glory that is in heauen at the receiuing of my Commission contained in the following Visions which I did see of the things present and to come in the generall Church militant CHAP. V. ARGVMENT The description of the Booke wherein was conteined all the Misteries which were reuealed to this Writer Christs opening of them vnder the figure of a Lion and of a Lambe The praises giuen him by the Saints and Angels therefore who offer without any Intercessour euery one his owne thankesgiuing and praises to the Mediatour THen first I did see in the Right hand of him that sate on the Throne Dan. 12.4 a Booke the Booke wherein these mysteries are contained Esay 24 11. and all the Booke was written vpon aswell on the backe as within on the backe was written these Visions that I did see Ezek. 2.10 and am presently to declare vnto you within was written the plaine exposition and the very proper names of all things which these Visions did represent which are inclosed there to signifie that the Lord hath not permitted me to manifest the same to the world for the time thereof is not come yet which Booke was sealed with seuen Seales aswell to keepe euery part thereof vnreuealed to any as also to giue the greater certaintie that these things shall come to passe which are prophesied therein 2 And I saw a strong Angel proclayming with a loud voice Who is worthy to open this Booke and to loose the Seales thereof 3 But there could none be found worthy to doe it neither in heauen nor in earth nor beneath the earth no not to looke on it much lesse to open it for neither Angel nor deuil either knows or dare meddle with the high mysteries of God and things future except so farre as pleaseth him to commit and reueale vnto them 4 Then wept I very sore that none could be found worthy to open and read that Booke no not to looke vpon the same for I was very sorrowfull that I could not haue it reuealed vnto me 5 At last one of the Elders said vnto mee Weepe not Loe the Lion of the Tribe of Iuda hath preuailed to wit he who is come of Iuda and hath admirable force in his flesh deriued from the Tribe of Iuda by which he ouercame Sinne Death and Hell and is the roote of Dauid for Dauid was his figure and fore-beer in the flesh is worthy and onely worthy to open the Booke and loose the Seales thereof 6 And then I tooke heed and behold I did see in the middest of the Throne and the foure beasts a second person of the Trinitie sitting with God and in the middest of the Elders as a man and our brother a Lambe standing like as hee had bene slaine to signifie that once indeed hee was slaine but had risen againe and had seuen Hornes and seuen Eyes representing the innumerable times mighty and holy Spirit of God which after his Resurrection he sent out through the whole earth to direct instruct and rule the same by his prouidence and power 7 This Lambe then came and tooke the Booke out of the Right hand of him that did sit on the Throne 8 And so soone as he had taken the Booke in his hand these foure beasts and these foure and twentie Elders fell vpon their faces before the Lambe and adored him and euery one of them had in his hand Harpes and golden Phials full of sweet odours these are the prayers of the Saints which the foure beasts comprehending all the degrees of Angels and the foure and twentie Elders comprehending the whole Church as well Militant as Triumphant perceiuing that CHRIST is to reueale all the tentations which are to fall vpon the earth and Church before the latter dayes doe powre forth aswel on the Church triumphants part thankesgiuing that by the reuealing or opening of the Booke he armeth the Militant Church to resist all the tentations contained therein as also on the Church Militants part to pray him to hasten the end and dissolution for the hastening whereof all creatures sigh and grone to their Creator Euery one of these beasts and Elders presents their owne praiers vnto him who sits on the Throne to teach vs as he is Mediatour and therefore our prayers must be offered vnto him onely that so there is no Intercessour betweene him and vs but euery one of vs must present our owne prayers before him after the example of the beasts and Elders These prayers were inclosed in harpes to signifie the sweet and pleasing sound that faithfull prayers make in the eares of God they were inclosed in golden Phials to teach vs that acceptable prayers must come from an vndefiled heart and pure as gold and they themselues are called incense because their smell is pleasant and sweet like incense in the nostrils of God Exod. 30.7 This did the incense at the sacrifice in the old Law signifie and figurate and of this incense speakes Dauid in his Psalmes Psal 141.2 9 And they to wit the foure and twenty Elders did sing a new Canticle for the matter of their Canticle to wit the accomplishment of the Mysterie of redemption is new Psal 144. and euer ought to be new and fresh in the hearts of all them that would be accompted thankefull Their song then was this Thou art worthy O Lord to receiue the Booke and open the Seales thereof for thou hast bene slaine though innocent and by thy precious Blood hast redeemed vs to God thy Father and hast chosen vs out of all Tribes tongues people and nations aswell Iewes as Gentiles 10 And thou hast made vs Kings and Priests spiritually to our God And we shall reigne ouer the earth at the last and generall Iudgement and as Kings shall be participant of the glory of the holy and new Citie Ierusalem 11 Then I beheld and heard round about the Throne the beasts and the Elders the voyces of many Angels to the number of many thousand thousands Dan. 7.10 to wit innumerable Legions of them 12 Who said all with a loud voice The Lambe who was slaine is worthy to haue all power riches wisedome strength honour glory and blessing for euer 13 I also heard all creatures in Heauen in earth and beneath the earth and in the seas euen all that are in them I heard saying in one voyce vnto him that sits vpon the Throne and vnto the Lambe be Blessing Glory Honour and Power for euer and euer And the foure beastes said Amen and the foure and twenty Elders fell on their faces and adored him that liues for euer and euer CHAP. VI. ARGVMENT The opening of the first sixe Seales The spreading of the Euangel signified by the white horse in the first seale The great Persecution by the red horse in the second The number of diuers heresies by the blacke in the third The Popedome and Tyrannie thereof by the pale in the fourth The complaint of the Saints
and iudgements of God shall by their terrours reduce some to the knowledge of the trewth 14 The second woe is past for these are the plagues of the sixt Trumpet and loe the third woe comes soone for next followes the declaration of these dayes wherein the consummation shall be first of that Antichristian kingdome and next of the whole earth take therefore good heede vnto the third woe for it is the last 15 Then the seuenth Angel blew and there were great voices in heauen saying The kingdomes of the world are made the kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ who shall reigne for euer and euer This ioyfull cry was in heauen because the dayes were come wherein the day of Iudgement should be and so the power was to be taken from the kings of the earth who were enemies to the Saints and Christ was hereafter to be the great sole and immediate King ouer all 16 Then the foure and twentie Elders who sate vpon seats in the sight and presence of God for ioy that the saluation of their brethren was at hand did fall vpon their faces and adored God saying 17 We thanke thee Lord God Almightie who is and who was and who art presently to come againe because now thou art to make thy great power manifest and art to begin thy glorious Kingdome 18 And the Gentiles waxed wrathfull for all the wicked now perceiue that neither their force nor craft can auaile for thy wrath is now come which none may resist and the time of the dead is come for now all the dead are to be iudged and thou art to reward thy seruants the Prophets and all the Saints and all that feare thy Name small or great and thou art to destroy them that destroy the earth by the persecuting of thy Saints and defiling it with euery sort of vice 19 Then the Temple of God was open in heauen that the Arke of his couenant might be seene which was within it God now did shew the Arke of his couenant to assure all the Saints that he would now haue mind of his promise and according thereto would presently send downe Christ to Iudge the earth as was done then in all terrour which is signified by lightning voices thunder and earthquakes which then were made and a great haile which signifies the destruction of the earth as showres of haile of all others are the most harmefull and destroying CHAP. XII ARGVMENT A new vision The deuils malice against Christ and his Church The Church by Gods prouidence escapes his furie Shee is secret and lies hid for a space The deuill raiseth vp heresies and persecutions to destroy her but all that cannot preuaile whereupon he goeth to raise vp her great enemie the Pope NOw as this seuenth Seale wherein these seuen Trumpets were which ye haue presently heard declared was no other thing but the more ample dilating of the sixe former Seales as I did shew before so this vision which I am next to declare vnto you is nothing else but a cleerer setting forth and fore-warning of these times which are most perillous for the Church of all them which are to come after especially of the three last woes 1 And there was a great signe and a woonderfull vision seene in heauen to wit a woman clothed with the Sunne and the Moone was vnder her feete and she had a crowne of twelue starres vpon her head 2 And she was great with childe and shee was so neere her childbirth as she was alreadie crying and was sore pained with the trauell to be deliuered of her childe 3 And there was also another signe and woonder seene in heauen A great red dragon hauing seuen heads and ten hornes and vpon his head seuen diamonds 4 And his taile drew the third part of the starres of heauen with him and did cast them downe to the earth This dragon stood before the woman awaiting to deuoure her birth so soone as shee was deliuered of it 5 But she brought forth a man-childe who was to rule all nations with a rod of yron and her sonne was caught vp to God and his Throne 6 But the woman fled into the wildernesse where she hath a place prepared by God that she might be fedde there the space of one thousand two hundred threescore dayes 7 And there was a great battell stroken in heauen for Michael and his Angels fought against the dragon and his angels 8 And the dragon and his angels could not obtaine the victorie but by the contrary their place was no more found in heauen 9 And so that great dragon to wit that olde serpent who is called the deuill and Satan who seduceth the whole face of the earth was cast downe to the earth and all his angels were cast downe with him 10 And I heard a voice in heauen saying Now is wrought the health the vertue and the kingdome of our God and the power of his Christ for the accuser of our brethren is cast downe who day and night accused them in the sight of our God 11 For they that fought with him haue ouercome him for the loue they beare vnto the Lambe and his blood and to the word of his Testimonie and haue prodigally giuen their liues euen vnto death for that cause 12 Therefore reioyce ye heauens and yee that dwell therein but woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea for the deuill is come downe to you and he is full of great wrath because he hath but a short space to reigne 13 And when the dragon saw himselfe cast down vpō the earth he pursued the woman who had borne the manchild 14 But there was giuen to the woman two great Eagle wings that shee might flee from the sight of the serpent into the wildernes to the place that was there appointed for her to be nourished for a time times and halfe a time 15 Then the serpent did cast out of his mouth after the woman to ouertake her a water like a great flood to carry her away perforce 16 But the earth helped the woman and opened her mouth and swallowed vp by the way the great flood which the dragon had cast out of his mouth This part of the Vision was to declare vnto me that howsoeuer the Church which is signified here by a woman for she is the spouse of CHRIST who is her head her husband and her glory obeying him with a reuerent loue and yet weake and infirme like to a woman how soone I say the Church shining in all brightnesse and innocencie which is represented by her garment of the Sunne and treading vnder feete and contemning the world and the vanities thereof here signified by the Moone being vnder her feet a Planet that hath no proper but a borrowed light and subiect to all mutabilitie like the world and being crowned with the shining glory of the twelue Patriarches and Prophets and the twelue holy Apostles succeeding them in the vnitie of
doctrine and therefore are called here a Crowne of twelue starres vpon her head How soone I say that she thus arayed did bring forth CHRIST in the flesh who is that man-child who rules the Gentiles with an Iron rod as Dauid saith in his Psalmes That great red and ancient Dragon for in our first forefather he vttered his malice to wit the diuell who is ruler of infinite numbers of men which is signified by his seuen heads and seuen diadems or Crownes vpon them and who hath innumerable meanes and instruments to be executors of his malicious will which is signified by the tenne hornes alluding to Daniel and who is so mighty in deceipt that he doeth not onely allure the infidels to follow him but euen a part of the Pastours and the visible Church to their destruction which is signified by his drawing after him with his taile as followers of his intisements the third part of the Starres of heauen and casting them to the earth This dragon hauing waited to destroy her birth and for earnestnesse gaping for it before it was borne and not able to preuaile but by the contrary seeing CHRITS rising from the dead and then his ascending into heauen which is signified by the Childs pulling vp to GOD and his Throne and seeing the Church to flourish though vnder persecution which is signified by her flying to a place in the wildernesse which God had prepared for her where thereafter she must lurke for the space of the dayes ye heard reckoned to wit the Church shal be vnknowne and as it were vnregarded and no man shall know how it shal be sustained for GOD shall nourish it the space of the Antichrists kingdome which is the number of dayes ye heard counted before The Dragon I say hauing found this that both CHRIST and his Church did escape his hands and not onely that but that himselfe also by the vertue of CHRISTS renewing of vs was no moreable to accuse the Saints of God as he did in time of the old Law since now we are made righteous which is signified by the battell in heauen where GOD to declare that none is like vnto him made CHRIST here called Michael whose name imports Who is like GOD with his Angels to fight and ouercome the diuel and his angels and to cast them on the earth Satan I say finding himselfe thus debarred from further accusing of the Saints hauing found that he should neuer haue place to doe that in any time thereafter as on the one part it reioyced all the Angels and Saints in heauen for their bretherens cause on the earth as is witnessed by the song that the voyce did sing in Heauen praising God therefore and extolling the deed of Michael and his Angels who fought so earnestly for the Saints on earth as if they had bene mortall they would not haue spared their liues in that cause for their sakes whom CHRIST had redeemed with his blood and of whose clection he had borne witnesse to his Father so on the other part it enraged the Dragon so that he became the crueller tempter of men vpon the earth aswell for that his place of accusing in heauen was taken away by the mysterie of the redemption which is signified by this fight as for that he knew within short space he was by CHRISTS second comming to be cast downe from the earth into hell there to be chained in eternall captiuitie and misery euen as by the first comming he was cast from the heauen which is signified by the last part of the Song so as he pursueth the Church with heresie and ciuil powers which both are signified by the floods of waters which he spewed out of his mouth after that the Eagle wings were giuen the woman to flie to that place appointed for her in the wildernes where she must remaine the number of dayes ye haue heard to wit after that God had giuen his Church a sufficient swiftnesse to eschew the rage of Satan and to lurke the space of Antichrists raigne which lasteth three times or three yeeres and a halfe that is a time prefixed by GOD and vnknowne to men as ye haue sundry times heard already But seeing that all this vanisheth as if the earth had swallowed and dried vp that flood suddenly 17 The Dragon therefore or the diuel became more wrathfull and enraged then before against the woman or the Church and went about by some other way to make warre against the rest of the womans seed who kept the Commandements of GOD and had the testimonies of CHRIST to GOD the Father that they were chosen and called for these are onely the true posteritie of the Church to wit the successours in grace faith and trewth 18 And I stood vpon the Sea shore I meane it seemed to me that I stood vpon the Sea shore because I did wait to see come out of it which represented all peoples and nations such powers as Satan would imploy to fight against the Church for the declaring whereof this Vision was shewen vnto me and whereof these two last great wonders were but the introduction that by these things past as the roote I might the better vnderstand the branches which are to bud forth thereof as followeth CHAP. XIII ARGVMENT The Popes arising His description His rising caused by the ruine of the fourth Monarchie the Romane Empire The rising of the false and Papisticall Church her description her conformitie with her Monarch the Pope The great reuerence borne to the Pope by many nations and not onely to him but to his Legates A generall defection so great as there shall not be an other visible Church but the Popedome Of the first Pope who did take to himselfe all their blasphemous and arrogant styles ANd then I saw a beast rising out of the Sea to wit from among the number of Nations and peoples I saw a Monarchie chosen and erected vp by this Dragon the deuil and it had seuen heads and tenne hornes and tenne diadems vpon the tenne hornes the signification of these heads and hornes was declared vnto me by an Angel as ye shall heare in the place conuenient hereafter Chap. 17. and vpon these heads was the name of blasphemie for they by the persecution of the Saints and adoring false gods shall both by word and deed blaspheme the name of the Eternall 2 This beast or Monarchie Daniel 7. is the fourth King or Monarchie wherof Daniel prophesied to wit euen that Monarchie which presently reignes and hath the power of the other three reuiued in it for it is farre greater then they And therefore as that Monarchie of the Leopard gat that name because of the swiftnes of the conquest and that of the Lion because of the mightines and cruelty therof and that of the Beare because of the strength and long standing thereof so this is called like the Leopard to wit in shape whereof commeth her agilitie headed like a Lion because his strength is
with a measure of glory conformed thereunto and so their workes follow them to obtaine that measure in that place wherof they were already assured by the meanes of faith in Christ onely For although the Sunne and the Moone and the starres be all bright lampes and lights of the heauen yet are they not all alike bright but the brightnesse of euery one of them is different from the other Alwayes let vs assure our selues that although our measures shall be vnequall yet from the greatest to the least all the vessels of mercie shall enioy in all fulnesse as much glory as they shal be able to containe and the vnequalitie of the measure shal be because they are notable euery one of them to containe alike in quantitie and the like shal be done with the measures of paines to the reprobate in hell 14 Then I beheld and loe I saw a white cloud and vpon the cloud sate one like a man hauing on his head a crowne of gold and in his hand a sharpe sickle 15 And an other Angel came out of the temple cried with a lowd voice to him that sate vpon the cloud Thrust in thy sickle to reape for the houre of thy reaping is come and the haruest of the earth is withered for ripenesse and readinesse to be cut He who was like the Sunne of man and was sitting on a white cloud was Christ in a bright cloud of glory crowned with a Crowne of victory all that was spoken of him here was to declare to me that the last dayes wherein his comming againe shal be shall be next following to the reuealing of Babylon by the reuiuing of the witnesses as ye heard in the end of the sixt Trumpet 16 At what time Christ shall gather his haruest of the elect together as I heard himselfe say while he was yet on earth among vs. 17 Then another Angel came forth of the Temple that is in heauen and he had an other sharp sickle in his hand 18 And an other Angel came from the Altar who had power ouer the fire and he cried with a lowd voice to him that had the other sharpe sickle saying Put downe thy sharpe sickle and gather the clusters of the Vine-trees for the grapes are ripe 19 Then the Angel put downe his sickle on the earth and gathered the Vines of the earth and cast them in the winepresse of the wrath of God For so soone as Christ hath gathered his haruest together then the reprobate are fully to be destroyed as is declared here by the Anges command who came from the Altar to wit as directed by Christ Thiâ— Angel had power ouer the fire to wit he had direction to destroy as he commanded the messenger of Gods plagues who had the sickle to doe it who at his command cut the Vines and cast them in the great Winepresse of Gods wrath to wit destroyed the reprobate in the abundance of the writh of God 20 And the Winepresse was troden without the Citie and the blood came out of the Winepresse euen to the horse bridles and spred to the bounds of one thousand and sixe hundred furlongs This is surely a great comfort to all the chosen that notwithstanding all the rest of the world except such as are Christes haruest whom he hath gathered together in the holy Citie the rest I say shal be destroyed in such a great number as their blood shall of deepenesse come to the horse bridles and ouerflow the whole land of Canaan whereof the number of furlongs or eight parts of miles ye heard is the length Yet though it ouerflow the whole earth which is signified by Canaan it shal be without the holy Citie which is in the middest of the land to wit although the trew Church shal be in the middest of the world as Ierusalem was in Canaan yet that destruction shall not make a haire of one of their heads to fall but it shal be without them and they fully exempted from it as the land of Goshen was from the plagues of Egypt CHAP. XV. ARGVMENT The faithfull praiseth God for the Popes destruction and their deliuerance The plagues which are to light on him and his followers is to be declared by the powring forth of the seuen Phials THen I saw another signe in heauen great and wonderfull to wit seuen Angels hauing the seuen last plagues for by them is fulfilled the wrath of God for the Spirit of God hauing already declared vnto me the generall destruction of the whole world which is without the holy citie hee next declared vnto me vnto my greater comfort the particular plagues that are to light vpon spirituall Babylon as a iust recompense of her sinnes and of the plagues that shee is to loade the earth withall and these are the seuen hinmost which are in the hands of the seuen Angels of whom there is here mention made 2 And I saw as it had beene a glassie Sea mixed with fire and they that had wonne the victory ouer the beast and ouer his image or embassadours and his character and the number of his name to wit from that time that the last beast rose out of the ruines of the other I saw these victours I say standing aboue or vpon this sea of glasse and they had the harpes of God For now hauing declared on the one part how vnhappie the state of Babylon shall be by the seuen last plagues which shall fall vpon it so on the other part by these who stand on the sea of glasse mixed with fire he declared vnto me what should be the blessed estate of the chosen at that time that these plagues shall fall vpon Babylon to wit of these victours for they shall reueale the Antichrist and deface him they shall hen behold the rest of the world which is here signified by the sea of glase and they shall haue the harpes of God to wit the praises of God in their mouthes because he hath mixed this glassie sea with fire to wit hath destroyed and made his iudgements to fall vpon this wicked world as their sorg which followes will declare 3 And they sung the song of Moses the seruant of God the song of the Lambe It was called the song of Moses as well because they did sing the praises of Gods iustice vpon this glassie Sea to the reuenge of the blood of his chosen as Moses sayth in the very last wordes of his Canticle as because Moses praised God for the deliuerance of his people from the corporall thraldome of Egypt and the song of the Lambe because they praised him for doing the like by relieuing the Church from the thraldome of the spirituall Egypt in the times of the Euangel and their song was this Great and wonderfull are thy workes O Lord God Almightie iust in punishment and trew for the performance of thy promises are thy wayes O King and defender of all thy Saints and trew followers 4 Who will notfeare O Lord
