are not rehearsed expressely in the vision of the first Chapter They doe greatly helpe to declare the administration of this Church Touching the city Philadelphia it selfe we finde no other thing but that in the age following there abod in that place a famous congregation of the faithfull over which Demas had the charge as is gathered from the Epistles of Jgnatius In the Antitype a divine power specially shineth forth sanctifying the Church by kindling the desyre of godlines and in making it in Christ Iesus fit and cheerfull to every good worke Let my wordes be without envy the true doctrine soundeth no where purer the worship lesse corrupted more flourisheth the faithfull diligence of the Pastours is performed more willing obedience of the people nor greater reverence of all religion among all degrees But this holines seemeth chiefly to respect manners In which thing is not to be passed over that famous testimony of Iohn Bodin speking of them of Geneva Of whom that thing saith he is prayse worthy if any thing any where in the earth and which maketh a comon wealth to flourish if not in riches and greatnes of Empire yet certenly in vertues and godlines namely that censure of the Popes then which nothing greater and more divine could be devised to bridle mens lusts and to represse those vices which by no meanes could be amended by any humane lawes and iudgements How be it that this restraint is directed after the rules of Christ first privatly and friendly after some what more sharply then if thou obey not there followeth an heavie grave and effectuall prohibition from the holy things after the interdiction is the punishement of the Magistrate And so it cometh to passe that those things which are punished no where by the lawes are there restrained without any force and sturre or great adoe Therefore noe whoredomes no drunknesses noe daunâ—ings noe beggars noe idle persons are found in that city Those are his wordes in Meth. of History chap. 6. Worthyly is the sanctifyer of the Church to be praysed who hath wrought that they should will and effect these things according to his free good will There is the same care and fruit also of the rest according to the measure which Christ vouchsafeth to every congregatioÌ„ of them Neither is his trueth lesse excellent both in as much as he is a Propheâ— in teaching and also a Surety in promising Wee shall see this double trueth in the following Church to be distinguished by their proper wordes both which the Greeke worde true seemeth to containe when it is put absolutely and by it selfe And as touching trueth of doctrine wher is it more pure and more sincere in the whole earth The whole Papacy hath here his throate cut The Anabaptists Antitrinitaries Arians and such like monsters raysed up againe from hell partly in Germany partly in Transylvania have founde no where a fiercer enemy What also hath it not assayed that shee might pull away from the Germane Churches their errours Neither doth shee keepe onely the doctrine of salvation uncorrupt but also shee both delivereth and teacheth in writings and exerciseth in practise a syncere maÌ„ner of administring wherby salvation is bestowed Certenly the whole will of God is communicated with his saints so as Christ taketh to himselfe not undeservedly this prayse of true in governing this Church He doth also performe plenteously that which he promised that he would keepe safe and sound those that seeke him with an upright heart What have not endevoured the Franch man the Spuniard the SavoyaÌ„ the Pope to roote out them of Geneva a small people and environed on every side with enemyes and shut up from all ayde of friends Neverthelesse it flourisheth yet still thankes be to God and shall flourish hereafter while all her adversaryes burst with envy as long as shee shall continue in this holy order The French Church hath ben preserved hitherto no other wise then the three children in the fornace Who would have beleeved that the Lowe Countryes had ben able to resist and withstande the raging Philip the cruell Duke d'Alve and so many bloudy Tyrants But true is he who hath promised this honour to his saints that they should binde the Kings with chaines and their nobles with fetters of iron Psalme 149.8.9 And that I may not speake of every each one they can be safe onely by thy protection o most high God who art constant in all thy promises whom both enemyes almost infinite doe persecute with deadly hatred and also to whom many of their freindes through envy wish not very well ¶ Who hath the key of David The third property perteineth also to the same administration Christ openeth and shutteth to whom he hath thought it good the entrance into the kingdome of Heaven by his regall power Which faculty in deede he bestoweth upon all his which doe declare and preach the worde purely and syncerely but which is principally to be seen in that part of governement wherby obstinate sinners which will not yeilde to admonitions are delivered to Sathan by the Ecclesiasticall censure and are cast out of the Church which is the Kingdome of Heaven according to that Whatsoever yee shall binde on earth shal be bound in heauen and whatsoever yee shall loose in earth shal be loosed in heaven For where two or three are gathered togither in my name there am J in the middes of them Mat. 18.18.20 By these therefore is shewed that the power of opening and shutting of binding and loosing is very effectuall in these congregations and more over also the whole administration of the censures And what godly man doth not thanke God from his heart and extolleth not with worthy ptayses the holy paines of this Church which restored discipline fallen into decay and brought it backe to the rule of trueth and use of the primitive Church But it is to be observed that this key was sayd before to be the key of Death and Hell in the first Chapter and 18. verse by one part denoting the whole force of them Therefore that key is to be feared which locketh up the gate upon the wicked being thrust into Hell howsoever they despise the same with security And yet notwithstanding no lesse pleasant to them that feare God because it unlocketh to them the dores by which they may enter unto life But why is it called of David seeing it is of Aaron rather whose office was to keepe away the leprous and uncleane from the holy things and to shut up the Temple against them Certenly the Priest onely could pronounce men uncleane he was not wont by an ordinary proper power to use force to compell the disobedient Christ both King and Priest is very mighty in both facultyes and powers and ioineth togither both in this Church who not onely rayseth up Pastours that they should denounce men uncleane but also together adioyneth the civile Magistrate that he should give his ready and diligent labour
the death of Gregory the first although this is to be understood of his birth for our men doe make his conception to be more auncient that I may not seeme alone to have enterprised to doe a thing unheard of I will yeeld reasons of this my judgement which seeme to me to be most strong First this Beast ruleth all that time wherein the woman lyeth hid in the wildernes and the two witnesses prophecy cloathed in sackecloth as is manifest after from the fift verse where power is givē to him to doe two and fourtie moneths which is the same space of the woman and Prophets Now wee evince by necessary arguments that the woman went into the wildernes and the witnesses tooke mourning apparell at that time which wee have said when Constantine began his raigne therfore also the Beast began in the same time to arise out of the Sea Furthermore what other thing meaneth that of Socrates who lived when Theodosius Iunior ruled in the times of Celestine Bishop of Rome about the yeere 424. foure score yeeres after Cōstantine The Romane Bishopricke likewise that of Alexandria being advanced long since beyond the Priesthood unto a Princedome booke 7. chap. 11. Had he promoted himselfe beiond the boundes of the Priesthood Whither else I pray then unto an Antichristian tyranny Had it done this long since and of a certen long time Certenly So crates commeth to my accounte or rather I to his or as it is more agreable to the trueth both of us to the reckening of the Holy Ghost himselfe But he speketh no more of the Romane either here or before in book 7. 7. then of the Alexandrine That is true indeede he in common toucheth sharply the ambition of both but the Romane Bishop had many more peculiar properties of the true Antichrist which in no sort did belong to the Alexandrine and therefore although at the first they ranne togither it may be with equall steppes yet in short time the Romane got afore and left the Alexandrine many miles behind him Hereunto more over is added the third Carthaginean Councill about the times of Syricius to wit in the yeere three hundreth ninetie which decreed that the Bishop of the first seate should not be called the Prince of Priests or Chiefe Priest or any such thing but onely the Bishop of the first Seate but universall let neither the Bishop of Rome be called Can. 26. as it is cited in the ninetieth distinction Wee learne frō this Decree what those times had brought forth otherwise it had ben foolish and superfluous to make an ordinance touching this matter Neither is the confession of the Papists in this thing to be passed over Dost thou thē aske the cause why the Romane Bishops were never present at the generall Councills in the East part Bellarmine declareth that it came not to passe by chāce in his first booke of the Councill and of the Church chap. 19. but for a certen consideration Which howsoever it was not knowne peradventure to many others yet it ought to be throughly understood of him a man that is a secretarie of the Popes Kingdome He rendreth two reasons of this absence the first It seemed not to be convenient that the head should follow the members c. The second because the Emperour was alwaies present at the Councils in the East part or some Ambassadour of his who challengeth to himselfe the first at least materiall place otherwise then was meete That either this therefore might not be tolerated or a tumult mooved he went not to those Councils but sent only his letters Such are his wordes he hath hit the nayle on the head For the Pope disdaineth to be present at those Coūcils in which the Emp. should sit before him How fayre were words givē both to the Emp. Constantine and also all the Nicene Fathers The good men thought as Eusebius speaketh that olde age was a let that the President of the Lady City of Rome could not be present and therefore were content with the Elders which supplyed his place But the true cause was that he could not abide to give place to the Emperour For I beleeve Bellarmine rather then Eusebius touching the minde of the Bishop of Rome VVherefore in the times of the first Nicene Councill there was a man at Rome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that lifted up one who albeit not yet openly neverthelesse within and secretly with himselfe was exalted above all that is called God 2 Thes 2.4 Not that he vaunted himselfe to be superiour to God in Heaven for that is not the meaning of the Apostle but to all the Gods in earth to wit the highest Magistrate who is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Imperiall from whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is worshipped seemeth to be added in stead of an exposition But why doe I be stowe much time in these things The matter is out of controversie from chap. 17. afterward