endure but for a moment neyther shall Antichrist rage according to his full desire but he shal be be limited according to the decree and purpose of God who hath determined the number of martyrs which number beeing once accomplished not one drop of blood shall more be spilt by him And last of all their fellow servants and bretheren which should be killed shall also be gathered under the same Altar to pertake with them of the same blessednes Now Antichrists time is said to be short or for a little season after the maner of the scripture which speaking of the last times compare them as it were unto an houre in comparison eyther of eternitie or the age of the world alreadie past We are taught therefore in the first place that God doth alwayes heare the prayers of his children although touching their deliverance hee reserve the time and manner thereof unto himselfe as best knowing when and how to dispose of all things for their good Secondlie the blasphemies outragious cruelties of the wicked are never forgotten of God but vengeance certainlie is prepared for them however he forbeares them for a time Thirdly the goodnesse of God is the cause of this forbearance Rom. 2.4 As to lead men unto repentance so also that the full number of martyrs may be accomplished And for this cause no doubt the Lord suffered the Romanes Vandales Gothes and other tyrants by the space of six hundred years to shed much blood though no more then was appointed of the saintes for the confirmation of the Christian religion And no otherwise he decreed but from that time unto the end of the world many should suffer under Antichrist for the same causet that so the judgement of the whore might be the more intollerable Hence we may not thinke that either the Churches sufferings under Antichrist were unknown unto the Lord or happened against his will but rather came to passe by his most wise counsell in which we ought to rest never to be scandalised at his fury nor rage of any of his instruments but to rest in the worke of God if so be he have appointed eyther thee or mee to be among the number of the martyrs To be short here we see that there is a communion between the saints in heaven those on earth For we are brethren fellow servants neyther are they our lords Chap. 19.10 22.9 and patrones as Idolaters imagine And beeing fellow servants they no lesse refuse divine worship then did the Angel who forbade Iohn to worship him saying See thou doe it not for I am thy fellow servant Worship God But say they they pray for us therfore we may pray to them I answer were this true yet it would not follow The reason is because there is a great difference betwixt praying for others and to be prayed unto To pray one for an other is a dutie of charity and common unto all the faithfull But to be religiouslie invocated upon is a worship due to God alone according unto the commandement Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God Mat. 4.10 him onely shalt thou serve And the reason is because God alone is omniscient omnipotēt present in al places hearing understanding onely able to fulfil the desires of his people But now the heavely Angels glorified spirits are neyther omniscient to behold all our actions nor omnipotent as able to helpe us nor can they be present with us in all places Besides it is uncertaine The intercession of saintes is here not proved but condemned yea false that the saintes doe at al intercede for us neyther can any such thing be proved from this place For the soules of these martyrs pray not for their fellow servants but to have their owne blood avenged nay they knew not who they were for else they would not have desired a hastening of divine wrath neyther at the instant was their request granted but deferred to the time appointed of God To all which we may adde that from visions allegories no doctrines can or ought to be drawen repugnant to the word of God as this is concerning praying to the saintes 1 Tim. 26. 1 Ioh. 2.2 Rom. 8.34 for it is derogatory unto the honour of Christ who according to the scriptures is our onely advocate in heaven There is one mediatour betwixt God Man the Man Christ Jesus And we have an advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the Iust And he maketh request for us Now if the saintes were also our advocates then should not Christ be the onelie mediatour betwixt God Man In deed we doubt not but the soules of the saintes in a general way doe know the afflicted condition of the Church here and desire her deliverance But in speciall to know our affaires they doe not nor cannot They see say they in God as in a glasse or by a reflection all our affaires here but this is a mere fiction Isai 63.16 contrarie to the scriptures Abraham knowes us not Israel is ignorant of us But thou Jehovah art our God and Father But they further object They love us therefore they pray for us I answer It is true yet they love Christ more then us and therfore they will not intercede for us to derogate from Christ as if his intercession were insufficient or that he were asleep while he is called upon But say they the saints in praying for us derogate not frō Christ seeing the prayer of the saintes each for other on earth is no way derogatorie unto him I answer the reason is not alike for the glorified saints cannot intercede in Christs presence without great dishonour to him but the others beeing yet in the bodie are bound having a commandement to pray one for an other Iam. 5.16 which the saintes in heaven have not yea say they they have for Paul bids the Hebrewes to pray for him Heb. 12.28 I answer The Hebrewes of whom this duty of love is required were not in heaven but here in an earthly warfare Besides if this commandement did tie the saintes in heaven then also are they bound to pray each for other which is absurd and false To be short who doth not understand that those whom the Pope canonizeth for saintes are as they say spokesmen before God for others and howsoever they may not be worshipped as Gods yet as Advocates that is with a lesse kinde of worship Now who I say doth not see that all this is taken from Apuleius and the followers of Plato who fained that their daemons whom they called Gods were Lib. 8. de civit Dei cap. 22. Ibid. cap. 23. as it were messengers between the upper Gods and men carying up their petitions to them and bringing downe aide and succour from them to men So that they pretended not to worship them as Gods which subtilty of theirs Augustine thus refuteth Apuleius saith he denies them to be Gods But in
signes lying wonders in them that peerish The 2 Thes 2.9.10 explained that they should beleeve a ly because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved By which words the Apostle gives us to understand First that Antichrist shall establish his power by cunning and diabolicall deceit Secondly by his tyranny he shall oppresse the greater part of men in the Christian world as not beeing sealed Thirdly that Antichrists followers shall inevitably perish run into destruction Fourthly that their destruction shall be voluntarie and just because they cast off or receive not the love of the truth rather delighting in Popish dreames and Lyes Lastly that under Antichrist there shall be alwayes some sound teachers of the truth who shall suffer grievous contradiction as in Chap. 11.4 5. And it was given them that they should not kill The first limitation of the Locusts power we have heard here is added a SECOND that they should not kill men but torment them also a third limitation not allwayes but for five monthes Behold the wonderfull lenitie of God even in suffering the wicked limiting and moderating their plagues who deserve to be destroyed all at one instant The elect under Antichrists kingdom he altogether preserves from the mortall biting of these scorpions insomuch as wee doubt not but that there are still some godly groaning under his tyrannie in the heart of Popery as in Rome Italie Spaine c. The other idolatrous troop he will not suffer the Locusts suddenly to kill to the end they may have time to repent But onely to torment them that thereby they might be stirred up to seek remedie for their sowles Notwithstanding it seems that not so much a mitigation as an exasperation is signified by the foresaid limitation This torment notes the Ecclesiastical Locusts For it is far worse to bee tormented with a lingring disease then suddenly to perish neyther may we doubt but that by this kinde of hurting is designed not a civill but an Ecclesiastical kinde of Locusts because they shall not kill mens bodies as did the Vandales Gothes and other open tyrants but they shall torment mens soules and consciences torturing them continually as on a rack by their deceitfull doctrines of penance satisfactions purgatorie c. Now what I pray can be spoken more openly against the impostures of that false and Antichristian clergie by which indeed for the present they kill not the bodie but torment the wretched conscience by shewing them remission and explation of sin not in the faith of the Gospell in the mercies of God and in the blood of Christ but in the merits of good workes auricular confessions numbring of sins imposed penance poenal satisfactions going in pilgrimage to the sepulchre of our Lord S. Iames the ladie of Lauretta in travels by sea and land in fasting and abstinence in masses in almes and legasies building of Closters in Moncks coules in whippings in going barefoot lastlie in the Popes jubilees indulgences bought for mony Now what are all these things but the sinful devises of men altogether tending to the wounding of mens consciences and no way serving for the healing and helping of the same Isa 29.13 Mat. 15.9 For in vaine is the Lord worshipped with the doctrines of men This is the miserable rack of the conscience none greater then it nor more dangerous Let the historie of the Romish Church and Emperours be read and there it will appeare that many through the furie and rage of the Locusts have been so stirred up and brought to such madnesse as to quiet their consciences they have of their own accord layd down the government of the Empire and kingdomes put themselves into religious Covents or monasteries built Cloisters and Colledges for Monks with great liberallity thereby to redeeme soules have taken upon themselves religious orders for the expiation of sins have woren either dead or living the cowles or hoodes of begging Fryars but in all these things what could they find or hereby receive but a perpetual torture trouble of conscience a dreafull feare doubt of beeing deceived We need not therefore seek these Locusts among the Vandales Gothes Hunnes Saracens Mahumetans c. For these did promiscuously rage and tyrannise by fire sword against the persons both of the just unjust Besides it is verie cleare by the matter it selfe that Ecclesiastical religious deceivers are here meant who torment indeed continually the fearfull consciences of men with the terrours of hell purgatorie but send them not for releife to Christ by faith but to the Popes lawes that is in stead of Phisick administer poyson and precipitate their soules into the gulfe of finall desperation Moreover we are againe to take notice of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was given which I find to be twenty times repeated in this booke about Antichrists tyranny that so we may understand that he doth not thus rage by chance but as beeing Gods scourge to punish the ingratitude of the Christian world as also that he is bound limited by God and cannot goe bejond the same The which serves for our great comfort Five monthes This is the third limitation of their power serving also for our singular consolation Seeing God hath prefixed a certaine time to these Locusts bejond which they shall not longer rage torment Interpreters discourse diversly about these five monthes Some take it properly for five Aegyptian monthes or an hundred fifty dayes the time that the waters of the flood increased upon the face of the earth some take it for so many yeares Notwithstanding they are much troubled how so short a time should agree to the tyranny either of the Vandales Saracens or Popish clergie Bullingers exposition best agrees with the nature of the place viz. that the mitigation is taken from the age of Locusts which ordinarily is no more then five monthes making the sense to be thus that as the Locusts continew not hurting the whole yeere thorow but sing leap and feed upon the grasse scarsly during the five summer monthes that is from April unto September even so a certaine time is defined to Antichrists seducers after which they shall torment men no more But this seems not to agree with histories For the Pope hath now for a thousand yeeres more sent forth his Locusts to spoile the field of the Church neyther doth the end as yet appeare Yea he shall continue devouring untill he bee consumed by the brightnesse of Christs comming But this no way contradicts what we have before said for what are five monthes with the Lord seeing with him a thousand yeeres are as one day The time therefore of the Locusts is hereby designed not as if it should be no longer then an hundred and fifty dayes or yeeres but because it should be short a definite time being put for an indefinite And thus also Alcasar expounds it indefinitely although contrarie
silence their blasphemous mouthes by confessing that the Lord in punishing of them is not tyrannicall in the least but a most righteous Iudge For it is just to give every one his own but in order of justice punishment for wickednesse is due to the ungodly When therefore God punisheth them his judgements are righteous And true that is certainely to be accomplished for though God doth a long while delay the punishments threatned against the wicked yet at length he truly executes the same So Psal 9 v. 9. Jehovah judgeth the world in righteousnesse he ministers judgement to the people in uprightnesse For he hath judged the great whore Specially they celebrate two examples of Gods righteousnesse as it were the neerest matter of their joy the condemnation of the great whore and the vindicating of the servants of God Both being manifestly worthy to be celebrated For that Great whore hath corrupted the earth by her fornication Now what is more agreeable to justice then that such a pest which hath defiled the inhabitants of the earth with her most filthy whoredome should be adjudged unto eternall damnation Moreover with her hand that is tyranically with fire and sword she hath oppressed killed the servants of God Now it is a righteous thing to avenge the innocent blood and such as are uniustly oppressed But God hath avenged the blood of his servants on the whore by rendring unto her such like punishments as she had before exercised For the destruction of the adversaries is the vindicating of the Saints Furthermore who this great whore is what her whoredoms what earth and how she hath corrupted the same need not on this place to be repeated Let us learne to acknowledge and celebrate Gods righteous judgements in destroying the adversaries And continuallie labour to walk with fear and trembling intreating the Lord that the like judgements fal not upon us 3. And again they said They conclude the thankesgiving by repeating the exhortation of Halleluiah to testifie the greatnesse of their joy They adde further And her smoake AND hath here an adversative sense as if he had said Yee praise God But the whore shall burne for ever and Ever Ribera interpreteth the smoake more coldly of the remembrance of the burning which saith he is alwaies to remaine and shall never be forgotten But they amplifie Gods judgement on the whore because the smoake of her burning and torment shall have no end but remaine for ever from Chap. 14. v. 11. And the smoak of their torment shall ascend up for ever and Ever signifying the everlasting torments that attend Antichrist and his followers in hell fire If perhaps the miserable Romanists by feare thereof might bee deterred from their Idolatrie Rose up for ever The present flame of her burning which they shall see with their eyes yeelds matter of joy Now the smoake ascendeth up Therefore Babylons condition is altogether deplorable 4 And the foure and twentie Elders The former Chore desisting another comes in singing that so God might be praised with a most sacred Symphonie of all the heavenly dwellers This was the company of Elders and Beasts often before mentioned Chap. 4.14 and Chap. 5.8 and Chap. 7. 11. and 11. 16. Here they serve as it were for a heavenly senate reverend in gravitie and majesty unto the former promiscuous multitude of the heavenly inhabitants whose joy and celebration of Gods judgements they approue of by their most grave acclamation closing up and as it were sealing the same in two words Amen Halleluiah as if they should say It is so as ye have before sung salvation and glory is truely due to our God His judgements are truely righteous Iust indeed is the condemnation of the whore and the vindicating of the innocent blood of the saints for Amen with the Hebrews is a particle confirming the truth and signifies Truely certainly God therefore is to be truely celebrated with praises Now who these Elders and Beasts are hath been largely declared on Chap. 4. and Chap. 5. The Elders represented the Company or Chore of Patriarchs and Prophets The Beasts the Apostles although as hath bin before shewed these may also be understood of the stationary Angels before the throne of God Whoever they bee certaine it is they are a more honourable company of the Church triumphant what the adoration of the heavenly inhabitants is For the Elders weare golden crownes on their heads and are clothed in white raiment holding harpes and golden vials in their hands c. And they sit upon foure and twenty thrones being as it were honorable administrators of the judgements and counsels of God But for reverence sake in this solemne assemblie they fall downe from their thrones on their faces before the feete of the divine Majesty casting off undoubtedly their crowns also as before Chap. 4.10 and religiously worship and adore God togither with the Beasts This adoration was an admiration of the powers of God a celebration of his judgments and workes a ready publishing of his mercies and lastly a testimony of their religious subjection In which they afford us an example of religious worship and thankesgiving For if the Saintes in heaven who are come to their journeyes end praise God incessantly how much more ought wee poore traveillers to worship the Lord without intermission Neither doe they adore one another but God sitting on the throne And therefore such as direct their worship unto others shall never come to this Chore of which thing the Angell will by and by instruct us 5 And a voyce came out of the throne Both companies had finished their Halleluiah notwithstanding the song of praises was not as yet ended Therefore another Chore is invited unto a new gratulation by another voyce A new voice out of the throne not of God sitting on the throne as before Chap. 14.13 A voyce from heaven and Chap. 16.17 A voyce out of the Temple The author of this voyce is not shewed being uncertaine yet we may easily gather that it was divine because it proceeds out of the throne yet not of God sitting but of the Lambe standing on the throne because he saith Praise our God Now Christ acknowledged God to be his and ours because he is the Lamb and Mediatour as if he should say The prayses of God touching his righteous judgements are not yet ended There remaine other works and benefits farre exceeding these judgements to be celebrated What these are the following Hymne shall teach us Now whom doth he invite All ye his servants The servants of God are all that are and shall be saved both Angels men For also the good Angels are preserved by grace in their integrity hence throughout the Scripturs they are named the servants of God as being spirits most ready to execute the ministries of God But as for men they are Gods servants both such who continually serve him with praises in heaven viz the saints triumphing with Christ as also who yet
A COMMENTARY UPON THE DIVINE REVELATION OF THE APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST IOHN BY DAVID PAREUS Sometimes Professour of Divinity in the Universitie of HEIDELBERG And specially some things upon the 20th Chapter are observed by the same Authour against the MILLENARIES Translated out of the Latine into English By ELIAS ARNOLD AMSTERDAM Printed by C. P. ANNO. MDCXLIV To the Christian Reader IT is an usuall saying A good thing cannot bee too common the worth and profitablenesse of this Booke is well knowne of the learned every where being and indeed deservedly esteemed one of the best and choisest Commentaries that is now extant upon the Revelation And if we consider the perillous times wherein wee are I know no worke more seasonable for our instruction and comfort touching the present Commotions and uproares in the world For here we shall find that it is necessary that such things come to passe to the end the words of this Prophesie may be fulfilled we have all need as the Apostle saith of patience now what will more perswade us to be quiet contented comforted then to looke into the Revelation of Iesus Christ where we shall find all the conflicts and combats of the Godly against the Dragon Beast and False-prophet most clearly set forth and none of our sufferings in any way or kind to be otherwise then what was fore-appointed in the unchangeable decree of God Moreover here we have set downe with the finger of God the certaine event and issue of the whole warre namely Antichrists destruction and the glorious and happy victory of the Saints A man of a weake and cowardly Spirit will cheerfully fight if he know before hand that he shall surely overcome This assurance all true Beleevers have that they shal be more then Conquerors through him that loveth them and therefore they have cause enough to stand fast hold their owne fight the good fight of faith seeing it is without question that they shall overcome in the blood of the Lambe But of this I need not here speake considering how largely and sweetly this matter is treated of in this Commentary It is not my purpose to speake any thing in the behalfe of the Translator or in the praise of his worke least that in the Proverbs Chap. 27.14 should be applied to me Wherefore what is here done I leave to the triall and judgement of all sober and godly minded Readers Onely I must needs say that it would be a singular benefit to our Nation if there were more of Pareus his workes translated into our English tongue And for ought I do perceive the Translator of this hath some purpose so to do if this which is the first doe finde a faire and friendly acceptance And I have no reason to thinke otherwise Considering how well Mr. Brightman on the Revelation is approved of Now howsoever I will not speake any thing in the least to his disparagement notwithstanding seeing Pareus was a later Writer an Interpreter one among a thousand a man of an acute and deepe judgement and one that had his thoughts and meditations on the worke 30. yeares in these and other respects the Reader may well make account to meete here with many things more for his satisfaction then hitherto he hath ever had and that he may the sooner see with his owne eyes the trueth of what I speake I shall advise him in the first place carefully to read Pareus his Preface for it will much helpe him to the better understanding of the following Commentary And thus committing the worke to the favourable acceptance of religious and judicious mindes beseeching the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ to blesse and prosper it for his glory and for the consolation and edification of all those that seek his favour and desire to feare his Holy Name I rest Thine in IESVS CHRIST J. C. THE AUTHOURS ADVERTISEMENT TOUCHING THE Publishing of this COMMFNTARY I Had thought indeed never to have set forth this Commentary upon the Revelation long since expounded in the Academie in CLXXXVIII Lectures but to have left the same unto my children for their proper use and this for divers causes especially finding that as yet I had not touched the height of the mysteries neither should easily satisfie others having in many things not satisfied my selfe In the meane while I thought it requisite with all diligence to search out the judgements of more learned Interpreters in the harder matters and not to neglect whatsoever might seem in the Commentaries of ancient and modern Interpreters to conduce for the polishing of the work as not being ignorant of the admonition of Horace Membranis intus positis delere licebit Quod non edideris nescit vox missa reverti That a man may alter or blot out his private writings which are not made publicke but the word that is out cannot be recalled Notwithstanding it happened of late I know not by what providence that at length I assented to the publishing thereof at the earnest request of friends who judged it a thing unfit that the Church no weighty reason hindering the same should any longer be deprived of this treasure be it whatsoever it be perswading themselves that by me something more would be published touching these mysteries then as yet was extant And that the things yet hid are perhaps of that nature which either God hath reserved unto his own power or are better not to be known then known by us of which kind some things are Enchir. cap. 17. according to Austin They added that now there was speciall use to vindicate this Prophesie it being publickly depraved by new feigned Oracles and false Glosses as if it did establish Romish Idolatry and Patronize Popish Tyranny from which notwithstanding it portendeth nothing but sad evils unto the Godly and most miserable calamities unto the Church the which the Revelation setteth forth by lively colours as it were the very Kingdome of Antichrist himselfe under the type of a Beast and False-Prophet All which they affirme is made appeare throughout this Commentary by which reasons being over-swayed I gave way to the publishing thereof yet so as this Sacred and last 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or gratefull Gift should be dedicated unto none save unto my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ If therefore so it be that in the opening of these mysteries I may seem unto some in any place to come short these I lovingly desire to supply my defect with their greater diligence pardoning in the mean time what is not yet attain'd to being thākfull for what is found out But if there shal be any who wrest my expositions touching the beast or his head or horns or the like mysteries unto the offence and injury of any mans person to these I testifie that I have written nothing to the reproch or scandal of any man but truly and candidly expounded what our Saviour Christ reveald unto Iohn not to the injury but rather instruction and Salvation
wedding song after the manner of a Drama which saith he is a Song of many Personages like as a Fable is acted on the Theater where diverse persons are brought in some comming and some departing that the Text of the Narration may be made up by diverse and unto diverse men and he calleth that wedding Verse a Spirituall Interlude of foure Personages which he saith the Lord revealed unto him in the same viz. the Bridegroom and Bride with the Bride her virgins with the Bridegroom his flock of Companions The same thing I more truly may say touching the Revelation that it seemes unto mee the Lord Iesus revealed the same unto Iohn by his Angell after the manner of a Dramaticall Representation and that it is an Heavenly Dramma or Interlude not onely of foure but of diverse persons and things by Typicall Speeches and Actions exhibiting to Iohns sight or hearing those things in the Heavenly Theater which God would have him to understand and us by continuall prayers meditations and observations to search out touching the future state of the Church And that ye may understand this to be so I will endeavour to delineate and pourtray the method of the Revelation now indeed briefly as in a Type reserving the rest to the Preface of every Vision But the order of the Personages by whom this Propheticall Interlude is Acted I will by and by set downe in a short Table CHAPTER IX Touching the generall Method of the Revelation TO speake accurately of the Method and Order of this Prophefie whither the generall by which the propheticall visions do all cohere one with another or the speciall by which the Apparitions of every of the Visions doe follow each other is not for me to do although I have imployed my study more then thirty yeers this way Yet I will say to stir up the endeavours of others as much as the Lord in mercy hath for the present revealed unto mee It is now fiftie two yeers ago since I first heard the Table-Propositions as they call them of my Master Zacharie Vrsinus that great Divine in Wisedomes Colledge out of the Old and New Testament He for five yeers together as often as the Reader had ended with the Epistle of Jude READ said he Matthew I desired to heare the Revelation also being ignorant of the difficulties which either my Master shunned or else would not as yet commit unto his Disciples At length Anno 1570. being again come in course of reading of the Scriptures unto the Revelation he bade the Reader goe forward Then the Revelation was read which he illustrated with briefe notes in so many dayes yea halfe hours as there are Chapters in the Booke yet accurately as hee was wont to doe all things these his Observations I with all attention gave heed unto and as much as might be set them downe in writing and thereby I began to observe somewhat of the obscurity about the distinction and analogie of the Visions Fourteene yeeres after I my selfe being called to the Government of the said Colledge wherein also I continued so many yeers running over seven times at least the explication of the Revelation I at length seemed unto my selfe to observe some kind of Harmony in certain Visions and as it were some distinct Acts of most of the Visions Here specially of the Ancients Augustine and of the latter Nicolaus Collado a Divine of Lausanna did most effect me Lib. 20. de C. D. cap. 17 For Augustine in his Commentary de C. D. after hee had taught that the last judgement should certainly come to passe both by other Scriptures and largely also by the Revelation at length he saith In this Booke many things are obscurely spoken to exercise the mind of the Reader and in it are a few things by the manifestation whereof the rest might with labour bee found out chiefly because it so repeateth the same things after a diverse manner as if it seemed to speake of different things whereas wee shall finde that it speakes of the very same things after a diverse manner By which words Augustine seemeth to me wittily and truely to say three things First that many darke things are contained in this Booke to exercise the minds of the Reader Secondly that some things in the Booke are plaine by the understanding whereof the other more obscure things might with study be dived into Thirdly that it principally conduceth unto the searching out of the mysteries of this Booke to observe that the same things are spoken of in diverse Types after a different manner although different things seeme to bee spoken of The first of which touching the obscurity seemeth plainely so to be as hath before been shewed in Chap. 3. by which indeed the Holy Ghost hath involved this Prophesie of the New Testament not because hee would not have the same to bee understood by the Readers but to have their mindes and understanding exercised with labour studie and prayer as appeareth Chap. 13.18 17.9 c. The second doth notably respect the speciall method Augustines animadversions touching the method of the Revelation For almost in every Vision there are some few if not many things whence the plaine understanding of the other more obscure may bee found out either because they are properly spoken or because the significations of the Types are declared by the Spirit himselfe or lastly because the Types themselves are so manifestly agreeing to the matter signified as they yeeld no difficult understanding unto such as diligently mind the same For example It is plaine that in the very beginning it is said that here those things are revealed which must shortly be done Rev. 1.1.19 14.1 15.1 Rev. 14.14 19.11 20.11 and John is commanded to write those things which then were and which should afterward come to passe and expresly those last plagues and oftentimes the last Iudgement whence two more darke things are easily dived into First that the Types of the Revelation do not represent the foregoing Historie of the Israelitish Church but the future state of the New Church Secondly that they shaddow out not a few Ages onely after the Revelation nor yet the last times and Tragedie of Antichrist alone but the whole period of the Church Thus it is plaine that the starres are the Ministers of the Churches the great starres renowned Teachers Whence it is not obscure what is meant by the great starres falling from Heaven Moreover also it is plaine Ezech 16.2 Ier. 3.1 Ose 2.5 that in Scripture a whorish woman doth denote the Apostaticall Church Whence it is cleare that the woman clothed with the Sun signifies the true Church the flight of the woman into the wildernesse her being out of sight riding on the Beast and sitting upon seven hils the adulterous and domineering Church of Rome It is also plaine that most of the Visions doe end with the last Iudgement Hence it is manifest that the periods of
