wherat the world then not without cause was astonied at this the enemies doe at this day beholde with so heavie eyes It seemeth that there shal be the same suiftnes of the following rewards which a man shall see given before he shall heare that they were to be given and therfore in place they goe before the admonition which also noe lesse they shall goe before in time You therefore o Pastists you againe I speake unto if peradventure the Spirit hath given any of you eares that you may heare attend diligently those things which have bin spoken See what a one is your Rome which you embrace with so great reverence and whether you ran the last yeare to celebrate your wicked Iubiles shee is not a holy virgine as you are perswaded falsly but a most impudent Jezabell a most cruell murderesse of the saints from whom wee ought rather to fly into anie wildernes with Eliah then to runne to her by sea by land leaving at home the most chaste spouse of Christ Behold also that this sorceresse had lyensike now many yeares agone can you otherwise deny it which calleth the Turke to come upon the Christian world expelleth our brethren out of their places of abode turneth them out from their goods spoiled them of their children and wives and constrayneth them to be carried away into most cruell servitude and heapeth many calamityes upon us all which are farre of from that burning hatred And not onely these thinges at this present but which shall bring finally an horrible death upon you her children Can it be doubtfull to any who shall weigh diligently these things with himselfe but that wee ought to flee very soone very farr from this plague and mischiefe The Spirit give you eares to heare I will speake noe more to them of whom the trueth is esteemed a bare signification of the â—ill of God shal be sufficient let him be filthy still who shall contemne this I will turne my selfe to the unfoulding of those things that remayne Chap. 3. AND to the Angell of the Church which is at Sardis wrighte These things sayeth he that hath the seaven Spirits of God and the seaven starres I know thy workes to wit that thou art said to live but thou art dead 2 Be vigilant strengthen the things that remaine ready to dy for I have not found thy workes perfit before God 3 Remember therfore how thou hast receaved and heard and observe repent That if thou doest not watch J will come against thee as a thiefe neither shalt thou know what houre J will come against thee 4 Notwithstanding thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments and therfore they shall walke with me in white for they are worthy 5 He that overcometh shal be clothed with white garments neither will I ever put his name out of the booke of life but will professe his name before my father and before his Angels 6 Let him that hath an eare heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches 7 And to the Angell of the Church of Philadelphia write These things saith he that is holy and true which hath the key of David which openeth and noe man shutteth shutteth and noe man openeth 8 J know thy workes beholde I have set before thee an open dore neither is any man able to shut it because thou hast a little strength and hast kept my worde and hast not denyed my name 9 Beholde I will give those which are the Synagogue of Sathan that is of them which say they are Iewes and are not Beholde I say J will cause them to come and worship before thy feete and to know that I have loved thee 10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience I also will keepe thee from the time of tentation which shall come upon the whole world to try the inhabitans of the earth 11 Behold J come quickly holde that which thou hast that no man may take thy crowne 12 Him that overcometh I will make to be a pillar in the Temple of my God neither shall he goe forth any more and J will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God that is of the new Jerusalem which cometh downe from heaven from my God and my new name 13 Let him that hath an eare heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches 14 And to the Angell of the Church of the Laodiceans write These things saith Amen that faithfull and true witnesse the beginning of the worke of God 15 I know thy workes to wit that thou art neither cold nor whote I would thou wert eyther cold or whote 16 Therefore because thou art lukewarme neither cold nor whote it shall come to passe that I will spewe the out of my mouth 17 For thou sayst J am rich and increased with goods need 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 fyre that thou mayest be rich and white garments that thou mayest be clothed and that the shame of thy nakednes may not appeare and that thou anointe thyne eyes with eye salve that thou mayest see 19 As many as I love J rebuke and chastice 20 Be hotte therfore and repente Beholde J stand at the dore and knocke if any shall heare my voyce and open the dore I will come into him and suppe with him he with mee 21 He that shall overcome J will give him that he may sit with me in my throne as I haue overcome and sit with my father in his throne 22 Let him that hath an eare heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches The Analysis THERE be three Epistles of this chapter One to the Sardenses an other to the Philadelpphienses the last to the Laodiceans Neither are they without cause included in one chapter seeing they are of nature somewhat divers from the former For the former were further distant one from an other so they had Antitypes of a longer time But these are both severed one from another with lesser distances and also wee shall find the Churchches directly answering unto them to be of a more conioined tyme. The Epistle to the Sardenses after the inscription to the Angell describeth the SeÌ„der from the seaven Spirits and seaven starres after it addeth the Narration Which reproveth him that he carrieth the name and some shewe of life wheÌ„ in very deede he was dead ver 1 but togither also he teacheth the remedy which is double the first consisteth in confirming the other things that are ready to dy For it should come to passe that by the iust iudgment of God many should dy who so should punish the neglect of lawfull and iust ameÌ„ndement ver 2. The second that he should remember what things he had received and should repent Which admonition lest he a should negligently regarde he is sharpened
that is given to him that sitteth on the throne is thankesgiving in which the Beasts goe before as the captaines standerd-beates of the publike congregation ver 9. Afterward the other body of the Elders followeth both in adoration ver 10. also in consent to the same glorifying ver 11. after that custome wherby God is worshipped in the christian congregations Such is the congregation of the Godly before God and some such might be alwayes although not evident and visible to the world in equall glory at all times Scholions Afterward J saw Those things being declared which are of some short time nowe the Spirit those boundes being enlarged pursueth with a continued order those thinges which should shewe the comon and entyre face of things from the time of this writing unto the last ende The handling of which things wil be admirable neither wil be accomplished and performed without his ayde alone which shewed these thinges first to his servant Trusting therefore to his grace I will proceed in the worke begun Vnto the finishing whereof howsoever other things shal be wanting certenly faithfulnes and diligence in searching out to my power shall not be wanting These first wordes are perteining to a newe preparation unto a newe prophesy For Iohn is noe more conversant on the earth but is taken up into heaven where through a doore opened he beholdeth wonderfull changes of things that were to be knowne by noe other way Therfore the manner of the Prophesy following is divers from the former That former is straighter even as also the place where it was seen a small Iland compassed with the sea this spred farre and neere passing all measure even as also the heaven it selfe containing all things within his compasse Furthermore a certen visible print and signe of thinges to come was there to be seene in those seaven cityes For the Churches that after were to be inlarged increased should be pourtrayed and drawne out by the will of God according to the present image and figure of them but there was noe token or shew among mortall men of the things to be spoken of in this second prophesy For the peculiar iudgements of which there is most speach here are to be fetched from that secret revelation alone Vnto the heaven then where liberty of this vision was given is added afterward the booke sealed with seaven seales then noe creature sufficient to open the same nor any sufficient power of any one except of the Lambe onely as wee shall see in his place All which things as they declare the excellency of this Prophecy so they require our greater attention and earnest bending of our mindes to them As touching the wordes the first voice is heard because there is the same author of both Prophecies and soundeth like a trumpet wherby the thinges heard may be made more certen and out of doubte might be perceived the better of Iohn as hath ben observed at chap. 1.10 It biddeth to come up hither where onely the things might be seene of which there was noe tracke or path made in the earth And he would not that he should see a farre of as through the doore by which meanes he might be deceaved or not see the thinge playnely enough but that he should be present and before him that he might have a certen undoubted knowledge of the things But that which followeth is not voyde of doubting howe he may say that he will shewe a vision of things which must be done after these For whether should the following Prophesy not take her beginning before that former of the seaven Churches should attayne his ende But in them wee see is intreated of thinges of our time or if wee respect the bare types many thinges to come were fore shewed moreover in those thinges that followe it shall noe lesse appeare that Iohn doth tell of things agreeing with their owne times so that the wordes cānot be so understood by any meanes Wherfore neither is that distribution firme wherein the whole Prophecy is distinguished into thinges present and future The Spirit followeth not such distribution but mixeth many future thinges with present as they are counted Wherfore these wordes after these thinges are not refferred in respect of their beginning to the end of the former prophecy but unto the present age of Iohn yea unto that very moment wherin the Spirit revealed these thinges from whence a newe beginning be in taken he describeth the continuall course and terme of time of the whole Church and annexeth those things which could not be understood sufficiently from the former types Therefore Theod. Beza well translated heta tauta by and adverbe hereafter But in respect of the end not without cause this second Prophecy is counted after the former as being of a farre longer time reaching unto the last cōming of Christ wheras that former is termined with farre narrower boundes Frō these things therfore there are as wee take it two things chiefly to be observed First that from this place those things onely are handled which doe follow the tyme of the revelation made For so he speaketh playnely And J will shew thee the thinges that must be done hereafter Which being marked of certen Interpreters I mervayle was not observed in their expositions But the times through the whole treatise to be confounded so by a whirlewinde that all thinges were wrapped in most thicke darcknes Wee being taught by their exemple wee will borowe light from hence for the exposition following The second that this Prophesy belongeth to the whole Church which is neither tyed to any particular Churches nor is ended with any other boundes then the whole frame of the world The Spirit set in the first place that particular Prophesy that he might relate comon thinges commonly without interrupting of the narration 2 Therfore I was suddenly ravished in the Spirit Here is the same authority altogither which was before as well from the person calling as from the persone called For it is the same holy inspiration of God which he mentioned in the first chapter verse 10. But what neede was there of a newe inspiration Had the former ceased that in a certen distance of time it might be kindled a fresh Without doubt the instinction was continuall without intermission but he saith that it was suddenly in the Spirit because the Spirit did frame him to receave newe visions unto which he perceived himselfe prepared forthwith The whole Revelation seemeth to have ben finished in that one Lords day chap 1.10 and therefore that there fell out noe intermission after that it began once to be exhibited ¶ And beholde a Throne was placed in heaven Such was the preparation by a newe calling now he cometh to the cōmon type of the holy Church The description of which was necessary before he should enter into the other Prophesy For when as her manifolde dangers and notable alteratiōs were to be rehearsed her flight returne
they wer removed froÌ„ their place office whose genealogie was not found Nehem. 7 61.64.65 The Gospel is in truth savoury to no man neither doth any man give his name to it from his heart but he who is written in the book of life and in the booke of his heart hath a writing answering the same word for word 13 And the Sea gave up her dead The way wherby they that are to be iudged are presented before the iudgement seate to weet the Iewes wer gathered from all the corners of the earth as in the generall resurrection nothing shal hinder by what kinde of death soever any hath perished but that a body shal be restored to him Yet notwithstanding when as the Sea signifyeth corrupt and false doctrine by this also is noted that those Iewes which live in Christian countreyes of which sort are very many in Spaine France Germany Italy as it were in the bosome and compasse of the Popish sea of which we have spoken so many things before shal open their eyes to acknowledg the truth and shal fly togither at the light thereof ¶ Death ulso and hell gave up A Synecdoche of the general as though he should say and al that have dyed of any other death It must needs be that the karkeise be drowned in the sea or be covered with earth or rot in the aire or be consumed of the fire or devoured of beasts or some like thing As touching the drowning he said before the sea as touching the grave now he saith hell Death conteineth all the rest But seeing death restoreth those Iewes which live in the Christian landes and are infected with the Romish superstition death and hell shal restore them that shall live among Turkes and Heathen who are banished further off from salvation and are conversant in the inner parts of hell it selfe For so are al those nations of whom the name of Christ is either hated or not heard Neverthelesse it maketh no matter whither a man perish by sea or land either among Christians or among the enemies of this name 14 But hell and death A special execution on death Therfore as after the general resurrection no death shal raigne any more in the world besides that eternal which shal alwayes feed up and not consume the wicked so after the Church shal be restored by that full calling of the Iewes death and the grave shal raigne no more in her as of old while as scourges they alwayes lay upon the shoulders of the offenders but onely they shal serve to translate the elect into the Kingdome of heaven whereupoÌ„ they shall loose their former name They are cast into a lake of fâ—re not because either death or hell susteyne any person but because that which is proper to men is attributed to them as though he should say there shal be no torment any more eyther of death or hel but in the lake of fire where the reprobate dye for ever But from hence observe that seing hel is cast into the lake of fyre that is into hell properly so caled that it obtaineth an other proper signification then that which commonly is given to it in our mothers tongue It is takeÌ„ of many for the place of the damned but commonly it noteth not any thing but the grave and the common state of the dead as may be learned from this and other places of this booke 15 And whosoever was not found None shal be gathered into this Church but he that shal be of the elect How excellent is this preheminence of the Church which shal not be defiled with any hypocrites and counterfait Christians as before time How faire is this field which shall abounde with most fruitful corne without any tares and darnel Whatsoever is found in this nette may be laied up in a safe vessel Therfore it cannot be declared in words how amiable this most glorious spouse shal be It may come to passe that some may fall some time through humane infirmitie but holy admonitions and wholsome correction shal bring them againe to good thrift and repentance But shal every one of the Iewes be such Some shal not embrace the truth as is manifest from Daniel many arising to shame and perpetual contempt chap. 12.2 And we shal learne from the chapter folowing that some doggs shal be excluded without this city But they which now shal refuse the truth shal shew forth a manifest token of their reprobatioÌ„ that the Church shal not be subiect to be deceived any more Wherfore in this renewing the goodnesse and power of God shal be most famous through the whole world VVhich shal restore wretched men so wonderfully and make so singular choise of them whom he wil redeem But see how the godly shal receive comfort from hence For wheras every most holy man might iustly tremble through conscience of their sinns against this feare we have here a notable confirmation that election by Christ setteth us free from guilt CHAP. 21. AFTER I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away and the sea was no more extant 2 And J Iohn saw the holy city the new Ierusalem come down from God out of heaven prepared as a bride trimmed for her husband 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying behold the tabernacle of God is among men and he wil dwel with them and they shall be his people and God himselfe shal be with them their God 4 And God shal wipe all teares from their eyes and death shal be no more neither neither sorow neither crying neither shal ther be any more paine because the former things are past 5 And he that sate upon the throne said behold J make all things new And he said unto me write for these words are true and faithfull 6 And he said unto mee it is done J am Alpha and Omega the beginning the ende I wil give to him that is a thirst of the well of the waters of life freely 7 He that overcometh shall inherite all things and I will be his God and he shal be my sonne 8 But the fearfull and unbeleeving and abominable and murtherers whore mongers and sorcerers and Idolaters and all lyars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death 9 And ther came to mee one of the seven Angels which had the seven vials ful of the seven last plagues and he spake unto mee saying come I will shewe thee the Lambes wife 10 And he caried mee away in the Spirit in a great and high mountaine and shewed mee that great city that holy Hierusalem descending out of heaven froÌ„ God having the glory of God 11 And her brightnes was like unto a stone most pretious as a Iasper stone shining as Crystal 12 It had beside a great wall and hie having twelve gates at the gates twelve Angels and names written which
are the names of the twelve tribes of the childrē of Israell 13 On the East part there were three gates on the North side three gates on the Southside three gates on the Westside three gates 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations in which were the names of the Lambes twelve Apostles 15 And he that spake with mee had a golden reed for to measure the citie withall and the gates therof and the wall therof 16 And the city lay foure square whose length is as large as the breadth of it the length and the bredth and the hight of it are equall 17 And he measured the wall therof a hundreth fourty foure cubits by the measure of man that is of the Angel And the building of it was of Iasper 18 And the city was pure golde like unto cleare glasse And the foundations of the wal of the city were garnished with all manner of pretious stones 19 The first foundation was of Iasper the second of a Saphyr the third a Chalcedonie the fourth an Emerande the fift a Sardonix 20 The sixt a Sardius the seventh a Chrysolite the eight a Beryll the ninth a Topaze the tenth a Chrysoprasus the eleventh a Jacynth the twelft an Amethyst 21 And the twelve gates were twelve Pearles every gate is of one Pearle the street of the city is pure gold as shining glasse 22 Neither saw I any temple therin for the Lord God almighty and the Lambe are the temple of it 23 And this city hath no need of the Sunne neither of the Moone to shine in it for the glory of God doth light it and the Lambe is the light of it 24 And the Nations which are saved shall walke in the light of it and the Kings of the earth shal bring their glory and honour unto it 25 And the gates of it shall not be shut by day for there shal be no night there 26 And the glory and honour of the Gentils shal be brought unto it 27 And ther shal enter into it no uncleane thing neither whatsoever worketh abomination or lyes but they which are written in the lambes book of life Analysis HITHERTO hath bin the maner of gathering the Church afterward is declared what shal be the condition of it being gathered Which is shewed to be most happy first generally from the things seen a new heavē earth ver 1. the holy city ver 2. also from things heard partly in common touching the presence of God with men ver 3. Of the removing of calamities ver 4. a new restoring of al things ver 5. partly in private concerning the certainty of the Prophecy ver 5. of the mystery now fulfilled v. 6. and the rewarding both of the godly ver 6.7 and also of the ungodly ver 8. And such is the generall declaration The particular relateth the revealing cause an Angel ver 9. 10. And the thing revealed universally ver 10.11 By parts in respect of the wall and city and essentiall parts as the forme of the wall ver 12.13.14 The forme of the city ver 15.16.17 Afterward of the common matter ver 18. Speciall of the wall ver 19.20.21 Speciall of the city ver 21. The externe arguments by which the glory of this city is set forth is first God himself who is both the temple ver 22. and the light of the city ver 23. Secondly the Gentiles which shal bring their glory to it ver 24 both free from all feare and suspicion ver 25. also from any defiling by contagion ver 27. Thirdly a mervailous aboundance of things necessary the continuance of this glory in the chap. following Scholions 1 After J saw a new heauen The opinion of the resurrection from the ende of the former chapter hath mooved very many to interpret al these things of the Church as it shal be at length in heaven But wee have shewed that neither the last resurrection is intreated of there neithe doth the Spirit describe here to us the Angelical blessednesse of the Saincts after this life but of them yet conversing upon the earth as the thinges which are mentioned doo manifest in their places Neither perhaps is it needfull that the heavenly inheritance should be adorned with words which all know wel ynough to surmount any praises whatsoever even they also in whose eyes the Church on earth is otherweise despised but concerning this her estimation is lesse with mortall men then ought to be because shee is a stranger wherupon ther may hav bin a necessary reason to set forth more largely the glory and dignity of it The descriptron wherof notwithstanding maketh a way to comprehende in minde that celestial happinesse For if the magnificence of the spouse be so great on earth of what sort are those things which God hath prepared for his with himselfe But the mind is weakened at the thinking of this let us therfore turne our eyes aside to this earthly pleasantnes greater indeed then all words can set forth yet more capable to our senses and which within a few yeeres shal be made clare to the world The interpretation of the new heaven and earth may be taken out of that to the Hebrewes chap. 12.26 whose voice then shooke the earth but now hath declared saying yet once more will I shake not onely the earth but the heaven where to shake heaven and earth by the interpretation of the Apostle himselfe is to abolish the old manner of worship and people For heaven by trāslation is the temple and whole legal worship wherof that temple was the seate and place where it abode long as Heb. 8.5 From whence to shake heaven is to abolish that worship The earth are men and more properly the Israelites a people to whom that legal worship did belong Therfore to shake the earth is to shake the Israelites to remove them out of their place Neither hath the common use of speaking through this book digressed any whit from this signification of the words where heaven is the more pure Church the earth the degenerate citizens as we have seen in their places Even as God therfore in the first comming of his sonne shooke the heaven and the earth in reiecting that old both worship and people and ordaining and choosing a new so againe when it shal please him to have mercy on the forsaken nation and to bestow upō it salvation by Christ he shal darken the former glory of heaven earth making the dignity and honour of his new people so famous as if he had created all things a new Vherunto belongeth that of Isaiah For behold I will create a new heaven and a new earth as thoug he should say I will appoint a most pure manner of worshiping mee and wil take unto mee a new people in whose assembly I wil be honoured chap. 65.17 Of which sort is that of the Apostle If any be in Christ he is a new creature old
things ar passed away all things are become new 2 Cor. 5.17 ¶ For the first heaven and earth were passed away Shal the Church then faile utterly among the Gentiles For heaven noteth out more pure godlinesseâ— as we said even now How this should be abolished it may be doubtfull because of those things which wee have mentioned before As concerning the earth it is not so doubtfull considering that the Spirit hath already taught sufficieÌ„tly that the Pope of Rome with his whole falsely so called Catholique flock shal be rooted out utterly before this day As then touching the reformed Church shal the receiving of the Iewes cause the alienation of the Gentils as before time the casting away of them was the reconciling of the world Rom. 11.15 It may seem so in deed especially considering that the Apostle affirmeth in the same place that a certain fulnesse of the Gentils shal be accomplished as is like at the calling of the Iewes ver 25. but yet notwithstanding in this very chapter the Revelation teacheth otherweise to weet that the Gentils which shal be saved shall walke in the light of it and the Kings of the earth shal bring their glory and honour to the new Ierusalem ver 24. Yea Paul in the place before said plainly avoucheth that the Church shal be very flourishing amoÌ„g the Gentils when the Iewes are called For saith he if the casting away of the Iewes be the reconciling of the world what shall the reconciling be but life from the dead This is as if he should say what shall the receiving be but as it were a general resurrection wherby they that are dead in sinns among all nations comming at length to the truth shal be made partakers of eternall life by faith in Christ From which wee gather that the fulnesse of the GeÌ„tils is not a certaine ende of beleeving at the calling of the Iewes so that faith among the Gentiles afterward should utterly perish eveÌ„ as no more can be powred into a full vessell but a more aboundant accesse of all nations of the earth toward what part soever their countreyes doo extend obeying the Kingdome of Christ according to that saying the Lord shal be King over the whole earth in that day shall ther be one Lord and his name shal be one Zach. 14.9 And the Lord will destroy in this mountaine the figure of this vaile that is spred upon all nations and the cover wherwith all nations are covered he will swallow up death it selfe into victory and the Lord Iehovah shal wipe away the tears from all faces and will take away the reproach of his people out of all the earth Isaiah chap. 25.7.8 For then they that dwell in the wildernesse shall kneele before him and his enemies shall licke the dust The Kings of the Ocean sea and of the Ilands shall bring presents the Kings of Sheba and Seba shall bring gifts Finally all Kings shall worship him and all nations shall serve him Psal 72.9.10.11 How then in this celebrating shall the new heaven passe away that is the more pure Church among the Gentils Must we distinguish concerning the GeÌ„tils wherof some are yet strangers from Christ othersome are named Christians now by the space of many ages as we of Europe first of all Shal they come to the Chuâ—ch as the Prophecies even now alâ—â—adged declare and many others agreeing with them Shal these depart and fall away as the vision seemeth to shew which these words doo set forth The fiâ—st heaven saith he passed away What other heaven is then among 〈◊〉 according to the sense of this Prophecy then among us of Europe for the most part Certainly the promise made to the Chuâ—ch of Philadelphia increaseth the suspition to weet that it should be a pillar in the temple of God never to be cast forth chap. 3 12. Why is this attributed as proper and peculiar to it if all the rest enioy the same benefit alike It seemeth therfore that as once the unfruitfull fig tree was cut up and the ill husbanded vineyard being taken from the old farmers was let out to other Luke 13.6 Mat. 21.41 So the Church now a long time evill entreated among them of Europe doo purpose to trusse up bag and baggage and to forsake them at length who have long since forsaken the purity and love of it What though now it be called heaven the heaven themselves are impure in the eyes of our God Iob. 15 15. And the more in deed at this time our heaven which rather enioyeth such nam in respect of the Popish infernal gulfe thaÌ„ for any heaveÌ„ly clearenesse of his own But that seemeth to be repugnant to this calamity of Europe that after the first resurrection there are a thousand yeeres of reigne with Christ chap. 20.6 that is ther shal be among those nations to whoÌ„ this resurrection hath befallen a continuance of the truth by the space of so many yeeres from the beginning of the restauration therof But wee know that this was proper to our countreyes But it may be answered that perhaps this reigne shal be such as was that of the thousand yeeres before that resurrection when the Divell was bound chap. 20.4 when the Kingdome was of a few elect in whose hart was the love of the onely salvation-bringing truth howsoever the Antichristian impiety savoured better to all the rest of the multitude Certenly other scriptures seeme to leane more this way threatning that al religion shal be so defiled with so many corruptions that fearce any wholesome footstep of it shall remaine entire And who is so ignorant of things that hath not iust causes inough to feare much especially when he seeth the word of God to be despised every where new errours to spring up daily old to be brought back again from hell al godlinesse to be converted into gaine and ambition Many indeed are the arguments that the glory of God wil depart from us shortly as once from the temple at Ierusalem Ezech. 9.3 Vnlesse peradventure some comfort ariseth from hence that this departure of the first heaveÌ„ and earth may be understood not of the utter decay of the truth among the Europeans but of such a renewing among the Iewes in comparison of the excellency wherof whatsoever was excellent before may be said to have passed and vanished away when the light of the moone shal be as the light of the sunne and the light of the Sunne sevenfold as the light of seven dayes the Sunne shall blush when the Lord shall reigne in Sion as wee have heard out of Isaiah or finally unlesse it hath some weight that the Spirit here speaketh so exquisitely not saying the former heaven and former earth were passed away but the first heaven and the first earth as though these words respected not the Gentiles at all but onely the legall worship which rightly one may call the first heaven ordained at the first of God himselfe But the Christian people
of the Gentils was neither the first people of God neither were the rites observed by them the first ordinances delivered froÌ„ heaven As though the words should give this sense at last albeit this people of the Iewes al the time of their reiection thirsted after their old ceremonies and worship and boasted openly that they should have at length free leave to use their auncient custome which we know they vaunt of even in these dayes yet in this restoring they shall conforme themselves wholly to the will of God in such sorte that willingly renouncing their old ordinances which then they shall acknowledge to have received an ende in Christ they shal make manifest to all men that the first heaven and earth which they looked for in vaine were passed away for ever This last seemeth to be of no small force to shewe that the reason of the order of the first heaven and earth should not be between the GeÌ„tils and Iewes but onely among the Legal and Christian Iewes The care that I have hath made mee to search out all corners to my power now let the iudgement be in the power of the Christian reader which of these is the beast ¶ And there shal be no more sea The sea is degenerat and corrupt doctrine which shall have no place among this new people whose glassie sea shal be like Chrystal most pure most cleare void of al saltnesse and muddy grossenesse as is that in chapter 4.6 Which also is said in respect of the Iewes themselves and those errours which in these daies they deffend so obstinately there is not a comparison of the Gentils with the Iewes handled in this place The Gentile sea that I may so say and thath grosser was consumed already when the Popish nation was destroyed the purer sea of the reformed Church is of glasse chap. 15.2 and shall not be abolished The Iewes even hitherto have their own sea most grosse most foul with many forged tales touching the Messias the legal worship the righteousnes of the law and many other points of salvatioÌ„ al which shal now be so dryed up that not a drop of the former sea shal remaine 2 And I John sawe the holy City In such weise then was seen the new heaven and earth now the holy city is exhibited which is so called for excelleÌ„cy sake The Church also of the Gentils is that new and heavenly Hierusalem as in the Apostle but ye are come to mount Sion and to the City of the living God the heavenly Hierusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels Heb. 12. and Gal. 4 But our Hierusalem being deformed with many errours and contentions shal cause that this most pure shal appeare altogither new Aretas the Compl. the Kings Bible doo omitt the name Iohn reed thus and I saw the holy City the new Hierusalem ¶ Coming down from God Theâ—fore this Hierusalem shall have her seate on earth the heavenly shal never come down but shal remaine fixed in heaven where Christ sitteth in glory at the right hand of the Father I goe saith he to prepare a place for you and when J shall have gone and prepared a place for you I will come againe and take you unto my selfe that where I shal be there you may be also Iohn 14.3 And againe Father J will that those which thou hast given mee be with mee where I am Iohn 17.24 Wee shal be caught up in the cloudes to meete the Lord in the atre and so shal be with the Lord 1 Thess 4.17 And to what ende should HierusaleÌ„ come downe from heaven which by and by after the general resurrection al the elect shal be in the heavens Peradventure wilt thou say it might come down that Iohn might see it If it had come downe for this cause Iohn should rather have been caught up into heaven to behold it then that shee should be let downe to the earth He was commanded before to come up into heaveÌ„ where through the dore opened he saw the forme of the militant Church chap. 4. how much more now should he have gone up that he might behold the same triumphing Therfore these words doe manifestly distinguish the new Hierusalem pilgrim from the inlandish Albeit that be called also heavenly because in very truth it is such both by birth and also by the right of the inheritance as Paul saith For that Hierusalem which is from above Gal. 4.26 It cometh downe therfore from God because his singular power and mercy shall appear in building up this new city The increase of the whole building shal be so swift and the glory and dignity so great that all with one consent shall acknowledge the hand of God and shall declare him to be the onely artificer ¶ Trimmed as a bride To be presented to her husband not yet hitherto given by a marriage accomplished After the last resurrection the marriage shal be accomplished it shal not be a preparing for time to come This bride was adorned with pure fine linnen and the Iustifications of the Saincts chap. 19.7.8 But observe that the city seen ere while is now called the bride and more plainly after ver 9. Come saith the Angel I will shew thee the bride the Lambes wife Therfore this city is the whole multitude of the faithfull the most sweet and straight communion of all which among themselves the Spirit declareth very well by such a forme of city The members of the body are used sometime to the same end but the similitude of a city setreth before our eyes a certaine more lively image There is a greater variety of things in a city and a further difference of duties which yet are ioyned togither and conteined with the same law and respect one chiefe good of all This therfore notably representeth how the faithfull most differing in function office and course of life doo grow unto one Holy body 3 And I heard a great voice from heaven saying c. He commeth to that part of the glory which is declared by the things heard The Tabernacle properly belonged to the Iewes and old worship from whence here it signifyeth the whole divine worship of that people to which before the tabernacle was peculiar Togither also it sheweth that the manifestatioÌ„ of Gods glory shal not yet be perfit such as the Saincts shal enioy after the last iudgment But howsoever it shal be farre more aboundant then never before yet men shall see God as through a glasse and riddle not face to face they shall know in part onely not as they are known 1 Cor. 13.12 A tabernacle is fit for the Church being in pilgrimage not for that which hath gotten a firme seate in her owne countrey ¶ And he shall dwell with them and they shal be his people Then God himselfe shal take upon him the protection of the Saincts according to the forme of the covenant Gen. 17.1 then the Saincts shall submit themselves willingly to be governed of
accomplished wherof hope is given in this book For as the soules under the altar cryed with a loude voice desiring deliverance ch 6.10 so the faithful through hope of the future marriage leap for joy greatly desire that day to be shortned ch 19.7 For the word Spirit signifyeth here every faithfull in whom the Spirit dwelleth the word bride the whole Church cōpany of the faithful The godly al of thē both severally ioyntly desire the same by prayers ¶ And he that heareth saith come As though he should say this is not only the desire of the Church present but also of it proceeding from day to day even unto the last ende Every of the elect at the first knowledge of these things shal be inflamed with the same desire with their ancetours ¶ And let him that thirsteth come Neither doo these things serve onely to inflame but also to satisfy the mindes which is the peculiar property of Gods word And that nothing may be wanting to certenty thou must understand that this Prophecy doth give hope of salvation to men not by expectation of a due reward but by the grace and mercy of God alone It publisheth a free salvation onely as all the rest of the sacred scriptures not due to our desertes A notable rule of the heavenly truth 18 19 For I testify togither Hitherto the rehearsing of the former testimonies and arguments which were used here and there in this precedent book Now Iohn addeth a certaine newe one but of the same divine authority with the former to wit that this Prophecy is most true and unviolable which it is not lawfull to violate eyther by adding or taking away even the least thing without extreame punishment Which being proper onely to the word which cometh down from heaven this Revelatiō must needs be put into the same degree Deut. 4.10 and 12 32. 20 He that c. Christ himselfe who is called that witnesse both in respect of the Gospel which he hath brought into the world also of this Prophecy which is grounded on his authority onely In conclusion the whole matter is sealed up both by his testimony repeated Iohns pryer 21 The grace c. The usual forme of concluding Epistles such as is this whole Prophecy sent to the 7 Churches by the commandement of Christ himselfe chap. 1.11 Come L. Iesus Glory praise be to God for ever Amē I give thee thankes Almighty and everlasting God because thou hast lead mee blind and unskilful man of no reputation of no iudgement of no wit by thy onely mercy for Christs sake through this unbeaten wildernes hast made mee to view many secret corners and hast given mee a safe iourney by the dennes of the Dragon and wilde beasts Even so ô Father for such is thy good pleasure Thou chusest the unnoble base men of the world hast foūded strēgth from the mouth of babes sucklings that no flesh should reioyce How incōprehensible is thy wisedome how admirable thy truth How iust holy at al thy wayes Who shal not fear thee I would gladly tell thy prayses but my tongue doth lacke wordes the words a minde Whither soever my mind shal turne it selfe it is swallowed up of thy infinitnesse If it shal ascend into heaven thou art hyer if it shal cōsider thy workes thou art greater if it doth meditate on thy holinesse thou art purer then the very Sunne O wonderful deepnes unmeasurable bottomlesse pit how dost thou compasse us about on everie side art comprehended no where What mortal sight cannot be overwhelmed with this so infinite brightnesse Therfore my sight turneth frō the light that no man can come unto that it may consider thee through the cloud of the creatures Chiefly it delighteth much to behold thy most pleasant face in thy Sonne But as in this glasse thou art most visible so art thou most admirable so farre surpassing our understanding as thou dost abasse thy self neer to our sense Thou art great ô Lord abov al that can be either said or thought grāt that we may reverēce thy exceeding greatnes which the world cōteineth not that we may feare thy presence which the eyes see not that we may adore thy maiesty in cōparison of which the universal creature beneath is nothing that we may embrace thy goodnes wherwith thou followest us most unworthy men Accomplish at length thy great mystery let the world acknowledge thy long delay to hav bin for thy onely mercy not of forgetfulnesse or neglect of thy promise Destroy the Romish Beast and the Constantinopolitan Dragon build up thy new Hierusalem wherin Christ shal raigne and the saints shal beare rule togither with him to enioy for a time a blessed raigne on earth and most happy and eternal with thee in heavens Heare ô Father to whom no thought of the mind is unknown Be thou present who art no where absent but heare the prayers before whom thou hast gone before by thy decree Then will wee bring forth our harpes sing praises to thee celebrating thee the one three God the Father the Sonne Holy Ghost to whom be all honour praise and glory for ever and ever Amen FINIS
