enemies of the Church This name once lighted upon all as many as were not the people of Jsraell but strangers froÌ„ their lawes and covenant now of the Gentiles themselves all that professe Christ syncerely are counted among the Israelites The other multitude that openly despiseth the trueth or embrace it onely in name doe stick still in their former myre and are called by the old name of Gâ—ntiles There were therefore Gentiles amonge the Thyatirens namely Iezabell with hers AmoÌ„g us Rome with her Adulterers and children Neither must wee doubt but that the Thyatirens obtayned victory against Iezabell as ours against Rome and her followers For when Luther arose some Princes of Germany departed from the service of the Romane whore WhoÌ„ at length after some strugling they cast to the ground and trode her under foote The same came to passe by the grace of God in many other places Therfore this promised power is the society of the victory against Papists which at this day all reformed Churches enioy whereof in short time there shal be a full triumphe as after in his place by God his helpe wee shall shewe 27 And he shall rule them c. These are the attributes of the former power To rule with a rode of iron is mightily to subdue and to compell to obedience will they nill they Which was done of the Protestants Prince in Germany and elswhere Who turned the Papists out of their Monasteries Collegies Temples Groundes and other goods and bestowed them on former uses to wit to the maintaining of godly teachers widowes orphanes schooles or finally on whatsoever could make to the promoting of Christianity But the Papist cryeth out that this is sacrilegious and tyrannicall Let him cry out as much as he will the more he mourneth the more we doe acknowledge the hard iron rode to be upon his backe Therefore as many of the Thyatirens as should preserve even to the end the trueth kindled among them they should see this ioyfull day with their eyes should be partakers of the victory Not that it should be neefull for them to be living at that time which arose about the yeare 1300 but because that is wont to be attributed to all which are of the same condition that happeneth to any of them to wit to them which should be alive at the end of this period For so the coÌ„munioÌ„ of saints require that that which is a few should be all 's ¶ And as the potter c. It is without any hope of restauration even as the fragments of earthen pottes which are for no use Let then the RomaÌ„ Pope sweate move every stone that he may recover his former authority he striveth in vaine his fall is unrecoverable he shall finde no glew whereby his earthen vessels may againe be ioyned together That in the end As I have received of my father signifyeth that this power shall not be obtayned without blood For Châ—ist first suffered and so entred into glory So Christians after some dangers and battels yea overthrowne in warre as wee knowe to have fallen out in Fredericke Saxon Philipe the Lantgrave their armies shall obtayne this dominion over the Papists as wee shall shew more fully in his place 28 And I will give him the morning starre An other reward noe lesse agreeing to the times This starre is Christ as wee shall see after in the 22. ch where he hath thus I am the roote and gâ—neration of David that bright morning stâ—rre so called partly because in this life he imperteth to the saincts himselfe a pledge and first fruites of the true glory least through a long desyre they be discouraged in their mindes partly he taketh to himsâ—lf this name in respect of the divers administration of things When he shineth fully he is both the morning starre the Day and the Sune but when he giveth a lesse light but so yet that he giveth hope of the perfit day following by and by he is the morning starre the Precursor of the Sonne And we must knowe that which shabe clearer in the expositioÌ„ following that a most bright light of trueth of all godlines and religion shall shine upon the earth when our brethren the Iewes shall be converted to Christ Seeing therefore that then shal be the full day that renewed Church which goeth nex before is the day starre which in the morning being seen nigh the Horizon sheweth that the fountaine spring of light will straightway appeare And this Church is that reformed which succeedeth the Thyatiren taking his beginning after the yeare 1520. Which the full restauration of the Iewes followeth at the heeles as the Sunne the morning starre That which is here but barely avouched as much as may be sâ—fficient to illustrate this place the sequent treatise shall adde proofes Wherfore in this place the promised morning starre is that sweet communicating of Christ which one shall enioy in the reformed Churches whereof he shall be enrolled a citizen which communication shal be followed of the full happines of the saints as great as can be on earth shortly after 29 Let him that hath an eare The usuall Epilogue but to be observed by reason of his divers placing For to what end in the 3 first Epistles is the reward set after the coÌ„clusioÌ„ In the 4 last this Epiphoneme holdeth alwayes the last place First the Spirit teacheth this that there is a certen difference betweene the three first and foure last which wee have observed distinguishing all the seaven into the three fâ—rst Churches growing worser and the foure last waxing stronger after sicknes feeling themselves somewhat better Secondly there may be an other reason which I gather from the event that the rewards in the three first as to eate of the fruit of the tree of life in Paradise not to be hurt of the second death to eate of the hidden Manna c. were not payed on the sudden and in one moment but perteyned to a time farre of and delayed Whence doe follow the Epiphonemes as though after the admonition they should give time to deliberate but in the foure last they goe before the Epiphoneme as if the admonition once given there should be no place left for to take counsell but the thing forthwith should obtaine an issue beyond all expectation togither the deedes and sayings And so wee know it came to passe in the reformation begun by Luther which we have shewed to be a reward in respect of the Antitype of the Thyatiren state Who would have beleeved that from so small beginnings that thing could have gone so farre at length Luther indeede thought nothing lesse then any alteration or defection from Rome or who could have expected in so small a space so great a change of things But now was the time when there should be power over the nations and therefore the matter once begun proceeded of it owne accord an alteration of those things being made in a moment
wounding of the whole Popish nation was reserved to this time Which after they heard of our England and Queene overthrowing the Romish impiety burst out altogither devising for us by what meanes soever they could a finall destruction And many wordes are not needfull in this matter Known to the whole world are the Popes curses against us our people being stirred up often to rebellion the bloody Iesuites sent privily daily hired traitours privie murtherers sorcerers the Popes armies set out in Ireland the Spanish navie then which there was never any stronger and better appointed Neither yet with weapons and armour more for fight then with scourges and haltars and things of that sort for torment the desirous inquiry of Philip the Father lately wakened almost from very death concerning our England as though he were to goe by by into that place where the teller of our evill should be noe lesse pleasant to others then to himselfe Rages certenly meete for wicked mindes For these are onely the beginnings of furie although famous notable then chiefly the Papists shall storme when Christ shall enter upon his full Kingdome as after more at large The Pope and Turke shall purpose the last desolation of the whole Church for which cause they shall gather very great armies But the rage of men shall turne the greater glory of God as the Psalmist singeth For by how much the danger shal be greater by so much his honour shall shine the more in delivering his As touching the second Gods punishement begun which these wordes signify and his wrath is come that conteineth the summe of the Vials which therefore are called the last plagues as shall be said in his place The full reward and first of all goods as great as can be on the earth is found in these wordes and the time of the dead that they should be iudged Which things perteine to the Iewes yet strangers from Christ and therefore without salvation and dead in deede but at length they shall be iudged and shall come to the trueth Which Interpretation I have taken out of Daniell Ezechiel and some places of this Prophecy following of which how great is the weight it shall appeare after more clearly The recompensing of the evill in the last wordes and shouldest destroy them that destroy the earth To wit The Pope and Turke and all their servants yet mighty robbers of the whole earth And so is the short summe of the things to be declared afterward more plenteously 19 Then the Temple was opened Therefore it was shut before when it was measured in the beginning of this chapter and because the elect were sealed But now it should be opened noe more to be used to the receaving of a fewe faithfull but that is should extende to an huge multitude of Saincts Neither onely should the Temple be opened but also the most holy place in which was set the Arke of the covenant Into this once it was lawfull for the High Priest onely to enter and that but once in a yeere Now it should be gone into of all Saincts in likewise all the mysteries of salvation being as plaine cleere and manifest to every one as before time they were to the learned and skilfull men all whose study was bestowed in them And who but a very envious anthankefull man acknowledgeth not a most rich encrease of trueth which is come to passe in these last times since the yeere 1558. in which the seventh Trumpet sounded The doctrine was made lightsome in many points more clearly known delivered more distinctly then hath happened in many ages past Neither doe I speake this to boast but to praise Gods bounteousnes and to shewe forth the trueth of the Prophecy Surely God hath begun to consume in his mountaine the forme of that veile which covereth all people and that covering which is spread upon all nations Isay 25.7 He began I say because it shal be taken away more fully when it shal be taken from the Iewes also ¶ And there were lightnings The third part of the signe which declareth what should follow after the opening of the Temple great evils should fall upon the world from the Church increased and abounding with so great riches of divine knowledge The world waxeth leane throug her prosperity and by howe much the Sunne shineth more brightly upon it so much the more are the sicke eyes of it grieved Therefore it desireth that this were abolished and endevoureth as much as it can but prevaileth nothing by endevouring unlesse to call forth lightnings upon it selfe and those evils which are rehearsed But this is onely a briefe foreshadowing of the things the patterne shal be mote lively set forth afterward CHAP. 12. AND there appeared a great wonder in heaven a woman clothed with the Sunne under whose feete was the Moone and upon her head a crowne of twelve starres 2 And being great with childe shee cryed traveiling in birth was pained that shee might bring forth 3 And there appeared an other wonder in heaven for beholde there stood a great red Dragon having seaven heads and ten hornes and upon his heads seaven crownes 4 Whose taile drewe the third part of the starres of heaven which he cast to the earth And that Dragon stood before the woman being ready to bring forth that when shee had brought foorth he might devoure her childe 5 And shee brought foorth a man childe which should rule all nations with a rod of iron and her childe was taken up unto God and his throne 6 But the woman fled into the wildernes where shee should have a place prepared of God that they should feede her a thousand two hundreth and three score dayes 7 And there was a hattell in heaven Michaell and his Angels fought with the Dragon and the Dragon fought and his Angels 8 But they prevailed not neither was their place found any more in heaven 9 And that great Dragon that olde serpent which is called the Devill and Satan was cast out which deceaveth all the world he was cast I say into the earth his Angels were cast out with him 10 And I heard a loude voice saying in heaven nowe is salvation and strength and the kingdome of our God and the power of his Christ because the accuser of our brethren is cast downe which accused them before our God day and night 11 But they overcame him by the blood of the lambe and by the word of their testimony and they made no accounte of spending their life even unto death 12 Therefore reioice ye heavens and ye that dwell in them woe to the inhabitans of the earth and of the sea for the Devill is come downe unto you full of great wrath as who knoweth that he hath but a little opportunity 13 When therefore the Dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth he persecuted the woman which had brought forth the man childe 14 But to the woman were given two winges of a
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
more theÌ„ enough This cry sheweth the manner of Gods iustice which cannot suffer uniust murders unpunished in which sorte the blood of Abell is sayd to have cryed Gen. 4.10 But how great is the patieÌ„ce of our God which is provoked by a cry to punishement before that he prepares to it But whither did the saints beare the former iniuries without speaking neither cryed out before this 5 seale Without doubt they did alwayes sigh under the crosse but nowe first of all mention is made of the crying because the time was not farre of when they should be delivered from those sorrowes For God is wont when he will bestowe any thing upon his children to stirre up their harts to fervent prayers both that they may more esteeme the good thing obtained and also that they may learne howe great a regard he hath of us that call upon him with sincere mindes ¶ How long O Lord which art holy true They set forth God with those titles wherby they may stablish increase their faith as it ought to be done in all right invocation For because he is holy he cannot let goe unpunished the ill deedes of the world especially seeing he is also true hath made large promises touching the blessednes of his people ¶ Doest thou not iudge avenge Iudgement perteineth to the knowledge of a matter vengeance to the performing executing of the thing iudged which signify punishement toward him that doth wronge yet chiefly I thinke the delivering of the innocent party from whence it is construed often with a preposition as in Luke avenge mee of my adversary ch 18.3 Where the widowe doth not so much desire fervently the punishement of the adversary as her owne deliverance So David 1 Sam. 13. and the Lord avenge mee of thee so hath Tremelius I would rather translate the wordes thus the Lord shall deliver mee from thee as also the Greeke Interpreters have it the Lord deliver mee from thee for he doth not wish evill to Saul to his face And such a thing is it which the Soules require to wit that God at length would after so long a tryall deliver the Church from the power tyranny of the enemyes that he would not suffer it to be oppressed alway with the yoke of the wicked That this is the summe of the request it is knowne from the graunt That is not denyed them which they desire earnestly but it is differred to some time which being accomplished they should receive the thing so much desired 11 Then longe white robbes were given to every one Montanus omitteth the white robes readeth it was given to them that they should rest Other copies reade in the singular number thus a white robe was given them so Aretas the coÌ„mon translation there were given to them every one severall white robes The answere made to the soules is evideÌ„t by a signe by a speech by both which is declared what should be the next coÌ„ming coÌ„ditioÌ„ of the saints The robes are giveÌ„ for a signe which are garmeÌ„ts haÌ„ging downe eveÌ„ to the heeles fitte for to hide all deformity in the body as Cyrus of the robe in Xenophon it seemed to hide if any should have any defect in his body Fitte vestemeÌ„ts for the saincts meete for Christ to give them But whereas the robes are white that perteineth to an ornameÌ„t used in time of ioy as wee hav shewed at ch 3.4 But now they ar giveÌ„ to every one not so much for the soules cause theÌ„selves in so much as they enioy gladnes in the heaveÌ„s but for to signify the things to be done on earth For waÌ„ted they robes all that time froÌ„ Traiane to Gallienus Christ promised that he that overcometh shal be clothed in white aray ch 3.5 How long is this promise differred It is not to be doubted but that the race being runne out there is some reward of the labour Therefore these robes are not they of which it was spoken before which ar given by and by after the labour is ended but of an other kinde signifying that the saincts should have merry dayes on earth for a time which they should celebrate as it were with white gownes as is the custome in the time of solemne mirth The answere made by worde cometh to the same ende which both commandeth them to rest and also sâ—tteth downe limits how long it should continue namely a very little time untill their fellow servants were fulfilled which should be killed even as they were In summe a ioyfull rest for a short time is fore shewed which at length a newe slaughter of the faithfull should follow which at length being finished that should come to passe which the holy soules desired The History witnesseth that the thing fell out after the same manner For after Galienus succeeded Claudius Quintilius Aurelianus Tacitus Florianus Probus Carus and his sonnes at length Diocletian through all which space of about fourty yeeres unto the ninetinth yeere of Diocletian there was a time of a white gowne and of ioyfull mirth free from the murders and spoiling of the saints the Emperours theÌ„selves being restrained of God that they might not interrupte and hinder the peace graunted Which calmnes Euseb describeth eloquently in the 8. booke and 1. and 2. chap. of his Hist For being about to write of the sorrowfull time of Diocletians cruelty he prepareth him selfe a way by the remembrance of the former happines He professeth himselfe unable to declare according to the worthines of the thing howe great every where amonge all men was the credit and liberty of the Christian trueth Howe great was the mildnes saith he of the Emperours towards ours to whom they committed authority and rule over the Gentiles whom they suffered without punishemeÌ„t and bouldly to professe their religion held in great estimation loved entirely and counted most trusty to them as that Dorotheus and Gregorius Also the Governours of the Churches founde noe lesse courtesie assemblyes were celebrated with very great coÌ„pany of people the accustomed houses were not able to receive the multitude but it was needfull to build newe and larger Certenly the whole narration casteth a savour of mirth most convenient to these white robes neither is there neede of any other comment and exposition of these garmeÌ„ts and of that rest which the holy soules are commanded to take But this felicity remained uncorrupted untill Diocletian disturbed it For this one onely conflict was remayning to their fellowe servants which at length being past they should enioy the thinge much desired neither should any rage of Tyrants afterward trouble them as before times 12 Afterward I beheld when he had opened the sixt seale and loe there was a great earthquake Neither hath the sixt Seale any Beast to make attention because men were attentive enough by the answere given to the Soules under the former seale For it was sayd that one onely strife remained
