taught by his grandmother Lois and Eunice his mother in the Scriptures But hence some gather without ground that as a womā may not teach so not gouern But this cannot be proued out of the word and it hath no force For though a woman may not teach and stand in Christs stead in the congregation yet she may gouerne and stand in his stead in the Common wealth be a Queene Dutchesse Countesse c. For there is special reason why she may not stand in Christs stead in the Church seeing men onely so stand in his stead for Christ tooke on him the person of a man not of a woman but that letteth not but she may stand in his stead in the Commonwealth if she come to it by succession seeing it is her patrimonie and inheritance And we haue great cause to blesse almightie God for the gouernment of a woman more then any which euer yet ruled ouer vs. But it is said the man is the womans head therefore he must beare rule not she Ans. He is the head that is more excellent as he is man but not in regard of any gifts for a woman may passe a man in grace and gifts of God and other respects and so may haue rule ouer the man though he be more excellent as he is man she inferiour as she is woman The second fault reproued in the Church of Thyatira is the suffering of a woman to teach and seduce Then as to suffer a woman to teach openly in the Church is a fault so to suffer her to seduce is a fault likewise Seeing Christ reproueth them for suffering her we see it is not left to mans will to teach and hold what he will but men must be restrained that they teach and hold nothing which standeth not with the word of God they must reproue patrons and defenders of sects and schismes and new doctrines for which our Church is to be commended which hath lawes for Papists Protestants and Recusants which is both lawfull and commended by Christ. To aggrauate these two faults he describeth her by her properties first that she is called Iesabel that is one like Iesabel secondly by her action she called her selfe a Prophetesse First the woman Iesabel But why doth Christ call her so First because this woman was like Iesabel and did in her person reuiue the wicked manners and opinions of Iesabel for as Iesabel was an idolater brought in idolatrie the worship of Baal among the Israelites so this woman in the Church of Thyatyra Secondly as she was giuen to fornication so this woman was a maintainer and teacher of the same Thirdly as Iesabel was a woman of authoritie and by her authoritie did countenance and defend her sinnes false religion and the worship of Baal so this woman was also of great authoritie and by the same taught and maintained her diuellish opinions In this reason see the practise of the diuell who laboureth in ages following to renew and reuiue the vices and sinnes which were before their errors For as he had Iesabel in Ahabs time who was a patron of fornication and idolatrie so in the Apostles time he had this woman who renewed these opinions another Iesabel like her The end is to further his kingdom for the diuell seeth that these meanes most dishonour God hurt his kingdome and most of all build his kingdom and so he dealeth in al ages to reuiue the opinions errors scismes of old So they which follow Machiauel imitate the doings of Achitophel So the Papists reuiue the errors of the Scribes and Pharises they which separate themselues frō our Church the opiniō of the Donatists the Family of loue the error of the Valētinians The second reason is because by this name he might draw thē to dislike of her and not to follow her but that she might be in as great disgrace as Iesabel was in the old Testament And this Christ doth to teach vs in reading the bookes of the old and new Testament if we reade of any wiked men that we should dislike their vices and errors take heed of them and auoid them nay if we see them in vs we must dislike our selues for them and contrarily if we reade of a vetruous man or woman we must imitate their vertues like and loue them and our selues for them if we haue the same The second argument whereby he describes her is her action Which calleth her selfe a Prophetesse that is she doth chalenge to her selfe to be such a one as taught the word by the instinct and help of Gods spirit and that all she taught was the word of Gods spirit She taught fornication was no sinne and that one might go into the Idoll temple and eate of their offerings and yet she pretends all to be done and taught by Gods spirit making him the teacher and author of her errors Seeing wicked men and women father their errors on Gods spirit we must labour to get the spirit of discerning to know whether the spirit be of God or not and we must not be of no religion because many teach false doctrine but rather labour to haue the spirit of discerning to try the spirits which we heare Againe when we are accused or slandered we must be content for we see this woman taught false doctrine and yet fathered it on Gods spirit which indeed was not of him but of the diuell and so made him the author of errors Now if the Lord be thus dealt withall made the author of lies by wicked men shall not we be content if we be slaundered who by our sinnes deserued the same As she chalenged her selfe to be a Prophetesse so she proued her selfe to be one namely by her owne testimony and her owne word she said she was one Here Christ sheweth the note of a false Prophet namely a mans owne word and testimony but a true Prophet hath many tokens and arguments to proue him to be so As in the Primitiue Church they spake sundry tongues without study often wrought miracles as seales of a true Prophet Secondly they held vnitie of doctrine in integritie of life and conuersation to confirme their callings Thirdly they had excellent gifts giuen them of God as zeale courage and constancy to maintaine their callings which were extraordinary but this woman had nothing but her owne word and bare testimony In the second place the more to disgrace her and the church of Thyatira her teaching was described by the end which was to deceiue men Here is another marke of a false Prophet to teach to seduce and draw men to some sinne or wickednesse The end of true teaching is godlynes but of false it is to draw men to sinne in life and conuersation After he describeth her seducing by two arguments first the persons my seruants secondly the meanes to make them commit fornication and to eate of things offered to idols For the persons my seruants this increaseth her fault seeing they
of Christ and by the other be moued to the hatred of that false Church of Antichrist Now this text of Scripture She is fallen she is fallen euen Babylon that great citie for of the wine of the fury of her fornication she hath giuen all nations to drinke offereth me three speciall things to be considered first what Babylon is secondly what is become of her and thirdly what is the cause of her heauie decay In the first part by the assistance of God I shall plainely shew and proue that Babylon is Rome In the second that Babylon or Rome by the iust iudgement of God is fallen yea she is fallen In the last the reason of this so sharpe sentence of God against her because she hath deceiued all the world with drunkennesse and whoredome Within the compasse of these three propositions I will keep my selfe in all my discourse sauing that by your fauour forasmuch as this is the middle voice of three Angels that speake in this Chapter for a Preface I will vse the voice of the first Angell of whose preaching this my text is a cōsequent and in the stead of a conclusion I will touch the voyce of the third Angel which is a consequent of this the middle Angels voice Concerning the preface it shall be this in few words After that S. Iohn had described the preseruation and vnitie of the Church of God in Christ their head euen in the midst of the furie of Antichrist vnder the figure of the Lambe standing on mount Sion with 144000. of his chast worshippers next he declareth that God would bring the same againe into the sight of the world by preaching of the Gospell and the ouerthrow of the kingdome of Antichrist Wherefore he sendeth an Angell flying in the midst of heauen or betweene heauen and earth bringing with him an euerlasting Gospell and preaching that all men should feare God and giue glorie to his name for the time of his iudgement was at hand and that they should worship him that made heauen and earth and all things that are in them A very Angelicall sermon indeed an euerlasting Gospell is that howsoeuer the enemies charge it with noueltie that teacheth to feare God to giue glorie to his name and to worship him onely that is the Creator of heauen and earth And a consequent of that Gospell is this Sermon of the Angell She is fallen she is fallen euen Babylon that great Citie For wheresoeuer men are taught to feare God aright to giue all glorie to him alone and to worship none other but him that made heauen and earth and all things in them contained there must needes follow a great fal and ouerthrow of Babylon and Babylonicall religion which teacheth the contrarie Wherefore if we loue the peace of Ierusalem to the ouerthrow of this her great aduersarie let vs imbrace this euerlasting Gospell that we feare God glorifie God and worship God alone Againe if we hate Babylon with a perfect hatred as we ought to do and therefore would seeke her vtter ruine and decay let vs procure that this Gospell may be preached that men may learn to feare honour and serue God onely and then vndoubtedly Babylon shall fall she shall fall I say she can stand no longer Let this suffice therefore for a Preface Now haue we to cōsider what Babylon is I haue vndertaken to proue that Babylon here spoken of is Rome But first I must admonish you how I vnderstand Rome And that is not onely for a certaine place in Italy compassed about with walles and furnished with buildings as other cities are but for