THE SEAVEN GOLDEN CANDLESTICKES Englands Honour THE GREAT MYSTERIE OF GODS MERCIE YET TO COME WITH Peace to the pure in heart aduising to VNITIE among our selues By RICHARD BERNARD Minister at Batcombe in Somersetshire LONDON Printed for Iohn Budge dwelling in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Greene Dragon 1621. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE WILLIAM Lord CAVENDISH Earle of Deuonshire IOHN Lord DARCY Baron of Meinell IOHN Lord HOLLEYS Baron of Houghton his very honourable good Lords heere increase of all true honour and hereafter the fruition of that happines which is in Heauen AND TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL Sir Robert Philips AND Sir Iohn Horner KNIGHTS Iohn Powlet AND Robert Hopton ESQVIRES Iustices of the Peace in the Countie of Somerset louers of their Countrie my worthily honoured good Friends loue and peace be multiplyed internally within themselues externally to one an other with hope of eternall comfort in the end RIGHT HO RIGHT WOR YOur ready condescending at my request to grace my Person with your ioynt testimonie together maketh me now thus bold to craue your fauour and acceptance together to countenance this my labour That which here I offer to your view is first the face of the seuenfold estate of Christs Church typed out in the seuen Churches of Asia vnder the title of the seuen golden Candlestickes In this you may behold what is alreadie past what things are now in present being in which the Papists make themselues merrie but it is their Cygnea cantio before their day of mourning and what the estate hereafter shall be which wee are to exspect and looke for in the appointed time In the second place is added Englands Honour wherein is shewed how highly and that many wayes God hath aduanced this noble Nation to incourage vs still in his seruice against that Antichristion power and Heathenish Superstition In the third place is prooued that great Mysterie of the saluation of that ancient people of God much hindered by that Romish Religion In conclusion is an aduice to Peace and Vnitie at home that wee may bend our strength against our Enemies abroad I humbly craue pardon if herein I haue bin ouer-bold to present your Honours and other so worthy Personages with such small Treatises I know them little in shew but not so in substance The Church is the Spouse of Christ the verie Queene of Heauen heere shee is liuely painted out The glory of our Kingdome is our Crowne and peace with loue the bond of perfection the taste of these things I hope shall not bee vnacceptable neyther the good will of him that offereth the same for no other end verily but to leaue a testimonie to the World of his humble seruice and of his duty in all thankfulnesse who doth and euer will acknowledge himselfe Batcombe March 10. Your Honours and Worships much bounden and to be commanded RICHARD BERNARD THE SEAVEN GOLDEN CANDLESTICKES OR THE SEAVEN FOLD Estate of Gods Church here vpon Earth typed out in the seauen Churches of ASIA IT is not a conceit but an opinion more then probable that the seuen Churches of Asia are Types of the whole Church militant which opinion though it be in a sort onely barely deliuered of some and by some others so set out as thereby many take occasion to reiect it but more out of a sinister respect then of any sollid ground yet if they please to weigh the reasons and to consider well how these and the times doe answere one another they will more easily yeeld vnto the Truth 1. Is it not plainly said in the end of the whole Prophesie that Iesus Christ sent his Angell to testifie these things vnto vs in the Churches to wit in those seuen Churches of Asia for no other are mentioned in the whole Prophesie so as whatsoeuer in the Reuelation was after deliuered the same was represented generally in the fore-said Churches before 2. The number of seuen as in the other places of this Prophesie repeated thirtie seuen times is a number of perfection and is put for all of that whereof the number is giuen as the seuen Starres for all the Angels of the Churches the seuen spirits for the seuen-fold Graces thereof so the seuen Churches for all the Christian Churches or rather the seuen-fold estate of one and the same Church of Christ And seeing there were more Churches in those parts we may well thinke that the number of seuen was taken for further purpose then to note out only the present estate of those seuen Churches to which Iohn wrote 3. Iohn in the end of euery Epistle makes a generall exhortation saying He that hath an eare let him heare what the Spirit saith vnto the Churches yet in the beginning of euery Epistle is hee cōmanded onely to write particularly to the Angell thereof and of such things as touched him and the estate of his Church Therfore when Iohn concludeth so with an exhortation to all the Churches what else doth hee but thereby teach all those Churches whereof that particular Church is a Type or if you will so by one all the seuen and