The Ruine of Rome OR An Exposition upon the whole REVELATION VVherein is plainly shewed and proved that the Popish Religion together with all the power and authority of Rome shall ebbe and decay more and more throughout all the Churches of Europe and come to an utter overthrow even in this life before the end of the World Written especially for the comfort of Protestants and the dancing of Papâ—sts Sâ—minary Priests Jesuâ—tes and all that cursed rabble Published by Arthur Dent Preacher of the word of God at South-Shoobury in Essex To which is added an Epitome of Reverend Mr. Brightman his Exposition upon the Revelation LONDON Printed by T. H. and I. Y. for Jo. Waterson and are to be sold by Charles Greene at his shop in Ivie Lane 1644. TO THE RIGHT Honourable his very good Lord ROBERT Lord RICH everlasting consolation and good hope through Grace TO be a father to the fatherlesse is properly the vertue of the most high and therefore meet for those who beare his name and office upon earth Among whom Right Honourable seeing it hath pleased his Majesty to count your Lordship faithfull and to put you in so high a service it shall I assure my selfe be matter of rejoycing unto your Lordship to take the Patronage of this poore Orphane which knoweth not whither to flye for succour but to you who did so many waies commend your favour to his late deceased Father that if he had lived to the birth of this his last off-spring it was his full purpose as many can witnesse to have committed it unto your Lordships protection as most meete among many to take this Patronage upon you that this young Infant growing up under your roofe may in time effect that indeed whereof it beares the name to be The ruine of Rome To speake of the excellent parts thereof and of what hope it is like to be in the Church of Christ I thinke needlesse and I feare the note of partiality it shall speake for it selfe I doubt will commend to all posterity his worthy fathers memory Now for my selfe right Honorable being so straightly bound to this duty in regard of my neere conjunction with my late Brother Master Dent and great importunity of his poore Widdow was the more willingly drawne hereunto in two respects The one to give some publike testimony of my love towards him and reverence of the rare grace which we all who injoyed his sweete society did continually in our comfort behold in him Whose learning his labours do shew whose diligence yea extreme and unwearied paines in his ministery publikely privately at home and abroade for foure and twenty yeares at least all our Countrey can testifie All which being adorned with so speciall humility do make his name the greater and our losse the more grievous I may not leave out this which I avow to be as certaine as it is singular that besides all other his great labours he had with the Apostle a speciall care of all the Churches night and day by study and fervent Prayer procuring the prosperity of Syon and the ruine of Rome And to end with his blessed end his life was not more profitable to others then his death is peaceable to himself scarce a grone to be heard though his Fever must needes be violent which dispatched him in three dayes And having made a pithy confession of his Faith this Faith said he have I Preached this Faith have I lived in this Faith I do live in and this Faith would I have sealed with my blood if God had so thought it good and tell my brethren so and drawing neere his end he sayd I have fought the good Fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith and now is that Crowne of righteousnesse layd up for mee the which the Lord that righteous Judge shall give me in that day and so gave up his last breath with these words I have seene an end of all perfection but thy Law is exceeding large The other respect my speciall good Lord for the which I am the more willing to come thus upon the Stage though my part be small full sutable to my ability is that I might be as the mouth of many to publish to posterity what high account all that know the truth among us at least do make of your Lordship that I dare say not the loynes onely but the soules of thousands do blesse you and God for you praying for a riâ—h reward to be given you of the Lord and that with your ancient predecessor honourable Nâ—hemiah the Lord would remember you herein and wipe not out all the kindnesse you have shewed on the house of you God and on the Ministers thereof For in the zeale of God and uprightnesse of my heart not to give titles unto men which is not my wont but to provoke all of like honorable condition to follow your Godly practice this I say that as your pure Religion is the Crowne of your nobility so this is the Crowne of your Religion that besides your ordinary presence in the publicke assemblies of the Church your zeale to God and lovâ— to his people hath herein especially bin manifested to the world in your continuall câ—râ— to plant faithfull Preachers in all those livings which have been in your Lordships gift or which by all your friends you could procure What is the worthy fruite thereof cannot indeede be valued much lesse by me now uttered yet this I say with common consent of all found-hearted Protestants that if the true Prophets of God be the chariots and horsemen of Israel then may we refer to this honourable practice of your Lordship and of other like Christian Patrones as to a chiefe meanes under God and under the Religious regiment of our gracious Soveraigne the safety of his Highnesse person this admirable tranquility of the Realme that notable ruine of Rome which is so worthily with us effected and shall be assuredly elsewhere in due time accomplished And to say all in few words to this may we referre the safety of soule and body of many thousands in the Land who though they doe and shall live by faith yet doth their righteousnesse farre exceed the righteousnesse of all Popish hypocrites both in duty to God and to their dread Soveraigne our noble King Whereupon I may conclude that I scarce thinke of any service more honourable to God and profitable to his Church then this care to bring into the Lords Temple such painefull Labourers as both by life and Doctrine do faithfully build up the same Goe on therefore Right Honourable and cease not to shine out in this darke World with such light of good example And withall rest upon his word who cannot lye that you shall shine in the Kingdome of light where into shall enter no uncleane thing neyther whatsoever worketh abomination or lies but they which are written in the Lambs Booke of life To which blessed inheritance immortall undefiled and that
