will make him a pillar But it is more probable that he alludeth to the two brazen pillars set up by Solomon in the porch of the temple which typified the stability of the children of God And he shall goe no more out This is the second promise it shall not bee a momentanie glorie but unchangeable perpetuall and eternall And it seemes to be put heere in opposition to those brazen pillars which were overthrowen with the temple by the Babylonians but no such destruction shall befal the godly for as the Psalmist speaketh Psal 125.1 2. They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Sion which cannot be removed but abideth for ever An excellent place proving the perseverance of the saintes even in this life for whom Christ hath once made a pillar in his temple he will never suffer them to go out any more that is to fall away from the state of grace And I will write his name The third promise An inscription of a threefold name is an inscription of a threefold name viz. of God of the citie of God and of Christ He seemes eyther to allude to the manner of the Romanes who used to write on their statues of triumph the actions of the Conquerours the titles and names of conquered nations as for example To Tyberius To Constantine alwayes Augustus To the Conquerour of Germanie of the Gothes of Africa c. Or otherwise he keepes still to the former allusion of Solomons pillars whereof the right was called Jachin which is beeing interpreted he will establish and the left Boaz that is in it there is strength the one beeing a type of the Jewish church the other of the Gentiles so Christ will write upon every faithfull man most honourable names which exposition might stand but that Solomon is said not to have written those names upon the pillars but so to have named them Well how ever it be certaine it is that both these pillars with their names were destroyed the vain inscriptions of the Romanes perished but the names which Christ will write upon his pillars they shall remaine for ever and ever First he will write upon them the Name of his God not that these conquerours shal be Gods but the sons of God that is perfectly borne againe after the image of God Indeed we are now Gods children by faith but these glorious inscriptions here promised doe not yet appeare namely the full fruition and majestie of our adoption And the name of the citie of my God or of the new Jerusalem that is I will make him an everlasting citizen of the Church triumphant for as you may see Chap. 21.2.10 this is set forth unto us by the new Ierusalem Which commeth downe out of heaven both because it so appeared in a vision unto Iohn in the place for calledged as also because it hath its true original from heaven as grounded on the eternal election of God and besides in this life is borne of water and of the spirit and all the grace which it receiveth commeth downe from above From my God Three times he calleth God his God speaking eyther as man and our mediatour whose office no wayes lessneth but rather confirmeth his eternall essence see Chap. 1.1 3.2 Io. 20.17 1 Thess 1.3 Christs new name Or els God is here personallie taken for the father as it is in these places I ascend to my God and to my Father Before God and our Father My new name To the Godlie in Pergamus he promised a new name but lo here he will give his new name which he receyved of his father beeing exalted above everie name that is named not onely in this world but also in that which is to come Eph. 1.10 see also Phil. 2.19 Touching this new name it signifies Christs glorious exaltation and the Fathers setting of him at his right hand after his resurrection now this his new name and this fulnesse of glorie at Gods right hand Christ will write on the Overcommers but how make them pertakers of perfect happinesse according to their measure and proportion as beeing members of that bodie of which he is the head Se more of this v. 21. 13 He which hath an eare see Chap. 2. v. 7.11 The VII Epistle to the Bishop of Laodicea 14 And unto the Angel of the Church of the Laodiceans write These things saith the Amen the faithfull and true witnesse the beginning of the creation of God 15 I know thy workes that thou art neither â—old nor hote I would thou wert cold or hote 16 So then because thou art luke-warme and neither cold nor hote I will spue thee out of my mouth 17 Because thou sayest I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poore and blind and naked 18 I counsell thee to buy of me gold tryed in the fire that thou majest be rich and white raiment that thou mayest be clothed and that the shame of thy wikednesse doe not appeare and anoint thine eyes with eye salve that thou mayest see 19 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten bee zealous therefore and repent 20 Behold I stand at the doore and knocke if any man heare my voice and open the doore I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me 21 To him that overcommeth will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am set downe with my Father in his throne 22 Hee that hath an eare let him heare what the Spirit saith unto the Churches THE COMMENTARIE VNto the Angel of the church of the Laodiceans This last epistle is full of sharpe reproofe against the pastor of the Church because of his great hypocrisie and vaine boasting and withall shewes him what he should doe perswades him to serious repentance and propounds rewards unto them that doe the same In this Epistle is excellentlie set forth the lenity and forbearance of Christ our Lord by which he suffereth hypocrites and desireth their salvation It consisteth of a preface a narration and a conclusion To the Angel That is to the pastor whole congregation Now because the evils in the Church doe usually proceed from the pastors therfore it is justly imputed unto them even as the excesse Idolatrie prophanenes and other wickednes of the people were by the prophets of old laid to the charge of their priests and governours It is uncertaine who this Bishop was But certainly he was a carnal and craftie man for though he bare the name of a minister yet was he void of sinceritie and Godlines and given over to coveteousnes and luxury other vices Paul twise mentioneth this Church in his Epistle to the Collossians chap. 2.2 there he wisheth that their harts may be comforted c. and Chap. 4.16 he commandeth that their Epistle be read of the Laodiceans The Epist to the Laodic Apocrypha Vide Bibl. S.
death his rider and hell following by sword famine and pestilence devouring the fourth part of the earth by which is signified as we have shewed the state of the Church a little before the rising of Antichrist beeing sick with a mortall palenes and neare unto death accidently occasioned by the overmuch liberallitie and indulgencie of Christian Emperours who thereby corrupted the Bishops and Christian religion but principallie by superstitious Monkes and vaine glorious Bishops who little caring eyther for Christ or his graces onely laboured how they might satisfy and fill their own bellies and establish their Lordly authoritie turning the doctrines of faith into humane Philosophie and Christian religion into a stageplay and horrible idol worship So here againe the very same thing is foretold in this trumpet under different types For as Anonymus and after him Gagnaeus have observed the Sunne shadows out the chiefe Prelates of the Church as Popes Cardinals Arch-bishops Bishops who ought to shine before others by the light of their life and doctrine The Moon which receives its light from the Sunne to be inferior Ecclesiastical orders as curates and religious persons The Stars beeing lesse in light are the laitie but I rather understand by Stars Bishops and other teachers so called as we have seen Chap. 1. Verie fitlie saith Gagnaeus is the third part of the Sun sayd to be smitten in so much that the third part thereof was darkened considering how one part of Praelates doe shine in life and doctrine others but in one onely and a part in neyther of both For many of them neyther burn in charitie nor shine in doctrine and I would it were but a third part of them but the truth is they have onelie an hypocriticall shew of true pastors for after the likenes of this Sunne the third part of the inferiour Clergie and Laiks also were smitten with obscuritie and blindnesse c. Thus he in a general way doth not with out good cause complaine of Popes Cardinals Bishops their great Apostasie But wee are as I have said to applie these things by an Analogie unto the events of the fourth seale This trumpet therefore appertaines unto the darknesse corruptions brought into the Christian Churches during the space of three hundred yeeres viz. from Sylvesters time unto the rising of Antichrist in which time all these things were allegorically fulfilled as histories testifie Yet onely in a third part that is in Europe alone And this againe serves for to mitigate the evils in asmuch as not the whole Sun but onely a third part thereof is smitten with darkenesse For indeed many Bishops in the East and West both Greeks and Latine did still uphold the light in the Church For as yet Antichrist was not lifted up into the chaire of universall pestilence neyther was the Church so neere unto death by a mortal palenes although hell had allmost swallowed up the fourth part thereof Thus we have heard four trumpets of the Angels with the histories thereof 13. And I beheld and heard an Angel by this exclamation the Angel commandeth us to be much attentive to the following trumpets because they shew forth more grievous calamities to befall the Church For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the bibles of Montanus read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Eagle so the Latine I saw an Eagle concerning which Eagle many men dispute diversly But all other copies have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Angel Now whither wee read it an Angel or an Eagle the matter is not great onelie wee are to be attentive unto his voyce neyther doe I thinke that we should seek for any allegory in it He was an heavenly herauld foretelling farre more grievous calamities then yet we have heard in the foregoing trumpets Neyther will I deny but that by this Angel may be noted Gregorie Bishop of the Church of Rome Antichrists predecessour who in his Epistles to the Emperour Mauritius pointed at him as if he had been then present Wo wo wo This is a voyce of commiseration in regard of the evils that hung over the Church The threefold iteration notes that the three following trumpets are to denounce more horrible fatall evils unto the inhabiters of the earth then the former To the inhabitants of the earth This might be understood of the Church dispersed thorowout the whole world but usually in this prophesie hypocrites