appeareth to Ioshua in the forme of a man to shew that in time he so would be and therefore doth Ioshua doe worshippe vnto him as acknowledging him to be his only God sauiour Christ. So that by this they might well knowe it was not Iesus the captaine sonne of Nun that conquered the lande for them but Iesus the sonne of God euen that noble captaine of the Lords host who not onely setled them in the rest of that earthly Canaan but also in the heauenly So that if the sixe hundreth thousand in the wildernesse and all the other for the space of three hundreth and fiftie yeares in the land had but considered well of these fewe sermons of Christ which I haue heere layd downe amongest many more their carkeises had escaped the wrath of God and they had entered into the rest of Canaan which through vnbeliefe they did not and also the other in the land had remained as Lordes ouer their enimies where as nowe they became Lordes ouer them and therefore in any wise see that you alwayes remember the louing kindnesse and the seueritie of the Lord and the chiefe cause of both The iudgements of God vpon the house of Israel and Iuda for the time of seuentie seuens of yeares that is from the time of Samuel and Saul to the captiuitie of Babilon THe Lord nowe being full of compassion and not willing to hide the light of hys countenance ouer long from his people causeth such horrible plagues to befall the Philistians while y ◠Ark was amongst them which was seuen monthes as that full glad are they to be rid therof For as there can be no agreement betwixt God and Belyall no more could there be betwixt the Arke of Gods presence and Dagon the God of the Philistians So that home againe doe they send it by a couple of milch kyne who haue more wit to shew the cause of all those plagues that befell them then all the priestes of Dagon had by these two kyne then to Bethshemesh the Ark of God is brought Where you haue a most notable example of foolish zeale running before wit punished for there doth the Lord kill euen of his owne people fiftie thousand threescore and ten men because they had looked into the Arke which was not lawfull for them to do So that euen at this first entrance of Gods presence againe amongest them they had a good warning a man would thinke to take better heed vnto the booke of God then before they had done that so they might heare his voyce and in hearing learn therby to doe that which he commandeth and no more yet neuerthelesse they rebelled still against the Lord euen as they had done euer since he brought them from the land of Egypt For notwithstanding all the great thyngs the Lorde had done for them as styll to rayse vp deliuerers to deliuer them from the crueltie of their oppressours which through their owne idolatrie befell them Notwithstanding all this I say and many other his great benefites bestowed vpon them they continued still in that great sinne of infidelitie and mistrust of the Lorde his goodnes Although he had often told them that so long as they did worship him according to his holy wil layd downe in his word he would defend them from all their enimies round about yet no sooner commeth Nahash the king of the children of Ammon against them but they cry out vpon Samuel that they might haue a king forsooth yea a king to reigne ouer them as al other nations had when as yet the Lord Iehouah of hoastes was their king So that their wickednes as y e holy ghost recordeth was maruellous great herin for they cast not away only Samuel such other iudges or deliuerers but also the Lorde himselfe that he shoulde not reigne ouer them wherefore his wrath for this was so kindled against them that he gaue thē a king indeed euen according to their desire but out of all doubt in his verie great anger and therefore tooke him away in his sore displeasure and so establisheth his couenant with Dauid vnto whom the crowne and kingdome did belong as being a figure of Christ their king euen that true Dauid who should raigne ouer them for euermore Yet notwithstanding al this and although rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft and transgression is wickednesse and idolatrie in the dayes of Rehoboam ten of the tribes despise this sonne of Ieshai of the tribe of Iuda from whence theyr glory was to arise and so became children of fornication in following the wayes of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat who erected two calues and set the one in Dan and the other in Bethel and made the people to confesse that those were their Gods that brought them out of y ◠land of Egypt And thus Ephraim vnder whom is named the ten tribes ioyned themselues vnto Idols and so became children of fornication euen worse then an harlot committing whoredome with all the chosen men of Ashur and with all on whome they doted neyther left they their fornications learned of the Egyptians for in