by them all Christian Churches 4. In the Epistles there bee many things which must necessarily perswade to a farther extent then onely to the present estate of euery of those particular Churches as first the maruellous order according to the course and estate of Christs Church both in the gifts and graces with decay of them as also in the creeping vp of Antichrist and the Churches recouery and growing into a better estate euen to the end as shall bee shewed in paralleling of these Churches and the estate of Christs Church from time to time Then some things spoken of the particular Churches which cannot possible bee taken as onely meant of them As of the ten dayes tribulation which Expositours interpret of a persecution longer then can agree by Storie to haue falne vpon Smyrna in Iohns time or after Likewise the great honour which is promised to the Angell of the Church of Philadelphia that the counterfeit Iewes in Smyrna Reuel 2. 9. should fall downe to him Reuel 3. 9. and deliuerance from the tryall which should come vpon all the World Reuel 3. 10. cannot bee vnderstood simply of that Angell Wee finde not in any Historie such renowne to that Angell neither of such perill and gracious deliuerance but these things are spoken with respect to the Churches estate as this should be a Type thereof Againe who can reade the tearmes vsed and the persons named as Iewes Synagogue Balaam and Iesabell with the degrees and proceedings thereof but thereby will be conceiued some other thing intended in those Churches It is maruelous to see how the degrees of euill are set out in the foure first Churches in Ephesus are Sathans Seeds-men false Apostles in Smyrna Sathans Synagogue in Pergamus Sathans Throne in Thiatyra the very Iezabel and Depths of Sathan In the three last no menton of any of these because they doe set out the
with the Turkes the scourge  of Christendome and at length the Lord with the Sword of his mouh set vpon the Antichrist of Rome as in the next state of the Church is cleerly shewed d Eutrop. l. 13. Blond l. 1. Decad. l. 2. 3. Oros l. 7. c. 37. Procopode bello Goth. e Blond l. 10. Hee that hath an care let him eare what the Spirit saith to the Churches for great shall be their reward who ouer come euen to eate of the hidden Manna to haue the White Stone and a new name written therein And thus much for the state of the Church from Gratian to the yeare 1100. and odde set out by the Church of Porgamus CONSIDERATIONS FOR INSTRVCTION AND VSE FIrst that Sathan will striue for Dominion hee will haue his Throne neither he nor his are willing to bee vnderlings Secondly that where the very Throne of Sathan is there yet may bee some people belonging to the Lord. Thirdly that the faithfull hold fast their profession in the midst of persecution and will not deny the Truth Fourthly that the Enemies of the Truth are of a murthering disposition they will slay and shed the bloud of the Saints Fiftly that it is a fault in a Church though otherwise prayse worthy to haue such in her as openly teach contrary to the Truth to corrupt the true Worship of God and a Christian Conuersation Sixtly That the Sword of CHRISTS mouth is the weapon to fight against false Teachers with THE FOVRTH GOLDEN CANDLESTICK THE FOVRTH CHVRCH In the Type In the Antitype The Church of Thyatira The Thyatirean state of the Church 1. THis is next to Pergamus situate from it East-ward and so turning towardes the Sunne 1. THis state is next the former and becommeth better then it was beginning from after the 1100. and odde yeares when the Lord raysed vp the Waldenses vnto Luthers time 1516. 2. To this Christ sheweth himselfe to bee the Sonne of God with eyes of flaming fire and feet of Brasse 2. Because in this state of the Church he shewed himselfe to be so and for that hee would giue light of vnderstanding to many and expel the grosse darknesse from them and tread down powerfully his enemies make his seruants to abide durable like Brasse in the furnace of afflictions against the Iesabel of Rome 3. This is commended largely for vertues and to be better at the last then at the first contrary to Ephesus 3. Such God raised vp in this space of time worthy praise whō he qualified with many Graces Charity Seruice Faith Patience and Works worthy amendment of life as may bee seene in those Waldenses and Albigenses who spred the Truth into all parts of Europe so many of all sorts embraced the same and stood constantly in the Truth and were readie to dye for it against the Pope and his tyrannicall power pursuing them with fire and sword but when the Lord raysed vp Iohn Wickliffe and after him Iohn Husse and Ierome of Prage the Church of Christ became much more excellent and daily better and better the Lords hand at this time helping by the Art of printing found out by a Germane in Anno 1440. Acts Monu of the History of the Wald. p. 209. Doctor Vsher lib. de Eccles Christ Succes c. 8. 9. 10. Of the Martyrs then see Fox his  Acts Mon. p. 387. Funct Chron. p. 159. 