sin should arise Both be heere in one dragon which the profane Caesares and the Popes can not perceiue They who be of the heauenly state they all do see the Dragon is the Diuill or accusar of God the great is the Diuells power by Rome the ruddy bloodie persecution His seauen heades are seauē states of Rome ouer THE FAITHFVL as the Iewes knew their story full well Pompei by Rome was an Emperour in the East But perished neere in the land of Cham. So in Iudah M. Crassus was after him armed ouer Iudah as a King for Rome who robbed the Temple of Salem of Abrahams house but at Abrahams Charan he and his army had a most famous destruction Iulius Caesar made Cleopatra Lady of Iudah who perished in Capitolio for that Brutus Cassius force after was a King for Rome They by Antoni perish Antoni hath the East and marieth Cleopatra and ruleth Iuda and both perish So fiue diademes of the Dragon perish The 6. state is the wholle power which crucified Christ and his members till our Helenaes sonne left Rome and New Troy to be a pillage to Alaricus Giezerichus Theodoricus Totilas for old persecuting of martyrs The seuenth is the Popes wealth getting landes by S. Peters forged supremacy and setting vp the Empire in the West These be the seauen diademes spoken to the Iewes plaine vnderstanding Heathen stories may fitt Romes 7. other states The more fall out fitt as often many do to one speach the more Rome that crucified Christ is condemned when GOD turneth continuall reuolution to haue Rome called into minde Moreouer the allusion is to Daniels foure beastes which had 7. heades The Lion one the Beare one the Leopard foure the fourth beast one The Roman state winning all those contreyes of the East are fitly noted by their armes And specially by the then hornes The Seleucidae by fiue kinges vexed Iudah by warres against Lagidae and Lagidae by so many againe wasted Iuda So that Greeke beast in one parted Kingdome had 10. hornes From that beast the Roman beast hath also ten Kingdomes at the least and vnder Augustus and vnder the Pope rekoned to that number Strabo 17. Steuch contra Vallum Lib. 2. so these matters be all most plaine Of the tayle The prophane Caesares persecution moued few Christians the starres of heauen to fall But the taile of the Empire the false prophet that speaketh lies he as Antiochus Daniel 8. maketh many fall from heauen praetending religion with much praetense and no substance The combat of the Roman Empire with the Church And the Dragon stood before the woman beeing in trauaile that when she bore her childe he might deuour it And she bare a manly sonne which will rule all nations with a sceptre of yron And the child was taken vp to God and to his throne The allusion is from the dayes of Christ borne in Bethleem when Satan by Herodes swords would haue deuoured him but his mother fled with him to Egypt after that Satā hoped to deuour him in the graue he was taken vp into heauē so when Christians soules trauailed to breed Christ the Emperors stormed to deuour that doctrine as Dauid told Ps 2. But they brought forth into the light of the world the SON would bruse all nation-with an yron sceptre as he did bruse the image in Daniel And shewed that his throne is in heauen being taken vp vnto the aeternall King And the Christians fled into the wildernesse as CHRIST did in the tyme of his preaching or halfe seauen Dan. 9. and often handled in the Gospell in Eusebius handled and of Beda who cited the Apoc. allusions M. Scaliger and others that make mo yeares of our Lordes preaching spent ill good houres All tyme of affliction is sweetly termed by our Lords affliction to be as his of dayes 1260. though it were of 300. yer vnder Caesares resistance and 600. vnder Popes enimies to Iohns Apocalyps The speach is full of comfort calling vs vnto the afflictions of Christ himselfe who reckoned all his owne dayes and will haue all our teares in his bottle and pay all dogges and Doegs for Cerberean barking A Commentary vpon the former vision And there was warre in heauen MICHAEL and his Angells made warre with the Dragon and the Dragon and his Angells made warre but held not strength neither was there place found any more for them in the heauen And the great Dragon the old Serpent called the Diuell and Satan who deceiueth the wholle world he was cast out againe I say he was cast and his Angels were cast with him into the earth The state of the faithfull heere is sweetly called hēauen to shew our certeinty of hope for the propre heauen as the word of Law and Gospell is as sure to vs as if we saw the third heauen that aboue the ayer and aboue the starres as S. Paul did at his first calling to a comfort against all his following afflictions so the holy Daniel that in one image made abridge from the end of the old Testament vnto the beginning of the new called the state after abrogation of Moises the Kingome of heauen Iohn Baptist doth begin with his tongue The kinddome of heauen is come And the aeternall WORLD the essentiall WORDE who spake and all was made he confirmeth the same speach to shew that Daniels Image was ended and the GOD of heauen setteth vp a kingdome that cannot be corrupted The obseruation of this speach had kept Daniel in a cleare meaning and not brought the West Empire of Christians for East Greeke Seleuco-Lagides athean Nor tymes after Christ for stories teaching when he would come The termes of the Bible be pearles still beate vpon the open story for noblest matters So Saint Paul Ebrew XI speaking of the Maccabees martyrs famous in the Talmudiques and after his dayes historied by Greeke Iewes saith from Daniels last speaches of double resurrection That they would not be deliuered because they looked for the better resurrection So he sheweth that Antiochus persequutions were the last mentioned in Daniel The Romans hindred not the Iewes holy religion till by the Pharisees they vexed our Lord himselfe when he opened the kingdom of heauen dayes 1260. They who without knowledge of Daniel would know the Gospel are as men that would goe from one Land to another parted by great waters without a shipp All that care for the kingdome of heauen will care for him And my paines in a third commentary an English a Latin a shorter in English came forth by my care and charges By the third milliones of our simple might haue knowen the Prophets whole heart But that Bargulus Illyricus would cast him into the Lions den If Lions rent not his bones I will commende him to the God of Daniel and the firy flames streaming from his throne for his fighting for the dragon against MICAEL and his Angells Of MICAEL Michael and Gabriel are the only holy
Seleucolaegidae in ten hornes fiue of each side vexing Iuda But there were tenne particular Kinges heere Kingdomes noted by a crowne vpon euery horne Now exactly fiue Seleucidae are not notable but fiue Lagidae bee So for the strict number God would not haue all the world vexed in men not worthy strict regard of storie But aboueX Kinges of old Kingdomes now be noted And Strabo lib. 17. noteth that Augustus diuided all Proconsulships into X. And Steuchus against Vallu diuideth the Popes in the same sort As I haue in Con. Scr. shewed The color of Leopard is from Alexander Beares foote from Paras Lions mouth from Babell Hornes color feete mouth meane all tyranny demeanour course lawes alike As Babel deified the Image Dan. 2. Paras their King Alexander would bee a God And Antiochus would haue Iupiter Olympius So the Caesares would still be Diui And termed the Christians Atheists as when martyrs were moued to abiure Christ this was the recantation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is away with the Atheists As a speach vnto Caesar to hold Christians Atheists and to request their destruction Eus Eccl. Histor In this sort the Caesar hath a name of blasphemy holding Gods seruants whose conuersation is in heauen to be not Gods seruants but wicked men as the text will shew anon And the beast which I saw was like a Leopard and his feete as a Beares and his mouth as the mouth of a Lion the Dragon gaue him his owne power and his owne throne and great auctoritie Heere we see why Satan bare armes from the Romanes armes Euen because Satans autority was executed by them The god of this world had such auctority giuen to trye the elect that the