their youth they lay with them and they brused the brestes of their virginitie Wherefore the wrath of the Lord was so greatly stirred vp against them that hee gaue them into the handes of the kinges of Ashur as vnto Pull-ashur Tiglath Pilesser and Salmanesar euen into the hands I say of the kinges of Ashur vpon whom they doted and they discouered their shame and tooke away their sonnes and daughters and slew them with the sword and why because they would not obey the voyce of the Lord their God but transgressed his couenant that is all that Moses the seruant of the Lord had commanded them and woulde neither obey them nor doe them And therefore Ephraim became vnto the Lord as an abhominable branch and he vnto them as a moth and as a very Lyon yea they became vnto him Loammy that is not his people therefore would not he be their God For when he saw that this rebellious Israel euen Aholah which is Samaria had played the harlot when she was his he cast her away and gaue her a bill of diuorcement And yet for all this was not her rebellious sister Iudah afrayd but she went and played the harlot likewise euen Ierusalem which is a holy bath the other two tribes Iuda and Beniamen euen they his pleasant plant defiled themselues with inordinate loue more then the other and with their fornications more then the other with their fornications for according to y e number of their Cities were their Gods and according to the number of the streetes of Ierusalem did they set vp altars of confusion euen altars to burne incense vnto Baal and also committed their abhominations in the house of the Lord whereupon his name was called to defile
A Direction to the waters of lyfe Come and beholde How CHRIST shineth before the Law in the Law and in the Prophetes and withall the iudgements of God vpon all Nations for the neglect of his holy worde wherein they myght haue seene the same Both which are layde before your eyes in this litle discourse by ROGER COTTON Draper Imprinted at London for Gabriell Simson and William White and are to be solde at their house in Fleete lane 1590. TO THE GODLIE AND LEARNED MAISTER HVGH BROVGHTON TEACHER OF DIVINITIE GRACE AND peace in Christ. FOR as much as it hath pleased the Lorde Right reuerent to make your selfe vnto me a most comfortable Father in that you haue begotten me vnto Christe euen as Paule did Tymothie nay rather as he did Onesimus that is much more then from a seruant of Philemon to be a brother of Pilemon euen from a seruaunt of sinne to be a seruaunt of Iesus Christe For as much I say as it hath pleased the Lord you shoulde beget me after this sort I thought good to present vnto your learned view some part of the fruites of your owne labour in me begotten not to the intent in any respect to benefite your selfe therewith sauing that you wyll reioyce to see that your labour on me bestowed is not altogeather lost but onely to the intent to incourage others to the studie of the most absolute perfect word of God because that Satan our old enimie striueth styl most lyke a subtle Serpent especially to perswade men to the contrarie Therefore so much as in me lyeth I labour to ouerthrow him therein and to styrre vp others in lyke sort to take vp the weapon of their warfare the worde of God against him and to haue them constantly to hold on in the meditation thereof vntyll such time as they shaâ—…l haue skill to handle that sworde of the spirite aright and vntyll such tyme as they shall attayne vnto the sounde knowledge of euery poynt of that heauenly mysterie of our saluation vnto the which high mysterie of saluation you haue ful often as a most heauenly Orator not onely called me but also many more to their vnspeakable comfort euer warnyng vs in lyke maner to geue attendaunce for the furtheraunce thereof vnto the reading of the same most pure and holy worde of God Euen for this cause only haue I put foorth this lytle and vnlearned Treatise VVherefore seeing the Lorde hath made you a Paule from the Apostle Paule and other his felowes to plant in me these thinges and that it hath pleased his heauenly maiestie to geue the increase I thought it meete to dedicate these some part of the fruites vnto you a speciall meanes thereof humbly beseeching you to shielde them vnder your most graue learned protection that so the benefite thereof may redownde to them for whose sakes I brought them foorth The summe whereof is to shew the brightnes of our sauiour Christ in all ages according as it is sayd by the Apostle Christ yesterday and to day and the same for euer As also to what ende the Lord hath created man which is to set soorth his praise and glory aboue all the creatures that he hath made and lykewyse how that can not be done but by the knowledge and direction of his owne most perfect worde and howe that all nations and people that haue delighted or not delighted herein