that the lord is greatly offended with the defilements both of our soules and bodies for he is a pure and holy spirit and requireth the same in them that worship him Hebr. 12.14 And without this no man shall see him 2. The corrupters of the truth shall be grievously punished howsoever they may for a time by subtiltie cover their deceit and draw many into their snares 3. That God is ready to forgive most vile sinners if they truelie repent XVII Arg. of Chr. deity Lastly here we have the seventeenth argument of the deitie of Christ in that he threatneth to punish these wicked deceivers for none but God onelie is able to doe it and therfore it manifesteth his divine omnipotencie That which the hereticke objects concerning Moses striking the Aegyptians with plagues is of no waight neither of Peter his slaying of Ananias Nor Pauls striking Elymas with blindenesse For we know that the Prophets and Apostles wrought miracles not of themselves but by the power of God Wheras Christ threatens to doe this by his owne power Io. 5.19 Mat 10.1 16.17 For whatsoever things the Father doth these also doth the Son likewise Yea the Son giveth power unto others to doe the like things And all the Churches shall know The end and use of Gods vengeance on sinners is to declare both his omniscience of the hidde things of the hart as also his omnipotencie and Iustice in rendring to evry one according to his workes Even as God said to Pharoah Exo. 9.16 Rom. 9.17 And in very deed for this cause have I raysed thee up for to shew in thee my power and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth Thus the lord by threatning cals sinners to repentance by Iudgments punisheth the obstinate and hereby declareth his wisedome power and Iustice unto all Now it is not without cause that Christ attributes to himselfe the knowledge of hidden things for seeing this wicked woman beguiled many by couveringe her uncleane actions under a pretence of holinesse Christ therefore here declares that none of her wayes were hidden from his eyes Hence we observe in the first place that one principal end of Gods exemplarie punishing of the wicked is that all the Churches may acknowledge declare the wisedome power and Iustice of God Thus we se how profitable it is that publike examples are propounded before our eyes to the end we may take notice of the judgments of God beware least by the like wickednesse we stirre up his wrath against our owne soules XVIII Argu of Chr. deity Secondly here is offred unto us the eighteenth argument excellently proving the divinity of Christ For here Christ will be acknowledged to be the searcher of the heart and reynes which the scripture ascribeth unto God alone For the righteous God trieth the heart and reynes Psa 7.9 1. King 8.39 1 King 16 7. Give unto every man according to his wayes whose heart thou knowest Thou alone knowest the hearts of all the sonnes of men see also 1. Chro. 28. Iere. 11.20 and 17.10 and 20.12 Eniedinus the Samosatenian objecteth in the first place that the searching of the heart and reines doth not here signifie a knowledge of the thoughts But rather a most equal and just administration of judgment by Christ and so it proveth not that he is true God I answer The antecedent is a manifest and bold corrupting of the text For the divine attribute which elsewhere is ascribed to Jehova is here without any limitation and in the verie same words applied unto Christ not onely in regard of the administration of his righteous judgments but also as he is the searcher of the heart and therefore must necessarily be taken in one and the same sence But again he objecteth That Christ hath received all his knowledge judgment yea and himself too from the Father as he confesseth Io. 5. Rev. 5.11 here v. 27. as I have received from my Father so that he is not the same God with the Father I answer he deceiveth by an equivocation For Christ receiveth all things from the father two maner of wayes Io 1.14 Prov. 8.25 God the sonne hath received his divine essence from the Father by eternal generation for he is the onely begotten of the Father before the mountaines were setled So that with his divine essence he received his divine omniscience But as he is man he received all his power and glorie in time by his reall exaltation so far forth as consisted with the nature and perfection of his manhood in this latter respect we confesse he is not God notwithstanding it is false to affirme that he is not God in the former for howsoever in this respect he hath received all things from the Father yet whatsoever is divine the Sonne hath it by his owne essence even as the Father Because the Father hath given to the Sonne to have life in himself as the Father hath life in himself See Damascenus lib. 4. Orth. fid cap. 19. Thirdly he objecteth that many Prophets and Apostles knew the hearts of men also Io. 5.26 I answer Eyther this or that of Salomon is false Thou onely knowest the hearts of all men 1 King 8.39 God indeed did reveal some things not al things unto Elisha Peter and Paul but not the knowledge of the hearts To be short none of them did or could say that he was the searcher of the reynes and heart as Christ here saith And all the Churches shal know that I am the searcher of the reynes hearts 24. But unto you I say The fourth part of the narration is an exhortation and here he turnes aside from the Pastor before commended and reproved and from the deceivers threatned and speakes to the rest of the Church in Thyatira and exhorts such as were godly among them and had not harkened unto the false teachers to go foreward and continue in the Apostles doctrine And hence again it appeareth that these Epistles were written not to the officers alone but to all the Churches The Vulgar as also Andreas and Montanus read it without the copulative but to you the rest but the other Greeke copies have it to you and to the rest as if he had said to thee o Pastor and to thy fellow officers and to the resâ—â—f the Church But the sence is the same For the Pastor also was one of those which held not the doctrine of Jezabel although indeed he was to negligent in repressing of the same This doctrine To wit of Jezabel and the Nicolaitans concerning fornication and communicating with Idolaters And which have not knowen This is an Hebrue phrase and signifies who have not approved The depth of Satan So these deceivers called their blasphemies as being deep mysteries and hidden wisedome and things more excellent then ever the Apostles taught Now Christ graunteth they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 depths but such as had their original
Epistle to the Bishop in Sardis 1. And unto the Angel of the Church in Sardis write these things saith he that hath the seven spirits of God and the seven starres I know thy workes that thou hast a name that thon livest and art dead 2. Be watchful and strengthen the things which remaine that are readie to dye for I have not found thy workes perfect before God 3. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard and hold fast and repent If therefore thou shalt not watch I will come on thee as a thiefe and thou shalt not know what hower I will come upon thee 4. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments and they shall walke with mee in white for they are worthy 5. He that overcommeth the same shall be cloathed in white raiment and I will not blot out his name out of the booke of life but I will confesse his name before my father and before his Angels 6. He that hath an eare let him heare what the spirit saith unto the Churches THE COMMENTARIE VNnto the Angel of the Church in Sardis By the name Angel as we have formerlie shewed is noted the Pastor of the Church and not him onely but the rest of the officers yea and the whole Church for it seemeth they were all alike faulty according to that of Iesus the Sonne of Sirach As the judge of the people is himselfe so are his officers and what manner of man the ruler of the citie is such are all they that dwel therein Sirac 10.2 And therefore whatsoever is amisse in the people is imputed to the negligence of the Pastor and what is good in them to his prayse and commendation Some old writers affirme that Melito was Bishop in Sardis of whom Eusebius maketh mention lib. 4. hist cap. 26. But neyther the argument of the Epistle nor time when it was written doth agree hereunto For Melito is commended for his sanctitie martyrdome this teacher is accused of hypocrisie negligence Moreover Melito was Bishop of Sardis in the raigne of Antoninus Pius unto whom Iustine Martyr dedicated his second Apologie in behalf of the Christians This Anton raigned more then sixty yeeres after Domitian in whose time John being banished into Patmos wrote the Revelation Now it is not probable that Melito should so long continue pastor in Sardis although in al likelihood Polycarpus all this time was teacher in Smyrna see cha 2.8 Therfore howbeit it be uncercaine who he was not beeing named yet Christ sharply reprooves him for his hypocrisie and negligence Hence observe how vainly the Romish Parasites boast as if the Pope and his adherents can not erre in matters of faith seing two onelie of the seven teachers of Asia are commended for their sinceritie in life and doctrine the rest accused by Christ eyther of foule hypocrisie Hor in Epist quid concinua samos quid Craesi regia Sardis or of the haeresie of the Nicolaitans In Sardis The famous and sometime royal citie of Croesus seated as Plinie writeth on the side of the mountaine Tmolus of which I have before spoken but here again repeat it least some might be mistaken as those who thinke that the Synod called Sardicensis held in the eleventh yeare of Constantine was in this citie For Sardica was a towne in Illyria to which place came all the easterne westerne Bishops by the commandement of Constans Constantius Emperors But this Epistle was not written to the Angel in Sardica but in Sardis It consisteth of a preface a narration and a conclusion The preface by two epithites declareth the majestie of Christ the author of this epistle and his care for the Church he is said to have the seven spirits of God and the seven starres to wit in his right hand as in chap. 2.2 from whence it might seeme that the words the seven starres were taken and here misplaced but the consent of all copies is to be allowed By the starres the teachers are signifyed as chap. 1.20 But in the description of Christ cha 1.20 there is no mention made of the seven spirits therfore some have thought that they are the seven spirits mentioned cha 1.4 but seing these spirits are joyned with the seven starres that is the Bishops of the Churches I therfore judge that these seven spirits are Angels properlie so called because Christ imployeth them together with the ministers of the Churches for the welfare of them that are heires of salvation see cha 1.4 Neyther doth the article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being put before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the seven spirits contradict this exposition for in cha 17.1 the article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is also put before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I wil shew thee the Iudgement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the whore of whom notwithstanding there was no mention before see our exposition on that place Thus we see that Christ hath the seven spirits of God in his hand that is all the Angels who readilie doe his commandements and judgements both in defending of the godly and punishing of the wicked he hath also in his hand the seven starres that is all the ministers officers of his Church that so through his grace they may shine like starres in sinceritie of life and puritie of doctrine before their flockes For as Christ is the author of the ministry so hath he given it unto the Church worketh so powerfully in by the same that hereby he both gathereth preserveth continually a Church among men according to that of Ioh. 15.6 I have ordained you that you should goe bring forth fruit that your fruit should remaine Now touching the ordaining governing of the starres whither it be taken properly or improperly XIX Arg. of Chr. deity it is onely the powerful worke of God And therfore these Epithites doe plainly yeild unto us a nynteenth argument to prove the deity and omnipotencie of Christ our Lord. J know thy workes The first part of the narration is a reproofe of the secret hypocrisie in the heart life of this teacher Thy works that is I see al the indeavours cariage both of thy private life publick ministry I know thy hidden hypocrisie for so he explaineth it thou hast a name that thou livest art dead that is thou art generally reputed to be a faithful godly teacher but thou art an hypocrite as beeing destitute of faith and true holines so dead that is as a painted sepulchre before the Lord guiltie of death although thou seemest to be alive holy before men Hence we learne three remarkeable pointes The first is an evident argument of Christs divinitie For if Christ so knowes all our workes as that he discerneth betwixt true godlines and hypocrisie the dead and living members of the Church true pastors and hypocrites then certainly he tryeth the heart of man which is onely proper to God
and is not communicable to any creature no not unto the Angels Which further confirmeth the X. and XVIII argument before mentioned Secondly we are taught that all who professe the truth and make a shew of holines are not truely faithful and regenerate persons but many of them are hypocrites and deceivers as being farre otherwise then they are accounted of for hypocrisie is an outward shew of inward holinesse or a profession of faith with the mouth beeing in the mean time destitute thereof in the heart And hence we may conclude that a bare profession argues not true faith as the patrones of hypocrites affirme whereby they oftentimes delude themselves others Act. 8.13 Simon Magus is said to beleeve Therfore say they some who professe have true faith may fall away and perish But this place shewes us that many are inwardly dead who outwardly seem to be alive being with Ananias the hie Priest whyted walls Act 23.3 Matt. 23.27 Mat. 8.22 1 Tim. 5.6 with the Pharises painted sepulchres spiritually dead as Christ spake to the yong man let the dead burie the dead And Paul speaketh of some wanton widowes who are dead while they live yea all men considered in their natural condition are dead in trespasses and sinnes To be short many have faith without love which is dead a faith which the Devils also have Thus we se in scripture how they are said not onely to be dead who are deprived of naturall life but also not beeing regenerated to a spirituall or who are sincere in appearance onely and not in truth Let us therfore take notice that all are not godly who seem so to be neyther shall all they who say Lord Lord enter into the kingdome of God for the Church consisteth of a mixture of saintes and hypocrites and this difference is not onely in the laitie but chiefly in the Clergie as they call it that is many who in sheeps cloathing seem to be true Pastors teachers are in truth but mercenarie wolves and howsoever these may deceive men yet Christ knowes them And therfore let not the Bishops of Antichrist thinke to blinde the eyes of Christ with their titles mitres and royal robes The consideration of this informeth us in the first place of the divers condition of the Church in this world For many are called to be members of the Church whereof some are good others bad some saintes others hypocrites like as the net takes in al manner of fishes But howsoever the faintes elected are not knowen of men yet God Christ doe discerne them For the Lord knoweth who are his Therefore let every one try and examine himself whether he be dead or alive for hypocrites deceive not God but man their owne soules Wherfore let us shun hypocrisie even as a pest remembring what Ambrose admonisheth not to rest contented with a bare name in the mean while to be greevously guilty or with the hight of honour while we abound in sins or with a profession of Godlinesse while our actions are devilish For otherwise we should onely have a name to live when in deed we are but dead Lastly observe that the efficacie of the ministry doth not depend upon the goodnes of the minister For God doth sometime vivifie and governe his Church by dead officers as we have here an example which serves to confute the Donalists and Popish Sophisters who maintaine that there was not any Church of the elect untill the time of Luther in the Papacie but themselves except we wil acknowledge their Bishops for other there were none to have been approved of by the Lord. 2. Bee watchfull The second part of the narration is an exhortation admonishing the Angel in Sardis of divers things to the end he might purge himself from the crime of hypocrisie and withal he is threatned to be punished except he doe repent First he is commanded to shake of that hypocritical drowsines into which he was fallen Be watchful that is stirre thy self up for he is not onely required to be more faithfull and careful over the Church then formerly he had been but also called upon as it were to live againe for so faith Christ but thou art dead Now death in scripture is frequently compared to a sleep so that this place and that of the Apostle speaking unto men fallen into a deep sleep of sin is of the like interpretation Ephe. 14 A wake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light Not as if wee could of our selves arise from the death of sin for this is a worke of Grace but because the Lord by his precept powerfully worketh in us that which he requireth of us and by the operation of his owne spirit rayseth us up beeing asleep in sin unto newnes of life And strengthen the things Or rather strengthen the rest that is such dying members of the Church as are committed unto thy charge who because of thy negligence decay both in faith and holinesse For it is no wonder that a Church should fal into a deadnesse and securitie while the officers therof are asleep Christ therfore commâ—ndeth him to strengthen them that is to labour by a holie life and doctrine to bring them againe into the way of life That are ready to dy in Gre. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that shall dy that is which are near unto death like as in Luk. 7.2 it is said of the centurions servant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he should dy that is was ready to dy So these here were near unto death though not altogither dead and therfore the Pastor is exhorted carefully and speedily to put to his helping hand for their recoverie This care the Apostle recommendeth unto all the faithful Rom. 14.2 namely to receive them that are weake in the faith And therfore it is a speciall dutie of the ministers of God who are spirituall physitians to applie to Christs weaklings the holesome medicines of Gods word 1 Tim. 2.9 for otherwise God saith unto them by the prophet forasmuch as ye have not strengthened the diseased Ezec. 34.4 nor healed that which was sick nor bound up that which was broken nor sought that which was lost c. Behold I am against the shepheards and I will require my flock at their hand and cause them to cease from feeding my flock Montanus reads it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which thou art ready to lose that is destroy by thy negligence which is a more heavie expression For I have not found thy workes perfect These words containe a reason wherfore God requires him to be watchfull But it may seem that this reproofe is not equal just 1 Cor. 13.9 considering that no mans workes on earth are perfect before God if he should enter into Iudgment with us for we know but in part we prophesie in part and there is not a just man on earth that doth good Eccle. 7.20 and
the publick abuses of the times even unto blood Moreover as this commendation was comfortable to the Godly so it did tend to the great shame of the Pastor Therfore least the faithful should have thought that Christ also was wroth with them they are by name to the others disgrace much commended for their constancie Now what is more dishonorable then that the disciples should in doctrine excel their teacher and the sheep the Pastor in sinceritie of life Names That is persons as Act. 1.15 there were a hundred and twentie names So Reve. 11.13 there were slaine 7000 names A few For manie are called but few are chosen almost in everie congregation We ought not therefore to be offended at the paucitie of the faithfull and the multitude of the ungodly The Papists indeed glory in their multitude and write volumes in praise of the largenes of the Romish Church upbraiding us because of our fewnesse but here we see how in Sardis there were many hypocrites a few names onely who were not defiled Here againe we have a cleare proofe of Christ divinitie in that he is said to know these few names in Sardis the truth is he knowes all the faithful and discerneth them from hypocrites 2. Tim. 2.19 which is a worke onely proper to God for the Lord knoweth who are his see arguments X. and XVIII Who have not defiled their garments Their constant sinceritie is set forth by this Metaphor and by Garments is meant thus much as their bodies were not polluted with the filthie manner and lusts of the Nicolaitans so neither were their soules stained with their impious doctrine Alike Metaphor the Apostle useth 1. Thessa 4.4 That every one should know how to posses his vessel that is his soule and bodie in sanctification and in honour not in the lust of concupiscence for this is the will of God He. 12.14 even your sanctification and without this no man shall see him Now Christ acknowledged them holy and undefiled not as if they were altogither unreprovable but because they persevered in faith and holinesse of life not withstanding the neglect of the Pastor and the manifold evil examples round about them And they shall walke with mee As hypocrites are threatned with punishment so the Godly are incouraged with promises of reward In white What may this bee by this Metaphor is signified a heavenlie triumph a kingdome and glorie to come It is taken from the state of kings the great honour given unto mightie conquerours With such royal apparell Herod was cloathed when he sate on his throne Act. 12.21 and God smote him dead for his pride So in scorne they clothed Christ the king of Glorie Lu. 23.11 It also was ancientlie a custome to cloath the Conquerours with a white garment To be short white garments for their brightnesse were signes of Glorie here then Metaphorically the glorie of the saintes is promised Thus it is said v. 5. He that overcommeth the same shal be cloathed in white raiment Rev. 7.11 White robes are given unto the elect standing before the throne and chap. 19.14 the armies of Christ are cloathed in fine linnen white and cleane But it may be said seeing their garments were now already pure undefiled 2. Cor. 5.2 therefore they needed not to be cloathed in white To this the Apostle answereth we groane earnestly desiring to be cloathed that we be not found naked For the puritie and righteousnesse of the saintes on earth can not abide the judgment of God therefore they must be cloathed with the perfect robes of absolute innocencie ere they can stand before his majestie With me They shal be partakers of my glorie If the raiment of Christ Mat. 17.2 on the mount was white as the light how much more doth he now shine beeing exalted Yet so wil he cloath the saintes for they shall shine as the sunne according to that proportion which is betwixt the head and the members And hence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with me may also be translated after me as if he should say ye shal be cloathed in white next unto mee And they shal walke Beza translates it and therfore they shal walke which indeed expresseth the sence but not the words of the text For they are worthie To wit to walke with me in white the argument is taken from the equitie of it Thus doe the messengers of the Centurion beseech Christ to heal his servant because he was worthie Luk. 7.3 But this seemeth to establish the doctrine of merits for dignitie comes by vertue For if we shall walke in white because of our worthinesse then we deserve the same for our workes sake I answer the assumption is false for the scripture no where saith because of our worthines or workes but when soever it mentioneth the judgement of God we are said to receive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to workes but not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because of workes least we should conceive any opinion of meriting by them which Christ expresly denieth Luk. 17. v. 10. When ye have done all those things which are commanded you say we are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our dutie to doe We therfore shal walke in white not because of our worthinesse but according to it for the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for doth not signifie any cause of merit but a qualitie agreeing with the justice of God that is shewing not why but who they are that shall walke with Christ according to that in Mat. 5.3 blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of heaven c. as if he had said because unto such the kingdome of heaven is freely promised But againe though the assumption were granted yet would not the proposition be universally true For dignitie in its kinde doth not alwayes proceed from vertue but somtimes from dutie without vertue So Nero had honour and was worthie of honour in regard of dutie but not in regard of any vertue in him So in particular our worthinesse before God is not because of the worthinesse of our workes but of grace by which he maketh us worthy by calling justifying and glorifying of us As the Apostle plainly teacheth us 2. Thess 1.5 where after he had said that the tribulations of the Godly were a manifest token of the righteous judgement of God that they might be counted worthy of the kingdome of God least this should be misaplyed to a worthynesse of merit he prayeth v. 11. that God would count them worthy of this calling As none therfore deserve or are worthy to be called of God so neyther doth our worthinesse prove any thing for the doctrine of merit If they object from chap. 16.6 For they are worthy that as there the deserved cause of punishment is of themselves so here the meritorious cause of reward The consequence wil not follow from the rule of contraries for the comparisons are not alike
workes And this he doth to stirre them up to a cheerfull going foreward in wel dooing for the prayse of vertue increaseth it and honour provokes men to vertuous enterprises Ovid. li. 4. de pont As the Poet speaketh Secondly in special because he had kept his word and not denyed his name Thus as in the first he is commended for his sinceritie in doctrine so in the latter for his constant profession of the same before the adversarie These two things are required of all Christians but Especiallie of Gods ministers namely to keep the faith of Christ entire and not to corrupt the same by humane inventions and 2. not to forsake the profession thereof in any estate or condition Ro. 10.10 For with the hart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation But least this holie teacher should be lifted up to thinke he did these things by his owne strengeth Christ therfore ascribes both the first constitution of this Church as also the constancie of Pastor and people therin to his grace alone behold I have set before thee an open doore that is It is not by thy own power that the congregation over which thou art embraceth the truth taught by thee or that thou thy self standest fast in the faith against all the threats of the adversaries who dayly labour to shut this open doore for thou hast little strength that is little or no outward help and assistance but it is I who have set an open doore before thee It is I who have opened it by my own power and hence the enemies neither have nor ever shall be able to shut the same Thus we se that which before was indefinitely spoken of Christs shutting and opening is here in perticular applyed to the Philadelphians J have set before thee an open doore I am not ignorant how these words for thou hast a little strength may be taken in another sence And some indeed doe expound them adversitivelie as if they deserved the greater commendation for their constancie in their affliction seing they had but a little strength that is destitute of humane protection But then the causal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for should bee a reason of the latter that is wherfore he had kept the word which is repugnant to the scope of the commendation for it is manifestly a reason of the former namely wherfore Christ had opened a doore unto him which no man should bee able to shut Others again understand it as spoken for his comfort as if Christ had said I have gathered unto my self a Church in this citie in the midst of many adversaries over which I have appointed thee a Pastor and howsoever thou hast but a little strength to resist them notwithstanding I will so protect both thee and thy congregation as that no man shall bee able to shut that is to subvert the same or expell the faithfull out of this place Which interpretation I confesse containes much excellent comfort both for the Pastor and people but considering that the Epistle as yet treates not of consolations I therfore allow rather the first exposition Now touching this manner of speech An open doore by a Metaphor is signified an occasion offered of wel dooing that is an opportunitie of preaching and propagating the Gospel for as a man goes into the house the doore being opened even so when the Lord gives passage to the Gospel Churches are planted propagated according to that of the Apostle When I came to Troas to preach the Gospel 2 Cor. 2 12 a doore was opened to mee of the Lord and 1. Cor. 16.12 a great door and effectuall is opened to me c. Hence chiefly we are taught two things First this again proves the divinitie of Christ for whereas he both knoweth the workes of the faithful and openeth a doore to his Church as also restraines the power of the adversaries that notwithstanding all their malice and rage yet can they not shut the same it clearelie shewes that he is God onely wise and omnipotent And therfore as Christ our Lord by his mightie workes XXII Arg. of Chr. deity proved against the blasphemous Jewes that he was God Joh. 10.38 so are we bound from his powrful gathering and preserving of this Church to beleeve the same The cavill of some hereticks is of no waight who pretend that Christ doth these workes by a power communicated unto him of the father I answer he doth it by his divine and essentiall omnipotencie which he hath received from the father by eternall generation for whatsoever the father hath is Christs Ioh. 16.15 Io. 5.9 and whatsoever things hee doeth these also doth the son likewise Not as if the power of the Father were uncreated Christs created but both the Father and the Son worke by the same divine and uncreated power For the Son doeth all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alike with the Father Secondly as Christ of old opened a doore for the passage of the Gospel and no power of malice of men nor Devils could any way hinder the same so considering at this day that among so manie enemies a doore is opened unto the Churches in Germanie England Poland Hungarie c. we ought to acknowledge that this happeneth not by chance nor ascribe it to the industrie of teachers prudencie of politicians or the power of princes but unto the grace efficacie presence and power of Christ alone for certainly the strength of Christians hath been little or nothing to resist the tyrannical persecution cruell edicts and horrible torments by which Antichrist hath laboured but in vain utterlie to deface our Christian faith but by how much they have sought to presse it downe by so much like unto the palme tree it hath flourished more and more because Christ by his divine power having opened this doore Antichrist was not able to shut the same And indeed it is a thing admirable in our eyes that some few Monkes and despised teachers should by the contemptible preaching of the Gospel so shake the kingdome of the Beast howbeit supported with the aid and power of the kings and Emperors of the earth on all sides as that whole nations of the Christian world should turne from Antichrist to Christ our Lord. Now this beeing come to passe we may not thinke that either teachers kings or princes have opened the doore but because Christ powerfullie reigning at the right hand of God hath so effected the same as that none was able to hinder it Let us therfore bee truelie thankful unto Christ for so great a mercie and divine miracle humbly beseeching him to keep this doore still open unto us not suffering it to be shut for our unthankfulnes or his sheep to be scattered by the enemies but that hee graciously preserve his Churches by dwelling among them 9. And I wil make them of the Synagogue of Satan Gr. I give them The second part is a
