to do with it It were needlesse to shewe how this metaphor of keies is taken for power and iurisdiction in the scriptures as hath bene proued before cap. 1. ver 18. as needlesse to proue that by the bottomelesse pit is here meant hell as appeareth chap. 11.7 chap. 20.1 vers 2 And hee opened the bottomelesse pit and there arose the smoake of the pit as the smoake of a great furnace the sunne and the aire were darkned by the smoake of the pit Here we see how the Pope openeth hell gates with his key a most horrible grosse stinking smoake ascendeth vp into the ayre presently vpon it in so much that both the Sunne the aire were darkned with it Which all is to bee vnderstood of that spiritual darknesse ignorance superstition and Idolatry wherewith the whole church was ouerspread after the great Antichrist came to the possession of his cursed chaire was in his pride height ruling raigning ouer the kings of the earth For thē indeed the sun was darkned and eclipsed that is the light of the Gospell was almost cleane put out For that which is spoken here of the darkning of the aire the Sun is to be vnderstood of a greater and more general darknesse then that which was mentioned in the former chapter wherein but a third part of the worlde was darkened But now that Antichrist inuadeth the church all is ouerspread with grosse and palpable darknesse all is as darke as pitch no man can see where he is or which way hee goeth For the whole aire is filled with this most odious and thick smoake which came out of hell pit And there came out of the smoake Locusts vpon the earth vers 3 and vnto them was giuen power as the scorpions of the earth haue power By these Locusts is meant the Popes Cleargie as Abbots Monkes Friers Priests Shauelings such like vermine which are therefore compared to Locusts because they waste and destroy the Church euen as Locusts destroy the fruites of the earth For both Historiographers trauellers do affirme that whole fieldes of greene corne new come vp haue bene wasted and eaten vp in one night as bare as the earth by swarmes of Locusts in the East-countries For in those parts of the world multitudes of this litle vermine are to be found euen so the Popish Cleargie cōsumeth and deuoureth all greene things in the Church Moreouer it is to bee noted that these Locusts came out of the smoake of the pit that is they were bred out of it for Monkes Friers Priests such like caterpillers were bred of ignorance error heresie superstition the very smoake of hell for from hell they came to hell they wil. They are discended of the black house of hell thither they will returne Moreouer it is said that power was giuen them to sting like scorpions For whom haue they not stung with their most venemous stings I mean their damnable errors and diuelish deuices Whom haue they not wounded with their corrupt doctrine diuellish authority They are the sorest soule-stingers that euer the world had who haue left their venimous stings in the soules of thousand thousands wherewith they haue bene poisoned and stung to death vers 4 And it was commaunded them that they should not hurt the grasse of the earth neither any greene thing neither any tree but onely those which haue not the seale of God in their foreheads It may be demanded what became of the church when as the whole earth was full of these crawling and stinging Locusts This question is now here answered to wit that these Locusts are charged and commaunded that they should not hurt any of the elect for this woe and this plague extendeth no further then to the inhabitants of the earth as wee haue heard before Their power is limited only to the reprobate they haue nothing to do with Gods chosen people And here againe we see what great care God hath for his in the midst of the greatest dangers as hath bene twise noted before chap. 7. chap. 8. For now Antichrist raigning in his ful pride yet his elect are preserued in the midst of these scorpion Locusts flying about their eares like swarmes of Hornets not one of them is stung to death Christs litle flocke is alwaies defended and set in safetie And to them was commaunded that they should not hurt them but that they should be vexed fiue monethes vers 5 and that their paine should be as the paine that commeth of a scorpion when he hath stung a man Some write that such as are stung of a scorpion do not die forthwith but haue a lingring paine wherewith they are miserably vexed three or foure dayes before they die of it Now vnto this lingring paine is this spiritual stinging compared for these Locusts are commanded of God that they should not kil the very reprobates outright at once but torment thē with a lingring death for the space of fiue moneths that is 500. yeares for so long did the Papacie continue in his height pride full strength and vertue and so long did the Pope his Cleargie sting men with lingring and scorpion-like paine Therefore in those daies shall men seeke death and shall not finde it and shall desire to die and death shal flie frō thē vers 6 This verse doth shewe that all Papists being thus stung and tormented in their consciences with this lingring paine of Popish doctrine shall wish themselues out of the world and buried quicke that they might be ridde of their spirituall stinging and hellish torments which they had in their cōscience For the Popish doctrine hath no sound comfort in it it leaueth men in desperation in sicknesse and vpon their death-beds For alas what comfort can a poore distressed conscience haue in Popes pardons Indulgences Masses Dirges Merits Workes Pilgrimages Purgatory Crosses Crucifixes Agnus deis such like trash and trumpery these alas are too weake remedies for any spirituall