that authoritie gouernment and preheminence which is challenged by meanes of that citie or for the Romaine Empire which is claimed by prerogatiue of the same citie and so is Babylon taken in the Scripture and namely in this Prophecie For in the eleuenth Chapter of this Reuelation the same great citie is called also Sodoma and Aegyptus where our Lord was crucified Sodoma for the great abhomination and filthinesse therein maintained and Aegyptus because it keepeth the people of God in miserable bondage and slauerie as Aegypt vnder Pharao did of old Whereby it is manifest that the great citie is to be taken for that tyrannie gouernment and preheminence as I said which is challenged in the right of that great Citie and so is the regiment and gouernance of the Romaine Antichrist depending vpon the prerogatiue of his See which is Rome Now if any will contend that Babylon must be taken in the proper sense for a citie in Chaldea onely as though we should looke for the See of Antichrist out of the East as the Papists for thirty or fortie yeares ago deuised a fable that was renewed also in Queene Maries dayes of a monstrous child which should be borne at Babylon which they would haue men suppose to be Antichrist he may be flatly conuicted of great ignorance whē the Angell in the seuenteenth Chapter of this Prophecie testifieth that her name is Babylon in a mysterie as in the eleuenth Chapter that she is spiritually called Sodoma and Aegyptus not in respect of situation of the place but in similitude and likenesse of conditions Wherefore it remaineth that according to my promise I proue Babylon here mentioned to be Rome The greatest controuersie that this day troubleth the world is where the true Church of God should be the Papists making great bragges that it is on their side we affirming that it is on our side This controuersie will soone be cut off and brought to an end if it may be shewed that Babylon is Rome for then cannot Rome be the Church of Christ but the Church of Antichrist And therefore it standeth me vpon to bring very good and substantiall proofes to maintaine this my assertion that Babylon is Rome But what proofes may be counted sufficient Is not the authoritie of holy Scriptures and the testimonie of auncient Doctors of the Church good and substantiall proofes Therfore if authoritie of Scriptures be a good and substantiall proofe ye shall haue Scriptures if consent of auncient Writers in the same sentence be of any value you shall haue plentie And first beginning with Scriptures I will not alledge such places as be hard and darke to vnderstand but such as be plaine euident and manifest and can receiue no other interpretation to satisfie the iudgement of any reasonable man I omit therefore so many figures as in this Reuelation do not very obscurely signifie but euen directly point at and paint out that Antichristian Church For although they do so aptly and fitly agree therto as a man might easily iudge they were made euen for the same purpose yet because they might be wrested to some other meaning if manifest places did not withstand I will leaue all aduantage that I might take of them and hold me onely at this time to those plaine and euident demonstrations which with no equitie nor conscience can admit any
other interpretation Onely I will here note that forasmuch as all figures types and colours contained in this booke may so conueniently be applied to Rome as though they had bene properly appointed to describe her as they were indeed it is great preiudice against Rome although no plainer proofes might be brought But when so plaine arguments are brought foorth that without too much impudencie cannot be auoided and all other figures and darke speeches agree accordingly it is a manifest coniunction that Rome is none other but this Babylon But to begin with these plaine places as I haue promised the first shall be out of the eleuenth Chapter of this Reuelation the place before alleaged where it is declared that God in all times yea in the greatest persecution would maintaine his Church and reserue at the least two witnesses which should testifie of his truth in spite of Antichrist and his adherents Which although the monstrous beast that ariseth out of the bottomelesse pit should murther and slay yet God should restore them to life again continually stirring vp a sufficient number to beare witnesse of his name and doctrine In that Chapter I say is contained that when the beast had murthered them he should enuie them the honour of buriall and so their bodies should lye in the streete or market place of that great citie which is spiritually called Sodoma and Aegyptus where our Lord was crucified Declaring thereby that as Rome had slaine and crucified the head so should Rome persecute the members And in the same Citie where their Lord was murthered the seruants should be persecuted But here a man would thinke that I were impudent to affirme that our Sauiour Christ was crucified at Rome whome all the world knoweth to haue suffered death at Ierusalem But you must call to remembrance that at the first I gaue warning that I did not vnderstand Rome for the topographie of Rome that is so much ground onely as is compassed within the walles of that Citie but for the regiment gouernance and prerogatiue that is claymed by reason of that Citie or Monarchie whereof Rome is the head and then I shall easily proue that Christ was crucified at Rome For by whome was he condemned was it not by Pilate the Deputie or Lieutenant of the Romain Empire For what cause or crime was he adiudged to die was it not for treason pretended to be committed against the Romaine Empire With what kind of execution was he put to death was it not such as was vsuall by the lawes of the Romaines for such hainous offences as were vniustly laid to his charge Finally was not the place wherein he suffered within the circuit of the Romaine Empire May I not then iustly affirme that he was crucified at Rome whē by the Romaine Iudge he was condemned for a crime against the Romaine state and executed by a kind of death appointed by the Romaine lawes and in a place of the Romaine dominion As for the Iewes they had at that time no authoritie to put any man to death as they confesse themselues when Pilate bad them take him and iudge him according to their owne lawe meaning they shold decree some light punishment against him They answered It is not lawfull for vs to iudge him to dye As touching the cause although they accused him of blasphemie in that he made himselfe the Sonne of God yet could he not be condemned for that because Pilate would admit no accusation but such as contained a crime against the Romaine lawes And as for the death of the crosse it is manifest to be proper to the Romaines for the Iewes would haue stoned him if they might haue condemned him for blasphemie according to the law of Moises And that the Angell in that place by no meanes can vnderstand Ierusalem it is manifest by these reasons first that he calleth it that great citie which tearme could neuer be spoken of Ierusalem Also he calleth it Sodoma and Aegyptus which was the sea of the monstrous beast Antichrist which in other places is often called Babylon Whereas no man euer did imagine that Ierusalem should be called Sodome Aegypt or Babylon Adde hereunto that Ierusalem the place where Christ suffered was vtterly destroyed in S. Iohns time whereby it is euident that by this great citie spiritually called Babylon Sodoma and Aegyptus is meant none other but the Romaine Empire which crucified the head and should also bring foorth to put any man to death and he hath deserued the monstrous beast Antichrist which should torment and afflict the members which began with murther of the Lord and should continue till it were destroyed in murthering of the seruants And by this plaine text which cannot be wrested to any other sense this great citie of Babylon where Christ was crucified is proued to be Rome and the authoritie rule and power of the Romaine Citie The second plaine and euident proofe which I will vse at this time shall be taken out of the thirteenth Chapter of this Reuelation where that euill shapen beast is described which is the head of the persecuting malignant Church hauing seuen heads and ten hornes and is the same which afterward in the seuenteenth Chapter beareth the great whore Babylon the mother of all abhominations of the earth Who so therefore will compare these things that are written in this booke concerning the description of that monstrous beast with those things that the Prophet Daniel in the seuenth Chapter of his Prophecie describeth of the foure beasts and specially of the fourth which all men confesse to be the Romaine Empire except he be too much blinded with frowardnes and peruerse affection he must needes acknowledge that this Beast which Iohn painteth out is the same that Daniel setteth out which containing in it the crueltie of the Leopard the Beare and the Lion which were the former Monarchies is vnlike to them all and therefore is the fourth Empire which all the world acknowledgeth to be the Monarchie of Rome What should I speake of the number of the hornes equall in both and generally of all other parts of their description which is set foorth so like and almost with the same words both of the one and of the other that it were meere madnesse to imagine that this beast which Iohn describeth should be any other then that Daniel had so long before portraited Then if the Beast in Daniels description doth signifie the fourth kingdome as the Angell expoundeth it which no man will denie to be the Romaine Monarchie the same monstrous Beast being here painted out in this Reuelation with the same shape colours and conditions must needes signifie the Romaine Empire and so Babylon by this reason also is proued to be Rome The third argument or proofe is taken out of the seuenteenth Chapter of this Reuelation and the ninth verse where the Angell expounding to Saint Iohn the mysterie of the Beast with the seuen heades declareth in very plaine wordes that the