are left in their unwillingnesse is the free mercie and grace of Christ by which we are differenced and made better then others according as it is here said I wil make them to come c. 1. Cor. 4.7 Rom. 9.18 and again who hath made thee to differ for he hath mercie on whom he will have mercie and whom he will he hardeneth Here fals in a question how Christ makes us to come to worship The Sophisters who plead for free-will confesse indeed that this is a worke of grace and without which no man can come notwithstanding they affirme that a man before hee is in the state of grace hath a free-wil to doe good although weak and sleepie which will say they by grace is awakened and strengthened and so it cooperates with grace yea prevents it in the verie act of conversion beeing as it were a co-working cause as when two horses draw a chariot or two men togither carie some waightie burden Moreover they affirme that free-will is like a seeing man who albeit in the darke he discernes nothing by reason of the indisposition of the means yet beeing brought into the light he presentlie discerneth every thing So likewise they discourse much though differing among themselves of the sympathie or agreement betwixt grace and the will The Scotists will have grace to worke nothing on the will but to have its influences on the effects But the Iesuites with Thomas affirme the contrarie that grace workes upon the will yet so as by an indifferent influence and so is distinguished from it according as the will is eyther good or evill But herein they all agree that grace is onelie perswasive such as is the motion of Orators unto their auditorie unto which the will if it will eyther doth or doth not give efficacie and entertainment Ephes 2.1 Ier. 13.23 1 Cor. 2.14 which was the heresie of Pelagius Now on the contrarie the scripture teacheth that the naturall man lies dead in sinne and is like unto an Ethiopian who cannot change his skin or a Leopard which cannot cast off his spots hee receives not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him Everie imagination of the thought of his heart is onely evil continually Gen. 6.5 8.21 Rom. 8.6 thus we see that mans free wil is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be For his blinde and erroneous minde cannot bring spirituall things savinglie unto the will neyther can his corrupt wil refuse that which is evil as evil but on the contrarie chooseth and delighteth in it as if it were good And therfore seeing that such is the corruption of our will and faculties as that it is Christ who makes us to come unto him and the Father drawes unto Christ none can affirme that the grace of conversion is onely an indifferent influence or mâ—â—all perswasion but with blasphemie against God But they further object that free-will makes man to differ from the beast that perisheth and therfore sin could not take it away without the destruction of nature wherby man should become an unreasonable creature I answer It is true if it be meant of free-will absolutely But what is that to the purpose we deny not free-will absolutely for without it a man should bee no more a man but a verie beast But we deny that a natural man hath a free and understanding will unto that which is good in things appertaining to God because the scripture in this pronounceth man blinde and a servant to that which is evil yea to be dead in sinnes and altogither disobedient unto God And therfore that we may come unto Christ wee have need not onely of perswasive motions but also of an effectuall worke of grace by which the Lord illuminateth draweth and regenerateth us that so we may become new creatures but what need have we to use many words the sum of all is this The natural man is dead in sin and God gives us both the will and the deed Christ makes us to come unto him what now is there left unto free will they therfore which establish it against grace doe rob God and Christ of their honour precipitate man by pride into extreem danger and renew the herifie of the Pelagians whatsoever they pretend to the contrarie 10. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience Now he comforts him in regard of the persecutions at hand of which wee might discourse more fullie if we had the histories of the Church of those times Some understand it of the persecution under the Emperour Trajane Who though he prohibited that Christians should be drawen before the Iudgement seats yet such as were accused he commanded to be put to death as Plinie witnesseth in his epistles Lib. 10. Epist 97. Others applie it to the persecutions of Antichrist wherwith not onely these of Philadelphia but all the saintes upon the face of the whole earth were greevously afflicted but the former opinion is more probable This consolation is also threefold The first is an approbation of their constancie in their former afflictions because thon hast kept my word It is a great comfort unto us to hear that our actions are approved of by men but we ought much more to rejoyce if God approve thereof for this worketh in us an assurance of a good conscience and of the goodnesse of the cause for which we suffer as suffering not as evil doers but as Christians He calleth the doctrine of the Gospel the word of his patience and Paul cals it the word of the crosse because we must take up the crosse of Christ and suffer afflictions patientlie for the profession therof He cals it his patience or sufferance because he first suffered beeing an example unto all them that beleeve in him for through manifold tribulations we must enter into the kingdome of God And I will deliver thee a second consolation is a promise of deliverance in the houre of temptation that is of affliction which figuratively is called the temptation of the Godly Now hope of deliverance out of evil causeth constancie because hope maketh not ashamed Unto this hope we are stirred up by laying hold on the promises of God concerning our certaine deliverance which the Lord not onely promiseth here unto this teacher but unto all such as are in the like temptation that is unto all the saintes dispersed throughout the whole earth And therefore it teacheth us to be constant in the day of tryal to expect a ful and perfect freedome by Christ our Lord. But this seemeth to establish the doctrine of merits seeing Christ promiseth deliverance because we keep his word I answer when the scriptures speake of workes reward they usually thus expresse it as because thou hast don this I will multiply thy seed Now we are to know that this argues no mercenary reward due for desert sake But a fatherly though undeserved promise annexed unto the condition of
sufficient for the attaining of spirituall riches And this kind of faith we willinglie graunt to Ribera who here cavils against us Christ therefore mentioneth their pride as another cause for which he will spue them out as appeareth by the causal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because thou sayest that is proudlie boastest therefore I will spue thee out my mouth And knowest not that thou art wretched Here he refuteth their vanity and foolishnes by a contrarie judgement of them For as it is a vaine and foolish thing for a beggar to boast of the riches which he hath not even so is it for men to be lifted up with any confidence of spiritual riches before God seeing in this respect they are altogether destitute And though we may abound in outward goods yet to glorie therin is vanity for they are transitory perish in their use And knowest not Here he sheweth that ignorance is the cause of the pride of hypocrites indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 know thy self is a verie hard lesson And therfore there is no better remedie to beat downe our pride then to examine and know our selves That thou art wretched He sheweth us in five epithites what hypocrites are yea what all of us are by nature Wretched Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The natural miserie of all men that is oppressed with calamitie and sicknesse such a thing is hypocrisie and pride before God And miserable Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deprived of mercie without which men must perish for ever And poore Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as destitute of righteousnesse true holines before God as the poore beggar which hath not any thing to supply his necessity And blinde Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is one ignorant of his miserable state and condition hypocrites ordinarily are sharpe sighted in wordly matters yea many times they have a large knowledge of divine mysteries not withstanding touching the knowledge of themselves they are as blinde as beetles And naked Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wanting Christ the wedding garment For hypocrites though they be partakers of the Sacraments yet beeing destitute of true faith put not on the Lord Iesus Thus Christ in reproving of these men stirres us up to the knowledge of our owne miserie and the seeking after of Gods mercie for knowledge is the first steppe to salvation 18 J counsell thee to buy of me Gold In the fourth place he prescribeth to such as are desirous of salvation remedies against their evils In which he metaphorically describeth faith and true repentance with the fruit thereof The first is to buy Gold this remedy is opposed to three evils But what can a begger buy without mony with a price indeed not any thing but according to the manner of beggars onely by intreaty prayer to God alluding undoubtedly unto the prophesie of Isay Isai 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters he that hath no money come ye buy eat yea come buy wine milke without mony without price Wherfore doe ye spend mony for that which is no bread Where the Lord teacheth us first that the means necessary to salvation are attained by free grace Secondly he reproveth their hypocrisie who thinke to obtaine it by the merit of workes Lastly the Simonie both of the old Pharisees and new Romanists who sell heaven for mony also their foolishnes who bestow gold on such trash is here condemned But on the contrarie he commandeth them to buy Gold tryed in the fire by which some understand the word of God Psa 12 7. 119.127 1 Pet. 1.7 purer then silver tryed seven times in a fornace to be desired above gold yea above most fine gold Others understand it of faith by which onely we are made partakers of all heavenly blessings The which being tryed by the fire of afflictions is much more precious then gold that perisheth Both these interpretations are sound For Christ sends hypocrites to the law the Gospell by which we come to know our owne misery want which causeth contrition uncovers the maske of hypocrisie stirres up earnest desire for grace workes in us confidence in the mercie of God And by faith the forgivenesse of our sins righteousnes sanctification eternal salvation is obtained through Christ Iesus Buy of me A worthy sentence Christ is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or merchant who alone dealeth in the heavenlie merchandise of our salvation offering the same unto us in the Gospel not for a price or in regard of workes sake but freely to be obtained by faith prayer Here is that Monopolie of Christ our lord without which there is no salvation They therfore who look to be saved by saintes shall misse of their expectation and so shal all who give credit to the indulgences of Antichrist setting heaven to sale for mony XXIV Argu. of Chr. deity This therfore is a XXIV argument proving the Godhead of Christ For that which is here ascribed to Christ is by the prophet attributed to Iehovah God That thou mayest be made rich They who posses much gold are accounted rich in the world now it is not gold but faith by which we posses Christ with all his treasure that makes us rich in Gods account And white raâ—â—ent This is opposed as a remedie to the fift evill having bought gold of Christ we must also buy white raiment For he saith that we are both poore and naked and therfore as we stand in need of gold to supply our poverty so likewise raiment to cover our nakednes What is meant by raiment appeares by the effects namely the covering of our filthie nakednes that is the deformitie and guilt of sinne the which cannot be covered by any righteousnes or merit of our own Isai 64.6 Because all our righteousnes is as filthie cloutes in the sight of God Now Christ with his righteousnes is this white and impolluted garment which is put on by faith and in a speciall manner received of the faithfull in the sacraments Thus we see that to buy white raiments is by faith to seek for appropriate unto our soules righteousnes and salvation in and through the alone merit of Christ It is called white because it is purified in the blood of Christ that immaculate and undefiled lambe for whitenes doth denote puritie And he seems to allude to the manner of the Romanes called candidati who seeking for any office or dignity in the common wealth Vide Cicer. pro Mur. came clothed in white apparel to the place of election by their garments testifying the integrity which becommeth magistrates The white garments spoken of in v. 5. denote our being made partakers of heavenly glorie but not so in this place for the former place hath respect to the reward of victory after this life but here he speakes of white raiment with which we must be cloathed in this life that so we
great sword and taking away peace from the earth 3 And when he had opened the second seale I heard the second beast say Come and see 4 And there went out another horse that was red and power was given to him that sate thereon to take peace from the earth and that they should kill one another and there was given unto him a great sword The COMMENTARIE ANd when he had opened the second seale The scope of the matter which here we are to take notice of is that the future condition of the Church from that time viz. the end of the former seale unto the rising of Antichrist and end of the world is represented to Iohn that he might certainlie beleeve that the Church however oppressed by tyrants yet should be perpetually preserved in the world by the power of Christ This her future condition is declared to be both joyfull and sad joyfull before in the white horse sad in the three horses following by their threefold colour and gesture is shadowed out a threefold figure or forme of the Church First red because tyrants should make her red by spilling the blood of martyrs Secondlie blacke because she should be stained and obscured with the blacke doctrine of hereticks And lastlie pale because through the slothfulnes of governours ambition and covetousnesse of Bishops she should at length be pale sick unto death These things are the summe of the three following seales I heard the second beast which had the forme of an Oxe Chap. 4.7 he calleth him to see the bloodie opening of the second seale Now whither this were to signifie that manie of the faithfull should be slaine as oxen before the altar I leave for others to determine And there went out another horse The red horse the Church of the martyrs that was red As the white horse was the Church shining in doctrine innocency so the red horse is the Church made red by martyrdome But who was the rider I will relate the common opinion Because there was given to this rider a great sword to take peace from the earth and to stirre up men to kill each other therefore Lyra applies this red horse unto the cruel and bloody Romane Empire whose rider was Nero disturbing the citie of Rome by his wicked government so that the citizens were instigated to murder one another There was given unto him a great sword that is Euseb lib. 2. hist cap. 25. Nine persecutions under the Romane tyrants power to kill Christians for he raysed up the first cruel persecution against them and among others the Apostles Peter Paul suffered for the testimony of Iesus Christ But this interpretation is too straight for though indeed under Nero bloody persecution began yet it ceased not there but a long while after this red horse kept still his course in the Christian Church For after the first persecution of Nero which was malitiously raised against the Christians pretending they were incendiaries anthours of the burning of Rome whereas he himself most wickedlie had don the same there followed another under Domitian that cruell persecutor who cast Iohn the writer of this booke into boyling oyle and seeing he received no harme therby he afterward banished him into the I le of Patmos Euseb lib 3. hist cap. 17. After this followed the third under Trajane who pretending that there ought to be but one religion in the Romane Empire appointed that Christians as enemies of their forefathers religion should not be suffered In his time was put to death Simeon surnamed Iustus pastor in Ierusalem and Ignatius of Antioch Euseb lib. 3. cap. 32. Niceph. lib. 3. cap. 19. Immediatelie upon this a fourth by Antoninus Verus under whom Polycarpus and many others suffered in the yeare 170. Eusebius lib. 4. cap. 15. A fift under Severus about the yeare of our Lord 204 who executed Leonides the father of Origen Euseb lib. 6. hist cap. 2. And the sixt which dured three yeares under Maximinus in the yeare 239. Euseb lib. 6. cap. 20. and lib. 9. cap. 8. The seventh and the cruelst of all under Decius at what time Cornelius Bishop of Rome and Cyprian of Carthage were crowned with martyrdom Niceph. lib. 5. cap 27. The eight under Valerius Euseb lib. 7. cap. 9. And the ninth under Diocletian and Maximinian Euseb lib. 8. cap. 6. After which the Church beeing freed from persecution had some time of breathing under Constantine but soon after suffered not muchlesse under Constans Iulian Valens c. by all which we may understand that this second horse was a long time red with the blood of the faithfull The common interpretation touching him that sate on the red horse And therefore all others for the most part doe apply and farre better this red horse unto all the forenamed persecutions eyther making the tyrants to be the rider or else Satan provoking them unto so great a cruelty Vnto whom is given power that is permission of God to stirre the wicked to warre and bloody slaughters but chiefly to oppresse and persecute the Church people of God This interpretation I confesse is not improper if we consider the causes themselves of the troubles and persecutions which follow the Gospel But seeing Christ himself hath said that he came not to send peace on the earth Matt. 10.34 Luk. 120 49. but a sword and fire and to set a man at variance against his father and the daughter against her mother c. Therefore I rather understand that by this rider is meant Christ who also in Zach. 1.8 is represented as a man riding on a red horse So that Christs horse which before was white now comes forth red And is said to be another because of the change of the colour The rider on the red horse is Christ signifying that the Apostolical Church which was white in puritie of doctrine and innocencie of life should now through the crueltie of tyrants be made red with the blood of her martyrs And yet Christ sits on this red horse because he is present with and governeth his Church even in her greatest trials Vnto him is 〈◊〉 great sword viz. the sword of the word Ephes 6.17 beeing sharper then any two â—aged sword Heb. 4.12 With this sword he tooke peace from the earth and 〈◊〉 â—â—oodie persecutions not in himself but by accident because of the malice of tyrants and hereticks in opposing his truth For Christ is the prince of peace The Gospel the doctrine of peace c. Therefore Christ takes away neyther his peace nor yet peace from his children which he promiseth in Ioh. 14.27 but from the earth that is from worldlie tyrants and enemies of the Gospel For to the wicked there is no peace Isai 57.21 Here we are taught in the first place that the condition of the Church in this life was and ever shall be reddish or sprinkled with the blood of persecution For through many tribulations we must enter into
are allegorically to be understod Lyras opinion rejected that this vermine is not to bee understood properly but mystically of the troopes of most hurtfull enemies Who they bee it is hard to define saith Ribera And so it is because as Papists so also our interpreters are of diverse opinions about them Lyra interprets it of the Vandales Gothes and Hunnes most cruell enemies of the Church who beeing infected with the Arian pest spread themselves by mighty troopes in the East and in Africa and like devouring Locusts miserably afflicted the Christian world This opinion seems probable to Tossanus although he follow it not Ribera also understands it of cruell and Barbarous men afflicting the Church Riberaes opinion such as were of old the Gothes and Vandales But their description here seems not fitly to agree to these natione For these Locusts are raised and spread over the earth by the key of the Apostaticall Star that is by Antichrists power they come out of the bottomlesse pit but Antichrist did neither raise up nor send forth the Vandales Gothes unlesse it were by accident that is as occasioning by his idolatrie the Lord to punish men by these adversaries besides they did not torment but miserably murther many not the wicked alone but the godly also this not for five monthes but many yeeres together Junius interprets it of evill spirits molesting the world Iunius interpretation but the description little agrees therewith besides it was needlesse that any such thing should be typed out unto Iohn seeing it is well knowen to all that they never cease troubling and tempting the sons of men Moreover sensible events are undoubtedly here signified as working upon mens sences Whereas the evil spirits doe insensiblie rage and hurt the world Gagnaeus and some others with whom our Tossanus agrees apply it to the swarme of hereticks Gagnaeus opinion which in Constantines time and after with a mighty force prepared the way for Antichrist For those hereticks beeing come forth from the hellish smoake of arrogancie and presumption like Locusts far and wide devoured the pastures of the Church Now howsoever these things are true in themselves Yet as Ribera wel observeth the locusts here spoken of may not be understood of hereticks because that which followes in vers 5. seems not to agree unto them It was given that they should not kill them but that they should be tormented Now hereticks torment not their disciples and favourers but such as are sound in the faith who have the seale of God whereas the locusts are commanded not to torment those which have the seale of God in their foreheads to which we may also adde that the state of hereticks was before described in the third fourth trumpet as also in Chap. 6. at the opening of the third and fourth seale whereas it is manifest that here the rising and kingdome of Antichrist is prefigured I therefore leaving all these doe in this ascent unto the Ecclesiasticall Glosse to the Glosse also of Illyricus and Bullinger who following Bede and Anonymus understand by these Locusts the disciples of Antichrist The application of the Locusts to Antichrists disciples vindicated that is the innumerable troope of the Popish clergie neyther is there any weight in what is objected to the contrarie First they say that Antichrists kingdom is described hereafter in Chap. 13. Now howsoever this be true yet is it not a sufficient ground to prove the thing they bring it for For as it is both there and here described so also as we have shewed it was before prefigured in the second vision at the opening of the sixt seale yea it shall be also againe described in the fift sixt visions For in every one of these prophetical visions the same is repeated and more clearly illustrated Secondly they object that these Locusts shall onely rage for the space of five monthes whereas the power of the Romish clergie hath already continued much longer But neyther is this to the purpose For the time of five monthes is not here precisely to be understood according to the letter for in this sence it would as little agree with the Vandals and hereticks whose time of rage cruelty lasted many yeeres But the words allude to that space of time in which the Locusts are in their chiefe vigour strength as we shall heare hereafter Thirdly they object that the power given to the Locusts is not over the servants of God but them that were not sealed Wheras Antichrist hath power over the sealed ones for he shall kill the witnesses of the truth But it is one thing to kill and another thing to hurt He shall indeed kill the two witnesses yet not hurt them for the spirit of life from God shall enter into them Chap. 11. vers 11. therefore properly he onely shall hurt them that are not sealed by seducing and leading them to destruction 2 Thess 2.10 Lastly they object that the Locusts had power grievously to torment men the which say they cannot be truly said of them in the Papacy who have lived in all kinde of carnal licenciousnesse But we are to distinguish betwixt the outward condition of the flesh and the inward state of the conscience Outwardly indeed idolaters rejoyce greatly abound in all pleasures But inwardly when conscience comes to worke they feel secret torments because seeking life and salvation out of Christ they never finde any rest for their soules but are tormented with perpetuall anguish feare and torture of hell or purgatorie of which more hereafter Notwithstanding therefore all the foresaid objections we understand by the Locusts the Romish clergie unto whom the whole description all the effects therof doe fitly agree I. The Locusts remaine skipping on the ground and fly not up into the aire Application of the Locusts to the Romish clergie So this wicked clergie savours nothing but earthly things seekes only after them and not the things that are above II. The Locusts goe forth in great troopes so in the Papacy there are seen innumerable swarmes of religions orders in so much that one of their Generals as Sabellicus recordeth promised sometime unto the Pope to send a compleate armie of thirtie thousand souldiers consisting onely of Franciscane Friers to warre against the Turks without any interruption of divine service unto their cloisters III. The Locusts sing and skippe in summer and delight in ease What doth this sinfull clergie But perpetually sing dance and delight in pride and luxuriousnesse beeing in the meane time serviceable neither to God or men IV. The Locusts though but litle yet are gorbellied creatures fall upon consume and destroy most pleasant feilds gardens The false Romish clergie loves to bee in the greatest and chiefest cities possesse the pleasantest vallies insinuate themselves into great mens favour families spoile devoure widowes howses build their cloisters colleges and palaces in places most commodious gather infinite
