 4. 27. More over the poison was powred forth on all men from the borders of Illyricum even unto Thebais as Basyll cōplayneth in his Epist 69. And what wormewood was at any time more bitter then for Christians to be beaten with stripes to death by Christians to be deprived of their goods and priviledge of the cities to be burned in the fore head with a hotte iron and to be handled with noe lesse cruelty yea rather more cruelty of brethren then before time of most fierce outragious enemies Yet all these thinges and many mo suffered the orthodoxe at the handes of Macedonius of Constantinople and others his fellowes in office not Bishops but fiendes of Hell as Socrates writeth in his second booke chapter 27. This mischiefe vexed and over ruled a longe time that third part both by it owne selfe and also by the unhappy birth of the Macedonians and other wretched ofspring of that sorte neverthelesse whē Valens was dead this flame also decayed the matter of which was consumed as of a lampe which hath noe more oyle Those Wormewood waters did wonderfully provoke the calamity of the haile with which nowe at lenght they mixe themselves and hindred that the burning flame of ambition in the West could not be holpen For nowe the three Trumpets came on with rage togither which molested at the first asunder and mor lightly 11 Therefore the third part of the waters became The Second effect shewing the fruict of the falling starre The Teachers and Bishops almost all of that third part who should be the springs of learning unto others forthwith infected the wholesome waters with the bitternes of that wicked opinion but they made this deadly mixture not onely to themselves but also all which drunke hereof and sufferred themselves to be infected with the same opinions got to themselves destruction as hath ben declared by us before 12 Afterward the fourth Angell blewe the trumpet Here is mentioned one effect onely of the fourth trumpet otherwise then in the former Neither that without cause but for this intent as farre as it seemeth because the former evils came from them of the housholde and that it was therefore needfull not onely that it should be shewed which was done but also the Authours whereunto the first effect perteined especially But this calamity should come altogither from the Enemy and from men that were strangers from the Church any fall of whom there was noe neede to rehearse Wherefore he cometh to declare this trumpet noe otherwise then to the relating of the former calamityes which the spitefull Heathen Tyrants did bring in before time as in chap. 6.12.13 This onely effect smiteth the third part of the Sunne of the Moone of the Starres of the Day and of the Night The Sunne Moone and Starres wee interprete as before to be the chiefe ornaments of the purer and true Chyrch So as that the Sunne should be the Scriptures themselves the fountaines of light The Moone the doctrine borrowed from thence which is compared sometime to the water and also sometime to the light for a divers respect the starres the Ministers the day ioyfulnes and mirth in the Church from the enioying of this Sunne the Night a sorrowfull condition either in regard of affliction or of darkenes and obscurity which is cast upon the trueth or of both whereupon there shall be noe night in the full happines of the Church chap. 21.29 Neither are the Ministers starres because they are servants of the night but because they put away the darknes that is in others themselves in the meane time being inlightned wholly by the light of the Sunne The meaning therefore is that a most grievous calamity common noe lesse to the false then to the true Church shall invade the third part of the world as the History witnesseth it to have come to passe I passe over the tempests of those warres which the most obscure nations Gothes Suevians Hunnes Heruls Vandals and the other confederates of these inferred which scarcely repressed of Constantine the Greate at length when he was taken from the earth overflowed all Europe I thinke that this forth sounding of the trumpet is to be referred especially when Gensericus the Vandal about the yeere after Christ is birth 438. passed over from Spaine into Afrique sent of Bonifacius For what Decius or Diocletian is to be compared with this man in cruelty The divine goodnesse delivered from their iawes Augustine a few dayes before the city Hippo was takē What torments endured not the rest of the saincts The Tyrant commandeth all holy bookes to be burned every one without regarde to be killed that they should not spare the innocent but suckling children being pulled from their mothers brests to be partly dashed against the stones and the grounde partly to be cleaved asunder in the middes from the crowne of the head And they were better dealt with all then the rest which remained alive many Ministers of the word and famous men being laden with huge burdens in steade of Camels and beasts and compelled with goades of iron to hasten their going as often as through wearines they stayed Proclamations from the King ar set forth that all in generall should be destroyed who had holy orders And Victor of Vtica who wrote the History of this persecution maketh mētion that of an hundred and three score Bishops which lately were in Zengetana the provinciall iurisdiction three onely were left alive at what time he wrote these thinges and that one of these three escaped persecution and lived as a banished man at Edessa in Macedonia Verily the third part of the Sunne of the Moone of the starres and of the day was smitten seeing the Africane Church the third part of the world lay wholly quenched as farre as man could iudge Especially when as Hunorichus Nundrus and at length Gilimer made a gleaning with greater cruelty if any thing can be greater then Genserichus used in reaping the first harvest Neither was the Night untouched but the third part of it was likewise smitten that is the whole false Church also which is wont to be more populous then the true and to cover it over with her darkenes was partaker of the same calamity For the Vandals desired to roote out all at once every one of the Christian name farre otherwise then the other barbarous natiōs in Europe which sought onely places to dwell in for themselves and bare noe such hatefull mindes against religion For which cause wee thinke that this fourth sounding of the trumpet doth properly belonge to
the Africane Vandals And so much the more because by their meanes it was brought to passe that the Sunne in those countryes did go downe alway to this very day for after that horrible darkenesse which the Vandals brought in God by his fearefull iudgement gave up those nations to the Mahumeticall madnes whose hellish darknes at this time sufferreth noe confortable Sunne beame to shine upon them Howe is it to be lamented that that part of the world which afore time was beset with most famous lights Tertullian Cyprian Augustine and others almost infinite is nowe altogither become blacke and doth not shine with one little sparkle But so is thy will most holy Father who hast compassed about us Europeans left alone and most wickedly abusing thy holy name with very sorrowfull spectacles of thy wrath both toward the East South So therefore are the foure first trumpets Contention Ambition Heresy Warre those foure Angels which Constantine the Great for a time restrained But the first and third trumpet belongeth to the East the second to the West the fourth to Africa The Prophecy of this chapter conteineth about two hundred thirty yeeres to wit from the beginning of the reigne of Constantine unto the yeere of Christ five hundred thirty and three at which time Belisarius carried away captive Gilimer and destroyed the name of the Vandals in Afrique Evag. booke 4.16 Yee may fetch a larger declaration from Eseb upon the life of Constantine from Socrates Theodoret Sozomene Evagrius Procopius of the warre of the Vandals and Victor of Vtica touching the persecution of the same men whose Commentaries God would have to be extant for the light and credit of this Prophecy 13 And I sawe and heard one Angell Nowe he cometh to the three last trumpets much more troublous then the former as appeareth from the comon preparation in this verse For as though the usuall sounding of the trumpet were not of sufficient force to cause feare a common Proheme to these three full of terrour is prefixed every severall afterward is declared by their transitions As touching the wordes some reade for an Angell an Eagle as Aretas the Complutent Edition and the common translation brought hereunto as it seemeth because the fourth Beast was like a flying Eagle chap. 4.7 But the word one being adioyned maketh against it For it was wont to be the limiting of a thing uncertaine and indefinite But the Eagle the fourth Beast was onely one wherefore it had ben superfluous to say I heard one Eagle Therefore one Angell agreeth better which word is generall and by right may be limited with some addition as Andreas readeth and some other Greeke Copies Furthermore he is called an Angell which flyeth through the middes of heaven after in chap. 14.6 But this one Angell is some one man alone picked and chosen out from the rest to some peculiar office 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not the middes of heaven as the Astronomers call it who call midday in this wise but the middes betweene Earth and heavē to wit the middes of height not of lenght as the Angell appeared to David 1 Chron. 