their constancie and patience in the time of their persecution they shall as it were reigne ouer the earth and by their Martyrdome be Iudges therof for it is called Christs reigning and the Saints vpon the earth when his word and trew professours thereof shine visibly therein as I haue said and these were they who adored not the beast to wit they are the elect who were predestinate before all beginnings to be preserued from all infections and heresies which is generally represented by this part of them that the beast or Babylon shal raise and maintaine as the greatest and most perillous that euer shall be raised by Satan And the honourable sitting of the Saints and soules of Martyrs was shewed to me to assure me that how soone the soule of any faithfull man is parted from the body it ascendeth immediatly vnto heauen there abiding in all glory the reioyning againe of his glorified body at the latter day coniunctly to possesse all glory in heauen eternally like as by the contrary the reprobate soule how soone it parteth from the body of the wicked goes down immediatly to hell there abiding in all torment the knitting again with his cursed body at the latter day there iointly to be subiect to eternall paine neither is there any resting place by the way for any of them and the rest of the dead to wit all the wicked shal not be reuiued while this space be complete for the wicked shall neither during this space nor at any time thereafter taste of the regeneration which is the first resurrection and second birth as Christ said to Nicodemus and therfore as I said already Blessed and happy are they who are partakers of the first resurrection for the second death to wit hell shall haue no power of them but they shall be Priests of God and Christ and reigne with him these thousand yeeres to wit they shal eternally in heauen offer vp that Eucharisticall Sacrifice of praise to God and so be ioyned in fellowship with the chosen which were vpon the earth in that aforesaid time This first part of this vision is begun alreadie now followeth the next part 7 And when these happy dayes are expired then shal the deuill be loosed out of his prison 8 And he shal go forth with greater liberty to seduce the nations which are in the four airths of the earth to wit he shal not only after the spreding of many heresies cause a general blindnes defection but also make a great persecution vpon the faithful Church by gathering Gog and Magog to battell against them whose number is like the sand of the sea to wit after innumerable troubles at last he shall gather to the great day of the battell of the Lord of the which ye heard in the sixt Trumpet and sixt phiale and last immediately before this Vision Gog and Magog to wit two great seates of Monarchies and Tyrannies ouer the Church who both at one time shall rise in the latter dayes and both at another time shal be destroyed by the blast of Christes breath as ye shall heare whereof the one is the auowed and professed enemie of GOD and his CHRIST but the other is Babylon the hypocriticall and most dangerous aduersary Of these two ye heard in the sixt Trumpet and so these two although pride and enuie shall still keepe a rooted malice betwixt them yet they shall both with innumerable forces make warre against the trew Church as Herod and Pilate did band themselues against Christ notwithstanding the particular dislikes which were betwixt them It is these and their forces that must fight against the Saints at Arma-geddon as ye heard in the sixt phiale and the special drawers on of this battell shal be the three frogs who are the last vermin bred of the smoake of the bottomlesse pit as ye also heard in the said phiale 9 These great forces then went vp vpon the earth for the diuel raised them out of the bottomlesse pit and they spread themselues vpon the breadth of the earth so great was their number and compassed the Tents or dwellings of the Saints and the holy Citie for they were prepared to inuade the trew Church on all sides and by all meanes but the fire came downe from heauen and deuoured them for God by his Almighty power euen when their power was greatest and nothing so like as an apparant rooting out of all the faithfull in rebus desperatis did miraculously confound all the aduersaries of his Church And now comes in the third and last part of this Vision to wit the description of the Consummation 10 For I did see the diuel who seduced these wicked cast into a lake of fire and brimstone to wit in hell out of the which he shall neuer come againe where also the beast and the false prophet were as ye heard before Here now I saw the diuel punished eternally to my greater comfort for troubling the Church where before I saw onely his instruments punished as I said in the beginning of this Vision and he and his instruments shall be tormented there day and night to wit incessantly for euer and euer 11 Then I saw a great white Throne and one sitting thereupon in all glory and brightnesse to wit IESVS CHRIST now comming from heauen to iudge the earth and from his sight fled the earth and the heauen and their place was not found for the whole earth and much of the heauen shall be destroyed and renewed at his last comming 12 And I saw all the dead great and small standing in GOD his sight for then is the resurrection of the dead who at that time must be iudged And the bookes were opened to wit the counsels and secrets of all mens hearts and another booke to wit the booke of Life was opened to the effect that all those whose names were written into it to wit predestinated and elected for saluation before all beginnings might there be selected for eternall Glory And the dead were iudged out of these things which were written in the bookes according to their workes for as God is a Spirit so iudgeth he the thoughts of man and so by faith onely iustifies him which notwithstanding is done according to his workes because they as the fruits of faith cannot be separated from it and beare witnesse of the same to men in the earth 13 And the Sea gaue vp all the dead she had for all the dead must then rise as I haue shewed already And death and hell gaue vp all they had for not onely the bodies but euen the soules of the wicked shal be iudged there and euery one was iudged according to his workes as I presently did shew you 14 And hell and death were casten in the Lake of fire which is the second death to wit hell and death shall then be closed vp for euer within themselues and shall neuer againe come forth to trouble the Saints for death which is the last
that it can neuer be blotted out the writing the writing of the Law in our hearts In two Tables for our double duty to God and Man on both sides to take vp our heart so wholly that nothing contrary to those Precepts should euer haue any place in our Soules And certainely from this little Library that God hath erected within vs is the foundation of all our Learning layd So that people Ciuillized doe account themselues depriued of one of the best abilities of nature if they be not somewhat inabled by writing to expresse their mindes And there is no Nation so brutish or Barbarous that haue not inuented one kinde of Character or other whereby to conuey to others their inward Conceptions From these Tables of God wee may come to the writing of our Blessed Sauiour which we may put in the next place though not for order yet for Honour His Diuine Maiestie left behinde him no Monument of writing written by his owne hand in any externall Booke for he was to induce and bring in an other maner of the writing of the Law of Loue not in Tables of stone written not with incke and paper but in the Tables of our fleshly hearts written by the Spirit of the Liuing God Yet did he once with his owne finger write on the Pauement of the Temple of Ierusalem What he writ J will not now discusse S. Ambrose saith he wrote this Sentence Festucam in oculo fratris cernis trabem in tuo non vides Beda thinkes he wrote that Sentence that he spake He that is without sinne let him cast the first stone at her Haymo hath a pretty Conceit He thinketh he wrote certaine Characters in the Pauement which the Accusers beholding might see as in a glasse their owne wickednesse and so blushing at it went their wayes What euer it was sure we are our Sauiour would haue false accusations written in dust to bee troden vnder foote of them that passe by But howsoeuer I say our Blessed Sauiour did leaue behind him no writing of his owne hand Yet we may not deny but that God in the old Testament and our Sauiour in the New haue left vs many bookes of their owne inditements For all the Bookes of holy Scripture were written by inspiration and the Prophets and Apostles were but their Amanuenses and writ onely as they were led and actuated by the Spirit of God So that we may not make the Author of any of those Bookes any other then God Himselfe The old world before the flood wil afford vs no writings neither did that aage require them for the liues of Men of that aage were liuing Libraries and lasted longer then the labors of Men doe in this aage Yet S. Iude doeth insinuate somewhat of the writings of Enoch who though he were not in Stile a King Yet there is no reason to contend with him for that Title for his Dominion would beare it standing Heire-Apparent to the greater part of the world Origen Tertullian and Augustine report many things out of the supposititous writings that went vnder his name And Iosephus and that Berosus that wee haue tell vs that hee erected two pillars the one of Stone the other of Bricke wherein he wrote of the two-fold destructions of the world the one by Water the other by Fire But howsoeuer that be trew it is very probable he wrote something of that matter which though it perished with that world yet doubtlesse the memory thereof was preserued by Tradition vnto the dayes of the Apostles J will not here insist vpon the writings of Moses who was not onely a Priest and a Prophet but was as himselfe records amongst the people a King and was the first that euer receiued authoritie from GOD to write in Diuinitie Neither will J insist vpon the Example of King Dauid in whose Psalmes and Himnes are resounded out the praises of GOD in all the Churches for that J finde nothing that these men writ but what they writ as the Scribes of GOD acted as I said euen now by GOD his Spirit and not guided by their owne Yet I suppose wee may safely collect thus much from them that if GOD had thought it a matter derogatory to the Maiestie of a King to bee a Writer he would not haue made choice of those as his chiefe Instruments in this kinde who were principalls in that other Order J would easily beleeue that such men as haue had the honour to be GOD his Pen-men should neuer vouchsafe to write any thing of their owne for as we hold in a pious opinion that the blessed Virgine hauing once conceiued by the holy Ghost would neuer after conceiue by man So surely men that had deliuered nothing but the conceptions of that Spirit should hardly be drawne euer to set out any of their owne labours But we see the flat contrary both in Samuel and Solomon the one the greatest Iudge the other the most glorious King that euer that Kingdome had Samuel who writ by GODS appointment the greatest part of those two Bookes that beare his name writ also by his owne accord a Booke contayning the Law of a King or Institution of a Prince whereby hee laboured to keepe the King as well from declining to Tyrannie as the people from running into Libertie Solomon besides the Bookes of Scripture which remaine writ many likewise of his owne accord which are lost For to say nothing of his 3000. Parables his 5000. Songes that ingens opus as the Hebrues call it of the nature of all things Birds and Beasts Fowles and fishes Trees and plants from the Hysop to the Cedar All these were rather workes to manifest humane wisedome then Diuine knowledge written rather for the recreation of his owne spirit then for the edification of the Church For I cannot conceiue but those Bookes would rather haue taught vs the learning of Nature for which GOD hath left vs to the writings of men then edified vs in the gifts of Grace for which hee hath giuen vs his owne Booke Neither let any man suggest that these writings that are lost and as they say were destroyed in the destruction of the Temple by the Babylonians were of the same authoritie as those that doe remaine for J can hardly be induced to beleeue that the writings that were indited by the Spirit of GOD layed vp in the Arke receiued into the Canon read publikely in the Church are vtterly perished Jt is a desperate thing to call either the prouidence of GOD or the fidelity of the Church in question in this point For if those that haue bene are perished then why may not these that remaine as well be lost which is contrary to our Sauiours assertion that one Iota shall not perish till all bee fulfilled Therefore J rather incline to thinke that what euer was Scripture still is then that any is lost Neither is this opinion so curious to hold as the other is dangerous to beleeue Better it