all Christians so rashly yeeld assistance unto Antichrist so soon as he manifests himself O foolish vanities Thus we see this fiction is inconsistent It is also diverse wayes repugnant to the holie Scriptures For they teach us that Antichrist shall not come but by an universall apostasie from the faith 2 Thess 2.3 1 Tim. 4.1 the elect onely excepted who are sealed in their foreheads But who would say that al Christian Bishops with their highpriests could be led aside from the faith within lesse then four yeeres Besides the Scripture witnesseth that the day Mark 13.22 1 Thess 5.2 moneth and yeere of Christs last comming beeing hid from all creatures is onely knowen unto God and the Lord will come suddenly as a thiefe in the night when the world shall say Peace and safety But according to the opinion here laid down the day moneth and yeere of the last judgement should not bee unknown for from the rising of Antichrist unto his death there should remaine but three yeeres and an halfe and from his death unto the last judgement 45 dayes for so Bellarmin expresly writes Lib. 3. de P. R. c. 17. that after the death of Antichrist there shall be no more then 45 dayes unto the end of the world Seeing therefore that the opinion being granted there followes a falsity the opinion it self must needs be false This reason is so strong as that it forced Ribera to forsake that false opinion about the 45 dayes as we shall hear on Chap. 20. To be short this onely sufficeth that in Chap. 13.5 these 42 moneths are againe repeated touching the beast unto him power was given to continue fourty two moneths which cannot in any wise be understood of Astronomicall moneths or three yeeres and an halfe For that beast to Bellarmin Alcasar and others not a few is the Romane Empire the power whereof whither it be taken of the old or new continued far longer then three yeeres and an halfe For these causes therefore and many other absurdities this first opinion cannot possiblie stand And this errour is the rather to be excused in the Ancients who diverse wayes erred about Antichrist as Bellarmin himself confesseth because they saw not the histories of future ages Ibid. cap. 3. but is not in our dayes to be suffered in the least but banished out of the Church as a most pernitious errour For it hath brought both a securitie upon the world hitherto as also it keepeth the Papists to this day in their blindnes insomuch as they neither will nor can see and avoyd Antichrist raigning in the Church long agoe discovered by the light of the Gospell Concerning the divisions of the times in Dan we will speak in the following Chapter The other opinion understands these to be propheticall moneths The other opinion of fourty two propheticall moneths Ezech. 4 5 6. Num. 14.34 Cent. 1. lib. 2. c. 4. col 438. taking a moneth for thirtie dayes of yeeres or thirtie yeeres and so these 42 moneths make twelve hundred and sixtie yeeres like as Ezechiel was commanded to lie on his left side 390 dayes upon his right fourty dayes for fourty yeeres by taking a day for a yeere so the Israelites are commanded to wander in the wildernes fourty yeeres according to the dayes in which they searched the land counting a day for a yeere and so the Centurie writers of Magdeburg take it and our Junius on this place who begins the fourty two moneths or 1260 yeeres of this treading under foot from the passion of our Lord endeth it in Boniface the eight who was created Pope in the yeer 1294. from which the thirty foure yeeres of Christs life beeing deducted there remaine 1260 yeeres now concerning this determination I will speake afterward Bellarmins objections against this opinion are not solid He saith Ibid. cap. 8 that the scripture indeed speakes of weekes of yeeres Levit. 25. Dan. 9. but that we finde not dayes to be put for yeeres or moneths of yeeres Vnto which I answer it is not true that dayes are not put for yeeres for the two alledged places Num. 14.34 Ezech. 4.6 doe plainly shew the same That which he objects that yeeres are not taken for dayes according to the letter otherwise Ezechiel must have lien on his left side 390 yeeres is frivolous for dayes doe not signifie yeeres litterally but according to the pleasure of God so speaking fourty yeeres are imposed upon the Israelites for fourty dayes and on the contrarie for 390 yeeres 390 dayes are granted unto Ezech. so that it cannot bee denied but the scripture in a propheticall sense doth reciprocally put a day for a yeere and a yeere for a day Touching the moneths of yeeres he cavils in vaine For if the scripture allowes of dayes of yeeres weekes of yeeres why not also of moneths of yeeres seeing moneths are reduced into weekes and weekes into dayes The determination I leave to the authors notwithstanding it seems not to bee without some inconveniences For first as concerning the life of Christ In heresi 51 Alogian I rather thinke with Epiphanius that he lived 32 complete yeeres and 74 dayes then 34 yeeres of which I have spoken somthing otherwere So then the end of these yeeres would come short of Boniface VIII Secondlie it sufficiently appeareth by what we have spoken on Chap. 4.1 I will shew thee things which must bee hereafter that this account must not begin from Christs passion or any other time before this vision was exhibited unto John And therefore these yeeres are to begin after the Revelation so after the times of Domitian Thirdly although Boniface indeed most wickedlie trode under foot the holy city yet after him it ceased not for his successours no way inferiour to him in Antichristian tyrannie have gone foreward treading down the Church unto this day Now it is apparent that here is noted the time how long the holy city must be troden under foot by Antichristian Gentiles So that these XLII moneths shal not be ended untill the holie city be freed from this treading down And therefore this opinion also seems to have little soliditie in it The third The third opinion touching Sabbath-moneths is John Fox that excellent writer of the English booke of Martyrs in his conjectures on the Revelation who understands the XLII moneths of sabbaths weekes or yeeres of so many times seven yeeres which make 294. and so many yeeres he reckons from the death of Iohn Baptist unto Constantine the Emperour under whom the Christians first were freed from persecution as therefore saith he the times of the first persecution of Christians under the Jewes and Emperours increased unto 294 yeeres so likewise the last persecution treading down of the holie citie shall endure 294 yeeres beginning from the time that the power of the Turkes first began to increase viz. from the yeere of our Lord 1300. So these moneths should have been ended
in the yeere of Christ 1586. and the holy citie now delivered from beeing troden under foot by the Gentiles more then 50 yeeres Now howsoever I doe not at all derogate from this opinion as beeing indeed verie pithy and ingenious yet I scarslie dare follow it For first the hypothesis or argument propounded touching the Sabbath-moneths seems to be very uncertain neither can it easily be proved by any example of Scripture where a moneth is put for a weeke of yeeres The which also that excellent divine of great Brittaine Robert Abbad Bishop of Sarum whom I name for honours sake seems clearly to prove Demonstr cap. 8. pag. 111. in his demonstration of Antichrist against Bellarmin Secondlie it appeareth plainely that this prophesie is not to be understood of treading down the holie citie by the Turkes because two witnesses are brought in prophesying against that treading down whereas prophesies will little help against Turkish tyrannie courage force of armes rather must free the holy city from that oppression Thirdlie it is verie unlikely according to his opinion that the XLII 42 moneths should now be finished and the holie city cease to be troden down by the Gentiles For both in the East West a miserable desolation of the holy city is yet to bee seen For the Turkes power is so far from beeing broken as on the contrary it dayly increaseth and sets more more his feet upon the holy citie The Romish tyrannie also although it bee greatly weakned by the prophesie of the two witnesses not withstanding it is not as yet broken but still oppresseth the Church both in the Western and Northern kingdomes I therefore leave the conjecture of this most learned man in the same nature as he himself desireth I saith hee doe not at all assume this to my self to define here any thing on a certainty or that my opinion should be any way praejudicatorie unto others far better then my self this onely I desire that the same liberty which others take unto themselves may also bee granted to mee without offence In Alcasars opinion I finde nothing eyther probable or true Vestigat pag. 567. save that he rejects the common opinion of Antichrists reigning three yeeres and a halfe For my part saith he as yet I may freely say that if I take this exposition about Antichrists persecution as the chiefe thing in this eleventh Chapter then I know not how to draw the line of the REVELATION and knit things together in order And afterward Notwithstanding as the halfe houre in Chap. 8. the five moneths in Chap. 9. are not to be taken in a proper sense but mystically so for the more convenient connexion of the REVELATION these fourty two moneths are not to be taken in a proper but mystical sense for to take these numbers of dayes moneths yeeres as they sound it were not sutable unto an enigmatical stile In which two things are to be gathered First that this place serves not at all for to establish the common opinion of Antichrists reigning for three yeeres and a halfe whereas the Patrones thereof doe hence chiefly build upon Secondly that our interpreters who take not the numbers of dayes moneths or yeeres according to the letter but understand them eyther of Sabbath-moneths or propheticall dayes definite or indefinite The fourth opinion of fourty two indefinite moneths Act. 1 7. doe no way stray from the aenigmatical stile of the Revelation Bullinger therefore most of our interpreters considering that the method and drift of this prophesy is chiefly to enlighten us somewhat in the future events of the Church but not that we should dare define precisely the moments seasons which the father hath set in his owne power doe thinke that a certaine designed time indeed of Antichristian persecution is noted yet left unto us uncertaine so far as concernes the termes to wit all that which is reckoned from those fatall 666 yeeres mentioned Chap. 13. unto the last judgement For confirmation of which opinion two reasons are brought One that in Chapter 13.6 this self same number of 42 moneths is attributed unto the first beast that is to the Romane Empire of which we shall speak afterward The other because Daniel Christ our Lord Paul the Apostle doe joyntlie teach us that Antichrists persecution shall endure unto the day of judgement the yeere or day wherof no man can certainlie determine Demonstr p. 108. Abbat also before spoken of after many things at last assents to this opinion I saith he doe willinglie consent to them who suppose that by a defined number of moneths and yeeres a certaine time indeed is appointed of God but not so expressed by the very period of the numbers as to be discerned by the Church before hand but numbred and circumscribed by the counsell and providence of God alone and can not be knowen unto us but by the event accomplishment of them The which opinion seeing as yet I find no other more probable I also far the present will follow to wit that the time of treading down is defined by XLII moneths a finite number beeing put for an indefinite not as if it were not definite and certaine to God But because it remaines to us indefinite that is we cannot at the present determine of the certaine time It is circumscribed by a few moneths that the faithfull in their tribulations might bee encouraged unto patience knowing that their troubles shall not continue overlong but as it were onely for a few moneths Againe it is enlarged unto 1260 dayes to shew us that we are to prepare not for trials of some few dayes or yeeres onely but resolve to be constant unto the end I confesse there are many things by some alledged to the contrarie The difficulties against the fourth opinion answered Gen. 31.7 Prov. 24.16 Matt. 18.22 but with little ground They say that the scripture doth never put a finite number for an indefinite but the contrarie appeares by Iacobs speach to Laban Thou hast changed my wages ten times And Solomon The just man falleth seven times And Christ Thou shalt forgive thy brother not seven times onely but seventy times seven c. They say in other places of this booke an uncertaine number is not put for a certaine as Chap. 12.6 The woman shall be in the wildernes 1260 dayes And Chap. 13.5 The beast shall rage XLII moneths And Chap. 20. Satan shall be bound a 1000 yeeres So in Ieremie 29.10 After 70 yeeres ye shall returne out of Babylon Therfore also the number in this place is not uncertaine I answer in the first place that the number is not uncertaine to God although it be so to us for the present Secondly there is a dissimilitude of places now touching these severall numbers taken out of the Revelation we shall speake of them hereafter The seventie yeeres of the captivity are so circumscribed as that they could not bee uncertaine the
have prophesied either alone two or few but succeeded one another at severall times in the work of the Lord. Thirdlie The titles of the witnesses are not to be taken literally that these titles are not literally but spiritually accommodated by a certaine similitude unto them because of some proportionable effects between the foresaid prophets and these witnesses For what the former did literallie these later shall doe spiritually Now that all these things are thus to be taken John himselfe shew eth v. 8. calling Rome the seat of Antichrist spiritually Sodome Aegypt Jerusalem As therefore the seat of the beast is to be taken spiritually so also the titles of these witnesses are spiritually to be understood And that especially because these things taken according to the letter for the most part would appear to be eyther absurd or miraculous New miracles the markes of Antichrist But God will not work new miracles because he hath foretold us that new miracles shall be the markes of Antichrist Furthermore the honourable titles given to these witnesses before their martyrdome are chiefly five declaring partly their dignitie partly their prophetical power The which we will briefly consider Clothed with sackcloth The first title declares their contemptible condition in the eyes of worldly men Sackcloth was the habit of mourners as the Ninevites Title of the witnes is their conttemptible habit Daniel Mordecai are said to have mourned in sackcloth Christ speaking of them of Tyre and Sidon saith that they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes It was also the habit of the prophets and now is of poore and despised men Some therefore by their wearing of sackcloth will have the argument of their prophesie to be noted metaleptice Metalepsis is a figure by which a word is put from its proper signification because they shall denounce unto the world mourning and punishments at hand in regard of Antichrists abominations and are to call men unto repentance And indeed rightly may it be thus taken for their prophesie shall consist in preaching of repentance Others interpret it of their own mourning because by their base and mean habit they shall manifest the bitternes and griefe of their mind for the destruction of the Church and horrible blindnesse of the world even as such in old time were in bitternes of spirit who cloathed themselves in sackcloth This also may well stand Notwithstanding I rather take it of the neglected condition of the ministers of the Gospell For sackcloth undoubtedly is opposed to the pompe and luxurie Antichrist and his Locusts These glorious praelates with their soft silken broidered garments of gold and silver bewitch the world whereas on the contrarie these witnesses shal be vile and despised scarsly having whereon to live or cloathe themselves And indeed allmost all the servants of Christ who hitherto have waged warre with the Beast have been abject poor and despised in the eye of the world Bellarmin upbraides us with this sackcloth as beeing an argument of the falsitie of our religion The Patrones of our opinon saith he have been great and worthie men and followed by the whole world but BERENGARIVS was a Deacon a man neglected and having for his followers a few poore Schollers But for our parts wee need not be offended thereat for how contemptuously soever the world judgeth thereof yet the excellencie of the same before God we shall hear by by Neither is Bellarmins taunting worth the answering Lib. 5. de P. R. c. 6. that he never as yet saw any minister of the Gospell clothed in sackcloth For the two witnesses shall no more be literallie cloathed in sackcloth then they shall be literallie two Olive-trees two candlestickes or breach out of their mouth fire therewith to devour the adversaries c. 4. These are those two Olive-trees The other title is the dignitie of the two witnesses opposed to their contemptible condition The dignity of the witnesses They shall not bee therefore neglected of God because the world despiseth them For they are two Olive-trees candlesticks wherby mystically the dignitie of the ministerie of the word is noted as serving in stead of Olive-trees and candlesticks unto the Church An Olive-tree is allwayes green bringing forth most wholesom fruit A candlestick beares up the light by which darknesse is expelled and the whole house enlightned so the ministerie of the witnesses shal be lively efficacious because the Oyle and anointing of the Spirit is powred forth through it on the elect It is known that the grace of the spirit is verie often compared unto Oile especiallie by Iohn in regard of a like efficacie These witnesses therefore shal be Olive-trees powring forth by prophesy spirituall oyle that is they shall be profitable instruments for the salvation of true beleevers They shall also be candlesticks as holding forth the light of Gods word by which they shall drive away Antichristian darknesse and kindle againe the lost light of the Gospell in the Church I said before that this is an allusion unto the type Zach. 4.14 where God saith of Zerubbabel and Iehoshua the two captaines that brought his people back againe These are the two sons of oyle or anointed ones standing before the ruler of the whole earth by which commendatorie title the authority of these two is set forth The two witnesses therefore are two Olive-trees not litterally But first by a certaine metonymia for they are two restorers of the Church from under the bondage and yoke of Antichrist signifyed by these two Olive-trees of old of the Babylonish captivity And secondly by a metaphor for as they rebuilded Ierusalem beeing formerly wasted by the Babylonians repaired the temple and typicall worship so these shall restore the Lords spirituall worship and repaire the holy citie troden under foot by Antichristian Gentiles Now hence it appeareth Vnder the two witnesses and Olive-trees godly princes are also to be understood The dignitie of the witnesses that under these two witnesses godly Kings Princes reformers maintainers of the true religion being nursing fathers to the Church are likewise to be understood For as one of the two Olive-trees was Jehoshua the Priest the other Zerubbabel a civill magistrate or prince who rebuilded the temple and holy citie So God in these last times will raise up besides the teachers and preachers of his word some godly and zealous kings and princes to defend the orthodoxe religion against Antichrist and his followers Standing before the God of the earth By the words of Zacharie chiefly the dignity of the witnesses is set forth In the eyes of the world their sackcloth is vile and contemptible but with God they are in great esteem as most sweet Olive-trees and golden candlesticks or els their fidelitie is noted as performing their ministery faithfullie with great constancie as it were in the sight of God whom no man can deceive Antichrist to mans thinking gloriously reigneth
and 5. It containes a thanksgiving a prayer They give thankes to the Lord God almighty which is which was and which is to come that is either to Christ or unto the holy Trinity as before on Chap. 1.8 But for what benefit Because thou hast taken to thee thy great power and hast reigned But what good comes hereby unto the Elders indeed they have great cause to rejoyce for these benefits considering that they serve to the eternal felicity of the Church triumphant Hitherto the Lord in suffering the fury of the adversaries did seem not to exercise his great power that is his omnipotencie and Christ to be overcome by Antichrist but at length by taking that is by exercising and shewing forth his power in casting down the adversaries he delivered the afflicted Church out of all her trouble and by reigning blesseth her with eternal happinesse Rom. 14.17 The kingdome of God is righteousnes peace and joy in the holy Ghost And God shall then perfectly reigne when as he shall give to his elect eternal righteousnesse peace and the joy of the spirit Of this see the description in the end of the second Vision Chap. 7. v. 15.16.17 18. And the nations were angry Now followes their wish or prayer For by putting God and Christ as it were in minde of the time of judgment they humbly beseech him that he would most justly execute the same according to the prophesies of the scripture The nations were angry This is as it were a former reason Because the nations are angrie as if he should say they have bin angry that is raged long enough against Christ and the Church It is time therefore that thou also be angrie that is represse the angrie nations Thus he calleth all adversaries whatsoever whither Jewes Turkes or Christians falsly so named Thy wrath That is thy vengeance and judgement or wrath for punishments by a metalepsis as Rom. 2.5 Is come For let it come And the time namely is come the which thou hast defined in ty eternal counsel Vnknown indeed unto mortal men but then revealed by Christ unto them in heaven For without a speciall revelation no man knoweth that day save God alone But what time Of the dead That is to be raised Some take it of the wicked onely dead in sins But the following distribution of them which are to be judged comprehends all both good and bad For it is added That they should be judged But the godlie shall not come into judgement Jo. 5.24 He that beleeveth on him that sent mee hath eternal life and shall not come into judgement But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 judgement is there put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 condemnation and therfore Beza hath so rendred it So then the elect shall come to judgment for all must stand before the tribunall seat of Christ however they shall come to be absolved and not condemned And therefore the Elders further adde Two companies of them that are to be judged That thou shouldest give reward They make two sorts of people of such as shal be judged some to be rewarded the other to be destroyed as Christ in Matth. 25. Joh. 5. The reward of their faith shal be given them and of their obedience constancie patience labours and miseries What reward eternal life glorie Vnto whom They make three sorts of such as shal be rewarded Three rankes of such as are to be rewarded First they place Gods servants the prophets thereby comprehending the faithfull of more special note whither under the Law or Gospel as Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Evangelists c. who were Gods servants by a more then orninary vocation Secondly the Saintes to wit confessours and martyrs who eyther by sincere preaching or constant martyrdome have held forth the glory of Christ against Antichrist Vnder whom are comprehended all faithfull teachers and preachers of the word called Saints by an Hebraisme as separated to some special work In the third place they add the fearers of Gods name that is all other faithful ones besides the two former companies who from the beginning of the world unto the end therof have worshipped the Lord in sinceritie What it is to feare the name of God For to fear the name of God is to worship him sincerely to call upon him and love him above all because the feare of the Lord is the beginning of wisdome godlinesse Great and small They shew that the reward is common unto all without any difference of merit either of greater or lesser condition and state to the end that neyther the great ones should promise unto themselves a greater reward or the others despaire of the same recompence Popish Sophisters dispute much touching the degrees of glorie which rather proceedeth out of their own braine from a false supposed foundation of humane merits then from the Scriptures of God But whither the Lord wil crown his servants with equal or unequal glorie it shal not be according to their merit but merely of his own grace And this is all Jovinian against whom Jerom wrote pleaded for except I be deceived viz. that unto all who kept their baptisme there should be one recompence in the kingdome of God For he seems not to disapprove of a degree of reward but of merit The crown of righteousnes propounded unto all the faithfull Paul the Apostle who was taken up into the third heaven and inferiour to none of the Saintes shewes us that for him was laid up a crown of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous judge would give him at that day and not unto him onely but unto all that love his appearing This same crown of righteousnesse the Elders doe promise unto the Prophets and Saintes and all the fearers of the name of God This sufficeth for our faith and consolation Let us leave disputing in this life touching the differences of the crowne and rather indeavour so to walke as that we may be made partakers therof in the life to come That thou shouldest give reward Here fals in a question For a reward is given of merit and debt Therfore say some the reward of eternall life is given unto the Saintes as a due debt otherwise it would not be called a reward Now it is not onely here so called Mat. 5.12 20.8 1 Cor. 3.8 Rom. 4.4 but in many other places Great is your reward in heaven Give unto them their reward or hire Every one shall receive his own reward according to his own labour But to him that worketh the reward is not given of grace but of debt Thus the mercenarie adversaries of grace dispute But how eternal life is said to be a reward appeares by the words of the Apostle The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is life eternal Rom. 6.23 Ephes 2.9 It is the gift of God not of workes least any man should glorie Now all gifts are gratis and not due debts Forasmuch
therfore as eternal life is a gift Eternal life is mercy not merit it is of mercy and not of merit And it is called a reward not due but freely given such a reward as a father gives to his son not as a master unto his hired servant Neither is it contradictorie that the Apostle denies that a reward is given of grace For he denies it of a reward of workes To him that worketh saith he the reward is not imputed of grace but of workes Now we denie that life eternal is said to bee such a reward For not to workers but to beleevers is this reward given They insist out of Thomas Thom. 1. secundae quaest 114. ad 1. that it is not indeed given of debt in order of justice but yet that it is given of debt by divine ordination in as much as every promise becomes a debt I answer That the divine appointment is not that we should by our merits obtaine eternal life or that eternall life should be given to any of merit but Gods appointment according unto the Gospell is this that eternall life bee given not to them that worke but to them that beleeve not of debt but of grace for the gift of God is life eternall Faith works indeed because it is operative through Charitie but it doth not therefore worke that it may merit but to the end that due obedience may be performed to the Lord. For no debt can be said to be a merit But thou wilt say Howfar a promise becomes a debt every promise becomes a debt This is true amongst men with whom there is a natural and legal obligation But that Gods promise should come under the nature of a debt it is false Both because their is no proportion between God who is infinite and a finite creature neyther any obligation on Gods part as also because as wel the promise as the thing promised is of mere grace For it is of grace I say that he promiseth to give whatsoever he doth give he gives it of grace But they say God by promise becomes indebted unto us This Aquinas himself denies saying It followes not that God simply becomes a debtor to us but unto himself Se Bellarm. castigat lib 5. in prooem cap. 3.14.16 de justif And destroy them that destroy the earth The other sort to be judged are such as shal be destroyed with unquencheable fire and eternall torments For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying to corrupt is not so to destroy them as if they should cease to be like as it is in naturall corruption the which is motus ab esse ad non esse a dissolution from a beeing to nothing but to thrust them into punishment so as they shal not be blessed but miserable for ever Who destroy the earth A paraphrase of such as are to be destroyed among the number of whom chiessy are tyrants hereticks and both Antichrists The sonne of perdition destroyes the earth who in a speciall manner destroyed the earth that is the inhabitants of the earth by fire sword by destructive lawes and doctrines by wicked manners and examples This is a most proper note of Antichrist who therefore is called the sonn of perdition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because being lost himselfe and devoted to destruction he destroyes the earth like a robber killing soules and drawing men by all deceiveablenes of unrighteousnes and lying signes with himself into eternal destruction So Chap. 19.2 The whore is said to corrupt the earth with her fornication And therefore as Antichrist is a destroyer so he shal be rewarded with a final destruction Hitherto is the description of the last judgement the which by no shew of reason can be applyed to any other thing neyther is it here put by way of anticipation but repeated in a right order as beeing the last Act of the third Vision the which order they who observe not in this book doe vainly weary themselves with many subtilties 19. And the temple of God was opened in heaven Here some begin the following Vision But these things cohere with that which went before For John shewes allegorically the execution of the last judgement viz. the reward of the Saintes and punishment of the wicked The temple of God in heaven That is the Church triumphant in which God dwelleth as in a temple It shall then be opened when the heavenly glorie thereof shal fullie appeare For now indeed it is inward and hid and therefore the magnificence of the temple beeing as it were shut is not perspicuous But then the temple of God shal be opened when the Church shall appear most glorious And the Ark of the testament was seen He persists in the allegory of the ancient temple In the inmost part whereof was kept the Ark of the covenant a type of Christ beeing not to be seen of any save once a yeere by the High priest signifying that Christ of old was hid and as through a lattice the people then had but a smal glimpse of him Vnder the New Testament he appeared in the flesh but in a lowly way neither is his glory yet seen in the Gospel but by faith But after the judgment the Ark of the covenant shall be seen in heaven that is Christ shall so appeare as he is in heavenly glory unto his elect Now we see through a glasse darkly but then we shall see him face to face The sight of God is the Saintes felicity This Vision shal be the Saintes happines viz. when Christ shall present himself to be perfectlie beheld enjoyed and fullie perfect the grace of his covenant And there were lightnings Before Chap. 4.5 in the praeparation of the second Vision there proceeded out of the throne lightnings thundrings voyces and Chap. 8.5 in the praeparation of the third Vision the Censer beeing cast into the earth there were voyces and thunders and lightnings and an earthquake The wickeds pitnishment but in sense far different then it is in the catastrophe or change of this Vision For now John in the description of the last judgement as he shewed the felicity of the Saintes allegorically so he represents the punishments of the wicked metaphorically by the lightnings thunders voyces earthquakes and great haile oppressing them These things shal be the terrible signes of the wrath to come when the heaven earth all the elements shall conspire together to take vengeance on the wicked according to that in the Psalmist Psal 11.6 he will raine upon the wicked snares fire and brimstone wind of burning storms shall be the portion of their cup. Our Tossanus to the same purpose understands here the shaking of the whole frame of this world melting of the elements of which Peter speaketh together with the destruction of the wicked The like is spoken Chap. 16.18 at the powring forth of the seventh Viall in Vision the fift Thus much touching the third Vision
