from the possibilitie of it because it is the number of a man also from the facility because it may be expressed in three numeral letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which make six hundred threescore and six The former part of the Chapter Of the Beast arising out of the sea 1. And I saw a beast rise up out of the Sea having seven heads and ten hornes and upon his hornes ten crowns and upon his heads the name of blasphemy 2. And the beast which I saw was like unto a Leopard and his feet were as the feet of a Beare and his mouth as the mouth of a Lion the Dragon gave him his power and his seat and great authority 3. And I saw oneof his heads as it were wounded to death his deadly wound was healed and all the world wondred after the beast 4. And they worshipped the Dragon which gave power unto the beast they worshipped the beast saying Who is like unto the beast Who is able to make warre with him 5. And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies and power was given unto him to continue fourty and two moneths 6. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God to blaspheme his Name and his Tabernacle and them that dwelt in heaven 7. And it was given unto him to make war with the Saints and to overcome them and power was given him over all kinreds and tongues and nations 8. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the booke of life of the Lambe slaine from the foundation of the world 9. If any man have an eare let him heare 10. He that leadeth into captivity shall goe into captivity He that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword Here is the patience and the faith of the Saints THE COMMENTARIE ANd I saw a Beast rise up out of the sea In this part of the vision there seems to all interpreters some barr to lie in the way touching this prophesie as what should be meant by these Beasts of both which Iohn at length cryes out as if they were but one here is wisedome let him that hath understanding count the number of the Beast intimating that here something is figured out passing the reach of man And indeed the thing is so Notwithstanding from the manner of the method formerlie laid down by us we may undoubtedly gather that the Third Ast of this 4 Vision that is Antichristian persecution is here represented Beside I scarsly find any whether ancient or moderne interpreters Lyra and Alcasar excepted but expound either the former or the latter or els both the Beasts of Antichrist Now whatsoever is meant by the latter let us first consider the former Touching this I finde diverse opinions Some will have it to be the divell Opinions about this sea-beast Others some certain and special persons abounding in all manner of wickednesse such as Gensericus or Cosroes or his son Syroes or Mahumet or Luther as Lindanus foolishly feigneth Others by the Beast understand the universality of wicked men But these opinions are not at all to bee esteemed because indeed they manifestly contradict the text For the Dragon who is the devill shal give his throne unto the Beast Therfore he is not the Beast himself But in a prophetical style a Beast in scripture usually signifies not a special man but a monarchical kingdome with the head thereof Lastly all the wicked shall follow and worship the Beast therefore they themselves are not the Beast So that this Beast can neither bee restrained to one certain wicked man nor confounded with all the wicked in generall But there are three other opinions more probable Three opinions more probable which I wil briefly set down and examine The first is that this Beast denotes the old Romane Empire with its idolatrie cruelty against Christians Of this mind are many of the ancients as Tertullian Hierome Orosius Eusebius with many also of our latter divines as Bullinger Foxe Osiander in his conjectures Junius Aretius Whitaker wherin Alcasar the Iesuite agrees with them 1 sentence touching the Romane empire examined This opinion howsoever I doe not altogether disapprove considering that in Chap. 17. where this Beast againe comes forth it is manifest that Antichrist clothed with the spoiles of the Romane Empire is represented by the same neverthelesse in this place I take it otherwise For first Iohn here sees the beast arising out of the sea So that he saw its originnall but the original of the Romane Empire he did not see For it it had now already continued from Julius unto the fourteenth yeere of Domitian when this prophesie was revealed unto him CXLII yeeres Therefore it is said afterward in Chap. 17.8 of the Romane Empire The Beast was to wit before this vision and before his rising out of the sea Secondly this Beast rose not out of the sea til the Womans flight into the wildernesse as the order of the Vision both here and in the foregoing Chapter doth plainly manifest Now the flight of the woman was not under the Romane tyrants but begane under Christian Emperours and hereticks as we have shewed in the foregoing Chapter Adde hereunto that the Beast is said to rage fourty two moneths the which is the time of the womans abode in the wildernesse and the time of the prophesie of the two witnesses as appeares by what hath before bin spoken Now this time by the consent of all shall be the last in which Antichrist shall rage And therfore it cannot possibly belong to the old or Pagan Empire of the Romanes To be short