Peter is specially called Babylon Note that Ierome in this place accounted Rome to be Babylon the younger daughter of Babylon the elder And secondly that this was not his opinion onely but the consent of many other in his time and namely of such as vsed to interpret the Prophet Esay Thirdly and especially consider that he affirmeth Rome in the Apocalypse to be especially called Babylon So that Babylon in the Apocalypse by his iudgement can be vnderstood for nothing else but Rome because Rome is there specially figured by Babylon What meaneth Ierome so often to beate in this naile that Babylon is Rome If it had slipped out of his pen but once he might haue bene pardoned for his ouersight but when he hath neuer done writing that Rome is Babylon why should we account him any longer for a Catholike For in his Preface vnto the booke of Didimus De Spiritu sancto which he translated out of Greeke into Latine writing to Paulinianus he vttereth these words Cùm in Babylone versarer purpuratae Meretricis essem Colonus iure Quiritum viuerem c. Of late saith he when I was in Babylon and was an inhabitant of the purple Harlot and liued after the lawes of the Romaines I thought to intreat somwhat of the holy Ghost What needed Ierome in this place so odiously and contumeliously to call Rome by the name of Babylon but that he could neuer consider Rome otherwise but to be the See appointed for Antichrist For in other places where he interpreteth the Scriptures and Prophecies concerning Antichrist we may lesse maruell if he interpret Babylon for Rome because no reason could leade him to expound it otherwise But here talking pleasantly with his friend what necessitie compelled him to vse such descriptions of Rome but that this perswasion was so deepely grauen in his mind that Babylon is Rome that neither in earnest nor iest he could forget it but is alwaies harping vpon it as though he thought scorne to call Rome by any other name then that he had learned in the Scriptures to be Babylon and the purple harlot For in like maner writing to Marcella a vertuous Gentlewoman of Rome whome he allured to forsake Rome and to dwell neare vnto him in Bethelem one speciall reason that he vseth to perswade her is this That as Bethelem whither he wold haue her to repaire is situate in the holy Land and the place consecrated to the birth of CHRIST so Rome where she desired to remaine was the Babylonicall harlot according to the Reuelation of S. Iohn appointed for the birth of Antichrist which there should arise and exercise his tyrannie and from thence should deceiue the whole world with his wicked wiles But who so will reade the workes of Ierome may find yet more places in which he is bold to call Rome Babylon the very See of Antichrist Whereby it is apparant that it is no new or strange matter to seeke Antichrist at Rome when such old Doctors of the Church so commonly in Commentaries Epistles and other writings do teach vs that Rome is Babylon and the Scripture affirmeth that Babylon is the See of Antichrist But let vs leaue S. Ierome and see what other say of the same matter S. Ambrose writing a Commentarie vpon the Reuelation of S. Iohn is of the same iudgement Of the authoritie of the worke I wil moue no question at this time seeing it is commended to vs by Cuthbert Tonstall late bishop of Duresme who found it in an old Librarie and first set it in print vnder the name of that great S. Ambrose and is willing that men should so thinke of it It is good authoritie I say against the Papists being commended by so Catholike a Prelate and because they are wont to receiue whatsoeuer cometh vnder the name of an old Doctor though it be neuer so vnlike his writing and crie out vpon vs for reiecting at our pleasure the workes of auncient Doctors that make against our doctrine as though we reiected any without cause or they refused none for any cause whereas Pigius their great Patron blushed not to reiect the report of two generall Councels the fift and sixt of Constantinople which are commended to vs by publike faith of the Church of Constantinople because in the one Pope Honorius is condemned and accursed for an heretike and in neither of both the Popes Legates could haue the highest place according to the request of their ambitious Maister But as for this Ambrose if he were not Ambrose of Millaine yet is it apparant by the stile that he was some auncient Writer of the Latine Church and he throughout this Prophecie interpreteth Babylon to be Rome and Antichrist to be sought no where but at Rome Primasius also a very auncient Writer who likewise commenteth vpon the Apocalypse expoundeth these Prophecies of Antichrist to be fulfilled in the Romaine Empire and of the citie of Rome S. Augustine in his learned worke De Ciuitate Dei not once or twice but oftentimes is bold to call Rome Babylon and Babylon Rome as in his sixteenth booke and seuenth chapter he calleth Rome another Babylon in the West And in his eighth booke and second chapter he calleth Babylon of Caldea the first Rome and Rome of Italie the second Babylon willing men to consider that in the beginning of the citie of God which was the Church in Abrahams time the first Rome that was Easterne Babylon her enemie was builded in Caldea and about the same time that the first Babylon was destroyed lest the citie of God should lacke her enemie the second Babylon which is Rome in Italie was erected It is a strange matter that the same citie which is the professed enemie of the citie of God should be the mother of all religion and the very citie of God it selfe O Augustine thou wast not well aduised to make the Citie of Rome enemie to the Citie of GOD that Rome shold be the same to the Church of GOD that Babylon of old was to Ierusalem The same Augustine in the 22. Chapter of the 18. booke calleth Rome another Babylon and daughter of the first Babylon And in the 27. Chapter he calleth Rome westerne Babylon By these other testimonies of old Writers that might be brought but for tediousnesse I suppose it is sufficiently proued that Babylon in this my text spoken of is Rome and that we should not seek Antichrist to proceed from any other place then from Rome But what need I trouble my selfe to seeke further testimoniall for confirmation of this matter that Babylon is Rome then of the Papists themselues which affirme that S. Peter in his Epistle where he sendeth salutations frō the Church gathered in Babylon by Babylon vnderstandeth Rome And they learne it of Ieronime which in the life of S. Marke doth so expound it So greedie they are to find a place in Scripture where Peter should be said to haue bene at Rome that they are content to
satisfaction but one for them that be penitent in this life or theirs that hath so many wayes to merit rewards and to satisfie for sinnes not only while men liue in the world but also for them that are already gone out of it And there is no wine so sweet to the tast of a carnall man as that which maketh him drunke with opinion of his owne righteousnesse as it is the nature of strong wine to make very cowards thinke themselues to be valiant champions and such is the cup of popish doctrine containing merits and satisfactions Againe when we consider that Antichrist should make men drunke with his erronious doctrine we maruell lesse how men could be so blinded and infatuate that they could not see and perceiue such grosse errors and manifest vntruths as are in Poperie For as they that are ouercome with the strength of wine haue lost the right vse both of their wit and of their senses euen so they that are drunke with the hereticall doctrine of Papistrie do grope in the cleare light of the Sunne and see not their owne deformitie though all the world beside crie out of them In like maner they that be ouercome with the vnhonest loue of harlots they haue their reason so imprisoned in corrupt affection and foolish fantasie that they are at libertie neither to see their owne folly nor to admit any wise and godly counsell So it fareth with those that the Babylonical Circe the Church of Rome hath allured by her inchauntments to commit spirituall fornination with her they cannot abide to heare the voice of them that call them out of that damnable estate so highly they please themselues in their owne misery as if they were in case of perfect felicitie This is the effect of their drunkennesse this is the effect of their fornication and this is the iust iudgement of God that they which haue shut vp their eares from hearing the truth should be deceiued with strong delusions that they might beleeue lies Furthermore by the names of these vices the Angell comprehendeth all other vices that follow drunkennesse and incontinencie For these crimes go not vnaccompanied for where either of them is commonly both will be and they haue either of them and both together their traine to waite vpon them and all these we see to haue ouerflowed in Rome the Westerne Babylon as she her selfe though she haue a brazen forehead and be past all shame cannot denie altogether And because of these so great and hainous inormities the iust sentence of God pronounced here by the Angell is come vpon her that she is now in her fall and decay as she was once in her ruffe and glorie But this especially is to be noted that the Angell here saith that she should deceiue all nations with the furie of her fornication For this is the great vniuersalitie that they make so great bragges of and would haue it to be a certaine note and marke of the Catholicke Church to be vniuersall Behold the Angell sayth here in plaine words that all nations should drinke of the wine of the furie of her fornication Where is then the vniuersall consent and vnitie of all nations in Religion that maketh a true