is euer to argue our selues of ignorance then to accuse GOD of improuidence But if so much Scripture be lost as is alleadged farewell GOD his prouidence farewell the fidelitie of the Church to whose care was concredited the Oracles of GOD. Let vs come to the writings of Kings where we shall not incurre any danger of this controuersie that were so farre from being acted by GOD his Spirit that they were more like those Disciples of Iohn that had not heard whether there were an Holy-Ghost or no that knew nothing of GOD though they felt neuer so much of his Goodnesse that neuer beleeued his Omnipotencie though they had neuer so much experience of his Power To beginne with the Assyrians whose first Monarch was Nimrod and his chiefe Citie Babel from his time to Sardanapalus the last of that Monarchie there was no King amongst them that gaue himselfe to Letters for as their Kingdome was founded in Tyrannie so they laboured to keepe it in Barbaritie neither must we euer looke to see Learning flourish where Tyrannie beareth the Standerd for Learning hath no more a facultie to bring the minde to vnderstanding then it hath with it a power that workes the will to libertie neither of which can euer consist with Tyrannie And therefore it is no wonder that this aage affoorded no learned Kings for in that State which continued thirteene or foureteene hundred yeeres yee can scarce reade of a learned man Therefore let either Histories or Poets paint that out for a Golden aage as they please there was neuer any aage that hath left so little memory of the Golden tincture of their Witts After the time of Sardanapalus in the dayes of Phull Tiglath-Philasar and Salmanasar of whom mention is made in Scripture and to whom as it is thought Ionas preached and with whom some of the Prophets were conuersant when as these Kings came into the land of Israel as they did in the dayes of Menahem who gaue to Phul-Belochus a thousand Talents of Siluer for a Tribute And in the dayes of Hezechiah came Salmanasar and besieged Samaria three yeeres and caried away a great part of the people of the Kingdome of Israel From that time forward their Kings gaue themselues to Letters insomuch as in the dayes of Nabucodonolor who set vp the Monarchy of the Babylonians within one hundred yeeres of Salmanasar King of the Assyrians learning was in great estimation and the Kings Court was a Schoole for the best witts of the Kingdome to be bred in that they might bee able to stand before the King furnished with all learning and vnderstanding And if Stories do not intollerably deceiue vs Daniel and his companions instructed fiue great Monarches as in the trew knowledge of GOD so in the vnderstanding of all excellent Arts and Sciences Namely Nabuchodonosor Euilmerodack Baltazar Darius of the Medes and Cyrus of the Persians And it were no hard matter to proue the trewth of this out of Daniel himselfe Come to the Persians who conuersed more with the Prophets as with Ezra Nehemiah Zachary Malachy and the people that were in captiuitie we shall finde them giuen much to Letters Cyrus the first Monarch is recorded to haue written large Commentaries of all his diurnall Actions amongst those Books are found saith Esdras the Edicts of reducing of the Iewes to their Countrey He wrote diuers Letters for the same purpose to all the chiefe Cities of Asia some whereof we haue in the 11. of Iosephus Chap. the first Many things likewise are reported to haue bene written of Artaxerxes Darius and some others of those Monarches as wee may partly conceiue by the Canonicall Bookes of Ezra and Nehemiah and more by the Apocriphal Esdras who reports it to haue bene a custome of those Kings so much to delight in learning and in the sayings of wise men that they vsed for an exercise in their greatest Solemnities to haue solemne Orations made in the presence of the King and State of sundry purposes which whoso performed to the liking of the King was rewarded with the highest Preferments that so mighty a Monarch could aduance them vnto Come we to the Graecians and there we shall finde Learning in the Tropicke of Cancer at such a height as it neuer was before nor euer that we read of since And surely it is worth the obseruing that when that extarordinary Diuine Light went out humane Learning came in and the ende of the Prophets was the beginning of the Poets The last of the diuinity of the one the first of the Philosophy of the other for from the end of the Captiuity till the Comming of our Sauiour Christ the space of foure hundreth yeares and more in which there was no Prophet that euer J reade of there were so many Orators Poets and Philosophers of such singular giftes in all kindes as wee are onely their Schollers since and can neuer attaine to the Excellency of our Master Jn this time Alexander the Great was as famous for his Learning and writings as he was for his Victories He wrote to Antipater of all his owne Actions in Asia and in India as Plutark reports in his Life S. Ciprian in his Tractate of the vanitie of Jdoles saith that Alexander the Great wrote Insigne Volumen to his Mother wherein he signifies vnto her how it was tolde him by a certaine Egyptian-Priest that all the Gods of the Gentiles had bene but men And S. Augustine also in his twelft Booke De ciuitate Dei makes mention of other of the writings of Alexander to Olimpias his Mother about the Succession of the Monarchies Amongst the Kings of Syria Antiochus surnamed Epiphanes writ many Bookes and sent them into Iudea about changing the Rites and Ceremonies of the Iewes into the Religion of the Grecians The principall heades of his Bookes may be found in the Bookes of Machabes and in Iosephus Amongst the Romans which of their Emperours did not aduance his fame by Letters Iulius Caesar besides many other things writ his Commentaries after the example of Cyrus Octauius as Suetonius reportes writ many Volumes The historie of his owne life Exhortations to Philosophie Heroick Verses Epigrams Tragedies and diuers other things of whom I will only relate two Stories not impertinent to my purpose He is reported to haue bene a very diligent searcher out of all such Bookes as appertayned to the Roman-Ethnick-Religion All the Bookes Fatidicorum of Fortune-tellers that proceeded not from approued Authors both of Greeke and Latin he cast in the fire to the number of two thousand Onely he reserued the writings of the Sibills but with that choise as hee burnt all such of them as he thought to bee counterfeit J relate this Story the rather for that J thinke it were a good President for our Augustus to follow to make a diligent search of all good and profitable Authors As for all Hereticall Pamphlets slaunderous Libells and impertinent writings to commit them to Vulcane for one of
the maine meanes of corrupting this people in point of Religion proceeds from the free vse of reading of all kinde of writings without any restraint The other Storie of Augustus is that famous Inscription of his which he made to be set vp in the Altar of the Capitoll to our Sauiour Christ of which Nicephorus makes mention as also Suidas in the word Augustus Caesar Augustus being proclaimed the first Emperour of Rome hauing done many great things and achiued great Glory and felicity came to the Oracle of Apollo offering vp a Heccatomb which is of all other the greatest Sacrifice demaunded of the Oracle who should rule the Empire after his decease receiuing no answere at all offered vp an other Sacrifice and asked with all how it came to passe that the Oracle that was wont to vse so many wordes was now become so silent The Oracle after a long pause made this answere Me puer Hebraeus Diuos Deus ipse gubernans Cedere sede iubet tristemque redire sub Orcum Aris ergo dehinc tacitus abscedito nostris The Emperour receiuing this answere returned to Rome erected in the Capitoll the greatest Altar that was there with this Inscription Ara primogeniti Dei Surely our Augustus in whose dayes our Blessed Sauiour Christ Iesus is come to a full and perfect aage As hee was borne in the dayes of the other studying nothing at all to know who shall rule the Scepter after him for God be praised he is much more happie then was Augustus in a Blessed Posterity of his owne but indeauoring that CHRIST his Kingdome may euer Reigne in his Kingdome hath consulted all the Oracles of GOD and hath found in them that there is but one onely Altar to be erected to the onely Sonne of GOD who is Blessed for euer and therefore hath set himselfe and bestowed much paines to bid that Man of Sinne cedere sede and redire sub Orcum that hath erected so many Altars Athenian-like to vnknowne Gods making more prayers and Supplications to supposed Saints then euer the other did to Gods they knew not But to returne Claudius Caesar that had so much wickednesse in him had this good in him that hee writte many good Bookes Suetonius reports hee writ so many Bookes in Greeke as that hee erected a Schoole of purpose in Alexandria called after his owne name and caused his Bookes to be read yeerely in it He writ in Latine likewise 43. Bookes contayning a Historie from the murther of Caesar to his owne time There would bee no ende of the reporting of the writings of the Heathen Emperours That one example of Constantine amongst the Christian Emperors shall suffice Eusebius hath written curiously his Life and is not sparing to report of his Learning How many Orations and discourses he made exhorting his Subiects and seruants to a good and godly life How many nights hee passed without sleepe in Meditations of Diuinitie His Speeches in the beginning and ende of the Councell of Nice That fomous Oration Ad Sanctorum coetum pronounced in Latine by him Selfe after translated into Greeke by diuerse doe shew how much Glory hee gayned by Letters From these great Monarches abroad giue mee leaue a little to descend to our owne Kings at home Alphredus King of the West-Saxons translated Paulus Orosius S. Gregorie De pastorali cura and his Dialogues into the English tongue He translated likewise Beda of the Actes of the English and Boetius de consolatione Philosophiae Dauids Psalmes and many other things Hee writ besides a Booke of Lawes and Institutions against wicked Judges Hee writ the sayings of Wisemen and a singular Booke of the fortune of Kings a collection of Chronicles and a Manuel of Meditations Ethelstanus or Adelstan as our Stories call him Rex Anglorum as Baleus calls him caused to be translated the Bible out of Hebrew into Saxon and writ himselfe a Booke of Astrologie the Constitutions of the Cleargie corrected many olde Lawes and made many new King Edgar writ to the Cleargie of England certaine Constitutions and Lawes and other things Henrie the first the yongest Sonne of the Conquerour was brought vp in the Vniuersitie of Cambridge and excelled so in the knowledge of all Liberall Arts and Sciences that to this day he doeth retaine the name of Beau-Clerke Achaius King of the Scots writ of the Acts of all his Predecessors And Kenethus King of the Scots writ a huge Volume of all the Scottish Lawes and like an other Iustinian reduced them into a Compendium Iames the first writ diuers Bookes both in English and LatineVerse He writ also as Baleus saith De vxore futura Henrie the eight writ of the Institution of a Christian man and of the Institution of youth Hee writ also a defence of the 7. Sacraments against Martin Luther for which hee was much magnified of the Pope and all that partie Jnsomuch as hee was stiled with the Title of Defensor fidei for that worke And trewly it fell out well for the King that hee writ a Booke on the Popes side for otherwise he should haue them raile on him for his writings as freely as they reuile him for his Actions For he writ two Bookes after that the one De auctoritate Regia contra Papam the other Sententia de Concilio Mantuano as well written for the Stile and Argument as the other is But because they seeme to breath an other breath there is no Trumpet sounded in their praise Edward the sixt though his dayes were so short as he could not giue full proofe of those singular parts that were in him yet hee wrote diuers Epistles and Orations both in Greeke and Latine He wrote a Treatise De fide to the Duke of Somerset He wrote a History of his owne time which are all yet extant vnder his owne hand in the Kings Library as Mr. Patrick Young his Maiesties learned and Industrious Bibliothecarius hath shewed mee And which is not to bee forgotten so diligent a hearer of Sermons was that sweet Prince that the notes of the most of the Sermons he heard are yet to bee seene vnder his owne hand with the Preachers name the time and the place and all other circumstances Queene Elizabeth our late Soueraigne of blessed memory translated the prayers of Queene Katherine into Latine French and Italian Shee wrote also a Century of Sentences and dedicated them to her Father J haue heard of her Translation of Salustius but I neuer saw it And there are yet fresh in our memories the Orations she made in both the Vniuersities in Latine her entertayning of Embassadors in diuers Languages her excellent Speaches in the Parliament whereof diuers are extant at this day in Print And to come a little neerer his Maiestie The Kings Father translated Valerius Maximus into English And the Queene his Maiesties Mother wrote a Booke of Verses in French of the Institution of a Prince all with her owne hand wrought the Couer of it with