Gospell might be knowne to be hid to none but to whom the God of this world blinded vnderstanding This farre reacheth the profane Empire which our great Constanstine made dead when he left old Rome and made Bizantiū new Rome By the death of one head the exposition following sheweth the whole beast once dead Pompei with Romes force oppressed Gods people there Iuda felt one head and he perished in Aegypt M. Grassus with Romes army made another head and robbed the Temple of Abrahams sonnes who came from Charran or Carrae At Carrae the Parthians ouerthrew his whole army to the aeternall shame of the Empire Iulius Caesar tamed Aegypt and disposed Cleopatraes Gouernement to haue Iudae vnder a toe of that legge a third head he was kild in the Senate house Brutus Cassius the chiefest of his murtherers their Romane host oppressed Iuda and they made a fourth head Antonius he with the Romane force being made a mighty King in the East maried Cleopatra and made Herod for Her King of Iuda that Daniels Image might haue some remembrance till Christ came He as Pompei perished in Aegypt a fift head Then came the state of Rome to one Person and so continued one head from Augustus vnto great Constantine And in that head when he left cursed Rome the beast there was dead So the sixt head had beene and was not and yet was restored to be a seauenth head and the Pope is in that head with all his power and also will be a seuerall power aboue all and make also an eight head chap. 17. That is heere once told And I saw one of his heades as slaine vnto death and his deadly stroke was healed that admiration was through the whole earth after the beast they worshipped the Dragon which gaue his power vnto the beast and they worshipped the beast saying who is like to the beast Who can warre with him And a mouth was giuen him speaking great thinges and blasphemies and auctority was giuen him to be doing 42. moneths and he opened his mouth to blasphemy against God to blaspheme his name and his Tabernacle and them whose Tabernacle is in heauen And it was giuen him to make warres with the sainctes and to ouercome them And power was giuen him ouer euery tribe tongue and nation That all who dwell in the earth should worship him they whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb which was slaine fromt the beginning of the world Heere the tyrannie of the profane Caesares caried by the spirite of Diuell is fully described well knowen by Diuus Nero Diuus Domitian and the rest of Diui or Diuels vnto Diocletian That Christians reading this might looke for such troubles as the holy in Daniel susteined This needeth no exposition but it selfe expoundeth chap. 12. for the vpper part of the Dragon And as Dan. 7. God sate vpon a fiery throne shewing a reueng vpon all the afflicters of his people So Apoc. 6. warre bloody black and pale and a gulfe of a graue was opened shewing how the Caesares warred and perished miserably 300. year with their great armies The Romane stories tell all most plentifully and Rome after their destruction felt it by Alaricus in Zozimus by Giezricke in the Eccles story from Lybia a new Hanniball by Theodoricus Totilas THAT AS STEVCHVS CONFESSETH ROME HAD BEENE MADE A MOST FILTHY LODGE OF OXEN AND HOGGES BVT FOR THE POPES Now the Caesares punishment followeth with a seuere taunt of dulnesse to them that will not marke stately speaches From Mat. 13. and Apoc. 2. and 3. If any man haue an eare let him heare Hee that carieth captiuitie shall goe into captiuitie Abb. 1. 2. for the Chaldean if any kill with sword hee shall bee killed with sword Gen. 9. When Antiochus the vile slew Iewes faithfull to God had affinitie with Egypt God plagued both houses more notablie then any families that euer were before Heathen did note it though they knew not that they made a cōmentary to make Daniel a most cleare booke so Aurelus Victor commonly read with Iustine in Grammar scholes sheweth howe the Caesares were plagued to the astonishment of the world since Rome crucifyed the Lord of Glory And Herodian handleth an Iliad of their plagues for 70. yer how the Emperores were so vile as dogges Sozimus sheweth litle better successe And before our Lordes dayes in the fleshe when their Empire made an head ouer Iuda Pompei Crassus Iulius Brutus Antonius and their Ciuill warres were wonders of misery And Plini recordeth what miseries made Augustus weary of his life full often These rules should be a bridle for Buyshopps of Rome and all of their Caius Heere is the faith and constancie of the holy Our gratious aeternall Spirite here meeteth with the weak that they should not iudge of Gods fauor by prosperitie in this world From Cain to Tuualcain or heathen smith Vulcain the wicked bare sway Which Spirite went and preached in the dayes of Noe to them that are now Spirits in Prison Nemrod the Rebel had first dominion and Niniueh and Babel at the last Nemrods house and in Dan. 11. 35. and 12. 10. the faithfull are told what God meant to let wicked Magog so afflict his
yet the Pope would so vse the Church though heathen policy bridle him yet Pope Dracon is fierce against remnants as in his Spanish Inquisitions CHAP. XIII Caesars and Popes the Dracon and his tayle are expressed past all deniall who are meant The empire hath armes from the foure kindomes in Daniel So God forceth vs to be ready in Daniel and to compare together the brase of the Angelique men Then Greek Leopard had foure heades that of 23. Captayne 's al made Kings all came to fower quickly and every one dyed a violent death saving old Antipater to have blood for blood as the Romanes here The Beare had but one head the Lyon one and the fourth beast the parted Macedonians but one that beast is not named because it was the same nation with the former but is distinguished from the former by ten hornes or Kings five Ptolemies and five Seleuci or Antiochi that vexed Iudah From these the Romanes have their armes beginning with a beast with ten hornes with this difference Ten Diademes betokening so many kingdomes This beast was coloured like a Leopard footed like a Beare mouthed like a Lion As Nab. said who can deliver you from my hande was a Lucifer and would be equall to God So here it is sayd who can warre with the beast Alexander would be a God So Divi Iulij and Divi Augusti so the Persians And Antiochus Epiphanes hath a mouth speaking great thinges so hath this beast Now the sixt head being as dead sheweth that the Empire should be dead and revived otherwise five heads were gone and the seventh was not yet come But in a speciall sense one head seemeth as dead The time of Tyrannie was 300. yet by Metonymia meaning the argument of persecution from our Lords time it is called three yeares and an half Antiochus Epiphanes raged against the temple properly three yeares and an halfe as Elias plagued Israel properly three yeares and an half But the matter sheweth Ch. XI and twice in the XII and here that proper time cannot be meant Again I must advise the reader to learne Daniel before he learne this booke Twentie yeares ago I made him plain enough and plainer of late though the Dragon cast out of his mouth a river of water The whole Realme by this houre might else have knowne Daniel clearely The Tyrannie and blasphemie of the Caesars and their destructions are knowne The Popes description A beast arising from the earth that is without war having hornes like a Lambe that is Christes Vicar having the mouth of the Devill for divelish lawes restoring the Empire and working Miracles of deceit as though he were Elias a restorer of truth The Iesuites report of their miracles comment well on this And the Popes endevour since great Constantine left hateful Rome to set it vp by revived Empire to destroy the East this matter is famous in continuall stories And Canon lawe telleth that none may live vnder the Empire but by yeelding vnto the Popes lawes in subscribing or oth or some open token as a marke in the forehead And where a nūber given to a man as the sonnes of Adonikam were 666. that being called the number of the beast and to a sense of wisedome which is vsuall in notation A God stāding vp that is Adoni-kam this describeth plainlie the man that stands vp in the temple of God as if hee were God CHAP. XIIII The reviving of the Gospell by worship of God onely in Christ as on mount Sion of old religion taught with as great concent of law and gospell as any harpes can make by rare men of courage patience wisdome and high policie by virgin mindes vnstayned by Idolatry renued by Christ and following him is taught Ch. 14. as Ch. 7. 