and wicked men oppressing the Church are called inhabitants of the earth as we have noted on Chap. 3.10 and 6.10 Wherefore these threatnings are not intended against the Church but against the wicked which serveth for the comfort of the Godly for howsoever they be involved in the publick calamities under Antichrist yet these things shal be mortal unto their adversaries onely CHAP. IX The Argument Parts and Analysis IN this Chapter are described the fift and sixt trumpets with most sad events in which the first Act of this vision is ended and the apparitions of the sixt seale more fully exhibited unto Iohn touching the rising and tyranny of Antichrist both in the West who with smoake and Locusts that is by deceit and devilish instruments And in the East who with horses and armies that is by open warre and violence should horribly afflict the Christian world God by them most justly punishing the idolatrie flagitious life of Christians and hereby calling them to repentance but in vain Now here principally are prefigured the wofull events which befell the Church during the space of nine hundred yeeres or there about both by the Popish Antichrist in the West and Mahomet in the East from the yeere of Christ sixe hundred and sixe untill the Councill of Constans The parts of the Chapter are three The first concerneth the events of the first trumpet unto vers 13. consisting of four members I. The apparition it self which Iohn saw viz. a starre falling down from heaven upon the earth to whom was given the key of the bottomlesse pit vers 1. II. Four effects of this falling starre 1. He opened the bottomlesse pit 2. raysed a smoak out of it 3. with the smoak he darkened the Sunne and aire vers 2. 4. Out of the smoake he brought forth Locusts upon the earth vers 3. III. The locusts are described by diverse adjuncts First from the power they had to hurt vers 3. But limited by God three manner of wayes 1. In respect of the objects that they should not hurt the elect but onely the reprobate vers 4. 2. In the degree of hurting not to kil but to torment 3. In the time not allwayes but for five months vers 5. Secondly from the effect of their hurting which shal be more bitter then death it self vers 6. Thirdly from the forme of the locusts First as touching the bodie they are like to horses prepared to the battel Secondly touching their members and habbit vers 7.8.9.10 And lastly touching their head or king called Abaddon vers 11. IV. An acclamatorie conclusion ending the calamities
to the scope he applie it to the plagues and conversion of the Iewes But we are taught however Antichrist shall remaine with his Locusts yet when he shal be revealed his tyranny the power of the Locusts shal be so weakned that they shall not torment men any more or at least not so much as before they did The truth whereof we see through Gods mercie these hundred yeeres accomplished both in Germanie other kingdomes For now the biting of these Locusts is not so forcible but everie where that ancient power of those scorpions lies under contempt because the five monthes are ended And as Polydore Virgil writes perswades in his seventh booke Chap. 3. It would bee very profitable that these dregs of men as superfluous members of Christian religion were cut off utterly consumed that so they might no longer with their filthinesse staine the puritie of Gods worship And their torment He amplifies their torments from a similitude before spoken of ver 3. for as the power of Scorpions was given to the Locusts so their biting and torment is like unto that of Scorpions The paine at the beginning is indeed not great but suddenly so increaseth that if remedie be not had it will kill the person wounded within four and twenty houres even so howsoever at first men little regard the biting of these Locusts but give way to carnall reason and licentiousnesse yet at the houre of death all things appeare horrible and mortal 6. And in these dayes men shall seek death Another amplification of the torment taken from the most lamentable effect thereof by which mens lives are not onely made bitter but so detestable as that they shall preferre death of which all men stand in feare before life they shall I say desire to change life for death and good for evill Now this is not the property of men sober but mad noting how this biting shall infatuate and besott people no otherwise then as it ordinarily happens to such as are bitten by mad dogs Even so these little beasts with their stings have befooled the greatest kings and wise men of the earth as that they have suffered themselves to be dwawen lead set on work and sent wherever they would yea to be perswaded that black was white that life eternal was comprehended under the hood of Monkes that holie water purgeth sin quencheth the flames of purgatorie that so at least they might find some ease for their consciences the which notwithstanding they obtained not It is well knowen that such was the Germanes devotion to the Papacy and in their devotion such madnesse and in their madnesse such brutish obedience as that they would doe any thing how absurd soever so it were imposed by the Locusts in the Popes name for to redeem soules out of hell and purgatorie Insomuch that the Cardinal CAIETAN said as it is reported that if Luther had not been the Germanes at the Popes beck would have eaten like oxen hay for their provender And shall not finde it but death shall flee from them A further increase of sorrow they shall not finde remedie for their torments no not in death For there is no man but would rather once suffer death then to be tormented with perpetual fear and expectation eyther of purgatorie or the flames of hell fire Then shall that saying be in force Mors optanda magis sed enim sua funera passis Major ab extremo restat agone dolor Death wish'd is rather but her funerals beeing over From extreme torments felt Remaines a greater dolor Death shall flee from them because eyther through superstition or feare they be shall hindered from laying violent hands upon themselves The trembling therefore of these shall not be unlike the anguish of the reprobates mentioned in Chap. 6.16 who cried to the mountaines fall upon us and hide us from the face of him that sits on the Throne from the face of the Lamb. Notwithstanding the judgement of the last day is not here as yet treated of but thereunto are compared the torments with which the Locusts tortured men that were not sealed Now the Lord Iesus keep us from the venome of such Locusts Their forme now follows 7. And the shapes of the Locusts The reason why they are thus lively expressed before our eyes as in a table is to the end we might the better take notice shun these pestilent creatures Their figure is so monstrous horrid not like the natural Locusts that the verie sight of such a monstre would affright a man neither may we imagine the description of this monstre to bee like unto that which Flaccus jestingly describeth in the beginning of his art Humano capiti cervicem pistor equinam Iungere si velit varias inducere plumas Vndique collatis membris ut turpiter atrum Desinat in piscem mulier formosa superne Spectatum admissi risum teneatis amici If to a humane head a painter should thus doe A horses shoulder joyne and sundry feathers too And that the members all did represent in show A woman faire above an ugly fish below The friends which came to see would laugh at it I trow But this monstre is formed of diverse those the crueller sort of shapes The whole form at the first appearance represents a fiery warlike horse having a mans face and hair of a woman but Lions teeth strong to rend asunder a breastplate of iron to bear off blowes the sound of his wings terrible the taile stinging as a Scorpion ready to hurt every one to be short not unlike to the Chimera or monstre in Homer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Lion before a dragon behinde and a goat in the middle Now certaine it is that these similitudes are not to bee taken properly but mystically as wee have distinguished the forme of them in the analysis partly by their outward proportion as members body partly by their habit and armour and partly by their head by all which is signifyed the power and force of these beasts And it doth so fully agree with the Antichristian clergie as that nothing can bee more evidently spoken But now let us consider the particulars Like unto horses prepared unto battel Horses prepared for warr are wel fenced armed fatted having fierce riders on their backes thereby become very cruel with a blinde force rush terribly upon the enemy With the like cruelty these Locusts beeing fatted and pampered in their cloisters strengthened with the power of Abaddon their rider they furiously oppose the Gospell of Iesus Christ some by railing in their Pulpits by disputations pasquils c. Others by cruel counsels bloody designes as the histories of Emperours but chiefly of the Henries Fredericks Othoes have testified long agoe namely that they more frequent stables then temples better know how to handle bridles then bookes more fitted prepared to occasion and wage warre to the destruction of the Christian common
ancient of dayes was like the pure wool Dan. 7 9 This reverend hoarenesse or whitnesse of haires noteth out prudency and wisdom for Christ is the wisdome of the father So also eternity is signified by it For hoarenesse cometh by multitude of yeares And it is compared to snow and to the whitest wool For snow is very white Ps 51 9. Isay 1 18. Therefore David prayeth that hee might bee washed with hypose and he should bee whiter then snow And in Isaiah the Lord saith though your sinnes bee as searlet they shall bee as white as snow though they be red as crimson they shall bee as wool This colour like snow noteth out purity so that Christ appeareth to Iohn in hoarenesse venerable in prudency reverend in purity innocent and age eternall Some by the head understand his divinity others the father because God is said to bee the head of Christ But the allegory is not in the word head without which it would have seemed an imperfect body but in the white snowy haire His eyes as a flame of fire From Daniel chap. 10.6 his face as the appearance of lightning and his eyes as lamps of fire sâ—ery eyes doe manifest the fiery heroick and terrible motions of the hart Hence in Chap. 19 11 Christ comming to take vengeance in a terrible maner on the enemies his eyes appeare like flames of fire because in his wrath hee will consume the wicked like as fire doth the chaffe but in chap. Rev. 2 23. 