disputes after this manner As God is to be considered about the will in evil so also in good but in the evil will he only works permissively by suffering the same to rush on by its owne motion and desire but not by moving the same Otherwise he should be the Authour of sinne Therefore also he workes good in the will onely permissively suffering the same to act by its own strength but not by moving the same otherwise the liberty thereof should be taken away This was Pelagius Logicke the which very thing now a dayes the Patrons of bare permission and Preposterous Defenders of Gods righteousnesse do unwittingly maintain But Austin shews both the premisses of the Pelagian subtilty to be false The Proposition is false because God workes one way in the good will another way in the evill The former he makes good of evill whereas by nature he finds all to be evill none good but being made good by himselfe he moves them effectually yet so as their liberty remaineth as hath bin expounded The latter he makes not evill but finds them so The assumption is also false for he not onely forsakes and suffers the wicked will which he findeth to rush on whether it pleaseth but also delivers the same over to Satan and their own desires yea moving and inclining the same how he will that by doing the evill it wills it becomes subject unto his judgement secret indeed but never unrighteous in a manner whither explicable unto us or inexplicable as Austin speaketh and as in the fore-alledged examples we have seen Notwithstanding he is not the cause of sin Lib 5 Cont. Iulican cap. 3 for he useth the wicked will to execute his judgements most holily neither is he any more the cause of the sin which evill men commit by executing his judgements by them then the ungodly are the cause of the good which he worketh through them Luther against Erasmus doth perspicuously declare the matter by similies A Rider rideth well though he use a lame or halting horse De ser arb cap. 148 The Artificer formes of putrefied wood an artificious image Notwithstanding there is halting in the riding not by fault of the Rider but by the defect of the horse In the image is putrefaction not through fault of the Artificer but by defect of the wood So by the selling of Ioseph the betraying of Iudas God brought to passe unspeakable good yet in both wickednesse was committed not indeed on Gods part but by the perfidiousnesse of the brethren and of Iudas But thou wilt say the same sinnes are attributed as to the wicked so to God True if thou consider the words onely and not the meaning of the Scripture Now this is done with great difference They are ascribed unto Satan and wicked men in regard of themselves and as they are wicked actions committed by them against the Law But to God so far as by accident they serve unto his secret judgements which he useth to execute most righteously even by wicked men doing most wickedly The reason of the diversity comes partly from the divers end partly from the forme of actions The rule of final causes for a different end makes different actions according to the rule Finall and impulsive causes make the differences of actions Hence two doing the same thing yet do not the same though both do somewhat which is either good or indifferent when as they have divers ends differing in morall qualitie Gods end is allwayes good wicked mens evill in the selling of Ioseph his brethren fulfilled their hatred against the Law Thou shalt not kill In the oppression of the Iewes the Babylonians enlarged their Tyranny to the injuring of their neighbours against the Law Thou shalt not steale And therefore both these and the other did sinne But God to whom both these are attributed Gen. 45.8 Isa 10.7.19 had a most holy end in both viz. Iosephs exalting Gen. 50.20 and his peoples chastisement according to the Law Isa 10.6 Therefore he sinned not Read the tenth Chapter of Isaiah touching this diversity of ends in the same worke and thou shalt learne that what the Chaldeans did most evilly God by them did the same most righteously In the forme of actions the distinction is more evident for three things distinctly to be considered concurre in those actions of wicked men which God is said to do 1. The Motion 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the vitiousnesse of the motion and 3. the secret judgement of God Motion is a naturall good thing And therefore it is from God in whom also the wicked live move and have their beeing The secret judgements of God are morally good even workes of justice and mercy And therefore are of right attributed to God The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or pravitie of the motion prohibited by the Law makes the motion vitious and sinfull This therefore is not of God but remotely flowes from the devill and more nearly from the froward will and malice of men whensoever therefore the workes of evill men are in Scripture attributed unto God as affirming that God doth them or that they are from God This is not to be understood simply but with limitation that is not in respect of the disorder and pravity but first in respect of the motions so farre as they are naturall motions secondly and chiefly in regard of the secret Iudgements which God executes in and by the same But here thou wilt happily demand whether it may not rightly be said that God doth permit sins yea verily yet with a twofold limitation First that to permit and to grant is not the same thing as if God did permit men to sin without punishing the same like as some Magistrates permit Brothel-houses where fornication is committed without punishment Now God doth not so for his permitting of sin is not to hinder but suffer that they should be committed through the vitiousnesse of men and concur with his Iudgements Secondly we must not understand such a bare permission as is a cessation altogether of the divine providence in the workes of evill men which thing onely is in question betwixt us and the Pelagians but restrained unto the vitiousnesse of their workes being repugnant to the nature and Law of God For herein God himselfe doth something something he doeth not but permits it to be done by men He permits sins to be done as they are sins not hindering the doing of the same nor correcting sinners that they should not sin whereas he could do both But he doth two things I. The motions and naturall actions themselves of evill men by a generall influence as the Schools speak sometimes also by a speciall II. His Iudgements or events agreeing to his goodnesse and justice the which if he did not respect he would never permit sins to be committed and this he doth by moderating and effectually directing as the sins so other means also comming in between to make them
