the Beast he Anno 1371. thundred out the everlasting Gospel in England both in his Sermons and Writings against Antichrist Wickliffes doctrines against Antichrist Balae Cent. 6. c. 6. viz. That in Christs Church there ought not to be any supreme Bishop That the Pope is not the Vicar of Christ but Antichrist that is his priviledges bulls dispensations and indulgences were idle fruitlesse and wicked that ecclesiasticall officers ought not to have civill authority That the Pope and his Clergie had violently taken the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven and that neither themselves entred into the same nor suffered others to enter he disproved transsubstantiation Masses offices canonicall houres and other vaine bablings he disallowed the Chrisme in Baptisme and taught that the faithfull were to be baptized simply with water according to Christ example he condemned auricular confession as also the Popish doctrine of poenitence satisfaction and worship of relicks teaching that the Saints ought not to be called upon because they also are servants he utterly rejected the Romish rites new shadowes and traditions he denyed that it was lawfull for any to adde any thing in matters of religion which was not comprehended in holy writ or to make the same more difficult which he complained that the Pope had done He thought that the glorious temples and all the pompe and worship of the Papacy together with the diverse degrees of the Clergie ought to be taken away condemning the orders of Monkes as superstitious impious and very hurtfull to true religion and therefore ought speedily to be forsaken he maintained that the Lords supper ought to be administred in both kindes He wrote as Aeneas Sylvius witnesseth more then two hundred volumes most of them against the Papacy and the wicked life traditions and abuses of Monkes c. To Wickleffe were joyned many excellent instruments in England Richard Killington Robert Langland and others Many in Italy also as Dante 's Marsilius Patavinus Franciscus Petrarcha began to take notice of the Romish Antichrist Wickleffe also left many disciples behind him who after his death which was Anno 1387. manfully opposed Popery A while after the the two witnesses in Bohemia John Husse and Jerome of Prague began more forcibly to oppose Antichrist and plant the everlasting Gospell in the Churches of Bohemia which yet flourish and grow to this day About the same time Nicolaus de Clemangis a man as Trithemius witnesseth excelling in divine and morrall discipline in many Books opposed the Papacy Trithe de scriptor eccles but chiefly in his book of the corrupt state of the Church of yeerly pensions not to be paid to the Pope of the Simony of Praelates c. Adde to these all the witnesses of the truth which are recorded in the Catalogue of witnesses Tom. 2. lib. 19. Now let us consider the actions of this Angell He flyeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the middest of heaven Like to the Angell who Chap 8.13 proclaimed woe to the world but this here is more prosperous for he publisheth not woes but the everlasting Gospell Middest of heaven that is say some through the middest of the Church Others openly so as he might be seen and heard of al like as such things are conspicuous which appear in the middle of heaven For however the foresaid preachers remained in their places and Churches yet their doctrine and writings were spread through the whole Church Brightmans conjecture I dislike not that by this flying betwixt both is signified the imperfection of the doctrine first published by these teachers for however they saw and reproved the grosser sort of errours in Popery yet in many things they clave unto the dregs of earthly rudiments so as they could not with full flight soare up into the highest heaven for as a man being on a sudden brought forth into the light who along while was in darkenesse lookes upon all things with dazeling eyes so they who many ages together were kept in the darkenesse of Popery could not behold the light of the Gospell but with dimme eyes Having the everlasting Gospell The message or thing published by this Angell he sets forth by an excellent title calling it the everlasting Gospell by which is declared the authority effect and constancie thereof Antichrist indeed will condemne this his preaching and writings as haereticall and full of poyson and labour by the authority of Councils to represse and refute them not by arguments but by fire and sword So did he to Wickleffe whom first he greevously vexed by the Masters of Schooles and afterward thrusting him out of England into Bohemia though he were againe recalled by the King he miserably persecuted him untill his dying day Neverthelesse he went on constantly in teaching and writing And after his death the Councill of Constance caused his body to be taken out of the grave and together with his Writings to be consumed with fire The like they did to the two witnesses John Husse and Ierome of Prague condemning oppressing burning them as haereticks with their books and doctrines Now howsoever the Beast affrighted the world with this tyranny and kept the same a while under his yoke neverthelesse he gained nothing by it For there remained some remnants in England and Churches in Bohemia who constantly maintained the doctrine of those Martyrs untill this day The everlasting