2.23 the fiery eyes of Christ doe nore his alseeing presence entring into the very hidde things of man And whereas hee calleth himself the searcher of the reines and hearts It shewes that no â—â—un can shunâ— his presence neither debeive him 15. His feet like unto fine brasse Dan. 10.6 his feet like in colour to polished bâ—asse some doe take the word rendred fine brasse to signifie a kinde of frankincense hard like copper which they call thus masculum others for such copper as is digged out in the mountaine Libanus The old interpreter rendreth it aurichalcum a kinde of metall which commeth neerest to the colour of gold which in old time was of a great price The Germans and so Luther translate it Messing fine brasse And it is apparent that by it the divine power of Christ his unparaleld strength stability and constancy is declared The fathers interpret it of the humanity of Christ which was tryed in the fyery furnace of his sufferings and at length advanced to the brightnesse of his glory Andrtas in those words searcheth deeply after divers allegories but wee passe by his subtilities as having indeed but little solidity in them His voice as of many waters Dan. 10 6 the voice of his words as the voice of a multitude First hee heard his voice like a trumpet and now like to many waters which violently running thorow rocks and stones make a terrible noyâ—â— neither can they be stopped with any power or force as may be seene as the swift fallings of the river Nilus and the Ryne It noteth both the vehement and terrible voice of Christ as also the power and efficacy thereof piercing into the very 〈◊〉 and mindes of the hearers for the conversion of the elect and terror of the wicked The which voice could not be hindred by any adversary power whatsoever but it was spread large and wide unto many peoples which is signified by the many waters Revelat. 17.15 16. And he had in his right hand seven starres The 20 vers sheweth that by the seven starres the seven postors of the Churches are to be understood they are compared to starres because they ought to shine like starres to their flocks by the light of their life and doctrin They are in the right hand of Christ because it is be thâ—â— giveth them to the Churches and governeth them by his word and spirit and preserveth them by the right hand of his power and lastly worketh through them salvation for his Church so that this commendeth to us the dignity of the teachers of the Church Out of his mouth went a sharpe two edged sword This is explained Chap. 19 1â— Revelat. 19 5. out of his mouth goeth a sharpe sword that with it hee should smite the nations and he shall rule them with a rod of iron 〈◊〉 which serveth for the comfort of the Godly who confidently trusting on Christ the judge ought not to fear the power of the enemies moreover the doctrine of the Gospel may also be understood by it which Christ by the word of his mouth hath brought forth unto us Ephes 6 17. Heb. 4 22. out of the bosome of his father the which Paul compareth because of its piercing nature to a 〈◊〉 edged sword And his countenance was as the sun Dan. 10.6 his fare was as the appearance of lightning by which is meant either his divine majesty or else that great glory unto which the humanity of Christ is exalted being set at the right hand of God which glory though it giveth immortality to the flesh yet taketh not away the nature thereof as Augustine writeth to Dardanus The lightning can not wel bee looked on without hurt to the eyes So the brightnesse of the sun as high noone day dazzels the eyes of the beholders for the greater light darkens the lesser even such is the exceeding glorie of Christ as that it can not be looked on Matth. 3 43. The just also shall shine as the sun in the kingdom of the father but the body of Christ doth shine as the sun in his full strength by which is noted the excellency of Christ the head above the members Alcasar doth compare this brightnesse of Christ to the admirable glorie of the Romish Church after the conversion of the empire saying the Church of Rome doth properly and truly set forth the meaning of that shining brightnesse which commeth from the countenance of Christ which exposition the very lesuites I beleeve can not read without laughter For then Christ did forget to write an epistle to this church wherby to coÌ„fer this glory upon her but I passe by this mercenary clawback who perhaps in stead of conversion would have written the eversion of the empire And when I saw him Now Iohn sheweth how hee was affected with the vision by reason of the glorious brightnesse of Christs majesty he falleth downe as dead the like wee read of Daniel chap. 8.18 for such is the great weaknesse of the most holy men of God that they are not able to behold the divine majesty for God is a consuming fire but how then shall the wicked stand before his dreadfull presence surely they shall melt away as waxe before the fire As for allegories I passe them by And he laid his right hand upon me As a hand touched Daniel in whom there remained no strength when hee saw that great vision and set him upon his knees and upon the palmes of his
of original sin but neither of these opinions can be of faith because neither of them are grounded on the word of God The virgins conceiving indeed was miraculous But her bringing forth was natural for by the opening of the wombe she brought forth her first born son Luk. 2.23 But whither a natural delivery can be without paine I leave to naturalists Neither is it needfull to define that with danger August Enchirid. cap. 59. the which without any danger a man may bee ignorant of The type represents the usuall order of nature wherby women being in labour to be delivered are commonly pained the which Christ confirmes John 16.21 And indeed the sorrow of child bearing at first was imposed on the woman by God as a punishment of her sin Gen. 3.16 I will multiply thy sorrowes c. Hence the scripture compares vehement and inevitable anguishes unto the paine of a woman in travel which the Greekes call by a peculiar word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sorrowes and to be in sorrow If therfore the scripture hath defined childbearing to be with paine then we cannot without danger bee ignorant thereof So then this type signifies that the Woman or Church shall not bring forth her fruite without labour sorrow and much crying The which is to be referred partlie to the labour and care of the ministrie and partly to the troubles and calamities of persecutions hence the Apostle traveling in birth of the Corinthians cryes out not without griefe Even unto this present hour we both hunger and thirst 1 Cor. 4.11 and are naked and are buffeted and have no certaine dwelling place we are made the filth of this world and are the of scouring of all things unto this day In stripes 2 Cor 6.5 7.5 in imprinsonments in tumults in labours and watchings on every side we are troubled without were fightings within were feares So likewise he speakes of the declining Galatians My little children saith he Gala. 4.19 of whom againe I travel in birth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 untill Christ be formed in you So then we se that the birth and propagation of the Church shal be with great troubles cares sorrowes and crying the which thing Christ foretold us saying The world shall rejoyce but yee shall mourn And the Apostle Ioh. 16.20 2 Tim. 3.12 All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution Now by that which followeth it will appear that by this sorrowfull travel of the woman are chiefly prefigured the miseries persecutions punishments and martyrdomes which Christians should afterwards suffer under tyrants yet not to terrify but to comfort them for wheras the world thought by these things to suppresse the Church she should though with paine most fruitfully bring forth and bejond all expectation increase far and nere 3. And there appeared another signe The first signe or wonder was a woman The second followes viz. a Dragon is seen by Iohn in heaven of a terrible shape not in that starrie heaven where Astronomers place the Dragon with the signe Ophiuchus or Esculapius but in that heaven which the Apostle speakes of where principallities powers and spirituall wickednesse doe rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in the regions of the aire above us as the Apostle himself declares it Ephes 2.2 unlesse perhaps this signe appeared in the utmost heaven beeing opened A great Dragon Of an huge bignesse and strength for a Dragon is an old Serpent who by devouring of many serpents at last becomes a Dragon according to the saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If a serpent doth not eat a serpent he shall never be a Dragon He is said to be a red Dragon to denote his cruel blood thirstie nature as beeing wholie red with the blood of the Saints Others thinke he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fierie for it may either way be translated to denote his fierie and hellish condition but I rather approve the former Having seven heads Hence Ribera saith it is manifest that these things belong unto the time of his fained Antichrist But he deceiveth and is deceived as thinking Dan. 7.8 that these are the heads and the hornes of the fourth Beast mentioned in Daniel whose little horne tipeth out Antichrist As if the Beast with his heads hornes there spoken of were yet to be expected and not already come long agoe The Dragon here hath nothing common with the Beast in Daniel besides the ten hornes yet it shal neither be this Dragon nor the Beast in Daniel but passing by this let us more narrowly consider the monstre Poets have fained a terrible monstre called Hydra Lernaea not much unlike unto this Dragon in shape having a huge body and nine heads Hydra Lernaea vide Apollod Bibl. lib. 2. eight whereof were mortal the middlemost immortal the killing whereof they ascribe to the second labour of Hercules Now the monstre here spoken off How the Dragon Beast differ differs from the following Beast in that the Dragon hath crownes on his head the Beast on his hornes so that the heads and hornes in this place doe not signifie the same thing there as we shall see herafter Thus there is some difference betwixt the Dragon and the Beast yet their likenesse is great for the Dragon begate the Beast even as like begets its like Who this Dragon should be is very plain by the epithites for he is called that Old Serpent the Devil Satan ver 9. Chap. 20.2 who is known of all to be that enemy of mankind He is represented in the form of a serpent both because in likenesse of a serpent he seduced our first parents as also because of his rage cruelty against the Church and lastly because of his poyson wherwith he infecteth the world The heads and hornes of the Dragon are the devils instruments ministers of his furie against the Woman In that the crownes are said to be on his heads not on his hornes it argues that the heads denote the chiefe instruments of the Dragon armed with regal authority But the hornes inferiour and vulgar yet armed The crowned heads therfore of the Dragon are kings and tyrants persecuting the woman The hornes Who are the heads and hornes of the Dragon are officers under them as governours captaines soldiours hang-men and the like by whom they exercise their crueltie like as the head of a beast doth push with his hornes Seven heads indefinitely for many as before the seven spirits seven lampes c. For a sevenfold number is allwayes indefinite except it bee restrained as afterward it is where it is said that the seven heads of the beast are the seven mountaines of the woman or Rome SO THE TEN HORNES indefinitelie are verie many because there are more inferiour executioners and murtherers then kings Among the heads of the Dragon Herod the Ascalonite is worthelie reckoned in the first place as first labouring to