deceipt as composed of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gnarma Geddon which may very well agree with the History because it is the name of the place saith Iohn where the wicked being assembled together by the alluring and deceipt of Satan and his three spirits of Diuels to make warre with the faithfull were all destroyed by God and so their destruction came and was procured by deceipt Yet others interpret it to signifie destruction by waters as composed of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Harma Geddon which also may very well agree with the Historie For waters indeed in this Booke signifie oft many people and Nations as appeareth by the very Text in the 17. Chapter And others take it to be an allusion to the destruction that Ioshua made of Gods enemies vpon the hill of Mageddon and therefore to bee composed of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Harr which is called a Hill and Mageddon which may also very well agree with the Historie And as J speake of this so J speake the like of Gog and Magog in the 20. Chapter and of all other ambiguous places in this Booke Jt rests then that what ye finde amisse in this Paraphrase yee impute it to my lacke of yeeres and learning and what ye find worthy to be allowed in it that yee attribute the full praise thereof to GOD to whom onely all praise appertaineth Fare-well THE ARGVMENT OF THIS WHOLE EPISTLE THIS Booke or Epistle of Reuelation was called in doubt aswell for the incertaintie of the Author as also for the canonicalnesse of the Booke it selfe by sundry of the ancients and specially by Eusebe For soluing whereof I need not to insist since it is both receiued now of all Christians and also diuers of the Neoteriques in speciall Beza in his Preface vpon it hath handled that matter sufficiently already So that this doubt onely rests now in men that this Booke is so obscure and allegorique that it is in a maner vnprofitable to be taught or interpreted Whereunto I will shortly make answere and then goe forward to set downe the methode of the same And therefore to make a deduction from the beginning let vs vnderstand in what seuerall or principall parts the whole Scriptures may be diuided in and then which of them this Booke is How soone Adam being made perfect in his Creation and hauing the choise of Life and Death Good and Euill did by his horrible defection make choise of Death and cast off Life and by that meanes infected his whole posteritie with double sinne to wit Originall and Actuall God notwithstanding had such a Loue to mankinde as being his most Noble workemanship and Creature made to his owne Likenesse and Image that he selected a Church amongst them whom first because of their weakenesse and incredulitie he with his owne mouth taught and next instructed and raised vp notable men amongst them to be their Rulers whom he endued with such excellent gifts as not onely their example in life preached but also by Miracles they strengthened and confirmed their Faith But lest this ministrie of men should make them to depend onely vpon their mouthes forgetting Him and making Gods of them he at length out of his owne mouth gaue them his Law which he caused them to put in Writ and retaine still amongst them And then lest they should forget and neglect the same he raised vp godly Rulers as well Temporall as Spirituall who by their holy liues and working of Miracles reuiued and strengthened the Law in their hearts But seeing that notwithstanding all this they cast themselues headlong in the gulfe of vices such is the vnthankefull and repining Nature of Man hee raised vp Prophets as especially Ieremie and Daniel to accuse them of their sinnes and by Visions to forewarne them of the times to come whereby the godly might turne and arme themselues and the wicked might be made inexcusable And thus much for the Old Testament But then God seeing that notwithstanding this there crept in such a generall corruption amongst them that scarce one might be found that bowed not his knee to Baal Hee then by his vnsearchable Wisedome incarnated his Eternall Sonne and Word THE LORD IESVS who by his death and Passion accomplished the faith of the Fathers whose Saluation was by the beleeuing in him to come as also made an open and patent way of Grace to all the world thereafter And then as vpon a new world and a new Church Gods Fatherly care to Mankind was renued but in a more fauourable forme because hee looked vpon the Merits of his deare Sonne Then first Christ with his owne mouth did instruct men and confirmed his Doctrine by Miracles and secondly raised vp the Apostles to giue the Law of Faith confirming it by their liues and Miracles And last that notwithstanding this Defection was beginning to creepe in againe hee inspired one of them to wit IOHN to write this Booke that hee might thereby euen as Ieremie and Daniel did in the old Law aswell rebuke them of their sinnes as by forewarning them to arme them against the great tentations that were to come after Then of it selfe it prooues how profitable this Booke is for this aage seeing it is the last Reuelation of Gods will and Prophesie that euer was or shall bee in the World For wee shall haue no more Prophesies nor Miracles hereafter but must content our selues with the Law and Prophecies already giuen as Christ in his Parable of Lazarus and the rich man teacheth Now as to the Methode this holy Epistle is directed to the seuen Churches of Asia Minor whom hee names and writes to particularly in the first three Chapters of the same and vnder their Names to all their trew Successors the whole Church Militant in the World The whole matter may bee diuided in sixe parts to wit The praise or dispraise of euery one of these Churches according to their merits wherein they merit good or euill what way they ought to reforme themselues and this is contained in the three first Chapters And to make them inexcusable in case they slide againe hee shewes the estate of the whole Church Militant in their time he tells them what it shall be vntill the end of the World and what it shal be when it is Triumphant and immortall after the dissolution These three last parts are declared by Visions in the rest of the Epistle first the present estate of the Church then and what it should be thereafter vnto the later day is summarily declared by the first sixe of the seuen Seales in the sixt and seuenth Chapters and afterwards more at large by the seuen Trumpets that came out of the seuenth Seale in the 8. 9. 10. 11. Chapters And because through Tirannie and abuse of the Popedome Poperie is the greatest temptation since Christes first comming or that shal be vnto his last therefore he specially insists more at large and cleerly in the declaration and painting forth of the
burden and yet willingly sustainest it and for the loue of my Name hast thou trauailed much and yet weariest not 4 But in this I must finde fault with thee that thy former charitie is waxed cold Destruction to the Church of Ephesus except they repent Chap. 1. Ioh. 12. v. 35. Nicolates Pouerbs 15. 5 Remember then from whence thou hast fallen and repent turning thy selfe to thy first workes otherwise I wil turne against thee soone and will remoue thy Candlesticke out of the place it is in to wit the light of the Gospel from thy Church if thou repent not in time 6 But this againe thou doest well to hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans which also I hate Matth. 23. 7 Let all who haue eares or are willing to be followers of me heare and take example by this which the Spirit of God sayes to the seuen Churches or their seuen Pastours in the name of them 1. Iohn 2. 1. Iohn 5. Prou. 3.5.18.22 And to him who is Victor in the battell against Satan and the flesh I shall giue to eate of the Tree of Life which is in the middest of the Paradise of God to wit I shall make him liue eternally in Heauen 8 To the Angel or Pastour of the Church of Smyrna write thou This sayes the first and the last Ephes 1.3 who was dead but now liues 9 I know thy workes thy trouble and pouertie but thou art rich to wit in graces I know also what blasphemies are vsed against thee by them who call themselues Iewes but are not but by the contrary are of the Synagogue of Satan The Church of Smyrna afflicted and troubled yet doeth continew Psal 91. 10 Feare not when yee shall be troubled by the deuil for he will persecute and trouble some of you in the flesh that your constancie may be tried and ye shall haue great affliction for the space of tenne dayes to wit for a certaine space but be yee faithfull vnto the death and for your continuance I shall giue you the Crowne of life immortall 11 Hee that hath an eare let him heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches and he that ouercommeth shall not be hurt by the second death which is Hell Pergame the principall Citie in Attalia 12 And to the Angel or Pastour of the Church of Pergame write thou Thus saith he that hath the two edged sword 13 I know thy workes and where thou dwellest euen where the throne of Satan is to wit among a great number of wicked Yet hast thou not denied thy Faith in me no not in straightest times Antipas Martyr when Antipas my faithfull Martyr and witnesse was slaine among you where Satan to wit many wicked remaine 14 Yet haue I some few things to lay to your charge to wit That yee permit them to remaine amongst you who retaine the doctrine of Balaam 1. Cor. 10.14 who perswade men to eate of things immolate to Idoles and to commit fornication and filthinesse in the flesh For the very same did Ba laam to Balac to cause the Israelites stumble 15 Thou offendest also in suffering some to be amongst you who retaine the doctrine of the Nicolaitans which I hate 16 Repent therefore in time otherwise I will come against thee soone and I will fight and ouercome them who are amongst you with the sword of my mouth to wit by the force of my word 17 He that hath an eare let him heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches And to the Victour shall I giue to eate of that secret and hidden Manna to wit of Me the spirituall food of the faithfull of whom that Manna which was hid in the Arke was a figure And I will also giue him a White stone or a Marke of his election and righteousnesse through imputation and in it a New name written to wit his name shall be written vp in the Booke of life which no man knoweth but he who receiues it for no other may know the certaintie of ones Election but onely he who is elected 18 And to the Angel or Pastour of the Church of Thyatire write This saith the Sonne of God whose eyes are like flames of fire and whose feet are like to glistering brasse 19 I know thy workes thy charitie thy almes and carefull helping of the weake thy faith thy patience and shortly all thy workes but in speciall I praise thy great constancie and firme continuance euen so as thy last workes are better then the first 20 Yet some few things haue I to lay to thy charge to wit that thou sufferest a woman like to Iezebel in wickednesse and Idolatrie who calls her selfe a Prophetesse to teach and seduce my seruants to commit fornication and filthinesse of the flesh and to eate of things immolate vnto Idols 21 Yet gaue I her a time to repent from her filthinesse but she would not 22 Therefore loe I shall cast her into a bed to wit I shall destroy her in the puddle of her sinnes and I shall trouble with great affliction all them who commit adulterie to wit spirituall adulterie with her if they repent not of their euill workes in time 23 And I will kill and destroy her sonnes to wit all the followers of her doctrine that all the Churches and faithfull may know me to be the searcher out of the secrets of all hearts and the iust renderer and recompencer of euery man according to his workes 24 But I say vnto the rest of you who are at Thyatire who haue not receiued that false doctrine nor know not the depth nor secrets of Satan or wickednesse whereof the other falsely did purge themselues I will not lay any other burthen vpon you then that which already constantly yee beare 25 But that which yee haue holde it out valiantly vntill my comming againe 26 For vnto him who is victour and beares out to the end that burthen which I lay vpon him I will giue power ouer Nations to wit hee shall triumph ouer the world 27 And he shall rule them with an yron rod and they shall be broken like vessels of earth according as I haue receiued the power from my Father 28 And I shall giue vnto him the Morning starre for as the morning starre shines brighter then the rest so shall he shine brighter in glory then his fellowes 29 He that hath an eare let him heare what the Spirit sayth to the Churches CHAP. III. ARGVMENT Admonition and exhortation to the Churches of Sardis Philadelphia and Laodicea ANd to the Angel or Pastour of the Church of Sardis write thou Thus sayth he who hath the seuen Spirits of God Sardis to wit hee with whom the holy Spirit is vnseparably ioyned and who hath the bestowing of all the graces of Gods Spirit on the Elect and hath the seuen Starres to wit who is the head of you the seuen Pastours I know thy workes for ye say ye liue and yet are dead for
your faith is fruitlesse 2 Be watchfull then and sleepe no longer in negligence and carelesse securitie but strengthen againe that which is dying in you to wit reuiue your zeale and feruencie which is waxed cold and almost quenched for surely I haue not found your works so holy and pure as they are able to abide a triall before the face of God 3 Remember then what thou hast once receiued heard that thou maist obserue the same and repent but if thou watch not as I haue said I will come as a thiefe for the day of triall shall come when ye looke least for it if ye be not alwayes and at all times prepared 4 Yet haue yee some few heads and notable persons in Sardis who haue not defiled their garments to wit corrupted their workes as the rest haue done and therefore they shall goe with me being made white to wit being made innocent by my merit for they are worthy thereof 5 And the Victour shall be clothed with a white garment of innocencie by imputation neither shall I wipe his name out of the Booke of life but shall auow him to be one of mine before my Father and his Angels 6 He that hath an eare let him heare what the Spirit sayth to the Churches 7 But to the Angelor Pastour of the Church of Philadelphia write thou This sayth hee who is onely holy and trew Philadelphia and who hath the key of Dauid who openeth and no man shutteth who shuts and no man openeth as sayes Esay Chap. 22. for as Dauid was both King and Prophet and was the figure of me so I as the veritie and end of that figure am onely he who hath the keyes of absolute condemning or absoluting spiritually and eternally 8 I know thy workes and loe I haue set an open doore before thee to wit I haue made the way of grace patent vnto thee which doore no man can shut because I haue reserued the secret power of election and reprobation onely to my selfe and this fauour will I shew you because yee retaine some good and vertuous things amongst you and hast kept my Word and hast not beene ashamed of my Name nor denyed the same 9 Loe therefore I will make subiect vnto thee these who are the Synagogue of Satan to wit those who call themselues Iewes and are not but lye I shall make them I say come and adore before your feete and they shall be compelled to know that I haue loued thee 10 And this shall I do vnto thee because thou hast faithfully retained the tidings of my troubles and sufferings and therefore shal I deliuer thee also to trie the indwellers