continuance of those yeares which in the next verses hee setteth downe particularly and seuerally And first he setteth downe the particular persecution of the Church of the Iewes in the thirteenth and fourteenth verses and then of the Gentiles in the seauenteenth Verse For the Church of the Iewes the persecution thereof is expressed in that it is said that he persecuted her that brought forth the man-childe but the Lord deliuered her from being deuoured of the Dragon In that it is said she being thus pursued hath for her deliuerance wings giuen her to flye away into a Desert for two times a time and halfe a time it notably describeth that strange deliuerance of the Children of God which were in Ierusalem before the ouerthrow of it who as the story witnesseth being warned by the voice of God from heauen did withdraw themselues for a time into a City called Pella beyond Iordan in the Wildernesse where they did continue for the space of three yeares and a halfe vntill Ierusalem were destroyed Whereas the Dragon is said to cast out waters against the Church it noteth the great multitudes of people for so it is often vsed in the Scriptures as also afterterwards Cap. 17. 1. 15. which afterwards the Diuell raised vp to deuoure and consume the Church of Christ in the infancie of it But in that the earth is said to helpe the woman it noteth that howsoeuer the Lord suffereth the Diuell to raise and stirre vp many enemies and aduersaries against his Church yet also hee hath his meanes for the deliuerance of his children by the ouerthrow of their enemies destroying them in the middest of their fury and casting them into their graues And lastly the Dragon hauing done the worst he could against the Church of the Iewes against Christ himselfe his Apostles and Disciples he followeth and proceedeth with mortall enuie and indignation to pursue their seed that is the Church of the Gentiles who were called by their ministery and are also of the seed of Abraham though not according to the flesh Apoc. Cap. 13. 1. And I saw a Beast rise out of the Sea hauing seauen heads and tenne hornes and vpon his hornes were tenne crownes and vpon his heads the name of blasphemie c. THe Prophet hauing spoken before that the seed of the woman to wit the Church of the Gentiles was persecuted of the Dragon hee now declares the manner and meanes of the persecutions and the troubles which befall the Church The instrumentall cause is here set out to be the Beast which is the Emperour of Rome who is set forth by him comming out of the Sea whereby is meant the great stormes troubles and tempests that the Beast should raise vp By which tempests are expressed and meant the great tumults which should arise both betweene the wicked themselues as it came to passe in the Empire of Rome for they had amongst themselues many and long warres and grieuous troubles and dissentions as appeareth in the histories as also it noteth the troubles and afflictions which the Church should receiue by them for the Church must needs be partaker of this misery though peraduenture it be not immediately alwaies tended against them yet they liuing vnder the Empire where these troubles were principally could not but needs also feele the smart thereof Afterwards the troubles are also immediately directed against the godly themselues particularly by the sword by fire and by sore persecutions which are declared to arise and come from the Beast A Beast so he is tearmed being here described and represented vnder the forme of a Beast because of the furiousnesse and madnesse of the Empire of Rome and the Emperors signifying that there was nothing almost of humanity in him but that hee was euen estranged from all courtesies of men Secondly hee is more particularly noted what manner of Beast he was like vnto to wit he was like a Leopard noting his marueilous swiftnesse and readinesse to doe mischiefe to the Church and to destroy it as also shewing his cruelty towards the people of God The Pawes of a Beare noting his rauenousnesse as being ready so able to catch to apprehend and lay hold of the things he desired The mouth of a Lyon shewing that he was cruell and strong to deuoure and to destroy He had the power of the Dragon giuen him that is of the Diuell signifying the greatnesse of his crueltie for as it is in the twentieth Chapter the Lord that he might saue his people being now in their cradle from being ouer-runne and deuoured of Sathan had first shut vp the Diuell into the bottomlesse pit that hee might not practise that hee would against the Church which thing the Diuell perceiuing and seeing himselfe thus shut vp that as it were in his owne person hee could not as hee desired be employed in the deuouring of the Church at his pleasure hee casts as much of his owne power as he can vpon an other to wit vpon the Romane Emperour who was as it were his deputy to the end he might doe that iniury he could in prosecuting the Christ Seauen heads signifying his exceeding wisedome and pollicie to doe hurt which should be very great according to his authority whereby hee ruled ouer the whole world His hornes signifie his power to doe that hurt And his Crownes signifie that great effect which that great wit and power of his should take in preuailing against men to wit that hee should vanquish and ouercome in his mischiefes Notwithstanding there is great difference betweene his Crownes and the Dragons for the Dragon had them on his heads that is the Diuell hath this power of himselfe properly to doe hurt exercising