from the Dragons fury would also adde something touching the womans preservation from the same Hee by beeing caught into heaven The woman by flight into the wildernesse howbeit not together at one time for betwixt these things there happened a cruel battel in heaven betwixt Michael and the Dragon as also the Dragons new enterprise against the woman on earth upon this John returns unto the flight and persecution of the woman Therfore we will reserve the interpretation of this verse till we come to v. 14. Now onely let us take notice of the summe and drift FIRST the flight of the woman into the wildernes signifies the invisibility of the Apostolical Church after she had fought many battels with tyrants hereticks and hypocrites For as the Moon comming so low as the shadow of the earth gives noe light neither for the present is more seen then if it were not in the skie so the Church that chast mother through the shadow of worldly ambition The Church vanished as the moon covetousnes luxurie power of prelates and carnal priests lost her light by little and little and at length vanished away insomuch as she never appeared any where in the world in her primitive beauty The Papists affirme that their Church never fled or vanished away contend that she allwayes shined in her full light by which they deny that their Church is this chast mother Histories indeed shew that Rome of old was a chast mother but ceased so to be by changing the government of Christ instituted by his Apostles into the Ecclesiastical and secular kingdom of the Pope the which when and how it came to passe hath already been shewed several times shall further be spoken of afterward Secondly in that there is a place prepared for her in the wildernesse where she is nourished it signifies that however the puritie of the Church shall then fade away and the outward face thereof appear wholy discrepant from the primitive state yet God will reserve and feed some remnants Of the rest in verse 14. 7. And there was warre in heaven Which happened not after the womans flight into the wildernesse but after the manchild was caught up into heaven For the Dragon beeing disappointed of one prey he thirsted after the other that is seeing he could not destroy the child he attempts to devoure the mother But Michael is present in her behalfe provoking the Dragon to combat and thrusting him beeing overcom with his followers out of heaven whence arose a shout among the heavenly spirits What is meant by this battel and when it was is not easie to be expounded What the war was between Michael and the Dragon Riberas fiction There are some who refer it to the first fall of the devill when Lucifer with his Angels was cast down out of heaven This Ribera rightly rejects yet puts in the place thereof a strange fiction of his own viz. of a battel that shal be betwixt Antichrist and the Saintes about the last four yeers before the end of the world But without all doubt this battel is already fought and the Dragon cast into the earth because the woman long agone is fled into the wildernesse Others take it as an allusion to the battel of Michael with satan about the bodie of Moses mentioned in Jude vers 9. But the cause of the war there is other then here Brightman thinkes that Constantines victory over Maxentius Maximinus and Licinius heads of the Dragon is here set forth But the effects of the victorie celebrated with songs by them in heaven vers 10.11 Seem to be more glorious then can possiblie be restrained to Constantines temporall victorie As therefore in the signe of the woman her deliverie and the child there was a double sense One Historicall fulfilled in the person of Marie and Christ The other Allegoricall in the Church and members of Christ so we may rightlie interpret this combat in a twofold sense first spiritually of the conflict of Christ and Satan the which went before in order of time Secondly Historicallie of Constantines and the enemies battles which happened afterward For as Christ caught up into the throne of God thrust Satan out of his kingdome and brought eternal peace and saftie unto the Saintes by his intercession So Constantine beeing advanced on the throne of the empire did manfullie suppresse all enemies of Christianitie and brought in a breathing time unto the Church after her former long continued afflictions This is the summe Now let us consider the battell of which 1. the place 2. the Captaines and armies 3. the event lastly the effect and benefit therof is explained The place of the war was heaven But heaven is a place of peace not of war of quietnesse not of dissention The war in heaven is visional not reall It is so indeed This is therefore to bee attributed onelie unto the Vision the which Iohn saw in the heaven above The Captaine and armie fighting on the one side were Michael and his Angels On the other side the Dragon with his Angels As the Dragon is Satan So Michael is Christ the Manchild caught up into heaven MICHAEI beeing interpreted is Who is like God Now who is like God save Christ his onely begotten son So Daniel also brings in Christ under the name of Michael Chap. 11. and 12. Propheticallie pointing at this battel At that time Michael the great prince shal stand up for the children of his people viz. having finished the worke of our redemption in the flesh But what manner of battel is it The first conflict consisted in Satans temptations The first conflict of this war the which Christ did offten most stronglie sustaine and suppresse The soorest conflict was his bloodie sweating in the garden that which hee suffered in the high priests hall and on the crosse at his death Then Michael indeed seemed to have bin overthrown but a while after the adversaries power was broken for by death Michael overcame and rising again he bruised the Dragons heades and beeing lift up unto the throne of his father he triumphed over all principallities and powers Col. 2 15 Then as a conquerour hee ascended with his bodie on which he had born and by his blood purged the sins of men into heaven and by the efficacie of his eternall intercession repressing the accusations of the adversarie hath made up our everlasting peace with God This mysterie of our salvation is shadowed out under the type of this battel as plainlie appeares from vers 10.11 The which typicall representation did verie much serve for the consolation of the Church seeing she should be shaken with most cruell stormes of persecutions for the space of three hundred yeers least the faithfull beeing unmindful both of this fight victorie might faint under the long continuance of the crosse But how are the Angels joyned with Michael in the fight Why the Angels are joyned with Christ and who they are
and terrible not much unlike unto the Dragon He hath seven heads Therefore he is a monster and not unlike to the Poets Hydra Lernea A naturall beast hath but one head Antichrists kingdom therefore is monstrous and unnatural having Emperors and Kings lying under its feet It hath also ten hornes like to the Dragon Wherein the beast differeth from the Dragon yet differing from the Dragon for the Dragon had seven crowns upon his heads but the Beast weares his ten crownes on his hornes and on his heads the name of blasphemie being in his spotted skin like to a Leopard in his feet to a Beare in mouth to a Lyon all which the Dragon had not What is meant by the heads and hornes we need not here labour to expound Hornes by an Hebraisme very usually signifie strength because the strength of horned Beasts is in their head and hence are called Cornupite strikers with the horne The Angel Rev. 17.10 teacheth us that the seven heads are seven Kings and the seven mountaines of Rome and the ten hornes so many Kings and therefore for the present I purpose to speak no more about them But let us carefully take notice of the gradation which the spirit useth first he named the Beast Chap. 11.7 Here he disciphers him out and in Chap. 17. gives the interpretation thereof And upon his heads the name of blasphemie The Kings Edition of Montanus for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 name Antichrists kingdome holy in title but really worldly hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 names Afterward in Chap. 17.5 the woman sitting on the Beast hath on her forehead a name written Mysterie by both signes noting the same thing because there shall be a mystery in her secret blasphemies and the kingdom of the Beast being indeed secular shal mystically be called Sacred Therefore the Beast himselfe shall not weare his crownes on his heads but set them on his hornes to wit the Kings being his vassals but in stead of them he shall have on his head written mystery that is his mysticall or spirituall kingdom shall be in shew employed about holy things as doctrines lawes traditions religions sacrifices and worship Blaspemie is rayling against God What blasphemy is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 babling or dissolute and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fame or name and reputation or as others will have it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it were a hurting of the reputation and name This he shall have in his forehead not by open profession for he would not be accounted a blasphemer but in works and in very deed as bringing in and defending blasphemous doctrines religion and worship Yet he will cloak the same with the name of Mysterie as being divine and holy worship instituted by the fulnesse of his power as if he could not erre Therefore his pretended title shall be mystery but his true title blasphemie 2 And the Beast which J saw here follows the rest of his description being monstrously compounded of a Leopard Beare and a Lyon three most cruell wilde Beasts It is a manifest allusion unto the Beasts in Daniel the first whereof being a Lyon represented the Babylonish Empire the second a Beare the Persian the third a Leopard the