diseases they are not sufficient to procure pardon at Gods hand for any sinne Alas the poore blinde Papists did know feele that they were vile sinners they knew they must come to iudgement they knew that the reward of sinne was death euen the second death they knew all this full wel therfore had horrible convulsions in their consciences and knew no way nor meanes how to winde out of them For the doctrine of free iustification in the bloud of Christ was hid frō them they knew it not and therefore all assurance of Gods fauour all peace of conscience all ioy in the holy Ghost was vtterly taken from them therefore many of them died in most desperate vncomfortable maner And for this cause it is here said that they sought death and desired to be rid out of the worlde one way or an other for a tormented conscience who can beare it it is a kinde of he◠torment vers 7
fiercenesse of his wrath both vpon her and her whole kingdome yea and that in such terrible and wrathfull maner that there shall bee no place of refuge no place to flie vnto for succour vers 20 For Saint saith Euerie I le fled away and the mountaines were not found Meaning that the Papists in that day shall haue neither moutaine nor Iland to flie vnto And last of all the holy Ghost saith that there fell a great haile like talents out of heauen vpon the Idolaters chapter 16.21 insomuch that they blasphemed God because of the plague of the haile For the plague thereof was exceeding great A taleÌ„t was about the weight of threescore pound as some write Then it followeth that this haile of Gods wrath vpon the Papists shal be most terrible and fearfull and beate them all downe to the ground as it were an haile of milstones or plough-irons Nowe when this haile of talents commeth as assuredly come it shall then shall the kingdome of Poperie bee beaten to dust and powder and therfore no maruell though the idolaters seeing all this bee in a most horrible rage and blaspheme God as Saint Iohn saith vers 21 because of this exceeding and most extraordinarie plague which shall then come vpon them But nowe to conclude and wind vp all together For as mucâ— as this last viall is powred into the aire God saith it is done an extraordinarie earthquake followeth the great citie of Rome is rent Babylon called into question and feareful hailestones of wrath poured down vpon the Idolaters I do conclude that Rome shal fall finally and come to vtter destruction in this life Nowe let vs proceede to further proofe In the eighteenth chapter of this booke the whoore of Babylon saith in her heart chapter 18.8.9 I sit being a Queene and am no widowe and shall see no sorrowe Therefore shall her plagues come at one day death and sorrow and famine and shee shall be burnt with fire For that God which condemneth her is a strong Lord. First here Rome is described as shee was in the height and toppe of her pride and securitie when shee held the dominion of the kings of the earth and boasted that shee was the head of the Catholike Church carying her selfe very insolently aboue all kings and Emperours treading vppon their neckes and making them attend at her gates barefoote in the middest of winter as the stories report Yea and that shee was no widow that is no solitarie or desolate person but one that had manie louers which were strong to defende her so as shee should feele no want nor see any sorowe But the time will come and draweth on apace wherein shee shal be throughly punished for her haughtinesse and intolerable pride security For the holy Ghost saith her plagues shal come at one day that is sodainly shortly and speedily euen death sorow and famine and she shall 〈◊〉 burnt with fire For that God which condemneth her â—â— a strong Lord. If this bee not plaine enough to proue an vtter ouerthrow of Rome I know not what can be plaine enough For if death famine and fire will not pul her downe I knowe not what shal pul her downe But Saint Iohn saith flatly that God himselfe who is a strong Lord will oppose himselfe against Rome and condemne her If this strong God take against her who can vpholde her Can the king of Spaine can the Cardinalles can the Emperour can all the Dukes of Italy and al the potentates of the earth that take part with her No no they are al too weake For if God take against a man who can reclaime him sayth the Holy-Ghost For he dooth whatsoeuer he will And againe God is wise in heart and mighty in strength who euer hardened his hart against him and prospered If God call not backe his anger the most proud helpes are bowed vnder him And God sayth by the Prophet Can thy hands be strong or can thy hart endure in the day that I shal haue to do with thee Then it followeth that though Babylon sit as a Queene al her louers take part with her yet because the strong Lord is against her therefore shee shal come to vtter destruction Some of good iudgement in the truth haue gathered from this place that the very City of Rome shal be burnt with fire which assuredly may wel bee But this I am sure of that the phrase of burning with fire doth in the Prophets alwaies signifie an vtter destruction and desolation of a City or a kingdome and therefore it followeth that Rome shal be vtterly destroied But behold yet stronger and plainer proofe chapter 18. verse 2. For Saint Iohn sayth a mighty Angel tooke vp a stone like a great milstone and cast it into the sea saying with such violence shal that great City Babylon be cast downe and shal be found no more Al men know that old Babylon in Chaldaea was destroied by the Medes and Persians long before Saint Iohn writte this booke and therefore that is not here meant but the new Babylon which is Rome as afore hath bin prooued The