The seventh head of the Beast succeedeth next after the Heathen Emperours for these make the sixt as shal be said in his place But Antichrist is that seventh head and therefore hath his beginning by and by after the Heathen Emperours Shall I then thinke that all from Miltiades are utterly cast away as who doe make this Beast that is the very Antichrist Farte be from mee so great rashnes of judging This Beast is the state of a Kingdome as I hope shal be most cleare after And therefore God could deliver from the common destructiō some peculiar men whō he thought good though furtherers and ministers of this Kingdome The impiety was not so wicked at the first and the yong Antichrists did not knowe for what mischiefe they prepared a way Therefore wee leave these to the infinite and unsearcheable mercy of God yet wee doubt not but wee have found out the originall of the rising Beast which nowe wee see to have fallen on that time in which the Dragon was cast unto the earth ch 12.9 For being about to leave heaven he provided himselfe of a Vicar who in his absence should governe his affaires whose busines he looked unto nor carelesly as wee shall finde afterward These things being thus set in order wee see how from this fountaine every each thing will flowe most easily every part of this Prophecy agreeing most fitly one with another The true original doubtlesse not being perceived of the Interpreters disordered all consideration of the times made a harsh constrained and absurd exposition and tooke wholly away the right searching out of the event Now as touching the words the cruelty of Antichrist is signifyed most fitly by a Beast as often in the Scriptures Tyrants are compared unto Wolves and Lions equall to them in fiercenes but for hurt worser by how much iniquity in men is more armed because of the force of reason He did rise out of the Sea because he hath his originall from corrupt doctrine to wit the authority of Peters Chaire
world for a testimonie to al nations from which an argument is thus framed which let me I pray you bring into form that we of the ruder sort may more easily observ the art of demonstration He that is to come after the preaching of the Gospel in al the world he is not yet come Antichrist is to come after the preaching of the Gospel in al the world therfore he is not yet come This is your demonstration wherin we find manie strange and new points never delivered by any Demonstrating Masters namely that principles are used for demōstration which be neither true nor first For as touching truth the proposition is eyther manifestly false or at least doubtful as after more plainly shal appear and therfore not meet for a demonstration Moreover if any would doubt of the minor what strēgth hath it from Mathew what one word is ther in him of Antichrist to come after a general preaching How is this an immediate principle which if it have any credit must borow it from elsewhere Pardon I pray you this my morositie I thought it necessary to make trial of some one of your demonstrations of al which seing we have now a pattern in this first wee shal not need to deal so exactly in the rest but may judge of what sorte al are by the nature of this But your selfe saw how trifling and unworthy a demonstration this was and therfore you flee unto a probable reason which as a propp you put under that readie to fall To cōfirme the Minor that Antichrist is to come after the general preaching leaving now Matthew whole name at first was vainly obtruded Jt may be proved you say by reason because in Antichrists time the cruelty of the last persecution wil hinder al publick exercises of true religion I answer how truly this is said of the publick ceasing of religion we shal see after in the chapter of Persecution In the mean while I avouch that you dispute not so much unskilfully as in deed falsly For time is threefold past present and to come neyther can anie thing be concluded that it is to come unlesse it be before proved that it is neither present nor past Wil you then infer that Antichrist shal come after the general preaching because he cannot be togither with the same But why I pray you may he not be before it Yea what if by this your demonstratiō he must needs be before it Surely neither can he be togither with the general preaching for the crueltie of persecution as you say neither can he come after because Christ saith when the Gospel is preached in the whole world then shal come the end You see nothing to come between the universal preaching the end Therfore by this your reason he must needs come before the universal preaching This is not the least vertue of this undoubted demonstration that it maketh more for your adversaries cause than for your own But say you the adversaries admitt not of this reasō Surely nor your freinds I beleev unlesse it be some foxes that prayse the crow for his sweet singing But I am glad for you that at last your selfe are weary of this demōstration Furthermore you say Neither is there time now to deduce it from the principles therof and therfore you wil prove the thing by testimonies of the Fathers What Have not you time which undertake the most copious handling of all controversies And which bring not forth one argument of anie weight in this cause I know your Iesuitical cunning what you can not doo for needynes that you may not doo for hast unto other matters But let us goe forward and see how you folow both parts of the former argument For the new as it seemeth affordeth nothing but the old nest was to be trimmed that some shew of building might appear First therfore you bring Hilarie Cyrill Theodoret Damascen affirming that Antichrist shal not come til after an universal preaching I answer ther is now no need curiously to inquire into their sayings seing in this thing they teach agreably to the scriptures For Antichrist was to come because the love of the truth was refused 2 Thes 2. And the punishment is not inflicted before the fault Neither could the fault be committed before there was the use of the truth Here therfore I contradict nothing Moreover in some sort I doo grant your proof from the text For the Gospel was to be preached before that great tribulation spoken of Mat. 24.21 But herein you err that you think this is both the last tribulation and the persecution of Antichrist For it is no other than the destruction of Ierusalem as Chrysostome also dooth acknowledge though typically he would hav it referred unto Antichrist Let Antichrist therfore come after the universal preaching of the Gospel But what Hath not the Gospel been noised as yet through al the world In deede so you say though the thing it self be otherweise Christ being to ascend into heaven bade the Apostles to goe into al the world Mark 16.25 And promised that they should be his witnesses unto the utmost end of the earth Act. 1.8 It can not be eyther that the Apostles should neglect that which was commanded or that our Lord should not performe that which he promised Neither wanted the thing an issue as the Apostle teacheth saying that the faith of the Romanes was published through the whole world Rom. 1.8 and that the Gospel was come unto the Colosseans even as unto al the world Col. 1.6.23 You answer that the whole world in these places is not properly and simply taken but figuratively but the Gospel should be preached in everie nation properly and simplie before Antichrist come Which you prove by testimony of Fathers and by three reasons The Fathers are Augustine Origen and Ierom besides those fore-alledged I answer Ther is no doubt but the Fathers doo accommodate their words unto the words of the Scriptures and therfore they often say that the Gospel should be preached in al the world through the whole earth in al lands c. but whither they speake more expressely or no doo signify by name that these kind of speeches are to be taken simply not figuratively may wel be doubted Ierom in his Epistle to Ageruchia saith He that held is taken out of the way and doo we not understand that Antichrist is neer By which it is playn that he understood no other preaching through the whole world than such as was in his time for otherweise how could Antichrist be neer So Gregorie as is before mentioned saith Al things that were fore-told are come to passe the King of pride is nigh Therfore this universal preaching was then doon but not properly as you would have it which as you say is not performed to this day Turn over the Fathers therfore and weigh their words more diligently perhaps though these things were very dark unto them you shal finde no such preaching
two Prophets doo come into the world clothed in sackcloth straightway after the Hethen Emperours for these are clad with sackcloth and the Tēple is mesured both at a time The mesured Temple is the womans shelter in the wildernes wherunto she fled at the rising up of the Beast The Beast the seventh Roman King succedeth next unto the sixt to weet that which reigned in Iohns time Therfore when the Beast sprung up straight way after the Hethen Emperours these sackcloth-Prophets began their mornful office and therfore they are not properly Henoch and Elias Now see if ther be any thing foolisher then your dotage of these two to come in their owne persons your dotage I say for the ancient holy Fathers might misse and be deceived but you continuing in open errour I see not what it differeth from madnes But let us goe on to the other reasons You prove that the Apocalyps speaketh properly of Henoch Elias because it is sayd they should be killed of Antichrist and their bodies remayn three dayes in buried in the street of the great Citie and that after three dayes they should rise agayn and ascend into heaven which things you say have never as yet happened unto any I answer that I have made it playn by the order of the time and agreement of al things that al these things are already performed namely when the Fathers of Trent killed the Holy Scriptures spoiling them of al authority and tying the meaning of them unto the Pope Thē that which Iohn saith of the death of these Prophets affordeth a necessary argument against this literal sense of those singular persons For Henoch shal not dye otherweise then of old by his taking away the Apostle saying by faith Henoch was taken away that he should not see death and he was not found because God tooke him away for before his taking away he had testimonie that he had pleased God Heb. 11.5 The like reason ther is also of Helias For God is alwaies like himselfe and giveth like things to like persōs for like ends Therfore they are not to be killed by Antichrist But Tertullian you say in his book De anima chap. 28. saith Henoch and Elias were taken away neither is their death found for it was deferred but they are reserved for to dye that by their blood they maie extinguish Antichrist I answer Tertullian hath nothing save a gesse that these whom the Apocalyps mentioned are Henoch and Elias but the Apostle evidently plainly teacheth that Henoch was taken away that he should not see death Now the choise is easy whom we should rather beleev It becomes not holy men to avouch their blind opinions against the open words of the Scriptures Hitherto hath been your first argument The second is from the consent of the Fathers unto all whom I oppose the consent of the Scriptures which had indeede been ynough for them if through darknes of the times they could have perceived them Ther is no need therfore to tary lōg in examining their opinions which they themselves if they were now alive would with their owne voices condemn Thirdly