to hinder the proceedings of the Gospel These six visions are not a continued prophecie of things to come which shall in such order succeed one another for most of them doe extend to the end of the world but like vnto a Tragedy wherein the fame things are diuersly acted For so what is represented in the first vision here by one appearance is represented againe againe in others by other appearances the first setting things forth more obscurely the other more plainly and this iteration is made for more assurance as Peter saw a sheet let downe from heauen three times And as in a Tragedie in euery scene there is musicke to giue the more content and to delight the mindes of the spectatours so in these visions there is singing and praising of God These visions yet doe not all of them set forth the whole period of time to the end of the world nor the same occurrences within the compasse of the same time which one setteth forth with another but one some most remarkable matters and another others happening in that time Foure of them are vniuersall containing the whole time the first Chap. 4 5 6 7. the second Chap. 8 9 10.11 the third Chap. 12 13 14. and the sixt Chap. 20 21 22. The other two are particular because they serue to set forth onely the two last parts of the whole time which is diuided into soure First containing the time of the Churches wrestling and flourishing vnder the persecutions of heathen Emperours till Constantine the great The second the time of reigning and growing corrupt till the arising of Antichrist The third the time of Antichrists oppression till the two witnesses The fourth the time of Antichrists ruine and vtter destruction And these two last times only are handled in the fourth and fifth of these Propheticall visions the one setting forth the destruction of Antichrist vnder seuen vials chap. 15 16. and the other by casting him into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone chap. 17 18 19. And thus he sheweth that Nicolaus Collado before him vnderstood these visions and S. Augustine giueth an hint of it when as he saith that S. Iohn doth repeat the same things many wayes Lib. 20. de ci◠Dei cap. 17. as was touched before The same method almost is set forth by Gorran but others take it for a continued prophesie to the end of the world of things orderly succeeding one another For mine owne part hauing seriously considered that in these foure vniuersall visions it is still ended with the end of all things the euerlasting torments of the wicked and the ioyes of the godly which end is but one so that it must needs bee granted that this is diuers times repeated I doe not see how this method of Pareus can be excepted against or any other well iustified and therfore do suscribe hereunto and wish all others well to weigh it and I doubt not but they shall finde so great light to be giuen into the ensuing Prophesie as that they will acknowledge much help to the vnderstāding of many things to be afforded euen by this method Vers 9. I hasten now to the 9. verse Quest What was this Patmos how came Iohn thither Ans It is one of the Cyclad Ilands of the Aegean sea Plin. l. 4. c. 12. thirty thousand paces in compasse according to Pliny Others contend to haue it an Iland of the Icarian sea as Strabo Strab. l. 14. others say it is the same which is now called Possidium as Munster but which soeuer it was a desolate place hauing but few inhabitants How Iohn came there is intimated here Euseb l. 1. c. 34. Ieron Catal. and by Eusebius and Ierome expressed he was banished thither by Domitian in the fourteenth yeere of his Empire Tertullian saith that hee was first taken by the Gouernour of Asia at Ephesus Lib. de praescript and sent to Rome where Domitian commanded him to bee put into boyling oyle in derision of the Christian name which is taken from oyle but comming forth againe without any hurt he was banished into this Iland from whence hee was released againe vnder Nerua and returned to Ephesus Quest What meaneth he Vers 10. when he saith he was in the spirit vpon the Lords day Answ It is agreed by all that hereby is meant that he saw not the things following with his bodily eyes but being in a transe the Spirit reuealing them to him his soule being for the time taken out of his bodie and carried away with the Lord to behold them as the old Prophets and Peter and Paul were The Lords day The Lords day was the time wherein Christ arose from death and therefore obserued amongst Christians for their holy assemblies as the Sabbath was by the Iewes And as the resurrection and appearings of Christ vpon this day so this Reuelation at the same time maketh not a little for the honouring of this day Wherefore the Apostles appointed the assembling together vpon this day 1 Cor. 16. and it hath beene euer since obserued accordingly Onely some will not haue it kept with strict resting as the Iewes were commanded of old but only with comming together to the worship of God as Beza vpon this place accounting it a bondage brought vpon Christians when strict resting was by Constantine commanded and by other Emperours after But it may plainely bee gathered both from Chrysostome and Augustine that they held a cessation then necessarie from all worldly affaires of our callings Augustine saith Serm. 251. de temp Let vs obserue the Sabbath my brethren as it was appointed of old from euen to euen and being sequestred from countrey labour and from all businesse let vs attend vpon diuine worship only Hem. 43. in 8 Cor. 16. And Chrysostome The Lords day is the root and beginning of our life and therein are vnspeakable good things it hath rest and is free from businesses And indeed the one doth necessarily imply the other if diuine worship must be attended worldly businesse must needs be laid aside Otherwise it were not only a change but an abolition of the Sabbath which is a rest And it is to be noted that when Christ would make way to the abrogating of the old Sabbath hee did not iustifie any workes but such as were of present necessitie Whereas if he had meant that the Christians afterwards vpon their Sabbaths should haue more libertie hee would doubtlesse haue done or said something to intimate that also For that which followeth Vers 11. v. 11. I shall not need to say any thing there being nothing but a preparatiue to the vision with the vtterance of the same periphrasis of our Sauiour Christ which went before and a particular nomination of the Churches before mentioned touching which it shall suffice here to know that they were the greatest Cities of Asia the lesser wherein Saint Iohn had laboured in planting the Gospell and
A Catalogue of those Authors out of whom any thing is taken in the following Expositions AMbrosius Artopaeus Augustinus Anselmus Athanasius Aretius Adam Sasbout Alcasar Ambros Compsae Abbot Andreas Alphonsus Arethas Abbas Ioachim Basilius magnus Beda Brightman Beza Bernard Blasius Viegas Baronius Bibliander Bullinger Bellarmine Beard Brocardus Chrysostomus Clemens Alexand. Cicillus Alexand. Caietan Caelius Clemens 1. Chitreus Collado Catharinus Dydimus Dionysius Dent. Epiphanius Eusebius Erasmus Forbs Franciscus Breus Fox Fulke Faber Stapul Franc. Lambert Gregorius Magnus Glossa Ordin Glos Interlin Graeca Scholia Gagnaeus Giffard Gorran Grasserus Hieronymus Haimo Herodotus Hugo Irenaeus Iosephus Ioan. Leonard Illiricus Iunius Luther Lioy Lyranus Lorinus Methodius Marlorat Mason Nicephorus Napier Osiander Oecumenius Origen Orosius Petrus Aureolus Pareus Petrus Damascen Piscator Petrus du Moulin Pirkins Primasius Pannonius Prosper Aquitan Ribera Rupertus Richard de Sancto Victore Ruffinus Syrus Interpres Strabo Sebastianus Meyer Sixtus Senensis Scaliger Sabellicus Suarez Sleiden Surius Thomas Aquinas Tertullian Ticonius Tremelius Tossanus Turrianus Vict. Zeger Viterbiensis Victor Vticensis Victor Antioch Whitaker TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTY CHARLES by the grace of God of great Britaine France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith c. Grace Mercy and Peace in Christ Iesus DRead Soueraigne for so much as J haue now a long time deuoted my selfe by writing to doe some seruice to this Church whereof the great God of Heauen hath made your Maiesty vnder his Sonne Christ supreme Head and Gouernour J haue thought it my duty now that by the Diuine assistance J haue finished this difficult Worke which is the first that J haue put forth since your Maiesties auspicious comming to the Crowne to present it to your Royall hands as being the best way that J haue to expresse my vnfained hearty loue and affection and exceeding great ioy for the happy Inauguration of another very Dauid againe for courage after such a Solomon for wisdome of another Iosuah after Moses after a Writer a Fighter of the Lords battels Onely J pray that he who alone moderateth the warres would likewise grant Victories to our Iosuah and to his Forces and Confederates that no idolatrous Amorites may be able to stand before him but now that their wickednesse is come to such an height they may be confounded and dissipated This must be their end as the Fountaine of all profound wisdome did long agoe reueale vnto Iohn neither can it bee long before they come to this end as the following expositions vpon Iohn I hope will make plaine to euery intelligent Reader The Reuelation the expounding of which is the chiefe part of this Worke was a Booke into the mysteries whereof your Maiesties Father of blessed memory delighted much to search as appeareth by that most worthy Monument which he hath left to all posterities hereupon and I doubt not but your Maiesty being Inheritor not onely of your Fathers Dominions but also of his Vertues is likewise affected with such holy Studies being indeed as a furtherance of courage and resolution so of true blessednesse as is peculiarly by the Spirit pronounced vpon this Booke saying Reuel 1.3 Blessed is hee that readeth and they that heare the words of this Booke The distractions of Kings I grant are great by reason of their manifold most important affaires yet it is the constitution of the King of Kings that they should haue his Word before them Deut. 17.18 and be reading therein all the daies of their liues that they might learne to feare God and not haue their hearts lifted vp aboue their brethren The marke at which he would haue them to aime is the feare of God and humility amidst so many and great temptations to pride and contempt the meanes to helpe to these glorious ornaments is daily reading My hope therefore is that my seruice tendred in this kinde though by the meanest amongst many will not be vnacecptable to your Royall Maiesty but that notwithstanding the great and diuers present distractions there shall be some times spared to meditate vpon these Expositions That speech of Chrysostome was notable to secular men Chrysost conc de Lazaro making their continuall worldly imploiments a Supersedeas to the reading of the Scriptures What sayest thou O man that thou hast no leisure by reason of thy worldly businesses to reade the Word of God the more thy distractions are the more need hast thou to reade that amidst the tossings of these tempestuous waues thou mayst enioy the perpetuall comforts and directions of the Scriptures Theodosius the second Theodos 2. though his distractions could not but bee great through the amplitude of his Dominions yet spared so much time in his priuate Closet to the Word of God that hee wrote the new Testament ouer with his owne hand and Alphonsus Alphonsus King of Spaine and Naples is said to haue read the Bible with the ordinary glosse fourteene times ouer Which things J mention not most Gracious Soueraigne but onely to adde fuell to your fire and oyle vnto your flame that the zeale which your Maiesty is well knowne to haue vnto the Word of God and to the truth therein set forth may bee yet increased till it commeth to be doubled as the spirit of Elijah was vpon Elishah For what seruice is there that wee the Ministers of Christs Gospell can doe comparable to this of seeking the through Sanctification of the Lords Anointed ouer vs and of polishing the rich Diamonds of grace vpon his Crowne that they be more and more resplendent and shining The bent of our Prayers both publike and priuate is daily this way and therefore let my Lord the King pardon the zeale of his seruants if when they can get any opportunity their exhortations bend this way also We reade of Gods blessings vpon the people of Israel vnder Dauid Solomon and Iosiah and generally how in the dayes of all the godly Kings and Gouernours that haue beene the Graces shining in them haue beene so acceptable as that the Lord hath delighted to doe good to the whole Kingdome for their sakes Your Maiesty is the very breath of our nosthrils and the light of our eyes that great Tree mentioned in Daniel vnder which we your Subiects as beasts and birds doe shroud our selues and make our nests being alone worth 10000. of vs. Jt is therefore the height of our ambition in our inward desires and outward endeuours that your Maiesty may be vpright hearted and valiant as Dauid wise as Solomon and of ardent zeale like vnto Iosiah And to this end doe we presse as into the Court of Heauen by our Prayers so into your Maiesties Court with Exhortations Treatises Discourses and Expositions not passing for any toile and labour any carping and cauilling of censorious Critikes or any enmity of Sycophants so that what we doe may be cordiall to him to behold whose vertues increase with his yeeres our eyes and hearts are all fixed The times are
