are to holy writ As this speech is plainely from Ieremy And the Prophets who in respect of Media by whose forces specially Babel was taken denounce her ruine from the North shew the weakenesse of that coniâ—cture And this Prophesie cleereth euidently that her destruction shall be by Westerne Kings euen the hornes of the Beast who hauing long drunke of her cup and giuen their Kingdomes to the Beast at last haue their hearts turned by God to hate the Whore eate her flesh make her naked and burne her with fire and so shall make way for the Kings of the East that is whole States that particular persons be not thought heere to bee designed as were the Sages who at the natiuity of Christ vpon sight of his star came from the East to worship him whil Priests and Phariseis abode in blindnesse which by Babels fall the cleare starre of Christ shall bring to bowe vnto him Whereat Herod and all Ierusalem shall bee troubled As their endeauour heereupon well sheweth Now heere a great wisdome and delightfull congruity in the order of God his working is to be obserued and admired By Antichrist his vsurpation and darkenesse preuailing on the fifth trumpet as by the swelling of Euphrates the East was alienated debarred from the Kingdome of Dauid God in his iustice losing thereafter in the sixth Trumpet from Euphrates these Armies of desolation poisoning error So heere in the fifth Viall the kingdome of Antichrist becomming darke and contemptible and in this sixth Viall all beauty strength and fortification being dried vp the East shall come againe to the Gospell and Iewes â—epent from their obstinate blindnesse and induration God thus wonderfully and to the high praise of his wise grace bringing a more ioâ—full effect from Euphrates in Antichrist his fall then hee brought a heauy woe in his rising And consider how wonderfully heereupon the case varieth In the sixth Trumpet out of the mouthes of these destroiers from Euphrates came Three things Fire Brimstone and Smoake By which three the third part of men were destroied Here to disturbe al 's ioifull an effect from the East â—uâ— Of the mouthes of the Dragon Beast and false Prophet three foule spirits euen spirits of Deuils That is men led with the spirit of Satan lyers and murtherers like their Father and accompanied with the effectuall deceiuablenesse of his working authorised by Antichrist his state and in speciall by the false Prophet head thereof are sent abroad as crouting froggs to bestirre themselues Who these are the state of our time and practise of Iesuites and Seminary Priests compassing Sea and Land specially busie about Kings maketh more then manifest They beginne to see their waters drinking in and Euphrates earst so great a riuer now running in a narrow channell and this setteth them madlings a worke Besides their origine they haue a speciall note of distinction whereby to discerne them that they are workers of miracles so to shew them false Prophets to whose begetting authorizing and setting a worke all the power of the kingdome of darkenesse Dragon Beast and false Prophet haue iointly bended all their malice force and intising hypocrisie as to the last puffe of Satan his mouth and of the Vicar of his throne for vnderpropping Babilon But shee can not be cured For the Beast goeth to destruction Heere the Beast and false Prophet are distinguished as the first and second Beast Chap. 13. That heere may bee shewed a ioyned endeauour of the head and whole body of the state See vpon the next Chap. Sect. 11. 18. and vpon the 19. Sect. 27. 10 The vnlucky euent of this their endeauour to themselues and happy to the Church specially these to whom by this viall the way is prepared is shewed in these words that they gathered them to a place called in Ebrew Armageddon Wherein much matter is comprised and offered to our consideration partly in the name of the place but specially in that it is so called in Hebrew The place is Armageddon a word composed of Har a Mountaine and Mageddon a plot of ground in the of lot Manasse famous in Scripture for two notable euents the one of great ioy the other as sorowful The first is in the 5. of Iudges where a great victory is obtained against Iabin and Sisera at the waters of Mageddo when the Kings fought and were swept away This was so noble a victory to the Church as the Psalmist maketh it the measure of his wish against the enemies The other al 's mournfull is when Iosias by Necho is slaine at Mageddo Whereupon to the Iewes insued most bitter mourning To both these euents the spirit heere alludeth yet with this remarkable point of difference that where the first of them was at the waters the second in the valley of Mageddo Heere the place is Armageddon that is the mountaine of Mageddon This difference is purposelie put of the spirit to shew that the enemies heere should bee in some great indeauour against the Church of God in all the old Testament bearing the name of a Mountaine Not onely for God stablishing her against all assailers and for her eminencie but also in respect of her type in Mount Sion and land of promise which is a land of Mountaines and for the Church her abode therein called of Daniel Hartsebikadosh This is the Mountaine of Mountaines wherein the Lord will destroy death and thresh Moab as straw is threshed in Madmena in which the Lord will destroy all that rise against her Heerein