it as from himselfe the Beast hath them vpon his hornes that is the Emperour doth not exercise his authoritie and power against the Church immediately from himselfe but doth borrow his power from the Dragon Which is spoken after the custome and manner of those Kings and Princes which hauing absolute authority weare their Crownes on their bare heads those that be Viceroyes and haue an absolute authoritie weare Coronets indeed but on their Caps as it is vsed in forraine Countries and as it was the practise in those dayes After he is said to haue the name of Blasphemie declaring that the Emperours should be such as should blaspheme God in calling themselues Gods and taking the worship of God vnto themselues as Caligula and others most wretchedly and blasphemously did like to Alexander the great in the Monarchy of the Grecians which did arrogate this title to himselfe to be called God In that hee saith he had vpon his head the name of blasphemy written hee opposeth to that contrary custome of the Priest who had written vpon his head honor to the Lord so contrariwise this Beast had written on his head blasphemy against God And hee did not onely blaspheme the name of God but also his Tabernacle that is did speake euill of the Church of
Beast was the same but in other families as is said before Then it is said here is the minde that hath wisedome that is here is matter wherein those that are wise should occupie their wits and vnderstandings After he declareth what the seauen heads are to wit seauen hils namely that place where the City of Rome is situated and amongst all writers both Latine Greek which speake of it it is called the City of the seauen hils and none but it is so named in any either old or new Latine or Greeke Author And therefore howsoeuer the Papists would post it ouer to Constantinople where the Turke is as hauing thirty hils yet that was of no account in the dayes when this was written Againe that was neuer gouernour of the world as this is called and as it was in those dayes The seauen heads haue another exposition giuen them by the Angell to be seauen Kings that is seauen Gouernours and Emperours of the City whereof it is said fiue are fallen that is were dead one was then that is Domitian who at that time had banished Iohn into Pathmos and he that was to come was the next after Domitian and he should indure but a small time and therefore those that liued in those dayes might easily see the truth of it And this therefore set forth thus that men prouing and seeing this to be true might giue the more credit to the rest And the Beast that was and is not that is is not of the same sort as he was being now changed by another family is the eight to wit in number which was the seauenth also for hee was admitted by the seauenth while the seauenth was aliue for the other being aliue this eight in his dayes was chosen Emperour and was ioyned in gouernement with him as was the custome of Kings when that Kingdomes were doubtfull the Kings tooke their Successors whom they would to haue raigne next in their roome and would in their owne life establish them in their Kingdomes as did Dauid with Salomon who while he yet liued setled his Sonne in the Kingdome taking him as it were and ioyning him in societie with him and setting him by him as it were on the Throne Hauing thus expounded the seauen heads hee comes to tell what is meant by the tenne Hornes which are said to be tenne Kings which had not as yet receiued their power which should ioyne with the Beast to wit should not raigne there where the Beast did but should onely lay their power and authority with his but while he had the ciuill authority alone in the rule of the Emperour as also afterward when the Pope arising should ioyne the spirituall iurisdiction with the temporall gouernement and these tenne Kings it is said should ioyne with this Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall Beast By these tenne it is no great matter whether wee vnderstand a certaine or vncertaine number but it seemeth rather to note an vncertaine number Howsoeuer it were true it is that these the Beast should ioyne with him to take his part to wit they should giue their power to him to ride and runne at his pleasure And these fight against the Lambe who should ouercome them by the power of his word for hee must needes being King of Kings and Lord of Lords and therefore cannot but breake those Hornes that set themselues against him for they receiue of him and hold but of license their Kingdomes from him The Waters are plainely expounded by the Angell to be the great multitudes of people and diuers Countries that should be subiect to that City and Church of Rome Further he declares that as there was a time that the Kings of the earth should ioyne themselues with the Beast to maintaine it so time should come that those Kings and Gouernours as they had suffered themselues to be as it were trodden on by the Beast and to be subiect to the Whore so they should fight against the Beast and against her and most bitterly venter themselues in fight against her yea they shall eate her flesh that is be in mortall hatred with her to consume her and should burne the Harlot that is destroy her vtterly and so punish her as a Harlot for burning was the vsuall death for a Harlot Lastly in that hee saith the woman is the great City that had dominion ouer the Kingdomes of the earth hee sheweth plainely that it is the City of Rome seeing there was no such great Monarch as that since the time of Iohn but onely Rome and Shee was euen then the chiefe Citie in the world Apoc. Cap. 18. 