Macedonian the fourth having no name was more terrible then the rest to whom this Beast seems to answer as having something of the nature and property of the three former The which mixture denotes the monstrous disposition of Antichrist because he shall be as mercilesse to the servants of Christ as Beares Lyons and Leopards are to flocks of sheep Like to a Leopard The Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a she Leopard For this beast is called a Woman although it hath the outward forme of a man The she-Leopard hath a skin speckled giving forth an odoriferous smell being swift subtile and most hurtful to man It signifies first that Antichrists kingdom is spotted and garnished with diverse colours And indeed his policie state is as it were a mingle-mangle of diverse heresies superstitions idols traditions parched together of the spots of Iudaisme Paganisme Christianisme hence their whole hierarchie consists of diverse and different colours of religions sects Monks Clergiemen even from their Arch-flammins unto the Porter or Sexton yea the whole hide is spotted with heresies errours superstitions and blasphemies Secondly it is very odoriferous for by the sweet smelling enticement of dignities superfluities honour wealth and pleasure it hath so allured the Christian world as no man but would desire the voluptuous life of Clergiemen as if they were gods Furthermore it is most crafty for through subtilty and under a shew of piety by feined wonders lying signes superstitious impostures or seeming pious deceits he hath gotten the dominion and riches of the world It is also most swift for after that the Christian world was once perswaded that Rome was the seat of Peter the Prince of Apostles the Pope Christs Vicar and Apostolicall heire of Peter and universall Bishop c. it cannot be spoken with what swiftnesse this Apostolicall sea not onely subjected unto it all the Bishops and Churches of the west but also Emperours themselves Kings Princes Common-wealths and communities were brought under that yoke To be short it is most hurtfull to the eyes of men to their purses I say estates and soules which hitherto Rome hath with no lesse perill ravished devoured and destroyed then if a Leopard had fixt his nayles into the eyes of a man And his feet as the feet of a Beare the Beares feet denotes the stability of his kingdom for the feet of a Beare are flat large and having sharp nayles which he fixeth in the ground and therefore goes and stands the firmer so Antichrists kingdome hath large feet insomuch as it cannot easily be shaken The feet are Grants of Emperours the Canons of Councils and Decrees of Popes against which whosoever doth but mutter he is presently crushed with the Beares feet witnesse the Histories of the Ottoes Henries and Fredericks Emperours who if at any time they assayed to bridle the insolencie of the Beast were soon smitten with the Capitoline thunder and deposed from the Empire Not to speak of others of lower rank thus then the Beast stood with the feet of a Beare And his mouth as the mouth of a Lion A Lyon is a generous creature but the Beast hath nothing of a Lion save the mouth being terrible and roaring and of a horrible devouring nature and what I pray you is more outragious then the Papacie For Quic quid non possidet armis religione tenet What he by armes cannot get Doth by religion hold fast it What is more terrible then the Pope whose footsteps are adored by Kings and Emperours What is more devouring then Rome into whose Courts there are brought great summes of money for all flagitious facts and vile wickednesse committed wheresoever where no Priesthood is given to any but the first revenues must
noted that Luthers name in Hebrew makes 666. by writing it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lulther O subtil heads What Devil I wot taught that Monk this mysticall ciphering If we write the true name of Luther whether in Hebrew or Greek it will not make the number 666. If in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it s 908. If 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 717. If 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 847. If in Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 637. If 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 703. To be short as often as you change the letters you shall finde an excesse and falsity As touching the name of David Chytraeus if we write it in Greek so as it ought to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it makes the number 1698. which is more then twice the number of the Beast If in Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it will be 709. and what way so ever you alter the letters you may see the excesse and foppery Bellarmin besides the other wresting of the name doth also cut of the last letter ο that so he might extort 666. which shewes his unfaithfulnesse neither is there any great cunning in it Alcasar not much unlike him labours ridiculously to forge the number 666. out of the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is written faulty for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neither can the last vowel saving one being short in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be written with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for as much as ni in Saxonius if pronounced long is barbarous The name Bellarminus Jesuita doth more elegantly by farre yield us the number of the Beast thus written in Hebrew × ×˜ ×™ × ×• ס ×¢ ×™  ס ו × ×™ מ ר × ×œ ל ×¢ ב  1. 9. 10. 1. 6. 60. 70. 10.  60. 6. 50. 10. 40. 200. 1. 30. 30. 70. 2. 666. For so the Germane Iews write רעד der and so in holy writ is rendred by e as in ןועדג Gideon ל××•× ×ž×¢ Emmanuel רצע ×™×‘× Abi ezer c. Notwithstanding I confesse Bellarminus is not the Beast as yet though perhaps he cleave to his horne Some also observe the number of the Beast in the name Ι Ï„ α λ ι κ ά  Ε κ κ λ η σ ί α  10. 300. 1. 30. 10. 20. 1.  5. 20. 20. 30. 8. 200. 10. 1. 666. Or thus one letter being taken out Ἐ κ λ η σ ι α  λ α Ï„ ὶ ν α  5. 20. 30. 8. 200. 10. 1.  30. 1. 300. 10. 50. 1. 666. To which I adde a name most convenient to the Beast Ï€ α Ï Î¬ δ ο σ ι σ  80. 1. 100. 1. 4. 70. 200. 10. 200. 666. For what is the Papacy save a kingdome παÏαδόσεων of traditions Thus with more likelihood the jest might be retorted upon Bellarmin then as Alcasar foolishly feineth it in the words ἡ ά λ α ξ ο ν ί α  β ί ο Ï…  8. 1. 30. 1. 7. 70. 50. 10. 1.  2. 10. 70. 400. 665. in which one is wanting and the article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is cut off which alone maketh 770. But here we may not passe by the Embleme of Pope Paulus V. so as it is in many Books dedicated unto him printed at Rome and Bononia which expresly conteine the number of the Beast P A V L O  V.  V I C E  D E O    5. 50.   5.  5. 1. 100   500.   666. Besides what may be the meaning also of his Ensigne a Dragon flying under an Eagle I leave to them that can understand it about which if you please read Alcasar vestigat pag. 372. for it belongs not to me to declare such great mysteries Now to returne to the matter Although Bellarmin should feine six hundred such like numerall names yet it will no way weaken the force of our argument For we doe not goe about to prove who is Antichrist by the numerall name onely but by the name joyned with other markes of the Beast For example although it would be no sound reasoning thus to reason he that is borne at Bethlehem is the Messias But the Son of Mary is borne at Bethlehem Ergo he is the Messias Yet thus it doth most firmly follow He that is borne at Bethlehem and hath all other propheticall notes of the Messias he is the Messias But the Son of Marie hath them all Therefore he is the Messias So touching Antichrist it will not altogether firmely follow by the numerall name alone but yet it follows most firmely from the numeral name joyned with the rest of the notes of the Beast all concurring in the Pope of Rome as hitherto hath been shewed The Latine Papa Latinus vel Romanus habet nomen numerale bestiae or Romane Pope hath the numerall name of the Beast he hath also the other Apostolicall markes of the Beast or Antichrist Therefore he is the Antichrist V. He saith that Irenaeus professeth himselfe ignorant of Antichrists name and that this the truest opinion I answer he falsyfies Irenaeus words For he saith not that Antichrists name cannot be known But because there are many names of this number therefore he saith it is more certaine and without danger to stay till the prophesie be fulfilled then to suspect and gesse at severall names Now this makes for us against Bellarmin for Irenaeus giues us to understand that the prophesie being fulfilled we may more certainely and safely judge of the name But long agoe the fulfilling of this prophesie began to be accomplished in the Pope of Rome as the comparing of histories and times with this prophesie doth evidently manifest The which if Irenaeus had seen he would undoubtedly have concluded with us that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lateinos was not onely probably but of a certainty the name of the Beast Bellarmin therefore doth here deceitfully require ignorance feining that both he and the generality of men are ignorant of Antichrists name hence concludeth that he is not yet come thereby to turne away the eyes of the simple from the Romish Antichrist As if forsooth that which he will not know or the rude multitude is ignorant of cannot therefore neither be nor be known of others If so then Irenaeus indeed had added in vaine viz. that John sheweth this number of the name that we might avoide him when he commeth knowing who he is Therefore by the number of the name it may be known who he is and so consequently the name it self also VI. At last to draw a vaile over his pretended ignorance he saith that after Antichrist is come his name shall be most manifestly known like as the name of Christ Iesus after Christ was come began to be openly knowne unto all where as before it was unknown unto the Iewes although the Prophets had foretold many things of him as also a certain Sybill in verses had declared the number
