whom hee calleth the rest of the dead and hee saith these shall not liue againe meaning the life of God or the life of grace and whereas hee addeth vntill the thousand yeeres be finished he meaneth neuer or not at all for so the word vntill is often taken in the scriptures and it is sure that after the expiration of the thousand yeeres they did not liue the life of God and the life of the spirit For then the diuell was let loose vpon the world to worke his pleasure and to seduce with all efficacie of error and iniquitie Whereas it is said this is the first resurrection he meaneth the rising from sinne to the life of righteousnesse which was in the thousand yeeres of the gospells preaching and therefore hee addeth that he is blessed that hath part in the first resurrection c. and saith that all such shall raigne with Christ a thousand yeers Which is meant of the raigne of the faithfull euen vpon earth for the space of that thousand yeeres in which Sathan was bound but yet excludeth not their eternall glory in the heauens ver 7 And when the thousand yeeres are expired Sathan shall bee loosed out of his prison ver 8 And shall goe out to deceiue the people which are in the foure corners of the earth euen Gog and Magog to gather them together to battaile whose number is as the sand of the sea ver 9 And they went vp vnto the plaine of the earth and they compassed the tents of the Saints about and the beloued cittie But fire came downe from God out of heauen and deuoured them Now S. Iohn telleth vs that after the determination of the thousand yeeres Sathan shall be let loose vpon the world for their vnthankfulnesse and contempt of the Gospell to seduce and deceiue euen as much as euer hee did No maruaile therefore that the two great and monstrous heresies of Popery and Mahometrie did now beginne mightely to grow and increase in the world For what other thing can bee looked for after this letting loose of Sathan But wee are to obserue that as Sathan was bound by degrees through the ministery of Christ and his Apostles and their immediat successors so also he was loosed by degrees by the preuailing of heresies till the great Antichrist was hatched and brought into the possession of his cursed chaire For Sathan was not fully loosed till the yeere of our Lord 998. At what time Siluester the second came to bee Pope who was in league with the Diuell Stories doe report that at his death hee called for the Cardinals and confessed that hee had familiaritie with the Diuell and how hee had giuen himselfe vnto him body and soule so that hee might come to the papall dignitie After him succeeded sundry other Popes which were notorious monsters some of them murderers some poisoners some sorcerers some coniurers By whom the diuell was fully loosed all light of the gospell and true religion being in a manner cleane put out most abhominable Idolatrie all manner of villany spreading ouer the face of the earth therefore S. Iohn saith that Sathan being thus fully loosed hee went forth to deceiue the people which were in the foure corners of the earth euen Gog and Magog c. This seducing by Sathan heere spoken of is the same with that which is spoken Chapter 13. onely this excepted that this of Gog and Magog is more generall Wee reade there how all nations kindreds and tongues were made to worship the image of the beast and to receiue his marke but that is to bee extended no further then to those kingdomes which were subiect to the papacie But heere by these armies of Gog and Magog are vnderstood all the chiefe enemies of the Church in these last daies since the loosing of Sathan both open and secret both Turk and Pope for the Turk is an open enemie the Pope a more close enemie Gog signifieth couered Magog vncouered wherby is noted the Pope the Turk For the Pope coÌ„meth couered vnder the name of Christ and Christs vicar Peters successor c. But the Turk commeth vncouered for hee openly denieth and impugneth Christ Moreouer the names of Gog and Magog are heere set downe to note of what countries these chiefe enemies should spring to wit out of Scithia Siria Arabia Italy and Spaine For Magog was the sonne of Iapheth Gen. 10. ver 2. of whom came the Sythians Gog was the name of a great Captaine in the lesser Asia which built a citie and named it after his owne name Gogkartah that is the citie of Gog. And it is put in the prophesie of Ezechiel for the whole region of the lesser Asia and Siria Whereby the prophet did foretell that the great enemies of the Church should arise out of those coasts As in very truth they did for out of Egipt Scithia Siria and the lesser Asia did spring vp Ptolomeus Silencus Antigonus Cassander and the rest of Alexanders posteritie which vexed and oppressed the Iewes by the space of 294. yeeres euen vntill the comming of the Messias at what time the deuided Greeke empire was ouerthrowen and translated to the Romanes Furthermore it is to bee noted that the prophet Ezechiell saith that Gog is the chiefe prince of Mesech and Tuball By Mesech hee meaneth Arabia and by Tuball Italy and Spaine noting thereby the countries and kingdomes from whence the great persecutors of the Church from the returne out of the captiuitie of Babylon vntill the comming of the Messias should arise For assuredly those enemies were collected of diuers nations but serued chiefely vnder the princes of Asia the lesser of Siria and of Scithia Now then to conclude Gog and Magog in Ezechiell are put for the princes of those couÌ„tries which were the chiefe Captaines in gathering great and mightie armies vnto battaile against the children of Israell after they were come out of the captiuitie of Babylon And the prophet there in one summe vnder the armies of Gog and Magog comprehendeth all the enemies that fought against them from time to time after the captiuitie vnto the comming of Christ And now for the application of this vnto the enemies of the Church vnder the Gospell wee must first note that through this booke the figures and phrases of speech are taken out of the law the prophets Now therefore when the Lord would set foorth in one summe all the enemies of the Church which Sathan mustereth after the time of his loosing out of prison before the comming of Christ to iudgement there is no one place more fit to set foorth all these armies then those armies of Gog and Magog therefore the names euen Gog and Magog are heere brought in to set foorth these huge arâ—ies of the Turk and of the Pope and of all the enemies of the Church in these last daies which should gather theÌ„selues to battaile being in number as the sand of the sea as S. Iohn saith