then is implied that this great destruction of Antichrist and his aiders by perswasion of the frogges shall bee in a high enterprise against the true Church as God foiled Gog vpon the Mountaines of Israel And the King of the North entring in the pleasant Land and planting the Tabernacles of his Palace in the glorious and holy Mountaine Now as for this their purpose causing their destruction the place is called Har a Mountaine So to expresse a double euent of this their enterprise it is called Megiddon by allusion to the two stories before mentioned To that in the 5. of Iudges to shew that the same shall befall all these enemies assembled by the frogges which did befall Iabin and Sisera at the waters of Megeddo And thereupon such a like song of ioy to the Church as is that of Deborah and Barak To the other story of Iosias slaughter the allusion is to shew that vpon this victory should arise such a mourning and that proper to the Iewes as they had for the slaughter of Iosias in the valley of Mageddo but of a much different kind Euen that mourning whereof Zachary prophecieth in his 12. Chapter When by this victory the way beeing prepared for them to come and see him whom they pearced they shall bee sorry for him as one is sorry for his first borne and when in that day there shall bee a great mourning in Ierusalem as the mourning of
cure his wound or reuiue any image of that state againe as he did the wound of the sixth head So then taken absolutely this Beast is Antichrist that is the Pontificality raigning ouer Rome or the Kingdom of Rome vnder the eighth head the Pontificality When the Beast and false Prophet are distinguished it is but for explication to shew the state or Kingdome and who is head of it And thus I shew that Chapter 13. were the first and second Beast to bee vnderstood as by this place is euident where the first Beast is onely mentioned and peculiarly called the eighth head who is also one of the seuen and not the seuenth as most part make him for so the spirit had more easily called him the eighth and seuenth then one of the seuen but that hereby hee would lead vs to know which of the seuen hee is said in a sort to be How farre Theodoricus and his wise daughter after him laboured that Rome might both recouer and hold her ancient glory and magnificence albeit hee seldome made refidence there the Stories giue cleare Testimony From the fall of the Gothike Kingdome the growth pompe and estimation of that City hath onely been by the Pontificality bearing it vp and by semblance of the Lambe his hornes procuring to it worshippe of Nations For otherwaies saith Steuchus it had remained foedissima boum porcorumque habitatio So as since that time to make any other the head or King of Rome whereby shee had growth or honour it is ridiculous and against all euidence of story The Grecian Emperours except an idle title neither made any abode in that City neither euer durst openly attempt any further power therin then it pleased the Popes to allow them And such of them as at times did exercise any therein it was not onely by surprise vnder false semblance presence of peace but their dealing also with it was in plaine hostility as strangers So as in effect they were rather spoilers and rifelers then bearers vp of her The French and Germane Emperours aduanced her but as hornes of the Beast who beareth her vppe Who that hee might the better push with them at his pleasure hath ridiculously fed them with idle titles as hee doth his other hornes whom he crowneth and decrowneth as he listeth But hee himselfe is this Beast bearing vp this harlot 12 Thus are his heads The hornes haue many distinct and cleere notes to shew the Beast who and of what time he is Of their number see vpon Chapter 13. Section 8. First then these hornes are crowned Kings that inferiour Rulers as Liuetenants or Presidents of Prouinces bee not heere imagined According to the condition of this Beast vnder the former heads who themselues only were crowned and not their hornes Secondly their time of being is noted that they were not as yet risen but were to come Thirdly they are not so many persons in succession of one Kingdome but so many Kingdomes which all at one time should raigne euen with the Beast vnder the eight head The Beast Daniel 7. with tenne hornes hath no mention of heads For that there the hornes haue the consideration of the heads of that Kingdome wherein successiuely should raigne so many Kings Heere which some Interpreters should haue better obserued this Beast hath both so many heads and besides tenne hornes by allâ—sion to that because heere the hornes are not to bee considered as heads of the state signified by this Beast or soueraigne Kings ruling it Which if the spirit had minded he had not attributed thereto heads also more then to that in Daniel But the soueraigne policies being expressed by heades the hornes are put to expresse the strength of this Kingdome in so many props of her power and that so cleerely is vttered by the Angell as it is wonder what should make men to misse of his meaning while he telleth plainely that they are Kings Which shall receiue a Kingdome at one houre with the Beast Which cannot consist with the making them Kings of that same state which by the Beast is signified so confounding heads and hornes which the holy Ghost hath distinguished so clearely Fourthly