you prove it because otherweise ther can no reason be rendred why these two were taken away before death and doo yet live in mortal flesh being one day for to dye I answer that these last words being one day for to daye doo contradict the Apostle as we shewed even now and then that they convince the words next before of falshood For if Henoch be not for to dye it cannot be that he dooth yet live in a mortal body For that is not mortal which is not for to dye But whither they yet live in the flesh or no is not so manifest nor indeed necessarie to be known If it be lawful soberly to inquire about this thing they seem to be exempted from the common death of men as the Apostle speaketh of Henoch that he should not see death and not to live as yet in their bodies For they live not on earth For seing they are adorned of God with more excellent good than the rest they cannot be inferiour unto other soules in this thing And the soules in heaven have greater ioy and more ample felicitie than can be on earth Neither could they togither with their bodies enter into heaven the Apostle avouching that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God nor corruption inherit the nature uncorrupt 1 Cor. 15.50 But against this may be obiected that they had the same change that those which are aliv shal have at the coming of the Lord according to that which is written wee shal not al dye but we shall al be changed 1 Cor. 15.51 I grant that ther might have been this change though this would no way furder your cause if that saying of the Apostle hindred not And these al through faith obteyned goo report and received not the promise God providing a better thing for us that they without us should not be made perfit Heb. 11.39 40. For if they felt that change how obteyned they not the promise to weet glorification which is the felicity of the soule ioyned togither with the body immortall And if they obteyned the promise without us that is before us what cause can ther be why also without us they are not made perfit These two things seem openly to be repugnant unto the Apostle Those two therfore being cutt off namely their death to come and their present mortal body both which are manifestly false and that being let passe which is not sufficiently known whither they be at al as yet in their bodies if now you think ther is no other reason why these two were taken away before their death save that they might come againe to fight with Antichrist you are willingly blind The Apostle saith that Henoch was taken away because he pleaseth God walking continually with him Ecclus 44. that he might be an exēple of repentance that is that he might stirr up men uto repentance which look and think upon this notable example of Gods singular lov towards his And doo you think it a light matter that ther should be unto all ages of the world a most clear document of the immortality of the body and of the ascension therof at last into heaven Before the Law and the floud Henochs ascension confirmed this faith to the men of that age For unto men at least weise he ascended for he was not found as the Apostle sayth Heb. 11.5 Vnder the Law Elias ascended of whom ther is the same reason After the Law Iesus Christ the first fruits of al that ascend by whose merit power both those former in what manner soever it was did ascend and al the elect shal at length ascend Onely Antichrist did so stick in your eyes that you could see none of these things or any such like But deceive your self no longer with vayn exspectation of Henoch and Elias loose not your labour with
former riches of the citie flourishing of late by the commerce of so many and so great nations which they thought could be vanquished by no strength of man How much trouble wrought it Nebuchadnezar Ezech. 29.18 How much Alexander afterward Who repented him of the siedge he so despaired of the winning thereof by force who yet at an other time thought nothing impossible for him But these watermen should be dismayed for iuster causes at Rome late the Queene of the whole world The most auncient city the chaire of Peter which alwâ—yes hath overcome all calamities and should be mighty and flourishing even to her very old age both by her owne riches and her friends These and many such things wil compel them to cry out what citie was like to this great city Who would not have thought that so eminent excellency in all things should have bin free from destruction How have we bin deceived dreaming of her everlastingnesse How have we deceived others vanting that this shippe shall never be drowned How unexpected are all these things contrary to our persuasion opinion and vaunting Such a force hath this wondering question 19 And shâ—l cast dust upon their heads After the manner of mourners Iob. 2.12 For these shall waile so much the more earnestly by how much they are lesse able to upholde themselves by their owne riches But this Angel speaketh in the time past they did cast dust on their heads and also in the former verse and they cryed seing the smoke Yet these things goe before the ruine which they have ioyned and knit unto them For which cause he seemeth to change the time and not onely for the most certen truth of the thing to come as the Prophets are wont elsewhere ¶ Wherin were made rich all Not onely those chiefe purpled Fathers but also they who were of the basest state and condition Behold the whole Hierarchy how doo all flowe in exceeding great riches In everie country very much and the best ground came to them Moreover it is a thing woÌ„derfull to be spoken they which fained to sustain their life by begging froÌ„ towne to towne lacked nothing which might serve even for ryot Miserable common people who were so deceived that they bestowed money on beggars farre richer then they themselves that did give But such is the cunning of Rome to enrich her friends In these daies how bountifully liberally are our traitours wanting their countrey goods friends entertained at Rome in Spaine and elswhere They get that reward of their treason abroad which by honest meanes they could not obtaine at home A reward is not wanting at home for well doing But they hate true vertue the fruite wherof they would receive Rome maketh these men rich counting it an unworthy thing for here the whore wil be godly that the maintainers of her honour should not become rich by her wealth alone howsoever they shal be destitute of all other aides These may therfore for iust cause bewaile the destruction of the whore with whom they found the wages of their naughtinesse which now they shal be compelled to practise for nothing For some are too fully minded never to be thrifty 20 O Heaven reioice of her Thus farre the mourning of the wicked now he sheweth what aboundant ioy shal come from thence to the godly Heaven is the whole multitude of the Saincts on earth as often hath bin observed Apostles and Prophets are not those famous preachers of the Divine truth which were in auncient times but all the godly executing the office of teaching in the Church For what doo our affaires on earth pertaine to the holy soules resting in heaven The dead saith the wise man know nothing at all to weet of our affaires who in the body are strangers from the Lord Eccle. 9. And therfore the Prophet saith that Abraham is ignorant of us and that Israel knoweth us not Esay 63.16 Therfore they ar living saincts on the earth whom the Spirit calleth Apostles Prophets for a comfort in those troubles which they finde in the world that although they be inferiour by manie degrees in gifts to the auncient Apostles yet they may know themselves to be in the same state and account with God He speaketh to them by name because the chiefe ioy shal be theirs as their sorow shal be greatest because of the more deadly hatred wherwith the whore was inflamed against them From which we perceive as hath bin said before seing the ioy is common to all the elect that those wayling marchaÌ„ts are not of this number and therfore that they are said to be such raâ—her for likenesse sake than for the truth of the thing ¶ For God hath punished her The Hebraisme is more significant For God hath iudged your iudgement on her This kind of speaking dooth shew a punishment but yet iudgment and lawful examination of things going before not inflicted rashly This is the matter of the ioy because God at length would avenge the Saincts on the whore which so many ages hath raged against them scotfree with all manner of iniuries 21 Then a certain Angel tooke up Hitherto hath bin declared the destruction by words onely now a signe likeweise is used wherby it may be declared that it shal be sudden and eternal And this is done by the ministery of a certain third Angel of whom there is no mention made from whence he came peradventure because he is that first whose place from whence he came is shewed in ver 1 who now is brought in againe to performe that very thing which thar preparation said would come by and by For unlesse this casting of a milstone into the sea be the very overthrowing of Rome it is not described by what way it shal be done In the beginning of the chapter following we shal understand that the thing is accomplished And the former Angels went but a litle before the destructioÌ„ Wherfore either now is handled the same overthrow or he wholly concealeth how it should be performed ¶ A milstone cast into the sea may be a fit signe of the ruine as the burning mountaine cast into the sea was of the beginning of Antichristian tyranny chap. 8.8 But yet the thing is darke to us The event wil manifest it at length This Angel is caled strong taking up a stone like a milstone casting it into the sea for by so many degrees is the type proposed Which things declare an admirable swiftnesse of this ruine and no more repairable A great stone by his waightinesse falleth down with a great violeÌ„ce yet with a greater if it be cast but with much more being thrown of some valiant and strong man Neither is ther hope that that shal flote againe in the toppe which both his owne weight and outward force have fastened in the lowest bottome So shal Babylon be cast with violence neither shall it be found any more Yet these things are not spoken so as if hee were