and 5.31.32 and 18.37 1 Tim. 6.13 And can there be any vaine thing in that which comes from so faithfull a witnes Or appertaines it to his credit to hide from us any thing which is no where else to be drawne forth than out of the chest of the brest of the Romane Prelate especially when no where or in one worde hath he allowed any such store house whence we must fetch it But these are the dotages of witnesses if possible it may be so vaine and unfaithfull as this heavenly and most true witnes is faithfull ¶ That first begotten from the dead These things concerne his Priesthood wherby thorough death he hath overcome death and hath made a full satisfaction for our sinnes for this is to be the first begotten from the dead that he first by conquering death arose againe whom death woulde nevâ—r have let go if it had but never so litle power to have kept him with him For which cause the Apostle saith he is risen againe for our justification Rom. 4 25. He seemes briefly and distributively to be called the first begotten from the dead for that which fully should be thus the first begotten of them which arise againe from the dead By which two things are signified first that he is the Prince and head of them that arise againe from the dead as the Apostle declares to the Coll. 1.18 And that he is also the beginning and the first begotten from the dead that amongest all he may have the preheminence therefore he is also called the first fruites of them which slept 1 Cor. 15.20 Secondly that at last by his power he will also raise up others from their graves Even as he himselfe saith and I will raise him up in the last day Ioh. 6.39.40 Which two things apperteine onely to the elect For neither is he the head of the wicked neither will he at the last daye raise them up in glorie to wit as the elect but onely by the force of that curse in what daie thou shalt eate thereof thou shalt surely die Gen. 2.17 will restore to them their bodies in which they shall endure everlasting torments Wherby it commeth to passe that this repairing seing that it is onely unto death scarsely in the scriptures in ioyeth the name of the resurrection And therefore the spirit seemeth not to speake collectively the first begotten of the dead but distributively the first begotten from the dead that is of those that arise from the dead as before hath bene spoken there being a plaine difference of the elect dead the reprobate ¶ And Prince of the Kings of the earth The Kingly office of Christ to which whatsoever is in heaven and earth is in subiection according to that all power in heaven and earth is given to me Mat. 28.18 But it was sufficient in this place onely to have mentioned his superioritie over Kinges above all which now by infinite degrees he is superiour who when he was in the earth seemed the basest of servants Neither do these things appertaine to his dignitie onely but also to his excellent power over all Kings which by bridling he now so restraineth that they can not move themselves but as farre as he please howsoever in former time he yeelded himself to their lustes ¶ Which hath loved us So hath bene his office the present benefite which the saints enioie is set forth with a thankesgiving The want of the relative maketh the sentence harsh which full should be thus to him which hath loved us c. which relative is expressed in the next verse to him be glory c But seing that in so long a circunstance of wordes a repetition thereof should be necessarie in the end he omitted it in the beginning least twise he should repeate the same that which once onely was to be spoken he leaveth often unspoken But Francis of Ribera exclaimes that this place is corrupted and that the latine copies without all doubt which now are are farre better corrected then the greeke copies But by the Iesuites leave neither is the place corrupted and if it were granted yet he should unwisely conclude this excellency of latine copies There is in this place a wonderfull coÌ„sent of all greeke copies Aretas thus readeth and expoundeth and he saw how all did fitly agree together The order saith he of this sentence after this maner returnes from the last to the first To him be glory and power which hath loved us wâ—shed us through his blood But this is harde saith the Iesuite Therefore let Iohn have no audieÌ„ce in his Athenian eares as incoÌ„grue which hath no thing more common than after the maner of his countrey both to want and to abonde with relatives In the 1. ver he had and he had signified for which also he had signified In the 5. And from Iesus Christ that faithfull witnes for And from Iesus Christ which is that faithfull witnes in the next verse and hath made us Kings for and which hath made us Kings and so afterward very often But be it that the place is corrupted shall for one blemish the price be taken away from a most beautifull maide and be bestowed on another whose bodie is wholly deformed But saith he our Jnterpretour as alwaies he is wont hath followed true and corrected copies also there without doubt where he tâ—rneth and he stood for and J stoode chap. 12.17 and no man could say the song for and no man coulde learne the song chap. 14.3 and the King of ages for the King of saints chap. 15.3 and in the same place clothed with a pure stone for with pure linnen ver 6. which art and which was holy for which art and which was and which will be chap. 16.5 in the same place J heard another saying for I heard an other saying from the altar ver 7. at one houre after the beast for at one houre with the beast chap. 17.12 vessels of precious stone for of precious woode chap. 18.12 Let these suffice for a tast of many other Saw the Iesuite these things was he not ashamed to confirme that the old Interpretour hath alwaies followed corrected copies But these are faultes of the Printers It may be some are But what have we to do with the Printers thereof as though the strife were not coÌ„cerning the greeke and latine copies which now are extant but of the first edition of the latine translation which no where at this daie is to be seen Next these are faultes both ancient and also now confirmed by the authorâ—ty of the Councell of Trent which hath set downe and decreed that of many latine editions this old and common translation which through so long experience of ages hath bin approved in the Church it selfe be accounted authenticke nor be refused under any pretence whatsoever it were an easie thing to shift of the authority of the Counsell if by putting over the fault to the Printers of the bookes
it were lawfull to departe froÌ„ the common edition Thou seest then that those faultes must be made good by thee and the fidelitie of the old Interpretour very ignorantly I will not say impudently boasted of though in deede so it was needfull for thee by reason of that dutifulnes wherby thou art bounde to Rome 6 And hath made that is and which hath made by a want of the relative as but now we have said All those things tende hereunto that they may teach that Christ hath not these good things for himselfe alone wherwith we have heard by the wordes last handled he is endued but doth poure them on the elect wherby they may be blessed thorough the participation of them ¶ Kings and Priests to God Some reade A Kingdome and Priests as also the common translation hath It makes not much for the meaning yet it is more likely that there is a conioining of persons betweene themselves than of things and persons The elect are Kings by participating of Christs Kingdome through which we have overcome the law death and sinne and doe daiely triumphe over the world treading under foote the same by faith 1 Ioh. 5.4.5 By him also we are Priests who being dead in him we have God mercifull to us and a waie opened to call boldly on him But he addeth wariely that we are made Kings and Priests to God that we maie not thinke that this honour is given to us eyther to trouble civill matters or to confound Churches politie ¶ To him be glory This is all that we can render for his exceeding benefits namely to wish that by his righteous praises he be celebrated amoÌ„gst all men And this thankesgiving seemes to be undertaken for Gods present gift thorough the knowledge of Christ poured forth on the GeÌ„tiles Beholde he commeth with the cloudes A benefite to come to be expected at his glorious coming To come with the cloudes is to manifest himselfe with a storme and tempest and wonderfull terrour of vehement and great lightening to be avenged on the wicked and to deliver his After which maner Daniell also speaketh of his coming J saw in the visions of the night that behold one like to the sonne of man came with the cloudes of heaven chap. 7.13 For so the notable iudgements of God ar wont to be described by which he poureth forth his fervent wrath on his enemies that we maie thinke that all creatures doe fight for God also he will use the heaveÌ„ the earth to helpe his people and furthermore that the reprobate shall have no meanes to escape After the like maner the Psalmist being delivered out of the handes of his enemies praiseth God for his power shewed from heaven in delivering of him Ps 18.13.14.15 In Mathew it is saide he will come on the cloudes chap. 24.30 but it may be in the same sence which is in Ps 18.11 and he sate on the Cherubins and did flie c. But the Angels affirme that he will come as they had seene him going into heaven Act. 1.11 And no feare was there onely the cloude tooke him awaie out of their sight but without any stricking of terrour But the similitude seemeth to be referred to the truth of the humane nature in which he shall returne to be seen of all men after which sorte he went into heaven not for the pompe and maiestie of his coming or the Angels speake in regard of the Godly to whom his coming shall be most ioyfull for which the reprobate shall in vaine desire that the mountaines should cover them All be it it shall be manifest by those things that follow that here these wordes are not spoken of his last coming but onely allude unto it because of the similitude ¶ And they shall waile over him Here the wailing is of repentance not of desperation as is plaine out of Zachary from whence these wordes are fetched and they shall looke saith he to him whom they have perc d and they shall lament over him as a lamentation for their onely begotten chap. 12.10 But seeing that when men shall stand before the throne of the universall iudgement their repentance shall be to late by no meanes these things seeme that they can be uÌ„derstood of the last iudgemeÌ„t neither of that his coming with the cloudes which but now he spake of but rather of that his excelleÌ„t glory which shall be manifest in the world in the calling of the Iewes Those are they which once perced him but at length they shall beholde him all the Tribes of the earth that is the whole nation of the Iewes shall with aboundaÌ„ce of teares bewaile the wickednes of their ancestours for delivering Christ to death And in deede the Revelation staies her narration upoÌ„ their conversion as hereafter God willing it shall be manifest And because then the glory of Christ shall be very great in the earth a most lively patterne of that which shall shine in the last daye a preparation unto this is brought for the beautifying of it Neither alone in this place but as it seemeth also in many other ¶ All Tribes These things are proper to the Iewes to whom once tribe by tribe the promised land was divided The thing could not in more exquisite wordes be declared Sometime the tribes are taken metaphorically but in no wise here seeing that Zachary mentioneth by name the Iewish tribes The land saith he shall lament every family apart the family of the house of David â—part the family of the house of Levy apart all the rest of the families every familie apart The lamenters here are those which were percers and the tribes are of those that lamented therefore of them which perced him to wit of the Iewes to whom properly this sinne belongs Therefore these wordes of the Apostle are thus as if he should saie Beholde he comes with the cloudes all men of all sortes shall see him also those which perced him to wit the Iewes whose predecessours crucified Christ and perced his side with aspeare these being scatered every where thorough all nations shall at length be convertâ—d to the true faith for earnest grief shall morne both for the detestable iniquity of their forefathers and also for their so long hardening yea Amen And so finally this is the summe of all that the benefite of Christ partly present is here celebrated in the calling of the Gentiles for that which he before spake of Kings and Priestes is referred to the seaven Churches of Asia that is to all the Gentiles embracing Christ at that present for which cause there is attributed to him the praise of glory power partly to come in the calling of the Iewes which we have declared to us both by their repentance and also by the desire and wishe of all the Godly ¶ Yea Amen The fervent desire of the Godly desiring this coming is expressed in greeke and hebrew for this shall be the wishe of all nations The
Christ is notable in defeÌ„ding the Ministers of this Church He is even as mighty a keeper faithfull maintainer of all his faithfull servants in what place of the earth or what time soever they hav bin or shall be yet in some certeÌ„ both places and times he manifesteth himselfe more clearly to the world an aveÌ„ger than every wherin other as appeareth both in this city and antitype As touching the city Paul who planted the faith there first how many adversaries found he there J will abide saith he at â—phesus till Pentecost for a great doore and effectuall is opened to mee and the adversaries many 1 Cor. 16.9 Yet we reade not that any calamity came unto him He was beaten elswhere and stoned left for dead but here Demetrius stirring up the workemen against him he that holdeth the starres in his right hand not onely kept Paul free from all evill but also Caius Aristarchus Alexander pacifying the tumulte by the prudence of the towne clarke Act. 19. The same hand shielded Tychichus and Timotheus the Angels afterwards of the same Church Ephes 6.21 1 Tim. 1.3 And no lesse the Elders the ordinary Bishops of the Church whom Paul called to Miletum to give them his last farwell At length Iohn came to the same place and there abode many yeares stablishing all the neighbour Churches Neither did the rage of the tyrant proceede to his death but at length returning from banishement he dyed quietly in this city The power of the mighty and starre bearing hande gave such safety to his servants The like power also shined forth in preserving the Pastours through the whole time of the first Church An huge number indeede of the faithfull were slaine dayly but this is mervailous that in the opinion of meÌ„ it being necessary that the name of Christ should be extinguished utterly much more the Pastours against whom the Tyrants raged most of all there was made dayly so greate increase that it was spoken then commonly and truly That the blood of the Martyrs is the seed of the Church But Christ walketh among the candlestickes as often as he giveth a manifest proofe of himselfe being present and regarding diligently all thinges which perteine to the salvation of the faithfull In what city gave he a shew of more plentifull grace favour than in Ephesus wherto for teachers he gave Paul Apollos Tychicus Timotheus Iohn the Apostle besides many other Apostolicall men And where or when was Christ more manifestly conversant in the earth since his ascension into Heaven then in those first times untill about Constantine He did enrich so abouÌ„dantly the Church with all giftes he pricked foreward their sluggishnes corrected their negligence rewarded their vertue so as he might seeme by himselfe to compasse every one and view their labour with his owne eyes In one the same maner he is alwayes amoÌ„g the caÌ„dlestickes neither doth he sit idly but walketh about continually cometh to visit every thâ—ng so that he hath no need of a Vicar yet because by outward arguments this is not oftentimes alike manifest to the world therfore that which is properly singularly beloÌ„ging as it were to one city time is alleaged ¶ J know thy workes A narration and first of praise And it is common to all the Epistles in the beginning of the narration to professe that he knoweth certenly and tryeth every Angels workes Therefore neither shall reward be wanting at any time to vertue nor iust punishement to naughtines And as even now I have put in minde of a Vicar how wickedly serviceable are they who arrogate to themselves as an absolute lord the power over their felow servants seeing he throughly knoweth all things and is not in vaine conversant among the candlestickes The praise of the Ephesine Angell respecteth either his office in this verse or his vertue against outward evils ver 3. His office consisteth either in administring the worde and those things which are wont to accompany it usually the Sacraments and prayers or in exercising of discipline As touching that he saith I know thy labour and thy patience For the paines which is bestowed in preaching the word because it is laborious and full of troubles griefes is wont to be called labour in the scriptures as we pray you brethren that yee as knowledg them that labour among you c. 1 Thes 5.12 And they are worthy of double honour especially they that lâ—bour in the word doctrine 1 Tim. 5.17 But patience as a necessary companion must be adioined unto the labour of teaching which the Spirit sheweth saying and thy patience As also Paul The servant of God must not fight but must be gentle toward all men apt to teach suffering the evill men teaching them with meekâ—nes that are contrarie minded 2 Tim. 2.23.24 Therefore this Church was famous in the faithfulnes and diligence of teaching Beholde the example of Paul who by the space of three yeares daie and night ceased not to admonish everie one with teares Act. 20.31 Doe thou also coniecture from those godly Bishops who loved Paul so grealy whom also he againe loved no lesse Act. 20.37.38 Afterward minde Iohn and the rest But a matter that is cleare needeth not many wordes As touching her Antitype the matter is even as evident they did never more faithfully give themselves to teaching That Monster was not yet borne that anie should be Pastour that doth not feede at all Or that one should sit in the chaire of the teacher who as dumme should be sleepy distracted with other businesses There was then no Bishop who had the office of teaching who taught not most diligentlie Even also at Rome where it behoved that the mystery of iniquity should spring up betimes they ceased not as yet from this office The Pastor everie Lords daie at the least did plainelie and clearlie expounde those things which were read out of the bookes of the Apostles and Prophets then also he did admonish and exhort that they would folow those thinges which being holy and good they had heard rehearsed Iustin Apolog. 2. The same thing testify Clemens Origenes Tertullian Cypriam But the matter is so cleare and manifest as the contrary therto to be done at this day ¶ And that thou canst not beare the wicked Such was the care of teaching the maner of their Discipline was no lesse pure and sounde Which first is universallie set downe of what sorte it was toward all the wicked afterward speciallie what it was toward the clergie that I may so speake in the next words and hast tried them which saie they are Apostles c. The generall discipline did not tolerate men in any sorte living wickedly and with the offense of others but according to the manner of their faulte did rebuke either privately or before many if private admonition profited nothing then also at last it did debarre them from holy things if they would not obey them that
are not rehearsed expressely in the vision of the first Chapter They doe greatly helpe to declare the administration of this Church Touching the city Philadelphia it selfe we finde no other thing but that in the age following there abod in that place a famous congregation of the faithfull over which Demas had the charge as is gathered from the Epistles of Jgnatius In the Antitype a divine power specially shineth forth sanctifying the Church by kindling the desyre of godlines and in making it in Christ Iesus fit and cheerfull to every good worke Let my wordes be without envy the true doctrine soundeth no where purer the worship lesse corrupted more flourisheth the faithfull diligence of the Pastours is performed more willing obedience of the people nor greater reverence of all religion among all degrees But this holines seemeth chiefly to respect manners In which thing is not to be passed over that famous testimony of Iohn Bodin speking of them of Geneva Of whom that thing saith he is prayse worthy if any thing any where in the earth and which maketh a comon wealth to flourish if not in riches and greatnes of Empire yet certenly in vertues and godlines namely that censure of the Popes then which nothing greater and more divine could be devised to bridle mens lusts and to represse those vices which by no meanes could be amended by any humane lawes and iudgements How be it that this restraint is directed after the rules of Christ first privatly and friendly after some what more sharply then if thou obey not there followeth an heavie grave and effectuall prohibition from the holy things after the interdiction is the punishement of the Magistrate And so it cometh to passe that those things which are punished no where by the lawes are there restrained without any force and sturre or great adoe Therefore noe whoredomes no drunknesses noe daunâ—ings noe beggars noe idle persons are found in that city Those are his wordes in Meth. of History chap. 6. Worthyly is the sanctifyer of the Church to be praysed who hath wrought that they should will and effect these things according to his free good will There is the same care and fruit also of the rest according to the measure which Christ vouchsafeth to every congregatioÌ„ of them Neither is his trueth lesse excellent both in as much as he is a Propheâ— in teaching and also a Surety in promising Wee shall see this double trueth in the following Church to be distinguished by their proper wordes both which the Greeke worde true seemeth to containe when it is put absolutely and by it selfe And as touching trueth of doctrine wher is it more pure and more sincere in the whole earth The whole Papacy hath here his throate cut The Anabaptists Antitrinitaries Arians and such like monsters raysed up againe from hell partly in Germany partly in Transylvania have founde no where a fiercer enemy What also hath it not assayed that shee might pull away from the Germane Churches their errours Neither doth shee keepe onely the doctrine of salvation uncorrupt but also shee both delivereth and teacheth in writings and exerciseth in practise a syncere maÌ„ner of administring wherby salvation is bestowed Certenly the whole will of God is communicated with his saints so as Christ taketh to himselfe not undeservedly this prayse of true in governing this Church He doth also performe plenteously that which he promised that he would keepe safe and sound those that seeke him with an upright heart What have not endevoured the Franch man the Spuniard the SavoyaÌ„ the Pope to roote out them of Geneva a small people and environed on every side with enemyes and shut up from all ayde of friends Neverthelesse it flourisheth yet still thankes be to God and shall flourish hereafter while all her adversaryes burst with envy as long as shee shall continue in this holy order The French Church hath ben preserved hitherto no other wise then the three children in the fornace Who would have beleeved that the Lowe Countryes had ben able to resist and withstande the raging Philip the cruell Duke d'Alve and so many bloudy Tyrants But true is he who hath promised this honour to his saints that they should binde the Kings with chaines and their nobles with fetters of iron Psalme 149.8.9 And that I may not speake of every each one they can be safe onely by thy protection o most high God who art constant in all thy promises whom both enemyes almost infinite doe persecute with deadly hatred and also to whom many of their freindes through envy wish not very well ¶ Who hath the key of David The third property perteineth also to the same administration Christ openeth and shutteth to whom he hath thought it good the entrance into the kingdome of Heaven by his regall power Which faculty in deede he bestoweth upon all his which doe declare and preach the worde purely and syncerely but which is principally to be seen in that part of governement wherby obstinate sinners which will not yeilde to admonitions are delivered to Sathan by the Ecclesiasticall censure and are cast out of the Church which is the Kingdome of Heaven according to that Whatsoever yee shall binde on earth shal be bound in heauen and whatsoever yee shall loose in earth shal be loosed in heaven For where two or three are gathered togither in my name there am J in the middes of them Mat. 18.18.20 By these therefore is shewed that the power of opening and shutting of binding and loosing is very effectuall in these congregations and more over also the whole administration of the censures And what godly man doth not thanke God from his heart and extolleth not with worthy ptayses the holy paines of this Church which restored discipline fallen into decay and brought it backe to the rule of trueth and use of the primitive Church But it is to be observed that this key was sayd before to be the key of Death and Hell in the first Chapter and 18. verse by one part denoting the whole force of them Therefore that key is to be feared which locketh up the gate upon the wicked being thrust into Hell howsoever they despise the same with security And yet notwithstanding no lesse pleasant to them that feare God because it unlocketh to them the dores by which they may enter unto life But why is it called of David seeing it is of Aaron rather whose office was to keepe away the leprous and uncleane from the holy things and to shut up the Temple against them Certenly the Priest onely could pronounce men uncleane he was not wont by an ordinary proper power to use force to compell the disobedient Christ both King and Priest is very mighty in both facultyes and powers and ioineth togither both in this Church who not onely rayseth up Pastours that they should denounce men uncleane but also together adioyneth the civile Magistrate that he should give his ready and diligent labour
Ioh. 1.12 He againe entertaineth us that wee maye suppe togither with him as often as with pure mindes wee come to the Sacrament of the Supper wherin he feedeth us with his owne flesh and blood most sumptuous delicious dainties above all that can be spoken or thought In which sense it is spoken in Luke chap. 13.29 Then they shall come from the East and from the West and from the North and from the South and shall sit downe in the kingdome of God that is men shall assemble togither to the Gospell from all quarters shall embrace the doctrine of the kingdome and shall be partakers of Chr. truely whose pledges they shall take bread wine sitting downe at his table in celebrating his sacred supper For he speaketh of the calling of the Gentiles whose faith and assenting to the whole truth he signifyeth by one sacramentall action These guests now Christ would call when in the meane tyme the Iewes of whom he speaketh in the parable did abhorre and despise the way of salvation as wee see it hath come to passe now for the space of many ages Wherto pertaineth that which in the same place the Iewes excluded doe alleadge requiring an entry for thēselves because of their former familiarity in eating drinking in his sight ver 26. as though they should say O Lord wee communicating at thy table have feasted merrily with thee in eating of thy sacrifices wilt thou locke the doore nowe against us For in this respect the meate of the sacrifices was the same thinge to the Iewes that the bread and wine is to us Neither are these thinges notwithstanding so to be taken as though the elect were limited within the boundes of this life but because the supper which is made on earth is a pledge of the eternall feast in the heavens These thinges therfore proove that a double and great good thing doe abyde in the English Church that is to say the preaching of the word and the lawfull administration of the sacraments In both which Christ bestoweth him selfe upon hispeople keeping a mutuall feast with them he first being received of us by hearing secondly entertaining us againe with the supper-of his body O wee therefore most impure as often as wee fly from and forsake hearing of the word for wee refuse Christ to be our guest O wicked despisers that wee are as often as wee withdrawe our selves from receaving the sacrament with our brethren For wee despise Christ bidding us to supper But these thinges are added for the singular confort of the godly For who would not quake and thinke of flying very quickly from this Church when they should heare that the condition of the Ministers is hated of Christ whom not repenting he will vomit out of his mouth shortly unlesse by the words of Christ himselfe they were assured of their communicating with him Praise be to thee therfore most meecke Lambe who finding the dore shutte against thee dost not departe quickly being moved with anger and fury and deprive us of all meanes of salvation but leavest yet an abondance of thy selfe to all that doe open to thee knocking by the word and despise not thy most sweete inviting by the Sacrements Therefore wicked and blaspehmous is their errour who doe fall away so from this Church aa if Christ were banished wholy from hence and that there could be no hope of salvation for them that tarry there Let them minde here Christ feasting with his people Will they be ashamed to sit downe there where they see Christ not be ashamed Are they holier purer then hee But why doe they not convince themselves by their owne experience They cannot deny but that they beleeved in Christ before they made a separation from us whence came this faith Cam it not from our preaching in our Church Can any then preach except he be sent Rom. 10 13. c. Why then doe they so perversly refuse for some blemish in the outward calling that worde whose divine force they feele in their harts Althoug the fruict it selfe doth noe more free from blame our corruptions then a true childe adultery And therefore neither may wee eyther take pleasure in them nor they forsake and fall away from us for some blemishes Wherefore returne to the unity of the Church which hath begate and nourished you Yf you fly from this Christ who suppeth with is elect in our assemblyes and welcometh them againe yee shall finde him no were In the meane time let us also minde how great evill wee call for upon our selves who by holding hard our superstitions doe throwe our brethren into so great danger Certenly if that hath any weight which the truth himselfe once confirmed it were better for such men that a milstone being hanged about their necks they were drowned in to bottome of the sea Mat. 18 6. I wish health of minde to both But more over this place is to be delivered from the fraude of the Papists who will have it to be in the power of men to open to Christ knocking Whether saith Bellarmine doth he not know that they cannot open Should he not be a foole who would knocke at the doore of his niggbour if he knewe certēly that none were within who could opē in his first book of grace and free will chap. 11. I answere he should not without cause be a foole if his onely end of knocking were that he mitght enter in But Christ knocketh at the doore of the reprobates whom he knoweth neither to be willing nor able to open not that he may enter in but partly that he may upbride thē with their impotency gotten by their owne fault partly that he may encrease their condemnation For so speaketh the Evangelist expressely Therfore they could not beleeve Iohn 12.34 Why then useth he wordes to them who have not ability to beleeve Christ himselfe sheweth If I had not come saith he and spoken unto them they should not have had sinne but now they have no cloke for their sinne Ioh. 15.22 Therefore he spake unto them that for the contempt and hatred of his onely begotten sonne their condemnation migh be the greater Such are the powers of the naturall man as is the love of the trueth in the Papists who seeing it refuse it wickedly 21 To him that overcometh J will give to sit word for word in the Greeke is He that overcometh I will give him in stead of I will give to the overcomer by the nominative case absolute as was observed before chap. 2.26 This third reason is taken from the reward of being a companion and partaker of his throne Not because the glory of every one of the children shal be equall to the honour of the Man Christ but because the glory maiesty of the head shall redounde to every one of the membres Therefore the thrones are not peculiar to the twelve Apostles of which see Mat. 19.28 but common to all the elect Althoug in a certen
on both sides at the right corners Although the Rainebowe seemeth not so much to be divided or touched as to be included with this compassing of the Elders which neverthelesse it should cut in the middle as it were if it were extended unto a full compasse Vnlesse peradventure the highest throne be set in the same playne place in which were the thrones of the Elders for then the Rainebowe shall not be in a contrary seate or situation but shall be compassed onely with a longer circuite as the circumferences nigher the centre are wont to be contained in those that are further of This common seate is attributed to them from the manner of the saints who are called his compassers as vowe and performe to Jehovah your God yee that stand round about him Psal 76.12 And as Christ promiseth that he will be in the middest of them that shal be gathered togither in his name Mat. 18.20 So in olde time the Tabernacle was set in the middes of the Jewes camping Numb 2. And this is for the confort of the Godly whom all God receiveth without respect of persons being alike nigh to all that call upon him least peradventure any should complaine that he is dealt with all uniustly as who being set in a latter place hath noe accesse unto God but by messengers and mediatours The proper place is every on s Throne For they sit upon Thrones Wherby is signifyed that all are of a Kingly dignity of which an other marke is added in the ende of the verse namely the Crownes This honour the saints enioy by Christ who hath made us Kings and Priests to God and his father chap. 1.6 Neither doth he adorne with this benefite some fewe excellent faithfull on s a part but receaveth all the elect into the fellowship of the same honour Every one knoweth howe this certen number of foure and twenty thrones and so many Elders tormenteth the Interpreters Some referre it to the twelve Patriarches or the twelve Prophetes so many Apostles But the thing as it seemeth is farre from the trueth For he speaketh of future congregations not of those that were past as before ver 1. Then of such whose office is performed on earth not in heavē properly so called as afterward wee shall see ch 14.3 15.7 That I may not say that they swerve wholy from the scope of this vision Others apply it other way but it were to longe to recken much more to confute all opinions It shal be sufficient to propound that which seemeth most likely to mee to put it to the iudgemēt of the godly The Spirit alludeth to that distribution of the holy offices servants of the King ordayned by David from God into 24 orders 1 Chr. ch 24. c. For first the chiefe Priests were distributed into 24 orders After the same māner the chiefe Levites that served the Priests in the same ch ver 31. So the holy Musiciās ch 25. the Doore keepers ch 26. Of those that served the King 24 thousandes in their severall distributiōs ch 27. Therfore seeing the whole congregation of the children of Israell whether wee respect the tribe of Levi or the rest of the people accoūted after a sorte for the Kings lot whose affayres they did administer was distinguished into 24 orders not without cause those Elders which are both Priests Kings are in steade of all the faithfull serving Christ are rekoned in so many orders by the same number And togither also is shewed by this number of 24 how much larger is the Church of the Gētiles thē was that of the Iewes This was cōtayned in 12 Patriarches as the chiefe heads that greater by halfe that is many degrees which a certē measure signifyeth indefinitly exceeding so in multitude of cityzens as also in clearnes of the things knowne Whence the neerer they came to the times of Christ so much were all things in former time the clearer greater How cleare made David the service of the Tabernacle the offices being described their place assigned to every one But the Temple of Salomon surpassed all the former glory all things were made with larger dimēsions accordind to the increase of the light of the Sunne approching neerer whē Christ at lēgth was exhibited the Sunne attained to his height by whose brightnes all the former light vanished away So thē is the number as touching the age all are Elders not because of their feeble strength wasted through old age but for their gravity worthy of reverence their mature iudgements by which they embrace the truth then also because they have a certen present possession of their dignity such as agreeth to perfect men of a cōfirmed strengthened age Infants although they be worthy honour through the right of inheritance because of future hope yet they want the present fruition of things And in the whole time in deede of the Lawe the heire was an infant and differed nothing from a servant brought into bondage under the elements of the world as under tutours governours but whē the full time came we ar no lōger under a schoole maister but ēioy the liberty of mē so as all the faithfull now ar called Elders most sigificātly Gal. 3.25 4.1.2 c. White raimēt is the marke of the Priest hood Ex. 28.40 which office the beleevers in Christ doe execute giving up their bodyes a living sacrifice holy acceptable to God that their reasonable service of God Rom. 12.1 The golden crownes of the head manifest the solēne maiesty of a kingdome For Kinges doe not alwayes beare their crownes but in solēne assemblyes where they will shew plainely their glory according to the presēt occasiō But there remaineth still to these the solēne honour of royall maiesty whose crownes ar never put off except whē they give honour to the supreme King whē their bare heades ar more honourable then they thēselves crowned with a Diademe The Complutent edition and the Kings Bible doe not reade and they had nor Aretas yf they are to be added the usuall defect of the article is to be supplyed in this sorte who also had 5 And out of the Throne proceeded Hitherto the body The giftes that doe accompany it are first of Protection for out of the throne come lightnings and thunders and voices because for the Churches sake God in fearfull manners doth punish the wicked who are plagued for the contempt tyranny and iniuryes which they have don to his singularly beloved spouse and at lenght they doe feele the delaying of the vengeance recompensed aboundantly with the sharpenes thereof The punishement of the persecutours are witnesses whose rage and fury God hath alwayes punished in this sort by his speciall providence Otherwise howe could the truth have bin spred and extended even unto these times in so deadly hatred of the world But he that setteth on the throne doe not permitte any to oppresse his saincts without punishement