11. And the Pope is told of fall and of eternall death to all of his bent and the Martyrs of present heavens ioy without purgatorie And Christ sitting on a cloud at prayer of the Church and an Angel comming out of the Church bid by an Angel Lord over fire and Gods heat with sicles cut off Papistes that their blood would reach to the horse bridles over a Land as Canaan made to a square by the Thalmud 1600. furlongs 400. every way The new Testament speaking to Iewes is applyed to their manner of speach plaine to a Thalmudique where it is hardest to vs. The destruction which rebellion in Ireland wrought by the Pope in Desmonds countrey if all the blood of the dead were poured out would a good way reach to horse bridles as that also of Ostend And what would al that war now 40. yeares yeeld in blood of Papistes going withall to eternall destruction Happie are the soldiers that dye with a good heart for the gospell for they rest from their labours CHAP. XV. A new vision telleth the gospels restoring and the enimies punishment persecution borne sincerely through fire and faggot is a sea of glasse mixed with fyre and praise is against Romes Aegypt and Dragon Pharaoh and Romes Babylon from Exod. 15. and Ier. 10. And seaven Angels clothed with pure Iustice come out of the temple in heaven Angels represent what God by men will doe vpon earth when sincere harted fight in his cause These have golden girdles about their brestes as the Sacrificers were girded Maymoni in the holy implements sweateth to prove from Ionathan vpon Ezekiel and Kabalah that the Sacrificers were girded about their brests Iohn made no doubt of the matter but as a Thalmudique taught from God telleth resolutely the whole truth Chap. 1. and here Such poincts shewed would make Iewes all learned Iewes confesse that God penned the New Testament All Christians bee Kinges and Sacrificers and should consider that they must weare crownes of golde which no goldsmith but Christ maketh to rule them selves in order and to obey all in Gods law and the girdle of truth to bind their hartes in stedfastnes Now where one of the fower wightes giveth the Angels seaven cuppes of Gods anger the learned full of eyes teach the people who are the temple to pray vnto God for vengeance vpon Christs enemies and vpon the peoples petition the Angels have charge to serve them as in Dan. 4 Heb. 1. and men are fortifyed by them as Darius Gabriel Dan. 11. 1. As the temple Es 6. was filled with a smoke of Christ his anger and Seraphim the Angels which were instruments of fyer did attend so here the smoke is in all the Church that the enemies shall not perceive the truth till they be cōsumed having sinned against the holy Ghost as the Iewes Esa 6. even by Rambam his graunt could not amend by ten chastisements till the temple was brent CHAP. XVI Vnder the seaven trumpets the earth the sea the fountaynes and rivers the sun the King of Locustes Euphrates and earthquake is celebrated The seaven Angels in plagues keep that order The Popes earth or earthly hold of his possessions is full
of boyles that dayly some losse he hath as he brought warres to be hayle and fyer mixed with blood He became a mountain of fyre cast into the sea to make the third part of it bloud so his nations be made all known dead in sin and in seas of war fall from him The starre wormwood fell into the rivers fountaines of Scriptures made them bitter His rivers fountaines of forces are turned to drink blood He obscured the sun of justice the sun of persecution parcheth his He got lands for Monasteries that the Locusts might make him their King But now the throne of the beast is darkened by contempt and pillage of Land In the old time Virgil complayned of Romes distresse that Hinc movet Euphrates illinc Germania bellum and at Euphrates Ch. 9. Angels were tyed but to be loosed by starts now the river is dry that Turks and Saracens come even to Germanie and Germanie also looketh to freedome that now the king of Canaan the servant of servantes the false prophet sending from his mouth three that is many vncleane spirits to cause kings to war hath no better successe then Iabin by Sisera at Mageddon and here a faire warning is given to watch and integritie The ayre was darkned and earthquake shooke the citie that the tenth part of the citie fell and Gods wrath ended all So here a great earthquake and hayle greater then Iosuahs falleth vpon the enemy who can not repent but holdeth on to destruction Thus men Gods messengers shall give the Pope measure for measure that he can not repent but blasphemie not knowing how far Patmos passeth Rome CHAP. XVII As Daniel at the last openeth his Visions in proper speaches so here vision and proprietie come togeather though some knots be knit that the wise may vnderstand and no wicked take the paynes to search One of the seaven Angels calleth Rome an harlot sitting vpon manie waters that is people and troupes and nations and tongues as Daniel 3. speaketh with which the Kings of the earth committed spirituall fornication by accepting that filthy Idolatrie as dronck with the wine of her Idolatry This Angel doth in vision that which a Doctor would in reading And he carieth Iohn into a wildernes in vision as men are best to judge when the noyse of city troubleth not Now he hath another vision for the Empire revived a beast with heades and hornes as the former the old Empire and purple colour as more in persecution and full of names of blasphemie as accepting the Popes Canons and Masse and Ceremonies and a woman sitteth vpon this beast clothed in purple and scarlat as drunk with the blood of the Saincts and golden in Gold as old Babylon Esa 14. and brave in pearles and precious stones as be the Popes in their Copes and their Arch-Bishops and Cardinals in cloth of Gold and Aharons stones mocking with God in apish imitation as they mock with the keyes that God gave his Apostles which Saint Paul had as the best if any could be better then other and Iohn specially authour of Gospell and Epistles and Apocalyps That Ruben might as well be chief Patriark as Peter chief Apostle And this woman had in her hand a golden cup as old Babylon full of her lothsome filthy fornication though Rome set soorth in gold and silver their crucifix and Virgin Marie and Saincts And in the forehead a mysterie Babylon the great the mother of the fornications and lothsomenes of the earth Here we see plainnes that none should think that Babylon meant whence S. Peter wrote Rome is Babylon in a mysterie and trope S. Peter was to speak properly as all men when they tell whence they write But visions are in borrowed speaches Now this is sure and plaine The woman is the city which hath kingdome over Kinges of the earth Now of the beast his body this is told that the beast is is not and is In Caesars it was in Rome Dead by Constantinus house and not being and againe revived by the Popes The seaven heads are seaven hilles whereupon Rome was built famous for that and also seaven Kings whereof five ruled Iudah before our Lord came in the flesh Pompey Crassus Iulius Antony Brutus with Cassius Iohn and all Iewes knew that well Then commeth the whole Empire the old a sixt head then present afterwards the Empire to be revived the seventh and by the Pope the eight King as he ruleth the Empire Now the ten hornes are Kingdomes as they serve the revived beast not yet so set vp but in the Popes time it shal be Now these shall with one mind give their power to the Pope and persecute But Christ and his Martyrs will overcome as in Chap. 7. and 10. and 11. and 12. and 14. and 15 and 16. And when Martyrs teach the truth countreyes will revolt from Rome and make it desolate that the empire shall not be prophane nor favouring Rome but as in new Rome before the Turk ruled CHAP. XVIII An Angel that lighteneth all the earth by his glory proclaymeth that Rome is fallen knowen to be a dwelling of vncleane spirits in all places of the policy and the holy are commaunded to come out of all that policy Their Canons and Prayers and apparrel are al bent to a blind drift and not fittest to have bene vsed in our tongue The whole frame is out of order The Lords prayer is maymed from their Latin Mat. 6. leaving out a most noble sentence Their Creede is foolishly translated that 20. severall opinions are made of a most cleare phrase of 3000. yeres vse of going to God their letany is dangerous in phrase praying to te Persons severally and is applyed vnto their doctrine of doubting of justification and in Battologie is hatefull to God and in trifling arguments for sainctes dayes and hath lies for the place of Eves creation and Archangels our Lords comming into the world at midwinter Wee should come out of all these follies if our myndes put on white and clean linen and wee tye golden girdles about our brestes Specially the Divelish fable of Toby is vntolerable to be still kept Bishops vnder Q. E. gave leave in allowance of these things to adde in subscription this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things may be suffred Romes fall is told from Babels Tyrus and Ierusalems Ierem. 