160. Bucholtz Chronol Nauclerus Catal. test veritatis Sleid. de 4. Imp. l. 3. p. 346. Polydo Virg. l. 2. c. 7. de inuentione rerum 4. Heere was the woman Iesabel seducing the people to Idolatry corporall vncleannes 4. Heere was the Romane Church now become a Iesabel abusing Kings to take her part setting vp Baals Priests and Prophets but putting to death the Prophets of God murthering the Saints of God but vpholding as before Idolatry and allowing fleshly vncleannesse as is shewed in the Pergamine state for this see Sixtus quartus his allowance of Sodometry but for the spirituall Adultery of this Whorish Church euery stocke and stone their madde running on pilgrimage to this hee that she-saint proclaimeth the shame thereof to the World La. Osiand Epit. Centur. l. 3. c. 4. cent 15. Agrip. de vanit Scient c. 64. de leonina Wesellus Gron. de indulg Papalibus cited by Morn  in propos 64. of his Myst of Iniquity 5. This was threatned to bee cast into a Bed her Fauourites Louers into great afflistion and to kill her children with death 5. And indeed this Harlot at this time fell sick of a Consumption of which euer since shee hath languished vpon Kings and Princes her Louers the Lord brought great afflictions sometime through the factions of the Popes sometime by their taking vpon them to take Kingdomes from one and to giue them to another other-while by Kings and Princes falling out one with another among themselues neither was it a light tribulation that fell vpon the Kings and Princes subiect to the Pope whē at his command they must arme themselues either one against another if he pleased to hold any for Heretickes or did excommunicate any or held any to bee disobedtent to his lusts or ioyne all against the Saracens to regain Ierusalem whilst the Pope played the false-hearted Wretch at  home which cost the liues of aboue ten Millions of people the children of that Iezabel of Rome And after these the LORD brought the Turkish fury vpon those Antichristian Kingdomes Morn in his Mystery of Iniquity sheweth these things at large Acts Mon. 183. 603 p. 675. Synodus sub In. 3. PP Anno 1204. apud Lateranum pro recuperanda Hierus Chron. Chronicorum Plat. in vita Inno. 3. 6. In this Church there were such as knew not the depths of Sathan to whom if they hold fast what they haue receiued a promise was made that they should bee rewarded 6 In this Church there haue bin and yet are vnder that Antichrist and wicked Iesabel such as know not that Mystery of Iniquity the depths of that Romish doctrine to whom there is hope of mercy and victory in the end if they hold fast the Truth which God hath reuealed vnto them 7. There is rule and power promised heere vnto such as shall preuayle euercome 7. Heere it began to come to passe for the true Church long hidden beganne powerfully to preuayle of which the LORD gaue strong perswasions to many  who so confidently deliuered their mindes of the decay of the honour of this Iesabel of Rome and how the Word of God and the true Church of Christ should flourish as that their speeches were held as Propheticall See Morney his Mystery of Iniquity in the Opposition after the 64. Proposition who mentioneth Sauanarola Wessellus Ioh. Osterid Paulus Scripto Ioh. Keiserb Andr. Proles Ioh Hilton which last foretold plainly the yeare of Luthers beginning to preach Morn his Myst of Iniquity Acts Mon. p. 768. 769. 580. Hee that
tryalls shall be and whether this present distraction of all the face of Christendome be the houre of temptation to try them that dwell vpon the Earth it is to me vncertayne but certaine it is that the Church God will preserue and make her renowned and this will he doe shortly for the Enemie is vnder the Vials of Gods wrath as it is apparant in Chap. 16. and what did this Messenger from Heauen the mighty Comet foreshew but these Warres and good successe thereby to the Church For the Comets now for the yeares since Luthers time haue euer with troubles yet foretold good prosperity to the Gospell The date of the increase of Romes glory was out long since and now is the time of the Churches increase daily till the ruine of Rome which as it is fore-told in this Prophesie of Saint Iohn so shall it come to passe in all probable coniectures is very neere at hand This may we vndoubtedly look for The deuises of that man of sin the Machauilian policy of the Viperous generatiō of Iesuits nor all the power of Papists shall preuent it for the Word of the LORD hath spoken it and Heauen and Earth shall perish before one Iota of the Truth shall fayle Herein let vs incourage our selues against the crowing of our Aduersaries who see not destruction before them as in this Prophesie of S. Iohn is plainly foreshewed THE HONOVR OF ENGLAND OF this Church Spouse of Christ thus set out in the seuen-fold estate thereof the Lord of his mercie hath made vs of this Nation a most liuely member and aboue other Countries hath maruellously ennobled this Iland and famous Kingdome of great Brittaine First though wee liue farre off