evill but light in comparison of his wrath from which they would redeeme themselves with any most grievous dammage whatsoever Diocletian being sent for by the letters of Constantine the great drunke poison for feare Maximianus ended his life with an haltar Gallerius perished of a most fowle disease Maximinus prevented the death that was nigh to him from Licinius by a voluntary death Maxentius tooke for him selfe a denne in the very bottome of the great river Tybris So in divers maners the Tyrants desyred to be hid from the sight of the Lambe Many men from the lykenes of speaking doe thinke that these thinges are to be referred unto the last day But noe man can deny that these same kindes of speaking are applyed of the Prophetes unto other and also unto the last calamityes And they shall come sayth Isaiah into the holes of the rockes and into the caves of the earth for the feare of the Lord chap. 2.19 Likewise Hoseah And they shall sâ—y to the Mountaines cover us and to the hilles fall upon us When yet neverthelesse he speaketh there onely of the carying away into Babylon chap. 10.8 Therefore the likenes of speaking hath small force to effect that which they would have Moreover neither can the consideration of the time suffer that interpretation by any meanes For seeing the time of the Trumpets and Violâ— is of longe continuance as wee shall shewe in the thinges that follow the sixt seale must needs be a great way from the last day especially seeing the first Trumpet shall not beginne to blowe before the seaventh seale be opened This one thing may be sufficient to convince that strange interpretation 17 For that day cometh In which the Lambe would doe that for the soules which they desired ver 11. would take deserved vengeance on the enemyes would breake the yoke of the Tyrants would take away the power of assayling with publike persecutions would set his people at liberty neither would suffer them to he vexed any more for a longe time as after chap. 20.2 of any enemy of this kinde Therefore the Church now could not be withstood by any forces that shee should not get out of trouble and obtaine the soveraignty of things even as the experience of the same times hath shewed plenteously Nowe therefore wee see the wonderfull Prophecy of the sixe Seales in which have ben disclosed the thinges of chiefe moment from the time of the Revelation given unto the raigne begun by Constantine surely in so expresse types and image of the thinges to be done that although peradventure some will accuse the interpretation of novelty yet every syncere and equall iudge will mervayle rather that the same hath not ben observed of others afore time theÌ„ refuse this as strange Yf any desyre to understand more fully touching the sixe Seales let him reade the seaven last bookes of the Ecclesiasticall History of Eusebius which may well serve him in steade of an ample and sufficint Commentary CHAP. 7. AFTER that J sawe foure Angels standing on the foure corners of the earth holding the foure windes of the earth that the winde should not blowe on the Earth neither on the Sea neither on any tree 2 And I saw an other Angell coming up from the East having the seale of the living God who cryed with a lowde voice to the foure Angels to whom power was given to hurt the earth and the sea saying 3 Hurt ye not the earth neither the sea neither the trees till wee have sealed the servaunts of our God in their foreheads 4 And J heard the number of them which were sealed there were sealed an hundreth an foure and forty thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israell 5 Of the tribe of Iuda were sealed twelve thousande of the tribe of Ruben were sealed twelve thousand of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand 6 Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousande of the tribe of Nepthali weâ— sealed twelve thousand of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand 7 Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand of the tribe of Jssachar were sealed twelve thousand of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand 8 Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousande of the tribe of Beniamin were sealed twelve thousand 9 After these thinges I beheld and loe a great multitude which noe man could number of all nations and kinreds and people and tongues stood before the Throne and before the LAMBE clothed with longe white robes having Palmes in their handes 10 And they cryed with a lowde voice saying Salvation commeth of our GOD that sitteth upon the Throne and from the Lambe 11 And all the ANGELS stood round about the THRONE and about the ELDERS and the foure Beasts and they fell before the Throne on their faces and worshipped God 12 Saying Amen praise and glory and wisdome and thankes and power and might bee unto our God for ever more Amen 13 Then spake to mee one of those ELDERS saying unto mee who are thâ—se and whence came they which are arayed with longe white robes 14 And I sayd unto him LORD thou knowâ—st And he sayd unto mee These are they which come out of great affliction and have washed their longe robes and have made them white in the blood of the Lambe 15 Therefore are they before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his Temple and he that sitteth on the throne will protect them as in a bowre 26 They shall hunger noe more neither thirst any more neither shall the Sunne light on them neither any heate 27 For the Lambe which is in the middes of the throne shall feede them and lead them unto the lively fountaines of waters and God shall wipe away all teares froÌ„ their eyes Analysis HITHER To that which is proper to the sixt Seale that which is common followeth that is to say a certen generall pourtraiture of the whole future Church even unto her last ende Which is distinguished into two times The first is in which the true worshippers are defined with a certen number who are called the sealed by a peculiar name the occasion of whose sealing are the foure Angels prepared to shewe rigour against all men standing for this purpose on the foure corners of the earth that they might restraine all provision of food for salvation ver 1. Afterward the Minister of sealing who exempteth the elect out of the multitude of the destroyed coÌ„ming from the East with full power and noe lesse valiantly executing the office committed to him forbidding with a lowde voice that they should not proceed in their intente untill he have sealed certen that were to be taken out ver 2.3 But howe great the number of the sealed is it is shewed generally ver 4. Specially of what Tribes and how many of every one ver 5.6.7.8 And this time belongeth chifly to the
any adversity trouble them which is signifyed by hunger and thirst moreover also all causes of calamityes shal be driven farre away the Sūne shall not burne them neither shall there be any heat which shall bring scarsity the whole creature shall consent to further the happines of the holy people Here the things are set before us in fewe wordes for a tast which shal be declared more at large afterward 17 For the Lambe that is in the middes of the Throne shall governe them Now the cause is rehearsed of the former happines to every part of which it is distributed conveniently shall governe answereth to those wordes shall not hunger shall lead them to the lively fountaines of waters respecteth the thirst which he said should be sufferred no more and shall wipe away all teares hath regarde to the heate of the Sunne which he promiseth shall not be trobelsome afterward ¶ From their eyes The teares falling from the eyes Montanus hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it were abiding in the eyes as if God by drying thoroughly the eyes should leave no faculty to weepe Isayah the teares from all faces ch 25.8 So then is the common type while the trumpets and viols endure that is even to the last ende About the beginning and proceeding of the Trumpets the number of the elect should be sealed about the ende there should be a more ioyfull more plentifull and more evident multitude which afterward under the viols encreasing every day at length should have their brethren the Iewes ioyned togither with themselves when there shal be a full happines at last so great as can be expected on earth which shall not be discontinued againe by any generall miseries of the times untill Christ himselfe shall come to iudgement This common type is to be declared by every member in those thinges that are behinde according to the severall mutations and notable events that shall happen this whose space CHAP. 8. AND when he had opened the seaventh seale there was silence in heaven about halfe an houre 2 And I saw the seaven Angels which stoode before God to them were given seven trumpets 3 Then another Angell came stood before the altar having a golden censer much odours were given unto him that he should offer with the prayers of all the Saints upon the golden altar which is before the throne 4 And the smoke of the odours with the prayers of the Saints wēt up before God out of the Angels hande 5 Afterward the Angell tooke the censer and filled it with fire of the altar cast it into the earth there were voices thundrings lightnings an earthquake 6 And the seaven Angels which had the seaven Trumpets prepared themselves to blowe the trumpets 7 So the first Angel blew the trumpet and there was haile and fire mingled with blood and they were cast into the earth and the third part of the earth was burnt the third part of the trees was burnt and all the greene grasse was burnt 8 And the seconde Angell blewe the trumpet and as it were a great mountaine burning with fire was cast into the sea and the third part of the sea became blood 9 And the third part of the creatures which are in the sea the livings things I say dyed and the third part of the shippes were destroyed 10 Then the third Angell blew and a great starre fell from heaven burning as a torche and it fell into the third parte of the rivers and into the fountaines of waters 11 And the name of the starre is called wormwood therefore the third part of the waters was turned into wormwood and many men dyed of the waters because they were made bitter 12 Afterward the fourth Angell blewe the trumpet and the third part of the Sunne was smitten and the third part of the Moone and the third part of the starres so that the third part of them was darkened and the third part of the day was darkened and likewise of the night 13 And I beheld and heard one Angell flying through the middes of heaven saying with a lowde voice woe woe woe to the inhabitans of the earth because of the soundes to come of the trumpet of the three Angels which shall blow Analysis THE cōmon type being declared the Silence which is proper to the seaventh seale remayneth Which of what it is is declared in the first ver Afterward he proceedeth to the following period of the trumpets which is cōprehended in the compasse of this and is distinguished into seaven trumpets the preparation of which is double common and speciall that cōsisteth first in the seaven Angels furnished with so many trumpets ver 2. Afterward in one other Angell who executeth the office of the High Priest as it appeareth from the furniture in respect both of the instrument and ende ver 3. and also of his ministery toward the elect ver 4. and against the enemyes partly by casting fire into the earth partly in raysing up from thence voices thundrings and great perturbation ver 5. The speciall preparation is of the seaven Angels making themselves ready unto the businesse appointed to them The Execution also hath likewise some thing comon to wit a warning by the blowing of the trumpets and also something speciall even the proper effect of every blowing of the trumpet which is distributed in the foure first lighter and the last three heavier They are handled in the rest of the chapter by their distinct articles At the first blowing of the trumpet there was hayle and fire ver 7. At the second a burning mountaine is cast into the sea ver 8. At the third a starre fell from heaven into the rivers ver 10.11 At the fourth the third part of the sunne was smitten ver 12. As touching the three last more grievous trumpets the preparation commō to them is had in ver 13. where the Angell flying through the middes of heaven denounceth with a mourning voice more horrible calamityes from them following Scholions 1 But when he had opened the seaventh seale Such then is the sixt the sevēth seale followeth whose effect which proceedeth from the opening is called Silence which sometime is used for any resting as why are yee silent in bringing home the King that is why doe yee rest 2 Sam. 10.11 Sometime it is opposed unto tumulte from whence the still waves of the waters Psal 107.29 Of which sorte is this silence made in Heaven that is in the Church on earth which often times is called of Christ the Kingdome of Heaven The space of this silence is about halfe an houre surely very shorth which should almost ende assoone as it should beginne In which is taught that the Church afterward shall enioy for a small time happy rest after that the open enemies should be driven away and that confortable Angel Constantine the great should arise from the East For this silence is ioined togither with that subduing
their desertes the trueth in the meane time might spring againe enioy a more quiet seasoÌ„ Wee have learned from those thinges which have ben said before that the pure religion had ben oppressed wholly and overwhelmed partly by a deluge of Locusts partly by other infinite corruptions chiefly by the tyranny of Antichrist But when it seemed good to God about this time to beginne sâ—me restoring of the trueth it pleased him to trouble Antichrist and to disquiet him with the feare of the foure loosed Aâ—gels least he should dâ—â—â—â—oy his growing trueth in the first blade and not sâ—ffer it to come to that ripâ—â—â—â—sse which wee see nowe Wherfore this commandement came in good season to the Church for whose sake alone all the alterations come to passe which wee see in the world 14 Saying to the sixt Angell To him to whom the commandement is given This first is appointed the effectour of the worke the former only denounced the evill peradventure the contagion of the sinne letted them from putting their hand to the worke but here should be a cleare separation of the punishement and the fault that the minister thereof should not neede to feare the infection of this ¶ Loose those foure Angels Car. Gal. pâ—g 56. duravit usque ad ann 1191 c. The meaning of the commandement of loosing the foure Angels who stood prepared in readines expecting onely wheÌ„ a signe should be given them But what manner of Angels were these were they properly so called and bounde to a certeÌ„ place that they could not stirre from thence untill some speciall leave was given them Certenly it is read that Asmodeus was exiled into the desert of the uppermost Egypt Tob. 8.3 But this worthily may be counted to be of small credit because of the Iewish lyes unto which that people was so given that also Iosephus a man doubtlesse learned and eloquent durst affirme Salomon either first to have invented or at least by his bookes to have encreased the Divelish art of coniuring a spirit booke 8. chap. 2. of Antiquities Thiâ— I say had ben vaine by right unlesse an authoritie of greater waight out of this very booke of the Revelation agreed unto it chap. 18.2 Where it is signifyed that the uncleane Spirits are shut up into certen places as into a prison Which yet neverthelesse seemeth not to be common to all but onely to some certen For howe can all be tyed to limited places when it is free for some to compasse the whole earth Iob 1.7 Of which also some walke about as roaring Lyons seeking whom they may devoure 1 Pet. 5.6 They rule also in the aire the spirit that nowe worketh in the children of disobedience Eph. 2.2 And they are the governours of the world yea the Gods of this world blinding the mindes of the infidels Eph. 6.12.2 Co 4.4 Can they performe these things being absent Therefore some doe seeme to be cast into certeÌ„ places as into a prison some to have more free liberty to walke abroade Yet neverthelesse the impiety of the Magitians is nothing holpen from hence who thinke that they are able to constraine the Devils with a certen necessity of abiding within a circle in a smooth stone in iron steele in a looking glasse in the nayle of a man or any like thing For God hath reserved this power to him selfe alone and to his holie Angels whom often he useth for his ministers in this thing he hath given noe authority any where to such men Neither are these Angels onely Devils but also men who are ruled by their power whom nowe it is a common thinge to be called Angels For the army is made of men as is manifest froÌ„ ch 20.7 Where againe he intreateth of the same thing Sathan goeth out to deceave the nations and to gather them togither unto battell But the Captaines are of the same kinde with their soâ—ldiers Wherfore seeing the order of things hath brought us unto the yeere one thousand three hundreth it is not to be doâ—bted but that they are the Turkes of which iudgement are a great part of Interpreters they are said foure because there were foure chiefe families of them For after the slaughter received of the Scythians Iconium the Princes Palaces being lost and after some yeeres spent in robberies at length they retiring backe they recovered themselves againe and divided among their Princes that of Asia which in short time after they tooke froÌ„ the Romanes The first of which was Carmâ—nus Atisurius the second Sarchanes the third Câ—lâ—mâ—s Cerasus his sonne the fourth Atman as he is written in Gregoras or after others Ottoman to which the same Gregoras addeth the fift Aâ—urius booke 7.1 And so many they seeme to have ben at the first but afterward to have ben brought to foure Laonicus Chalcocondy las saith that in the beginning there were seven booke 1 of the Turkes affaires But he ioyneth a certaine man called Teciem with Ottoman and reckeneth the children asunder from the fathers But it is not a thing to be mervayled at that this confusion of barbarous people could not be represented certenly by the History-writers albeit Gregoras lived in the same time and had the charge of keeping the rolles of the Emperour Andronicus the elder This nation came some ages before from Armenia the countries bordering on Euphrates From which places they did repell easily the Romanes which were wearied longe agoe and wasted with many calamityes But about the beginning of the reigne of Andronicus Paleologus the elder before the yeere 1300. it spred her selfe abroad through Asia even unto the Sea Aegeum But that they should not breake forth froÌ„ some other place then from their fore appointed lists to wit from Euphrates at that time when the raines were let loose unto them God by the helpe of the Catelani drove them againe unto Euphrates These men their Captayne being Ronzerius were souldiours in pay under Andronicus the prowesse of whom was such that for feare of them the Turkes fledde not onely from Philadelphia which then they besieged but also almost beyonde the auncient boundes of the Romane Kingdome as Gregoras testifyeth booke 7.3 This feare therefore did drive them into the countries about the river Euphrates did as it were lay fetters upon theÌ„ for a time Neither was it a small bounde tying them that they could not rage as they would in that their forces being devided unto many Princes every one a part were too weake that they should dare to attempt any great thing Both these impediments were taken away at the time of the power granted them For first of all the Catâ—lani followed not on the victory begun but shortly after went away returning home Secondly about the same time to wit about the yeere 1291 whatsoever by lawfull warre the Christian Princes tooke in Palestina and in the countries adioyning in twelve expeditions and after the possession of 196 yeeres they had lost nowe all