their subiection to the Beast should bee voluntary and with vniforme and free consent not inforced by Armes as was the seruitude of Nations to the Empire but by the bewitching power of the cup of fornication and these deceiueable signes and wonders Chapter 13. This is the vnity of the Church of Rome This note also euinceth cleerely that these hornes are kingdomes voluntary subiecting themselues to the pontificality and Roman Kingdome vnder him and not so many successiue Kings of any much lesse of that kingdome to which they gaue their Kingdomes Fiftly they with the Beast should fight against the Lambe But to their owne confusion for two reasons One in the Captaine who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords The other in his Army who are called chosen and faithfull Not that he needeth any army orforces to ouercome these hornes but it is to shew that their fighting against the Lambe should bee in his members Who yet should ouercome in the strength of their King by whom they are effectually called so as their calling confirmeth to them their election and that by true faith wrought in them which is the victory wherewith they ouercome the world resting on their Lord and being faithfull to him euen to the death and this is not repugnant to that which was said Chapter 13 7. For that ouercomming of Saints was not absolute either in degree or time but onely the slaying of their bodies and bearing downe of truth for a space Chap. 11. 14. 12. Which with them notwithstanding reuiued againe not onely to the terrour of their aduersaries but also to their ouerthrow 13 Thus is the Beast bearer vp of the woman Euen the same whereof Chapter 13. but that processe of time in the progresse of iniquity giueth him now two notes somewhat different from that The one is scarlet colour for increase of cruelty wherein by this time hee hath come to such height as for that he hath now the Dragon his owne colour Who before this a space was let loose the thousand yeeres of his restraint being expired so as for bloody rage now this suffragant of his throne â—arst like a Pard is all of a bloody colour and the Whoore is drunke with the blood of Saints The other note is that where first he had but his head busked with the name of blasphemy he is now for growth of impiety and of sacrilegions vsurpation of diuine honour full of names of blasphemy The head which at first was busked therewith both waxing therein and defyling also all the body So as now it is high time to come out of her The Beast was first like a Pard a cruell yet a fraudulent beast and lesse horrible to behold But afterward more violent and raging The Whoore borne vp by this beast
his restraint albeit of that time as by substituting the Beast of his authority by deceitfull hypocrisie and efficacie of error to worke that from performing whereof in open rage hee was then bound vp might well bee presumed yet hath beene reserued to this place to giue vs in one view his whole story Which consisteth in that rage Chap. 12. From which beeing heere in some consideration bound vp for a time he is againe let loose and his endeauours thereupon are here declared so farre from his intended successe as he is taken the second time and destroied for euer 2 In his first restraint come to bee considered the surenesse end and degree thereof The surenesse is cleered in the person apprehender and manner of fermance The apprehender is God â—â—s minister an Angell instructed with authority as comming from heauen with power to execute as hauing the key of the bottomlesse pit and a great chaine All spoken after the manner of men This Angell falleth not from heauen to earth as that great starre Chapter 9. but commeth downe as he Chapters 10. and 18. And accordingly hath the key of the bottomlesse pit for a farre different end from that this comming to inclose the Prince of darkenesse being himselfe the minister of light whereas that great starre falling from the ministrie of light to become the minister of darknesse he openeth the botomlesse pit to let out darkenesse The Dragon is heere described by these same names and property of seducing Nations which are giuen him in the 12. Chapter in the first degree of this his first foile towards this first captiuity when by Michael his valour hee was cast from heauen Which the holy Ghost doth of purpose to leade vs know that this first binding is from that rage So wisely and plainely the spirit teacheth vs to couple together the parts of this prophesie Now Christ is hee properly who treadeth downe the head of that serpent who onely is that stronger then the strong one comming in binding him and spoiling his house as who onely hath come to lose the workes of Satan and onely hath the keies of hell and death But according as he giueth gifts to men and worketh by his ministers of whatsoeuer calling who in his light and strength aduance the Kingdome of light and bring downe that of darkenesse his ministers thus instructed by him and to this ende are also binders of the Dragon Of whom this Angell is the generall type 3 The manner of fermance to shew the surenes thereof is after the manner of men set forth in inclosing shutting and sealing as was the caues mouth on Daniel and the Sepulchre of Christ 4 The end of his restraint is That he seduce not the Nations c Which ende how it is and how farre to be vnderstood the