haue founde accordingly the louing kindnes or the seueritie of the Lord. And thus I cease beseeching the Lord to blesse you with a long and happie lyfe euen to the begettyng of thousandes more vnto the kingdome of the euer-lyuing God that so your selfe may shine as a most glorious starre in the life to come Amen Yours begotten in the Lord Roger Cotton TO THE READER I Finde in the Booke of GOD most gentle Reader that a man shoulde not be ashamed to speake of the testimonies of the Lorde yf it were before Kinges as also a charge geuen that a man shoulde not let to delyuer those glorious thynges whiche hee hath heard of by many witnesses to iust and faythfull men to the intent that they also might be able to teach and to delyuer the same vnto others accordyng as other Prophetes commaunde saying Tell you your children of them and let your children shew to their children and their children to an other generation For as much then as I finde suche a charge there geuen I thinke it no shame to speake thereof at this time vnto you but holde my selfe bounde according to that talent which God hath geuen me to make a rehearsall of those glorious thinges which to me haue been reuealed to the intent that you also may come to the Booke of God where you shalbe compassed with such a cloude of heauenly witnesses both of perfect skill and also willingnes that yf you will you may be made able to describe at large vnto others both the wysedome prayse power glory and state of that euerlastyng King and kingdome Therefore as some haue sayd vnto me Come and see the Booke of God for there shall you finde the Messias yea there shall you finde that gloryous King whose wysedome is so great that it farre exceedeth the wysedome of all the sonnes of the East or of Egypt Nay there shall you see him whose wysedome so much excelleth other mens that it farre surmounteth the wysedome eyther of Ethan Heman Chalcole or Derda I say as some haue sayde vnto me Come and see the booke of God that so you may beholde this glorious King whose fame is spread throughout all the nations euen so throughout this litle Discourse say I vnto you Therefore yf you will so do I doubt not but that you wyll say the lyke vnto others and also say vnto me it was a true report indeede that we heard of by you concernyng the wysedome of this King and also the glory of his kingdome how be it we scarce beleeued it vntyll we came and that our owne eyes had seene it But now we perceyue that you tolde vs not the one halfe of the wysedome of this great King nor yet of the glory of his kingdome for indeede it farre surmounteth the fame that we heard thereof by you Therfore happy are those men that stande in the courtes of this King yea thrise happy are his seruauntes which alwayes stande before his presence to heare his wysedome I meane in the presence of that heauenly King who farre excelleth Salomon euen Salomon who so farre surmounted those aforenamed and in whose presence is the fulnes of all ioy and gladnes But yf you wyll not come to heare the wysedome of this great King nor yet to see the glorie of his kingdome which so farre excelleth Salomons he hath pronounced with his owne mouth that the Queene of the South shall ryse in iudgement against you And this is the summe of my lytle and vnlearned Treatise Therefore yf you looke vnto
of Ierusalem knew very well that in the first yeare of Darius of the seede of the Medes as also of Cyrus king of Persia these seuentie yeares were expired Whereupon he turneth hymselfe vnto the Lord with fasting and in sackcloth and ashes making his confession and praying O Lord God which art great and fearefull and keepest couenant and mercy toward all them whiche loue thee and toward them whiche keepe thy commandementes but wee haue sinned and haue committed iniquitie and haue done wickedly yea we haue rebelled and haue departed from thy preceptes and from thy iudgementes For we would not obey thy seruaunts the prophetes which speake in thy name to our kinges to our princes to our fathers and to all the people of the land O Lord righteousnesse belongeth vnto thee to vs open shame as appeareth this day vnto euery man of Iuda and to the inhabitantes of Ierusalem yea vnto all Israel both neere and farre off through all the countries whither thou hast driuen them because of their offences that they haue committed agaynst thee O Lord vnto vs appertaineth open shame to our kinges to our princes and to our fathers because we haue sinned agaynst thee Yet compassion and forgiueuesse is in the Lord our God albeit we haue rebelled agaynst him For we haue not obeyed the voyce of the Lord our God to walke in his lawes which he had layd before vs by the ministerie of his seruantes the prophetes Yea all Israel haue transgressed thy law and are turned backe and haue not heard thy voyce therefore the curse is powred vppon vs and