51. Esa 21. and 47. and Esa 23. and Ezekiell 27. and Ier. 7. to shew from stories past the certainty of all this And these reasons are rendred that the Roman policy killing men for the Prophets is guilty of their blood as the Scribes for Abels Math. 23. that the Kinges who should be Bishops next God trafiqued with Pope for his confirmation by the witchcraft of Papistry CHAP. XIX When people can sing Haleluja that is praise onely God in whom we breath who drenched Pharoh when Iah stopped his breth Exo. 15. there Iah is first vsed when foure times Aleluja is vttered from all sorts
so Princes seeing that the former age by the Pope brought in the Turke to the hazard of the West and see that he knoweth not one letter in the LAW and is blinde in euery part of it and cannot make his owne cause good against the Turke or Iew they forsake him the seruant of seruants as God left the Chananites to bee conquered of Dauid So he is Chanaan they be Dauid and in his warre he shall be Iabin and by Sisera fall at Mageddon and bee no more able to resist And the great Citie became into three partes and the Cities of the nations fell and Babylon the Great was remembred before God to giue her the Cup of the Wine of the heate of his anger and euery Iland fled and the mountaines were not found and great haile talent bigge descended from heauen vpon the men and men blasphemed God for the stroke of the haile because the stroke of it was exceeding great By the Citie meane the policie and by three partes great diuision that it hath but a third part because the policies of nations fall from it and God remembred his anger told chap. 14. and as vnder the Caesares Ilands and Mountaines were moued from their place that is into another policy so heere alteration of policie is meant haile of a talent is great ouerthrowes by Gods hand the allusion being taken from plaguing the Chanaanites Ios chapter 10. where haile killed more then sword So the Spanish fleete hath often had great shipwrake by the extraordinarie hand of GOD specially 1588. And what an infinite masse of money and millions of men hath Netherland consumed to him And lately Venice shewed his weaknesse that he durst not goe forward to warre and specially Iuliaque where Leopoldu◠Emperour Spanie Pope wish they had neuer begon Touching the quantity of haile in countreies neere the Alpes wee see this speach to keepe neere propriety without a great hyperbole At Zurick my learned friend M. Caspar Wesserus told me of haile lately there that one stone was brought from a field somewhat farre off to the Consull and must melt in cariage yet beeing weighed it peised a wax pound Chanaan and Egypt haue greater haile that trees and beasts be stricken to destruction by it And in all this the Papists repent not but thinke God to fauor the wicked side and so blaspheme and keepe their old Idolatrie and locusts of all professions as before It is hard for men to repent which will not learne from the word of God how their case standeth Their false ground that Peter was the chiefe Apostle and at Rome and the Rocke and that hee had auctoritie to binde and loose more then others and could leaue that to Doctores of the Citie which crucified Christ as though they best deserued that and the fables of their miracles as though they were true these harden them that they cannot come into the Church till the anger of God consumeth the Pharaohs as chap. 15. vers vlt. told CHAPTER XVII Iohn like Daniel And one of the seauen Angels which had the seauen Cupp◠came and spake with mee saying to mee come I will shew thee the Iudgement of the great Whoore which sitteth vpon many waters with whom the Kings of the earth committed fornication and they which dwelt in the earth were drunke by the Wine of her fornication THe wise God maketh the Cloud of his word light to Israel and darke to Pharaoh That the wicked shall not be ouer busie with it he speaketh to them in Visions that they cannot see whither they tend because they know not the ground Besides commorations seeme vnto them new matter and not a commentarie vpon former So to them that be out of the Church all things are in parables But they that know the grounds shall see all easie Ieremiah taught Israel in the playnest propriety of wordes that might bee Ezekiel sweetneth the same with allegories when both are compared together all is plaine Daniel telleth how Iudah should bee afflicted by enemies likened to the proportion of a mans body fist so generally that heathen would not marke the persecuted But the Iewes knew And if at the first they had bene told of great affliction they would haue gone before captiuitie into Countries of Grecia But when they were in Babel and neere returne their enimies are beasts comming out of the sea and terrible but yet reuenged as the image was by strok from a stone so they by fire But the persecuters and persecuted neither be named In a new vision they are expresly named what the Ram and Buck meane and the persequutour aboue all that should goe before him is plainely described And last of all a proper speach expoundeth the Image expoundeth the sea beastes expoundeth the Land beast That no booke was euer plainer then Daniel Iohn is like him He telleth chapter 6. of great plagues to a state but telleth not to what state Then he telleth of a falling away but telleth not by whose occasion Then he describeth the occasioner vnder seauen trumpets but hideth from the profane world what policie hee would haue marked After this he bringeth the old Caesares and Pope with late into one serpent After this he diuideth the serpent into two beasts with resonable plaine notes and sheweth that the former beast cōming out of the sea should be reuiued by that which came vp out of the Land Now that reuiued beast after his particular doings and suffrings is heere to bee seene with the reuiuer The Angell teacheth Iohn in vision the learned men be Angeli Ecclesiae The great whoore is the great Idolatrous City the many waters the harlot sitteth on be people troupes nations and tongues Kings society in Idolatry is the fornication the dwellers on the earth are the Idolous whose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or cariage is not in heauen And he caried me into the wildernesse in the spirit As the Church was driuen into the wildernesse to haue a policie vnmixed with Rome so Iohn sheweth that they must not be of Romes part that will condemne her but absolute free from her In Aegypt God could not giue lawes for Israel but they must be separated from other policies so God brought them into the wildernesse And when God would teach Iuda that Moyses Ceremonies were but poore elements and to praepare them for the rest of Christ he carieth them into the wildernesse of the heathen And when Iohn Baptist praepared a way for the rest of Christ and calling of the heathen who in the dayes of Dauid and Salomon were not circumcised but baptized Rambam Asure Bia. Per. 13. So we must goe into a wildernesse simply iudge by Gods word not by rumors of antiquity and vniuersality what is to be iudged of Rome And I saw a woman sitting vpon a scarlat beast full of names of blasphemy hauing 7. heades and 10. hornes So Satan being incarnate in the Empire of Rome had seauen heades and tenne