of Oxen the prudence of men last of all the contempt of earthly things of the Eagles Yet not without cause some proper thing here is applyed to every one severally Peradventure that therby the Spirit may shewe in what principall vertues the Pastors should excell others according to the foure diverse seasons The first age after Iohn gave famous men in all those vertues chap. 6.1.3.5.7 Whose fortitude yet most of all appeared wherby they did both suffer and overcome the most fierce cruelty of the tyrants The age following after Constantine ministred Oxen when liberty was taken from the Ministers every excellent man was oppressed under the yoke of Antichrist with the burdens of humane ceremonies The Ghospell recovering life againe by Wicklefe Luther affoarded men who being weary of the Romish bondage both desyred earnestly and at length obtayned the Christian freedome Wee doe expect yet Eagles which the calling of the Jewes will give at length when the Ghospell shal be restored fully and brought to his perfit glory which this Prophecy will shewe shall come shortly Thē the Bishops shall beholde the Sunne with steddy sight and shall search out with mervaylous quicknes of understanding whatsoever yet lyeth hydde in the trueth of God neither frō our times māners shall they basely creepe on the earth minding earthly things but shall fly upon high having all their conversation in heaven 8 And every of the Beasts c. Hitherto of the form of their body the form of their winges is described by a triple property nūber stāding eyes Every Every one hath six winges so many as had also the Angels in Isaiah 6.2 but not of like use as it seemeth For the Angels with two did cover their face with two their feete with two they did fly But the placing of them of the Beasts is such as it is not fit for this thing For they are rounde about them behind on their sides before them that they cannot serve fitly to cover either the face or feete Neither in deede are they given them for flight For what neede have they to fly who have the place of their abode betweene the throne and the circuite of the Elders Therefore they belōge to ayde succour by which they fly most readily into every parte to helpe others Such an office is twofold in the Church one of Helpers an other of Governours 1 Cor. 12.28 That belongeth to the Deacons and Widowes whom once the Apostles appointed to looke to the poore and those that had any infirmity of body by a divine ordinance least that they attending to such businesse should become lesse carefull about prayers and the administration of the word Act. 6.2 c. 1 Tim. 5.9 This office belongeth to the Elders who are appointed to governe onely mens manners and are moderators of the discipline Teir office is shewed by the eyes of which the winges are full within For to what ende els should there be newe eyes in the winges when before the whole body was beset with eyes In deede those eyes of the body are of knowledge and science and therfore doe sticke neerer being in the body it selfe which the Ministers may as well want as their owne eyes wich are ioyned to their body with so neere a coniunction but these eyes of the winges being removed a little farther of are placed as it were in a watch tower to search out every on s manners executing the Office of watches and wardes as the Apostle sheweth saying Obey your Teachers submitte your selves to them for they watch for your soules as they that must give account Heb. 13.17 And how fitly is it that this kind of eyes is within and under the winges For they must looke onely to the flocke which dependeth upon them as Peter warneth 1 Epist 5.2 They ought not to care for anothers flocke or at least they must watch over the Christian people For what have wee to doe to iudge thē that are without wee must iudge them that are within God iudged them that are without 1 Cor. 5.12.13 Such a Tabernacle was seene in the mount as touching his ministers according to which patterne the Christian Church was framed by the Apostles whose besides the Pastors ordained also these Helpers in every congregation which should governe the reformation of manners togither with the Pastors whom Paul mentioneth commaunding that the Elders which rule well should be had in double honou◠specially they that labour in the word doctrine 1 Tim. 5.17 For such are blinde and which in understanding doe not understand who avouch that this two kinde of Elders can not be proved from this place Further what else shall wee understand to be those Governements in the 1 Cor. 12.28 then the office of them who are appointed to this charge In the beginning of the verse Paul reckened up Apostles Prophets and Teachers upon whom lyeth the administration of the word unto which after some other things interposed namely namely Powers Gifts of healings and Helpes at length he adioyneth Governements that by this order interrupted and discontinued by so great a space wee might knowe that these Governements is a certen distinct thing from the charge of teaching Furthermore of what sorte were those Elders which were conversant togither with the Apostles in the Church of Ierusalem Act. 15.4.6 Were they such as bestowed all their labour in teaching the people in the publike assemblyes It is likely that the Apostles abiding there layed asyde this care of teaching and gave thēselves to execute a certen Lordshippe A few yeeres before they suffered not them selves to be pulled from prayers and teaching Act. 6.4 but at length peradventure this exceeding love was abated they followed their ease and gave over the duty and charge gladly to the Elders Away with this folly the holy mē were not sleepy with slouthfulnes neither did they affect ambitious dominion over others which they forbad others by their example 1 Pet. 5.7 But to their power labouring in that which was the principall they used those Elders as the eyes of the winges to take good heede to the holines of their flocke It is also evident from the use of the primitive Church as was sayd before in chap 2.2 But first of all Ambrose is a substantiall witnesse in this matter upon the 1 to Tim. chap. 2.4 Whēce also the Synagogue and afterward the Church had Elders without whose counsell nothing was done in the Church which by what negligence it is growne out of use J know not unlesse by the slouthfulnes or rather pride of the Teachers while they alone wil be thought some what Such are his wordes from which it doth most clearly appeare what sorte of Elders the Primitive Church had such in deede who with ioint studyes and counsels regarded the dignity of every one togither with the Pastors Ambrose complayneth that these were worne away whē those other preaching Elders fayled not in his time neyther could fayle and
Antichrist with his Prelates hath ceased long agoe in many ages past to be in the number of these Beasts Howe farre also are our Bishops from them who have forsaken prayers the administration of the word not that they may looke to the poore but that they may handle civill affayres and enioy the honours of this world Whom thou mayest see oftener in the iudgement seat then in the Pulpite and to differre nothing from the Politike Magistrates but onely in name and apparrell Doe they day and night extolle our God with meet prayses of his holines God open their eyes that they may see howe excellent things they leave for thing of no value that at length acknowledging their errour they may returne to better things al trifling lets being cast away The Psalmist telleth openly that they are blessed which dwell in the house of the Lord and that in this respect because they prayse God continually Psal 84.5 What then shall wee chaunge with this office which so great King being destitute of envied that I may so say to others through a godly zeale But too much it may be is already spoken of this matter too much in deede to him that speaketh the trueth but to all that love their errours I doe feare that they will not be enough The office of these Beasts is declared not onely by this care but also by the forme it selfe of the thankesgiving for they cry Holy Holy Holy by which thrise repeated crying togither they prayse the one onely Iehovah seeing in repeating they say one certen thinge which one also they acknowledge to be three in repeating thrise that which they gave to one wherby likewise they esteeme every each one person of equall honour commending each with equall prayse For holines containeth within it all prayse which signifyeth such a purity which is sprinkled and mixed with noe spotte or blemish And this the Beasts doe give to God not onely setting forth the same soe in words but also in making the people holy or at least in using that labour wherby to their utmost power they may make them From whence of all the testimonialls of Gods prayse this chiefly doth sounde and ringe againe in the lyppes of them that serve God Some bookes doe repeate these wordes six times but Aretas agreeth with our copyes and these wordes are in other places of Scripture Isay 6.3 So is the title of holines this the Beasts doe set forth by a double kinde of Power and Trueth wherunto perteineth that distributive nowne which is and which was and which is to come as was declared before chap. 1.4.7 And they mention first of all the Power shewing the incōprehēsible glory of holines which is most hard where one hath liberty to doe what he will He that can doe all thinges and yet in the least thinge abuseth not his power and authority it must needes be that his glory exceedeth the comprehending of every minde Againe howe hard is it to keepe the promise which thou hast made when they to whom thou hast promised doe breake their promise almost every moment O therfore the unmeasurable holinesse of our God whose truth mens infidelity doth not hinder 9 And when those Beasts shall give Hitherto the giftes with which God doth notably adorne his Church nowe the worship is described to which the Beasts and Elders togither doe earnestly bende themselves The māner whereof is such that the Beasts have the chiefe doing in the action and goe before the Elders with their voice as the Ministers are wonte in the assembly of the people For these thinges are spoken according to that order which God hath appointed in his Church wherby all the people doe give worship to God the Minister being the leader But it is to be observed that this action of giving glory doth differ in a respect from that of the former verse For that perteined to private care which is continuall their whole office tending to this onely ende this is proper to their publike function and at certen time as is manifest from those thinges which followe in the next verse As touching the wordes Theod. Beza translateth when they did give and so the other wordes they did fall downe they did cast of by the imperfect tence but the property of the time is to be kept seeing a future thinge is here foreshewed and not a thing past reported 10 The foure and twenty Elders shall fall downe The action of the people governed by the conduct of the Ministers And it consisteth in two thinges in gesture in this verse and in words in the following The gesture is threefolde of casting downe themselves before him that sitteth on the throne of worshipping and casting of their crownes The first signifyeth their cheerfull hast that at the voyce of the Beasts they fall downe by and by The second the iust worshippe given to him to whome alone it is due The third the sincere trueth of their minde in performing this adoration in that putting off their owne dignity they acknowledge themselves his servaunts before whose throne they cast their crownes But how wilt thou say doe the Elders fall downe when the Beasts doe give glory seeing the Beasts are employed in this labour day and night without ceasing Doe the Elders never sit in their thrones but fall downe alwayes prostrate on the groūde Wee must remember that which I said even nowe that the private care of the Beasts is one thing their publike action an other That hath noe intermission this is performed with certen respites to this alone this throwing downe of themselves perteineth From whence there is a double argument that all these thinges belong typically to the Christian assemblyes on earth There are noe set times of worship in the heavens but all that eternity is bestowed about this thing Secondly neither shall there be any neede of leaders and rulers to performe the worshippe For Prophecy shall then cease 1 Cor. 13.8 much more the Ecclesiasticall Policy which is ordayned in respect of this but every one being a Priest thē not onely by right but also in practize shall prayse God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost without the mediation and helpe of any other then himselfe Seeing therfore this type is proper to the Church on earth let every one consider with himselfe earnestly howe greatly it belongeth to them to frequent the publike assemblyes with all diligence that as often as the Beasts give glory to him that sitteth on the throne he may fall downe before the throne and worshippe him that liveth for ever Certenly they that contemptuously sit at home and neglect the congregations of the faints or in the meane time make iourneyes and withdrawe themselves in any other unnecessary manner shewe openly tha they belonge not at all to that most honorable company of the Elders And let not any deceave himselfe by his honours dignityes and excellency as though the publike assemblyes were either of the
singular ioy and thankesgiving of the whole Creature but apart first of the Church ver 8.9.10 and of the Angels ver 11.12 After of the rest of the Creature ver 13. Last of all the Church togither subscribing to the common ioy reioycing of all thinges ver 14. Scholions Afterward I saw at the right hand the cōmon translation hath In the right hande as also the Interpreter of Aretas but all the Greeke copies with one consent have at the right hande They peradventure have put it in the ablative case because it followeth after in the seavēth verse that the Lambe tooke the booke from the right hand But this is noe sufficient cause to departe from the naturall property of the wordes when it may be that the weaknes of the creatures might be made to appeare the more the booke at the first was not in the right hande but at the right hande from whence if there were noe power to open it being offered and layd before without asking much lesse would there have ben any if he had held it in his handes Afterward when the debility of the Creatures was found out the booke was taken into his handes that the dignity of the Lambe might be the better knowne not taking it up hastily lying at his side but receaving it from hande to hande As touching the intent of this vision it seemeth good to the Spirit after the lively representation of the true Church in the former chapter which was to be layd as the fundamēt of all the building following before that he should come to the particular Prophesyes to put men in minde of the incomprehensible excellency of this Prophecy For wee are wont such is our slouthfulnes to passe by very greate and excellent thinges carelesly and sleepingly unlesse peradventure some body pull us by the eare and require instantly diligence mentioning the greatnes of the thing Least perchance the same thing should fall out in this place he setteth before our eyes that this is a Prophecy of that kinde which conteineth in it all the dāgers that at to be undergone of the Church through her whole race on earth yet wrapped in so great obscurity that no created minde can beholde it a farre off much lesse unfolde the same to others An argument in deede most worthy to be knowen and farre most pleasant of all thinges opening to us the hidden Mysteries with exceeding great desyre whereof men are inflamed or otherwise in searching out of them they torment themselves rashly and in vayne And yet neverthelesse it is not to be desyred onely for this cause to knowe it but because also it conteyneth events of that moment that it would be very hurtfull and for rowfull to the Church if they should wholy be concealed Therefore Iohn wept being privy to the dangers and togither therewith also minding the lacke of a guide And in deede the Church hardly holdeth on her course though this lampe be given her Howe miserable had shee ben left utterly in darknes and not perceiving sufficiently eyther which waye shee should goe forward or where to set her foote safely Iohn therefore had had iust cause to weepe if there had ben hope noe where of opening the sealed booke But the sudden assault of griefe bereft the holy man of understanding and suffered him not to thinke in whom there was ability while at length he knewe by the putting in minde of an other Therefore this Prophecy is famous for the worthynes of the argument excellency of the Mystery plēty of fruict but farre way most excellent because he alone was founde worthy to open the same who by his death founde out a redemption for the elect This is that thing for which the Church on earth the Angels in Heaven lastly the universall Creature reioyceth greatly and that not for a glorious shewe without the trueth of the thinge as the manner is in humane writinges in which the thinges are amplifyed for to adorne and set them forth but from a true feeling and iust cause of reioycing as hereafter wee shall see through Gods his helpe In the meane time shall not this exceeding great ioye of Heaven and Earth kindle in men a diligence to reade a desyre to understand and an endevoure to observe It is in deede a thing worthy of our serious meditation into which I have digressed and discoursed in many wordes because I see that the Interpreters eyther not to have marked the intendement of this chapter or at the least otherwise then was meete to have spoken nothing at all of a matter very needfull and necessary ¶ A Booke written within and on the backeside The first commendation of the Prophecy is from a Booke a copious writting and Seaven Seales in this verse That which is recorded in a Booke must without all controversy be certē being a faithfull helper of the memory whereas that which is noe otherwise grounded then onely upon the memory may easily in continuance of time eyther be utterly extinguished or at the least wise corrupted Whereupon GOD biddeth Ieremy for the greater credit of that Prophecy to write all the wordes that he spake unto him in a Booke in the thirty chapter of Ieremy and in the 2. verse So carefull is he to provide against our doubting that wee should not thinke otherwise of the things then of such as are written in publike bookes graven as it were in brasse so as they can neyther be altered nor forgotten The plenteous writing is shewed in that the booke was written within and on the backe side on both sides of the leafe And he speaketh after the olde māner of writing in somewhat lōge parchments which afterward were wounde about some rounde smooth peece of wood frō whence they were called volumes Christ is sayd to have unrolled the booke and rolled it up againe as in Luke chapter 4 verse 17. And the outside that I may use the wordes of the most learned Theod. Beza alway remayned cleane unlesse the inside was not able to containe the whole writing for then they wrote on the outward part which sorte of writinges were called exteriour writings as being written on the backe side This so great prolixitie therefore did containe not onely the chiefe points which peradventure might be included in some narrow place but also every most small thinges so that neither is there any neede to seeke and fetch ought from any other place which perteineth to the knowledge of future thinges and that wee knowe also that nothing can be done without the will of God The Complutent edition and some others read without but on the backe side is more often used from whence is written on the backe side as wee have shewed a little before Finally howe pretious are these Mysteryes which God hath with himselfe sealed up with so many seales The creatures could not so much as to looke on the BOOKE as is in the fourth verse much lesse was there neede of seales for to hidde
from them But by these meanes he will declare and manifest howe greatly wee ought to reverence his secrets 2 And J saw a strong Angell publishing There is a great dignity of the Prophesy from the certenty largenes scaling up but nowe a greater appeareth seeing the highnes thereof surmounteth every created Spirit For it is not of that kinde which the more prudent sorte of men can comprehende by any skilfull foreknowledg but wherein all must needes confesse their ignorance The which for to shewe he alludeth to the manner of Princes who in difficult thinges are wont by great rewards to provoke their subiects by the voyce of a Cryer to try their strength and there is almost none whoÌ„ in such businesse some small hope will not thrust forward to make tryall If so be that noe man cometh forth what is this else than an open confession of their imbecillity So the Angell is sent to enquire who is worthy to opeÌ„ the booke If noe man offereth himselfe let us acknowledge our owne impotency and the power of our Mediatour and togither also let us honour with due reverence these holy mysteryes for which cause God causeth in us this feeling of our owne want of power as of old in Adam before whoÌ„ ere he gave him a wife he set all creatures that noe fit helper being found he might make the more accounte of the wife given him ¶ Who is worthy He maketh not inquiry of the power and strength but of the deserte and worthynes For even all the creatures if they should coÌ„spire togither are able to doe nothing to wringe out perforce the things from God Whatsoever wee obtayne wee enioye it at his will and pleasure and by entreaty and the Lord being iust in giving his thinges regardeth their worthynes upon whom he bestoweth his benefits whom unlesse either their owne or an others iust dignity shall commende they can hope for noe good thinge from him But if a bare foreknowledge of future thinges shal be of so greate importance in what estimation is the knowledge of salvation to be had 3 And noe man was able A free confession of the creature that it is able to doe nothing herein Let them therefore looke to it who doe make her a patronesse for theÌ„selves in matters of greater moment Why then should wee mervayle if noe man understandeth any of these thinges not onely among the Gentiles although the most quickwitted of them but also not in the whole Kingdome of the Papists noe not that blasphemously unerring Pope himselfe with all his Seraphicall Doctours arrogating to them selves the victory of all knowledge learning prudence and wisdome These thinges surmount all humane sharpenes of witte least peradventure thou reiect rashly that which shall not please those our maisters And the distribution of thinges in heaven in earth and which are under the earth may be understood froÌ„ the proclaiming of the Angell he made enquiry who was worthy Therfore the inquisition perteined not to the Devils and soules punished for sinnes For what hope or shewe of worthynes could be here Therfore the thinges in Heaven are the Angels they in the earth Men living they which are under the earth are the Saints sleeping in their graves Whom he signifyeth in this manner by that one part which cometh neerer to our sense In which respect Iacob sayeth and I shall goe downe to my sonne mourning into the grave Gen. 37.35 In these alone their might be some question Therfore that place is to colde for to kindle a Purgatory ¶ Nor looke thereon for so hath Theod. Beza the common translation hath looke upon I should rather turne looke in For so the sentence encreaseth seeing this is greater then not to open The booke could not be looked in so long as it did remaine sealed whereupon the addition would be superfluous in this sense 4 J wept therefore It is a lamentable thing in deede that the Church should wante the gift of Prophecy But Iohn bewrayed his infirmity having forgot or at least wise not minding that nothing is so hidden that could be unknowne to our chiefe Prophet of which he would not teach his Church so farre as should be expedient for his Wherefore one of the Elders warning him that he should not weepe doth togither with gentlely reprove his ignorance or rather forgetfulnes as though it were a shamefull thinge for a teacher not to knowe that which the common sorte of the faithfull should not be ignorant of 5 Beholde he hath obtayned Many as it were contending but one obtayning the victory before the rest He seemeth to speake after the manner of the former proclamation wherby the thing was put as it were to a publike strife and tryall and in which Christ bare away the chiefe prayse yea the whole ¶ That Lyon of tâ—e A circumlocution of Christ the King fetched from Gen. 49.9 But what hath the Lyon to doe with seales Our sinnes did remove farre froÌ„ us all the mysteries of God Which when Christ hath by his mighty power abolished and conquered for ever the enemyes the Devill and death worthyly with this name as a badge of the victory he cometh forth to obtayne that for us which our enemyes kept away ¶ The roote of David So hath Th. Beza translated rightly the Hebrewe word to which the Greke worde answereth and is some time taken for a roote as is in Isaiah He groweth up as a tender plante before him and as a roote out of a dry ground chap. 53.2 But a roote properly groweth not out of the ground but that which springeth from the roote neverthelesse this in deede is such a roote that also togither it is the roote of David that is the fountayne and welspring from whence salvation and life flowe unto David so that nothing can be more significant then this word neither hath there bene at any time any roote besides of this kinde See Psalm 101.1 Mat. 22.43 c. 6 Then J looked and beholde betweene the Throne Word for word in the Greeke is in the middes of the Throne as before in chap. 4.4 c. The Lambe is in the middes of the Beasts and Elders to wit in the assembly of the faithfull in the middes of the Church ¶ A Lambe standing as though he had ben killed The Lambe is described by his triple offâ—â—e These wordes as thâ—â—gh he hath ben slame perteine to his Priesthood being eternall through the eternall power of his death Seaven hornes declare him to be a Kinge Seaven eyes which are so many Spirits and the taking of the booke shewe him to be the chiefe Prophete The skarre of a deadly wound is a token that he once dyed and teacheth that the Father doth give all things to his Church for the merite and through the beholding of it For this is it wherby our Priest once entring into the holy place hath obtained eternall redemption Heb. 9.12 And in that he hath once gat redemption for the
booke Because it is proper in deede to a Kingly power to prevayle with God and to beare away those thinges from him wherof lately they had noe power nor ability Wherfore they sing that they are made Kings to God as though they should say that they not onely are Kinges because they have subdued Death Sinne and the Devill but chiefly because they have God regarding their commodityes keeping nothing from them which any way may make for their good This is that Kingly power most noble in deede and alway to be praised But where they say they shall raigne on earth from hence that is evident which even nowe wee said at the eight verse that this is the company of the militant Church reigning on earth For why should the Saints in Heaven having attayned heavenly glory reioyce in an earthly dominion 11 And I heard round about the Throne and the Beasts The glorifying of the Angels who apart from the Church prayse God of whom there is another cōsideration thē of men redeemed by the blood of Christ for these being fallen are restored and they are upheld that they fall not And therefore are placed without the circuit of the Throne the Elders to whom yet they are next on every side garding the Church both that they may watch for her safety and also may reioyce in her behalfe for her prosperity From whence in the seconde place is rehearsed their gratulation as though they would learne every day more and more from the Church the incomprehensible mystery of redemption in which they behold with such earnest desire 1 Pet. 1.12 ¶ A thousande hundred thousand The common translation hath not these wordes a thousande hundred thousand but Aretas the Complutent edition and other copies read them And so in Daniel 7.10 from whence this place seemeth to have ben taken albeit the Iesuite will have nothing to be added in the common translation of such purity is it But where ought to be a greater number then where every kinde of Creature which is in Heaven and beneath with one consent agree to prayse the Lambe ver 13 Therefore he had better covered his shame if he would rather confesse freely the defect then to defende a manifest fault 12 To receave power Worthy is the Lambe that was killed that nothing should be so heard which his power may not overcome for he hath deserved by his death in such sorte that he should have power over all things Therefore by right all prayse is given unto him as to the most mighty most rich most wise c. the common translation for riches readeth Godhead without the authority of any Greeke copyes Notwithstanding it must be soo because so it seemeth to the Iesuites that the olde Jnterpreter hath followed alwayes the more corrected copies I would passe by such things if the impudency of the adversaryes did not compell mee to make them manifest at least in a word 13 And the whole creature All the Creature reioyce at this Prophecy evē they also which are void of reason because from thence they may perceive plainly that there shal be an ende at length to their labours Which time they expect with earnest affection much desyring to be freed from this yoke of vanity Rom. 8.21 ¶ And which are on earth in the Greeke it is and which are in the earth that is to say which live in the overmost part of the earth and under the earth which ly hid in the most inward bowels The whole creature expecteth a renovation not onely that which sheweth it selfe abroade is to be seen but also which lyeth hid within in secret But seeing here he speaketh of creatures voide of reason for it was spoken before of the whole kinde of reasonable creatures who would had from hence built and erected Purgatory but men voyd of reason But for wante of other guests they are compelled to stuffe their Popish banqueting chamber with bruit beasts ¶ And which are in the Sea and all things which are in them The common translation corruptly hath it thus And which are in the Sea and which are in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a chāge of gender wherby figuratively persons are attributed to the thinges created See Theod. Beza 14 And the foure Beasts The beginning the end of the thankesgiving is attributed to the Church because this benefite doth most of all belonge to her Therefore her glorifying is double one wherby shee goeth before all the rest in praysing the other wherby shee accordeth with the reioycing creature But the foure twenty Elders follow the leading of the Beasts as it is wont to be done in the Church where the people speaketh to God not so much in their owne as in the Ministers wordes and yeeld themselves wholy to his government to be ruled as touching religions and manner of worshippe as wee have observed in chap. 4.9.10 CHAP. VI. After I beheld whē the Lambe had opened one of the seales I heard one of the foure Beasts saying as it were the noise of thunder come see 2 Therfore I beheld loe there was a white horse he that sate on him had a bow a crowne was givē unto him he wēt forth cōquering that he might overcōe 3 And whē he had opened the secōd seale I heard the secōd Beast saying come see 4 And there wēt out an other horse red power was givē to him that sate therō to take peace frō the earth that they should kill one an other there was given unto him a great sword 5 And when he had opened the third seale I heard the third Beast saying come see Then I beheld loe a blacke horse was there and he that sate sate on him had balances in his hande 6 And I heard a voice in the middes of the foure beasts saying a measure of wheate for a penny and three measures of Barly for a peny and wine and oyle hurt thou not 7 And when he had opened the fourth seale I heard the voice of the fourth Beast saying come and see 8 And I looked and beholde a pale horse and his name that sate on him was death and hell followed after it and power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth to kill with sword and with hunger and with death and with beast of the earth 9 And when he had opened the fift seale I sawe under the Altar the soules of them that were killed for the word of God and for the testimony which they maintayned 10 And they cryed with a loude voice saying howe long Lord which art holy true doest thou not iudge and avenge our blood requyring it of them that dwell on the earth 11 And longe white robes were given to every one and it was saide unto them that they should rest for a little while untill their fellow servaunts and their brethren be accomplished who are to be killed even as they
were 12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixt seale and loe there was made a great earthquake the Sunne became blake as sack cloth of haire the moone was like blood 13 And the starres of heaven fell to the earth as a figge tree casteth her greene figges whē it is shaken of a mighty winde 14. And heaven departed away as a scroule when it is rolled every mountayne Yle were moved out of their place 15 And the Kings of the earth the Peeres the rich men the Tribunes the mighty men every bondman every free man hid themselves in dennes among the rockes of the mountaines 16 And sayd to the mountaines and rockes fall upon us and hide us from the presense of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe 17. For the great day of his wrath is come and who cā stande The Analysis SVCH is the Excellency of this Revelation The Events doe follow which first are the Seales secondly the Trumpets lastly the Vials For all the rest of the Prophecy is distinguished into three notable periode◠which containe the chiefe alterations to come in the world even unto the coming of Christ every one of which againe is divided into seaven points so as from the last of the former aryseth alway the whole sequent period As touching the Scales there is in every one a certen preparation afterward the type of the future thinges And the preparation is partly common wherby the Lambe openeth each one in order partly proper to the foure first which besides have an inviting by one of the foure Beastes to come and see There be sixe types of this chapter for so many seales are opened a white horse ver 2. a read ver 4. a blacke ver 5. a pale ver 8. The cry of the soules ver 9.10.11 and great earthquake to the ende of the chapter Analysis After J beheld when the Lambe had opened the first of the seales Nowe the Spirit entreth into the events which will instruct us touching all the changings succeeding by course in the world as farre as is expedient for the Church and which are of any moment unto the last end of all thinges A great matter and chiefly necessary to be knowne but such as into which noe understanding of mortall man can penetrate Therefore whom in the beginning I have prayed unto him doe I call upon againe having gone forward in some part by his alone grace that he will graunte mee happily to make an ende of the thinges that remayne who hath graunted mee so to beginne as I am persuaded is agreeing with his trueth Thou therfore most holy and most wise Lambe who alone hast deserved to take unscale the booke and not to that ende that thou shouldest have these secretes for thy selfe alone but that thou shouldest communicate them with thy Church as farre as shal be for her profit graunt I pray thee unto mee thy most unworthy servant according to thy bounteousnesse that perceaving cleerely what hidden and secrete things these seales conteine I may reveale the same holily unto the world to the edification of thy Church the ruine of Antichrist and the glory of thine owne name to be published unto all ages Amen In that wee have distinguished the Events into three rankes wee have the Spirit himselfe for our authour ioyning the trumpets to the seales the vials to the trumpets in such sorte as that alwayes the first thing of that which followeth doe aryse out of the last of that which wente before Therefore they bring in darkenes upon themselves who doe thrust togither into one the seales the trumpets the vials and also the seaven Candlestickes so as each one of every order should be ioyned one to another in equall degree as if the Father the Sonnes should be equall should runne togither the same terme of yeeres Furthermore seeing the seales ar as it were promises of future thinges the trūpets adversities approaching with great noise the vials things that are powred upon men by little and little and come upon them unwarres as wee shall after see overwhelme them it seemeth not to be convenient to cōfounde these contrary things togither so that the thinge should be promised and accomplished all at once and that the same thing should be done openly and secretly at the same moment of time but let us come to the wordes ¶ When he had opened saith he one Seale that is to say the first as Theod. Beza translateth it for after followeth the second third c. And so the Hebrewes every where use to speake But before I proceede to the thinges that are behinde that cold comment of the Jesuite is to be removed who thinketh that the opening of the booke is something diverse from opening of the seales as though nothing in the booke could be read and shewed unto us before that all the seales should be opened Which opinion verily faineth unto us I knowe not what booke of which wee have received never a word written neither doe wee understand from thence ought touching thinges to come For the Revelation hath nothing more besides the opened seales For out of them the trumpets come forth and againe out of them the vials as wee have advertised in the resolution so as all the rest of the Prophecy is limited with those thinges that are conteined in the seales as wee shall proove by manifest argumēts in their places If therfore after all the seales opened he hath found out some booke to be read it is Apocryphe that is a hid booke the originall and authority whereof is not known which peradventure may lie hid in the coffer of the breast of their Pope but which to reade and knowe the Church hath nothing to doe Furthermore it is needfull for the clearer understanding of the periodes first the termes of time wherein thinges are finished and every severall article of them to set downe some entrāce from whēce wee must begin which surely wee iudge to be by and by after this writing of John For that saying of the fourth chapter ver 1. I will shew thee the things that must be done hereafter calleth backe Iohn both to that moment of the Revelation given also teacheth to count from thence all thinges which are delivered in the booke following Therefore there is noe neede to have recourse unto the first ages of the world nor unto the Monarchies nor unto the times of Christ or the Evangelists or in any such thinge of the age past but John writing this Revelation by the commaundement of God about the ende of the Empire of Domitian as Ireneus sheweth in his 5 booke against heresies Eusebius out of Ireneus in the 3 booke of his Ecclesiasticall History chap. 18. At the ende of the raigne of Domitian about the ninety seaventh yeere from the birth of Christ wee thinke the beginning of the Seales to wit of
usâ—d should be free and absolved from the accusation although fouÌ„d to be such a one but the accusâ—r should be made subiect to punishement as it appeareth by the Decree of the same Antonin in Iustin and Euseb booke 4.13 Nowe surely the trueth triumphed wearing a crowne and the Emperours did lye downe bâ—ing stroken by the bowe who seemed to be farre beyond the lot of private men Yea in the most remote countryer one Apologie being throwne the enemyes were so restrayned that they could attemp nothing against the trueth The same Iustine also by his most learned writinges stopped the mouthes of the Iewes and Grecians so as the victory of the trueth was famous Euseb booke 4.18 Therefore this time next after Iohn excellent for Apologies ioyfull fruict of the persecution staied is the voice of the Lyon the first Beast and that onely pleasant solemnity which the trueth did keepe being sit on the white horse with the bowe and crowne 3 And when he had opened the second Seale So is the first Seale The second as touching the LaÌ„be that openeth it there is nothing newe But the Beast is an other namely an Oxe whose place was the seconde in chap. 4 7. And wee knowe that this beast is borne to labour not to be compared with the LioÌ„ in the glory of overcoming yet farre more noble in the praise of enduring sorrowe Neither is the voice here so terrible and roaring as was that of the thundering Lion but vulgar and common wheÌ„ce he saith that he heard the second beast saying which yet should have his force to stirre up men to hearken to the event 4 And another horse came forth that was reade The second type is a read horse the sitter upon him to whom was given a great sword Of the horse wee spake at the second verse That fiery colour signifyeth warre contentions slaughters blood as in Isaiah Who is this that cometh from Edome with stieped garments from Bozrah Wherfore art thou red in thy garments and thyne apparell as of him that treadeth in the wine presse chap. 63.1 The sitter on him is furnished with power because he should order the matter not at his owne pleasure but by an others commandement Power is given partly by word partly by signe By word leave being graunted to take peace from the earth For so the verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to take is taken for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to take away as wee have observed before in chap. 3.11 But the Earth in opposed to Heaven And seeing Heaven in this booke doth note out the true and holy Church as after it shal be manifest the earth contrarywise signifyeth the ungodly world from which peace is taken and not from the Church Which is yet more playne from the declaration of the power which proceedeth so farre that it should set meÌ„ togither by the eares to kill one an other as these wordes shewe that one should kill another but the Church avengeth not her selfe by slaughter of the enemyes much lesse by a certen furie in murdering her owne friendes But this butchery one of an other groweth from the strifes and battells amonge the Gentiles wherby one should runne headlong to an others destruction Wherefore it is not here spoken of the persecution of the Church but of the tempest of warres wherewith the whole world should be shaken Which is declared to be very great by the signe and Instrument of the power that is a great sword given to the sitter on the horse Which thinge came to passe after that Antoninus Pius was dead For his sonne Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Verus by name a Philosopher by deede a greate enemy of the trueth being blinded with the Heathens superstition moved a mercilesse persecution against Christians Which that the second Beast might restraine he uttered a voice For Iustin sent a second Apologie to the Emperour Euseb booke 4.16 of the Eccl. Hist Melito Bishop of Sardi Apolinarius Bishop of Hierapolis doe the same pleading earnestly the cause of the Christians in bookes written to the same Emperour Euseb Hist booke 4.26 But the Emperour more learned then his Father lesse godly receaved the defense with deafe eares From hence the voice of this Beast became the voice of an Oxe as which prevailed not as before the voice of the Lion did prevayle But the Beast neverthelesse after his lowing did beare a grievous yoke of the former calamity Iustin himselfe before in strength a Lion nowe in patience an Oxe killed for Christ his sake obtayned the name of Martyr Euseb Hist booke 4. 16. The residue did mourne under the crosse without any rest given them Notwithstanding howsoever the voice prevailed not to appease the cruelty yet it was instead of an alarme to warne the faithfull howe great evill was like to come shortly upon the world for their cruell hardeâ—ing against the trueth Peace shal be taken away straiteway from men seeing it should be most iust that they which would refuse eternall peace should not also enioy this earthly and they which so greedily thirsted after innocent blood should be satiated at length with their owne blood Therefore by and by all thinges are on fire wâ—â— warres The Parthians nowe first of alâ— afâ—â— Trâ—ianâ— fall away fâ—â—â— he Romanes Thither the brother of the Emperour goeth be in adâ—â—â— as a â—â—â—forte to the Empire and at length a very great disconfiture 〈…〉 he returneth home with triumphe to whom this felicity was bu◠〈…〉 being suddenly dead of an Apoplexiâ— whâ—le he sate with his brotâ—er in the chariot Eutrop. Brev. booke 8. Shortly after arose the warre of the people of Bohemia so great as ther hath not bin the like in any time as the sâ—â—e Eurropius saith worthily to be compared with the warres of Caâ—thâ—gâ— which togither with the Bohemians the Qâ—â—dâ—â— Vandâ—â—s the Sarâ—â—â—es and Suâ—ves and all Barbary from the Câ—â—â—â—e of Paâ—â—onia even to the middes of the Gaulles Hoâ—â—e misâ—table was then the face of things the same author dâ—scribeth excellently after thiâ— manner For saith he there was not rest any where from warre and through all the East Illyrâ—â—um Italy France battayles were hotely applyed these were earthquakes not without the destruction of cityes inundations of rivers often pestilence kindes of locusts hurtfull to the fieldes so as nothing at all almost wherby moâ—â—â—ll men are wont to be wasted with very great sorowes can be spoken or thought which raged not when Antoninus was Emperour Those are his wordes It was a great and cruell sword which was moyst drunken with so much blood If any doe thinke that warre was noe strange thing to the Romanes neither to be like to be true that a thing so comon and â—â—uall should here be signifyed let him compare the Empire of this Antoninus with theirs which went before he shall see that the warre had â—â—â—â—ed by the Providence of God for a loÌ„ge space to the end that this iudgâ—â—ent of God when it