c. pag. 79. Text 16. Chap. 2. Vers 13. Be ye subiect to euery humane ordinance for the Lord whether to the King as to the chiefe or to the Rulers c. pag. 92. Text. 17. Chap. 3. Vers 3. Whose apparell let it not bee any outward thing of the broidring of the haire or of putting gold about or the ornaments of apparell c. pag. 97. Text 18. Chap. 3 Vers 13. And who will hurt you if ye be followers of that which is good but if ye suffer for righteousnesse ye are blessed c. pag. 102. Text 19. Chap. 3. Vers 18. Being put to death in the flesh but quickned in the spirit wherein he went and preached to the spirits in prison c. pag. 106. Text 20. Chap. 4. Vers 1 2. Christ therefore hauing suffered in the flesh for vs put vpon you the same minde also c. pag. 117. Text. 21. Chap. 4. Vers 12. Estrange not your selues from the fiery triall which is amongst you to proue you pag. 121. Text. 22. Chap. 5. Vers 13. The Church that is at Babylon saluteth you greet ye one another with a kisse c. pag. 127. Text 23. 2 Peter 1. Vers 4 5. Whereby are giuen to vs exceeding great and precious promises that by them ye might be partakers of the diuine nature pag. 131 Text 24. Chap. 1. Vers 19. We haue a more sure word of prophesie to which yee doe well that yee take heed pag. 139. Text 25. Chap. 2. Vers 1. Which shall bring in Heresies that destroy denying the Lord that bought them c. pag. 145. Text 26. Chap. 2. Vers 11. The Angels being greater both in might and power beare not blasphemous iudgement against them c. pag. 150. Text 27. Chap. 2. Vers 20. For if escaping the filthinesse of the world in the knowledge of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ c. pag. 152. Text 28. 2 Pet. 3. Vers 5. They are willingly ignorant of this that the Heauens were of old and the earth set out of the waters by the waters c. pag. 155. Text 29. Chap. 3. Vers 8. I would not haue this one thing hidden from you that 1000 yeeres is with the Lord as one day and one day as a 1000. yeeres c. pag. 161. Text 30. Chap. 3. Vers 15. And count the long suffering of our Lord saluation as our beloued brother Paul hath written to you c. pag. 168. Text 31. 1 Iohn 1. Vers 1. That which was from the beginning which we haue heard seene c. p. 156 Text 32. Chap. 2. Vers 2. He is the propitiation for our sins not for ours only but for the whole world vers 7. I write no new Commandement c. p. 182. Text 33. Chap. 2. Vers 12. I write vnto you children because your sinnes are forgiuen you through his name Vers 13. I write to you fathers c. p. 186. Text 34. Chap. 2. Vers 18. Little children it is the last houre as ye haue heard that Antichrist commeth there are now also many Antichrists c. pag. 189. Text 35. Chap. 3. Vers 1. For this the world knoweth vs not because it knoweth not him Beloued now ye are the sonnes of God c. pag. 198. Text 36. Chap. 3. Vers 5. Ye know that he was manifested to take away our sinnes who so abideth in him sinneth not c. pag. 200. Text 37. Chap. 3. Vers 21. If our heart condemne vs not we haue boldnesse towards God c. pag. 203. Text 38. Chap. 4. Vers 2. Euery spirit that confesseth Iesus Christ to haue come in the flesh is of God c. pag 206. Text 39. Chap. 4. Vers 8. He that loueth not knoweth not God for God is loue c. pag. 208. Text 40. Chap. 5. Vers 2. Hereby we know that wee loue the children of God when wee loue God c. pag. 212. Text 41. Chap. 5. Vers 6. This is hee that came by water and bloud euen Iesus Christ c. pag. 214. Text 42. Chap. 5. Vers 16. If any man seeth his brother sinne a sinne vnto death let him aske and hee shall giue life c. pag. 217. Text. 43. 2 Iohn 1. The Elder to the Elect Lady p. 224. Text 44. Iude Vers 4. For certaine men are crept in which of old were proscribed to iudgement p. 232. Text 45. Vers 8. Likewise also these dreamers doe defile the flesh they set light by authoritie and blaspheme glories c. pag. 236. Text 46. Vers 14. Enoch the seuenth from Adam prophesied of them saying Behold the Lord commeth with thousands of his Saints c. pag. 241. THE CATHOLIKE EPISTLE OF THE Apostle IAMES THis Epistle together with the six following haue gone vnder the name of Catholike Epistles amongst the Greekes and of Canonicall amongst the Latines a long time but vpon what reason it is vncertaine saith Pareus Pareus in Iac. Epist Lyra Oecum Gorran The reason which is yeelded by Lyra Oecumenius and Gorran that they haue the name of Catholike from the vniuersality of those to whom they are directed either to all the Iewes dispersed into all countries or to all Christian people in all Countries of the world whereas Saint Pauls Epistles are directed to particular Countries seemeth vnto him to be no good reason because so the Epistle to the Hebrewes being written to all the Iewes wheresoeuer should haue beene intituled Catholike likewise and the two latter Epistles of Saint Iohn being to particular persons could not by this reason be called Catholike And touching the name canonicall it is more disliked by Beza also Beza because not these seuen Epistles but all the rest are canonicall alike But the reason of the name Catholike seemeth to me to bee good notwithstanding the exceptions alledged for the Epistle to the Hebrewes haply was sent to Ierusalem the proper place of the Hebrewes where they still offered their Sacrifices as seemeth by the Argument of the Epistle and therefore might not so well be intituled Catholike but onely The Epistle to the Hebrewes as that to the Romans The Epistle to the Romans but this of Iames is named to the Iewes scattered in all parts And touching the two latter Epistles of Saint Iohn although they are directed to particular persons yet the Argument of them is Catholike or Vniuersall alike concerning all Christians and not particular as the Arguments of the Epistles of Paul for the most part of euery of them are For although euen in them generall duties concerning all are set forth yet each of them is principally directed to particular points to dispute of which particular occasion was ministred by the Christians of that place to which the Epistle was sent This Epistle in order is the first not because Iames is to be preferred before Peter who was the first â—â—d chiefe of the Apostles Gorran if there were any such but as some haue well noted because this Epistle is to all Iewes in
Many vnderstand the participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 set out as equally belonging to the Heauen and the Earth and so expound out of the waters and by the waters of them both as you may see in the exposition of Oecumenius Erasin Beda and Luther and Erasmus alleageth Beda reading it thus The Heauens were constituted of old out of the water and by the water But Thomas Aquinas referreth these words Out of the water and by the water onely to the earth Beza and Beza making the distinction at these words The Heauens were of old and then adding and the Earth consisting out of the waters c. affirming that in the most ancient Copies consenting in one it is thus and our new Translation That by the Word of God the Heauens-were of old and then after a point of distinction and the Earth standing out of the waters Piscator c. Beza and Piscator for by the waters reade in the waters Gagneus as also 1 Pet. 3.20 Gagneus a iudicious though a Popish writer although he be altogether against that reading of Erasmus as being contrary to all Greeke Copies yet he saith That the Greekes generally vnderstood the matter out of which the Heauens were made to be here intimated and hee saith that he verily thinketh nothing else to be meant heare but that the Heauens and the Earth were made of water for saith he if his drift touching the Heauens should be onely to teach that they were of old Caietan who knoweth not that Caietan saith That the Heauens and the Earth are said to be out of the water because these creatures which are of the aire and they which liue vpon the earth also haue their beginning from water but this is forced I subscribe to Beza for the reading as indeed none can deny it but with Gagneus and the Greeks I hold that as the earth was set out of the waters and consisteth by the waters because at the first no earth appeared but all was couered with water but the waters being commanded to gather together the earth appeared and it is by the waters as it were cemented and conglutinated as Oecumenius speaketh which is in short here expressed so because in the History of Genesis to which this place hath reference the making of the Heauens is so set forth as that we may easily gather how they are out of the water and by the water I cannot hold this to be also intimated here For the Firmament betweene the waters and the waters is called Heauen this was out of the waters because before the diuision betwixt the waters aboue and the waters beneath it appeared not but after it came out betwixt them both it is by the waters because in the midst of them by being as much as in So that when he saith The heauens were of old it is to be vnderstood constituted out of the teaters by or in the waters quod enim subint elligitur non deest Whereas it is obiected by some that though by the Heauen the Aire bee vnderstood yet by Heauens in the plurall number it is neuer so taken I answer that it may well be set forth in the plurall number in respect of the diuers Regions neither is there any word in the Hebrew signifying Heauen but in the plurall number Touching the drift of the Apostle here thus mentioning the first originall of the Heauens and the Earth it is very aptly and pertinently done for as by the power of God and according to his Word the Heauens and the Earth were made at the first and wonderfully separated from the waters being no lesse miraculously preserued in that estate so by waters all things were drowned againe and once more by the same diuine appointment shall all things be destroyed by fire for he that by his Word hath done these things already how shall it be doubted but hauing said it he will burne vp the world with fire also Touching the next words vers 6. whereby Vers 6. Beza readeth it wherefore Luther neuerthelesse Piscator followeth Beza But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly signifie whereby or by which things and that exposition pleaseth me best which referreth it to the Heauens and the Earth because from Heauen aboue and from the earth beneath the waters flowed and the world of creatures both terrestriall and aeriall were drowned and perished euen all that were out of the Arke For by the world cannot be meant the substance of the Earth and Aire seeing this remained still and so it shall after the next and last destruction by fire as Oecumenius hath well set it forth but reade more of this Rom. 8.19 For the words vsed are reserued for fire being treasured vp by the same word Vers 7. Tho. Aquin. Thomas Aquinas will haue them meant of the restitution of all things to their forme againe after that drowning by water till that they shall againe be destroyed by fire Th. Aquinas but others vnderstand them as wicked men are said to treasure vp vnto themselues wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2.4 subiected vnto Gods power vntill this time of burning shall come which is the most probable Touching that fire destroying the wicked mention is made in some other places also as 2 Thes 1.7 8. Psal 50.3 Psal 96.3 but there is a question amongst Expositors whether it shall be at the time of the iudgement before or after If at the iudgement time it should seeme to bee an hinderance to the proceedings if before then the godly shall bee yet mixed together with the wicked and feele the paine of burning which is improbable and after it is not likely because the wicked are immediatly sent into hell fire Yet some of great note hold that it shall be after August Prosper Anselm as August lib. 20. de Ciuit. c. 16. Prosper in dimid temp c. 19 20. and Ansel in elucidat c. but the words imply that it shall be before reserued to the fire vnto the day of iudgement and 1 Cor. 3.11 it is set forth as the case of euery one that hee must passe thorow the fire and 2 Thes 1.7 the Lord is said to come in flaming fire so that the beginning of the iudgement is by fire hereby the wicked shall be first destroyed that is burnt and tormented but he that could cause a flame of fire to bee in the bush without burning it can and will prouide that the godly though in the midst of the fire shall feele no burning for they shall at that instant be changed becomming of naturall spirituall so that a materiall fire shall not affect them at all Then there being in all likelihood some cessation of this burning the iudgement shall succeed after which the wicked shall goe into euerlasting flames and therefore though they be said to be destroyed yet they are not so destroyed but they remaine still to endure further torment Martin
Polon in Chron. Martinus Polonus saith that the teaching of this burning of the world by fire was the cause that Nero so hotly persecuted the Christians commanding them to bee burnt in the fire and Paul the teacher of this as guilty of treason by the Roman Lawes Minutius in Octauio to be beheaded Minutius saith that this was commonly obiected by the Gentiles against the Christians that they threatned burning and destruction to the whole world Aug. de Ciuit. Lact. l. 7. c. 18. And yet many of themselues haue written of this burning as Augustine and Lactantius shew Note Note that the destroying of the world by fire is no such strange thing but that they that doe not willingly winke with their eyes may see that as strange an act hath beene already done in drowning the world yea in the very Creation Gods power did appeare to be so great as that there is nothing but by his word shall be brought to passe And therefore let not vs doubt but assuredly expect that horrible destruction threatned in his word by fire against all vngodly persons Note againe that it is a signe of a wicked man Note that is almost come to the state of a scorner that he careth not for knowing that which maketh against him that hee may be reformed herein CHAP. 3. VER 8. But I would not haue this one thing hidden from you that one day is with the Lord as 1000. yeares and 1000. yeares as one day Vers 9. not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance c. Here are sundry doubts Mayer but yet Expositors are very briefe vpon all this passage vnto verse 14. First in what sense one day is said to be with the Lord as 1000. yeares and so on the contrary side Secondly how he is said not to be willing that any should perish when as he destroyeth most men in hell fire and of old did passe them by to this end for the glory of his iustice Thirdly what heauens shall passe away and how at the last day and whether the earth shall be consumed Fourthly what new heauens and earth shall be and for what vse because he saith We expect a new heauen and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousnesse To the first I finde that most of the Fathers anciently held that one day is said to be as 1000. yeares and reciprocally 1000. yeares as one day because as in six dayes the world was in making so it shall stand 6000. yeares Ierom saith that both in the Psal 90.2 from whence this is taken and in this of Peter Hieron Epist 139. ad Cyprian Ego arbitror ex that therfore 1000. yeares are said to be as one day because the world shall endure so many thousand yeares as it was dayes in making hoc Psal ex Epist quae nomine Petri inscribitur 1000. annos pro vna de solites appellari vtse quia mundus in 6. diebus fabricatus 6000. tantuÌ„ annorum â—redatur subsistere postea venire septenarium numerum octonarium in quo verus exercetur Sabbatismus circumcisionis puritas redditur and afterwards commeth the number of seauen and eight wherein the true Sabbath is exercised and the purity of circumcision restored Iustin Martyr lib. qu. ad gentes qu. 17. Ex plerisque Scripturae verbis intelligere licet verum pronunciare eos qui 6000. annorum esse tempus nunc ab orbe condito tradunt Iustin Martyr saith we may by many places of Scripture gather that they say truly who deliuer that the time from the beginning of the world is 6000. yeares Jren. lib. 5. aduers haeres cap. vlt. Lact. lib. 7. institut cap 7. Ireneus also saith the same and Lactantius writing to the Philosopher speaketh largely of it and Hilary Can. 17. in Matth. and Germanus Episcopus Constantinopolitanus de Theoria ecclesiast rerum And as Christian Fathers so Heathen Writers haue deliuered the same as Lactantius sheweth both Hydaspes Mercurius Tresmegistus and the Sybills And amongst the Hebrewes there is a most antient tradition of Elias the Prophet Talmud ordine 4. Tract 4. cui titulus est sanedrin which is in their Talmud in these words The world shall be 6000. yeares and then it shall be destroyed 2000. of inanity 2000. of the Law and 2000. of the Messiah But Ambrose oppugneth this opinion because euen in his time he saith that 6000. yeares were expired but he was deceiued in the account by following the Greekes Ambros lib. 7. in Lâ—c. as almost all Ecclesiasticall Writers then did and yet he did not follow the Septuagints exactly for by their account Christ was borne anno Mundi 5099. so that in his time liuing anno Domini 400. there remained yet 500. yeares to come according to the former reckoning Lactantius also who was for the 6000. yeares before spoken of was plainly hereby deceiued for hee held that there were not aboue 200. yeares from his time to the end of the world For according to the Hebrew account which is the truest Christ was borne anno Mundi 3962. so that if the world shall be determined at the end of 6000. yeares 382. yeares are yet to come But I finde that most Expositors now a daies both Protestant and Popish doe censure that opinion of 6000. yeares Aug. de Ciuit. lib. 20. cap. 7. and Augustine also though sometime he seemeth to speake for it as where about the 1000. yeares of Satans being bound he saith Mille anni duobus modis intelligi possunt aut qua in vltimis annis 1000. ista res agitur i. sexto annorum trillenario tanquam sexta die secutoro dein Sabbato quod non habet vesperam aut 1000. annos pro omnibus huins saeculi annis pusuit August in Psal 90. Nec attenderunt quod dictum est tanquam dies vnus qui praeterijt non enim quando hoc dictum est soli 1000. anni praeterieraut quod eos debuit maximè admonere illud est aut vigilia in nocte neque enim fient de 6. diebus aliquid veri simile videntur opinari propter 6. dies primos quibus Deus perfecit opera sua sic etiam 6. vigilias i. horas 18. possuntilli opinationi coaptare this 1000. seemeth to me to be the last of the 6000. answering to the 6. dayes after which a Sabbath shall follow that shall neuer haue end Yet vpon Psal 90. where hee speaketh of it purposely hee saith Some men presuming vpon the knowledge of times haue defined that this world shall haue an end in 6000. yeares as it was made in 6. dayes when as Christ said to his Disciples it is not for you to know the times and seasons There is no ground here for this opinion for the comparison is not betwixt 6. dayes and 6000. yeares but between a day that is past and 1000. yeares yea betweene a watch in the night