1. And after these things I saw another Angell come downe from heauen hauing great power so that the earth was lightened with his glory c. THe Prophet hauing entred into the description of the City of Rome as of the spirituall Babilon doth on that occasion dispute what shall be done of her for notwithstanding the destruction of the Beast should come before and the ouerthrow of the City should follow yet the ouerthrow of the City is handled in the first place of the Beast is set after vnto the end that he might more fully set down the destruction and notable ruine of the same And first hee declareth the destruction of the City and that it may haue the more authority the Angell that describeth it is said to come from heauen declaring the certainety thereof namely in that this message came from heauen euen from God himselfe and therefore the City of Rome should certainely be destroyed and razed vtterly from the face of the earth And this authority is more fully set forth in that the Angell is described to haue come with such glory that the earth was enlightned therewith and therefore that should be a most euident and vndoubted matter which also appeareth in the mightinesse of his voice Hee saith it is fallen and the second time it is fallen which repetition hee vseth first to raise vp men from their drowsinesse which cannot at the first conceiue of Gods iudgements nor consider them as they ought and therefore they must haue diuers repetitions of the same thing concerning the iustice of Gods iudgements Secondly to shew the certainty of it as before Chap. 14. 8. According as Ioseph interprets Pharaohs dreames of the seauen leane Kine which did deuoure the seauen fatte and the seauen thinne eares of Wheate that did consume the seauenfull that they both did signifie one thing and that the dreame was therefore doubled to shew that that which was signified thereby should certainly come that speedily Euen so the repetition of the denouncing of these iudgements is for this cause namely as to waken the drowsinesse of man so to shew the certainty and speedinesse of the iudgements to be executed Then is set forth the state of this Babilon the City of Rome in that it is said it should become an Habitation of Diuels and of vncleane Birds signifying the great desolation of
said not to haue beene heard in the streets This is the first Woe the two other woes are to come The other Trumpet followeth to be blowne And first to declare the certainty of it hee saith there came a Voice from the corner of the Altar which was in the holy place which commanded that they should loose the foure Angels by foure is meant a sufficient and competent number as before wee haue heard to execute Gods iudgements And these are said to be bound in the Riuer Euphrates which was that Riuer that runneth through Babilon where the people of Israel were held in captiuity And it is vsed to set forth that spirituall captiuity of the Church of God whereby the Whore of Babilon keepeth in bondage both their soules and also their bodies Now these foure Angels the Executers and Ministers of Gods fearefull iudgements were prepared to goe at an houre at a day at a moneth at a yeare noting their readinesse and promptnesse to execute any iudgement that God sets them about yea though they should be sent forth for a whole yeare long they would be willing to doe it declaring that they did it without wearinesse Their effects be farre otherwise then the former for they haue authority to kill the bodies of men This seemeth to bee in the time of Gregory the ninth when the Church of Rome had gotten the Kings and Princes of the world and the Emperours to assist them and to take their part and therefore now those that would not worship the Beast and yeeld to their spirituall Whoredome and Idolatry should be killed and put to death by the wicked Magistrates whereas before they had not power to hurt the Bodies but only to sting the Consciences of men These are described to haue heads like Lyons noting that they were fierce and cruell Their Tayles like Serpents signifying their craft Which sheweth that the Church of Rome should promote her Kingdome both by violence and also by their craft and subtilty Lastly is set downe a conclusion wherein is shewed that for all these fearefull iudgements the people of the earth whereas they should haue feared and haue beene bettered by these iudgements and learned to turne vnto God by repentance yet they continued vnrepentant in their Idolatries Murthers Witchcrafts and all other their abhominable wickednesses Apoc. Cap. 10. 1. And I saw another mightie Angell come downe from heauen cloathed with a Cloude and the Rainbow vpon his head and his face was as the Sunne and his feet as pillars of fire c. VVEe haue heard after the Preface of this Booke the diuision of it into those things already executed and which were after to be executed Those which were to come are either touching the iudgement of God vpon the world or those things which more especially did concerne the Church Hitherto we haue heard of the world now the things that more especially belong to the Church doe follow to the which in this Chapter is as before a Preface wherein the holy Ghost prepareth and fitteth the Apostle Saint Iohn and in him all vs to the diligent hearing and obseruing of all those things which concerne the Church The whole drift of this Vision is to giue credit to the history following and this credit