which is to come Pag. 7. 14. Touching the seven Spirits from whom Iohn wisheth Grace to the Churches whither they be seven created Spirits or the Holy Ghost Pag. 9. 15. Whither in verse 5. there be a soloecisme against certaine Popish Interpreters Pag. 12. 16. The Priesthood of the New Testament whither it bee common to the Faithfull or proper to the Clergie Pag. 14. 17. Wherher Christ be and how hee calleth himselfe Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end the first and the last against Eniedinus the Samosatenian Pag. 16. 38. 587. 18. Of the Lords day Pag. 20. 19. Whether he that appeared among the Candlestickes were Christ and what it teacheth and whither the ubiquitie of Christs flesh bee thence proved Pag. 23. 20. Whither Hereticks do rightly gather that Christ is not God because he saith that he was dead Pag. 26. 27. 21. How the Candlestickes are the Churches and the starres the Candlestickes and of Sacramentall phrases Pag. 28. 29. 419. In Chapter II. 22. A disputation about the Saints how farre they may fall or not and of their perseverance Pag. 34. 71. 23. Whither the Church must suffer for the sin of her Pastor Pag. 35. 24. Of the Heresie of the Nicolaitans Pag. 36. 44. 45. 25. Whither because the Papacy is not the true Church of Christ there was no true Church before Luthers time and where it was 43. and in the Praeface Pag. 19. 26. Of the woman Jezabel Pag. 48. 49. 27. Whether and how Christ is called the Searcher of the heart and reines which is proved against the Hereticke Eniedinus Pag. 50. 51. In Chapter III. 28. Whether because the Saints are said to bee worthy that they should walke with Christ clothed in white robes or from the promise of the reward of workes or from the future judgement according to works c. it bee rightly inferred that good works are the meritorious cause of Eternall Life Pag. 58. 250. 357. 384. 29. Of the Book of Life and of them that are written in the same Pag. 60. 384. 30. That the Pope of Rome as Antichrist lifteth up himselfe and is lifted up by his followers above Christ Pag. 63. 297. 298. 31. A dispute touching the grace and cause of conversion differencing us from others Pag. 67. 68. 81. 32. Of hot cold and luke-warm persons in Religion Pag. 76. In Chapter IV. 33. Of the four and twenty Elders and of the four Beasts Pag. 90. 92. In Chapter VI. 34. Of the nine persecutions of the Church Pag. 110. 35. A discourse touching the blacke-horse and his Rider Pag. 112. 113. 127. 36. Of the pale-horse and of the mortall palenesse of the Church whence it came and when Pag. 116. 117. 173. 174 c. 37. Of the soules of the Martyrs under the Altar and of their crying Pag. 119. 120. 38. Of Intercession and invocation of Saints Pag. 122. 147. 39. Of the rising of the westerne and easterne Antichrist Pag. 124. 125. 127. 144. 170. 186. 289. 290. c. 304. 40. Of the pride and tyranny of Romane Popes against Emperours and Kings Pag. 130. 163. In Chapter VIII 41. Of the Angell with the Censer at the Altar Pag. 153. 154. 42. Of the analogy of the seven Seals Trumpets and Vials Pag. 137. 374 375. In Chapter IX 43. Of the Locusts and their application unto Antichrists clergy Pag. 177 c. In Chapter X. 44. Of oathes Pag. 203. In Chapter XI 45. Whither the Church could and may erre Pag. 213. 46. A disputation touching the forty two Moneths Pag. 216 c. 47. Of the Fable and Historie of the two witnesses Pag. 221. 222. 48. Of the 1260. dayes Pag. 224. 225. 49. Of Antichrists three yeeres reigne and an halfe Pag. 230. 231. 240. 286. 50. Of the great Citie Babylon that it is not Ierusalem but Rome yea Popish Rome Pag. 235. 236. 343. 344. 349. 399. 443. In Chapter XII 51. Of the woman clothed with the Sun and standing upon the Moone whether shee bee the same with the woman afterward sitting upon the Beast Pag. 257. 258. 52. Of the battle of Michael with the the Dragon Pag. 265. 53. Diverse opinions about the womans flight into the wildernesse Pag. 275 54. What time is noted by time times and a halfe time Pag. 276. In Chapter XIII 55. It is disputed touching the former Beast ascending out of the Sea 282 c. And what the Authour held about it Pag. 287. 408. 409. 415. 56. A dispute about the mortal wound of the Beast Pag. 293 c. 57. Of the second two horned Beast Pag. 304. 58. Of the Image of the Beast Pag. 310. 311. 59. Of the Character of the Beast Pag. 313. 60. Of the number of the beasts name Pag. 316. 317. c. 61. That the Pope of Rome did not now of late begin to be accounted the Antichrist Pag. 318. 319. In Chapter XIV 62. Riberas disputation touching the Sealed ones and of the Virgines standing with the Lambe on the Mountain Pag. 329 c. 63. Of the Angell flying through the midst of Heaven with the Eternall Gospell Pag. 338. 64. A dispute touching the great Citie against Ribera Pag. 346 c. 65. How the dead in the Lord are blessed Pag. 355. In Chapter XVI 66. Of the seven Vials whether they bee the same with the seven Seales and with the seven Trumpets Pag. 375. 67. Of the seven Angels pouring out the Vials who they are and what the pouring out of the Vials is Pag. 376. 68. Of the plagues following the pouring out of the seven Vials Pag. 376. 377. 69. Of the King of the East and the drying up of Euphrates Pag. 390. 70. Of the three Spirits sâ—nt out unto the Kings of the Earth Pag. 394. 395. In Chapter XVII 71. That the woman sitting on the Beast is Popish Rome Antichrists Seat and Antichrist himselfe Pag. 404. 409. 72. Of the Beast which was and is not and shall ascend out of the pit disputed with Ribera Pag. 416. 73. Of the seven Mountains of Rome and the seven Kings Pag. 420 c. 74. Of the Pope of Rome when hee was made chiefe Pontife the eighth King and Antichrist Pag. 428 c. 75. Of the ten Kings signified by the hornes of the Beast Pag. 433. 438. 76. Whether Rome according to Riberas fiction is to bee burned before the comming of Antichrist Pag. 441. 77. How God giveth into the heart that is worketh in mens hearts the liberty of their will remaining Pag. 444. 78. Whither God after the same manner gave good and evill into the hearts of the Kings and whether hence it followes that he is the Authour of sinne Pag. 446. 79. How the Kings in eating the flesh of the whore and burning her with fire did the good pleasure of God Pag. 449. In Chapter XVIII 80. Of the causes of the ruine of Babylon that is of Rome Pag. 456. 81. How the stirring up of the Saints to revenge Render to her is agreeable to the
make manifest for Iohn being banished in the â—le of Patmos began alreadie to feel the fury of Domitian And here the dream of such is refuted who binde the fulfilling of this prophesie to the last three years before the end of the world 4 Iohn to the seven Churches Those things being forespoken of which served to gain autority attention to this booke John dedicates the revelation to the seveÌ„ Churches of Asia wishing Grace and peace unto them By seven Andreas understandeth all the Churches Because in scripture the number seven is a number of perfection but because the seven Churches in Asia are as it were nominated by a marke to be knowen therefore I understand that it was purposely dedicated unto them not that the revelation belongeth not to others but because the first vision doth directly concerne them the rest generally belongs to the whole Church Of Asia He speaketh of Asia the lesser or that part of Asia Ptolo. lib. 5 geogra cap. 2. which is invironed from the East with both countries of Armenia from the west with the Aegean sea from the North with the Euxine sea from the south with the Mediteranian sea Here Iohn had planted seven Churches of note whereof that of Ephesus was the greatest but after he was banished the teachers carelesly performing their office he is commanded in the first vision to reprove admonish them of their duty Grace to you and peace be or be multiplied as in 1 Pet. 1 2 by a familiar salutation he seekes to gaine the good will of those whom he was afterwards more sharply to admonish The Apostolical salutation hath beene opened in the Epistle to the Romans and Corinthians Grace is that free favor of God from which doth flow all the mercies of God and every good thing which we enjoy The Glosse doth wel understand it of the free forgivenes of sins Peace the effect of Grace is the tranquillity and joy of the conscience Rom. 1.2 of which the Apostle speaketh being justified by faith we have peace with God The Hebrews by the word peace understand all maner of prosperitie and hence the Apostles in the beginning all most of all their Epistles doe not with out cause wish the same unto the faithful Which is and which was and which is to come It is manifest that this is a paraphrase of the name of God who alone is the author and giver of Grace peace But others do interpret it otherwise Some of the father alone from whom the Apostles generally desire grace to the Churches Rom. 1.7 Grace and peace be to you from God our father he is called which IS