mischiefe he would against the Church yet will he do what he can seeing he cannot wound her in her head yet will he bite and pinch at her heel Gen. 3.15 as it is written that hee should bruise her heel And as it is the malice of Satan against the Church so is the rage and fury of all his members even all the wicked and ungodly against the true worshippers of God They are restlesse in malice and mischiefe if they cannot vex them one way they will try another if they cannot touch them in their lives yet will they molest them in their goods and good name if they cannot do what they would yet will they doe what they can they will never give over if they can spight them in the least thing that is they shall be sure of it For they are as full of venome as a toad and as full of malice to Christ as an egge is full of meat And I stood on the sea sand Verse 18. Now John affirmeth that hee stood upon the sea sand to behold the Beast which riseth out of the sea in the next chapter or else because the Greek word may be of the third person which is He stood that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Dragon stood it may bear this sense That the Divell stood upon the sea sand as it were working and framing out of the sea his chief instrument which is the Beast now following to be spoken of CHAP. XIII WEe have heard in the former chapter the description of the Church of her arch-enemy the Divell and of the battel betwixt them with the successe therof Now in this chapter wee are to hear of the Dragons two great instruments whereby hee fighteth against the woman that is the Roman Empire and the Papacy For by these two as it were his two hands he hath in all ages from the Apostles time to this day most cruelly assailed afflicted the Church Therfore the main drift of this chapter is to describe at large these two beasts together with all their beastly proceedings So that this chapter may fitly be divided into two principall parts The first is a description of the Roman Monarchy when it was at the highest pitch unto the 11. verse The second is a description of the Papacy when it was in his pride and exaltation in all the verses following unto the end of this chapter In the first of these two maine branches the Roman Empire is diversly described Verse 1. First the pedegree thereof Verse 2. Secondly of her 7. severall governments Verse 3. Thirdly of her great and out-stretched power Fourthly of her victories Fifthly of her blasphemies Sixthly of her fury rapine and pride After this is set down the wound which was made in the Empire with the curing of the same Lastly is set down the great and admirable power and authority of the Roman Empire Ver. 4.5 c. which ruled over a great part of the world and had many nations subject unto it especially when the Popes were the heads thereof In the second main part is the Papacy very lively described First from the pedegree thereof Verse 11. which is of the earth Secondly from the Civill and Ecclesiasticall power thereof which is pretended to come from Christ although in truth it is of the Divell After this is set downe Ver. 12 13. that the Papacy should be as mighty and perform as much in the service of the Dragon against God as ever the Empire of the Heathen could doe both by authority and force and especially by lying wonders Then it is shewed that as the Papacy did in substance of matter set up Verse 14. and restore again the old Roman tyranny to be worshipped and wondred at so hath it framed an Hierarchy or Ecclesiasticall government Verse 15. after the very forme and president of the ancient Roman tyranny which is indeed so like it that it is called the lively image thereof and hee hath by his Clergy and their jurisdiction Vers 16 17. put such life and spirit into this Image that it spake with authority and power in all countries and kingdomes in so much that whosoever would not submit himselfe thereunto and both professe and practise Popery and yeeld himself wholly to the Papacy he should die for it Last of all is described discovered from the numerative letters of the name of the second Beast both who hee was and from whence he shall spring Verse 8. And I saw a beast rise out of the sea having seven heads and ten horns and upon his horns were ten crowns and upon his heads the name of blasphemie First we are to understand that a beast in the Scripture doth signifie a Kingdome or Monarchy and that not in respect of the civill power thereof which is of God as it is written Rom. 13. There is no power but of God but in respect of the tyranny crueltie ambition pride and other such like beastly qualities thereof which are of the Divell and therefore this beast is said to ascend out of the bottomelesse pit chap. 17. ver 8. This word beast is thus taken in the seventh of Daniel where the three great Monarchies of the Babylonians Medes and Persians and of the Grecians are compared for their pride Dan. 7.17 rapine and cruelty to a lion a bear and a leopard The Angel in that chapter saith expresly that these beasts were Kings that is Kingly Governments or Dominions By the beast in this place is meant the Roman Monarchy not in regard of the civill power thereof but especially in respect of the tyranny of it in oppressing the Church By the sea here is meant the troublesome state of the nations as it is taken chapt 4. ver 6. and chap. 2. ver 1. For from the boyling and broyling estate of the former kingdoms and heathen nations which were as a raging sea did the Roman Empire spring up as all stories do witnesse And the Prophet Daniel doth flatly teach Dan. 10.11 that through the division of the Greek Empire which fell out in the successors of Alexander the Great especially betwixt his two Captains Ptolomeus and Seleucus this Roman Monarchy by degrees made a head til at last it came to this pitch which now we shall hear of By the seven heads of this beast are meant the seven severall governments of the Roman Empire First by Kings Secondly by Consuls Thirdly by Decemviri Fourthly by Dictators Fiftly by Triumviri Sixtly Chap 17.9 by Emperors And lastly by Popes as hereafter shall more plainly appear By the ten horns of this beast is meant the great power and large dominion of the Roman Empire or Chap. 17.1 as the Angel himself doth expound it thereby is meant ten kings that is many kingdomes which should be subject to the Roman Monarchy and wherein in very deed the power and strength of the Empire did consist For
by these Horns the Roman Empire did not onely push down other Nations but especially dosse against the Church and as it were cruelly gore the sides thereof Now then we see that the Roman Emperors both in horns and heads were like their father the Divell or the Dragon By the ten crowns upon his ten horns are meant his great and manifold victories over other countries and kingdomes The hornes of the beast are said to be crowned and not his heads because the Roman Empire hath alwaies more prevailed by power then by policy by strength then by subtilty But the Dragon hath his heads crowned and not his horns because he hath alwaies done more hurt by policy then power by subtilty then strength One thing in all this is greatly to be heeded that the holy Ghost in this chapter doth specially speak of the Roman Monarchy as the Popes were heads thereof or as it was under the dominion of the Popes in their pride when as the Emperors were almost troden under foot and not simply and solely as the Emperors were heads thereof Moreover it is said that upon the seven heads of this beast was written the name of blasphemy For besides the blasphemies of Caligula Nero Domitian Dioclesian Julianus and the other old heathenish and persecuting Emperors which have arrogated unto themselves divine honour wee shall anon hear of the surpassing blasphemies of the Popes against God and all goodnesse Verss 4 5. And the beast which I saw was like a Leopard and his feet like a Bears Verse 2. and his mouth as the mouth of a Lion and the Dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority Here the Roman Empire is described of the likelihood of qualities which it had with the other three Empires going before it For first it is compared to a Leopard for swiftnesse to prey upon others and also for fiercenesse and subtilty as did the Greeke Monarchy Secondly it is compared to a Beare for rapine and ravening as the Monarchy of the Medes and Persians Thirdly it is compared to a Lion for pride and insolency as the Monarchy of the Chaldeans So then by this description it is very clear that this beast signifieth the Roman Monarchy because it containeth in it the whole power of the other three Empires and is here described as a compound of divers beasts yea as a very monster of monsters having the body of a leopard the feete of a beare and the mouth of a lion Moreover it is said that the Dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority Which plainely sheweth that the power and authority of the Roman Empire is of the Divell Chap. 17.8 in respect of the evill qualitie thereof that is fraud rapine and oppression In which respect it is said to ascend out of the bottomlesse pit as was declared before But the substance of it and the government it self was of God Rom. 13.2 For the powers that be are ordained of God as saith the Apostle Verse 3. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded unto death but his deadly wound was healed and all the world wondred and followed the beast Here John in a vision seeth one of the seven heads of the beast almost wounded unto death There be divers and differing opinions of the learned touching this wound of the Empire both when it should bee and how and by whom Some understand it of the death of Julius Caesar some of Nero some of the oppression of the Gothes and Vandals some of the great prevailing of John Husse and Jerome of Prague in the greatest part of Bohemia But to let all these passe if wee doe wisely consider and weigh with our selves that by a beast in this place is not meant any lawfull administration of government but a tyrannicall power in persecuting the Church we shall find that a head of the beast was then wounded when Constantine the Great slew Maxentius and Licinius the two last persecuting Emperors set up true Religion and brought peace to the Churches For hereby the Roman Empire was greatly wounded as touching the tyranny of it The holy Ghost doth not set down which of the seven heads were thus wounded but in generall saith one of them Now it is very probable that hee meaneth the sixth head For wee doe not read of any such wound in the former five which were past Neither can it bee understood of the seventh head which was the Papacy because it received no such wound as yet It followeth then that the wound was in the sixth head that is in the Empire But we read of no Emperor that did so wound the beast as did Constantine the Great And therefore it is very probable nay an hundred to one that the holy Ghost here pointeth at him But it followeth that his deadly wound was healed to wit by these wicked Emperors which succeeded Constantine as Constantius Julianus Valentius and others which afresh did set up Idolatry and persecuted the Church Now upon the healing of this wound it is said that all the world wondred and followed the beast that is many nations or the greatest part of the world did submit themselves to the Roman tyranny For sure it is some kingdomes were never subject to the Empire of Rome as some part of Asia and some part of Africa Verse 4. And they worshipped the Dragon which gave power unto the beast and they worshipped the beast saying Who is like unto the beast who is able to war with him Now is shewed how all the subjects of the Roman Empire did worship the Dragon that is they maintained that worship which he liked and loved that is the worship of idols which the Apostle calleth the worship of Divels 1 Cor. 10.20 21. And it is said also they worshipped the Beast that is they did all with one accord submit themselves both to the religion and authoritie of the beast that is to the Popes as they were the seventh head of the Empire For as I said before so I say againe the holy Ghost here speaketh of the Empire when it was in the greatest glory and exaltation yea when all the world wondred and followed the beast yea when all admired the great large dominion of the Roman Empire and said within themselves Who is like unto the beast who is able to make warre with him Now the Empire of Rome was never so great and powerfull as when the Popes were heads thereof I mean when they executed the whole Civill jurisdiction of the Empire besides their Ecclesiasticall power which now did both meet in one For now the Papacy was aloft and the Roman Empire joyned with it so that the eyes of the world were dazzled with the pomp and magnificence thereof and they said What is like unto it Or who is comparable to the Pope the seventh head thereof for then the blinde world thought that the power of the Pope was not onely
the dayes wherein they lived and both those they did cleerely understand Some things were fulfilled after their dayes as the rising and raigning of the great Antichrist which they did not so cleerely see into Hereupon it commeth to passe that many things which unto them were very obscure are unto us most cleere and manifest 〈◊〉 beeing already fulfilled insomuch that all which are not wilfully blinded may see and understand them yea the most unlearned Bee not therefore discouraged gentle Reader at the darknesse and difficulty of this booke Doe not prejudicially resolve and set downe with thy selfe that the naturall sense of this booke cannot be given nor the tute meaning found out but that we must be faine when we have done all that we can to rest in uncertaine conjectures some following one sense and some another as seemeth most like and profitable But no man can say confidently and precisely this is the meaning of the holy Ghost Oh be not of that minde good Christian brother for if we have not an undoubted certainety for the sense and meaning of this Prophesie we are never the neerer and that is it which the Papists would drive us unto But know for a certainty that the naturall sense of this booke is to be found out as well as of other bookes of the Scripture And that wee might not be left to our selves in the darke and to our uncertaine conjectures and doubtfull interpretations Behold the mercifull goodnesse of God to his Church who himselfe doth expound the darkest and most mysticall things in this Prophesie or at least so many of them and so far as the rest are thereby layd open and made manifest The Lord himselfe expoundeth some things in chap. 1. which give cleare light to the first vision The Angell expoundeth divers other things In the 17. Chapter which is the key of this Prophesie the Angell doth of purpose open and interpret all the greatest doubts of this booke as who is the whore of Babylon who is the Beast what be his seven heads what be his ten Hornes what be the waters which the woman that is the Whoore of Rome sitteth upon Moreover for the better understanding of this Prophesie we must note that the writings of Moses and the Prophets unto which there bee sundry allusions and from the which sundry things are drawne doe cleere divers things in this Revelation The knowledge of antiquities ministreth much aide to the understanding of this Prophesie The knowledge of the Histories of the Church and the particular state thereof in divers ages bringeth great light The observation of the phrases and manner of speech used by the old Prophets doth helpe also not a little The serious and deepe weighing of all the circumstances of the Text and conferring one thing with another the consequents with the antecedents and the antecedents with the consequents furthereth greatly for the bolting out of the true and naturall sense And furthermore as the spirit of God is the Author of the Prophesie so the same spirit is the best interpreter of it and doth open and reveale it to all such as using all other good meanes are earnest and humble suiters unto God for the illumination thereof whereby they may all understand both this and other the mysteries of his will which the Apostle saith God hath revealed unto us by his spirit For the spirit searcheth all things yea the deepe things of God To all this may be added the knowledge of Arts Tongues and the learned writings and interpretations of sundry excellent men which all doe bring great furtherance to the understanding of this Prophesie Sith then there bee so many helpes for the opening and expounding of this Revelation why should any bee discouraged from the reading and study thereof But if any man demand a reason why Saint John writeth this Revelation in such mysticall and allegoricall manner I answere that there may be divers reasons yeelded hereof First that the world being blinded might fulfill the things herein specâ—fied Secondly because John was to publish this Revelation in such manner and forme as he had received it from Jesus Christ which was figurative and allegoricall Thirdly because it was much more wisedome to foretell the destruction of the Romane Empire which all that time bare the sway almost over all the world under covert and figurative speeches then in plaine tearmes lest the Romane Princes should rage more against the Christians even in that respect The like also may bee sayd for Daniels darke manner of delivering his Prophesie For if hee had uttered those things in plaine tearmes which hee spake darkely and allegorically it might have cost him his life For the Heathen enemies would never have endured to heare that all their Empyres glory and renowne should fall one after another and one by another and that the Jewes were the only holy people whom God did defend and to whom in the end God would not onely give a quiet possession of their owne Land and Kingdome but also a Kingdome everlasting and that through their Messias and great deliverer But to grow to a conclusion gentle Reader thou shalt find in this poore travell First an Exposition of the first thirteene Chapters unto the twentieth reduced all to one head which is to prove the five points propounded and last of all the three Chapters following briefely and plainely expounded If any through lazinesse will not or through want of leasure cannot reade over this short travell yet for his comfort let him read chose things onely which are written upon the fourteenth Chapter And thus Christian Reader hoping that thou wilt not neglect that which may be for thine owne good I commend theee to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build further and to give thee an inheritance among all them that are sanctified Thine in the Lord Arthur Dent. Vpon the 14. Chapter of this Booke These five points are handled FIrst that Babylon in this Booke of the Revelation is called Rome Secondly that Rome shall fall and how Thirdly that Rome shall fall finally and come to utter desolation in this life before the last Judgement Fourthly by whom and when it shall be overthrowne Fiftly the causes of the utter ruine and overthrow thereof APOC. 18. verse 4. I heard a voice from Heaven say Goe out of heâ— my People that ye be not partakers of her sinnes and that ye receive not of her Plagues THE RVINE of Rome or an Exposition upon the Revelation Wherein is plainely shewed and proved that the Popish Religion together with all the power and authority of Rome shall ebbe and decay still more and more throughout all the Churches of Europe and come to an utter overthrow even in this life BEfore I enter into the exposition of this Prophesie I thinke it not amisse to handle sixe circumstantiall points which may give some light to the whole matter following and they be these First the instrument that writ