21.16 But seeing heaven is the holy Church and the earth the false and counterfaite which carrieth the name shewe onely of the true this Angell being seen betwixt both seemeth not to have attained the purity of that and yet to have flowne somewhat aloft beyond the dregs and filth of this He cryeth with a lowde voice that he may be heard of all men that there shall come farre greater calamityes frō the three trumpets that are to come then yet have gone before But that these shall come upon the inhabitans of the earth who doe counterfait holines whereas in very deede they are withered branches and rotten members The time and congruency of the matter doe make me to thinke that this Angell is Gregory the Great Bishop of Rome he was one as it were taken out of the rable of many Bishops whose labour God would use to profit his Church But although he sate unwares in the chaire of wickednes yet God knoweth to plucke his out of the iawes of Hell And significantly doubtles is he called one as though it were a miracle for any one of any goodnes to be founde among that degenerating route This Gregory did fly in the middes of heaven pressed downe with many superstitions and errours that he could not be enrolled a citizen of the heavenly city Whose neverthelesse singular good will care diligence right iudgement in many thinges lifted him up on high farre above the rest of the common sort and that company of superstitious ones He cryed with a lowde voice denouncing to the world a great calamity by ANTICHRIST who should come straight way The King saith he of pride is at hande and wich is unlawfull to be spoken an army of Priests is prepared booke 4. Epist 24. Againe the King of pride is at the doores in the same booke Epist 38. In the same place againe where is that Antichrist which chalengeth the name of universall Bishop and for whom is prepared an army of Priests to attende upon him He is at hand sayth he and at the doores yea he was farre neerer then he thought in whose chaire he sate even himselfe but by his account he could not be farre of Neither is it lawfull to diminish the Popes credit who could not be deceaved especially avouching the same thing so often and in earnest Seeing therefore that this Gregory next after the fourth trumpet that is the Vandalike persecution so expressely cryeth out aloude that Antichrist is at hande then whom noe greater plague and calamity could befall the earth and that a fewe yeeres before that the Monster borne longe agoe broke forth into the open light it must needes be that he was this Angell who is shewed almost so playnly by this type as if he had ben named CHAP. 9. THEN the fift Angell blewe the trumpet and I sawe a starre fall from heaven into the earth and to that starre was given the key of the bottomelesse pit 2 He opened therefore the bottomelesse pit and there arose a smoke out of the pit as the smoke of a great fornace and the Sunne was darkened and the ayre by the smoke of the pit 3 And there came out of the smoke Locusts upon the earth and unto them was given power as the scorpions of the earth have power 4 But to them it was sayd that they should not hurt the hay of the earth neither any greene thing neither any tree but onely those men which had not the Seale of God in their foreheads 5 And to them was commanded that they should not kill them but that they should be tormented five moneths and that their torment should be as the torment of a Scorpion when he hath stung a man 6 Therefore in those dayes shall men seeke death and shall not finde it and shall desire to dye and death shall
asssembled Indeede Martin Agatho Bishops of Rome condemned also the same Heresy who yet cannot be counted among this haie being tied to the earth by other veines to wit a most fowle Idolatry of which the Church of Constantinople was more pure which received not true and expresse Images before the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Coūcill a fewe yeeres after under Iustinianus second as sheweth Antonius Contius in the third part of the Decrees in the third chap. of distinctions the sixt holy Councill and Polydor. Virgil. in his 6. booke and 13. chap. concerning the Inventours In the times of Leo Isaurus the same Locusts came flying againe about the yeere 719. with a farre greater number of shippes and more hurtfull armies But God sufferred them not to hurt his haie which he himselfe doubtlesse had moved in stirring up Leo to prohibite that wicked Idolatry which haie time became yet more evident when Gregorie the second excommunicated the Emperour and deprived him of the Empire and of his felowshippe that is cut him of frō the wicked earth because he had ordayned that holie images and pillars should be throwne downe and destroyed Therefore the Locusts are driven away by battaile by famine by a sea-fire by tempest and haile mingled with fire that they might acknowledge God to be the defender of his haie and the whole navie of shippes tenne onely excepted did perish of which tenne five also were intercepted of the Emperours souldiers the rest at length arriving at Syria that they might be tidings bringers of that horrible slaughter It was Doubtlesse a manifest example of the haie saved from the iniurie of the Locusts Besides these Locusts the whole East was also full of Monkes but as the scorpions in some landes doe not hurt as in the Jlande Pharo in the Norike Alpes and elswhere so in very many places they bring death without any remedy and as the Locusts destroy very often whole nations with famine some time also they are for meate so the poison of the Monkes was more sharpe in the West part in that it did not enter into the East neither were they much hurtfull in the West to the cut grasse Discreete men to whom the trueth did shew it selfe more clearly despised the hypocrites without feare and sufferred not themselves to be devoured of them as the other unskilfull multitude which through a shewe of Godlines became a pray ¶ Neither all greene thing neither all trees but onely those men which have not c. The meaning is that some greene thing and some trees should be delivered from this vexation of the Locusts all the rest being yeelded up to their cruelty who had not the seale of God in their foreheades In the former chapter and seventh verse the third part of trees was burnt and all greene grasse to wit of that third part because all that part of grasse and of trees should be of the cōpanie of the cast awayes But unlesse some trees should be counted in the number of the elect the foure Angels should not have bin forbidden before to stay their rage even for one moment of time ch 7.1 Here therefore a fewe are taken out of a great number as the naturall force of the wordes doth shewe sufficiently The wordes doe beare doubtlesse that interpretation which the most learned Theod. Beza bringeth thus neither any greene thing nor any tree but onely the men c. For the universall signe all is taken some time for any as chap. 7. ver 1. neither upon all tree that is upon any where the Complutent edition readeth upon any tree and chap. 21.27 any thing that defiled or any defiled thinge as hath the Common translation Also the particles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be understood by way of opposition but onely the men c. as but they onely which are written in the booke of life of the Lambe chap. 21.27 But here I thinke that it is rather to be translated according to the proper signification of the wordes by way of exception thus except onely the men which have not the seale c. The difference is that exception is alwayes of a thing of the same kinde opposition may be of any divers thing whatsoever And this placeth every greene thing and every tree in the number of the sealed that attributeth the same thing to some certen trees and onely to some greene thing counting the rest of the grone in noe place of those that are to be saved more agreably to that which wee mentioned before chap. 8.7 Neither is it needfull in the other places alleadged to departe from the naturall property of these particles if wee shall consider the matter diligently From these thinges then it is prooved that there are some within the compasse of the false Church whom God chalengeth to him selfe by a privie sealing and that this greene thinge and trees are men as wee have interpreted chap. 7.1 the exception requiring it which noteth expressly men sealed that also the greene thinge and trees should be men out of the number of which men are excepted And surely there were many men yea some Kingdomes England Denmarke Germanie c. whether the rage of the Sarracenes came not and in those places where they raged did they exercise tyranny over any other then those men who had not the marke of salvation What other strife doe the History-writers of those times and places report then about the sepulchre and the crosse of the Lord and such vaine things wherewith Christians were bewitched Neither did superstitious Locusts vexe any other men but those which were addicted to their superstition as even nowe wee said 5 And to them was commanded that they should not kill them Howe great is their power wee may perceive from the degree of torment from the continuance of it estimation of death as a lighter thing As touching the first it was not permitted them to kill but to tormente Howe may this agree to the Saracenes who shed so much Christian blood These thinges seeme to be spoken not simply but in comparison Yf consideration be had of that slaughter which in the next trumpet was to come the Saracenes may well be thought not to kill At their first beginning the Christian name was not so much hated neither was there neede of any great murder when the nations which they set upon gave out their vanquished handes yeelding almost of their owne accord to have fellowshipe in that ungodlines In the latter times there was a more fierce and bloody victory by howe much the battell was more eger But the Spirit did purposely chose out that kinde of speaking which might agree very well to both the troupes of Locusts For those in the West should not be so fierce and cruell in killing the bodies But this comparative speach noteth both the cessing of these in this respect neither taketh from the other all killing though farre lesse then that which was to come ¶ But that