because he is from none but the beginning of the deity is from him And which was because he was before all time in eternitie And which is to come Iohn 5.12 because he wil come to judge the world by the son that the father is said to judge no man is to be referred to the immediate judgement For the father hath not so given over the judgement to the son as not to keepe the power of judging stil in his owne hand Others refer all to the person of the son For he is he which is because Christ is the same God with the father which was because the word was in the beginning and which is to come because he will come in the clouds to judgement vers 7. Others will have the three persons to be noted by three differences of time attributing the severall times to the severall persons that is which is to the father which was to the son and that which is to come to the holy Ghost his coming in to the Church by proceeding from the father the son so Andreas grace be to you peace from the Godhead which subsisteth in three persons To be short others thinke that God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 essentially described and doe apply all the words to every one of the persons for the father is he which is which was and which is to come so is the son and so is the holy Ghost What then all these expositions were right and godly if Iohn in these words had ended his prayer but he addeth and from the seven spirits and from Iesus Christ by which hee declareth that he directeth his prayer in the behalfe of the Churches to the holy Trinitie But not indeed in words commonly used yet such as are convenient to his purpose for the stile of this prophesie hath many things proper and excellent fitted to the argument of visions which not being observed by some interpreters they vainly wearie themselves and go astray For seldom the name of God or of the father or of the son or of the holy Ghost is found in the revelation in expresse words But John speaking of God useth for the most part propheticall descriptions Therefore this prayer is set downe in words agreeing to the excellent proprieties of this prophesie and in stead of the ordinarie forme of salutations used of the Apostles Rom. 1.7 as grace and peace to you from God our father and from the Lord Iesus Christ or the grace of the Lord Iesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the holy Ghost be with you all Iohn useth this kind as more proper and secret Grace and peace from him which is and which was and which is to come and from the seven spirits and from Iesus Christ c. in which words the true God three in persons one in essence is described as the divine attribute and prayer of the Apostle doe plainly manifest Now I come to the particulars From him which is Thus he describeth the person of the father by attributes proper to the divine essence yet common to every one of the persons Hereupon Christ assumes the same to himself vers 7. which is a most evident argument of his divinity And it is a description of eternity including and exceeding the three differences of the time present past and to come that is from him which is was and shall bee the words which is to come being put for shall be as in that of John 16 13. He will shew you things to come Act. 18 21. that is things that shall be so I must keepe the feast that cometh in Jerusalem And it seemeth that he altogether intended here to expresse that name of God in Exodus Exod. 3.14 EHIEH I wil be from which cometh the name Jehovah in which word as Vatablus wel observeth the Hebrewes take notice of those three differences of time It serveth for the great comfort of the Church in that he prayeth for grace peace not simply from God the father but from him which is which was and which is to come who alwayes remaineth the same and with whom is no variablenes Iam. 1 17. nor shadow of turning Indeed in the world the Church hath experience of diverse changes but in God alone she findeth constant
by the word of God and manifested and repressed their lyes and deceit For now at this time there were many false teachers among the Churches of Asia as Ebion Cerinthus and others who though they boasted themselves to be Apostles yet in truth were the professed enemies of the Godhead of Christ corrupting true religion and perverting the faith of many Act. 20 29. of whom Paul had forewarned the elders of this Church For it is the duty of teachers to defende the purity of faith and strongly to oppose such devouring wolves so to follow the example of the Angel of this Church who for this cause is greatly commended by Christ our Lord. Vers 3. And hast borne and hast patience He setteth forth more clearly his patience pointing at some special kinde of affliction either imprisonmēt or stripes which he had manfully sustained Before Christ saith he could not beare and here saith he had borne but there is no contradiction for there he spake of his not suffering of impenitent sinners in the Church and here of his patient bearing of afflictions for the Gospels sake And for my names sake hast laboured The vulgar as likewise Montanus doe somewhat differ from these words but without all doubt this is the proper and naturall reading of the place agreeing with the greater and lesser copies of Robert Stephanus imprinted at Paris For it appeareth that his labour and unwearied indeavours in sparing no paines to preach and maintain the faith of Christ is again commended that all might imitate the like diligence and faithfulnes in teaching for in this Angel we may behold a true paterne of a faithfull Bishop But now who would not thinke hearing so great commendations from Christ himself that he had been perfect in every respect and worthy of deserved reward Iob. 15 15 but the following reproofe sheweth the contrary and indeed God the heavenly judge seeth not perfection in the very best of the saincts 4. 2 part of the narration But neverthelesse I have somewhat against thee In the second part of the narration he reproveth him because he had left his former love Ambrose thinketh that he is blamed for a generall remisnesse and omission of his former zeal and indeavour in holy duties For security sometimes doth lessen the zeale even of the Godly so that they have need to be stirred up and provoked to holy duties Andreas understandeth that he is in speciall rebuked for not shewing as he ought◠his wonted love and charity to the poore And indeed it seemeth that he began by little and little to be covetous desiring to heap up wealth and so grew negligent of doing good to the strangers and poore brethren now covetousnes is the roote of all evill and most abominable in the teachers of the word for it is one of the principall vertues in a Bishop to be given to hospitality and to be a lover of it 1 Tim. 3.2 Tit. 1 8. And this seemeth to be the reason wherefore the cannon law allowed to Bishops one forth part of the Church revenues to the end they should be liberall the rest was given to the poore other uses It is probable therefore that this Angel otherwise an excellent teacher is here taxed for coveteousnes From whence we first observe that the godly faile in many things and have need to be stirred up by admonitions and reproose specially when either they grow cold in their good affections or are overcome with the cares of this present world and the desire of wealth and honour For the devil doth chiefly labour to ensnare all teachers by such baits and therefore they ought so much the more to take heed least hereby beeing overcome they become a scandall to the Church of God Observe secondly that ambition and coveteousnesse in ministers are the most lothsome vices that may be and therefore they ought to be the more carefull for to avoid the same We have an example of ambition in the disciples For when Christ spake to them of the crosse they were troubled