of the Earth 11 Loe I come shortly therefore retaine surely to the end that good which is in thee lest another doe receiue thy Crowne and reward 12 For I will make the Victor a pillar in the Temple of my God to wit a speciall and stedfast instrument in the Church out of the which he shall neuer againe be cast foorth for hee who once is elected is neuer cast off and I shall write on him the Name of God to wit he shal beare the Marke and Seale of an Elect and the name of the Citie of my God which is new Ierusalem to wit the holy and blessed number of Saints and Angels which commeth downe from heauen from my God to wit is shortly and certeinly to come downe by the generall compeiring at the latter day And I shall also write on him mine owne Name for I shall apply my generall redemption of mankinde to him in speciall and so I shall write my new Name vpon him to wit of Redeemer and Sauiour which name I haue lately acquired through my passion death and rising againe 13 Hee that hath an eare let him heare what the Spirit sayth vnto the Churches 14 And to the Angel or Pastour of the Church of Laodicea Laodicea write thou Thus sayth the Amen to wit he that is wholly and perfect holy and true in all his promises that saithfull Witnesse who is the beginning of the workemanship of God as well because hee is that Word which did create all and so is their beginning for that they all receiued their beginning and being from him as because the vniting of the Manhood with the Godhead in his person is the most excellent and so the beginning that is the chiefe or first in preeminence of all the workes of God 15 I know thy workes sayth hee to wit that thou art neither hote nor colde would to God thou wert either hote or cold to wit either feruent and pure in the trueth or altogether cold and ignorant that is seeing and confessing thine ignorance and slacknesse that thou mightest be instructed in the same Iudgement against Laodicea 16 But thou art lukewarme and neither hote nor cold and so inexcusable and therefore as lukewarme liquor prouokes vomit so will I spew thee out of my mouth 17 For thou sayest and thinkest thy selfe to be wealthy and greatly enriched and lacke nothing but thou knowest not thy selfe to be spiritually in miserie and wretchednesse poore blinde and naked of the grace and fauour of God 18 I would wish thee to buy of me gold purged by the fire that thou mayst thereby be made truely rich I meane I would wish thee to conquer by true repentance and earnest prayer the Word and trueth of God which because it can receiue no filth or spot and is able to abide the triall Dauid properly in his Psalmes compares to golde purged by the fire which will make thee rich in all spirituall graces I would also wish thee to clothe thy selfe with a white garment to wit with innocencie and righteousnes that the shame of thy nakednesse and vncleannesse appeare not and to anoint thine eyes with an eye-salue that thou mayst cleerly see from whence thou hast fallen 19 But despaire thou not for these my sharpe words for those whom I loue I reprooue and fatherly chasten Take vp therefore againe zealously the right way to saluation and repent thee earnestly of thy former iniquities 20 Loe I stand at the doore and knocke for I offer my selfe vnto you by my Ambassadours and my word in their mouth whosoeuer heareth my voice and openeth the doore to wit whosoeuer heareth my voice and yeeldeth thereunto due obedience to him will I come in to wit my holy Spirit shall enter into him and I will sup and be familiar with him as he shall doe with me and reuerence me with loue 21 And I will make the Victour to sit with me in my Throne to wit he shal be partaker of my Glory euen as I sit with my Father in his Throne and am in my manhood in which I ouercame exalted to sit in glory at his right hand equall in power eternitie and glory with him 22 Hee that hath an eare let him heare what the Spirit sayth to the Churches CHAP. IIII. ARGVMENT The rauishing of the
in the head as ye heard already and legged like a beare because in the Beares legges consists his greatest strength and durablenesse this proportion signifies that this Monarchie is farre greater then all the rest and all their powers are reuiued in it as I said before 3 And I perceiued that one of the heads of the beast had bene deadly wounded but the wound thereof was healed and the whole earth followed this beast with a great wondering this was to signifie vnto me that it was not of this beast that I was ordained to forewarne you for the worst of this beast is almost past already and this Monarchie shall be within short space destroyed but this beast or Monarchie is shewen vnto me because out of the ruines thereof shall rise in that same Seate where it was that hereticall Monarchie whereof I am to forewarne you which is signified by the deadly wound it gat on the head which was healed againe for as the Phaenix reuiues of her owne ashes as prophane stories make mention so out of the ashes of this Empire shall rise and be reuiued an other which shall grow so mighty that the whole earth that is without Sanctum Sanctorum shall with amasement reuerence obey and follow it as ye heard presently declared 4 And they adored the Dragon who gaue power to the Beast for they shall giue themselues ouer to the workes of darkenes which is to serue and adore the diuel who raised vp this beast to make warre against the seed of the woman Chap. 12. as ye heard before And they also adored the diuel in his instrument by reuerencing that Beast and Monarchie erected by him and they said Who is like vnto the Beast or who may fight with him for this Monarchie shall be so strong in worldly power as the world shall thinke it so farre in strength aboue all other powers that it is impossible to ouercome it especially that the little stone which was cut without hands out of the mountaine mentioned by Daniel Daniel 2. shall euer destroy it which notwithstanding at the last shall bruise it in pieces 5 And there was a mouth giuen vnto it to speake great things and blasphemies It is said in Daniel Daniel 7.11 that his mouth shall speake in magnificencie and vtter words against the Soueraigne to wit this Monarchie and King thereof shall extoll himselfe farre aboue all liuing creatures and shal vsurpe farre higher Styles then euer were heard of before by the which and by his false doctrine together he shall so derogate from the honour of GOD and vsurpe so all power onely proper vnto him as it shall bee great wordes against him and blasphemie of his Name And there was power giuen him to doe to wit GOD shall permit his Tyrannie to encrease and persecute the Saints the space of two and fourtie moneths This space was mentioned vnto me to let me know thereby that this Monarchie risen out of the ruines of the other Chap. 11. is the same which is meant by that Citie whereof ye heard alreadie in the sixt Trumpet which persecuted the two Witnesses for the same space is assigned to her there and consequently it is that same seate and Monarchie which is meant by the angel of the bottomlesse pit Chap. 9. called Apollyon in the fift Trumpet by the Rider on the pale horse Chap. 6. called Death in the fourth Seale and also obscurely meant in the sixt Trumpet by the halfe of that great hoste of horsemen Chap. 9. of the which halfe the armed horse which I saw in the vision was a part of the power whose head and Monarchie was the plague for idolatry as ye heard which Monarchie together with the other of whom yee also heard obscurely in that place as the plague of the sinnes against the second Table to wit this great beast here mentioned and the other reuealed a vowed and open enemie of Christs Church shall both gather their forces to fight against it in that battell of the great day of the Lord Chap. 16. whereof ye shal heare in the owne place Then this beast according to the power which was giuen him opened his mouth in blasphemies against God and spake iniurious words against his Name his Tabernacle to wit his Sanctum Sanctorum which is the Church militant and them that dwell in heauen for his reigne shall be so great that hee shall not onely blaspheme the Name of God in such sort as ye heard alreadie and persecute the members of Christ that shall be on the earth in his dayes but likewise vpbraid with calumnies the soules of the Saints departed 7 And for that effect he was permitted by God to make warre against the Saints and hee gaue him power to ouercome them corporally and to rule ouer all tribes tongues and nations so great shall his Monarchie and power be 8 And so all the in-dwellers of the earth shal adore him to wit a great part of them shall reuerence him whose names are not writen in the booke of life which is the Lambes that was slaine which booke was written before the foundation of the world was laide for these are alwayes excepted from bowing their knees to Baal who were predestinate by Christ to saluation before all beginnings 9 He who hath an eare let him heare and take heede vnto this sentence that followeth to wit 10 If any man leade in captiuitie in captiuitie shall he be led againe if any man slay with the sword with the sword shall hee be slaine againe then since ye are assured that God in his good time shall iustly mete to their tyrannie the same measure that they shall mete to his Church let not your hearts in your affliction through despaire of Gods reuenge because of his long suffering swarue from the bold and plaine professing of his trueth for in this shall the patience and constant faith of the Saints or the chosen be tried 11 And then I saw another beast rise vp vpon the earth and it had two hornes like vnto the Lambe but it spake like the dragon for lest this Monarchie should be taken to be a ruler onely ouer the body and that I might vnderstand the contrary to wit that he was specially a spirituall tyrant ouer the soules and consciences of men this other beast was shewen vnto me which representeth the hereticall kingdome of the grashoppers whereof Apollyon was made King in the fift Trumpet Chap. 9. and it vseth the coloured authoritie of Christ by pretending two swords or two keyes as receiued from Christ which is signified by the two hornes like the Lambes but the end whereof it vseth that authoritie is to get obedience to that false doctrine which it teacheth signified by speaking like the dragon or deuil 12 It is this false and hypocriticall Church then which doeth exercise all the power of the former beast to wit teacheth the Kings of this Monarchy and seat by what
often haue heard already and the in-dwellers of the earth shall wonder whose names are not written in the booke of life before the foundation of the world was laide of this wondering yee heard before they shall wonder I say at this beast which was to wit in great power and is not to wit in a maner as ye presently heard and yet is I meane doeth stand though farre decayed from the former greatnesse 9 Take good heede vnto this that I declare vnto thee for herein shall the trew wisedome of men be tried to wit in knowing by this my description what particular Empire and Tyrannie I speake of And the seuen heads of this beast signifie aswell seuen materiall hilles whereupon the seate of this Monarchie is situated as also seuen kings or diuers formes of Magistrates that this Empire hath had and is to haue hereafter 10 Fiue of them haue beene alreadie one is presently and makes the sixt another shall follow it and make the seuenth but it is not yet come and when it comes it shall remaine but a very short space 11 And this beast which was to wit so great and is not for now it is decaying as thou presently hast heard it is the eight and yet one of the seuen for this beast which rose out of the ruines of the fourth Monarchie as ye heard before in respect it vseth an hereticall Tyrannie ouer the consciences of men by that new forme of Empire is different from any of the rest and so is the eight and yet because this forme of gouernment shall haue the same seate which the rest had and vse as great Tyrannie and greater vpon the world and shall vse the same forme in ciuill gouernment which one of the seuen vsed therefore because it is so like them I call it one of the seuen 12 And the tenne hornes which thou sawest signifie tenne Kings to wit the great number of subalterne Magistrates in all the Prouinces vnder that Monarchy who haue not yet receiued their kingdome for vnder all the diuers sorts of gouernments that shall be in it except the last and hereticall sort these subalterne powers shall be but in the ranke of subiects but they shall take their kingly power with the beast to wit at the very time that this Apollyon shall rise out of the ashes of the fourth beast or Monarchie the kings of the earth shall become his slaues and subalterne Magistrates whereas the subiects were onely the power of that Monarchie before so as the hornes or powers of this beast were but of subiects before it was wounded but after the healing of it the worldly kings and rulers shall become the powers and hornes of it 13 These shall haue one counsell and shall giue their strength and power to the beast to wit these kings shal all willingly yeeld obedience to Babylon and shall employ their whole forces for the maintenance of that Monarchie and the persecution of the Saints 14 For they shal fight with the Lambe in his members albeit all in vaine for in the end the Lambe shall ouercome them because he is Lord of lords and King of all kings and these that are with him and followeth him are called Chosen and Faithfull 15 He also said vnto me The waters that thou saw this Whore sit vpon are the peoples multitudes nations and tongues that haue subiected themselues to her Empire 16 But as touching these ten hornes thou saw thus farre I foretell vnto thee although that for a time these kings shall be slaues and seruants to Babylon and shall be her instruments to persecute the Saints the time shall come before the consummation that they shall hate the Whore who abused them so strongly and long and shall