Lyons that is they were full of stomack fiercenes and out of their mouthes went forth fire smoake and brimstone that is they had the same colours and ensignes vpon them that their riders had Of these three was the third part of mē killed that is vers 18 of the fire of the smoake and of the brimstone which came out of their mouthes Here is set downe the great slaughters and massacres which these martiall horsmen Turkish armies made throughout the most part of Europe For hee saith the third part of men that is great numbers in Europe were slaine by the fire the smoake and the brimstone which came out of their mouthes that is by their bloudy crueltie barbarous immanitie some being murthered in their bodies by cruell death others violently drawne to the wicked religiō of Mahomet For partly by externall violence and partly by a subtill shewe of religion and deuotion they destroied thousands both in their soules bodies And therefore it is said vers 19 Their power is in their mouthes and in their tailes For their tailes were like vnto serpents and had heads wherewith they hurt But for the better vnderstanding of these things I thinke it not amisse a little to open and lay forth the rising vp and encreasing of the power of the Turke About the yeare of our Lord 591. was Mahomet borne in a certaine village of Arabia called Itrarix for so Histories do report This Mahomet by fraude and cousenage grew into great credit and fame among the seditious Arabians and Egyptians in so much that they made him a captaine ouer them to warre against the Persians After this hee married a rich wife and by that meanes he wonne the hearts of many with gifts In the daies of Heraclius the Emperour which was in the yeare of our Lord 623. he grew to be very mightie After this he faigned himselfe to be a Prophet and said that he had visions and reuelations and talked with Angels And so by the helpe of Sergius a Monke hee framed a new worship and religion patched partly out of the olde Testament partly from the Papists and partly from the Heathen Hee raigned nine yeares and so died After him succeeded in the kingdome of the Saracens Ebubezer who raigned two yeares Haumar who raigned twelue yeares Muhauias who raigned 24. yeares All these made great warres against the Persians and sundrie other nations and ouercame them and set vp the religion of Mahomet amongst them and so the kingdome of the Saracens grew mightie but in processe of time the kingdome of the Turkes grew great and the kingdome of the Saracens diminished Within a short time after this the Tartarians a barbarous people waxed strong and made warre against the Turkes and preuailed greatly for a time But about the yeare of our Lord 1300. the Empire of the Tartarians was ouerthrowne and the Empire of the Turkes did flourish more then euer before For now come the greatest monsters and most sauage and cruell tyrants of all The first of them was Ottomanus The second Baiazethes The third Amurathes These made bloudie warres against the Christians I meane the Papists in Europe and enlarged the Turkes dominions very farre They did from time to time so cruelly murther and massacre the inhabitants of the West with their huge and bloudie armies that at last both the Pope the Emperour the King of Hungary the King of Polonia the King of Fraunce the Duke of Burgundie and the Duke of Venice and almost all the Potentates in Europe did ioyne together to make warre against the Turkes and did leuie huge armies but yet could not preuaile so strong were the Turkes so huge and dreadfull were their armies Then wee see that verified which here was foretolde to wit that the monstrous armies of the Turkes with their horses and horsemen should slay the third parte of men that is the Idolaters in Europe by heapes and infinit numbers To set downe the particular battailes betwixt the Turkes and the Christians in Europe and their horrible bloudsheaddings would require a volume but this which I haue briefly set downe may serue to giue some light vnto it may suffice for the vnderstanding of this text vers 20 Now it is said in the next verse that notwithstanding this heauie hande of God which was vpon the Papists in Europe and these fearefull iudgements and massacres they repented not of their Idolatries but waxed worse and worse for no iudgements no plagues can make the wicked any whit the better as wee see in the examples of Pharaoh and Saul vers 20 And here it is saide that the remnant of men which were not killed by these plagues repented not of the workes of their handes that they should not worship diuels and Idols of gold and of siluer of brasse and of stone and of wood which neither can see nor heare nor goe vers 21 Also they repented not of their murther and of their sorcery neither of their fornicatiō nor of their theft And thus we see how the diuels which were bound at Euphrates being let loose vpon the world in the wrath and