the othe which is written in the lawe of Moses the seruant of God because we haue sinned agaynst hym and hee hath confirmed his wordes which he spake agaynst vs agaynst our iudges that iudged vs by bringing on vs a great plague for vnder the whole heauen hath not bene the like as hath bene brought vpon Ierusalem All this plague is come vpon vs as it is written in the lawe of Moses yet made wee not our prayer before the Lord our God that we might turne from our iniquities and vnderstand thy trueth therefore hath the Lord made readie the plague and brought it vpon vs. For the Lord our God is righteous in all his workes which he doth for we would not heare his voyce And now O Lord our God that hast brought thy people out of the land of Egypt with a mightie hand and hast gotten thee renowne as appeareth this day wee haue sinned we haue done wickedly yet O Lord according to all thy righteousnesse I beseeche thee let thine anger and thy wrath be turned away from thy citie Hierusalem thine holy mountaine for because of our sinnes and for the iniquities of our fathers Ierusalem and thy people are a reproche to all that are about vs. Now therefore O Lord our God heare the prayer of thy seruant and his supplications and cause thy face to shine vpon thy sanctuary that lyeth wast for the Lords sake O my God incline thine care and heare open thine eies and behold our desolations and the citie wherupon thy name is called for we doe not present our supplications before thee for our owne righteousnes but for thy great tender mercies O Lord heare O Lord forgiue O Lord consider and doe it deferre not for thine owne sake O my God for thy name is called vpon thy citie and vpon thy people So here you see a prayer framed vpon a sounde grounde and squared by that iust rule of Moses and according to the forme of that by Salomon with full assurance beeing done according to that rule that the Lord would shewe himselfe a righteous iudge and therefore whiles hee was speaking and praying and confessing his own sinnes and the sinnes of his people Israel and presenting his supplications before the Lord his God for the holy mountaine of his God euen while he was thus praying which was about the time of the euening oblation came the Angel Gabriel vnto him to giue knowledge and vnderstanding of their deliuerance and not onely how that at the very beginning of his supplications the commaundement came forth to returne them from Babylon but also that from that very houre the former seuentie yeares were to be multiplied by seuen and then should Christ the king the most holy be killed and not for himselfe but to confirme the couenant of olde made for the many of all nations that would imbrace the same By the bloud of which couenant they should be freed from confusion and redeemed not onely from the bondage of the outward but also of the spirituall Egypt and Babell and which bloud beeing shed for the remission of sinnes and for a reconciliation of all their iniquities should cause all sacrifice and oblation to cease So that here this welbeloued prophet who alwayes abode constant in the true worship of his God notwithstanding the rage of the enimie was shewed the summe and effect of all Moses and was also heard in that which he required for the Lord euer in wrath remembring mercy doth also at this time remember his mercie and promise of old made vnto their fathers and so bringeth them to the holy hill of Sion agayne euen to that freshe springing mountaine from whence suche gratious streames of doctrine continually issued as were sufficient if rightly vsed to coole the intollerable heate of all the soules that euer were or shalbe in y e world thither I say were these Iewes the people of God agayne brought And from whence Euen from a most filthy pit that without any such water which deliuerance was so great and myraculous as that from this time forward they were not to say any more the Lord liueth that brought the Children of Israel out of the land of Egypt but the Lord liueth that brought them out of the land of the North and from all the landes where he had scattered them yea it was so strange and so farre beyond their expectation as that when it came to passe they were euen like vnto men that dreamed or as men amased at so sodayn a decree and their mouthes were then filled with laughter and their toonges with ioy yea they confessed that the Lord had done great and woonderfull thinges for them But full soone doe they forget it for notwithstanding all this his great mercy and iudgementes shewed vnto them yet still they rebelled agaynst hym prophaning his holy Sabbaothes agayne and making them dayes of marchandice and also ioyned themselues with strang women of y â— land contrary to the law yea they greatly neglected the worke of his holy temple and citie saying The time is not yet come that y â— Lordes house should be built but they thought it was high time to build for themselues that so they might be setled againe in their sieled houses though the Lordes house lay wast Wherfore he was