shall goe into Heauen the wicked into Hell the creatures shall be consumed with the fire Vers 13. It is said We looke for a new Heauen and a new Earth wherein dwelleth righteousnesse Beza that is as Beza hath it either which are the habitation of the iust or an immunity from iniustice and iniquity whereas the Heauens and the Earth that now are are stained with all manner of sinne or lastly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may haue reference to vs in whom the righteousnesse of Christ dwelleth by Faith This last is too much strained but the first is most genuine the Author of all holinesse and righteousnesse dwelleth there and none with him but his Saints and holy Angels These and all such shall dwell in this new Earth and Heauens and because hee speaketh of them in the present tense wherein dwelleth righteousnesse and it is certaine that the new heauen the abode of God and of his Angels is now it is probable that the new earth is now also but as the one so the other lyeth hid from our eyes vntill the time shall come when these visible heauens and earth being done away they shall appeare being rightly called a new heauen and a new earth because neuer appearing before Luther in 2 Pet. 3. Coelum terra in vnum Paradisum cessura sunt in qua Deus habitabit electicum eo Aug. de Ciuit. lib. 20. cap. 16. Illa conflagratione mundana elementorum corruptibilium qualitates quae corruptibilibus congruebant ardendo penitùs inter ibunt Atque ipsa substantia eas qualitates habebit quae corporibus immortalibus mirabili mutatione conuenient vt sc mundus in melius innouatus aptè accomodetur hominibus etiam carne in melius in innouatis And if the heauens and the earth to come be such eleuated farre aboue all these heauens which we see it may easily be conceiued to what vse the new earth shall be viz. together with the new heauens for the habitation of the Saints the one not being remote but contiguous to the other as shall be vsefull for the incorruptible life to come as Oecumenius hath partly touched before And Augustine more fully saith By that burning of the world the qualities of the corruptible elements which did agree with our corruptible bodies shall be quite consumed by burning and the substance it selfe shall haue such qualities which shall agree with immortall bodies by a wonderfull change that the world being renued vnto better may fitly agree vnto men being renued vnto better in their bodies In these words that learned Father acknowledgeth such a condition of the earth to come as shall agree to immortall and incorruptible bodies though hee seemeth to hold that this same earth shall be the new earth when it is thus altered and changed and therefore that the Saints shall haue it for their habitation But because it is said 1 Thes 4. that wee shall be taken vp and euer remaine with the Lord and the habitation of the Saints is aboue I thinke that this earth shall not be their habitation but rather a new Heauen and a new Earth aboue which comming in stead of this Earth and Heauen which we now see Rom. 8. the whole creation is said to be restored to the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God because in the whole world that then shall be there shall be no generation and corruption no vanity as now That conceit of those that hold that Infants dying without Baptisme shall inhabit here I leaue to the Authors of it the Pelagians as Augustine sheweth Aug. de haer c. 88. Ambros de statu puer orum sine baptis mort neere vnto which is that of Ambrose holding that they shall enioy an earthly Paradise followed by Catharinus Albertus and Pighius For this is a meere humane inuention without any ground in the Word of God because they could not conceiue how otherwise this Earth should be inhabited Note hence Note that it is neuer a whit the more improbable that the Lord will come to iudgement because it hath beene so long a time since it hath beene spoken of as being at hand and yet is not come for 1000. yeeres are but as a day yea as a watch in the night all this delay therefore is but as it were of a day or two and so that time is neuerthelesse to be expected to the terrour of wicked men that contemne it and tremble not at the hearing of it Note againe that though the Lord damneth many to hell Note yet he is not willing so to doe his desire is rather that all should repent and be saued as he declareth by sending the meanes amongst them Note lastly Note how vaine all these things are which we see the time shall come when they shall be made but fuell for the fire and therefore let vs not set our hearts vpon them but be lifted vp in our desires to those things aboue and be iust and righteous in all our dealings for so much as nothing but righteousnesse shall inhabit there CHAP. 3. VERS 15. And count the long suffering of our Lord saluation as our beloued brother Paul hath written vnto you as also in all his Epistles speaking in them of these things wherein or amongst which some things are hard to be vnderstood c. There is nothing betwixt this Text and that before going Mâ—yâ—r but an exhortation Study to be found vnspotted and vnblameable before him in peace Vers 14. Tho. Aquinas Lyran. the first of which some referre to outward pollutions of the body the second to the inward defilements of the minde but I subscribe rather to those that hold them to be synonima two words vsed to expresse one and the same thing a freedome from all inquination of sinne and vnrighteousnesse seeing the righteous only shall inhabit the new Heauen and Earth Th. Aquinas In peace that is hauing peace with God he being reconciled vnto you vpon your true conuersion so as that when this terrible time shall come ye may with comfort looke vp vnto him Rom. 5.1 or else it may be vnderstood of a peaceable and quiet life without taking part with those that contentiously oppose the truth of Gods Word as the scoffers before spoken of for the true Christian preferreth peace and vnity and without any opposition doth quietly rest in the receiued doctrine of the Christian Religion not hauing any hand in making strife and brangles hereabout Or lastly a respect may here be had to the time of the Lords comming which should be full of tumult and trouble the wicked then running hither and thither and being at their wits end by reason of that terrible burning but such as leade an holy and blamelesse life shall stand as in a time of peace without such terrour hauing a minde within them resolued of Gods loue and fauour and so that all the appearing terrors shall turne to their comfort According
long time Some vnderstand the time of the reigne of the ten persecuting Emperours a Brightman Some precisely but ten dayes Lastly some the ten yeeres of Traians persecution who raged all that time like a Deuill till that by Pliny the second writing vnto him of the innumerable company of Christians that were put to death a cessation was obtained Yet one will haue it referred to the ten yeeres of Dioclesians persecution Fox for that lasted iust ten yeeres according to Eusebius For mine owne part I preferre that exposition of the ten persecuting Emperours euery ones time being his day and their times are said to be but ten dayes that is but a short time to comfort the faithfull in their sufferings and because with the Lord many yeeres are but as a day A long time cannot be meant because this would haue greatly discomforted them nor an vncertaine time for the comfort of the faithfull in their sufferings is that God limiteth the time of their sufferings to the very day beyond which they shall not passe For Traians time they had their persecutions as sharply repeated ouer againe after it and for Dioclesians it were much that comfort should not bee spoken to them against any before for though no persecution were so terrible yet they were all terrible enough to shake their faith had they not beene supported with this comfort that they should haue but ten such brunts and then be deliuered Touching the different title giuen to the reward here promised Vers 12. He shall not be hurt of the second death this serueth to arme them against the feare of death bodily according to the argument of the Epistle and as hath beene already touched THe third Epistle is to the Church of Pergamus The third Epistle contained in six verses 12 13 14 15 16 17. wherein their constancy in the faith is commended and the following of the doctrine of Balaam condemned with an admonition to repent vnder paine of being stricken with his sword and incouragement to ouercome by the hidden Manna and a white stone with a name written thereon promised Quest 1. Why is the Lord set forth here Vers 12. as hauing a sharpe two-edged sword Answ Because as all agree he is to deale with rebels against the truth whom hee threateneth to cut off with the sword One hath a conceit vpon the name Pergamus signifying the diuision of hornes Gorran because Heretikes haue two hornes to push at the truth one is the wresting of the Scriptures the other is their sophistry in arguing against which a two-edged sword is opposed Quest 2. What is meant by Satans throne Vers 13. which he saith was there and who was Antipas his faithfull Martyr Answ I omit to speake any thing of the Angell of this Church because I finde nothing said of him who it should be Satans throne according to most argueth the height of impiety and sin and his dwelling the continued course hereof and withall the outward eminency of this place For the seat of the persecuting Emperors is called afterwards the throne of the dragon Chap. 13.2 and of the Deuill and Satan Chap. 12.9 so that it may hence be gathered that Pergamus was a royall city and so it was indeed for it was the seat of Attalus Philometor a king after that of the Roman Proconsuls Liu. Decad. 4. l. 7. And most notoriously sinfull this city was for it was giuen to idolatry according to Arethas more than any city in Asia Antipas as Arethas thinketh was a Pastour of that Church burnt to death in a brazen bull for the profession of the Christian religion whereby they could not yet be made to shrinke But God still had a Church there and why not then in the midst of Popery If it be obiected if there were any many yeeres agoe it was inuisible so as this Church was not I answer it might be so indeed and yet true that there was such a Church as in the dayes of Elias but it was not so inuisible but that the Antichrist of Rome could finde them out in all ages to put them to martyrdome Quest 3. What is meant by holding the doctrine of Balaam Vers 14. Thou hast there such as hold the doctrine of Balaam Answ Here is not onely made mention of Balaam but vers 15. of the Nicolaitans also which whether it be a taxation of two vices or of one diuersly expressed some make question But it is most likely by the manner of speaking Parous that it is onely declared by this circumlo quution wherein the wickednesse of the Nicolaitans did consist which was before passed ouer in silence After the maner of Balaam they were Authors to the Christians of eating things offered to idols and of fornication for so the sequele of the History of Balaam doth declare Num. 22.23 24. that he aduised Balaak to set faire women to call the Hebrewes to their idolatrous feasts and thence to luxury For this doth so necessarily append vpon the other that Ierome hath rightly said Venter vino aestuans citò despumatin libidinem Vicina sunt venter genitalia pro vicinitate membrorum sequitur confoederatio vitiorum Vers 17. The bellie boiling with wine doth soone seeth ouer into lust And againe The belly and the genitals are neere together and therefore through the vicinitie of members followeth a confederation of vices Quest 4. Why is eternall blisse here propounded vnder the name of hidden Manna and a white stone two names or two wayes when as other Epistles propound but one Answ Most Expositors obserue three wayes of setting forth the reward here the hidden Manna the white stone and the name written in it vnknowne to any saue to him that hath it But they may well come vnder two because this name is comprehended in the second For the diuers rewards named more than in other Epistles before going the like course is vsed also in the three Epistles next following but I finde nothing by Expositors obserued hereupon but onely that this is spoken according to the necessity of these Churches being more oppressed by the wicked aduersaries and so hauing more temptations where almost all were enemies Whereunto if we adde that more is here spoken for the amplifying of the benefit promised we shall attaine to the full reason of this variety More particularly the reward is compared to hidden Manna that is the pot of Manna kept in the Arke for a monument of what God had done for the Israelites in feeding them miraculously in the wildernes with Manna when other food falled it is said to be hidden because the people might not looke into the Arke to see it Exod. 16.33 Heb. 9.4 To this Manna it is alluded here because as that was ministred vnto the people of Israel in the wildernesse so they were preserued when in mans reason they must needs haue perished for want of food so the