Phrases of speech and the signes which the Prophets vsed to declare the destruction and desolation of olde Babylon are heere alluded vnto in the destruction of Rome For we reade in the prophecy of Ieremy that the Prophet hauing written in a booke al the euil that should come vpon Babel for holding Gods people so long in most miserable captiuity sayd to Seraiah When thou commest vnto Babel thou shalt reade all these words and when thou hast made an end of reading this book thou shalt bind a stone to it and cast it into the middest of Euphrates and shalt say Thus shall Babel be drowned and shall not rise vp from the euill that I will bring vpon her although they wearie themselues Now let vs consider how this agreeth with the same which is heere set downe and wee shal finde that all thinges are here set downe with greater force to expresse as it were a deeper vengeance and a more heauie and vnrecouerable destruction First there is a man here is a mighty Angel there the man taketh vp a stone heere the Angell taketh vp a great stone like a milstone there the stone is caste into the riuer here into the deepe sea Al these circumstances being applied to Rome doo greatly aggrauate the matter and verie plainely shewe that it shal fal Without al hope of recouery For the Lorde declareth by this forcible signe of casting a milstone into the sea that the City and kingdome of Antichrist shal bee cast deepe downe into perdition and shall lie ouerwhelmed and drowned in the same for euer For if olde Babylon was vtterly destroied and came to a final desolation in this life much more shal Rome as the Holy Ghost disputeth But olde Babylon came to vtter ruine and desolatition in this life as both Isay and Ieremy doe witnesse Therefore
THE RVINE OF ROME OR AN EXPOSITION vpon the whole Reuelation Wherein is plainly shewed and proued that the Popish Religion together with all the power and authoritie of Rome shall ebbe and decay still more and more throughout all the Churches of Europe and come to an vtter ouerthrow euen in this life before the end of the world Written especially for the comfort of Protestants and the daunting of Papists Seminary Priests Iesuites and all that cursed rabble Published by Arthur Dent Preacher of the word of God at South-Shoobery in Essex Apoc. 18. vers 7.8 She saith in her heart I sit as a Queene and am no widow and shall see no mourning Therefore shall her plagues come at one day death and sorrow and famine and shee shall be burned with fire for that God which condemneth her is a strong Lord. LONDON THE EPISTLE TO THE Christian Reader BEing often requested gentle Reader and much importuned by sundry both learned and godly to publish that doctrine of the Apocalyps which diuers of them with liuely voyce heard publikely deliuered I did at last vpon my most mature deliberation yeeld vnto their reasonable request I meane the reasons of their request Indeed I doe ingeniously confesse that I am the vnmeetest of many which this age God be thanked doth afford to deale in a matter of so great importance or any wise to be imployed in so great and honourable a seruice as this is But if I doe industriously vse my small talent and be found faithfull in a little I hope it shall haue both chearefull and comfortable acceptation with the Church of God For this I presume will bee granted of all that hee which hath but a little strength and yet putteth it forth to the vttermost to doe good withall is more to be commended then he which hath thrise his strength and vseth it not to the helpe and benefit of others And true it is indeed that sundry worthy labours of diuers excellent men vpon the Apocalyps are already extant so as he may seeme to powre water into the Sea or goe about to mend the crowes eyes that will attempt to adde any thing to that which is already published But know this O Christian Reader that the Lords garden is so large and plentifull of all most sweete and pleasant flowers that where any one hath gathered a Nosegay most fragrant and delectable another may come after and gather another not to be contemned For the wisedome of God is such an vndrainable fountaine and head-spring that where one hath drawne much before another may come happely and draw as much afterward yea though thousands doe succeede yet can this fountaine neuer be drawne drie Be it farre from me to arrogate any thing to my selfe aboue others for I am priuy inough to mine owne meanes and do freely confesse that in this worke I haue receiued much light from others and therefore do not as a iudge giue sentence vpon other mens workes but as one that would furnish the same feast bring in my dish among them Or as one that in the same cause would come in as a third or a fourth witnesse to testifie and confirme the same thing And verily through the gracious assistance of Gods spirit my simple purpose and indeuor is to giue a lift to the vttermost of my power to further that which is already happily begun and to prouoke others of greater gifts to come after with their great lights and Lanternes in their hands to discry and discouer whatsoeuer in this Prophesie is not yet fully seene into I am not ignorant that some would not haue this booke medled withall nor in any wise to be expounded among the common people because say they it is so darke and hard to vnderstand But let all such leaue their owne opinions and hearken what the holy Ghost saith Blessed is he that readeth and they that heare the words of this Prophecy c. What can be said more or more effectually to stirre vs vp to heare and reade and with all gladnesse to embrace this booke then to tell vs that in so doing we shall be blessed For the thinges contained in this booke