about preeminency asking who of them should be the greatest Ciprian saith wittily that ambition doth sweetly sleepe in the bosome of the ministers of the Church And as for coveteousnes or desire of filthy lucre by how much it is detestable by so much the more it doth cleave and deeply roote it self in their harts hence it is that Creon in Sophocles saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is The whole priestly generation is given to coveteousnesse And certainly all the sacrilegious sale of holy things simony pride and luxurie which reigne in the Romish Church was ingendred by coveteousnes and at length by little and little overthrew the truth of Christian religion according to the Latine proverb Religion begate riches but the daughter deroured the mother For as Ierom wel observeth In vita Malchi after that the Christian Church had Emperors to be members thereof it increased indeed in power and riches but decreased in vertue and godlinesse giving us to understand that where coveteousnes and pride have gotten the upper hand there vertue and religion is cast off and oppressed Observe thirdly though Christ doth commend the excellent workes labour constancy of the Angel of this Church yet he was so farr from acknowledging any merit in him as that on the contrary he sharply reproves him for many grievous evils and threatneth to cast him off except be repent For Christ doth narrowly see and observe all our actions and strictly weigheth all our workes in the ballance Wherefore God forbid we should imagine to merit by any good we doe though indeed hypocrites commonly so thinke whereas the word of God doth testifie that all the workes even of the most holy men on earth are polluted with sinne and all our righteousnesses are as filthy ragges Isay 64.6 if God should enter into judgement with us Besides we can do nothing but what we are bound to doe for we are debrors to the law And therefore can not by our good works Ro. 8.12 to which we are debtors deserve any thing at the hands of God Observe in the last place that it is not enough to begin wel but if we looke for the recompence of reward we must persevere in wel doing unto the end For hypocrites at first seeme very zealous but afterward they grow luke warm and at last are altogether cold and so receive not the crowne of glory at the last day 5. Remember from whence thou art fallen This is the third part of the narration being matter full of reproofe First the teacher is exhorted to consider his fall Secondly to repent of his many evils Thirdly carefully to practise all his former holy workes of love and charity now neglected So that in this exhortation we have briefly the nature of true repentance propounded unto us First to take notice of the sinne committed A description of repentance for how else should we sorrow for
true Messias before whom there was no other neyther shall there be any after him But 1 Isai 44.6 the text sheweth the falshood hereof for as in Isai Jehova calleth himself the first and the last absolutelie so here Christ speaketh the same of himself both absolutely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and with an Emphasis also that is with an expresse signification of his person I am that first and that last 2. Though it be true that this belongeth to God the Father yet is it not true that it belongeth to him onely For the Son beeing one in Essence with the father assumeth it likewise unto himself even as he saith in the Gospel I and the father are one For as is the Fatâ—er so is the Son because as among men the Father and the Son Qualis pater talis filius are of one the same essence Even so as God the father is the first and the last that is Eternall so also is God the Son the first and the last that is Eternally begotten before the world was For the father who is Eternall cannot have a son but he must be Eternall also forasmuch as the Father is not without the Son Lastly we grant that Christ is called the first and the last in regard of his office because neyther before him was nor after him shall be any other Messias yet it is false that Christ is onely so called in regard thereof not chiefly in respect of his Essence For the Word was in the beginning not in regard of his office onely but of his divine nature for the Word was God In which respect Christ said to the Iewes before Abraham was I am But the heretike further objecteth that he who absolutely is said to be the first and the last that is he whose essence is without beginning or ending he cannot die For he that dieth ceaseth to be But Christ saith of himself that although he now liveth yet he was dead therfore he is not absolutely called the first the last I answer There is a fallacie in the argument as I have before shewed in chap. 1.18 For Christ saith not that he was dead simply neyther according to his divinity in which regard he is the first and the last absolutelie but as he tooke Flesh and in this regard he coulddy as the scriptures testify 1 Pet. 4.1 1 Pet. 3.8 Christ suffered for us in the Flesh he was mortified in the Flesh c. which limitation he himself propoundeth to us in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and lived for he saith not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he lived again nor in the present tense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he liveth but in the preterperfect tense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he lived or was alive to wit even then when he was dead in the flesh he lived as he was God Now this could not possibly be in respect of one the same nature Therefore there was in Christ being dead in Flesh another nature to wit divine the which sustained raised up his dead body Thus we have freed the eight argument of Christs godhead from the cavils of the heretike the repetition whereof was not unprofitable because of the grievous trials dangers martyrdoms which were to befal them of Smyrna for the gospels sake now here Christ doth encourage them to be faithfull even unto death because he once being dead liveth eternally and dyeth no more but remayneth for ever to defend all his and to restore them from death to life I know they workes The whole narration is ful of prayse comfort and containes three things 1 a commendation of their vertue 2. a praediction of the dangers at hand 3. an exhortation to constancle The Vulgar omitteth thy workes as here so v. 13. But the words are in the greeke copies Workes in this place are not to be understood as before v. 2. indifferently eyther for good or evil for Christ reproveth nothing in this pastor not that he was without sinne but as irreprovable in his life and office and blamelesse before men 1 Tim. 3.1 Tit. 1.7 the which the Apostle requireth in a Bishop But to be taken of good workes onlie the which he commendeth in this Bishop and encourageth him to perseverance in the same I know An hebrew phrase that is I approve by worker I understand in general the moral vertues wherwith he was excellently indued as also his zeal diligence in performing the worke of his ministrie Hence we are taught alwayes to remember that Christ beholds our actions takes delight in whatsoever is good what is evil in us he disliketh let us therfore walke with reverence in his presence that so he without beeing offended with us may still walke amongst us He addeth three other things in special concerning his commendation Thy Tribulation Which thou hast sustained at the hands both of Jewes and Gentiles for my name sake And thy Povertie that is spoild of thy earthly estate by the adversaries of the truth for the Governours of Provinces persecuting as they pretended the Christians for their religion did chiefly thirst after their goods so robbing them made a publicke sale therof even as it is to this day the common practice of the Romish harpies But