often haue heard already and the in-dwellers of the earth shall wonder whose names are not written in the booke of life before the foundation of the world was laide of this wondering yee heard before they shall wonder I say at this beast which was to wit in great power and is not to wit in a maner as ye presently heard and yet is I meane doeth stand though farre decayed from the former greatnesse 9 Take good heede vnto this that I declare vnto thee for herein shall the trew wisedome of men be tried to wit in knowing by this my description what particular Empire and Tyrannie I speake of And the seuen heads of this beast signifie aswell seuen materiall hilles whereupon the seate of this Monarchie is situated as also seuen kings or diuers formes of Magistrates that this Empire hath had and is to haue hereafter 10 Fiue of them haue beene alreadie one is presently and makes the sixt another shall follow it and make the seuenth but it is not yet come and when it comes it shall remaine but a very short space 11 And this beast which was to wit so great and is not for now it is decaying as thou presently hast heard it is the eight and yet one of the seuen for this beast which rose out of the ruines of the fourth Monarchie as ye heard before in respect it vseth an hereticall Tyrannie ouer the consciences of men by that new forme of Empire is different from any of the rest and so is the eight and yet because this forme of gouernment shall haue the same seate which the rest had and vse as great Tyrannie and greater vpon the world and shall vse the same forme in ciuill gouernment which one of the seuen vsed therefore because it is so like them I call it one of the seuen 12 And the tenne hornes which thou sawest signifie tenne Kings to wit the great number of subalterne Magistrates in all the Prouinces vnder that Monarchy who haue not yet receiued their kingdome for vnder all the diuers sorts of gouernments that shall be in it except the last and hereticall sort these subalterne powers shall be but in the ranke of subiects but they shall take their kingly power with the beast to wit at the very time that this Apollyon shall rise out of the ashes of the fourth beast or Monarchie the kings of the earth shall become his slaues and subalterne Magistrates whereas the subiects were onely the power of that Monarchie before so as the hornes or powers of this beast were but of subiects before it was wounded but after the healing of it the worldly kings and rulers shall become the powers and hornes of it 13 These shall haue one counsell and shall giue their strength and power to the beast to wit these kings shal all willingly yeeld obedience to Babylon and shall employ their whole forces for the maintenance of that Monarchie and the persecution of the Saints 14 For they shal fight with the Lambe in his members albeit all in vaine for in the end the Lambe shall ouercome them because he is Lord of lords and King of all kings and these that are with him and followeth him are called Chosen and Faithfull 15 He also said vnto me The waters that thou saw this Whore sit vpon are the peoples multitudes nations and tongues that haue subiected themselues to her Empire 16 But as touching these ten hornes thou saw thus farre I foretell vnto thee although that for a time these kings shall be slaues and seruants to Babylon and shall be her instruments to persecute the Saints the time shall come before the consummation that they shall hate the Whore who abused them so strongly and long and shall make her to be alone for they shall withdraw from her their Subiects the nations that were her strength and shall make her naked for they shall discouer the mysterie of her abominations and shall eate her flesh and burne her with fire to wit they shall spoile her of her riches power and glory and so destroy her 17 But doe not thou wonder at this for God gaue them in their hearts to wit permitted them to be abused by her for a space that they might doe what pleased her and consent to all her vnlawfull policies and pretences and giue their kingdomes vnto this beast vntill the words of God might be accomplished to wit they shall submit their very Crownes and take the right thereof from her vnto the fulnesse of times here prophecied At what time God shall raise them vp as ye heard to destroy Babylon for the hearts of the greatest kings as well as of the smallest subiects are in the hands of the Lord to be his instruments and to turne them as it shall please him to employ them 18 And this woman or Whore which thou sawest is that great citie and seate of this Beast or Monarchie which beareth rule ouer the kings of the earth as thou hast heard alreadie But although it be one seat yet diuers and a great number of kings or heads thereof shall succeed into it one to another all vpholding an hereticall religion and false worship of God and one forme of gouernment as the fourth Monarchie did out of the which this did spring as ye haue heard CHAP. XVIII ARGVMENT The sorrow of the earth for the destruction of the Popedome The profite that worldly men had by his standing The great riches and wealth of that Church The Pope by his Pardons makes merchandise of the soules of men Heauen and the Saints reioyce at his destruction albeit the earth and the worldlings lament for the same ANd then I saw another Angel comming downe from heauen hauing great power so that the earth shined with his glory for so soone as God by one of the seauen Angels who had the phials had more plainely described vnto mee this woman sitting on the beast then he did before hee now appointeth this other Angel who is Christ to declare vnto me and proclaime to the world as is signified by his comming downe to the earth for that cause the iust condemnation of Babylon according to her sinnes 2 And hee cryed out with a loude voyce saying It is fallen It is fallen Babylon that great Citie and it is made the dwelling place of vncleane spirits and the habitation of all vncleane and hatefull fowles to wit it shall be destroyed and that great Citie the seate of that Monarchie shall be desolate for euer euen as it was prophesied of Ierusalem 3 Because all nations haue drunke of the Vine of her whoredome and the kings of the earth haue committed whoredome with her and the Merchants of the earth are become rich by the great wealth of her delights in so great a worldly glory and pompe did that Monarchie shine 4 And I heard another voyce from heauen to wit the voyce of the holy Spirit saying Goe foorth from her my people to wit all the chosen
their constancie and patience in the time of their persecution they shall as it were reigne ouer the earth and by their Martyrdome be Iudges therof for it is called Christs reigning and the Saints vpon the earth when his word and trew professours thereof shine visibly therein as I haue said and these were they who adored not the beast to wit they are the elect who were predestinate before all beginnings to be preserued from all infections and heresies which is generally represented by this part of them that the beast or Babylon shal raise and maintaine as the greatest and most perillous that euer shall be raised by Satan And the honourable sitting of the Saints and soules of Martyrs was shewed to me to assure me that how soone the soule of any faithfull man is parted from the body it ascendeth immediatly vnto heauen there abiding in all glory the reioyning againe of his glorified body at the latter day coniunctly to possesse all glory in heauen eternally like as by the contrary the reprobate soule how soone it parteth from the body of the wicked goes down immediatly to hell there abiding in all torment the knitting again with his cursed body at the latter day there iointly to be subiect to eternall paine neither is there any resting place by the way for any of them and the rest of the dead to wit all the wicked shal not be reuiued while this space be complete for the wicked shall neither during this space nor at any time thereafter taste of the regeneration which is the first resurrection and second birth as Christ said to Nicodemus and therfore as I said already Blessed and happy are they who are partakers of the first resurrection for the second death to wit hell shall haue no power of them but they shall be Priests of God and Christ and reigne with him these thousand yeeres to wit they shal eternally in heauen offer vp that Eucharisticall Sacrifice of praise to God and so be ioyned in fellowship with the chosen which were vpon the earth in that aforesaid time This first part of this vision is begun alreadie now followeth the next part 7 And when these happy dayes are expired then shal the deuill be loosed out of his prison 8 And he shal go forth with greater liberty to seduce the nations which are in the four airths of the earth to wit he shal not only after the spreding of many heresies cause a general blindnes defection but also make a great persecution vpon the faithful Church by gathering Gog and Magog to battell against them whose number is like the sand of the sea to wit after innumerable troubles at last he shall gather to the great day of the battell of the Lord of the which ye heard in the sixt Trumpet and sixt phiale and last immediately before this Vision Gog and Magog to wit two great seates of Monarchies and Tyrannies ouer the Church who both at one time shall rise in the latter dayes and both at another time shal be destroyed by the blast of Christes breath as ye shall heare whereof the one is the auowed and professed enemie of GOD and his CHRIST but the other is Babylon the hypocriticall and most dangerous aduersary Of these two ye heard in the sixt Trumpet and so these two although pride and enuie shall still keepe a rooted malice betwixt them yet they shall both with innumerable forces make warre against the trew Church as Herod and Pilate did band themselues against Christ notwithstanding the particular dislikes which were betwixt them It is these and their forces that must fight against the Saints at Arma-geddon as ye heard in the sixt phiale and the special drawers on of this battell shal be the three frogs who are the last vermin bred of the smoake of the bottomlesse pit as ye also heard in the said phiale 9 These great forces then went vp vpon the earth for the diuel raised them out of the bottomlesse pit and they spread themselues vpon the breadth of the earth so great was their number and compassed the Tents or dwellings of the Saints and the holy Citie for they were prepared to inuade the trew Church on all sides and by all meanes but the fire came downe from heauen and deuoured them for God by his Almighty power euen when their power was greatest and nothing so like as an apparant rooting out of all the faithfull in rebus desperatis did miraculously confound all the aduersaries of his Church And now comes in the third and last part of this Vision to wit the description of the Consummation 10 For I did see the diuel who seduced these wicked cast into a lake of fire and brimstone to wit in hell out of the which he shall neuer come againe where also the beast and the false prophet were as ye heard before Here now I saw the diuel punished eternally to my greater comfort for troubling the Church where before I saw onely his instruments punished as I said in the beginning of this Vision and he and his instruments shall be tormented there day and night to wit incessantly for euer and euer 11 Then I saw a great white Throne and one sitting thereupon in all glory and brightnesse to wit IESVS CHRIST now comming from heauen to iudge the earth and from his sight fled the earth and the heauen and their place was not found for the whole earth and much of the heauen shall be destroyed and renewed at his last comming 12 And I saw all the dead great and small standing in GOD his sight for then is the resurrection of the dead who at that time must be iudged And the bookes were opened to wit the counsels and secrets of all mens hearts and another booke to wit the booke of Life was opened to the effect that all those whose names were written into it to wit predestinated and elected for saluation before all beginnings might there be selected for eternall Glory And the dead were iudged out of these things which were written in the bookes according to their workes for as God is a Spirit so iudgeth he the thoughts of man and so by faith onely iustifies him which notwithstanding is done according to his workes because they as the fruits of faith cannot be separated from it and beare witnesse of the same to men in the earth 13 And the Sea gaue vp all the dead she had for all the dead must then rise as I haue shewed already And death and hell gaue vp all they had for not onely the bodies but euen the soules of the wicked shal be iudged there and euery one was iudged according to his workes as I presently did shew you 14 And hell and death were casten in the Lake of fire which is the second death to wit hell and death shall then be closed vp for euer within themselues and shall neuer againe come forth to trouble the Saints for death which is the last
why Christ bade Pater pascere oues and also what a cloude of witnesses there is both of Ancients and euen of late Popish writers yea diuers Cardinals that do all agree that both these speeches vsed to Peter were meant to all the Apostles represenred in his person 1. Cor. 5.4 Otherwise how could Paul direct the Church of Corinth to excommunicate the incestuous person cum spiritu suo whereas he should then haue sayd cum spiritu Petri And how could all the Apostles haue otherwise vsed all their censures onely in Christs Name and neuer a word of his Vicar Peter wee reade did in all the Apostles meetings sit amongst them as one of their number And when chosen men were sent to Antiochia from that great Apostolike Councel at Ierusalem Acts 15. Act. 15.22 23. The text saith It seemed good to the Apostles and Elders with the whole Church to send chosen men but no mention made of the Head thereof and so in their Letters no mention is made of Peter but onely of the Apostles Elders and Brethren And it is a wonder why Paul rebuketh the Church of Corinth for making exception of Persons because some followed Paul some Apollos some Cephas if Peter was their visible Head 1. Cor. 1.12 for then those that followed not Peter or Cephas renounced the Catholike faith But it appeareth well that Paul knew little of our new doctrine since he handleth Peter so rudely Galat. 2. as he not onely compareth but preferreth himselfe vnto him But our Cardinall proues Peters superioritie Galat. 1.18 by Pauls going to visite him Indeed Paul saith hee went to Ierusalem to visite Peter and conferre with him but he should haue added and to kisse his feet To conclude then The trweth is that Peter was both in aage and in the time of CHRISTS calling him one of the first of the Apostles In order the principall of the first twelue and one of the three whom CHRIST for order sake preferred to all the rest And no further did the Bishop of Rome claime for three hundred yeeres after CHRIST Subiect they were to the generall Councels and euen but of late did the Councell of Constance depose three Popes and set vp the fourth And vntill Phocas dayes that murthered his master were they subiect to Emperours But how they are now come to be Christs Vicars nay Gods on earth triple-crowned Kings of heauen earth and hell Iudges of all the world and none to iudge them Heads of the faith Absolute deciders of all Controuersies by the infallibility of their spirit hauing all power both Spirituall and Temporall in their hands the high Bishops Monarches of the whole earth Superiours to all Emperours and Kings yea Supreme Vice-gods who whether they will or not cannot erre how they are now come I say to the toppe of greatnesse I know not but sure I am Wee that are KINGS haue greatest neede to looke vnto it As for me Paul and Peter I know but these men I know not And yet to doubt of this is to denie the Catholique faith Nay the world it selfe must be turned vpside downe Bellar. de Rom. Pont. li. 1. cap. 17. and the order of Nature inuerted making the left hand to haue the place before the Right and the last named to bee the first in honour that this primacie may bee maintained Thus haue I now made a free Confession of my Faith And I hope I haue fully cleared my selfe from being an Apostate and as farre from being an Heretike as one may bee that beleeueth the Scriptures and the three Creedes and acknowledgeth the foure first generall Councels If I bee loath to beleeue too much especially of Nouelties men of greater knowledge may well pitie my weakenesse but I am sure none will condemne me for an Heretike saue such as make the Pope their God and thinke him such aspeaking Scripture as they can define Heresie no otherwise but to bee whatsoeuer Opinion is maintained against the Popes definition of faith And I will sincerely promise that when euer any point of the Religion I professe shal be proued to be new and not Ancient Catholike and Apostolike I meane for matter of Faith I will as soone renounce it closing vp this head with the Maxime of Vincentius Lirinensis Libello adnersus hareses that I will neuer refuse to imbrace any opinion in Diuinity necessary to saluation which the whole Catholike Church With an vnanime consent haue constantly taught and beleeued euen from the Apostles dayes for the space of many aages thereafter without any interruption But in the Cardinals opinion I haue shewed my selfe an Heretike I am sure in playing with the name of Babylon and the Towne vpon seuen hilles as if I would insinuate Rome at this present to be spiritually Babylon And yet that Rome is called Babylon 1. Pet. 5.13 both in Saint Peters Epistle and in the Apocalyps our Answerer freely confesseth As for the definition of the Antichrist I will not vrge so obscure a point as a matter of Faith to bee necessarily beleeued of all Christians but what I thinke herein I will simply declare That there must be an Antichrist and in his time a generall Defection wee all agree But the Time Seat and Person of this Antichrist are the chiefe Questions whereupon wee differ and for that we must search the Scriptures for our resolution 2. Thes 2. As for my opinion I thinke S. Paul in the 2. to the Thessalonians doeth vtter more clearely that which Saint Iohn speaketh more mystically of the Antichrist First that in that place hee meaneth the Antichrist it is plaine since hee saith Verse 3. There must bee first a Defection and that in the Antichrists time onely that eclipse of Defection must fall vpon the Church all the Romish Catholikes are strong enough otherwise their Church must be daily subiect to erre Verse 3 4. which is cleane contrary to their maine doctrine Then describing him hee saith that The man of Sinne Filius perditionis shall exalt himselfe aboue all that is called God But who these be whom of the Psalmist saith Dixi vos Dij estis Psal 82.6 Bellarmine can tell In old Diuinitie it was wont to bee Kings Bellarmine will adde Churchmen Let it bee both It is well enough knowen who now exalteth himselfe aboue both the swords And after that S. Paul hath thus described the Person he next describeth the Seat 2. Thess 2.4 and telleth that He shall sit in the Temple of God that is the bosome of the Church yea in the very heart thereof Now where this Apostolike Seat is I leaue to bee guessed And likewise who it is that sitting there sheweth himselfe to be GOD pardoning sinnes redeeming soules and defining Faith controlling and iudging all men and to be iudged of none Anent the Time S. Paul is plainest of all For hee calleth the Thessalonians to memorie Verse 5. That when hee was with