for so great mirth ¶ And the beloved City The third endevour so farre as which hath proceeded the repetition of the former Prophecy This third is altogither to come For howsoever the holy city was above granted to the Gentiles to be troden under foote a thousand two hundred three score dayes chap. 11.2 and the same againe was renewed after that time was past in the CHVRCHES which in these last times are reformed according to the rule of the divine truth yet it is not to be doubted off but that the beloved city is for excellency sake that multitude of the beleeving Iewes who now at length shal shortly be ioyned to the company of the true beleevers in Christ The iudgment that followeth doth require it should be so wherby the Turk endevouring to conquere this city shal upon a sudden be overwhelmed But where and when this siege shall happen may be gathered from those things which have bin spoken before The place shal be Hartsebhi the mountaine of beauty the Oriental armagedon the very land of Iudea So Daniel chap. 11.45 and elegantly Ezechiell chap. 38.8 After many dayes thou shalt be visited For in the latter yeeres thou shalt come into the land that is come home safe from the sword and is gathered out of many peoples thou shalt invade the mountaines of Israel which have long bin wast with it being brought out of the peoples all shal dwel safe The time shal be at the end of a thousand three hundred thirty five yeeres of which Daniel speaketh in chap. 12.12 when the houre day moneth and yeere of the Turks tyranny shal come out to weet at the yeere a thousand sixe hundred ninetith more or lesse But of these things now briefly perhaps occasion shal be given at an other time to declare them more at large ¶ But fire came down from God The last destruction followeth and first of the army in this verse which God by some extraordinary way shal destroy utterly For from heaven he shal powre out his wrath upon the armyes of the Turkes as before chap. 16.21 and more largely in Ezechiel chap. 38.18.19 c. 10 And the Divill that deceived them The Emperour himselfe the Turk not onely in respect of his owne person but also of the whole state succession of his Empire For ther shal not be any more either Emperour or name of Turke But the word Divil is used by a figurat if kind of speach of the principal cause for the instrumental which is very significant in this place shewing that not onely this one enemy the Turk shal be destroied but that no opē enemy shall arise ever after For the Divell by whose labour they are raysed up shal not be thrust into prison againe for some time but for ever he shal be cast into the lake of fire never to goe out for to raise up any such new troubles ¶ Where was also that Beast and that false Prophet Therfore all ar in a like condition which are punished with the like punishment The name of Christian maketh no difference between the Turke and the Roman Antichrist unlesse perhaps for to encrease his punishment for asmuch as he had a greater meanes of truth and grace But observe that the Beast the False Prophet were already destroied as also their destruction hath bin declared before to whom at length that Divell is added a partaker of the same punishment ¶ And they shal be tormented The vulgarlatine translation omitteth the copulative coniunction and ioyneth the verbe shal be tormented next with Beast and False Prophet but amisse considering tha it is no lesse necessary to understand that the common punishment of them all shal be eternall then that the punishment shal be one and the same 11 Then I saw a great white throne Thus farre concerning the destruction of the enemies the happines followeth which the Church shall enioy after all these stormes are driven away The first part of it is the gathering togither of the Saints in the rest of this chapter Which gathering is represented by the resurrection of the dead and the iudgement given touching them For by the most learned mens leave I doo think that this resurrection commonly beleeved so farre as I see of all men to be that last resurrection of the bodies of all men who since the death of the first Adam doo sleepe in the graves perteineth to no other thing then to the full restoring of the Iewish nation Not that I desire to set a broach new opinions profer them to the world or because it delighteth mee to goe against the consent of al men I hope that such proud impudent rashnes is farr from mee and God is my witnes how I detest that itching desire of searching out forging new errours through a loathing of auncient truth but onely because the whole order of things the merveilous consent of the rest of the scriptures doo compell mee to follow this interpretatiō Which thing I have thought good to relate in a few words that it may appeare to all men by what meanes I am brought into this opinion that if they shall have any weight for the truth wee may gaine the knowledge of a thing not sufficiētly known before but if they shal not be firme and sound they may be thrust through by the censures of the godly and I my self at lēgth may be freed from this errour of what sorte soever it be First therfore when I diligently weighed those things which in the next chapter following are rehearsed to be after this resurrection I saw that they agreed by no meanes to the heavēs properly so called but to have place onely on earth Of which sorte are that this holy city commeth down from God out of heaven that shee is a spouse prepared onely and adorned for her husband not yet givē that the hope of reward is put off unto the time to come ver 7. that one of the seven Angels sheweth her to John ver 10. of which sorte of ministery ther shall be none in heaven The very name also of which Angel being but heard seeing that he is one of those seven which ar appointed chiefe actours in the last plagues ch 15. may declare within what bounds we ar conversant VVhither also shal the Apostles make the foundation of the wall of the holy city in heaven when Christ delivereth up the Kingdome to his Father Or whither shall the Kings of the earth bring their glory to the Church in heaven Or shal any thing redound from hence to the health of the nations These things therefore and many other of the like sorte considering that they shal be after this resurrection drove mee to another interpretation and chiefly to that which the natural force of the words manifested For I remembred that the calling of the Iewes openly and often in the scriptures is called the resurrection of the dead as in Paul for if the casting away be the
are the names of the twelve tribes of the childrē of Israell 13 On the East part there were three gates on the North side three gates on the Southside three gates on the Westside three gates 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations in which were the names of the Lambes twelve Apostles 15 And he that spake with mee had a golden reed for to measure the citie withall and the gates therof and the wall therof 16 And the city lay foure square whose length is as large as the breadth of it the length and the bredth and the hight of it are equall 17 And he measured the wall therof a hundreth fourty foure cubits by the measure of man that is of the Angel And the building of it was of Iasper 18 And the city was pure golde like unto cleare glasse And the foundations of the wal of the city were garnished with all manner of pretious stones 19 The first foundation was of Iasper the second of a Saphyr the third a Chalcedonie the fourth an Emerande the fift a Sardonix 20 The sixt a Sardius the seventh a Chrysolite the eight a Beryll the ninth a Topaze the tenth a Chrysoprasus the eleventh a Jacynth the twelft an Amethyst 21 And the twelve gates were twelve Pearles every gate is of one Pearle the street of the city is pure gold as shining glasse 22 Neither saw I any temple therin for the Lord God almighty and the Lambe are the temple of it 23 And this city hath no need of the Sunne neither of the Moone to shine in it for the glory of God doth light it and the Lambe is the light of it 24 And the Nations which are saved shall walke in the light of it and the Kings of the earth shal bring their glory and honour unto it 25 And the gates of it shall not be shut by day for there shal be no night there 26 And the glory and honour of the Gentils shal be brought unto it 27 And ther shal enter into it no uncleane thing neither whatsoever worketh abomination or lyes but they which are written in the lambes book of life Analysis HITHERTO hath bin the maner of gathering the Church afterward is declared what shal be the condition of it being gathered Which is shewed to be most happy first generally from the things seen a new heavē earth ver 1. the holy city ver 2. also from things heard partly in common touching the presence of God with men ver 3. Of the removing of calamities ver 4. a new restoring of al things ver 5. partly in private concerning the certainty of the Prophecy ver 5. of the mystery now fulfilled v. 6. and the rewarding both of the godly ver 6.7 and also of the ungodly ver 8. And such is the generall declaration The particular relateth the revealing cause an Angel ver 9. 10. And the thing revealed universally ver 10.11 By parts in respect of the wall and city and essentiall parts as the forme of the wall ver 12.13.14 The forme of the city ver 15.16.17 Afterward of the common matter ver 18. Speciall of the wall ver 19.20.21 Speciall of the city ver 21. The externe arguments by which the glory of this city is set forth is first God himself who is both the temple ver 22. and the light of the city ver 23. Secondly the Gentiles which shal bring their glory to it ver 24 both free from all feare and suspicion ver 25. also from any defiling by contagion ver 27. Thirdly a mervailous aboundance of things necessary the continuance of this glory in the chap. following Scholions 1 After J saw a new heauen The opinion of the resurrection from the ende of the former chapter hath mooved very many to interpret al these things of the Church as it shal be at length in heaven But wee have shewed that neither the last resurrection is intreated of there neithe doth the Spirit describe here to us the Angelical blessednesse of the Saincts after this life but of them yet conversing upon the earth as the thinges which are mentioned doo manifest in their places Neither perhaps is it needfull that the heavenly inheritance should be adorned with words which all know wel ynough to surmount any praises whatsoever even they also in whose eyes the Church on earth is otherweise despised but concerning this her estimation is lesse with mortall men then ought to be because shee is a stranger wherupon ther may hav bin a necessary reason to set forth more largely the glory and dignity of it The descriptron wherof notwithstanding maketh a way to comprehende in minde that celestial happinesse For if the magnificence of the spouse be so great on earth of what sort are those things which God hath prepared for his with himselfe But the mind is weakened at the thinking of this let us therfore turne our eyes aside to this earthly pleasantnes greater indeed then all words can set forth yet more capable to our senses and which within a few yeeres shal be made clare to the world The interpretation of the new heaven and earth may be taken out of that to the Hebrewes chap. 12.26 whose voice then shooke the earth but now hath declared saying yet once more will I shake not onely the earth but the heaven where to shake heaven and earth by the interpretation of the Apostle himselfe is to abolish the old manner of worship and people For heaven by trāslation is the temple and whole legal worship wherof that temple was the seate and place where it abode long as Heb. 8.5 From whence to shake heaven is to abolish that worship The earth are men and more properly the Israelites a people to whom that legal worship did belong Therfore to shake the earth is to shake the Israelites to remove them out of their place Neither hath the common use of speaking through this book digressed any whit from this signification of the words where heaven is the more pure Church the earth the degenerate citizens as we have seen in their places Even as God therfore in the first comming of his sonne shooke the heaven and the earth in reiecting that old both worship and people and ordaining and choosing a new so againe when it shal please him to have mercy on the forsaken nation and to bestow upō it salvation by Christ he shal darken the former glory of heaven earth making the dignity and honour of his new people so famous as if he had created all things a new Vherunto belongeth that of Isaiah For behold I will create a new heaven and a new earth as thoug he should say I will appoint a most pure manner of worshiping mee and wil take unto mee a new people in whose assembly I wil be honoured chap. 65.17 Of which sort is that of the Apostle If any be in Christ he is a new creature old