Booke heere are to be found very large and lively descriptions of the most glorious Person of Christ Chap. 1. Chap. 2. Chap. 3. and all his excellent offices both of King Priest and Prophet and also most notable descriptions of the Church and of the Ministers of it and of the persecutions and afflictions which it must of necessity passe through in the World Also of Gods mercifull providence for his Church and most vigilant care over it in the middest of all extremities Here are set before our eyes very lively descriptions of the Churches deadly enemies both of Satan himselfe and his three great instruments the Roman Emperour the Pope and the Turke Here are set down all their cruell persecutions of the Church and their utter overthrow in the end Here are described Hell Death the resurrection and the last judgement Here also the very Kingdome of Heaven is at large described with all those great rewards infinite glory and endlesse felicity which remaine for all the faithfull worshippers of God I conclude therefore that for as much as this Prophesie is of such excellent contents therefore the use and necessity of it must needes be very great And for this cause Iohn is willed and commanded by Alpha and Omega to write the things which he had seene the things that were and the things that shall come hereafter By the things which he had seene is meant that glorious vision mentioned in the first Chapter wherein Jesus Christ did appeare unto him in the middest of the seven golden Candlesticks â—erse 13. â—4 15.16 in most glorious manner as is there described And all this was in the Isle of Pathmos where Iohn was first called and authorized to this worke and therefore he is willed first of all to record this vision which hee had already seene By the things that are hee meaneth the present state of the seven Churches of Asia which were then the most flourishing Churches in the World as they are described in the second and third Chapters and in them the estate of all other Churches By the things that shall be he meaneth all the prophesie of this booke which were to be fulfilled in their time and all those strange accidents which should come to passe in processe of time and the severall ages of the Church even unto the end of the world Thus we see how Iohn received a precise commandement from the Sonne of God to write things past present and to come that they might stand in record unto all posterities from generation to generation Thus much touching the fift circumstance which is the end and use of this booke Now followeth to speake of the last circumstantiall point which is the authority of this Prophesie which is strongly confirmed from the Author of it which is JESUS CHRIST and therefore it is called the Revelation of Jesus Christ which GOD gave unto him And againe it is written I Jesus sent mine Angell to testifie these things in the Churches Here wee see plainly Chap. 22.16 that Jesus Christ the very Sonne of God the Alpha and Omega is the Author of this booke for he subscribes his name unto it and set his hand and seale unto it Needs therefore must the authority of it be very great which commeth from so great a personage for looke what dignity and auâ—hority he is of from whom the booke commeth of the same dignity and authority is the book it selfe Another strong argument to confirme the authority of this book may be taken from the protestation of Jesus Christ in these words I protest unto every man that heareth the words of the Prophesie of this Booke Cha 22.18 if any man shall adde unto those sayings God shall adde unto him the plagues that are written in this Booke And if any shall diminish of the words of the Booke of this Prophesie God shall take away his part out of the Booke of life Heere we see how Jesus Christ maketh the authority to this Booke equall to all other the Oracle of God to the which it is not lawfull for any man to adde or detract under paine of condemnation It maketh much also for the authority of this booke that S. John doth so often repeat reiterate and inculcate his owne name I John I John I John I John the Apostle I John the Evangelist I John the Divine shewing by all these repetitions how needfull a thing it was that the faithfull should bee throughly instructed who he was even one of the Lambs twelve Apostles and therefore to be void of all suspition and doubt concerning the authority of this booke and not once to imagine it to bee any invention of man or feigned device sith it was penned by so great an Apostle Moreover the authority of this Prophesie is confirmed by foure reasons in the last Chapter The first is the affirmation of the Angell who saith The words are faithfull and true Chap. 22.6 7 8. The second is the authority of the most high GOD himselfe in these words The Lord GOD of the holy Prophets sent his Angell to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be fulfilled The third is the testimony of Jesus ver 6 7. who pronounceth them blessed