you not vnderstand that the sayinges of the prophets might be fulfilled Now if you aske me in what sort the prophets before time had testified of Christ whereby they might haue knowen him to be that Messias that should come into the worlde the answere is very plentifull and very plaine and many of them did knowe that then was the time that the kingdome of God was to appeare and all the sort of them might haue knowne as well if they had considered well of the ninth of Daniel for there doth the angel Gabriel tell Daniel when Christ the king should be killed euen to the very houre of the day wherin he dyed Likewise they had Moses and all the prophetes euen vnto Iohn to lead them as it were by the hand vnto Christ and that at sundrie times and in diuers manners so that it will not be amisse to run briefly them ouer to shew you in what sort as I neere as I can he was described vnto them First then where as Adam by his disobedience brought not onely death vpon himselfe but also vppon all his posteritie and withall lost that dominion and Lordship he had ouer the creatures of God euen the very day of his creation the verie same day was Christ proclaymed heire of the world and a ful conquerour of Satan in these wordes I will put enmitie sayth the Lord vnto Satan betweene thee and the woman and betweene thy seede and her seede thy seede shal bruise the heele of the seede of the woman but her seede euen hee that speciall seede meaning Christ shal breake thy head the which came so to passe when as the fulnesse of time was come that is when as our sauiour tooke the nature of man vpon hym and so through death destroyed him who had the power thereof that is to say the deuill this olde serpent The which seede of the woman was also sayd by Noe to be the blessed God of Sem whom also Sem resembled Hee was also sayde by the Lord himselfe to be that special one seede of Abraham Isaake and Iacob in whome all the nations of the earth shoulde be blessed Likewise he was spoken of by Iacob to be that special childe Shillo the Lyon of y â— tribe of Iuda who if he did but lye downe and couch none durst stirre him vp and that vnto hym the people should be gathered the which Lyon of the tribe of Iuda that holy man Iob saw to be his redeemer and was most assured to see him one day with his owne eyes and none other for him although wormes should destroy that body He was also sayd by the Lord himselfe to be that angel of the couenant that kept their fathers in the way and brought them into the land of Canaan as also that star of Iacob whome Balam prophet false though he were sawe to strike the costes of Moab and to subdue all the sonnes of Seth. He was also said by Moses to be that great prophet whome the Lord would rayse like vnto him vnto whom all the world should hearken as also by the Lord himselfe that he should build an house vnto his name and that he would establish the throne of his kingdome for euer and that he would say vnto him I will be thy father and thou shalt be my sonne Likewise it was sayd of Christ by the prophet Dauid that the Lord sayd vnto him Thou art my sonne this day begat I thee that forasmuch as the Lord delighted not in sacrifices he should come to doe the will of God That in his heart his whole law should fully rest That he would not conceale the righteousnes thereof but declare it in the great congregation euen in the middest of the congregation would hee declare the name of the Lord amongest his brethren and how that notwithstanding that yet would the kinges and princes of the earth assemble themselues together agaynst hym That they woulde make him the contempt of the people haue hym in derision mocke hym and nod their heades at him That they would hit him in the teeth with the trust he had in the Lord as though hys hope therein had bene frustrate That they would like bulls of Bashan nay like dogges compasse hym about pearce hys handes and feete giue him vineger to drinke cast lottes vppon his garmentes and part them amongest them and yet notwithstanding all this their spight the Prophet sheweth that the Lorde would laugh them to skorne and breake them to peeces like a potters vessell That he would set Christ as king vpon y â— holy hill of Sion and deliuer hym from the contentions of the people That hee would grant him the heathen for his inheritance and the vttermost partes of the earth for his possession That he should be the head therof and that a people whom he had not knowne should serue hym euen such as were the kinges of Tarshish and of the Iles who should bring hym presentes and also such as were the kinges of Sheba and Seba who should bring hym giftes yea and that all kings vpon earth should worship