hornes and vpon his head seauen Crownes because so many states of Rome afflicted Gods people In chap. 13. Tenne hornes had tenne Crownes to shew that so many kingdoms not seuerall kings as in Daniel for Aegypt and Syria belonged to the Empire And the woman was clothed in Purple and Scarlat and golden in Gold and pretious stones pearles hauing a golden Cup in her hand full of abominations and vncleannesse of her fornication and vpon her forehead a name written A MYSTERIE Babylon the great the mother of fornications and the abominations of the earth Red color is vsuall for blood and Lycurgus or Dracoes lawes and most fit for Romulus towne where hee embrued his handes in the blood of his brother but most of all for the Popes persequution The gold reuiueth Babel and the very phrase is taken from it Isai 14. And the story is in Dan. 3. where the King made an Image of gold sixtie cubites high six cubites broad So they amazed foolish with the cost of the matter but of Christ we are to buy the true gold Apo. 3. and 21. The golden rules of Faith and Trueth and not to esteeme of a crucifix of gold to crucifie Christ againe for the matter So the picture of Mary is in diuers places trimmed with chaines of gold and pretious stones and their Copes wickedly following Aharon bee of cloth of gold So the 3. Kings of Colone that returned from Ierusalem to their countrey and were but Persian sages and no Kinges nor any Persian that would be called Baltasar they are said to be trimmed at solemne times with chaines of great Iewels I would not see it because I would not goe bare-head into their Temple A golden Cup had Babel to make nations drunke with Idols making Gods of their Starres and was ful of lothsome things and vncleane fornications So is Rome manifestlie Colon and Spaine as if Babylon a mystery were written in the forehead As the learning of Daniel could doe no good to Babel but still it would keepe the old Gods till Cyrus tooke their kingdome so Rome is so deepe in Idolatrie that no learning will make men leaue their places Pharaoh Nebuchadnezar were neuer so hardened And these passe all that euer were for crueltie in persecution The profane Caesares did not so strictly hinder all vse of religion They hindred not the reading of Gods word as the Pope doth though they feared lest the Kingdome of Christ should be a bridle to them Romes cruelty told chap. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. is now plainely handled And I saw the woman dronk with the blood of the saincts and with the blood of the martyrs of IESVS And when I saw her I marueiled with great marueile Heere the blinde may see that since the Empire was reuiued in the West the persecutions of them who say Christ freely iustifieth and only heareth prayer and will haue the Idole of him selfe as Plato speaketh of vertue to bee fetched from his word were bloody against the Saintes and Martyrs of Iesus When the Pope contemneth a thousand times better learned then himselfe how can hee looke to escape the wrath of God Iohn marueiled to see a womā dronke with blood therefore the Angel calleth him to consider the chapters afore as especially the thirteenth chapter And the Angell said to mee why doest thou marueile I will tell thee the Mysterie of the woman of the beast which beareth her which hath seauen heades and tenne hornes A more perticular description foloweth then was cha 13. But any may see this to be a commentarie vpon that place as God is a perfect expounder of his owne worde The beast which thou sawest was and is not and hee shall ascend out of the Pit The Empire was and againe is made dead by the remouing to Bizantium and it shall ascend out of the Pit chapt 9. when the locust and their king come out of the pit And shall go to destruction This speach is part of Balaams for Italy Num. 24. which should afflict Heber that is the faithfull and hold on to destruction The same he spake of Amalek that he should go on to destruction that was neere a thousand yeares after Balaam spake that was Amalek was destroyed by Israel As a thousand yeeres are but as one day with God so Satan was tyed 1000. yea before the king of Locusts had the winges of horses and chariots to vexe the Church the true Ierusalem for the Low to the ruyne of the West And they who dwell on the earth will marueile whose names are not written in the booke of life from the beginning of the world when they behold the beast that was and is not and yet is Heere is a meaning that hath wisdome The naturall man obserueth not that when countreyes fall they rise no more Aegypt Aram Assur Paras Graecia that none would thinke Rome beeing once destroyed should raise againe But the taught of God see a plaine reason That the West in the end should afflict first by strength and next by subtiltie in religion that Christ his seruants should be tried both for body and minde and he pay the City that crucified him both with horse as chap. 6. and by the spirit of his mouth and diligent searching of the Prophets So for easier memory of story Christ would haue Rome that crucified the king of glory once to bee plagued through their Emperors and the Empire to be taken away and the Citie to bee destroyed as by Gothes and by Lybians by Giezerichus a new Annibal And then an enemie to God in all trueth to shewe himselfe in the Temple of God as if he were God to be consumed by study about the Bible by the word and sword that commeth from CHRIST his mouth So the beast was againe is not and yet is God speaketh in the praesent tempus for things to come because all things with him are praesent This is a meaning that hath wisedome as Iobs case and Daniels Image Therefore wee should flee to God to be the expounder who openeth what is in darknesse and with whom light doth dwell The seauen heades are seauen mountaines vpon which the woman sitteth also they be seauen Kings fiue are fallen and the principall is the other is not yet come and when he is come he must tary but a litle while The Iewes felt Pompei heauy that made Iuda prouince to Rome M. Crassus was heauy that spoyled the temple of much gold Iulius Caesar was also heany who strengthned Cleopatra ouer Iudea long lost to set vp Herod at the last Brutus and Cassius were also heauy with their army Antonius who married Cleopatra and holpe in Capitolio Herod to be King was also heauy all these came to destruction for medling with Gods people and all their state by Ciuill warres So fiue Kings are fallen and the principall is Augustus and the other is not yet come the Empire reuiued But at 1000. yer will
the Pope be sitting vpon the Empire by litle and litle And England at 1200. yer would not grant him supremacy Sigibert And good father WICKLIFE now 200. yeares ago preached that if the commune lawes of England might stand the Pope should haue no stroke in England And good Lady Margareth a pearle for a woman the mother to K. Henry the seauenth when she built Christs Colledge S. Iohns in both which I was fellow and owe them this dutie she in those dayes made lawes to aduance knowledge to ruinate the Pope And the valiant Henry VIII trust him out from being head or taile in our Church so the Empire ridden by the Pope stood but a litle while in sundrie places And all the while of the arising the Grecians as Chrysostome Andreas Oecumenius taught that the Romane Empire would be reuiued though in Greek stories Sysimus and the ecclesiasticall Alaricus Giezerichus wrought much harme and there Antichrist should reigne And if the Greeke old Doctores had bene well known the Pope had neuer gotten peny by his Masse Areopagita taketh the worde in the Law sense the token of the body so Eusebius the Image and Symbolon and so elder Origene and later Nazianzene Antitypes and later Theodorit in a full disputation and Macarius the Greeke Monke calleth it Symbolum and full many moo Then the Pope had no auctoritie for turning bread into the body of Christ to make him haue 1000. bodies and to make Religion a stage to Angels and men This long warning of the Popes arising was a warning to all ages that they should not suffer the starr falling to make bitter the waters of the Law nor darken the starrs and in all ages he had gainesayers And both Princes and People who contemned the warning of this book were worthie to be giuen ouer to all force of error And the Beast