for the wickednesse of heathenish Rome which herselfe hath not committed Why then may not the Prophets rejoyce for the destruction of Popish Rome though they were not hurt by her Vnderstanding therefore that these things cannot be put off Riberas new fection about the Pope he is forced necessarily to grant that Popish Rome is Babylon Notwithstanding to keep up the credite of the Pope he deviseth a new prophesie namely that Rome towards the end of the world expelling the Pope with all the Catholick Saints shall againe apostate to their old wickednesse and idolatry And then indeed Rome shall be Babylon and the warehouse of all filthinesse and idolatry when she shall fall off from the Pope and expell him thence with all other Christians Whatsoever therfore Iohn prophesieth touching the ruine burning and horrible plagues of Babylon appertaines saith he to Rome after that she shall have thrust out the Pope Christs Vicar Without which fiction this subtil Writer saw that the Pope of Rome could not be freed from Antichristianisme and thinkes by this artificial device to shift off this our argument He that in the last times holds Babylon the seat of Antichrist is Antichrist The Romish Pope in these last times holds Babylon ROME the seat of Antichrist Therefore the Romish Pope is Antichrist The assumption he labours to weaken not indeed by denying that Rome which the Pope possesseth in the last times is Babylon nor also that Babylon in the last times is the seat of Antichrist But by denying that Rome now so long as it is held by the Pope is the seat of Antichrist Because Rome as he saith before Antichrists comming shall decline to Paganisme and thrust out the Pope But O Ribera by what authours by what Scripture Lyras fiction refuted by what reason wilt thou prove unto us this thy new Oracle or rather dotage hitherto unheard of even among Papists as I. That Rome at length shall fall from Christianity and returne to Heathenisme II. That she shall drive out her most holy father the Pope and give place to Antichrist The latter indeed of these thou thinkest to make out well enough after this manner That as long as Rome is obedient to the Pope so great evills cannot befall her Because the Pope is Christs Vicar And that Rome so long as the Pope is present shall be the maintainer and mistresse of the Apostolicall faith and mansion of piety Not therfore to be destroyed before the Pope be driven thence But O friend thou seest not how often thou dost beg the question and how many things thou takest for granted not onely doubtfull unto us but also incredible to the Papists themselves I let passe thy common assertion that the Pope is Christs Vicar Thou must prove I. That Babylon and Rome to be ruinated is to fall to Heathenisme Certainely herein thou hast Alcasar opposing thee who on the contrary faineth more absurdly that Romes ruine is her conversion to Christianity II. That Rome having the Pope present with her Roma est jam tota Lupanar is the mistresse of the Apostolicall faith and mansion house of godlinesse of which it was long agoe truely said Rome is now wholy a Brothelhouse III. That Rome the most holy citie having her Pope and Cardinals there present but perhaps fallen into a fatall Lethargie should cast off the profession of Christianity and decline to the idols of the Heathens IV. That Rome being thus fallen to heathenisme the Pope with his Cardinalls shall miserably be deprived and thrust out of the seat and patrimony of Saint Peter Now unlesse these things be solidly proved by thee all men may see that our argument stands firme and proves the Pope to be Antichrist To the first Riberas reasons touching Romes falling away examined second and fourth Ribera saith nothing But the third of Romes declining from Christianity to Pagan idolarry he indeavours to prove by some reasons I. He saith that the place of ancient Rome was of old stained with abominable wickednesse and therefore of necessity she must one time or other be purged by fire But first he may as easily prove the apostacy of the whole Christian world unto Heathenisme For we know that of old the whole world was full of abominable wickednesse Secondly that which he saith touching the defilement of ancient Rome is true indeed But I wonder how any can without crimen laesae majestatis object unto the Popes holinesse that the guiltinesse of ancient Rome should not yet be expiated by the religion and holinesse of so many ages What have not so many Processions Masses Consecrations Prayers so many merits of holy Popes for these thousand yeeres been able to purge away the defilement of ancient Rome Besides what can be more contumeliously spoken then that the Pope the most holy Vicar of Christ should have his seat in a place defiled with such horrible wickednesse and offences Ribera contradicts himselfe And how doth this agree with what thou saidst before that Rome under the government of her Pope is the mansion of piety if so be that as yet it be not purged from its old guilt and defilement Let Ribera looke to it how herein he may answer the Popes holinesse II. He saith that there are many to this day at Rome who boast that they are of the name and stock of the old Romanes And therefore it is probable that they shall againe fall to the idolatry and wickednesse of their Ancestours and so be destroyed But this also is altogether frivolous and a most injurious infamie and accusation of the noble families of Rome For it is certaine that in Constantines time there were many more noble families of the pedegree of the ancient Romanes then now who notwithstanding forsaking the idolatry of their forefathers embraced the faith of Christ so neither will it necessarily follow that the ancient families which yet remaine at Rome should fall away from Christianity But put the cause they should He argueth the Pope of extream neglect doth not the Iesuite herein accuse the Pope Cardinals Bishops and all the Iesuites which then shall live in Rome of extreem negligence in not performing their duty but to suffer all the people committed to their charge to fall away from the faith of Christ What shall all of them fall into so dead a sleep Or rather now by their impiety and heathenish riot make way to such horrible prophanenesse Let the Iesuite againe see too how he will answer these things III. He saith howbeit they are not of the linnage of the ancient Romanes yet forasmuch as they dwell in the same city the which they inhabited they are to be accounted as one body with them But by this reason the Pope and Cardinals too are one body with the Romane Pagans and guilty of the same apostacy seeing they also dwell at Rome Thus the Pope should be the head of that body and city which is one with the
doe-tumultuously rage without let or punishment promising to themselves perpetuall prosperity Lest therefore the faithfull should be discouraged seeing the sonne of perdition thus to rage and themselves overwhelmed with divers sorrows and calamities here the last judgement is propounded to John in which shall follow a wonderfull change of things For then the Wheat shall be gathered into the heavenly Barne and the chaffe burned with unquenchable fire This I say is the scope and use of the remaining matter in the Chapter But in the coherence of these things with the foregoing I finde all equally at a stay as not perceiving wherefore the last judgement is here againe represented Touching the Coherence interpreters are troubled seing it was before shewed unto John Chap. 6. towards the end Chap. 11. towards the end and afterward againe in Chap. 16. and most clearely in the end of Chapters 19. 20. Ribera as before Chap. 11 hath nothing to say save that the day of judgement is here described by an anticipation because the context of the things themselves requires that the punishment of the wicked be here described But no reason can be given why these judgements should be so often described and that indeed at the end of every Vision except our method be observed in which we have noted that all the generall visions consist of foure Acts answering each to other This therefore is the true cause why the last judgement is here againe represented because the last Act of the fourth Vision now followeth Let us see the words And I saw This is the last part of the vision The last Iugdement figured out by the Harvest and Vintage The day of judgement is figured out by two types The Harvest and Vintage because there shall be two acts of the same The gathering of the godly into heaven and the casting of the wicked into hell fire The former is set forth by the Harvest in which the wheat shall be gathered into the barne according to the parable of Christ Mat. 13.30 The latter by the Vintage because the wicked shall be troaden downe in the lake of Gods wrath that is be tormented with eternall paines of hell So these types may not unfitly be distinguished Notwithstanding it is not amisse to difference them as the whole and part For the Harvest shall not onely gather the wheat out of the Lords field into the garner but also burne the tares that are gathered as we see in the said parable Mat. 13. Thus the Harvest should represent the whole judgement But the vintage shall cast and tread all the grapes in the lake of Gods wrath Now the godly shall not be cast into this lake for they shall not come into condemnation Ioh. 5.24 But the ungodly onely And therefore by the vintage the punishment of the wicked seemes onely to be represented Thus much of the parables in generall And behold a white cloud The person of Christ the Iudge is gloriously discribed in this verse by foure adjuncts 1. by his forme that he is like to the Son of man 2. by the gesture of body he sits on a white cloud 3. by his habit he hath on his head a Crown of Gold 4. By the Instrument He holds in his hand a sharpe Sicle In these words is no obscurity therefore I will not dwell on them They who deny or doubt as Ribera and Brightman that the Son of man doth here denote Christ because it is not said the Son of man but like to the Son of man Neither with an article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seeme in my opinion to ground it on a very slight conjecture For in Dan. 7.13 It is plain Christ is said to be like to the Son of man I saw in the clouds of Heaven as it were the Son of man And Paul Philip 2.7 Being made in the likenesse of men he was found in fashion or habit as a man And Rom. 8. He sent his son in the likenesse of sinfull flesh And Heb. 2.14 He likewise tooke part of flesh and blood and Verse 17. It behoved him to bee made like his brethren In which Phrases the verity of Christs humane nature is not denyed but the priviledge of the Man-Christ is noted that though he bee like unto us in all things yet is he not like us man onely but God also neither as man is he borne a sinner of mans seed but conceived and begotten of a Virgin by the operation of the Holy Ghost being not defiled with any staine of sinne That which they say of the Article is infirme For before also in Chap. 1.13 Iohn saw CHRIST 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like to the Son of man without an Article standing in the middest of the seven Candlestickes Here he sees him sitting as a Iudge on his Tribunall On a white cloud Noting his divine Majesty For God in the Psalms is often said to be carried and ride on the clouds because of his heavenly power This white cloud is that throne of glory whereon Christ saith he will sit Mat. 25.31 The which throne he himselfe interprets of the clouds of heaven Mat. 26.64 Hereafter yee shall see the Sonne of man sitting on the right hand of power and comming in the clouds of heaven according to that in Dan. 7.13 The crown of gold on his head is the ensigne of his Kingly Majesty In Chap. 19.12 he hath many Diadems on his head and on his thigh a name written The King of kings and Lord of lords The Beast also had crownes on his hornes but not of gold and ten onely This Iudge therefore is more powerfull then Antichrist and all tyrants for with an iron rod he will crush all adversaries as a potters vessell in the day of judgement The sharp sickle of a reaper which is in his hand to wit in his right hand denotes Christs judicary and divine power to whom it is as easle to execute his judgement on the whole earth as for reapers with a sharp sickle to cut down the ripe corne ANDREAS the sickle saith he is a symbole of consummation for Christ himself cals the end of the world a harvest Mat. 13. 