sinne they must needes finde more stubborne and spitefull The condition of that time could not be shewed more briefly and manifestly I therefore tooke the little booke Althoug Iohn heareth howe great trouble this meate will bring him yet obeyeth he willingly the Angell and eateth up the booke as he was commanded There was a better love in him to Gods word then any regard of lothsomnesse or wringing in the belly frō bitternesse Such excellent fortitude was in those learned men of that age before spoken of it could not be but that they knewe certenly howe great trouble they should procure to themselves by avouching the trueth yet neverthelesse they laboured valiantly setting more by the sweetnesse which they received from the ioy of the Spirit thē by all the bitternes of perill By whose example all Ministers of the word must goe on boldly neither is the office to be forsaken because of the troubles It is noe newe thing for that to be found bitter by experience which being tasted a little at the tongues ende seemeth sweete Therefore let every true Prophet have this lesson well meditated least peradventure lighting upon unexpected evils he be overcome at length through infirmity 11 Thou must Prophecy againe Nowe in fewe wordes he sheweth to what ende the former signe was used that it may be understood that Prophecie was to be restored againe to the Church in those times The preparation whereunto was the receaving and eating up of the booke to wit a burning desire of learning which gave hope of a more perfit light to appeare daylie But their opinion is foolish who will from these wordes have John to be expected about the ende of the world with Enoch Elias These things belōg not to the last time but to the sixt trumpet which wee will declare manifestly hereafter to be past And Iohn is set forth onely as a type not described by any office which in his owne person he should beare in the last times CHAP. 11. AND a reed was given mee like unto a rode and the Angell stood by saying rise and mete the Temple of God and the altar and them that worship therein 2 But the court which is without the Temple shut out mete it not for it is given to the Gentiles they shall treade under foote the holy city two and fourtie moneths 3 But I will give to those my two witnesses and they shall prophecy a thousande two hundreth and threescore dayes clothed in sackecloth 4 These are two olive trees and two candlestickes standing before the God of the earth 5 And if any man will hurt them fire proceedeth out of their mouthes which shall devoure their enemyes For if any man will doe them wronge so must they be killed 6 These have power to shut heaven that it raine not in the dayes of their prophecying and have power over waters to turne them into blood and to smite the earth with all maner plagues as often as they will 7 Moreover when they finished their testimony the Beast that commeth out of the bottomelesse pit shall make warre against them and shall overcome them and kill them 8 And their corpses shall lie in the streetes of the great citie which is called spiritually Sodom and Egypt where also our Lord was crucified 9 And men of Tribes of peoples and of tongues and nations shall see their corpses three daies and an halfe and shall not suffer their carkases to be put in graves 10 And the inhabitans of the earth shall reioice over them and be glad and shall send giftes one to an other because these two Prophets vexed the inhabitans of the earth 11 But after three dayes and an halfe the Spirit of life comming from God shall enter into them and they shall stande up upon their feete and great feare shall fall upon them that shall see them 12 After they shall heare a great voice from heaven saying unto them come up hither and they shall ascende up to heaven in a cloude and their enemies sawe them 13 And the same houre was made a great earth quake and the tenth parth of the city fell and in the earthquake were slaine seven thousande men the remnant were feared and gave glory to the God of heaven 14 The second woe is past and behold the third woe commeth quickly 15 And the seventh Angell blewe the trumpet and there were great voices in heaven saying the Kingdomes of this worlde are the Lords and his Christs and he shall reigne for evermore 16 Then those foure and twenty Elders which sate before God on their thrones fell upon their faces and worshipped God 17 Saying wee give thee thankes Lord God almighty which art and which wa st and which art to come for thou hast received thy great might and hast obtained thy Kingdome 18 And the Gentiles were angry and thy wrath is come and the time of the dead that they should be iudged and that thou shouldest give a reward unto thy servants the Prophets and to the Saincts and to them that feare thy name small and great shouldest destroy them that destroy the earth 19 Then the temple of God was opened in heaven and the Arke of his covenant was seene in his temple and there were lightnings and voices and thundrings and eaarthquake and much haile Analysis SVCH is the preparation unto the newe Prophecy as was observed in the eight verse of the former chapter the Prophecy it selfe followeth in the first fifteene verses of this chapter which belongeth either to the whole bodie of the Church or some chiefe mēbers of it As touching that The Church is either true or false the true should lie hid this whole periode of fourtie moneths small very secret narrowe which is shewed by the temple measured ver 1. the false in the meane time very ample and spatious ver 2. The chiefe members are two Prophets whose divers condition is shewed according to a threefold difference of time the first by a thousand two hundreth threescore dayes all which space being black they should goe in monrning apparell ver 3. Who yet in the meane while should be like Olive trees Candlestickes ver 4. neither should be hurt of any without punishement ver 5. and endued with great power ver 6. The second time is of three dayes and an halfe in which being slaine ver 7. they should lie unburied in the streetes of Sodome and Egypt ver 8.9 and should make their enemies merrie with their death ver 10. The third time is not determined after the three dayes and an halfe in which they should rise againe lifted up by the Spirit first upon their feete which should strike a feare into their enemies ver 11. Afterward into heaven at which the tenth part of the citie should fall many should be slaine the rest should be made afraid ver 13. Last of all a transition is used declaring the ende of the sixt trumpet and the beginning of the
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
wherin a Dragon was painted thrust thorough with a dart and layd under his and his peoples feete see Euseb upon the life of Constantine in the third oration leafe 137. a. 9 And that Dragon was cast into the earth That is beiond the boundes of the true and holy Church not onely among the prophane nations but also all other people altogither without true godlines howsoever peradveÌ„ture they pretended a shewe of it and are marked with the names of Christians That which is here called the heaven and the earth was in the former chapter called the Temple and the Court. In that the Church lay hid in this the Gentiles ruled a people who because of their vicinitie did take to themselves the name of the Church Therefore the Devill being cast unto the earth he is thrust out togither with his Angels into this court having receaved power to vexe the whore who lately exercised all his strength against the true spouse 10 And J heard a great voice The Song of triumphe of the Saincts celebrating God for his great benefit which first of all is declared by those things wherein the benefit it selfe consisted in this verse afterward it is set forth by his causes ver 11. by his effects ver 12. The benefit it selfe in respect of men is safety the tyrants being destroied who did labour to satisfy their hatred with the destruction of the Christians in respect of God it is the glory of his might of the Kingdome and power of Christ For then his power doth appeare when he utterly destroyeth abolisheth his enemies Also his visible Kingdome is seen after a sort when he placeth godly Princes in the governement of the common wealth from hence likewise the power of Christ was much declared which before seemed weake being so troden under soote by the enemyes neither punishing them according to their deserts But Christ now by taking unto him the Kingdome declared sufficiently that the former want of punishement and sufferance came not from imbecillity but onely from patience In respect of the Devill this benefit was a iust reward of his ungodlines who coÌ„tinually accuseth the godly before God But we must observe that the servants are noted with the same names wher with the Pâ—â—â—câ— himselfe is named because there is an equall good will to hurt in both although hiâ— power be greater But this accusation are those taunts reproches railings with which the spitefull enemies overwhelmed the Saincts continually obiecting unto them the suppers of Oedipus incests adultery mutuall lusts murders conspiracies against Princes pestilences famine burnings and whatsoever publike calamity there was of which and the like things the auncient History is full Surely the children learned of their father the Devill that auncient false accuser so as it is not to be wondered at if wicked men doe excell in the same arts 11 But they overcame Who The Angels of Michaell for now the streÌ„gth of the souldiers is commended the praise of the Emperour being celebrated in the former verse But as touching the causes of the victory the principall is the blood of the Lambe the instrumentall is the synceritie of the faith and a very great constancy even unto death The blood of the Lambe is the fountaine of all the benefits which the elect enioy either in this life or in the life to come For his sake alone God both delivereth his people from all the miseries of this life and at length will make them ioyfull with eternall felicity The integrity of faith is shewed in the next wordes by the word of his testimony that is by the truth of the Ghospell which they professed freely boldly Before it was alwaies called the testimony of God or of Iesus as in ch 1.2.9 ver c. here it is called the testimony of themselves which kinde of speaking neverthelesse commeth to the same ende For it doth not respect the subiect of which but in which In the last place is their constancy because they esteemed more of the truth and faith in Iesus then of their owne life It seemeth to be a comparative speach as if he should say they loved not their soules even unto death more then God But this last member of the comparison is wanting uÌ„lesse perhaps they loved not be put for they despised But even so the force of the comparison remaineth to with they despised in comparison of the truth This is a notable constaÌ„cy of the Saincts that by no tormeÌ„ts they could be remooved froÌ„ faith in Christ For which cause at leÌ„gth God gave uÌ„to them the reward of victory But observe how this soÌ„g of tâ—iumphe addeth those things which were wanting to declare the coÌ„dition of the first Church we have seen by the description of the woman that shee was famous for souÌ„dnes of faith purity of actions sincerity of the teachers also we have understood that she was destitute of a pâ—tron for because that in great sorow and griefe shee brought forth a sonne Adde to al these from this triumphant song that the enemies of the truth heaped all reproches upon the Saincts they used a great violence to their power yet the faithfull could not be remooved eveÌ„ with the losse of their life froÌ„ their holy profession wherby it came to passe that those times were made famous by almost an infinite number of most couragious Martyrs 12 Therefore reioice yee heaven c. The fruict of this benefit is the ioy of the Saincts the sorrow of the wicked For why should not they triuÌ„phe having attained safety seeing the glory of God so notably amplified But many calamities doe remaine true but these shall not touch the Saincts whome God hiddeth in his tabernacle And therefore he seemeth to say yee which dwell in them because this is heaven that the temple or tabernacle wherein the Church lyeth hid from whence at length it shall goe into the holy mountaine to an everlasting habitatioÌ„ before in chap. 11.7 c. 2 Cor. 5.1.2 c ¶ Woe to the inhabitans c. The effect in respect of the wicked is a very great sorrow for these are the inhabitans of the earth and the sea And from heÌ„ce may be confirmed this metaphoricall signification of these wordes For if the earth be properly taken the Devill should be in like sorte trobelsome to all the Saincts who dwell togither with the wicked and unseparated Moreover who are the inhabitans of the sea besides men The Devill doth not spit out his poison upon the whales Neither doe good and bad men dwell togither lesse in Ilands then in the continent land Thus therefore we doe distinguish that the inhabitans of the earth are every wicked multitude either of Heathen or Christians who have onely a counterfait shew of religion But the inhabitans of the sea are the Church men as they call them who profer to their false Christians grosse foule saltish and bitter doctrine which doeth rather bring to the
that the Dragon cast out of his mouth after the woman so great abondance of waters into Europe and Afrike it is also apparant enough that the woman fled from the East into these countries And certenly during those troubles concerning Christ to be of the same substance with the Father the state of the Church was here more quiet But that wee may not thinke that it was any happy condition the Spirit calleth our Europe expressely a desert place and wildernes For the woman going into the west fled into the wildernes For superstitions did so growe in use in those times that assemblies of the faithfull rightly established were no more ordinary in this part of the world then there are frequent habitations of men in a wildernes here and there some more apparant marke was left but very rare as is the meeting of men in a desert 16 But the earth holpe the woman Not â—his earth which we treade on but a counterfait and earthly religion and the lovers thereof as alwayes before This such as it was then every where in the world called the Church while the true was not in the sight of men but was hidden in privie places brought much helpe to the woman For those Barbarous nations the which at home practized the impietie of the Gentiles bred and brought up in the same after that they had come into these more learned couÌ„tries yeelded to that religion which thy sawe to be there received of the greatest number The Vandals Gothes abiding first about Thracia where the ArriaÌ„ plague had disteined all things were converted in name unto Christ but in very truth to that fained and counterfait one whom Arius had fashioned The other route of Barbarians in Germany Italy Fraunce Spaine followed the Romanes in all things Which did much tame and softeÌ„ their cruell mindes For while they gave their names even to this religion and suffer themselves to be enrolled citizens of the same they were not so spite full against the Christian nation that they would purpose to roote it out Wherby it came to passe that when they ceased their anger for a newe professions sake and were at quiet in those countries which they had possessed this flood at length was swalowed up and the expectation of the SerpeÌ„t notably deluded This good the earthly Church brought once to the heavenly being afterward about to heape upon the same infinite evils 17 Then the Dragon was wroth c. Thus farre the persecution which when the Dragon seeth to have ben in vaine yet he will not desist but attempteth an other way to hurt He purposeth to assaile the remnant of her seed with warre But why moved he warre against them and persecution against the woman Because persecution is as wee have said when the one party sufferreth wrong and repelleth it not of which sorte was the womaÌ„s condition as from her first beginnings so after Constantine for some space for whose safety no man did fight nor maintaine her purity against superstitions springing up But warre is when violence is repelled by violence which at length the seed of the woman should undertake that it may defende the selfe against manifest tyranny But if the woman be the Church what is this her seede Even nowe wee said that the woman was the holie assemblies of the faithfull which publikely doe worship God himselfe by his word sacraments prayer discipline as he alone hath appointed Therfore her seed are the faithfull being of a right iudgement who by reason of the daungerousnesse of the times caÌ„not meete togither openly to worship God but apart doe bend themselves to those studies by which every one privately may cherish godlinesse Against them the Dragon prepareth warre when as there should be congregations in open place which did professe pure and syncere godlines as long as the woman was absent in the wildernesse And so at length it came to passe For after that overflowing of the Northerne barbarous people that the flood was swalowed up by the helpe of the earth the Devill raised up about the yeere 630 the nation of the Saracens which should make a most grievous warre upon the remnaÌ„ts of the Church lying hidde here and there in the confused multitude Malice suffeâ—red him not to graunt them any breathing time but assoone as he had pâ—rceiued that this former entreprises were of noe effect he turneth himsâ—lfe to an other purpose coveting rather that he should be alwayes miserable through continuall labours then that the fewe elect that were remaining should be without miseries even for a small time Therefore first he mooved the Saracens to fall away from the Romaines Secondly he ordained Mahumet their Captaine then he sent him into the whole world to destroy all Who can declare the Iliad of miseries which flowed from thence From that time there was continuall warre for a whole seven huÌ„dred yeeres untill the Turkes a viperous breede a generation worse then their parent destroyed utterly the Saracens their mother This warre was farre and large such a there was never the like in any other time It exteÌ„ded from Persia even to the furthermost Iles of Gades and almost from Lybia into Fraunce And how grievous was it that in fewe yeeres was subdued Arabia Syria Mesopotamia Persia Aegypt the Iles of the Sea Afrike and Spaine Surely the Christian world was very greatly afflicted her by For the Devill spared not his owne so that he might destroy that lurking seed in the common calamity This warre was shewed before partly by the Locusts as wee have expounded in ch 9 partly by the Euphratean Angels that is the Turkes who in these dayes accomplished that which the Saracens had begunne Neither ought it to seeme a strange thing that so cruell a name is now given to the thing which long agoe was an armie of small vermine other is the outward face of a thing already accomplished such as is mentioned in this place and other of a thing in hand yet to be finished of which sorte it is there Nowe therefore wee may see froÌ„ the persecution in the East the overflowing of the barbarous people in the West and the warre of the Saracens common to both by which miseries the Dragon troubled the world after that he had lost heaven and howe iust cause there was to denounce a woe to the inhabitans of the earth as wee have heard at the seventeenth verse And this whole Chapter may be in stead of a Commentarie shewing howe that the Prince that ruleth in the aire is the Spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience as wee have it in the Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians chapter second and second verse Such then is the History of the Dragon so farre as he assaileth with open force for this office he taketh to himselfe The other of fraude and craftines hee giveth to his Vicar the Beast of the which enemy wee shall speake in the Chapter nex following The whole Prophecy