which keepe the words of this Prophesie For saith he Behold I come shortly Blessed is he that keepeth the words of this Prophesie The fourth and last is the witnes of John in these words I am John which heard and saw these things Now it may bee demanded what is the cause that here are so many things heaped up for the confirmation of the authority of this Booke Surely we must thinke there is some speciall cause and reason of it For the Holy Ghost doth not use to deale so much and so earnestly in a matter but upon great cause Wee may easily gather what the cause is The Booke painteth out the Whore of Babylon and the whole Kingdome of the great Antichrist together with all Sathans cunning and fleight therein and for this cause Sathan hath laboured especially to weaken the credit and authority of this Booke He by some meanes in old time prevailed thus farre that even among some Churches of true Christians the authority and truth of it was doubted of The Holy Ghost did well foresee the practice of Sathan and therefore bringeth the more reasons for the confirmation thereof If the credit and authority of this Booke should never have been impugned there needed not any such speciall confirmation But now God be thanked there is no question or controversie concerning the authority of this Prophesie It is received as authenticall by the common consent of all the Churches Almost all the ancient Fathers doe acknowledge it to be canonicall The new Writers doe with one voyce give their consent and approbation unto it The Papists themselves doe acknowledge it to be the sacred and undoubted Word of God though of all Scriptures they cannot endure it should be medled withall
troubled and wasted the Church for the space of three hundred yeares being greatly favoured of sundry Emperours and other great Potentates in the Earth by meanes wherereof it continued and overspred so long Also this may be referred to other great and notable Arch-heresies as that of Donatus Macedonius Eutycheus Valentinus and such like which all are heere compared to a mountaine for their hugenesse and greatnesse and to a burning Mountaine because the Church was almost burnt up thereby For this word Mountaine is sometimes in the Scripture put for any let or hinderance to true Religion as is errour and heresie Zach. 4.7 Luke 3.5 Therefore it is sayd that it was cast into the Sea that is these great heresies are cast upon the World in Gods wrath and heavy indignation for the Sea is put for the World Chapter 4. Verse 6. Chapter 13. Verse 1. Chapter 12 Verse last for as the Sea is full of Rocks sands sirts waves stormes and tempests so it fareth with this present evill world Moreover it is sayd that the third part of the Sea became blood that is all Europe or some great part of the World was corrupted and infected with these great heresies And he saith in the next verse that the third part of the ships were destroyed that is ver 9. a great number of mariners and ship-masters as well as land-men were infected with these heresies and dyed of them and in them Then the third Angell blew the Trumpet and there fell a great Starre from Heaven verse 10. burning like a Torch and it fell into the third part of the Rivers and into the Fountaines of waters Starres in this booke are put for the Ministers of the Gospell as we have heard out of the first Chapter and the reasons why Then followeth that the falling of this Star from Heaven doth most fitly signifie and set forth the declining and fall of the Pastors of the Church and their corrupting of the true Doctrine which is meant by the fresh Rivers and pure Fountaines into which it fell This Starre hath his name of the elect For it is called Wormewood because through the fall of it the sweet waters into which it fell were turned into bitternesse and men dyed of them that is the doctrine was corrupted which turned to the destruction of many ver 12. And the fourth Angell blew the Trumpet and the third part of the Sunne was smitten and the third part of the Moone and the third part of the Stars so that the third part of them was darkned c. This darkning of the Sunne Moone and Starres doth signifie that great darkenesse which was brought upon the Church by such teachers as did daily more and more degenerate Three things are generally to be observed in the blowing of these first foure Trumpets First that the plagues here mentioned are specially to bee understood of spirituall plagues Secondly that there is a progression from lesser to greater in these plagues Thirdly that in every one there is mentioned but a third part destroyed which plainly sheweth that although the Church was greatly annoyed and pestred with these errours and heresies yet it was not destroyed and brought to utter desolation for the full setting up of Antichrist was not yet come All these errours and heresies which were cast upon the World and did spring and grow apace in all places did as it were make way for Antichrist and as it were by stirrops hoist and helpe him up into his cursed Chaire By the Stories of the Church and course of times it seemeth that the holy Ghost pointeth at those manifold heresies which sprung up in the Church after the first three hundred yeares especially after the death of Constantine the Great who procured peace to the Church destroyed idolatry and set up true Religion in his dayes Now after his raigne and the raigne of Theodosius that good Emperour Constantius Julianus Arcadius Honorius and many other wicked Emperours succeeded by whose meanes all things in the Church grew worse and worse yet this one thing is to be observed that all truth of Religion was not utterly extinct and put out till the full loosing of Satan which was a thousand yeeres after Christ as we shall plainely see when we come to the 