Empire enlarged albeit it is proper to this time that the Kingdome of Christ begun from hence shall never againe be darkened as in the former raignes it came to passe which in processe of time fell into utter decay For so it is said that he shall raigne for ever more Therefore the first entrance of this Trumpet should be famous for the accesse of newe Kingdomes as it came to passe in our England to which Christ at the sound of the seventh trumpet in the yeere one thousand five hundreth fiftieth eight gave the most gratious Queene Elizabeth who againe gave her Kingdome to Christ in rooting out through all her dominions the most part of the Romish superstitions and in restoring to her people the syncere and wholesome trueth that wee might worship the Lord our God according to his ordinance King Edward her brother as an other Iosias performed the same thing with an upright heart the whole time of his raigne but that his raigne was shorte For the Angell had not yet soundeth the trumpet when Christ should raigne for ever Therefore the storme of persecution in Queene Maries time seemed to cast downe from the lowest foundations that which began notably to be built After this at length appeased and a faire skie appearing againe when the comfortable and most beautifull starre Elizabeth arose then the Christian Empire was encreased with England and Ireland the next yeere was Scotland added that all Britannie with the Ilands might be Christs Howe famous an increase was this to be augmented with so great nations But this glory is greater because it shal be eternall For so the voices speake who shall raigne for ever The former Kingdomes of Christ after a sorte perished either abolished by the trouble of warres or chaunged into Antichristian bondage but after this beginning Christian Princes shall never be wanting who should maintaine the trueth whole sound in their dominions For now that time is begun when Christ shall rule in all the earth his enemies subdued on every side of which Daniell speaketh in chap. 2.44 and the Prophets every wherein so many places so honourably Wee shall see from the things that follow that this dominion over the Gentiles shal be continued unto him till it be infinitely encreased among the Iewes and at length be translated from hence into heaven And is it not a cleare proofe of the eternall Kingdome that so great entreprises of so many and so mighty enemies against one country England and our most gratious Queene doe vanish away as the smoake He whose scepter they fight against laâ—gheth at their foolish and vaine endevours And I hope that he who hath begun his eternall Kingdome will make the Queene also a type of his eternall Kingdome Every good man doth earnestly desire it in all their prayers Onely wee must beware least whose singular power and trueth wee have had experience of in defending us his truth wee suffer to be corrupted and his maiesty to be offended by Antichristian superstitions brought in againe afresh Wee have Christ angry with us because wee are farre from a perfect reformation but if wee returne to our vomite how mightily shall he rage against us Therefore they who favour the Papists secretely and labour to get liberty for them to pollute the holy Kingdome by bringing in againe their ceremonies hated of God they endevour the overthrow of our Kingdome and which my hart dreadeth to thinke the death of our most sacred Queene For howsoever Christ hath begun his eternall Kingdome yet he hath not bound himselfe to certaine countries he shall not want a KingdoÌ„ though he shall remove his court to another place which doubtlesse he may doe at his pleasure But I hope that this Revelation shall declare by such certen arguments that the Bishop of Rome is that Antichrist that if any yet be not persuaded thereof when the thing at length shal be more plainely perceived he will runne away from him as a most certen and infernall pestilence But that I may returne to my purpose wee see now why those voices reioyced to with that the Kingdome of Christ was increased by the accesse of newe people Surely it could not be but the whole reformed Church should have reioyced soundly for our ioy Neither can it be doubtfull but that the first beginning of this Kingdome was farre most pleasant to our country men comming out of Queene Maries raging sourges of persecution let us gâ—sse by our selves who although wee have seene noe other Kingdome at any time yet desire noe mortall thing more then a very long use of this And therefore according to that regard of our duty which is meete wee solemnize that yeerly day which was unto us the beginning of this benefite in which wee come togither publikely with ioint affections doe give as great thankes as wee can to our God by Chr. After that manner which is foreshewed in this place where the chiefe Rulers of the wholy assembly praise God in conceived wordes and the Elders give their consent who are in the stead of the rest of the congregation Although that I may not hide any thing it came into my minde to merveil why contrary to the manner of other places as chap. 4.9 and .5.8 and 7.11 and 14.3 and 19.4 in this one onely they are not called Beasts by their owne names Whither is it because the Beasts are a type as wee have shewed of such Ministers as are approved of God but our doe erre so gleatly from Gods ordinance that the Spirit of purpose refused to give them the name of Beasts Surely the things that wee have spoken of the Laodicean Church confirme this doubte I wish that this one thing were not wanting to the rest of our happinesse 16 Then those foure and twenty Elders The faithfull congregation by the conduct of their Ministers worshipped God as in our wonted Ecclesiasticall assemblies chiefly in that yeerly assembly where of I have spoken 17 Because thou hast obtained thy great might For all this time in which Christ sufferred hitherto his Church to be afflicted he seemed to the world to be weake and of noe strength nowe he would put on his might and would manifest to all men his supreme maiesty over all things 18 And the Gentiles were angry This verse setteth before us a short abridgement of the whole last period which consisteth in three things in the wrath of the Gentiles in the beginning of Gods vengeance in the full reward at length of both good and evill The wrath of the Gentiles is that rage and furie wherby they grudge and grinde the teeth tegither for seeing the Kingdome of Christ so marveilously to be increased contrary to their desire In howe great a fume was the Pope when liberty to enioy a purer religion was granted to the Germane Princes by a publike decree But because at the sounde of the seventh trumpet the dominion of Christ should especially shewe it selfe the chiefe
given two wings The avoiding of the assault which the Dragon made besides which none other was left namely to provide for her safety by flight as soone as possible can be to withdrawe her selfe from these sturres Whiles therefore the assemblyes of the faithfull are filled with superstitions the Bishops hate and contende one with another Constantius Valens shew rigour by fire and sword The auncient verity flyeth wholly away for loÌ„g since she had prepared her flight in some part neither is the true face of a Church seen any where For swiftnes of flight are given two wings yea that more is of that great Eagle God once de parting from the temple went away leysurely by little and little Ezech. 9.3 But the woman a little before delaying goeth not away slowly at leisure at this time but vanished away as it were at one moment Yet shee fled not because shee feared the cruelty eyther of Constantius or Valens or any other mans for shee had learned long since to contemne both sword and fire and also racke or any other most exquisite torments but when shee had seen Christ to be propugned under the preteÌ„ce of the name of Christian and not onely the bodies to be killed but soules also to be caryed into destruction shee thought that this was to be sufferred by noe meanes Shee flyeth away therefore for hatred of this indignity whom noe other dangers made afraid For shee is wont to dread heresie more then tormeÌ„t and to tremble more at wicked and obstinate errours then at bloody dismembrings in peeces Shee knoweth that the blood of the Martyrs is the seed of her fielde and that every droppe of blood so shed doth beget many other Christians but that absurde opinions doe as the sowing of salt make her land barren partly by killing that which flourished partly in letting that nothing may growe Wherfore it is not inough for religious Princes to procure peace by the name of Christian but chiefly they must regard that the syncerity of doctrine and purity of worship may be preserved least as it befell these Emperours the Church flie away which they desire to retaine they become miserable through the absence of her whom being present they neglected But when fled the Church away Were â—here no faith full now left in the whole East Wee ought to remember that the woman doth both generally represâ—nte the state of the whole Church and also the particular assemblies in which is found the same adorning which made the woman her selfe to be esteemed in the beginning of this chapter Her flight therefore is either the dissipation or depravatioÌ„ of particular assemblies in such wise that God is worshipped purely in none of them after his own will which when it hath come to passe the Church fled perceived now in no publike congregation not but that there be many apart among the multitude whom God doth acknowledge for his owne see in the sixt ver of this chapter The place whither shee flâ—d is the wildernes and her owne place that is prepared for her of God as before in ver 6. and wee have shewed that this wildernes is the temple But where this Desert or Temple was placed should peradventure be unknowne to us unlesse the Dragon being a most skilfull searcher out did bewraie it for that way and thither doâ—btlesse shee fled whither the Dragon converted his furie But into what