let in the commers in without delay What other thing also meane the names written then to teach how every one should go on directly and not loose any time about seeking an entrance 13 On the East part there were three gates The situation of the gates is most commodious not all for one quarter but equal for every one that a way might be opened on every side every one might go in directly without being hindred by any crooked turning about Ezechiel hādling the same matter noteth every gate by name but he beginneth at the North on which side he setteth the gates of Reuben Iuda and Levi. On the East side of Ioseph Beniamin Dan. On the South of Simeon Jssachar Zebulon On the West of Gad Asher Naphthaly chap. 48.30 c The Iewes in the East and North part shal first stirre up themselves and make hast to goe into this holy city as hath bin shewed before chap. 16.12 by Euphrates dryed that the way of the Kings of the East might be prepared And as Daniel teacheth speaking of the iourney undertaken into this city But rumours saith he shal trouble him from the East and from the North. That is when the Easterne Northerne Iewes are raised up the Turke shal be greatly troubled after he hath received newes of that thing Therfore because the first iourney shall be undertaken from these countreyes the gates of them are put first and those without difference Iohn attributing the first place to them in the East part Ezechiel to them in the North because both shal prepare themselves equally to this expedition The Southerne Iewes shall follow these our in the West shal be last 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations Thus farre the gates the foundations are described both by the number also by the names In number they are twelve which are laid under the wall the wall I say not the city for they are the foundations of ministery not of salvation There is one onely foundation hereof Iesus Christ-alone Other foundation cā no man lay beside that which is laid which is Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 3.11 The Apostles may be called the foundations of ministery yet not the principall but instrumental of which they are not the authours but the first stones For the foundation is not laid of it selfe but of the maister builder Christ laied these first in the bottome of the wall in which respect they are called foundations So Ezra is called the foundation of the comming up out of Babylō because he was the Prince of that second company which came up togi ther with him Ezra 7.9 But how are ther twelve foundations of one wal-wherof ther is wont to be but one To weet because any one stone is not layed through the whole length and bredth but there are twelve layed equally one by an other long wayes and broad the same order bein still renewed until the building be brought to his ful perfection No one Apostle is here for a foundation but al in equal place and office doo lie in the bottome That unhappy and wicked boasting shal be farre from hence Thou art Peter and upon this rocke that is as they wil have it who never saw this wall neither have they any safegarde from thence upon this the Peter I will build my Church this madnesse of building up the wall upō such one foundation onely hath greatly troubled the Church of the Gentils and at length wil make her wholly destitute of al wall ¶ In which were the names of tht Lambes twelve Apostles So as neverthelesse that by these names ar understood not onely those twelve which wer conversant with Christ on earth but al the faithful Pastors which shal execute the like office in the Church They were so called before chap. 18.20 For there is a most straight communion of the faithfull by reason wherof the proper names of some are applyed to others but especially to them who beside the common bond have also an other fellowship of office But if the Apostles be the foundations this is not that eternall city in the heavens For Christ then shal deliver up the Kingdome to his Father and God shal be all in all 1 Cor. 15.24 Neither shal the Saints have any ministery of teaching there 1 Cor. 15.8 Therfore this wall belongeth to the Church being a stranger on earth not unto that reigning in heavē 15 Moreover he that spake with mee Hitherto the forme of the wall frō the continued quantity there followeth of the city the forme wherof he delivereth both the continued and the severed togither and first universally as touching the minister and instrument and the things to be measured in this verse The Minister is the same which spake with Iohn the seventh Angel of those to whom were given the vials ver 9. Whose labour biddeth us to seeke this city before the last iudgement And some excellent man seemeth to be noted by this Angel who as a second Zorobabel Ezra or Nehemiah shall appoint from God this most excellent policie and shal describe most exactly every part of the holy city The measure is a golden reede shewing that the description of the whole frame shall be farre most pretious The thing to be measured is the city gates wall that is the whole building No part shal be neglected but every one both most diligently assigned and most wisely builded In the Hierusalē of the Gentils when the Beast began to appeare the temple onely was measured the description of the city was forbidden and also of the outward court but this Angel wil measure both the city and gates and walls and shal recal the whole government of the Church unto the exact rule of Gods will 16 And the city lay foure squarre Now he sheweth the forme of the city such as the continued kind of it giveth It is foure squarre so great in length as in breadth This city therfore shal be most stable so prepared against al alteration that her foundation be alwayes stable There is an other consideration of this then was of our Ierusalem which lay hid amōg us Gentils for a thousand two hundred threescore yeeres which had also a fouresquare figure but of unequal sides as we have shewed at the seven chapter having in length twelve times a thousand but in breadth onely twelve thousand Of both which consisted that whole number of an hundreth and foure and fourty thousand of them that were sealed For there was some multitude of the godly at that time in lenght of continuance but the Church did flourish in no breadth and present aboundance in any age by al that intervalle But in this city it shal come to passe otherweise It shal be made famous no lesse for the great multitude of the faithful through every present age as for a most happy propagation of a long time ¶ And he measured the city with a reede twelve thousand furlongs Such then is the forme of
Christ is notable in defeÌ„ding the Ministers of this Church He is even as mighty a keeper faithfull maintainer of all his faithfull servants in what place of the earth or what time soever they hav bin or shall be yet in some certeÌ„ both places and times he manifesteth himselfe more clearly to the world an aveÌ„ger than every wherin other as appeareth both in this city and antitype As touching the city Paul who planted the faith there first how many adversaries found he there J will abide saith he at â—phesus till Pentecost for a great doore and effectuall is opened to mee and the adversaries many 1 Cor. 16.9 Yet we reade not that any calamity came unto him He was beaten elswhere and stoned left for dead but here Demetrius stirring up the workemen against him he that holdeth the starres in his right hand not onely kept Paul free from all evill but also Caius Aristarchus Alexander pacifying the tumulte by the prudence of the towne clarke Act. 19. The same hand shielded Tychichus and Timotheus the Angels afterwards of the same Church Ephes 6.21 1 Tim. 1.3 And no lesse the Elders the ordinary Bishops of the Church whom Paul called to Miletum to give them his last farwell At length Iohn came to the same place and there abode many yeares stablishing all the neighbour Churches Neither did the rage of the tyrant proceede to his death but at length returning from banishement he dyed quietly in this city The power of the mighty and starre bearing hande gave such safety to his servants The like power also shined forth in preserving the Pastours through the whole time of the first Church An huge number indeede of the faithfull were slaine dayly but this is mervailous that in the opinion of meÌ„ it being necessary that the name of Christ should be extinguished utterly much more the Pastours against whom the Tyrants raged most of all there was made dayly so greate increase that it was spoken then commonly and truly That the blood of the Martyrs is the seed of the Church But Christ walketh among the candlestickes as often as he giveth a manifest proofe of himselfe being present and regarding diligently all thinges which perteine to the salvation of the faithfull In what city gave he a shew of more plentifull grace favour than in Ephesus wherto for teachers he gave Paul Apollos Tychicus Timotheus Iohn the Apostle besides many other Apostolicall men And where or when was Christ more manifestly conversant in the earth since his ascension into Heaven then in those first times untill about Constantine He did enrich so abouÌ„dantly the Church with all giftes he pricked foreward their sluggishnes corrected their negligence rewarded their vertue so as he might seeme by himselfe to compasse every one and view their labour with his owne eyes In one the same maner he is alwayes amoÌ„g the caÌ„dlestickes neither doth he sit idly but walketh about continually cometh to visit every thâ—ng so that he hath no need of a Vicar yet because by outward arguments this is not oftentimes alike manifest to the world therfore that which is properly singularly beloÌ„ging as it were to one city time is alleaged ¶ J know thy workes A narration and first of praise And it is common to all the Epistles in the beginning of the narration to professe that he knoweth certenly and tryeth every Angels workes Therefore neither shall reward be wanting at any time to vertue nor iust punishement to naughtines And as even now I have put in minde of a Vicar how wickedly serviceable are they who arrogate to themselves as an absolute lord the power over their felow servants seeing he throughly knoweth all things and is not in vaine conversant among the candlestickes The praise of the Ephesine Angell respecteth either his office in this verse or his vertue against outward evils ver 3. His office consisteth either in administring the worde and those things which are wont to accompany it usually the Sacraments and prayers or in exercising of discipline As touching that he saith I know thy labour and thy patience For the paines which is bestowed in preaching the word because it is laborious and full of troubles griefes is wont to be called labour in the scriptures as we pray you brethren that yee as knowledg them that labour among you c. 1 Thes 5.12 And they are worthy of double honour especially they that lâ—bour in the word doctrine 1 Tim. 5.17 But patience as a necessary companion must be adioined unto the labour of teaching which the Spirit sheweth saying and thy patience As also Paul The servant of God must not fight but must be gentle toward all men apt to teach suffering the evill men teaching them with meekâ—nes that are contrarie minded 2 Tim. 2.23.24 Therefore this Church was famous in the faithfulnes and diligence of teaching Beholde the example of Paul who by the space of three yeares daie and night ceased not to admonish everie one with teares Act. 20.31 Doe thou also coniecture from those godly Bishops who loved Paul so grealy whom also he againe loved no lesse Act. 20.37.38 Afterward minde Iohn and the rest But a matter that is cleare needeth not many wordes As touching her Antitype the matter is even as evident they did never more faithfully give themselves to teaching That Monster was not yet borne that anie should be Pastour that doth not feede at all Or that one should sit in the chaire of the teacher who as dumme should be sleepy distracted with other businesses There was then no Bishop who had the office of teaching who taught not most diligentlie Even also at Rome where it behoved that the mystery of iniquity should spring up betimes they ceased not as yet from this office The Pastor everie Lords daie at the least did plainelie and clearlie expounde those things which were read out of the bookes of the Apostles and Prophets then also he did admonish and exhort that they would folow those thinges which being holy and good they had heard rehearsed Iustin Apolog. 