iust iudgement of God did fearefully plague both the Turkes in their soules and the Papists in their bodies The one with false religion the other with bloudie swordes and so was the desire of the diuels fully satisfied CHAP. X. HAuing opened and expounded the two first woes which fel out vpon the blowing of the fift and sixt trumpet containing the two great plagues of Poperie and Turcisme wherewith the world was punished many hundred yeares now in this chapter we are to heare of good newes and great comfort after so much sorrowe For here Iesus Christ commeth downe from heauen to relieue his poore afflicted Church and to be reuenged of all his cruell enemies For now before the 3. and last woe containing the greatest plague of al vpon the world which is the last iudgement wherein the wicked shall bee tormented in hel fire for euer both in body soule I say before the blowing of the 7. trumpet by the seuenth angel of which we shal heare in the next chapter Now in the meane time is shewed in this chapter what care God had for his little flocke which no doubt were hid in those daies and did not appeare and yet were scattered in corners euen in the middest of the darknesse of Poperie and the most furious hellish rage of the Turkish armies And therefore the principall scope and drift of this chapter is to shewe how the Gospell should bee preached in many kingdomes now after this generall darknesse for the discouering and ouerthrow both of Poperie and Turcisme and to shewe what should fall out in the church now in the middle time before the 7. last trumpet blow for then commeth the last iudgement as the Angel sweareth in this chapter ver 6.7 This chapter dooth containe foure principall parts vers 1 The first is a
now God be praised for it many doo repent euery day and turne from dumbe Idols to serue the liuing God And therefore although the times wherein we liue bee sinfull and troublesome yet are they golden times and daies in comparison of former ages wherein Antichrist did raigne and rule ouer all Moreouer from this place may plainly and strongly be concluded that the Gospel shal preuaile more and more in all the kingdomes of Europe euen vntill the ende of the world For here we see it foretolde and prophesied that in this very last age of the world euen as it were a litle before the blowing of the seuenth trumpet which presently herevpon is sounded as in the next verses appeareth many should repent and giue glory to God vers 14 The second woe is past behold the third woe wil come anon vers 15 And the seuenth Angell blew the trumpet and there were great voices in heauen saying The kingdomes of this world are our Lords and his Christs and he shall raigne for euermore Now commeth the third the last and the greatest woe which is the woe of eternall death vpon all the vngodly both in their soules and bodies for euer in the last iudgement The first woe was the Papacie The second woe was Turcisme And this third woe is the last iudgement For it now followeth that the seuenth Angell bloweth the last trumpet as our Lord Iesus sware before that when the seuenth Angell should blowe the trumpet chapter 10.6 there should bee no more time Therefore when we see all things fulfilled which do belong vnto the sixt trumpet it remaineth that wee should euery houre expect and looke for the blowing of the seuenth trumpet and the end of the world For the holy Ghost telleth vs that whē the kingdome of the Pope and the Turke shall fall and the Gospell bee preached in many nations and kingdomes that then the third woe will come anon that is the last iudgement followeth presently vpon it Now at the blowing of this seuenth trumpet there were great voices in heauen saying the kingdomes of this world are our Lords and his Christs and he shall raigne for euermore These voices in heauen are the triumphing voices of Gods elect who do exceedingly reioyce and triumph that the kingdome of Sathan and Antchrist is ouerthrowne and that the kingdome of God and of Christ is set vp and shall stand for euermore For now all aduersary power being ouerthrowne Christ doth deliuer vp a peaceable kingdome to his father as it is writtē Then shal be the ende when he hath deliuered vp his peaceable kingdome to God the Father For he must raigne ouer the Church militant till hee haue troade downe all his enemies vnder his feete and when the Sonne of God hath subdued all things to himselfe then shall he be subiect to his Father as he is the mediator of the Church and yet raigne with his Church triumphant for euermore Then the 24. vers 16 Elders which satte before God on their seates fell vppon their faces and worshipped God Saying Wee giue thee thankes ô Lorde God almightie vers 17 which art which wast and which art to come for thou hast receiued thy great might and hast obtained thy kingdome These 24. Elders doo signifie all the elect chapter 4 both of Iewes and Gentiles as we haue heard before which all in most suppliant manner doo worshippe the onely euerlasting God euen in the Church triumphant and do greatly reioyce and giue all praise and glorie vnto him because now he had receiued the kingdome the power and the glory both Pope and Turke and Emperor and all his enemies being subdued vnder his feete ver 18 And the Gentiles were angry and thy wrath is come and the time of the dead that they should be iudged and that thou shouldest giue reward vnto thy seruants the Prophets and to the Saints to them that feare thy name and to small and great and shouldest destroy thē which destroy the earth Now he mentioneth the wrath and vengeance which is to bee powred forth vpon all the wicked at the last day and also the reward of the godly For whereas he saith The Gentiles were angry thy wrath is come and the time of the dead that they