20. Chapter concerning the binding of Satan for a thousand yeares For sure it is that the maine principles and grounds of Religion continued in the Church till this full loosing of Satan which was about the time of Silvester the second that Monster as afterward we shall heare But now in the meane time we see what heresies sprung up what corruption grew and increased more and more what darknesse beganne to over-spread a third part of the world and these things grew worse and worse even till by these meanes the great Antichrist came to be possessed of his cursed seat and Sea of Rome which was about some 600. yeares after Christ And I beheld and heard one Angell flying in the midst of Heaven ver 13. saying with a loud voyce Woe Woe Woe to the Inhabitants of the earth because of the sounds to come of the three Angels which were yet to blow the trumpets Because the judgements which were to be executed hereafter upon the blowing of the next three Trumpets were farre more dreadfull and horrible than any were before therefore heere is a speciall Angell or Messenger of God sent of purpose to give warning thereof and to proclaime openly in the Church three fearefull woes which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth that is all earthly minded men as wordlings Papists and Atheists at such time as the next three Angels should blow the Trumpets The first of these three great woes is to be understood of the Papacy The second of Turcisme The third of the last Judgement As if he should have sayd Woe unto the world because of Popery Woe unto the world because of Turcisme Woe unto the world because of the last Judgement Woe unto the world for Popery because thereby men should be punished in their soules Woe unto the World for Turcisme because thereby thousands should be murthered in their bodies by the Turkish Armies Woe unto the world because of the last Judgement for thereby all worldlings should be plagued both in body and soule in hell fire for evermore Sith then these three last plagues which were to come upon the world are more fearefull and terrible than any of the other foure no marvell though heere is sent of purpose a speciall messenger to give intelligence thereof that every man might looke to himselfe seeing such great dangers were at hand And for this cause also it is said before that there was silence in the Church for the space of halfe an houre CHAP. IX THe principall scope and drift of this Chapter is to paint out both the Pope and his Clergie and also the Kingdome of the Turke and his cruell Armies For having already set downe
or their Authority Moreover they have Crownes of gold upon their heads which sheweth and signifieth that they were the Conquerours of the Earth and Lords of the World and who but they for in those dayes no man nay no Lord or King durst quitch against a Monke a Frier or a pild Priest for if any did they were sure to smart for it They had also faces like the faces of men that is they set faire faces upon matters and pretended great devotion in Religion flattering the people and making them beleeve that they could give them pardon of all their sinnes and bring them to Heaven when as in very truth for their bellies and for their gaine they did cunningly smooth with the Nobles the rich and the mighty setting faire faces upon their proceedings and as Saint Peter saith Through covetousnesse with fained words 2 Pet. 2.3 they made merchandize of mens soules and did closely winde themselves into the hearts of the simple people by their fawning insinuations being in very deed nost notable flatterers and hypocrites They had haire as the haire of women that is they were altogether effeminate being given to delicacy lust and wantonnesse they were drowned in whoredome and all kinde of beastlinesse being a shole of most filthy villaines Their teeth were as the teeth of Lions to catch and snatch at all they could come by They devoured all the fat morsels every where they got the Church-livings into their hands they first made impropriations they incroached upon temporall mens lands they swallowed up all every where If we looke upon the Abbeyes Priories and Nunneries we may easily judge what teeth they had Moreover it is sayd they had Habbergions like to the Habbergions of Iron that is they were so strongly armed with the defence and countenance of the Pope that no Secular power durst once quitch against them Their wings were like the sound of Chariots when many Horses runne unto battell that is with flattering noise and terrible threatnings they strove to uphold their Kingdome Also in Churches and Pulpits they make a roring noise and take on terribly to maintaine their abhominable Idolatry They had tailes like unto Scorpions and there were stings in their tailes For with their poysoned Doctrine and stinging authority like Adders and Snakes they stung many to death Moreover power was given them to hurt men five moneths that is all the time of Antichrists reigne as before hath been shewed ver 10.11 They have a King over them which is the Angell of the bottomelesse pit whose name in Hebrew is Abbadon and in Greeke he is named Apollyon that is destroying As the Fowles have a King over them which is the Eagle and the Beasts the Lion and mortall Men some Chiefe Governour under whose protection and subjection they live so heere these hellish Locusts are sayd to have a King over them which is the Angell of the bottomlesse pit that is the Divell or the Pope which you will under whose Ensigne they fight and under whose defence they live Their Kings name in Hebrew is called Abbadon and in Greek Apollyon The words are both of one signification that is destroying for both the Divell himselfe and his Vicar the Pope are destroyers and wasters of the Church of God One woe is past and behold yet