region he turned his rage wee shall see from those thinges which follow in this next verse ¶ For a time and times and halfe a time These words set by themselves cannot be understood seing it is a number of time and there be infinite nuÌ„bers which may be devided into three or more whole ones an halfe But they are cleere from the former things For it is the same time which before the thousand two hundred and threescore daies did make in the sixt verse Or the two and fourty moneths of the eleventh chapter ver 2. FroÌ„ which it is manifest what is the time what the times and what halfe a time For the time of dayes are three hundred and threescore dayes times are twice so many to wit seven hundred and twenty halfe a time an hundred and fourescore So â—he time of moneths is of twelve moneths the times foure and twenty the halfe sixe he alludeth to that of Daniell in the seventh chapter ver 25. But it is not the same space for there it is spoken of the people of the Iewes here of the Church of the Gentiles as the whole intent of this Prophecy declareth But by the allusion peradventure Iohn sheweth that a limitted number is set downe somewhere froÌ„ wheÌ„ce that of Dan. might be expouÌ„ded But now I may not digresse thither Only let us remeÌ„ber that this flight of the womaÌ„ is the same thing with the sealing of the 7. ch the privie places of the temple in the 11. chap. Furthermore let us obsâ—rve that the same time is noted diversly according to the divers persoÌ„s In regard of the GeÌ„tils Beast alwaies by moneths in the 11. chap. and 5.13 15. ver In consideration of the Prophets by daies in chap. 11.3 In respect of the woman both by daies in chap. 12.6 also by times in this place to wit because in the woman all those daies should not passe away in one coÌ„tinuall tenour but a threefold mutation should come to passe of a neerer departing a way under the time farther of under the times drawing neere againe and returning under the halfe The event maketh this manifest as may be understood both from those things which have ben said before which shal be said hereafter 15 And the Serpent cast out The second persecution is against the woman now put to flight for the Dragon thought it not sufficient to make her flee but desired also to put out her name cleane For which purpose he powred out the barbarous nations after the manner of a flood spreading over all that in what corner soever shee should lye hidde shee might be overwhelmed by this deluge For as Herod to the ende that the childe Iesus might not escape commaunded all the children of Bethleem from two yeere olde and under to be killed so the Dragon that the woman alone might not remaine safe caused every place to be covered with a most violent flood where he could suspect that shee might be hid These peoples most unknowne unto her Francons Alemans Burgundes Gothes Vandals Hunnes Trebals Heruls Longobards and such like Northerne nations about the yeere 400 the dammes as it were being taken away did runne furiously over all Europe and overflowed as it were with waves a great part of Afrike And surely it is a thing to be wondred at that the Church was not utterly devoured of those most deepe gulfes unlesse this shippe had learned already long before in the universall flood to swimme in the Sea without being drowned But seing it is nowe evident
the death of Gregory the first although this is to be understood of his birth for our men doe make his conception to be more auncient that I may not seeme alone to have enterprised to doe a thing unheard of I will yeeld reasons of this my judgement which seeme to me to be most strong First this Beast ruleth all that time wherein the woman lyeth hid in the wildernes and the two witnesses prophecy cloathed in sackecloth as is manifest after from the fift verse where power is givē to him to doe two and fourtie moneths which is the same space of the woman and Prophets Now wee evince by necessary arguments that the woman went into the wildernes and the witnesses tooke mourning apparell at that time which wee have said when Constantine began his raigne therfore also the Beast began in the same time to arise out of the Sea Furthermore what other thing meaneth that of Socrates who lived when Theodosius Iunior ruled in the times of Celestine Bishop of Rome about the yeere 424. foure score yeeres after Cōstantine The Romane Bishopricke likewise that of Alexandria being advanced long since beyond the Priesthood unto a Princedome booke 7. chap. 11. Had he promoted himselfe beiond the boundes of the Priesthood Whither else I pray then unto an Antichristian tyranny Had it done this long since and of a certen long time Certenly So crates commeth to my accounte or rather I to his or as it is more agreable to the trueth both of us to the reckening of the Holy Ghost himselfe But he speketh no more of the Romane either here or before in book 7. 7. then of the Alexandrine That is true indeede he in common toucheth sharply the ambition of both but the Romane Bishop had many more peculiar properties of the true Antichrist which in no sort did belong to the Alexandrine and therefore although at the first they ranne togither it may be with equall steppes yet in short time the Romane got afore and left the Alexandrine many miles behind him Hereunto more over is added the third Carthaginean Councill about the times of Syricius to wit in the yeere three hundreth ninetie which decreed that the Bishop of the first seate should not be called the Prince of Priests or Chiefe Priest or any such thing but onely the Bishop of the first Seate but universall let neither the Bishop of Rome be called Can. 26. as it is cited in the ninetieth distinction Wee learne frō this Decree what those times had brought forth otherwise it had ben foolish and superfluous to make an ordinance touching this matter Neither is the confession of the Papists in this thing to be passed over Dost thou thē aske the cause why the Romane Bishops were never present at the generall Councills in the East part Bellarmine declareth that it came not to passe by chāce in his first booke of the Councill and of the Church chap. 19. but for a certen consideration Which howsoever it was not knowne peradventure to many others yet it ought to be throughly understood of him a man that is a secretarie of the Popes Kingdome He rendreth two reasons of this absence the first It seemed not to be convenient that the head should follow the members c. The second because the Emperour was alwaies present at the Councils in the East part or some Ambassadour of his who challengeth to himselfe the first at least materiall place otherwise then was meete That either this therefore might not be tolerated or a tumult mooved he went not to those Councils but sent only his letters Such are his wordes he hath hit the nayle on the head For the Pope disdaineth to be present at those Coūcils in which the Emp. should sit before him How fayre were words givē both to the Emp. Constantine and also all the Nicene Fathers The good men thought as Eusebius speaketh that olde age was a let that the President of the Lady City of Rome could not be present and therefore were content with the Elders which supplyed his place But the true cause was that he could not abide to give place to the Emperour For I beleeve Bellarmine rather then Eusebius touching the minde of the Bishop of Rome VVherefore in the times of the first Nicene Councill there was a man at Rome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that lifted up one who albeit not yet openly neverthelesse within and secretly with himselfe was exalted above all that is called God 2 Thes 2.4 Not that he vaunted himselfe to be superiour to God in Heaven for that is not the meaning of the Apostle but to all the Gods in earth to wit the highest Magistrate who is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Imperiall from whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is worshipped seemeth to be added in stead of an exposition But why doe I be stowe much time in these things The matter is out of controversie from chap. 17. afterward The seventh head of the Beast succeedeth next after the Heathen Emperours for these make the sixt as shal be said in his place But Antichrist is that seventh head and therefore hath his beginning by and by after the Heathen Emperours Shall I then thinke that all from Miltiades are utterly cast away as who doe make this Beast that is the very Antichrist Farte be from mee so great rashnes of judging This Beast is the state of a Kingdome as I hope shal be most cleare after And therefore God could deliver from the common destructiō some peculiar men whō he thought good though furtherers and ministers of this Kingdome The impiety was not so wicked at the first and the yong Antichrists did not knowe for what mischiefe they prepared a way Therefore wee leave these to the infinite and unsearcheable mercy of God yet wee doubt not but wee have found out the originall of the rising Beast which nowe wee see to have fallen on that time in which the Dragon was cast unto the earth ch 12.9 For being about to leave heaven he provided himselfe of a Vicar who in his absence should governe his affaires whose busines he looked unto nor carelesly as wee shall finde afterward These things being thus set in order wee see how from this fountaine every each thing will flowe most easily every part of this Prophecy agreeing most fitly one with another The true original doubtlesse not being perceived of the Interpreters disordered all consideration of the times made a harsh constrained and absurd exposition and tooke wholly away the right searching out of the event Now as touching the words the cruelty of Antichrist is signifyed most fitly by a Beast as often in the Scriptures Tyrants are compared unto Wolves and Lions equall to them in fiercenes but for hurt worser by how much iniquity in men is more armed because of the force of reason He did rise out of the Sea because he hath his originall from corrupt doctrine to wit the authority of Peters Chaire