the blowing of the seven trumpets that is all notable things which were to fall out from the Apostles times unto the end of the whole world CHAP. XII NOw having finished the second vision we are come unto the third contained in all the chapters following even unto the end of this book Wherein divers things which were obscurely and darkly set down in the former vision are more plainly and fully opened and expounded so that this third vision is as it were a Commentary or more cleare exposition of sundry things contained in the second vision Chap. 6. But especially of the persecuting Roman Empire mentioned in the opening of the second seal and also of the Papacy mentioned at the blowing of the first trumpet Chapt. 9. But the generall sum of this third vision is a lively painting out of the malignant Church and the great upholders thereof the Divell the Roman Emperor and the Pope It sheweth also the rising and falling of the Roman Empire and the rising and falling of the Papacy It sheweth also the utter overthrow of both together with the eternall condemnation of the Divell which set them all awork to fight against the Church Last of all it sheweth the eternall felicity of the Church and the unconceivable happinesse of all Gods chosen in the heavens for evermore The principall drift of this twelfth chapter is to set forth the nature of the true visible and militant Church here on earth whose head is Christ Jesus and also the false malignant Church whose head is the Divell together with the continuall enmity and war which is alwayes betwixt them This chapter may very fitly be divided into five parts The first is a description of the Church The second is a description of the Divell the Churches enemy The third containeth the Churches battel with the Divell and her victory The fourth sheweth the joy and triumphs of the godly in the Churches victory over Satan The fifth and last sheweth the fury and malice of Satan who although he was foiled in battel by the Church yet would not give over but continued persecuting the Church in her members and making war against the remnant of her seed And there appeared a great wonder in heaven Verse 1. A woman clothed with the Sun and the Moon was under her feet and upon her head a crown of twelve stars First the holy Ghost calleth the matters of this chapter a great wonder to stir us up to attention for men are much moved with wonders and a wonder indeed it is in the literall sense to see a woman clothed with the Sun c. but a far greater wonder in the spirituall sense as we shall hear and the greatest wonder of all that a poor weak woman should encounter with a great red Dragon and overcome him It is said to be a wonder in heaven because the Church here in vision appeareth not upon the earth but in heaven in as much as her birth is from heaven her inheritance in heaven and her conversation in heaven The Church is here compared to a woman as in the 45. Psalme and the whole booke of the Canticles and that for three reasons First as a woman is weak and feeble and in law can doe nothing of her selfe without her husband so wee of our selves are weak and feeble and in matters of Gods law and worship can doe nothing without our husband Christ as hee saith Without me yee can doe nothing Secondly as a woman through the company of her husband is fruitfull and bringeth forth children so the Church by her conjunction with Christ and his word doth bring forth many children unto God Thirdly as the love and affection of a woman is to her husband as Genesis chapter 2. verse 16. so the love and affection of the Church is altogether to Christ and Christ to her This woman is clothed with the Sunne that is the Church is clothed with Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse Mal. 4.2 as the Prophet speaketh The Moon was under her feet Whereby is meant that the Church treadeth under her feet all worldly things which are compared to the Moon for their often changes waxings wainings and increasings decreasings continuall mutations and uncertainties The Church treadeth all transitory things under her feet that is shee maketh light account of them she regardeth them not in comparison of heavenly things For he that is clothed with the Sun careth little for the light of the Moon Shee hath upon her head a crown of twelve starres which signifieth that the Church is adorned and beautified with the doctrine of the twelve Apostles that is the doctrine of the Gospel as it were with a crown of gold of pearl and precious stones For the doctrine of the Gospel is the crown of the Church And shee was with child Verse 2. and cryed travelling in birth and was pained ready to be delivered The Church is said to be with child after shee hath conceived the immortall seed of the Word by the ministery of the Gospel as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 4.15 In Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel And to the Galatians O ye little children of whom I travell in birth againe till Christ be formed in you It is not onely said that this woman waâ— with child but also that she was very neeâ— her time ready to bring forth and to be delivered and that she cryeth in travell Now the child which she bringeth forth is Christ Jesus Gal. 5.19 as appeareth in the fifth verse for there it is said of him that he should rule all nations with a rod of iron Now although Christ was born but of one member of the Church which is the Virgin Mary yet may it be said that the whole Church which was before his coming did even travell with paine to bring him forth because they had through faith in the promises a longing and fervent desire and expectation of his coming For from the first promise made to Adam and afterward renewed to Abraham and his posterity the Church stood in a continuall expectation of the promised Messias looking wishly every day when hee should be actually exhibited to the world For which cause here she is said to cry travelling in birth And not unfitly also may the Church be said to cry travelling in birth when through many persecutions and afflictions shee bringeth forth children unto God by the ministery of the Word For the Church bringeth forth no children at ease but with hard travell and much ado having so few friends to help her and so many enemies against her as anon we shall hear And there appeared another wonder in heaven Verses 3.4 For behold a great red Dragon having seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns upon his head And his taile drew the third part of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth And the Dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered Now
wee are come to the description of the Churches great and capital enemy which is the Divell who because he studieth and laboureth continually to impeach the good estate of the Church in heavenly things to deject her from her dignity and dispossesse her of her inheritance therefore here in a vision he is said to appear in heaven for he meddleth with the Church in and about heavenly things practising to pull her out of heaven from whence shee came and whither she must return even to cast her into hell and condemnation with himselfe if it were possible The Divell is compared to a Dragon for his fury and felnesse to a great Dragon for his power and might and a red Dragon for his bloudy cruelty malice and madnesse against Christ and all hiâ— members His seven heads signifie his manifold sleights and subtilties wherein he is a crafts-master His ten horns signifie his dreadfull power For who knoweth not that hee is stronger then any other creature having not lost his strength by his fall but remaineth as strong as an Angel of light His seven crowns upon his heads do signifie his manifold victories over the world For he hath from time to time and from age to age got so many conquests of the world through his sleights and power that now he is the god of the world as the Apostle saith and reigneth as king over them The Dragon hath a monstrous tail both for length and strength for it is so long that it reacheth up to heaven and so strong that it brusheth down many stars from thence That is the Divell through ambition and covetousnesse and other fleshly lusts doth pull down many ministers which shined in doctrine and life as the starres of heaven even unto the earth where they have lost their brightnesse and glory and shine as much as the Moone in a mist Moreover it is said Verse 4. that the Dragon stood before the woman in travell to devoure the child as soon as it was born Wherein wee are to observe the malice and fury of Satan in that he watcheth so narrowly to devour the blessed Seed even the Saviour of the world so soon as he was born And for this cause he stirred up Herod the king subtilly to seek him out by the wise men that hee might kill him and afterward most cruelly practised the same by murdering so many innocents But this is alwaies a generall truth Matth. 2. that Satan seeketh to smother not onely Christ but every member of his in the cradle yea to blast them in the bud before ever they come to fruit or flower So shee brought forth a man-child Verse 5. which should rule all nations with a rod of iron and that her child was taken up to God and his throne Notwithstanding the malice and watchfulnesse of Satan yet the Church bringeth forth Christ which should rule and over-rule all nations with a rod of iron that is the scepter of his Word as it is in the second Psalme and with the rod of his mouth as the Prophet speaketh Isa 11.4 Moreover it is said that this child was taken up unto God and his throne That is Christ by his resurrection did take possession of his chaire of estate in despight of Herod Pontius Pilate the Priests the Pharisees and all other his enemies which sought to keep him down and now he being ascended unto heaven doth draw all his members unto him in despight of the Divell and all his imps Verse 6. And the woman fled into the wildernesse where shee hath a place prepared of God that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes Now after the womans child was set in safety here is shewed what became of the woman her selfe to wit that shee was so sore pursued by the Scribes and Pharisees and by the Priests and Elders that shee was fain to fly into the wildernesse The naturall sense and meaning of this place is that when the Church began to grow after Christs ascension and the number of the Disciples to increase exceedingly as wee read in the second of the Acts Satan did so greatly maligne it and began to be in such a rage that he would have eaten them up all at a bit and rooted them out at once that so the woman might have no more being in the earth And therefore we read Acts 8. that after the stoning of Stephen there was such a persecution raised up against the Church by the high Priests the Princes of the Jewes the Pharisees all that cursed crew that all the Apostles and Disciples of Christ were scattered and dispersed here and there in the heathen countries and amongst the heathen people which here are called the wildernesse that is to say a ground untilled desolate and barren of all fruits of godlinesse But now may some man say How shall the Church do in the wildernesse how shall she live how shall she be sustained There is no tilling no sowing no planting there groweth no corn there is nothing to be had either for food or raiment Here it is answered that God prepared a place for her where she should be fed God took up an inn for her shee wanted neither food nor raiment in her persecutions and troubles Which teacheth that God doth alwaies provide for his own even in great miseries scarcities famines banishments and persecutions as sometimes hee did for Elias in the time of dearth and for the children of Israel in the wildernesse The time wherein the Church was fed in the wildernesse was a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes that is during the time of her persecutions as before hath been shewed chap. 11. verse 2. Vers 7 8. And there was a battell in heaven Michael and his Angels fought against the Dragon and the Dragon and his angels fought But they prevailed not neither was their place found any more in heaven Now wee are come to the third part of this chapter which is the battell betwixt Christ and the Divell For whereas the Dragon could not smother Christ in the cradle as hee endeavoured and so deprive the Church of all her happinesse for ever now he proclaimeth open war both against Christ and all his members plotting and purposing to oppugne the very salvation of the Church though it be founded in Christ Wherein hee sheweth both his impudency and furious madnesse Michael here signifieth Christ as in Daniel chap. 10. verse 13. This name is given to Christ in Daniel because hee is the first of the chiefe Princes that is hee is the head of the Angels Col. 1.16 who are chiefe Princes as the Apostle affirmeth That Christ hath his Angels joyned with him is not to note any weaknesse or want of strength in Christ alone to overcome his enemies but to shew that as Christ effecteth great wonders in the world so for the most part he doth it by instruments and meanes as sometimes Angels sometimes