make her to be alone for they shall withdraw from her their Subiects the nations that were her strength and shall make her naked for they shall discouer the mysterie of her abominations and shall eate her flesh and burne her with fire to wit they shall spoile her of her riches power and glory and so destroy her 17 But doe not thou wonder at this for God gaue them in their hearts to wit permitted them to be abused by her for a space that they might doe what pleased her and consent to all her vnlawfull policies and pretences and giue their kingdomes vnto this beast vntill the words of God might be accomplished to wit they shall submit their very Crownes and take the right thereof from her vnto the fulnesse of times here prophecied At what time God shall raise them vp as ye heard to destroy Babylon for the hearts of the greatest kings as well as of the smallest subiects are in the hands of the Lord to be his instruments and to turne them as it shall please him to employ them 18 And this woman or Whore which thou sawest is that great citie and seate of this Beast or Monarchie which beareth rule ouer the kings of the earth as thou hast heard alreadie But although it be one seat yet diuers and a great number of kings or heads thereof shall succeed into it one to another all vpholding an hereticall religion and false worship of God and one forme of gouernment as the fourth Monarchie did out of the which this did spring as ye haue heard CHAP. XVIII ARGVMENT The sorrow of the earth for the destruction of the Popedome The profite that worldly men had by his standing The great riches and wealth of that Church The Pope by his Pardons makes merchandise of the soules of men Heauen and the Saints reioyce at his destruction albeit the earth and the worldlings lament for the same ANd then I saw another Angel comming downe from heauen hauing great power so that the earth shined with his glory for so soone as God by one of the seauen Angels who had the phials had more plainely described vnto mee this woman sitting on the beast then he did before hee now appointeth this other Angel who is Christ to declare vnto me and proclaime to the world as is signified by his comming downe to the earth for that cause the iust condemnation of Babylon according to her sinnes 2 And hee cryed out with a loude voyce saying It is fallen It is fallen Babylon that great Citie and it is made the dwelling place of vncleane spirits and the habitation of all vncleane and hatefull fowles to wit it shall be destroyed and that great Citie the seate of that Monarchie shall be desolate for euer euen as it was prophesied of Ierusalem 3 Because all nations haue drunke of the Vine of her whoredome and the kings of the earth haue committed whoredome with her and the Merchants of the earth are become rich by the great wealth of her delights in so great a worldly glory and pompe did that Monarchie shine 4 And I heard another voyce from heauen to wit the voyce of the holy Spirit saying Goe foorth from her my people to wit all the chosen
enemie shall be abolished from holy Ierusalem for euer 15 And whosoeuers name is not found written in the booke of Life is casten into the Lake of fire for not onely the publike euill doers but euen whosoeuer is not predestinate for saluation shall at that time be casten into hell for there is no midway but whosoeuer gathereth not with Christ he scattereth as I shew before CHAP. XXI ARGVMENT A large and glorious description of the Church Triumphant in Heauen and of all the members of that holy and Eternall Ierusalem NOw the Spirit of God hauing by this last vision made a summe and recapitulation of all the former as yee haue heard he by this following and last vision declareth and gloriously describeth the reward of all them who constantly perseuere vnto the end in the trew seruice of God notwithstanding all the assaults of Sathan which ye haue heard dilated the reward was then to be eternall inheritours of holy Ierusalem as yee shall presently heare 1 For I saw a new heauen and a new earth it is ouer this new heauen and new earth that the faithfull should reigne kings and priests for euer as yee heard before And the first heauen and the first earth went away neither was the sea any more for all shall be burnt with fire at the consummation which fire shall renew them and take away their corruption and mutablitie releeuing them from the seruitude of death to the liberty of the glory of the sonnes of God who notwithstanding shall not dwel there but in heauen 2 And euen I Iohn saw the holy new City Ierusalem comming downe from heauen made ready of God like a bride that is decked for her bridegroome For this holy Church triumphant shal come downe in all shining glorie to meete Christ her husband when hee shall haue iudged the world as ye haue heard before to bee incorporated and ioyned with him for euer 3 And I heard a mighty voyce from heauen saying for confirmation of this happy coniunction Loe the Tabernacle of God and his dwelling place is with men and hee will now dwell with them for euer and they shall be his people and he shall be a God with them and their God 4 And God shall wipe all teares from their eyes for they shall feele no more any sorow as ye haue often heard before and death shall be no more neither shal any sorow crying or dolour euer be in that Church triumphant for the first are gone away and all these things then shall haue an end 5 And then hee that sate vpon the Throne to wit God the Father said Loe I make new or renew all things and he said vnto me Write and leaue in record what thou hast seene for surely these words are faithfull and trew and shall come certainely to passe 6 And he also said vnto me It is done for when these things shall come to passe then is the full accomplishment of all things I am A and Ω to wit the beginning and the ending of all things For as I made the Creation so shall I cause the Consummation And I shall giue to him that thirsteth of the fountaine of water of life freely or for nothing to wit he will grant saluation to all them who cal vpon him for it and that for nothing for it cōmeth of his free mercie and not of any merit in vs How foolish then are they to be accompted who contemning that saluation which they may obtaine for the crauing buie with their siluer a counterfeit saluation from Babylon as ye heard before 7 And he that ouercommeth Satan and his owne flesh shall possesse all to wit he shall be a full inheritour of Gods kingdome and I shall be a God to him and he shall be a sonne to me 8 But for all them who are fearefull and vnbeleeuing not hauing a sure confidence and trust in my promises and for execrable men and murtherers and fornicators and sorcerers and idolaters and all lyers for all these sorts of men I say there is place appointed in that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death 9 Then there came vnto me one of these seuen Angels which had the seuen phials ful of the seuen last plagues and he sayd vnto me Come and I will shew vnto thee the Bride which is the Wife of the Lambe for this Angel was directed to shewe mee the glorie of this holy Hierusalem the Church triumphant not to satisfie my curiosity therewith but that I might leaue in record to all posterities to come not as a hearer onely but as an Oculatus testis what glorious and eternall reward did abide all the faithfull 10 And so he tooke me vp in the Spirit to a high and great Mountaine for it became well that so glorious a sight should be shewen vpon so eminent a place and there hee did shew mee a great Citie to wit that holy Ierusalem comming downe from heauen and from God as ye heard before 11 And it had the glory of God in it and the light or brightnesse of it was like vnto the glittering of a most pretious stone yea euen like the greene Iasper in flourishing eternitie and like the cleare Cristall in shining brightnesse 12 And this Citie had a great and high wall to hold out all them who had not the marke of the Lambe as ye shall heare after and to protect the Citizens from all blastes of troubles for all teares will then bee wipte from their eyes as ye heard before And this Citie had also twelue gates and in them twelue Angels and their names were written vpon them which were the names of the twelue Tribes of the sonnes of Israel 13 And there were three gates towards the East three towards the West three towards the South and three towards the North to signifie that out of all parts and places of the world and whatsoeuer thy vocation be if thou call to God with an vpright heart thou shalt find that the entrance into the Citie is equally distributed about the same 14 And the wall of the Citie had twelue foundations whereupon were written the twelue names of the Apostles of the Lambe These twelue Angels of the twelue gates and twelue foundations of the wall are the foure and twentie Elders of whom ye heard in the beginning of this my Epistle the twelue Angels of the twelue gates are the twelue Patriarkes who were the first teachers of the way and so the guides to this holy Ierusalem for by the Law which they represent we must first beginne to know the trewth and to know our selues and the twelue foundations are we the twelue Apostles for vpon our doctrine is that wall founded which hedgeth in the Saints in an eternall securitie and debarreth all others 15 And the Angel who spake with me had a golden reed in his hand to measure therewith the Citie and the gates and the walles of the same thereby to signifie the
iust proportion and symmetrie that shall be among all the parts of this holy Citie 16 And this Citie was fouresquare because of the gates towards the foure parts of the earth to receiue indifferently the commers out of any of them as yee heard before And it was alike long and broad to signifie the infinite bounds thereof and hee measured the Citie with his reed and it came to twelue thousand furlongs this number also expresseth the great bounds of this Citie for it is here vsed for a number of perfection as sundry times before And this Citie was alike in length breadth and height for all the parts of it were alike large 17 And the Angel did measure the wall of it and it was an hundred and foure and fourtie cubites of height this number is correspondent to the number of Saints who were standing with the Lambe on Mount Sion as ye heard before and the measure wherewith this was measured was the measure of the man which is the measure of the Angel This Citie is measured with the measure of CHRIST God and man to teach vs that he is onely the Architectour of this Spirituall Citie which he measureth by his cubites and not by the cubites of any man 18 And the fabricke of the wall of the Citie was composed of Iasper to signifie that the wall thereof shall stand eternally and the Citie it selfe was of pure gold and like to cleere glasse whereon no filth will remaine 19 And the twelue foundations of the Citie were decked with all kind of precious stones the first foundation was of Iasper the second of Saphire the third of Chalcedonie the fourth of Emerald 20 The fift of a Sardonix the sixt of a Sardius the seuenth of a Chrysolite the eight of a Berill the ninth of a Topaze the tenth of a Chrysophrasus the eleuenth of an Hyacinth the twelfth of an Amethist These twelue sundry stones one for euery one of the foundations signifie that we the twelue Apostles who are these twelue foundations as ye heard shall euery one receiue a diuers reward and crowne of glory according to the greatnesse and excellencie of our labours in the earth these twelue precious stones allude also to the twelue precious stones in Aarons brestplate 21 And the twelue gates were of twelue pearles and euery gate of a sundry pearle this signifies the like of the Patriarches and the Market place of the Citie was of pure golde and like the glistering glasse signifying thereby as by an euident token that seeing the Market place which is the commonest place of euery towne of this spirituall City is of so fine and bright stuffe that no base and vncleane thing shall be in any part thereof 22 And I saw no Temple in it for the Lord God Almightie euen the Lambe is the Temple of it for no other shall be there wherein God must be praised but the person of Christ in whom all the faithfull shall be incorporated as I said before 23 And this Citie shall neede no Sunne nor Moone to shine in it for the glory of God hath made it bright and the Lambe is the lampe thereof for as it is no corporall paradise nor dwelling place on earth which is heere spoken of so is no part of the glory thereof earthly but celestiall and spirituall 24 And the Gentiles which are saued shall walke in that light and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory vnto that citie for all the faithfull kings shall resigne all their worldly glory in that citie and receiue a new and incorruptible glory from the Lambe who is the light thereof 25 And the gates thereof shall not be shut in the day time for there shall neuer be any suspicion of trouble there for which cause worldly cities often shut their gates and the night shall neuer be there but an eternall brightnesse through all 26 And the honour and the glory of the nations shall be brought into her for all their worldly glory shal be nothing in respect of the glory of this City 27 And there shall nothing enter into this Citie that defileth or is defiled nor no man that committeth any abominable deed or that speakes lies but onely these shall haue entrance into this holy City whose names are written in the Lambe his booke of Life as ye heard before CHAP. XXII ARGVMENT The rest of the same description Mans pronenesse of his owne nature to idolatrie The Writer tells his name that no man may doubt who was the writer of this Booke and who endited the same The faithfull ought to wish the comming of the latter day The curse vpon them who adde or take from this Booke and vse it not aright THen to the effect that I might know that the inhabitants of this holy Citie were as well eternall as the walles and glory of the same this Angel did shew vnto me the cleere and pure flood of the water of life whereof Christ promised to giue the Samaritane to drinke as I said before and it was cleere like crystall and it flowed from the Throne of God and the Lambe This Riuer alludeth to that spring of Ezechiel which came foorth from vnder the Temple floore and it also alludeth to the Riuers of earthly Paradise 2 And in the middest of the market place and on either side of this Riuer did grow the Tree of Life hauing twelue maner of fruits euery moneth bearing once and bearing leaues for the health of the Gentiles This Tree and this water of Life are the heauenly meat and drinke meant by Christ when the Capernaites were scandalized with his doctrine as ye read in the Euangel written by me and of this Tree and water were those of Ezechiel and in earthly paradise the figures the number of the fruits thereof answereth to the number of the tribes of Israel who through eating the fruits thereof by faith obtained saluation as likewise the varietie and plentie of ioyes to all the faithfull there and as it bare fruit to the Iewes for food that is to satisfie them so it did beare leaues to the Gentiles who being healed by these leaues of all spiritual diseases were not onely preserued but also prepared and got appetite thereby to eat and turne into nutriment or spirituall strength and contentation the fruites thereof This tree grew on euery side of the water of Life to signifie that they are both but one thing and inseparable both proceeding from the mightie and mercifull Throne of God and his Lambe and they were both in the middest of the Market place to signifie by their being in so common a place that as they are the support strength and comfort of the Church triumphant or holy Citie so all the in-dwellers therein haue the like free accesse thereunto and are all alike participant thereof 3 And no accursed thing shall be any more for then shall hell and death be confined and restrained within themselues for euer as ye heard in the