I had wingsof a doue that he might have a little rest from trouble neither the wings of a kite or of a houpe or Storke as Zacha. 5.9 These are unclean birds but the wings of a generous and Great Eagle able to fly a long time For the woman was to fly a great while even till she came into the wildernesse A great Eagle flyes strongly lifts her selfe up on high and is carried above the cloudes hence the flying of an Eagle is commended in scripture Deut. 32.11 Isa 40.31 and hereby is signified that the Church was divinely inabled to this flight that she might not be a prey unto the Dragon according to the promise they that hope in Jehovah shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be wearie they shall walk and not faint Now touching the FLIGET let us see how and when it was There are diverse opinions of expositours about it the which I list not to rehearse hearse They spake according to their module I also will shew myne opinion yea I have already not obscurely shewed the same Let us call to memorie what hath bin said before of the place and clothing of the woman and of the Dragons persecution the woman before was clothed with the Sun shined as the moon and glittering stars openly in heaven signifying that the Christian Church untill Constantine who brought peace and quietnes unto her should under the crosse shine in brightnesse of faith godlinesse And indeed all that while by how much persecution encreased and Christians were hated and and afflicted by so much the more they were eminent and perspicuous But peace I say beeing obtained by Constantine Christians then began to disperse themselves over the whole Romane Empire the Church seemed to be againe past al danger but the thing fell out otherwise for suddenly new stormes of persecution overwhelmed her causing her to flee by little and little till at length she was forced altogether to hide herselfe in the wildernesse The wildernesse is opposed to heaven her flight to the ornaments wherewith formerly she was adorned For the Church fled from heaven into the wildernesse not by change of place but by losse of her graces changing her ancient sinceritie of doctrine faith pietie humilitie and Christs government into luxuriousnes ambition superstition and pagan worship when I say in stead of pure and virgines attire she put on whorish habit altering her visage insomuch as now she was not the same but altogether another woman save in name onely Nota. What it is to flâ—e into the wildernesse Thus she fled into the wildernesse that is she vanished out of mans sight so that what formerlie she had been the same now appeared not as things are hid and appeare not in a wildernesse It is true in all ages there remained still many godly people but these were of no account and suppressed there being verâ—e few if any congregations who worshipped the Lord in the purity of his ordinances But superstition idolatrie and tyrannie altogether prevailed But thou wilt say such a flight suites not with the historie For after Constantines time for the space of three hundred yeeres even untill Gregorie the Woman remained in heaven that is the Church did flourish both in the East and West yea the Church hath ever since remained and at this day the Church at Rome is more magnificent then of old I answer we are to distinguish the true Church from the false The true sincere and chast woman was forced through the Dragons assaults to flee into the wildernesse and vanished out of sight having lost her former clothing and ornament so as that chast mother the Church never appeared any where in the world In her place succeeded a new Church being a gaudish whorish woman so that the flight of the woman signifyes the departure of the true Church in the world The summe is this The true Church fled into the wildernesse The wildernesse is the Popish desolation not by changing her place but loosing her former state not by gooing forth of Rome but in loosing her ornaments This wildernesse therfore may not be imagined to bee any remote place in Arabia Lybia or Japponia Or a certain place unto which the true Church was limited as the Donatists dreamt concerning their Africa but is that desolate apostatical state brought in by Antichrist in which indeed there was a true Church but not apparent to the view of men like as of old in Israels apostacie there was indeed a Church of seven thousand but unknown to Elias and others It is I say the spirituall confusion of the Papacie Isay 40.3 like as the Prophet Isaiah cals the spiritual desolation of the Iewish kingdom a wildernesse In this wildernesse or spiritual confusion of the Romish Church Iohn sees a woman riding on a scarlet coulered Beast Chap. 17. It is verie memorable that here so in v. 6. it is said The woman had a place prepared of God in the wildernesse that they should feed her there who the Angels as they did Elias unto whose historie it seemes to allude 1 King 19. Or some secret nursing fathers whom the Lord would raise up during the womans exile For we are to consider that Christs spouse howsoever during her banishment it could not be said that she was visiblie either here or there neverthelesse was not extinguished and no where to be found but was secretlie kept and nourished by God even as in the time of Elias the Lord reserved to himself seven thousand worshippers of his name although so much did not publickly appeare but a generall corruption and depravation of religion had spread it self over both kingdoms of Iudah and Israel The Papists therefore asking us where the Church was a thousand yeeres past if the Papacie were not it may here receive an answer that it was in the wildernesse where not long after Constantines time she was forced to flee which made Hilarie to complaine that in his time Hilar. Cont Auxen the Church was rather hid in caves and dens of the earth then to be found in the chief seats But how long shall the woman remaine banished in the wildernesse A time and times and halfe a time This threefold distinction of time is taken out of Dan. 7.25 and 12 7. where Antiochus a type of Antichrist should tread the Saintes under foot for a time times and halfe a time What is here meant by it appeares from v. 6. they shall feed her there 1260 dayes Of these dayes hath been spoken Chap. 11.2 There it signified the time of the prophesie of the two witnesses here it is the time of the womans exile in the wildernesse The same time of 42 moneths there is taken for the space that the holy citie should be troden down and Chap. 13.5 it is the time the Beast shall rage against the Saintes Whence I gather that the Churches abode in
it up and how The particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as shewes that the waters and flood are allegorically to be understood Most understand this flood of waters to be the manifold and grievous afflictions and persecutions by which satan seekes in all times to oppresse the Church taking it to be an allusion to that complaint of the Church of old Psal 124.1.3 unlesse Jehovah had bin on our side now may Israel say Then the waters had overwhelmed us the stream had gon over our soul c. This I confesse is not amisse But it must bee more specially expounded now the Dragon persecuted the woman in her slight by a flood of waters and that also before the Beast ascended out of the sea of which it followeth Chap. 13. Foxe makes the flood to be those horrible edicts Fox his opinion proscripts and commands of Emperours especially of Maxentius and Maximinus which were every where published for the taking away of Christians from the earth But these things fel out before the former persecution neither did the woman take her flight under the perfecutions of the Romane Dragons Bullinger comprehends under it Bullingers interpretation all the Churches afflictions This flood saith he signifies that the Divell powred forth a sea of evils on the Church as sects dissensions tumults seditions and persecutions by which allmost the whole earth was over flowen And he applies these things to the verie time of the Apostles when satan stirred up every where the magistrates and priests against the Apostles and Apostolical trueth this is true indeed yet in my judgement but little agreeing to the sense of the present prophesie Brightman understanding by these waters Brightmans opimon peoples or nations as afterward in Chap. 17.15 interprets this other persecution of the irruptions of the Franci the Alemanni Burgonions Goths Vandals Hunni Treballi the Heruli the Lumbards and such other Northern nations who about the yeere 400 and thence forward rushed in the sluces being as it were taken away upon all Europe and Asia for to swallow up as with deepe gulfes the Christian Church Yet the earth that is the counterfaite and earthlie religion swallowed up the force of this flood because these barbarous nations by whom the Dragon thought to blot out the very name of Christ after they came into these countries more full of humanity they embraced the Christian religion which they saw amongst them though indeed it was most corrupt For all of them were either Arians or Nestorians or Eurychinians but yet changed not their life and Barbarous manners So the earth deluded the Dragons indeavour The which exposition seemes not in the least to be contrarie to histories and the order of this Vision Notwithstanding I should rather consent to them The waters cast out by the Dragon are heresies Ioh. 7.38 who applie this to the foul heresies scismes blasphemies and monstrous doctrines by which the Dragon attempted to drown the Woman while she fled even under Christian Emperours For as the doctrine of the Gospell proceeding out of the mouth of God is compared to streames of waters which none are able to resist as Christ saith he that beleeveth on me out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water So the heresies comming out of the Dragons mouth what are they but as a violent vomit or floods to swallow up the Church For even in Constantines time the Arian heresie and blasphemie against Christ violently burst forth like to a most swift stream and overflowed all the East and soon after the West also whereby the Church was allmost swallowed up in her flight After the Arian heresie against the son of God followed the Macedonian against the holy Ghost soon after that the Pelagian against the whole Gospell That also of Nestorius and Eutyches the Monothelists against the truth of Christs person the which mightily shooke the Church almost for the space of 300 yeers as the histories of Eusebius Socrates Theodoretus Zozomenus and Evagrius witnesse The Dragon by these floods thought to drown the woman in her flight but in vain as it followeth 16. But the earth helped the woman Some here by earth understand Churst in regard of his stabilitie and because the waters of the Dragon were swallowed up the darts and plots of the adversaries suppressed and the afflicted Church not utterly overthrown Others of earthly men by whom the Lord often wonderfully protects though they aime at other ends his Church and people as of old by the Philistines he delivered David from the hands of Saul by Lysâ—as he preserved Paul from the fury of the Iewes Brightman as I said before understands this of those Barbarous nations who comming on furiously to root out Christian religion yet preserved the same by embracing it though much corrupted There are som who interpret it of Councils which being gathered together out of all nations swallowed up the blasphemous floods of heresies by refuting them Thus the generall Council of Nice condemned the Arian heresie the Synod of Constantinopel the Macedonian and Eunomian that of Ephesus the Nestorian that of Chalcedon the Euâ—ychinian But this sense seemes to be forced It is an allusion to the historie of Corah Dathan and Abiram whom the earth swallowed up alwe Numb 16.22 As therefore the earth did then help Moses Aaron against the seditious rebels miraculously opening her mouth and devouring them So the Lord no lesse miraculously helped the woman flying from the floods of most dangerous heresies so as she was not drowned by them that is he wonderfully swallowed up those false doctrines with the authors therof as if the earth had opened her mouth utterly devoured them we need not therefore subtilly dispute about the earth considering how the Lord continually dissipated al the heresies which during the space of 300 yeeres overflowed the Christian world caused the same I say to vanish away like smoak by the power of the holy scriptures and zeal of Orthodox teachers 17. And the Dragon was wroth The third assault of the Dragon not against the woman herself for her he lost as being out of his sight in the wildernesse but the rest of her seed whom he purposed to set upon by open warre This therfore is a preparation to the following third Act of the Beasts war with the Saints And so this third assault belongs to the Antichristian times which begane in the raigne of Phocas Boniface III. the first universal high-priest when the Church was now fled into the wildernesse and so none appeared any where but as a whorish woman The meaning of the verse we take to be thus The Dragon being angry that he could not by the flood of heresies drown the woman in her flight now despairing of further effecting any thing against her he stirres up a new warre against the rest of her seed by themeanes of the Beast as it followeth For that which here the Dragon is said to doe in the
inquisitours all men to worship the first Beast But thou wilt say how is this Beast said to cause the inhabitants of the earth to do that thing now He causeth all to worship the first Beast which they did before and that of their own accord The reason hereof is intimated in the following words Whose former wound was healed that is howsoever the Beasts authority began not a little to be lessened by that wound Neverthelesse by the unwearied endeavours of this Beast which here the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 causeth or doth signifies together by his subtilty eloquence and violence it was effected that all men remained constant in adoring the Apostolicall sea But who are these worshippers The earth and the inhabitants thereof Now who and what these are see v. 8. We need not to envie this worship of the Beast seeing that not the salvation of the Elect but only of reprobates shal be in jeoperdy thereby But are al in the Papacy reprobates damned God forbid for even in the midst of Babylon God hath his people Rev. 18. v. 4. The spirit therefore speaketh this onely of those who persevere to worship the Beast and do not renounce his blasphemies 13. And doth great wonders Another effect of his power are Great signes or wonders He doth great wonders by which he shall perswade and induce the inhabitants of the earth to worship the Beast For as the devill is Gods Ape so is Antichrist Christs as God and Christ therefore confirmed the doctrine of Moses the Prophets and Apostles by many wonders and miracles so Satan shall establish the Beasts great words and Antichrist his great power by wonderfull signes Signes that is miracles or workes either really or in appearance surpassing the strength of nature Great that is wonderfull and terrible These he shall both do himself as also cause his agents to do the like as Bellarmin well observes Not onely Antichrist saith he Lib 3. de P. R c 15. but also his ministers shall do wonders The same thing Christ foretold us Mat. 24. vers 24. There shall arise false Christs and false prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders in so much as if it were possible they shall seduce the very elect Now what signes they are the Apostle tells us 2 Thes 2.9 What Antichrists miracles are with all the causes thereof Whose comming is after the effectuall working of Satan with all power and signes and lying wonders and with all deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse in them that perish c. The efficient cause is Satans efficatious working The materiall the prodigious events beyond nature The formall the deceits and subtill illusions of the devill by which the sences of men are bewitched The small How they differ from true miracles his lies and deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse that the world may be seduced And indeed in all these causes false miracles differ from the true which are works truely surpassing the order and strength of nature and are done by the power of God to the manifesting of his omnipotency and confirmation of doctrine divinely revealed such the Lord sometimes wrought by the Prophets under the Law Yet not by all nor at all times lest they might have been little regarded or else that the world should depend upon them In the New Testament also Christ and his Apostles with many other of the faithfull wrought great miracles for the confirmation of the Gospell of Christ De vera relig c. 5. de util cred lib. 6. in 1 Cor. 2. Hom. 6. ca. 49. in mat But these as Augustine and Chrysostome in many places witnesse ceased in the third age after Christ And therefore Austin admonisheth that we are not rashly to beleeve miracles because Christ foretold such things of deceivers and bids us to beware of them Whereby we see how soundly the Jesuites quit themselves and their Pope from the impostures of Antichristianisine in glorying of the many signes and wonders that every where are to be seen in the Papacy Not perceiving in the mean time that in this very thing they discover Antichrist seeing the Scriptures do make great wonders and miracles to be the proper marks of him So that he maketh fire come down he rehearseth one of the great signes of the Beast namely that he makes fire to fall down from heaven in the sight of men Antichrists miracles according to the Iesuites The Iesuites reckon up three miracles of Antichrist One is that he shall feine himself to be dead and rise againe But in ver 3. we have shewed how this fable is without all probability The second that he shall bring down fire from heaven The third that he shall put life into the image of the Beast and cause it to speak 1 King 13 38. 2 King 1.10 of this we shall treat on vers 15. The second he shall do by a certaine imitation of Elias who by fire from heaven consumed the sacrifice and also devoured the Captaines with their fifties to shew that he was a man of God To which it is probable the spirit here alludeth for Antichrist will be accounted a man of God But it seems rather to allude to that wicked action of Satan who with fire from heaven consumed the sheep and servants of Job For whatsoever he doth Iob. 1 16 he shal do by the effectuall working of Satan unto the destruction of men Now hence it followeth saith Bellarmin that the Pope is not Antichrist for neither any Pope himselfe or any of his ministers did ever make fire to come down from heaven The consequence is not good for it is apparent the species or one great wonder is put for the whole genus But the species being denied the genus is not denied As therefore it will not follow that none of Christs Disciples were true Apostles Mat. 17.20 because none of them removed mountaines according to the letter of the text the which notwithstanding Christ promised unto his Disciples for it was enough that they did other great miracles so neither doth it follow that the Pope is not Antichrist although he hath not according to the letter brought down fire from heaven For it is enough that many Popes of which Bellarmin boasteth have been renowned for working great signes and wonders and that the whole Papacy is full of miracles to wit false and lying ones such as the holy Ghost here and in 2 Thes 2. do ascribe to Antichrist and of which Christ himself forewarned us Mat. 24.24 beleeve them not Now the spirit rather attributes this species of wonders unto him then any other as respecting the manner of speech then common to the Hebrews and still is to this day for the Iews say If a man cause fire to descend from heaven for if any one with a heavenly miracle would prove himself to be a man of God and deny the Law of Moses let him be accursed Vestigat pag. 701. Because
mongrill as being Apostolicall in name but apostaticall in deed Like as a Libard and a Lion comming together engender an adulterate Leopard Page 119. he saith that the worshippers of the Beast worship the Divell in the Pope And againe That the Pope hath it from the Dragon that he is a sacrilegious and tyrannicall person wasting on himselfe and his creatures the goods of the poore and destroying men for his filthy dung sake And whereas he is the greatest hypocrite and calleth himself Apostolicall yet he despiseth Apostolicall conversation above all men living Ibidem Who was able to fight with the Beast or resist his will in regard of his twofold supreme power viz. Imperiall and Priestly which be pretendeth to have ever the Church Militant And page 120. It appeareth therefore when the Pope sitting in the Temple of God extols himselfe above all that is called God or is worshipped that he boasteth as if he were God and so consequently bewrayes himselfe to be that son of perdition who commonly is called Antichrist With many like places Franciscus Petrarcha a most eloquent Philologer of Italy in his time wrote such things Anno 1370. against the Pontificall sea as almost Luther never spake worse In his 15. Epistle lamenting the oppression of the Catholick Church That worthy Court saith he of Jesus Christ that excellent Tower of divine worship is now at length because of our sins being destitute of divine helpe become a den of cruell theeves And of the Popes tyranny I see indeed saith he afar off but not being able to hinder it I refuse to see nigh at hand It is a cruell and infamous guile by which this ecclesiasticall Dionysius vexeth and spoileth our Syracusaes And Epist 16. I speak not what I have heard but seen I know it by experience that there is no charity there no faith no piety no reverence or feare of God nothing that is holy just equall laudable or humane as for love shamefasinesse and purity it is banished thence Touching the truth indeed I am silent for what place is it where all things are so full of lies The aire earth houses townes sireets court-yards porches halls beds roofes of houses clefts of walls the secret and close roomes of houses and temples the seats of Judges and Popes yea in the last place the very mouthes of men their becks gestures voices and countenance And Epist 19. Behold now thou touchest with thy hands and seest with thine eyes what that last Babylon is viz. angry raging dishonest and terrible To which neither that Egyptian Babylon the worke of Cambyses nor the more ancient royall Assyrian Babylon built by Semiramis is equall c. Behold thou seest a people not onely adversary to Christ but that which is worse under Christs Ensigne rebelling against him and fighting for Satan c. For what else I pray you is daily practised by Christs enemies and the pharisees of our age doe they not buy and sell and make merchandise of Christ himselfe whose name notwithstanding they seem day and night to extoll with most high prayses whom they cloath with purple and gold whom they load with pretious stones salute and worship him I say they put to sale and make merchandise of here on earth and as if his eyes were covered and saw not they crown with the bryars of wicked treasures defile him with the spittle of a most impure mouth and inveigh against him with viperous hissings strike him with the dart of venemous actions what in them lies The Papists crucifie Christ doe again and again deridingly drag him as naked poore and scourged on mount Calvary and wickedly consent to naile him to the crosse And O shame O griefe O indignity even such the Romanists are at this day as it is reported Whereupon one merrily made these pithy verses Roma tibi fuerant servi domini dominorum Servorum servi nunc tibi sunt domini Once Lords of Lord O Rome thy servants were But servants now of servants thy Lords are Petrarcha goes on Epist 20. touching the Pontificall Babylon In the kingdom of covetousnesse nothing is counted as lost so that mony be safe there the hope of life to come is but a vaine fable and what is spoken of hell is all fabulous The resurrection also of the flesh the end of the world Christs comming to judgement are esteemed as fopperies c. O Babylon the worst of things situated on the fierce bancks of the river Rhone thou famous or rather infamous whore cōmitting fornication with the kings of the earth in very deed thou art the same whom the holy Evangelist saw in the spirit Thou art I say the same and no other sitting upon many waters c. The woman clothed with purple and scarlet and glittering with gold pearles and precious stones having a golden cup in thy hand full of the abomination and filthinesse of thy fornication Babylon knowest thou thy selfe Certainly that which followeth onely agrees to thee and not to any other BABYLON THE MOTHER OF FORNICATIONS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH Hear the rest And I saw a woman drunken with the blood of the Saints and the blood of the Martyrs of Iesus Why art thou silent Either shew some other that is drunken with this blood or else if thou canst deny that thou art not this drunken woman And Epist 21. against the Popes the Princes of darknesse Let the gods and goddesses nay rather the God of gods destroy them all both living and dead with their treasures and wicked works who being fatted with the blood of the heavenly Lamb doe spurne and rebell c. But why or to what end that we may see the good overwhelmed the wicked raysed up Eagles to creep and Asses to flie to see Foxes on chariots Kites on towers Doves on the dunghill Wolves at liberty Lambs in fetters to be short Christ banished ANTICHRIST to be Lord and Beelzebub judge c. These things wrote Petrarcha and more also Besides more then 230. yeeres agoe lived Michael Cesenas chiefe of the Minorite Friers The Pope Antichrist who openly accused the Pope to be ANICHRIST and called the Romish Sea the Babylonish harlot drunken with the blood of the Saints But for brevity sake I refer the Christian reader unto the Catalogue of witnesses of the truth where it is most clearly proved by innumerable witnesses of Christ Catal. testium verit Tom. 2. p. 79. before Luther was borne that the Pope of Rome was Antichrist Now let us consider the wisdome that is in the number of the Beast of which John cryes out Here is wisdome From the number laid down 666. he closely bids us to search our al the other mysteries for here we have the name of the Beast Latinos Romanus This name both the Greek and Hebrew number doth declare By the name also we have the Character for all that will buy and sell must professe the Latine service or Romane faith and be
will recall a man from his carnall security to the feare of God and working of righteousnesse except he have a heart of steele for as much as in the day of Gods judgement a most exact account of what hath been done in the flesh must be given by all the greatest Kings and Potentates not excepted When without any respect of persons they that have done well shall possesse life eternall They that have done ill shall be cast into everlasting fire The Angell therefore could not use a more forcible reason to deterre men from the contempt of God and his word To this purpose is that in Sirach Chap. 7.40 In all things that thou sayest or doest remember thy end and thou shalt not sin Now if any aske how this prophesie is true and accomplished seeing it is so long since John said 2 Pet. 3.9 Gods judgement was at hand Let him heare Peter answering the mockers of his time The Lord is not slacke concerning his promise as some count slacknesse but is long suffering towards us not willing that any should perish but that all should come unto repentance The Angell saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is come for shall certainly come by an usuall Enallage of the preterperfect tense instead of the future so a little after is fallen for shall certainely fal noting the immutability of the events decreed by God so formerly he often said he will come shortly that is sooner then we are aware of that the deepe fleepe of security might be driven out of us and lest with the wicked servant we should say Luke 12.45 My Lord deferreth his comming But rather let us consider seeing the Apostles did presage the day of judgement to be then at hand how much nearer is it now unto us after so many ages And worship him that made In the third member he recalls the world from popish idolatry unto the service of the true God alone whom he notes by a periphrasis from the worke of the creation of heaven and earth the sea and fountaines of waters The Old version ads and of all things that are in them which words are not in the Greeke but seem to be taken out of Psa 146.9 unto which place the spirit here alludeth The fountaines of waters are reckoned up among the chiefe works of God because the continuance of the fountaines is indeed a very wonderfull worke of the Lord concerning which Phylosophers have much disputed with great admiration Psal 104.10 114 8. And it is also celebrated in the Psalmes He sendeth the springs into the valleyes which run among the hills Which turneth the rock into a standing water the flint into a fountaine of waters Furthermore that religious worship is onely due to God both the Scripture and nature it selfe teacheth For God alone is omnipotent knowes all things and is present in all places He is able to heare and helpe all that call upon him wheresoever they be He alone is the Author of nature governour and Lord of the world wherefore all ought to depend upon him onely in him alone we must beleeve and put our considence Ier. 17.5 But cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme Hence faith and prayer are in Scripture coupled by an individuall tye as the cause and effect Rom. 10.14 Mat. 4.10 How shall they call on him in whom they have not beleeved Therefore it is an expresse commandement Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve Now howsoever this be an undeniable and manifest truth yet the world forsaking the Lord followed and wondred after the Beast all I say both great and small bond and free worshipped the Beasts image kissed his feet and attributed divine honour unto him as though he were God on earth And this the worshippers of the Pope doe not denie according to that of the Poet before mentioned Ense potens gemino cujus vestigia adorant Caesar aurato vestiti murice Reges Nay all have not the priviledge to worship before the Beast and kisse his feet this onely is permitted to Kings and Emperours Others must be content devoutly to worship his image and call upon the Saints that are canonized by the Beast and adore his Crosses Crucifixes Altars set up by him in temples groves and highwaies c. From this beastly worship of idols the Angel here dehorteth the world as calling them to the worship of the true God Neither will he any whit esteeme their vaine pretenses That the Pope is not worshipped as God but as Gods and Christs Vicar for they falsely affirme him to be that which he is not That they call not on the Saints with a worship of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for this is a false distinction the religious worship both of Latreia and Douleia being in Scripture onely attributed to God and signifie both one thing That they worship not graven images but God in them this also is false for Images are no gods neither will God be worshipped in or by them Thou shalt not doe so unto the Lord thy God Deut. 12.31 Thus far of the everlasting Gospel published by the first Angel or reformer of Popery The summe of which is in these three things I. That God is to be feared and Antichristianisme to be repented of II. That glory is to be ascribed to God by beleeving in his sonne III. That God is to be worshipped by fleeing the Image of the Beast and performing obedience to God 8 And another Angel followed because the former Angell although he cryed with a great voice did little profit unto the inhabitants of the earth who were drowned with the wine of Babylonish whoredome for after Wickleffe Husse and Jerome of Prague were burnt the Papacy remained stil in its vigour furie Therefore another Angell followed who more forcibly assailing Antichrist weakened his kingdome in many Provinces And here againe by an Enallage One Angell is put for Angels for there shall be divers succeeding each other in divers places But One shall excell and continue the ministery of the former Angell who was a while interrupted Now this Angel if we looke into histories who can he be save Luther This second Angell is Luther who followed 130. yeeres after Wickleffe and 100. after Husse and Jerome he first began in Saxony by word and writing to thunder against the Popes Pardons publikely put to sale soon after against the whole Papacy anno 1517. To him was joyned Philip Melanchton as a most faithfull assistant and soone after many other excellent men who by little and little restored the everlasting Gospell in divers parts of Germany and expelled Popery About the same time Zwinglius and Oecolampadius began together to oppose Popery and 〈…〉 Gospell in Helvetia But let us heare what this Angell publisheth Babylon is fallen is fallen He threatens ruine to Babylon for her wicked fornication by which