2. The same thing testify Clemens Origenes Tertullian Cypriam But the matter is so cleare and manifest as the contrary therto to be done at this day ¶ And that thou canst not beare the wicked Such was the care of teaching the maner of their Discipline was no lesse pure and sounde Which first is universallie set downe of what sorte it was toward all the wicked afterward speciallie what it was toward the clergie that I may so speake in the next words and hast tried them which saie they are Apostles c. The generall discipline did not tolerate men in any sorte living wickedly and with the offense of others but according to the manner of their faulte did rebuke either privately or before many if private admonition profited nothing then also at last it did debarre them from holy things if they would not obey them that
on both sides at the right corners Although the Rainebowe seemeth not so much to be divided or touched as to be included with this compassing of the Elders which neverthelesse it should cut in the middle as it were if it were extended unto a full compasse Vnlesse peradventure the highest throne be set in the same playne place in which were the thrones of the Elders for then the Rainebowe shall not be in a contrary seate or situation but shall be compassed onely with a longer circuite as the circumferences nigher the centre are wont to be contained in those that are further of This common seate is attributed to them from the manner of the saints who are called his compassers as vowe and performe to Jehovah your God yee that stand round about him Psal 76.12 And as Christ promiseth that he will be in the middest of them that shal be gathered togither in his name Mat. 18.20 So in olde time the Tabernacle was set in the middes of the Jewes camping Numb 2. And this is for the confort of the Godly whom all God receiveth without respect of persons being alike nigh to all that call upon him least peradventure any should complaine that he is dealt with all uniustly as who being set in a latter place hath noe accesse unto God but by messengers and mediatours The proper place is every on s Throne For they sit upon Thrones Wherby is signifyed that all are of a Kingly dignity of which an other marke is added in the ende of the verse namely the Crownes This honour the saints enioy by Christ who hath made us Kings and Priests to God and his father chap. 1.6 Neither doth he adorne with this benefite some fewe excellent faithfull on s a part but receaveth all the elect into the fellowship of the same honour Every one knoweth howe this certen number of foure and twenty thrones and so many Elders tormenteth the Interpreters Some referre it to the twelve Patriarches or the twelve Prophetes so many Apostles But the thing as it seemeth is farre from the trueth For he speaketh of future congregations not of those that were past as before ver 1. Then of such whose office is performed on earth not in heavē properly so called as afterward wee shall see ch 14.3 15.7 That I may not say that they swerve wholy from the scope of this vision Others apply it other way but it were to longe to recken much more to confute all opinions It shal be sufficient to propound that which seemeth most likely to mee to put it to the iudgemēt of the godly The Spirit alludeth to that distribution of the holy offices servants of the King ordayned by David from God into 24 orders 1 Chr. ch 24. c. For first the chiefe Priests were distributed into 24 orders After the same māner the chiefe Levites that served the Priests in the same ch ver 31. So the holy Musiciās ch 25. the Doore keepers ch 26. Of those that served the King 24 thousandes in their severall distributiōs ch 27. Therfore seeing the whole congregation of the children of Israell whether wee respect the tribe of Levi or the rest of the people accoūted after a sorte for the Kings lot whose affayres they did administer was distinguished into 24 orders not without cause those Elders which are both Priests Kings are in steade of all the faithfull serving Christ are rekoned in so many orders by the same number And togither also is shewed by this number of 24 how much larger is the Church of the Gētiles thē was that of the Iewes This was cōtayned in 12 Patriarches as the chiefe heads that greater by halfe that is many degrees which a certē measure signifyeth indefinitly exceeding so in multitude of cityzens as also in clearnes of the things knowne Whence the neerer they came to the times of Christ so much were all things in former time the clearer greater How cleare made David the service of the Tabernacle the offices being described their place assigned to every one But the Temple of Salomon surpassed all the former glory all things were made with larger dimēsions accordind to the increase of the light of the Sunne approching neerer whē Christ at lēgth was exhibited the Sunne attained to his height by whose brightnes all the former light vanished away So thē is the number as touching the age all are Elders not because of their feeble strength wasted through old age but for their gravity worthy of reverence their mature iudgements by which they embrace the truth then also because they have a certen present possession of their dignity such as agreeth to perfect men of a cōfirmed strengthened age Infants although they be worthy honour through the right of inheritance because of future hope yet they want the present fruition of things And in the whole time in deede of the Lawe the heire was an infant and differed nothing from a servant brought into bondage under the elements of the world as under tutours governours but whē the full time came we ar no lōger under a schoole maister but ēioy the liberty of mē so as all the faithfull now ar called Elders most sigificātly Gal. 3.25 4.1.2 c. White raimēt is the marke of the Priest hood Ex. 28.40 which office the beleevers in Christ doe execute giving up their bodyes a living sacrifice holy acceptable to God that their reasonable service of God Rom. 12.1 The golden crownes of the head manifest the solēne maiesty of a kingdome For Kinges doe not alwayes beare their crownes but in solēne assemblyes where they will shew plainely their glory according to the presēt occasiō But there remaineth still to these the solēne honour of royall maiesty whose crownes ar never put off except whē they give honour to the supreme King whē their bare heades ar more honourable then they thēselves crowned with a Diademe The Complutent edition and the Kings Bible doe not reade and they had nor Aretas yf they are to be added the usuall defect of the article is to be supplyed in this sorte who also had 5 And out of the Throne proceeded Hitherto the body The giftes that doe accompany it are first of Protection for out of the throne come lightnings and thunders and voices because for the Churches sake God in fearfull manners doth punish the wicked who are plagued for the contempt tyranny and iniuryes which they have don to his singularly beloved spouse and at lenght they doe feele the delaying of the vengeance recompensed aboundantly with the sharpenes thereof The punishement of the persecutours are witnesses whose rage and fury God hath alwayes punished in this sort by his speciall providence Otherwise howe could the truth have bin spred and extended even unto these times in so deadly hatred of the world But he that setteth on the throne doe not permitte any to oppresse his saincts without punishement
vilely apparelled were yet notwithstanding armed with a power not to be despised The same is the condition of the rest of the Prophets 6 These have power to shutte heaven He cometh to another very great power and wonderfull wherein they are equall to the olde even the chiefe Prophets Renowmed is Eliah at whose praiers God did shut the heaven so that for three yeeres and sixe moneths the earth was not watered with any showre of raine 1 King 18.1 Luke 4.25 But wee have not reade any such thing done of these Prophets It is true it may be if wee take the wordes properly but if wee transferre them to spirituall things after the manner of other thinges which have ben spoken before how great a proportion shall wee finde That drouth was for three yeeres and sixe moneths at the prayer of Eliah so the time of this power granted to these Prophets should be for so many great yeeres and moneths For two and fourty moneths or a thousand two hundred and three score dayes doe fulfill this distance of yeeres and moneths but great ones as I have said and hath ben already proved sufficiently before not those common ones such as were those of Eliah every one containing three hundred three score common yeeres and the halfe one hundred and foure score yeeres How great drouth and lack of spirituall dewe was there all this time through want of which godlinesse withered in every place But they that bring every thing to the letter and will have the three yeeres and an halfe to be meant of common yeeres doe they dreame also of such a staying of rayne which they must needes doe Surely they get for Antichrist a Kingdome ill favoured hungerstarven every way wretched and unhappy altogither contrary to that excesse wherewith the Spirit saith that he should abounde Neither shall Antichrist have any leasure to carrie about armour to subdue the nations but rather shall leave droves of beasts and cattell to the water as wee read that Ahab did long since But it is no marvell that they fall into many such absurd things who had rather followe their owne conceived opinions then the trueth it selfe ¶ And they have power over waters As Moses who turned the waters of Egypt into blood and as these Prophets have done in very deede when the third part of the Sea became blood chap. 8.8 For all this power was shewed forth in those plagues of which wee heard in chap. 8.9 It is iust with God that all that will not beleeve the trueth should beleeve lies 2 Thes 2.11 Which indeede is noe other thinge then to have their pure and cleare waters turned into blood The next wordes which follow and 10 smite the earth with all maner of plagues as often as they will in a short summe comprehende the other plagues which are not mentioned in this place to wit of the Sunne smitten of Locusts sent and the foure Angels loosed From which power is manifest that which wee have taught in the beginning that this whole Prophecy of the temple measured of the court cast out and of the two Prophets doth apperteine to the same time of the sixe former trūpets which doe recite one after an other the plagues in that order wherein they came to passe But this Prophecy rehearseth