be no trifles they be not things onely for a shew to mooue wonderment or to delight the curious minds of men but such as indeed do giue true blessednesse vnto all those that are well instructed in them What thing is greater then to bee blessed for euermore If we be not exceeding dull yea euen like stockes and stones it must needs moue vs stir vs vp For who will wittingly willingly loose his own blessednes or suffer it to be taken from him when as he may haue it If any will obiect that a man may be blessed well inough without the knowledge of this booke and that there bee bookes inough in the Scripture to procure our blessednesse without this and that thousands are now in heauen which neuer knew what this booke meant I answere that all this doth not take away the necessary vse of this booke for the holy Ghost doth pronounce a blessing vpon the heads of those that reade and studie this booke not because a man cannot be saued without it but because of the great comfort which it ministreth vnto vs of this age and hath ministred vnto all the Churches since the Apostles times For it is the Prophesie of this age and the Prophesie of all the ages since Christ wherein is fully shewed what shall be the estate and conditiō of the Church in the seuerall ages thereof vnto the ende of the worlde For God according to his admirable wisdome mercy hath neuer from the beginning left his church without a Prophesie for the great comfort thereof For we know that immediately after the fall of our first parents God himselfe for the great comfort of his Church did foretell and foreprophesie long before of that restauration which should be made by the Messias his sonne according as it came to passe in the fulnesse of time Afterward he did foretell his people of Israel of their great seruitude and intollerable bondage in Egypt and also of the ende and full determination thereof after foure hundred and thirtie yeares After all this he foretold by his seruants the Prophets of the captiuitie in Babylon and the full expiration thereof at the end and tearme of seuentie yeares And yet further for the comfort and consolation of his people he foretold by Daniel and Ezechiel of the great afflictions troubles which his Church should endure by the persecutions of the diuided Greeke Empire I meane Alexanders posteritie especially the Kings of Egypt and Siria which descended of Ptolomeus and Seleucus whom the scripture calleth the Kings of the North and of the South by the space of 294 yeares and of the precise determination thereof at the comming of the Messias Loe then what care God hath had of his Church in all ages before the comming
The Minister of Smyrna was a very rare excellēt man although a poore man to the worldward For Christ saith thus vnto him I know thy pouertie but thou art rich that is rich in grace and the manifolde gifts of the spirit Thou hast done great seruice to the church Thou hast imploied thy gifts to the good of many Thou takest great pains in thy ministrie art greatly blessed in thy labors for thou hast an excellent flocke a notable good people and therefore I cannot but greatly commend both thee and them The Minister of Philadelphia was also a very worthy and notable man For although his gifts were not so great as some others yet was he very painefull and faithfull in a little of whom it is said Thou hast a litle strength and hast kept my word and hast not denied my name that is thou art very constant in the profession and practise of Christian religion And therevpon Christ promiseth to blesse his labours For saith hee I will make them of the sinagogue of Sathan which call themselues Iewes and are not but do lye Beholde I say I will make them that they shall come and worship before thy feete and shall knowe that I haue loued thee Here we do plainely see how Christ promiseth to blesse this mans ministerie for his painefulnesse and diligence although hee was not of the greatest gifts For men of greatest gifts are not alwaies most blessed in their labors For God doth commonly worke the greatest things by weake meanes that all glory might redound vnto him and no flesh might boast in his sight For otherwise if men of greatest gifts should alwaies bee most blessed in their labours and winne most soules vnto God then wee would be readie to ascribe that to men their gifts which is proper vnto God and so this praise and glorie should be somewhat eclipsed Thus wee see what excellent men the Ministers of Smyrna and Philadelphia were and what excellent people they had in their charges But on the contrarie the Pastor and the people of Sardis and Laodicea are discommended for all things and commended for nothing Indeede the Minister of Sardis had a great name for learning and other good gifts but he was growne very idle negligent did little good with his gifts Of whom it is said Thou hast a name that thou liuest but thou art dead That is there was no spirit in him no life of grace his gifts waxed rustie for want of vse hee was fallen asleepe he was fallen away from the grace of God hee was nothing the man which he had bene Therefore hee is admonished to awake and strengthen the things which remaine which were readie to die The Minister of Laodicea the people also were growne luke-warme neither hot nor colde they were become carelesse and secure not caring greatly which end went forward in Gods matters so they might enioy the present profits and pleasures of this life Concerning the Pastors and people of Ephesus Pergamus and Thyatira they are partly commended and partly discōmended These three were reasonable good Ministers had many good parts in thē and tooke paines in their charges although there be some faults found