should be iudged the sense and meaning is that all the prophane enemies of the Church which haue had their time in which they were angrie with Gods people and in their wrath did afflict and vexe them very sore should now bee iudged and condemned in Gods wrath for now the day of his wrath and vengeance is come wherein he wil destroy them that destroied the earth and seemed to carrie all before them and where also hee will giue a full recompence of rewarde to all his faithfull worshippers both small and great both Preachers and professors of his Gospell Then the temple of God was opened in heauen there was seene in the Temple the arke of his couenant and there were lightnings and voices and thundrings ver 19 and earthquakes and much haile This is a further amplification of that which is set downe in the former verse For now he saith that the temple of God should be opened in heauen That is an opē doore and passage should be made through Christ for al the elect to enter into Gods euerlasting kingdome and raigne with him and his Angels for euermore By the arke of the couenant is meant Christ who is saide heere to be seene in the Temple or kingdome of glory because through his mediation only in whom the couenant of peace is established with his church the 24 Elders are made partakers of their Crownes and enter in with him and his Angels into the euerlasting Temple made without handes and eternall in the heauens But on the contrary heere is said that there were lightnings thundrings c. That is most horrible vegeance and wrath poured downe vpon al reprobates in hel-fire for euermore For when it shal be said to al the faithful Come ye blessed c. then also shal it be said to al vnbeleeuers Goe ye cursed into hell fire c. Now for warrant of this expositiō of the last verse that the Temple in heauen is to be vnderstood of the kingdome of glory looke Chap. 15. ver 5.6.8 Chap. 16. ver 1. The reason hereof is that as the doores of the Temple of Ierusalem being set open Gods people entred in and worshipped so the euerlasting gates of the new Ierusalem and celestial Temple being set open by Christ al the elect do enter in and worship God without wearinesse euen as the Angels for euermore That the arke of the couenant is taken for Christ see 2. Sam. 6.2 Psal 78. ver 61.62 This arke of the couenant that is Christ is here seene in the Temple because Christ hath already taken possession of heauē as mediator and head of the Church and now doth set open the kingdome of heauen to al beleeuers
shewed and proued that the Popish Religion together with all the power and authoritie of Rome shall ebbe and decaie still more and more throughout all the Churches of Europe and come to an vtter ouerthrow euen in this life BEfore I enter into the exposition of this Prophesie I thinke it not amisse to handle sixe circumstantiall points which may giue some light to the whole matter following and they be these First the instrument that writ this booke Secondly the time when he writ it Thirdly the place where he receiued it Fourthly the persons to whom he writ it Fiftly the ende and vse of his writing this Prophesie Lastly the authoritie of it As touching the first it is agreed vpon amongst the soundest Diuines that Iohn the Apostle or Euangelist Iohn the Disciple whom Iesus loued was the Authour and Instrument of penning this Prophesie as hee himselfe testifieth saying I am Iohn which sawe these things and heard them And he receiueth a commaundement from Iesus Christ which hath the keies of hell death that hee should write the things which hee had seene and heard and set them all downe together in a booke Now we all know that the testimony of Iohn is of great weight though hee be but a man for hee is such a man as is firmely to be beleeued in all that he speaketh Hee is an Apostle an Instrument of the holy Ghost and so guided by the spirit of God that he speaketh vttereth nothing that is his owne He was well knowne to the Churches to be one of Christs Apostles his authoritie among all the faithfull was throughly knowne and approued For we must consider that what an Apostle did vtter hee did vtter it as the instrumēt of the spirit which cannot erre For the prophets Apostles did not write the holy scriptures as they were men only nor yet as they were Ministers of the church only but as they were the immediate certain instruments of the holy Ghost of purpose chosen set apart to pen publish the holy bookes of God This S. Peter confirmeth saying Prophesie came not in old time by the wil of man but holy mē of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost The Apostle Paul also affirmeth the same touching his Gospell which saith he was not after man neither receiued hee it of man but by the reuelation of Iesus Christ Therefore whē this our Apostle saith I am Iohn which saw these things and heard them hee giueth vs to vnderstand that hee was both an eye and an eare witnesse Hee bringeth not matters which he hath heard by vncertain report he deliuereth this book to the churches they which receiued it at his hāds did know him to be a most faithfull seruant of the Lord euen a great Apostle which deliuereth not any thing but that which he had receiued of the Lord and therfore he testifieth that he saw heard al the things which he hath written in this booke And moreouer he testifieth of himselfe that he was called and authorised by Iesus Christ to write this Prophesie did nothing herein of himselfe or of his own brain For saith he I Iohn heard behind me a great voice as it had bene of a trompet saying I am Alpha Omega the first and the last that which thou seest write in a booke send it vnto the Churches Here we see how Iohn is called authorised by Alpha and Omega that is Iesus Christ to write this doctrine of