former vision for the seat and throne of God and his Lambe shall remaine in this holy Citie for euer and all his seruants shall be there seruing him eternally by thankesgiuing and praises 4 And they shall see his face and be euer reioycing at his presence hauing his name written vpon their foreheads as yee haue often heard 5 And no night nor darkenesse shall be there at all neither haue they need of lampes nor of light of the Sunne nor any materiall light for the Lord God makes them bright as yee haue heard alreadie and they shall reigne there in all glory for euer and euer 6 Then the Angel after all these things had beene reuealed vnto me sayde vnto me for the confirmation of them All the wordes of this Prophecie are trew and faithfull and the same Lord GOD who inspired from time to time his holy Prophets to forewarne his Church of things to come hee also sent his Angel vnto mee that by me hee might reueale vnto his seruants these things that are shortly to come to passe 7 Loe I come shortly sayth the Lord happy is hee therefore that obserueth and obeyeth the wordes of the Prophecie in this Booke 8 And I Iohn am he who haue heard and seene these things I declare you my name the oftener lest the authority of the Booke should be called in doubt through the vncertaintie of the Writer And when I had heard and seene these things I fell at the Angels feet that shewed me them with mind to haue adored him 9 But he said vnto me See thou doe it not I am thy fellow-seruant and one of thy Brethren the Prophets although I be an Angel and one of them which keepeth and obeyeth the words of this Booke adore thou therefore God to whom all worship onely appertaineth By this my reiterated fall and offence notwithstanding that lately before I had committed the same and was reprooued for it and warned to forbeare it as ye heard before I am taught and by my example the whole Church of the great infirmitie of all mankind and specially in that so great an offence of the adoring of creatures whereof God is so iealous as he saith in his Lawe and vpon consideration of man his infirmitie in this point not I but the Spirit of God by me in the very last words of one of my Epistles saith Deare children beware of Idoles and in this I insist so much not without a cause For I know that Babylon in the latter dayes shall specially poison her followers with this spirituall adulterie or idolatrie as ye haue heard mention made in this Booke 10 And the Angel said vnto me Seale not the words of the Prophecie of this Booke for the time is at hand Yee heard before how I was commanded to seale that which the seuen Thunders spake because it was not lawfull for me to reueale the same but now on the contrarie I am commanded to write and forbidden to seale these Prophecies because I am appointed to reueale the same in respect that the time of their accomplishment is at hand 11 And hee also said vnto mee Despaire thou not of the effect of this Prophecie although it profite nothing the wicked but to make them the more inexcusable For God hath fore-signified that he who doeth harme notwithstanding this Prophecie shall yet continue his wrongs and hee who is filthie shall yet notwithstanding this remaine filthie euen as on the other part it shall confirme and encrease the iust man in his iustnesse and the holy man in his holines for it is not the words of Prophecie spoken but the Spirit which is cooperant with it which makes the seed of faith to take root in any mans heart 12 Loe I come speedily saith the Lord IESVS and bring my reward with me to render to euery man according to his workes as ye haue heard before 13 I am A and Ω the beginning and the end the first and the last as ye haue heard already 14 Happie are they who obey and keepe Christes commandements that they may haue right and part in the tree of life for by obeying they shall be made Citizens of that holy Citie of the which that is the food and that they may enter at the gates to that Citie for the gates shall be readie and open to receiue them 15 But without this Citie as debarred thence shall bee Dogges to wit all prophane liuers fornicators sorcerers murtherers and idolaters and all who loue and make lies and shortly all who continue in any kind of knowen sinne without repentance 16 IIESVS saith the Lord sent my Angel to reueale these things to Iohn that they might be testified to you the seuen Churches I am the root and off-spring of Dauid and I am the bright morning Starre to wit the fountaine of all your glorie 17 And the Spirit and the Bride saith Come to wit the Church for they for their deliuerance wish his second comming to be hastened and Christ for the loue he beareth them hath graunted them their request and he that heares it let him say Come for it becommeth all the faithfull to wish it And he that thirsteth let him come to wit he that would drinke of the water of life let him craue earnestly the dissolution and latter day And let any who will receiue the water of life freely and for nothing as ye heard before 18 And I protest vnto all that shall heare the words of the Prophesie of this Booke that if any man adde vnto it any thing God shall make all the plagues in this Booke to fall on him 19 And if any man take away any thing from the words of the Booke of this Prophesie God shal take his part away out of the book of life and out of the holy Citie and out of these blessings that are written in this Booke For whosoeuer in coping or translating this Booke adulterateth any waies the Originall or in interpreting of it wittingly strayes from the trew meaning of it and from the analogie of Faith to follow the fantasticall inuention of man or his owne preoccupied opinions he I say that doeth any of these shal be accursed as a peruerter of the trewth of God and his Scriptures 20 And now I will conclude with this comfort vnto you to wit He euen Christ that testifies these things that ye haue heard he I say doeth say Surely I come shortly Euen so come Lord IESVS to hasten our deliuerance 21 The Grace of our Lord IESVS CHRIST be with you all and all your successours in trew doctrine by the which both yee and they may be so strengthened in the trewth that by your resisting all the temptations contained in this Booke and constantly perseuering to the end yee may at last receiue that immortall Crowne of glorie mentioned in the last Vision AMEN A FRVITFVLL MEDITATION CONTAINING A PLAINE AND EASIE EXPOSITION OR laying open of the VII VIII IX and X. Verses of the
righteousnesse that their persons as bright lampes of godlinesse and vertue may going in and out before their people giue light to all their steps Remember also that by the right knowledge and feare of God which is the beginning of Wisedome Prou 9.10 as Salomon saith ye shall know all the things necessarie for the discharge of your duetie both as a Christian and as a King seeing in him as in a mirrour the course of all earthly things whereof hee is the spring and onely moouer Now the onely way to bring you to this knowledge The meanes to know God is diligently to reade his word and earnestly to pray for the right vnderstanding thereof Search the Scriptures sayth Christ for they beare testimonie of me and Iohn 5.39 the whole Scripture saith Paul is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to teach 2. Tim. 3.16.17 to conuince to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may be absolute being made perfite vnto all good workes And most properly of any other belongeth the reading thereof vnto Kings Deut. 17. since in that part of Scripture where the godly Kings are first made mention of that were ordained to rule ouer the people of God there is an expresse and most notable exhortation and commandement giuen them to reade and meditate in the Law of God I ioyne to this the carefull hearing of the doctrine with attendance and reuerence for faith commeth by hearing Rom. 10.17 sayth the same Apostle But aboue all beware ye wrest not the word to your owne appetite as ouer many doe making it like a bell to sound as ye please to interprete but by the contrary frame all your affections to follow precisely the rule there set downe The whole Scripture chiefly containeth two things a command Wherein chiefely the whole Scripture consisteth and a prohibition to doe such things and to abstaine from the contrary Obey in both neither thinke it enough to abstaine from euill and do no good nor thinke not that if yee doe many good things it may serue you for a cloake to mixe euill turnes therewith And as in these two points the whole Scripture principally consisteth Two degrees of the seruice of God so in two degrees standeth the whole seruice of God by man interiour or vpward exteriour or downward the first by prayer in faith towards God the next by workes flowing therefra before the world which is nothing else but the exercise of Religion towards God and of equitie towards your neighbour As for the particular points of Religion I need not to dilate them I am no hypocrite follow my footsteps A regardable paterne and your owne present education therein I thanke God I was neuer ashamed to giue account of my profession howsoeuer the malicious lying tongues of some haue traduced me and if my conscience had not resolued me that all my Religion presently professed by me and my kingdome was grounded vpon the plaine wordes of the Scripture without the which all points of Religion are superfluous as any thing contrary to the same is abomination I had neuer outwardly auowed it for pleasure or awe of any flesh And as for the points of equitie towards your neigbour because that will fall in properly vpon the second part concerning a Kings office I leaue it to the owne roume For the first part then of mans seruice to his God Religion which is Religion that is the worship of God according to his reuealed will it is wholly grounded vpon the Scripture as I haue alreadie said quickened by faith and conserued by conscience For the Scripture I haue now spoken of it in generall but that yee may the more readily make choice of any part thereof for your instruction or comfort remember shortly this methode The whole Scripture is dyted by Gods Spirit The methode of Scripture thereby as by his liuely word to instruct and rule the whole Church militant to the end of the word It is composed of two parts the Olde and New Testament The ground of the former is the Lawe which sheweth our sinne and containeth iustice the ground of the other is Christ who pardoning sinne containeth grace The summe of the Law is the tenne Commandements more largely delated in the bookes of Moses Of the Law interpreted and applied by the Prophets and by the histories are the examples shewed of obedience or disobedience thereto and what praemium or poena was accordingly giuen by God But because no man was able to keepe the Law nor any part thereof it pleased God of his infinite wisedome and goodnesse to incarnate his only Sonne in our nature for satisfaction of his iustice in his suffering for vs that since we could not be saued by doing we might at least bee saued by beleeuing The ground therefore of the word of grace Of Grace is contained in the foure histories of the birth life death resurrection and ascention of Christ The larger interpretation and vse thereof is contained in the Epistles of the Apostles and the practise in the faithfull or vnfaithfull with the historie of the infancie and first progresse of the Church is contained in their Actes Would ye then know your sinne by the Lawe Vse of the Law reade the bookes of Moses containing it Would ye haue a commentarie thereupon Reade the Prophets and likewise the bookes of the Prouerbes and Ecclesiastes written by that great patterne of wisedome Salomon which will not only serue you for instruction how to walke in the obedience of the Lawe of God but is also so full of golden sentences and morall precepts in all things that can concerne your conuersation in the world as among all the prophane Philosophers and Poets ye shall not finde so rich a storehouse of precepts of naturall wisedome agreeing with the will and diuine wisedome of God Would ye see how good men are rewarded and wicked punished looke the historicall parts of these same bookes of Moses together with the histories of Ioshua the Iudges Ezra Nehemiah Esther and Iob but especially the bookes of the Kings and Chronicles wherewith ye ought to bee familiarly acquainted for there shall yee see your selfe as in a myrrour in the catalogue either of the good or the euill Kings Would yee know the doctrine life and death of our Sauiour Christ Vse of the Gospel reade the Euangelists Would ye bee more particularly trained vp in his Schoole meditate vpon the Epistles of the Apostles And would ye be acquainted with the practises of that doctrine in the persons of the primitiue Church Cast vp the Apostles Actes And as to the Apocryphe bookes I omit them because I am no Papist as I said before and indeed some of them are no wayes like the dytement of the Spirit of God But when ye reade the Scripture How to reade the Scripture reade it with a sanctified and chaste heart admire reuerently