with them For the Minister of Ephesus is commended for sixe things for labour for patience for zeale for wisedome for sinceritie for courage but discōmended for leauing his first loue that is for reuolting or somewhat going back or rather indeed for cooling in the loue zeale of God The Minister of Pergamus people also are greatly commended for their constant profession of the truth in the middest of manifolde troubles the very heate of persecution For the rage of the enemies grew so fierce against the profession and professors of the Gospell that Antipas the Pastor of Pergamus as some suppose was put to death For Christ saith thus of this church Thou dwellest where Sathās throne is and yet thou keepest my name and hast not denied my saith euen in those daies when Antipas my faithful Martyr was slaine among you where Sathan dwelleth But yet notwithstāding this church is found fault withal for some few things that is two grosse faults the one for suffering the doctrine of Balaam to be broached there by the instruments of Sathan the other that they maintained the doctrine of the Nicolaitans The doctrine of Balaam did vphold the lawfulnes of eating things sacrificed to Idols of committing fornication for he taught Balac the King of Moab thus to put a stumbling blocke before the children of Israel The doctrine of the Nicolaitanes did vphold the common vse of women that is that women might be made common These two most grosse and absurd doctrines were suffred and maintained in the church of Pergamus As concerning the church of Thyatira they are greatly commended for the loue and seruice to the church for their faith patience manifold workes and especially for their constant proceeding in religion and godlinesse and that with increase For of this church it is said I knowe thy loue and seruice and faith and thy patience and thy workes and that they are moe at the last then at the first But this church is discommended for suffering the wicked woman Iezabel that is a false Prophetesse which was craftily crept into this church to teach seduce the people of God in that congregatiō teaching the same false doctrine that Balaā did at Pergamus which was that it was lawfull to commit fornication and to eate meates sacrificed vnto Idolls Hitherto concerning the praises and dispraises of the churches Now followeth to speake of the admonitions First the Church of Ephesus hauing fallen from their first loue is admonished to remember from whence they were fallen to repent and to do their first workes Also the church of Smyrna is admonished and exhorted to stand fast in the midst of those persecutions troubles which should be raised vp against it by the Emperour Traianus and continue for the space of tenne yeares They are therefore exhorted and encouraged by our Lorde Iesus not to feare the things which they should suffer for although the diuel and his instruments should haue scope to persecute and imprison them for ten daies that is ten yeares according to prophetical account yet if they did continue faithfull to the death they should haue the crowne of life The church of Pergamus suffering and maintaining the doctrine of Balaam and the Nicolaitanes is admonished to repent and amend The Church of Thyatira which suffered the false doctrine of Iezabel is admonished to looke to her selfe and to hold fast the truth of Religion Sardis being dull and dead is admonished to awake and strengthen the things which remaine that were readie to die Philadelphia is admonished to holde that which they had that no man take their crowne Laodicea being neither hotte nor colde but luke-warme is admonished to be zealous and amend And although they
And the forme of the Locusts was like vnto horses prepared vnto battel on their heads were as it were crownes like vnto gold their faces was like the faces of men vers 8 And they had haire as the haire of women and their teeth were as the teeth of Lyons Hitherto we haue heard of the petigrew poisoned stings of these vile Locusts and how they vexed the inhabitants of the earth all the time of the great Antichrist Now we are to vnderstand of their form and likenesse for the spirit of God dooth here paint them out in their colours that all men may discerne them and beware of them First it is said that they were like vnto horses prepared vnto battell that is they were as strong and fierce as barred horses to rush and run vpon all such as should but once mute or mutter against them or their authoritie Moreouer they haue crownes of golde vpon their heads which sheweth and signifieth that they were the conquerors of the earth Lords of the world and who but they for in those daies 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 vpon matters and pretended great deuotion in religion flattering the people and making them beleeue that they could giue them pardon of all their sinnes and bring them to heauen when as in very truth for their bellies and for their gaine they did cunningly smoothe with the nobles the rich the mightie setting faire faces vpō al their proceedings and as S. Peter saith Through couetousnes with fained words they made merchandise of mens soules and did closely winde themselues into the hearts of the simple people by their fawning insinuations being in very deede most notable flatterers and hypocrites They had haire as the haire of women that is they were altogether effeminate being giuen to delicacie lust and wantonnesse they were drowned in whoredome al kind of beastlinesse being a shoale of most filthy villaines Their teeth were as the teeth of Lyons to catch snatch all that they could come by They deuoured all the fat morsels euery where they got the church-liuings into