it as a comfort in suffering seeing when a man hath suffered death for Christ he is receiued vnder his wing being conformable to him in being sacrificed they rest and are safe with him for euer Some expound the Altar of Christs humanity Bernard serm 4. Omnium sanct which the faithfull are receiued vnto now it being reserued till the last day to giue them the full fruition of his diuinity also Some by the Altar vnderstand the places of the martyrs buriall or sufferings Ribera Viegas because Altars were wont to be built vpon them and the crying of their soules they will haue to be none other but as the crying of Ables bloud where it was spilt and soules are spoken of by a phrase vsuall so many men being called so many soules But this is a meere Iesuiticall imagination seeing Altars vpon martyrs sepulchres were of a later edition and though so many men be often called so many soules yet when the soules of any that are slaine are named it cannot bee so taken Whereas most stand for Christ meant by the Altar I should willingly incline to thinke so to but that Christ yet standeth as a Lambe and therefore I cannot see how he can at the same time bee represented by an Altar also I conclude therefore as I began that by the appearance of an Altar is represented their sacrificing when they suffered the place wherein they now are being heauen the common receptacle of all faithfull soules but said to bee vnder the Altar to denote the manner of their death neither doth Iohn see them with his bodily eyes but being in the spirit And fidy doe the soules of the martyred appeare after such a number slaine by cruell enemies crying for vengeance not vocally for soules doe not vtter voyces but vertually the destroying and murthering of them hauing a loud cry in the eares of God so that a desire of reuenge in them is amisse surmised to bee from hence who being in the flesh had so much loue as that they prayed for their persecutors and were farre from the spirit of reuenge But they are brought in crying aloud for the terrour of persecutors seeing the cryes of such shall without doubt bee regarded though in respect of many more yet in these times of corruption to bee crowned also with martyrdome a delay to bemade Whereupon it is that their answer is also set forth in this manner And thus I haue briefly resolued the rest of the doubts without delaying the reader by the diuersity of expositions Pareus Brightman Chrysost Hom. in Psal 9. August Serm. 30. detemp some interpreting their cry for reuenge to be onely for deliuerance of the Church from persecutors hauing beene already so long oppressed and some for the taking away of this malice out of mens mindes that there may bee no more persecuting by confounding such Kings and Potentates that they may bee brought to turne vnto Christ The white robes giuen vnto them Bullinger Brightman howsoeuer some contend that they were signes of some comfort and breathing time which the Church should haue and had about this time according to their exposition yet both the plaine speech which is vsed in answering them is against it for they are told of their brethren that must be slaine also and white robes are neuer spoken of in this sense Pareus but to set forth heauenly glory which is not to be thought now first to haue been giuen vnto them but immediatly vpon their departure out of this life when their deaths began first to cry though it was not represented in vision till now so that euen when they cry they are in the midst of heauenly ioyes and without all passion of sorrow onely they are not perfectly glorified till the whole company being made vp at the day of iudgement being reunited to their bodies they shall reigne in heauen for euer wherefore they are bidden rest till their fellow seruants were slaine also And well doth this cry come in after the fourth seale representing the corruptions in the Church fighting against the truth because this persecution hath beene longer than any before it and therefore needfull it was to tell of martyrs which had beene already made crying out and of such as should yet bee made when it might seeme to bee full time to put an end to these miseries that expecting so long a continuance wee might arme our selues with patience Quest 3. The sixt seale being opened Vers 12. there was a great earthquake and the Sunne became blacke as haire cloth and the Moone as bloud c. What is meant by these things and whether the day of iudgement or no Answ Most Expositors hold that the day of iudgment is here described Fox Richard de Sancto victore Pannonius Primasius Beda Rupertus Arethas c. when the reuenge before cryed for is taken vpon all sorts of persecutors of the Church and the words here vsed are nothing else but a periphrasis vpon this day for thus the Lord setteth forth the day of iudgement Luk. 21.11 There shall be great earth-quakes in diuers places Vers 25. There shall be fignes in the Sunne Moone and Starres and vpon the earth distresse of nations with perplexity Vers 26. Mens hearts failing them for feare c. and more expresly Mark 13.24 The Sun shall be darkened the Moone shall not giue her light 25. The starres of heauen shall fall and the powers of heauen shall be shaken The Sun shall be darkened because it shall no more giue light to this world the Moone shall be turned into bloud to shew the great destruction that then shall be the stars shall fall there being no further vse of them when men shall cease to bee here euen as the leaues of the figtree fall off when there is no further need of them to couer the figs. The heauens are as a booke folded vp when they lofe all their light being as it were clapt together whereas now it standeth open That which followeth of the mountaines and ilands remouing out of their places is to shew the greatnes of this earth-quake euen to the destroying of the earth Then all wicked men how great soeuer they haue beene in this world shall quake and feare being vnable to beare the wrath to come vpon them set foorth in their calling to the mountaines to fall vpon them c. Blas Viegas Who also saith that many Doctors expound this thus Brightman Grasser Others will haue these things vnderstood allegorically the great earth-quake of the great persecution vnder Dioclesian being in all parts of the earth at once then say they the Sun of righteousnesse Christ was darkened in his members the Moone the Church appeared like bloud being all bloudy with slaughters the starres the ministers of God many of them fell for feare from Christianity to idolatry the heâ—uen the Church was folded vp as a booke hiding it selfe for feare at that time and the inhabitants of
compelled to carry vnreasonable burthens and if being oppressed with the weight they went slowly they were whipt with whips full of iron prickes that put them to exceeding great torment Then they which before had beene rulers of the world were made slaues vnto a barbarous people For Augustulus was compelled by them to deuest himselfe of his imperiall robes and to goe into banishment the Empire in the West being thence forward ruled by Odoacer the King of the Rugians and Theodoricus of the Goths and his successors till that Etius being sent by the Emperour of the East cut them quite off from hauing any dominion more And yet neither then were they free from the oppression of strangers for the Longobards brought in by the said Etius obtained the Kingdome of Italy and ruled for the space of aboue two hundred yeeres till the time of Charles the great All which History that it may be vnderstood the better I haue thought good to transcribe hither as I finde it to haue beene by others collected together I haue already touched Valens his bringing in of the Goths into the East to his owne ruine about ann 380. After him reigned Theodosius sixteene yeeres all which time that sauage Nation was able to doe no great hurt But in the daies of Arcadius and Honorius the sonnes of Theodosius they came in great multitudes especially into the west where Honorius reigned For Radagisus King of the Goths came in the eighteenth yeere of his reigne into Italy with 200000. men ann 409. but this great multitude being dispersed and perishing by famine he came to a miserable end but fiue yeeres after Alaricus who succeeded him besieged and tooke Rome and spoiled it and the rest of Italy Adaulphus succeeded him and tooke Rome the second time After him Genscricus came with 500000. and tooke Rome the third time ann 445. After this Odoacer King of the Rugians tooke Rome and quite ouerthrew the Empire reigning in Italy fourteene yeeres Against him came Theodoricus King of the Goths sent by Zeno Emperour of the East who ouercomming him reigned in Italy three and thirty yeeres Atalaricus succeeded him and reigned eight yeeres then Theodatus two yeeres and he being deposed Vitiges was made King and reigned fiue yeeres he being taken prisoner by Bellisarius a Captaine sent by Iustinian Emperour of the East Totilas succeeded vnder whom and Vitiges his predecessor Italy and Rome indured infinite miseries Totilas tooke Rome the fifth time and razed it to the ground burning all with fire fourteene dayes together and so the Citizens being left harbourlesse wandred about the fields of Campania hee reigned ten yeeres and then Etius another famous Captaine being sent against him he was ouercome and an end was put to the Kingdome of the Goths These times being computed together from the eighteenth yeere of Honorius when these Locusts beganne first to swarme in Italy vnder Radagisus vnto Totilas the last King of the Goths will appeare to be about 150 yeeres For the eighteenth yeere of Honorius when Radagisus came was the fourth of Theodosius of the East who reigned 38. yeeres after Martianus 7. Leo 17. Zeno 17. vnder whose reigne Odoacer beganne and reigned 14. yeeres Theodoricus 33. Atalaricus 8. Theodatus more than 2. Vitiges 5. an inter regnum after that Bellisarius had ouerthrowne Vitiges 2. Totilas 10. From Radagisus then to the end of Zenoes reigne are 80. yeeres when the Roman Empire was put downe in Augustulus which time I reckon by the easterne Emperours because that after Honorius who reigned 29. yeeres Valentmian the third onely reigned 30. yeeres but after him there were many which stood so short a time and were so vnhappy in their reignes as that their times are not counted as namely Auitus Richimex Maioranus Senerus Anthemius Olibrius Gliceriâ—s Nepos Orestes Augustulus From Odoacer to the end of Totilas are 74. yeeres which being put vnto the former 80. amount to 154. Now it is to be noted that the Kingdome of these strangers was some yeeres before the end of Zenoes Empire before spoken of and the time of Theodatus might be two or three yeeres more than are reckoned wherefore we may deduct out of this some fiue or six yeeres because this change was vnder Zeno and so the time will be 148. vnto which if we adde againe the foresaid two or three the whole will be about 150. from ann 409. to ann 559. This ground being thus laid all things will most excellently agree to these troubles For first the Deuill who is a murtherer from the beginning in times past a Lucifer but fallen is by God appointed for a punishment of heresie to bring in an infinite multitude of strangers and this is his opening of the bottomlesse pit because the purpose of spoiling wasting and destroying is from hell These are compared to Locusts darkning the aire through their multitude as in Egypt both because they had no certaine place of habitation but preyed vpon others and because they were not of any great power to hurt but by reason of their great multitudes They hurt like Scorpions because when Valens first brought them in they came as helpers but after a while they proued most mischieuous to Christendome as the Scorpion looketh pleasantly and putteth to no paine at the first till after three daies when the torments of his stinging are most grièuous and kill for which cause also their sting is said to be in their taile Yet there is a difference from the Scorpions sting in that these only torment and kill not and torment such onely as want the marke of God in their forehead For though many in these warres were slaine yet the Empire was but wounded as it were and not for euer destroyed seeing after a certaine time it reuiued againe And it is the state in generall whereof it is spoken when he saith That they should not kill but torment them As for the exception of the sealed ones whereas it may seeme that they were hurt most for so much as the Orthodox were most peresecuted by the Goths being partly after a time drawne to be Arrians This exception I take it is made to note that such as were not sealed but turned away after Heresie were the cause of this mischiefe neither could the Elect receiue any dammage hereby seeing all outward calamities suffered for Gods sake are turned to an inward aduantage vnto them The time of fiue moneths being resolued into daies is iust the foresaid terme of 150. yeeres a yeere being vnderstood by a day as is frequent in prophesies It may also bee applied vnto the fiue times of Romes vanquishment in the compasse of these yeeres The state being thus often ouerturned and they who were wont to bee Lords of all into seruitude reduced their houses fired their wiues rauished their riches comming into the possession of others and themselues exposed to extreme pouerty and want harbourlesse and comfortlesse no maruell though they desired
hereby shew that in the time of light for a long time the Pope should haue the most followers still By treading vnder foot is meant their subiection to the Papacy and the maintainers of Popery are called Gentiles because in their idolatries and ceremonies most like vnto them One hath a singular opinion by himselfe touching this Court and these Gentiles for hee vnderstandeth the Turkes Fox and the nations subiect vnto them these are left out because when the Church should be reedified in these latter dayes this reedifying should not extend vnto them but they should be vnder the heathen Turkes For mine owne part I am much affected with this last but so as that I thinke the Papists are not to be excluded who keepe a great part of the Christian world vnder their superstitions also as the Turke doth vnder his wherefore I resolue that both are here meant the Turkes are Gentiles because out of the Israel of God the Papists are Gentiles because idolatrous and superstitious like the Gentiles They together then tread vnder foot the court of Gods house by holding vnder the greatest part of the world which formerly hath beene Christian euen still in these dayes of light the one in the East the other in the West 3. Touching the time of two and forty moneths some vnderstand a short time Bullenger Pareus c. Centur. Mag. deburg Iunius but indefinite 1. Some vnderstand the time when the outer Court should thus be troden vnder foot by the Pope and so they count from the beheading of Iohn Baptist resoluing these moneths into dayes 1260. and reckoning them for yeeres vnto Boniface the eight ann 1294. out of which foure and thirty being deducted being the age of Christ not long before whom Iohn suffered there will remaine 1260. 