in these Northerne parts from Iudea yet very shortly after our Sauiours Ascension the Gospell of God was brought vnto vs and by whom was it not by Ioseph of Aramathea the onely rich and noble Counsellor that did the first honour to our Lord Iesus after his death in begging of his body and burying it in his own Sepulchre where before neuer any was laid This man was the Ambassadour as Stories witnesse from Christ to vs here hee also vouchsafed to liue and here among vs peaceably to end his dayes Greatly did the Lord honour vs in giuing to vs the first King that euer was Christian named Lucius who submitted his Crowne and Scepter vnto Christ Was not Constantine called the Great the first Christian Emperour and did not he arise from hence was he not here borne and here proclaymed Emperour who slew the Heathen Tyrants and destroyed the greatest Enemies of the Gospell The first famous Scholler publick Professour of Diuinity opposing Antichrist was it not our learned and famous Iohn Wickliffe By whose Writings spred into Bohemia by occasion of a Marriage betweene one of our Kings here and that Kings Daughter sprung vp the renowned Martyrs Iohn Husse and Ierome of Prage The first King like valiant Iehu marching as it were against the Iesabel of Rome that absolutely shooke off the Popes Supremacie that vsurped Power and Luciferian Pride of that man of sin and trod it vtterly vnder his feete was Henry the Eighth and yet for all that dyed he in peace The first King that was but a child and yet set vp the true Worship of God and banished Popery out of his Kingdome was our King Edward the Sixt that noble Prince a very Iosiah full of the loue and zeale of his God The first Princesse at whose rising the power of the Popedome began to abate which suffered Persecution for the Gospell which so constantly defended it as being to death semper eadem at home and abroad was it not the euerlastingly renowned the late Queene our Dread Souereigne Elizabeth Was not She a Succour to the Saints and a Terror to all her Enemies round about The first King and so Learned as hath not the like beene in the Christian World publishing by his learned Pen vnto all the Princes in Christendome that the Pope is Antichrist is now our Dread Souereigne LORD and King who hath helped to poure out the fourth Viall of Gods wrath vpon the Sunne that is vpon the Supremacie of that Antichristian state The Throne of that Beast shaketh and Romes ruine is not farre too maugre the rage and furie of all her Supporters Shall I heere speake of our wonderfull preseruations Strangely did God saue his poore flocke heere from the bloudy Wolues in the time of the ten Persecutions vnto the dayes of Dioclesian But then lest it should want this honour also this Nation was renowned with Martyrs What shall I speake of our late Deliuerances so admirable and vnheard off The Attempts were many and sundry against our late Queene and Souereigne How did Pope and Papal power seeke to inuade her Kingdome How did Rebels arise to molest her How did Traytors seeke her bloud and many wayes sought her death yet behold the protecting hand of God Shee dyed in peace neither did the Enemies hand preuayle against her And can the Gunpowder Treason that matchlesse villanie and more then Hellish intended cruelty be euer of vs forgotten At one blast they mercilesly intended to destroy and that suddenly King Prince and State Church and Common-wealth yet see the mercie of our God wee are preserued and in the snare which they made for others was their owne feet taken Let vs looke about see whether other Princes and States haue obtayned the like protection or rather haue they not suffered violence at the hands of these Miscreants and beene murthered of them It was an honour to our Nation that wee stood out so long at first against the Iurisdiction of the See of Rome for it was no small time ere shee could obtrude her vaine Ceremonies vpon vs when other Countries were infected and had begun to drinke of her cup. And it is to vs no lesse honour that wee haue so shaken off her yoke as we are become an Assaile and place of safegard to such as daily forsake her so opposite vnto her and so vexing her as she through the paine thereof sticks not to blaspheme the holy Doctrine and Worship of our God euen God and his Tabernacle as Iohn speaketh which also maketh her to striue by all meanes possible aboue all the Nations to regaine vs to her which neuer shall be or by more then Machiauilian policies to vndermine vs and to bring vs to destruction Because God hath made vs in powring out the Vials of his wrath vpon the Earth Sea Riuers and Sunne of that State not the least Instruments and it may bee will also giue vs or those that belong vnto vs that high honour to bring her to confusion and to burne that Whorish Citie with fire great likelihoods there is of this but the certaintie I leaue to God who knoweth all things And may we not hold it an honour to our Nation that wee should bring forth men so Renowned as among our