their hands they first made impropriations they incroached vpon temporall mens lands they swallowed vp all euerie where If we looke vpon the Abbeys Priories and Nunneries wee may easily iudge what teeth they had Moreouer it is said they had Habbergions like to Habbergions of Irō that is they were so strongly armed with the defence countenāce of the Pope that no secular power durst once quitch against thē Their wings were like the sounde of chariots when many horses runne vnto battell that is with fluttering noise terrible threatnings they stroue to vpholde their kingdome Also in Churches and Pulpits they make a roaring noise and take on terribly to maintaine their abhominable Idolatry They had tailes like vnto scorpions and there were stings in their tailes vers 10 For with their poisoned doctrine stinging authoritie like adders snakes they stung many to death Moreouer power was giuen them to hurt men fiue moneths that is all the time of Antichrists raigne as before hath bene shewed vers 11 They haue a king ouer them which is the angell of the bottomelesse pit whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greeke he is named Apollyon that is destroying As the foules haue a king ouer them which is the Eagle the beastes the Lyon mortall men some chiefe gouernour vnder whose protection and subiectiō they liue so here these hellish Locusts are said to haue a king ouer them which is the Angell of the bottomlesse pit that is the diuell or the Pope which you will vnder whose ensigne they fight and vnder whose defence they liue Their kings name in Hebrew is called Abaddon and in Greeke Apollyon The words are both of one signification that is destroying for both the diuell himself his vicar the Pope are destroiers and wasters of the Church of God One woe is past And beholde yet two woes come after this vers 2 Wee haue heard at large what this first woe is namely the plague of the worlde by the Pope and his Cleargie Now wee are to heare of the seconde 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 seueral 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 seueral woe from the former and therfore 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 haue heard and therefore this cannot be the same with the first Thirdly we are to vnderstand that this booke describeth all the greatest calamities and plagues that should come vpō the world in any age after Christ and therfore we may iustly think that the kingdome of the Turkes is not left out seeing it was one of the greatest plagues that euer came vpon the world But the kingdome of the Turkes is described in no other part of this Reuelation and therefore must of necessitie be here described vers 13 Then the sixt Angel blew the trumpet and I heard a voice from the foure corners of the golden Aultar which is before God vers 14 Saying to the sixt Angell which had the trumpet loose the foure Angels which are bound in the great riuer Euphrates Now we are come to the description of the second woe which followeth vpon the blowing of the sixt trumpet by the sixt Angell And first of all hee saith He heard a voice frō the foure corners of the goldē Aultar chapter 8.3 By the golden Aultar is meant Christ as before hath bene shewed with the reasons thereof Frō this Aultar the voice commeth to the angel which blew the sixt trumpet that wee might knowe it is the voice of the mighty God the cōmandemēt of our Lord Iesus The voice commandeth the sixt Angell to loose the foure Angels which are bound in the great riuer Euphrates By these foure Angels which are thus bound at Euphrates is meant many diuels or angels of darkenesse as we heard before chap. 7. verse 1. Their binding signifieth their restraint by which they were helde backe from doing that mischiefe which they desired to do Their loosing signifieth that power was giuen them to performe that which they wished They are saide to bee foure in number because they should raise an horrible plague in the foure corners of the earth both East
grown to such an height and ripenesse do deserue some fearefull vengeance and that God hath a iust controuersie against vs as sometimes he had against Israel because there vvas no mercie nor truth nor knowledge of God in the land but swearing lying killing stealing and whooring and bloud toucheth bloud and therefore saith God the land shal mourn c. But yet I hope for his couenant sake for his great mercies sake for his names sake for his glory sake and for his Church sake he will be gratious and fauorable vnto vs not bring vpon vs that vēgeance which our sins haue deserued or at leastwise though he correct vs as indeed he hath iust cause we may iustly feare it yet he will doe it in mercie for our amendment and not in wrath to our destruction as he saith by his Prophet I will not vtterly destroy thee but I vvill correct thee by iudgement and not vtterly cut thee off But howsoeuer it shall please the most wise God to deale with vs yet this I say and am perswaded of that Poperie shall neuer bee established againe in this kingdome my reason is because the euerlasting Gospell caried abroad by the Angell that flieth in the middest of heauen shall spread still more and more throughout all the kingdoms of Europe chapter 14.6 as appeareth Chap. 14. ver 6 for otherwise how shal Rome fal how shal the Iewes euer be conuerted how shall fire come downe from heauen and deuour both Gog and Magog chapter 20.9 as the holy Ghost foretelleth shall come to passe and as we shal heare more anon Moreouer Saint Iohn telleth vs plainly that in these last dayes the Gospell shall bee preached to many people and nations and tongues and to many kings And further he saith that in this age wherein