2. One reckoning these moneths by dayes Brightman and taking the dayes for yeeres not according to the Iulian account whereby two and forty moneths make 1278. dayes but according to the Aegyptian falling short in this summe eighteene dayes of the Iulian will haue the time accounted so much short of 1260. as it exceedeth by the Iulian account and so vnderstandeth here 1242. Iulian yeeres which time hee beginneth in the dayes of Constantine ann 304. and extendeth it to the Councell of Trent ann 1546. All this time the outer Court was troden vnder foot through the heresies that preuailed and the two witnesses the old and new Testament prophesied in sackcloth but then they were killed by the authorizing of one corrupt translation onely and falsifying their Expositors who had anciently giuen life vnto them by their sound expositions 3. Another vnderstandeth the time of the Turkes tyrannizing Fox from Ottoman to the last that shall be which he reckoneth by Sabbaths of yeeres making euery month such a Sabbath as Daniel doth a weeke and so the whole summe of yeeres 294. But experience sheweth this to be but a coniecture because the Turkish tyranny continueth still it being now farre past the time thus calculated For Ottoman was ann 1300. vnto which adde 294. and it will amount but to 1594. As for that of Brightman it were to bee wished that it were so for according to his account we should soone bee deliuered both from Turke and Pope who I feare haue a longer time to continue than he imagined But here is both a difference of eighteene yeeres and the two and forty moneths of the Popish Gentiles doe not thus agree much part of this time the Church being put to it and the Scriptures wronged by the Aâ—rians and other Heretikes and not by this Antichristian sect who are not obserued to haue gotten such an head till about Ann. 600. Of the second opinion there is lesse probability seeing it is not set downe when this treading vnder foot should be but how long it should endure And as for the first exposition it were strange that no certaine time should be meant here being measured out thus by so many moneths and dayes when as both in Daniel and Ieremie and other Prophets it hath alwaies beene found that a certaine number named hath noted out a certaine time Pareus mentioneth this as being followed by some and most approued by himselfe if a certaine time be here determined There is another exposition therefore onely remaining whereby so many yeeres are meant as there are daies in 42. moneths that is as the Spirit of God immediatly directeth vs 1260. according to the Egyptian account reckoning thirty daies to a moneth for by this account it is most probable also that the Lord would haue vs goe because Egypt is afterwards here mentioned The time then of the Turkes tyranny must be 1260. yeeres and as Turke and Pope haue the same beginning and continuance for History sheweth that they beganne together and as 42. moneths setting forth thus long a time are here iointly ascribed to the Gentiles treading the Lords holy City vnder foot so Chap. 1â— 42 are particularly ascribed vnto the Pope Now the time of both their beginnings is notoriously known to be ann 606. then Mahomet broched his Alchoran and Boniface the third obtained of Phocas to be vniuersall Bishop If then we reckon from hence by adding to 1260. the end of their time will fall out ann 1866. The Locusts were a plague but of fiue moneths but by these the Church is exercised more than foure times double thus much onely the comfort is the Temple c. is measured to signifie the preseruation of the Church especially after the opening of the Booke so that there shall still be certaine Nations so defended from them as that the truth shall be there maintained during this whole time The Lord Iesus vnder whose Banner we fight and for whose honour we stand suffer not his Temple to be any more by Pope or Turke inuaded or lessened in the number of those that worship in it till the full time of the destruction of these deadly enemies shall come and of the Lords taking of all the Kingdomes into his owne hands but rather increase this number taking pity vpon the infinite multitude of poore seduced soules and giue vs all faith and patience whatsoeuer he hath appointed vs to suffer for his truth and if the time of this affliction be yet appointed thus long to come he shorten it for his Elects sake Mat. 24. as he promised to doe touching the time of the siege of Ierusalem Touching the two witnesses vers 3. of whom it is said I will giue vnto my two witnesses and they shall prophesie I see no reason why Beza should reade as he doth I will giue it vnto my two witnesses as if he meant to giue the City vnto them for the sense is plaine as most agree I will giue the gift or spirit vnto them and they shall prophesie The greatest doubt is who are meant by these two witnesses I haue already touched the common tenent of the Papists holding them to bee Enoch and
out of the Sea or out of the earth as chap. 13. and not out of the bottomlesse pit as in this place Touching the time it is said When they shall finish their testimony he shall make warre Pareus c. This is well resolued by those which hold that howsoeuer he shall oppose them all the time of their prophesying yet he shall not preuaile to kill them till they haue finished the worke for which they were sent namely to giue testimony to the truth For it cannot be imagined that these instruments of the Deuill would permit quietly the witnesses of the truth so long a time as was before set downe viz. 1260. daies but so soone as euer they began to prophesie these beginne to fight against them although the Lord for whom they stand will not suffer them to bee ouercome and slaine till they haue fully ended that worke for which he sent them So that this is not to be vnderstood as it may seeme at the first to be done at the end of the fore-described time of a 1260. daies but within the compasse of this time as each witnesse hath finished his testimony which hee was sent to giue And therefore it is to be noted that he saith not when the time of their prophesying shall be expired but when they shall finish their testimony The whole succession then of witnesses is to be vnderstood by these two who are all this time their office being done some martyred after other some to the end of the time intimated in the 1260. daies Some applying all this passage another way vnderstand by the finishing of their testimony the end of the whole time Brightman Fox which is vnreasonable and discrepant from all types and descriptions of the Antichristian rage For in all numbrings both here and elsewhere there is an admirable consent about three mysticall yeeres and an halfe sometime called 42. moneths sometime 1260. daies sometime three daies and an halfe sometime a time times and halfe a time that Antichristianisme should buckle with and preuaile against the truth but after this time ended there is not a syllable of any more hostility so that if this be taken of some time after these three yeeres and an halfe ended murdering and killing must be expected still this storme being quite blowne ouer which is far from the Lords meaning who hath expressed most plainly the contrary Elias his shutting of the Heauen was also three yeeres and an halfe Antiochus Epiphanes his causing of the daily sacrifice to cease three yeeres and an halfe the time of Christs preaching here three yeeres and an halfe an Antitype or Parallel to which is all the time of the Antichristian rage and of the witnesses prophesying in sack-cloth And hereby it appeareth further that no two particular men are meant here because thus Antichrists time must be somewhat longer than the allotted two and forty moneths for otherwise hee could not kill them after his testimony finished which they are giuing all this time nor insult three daies and an halfe ouer their dead bodies But the foresaid Authors conceiue another meaning of this place as hath beene already shewed Fox One saith that the time of the Councell of Constance is here measured out which was three yeeres and an halfe at the end of which the two famous witnesses of the truth Iohn Husse and Ierome of Prague were slaine being vildly intreated all that time and had their dead bodies cast out vnburied according to the Letter for three daies and an halfe their enemies all this time triumphing for their victory but hearing of the constancy of the Bohemians in cleauing to their doctrine they were stricken with feare as if they had beene reuiued againe Brightman The other expoundeth it of the time from Constantine the great till the Councell of Trent at which the holy Scriptures were put downe whereas the Papals had great ioy for a time this was done ann 1546. and certaine moneths and ann 1550. the Magdâ—burgians shewed some life and spirit againe opposing the said Councell and so manfully behauing themselues that the enemies were put into great feare I haue already shewed my reasons why I cannot consent to either of these expositions Sleid. lâ—b 22. It is threescore and ten yeeres agone and vpward since the Councell of Trent and much longer since the Councell of Constance and yet the Court of the Temple is trodden vnder foot by the Gentiles and great Massacres haue beene in France and England and other places in this time so that if this were the meaning it should also haue beene set forth how the Witnesses of God had beene put to death againe and againe since that time whereas the next thing that followeth is the ruine of the City and the transferring of Kingdomes to the Lord certainly the Court and holy City should thus long agone haue ceased to haue beene trodden vnder foot and not haue continued in this afflicted estate as they doe still As for their exposing of the dead bodies in the street vers 8 9. for the space of three daies an halfe Bullinger Pareus Fox they resolue it wel that apply it vnto the vsage of the dead bodies of many of Gods faithfull seruants at sundry times which they haue not suffered to be interred as the dead bodies of Iohn Husse and Ierome of Prague the dead bodies of those that were massacred in Paris when they had made the poore Protestants secure vpon a marriage the bodies of such generally amongst them as haue not by auticular confession by penance and extreme vnction reconciled themselues vnto them before their death for they deny them all Christian buriall The time of three daies and an halfe as all consent is put for a short time and the rather is this short time thus set forth to keepe Analogy with the other descriptions of this time halfe a mysticall weeke of dayes with halfe a mysticall weeke of yeeres This then is the very same time with the two and forty moneths and 1260. daies but varying in word as best befitteth the keeping of dead bodies vnburied The sense is that in the time before set forth by 42. moneths and 1260. daies as the faithfull should be killed so they should be kept vnburied in greater detestation Brightman Brightman contendeth that this must needs be a different time but he taketh for granted which I cannot yeeld that by that passage going before when they haue finished their prophesie c. is meant the finishing of their whole time But seeing it is clearely meant another way as I haue shewed already there is no such necessity to make three daies and an halfe a diuers time but another description of the same time wherein their cruelty should not be determined in killing only but in exposing the dead bodies of the faithfull vnburied The place is said to be the street of Sodome and Egypt Vers 8. spiritually so called where our Lord
eft soones prepared for their suppression though many thankes be God in such Nations as wherein the liberty of the truth hath beene maintained haue beene out of their Gunshot Neither haue their preparations been in vaine for they both haue and still doe daily kill many And therefore I cannot see how any time already past can agree to that which is here figured out here being no intimation of any more opposition destruction but of fearing and fainting on the Antichristian part till they come to ruine In my poore iudgement therefore here is set forth what shall bee at the end of the halfe weeke before described by two and forty moneths and by 1260. daies making halfe a mysticall weeke of yeeres and three daies and an halfe being as all know halfe a weeke for so the Text precisely saith at the end of the three daies and an halfe And what shall be then Verily an exaltation of the truth no where to bee trodden vnder foot any more In the time of the Gentiles power when some witnesses are slaine others are raised vp but for so much as they are also impugned and many of them slaine I vnderstand the whole succession of witnesses by the two who were made Martyrs some after other some But when this tragicall time shall be ouer they shall be raised vp not to be sought against and to fall any more but to terrifie the aduersaries to propagate the truth finally to be made partakers of the kingdome of Heauen here signified by their being called vp and ascending in a cloud a speech plainly alluding to that of the Apostle 1 Thes 4.17 We that are aliue shall be caught vp together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the aire and so shall euer bee with the Lord. Now this ascending is subioined immediatly after their being raised vp and before the fall of the great City not for that these things shall be done in this order for then some which see that fall and repent should bee conuerted at the day of iudgement which is no time for that but the Argument touching the exaltation of the faithfull is prosecuted together to the last according to the vsuall manner of Scripture ioyning all things touching one and the same Argument together though happening at diuers times and then commeth in that of the iudgement of enemies It is therefore to be vnderstood that the seruants of God shall preuaile and the true Religion shall flourish whereat feare shall come vpon the enemies neither shall they haue power to make resistance any more but in stead of being murthered as in times past they shall to their comfort stand in expectation of the great Day of the Lord when they shall be taken vp in the Clouds and euer remaine in blisse with the Lord. And thus their ascending is also vnderstood by Bullinger and Fox Bullinger Fox After this it is proceeded to the iudgements against the aduersaries when the truth shall be thus exalted a great Earthquake shall shake the great City there shall be a wonderfull commotion in the world they which are for the truth taking courage vnto them and assaulting the contrary part of the Papals and Mahumetans and then their hearts failing them for feare being vnable any longer to withstand the force of the Orthodox the tenth part shall fall away from that City whereof they held before becomming professors of the truth Hest 8.17 as in the daies of Mordecai men became Iewes for feare and of those which yet harden themselues 7000. that is a great multitude shall be slaine Ios 10.11 God fighting against them as hee did sometime against the Canaanites The residue seeing this shall relent and acknowledging their errors embrace the truth thus giuing glory to God Ios 7. as once Ioshua bade Achan giue glory to God and tell the truth All which they suffered before could not make them that suruiued repent as was shewed Chap. 9. v. 20. so that here it being spoken of them in another phrase their repentance must needs be intimated and in this particular most Interpreters agree The whole drift of St. Augustine de Ciuitate Dei is to shew that here haue alwaies beene two Cities the City of God and of the Deuill this city of the Deuill comprehendeth the whole state of the Gentiles in the present sense a Catastrophe whereof shall be when the two and forty moneths appointed are ended no professed enemies to the truth bearing rule in any place being any more after this fatall blow to bee found but as there is one God so there shall be one Religion all ouer the world There will bee perhaps some peruerse sectaries still being frozen in the dregs of superstition till the glorious comming of the Lord to iudgement which cannot then be farre off and of this remainder it may bee that the Apostle speaketh 1 Thes 2.8 that the Lord will destroy by the brightnesse of his comming And thus haue I by the grace of God gone thorow this long darke and obscure way let the learned consider iudge and if I haue erred herein I shall willingly vpon demonstration of such error retreat but if nothing of moment can be obiected let vs stand in a comfortable and assured expectation of this issue glorious to the now despised and mistermed witnesses of the truth but terrible to the aduersaries that now for a time triumph ouer the dead and subdued to their lusts The day of the bitter enemies to the truth shall not last alwaies the time of their Sunne-set shall come shortly and then it shall gloriously arise to vs neuer to goe downe any more till the comming of the Sunne of righteousnesse to glorifie vs with heauenly glory for euer And in all this there is no contradiction to the Lords prediction of the ouer-spreading of sinne at his comming as in the daies of Noah and Lot for when one religion is externally imbraced by all all are not by and by reformed according to the same but rather trusting to the forme of godlinesse most shall giue themselues ouer to licentiousnesse louing the darknes in the midst of this light till the Lord come vpon them as a theefe in the night to their vtter vndoing and confusion For by the consent of all Historians Christians neuer were so licentious as in the time of peace and freedome from persecution of enemies which maketh that which I haue said the more probable and so free from any note of contrariety to other passages of holy Scripture Quest 2. And the seuenth Angell blew his Trumpet Vers 19. and there were great voices in Heauen saying the kingdomes of the world are become our Lords Vers 17 18. c. What is meant by this and in that the foure and twenty Elders in praising God doe further speake of the anger of the Gentiles and the time come of Gods anger and of iudging the dead and rewarding the godly And lastly what is figured