the Apocalyps But may some man say was not Iohn called before was he not one of the Lambes 12. Apostles had he not now many yeares executed the office of the Apostleship right faithfully must hee now haue a new calling a second calling what needs he being an Apostle to be called authorised again To this I answer that this matter now in hand was a new a special work and therfore requires a new special calling It is a strāge reuelation therfore requireth a new authoritie to meddle in it For in this prophesie God dealeth with Iohn as he did with the old prophets in like cases For whē he wold foreshew vnto any of thē speciall matters he called them by glorious visions as we may read what a goodly visiō Esay had what a vision ful of glory Ezechiel had what a visiō Daniel had euē in maiestie like vnto this which Iohn hath here Thus then it is to be considered Iohn now is as one of the old Prophets to foreshew things to come therefore the Lord appeareth vnto him in vision and calleth him and authoriseth him therevnto as he appeared vnto them called them Let this then suffice for a reason of Iohns new calling to his new worke and office And thus much touching the first circumstance Now followeth the second circumstance which is the time whē Iohn receiued this Prophesie which is noted to be vpon a Lords day It is the day which S. Paul to the Corinthians calleth the first day of the weeke in which the Churches did meete for the holy exercises in religion which is also euident because hee saith they came together to breake bread Now the obseruation of a seuenth day is of diuine institution euen from the beginning It is naturall morall and perpetuall for God blessed the seuenth day and sanctified it We are therfore to thinke that although Iohn now in his exile was absent in bodie from the church assemblies yet he was present with them in spirit commending them most earnestly vnto God in his holy praiers and meditations and therefore it is said that hee was rauished in the spirit vpon the Lords day So we reade that the like befell vnto Daniel when hee was prisoner in Babylon the like also vnto Ezechiel who was taken by the spirit in the visions of God and carried to Ierusalem The like to Peter the like to Paul But the speciall reason of Iohns rauishment in the spirit at this time was that thereby hee might be made more fit and capable to receiue and vnderstand all those great mysteries and heauenly visions which now should be shewed vnto him And withall let vs obserue that all men are alwaies most capable of heauenly things when they are most in the spirit for God doth euermore most reueale himselfe to such as are most in praier reading and meditation and to such as make greatest conscience to spend his Sabaoths Christianly and religiously according to his great commandement And let vs alwaies be sure of this that the more feruent zealous we are in religious duties the more familiar acquaintance we shall finde with God and he will at all times be the more open-hearted vnto vs and will hide nothing from vs that may be for his glorie and our good For such as are much in heauenly contemplatiō he doth reckē not amongst his seruants but amongst his dearest friendes
sheweth how the true Church should be gathered together and built by the preaching of the Gospell and all the wicked refused and cast out Secondly it describeth the builders that is ver 3.4.5.6 all the faithfull Ministers which had and should resist Antichrist Thirdly ver 7.8 it sheweth how Antichrist should persecute the Preachers and professors of the Gospell vnto death and murther them by heapes Fourthly it sheweth that Papists Atheists and wicked worldlings ver 9.10 should reioyce in the death of Gods people and not vouchsafe them so much as the honor of buriall but send gifts one to an other for ioy that they were rid out of the earth Fiftly ver 11.12.13 it sheweth that notwithstanding the rage and fury of the world in persecuting them to death God would not onely receiue their soules to glorie but also raise vp others endued with the same spirit which should preach professe witnesse the same truth constantly continually euen vnto the ende of the world Lastly it sheweth vers 14.15.16.17.18.19 that after the preaching of the Gospell some good time in this last age the seuenth Angel should blowe the trumpet and the worlde should end And there was giuen me a reede like vnto a rodde vers 1 and the Angel stood by saying Arise and measure the temple of God and the aultar and them that worship therein Here Iesus Christ giueth a reede vnto Iohn like vnto a rodde and thervpon he is commanded by an Angell to goe about the measuring of the temple the aultar c. By this measuring with a reede like a rodde is signified the restoring and building vp of Gods house which now was greatly ruinated and runne into decay through the long preuailing of Poperie Measuring with a reede is taken for the building vp of Gods Church after the decaied estate thereof both in Ezechiel Zachary and this Prophesie Iohn in the persons of all faithfull Ministers hath this measuring rodde giuen him because the church was to be restored and built vp by the Ministers and Ministrie of the Gospell The thing to be measured is the Temple the Aultar and them that worship therein This is an allusion to the legall worship whereby our spirituall worship is represented For by the materiall Temple is meant the spirituall Temple or Church of God By the Aultar of stone is meant the spirituall worship By them that worship therein with carnall sacrifices is meant all the true members of the Church which worship God in spirit and truth Now then both the Church the true worship and worshippers were all to be measured repaired and built vp by the ministrie of the word which all