is drawne first from the Author of the prophecie which is Christ and secondly from the Instrument to wit Iohn In the first part that the thing it selfe might be the better esteemed the credit drawne from the Author is set forth by the glory and excellencie of him In the second part Iohn is set foorth by what meanes he came to this Prophecie and from whom hee receiued it to wit that hee had it by commandement from God the Father and from God the Son who commanded him to publish this history which after is set downe in this Booke For the first part he saith first he saw another Angell to wit as we haue heard before our Sauiour Christ being of another nature of other offices and of another glory then any other Angell as being the Angell of the Couenant that is hee in whose hand the Couenant is established betwixt God and his Church This Angell is said to come downe from heauen viz. not that Christ came downe bodily for the Scriptures say euidently that the heauens must hold him till the restoring of all things that is till the end of the world but here it was onely represented vnto Iohn in a vision For in that wee say that Christ is in heauen it is not that wee tye or lincke him there as the Papists charge and slander vs wrongfully for wee hold that as there is in the heauens infinit roome for him to execute his will so hee hath the heauen as an incomprehensible place and is not tyed and kept in as it were like a Prisoner but is at his owne pleasure to doe what he will himselfe And this which wee say is proued out of the word of God in the Acts Acts. 1. where we are taught that he must stay there till the latter day So that this sight was onely a representation of the minde wherin it was giuen to see Christ thus Strong a proper title vnto the Lord to be the strong God signifying that hee was the mighty God and therefore this Angell is of another nature then the other Angels Clad with a Cloud that is to set out the glory of our Sauiour Christ euen so in the last day hee shall come attended vpon compassed with the clouds A Rain-bow about his head the Rain-bow about his head seemeth to expresse and to note vnto vs the gracious countenance of our Sauiour Christ towards his Church for the Rain-bow in the Scripture is a signe of the fauour of God as it is in Genesis namely in that he will neuer drowne the world againe Or Chap. 4. 3. else to the further setting forth of his Glory and Maiestie for as before in the fourth Chapter wee haue heard that God the Father is described to haue had a Rain-bow about his Throne whereby the glory of the first Person in the Trinity was represented so that may be here noted of Christ in that he is said to haue a Rain-bow about his head and therefore Christ is of equall glory with his Father His face as the Sunne whereby his further glory is set forth in his excellent and al-seeing prouidence in that as the Sunne beholdeth all the earth so hee at one instant and with one eye as it were seeth all things on the face of the earth He had in his hand a little Booke open In this Booke Chap. 5. 1. is contained those things which were to follow and to come vpon the Church it selfe As in the fift Chapter wee haue heard of a Booke in the hand of God the Father which containeth the iudgements which were generally to fall vpon the whole world The difference betweene this Booke and that other is very plaine for first wee
the time shall not be distinguished by it we shall not be directed by the light of it for God himselfe shall be our Sunne God shall be our light for euermore Apoc. Cap. 12. l. And there appeared a great wonder in heauen A woman cloathed with the Sunne and the Moone was vnder her feete and vpon her head a crowne of twelue Starres c. HEre in this Chapter is set downe a description of the Church of which it is said there was a great signe noting the great estimation that God hath of his Church which his great estimation of it is set forth in that shee is said to be cloathed with the Sunne which is the most glorious creature declaring and expressing her exceeding glory in the sight of God Shee had the Moone vnder her feete signifying her rule and authority ouer all the things below that are subiect to change in that she onely hath receiued of God power to subdue them and shee doth of right possesse them the wicked are vsurpers Vpon her head shee had a Crowne of twelue Starres shewing her Queenely Maiestie shee being the Spouse of Christ as also her victory ouer all her enemies It is said shee trauelled her trauell is meant of the Church of the Iewes of whom this is testified in the Euangelists the 9. of the Acts of the Apostles how great resistance there was against our Sauiour Christ against the Apostles the rest what great and grieuous persecutions they then sustained for the Gospell-sake in the beginning of the primitiue Church because they went about to beget to bring and to draw Children vnto God out of the seede of Abraham Afterward another great wonder is seene to wit a great Dragon namely the Diuell compared to a Dragon and called the great Dragon because of his great strength and exceeding fiercenesse for such is the strenght of a Dragon as that he is able to gripe with an Elephant He is described to haue seauen heads and ten hornes by seauen heads noting his great wisedome knowledge and vnderstanding of things as also it signifieth his wit and subtiltie to resist the Church and to make more mischiefe against the seauen Churches that is all the Churches of God And his tenne hornes signifieth his