thou art rich this being put in by a parenthesis mitigates the miserie of his povertie calling him rich because the faithful howsoever spoiled of their outward estate are yet possessors of heavenly riches Heb. 1.2 which the wicked cannot deprive them of for by faith they inherit Christ Who is the heire of all things And in whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge This is indeed one of the Paradoxes of our religion that Christians are rich in God though poore to the world Now this thing ought not to seem strange unto us seeing heathen philosophers could say that onely wise men are rich men in as much as wisedome alone sufficeth to make a man blessed but how much more then doth the true knowledge of God and of Christ inrich us with all spiritual blessings whatsoever becomes of our transitorie goods in this life And the blasphemie of them That is the Iewes who persecuted the Christians blasphemed Christ counted him a deceiver a magician and justy crucified opbraiding the Christians to be idle and foolishmen Apolog. cap. ult worthy of nothing but stripes torments hanging the like as Tertullian recordeth Now these blasphemers named themselves for honour sake Iewes as if they were the onely people of God But Christ saith they are no Iewes but a Synagogue of Satan that is a blasphemous congregation led by Satan to their destruction Thus Christ applies the title of their Synagogue wherin they boasted to their shame and approbrie And are not For he is not a Jew which is one outwardly neyther is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh but he which is one inwardly c. Here we see that titles availe
consolation against two sorts of temptations The first in this verse the second is expounded in the verse following by a close Prolepsis or prevention For having said that he had set a doore open before them which none should shut this might seeme impossible considering how on the one side the Iewes their professed enemies did much ennoy them againe on the other hand how the unbeleeving citizens magistrates togither with the kings and Romane Emperors did miserably afflict them yea and how Christ himselfe foretels that they should suffer yet greater troubles for his names sake Here then I say might they not doubt how this doore should be kept open by Christ against the adversaries and not rather in a short time be shut up that is oppressed and destroyed by them To these feares hee opposeth distinct remedies and to the end that neither the Iewes perversnesse might offend them nor the oppression of tyrants dismay them Christ assures them that he will turne the one to their good and deliver them from the other And this is the coherence and sum of these two verses That which concernes the first temptation is comprehended in these words behold I give them of the Synagogue of Satan c. so he calleth the Jewes as in cha 2.9 I give that is I rayse up adversaries against thee who shal cruellie hate both thee and the Church for looke as the Iewes continually persecuted the Apostles by raising up against them tumults in all places to hinder the propagation of the Gospel so would they doe unto these of Philadelphia Now to comfort them herein Christ useth diverse reasons First his providence I saith he give that is they shall not fall upon you by chance but by my appointment and to the end that yee should be tryed and therfore yee ought patiently to endure this temptation and alwayes to trust in mee for I will give nothing but what shal bee for your good and profit And thus I understand these words howsoever others are otherwise minded But doth not Christ in this make himself the author of sinne seeing the malice of these Iewes against the Christians was verie sinfull I answer it followeth not For Christ raysed up the Iewes against his servants not putting this rage into them but using them onelie for the others trial as is expressed in the end of the following verse to try them that dwell upon the face of the earth This is the first consolation and ground of all the rest For he which beleeveth that his troubles are sent of God wil bear them patiently and assuredlie hope that God wil turne all things unto his good Who are of the Synagogue of Satan A second consolation is taken from the vanitie of their adversaries for they lyed in calling themselves Jewes that is the praysers of God deriving their name from Iudah which signifies to prayse as if they had been the ofspring of Iuda the children of Abraham and onely people of God But indeed they were not Iewes but a Synagogue of Satan se chap. 2.9 by which we are taught not to admire by pocrites for the glorious titles which they vainlie assume unto themselves The Papists to this day boast as beeing the Catholike Church but they are a Synagogue of Satan because they keep not the word of Christ but persecute it whatever they pretend to the contrarie For Christ saith hee that beleeveth on wee hath life everlasting But they on the contrarie not he that beleeveth in Christ but hee that beleeveth the decrees of the Church of Rome and subjecteth himself unto the Pope hee shall have life eternall Behold I wil make them to come and worship before thy feet The third consolation is taken from the profitable event of their troubles viz. the marveilous conversion of these Iewes unto the faith of Christ I will saith hee for a little while exercise thee and the Church by these lying Iewes but a while after I will convert them suffer therfore their injuries patiently for shortly they shall become your friends and bretheren Their conversion is described by these signes they shall come and worship before thy feet that is in a humble manner desire pardon for their offence joyne themselves unto your congregation Hee speakes not of that religious worship which is due unto God and Christ alone but of an outward reverence and falling downe before the feet of the pastor and the whole Church in signe of true repentance For the word in the original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is derived of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a dogge and properlie signifies such a manner of falling downe before the feet of any in signe of subjection as whelps doe in fauning on their masters Metaphoricallie it is used for divine worship or reverence but here it is taken properlie Now behold the wonderful conversion of these Iewes which yet is not to be ascribed unto their owne free wil for of themselves they could not have repented but this worke was wrought in them onely by the grace of Christ for he saith J will make them to come which shewes the end or consolatorie effect And to know that I have loved thee That is howsoever for the present they are your enemies and account you as men appointed to destruction yet when they shal be converted they will bee of another minde and know that I loved thee for thy patience and sufferance For I love them that love mee Because no man will suffer adversitie for my names sake except he love mee Hence we may note two excellent doctrines First that we ought not to despaire of the salvation of our adversaries For it is easie with Christ of wolves to make them sheep of enemies friends and therfore we should always pray unto the Lord for their conversion who are elected we know there are twelve houres in the day and that God cals some in the morning some at noon and some at evening and then worketh such an admirable change in their soules as of persecutors they become professors of a Synagogue of Satan a Church and spouse of Iesus Christ as we see in the knowen examples of Nobuchadnezzer Paul and others Unto whom we may also adde these Iewes here spoken of Secondlie we se that the conversion of the wicked is not to be ascribed unto any freewil in them for Christ makes them to come and worship Ioh. 15.5 Ioh. 6.44 And without him we 〈◊〉 be nothing according to that saying no man come can unto the Sonne except the Father draw him The consideration whereof puts us in minde both of our â—â—â—erie weaknes which is come upon us by sinne as also of the great mercie of God towards us for although indeed it may in some sort be applied to our willingned that we come and worship to others their unwillingnes that they come not but rather blaspheme the name of Christ yet the true and primarie cause which maketh us willing wheras others in the mean time