this seems to be a demonstrative reason that this Beast is often mentioned throughout this prophesie as beeing to remain in a continuall persecution of the Saintes unto the end of the world and not to be abolished but by the brightnesse of Christs comming who will cast him into the lake of fire and brimstone Chap. 19.10 Whereas the old Romane Empire scarsly dured three hundred and fifty four yeeres and now hath bin in the hand of Christians thirteen hundred yeeres and more Therefore this Beast cannot simply be applied to the ancient Romane Empire The reasons most probable alledged for it though of little solidity are three First that this Beast seems to be like to the fourth beast in Daniel Chap. 7.7 by which according to the common opinion is denoted the Romane Monarchie Secondly because the Romane Emperours from Tiberius unto Constantine have most cruelly warred against the Saintes the which also the Beast is here said to doe ver 7. Lastly because power is given to this Beast over every tribe and tongue nation in the same verse The which most properly may be applied to the Romane Emperours Lords of the world To the first I answer if we compare the Beast in Daniel with this here we shal see indeed that both of them have ten
that of the Apostle In all these things we are more then conquerours through him who loved us This victory in overcomming the world and the Beast is the faith of the Saints against which the Beast shall never prevaile The same thing speaks Daniel touching the little horne and the issue of the war made with the Saints He prevailed against them saith he untill the Ancient of daies came and judgement was given to the Saints of the most high And therefore the Beast shall not alwaies prevaile against the Saints but at length they shall judge the Beast for his power shall endure no longer then XLII moneths which serves for the comfort of the godly lest fainting under their long-during calamities they should cast away their hope of victory If thou enquire after the time of the warre When the war began it began to be made of old when the Beast first trod down the holy city and tyrannically persecuted al opposers by fire and sword In speciall the warre was at the height after the measuring of the temple which through the great mercy of God was effected in these last times By this warre the Councill of Constance tooke away the two witnesses Iohn Husse and Jerome of Prague and was afterward strongly prosecuted against the Saints by the Councill of Trent and yet is to this day And power was given him over all kindreds and tongues We have heard the declaration and usurpation of the power The universal power of the Beast Now he addes the largenesse and greatnesse thereof for that which in vers 3. was generally spoken The whole earth wondred after the Beast is now distributively spoken Power is given him over every tribe and tongue and nation It is therefore an amplification of his power from the largenesse of the territories in subjection to the Beast His power is universall so as none whither high or low in the Christian world but do either desire or are forced to submit to the Romish yoke Behold here again whither the spirit of God doth not point at the Catholike state of Rome that so Antichrist Christs adversary might be known even by the largenesse of his kingdom Psal 2.6 Psal 72.8 Hebr. 1.2 Rev. 5.9 For as CHRIST is appointed by the Father to be heire of all things from sea to sea He it is that hath redeemed us to God by his blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation so on the contrary the DRAGON hath given power to the Beast over every tongue and kinred and nation c. Yet lest we should think that Christ was wholly thrust out of his possession by Antichrist a limitation is annexed 8. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him He much amplifies the dignity and worship of the Beast but withall limits the same He shall be worshipped as God in vers 4. it is said in preterperfect tense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have worshipped Here in the future 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall worship So that the Beasts maiestie shall not be for a short time but shall long endure untill it be fully manifested Notwithstanding the holy Ghost comforts the godly by a twofold restriction first in that he calleth the worshippers of the Beast inhabitants of the earth And therefore none but earthly men shall worship him for the Elect are not the inhabitants of the earth Phil. 3.20 but Citizens of Heaven in regard that their conversation is there So that Gods chosen shall not adore the Beast neither shall their salvation or Christs Kingdom be in jeoperdie but theirs onely who follow the Beast for they shall all of them be cast with him into the lake Chap. 19.20 The other restriction is more expressely set downe viz. that they onely shall worship the Beast Whose names are not written in the Book of life c. that is who were not elected in Christ unto salvation but reprobated unto death before the foundations of the world THEREFORE NO MAN CAN BE SAVED IN THE ANTICHRISTIAN CHURCH because all who are not written in the Book of life shall be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone Chap. 20.15 Let all therefore who love their salvation forsake the Popish Church The names of the Elect are said to be written