Religion and yet vniuersalitie and vnitie be two great pillars of the Church of Rome And for my part I do not enuie her those markes which she challengeth of vniuersalitie and vnitie although we might stand in law with her for them but let her peaceably inioy them for they may helpe to proue her to be the false Church of Antichrist but they cannot make her to be the true Church of Christ. We see plainely that Babylon hath here vniuersalitie and vnitie for she maketh all nations to drinke of the furious wine of her fornication but the Church of Christ as he himselfe sayth is a small flocke and himselfe by Simeon is said to be a signe of contradiction a marke that is gaine-said of most men And here also is answered one great mightie obiection wherewith they thinke to choke vs That seeing the Church of Christ is the Spouse of Christ how could it be that Christ should forsake his Spouse and suffer her to continue in damnable errours so many hundred yeares Why Christ himselfe declareth that the deceipts and errours of false Prophets should be so great that if it were possible the very elect should be deceiued yea there should be such a miserable dispersion that scarce two true professors of his name should remaine together in one place and yet the holy band of vnitie should be in the head which is our Sauiour Christ for wheresoeuer the carcasse is thither the Eagles would be gathered And Saint Paule in manifest words declareth that the second comming of Christ should not be before there were a generall apostacie that is a departure from the true faith and Religion of Christ and that the sonne of perdition Antichrist were openly shewed And in this Reuelation how often is it said that Antichrist should deceiue all the world all nations people and tongues and that the Church of Christ should be driuen into the wildernesse out of the sight of the world and there remaine a space vntill she should be brought againe to light and open knowledge of all men As it is come to passe this day Gods name be therefore euerlastingly praised But because I haue occupied long time I will draw to an end for by that I haue said I trust it doth sufficiently appere that God according to his righteous iudgement hath determined vtterly to ouerthrow Babylon because she hath deceiued all nations with the wine of the furie of her fornication And now it resteth onely that I speake a word or two of the voice of the third Angell which is a consequent of this my text and serueth very aptly for the conclusion of my Sermon The third Angell followed crying with a loud voyce saying If any man shall worship the Beast or his image or receiue his marke en his forehead or in his hand or shall acknowledge any obedience or reuerence to him as willing to drinke of the cup of Babylons fornication the same shall drinke of the wine of the furie of Gods wrath which is powred foorth vnmingled into the great cuppe of Gods anger and they shall be tormented with fire and brimstone before the Lambe and his holy Angels and the smoke of their torments shall ascend for euermore and they shall haue no rest day nor night from extreame torments that worship the Beast or shew any reuerence vnto Antichrist The effect is in few words that horrible intollerable and eternall torments remaine for all them that now especially when Babylon is now discouered will haue any thing to doe with her damnable errours and pernicious doctrine for howsoeuer ignorance before her fall though it were inexcusable yet seemed to diminish the greatnesse of the crime now that her wickednesse is openly displayed no pretence can saue men from the
by your countenance it may be profitable to the Church The God of heauen giue you all that blessing of blessings which if Ierome say true few men haue that you may transire à deliciis ad delicias go on from grace to grace and be a long time happie in this life and for euer happie in the life to come London Saint Martins in the fields from my worshipful friend Master Oldisworths house by which familie as Paul was by the house of Onesiphorus in the time of this late and I wish I may say the last visitation I haue receiued no small refreshing March 12. 1604. Your VVorships to command Robert Hill Fellow of S. Iohns Colledge in Cambridge LECTVRES VPON THE THREE FIRST CHAPters of the Reuelation REVEL 1. 1. The reuelation of Iesus Christ which God gaue vnto him MY purpose in choosing this text is to speake of the three first Chapters of this booke namely the seuen seuerall Epistles written to the Churches in Asia which containe sundrie vses instructions fit for our time and age Before we come to the matter we must consider of one question which is whether this present booke of the Reuelation be canonicall or not for some haue heretofore some now do call the authoritie of it in question But we hold that it is canonicall of equall authoritie with other canonicall Scriptures Our arguments and reasons be these The first is because the doctrine contained in this booke is Apostolicall as anie which diligently reades the booke may perceiue Secondly because the style and maner of opening and expounding the prophecie contained in it is Apostolicall that is plaine simple and easie if we consider that it is a prophecie Thirdly because this booke hath bene approued generally of all Churches refused of no one Church in any age since Iohn wrote it it was neuer called into questiō but of some particular man neuer of any whole Church Fourthly the things foretold in this booke came to passe as they were foretold As among the rest in one for all may appeare by that signe Iohn saw in the thirteenth Chapter two beasts came one out of the sea the second out of the earth the first signifying the Romaine Empire the second the Romaine apostaticall Church which both are come to passe in this last age Now follow the reasons which some alleage to proue it not canonicall but they be all of no force First S. Iohn he names him selfe in this booke where he neuer named himselfe once in all his Gospell no not then when he had iust occasion to name him selfe but sought to auoid it therefore they conclude that it is not his booke but written by some other and published in his name The reason is not good For there is great difference betweene an historie and a prophecie S. Iohn in his historie doth not name himselfe for there is no necessarie reason why one in an historie of another man should name himself But in a prophecie as this booke is it is more requisite he should mention his owne name And so did other Prophets as Ieremiah mentioneth his name in his booke at least an hundred times so Esay and Daniel in euerie Chapter mention their names Then seeing they do it so often it is no maruell if S. Iohn in his booke repeate his name yet he doth it but fiue times in the whole booke They obiect that his style in this booke is not the same with that he vsed in the penning of the Gospell Ans. The difference of the stile riseth from the difference of the matter seeing there he writes an historie here he pens a Prophecie Againe here he writes not his own words but those which he receiued from Christ by particular reuelation They say his booke hath bene reiected in diuerse ages as not canonicall Ans. It cannot be proued that it was euer refused of any generall Church but of some priuate man Now the disallowing of any priuate man cannot make a whole booke to be reiected for then the Epistle to the Hebrewes and Iames his Epistle should not be canonicall which be receiued of all Churches Now come to the words which containe two parts First a Preface Secondly a Vision The Preface first containes an entrance to his matter from the first to the ninth verse the vision from the ninth to the end of the chapter The Preface hath two parts First the title of the booke Secondly the inscription The title in the three first verses the inscription from the fourth to the ninth verse The title in these words The reuelation of Iesus Christ c. A reuelation is nothing else but a manifestation or discouerie of things secret in respect of men for the common good of the Church and so this word is taken here Reuelations from God in the Scriptures were of three kinds first by dreames secondly by vision thirdly by created voice of God face to face as we may see Num 12. 6. 8. 4. partly by vision partly by voice Now this was not by dreame for he receiued these things not by dreame vision or voyce alone but by vision from Christ and by voice from God so then it is mixt partly receiued by vision partly by voice vttered from God In these three first verses the Reuelation is described by seuen arguments first by the author Iesus Christ secondly the end thirdly the persons to whom it was directed fourthly the matter fiftly the instrument sixtly the manner of deliuering it seuenthly the fruit of the reuelation The first argument by which it pleaseth the holy Ghost to describe this reuelation is the author vz. Iesus Christ he is the author of it it comes from him It is called his reuelation in these respects first not to exclude the Father and the holy Ghost but to shew the speciall office of Christ for the peculiar office belonging to the second person is to reueale and to publish and to manifest the will of God the Father to the Church and for that cause he is called the Angell of the couenant the doctor of the Church the wisedome of the Father because his office is to reueale the will of his Father to man Secondly it is called the reuelation of Iesus Christ to teach vs to put difference betweene this reuelation and all satanicall reuelations for as God hath his true reuelations so Satan his ape hath his counterfeit reuelations and deliuers them in shew like to Gods but they differ much First the diuels reuelations be for the most part ambiguous and doubtfull that a man cannot tell how to take the speech and phrase he giues them in but the reuelations of God and that in this booke are certaine and in plaine tearmes deliuered Secondly the diuels reuelations be betweene him and his instruments wicked and bad men these in this and other bookes be to the godly to his children and seruants as here to Iohn and the Church