Brunswicensis c. by the first Angell comming out of the Temple Iustus Ionas Melancthon Ambrosius c. who were a meanes to stirre vp those Princes to abolish the Masse and to restore the truth vnto the yeere 1530. By the other Angell with a sickle the Lord Cromwell here in England in the time of King Henry the eight who did much against Popery and by the Angell comming out from the Altar Thomas Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury in those daies who is said to haue power ouer the fire because hee triumphed in his suffering in the fiery flames for the truth and hee stirred vp the Lord Cromwell out of his great zeale to put downe superstition And the distance of the place where the bloud out of the Wine-presse ouer flowed being 1600. furlongs doth notably agree for in our English miles this is two hundred for although the length of England be three hundred miles yet one hundred in respect of the coldnesse and barrennesse may well be cut off as where there was no such great Vintage of religious persons who still gathered to the fattest places of the land I cannot approue of any of these expositions because not particular iudgements but the generall iudgement which at last shall be executed vpon Babylon is here figured out vnto which also all the circumstances may be very well fitted as by and by shall bee shewed And where any thing in words agreeing with the generall current of the holy Scriptures may well beare a sutable interpretation it is but curiosity to inuent singular interpretations Brightman hath beene much taxed for his making one like the Sonne of man comming vpon a cloud to be an earthly Prince neither doth that of his touching Cranmer agree ouer whom the fire did rather preuaile than he ouer the fire in that for feare he recanted for a time though afterwards hee constantly suffered martyrdome to say nothing of the hundred miles more in England than the space here set forth which in vaine he seeketh to reconcile Others that are for the last iudgement of Babylon when Christ shall come at the end of the world expound these things diuers waies Some will haue Christ represented here twice first like the Sonne of man secondly by the name of an Angell with a sickle because he is the Author of the destruction of the wicked and this vindicatiue power is originâ—lly and vertually in him but instrumentally in the Angels which are implored therein The Angell comming out of the Temple calling to him to put in his sickle into the haruest they expound of some prime Angell who entreateth him thus to doe and so likewise the Angell comming out from the Altar who hath power ouer the fire that is to execute Gods vengeance by fire as it shall be at the last day This is mentioned by Fox in part who also addeth that they hold that two similitudes are here vsed to set forth one and the same thing that of the haruest to signifie the gathering together of the Elect this of the Vintage to signifie the gathering together of the reprobate Pareus And part of it is Pareus his who will haue a prime Angell meant euery time that an Angell is mentioned here also he doth iustifie that exposiâ—ion of the Angell with a sharpe sickle of Christ before considered in himselfe here in the Ministers of his iudgement as Ioh. 4. Christ is said to baptize more Disciples than Iohn though he baptized not but his Disciples Fox Fox holdeth that two sickles are mentioned though thence be but one and the same sickle of Christ in allusion to that in Ioel 3.13 where sicklâ—s are spoken of and whereas an Angell speaketh vnto Christ to put in his sickle hee holdeth that nothing else is hereby signified but that Christ commeth to iudgement at the last day by the counsell and appointment of the Father of whom hee said that of the day and houre knoweth no man but the Father And that two similitudes are vsed the more amply to set forth the proceedings which shall be at this great day of iudgement I will not weary the Reader by producing more expositions but rather come directly to shew what I conceiue by comparing all their expositions together to bee the true meaning of this apparition I thinke it to be without doubt that Christs comming to iudgement is meant by one vpon a white Cloud like the Sonne of man and specially against Babylon whose case more particularly is acted here for Fox affirmeth that this was constantly held by all without contradiction till his time Act. 1. Mark 13.26 It was said that he should come so as he went vp into Heauen that is in a Cloud and that he should come in the Clouds and his golden Crowne is a plaine demonstration that hee is the King of Heauen In that an Angell comming out of the Temple biddeth him put his sickle into the haruest for the time is come Bullinger seemeth to me most rightly to resolue it that this is spoken parabollically Bullinger wherein all things are not to bee streined but only the scope to be respected and so an Angell is brought in telling him that the haruest is ripe as if a mans seruant comming out of the Corne field should tell him it is time to set on workemen to cut downe his Corne for it is ripe and beginneth to shed in the field and if any man will needs goe further in expounding all particulars here Fox that of Fox is the most probable that hereby is set forth that the particular appointing of this time is at the will of the father who because when hee declareth himselfe hee is wont to doe it by sending an Angell is said to send out from his presence an Angell here for he commeth out of the Temple a fit type of Gods presence Touching the other Angel comming out of the Temple also with a sharp sickle Vers 17. I assent vnto them that hold the same thing to be the second time hereby represented for the more ample declaration of the proceedings which shall be at the day of iudgement a thing not vnusual in the holy scriptures particularly in Ioel 3.13 whereto it is alluded here It is intimated therfore by this double description that as men doe in the time of haruest and in the Vintage time they cut down their Corne they cut their Grapes so all the people of the earth shal be cut down at the last day Now whereas amongst them some are good some bad it is left to be sought out elsewhere what shall become of the good and according to the scope of this place which is to terrifie the wicked adherers to the Whoore of Babylon the proceedings against them only are described they shall be cut downe as the Corne in the time of haruest and as the Grapes in the Vintage time that is they shall be destroyed from out of this world neither shall that be all but
preuaile as it is said of a threefold cord that it is not easily broken These preuaile so as that the Potentates of the earth stand to the Pope and fight for him and his religion euen vntill the great day of the Lords battell when all shall bee cut off that is at the day of iudgement which is described vnder the next viall by the commotions in the aire by thunderings and lightenings c. Others by the first plague vnderstand the Hierarchicall kingdome set vp in the dayes of Gregory the seuenth Grasser when the Roman Clergy began to be exempt from the secular iurisdiction becomming thus the more licentious in their filthinesse seeing none but the Pope and his instruments now had power to iudge them So that they make these seuen vials none other but types of corruption by degrees inuading the Church of Rome first in their manners they becomming most filthy and vile 2. In their doctrine set forth vnder the second viall by the sea turned into bloud 3. In their bloud-shed by being an occasion of many ciuill warres and dissentions 4. In their tyranny scorching like the heat of the Sunne in the Canicular dayes beginning in the dayes of Gregory the eighth 5. After all this the throne of the beast was darkened in the Councell of Constance by meanes of Iohn Husse and Ierom of Prague boldly laying open the wickednesse of the Papacy which made them euen to gnaw their tongues for sorrow 6. The sixt viall tooke effect in the sixteenth age of Christs incarnation when the Lusitanians passing beyond the promontory of the cape of good hope came into the Persian gulfe whereinto the riuer of Euphrates falleth and subiected the East parts thereof and going further tooke Calecut and Molucco and Iapania which are the vttermost bounds of the world and of the East in respect of vs founding there many Bishoptickes and seminaries of Iesuites whereas this way was neuer opened before neither had they any knowledge of the Romish religion And that this Prophecy might be fulfilled according to the letter by the comming of the Kings of the East from those parts so farre remote the Iesuites brought ouer the Embassadours of the three Kings of Iaponia ann 1584. thorow the most famous parts of Spaine and Italy to Rome where in the name of their kings they did obedience to Gregorie the thirteenth then Pope Genebrard in Psal 68 v 34. and this Genebrard himselfe a Papist acknowledgeth to bee the fulfilling of this prophecie holding that they came ouer to succour the Church now languishing through the great opposition that it findeth in these parts And in this time the Popes Legats and the Iesuites like frogs leaping about bestirre themselues to make ciuill commotions in all parts of Christendome for the rooting out of heretikes as they call them but the armies are gathered together into Harmageddon signifying a cursed army and so they make a way hereby to their owne vtter destruction figured out vnder the seuenth viall This exposition is prosecuted very largely by the Author Others vnderstanding by the earth whereupon these Angels are bidden to powre out their vials Forbs the earthly kingdome of Antichrist distinguish them according to the relation betwixt the earth sea riuers and aire which at the first are altogether vnderstood by the earth which is below being opposed to heauen aboue And thus the first viall is the first and lightest degree of euill that befell this kingdome when by the light of the Gospell their auarice filthinesse pride and hypocrisie as noisome boiles were detected â—ew yet daring to challenge their doctrine which is impugned vnder the next viall when this Sea appeared filthy like bloud the very worship processions and pilgrimages amongst them being exclaimed vpon as superstitious Vnder the third the corruption of their chiefe Doctours who as riuers seeke by their eloquence and learning to sweeten this Sea is set forth and withall the execution done vpon them for their conspiracies and treacheries against states and kingdomes Vnder the fourth viall they are inraged against the truth being exceedingly heat and vexed by the light and Sun-shine thereof growing clearer and of more force euery day for in stead of repenting they are more obdurated hereby Vnder the fift viall is shewed how the glory of Antichrists kingdome is darkened the Pope and Papistry becomming now vile and odious to many whereupon like men distracted they gnaw their tongues for sorrow Vnder the sixt viall is shewed how the riches glory and dominion of this kingdome being decayed set forth by the riuer Euphrates dried vp wherein it is alluded to Ier. 51. an open way shall be made for the Iewes and Mahumetans in the East to come in and receiue the Gospell that as their defection in the Easterne parts to Mahumetisme was occasioned by the rise of the Pope so their comming againe to embrace the truth may follow vpon the fall of the Pope But the Popes emissaries compared to vncleane spirits and frogs shall still seeke to hinder it by exciting the Potentates of the earth to wars in fauour of the Pope which when they shall be about with an high enterprise set forth by the word Harmageddon that is the mountaine of Megiddo which place is twice mentioned 1. Iudg. 5. when Iabin and Sisera are said to fall at the waters of Megiddo 2. when Iosiah was slaine by Pharaoh Necho in the valley of Megiddo 2 King 23. but here neither waters nor valley but mountaine of Megiddo is named to shew that when they should be at the highest pitch of their designe they should be defeated as God is said to foile Gog vpon the mountaines of Israel and hence a two-fold sorrow shall ensue one worldly of those that are ouerthrowne as the Midianites sorrowed when Iabin and Sisera were discomfited the other godly of those that hereby take occasion to see and acknowledge him whom they haue pierced as Zach. 12. and as they mourned for Iosiah when he was slaine by Pharaoh Necho Vnder the seuenth viall the great alteration that after these things shall be in the world is set forth all the enemies of the truth being destroyed the Church shall come to a flourishing state hauing nothing to expect more but the comming of the Bridegroome Christ Iesus Some more particularly holding that by these Angels certaine eminent persons are set forth Brightman who were stirred vp against the Papacy will haue the first to bee Queene ELIZABETH of blessed memory about ann 1560. and the byle to be her fauouring of the reformed religion turning out of their Bishoprickes and liuings Popish Bishops and Parsons The second Chemnitius in his writing of that booke called Examen Concilij Tridentini wherein the Sea of the Councell of Trent is set forth in the colours all bloudy and corrupt The third the Parlament here in England ann 1581. decreeing that they should be proceeded against as traitours who should at any time after goe about