had graunted of his owne accord Italy to the Gothes which he had no hope to be able to retaine VVhat could he expect from the VVest every country wanting helpe so farre off were they from being able to succour others Therefore O Pope thy wouÌ„d was deadly whereof no remedie appeared from any place ¶ But this deadly wound was healed The third condition of the Beast coÌ„sisting in his dignity recovered by the healing of the head VVhich began at the yeere 555 when Iustinian being Emperour the Gothes were destroyed in Italy bâ— the valiantnesse of 〈◊〉 Nâ—râ—â—â—â—â— The Emperour played the Physitian maniâ—estly for first he tooke away the noxious humours by â—â—pressing yea rather utterly abolishing the Barbarians afterward he powred in wine oyle That Decree of Iustinians new constitution 131 wâ—s a most pleasant ointemeÌ„t Wee ordaine that according to the Decrees of the holy Counâ—â—lls the most holy Bâ—shop of auncient Rome shall be the chiefe of all Priests Hâ—â— much was the wound amended hereby But Phocas the Parricide afte◠〈◊〉 yeeres more or lesse that is in the yeere sixe hundreth and sixe finiâ—hâ—â— the cure bound up the wound healed it up into a skarre Hee did gâ—aunt unto Bonifâ—ce the third that the Romane Bishop should be counted Vniversâ—ll not onely that he should goe before the rest in order honour as Iustâ—nian decreed limitting the Primacy with the bounds of holy Concills bâ—t who should have the whole world for his Diocesse the Bishop of CoÌ„stantinople strove afterward in vaine from whom the Primacy was given by the sentence of the Emperour Now he perceived that the wound was healed and that therefore it was superfluous to pleade any more for this matter And certenly not very long after the Pope Leo second shewed that he had recovered health when about the yeere 680. by the warres of the Emperour he compelled Felix the Bishop of Ravenna to acknowledge the Bishop of Rome for his Lord and that the Bishop of Ravenna should not rise up any more it is ordained by the authority of the Pope That afterward the election of the Clergie of Raâ—enna should not be of force unlesse the consent of the Romane Pope were added to it Sabellic Ennead 8. book 7. Thus was the wounded head cured which being healed did more hurt the Christian world then before he received the wounde ¶ And all the world wondred followed the Beast Now he declareth how great the recovered dignity should be first by the honour which the worshippers of the Beast should give to him this honour is in admiring in this verse also in worshipping both the Dragon the Beast in the following And he speaketh significaÌ„tly after the Hebrewes manner to wonder after the Beast which is as much as in wondring to follow the Beast that is to give up theÌ„selves wholly to be ruled by his Empire as the Israelites going a whoring after their Idols forsooke the true God coÌ„secrated theÌ„selves to the worship of them They who so admired the Beast are the earth that is men savouring the earth altogither straÌ„gers froÌ„ the heaveÌ„ly city But how many is the nuÌ„ber of them All without exception For he saith the whole earth Therefore it should come to passe that the Beast after the head was healed should rule with farre larger boundes then before Prosper said that Rome was more ample at the first receiving of this dignity by the tower of religion then by the throne of power Which seemeth to be understood rather of the consent of the trueth then of the dominion of the Citie of Rome although then it was doubtlesse large The trueth was propagated further then the Romane Empire But Britanny had not yet acknowledged the authoritie of Rome in the matter of religion till under the Pontificate of Gregory the fift that is after some hope that the wound should be cured Augustine the Romish Munke forced our countriemen to take upon them the yoke neither did France Friseland Denmarke Germanie Sclavonia depend much of Rome before Bonifacius or Venefride an Inglishman about the yeere 720. brought these countries or the chiefe parts thereof unto the obedience of the Pope of Rome Now therefore was the time when the whole earth should admire the Beast when besides these and other Princes of Europe countries also most remote Ireland Scotland Norway Gothia Sueveland Luten and other nations of Sarmatia honoured the same as some God Let therefore the Pope glory in his universality by how much he hath the greater multitude by so much a surer argument is he that Beast But as touching the admiration it was indeede great some ages before and that of the most famous lights of the Church who carryed away with the too much honour of the Beast and not regarding sufficiently to what mischiefe at length the matter would growe did exalte too proudly the preheminence of the Apostolike Chaire Yet did they not wonder after the Beast so as they thought they must embrace all whatsoever he should ordaine but they had one rule of godlinesse and duty to it the sacred trueth Neither were the commendations of those times any thing to that admiration which followed the healing of the wounde Heare Bernard Thou saith he speaking to the Pope art the great Priest the chiefe Pope thou art the Prince of Bishops thou art the heire or the Apostles thou art in Primacy Abel in governing Noe in Patriarchat Abraham in order Melchisedec in dignity Aaron in authority Moses in iudgement Samuel Peter in power Christ in an-annointing c. in the 2. booke of Considerat Verily o Bernard thou hast played the foole through admiratioÌ„ Yet neverthelesse I dare not put thee among those who wonder after the Beast considering that I heare thee else where reprooving boldly and sharply the wickednesse of the Popes Cardinals Bishops and other Clergie men The times deceaved thee but there was in thee I thinke somewhat borne of God which at leÌ„gth did overcome the world But of what sorte was the wouÌ„dring of other men who were more blinded lesse fearing God Heare what the Ambass of the Emp. of Sicilia being prostrated on the grouÌ„d cry which takest away the sinnes of the world hav mercy on us which takest away the sinnes of the world give us peace P. Ae. b. 7. VVhat also Simo Begnius Bishop of Modrusium speaking to the Pope Leon in the Councill of Lateran sess 6. Beholde here cometh the Lion of the tribe of Iuda the roote of David thee o most blessed Leo wee have expected for Saviour Adde unto these Cornelius the Bishop of Biponte who shewed his astonishmeÌ„t in the CouÌ„cill of TreÌ„t in these words The Pope being the light is come into the world and men have loved darknes more then the light for every one that doth evill hateth the light and commeth not to the light O Blasphemous Fooles is it not enough for you to adorne the Man of Sinne with the praises of the Saincts
Clergie neither of Kings nor of the people Againe God would have the causes of other men to be ended by men Likewise The whole Church through the world knoweth that the holy Romane Church hath right to iudge concerning all men neither may any iudge of her iudgement This is called a power of doing for excellency sake such as indeede belongeth to no Emperours who refuse not to he refrained with the boundes of lawes and all their actions to betried by the rule of equity and justice As touching the wordes Aretas readeth And power was given him to make warre moneths c. In like manner also Montanus and Plantines Edition The Common translation absolutely as also Theodorus Beza and the rest of the Greeke Copies The like use of this word in a like matter in Daniell favoureth this reading He shall cast downe saith he the trueth to the grounde and shall doe and he shall prosper in the eight Chapter the twelve foure and twentiest verse and he shall prosper wonderfully and shall doe So in the eleventh chapter verse twentie eight He shall doe and shall returne to his owne lande In which places is signifyed a certaine free and chiefe power of doing which should not feare the iudgement of any The time of doing are two and fourty monâ—ths the same space wherein the temple remaineth measured the two Prophets mourne and the woman lyeth hid in the wildernes as in the 11 chapter second verse and 12. chapter sixe verse from whence the beginning of all these is to be judged the same At one time the Church is banished the Prophets weare sackecloth and the Beast or Antichrist is borne to wit in that first refreshing after the publike persecutions about the yeer 300 as before hath ben said But shall there be also the same ending Shall the Beast be deprived of all power to doe and the womaÌ„ returne our of the wildernes togither This peradventure is against it that after the two and fourty moneths ended he maketh warre with the two Prophets and overcometh them which is a thing of no small power as wee have shewed in the 11. chapter verse 7. Furthermore there remaineth yet a warre farre a way the most grievous to come long after those moneths as wee shall see after in the 16. chapter Last of all if there be the same ende of the moneths in regard of the Beast which there is of the woman how shall he have power to doe two and fourty moneths seeing some great parte of them did lay sicke yea as it were dead by meanes of his wounded head This space then seemeth to containe the whole tyranny of Antichrist so as that time when the wound was greene be taken away from it But wee have already shewed that this sickly time was ended with the raigne of the Gothes in the 3. ver which continued an hundred and fourty yeeres Therefore if wee take away these yeeres from the moneths of the womaÌ„ lying hid wee shall finde that at the ende of this lurking to with at the yeere 1546. that 37. moneths ten dayes only of the flourishing Kingdome of Antichrist wer past There are wanting therefore to this 5. moneths 20. dayes which if wee shall count from the yeere 1546. the last ende of Antichrist shall come out at the yeere 1686. or there about For so wee shall learne from other scriptures that he shall utterly perish about that time It may be that his destruction shall prevent this terme for neither doe I now reckeÌ„ curiously neither peradventure doe the History-writers nuÌ„ber the yeeres so faithfully as is meete But it shall not be graunted him to proceed further the furthest space being set downe by mee But peradventure these moneths are not the space of time from the first beginning unto the last ende of the Beast but onely the former yeeres of his raigne as many as may suffice to manifest him aboundantly to all men In which respect as they begin togither with the moneths and dayes of the woman and Prophets so also they have an ende togither The mention of the warre with the Sancts beneath in the 17. verse confirmeth this sense which warre wee have declared to have befallen at the ende of these moneths in chap. 11.7 From which exposition the Beast is said to have power to doe two and fourty moneths of the most part of these moneths because that small distance of time in which he should hide himselfe by reason of his wounded head should have a very little reckening made of it in respect of the whole number neither is the power which shal be afterward like to that of former time as the experience of this time proveth sufficiently wherein wee see the Popes forces since that warre was made that is since the Councill of Trent are become a great deale feebler and weaker so that his power is almost nothing to that which it was in former ages This latter is more plaine wherfore it pleaseth mee the more Yet notwithstanding I would not hide any thing as much as in mee lay where I should see the least doubt that either my selfe might finde out the trueth or at least wise might stirre up others to search it out 6 Therefore he opened his mouth to blasphemy Hitherto hath ben the given power now the thing it selfe is performed these two are distinguished because the heigh of impiety should not be looked for the first day but he should come to it by certene degrees and in processe of time But first he prepareth himselfe to blaspheme God and his name afterward his Temple last of all those that dwell in Heaven He blasphemeth God by vaunting himselfe to be God not as other Princes but sacrilegiously beyond the condition of mortall men as to whom power is given in Heaven and in Earth who shall rule from Sea to Sea and from the River to the endes of the world as may be seen in the first booke and 7. chap. of the Ceremonial pontifical And as the Pope Sixtus confirmed openly in these wordes Whosoever accusâ—th the Pope shall never be forgiven because he that sinneth against the Holy Ghost shall never beforgiven neither in this nor in the life to come See the first Tome of Councills in Purgat of Sixtus Thence followeth that which Boniface the eight singeth so loude thus Wee declare define and pronounce to every creature that it is upon necessitie of salvation that they be subiect to the Pope of Rome Extrav of Maiorit obed one holy SecoÌ„dly he opened his mouth against the Tabernacle That is the true Church of God lying hid and being as a stranger on the earth For this Tabernacle is the same that the Temple was in chap. 11.1 the dwelling place of God conversing with his people in the desert which sheweth evidently at what time chiefly he should cast out these blasphemies to wit when the Church should dwell in the wildernesse and should be knowne onely to a fewe obscure
it hath the relative in stead of the coniunction Aretas readeth as our copies but this diversity chaungeth not the meaning 9 And the third Angel and an other third Angel as some copies have it The third should be the strongest of all He should not onely nippe Antichrist with most grievous wordes but also most severely threaten destruction to all who will not depart from the humble service of him This Angel was Martin Luther that began openly to traduce Antichrist about the yeere 1517 who detested this infection more bitterly by how much through the revelation of the Spirit of God he had more sure knowledge of the filthinesse of the Romish Beast The Spirit here attributeth to him a troublous sermon and full of tumult And indeede there is no man who hath tasted the workes of that holy man to whom they seeme not to cast a savour of the heavenly trueth they are in every place so hot and earnest and doe flame with a certen fiery heate yea he came some time to that fervency that he could not stay himselfe from foule and unchast similitudes Many desired a greater moderation and modestie but from hence we may see with what inward motion he was carried The world was sicke of a great drowsie disease which could not be shaken of unlesse he had spoken vehemently dealt roughly and stung them Of which labour he received happie fruit Men were wakened out of sleepe by his warnings and seeing in what great daunger they were by worshipping the Beast they delivered themselves from his snares assoone as they could Therfore they forsooke the authour of their evill and fled unto the salutary trueth A matter of a great troble and sturre But a wheele is not turned about without noise the Spirit in some part doth manifest the trouble that followed by this very great earnestnes of the sermon ¶ Yf any shall worship the Beast He dealeth in earnest and cutteth to the quicke The summe of the sermon is contained in this conditionall proposition if any shall worship the Beast he procureth to himselfe eternall destruction The antecedent parte is found in this verse the consequent is declared by the two sequents As touching the worship it is set foorth first by a double subject the Beast his Image The Beast simple and unskilfull men doe worship who are carried with the present glory of thinges His Jmage the more learned and skilfull who see further and worship the present Beast for the reverend antiquity of succession and that auncient image renewed in this that is present Both are in the same state unlesse they repent Before the worshipping of the Image was common to all chap. 13.15 but where in some respect it is distinguished from the adoration of the Beast it seemeth to consist in this diffeâ—eÌ„ce of learned and unlearned Afterward the manner of worshipping is declared which is done two wayes by receiving the marke either in the forehead or in the hande In the forehead are marked the coÌ„mon sorte of men who by a naked profession doe acknowledge their humble service In the hande the Princes Peeres the whole route of Ecclesiasticall men and the rest of that sorte whose dutie is to maintaine the Beast to their power Why then is the order changed the first place given to the marke in the forehead to which the second was before as which place belongeth to men of lesse reckenning chap. 13.16 Surely that the greater condemnation of those defenders may be shewed as though he should say Every one shal be tormented with fire and brymstone who hath but received the marke in the forehead much more they which have received it in their hand But why is noe mention made of the number of his name Because this token is proper to the Grecians who should worship the Beast by their consenting with the Latine Church chap. 13.17 But this Angell was appointed for the people of the West part especially Greece also being destroyed by the desolation of the Turkes But thou must observe that this worshipping is performed not by falling downe on the ground but by acâ—nowledging a soveraigntie in which maÌ„ner they may worship who never sawe the Beast 10 He shall drinke also of the wine of the wrath of God The consequent part of the conditionall proposition describeth the destruction of them who worship both by the kinde of punishement in this verse and also by the eternity thereof in the verse following That first is set foorth allegorically in the beginning of the verse after it is declared by proper wordes in the other parte To drinke of the wine of the wrath seemeth to be a metaphore made by antanaclasis or reciprocation unto the wine of fornication wherby idolatry is signifyed wherewith men are delighted no lesse then with the pleasantnes of wine As therefore men reioyce in their sinnes so God shall reioice no lesse in punishing them for he shall mixe for them the wine of his wrath according to that in Deut. 28.63 Or the reason may be taken from them that doe kill wicked men by poisonned drinkes as once the Athenians other people and at this day the Turkes But what is this pure wine mixt These thinges seeme to be contrary a thing is said to be mixed which is powred in for him that shall drinke although it be not allayed with water but that exposition seemeth to mee to be more probable which will have divers pure wines to be mixed togither which mixture doth much sooner cause drunkenesse and maketh a greater disturbance of the body Water being mingled alayeth the strength of pure wine which tempering is not fit to signify the very great severity of punishement Let therfore the mixt pure wine be iudgement without mercy to the unrepentant ¶ He shal be tormented in fire and brymstone These thinges more properly doe note that the punishement shal be like that which of olde was of Sodome A sorrowfull spectacle whereof is yet at this day to be seen in the world in the ashy earth and in the stinking lake A visible marke doubtlesse of an eternall punishement This punishement shal be taken before the Angels and the Lambe that the torment may be the more grievous by how much it is more known to their enemâ—â—s ¶ And the smoke of their torment These thinges doe declare the eternity of the punishement for the smoke of the torment shal be eternall But the smoke is taken for fire of which it is a token Here it is used for to teach that the worshippers of the Beast shal not only be tormeÌ„ted for ever but also that their torment shall never be hidde from the Saincts who at least shall see alwayes the smoke thereof As touching that he saith they shall hav no rest day nor night by the same he sheweth that their torment shal be continuall also beside that it shal be eternall The repeating againe of the antecedent of the conditionall proposition belongeth to the earnestnesse