were decaied and almost laide waste by the Popes tyrannie But the court which is without the temple cast out and measure it not for it is giuen to the Gentiles and the holy citie shall they treade vnder foote two and fortie moneths Iohn is heere forbidden to measure and build vp the court which is without the tēple Wherby is ment all heretikes hypocrites worldlings all such as haue a place in the Church but are not of the Church This phrase of speech is taken from the olde shadowish worship as the rest before For in the temple of Ierusalem there was an outward court which was common to all good bad the holy place which was proper to the Priests and Leuites and the holy of holiest or most holy place where none might come but the high Priest onely Here is a reason added why the Lord God refuseth all Papists and hypocrites and all such as belong to the outward court onely and it is this that this outward court is giuen vnto the Gentiles that is to all false Christians and counterfaits in Religion which are members of the visible Church but haue nothing to do with the inuisible These are compared to Gentiles in two respects First in regard of prophanesse for they are as prophane as the Heathen Secondly in respect of persecuting the truth for hypocrites and Atheists are as forward in persecuting the people of God as the Heathen Emperours which persecuted the Church by the space of 300. yeares All comes to this that when the Church should bee gathered and built by the Preaching of the Gospell God would haue all Papists Atheists and hypocrites shut out Moreouer here is the second reason yeelded why the outward court should be cast out and not measured to wit because they should tread the holy Cittie vnder foote forty and two monethes That is they should persecute the Church all the time of Antichrists raigne For forty two moneths in this verse and 1260. dayes in the next verse and three dayes and a halfe verse 9. and time times and halfe a time in the 12. Chapter verse 14. and 1260 dayes Chapter 12. verse 6. doe signifie all one thing which is the short raigne of Antichrist for these moneths these dayes and these times doe euery one of them make three yeares and a halfe For who knoweth not that 42. monethes make iust three yeares and an halfe and that 1260. dayes maketh euen so much also and by time he meaneth a yeare by times two yeare and by halfe a time halfe a yeare Now the reason why Antichrists raigne is numbred by dayes monethes and halfe times all amounting but to three yeares and a halfe is to note the short continuance thereof for the comfort of the Church as appeareth more fully and plainely in sundry places of this Prophesie where it is set downe in plaine wordes that Antichrist should raigne but a short time for what is fiue or sixe hundred yeares in comparison of eternitie But here the Papists doe shew themselues most sottish and ridiculous in that they would gather frō hence that the Pope is not Antichrist for say they Antichrist shall raigne but three yeares and an halfe but the Pope hath raigned many yeares therefore the Pope is not Antichrist Now to answer the proposition of their argumēt taken from this place First it may bee answered that this place is not to be vnderstoode litterally but mistically as many other things in this booke Secondly here is a certaine number put for an vncertaine a definit number for an indefinit which also is vsuall in this booke as we heard before chapter 7 concerning the sealing of the Tribes of euery Tribe 12000. which maketh 144000. Now no man is so mad as to thinke there were iust so many sealed and neither more nor lesse Thirdly here is an allusion to Daniels weekes and other propheticall computatiōs wherin sometimes a day is put for a yere a weeke for 7. yeares as in Daniels seauens and a moneth for 30. yeares So then I conclude that it is extreame folly to interpret this place litterally The curious and friuolous interpretations of this place and such like in this booke by some writers I do of purpose omit as matters vntrue vnsound vniudiciall for I only in this booke seeke
plainly appeare By the tenne hornes of this beast is meant the great power and large dominion of the Roman Empire or as the Angell himselfe doth expound it chapter 17.12 thereby is meant tenne kings that is manie kingdomes which should be subiect to the Roman Monarchie and wherein in verie deede the power and strength of the Empire did consist For by these hornes the Roman Empire did not only push downe other nations but especially dosse against the Church and as it were cruelly gore the sides thereof Nowe then we see that the Roman Emperours both in homes and heads were like their Father the diuel or the dragon By the tenne crownes vpon his tenne hornes are meant his great and manifolde victories ouer other countries and kingdomes The hornes of this beast are said to be crowned not his heads because the Roman Empire hath alwayes more preuailed by power then by policie by strength then by subtilty But the Dragon hath his heads crowned and not his homes because he hath alwayes done more hurt by policie then power by subtiltie then strength One thing in all this is greatly to bee heeded that the holy Ghost in this chapter doth specially speake of the Roman monarchie as the Popes were heads thereof or as it was vnder the dominion of the Popes in their pride when as the Emperours were almost troden vnder foote and not simply and soly as the Emperours were heads thereof Moreouer it is said that vpon the seuen heads of this beast was written the name of blasphemie For besides the blasphemies of Caligula Nero Domitian Dioclesian Iulianus and the other old heathenish and persecuting Emperours which haue arrogated vnto themselues diuine honour wee shall anon