it is to be noted that it is spoken in the plurall number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 righteousnesses intimating as one hath well obserued Brightman Vers 8. both the righteousnesse that is by faith imputatiuely and that holinesse which by the spirit of grace is wrought in the Saints for inherent holinesse is imperfect in the best and therefore cannot iustifie and faith where this is wanting is feeble and dead and so vnable to iustifie That we may therefore be fully iustified both are necessary faith to lay hold vpon the perfect righteousnesse of Christ who is our iustification and inherent holinesse to make this garment of righteousnesse shine before men Nothing is more vsuall in this booke than by white and pure cloathing to set forth the sanctity and innocency of Gods seruants see Chap. 3. vers 4. vers 18. Here some in Sardis are commended for that they had not defiled their garments and they of Laodicea are counselled to get them white garments by reforming their wickednesse in respect of which they were said before to be naked yet wee are not here with the Iesuice to conceiue Ribera that the Saints are iust before God by their owne righteousnesse for this is contrary to the whole course of Scripture whereby euery one yea the best is concluded to be a sinner But by the Spirit of God wee are sanctified and so prepared for the Bride groome so many as beleeue and by beleeuing lay hold vpon the bloud of Christ without which our garment of sanctity is spoâ—ted but with which it is washed white as is said of the martyred Saints They washed their robes white in the bloud of the Lambe Reuel 7.14 Let no man then trust to his owne righteousnesse nor yet to the righteousnesse of Christ which he thinketh is imputatiuely made his if there be in him a naked and bare faith onely but consider that the cloathing of the Bride is righteousnes and therefore let him so rest vpon the one as that he neglect not the other relie onely vpon Christs righteousnesse to saluation but vnto this get sanctity of heart and life because otherwise it is dead and profiteth not vnto saluation In that Iohn falling downe and worshipping the Angell that talked with him is reproued and bidden to worship God onely Vers â— it is plaine that all religions falling downe before any creature how excellent soeuer is vnlawfull and by all meanes to be auoided The reason why hee would not be worshipped of Iohn is because he was his fellow seruant and of them that haue the testimony of Iesus for the testimony of Iesus is the Spirit of prophecie If because hee was a Spirit comming from the Lord with this reuelation he were conceiued to be worthy of worship it must be vnderstood that euen in this hee was the fellow of Iohn and the rest of the Apostles to whom the secrets of God were reuealed also and so they had that within them which was as excellent as an Angell for in that they had the testimony of Iesus they had the spirit of prophecy and hauing such a spirit they were no vnderlings that ought a duty to the Angels in heauen but euen fellowes vnto them And if they be fellow seruants to the Apostles then to all the faithfull also seeing they all make but one body in Christ That which followeth touching one sitting vpon a white horse Vers 11. who appeared vnto Iohn the heauen being opened it is generally agreed that he is Christ Iesus Hee doth not now appeare in this manner Bullinger as if according to the order of this vision he did not begin till now to fight against the enemies of his truth for how should Babylon then haue fallen and the beast haue beene destroyed But this fall and destruction hauing beene hitherto set forth in the proper place vnder the figure of Angels powring out their vials and cutting downe with sharpe sickles and by a voyce calling vpon the kings of the earth to be reuenged which they act accordingly now as was needfull the Captaine of these armies imployed in these warres commeth at the last to be described both by the place of his residence heauen the forme wherein he goeth to the warres vpon a white horse the name by which hee is called faithfull and true iudging the word of God the Lord of lords and King of kings his parts and apparell eyes like flames of fire a mouth out of which went a two-edged sword many crownes vpon his head a vesture dipt in bloud and also by his traine the armies of heauen following him vpon white horses and his dominion he ruleth all nations with a rod of iron Whereas his name is said to be such Pareus that no man knew it but himselfe and yet by and by it is said that his name is the word of God it is to be vnderstood that no man could know Christ to be the Word and God but by reuelation The last iudgement hath beene often mentioned before but the Iudge hath neuer beene described wherefore it was necessary now at the last to set downe this ample description of him The Angell that standeth in the Sunne Vers 7. crying to the fowles to gather themselues together to the Supper of the great God doth set forth nothing else Bullinger but how open and manifest a destruction of Antichrist and his adherents shall be made when the time of their finall ouerthrow shall come it shall be as manifest to all the world as the Sunne in the firmament That whereunto the fowles are inuited is the supper of God Vers 18. consisting of the flesh of Kings and Captaines and of mighty men and horses c. this is altogether allegoricall being taken out of Ezechiel the meaning is Ezech. 39.17 Bullinger Pareus c. that as when men are destroyed in the warres their cakasses of all estates and degrees lie as a prey to the fowles of the aire theirs and their horses and retinues and when it falleth out to be thus it is a signe of their vtter destruction so the Lord would hereby haue it vnderstood that Antichrist and his followers the Kings and others that shall still obstinately cleaue to him when by others repenting and reuolting from him he shall be impugned and weakened shall haue a day when as re-uniting their forces to repaire the broken state they shall be vtterly destroyed neuer being able to make head againe till the comming of the Lord to iudgement at what time they shall be taken and cast into euerlasting fire Bullinger Pareus Brightman So that here the end of the gathering together of the kings into Harmageddon vnder the Angell with the sixt viall seemeth to bee fully set forth which was but intimated there Whereas in the next place Vers 20. the beast and false prophet are said to be taken and cast aliue into the lake burning with fire and brimstone and then the remnant
that is he stirreth vp the Pope a secret enemy in the West and the Turke an open enemy in the East by fire and sword to destroy the company of those that stand for the truth which howsoeuer it hath beene in a great part fulfilled already yet the most remarkable time is to come wherein being gathered together in greatest multitudes they shall be by the immediate hand of God destroyed as with fire from Heauen so that they shall neuer be able to make head againe as was before set forth vnder the sixt Viall Chap. 16.16 by the place called Harmageddon into which they should bee gathered Which time the Deuill being concluded in hell should not in such manner seduce any more till the comming of the Lord to iudgement which is next set forth And I hold with those that say the phrase here is borrowed from Ezâ—echiel because of the similitude of that which was then done and now Then the people of God being returned from the captiuity were assaulted by Seleucus and Nicanor and Antiochus c. out of Asia Minor and Syria but were mightily deliuered by Iudas Machabeus and his brethren being extraordinarily stirred vp and assisted from Heauen Ezech. 38.22 Ezech. 29.6 and therefore their ouerthrow that came against them is set forth by fire and brimstone and againe by a fire which the Lord threatneth to send vpon Magog For in like manner the people of God in these latter daies being come out of the captiuity of Popery are assaulted with innumerable enemies but the Lord doth mightily preserue them and disappoint their enemies of their purpose and will we doubt not when greatest need shall be at the last yet more miraculously saue his by destroying their enemies both Turkes and Papists when they shall be in an highest attempt against them That the Scythians came of Magog who are the present Tukes and Tartars is agreed by all Writers and that Meshech and Tubal ouer which Gog is said to be the chiefe Prince are Iberia that is Spaine and Cappadocia Ieron de inter Heb. nom Ierome sheweth De interpr nominum Hebr. Touching other exposiâ—ions and first for that of enemies in generall it is too large and taketh away from the light giuen here to see more particularly into this matter for that which restreineth it to the Turkes onely seeing two names are here vsed I see no reason why both should be referred to one sort of enemies especially there being two that continually infest the Church of God so aptly figured out by them Touching the fire and the casting of the Deuill into the lake of fire and brimstone I cannot thinke it is to bee meant of the last iudgement and of the fire of that great day of the Lord because when that day shall come there shall be a generall security eating and drinking marrying and giuing in marriage and not warring and sighting for if an end of these warres should be made by the Lords comming to iudgement how should the faithfull haue time here to reioyce and to giue thankes vnto to God for their greatest enemies ouerthrowne It is true there may be some relikes of the Antichristian Sect after this 2 Thess 2.8 in regard of which it is said that Antichrist shall bee abolished by the brightnesse of the Lords comming but that hee shall stand to be able to make so great a power as is here described is most improbable The Turkes haue had hitherto great successe in their warres against Christians but they whom they haue fought against haue beene as bad as themselues or worse and therefore they haue beene armed to become a scourge vnto them as was shewed chap. 9. But when they shall come in their greatest power against the true Christians of the Reformed Religion though the Papists shall ioyne with them to make their Armies innumerable God will from Heauen fight against them and confound them In confidence whereof let vs be resolute and comfort our selues if we should see greater preparations of warre made by all our enemies for we shall vndoubtedly triumph ouer them all at the last Quest Vers 11. 4. What is meant by the appearance of a great white Throne and the comming together of all before him that sate vpon it and the fleeting away of Heauen and Earth from before him what are the Bookes and the other booke called The Booke of life according to the contents whereof all were iudged and according to their workes and how are death and hell cast into the lake of fire Answ Brightman There is no great difference amongst Expositors here onely some turne all that is said into an allegory of the conuersion of the Iewes holding that by the dead here set forth to rise together they are meant who haue beene all this time dead as it were in infidelity But the place is so plainly of the generall resurrection at the last day and the arguments so sleighty to cause vs to vary from the common receiued exposition which is of the generall resurrection and the exposition which applyeth it to the Iewes in the particular passages here is so wrested and forced Pareus as one a learned Writer hath well noted as that this may by no meanes be admitted The chiefe reason of this interpretation is drawne from that which followeth Chap. 21.22 because the Authour of it conceiueth that the description of the new Ierusalem with the circumstances cannot agree to the state of the Church triumphant in heauen and therefore a famous Church to come vpon earth must needs be pointed at there but how these may be applied to the state of the Church triumphant in heauen shall appeare in their proper place In the meane season I follow the common exposition of all Writers holding that the generall resurrection and proceedings which shall bee at the last day are here set forth for euery place of Scripture is properly to be vnderstood vnlesse there be a necessity of admitting a figure because otherwise either some absurdity will follow or it will not agree with the analogy of faith neither of which can be iustly said here He that sitteth vpon a great white Throne is the Lord Iesus who appeareth thus to shew his glory for white is a signe of glory Mat. 17.1 the heauen and earth are said to fly away from before him to declare the fiercenesse and intolerablenesse of his anger at that day which is such that neither earth nor heauen are able to beare it a circumstance very vnfit to bee applied to that most notable worke of grace in bringing the Iewes home to the faith They shall fly away in regard of their externall forme and figure for they shall be changed as a vesture the heauens melting with heat and the earth flaming with fire but their substance shall still remaine after this called a new heauen and a new earth as most hold The dead that stand before the Iudge are both great and small