Gospell could not be suppressed For it was the Gospell brought by the Son of God out of the bosome of the everlasting Father to wit glad tidings of the remission of sin righteousnes and life eternall freely to be given through the faith of Christ The Gospell I say not of yesterdayes rising as Antichrist calumniates but everlasting revealed indeed from the begnining to the Fathers and Prophets but at length fully manifested and consummated by the Son of God and henceforward shall remaine eternally Whatsoever therefore the Beast and his sophisters indeavour and bable to the contrary yet they shall never be able to overthrow and suppresse the same To preach unto the inhabiants of the earth The effects and lawfull calling of these teachers is here maintained The lawful calling of Evangelicall teachers Gal. 1.7 touching which if Antichrist shall plausibly moue any question as from whom they received this new Gospell what Church before them held this faith by what miracles they can prove their calling c The holy Ghost answereth They have the everlasting Gospell The which is one onely received from Christ and the Apostles and of old abundantly confirmed by miracles so that there is no use of new And they have it to evangelize the same that is to declare and preach it to the inhabitants of the earth They have therefore a lawfull calling to teach in the Church To them that dwell on the earth Thus the followers and worshippers of the Beast the adversaries of Christ are continually called First then the difficulty of their charge is intimated they must have to doe with the
And to what times this prophesie belongs and who these sealed are Touching the scope I finde interpreters to agree viz. that the Lamb is opposed to the Beast Christ the preserver to Antichrist the destroyer And now Ribera acknowledgeth that this serves for the comfort of the righteous The scope of the Lambs appearing on the mount to cause us assuredly to beleeve that during the rage of the Divell and Antichrist against the Saints before spoken of in Chapter 13. Christ is not asleep nor neglects his Church but stands on the watch for her safety lest the wheat should be corrupted although indeed the chasse or wicked by Gods permission follow and adore the Beast and run into destruction But when and how this should be seemes unto him most difficult to be expounded neither hath he any thing to say but according to the vulgar errour he refers the following things unto the foure yeeres reigne of his Antichrist Our interpreters also still keepe to the position that howsoever Antichrist shal sway farre and neare yet Christ alwaies will have his elect and sealed which shall stand with him on the Mount where their salvation shall remaine safe and unmoved which indeed is most truely spoken but this thing is generally treated of through the whole Revelation And the question still remaineth touching the order of the vision and the time when Christ chiefly stood with his sealed Ones I say therefore When the Lamb stood with his sealed ones when the Beast ascended out of the Sea out of the earth then also the Lamb appeared on the mount with them that were sealed When Antichrist I say had invaded the Church brought the same under him and seduced the world Then the Lamb in appearance had lost his possession Then the woman flying into the wildernesse vanished out of the sight of men so as she appeared no where as if there had been none This hapned when a little after Gregory the Romane Pope sate on the Chaire of Vniversall pestilence as before we have shewed Then the Church fled into the wildernesse not by change of place for it remained in the Romane Empire but by losse of her ornaments and change of shape Because even from that time it reteined indeed the name of the Church for Antichrist was to sit in the temple of God but in very deed it began to be changed in to a worldly kingdome of Antichrist And that gashly forme of the Church remained in the West which we now see but the Church gathered by the Apostles being thrust into the wildernesse did no where appeare all publick congregations either at Rome or other places being polluted with idolatry untill God taking compassion on the seed of the woman in the wildernesse vouchsafed againe to measure the temple and purge the Church in the age of our forefathers Now the godly may thinke and so much indeed the Sophisters doe object Whether there were no Church under Antichrist did the Church therefore then utterly cease to be Was there no Church before Husse or Luther Was Christ either negligent or unable to defend his spouse Is it not written The gates of hell shall not prevaile against her But behold the Lambe standing here on mount Sion with the Elect and sealed so that Christ was no way wanting to his Church he suffered indeed by a secret and just judgement that Antichrist should take in his possession and to the outward view make spoile as it were of all things notwithstanding in the midst of Antichristian corruption he alwaies stood as a carefull watchman preserving to himselfe 144000. that were sealed who worshipped not the Beast nor his Image and these were his Church and Spouse like as in the corruptest time of Israel when no true worshippers save onely Elias seemed to remaine God reserved to himselfe 7000. who had not bowed the knee to Baal But thou wilt say wherefore did he permit Antichrist