worldlings their ears and eyes are sealed and shut up they cannot understand them but doe still worship the beast ascribing unto him divine power and honour In the tenth verse the judgment and vengeance of God is denounced against the Roman Monarchy both former and later which as it hath long oppressed the Church with cruell bondage and drawne thousands into perpetuall captivity so it selfe also should be cast down with all the adherents thereof both in this life and that which is to come For as the Roman Empire did tyrannize over the world led millions into spirituall captivity and bondage so here it is avouched that according to the just law of quittance it should be brought to the same lore And as this beast had murdered many by the sword so hee himself must be murdered by the sword also as the Apostle saith 2 Thes 1.6 God is just and therefore will recompence tribulation to them that trouble his Church Now all this seemeth unto mee to be a cleer prophesie of the fall and finall destruction of the Roman Empire which indeed considering the pitch that it was at may seem a thing strange and incredible and therefore the holy Ghost stirreth us up to attention in the 9th verse as to a thing of great wonderment and admiration for if the Roman Monarchy fall the Papacy must of necessity fall with it For the Roman Empire is that beast which beareth up the whore of Babylon as appeareth in the seventeenth chapter of this Prophesie where wee shall God willing plainly and at large hear of the joint destruction of them both together It is added Here is the patience and the faith of the saints That is here is required great patience of all Gods children to wait tarry till the performance and accomplishment of those things and also faith and full assurance to beleeve that they shall in Gods appointed time come to passe For few do beleeve these things therfore wait not with patience for the accomplishment thereof And I beheld another beast coming out of the earth which had two horns like a lamb Verse 11. but he spake like the dragon Having described the first beast which is the Roman Empire now the holy Ghost cometh to describe the second beast which is the Papacy or the kingdome of the great Antichrist for although he be described before in regard of his Monarchy that is the civill jurisdiction which he exercised as he was the seventh head of the beast and head of the Empire yet here he is described after another sort that is according to this ecclesiasticall authority and therefore he is called another beast or a beast differing from the former in that he exerciseth another power beside the power of the heathen Emperors of Rome which is his spirituall jurisdiction in which respect he is called the false prophet The second beast riseth out of the earth as the former rose out of the sea then it appeareth that Antichrist is by his breed a son of the earth obscurely born and by little little creeping up out of his abject estate as did the Turk It is here most truly said that the kingdome of Antichrist ariseth out of the earth and is the very breed of the earth for assuredly it never came from heaven It was first hatched out of covetousnesse ambition pride murders treasons poysoning sorceries enchantments and such like For all stories do shew that from these roots the Papacy grew to his exceeding height and altitude This second beast hath two horns like the Lamb Whereby is meant his Civil and Ecclesiastical power or his Kingdom Priesthood which hee falsly pretended to come from the Lamb and therefore he giveth in his armes two keyes and hath two swords carried before him So Boniface the eighth shewed himself one day in apparel as a Pope and the next day in armour as the Emperor and the two horns in the Popes Mitre are signes hereof But the holy Ghost here telleth us that these two hornes are not the horns of the Lamb but only like the horns of the Lamb for he received not his power from the Lamb Christ but from the Divell that is the Dragon with ten hornes Then thus it is The Papacy is the seventh head of the first beast that is the Empire and yet a beast by it selfe with two horns like the Lamb in respect of his joint power and authority both Ecclesiasticall and Civill in which respect he is called even the Eighth and one of the seven chap. 17.11 Although this second beast have two horns like the Lambe yet he spake like the Dragon that is all his words and works practises and proceedings lawes and decrees are for the Dragon of whom hee hath his power and throne and great authority So that whatsoever he pretendeth in religion and matters of Gods worship as though hee would be like the Lamb yet assuredly hee is altogether for the Dragon and the Divell hee is assured unto them as all experience doth manifestly witnesse Verse 12. And he did all that the first beast could do before him and he caused the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first beast whose deadly wound was healed Here is shewed that this second beast was as mighty and strong as the first beast and could doe as much as hee even in his presence Whereby is noted the great power and authority of the Papacy in performing as much in the service of the Dragon against God and his Church as ever the Empire of the heathen and those wicked Emperors could doe yea hee did much more against Christ and his religion then ever the persecuting Emperors could doe even then when they were at their highest pitch And all this hee did in his presence that is in the sight and open view of the whole Empire or whole world And he caused the earth and them that dwell therein that is all Papists and worldlings to worship the first beast that is to receive the worship and religion of the old Roman tyranny which set up and maintained idolatry so then although the power in the Papacy came under the name of Christ yet in truth it was the same with the power of the persecuting Empire for the heathen Emperors condemned the true worship of God and set up false worship even the worship of Divels which is idolatry so do the Popes also So then wee see that this second beast is all for the first beast that is he levyeth all his power and authority to set up the worship and religion of the old Roman tyrants and to force all men by cruell lawes and decrees to receive and embrace the same So this second beast is nothing better then the first nay in truth a great deale worse And he did great wonders Ver. 13 14. so that hee made fire to come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men And deceiveth them that dwell on
as some doe take it but for seven severall governments Dan. 7.17 as it is taken in Daniel The foure great beasts saith the Angel there are four Kings that is four kingdomes governments or monarchies as all men know So here by seven kings is meant the seven severall regiments of Rome that is to say by Kings Consuls Decemviri Dictators Triumviri Emperors and Popes whereof the first five were then fallen when John wrote one was that is the Empire and one was to come that is the Papacy My last argument is this Babylon is that city which is situate upon seven hils but onely Rome of all cities in the world is situated upon seven hils therefore Rome is Babylon The proposition is avouched by the Angel which saith in the seventeenth chapter that the seven heads of the scarlet coloured beast are seven mountains whereon the woman sitteth that is seven hils whereon the city of Rome is situated whose names are these Capitolinus Palatinus Aventinus Exquilinus Celius Viminalis and Quirinalis as all Poets and Historiographers do testifie One saith thus of Rome Virg. Geor. Septem quae una sibi muro circumdedit arces Another thus Septem urbs alta jugis toti quae praesidet orbi Propert. Another called Rome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the citie with seven heads that is seven hils It is cleer then by these reasons that Babylon in this place signifieth Rome As for the exposition of the Papists which affirmeth that Babylon here signifieth the universall society of the wicked it is fond and ridiculous For the holy Ghost saith Chap. 18.7 Babylon is that citie which reigneth over the kings of the earth But to say that the universall society of all the wicked reigneth over the kings of the earth is absurd and ridiculous Therefore to say that Babylon is the universall society of the wicked is absurd and ridiculous The distinction of the Jesuits here is also as frivolous as their expositions for they say If Babylon be Rome then it must be understood of Rome under the heathen Emperors but not under the Popes But the Angel saith The woman that is the whore of Babylon or Antichrist sitteth upon seven mountains Ergo she sitteth at Rome and Rome is the seat of Antichrist and consequently Rome under the Popes is Babylon Moreover we may reason thus against the Popish dictinction That which was Babylon under the heathen Emperors is the same which is here prophesied to be the chiefe citie and seat of Antichrist But Rome was then Babylon Ergo Rome is now Babylon for Rome is that citie which the Angel saith should be the seat of Antichrist And this book doth shew that the great Antichrist should reign in the same citie where the heathen Emperors had reigned and therefore it standeth firme That Rome under the Popes is Babylon This being then granted that Babylon here is Rome it followeth that Rome shall fall for the holy Ghost saith Babylon is fallen speaking in the present tense as the manner of the Scripture is in prophesying of things to come For whatsoever God hath determined to come to passe is as it were already done because of the certainty of it and for this cause also the word is doubled It is fallen Rome shall fall it is fallen Wee