faith and be a word of reproch in the mouthes of our aduersaries who make Vnitie to be one of the speciall notes of the trew Church And as for you my louing Brethren and Cosins whom it hath not yet pleased GOD to illuminate with the light of his trewth I can but humbly pray with Elizeus that it would please GOD to open your eyes that yee might see what innumerable and inuincible armies of Angels are euer prepared and ready to defend the trewth of GOD Actes 26.29 and with S. Paul I wish that ye were as I am in this case especially that yee would search the Scriptures and ground your Faith vpon your owne certaine knowledge and not vpon the report of others Abac. 2.4 since euery Man must bee safe by his owne faith But leauing this to GOD his mercifull prouidence in his due time I haue good reason to remember you to maintaine the ancient liberties of your Crownes and Common-wealthes not suffering any vnder GOD to set himselfe vp aboue you and therein to imitate your owne noble predecessors who euen in the dayes of greatest blindnesse did diuers times couragiously oppose themselues to the incroaching ambition of Popes Yea some of your Kingdomes haue in all aages maintained and without any interruption enioyed your libertie against the most ambitious Popes And some haue of very late had an euident proofe of the Popes ambitious aspiring ouer your Temporall power wherein ye haue constantly maintained and defended your lawfull freedome to your immortall honour And therefore I heartily wish you all to doe in this case the Office of godly and iust Kings and earthly Iudges which consisteth not onely in not wronging or inuading the Liberties of any other person for to that will I neuer presse to perswade you but also in defending and maintaining these lawfull Liberties wherewith GOD hath indued you For yee whom GOD hath ordained to protect your people from iniuries should be ashamed to suffer your selues to be wronged by any And thus assuring my selfe that ye will with a setled Iudgement free of preiudice weigh the reasons of this my Discourse and accept my plainnesse in good part gracing this my Apologie with your fauours and yet no longer then till it shall be iustly and worthily refuted I end with my earnest prayers to the ALMIGHTIE for your prosperities and that after your happie Temporall Raignes in earth ye may liue and raigne in Heauen with him for euer A CATALOGVE OF THE LYES OF TORTVS TOGETHER WITH A BRIEFE Confutation of them TORTVS Edit Politan pag. 9. IN the Oath of Allegiance the Popes power to excommunicate euen Hereticall Kings is expresly denied CONFVTATION The point touching the Popes power in excommunicating Kings is neither treated of nor defined in the Oath of Allegiance but was purposely declined See the wordes of the Oath and the Praemonition pag. 292. TORTVS pag. 10. 2 For all Catholike writers doe collect from the wordes of Christ Whatsoeuer thou shalt loose vpon earth shall be loosed in heauen that there appertaineth to the Popes authoritie not onely a power to absolue from sinnes but also from penalties Censures Lawes Vowes and Oathes CONFVTATION That all Roman-Catholike writers doe not concurre with this Libeller in thus collecting from CHRISTS wordes Matth. 16. To omit other reasons it may appeare by this that many of them doe write that what CHRIST promised there that hee did actually exhibite to his Disciples Iohn 20. when hee said Whose sinnes ye remit they shall be remitted thereby restraining this power of loosing formerly promised vnto loosing from sinnes not mentioning any absolution from Lawes Vowes and Oathes in this place So doe Theophylact Anselme Hugo Cardin. Ferus in Matt. 16. So doe the principall Schoolemen Alexand. Hales in Summa part 4. q. 79. memb 5. 6. art 3. Thom. in 4. dist 24. q. 3. art 2. Scotus in 4. dist 19. art 1. Pope Hadrian 6. in 4. dist q. 2. de clauib pag. 302. edit Parisien anno 1530. who also alleadgeth for this interpretation Augustine and the interlinear Glosse TORTVS Pag. 18. 3 I abhorre all Parricide I detest all conspiracies yet it cannot be denied but occasions of despaire were giuen to the Powder-plotters CONFVTATION That it was not any iust occasion of despaire giuen to the Powder-Traitours as this Libeller would beare vs in hand but the instructions which they had from the Iesuits that caused them to attempt this bloody designe See the Premonition pag. 291. 335. and the booke intituled The proceedings against the late Traitours TORTVS Pap. 26. 4 For not onely the Catholiques but also the Caluinist puritanes detest the taking of this Oath CONFVTATION The Puritanes doe not decline the Oath of Supremacie but daily doe take it neither euer refused it And the same Supremacie is defended by Caluin himselfe Instit lib. 4. cap. 20. TORTVS Pag. 28. 5 First of all the Pope writeth not that he was grieued at the calamities which the Catholikes did suffer for the keeping of the Orthodox faith in the time of the late Queene or in the beginning of King Iames his reigne in England but for the calamities which they suffer at this present time CONFVTATION The onely recitall of the wordes of the Breue will sufficiently confute this Lye For thus writeth the Pope The tribulations and calamities which ye haue continually susteined for the keeping of the Catholique faith haue alway afflicted vs with great griefe of minde But for asmuch as we vnderstand that at this time all things are more grieuous our affliction hereby is wonderfully increased TORTVS Pag. 28. 6 In the first article of the Statute the Lawes of Queene Elizabeth are confirmed CONFVTATION There is no mention at all made of confirming the Lawes of Queene Elizabeth in the first article of that Statute TORTVS Pag. 29. 7 In the 10. Article of the said Statute it is added that if the Catholicks refuse the third time to take the Oath being tendered vnto them they shall incurre the danger of loosing their liues CONFVTATION There is no mention in this whole Statute either of offering the Oath the third time or any indangering of their liues TORTVS Pag. 30. 8 In the 12. Article it is enacted that whosoeuer goeth out of the land to serue in the warres vnder forreine Princes they shall first of all take this Oath or els be accounted for Traitours CONFVTATION It is no where said in that Statute that they which shall thus serue in the warres vnder forraine Princes before they haue taken this Oath shall be accounted for Traitors but onely for Felons TORTVS Pag. 35. 9 Wee haue already declared that the Popes Apostolique power in binding and loosing is denied in that Oath of Alleageance CONFVTATION There is no Assertory sentence in that Oath nor any word but onely conditionall touching the power of the Pope in binding and loosing TORTVS Pag. 37. 10 The Popes themselues euen will they nill they were
what purpose Onely to die vpon the points of the Saracens pikes or by the edge of their barbarous courtelasses battle-axes fauchions and other weapons without any benefit and aduantage to themselues or others Then the Nobles were driuen to sell their goodly Mannors and auncient demaines to the Church-men at vnder prises and low rates the very roote from which a great part of the Church and Church-mens reuenewes hath sprung and growne to so great height Then to be short See the Bull of Innoc. 3. at the end of the Lat. ter Conc. his most bountifull Holinesse gaue to any of the riffe-raffe-ranke that would vndertake this expedition into the Holy land a free and full pardon for all his sinnes besides a degree of glory aboue the vulgar in the Celestiall Paradise Military vertue I confesse is commendable and honourable prouided it bee employed for iustice and that generous noblenesse of valiant spirits bee not vnder a colour and shadow of piety fetcht ouer with some casts or deuises of Italian cunning Now let vs obserue the wisedome of the Lord Cardinall through this whole discourse His Lordship is pleased in his Oration to cite certaine few passages of Scripture culls and picks them out for the most gracefull in shewe leaues out of his list whole troupes of honourable witnesses vpon whose testimonie the Popes themselues and their principall adherents doe build his power to depose Kings and to giue order for all Temporall causes Take a sight of their best and most honourable witnesses Peter said to Christ See here two swords and Christ answered It is sufficient Christ said to Peter Put vp thy sword in to thy sheath God said to Ieremie Ier. 1. I haue established thee ouer Nations and Kingdomes 1. Cor. 2. Paul said to the Corinthians The spirituall man discerneth all things Christ said to his Apostles Whatsoeuer yee shall loose vpon earth by which words the Pope hath power forsooth to loose the oath of allegiance Moses said In the beginning God created the heauen and the earth Vpon these passages Pope Boniface 8. Extrauag Vnam Sanctam grapling and tugging with Philip the Faire doth build his Temporall power Other Popes and Papists auouch the like authorities Christ said of himselfe All things are giuen to me of my Father and all power is giuen vnto me in heauen and in earth The Deuils said If thou cast vs out send vs into this herd of swine Christ said to his Disciples Yee shall finde the colt of an asse bound loose it and bring it vnto me By these places the aduersaries prooue that Christ disposed of Temporall matters and inferre thereupon why not Christs Vicar as well as Christ himselfe The places and testimonies now following are very expresse Psal 45. In stead of thy fathers shall be thy children thou shalt make them Princes through all the earth Item Iesus Christ not onely commaunded Peter to feed his lambs but said also to Peter Arise kill and eat the pleasant glosse the rare inuention of the L. Ioh. 12. Cardinall Baronius Christ said to the people If I were lift vp from the earth I will draw all things vnto me who lets what hinders this place from fitting the Pope Paul said to the Corinthians Know ye not that we shall iudge the Angels how much more then the things that pertaine vnto this life A little after Haue not we power to eate These are the chiefe passages on which as vpon maine arches the roofe of Papall Monarchie concerning Temporall causes hath rested for three or foure aages past And yet his Lordship durst not repose any confidence in their firme standing to beare vp the said roofe of Temporall Monarchie for feare of making his auditors to burst with laughter A wise part without question if his Lordship had not defiled his lips before with a more ridiculous argument drawne from the leprosie and drie scab Let vs now by way of comparison behold Iesus Christ paying tribute vnto Caesar and the Pope making Caesar to pay him tribute Iesus Christ perswading the Iewes to pay tribute vnto an heathen Emperour and the Pope dispensing with subiects for their obedience to Christian Emperours Iesus Christrefusing to arbitrate a controuersie of inheritance partable betweene two priuate parties and the Pope thrusting in himselfe without warrant or Commission to bee absolute Iudge in the deposing of Kings Iesus Christ professing that his Kingdome is not of this world and the Pope establishing himselfe in a terrene Empire In like manner the Apostles forsaking all their goods to followe Christ and the Pope robbing Christians of their goods the Apostles persecuted by Pagan Emperours and the Pope now setting his foote on the very throate of Christian Emperours then proudly treading Imperiall Crownes vnder his feete By this comparison the L. Cardinals allegation of Scripture in fauour of his Master the Pope is but a kind of puppet-play to make Iesus Christ a mocking stocke rather then to satisfie his auditors with any sound precepts and wholefome instructions Hereof he seemeth to giue some inckling himselfe For after he hath beene plentifull in citing authorities of Scripture and of newe Doctors which make for the Popes power to depose Kings at last he comes in with a faire and open confession Pag. 85. that neither by diuine Oracles nor by honourable antiquitie this controuersie hath beene yet determined and so pulls downe in a word with one hand the frame of worke that he had built and set vp before with an other discouering withall the reluctation and priuie checkes of his owne conscience There yet remaineth one obiection the knot whereof the L. Cardinall in a maner sweateth to vntie His words be these Page 84. The champions for the negatiue flie to the analogie of other proceedings and practises in the Church They affirme that priuate persons masters or owners of goods and possessions among the common people are not depriued of their goods for Heresie and consequently that Princes much more should not for the same crime bee depriued of their estates For answere to this reason he brings in the defendants of deposition speaking after this maner In the Kingdome of France the strict execution of lawes decreed in Court against Heretikes is fauourably suspended and stopped for the preseruation of peace and publike tranquilitie He saith elsewhere Conniuence is vsed towards these Heretikes inregard of their multitude because a notable part of the French Nation and State is made all of Heretikes I suppose that out of speciall charitie he would haue those Heretikes of his owne making forewarned what courteous vse and entreaty they are to expect when he affirmeth that execution of the lawes is but suspended For indeed suspensions hold but for a time But in a cause of that nature and importance I dare promise my selfe that my most honoured brother the King of France will make vse of other counsell will rather seeke the amitie of his neighbour Princes and
burden and yet willingly sustainest it and for the loue of my Name hast thou trauailed much and yet weariest not 4 But in this I must finde fault with thee that thy former charitie is waxed cold Destruction to the Church of Ephesus except they repent Chap. 1. Ioh. 12. v. 35. Nicolates Pouerbs 15. 5 Remember then from whence thou hast fallen and repent turning thy selfe to thy first workes otherwise I wil turne against thee soone and will remoue thy Candlesticke out of the place it is in to wit the light of the Gospel from thy Church if thou repent not in time 6 But this againe thou doest well to hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans which also I hate Matth. 23. 7 Let all who haue eares or are willing to be followers of me heare and take example by this which the Spirit of God sayes to the seuen Churches or their seuen Pastours in the name of them 1. Iohn 2. 1. Iohn 5. Prou. 3.5.18.22 And to him who is Victor in the battell against Satan and the flesh I shall giue to eate of the Tree of Life which is in the middest of the Paradise of God to wit I shall make him liue eternally in Heauen 8 To the Angel or Pastour of the Church of Smyrna write thou This sayes the first and the last Ephes 1.3 who was dead but now liues 9 I know thy workes thy trouble and pouertie but thou art rich to wit in graces I know also what blasphemies are vsed against thee by them who call themselues Iewes but are not but by the contrary are of the Synagogue of Satan The Church of Smyrna afflicted and troubled yet doeth continew Psal 91. 10 Feare not when yee shall be troubled by the deuil for he will persecute and trouble some of you in the flesh that your constancie may be tried and ye shall haue great affliction for the space of tenne dayes to wit for a certaine space but be yee faithfull vnto the death and for your continuance I shall giue you the Crowne of life immortall 11 Hee that hath an eare let him heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches and he that ouercommeth shall not be hurt by the second death which is Hell Pergame the principall Citie in Attalia 12 And to the Angel or Pastour of the Church of Pergame write thou Thus saith he that hath the two edged sword 13 I know thy workes and where thou dwellest euen where the throne of Satan is to wit among a great number of wicked Yet hast thou not denied thy Faith in me no not in straightest times Antipas Martyr when Antipas my faithfull Martyr and witnesse was slaine among you where Satan to wit many wicked remaine 14 Yet haue I some few things to lay to your charge to wit That yee permit them to remaine amongst you who retaine the doctrine of Balaam 1. Cor. 10.14 who perswade men to eate of things immolate to Idoles and to commit fornication and filthinesse in the flesh For the very same did Ba laam to Balac to cause the Israelites stumble 15 Thou offendest also in suffering some to be amongst you who retaine the doctrine of the Nicolaitans which I hate 16 Repent therefore in time otherwise I will come against thee soone and I will fight and ouercome them who are amongst you with the sword of my mouth to wit by the force of my word 17 He that hath an eare let him heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches And to the Victour shall I giue to eate of that secret and hidden Manna to wit of Me the spirituall food of the faithfull of whom that Manna which was hid in the Arke was a figure And I will also giue him a White stone or a Marke of his election and righteousnesse through imputation and in it a New name written to wit his name shall be written vp in the Booke of life which no man knoweth but he who receiues it for no other may know the certaintie of ones Election but onely he who is elected 18 And to the Angel or Pastour of the Church of Thyatire write This saith the Sonne of God whose eyes are like flames of fire and whose feet are like to glistering brasse 19 I know thy workes thy charitie thy almes and carefull helping of the weake thy faith thy patience and shortly all thy workes but in speciall I praise thy great constancie and firme continuance euen so as thy last workes are better then the first 20 Yet some few things haue I to lay to thy charge to wit that thou sufferest a woman like to Iezebel in wickednesse and Idolatrie who calls her selfe a Prophetesse to teach and seduce my seruants to commit fornication and filthinesse of the flesh and to eate of things immolate vnto Idols 21 Yet gaue I her a time to repent from her filthinesse but she would not 22 Therefore loe I shall cast her into a bed to wit I shall destroy her in the puddle of her sinnes and I shall trouble with great affliction all them who commit adulterie to wit spirituall adulterie with her if they repent not of their euill workes in time 23 And I will kill and destroy her sonnes to wit all the followers of her doctrine that all the Churches and faithfull may know me to be the searcher out of the secrets of all hearts and the iust renderer and recompencer of euery man according to his workes 24 But I say vnto the rest of you who are at Thyatire who haue not receiued that false doctrine nor know not the depth nor secrets of Satan or wickednesse whereof the other falsely did purge themselues I will not lay any other burthen vpon you then that which already constantly yee beare 25 But that which yee haue holde it out valiantly vntill my comming againe 26 For vnto him who is victour and beares out to the end that burthen which I lay vpon him I will giue power ouer Nations to wit hee shall triumph ouer the world 27 And he shall rule them with an yron rod and they shall be broken like vessels of earth according as I haue receiued the power from my Father 28 And I shall giue vnto him the Morning starre for as the morning starre shines brighter then the rest so shall he shine brighter in glory then his fellowes 29 He that hath an eare let him heare what the Spirit sayth to the Churches CHAP. III. ARGVMENT Admonition and exhortation to the Churches of Sardis Philadelphia and Laodicea ANd to the Angel or Pastour of the Church of Sardis write thou Thus sayth he who hath the seuen Spirits of God Sardis to wit hee with whom the holy Spirit is vnseparably ioyned and who hath the bestowing of all the graces of Gods Spirit on the Elect and hath the seuen Starres to wit who is the head of you the seuen Pastours I know thy workes for ye say ye liue and yet are dead for
the Father did pray and their blood did cry to heauen and craue at the hands of their Father a iust reuenge of their torments vpon the wicked and therewith a hastening of the generall dissolution for the deliuerie of their brethren who did remaine yet aliue 11 Then white robes were giuen to euery one of them and it was said vnto them and they were willed to rest and haue patience for a short space vnto the time the number of their fellow seruants to God and brethren companions in the Crosse were fulfilled who were also to be slaine as they were already This surely ought to be a wonderfull and inestimable comfort to all the Church militant since by this Seale wee are assured that both the soules of the Martyrs so soone as their bodies are killed shall immediatly be rewarded with perpetuall and bright glory in heauen not going into any other place by the way which is signified by the White robes as also that so soone as their number shall be complete which shall be within a short space God shall then craue a full account at their persecutors hands and then as the one number shall receiue a full and eternall glory in body and soule the other shall receiue a full torment in soule and body to the cleere shining of his Iustice in the one and his mercy in the other 12 Then I tooke heed when he opened the sixt and loe there was a great earthquake Matth. 24.29 and the Sunne-beame blacke like sackecloth made of haire and the Moone became all bloody 13 And the Starres fell from the heauens vpon the earth euen as the figgetree lets her vnripe figges fall being beaten by a mightie winde 14 And the heauen went away like a scrole that is rolled together and all the hilles and Iles were remooued from their places 15 And the Kings of the Earth the Nobles the rich men the Tribunes or commanders of the people the mighty men and all the slaues aswell as free-men did hide themselues in cauerns and vnder rockes of hills Luke 23.30 16 And they said to the hilles and the rocks Fall vpon vs and hide vs from the sight of him that sits vpon the Throne and from the wrath of the Lambe 17 For that great day of his wrath is come and who then may stand This is the accomplishment of that dissolution craued and promised in the fift Seale These terrible things mentioned in the sixt Seale are the alterations and signes in the last time the very same did our Master Christ prophesie when he was walking on this Earth CHAP. VII ARGVMENT A proper and comfortable digression interiected of Gods care ouer the Elect in the times of greatest temptations signified by the Visions of the foure Angels the Election and happie estate of the elected BVt lest I or any other should doubt of the safegard and saluation of the Elect thinking that these terrible plagues should haue lighted vpon both good and bad indifferently he represented vnto my sight foure Angels standing on the foure corners of the earth and retayning the foure winds in their hands and stopping them either to blow vpon the earth the sea or any tree 2 And I did see one Angel going vp from the rising of the Sunne hauing the Seale of the liuing God and hee cried with a loud voice to the foure Angels that had power giuen them to harme the earth and the sea 3 Saying Harme not the earth nor the sea nor the trees vntill we haue marked the seruants of God on the forehead These Angels foure in number because they sit vpon the foure corners of the earth ready to execute Gods iudgements vpon euery part of the World although they already had stayed the winds to blow to wit the progresse of the Euangel vpon the earth which is the world vpon the Sea which is the numbers of people vpon the Trees which are the Magistrates Ciuill or Ecclesiasticall Yet one Angel came from the rising of the Sunne to wit 2. Peter 1. Luke 1.7 Malach. 4. directed by CHRIST who is comfortable like the Sunne-rising to his Elect and is that Orient day-spring and Sunne of Righteousnes rising ouer all the faithfull which is mentioned in the Scriptures Who cries and forbids these foure Angels to doe any further temporall harme while first the chosen be sealed on the forehead by that Seale which he beares with him for that effect that these Angels might know them being marked in so eminent a place in the generall destruction and so spare them assuring vs thereby that he hath such a care ouer his Elect as he hath prouided for them before hand euen as he did for Noah and Loth and their families in the time of the deluge and destruction of Sodome 4 And I heard the number of them that were sealed in Israel reckoned to be one hundred fourtie and foure Thousand for twelue thousand were sealed of euery one of the Tribes which makes iustly that number Out of euery one of the Tribes was a certaine number chosen to assure vs that a number of euery one of them shal be saued 9 And that I might be assured that a number aswell of the Gentiles as of the Iewes shal be saued Loe he shewed me a number so great as I could not reckon the same and it was composed of certaine out of euery Nation Tribe people and tongue And they stood before the Throne and in presence of the Lambe clothed with white robes hauing palmes in their hands in token of the victorie they obteined of their longsome battaile 10 And they cried all with one voice saying Our health and our saluation commeth from our God that sits on the Throne and from his Lambe to wit their health came from God the Father by the Mediation of his Sonne 11 Then all the Angels stood round about the Throne the Elders and the foure beastes and bowed themselues downe vpon their faces and adored God with thankesgiuing for his mercy to the chosen both of Iew and Gentile and his Iustice vpon all the rest 12 Saying Amen in allowance of the things done with full confession that Blessing Glory Wisedome Thankesgiuing Honour Vertue and Power belongs only and most iustly to GOD for euer and euer 13 Then one of the Elders spake vnto me and said What are these and from whence are they come who are clothed with white robes 14 And I answered and said Thou knowest my Lord. Then he said vnto me These are they who are preserued and come from that great affliction which was represented to thee in some of the Seales and they haue washed their garments and made them white in the blood of the Lambe for they by vertue of his death are made righteous by imputation whose blood is the onely and full purgation of vs from our sinnes 15 And therefore they are before the Throne of GOD and serue him day and night in his Temple to wit they without any