which was and is not the same is also the eight and one of the seauenth The Pope shall be the eight chaleng place aboue all follow all heathen superstitiō in name staffe apparel of Caesares and Temples setting but a face of Christianity vpon them A plaine description of the Popes comming vp And the tenne hornes which thou sawest are tenne Kings which haue not yet receiued the kingdome but receiue auctoritie as kings one houre with the beast These haue one minde and shall part their power and auctoritie to the Beast These shall make warre with the Lambe and the Lambe shall ouercome them for he is Lord of Lordes and King of Kings and they which are with him are called and chosen and faithfull Steuchus against Valla reckoning the Countries which held of the Pope bringeth them to ten But we must know that ten vsually is a great number about ten fewer or moo These kingdoms vnder the first Caesares were not so parted as when Iulian the Apostata kept at Paris who neuer heard that his Fathers brother the great Emperor Constantine gaue the West to the Pope and if any such matter had bene it could neuer be hid from him But when the Pope of Rome by long begging for S. Peter and so for Monasteries in many Countreies had gotten much wealth and ready good wills in Rome and the West to set vp againe the Empire at Rome He picketh quarrels with the Patriarch of Constantinople for procession of the holy Ghost and Pascha day and supremacy still of old labored to extinguish the Greek tongue and puritie of Latin and weakneth the East Empire that barbarous Gothes reigned whom to ouerthrow Princes gladly ioyne with him and he with them still for great Countreyes that in the end they sweare to helpe him to hold Constantinus donation and to bring the East the Greeke to agree with Rome And after 1000. yea the king of Locustes hath Satans throne in such power that his winges bee chariots and horses to cause kinges to doe what hee will As for Ierusalem warrs to ouerthrow all their kingdomes And in these tymes Satan bare sway that scant any learned were in the West But Monasteries and Collegies were built to fortifie haeresie that Greeke was vnknowen till our age and Ebrew to this houre for skill in the tongue able to hold water and to make a translation of good warrant to all learned iudgements In this blindnesse still some Abates and such fought well by pen and at the last by Martyrs whom the Pope damned and the secular power put to death But in the end Christ by his martyrs roareth like a Lion and seauen thunders tell his anger seauen Angels poure it out and men eate the little booke of Scripture and preach to nations and kinges to bethinke them how they did set vp Rome And hee saith to mee The waters which thou sawest where the Where sitteth are people and folke and nations and tongues The phrase is from Babel Ierem. 51. O thou which sittest vpon many waters and from Dan. 3. These phrases teach the simple how plaine Gods Law is lightning the eyes to call old matters into minde and to teach by old euents howe other matters will fall out Moreouer this open speach of manie waters to meane people and nations would making a commentarie in the margin vpon many places of the old Testament inlighten much Of the Popes fall And the tenne hornes which thou sawest vpon the Beast these shall hate the Whoore and make her desolate and naked and eate her flesh and shall burne her in the fire The same kingdomes which cleaued to the Pope for profite or deceipt when they see all profit gone and how he by terror of forged purgatorie gate Princes great lands wil alter their minde to hate the Pope Many millions in England hate his keies in Canterburies armes as a mockage to the true keies of knowledge so they hate the title grace in Scotland as doth the learned M. Meluin others hate Leuies Linen Cope Priest and Kneeling at receiuing bread which should bee receiued with most holy iudgement not in the Popes gesture others hate the Leprosie of the Apocrypha books the writers of which shew no more faith in Christ then did Flauius Iosephus nor so much Others hate the Popes forme of prayer patched vp for his vse to content the people not to spend that tyme in requiring of them opening of the Bible And many would haue our Bishops caught in praemunire to loose all Others make great sute to haue their lands Now if in England most reuerend right reuerend fathers so learned as they take vpon them to bee bee so hated for remnant of Papistrie what hatred shall open Popery haue where the Pope dareth excommunicate kinges Thal. Ierusal noteth that the King might not be excommunicated nor any chiefe Ruler But be sagely warned to keepe his house for a time and to saue his honor But the high Sacrificer was whipped with as many stripes as any other for his faultes Ierus in Sanedrin But our Pope will bee excommunicating
as a Citie brent from heauen for many plagues by Egypt for good note a broad Citie as Romes policie was broad and large And for a most sure note the Citie policie and authoritie large in which the Lord was crucified This name striketh the naile vpon the head Of the Citie which crucified the LORD Thalmud Ierusalemy noteth in Sanedrin and Maymonie that fouretie yeares before the destruction of Ierusalem causes of life and death were taken away from Israell so they teach that Christ was not crucified in the policie of Ierusalem but vnder Pontius Pilate in the Roman policie as the foure Evangelistes record carefullie When the Sanedrin concluded to kill Christ they brought him to Pilate he cleared him yet whipped him and deliuered him to bee crucified And the Romā soldiers shewed all wickednesse 1. They brought him into the Common hall 2. They gathered the whole band against him 3. They put off his owne apparell put in mockage a scarlat robe vppon him 4. They platted a crowne of thornes and laid it vpon his head 5. They kneeled in mockage and said All haile King of the Iewes and spate vpon him with a reed they stroke him on the head and when they had ended mocking of him they put off the robe and put his owne clothes on him and brought him to be crucified and pierced his handes and his feete and pierced his side with a speare and cast lotts for his coate These so great contempts from Romanes the vilest in the world against the Lord Eternall could neuer be put vp But that Rome should bee the miserie in tyrannie while the world stoode Pilate kill'd him selfe and the Emperours for 300. yeres were miserable And Rome by many spoiled and since Popes supremacie a new Egypt Now as the Iewes who betrayed Christ are slaues ouer the earth so Rome that went further was to bee revealed to haue all curses the old serpents poyson chap. 12. Cains murder of Abel chap. 13. a Deluge chap. 12. Biting of tongues chap. 16. consumption as the cursed brent Cities cha 11. Egypts miserie told aboue Iosuahs haile cha 16. Siseraes fall at Mageddon chap. 16. Iezabels miserie from Elias chap. 11. Daniels beasts miserie chap. 13. and the Romans miserie by Pompei and Iulius Psal 97. handled in Appian fullie and as the Pope knew more then the Caesares so his sinnes were more strong against the holy Ghost and he should be openly Man of sinne to all sage in this world The foure Euāgelistes might teach the simplest this much That seeing Rome grieued Christ as he complayned Isai 49. Psal 22. and felt too most high griefe Rome should bee Sathans throne while this world stood and all reliques of theirs a curse And people tribes tongues and nations shall see their Carcases three dayes and a halfe So this Citie must meane a very large Common Weale and Kingdome and the two in generall may be full many thousandes in particular And as all the time of persequution of the liuing is three yeares and a halfe the bodie is heere three dayes and a halfe And they shall not suffer their carcases to be put in graue This plainely sheweth the burning of Martyrs whose bones and ashes may be seene three dayes and a half and are not put in graue So good Bucers bones in this honor were taken out of the graue not to rot there but with pure fire to haue consumption as Elias in his fierie chariot had his body consumed and our Father Henoch that in his life matched the dayes of the sunne 365. was without paine dissolued when God tooke his soule to heauen and Moses had not mans