degree of his restraint now and his endeauour vpon his next loosing will make cleare 5 Thus we haue the surenesse and end of the Dragons restraint Now followeth the degree thereof cleering the end as I haue said The degree is that this his captiuity is not absolute but in a speciall consideration This is shewed by the time thereof state of men in that time and what this state is The time is not for euer as in his next taking but for a thousand yeeres which being expired he was to bee losed againe The denunciation of which sad euent is mitigated with a consolation that it should be but for a short space euen that three daies and a halfe wherein the witnesses were killed and lay vnburied Chapter 11. For thencefoorth by degrees the Dragon is againe comprehended till he be made fully fast in eternall chaines 6 The state of men during this first restraint sheweth it also not to be absolute in so farre as hee shall bee bound but to a few being still loose towards the most part This is cleered by declaration of the seuerall condition of both and first of these to whom hee is bound Wherein are two their condition in this his restraint and who they are that haue this condition Their condion is expressed first in figuratiue speech of Thrones and Sitters hauing iudgement accordingly giuen them and next in proper termes that they liued and raigned with Christ these thousand yeeres Who they are that are in this estate and condition is shewed in two sorts First The soules of them who were beheaded for the word of God c. Secondly They who worshipped not the Beast c. The state and condition of the contrarie sort is that during these thousand yeeres they lay dead and liued not Now how great this number is and how small in comparison thereto is the former is cleere by the 13 Chapter where all the earth follow the Beast and receiue his Character name or number except these 144000. sealed ones Chap. 7. in mount Sion with the Lambe Chap. 14. And consequently in what respect and to whom the Dragon is said during this space to bee bound 7 The third point shewing yet further the strict consideration of Satan his restraint is the explication of this state and condition of both sorts of men what this life and raigne of the one is and what is the death of the other To wit that this life and raigne are not to bee taken for this naturall life or any wordly dominion neither yet for that euerlasting and glorious state which the Saints in Soule and body after the last indgement inioy in heauen this being their state during the thonsand yeeres and called the first resurrection As neither is the death of the other to be vnderstood of the naturall death of the body by seperation of the soule therefrom or of the eternall death of both in Gehenna as wherein the world lying dead a thousand yeeres thereafter riseth from it to haue part in the first resurrection and consequently of blessednesse But this life and raigne in respect of the soules beheaded is their honourable commemoration and rising from vnder these horrible slanders calumnies whereby the honour of their sufferings was maliciously by Satan eclipsed euen that same thing which by long white robes was signified Chapter 6. In respect of these who Worshipped not the Beast c. This life and raigne is the first resurrection whereby men here by the word and spirit are begotten to the life of God in Christ and freed from the bondage and death of Satan and sinne being vindicare in the liberty of the sonnes of God and so made Kings and Priests to God in Christ Iesus And the death of the rest who rise not this first resurrection is that death in sinne ignorance idolatrie and induration wherein all men lye naturally depriued of the life of God like those widowes who being aliue yet were dead and like Ephraim who was dead in Baal From which death who so riseth not to be pertaker of the first resurrection shall be accursed foreuer and subiect to the power of the
marriage c. Which vndoubtedlie will be when vpon destruction of all troublers the Church enioying quiet state shall fall in the sleepe of security For if the last iudgement and comming of Christ to it had so notable markes as the foile of Antichrist taking of the Dragon and so great tumults warres and commotions with the hauocke of so huge Armies besiedging the Church how could either that day comes as a thiese on a peaceable world or the Church in such cruell inuasion be at ease and sleeping This errour hath made the subsequent matter to be of most part mistaken as if therein the state of the triumphant Church in heuens were set foorth as it shall be after the last day 23 A learned man lately commenting and with high and iust commendation vpon this booke perceiuing well that the subsequent condition of the Church must be vnderstood of her state heere in grace and so being not seeing how this place could bee taken of the last iudgement turneth it to an allegory of the conuersion of the Iewes by allusion to the last iudgement their conuersion to the faith in respect of their present and long beegunne desperate estate both temporall and spirituall being as it were a rising from the dead According as by the Prophets in regard of the full point thereof it is called and by the Apostle a life from death But besides that where a plaine sense in proprietie is conuenient farre sought allegories are not meete albeit