intermission contemplate his Glory and euer serue him by continuall thankesgiuing and praising his Name in Heauen which is his eternall and celestiall Temple and hee that sits on the Throne shall dwell with them for they shall neuer be separated from his presence 16 And they shall be no more an hungry or thirstie nor the Sunne or any heate shall trouble them 17 For the Lambe who is in the middest of the Throne to wit coequall in power with his Father he shall feed them and guide them to the liuely fountaines of waters to wit they shall feed of that Spirituall and liuely bread and drinke of that Spirituall and liuely water euen himselfe Iohn 4.14 which Water he promised to the Samaritane woman at the well And GOD shall wipe all teares from their eyes for he shall both by the greatnesse of their present ioyes put quite out of their memories all the sorrow of their former troubles and shall also giue them eternall ioy which shall neuer be mixed with any kind of trouble or feare so shall they not be molested with the vehemencie of the Sunne or any other heate which signifies great troubles and sorrow CHAP. VIII ARGVMENT The opening of the seuenth Seale The seuen Trumpets comming out of it The effect of the prayers of the faithfull signified by the vision of the fire of the Altar Some persecution and some heresies signified by haile mixt with blood and fire in the first trumpet The great persecution by the hill of fire in the second The number of heresies by the starres falling into the fountaines of water in the third The vniuersall infirmitie in the Church in some things by the Sunne Moone and starres darkened in the fourth ANd when hee opened the seuenth Seale there was silence in heauen almost halfe an houre aswell to let mee know that hee had once already summarily declared the whole things which was to come after as by silence a while to giue me occasion to meditate vpon that vision which I had seene to the effect that afterward I might the better vnderstand the more particular rehearsall thereof which now vnder another vision and forme was to be declared vnto me by the opening of the seuenth Seale 2 And I saw seuen Angels standing before God to execute whatsoeuer thing it should please him to command them and by his direction there were seuen Trumpets giuen vnto them that by these Trumpets they might with one Maiestie denounce to the world such plagues as they were by the command of God to powre foorth vpon it 3 Then another Angel came and stood before the Altar hauing a golden censer in his hand and there was much incense giuen vnto him that he might offer vp the prayers of the Saints vpon the golden Altar that is before the Throne 4 And the smoke of the incense which is the prayers of the Saints mounted vp from the hand of the Angel to the sight of God 5 Then the Angel tooke this new emptied censer and filled it againe with the fire of the Altar and did cast it downe on the earth and there were thundrings voices lightenings and earthquakes By this Angel and his proceedings we are assured and made certaine that Christ shall euer be vigilant ouer his owne and that specially in straightest times hee will heare their prayers and euer renew them with some light of the Gospel by the working of his holy Spirit And to assure vs hereof the vision of this Angel was showne vnto me immediatly before that by the seuen Trumpets he is to dilate these visions showen me in the former Seales This Angel was Christ he stood before the Altar this Altar is likewise himselfe as I declared before his standing before it meaneth that by his office of Mediatour hee was to doe as followes He had a golden censer in his hand for he keeps the censer wherein are contained the incense which the Saints giue him to wit their prayers to be offered vp to God by his mediation who is that golden and pure Altar which is euer in the presence of God and whose requests are no time refused and therefore that incense and the smoke thereof mounts vp to the sight of God to assure vs that our prayers being offered in that forme are euer acceptable The effect whereof doeth appeare by the Angels filling againe the censer with the fire of the Altar and casting it on the earth wherewith is ioyned the noise ye heard of for these prayers procure that their Mediatour shall out of his golden boxe to wit out of his treasure of power send downe the fire of the Altar to wit the holy Spirit which remaineth with him to make thunders voices lightnings and earthquakes to wit to giue againe the Law by renewing the efficacie of the Gospel in the hearts of the faithfull alluding to the giuing of the olde Law whereof these fearefull noises were the fore-runners This surely is the care and effect that our Master in all troublesome times renewes to strengthen our weakenesse with 6 And then the seuen Angels which had the seuen trumpets prepared themselues to blow for although they were before directed yet were they not permitted to execute their office no more then the foure Angels who stayed the foure windes while Christ had strengthened and armed his owne as is said to assure vs that euer before any great temptation hee will make the backes of the elect ready and able to beare such burthens as hee is to lay vpon them 1. Cor. 10.13 7 Then the first Angel blew and there was a great haile and fire mixed with blood and this storme was cast downe vpon the earth whereupon followed that the third part of the trees was withered and burnt vp and all greene grasse was withered and burnt vp for the first plague which hath already begun to worke shall be mixed partly of haile which is heresie for as haile showers by the harme they doe to the corne makes them to become deare so heresie makes the true haruest of the Lord to become scant This haile or heresie and spirituall persecution is ioyned with the sword and persecution of the flesh which is signified by the fire and the blood This fiery and two edged triall shall make the third part to wit a part but not the greatest number of trees to wit of renowmed men and all greene grasse to wit all them that are not wel founded and strong in the trewth this greene grasse is that sort of professours Marke 4. vers 5 6 7. of whom Christ spake in the parable of the seed sowen in sandie and thornie ground it shall make them I say to fall from the trewth and so become withered and vnprofitable 8 Then the second Angel blew and there fell as it had beene a great hill all burning in fire and this hill was cast into the sea and the third part of the sea became blood 9 And the third part of the liuing
wit the light of the trweth represented by the darkening of the Sunne and so in place of liuing vnder and by the true and cleare aire of the trueth the world shall liue vnder and by the bastard and darke aire of false doctrine 3 And out of this smoake came Grashoppers vpon the earth For this great blindnesse shall breed a multitude of diuers Orders of Ecclesiasticall persons as well Monkes and Friers as others but all agreeing in one hereticall Religion These are grashoppers because they breed of that filthy smoke of heresies euen as Grashoppers breed of corrupted aire they are euer teaching false doctrine with their mouth which carries with it as great destruction to the soules of men as the mouthes of Grashoppers doe to the greene grasse and herbs and the earth shal be ouerloaden with multitudes of them euen as Grashoppers sometimes come in great heapes and ouercharge the face of a whole countrey And like power was giuen to them as hath the earthly Scorpions for as the Scorpions sting is not felt sore at first and is long in working and impossible to be healed but by the oyle of a dead scorpion so the poysoning of the soule cannot be perceiued by the receiuer at the first but is long in operation for by peece and peece they infect the world with heresies and open not all their packe at first and the world shall neuer be freed from their heresies vnto the vtter destruction of these false teachers themselues 4 And it was said vnto them or they were forbidden to harme the grasse or any greene thing or any tree but onely these men that haue not the marke of God in their foreheads for though earthly Grashoppers when they swarme in heapes doe destroy all greene grasse or trees yet God shall so bridle the rage of these spirituall Grashoppers that they shall haue no power to peruert the Elect of whatsoeuer degree or sort compared to greene grasse and fruitful trees but their power shall extend onely vpon them that beare not the marke or Seale of God vpon their forehead and as withered and vnfruitfull sticks are ready for the fire 5 But they shall haue no power to slay them to wit they shall not discouer to the world their greatest blasphemies at the first as I said before but they shall torment them for the space of fiue moneths and their torment shal be like the torment that a man suffers being stinged by a scorpion to wit they shal by peece peece infect them with spirituall poison and as I haue said already they shall not feele the smart thereof while the second death make them to feele the same This torment shall endure fiue moneths that is the time limitted them by God which alludes to the fiue moneths in Summer when Grashoppers are This forme of speech doeth declare the continuing of the Metaphore 6 And in these daies men shal seeke death and shall not finde the same and men shall desire to die but death shall flie from them for then beginnes the troublesome times of the later dayes the miserie whereof I heard our Master while he was yet on the earth declare in these words that I haue now repeated 7 And the figure of these locusts was like vnto the horse prepared for the war to signifie that their forme of practise policie shal be so worldly wise that they shal lacke nothing perteyning to the setting forth of their intents more then a horse of seruice which is curiously barded feated and prepared for going forth to the battell And they had crownes like crownes of gold vpon their heads for they shall pretend to be holy like the Elders who for their reward gate Crownes of pure gold set vpon their heads as you heard before and so shall outwardly glance in an hypocriticall holinesse And their faces were like the faces of men and the faces of men signifie reason as man is a reasonable creature the likenesse then of their faces vnto men signifies that they shall by curious arguments pretend reason to maintaine their false doctrine but it shall be but a counterfait resembling of reason indeed euen as their crownes are like vnto gold but are not gold indeed 8 And they haue haire like the haire of women for as the haire of women is a speciall part of their alluring beautie so they haue such alluring heresies whereby they make the way of heauen so easie by their helpe to whomsoeuer how wicked soeuer they be that will vse the same as they allure them to commit spirituall adulterie with them And they haue teeth like Lions teeth for as the Lion is stronger in the mouth and so may doe greater harme with his teeth then any other beast so all these that will not be perswaded with their shewes prepared like horses for the warre with their crownes like crownes of gold with their faces like the faces of men nor with their haire like the haire of women they shall be persecuted by the power of their mouth to wit by their threatnings and thundering curses 9 And they had breast plates like breastplates of iron for they shall haue to backe this their authoritie the assistance of Princes whose maintayning of them shall appeare vnto the world strong as iron And the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots running with many horses vnto the warre for as the grassehoppers make in the hot time of the yere the day a great sound with their wings so these shal be made so strong and fearefull by their brestplates like iron as what they being in the height of their day shall decree it shal haue such a maiestie and fearefulnes as the terrible noise of many horses and chariots hurling to battel 10 But they had tailes like the tailes of Scorpions and there were stings in their tailes for at their first dealing with any they appeare not harmeful to them that heare them and beleeue them but the effect and end of their practise is poison to the soule and thereafter their tailes are like vnto the tailes of Scorpions wherein is their sting And they had power to trouble and harme men the space of fiue moneths for as I shewed you before that they should torment men the space of fiue moneths to wit a certaine space appointed them so now I assure you to your comfort that as grassehoppers last but fiue moneths that are hottest so these shall be like vnto grassehoppers in that as well as in the rest for they shall remaine but for a certaine space prescribed and then shall be destroyed by the blast of Christs breath 11 They haue also a King but to rule ouer them who is the Angel of the bottomlesse pit and his name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greeke Apollyon for these by the permission of Gods iustice and working of Satan shall haue at the last a Monarch to be their head who shall be like vnto themselues the angel or messenger
vpon the backe of the Booke It is not lawfull to him to manifest it By foreknowing things to come which is signified by swallowing the booke he is mooued to a great ioy in the instant time but it turneth in great bitternesse to him thereafter THen I saw another strong Angel comming downe from heauen hee was clothed with a cloud and at his head was the raine-bow and his face was like the Sunne and his feet like the pillars of fire This strong Angel was Christ clothed with a cloude for in a cloud hee ascended and in the clouds shall he come againe at the latter day Which cloud was a guide to the people of Israel by day while they trauailed through the wildernesse and out of that cloud hee powres the raine and dew of his graces in abundance vpon his chosen His head was clothed with the rainebow which signifies his couenant he made with his Elect as ye heard before His face was like the Sunne and his feet like pillars of fire yee heard these two described in the beginning of my Epistle 2 And he had in his hand an open Booke this was the Booke of the Euangel or glad tidings And he set his right foote or strongest on the Sea to make stable that liquid Element so vnstable of nature and his left vpon the earth which is sooner made firme by this to shew the power he hath ouer all things contained in them who hath no power to passe the bounds and order which he hath prescribed vnto them and therefore the earth is called his footstoole by Dauid in his Psalmes 3 And he cryed with a mighty voice like a roaring Lyon for they were terrible things and great which hee was to denounce 4 And when he had cryed the seuen thunders spake their voices These were the seuen Spirits of God who by his direction did speake and I was to haue written what they did speake of purpose to haue set it downe with the rest But I heard a voice from heauen saying Seale what the seuen thunders haue spoken but write them not For the holy Spirit hauing declared vnto me by them the exposition of the sixe trumpets the voice of God commands me not to manifest that vnto the world with the rest but by sealing of it to keepe it close vnto the due time 5 And the Angel to wit Christ whom I saw standing on the sea and on the earth lifted vp his hand towards heauen 6 And swore by him that created heauen the earth the sea and all that is in them that the time should be no longer 7 But in the dayes of the seuenth Angels voice when he begins to blow the mysterie of God should be consummate according as he tolde to his seruants the Prophets This oath he made to assure me that the world should end immediatly after the accomplishing of these things mentioned in the sixe Trumpets and that the seuenth declares the things which are to be done at the consummation the forme whereof will be as hee hath declared to his Prophets 8 Then that voice which I heard spake to me from heauen to wit the voice of God the Father spake againe vnto me and said Goe and take that open booke which is in the hand of the Angel who stands on the sea and the earth 9 And so I went vnto the Angel and desired him to giue me the booke and hee answered Take and swallow it and it shall bring a bitternesse vnto thy belly but in thy mouth it shall be as sweete as honie 10 Then I tooke the booke and found that which he said to me of it to be true for indeed I thought it delightfull vnto me to know the mysteries of God by swallowing the booke and so it was sweet in my mouth but so soon as by the digestion hereof I must preach it to the world and for that cause become to be hated contemned and persecuted by the wicked and see but a small increase of my great labours then surely it will be bitter to my belly as it was to Ionas and shall be to all the true preachers thereof thereafter 11 Then he said vnto me Thou must prophesie againe before people nations tongues and many kings for my children in Christ to wit my successours in doctrine who shall be in the time of these plagues shall haue the same commission to teach ouer againe the same Euangel to the saluation of all the beleeuers these shall haue such boldnesse giuen vnto them as they shall constantly declare their commission not only before the people but euen before many kings and shall not be afraid of their faces CHAP. XI ARGVMENT Babylon the Popes Empire is the outward part of the Temple The trew Church is in Sancto Sanctorum but vnder the persecution of these hypocrites for a certaine space Faithfull Pastours are sent from time to time to witnesse the trewth They are persecuted condemned and slaine by Antichrist God raiseth vp at the last stronger preachers who shall describe the Popedome and foretell the destruction thereof In the seuenth Trumpet is the day of Iudgement described ANd then was a long reede like a rod giuen vnto me and the Angel who gaue me the booke stood before me and said Arise and measure the Temple of God and the Altar and all them that adore in it with that reede that is giuen thee 2 But the court that is without the Temple exclude thou and measure it not for it is giuen vnto the Gentiles who shall tread down the holy Citie for the space of two and fourtie moneths Now lest I should despaire of any profit which my successors could haue made in doctrine in their time because as it appeareth by the sixt Trumpet the whole world should be subdued to these two Monarchies Christ aswell to assure me some should still remaine pure and vnspotted as also to shew mee and by me to forewarne the Church that this most dangerous Monarch called Apollyon should corporally succeede in the Church and should sit in the Temple of God giues me a reede for that cause and commands me to measure the Temple for he will saue all them that are of the true Church for they are the inward parts of the Temple and the rest by reason of their hypocrisie shal be accounted of as Gentiles and this diuision shal be made by my successours in doctrine of whom I spake already for they by the measure and triall of the word signified by the reede shall separate that holy Sanctum Sanctorum from the rest of the outward Temple of God to wit the hypocriticall and Antichristian Church which shall tread downe and persecute the true Church for the space of two and fourtie moneths or three yeeres and an halfe for it is both one number This space prescribed by Christ alludeth to Daniels prophecie of two times a time and halfe a time for as Daniel meant thereby the halfe of his propheticall weeke so Christ meanes