in the Book of life The Booke of life by an usuall metaphor for we commonly write down the names of such who are deare unto us that we may continually remember them so God having in his eternall counsell elected some to salvation hath written their names in the Book of life so saith Christ Rejoyce because your names are written in Heaven The metaphor also may be understood of the Sonship of the Elect so that to be written in the Book of life shews that they are heires of glory for we know that such are to inherit whose names are written in the last will or testament of men The Booke of life is Christ for in him God hath elected us Therefore it is called the Booke of life of the Lamb that is of Christ because election is made in Christ hence none shall obteine eternall salvation but such who are ingrafted in him through faith the Lamb also is said to be slaine because election includes the blood and death of Christ for the sins of all true beleevers for God hath so decreed to save the Elect as that Christs satisfaction comming in as a ransome for their sinnes his justice might stand with his mercy From the foundation of the world This may be referred either to the next foregoing word slaine or else to the words before who are not written And so Aretas How the Lamb is slaine from the beginning of the world Ephes 1.3 Rupertus and some others take it because of another place not unlike to this Cha. 17.8 They that dwell on the earth shall wonder at the Beast whose names are not written in the Booke of life from the foundation of the world And Paul saith that we were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the World Notwitstanding the spirit doth not without cause immediately joyne the words from the foundation of the world with the Lamb slaine For he would commend unto us the sufficiencie and largenesse of Christs sacrifice in as much as the efficacie of his death and passion is extended to the very first beginning of the world and so unto all the faithfull from Adam untill the end thereof to shew that no man living shall obtaine eternall life except he be redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. But how could the Lamb be slaine before he was I answer 1. Pet. 1.19.20 Gen. 3.15 Heb. 11.1 Act. 9.4 It is true he was onely slaine once on the Crosse some sixteen hundred yeares ago by a reall suffering yet he is in divers respects said to be slaine before 1. in Gods eternall preordination viz. that he should be slaine in the appointed time 2. by promise that the seed of the woman should
be brought into their treasury What is more ravenous then the Clergie who suffer none either to be borne live or die freely Hereupon Frederick the Emperour writing to Pope Hadrian touching the prohibition of Cardinals Baleus in vita Hadr. IV. his Churches saith he are shut neither are his Cities open for we see them to be not preachers but robbers not peace-makers but money-takers not repairers of the world but insatiable heapers up of gold Lastly what is more horrible then the Popish Edicts Bulls Writs Amos. 3.8 written at Rome not with inke but in blood If the Lyon doth reare who will not feare The Romane Beast roaring against Emperours Kings Electours Princes Bishops Vassals who will not tremble Thus we see how the prodigious disposition of Antichrist is lively represented by this monstrous Beast And the Dragon gave him his power Here follows the Beasts power But from whom hath he it The Dragon gave it to him Now there is no power but from God And therefore the Beasts power is not lawfull but a corruption of power and tyranny having for its authour him who said All these things will I give thee if falling down thou wilt worship me viz. the Devill that lying Serpent His power Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some render it vertue but I rather allow the former least there might be an ambiguity in understanding it of a naturall or morall vertue The power of the Dragon is his malice fraudulency and strength to hurt so that the Dragon did fill the Beast God so permitting the same as Ribera well observeth with all deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse and wickednesse to seduce and destroy And his seat Or Throne as all Greeke copies have it But the Vulgar omits it The Throne of the Dragon is his kingdome and rule which he hath in the children of disobedience in regard whereof he is said to be the god of this world This kingdom he gave to Antichrist by making him the god of this world who by a pretended power gives the kingdomes of this world to whom he will according to that of the Lateran Fathers crying out to Julius II. Thou art all in all and above all to thee is given all power in heaven and in earth According to that of the Poet By oracle of thine own voyce the world thou governest all And worthily a god on earth men thinke and do thee call And great authoritie The which will appeare in ver 5.6.7 And by it we understand who is Antichrists benefactour here then we may see what before was obscurely spoken viz. He ascended out of the sea that is came forth out of the bottomlesse pit of hell unto the height of the Vniversall Chaire is here more clearly expressed in these words 2 Thes 2.9 The Dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority And most plainly by the Apostle Whose comming is after the working of Satan with all