see then most cleerly that almost 1500 yeers before Rome began to fall the certain fall thereof was fore-told This place it self is cleer enough to prove my second point which is That Rome shall fall But my purpose is to reduce and gather all the five chapters following to certain heads to prove the main points which I have propounded first then I reason thus to prove the second point that Rome shall fall That citie and kingdome which hath the seven vials of Gods wrath emptied and powred downe upon it cannot stand but must needs fall But Rome is that citie which hath the seven vials of Gods wrath powred downe upon it Therefore Rome cannot stand long but must needs fall The proposition is manifest and not to be denied The assumption is proved throughout all the sixteenth chapter and especially in the tenth and second verses in the tenth verse the vials of Gods wrath are expressely said to be powred down upon the throne of the beast and in the second verse of that chapter it is avouched that the second viall was powred downe upon the men which had the marke of the beast and upon them which worshipped her image How then can the throne of the beast hold out or how can they which have received the beasts mark stand up long For there is a great emphasis or vehemency in the manner of speech For hee doth not simply say the wrath of God Chap. 15.17 but the fulnesse of Gods wrath he doth not say should be a little sprinkled but powred down as it were by pail-fuls upon the kingdom of the beast How then can the kingdome of the beast stand which hath so many great Ordnance and so many double Canons discharged and shot off against it Surely it must needs fall Chap. 17.8 My second reason is this The beast that was and is not and yet is shall goe into perdition But Rome is the beast that was and is not and yet is Therefore Rome shall go into perdition The assumption is set down chap. 17. ver 8. For the Roman Monarchy was great in the dayes of Julius Caesar Augustus Claudius Tiberius and therefore it is said that it was But in the reign of Nero Otho Galba and Vitellius it was greatly decayed and therefore it is said It is not meaning so great as it had been and yet in some sort it was and therefore it is said And yet is Now this beast shall goe into perdition Therefore the Roman Monarchy shall be destroyed and consequently the Papacy for the Roman Empire holdeth up the Papacy as it is written that the woman or whore of Babylon sitteth upon the scarlet coloured beast which had seven heads and ten horns that is the Roman Monarchy which beareth up the whore and beareth up the Papacy but the holy Ghost saith this beast that is the Roman Empire shall goe into perdition Then it followeth that the Papacy shall follow after for if the beast that she sitteth upon and which beareth her fall under her then she must needs fall together with him But we see God be thanked that the Roman Monarchy is in a manner quite fallen therefore the Papacy cannot stand long My third argument is this Verse 11. The beast that was and is not being even the eighth and is one of the seven shall goe into destruction But Rome is the beast that was and is not being the eighth and one of the seven Therefore Rome shall goe into destruction The assumption is set down chap. 17. ver 11. For the Papacy or dominion of the Popes is the seventh head of the beast in respect of their civill power and yet
God that love the Church and that love the truth greatly to rejoyce in the destruction of Rome because this monster shall no longer oppresse the Israel of God And sure it is that the more zealous and godly that a man is the more hee will rejoyce at the destruction of Popery for a man cannot love God and his Church that doth not laugh in the destruction of that Antichristian and bloudy kingdome Let no man here say This is cruelty this is want of charity and want of pity to laugh in the destruction of any or to rejoyce at other mens harmes But the most wise God saith Chap. 8.6 Reward her even as shee rewarded you and give her double according to her works and in the cup that shee hath filled to you fill her the double In as much as shee glorified her selfe and lived in pleasure so much give yee to her torment and sorrow And therefore I affirme that no man ought to be moved with any compassion or pitie for the overthrow of Rome But herein that saying of the Prophet is true Psal 137.9 Blessed is hee that taketh and dasheth her children against the stones And again Bend thy bow Jer. 50.14 shoot at her sâ—are no arrowes for shee hath sinned against the Lord. Moreover wee are to observe that forasmuch as the Lord willeth and commandeth all men to reward Rome as she hath rewarded us and to give her double according to her works therefore we ought every one of us as much as in him lieth and as his calling will bear to doe his uttermost to pull down Rome the Magistrate by the sword the Minister by the word and the people by their prayers For even Christian Kings and Princes and all the Nobles of the earth must not be negligent to fight against Rome For herein that saying is true Jer. 48.10 Cursed is hee that doth the work of the Lord negligently and cursed is hee that keepeth back his sword from bloud For this cause I doe upon my knees night and day most humbly and instantly intreat the God of heaven that as he hath put into the heart of our most gracious and excellent King to hate the whore of Babylon and to be his greatest instrument in the whole world for the weakning and overturning of Rome and the defence of his most glorious Gospel which is his crowne and glory in all the Churches and his great renown in all Christian kingdomes so hee may constantly continue and never cease drawing out the sword of justice till he have utterly rooted out of his dominions all the cursed crew of Popish Jebusites and all such as have received the beasts mark and especially the Jesuites and seminary Priests which are the Divels brokers the Popes agents and the King of Spaines factors in all kingdomes Here also I do most humbly even upon my knees with dropping eyes yea if it were possible with tears of blood beseech and intreat the learned and reverend Fathers of our Church that they would bend all their power and authority with all their might and maine against the Romish strumpet and the rather because in these daies she seemeth to make a head again having so many and great favourers that she and her complices dare perk with their nebs and very boldly and confidently prate of a toleration Here also I doe most humbly and earnestly intreate all my learned and godly brethren the Ministers and Preachers of this Church of England that in all their publick teachings and private proceedings they would make strong opposition against Rome and Romish religion And I beseech the God of gods that we may all joyn together with united forces to march on valiantly against the armies of Antichrist and to spread the everlasting Gospel far and neer to the utter overturning and beating down of this western Babylon and that howsoever wee may amongst our selves differ in judgement in some things yet that there might be no breach of love nor alienation of affection amongst us but that wee may all goe together hand in hand and arme in arme to preach Gods everlasting truth and to set our selves against the common adversaries For if that we will not set our selves against them yet they will be sure to set themselves against us And thus much concerning the third main point which is the finall fall and destruction of Rome even in this world Now it followeth to speak of the fourth main point which is By whom and when Rome shall be overthrowne But for the better understanding of this point concerning the persons that shall overthrow Rome wee are to observe that Saint John describeth the whore of Babylon sitting upon a scarlet coloured beast Chap. 17.4 having seven heads and ten horns whereby is meant the Roman Monarchy as hath been shewed before After this the Angel expoundeth unto John what the heads and horns of the beast mean and saith that the ten horns are ten kings Verse 12. or kingdomes which yet have not received a kingdome but shall receive power as kings at an houre with the beast The sense is that these ten kingdomes had not received such power and authority under the Emperors as they should under the Popes for there was great difference in these kingdoms under the Popes from that which they had been under the Emperors For they received far greater power and they carried another mind toward the Papacy then the nations did before toward the Empire for they did submit themselves to the Papacy for conscience and love even as to the holy Church which they never did to the Empire And this is the reason why the holy Ghost saith They had not received a kingdome but should receive power as kings at an houre with the beast Which is not to be understood simply but after a sort for they had received kingdomes under the Emperors but not in such sort as afterward they did under the Popes For the Roman Monarchy under the dominion of the Popes was in his greatest height and altitude and the Kings of Europe grew up together with the Papacy in power might and dominion And Saint John addeth Chap. 17.13 that these ten kings or kingdomes were all of one mind and did give their power and authority unto the beast that is they did with might and main labour to uphold the Babylonicall strumpet But the Angel telleth John flatly that the ten horns that is the ten kingdomes of the Empire which before had given their names their power and authority to the beast to uphold her and defend her should now in these last dayes all change their mindes and turne against her For saith the Angel to John Chap. 17.36 The ten hornes which thou sawest upon the beast are they which shall hate the whore and make her desolate and naked and shall eat up her flesh and burn her with fire Here then it doth plainly appeare who they be that shall overthrow Rome