Prosper witnesseth in his booke de Ingratis in these wordes Rome is the Seate of Peter which is become the Head of Pastorall power to the world whatsoever shee holdeth not by force of armes shee holdeth it by religion And againe in his second booke of the calling of the Gentils chap. 6. Rome by the soveraigntie of Priesthood is more increased by the tower of religion then by the Throne of power Vnto which is added Ammian Marcellin in his 27. booke as he is cited by Bellarmine that he marvaileth not though men contend with so great desire for the Romane Popedome seing the riches and maiestie of it are so great But that the Dragon gave him this power appeareth from hence that the name of Rome was honourable to all men because of the auncient Empire of which once it was the Seate and therefore that they easily yeelded to any promotion of hers but of this more largely at the 6. verse 3 And I sawe one of his heads as it were deadly wounded Montanus Plantines Edition doeth omit I saw as though the Dragon togither with the throne power had given also one of the heads wounded which is contrary both to the faithfulnesse of the other Copies for Aretas the Common translation read I saw all other also to the truth of the history For the Beast had not a wounded head at his first beginning For first he was afterward he is not in chap. 17.8 as at that place wee shall shewe more fully In these wordes he commeth to the second condition of the BEAST The dammage consisteth in the wounding of one of his heads which now once or twice wee have advertised to be seveÌ„ hills and Kings from chap. 17.9.10 VVhether then of these kindes should suffer this calamity Surely if the wounde inflicted be to come into the power of the enemy scarce can one of the hilles receive a wound but all wil be wounded togither VVherfore more properly it beloÌ„geth to the Kings any one of which being afflicted with this wounde the rest abide whole from the same Although this hurt cannot be so proper to a King that it should not also be common to the Hills And these Kings are seven Governements or Principalities by which the City of Rome hath ben governed to wit those celebrated by all Kings Consuls Decemviri Dictatours Tribunes Emperours Popes as wee will make plaine at the 17. chap. If now it be demaunded to which of all these this calamity should happen the place which even now wee spake of declareth it evidently to the seaven head namely the Popes For so speaketh the Angell and another that is the seventh is not yet come and when he shall come he must continue a short space being hurt with a wound as it were quite killed with the same for Iohn saith as it were wounded to death as Aretas well puts us in minde for he should not be altogither destroyed by this blow But now after that it is manifest touching the Heads this wound was inflicted when Rome forsaken now a good while of the Emperours abiding partly in the East at Byzantium partly in the West at Ravenna beginning againe to flourish under a newe GovernemeÌ„t of Popes was smitten with an exceeding great storme by the Gothes Vandals Hunnes and the rest of the Northern people Which vexed most miserably the whole VVest part In this common calamity that late Empresse of the nations Queene of the whole world escaped not scotfree but sufferred a greater destruction then almost any City besides oftener taken by assault sacked wasted for an hundred two and thirtie yeeres at the lust of the Barbarians First Alaricus about the yeere 415 besieged and tooke it Of which thing Hierome speaking but after he saith the most famous light of all countries is cleane put out yea the head of the Romane Empire cut off and to speake more truly the whole world is destroyed in one Citie c. In his Proheme of Ezech. But in more wordes eloquently in an Epistle to Principia a Virgin The Citie is taken which tooke the whole world c. In what lamentable manner would he have bewailed if it had befell him to heare of the ofteÌ„ conquerings and spoiling thereof which followed For Rome now was consumed not once but was taken a second time by Adaulphus who gave her such a deadly wound that she was minded to change her name and to be called afterward Gothia The third time Gensericus the Vandal tooke it The fourth time Odoacer Rugianus reigning there fourteene yeeres Theodoricus the King of the Gothes slewe him whom at length Totilas followeth by a cerâ—en order of succession He the fift time overthrew and rased it bringing it to that wildernesse that neither any man nor woman could be found in it by the space of fourty dayes according to that of the Sibyll Rome shal be a perpetuall ruine and shee that hath ben seen shall not be discerned Albeit I thinke not that shee hath yet endured that calamity which Sibyll speaketh of although that now past may be a notable proofe of that which is to come Who in those times would not have thought that the seven hilled Citie had utterly perished VVho would not have supposed that the dignitie of the Popes to wit the seventh head had bin past remedy Therefore the Constantinopolitane Bishop and he of Ravennas the authority of Rome being as it were utterly gone laboured greatly as the next heires to drawe the same to their Churches But they were both much deceaved The head was not wounded unto death but as it were unto death Therefore the wound waxing more fierce Zozimus Bonifacius Celestinus about the yeere 420. having supposed a Nicene Councill chalenged the Primacy and they did moove so much as was sufficient to shewe that some life was left but they had a shameful repulse because this was the time of the wound on every side Pelagius also not long after before the skarre had closed altogither wrested the scriptures to the same ende but his endevour comming to no proofe declared that both the head remained alive and also that it was of no power For the raigne of the Gothes darkened the light of the Popes dignity neither could now any acknowledg her the chiefe who at home being the basest and servant of the Barbarous people scarce had a place where to abide For at once the Emperours dwelling at Rome at what time the Apostles were in authority restreined Antichrist that he could not come forth to be seen abroad so the new erected Kingdome of the Gothes in Italie was an other thing with holding which did repell his put out hornes for a time compelled him againe to hide him selfe in his shell Rightly therefore now the head did seeme to be wounded which was not able to shake off the yoke neither by any strength of his owne neither by any hope that he had from the East seing the Emperour
unlesse yee load him also with the spoiles of Christ himselfe But learne from these that did speake by publike authority in their Generall Councills what was the voice of the whole world In the same route of wonderers are the Iesuites at this day all the Papists Neither can it be otherwise but that they must thinke that he is to be followed in all things and worship him as God whom they judge for a surety to be free from errour hath not the Englis man written justly in his Poetrie that the Pope is the astonishment of the world Especially if one set before his eies the Emperour leading his horse by the bridle and holding the stirrop while the Beast mounteth on horseback 4 And they worshipped the DragoÌ„ That is men acknowledged the power of the Beast to be by right the chiefe because of the auncient majesty of Rome which the Heathen Emperours who are those Dragons procured unto it For was not this to adore and worship the Dragon for his sake to give the supreme dignitie to his successour But this was the first foundatioÌ„ of the Romane Primacy because this Citie was a fore time the head city of the Empire From hence every where in Eusebius and other Ecclesiasticall writers it is called the raigning Citie But most clearly doth the Councill of Chalcedon shew this in the 16. Act. For the Fathers in order gave privilegies to the Seate of olde Rome because of the Empire of that Citie An hundred and fifty Bishops most loving to God and of equall Seate moved with the same intention gave privilegies to the newe Rome iudging according to reason that the Citie adorned with the Empire and Senate should enioy the like privilegies of the auncient Rome and in Ecclefiasticall affaires to have authority as shee and to be the next after her c. Therefore the Empire and Senate did bring forth the Primacy to the elder Rome which being graunted unto her by those first Fathers because of the Heathen Emperours who raigned there afore time the Successours afterward did for the same cause amplify the dignity graunted and prostrate themselves all shamefully before the Dragon worshipping him as the authour of this honour By the same argument the Bishop of Constantinople would have obtained the like dignity But the Dragon sufferred it not who had made the Bishop of Rome his heire of the whole Wherefore the Legates of the Romane Bishop withstood that Decree Neither would Pope Gelasius who in other things approved the Concill of Chalcedon confirme this one Canon concerning the privilege of the Church of CoÌ„stantinople Therefore that Decree was of noe force especially when the same Gelasius to whom the Dragon had committed his power had ordained wisely before and warily that no Act of any Councill whatsoever should be of any force unlesse it were confirmed the Bishop of Rome ¶ And they worshipped the Beast saying who is like to the Beast who can warre with him Such was the worshipping of the Dragon now followed of the Beast which consisteth in the extolling of his power above all that wee may not thinke that adoration is in the gesture onely And was there not iust cause of boasting so highly of the Beasts power Leo Isaurus the Emperour of Constantinople fought unfortunately with Gregory the second excommunicated by the same and put