thus to invade the Church I answer she justly deserved such a triall chastisement and dissolution See Cyprian de lapsis This standing of the Lan be therefore belongs to all the time even a thousand yeares and more which hath been since Antichrists rising untill the reformation of the Church begun by Wickleffe in England John Husse in Bohemia and in the ages after them by Luther Zwinglius Melanchion and their fellow brethren in Germany being all great opposers of Popery But these sealed did then no where appeare they had no publick meetings for al Churches together worshipped the Beast What then because they appeared not to man were they therefore hidden to God The 7000. in Israel had no uncorrupted congregation but were mingled in outward appearance with the idolatrous Balaamites The same thing is to be thought of these here sometimes they lay hid in the Popish Church and sometimes openly made warre with the Beast by the sword of the Spirit For those Saints against whom the Beast made warre and overcame Chap. 13.7 who were they not whole Churches for such were all subject to the Beast but such teachers confessours and martyrs as opposed the idolatry of the Papists of whom the histories of their time make mention Thus it appeareth to what times this prophesie appertaineth Now it remaines to speake of the sealed who they were Who these sealed are The Papists doe much weary themselves about it Lyras fancy I passe by who tells us of 144000. Monkes professing virginity Lyras opinion and slaine by the Agarens in the caves and dens of Syria and Antiochia towards the end of the Empire of Heraclius But this fiction is absurd to the Papists themselves Ribera alleadgeth Hieroms opnion that they were the 144000. Riberas dispute about the 144000 sealed out of the twelve tribes of Israel which should be converted unto Christ in the last foure years reigne of Antichrist Of which Chap. 7. But he proves nothing For first it is not likely that the Iewes then to be converted should all be Virgines seeing the Hebrews did never highly prize such a state of life II. Hence it would follow that no married person should be converted III. The Virgines of the Gentiles should be excluded But as the opinion touching the Iewes to be converted is fals◠as Chap. 7. we have shewed so his reasons are frivolous grounded on a false supposition of virgines of which more by and by He therefore alledgeth the opinion of Arethas as more probable that the 144000. sealed spoken of in ch 7. are not here to be understood and that because the article is omitted for here it is not said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intimating that these were others namely such of the Gentiles as should be converted But neither doth this please him because it is not likely that there should so few thousands be converted out of so many nations and in so many ages And indeed he justly rejects it For the reason taken from the
this Type the thing in hand doth very well answer for the Antichristian Babylon hath chiefly by two Monuments stood unmoveable Outwardly in stead of walles The walles of the Romane Babylon she hath Emperours kings and nations who as Vassals to the Pope do at his becke take up Armes in defence of Babylon Within her is Euphrates drawing to Rome as through a deep channell the treasures of the world in so much as the Churches Eschequer doth far surpasse the Treasures of all Monarchs in the earth It hath bin observed that in most Provinces Clergie-men have had Two-thirds of all rents scarcely one third remaining to the Prince and people Thus as Babylon gloried because of her deep waters so Rome boasteth of her excessive riches but like as the waters of Euphrates being diverted the River was dryed up The deepe waters of the Romish Babylon and thereby an easie passage was prepared for the kings of the East who tooke Babylon in one night Even so Romes holy tribute being intercepted and derived otherwhere there will be an easie way made for faithfull kings and teachers to passe as through dry Foordes Rev 18.8 that new Babylon may fall in one day and bee destroyed If thou aske who shall make the ditches and turne these Tributes of Rome another way See the History of Cyrus his army wrought day and night till at length the worke being finished Cyrus himselfe opened the Sluces and drew the waters from the City so the continuall labours and endeavours of Gods ministers shall prepare the ditches and Cyrus the Lords anointed Isay 54.1 that is faithfull kings and princes shall themselves open the more thus prepared draw backe the Rivers of Babylon and convert her Tributes to better uses as in Chap. 17. ver 16. is plainely taught unto us Thus we have heard the meaning of the sixt Viall which without doubt is proper and true for Babylon shall receive no plague more grievous then this before the totall destruction thereof Neither is this interpretation new or lately thought of by us but even my Anonymus hath exprest the same 260. yeers agoe in these words He dryed up that is The preaching of the Gospell doth and shall cause men to take away all temporall things that is Possessions and earthly Dominion from the Clergy and they shall no more be given unto them Neither are the waters of Euphrates onely begun to be dryed up a little but almost a hundred yeers the way hath bin a preparing for the kings of the East to invade