in the head as ye heard already and legged like a beare because in the Beares legges consists his greatest strength and durablenesse this proportion signifies that this Monarchie is farre greater then all the rest and all their powers are reuiued in it as I said before 3 And I perceiued that one of the heads of the beast had bene deadly wounded but the wound thereof was healed and the whole earth followed this beast with a great wondering this was to signifie vnto me that it was not of this beast that I was ordained to forewarne you for the worst of this beast is almost past already and this Monarchie shall be within short space destroyed but this beast or Monarchie is shewen vnto me because out of the ruines thereof shall rise in that same Seate where it was that hereticall Monarchie whereof I am to forewarne you which is signified by the deadly wound it gat on the head which was healed againe for as the Phaenix reuiues of her owne ashes as prophane stories make mention so out of the ashes of this Empire shall rise and be reuiued an other which shall grow so mighty that the whole earth that is without Sanctum Sanctorum shall with amasement reuerence obey and follow it as ye heard presently declared 4 And they adored the Dragon who gaue power to the Beast for they shall giue themselues ouer to the workes of darkenes which is to serue and adore the diuel who raised vp this beast to make warre against the seed of the woman Chap. 12. as ye heard before And they also adored the diuel in his instrument by reuerencing that Beast and Monarchie erected by him and they said Who is like vnto the Beast or who may fight with him for this Monarchie shall be so strong in worldly power as the world shall thinke it so farre in strength aboue all other powers that it is impossible to ouercome it especially that the little stone which was cut without hands out of the mountaine mentioned by Daniel Daniel 2. shall euer destroy it which notwithstanding at the last shall bruise it in pieces 5 And there was a mouth giuen vnto it to speake great things and blasphemies It is said in Daniel Daniel 7.11 that his mouth shall speake in magnificencie and vtter words against the Soueraigne to wit this Monarchie and King thereof shall extoll himselfe farre aboue all liuing creatures and shal vsurpe farre higher Styles then euer were heard of before by the which and by his false doctrine together he shall so derogate from the honour of GOD and vsurpe so all power onely proper vnto him as it shall bee great wordes against him and blasphemie of his Name And there was power giuen him to doe to wit GOD shall permit his Tyrannie to encrease and persecute the Saints the space of two and fourtie moneths This space was mentioned vnto me to let me know thereby that this Monarchie risen out of the ruines of the other Chap. 11. is the same which is meant by that Citie whereof ye heard alreadie in the sixt Trumpet which persecuted the two Witnesses for the same space is assigned to her there and consequently it is that same seate and Monarchie which is meant by the angel of the bottomlesse pit Chap. 9. called Apollyon in the fift Trumpet by the Rider on the pale horse Chap. 6. called Death in the fourth Seale and also obscurely meant in the sixt Trumpet by the halfe of that great hoste of horsemen Chap. 9. of the which halfe the armed horse which I saw in the vision was a part of the power whose head and Monarchie was the plague for idolatry as ye heard which Monarchie together with the other of whom yee also heard obscurely in that place as the plague of the sinnes against the second Table to wit this great beast here mentioned and the other reuealed a vowed and open enemie of Christs Church shall both gather their forces to fight against it in that battell of the great day of the Lord Chap. 16. whereof ye shal heare in the owne place Then this beast according to the power which was giuen him opened his mouth in blasphemies against God and spake iniurious words against his Name his Tabernacle to wit his Sanctum Sanctorum which is the Church militant and them that dwell in heauen for his reigne shall be so great that hee shall not onely blaspheme the Name of God in such sort as ye heard alreadie and persecute the members of Christ that shall be on the earth in his dayes but likewise vpbraid with calumnies the soules of the Saints departed 7 And for that effect he was permitted by God to make warre against the Saints and hee gaue him power to ouercome them corporally and to rule ouer all tribes tongues and nations so great shall his Monarchie and power be 8 And so all the in-dwellers of the earth shal adore him to wit a great part of them shall reuerence him whose names are not writen in the booke of life which is the Lambes that was slaine which booke was written before the foundation of the world was laide for these are alwayes excepted from bowing their knees to Baal who were predestinate by Christ to saluation before all beginnings 9 He who hath an eare let him heare and take heede vnto this sentence that followeth to wit 10 If any man leade in captiuitie in captiuitie shall he be led againe if any man slay with the sword with the sword shall hee be slaine againe then since ye are assured that God in his good time shall iustly mete to their tyrannie the same measure that they shall mete to his Church let not your hearts in your affliction through despaire of Gods reuenge because of his long suffering swarue from the bold and plaine professing of his trueth for in this shall the patience and constant faith of the Saints or the chosen be tried 11 And then I saw another beast rise vp vpon the earth and it had two hornes like vnto the Lambe but it spake like the dragon for lest this Monarchie should be taken to be a ruler onely ouer the body and that I might vnderstand the contrary to wit that he was specially a spirituall tyrant ouer the soules and consciences of men this other beast was shewen vnto me which representeth the hereticall kingdome of the grashoppers whereof Apollyon was made King in the fift Trumpet Chap. 9. and it vseth the coloured authoritie of Christ by pretending two swords or two keyes as receiued from Christ which is signified by the two hornes like the Lambes but the end whereof it vseth that authoritie is to get obedience to that false doctrine which it teacheth signified by speaking like the dragon or deuil 12 It is this false and hypocriticall Church then which doeth exercise all the power of the former beast to wit teacheth the Kings of this Monarchy and seat by what
meanes they shall allure and compell the people to obey their commands and this Church shall also entise the earth and the inhabitants of the same to wit all nations which beleeue the false doctrine that it teacheth to adore this other beast whose deadly wound was healed for it shall perswade them that this hereticall Monarchie ought for conscience sake to be obeyed by all persons in whatsoeuer it commandeth as if it could not erre 13 And to perswade men thereof it makes great signes or wonders yea euen causeth fire to fall out of heauen vpon earth in the sight of men vpon whom because they shall swarue from the loue of the trewth to beleeue lies God shall iustly by the meanes of this false Church as his instrument of reuenge send a strong illusion and deceit with great efficacie of miracles and woonders 2. Thess 2. 2. Kings 1. yea as mightie and strong as that of Elias was calling for fire from heauen which here is repeated 14 And all these miracles it did in the presence of the beast to make the beast to be adored therefore by the inhabitants of the earth and it perswades them to make an image of the beast which was wounded by the sword and reuiued againe for not onely shall this hereticall Monarchy haue power in his owne person to command absolutely many nations but euen the nations shall consent by the perswasion of this false Church to obey the absolute command of his Lieutenants Legats and Embassadors in euery countrey so as they shall not onely be exempted from the lawes of euery countrey wherein they liue but shall euen be fellowes and companions in all honours and priuiledges to the princes or kings thereof And this willing consent of nations vnto this by the perswasion of this false Church is signified here by the making of this image at the Churches perswasion 15 And power was giuen vnto it to wit vnto this false Church to quicken this image and to make it speake and to cause that all those who will not adore this image should be slaine corporally for as the consent vnto this authoritie of the image must be giuen by the nations and so they to be the makers thereof so the authoritie which is meant by the quickening of it and making it speake must be giuen it by the working of this false Church whose rage shall be so great as it shall persecute any who will not thinke the commands whatsoeuer of this Monarches embassadours and images to be an infallible Law as well as his owne 16 And so this false Church makes that all small or great rich or poore bond or free in short all men of whatsoeuer degree shall take the Character or seale of this Monarchie into their right hand or into their forehead to wit publikely professe obedience thereto and assist the maintenance thereof and downe-throwing of all resisters 17 And that none may buy and sell except they haue the Character or the name of the beast or the number of his name for this defection shall be so vniuersall and so receiued by all degrees of men as it shall not be possible to any neither shal that hypocriticall church permit any to be partakers of their ciuill societie which is meant here by buying and selling except they be knowen to be of his fellowship in religion which is meant by the character and his name and the number thereof Then since you see that this defection shall be so generall beware of euery one that shall say Lord Lord thereby to deceiue you for you see by this that false prophets shall for a time so triumph as they shall vaunt themselues to be the trew Church because there shall be no other Church visible at that time although there shall euer besome that shall not bow their knee to Baal for the woman shall not be deuoured by the dragon 1. Kings 19. Chap. 12. but hid and nourished in the wildernesse out of sight for a space as ye heard before Retaine well in memorie these words for the time shall come in the latter dayes that this doctrine shall be thornes in the eyes of many 18 Now as to the number of the beast here is wisedome let him that is endued with knowledge number it for the number of the beast or Monarchie is the number of the man to wit of the first Monarch of this seat who shall first vsurpe all these styles of blasphemie and who in the fourth Monarchie shall reuiue a spirituall supremacie and tyrannie and his number to wit the date of yeeres that he shall begin to reigne in reckoning from the time of this Reuelation is sixe hundred sixtie and sixe Benedictus the 2. Platine CHAP. XIIII ARGVMENT The happie estate of the faithfull in the meane time of the Popes Tyrannie His destruction The faithfull onely are all saued NOw so soone as the tyrannicall gouernment of these two beasts to wit the false church and their king had bene declared by this last Vision vnto me euen as before after the denouncing of the fearefullest plagues the happy estate of Christ and his Church was declared to comfort me as ye heard before so now the plagues that are to be wrought by this spirituall Tyrannie being declared the estate of Christ and his followers in the meane time is next set forth as followeth Then I did looke and loe I saw the Lambe standing vpon Mount Sion and with him a hundred fourtie and foure thousand hauing the Name of his Father written vpon their foreheads for in the meane time that this Tyrannie was raging on the earth this Lambe Christ was standing vpon Mount Sion to wit vpon his holy place out of which he promised saluation to the faithfull as Dauid saith and is accompanied with this great number of faithfull which number was composed of twelue thousand of euery Tribe as ye heard before but this number comprehends in this place all the faithfull aswell of Gentiles as of Iewes although it seeme to be vnderstood of the Iewes onely which is done for continuing of the Metaphore because as Sanctum Sanctorum which was a part of the materiall Temple of Ierusalem did signifie before all the faithfull as ye haue heard so now this number of Iewes here signifies the faithfull both of Gentiles and Iewes as I haue said who now are described here making publike profession of Christ by bearing his marke on their forehead an eminent part euen as the wicked beare on their forehead the Character of their king the angel of the bottomlesse pit These faithfull followers of Christ did beare now his Marke to testifie thereby that they were preserued by it euen in the very time that this Tyrannie was raging all the fastest 2 And I heard a voyce from heauen like the sound of many waters in greatnesse and like the roaring of the thunder in terriblenesse And I also heard the voyce of many harpers playing on their harpes 3 And singing
that were slaine vpon the earth to wit this plague of destruction shall iustly fall vpon her aswell for that she made her messengers or embassadours who are great in power as yee heard before to bee the sellers of her Pardons Prayers Sacraments Merits and euen of the sinnes and soules of men as ye haue presently heard and so by that meanes and the like bewitched as it were and abused many nations as also for that shee had cruelly persecuted and murthered the Saints so as the blood of all the Saints since Abel who willingly sacrificed their liues for the loue of Gods trewth and for the testimonie of his Sonne shall be layd vpon her head and imputed vnto her in following fulfilling and exceeding the rage of former Tyrants oppressing and persecuting the Church of God CHAP. XIX ARGVMENT The Saints praise God for ioy that the Pope is destroyed The glorious forme of Christes second comming set downe at large The Pope and his Church is condemned for euer THen according to the voyces speaking to the heauen and Prophets and Apostles there to wit that they should reioyce as much for the fall of Babylon as the vnregenerate men did lament therefore as ye haue heard according I say to this exhortation I heard the voyce of a great multitude in heauen saying Hallelu-iah which is if ye interpret it Praise God with a lowde voyce Saluation honour glorie and power is onely with our Lord God 2 For true and iust are his Iudgements and he hath condemned that great Whore who hath defiled the earth with her whoredome and he with his hand hath reuenged vpon her the blood of his seruants 3 Then for the second time they said Hallelu-iah for the smoake of her destruction goeth vp in all worlds to come for she shall neuer rise againe but shal be burned with a perpetuall fire 4 And likewise for thankesgiuing for the same the foure and twentie Elders fell downe vpon their faces before God and adored him and the foure Beasts also adored God sitting vpon his Throne and all the beasts and Elders said with one voyce Amen Hallelu-iah 5 And I heard a voyce come from the Throne to wit from one of the foure beastes that supported it saying Praise our God all ye his Seruants and all ye that feare him small and great 6 And then conformely to that direction I heard as it had bene the sound or voyce of a great multitude and as it had bene the sound of many waters and as the sound of great thunders to wit the voyce of all the Creatures in heauen whose sound in greatnes might be compared to the noise of many waters or to the roaring of the thunder and they said all in one Voyce Hallelu-iah because our Lord God Almightie hath now reigned by destroying Babylon and her followers 7 Let vs therefore reioyce and be glad and render him all glory for the Marriage of the Lambe is come to wit the latter Day is at hand and his wife hath made herselfe ready for him to wit his Church is now purified from among the wicked 8 And it was giuen vnto her to clothe herselfe with pure and bright linnen which is the iustification of the Saints for as fine linnen is a pure bright white and pretious stuffe so are the Saints clothed with that pretious vndefiled and glorious garment of righteousnes through imputation And this our garment of Iustification with the which we shal be clothed at the latter day must onely come of his righteousnesse so as ye presently heard it must be giuen vs by him for as of our selues we cannot thinke a good thought so can we merit nothing but eternall death and when we haue done all the good workes we can we must thinke our selues but improfitable seruants as Christ himselfe said 9 Then the same voyce to wit the voyce of the Angel that shewed me these things said to me Write and leaue in record to all posterities Happie are they that are called to the Supper of the Lambes marriage whereof thou thy selfe heard him speake parabolically for those who are called shall neuer againe be cast off but are chosen for euer And he said vnto me these words of God are trew which I bad thee write to leaue to posteritie that God himselfe hath giuen this comfortable promise which I haue specially willed thee to witnesse to thy Brethren because it will come to passe in the later dayes that this whoring and hereticall Babylon shall diswade all her followers from trusting this promise and so driue men to an vncertaintie of their Election 10 And I fell downe at this Angels feete to haue adored him so all flesh is giuen of it selfe to adore some visible thing which is idolatry such is the corruption of our flesh if it be not holden vp by grace from aboue but he did reproue me and said Beware thou doe it not For although I be a more excellent creature of God then thou art yet am I but thy fellow seruant and so one of thy brethren bearing the testimony of IESVS in heauen to be his seruant and creature as thou doest in earth Adore therefore God onely for no creature must either be prayed to or adored nor no mediation can come but by Christ onely and thinke mee not a God for prophesying thus vnto thee for the witnessing of Christ is the Spirit of prophesie for that gift is common to others aswell as to mee and it is the same Spirit of prophesie albeit not the same gift of it that foretells things to come which giues grace to all the Elect to beare trew and constant record of Christ 11 Then I saw thereafter the forme of the day of Iudgement for I saw the Heauens open and loe a white horse came downe from them of this white horse yee heard in the first Seale and hee that sate vpon him to wit Christ was called faithfull and trew for by giuing Iudgement hee was now to performe his promise and hee was also called Hee that iustly iudgeth and fighteth for hee was presently to iudge the world and to condemne perpetually all the reprobate 12 And his eyes were like the flames of fire as yee heard in the beginning of this Epistle and on his head were many diademes for now he was to reigne eternally ouer all the kingdomes of the earth as the Elders did sing in the seuenth Trumpet and he had a Name written vpon him which no man did know but himselfe for the mysterie of his Name of Redemptor is so profound as no creature is able to comprehend it by wisedome and therefore I heard himselfe say that no Angel no not himselfe in so farre as he is man did foreknow the day of his last comming which shall be the fulfilling of that mysterie 13 And he was clothed with a garment dipt in blood wherewith the garments of the soules of Martyrs are washed as ye heard in the fift Seale and he is named The
word of God as I did shew you in the beginning of my Euangel 14 And the hostes of Angels and Saints in heauen followed him vpon white horses clothed in white and pure linnen whereof yee heard alreadie 15 And from his mouth came foorth a sharpe sword as ye heard in the beginning of this Epistle that he might strike the Gentiles therewith for hee shall rule them with a rod of yron as Dauid sayth and he treadeth to wit giueth command and power to tread the lake or sea of the vine of the fury and wrath of God Almightie as ye heard in the seuenth Trumpet 16 And he hath vpon his garment and vpon his thigh as the strongest part of his body this name written The King of kings and Lord of lords 17 And I saw an Angel standing in the Sunne that there he might be seene publikely of all and that the Whole world might take heed to that which he was to proclaime and he cried with a loude voice to all the fowles flying through the middest of heauen Come and gather your selues to the supper of the Lord 18 To eate the flesh of Kings of Tribunes of mightie men of horses and of their riders in short come eate the flesh of all free-men and slaues great and small This was to declare that the day of Iudgement was come wherein should that destruction ensue signified by fowles eating their flesh because fowles vse to eate the flesh of dead men vnburied which should ouerwhelme all sorts of men excepting alwayes these that were marked who were sundry times excepted before as ye heard 19 Then I saw that beast to wit Babylon together with the kings of the earth who tooke her part and their armies gathered together to make warre with him that sate vpon the white horse and with his armie 20 But the Beast was taken together with the false prophet or false Church which by her false miracles seduced the nations that did beare the Character of the Beast and adored his image as ye heard before and they were both cast quicke in the lake of fire burning with brimstone 21 And the rest were slaine by the sword which came out of his mouth that sate vpon the horse and the fowles were filled with their flesh for how soone Christ shall come to Iudgement then shall all the enemies of God be destroyed and so full victory obtained of this battell whereof yee heard in the sixt Trumpet and sixt phiale and shall heare farther hereafter And chiefly Babylon and the false Church shall be cast into hell because they merit double punishment for the abusing of men although they shall not also want their damnation that followeth them as is signified by their slaughter with the sword of his mouth whereof yee heard in the beginning of this Epistle and by the fowles eating their flesh as ye presently perceiue CHAP. XX. ARGVMENT The summe and recapitulation of all the former visions to wit the first estate of the Church in all puritie after Christ The heresies and specially the Popedome that followed The destruction thereof in their greatestrage The latter day The saluation of the Elect and condemnation of all others THe Spirit of God hauing now shewen vnto me the estate of the Church militant with the speciall temptations and troubles of the same from the death of Christ to the consummation of the world and their ioyfull deliuerance and victory at that time by the first sixe Seales and next more amply by the seuenth Seale wherin were the seuen trumpets and thirdly her greatest temptations and troubles more cleerely and at large by the vision of the woman persecuted by the Dragon and lastly the cleere and ample description and damnation of Babylon that great persecuter the sorrow of the earth and ioy of heauen therefore This vision now that ye shall presently heare was next shewen vnto me to serue for a summe as it were and a short recapitulation of the whole Prophecie so often reiterated before which is here diuided in three parts First the happy estate of Christes Church though not in the eyes of the world from his first comming to a long time after as was declared by the first Seale Next the grieuous troubles and temptations vnto the which shee shall be subiect thereafter as was declared by the third and fourth Seale and by the third fourth fift and sixt blastes of the Trumpets And thirdly the destruction of all her enemies her ioyfull deliuerance and the consummation as was declared by the sixt Seale the seuenth Trumpet the seuenth phiale and the comming downe of the white horse which in my last words before these yee heard described But specially in this vision is declared the punishment at the latter day of the deuill himselfe before the destruction onely of his instruments being mentioned as ye formerly heard The vision then was this 1 I saw an Angel come downe from heauen and he had the key of the bottomlesse pit and a great chaine in his hand 2 And hee tooke the dragon to wit the ancient serpent who is the deuill and Satan to wit the Tempter and bound him for the space of a thousand yeres 3 And did cast him in the bottomlesse pit and closed him in there that it should not be opened that he might come foorth and seduce the nations till the space of a thousand yeeres were completed and past for thereafter he must be loosed for a short space 4 Then I saw seats and persons sitting vpon them and iudgment or power of iudging was giuen vnto them And I also saw the soules of them who were beheaded or otherwise put to death for the testimonie of Christ and the word of God and adored not the Beast nor tooke his image neither his character on their foreheads nor on their hands These shal liue and reigne with Christ the space of the thousand yeres ye heard 5 But the rest of the dead shal not reuiue till the space of these yeres be complete This is the first resurrectiō 6 Blessed and holy is he that is partaker of the first resurrection for ouer such the second death shal haue no power but they shal be Priests of God and Christ shal reigne with him for euer This is the first part of the diuision wherof I presently told you to wit Christ by his passion did bind the deuill who before was raging in the world and closed him in hell by the remouing of the vaile of blindnes from the whole earth which remained so the space of a thousand yeres to wit a long space all that time the deuil remained bound and casten into hell by Christ who only hath power of it so as in all that space the nations were not seduced for the efficacie of heresies was not yet cropen in and the Saints and Church visible shal so increase albeit in the midst of persecution all this time and so retaine the purity of the trewth as by the glory of