two woes come after this We have heard at large what this first Woe is namely the plage of the world by the Pope and his Clergie Now we are to heare of the second woe which is the most huge and murthering army of the Turkes wherein the third part of men were slaine Some do expound this second woe of the kingdome of Antichrist and his armies but that it is not so may appeare by these reasons following First the Angell denouncing woe woe woe denounceth three severall woes and therefore it is said One woe is past and behold yet two woes come after this It followeth then that this is a distinct and severall woe from the former and therefore cannot be the same Secondly this woe containeth specially a bodily slaughter of the third part of the world and of the wicked reprobates but the first woe was specially a plague of mens soules as we have heard and therefore this cannot be the same with the first Thirdly we are to understand that this booke describeth all the greatest calamities and plagues thaâ— should come upon the world in any age after Christ and therefore we may justly thinke that the kingdome of the Tuâ—ks is not left out seeing it was one of the greatest plagues that ever came upon the world But the kingdome of the Turks is described in no other part of this Revelation and therefore must of necessity be here described ver 13.14 Then the sixt Angell blew the Trumpet and I heard a voice from the foure corners of the golden Altar which is before God Saying to the sixt Angell which had the Trumpet loose the foure Angells which are bound in the great river Euphrates Now we are come to the description of the Second woe which followeth upon the blowing of the sixt Trumpet by the sixt Trumpet by the sixth Angell And first of all he sayth He heard a voyce from the foure corners of the golden Altar By the golden Altar is meant Christ as before hath been shewed with the reasons thereof From this Altar the voyce commeth to the Angell which blew the sixth Trumpet Chap. 8.3 that we might know it is the voyce of the mighty God and the commandement of our Lord Jesus The voyce commandeth the sixth Angell to loose the foure Angells which are bound in the great River Euphrates By these foure Angels which are thus bound at Euphrates is meant many Divels or Angels of darkenesse as we have heard before Chapter 7 Verse 1. Their binding signifieth their restraint by which they were held backe from doing that mischiefe which they desired to do Their loosing signifieth that power was given them to performe that which they wished They are sayd to be foure in number because they should raise an horrible plague in the foure corners of the Earth both East West North and South The sense is that the Divells have yet farther and greater scope given them to plague and destroy the inhabitants of the Earth These Divells had exceeding great power in the Kingdome of Antichrist but they are unsatiable in mischiefe and so after a sort lye still bound till they have their desire The place where they lye bound is Euphrates wherein is a mystery for Euphrates literally taken is a great River which ran so night the City Babylon in Chaldea that it was a mighty defence unto it so that the City could not be taken untill they that laid siedge unto it cut out trenches and derived the waters another way Now for the mystery it is this Rome in this book is called Babylon by a metaphor and after the same manner the great River Euphrates as we shall
men But here specially it meaneth the Apostles and their successors yea and at this day all Christian kings princes and potentates of the earth and all others which take part with Christ against the Divell and his instruments Well here wee see that these two Generals and grand Captains Michael and the Dragon doe muster both their armies joyn battell and fight a pitched field the event and successe whereof is this that the Dragon and his Angels goe downe O blessed successe may wee say For if the Divell had prevailed it had been woe to us sith this battell was about and concerning the very salvation of mankind by Christs death and resurrection We know how the Divell set upon Christ alone to tempt him unto sinne that so hee might overthrow the worke of our redemption supposing in this combat or monomachie to have got the day but he prevailed not Afterward how strongly did hee oppugne him by his Angels I mean the Scribes and Pharisees the high Priests and Elders of the people yea all the Divels in hell and his whole infernall army not only in murthering and crucifying his naturall body but also in using all forcible and cunning meanes to keepe him downe that hee might never rise up again as the great stone upon his tomb the sealing of it the watch set to keep it For the Divell knew right well that if Christ rose againe he should lose the field For the resurrection of Christ is our actuall justification And Christ was mightily declared to be the Sonne of God by his resurrection from the dead Rom. 4.25 Well doe the Dragon and his angels what they can yet Christ is risen again and hath spoiled principalities and powers yea all the infernall army and hath made a shew of them openly and hath led them all in triumph upon his crosse so that we see in this first and greatest battell the Divell hath the foyle And it is further said that this Divell and all his angels were cast out of heaven and their place was no more found which is not to be understood of their first casting out of heaven immediately after their creation for at that time they were no Divels nor enemies to the Church but Angels of light but now since their fall and since they were Divels they are said to be cast out of heaven not because they ever came in heaven since they were Divels but because they can no longer impeach the Church touching