the causes to wit the puritie of the Scriptures violated and Gods worship in the assemblies of the faithfull defiled These thinges call forth scourges upon the world and come not either by chance or by fortune These have power to afflict the earth with any kinde of plague whatsoever as often as they will Because God ruleth and governeth the world according to his will revealed in the scriptures and all things for the benefite of the Church In the beginning he delivered the earth unto Adam uncorrupted and now againe he will have all thinges to doe service to his children which are restored in their integrity through Christ 7 But when they have finished their testimony The second limited time as wee have distinguished them in the Analysis taketh his beginning after that of profecying went out to wit in the yeere one thousand five hundreth fourtie sixt Howe farre the thousand two hundred and three score dayes doe extende every ech one being taken for one yeere as wee have said at the second verse and if wee count from the yeere of the Lord three hundred and fourth in which CONSTANTINE tooke unto him the rule of the Empire as Cassiodorus saith prooving that the yeeres of CONSTANTINE should be reckened from thence and as Onuphrius having made a most exact account seemeth to have collected For a thousand two hundred threescore yeeres eighteene being taken out how many the counting of yeeres which the Angell followeth laketh of the Iulian as before at the second verse doe make a thousand two hundred two and fourty Iulian yeeres which from the beginning of the reigne of Constantine doe ende in the sayd yeere 1546. ¶ That Beast which cometh out of the bottomlesse pit So expresse a noting by Articles sheweth that this Beast knowne and declared long since which can be no other then the Angell of the bottomlesse pit of whom wee heard in the ninth Chapter and eleventh verse to wit the Bishop of Rome For wee reade of noe other comming out from the bottomelesse pit when he sent the Locusts out of the pit being opened but that hee rose up long before wee shall understand from the things which follow Therefore he shall not be a Beast onely of three yeeres and an halfe continuance He hath gained 5 moneths mor at the least wherin he should reigne with the Locusts From hence there is an other argument also to confirme this Prophecy to belong to the former trumpets because the Beast with whom the Prophets have to doe in the last course of their time perteineth to the fift trumpet Furthermore also that of the thirteenth chapter belongeth to the same period of the trumpets For this and that is the same beast and both againe is the same Angell of the bottomlesse pit of the nine chapter ¶ Shall make warre against them Shall the Beast now first of all call unto weapons He shall assay to doe violence the whole thousand two hundred threescore dayes chap. 13.5 But this battell which he shall make when that time is finished deserveth before others the name of warre both for the very kinde of preparation and hostile cruelty and also for the notorious slaughter done to the Prophets And the thing it selfe proveth that at this very time there was very little warre For as touching the Scriptures the Councill at Trent began in the yeere 1546 the 7 day of February to wit after those thousand two hundreth and three score dayes were ended in their third session the eight daye of Aprill pierced and murdered them most pittifully For here the Hebrewe and Greeke fountaines were refused and the Latine corrupt translation established for Authentique Here unwritten traditions were
but not dayes for yeres or moneths of yeres and that it is rightly caled a week because it hath the name of the number seven but moneths and dayes are names of number but of the course of the man or time of light I answer wheras first you say that dayes are not found for yeres it is manifestly false Saith not the Lord to the Israelits according to the number of the dayes wherin you serched the land even fourtie dayes you shal bear your iniquities fourtie yeres Num. 14 34. what can be plainer Likeweise unto Ezechiel A day for a yere have J given thee chap. 9.6 But say you he wil not say for dayes literally are meant yeres but the dayes are truly taken for yeres and they are sayd to be given for yeres because they were a signe of yeres O witt worthy of Neesing wort A day is not a very yere but onely a signe or signification of a yere as if any ever thought a day to be a yere truly and properlie Or if a day might signify a yere in Ezechiel other places but might not in Iohn But now let us hear the reason why a week may be of yeres and not a day likeweise forsooth because a week signifieth number a day not To this I say unitie indeed is not number and a day answereth to unitie and this verie subtilly How be it we dullars doo think that number is the gathering togither of unities that unities ar such as is the whole it selfe which is made of theÌ„ Therfore as 7 dayes signify 7 yeres so I pray you with your good leav let it be lawful for one day to signify one yere which if you wil let us obteyn at your hands in thanks for so great a benefit we wil grant your Pope a loÌ„g lasting reign even 1260. yeres Chapt. 9. Against the sixt Demonstration from the end of the world THE sixt DemonstratioÌ„ is taken from the last sign that foloweth Antichrist which shal be the end of the world If Antichrist say you had bin come long since the world had been at an end long since for he is to come a litle before the end of the world but the world is not yet ended therfore he is not yet come I answer If that of Antichrists three yeres reign had been certayn this which you say should have some weight but forasmuch as we have proved that to be a vayn fiction partly by taking away your reasons partly by propounding such as you wil never be able to refute the end of the world maie wel teach Antichrists end but is of no force at al to demonstrate his coming if we wil speake of it properlie From the places by you cited som perhaps may argue thus The end of the world is conioyned with the end of Antichrist but the end of the world is not yet come therfore neyther the end of Antichrist But what is this to the purpose We make question of his comming not of his end You might have spared this labour unlesse perhaps you thought these were to be prepared against a new battel wheÌ„ Antichrists case shal be debated in hell There this domonstration may hav som weight wher it shal be certaynly known whither the Pope be perished togither with the destruction of al the world or no. VVherfore the testimonies which you bring are quite from the purpose and make nothing for the matter in hand Yea what and if they prove not that end which you think Then wil this your demonstratioÌ„ be altogither both without head and tayl Let us see in few words that we may also illustrate as it were by the way some obscure places whose meaning it wil be verie profitable for to know First you allege that of Dan. ch 7.9 J considered the horns loe an other litle horn came up three of the first horns were pluckt away from before him I beheld til the thrones were set up and the ancient of dayes did sit c. And afterwards explaining the vision he saith The fou th Beast shal be the fourth Kingdome and the ten horns ar ten Kings an other shal rise up after them he shal be mightier than the former shal subdue three Kings c. And they shal be given into his hand for a time times halfe a time iudgement shal sit I answer neither is the litle horn the Antichrist as we hav shewed neither if he were dooth his end lead unto the knowledge of that coming But leaving these let us weigh for what cause this is cited From these words yow would teach that the end should straightway folow that litle horn But you ought to have considered withal the words after in ver 14. to him was giveÌ„ dominioÌ„ glorie kingdom that al peoples natioÌ„s tongues should serve him That is he which shal obteyn the Kingdom when the litle horne is destroyed shal be an universal King unto whom al nations shal obey But shal ther remain a distinction of peoples nations and tongues after the last end yet is it more playne after if plainer may be in verse 27. And the Kingdome and amplitude and rule of Kingdomes shal be given to the people of the holy most High whose Kingdome shal be a perpetual Kingdome and al Rulers shal serve it VVher first it is to be observed that the dominion of this Kingdome shal be of the things under heaven then that it shal be the holy Most-High and finally that al rulers shal serve this Kingdome which things cannot have place in the heavenlie Kingdome The thing â—s thus that litle horne is the Turk who being at last extinguished the Iewes coÌ„verting universallie al of them unto the faith shal have a perpetual domination that shal dure until the coming of our Lord from heaven For the litle horn in Daniel is Gog in Ezechiel who being slayn the Christian faith shal exceedingly flourish among the Iewes as is shewed by that typical building of the Temple new Citie The same reason is of the new Ierusalem in this Apocalypse after Gog is slain ch 20.21 These things we have partly taken out of the 16. chap. of the Apocalypse partly they shal be explayned hereafter more fully And this is that which Lactantius writeth lib. 7. chap. 15. The name of Rome saith he wherwith the world now is ruled my hart is afraid to speake it but speake it I wll because it shal come to passe shal be taken away from the earth and the Empire shal returne into Asia the East again shal have dominion and the West shal serve The second place is Ap. 20.4 After this he must be loosed a litle time and I saw seats and they sate upon them and iudgement was given unto them I answer these things are farr from the last end For they folow not as you think after the Divil is loosed but these seats are placed during his imprisonment Againe there are 1000