wee liue many shall renounce Idolatry repent and giue glorie to the God of heauen But some man may say how proue you that this kingdom is one of them which S. Iohn speaketh of and which he meaneth wherein the gospell shall be preached vnto the end of the world I answere that it is prooued out of the 17. chapter of this prophesie where the holy ghost telleth vs flatly that those ten kingdomes of Europe which had a lōg time ben the ten hornes strength of the beast chapter 17. verse 13 being of one minde had giuen their power authority vnto the beast should now in these last daies rise vp against the whore of Babylō make war against her hate her make her desolate But this kingdome is one of those ten hornes ver 16 and one of those ten kingdomes which a long time had giuen her power authoritie vnto the beast Therefore as this kingdome hath happily begun to hate the whore and to make her desolate and naked so vndoubtedly shee shall continue vnto the end of the world For if this kingdome and other kingdomes which now hate the whore doe not continue how shall shee bee made desolate and naked c Then it should seeme the beast shall reuiue and recouer himselfe againe and so S. Iohn shall be found a false prophet But God is true and all men are liers Saint Iohn shall bee found a true prophet and therefore these kingdomes of Europe which haue begun to hate the whore shal cōtinue neuer giue her ouer till as the holy ghost saith they haue eaten her flesh burnt her with fire that is till they haue vtterly deuoured her But heere it will be obiected that in the latter daies iniquitie shall haue the vpper hand I answere first that I finde no such place of scripture But this I find that our Lord Iesus foretelleth his disciples that very shortly after his death resurrection many seducers and false teachers should arise which should deceiue many and draw them away from the loue of the gospell and saith hee because iniquitie shall bee increased the loue of many shall bee cold But this speech of our sauiour doth not properly concerne our times But yet it must needes be granted that the wicked shall wax worse and worse the world shall not amend but still bee worse and worse chapter 14. ver 1 14 18. and grow to a greater height and ripenesse of sinne as appeareth in this prophesie Yet for all this wee must note withall that the number of true beleeuers in those last daies chapter 11. ver 1 ver 11. ver 13. shall bee very many as this booke doth also teach But it may bee obiected how can this geare stand together that in the last daies there shall bee multitudes and millions of reprobates and most wicked abhominable persons and yet withall a great increase of true beleeuers I answere that the world will bee alwaies like it selfe impious and vnbeleeuing But the church shall purely worship God and that with daily increasing euen vnto the end But now me thinketh I heare some man say what likelyhood is there of all this which you write touching the ouerthrow of Rome Doe wee not see that Rome is yet strong Doth not Italy Spaine the greatest part of France and Netherland and Germany stand for her defence Hath not the whore still many and great bearers and vpholders what likelyhood is there thē that euer she shal be brought so low as you speake of I answere that in this case we must not aske this question what likelyhood We must not consult with flesh and bloud Wee must not take counsell of humane reason For God is maruellous in his deuises and when hee hath once decreed and determined of any future euent he will compasse it by meanes far surpassing all humane reach and capacitie yea by such plots and deuises as mans wit could neuer haue once dreamed of For hee hath all meanes in heauen earth in his hands and is admirable in all his proceedings and therefore we may not aske this question what likelyhood or how can it bee or how can it possiblie come to passe What likelyhood was there an hundred yeeres past when Rome was in her height and all the kingdomes of Europe stood for her that euer she should haue been forsaken of so many of her old friends as at this day shee is What likelyhood was there that when the Pope could commaund the Emperor and all the kings of Europe and their kingdomes that euer hee should haue beene brought so low as at this day hee is God bee thanked What likelyhood was there that euer poore Martin Luther should stand out with the euerlasting gospell in his mouth against the Pope Emperour as it were the whole world yet dye in his bed in a good old age What likelyhood was there that Henry the eight of famous memory should renounce Rome oppose himselfe against the Pope and suppresse the Abbies Priories and Monasteries in this kingdome and take their lands and liuings into his owne hands Therefore I
yea did couer the whole face of the earth with their multitudes and compasse the tents of the Saints about and the beloued citie that is did make warre against the Church and people of God which in comparison of them were but as a few tents or some little citie But marke vvhat followeth and consider the issue of the battaile The holy ghost saith expressely that fire came downe from God out of Heauen and deuoured them Which doth plainely shew that the armies of Gog Magog though neuer so huge shal be destroyed by the fire of Gods vvrath Now from this I gather that as the armies of the Pope shall goe downe still more and more as formerly hath bene shewed and as experience in the last yeeres good successe both in Ireland Netherland and against Spaine also hath partly prooued Gods most holy name be praised so also the armies of the Turk shal be ouerthrowen so farre foorth as they fight against the true Church or at