her blessed estate in heaven They are without all hope to dispossesse her of her inheritance for that is ratified made sure unto her in the death and resurrection of Christ And for this cause it is said that the Divell hath no more to doe in heaven that is hee cannot for his heart overthrow the salvation of Gods children Rom. 8.33 For who can lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen It is God that justifieth who shall condemn It is Christ which is dead yea or rather which is risen againe c. True it is indeed that this battell is said to be in heaven that is about heavenly things yea about the highest points of heaven which is salvation or damnation for the Divell upon this very point hath from the beginning mightily wrestled and struggled with the Church and doth even untill this day but blessed be God that hee cannot nor shall not prevail against any one of Gods elect For our Lord Jesus saith I give unto them eternall life John 10.28 and they shall never perish neither shall any take them out of my hand my Father which gave them mee is greater then all Neither shall any pluck them out of my hand Againe All that the Father giveth mee shall come unto me And this is the Fathers will which hath sent me that of all which hee hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up againe at the last day Now further wee are to observe that as Christ in his own person hath once prevailed in the main battell against the Divell so his Church militant shall likewise alwaies prevail through him For it is written The gates of hell shall not prevail against it Mat. 16. Verse 9. And the great Dragon that old serpent called the Divel and Satan was cast out which deceived all the world He was even cast into the earth and his Angels were cast out with him Now because the divel cannot overthrow the salvation of Gods elect he is said to be cast out of heaven into the earth that is amongst earthly and carnall men that he may exercise his tyranny and wreak his malice upon them For he hath power given him to tyrannize over them at his pleasure and the Apostle saith Ephes 2. he worketh in the children of disobedience and taketh him captive to do his will Then I heard a loud voyce in heaven saying Verse 10. Now is salvation and strength and the kingdome of our God and the power of his Christ for the accuser of our brethren is cast downe which accused them before God day and night Here is the triumphant song of victory which all the Saints and Angels do sing unto God praising and magnifying his power and the power of his Son Christ for overcoming the Dragon and giving the victory to the Church through Christ For now with great joy and loud voices they sing and say that the Churches salvation is sealed and made sure unto her for ever It can never be shaken The divell is foiled and cast down into the earth These songs of joy after great victories are of great antiquity in the Church as we read of the children of Israel after the overthrow of Pharaoh and his army in the red sea of Deborah after the great victory over Sisera of the women that sung after the victory of Goliah by David The Divell is called the accusey of the brethren for two causes First because hee accuseth Gods elect of much sinne and calleth for justice against them day and night at Gods hands that they might be condemned upon such articles as he is able to prove against them for hee knowing right well that the Judge of all the world is a just God and must needs deale uprightly doth daily urge him to doe justice unto sinners being willingly ignorant that all Gods people though sinners are cleared and discharged in Christ Another reason is because of the calumniations reproaches and slanders which in all ages at all times and in all places and countries he hath alwayes unjustly raised up against the true worshippers of God Verse 11. But they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony and they loved not their lives unto the death Here is shewed that the Churches victory over Satan and hell is not through any power or might of her owne but by the blood of the Lamb and the word of the testimony that is the word of God
to these wholesome warnings with all speed The whole state of this Church of Laodicea is worthy of serious consideration as Mr. Brightman applies it to England in this and divers Chapters for he speakes of our times as if he were now living And further he saith in his Epistle and elsewhere in his Commentary that many are the miseries the Christian Churches must suffe for there will bee a long and dolefull Tragedy which will overthrow with scourges slaughters death and ruine and that the Sword of the Lord shall be made drunke in their blood except they receive warning and amend But yet saith he Be of good coÌ„fort Germany France and Britany and all you Christian Churches this is the last Act for after this Theater and long Tragedy is past there will succeed in the roome thereof happy dayes with abundance of peace and all good things And it is his judgement if I may not say his Prophesie comparing one Scripture with another and times with times That before the yeare 1650. the Jewes shall be called the Whore of Romes nose shall be slit and she stript of all her glorious garments and attire her power and sinews cut and the Pope himself shall run out of Rome into Avignon or in Bononia or thereabout one of his owne Cities and the City of Rome shall be burnt with fire And that the King of Spain and the King of Polony and some other Kings shall bewaile her and would faine helpe her but dare not because they shall be afraid of their owne safety lest they be devoured or scorched with the same fire And further he saith that the Emperor of Germany shall destroy Rome if he set to the worke it being most proper for him but if