And in deede it might easily be understood that the time was not farre of when an ende should be put unto publike murders seeing all degrees of men did encline with so great gentlenes to the trueth But this Seale hath both some thing proper in the rest of this chapter and also common in chap. 7. That is the last triall of the Seales the first part of which conteineth the going on of the sorrowfull Tragedie and all the former calamityes ver 12.13.14 The secōd the ioyfull isue in subduing the enemyes and appeasing all hurliburlies ver 15.16.17 As touching that Aretas reporteth from the monuments of Andreas that very many sayd that this earthquake was a passage from the persecutions which were brought upon them for Christ his sake unto the time of Antichrist And so the scriptures are wont to call some notable alteration an earthquake as where it is sayd yet once more I will shake the earth Heb. 12.26 It signifyeth the remooving of those thinges that are shaken as Saint Paul declareth And in the olde Testament the going of the children of Jsraell out of Egipt is called an earthquake as Psal 68.9 The earth was moved and the heavens dropped at the presence of God Those Interpreters have touched the point according to the trueth but onely they did misse in this that living under Antichrist they expected him yet to come not knowing that he was come longe a goe Which errour of the auncient Fathers as who being further of from the last event were lesse able to perceive the matter it selfe the Papists snatch to themselves greedily and here they make a very great gaping and distance of time leaping over from the times of Traiane in which they conclude the former Seales unto the last ende of the world which they reserve to their Antichrist as though by this earthquake all iudgement of that which is right had fallen unto them But whether is it likely that a whole thousand and five hundred yeeres and yet to come wee knowe not how many more have bin passed over with silence and that all the rest of the Prophecy was stuffed togither into the narrow straites of 3. yeeres and an halfe as Fraunces of Ribera the Jesuite will have it It is indeede a profitable abridgement and a short way to set free his Lord the Pope from a very great feare For it could not be but as often as he should beholde his face in this glasse he would seeme to himselfe to be Antichrist unlesse the Iesuite now did make it apparant that all that was but a phantasme which made him afraid That nothing is here spoken of the present time neither of that which is past through many ages but that all the speech following is of the time yet to come But wee will put away this smoke mist through Gods his helpe neither will wee suffer that the Pope seeming to himselfe a triksy felow should love himselfe to destruction also will make playne that the Jesuites doe not interprete but moke the scriptures ¶ And the Sunne became blacke These figurative and hyperbolicall speeches doe shewe that there should be a persecution the most fierce of all those which the Church endured at any time from Christs birth till nowe For so the Prophetes are wont to speake when they pointe at any great calamity as Isaiah He will clothe the heavens with blacknes he will make their covering as a sacke cloath chap. 50.3 And Ieremy When I beholde saith he the heavens they have noe light ch 4.23 and the heavens above shal be blacke ver 28. but most playnly in Ezechiell speking of the overthrowe of the Egyptiās When I shall put thee out I will cover the heavens and make the starres thereof darke I will cover the Sunne with a cloude and the moone shall not make her light to shine all the cleare lights in the heaven I will make darke upon thee and bring darkenes upō thy land saith the Lord ch 32.7.8 Many such places doe teach that these speeches are not to be refferred to the last iudgement onely as some doe expounde but also to other times which those auncients did see of whom spake Aretas even now who would have these thinges to be understood of the passing over to Antichrist This blacknes of the Sunne the other disturbance of the creature perteineth to that horrible slaughter wherby those wicked men Diocletian Maximinian endevoured to roote out the Church For wee shall see that the Sūne Moone doth note stably through this booke the chiefe ornaments of the congregation of the faithfull so that the Sunne may signify the Scriptures the Moone that excellent glory of godlines wherby the saincts doe shine after they have borrowed light frō thē That both these should be miserably defyled by this common calamity this seale sheweth it The accomplishement whereof is recited by Eusebe booke 8.2 For when the Emperours in the nineteenth yeere of their reigne ordained by publik decrees that the bookes of the holy scriptures should be committed to the fire in the middes of the marked wee sawe sayth Eusebius with these very eyes that the sacred Scriptures inspired of God were cast in to the fire in the middes of the market place and in the same place a little after the Kinges letters patents did fly to fro in every place wherby it was commaunded to abolish the scriptures So this Sunne as a sacke cloath of haire noteth not onely generally that the publicke ioy should be turned into very great sorrow but also especially that outragiousnes wherby cruelty was exercised against the sacred scriptures Neither could it be otherwise but when the fountaine of light was darkened the Moone which hath her light onely borrowed should fade away into the darke colour of blood as almost alwaye it happeneth when shee is kept from having society with the Sunne 13 And the starres from heaven fell to the earth The starres were Ministers Pastors of the Churches chap. 1.20 In which signification they are used both here in other place afterward Many of thē through feare should revolte from the trueth which is shewed by the falling from heaven to earth Neither that onely after many dangers and divers calamityes wherby being weakened they should yeeld but in the very first assault they should fall downe as greene figges that is with very little adoe even at the first rumour of perill for the figge tree most easily looseth her fruit before maturity neither tarrieth almost for the violence of stormes but with any light blast of winde maketh an untymely birth that I may so say Plin. booke 16.26 Of which thing the Spirit maketh mention in so fine a similitude that the faithfull being forwarned should not be discouraged with the so easy falling away of many Eusebius sheweth that the thing fell out altogither as it was here foreshewed For after that first decree of demolishing the temples burning the scriptures there was added an
other not long after of apprehending the Pastors of the Churches and compelling them to sacrifice to Jdoles Here many courageously persevering were not overcome with torments but an infinite sorte of others being astonied a good while before through feare were weakened at the first assault Euseb booke 8.2 by the which he sheweth the sudden fall of many 14 And the heaven departed away The heaven every where in this booke signifyeth the universall purer Church and it properly to be at length her dwelling place in the meane tyme in such sorte by her represented that it hath not any more lively image on earth These thinges therefore prove that the calamity rested not in the Governours alone but that the whole face of the Church was covered with so blacke darkenes that it could be seene almost no where Let the same Euseb be read in the 3 booke ch 3. where he bewayleth the miserable wasting of it with lamentings borrowed from the lamentatioÌ„s of Ieremy chap. 2.1.2 Likewise from Psal 89.39 c. Yet notwithstanding this desolation should be but as the foulding of a booke A booke is not destroyed when it is rolled up but remaineth as great as it was before it becometh indeede lesse evident and apparant in the sight being reduced and brought into a farre straighter roome So likewise the Church should loose nothing of her syncerity howsoever her glory might seeme to be quite abolished But the similitude of a folded booke is taken from the auncient custome wherin bookes were not bound into leaves but were rolled up as little wheeles whence they were called volumes as Aretas hath nored The Hebr saith he did vse rowles that which is books with us in the same sense it is sayd in the Epistle to the Hebrewes chap. 1.12 and as vesture shall thou folde them up that is thou shalt deface all their glory as of a vesture folded up whose gorgeousnesse and beautie cannot be seene The Hebrewes have for it Tachâ—liphem thou shalt change them Psal 102.27 the which is translated by the Greekes significantly thou shalt folde up seeing the Psalmist speaketh of such a changing as is altogither contrary to the nature of the heavens For the heaven is Râ—qâ—â—hh stretched out spread abroad as a curtaine or as a mortall plate divided but rolled up it ceaseth to be Raqiahh so the Church is made to be spred through all nations aâ—d to impâ—rt to them as the heaven to the earth light warmnes and life it selfe but nowe for a time it should be rolled up neither should any glory of it be seen abroad Where theÌ„ was the visible maiesty of Rome in the meane time when the heaveÌ„ departed away as a booke folded up But they have goodly provided for them selves touching such dangers who have cost of all these thinges unto the last day but howe amisse and wrongfully shal be shewed by and by at ver 16. ¶ And all mountaines and Ilands There is nothing so firme which this tempest should not remoove nothing so farre of whither it should not goe and be spred The word mountaine noteth that and the word Iland this It is a great storme which doth either scatter the little hilles of the earth or which doth rage but in the bordering and lowe places but that which doth either cast and drive away the Mountaines themselves neither stayeth in the continent but also flyeth over the sea into the Ilandes must needes bring extreame destruction Eusebius beginning this boysterous storme at Nicomedia pursued it by the very footesteppes through all Syria Aegypt Cappadocia Cilara and Phrygia booke 8. but being as it were wearie with travayling and loathing so sorrowfull a narration he came not to our Europe although Thracia Italy Spayne France being nigh to them and our Iland Britanny somewhat further of ministred noe lesse plenty of Martyrs although the moderation of Constans caused all things to be more milde in these countries The eight booke of the Ecclesiasticall history of Euseb expoundeth these three verses largely 15 And the Kinges of the earth and the Peeres c. Thus farre is the Epitasis now followeth the Catastrophe ioyned togither with the former troubles For in the middes of the rage and heate of this calamity Christ would shewe forth his divine power from heaven and as it were raysed from his sleâ—pe would appease suddenly the tempest by his word alone as he did in time past being awaked by his disciples First at the sight of him Kinges and the Peeres of the earth should flee away and should hide themselves in most secret dennes For what other thinge drove Diocletian Maximin Hercule that having the soveraigne power of thinges and a most fervent desire to roote out Christians when also they had continued theyr fury unto the second yeere resigned the Empire suddenly and returned to a private life A thing saith Eusebius never heard of to have come to passe at any time booke 8.13 Neither without cause doth Ignatius cry out o wonderfull thing and unknowne till this age that of their owne accord neither old age pressing them neither the weightines of things both brought themselves into order Euseb layeth the cause upon their phrenesy Nicephorus also upon their rage arysing doubt lesse from thence because they sawe that they laboured sore in vayne to destroy the Christians But they touched not the true cause from hence they should have learned this which is it and noe other The Lambe at length shewing himselfe to be the avenger of his Church inwardly and secretly did stinge their mindes with the conscience of their wickednes and feare of vengeance wherby he drove these meÌ„ even against their wills unto this unheard modesty The thing is manifest from Maximianus who after that stinge of conscience waxed somewhat weake it repented him of his fact and left no meanes unattented for to recover the scepter which he had laid downe An other of the Emperours who succeeded those that gave over their place called Gallerius Maximianus exercising tyranny against Christians the same Lambe vanquished by an horrible disease and drove him to recantation an exemple whereof see in Euseb booke 18.17 Maximinus also being made Emperour in the East by Galerius at length against his will acknowledged Christ to be the King and gave free leave to his worshippers to live after his precepts and ordinances Euseb booke 9.9.10 Maxentius that Romane Tyrant striken with feare by the same Lambe fayned himsâ—lfe to be a Christian for a time Sabinus and the other rulers of the Provinces following the authority of the Cesars Augusts desired to winne the Christians favour also by a fayned gentlenes and to hide themselves from the wrath of the Lambe So great a feare of the Lambe came upon all degrees of meÌ„ that every one thought himselfe well provided who could get any corner wherein he might lye hidde in safety 16 And they sayd to the Mountaines It is an argument of exceeding desperation when they esteemed all
sort Iohn is here instructed of the Elder Neverthelesse it shall appeare from those thinges which follow that the Elder demanded not of the generall innumerable multitude but of one certen kinde conteined in that great company Who yet all are in one apparell and reioyce in one name because they shall cleave one to another both in consent to the same trueth and also by a continuall ioining togither of the times who also shall at length be partakers of the same glory 14 Thou knowest As though he should say I knowe not thou knowest Wherfore this company is not the same which he sawe lying under the altar chap. 6.9 c. For in that place he understood that they were killed for the word of God neither had he any need to be taught againe but as it is a new troupe of the godly whom by his ignorance he declared should be unknowne to the world suspecting nothing lesse ¶ These are they which came out of great tribulation The Elder did aske two thinges Who are these and whence came they Iohn is ignorant of both of thē The Elder therefore teacheth him but answering onely to one that is to say whence they came which yet also should disclose the men themselves It was indeede a great affliction which the Church suffered under Antichrist that whole time wherein the faithfull were knowne onely by the marke printed on them and not that onely but also some ages after as it shal be made manifest afterward Yet I doe not thinke that this is meant in this place but that it is called Great for excellency sake for the greatest of all that ever was since the world was made Which surely Moses will tell us of in his sōg in these wordes For fire was kindled in my wrath which shall burne even unto the bottome of the grave and shall consume the earth and her encrease and set on fire the foundations of the mountaines Vpon the consumed for hunger and wasted with scab and bitter pestilence I will sende also the teeth of beasts with the venome of serpents of the earth The sword shall kill without and in the chambers feare both the young man and the younge woman the suckling with the gray headed Deut. 32.22 Moses sung that these evils should come upō the Iewes for their falling away from God Which albeit they strike a certen horrour into men even by the wordes rehearsed yet they scarse touch the least parte of those calamityes wherewith the most wretched nation is wasted by the space of a thou sand sixe hundred yeeres even to this very day which times I doubt not but Moses hath shewed in those wordes that I may put you in minde of this by the way Who can number by counting howe great evils those auncient Jewes who killed the Lord of life and defiled their handes with the blood of the Apostles suffered in the destruction of the city Noe History sheweth that there was ever made so horrible a slaughter The enemy him selfe refrained not from teares acknowledging the strange murders beyond the cruelty of any warre You might thinke that the whole natiō was here destroyed utterly especially when they who were left in that utter ruine were solde to be slaves were throwne to the wilde Beasts were made mocking stockes in the theaters finally were not exempted from death but reserved unto torment Indeede a fewe yeeres after it seemed to have ben revived but it was to endure newe calamityes like as in the Comedie the heart of Prometheus being eaten was restored often times For Hadrian killing againe this people most miserably forbade them their native soyle and dispersed them into all quarters of the world Since that time they are dispersed vacabondes banished from their owne country land wandring through the whole world without Governour without God for a King yea that I may use the wordes of Terlullian in his Apologet. to whō it is not so much permitted as that according to the right of strangers they may salute their Fathers land with their feete There was never noe calamity of any people eyther for the kinde of punishment so grievous or for the length of time of such continuance there hath not ben any spectacle so cleare of God being offended not any so fearfull exemple of his eternall wrath Neither yet should there belesse trouble a little before that time whē God shall give an ende to this so long misery At that time saith Daniell when there shall be a time of trouble such as hath not ben since it was anation even unto that time which that it is to be understood of the last sharpe assault before the full restoring of the nation wee shall sometime shewe more clearely if God will Therefore whether wee respect the present casting of of this people or that future calamity at their receiving againe into grace this great affliction is proper to the Iewes who togither with the remnants of the Gentiles being revived after the tyranny of Antichrist and with them which shall then first open their eyes to see the truth shall make that great company which noe man could number ver 9. These thinges are confirmed from that happines which followeth in the next wordes which perteineth to this present life on earth not to that future in the Heavens the sound fruition whereof shall not come before that there be made one sheepfolde the elect Iewes being chosen into one Christian people as wee shall shewe at chap. 21.22 From which it is nowe manifest seeing that this indefinite nūber is made partly of the Gentiles partly of the Iewes whose calling ought to be expected a longe time after that sealing which was spoken of before that those definite and sealed ones were not Iewes Furthermore sound peace and all perfite happines shall follow the calling of the Iewes as in the next wordes it is declared briefly but more largely at chap. 21. and 22. But when the sealing was finished there remained yet much of that great affliction All which shall more appeare in the thinges that follow ¶ And have washed their longe robes At length being converted by faith unto Christ and clothed with the imputation of his onely righteousnes holines 15 Therefore they are before the Throne as before in ver 9. chosen into the Church and gathered into the assembly of the faithfull ¶ Day and night without ceasing For then the fallings away shal be ended and they shall cleave constantly to God even to the last ende ¶ Jn his Temple Yet there shal be noe Temple there as chap. 21.22 But in that place is understood the abolishing of the ceremonies which they shall regarde no more for the worshipping of God thereby here is a pilgrimage yet on earth from the Lord where we have neede of the coming between of outward meanes for to worshippe him of which there shal be noe use in the heavens ¶ They shall hunger no more They shall wante nothing neither shall
any adversity trouble them which is signifyed by hunger and thirst moreover also all causes of calamityes shal be driven farre away the Sūne shall not burne them neither shall there be any heat which shall bring scarsity the whole creature shall consent to further the happines of the holy people Here the things are set before us in fewe wordes for a tast which shal be declared more at large afterward 17 For the Lambe that is in the middes of the Throne shall governe them Now the cause is rehearsed of the former happines to every part of which it is distributed conveniently shall governe answereth to those wordes shall not hunger shall lead them to the lively fountaines of waters respecteth the thirst which he said should be sufferred no more and shall wipe away all teares hath regarde to the heate of the Sunne which he promiseth shall not be trobelsome afterward ¶ From their eyes The teares falling from the eyes Montanus hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it were abiding in the eyes as if God by drying thoroughly the eyes should leave no faculty to weepe Isayah the teares from all faces ch 25.8 So then is the common type while the trumpets and viols endure that is even to the last ende About the beginning and proceeding of the Trumpets the number of the elect should be sealed about the ende there should be a more ioyfull more plentifull and more evident multitude which afterward under the viols encreasing every day at length should have their brethren the Iewes ioyned togither with themselves when there shal be a full happines at last so great as can be expected on earth which shall not be discontinued againe by any generall miseries of the times untill Christ himselfe shall come to iudgement This common type is to be declared by every member in those thinges that are behinde according to the severall mutations and notable events that shall happen this whose space CHAP. 8. AND when he had opened the seaventh seale there was silence in heaven about halfe an houre 2 And I saw the seaven Angels which stoode before God to them were given seven trumpets 3 Then another Angell came stood before the altar having a golden censer much odours were given unto him that he should offer with the prayers of all the Saints upon the golden altar which is before the throne 4 And the smoke of the odours with the prayers of the Saints wēt up before God out of the Angels hande 5 Afterward the Angell tooke the censer and filled it with fire of the altar cast it into the earth there were voices thundrings lightnings an earthquake 6 And the seaven Angels which had the seaven Trumpets prepared themselves to blowe the trumpets 7 So the first Angel blew the trumpet and there was haile and fire mingled with blood and they were cast into the earth and the third part of the earth was burnt the third part of the trees was burnt and all the greene grasse was burnt 8 And the seconde Angell blewe the trumpet and as it were a great mountaine burning with fire was cast into the sea and the third part of the sea became blood 9 And the third part of the creatures which are in the sea the livings things I say dyed and the third part of the shippes were destroyed 10 Then the third Angell blew and a great starre fell from heaven burning as a torche and it fell into the third parte of the rivers and into the fountaines of waters 11 And the name of the starre is called wormwood therefore the third part of the waters was turned into wormwood and many men dyed of the waters because they were made bitter 12 Afterward the fourth Angell blewe the trumpet and the third part of the Sunne was smitten and the third part of the Moone and the third part of the starres so that the third part of them was darkened and the third part of the day was darkened and likewise of the night 13 And I beheld and heard one Angell flying through the middes of heaven saying with a lowde voice woe woe woe to the inhabitans of the earth because of the soundes to come of the trumpet of the three Angels which shall blow Analysis THE cōmon type being declared the Silence which is proper to the seaventh seale remayneth Which of what it is is declared in the first ver Afterward he proceedeth to the following period of the trumpets which is cōprehended in the compasse of this and is distinguished into seaven trumpets the preparation of which is double common and speciall that cōsisteth first in the seaven Angels furnished with so many trumpets ver 2. Afterward in one other Angell who executeth the office of the High Priest as it appeareth from the furniture in respect both of the instrument and ende ver 3. and also of his ministery toward the elect ver 4. and against the enemyes partly by casting fire into the earth partly in raysing up from thence voices thundrings and great perturbation ver 5. The speciall preparation is of the seaven Angels making themselves ready unto the businesse appointed to them The Execution also hath likewise some thing comon to wit a warning by the blowing of the trumpets and also something speciall even the proper effect of every blowing of the trumpet which is distributed in the foure first lighter and the last three heavier They are handled in the rest of the chapter by their distinct articles At the first blowing of the trumpet there was hayle and fire ver 7. At the second a burning mountaine is cast into the sea ver 8. At the third a starre fell from heaven into the rivers ver 10.11 At the fourth the third part of the sunne was smitten ver 12. As touching the three last more grievous trumpets the preparation commō to them is had in ver 13. where the Angell flying through the middes of heaven denounceth with a mourning voice more horrible calamityes from them following Scholions 1 But when he had opened the seaventh seale Such then is the sixt the sevēth seale followeth whose effect which proceedeth from the opening is called Silence which sometime is used for any resting as why are yee silent in bringing home the King that is why doe yee rest 2 Sam. 10.11 Sometime it is opposed unto tumulte from whence the still waves of the waters Psal 107.29 Of which sorte is this silence made in Heaven that is in the Church on earth which often times is called of Christ the Kingdome of Heaven The space of this silence is about halfe an houre surely very shorth which should almost ende assoone as it should beginne In which is taught that the Church afterward shall enioy for a small time happy rest after that the open enemies should be driven away and that confortable Angel Constantine the great should arise from the East For this silence is ioined togither with that subduing
the Africane Vandals And so much the more because by their meanes it was brought to passe that the Sunne in those countryes did go downe alway to this very day for after that horrible darkenesse which the Vandals brought in God by his fearefull iudgement gave up those nations to the Mahumeticall madnes whose hellish darknes at this time sufferreth noe confortable Sunne beame to shine upon them Howe is it to be lamented that that part of the world which afore time was beset with most famous lights Tertullian Cyprian Augustine and others almost infinite is nowe altogither become blacke and doth not shine with one little sparkle But so is thy will most holy Father who hast compassed about us Europeans left alone and most wickedly abusing thy holy name with very sorrowfull spectacles of thy wrath both toward the East South So therefore are the foure first trumpets Contention Ambition Heresy Warre those foure Angels which Constantine the Great for a time restrained But the first and third trumpet belongeth to the East the second to the West the fourth to Africa The Prophecy of this chapter conteineth about two hundred thirty yeeres to wit from the beginning of the reigne of Constantine unto the yeere of Christ five hundred thirty and three at which time Belisarius carried away captive Gilimer and destroyed the name of the Vandals in Afrique Evag. booke 4.16 Yee may fetch a larger declaration from Eseb upon the life of Constantine from Socrates Theodoret Sozomene Evagrius Procopius of the warre of the Vandals and Victor of Vtica touching the persecution of the same men whose Commentaries God would have to be extant for the light and credit of this Prophecy 13 And I sawe and heard one Angell Nowe he cometh to the three last trumpets much more troublous then the former as appeareth from the comon preparation in this verse For as though the usuall sounding of the trumpet were not of sufficient force to cause feare a common Proheme to these three full of terrour is prefixed every severall afterward is declared by their transitions As touching the wordes some reade for an Angell an Eagle as Aretas the Complutent Edition and the common translation brought hereunto as it seemeth because the fourth Beast was like a flying Eagle chap. 4.7 But the word one being adioyned maketh against it For it was wont to be the limiting of a thing uncertaine and indefinite But the Eagle the fourth Beast was onely one wherefore it had ben superfluous to say I heard one Eagle Therefore one Angell agreeth better which word is generall and by right may be limited with some addition as Andreas readeth and some other Greeke Copies Furthermore he is called an Angell which flyeth through the middes of heaven after in chap. 14.6 But this one Angell is some one man alone picked and chosen out from the rest to some peculiar office 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not the middes of heaven as the Astronomers call it who call midday in this wise but the middes betweene Earth and heavē to wit the middes of height not of lenght as the Angell appeared to David 1 Chron. 21.16 But seeing heaven is the holy Church and the earth the false and counterfaite which carrieth the name shewe onely of the true this Angell being seen betwixt both seemeth not to have attained the purity of that and yet to have flowne somewhat aloft beyond the dregs and filth of this He cryeth with a lowde voice that he may be heard of all men that there shall come farre greater calamityes frō the three trumpets that are to come then yet have gone before But that these shall come upon the inhabitans of the earth who doe counterfait holines whereas in very deede they are withered branches and rotten members The time and congruency of the matter doe make me to thinke that this Angell is Gregory the Great Bishop of Rome he was one as it were taken out of the rable of many Bishops whose labour God would use to profit his Church But although he sate unwares in the chaire of wickednes yet God knoweth to plucke his out of the iawes of Hell And significantly doubtles is he called one as though it were a miracle for any one of any goodnes to be founde among that degenerating route This Gregory did fly in the middes of heaven pressed downe with many superstitions and errours that he could not be enrolled a citizen of the heavenly city Whose neverthelesse singular good will care diligence right iudgement in many thinges lifted him up on high farre above the rest of the common sort and that company of superstitious ones He cryed with a lowde voice denouncing to the world a great calamity by ANTICHRIST who should come straight way The King saith he of pride is at hande and wich is unlawfull to be spoken an army of Priests is prepared booke 4. Epist 24. Againe the King of pride is at the doores in the same booke Epist 38. In the same place againe where is that Antichrist which chalengeth the name of universall Bishop and for whom is prepared an army of Priests to attende upon him He is at hand sayth he and at the doores yea he was farre neerer then he thought in whose chaire he sate even himselfe but by his account he could not be farre of Neither is it lawfull to diminish the Popes credit who could not be deceaved especially avouching the same thing so often and in earnest Seeing therefore that this Gregory next after the fourth trumpet that is the Vandalike persecution so expressely cryeth out aloude that Antichrist is at hande then whom noe greater plague and calamity could befall the earth and that a fewe yeeres before that the Monster borne longe agoe broke forth into the open light it must needes be that he was this Angell who is shewed almost so playnly by this type as if he had ben named CHAP. 9. THEN the fift Angell blewe the trumpet and I sawe a starre fall from heaven into the earth and to that starre was given the key of the bottomelesse pit 2 He opened therefore the bottomelesse pit and there arose a smoke out of the pit as the smoke of a great fornace and the Sunne was darkened and the ayre by the smoke of the pit 3 And there came out of the smoke Locusts upon the earth and unto them was given power as the scorpions of the earth have power 4 But to them it was sayd that they should not hurt the hay of the earth neither any greene thing neither any tree but onely those men which had not the Seale of God in their foreheads 5 And to them was commanded that they should not kill them but that they should be tormented five moneths and that their torment should be as the torment of a Scorpion when he hath stung a man 6 Therefore in those dayes shall men seeke death and shall not finde it and shall desire to dye and death shall
out as much as thou wilt that these speaches ar blasphemous and after thy manner accuse the holy trueth of God of ungodlines But it is not to be expected that wordes should teach thee whom stripes can not teach Yet neverthelesse though thou shalt receive noe profit here of all the godly shall detest thee who by these abominations bringest a most cruell fiend upon the Christian world Art thou not ashamed to exhorte the Christian Princes unto warres against the Turke whom thou makest invincible by thy Idols To pretende a minde to fight against a cruell enemy but to minister privily unto him that aide wherby all our forces ar made a pray unto him Yf thou desirest from thy heart that this spoiler of the world should be repressed or rather extinguished cast away thy dung hill Gods forsake thy sacrilegious Primacy amende the rest of thy corruption according to the rule of true godlinesse then shalt thou see this mortall and cruell mōster covered indeede with all villanies to fall of his owne accord which could not stand surely one moment unlesse he were holden up by these thy sinnes But neither wilt thou be admonished neither can he be overcome before thou beest overcome as after shal be manifest 21 Neither repented they An other kinde of sinnes which are foure murders sorceries formcation thefts of which he that knoweth not Rome to be the shoppe he seeth but a little in the cleere sunne shine at noonetide CHAP. 10. THEN I sawe an other Angell comming downe from heaven clothed with a cloude the rainebowe upon his head his face was as the Sunne his feete as pillars of fire 2 And he had in his hande a little booke opened and he put his right foote upon the Sea and his left on the earth 3 And cried with a loude voice as a Lion roareth and when he had cryed sevē thunders uttered their voices 4 And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices I was about to write but I heard a voice from heaven saying unto mee seale up those thinges which the sevē thunders have spoken and write them not 5 And the Angell which J saw stande upon the sea and upon the earth lift up his hand to heaven 6 And sware by him that liveth for evermore which created heaven things that are therein the earth and the things that are therein the sea and the things hat are therein that time shal be noe more 7 But in the dayes of the voice of the seventh Angell when he shall beginne to blowe the trumpet even the mysterie of God shal be finished as he hath declared to his servants the Prophets 8 And the voice which J heard from heaven spake unto mee againe and said goe and take the little booke which is open in the hande of the Angell standing upon the sea and upon the earth 9 So J went unto the Angell saying unto him give mee the little booke and he said unto mee take it and eate it up and it shall make thy belly bitter but it shal be in thy mouth as sweete as honie 10 Then J tooke the little booke out of the Angels hande and ate it up and it was in my mouth as sweete as honie but when I had eaten it my belly was bitter 11 Then he said unto mee thou must prophecy againe among the people and nations and tongues and to many Kinges Analysis SVCH then is the first part of the sixt trumpet to wit the evill the comfort followeth consisting partly in the authority of the revealer partly in the thinges revealed His authority appeareth from the power of a certen Angell coming downe from heaven notable by his clothing ornament of his head shining of his face bright burning of his feete ver 1. Likewise knowledge which the booke open in his hande sheweth and his presence everie where declared by so great a pulling asunder of his feete ver 2. The thinges revealed are either to be Sealed up or to be communicated Those have their principall cause the voice of the Angell their instrumentall cause Seaven thunders ver 3. Likewise their consequent which conteineth both the endevour of Iohn in writing also the prohibition that he should not write ver 4. The things to be commumicated are either touching the finishing of the mystery of God in the times of the seventh trumpet confirmed by an othe ver 5.6.7 or of the gift of prophecy restored againe to the Church the preparation whereunto is set downe in the rest of the chapter Prophecy it selfe followeth in the eleventh chapter The Preparation is occupied either about the Signe or about the Interpretation that before the booke received hath a commaundement to take it in the eight verse and the obedience of Iohn in the ningth verse After the same delivered both a commaundement to eate it up and also an instruction touching the diverse tast of it in the ningth verse and the triall made by Iohn in the tenth verse Last of all is added the Interpretation in the eleventh verse Scholions Then I sawe an other Angell Wee referre these thinges in the Analysis 〈◊〉 the confort of the sixt trumpet which is fitly added For who would not almost faint through wearinesse of so long continuing trouble hearing noe other thing in the Church for a long rowe of yeeres then violent stormes of haile burning mountaines falling starres the Sunne darkened troupes of Locusts serpents with a head at both endes casting out flames of fire wherby an infinite number of men should burne miserably Nowe therefore to them that have ben as it were a long time and much tossed on the maine sea is the land pointed at and the haven shewed in which at length there might be rest from these troubles neither this onely but also in the meane time a prosperous winde is breathed forth which may cause a readier sayling For which purpose a most mighty Angell came downe from heaven divers frō those who blewe the trumpets or of whom mention was made long agoe elsewhere For they were servants this is the very Lord Christ as whose clothing countenance voice whole decking is more imperiall then can befall to any creature Neither doth so strange a forme and unlike to the true nature of man hinder considering that it hath ben manifest from the first chapter that he taketh upō him that outward shew especially which may serve most to the declaring and confirming of the things propounded Therefore as touching the description of him he is called strong because he hath strength sufficiēt to deliver the Church from those adversities wherwith it shal be oppressed He cometh downe from Heaven because nowe at length after a long distance of time he would visit his Church from which he seemed to have ben absent now a long time And about the blowing of the sixt Trumpet when the foure Angels were loosed in the yeere 1300 as was sayd before Christ began to give a more