all the former judgements For now after the cry of the Martyrs for vengeance God the avenger of the bloud of the Righteous doth shew himselfe from Heaven and declare his wrath in more fearefull manner then before even to the great astonishment of all the creatures in Heaven and Earth So horrible a thing is the shedding of the blood of the Christians For now we see plainely that God heareth the cryes of his Martyrs and commeth as a Gyant or an armed man to take vengeance of all their enemies For Psal 116.15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints and he is much mooved with the cry of their blood as here we see And therefore now threatneth to hold a generall Assize wherein he will make inquisition after blood and arraigne and condemne all such as are found guilty thereof according as the persecuting Emperours and many others did finde and feele by wofull experience For if God be angry but a little who may endure it Now although the Stories do report that in those dayes which was above 300. yeares after Christ there were many great and fearfull Earth-quakes in divers nations and Cities of the World yet it is apparant that the Earth-quake here spoken of cannot bee taken litterally nor any of the rest here mentioned For there was never any time neither is it mentioned in any Chronicle that ever the Sunne was as blacke as sack cloth of haire or the Moone turned into bloud or the Starres fell from Heaven or the Heavens rolled together like a scrole or that Mountaines and Ilands were moved out of their places Therefore of necessity all this must be understood metaphorically that is that God did in so strange and fearfull a manner manifest his wrath from Heaven by tumults commotions seditions and alterations of Kingdomes as if these things of the Sunne Moone and Starres had been visibly represented to the eye An earth-quake in this booke and other bookes also of the Scriptures doth by a borrowed speech signifie commotions of Common-wealths troubles tumults uprores and great alterations of States and Kingdomes The darkning of the Sunne Moone and Starres and rolling together of the Heavens do by a metaphor in the Scripture signifie the wrath of God which they being not able to endure are said here to blush at to cover themselves to hide themselves to be ashamed of themselves to remove out of their places no more to do their office c. For as birds do hide themselves and thrust their heads into bushes when the Eagle commeth abroade And as all Beasts of the Forrest doe tremble and couch in their dennes when the Lyon roareth And as the subject doth hide himselfe and dare not shew his head with whom the King is displeased So here it is said that the whole earth doth tremble and all the celestiall creatures are amazed and confounded with beholding the angry face of God against the world in so much that they do as it were draw a canopy over them hide themselves under a cloud and surcease to do their offices The darkning of the Sunne and Moone is taken in this sense in the second or Joel and also in the second Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles For there God promising and foretelling that in the last dayes he would abundantly powre forth of his Spirit upon all flesh which is to be understood of the plentifull preaching of the Gospell in the Apostles time and the abundance of grace that was given with the same addeth that for the contempt of so great grace and mercy he would shew wonders in Heaven above and tokens in the earth beneath Blood and fire and the vapour of smoke the Sunne shall be turned into darknesse and the Moone into blood before that great and notable day of the Lord come The meaning of the Prophet is as Peter also doth expound it Acts 2. that God from Heaven will shew such apparant signes of his wrath against the World that men should be no lesse amazed then if the whole order of nature were inverted And this was performed when as the Jewes for the contempt of Christ and his Gospell were most miserably destroyed by the Romanes Even so here under the opening of the sixt seale God doth threaten That for the murdering of his Sonne Christ and his Apostles and innumerable Christians he would bring strange judgements and extraordinary calamities upon the world according as all stories do shew that those times were full of bloodsheds commotions famine pestilence and miseries of all sorts I am not ignorant that the darkning of the Sunne and Moone and the falling of the Stars from Heaven are sometimes in this booke put for the obscurity and corruption of pure doctrine and the falling away of the Pastors of the Church from their sincerity and zeale But in this place the circumstances will not beare that sense First because here the darkning of the Sun and Moone c. is joyned with an Earth-quake the rolling together of the Heavens and the moving of Mountaines and Islands out of their places which argueth a most horrible confusion of all things Secondly because afterward in the eight chap. he doth of purpose speake of the corrupting of pure doctrine and the falling away of the Ministers referring it to that Chapter as his proper place Thirdly because the Kings and Captaines of the earth here immediately mentioned would never have been cast into any such perplexities and horrors upon any corruption of doctrine and the ministery as here we reade of For commonly men are not any whit touched or moved with that or such like things Last of all because the scope and drift of the holy Ghost under the opening of this sixt Seale is to describe corporall not spirituall visible not invisible judgements For he doth orderly and of purpose handle them in the next Chapter Now whereas it is sayd in the last three verses that the Kings of the earth and the chiefe Captaines Ver. 15.16.17 and the mighty men and every bond-man and every free-man hid themselves in dennes and amongst the rockes of the mountaines and said to the rockes and mountaines Fall on us c. the sense and meaning of all is this that these visible judgements should be so horrible and extraordinary that all sorts of men then living upon the face of the earth should even wish themselves buried quicke or that they might run into a mouse-hole or awger hole to hide themselves from the wrath of the Lambe For being both outwardly terrified with the sensible judgements and inwardly griped and tormented with the fury of their owne consciences they are at no hand able to endure it CHAP. VII THis Chapter doth wholly appertaine unto the opening of the sixt Seale It sheweth generally how God in the middest of all the broyles which hapned under the opening of the sixt seale yet did preserve his owne Church and mercifully provide for his owne people This
above all things in this world but also did reach even to heaven and hell For they imagined that the Pope might carry to heaven whom hee would and whom he would he might cast down to hell And therefore who could warre with the beast And thus we see the reason of their wonderment and of their speech All stories and experience it self do shew that there was never any power in the world so wondred at as the usurped power and majestie of the Pope after hee came to bee the head of the Roman Monarchy For then the world supposed that hee had power even as God and that he might depose and set up Kings and Emperors at his pleasure Then it is clear that under the dominion of the Popes Rome hath been in her highest exaltation and glory For the Papacy was the seventh head of the beast whereby the Whore of Babylon was supported in her most magnificall pomp and pride Verse 5. And there was given unto him a mouth that spake great things and blasphemies and power was given unto him to doe fourty two moneths And hee opened his mouth unto blasphemy against God to blaspheme his Name Verse 6. and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven Here are set down the proud and blasphemous speeches both of the old and new Roman Empire and of the old and new Roman Emperors For this beast as I said before comprehendeth all the Roman Empire both under the heathen Emperors and the Popes Touching the great things and blasphemies which the old persecuting Emperors have belched out against the God of heaven it would require a volume to set them down in particulars I will therefore onely mention two or three for examples sake As first that of Caius Caligula which would have his image set up in Temples to be worshipped as God and that the people should swear by his name Nero also did openly blaspheme the Name of Christ required divine honour to be given unto him Domitian commanded that hee should be called God and Lord. Many others required the like things and so all the world wondred and worshipped this blasphemous beast Now as the sixth head which was the old Empire of Rome was full of the names of blasphemy so the seventh head which is the new Empire under the dominion of the Popes which he here chiefly speaketh of did most of all blaspheme For the Pope did challenge to himself all power both in heaven and earth hee would be worshipped as God hee usurped authority over the Word of God hee did take upon him to forgive sins hee did most blasphemously incroach upon all the offices of Christ as King Priest and Prophet he hath commanded the Angels hee hath erected blasphemous images and caused pictures to be made of the Godhead he boasteth and cracketh great things of his papall power of Peters keyes of Peters chair of Peters succession of his miracles of his two swords and of his manifold prerogatives royall One of the Popes poysoned his god another cast his god into the fire another would eat his peacock in despite of God Some of them counted the religion of Christ a tale or fable some drank to the Divell some said they could do as much as God It were infinite to set down all their blasphemies for it is said of the whore of Babylon that she was full of the names of blasphemy Let this suffice for the understanding of this text that as the old heathenish Emperors did blaspheme so the Popes being heads of the Empire did most of all blaspheme And as it is here said they did not only blaspheme the Name of God but also did open their black and blasphemous mouthes against his tabernacle that is his Church calling it a company of hereticks schismaticks apostates and such like and also against them that dwell in heaven that is the spirits of just and perfect men which are in heaven as Luther Calvin Melancthon and such like Moreover it is to be noted that this mouth was given unto this monstrous beast thus to blaspheme and speak great things But this is to be understood that it was given in the wrath and just judgment of God upon the world to plague them withall because they regarded not the knowledge of the truth But it is added that this power of the beast thus to work his actions was limited to 42 moneths so that although he rule and rage for a time yet shall he not long continue And it was given unto him to make war with the Saints and to overcome them Verse 7. and power was given unto him over every kindred and tongue and nation Verse 8. Therefore all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb which was slain from the beginning of the world These two verses doe set forth the great power which was given to this beast both in fighting agaiâ—st Gods people and also overcoming of them and murthering of