power and signes and lying wonders with all deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse c. 3. And I saw one of his heads The Kings edition omits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I saw but the sence and consent of copies requires it It signifies the weakning and restitution of the Beasts power of which some say one thing some another It is a weak fiction of the Glosse displeasing also to Ribera viz. that Antichrist should feine himself to be dead and afterward rise againe in imitation of Christ and by this deceit gaine to himself that admiration here spoken of But John saw not the Beast dead or as it were dead but one of his heads wounded as it were unto death that is so mortally wounded as that he was not farre from being dead But if the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it were slaine be understood really of the slaughter and death of the head as in Chap. 5.6 the Lamb appeared 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it were slaine that is truely slaine and dead yet it no way helps the fiction for howsoever by the killing of one head the Beast indeed was hurt yet not wholly dead But the former sence is hereby confirmed that this stroke is twice called a deadly wound and againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a wound inflicted by the sword Our Interpreters who understand this Beast of the old Romane Empire do all agree that here is noted some remarkable weakning thereof but others apply it otherwise Some understand the one head of Julius Cesar the first Emperour who being slaine the Empire received a deadly wound but was healed again by Augustus Others referre it to the death of Nero in whom the family of Caesars ceased and then the Empire seemed to be near a dissipation when in a few moneths after were slaine three Emperours viz. Galba Ottho and Vitelius yet this wound was healed by Vespasian whom the Common-wealth of Rome as Aurelius Victor reports being almost spent by the cruelty of tyrants obteined by a providence for their Emperour after LVI yeares that it might not utterly be ruinated But these wounds were before Johns time whereas here he prophesieth of the Beasts wounded afterward Others understand it of the scisme of the Romane Monarchie under Heraclius occasioned by Mahumet in the East and the Pope in the West by which division the Romane Empire was so shaken as it had much adoe to subsist the which wound they conceive was again healed by Charles the great But we have shewed before that the Beast or Antichrist doth not here absolutely denote the Romane Empire Now whatsoever this be we may wel referre it till we come to Ch. 17. v. 11. yet here we must consider what is meant by the Beasts deadly wound and what by the healing thereof Concerning which although our Interpreters who interpret the Beast to be Antichrist doe not precisely agree in every thing yet hence the Papists have no cause to insult For the verity of our tenet viz. that the Pope is Antichrist may firmely stand although it be not so easie to define all the particulars of this mystery for Histories testifie that the Beasts head hath already been diversly wounded or know to what mortall wound of Antichrist the holy Ghost here properly points at Lib 3. de P. R C. 15. In Apocal. 13. Beside the Iesuites are no lesse differently minded about it Bellarmine approves of the fable touching the feined death and resurrection of Antichrist This Ribera refutes and imagineth that not Antichrists head but a head of one of the ten Kings a member and fore-runner of Antichrist was wounded Alcasar rejecting both contendeth that Nero being this Head mortally wounded did live againe in Domitian I forbeare to rehearse more Three of them we see disagree each from other And why may not ours also holding to the main dissent in some thing without a manifest note of errour Brightman a most learned Interpreter is of opinion Ennead 7. l. 7 sub fin that this wound is to be referred to the
John Husse and Jerome of Prage the two witnesses of the Gospel to be burnt and displacing the three Antipopes Gregory Benedict and Iohn it substituted Martin V. and so the deadly wound of the Beast was at length as it were healed by a divine Aesculapius or Chirurgion one onely Pope being againe set on the Romish Chaire Notwithstanding the ulcer burst forth in divers places first in Spaine and France for Benedict XIII dying Anno 1424. the Cardinals by his commandement and authority of King Alphonsus created Aegidius Munyos a Canonist named Pope Clement VIII Afterward in Bohemia where in the Hussian warres it is wonderfull to consider how much Christian blood was shed for the wound of the Beast untill at last Pope Martin regaining the favour of Alphonsus Aegidius was forced at the commandement of the King to lay down his Popedom And to the Bohemians the Councill of Basil permitted marriage to their Priests to have the Liturgie in the vulgar tongue the use of the Cup in the Eucharist and some other things which they called Compactata on this condition that they should acknowledge the Romane beast to be head of the Church Now I suppose there is no man but sees that these things do very wel suite with this prophesie touching the deadly wound and healing of the Beast Notwithstanding I leave it to the judgement of the Reader for whose sake I here briefly set down a rype of the Antipopes during the wound of that scisme ANTIPOPES During the schismaticall vvound of the Romane Beasts At Avinion  At Rome Clement VII dieth Anno 1392.  