will and power to doe much hurt to them His Crownes signifie his victory in preuailing against the world to wit ouer those whom God hath not ordained to saue whose names are not written in the Booke of life and for this cause he is called the Prince of the world because he hath the greater part of the world vnder his obedience What his tayle he ouerthroweth many Starres noting that there are many like vnto Starres in outward shew being graced with notable gifts and being as it were lifted vp to heauen by the knowledge they had and the notable profession they made of God hauing some feeling also being yet not Sealed are by the tayle of the Dragon that is by small power and light temptations pulled backe from the same and fall from the faith After he saith He stood before the Woman noting that he setteth himselfe very fiercely and sharpely against the woman that is the Church and Children of God whose names were written in the Booke of life And therefore hee is said to wait on the woman first to hinder her that shee should not bring forth and then to deuoure them at the least when they were brought forth that is when they haue beene called and made profession of the truth and are made members of Christ by faith euen then is hee ready most strongly to assault them to ouerthrow if it were possible the foundation of their faith Where hee compareth the Diuell to an enuious Mid-wife opposing him to a good Mid-wife for as she is carefull to helpe the woman in trauell and to saue the Childe so the Diuell contrariwise is ready to hinder and hurt the Church and to destroy her seede Whereas the Church is said to bring forth a Man-Childe it is first meant of Christ and then of his members and seruants in the beginning of the Church whom now hee hath ioyned vnto him in his kingdome but principally it is to be vnderstood of Christ that valiant one who albeit hee was stung on the Crosse by the Serpent yet euen thereby hee ouercame and after was taken vp to heauen and had victory triumphing ouer the diuell ouer sinne and ouer all his enemies and the enemies of the Church Then it is said there was a battell in heauen by heauen he meaneth the militant Church of God vnder the Gospell which is the part of Gods kingdome for the kingdome of God which is begun euen in earth The principall in this battell is first Michael to wit Christ and with him his Angels namely the godly Saints with the good Angels on the one side and on the other side the Dragon with his Angels namely the wicked spirits and wicked men But the godly ouercome the Dragon and his Angels the meanes whereby they ouercome is through the bloud of the Lambe which is their principall armour being such as that albeit they themselues were killed notwithstanding by reason hereof they were made conquerours and were now receiued into the kingdome of heauen and Sathan is throwne out of the kingdome Which thing when Sathan saw as namely that now he had lost all his aduantage as it were and that hee could haue nought to doe with them any more they being now triumphing in the kingdome of God hee waxeth mad as it were and rageth against the earth more fiercely then before And hereupon the Elders and the rest of Gods Children in heauen are brought in reioycing at this victory and saying peace in the heauen that is to the Children of God that were then deliuered but woe to the earth that is to the inhabitants of the earth because that they should haue much to doe and suffer great trouble for seeing Sathan by the constant induring of those that had giuen their liues in the defence of the truth perceiued that hee had got such a foile he therefore rageth against those that remaine and for this cause it is said woe to them on the earth not that they should perish but onely should bee greatly afflicted through the malice of Sathan and his instruments Now then it is said that hee persecuted the woman that is the Church in persecuting the Church she hath a place appointed her in the Wildernesse whither she flyeth for one thousand two hundred and sixty dayes the time we haue heard before to haue beene during the space of the hard dealing with the two Prophets wherein they prophecied which wee shewed to containe so many yeares By this flight of the woman into the Wildernesse for one thousand two hundred and sixty dayes set downe in the sixt verse and the persecution whereby the Dragon pursued her that space is meant those persecutions in generall which followed against the whole Church during the
God and contemned it And whereas it is said he blasphemed those that dwell in heauen it noteth that not onely in generall hee did speake euill of Gods Church but he did euen maligne the particular persons which make profession of the truth of God as appeareth in the histories After this Beast is said to haue a wound in one of his heads that is thought to be accomplished in the time of Nero who was the last of the chiefe Emperours of that race which was wounded being euen cut off by their euill and wicked liuing and especially by the cruelty of Nero insomuch that they thought their Empire was like to come to confusion which indeed had come to passe if it had not beene vpheld and maintained by the discreet counsell of those that followed which were more wise politique and subtill then the other notwithstanding they were wicked men So that by these it was restored againe yea though it were euen almost past hope yet it was suddenly reuiued and that in such sort that all men wondred at it and hereby they attained such