such obscure places as ye vnderstand not blaming onely your owne capacitie read with delight the plaine places and studie carefully to vnderstand those that are somewhat difficile preasse to bee a good textuarie for the Scripture is euer the best interpreter of it selfe but preasse not curiously to seeke out farther then is contained therein for that were ouer vnmannerly a presumption to striue to bee further vpon Gods secrets then he hath will ye be for what hee thought needfull for vs to know that hath he reuealed there And delyte most in reading such parts of the Scripture as may best serue for your instruction in your calling reiecting foolish curiosities vpon genealogies and contentions Tit. 3.9 which are but vaine and profite not as Paul saith Now as to Faith which is the nourisher and quickner of Religion Faith the nourisher of Religion as I haue alreadie said It is a sure perswasion and apprehension of the promises of God applying them to your soule and therefore may it iustly be called the golden chaine that linketh the faithfull soule to Christ And because it groweth not in our garden but is the free gift of God Philip. 1.29 as the same Apostle saith it must be nourished by prayer Which is nothing else but a friendly talking with God As for teaching you the forme of your prayers Prayer and whence to learne the best forme thereof the Psalmes of Dauid are the meetest schoole-master that ye can be acquainted with next the prayer of our Sauiour which is the onely rule of prayer whereout of as of most rich and pure fountaines ye may learne all forme of prayer necessarie for your comfort at all occasions And so much the fitter are they for you then for the common sort in respect the composer thereof was a King and therefore best behoued to know a Kings wants and what things were meetest to be required by a King at Gods hand for remedie thereof Vse often to pray when ye are quietest Seuerall exercise of prayer especially forget it not in your bed how oft soeuer ye doe it at other times for publike prayer serueth as much for example as for any particular comfort to the supplicant In your prayer bee neither ouer strange with God What rule or regard to be vsed in prayer like the ignorant common sort that prayeth nothing but out of bookes nor yet ouer homely with him like some of the vaine Pharisaicall puritanes that thinke they rule him vpon their fingers The former way will breede an vncouth coldnesse in you towards him the other will breede in you a contempt of him But in your prayer to God speake with all reuerence for if a subiect will not speake but reuerently to a King much lesse should any flesh presume to talke with God as with his companion Craue in your prayer not onely things spirituall but also things temporall What to craue of God sometimes of greater and sometimes of lesse consequence that yee may lay vp in store his grant of these things for confirmation of your faith and to be an arles-peny vnto you of his loue Pray as yee finde your heart moueth you pro re nata but see that yee sute no vnlawfull things as reuenge Rom. 14.23 lust or such like for that prayer can not come of faith and whatsoeuer is done without faith is sinne as the Apostle saith When ye obtaine your prayer How to interpret the issue of prayer thanke him ioyfully therefore if otherwaies beare patiently preassing to winne him with importunitie as the widow did the vnrighteous Iudge and if notwithstanding thereof yee be not heard assure your selfe God foreseeth that which yee aske is not for your weale and learne in time so to interprete all the aduersities that God shall send vnto you so shall yee in the middest of them not onely be armed with patience but ioyfully lift vp your eyes from the present trouble to the happie end that God will turne it to And when ye finde it once so fall out by proofe arme your selfe with the experience thereof against the next trouble assuring your selfe though yee cannot in time of the showre see through the cloude yet in the end shall ye find God sent it for your weale as ye found in the former And as for conscience Conscience the conseruer of Religion which I called the conseruer of Religion It is nothing else but the light of knowledge that God hath planted in man which euer watching ouer all his actions as it beareth him a ioyfull testimonie when he does right so choppeth it him with a feeling that hee hath done wrong when euer he committeth any sinne And surely although this conscience be a great torture to the wicked yet is it as great a comfort to the godly if we will consider it rightly For haue wee not a great aduantage that haue within our selues while wee liue here a count-Count-booke and Inuentarie of all the crimes that wee shall bee accused of The inuentarie of our life either at the houre of our death or at the Great day of Iudgement which when wee please yea though we forget will chop and remember vs to looke vpon it that while we haue leasure and are here we may remember to amend and so at the day of our triall compeare with new and white garments washed in the blood of the Lambe Reu 7.14 as S. Iohn saith Aboue all then my Sonne labour to keepe sound this conscience which many prattle of but ouer few feele especially be carefull to keepe it free from two diseases wherewith it vseth oft to be infected The diseases of conscience to wit Leaprosie and Superstition the former is the mother of Atheisme the other of Heresies By a leaprouse conscience I meane a cauterized conscience 1. Tim. 4.2 as Paul calleth it being become senselesse of sinne through sleeping in a carelesse securitie as King Dauids was after his murther and adulterie euer til he was wakened by the Prophet Nathans similitude And by superstition I meane when one restraines himselfe to any other rule in the seruice of God then is warranted by the word the onely trew square of Gods serucie As for a preseruatiue against this Leaprosie Preseruatiue against leprosie of conscience remember euer once in the foure and twentie houres either in the night or when yee are at greatest quiet to call your selfe to account of all your last dayes actions either wherein ye haue committed things yee should not or omitted the things ye should doe either in your Christian or Kingly calling and in that account let not your selfe be smoothed ouer with that flattering 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is ouerkindly a sicknesse to all mankind but censure your selfe as sharply as if ye were your owne enemie For if ye iudge your selfe ye shall not be iudged 1. Cor. 11.31 as the Apostle saith and then according to your censure reforme
shall at this time follow their example and my Sentence shall be this Si peccauerit in te frater tuus argue eum inter te ipsum solum si audiuerit te lucratus es fratrem tuum si non audiuerit te adhibevnum atque alterum vt in ore duorum vel trium stet omne verbum si non audiuerit eos dic Ecclesiae If thy brother trespasse against thee goe and tell him his fault betweene him and thee alone if he heare thee thou hast wonne thy brother but if hee heare thee not take yet with thee one or two that by the mouth of two or three witnesses euery word may bee confirmed and if hee refuse to heare them tell it vnto the Church There is not any one of you as I suppose in this Assemblie that will not acknowledge the brotherly loue wherewith the King my Master hath alwayes affected the good of your Prouinces and the fatherly care which hee hath euer had to procure the establishment of your State In which respect his Maiestie hauing vnderstood that my Lords the States of Holland were determined to call vnto the place of Diuinitie Professour in the Vniuer sitie of Leyden one Doctor Conradus Vorstius a person attainted by many witnesses iuris facti of a number of Heresies the shame whereof would light vpon the Church of God and consequently vpon his Maiesties person and Crownes is therewith exceedingly offended And for the more timely preuention of an infinitie of euils which necessarily would thereupon ensue did giue mee in charge by expresse Letters to exhort you which I did the 21. of September last to wash your hands from that man and not to fuffer him to come within your Countrey To this exhortation your answere was that in the carriage of this businesse all due obseruance and regard should be had vnto his Maiestie Neuerthelesse so it is that his Maiestie hath receiued so little respect heerein as that in stead of debarring Vorstius from comming into the Countrey which euen by the lawes of friendship his Maiestie might haue required the proceedings haue beene cleane contrary for he is suffered to come vnto Leyden hath beene receiued there with all honour hath there taken vp his habitation where he is treated and lodged in the qualitie of a publique Professour His Maiestie then perceiuing that his first motion had so little preuailed thought good to write himselfe a Letter vnto you to the same purpose full of zeale and affection perswading you by many reasons there set downe at length not to staine your owne honour and the honour of the reformed Churches by calling vnto you that wretched and wicked Atheist These Letters were presented in this Assembly the fifth of Nouember a great number of the Deputies of the Townes of Holland being then present At which time as I was commanded by his Maiestie I vsed some speach my selfe to the same effect Some sixe weekes after I receiued an Answere to my Proposition but an Answere confused ambiguous and wholly impertinent by which I haue reason to conceiue that there is no meaning at all to send Vorstius away who is at this present in Leyden receiued and acknowledged respected and treated as publique Professour whether it be to grace that Vniuersitie in stead of the deceased Ioseph Scaliger I cannot tell or whether it bee to giue him meanes to doe more mischiefe in secret which perhaps for shame hee durst not in publique For these reasons according vnto that charge which I haue receiued from the King my Master I doe in his name and on his behalfe Protest in this Assembly against the wrong iniurie and scandall done vnto the reformed Religion by the receiuing and reteining of Conradus Vorstius in the Vniuersitie of Leyden and against the violence offered vnto that Alliance which is betwixt his Maiestie and your Prouinces the which beeing founded vpon the preseruation and maintenance of the reformed Religion you haue not letted so much as in you lies absolutely to violate in the proceeding of this cause Of which enormous indignities committed against the Church of GOD and against his Maiesties person in preferring the presence of Vorstius before his Amitie and Alliance the King my Master holds himselfe bound to bee sensible and if reparation thereof bee not made and that speedily which cannot be by any other meanes then by sending Vorstius away his Maiestie will make it appeare vnto the world by some such Declaration as he will cause to be printed and published how much he detests the Atheismes and Heresies of Vorstius and all those that maintaine fauour and cherish them This is my charge which if I had failed to performe I had failed in my duetie both towards the Seruice of GOD which is now in question as also toward the honour of the King my Master who will alwayes bee ready to maintaine the puritie of the reformed Religion though it were with the profusion of his owne blood the blood of his children and subiects This Protestation being made the States after some deliberation framed vs an answere in these termes That howsoeuer His Maiestie of GREAT BRITAINE had not yet receiued that contentment which Hee might expect in this businesse of Vorstius neuerthelesse they did not doubt but that at the Assembly of the States of Holland in February next His Maiestie should receiue entire satisfaction Which answere gaue some life to our hope that at the said assembly of the States to bee holden the fifteenth day of the next moneth of Februarie GOD will vouchsafe so to open the eyes of those of Holland as that they may be able to discerne what a Cockatrice egge they hatch within their bosome and that seeing the smooth speaches of Vorstius doe but verifie the old Prouerbe Latet anguis in herbâ There lurkes a snake in the grasse they will at that assembly resolue to purge their Territories from the poison of his Heresie Wee mention Holland because the other Prouinces namely Frizeland and Zeland and some part of Holland likewise are already so distasted with his Heresies as of themselues they haue desired Holland to banish him out of the Countrey And certainely wee are no lesse sorie then amazed that the Curators of Leyden as appeareth by a long letter which they haue written to the States Ambassador resident with vs can haue their vnderstanding so stupified as to haue made choice of the person of Vorstius for a man well qualified to appease the Schismes and troubles of their Church and Vniuersitie and as an apt instrument of peace For to shew their blindnesse in this they need no other answere then Exitus acta probat The issue tries the action Seeing to our great griefe it cannot bee denied but that there hath bene more distraction of spirits and a greater diuision in their State since the comming of Vorstius then was for many yeeres before witnesse so many Bookes and Accusations written against him and his answeres thereunto