buriall God prouiding somewhat better for the ancient that they with out vs were more perfect and for rare honor to their persons though by the doctrine of the Gospell aboue the Law we haue the perfecter but no whit to soules ioy But as they with smaller helpes passed vs farre in following God so their minde heere was infinitely fuller of graces then ours though the ioy of aeternall life is aequall to all In not suffering the best men in the world to be buried the Citie that crucified Christ is openly the throne of Satan And they that dwell on the earth shall reioyce ouer them and be glad and send giftes one to another because these two prophetes tormented the dwellers vpon the earth The dwellers on the earth are the Locustes their friends earthly minded and feared the companies of sound Christians because they taught Princes to hate the Popes religion and Pride and Wealth Monasteries The Hypocrites immitated the Iewes who vpon the death of Amalekites kept in open Townes the xiiij of Adar with ioy and banquet and wake day and sending of giftes one to another These two Doctores of Diuinitie Prophet is heere in that sense were such a torment to the Papistes as the first martyrs to the prophane Caesares who taught that they were not Diui and had no religion but from vncleane spirites And after three dayes and an halfe spirite of life from God entred into them and they stood vpon their feete and great feare fell vpon them that beheld them In his Vision of the Lordes day he hath by light and darknesse three dayes an halfe resembled vnto him for viewing of the martyrs from the eye-sight to the minde thus we must turne it When men behold the bones and ashes of the martyrs they hold them not dead but passed from death to life because they died for honor to Gods plaine religion teaching to honor GOD onely and to receyue aeternall life onely by his mercie in CHRIST the onely Rocke and to pray onely to GOD and to haue a sure faith in him and to lothe all proceeding that is not agreeable to Gods holy worde and that it hath a plaine and sure meaning The old Martyrs for these groundes were in honor with the Pope these two armies of Doctores died in the same cause therefore their enimies heartes must needes confesse that they are gone to heauen euen as if they had heard them called vp and seene to ascend as followeth And they heard a loud voice from heauen saying vnto them Come vp hither and they went vp to heauen and their enimies saw them As the case of Elias was to the body so the Martyrs is to the soule expressed bodily in this vision Of all soules passage at death It is appointed for all men once to die and then cōmeth iudgement Eb. 9. so all soules must when they leaue the bodie returne to God that gaue them to iudgement for euery hid thing good or euill Ecc. 12. 2. Cor. 5. so all ascend Ecc. 3. And onely the soules of the beast descend The commune place is called in Greeke Haides and the happie part of it is heauen to Abraham Eb. xi Luc. 18. And a place of burning torment to the wicked The faithfull went hence to Gods eternall tabernacle Leuit. 26. 2. Cor.
woman and went to make warre with the rest or her seede which keepe the Commaundement of God and holde the testimonie of IESVS CHRIST The Popes power when Satan was let loose to deceiue that Kinges gaue their strength to Pseudo-Petre driueth the Church not to be seene for certaine hundreths of yeres before Martyr Zuinglius at Zuricke in the Church which Charles the Great built shewed that he was the taile of the great Dracon which drew the starres of heauen from their place And now they comment best vpon this place asking where was our Church before M. Lutheres tyme I will aske where was it not Milliones in England opened themselues praesent when valiant K. Henry the VIII shooke off the Pope and the best learned of the Popes pay were least enimies to vs as Cuthbert Tonstall who at London and Duresme still bare with the Protestants workes and would sweare by his Fathers soule therein faulty that neither the accusares nor he could amend them full many moo were of that vein as they who gaue harbor closely to the teachers of the holy Gospell and what learned haue the papistes bred till our side forced them to studie And at this houre their best grant that wee ouer-reach them in the testaments tongues and clearness defense of the purenesse of the text Our greatest hinderance commeth by our Buyshops that are voide of loyalty full of cruelty I speake not against Bishops sage and learned but Buyshops sauage vnlearned Waters of trouble they helpe the Dragon to cast from the mouth of his canons that no praemunire will serue their turne and if any would keepe them from hell will burne such papers And when common Lawes of earth policie drinke vp and drie the K. of Locusts waters yet if the rest of vnaduised zeale giue them aduantage Cerberus shall barke so that they may bee forth comming but not comming forth The maine of the Church in Albion Almany France Zuitzerland the confederate prouinces and Denmarke haue made the earth to drie the Popes Riuers of Belial as 2. Sam. 22. speaketh But yet in Spaine holy Martyrs dayly finde the 42. moneth like affliction to bee conformed to the sufferings of Christ because they worship God only That is as all Iewes expound the phrase pray only vnto him and rest in the abundance of grace of the guift of iustice to reigne by Christ What authoritie on earth maketh this Dragon the chap. 13. following will tell plainely and the 14. how for Idolatry reiected the taile of the Dragon maketh Martyrs CHAP. XIII And I stood vpon the sand of the Sea and I saw a beast comming out of the Sea hauing seauen heades and ten hornes and vpon his hornes ten crownes and vpon his heades a name of Blasphemie THIS holy Reuelation speaking of matters to come borroweth speaches from matters past which is the sure way to giue a sound Iudgement Daniel comforteth the family of Nathan by Gods vengeance vpon great Kinges arising great from seas of troublous warres The first was not Assur but Babel the Lion with NABV his mouth who can deliuer you from my handes chap. 3. The second was a Beare from Madai Paras the East deuouring North West South as hauing 3. ribbes in the mouth And by two mighty kingdomes Medes and Persans set vp one gouernement These two had but two heades as all of the kinde the third was a Leopard with foure heades Alexander Macedon and his foure chiefe which in 40. yer brought all his dominion parted into 23. Captaines and many Kinges afore holding their owne into the Power of foure The fourth was no new Beast but the same nation of the Greekes in a parted kingdome in Seluchus who gate seuentie two kingdomes and Ptolomie Lagides in Aegypt Of two speciall points to be noted heere They who make the Romans one of Daniels Beasts do pleasure the Iewes highly concluding that Caesar and Rex Romanorum and our Constantine and his successores went to eternall flames Eusebius began it as Oecolampidius citeth his fragment good Caluin folowed that Atheisme and good Beza too thence thundering with powder without pellet against the Pope and not marking how seauen tymes ouer gracious Daniel teacheth that Greekes be the last that afflict holy Iewes in his pictures And Iewes vpon Dan. 8. confesse as Ralbag and Seror Hamor of Abr. Sebagh that Greekes bee Daniels last pictured And our error is duller then the Iewes they confesse for our Gospell that Greekes be the last afflicters When the matter forceth them to speake trueth wee relinquish their grant to our Gospells strength and folow them in a lye to our Gospells ouerthrow Heere we haue no better to say then that Satan hath deceaued vs. Polichronius the learned Greeke Father of old saw the trueth and wicked Porphyri confesseth the same And Sebastian Munster at Basill reuiued a touch of the trueth and Polyhistor Bodinus Tremelius and our learned Whitaker and D. Iohn Reignold in dayly speach and M. Rollock and Geneua the zealous towne in their last french reiect all notes damning Rome and the Pope The Iewes ouer the world were broken if all the Popes side for their owne cause would do the same and the Iewes broken would breake the Turkes Machumed The second Poincte The goodnesse of God was infinite in breaking Salomons kingdome and sending Iewes to Babell to preach God that made