are left in their unwillingnesse is the free mercie and grace of Christ by which we are differenced and made better then others according as it is here said I wil make them to come c. 1. Cor. 4.7 Rom. 9.18 and again who hath made thee to differ for he hath mercie on whom he will have mercie and whom he will he hardeneth Here fals in a question how Christ makes us to come to worship The Sophisters who plead for free-will confesse indeed that this is a worke of grace and without which no man can come notwithstanding they affirme that a man before hee is in the state of grace hath a free-wil to doe good although weak and sleepie which will say they by grace is awakened and strengthened and so it cooperates with grace yea prevents it in the verie act of conversion beeing as it were a co-working cause as when two horses draw a chariot or two men togither carie some waightie burden Moreover they affirme that free-will is like a seeing man who albeit in the darke he discernes nothing by reason of the indisposition of the means yet beeing brought into the light he presentlie discerneth every thing So likewise they discourse much though differing among themselves of the sympathie or agreement betwixt grace and the will The Scotists will have grace to worke nothing on the will but to have its influences on the effects But the Iesuites with Thomas affirme the contrarie that grace workes upon the will yet so as by an indifferent influence and so is distinguished from it according as the will is eyther good or evill But herein they all agree that grace is onelie perswasive such as is the motion of Orators unto their auditorie unto which the will if it will eyther doth or doth not give efficacie and entertainment Ephes 2.1 Ier. 13.23 1 Cor. 2.14 which was the heresie of Pelagius Now on the contrarie the scripture teacheth that the naturall man lies dead in sinne and is like unto an Ethiopian who cannot change his skin or a Leopard which cannot cast off his spots hee receives not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him Everie imagination of the thought of his heart is onely evil continually Gen. 6.5 8.21 Rom. 8.6 thus we see that mans free wil is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be For his blinde and erroneous minde cannot bring spirituall things savinglie unto the will neyther can his corrupt wil refuse that which is evil as evil but on the contrarie chooseth and delighteth in it as if it were good And therfore seeing that such is the corruption of our will and faculties as that it is Christ who makes us to come unto him and the Father drawes unto Christ none can affirme that the grace of conversion is onely an indifferent influence or mâ—â—all perswasion but with blasphemie against God But they further object that free-will makes man to differ from the beast that perisheth and therfore sin could not take it away without the destruction of nature wherby man should become an unreasonable creature I answer It is true if it be meant of free-will absolutely But what is that to the purpose we deny not free-will absolutely for without it a man should bee no more a man but a verie beast But we deny that a natural man hath a free and understanding will unto that which is good in things appertaining to God because the scripture in this pronounceth man blinde and a servant to that which is evil yea to be dead in sinnes and altogither disobedient unto God And therfore that we may come unto Christ wee have need not onely of perswasive motions but also of an effectuall worke of grace by which the Lord illuminateth draweth and regenerateth us that so we may become new creatures but what need have we to use many words the sum of all is this The natural man is dead in sin and God gives us both the will and the deed Christ makes us to come unto him what now is there left unto free will they therfore which establish it against grace doe rob God and Christ of their honour precipitate man by pride into extreem danger and renew the herifie of the Pelagians whatsoever they pretend to the contrarie 10. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience Now he comforts him in regard of the persecutions at hand of which wee might discourse more fullie if we had the histories of the Church of those times Some understand it of the persecution under the Emperour Trajane Who though he prohibited that Christians should be drawen before the Iudgement seats yet such as were accused he commanded to be put to death as Plinie witnesseth in his epistles Lib. 10. Epist 97. Others applie it to the persecutions of Antichrist wherwith not onely these of Philadelphia but all the saintes upon the face of the whole earth were greevously afflicted but the former opinion is more probable This consolation is also threefold The first is an approbation of their constancie in their former afflictions because thon hast kept my word It is a great comfort unto us to hear that our actions are approved of by men but we ought much more to rejoyce if God approve thereof for this worketh in us an assurance of a good conscience and of the goodnesse of the cause for which we suffer as suffering not as evil doers but as Christians He calleth the doctrine of the Gospel the word of his patience and Paul cals it the word of the crosse because we must take up the crosse of Christ and suffer afflictions patientlie for the profession therof He cals it his patience or sufferance because he first suffered beeing an example unto all them that beleeve in him for through manifold tribulations we must enter into the kingdome of God And I will deliver thee a second consolation is a promise of deliverance in the houre of temptation that is of affliction which figuratively is called the temptation of the Godly Now hope of deliverance out of evil causeth constancie because hope maketh not ashamed Unto this hope we are stirred up by laying hold on the promises of God concerning our certaine deliverance which the Lord not onely promiseth here unto this teacher but unto all such as are in the like temptation that is unto all the saintes dispersed throughout the whole earth And therefore it teacheth us to be constant in the day of tryal to expect a ful and perfect freedome by Christ our Lord. But this seemeth to establish the doctrine of merits seeing Christ promiseth deliverance because we keep his word I answer when the scriptures speake of workes reward they usually thus expresse it as because thou hast don this I will multiply thy seed Now we are to know that this argues no mercenary reward due for desert sake But a fatherly though undeserved promise annexed unto the condition of