excommunication and deposition against the Emperour Henry IIII. after he had enterprised this act without all precedent example after he had filled all Europe with blood this Pope I say sunke downe vnder the weight of his affaires and died as a fugitiue at Salerne ouerwhelmed with discontent and sorrow of heart Here lying at the point of giuing vp the ghoast Sigeb ad an 1085. calling vnto him as it is in Sigebert a certaine Cardinall whom he much fauoured He confesseth to God and Saint Peter and the whole Church that he had beene greatly defectiue in the Pastor all charge committed to his care and that by the Deuils instigation he had kindled the fire of Gods wrath and hatred against mankind Then hee sent his Confessor to the Emperour and to the whole Church to pray for his pardon because hee perceiued that his life was at an end Likewise Cardinall Benno that liued in the said Gregories time doth testifie That so soone as he was risen out of his Chaire to excommunicate the Emperour from his Cathedrall seate by the will of God the said Cathedrall seate new made of strong board or plancke did cracke and cleaue into many pieces or parts to manifest how great and terrible Schismes had beene sowen against the Church of Christ by an excommunication of so dangerous consequence pronounced by the man that had fit Iudge therein Now to bring and alleadge the example of such a man who by attempting an act which neuer any man had the heart of face to attempt before hath condemned all his predecessors of cowardise or at least of ignorance what is it else but euen to send vs to the schoole of mightie robbers and to seeke to correct and reforme ancient vertues by late vices Which Otho Frisingensis calling into his owne priuate consideration Otho Frisingens in vita Hen. 4. lib. 4. cap 31. hee durst freely professe that hee had not reade of any Emperour before this Henry the IIII. excommunicated or driuen out of his Imperiall Throne and Kingdome by the chiefe Bishop of Rome But if this quarrell may be tryed and fought out with weapons of examples I leaue any indifferent reader to iudge what examples ought in the cause to be of chiefest authority and weight whether late examples of Kings deposed by Popes for the most part neuer taking the intended effect or auncient examples of Popes actually and effectually thrust out of their thrones by Emperours and Kings The Emperour Constantius expelled Liberius Bishop of Rome out of the citie banished him as farre as Beroe and placed Foelix in his roome Theo. lib. 2. Hist cap. 16. Indeed Constantius was an Arrian and therein vsed no lesse impious then vniust proceeding Neuerthelesse the auncient Fathers of the Church doe not blame Constantius for his hard and sharpe dealing with a chiefe Bishop ouer whom hee had no lawfull power but onely as an enemie to the Orthodoxe faith and one that raged with extreame rigour of persecution against innocent beleeuers In the raigne of Valentinian the I. and yeare of the Lord 367. Ammia lib. 27 the contention betweene Damasus and Vrcisinus competitors for the Bishopricke filled the citie of Rome with a bloody sedition in which were wickedly and cruelly murdered 137. Decret dist 79. persons To meet with such turbulent actions Honorius made a law extant in the Decreetalls the words whereof be these If it shall happen henceforth by the temeritie of competitors that any two Bishops be elected to the See we straitly charge and command that neither of both shall fit in the said See Platina Sigebertus By vertue of this Law the same Honorius in the yeare 420. expelled Bonifacius and Eulalius competitors and Antipopes out of Rome though not long after he reuoked Bonifacius and setled him in the Papall See Theodoric the Goth King of Italy Anastatint Platina Lib. Pontifi Diaconus sent Iohn Bishop of Rome Embassador to the Emperour Iustinian called him home againe and clapt him vp in the close prison where he starued to death By the same King Peter Bishop of Altine was dispatched to Rome to heare the cause and examine the processe of Pope Symmachus then indited and accused of sundry crimes King Theodatus about the yeare 537. had the seruice of Pope Agapetus as his Embassadour to the Emperour Iustinian vpon a treatie of peace Agapetus dying in the time of that scruice Syluerius is made Bishop by Theodatus Not long after Syluerius is driuen out by Belisarius the Emperour his Lieutenant and sent into banishment After Syluerius next succeedeth Vigilius who with currant coine purchased the Popedome of Belisarius The Emperour Iustinian sends for Vigilius to Constantinople and receiues him there with great honour Soone after the Emperour takes offence at his freenesse in speaking his mind commands him to bee beaten with stripes in manner to death and with a roape about his necke to be drawne through the city like a thiefe as Platina relates the historie Nicephorus in his 26. booke and 17. chapter comes very neere the same relation The Emperour Constantius Platina Baronius Sigeberius in the yeere 654. caused Pope Martin to be bound with chaines and banished him into Chersonesus where he ended his life The Popes in that aage writing to the Emperours vsed none but submissiue tearmes by way of most humble supplications made profession of bowing the knee before their sacred Maiesties and of executing their commaunds with entire obedience payed to the Emperours twenty pound weight of gold for their Inuestiture which tribute was afterward released and remitted Iustin Authent 123. cap. 3. by Constantine the Bearded to Pope Agatho in the yeere 679. as I haue obserued in an other place Nay further euen when the power and riches of the Popes was growne to great height by the most profuse and immense munificence of Charlemayne and Lewis his sonne the Emperours of the West did not relinquish and giue ouer the making and vnmaking of Popes as they saw cause Pope Adrian 1. willingly submitted his necke to this yoke and made this Law to be passed in a Councill that in Charlemayne should rest all right and power for the Popes election and for the gouernement of the Papall See This Constitution is incerted in the Decretals Distinct 63. Can. * Note that in the same Dist the Can of Greg. 4. beginning with Cum Hadrianus 2. is false and supposititious because Gregorie 4. was Pope long before Hadr. 2. Triateterrima monstra Hadrianus and was confirmed by the practise of many yeeres In the yeere of the Lord 963. the Emperour Otho tooke away the Popedome from Iohn 13. and placed Leo 8. in his roume In like maner Iohn 14. Gregory 5. and Siluester 2. were seated in the Papall Throne by the Othos The Emperour Henrie 2. in the yeere 1007. deposed three Popes namely Bendict 9. Siluester 3. and Gregorie 6. whom Platina doeth not sticke to call three most detestable
violent and bloody death or some other mischiefe more intolerable then death it selfe What are we the better that parricides of Kings are neither set on nor approued by the Church in their abominable actions when shee layeth such plots and taketh such courses as necessarily doe inferre the cutting of their throates In the next place be it noted that his Lordship against all reason reckons the absoluing of subiects from the oath of alleagiance in the ranke of penalties awarded and enioyned before the Ecclesiasticall tribunall seate For this penaltie is not Ecclesiasticall but Ciuill and consequently not triable in Ecclesiasticall Courts without vsurping vpon the Ciuill Magistrate But I wonder with what face the L. Cardinall can say The Church neuer consenteth to any practise against his life whom she hath once chastised with seuere censures For can his Lordship be ignorant what is written by Pope Vrbanus Can. Excommunicatorum Can. excoâ— Caus 23. Quaest 6. Wee take them not in any wise to bee man-slayers who in a certaine heat of zeale towards the Catholike Church their Mother shall happen to kill an excommunicate person More if the Pope doth not approoue and like the practise of King-killing wherefore hath not his Holinesse imposed some seuere censure vpon the booke of Mariana the Iesuite by whom parricides are commended nay highly extolled when his Holinesse hath beene pleased to take the paines to censure and call in some other of Mariana's bookes Againe wherefore did his Holinesse aduise himselfe to censure the Decree of the Court of Parliament in Paris against Iohn Chastell Wherefore did hee suffer Garnet and Oldcorne my powder-miners both by bookes and pictures vendible vnder his nose in Rome to be inrowled in the Canon of holy Martyrs And when hee saw two great Kings murdered one after another wherefore by some publike declaration did not his Holinesse testifie to all Christendome his inward sense and trew apprehension of so great misfortune as all Europe had iust cause to lament on the behalfe of France Wherefore did not his Holinesse publish some Law or Pontificiall Decree to prouide for the securitie of Kings in time to come Trew it is that he censured Becanus his booke But wherefore That by a captious and sleight censure he might preuent a more exact and rigorous Decree of the Sorbone Schoole For the Popes checke to Becanus was onely agenerall censure and touch without any particular specification of matter touching the life of Kings About some two moneths after the said booke was printed againe with a dedication to the Popes Nuntio in Germany yet without any alteration saue onely of two articles conteining the absolute power of the people ouer Kings In recompence and for a counterchecke whereof three or foure articles were inserted into the said booke touching the Popes power ouer Kings articles no lesse wicked iniurious to Regall rights nay more iniurious then any of the other clauses whereof iust cause of exception and complaint had bene giuen before If I would collect and heape vp examples of ancient Emperours as of Henrie IV. whos 's dead corps felt the rage and furie of the Pope or of Frederic II. against whom the Pope was not ashamed to whet and kindle the Sultane or of Queene Elizabeth our Predecessour of glorious memorie whose life was diuers times assaulted by priuie murderers expresly dispatched from Rome for that holy seruice if I would gather vp other examples of the same stampe which I haue layd forth in my Apologie for the oath of alleagiance I could make it more cleare then day-light how farre the L. Cardinals words are discrepant from the trewth where his Lordship out of most rare considence is bold to auow Page 97. That neuer any Pope went so farre as to giue consent or counsell for the desperate murdering of Princes That which already hath bene alleadged may suffice to conuince his Lordship I meane that his Holinesse by deposing of Kings doeth lead them directly to their graues and tombes The Cardinall himselfe seemeth to take some notice hereof The Church as he speaketh abhorreth sudden and vnprepensed murders aboue therest Pag. 95. Doth not his Lordship in this phrase of speech acknowledge that murders committed by open force are not so much disauowed or disclaimed by the Church A little after he speakes not in the teeth as before but with full and open mouth that hee doeth not dislike a King once deposed by the Pope should be pursued with open warre Whereupon it followes that in warre the King may be lawfully slaine No doubt a remarkeable degree of his Lordships clemencie A King shall bee better entreated and more mildly dealt withal if he be slaine by the shot of an harquebuse or caleeuer in the field then if hee bee stabd by the stroke or thrust of a knife in his chamber or if at a siege of some city hee be blowne vp with a myne then by a myne made and a traine of gunpowder laid vnder his Palace or Parliament house in time of peace His reason Forsooth because in sudden murders oftentimes the soule and the body perish both together O singular bountie and rare clemencie prouokers instigators strong puffers and blowers of parricides in mercifull compassion of the soule become vnmercifull and shamefull murderers of the body This deuice may well claime and challenge kinred of Mariana the Iesuites inuention For he liketh not at any hand the poisoning of a Tyrant by his meat or drinke for feare lest he taking the poison with his owne hand and swallowing or gulping it downe in his meate or drinke so taken should be found felo de se as the common Lawyer speaketh or culpable of his owne death But Mariana likes better to haue a Tyrant poysoned by his chaire or by his apparell and robes after the example of the Mauritanian Kings that being so poysoned onely by sent or by contact he may not be found guiltie of selfe-fellonie and the soule of the poore Tyrant in her flight out of the body may be innocent O hel-hounds O diabolical wretches O infernall monsters Did they onely suspect and imagine that either in Kings there is any remainder of Kingly courage or in their subiects any sparke left of ancient libertie they durst as soone eat their nailes or teare their owne flesh from the bones as once broach the vessell of this diabolicall deuice How long then how long shall Kings whom the Lord hath called his Anointed Kings the breathing Images of God vpon earth Kings that with a wry or frowning looke are able to crush these earth-wormes in pieces how long shall they suffer this viperous brood scotfree and without punishment to spit in their faces how long the Maiestie of GOD in their person and Royall Maiestie to be so notoriously vilified so dishonourably trampled vnder foot The L. Cardinall borads vs with a like manifest ieast and notably trifles first distinguishing betweene Tyrants by administration and Tyrants by vsurpation then