The scope and use of this vision For First it teacheth that after the beasts kingdom hath flourished and vexed the Saints a long time it shal be weakened by preaching of the Gospell Secondly It shall allwayes notwithstanding remaine in some power not ceasing to make War with the Saints untill the end Thirdly Howsoever it shall tyrannically rage against the Reformation of Evangelicall doctrine yet it shall never be able again to suppresse the same but there shal be many Angels to poure out the vials of Gods wrath on the throne thereof Lastly as the Gospell shal be pleasing and saving to the elect because by it they overcome the beast for which they shall celebrate God with perpetuall praises so to Antichristians it shall be grievous and mortall because being turned into rage in regard of the successe thereof they shall fret and grieve to see their kingdom which seemed immoveable to be weakened lessened and go to ruine untill being wasted with the last plagues they shal be cast according to the threatning of the third Angell Chap. 14.10 into everlasting torments of fire brimstone Now hence the spirit suggests a twofold comfort unto us The first from the often renewed plagues of the beast whose power wealth luxuriousnesse and oftentation was great as we heard Chap. 13. But we need not be offended at those shadowes for she shall receive and feel inward torments and gnawings by the preaching of the Gospell and in the middest of her delights be tormented by Gods wonderfull judgements and severe plagues The second from the finall fall of Babylon the Popes parasites affirm that the seat of Saint Peter shall endure for ever that the Catholick Romane Church being founded and strengthened by God shall stand c. That the Gates of Hell shall not prevaile against her but Babylon shall come in remembrance before God and in a moment be cast down by an earthquake so she shall cease to vexe the Church and persecute the Saints We have heard the Argument Scope and Vse of the Vision now it is partly dramaticall partly propheticall The Dramaticall part containes certaine preparatory apparatitions serving for the Order and preparation of the vision Chap. 15. The Propheticall part foretelleth the kinds and encreasing of the seven plagues on the worshippers of the Beast Chap. 16. CHAP. XV. The Argument Parts and Analysis This vvhole Chapter is a preparation to the follovving Vision for Iohn declares here vvhat vvhat manner of things he savv before the pouring out of the seven Vials The parts here are three I. THe seven Angells with so many plagues ver 1. II. A company of Harpers ver 2 3 4. III. The clothing of the Angells vers 5 c. In the First he expoundeth what he saw I. generally A great and marveilous signe in Heaven II. specially seven Angells with their Instruments having seven plagues The which he describeth by the Epythite Last with the reason hereof because in them is filled up the wrath of God verse 1. In the second he expoundeth I. The place of the harpers A sea of glasse II. The harpers themselves whom he describeth 1. by the effect They had gotten the Victory c. 2. By their station standing on the sea of glasse 3. By the Instrument having the harpes of God vers 2 4. By another effect And they sang verse 3. III. The Argument of the song generally from the Author and subject The Song of Moses and of the Lamb. And specially so far as concerneth the words and the sense consisting of a Preface Proposition and Reasons The Preface is laudatory figured out by an exclamation to God I. They declare his power and Majesty Lord Almighty King of Saints II. His workes by the adjuncts of quantity and quality They are great and marveilous III. His Iudgements by the adjunct qualitie of Iustice and Constancy Just and true are thy wayes ver 3. The Proposition The Lord is to be feared and glorified It is figured out by an Interogation Who shall not feare c. The reason is threefold 1. From the Property of God for thou onely art holy 2. From the worship due to him All nations shall come 3. From the moving cause Thy Iudgements are made manifest v. 4. In the third he rehearseth 1. The receptacle of those Angells The Temple of the Tabernacle opened in Heaven ver 5. 2. Their gesture They went out 3. Their habit having seven plagues 4. Their ornament clothed in white and pure linnen ver 6. 5. The Instruments given them he gave them golden Vialls which he describeth by the number seven And what they contained full of the wrath of God c. verse 7. 6. Two effects 1. The smoake of Gods Majesty filling the Temple 2. A shutting out of all persons from entring into the Temple during the time of the plagues verse 8. The first Part of the CHAPTER The Argument of the Vision seven ANGELS with so many PLAGUES 1 And I savv another signe in Heaven great and marveilous seven Angells having the seven last Plagues for in them is filled up the vvrath of God THE COMMENTARY I. Why the Visions are iterated AND I saw another Signe Iohn is not informed by one Vision but by many touching future things that so by comparing the obscurer types with the plainer the Revelation might the better be manifested The iteration therefore of the Visions is not in vaine Now it is to be observed The following things doe all belong to Antichrists judgement after that the Beast that is Antichrist was once mentioned his tyranny and pompe plainly described in the foregoing Vision the remainder of this whole Prophesie containes descriptions of the judgements by which God will restraine and destroy Antichrist but deliver the Saints from his Tyranny and bestow the rewards of Victory on them both to the end to meet with the scandall of desertion of the godly And to the terrour of the wicked and comfort of the godly least it should be thought that Christ neglects his under the Crosse or to be a sleep or want power to suppresse Antichrists rage as also that in hope of Victory and glory to come they might with the more alacrity resist Antichrist and persevere constant under their long during troubles To this end tend the seven last Plagues which God in the last times will poure out on the Throne and followers of the Beast Let us henceforward keep this use in memory Iohn therefore saw another signe What a signe is that is another Vision signifying events divers from the former for a signe is that which makes something divers from it selfe to come into the cogitation Austin lib. 2. de doctr Christi cap. besides the shape or forme it suggesteth to the senses But as signes are not the things themselves so the things themselves are not to bee sought in the signes as if they were included according to the common errour now adayes touching the Sacramentall signes which
except thou affirme them to be changed into the things they represent or really to containe them presently they are reputed as vaine and empty things But it s enough for the Sacramentall use of signes if they make spirituall things to come into our minde and beleefe But this by the way In Heaven That is as most interpret it in the Church But there is no need of an Allegory for these are heaveny Visions And Iohn saw these sights acted on the heavenly Theatre Great A great signe as Chap. 12.1 shadowing out great things It requires attention as also the following Epithite Admirable representing things worthy of admiration to wit the great wonderfull judgements of God in delivering his Church and casting down Antichrist for it is a thing indeed to be wondred at that the powerfull Kingdom of the Romane Antichrist should be only weakned by such a contemptible and weak meanes as the preaching of the Gospell It is also admirable that the faithfull men despised should fight against and overcome the Beast Thus these Epithites serve to comfort us knowing that the Church shall certainly overcome Antichrist Seven Angells He summarily propounds the whole Vision which he expoundeth afterward Therefore we will not stay long upon it Of seven Angells mention is made in Chap. 1. ver 4. and Chap. 8. verse 2. 16. 1. 17.1 21.9 In all which places they are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seven with the article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 excepting in this place whence it might be questioned whether these seven be the same with the former that sounded the Trumpets Brightman thinkes they are not the same neither do I dislike his opinion if we take the Angells for the Ministers of the Gospell because the time of the six former Trumpets and these Vialls is different Yet we may rightly understand they are the same because the said seven Angells that is many for a septenary number doth indefinitely signifie perfection doe type out divers persons in sundry Visions The last plagues Having the seven Plagues That is as we have it expounded in ver 7. Seven golden Vialls full of the wrath of the living God c. The Plagues which God in wrath will inflict on Antichristians are said to be the last because they shall happen in the last times For the christian Church hath four periods One under the Rome tyrants The second from Constantine under Christian Emperours untill the times of Phocas The third under Antichrist swaying in his full vigour from Pope Boniface III. unto Leo X. in whose time Antichristian power began to decline The fourth under Antichrists declining from Luthers time to the end Unto this last period belong the last plagues The foure periods of the new Church Thus John himselfe expounds it because in them is filled up the wrath of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is filled up for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be filled up by an Enallage of the Preterperfect for the Future usuall with John because of the certainty of the events he signifies therefore that the plagues should continue unto the end One Plague following another till the last did put an end to Antichrists rage and the Churches troubles They are said to be seven for the number of the Angells that is divers and continuated as we shall see hereafter Ribera moves a Question how Iohn should returne from the Harvest and Vintage of the last judgement even now described A question about the order unto the seven Plagues which are to be before the judgement neither indeed is it a frivolous Question yea insoluble to Ribera and all such who make the Revelation a continued History he himself hath nothing to answer save his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saying that the Prophets do not alwaies observe the order of things as they are done that it was needfull the plagues of the wicked should often be inculcated of which the last indeed is true but for the other there is no reason viz. why the last judgement should so often be anticipated unlesse we observe that all the Visions the first excepted do end in the last judgement because every of them do represent either the generall History of the Church as the three former universall Visions Or else the last times of Antichrist and of the Church as doe the three following speciall ones The second part of the Chapter The Fift Company of Harpers 2. And I saw as it were a sea of glasse mingled with fire and them that had gotten the Victory over the beast and over his Image and over his marke and over the number of his name stand on the sea of glasse having the harpes of God 3. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lambe saying Great and marveilous are thy workes Lord God Almighty just and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints 4. Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy Name for thou onely art holy for all Nations shall come and worship before thee for thy Indgements are made manifest THE COMMENTARY II. ANd I saw as it were a sea of glasse Before the Angells pour out the plagues a company of Harpers come forth on the Theatre celebrating the power judgement of God And why so to prevent the thoughts of the godly lest they might think that the following plagues were repugnant to the goodnesse and justice of God and the blasphemies of the wicked that they might not accuse God of cruelty and complaine of injury done unto them It serves also to the decency of the Vision for as in Commoedies musicall interludes are againe and againe iterated at the ending of their Acts to delight the beholders and drive away tediousnesse so in this apparitionall Revelation are heard almost in every Vision a company of singers as it were in distinct Acts least either Iohn in the contemplation of so long a Revelation or we in the meditating thereon should be over wearied We have heard the scope of this apparition Now let us see who these singers are where they were how and what they sang First the place is noted A Sea of glasse mingled with Fire the meaning whereof we shall the better understand when we know what this company of singers is I saw them that had gotten the victory If they got the victory over the Beast then the beast had fought with them Who these harpers are to wit the same who made war with the Saints Chap. 13. verse 7. These Harpers therefore are those Saints there mentioned The successe of the war is not prosperous to the Beast he sought to devour them but on the contrary he himselfe was vanquished though indeed it was a bloody victory to the Saints This divine miracle ought to animate the godly cheerfully to fight against the Beast But how do the Saints overcome the Beast seeing in Chap. 13.15 the second beast caused all that would
the Sea with many waves and confusions It is of glasse Why the sea is said to be glasse so said first because it is clear as glasse that is perspicuous and open to the eyes of God for God sees the secret counsells and hidden endeavours of the world and Antichrist secondly because it is bright like Chrystall for the pompe and lustre of the world bewitcheth Antichristians Thirdly because its weak and brickle as glasse for the world passeth away with the lust thereof The favour and prosperity of the world is glassie for when it most shineth it is then broken Lastly The sea for the most part is like glasse in colour hence the Poets call the Sea Mare vitreum undas vitreas the glassie Sea and glassie waves It is mingled with fire viz. of afflictions and calamities in which the godly also are often involved however they stand as conquerours upon this sea because they trample the world with the delights and baites thereof under feet neither are they of the world nor removed from their station by the fire of affliction but persist constantly in the faith unto the end This indeed the Saints triumphant have fully attained unto and we who are yet in the body in part for it is our duty also to stand on the sea that is to trample the world under our feet Or they stand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nigh or besides the sea because they are not part of the sea or world but separated and redeemed from the world as in Chap. 14. ver 4. And this sense I like best because by the following verse it appears here is an allusion to the red sea by which the Israelites standing saw the Egyptians drowned and rejoicing over their destruction sang songs of praises to God Having the harps of God By an hebraisme the harps of God are put for such as are rare and of a most sweet sound The harps of God for with the Hebrews whatsoever are said to be the things of God are excelling things worthy his high Majesty so the mountaines of God the Caedars of God the City of God that is very high and great It is opposed to the harpes of David and of other Saints by which they sometimes praised God These are infinitely sweeter in sound for these harpers sang a new song which none could learne but they that were marked with the seale of God unknown also to the former Saints viz. touching the weakning and ruine of Antichrists kingdome by these harpes that is by the preaching Prayers and sweet confessions of these Champions 3. And they sing for they sang viz. with their harpes together with their voyces like to joyfull harpers But what sing they The song of Moses the servant of God We have a twofold song of Moses One of thanksgiving which he sang with the Israelites by the red sea for the overthrow of Pharaoh and the Egyptians I will sing unto the Lord for he hath triumphed glorioussy the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea Exodus 15.1 The other of praises celebrating Gods wonderfull benefits unto the Israelites Deut. 32. Both may bee here understood but cheifly the former because of the similitude for as then the Israelites standing by the red sea sang with Moses their leader a triumphant song unto God for the drowning their adversaries under whose bondage they had a long time groaned so the saints being brought thorow the vast sea of this world do joyntly sing praises to God and blesse him for their deliverance from the most cruell bondage of Antichrist And hereby they intimate not obscurely that Pharaoh and the Egyptian servitude was a figure of the Churches bondage under Antichrist And the song of the Lambe that is praising the Lambe for his benefits bestowed on the Church Divers songs we have already heard In Chap. 4.11 The songs of the Revelation The elders sing to him that sate on the throne Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory Chap. 5.9 The Elders againe sing a new song to the Lambe Thou art worthy to take the Booke and to open the seales thereof for thou wast slaine and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood and hast made us Kings and Priests to our God c. Vnto which song the Angells and all creatures do there by mutuall accord sing Amen Chap. 11.17 they likewise sing to God Wee give thee thankes Lord God Almighty c. A like song wee heard Chapter 2. ver 10. Now is come salvation and strength and the Kingdom of our God c. Againe in Chap. 14. the company of harpers sang a new song to the Lambe standing on Mount Sion This therefore is the song of the Lamb by which the triumphant Church or the heavenly companies celebrate the Lambes victory and their own over Antichrist Now this title affords a cleer argument to prove the divinity of the Lambe 34. Argument of Christs deity considering that to him this wonderfull worke of the conquest over the beast is attributed by the Saints But now let us hear the song It seemes to be collected out of divers places of the Psalmes and Prophets by which these divine singers commend unto us the authority and dignity of the Scriptures As from Psal 86.10 they publish the great and wonderfull workes of God Great because they fill heaven and earth Wonderfull because they are unsearchable and beyond humane reason such are the works of creation and the government of the world our redemption and preservation of the Church in this life from Psal 25.10 they celebrate the true righteous wayes of the Lord for all his paths are mercy and truth Gods wayes are his counsells and judgements about the Church and the enemies thereof And though he suffers the godly to be afflicted and fore troubled and the enemies to bear sway and flourish which indeed seems unjust to flesh and blood yet the wayes of Jehovah are righteous for he knowes wherefore he doth the same and the event shews that his wayes are all right and good for in the end he performes his promise to the Saints in preserving and delivering the Church and in punishing and destroying the adversaries by which he declareth that he is constant in his promises true and omnipotent in his threatning Lord Almighty King of Saints Thou onely art holy By these Epithites the Saints extoll God above all adversaries and stirre up their own confidence and joy for seeing he is omnipotent he can easily cast downe his enemies If King of Saints then he can strongly defend his holy Church If onely holy or most pure then he alone not the creatures is to be served and cleaved unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O King of Saints so all greek copies read it excepting Montanus who reads it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 King of the Nations and also Andreas from Ierem. 10.7 Who would not fear thee O King of nations The old Latine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 King of
the first of the three angels flying through the midst of heaven evangelized to the inhabitants of the earth saying with a great voyce Fear God c. Chap. 14. ver 6. And the pouring out of the vials should be the preaching of the Gospell which worketh indeed in the elect the fear of God joy and life 2 Cor 2.15 but to the marked ones of the Beast it occasioneth sores diseases and death as the Apostle foretold That the Gospell should be a savour of death unto death to them that perish This sense Ribera the Iesuite likes not of Because it is not the worke of Preachers to inflict plagues but to foretell and denounce them Riberas opinion examined and to deterre men from their evills But these Angells saith he do not foretell the plagues but inflict them Therefore they are true Angells by whom the Lord inflicts plagues with he doth not by the Ministers of the Gospell But these things are not solid For first these Angells are not said to cause the plagues but to poure out the vialls of Gods fury Therefore properly the plagues were caused by the wrath of God The angels were onely ministers of the pouring out which lets not but that it may metaphorically be understood of the publishing and denouncing of the wrath of God As God therefore by his ministers saves some and condemnes others so also he inflicts these plagues by their preaching Secondly How farre ministers of the word are said to cause plagues it is not absurd to say that the Preachers of the Word do inflict plagues because they communicate in the worke of God which he executes by them Therefore they are said to beget and to save them that heare them because in this worke they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Co-workers with God They are said to forgive sinnes because in the name of God they declare and confirme the remission of sinnes to them that repent 1 Cor. 4.15 1 Tim 2.16 1. Cor. 3.9 Ioh. 20.21 Why then may they not also be said to strike the wicked with plagues and condemne them as being Co-workers with God that doth the same certainly in Chap. 11. ver 5. the two witnesses slew their enemies with fire that came out of their mouth and they had power to smite the earth with all manner of plagues as often as they would And therefore the Iesuites reason doth not weaken the former opinion that they are preachers of the word neither doth he solidly prove the contrary that they should be reall Angells forasmuch as God doth equally dispense his judgements as well by the preachers of the Gospell as by Angels although in a divers manner What then Who the Angells of the seven trumpets of the seven vialls are I so judge touching these seven Angells of the Vialls as of the seven Angells of the trumpets The six former might denote preachers because at the sounding of their Trumpets the temporall events there described did happen But the seventh could not because he openly denounced the last judgement as present Chap. 10.7 Chap. 11.15 he therefore was that Archangell by whose voice and Trumpet the dead shall rise up at the comming of Christ 1. Thes 4.16 1. Cor. 15.52 now this no preacher can do So likewise these six former may signifie ministers of the Word because during their Vialls the marked ones of the beast shall be smitten with these plagues in this life But the seventh proclaiming the consummation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is done cannot be any other but that Archangell the chief Herauld of Christ the judge neverthelesse as before I noted there is no necessity to fasten on this exposition for the angells which Iohn saw were so in appearance and ministers of the plagues in a Vision by which representations God shewed to Iohn what he was about to doe what kinde of plagues he would inflict on antichristians towards the time of the measuring of the Temple and Reformation of the Church But there is no necessity urging us to affirme that he precisely shewed unto him the manner and persons that is how and by whom he would accomplish the same III. Touching the Plagues that followed the pouring out of the VIALS LAstly touching the plagues it is demaunded whether they are properly or allegorically to be understood and whether they are to fall universally on all antichristians or on some onely and in what time every one of them is to be inflicted and after how long time one is to follow the other The two latter of these questions touching the time are more curious then profitable seeing they can hardly be defined by the understanding of man further then hath been formerly spoken of the beginning and end of the vialls Whence it is most certaine that Antichrist shall reigne much longer then foure Yeeres For the other question on whom they are to be inflicted whether universally on all or on some onely we shall learn by the severall vialls Lastly it were in vaine generally to dispute touching the quality of the plagues seeing we shall more rightly understand every of them apart in their places Ribera indeed thinkes that all of them are to be taken litterally because these plagues are like to those of the Aegyptians which happened not metaphoricallie but litterally him Alcasar refutes and interprets the plagues mystically yet however it sufficiently appears there is an allusion unto the plagues of Aegypt notwithstanding neither are they all alike nor would a litterall sense hence follow for the history it self is one thing and a Vision alluding to the history another In the History all those things happened really to the sense in the Vision all these things are aenigmaticall as the Angells Vials pouring out c. And therefore wee may not doubt that the plagues also are aenigmatically set forth Now we will speake of every of them in order CHAP. XVI The first Part of the Chapter A Command touching the pouring out of the Vialls 1 And I heard a great voice out of the Temple saying to the seven Angels Go your vvayes and poure out the seven Vials of the vvrath of God upon the earth THE COMMENTARY I. ANd I heard a great voyce The Angells having received the Vialls full of Gods wrath in Heaven do not hasten to poure them out but wait for a heavenly Commandement to doe the same for the ministers of God neither do nor indeed may do any thing against the wicked of private affection but in all things are to containe themselves within the limits of their vocation that so they may righteously execute the judgements of God John therefore heard A great voyce that is vehement and terrible like as he heard Chap. 1. ver 10. and Chap. 6. ver 1. Chap. 11. ver 12. and doubtlesse it was the Lamb or of God sitting on the throne as chiefe moderator of the plagues Out of the temple which ere while was filled with the smoake of the
this Type the thing in hand doth very well answer for the Antichristian Babylon hath chiefly by two Monuments stood unmoveable Outwardly in stead of walles The walles of the Romane Babylon she hath Emperours kings and nations who as Vassals to the Pope do at his becke take up Armes in defence of Babylon Within her is Euphrates drawing to Rome as through a deep channell the treasures of the world in so much as the Churches Eschequer doth far surpasse the Treasures of all Monarchs in the earth It hath bin observed that in most Provinces Clergie-men have had Two-thirds of all rents scarcely one third remaining to the Prince and people Thus as Babylon gloried because of her deep waters so Rome boasteth of her excessive riches but like as the waters of Euphrates being diverted the River was dryed up The deepe waters of the Romish Babylon and thereby an easie passage was prepared for the kings of the East who tooke Babylon in one night Even so Romes holy tribute being intercepted and derived otherwhere there will be an easie way made for faithfull kings and teachers to passe as through dry Foordes Rev 18.8 that new Babylon may fall in one day and bee destroyed If thou aske who shall make the ditches and turne these Tributes of Rome another way See the History of Cyrus his army wrought day and night till at length the worke being finished Cyrus himselfe opened the Sluces and drew the waters from the City so the continuall labours and endeavours of Gods ministers shall prepare the ditches and Cyrus the Lords anointed Isay 54.1 that is faithfull kings and princes shall themselves open the more thus prepared draw backe the Rivers of Babylon and convert her Tributes to better uses as in Chap. 17. ver 16. is plainely taught unto us Thus we have heard the meaning of the sixt Viall which without doubt is proper and true for Babylon shall receive no plague more grievous then this before the totall destruction thereof Neither is this interpretation new or lately thought of by us but even my Anonymus hath exprest the same 260. yeers agoe in these words He dryed up that is The preaching of the Gospell doth and shall cause men to take away all temporall things that is Possessions and earthly Dominion from the Clergy and they shall no more be given unto them Neither are the waters of Euphrates onely begun to be dryed up a little but almost a hundred yeers the way hath bin a preparing for the kings of the East to invade Babylon Thus Bohemia in a great measure is fallen off from Antichrist and long agoe hath denied to encrease Babylons waters The like we see in England Scotland Denmarke Swethland with a great part of Germany France Poland and Hungarie And what would ye thinke if at last the waters of Italy and Spaine should be dryed up also But let us see the industry of the Beast in keeping off this plague While Cyrus of old prepared the motes and built Turrets before the walles of Babylon they scorned him and therefore it was no wonder they perished on a sudden because of their securitie But the Romish Babylon will more carefully stand on her watch and make the siege of the Easterne kings tedious and difficult as it followeth 13. And I saw come out of the mouth of the Dragon The internall effect of the sixt Viall we have heard spoken of The drying up of Euphrates being the sixt plague of the Beast The externall effect now followeth viz. the Beasts Ambassage unto the Kings of the earth to make Warre for to keepe off the plague The Connexion is to be considered By six Plagues the beast is almost wasted I. By the venemous ulcer on such as had the marke of the beast II. By the death of every living soule in the corrupted Sea III. By the blood of the Rivers and Fountaines IIII. By scorching of men by the heat of the Sunne V. By the darkenesse of the Beasts kingdome VI. By the drying up of the River of Euphrates Now because the Beasts kingdome shall seem by all these plagues to be brought to a most desperate condition he on the contrary will leave nothing unattempted for to uphold the same And as the Poet speaketh Flectere cum nequeat superos Acharonta movebit And therefore to advance his throne againe and bring backe the waters of Euphrates into the Channells of Babylon he will not feare to lift up his hand against Heaven but by an unheard of fury will move warre against God and by his Legates sollicite and draw the kings of the earth into the Confederacie of this warre But with what event Here indeed it is not mentioned but shall be declared in the following Vision Chap. 19. Namely that this his last rage shall expose the Beast his kingdom and the kings his Associates unto utter destruction This is the summe But because this last tumult shall be raised by the Beasts Legates Iohn here expoundeth in order from whom they are sent and to whom who and what manner of Messengers they are wherefore they are sent together with the successe of their Message all which things we will briefly consider The Authours of the Ambassage are The authors of this war ambassage the Dragon Beast and False Prophet Of the Dragon and Beast we spake in Chapter 13. The false Prophet is here first mentioned Now there we shewed that he is the same Land-beast who by great signes caused the Sea-beast to be worshipped and this will more clearly appeare in Chap. 19.20 where the same effects are attributed to the False Prophet which before were spoken of the beast rising out of the earth Moreover we there made it appeare that both Beasts do represent one and the same Antichrist under a divers shape The former as a King The latter as a deceiver Out of the mouth therefore of these three goe forth these three Messengers that is they are sent by their invention counsell commandement and authority for this is meant by the Type of going forth out of the mouth How the three Legates proceed out of the mouth of these three seeing Satan properly hath no mouth Neither is the sense as if one should proceed out of the mouth of the Dragon another out of the mouth of the Beast and the third out of the mouth of the False Prophet for thus their originall and authority would seem not to be equall But that they all three go forth as it were out of one mouth by the common conspiracy of the three aforesaid parties for to performe their interprize viz with lies in behalfe of the Dragon who is the father of all lies and by tyranny in the behalfe of the Sea-beast who represents Antichrist as he is a secular Monarch and withall deceit of unrighteousnesse in behalfe of the Land-beast that is Antichrist as he is a spirituall Impostor Now let us consider the Messengers themselves Three impure