and eat of his mean and cuntry fare Christ sups with us when he delighteth in our faith and conversion like as frindes at meale rejoyce togither Now this is spoken by an allegory not as if Christ needed our supper but we make ready for him and he is said to sup with us when in faith and â—bedience we performe acceptable service and wholie consecrate our selves unto him And he with me to wit he shall sup with me For Christ will not come emptie but loaden with blessings to inrich and replenish them with the food of heaven and communicate unto them the good things of the Gospell as righteousnes holines peace the joy of the holy Ghost and to be short life and eternall happinesse And thus much for the allegoricall promise propounded unto us in this place But this allegorie is abused by Libertines Pelagians and Jesuites The abuse of this allegorie is shewed and resuted whom the Lutherans also begin to imitate to establish bence contrarie to the scriptures universal grace to the injuring of the free grace of Christ For seeing it is said I stand and knock Jf any man heare and open c. They inferre that God hath made universally unto all this promise and as all are counselled to open to Christ so it is in their free-will eyther to admit or exclude him For saith Bellarmin they at whose heart the Lord knocketh eyther have sufficient power to open or els they have not If they have then the thing we plead for is granted If they have not then why I pray you doth the Lord knock or is be ignorant that they cannot open Would we not account him vnwise who should knock at his neighbours door knowing in the mean time that there is no man within to open unto him First I answer with Ierom that parables and the exposition of darke sentences are not to be brought for the confirmation of doctrines Now all this is spoken allegorically and by an anthropopatheia and not properly for wheras Christ is said to knocke like a traveller at the doore and to sup with them that open The Iesuites argument retorted upon him If this should be taken according to the letter of the text he should not be God omnipotent For eyther he can open or els he can not If he can not doe it except we open unto him how then is he omnipotent but if he can why then doth he knocke or what use is there that we should open to him Would not he seem to be unwise who should knock at his neighbours door having in the mean time the key in his owne hand Secondly the consequence will not hold from what is conditional to the thing categorically required As If any man heare and open therefore it should follow that it is in our free-will to doe the same For conditionals prove nothing but what ought to be don by us and what if don will follow thereupon Thus Erasmus disputed against Luther If yee will yee shall eat the good things of the earth therefore saith he men have a free-will to doe good and repent But this the scripture wholie denies Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots Ier. 13 23. Matt. 7.18 Philip. 2.13 then may yee also doe good that are accustomed to doe evill A corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to doe according to his good pleasure Luther therefore answâ—â—â—ng to Erasmus saith that oftentimes these conditionals doe signifie an impossibility 〈◊〉 If one should say Jf thou thinkest O Maevus to equal Virgil in singing Jt behoveth thee to sing better then as yet thou hast don If thou thinkest to surpasse Cicero O Scotus then thou must in sted of thy subtilties manifest more eloquence If thou wilt compare with David then compose such psalmes as he hath don which manner of speech signifies things which are not possible in regard of our owne strength though to God all things are possible And indeed the scriptures by such expressions doe declare unto us not what we can do of our selves but what the Lord may worke in us by his owne power Thirdlie concerning universall grace and power to open of our selves First it is false that the same is bestowed on all in the state of nature considering that the meanes of conversion and salvation is not alike offered unto all But allwayes as it hath pleased the Lord where when and to whom he would We see that the Turkes Jewes and Pagans to this day have not the meanes of salvation which we Christians enjoy by the singular mercie of God 2. we doe not deny but such at whose door Christ knockes by his special grace have sufficient helpe to open so farre as concerneth the outward means and indeed this were enough for all but that all by nature are deafe and dead in sins not withstanding it is sufficient for their conversion who inwardlie are wrought upon by the spirit of God But it is untrue that this sufficiencie is made effectuall and operative through a free-will in us because while Christ outwardlie knocketh we inwardlie are dead in our sins beeing deafe and blinde blacke Ethiopians spotted Leopards evill trees which of themselves cannot bring forth good fruit And therfore the greatest outward meanes are of no force untill there be an inward and powerfull motion raising us up from the death of sin illuminating the minde opening the hart and changing the whole man neyther is Christ ignorant that we cannot open at his knocke much lesse unwise in knocking but doth it because he knowes we are inwardly deafe and dead in sin and unable of our selves to open besides hereby to convince us of our miserable estate by nature and to rayse us up from the death of sin and to give unto us both will and power to open unto him And lastly the scripture speaks in a twofold manner of our conversion Sometimes the Lord attributes to us and requires of us the whole worke therof as if it depended altogether on our will Isai 1.19 Zach. 1.3 Ezech. 18.31 Mar. 1.15 Why God requireth and attributeth conversion to man Chap. 6. de Grat. lib. arbit De correp grat Chap. 3. Esech 36.26 Ier. 31.18 Ioh. 6.44 Ioh. 15.6 If yee bee willing and obedient yee shall eat the good things of the land Turne yee unto mee and I will turne unto you make you a new heart and a new spirit for why will yee die O house of Israel repent yee and beleeve the Gospel not as if it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or in our power to doe these things For how can they spiritually move who are dead in sins But the scripture thus speaketh 1. To teach us that wee neither will nor can doe any thing of our selves but are bound to ask it of God And 2. because God by such exhortations threatnings promises and conditions doth please effectually to raise
preserve them safe unto himself and hath done so these thousand years Parallel of Act fourth Chap. 6. v. 14.15.16.17 The Antichristian adversaries trembling for fear of Gods judgements shall cry with a horrible howling Mountaines fall on us who can stand because of the wrath of God the Lamb Chap. 7. v. 9. unto the end The martyrs all the blessed sealed ones formerly afflicted in the world now enjoy eternall felicity and stand before God the Lamb singing with joyfull harmonie salvation to our God for God will protect them and the Lamb will feed them By which double antithesis or contrarie position the coherence doth appeare as also hereby we understand both the consolation of the Church militant under Antichrist as of the Church triumphant in the heavens After this I saw The transitory particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shewes that this is a different Act from the former therefore these words After this doe denote not onely the order of the vision but also the future time in which it was done Before indeed he saw a great companie which were sealed but afterward he sees this innumerable multitude Moreover the former were sealed viz. during the persecutions of Antichrist on earth but these latter sung a hymne to wit after the enemies were cast into utter darkenesse and the Church taken up into glory Furthermore five things are recorded concerning this multitude 1. Who how great where what manner of multitude it was v. 2.2 What they did they prayse God and the Lamb. v. 10.11.12 3. Who they were The martyrs faithfull before sealed v. 13.14 4. What their happinesse was ver 15.16 5. The cause of this their great felicitie v. 17. A great multitude which no man c. This multitude is a figure of the new triumphant Church so that it consisted both of the soules which Iohn erewhile saw under the altar namely who in this world had fought the good fight of faith from the time of the Apostles for the space of 600 yeeres as also the hundred fourty and