from all the Empire of the West Childericke the King of France was too weake for to encounter with the Pope Zachary wherefore forced by his authority he gave over his Kingdome to Pipine The Longobards not using the Beast well when he was sicke of his wounde at length wheÌ„ he began to be recovered and to waxe well were cast into the jawes of this Leopard by the helpe of Pipine and Charles the Great Neither lost Charles his cost being made Emperour for his labour Great indeede was thy power ô Beast who wert able at thy pleasure to take away and to give againe that which is the highest in meÌ„s affaires Lamentable is the History of Henry the fourth who in the heart of a terrible winter bare foote and fasting from morning to night for the space of three dayes waited for sentence craving pardon before the gates of the Canusine Castell of the Romane Bishop who yet prevayled nothing eyther by his owne or others teares or by the intercession of any Sanct save onely of a certen whore whom the Holy Pope had made his darling The Emperour was deceived who thought that the Pope could be pacifyed by prayers and fasting this God required an other kinde of sacrifices But that is horrible that the Pope drove rhe Sonne of Henry to that wickednesse that he should assault his Father with warre spoiled him of all dignity and at length constrained him to ende his life in extreame miseries Frederike Barbarossa a man of an heroicall disposition hath set foorth greatly the triumph of the Beast being troden upon with his feete while he in the meane time did sing this verse of triumphe Thou shalt walke upon the Aspe and Bisiliske and tread upon the Lion and Dragon What should I rehearse Frederike the second Lodovike of Bavaria contemning indeed at the first the Popes but at length having tried their strength prooving all meanes to winne their favour againe Our England hath affoarded us a sorrowfull exemple of King Iohn From all which may be perceived how unequall a conflict any Prince on earth had with this Beast Therefore Rudulphâ—s Halsbergensis the Emperour when the Princes desired earnestly that he would goe visit Italy not dissembling that he did wholly abhorre this voyage answereth wisely that he was made afraide by all men footsteppâ—s tâ—nding toward it and none backeward from it What was this else but Who shall be able to warre with him 5 And there was a mouth given unto him speaking great things Hitherto the honour of the Beast now followed his power of blaspheming and doing Of which both the power given is first recited afterward the execution of blâ—sphâ—ming in the sixt verse of doing in the seventh verse It is profitable for uâ— to understand that those horrible impietyes doe enter into the world not by any blinâ—e force of fortune but by the most just judgemeÌ„t of God Who doth so puniâ—h naughty acts and especially mens despising of his trueth The power of blaspheming is the freedome from errour which the Romane Pope chalengeth to himselfe and his Seate and that men of a blinde and perverse minde doe willingly graunt unto him What blasphemies may not he proffer to the world every one of whose Decrees are held for Oracles The power of doing is that exempt and most free ability to doe all what one will without rendring a reason to any man Wherein notable is the power of the Romane Pope above all other For such Decrees doe they ordaine No man shall iudge the first Seate desiring to moderate iustice for the Iudge shall be iudged neither of the Emperour neither of all the
which are ten absolute Kings had their soveraingntie after that the sixt head was fallen that is after that the Hethen Emperours were expelled For from the time that the Beast begaÌ„ first to reign they never wanted crownes chap. 18.7 And crownes have place no where ells but on the heads and hornes therfore of necessitie so soon as they be taken away from them they are transferred unto these But seing the seventh head that is Antichrist receiveth power at the same howr with the ten horns it foloweth that then began he to exist when the Roman Hethen tyrants ceased Fourthly the woman fled into the wildernes when the Dragon was cast out of heaven that is when the HetheÌ„ Emperours were deposed as is largely declared in the 7.11 and 12. chapters And whom should she more fear and flee than Antichrist Therfore she getting her selfe into the wildernes at his rising up it plainly sheweth that Antichrist came at the same abdication of the Emperours Fiftly since the Hethen Emperours have been doon away Rome hath most vaÌ„ted of the defense patronage of the Pope And at that time should this City be both the whore dnd seat of Antichrist when she should be caried of the Beast and shine cheifly with his dignity Sixtly the consent of the whole Prophesie confirmeth it which according to this account very wel agreeth with it selfe both in the whole and in al the parts therof wheras otherwise as it were with members rent and torn asunder it yeildeth a pourtrature of inexplicable confusion Lastly even the Papists themselves unwares doo acknowledge that Antichrist hath drawn his original froÌ„ this very beginnin For whiles they boast of Constantines donation and the whole West to be subiect to the Bishop of Rome they shew sufficiently by their own coÌ„fession about what time this Adversarie of Christ came forth Now was poyson sown in the Church as a voice from heaven said as Platina recordeth in the life of Sylvester And if any doo obiect that after this time ther were some godly Bishops or at least weise tollerable I answer that Antichrist is not paâ—ticular men but a certayn Kingdome and successioÌ„ from which God may exempt according to his owne wil wherin he sheweth the riches of his immesurable mercy But al these things we hav more largely handled and unfolden in opening the words of the Apostle now we would but gather them into a breif summ that the things which were spoken dispersedly being set under one view might shew more clearly how by the Apostles few words al Popish and Iesuitish subtilties as toucht with lightning from heaven doo fly on fyre and come to nothing These therfore be the common arguments and to be applyed unto al the chapters of the disputation folowing which we thought good to warn thee Reader of that thou mayst set them rather from hence unto every question than that we should often repeat them Things that properly belong to every place we wil relate as the matter shall require Now therfore let us enconter with Bellarmine hand to hand and not baulk any of his demaunds that he may the better see how in vayn he hath tried his strength against the truth The first cheife point is of this common name of Antichrist which he enforceth to signify one contrary to Christ and not contrarie in what sort soever but so as that he striveth with him for seat and dignitie that is one which is Christs envious adversarie and would be accounted the Christ when he which is indeed the Christ is cast down The first part of which interpretation I easily grant that Antichrist is one contrary to Christ but wheras not content with this he requireth such a contrariety as was between Marius Sylla Pompey Caesar that openly warred one with an other the Spirit convinceth that of falshood teaching that the Beast hath two horns like the Lamb Revel 13.11 that he is a false Prophet and that it is a point of singular wisdome to knowe and perceive the Beast Here is the mind saith he that hath wisdome Revel 17.9 Can any man be so blockish that if opeÌ„ warre be waged against Christ he should not know his enemie Need any man be deceived wher the matter is carried by professed force The great Antichrist shal deceive more than he shal compel he shal come with al deceaveablenes of unrighteousnes among them that perish saith th'Apostle 2 Thes 2.10 wherto the Apocalypse agreeth and he shal seduce the inhabitans of the earth chap. 13.14 Shal this seducer have his deceits and sleights in open view Nothing is more contrary to his disposition Be it therfore that ther is some Antichrist which wil openly vaunt himselfe to be Christ yet is not this the property of the Great Antichrist But think not therfore that any goeth before him in wickednes The Divil hurteth more under the shape of an Angel of light then under the horrible hiew of a Dragon But you goe about to prove the thing three manner of wayes First because the name Antichrist cannot by any meanes signify Christs Vicar For Anti in composition never signifyeth subordination as is manifest by the exemples of all such names But a Vicar signifyeth not opposition but subordination and the Pope is Christs Vicar and therfore not Antichrist I answer Though I should grant you that Antichrist cannot signify Christs Vicar yet were the Pope no whit the further from being Antichrist For the argument is framed of an aequivocation and therfore concludeth nothing In the first proposition you put a true and proper Vicar such as Antichrist in deede cannot be who is a malicious although a secret enemy that it is a true name wherby the Scriptures doo describe him of Adversary Man of sin Angel of the bottomlesse pit Beast In the second you assume a Vicar not naturall lawful but one that is such by wicked ambition sacrilegious usurpation and false boasting From which no other thing can be concluded than this that the Pope is not Antichrist by his own confession which I easily graunt you For we reason not I trow by what name Antichrist shal call himselfe but what name he is worthy of and what the Scriptures give unto him It is not to be exspected that he will bewray himselfe and freely confesse that he is the man of sin the son of perdition the Angel of the bottomlesse pit the Beast and the like which if he should doo verily he should not play the false Prophet Fayrly therfore have you freed your Pope in arguing that he is not Antichrist by his owne testimony Secondly I answer that it is false which you affirm of the signification of this word Anti though now it be little to the purpose what force it hath which I will make playn also by examples Antimist hotos is one that is hyred in an other mans sted Antibasileus is a Vice-roy or one in the Kings stead Antistrategos is the Lievtenant or he