signifie that in two sorts of men chiefly Satan shall vtter himselfe to wit hypocrites and auowed or open enemies to God It is said then that Satan shall in the latter times rule a new ouer the world who shall stirre vp the nations vnder the banners of these two enemies to God the hypocriticall and open to spread themselues in great multitudes vpon the earth Thirdly they shall ascend vpon the plaine of the earth presumptuously and proudly bragging of their number and force and thinking none shall be able to resist their rage They shall compasse and besiege the campes of the Saints and beloued Citie that is the handfull of the faithfull beloued of the Lord against whome trusting in their vntellable number like the sand of the sea they shall make a cruell and vncessable warre The elect are called Saints and beloued The Elect are the Saints and beloued Citie of God because they are in the loue of God selected and seuered out and by grace engraffed in Christ in whom they are counted and found iustified sanctified worthy of loue and endlesse glorie Their faithfull fellowship is compared to Tents and to a Citie beloued to signifie their continuall warfare in the earth against Satan and sinne with all his instruments their mutual amitie and friendly coniunction in loue among themselues and ioyning together to maintaine the good cause that their God hath clad them with but chiefly to signifie the mightie and al-sufficient protection or defence in prosperity and aduersity flowing from God for their iust aide against all powers that can pursue whereby they also become faire as the Moone pure as the Sunne terrible as an armie with banners Cant. 1.6 9. Yea as a defenced Citie and yron pillar and wals of Brasse against the whole earth Ierem. 1.18 The summe then of Satan his doing after he is loosed The summe of Satan his doing after he is loosed is this hee shall deceiue the nations he shall gather an infinite number of hypocrites and open enemies together inflamed with crueltie and these shall in pridefull presumption fiercely bend themselues against the chosen of God and his trewth professed by them But what at last shall the successe be surely most vnhappy for fire shall come downe from heauen and deuoure them and the diuell that deceiued them and all his instruments chiefly the Beast and false Prophet shall be cast in a lake of fire and brimstone The vnhappy successe of Satan and shall bee tormented day and night incessantly for euer and euer that is how greatly soeuer their brags be how neere soeuer they shall appeare to be to obtaine their purpose God from heauen as the pallace and throne wherefrom hee giueth proofe of his mercie towards his owne and of his iustice toward his enemies shall send plagues and destruction as well ordinary as extraordinarie vpon them Ordinarie by reuealing their wickednesse by the thundring mouthes of trew pastors which is oft called fire in the Scriptures Extraordinarie by all corporall plagues to their vtter destruction and vntellable torment for euer in the hels Thus farre for the exposition or paraphrase of the words THE SECOND PART NOw followeth the interpretation of the sentence according to the order vsed in the first part The putitie of the Gospel induring stayeth the Antechrist his rising And first we must know what time these thousand or many yeres was in and when and how Satan was loosed This time is to be found in the sixt Chapter in the opening of the first three seales of the secret booke of God his prouidence by the Lambe to wit the time when the white red and blacke horses had their course in the world And to speake more plainely the Diuell his power did lurke which is called his binding and the Gospel did flourish in a reasonable puritie many hundreth yeeres after Christ as the Ecclesiasticall histories beare witnesse For in great puritie the Gospel did continue long which is signified by the course of the white horse albeit the professors were vnder the crosse signified by the red horse and troubled wonderfully by heretickes signified by the blacke horse by wormewood that fell in the Fountaines of waters in the third trumpet and by waters that the dragon spewed out of his mouth in the vision of the Dragon and the woman chap. 12. This time did endure from Christ a space after Augustine his dayes when the bloodie Sword of persecution ceasing the whole Church began to be defiled with diuers heresies which comming vnto a mature and ripe heape did produce or bring foorth the Antechrist signified by the pale horse in the fourth seale by the king of the Locusts in the fift trumpet by Babylon in the 11 and 18. Chapter by the second Beast rising out of the sea in the 13. Chapter and by the woman clad with scarlet in the 17. chapter The arisings of the heresies and the Antichrist breeding of their smoake is in this place called the loosing of Satan Now followeth after this his loosing what he doeth The Gospel being hid the Antichrist beginneth to breed tend to his height He deceiueth the nations vniuersally he gathereth Gog and Magog with vntellable armies to fight he climeth vpon the plaine of the earth he compasseth the tents of the Saints and the beloued Citie about These are his doings Now because these actions are most liuely declared in other places of the same booke I will shortly alleadge them to make the matter cleere by conference of places expounding euery one another It is said in the ninth chapter that the Antichrist shall send out his locusts or Ecclesiasticall orders by faire allurements to entice the world to yeeld to his and their abominable heresies and shall preuaile ouer the most part It is said in the 11. chapter that he shall persecute the Saints kill the two witnesses and shall reioyce with the kings of the earth for their killing as hauing beene the onely lets to his full glory It is said in the 13. chapter that he shall blaspheme God in vsurping his power that by the aduice and assistance of the false Prophet or false Church hee shall send out his Images or Embassadours through the world persecuting and destroying them that will not obey him and them and acknowledge his supremacie yea none shall be suffered to buy or sell or vse ciuill societie that acknowledgeth not his supreme power and dignity It is said in the 16. chapter that God plaguing him for these foresaid abuses he shall be so farre from repentance as by the contrarie he shall finde out a new sort of vermin that is a new Ecclesiasticall order which are called their frogges who shall mooue and entice the Princes of the earth to ioyne with him and make warre against the faithfull pressing vtterly to destroy them and of that battell and the end therof doeth this place make mention Now shortly ioyne all these together and so obtaine the meaning There
shall arise an Antichrist and enemie to God and his Church hee shall bee head of a false and hypocriticall Church hee shall claime a supreme power in earth he shall vsurpe the power of God he shall deceiue men with abusing locusts he shall persecute the faithfull none shall bee found that dare openly resist him In the end feeling his kingdome decay and the trew Church beginning to prosper he shall by a new sort of deceiuing spirits gather together the Kings of the earth in great multitudes like the sands of the Sea and by ioyning or at least suffering of that other great open enemy he shall with these numbers compasse the campes of the faithfull besiege the beloued Citie make warre against the Saints but victorie shal he not haue and shame and confusion shal be his and all his partakers end Now whether the Pope beareth these markes or not The Pope is Antichrist and Poperie the loosing of Satan from whom proceedeth false doctrine crueltie to subuert the kingdom of Christ let any indifferent man iudge I thinke surely it expounds it selfe Doeth he not vsurpe Christ his office calling himselfe vniuersall Bishop and head of the Church Playeth he not the part of Apollyon and Abaddon the king of the Locusts and destroyer or sonne of perdition in chopping and changing of soules betwixt heauen hell and his fantasticke or imagined purgatorie at his pleasure Blasphemeth he not in denying vs to be saued by the imputation of Christ his righteousnesse Moreouer hath hee not sent forth and abused the world with innumerable orders of locusts and shauelings Hath hee not so fully ruled ouer the world these many hundreth yeeres as to the fire went hee whosoeuer hee was that durst deny any part of his vsurped supremacie And hath he not of late dayes seeing his kingdome going to decay The Iesuites pernicious vermine sent out the Iesuites his last and most pernicious vermin to stirre vp the Princes of the earth his slaues to gather and league themselues together for his defence and rooting out of all them that professe Christ truely And whereas the open enemie of God the Turke was vnder bloody warres with him euer before is there not of late a truce among them that the faithfull may be the more easily rooted out And are not the armies presently assembled yea vpon the very point of their execution in France against the Saints there In Flanders for the like and in Germanie by whom already the Bishop of Collein is displaced And what is prepared and come forward against this I le Doe we not daily heare and by all appearance and likelihood shall shortly see Now may we iudge if this be not the time whereof this place that I haue made choice doeth meane and so the due time for the reuealing of this Prophecie Thus farre for the interpretation of the sentence or meaning THE THIRD PART NOw I come to the last part what we may learne of this place which I will shortly touch in few points and so make an end And first of the deuill his loosing by the rising of Antichrist for the iust punishment of the vnthankefull world hating the trewth and delighting in lies and manifesting of his owne chosen that stucke to the trewth we haue two things to note One for instruction Man his sinne procureth God his iustice to loose Satan that the iustice of God in respect of man his falling wilfully froÌ„ the trewth as Paul saith iustly did send to the world the great abuser with efficacie of lies as well to tyrannize spiritually ouer the conscience by heresie as corporally ouer their bodies by the ciuill sword And therefore we must feare to fall from the trewth reuealed and professed by vs that we may be free from the like punishment The other for our comfort that this tyrannie of the Antichrist sifting out the chaffe from the corne as our Master sayth Backe-slâ—â—ers 〈…〉 constant â—hristians shall be crowned Matth. 10.22 shall tend to the double condemnation of the fallers backe and to the double crowne of glory to the perseuerers or standers out to the end Blessed therefore are they that perseuere or stand out to the end for they shall be saued Next of the number of nations in the foure quarters of the earth deceiued and companies gathered together to fight like the sand of the sea The defection or falling away vnder Antichrist shall be vniuersall Wee are taught that the defection or falling away vnder the Antichrist was generall and so no visible Church was there whereof two things doe follow One the Church may be corrupted and erre another the Church may lurke and be vnknowen for a certaine space Thirdly of that that Satan is not content onely to deceiue Satan his children both deceiue and persecute except hee also gather to the battell his instruments we are informed of the implacable or vnappeaseable malice borne by Satan in his instruments against God in his members who neuer ceaseth like a roaring Lyon as Peter sayth to goe about assailing to deuoure This his malice is notably laid foorth in the 12. and 13. Chap. of this Booke For it is said that when he had spewed out great riuers of waters that is infinite heresies and lies to swallow vp the woman and notwithstanding shee was deliuered therefro yet againe hee raised vp a beast out of the sea the bloody Romane Empire by the sword to deuoure her and her seed and that being wounded deadly yet hee raiseth another beast foorth of the earth which is the Antichrist by heresie and sword ioyned together to ferue his turne So the deuill seeing that no mist of heresies can obscure or darken the Gospel in the hearts of the faithfull and that the cruell sword of persecutors cannot stay the prosperous successe of Christ his kingdome hee raiseth vp the Antichrist with both his swords to the effect that as one of them sayth That which Peter his keyes could not Paul his sword should And so hath hee done at this time For seeing the true Church will not be abused with the absurd heresies for last refuge now rooted out must they be by the ciuill Sword Fourthly of their great numbers The wicked in number euer ouerpasse the godly able to compasse about the tents of the Saints and to besiege the holy Cities we are enformed that the wicked are euer the greatest part of the world And therfore our Master sayth Many are called few chosen And againe Wide is the way that leadeth to destruction and many enter thereat but narrow is the way that leadeth to life and few enter thereat Also hee calleth them the world and the Deuill the prince of the same Fiftly the agreeance of Gog and Magog the Turke the open enemy The wicked at variance among themselues can wel agree in one against Christ and the Pope the couered enemie to this persecution declareth the rooted hatred of the wicked against
not permit their master to trouble or hinder so good a worke PHI. But fra they be once in hands and firmance haue they any further power in their craft EPI That is according to the forme of their detention If they be but apprehended and deteined by any priuate person vpon other priuate respects their power no doubt either in escaping or in doing hurt is no lesse nor euer it was before But if on the other part their apprehending and detention be by the lawfull Magistrate vpon the iust respects of their guiltinesse in that craft their power is then no greater then before that euer they medled with their master For where God begins iustly to strike by his lawfull Lieutenants it is not in the deuils power to defraud or bereaue him of the office or effect of his powerfull and reuenging Scepter PHI. But will neuer their Master come to visite them fra they be once apprehended and put in firmance EPI That is according to the estate that these miserable wretches are in For if they be obstinate in still denying he will not spare when hee findes time to speake with them either if he finde them in any comfort to fill them more and more with the vaine hope of some manner of reliefe or else if he finde them in a deepe despaire by all meanes to augment the same and to perswade them by some extraordinarie meanes to put themselues downe which very commonly they doe But if they bee penitent and confesse God will not permit him to trouble them any more with his presence and allurements PHI. It is not good vsing his counsell I see then But I would earnestly know when he appeares to them in prison what formes vses hee then to take EPI Diuers formes euen as hee vses to doe at other times vnto them For as I told you speaking of Magie he appeares to that kind of craftes-men ordinarily in a forme according as they agree vpon it among themselues Or if they be but prentises according to the qualitie of their circles or coniurations Yet to these capped creatures he appeares as hee pleases and as he findes meetest for their humors For euen at their publicke conuentions hee appeares to diuers of them in diuers formes as we haue found by the difference of their confessions in that point For he deluding them with vaine impressions in the aire makes himselfe to seeme more terrible to the grosser sort that they may thereby be mooued to feare and reuerence him the more and lesse monstrous and vncouth like againe to the craftier sort lest otherwise they might sturre and skunner at his vglinesse PHI. How can he then be felt as they confesse they haue done him if his body be but of aire EPI I heare little of that amongst their confessions yet may hee make himselfe palpable either by assuming any dead bodie and vsing the ministerie thereof or else by deluding as well their sence of feeling as seeing which is not impossible to him to doe since all our senses as wee are so weake and euen by ordinarie sicknesses will be oftentimes deluded PHI. But I would speere one word further yet concerning his appearing to them in prison which is this May any other that chances to be present at that time in the prison see him as well as they EPI Sometimes they will and sometimes not as it pleases God CHAP. VII ARG. Two formes of the diuels visible conuersing in the earth with the reasons wherefore the one of them was commonest in the time of Papistrie and the other sensine Those that deny the power of the diuell denie the power of God and are guilty of the errour of the Sadduces PHILOMATHES HAth the Diuell then power to appeare to any other except to such as are his sworne disciples especially since all Oracles and such like kinds of illusions were taken away and abolished by the comming of CHRIST EPI Although it be true indeede that the brightnesse of the Gospel at his comming scaled the cloudes of all these grosse errours in the Gentilisme yet that these abusing spirits cease not sensine at sometimes to appeare daily experience teaches vs. Indeed this difference is to be marked betwixt the formes of Satans conuersing visibly in the world For of two different formes thereof the one of them by the spreading of the Euangel and conquest of the white horse in the sixt Chapter of the Reuelation is much hindred and become rather there-through This his appearing to any Christians troubling of them outwardly or possessing of them constrainedly The other of them is become commoner and more vsed sensine I meane by their vnlawfull artes whereupon our whole purpose hath beene This wee finde by experience in this Isle to be true For as wee know moe ghosts and spirits were seene nor tongue can tell in the time of blind Papistrie in these countries where now by the contrarie a man shall scarcely all his time heare once of such things and yet were these vnlawful artes farre rarer at that time and neuer were so much heard of nor so rife as they are now PHI. What should be the cause of that EPI The diuers nature of our sinnes procures at the Iustice of God diuers sorts of punishments answering thereunto and therefore as in the time of Papistrie our fathers erring grossely and through ignorance that mist of errours ouershadowed the Diuell to walke the more familiarly amongst them and as it were by barnely and affraying terrours to mocke and accuse their barnely errours by the contrarie we now being sound of Religion and in our life rebelling to our profession God iustly by that sinne of rebellion as Samuel calleth it accuseth our life so wilfully fighting against our profession PHI. Since ye are entred now to speake of the appearing of spirits I would be glad to heare your opinion in that matter for many denie that any such spirits can appeare in these daies as I haue said EPI Doubtlesse who denieth the power of the Diuell would likewise denie the power of God if they could for shame For since the Diuel is the very contrarie opposite to God there can bee no better way to know God then by the contrarie as by the ones power though a creature to admire the power of the great Creatour by the falshood of the one to consider the trewth of the other by the iniustice of the one to consider the Iustice of the other And by the cruelty of the one to consider the mercifulnesse of the other And so foorth in all the rest of the essence of God and qualities of the Diuell But I feare indeed there bee ouer many Sadduces in this world that denie all kindes of Spirits For conuicting of whose errour there is cause inough if there were no more that God should permit at sometimes Spirits visibly to kyith THE THIRD BOOKE OF DAEMONOLOGIE ARGVMENT The description of all these kinds of Spirits that trouble men or women The conclusion of