them by heaps As we read of thousands murthered in the first ten persecutions and ten thousands by the Popes since they came to exercise the civill authority and jurisdiction of the Roman Empire and that in all countries and kingdoms of Europe as it is here said that power was given unto him over every kindred and tongue and nation And it is added that all that dwell upon the earth that is all the subjects of the Roman Monarchy shall worship the beast and make a God of him as we read they have done And the chiefe motive thereof was his blasphemous mouth boasting and threatning great things if any did withstand him and also his mighty power and authoritie whereby hee bare down all before him For if any did mutine against him hee was sure to smart for it And thus through his tyrannicall power hee subdued all nations under him and made them stoup and fall downe and worship him But it followeth that for all this none of Gods elect did worship him or submit themselves to his religion and authority but only those that dwell upon the earth that is earthly men as Papists Atheists and Reprobates and all such whose names are not written in the book of life Christ is called the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world because the saving power of his death was from the beginning of all beleevers although he was not actually exhibited untill the fulnesse of time If any man have an ear let him hear Vers 9 10. If any lead into captivity hee shall goe into captivity if any kill with a sword hee must be killed by a sword Here is the patience and the faith of the Saints Here is shewed that the things spoken of this great beast are very secret and mysticall and can be understood of none but those only whose eares and eyes God openeth to hear and see and understand that is the very elect of God as for all papists and
numerative letters of the Greek word Lateinos do make just this number And yet further we are to observe as a very speciall thing that Irenaeus Irendi contra haeres an ancient Father of the Church who lived very neer unto the Apostles times mentioneth this word Lateinos as the name of the beast And moreover affirmeth that it was a common received opinion in his time and before that the beast should so be called Now then let us consider how this fitteth First wee know that the numerative letters of Lateinos doe justly fit Saint Johns Greek numerative letters Secondly wee know that Antichrist is the head of the Latine Church or Latine Empire and therefore this very Lateinos For here we do not enquire after the name of any particular man but about the name of a kingdome for the beast is a kingdome and a succession of men Now Italy in old time was called Latinum and the Italians Latini which noteth of what Countrey the beast should come Moreover the beasts name or name of the Roman Empire is Lateinos because the Empire both under the heathen tyrants and the Popes especially had all their religion service prayers lawes decrees writings and translations in Latine all was in Latine Latine the Pope preferred his Latine translation of the Bible before the Hebrew and Greek originals Thus then it is Saint John telleth us flatly the number of the beast is six hundred sixty six Irenaeus saith that Lateinos is his name which containeth just the number Therefore here we have his name here he is found For if his name be Lateinos we need search no further wee know who it is we know who is meant for is not the Pope Lateinos are not the succession of them Latini are they not the heads of the Latine Church and Latine Empire have they not all their worship and service in Latine are they not Latines for what is the name of the Roman Empire but Lateinos and what is the name of the Popish Hierarchy but Lateinos True it is indeed which the Papists say that many names may be invented whose letters make this number but the Spirit of God speaketh not of fained names for thereof can come nothing but uncertainty but he willeth us to count the number of his name which then the beast had that is Lateinos I do thus then conclude The beast is a kingdom and the Papacy is the kingdome of the Latines Therefore the Papacy is the beast The Papacy is Lateinos and containeth the number of the beast For what other Monarchy can be shewed since the Revelation was given whose numerative letters containe this foresaid number assuredly none And therefore out of all doubt Saint John pointeth at the Roman Empire and Monarchy of the Popes For Lateinos doth both containe the number of the beast according to Saint Johns computation and also his name which is the Latine Empire or Roman Empire And thus have wee heard the description of these two huge and monstrous beasts the sea-sea-beast and the land beast which both from the Apostles time hitherto have indeed played the beast against Christ and his Church and still doe play the beasts and will never cease playing the beasts till their horns and hoofes heads and bodies be clean cut off which will be shortly as wee shall heare anon CHAP XIIII WEe have heard in the former chapter the description of the two great and dreadfull beasts Wee have heard how mightily they have prevailed now many yeers and raigned as Monarchs of the earth Now in this chapter we are to hear the fall and ruine of them both So that the main drift and scope of this chapter and all the chapters following untill the twentieth chapter is to shew that both the Roman Empire and the Papacy shall ebb as fast as ever they did flow shall wain as fast as ever they did waxe shall decrease as fast as ever they did increase and fall down as fast as ever they did rise up even untill they come to utter ruine and desolation This chapter containeth seven principall things Verse 1. Ver. 2 3 4 5. First it sheweth that God had his Church upon the earth even then when it seemed to be utterly extinct by the prevailing of the two outragious beasts Vers 6 7. Secondly it sheweth that the poor persecuted Church did syncerely and zealously worship God even in the fire and flames of afflictions Verse 8. Thirdly it sheweth that the Gospel shall be preached with great successe in these last dayes throughout many kingdomes Ver. 9 10 11. Fourthly it sheweth that Rome shall fall down at the preaching of the Gospel Fifthly Vers 12 13. it sheweth that all Papists shall be condemned and cast into hell fire for ever Sixtly it sheweth that it shall go wel with Gods elect which having refused the worship of the beast do live and die in the Lord. Lastly it describeth the day of judgment Verse 14 c. wherein all both good and bad shall have according to their deserts Then I looked Verse 1. and behold a Lamb stood on the mount Sion and with him an hundred and fourty and four thousand having his Fathers name written in their foreheads Now at the last the holy Ghost bringeth in Jesus Christ upon the theater of the world as it were to play his part in this tragedy and to help the poor weak woman which we heard of before against the Dragon and the two monstrous beasts which would have torn her in pieces and utterly devoured her if this Lambe Jesus Christ had not stept in and rescued her Well now cometh in our Lord Jesus and beginneth to stirre in these matters and to take upon him the protection and defence of the poor helplesse woman against both the Dragon and the Dragons two great instruments But some may say What is a poore lamb to encounter with a dragon with a lion with a leopard and a bear I answer that although Christ be a lamb to his church even the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world and the Lamb that was a slain Sacrifice from the beginning for the redemption of his elect yet to all his enemies hee is a most strong and terrible lion even the Lion of the tribe of Juda as hee is called before Chap. 5.5 Now this most terrible Lion even the Lord of hosts the Lord mighty in baâ—tell cometh forth to protect and defend his Church against all her enemies who is of such infinite might and puissance that neither the old dragon nor his young imps not all the cursed hel-hounds that bark and bite and take their part shall ever be able to stand in his hands For rage they never so much he shall hamper them all wel enough For though hee hath given them the reine a long time and let them alone and suffered them to play the tyrants with the woman his spouse yet now he will no longer put
observe one speciall thing to wit that the Gospel which this Angel flyeth withall containeth the brief summ of all the doctrine which Luther Calvin Peter Martyr and the rest have taught out of Gods Word and agreeth in all points with it For what other thing did they all preach teach and write but that men should turn from idols to the living God from fearing glorifying and worshipping creatures to feare worship and glorifie God alone which hath made all things What other thing doe all the preachers of this age publish and proclaime in all their Sermons but this Feare God and give glory onely to him Is not this the Epitome and short sum of all the doctrine of the Preachers of England Scotland Germany France Denmarke and all the rest and therefore I conclude that this Angel must needs be understood of the Preachers of this last age which now these fourscore yeeres have sounded the trumpet of the Gospel against all the inventions of Popery And blessed be God wee see these things fall out in our dayes and are eye-witnesses of the fulfilling of them And there followed another Angel saying Verse 8. It is fallen it is fallen Babylon that great city for she gave to all nations to drink the wine of the wrath of her fornication Here is set down the blessed effect of the preaching of this everlasting Gospel which is the downfall of Babylon For as when the cleer Sun ariseth upon the earth the thick mists and clouds are dispersed even so when the bright beames of the Gospel doe shine forth unto the world Babylon that dark kingdom vanisheth away incontinently And as it is written in the eighteenth chapter so soon as the earth was lightened with the glory of this everlasting Gospel Babylon immediatly falleth Therefore now before I go any further my purpose through the assistance of God Five maine points is to prove these five points out of this verse and that which followeth unto the twentieth chapter to wit First that Babylon here signifieth Rome Secondly that Rome shall fall and how Thirdly that Rome shall fall finally and come to utter desolation in this life Fourthly by whom and when it shall be overthrown Lastly the causes of the utter ruine and overthrow thereof How Rome is to be taken But before I go about to prove that Babylon here is Rome I would have it carefully observed