he did not some other shortly will have the praise of that victory Therefore saith he you godly Princes take the matter in hand and set to this worke it shall not be a thing of so great trouble as you thinke for feare not the huge armies that will come to helpe her If you thinke the Spaniard or the French-man or any other King will raise mighty forces against you to defend her as being Romes friends these are altogether vaine feares scare-crowes goblins bug-beares for simple people for her friends shall stand afar off with waiting testifying their love sighing and sobbing but taking no paines nor striking a stroke to deliver their Whore being now an old withered harlot but crying Alas alas that great City And againe he further saith And you the rest of the Christian Princes you need doe nothing only be valiant and of a good courage in dispatching your worke for the Lord and matters shall prosper as happily as you desire and understand at length by what way you may procure to your selves honour and tranquilitie so quietnes and joy to the whole Christian world Therefore draw your swords against Rome for you shall prevaile And saith he within 45 yeares after Rome is destroyed the Pope once more gathering all his friends together to try his last chance shall then be utterly overthrowne being about the yeare 1686. which wil be the longest time he can continue But Rome being destroyed and the Jews call'd there will bee then to the end a most happy tranquility and things very great indeed and to be admired the joy will be so much that it will be strange and unexpected for in the place of former troubles there will be perpetuall peace and then Kings and Queens will be nursing fathers and nursing mothers unto the Christian Churches Then the great Turke shall be 40 yeares on the decaying hand and lose many Countries but in the yeare 1696. he also shall be utterly overthrowne and then Christ shall raigne with his Ordinances chiefe in the world They that please to examine these quotations in the Margent by Master Brightmans Booke on the Revelations which which hee wrote above 40 yeares ago they shall finde the composer hereof hath endeavored as neere as he could to render the Authour in his owne words including much in so little roome Yet not to forget that hee saith further of England and Ireland Although Christ be angry with us by reason we are so far from a perfect Reformation and they which labour to bring in the Popish ceremonies hated of God to endanger the overthrow of our Kingdome yet he saith Christ hath begun his Kingdome at that time he wrote which was in the dayes of blessed Q. Elizabeth who happily begun and proceeded in the worke of Reformation according to the time and those dayes she lived in the finishing whereof will be required of this Generation otherwise expect God hath a sad controversie with this Land But Christ hath begun his Kingdome both in England and Ireland to reigne evermore and the enemies shall endeavour many enterprises yet they shall vanish like smoake and they shall never prevaile to overthrow Christ his Kingdom begun here for they will never want Christian Princes to maintaine his Truth begun which he saith begun from the yeare 1558. For the seventh Angel blew his Trumpet for this time and saith he would raigne evermore He further saith that ere long before the yeare 1650. the fourth Angell shall powre out his Violl upon the Sun which Sun he interprets the holy Scriptures which illustrate the mindes of men as the beames of the Sun doe the eyes of the body This Violl being powred on them shall give them greater force and edge more vehemently to scorch the man of sin so that hee shall gnash and rage aginst this Sun which hath so discovered his ugly hew to the world and it shall not onely burne and vexe him and those of his houshold but also hypocrites and all others who are not endued with true godlinesse That they shall even boile with envy and strife and all bitternesse of minde like the men of Atlas which curse the Sunne because it parcheth them with too much heate And lastly hee saith for the better understanding of what hee meanes that the City of Rome is not limited to that City but extends as farre as the Pope hath any dominion So that the Citty of Rome is in destroying if any of her dominions bee in destroying as he interprets the Holy Ghosts meaning But the Pope is to be quite and fully overthrowne at the yeare 1686. Therefore by computation Rome must bee in destroying at 1641. in some of his Dominions So I conclude this briefe Relation of what Mr. Brightman largely insists upon shewing his grounds in his Book why he affirmes these things with Christs counsell to this Church of Laodicea I counsell thee to bâ—y of me gold tryed in the fire that thou mayest be rich and white rayment that thou mayest be cloathed and that the shame of thy nakednesse doe not appeare and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve that thou mayest see FINIS LONDON Printed for Richard Harper 1644.