tyrant whom they can obiect nor was here fore-warned to the people of God and yet all rebellion countermanded vnto them if tyrannizing ouer mens persons sonnes daughters and seruants redacting noble houses and men and women of noble blood to slauish and scruile offices and extortion and spoile of their lands and goods to the princes owne priuate vse and commoditie and of his courteours and seruants may be called a tyrannie And that this proposition grounded vpon the Scripture may the more clearely appeare to be trew by the practise often prooued in the same booke we neuer reade that euer the Prophets perswaded the people to rebell against the Prince how wicked soeuer he was When Samuel by Gods command pronounced to the same king Saul 1. Sam. 15. that his kingdome was rent from him and giuen to another which in effect was a degrading of him yet his next action following that was peaceably to turne home and with floods of teares to pray to God to haue some compassion vpon him And Dauid notwithstanding hee was inaugurate in that same degraded Kings roome not onely when he was cruelly persecuted for no offence but good seruice done vnto him would not presume hauing him in his power skantly but with great reuerence to touch the garment of the annoynted of the Lord and in his words blessed him but likewise 1. Sam. 2 4. 2. Sam. 1. when one came to him vanting himselfe vntrewly to haue slaine Saul hee without forme of proces or triall of his guilt caused onely for guiltinesse of his tongue put him to sodaine death And although there was neuer a more monstrous persecutor and tyrant nor Achab was yet all the rebellion that Elias euer raised against him was to flie to the wildernes where for fault of sustentation he was fed with the Corbies And I thinke no man will doubt but Samuel Dauid and Elias had as great power to perswade the people if they had liked to haue employed their credite to vproares rebellions against these wicked kings as any of our seditious preachers in these daies of whatsoeuer religion either in this countrey or in France had that busied themselues most to stir vp rebellion vnder cloake of religion This farre the only loue of veritie I protest without hatred at their persons haue mooued me to be somewhat satyricke And if any will leane to the extraordinarie examples of degrading or killing of kings in the Scriptures thereby to cloake the peoples rebellion as by the deed of Iehu and such like extraordinaries I answere besides that they want the like warrant that they had if extraordinarie examples of the Scripture shall bee drawne in daily practise murther vnder traist as in the persons of Ahud and Iael theft as in the persons of the Israelites comming out of Egypt lying to their parents to the hurt of their brother as in the person of Iacob shall all be counted as lawfull and allowable vertues as rebellion against Princes And to conclude the practise through the whole Scripture prooueth the peoples obedience giuen to that sentence in the law of God Thou shalt not rayle vpon the Iudges neither speake euill of the ruler of thy people To end then the ground of my proposition taken out of the Scripture let two speciall and notable examples one vnder the law another vnder the Euangel Ier. 27. conclude this part of my alleageance Vnder the lawe Ieremie threatneth the people of God with vtter destruction for rebellion to Nabuchadnezar the king of Babel who although he was an idolatrous persecuter a forraine King a Tyrant and vsurper of their liberties yet in respect they had once receiued and acknowledged him for their king he not only commandeth them to obey him Iere. 29. but euen to pray for his prosperitie adioyning the reason to it because in his prosperitie stood their peace And vnder the Euangel that king whom Paul bids the Romanes obey and serue for conscience sake Iere. 13. was Nero that bloody tyrant an infamie to his aage and a monster to the world being also an idolatrous persecuter as the King of Babel was If then Idolatrie and defection from God tyranny ouer their people and persecution of the Saints for their profession sake hindred not the Spirit of God to command his people vnder all highest paine to giue them all due and heartie obedience for conscience sake giuing to Caesar that which was Caesars and to God that which was Gods as Christ saith and that this practise throughout the booke of God agreeth with this lawe which he made in the erection of that Monarchie as is at length before deduced what shamelesse presumption is it to any Christian people now adayes to claime to that vnlawfull libertie which God refused to his owne peculiar and chosen people Shortly then to take vp in two or three sentences grounded vpon all these arguments out of the lawe of God the duetie and alleageance of the people to their lawfull king their obedience I say ought to be to him as to Gods Lieutenant in earth obeying his commands in all things except directly against God as the commands of Gods Minister acknowledging him a Iudge set by GOD ouer them hauing power to iudge them but to be iudged onely by GOD whom to onely hee must giue count of his iudgement fearing him as their Iudge louing him as their father praying for him as their protectour for his continuance if he be good for his amendement if he be wicked following and obeying his lawfull commaunds eschewing and flying his fury in his vnlawfull without resistance but by sobbes and teares to God according to that sentence vsed in the primitiue Church in the time of the persecution Preces Lachrymae sunt arma Ecclesiae Now as for the describing the alleageance that the lieges owe to their natiue King out of the fundamentall and ciuill Lawe especially of this countrey as I promised the ground must first be set downe of the first maner of establishing the Lawes and forme of gouernement among vs that the ground being first right laide we may thereafter build rightly thereupon Although it be trew according to the affirmation of those that pryde themselues to be the scourges of Tyrants that in the first beginning of Kings rising among Gentiles in the time of the first aage diuers common-wealths and societies of men choosed out one among themselues who for his vertues and valour being more eminent then the rest was chosen out by them and set vp in that roome to maintaine the weakest in their right to throw downe oppressours and to foster and continue the societie among men which could not otherwise but by vertue of that vnitie be wel done yet these examples are nothing pertinent to vs because our Kingdome and diuers other Monarchies are not in that case but had their beginning in a farre contrary fashion For as our Chronicles beare witnesse this I le and especially our part of it
giue light to the word as CHRIST saith doth contrary thereunto fall away like Lucifer Matth. 5.14 and set vp a kingdome by the sending forth of that noisome packe of craftie cruell vermine described by Locusts and so is the Seat of the Antichrist begun to be erected whose doctrine is at length declared in the second woe after the blast of the sixt Trumpet Verse 13. Verse 20. where it is said That the remnant of men which were not killed by the plagues repented not of the workes of their hands that they should not worship diuels and idols of gold and of filuer of brasse and of stone and of wood which neither can see Lib de Cultu Adoratio lib. 3 disp 1. cap 5. Vers 21. heare nor goe As for worshipping of diuels looke your great Iesuited doctour Vasques and as for all the rest it is the maine doctrine of the Roman Church And then it is subioyned in this Text that they repented not of their murther their sorcerie their fornications nor their theft By their murther their persecution is meant and bloody massacres For their Sorcery consider of their Agnus Dei that will slocken fire of the hallowed shirts and diuers sorts of Reliques and also of Prayers that will preserue men from the violence of shot of fire of sword of thunder and such like dangers And iudge if this be not very like to Sorcerie and incantation of charmes By their Fornication is meant both their spirituall fornication of Idolatry and also their corporall fornication which doth the more abound amongst them as well by reason of the restraint of their Churchmen from marriage as also because of the many Orders of idle Monastike liues amongst them as well for men as women And continuall experience prooueth that idlenesse is euer the greatest spurre to lecherie And they are guiltie of Theft in stealing from GOD the titles and greatnes of power due to him and bestowing it vpon their head the Antichrist As also by heaping vp their treasure with their iuggling wares and merchandise of the soules of men by Iubiles Pardons Reliques and such like strong delusions That he endeth this description of Antichrist in the same ninth Chapter may likewise well appeare Cap. 10. ver 6. by the Oath that that Mightie Angell sweareth in the sixt verse of the tenth Chapter And after the blast of the sixt Trumpet that time shall bee no more Verse 7. and that when the seuenth Angell shall blow his Trumpet the mysterie of GOD shal be finished as he had declared it to his seruants the Prophets Cap. 11. Onely in the eleuenth Chapter he describeth the meanes whereby the Antichrist was ouercome whose raigne he had before described in the ix Chapter and telleth vs that the two witnesses Verse 3. after that they haue beene persecuted by the Antichrist shall in the end procure his destruction And in case any should thinke that the Antichrist is onely spoken of in the xj Chapter and that the Beast spoken of in the xiij and xvij Chapters doth onely signifie Ethnicke Rome there needeth no other refutation of that conceit then to remember them that the Antichrist is neuer named in all that xj Chapter Cap. 11. but where he is called in the seuenth verse thereof the Beast that commeth foorth of the bottomeles pit Verse 7. which by the description of the place he commeth out of prooueth it to be the same Beast which hath the same originall in the xvij Chapter and in the very same words so as it is euer but the same Antichrist repeated and diuersly described in diuers visions Now in the xij and xiij Chapters and so foorth till the xvij The third description he maketh a more large and ample propheticall description of the state of the Church and reigne of the Antichrist For in the xij Chap. he figureth the Church by a Woman flying from the Dragon the Deuill to the wildernesse Chap xij Verse 6. And when the Dragon seeth hee cannot otherwise ouer-reach her Verse 15. hee speweth foorth waters like floods to carry her away which signifieth many Nations that were let loose to persecute and vexe the Church And in the xiij Chapter out of that Sea of Nations that persecuted her Chap. xiij ariseth that great Citie Queene of all the Nations and head of that persecution figured by a Beast with seuen heads and tenne hornes verse 1. Verse 2. like a Leopard as well for the colour because it was full of spots that is defiled with corruptions as also vsing a bastard forme of gouernement in shew spirituall but in deed temporall ouer the Kings of the earth like the Leopard that is a bastard beast betwixt a Lion and a Parde hauing feete like a Beare to signifie his great strength and the mouth of a Lion to shew his rauenous and cruell disposition This Beast who had his power from the Dragon Verse 3. and had gotten a deadly wound in one of his heads or formes of gouernment by the Gothes and Vandals and yet was healed againe Verse 6. Verse 7. opened his mouth to blasphemies and made warre against the Saints nay all the world must worship him which worship Ethnicke Rome neuer craued of any being contented to call their neighbour Kings Amici socij populi Romani And whether worship or adoration euen with that same title he vsed to Popes at their creation our Cardinall can best tell you But then commeth another beast vp out of the earth Verse 11. hauing indeed a more firme and setled originall for she doeth visibly and outwardly succeed to the trew Church and therefore she hath two hornes like the Lambe in outward shew representing the spouse of CHRIST and pretending CHRIST to be her defence But she speaketh like the Dragon teaching damnable and deuilish doctrine And this Apostatike I should say Apostolike Church after that she hath made her great power manifest to the world by doing all that the first Beast could doe Verse 12. In conspectu eius that is by shewing the greatnesse of her power to be nothing inferiour to the greatnesse of the former Ethnicke Empire she then is mooued with so great a desire to aduance this Beast now become Antichrist as she causeth the earth and all that dwell therein to worship this former Beast or Roman Monarch transferring so as it were her owne power in his person Yea euen Emperours and Kings shall be faine to kisse his feet And for this purpose shall shee worke great Miracles wherein she greatly prides her selfe deceiuing men with lying wonders and efficacie of lyes 2. Thes 2.9 as S. Paul saith And amongst the rest of her wonders Verse 13. she must bring Fire out of heauen Fulmen excommunications which can dethrone Princes Verse 15. So that all that will not worship the image of the Beast that is his vnlimited Supremacie must be killed and
the said Clergie were driuen to sue vnto the Pope for their pardon Bibliotheca Patrum Tom. 3. Hildebert Bishop of Caenomanum vpon the riuer of Sartre liuing vnder the reigne of King Philip the first affirmeth in his Epistles 40. and 75. that Kings are to bee admonished and instructed rather then punished to be dealt with by counsell rather then by command by doctrine and instruction rather then by correction For no such sword belongeth to the Church because the sword of the Church is Ecclesiasticall discipline and nothing else De consider lib. 1. cap. 6. Bernard writeth to Pope Eugenius after this manner Whosoeuer they bee that are of this mind and opinion shall neuer be able to make proofe that any one of the Apostles did euer fit in qualitie of Iudge or Diuider of lands I reade where they haue stood to bee iudged but neuer where they sate downe to giue iudgement Againe Your authoritie stretcheth vnto crimes not vnto possessions because you haue receiued the keies of the kingdome of heauen not in regard of possessions but of crimes to keepe all that pleade by couin or collusion and not lawfull possessors out of the heauenly kingdome A little after These base things of the earth are iudged by the Kings and Princes of this world wherefore doe you thrust your sickle into an others haruest wherefore doe you incroach and intrude vpon an others limits Lib. 2. cap. 6. Elsewhere The Apostles are directly forbid to make themselues Lords and rulers Goe thou then and beeing a Lord vsurpe Apostleship or beeing an Apostle vsurpe Lordship If thou needes wilt haue both doubtlesse thou shalt haue neither Iohannes Maior Doctor of Paris Dist 24. quest 3 The Soueraigne Bishop hath no temporall authoritie ouer Kings The reason Because it followes the contrarie being once granted that Kings are the Popes vassals Now let other men iudge whether he that hath power to dispossesse Kings of all their Temporalties hath not likewise authoritie ouer their Temporalties The same Author Comment in l. 4. Sent. Dist 24 fol. 214. The Pope hath no manner of title ouer the French or Spanish Kings in temporall matters Where it is further added That Pope Innocent 3. hath beene pleased to testifie that Kings of France in Temporall causes doe acknowledge no superiour For so the Pope excused himselfe to a certaine Lord of Montpellier who in stead of suing to the King had petitioned to the Pope for a dispensation for his bastard But perhaps as he speaketh it will be alledged out of the glosse that hee acknowledgeth no superiour by fact and yet ought by right But I tell you the glosse is an Aurelian glosse which marres the text Amongst other arguments Maior brings this for one This opinion ministreth matter vnto Popes to take away an others Empire by force and violence which the Pope shall neuer bring to passe as we reade of Boniface 8. against Philip the Faire Saith besides That from hence proceede warres in time of which many outragious mischiefes are done and that Gerson calls them egregious flatterers by whom such opinion is maintained In the same place Maior denies that Childeric was deposed by Pope Zacharie The word Hee deposed saith Maior is not so to bee vnderstood as it is taken at the first blush or fight but hee deposed is thus expounded in the glosse Hee gaue his consent vnto those by whom he was deposed Iohn of Paris De potest Regia Papali cap. 10. Were it graunted that Christ was armed with Temporall power yet he committed no such power to Peter A little after The power of Kings is the highest power vpon earth in Temporall causes it hath no superiour power aboue it selfe no more then the Pope hath in spirituall matters This author saith indeede the Pope hath power to excommunicate the King but he speaketh not of any power in the Pope to put downe the King from his regall dignity and authority He onely saith When a Prince is once excommunicated hee may accidentally or by occasion be deposed because his precedent excommunication incites the people to disarme him of all secular dignity and power The same Iohn on the other side holdeth opinion that in the Emperour there is inuested a power to depose the Pope in case the Pope shall abuse his power Almainus Doctor of the Sorbonic schoole Almain de potesi Eccl Laica Quest 3. cap. 8. De deminio naturali ciuil Eccl. 5. vlt. pars It is essentiall in the Lay-power to inflict ciuill punishment as death banishment and priuation or losse of goods But according to diuine institution the power Ecclesiasticall can lay no such punishment vpon delinquents nay more not lay in prison as to some Doctors it seemeth probable but stretcheth and reacheth onely to spirituall punishment as namely to excommunication all other punishments inflicted by the spirituall power are meerely by the Lawe positiue If then Ecclesiasticall power by Gods Lawe hath no authoritie to depriue any priuate man of his goods how dares the Pope and his flatterers build their power to depriue Kings of their scepters vpon the word of God The same author in an other place Quaest 1. de potest Eccles laic c. 12. 14 Bee it graunted that Constantine had power to giue the Empire vnto the Pope yet is it not hereupon to bee inferred that Popes haue authority ouer the Kingdome of France because that Kingdome was neuer subiect vnto Constantine For the King of France neuer had any superiour in Temporall matters A little after It is not in any place to bee found that God hath giuen the Pope power to make and vnmake Temporall Kings He maintaineth elsewhere that Zacharie did not depose Childeric Quaest 2. c. 8. sic nond posuit autoruat 〈◊〉 but onely consented to his deposing and so deposed him not as by authoritie In the same booke taking vp the words of Occam whom he styles the Doctor The Emperour is the Popes Lord in things Temporall and the Pope calls him Lord Quae. 3. c. 2. Quaest 11. can Sacerd. as it is witnessed in the body of the Text. The Lord Cardinall hath dissembled and concealed these words of Doctor Almainus with many like places and hath beene pleased to alledge Almainus reciting Occams authoritie in stead of quoting Almainus himselfe in those passages where he speaketh as out of his owne opinion and in his owne words A notable piece of slie and cunning conueiance For what heresie may not be fathered and fastened vpon S. Augustine or S. Hierome if they should be deemed to approoue all the passages which they alledge out of other authors And that is the reason wherefore the L. Cardinall doeth not alledge his testimonies whole and perfect as they are couched in their proper texts but clipt and curtaild Thus he dealeth euen in the first passage or testimonie of Almainus he brings it in mangled and pared he hides and conceales
the words added by Almainus to contradict and crosse the words going before For Almainus makes this addition and supply Howsoeuer some other Doctors doe stand for the negatiue and teach the Pope hath power onely to declare that Kings and Princes are to be deposed And so much appeareth by this reason because this ample and Soueraigne power of the Pope might giue him occasion to be puft vp with great pride and the same fulnesse of power might prooue extreamely hurtfull to the subiects c. The same Almainus brings in Occams opinion in expresse tearmes deciding the question Quaest 2. de potest Eccl. Laic cap. 12. and there ioynes his owne opinion with Occams The Doctors opinion saith Almainus doeth simply carrie the most probabilitie that a Pope hath no power neither by excommunication nor by any other meanes to depose a Prince from his Imperiall and Royall dignitie In cap. 9 10. 11. And a little before hauing maintained the Greeke Empire was neuer transported by the Pope to the Germaines and that when the Pope crownes the Emperour he doeth not giue him the Empire no more then the Archbishop of Reims when he crownes the King of France doth giue him the kingdom he drawes this conclusion according to Occams opinion I denie that an Emperour is bound by oath to promise the Pope allegiance On the other side if the Pope hold any Temporall possessions hee is bound to sweare allegiance vnto the Emperour and to pay him tribute The said Occam alledged by Almainus doeth further auerre that Iustinian was acknowledged by the Pope for his superiour in Temporall causes for as much as diuers Lawes which the Pope is bound to keepe and obserue were enacted by Iustinian as by name the Law of prescription for an hundred yeeres which Law standeth yet in force against the Bishop of Rome And to the end that all men may clearely see how great distance there is betweene Occams opinion and the L. Cardinals who towards the end of his Oration exhorts his hearers at no hand to dissent from the Pope take you here a view of Occams owne words as they are alledged by Almainus The Doctour assoyles the arguments of Pope Innocent Quest. 1. cap. 14. by which the Pope would prooue out of these words of CHRIST Whatsoeuer thoushalt binde c. that fulnesse of power in Temporall matters belongeth to the Soueraigne Bishop For Innocent saith Whatsoeuer excepteth nothing But Occam assoyles Innocents authoritie as not onely false but also hereticall and saith withall that many things are spoken by Innocent which by his leaue sauour and smell of herefie c. The L. Pag. 40. Cardinall with lesse fidelitie alledgeth two places out of Thomas his Summe The first in the second of his second Quest 10. Art 10. in the body of the Article In which place let it bee narrowly examined Thomas will easily bee found to speake not of the subiection of beleeuing Subiects vnder Infidel Kings as the Lord Cardinall pretendeth but of beleeuing seruants that liue vnder Masters whether Iewes or Infidels As when a Iew keepeth seruants which professe Iesus Christ or as when some of the faithfull kept in Caesars house who are not considered by Thomas as they were subiects of the Empire but as they were seruants of the family The other place is taken out of Quest 11. and 2. Art in the body of the article where no such matter as the L. Cardinal alledgeth can be found With like fidelitie he taketh Gerson in hand Pag. 44. who indeed in his booke of Ecclesiasticall power and 12. Consider doeth affirme When the abuse of Secular power redoundeth to manifest impugning of the faith and blaspheming of the Creator then shall it not bee amisse to haue recourse vnto the last branch of this 12. Consider where in such case as aforesaid a certaine regitiue directiue regulatiue and ordinatiue authoritie is committed to the Ecclesiasticall power His very words which make no mention at all of deposing or of any compulsiue power ouer Soueraigne Princes For that forme of rule and gouernment whereof Gerson speaketh is exercised by Ecclesiasticall censures and excommunications not by losse of goods of Kingdomes or of Empires This place then is wrested by the L. Cardinall to a contrary sense Neither should his Lordship haue omitted that Gerson in the question of Kings subiection in Temporall matters or of the dependance of their Crownes vpon the Popes power excepteth alwayes the King of France witnesse that which Gerson a little before the place alleadged by the Cardinall hath plainely affirmed Now since Peters time saith Gerson all Imperiall Regall and Secular power is not immediatly to draw vertue and strength from the Soueraigne Bishop as in this maner the most Christian King of France hath no Superiour nor acknowledgeth any such vpon the face of the earth Now here need no great sharpenesse of wit for the searching out of this deepe mysterie that if the Pope hath power to giue or take away Crownes for any cause or any pretended occasion whatsoeuer the Crowne of France must needs depend vpon the Pope But for as much as we are now hit in with Gerson Pag. 108.109.119 where the Card. takes Char. 7. for Charl. 6. we will examine the L. Cardinals allegations towards the end of his Oration taken out of Gersons famous Oration made before Charles the 6. for the Vniuersitie of Paris where he brings in Gerson to affirme That killing a Tyrant is a sacrifice acceptable to God But Gerson let it be diligently noted there speaketh not in his owne person he there brings in sedition speaking the words Of which wordes vttered by sedition and other like speeches you shall now heare what iudgement Gerson himselfe hath giuen When sedition had spoken with such a furious voyce I turned away my face as if I had bene smitten with death to shew that I was not able to endure her madnesse any longer And indeed when dissimulation on the one side and sedition on the other had suggested the deuises of two contrary extremes hee brings foorth Discretion as a Iudge keeping the meane betweene both extremes and vttering those words which the L. Cardinall alledgeth against himselfe If the head saith Gerson or some other member of the ciuill body should grow to so desperate a passe that it would gulpe and swallow downe the deadly poyson of tyrannie euery member in his place with all power possible for him to raise by expedient meanes and such as might preuent a greater inconuenience should set himselfe against so madde a purpose and so deadly practise For if the head be grieued with some light paine it is not fit for the hand to smite the head no that were but a foolish and a mad part Nor is the hand forthwith to chop off or separate the head from the body but rather to cure the head with good speach and other meanes like a skilfull and wise Physitian Yea nothing would