credit as they did for it was maruellous in the iudgement of men that a Kingdome so neere the fall was so soone and so strongly fortified wherupon they are moued to worship the Beast and to say who is like the Beast And these that wondred are drawne away to follow the Beast which are described to be those which were liuing in that time whose names were not written in the Booke of life of the Lambe which was slaine which Booke is from the beginning of the world not that it is here meant of Christ to be slaine from the beginning for that cannot be so directly gathered out of this place These things thus described hee warneth them of the issue and first hee moueth attention If any man saith he hath an eare to heare let him heare willing them thereby to take heed to that which is spoken and which after he is to speake to the terror of the wicked and the comfort and good of the Saints and of the godly And he saith if any leade into captiuity he shall be led into captiuity c. to shew that what measure they haue meted to others the same should be measured to them and as they haue dealt with others so they should be dealt withall themselues And in this point saith he standeth the faith and patience of the Saints faith to beleeue that God will bring this iudgement on the wicked their patience in that vpon this assurance of this iustice of God vpon the wicked they should patiently beare those corrections and troubles which shall befall them and patiently also wait for the accomplishment of those iudgements of God vpon their oppressors And thus farre of the iudgements which the Church of the Gentiles should suffer by the crueltie of the Roman Empire Afterward follow the troubles that befall the Church by the Bishop of Rome who is hereby noted and set forth vnto vs namely in that it is said there appeared another Beast like a Lambe signifying that howsoeuer this other Beast of Rome be most brutish and voide of humanity and vertue And this is to be vnderstood of the Pope for he professeth himselfe to be the seruant of seruants but in deed and practise he maketh himselfe Lord of Lords and this is not onely to be vnderstood of one in that seat but of all that succeed him and that take his part and which are of his Hierarchy His effects doe follow to wit first that hee spake like a Dragon noting that the chiefe mischiefe which should come to the Church by him should be by his teaching and instructing them in that false doctrine which hee should receiue from the Dragon which sheweth that he is a false and lying Prophet as receiuing his office and doctrine from the father of lyes which is the Diuell In that hee caused the earth to worship the first Beast is meant that subiection which he did pretend to the Empire in outward shew and so farre forth onely as his profit would serue albeit indeed he doth exalt himselfe aboue the Emperours And he did all that the first Beast could doe before his face signifying that he makes but a iest and mocke at the Romane Empire for towards the end the Romane Empire should fall before him and decay so that albeit in shew they would pretend to giue subiection to it yet the Emperour had onely the name and title of authority to be called Lord which we see indeed is and was but of small reckoning for the Pope seemed rather to be Lord to himselfe as wee see in the Histories that the Emperours tooke many reproaches and abuses of the Pope yea the Pope did tread on the necke of the Emperours vsurping that saying of the Psalmist Thou shalt tread on the Ader and the Aspe c. yea the Pope and those that were vnder him did as it were make an Anatomy of the Empire for as the Anatomists doe first take away their flesh and then ioyne the bones and the other parts of the body together so make him like a man againe euen so did the Pope deale with the Empire This Beast also made an Image in fauour of the first Beast to which hee put a spirit and the dead image did speake As it hath appeared to haue beene done by them that the Diuell sometimes did speake in their images to the illuding of the wicked sometimes by other deceits and illusions to beguile the simple He also brought fire from heauen alluding as it were to the two good Prophets before who are said to haue caused fire to come downe from heauen which is verrified of this false Prophet who did and doth for the confirming of their false doctrine worke many counterfeit and fained miracles in the world And lastly it is said he should so preuaile in the world that none should traffique but such as should haue the marke of the Beast which seemeth to be the signing in the forehead at their Sacrament of confirmation which the Papists doe so esteeme of as that they preferre it before the Lords Sacrament or else they should haue the name of the Beast which is thought to be their confession which they make to their Bishops and Priests The singlest thing is the number of the Beast wherein is the speciall wisedome of Popery and it is said to be the number of a man that is hee must be a learned man among them that must come to the knowledge of it Of which diuers are of diuers opinions as namely that it signifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 latinus but that is too Caballisticall the meaning whereof being not as certainely yet attained vnto though very probably guessed at by many is to be pretermitted Apoc. Cap. 14. 1. Then I looked and lo a Lambe stood on mount Sion and with him an hundreth fortie and foure thousand hauing his fathers Name written in their foreheads c.