the world and to shew the wickednesse of the towres building forworshipp of starres So the power of the great God appeared in extolling base Babell to fell Assur and all kingdomes and to fall in seauenty yeeres that Cyrus might say The God of heauen gaue him all the Kingdomes of the world and when Daniel had taught of the redemption by Christ after seuen seuenties Iewes went home from 120. nations to Ierusalem in that hope God made foolish the wisedome of Plato Aristotle for their dreamed happinesse And this aboue all is a miracle of miracles that the Greeke tongue knowen in the West ouer was conueied by Greeke soldiers ouer North East and South by Seleucidae and Lagidae So that in three hundred yeares Greeke was made common ouer all the world And Homer was turned into the Greeke tongue as Fr. Portus praef in Hom. writeth doubtlesse by some Macedonians for increasing Greeke in their Colonies By this meanes the Greeke tongue was made commune ouer the world that commune saluation might be written in Greeke Also the Macedonian Kinges setted in Aegypt and they of Syria both clayming Iudea and still fighting for it as they became victores scattered Iewes into all partes that they abide scattered there yet And Itinerarium Rabbi Beniamin sheweth euen through the furthest India So the Apostles might speake in the Greeke tongue to the old law And thus the 4. Kingdomes tyranny holpe much to saue others by their owne destruction How the Romanes armes are taken from the Kingdomes in Daniel The ten hornes are from the
for the Kings from the sun rising The same matter of Machmad and Turke arising from Euphrates and vexing the West was vnder the sixt Angells Trompet Geball All Tarik is a memorie how Machmadistes vexed thence Spaine and Italie But rather for a scourge then to hold long possession of old Euphrates stayed Parthians from the Empire But for Popes Idolatry euen Germanie is troubled by Hagarenes that Virgill might well say of both for Rome Hinc mouet Euphrates illinc Germania bellum On this side Euphrates begins to iarre On that side Germany doth menace warre And for Ciuil warres I may continue the verses following in the Poet for the words following in Iohn Vicinae ruptis inter se legibus vrbes Arma ferunt saeuit toto Mars impius orbe The neighbour Cities hauing broke their lawes Each against other vp in Armes arise And wicked Mars through all coasts of the world Acts mercilesse most cruell Tragedies And I saw that from the mouth of the Dragon and from the mouth of the beast and from the mouth of the false Prophet three vncleane spirits like vnto froggs for they be spirits of Diuels working signes goe foorth vn to the Kings of the earth to gather them into battel of the great day of the God of hostes Behold I come as a thiefe Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments that hee walke not naked that men see not his shame And hee gathered them into a place called in Ebrew Armageddon The Dracon is the company of the spirits that fell of old the beast the starre that fell from heauen chap 8. 9. and 11. 13. Prophecie is to teach the Gospell chap. 11. So false prophet is the troupe of false teachers three is exceeding many as cha xi two make many thousandes for Zach. chap. 4. Their spirites bee vncleane for doctrine of Diuells from the froggie puddles of slimie doctrine truth resteth in this HE shall bruse the old serpents head Rom. 16. God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall tread Satan vnder your feete God in CHRIST destroyeth the workes of the Deuill and the verie Zohar vpon Gen. 3. saith HV HE is the holy and blessed Eternall But the old serpent deceiueth the Woman that sitteth on Rome beast to say that SHEE shall bruse the head of the serpent so their Latin goeth so their translations so their checking of the Hebrew text Thrise hauing the masculine gendre so against all Hebrewes and Greekes so against all prophets and Gospell and Gods creation that the woman should doe more then the man So to make this idle that God should be in Christ reconciling the World vnto himselfe if a woman could doe more then man and God in man Their writings are so plentifull vpon this poinct that they can deny nothing and so they crosse all the Bible which is but a commentarie vpon this place and all popery is a fight with this place and Satan conquering them for this maine castell hath conquered them for all the Bible That they haue against all religion Satans spirit Popes spirit and his Academies seruing the Pope These be the three vncleane spirits going against all holinesse of the Bible most euidently in deifying Creatures and their made sainctes and Bread with Wine which they would make better then all the world A seale of most high matters is most highly to bee estiemed But none without athean madnesse will say the seale is the King the Kings auctority it should haue to bee as himselfe as Tully saith to his brother But none of witt would make it the King him selfe All their doctrine is such that their Temples Masse and dayly profession in all things is from the vncleane spirite so that no man conuersant in the Bible can abide their Diuinitie For Liberall artes Law and Phisique they hold the principles of nations They should as well for the Bible and the Thalmudiques agreed with Saint Paul but for the incarnation and resurrection And in that the Pope granteth the storie But in all his proper differeth from all men therefore hee must haue a spirite from the vncleane Diuels The threatning of comming as a thiefe in the night is from Obadiah telling of Idumeans destruction suddenly who beeing of Izhaks house yet were close enimies to the truth The commandement of watching was vsed Math. chap. 24. And the apparell of the minde teacheth from care to our bodie what care we should haue to apparell our soule That faith regenerating trimme it The allusion to Armageddon where Barake of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fought the combats of GOD that Mageddon was a mountaine of men cut in pieces that Iabin King of Chanaan was fully broken there this sheweth extreeme breaking of the enimie And when the world was not worthy of good Iosias GOD would plague Iuda at Mageddon So the name of it is fit to expresse a full ouerthrow by God from heauen Barak and the People did litle but God from heauen by the starres Auctors of weather fought from the storehouse of haile and raine that his mighty hand was Auctor of victorie The next Cupp expoundeth that plainely alluding further to the victorie of Iosuah where haile slew more then the men did And the seauenth Angell poured out his Cup on the aire and there came forth a great voice from heauen saying it is done and there came a great voice from the Temple in heauen from the throne saying it is done and there were voyces and thunders and lightnings and a great earthquake such as had not bene since men were vpon the earth so huge an earthquake so great Haile and fire mixed with blood were Pharaohs open punishments and thunderings and at the Law giuing was thunder lightnings and heauy cloude The Pope to come by supremacy weakning Greece by all meanes and begging landes and hauing Princes helpe to further his forgery of Constantinus donation made such warres and troubles that by Scripture phrase haile and fire was mixed with blood Then Princes thought the Turke getting Grecia should neuer plague them But now that they see him the cause of the Turks greatnesse and by Idolatry as Apoc. 9. told the cause of that successe and whole hinderance to saluation they requit him with taking from him what they gaue him He obscured sun and ayer all kind of learning Ebrew Greeke Latin hee abolished histories hee obscured that none of his applied well Greeks to Daniel the bridge to both Testaments Rhetorique tropes which Sacraments require hee turnes to propriety as in This is my body and This is my blood wherein all Couenants the signe hath the name of the thing signified Logique he turneth to sophistry To patch an whole art and policie ouer mighty kingdomes by sophistry most ridiculously when it is examined Not he but martyrs made the Gospell knowen which stirreth Princes against him that as to ouertrow New Rome or Constantina they gaue their authoritie to old Rome and atchieued their counsell but to their owne great mischiefe