mind and in that very maner he would if he were present and if they deliuer any thing els or in any other maner they shal be suspected of vnfaithfulnes Now if Christ were on earth wold he deliuer his word partly in English partly in Latin or vse the authoritie of the fathers Philosophy or of Poets And surely though mē cal this the learned way of preaching yet it is not that Christ commaunded Nay if this were admitted it would bring in Barbarisme and expell the Gospell out of this land and bring in that misery which was among the Schoole-men when all things were brought to needlesse disputations The third thing is the phrase Christ vseth The seuen starres are the seuen Angels c. Not that they signifie the seuen Angels or the candlestickes signifie the seuen Churches but are so Hence we see that the exposition in the sacrament This is my body and blood is warranted and not to be vnderstood literally as the Papists hold For as it is absurd to hold that these were seuen Angels indeed because they are called so so to hold the bread is really transformed indeed into Christs body but being a signe as it is common in Scripture is put for the thing signified this bread is that is represents my body c. CHAP. II. VERSE I. Vnto the Angell of the Church of Ephesus c. IN this second and third Chapters is set downe the fourth action of Christ whereby Iohn describeth him which is that Christ in these two Chapters giueth him 7. particular commandements to write seuen Epistles to the seuen Churches of Asia The first of these seuen particular commandements is in this first verse Vnto the Angell of the Church c. and after the commandement followeth the Epistle it selfe These things c. to the eighth verse Vnto the Angell This word is two waies vsed first it signifieth the Minister or Pastor of the particular Church of Ephesus and so it is taken commonly and of the most Secondly it may signifie a companie of Ministers or gouernours of the particular Church of Ephesus as Paule biddeth thē take heed to the flocke of which they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ouerseers shewing there were many Ministers of the particular Church of Ephesus Aud so this word Angell may signifie the whole cōpanie of Ministers of that Church as we see in Scripture the naming of one man signifieth a whole multitude God biddeth Moses send my sonne c. by which particular he noteth the whole bodie of the Israelites So thogh Antichrist be not one particular man but the whole successiō of Popes yet Paul calleth him that Antichrist and that child of perdition so it skilleth not whether we take it for one man or the whole multitude of gouernors In this particular commandement are two points first the intent of Christ was to write to the whole bodie of the Church of Ephesus yet he directeth his letter not to them all but to the Angell and Minister That he intended to write to the whole Church it appeareth in the former Chapter where he is commanded to write to the Churches and in the end of this where he saith He which hath eares let him heare what the Spirit writeth to the Churches Now in that he directeth his Epistle to the Angell and Minister he intimateth to him his dutie first that he must especially labour to teach the particular contents of this Epistle to the Church of Ephesus secondly that he should not onely teach but be a patterne and example to them of the things contained in this Epistle Secondly he writeth to the Angell of the church himselfe because he especially doth great good or harme to the Church If the minister be good there cometh much good if he be euill there cometh much euill as all examples shew Now Christ writeth for this cause to him that he might be diligent and so the cause of good not of euill The second point is that Christ among all the seuen Churches writeth to the Church of Ephesus first which is not because it had authoritie aboue the rest but because it was in riches and estimation aboue the rest and was the mother citie for they were all candlestickes and all golden candlestickes but because it excelled all other cities in riches and estimation for that he directeth his Epistle first to this Church By which he sheweth that those Churches townes and people which excell either in riches and estimation and other temporall gifts they must also excell in the graces of God And so all men in particular as they excell in riches and estimation they must excel others in godlinesse and religion So then each town must as it excelleth other in that it hath a greater name greater riches or other temporall blessings go before other which want them If they excell other in these and be inferiour in godlinesse and religion it is a shame for them before God and man too The Epistle hath three parts as all ordinarie Epistles haue first a preface secondly a proposition thirdly a conclusion The preface in the first verse Now the preface or entrance is taken out of the former chapter The end and intent of it is to draw the Church of Ephesus to reuerence the admonition of Christ so that Christ propoundeth not that first but makes an entrance to prepare them to receiue the same with reuerence and regard his admonition The third reason which he vseth to do this is thus framed If I be he which holdeth the seuen stars in my right hand that is he which by my mightie power guide blesse protect and defend thee and thy Ministers and if I walke in the midst of the seuen candlestickes that is am alwaies present in the midst of thy Church to guide blesse and protect you then ye should receiue and reuerence mine admonition but the first is true ergo my admonition must be reuerenced and obeyed both of the Ministers and of the people In this preface two things are to be learned first seeing Christ repeateth that againe which he taught in the former Chapter he sheweth this is a most notable point to be learned and practised of all men which is that Christ he is present in his Church being present by his speciall prouidence doth blesse guide and protect it both in Ministers and people This must we labour to learne and to be certainely perswaded of euen of the speciall presence and prouidence of Christ in his Church in the speciall workes of the same And without this we cannot haue sound religion this standeth not in a swimming knowledge in the braine but in a sure perswasion of the same in the heart The second thing is that this perswasion of the speciall presence and prouidence of Christ in his Church is the meanes to draw vs to all duties of our calling seeing Christ maketh this his reason to moue them to obey his admonition So if we think
must know the duties of our callings secondly we must labour in patience to practise them with diligence and withal we must know that in the doing of our dutie there is also ioyned affliction therefore we must be armed with patience to vndergo all crosses and afflictions in our callings we must though afflictions come obey the commaundement of God inioyning vs trauell and labour in our callings and rely on his promise that he will blesse vs in our callings if we labour diligently and be patient in afflictions We must not thinke we may leaue our particular callings because of troubles and afflictions but we must faithfully continue in them and with patience endure afflictions and then Christ shall conmmend vs which is better then all the things in the world his commendation is better then any man can giue If he commend vs then we are happie though all men speake ill of vs. But if we neglect and contemne our callings and will not go on because of afflictions but leaue them for want of patience then instead of commending he will discommend and disgrace vs and then what will it help vs though all men speake well of vs And thou canst not beare c. Now followeth the third particular worke or vertue for which Christ commends the church of Ephesus And how thou canst not beare them which be wicked Here he commends her seueritie against wicked men that is such as liued offensiuely in life or doctrine maintained any manifest heresie or errour The church of Ephesus could not beare such but esteemed of them as a burthen which she could not beare but sought to be disburthened of Hence we see that it is necessary for wicked men to be seuered from the church and she must be purged of them So in all ages it was practised the Church sought to be disburdened of wicked men as when Cain had slaine his brother Genes 4. the Lord cast him out frō his face that is that place where Adam his family assembled to worship God So saith Ieremy the wicked must be taken away Ier. 15. If thou wilt turne and separate the wicked the vile then thou shalt be as the Lords mouth 1. Cor. 5. where the incestuous person must be giuen vnto Satan All these places proue that wicked men which be offensiue in life or doctrine must be separate from the church she must be purged of them It is necessary the church should be purged of these wicked men first because they defile the worship of God and infect it by their wickednesse whereas they which worship him must be holy as he is holy Secondly least the church be defiled infected by their wicked doctrine and life for they be as sowre leauen which wil soone infect the whole masse of dough By this we see a manifest and common fault in our churches wherein wicked men are not only suffered to liue but to receiue the sacraments and heare the word preached as though they were good yea though many of thē want knowledge be cōtemners of the word sacraments many be tainted with drunkennesse and vices which accompany that 〈◊〉 But such as want knowledge or be wicked men in life or doctrine ought not to be suffered to preach to the people and receiue the sacraments therfore we must seek al good meanes to disburthen the church of them Secondly seeing they sought to be disburthened of them we see Christ hath giuen his church iudicial power to disburthen her self of wicked mē to excommunicate and cast them out of the church from receiuing the sacraments she could not beare them but sought to be disburthened which she would not vnlesse Christ had giuen her power to do it Obiect But some hold that wicked men must not be cast out of the church but must be suffered to liue in the church and proue it by Marke 13. 