15. Another Angell came out of the temple This Angell and the other two comming forth out of the temple and altar vers 17.18 are not preachers of the Gospell as Brightman supposeth for at the harvest and vintage of the last judgement preaching shall cease but it is one of the chiefe Ministers of Christ by whom he will execute the judgement He comes out of the Temple to wit of heaven as vers 17. before Chap. 11.19 By and by another comes forth from the Altar of Heaven which is visionally to be taken because properly there is no Temple nor Altar in heaven but formerly in Ierusalem it was fashioned and made according to the heavenly patterne The great cry of the Angell saith ANDREAS denotes the common supplication of all vertues desiring to see the glory indeed of
other cities of the nations But what Great City is here intended Vndoubtedly The great City broken into parts see chap 11 8. 14 8 17.18 the same in whose streets the bodies of the two witnesses did lie unburied Chap. 11.8 that is the Citie Dominion and Church of Rome which is the Kingdome of Antichrist being as it were one Great City because it is governed by one head the Pope Brightman includes the Turkish kingdome or Empire because here is treated of the totall destruction of all the ungodly But the Mahumetane tyrannie is more rightly comprehended under the Cities of the Nations that so wee might take notice that Rome is set forth by the Great City both formerly here and in the following Chapter also The Allegory of some seems to me not to be proper namely that the great Citie that is the universallity of men shall be divided into three parts that is in the last time there shall be found three sorts of men in the Church Christians Papists and Neutralls for these three sorts shall not then take their beginning seeing they have already bin a long while in the world Ribera following Andreas makes Jerusalem to be this great citie understanding the division of it into three parts to be three sorts of people living in the same Christians Iews and Saracenes But the following Chapter doth evidently shew that not Ierusalem but Rome is this citie as standing on seven Mountaines and in Iohns time having dominion and power over the Kings of the earth and therefore Alcasar doth justly reject this opinion although himselfe doth wholly erre from the scope Neither is it materiall that Ribera supposeth that Rome must be overthrowne before these things do happen unto which also Brightman seemes to assent in his exposition on the fifâ— Viall for of this wee shall see more in the following Chapter however the Iesuite erreth feining that Rome shall be destroyed before Antichrists rising seeing Iohn in Chapter 11. and againe Chap. 17. doth not obscurely make the great City standing on seven hills to be the Seat of Antichrist But how long before the end Rome shall be cut off the Lord knoweth If some time before it makes nothing against the sense by us alleadged For by the great City we are not onely to understand the walles and streets of Rome but all places wherever the Romish Antichrist hath any jurisdiction which as the Iesuite confesseth may stand although Rome bee destroyed before even unto this last Earthquake And the Cities of the Nations fell Wee have heard of the ruine of Rome Antichrist and his kingdom Now is added what happened to the other Adversarie kingdomes They also fell by the foresaid Earthquake for the Cities of the Nations I take to be the kingdoms Provinces Forts and power of the Barbarians not belonging to Antichrists kingdom as Iewes Turkes Saracens and the like dispersed throughout the whole world which shall all at the same time be ruinated And thus it must necessarily be understood for if here we should understand the Nations figuratively viz. of the Antichristian Papists who worshippe God after the manner of the heathens as it is before taken in Chapter 11.1 it would seem to be a tautologie not to be approved of And great Babylon came into remembrance before God That which before he called the Great City here he calles it great Babylon and so much we may plainely gather from the voice of the second Angel Babylon is fallen is fallen that great City Chapter 15.8 18.10 Wherefore I see no reason why we should here seeke for another Babylon to wit a new Rome that is Constantinople as Brightman supposeth for seeing Constantinople to this day and so without doubt shall continue in Mahumetisme and idolatry the same shall fall with the Cities of the Nations But to imagine that the Westerne Christians after Popery shall bee aboâ—shed and also drive the Turke out of the East and recover or overthrow Constantinople the Metropolis of the Turkish Empire this I say seemes to me to be a thing rather to be wished then expected in regard that our owne sinnes shall fight for the Turke even against our selves untill such time that the great Citie Babylon and all the Cities of the nations shall be utterly overthrowne by the universall Earthquake Wherefore then doth he repeat the name of the great City I answer hee doth it by an Emphaticall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or reversion that we may not thinke the division which before he spake of to be small or to happen by chance but understand the just and horrible judgement of God in the destruction thereof for then the Lord will give unto her the cup of the fury of his wrath by which phrase is signified the most fearfull judgement of God executed on her in regard of her idolatry and tyranny according to the threatning of the third Angell Chap. 14.10 as if he had said The great City is broken Babylon I say the great is come into remembrance before God that forasmuch as she hath made drunk the world with the wine of her fornication she herselfe also shall have her fill of the cup of the fury of Gods wrath that is God will punish her in a horrible manner Shee is said to come into remembrance before God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or after the manner of men For God did seeme for a thousand years and more to connive and forget her as it were in not punishing her wicked Idolatry and tyranny but at last by his horrible judgements he will make it knowne that she was never out of his remembrance and that he never approved of her flagitious workes Now in what sense and how many wayes both in the good and evill part God is said to forget and to remember and wherefore the Scripture speaketh thus of God we have fully expounded in our Commentary on Genesis touching these words And God remembred Noah Chap. 8.1 20. And every Island fled away The third kind of wonders are in the Sea Signes in the Sea intimating how they that live though never so remote in the Islands shall also be overwhelmed by this fatall Earthquake for every Island shall flee away that is shall vanish away and perish either by water or fire Now by Islands the Hebrews understand all places seated neer the Sea The Mountaines also which are either in the Islands or other mediterranean places shall not be able to shelter the adversaries because there shall none be found but all bee swallowed up by the violence of the Earthquake In the dayes of Noah when the flood came men ranne to the Mountaines for safety and at the destruction of Ierusalem Christ counselled his disciples to flee unto the Mountaines But here now the wicked cannot flee to the Islands or Mountaines because then they shall not be by a like manner of Speech the end of the world is set forth afterward in Chap. 20.11 Before in the Antichristian
Heavenly glory The same thing the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doe import not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for her husband not for her spouse Then therefore she shall bee delivered unto her Husband for before the Marriage-Feast the Bride is preparing for her Bridegroome but the Feast being ended for her Husband For he who was before the Bridegroom is then a Husband 3. And I heard a great voyce Thus much touching the things he saw a new heaven and a new earth and the Heavenly Ierusalem adorned like a Bride Now he recordeth what he heard a two-fold voyce one unknowne the other of one that sate on the Throne both confirme the happinesse of the Bride The former voyce comes from heaven Therefore it sheweth joyfull and true tidings unto the Bride It was GREAT vehemently piercing Iohns eares that he might give good heed because the matter delivered is weighty But what was it Behold the Tabernacle of God with men As if he should say the Marriage-Feast is ended Hence forward the Bridegroom and Bride shall dwel together under one roofe for ever And he wil dwell with them An allusion unto the Bridegroomes abode with the Bride after the Marriage-Feast Now he fully comprehends the happinesse of the Bride as above Chap. 7.15.16 in two parts the fruition of all manner of good things and freedom from all evill The chiefe good is God To enjoy his presence and the sight of his face is the chiefest felicitie This hee seems to describe by a two-fold reason his presence and his communion with men Touching his presence he saith the Tabernacle of God is with men The which Tabernacle least it might be thought to be emptie and transitorie he addes And he will dwell with them Rev. 7.15 intimately and unseparably as above 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which seemeth to sound His Tabernacle shall be upon them namely thereby to refresh and preserve them from the heat of the Sunne By an allusion unto places subject to the Sun where men in respect of the heat hide themselves in Tabernacles or Caves under the Earth But here he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he will dwell with them be in one house as it were constantly and perpetually with