Babylon Thus Bohemia in a great measure is fallen off from Antichrist and long agoe hath denied to encrease Babylons waters The like we see in England Scotland Denmarke Swethland with a great part of Germany France Poland and Hungarie And what would ye thinke if at last the waters of Italy and Spaine should be dryed up also But let us see the industry of the Beast in keeping off this plague While Cyrus of old prepared the motes and built Turrets before the walles of Babylon they scorned him and therefore it was no wonder they perished on a sudden because of their securitie But the Romish Babylon will more carefully stand on her watch and make the siege of the Easterne kings tedious and difficult as it followeth 13. And I saw come out of the mouth of the Dragon The internall effect of the sixt Viall we have heard spoken of The drying up of Euphrates being the sixt plague of the Beast The externall effect now followeth viz. the Beasts Ambassage unto the Kings of the earth to make Warre for to keepe off the plague The Connexion is to be considered By six Plagues the beast is almost wasted I. By the venemous ulcer on such as had the marke of the beast II. By the death of every living soule in the corrupted Sea III. By the blood of the Rivers and Fountaines IIII. By scorching of men by the heat of the Sunne V. By the darkenesse of the Beasts kingdome VI. By the drying up of the River of Euphrates Now because the Beasts kingdome shall seem by all these plagues to be brought to a most desperate condition he on the contrary will leave nothing unattempted for to uphold the same And as the Poet speaketh Flectere cum nequeat superos Acharonta movebit And therefore to advance his throne againe and bring backe the waters of Euphrates into the Channells of Babylon he will not feare to lift up his hand against Heaven but by an unheard of fury will move warre against God and by his Legates sollicite and draw the kings of the earth into the Confederacie of this warre But with what event Here indeed it is not mentioned but shall be declared in the following Vision Chap. 19. Namely that this his last rage shall expose the Beast his kingdom and the kings his Associates unto utter destruction This is the summe But because this last tumult shall be raised by the Beasts Legates Iohn here expoundeth in order from whom they are sent and to whom who and what manner of Messengers they are wherefore they are sent together with the successe of their Message all which things we will briefly consider The Authours of the Ambassage are The authors of this war ambassage the Dragon Beast and False Prophet Of the Dragon and Beast we spake in Chapter 13. The false Prophet is here first mentioned Now there we shewed that he is the same Land-beast who by great signes caused the Sea-beast to be worshipped and this will more clearly appeare in Chap. 19.20 where the same effects are attributed to the False Prophet which before were spoken of the beast rising out of the earth Moreover we there made it appeare that both Beasts do represent one and the same Antichrist under a divers shape The former as a King The latter as a deceiver Out of the mouth therefore of these three goe forth these three Messengers that is they are sent by their invention counsell commandement and authority for this is meant by the Type of going forth out of the mouth How the three Legates proceed out of the mouth of these three seeing Satan properly hath no mouth Neither is the sense as if one should proceed out of the mouth of the Dragon another out of the mouth of the Beast and the third out of the mouth of the False Prophet for thus their originall and authority would seem not to be equall But that they all three go forth as it were out of one mouth by the common conspiracy of the three aforesaid parties for to performe their interprize viz with lies in behalfe of the Dragon who is the father of all lies and by tyranny in the behalfe of the Sea-beast who represents Antichrist as he is a secular Monarch and withall deceit of unrighteousnesse in behalfe of the Land-beast that is Antichrist as he is a spirituall Impostor Now let us consider the Messengers themselves Three impure
committed fornication with the whore Vntill the words of God that is his decree touching the rising of Antichrist revealed in the words of the Prophets and Apostles be fulfilled After the fullfilling whereof God put into their hearts to hate the Romish Strumpet that is detest Popish Idolatry embrace the Gospell of Christ forsake yea and oppose the Whore Why therefore should we wonder that so many great Emperours so many religious Kings of Germany France Spaine England c. have with such zeale defended Popish Idolatry the Romish Church and Antichrist the Pope almost these 800. years in defence of whose magnificence and glory they have made so great wars and shed so much Christian blood We hear that God did put it into their hearts that they should do so and not otherwise so that the Angell wills us to rise from the events and secondary means unto the secret yet just judgement of God Here againe we have cause greatly to admire that after so long fornication some of the Kings as of England Scotland Denmarke Sweethland Many powerfull Princes also of Germany Bohemia France Poland and Hungary having laid down their armes against the Lambe and embraced the heavenly Doctrine of salvation