30. the tares must be alone till the end Answer But here in the parable of the tares Christ speaketh not of the church to be purged by Magistrates but of the vniuersall purging in the last day and that not by men but by the Angels 2. Obiect Luke 14. 13. Christ bids them compell all in the high wayes now if all must be compelled then none must be exempted and cast out of the church Answ. Christ speaketh not of compelling them to the sacraments but onely to the preaching of the word they must come and heare that yet this proues not that men wicked and offensiue may not be suspended barred and excommunicated in regard of the sacraments and seales of saluation which must be giuen to them onely which haue faith and repentance Quest. Seeing wicked men must be seuered from the church hence a question ariseth how farre forth a man may conuerse with them and keepe company with them which are offensiue in life and doctrine Answ. Euill men must be considered first as they be members of a commonwealth towne or citie secondly as they be members of a particular church by tolleration Now as they be members of a commonwealth citie or towne we may conuerse with them in outward things and ciuill affaires as buying selling c. we may make outward ciuill peace with them though they be wicked as Paul biddeth vs haue peace with all men as farre as it may stand with the honor of God and good of the Church and societie wherin we liue In this ciuill societie we may performe outward ciuill dutie of loue and ciuill courtesie Tit. 3. 2. 2 As a wicked man is a member of a particular Church we may liue in it with him for we may not because of him leaue that Church but still liue and abide in it So Christ though the Iewes and their Doctors were wicked men in life and doctrine hypocrites yet he liued still among them but so as we seeing their wicked life allow not of it but be grieued with it as the Sodomites grieued the righteous heart of Lot Nay although they be admitted to the supper of the Lord by the fault of the Minister yet we must and may continue among them in the Church So did Christ he liued among the Iewes communicated among them in eating of the Passeouer and receiued the Sacraments among them though they were corrupt in life and doctrine And the reason is because if thy conscience be good it cannot be defiled by another mans ill conscience Yet though we may do these things with them yet two things are vnlawfull first we must haue no priuate or familiar companie with them 1. Cor. 5. the tenth and eleuenth verses Secondly no speciall familiaritie We must not barre them of generall duties but of speciall familiaritie onely For by that meanes a man doth not onely countenance their persons but alloweth of their sinnes This then condemneth them which are of that nature that they can fit and frame themselues to all companies to the humours and disposition of any companie but if there be
any openly wicked in life or doctrine we must not keepe any priuate companie with him shew him no speciall familiaritie but withdraw our selues from such as burdens to vs. And hast examined them This sharpe dealing of the Church of Ephesus hath 2 parts the first is examination the second cōdemnation of the false Apostles The first part is the discouerie of these false Apostles The second the opposing of her selfe against them being discouered The discouerie of the false Apostles teacheth two points first that God hath giuen to his Church and to the Ministers and members of it speciall grace and wisedome an excellent gift of discerning 1. Cor. 2. 15. 1. Cor. 11. Spirituall men endued with the Spirit of God can discerne of the Lords bodie and bloud betweene bread and wine in the Sacrament and common bread and wine 2. Cor. 13. Proue your selues shewing that the Church and the members thereof haue power and the gift of wisedome to try whether they haue faith or not 1. Ioh. 5. Trie the spirits And here she hath power to discerne of false Apostles and by this gift the Church of God differeth from all other societies of men no societie saue the Church of God hath this gift to iudge betweene good and bad truth and error true Apostles and false Apostles Secondly we gather hence that the Church of God can iudge whether a Church be a true Church or not Some men it pleaseth to call this to question nay to deny that there is any Church in England but call it the synagogue of Satan and say there is no ministerie in it no word no Sacraments Now seeing the Church of God can iudge of vs in England and the churches in Germanie in Scotland other Euangelicall and reformed Churches iudge the Church of England a true Church it is so though they deny it For we must rather stand to the iudgement of one or many particular true churches then of any one priuate or of many men Yea seeing the church of God can iudge of false Apostles it hath also power to iudge of Scriptures to iudge which books be canonicall which are not And that which the church of Rome saith is false that the Church indeed can iudge but as it hath authoritie from their Church This Church of Ephesus had this power long before Rome was in such name nay it was in this time of Iohn of farre greater name then Rome and more famous and excellent The second point in what things this discouerie of false Apostles consisteth in what this iudiciall action standeth which God hath giuen to the Church It standeth in two things first examination of false doctrine and false teachers Secondly condemnation of thē after examination For the first he saith And hast examined for the second and found them lyers To come to this examination the Church of Ephesus had a gift of examination and did examine false Apostles and their doctrine But how may a particular Church examine a false Apostle and his doctrine To do this the man or Church which would do it must first prepare themselues and make them fit to examine and in this preparation must haue an humble heart and lowly spirit for God reuealeth not his will to proud men such as haue high minds in their conceit And in this humbling of himselfe he must cleane renounce his owne wit and reason and in regard of himselfe become a foole in his owne reason if he will be wise in the word of God After this preparation he must make prayers to God in his spirit that the Lord would reueale the thing to him and that he would open his eyes by the meanes vsed to iudge of truth falshood Luk. 11. Iam. 1. 5. In the next place he must labour throughly to know and well to conceiue of their false doctrines he must seek to vnderstand them their grounds the differences betweene them and the truth For it is a fowle fault to propound a mans error and not in that meaning he propounded it or gaue it They must further proue and trie whether the doctrine be of God or men To do this he must come to the word of God which must be iudge in the matter not a dumme letter as the Papists hold but the true iudge in all matters and most sufficient Esa. 8. 19. 20. Ioh. 5. Search the Scriptures Only the Lord must be iudge in his owne matters he must giue sentence and no Angell Saint or man Now this he doth in the written word therefore they must search whether such doctrines be contained in the Scriptures or can by necessarie consequence be collected out of them They must after all this looke to their liues for it is not possible that a false Apostle should lead a good life We must looke on his faith and repentance and the fruites of them for though he may bleare the eyes of the world yet if his life be well sifted it will appeare by his faith and repentance he is but an hypocrite and therefore Mat. 7. Christ biddeth vs trie them by their fruites A bad tree cannot bring good fruite but if a man trie and tast them though they appeare beautifull to the eye yet we shall find them to be but hypocriticall and this is a iudgement of God vpon such that they shal be descryed by this one marke by their liues and conuersations If they teach false doctrine they haue liues answerable they cannot but liue accordingly There was neuer any which was a famous hereticke in the Church but his life was stained with monstrous sinnes as the historie of the Church declareth The second part of the discouerie is condemnation or sentence against them for after she had examined them finding them not that they seemed to be she pronounced them to be false Apostles and lyers Note she calleth them lyers vseth sharp speeches and yet sinneth not seeing Christ commendeth her so Ministers to shew their hatred against vice may vse sharpe speeches not to raile or taunt but only to shew our hatred and misliking of sinne So Iohn Baptist calleth them a generation of vipers Christ called Herod a Foxe Paul the Galatians fooles In that she calleth them lyers it sheweth three things first that they spake falsely and deliuered that which was vntrue secondly that they sinned of knowledge thirdly that they did it of malice to hurt and deceiue the Church for these three be the properties of a liar Againe here we see that which Paul Act. 20. foretold by the spirit of Prophecie to be fulfilled that among the Ephesians should arise lyars on them which professed the Gospell with them Againe if men in the daies of the Apostles they being yet aliue durst so take on thē Apostolical authoritie to cal thēselues Apostles and were none no maruell if the Pope of Rome durst sixe hundred yeares after them take this vpon him and say he is Peters successor to take on him Apostolicall power