that AlexaÌ„der himselfe never boasted of any such wonder in his Epistles Arianus writeth that usually ther is no way to passe through the sea neer Phaselis but when the North winds blow which blew vehemently when Alexander went that way that they seemed not without Gods power to have yeilded them an easy passage But Strabo book 14 writeth most playnly that the soldiers traveiled al the day even up to the navel in the waters So then Alexander passed through the waters that were shollow and not quite dryed up Neyther doo I think can it be found in any record that such a thing did ever happen to any other people then the Iewes The vanity of writers may feign many things but the Scriptures doo challenge this as peculiar to this nation onely I will say sayth God to the deep be dry and I wil dry up thy flouds Isa 44.27 And againe Art not thou the same which dryed up the sea even the waters of the great deep making the deeps of the Sea to be a way for the redeemed to passe over Isa 51.10 And least some should thinke this miracle was onely for the time passt and not such to be looked for ever after he addeth in the next verse So the redeemed of the Lord shal returne and come with joy into Sion c. And in Isa 63.11 where should he be that brought these up out of the sea with the shepheard of his flock which cleft the waters for thâ—se to make himselfe an everlasting name which led these through the deepe as an horse in the wildernes so that they stumbled not It is no marvel therfore if the peculiar note ensigne of this nation onely be putt for the men themselves But what need there a way to be prepared for them Shal they returne agayn to IerusaleÌ„ Ther is nothing more sure the Prophets playnly confirme it and beat often upon it Yet not to the end that the ceremonial worship should be restored but that the mercy of God may shine unto al the world in giving to a nation now scatered over al the face of the earth dwelling no where but by leave their fathers habitations wherin they shal serve Christ purely and sincerely according to his owne ordinance onely A thing of old commonly spoken of by the ancient Iewes which they understood by the Prophets although but narrowly and through the lattisse Wherupon it was berayed with old wives fables both in ages past and so is now at this day The feighned Esdras saw some sparkles of this truth which he overwhelmed with so many and great fictions that he had need be a wary and attentive reader and one of no mean judgement that would gather gold out of that confused heap They entred in saith he speaking of the ten tribes that were led captives at the narrow passages of the river Euphrates for the most high then shewed them signes and stayed the springs of the river til they were passed over 4. Esdras 13.43.44 A Iewish fable but neerer to the truth is that which there foloweth ver 47. The most high shal hold stil the springs of the river agayn that they may goe through c. which agreeth with this place may both of them be understood metaphorically though nothing letteth why it may not please God agayn to shew his ancient power of drying waters up extraordinarily Seing therfore it is certayn that this nation shal earnestly flock unto the Gospel and that in the last times as Paul teacheth Rom. 11.25 and the last period of things is of the vials it is not likely that such a wonderful matter should have no mention at al in this clear Prophesie unto which also here is added the proper ensigne of this nation for whose onely sake both sea river as we read were dried up I am not altogither unadvised in supposing that this is the onely matter here in hand which must eyther be fouÌ„d in this place or be wholly omitted in this book VVherfore after Rome is overthrown and cut off there shal be a common bruit of this new Christian people at the hearing wherof the Gentiles shal be astonished But what are the Iewes Kings why not seing al Christians are Kings Rev. 1.6 and the fowr and twenty Elders which represente the whole company of the faithful doe all wear crownes chap. 4.4 And this magnificent name doth the Spirit give them because it shal be very honourable after so many ages and so stiff stubbornes of that nation for them to come againe as it were by recovery of law unto the truth and religiously and holily with al observance to honour the same having their incredulous and obstinate harts subdued But besides this the whole East shal obey them that not without cause ar this people caled Kings in respect of their long and large dominion Empire But they seem to be called playnly Kings in Isay 24.21 if we diligently mark the words and meaning of the place And it shal be saith he in that day the Lord wil visit the host of the high in the high place and the Kings of the earth upon the earth And they shal be gathered with a gathering as a prisoner into a pit and shal be closed up in the close-place and after many dayes shal they be visited And the Moon shal be abashed and the Sun ashamed when the Lord of hosts shall reign in mount Sion and in Ierusalem and shal be glorious before his Ancients the Kings of the earth are al one who after are gathered into the pit after many dayes are visited and at whose deliverance the Moon is abashed c. VVhich last words are certenly meant of the ful restoring of the Iewes wherfore the first words intend also the same VVhom God in heavy indignation because they refused his Son did thrust into the pit or dungeon for many ages togither and kept them closed up in a very hard prison But at length after many dayes he will visit these prisoners and bring them out of the gayl for whose ferveÌ„t zele and singular study of true godlines the Churchches of the Gentiles as the Moon Sun shal be abashed at this greater brightnes They ar caled the host of the high in the high because the Iewes were the peculiar people of the high God and of his Church which is heavenly wherupon they ar often caled in Daniel qaddische hheljonin the Saincts of the high Dan. 7.22 c. But this is inough to find out the meaning of this place I may not now stand longer upon it I have handled it the more at large for to give occasion unto our men to mind these things more diligently These Kings come from the East because the greatest multitude of Iewes is in those countries and these first of all shal see the truth and embrace the study of it But thou wilt say The Temple is shut until the seven plagues be fufilled which we shewed to be
this warning seem superfluous or importune unto any The greatnes of the peril may deterr even the strongest man But least any should hitt against this rock and make shipwrak Christ biddeth him be of good courage and not through any fear to forsake the righteousnes of faith which here he calleth garments and which the adversaries will most seek to bereav us of promising that he wil come as a theef unwares and doo vengeance on the enemies above al expectation and defend his Church A like comfort ther was chap. 13.10 14.13 that we may know such hortatorie voices must needs be new and are not fruitlesse but seasonable very necessary Neither are these words brought in abruptly but wheras in the words next before mention was made of God almighty these ar for more force related in his person ¶ His garments The hope of forgivenes of sinns through Iesus Christ alone wherby our sinns are covered Rom. 4.6.7 Neyther be there any other garments wherwith al our nakednes can be covered The purity of the Saincts or of our selves wil not so much as cover our shoulders so farr is it from hiding our more deformed parts These garments are in deed caled afterward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the justifications of the saincts chap. 19.8 wher we shal see what is the force of these words 16 And he gathered them togither into a place Here is the third branch of the second event But who is this that gathered them Christ verily and therfore he speaketh not as of many they gathered to weet those three spirits Whatsoever the Kings shal purpose Gods secret providence shall so governe them that themselves shall feel the same destruction that they intend to others Vnlesse perhaps that which this verb answereth unto be the Spirits in the 14. verse which there are sayd in the singular number according to the property of the Greek tongue to goe forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto which these words may be joyned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they gathered them togither for the 15. verse is interposed by a parenthesis But by whose means soever they be gathered governed they are by the secret providence of Christ For being led by the hand of God they come togither of their own accord into that place from whence there shal be no way to escape Which place is caled in Hebrew Armagedon as Montanus and Plantins edition readeth it with a single d as also doth Aretas save with difference of a letter Ermagedon And perhaps these had doon right if they had kept the aspiration Harmagedon for so I suppose this word shoul be written as if I be not deceived wil appear by that which foloweth Th. Beza wil have d to be doubled thus Harmageddon as also the vulgar Latin as if it were made of Har and Megiddo which is the place where Iosias was slaine 2 Chron. 35.22 But this place was pernicious to the Church prosperous to the wicked but Armagedon here seems the contrary Iohn Fox our countryman of blessed memorie bringeth a fitter application as me thinketh for he saith this place hath not respect unto Josias but unto that notable victory which Debora and Barak with a smal company got over the huge host of Sisera at the town of Megiddo situate on a mountayn Iud. 5.10 c. Notwithstanding whiles I consider the thing attentively with my self ther seemeth no such matter here to be meant but that an allusioÌ„ rather is made unto that of Daniel chap. 11.45 And he shal fix the tents of Aphadnon between the seas Lehar tsebi qodesâ—h in the mountayn of holy beautie By many arguments it may be shewed that this prophesie of Daniel and that of Iohn doo perteyn to the same times namely to this sixt vial as at some other time if God permit we wil manifest The difference onely is that there particularly it is spoken of the Turk the enemy of the ChristiaÌ„ Iewes here jointly it is meaÌ„t of the enemies of the whole Church as wel of Gentiles as of Iewes And the place is designed by name where the Iewes enemy shal camp namely lehar tsebi qodhesch in the mount of beauty of holines that is in the holy land between the Siriak sea and Euphrates which is also caled a sea in the Scriptures But in this Prophesie wher the Spirit universally doth describe the place of that warr he could not use that name which is proper to the Iewes Therfore he made a new word which should be common to ech people and come very neer unto that in signification For Harmagedon is made of Har a Mountayn meghadhim of delites or with an affix in the singular number maghdo of his delite The very same that Har tsebhi is the mount of the Roe For tsebhi a Roe signifieth also pleasantnes or delite A word of paramours when they would speake to their loves most amiably as in Salomons song my beloved is like a Roe c chap. 2.9 By these things then it doth appeare that the place is foretold by name in Daniel where the Turk shal fight with the Iewes but here where the Beast shall combat with the Church of the Gentiles the same is onely intimated generally As if ArmagedoÌ„ wer the common name of both distinguished into har tsebhi qodhesch the mount of holy bewty the western place without name save the name of the whole Which notwithstaÌ„ding teacheth that this warr shal there be made where the Church flourished with greatest purity For this is the mount of delites unto Christ which place we shal see somewhat more distinctly manifested in the explication of this time chap. 19. But let us observ to our confort that the holy Church among us Gentiles is no lesse a mount of pleasures unto God thaÌ„ that which is to come of the Iewes God respecteth not persons in every nation they are dear unto him that truly honour him in Christ 17 And the seventh Angel powred out his vial upon the aier This vial shall have a common event aâ— being powred into the aier which compasseth the earth seas round about Which yet is not this clementish aier wherin we breath but some other thing signifyed by this manner after the maÌ„ner of the other vials And we know that the Divil is caled in the Scriptures the Prince that ruleth in the ayre Ephes 2.2 wherto perteyn those chaines of darknes which Peter speaketh of 2 Pet. 2.4 and Iude in his Epistle ver 6. Seing then the Aier is the place of his dominioÌ„ this last vial shall import most greivous calamitie upon al the Divils Kingdome The former vials nipped some parts therof severally this shal undoo the whole body of the impious with a common destruction ¶ And there come a great voice out of the Temple of heaven The first event is a great voice which is described by the place whence it cometh and the thing that it speaketh The place is not onely the Temple of
Heaven but also the throne it selfe the description wherof was in chap. 4.2 The Temple is the dwelling place of the Saincts as we have seen before this Throne is the seat of the highest Maiestie which being placed in midds of the company of the faithfull shineth with the incomprehensible brightes of the most holy Trinity Wherfore this voice commeth immediatly from God in respect of the Ministery of the Church Wherby is signifyed that God under this vial wil in extraordinary manner and almost beyond exspectation provide for his shewing forth his power from heaven for the destruction of al the enemies which were gathered as even now we heard unto the place Armagedon which interpretation we shal see more fully cōfirmed by that which foloweth where a larger explication of this vial is hādled The voice uttered is It is doon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most fitt for the finishing of things as we know it was used in the creating of them Gen. 1. it hath this meaning as if he should say Al things now have bin which I decreed to be doon neyther remayneth any more of my promises the complemēt wherof should be exspected on earth For this same Is doon hath referēce unto that in chap. 10.7 In the dayes of the voice of the seventh Angel when he shal sound the trompet the Mysterie of God shal be finished Now shal ther be an end of al prophesies when both al the enemies are utterly extinguished there is one sheepfold made throughout the earth of al the elect Iewes and Gentiles under the one Pastor Iesus Christ It is certain that this kingdome of Christ thus begunn shal be eternal never to be interrupted agayn and shall at last be translated from earth into heaven But of the time wherin this translation shall fall out which is to be performed at his second coming I find no mention in this book This prophesie proceeds no further then to the last destruction of al the enemies and ful restitution of the Iewish nation the estate of which people so restored and of the whole Church of al nations he telleth shal be most happy but setteth down no moment of time when they shal leav the earth and goe to their heavenly heritage These things shal be made manifest by the interpretation folowing some tast wherof was here to be given least any perhaps too much attending unto the whole order of things should slip into that errour of setting down the certain time of the last day which thing I see some godly and learned men to busy themselves about as if by this vial some very neer moment therof mought be assigned Which thing upon more diligent examination we find to be wholly layd up in exspectation of hope and not at al put in any comhrehension of sense Now the agreement of the seventh vial with the seventh trompet is that in this Christs Kingdome is begunn the enemies being in part abolished as chap. 11.15 wherupon a voice there sayd the Kingdome of the world is become Christs but in the other Christs Kingdome is consumate al enemies being quite taken away wherfore the voice of this is It is doon 18 And there were noyses and lightnings c. Of the second event ther are three branches first by what things the execution of the judgement was doon in this vers secondly upon what in verse 19.20 Thirdly what effects in respect of the reprobates verse 21. Lightnings thonders voices shall come from heaven the earth shal be moved shaken wherby is taught that both heaven earth shal cōspire for vengeance on the impious both which shal powr out whatsoever direful-punishment it hath upō the wicked crew And this not after the usual manner of former times but with such horrible terrour as never was since the world was made For nowe ther shal be a visible semblance of the infernal punishment which it shall feel at length in the last judgement Moreover these kinds of punishmēts doo declare that the enemies shal be destroyed rather by the extraordinary power of God than by any work and endevour of men which after appeareth more clearly in chap. 19.20 and 20.9 19 And the great City was rent into three parts The second branch of the second event upon what this iudgement shal be exercised which partly are places partly men The places be cities nations The cities are three in this verse the great city the cities of the Gentiles Babylon But what is this great City We have heard before that a city signifieth not onely some towne cōpassed with walls which many cityzens dwell in conioyned togither by the bonds of the same lawes and right but also the whole dition empire of any city as the tenth part of Rome fell when Germany withdrew it self from the yoke of the servitude therof chap. 11.13 Is it then the Romane Empire onely In deed so this was caled before the great city chap. 11.8 but forasmuch as in this place the ful destruction of al the wicked is handled for the vial is powred into the aier as we sayd it compriseth whatsoever Dominion and Empire the foes and enemies of the Church have in any place It comprehendeth therfore the Turkish tyranny also which togither with the Romish constituteth this great city as is more evident by the destruction of this city For it is rent into 3. parts proportionable to the three Princes by whom it is ruled namely the Dragon the Beast the False Prophet before in ver 13. Wherfore by this three fold declaration ther falleth togither al the Turkish and Mahumetish tyranny that is the Dragons al the power of the Beast that is of the Caesarean Bishop all the authority of the False Prophet that is of Pope Balaam for this man of syn after the ruine of his throne remayneth even unto this last overthrow The first vial was but a preparative for the warr this seventh is of the last destruction ¶ And the cities of the Gentils fell VVe heard of the universal Empire of the impious But not this onely shall fal in common but also in particular al the confederate cities and provinces both Turkish Mahumetish Popish For Gentils be al they that are aliants from the truth whither they be farther of from the same as the Barbarous nations or neerer as the Papists who by a false title are counted Christians For we have seen before how to the Gentiles was given the Court which was ioyned to the Temple as also to them was given the holy city which were the places of that rowt which boasted to be Christians by a vayne tytle without substance ¶ And that great Babylon The third place which shal utterly perish is that great Babylon But did not that perish before under the fift vial when Rome the Beasts throne did fall verse 10 For so we saw it caled before Fallen Fallen is Babylon the great city chap. 14.8 In deed Rome did perish before but it