sinne they must needes finde more stubborne and spitefull The condition of that time could not be shewed more briefly and manifestly I therefore tooke the little booke Althoug Iohn heareth howe great trouble this meate will bring him yet obeyeth he willingly the Angell and eateth up the booke as he was commanded There was a better love in him to Gods word then any regard of lothsomnesse or wringing in the belly frō bitternesse Such excellent fortitude was in those learned men of that age before spoken of it could not be but that they knewe certenly howe great trouble they should procure to themselves by avouching the trueth yet neverthelesse they laboured valiantly setting more by the sweetnesse which they received from the ioy of the Spirit thē by all the bitternes of perill By whose example all Ministers of the word must goe on boldly neither is the office to be forsaken because of the troubles It is noe newe thing for that to be found bitter by experience which being tasted a little at the tongues ende seemeth sweete Therefore let every true Prophet have this lesson well meditated least peradventure lighting upon unexpected evils he be overcome at length through infirmity 11 Thou must Prophecy againe Nowe in fewe wordes he sheweth to what ende the former signe was used that it may be understood that Prophecie was to be restored againe to the Church in those times The preparation whereunto was the receaving and eating up of the booke to wit a burning desire of learning which gave hope of a more perfit light to appeare daylie But their opinion is foolish who will from these wordes have John to be expected about the ende of the world with Enoch Elias These things belōg not to the last time but to the sixt trumpet which wee will declare manifestly hereafter to be past And Iohn is set forth onely as a type not described by any office which in his owne person he should beare in the last times CHAP. 11. AND a reed was given mee like unto a rode and the Angell stood by saying rise and mete the Temple of God and the altar and them that worship therein 2 But the court which is without the Temple shut out mete it not for it is given to the Gentiles they shall treade under foote the holy city two and fourtie moneths 3 But I will give to those my two witnesses and they shall prophecy a thousande two hundreth and threescore dayes clothed in sackecloth 4 These are two olive trees and two candlestickes standing before the God of the earth 5 And if any man will hurt them fire proceedeth out of their mouthes which shall devoure their enemyes For if any man will doe them wronge so must they be killed 6 These have power to shut heaven that it raine not in the dayes of their prophecying and have power over waters to turne them into blood and to smite the earth with all maner plagues as often as they will 7 Moreover when they finished their testimony the Beast that commeth out of the bottomelesse pit shall make warre against them and shall overcome them and kill them 8 And their corpses shall lie in the streetes of the great citie which is called spiritually Sodom and Egypt where also our Lord was crucified 9 And men of Tribes of peoples and of tongues and nations shall see their corpses three daies and an halfe and shall not suffer their carkases to be put in graves 10 And the inhabitans of the earth shall reioice over them and be glad and shall send giftes one to an other because these two Prophets vexed the inhabitans of the earth 11 But after three dayes and an halfe the Spirit of life comming from God shall enter into them and they shall stande up upon their feete and great feare shall fall upon them that shall see them 12 After they shall heare a great voice from heaven saying unto them come up hither and they shall ascende up to heaven in a cloude and their enemies sawe them 13 And the same houre was made a great earth quake and the tenth parth of the city fell and in the earthquake were slaine seven thousande men the remnant were feared and gave glory to the God of heaven 14 The second woe is past and behold the third woe commeth quickly 15 And the seventh Angell blewe the trumpet and there were great voices in heaven saying the Kingdomes of this worlde are the Lords and his Christs and he shall reigne for evermore 16 Then those foure and twenty Elders which sate before God on their thrones fell upon their faces and worshipped God 17 Saying wee give thee thankes Lord God almighty which art and which wa st and which art to come for thou hast received thy great might and hast obtained thy Kingdome 18 And the Gentiles were angry and thy wrath is come and the time of the dead that they should be iudged and that thou shouldest give a reward unto thy servants the Prophets and to the Saincts and to them that feare thy name small and great shouldest destroy them that destroy the earth 19 Then the temple of God was opened in heaven and the Arke of his covenant was seene in his temple and there were lightnings and voices and thundrings and eaarthquake and much haile Analysis SVCH is the preparation unto the newe Prophecy as was observed in the eight verse of the former chapter the Prophecy it selfe followeth in the first fifteene verses of this chapter which belongeth either to the whole bodie of the Church or some chiefe mēbers of it As touching that The Church is either true or false the true should lie hid this whole periode of fourtie moneths small very secret narrowe which is shewed by the temple measured ver 1. the false in the meane time very ample and spatious ver 2. The chiefe members are two Prophets whose divers condition is shewed according to a threefold difference of time the first by a thousand two hundreth threescore dayes all which space being black they should goe in monrning apparell ver 3. Who yet in the meane while should be like Olive trees Candlestickes ver 4. neither should be hurt of any without punishement ver 5. and endued with great power ver 6. The second time is of three dayes and an halfe in which being slaine ver 7. they should lie unburied in the streetes of Sodome and Egypt ver 8.9 and should make their enemies merrie with their death ver 10. The third time is not determined after the three dayes and an halfe in which they should rise againe lifted up by the Spirit first upon their feete which should strike a feare into their enemies ver 11. Afterward into heaven at which the tenth part of the citie should fall many should be slaine the rest should be made afraid ver 13. Last of all a transition is used declaring the ende of the sixt trumpet and the beginning of the
travell Whither from the wildernes into the wildernes But all the errour is from hence because the wildernes is not defined by his proper markes For this wildernes is not the want of humane and extern comfort but of the gifts of the holie Ghost with which the first Church abounding most largely felt not any desert place although wholly destitute of all humane succour Shee was indeede very greatly afflicted by the cruelty of the Emperours but the Dragon casting the third part of the starres to the earth tooke not heavē from her neither spoiled her of the clothing of the Sunne although he deprived almost an infinite number of Saincts of their bodies For her dignity is not to be measured by an outward pompe and shewe but by true faith and purenesse of the whole worship of God in both which shee then flourished very greatly in comparison of all other ages It being now knowen for certaine to what both time and place these moneths belong to wit to flight wildernesse privie places to hide in neither to the first beginning but after a longe and most grievous battell with the Dragon in chap. 12.6 it must needes be that seeing these things are attributed to the Beast chap. 13.5 that it is also a living creature of some wildernesse and what other place is fit for wilde beasts dennes from whence shee is seen afterward more clearly in the wildernes chap 17.3 and that it is not the first that is the Romane Empire but the second enemy to wit Antichrist who in as much as he could would make this place of refuge to the woman dangerous From which thinges it is apparant howe absurde it is to ende these moneths in the death of Licinius to wit straightway after their beginning Which may yet more appeare if wee shall minde this terme of time being given them that the whole sixt trumpet also is concluded almost with the same boundes for when these are finished there remaineth a very little of this How then is not the mystery of God finished as is foretold in chap. 10.7 yf the seventh trumpet hath sounded nowe so many ages to wit these thousand three hundred yeeres more or lesse a very little Not but that wee knowe that a thousand yeeres are even as one day to God 2 Pet. 3.8 But because it seemeth strange that when the seven seales and sixe trumpets are finished in one three hundred yeeres that nowe one of the same trumpets should not finde an ende in foure times three hundred yeeres and more But there is noe such unequal difference of the sacred Prophecy This monstrous proportion whatsoever it seemeth to be is nothing else but humane folly not a right dividing of the times Neither is that firme that noe certaine time of domesticall calamityes is signifyed no where in the Scriptures for Numb 14.33.34 2 Sam. 24.13.14 2 King 8.1 and other the like which might be added wil prove the contrary Therefore that I may conclude the whole matter seeing the seales doe leade unto Constantine himselfe and these moneths are of a longer time then all the trumpets that are past of right doe wee iudge that they take their beginning in the sixt seale where heaven departed away chap. 6.14 Why should not the woman consider of newe places to abide in when the former were gone away come to nothing And when Diocletian and Maximianus gave over the Empire of their owne accord the Dragon was throwne downe from heaven to wit in the yeere of the Lord 304. when the desired peace began to be given to the Church and the Soveraignty to fall to Constantine and of an exceeding great company of Christians in name a fewe elect were sealed chap. 7. Which things being thus layd from necessary principles I hope that now a large entrance is made to the finding out of the trueth of those thinges which follow ¶ And I will give to my two witnesses Theod. Beza hath But I will give it to my two witnesses as if the holy city should he given to them which should appertaine to the Gentils not to the witnesses who should have place with the rest of the Saincts in the Temple Therefore wee must read as it is in the Greeke But I will give to my two witnesses c. In which wordes he turneth him selfe nowe to the chiefe members of the holy Church when hitherto he had declared summarily the things that belōg to the whole body both of the true false Church Nowe these wordes I will give and they shall prophecy are the same with these J will give power I will appoint or I will commaunde them to prophecy as Iosuah gave them that same day to be hewers of wood that is frō that day appointed them to hewe wood Ios 9.27 see the 1. chap. ver 1. But the meaning is not to be stayed in the office of prophecying as though they should prophecy in those dayes only which is their continual duty but that they should doe it all that time clothed in sackcloth The old Fathers being farther frō the evēt of these things thought that Enoch Eliah being these 2 witnesses should come to fight with Antichr in the last times But wee beholding the thing done now long agoe may surely iudge that the Spirit hath another meaning The Papists with great applause receive this opiniō make much of it obtruding it upon the world as an oracle to it because it carrieth men away frō the present cōsideratiō of the things a thing cōmon to them in all their expositiōs for the which they sweate much But the peculiar expositiō of the things will cōfute sufficiently their stiffenes in that opiniō Therefore that I may dispatch it in a word wee gather that these two Prophets are the holy scriptures the assemblies of the faithfull Wee will render a reason after in the descriptiō Although everie one may see at the first sight how fit both are for this office The Scriptures beare witnesse of the trueth Ioh. 5.39 And the saincts doe praise the power of God declare his goodnes as every where in the Psalmes A person is attributed to the Scriptures after that manner wherby the adioincts are signifyed from the subiects as Moses for the Lawe c. Then which kinde of speaking there is nothing more commonly used Before the type of them was the Sunne but seeing there was here mention made of warre of death of the resurrection a person necessary which should be capable of those things From whence there is this newe way of signifying an olde thinge The time how long they should prophcy is limited with a thousand two hundreth and three score dayes altogither the same time with the two and fourty moneths before To what ende then doth he nowe devide it by little parts into dayes not declare it briefly by moneths as before To wit because the office of prophecying is such that they must take paines in it continually
wounding of the whole Popish nation was reserved to this time Which after they heard of our England and Queene overthrowing the Romish impiety burst out altogither devising for us by what meanes soever they could a finall destruction And many wordes are not needfull in this matter Known to the whole world are the Popes curses against us our people being stirred up often to rebellion the bloody Iesuites sent privily daily hired traitours privie murtherers sorcerers the Popes armies set out in Ireland the Spanish navie then which there was never any stronger and better appointed Neither yet with weapons and armour more for fight then with scourges and haltars and things of that sort for torment the desirous inquiry of Philip the Father lately wakened almost from very death concerning our England as though he were to goe by by into that place where the teller of our evill should be noe lesse pleasant to others then to himselfe Rages certenly meete for wicked mindes For these are onely the beginnings of furie although famous notable then chiefly the Papists shall storme when Christ shall enter upon his full Kingdome as after more at large The Pope and Turke shall purpose the last desolation of the whole Church for which cause they shall gather very great armies But the rage of men shall turne the greater glory of God as the Psalmist singeth For by how much the danger shal be greater by so much his honour shall shine the more in delivering his As touching the second Gods punishement begun which these wordes signify and his wrath is come that conteineth the summe of the Vials which therefore are called the last plagues as shall be said in his place The full reward and first of all goods as great as can be on the earth is found in these wordes and the time of the dead that they should be iudged Which things perteine to the Iewes yet strangers from Christ and therefore without salvation and dead in deede but at length they shall be iudged and shall come to the trueth Which Interpretation I have taken out of Daniell Ezechiel and some places of this Prophecy following of which how great is the weight it shall appeare after more clearly The recompensing of the evill in the last wordes and shouldest destroy them that destroy the earth To wit The Pope and Turke and all their servants yet mighty robbers of the whole earth And so is the short summe of the things to be declared afterward more plenteously 19 Then the Temple was opened Therefore it was shut before when it was measured in the beginning of this chapter and because the elect were sealed But now it should be opened noe more to be used to the receaving of a fewe faithfull but that is should extende to an huge multitude of Saincts Neither onely should the Temple be opened but also the most holy place in which was set the Arke of the covenant Into this once it was lawfull for the High Priest onely to enter and that but once in a yeere Now it should be gone into of all Saincts in likewise all the mysteries of salvation being as plaine cleere and manifest to every one as before time they were to the learned and skilfull men all whose study was bestowed in them And who but a very envious anthankefull man acknowledgeth not a most rich encrease of trueth which is come to passe in these last times since the yeere 1558. in which the seventh Trumpet sounded The doctrine was made lightsome in many points more clearly known delivered more distinctly then hath happened in many ages past Neither doe I speake this to boast but to praise Gods bounteousnes and to shewe forth the trueth of the Prophecy Surely God hath begun to consume in his mountaine the forme of that veile which covereth all people and that covering which is spread upon all nations Isay 25.7 He began I say because it shal be taken away more fully when it shal be taken from the Iewes also ¶ And there were lightnings The third part of the signe which declareth what should follow after the opening of the Temple great evils should fall upon the world from the Church increased and abounding with so great riches of divine knowledge The world waxeth leane throug her prosperity and by howe much the Sunne shineth more brightly upon it so much the more are the sicke eyes of it grieved Therefore it desireth that this were abolished and endevoureth as much as it can but prevaileth nothing by endevouring unlesse to call forth lightnings upon it selfe and those evils which are rehearsed But this is onely a briefe foreshadowing of the things the patterne shal be mote lively set forth afterward CHAP. 12. AND there appeared a great wonder in heaven a woman clothed with the Sunne under whose feete was the Moone and upon her head a crowne of twelve starres 2 And being great with childe shee cryed traveiling in birth was pained that shee might bring forth 3 And there appeared an other wonder in heaven for beholde there stood a great red Dragon having seaven heads and ten hornes and upon his heads seaven crownes 4 Whose taile drewe the third part of the starres of heaven which he cast to the earth And that Dragon stood before the woman being ready to bring forth that when shee had brought foorth he might devoure her childe 5 And shee brought foorth a man childe which should rule all nations with a rod of iron and her childe was taken up unto God and his throne 6 But the woman fled into the wildernes where shee should have a place prepared of God that they should feede her a thousand two hundreth and three score dayes 7 And there was a hattell in heaven Michaell and his Angels fought with the Dragon and the Dragon fought and his Angels 8 But they prevailed not neither was their place found any more in heaven 9 And that great Dragon that olde serpent which is called the Devill and Satan was cast out which deceaveth all the world he was cast I say into the earth his Angels were cast out with him 10 And I heard a loude voice saying in heaven nowe is salvation and strength and the kingdome of our God and the power of his Christ because the accuser of our brethren is cast downe which accused them before our God day and night 11 But they overcame him by the blood of the lambe and by the word of their testimony and they made no accounte of spending their life even unto death 12 Therefore reioice ye heavens and ye that dwell in them woe to the inhabitans of the earth and of the sea for the Devill is come downe unto you full of great wrath as who knoweth that he hath but a little opportunity 13 When therefore the Dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth he persecuted the woman which had brought forth the man childe 14 But to the woman were given two winges of a
great Eagle that shee might flie into the wildernes from the sight of the Serpent into her place where shee should be nourrished for a time and times and halfe a time 15 And the Serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman water like a flood that he might cause her to be carried away with the flood 16 But the earth holpe the woman and the earth opened her mouth and swalowed up the flood which the Dragon had cast out of his mouth 17 Then the Dragon was wroth with the woman went and made warre with the remnant of her seed which keepe the commandement of God and have the testimony of Iesus Christ 18 And he stood upon the Sea sande Analysis It hath ben spoken summarily concerning the seventh trumpet The parts of it are a calling to rememberance of the time past in three chapters 12.13.14 and the Prophecy touching future thinges from thence to the ende of the booke The calling to mind of the time passed relateth the thinges done either by the enemies the Dragon in this chapter the Beast in the following or by the Citizens chap. 14. The history of the Dragon is of things which were done partly in Heaven unto the 13. verse partly in Earth in the rest of the chapter Those are the persecution and warre The persecutiō hath a description of the persons both of the woman against whom it is undertaken ver 1.2 and of the Dragon who inferreth it ver 3.4 Afterward the Event wherby the woman neverthelesse bringeth forth a Sonne who without harme and being endued with excellent power is taken up to God ver 5. then also she flyeth without hurt ver 6. The warre which is made in Heaven is described by the Captaines themselves and Armies ver 7. The overthrowe of the Dragon ver 8.9 and the Saincts song of triumphe vers 10.11.12 The things done on earth first against the woman is the persecution renewed both against her being present where the assault of the Dragon is rehearsed ver 13. And the escaping of the woman ver 14. and also against her being absent Here the assault is made by a flood powred out ver 15. the helpe against it is givē by the Earth which swallowed up the flood ver 16. Secondly against the seed of the woman there is a warre ver 17. All which thinges are concluded with a transitiō unto the battell of the Beast in the chapters following ver 18. Scholions 1 And a great wonder appeared in heaven As touching that wee told in a word in the Analysis that the three next chapters togither perteine unto a continuall History of the time past peradventure it may seeme strange to some body why the Spirit should doe that which is already done rehearse againe the former History set forth sufficiētly as it seemeth in those thinges that have bin said before especially in this place after the blowing of the seventh trumpet when shortly there should be an ende of all thinges as wee have learned from the tenth chapter There are most iust causes of both for no man beholding separated and dispersed partes here and there of a building scarce comprehendeth in minde any fashion of the whole frame much lesse perceiveth he the handsomnesse which would be of them ioyned togither every one set in his owne place and couched togither in fit order The former handling was a certen preparation of devided partes but this continuall narration doth properly ioyne all things togither in one and setteth before our eyes the whole frame that wee may see to what summe at length that singular building commeth But it is reserved to this time because before the last Trumpet there could not be a full comprehending of these thinges The events came forth by peecemeale distinctly the knowledge whereof the world received a part and by little and little after the manner of folded tapestry but all things at length being ended nowe there was time to behold the whole unfolded cloath and of appropriating togither the universall building But chiefly by this rehearsall wee are taught that such an History of all those thinges under the last trumpet is to be made as is instituted typically in these three chapters Which thing came to passe about the yeere one thousand five hundreth threescore certaine learned and skilfull men framing that excellent worke of the Centuries at Maidenburge In which thirteene Centuries whatsoever from the birth of Christ unto the yeere one thousand three hundreth is founde here and there among the auncient Churches or politique writers is brought into one body and as a built house all things fitly ioyned togither is placed to be seene at once From which our coūtrey man Iohn Foxe and Iohn Sleidan receaved a great light who continued the History unto the yeere 1555. that is to say unto that time which by two or three yeeres went before the blowing of the seventh Trumpet For this cause to wit by the force of the restored Church and of that commandement in chap. 10.10.11 the former times are repeated under the last trumpet because nowe at length all thinges should be declared most copiously by the studies of the learned which had come to passe never before The like industrie of learned men about the ende of the sixt trumpet brought foorth that continuall narration whereof wee spake in the former chapter but that was more generall and obscure in consideration of that time but this most full and aboundant obtained by a greater knowledge of things thē ever before this time These thinges are to be observed touching the order of the Prophecy to the ende that wee may see the more easily not as some suppose these things to be set in an other place but most wisely and fitly to be reserved unto the last Trumpet as to their naturall and most proper place Yet neverthelesse there is noe cause why in this repetition wee should feare a twice sodden Colewort For wee shall nowe beholde that face of things ioyned togither by their ioints of which before time there could be noe looking upon Therefore as touching this great wonder it is seene in heaven a type of the true and heavenly Church whose condition he fetched from the beginning to wit from the beginning of the seales the time of the Revelation given containing in the sixe first verses what was her state from thence to Constantine the Great in whom the sixt Seale also ended as wee shewed at the sixt chapter And it is manifest that the same space of time is reckened up by the description of the woman the Dragon with the event of the persecution and of that open warre which is made with Michaell as shal be shewed in their places The woman which is seene doth rightly beare the image of the Church which so often times in the Scriptures is called the Spouse The cloathing of the Sunne is the excellent brightnes and purity of that time as touching the doctrine of
name But is iâ— like that they were so hated of Decius for a conterfaited name But I dispute not of that This is certaine that they little or nothing helped the state of Christians The male childe was not borne before Constantine He was the first of all that delivered the Church valiantly from the tyranny of the enemies he maintained and defended the same strongly increased and enlarged it wonderfully he brought the peace so greatly longed for established it for ever How greatly shee laboured before that this Emperour her sonne was borne all the History both holy and prophane doe tell it ¶ That should rule all nations with a rod of yron For Christ bestoweth on his people this his peculiar power according to that promise If any shall overcome J will give him power over nations and he shall rule them with a rod of yron chap. 2.27 The trueth whereof shained forth in Constantine For he over came the Sarâ—ates the Gothes all the natioÌ„ of the Scytes in suÌ„dry battels Yea God rewarding his godlines as Eusebius speaketh he subdued all sortes of Barbarians under his feete every where he did set up his enseignes of victory caused most famous victories among all men and made him to be feared of all adversaries In the first orat upon the life of Constantine Whereupon the Ambassadours almost of all nations ranne togither to his Court continually neither did the distance of place let either the Indians or Aethiopians which two wayes are divided the fardest of all men as the same Eusâ—bius writeth out of Homer that they should not bring their gifts to get his favour For he ruled with a rod of yron who so repressed all enemies with force and armes that no man durst even to lift up his finger against the Church ¶ And her sonne was taken up unto God How taken up whether by death wherby Constantine being taken from the earth was received up into heaven Or rather by a great earthly dignity which God bestowed on him being delivered from the lying in waite of adversaries and conspiracie of enemies The thing it selfe seemeth rather to approve this latter especially seeing the Magistrates are called Gods by which proportion the Throne of supreme dignity is called rightly the Throne of God himselfe Also in the former chapter the two Prophets reviving and recovering their former honour are said to goe up into heaven ver 12. Neither is it like to be true that he whose power should be so great over the nations should have his birth death ioyned togither not any notable great acte being mentionned that hee might give some shewe of his received power Therefore to be taken up unto God in this place is to be placed in the highest toppe of dignity amoÌ„g men That is to say be made an Emperour But he is saide to be taken up because the Empire was not so much sought of him as given to him thinking no such thing He had escaped the conspiracies by flying to his Father whom he found dying assoone as he came Who at leÌ„gth being dead he tooke all that power by inheritance under the shadow whereof he desired to be covered whiles his father lived Shortly after he is desired with earnest requests of the people of Rome whom the great tyranny of MaxeÌ„tius oppressed they exhorte and beseech him that he would not lurke in a certaine corner of the earth but would take upon him the governement of the whole world being offered unto him There was added a heavenly token and a voice commanding him to doubt nothing of the victory How great was this force from God taking up a man to so great dignity Vndoubtedly hee could gladly have ben at rest in his fathers bounds of Fraunce and Britanny in which he kept himselfe quiet the five first yeeres unlesse he had ben taken up perforce of God in heaven to a greater Empire then that which he had purposed in his minde 6 But the woman fled The other event is in respect of the woman who by and by after the birth of her male childe fled away Which flight is declared from the place whither shee went from the condition wherein shee was in that place the space of time which shee remained there All which things are declared somewhat more largely afterward from vers 13. where a continuall Prophecy of her is made here they are mentioned in fewe words as in their proper place to the ende that wee may the more easilie understand to what time this flight properly pertaine The place is the wildernesse that is the Temple measured of God chap. 11.1 where a fewe elect lying hid was a mere wildernesse in coÌ„parison of that great assembly which possessed the holy city and the uttermost court Yet this wildernesse is a place prepared for her of God as wee have seen from so exact a measuring of the Temple For God had a care of her and provided for her a cover to hide in howsoever hee suffered her to want a publike assemblie The condition of her lying hid is such that shee should be nourished by the meanes of certen men 〈◊〉 so he sayeth that they should nourish her there But who are these Two Proâ—â—â—â— whereof wee have heard in the former chapter ver 3. power given them to prophecy was the ministery of nourrishing the woman For as God raining Manna from heaven fed the Israelites once in the wildernesse so he prepared meate in the wildernesse for the woman Furthermore he would rather have committed the office of feedind to the ravens as we see that he did to Elaja then that he would have sufferred her to perish through famine This is therefore that time when they that overcame did eate of the hidden Manna as we have said in the Church of Pergamus chap. 2.17 The space wherin she should be darkely known in the publike is a thousand two hundreth and threescore dayes the same that those two witnesses prophecied clothed in sakecloth chap. 11.23 The concurring of all which things teacheth that this wildernesse is that temple and that this seiourning in banishement in the wildernesse is that dwelling in the sanctuary Whence it is that the same beginning is to be attributed to both to wit the sixt Seale as we have shewed more at large in chap. 11.2 Vpon which time did fall that sealing in chap. 7. All which doe most strongly confirme that our interpretation which wee have hitherto given But why fled the woman being increased with so mighty a sonne who before being succour lesse and labouring with great paine to bring forth did withstande so maÌ„fully the rage of the Dragon Certainely the feare of the enemie did not put her to flight but the lothing of some domesticall evill And so indeede it came to passe that the security that such a sonne was borne tooke away all regard of true godlines For now the tyrants being driven from their neckes they were at good leisure to follow after conteÌ„tions
and ambition Now there was leisure to search diligeÌ„tly the reliques of the saincts to consecrate Temples to Martyrs and to pray in all Temples No outward griefes did hinder but that men might freely give themselves to the corrupting of all religion Therefore that simple integritie which Christ appointed the Apostles practised and which was also faithfully kept by their next successours whiles the crosse suffered not their mindes to be wanton began wholly to be defiled and violated with idle impure ceremonies mixed with it The cloathing of the Sune which was wholly woveÌ„ as in the warpe so also in the wourfe of the threedes of the sacred verity began to be altered by the holines of our workes The Moone which governed their pathes was driven out of her place by the invocation of Saincts in the publike worshipe and by the violating of the whole sacred discipline The shining starres in the crowne of her head were changed into honourable Lords Which the woman seing endured not the griefe but by and by getting her selfe away fled thither where at least shee might be freed from the torment of seing that is to say no publike assemblies were found wherein Gods ordinances did florish entire and whole For the faithfull one by one are not the woman but the whole congregations of the faithfull So the Sonne brought more hurt then the enemie not of a will to hurt but by the wickednesse of men which abused shamefully so happy a peace to all impiety 7 And there was a battell in heaven Hitherto of the persequution whiles no man through all this space of the Seales did withstand the rage of the Dragon now at length warre is made Michaell being risen who should take up armes for the defense of the Church and delivered her from the power of the enemies But as touching Michaell this name it may be beloÌ„geth properly to Christ alone which yet is communicated to the faithfull in as much as they are able by the strength of his spirit to carie some image of this name even as he giveth to them that overcome his power to rule the natioÌ„s with a rod of yron For the chiefe Captaines doe not make this battell with their armies on both sides in heaven it selfe properly so called for howe can the Devill appeare in heaven which was throwen downe from thence at the beginning never to returne thither afterward But this battell is made in the Church upon the earth in which sense the Dragon was seen in heaven above in ver 3. In this wrasseling both the Princes doe exercise their strength by ministers who are noted by their names Therefore Michaell by communication of name is Constantine the faithfull souldier of Christ who even now was called the man childe But the Dragon is Maxentius Maximinus Licinius by whose tyranny the Devill powred forth his hatred against the Church The Angels are the armies warring under the banners of both the Captaines Wee have shewed before in the 6. chap. ver 15. that Christ began the warre against the Dragon when he did cast downe from the high Empire Diocletian and Maximin Hercule by a shew of a voluntary giving over and drove Galerius to a recantation by an horrible torment of diseases But then Christ fought by his owne strength alone bringing a woÌ„derfull helpe from heaven but in this warre wherein a lawfull victory was to be gotten the Dragon to be throwen altogither from heaven it seemed good to him to use the labour of his Servant This therefore is that warre which first Constantine tooke upon him against Maxentius the Sonne of Maximinus Herculeus Afterward which he made against Maximinus in the East by Licinius lastly which he made against Licinius himselfe endevouring the same things which the other tyrants did For that wee may understand under whose conduct these warred Constantine miraculously is appointed the Emperour of the holy warre For behold the heavenly signe of a most bright crosse which he sawe in heaven about mid-day by this doe thou overcome the meaning of which a vision in the night when he was at rest opened more fully Wherby it was plainely testifyed that he was not made Governour over this expedition so much by the election of the people as by the voice of God himselfe For I like not to take away the credit of the miracle Constantine himselfe confirmed the thing by an oth to Eusebius Although there is no matter of weight from hence to establish the Romish Idolatry for the impiety of worshipping the Crosse was not yet knowne neither was this signe given to that ende that it should be worshipped religiously or that it should be any religious thing but onely as a token of the faith and a certaine pledge of â—he victory wherby Constantine yet a yong Christian might goe forward more cheerefully and fight with greater hope against the enemies of the death of Christ But the craftines of the Devill the corruption of mans minde turned this signe given not long after into destruction as of olde also the Brasen Serpent commanded by God Maxentius contrariwise made warre under the conduct and power of the Devill onely he being a most wretched worshipper and consulter of Devils ripping women great with childe that he might looke into the bowels of the children not yet brought forth Maximinus Licinius were Princes of the same impiety so as there is no man but beholding these Captaines set in the place of them that were dead may easily see Michaell to stand on the one side and the Devill on the other 8 But they prevailed not The event of the warre the happines of the former time did now forsake the enemies Before they trode under foot the Church at their pleasure now fighting with her man childe they are slaine with a finall destruction Maxentiê° the Dragon was drowned in the river of Tiber. Maximinus prevented a banishement by Licinius through a suddeÌ„ death Licinius himselfe more then once or twise being put to flight in often battels was at length beheaded So the Dragon was now utterly overcome and driven out of heaven where lately he held a place by tyrannie For their place was found no more in heaven the open enemies being subdued and destroyed much more removed from the government of the common wealth without any hope to recover it afterward For from this time the Devill was bound for a thousand yeeres as in chap. 20.2 Neither then being loosed shall he have rule over the Christians but the hurts which he shall doe shal be onely the bitings of the heele in the meane while that it should be manifest to all men that now the Dragon was wholly conquered and throwen downe from heaven God governing every thing by his eternall providence would that a token should be set up opeÌ„ly in the eyes of men of this most excellent victorie from whence ConstaÌ„tine before the gates of his Court provided that a table should be set up on high
wherin a Dragon was painted thrust thorough with a dart and layd under his and his peoples feete see Euseb upon the life of Constantine in the third oration leafe 137. a. 9 And that Dragon was cast into the earth That is beiond the boundes of the true and holy Church not onely among the prophane nations but also all other people altogither without true godlines howsoever peradveÌ„ture they pretended a shewe of it and are marked with the names of Christians That which is here called the heaven and the earth was in the former chapter called the Temple and the Court. In that the Church lay hid in this the Gentiles ruled a people who because of their vicinitie did take to themselves the name of the Church Therefore the Devill being cast unto the earth he is thrust out togither with his Angels into this court having receaved power to vexe the whore who lately exercised all his strength against the true spouse 10 And J heard a great voice The Song of triumphe of the Saincts celebrating God for his great benefit which first of all is declared by those things wherein the benefit it selfe consisted in this verse afterward it is set forth by his causes ver 11. by his effects ver 12. The benefit it selfe in respect of men is safety the tyrants being destroied who did labour to satisfy their hatred with the destruction of the Christians in respect of God it is the glory of his might of the Kingdome and power of Christ For then his power doth appeare when he utterly destroyeth abolisheth his enemies Also his visible Kingdome is seen after a sort when he placeth godly Princes in the governement of the common wealth from hence likewise the power of Christ was much declared which before seemed weake being so troden under soote by the enemyes neither punishing them according to their deserts But Christ now by taking unto him the Kingdome declared sufficiently that the former want of punishement and sufferance came not from imbecillity but onely from patience In respect of the Devill this benefit was a iust reward of his ungodlines who coÌ„tinually accuseth the godly before God But we must observe that the servants are noted with the same names wher with the Pâ—â—â—câ— himselfe is named because there is an equall good will to hurt in both although hiâ— power be greater But this accusation are those taunts reproches railings with which the spitefull enemies overwhelmed the Saincts continually obiecting unto them the suppers of Oedipus incests adultery mutuall lusts murders conspiracies against Princes pestilences famine burnings and whatsoever publike calamity there was of which and the like things the auncient History is full Surely the children learned of their father the Devill that auncient false accuser so as it is not to be wondered at if wicked men doe excell in the same arts 11 But they overcame Who The Angels of Michaell for now the streÌ„gth of the souldiers is commended the praise of the Emperour being celebrated in the former verse But as touching the causes of the victory the principall is the blood of the Lambe the instrumentall is the synceritie of the faith and a very great constancy even unto death The blood of the Lambe is the fountaine of all the benefits which the elect enioy either in this life or in the life to come For his sake alone God both delivereth his people from all the miseries of this life and at length will make them ioyfull with eternall felicity The integrity of faith is shewed in the next wordes by the word of his testimony that is by the truth of the Ghospell which they professed freely boldly Before it was alwaies called the testimony of God or of Iesus as in ch 1.2.9 ver c. here it is called the testimony of themselves which kinde of speaking neverthelesse commeth to the same ende For it doth not respect the subiect of which but in which In the last place is their constancy because they esteemed more of the truth and faith in Iesus then of their owne life It seemeth to be a comparative speach as if he should say they loved not their soules even unto death more then God But this last member of the comparison is wanting uÌ„lesse perhaps they loved not be put for they despised But even so the force of the comparison remaineth to with they despised in comparison of the truth This is a notable constaÌ„cy of the Saincts that by no tormeÌ„ts they could be remooved froÌ„ faith in Christ For which cause at leÌ„gth God gave uÌ„to them the reward of victory But observe how this soÌ„g of tâ—iumphe addeth those things which were wanting to declare the coÌ„dition of the first Church we have seen by the description of the woman that shee was famous for souÌ„dnes of faith purity of actions sincerity of the teachers also we have understood that she was destitute of a pâ—tron for because that in great sorow and griefe shee brought forth a sonne Adde to al these from this triumphant song that the enemies of the truth heaped all reproches upon the Saincts they used a great violence to their power yet the faithfull could not be remooved eveÌ„ with the losse of their life froÌ„ their holy profession wherby it came to passe that those times were made famous by almost an infinite number of most couragious Martyrs 12 Therefore reioice yee heaven c. The fruict of this benefit is the ioy of the Saincts the sorrow of the wicked For why should not they triuÌ„phe having attained safety seeing the glory of God so notably amplified But many calamities doe remaine true but these shall not touch the Saincts whome God hiddeth in his tabernacle And therefore he seemeth to say yee which dwell in them because this is heaven that the temple or tabernacle wherein the Church lyeth hid from whence at length it shall goe into the holy mountaine to an everlasting habitatioÌ„ before in chap. 11.7 c. 2 Cor. 5.1.2 c ¶ Woe to the inhabitans c. The effect in respect of the wicked is a very great sorrow for these are the inhabitans of the earth and the sea And from heÌ„ce may be confirmed this metaphoricall signification of these wordes For if the earth be properly taken the Devill should be in like sorte trobelsome to all the Saincts who dwell togither with the wicked and unseparated Moreover who are the inhabitans of the sea besides men The Devill doth not spit out his poison upon the whales Neither doe good and bad men dwell togither lesse in Ilands then in the continent land Thus therefore we doe distinguish that the inhabitans of the earth are every wicked multitude either of Heathen or Christians who have onely a counterfait shew of religion But the inhabitans of the sea are the Church men as they call them who profer to their false Christians grosse foule saltish and bitter doctrine which doeth rather bring to the