Vrban VI. dieth 1390. Benedict XIII deposed at Pise 1410. and at Constance 1417.  Boniface 9. dieth 1404.  Innocent VII dieth 1407 Gregory XII deposed at Pise 1410. and at Constance 1415. Alexander V. dieth 1411 Clement VIII giving place to Martine at Constance 1421.  Iohn XXII deposed at Constance 1415. Martine V. created Pope at Constance 1417. But if so be we are to understand the wound and the healing thereof in the latter sence Alphonsus his opinion touching the deadly wound of the Beast then I should altogether embrace the opinion of Alphonsus Mantuanus a learned Italian Interpreter One of the Beasts heads saith he as it were wounded to death seemes to me to denote that age of impiety in which the Gospell began to be preached and the Popish kingdom opposed through the ministery of the Gospell and the abomination thereof so manifested as it is even known to the ignorant themselves that the Pope who hath on his heads written names of blasphemy is the Beast and a most wretched man who presumes to be esteemed a god For then the Beast was seen to have received a deadly wound when those impious doctrines by which hitherto the Popes kingdome hath remained in its strength were reproved as meere lyes and Diabolicall deceits by the free preaching of the Gospell of Christ. Thus far he By the mortall wound of the Beast therefore he understands the separation of the Professours of the Gospell from Popery whence first a deadly disease befell the Papists in Germany and soon after in the neighbouring Kingdoms of France Poland Hungary and England Like as the ach of a wound ordinarily is irksome to the parts adjoyning This wound could not be inflicted on this powerfull Beast but by God himself who at last taking compassion on Germanie confounded the deceits of Rome by raysing up Anno 1516. Luther Melancthon and other excellent Divines as the instruments and organes of his grace and favour The sword wounding the Beast was the preaching of the Gospell by which in a short space the props of Popery were so sore shaken throughout Germany as it was not far from an utter ruine Notwithstanding our sins so deserving we see this wound now healed the Papacie again prevailing and reassuming her strength and vigour But by what medicines or potions This is cleared by Histories And as Alphonsus well writeth this deadly stroke began to be healed When the Kings and Princes of the earth began through fire and sword to force men unto the Popes obedience To this end was raised the Smalcaldick war against the Protestants The wars of the Spaniard in the Low-countries and the Massacres in France that the mortall stroke of the Beast might be healed But the false prophet ver 11. seems to have made the true medicine The Beasts Chyrurgians by his Chyrurgians Campegius Caietane Polus Faber Prierates Eckius Latomus Staphylus and the like Physicians who excelling in art fraud and sophistrie have held up the tottering state of the Papacy Notwithstanding the Councill of Trent acted the part of chiefe Physicians as applying with great skill wonderfull potions for to heal this wound To these we may adde the Popish Academies and especially that of the Sorbonnists at Paris The last are the jugling Iesuites by whose industrie boldnesse and craft the Head of the Beast is daily more and more restored to its former health And I could wish that the unhappy contentions of the Professours of the Gospell were not as oyle and wine powred into this wound for I verily believe that our own dissentions have more strengthened the Beast then all his own force and policy whatsoever Thus much concerning the wound and the healing thereof And all the whole earth wondred after the Beast First I desire the reader to take notice of the anticipation even now laid down For we are not to think that the world admired not the Beast till he was wounded and healed again for the Beast never was without his followers and people wondring at his throne and great power and therefore by way of a parenthesis the stroke and cure was spoken of before which came to passe afterward Now the authority of the Beast and the besotted stupidity of men to worship him doth immediately cohere with his seat and great power for although this be not so plaine in the verse yet is it clear by the following For wherefore is the Beast so much wondred at was it because he was healed certainly it is a matter of no great admiration that a wound should be cured by a Chyrurgian and therefore this cure could not be the cause of so great an admiration as the Glosse imagineth in applying it to the feined death and resurrection of Antichrist the which thing even the chiefest of the Iesuites are ashamed of The true cause of the worlds wondring is the seat and great power given to the Beast by the Dragon as we shall see in the following verse for as the Philosopher saith admiration begets Philosophie so here the worlds admiring the Beast Aristot lib. 1. Metap c. 2. begets Antichristianisme At first men admiring the Keyes and pretended seat of Peter together with the majestie of ancient Rome did easily attribute to the Romane bishop primacie of honour and agreed that every Church should bring their cases to the Church of Rome because of