being slain by the sword shall be cast for a banquet to the infernall Vultures to be devoured by them But these shall be cast alive into the Lake of brimstone Every of the words serve to amplifie the grievousnesse of the punishment Were cast This sheweth that it shal be a horrible ruine and fall from the height of power and riot with which they are now puffed up Alive Death therefore shall not put an end to their punishment but they shall be tormented alive for ever It is more tollerable once to die and then to bee burnt being dead But these alwayes living shall never be altogether consumed by the fire but burn in the flames of hell Into a lake of fire burning with brimstone A Periphrasis of hell which afterward in Chap. 21.8 is called the second death that is eternall He calls it metaphorically A Lake of fire because as fishes in a Lake are invironed with waters so these shall be covered with infernall fire in the Lake of hell then which nothing can be thought on more miserable yea in the Lake burning with fire and brimstone that is unquencheable as before in Chap. 14.10 with many other like places For brimstone is a most durable nourisher of fire and much thereof being cast into the same makes the flame unquencheable Wherefore as Antichrists torment shall be most horrible so shall it remaine for ever the which is more clearly mentioned in Chap. 20. where not onely the Beast and False-Prophet but the devill also shall be cast into this lake of fire and brimstone there to be tormented day and night for ever and ever Ribera moveth as he saith a great and difficult Question How Antichrist shall be cast alive into the Lake of fire seeing the Lord will consume him with the Spirit of his mouth 2. Thessa 2.8 After many things he answereth that properly he is not to be slaine but to remaine no more among the living be deprived of all power and joy and brought to the place of the dead The Earth saith he shall suddenly open its mouth for him and violently he shall be carried alive with his False-prophet by divels unto the fire of hell But this Question cannot seem great or difficult in case we rightly consider the words of the Apostle For he saith two things touching the destruction of ANTICHRIST Neither of which are in the least shew repugnant to this place First he saith not Whom the Lord will slay but he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whom he will consume with the Spirit of his mouth This shall be the first degree of the destruction of Antichrist and his Kingdome the which hath beene begun these hundred yeers in which the Lord by the spirit of his mouth that is by the preaching of the Gospell hath and yet doth consume the Papacie more and more no otherwise then the flame by burning diminisheth and consumeth the match For as Bellarmine confesseth Lib 3 de P. R.C. 22. from that time since wee affirmed the Pope to be Antichrist his Empire hath not onely not encreased but allwayes more and more decreased Whence we see that Pauls words are not repugnant to the present place because they speak nothing of a corporall killing Secondly hee addeth and shall destroy him by the brightnesse of his comming which againe is undoubtedly to be understood not of any corporall slaughter but of a totall and finall destruction that is of the last punishment which is here revealed unto Iohn to be accomplished at Christs last coming to Iudgement As for other things which Ribera here disputeth of from the opinions of certaine Writers and from the Sibylls touching the death of Antichrist and of the brimstone in Hell seeing even Alcasar judgeth them too uncertaine and curious I leave to their Authors 21. And the remnant were slaine with the sword That is besides the two Leaders the Kings Captains Souldiers and Armies of the Beast Every one of them were slaine Therefore the overthrow shall be universall But by whom By the sword proceeding out of the mouth of Christ He goes on in the Metaphor for the Generall being taken and slaine usually the rest of the Army goes to wracke None therefore that follow Antichrists Army shall escape unpunished But shall not these also be cast into the lake of fire and be damned for ever yes verily as before he plainly affirmeth Chap. 14.9.10 and the Scripture in other places sheweth for all the goats standing on the left hand shall be sent into everlasting fire and hear that terrible Sentence Goe ye cursed into the Everlasting Fire which is prepared for the Devill and his Angels Mat. 25.41 The destruction therefore of the adversaries is so set forth that we may understand the punishment of the Beast and the False-prophet to be more grievous and the others somewhat lesse For there shall be degrees also of punishments in hell and they who have sinned most shall there suffer forest plagues And all the foules were filled with their flesh After the overthrow all the foules are gathered together to the Supper and are filled with the flesh of the slain by which is signified the miserable and totall destruction of the wicked Ribera here is frivolous in understanding this properly without a metaphor for he feineth that such a battell shall really happen and that the Carkeises of the enemies being left in the fields are to be devoured by the foules As if forsooth this event were rare and that it were not most frequent that after great discomfitures of Armies the foules and wild beasts should be filled with the Carkeises of the slaine But the Holy Ghost persists in the Propheticall Type before expounded Verse 17. intimating that what of old was litterally done to God and Magog should allegorically be fulfilled in these after such a manner as is agreeable to the last Iudgement for then indeed all the ungodly shall bee killed with the sword of Christs mouth that is being by his Sentence adjudged to the everlasting torments of hell they shall be cast as a prey unto the infernall harpies but first Antichrist and his purpled Senate shall be thrown alive into the lake of fire that is be tormented with more exquisite tortures in Hell This therefore shall be the end of the Romane Antichrist and his Associates And here endeth the sixt and most notable Vision of all The Preface of the Seventh VISION Which is a Summary Repetition of the former touching the binding unloosing and judging of the DRAGON And of the Heavenly Ierusalem Contained in CHAPTERS 20.21.22 THe last Vision doth summarily represent the Vniversall Historie of the Church from the publishing of the Gospell among the Gentiles untill the glorification of the Church under the type of a Dragon bound a thousand years in hell afterward let loose at last with all the ungodly cast into the lake of fire also of the new heaven and earth and of the Heavenly Jerusalem built with ineffable magnificence from
campe of the Saints but at length bee devoured by fire from Heaven Therefore the Dragon must be loosed because God hath so decreed and that for most righteous causes First that it might appear how great the fury and power of Satan is unlesse he be restrained by God Secondly that the glory of God might be illustrated in the admirable overthrow of the adversaries and the preservation of the Saints For if he should never be loosed saith Austin Lib. 20 de C. d. cap. 8. his maligne power would the lesse appeare and the most faithfull patience of the holy City be the lesse tryed to be short it would bee the lesse discerned how the Omnipotent God hath so well made use of Satan to his owne hurt who hath not altogether taken him away from the tentation of the Saints although he be cast forth according to the inward man from true beleevers that they might withstand his assaults without and in this respect hath bound him least innumerable persons should be infected by the pouring out and exercise of his full malice or that such who ought to encrease and multiply the Church as some by comming to the faith others already beleeving should be kept off and withdrawne from the same Thirdly he sheweth how long Satan shal freely goe about after his loosing A little season which Ribera according to the common opinion of Papists understands to be three yeeres and an halfe or of the Kingdome of ANTICHRIST but this cannot stand because the Beast or Antichrist shall also reigne some while before this little season the thousand yeeres yet during as shall appeare from verse 4. Alcasar makes it to be a few years or dayes from the end of the thousand yeers unto the day of Iudgement But neither can this stand because the things shal not be of a few years or dayes which are spoken touching the Dragon being let loose verse 8. I ASSENT indeed that the last time from the end of the thousand yeares untill the day of Iudgement is here to be understood But this time cannot be meant of a few years or dayes as I shall shew verse 8. What the little season of the Dragons loosing is but shall containe some ages Yea now already from the end of the thousand yeeres to wit from the yeare of our Lord M LXXIII when the Beast Gregory VII began to reigne with both swords five Ages and that which runs on hath hitherto dured and shall dure to the day of Iudgement Notwithstanding he rightly calleth the same a little time for many reasons Why it is called little whither we respect GOD to whom a thousand yeers are as yesterday the seventy yeers of the Captivity a small moment Or the Dragon unto whom all the time of his raging is but a little and a short season though it continue some ages Psal 90.4 Isay 52.7 See before in Chap. 12 12. because his rage and malice can never be satiated Or the ages past since the Creation in comparison of which Iohn calleth the whole time of the Gospell the last houre 1. Ioh. 2.18 Or lastly and so I thinke Iohn intended in respect of these thousand yeeres which that short time shall not exceed but shal be shorter then the same because God according to the promise will for the Elects sake shorten those dayes of Satans rage and of the Gogish war Mat. 24.22 by the sudden coming of Christ to judgement the which is also intimated in this Prophesie v. 9. To these I adde a morall Reason that as for the comfort of the Godly the whole time of our tribulation in this life is by the Apostle called A light affliction for a moment 2. Cor 4.17 although in it selfe it is often long and heavy so for the comfort of the Godly the time of Satans raging is called a little season least the Godly for fear thereof should be dis-heartened For his rage shall dure but a short season now all things that are of small continuance are tollerable though great saith Cicero Cicero de Ancit It commendeth also the wisdome goodnesse and power of God who knowes indeed how to prove and exercise his Church Notwithstanding hee permits not Satan to rage any longer then himselfe pleaseth and so farre as may stand with our weaknesse But now at length we come to treat of the Thousand yeers The difficulty about the thousand yeers And I confesse that I take in hand this argument tremblingly because I see that many Interpreters both Ancient and Moderne have stumbled at this stone And the more I thinke upon it the lesse I finde how to unty the knot that hath troubled so many And having done all that I can I find it more easie to say what these thousand years are not then what they are For it seemeth that the Holy Ghost was pleased as it were to seale this Booke to all men by this darke mysterie the searching whereof might indeed exercise our study but restrain the boldnesse of a rash definition Wherefore I do not promise after all others so to unloose this knot touching the thousand yeers and millenary reigne of the Martyrs as to satisfie all men but will speake what the LORD hath given me to see following the steps of others so farre as I may First observe that the thousand years are here six times iterated Thrice it is said that Satan was bound for a thousand years and afterward loosed verse 2.3.7 Twice it is said that the Saints shall reign a thousand yeers with Christ ver 4.6 Once that the rest of the dead lived not again till the thousand yeers were finished v. 5. There are therefore a thousand yeers of Satans captivity and of the rest of the dead There are also a thousand yeers of the Saints reigning with Christ Whence ariseth the first necessary Question of all Whether these thousand yeeres bee the same or diverse Of old the Chiliasts or Millenaries affirmed them to be diverse whose opinion is anon to be examined And some learned Interpreters of these times also and among the rest BRIGHTMAN These thousand yeers saith he in which the Saints shall reign with Christ do begin where the former ended Thus Satan should be bound a thousand years and afterward Christ should reign a thousand years But I judge that one and the same terme of a thousand yeers is denoted and the reason is plain in the Text because in verse 2. 6. the thousand yeers are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without an article but foure times afterward with an article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These thousand yeers emphatically and significantly as if he should say Satans Imprisonment shall continue a thousand yeers and during these thousand yeers the Martyrs shall live and reign with Christ afterward Satan shall be loosed Wherefore the same terme of a thousand yeers is noted although in ver 6. it be more largely extended as there we shall see There
he was not able to seduce the Nations any longer or uphold Paganisme But that was in the yeer of our Lord LXXIII This yeare therefore we make the beginning of the thousand yeers of Satans binding From hence unto the Yeer of our Lord 1073. The end of the thousand yeeres are a thousand yeers at which time Pope Gregory VII a Celtiberian Monke and diabolicall Iugler poysoning Alexander II. invaded the Papacy by most wicked arts who sitting on the Papall Chaire the devill began againe to be loosed and to rage tumultuously filling the Christian world in a horrible manner with wars and slaughters by the means of this his cursed instrument But thou wilt say Whether the Dragon were bound in the first thousand yeers Did not Satan in the first three hundred yeers after the descension of the Angell most cruelly afflict the Church by the Romane Tyrants and in the three hundred following yeers defiled the Christian world with most grosse heresies and in the four hundred succeeding yeers raised up the Romane Antichrist out of the bottomlesse Pit giving unto him his Throne and great power working with all manner of unrighteousnesse and cruelty in the very heart of the Church How then could Satan be said to be bound these thousand yeers in which he raged so outragiously I answer The binding of Satan as before I said may not be absolutely understood as if he then could not or did not hurt the Church at all but restrictively unto the cause expressed in the Text so farre as he was then restrained from seducing the Nations any longer that they should not embrace the Faith of Christ To this binding of Satan it is sufficient that then he could not by the Tyrants Iewes or Philosophers hinder any longer the propagation of the Gospell among all Nations And therefore howsoever in great number the Gentiles were converted to Christ and Paganisme every where decayed yet no marvaile though Satan did rage in his principall members and breathed out threatnings by the Tyrants of the Romane Empire and by Hereticks in the Church it selfe Hence arose so many persedutions of the Saints and such great conflicts of the Church with Hereticks during sixe hundred yeers neither is it strange that Antichrist was then raised up by Satan for seeing hee was bound himself he gave his throne and power to Antichrist that the Beast might be the Vicar of the Dragon while he was in bonds and the more furiously exercise all his power Hence the Dragon is said to have given his Throne to the Beast Revelat. 13.2 By which it plainely appeareth how far these thousand yeers do agree with The comparing of the thousand yeers with the 1260. dayes 42. months or differ from the 1260. dayes and the 42. moneths in which the Holy City is said to be troden vnder foot by the Gontiles Chapter 11.2 and the Beast was to rage Chap. 13.5 In some part they agree for in the last foure Ages of these thousand yeers those 1260. dayes and 42. moneths began to run on because in them the Beast began to tread the Church under foot But they differ in that these thousand yeers are referred to Satans binding the 1260. dayes and the 42. moneths to Antichrists tyrannicall reigne They are already ended more then five hundred yeeres these are not fully ended because the Beast hath as yet scarcely reigned a thousand yeers Now those things that are brought against this our opinion Objections taken away are easily taken away FIRST the Order of the Prophesie is objected viz. that the Dragon shall at length after the Beast is cast into the Lake of fire be bound a thousand yeers in the bottomlesse Pit but the casting of the Beast shall bee the ruine of the Papacy Therefore the thousand yeers shall not be begun till at length after the ruine of the Papacy But the major is denyed because the casting of the Beast into hell praecedes indeed the binding of the Dragon in order of the Vision but not in order of time Before I say Iohn saw the Beast to be cast into the lake in the foregoing sixt Vision being as it were the last Act of that Vision but not in this last Vision in which is now afterward related the binding of the Dragon the which notwithstanding praeceded the casting of the Beast or ruine of the Papacy many Ages being as it were the first Act of this last Vision The plaine and forcing reason hereof is that the Beast and False-prophet shall not be abolished but by the brightnesse of Christs comming to judgement But it is absurd to imagine that Satan should be bound a thousand yeers after the last Iudgement The cause therefore of the errour is that the diversitie of that and this Vision is not observed Secondly they object That if the thousand yeers must begin from the destruction of Jerusalem then that time in which Satan shall be again loosed cannot be called a SHORT SEASON because it containeth above five hundred yea about sixe hundred yeeres But the consequence is denyed for although the time of Satans loosing hath now bin for these five Ages and perhaps shall continue an Age or two more even untill the end of the 1260. dayes the which thing the Lord knoweth Notwithstanding we have a little before clearly demonstrated that it is rightly called a LITTLE SEASON both in respect of God as also in respect of the Dragon and of the Ages past and lastly and that indeed principally in respect of the thousand yeeres of Satans binding then which that time shall be shorter because God will shorten those dayes for the elects sake Thirdly they object that such as have not worshipped the Beast nor received his Character should not then reigne with Christ those thousand yeeres But this is denyed for the thousand yeers were ended in Gregory VII unto the time of which filthy Beast more then 460. yeeres of Antichrists reigne were run on during all which time very many Martyrs and Professours worshipped not the Beast and his Image All these therefore after death did according to their soules live By the figure called Synecdoche a part is taken for the whole and reigne with Christ in blessednesse those thousand yeeres by a Synecdoche because they lived with Christ in the last foure hundred yeers of the said thousand Now in verse 4 I will plainly shew that this Synecdoche is neither unusuall in common speech nor in Scripture or that it derogates any thing from the happinesse of the latter Martyrs As therefore the Martyrs lived not altogether or were all put to death at one time but successively so also they began not altogether to live and reigne with CHRIST in Heaven but successively during those thousand yeeres Lastly It is objected that the devill was not bound in those first thousand yeers because he seduced very many But this was resolved in the first Question for neither are we to imagine that Satan was so bound
to the Saints through the presence of the Lord. But more shal be said of this opinion in ver 5.6 These things therefore shall suffice touching the Termes of the thousand yeers It followeth III. What was the condition of the godly first on earth afterward in heaven in these thousand yeers The Explication of this Question is contained in Verses 4.5.6 which now we come to Treat of 4. And I saw Thrones Beza Then I saw but it is better copulatively And I saw for also I saw least these things should be thought to be done after Satans binding a thousand yeers For Iohn saw both Satan bound in the bottomlesse pit and thrones set in Heaven all at one time Augustin doth very well joyne these things to the former and observeth the scope although he vary in the explication of the Thrones When saith he he had said that the devill was to be bound a thousand yeers and afterward to be loosed a little season by and by by recapitulating what in these thousand yeers the Church did or was done in her And I saw saith hee Seats and them that sate upon them and judgement was given unto them we may not thinke this to be spoken of the last Judgement Thus far he saith well but he addeth But Seats or Thrones of the Officers by whom the Church is now governed In this he strayeth from the Scope for Iohn intended to speake not of the Hierarchy of the Church but of the lot of the godly what that was in the meane while both corporally on Earth and spiritually in Heaven And indeed as for the corporall condition of such as among the Gentiles had received the Faith he saw the same troublesome and bloody for he saith they were beheaded for the witnesse of Jesus that is both by Heathenish Tyrants and Hereticks in the first six hundred yeers of the thousand Secondly they were slain by the Beast because they would not worship him and his Image nor receive his Character This was the lot of the Godly upon Earth representing the first Act of this Vision But their spirituall condition he saw to be joyfull and royall because these slaine or beheaded however in the eyes of the ungodly thought to be miserable and that they perished yet sate on thrones lived and reigned with Christ those thousand yeers This was the lot of the Martyrs in Heaven exhibiting the second Act of this Vision If this sense and meaning of the fourth verse be well observed there will be little obscurity in the place otherwise most obscure For hence it appeareth as I said in the Preface that in this Verse is briefly contained the first Act of this Vision touching the calamities of the Church under the Romane Tyrants Hereticks and Antichrist beginning to rage as also the second Act touching the consolations of the Godly who in those thousand yeers shed their blood for the witnesse of the truth Iohn therefore expounded what he saw 1. Thrones 2. them that sate thereon 3. their state and condition I saw thrones Thrones or Seats are placed either for rest for judgement or the Kingdome Before in Chap. 4.4 he saw foure and twenty Thrones and so many Elders sitting on them that is resting from their labours as also adorned with judiciary and royall Dignity These thrones may bee understood as placed for all the said ends but properly for the Kingdome as is shewed in the end of the Verse And they sate upon them Kathizein is properly transitive to place or cause to sit Thuryd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 placing his Army Often also neutrally to sit Because an action may passe into the Actor himselfe or a man may place himselfe which is to sit This transition is expressed in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he placed himself in Hithpael that is sate down So the transitive signification remaineth whether it be rendred they sate or placed themselves upon them Iohn therefore saw thrones not empty but having Sitters on them But who were they by and by he names them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The soules of the slaine with the sword but first he shewes what honour was done unto them And judgement was given unto them This Judgement some understand actively of power given to judge the Adversaries Others passively of the judgement spoken unto them against the Adversaries But nothing of such a judgement doth appeare in the Text And Augustine in the fore-alleadged place hath rightly observed that here is not yet treated of the last Iudgement which shall at length bee described in the end of the Chapter I therefore take this Iudgement to bee the royall Dignity given unto them as in Psal 72.1 O God give thy Iudgements to the King because by and by it is referred to the Kingdome And they reigned with CHRIST And the soules Now he nameth those that he saw sitting on the Thrones the soules of them that were beheaded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And is referred to the Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I saw and declaratively to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sate as if he should say I saw soules sitting on the thrones as Brightman and Tossanus have well observed Now he makes two rankes of such as sate Martyrs and Confessours The Periphrasis of the Martyrs is the soules of them that were beheaded that is put to death any kind of way These again he destinguisheth by the times from the distinct cause of their Martyrdom for some were slaine for the witnesse of JESVS others for the Word of GOD. The witnesse of Iesus He meaneth the Gospell of Christ as in Chap. 19.10 for the cause whereof the Gentiles that were converted to the Faith seeing they professed and testified the same with great zeale were troubled and murthered by divers kinds of torments throughout the whole Romane Empire by cruell Tyrants in the first three hundred yeers Now he seeth the soules of these sitting upon Thrones not indeed on Earth but in Heaven neither as yet restored to their bodies as the Chiliasts would have it but without them otherwise he would not have said I saw the soules of them that were beheaded but rather I saw them that were beheaded the which Augustine in the said place hath rightly observed How Iohn could see the soules which are invisible neither are we to enquire how he saw these soules being invisible spirits for he saw them by the Spirit of his minde not with his bodily eyes Now these soules to adde this in a word for the greatest part are the same which Iohn saw under the Altar in the second Vision at the opening of the fift Seale who requiring avengement of their blood had white robes given them and were bid to rest untill c. Here therefore he seeth the same sitting or resting on Thrones Touching the other ranke of Martyrs he saith And for the word of God It is no Tautologie for the article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is added to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That word