pleaseth his maiestie to make vs his children which truly beleeue in Christ and this is the fountaine of all grace loue and fauor Now if grace be taken for this fauor of God in Christ thē though the outward signs and sensible feeling of Gods fauor in Christ may be lost yet grace that is Gods fauour in Christ cannot be lost A father by some offence of his child may not shew signes of fauour to his sonne for a time but rather his anger by words or stripes yet for all this he carieth a fatherly mind to him not purposing to disinherit him So when a true child of God sinneth he then feeleth not the fauour of God for he turneth his countenance frō him for a time yet not so that his fauor is wholy lost but he still keepeth it towards vs not purposing to disinherit vs in Christ but is still our father and we his children Secondly grace signifieth not onely Gods fauour but the gifts of grace as faith hope repentance c. which are bestowed on them which beleeue Now these graces be of two sorts some necessarie to saluation without which we cannot be saued for without faith no man can be iustified sanctified or glorified Now from true faith proceedeth true hope and loue which three graces be especially necessarie to saluation and especiall graces of Gods spirit Secondly there are other graces which be profitable and needfull yet not necessarie to saluatiō as feeling of Gods fauor ioy and alacritie in inuocation of Gods name feare ioy c. and these are not so necessarie but that a man which hath them not may be saued Now then the three first faith hope loue cānot be lost finally or wholly being necessarie to saluation but the other may faith indeed may be weakened and wounded but neuer lost wholly but in part and for a time and so it is said here of the Church of Ephesus First that grace cannot be lost wholly and finally these reasons proue Math. 16. 16. Christ promised Peter and in him the whole Church that the gates of hell should neuer preuaile against him for when he saith they shall not preuaile the meaning is they shall shew very much strength but shall not ouercome or preuaile against the Church Though she may be foyled yet neuer ouercome The second reason is if it were possible he should deceiue the elect of God Mat. 24. 24. Christ taketh it for graunted that they which beleeue which are truly iustified and sanctified cannot fall finally so loose their faith Thirdly Ioh. 10. 28. Christ saith his sheepe shall neuer perish But they answer that so long as they remaine the sheepe of Christ they shall not perish but Christ cutteth off that obiection saying no man taketh them out of his hand they shall not be able by their naturall corruption to fall nor any man can take thē out of my hands The fourth reason is Ioh. 3. 36. He that beleeueth hath eternall life they say hopeth but he which hath it in hope truly he cannot loose it seeing hope cānot make a man ashamed Rom. 5. 6. and hope is grounded on faith Heb. 11. 1. Rom. 8. 30. whom God predestinateth he calleth iustifieth sanctifieth and glorifieth Now if he which beleeueth shall be iustified and glorified then he cannot fall away for he which falleth finally shall neuer be glorified Fifthly in the end of the chapter he saith nothing can seuer him and the church of the Romanes from the loue of Christ ergo not fall finally for then they may be seuered Sixthly Rom. 11. 29. Gods gifts of saluation are without repentance that is the peculiar gifts of his spirit necessary to saluation are without repentance They say God for his part repents not but man reiects that grace whereof God repented not but this makes Gods will subiect to the will of his creature and makes man to rule God to obey mans wil seeing they make mans will to rule Gods will man wils a thing God wils it not yet mans will must stand which is absurd A seuenth reason 1. Ioh. 3. 9. he which is borne of God sinneth not or cannot sin because the seed of Gods word is in him Now in the first chapter he saith that he which saith he hath no sinne lieth Iohn then meaneth here that he which truly beleeueth sinneth not that is sin ruleth not in him with whole consent but in part And man being partly flesh partly spirit as he is regenerate sin proceeds not from him but as he is flesh They answer so long as he abideth borne of God but when he ceaseth to be borne of God he sinneth then with ful consent but he cuts of that cauil and saith Neither can sinne seeing the seed of the word working by the spirit of God makeh him continue that he cannot so sinne Eighthly If a man may fall wholly and finally then he must be cleane cut off from Christ for he must first be cleane cut from Christ haue no coniunction with him before he can loose grace wholy Now if a man should be so often cut from Christ as he looseth grace then he should be often cut off and often reunited to Christ and if he should be so often reunited to Christ thē he should be so often baptised for baptisme is the sacrament of incision and ingraffing into Christ but that is absurd that baptisme should be any more then once administred ergo a man is but once ingrafted but once vnited to Christ and so cannot be reunited and neuer fall The last reason We pray Leade vs not into temptation that is suffer not Satan and sinne wholy to preuaile and to conquer vs. Now in euery petition there are two things first a commaundement to pray secondly a promise that we shall be heard therfore seeing there is a promise in the word that no true child of God shall be wholly conquered of sinne or Satan no true child of God can finally fall away Against these reasons are brought diuers arguments and they are of three sorts first testimonies of scripture secondly examples thirdly equity For scriptures they alleage these places First Exod. 32. 33. Moses prayeth to God that he may be blotted out of the book of life therfore he which is the true child of God may perish finally Answ. His petition must be vnderstood with condition if it be possible and so Christ let this cup passe if it be possible else Moses should pray for that he knew was not possible and so against his owne knowledge for he knew it could not be that one priuate man should die for the people or suffer eternal punishment for them Againe Moses in that petitiō doth principally shew his zeale and earnest loue he bare to Gods glory and the good of the people in that he neglected his owne life and desired that rather then God should want his glory and they perish he should rather die if it were possible eternally So Paul desired to be
election Rom. 9. and so might fall from the Church of God to be a synagogue of Satan for hauing only the generall election they might renounce the word and sacraments but the particular election is immutable Now let vs see when they became thus the synagogue of Satan it was not at that time when they put Christ to death for though many of thē did it of knowledge yet very many of ignorance And after that Christ was ascended Peter preaching to them tels them that the promise belonged to them and to their children It was not then at this time but when the Apostles had laboured by many arguments to proue that Christ was the Messiah and they would not beleeue still remaining in their wickednesse then they became of the church of God a synagoue of Satan for when they wold not heare Paul but threatned and reiected him then he left them and preached to the Gentiles and then the Iewes became of a Church no Church for the holding of an heresie makes a church to become no Church but when a Church holds errour in principall points of religion and is openly conuicted by publicke authoritie and iudgement and stil remaines so then it ceaseth to be a Church and not before though it be reproued by a priuate man for that is not sufficient So the Church of the Galatians holding iustification by workes yet ceased not to be a Church till it was conuicted publikely by authoritie Apostolicall And by this we see what we may iudge of the Papists Libertines Familie of loue c. which being conuicted by publique iudgement of the Church of God are no true Churches for they hold such heresies as be condemned in the word and haue bin conuicted long agone of them I come to the cause why they fell namely their vnbeleefe Rom. 11. Ob. But they hold the Scriptures and defend Moses and the law Answ. Though they hold the letter yet they corrupt the sense and where any thing is spoken of Christ they seeke to ouerthrow it and so taking away the subiect and matter of the Scripture which is Christ they ouerthrow all for he which worshippeth God not in but out of Christ he worshippeth not God but an Idoll So the Papists hold the Scriptures in word but in deed denie them seeing they take away Christ in spoiling him of his merit and intercession for take away his offices and then you shall haue an halfe Christ. This their example should be euer in our eyes seeing these Iewes Gods own chosen people whō he chose out of the whole world to serue him they fell for want of faith and became the synagogue of Satan to worship the diuell then we must take heed we be not proud because we haue the word and Sacraments and seeme to be the people of God but suspect our selues take heed we maintaine faith in a good conscience and shew it in repentance and obedience lest we be cut off as they were Feare none of those things which thou must suffer In this tenth verse is another part of the proposition But seeing Christ comforteth the Church of Smyrna and giueth her counsell and rebuketh her not as the Church of Ephesus hence some gather that a man may fulfill the whole law and liue without sinne but they be deceiued for Christ abstaineth here to rebuke the church not because there was no iust cause of