them Therefore they shall enjoy the perpetuall sight and presence of God By Men he understandeth not al The habitation of Gods grace and glory but the Elect acquitted in Iudgement Now he speaketh of no personall habitation like as God the Word dwelleth in the temple of his flesh but of grace and glory But doth not God now also dwell with his Church Yea verily according to the promise in Levitic 26.11 whence this whole place seems to be taken and is repeated by Paul 2. Cor. 6. but he shall then dwell with us after another manner then now hee doth For here he hath dwelt with us 1. Personally in Christ 2. By his gratious presence in the Church bestowing on her the benefits of the Gospell and first fruits of the Spirit Then he will dwell with us through his glorious presence fully enriching the Saints with Heavenly brightnesse and glory and he shall be all in all and we shall see him as he is face to face Touching his communion with us it is added And they shall be his people and God himselfe shall be with them and be their God Now also he is our God and we are his people but this communion is onely by inchoated grace for now he bestoweth grace upon every one of us but in part 1. Cor. 13.9 Eph. 4.7 1. Cor. 12.11 2. Cor. 3.18 Phil. 3.21 Mat 13.43 1. Ioh. 3.2 according to the measure of the gift of Christ as he will Then shall be the consummated communication of glory when with open face we shall all behold the glory of the Lord and be changed into the same image from glory to glory when he shall change our vile bodie that it may be fashioned like unto the glorious bodie of his Sonne they shall shine as the sunne we shall be like unto â—im the proportion notwithstanding being kept that is between the head and the members The summe is Then the promise made unto the Church Lev. 26.11 shall be most fully perfected I will set my tabernacle amongst you and my soule shall not abhorre you I will walke in the midst of you and ye shall be my people and I will be your God Now God dwelleth with us by communication of grace then hee shall dwell in us by communication of glory the which eye hath not seen nor eare heard 1. Cor. 2.4 neither hath it entred into the heart of man 4. And God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes The second part of felicity is that we shall be subject to no miseries vexation or troubles of this life To be free from evill is a great happinesse of which also God is Author For he will free his people from all evill Now he reckons up five kinds of evill making this life bitter under which the opposite good things are to be understood The evils accompaning this life Teares Teares are expressed by the feeling of evill Now this life what is it but a vale of teares But then God will wipe away all teares from our eyes that is he will make it that we shall weepe no more by taking away all cause of teares turning our teares into joy according to the promise They which sow in teares Ps 126.6 shall reape in joy The phrase is taken out of Isa 25.8 and is an allusion unto the naturall affection of a mother to her child which useth to flatter the crying babe and wipe away the teares thereof And death shall be no more Neither the first nor second Isa 25.8 for it shall bee cast into the Lake of fire and utterly abolished according to the promise Hee will swallow up death in victory But hath not Christ by his death overcome death long agoe True but not as yet swallowed it up Notwithstanding although we now remaine subject unto corporall death yet whatsoever in it belongs to punishment that Christ hath taken away But then he shall abolish death wholly In the meane while he converteth the corporall death of the Saints into a resting from sinne and a passage to life for whither we live Rom. 14.8 Col. 3.4 Rom. 8.38 or whither we die wee are the Lords Christ is the life of the dead neither can death separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus Now death being taken away what shal then follow but life everlasting Neither mourning As now we do for the death of friends and losse of such as are deare unto us This shall not bee then because there shall bee no death Our friends departed shal be restored unto us to see salute and rejoyce for ever with them Nor cry Which ariseth out of the evills turmoyles disturbances of this life For there shall bee everlasting peace and tranquilitie all tumults
of this trumpet and denouncing new woes vers 12. The second part concerneth the events of the sixt trumpet consisting also of four members I. A heavenly commandement to unloose the four Angels of Euphrates vers 13.14 II. The execution of this commandement or the unloosing of the Angels vers 15. III. Their furniture and weapons vers 16.17 IV. The wofull effect The third part of men were killed vers 18. as also an amplification of the reason drawen from the facility thereof v. 19. The third part is a foreshewing of the stupidity of the rest of men and their hardening in sin both against the first table by serving and worshipping of idols vers 20. as also against the second table by murthers sorceries fornication thefts vers 21. The summe of all is this't The rising of the Eastern and Western Antichrists the two greatest enemies of the Church is here foretold The first whereof should destroy the Church by locusts The other by horses the which how and when it should be accomplished the fathers before Gregorie could not understand as not so much as once imagining of the histories and events which we now have and behold with our eyes Hence we may note the vanity of theâ— apists who enquire of us where the fathers as Augustine Ambrose Hierome Chrisostome and others have written that the Pope of Rome is Antichrist neverthelesse they have not spared to affirme that he should be of the LATINES and many other things of which more hereafter They had heard indeed the four trumpets and some of them saw a great declyning of the Romish chaire But as yet the fift trumpet had not sounded which Gregorie beginning to hear confidently affirmed that Antichrist was even at the dore having an armie of Priests prepared for him and that it should bee hee who called himself or desired the title of VNIVERSAL Priest This I say Gregorie saw confidently affirmed which also was accomplished as histories testifie three yeeres after his death Now let us heare the fift trumpet taking notice in the first place that the sixt trumpet doth not follow the fift in order but by way of a parallel they sounded both at one time differing indeed in the qualitie of events and places For the fift doth prefigure the dissipation of the Western Churches And the sixt those of the East both I say at one time but in diverse parts of the Christian world by diverse weapons or meanes The sound of the fift trumpet 1. And the fift Angel sounded I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth and to him was given the key of the bottomlesse pit 2. And he opened the bottomlesse pit and there arose a smoake out of the pit as the smoake of a great furnace the Sun and the air was darkned by reason of the smoak of the pit 3. And there came out of the smoake locusts upon the earth unto them was given power as the scorpions of the earth have power 4. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the graffe of the earth neyther any green thing neyther any tree but onely those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads 5. And to them it was given that they should not kill them but that they should be tormented five moneths their torment was as the torment of a scorpion when he striketh a man 6. And in those dayes shall men seek death shall not finde it shall desire to die and death shall flee from them 7. And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared to battel on their heads were as it were crowne like gold and their faces were as the faces of men 8. And they had hair as the hair of women and their teeth were as the teeth of lions 9. And they had breast-plates as it were breast-plats of iron the sound of their wings was as the sound of charets of many horses running to battell 10. And they had tails like unto scorpions and there were stings in their tails and their power was to hurt men five moneths 11. And they had a king over them which is the angel of the bottomlesse pit whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon 12. One woe is past behold there come two woes more hereafter THE COMMENTARIE ANd the fift Angel sounded Many without cause much trouble themselves about this Angel who he was For my owne part I will onely take notice of the apparition shewed to John at the sounding of this trumpet Hee saw a star falling down from heaven upon the earth It is strange there should be such diversities of opinions about this starre and the actions thereof seeing the matter in it self is not obscure There are not a few who make this Angel to bee the devill thurst out of heaven for his pride alluding to that in Isai 14.12 How art thou fallen from heaven O Lucifer Son of the morning how art thou cut down to the ground which didst weaken the nations Luk. 10.18 And to that of Christ in the Gospell I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven The smoak and darkning of the sunne they understand to be the blindnesse of men The Locusts to be evill Angels the hurting a misteading of men But this is to generall and confused For wherefore should an historie so ancient and wel known to the Churches bee exhibited unto Iohn as if it were a new prophesie under an obscure type The inconveniency whereof even Ribera himself saw and refuted howbeit that which hee alledgeth is to no better purpose Riberas opinion For he takes him to bee some good Angel to whom was given the key of the bottomlesse pit that bee might as a minister of Gods righteous judgements open the same Others will have this Angel to be Christ who in Chap. 1.18 20.1 is said to have the key of the bottomlesse pit But the things attributed here to this Angel can not possiblie be applied to Christ as the falling down from heaven the raysing of smoak onâ— of the pit darkning of the Sunne c. Neverthelesse Iunius is of this minde alledging that in Gen. 14.10 24.64 Hebr. 6.6 to falt signifies to descend To which I answer it is one thing to fall and another thing to fall from heaven Now this latter for the most part in scripture is taken in an evill sence Isai 14.19 Matt. 24.29 Revel 8.10 as on the contrary to come down from heaven is taken in a good sence Psa 144.5 Bow the heavens O Lord come down 2 King 1.12 Lâ—t fire come down from heaven Revel 3.12 Hierusalem comes down out of heaven from God 10 Chap. 10.2 16.21 18.1 20.21 21.2.10 Lyra thinkes Valens the Emperour to be this starre Lyraes opinion who for some time was a good Catholick but seduced by his wife Eudoxius an Arian priest he