temporal things then the serpent hath without dust Vnto the second I answer it is as lawful for the Centurie writers exactly to know the yere when the world shal end as it is for your Papists to know the very day Doo not you recken 1335. dayes from the beginning of Antichrists reign unto the last judgment Shal that speech of Christ touching this unknown day have no longer place than til Antichrist cometh Mark 13.32 How then shal it come as a snare upon al that dwel on the face of al the earth Luk. 21.33 Your refutation therfore is nothing We have shewed that that first number is not of his Reigne but of his nam that the other is to be coūted frō the first coming of Antic not from the second But I wil be no longer now about this matter I return agayn to you doo grant that which you strive for Be it that Antichrist was not then first born I ask this onething of you whither was he then or no If you deny him then to be I thus convince it Then was the impediment taken away which onely hindred his coming as Ierom even now affirmed Then al things were doon which were foretold should goe before his coming as Gregorie did avouch Then was ther an Vniversal Priest such as the same Gregory confidently sayth whosoever caleth himselfe or desireth to be caled he is in his pride the forerunner of Antichrist lib. 7. Epist 194. unto Mauricius But if he that desireth such a name be the forerunner of Antichrist what shal we cal him that hath the name Seing therfore Antichrist was at that time now look you how he is not yet come Jn the third place you answer to Chytreus who maketh his birth to be about the same time especially because Gregorie at this time stablished prayer to Saincts and Masses for the dead c. To this you say that Gregory was not the first that taught to pray unto the Saincts and to offer Masses for the dead For al the ancient Fathers taught the same and in sted of al you bring forth one Ambrose which was two hundred yere before Gregorie I answer surely Chytreus erred that though Antichrist to be some yeres yonger then in deede he was He was much more ancient but did so bear his age that as an other Cupid he alwayes seemed to be a childe For the man was deceived by his second rising wherby he revived from the dead and as Aeson of an old man became a yong so he frō youth returned to his cradle Neither should it be strange to have him then accounted first who then seemed to be new But you so deny his birth as you add yeres to Antichrist take none away as if you should require inheritance for a ward and be afraid least he should goe too late out of his wardship Fourthly you come to Luther who makes a double coming of Antichrist one with a spiritual sword after the yere 600. an other with a temporal sword after the yere 1000. You answer that the Popes deposed Emperours and made warrs before the thousand yere I answer therfore thou Luther also wast deceived Antichrist was come before thou supposest Surely you so defend the Popes as if one being charged with theft to avoide the crime should openly crye that that was not the first thing that he had stollen but for many other greater things had he plaid the theef before You feared not as it seemeth that any should afterwards come which would search out the higher origine of Antichrist Fiftly Bullinger so expoundeth that number 666. as to designe the yere of Antichrist coming after the writing of the Apocalypse namely the yere of our Lord 763. To which you answer and rightly that this is the number of Antichrists name not of his time Though from hence your cause have but litle help For although he were not then first born yet he mought be born before which sufficiently sheweth that you falsly doo avouch He was not yet come Sixtly Musculus affirmeth that Antichrist came about the yere 1200. moved hereunto by Bernards authoritie who saith after manie other things wherwith he bewayleth the wickednes of those times Jt remayneth that the man of syn be reveled Serm. 6. of Psal 90. You answer two things first that Bernards suspicion was false as was Cyprians Ieroms Gregories in their times For he suspected by the evils which he saw that Antichrist was neer Secondly that ther were worser Popes without any comparison in the former age than in that I answer to the first you fayrlie contradict the Apostle He teacheth that the Apostasie goeth before Antichrist and that he should come into the world for mens despising the love of the truth declaring therby that ther is no more evident signe both of Antichrist approching reigning than that al kind of hypocritical impietie licenciously rangeth abroad You wil have Bernard to be deceived and that he suspected by the evils which he saw that Antichrist was neer In verie deed he was deceived in that he thought him to be but neer and not present Otherwise he iudged more syncerely of Antichrist than the Iesuites are wont or any other Papists Vnto the second I say seing they were worser in the age before we grāt you that his first birth did not now beginn but having been brought forth long before now onely he was exstant And thus when al comes to al you have disputed this question as if one should contend that the Sun is not risen at noon day though it began to shine in the horison at six a clock in the morning because it neither rose at eight a clock as one affirmed nor at nine as the second nor at ten as the third avouched By the verie like argument you and yours would perswade that Antichrist is not yet come Chapt. 4. Against the first demonstration from the universal preaching of the Gospel THIS question of the time yeildeth great abundance of light illustrating al the rest as the Sun with his beams Wherupon Bellarmine to darken this same hath prepared six thick coverings which he caleth Demonstrations under which he hopeth to be drawn from so many certayne signes as he sayth of Antichrists coming wherof two doo goe before namely 1. the preaching of the Gospel in the whole world 2. and the desolation of the Roman Empire two doo accompany it namely 3. the preaching of Henoch and Elias 4. and a very great and known persecution two doo follow namely 5. the destruction of Antichrist after three yeres and a halfe 6. and the end of the world None of which saith he we see as yet to be performed we wil helpe therfore this blind man if God wil and with a faithful hand wil pul the scales from his eyes if so he wil suffer it For a groundwork of the first demonstration you set down that which is written Mat. 24.14 this Gospel of the Kingdome shal be preached in the whole
and Elias who are yet you say alive and doo live for this that they may set themselves against Antichrist when he cometh and keepe the elect in the faith of Christ and at length convert the Jewes which notwithstanding it is certain is not yet fulfilled In this cause you deal by three arguments first from the Scriptures secondly from Fathers thirdly from reason The scriptures you bring are four Malach. 4.5.6 Ecclesiasticus 48.9.10 and chap. 44.16 Mat. 17.11 Apoc. 17.11 As touching Malachy his words are Behold I wil send you Elias the Prophet before that great day of the Lord shal come and he shal turne the harts of the Fathers unto the children and the harts of the children unto their Fathers which cannot you say be understood of anie Doctors whosoever as of Luther Zwinglius the like For Malachie sayth that the Jewes shal be converted by Elias and for the Jewes he shal chiefly be sent as appeareth by those words I wil send to you and in Ecclesiasticus to restore the Tribes of Jakob but Luther and Zwinglius converted none of the Jewes And neither can they be understood of Iohn Babptist literally but onely of Elias I answer first here is no word of Henoch whose conioyned coming was propounded also Secondly no mention neither is here of Antichrist but that he shal come togither with him that wholly dependeth on a false supposition of which we wil speake in due place This therfore is a notable Demonstration that propounding to it self the coming of three is altogither silent of two of them But let us discusse him whom it speaketh of The Prophesie you say can not be understood of Luther and Zwinglius and the other Ministers of the Gentiles Church which I also readily acknowledge For I doo not thinke it to perteyn unto us which are Gentiles But why may it not be expounded of the Iewes because it agrees not you say unto Iohn the Baptist which is as if you should say eyther it is to be expounded of the Baptist or of none which maymed and unnecessary disiunction no adversarie can grant unto you But to pardon you also this third trespasse why perteyns it not I pray you unto the Baptist Because say you Malachie speaketh of our Lords second coming which shal be for to iudge I answer if we granted that he speaks of the second coming may he not withall speake also of the first Most certayn verily it is that Malachie dooth so for he speaks generally of the Lords coming which comprehēdeth as wel the first as the second And wheras your selfe confesse it of the second neyther doo I deny it of the first we have Christ interpreting the words of the Prophesie where he speaketh of the Baptist this is Elias that should come Mat. 11.14 Seing therfore the words are so behold now how I fetch from hence a true interpretation against that literal of Elias He that speaketh in the same words of two times he as he is to be understood of the one time so is he to be understood of the other But Malachy speaketh of a twofold coming of the Lord and of the first he is to be understood figuratively for so Christ interpreteth it saying that the Baptist is the Elias that was to come Therfore he is to be understood also figuratively of the second and such an Elias is to be looked for as the Baptist was before the first coming But whither he shal be one singular man or no is not so evident it may be ther shal be one chief and excelling amōg the rest although the whole company of Prophets when it shal please God to gather his reiected people shal be so furnished with the plentiful gifts of his Spirit that for the notable godlines and zele wherwith every of them shal be inflamed Elias may wel seem to be alive agayn in every one For these abiding watchmen on the walls of the Citie Ierusalem al the day and al the night continually shal not hold their peace neither shal they that make mention of Iehovah keepe silence nor suffer silence to be of him as saith Esaias chap. 62 8.9 Surely these new preachers of the Gospel shal burn with so great a desire of godlines that as consecrating themselves wholly to the glory of God and salvation of his people they wil doo this one thing onely nothing at al esteeming in respect hereof even the necessarie regard of their body by sleep and rest And what a fervencie shal ther be in the Ministers when among the common people a father mother which hav begotten a son shal strike him through when he is found a false Prophet Zach. 13.2.3 But whither this Elias shal be one singular man or more he shal not be Elias properly but so as the Baptist was as we are taught by this necessarie reason which I have alleged But you insist and contend that this coming in Malachie is the secōd onely although the interpretation of our Lord ought to have stoped your mouth for so say you Malachie saith before the great and terrible day of the Lord come For his first coming is not caled a great and terrible day but an acceptable time and day of salvation Wherupon also ther is added least coming J smite the earth with cursing But in his first coming our Lord came not to judge but to be iudged nor to destroy but to save I answer you have brought nothing which necessarily proveth it the second coming onely the same things which you mention the Iewes and Disciples knew also who neverthelesse did then look for Elias before our Lords rising from the dead And hereunto perteyneth that question when the Lord had made mention of this matter Why then say the Scribes that Elias must first come Mat. 17.9 And as for the great and terrible day why doth it not agree unto his first coming Loe saith Malachy the Lord shal come speedily into his Temple And who shal abide the day of his coming and who shal endure when he appeareth for he is like a Finers fyre and like fullers sope Malach. 3.1.2 c. And these things are spoken of his first coming And is not that day terrible wherin the axe is laid to the roote of the trees and they that are unfruitful are cutt down and cast into the fyre How fearful is it to have among them him whose fān is in his hand who wil purge his floor gather his wheat into the barn and burn the chaff with unquenchable fyre Mat. 3.10.12 But he came not to iudge but to be iudged He came not indeed to iudge solemnly in a tribunal seat as he shal doo at length in the last iudgment yet in the meane while the father hath given al iudgement to him Iohn 5.22 which he both exercised of old and dayly now exerciseth upon al contemners of the truth as we may see in the Iewes that crucifyed him upon whom even to this day abideth the longest and
the men of Iericho seeking their bodies upon the earth what say I your labour yea a greater losse hangeth over your head namely be not you found in the number of them that folowing the Beast have not their names written in the book of life Ap. 17.8 Chapt. 7. Against the fourth Demonstration from the publik persecution AN other conioint signe you make to be the publik persecution which you say shal be most grievous notorious so that al ceremonies sacrifices of publik religion shal cease none of which things we yet see According therfore to the threefold marke of this persecution you make a threefold proof first that it shal be most grievous 2. most notorious 3. that it shal cause a ceasing of religion And you prove it shal be most greevous frō Ma. 24.21 ther shal be thē great tribulatiō such as was not frō the beginning of the world neither shal be frō Ap. 20.3 wher we read that thē Satā shal be loosed who until that time had been bound And you cōfirm it by testimonies of Aug. in the 20. b. de civit Dei ch 8. 9. of Hippolitus martyr of Cyril unto which you add at last that the persecutiō by the Pope is not the most greevous therfore he is not Antichrist I answer to al first as touching the greevousnes of the persecutiō frō the words of Mat. I say that you care not what you bring for confirmation Those words perteyn to the calamity of the Iewes which they felt in the desolation of their city by Titus within a few yeres after Christ Luke expresseth this people by name saying for ther shal be great distresse in this land wrath on this people Luke 21.23 So Mat. then let them that ar in Judea flee to the moūtayns ch 24.16 And what ells meaneth that prayer against flight on the Sabath but properly to note out this nation So farr verily is it that Antichrists persecution is from these words proved to be most greevous as the contrary may plainly be concluded for they evidently doo confirm that no tribulation shal be to be compared wit that of the Jewes therefore not that which Antichrist shal procure I know that Chrysostome referrs it typically unto Antichrist but not truly nor advisedlie for when Christ opēly saith none shal be like it he cutteth off al typical interpretation not obscurely forbidding the words to be further drawn for to signify any thing to come For the type must needs be inferiour to the truth of it a greater distresse must folow afterwards contrary to that Christ saith if so be the words should be expounded by a type Mathew therfore makes nothing for the vehemency of this persecutiō the Apocalyps dooth even as much Satan in deed shal rage when he is loosed but the outragiousnes which is mentioned in that place is nothing to that which he shewed before he was bound For Satan is the same that the Dragon Apoc. 12 9. and before his imprisonment he lived in heaven drawing with his tayl the third part of the starrs of heaven which he cast unto the earth until by Michael he was overcome and thrown down from thence That is to say the Hethē Emperours not only lived but also ruled in the midds of the Church which they vexed in most cruel māner til Christ put them out of the Empire as upon that place I have shewed From that time the Divil that is the open enemie was bound for a thousand yeres which being fulfilled his bounds should be loosed he should be styrrd up agayn but not with that abilitie to hurt as before for here he should have no place in heavē that is in the Church but should abide only in the utmost borders territories therof compassing the tents of the Saincts the beloved city as Ap 20.9 wherupō he should not so much raise persecution as warr neither should the saincts dye lik sheep but resist lik soljers How much therfore an inward noisom enemie is mor greevous than an outward so much greater is the afflictiō of the former times thā that when Satā is loosed in the last age Morover Antich reigneth a 1000 yeres whiles Satā lyeth in prisō Ap. 20.9 Wherupō if whē he is loosed this felow doo trobel al ther should be great trāquility whē he is boūd so the greatest part at least of his reign should be void of those turbulēt storms neirher should Antich hav an helper of his persecutiō in the other part of his reign seing he should abid within the Church Satā without as is manifest by the things forespokē also that now he was appointed for the scourge of Antic himself not for their hāgmā torturer whom he should use for the tormenting of others For the Divil being now loosed the four Angels at Euphrates are loosed whō God sendeth to punish the Angel of the bottomlesse pit with his infernall crew which came out of the pit Apoc. 9.20.21 all which things we hav made playn in their places Therfore wher Augustine saith that Antichr shal most rage when the Divil is loosed as though he were now first loosed and should be his helper unto crueltie he iudgeth not rightly of this loosing for he was loosed before in heaven Apoc. 12.3 c. which could not be a prison and pit unto him seing he took it heavilie to be cast from thence unlesse perhaps he went out of prison against his wil Apoc. 12.10 Neither is Hippolitus to be hearkened unto concerning this persecution when he teacheth that Antichrist is no man but the verie Divil that should take false flesh of a false virgin And no better account is to be made of Cyrill if he though that the Divil should personally range abroad making Antichrist to be a true man but one that should be a Divil also because as he thinks he should be made man by incarnation What sincere thing could they utter about this matter whose minds were possessed by such manner errours Wherfore this grievousnes of persecution which you speak of hath no confirmation at al from the Scriptures A very greevous persecution in deed ther should be but of an other sort then you mētion even such as should consist not so much in killing of bodies as in murthering of soules For Antichrist is Balaam who though it better to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel that they migh eate of things sacrificed to Idols and committ fornication then to folow thē with the sword Apoc. 2.14 He is that Beast wheron Iezebel the whore sitteth with the wine of whose fornication the inhabitants of the earth are drunken Apoc. 2.20 17.2 He is the Angel of the bottomlesse pit who opening the pit the Sun and aier is darkned with the smoke Apoc. 9.2 Finally he is that man of syn whose coming is with the efficacie of Satā with al power and signes and lying wonders and with al deceit