heare of the surpassing blasphemies of the Popes against God ver 5.6 and all goodnesse vers 2 And the Beast which I saw was like a Leopard and his feete like a Beares and his mouth as the mouth of a Lyon and the Dragon gaue him his power his throne and great authoritie Here the Roman Empire is described of the likelihood of qualities which it had with the other three Empires going before it For first it is compared to a Leopard for swiftnesse to pray vpon others and also for fircenesse and subtiltie as did the Greeke monarchie Secondly it is compared to a Beare for rapine and rauening as the monarchie of the Medes and Persians Thirdly it is compared to a Lyon for pride and insolencie as the monarchie of the Chaldaeans So then by this description it is verie cleere that this beast signifieth the Roman monarchie because it containeth in it the whole power of the other three Empires and is here described as a compound of diuers beasts yea as a verie monster of monsters hauing the body of a Leopard the feete of a Beare and the mouth of a Lyon Moreouer it is said that the Dragon gaue him his power and his throne and great authoritie Which plainely sheweth that the power and authoritie of the Roman Empire is of the diuell in respect of the euill qualitie thereof that is fraud rapine chapter 17. v. 8. and oppression In which respect it is said to ascend out of the bottomlesse pit as was declared before But the substance of it and the gouernement it selfe was of God For the powers that be are ordained of God as saith the Apostle And I saw one of his heads vers 3 as it were wounded vnto death but his deadly wound was healed and all the world wondred and followed the beast Heere Iohn in a vision seeth one of the seuen heads of the beast almost wounded vnto death There bee diuers and differing opinions of the learned touching this wound of the Empire both when it should bee and howe and by whom Some vnderstand it of the death of Iulius Caesar some of Nero some of the oppression of the Gothes and Vandales some of the great preuailing of Iohn Husse and Ierome of Prage in the greatest part of Bohemia But to let all these passe if wee do wisely consider and weigh with our selues that by a beast in this place is not meant anie lawfull administration of gouernement but a tyrannicall power in persecuting the Church wee shall find that a head of the beast was then wounded when Constantine the Great slew Maxentius and Licinius the two last persecuting Emperours set vp true religion and brought peace to the Churches For hereby the Roman Empire was greatly wounded as touching the tyrannie of it The holy Ghost doth not set downe which of the seuen heads were thus wounded but in generall saith one of them Nowe it is verie probable that he meaneth the sixt head For we doe not reade of anie such wound in the former fiue which were past Neither can it be vnderstood of the seuenth head which was the Papacie because it receiued no such wounde as yet It followeth then that the wound was in the sixt head that is in the Empire But we reade of no Emperour that did so wound the beast as did Constantine the Great And therefore it is verie probable nay an hundred to one that the holy Ghost here pointeth at him But it followeth that his deadly wound was healed to wit by these wicked Emperours which succeeded Constantine as Constantius Iulianus Valentius and others which afresh did set vp Idolatrie and persecuted the Church Nowe vppon the healing of this wound it is said that all the world wondred and followed the beast that is manie nations or the greatest part of the world did submit themselues to the Roman tyrannie For sure it is some kingdomes were neuer subiect to the Empire of Rome as some part of Asia and some part of Africa vers 4 And they worshipped the Dragon which gaue power vnto the beast and they worshipped the beast saying Who is like vnto the beast who is able to warre with him Now is shewed how all the subiects of the Roman Empire did worship the Dragon that is they maintained that worship which he liked and loued that is the worship of idols which the Apostle calleth the worship of diuels And it is said also they worshipped the beast that is they did all with one accord submit themselues both to the religion and authoritie of the beast that is to the Popes as they were the seuenth head of the Empire For as I said before so I say againe the holy Ghost heere speaketh of the Empire when it was in the greatest glorie and exaltation yea when all the worlde wondred and followed the beast yea when all admired the great and large dominion of the Roman empire and said within themselues who is like vnto the beast who is able to warre with him Now the Empire of Rome was neuer so great and powerful as when the Popes were heads thereof I meane when they executed the whole ciuill iurisdiction of the empire besides their Ecclesiasticall power which now did both meete in one For now the