in hand that a petition put vp and preferred by the third Estate can carry the force of a Law or Statute so long as the other two Orders withstand the same and so long as the King himselfe holds backe his Royall consent Besides the said Article was not propounded as a point of Religious doctrine but for euer after to remaine and continue a fundamentall Law of the Common-wealth and State it selfe the due care whereof was put into their handes and committed to their trust If the King had ratified the said Article with Royall consent and had commanded the Clergie to put in execution the contents thereof it had bene their duetie to see the Kings will and pleasure fulfilled as they are subiects bound to giue him aide in all things which may any way serue to procure the safetie of his life and the tranquilitie of his Kingdome Which if the Clergie had performed to the vttermost of their power they had not shewed obedience as vnderlings vnto the third Estate but vnto the King alone by whom such command had bene imposed vpon suggestion of his faithfull subiects made the more watchfull by the negligence of the Clergie whom they perceiue to be lincked with stricter bandes vnto the Pope then they are vnto their King Here then the Cardinall fights with meere shadowes and mooues a doubt whereof his aduersaries haue not so much as once thought in a dreame But yet according to his great dexteritie and nimblenesse of spirit by this deuice he cunningly takes vpon him to giue the King a lesson with more libertie making semblance to direct his masked Oration to the Deputies of the people when hee shooteth in effect and pricketh at his King the Princes also and Lords of his Counsell whom the Cardinall compriseth vnder the name of Laics whose iudgment it is not vnlikely was apprehended much better by the Clergie then the iudgement of the third Estate Now these are the men whom he tearmes intruders into other mens charges and such as open a gate for I wot not how many legions of heresies to rush into the Church For if it be proper to the Clergie and their Head to iudge in this cause of the Right of Kings then the King himselfe his Princes and Nobilitie are debarred and wiped of all iudgement in the same cause no lesse then the representatiue body of the people Well then Pag. 61. the L. Cardinall showres downe like haile sundry places and testimonies of Scripture where the people are commanded to haue their Pastors in singular loue and to beare them all respects of due obseruance Be it so yet are the said passages of Scripture no barre to the people for their vigilant circumspection to preserue the life and Crowne of their Prince against all the wicked enterprises of men stirred vp by the Clergie who haue their Head out of the Kingdome and hold themselues to be none of the Kings subiects a thing neuer spoken by the sacrificing Priests and Prelates mentioned in the passages alleadged by the Lord Cardinal He likewise produceth two Christian Emperours Pag 62. Constantine and Valentinian by name the first refusing to meddle with iudgement in Episcopall causes the other forbearing to iudge of subtile Questions in Diuinity with protestation that Hee would neuer bee so curious to diue into the streames or sound the bottome of so deepe matters But who doth not know that working and prouiding for the Kings indemnitie and safetie is neither Episcopall cause nor matter of curious and subtile inquisition The same answere meets with all the rest of the places produced by the L. Orat. ad ciues timme perculsos Cardinal out of the Fathers And that one for example out of Gregory Nazianzenus is not cited by the Cardinall with faire dealing For Gregory doeth not boord the Emperour himselfe but his Deputy or L. President on this maner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For we also are in authoritie and place of a Ruler we haue command aswell as your selfe wheras the the L. Cardinal with foule play turnes the place in these termes We also are Emperours Which words can beare no such interpretation as well because he to whom the Bishop then spake was not of Imperiall dignitie as also because if the Bishop himselfe a Bishop of so small a citie as Nazianzum had qualified himselfe Emperour hee should haue passed all the bounds of modestie and had shewed himselfe arrogant aboue measure For as touching subiection due to Christian Emperours hee freely acknowledgeth a little before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that himselfe and his people are subiect vnto the superiour powers yea bound to pay them tribute The historie of the same Gregories life doeth testifie that he was drawen by the Arrians before the Consuls iudgement seate and from thence returned acquitted without either stripes or any other kinde of contumelious entreatie and vse yet now at last vp starts a Prelate who dares make this good Father vaunt himselfe to be an Emperour It is willingly granted that Emperours neuer challenged neuer arrogated to bee Soueraigne Iudges in controuersies of doctrine and faith neuerthelesse it is clearer then the Sunnes light at high noone that for moderation at Synods for determinations and orders established in Councils and for the discipline of the Church they haue made a good and a full vse of their Imperiall authoritie Vide Canones Graecos à Tilio editos The first Council held at Constantinople beares this title or inscription The dedication of the holy Synode to the most religious Emperour Theodosius the Great to whose will and pleasure they haue submitted these Canons by them addressed and established in Councill And there they also beseech the Emperour to confirme and approue the said Canons The like hath bene done by the Council of Trullo by whom the Canons of the fift and sixt Councils were put foorth and published This was not done because Emperours tooke vpon them to bee infallible Iudges of doctrine but onely that Emperours might see and iudge whether Bishops who feele the pricke of ambition as other men doe did propound nothing in their Conuocations and Consultations but most of all in their Determinations to vndermine the Emperours authoritie to disturbe the tranquilitie of the Common-wealth and to crosse the determinations of precedent Councils Now to take the cognizance of such matters out of the Kings hand or power what is it but euen to transforme the King into a standing Image to wring and wrest him out of all care of himselfe and his Kingly Charge yea to bring him downe to this basest condition to become onely an executioner and which I scorne to speake the vnhappy hangman of the Clergies will without any further cognizance not so much as of matters which most neerely touch himselfe and his Royall estate I grant it is for Diuinitie Scholes to iudge how farre the power of the Keyes doth stretch I grant againe that Clerics both may and ought also
to display the colours and ensignes of their censures against Princes who violating their publike and solemne oath doe raise and make open warre against Iesus Christ I grant yet againe that in this case they need not admit Laics to be of their counsell nor allow them any scope or libertie of iudgement Yet all this makes no barre to Clerics for extending the power of their keyes many times a whole degree further then they ought and when they are pleased to make vse of their said power to depriue the people of their goods or the Prince of his Crowne all this doeth not hinder Prince or people from taking care for the preseruation of their owne rights and estates nor from requiring Clerics to shew their cards and produce their Charts and to make demonstration by Scripture that such power as they assume and challenge is giuen them from God For to leaue the Pope absolute Iudge in the same cause wherein hee is a partie and which is the strongest rampier and bulwarke yea the most glorious and eminent point of his domination to arme him with power to vnhorse Kings out of their seates what is it else but euen to draw them into a state of despaire for euer winning the day or preuailing in their honourable and rightful cause It is moreouer granted if a King shall command any thing directly contrary to Gods word and tending to the subuerting of the Church that Clerics in this case ought not onely to dispense with subiects for their obedience but also expresly to forbid their obedience For it is alwayes better to obey God then man Howbeit in all other matters whereby the glory and maiestie of God is not impeached or impaired it is the duety of Clerics to plie the people with wholesome exhortation to constant obedience and to auert by earnest disswasions the said people from tumultuous reuolt and seditious insurrection This practise vnder the Pagan Emperours was held and followed by the ancient Christians by whose godly zeale and patience in bearing the yoke the Church in times past grew and flourished in her happy and plentifull increase farre greater then Poperie shall euer purchase and attaine vnto by all her cunning deuices and sleights as namely by degrading of Kings by interdicting of Kingdoms by apposted murders and by Diabolicall traines of Gunne-powder-mines The places of Scripture alleadged in order by the Cardinal Pag 66. in fauour of those that stand for the Popes claime of power and authoritie to depose Kings are cited with no more sincerity then the former They alledge these are his words that Samuel deposed King Saul or declared him to bee deposed because hee had violated the Lawes of the Iewes Religion His Lordship auoucheth elsewere that Saul was deposed because he had sought prophanely to vsurpe the holy Priesthood Both false and contrary to the tenour of trewth in the sacred history For Saul was neuer deposed according to the sense of the word I meane depose in the present question to wit as deposing is taken for despoiling the King of his royall dignitie and reducing the King to the condition of a priuate person But Saul held the title of King and continued in possession of his Kingdome euen to his dying day 1. Sam. 23.20 24.15 2. Sam. 2.5 Yea the Scripture styles him King euen to the periodicall and last day of his life by the testimony of Dauid himselfe who both by Gods promise and by precedent vnction was then heire apparant as it were to the Crown in a maner then ready to gird and adorne the temples of his head For if Samuel by Gods commandement had then actually remooued Saul from his Throne doubtlesse the whole Church of Israel had committed a grosse errour in taking and honouring Saul for their King after such deposition doubtlesse the Prophet Samuel himselfe making knowen the Lords Ordinance vnto the people would haue enioyned them by strict prohibition to call him no longer the King of Israel Doubtlesse Dauid would neuer haue held his hand from the throat of Saul 1. Sam. 26.11 for this respect and consideration because he was the Lords Anointed For if Saul had lost his Kingly authority from that instant when Samuel gaue him knowledge of his reiection then Dauid lest otherwise the Body of the Kingdome should want a Royall Head was to beginne his Reigne and to beare the Royall scepter in the very same instant which were to charge the holy Scriptures with vntrewth in as much as the sacred historie begins the computation of the yeeres of Dauids Reigne from the day of Sauls death Trew it is that in the 1. Sam. cap. 15. Saul was denounced by Gods owne sentence a man reiected and as it were excommunicated out of the Kingdome that hee should not rule and reigne any longer as King ouer Israel neuerthelesse the said sentence was not put in execution before the day when God executing vpon Saul an exemplarie iudgement did strike him with death From whence it is manifest and cleare 1. Sam. 16.23 that when Dauid was annointed King by Samuel that action was onely a promise and a testimony of the choice which God had made of Dauid for succession immediately after Saul and not a present establishment inuestment or installment of Dauid in the Kingdome Wee reade the like in 1. King cap. 19. where God commandeth Elias the Prophet to annoint Hasael King of Syria For can any man bee so blinde and ignorant in the sacred historie to beleeue the Prophets of Israel established or sacred the Kings of Syria For this cause 2. Sam. 2.4 when Dauid was actually established in the Kingdome hee was annointed the second time In the next place he brings in the Popes champions vsing these words Rehoboam was deposed by Ahiah the Prophet 1 King 12. from his Royall right ouer the tenne Tribes of Israel because his father Salomon had played the Apostata in falling from the Law of God This I say also is more then the trewth of the sacred history doeth afoard For Ahiah neuer spake to Rehoboam for ought we reade nor brought vnto him any message from the Lord As for the passage quoted by the L. Cardinal out of 3. Reg. chap. 11. it hath not reference to the time of Rehoboams raigne but rather indeed to Salomons time nor doeth it carry the face of a iudicatorie sentence for the Kings deposing but rather of a Propheticall prediction For how could Rehoboam before hee was made King be depriued of the Kingdome Last of all but worst of all to alleadge this passage for an example of a iust sentence in matter of deposing a King is to approoue the disloyall treacherie of a seruant against his master and the rebellion of Ieroboam branded in Scripture with a marke of perpetuall infamie for his wickednesse and impietie He goes on with an other example of no more trewth 1. King 19. King Achab was deposed by Elias the Prophet
generall and maine grounds the principall things that haue bene agitated in this Parliament and whereof I will now speake First the Arrand for which you were called by me And that was for supporting of my state and necessities The second is that which the people are to mooue vnto the King To represent vnto him such things whereby the Subiects are vexed or wherein the state of the Common wealth is to be redressed And that is the thing which you call grieuances The third ground that hath bene handled amongst you and not onely in talke amongst you in the Parliament but euen in many other peoples mouthes aswell within as without the Parliament is of a higher nature then any of the former though it be but an Incident and the reason is because it concernes a higher point And this is a doubt which hath bene in the heads of some of my Intention in two things First whether I was resolued in the generall to continue still my gouernment according to the ancient forme of this State and the Lawes of this Kingdome Or if I had an intention not to limit my selfe within those bounds but to alter the same when I thought conuenient by the absolute power of a King The other branch is anent the Common Law which some had a conceit I disliked and in respect that I was borne where another forme of Law was established that I would haue wished the Ciuill Law to haue bene put in place of the Common Law for gouernment of this people And the complaint made amongst you of a booke written by doctour Cowell was a part of the occasion of this incident But as touching my censure of that booke I made it already to bee deliuered vnto you by the Treasurer here sitting which he did out of my owne directions and notes and what he said in my name that had he directly from me But what hee spake of himselfe therein without my direction I shal alwayes make good for you may be sure I will be loth to make so honest a man a lyer or deceiue your expectations alwayes within very few dayes my Edict shall come forth anent that matter which shall fully discouer my meaning There was neuer any reason to mooue men to thinke that I could like of such grounds For there are two qualities principally or rather priuations that make Kings subiect to flatterie Credulitie and Ignorance and I hope none of them can bee iustly obiected to mee For if Alexander the great for all his learning had bene wise in that point to haue considered the state of his owne naturall body and disposition hee would neuer haue thought him selfe a god And now to the matter As it is a Christan duety in euery man Reddere rationem fidei and not to be ashamed to giue an account of his profession before men and Angels as oft as occasion shall require So did I euer hold it a necessitie of honour in a iust and wise King though not to giue an account to his people of his actions yet clearely to deliuer his heart and intention vnto them vpon euery occasion But I must inuert my order and begin first with that incident which was last in my diuision though highest of nature and so goe backward THe State of MONARCHIE is the supremest thing vpon earth For Kings are not onely GODS Lieutenants vpon earth and sit vpon GODS throne but euen by GOD himselfe they are called Gods There bee three principall similitudes that illustrate the state of MONARCHIE One taken out of the word of GOD and the two other out of the grounds of Policie and Philosophie In the Scriptures Kings are called Gods and so their power after a certaine relation compared to the Diuine power Kings are also compared to Fathers of families for a King is trewly Parens patriae the politique father of his people And lastly Kings are compared to the head of this Microcosme of the body of man Kings are iustly called Gods for that they exercise a manner or resemblance of Diuine power vpon earth For if you wil consider the Attributes to God you shall see how they agree in the person of a King God hath power to create or destroy make or vnmake at his pleasure to giue life or send death to iudge all and to bee iudged nor accomptable to none To raise low things and to make high things low at his pleasure and to God are both soule and body due And the like power haue Kings they make and vnmake their subiects they haue power of raising and casting downe of life and of death Iudges ouer all their subiects and in all causes and yet accomptable to none but God onely They haue power to exalt low things and abase high things and make of their subiects like men at the Chesse A pawne to take a Bishop or a Knight and to cry vp or downe any of their subiects as they do their money And to the King is due both the affection of the soule and the seruice of the body of his subiects And therefore that reuerend Bishop here amongst you though I heare that by diuers he was mistaken or not wel vnderstood yet did he preach both learnedly and trewly annent this point concerning the power of a King For what he spake of a Kings power in Abstracto is most trew in Diuinitie For to Emperors or Kings that are Monarches their Subiects bodies goods are due for their defence and maintenance But if I had bene in his place I would only haue added two words which would haue cleared all For after I had told as a Diuine what was due by the Subiects to their Kings in general I would then haue concluded as an Englishman shewing this people That as in generall all Subiects were bound to relieue their King So to exhort them that as wee liued in a setled state of a Kingdome which was gouerned by his owne fundamentall Lawes and Orders that according thereunto they were now being assembled for this purpose in Parliament to consider how to helpe such a King as now they had And that according to the ancient forme and order established in this Kingdome putting so a difference betweene the generall power of a King in Diuinity and the setled and established State of this Crowne and Kingdome And I am sure that the Bishop meant to haue done the same if hee had not bene straited by time which in respect of the greatnesse of the presence preaching before me and such an Auditory he durst not presume vpon As for the Father of a familie they had of olde vnder the Law of Nature Patriam potestatem which was Potestatem vitae necis ouer their children or familie I meane such Fathers of families as were the lineall heires of those families whereof Kings did originally come For Kings had their first originall from them who planted and spread themselues in Colonies through the world Now a Father may dispose of his