him and all nations serue hym and that as soone as they should heare hym they should obey hym and be in subiection to hym and that whosoeuer would not kisse the sonne should be sure to perish but those that would put their trust in hym should be blessed for euermore Againe it was sayd of hym by the same prophet that hee would so loue righteousnesse and hate iniquitie and be so carefull for the house of the Lord that the zeale he would haue thereof would euen eate hym vp and that the Lord woulde therefore annoynt hym with the oyle of gladnesse aboue hys fellowes That hee would cause hys name to be remembred throughout all generations euen hys glorious name for euer and euer And that all nations should blesse hym and be blessed in hym and giue thankes vnto hym worlde without end And that notwithstanding all the râ—…ge of the deuill and his ministers yet should none euill come neere vnto hym for the Lord would giue hys Angels charge ouer hym to keepe him in all his wayes that hee should not hurt hys foote agaynst a stone And that notwithstanding himselfe should be that stone which the builders would refuse yet should hee be made the head of the corner Moreouer this holy Prophet sheweth that the Lorde woulde not leaue the soule of Christ in graue neyther suffer hym his holy one to see corruption That he would rayse him vp from death to life and crowne him with glory and honour That hee should ascend on high and leade captiuitie captiue That he shoulde sit at the right hande of God vntil he had made his enimies his fotestoole And lastly that he shoulde continue there a Sacrificer for euer after the order of
deceiued by them Saint Paul telleth the Thessalonians who had been put in mind that the last day of iudgement was at hand that that day shoulde not come vntill there came a departing from the fayth and vntill that man of sinne the sonne of perdition shoulde be disclosed the which sayth he shall come to passe when the withholder meaning the Romaine Empire shall be taken away euen then sayth hee shall this man of sinne appeare whose comming shall be by the power and working of Satan as the formers was yea and in a farre more dangerous sort then the former did because he will come with lying signes and great woonders yea and with all sleightes of deceipt and guile euen with suche as if it were possible the ver elect should be deceiued therwith yet notwithstanding marke you well what followeth and then if you will not take heede of them wel worthy are you to be deceiued by thē He telleth them further then that this man of sinne or companie of beastly popes woulde set themselues as aduersaries to the trueth the worde of God and that they would set themselues in the temple of God as if they were God and that they would forbid marriages and the eating of meates which thinges God had commanded to be done euen thus sayth the Apostle will they teach the doctrine of that olde serpent their father the deuill therfore if you should haue had no more markes giuen you to know thē by then these they had bin sufficent for you but since it hath pleased the holy ghost to giue you more you were best to take notice of them all Heare you therefore in what sort saint Iohn hath described them he telleth you that he saw another beast of the same forme of the Empire beast that is with seuen heades and tenne hornes and with some addition more to betoken further crueltie that is he saw this beast to be of a skarlet colour to haue a woman sitting vpon hym full of names of blasphemie whiche woman was arayed also in purple and skarlet and a cup of golde in her hand full of abhominations and filthinesse of her fornications and besides in her forehead was a name written a misterie great Babylon the mother of whoredomes and abhominations of the earth and that with her should the kings of the earth commit fornication and that the inhabitantes of the earth should be drunkē with the wyne of the same And moreouer that this whore her selfe shoulde be drunken with the bloud of saintes and with the bloud of the martyrs of Iesus so that here you haue a description of the Empire beast again reuiued by the popes yea and that in so plaine a maner that euery litle childe may know who is meant hereby For the angell expoundeth it in this sort The seuen heades of the beast which thou hast seene sayth y ◠angel vnto Iohn are vii kings wherof fiue are fallen and one is and another is not yet come and when hee commeth hee must continue but a short space And the beast that was and is not is euen the eight and yet is one of the seuen the whiche beast shall goe into destruction with the former so that all the world whose names were not written in the booke of life wondered at this mistery that is they wondered to see the beast that was and afterward was not and yet now to be agayne For indeede heere is the minde as saint Iohn