hearers sterility of godlines and a gnawing of their bowels then a quenching of their thirst or yeelding of any other fruict The Devill being berest of power to hurt the Saincts did nowe vexe these with all manner of stormes as we have read that it came to passe in the East under Constantine Constantius Valens Iulianus and the rest In part wee have already shewed before what sturres the Devill made among the BISHOPS But it belongeth not to my purpose to prosecute the thing more at large Let him which pleaseth looke into the History and he shall behold wonderfull Tragedies Surely noe Godly man can without great griefe runne over those contentions discords reproches false accusations wherewith they raged one against another Neither doe I doubt but whosoever shall reade their actions will freely confesse these men to have ben moved by the furies of hell they troubled and confounded all things with so mad affection But these were but flea bitings in comparison of the calamities of the West I let passe the civill warres of Constantine and Constans brethren of the new risen tyraÌ„ts Magnetius and Vetranior and others such light evils how great desolation I pray you came from the Barbarians Goths Vandals and the rest of the uncleane persons and at length from the LoÌ„gobards All countries were spoiled in a miserable manner and Italy once the Ladie of countries above the rest With how lamentable songs did Gregorie the great and other writers bewaile the calamities of those times The plague of the Saracens succeeded this which troubled the world with most grievous afflictions for many ages To which if any shall ioyne the monsters of superstitions and errours which followed afterward swarmes of religious men apparitions of Spirits and familiar communing with Devils lying signes monstrous miracles many other things of that kinde it shall not peradventure be hard to define who are those inhabitans of the earth and sea against whom the Devill in this his banishement raged so furiously Especially if any shall cast his eyes upoÌ„ Rome and shall see that the most high Popes who doe boast theÌ„selves to be Christs Vicars all from Sylvester the second to Gregory the seventh about sixteene in number were most wicked Magitians But we have spokeÌ„ sufficiently of this perturbatioÌ„ of things which the Devill brought in being expelled from heaven in chap. 8. and 9. This short denuntiation of calamities is that Prophecy of the trumpets Moreover also that is to be declared more at large in those things which follow in this chapter which is here touched but in a word ¶ As who knoweth that he hath but a little time The Greeke worde signifyeth often fitnes of time which peradventure may better serve to the purpose in this place for there was yet much time which at length after a thousand yeeres should be small chap. 20.3 a short time Where the Spirit seemeth purposely to have used a word for difference sake which noteth more properly a distance of time But the Devill had now but a small oportunity being thrust downe into that prison which before time belonged to his dominion Envy rather delighteth to poure out her poison upon the Saincts then for noe necessity to tormeÌ„t men who are already inough addicted and made subiect to him he would spare this labour gladly and would make triall of it rather in them whoÌ„ he is grieved to have beÌ„ pulled out of his iawes Furthermore the word knowing may be an argument to prove this thing the future moments of times are without doubt hidden from the Devill Especially the last day of all which also the Sonne knewe not But he could not but knowe his present oportunitie This therefore seemeth to be the cause of his fury that being cast out of heaven now he must needes bring forth his rage against his owne citizens when he desired rather to hurt the elect whom he could not touch being driven out from their company which large field of his furie being taken from him he thought that which remained to be but small 13 When therefore the Dragon saw that he was throwne Hitherto the things done in heaven where the sixt seale endeth Nowe follow the subtill workings of the Dragon cast forth into the earth belonging to the same time of the trumpet And first he beginneth a persecution against the woman which brought forth the male childe Which persecution taketh place when the one part sufferreth violence and wrong and is not able to defend it selfe against the iniustice of the enemy But what like thing was to be feared of the woman seing the Devill was now throwne from heaven Can there come any evill from the earth belowe unto heaven But this heaven is not separated from the earth by the distance of places but by the holines of faith maÌ„ners Yâ—t neverthelesse from whence sufferreth she persecution as it were destitute of a defender who lately brought forth a man childe and had Michaell for her most puissant maintainer Surely from hence because the Emperours chiefe care was to expell the open enemies which thing at length having attained they cared not much for other things neither considered they at least so diligently as was meete that the Dragon had many other wayes to hurt which they unawares made more easy by their meanes so farre of was it that they set themselves valiantly against his enterprises From hence therefore the Dragon first sowed privie bitternes of mindes among the Bishops which having sprung up togither with Constantine before the trumpets began to sounde caused a sorowfull perceiving of the future trouble as we have noted at the eight chapter ver 2. For this sparcle grewe in short time to a flame but most of all after they began to contende about the essence of the Sonne In all which debates the trueth was alwayes in worse case But the rage of persecution waxed most fierce when Constance Julian Valens exercised tyranny against the Orthodoxe in an hostile manner Certes Constance Valens differreth nothing from the most cruell tyraÌ„ts except in name onely They were counted Christian Princes but under that name they carryed the cruelty af the Ethnicks Therefore the Dragon graunted noe truce but being expelled from heaven vexed the woman foorthwith by other meanes This persecution is that which wee spake of in the exposition of the first second third trumpet in chap. 8. But see how profitable this repetition is which giveth knowledge of an other coÌ„ioyned cause of those truÌ„pets There we learned that they in the iust iudgement of God were inflicted upon the world because it embraced not the truth with that faith holines and love that was meete and therefore the coales of the altar thrown into the earth raised up that burning flame from hence wee are taught what was the instrument to wit the Dragon himselfe who did cast men headlong into that madnes that by their meanes hee might scourge the woman 14 But to the woman were
is more or lesse of a thousande two hundred yeeres from Iohn the Apostle unto the yeere 1300. Where also the Centuries doe ende being set forth under this last trumpet of which wee said that this repetition is a type ¶ And he stood on the Sea sande A passing over to the Beast Aretas the Complutent edition and all the Greeke copies doe so reade as our translation and I stood the common translation hath and he stood but falsly For he attributeth it to the Devill who even now went his way to make warre with the rest of the Saincts and for madnes was not able to stand still in any place Neither is there any other intent of standing on the sande then that the rising up of the Beast might be seen which concerneth nothing the Dragon Therefore the wordes are to be referred unto Iohn in which there is a transition unto the enemy set in the place of him that is dead to the contemplating of whose originall Iohn saith that he was set in a most convenient place In which he declareth that it doth appertaine to them onely to beholde the Beast rising up who after they have escaped the Sea of false doctrine are set at least on the shore or banke of the truth howsoever it may be that the mooving of the waves and the ebbing of the Sea casteth upon them also many brinish errours because of nighnesse as after they that doe get victory of the BEAST are said to stand at the GLASSIE SEA as wee may see in the fifteenth Chapter and second verse For that these things doe pertaine and are to be refferred to the event may be gathered from the like place in the seventeenth Chapter and at the third verse where IOHN is carried into the Wildernesse for to beholde the damnation of the WHORE For what need were there to change the place unlesse the remooving had a Mystery Here therefore some godly men are to be viewed to whom being set as it were on the shore of the Trueth the originall of the SEA BEAST should be certenly knowne and that also at that time in which the Devill went for to make warre against the seed of the woman For neither is this place attributed rashly to this transition Which wee see to have ben performed in them of Maidenburg who having attained at length to settle the soles of their feete on the dry grouÌ„d after they had swomme out of the Papisticall Sea manifested to the whole world in their Centuries such a beginning growing and ripenes of this Beast as is here described of Iohn Which doubtlesse many learned men also before painted out in lively colours but all their labour was bestowed about one or two parts none made a perfit image before the seventh trumpet which procured us these Centuries To this ende tendeth the transition how correspondent the event is the application of every severall thing will make plaine CHAPTER 13. THEN I saw a Beast rising out of the Sea which had seven heads and tenne hornes and upon his hornes ten crownes set and upon his heads was set a name of blasphemy 2 And the Beast which I saw was like a Leopard and his feete as the feete of a Beare and his mouth as the mouth of a Lion and the Dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority 3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wonded to death but his deadly wound was healed and all the earth wondred and followed the Beast 4 And they worshipped the Dragon which gave power to the Beast and they worshipped the Beast sâ—ying Who is like unto the Beast who shall be able to warre with him 5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great thinges and blasphemies and power was given unto him to doe two and fourtie moneths 6 Therefore he opened his mouth unto blasphemy against God to blaspheme his name and his Tabernacle and them that dewell in heaven 7 And it was given to him to make warre with the Saincts to overcome them and power was given unto him over everie kinred and tongue and nation 8 Therefore all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the booke of life of that Lambe which waâ— slaine from the beginning of the world 9 If any man have an eare let him heare 10 If any leade into captivity he shall goe into captivity if any kill with a sword he must be killed by a sword here is the patience and faith of the Saincts 11 Afterward I beheld an other Beast comming up out of the earth having two hornes like the Lambe but he spake like the Dragon 12 And he exerciseth all the power of the former Beast before him and he causeth the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the Beast whose deadly wounde was healed 13 And he doeth great wonders so that he maketh fire to come downe from heaven on the earth in the sight of men 14 And he deceaveth them that dwell on the earth for the signes which were permitted to him to doe in the sight of the Beast saying to them that dwell on the Earth that they should make the image of the Beast which was wonded by the worde but did live againe 15 And it was permitted to him to give a Spirit to the Image of the Beast so that the image of the Beast should speake and should cause that as many as would not worship the image of the Beast should be killed 16 And he maketh all both small and great rich and poore free and bound to receive a marke in their right hand or in their foreheads 17 And that no man might buy or sell save he that had the marke or the name of the Beast or the number of his name 18 Here is wisdome Let him that hath understanding count the number of the Beast For it is the number of a man and his number is sixe hundreth threescore and sixe Analysis THVS farre hath ben the battell with the Dragon the combate with the Beast followeth which is double the first and the second The description of the first is from the beginning of the chapter to the 11. verse And first from the causes that he arose out of the Sea then also from his integrall parts his hornes heads and their decking ver 1. his whole forme feet and mouth ver 2. Furthermore from his authority wherby he doth excell which is threefolde at the first received from the Dragon a while after diminished afterward recovered againe his wonde being healed which is more amplifyed then that first as declare both the honour which the worshippers give to him ver 4. the power both to blaspheme and also to make warre ver 5.6.7 Last of all the largenesse of his Empire ver 7.8 All which things ar concluded with a pleasant shutting up of the matter for a greater heede taking and consolation ver 9.10 Such is the first Beast The second
the death of Gregory the first although this is to be understood of his birth for our men doe make his conception to be more auncient that I may not seeme alone to have enterprised to doe a thing unheard of I will yeeld reasons of this my judgement which seeme to me to be most strong First this Beast ruleth all that time wherein the woman lyeth hid in the wildernes and the two witnesses prophecy cloathed in sackecloth as is manifest after from the fift verse where power is givē to him to doe two and fourtie moneths which is the same space of the woman and Prophets Now wee evince by necessary arguments that the woman went into the wildernes and the witnesses tooke mourning apparell at that time which wee have said when Constantine began his raigne therfore also the Beast began in the same time to arise out of the Sea Furthermore what other thing meaneth that of Socrates who lived when Theodosius Iunior ruled in the times of Celestine Bishop of Rome about the yeere 424. foure score yeeres after Cōstantine The Romane Bishopricke likewise that of Alexandria being advanced long since beyond the Priesthood unto a Princedome booke 7. chap. 11. Had he promoted himselfe beiond the boundes of the Priesthood Whither else I pray then unto an Antichristian tyranny Had it done this long since and of a certen long time Certenly So crates commeth to my accounte or rather I to his or as it is more agreable to the trueth both of us to the reckening of the Holy Ghost himselfe But he speketh no more of the Romane either here or before in book 7. 7. then of the Alexandrine That is true indeede he in common toucheth sharply the ambition of both but the Romane Bishop had many more peculiar properties of the true Antichrist which in no sort did belong to the Alexandrine and therefore although at the first they ranne togither it may be with equall steppes yet in short time the Romane got afore and left the Alexandrine many miles behind him Hereunto more over is added the third Carthaginean Councill about the times of Syricius to wit in the yeere three hundreth ninetie which decreed that the Bishop of the first seate should not be called the Prince of Priests or Chiefe Priest or any such thing but onely the Bishop of the first Seate but universall let neither the Bishop of Rome be called Can. 26. as it is cited in the ninetieth distinction Wee learne frō this Decree what those times had brought forth otherwise it had ben foolish and superfluous to make an ordinance touching this matter Neither is the confession of the Papists in this thing to be passed over Dost thou thē aske the cause why the Romane Bishops were never present at the generall Councills in the East part Bellarmine declareth that it came not to passe by chāce in his first booke of the Councill and of the Church chap. 19. but for a certen consideration Which howsoever it was not knowne peradventure to many others yet it ought to be throughly understood of him a man that is a secretarie of the Popes Kingdome He rendreth two reasons of this absence the first It seemed not to be convenient that the head should follow the members c. The second because the Emperour was alwaies present at the Councils in the East part or some Ambassadour of his who challengeth to himselfe the first at least materiall place otherwise then was meete That either this therefore might not be tolerated or a tumult mooved he went not to those Councils but sent only his letters Such are his wordes he hath hit the nayle on the head For the Pope disdaineth to be present at those Coūcils in which the Emp. should sit before him How fayre were words givē both to the Emp. Constantine and also all the Nicene Fathers The good men thought as Eusebius speaketh that olde age was a let that the President of the Lady City of Rome could not be present and therefore were content with the Elders which supplyed his place But the true cause was that he could not abide to give place to the Emperour For I beleeve Bellarmine rather then Eusebius touching the minde of the Bishop of Rome VVherefore in the times of the first Nicene Councill there was a man at Rome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that lifted up one who albeit not yet openly neverthelesse within and secretly with himselfe was exalted above all that is called God 2 Thes 2.4 Not that he vaunted himselfe to be superiour to God in Heaven for that is not the meaning of the Apostle but to all the Gods in earth to wit the highest Magistrate who is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Imperiall from whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is worshipped seemeth to be added in stead of an exposition But why doe I be stowe much time in these things The matter is out of controversie from chap. 17. afterward The seventh head of the Beast succeedeth next after the Heathen Emperours for these make the sixt as shal be said in his place But Antichrist is that seventh head and therefore hath his beginning by and by after the Heathen Emperours Shall I then thinke that all from Miltiades are utterly cast away as who doe make this Beast that is the very Antichrist Farte be from mee so great rashnes of judging This Beast is the state of a Kingdome as I hope shal be most cleare after And therefore God could deliver from the common destructiō some peculiar men whō he thought good though furtherers and ministers of this Kingdome The impiety was not so wicked at the first and the yong Antichrists did not knowe for what mischiefe they prepared a way Therefore wee leave these to the infinite and unsearcheable mercy of God yet wee doubt not but wee have found out the originall of the rising Beast which nowe wee see to have fallen on that time in which the Dragon was cast unto the earth ch 12.9 For being about to leave heaven he provided himselfe of a Vicar who in his absence should governe his affaires whose busines he looked unto nor carelesly as wee shall finde afterward These things being thus set in order wee see how from this fountaine every each thing will flowe most easily every part of this Prophecy agreeing most fitly one with another The true original doubtlesse not being perceived of the Interpreters disordered all consideration of the times made a harsh constrained and absurd exposition and tooke wholly away the right searching out of the event Now as touching the words the cruelty of Antichrist is signifyed most fitly by a Beast as often in the Scriptures Tyrants are compared unto Wolves and Lions equall to them in fiercenes but for hurt worser by how much iniquity in men is more armed because of the force of reason He did rise out of the Sea because he hath his originall from corrupt doctrine to wit the authority of Peters Chaire
citizens And that I may not rehearse these many blasphemies Could not Antichrist in his chiefe pride having a desperate mouth raile against the humble and despised Church when hee being now without Spirit and almost halfe dead stayeth himselfe from no reproches against the same shee being by the grace of God restored and florishing Thirdly hee blasphemeth them that dwell in Heaven These are Citizens meÌ„bers of the true Church on earth His opened mouth barked at the Tabernacle against the whole congregation of the faithfull But the blasphemy is intended chiefly at those which dwell in Heaven against particular holy men His foule mouth revileth them with all manner of reproches Are not all that set themselves against the Romish impietie defamed as if they were Schismatiques Heretiques Rebells most wicked men unworthy to enjoy the light in common with other Read that one Bulla of Leo the x. agaâ—n t Luther and thou shalt have a most oboundant proofe of these blasphemies But all Papisticall bookes are full of them yea their tongues doe scarce talke of any other thinge 7 And it was given him to make warre with c. This is that warre which was made in the 11. chap. ver 7.8 To wit the Tridentine Councill and that lamâ—ntable battell of the Pope and Emperour against the ProtestaÌ„ts in Germany This is also that victory wherby he triumphed over the two Prophets that were slaine For the Beast warreth his whole fourty two moneths as before in the 5. ver but at the ende of that time this warre should be the most memorable of all whereof he maketh here mention Therefore this Beast is the Angell of the bottomelesse pit in chap. 9. ver 11. and 11.7 There remaineth yet another warre but in that the Beast shall not overcome but be overcomed ¶ And power was given unto him over every Tribe and tongue nation The third part of his power as wee have distinguished in the Analysis which consisteth in the largenesse of his dominion This should spread it selfe farre and neere as before time the Empire of the Dragon For there is the same Throne of both the same Kingdome also and Empire see before in verse 3. upon those wordes the whole world 8 Therefore all that dwell on the earth shall worship him whose names c. A setting forth of the large jurisdiction from a description of the subiects Of which sorte are all whom God hath not accounted in the nuÌ„ber of those that shal be saved Which words have prevented that doubt whereby one peradventure might thinke that it were past remedy as concerning the salvation of all seeing all almost did seeme to be servaÌ„ts of the Beast Feare not saith the Spirit none of the elect shall perish I have all these written with mee by name onely they shall be permitted to worship the Beast who are not written in this Catalogue But thou wilt say it is as hurtfull a thing to worship the Heathen Emperours But hat is not the matter how daungerous it is to worship either him or those but onely the Beast is described by the multitude of the reprobate whom he hath for his worshippers as though he should say this Beast is he whom all the reprobate of the earth shall worship that is to whom they shall give Divine honours To which propositioÌ„ if thou shalt adde But the Pope of Rome is he whoÌ„ all the reprobate of the earth have worshipped giving unto him divine honours it will followe that he is this Beast Some Heathen Emperours arrogated to themselves a Godhead but eveÌ„ the Heathen men derided this madnes so farre off were they from approoving thereof by worshipping Suetonius reporteth how great a mocking stock the Dodecatheos that is the secret supper of Augustus was in which twelve ghests sat downe in the habite of Gods and Goddesses but Augustus himselfe in the apparell of Apollo The hoasen the golden beard and lightening the ensigne of the Gods which he bare were despised But assoone as the Pope had taken to himselfe the name of God his worshippers by and by consented unto it Wee heard in the thirteenth verse of the Adoration which the Ambassadours and Bishops performed in their generall Councills With whom the Canonists accord as in a certaine Glosse printed at Lions in the yeere a thousande five hundreth fiftie five in Extravag Ioann 22. VVhâ—n it was counted an Hereticall thing to beleeve that our Lord God the Pope had not ben able to ordaine as he hath ordained In Sixtus of Election and the foundâ—tions of Elect. In the Glosse The Pope is not a man Clement in the Proheme in the Glosse Neither art thou God nor man thou art as it were neither bâ—tween both Finally when they preach that the Pope is all and above all that his power exteÌ„deth it selfe to thinges in Heaven in Earth and Hell That he can commande the Angels that he hath such power in Purgatorie and â—lso in Hell that he can deliver by his Indulgences as great a number as he will of soules which are tormeâ—ted in those places and set them by and by in Heaven and in the seates of the blessed VVhen I say they attribute these and many such blasphemous thinges unto him who seeth not whom the reprobate of the earth doe worship and adore with divine honours Not that all who some time have adored the Beast are reprobates for it may be that they did repent and were converted to God but because all the reprobate doe worshipe him Neither let any prate foolishly that there are many countries in the world in which even the name of the Romane Pope hath not ben heard I doe not otherwise take the whole world and all the reprobate then the Holy Spirit himselfe if the Papists have any thing wherby they may cut the throate of this Vniversality let them strike at it Seeing therefore that these thingâ—s are so now let the Pope cry out that it is altogither of necessity to salvation to be subiect to the Romane Pope The Spirit contrariwise saith that to be undâ—r the Romane Bishop is to be ioined wholly with the losse of salvation if any doe so diâ— without repentance VVhether of these two must thou beleeve He will haâ—e it that he cannot erre but how foolish is it to bring the tryall of the same thing thither where if thou shalt erre in beleeving there shal be given thee noâ— leave to correct the errour This Beast is worshipped of all the reprobate whom as long as thou conspireâ—t with in worship who will secluâ—e thee from the condition of the reprobate He therefore breaketh not â—nitie who departeth from the Romish Synagogue but he procured unâ—voidable destruction to himselfe whosoever is ioyned to her and repented not O yee most wretched recoÌ„cilers who seeke to bring back againe the people to Rome Is it not enough for your sâ—lves to perish uâ—lesse you increase your condemnation by drawing others with you into the same
the same Adonikam afterward in Nehemiah are numbred sixe hundred three score seaven in the 7. chap. ver 10. The rest of the names 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Aretas in the later writers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the like partly are not the names of any man or at the least not of a people partly nothing was to be feared from them to whose knowledge soever they should come Romiâ—th or Romagnus Romane come nighest of all but the fourth property reiecteth this also which could not be of force inough to recover the favour of the Beast The Grecians willingly acknowledged themselves to be Romanes and of a long time boasted of this name Constantinople was commonly called New Rome yet in the meane time they were greatly hated of the Beast untill at length they did shew their consent with the Latines and yeelded the Primacie to the Latine Pope Therefore all accounts being cast I thinke that Lateinos is the name which the Spirit here biddeth us to number Which is a name whose letters after the account of the Grecians doe accomplish this number and unto which all the other properties doe agree and so much the more because from the Apostles times it hath ben extended to us and the event hath so confirmed it that it is now more cleare then the light at noonetyde which was darke before For so Ireneus in his 5. book chap 29. against heresies But saith he the name Lateinos conteineth the number sixe hundred threescore and sixe and it is very like to be true because the most substantiall Kingdome hath this name for they are Latines who now doe raigne But wee will not boast of this Such are his wordes As though this were not the opinion of him alone but he had received it froÌ„ another but from what other man is it likely then from Polycarp whose scholar he was and he Iohns scholar Such therefore are these Beasts whose lively image wee see in the Romane Pope who according to the plaine interpretation of the wordes the events of the times and agreablenes of all things so fitly without any violence casteth himselfe into every part of this first paterne and that even to the least appearances and likenesses that I thinke the very Papists themselves cannot doubt any more who is Antichrist And thus farre coÌ„cerning the Dragon and the Beast according to the consideration of knowledg encreased which should come under the blowing of the seventh trumpet for Hitherto doe the thirteene Centuries extend ending in the yeere 1300. to wit in the number of the name of the Beast that is a little after that the matter was brought to a point with the Grecians who submitted themselves to the Latine Pope with which number of his name the Spirit also coÌ„cludeth this Prophecy of the Beast shewing a very great consent of the issue in every part CHAP. 14. THEN I beheld and loe a Lambe stood on mount Sion and with him an hundreth fourty and foure thousande having his fathers name written on their fore heads 2 And I heard a voice from heaven as the sounde of many waters and as the sounde of a great thunder and J heard the voice of Harpers harping with their harpes 3 And who did sing as it were a new song before the throne and before those foure Beasts and those Elders and no man could learne that song but those hundreth fourty and foure thousande to wit those which were bought from the earth 4 These are they which are not defiled with women for they are virgines these follow the Lambe whither soever he goeth these are bought from men being the first fruites to God and to the Lambe 5 And in whose mouth was founde no guile for they are without spot before the Throne of God 6 Then I saw an other Angell flying in the middes of heaven having an everlasting Ghospell to preach to them that dwell on the earth and to every nation tribe and tongue and people 7 Saying with a loude voice feare God and give glory to him for the houre of his iudgement is come and worship him which made heaven and earth and the sea and the fountaines of waters 8 And there followed an other Angell saying it is fallen it is fallen Babylon that great Citie because shee gave the wine of the wrath of her fornication to drinke to all nations 9 And the third Angel followed them saying with a loude voice if anie man shallworship the Beast and his image and receave his marke in his forehead or in his hande 10 The same shall drinke also of the winne of the wrath of God of the pure wine I say which is powred into the cuppe of his wrath and he shal be tormented in fire brymstone before the holy Angels and before the Lambe 11 And the smoke of their torment shall ascende evermore neither shall they hav anie rest day and night which worship the Beast and his image and whosoever receiveth the printe of his name 12 Here is the patience of the Saincts here are they that keepe the commandemeÌ„ts of God and the faith of Iesus 13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying unto mee write blessed are the dead which dye for the Lords sake from henceforth even so saith the Spirit for they rest from their labours and their workes follow them 14 And I looked and beholde a white cloud and upon the cloude one sitting like unto the Sonne of man having on his head a golden crowne and in his hande a sharpe sickle 15 And an other Angell came out of the Temple crying with a loude voice to him that sate on the cloude thrust in thy sickle and reape for thy time is come to reape for the harvest of the earth is ripe 16 Then he that sate on the cloud did thrust his sickle on the earth and the earth was reaped 17 Then an other Angell came out of the Temple which is in heaven having also a sharpe sickle 18 And an other Angel came out from the Altar having power over the fire and cryed with a loude voice to him that had the sharpe sickle saying thrust in thy sharpe sickle and gather the clusters of the vineyard of the earth for her grapes are ripe 19 Then the Angel did thrust in his sharpe sickle on the earth and cut downe the grapes of the vineyard of the earth and cast them into that greate wine presse of the wrath of God 20 And the wine presse was troden without the citie and blood came out of the wine presse unto the horses bridles by the space of a thousand sixe hundred furlongs Analysis VVEE have spoken of the thinges done by the enemies it followeth in this chapter concerning the vertue of the citezens declaring what was the condition of the true Church since the time that the battell was ended in heaven the Dragon cast foorth into the earth chap. 12.9 and the Beast began to come out of the Sea chap. 13.1 Which
defiled with women VVell hath Aretas observed that these thinges are not spoken against marriage For what defiling can be there where the bed is undefiled Heb 13.14 VVas this company unmaried and onely of Priests Nay mariage in time past was not forbiÌ„dden even unto the Levites neither is this number made of the Tribe of Levi alone chap. 7.4 c. Certenly neither were the Christian Elders without wives untill Hildebrand who to the ende that his Clergie might not be defiled with chast mariages opened a way to Sodomitry But peradventure there was none in this multitude defiled either by the spottes of unlawfull company or by the infirmity of the flesh Shall wee thinke that repentance is waxen so fraile since Christ came which before he tooke upon him flesh had such power to cleanse Wherefore it cannot be that women should be taken properly in this place but to be defiled with women is as much as to worship Idols whereunto wee knowe that to commit fornication is referred every where in the scriptures as they goe a whoring after their Gods Exod. 34.14 And in Ezechiell thou hast played the whore with the SoÌ„nes of Aegypte that is thou hast worshipped the Gods of the Aegyptians and so in many other places According to which rule not to be defiled with women is the same as not to worship the Gods of women Who then are these women the Locusts the people of the Angell of the bottomelesse pit the army of the Româ—ne Pope which had haire as the haire of women chap 9.8 These bought from the earth consented not to the same Idolatry with the Locusts women neither worshipped their King adoring either the Beast or his Image or in receiving his marke in their forehead or hand or if peradventure for a time they were carryed away with the common errour yet at length they renounced the same by repentance which doth so wipe away all sinnes as if they had never ben defiled with them ¶ They followeth the Lambe whither soever he shall goe Obeying their Captaine Christ in all thinges and hearkening to his commandements onely Montanus inserteth for thus for whither soever he shall goe c. ¶ These are bought from men By the merit of Christs blood saved from the generall contagion and chosen out of the multitude of those that perished least any should attribute salvation to them from that integritie which was mentioned even now That purity was not sufficient to salvation so farre as it is inherent in themselves but the price payed by Christ ¶ The first fruites to God In respect of the exceeding great multitude which at length should embrace the trueth darkenesse being put away chap. 20.5.6 c. 5 For they are without blasme God seeth noe uncleannesse in them upon whom he putteth the most pure robe of his Sonne in him doth he behold the elect in the imputatioÌ„ of whose righteousnes consisteth this most pure integritie of theirs not in the perfection of their owne vertue Aretas omitted before the throne of God and putteth in the place of it that which is taken from the former wordes these are they that follow the lambe 6 Afterward I saw an other Angel Hitherto the generall constitution of the whole Church in as much as it pitched the tentes with the Lambe now followeth the battell begun by a few citizens and first by those who doe set upon the Beast by the word For about the ende of a thousande yeeres after the first flight of the woman into the wildernes as shal be clearly manifest from the twentieth chapter the Lambe sent foorth some light harnessed souldiers who riding about the campe of Antichtist should provoke him to battell and should endure his first assault These three ar Angels the first of which were those famous men who rose about the yeere 1300 Ockanus Marsilius Patavinus Iohannes de Ganduno Arnoldâ—s de Villa Nova Dante 's Petrarcha and especially Iohn Wicklefe an Englishman whose doctrine was more fruitfull then of the rest did sinke in more deeply and tooke such rootes that it could never be rooted out since that time one Angel onely is here rehearsed the type of whom I doe apply to many learned men because in such signes of future things the agreement rather of the thinges is regarded then the unity of the persons he flyeth through the middes of heaven because the trueth now at length after a long time being revived drew with it yet much filth of the earth by which burden being pressed downe it could not straightway fly up into heaven that is it could not attaine at the first to the celestiall purity but shaking the winges it abode in the middes betweene both see chap 8.13 Hence it was that that holy man although he knewe assuredly the trueth in many thinges by whose swift winges he flying up aloft left the common sort of men farre beneath on the earth yet he was blinde in some thinges and much deceived so as he sate in the lowest seates of the Saincts hitherto Therefore the first beginnings of the Church rising againe seteth this Angel in the same place where Gregory the Great was set about the time almost of her greatest ruine as wee have shewed at the 8. chap. ver 13. Having an everlasting Ghospell That is the doctrine of salvation by faith in Christ onely as God hath ordained by his eternall decree It is called eternall as though purposely the Spirit would meete with the offeÌ„se of those times that the trueth restored should in every place be condemned of novelty but he declareth that it is eternall whatsoever men prate which should now shine upon the world by their labour togither also he signifyeth by the same that the eternall trueth had ben banished froÌ„ the earth before thrust out by humane inventioÌ„s Let men therefore see how much they are deceived who doe traduce as newe sprunge up that which was before all ages but doe often vaunt that their owne dreames which the Kingdome of darkenes brought forth but yesterday are as it were of very great aÌ„tiquity This Angel hath the Ghospell to the ende that he should preach it to the inhabitans of the earth that is to the earthly citizens and before this light was brought of that whorish Church To whom now power should be given to open their eyes and to harken to the Heavenly trueth ¶ Saying with a loude voice Now he commeth unto the sermon of the Angel so much the more to be observed because it is the first of the voices which the seaven thunders uttered in chap. 10.4 for it belongeth to the same time Those Tunders followed the Turkish tyranny to which they are added in the tenth chapter or rather began with it and are contained within the compasse of the second woe as appeareth from the eleventh chap. ver 14. This combate of the Angels began at the same time as wee shall make more plaine at the 20. chap. ver 4.5 But in this very