haue heard before chapter 1.18 By the chaine in his hand is meant the doctrine of the gospell The time when Sathan was thus taken bound was when Christ first preached the Gospell and his Apostles after him to all nations The cause why hee was now bound and chained vp was for that hee had a long time seduced all nations and raigned as King and Lord ouer the Gentiles and greatly seduced the Iewes also The time of his imprisonment is set downe to be a thousand yeeres that is all the time frō the preaching of Christ and his Apostles vntill Gregory the seauenth other monstrous Popes which did let Sathan loose againe Which space of time is guessed by the learned to be a thousand yeeres or thereabouts But heere it is to bee obserued that this binding of Sathan is not to bee taken simply and absolutely as though Sathan was so bound and chained vp for this thousand yeere that hee could not seduce at all or doe no mischiefe at all after the preaching of the Gospell by Christ and his Apostles I say this is not to bee taken simply but afrer a sort that is that hee could not so generally and vniuersally seduce all nations as hee had in former time before the comming of Christ For otherwise it is well knowne that euen after Christs time hee did greatly persecute the Church bring in many errors and heresies and harden and blind many mens hearts but yet all this was nothing in comparison of that which hee had wrought in former ages when hee was euen as it were the god of the world and the Gentiles worshipped him as God as the Apostle teacheth that all the worship of the heathen nations was the worship of diuels And againe that God in times past suffered all the Gentiles to walke in their owne waies And then was Sathan a great prince indeede But now commeth a chaine for him For Christ preacheth the Gospell and sendeth foorth his disciples vvith power and therevpon saith I saw Sathan fall downe like lightning For the preaching of the Gospell beateth downe the kingdome of Sathan and sinne Moreouer it is to be noted that notwithstanding all Sathans power and might craft and subteltie yet this Angell vvhich hath the key of the bottomlesse pit doth apprehend him and shut him vp and seale the dore vpon him so that he cannot get abroad to seduce so generally as in former time But S. Iohn saith that after a thousand yeeres he must be loosed for a little season that is the time vvherein the great Antichrist should beare the sway vvhich vvas some 4. or 5. hundred yeeres For the Gospell did preuaile in some measure in the world a thousād yeeres after Christ the principles groūds of true religion cōtinued in the church vntil the ful loosing of Sathan though vvith many blotts corruptions and abuses For after the first six hundred yeeres the cleere sinceritie of the truth vvas much dimmed vvith errors and heresies but yet the maine grounds dyd remaine till the full expiration of the thousand yeeres Now vve know that the Gospell hath bene preached in these last daies aboue three score yeeres Therefore it followeth that the strength of Popery continued not much aboue 500. yeeres Which heere the holy Ghost for our comfort calleth a little season chapter 11.2 of vvhich vve haue heard before and therefore I doe heere omit it And I saw seates and them that sate vpon them ver 4 and iudgement was giuen vnto them And I saw the soules of them that were beheaded for the witnesse of Iesus and for the word of God and which did not worship the beast neither his Image neither had taken his marke vpon their foreheads or on their hands and they liued and raigned with Christ a thousand yeere But the rest of the dead men shall not liue againe ver 5 vntill the thousand yeeres be finished this is the first resurrection Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection For on such the second death hath no power ver 6 But they shal be the Priests of God and of Christ and shall raigne with him a thousand yeere Heere now is set foorth the state of the Church millitant for the space of the thousand yeere wherein Sathan vvas chained vp For it is sayd heere that the Church dyd grow and flourish yea and greatly exercise her power and aucthoritie during that time And therefore Saint Iohn saith that he saw seates and they sate vpon them and iudgement was giuen vnto them Whereby he meaneth that the Apostles and their successors had their chaires seates and consistories vvherein they did both preach the vvord and execute the Church censures as the Scribes and Phariseies beefore had sit in the chaire of Moises and I take it the latter part of the fourth verse is to be referred to the first clause to vvit that the Church dyd liue and raigne with Christ a thousād yeeres Which is not to be vnderstood of the Church triumphant as some doe take it all the rest of this fourth verse but of the flourishing estate of the Church militant during the time of Sathans captiuitie for all the faithfull do after a sort liue raigne with Christ euen heere in the earth when they ouercome the world by faith and subdue Sathan sinne by the power of grace Now where it is said that Iohn saw the soules of them that were beheaded for the witnesse of Iesus c. It is to bee vnderstood of those which in the time of the persecuting empire and growing of the papacie vvere slaine for the truth For the second beast which is the dominion of Popes raigned not in those thousand yeere in the which Sathan vvas bound but yet did grow by degrees towards their height and vsed great tyrannie against the seruants of God before Sathans full loosing The Chiliasts or Millenaries doe fondly gather from this scripture that after the ouerthrow of Antichrist the Lord Iesus would come raigne vvith the faithfull heere a thousand yeeres vpon the earth and that in this time that Christ should so raigne as a great and glorious king vpon the earth his subiects should enioy all manner of earthly pleasures and delights This foolish error is confuted by the words that follovv in the text as wee shall see afterward Whereas hee saith the rest of the dead shall not liue againe It is to bee vnderstood of such as were spiritually dead that is such as did despise the Gospell which vvas preached those thousand yeeres were not thereby reuiued and quickened vnto eternall life but did still remaine as men dead in sinnes and trespasses Therefore the meaning of S. Iohn is that as in the thousand yeeres many that heard Christ and his Apostles and their successors were raised vp from the death of sinne to the life of righteousnesse so many others were not quickened by their doctrine but stil dwelt in their sinnes