see Chap. 1. ver 6. Chap. 5.10 The future 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be denyeth not that now also the Faithfull are Priests of God but noteth the continuation and consummation of our Priestly dignity in the world to come Hence first it appeareth seeing the Scripture extendeth the Spirituall-Priesthood unto all the regenerate that are washed from their sinnes in the blood of Christ 1. Pet. 2.5.9 Rev. 1.5.6 that this priviledge doth so agree unto the blessed Martyrs as it derogates nothing from other Confessours and regenerate Secondly that for the same cause the First resurrection v. 5. is not to be understood corporally but spiritually because otherwise the Martyrs alone should become Priests of God and of Christ in case they alone should have part in the first Resurrection And shall reigne with him a thousand yeeres The third blessednesse and priviledge of them that live againe is to reigne with God and Christ a thousand yeeres 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with him saith he to denote the unity of both persons in the deity XLII Argument of Christs deity But who shall reigne The Martyrs onely or the other blessed also In my former Edition I restrained the same to the Martyrs from verse 4. But having more seriously weighed the whole Epiphonema or exclamatory conclusion I am forced to extend as the Priest-hood and blessed Life so the Kingdome generally unto all that have part in the first Resurrection that is unto all the regenerate And so much the words do demonstrate if well observed For seeing John had said before of the Martyrs in the Praeter Tense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They reigned with Christ of these he now saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They shall reign with him in the future Besides touching the Dragons binding and the Martyrs reigning he had before said thrice with the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Those thousand yeeres Of these now hee saith indefinitely They shall reigne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a thousand yeeres Hence I observe this diversity both in the persons reigning and in the thousand yeeres that John for the comfort of the rest of the Saints and blessed ones doth in this verse extend the Kingdome of the Martyrs with Christ beyond the thousand yeers before defined as if he should say The soules indeed of the Martyrs lived and reigned with Christ those thousand yeers of Satans binding but with them afterwards others also having part in the first Resurrection shall as Priests of God and Christ reigne other thousand yeeres that is for ever and ever as is interpreted Rev. 22.5 Neither matters it that also in ver 2. he said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a thousand yeers without an Article and yet definitely for no man but understands that there it ought not to have bin said with the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Those thousand yeers because no mention was before made of a thousand yeers But afterwards that we might not understand the thousand yeers both of Satans binding of the Martyrs reign with Christ in v. 3.4.5 to be divers but the same it is said rightly with the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those thousand yeeres and for the same cause the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is againe repeated ver 7. where he mentioneth the period or end of Satans binding The Second Part of the CHAPTER Touching the new attempt of the Dragon being loosed at the end of the Thousand yeers by the Gentiles and by Gog and Magog against the Church 7. And when the thousand yeeres are expired Satan shall be loosed out of his prison 8. And shall goe out to deceive the Nations which are in the four quarters of the Earth Gog and Magog to gather them together to battle the number of whom is as the sand of the Sea 9. And they went up on the breadth of the Earth and compassed the Campe of the Saints about and the Beloved-City and fire came downe from God out of Heaven and devoured them THE COMMENTARY 7. BVt when the thousand yeeres are expired Now followes the Second part of the Chapter of the loosing and new raging of the Dragon after the thousand fatall yeers were expired containing the THIRD ACT of the last Vision being an amplification of the Churches calamities and combats under both Antichrists of the East and West who shall againe grievously trouble the Christian World as we shewed in the PREFACE And thus at length we come to the explication of the fourth Question before propounded in ver 3. IV. What Satan shall doe after the thousand yeers are expired He had said that Satan being bound with a great chain should be thrust into the bottomlesse pit for a thousand yeers and afterward againe loosed ver 3. and shewing in the following verses what in the meane while was done in the Church and what was the state of the ungodly both without and within Now Kat ' anaphoran or in relation to what was before he saith that Satan was to be loosed after the thousand yeers and expoundeth what he attempted with the successe thereof yet aenigmatically so as this part of the Prophesie is very obscure neither may we scatcely so much as guesse what the meaning thereof is notwithstanding the most diligent Interpreters do thinke that somewhat about the same may bee observed from the Histories of former times whose steps seeing nothing more certain is revealed unto me I am willing to tread in When the thousand were finished In which Satan remained in chaines and in which in the mean while Christ enlarged his Kingdom among the Gentiles and the Martyrs had lived and reigned with him Satan shall be loosed out of his prison Hence it plainely appeareth as before I said that the thousand yeeres of Satans imprisonment and of Christ his kingdom are not diverse but the same for it is said with the Article When THESE thousand yeers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be fulfilled Satan shall be loosed This very thing Austin well observeth saying Lib. 20. de C D. c. 13. The Chiliasts opinion cannot stand That the Scripture by the same thousand yeeres determinates both to wit Satans binding and the Saints reigning Which being observed it appeareth that the Chiliasts opinion cannot stand viz. that Satan should be bound in the sixt Millenary of the world in which they affirme Christ was borne and that in the seventh Millenary the Saints shall reigne with Christ on Earth Besides neither can the opinion of Brightman hold that Satan was bound a thousand yeers from Constantine untill the yeere of our Lord 1300. after which Christ should reigne another thousand yeeres by the Gospell on Earth with his Elect untill the yeer 2300. in which Millenary the Gogish or Turkish battles should be fought whence he gathereth that the truth of the gospell shall triumph among the Nations seven hundred yeers a thing indeed more to be wished then expected with any probability Thus by what hath been said before it is cleare
be seven months much lesse seven yeers but XLV dayes onely Therefore either this latter Fiction of theirs or else the former is false This difficulty by which they see their Fable overthrowne Ribera seeks to shift off one way Bellarmine another Ribera saith In apoc 20. N. 70. the words of Ezechiel signifie power not the Act not as if they shall spend seven months in burying the carkeises But the number of the carkeises shall be so great that if all should be buried there would be need of seven months time for the doing of it Bellarmin understands it that the Prophet speaks not properly but figuratively putting seven yeers for a very long time But by these slights they take not away the difficultie in the least Riberas glosse de potentia is by the Text there refuted ver 1.3 All the people of the Land shall bury them Therefore they shall bury all the carkeises ipso actu because the Land must be cleansed of the carkeises and therefore they shall spend seven months actually in burying of them This Ribera saw therefore at last he was forced contrary to Bellarmine and the common opinion to grant not onely XLV dayes but seven yeeres after Antichrists slaughter unto the day of Iudgement As for Bellarmines shift it makes the difficultie yet greater for whither the Prophet understands properly and definitely seven moneths and yeers or figuratively and indefinitely a very long time it appeareth the Fiction is false which Bellarmine there affirmeth That after Antichrists death Ribera refuteth Bellarmines Fiction there shall be no more then XLV dayes unto the end of the world the falsitie whereof Ribera himselfe doth solidly confute by two places of Scripture both because those things which in Mat 24.38 are spoken touching the security and riot of the world at Christs comming cannot in the least be done in XLV dayes as also because then as soon as Antichrist should begin to reigne it might certainely be knowne when the day of Iudgement should be which to thinke saith he is absurd 1. Thes 5.2 because the day of the Lord shall come as a thiefe in the night But he pretends Mat. 24.36 that perhaps it cannot be knowne by the unlearned No nor by the learned for it is said Of that Day and Houre no man knoweth no not the Angels of Heaven Therefore beeing convinced by the truth he at length ingenuously confesseth that no man can know how long time shall remaine from Antichrist Therefore O Ribera thou seest that time to be foolishly defined of thee by the space of seven yeeres and more foolishly by Bellarmines XLV dayes Behold the power of the trueth and the Iesuites discord Now however it belong not to this place Whether Ezechiel Iohns Prophesie touching Gog be the same to shew whither the Prophesie of Ezechiel and this here in the Revelation be the same or not yet contrary to the Iesuites affirmation we are to hold that here indeed is an allusion unto the Prophesie of Ezechiel both in the name of the adversaries and in likenesse of punishment yet this Prophesie is diverse from that For that did belong unto the times going before Christs comming and indeed hath been fulfilled already but this is to be referred to our and the following Ages in case there shall be any more What I said of the accomplishment is manifest from the Argument of the prophesie which is directed unto the people in the Captivity of Babylon for first God promiseth to bring them againe into their countrey Ez. 39.25 Now will I bring againe the captivity of Jacob c. When I brought them againe from the people c. Secondly he foretels new calamities which afterward shall befall them by their Adversaries Gog and Magog c. of whose horrible slaughter he prophesieth Lastly he promiseth a Spirituall reformation of the Church by the benefits of the Messias shortly after to come in the flesh Ibid ve 29. Neither will I hide my face any more from them when I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel saith the Lord Jehovah Now it is certaine the first and third part of the Prophesie was fulfilled And therefore without all doubt the middlemost also it being the chief It is objected that Gog was to come in the latter or last of yeeres that is Eze. 38.8 in the end of the world But the Glosse is infirme It is also said ver 16. that he shall come in the latter or last of dayes Now nothing is more frequent to the Prophets then by this phrase to denote the term of some certaine time Ierem. 49.39 In the latter dayes I will bring againe the Captivity of Elam that is at length or after much affliction Ierem 30.24 In the latter dayes yee shall consider it that is after your deliverance out of Babylon Ezech. 38.8 After many dayes thou shalt be visited in the latter yeers thou shalt come And afterward In the latter dayes I will bring thee c. that is after I have brought backe my people Therefore here also by the latter yeers an indefinite term may be understood Hence Theodoretus wrote Nehem. 4. 6. that these very Nations did straightway invade the Iewes after their returne to hinder them from building the Temple and City But our Interpreters Tremellius and Junius do in my understanding more rightly according to the circumstances of the name and time applie the Oracle of Ezechiel to the cruell warres raised up against the Iewes by the Macedonians Antiochus c. but often put to the worst not without a divine miracle by the Macchabees for they learnedly shew that Gog and Magog do denote the Nations of the lesser Asia and Syria so called after Gyges King of the Lydians with the Kings Antiochi Seleuci Demetrij and Nicanors mighty Oppressours of the Iewes which happened not presently upon their returne out of Babylon but long after in the end of yeers or dayes that is about two hundred yeeres after the Prophesie To these Ribera doth frivously object In Apoc. 20 S. 57. that Josephus and the Iewes write nothing of the accomplishment thereof which had it bin fulfilled they would have mentioned the same neither would they any longer expect the Messias As if forsooth so manifest or at least so probable a truth were to be called into question because of the blindnesse of the Iews Therefore in a word this I do hold That Ezechiels Prophesie touching Gog and Magog grievous enemies and wasters of the Holy Land was not indeed then fulfilled litterally for it clearly appeareth that part of the Prophesie is an Allegory of a Slaughter from Heaven but Analogically or with reference when the Tyrants of Syria and Asia were repressed by the valour of the Macchabees The old new Goggish war But that there by a certain allusion unto the Prophesie of Ezechiel and the accomplishment there of like as the Revelation is full of such Allusions
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 still doth in this Prophesie rather signifie continuation of time then the encrease of a thing as in ver 3. There shal be no more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 curse or henceforward and Chap. 10.6 The Angel sweareth that there shal be no longer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 time and Chap. 3.12 He shall goe no more out where RIBERA himselfe noteth that the Adverbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more doth onely with the negative respect the future not the time past Thirdly though we should wholly grant it to be understood of the encrease of justification neverthelesse it would not make for their second meritorious justification through workes For it will not follow Let him bee justifyed yet more Rom. 8.1 Therefore through workes meritoriously for he may also be more and more justified by Faith through the grace of God For although we that are justified by faith have the forgivenesse of all our sinnes Lam 3.23 and so are perfectly justified by Faith before God so as there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus yet this Iustification may be said to admit encrease two manner of wayes FIRST in respect of Continuation For seeing we sinne daily wee have need continually of pardon and so Iustification which consists in the remission of sins is daily continued unto the Faithfull being as it were renewed and augmented for the mercies of Iehovah are new every morning therefore Gods children doe daily pray forgive us our sinnes that is quit us and justifie us from our sinnes How farre justification of Faith doth admit encrease Some therefore of our Writers say well that justification is effected in an instant because it comes not by a successive motion as Sanctification but it is to bee understood of an instant flowing or daily renewed through the mercy of God Secondly in respect of our sense for we have indeed Iustification with God by Faith but wee feele it in our hearts through the effects viz. Peace of Conscience Newnesse of Life and desire of New obedience By how much therefore thâ—se do encrease in us by so much also the feeling of our Iustification hath its greater encrease LASTLY this place cannot be understood of actuall Iustification by works for such a Iustification through workes is Sanctification it selfe as the Papists confesse Now of Sanctification it distinctly here followeth And hee that is holy let him be sanctifyed still Wherefore they either accuse John of vaine Tautologiâ— by repeating the same thing twice ore else they must confesse that Iustification here is no actuall Iustification so to speake or Sanctification 12. Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me These are the words of our Lord Iesus unto the midst of the twentieth verse BEZA supposeth that these two verses are transplaced and should come after ver 16. But we shewed in the Analysis that after the manner of Dramaticall Representiations three persons the Angell John and the Lord Iesus speaâ— by course so that an exact coherence is not to be required but the alteration or variation observed Once already the Lord Iesus had promised his sudden comming ver 7. Behold I come quickly to confirme the words of the Angell which must shortly bee done Here again he promiseth the same to confirme the next words of the Angell He that is unjust let him bee unjust still c. And the sense is the Prophesie is not to be sealed neither in respect of the wicked nor of the godly because the former shall goe forward to hurt and to be filthy to their harme the latter shall further be confirmed in their desire after righteousnesse and holinesse to their owne good For behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give to every one c. The reason is taken from the righteous judgement neer at hand in which every one shall receive of him his reward The righteous and holy keeping the Commandements of this Prophesie blessednesse in the New Ierusalem The unjust and filthy dogs sorcerers fornicatours murderers liars c. torments in the lake of fire and brimstone This is the coherence and sense of the foure following verses My reward Not passively which should be given unto me but actively which I will give as appeares by the Infinitive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to give for that I may give With mee That is in my power and right for the Father hath given to the Sonne all judgement Ioh. 17.2 that is power to judge all men That his judgement shall be righteous he sheweth in that he will reward every one both the unjust and impure as also the righteous and holy as their worke shall be In other places it is said he shall judge men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to workes here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as his worke shall be The reward of good workes shall be good of evill evill because in order of justice good things appertaine to the good to evill men evill things Wherefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 According and As do not signifie the meritorious cause of reward but the rule of righteous judgement For although evill workes shall truely be the meritorious cause of damnation yet the Scripture saith no where except perhaps in some particular that the wicked shall be damned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for their workes Rom. 6.23 Eph. 2.8 but alwayes circumspectly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to workes least on the contrary good workes should bee thought the meritorious cause of Salvation The gift of God is eternall life By grace wee are saved through Faith not of our selves it is the gift of God not of workes least any man should boast Wherefore the reward of evill workes shall properly be called reward that is a due damnation de jure But the reward of good workes shal not bee called a reward properly Reward due not due that is not due of right but blessednesse gratis Now wherefore the Lord will rather judge men according to their workes then faith XLVI Argument of Christs deity hath been declared above Chap. 20.13 Futhermore this place doth also most clearly prove the eternal deity of Christ who attributes here unto himselfe that which Isaias ascribeth unto Iehovah Behold the Lord Iehovah will come with a strong hand and his arme shall rule for him Ch. 40.10 his reward is with him and his worke before him And Chap. 62.11 Say yee to the daughter of Sion behold thy salvation commeth behold his reward is with him Psal 9.9 and his worke before him It is proper to Iehovah to judge the world in righteousnesse and the people in uprightnesse For none but God can render to the Righteous life and eternall blessednesse none but God can inflict eternall punishment on the ungodly But the Lord Iesus will doe both for he shall render both to the one and to the other a just reward sutable to their workes
as it is said Ioh. 10.78 Ioh 11.25 Mat 25.34 I will give unto my sheep eternall life I am the Resurrection and Life He will say unto the righteous Come ye blessed inherit the Kingdom prepared for you And to the unrighteous Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devill and his angels c. Therefore he is truely God-Jehovah 13. XLVII Argument of Christs Deity confirmed I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end Hee confirmes and illustrates what he said touching his righteous judgement He confirmeth it from his eternity and constancy I am Alpha that is the beginning the First from whom all things had their first existence I hold the primacy of justice and power in all things I am Omega that is the end for which all things do exist and the last unto whom all things are directed in the last place And therefore why should I not render to every man righteous rewards according to his worke The same hee said of himselfe a little before in Chap. 21.6 and in Chap. 1.8 the which hereticks indeed Question whither they are the words of God or of Christ saying I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending saith the Lord which is which was and which is to come But here they cannot question but that he who saith I am Alpha and Omega and a little after I Iesus have sent my Angell is one and the same Notwithstanding Eniedinus the Samosatenian that he might put a samous conclusion of blasphemies unto his Explications that is Explicat locor p. 400 depravations bendeth all his wits in this place besides what formerly Chap. 1.8 he had disputed against this attribute of Christ to overthrow the Deity of the Sonne of God helping himselfe with most frivolous cavillations taken out of prophane Authors as Plinie Martiall and Homer Wherefore I thought it worth the labour diligently to examine all his particulars least the heretickes wickednesse might deceive the more simple Reader First These things saith he are spoken either by Christ himselfe or by an Angell representing the person of Christ yea he denyeth that Christ spake them but a representative Angell But why and how Christ should bee and is called the First and the Last he saith that he hath explicated Chap. 2. Answer That these things are spoken by Christ himself the foregoing verse doth evidently shew But if an Angell representing Christs person should say I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end the first and the last certainly he should lie like as an Ambassadour representing the person of God or Caesar if he should say I am God I am Caesar verily he should bee as great a liar as was Boniface VIII in saying I am Caesar For Ambassadours indeed speake or treat in the Name of God or of Caesar but cannot without treason assume unto themselves the names or titles of their Lord. But how well the Hereticke hath above declared or indeed deceitfully handled why and after what manner Christ is said to be the first and the last we have there made knowne unto the Reader Secondly he saith that this kinde of speech I am Alpha and Omega is proverbiall by which the first and the last yet not absolutely may be signifyed forasmuch as Alpha and Omega are not absolutely the first and the last but only of the letters and Greek Elements neither alwayes and every where but onely in that order or course in which the Letters of the Alphabet are now set downe Lib. 7. c. 56 the which notwithstanding that it was not alwayes the same we may learn out of Plinie for Omega hath not alwayes bin the last Letter of the Alphabet and that therefore this forme of speech signifies neither an absolute nor naturall prioritie and finality but rather temporarie and arbitrarie ANSVVER 1. Whatsoever might be said touching the Phrase I am Alpha and Omega yet the explication annexed stands firme I am the beginning and the end the first and the last the which Christ speaketh absolutely of himselfe nor can it be applied to any save unto God alone as not signifying an arbitrarie or temporarie prioritie and finallitie but that which is absolute simple and naturall This alone sufficeth to confirme our faith and refute the heretick II. What concernes the order of the Greeke Letters Plinie indeed writeth that Omega was added unto the Greek Alphabet by one Simonides Melicus after the Trojane Warre notwithstanding the said Author affirmeth out of Aristotle that Alpha with the Ancients was alwayes the first or beginning of the Letters whatsoever therefore may be said touching Omega yet if Christ be Alpha the beginning not of the Letters but absolutely of all things then verily he is God Eternall But neither shall the Hereticke thus shift it off touching Omega Lib. 19 c. 14. For Gellius affirmeth out of P. Nigidius a most ancient Writer that A. and O. were alwayes the principle Letters Besides it is sufficient that Alpha and Omega were the first and the last Letters of the Greek Alphabet in Johns time Therefore the reasoning of the hereticke taken from the Greeke Letters is vaine being grounded upon a most false hypothesis or supposition viz. that Christ is called and is Alpha and Omega the first and the last no otherwise then as Alpha and Omega are the first and last Letters of the Alphabet Thirdly he objecteth Lib. 11. hist cap. 30. that these words Alpha and Omega doe sometime signifie time as in Nicephorus the Emperours Valentinian and Gratian write in their Epistle We indeed have used patience from Alpha it selfe unto Omega that is from the beginning unto the end But that this signification is not agreeable to Iesus Christ because many things are more ancient and later in age then he ANSWER First Epiphanius Scholasticus who translated the Historie called Tripartita Trip. hist. lib. 7 cap. 9 following another reading as the most learned Langus Interpreter of Nicephorus hath observed hath rendred the words of the Emperours otherwise viz. We indeed are subject to him who is the first and the last that is unto God the which sense the antithesis there following but ye do arrogate to your selves c. doth altogether require For the Emperours by their humilitie in submitting themselves to God reproved the arrogancy and high-mindednesse of the Bishops who by their continuall brawlings and contentions abused their Imperiall majesties Let the place be looked into Wherefore these words A. and O. doe signifie not time but Eternall God or Eternitie II. Whatsoever may be said touching the place of Nicephorus the Emperors say not We are Alpha and Omega the first and the last so as Christ said I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending the first and the last Therefore that place makes nothing against the words of Christ III. Although those words in the place alledged might signifie time and continuance yet the reason for which the adversarie
VI. excommunicated Ludovick IV. 130. The Colour of the Beast and the woman is one 411. Purple colour proper to the Romane court ibid. Communion of the Saints in heaven with us on earth 122. Comfort of the faithfull under Antichrist 121. Of the Saints under the Altar 106. Of the professours and Martyrs 355. Conquerers are such as keep faith and a good conscience 52. Consent of Interpreters about the last judgement 358. Condition of the Godly under Antichrist 134. 135. Constant profession of the truth the cause of Johns banishment 17. The Constestation or protestation in the last chapter of the Revelation belongs to the whole body of the Scripture 596. Conversion of the Iewes described 67 conversion of the adversaries is the worke of grace ibid. Conversion of many unto the faith 245. Conversion why commanded and attributed to us 82. Council of constance caused wickleffe to be digged out of his graue and burnt 241. Condemned Iohn Husse and Iâ—rome of Prague to the fire 226. 241. Former councils for the most part condemned by the latter 273. Corporal resurrections in scripture 518. Corrupters of the trueth shal be grievouslie punished 50. Court within to be cast forth 214. Coveteousnesse in bishops abominable the root of all evill 33. Crowne crowne of life 41. promised not of merit but grace 42. It signifies life and eternal glory 72. A greater degree shall be given to such as have converted many 71. Crownes of gold why worne by the saints 90. Crown of life and righteousnesse ibid. Proposed unto all the faithfull 250. The crowne of Christ 108. Crowns of gold an ensigne of royall majesty 360. How far the crown may be taken from the elect and how it can not be taken 72. Cubit common and royall of what greatnesse 562. Cup of Gods wrath 352. Cyprians excellent simile declaring the word of God to be the onely rule of faith 57. D. THe Darkning of the sun 127. Death compared in scripture to sleep 56. Christs death a full satisfactorie price for sin 103. Death of the martyrs is Christ victorie 108. The first death why so called 519. 557. Death of the soule 519. The second death eternall 528. The dead shall all rise together 518. 519. To die in Christ 355. Dead faith uncapable to obtaine spirituall riches 77. Demonstration against Alcasars dream 481. The Description and nature of Locusts 175. Description of the new Ierusalem whither it agree to the church militant 549. The Desert or wildernesse is Rome and the Papacie 408. Description of the beast 290. denoteing the old Romane Empire 291. 292. Description of the heavenly Ierusalem 560. c. Description of the last Iudgement 488. Description of Gods maiesty and glory on the throne 87. Determination whither repugnant to the will 446. Dignitie proceeds not alwayes from vertue 59. Difficultie about the thousands years 506. Difference of a gemme and a pearl 566. Dionysius Alexandrinus refuted 18. Distribution of the second vision 84. The Dragon Beast and false Prophet authours of the Ambassage of the unclean spirits 394. Drying up of Euphrates 390. diverse opinions about it 391. Dutie of the Church and her officers to notorious sectaries 44. E. EArth Sea trees what they signifie 139. Earth swallowing down the flood of the Dragon 279. Earth-quakes proper and figurative 126. 127. A great earth-quake at the opening of the sixt seal 244. an earth-quake shaking the papacie after the councill of constance 245. Easterne people girded up their long garments in travelling 24. Eberhardus Salisburgensis invectives against the Pope 318. Effect of the word of God 207. Of the Gospel in the latter times 370. Egyptian Idolatry darkenesse and bondage 234. 235. The Elder comforting Iohn 99. The Emerauld a most pleasant gemme 87. 565. The End of Gods punishment 50. The Eight king not like unto the other 429. 430. Eniedinus the Samosatenian refuted 17. 21. 26 27. 28. 39. 50. 51. 437. 587. Who shall Enter into the Caelestial city 571. Ephesus the head citie of Ionia 21. Epiphanius refutes the Alogians 47. Epiphanius corrected touching Iohn 19. The Eternall Gospell cannot be suppressed 339. the Eternall Gospell of the Monster Cyrillus 340. Events contingent in themselves how changed 4. Event of the Gogish war 536 c. The Evils accompaning this life shall be no more in the life to come 553. Euphrates a great river 187. The Eyes of IEHOVAH signifie Angels 90. The eyes of the Lamb his all seeing providence â—00 Eye-salve what it is â—9â— Ezechiels Prophesie of the measuring of the Spirituall Temple 212. His and Iohns Prophesie of Gog and Magog 535. F. FAlse distinctions of worship 484. 485 The Fable of Enoch and Elias refuted 226. the Fable of Antichrists foure yeares reigne refuted 231. 240. Fable of Maries assumption 256. The False Prophet 394. He and the two horned Beasts are the same 495. Famine thirst and heat what they note by a Synecdoche 149. Famine of Samaria 114. Mysticall famine when proclaimed ibid. The Fathers why they termed not the Pope Antichrist 167. The Father how he judgeth no man 7. 8. The Feare and amazement of the Churches adversaries 244. The fearing of Antichrist hath troubled the whole world The First Vision not universall 361. 362. it belongs unto the last times ibid. Its scope and use of comfort ibid. Free-will not simply denied but in respect of spirituall good 68. Diverse interpretations of the same 444. 445. Figs signifie carnall Bishops 129. Figure of he city just four-square 562. Finall punishment of the wicked 131. Fine linnen how clothing both for the Bride and the Whore 482. how it is righteousnesse ibid. Fire proceeding out of the mouth of the witnesses 228. The fire on which the Angel had power 362. Fiery eyes signifie heroicall motions 24. Fire from heaven consuming Gog and Magog 539. First death 42. 519. Why so called ibid. First resurrection is not corporall but spirituall 518. It is opposed unto the first death 519. It s profitablenesse and necessitie 526. Objections about the same cleared 518. 520. First trumpet answereth to the first seale 158. What is meant by the hayle fire and blood that fell at the sounding thereof ibid. First viall chieflie poured out upon Germanie 380. Fight of the woman when it began and how long it dured 277. Floud of waters what it is 277. Foxe his opinion about it 278. Forme or shape of the beasts diverse and why 92. Forgetfullnesse and memory how said to be in God 460. Foundation of the Church how but one and twelve 561. 562. Fountaines what they denote in the Revelation 163. the fountaines of Waters are to be reckoned among the chief works of God 342. The fountain of true joy is in the Lord 480. The Four Beasts whither they type out the four Evangelists 91. They represent the Apostolicall Church 92. Why they are full of eyes ibid. The Four and twenty Elders are the first Chore 89. The Four periods of the Church of the Gospel 365. The Four Angels