may say if they come forth out of the Temple it may seem the Church is yet in secret by which argument we have serched out the time of the former Prophesie chap. 14.15 They in the former chapter came out of the Temple being shutt these out of it being opened The Church alwayes dwelleth in the TeÌ„ple for what other fitt hospitage can she have But this Temple is not alwayes after one manner Some while it is shutt in the time of mourning solitarines which was the condition thereof when those reapers grape-gatherers came out of it Some while it is open manifest when the day shineth more cheerful and pleasant and in this estate it was when after the victory over the Beast the seven Angels came out of the same 6 Clothetd with pure and bright linnen These Angels have a more ioyful attyre then had the two witnesses which were clad with sackcloth chap. 11.3 for this time carieth an other hiew Yet these garments are common to all the elect though they be fitter for some times then for othersome For they are the garments of Aarons sonnes Exod. 28.42 And all the elect are made Preists Al the faithfull now doo dwel in the Temple wherinto of olde none might come but the Levites By this attyre therfore is signifyed the cleannes of the Angels through the imputation of Christs righteousnes alone And least any should despise this imputation as a base thing and not fit for any to stand in Gods sight arayed with it as the blasphemous Papists at this day persuade their people therfore he sayth these garments are both pure bright wherein the maiesty of God neyther sees any spott nor any thing that may hinder the highest perfection of glory ¶ And girded about the brests with golden girdles These garments are to be tyed about every one in particular by faith as with a golden girdle the girding is about the brests because this apprehension and application is nothing at all unlesse it have place in the hart So Christ himselfe was girded before chap. 1.13 not for that he needed so to be but onely for to teach us and to represent the Church of that time which was in that part very comely 7 And one of the 4. Beasts It doth not appear which of them by name it was especially seing one of the Beasts may be eyther of order or of distribution of order as when it signifieth the first at chap. 6.1 J heard one of the four Beasts that is the first to weet the Lion Of distribution when in usual manner of speech it may perteyn alike to any of the fowr But it skilleth not which of theÌ„ it be That agreeth unto all which beloÌ„gs to every one al whose vertues being ioyned togither doo give us a pattern what manner of man every faithful minister ought to be as is observed on chap. 4.7 Here the intendement is that we may know how these seven Angels doo draw out of the precepts and institutions of some holy Minister of the Ghospel that which they after doo turn and apply unto the bane of the enemies of the Church Not that this some Minister is to be understood of any singular man but of many that agree in one faith and doctrine as Philip Melanchton Martin Bucer Peter Martyr Henry Bullinger Iohn Calvin and the other servants of God which flourished about that time Out of whose godly and learned writings so many have drawen very excelleÌ„t and golden understanding of holy things that they have been made fitt therby to combat with Antichrist and to finish the remaynders of that warr which the others had so happily begun ¶ Gave to the seven Angels seven golden vials 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a vial sayth Atheneus is so caled by changing of a letter as it were Piálee that is conteyning in it to piem hâ—lis ynough to drink for it is bigger then a cup. book Dipnosophist 11 Yea he makes it a wide and ample vessel like a cauldron which importeth very great wrath to be appointed for the last times These vessels perhaps are used here in such respect as God of old opening the fâ—oud-gates of heaven destroyed al the earth with the floud or as when he consumed Sodom and Gomorrhe with a shore of brimston from heaven For then he seemes to powr out on the heads of men destruction as out of vials Most fitt weapons for the power of God which needeth no forces for to overthrow the enemies but can take them al away even with a small aspersioÌ„ And now behold how fit instruments are attributed to every sort of events In the first place were Seals because the first events were confirmations and pledges of those that were to come Then came Trumpets signifying evils â—ssayling men with great noyse and denouncing also some heavier thing to be expected yf they did not repent Now last are made ready the vials large vessels to conteyn Gods judgment and mâ—st fit to accomplish the perdition of reprobates Neither is ther any noyse in the powring out as was in the sounding of the trompets For Gods judgements to come doo make afrayd for they ar threatned that they may be avoided but when they are present they fal on men privily are not perceived What are these vials then and of what sort First they are the holy minds of the seven Angels intelligent capable of the will of God out of which this baleful liquour is powred upoÌ„ the reprobates Secondly the Beast giveth them by instructing and informing the same minds with holy institutioÌ„s Thirdly they are ful of the wrath of God not wherwith God is angry against them but by which he executeth iudgment upon the wicked Finally they are golden that thou the judgments be most severe yet are they most just pure and precious But mark how dreadfull is this wrath which is of God that liveth for evermore which words are added that we may know the wrath shal be eternal For the wrath is such as is his power whose wrath is kindled 8 And the Temple was filled with smoke Hitherto hath been the preparation of the Angels that which foloweth upon it in respect of this renewed Church is a manifest signe of Gods presence such as was of olde in the Tabernacle Exod. 40.34.35 But thou wilt say the time of the Gospel requireth some more evident token In deed so God deal more opeÌ„ly with us by many degrees then he did under the law but whatsoever caÌ„ be bestowed on us whiles we are on earth though illustrated with the light of the Gospel is but smoke and obscurity in respect of that revelatioÌ„ which at last we shal have in heaven But here he teacheth that Gods preseÌ„ce is clear in the Church though the enemies count it but as smoke and can see no more into it then mâ—n when duskish smoke dooth take away their sight And who but the blind perceiveth not God present in our Churches
Heaven but also the throne it selfe the description wherof was in chap. 4.2 The Temple is the dwelling place of the Saincts as we have seen before this Throne is the seat of the highest Maiestie which being placed in midds of the company of the faithfull shineth with the incomprehensible brightes of the most holy Trinity Wherfore this voice commeth immediatly from God in respect of the Ministery of the Church Wherby is signifyed that God under this vial wil in extraordinary manner and almost beyond exspectation provide for his shewing forth his power from heaven for the destruction of al the enemies which were gathered as even now we heard unto the place Armagedon which interpretation we shal see more fully cōfirmed by that which foloweth where a larger explication of this vial is hādled The voice uttered is It is doon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most fitt for the finishing of things as we know it was used in the creating of them Gen. 1. it hath this meaning as if he should say Al things now have bin which I decreed to be doon neyther remayneth any more of my promises the complemēt wherof should be exspected on earth For this same Is doon hath referēce unto that in chap. 10.7 In the dayes of the voice of the seventh Angel when he shal sound the trompet the Mysterie of God shal be finished Now shal ther be an end of al prophesies when both al the enemies are utterly extinguished there is one sheepfold made throughout the earth of al the elect Iewes and Gentiles under the one Pastor Iesus Christ It is certain that this kingdome of Christ thus begunn shal be eternal never to be interrupted agayn and shall at last be translated from earth into heaven But of the time wherin this translation shall fall out which is to be performed at his second coming I find no mention in this book This prophesie proceeds no further then to the last destruction of al the enemies and ful restitution of the Iewish nation the estate of which people so restored and of the whole Church of al nations he telleth shal be most happy but setteth down no moment of time when they shal leav the earth and goe to their heavenly heritage These things shal be made manifest by the interpretation folowing some tast wherof was here to be given least any perhaps too much attending unto the whole order of things should slip into that errour of setting down the certain time of the last day which thing I see some godly and learned men to busy themselves about as if by this vial some very neer moment therof mought be assigned Which thing upon more diligent examination we find to be wholly layd up in exspectation of hope and not at al put in any comhrehension of sense Now the agreement of the seventh vial with the seventh trompet is that in this Christs Kingdome is begunn the enemies being in part abolished as chap. 11.15 wherupon a voice there sayd the Kingdome of the world is become Christs but in the other Christs Kingdome is consumate al enemies being quite taken away wherfore the voice of this is It is doon 18 And there were noyses and lightnings c. Of the second event ther are three branches first by what things the execution of the judgement was doon in this vers secondly upon what in verse 19.20 Thirdly what effects in respect of the reprobates verse 21. Lightnings thonders voices shall come from heaven the earth shal be moved shaken wherby is taught that both heaven earth shal cōspire for vengeance on the impious both which shal powr out whatsoever direful-punishment it hath upō the wicked crew And this not after the usual manner of former times but with such horrible terrour as never was since the world was made For nowe ther shal be a visible semblance of the infernal punishment which it shall feel at length in the last judgement Moreover these kinds of punishmēts doo declare that the enemies shal be destroyed rather by the extraordinary power of God than by any work and endevour of men which after appeareth more clearly in chap. 19.20 and 20.9 19 And the great City was rent into three parts The second branch of the second event upon what this iudgement shal be exercised which partly are places partly men The places be cities nations The cities are three in this verse the great city the cities of the Gentiles Babylon But what is this great City We have heard before that a city signifieth not onely some towne cōpassed with walls which many cityzens dwell in conioyned togither by the bonds of the same lawes and right but also the whole dition empire of any city as the tenth part of Rome fell when Germany withdrew it self from the yoke of the servitude therof chap. 11.13 Is it then the Romane Empire onely In deed so this was caled before the great city chap. 11.8 but forasmuch as in this place the ful destruction of al the wicked is handled for the vial is powred into the aier as we sayd it compriseth whatsoever Dominion and Empire the foes and enemies of the Church have in any place It comprehendeth therfore the Turkish tyranny also which togither with the Romish constituteth this great city as is more evident by the destruction of this city For it is rent into 3. parts proportionable to the three Princes by whom it is ruled namely the Dragon the Beast the False Prophet before in ver 13. Wherfore by this three fold declaration ther falleth togither al the Turkish and Mahumetish tyranny that is the Dragons al the power of the Beast that is of the Caesarean Bishop all the authority of the False Prophet that is of Pope Balaam for this man of syn after the ruine of his throne remayneth even unto this last overthrow The first vial was but a preparative for the warr this seventh is of the last destruction ¶ And the cities of the Gentils fell VVe heard of the universal Empire of the impious But not this onely shall fal in common but also in particular al the confederate cities and provinces both Turkish Mahumetish Popish For Gentils be al they that are aliants from the truth whither they be farther of from the same as the Barbarous nations or neerer as the Papists who by a false title are counted Christians For we have seen before how to the Gentiles was given the Court which was ioyned to the Temple as also to them was given the holy city which were the places of that rowt which boasted to be Christians by a vayne tytle without substance ¶ And that great Babylon The third place which shal utterly perish is that great Babylon But did not that perish before under the fift vial when Rome the Beasts throne did fall verse 10 For so we saw it caled before Fallen Fallen is Babylon the great city chap. 14.8 In deed Rome did perish before but it
two Prophets doo come into the world clothed in sackcloth straightway after the Hethen Emperours for these are clad with sackcloth and the Tēple is mesured both at a time The mesured Temple is the womans shelter in the wildernes wherunto she fled at the rising up of the Beast The Beast the seventh Roman King succedeth next unto the sixt to weet that which reigned in Iohns time Therfore when the Beast sprung up straight way after the Hethen Emperours these sackcloth-Prophets began their mornful office and therfore they are not properly Henoch and Elias Now see if ther be any thing foolisher then your dotage of these two to come in their owne persons your dotage I say for the ancient holy Fathers might misse and be deceived but you continuing in open errour I see not what it differeth from madnes But let us goe on to the other reasons You prove that the Apocalyps speaketh properly of Henoch Elias because it is sayd they should be killed of Antichrist and their bodies remayn three dayes in buried in the street of the great Citie and that after three dayes they should rise agayn and ascend into heaven which things you say have never as yet happened unto any I answer that I have made it playn by the order of the time and agreement of al things that al these things are already performed namely when the Fathers of Trent killed the Holy Scriptures spoiling them of al authority and tying the meaning of them unto the Pope Thē that which Iohn saith of the death of these Prophets affordeth a necessary argument against this literal sense of those singular persons For Henoch shal not dye otherweise then of old by his taking away the Apostle saying by faith Henoch was taken away that he should not see death and he was not found because God tooke him away for before his taking away he had testimonie that he had pleased God Heb. 11.5 The like reason ther is also of Helias For God is alwaies like himselfe and giveth like things to like persōs for like ends Therfore they are not to be killed by Antichrist But Tertullian you say in his book De anima chap. 28. saith Henoch and Elias were taken away neither is their death found for it was deferred but they are reserved for to dye that by their blood they maie extinguish Antichrist I answer Tertullian hath nothing save a gesse that these whom the Apocalyps mentioned are Henoch and Elias but the Apostle evidently plainly teacheth that Henoch was taken away that he should not see death Now the choise is easy whom we should rather beleev It becomes not holy men to avouch their blind opinions against the open words of the Scriptures Hitherto hath been your first argument The second is from the consent of the Fathers unto all whom I oppose the consent of the Scriptures which had indeede been ynough for them if through darknes of the times they could have perceived them Ther is no need therfore to tary lōg in examining their opinions which they themselves if they were now alive would with their owne voices condemn Thirdly you prove it because otherweise ther can no reason be rendred why these two were taken away before death and doo yet live in mortal flesh being one day for to dye I answer that these last words being one day for to daye doo contradict the Apostle as we shewed even now and then that they convince the words next before of falshood For if Henoch be not for to dye it cannot be that he dooth yet live in a mortal body For that is not mortal which is not for to dye But whither they yet live in the flesh or no is not so manifest nor indeed necessarie to be known If it be lawful soberly to inquire about this thing they seem to be exempted from the common death of men as the Apostle speaketh of Henoch that he should not see death and not to live as yet in their bodies For they live not on earth For seing they are adorned of God with more excellent good than the rest they cannot be inferiour unto other soules in this thing And the soules in heaven have greater ioy and more ample felicitie than can be on earth Neither could they togither with their bodies enter into heaven the Apostle avouching that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God nor corruption inherit the nature uncorrupt 1 Cor. 15.50 But against this may be obiected that they had the same change that those which are aliv shal have at the coming of the Lord according to that which is written wee shal not al dye but we shall al be changed 1 Cor. 15.51 I grant that ther might have been this change though this would no way furder your cause if that saying of the Apostle hindred not And these al through faith obteyned goo report and received not the promise God providing a better thing for us that they without us should not be made perfit Heb. 11.39 40. For if they felt that change how obteyned they not the promise to weet glorification which is the felicity of the soule ioyned togither with the body immortall And if they obteyned the promise without us that is before us what cause can ther be why also without us they are not made perfit These two things seem openly to be repugnant unto the Apostle Those two therfore being cutt off namely their death to come and their present mortal body both which are manifestly false and that being let passe which is not sufficiently known whither they be at al as yet in their bodies if now you think ther is no other reason why these two were taken away before their death save that they might come againe to fight with Antichrist you are willingly blind The Apostle saith that Henoch was taken away because he pleaseth God walking continually with him Ecclus 44. that he might be an exēple of repentance that is that he might stirr up men uto repentance which look and think upon this notable example of Gods singular lov towards his And doo you think it a light matter that ther should be unto all ages of the world a most clear document of the immortality of the body and of the ascension therof at last into heaven Before the Law and the floud Henochs ascension confirmed this faith to the men of that age For unto men at least weise he ascended for he was not found as the Apostle sayth Heb. 11.5 Vnder the Law Elias ascended of whom ther is the same reason After the Law Iesus Christ the first fruits of al that ascend by whose merit power both those former in what manner soever it was did ascend and al the elect shal at length ascend Onely Antichrist did so stick in your eyes that you could see none of these things or any such like But deceive your self no longer with vayn exspectation of Henoch and Elias loose not your labour with
of the earth Apoc. 17.18 These and the like doo truly prove him a Monarch But this say you dooth no way agree to the Bishop of Rome for he was never King of the whole world But were the Romans I pray you ever Kings of the whole world I think you wil not deny it as these words usually are wont to be understood or if you like to stand curiously herupon Daniel teacheth that the fourth Kingdom to weet the Roman shal consume the whole earth shal crush it and break it in peeces chap. 7.23 Remember therfore what a litle before you alleged out of Prosper Rome by Principality of the Preisthood was made more ample with the towr of religion than with the throne of power And what Leo saith Serm. 1. de Natal Apostol Rome that art made the head of the world by the holy Seat of S. Peter thou rulest more largely by divine religion than by earthly domination And what els meaneth the triple crown but the principalitie over al the three parts of the world The Popes crown hath more tops than the Emperours Egle hath heads It may be that shortly it wil be quadruple by the accession of the Indians that nothing may escape the Popes almightines though something for a time hath been hidd from his all skilfulnes Wherfore the streights of his dominion neither stand you in anie stead to acquitt the Pope of this wickednes neither is this remembrance grateful unto him who dooth so contemn honours and Empire as he had liefer with large limits of ruling to be counted Antichrist than to be defended by an argument of his Kingdome lost or diminished The fourth branch is the battel of Gog and Magog Apoc. 20. And when the 1000 yeres are ended c. Jn this battel you say he shal with an armie innumerable persecute Christians through the whole world I answer we have observed already from these words the wonderful expedition of Antichrist into the whole world properly so caled before in the 7. chapter of his persecution And there we allowed for this expedition three yeres and a halfe but here now it seemeth that this whole space shal not be speÌ„t in the iourney but then it shal be taken in hand after the three Kings and the seven Kings be subdued There also we marveled if he should goe such a iourney himselfe alone not hindred with anie troup of wayting men but here furder comes the impediment of an armie and the same neverthelesse an universal persecution Surely whatsoever you said before against Hippolitus you seem plainly to think that Antichrist is no man but the Divil him selfe But to let these monsters passe let us come to the battel which I marvel you saw not that it should be by the Dragon not by the Beast Between which two ther is in deed a great societie of wickednes but no less difference of persons and of things than is between an open foe and a secret enemie Add hereunto that the Beast and false Prophet are both destroyed before this warre is taken in hand or at least before it is finished if that move you not that both of them are mentioned to be slain in the end of the former chapter yet consider that the Divil that is the DragoÌ„ was cast into the lake of fire wher the other have their place before that the Divil comes thether Apoc. 20.10 Although therfore Antichrist be a Martial felow and a great warrier yet shal he wage no warrs after he is dead But it is one of his miracles to rise againe Be it so when he counterfeyts a death as you feign of him but when he is slayn by that hand of God and deeply drowned in the lake of fyre he shal not find it so easi to rise again and when he lay under a coverlet Separate you therfore those things which touch not Antichrist and deal not so as if you would prove one not to be a man either because he hath not four feet or because he wanteth wings you shal see the rest so to agree togither among themselves in al points as nothing more Surely the things which you hav disputed of this Kingdome and warr are farr from every part eyther of the Kingdome or of the warr of Antichrist but such stuff as this are al the things that your men are either wont or able to bring for to defend the Pope and to free him from this most greevous crime Therfore you toyl in vayn the thing is manifest it can not be hidd by anie subtilties Why goe ye about to cast a myst before the Sun Why frame yee arguments against the Spirit of God Purge rather with flames those writings of yours wherwith yow have laboured his defense and flee out of his denn as speedily as you can Here ends the Refutation of Antichrist Against Bellarmine Chap. 18. AFTER these things I saw an Angel come down from Heaven having great Power so as the earth was bright with his glorie 2 And he cryed out mightilie with a lowd voice saying It is fallen it is fallen Babylon that great and is become the habitation of Divils and the hold of all fowl Spirit and a cage of every uncleane and hateful bird 3 For al nations have drunken of the wine of the wrath of her fornication the Kings of the earth have committed fornication with her and the marchants of the earth are waxed rich of the aboundance of her pleasures 4 And J heard an other voice from heaven saying goe out of her my people least yee be partakers of her sinnes and receive of her plagues 5 For her heaped sinnes are come up to heaven and God hath remembred her iniquities 6 Reward her even as she hath rewarded you and give her double according to her works and in the cup that she hath filled you fill her double 7 Jn as much as she lifted up her selfe and lived in pleasure so much give yee to her torment and sorow for she saith in her heart J sit being a Queen and am no widow and shal see no mourning 8 Therfore shal her plagues come at one day death and sorow and famine she shal be burnt with fire for that God which condamneth her is a strong Lord. 9 And the Kings of the earth shall bewaile her and lament for her which have committed fornication and lived in pleasure with her when they shall see the smoke of her burning 10 And shal stand a farr off for feare of her torment sâ—ying alas alas thâ—t great citie Babylon that mighty citie for in one houre is thy iudgment come 11 And the Marchants of the earth shal weepe and waile over her for no mâ—n byeth their ware anie more 12 The ware of golde and silver and pretious stones and pearles and of fine linnen and of purple and of silke and of skarlet and of al manner of thynewood and of al vessels of yvorie and of al vessels of most pretious wood and of brasse
former riches of the citie flourishing of late by the commerce of so many and so great nations which they thought could be vanquished by no strength of man How much trouble wrought it Nebuchadnezar Ezech. 29.18 How much Alexander afterward Who repented him of the siedge he so despaired of the winning thereof by force who yet at an other time thought nothing impossible for him But these watermen should be dismayed for iuster causes at Rome late the Queene of the whole world The most auncient city the chaire of Peter which alwâ—yes hath overcome all calamities and should be mighty and flourishing even to her very old age both by her owne riches and her friends These and many such things wil compel them to cry out what citie was like to this great city Who would not have thought that so eminent excellency in all things should have bin free from destruction How have we bin deceived dreaming of her everlastingnesse How have we deceived others vanting that this shippe shall never be drowned How unexpected are all these things contrary to our persuasion opinion and vaunting Such a force hath this wondering question 19 And shâ—l cast dust upon their heads After the manner of mourners Iob. 2.12 For these shall waile so much the more earnestly by how much they are lesse able to upholde themselves by their owne riches But this Angel speaketh in the time past they did cast dust on their heads and also in the former verse and they cryed seing the smoke Yet these things goe before the ruine which they have ioyned and knit unto them For which cause he seemeth to change the time and not onely for the most certen truth of the thing to come as the Prophets are wont elsewhere ¶ Wherin were made rich all Not onely those chiefe purpled Fathers but also they who were of the basest state and condition Behold the whole Hierarchy how doo all flowe in exceeding great riches In everie country very much and the best ground came to them Moreover it is a thing woÌ„derfull to be spoken they which fained to sustain their life by begging froÌ„ towne to towne lacked nothing which might serve even for ryot Miserable common people who were so deceived that they bestowed money on beggars farre richer then they themselves that did give But such is the cunning of Rome to enrich her friends In these daies how bountifully liberally are our traitours wanting their countrey goods friends entertained at Rome in Spaine and elswhere They get that reward of their treason abroad which by honest meanes they could not obtaine at home A reward is not wanting at home for well doing But they hate true vertue the fruite wherof they would receive Rome maketh these men rich counting it an unworthy thing for here the whore wil be godly that the maintainers of her honour should not become rich by her wealth alone howsoever they shal be destitute of all other aides These may therfore for iust cause bewaile the destruction of the whore with whom they found the wages of their naughtinesse which now they shal be compelled to practise for nothing For some are too fully minded never to be thrifty 20 O Heaven reioice of her Thus farre the mourning of the wicked now he sheweth what aboundant ioy shal come from thence to the godly Heaven is the whole multitude of the Saincts on earth as often hath bin observed Apostles and Prophets are not those famous preachers of the Divine truth which were in auncient times but all the godly executing the office of teaching in the Church For what doo our affaires on earth pertaine to the holy soules resting in heaven The dead saith the wise man know nothing at all to weet of our affaires who in the body are strangers from the Lord Eccle. 9. And therfore the Prophet saith that Abraham is ignorant of us and that Israel knoweth us not Esay 63.16 Therfore they ar living saincts on the earth whom the Spirit calleth Apostles Prophets for a comfort in those troubles which they finde in the world that although they be inferiour by manie degrees in gifts to the auncient Apostles yet they may know themselves to be in the same state and account with God He speaketh to them by name because the chiefe ioy shal be theirs as their sorow shal be greatest because of the more deadly hatred wherwith the whore was inflamed against them From which we perceive as hath bin said before seing the ioy is common to all the elect that those wayling marchaÌ„ts are not of this number and therfore that they are said to be such raâ—her for likenesse sake than for the truth of the thing ¶ For God hath punished her The Hebraisme is more significant For God hath iudged your iudgement on her This kind of speaking dooth shew a punishment but yet iudgment and lawful examination of things going before not inflicted rashly This is the matter of the ioy because God at length would avenge the Saincts on the whore which so many ages hath raged against them scotfree with all manner of iniuries 21 Then a certain Angel tooke up Hitherto hath bin declared the destruction by words onely now a signe likeweise is used wherby it may be declared that it shal be sudden and eternal And this is done by the ministery of a certain third Angel of whom there is no mention made from whence he came peradventure because he is that first whose place from whence he came is shewed in ver 1 who now is brought in againe to performe that very thing which thar preparation said would come by and by For unlesse this casting of a milstone into the sea be the very overthrowing of Rome it is not described by what way it shal be done In the beginning of the chapter following we shal understand that the thing is accomplished And the former Angels went but a litle before the destructioÌ„ Wherfore either now is handled the same overthrow or he wholly concealeth how it should be performed ¶ A milstone cast into the sea may be a fit signe of the ruine as the burning mountaine cast into the sea was of the beginning of Antichristian tyranny chap. 8.8 But yet the thing is darke to us The event wil manifest it at length This Angel is caled strong taking up a stone like a milstone casting it into the sea for by so many degrees is the type proposed Which things declare an admirable swiftnesse of this ruine and no more repairable A great stone by his waightinesse falleth down with a great violeÌ„ce yet with a greater if it be cast but with much more being thrown of some valiant and strong man Neither is ther hope that that shal flote againe in the toppe which both his owne weight and outward force have fastened in the lowest bottome So shal Babylon be cast with violence neither shall it be found any more Yet these things are not spoken so as if hee were
shal be manifest then to al men that Christ is the supreme King which was not so evident to the world in former ages The Christian name hath bin spread before now into al contries but how miserably did the Heathen Romane Emperours vexe that first when it began Since that time by how sundry entreprises hath the Pope of Rome endevoured to bring destruction unto it Neither yet at this time doth he surcease from his former practise having now the Turk also a partner in the same trafick although both follow a divers way of obtaining their desire Doubtlesse since that Christ hath bin made known to us Gentiles he hath not seemed so much to raigne a to serve a miserable service Yet neverthelesse he gave alwayes some proof of his Kingdome even in the middes of these miseries because he preserved his Church against al mēs willes howsoever he yeelded her to the lust of the enemies and to be over whelmed almost with all calamities and miseries But now at length the contrary shal be manifest to al men Christ himselfe wil take the governement into his hands wil give the soveraigntie over the things on earth to his Church then shal be the time when the stone being cut of the mountain without hands shal breake in peeces the yron the clay the silver and the gold and shal obtaine a Kingdome that shal never be destroyed neither shal be left to another people Dan. 2.44.45 VVhich thing is made more apparant from the name written on the thigh as it were in the lowest parts of the body and even as though it were in the foote For the scriptures are wonte to call all beneath the belly the feete Gen. 49.10 Isay 7.20 Therfore he hath this name written in this part not onely because that which is lowest in Christ scarce reaching to his feete is higher then the highest thing in mē Monarches bearing the titles of Empire on their head on their crownes and Diademes but Christ carying a loftier title on his thigh then any Monarch ever hath obtained not I say for this cause onely but chiefly because this shal be the time wherin his feete that is his Church shal beare rule Before time they were fine Brasse burning in a fornace yet free from any hurt chap. 1.15 But now after the fierie trial they shal enioy a most noble Kingdome Now Christ shal honour the place of his feet Isay 60.13 This is that Kingdome which al the Prophets doo praise with so great decking of words of which ther shal be no ende but after that it hath flourished a long time on earth it shal be translated from hence at length into heaven at the second comming of Christ So then these foure names cōtaine the whole state of the Church from the calling of the Iswes unto the last ende of al things Al which time may be distinguished into three parts the first of which goeth before the battel with the Beast and the Dragon wherunto the first two names with the whole preparation are applyed The second is bestowed in the battel it selfe signifyed by a third name The third is al the other space from the victory until Christ shal come to which the fourth most mighty name agreeth 17 Then I saw a certain Angel stand in the Sunne Thus farre the description of the Captaine now of certain soldiers who must fight with the Beast These ar mustered by the voice of an Herald of armes standing in the Sunne who differreth from him that powred out his vial upon the Sunne for this by interpreting the Scriptures shal bring a plague that other shal provoke the Saincts to warre by exhorting Neither perhaps doth he that powreth out the vial stande in the very Sunne but set in an other place shal sprinkle his liquour upon it This sitting as it were in the charet of the Sunne hath his standing in the very light But how wilt thou say can we conceave any such thing yea by meditating upon it I think light may be given to this Sunne from the 12. chap. 1. where we heard that the woman was clothed with the Sunne that is shining round about with a most cleare light of the Scriptures with the clearnesse wherof being adorned as it were with a garment shee came forth abroad among the people shewed her selfe in the sight of the world But one may be said to stand in his clothing as the wife standing at the right hand of the King in gold of Ophir Psal 45.10 Vherfore this Angel shal be some cityzē of that particular Church which shal shine most clearly by the approbatiō of the very sacred truth shal be a natural daughter of the woman clothed with the Sunne VVe know that there is not the same purity of al particular Churches which professe Christ but that one doth take out more dreggs than an other But this Angel shal be a member of a most pure and chast congregation which above others shal shine with this glorious apparell This is not one of the converted Iewes of whom he began to speake even now but an Angel of the VVest part calling the VVesterne men to warre against the Beast and the false Prophet the plagues of our world And indeed al the force of this last warre in the VVest seemeth to be converted against that holy cōgregation which even now I said did shine as the Sunne For which cause a cityzen of it before the rest shal sound the alarme and cal togither the rest not so much to the battel as to the spoile Frō which things in some sort may be understood what is that place Armagedon in the VVest part wherof we heard in chap. 16.16 To weet such a particular holy congregation or city which shal be the place of this warre For this is har gbei qodhesch the hill of precious fruits which God esteemeth deerer to him then al delights And it is like that after Rome is overthrown that the Pope will againe place his chaire at Avenion but I have no certenty concerning this thing I follow onely coniecture but if he shal sit there where shall he sooner and more gladly streine to doo his uttermost than against the Genevean people of Savoy hardby a heart sore thankes be to God now for some yeeres which shal then also be the totment of their eyes And verily farre be it that my words should grieve any man the Sunne of our world shineth there and from thence that alwayes it may shine more every godly man desireth earnestly of God neither let my repeated admonition be superfluous Hold that thou hast let no man take thy crowne In the meane time our prayers shal not be wanting for thee that the Sunne of righteousnesse may ever shine upon thee and drive farre away all darkenesse ¶ Saying to all the foules that did fly by the middes of heaven It hath bin observed in chap. 8.13 14.6 that mesouranema signifyeth between heaven and earth not