sayth that hath wisedome which to him that can dig out the meaning thereof and beware of the policie here described it shalbe farre more worth then the golde which hee can digge eyther out of the East or West Indies Thus it is you are to vnderstād that Rome had her policie or gouernement altered fiue times before the Caesars and they made the sixt whiche was the gouernement when Iohn had this reuelation shewed hym The which Caesars or part of Kittim began to afflict the chiefest of the sonnes of Heber our sauiour Christ and continued it vpon his sonnes by faith the Christians about the time of three hundreth yeares the whiche three hundreth yeares was noted by two and fortie monethes by an allusion to the time of our sauiour his affliction the whiche was also two and fortie monethes or three yeares and an halfe beeing the full tyme of hys preaching and publicke life so that all ages after that halfe seuen wherein our Lord finished all ceremonies and all thinges touching our saluation and wherein hee suffered intollerable affliction are called by an allusion vnto that tyme eyther a time two times and halfe or monthes two and fortie or dayes a thousand two hundreth and sixtie the first for Sathan his whole rage the second for the Romaine Empire and the popes for it is sayd that both of them had power giuen them to doe hurt vnto the holy citie two and fortie monethes So that as our sauiour y ◠head of y ◠Church was himself most cruelly afflicted by the Dragon and also by his ministers for these three yeeres and a halfe the which began at his baptisme and ended at his death euen so shoulde his members be after the same maner while the world should stand For wheras this sixt gouernement these prophane Emperours were rooted out as if the beast had had the wound of a sword one head cut off or as if he had been dead for a long time by means first of Constantinus that good christian Emperour and afterwardes of other nations who greatly spoyled Rome yet now by these popes is hee reuiued agayne For they setting themselues in the temple of God as if they were God and causing all nations to worship them in the same maner that they had done the former beast and ruling themselues ouer the Empire are sayde heere to make the seuenth policie in Rome and likewise after a sorte to be an eight the whiche policie is sayd to haue the whole power of Sathan as the former had euen to haue the strength as it were of warlike horses to make battle against y ◠citie of Saints Now if you thinke that the former exposition by the angel concerning the seuen heades of the beast be not plaine inought he will let you haue it yet more plaine for he telleth you further that y e seuen heades are also seuen hilles whereon the woman sitteth and he also telleth you that the woman is the great citie that raigneth ouer the kinges of the earth If this be true as most true it is then can you not doubt of the plainnesse heereof for you are to vnderstand that Rome standeth vpon seuen hils and you are to vnderstand also that when saint Iohn had this reuelation shewed hym that Rome was then the great citie that raygned ouer the kinges of the earth and likewise that now it is and therefore moste fitly was it sayd that the latter beast had ten hornes as
well as the former forasmuch as the popes had ten nations or kingdomes to yeeld obedience vnto theyr power as the former had to theyrs And to make the matter more playne that Idolatrous Rome was reuiued agayne by these popes saint Iohn hath another vision shewed hym which is this Hee seeth a beast aryse out of the earth hauing two hornes like vnto the lambe Meaning thereby that these popes would come as pretending great shew of religiō and as if they were the vycars of Christ that lambe of God but hee telleth you that he spake like the Dragon and that hee did all that the first beast could doe that was before hym yea and that hee caused the image of the former beast to be made and gaue hym spirite and life and made all the earth to worship hym whose deadly wound by them was healed And furthermore for their helpe therein saint Iohn sheweth you that this lambe should worke great signes and wonders euen so great as if it were to bring fire from heauen as Elyas did to the end that as hee thereby caused all Israel to turne from the worship of Ieroboams calues vnto the Lord to worship him euen so in a contrary sort woulde this lambe seeke with the signes which were permitted hym to doe to turne all men both small and great rich and poore free and bond from the worship of the Lord to the worship of the beast and to force them thereby to receiue his marke eyther in their right hands or in y t forheads or at leastwise to beare his name or the number of hys name for vnlesse they would so doe they shoulde neyther buy nor sell but be killed So that heere you see how fitly this agreeth with the