reprehension in her but because he saw that the Church did truly beleeue and repent and decayed not in loue as the church of Ephesus had done Secondly he doth it because God accepteth of the will and indeuour of them which beleeue and repent as of the deed he taketh their labor and indeuour to obey him as perfect obedience at their hands And for these two causes Christ he commendeth and comforteth her giueth her counsell and rebuketh her not not that she wanted iust cause of rebuke Seeing that this Church was so accepted of Christ that he would not rebuke her but commendeth and counselleth her we see it is good and necessarie for Gods Church to be in affliction sometime for this church of Smyrna was in affliction and so was kept from many sinnes which otherwise she would haue fallen into So for all other churches and children of God it is necessarie to be in affliction sometimes But feare not Here is Christs counsell which hath three parts first a precept Feare not c. secondly a Prophecie Behold thirdly a precept againe Be thou faithfull The first precept is Feare not This commaundement may seeme to be contrarie to other places of Scripture as when he biddeth vs worke out our saluation with feare trembling where Paul biddeth vs not be high minded but feare Answ. There be three kinds of feare the first naturall the second of grace the third of vnbeleefe The first which is in all men by nature is a declining or auoiding of death seeing al things by nature seek to preserue thēselues and this naturall feare was in Christ who feared death as it was the separation of the soule and bodie though it was no sinne in him but an infirmitie Secondly feare is from grace Mal. 1. saith the Lord If I be your Father where is my feare Which is a reuerence to God in regard of his mercie and iudgment and this is no sinne but a vertue The third is from vnbeleefe when men for feare of persecution or other hurt forsake God and his religion more fearing the persons of men then the maiestie of God Now Christ speaketh not of the two first but of the last only namely a distrustful feare when for feare of persecution or affliction we forsake God and religion that feare which draweth men from God to death and damnation if they repent not Feare not Here Christ sheweth the sinne of euery man by nature namely to feare man more then God to be more affraid of the face and countenance of men then of the power and might of the euerliuing God which is not onely in sinners but in the regenerate in some part who do not consider of God as he is indeed a mightie Iudge taking vengeance on sinners In this Christ sheweth the means to arme our selues against all such feare of perils persecution or daunger namely Christian fortitude and courage which is a gift of God proceeding from true faith whereby we are made able to lay aside all feare of daunger and to vndergo all persecutions afflictions and dangers for the maintaining of faith and a good conscience This Christ often prescribeth and armeth his children with this christian fortitude as the Prophets and Apostles in the old and new Testament and now euery child of God and euery Church And it were to be wished that Ministers now in our daies could say to all Gods children Feare not but alas now they must change their voice and crie with the Prophet Howle and lament in sack cloth and ashes for your destruction is at hand And
diuell feareth not the sword or gun but this spirituall weapon will ouerthrow him I proceed to the second point their affliction is described by the persons some of you not all but some of them thirdly by the kind of affliction imprisonment he shall not kill or destroy you but imprison you and some of you not all of you Fourthly the end to trie you that your hope faith patience and other graces may be made knowne to your selues and other In all these we note that Gods prouidence is the first and generall cause aboue all causes ouerruling ordering and disposing them In this prouidence he vseth two instruments good as good Angels and regenerate men and he workes in and by these in all things and in these there is a good order no disorder The second kind of instruments be bad as wicked Angels diuels and wicked men which though they be wicked in themselues yet God can vse them well and in these is nothing but disorder and the Lord he worketh by them but not in them and permits their disorder and sinnes to shew by them his iustice and power These wicked instruments in themselues the Lord vseth well and to good ends for his prouidence is aboue them it restraines them keepes in their malice bridles them that they cannot shew their malice to the ful but be bridled and kept short being ouermastred by his prouidence So here the diuel he afflicts them yet not all but some of them and he destroyeth not but onely imprisoneth them and not alwayes but for a short time The second action of Gods prouidence vsing wicked instruments is that the Lord turneth all to the good of his children The diuell in afflicting them purposeth their destruction but the Lord turneth it to their good to proue them and trie the vertues and graces of their hearts as their faith hope loue patience c. so that the Lord doth not onely restraine their malice but turneth all things to the good of his people Now we should often thinke of this prouidence of God and for euer blesse his name for the same seeing he ouerrules the wicked instruments he restraines their malice he vseth them for the good of his children and considering of this it shold make vs to renounce our selues to commit our selues to his protection make his prouidence our sure defence and safegard in all our temptations And seeing the end of their affliction is to trie them we must al first labour to haue the power of godlinesse not onely in outward shew and formall profession but to feele the power of it truly in our hearts for the Lord wil trie vs as gold in the fire the Lord will cast vs into the fire of affliction to proue vs whether we be pure gold whether we haue pure faith vnfained repentance and a good conscience or not these wil abide the fire and not burne when formal shew of godlinesse will 2. Seeing afflictions are to trie vs we must reioyce and thinke tribulation a great blessing I am 1. Thinke it exceeding ioy to fall into temptations for by affliction our graces are made manifest to our selues and to the world The fifth circumstance is the time for ten daies Some vnderstand by this a long time as Gen. 31. 41 Laban changed Iacobs wages ten times that is many times but it is not so here for Christ speakes that to comfort them now what comfort were this to be long in affliction Others thinke that by ten daies ten yeares is meant and that because it is often in scripture so vsed seeing there is a weeke of yeares as well as of daies but that cannot be proued that they were in persecution so long and no longer Then I take it by ten daies is meant a very short time a litle space of time and this is most sutable to all the circumstances of the text and the purpose of Christ which was to comfort the Church as if he had said Thinke not thy affliction to be long for it is but for ten daies a short time In which words note two things first that the afflictions of Gods Church are for a certaine time a time decreed and set downe by God that cannot be shortned or made longer So the Lord told Abraham that the Israelites should be in captiuitie and affliction 430. yeares and so it came to passe for they were in affliction especially in the land of Egypt 430. yeares but so soone as that time was expired the same night were they deliuered So Daniel for the space of threescore and ten yeares captiuity prayed not to the Lord for deliuerance for he knew the time was certaine and could not be changed and therefore was patient but when that time drew to an end then he prayed for deliuerance and the Lord heard his prayer This should teach vs in affliction to be patient and to seeke to arme our selues with patience seeing the time of our affliction is certain and cannot be made shorter or longer we cannot be deliuered till the whole time be expired Secondly note that the afflictions of Gods Church and children be but for ten dayes a very short space of time in respect of eternall life and this is a notable comfort to any in the crosse and persecution seeing the Lord wil put an end to it it shal be but for ten dayes a short time as Paul teacheth 2. Cor. 4. 17. But yet there is more to be noted in these words euery word containing an argument of comfort for the Church for first the author of afflictions is the diuell he causeth them now feare not him for he is Gods enemy therfore thou being his enemy hast God for thy friend and then what can he do to thee to hurt thee for they which haue him their enemy their cause is good Secondly he shall not afflict all the whole Church but some of you a few of them the Lord restraines his malice he cannot do his wil. Thirdly he cannot kill or destroy them but onely afflict their bodies Fourthly he shall not do that to their destruction as he would but the Lord turnes it to try them for their good So this affliction it shall not last alwaies but for ten daies a very short time why then should you feare Let not feare ouercome your hearts be not discouraged but take Christs fortitude and courage lay aside all feare and vndergo manfully al danger to keepe faith and a good conscience to the end The third part of Christs counsell is another precept which containeth a most blessed and heauenly counsell be thou faithfull The children of God ought to be faithfull in regard of God and that fidelitie they owe to him first by promise made to him in baptisme for in that Sacrament God promiseth to his child Christ with all his benefits and the child of God promiseth and maketh this stipulation to God that he will renounce himselfe and in death and life rely onely on Christ. Now