reconciling of the world what shall the receiving be but life from the dead that is as Oecumenius saith among other interpretations what shal the receiving of them be but tha◠wee say that he quickeneth them being dead in sinnes which receiveth to weet God VVell and agreably to the Apostles mind iudging that the very receiving of the Iewes should be life from the dead Most learned Theod. Beza so interpreteth as if the Apostle should say after a proverbial manner of speaking that it shal come to passe that when the Iewes shall come to the Gospel the world shal be as it were revived by an argument of things cōpared But I forbeare to heape togither interpretations The very words of the Apostle are plaine ynough of themselves The second place is out of Isay chap. 26.19 Thy dead men shal live againe my dead bodies shal rise againe awake ye that dwell in the dust for thy dew is as the dew of hearbes and the earth shall cast out the dead In the former chapters the Prophet hath foreshewed the desolation of the whole earth severally of certaine nations from the twelft chapter and of al togither in the chap. 24. But seeing this renewing of the Iewes which he speaketh of shal be after that Babylon is overthrowne and the same such as wherby the Lord will swallow up death into victory and wipe away teares from all faces as chap. 25.8 it must needes be that this ful restoring is yet looked for to be fulfilled and not to be esteemed past in those smaller deliverances which came to this people lōg agoe Especially considering that ther is a more expresse noting of the time in those things which follow next where the Lord saith that in that day he shall visit Leviathan that long and crooked SERIENT and the DRAGON which is in the Sea in Isaiah chapter 27. ver 1. by which words he signifyeth not the Babylonian for he was farre remooved from the sea◠but without all doubt the Turke whom likeweise our holy Apostle Iohn agreably unto it calleth a SERPENT and DRAGON This is worthyly called a long SERPENT the boundes and limites of his Empire being spread and extended so farre abroad and no lesse instly said to be crooked if an◠doo consider well the Provinces of his Iurisdiction For we may consider the knob head to be in Greece Macedonie Thracia and the other nations of Europe his some what stretched out body to be in Asia the lesse called at this day Anatolie afterward his belly bowed going in circuit by Syria Phoenicia as Dionysius writeth most elegantly of the Gulfe Issicus As a Dragon cruell in lookes is wrapped about round creeping slowe Last of all his tayle following with a long train through Aegypt and the coast of Lybia and gathering it selfe as it were into a circle This Serpent goeth not with straite passes but bowing himselfe into many crooked circuits thrusteth forward his very body Who is he that beholding this Empire not so much stretching it selfe in length as going forward with a crooked winding may not perceive the lively image of the crooked serpent It is not my purpose to hunt after vaine subtilties but to bring onely the truth as farr as I see that figure of the Serpent which the Spirit hath represented to us There is added the habitation of this serpent to be in the Sea for which cause he is called Leviathan or Whale How wonderfully doth this agree to the Turk who hath fixed the seate of his Empire in the very mouth of the Sea Pontus and Propontide to weet Cōstantinople Therfore when God shal call to an account this Serpent Leviathan that is when he shal utterly abolish the Turkish name then shall this resurrection be For the Prophet ioyned togither these two things saying thy dead shall live againe and at that time the Lord shal visit Leviathan with his most sharpe sword the next chapter beginning by an opposition of the time in which he will bestow that benefit which he mentioned in the end of the former So Iohn in this place next after the destruction of the Turks addeth this resurrection The third place is in the 37. chap. of Ezechiel where what other thing are the dry bones the slaine and the graves thē the Iewes afflicted and overwhelmed with all kind of miseries and calamities Who should have no greater ability to deliver themselves from that ruine than have the dead and buried to rise out of their graves And what other thing are the sinewes flesh skinne Spirit than a future restoring at length Which shal be no lesse acceptable an wel come as almost is a new life of a sleep in the graves Behold saith the Lord Iehovah I will open your graves and draw you out of your sepulchres my people and bring you backe into the lād of Israell that you may know that J am the Lord when I doo open your graves bring you out of your sepulchres ô my people ver 12.13 To what end should they be brought againe into the land of Israel after the last resurrection our dwelling place shal then be in heaven not in earth Moreover that resurrection which Ezechiel speaketh of shal be by degrees and by little and little ver 8.9.10 But the general resurrection shal be in a moment in the twinckling of an eye 1 Cor. 15.52 Furthermore these bones are the whole house of Israell ver 11. and now shal be the uniting togither of Iudah Ephraim which those two peeces of wood ioyned togither into one doo declare Which things belong properly to the Israelites neither also past but to come as that happines sheweth which is mentioned in the ende of the chapter greater then any that the dayes past can chaleng But how doth that agree that togither with this resurrection is conioyned the cōquering of Gog and Magog chap. 38. and 39 unles that here the resurrection goeth before in Iohn in this place it followeth the cause wherof wee will shew by and by Neither doo I doubt but Daniel hath meant the same thing by those many of them that sleepe in the dust of the earth awoking some to everlasting life some to shame and perpetual contempt chap. 12.23 For many are not all but this word seemeth to have bin used of set purpose that a difference might be set between the generall and this resurrection He attributeth also the chiefe honour to them that teach and iustify others not so much for labours past in their life time as for their present travell and industry For they that teach saith he shall shine not they which taught long a goe None of which things wee know shal be after the resurrection For brevity sake I will not examine how that of Hosea 13 14. belōgeth also to this Seeing therfore the scriptures doo so freely use so expres a similitude of the resurrection to signify the restoring of the Iewes neyther doo wee find a thing of so great moment
things ar passed away all things are become new 2 Cor. 5.17 ¶ For the first heaven and earth were passed away Shal the Church then faile utterly among the Gentiles For heaven noteth out more pure godlinesseâ— as we said even now How this should be abolished it may be doubtfull because of those things which wee have mentioned before As concerning the earth it is not so doubtfull considering that the Spirit hath already taught sufficieÌ„tly that the Pope of Rome with his whole falsely so called Catholique flock shal be rooted out utterly before this day As then touching the reformed Church shal the receiving of the Iewes cause the alienation of the Gentils as before time the casting away of them was the reconciling of the world Rom. 11.15 It may seem so in deed especially considering that the Apostle affirmeth in the same place that a certain fulnesse of the Gentils shal be accomplished as is like at the calling of the Iewes ver 25. but yet notwithstanding in this very chapter the Revelation teacheth otherweise to weet that the Gentils which shal be saved shall walke in the light of it and the Kings of the earth shal bring their glory and honour to the new Ierusalem ver 24. Yea Paul in the place before said plainly avoucheth that the Church shal be very flourishing amoÌ„g the Gentils when the Iewes are called For saith he if the casting away of the Iewes be the reconciling of the world what shall the reconciling be but life from the dead This is as if he should say what shall the receiving be but as it were a general resurrection wherby they that are dead in sinns among all nations comming at length to the truth shal be made partakers of eternall life by faith in Christ From which wee gather that the fulnesse of the GeÌ„tils is not a certaine ende of beleeving at the calling of the Iewes so that faith among the Gentiles afterward should utterly perish eveÌ„ as no more can be powred into a full vessell but a more aboundant accesse of all nations of the earth toward what part soever their countreyes doo extend obeying the Kingdome of Christ according to that saying the Lord shal be King over the whole earth in that day shall ther be one Lord and his name shal be one Zach. 14.9 And the Lord will destroy in this mountaine the figure of this vaile that is spred upon all nations and the cover wherwith all nations are covered he will swallow up death it selfe into victory and the Lord Iehovah shal wipe away the tears from all faces and will take away the reproach of his people out of all the earth Isaiah chap. 25.7.8 For then they that dwell in the wildernesse shall kneele before him and his enemies shall licke the dust The Kings of the Ocean sea and of the Ilands shall bring presents the Kings of Sheba and Seba shall bring gifts Finally all Kings shall worship him and all nations shall serve him Psal 72.9.10.11 How then in this celebrating shall the new heaven passe away that is the more pure Church among the Gentils Must we distinguish concerning the GeÌ„tils wherof some are yet strangers from Christ othersome are named Christians now by the space of many ages as we of Europe first of all Shal they come to the Chuâ—ch as the Prophecies even now alâ—â—adged declare and many others agreeing with them Shal these depart and fall away as the vision seemeth to shew which these words doo set forth The fiâ—st heaven saith he passed away What other heaven is then among 〈◊〉 according to the sense of this Prophecy then among us of Europe for the most part Certainly the promise made to the Chuâ—ch of Philadelphia increaseth the suspition to weet that it should be a pillar in the temple of God never to be cast forth chap. 3 12. Why is this attributed as proper and peculiar to it if all the rest enioy the same benefit alike It seemeth therfore that as once the unfruitfull fig tree was cut up and the ill husbanded vineyard being taken from the old farmers was let out to other Luke 13.6 Mat. 21.41 So the Church now a long time evill entreated among them of Europe doo purpose to trusse up bag and baggage and to forsake them at length who have long since forsaken the purity and love of it What though now it be called heaven the heaven themselves are impure in the eyes of our God Iob. 15 15. And the more in deed at this time our heaven which rather enioyeth such nam in respect of the Popish infernal gulfe thaÌ„ for any heaveÌ„ly clearenesse of his own But that seemeth to be repugnant to this calamity of Europe that after the first resurrection there are a thousand yeeres of reigne with Christ chap. 20.6 that is ther shal be among those nations to whoÌ„ this resurrection hath befallen a continuance of the truth by the space of so many yeeres from the beginning of the restauration therof But wee know that this was proper to our countreyes But it may be answered that perhaps this reigne shal be such as was that of the thousand yeeres before that resurrection when the Divell was bound chap. 20.4 when the Kingdome was of a few elect in whose hart was the love of the onely salvation-bringing truth howsoever the Antichristian impiety savoured better to all the rest of the multitude Certenly other scriptures seeme to leane more this way threatning that al religion shal be so defiled with so many corruptions that fearce any wholesome footstep of it shall remaine entire And who is so ignorant of things that hath not iust causes inough to feare much especially when he seeth the word of God to be despised every where new errours to spring up daily old to be brought back again from hell al godlinesse to be converted into gaine and ambition Many indeed are the arguments that the glory of God wil depart from us shortly as once from the temple at Ierusalem Ezech. 9.3 Vnlesse peradventure some comfort ariseth from hence that this departure of the first heaveÌ„ and earth may be understood not of the utter decay of the truth among the Europeans but of such a renewing among the Iewes in comparison of the excellency wherof whatsoever was excellent before may be said to have passed and vanished away when the light of the moone shal be as the light of the sunne and the light of the Sunne sevenfold as the light of seven dayes the Sunne shall blush when the Lord shall reigne in Sion as wee have heard out of Isaiah or finally unlesse it hath some weight that the Spirit here speaketh so exquisitely not saying the former heaven and former earth were passed away but the first heaven and the first earth as though these words respected not the Gentiles at all but onely the legall worship which rightly one may call the first heaven ordained at the first of God himselfe But the Christian people