what is meant by Rome viz. not the topography of Rome that is so much ground only as is compassed within the wals of that city but the regiment government and prerogative that is claimed by vertue of that Monarchy whereof Rome is the head By Rome is meant the power and authority of Rome or to speak plainly by Rome is meant the Roman Monarchy Further we are here to observe the reason why the holy Ghost calleth Rome Babylon for Rome literally and properly taken is not Babylon in as much as they were two divers cities one in Italy the other in Chaldea but Rome is called Babylon mystically figuratively and as the holy Ghost speaketh spiritually and by a kind of allusion Chap. 11.8 A reason why Rome is called Babylon For as the old Eastern Babylon did a long time oppresse the Church of the Jewes so Rome this Western Babylon hath long oppressed the Church of the Christians As the Eastern Babylon did many yeers hold down the people of God in miserable bondage and servitude so the Western Babylon did a long time keep the Christian Church in spirituall thraldome and misery In which respects Rome is spiritually compared to Sodom and Egypt to Sodom for filthinesse and to Egypt for idolatry and keeping Gods Church in spirituall bondage and slavery And thus we see the reason why Rome is called Babylon which is not simply and properly but after a sort that is by a phrase of speech or Trope which they call a Metonymie or changing of names when that is given to one thing which is proper to another for the likenesse of quality that it hath with it or adjoyned unto it Now having shewed the reason why Rome is called Babylon and what is meant by Rome we are to proceed to the first point which is to prove that Babylon in this place signifieth Rome which although it be granted of all sound Divines and avouched in the writings of the best learned both new and old so as it shall need no great proof yet will I add three or foure reasons out of this book to make it more plain and apparant First therefore I do thus reason out of the seventeenth chapter and last verse Babylon is that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth But there was no other city which did reigne over the kings of the earth when John wrote this book but onely Rome Therefore Rome is Babylon For as for Jerusalem it was at that time made an heap of stones The first proposition is avouched by the Angel of God expounding unto John what is meant by the great whore whose damnation hee had shewed him before and by the woman which sate upon a scarlet coloured beast The woman which thou sawest Chap. 17.18 saith the Angel to Saint John is that great city which raigneth over the kings of the earth that is to say Rome or the Romish synagogue and malignant Church For the Angel could not speak more plainely except he should have named Rome then to say thus The woman the great whore of Babylon is the great city which raigneth over the kings of the earth For if one should say The great citie of England every man knoweth that thereby is meant London if one should say The great citie of France every one knoweth that thereby is meant Paris so when the Angel saith The great citie which reigneth over the kings of the earth all that lived in those times knew that thereby was meant Rome Babylon is Rome for Rome was the chief citie of the Monarchy and is put in this book for the whole Monarchy and the religion thereof as hath been said before My second reason is this Chap. 17. Babylon is the mother of whoredomes and abominations of the earth Babylon is that great whore with whom have committed fornication the Kings of the earth and the inhabitants of the earth made drunk with the wine of her fornication But Rome and none but Rome is such a one Therefore Rome is Babylon My third argument is this Babylon is that city which hath had seven severall governments But only Rome hath had seven severall kinds of government Therefore Rome is Babylon The proposition is proved from the words of the Angel expounding unto John what is meant by the seven heads of the scarlet coloured beast whereupon the woman sate The seven heads saith hee are seven kings Chap. 17.9 that is seven orders or states of kingly government for seven kings in this place are not put for seven severall men which were kings
this their cheer and their dainties are reckoned up to be the flesh of Kings and Captains c. Now out of this may be strongly concluded that hereafter in all time to come when the armies of the Pope which is the beast the armies of the king of Spain who hath given his power and authority unto the beast and is his great upholder when the armies of the Cardinall his great confederate when the armies of the Leaguers his great adherents yea when all these and all other Popish armies shall joyne and band themselves together against the Christian kings and defenders of the Gospel they shall have a notable overthrow insomuch that their dead carcasses shall even cover the earth and the fowles of the air shall come to their great supper which the Lord of hosts will make ready for them For assuredly and out of doubt they that live shall see the fulfilling of all this and shall see the Popish armies goe down by heaps in all countries and kingdomes and be made meat for the fowles of the air The Popish armies shall go down by heaps Chap. 16.6 Chap. 13.10 For the holy Ghost saith They shall come to Armageddon that is the place where their armies shall be destroyed And again If any lead into captivity hee shall go into captivity If any kill with a sword he must be killed with a sword For as the Popish forces have in former times taken captive the people of God and cruelly murthered them so now the time draweth on apace wherein themselves shall be taken and put to the sword And therefore now at last I conclude that Rome shall fall finally and come to utter destruction in this life For as Rome did rise up by degrees in this life so Rome shall fall by degrees in this life as Rome grew up to her full height and highest pitch in this life so it shall come to her lowest ebb and greatest declination in this life I meane before the coming of Christ unto judgement For the falling down of haile like talents upon the kingdome of the beast shall be in this life The extraordinary earth-quake upon the dominions of Antichrist shall be in this life Rome shall be utterly destroyed in this life The coming of the Popish armies to Armageddon shall be in this life The mourning of the kings merchants and mariners for the overthrow of Babylon shall be in this life The great battell betwixt the beast and him that sitteth upon the white horse shall be in this life before the day of judgment The powring forth of all the seven vials of Gods wrath upon the kingdome of the beast shall be even in this life For it were an absurd thing to say any of these things shall be after this life or to say that these things shall not be till the very coming of Christ for they are all things to be effected here in this earth and the holy Ghost doth describe them as things to be done upon the face of the earth for otherwise we could have small comfort in any of these things if they should not be done here in earth or if they should all be deferred till the very coming of Christ and in the meane time Antichrist shall prevaile But it will be objected that S. Paul saith The Lord shall consume Antichrist with the spirit of his mouth and abolish him with the brightnesse of his coming 2 Thes 2. Therefore before his coming he shall not be utterly abolished True it is indeed An objection answered he shall not utterly be cut off in all his members till the very coming of Christ For there will be some Papists remaining in all countries even unto the end there be some nay many that will carry the beasts mark even untill the last day But the holy Ghost in this Prophecie speaketh of the revolting and falling away of kingdomes and countries from the See of Rome whereby it shall come to passe that it shall be exceedingly weakned and brought so low that the kings of the earth shall easily take it or as the holy Ghost speaketh Chap. 16.26 shall easily passe over their Euphrates being dryed up and enter their Babylon But then will some man say Shall there be no Pope at all a little before the coming of Christ I answer and not I but the holy Ghost for me hee shall be a poor Pope a naked Pope Chap. 17.16 The Pope shall bee brought very low 2 Sam. 3. a desolate Pope a Pope whose flesh shall be torn whose flesh shall wither as we shall hear anon Hee shall be such a Pope as Ishbosheth was a King when Abner and all Israel fell away from him He shall be such a Pope as the king of Portugal is a king But it will be objected How know you this are you a prophet can you fore-tell of things to come I answer Saint John was a Prophet and indued with a Propheticall spirit in this matter of his visions and revelations and I speak no more then Saint John hath set down And therefore I hope I speak within my compasse for I doe but relate Saint Johns words and explain them in such measure as I am able This Prophecie doth plainly declare that Babylon shall fall Rome shall come down the Pope shall never be esteemed again and I do beleeve it to be so I beleeve God I beleeve his word I beleeve all that is spoken in Scripture and I do indeavour to perswade others also For sith the holy Ghost hath so plainly and so fully fore-told it why should we not beleeve it why are wee so slow to beleeve all that is written in the Scriptures Hath God spoken it and shall it not come to passe shall any jot of his word fail shall we think he jesteth with us when he doth so often and so seriously tell us of the downe fall of Rome Surely surely the cause why men are not fully perswaded of the finall fall of Rome is because they do not diligently peruse this book of the Apocalypse But let them be studious and diligent in this book and they shall be out of all doubt that Rome is the great whore of Babylon that the Pope is Antichrist and the Papacy the beast But now me thinketh I hear some men say How is it like that Popery shall fall down more and more here among us sith it hath so many friends backers and upholders and seemeth to gather strength and make an head again I answer that all is but a lightning before death I answer that all is but the stopping of a water-brook or making a dam overthwart it which will cause it to swell more and to break over with great violence I answer that all is no more then is fore-told that the Jesuits shall come forth like frogs out of their puddles and marish grounds and keep a croaking for a time till they have croaked their own destruction and many others For they shall