yeres before the first resurrection then they that first rise doo reign 1000 yeres as is expressely said ver 6. Therfore these seats and this iudgement which you suppose to be of the last end doo goe before it 2000 yeres at least such a stranger are you in these mysteries Then to that which is alleged out of Dan. 12. Blessed is he that wayteth and cometh unto the 1335 dayes that is say you unto 45 dayes after Antichrists death for then the Lord shal com to iudgment and wil give the crowns of righteousnes to them that overcome I answer as touching this place we are to explain it after chap. 20.11 and it may be one day we wil take in hand the ful handling of it In the meane while let us know that the destruction of Antichrist properly so caled is not here handled nor our Lords coming to the last judgmēt which shall not make al blessed upon whom it cometh whē manie shal desire that they may be covered by the mountains from his sight but the ful caling of the Iewes where Daniel stayeth his Prophesie neither doo anie Prophesies go further Fourthly you come unto Mat. 24. this Gospel of the Kingdome shal be preached in the whole world for a testimonie to al nations and then shal the end be I answer here is no mention of your Antichrist and again the end in this place is the end of the Iewish politie not of the world as I have shewed ch 4. against your first Demonstratiō But you add the words folowing Straightway after the tribulation of those dayes the Sun shal be darkned and the Moon shal not give her light and then shal appeare the sign of the Son of man I answer neyther dooth these make anie thing for Antichrists destruction to be ioyned with the end of al things seing they speak not of him at al. Yet that wee may see the interpretation of the words let us discusse them a litle VVith one consent as I suppose it is applyed unto our Lords last judgment But this Apocalypss teacheth both to think and to speak more distinctly of this thing For from hence we doo understand that the Lords coming which is yet to be hereafter is twofold the one spiritual so named for excellencie in the caling of the Iewes the other corporal at the general iudgment And that coming in Mathew seemeth to be spiritual which is in deed described to be most glorious and powrful by the corporal furniture as that which shal be both a clear resemblance and as it were a certayn pawn therof also no change shal afterward come between which may make the corporal to appear as new And that thus the thing is may easily be perceived if we mind how the Disciples in the beginning of the chapter inquired of the end of the Temple of the Lords coming and the end of the world VVithout doubt under Christs coming they comprehēded the restoring of their nation and therfore after the Lords resurrectiō supposing that this was the coming which he had givē them hope of they aske him agayn Lord wilt thou at this time restore the Kingdome to Israel Act. 1.6 But Christ answering and by a continued order prosecuting the things to come teacheth first the destruction of Ierusalem and dissipatiō of the Iewes then he annexeth the rest of the course of things neither anie where mentioneth he anie restoring before this his glorious coming Therfore it must eyther be conteyned in this his appearing or ther wil be none which opinion if the Disciples had in mind conceived by this answer surely they would not have nourished any exspectation of a Kingdome afterwards Besides a tribulation next goeth before this coming for so he saith immediatly after the tribulation of those dayes the Sun shal be darkned and then shal appeare the sign of the Sun of man c. But before his corporal coming no such tributation shal goe immediatly before For after the caling of the Iewes and the new constituted Church God wil wipe awaie everie tear from their eies and death shal be no more neither shal mourning nor crying nor sorow be anie more for the former things are passed away Apoc. 21.4 VVherfore that coming is not corporal It may be also that hath some force which he saith that the signe of the Son of man shall appear as if purposely he would distinguish between this spiritual coming and the corporal folowing Hereunto perteyneth that those words All the Tribes shal wail c. Apoc. 1 7. we have there shewed to belong unto the Iewes and that this wailing is of repentance which wil be too late at the corporal coming Thus much breifly touching the meaning of these words which though they help your cause nothing how ever they be taken yet was it not impertinent by the way to seek out the truth that is hidd in them Therfore I answer unto that Thess 2.8 Then shal the wicked man be reveled whom the Lord shal slay with the Spirit of his mouth destroy with the brightnes of his coming ther is the same meaning of this coming that is of that in Mathew At the caling of the Iewes when he shal give a most bright resēblāce of himselfe present in the Church shal Antichrist utterly be destroyed as we made playn in the former chapter For after the throne of the Beast is darkned the way shal be prepared for the Kings of the East that is the Iewes shal be caled straight after Rome is destroyed For shee onely hindreth this ioy Then after the Beast and False Prophet and Dragō are cut off that is after the Bishop of Rome and the Turk be extinct as after shal be shewed more at large the mysterie shal be finished and the ful caling performed Your Pope whom you Bellarmine boast to be the head of the Church shal neither be head nor foot in the holy congregation of the children of God And now see how farr these mountayns are under heaven whose tops you standing a farr off did think were hidden among the starrs The last place is 1 Iohn 2.18 Children it is the last hour and as you have heard that Antichrist cometh even now ther are manie Antichrists wherby wee know that it is the last hour I answer what Iohn here concludeth we easily see and acknowledge he proveth that it is the last hour because then manie Antichrists were come For Antichrist should come in the last hour VVhere is to be observed that Iohn alluding to the parable of the labourers Mat. 20.6 of whom some were hyred about the eleventh hour cōpareth al this age from Christ until his last coming unto this last elevēth hour Then that he saith this noysome age shal be of Antichrist whom he putteth not off unto the last minute of this howr but deferrs him to some indefinite space therof These things dooth Iohn truly holily agreably to his other writings But what must you needs conclude from hence who wil not
Iovinian For Rome hath not wiped away her blasphemie but imprinted it deeper after she became Christian seing now she shal bear the punisment of her fornication Your sesond answer therfore is no lesse infirm than the first Let us see the third And this saith Although that woman were Christian Rome yet our argument should have no force at al because Antichrist shal hate Rome fight with her and make her dâ—solate burn her Therfore Rome is not Antichrists seat I answer that which you speak of Antichrists hatred fight against Rome is plainly false You borow this from Ap. 17.16 wher you read thus and the ten horns which thou sawest the Beast these shal hate the whore c. which reading we hav proved in handling that place to be faultie The true reading is the ten horns which thou sawest on the Beast these shal hate c. The difference is that the true reading teacheth that onely the horns of the Beast shal hate the whore the false would hav it that both the horns the Beast that is both the Kings Antichr should hate the whore Aretas readeth so as I say the Vulg. Latine to which you ar bound by the decree of Trent hath it also manie other copies have it so to which the rest of the Apocalypse giveth approbation most adverse to that which you bring Whetfore unless you can find a better answer you must needs confesse that Christian Rome is the seat of Antichrist Vnto the second place which our men bring from 2 Thes 2.4 that Antichrist shal sit in the temple of God you answer that Paul speaks of Solomons temple and you referr us to the things that you said before and so doo I the the reader to the refutation of them Then unto that reason that the Iewes temple was in deed Gods but it is now ceased when the Iewish Sacrifice and Preisthood ceased you answer that it ceased not by and by to be Gods temple for the same teÌ„ple might have bin the temple of Christians and so in deede was whiles it remained for the Apostles preached and prayed in it Luk 24.53 Act. 3.1 and 5.20 I answer and ask what all these things doo make to confirm the sitting of your Antichrist in Solomons Temple Because the Temple of Ierusalem wherin the Apostles preached and prayed was whiles it continued the Temple of God shal therfore the Temple of God wherin Antichrist shal sit be the Temple of Ierusalem Surely I could shew you how after the old ordinances of religion were abrogated a titular sanctitie at least might remayn for a time in that temple of SolomoÌ„s eveÌ„ as a boat dooth not by and by cease to move after the oars be stayed if it were not vain to spend labour in a thing of no coÌ„sequeÌ„ce For you might with as much certaintie conclude that the temple of God wherin Antichrist shal sit is Ierusalems temple because with a litle change of the Poets words Yee freinds admitted auditours can yee forbear to laugh as from the antecedent which you have set down Vnto that of Daniel chap. 9. And the desolation shal continue until the coÌ„summation and end wherby our men prove that the teÌ„ple shal not be built again You answer it is not in deed to be built again but in the end of the world or though it should be built again yet would it never be but