which they witnesse professe love and stick unto even unto death Verse 12. Therefore rejoyce ye heavens and ye that dwell in them Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea for the Divell is come downe unto you which hath great wrath knowing that he hath but a short time Here againe the Saints and Angels and all the blessed company of heaven are called upon and exhorted to rejoyce because the Divell and his angels are cast out and the elect have the victory over him through the blood of the Lamb and because the salvation of the Church is sealed up and God onely reigneth through Christ Which all are matters of so great moment that not onely the Church militant is stirred up to rejoyce herein but even the Church triumphant also that is the spirits of just and perfect men But on the contrary here is fearfull woe denounced against the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea that is all Papists Atheists worldlings and reprobates For sith hee cannot have his will of the Church yet hee will have his will and wreak his malice upon them by hardning their hearts and blinding their eyes and making them his slaves and vassals to fight for his kingdome against Christ against his Church against all goodnesse and all good men Therefore is added why the Divell is in such a rage with the world and cometh upon them in so great wrath and fury to wit because hee hath but a short time that is because his kingdome draweth to an end therefore he doth so bestir him Verse 13. And when the Dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth he persecuted the woman which had brought forth the man child Now the Divell seeing himselfe cast out of heaven so as he cannot impeach the salvation of the Church he raiseth up horrible persecutions against her by his instruments here in the earth labouring to root her out if it were possible for being overcome of the head he doth now with might and main set upon the body and what horrible storms he hath in all ages specially in these last daies raised up and daily doth raise up against the Church both the Scriptures and all Church-stories do abundantly declare Verse 14. But to the woman were given two wings of a great Eagle that she might flye into the wildernesse into her place where she is nourished for a time and times and halfe a time from the presence of the Serpent These two wings do signifie all the waies and means of evasion which God gave to his Church when he delivered her from the hands of her pursuers and persecuters and also her swift flight from them and all their malicious practises For although the Church cannot absolutely fly from the presence of the Divell with her Eagles wings being so unspeakably swift as he is yet after a sort shee is said to fly from him and his presence when the power of the tyrants and persecuters which he raised up cannot overtake her to murder and kill her But as touching her flight to the wildernesse and her lodging and nourishment there by Gods providence in the middest of all penury and extremity wee have sufficiently heard before in the sixth verse and therefore here I surcease to speak any further of it As concerning the space and continuance of her nourishment in the wildrenesse which is here set downe to be a time and times and halfe a time it is the same with the thousand two hundred and threescore dayes mentioned in the sixth verse and the twenty four moneths mentioned chap. 11. verse 2. and the three dayes and an halfe mentioned chap. 11. verse 6. as before hath been shewed And the Serpent cast out of his mouth water after the woman like a floud Verse 15. that he might cause her to be carried away of the floud Now the Church being secretly hid and nourished by Gods providence in the wildernesse so as the Divell and his instruments cannot find her out or come at her hee taketh another course and casteth about another way to annoy her and that is by casting a floud of water after her to drown her withall whereby is meant the innumerable lies reproaches and slanders which hee raised up by sundry hereticks against her in all ages as the Arrians Donatists Papists and such like and all to bring her into the hatred of Princes Potentates and all that were in love with her that sith otherwise he could not prevaile against her yet at least he might utterly sink her in this gulf of reproaches Verse 16. But the earth holp the woman and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the floud which the Dragon had cast out of his mouth The same God which first delivered the Church from the violence and fury of Satan and afterwards cast him out of heaven and gave her victory over him and after that again miraculously hid her and preserved her in the wildernesse doth not now at a dead lift forsake her nor suffer her to be drowned in this floud of reproaches and unjust calumniations which the Dragon cast up after her but causeth the earth to help her and to swallow up the floud That is he useth all creatures in the earth to help his Church and not only so but also he stirreth up many earthly and carnall men to defend the Church and to take part with her against her enemies as sometimes hee did Cyrus Ebedmelech Nebuzaradan Gamaliel and sundry others whose power and policie hee used for the good of his Church and for the drying up of that floud of reproaches which Satan hath in all ages cast up against her And God be thanked we see at this day that this floud of slanders and calumnies which Papists and Atheists cast out against the Church and her particular members doe dry up daily and shall dry up more and more being drunk in by the earth And the Church doth stand still unmoveable and shall stand and continue even unto the end of the world Then the Dragon was wroth with the woman Verse 17. and went and made warre with the remnant of her seed which kept the commandements of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ Here we see there is no end of the Divels malice he is infatigable in mischief though he have never so many foiles yet he will never give over but begin again For whereas he could not prevaile against the woman to cast her out of heaven by impeaching her election and salvation in Christ nor yet root her out of the earth by persecutions being hid in the wildernesse and locked up in the privie chamber of Gods providence as sometimes young Joash was locked up in the Priests chamber from the fury of Athalia 2 King 11.2 now hee goeth another way to work and setteth upon her in her seed and posterity which remain in the earth unto this day So that now sith he cannot do what