least be so kept back that they shall not be able to compasse the tents of the Saints as vve see and feele this day God be thanked ver 10 And the Diuell that deceiued them was cast into a lake of fire and brimstone where that beast and that false prophet are and shal be tormented euen day and night for euermore Heere is set downe the Diuells doome to vvit that he shal be cast downe into the infernall pit as vvell vvorthy both for his seducing all nations and stirring vp the armies of Gog and Magog against the Church euen to roote it vp if it vvere possible Therefore Saint Iohn telleth vs that forasmuch as he is the author of all mischiefe and he that hath set all the rest a vvork therefore both he and his instrumens the beast and the false prophet Gog and Magog shall all drinck of the same cup of Gods eternall vvrath and be all throwne downe together into one close prison vvhich is that gasping gulfe and infernall lake that burneth vvith fire and brimstone for euer Loe then vvhat shal be the end of the diuell the Pope the Turk the Emperour the King of Spaine the Cardinall and all other the diuels instruments vvhich heere in earth haue persecuted the Church and compassed the tents of the Saints and the beloued Cittie Now after all this in the fiue last verses Saint Iohn entreth into a liuely and cleere discription of the last iudgement First noting the terror and maiestie of the Iudge himselfe in this ver 11 that from his face both Heauen and earth fled away that is no creature shal be able to endure his angry countenance in that daye and yet vvithall setting downe the puritie and vprightnesse of his iudgement and iudgement seate calling it a white Throne ver 12 And after this the generall citing and personall appearing of all men before him of vvhat degree estate or condition soeuer For both death and hell sea and graue did deliuer vp their dead And all vvithout exception came to iudgement And the bookes of their consciences vvere opened for euerie mans vvorke is engrauen vpon his cōscience as it vvere in letters of brasse or vvith the point of a Diamond as the Prophet speaketh And they were iudged of those things which were written in the bookes according to their workes and according to the testimonie of their owne consciences And death and hell ver 14 that is all the heires of death and hell euen all the societie of reprobates both papists Atheists and all vnbeleeuers yea whosoeuer were not found written in the booke of life were cast into the lake of fire ver 15 which is the second death Now heere I would haue it dilligently obserued that the holy ghost hath three seuerall times in this booke described the last iudgement to wit in the latter end of the 11. Chapter in the latter end of the 14. Chapter and now in the latter end of this Chapter And moreouer I would haue the order and causes of these descriptions well waighed For in the 11. Chapter hauing before described the kingdome of the Pope and the Turk with their ouerthrow and also the preaching and preuailing of the Gospell in these last daies hee commeth to describe the last iudgement In the 14. Chapter hauing set downe that the euerlasting gospell should be plētifully preached in this last age the ouerthrow of Babylon immediately following forthwith hee proceedeth to the discription of the last day In this Chapter hauing before concluded of the vtter ouerthrow of Rome of the beast and the false prophet of Gog and Magog and all aduersary power at length hee proceedeth to this description of Christs second comming which wee haue heard of And out of all this I do gather that the vtter ouerthrow of the Pope all his adherents shall be in this life a little before the comming of Christ vnto iudgement Chap. 21. AS wee haue heard before of the vtter ouerthrow of the beast and the false prophet and all their adherents and also of the euerlasting condemnation of the dragon that old serpent which set them all a worke So now in this Chapter wee are to heare of that most happy and blessed estate which the faithfull shall dwell in for euermore so that the maine drift of this Chapter is most fully to describe that infinit glory and endlesse felicitie to the which all the 144000 that is all the elect of God shal be aduanced when both the beast and all that haue receiued his marke shall be cast downe into the infernall lake This Chapter may very fitly bee deuided into foure parts The first is a description of the renouation of the world and the restauration of the creature ver 1 The second is ver 2.3.4 a laying foorth of the most glorious estate of the Church when it shall bee freed from all misery The third is a protestation of God himselfe ver 5.6.7.8 concerning the renouation of all things the felicitie of his elect and the endlesse torment of all reprobates The fourth is ver 9.10.11.12.13.14.15.16.17.18.19.20.21.22.23.24.25.26.27 a liuely description of the very kingdome of God and the vnspeakeable ioyes of heauen vnder the figure of a great citie called the holy Ierusalem Which citie is heere most gloriously described of his walles gates foundations streets height length breadth brightnesse matter forme persons and inhabitants The text ver 1 AND I saw a new heauen and a new earth for the first heauen and the first earth were passed away and there was no more sea ver 2 And I Iohn saw the holy city new Ierusalem come downe from God out of heauen prepared as a bride trimmed for hir husband ver 3 And I heard a great voice of heauen saying behold the tabernacle of God is with men and hee will dwell with them and they shall bee his people and God himselfe shall bee their God ver 4 And God shall wipe all teares from their eies and there shall bee no