prophane or finally that it shal not be built again perfectly but onely begun and in it being begun Antichrist shal sit I answer we had need of some Gerion that with his hundred haÌ„ds may take this slipperie eel How doo you wreath your self into manifold boughts circles yet though you should change your self into a 1000. saps you shal not slip away who taught you I pray so to distinguish against Daniel It is not to be built again say in the end of the world or being built again it shal abide prophane or it shalt be built again not perfectly but begun Did you fet these things out of the Popes chappel Surely the truth inspired of God afforded not this unto you For that teacheth that wrath is come upoÌ„ the Jewes eveÌ„ to the utmost 1 Thes 2.16 that it is in part of this wrath that God hath bowed down their backs alwayes Rom. 11.10 Therfore the Iewes shal never so lift up themselves under Antichrist as to have the least power to entreprise anie such thing but shal alwayes remaine desolate and oppressed until they shal say Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord that is until Christ shal come and not Antichrist Mat. 23.39 Fourthly wheras our men bring forth some places out of the Fathers affirming that Antichrist shal sit in the Churches of Christians you grant it is true and not against you because the Fathers would not say that Antichrist shall sit in the Church as a Bishop but as a God I answer your Pope shal not scape away by this ridiculous distinction The same man may sit in the Church both as a Bishop and as a God Antichrist shal sustein the person of both as we see in your Pope in word he wil humbly feyn himselfe a Bishop but he wil arrogate the authoritie of God in deede He wil forgive synns by some more superiour power than a Minister can he wil let out of Purgatorie he wil put into the Kalender of Saincts whom he wil at his pleasure he wil command new articles of faith and manie such like things wil he doo that appertein not to this mortal condition but to the highest Maiestie Why should the Fathers speak of his Bishops office in this so great a loftines When great things are mentioned the smaller matters ar woÌ„t to be hidden with the exceding greatnes of the more excellent By their silence they denied not that he should sit in the Church as a Bishop but when the highest pinnacle of pride was to be spoken of they thought they were not to insist in the lower stepps Vnto our mens fift argument taken from the words of Gregorie lib. 4. Epist 38. The King of pride is nigh and though it be heighnous to be spoken an armie of Preists is prepared for him you say from hence the contrarie is gathered to that which we collect For it foloweth not that Antichrist shal be an universal Bishop but the contrary because the forerunner is not al one with him whom he runneth before I answer neyther is an universal Bishop alone with him that would be universal The Bishop of Constantinople would have been but he obteyned not his desire the Bishop of Rome asked it of Phocas and got it The contrarie therfore is not gathered from hence as you say but it is rightly collected that Antichrist shal be an universal Bishop which dignitie none beside Antichrist could obteyn And to the armie of Priests you answer that Gregorie would not say that the Priests as Priests perteyned unto Antichrists name
be holden of them both and not from these durty ditches of the Iesuits But you about these matters doo propouÌ„d four things from the Scriptures as you say First that Antichrâ—st coming from verie low degree shal by fraud and guiles obteyn the Kingdome of the Iewes Secondly that he shal fight with three Kings to weet of Aegipt Libya and Aethiopia and conquering them shal possesse their Kingdomes Thirdly that he shal subdue under him other seven Kings and in that manner he shal become Monarch of the whole world Fourthly that with an army innumerable he shal pursue the Christians through the whole world and that this is the warr of Gog and Magog Of al which things seing none doo agree to the Pope of Rome it foloweth manifestly that he can no way be caled Antichrist I answer neither dooth anie of these agree unto Antichrist properly so caled wherfore though the Pope of Rome be discharged of al these yet never the lesse he wil be the Antichrist As touching the first Antichrists base original is onely touched for that which is joyned with it of getting the Kingdom of the Jewes in the coÌ„firmation nothing is sayd of it and reason good seing it is most vain as hath been already before declared His base original therfore is prooved out of Dan. 11.21 Ther shal stand up in his place a despised person and the honour of the Kingdome shal be given to him and he shal come privilie and shal get the Kingdome by frawd You confesse being moved by Ieroms authority that these things are to be understood in some sort of Antiochus Epiphanes yet by the same Ieroms iudgement are to be farr more perfectlie fulfilled in Antichrist as the things which are spoken in Psalm 71. of Solomon are meant verily of Solomon but more perfectly fulfilled in Christ I answer this is altogither unlike Solomon was appointed of God a type of Christ but so was not Antiochus of Antichrist unlesse you wil proroge Antichrists reign and for three yeres and a halfe grant him six and a halfe as many as Antiochus tyrannized over the Saincts Moreover Antiochus was constreyned to be quiet by commaÌ„dement of the Roman Legat shal any in like sort command Antichrist which shal be cheif Monarch Again Antiochus was an Ethnik and altogither an aliant froÌ„ the Church shal Antichrist also be such an one Learn therfore at last not to take anie thing of anie body indifereÌ„tly but use the ballance to try what is spoken if you have any care of the truth Certainly if you would cast a right account you wil rather acknowledge the original of the true Antichrist to be famous Doo you not see that he weareth crowns on his horns so soon as he is born Apoc. 13.1 Was he not to arise at Rome the Emperial citie where what can be base that is placed in any dignitie The Bishop of Rome as yee are willing to mention was of great authoritie because of the dignitie of the citie with all Christian Churches before the Emperours gave place unto him And I hope that I have shewed you such signes of Antichrist as you wil now doubt no more but this Bishop is even he if so be you wil freely confesse the thing as it is Therfore the testimonies which you bring of the amplitude and gloriousnes of the Bishop of Rome doo more vehemently prove him to be Antichrist than that which you bring out of Daniel prove that he is not Secondly for his fight with the three Kings of Aegipt Libya and Aethiopia you relate that of Daniel chap. 7.8 J considered the horns and loe an other litle horn came up among them and three of the first horns were pluckt away before him and after explaining it he saith and the ten horns shal be ten Kings c. which three are explained you say who they are chap. 11.47 namely the Kings of Aegipt Libya and Aethiopia I answer that litle horn is not Antichrist properly so caled as I have shewed in the second chapter of this Refutation and often other where but the Mahumetan Turk Wherupon in that your Pope of Rome hath killed no Kings of Aegipt Libya and Aethiopia it may in deed be proved that he is not the MahumetaÌ„ Turk but it dooth no more appear from hence that he is not Antichrist than that David of old was not King of Israel because he never subdued these same 3. Kings The killing of these Kings by the Pope perteyns nothing to this cause He is fowl ynough with the bloud of Europe and at home though he never come into the Libyan and Aethiopian deserts Moreover it may also be that these three Kings are not those 3. horns plucked away for they are the horns of the fourth Beast as is plainly said three of those first hornes were rooled out from his face But these three Kings neither aâ—e nor ever were horns of the Roman Empire Aethiopia was never subject to the Romans who inlarged not their borders southward further than Aegipt Again three horns are pluckt away from bâ—fore him but these three wer not al to be overcome but the Libyans and Aethiopians should be onely at his footsteps as peoples ayding him rather than subdued who should afford him souldjers for his expeditions and not themsâ—lveâ— suffer hostile invasioÌ„ Surely if Antichrist should wage no other warr than this his martial power were not much to be feared The third point of subduing seven Kings is of like strength Buâ— so say you Lactantius and Jreneus doe interpret it But whither should we hearkeÌ„ to them or to Daniel rather Certainly the Prophet plainly confirming that three horns are pluckt away exempteth al the rest from his power otherweise he should have said that al ten shal perish or how should he be a litle horn which should get the command over al But whither seven or three be subiected to that litle horn this is nothing to Antichrist unto whom all his ten horns as we have shewed doo service from the beginning not compelled by warr but willingly and of their own accord The Fathers in deed perceived not what those three horns should be but the event hath taught us that the Turk hath robbed the third part of the RomaÌ„ Empire which hath yet notwithstanding seveÌ„ hornes left of which he shal not be Lord but so farr forth as he may bring upon them some short and suddeyn overthrow Therfore this horn belongeth nothing at al unto this great Antichrist But where you say he shal be a Monarch shal succeed the Romans in Monarchie as the Romans did the Greeks the Greeks the Persians the Persians the Assyrians this hath more ground seing Antichrist shal lift up himselfe above al which Is caled God 2 Thess 2.4 the whole earth wondring should folow the Beast neither acknowledgeth he any his like or able to fight with him Apoc. 13.3.4 As also seing he should have for a throne the great citie which reigneth over the Kings