to men is translated unto the state and condition of men shewing as before was said that not onely men shal be punished with some greevous punishment but also that the thing it selfe shal be utterly taken away never for to raise againe even as they who are cast to hell must not expect any returning or setting free Certenly we may gather and that not rashly from this strange and unacustomed taking of vengeance that God will shew by some visible signe how damnable and detestable he hath alwayes esteemed the Papacy And this last is that destruction of which in chap. 17.18 shal goe into destruction a iust reward of the Antichristian tyranny 21 And the rest were slaine with the sword Such then is the destructiō of the Prince of wickednesse now of his armies and souldiers Of whō ther is a differing punishment not so horrible at least in shew they shal be slaine with the sword of him that siteth on the horse that is by the word comming out of his mouth as though he should say they shal undergoe the punishments threatned in the word against the disobedient and such as resist the truth as in Ieremy Behold I wil make my words as fire in thy mouth and this people as wood and it shal devoure them chap. 5.14 What singular thing thē shal the destructiō of the Pope have For he also hath bin slaine with this sword That is true indeed but the word threatneth divers punishments according to the manner of the wickednesses the most greevous to the greatest the lighter to the lesse Peradventure because the ruine of the Papacy shal be more horrible than wee think it is exempted from the common order not because it is not denounced in the word but perhaps because it is lesse regarded of us and that we suspect it to be lighter then the event will shew Or as we have declared in ver 15. it may be that these souldiers after the overthrow received shall yeeld their vanquished forces to the truth and subiect their neckes to her yoke ¶ And all the foules were filled with their flesh The Victory being obtained the foules gather to the pray doo fill themselves with the spoiles That whole late Popish natiō shal be subiect afterward to the reformed Churh Every country being a nourrisson of the purer truth shal have some part of the regions before time given up to superstition made subiect to them Which thing seemeth to be signifyed by the foules satiated with the flesh of the slaine army Such then is the end of the Romish Pope and Papacy that remained a few yeeres after the city yet at length so much the more miserable because shee had such as did adorne her funerall with their teares and performed the last duties by weeping But ther shal be none left for the Pope to bewaile his misery but he shal die infamous without mourners or other funeral pompe Wherby at last is accomplished that prophetical parable of the ghests called to the marriage Mat. 22. Doubtlesse those good and evill sent for out of the high wayes are the Gentiles that embraced the calling after that the Iewes had refused it Among them the man that had not a wedding garment is the Church of Rome which despiseth the righteousnesse of faith neither regardeth to be clothed with the merit of Christ by imputation The King comming in and beholding her clothed with her ragges but not with that garment which onely he approoveth now at length biddeth his servants to bind her hād and foote and to cast her into utter darkenesse where is weeping gnashing of teeth For Christ speaketh not there of any one man but collectively of a very great multitude as the sentence added in the end declareth that many are called but few are chosen ver 14. From which at length we understand that the bright comming of the Lord with which Paul foreshewed that the man of sinne should be abolished 2 Thes 2.8 is not his last coming to iudgement but that wherby Christ shal take the Iewes into the fellowship of his holy Church at which time his Kingdome shal flourish most gloriously and shal exceed by infinite degrees all the brightnesse of the ages past as shal be made more evident from the things following After the Pope is destroyed the Dragon shal be abolished many other things accomplished on earth CHAP. 20. AFTER I saw an Angel comming down from heaven having the keye of the bottomlesse pit and a great chaine in his hande 2 And he tooke the Dragon that old serpent which is the Divill and Satan he bound him a thousand yeeres 3 And cast him into the bottomlesse pit which he shut up and sealed upon him that he should deceive the nations no more til the thousand yeeres were fulfilled for after that he must be loosed for a little season 4 And J saw seats and they sate upon them and iudgement was given them I saw the soules of them which were beheaded for the witnes of Iesus and for the word of God and which did not worship the Beast neither his Image neither had taken his marke upon their foreheads or on their hands and they lived and raigned with Christ a thousand yeeres 5 But the rest of the dead men lived not againe until the thousand yeeres wereful filled this is the first resurrection 6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection for on such the second death hath no power but they shal be the Priests of God and of Christ and shall raigne with him a thousand yeeres 7 And when the thousande yeeres are expired Satan shal be loosed out of his prison 8 And shall goe out to deceive the nations which are in the foure quarters of the earth Gog and Magog to gather them togither to battell whose number is as the sande of the sea 9 And they went up into the plaine of the earth and they compassed the tentes of the Saints about and the beloved city but fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them 10 And the Divill that deceived them was cast into a lake of fire and brimston where was both that Beast and also that False Prophet and they shal be tormented day and night for ever more 11 Then I saw a great white throne and one that sate on it from whose face fled away both the earth and heaven and their place was no more founde 12 And I saw the dead both great and smal stand before God and the bookes were opened and another book was opened which is the book of life and the dead were iudged of those things which were written in the books according to their workes 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in her and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them and they were iudged every man according to their workes 14 And hell and death were cast into the lake of fire this is the second
streame neither is ther at this day almost found any hold so strong that can withstand his furie But the time of this tyrāny is but short to weet onely for an houre a day a moneth a yeere that is about three hundred ninety yeeres if wee count the yeere by twelve moneths and every moneth by thirty daies after the account of two and fourty moneths and three dayes and an halfe chap. 11. If we follow the reckening of the Iuliā yeeres the impious kingdome shal not be prolonged beyond seven yeres more then utterly to be abolished without leaving so much as the footsteps of his name after him as shal be said afterward 4 Then I saw thrones Hitherto the brief History of the Dragon the same now is handled somewhat more fully there being added togither also the state of the Church wherin it was in every of those times The two first of which are shewed elegantly in the same words For when after the Dragon is bound the thrones set are seen and also the soules of them that were beheaded sitting upon them and iudgement given to them by these is signifyed that the primitive Church was miserably afflicted before that mortal enemie was cast into prison Then was ther no seat established for her no iudgement was given but she lay on the ground trode under foote every moment spending the life of many of her members for the truth whereunto belongeth the cry of the soules which desired vengeance of their most cruell enemies chap. 6.10.11 Therfore all that time from Iohn even until the binding of the Devill by Constantine was a time for the hatched for flaming fires for the racke and all manner of torments as is very wel shewed here Againe the same thrones and iudgement given after that the Dragon was delivered to prison by Constantin doo shew the notable felicity of the second distance of time which the Church enioyed having obtained Emperours for her Defendours For these thrones belong not to the saincts raigning in heaven as the Iesuite will have it intangling himselfe in many absurdities but they which dwell on earth in a better estate in regard of the open enemy then in former time For why should the raigne in heaven be limited with a thousand yeeres Or why should they beginne to raigne after the Dragon was bound as if the raigne in heaven wer not perpetual Moreover such ar counted in this raigne who ar dead a thousand yeeres agoe as in the next verse which can not be understood of the raign in heavē in which unlesse the soules of them that die fly forthwith they shal never afterward come thither But more plainly of this matter at the next verse ¶ And they sate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it may be put and perhaps better transitvely they did set So the order of construction runneth easily being reduced by the accusative cases which folow et animas and the soules et illos c. and them which worshiped not in the same sense vidi thronos I saw thrones and they did set on them to whom iudgement also was given both the soules of them which were beheaded and also those which worshipped not the Beast c. who all lived and raigned with Christ a thousand yeeres and iudgement was given them they were dealt with according to their righteousnes themselves being set at liberty and their enemies suffering the punishments of their cruelty Even as on the other side on s iudgement is said to be taken away when a man is oppressed with iniuries and the doers of them goe away scotfree as Iob complaineth God liveth who hath despised my iudgement c. chap. 27 2 and 34.5 Or iudgement to be given may belong to the raign as in the Psalmist O God give thy iudgements to the King thy righteousnes to the Kings sonne Let him iudge thy people iustly and thy poore with equity Psal 72.1.2 as though he should say the Church now is advanced to that dignity wherby shee should give lawes to others which but lately was accustomed to receive them being most abiect and obscure and of no estimation with the world ¶ And the soules of them that were beheaded If ekathison they sate be taken as a verbe neuter then these words are to be referred to the verbe eidon vidi animas and I saw the soules c. These are the soules of the godly Martyrs of the first period who under the Heathen Emperours laid downe their lives for Christs sake who now at length by meanes of Constantine obtaine glory and honour But how is this wilt thou say they not being on the earth Their soules were placed on thrones when they who tooke away their lives uniustly were iustly punished by Constantine that is whē the tyrants were killed and condigne punishment inflicted upon them for their cruelty The iust man shall reioice when he seeth the vengeāce of the wicked and shal wash his footsteppes in their blood as the Psalmist describeth And againe a two edged sword is in the hand of the Saincts to execute vengeance on the Heathen which honour shal be to all the Saincts Psal 149. It is a glorious thing for the Saincts that their iniuries are nor neglected but ar at length recōpensed with iust punishment This is it which the soules desired earnestly chap. 6.10 And these seats are that deliverance which they obtained a promise off in the same place ¶ And which worshipped not the Beast These also were placed or sate in the seates which are men then living in the second period wherupon he not onely mentioneth their soules as even now of the Martyrs which were in the age past but the whole man saying those which worshipped not c. From which we must observe seing the godly are described by those marks that they worshipped not the Beast neither suffered themselves to be noted with his marke either in the forehead or on the hand and that in the second period whē the Devill was bound which took the beginning at Constantine himselfe and continued from thence by the space of a thousand yeeres that the Beast was all this time Otherweise ther could have bin no praise of the Godly living in this time if there had bin no occasion and matter for them to get praise by Wherfore the Beast was bred togither with Cōstantine when the Dragon being thrust out of heaven and going into prison gave his power and his throne and great authority to the Beast chap. 12.13 and 13.2 He could not suffer that any truce should be granted to the Church but when he saw his open furie to be repressed he ordained the Beast his Vicar in his roome being absent by whose endevour at least he might satisfy his hatred Therfore the three yeeres raigne of Antichrist is a trifling toy a part wherof we see here manifestly to extende unto a thousand yeeres Secondly let the Papists consider what a vaine forgerie that Antichrist is whom they dreame off
for so great mirth ¶ And the beloved City The third endevour so farre as which hath proceeded the repetition of the former Prophecy This third is altogither to come For howsoever the holy city was above granted to the Gentiles to be troden under foote a thousand two hundred three score dayes chap. 11.2 and the same againe was renewed after that time was past in the CHVRCHES which in these last times are reformed according to the rule of the divine truth yet it is not to be doubted off but that the beloved city is for excellency sake that multitude of the beleeving Iewes who now at length shal shortly be ioyned to the company of the true beleevers in Christ The iudgment that followeth doth require it should be so wherby the Turk endevouring to conquere this city shal upon a sudden be overwhelmed But where and when this siege shall happen may be gathered from those things which have bin spoken before The place shal be Hartsebhi the mountaine of beauty the Oriental armagedon the very land of Iudea So Daniel chap. 11.45 and elegantly Ezechiell chap. 38.8 After many dayes thou shalt be visited For in the latter yeeres thou shalt come into the land that is come home safe from the sword and is gathered out of many peoples thou shalt invade the mountaines of Israel which have long bin wast with it being brought out of the peoples all shal dwel safe The time shal be at the end of a thousand three hundred thirty five yeeres of which Daniel speaketh in chap. 12.12 when the houre day moneth and yeere of the Turks tyranny shal come out to weet at the yeere a thousand sixe hundred ninetith more or lesse But of these things now briefly perhaps occasion shal be given at an other time to declare them more at large ¶ But fire came down from God The last destruction followeth and first of the army in this verse which God by some extraordinary way shal destroy utterly For from heaven he shal powre out his wrath upon the armyes of the Turkes as before chap. 16.21 and more largely in Ezechiel chap. 38.18.19 c. 10 And the Divill that deceived them The Emperour himselfe the Turk not onely in respect of his owne person but also of the whole state succession of his Empire For ther shal not be any more either Emperour or name of Turke But the word Divil is used by a figurat if kind of speach of the principal cause for the instrumental which is very significant in this place shewing that not onely this one enemy the Turk shal be destroied but that no opē enemy shall arise ever after For the Divell by whose labour they are raysed up shal not be thrust into prison againe for some time but for ever he shal be cast into the lake of fire never to goe out for to raise up any such new troubles ¶ Where was also that Beast and that false Prophet Therfore all ar in a like condition which are punished with the like punishment The name of Christian maketh no difference between the Turke and the Roman Antichrist unlesse perhaps for to encrease his punishment for asmuch as he had a greater meanes of truth and grace But observe that the Beast the False Prophet were already destroied as also their destruction hath bin declared before to whom at length that Divell is added a partaker of the same punishment ¶ And they shal be tormented The vulgarlatine translation omitteth the copulative coniunction and ioyneth the verbe shal be tormented next with Beast and False Prophet but amisse considering tha it is no lesse necessary to understand that the common punishment of them all shal be eternall then that the punishment shal be one and the same 11 Then I saw a great white throne Thus farre concerning the destruction of the enemies the happines followeth which the Church shall enioy after all these stormes are driven away The first part of it is the gathering togither of the Saints in the rest of this chapter Which gathering is represented by the resurrection of the dead and the iudgement given touching them For by the most learned mens leave I doo think that this resurrection commonly beleeved so farre as I see of all men to be that last resurrection of the bodies of all men who since the death of the first Adam doo sleepe in the graves perteineth to no other thing then to the full restoring of the Iewish nation Not that I desire to set a broach new opinions profer them to the world or because it delighteth mee to goe against the consent of al men I hope that such proud impudent rashnes is farr from mee and God is my witnes how I detest that itching desire of searching out forging new errours through a loathing of auncient truth but onely because the whole order of things the merveilous consent of the rest of the scriptures doo compell mee to follow this interpretatiō Which thing I have thought good to relate in a few words that it may appeare to all men by what meanes I am brought into this opinion that if they shall have any weight for the truth wee may gaine the knowledge of a thing not sufficiētly known before but if they shal not be firme and sound they may be thrust through by the censures of the godly and I my self at lēgth may be freed from this errour of what sorte soever it be First therfore when I diligently weighed those things which in the next chapter following are rehearsed to be after this resurrection I saw that they agreed by no meanes to the heavēs properly so called but to have place onely on earth Of which sorte are that this holy city commeth down from God out of heaven that shee is a spouse prepared onely and adorned for her husband not yet givē that the hope of reward is put off unto the time to come ver 7. that one of the seven Angels sheweth her to John ver 10. of which sorte of ministery ther shall be none in heaven The very name also of which Angel being but heard seeing that he is one of those seven which ar appointed chiefe actours in the last plagues ch 15. may declare within what bounds we ar conversant VVhither also shal the Apostles make the foundation of the wall of the holy city in heaven when Christ delivereth up the Kingdome to his Father Or whither shall the Kings of the earth bring their glory to the Church in heaven Or shal any thing redound from hence to the health of the nations These things therefore and many other of the like sorte considering that they shal be after this resurrection drove mee to another interpretation and chiefly to that which the natural force of the words manifested For I remembred that the calling of the Iewes openly and often in the scriptures is called the resurrection of the dead as in Paul for if the casting away be the
else where fully declared in this book wee hope that wee doo no violence to the truth if that we shal ioyne this place unto the meaning of other the like But some man wil say that wee have made mention of this calling in the former chapter it is true but that of the sixt viall was but begun not perfit and absolute as that of the last viall shall be wheÌ„ all the enemies shal be destroyed VVhich distinction of calling the former words doo manifest when in that first Iohn was commanded to write blessed are they which are called to the marriage supper of the Lambe chap. 19.9 VVherby it is taught that the first was not perfit where need was of such confirmation the office wherof is to seale up a thing not yet sufficiently known and to come which all being called had bin superfluous But Daniel writeth most plainly who hath distinguished both the callings by their times He setteth the first at the ende of a thousand two hundred ninetie daies The second at the ende of a thousand three hundred and five The distance between both is of fourty five dayes that is of so many yeeres as in an other place with Gods helpe wee will shew Dan. 12.11.12 VVee shall see likeweise in Ezechiel in the place before spoken off that the dry bones being covered with flesh and skinne did move themselves alike and approach one to an other Moreover after some time during which they were destitute of Spirit at length being quickened by the same doo live a true life and doo performe all those offices of life peculiar unto bodies endued with soules That approaching of the dry bones is that first calling of the former chapter The comming to of the Spirit giving to those bones perfit life is the latter calling this resurrection to which nothing shal be wanting unto perfit salvation Both which though Ezechiel comprehendeth in the same chapter yet he handleth the more distinctly afterward For first before that warre with Gog and Magog he mentioneth the resurrection as also Iohn that which was begun in the former chapter afterward when Gog was destroyed he describeth a most glorious building of the temple in the 40. chapter c. which is this secoÌ„d and full resurrection Therfore the first resurrection of the Iewes of the Iewes I say for the first resurrection of this chapter ver 5. is of the Gentiles into which notwithstanding shal fall at length this first of the Iewes that every way it may be the first shal be by and by after the destruction of Rome The second shal be straite after the Romish Pope and the Turke be destroyed This resurrection is a power to enter into the temple which the smooke did hinder to all untill all the seven last plagues were accomplished ch 15. the which is spent in destroing the Pope of Rome and the Turke as was spoken sufficiently before If I seeme to any to weaken the gâ—neral resurrection by taking so notable a foundation from it let him understand that it taketh no dammage from hence This place hath yet left a most strong ground to confirme the same For the Spirit doth not deceiv with a fained similitude but of which ought to be a most certen persuasion among Christians Otherweise certenly he had lost his labour if he had brought any thing lacking credit Moreover he should have driven to defperation in propounding that which must not be done for they would have thought that even so they had bin past hope but using a tipe of a thing that should most certeÌ„ly come to passe in his time he both maketh the calling undoubted and also declareth the manner wherby at length the resurrection shal be accomplished And thus much of the true sense of this argument now we wil prosecute the rest ¶ Then I saw a great white throne The preparation of God the iudge setting his people at liberty taken from a similitude of the general resurrection For the power and mercy of God shal be no lesse cleare in the molifying of men hardened by so long a revolting and in bestowing salvatioÌ„ upon them so past recovery then at length shal appeare in raising out rotâ—en bodies out of the graves The throne therfore is white most pure most gratious most comfortable in the very forme having a demonstration of mercy Great to declare the most imperial maiesty of God which now shal be made evident in this assembly of his people he sitteth also upon a throne ready to iudge because ther shal be no more any delay of rewarding the stay wherof before brought men into that opinion as if God regarded not the earth there fled from the face of him that sitteth on the throne both earth and heaven a great alteration of al things being made both the false Church plucked up by the rootes and also the true augmented with so great fruitfulnes that her former sorrowful face may seem to have fled away 12 And J saw the dead both smal and great Such then was the iudgment now at described those that shal be iudged These smal and great ar Iewes who before hated the faith and were spent with such calamities that they might seeme to differ nothing from the dead Now al of them shal appeare before God every one to undergo the iudgement either of life or death For now it shal be made manifest who ar elect and who reprobate They which yet shal resist the truth obstinatly shal be numbred amoÌ„g the last sheepe No remedy shal be used afterward wherby their stubburne minds may be subdued But why saith he small and great Whit her in the last resurrection according to the maner wherof al things are here applyed shal every one appeare in that stature in which they departed this life For this cause some have affirmed too rashly that every one shal rise againe in that talnesse in which Adam was created Which opinion both resisteth evidently this place and also taketh away the truth of the restored body if ther shal not be that iust stature in which they dyed ¶ And the books were opened The forme of iudging by books opened which are the consciences endued with the true light of Gods wil with a lively feeling of all their actions These shal now openly manifest to all men them in whom there is a syncere minde given of God and in whom lay hid hitherto the seed of election ¶ Then an other book Of Gods decree and election these things ar spoken after the manner of men considering that it is our manner for the helpe of our memory to recorde in books things done and in iudgmeÌ„ts to give sentence according to the truth of them Therfore election is no new thing neither dooth it depend on our pleasure but is founded on the eternal decree of God ¶ And the dead wer iudged c. After or according to those things which wer writteÌ„ in the books as once in the return froÌ„ BabyloÌ„s captivity
let in the commers in without delay What other thing also meane the names written then to teach how every one should go on directly and not loose any time about seeking an entrance 13 On the East part there were three gates The situation of the gates is most commodious not all for one quarter but equal for every one that a way might be opened on every side every one might go in directly without being hindred by any crooked turning about Ezechiel hādling the same matter noteth every gate by name but he beginneth at the North on which side he setteth the gates of Reuben Iuda and Levi. On the East side of Ioseph Beniamin Dan. On the South of Simeon Jssachar Zebulon On the West of Gad Asher Naphthaly chap. 48.30 c The Iewes in the East and North part shal first stirre up themselves and make hast to goe into this holy city as hath bin shewed before chap. 16.12 by Euphrates dryed that the way of the Kings of the East might be prepared And as Daniel teacheth speaking of the iourney undertaken into this city But rumours saith he shal trouble him from the East and from the North. That is when the Easterne Northerne Iewes are raised up the Turke shal be greatly troubled after he hath received newes of that thing Therfore because the first iourney shall be undertaken from these countreyes the gates of them are put first and those without difference Iohn attributing the first place to them in the East part Ezechiel to them in the North because both shal prepare themselves equally to this expedition The Southerne Iewes shall follow these our in the West shal be last 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations Thus farre the gates the foundations are described both by the number also by the names In number they are twelve which are laid under the wall the wall I say not the city for they are the foundations of ministery not of salvation There is one onely foundation hereof Iesus Christ-alone Other foundation cā no man lay beside that which is laid which is Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 3.11 The Apostles may be called the foundations of ministery yet not the principall but instrumental of which they are not the authours but the first stones For the foundation is not laid of it selfe but of the maister builder Christ laied these first in the bottome of the wall in which respect they are called foundations So Ezra is called the foundation of the comming up out of Babylō because he was the Prince of that second company which came up togi ther with him Ezra 7.9 But how are ther twelve foundations of one wal-wherof ther is wont to be but one To weet because any one stone is not layed through the whole length and bredth but there are twelve layed equally one by an other long wayes and broad the same order bein still renewed until the building be brought to his ful perfection No one Apostle is here for a foundation but al in equal place and office doo lie in the bottome That unhappy and wicked boasting shal be farre from hence Thou art Peter and upon this rocke that is as they wil have it who never saw this wall neither have they any safegarde from thence upon this the Peter I will build my Church this madnesse of building up the wall upō such one foundation onely hath greatly troubled the Church of the Gentils and at length wil make her wholly destitute of al wall ¶ In which were the names of tht Lambes twelve Apostles So as neverthelesse that by these names ar understood not onely those twelve which wer conversant with Christ on earth but al the faithful Pastors which shal execute the like office in the Church They were so called before chap. 18.20 For there is a most straight communion of the faithfull by reason wherof the proper names of some are applyed to others but especially to them who beside the common bond have also an other fellowship of office But if the Apostles be the foundations this is not that eternall city in the heavens For Christ then shal deliver up the Kingdome to his Father and God shal be all in all 1 Cor. 15.24 Neither shal the Saints have any ministery of teaching there 1 Cor. 15.8 Therfore this wall belongeth to the Church being a stranger on earth not unto that reigning in heavē 15 Moreover he that spake with mee Hitherto the forme of the wall frō the continued quantity there followeth of the city the forme wherof he delivereth both the continued and the severed togither and first universally as touching the minister and instrument and the things to be measured in this verse The Minister is the same which spake with Iohn the seventh Angel of those to whom were given the vials ver 9. Whose labour biddeth us to seeke this city before the last iudgement And some excellent man seemeth to be noted by this Angel who as a second Zorobabel Ezra or Nehemiah shall appoint from God this most excellent policie and shal describe most exactly every part of the holy city The measure is a golden reede shewing that the description of the whole frame shall be farre most pretious The thing to be measured is the city gates wall that is the whole building No part shal be neglected but every one both most diligently assigned and most wisely builded In the Hierusalē of the Gentils when the Beast began to appeare the temple onely was measured the description of the city was forbidden and also of the outward court but this Angel wil measure both the city and gates and walls and shal recal the whole government of the Church unto the exact rule of Gods will 16 And the city lay foure squarre Now he sheweth the forme of the city such as the continued kind of it giveth It is foure squarre so great in length as in breadth This city therfore shal be most stable so prepared against al alteration that her foundation be alwayes stable There is an other consideration of this then was of our Ierusalem which lay hid amōg us Gentils for a thousand two hundred threescore yeeres which had also a fouresquare figure but of unequal sides as we have shewed at the seven chapter having in length twelve times a thousand but in breadth onely twelve thousand Of both which consisted that whole number of an hundreth and foure and fourty thousand of them that were sealed For there was some multitude of the godly at that time in lenght of continuance but the Church did flourish in no breadth and present aboundance in any age by al that intervalle But in this city it shal come to passe otherweise It shal be made famous no lesse for the great multitude of the faithful through every present age as for a most happy propagation of a long time ¶ And he measured the city with a reede twelve thousand furlongs Such then is the forme of
alone but also it shal be writteÌ„ on the horses belles Holines to Jehova as are the pottes of the house of Iehovah as the bolles before the altar Zachar. 14.20 he wil undertake their patronage and defense of all their things even of the least 5 And ther shal be no night They shall not be afflicted as in the former ages neither shal they need light coÌ„forts of the light and the lik things which before they were wont to use but they shall receive of God himselfe exceeding joye neither shall they care for or seeke other meanes to ease their griefes Isay 60.19.20 But how saieth he they shall not neede the light when above he said the Lambe shal be their light chap. 21.2 here he denieth not altogither that they shall not neede the light but onely no other but the Lambe ¶ Because the Lord God giveth them light they shall reigne for ever ever Ther shall appeare greater kindnes of God than can be attributed to any meanes For so great shal be the increase of knowledge that men shall seeme to be made wise not so much by hearing of the word as by divine inspiration The like shal be of all other giftes whose excellency shal farre exceed all meanes which they might use in getting them In the ende of the verse there is set downe in plaine words what is the summe of these 3. verses to weet that this kingdome of Saints shal be eternal which shall be begunne in the earth neither shal it ever be interruptep but shall be finally translated into heaven 6 Then he said to mee Hitherto hath bin the propheticall narration now ther foloweth a conclusion of the Epistle the shutting up of the whole Revelation which in few wordes mentioneth certaine chiefe heades whereby every one maye confirme and strengthen himselfe of the credit and authority of this Prophecy It is a most profitable conclusion and full of heavenly maiesty The Spirit knew how this Revelation should not be regarded of men and certaine should call into question the credit thereof beyond his wonted manner he labourâ—th in a few more words to take away all this doubt But who is this Angel which now talkes with Iohn An other as it seemeth than he who in the beginning of the chapter shewed the river of the water of life or that manifested the city For thiâ— is the seaventh Angell that is of those to whom the busines was committed of administring the seven last plagues chap. 21.9 whose charge was certaine and conteined in the limites of a certaine parte not endued with power of the whole Revelation But this confirmation is common to the whole booke and therfore seemeth to be of that Angell which was sent in the beginning that manifested these things to Iohn Next also it is likely that here are not againe words uttered by the voice of the samâ— ngell but they are related of Iohn under the person of the Angel of whom first he had received them Certainly the coniunction of things without any copulatives or any necessary coherence between themselves seemeth to approve of such an account Which meaning if we follow the words ar not to be translated then he said to mee which declare the time of a new speach begunne after the sight of the city but and he said to mee as though he should say seeing that now I have fully delivered to you al things which are revealed to mee that shal be now ther remaineth nothing but that with sure faith ye embrace the same which that you may the more easilie doo bethinke ye how holily and religiouslly the Angel hath confirmed the same to mee those words are faithfull and true Wherfore this confirmation of the Angel apperteineth not onely to those things which went next before of the new Ierusalem although the demonstrative proouune be so used often but likewise to the whole booke as also that threatening which followeth ver 18.19 universally challengeth credit to the whole Prophecy and not for the authority of some certaine part of it These things are repeated out of the 19 chap. ver 9. by the words of Iohn speaking which the Angel had before spoken they are applyed to approve the whole Revelation ¶ And the Lord God of the holy Prophets sent his Angell Neither did the Angel of his owne accord utter these words are faithful true but by the coÌ„maundement and authority of God the sander The same God which inspired the auncient Prophets that they might most certenly forespeake of things to come he sent this Angell which might reveale those thinges to Iohn for the use of the Church These things are repeated out of the 1. chap. 1 ver which Revelation he signified when he sent by his Angell to his servant Iohn But thou maiest observe that this latter member of the verse is so inferred that it may clearly shew that these now are not the words of the Angell speaking but of Iohn repeating the arguments of this Prophecy delivered from heaven 7 Behold I come quickly The testimony of Iesus concerning the speedy execution of these things fetched out of the 11. chapter which must shortly be done and againe the time is neare ver 3. The event of things next past should give credit to things that follow and therfore he maketh mentioÌ„ of a speedy execution as if he should say take every one of you for every of your ages a pledge and as it were a fuerty of things to come by the present things which thou shalt see to come to passe These things assure you that the things to come are no lesse certain But we who now for a thousand and five hundred yeares to weet from Iohn have seen the consent of the event and Prophecy may not any more doubt of these few other things which as yet remaine See how these things are heaped up togither as but now we saied without any bandes of speach as for the most part it is done in numbring of things ¶ Blessed is he that keepeth A confirmatioÌ„ of the happines of them which keepe this Prophecy which nothing can bestow on man but the truth in spired from heaven as before in chap. 1.3 from whence these are fetched 8 And J Iohn A confirmation from the Ministers It is a most sure prophecy whose Minister the Angel was and of so great maiesty that Iohn the Apostle thought to worshippe him and of that holines that he forbad the worshippe offered Iohn telleth what first befell chap. 19.10 he falleth not downe againe into the worshippe forbidden him ¶ But he said to mee in the greek it is and he saieth to mee for he said to mee or hath saide as well the interpreters do translate it he relateth not a new but a thing past But we must marke that which he spake before and of thy brethren which have the testimony of Jesus chap. 19.10 here it is uttered in other words and of thy brethren the Prophets of them
mesembrian midde day which the Astronomers call the mids of heaven and that therfore the word belongeth to them who have escaped from grosse superstition through the acknowledging of the truth and yet have not attained that purity meet for the inhabitants of heaven The Angel of the Sunne calleth all these to take part of the spoile as being nourissons of the same truth howsoever it flourisheth not among all with the like purity From which wee understand that although one or some few congregations shal practize sincere godlines when this warre shal be moved yet that very many and those even of the reformed religion shal be found which eyther never have attained a ful reformation or by negligence and carelesnesse have fallen backe to that state that they lack much of the holinesse of a pure and undefiled spouse And who seeth not that mutation to come to passe every day more and more Obstinate mē will not acknowledge this difference at this time but they to whom it is grāted to measure every thing by the onely rule of the truth doo both see bewaile both many shamefully falling from heaven and also others as meteores hanging yet in the clouds ¶ Come and gather your selves togither He calleth them to a banker to mirth The most worthy destruction of the wicked men is to God as a sumptuous feast 18 That ye may eate the flesh of things It is like that the ten hornes which have hated and burnt the whore Rome shal also hate the very Beast once the sweet heart of the whore Therfore these Kings who shal ioyne their armies with the Beast are not in the number of those tenne Neither shal ther be onely a denary number of Kings in the times of Antichrist when as beside them others shal be founde who doo lend him their helpe VVhich manner of dreames how vaine they are may be understood frō those things which wee have spoken before These things then being omitted now the Angel being sure of the victory calleth to the pray and biddeth them to flye togither that they may be filled with the spoiles of the enemies And because variety in feasts doth very much delight men he proposeth sundry kinds of dainty dishes the flesh of Kings of High Captaines c. This supper shal be variable and very costly Ezechiel furnisheth the like table but with the flesh onely of Easterne enemies chap. 39.17.18 19 Afterward I saw the Beast Such is the preparation of the Saincts there followeth of the wicked and first those in the VVest part with whom the first conflict shal be The chiefe Captaines of these are the Beast and the Kings For the Pope of Rome after Rome is destroyed shal have his seat in an other place for a few yeeres as at Avenion the Popes city or Bononie or elsewhere But he shal not remaine alive long time after not abov five and fourty yeeres at the most as may be gathered by a diligent comparing of other Scriptures Neither indeed being spoiled of his principal Chaire shal he be destitute of al aide of Kings but some to weet of the earth followers of wicked superstition shal yet take his part who al their hosts being gathered and ioyned togither against Christ and his Saincts shall beginne this battel to try their last chance They wil assemble to Armagedon that holy city a hill of pretious fruits whose Angel standeth in the Sunne as in ver 17. From which it is manifest that that preparation which the Spirit hath described togither in chap. 16. and 14 c. belōgeth to divers enemies whose warre is to be made asunder first of the Beast and false Prophet afterward of the Dragon 20 But the Beast was taken Hitherto the declaration of the sixt vial that of the last followeth which first teacheth the destruction of the enemies and in the first place of the Beast and his armies The Beast is taken intraped as it were with snares upon a sudden as wild Beasts which unawares fall into the netts For so the word epiaste seemeth to note And we know that the Lord doth raine downe upon the wicked snares as in Psal 11.6 by which their feet are taken there where least of al they feared The false Prophet is takē togither with him which two ioyned togither shew that the Pope of Rome for he shal retaine this name perhaps after the city is destroyed shal at length utterly perish both in respect of the civil powr wherby he is the Beast and also of the spiritual wherby he is the False Prophet The Spirit speaketh as of two distinct persons because of that twofold wickednes wherby that man of sinne is famous but when I say the Pope of Rome I doe not onely meane that particular man who then shal sit in the Chaire but also the very state and order of Popes which now wholly shal come to naught in such sort that no remainders therof shal be left Onely a certen hated memory shal continue that his impiety hath bin the cause of the ruine of so many ¶ Who wrought miracles Before there was mention of the false Prophet in chap. 16.13 But because a bare name was there onely that it might be unknown to no man whom he speaketh of by this name he describeth the same here by certain tokens that all doubt may be taken away Who saith he wrought miracles wherby he deceaved them which receive the Beasts marke and worshipped his Image By which things he sheweth most plainly that this False Prophet is that second Beast of which in chap. 13.13 c. Therfore let the Papists now see to it who wil have Antichrist to raigne three yeeres and an halfe before Christ shal come to the last iudgement and he to be a singular person whither or no they doo not proclaime open warre against the truth All grant that eyther this second Beast or that first is Antichrist Both which flourished long before that the dignity and maiesty of Rome the whore began to be diminished And also both shal remaine for some few yeeres after the overthrow therof as appeareth manifestly from this place Should we limit al this time eyther with the space of three yeeres or with the boundes of one mortal man But concerning the time of Antichrist the things that have bin spoken at chap. 17. are so certain and evident that no man can now be in doubt ¶ And they were both cast alive As Coral◠Dathan Abiran the earth opening it selfe were swallowed up alive into Hell The destruction of the Popedome shal be horrible The Spirit putteth a manifest difference between his punishment and the rest of the multitude which shal warre for him It were better for him to perish by fyre as the whore perished but a more greevous example shal be shewed in him ¶ Into a lake offyre Into the second death to weet everlasting in chap. 21.8 But how can the Papacy be cast into the fire That which is proper