other vision for the popes to be reuiuors of the former beast and also howe fitly it falleth out according to that whiche our sauiour and saint Paul before had told you that is that there should come false prophets which woulde come in sheepes clothing but inwardly be rauening Wolues and that they woulde come with all lying signes woonders and sleightes of deceice and therefore is it that our sauiour giueth vs so great charge to take heede of them And moreouer therefore is it that it pleaseth hym to paynt them out so playne vnto vs for although they woulde seeme neuer so muche to beare the hornes of a lambe or neuer so much to pretend religion or shew of holynesse yet the Lord hath so plainly noted them by one especiall mark aboue the rest as that euery simple man may know them howsoeuer they would seeme to change their shape that is their voyce the whiche you see saint Iohn sayth is all one with the Dragons And therefore although Sathan come not now as vnto Adam and Euah nor as in the daies of the primitiue Church That is although he come not now in y ◠carkas of a luttle serpent nor yet in the forme of a seuen headed beast but contrariwise euen in the skinne of a poore and simple lambe yet the voyce being the selfe and same you may knowe hym howsoeuer he transformeth himselfe It is good for you here then to consider the voyce both of the one and of the other The voyce of the serpent and of the beast commandeth that whiche God forbiddeth and forbiddeth that which God commandeth euen so doth the voyce of this counterfeit lambe as for example The voyce of God forbiddeth the making of grauen images to bowe downe vnto them but the voyce of this counterfeit lambe commandeth the making of them and the bowing vnto them The voyce of God commandeth prayer to be made vnto him alone and not vnto any other but the voyce of this counterfeit lambe forbiddeth prayer to be made vnto God alone and commaundeth it to bee made vnto Saintes withal The voyce of God sayth that whosoeuer he be that beleeueth in Christ his sonne shall be sure to haue pardon of his sinnes through the shedding of his moste precious bloudbut the voyce of this counterfeit lambe sayth that whosoeuer he be that will beleeue hym hee shall be sure to haue pardon for his sinnes through the bloud of the leaden bulles whiche for his monie hee will send hym The voyce of God sayth that better were it for hys ministers to speake fiue wordes in the church to the vnderstanding of his people that so they might say Amen thereunto then to speake ten thousand in a strange toonge vnto the which the people cannot say Amen but the voyce of this counterfeit lambe sayth better is it for hys ministers to speake ten hundreth thousand in a strange language vnto the whiche the people cannot say Amen then to speake one word to their vnderstanding least so they shoulde spye out their knauerie Agayne the voyce of God commaundeth vs not to abstaine from meates but to abstayne from sinne and celleth vs that it is not the meate which a man eateth that can defile him but the sinne that resteth in his heart and yet dare the voyce of this counterfeit lambe command men to abstaine from meates and to make them beleeue that vnles they doe so vpon such dayes as he appoynteth they shall not onely be defiled therewith but also be damned for euermore therby especially if they eate but a bit vpon good Friday Furthermore the voyce of God commaundeth marriage as a moste lawfull thing vnto all men but the voyce of this counterfeit lamb forbiddeth it as an vnlawfull thing vnto some men The voyce of God forbiddeth his ministers the exalting of themselues aboue their brethren but the voyce of this counterfeite lambe exalteth himselfe not onely aboue hys brethren but also aboue all that are called Gods and moste presumptuously setteth himselfe in the temple of the Lord God as if hee were God commaunding what him liketh and forbidding what hym li◅teth as most like a suttle serpent in one thing which is to be noted aboue all others that is whereas the voyce of the Lord God commaundeth all men to read and meditate in hys holy word that so they might weare hys cognisance and be retayners vnto his kingdome the voyce of this counterfeyte lambe forbiddeth it that so they might weare his marke be retayners vnto his kingdome And therfore is it that hee dealeth most impudently as followeth that is wheras the voyce of the Lord God commandeth vs to worship feare him that made heauen and earth the sea and all fountaines of water and that wee should giue glory to him and to the Lambe that standeth on mount Sion because he onely was worthy forasmuch as hee hath redeemed vs vnto God by hys bloud I say whereas the voyce of the Lord God commandeth vs thus to do and contrariwise forbiddeth vs the worship of the Beast or his image threatning withall that if any man doe worship the beast