heauen and the earth as doth also Saint Peter 2 Pet. 3.13 and therefore I doe not thinke that any sea shall haue a being any more but the glassie sea before the throne Chap. 4. the sea that now is being consumed with the heat of that fire as the Schoole-man speaketh And indeed the sea is such an huge depth and so hideous to behold when it worketh and the waues thereof are tossed to and fro that there is in it some representation of hell that bottomlesse pit boiling with fire and brimstone and therefore for comfort it is added that there was no sea Chap. 9. The Locusts before were noted to come out of the bottomlesse pit and the beast as terrible as they out of the sea Chap. 13. the sea therefore is as another bottomlesse pit against which there is need we should be comforted There shall bee no more sea then for any such beasts to arise out of againe for the terrour of the faithfull and this I take to be the very meaning without any further curious enquiring with the Schoole-men what shall become of the sea then and determining that it shall be changed into an heauenly spheare Saint Augustine by the sea here vnderstandeth the troubles of the world Aug. lib. 20. de Ciu. Dei cap. 17 the aduersities persecutions and great mutations of states which are alwayes here but then shall be no more And I saw the new Ierusalem comming downe from heauen Vers 2. c. This new Ierusalem is the Church glorified and so adorned like a Bride in all her best array Whereas it is obiected that the Church glorified is in heauen and therefore cannot be said to come down from heauen Pareus I answer with Pareus that she is said to come downe from heauen not in respect of locall motion but of her originall which is from God and from heauen for the Saints are begotten of God Iam. 1.18 and therefore may well be said to descend from him yea the Church of God being spoken of elsewhere by this name of Ierusalem is said to be from aboue in this sense Gal 4.26 Ierusalem which is from aboue is the mother of vs all Whereas it is further obiected that shee is spoken of as a Bride prepared for her husband which is by the ornaments of grace in this world I answer it is true the Church indeed is in preparing for Christ in this life but shee is not fully prepared till the accession of glory that shall bee at the last day which is the day of her marriage and therefore to intimate this time the Lord is spoken of not by the name of a Bridegroome but of an husband for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We may gather then from hence that the glorified estate of the Church must needs be meant here because till that time she is not fully adorned and prepared for the marriage as she is set forth here to bee for shee is not without some imperfections vntill this time but here she is described as most compleat and perfect in euery respect The Tabernacle of God is with men Vers 3. c. that is with the faithfull he will hence-forth make his abode being vnder the same roofe as it were perpetually as the Bridgegroome liueth with his Bride after the marriage consummated and then it is shewed how happy this estate shall bee by the freedome from all misery and the fruition of all good things which happy condition of the faithfull that it might be made yet more illustrious the contrary estate of the wicked is described The fearefull and vnbeleeuing Vers 8. c. shall haue their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone By the fearefull vnderstand such as in the time of persecution are faint hearted so as that rather than they will come into any bodily danger they will fall from their profession of the truth They and all other wicked persons whether they be such as are here particularly reckoned vp or in any other kinde which is set forth by vnbeleeuers and abominable shall burne for euer in hell where they shall weepe and waile and gnash their teeth when as all sorrow and crying shall be done away to the godly Let the wicked therefore tremble at these things and turne and so many as feare God comfort themselues in the assured hope and expectation to be comforted farre beyond all the sorrowes that they doe or can endure in this world From hence-forward the Church reigning in heauen is described vnder the name of the new Ierusalem Hauing the glory of God Vers 11. and her light was like vnto a stone most precious euen like a Iasper stone cleare as crystall c. The Church doth communicate now with God in the brightnesse of his glory which before was represented by a Iasper stone Chap. 4.3 which is of incomparable brightnesse and so is the Crystall From hence it is proceeded to the wall great and high Vers 12. and the twelue gates The wall of a city serueth for defence that the inhabitants may be safe from the incursions of enemies and therefore the new Ierusalem is said to haue a great high wall to set forth the safety thereof Touching the gates whereof three are towards the East Vers 13. c. this is plainly borrowed from Ezech. 48.31 The gates towards all parts shew that this Church is gathered out of all parts of the world which is also plainly taught Luk. 13.29 They shall come out of the East West North South Luk 13.29 Andreas Napier sit down in the kingdom of God Neither do I dislike of the mystery of the Trinity hereby intimated according to some for why else should the number of three be set down rather than any other number The names of the twelue tribes of the childreÌ„ of Israel are written vpon these gates to shew that vnto the true Israelites only this city doth appertaine consisteth of such only Twelue Angels stand at the gates to shew how by the conduct and guidance of the Prophets Bullinger Pareus Napiâ—r Apostles and Ministers of God they are brought in according to some but me thinkes that Angels are rather properly to be vnderstood who are placed as a guard vnto the city at each gate Psal 34. for the Angels of God pitch their tents about those that feare God and they conduct the faithfull into heauen for the Angels at the last day are sent out to gather the wheat into Gods barne The Apostles are expresly mentioned in the next place Vers 14. in speaking of the foundations of this city whereupon their names are written And it is set forth to haue foundations because strong buildings haue foundations well laid and the twelue Apostles names are inscribed vpon them according to the place which they had in the Church in this world Yee are built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets
stone changeth the colour with the Heauens being cleare skie coloured when they are cleare and gloomy when they are ouerspread with Clouds so the Apostles were changed in name at the command of the Lord of Heauen and exercised diuers vertues as the Heauens were cleare or cloudy by the tranquilitie or persecution of the Church sometime charity sometime patience and constancy The Amethist is of a Violet colour Pareus not much vnlike the Hyacinth it hath the name from the vertue for it keepeth a man sober being laid vnto the Nauell as Aristotle writeth by drawing away the vapours of the Wine and so is deriued from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not Viegas Napier and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be drunken Some adde that it is most easie to be ingrauen so the Apostles to beare the prints of violences offered vnto them for the Gospels sake Some apply all these stones to such as by the twelue Apostles were brought into this building as being men of greatest eminency of all sorts that as precious stones beautified the foundation One from the Indies brought in the faithfull who are alwaies greene as the Iasper and neuer withering in their faith Another the heauenly minded like the Saphires A third the zealous professors of Aegypt like the fiery Chalcedony A fourth the sincere Christians of Scythia like the greene Smaragd A fifth a meeke and chaste people from Arabia like the Sardonix A sixth such as are soft hearted like the Sardius A seuenth the wise and constant like the Chrysolite An eighth the Peace-makers like to the Berill A ninth patient men and restrainers of their affections like to the Topaz A tenth such as glory in the golden treasure of Heauen like to the Chrysoprasus A leuenth such as being most rich in grace ouercame all temptations A twelfth the temperate and the sober like to the Amethist Some in a different streine from all others applying these to the Doctors of the Church which shall be here after the conuersion of the Iewes thinke that the mystery of these pretious stones lyeth partly in the place where they grow Brightman Forbs consenteth in the generall but not in the particuars and partly in their excellency according to their order The six first grow Eastward shewing that men of greatest note shall be stirred vp in these parts to set forth the Gospell the other six grow partly East and partly South in India and Ethiopia none of them in these Westerne or Northerne parts to shew that from these places where yet there is most barbarisme the greatest light shall arise And as the Iasper is the most diuine for it is vsed to set forth God for the innumerable varieties therein so some man neare vnto God like Moses is hereby represented who shall beginne and bee the first amongst the twelue in conuerting the people vnto God and as the foure last haue each of them some golden appearance so they which shall be stirred vp last of the twelue to ioyne in this seruice shall be durable and delightfull as gold such a kinde of glorious ministery neuer failing for many generations and the people neuer growing weary or being mutable in their loue and affection to their ministery But these are things rather to be wished than hoped for or taught seeing towards the end the world shall rather wax worse and worse Exod. 39.10 There is a description not much vnlike vnto this which is made of Aarons brest-plate wherein foure rowes of pretious stones were set three stones in a row in all twelue vnto which I thinke it is alluded here most of these being the same with them though both in the order and in some of them here be a variation Those stones did serue to represent the twelue Tribes these the twelue Apostles the twelue Tribes being the foundation of the old Church vnder the Law because it sprang from them the twelue Apostles of the Church vnder the Gospell which sprang as it were from them seeing by their ministery people were begotten vnto Christ In those I doubt not but the properties of the Patriarches were aimed at they being fit to set them forth and so in these the properties of the Apostles if we could conceiue how to apply them particularly but herein I haue already deliuered what I conceiue to be the most probable coniecture These stones are all full of admirable vertue so were the Apostles of grace these all are of an admirable beauty and lustre so are the Apostles in Heauen of admirable glory That which followeth serueth yet further to set forth the glory of this Church The twelue gates were twelue pearles Vers 21.22 there was no Temple for the Lord God and the Lambe are the Temple of it that is such seruice as was wont to be done in the Temple at Ierusalem by celebrating Gods praises and offering vnto him is performed here without a Temple for there needeth no medium to come vnto God for spirituall blessings to them that stand continually in Gods presence neither is there need of any medium of the Sun and Moone for light and externall comfort to them to whom God is all in all And in all this Iohn speaketh much after the manner of the old Prophet who saith touching the stones of the Churches foundation Behold Esa 54.11 12. I will lay thy foundations with Saphires and I will make thy windowes of Agates and thy gates of Carbancles and all thy borders of pleasant stones And touching the light The Sunne shall be no more thy light by day Esa 60.19 neither shall the Moone giue light vnto thee but the Lord shall be vnto thee an euerlasting light and thy God thy glory Obiect Which speeches because they are vsed of the Church vnder the new Testament euen while shee is in this world it is obiected that this here cannot bee meant of any other estate but the most excellent estate of the Church which shall be after the conuersion of the Iewes Answ But I answer that although it cannot bee denied but the graces of the Euangelicall Church are here pointed at when they should not need the meanes of types and figures as vnder the Law to enlighten them which is meant by the Sunne and Moone yet this is not all which the Prophesie setteth forth but the full accomplishment of these things is in the life to come which must needs be yeelded also to be implyed when it is said that there should be no more sorrow a thing not to be expected in this world and that the Lord should be her euerlasting light which cannot properly be applyed but to that estate which is euerlasting And the Nations of them that are saued doe walke in the light of it Vers 24. and the Kings of the earth doe bring their glory and honour vnto it Bullinger Tho. Aquin. Some vnderstand this light of the Lord and the Lambe who were said before to be the light of this
Church making her to long after his comming for her full redemption he that heareth who is inuited to say likewise is euery one that heareth this Prophecie and what a ioyfull estate the faithfull shall be in in Heauen For he cannot but wish and desire for this day Let him that is a thirst come as he longeth after the comming of the Lord to the perfecting of his happinesse so let him come to the Lord by faith and obedience and let him that will this is added to note not that by the power of his owne will he can doe thus but that his will must be sanctified and of vnwilling he must become willing God working in him a new will and new desires before that he can come vnto Christ this Fountaine of liuing water That which followeth is added as a necessary muniment vnto this and to all the bookes of holy Scripture against forgers of the Word of God which the Spirit did foresee would bee in after times Vers 18. For I testifie to euery man that heareth the words of this Prophecie if and man shall adde to these things God shall adde to him the plagues that are written in this Booke c. Vers 16. These are the words of our Sauiour Christ who had before spoken of his Angell whom he sent to testifie these things and therefore in the Originall it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I witnesse together Touching the rationall particle for some omit it as redundant but it is of great force to argue a necessity of attending to and reuerently regarding what is here set forth For that must needs be of great consequence which is guarded with such a caution If testimonies be alleaged onely to proue the truth of a thing it doth not so much moue to consider of it but it being auerred to be such as that it is danger of death to depraue it any way all men will beginne to attend vnto it as handling matter of life and death And what is spoken of this Booke by the like reason is well applyed by our Diuines to all Bookes of holy Scripture for why is it so dangerous to take away or to adde vnto this Booke but because it is of God And is it not as dangerous then to intermeddle in this kinde with any other of the Bookes of God such as all the Bookes of Scripture are But it is well added to this as the last as the charge of not putting to or taking away from the Bookes of Moses is added in the last of his Bookes Bellarmine excepteth against this inference Deut. 4. holding that the threatning pertaineth only to the detractors from or adders to this Booke and necessarily for otherwise with what colour could they obtrude to the people of God vnwritten traditions as being of equall authority with the Word of God How durst they take away the Cup in the holy Communion and the second Commandement out of the Decalogue and with such audacity change our Lord in many places into our Lady with many the like corruptions With what face could they hold and maintaine that all things necessary to saluation are not set forth in the holy Scriptures when as they are so compleat as that there may be no addition made vnto them But this exception will doe them no good when God shall iustifie his care to be a like tender ouer all other Bookes of Scripture as ouer this diuine Booke And that these words may be certainly knowne to be the words of Christ Vers 20. Saint Iohn saith for conclusion Hee which testifieth these things saith Surely I come quickly Amen Euen so come Lord Iesus For whose comming that we may be the more fit let vs acquaint our selues with the things herein contained sith they are left vnsealed to vs to this end and purpose and being acquainted with these mysteries which being explained as through Gods assistance thou hast them here presented vnto thee doe so euidently shew the Pope to bee Antichrist and his estate together with all that follow him to bee damnable halt not betwixt two opinions but bee a resolute reformed Catholike nothing doubting but certainly expecting their finall ouerthrow and confusion and thine owne deliuerance and euerlasting saluation which let vs all pray with this our blessed Apostle that it may come quickly Amen Trinuni Deo gloria Errata In the Catalogue of Names for Cicillus read Cyrillus PAge 27. for doe reade to p. 31. wandring r. wauering p. 44. or r. 2. p. 60. Ioh. 24. r. 2. p. 78. his r. has in marg p. 92. aninū r. animū in marg p. 104. run r. cun p. 140. was r. as p. 163. Secutoro r. Secuturo in marg p. 177. onus r. vnus in marg p. 183. word r. world p. 434. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. X. p. 485. Pope r. pompe p. 493. vilitate r. venerate p. 5 14. which time r. after which time