for the wonderfulnesse and inexpected falling out thereof the Iewes restitution be of the Prophets called a rising from their graues yet that thus the whole description so cleerely in all the circumstances of the last iudgement can be drawne thereto I see no reason specially where agreeably to the manner of the holy Ghost the descripton of the generall iudgement may bee taken properly and conueniently for the purpose in hand and no necessity for this to interpret the subsequent Chapters of any state of the Church in time thereafter Which doubt will nothing trouble the iudicious Reader considering the manner of the Propheticall descriptions much different from common historicall narrations in that they by Hypotyposeis represent to the view as present those things they prophesie Further to say in a resurrection whereby men rise from ignorance and in duration to the knowledge of God and imbracing of the faith that they rise to eternall destruction it is vtterly absurd And heere we see that all the execution is of enemies in torment and euerlasting fire The spirit euen heereby as it were pointing to vs his purpose of this narration in this place And this argument â—uinceth that place Daniel 〈◊〉 to bee of the last resurrection For none rise the first resurrection to euerlasting shame but all are blessed As for the word there put of Many as if therein an argument were implied of some other resurrection then the generall wherein All rise it helpeth nothing that opinion as being put but in common and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repeated according to the subsequent partiâ—ition of Many to glorie Many to shame And if thereon ought might be builded with al 's good reason heere the generall iudgement must bee vnderstood where All the dead small and great doe rise c. That the many and goodly Prophesies of the restoring of Israel haue not as yet their full accomplishment till by faith they be grafted in againe whence they were cut out through vnbeliefe it were either great ignorance or perhaps blasphemy to denie seeing the Apostle to that purpose citeth Prophesies which therfore but in that case cannot be fulfilled Againe that it seemeth necessarie so great a point not to bee ommitted in this Reuelation I hartilie yeeld but that therefore this place should from a proper and well consisting sense be drawne thereto I see no necessitie For that matter was not obscurely in the sixth Viall signified and more plainlie in the Church her song Chapter 19. and if more be requisite who may not be satisfied as such mysteries are heere deliuered with that which in the next Chapter is said of the new Ierusalem hauing vpon this full ouerthrow of her focs her ports cast open towards all the quarters of the earth and on them written the names of the twelue Tribes of Israel to whom then they are made patent that all Israel may bee saued 24 A Throne Daniel 7. is erected and one sitteth for iudging and destroying the Beasts there mentioned enemies and troublers of the Church then And Daniel 12. the faithfull for conception of a perfect deliuerance and full ouerthrow of their aduersaries are called to the meditation of the last and full degree thereof in the generall resurrection To that heere is the allusion euen as in the description of the enemies heere the allusion was to these To shew not onely the like and full ouerthrow of the troubles now of the Christian Church holding on to finall accomplishment in Christ his last comming as the other were abolished at his first but also that the first euen in the promise of God his dispensation were types of the latter The not aduerting whereof hath made many to misconceiue the minde of the holy Ghost in the Prophets While some in accommodation of the promises and denunciations so rest in the first state and time as they looke not how therein God looked further and others so interpret them of the last state and time as against the minde of the spirit they apply them not first and properly to the state then Whereof first and for speciall consolation against the euils then they are meaned albeit they had also typically a further signification as the wise and frequent allusion in this Prophesie prooueth and accommodation through all the new Testament no lesse clearely 25 This great white throne shadowed by that of Solomon albeit then in full and finall degree it shall be erected when our Lord returneth in the cloudes of heauen yet in some degree it is erected here in the cleare and euident preuailing light and power of the Gospell So as euen heere after a sort heauen and earth depart that is the whole state of the world is changed as vpon pouring out of the seuenth Viall was denounced and as for the like euent though not in so full measure was spoken of at the opening of the sixth scale For euen heere we shall haue new heauens and a new earth that is a new state of things by the enemies vtter fall and goodly gracefull and peaceable estate of the Church thereupon when there shall be no more Sea as by Isay is Prophesied often and magnifikly in the subsequent Chapters is declared Thus the state vnder the Gospell in collation to the former is called of the Apostle a new worlde and so the condition of the Christian Church vpon destruction of Whore Beast and Dragon and strange alteration of all the states in the earth enioying peace shal bee yet