the Apocalyps Moreover wher you make those 1290 dayes in Dan. 12. to be also of Antichrists reign besides that which we have shewed in the former chapter how it can no way be referred hereunto see how great a new contrariety you make in the account For neither dooth this number fall under the reckning of the time times and halfe a time seing it cānot be divided into three whole ones and a halfe neither agreeth it with Iohn who numbreth precisely 1260 dayes But say you this number is of the death of Henoch and Elias whom Antichrist shal survive one moneth Vnto this I say then Antichrist shal reign not onely three yeres and six moneths as Ireneus saith expressely in the end of his 5. book neither three yeres and a halfe onelie with an exclusive particle as Cyril speaketh Cateches 25. but a moneth over the number shal now be added and for 6. moneths ther shal be 7. Neither shal the halfe of a time prefigure six as Ierom saith on Dan. 7. but seven And thus while you goe about to make Daniel Iohn agree you set the Fathers against them both But let us leave these disagreers and draw the truth out of the true fountains I confesse that the number of 1290 dayes is not of Antichrists whole reign but is ended at the death of the two Prophets whose names I now stād not upon that Antichrist shal survive they two being slain but not one moneth onely as you falslie suppose but manie yeres the number wherof we have gathered elswhere which thing verilie is from hence manifested For the two Prophets are killed under the sixt trumpet chap. 11.8.14 and Antichr perisheth under the last which comprehendeth 7 other plagues caled vials under the last wherof he is quite abolished Shal therfore al the seven vials have their effects in those your 30. dayes So four daies shal be attributed for the execution of everie one for they are not powred out al togither and confusedly but the same order and course is kept doubtlesse in the executing that is kept in the declaring Wherfore to let passe the five first vials those unclean Spirits of the sixt which come out of the mouth of the Dragon of the Beast and of the false Prophet and goe forth unto the Kings of the whole earth to gather them togither unto battel shal they effect al this in the four daies next before the last We have heard of Antichrists incredible swiftnes going over the whole earth in so smal a space of his reign but greater shal be the speed of these his ministers who shal both survey the whole earth in foure daies and bring forth unto battell verie populous armies Verilie this expedition is most expedite or soon dispatched and such as onelie deserveth properly the name of an expedition Doo you not yet perceive how false absurd trifling and mere ignorance the things are which you babble about these matters When yow shal prove that the seven last plagues shal be al to be accomplished in 30. daies we wil assent unto you that Antichrist shal survive the two slain Prophets one moneth onelie as also that ther is an agreement of these numbers in Daniel and Iohn in the meane while we wil determine that these two have their divers intendements and doo not Prophesie of the same things by these numbers Thirdly I say although that whol indefinite space did consist with most exact agreement of those eyther moneths or daies yet are yow never the neerer for obteining your purpose For the question is whither those moneths or daies or yeres be to be taken properly or no not whither the account doo agree which may agree alike whither they be taken properlie or figurativelie seing there is the same proportiō in the type and the truth though neither the type be the truth nor the truth the type How therfore doo you prove that they are to be taken properlie By testimonie you say of the Fathers some of which you bring forth in the answer to Chytreus and the men of Maydenburgh I answer those ancient Fathers are to be pardonned that being ignorant of the event thought they should hold fast unto the letter but seing manie things are now made clear by the issue whosoever dooth abuse the patronage of their names to confirm himself in errour he shal procure on his own head just condemnation Therfore you must eyther bring forth some thing of greater weight or freely confesse that that reign of 3. yeres and a halfe hath no defense from these Scriptures Secondly you prove it by this that the time of the Divil loosed and of Antichrist should be verie short as Apoc. 12.12 Woe to the land and sea for the Divil is come down unto you having great wrath knowing that he hath but a little time I answer a little and indefinite time concludetht nothing at al for a certain and definite reign of 3. yeres and a halfe so that little help or none rather you get from this place Moreover that which you cal the time of the Divil loosed is the time of the Divil bound who so soone as he was cast out of heaven was cast into prison For everie place is to him lothsome like a prison without the assemblie of the Saincts among whom he most coveteth to converse for greater oportunitie to his wickednes wherupō the Lord saith that the unclean Spirit being cast out of a man walketh through dry places as in which ther is no pleasure for his minde Mat. 12.43 c. But these things we have made evident in explayning the Prophesie Seing therfore the Divils prisonment is for 1000 yeres here that time is spoken of wherunto you wil have Antichrists durance to be equal his reign shal be much longer by this place than you are willing to grant But say you how can so manie yeres be a little time I answer if the words be rightly interpreted here is no mention of durance but of opportunitie For wher you read knowing that he hath but a litle time it is properlie thus knowing that he hath litle opportunity So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properlie signifieth noting the qualitie of time not the quantitie wherby it is distinguished from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Ammonius sheweth And reason convinceth that so it is to be taken in this place If it should be understood durance the Divil should be angry for the thousand yeres of his prison in which he liveth by those words as we have said as being bound for a lesser space than he would Which how farr it is from his disposition his diligence night and day to destroy men dooth sufficiently shew The time therfore was longer than he desired but the opportunity litle leav being now given him onelie over his own whō he had rather spare and shew his crueltie on the elect Wherfore this place is nothing to the matter for many causes The second is Apoc. 20.3 he bound him for
of the earth Apoc. 17.18 These and the like doo truly prove him a Monarch But this say you dooth no way agree to the Bishop of Rome for he was never King of the whole world But were the Romans I pray you ever Kings of the whole world I think you wil not deny it as these words usually are wont to be understood or if you like to stand curiously herupon Daniel teacheth that the fourth Kingdom to weet the Roman shal consume the whole earth shal crush it and break it in peeces chap. 7.23 Remember therfore what a litle before you alleged out of Prosper Rome by Principality of the Preisthood was made more ample with the towr of religion than with the throne of power And what Leo saith Serm. 1. de Natal Apostol Rome that art made the head of the world by the holy Seat of S. Peter thou rulest more largely by divine religion than by earthly domination And what els meaneth the triple crown but the principalitie over al the three parts of the world The Popes crown hath more tops than the Emperours Egle hath heads It may be that shortly it wil be quadruple by the accession of the Indians that nothing may escape the Popes almightines though something for a time hath been hidd from his all skilfulnes Wherfore the streights of his dominion neither stand you in anie stead to acquitt the Pope of this wickednes neither is this remembrance grateful unto him who dooth so contemn honours and Empire as he had liefer with large limits of ruling to be counted Antichrist than to be defended by an argument of his Kingdome lost or diminished The fourth branch is the battel of Gog and Magog Apoc. 20. And when the 1000 yeres are ended c. Jn this battel you say he shal with an armie innumerable persecute Christians through the whole world I answer we have observed already from these words the wonderful expedition of Antichrist into the whole world properly so caled before in the 7. chapter of his persecution And there we allowed for this expedition three yeres and a halfe but here now it seemeth that this whole space shal not be speÌ„t in the iourney but then it shal be taken in hand after the three Kings and the seven Kings be subdued There also we marveled if he should goe such a iourney himselfe alone not hindred with anie troup of wayting men but here furder comes the impediment of an armie and the same neverthelesse an universal persecution Surely whatsoever you said before against Hippolitus you seem plainly to think that Antichrist is no man but the Divil him selfe But to let these monsters passe let us come to the battel which I marvel you saw not that it should be by the Dragon not by the Beast Between which two ther is in deed a great societie of wickednes but no less difference of persons and of things than is between an open foe and a secret enemie Add hereunto that the Beast and false Prophet are both destroyed before this warre is taken in hand or at least before it is finished if that move you not that both of them are mentioned to be slain in the end of the former chapter yet consider that the Divil that is the DragoÌ„ was cast into the lake of fire wher the other have their place before that the Divil comes thether Apoc. 20.10 Although therfore Antichrist be a Martial felow and a great warrier yet shal he wage no warrs after he is dead But it is one of his miracles to rise againe Be it so when he counterfeyts a death as you feign of him but when he is slayn by that hand of God and deeply drowned in the lake of fyre he shal not find it so easi to rise again and when he lay under a coverlet Separate you therfore those things which touch not Antichrist and deal not so as if you would prove one not to be a man either because he hath not four feet or because he wanteth wings you shal see the rest so to agree togither among themselves in al points as nothing more Surely the things which you hav disputed of this Kingdome and warr are farr from every part eyther of the Kingdome or of the warr of Antichrist but such stuff as this are al the things that your men are either wont or able to bring for to defend the Pope and to free him from this most greevous crime Therfore you toyl in vayn the thing is manifest it can not be hidd by anie subtilties Why goe ye about to cast a myst before the Sun Why frame yee arguments against the Spirit of God Purge rather with flames those writings of yours wherwith yow have laboured his defense and flee out of his denn as speedily as you can Here ends the Refutation of Antichrist Against Bellarmine Chap. 18. AFTER these things I saw an Angel come down from Heaven having great Power so as the earth was bright with his glorie 2 And he cryed out mightilie with a lowd voice saying It is fallen it is fallen Babylon that great and is become the habitation of Divils and the hold of all fowl Spirit and a cage of every uncleane and hateful bird 3 For al nations have drunken of the wine of the wrath of her fornication the Kings of the earth have committed fornication with her and the marchants of the earth are waxed rich of the aboundance of her pleasures 4 And J heard an other voice from heaven saying goe out of her my people least yee be partakers of her sinnes and receive of her plagues 5 For her heaped sinnes are come up to heaven and God hath remembred her iniquities 6 Reward her even as she hath rewarded you and give her double according to her works and in the cup that she hath filled you fill her double 7 Jn as much as she lifted up her selfe and lived in pleasure so much give yee to her torment and sorow for she saith in her heart J sit being a Queen and am no widow and shal see no mourning 8 Therfore shal her plagues come at one day death and sorow and famine she shal be burnt with fire for that God which condamneth her is a strong Lord. 9 And the Kings of the earth shall bewaile her and lament for her which have committed fornication and lived in pleasure with her when they shall see the smoke of her burning 10 And shal stand a farr off for feare of her torment sâ—ying alas alas thâ—t great citie Babylon that mighty citie for in one houre is thy iudgment come 11 And the Marchants of the earth shal weepe and waile over her for no mâ—n byeth their ware anie more 12 The ware of golde and silver and pretious stones and pearles and of fine linnen and of purple and of silke and of skarlet and of al manner of thynewood and of al vessels of yvorie and of al vessels of most pretious wood and of brasse
to men is translated unto the state and condition of men shewing as before was said that not onely men shal be punished with some greevous punishment but also that the thing it selfe shal be utterly taken away never for to raise againe even as they who are cast to hell must not expect any returning or setting free Certenly we may gather and that not rashly from this strange and unacustomed taking of vengeance that God will shew by some visible signe how damnable and detestable he hath alwayes esteemed the Papacy And this last is that destruction of which in chap. 17.18 shal goe into destruction a iust reward of the Antichristian tyranny 21 And the rest were slaine with the sword Such then is the destructiō of the Prince of wickednesse now of his armies and souldiers Of whō ther is a differing punishment not so horrible at least in shew they shal be slaine with the sword of him that siteth on the horse that is by the word comming out of his mouth as though he should say they shal undergoe the punishments threatned in the word against the disobedient and such as resist the truth as in Ieremy Behold I wil make my words as fire in thy mouth and this people as wood and it shal devoure them chap. 5.14 What singular thing thē shal the destructiō of the Pope have For he also hath bin slaine with this sword That is true indeed but the word threatneth divers punishments according to the manner of the wickednesses the most greevous to the greatest the lighter to the lesse Peradventure because the ruine of the Papacy shal be more horrible than wee think it is exempted from the common order not because it is not denounced in the word but perhaps because it is lesse regarded of us and that we suspect it to be lighter then the event will shew Or as we have declared in ver 15. it may be that these souldiers after the overthrow received shall yeeld their vanquished forces to the truth and subiect their neckes to her yoke ¶ And all the foules were filled with their flesh The Victory being obtained the foules gather to the pray doo fill themselves with the spoiles That whole late Popish natiō shal be subiect afterward to the reformed Churh Every country being a nourrisson of the purer truth shal have some part of the regions before time given up to superstition made subiect to them Which thing seemeth to be signifyed by the foules satiated with the flesh of the slaine army Such then is the end of the Romish Pope and Papacy that remained a few yeeres after the city yet at length so much the more miserable because shee had such as did adorne her funerall with their teares and performed the last duties by weeping But ther shal be none left for the Pope to bewaile his misery but he shal die infamous without mourners or other funeral pompe Wherby at last is accomplished that prophetical parable of the ghests called to the marriage Mat. 22. Doubtlesse those good and evill sent for out of the high wayes are the Gentiles that embraced the calling after that the Iewes had refused it Among them the man that had not a wedding garment is the Church of Rome which despiseth the righteousnesse of faith neither regardeth to be clothed with the merit of Christ by imputation The King comming in and beholding her clothed with her ragges but not with that garment which onely he approoveth now at length biddeth his servants to bind her hād and foote and to cast her into utter darkenesse where is weeping gnashing of teeth For Christ speaketh not there of any one man but collectively of a very great multitude as the sentence added in the end declareth that many are called but few are chosen ver 14. From which at length we understand that the bright comming of the Lord with which Paul foreshewed that the man of sinne should be abolished 2 Thes 2.8 is not his last coming to iudgement but that wherby Christ shal take the Iewes into the fellowship of his holy Church at which time his Kingdome shal flourish most gloriously and shal exceed by infinite degrees all the brightnesse of the ages past as shal be made more evident from the things following After the Pope is destroyed the Dragon shal be abolished many other things accomplished on earth CHAP. 20. AFTER I saw an Angel comming down from heaven having the keye of the bottomlesse pit and a great chaine in his hande 2 And he tooke the Dragon that old serpent which is the Divill and Satan he bound him a thousand yeeres 3 And cast him into the bottomlesse pit which he shut up and sealed upon him that he should deceive the nations no more til the thousand yeeres were fulfilled for after that he must be loosed for a little season 4 And J saw seats and they sate upon them and iudgement was given them I saw the soules of them which were beheaded for the witnes of Iesus and for the word of God and which did not worship the Beast neither his Image neither had taken his marke upon their foreheads or on their hands and they lived and raigned with Christ a thousand yeeres 5 But the rest of the dead men lived not againe until the thousand yeeres wereful filled this is the first resurrection 6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection for on such the second death hath no power but they shal be the Priests of God and of Christ and shall raigne with him a thousand yeeres 7 And when the thousande yeeres are expired Satan shal be loosed out of his prison 8 And shall goe out to deceive the nations which are in the foure quarters of the earth Gog and Magog to gather them togither to battell whose number is as the sande of the sea 9 And they went up into the plaine of the earth and they compassed the tentes of the Saints about and the beloved city but fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them 10 And the Divill that deceived them was cast into a lake of fire and brimston where was both that Beast and also that False Prophet and they shal be tormented day and night for ever more 11 Then I saw a great white throne and one that sate on it from whose face fled away both the earth and heaven and their place was no more founde 12 And I saw the dead both great and smal stand before God and the bookes were opened and another book was opened which is the book of life and the dead were iudged of those things which were written in the books according to their workes 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in her and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them and they were iudged every man according to their workes 14 And hell and death were cast into the lake of fire this is the second