brought to light by the Two Witnesses in the ages of our predecessours do at this day hate the Romish Adultresse and make her naked We have cause I say to admire the Fact and extoll Gods judgement to Heaven Certainly the Kings did not repent either rashly or by their own understanding God put it into their hearts that they should repent of their whoredome hate the whore and make her desolate The LORD is to be intreated that he will put the same into the hearts of the rest of the KINGS that is to take knowledge shun and hate the Whore and to give their power no longer unto the Beast but unto the Lambe Some Textuall scruples do here offer themselves which I shall explain after I have opened what yet remains in the Text. 18 The woman which thou sawest is the City The Angell openeth the whole mysterie of the whore This woman is popish Rome see chap. 11.8 14.8 16.19 that we might not think the woman sitting upon the waters to be an Asian or Vtopian Nymph It is saith he that great City before he often calls it Babylon Now he sets it forth by a more remarkeable note Having dominion over the Kings of the Earth Now what is this Is it the whole multitude of ungodly men in the world as some of the fathers wanting the experience which we have now have thought Nay it is Rome yea Popish Rome For the Writers saith Ribera In cha 17 sec 20.22 who have otherwise interpreted it are forced by the truth it selfe to yeeld unto us that Rome is that whorish City to be destroyed and overthrowne Again The foregoing words God put it into their hearts belong to the desolation and burning of Rome for they shew the cause of so great desolation effected by them who rather were thought should have proved friends With this sense which is certainly true c. Thus we have the interpretation of one sworn Iesuite Let us hear another Lib. de P. R. cap. 2 Babylon saith BELLARMIN that great City standing on Seven Mountaines and having dominion over the Kings of the Earth is ROME Neither was there any other City which in Johns time had dominion over the Kings of the Earth then ROME and it is most notorious that ROME is built upon seven Mountaines Let us hear a third Vest pag. 817 This Verse saith ALCASAR causeth no small difficulty to them who expound it otherwise then of ANGIENT ROME But in our exposition nothing is more cleare What can we desire more The great City is Rome both because the same is built upon seven Mountaines As also because it onely in Iohns time had dominion over the Kings of the Earth But now perhaps it hath not yea but it hath For whatsoever it possesseth not by force Quicquid non possidet armis Relligione tenet it holds by Religion Wherefore the two latter Iesuites do in vain seek an evasion that not Popish but Heathenish Rome is this City for they are confuted by Ribera their own companion ingeniously confessing that Heathenish Rome long agoe burnt to ashes by the Gothes and Vandalls hath no place here but that it is Popish Rome that now is yet notwithstanding he saith that it is to be burnt before Antichrists comming which latter refutes the former It remains therefore that the whore sitting on the Beast is Papast Rome O Rome hearken to Clemanges De corrup Eccle statu Cap 26 What saith he dost thou thinke of thy Prophesie to wit of John in the Revelation Dost thou not beleeve that it belongs at least in some measure unto thee Thou hast not so lost shame and sense to deny these things Wherefore looke on it and read the damnation of the great whore sitting upon many Waters and there contemplate thy worthy actions and what shall befall thee Again therefore we gather this argument Babylon that Great City standing on seven Mountaines is the Seat of Antichrist Popish Rome is Babylon that Great City standing on seven hills Therefore Popish Rome is the Seat of Antichrist Furthermore He which ruleth in the Seat of Antichrist is Antichrist The Pope of Rome ruleth in Antichrists Seat Therefore the Pope of Rome is ANTICHRIST There remains three scruples to be discussed from ver 17. I. How God puts into the hearts of Kings that is worketh in the hearts of men without impeachment of their liberty II. Seeing God is said to put three things into the hearts of the Kings One in its owne nature good viz. The hatred of the Whore Two things in themselves evill viz. Their agreement with the Beast and fight with the Lambe Whither he puts this after the same manner into their hearts and whither it will not hence follow that hee is the Authour of sinne III. In granting which thing some maintaine that these Kings were not converted how then are they said in spoiling of the whore to doe the will of God seeing they were ignorant of it Neither spoiled they her so much out of affection to piety as of desire to the prey Now first how God workes in the hearts of men the liberty of their will remaining Of this Question both in the Hypothesis and in the Thesis the explication is the same being not a little difficult For if God workes in the hearts of men he seemeth to determinate or limit their wills to one thing Now if God limit the wil then man seems not to act freely seeing that is said to be free which is unlimited in respect of a thing Furthermore God seems to move and bend the wills of men according to his own will or pleasure But that which is moved and bent by anothers will seems not to act freely Now the Scripture on the