seeing see not being by the iust iudgemēt of God altogither blinded 6 O Blessed and holy is he They are blessed who doo embrace from their heart the truth restored againe to the world For this is to have part in the first resurrection As Christ saith to Peter thou shalt have no part with mee Iohn 13.8 as though he should say unlesse thou suffers these things to be done which I will have thou art not indeed partaker of mee Therfore no man hath part in this resurrection which either embraceth the truth with a dissembling hart or hath obtained some certain knowledge therof but onely he in whose hart it taketh roote bringing forth fruit unto eternal life For al that is borne of God overcometh the world 1 Iohn 5.4 and Christ loveth his even to the end Iohn 13.1 suffering none of them to be lost Iohn 17.12 For who shall ravish them out of his hands Iohn 10.28 Which most certen salvation of the faithful sealed up to them in their harts by the Spirit being unknowen to the Iesuit he findeth this blessednes which the Spirit speaketh off no where but in heaven But he erreth as his manner is This blessednesse is of the life present necessarily to be published chiefly at the new appearing againe of the light of the Ghospel seing it should come to passe that they who should ioine themselves to the truth should both be striken with the lightning of excommunication of the Beast and also should be cōdemned of the world as most wicked men Who would not tremble to be banished from the onely holy Catholike Church as the Romish vaunteth her selfe to be unlesse the Spirit had confirmed those to be blessed and holy who should receive with a syncere affection the truth raising again◠and therewithall had taught that that Romish Church calling her selfe Catholique by a true name is a most impudent horlot This resurrection is onely of those who forsaking the Romish Synagogues doo become the true citizens of the reformed Churches they which still abide in the Popish corruptions have no part in the first resurrection neither shal have any in the second unlesse they repent ¶ He that hath part 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 melaq A metaphore taken from portions distributed once by lot to this ende that we might acknowledge Gods mercy and providence in every one converted without attributing any thing to chaunce and fortune ¶ On such the second death hath no power The second death is destruction in the lake of fire burning with brimstone before in chap. 19.20 But why doth he onely exempt them frō the second death because the partakers of this resurrection have not yet finished the first to weet the death of the body which being inflicted upon them by the Beast yet shal they be altogither free from the second which ought to be a comfort to them in their sufferings Surely ther is no need of this consolation in the last resurrection wher we shall no longer live by faith but shall behold the very inheritance hoped for Therfore this is the comfort of men warring on earth which are sure of the victory but have not yet got the crowne ¶ But they shal be the Preists of God and Christ chap. 1.6 and 5.10 It is said in the dative case Preists to God but this explaneth the other All the faithfull are Priests Kings in Christ that is partakers of these dignities and in some sorte also endued of the faculty and power of them but here some greater thing seemeth to be spoken after the manner of the Hebrewes who attribute the name of God to those things which are most excellent in their kinde as a Prince of God c. as was noted before After which sort they seem to be called Priests Kings of God for that which is most excellent Priests ¶ And they shal raigne with him a thousand yeeres These thousand yeeres doo beginne where the former ended to weet in the yeere 130. In which is promised a cōtinuing of the truth by the space of a thousand yeres frō that restoring of it wherof wee have spoken in these our nations of Europe to which also this first resurrection belongeth But whither then againe it shal cease security possessing men until Christ shal come as a thiefe in the night as it is foreshewed in the Ghospel he to whom all things are known knoweth We find nothing wherby to determine any certēty touching this matter Onely wee have seen three hundred yeeres now to have passed since this first resurrection and that every day thankes be to God the truth groweth mor in use We must also yet tary som short space before that our brethren the Iewes shal come to the faith But after that they are come and Christ shal have raigned some ages most gloriously on earth by his servants in advancing his Church to most high honour abov all Empire then also the Nations shal embrace true godlinesse according to that saying And the Gentils shal walke in the light therof and the Kings of the earth shal bring their glory and honour unto it the glory and the honour of the Gentils shal be brought unto it see chap. 21.24.26 For which cause it was promised to the Church of Philadelphia that shee should be a pillar in the temple of God and that shee should goe out no more chap. 3.12 that is that it should have a firme stable abiding in the new glorious Church VVhich Church of Philadelphia we have shewed in the same place to be of the Gentils From which it is proved that the truth shal remaine for a long time yet among the Gentiles For this is the Kingdome of Christ when by the Scepter of his word he ruleth among any people And this is the most true raign of any people when it is subiect to the government of Christ alone and is ruled by his onely disposition Now at length we perceive of what sort that millenarie raigne is of which we are a part thākes be to God concerning which almost al the Fathers Papias Irenaeus Iustin Tertullian Lactantius and Augustine also in some part spake so many things and so highly VVithout doubt they would have this Kingdom to be spiritual whose unmeasurable pleasantnes they expressed by corporall things after the manner of the Prophets Yet neverthelesse I wil not deny that perhaps some leaned too much in their opiniōs to the delights of the body but was it to this end to overfill themselves with them as men altogither lost in riots and given over to all dishonest pleasures It cannot be that any such thing should ever come into the minde of learned and holy men but because they knew that under this raign of Christ his Church should enioy very great felicity also of this life they made mētion of the abondance of such pleasures VVhich we shortly expect when the Romish Antichrist and the Turke shal be utterly abolished Vntill this victory be gotten the
of the Gentils was neither the first people of God neither were the rites observed by them the first ordinances delivered froÌ„ heaven As though the words should give this sense at last albeit this people of the Iewes al the time of their reiection thirsted after their old ceremonies and worship and boasted openly that they should have at length free leave to use their auncient custome which we know they vaunt of even in these dayes yet in this restoring they shall conforme themselves wholly to the will of God in such sorte that willingly renouncing their old ordinances which then they shall acknowledge to have received an ende in Christ they shal make manifest to all men that the first heaven and earth which they looked for in vaine were passed away for ever This last seemeth to be of no small force to shewe that the reason of the order of the first heaven and earth should not be between the GeÌ„tils and Iewes but onely among the Legal and Christian Iewes The care that I have hath made mee to search out all corners to my power now let the iudgement be in the power of the Christian reader which of these is the beast ¶ And there shal be no more sea The sea is degenerat and corrupt doctrine which shall have no place among this new people whose glassie sea shal be like Chrystal most pure most cleare void of al saltnesse and muddy grossenesse as is that in chapter 4.6 Which also is said in respect of the Iewes themselves and those errours which in these daies they deffend so obstinately there is not a comparison of the Gentils with the Iewes handled in this place The Gentile sea that I may so say and thath grosser was consumed already when the Popish nation was destroyed the purer sea of the reformed Church is of glasse chap. 15.2 and shall not be abolished The Iewes even hitherto have their own sea most grosse most foul with many forged tales touching the Messias the legal worship the righteousnes of the law and many other points of salvatioÌ„ al which shal now be so dryed up that not a drop of the former sea shal remaine 2 And I John sawe the holy City In such weise then was seen the new heaven and earth now the holy city is exhibited which is so called for excelleÌ„cy sake The Church also of the Gentils is that new and heavenly Hierusalem as in the Apostle but ye are come to mount Sion and to the City of the living God the heavenly Hierusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels Heb. 12. and Gal. 4 But our Hierusalem being deformed with many errours and contentions shal cause that this most pure shal appeare altogither new Aretas the Compl. the Kings Bible doo omitt the name Iohn reed thus and I saw the holy City the new Hierusalem ¶ Coming down from God Theâ—fore this Hierusalem shall have her seate on earth the heavenly shal never come down but shal remaine fixed in heaven where Christ sitteth in glory at the right hand of the Father I goe saith he to prepare a place for you and when J shall have gone and prepared a place for you I will come againe and take you unto my selfe that where I shal be there you may be also Iohn 14.3 And againe Father J will that those which thou hast given mee be with mee where I am Iohn 17.24 Wee shal be caught up in the cloudes to meete the Lord in the atre and so shal be with the Lord 1 Thess 4.17 And to what ende should HierusaleÌ„ come downe from heaven which by and by after the general resurrection al the elect shal be in the heavens Peradventure wilt thou say it might come down that Iohn might see it If it had come downe for this cause Iohn should rather have been caught up into heaven to behold it then that shee should be let downe to the earth He was commanded before to come up into heaveÌ„ where through the dore opened he saw the forme of the militant Church chap. 4. how much more now should he have gone up that he might behold the same triumphing Therfore these words doe manifestly distinguish the new Hierusalem pilgrim from the inlandish Albeit that be called also heavenly because in very truth it is such both by birth and also by the right of the inheritance as Paul saith For that Hierusalem which is from above Gal. 4.26 It cometh downe therfore from God because his singular power and mercy shall appear in building up this new city The increase of the whole building shal be so swift and the glory and dignity so great that all with one consent shall acknowledge the hand of God and shall declare him to be the onely artificer ¶ Trimmed as a bride To be presented to her husband not yet hitherto given by a marriage accomplished After the last resurrection the marriage shal be accomplished it shal not be a preparing for time to come This bride was adorned with pure fine linnen and the Iustifications of the Saincts chap. 19.7.8 But observe that the city seen ere while is now called the bride and more plainly after ver 9. Come saith the Angel I will shew thee the bride the Lambes wife Therfore this city is the whole multitude of the faithfull the most sweet and straight communion of all which among themselves the Spirit declareth very well by such a forme of city The members of the body are used sometime to the same end but the similitude of a city setreth before our eyes a certaine more lively image There is a greater variety of things in a city and a further difference of duties which yet are ioyned togither and conteined with the same law and respect one chiefe good of all This therfore notably representeth how the faithfull most differing in function office and course of life doo grow unto one Holy body 3 And I heard a great voice from heaven saying c. He commeth to that part of the glory which is declared by the things heard The Tabernacle properly belonged to the Iewes and old worship from whence here it signifyeth the whole divine worship of that people to which before the tabernacle was peculiar Togither also it sheweth that the manifestatioÌ„ of Gods glory shal not yet be perfit such as the Saincts shal enioy after the last iudgment But howsoever it shal be farre more aboundant then never before yet men shall see God as through a glasse and riddle not face to face they shall know in part onely not as they are known 1 Cor. 13.12 A tabernacle is fit for the Church being in pilgrimage not for that which hath gotten a firme seate in her owne countrey ¶ And he shall dwell with them and they shal be his people Then God himselfe shal take upon him the protection of the Saincts according to the forme of the covenant Gen. 17.1 then the Saincts shall submit themselves willingly to be governed of
playnly to Christians al coverings being removed as on whom the noone Sunne of truth shineth and all things are naked and open And indeed he openeth most significantly in one word that long obscure description in Ezechiel saying that that temple so magnifically gloriously prepared is in truth none at all not as though the Prophet had uttered so many words vainly but to shewe that we must not stick in the bark of the lettre but that the kernell of the Spirit is to be found out Let the Iewes heare neither let them expect a renewed temple as hitherto they doo amisse and obstinately but let them with minds and harts aspire in that right way which shal need no temple Let them look for the omnipotent God and the Lamb to dwel among them in comparison of which glory whatsoever can be built of men shal be vile 23 Neither hath this city any need of the Sunne or Moone For in very deed the Moone shall be ashamed and the very Sunne shall blush when the Lord of hosts shall reigne in mount Sion and Hierusalem and shall be glorious before his auncients Isaiah 24.23 And why may it not be ashamed of her former darkenesse when the light of the Moone shal be as the light of the Sunne and the light of the Sunne seven folde as the light of seven daies Isay 30.23 Which thinges are not spoken to that ende as though there should be no use then of the Scriptures but because all shall so understand Gods will as if they had no need to learne wisdome from books Full saith the Prophet shall this land be of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters covering the chanell of the Sea Isay 11.9 Neither shall they anie more teach everie man his friend and everie man his brother saying know yee the Lord for they shall all know mee from the least of them even to the greatest of them saith the Lord that J doo forgive their inquity and remember their sinne no more Ier. 31.34 From hence let us observ that that Church is most glorious in which the sunne of righteousnesse shineth with most open face covered with no cloudes of ceremonies therfore let them see in how great errour they are whom bring in a pompous shew of ceremonies to procure authority to religion with the people Furthermore let us note to what times Iohn applyeth the sentences of the Prophets that we may know the things are yet to come which we interpret commonly to be past and not onely in the heavenly countrey whose happinesse needeth the words of no man but here in earth in that restoring wherof we have spoken ¶ And the Lambe is the light therof Therfore this light the most bright of all godly times shal not yet be perfit as it shal be after this life but a candle onely in respect of that least peradventure wee should rest in our iourney as if we had come to the last ende 24 And the Gentiles that shal be saved The second outward argument is glory from the Gentils Before time the Iewes have alwayes found the GeÌ„tiles most hatefull who left no meanes unattempted to doo them hurt now contrariweise ther shal be no cause to feare that they will doo them any harme yea rather why should they not expect all good at their hands who shal apply al their forces to the advancing of them But these Gentiles are not al generally but are limited with a certain kinde which saith he shal be saved which word is inserted for an exposition The place is taken out of Isaiah 60.3 where it is thus and the Gentiles shall walke to thy light which Iohn draweth to the elect by putting in of one word least any should think it was spoken of every one generally And see how Iohn traÌ„slate that seÌ„teÌ„ce they shal walke to thy light thus they shal walke in the light of it the senteÌ„ce being well expressed For to walke at the light is not to come only to the light which one may doe depart again by by being at once both seen despised but to walke after or according to the light as to walke at the feete is alone with to follow serve one 1 Sam. 25.42 Neither-hath this place in the heavens that the people should walke at the light of the Church when Prophecyings shal be abolished and tongues shall cease and God shal be all in all 1 Cor. 13.8 and 15.28 But it may be doubtful how it can have place on earth For shal this difference remaine of some people which are saved and of other that are lost in this most happy government of the Church It seemeth indeed that there shal be many which yet still shal contemne the truth obstinately for the day of the Lord shall come cas a share upon all that dwell on the face of the earth Luke 21 35. But the children of the Church are not in darkenesse that that day should take them as a thief in the night 1 Thess 5.4 Moreover it was said before that the haile of a taleâ—t weight of the last vial shall drive men to blasphemy chap. 16.21 Neverthelesse those despisers shal be of so feeble strength that wil they nil the they shal be compelled to yeeld their necks The Complut edition and the Kings bible doo omit these words which are saved and so doth Aretas and the vulgar Latine neither doo they reade in the light of it but by the light ¶ And the Kings of the earth shal bring their glory unto it Then the Kings borderers on the Ocean and of the Yles shall bring a present the Kings of Sheba and Seba shall bring a gift finally all Kings shall worship him and all nations shall serve him Psal 72.10.11 And Isay The labour of Aegypt and marchandize of Aethiopia and of the Sabean Princes shall come unto thee and they shall be thine and shall follow thee they shall come in chaines and shall fall down before thee and shall make supplications unto thee saying onely the strong God is in thee there is none besides no where else is God chap. 45.14 Againe Kings shal be thy nurcing fathers and their Queenes shal be thy nurces they shall worship thee with their faces toward the earth and shall lick the dust of thy feet chap. 49.23 For then shal be given unto Christ a dominion and glory and Kingdome that all people nations and tongues should serve him whose dominion is an everlasting dominion which passeth not away his KingdoÌ„ a KingdoÌ„ which shall not be destroyed Dan. 7.14 It shal not also be from the purpose to add here in what words the Sybille hath described this same thing that at least wee may help tthe Iesuite if he will who in expounding the same is cleane out of the way thus therfore shee Prophecyed in the 3. book of the oracles of Sibyll And then the world by womans hands shall rul'd be and obey But when the widow over all the world