four thousand sealed ones preserved by Christ during the troubles and commotions of THAT MAN OF SIN from the sixhundreth yeere unto the end of the world This multitude is great innumerable as consisting of all the forenamed persons viz. both of the martyrs under the altar and of the hundred fourty and foure thousand sealed ones with all other of the faithfull from the Apostles time unto the last day 2 Tim. 2.19 The which number although it be small in comparison of them that perish and certaine and defined in respect of God who knowes who are his yet in it self it is great cannot bee reckoned by any creature Howsoever therefore the greater part shall follow the devill and cleave to Antichrist yet the Lord will have a great multitude and by such he will bee praysed for ever Of all nations Thus also the Church in Chap. 5.9 singeth unto the Lord Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred tongue people and nation Hence we see that the sealed of the twelve tribes of Israel belong to this multitude otherwise they could not bee of every tribe nation So that here is represented the whole triumphant Church of the new Testament Stood before the Throne This shewes that they were in heaven and not on earth for this standing denotes their coelestiall happinesse which consisteth in the perpetuall vision of God the Lambe The queen of Sheba counted Solomons servants happie in that they alwayes stood before Solomon and heard his wisdome but how much greater is the happines of the Saintes in heaven who continually behold the majesty and glory of God and Christ Now this standing of the Saintes is opposed to the dreadfull cry of reprobates who can stand Clothed with white robes Their heavenlie purity brightnesse and glorie is here set forth For the just shall shine as the stars of heaven Hence againe it appeareth that the soules of the Martyrs to whom white robes were given Chap. 6.11 and to whom it was said that they should rest for a little season are joyned to this multitude beeing commanded to come forth from under the altar and placed before the Throne Moreover palms were given into their hands in signe of victorie For as Gregorie observeth these palms which the multitude held in their hands are nothing els but the reward of victorie following the workes of Martyrs Yet God forbid we should with Ribera attribute this reward to any meritorious worke seeing a far other meritious cause thereof is noted unto us ver 14. 17. 10. And cryed with a loude voyce Now followes what this multitude did they together with the Angels Elders Beasts that is with the whole assembly of the heavenly inhabitants sing joyfullie to God the Lambe This joy of the Saintes as I even now said is opposed to the howling of the ungodly under their plagues Mountaines fall on us Here therfore is signified the most certaine change of things as now they are joyfull indeed and desirable unto the godlie now under affliction but dolefull and cursed to the wicked now lifting up their hornes For it is a righteous thing with God saith Paul to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you 2 Thes 1.6 and to you who are troubled rest with us c. According as Abraham said to the glutton crying in hell Luk. 16.25 Son remember that thou in thy life time receivedst good things likewise Lazarus evill things but now he is comforted thou art tormented Salvation to our God This acclamation is not a wishing salvation as is the manner of subjects desiring prosperity to their prince to cry Let the king live but a shouting for joy a blessing of God and the Lambe for mans salvation or blessed immortality and happinesse It is I say no wish but an action of thanksgiving attributing to God that which is dew unto him namely the prayse and glorie of their salvation and the sence is we ascribe not our salvation received to our owne power but to the grace of God merits of the Lambe Therefore Beza to expresse this sence hath rendred the words thus salvation from our God and from the Lambe to wit is given unto us And thus Austin in his 11 sermon concerning the Saintes They sing with a loud voyce salvation to God who acknowledge with much thanksgiving that they have overcome in battle all fierie trials not by their owne power but by his assistance c. The joy therefore blessednesse of the Saintes in heaven shal be an eternal celebration of God of Christ 11. And all the Angels The rest also of the coelestial companie as the Angels Elders and beasts spoken of Chap. 4. doe joyne in singing with the blessed soules of the Martyrs sealed ones And fell before the throne on their faces A gesture of suppliants who humble themselves before the most
signes lying wonders in them that peerish The 2 Thes 2.9.10 explained that they should beleeve a ly because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved By which words the Apostle gives us to understand First that Antichrist shall establish his power by cunning and diabolicall deceit Secondly by his tyranny he shall oppresse the greater part of men in the Christian world as not beeing sealed Thirdly that Antichrists followers shall inevitably perish run into destruction Fourthly that their destruction shall be voluntarie and just because they cast off or receive not the love of the truth rather delighting in Popish dreames and Lyes Lastly that under Antichrist there shall be alwayes some sound teachers of the truth who shall suffer grievous contradiction as in Chap. 11.4 5. And it was given them that they should not kill The first limitation of the Locusts power we have heard here is added a SECOND that they should not kill men but torment them also a third limitation not allwayes but for five monthes Behold the wonderfull lenitie of God even in suffering the wicked limiting and moderating their plagues who deserve to be destroyed all at one instant The elect under Antichrists kingdom he altogether preserves from the mortall biting of these scorpions insomuch as wee doubt not but that there are still some godly groaning under his tyrannie in the heart of Popery as in Rome Italie Spaine c. The other idolatrous troop he will not suffer the Locusts suddenly to kill to the end they may have time to repent But onely to torment them that thereby they might be stirred up to seek remedie for their sowles Notwithstanding it seems that not so much a mitigation as an exasperation is signified by the foresaid limitation This torment notes the Ecclesiastical Locusts For it is far worse to bee tormented with a lingring disease then suddenly to perish neyther may we doubt but that by this kinde of hurting is designed not a civill but an Ecclesiastical kinde of Locusts because they shall not kill mens bodies as did the Vandales Gothes and other open tyrants but they shall torment mens soules and consciences torturing them continually as on a rack by their deceitfull doctrines of penance satisfactions purgatorie c. Now what I pray can be spoken more openly against the impostures of that false and Antichristian clergie by which indeed for the present they kill not the bodie but torment the wretched conscience by shewing them remission and explation of sin not in the faith of the Gospell in the mercies of God and in the blood of Christ but in the merits of good workes auricular confessions numbring of sins imposed penance poenal satisfactions going in pilgrimage to the sepulchre of our Lord S. Iames the ladie of Lauretta in travels by sea and land in fasting and abstinence in masses in almes and legasies building of Closters in Moncks coules in whippings in going barefoot lastlie in the Popes jubilees indulgences bought for mony Now what are all these things but the sinful devises of men altogether tending to the wounding of mens consciences and no way serving for the healing and helping of the same Isa 29.13 Mat. 15.9 For in vaine is the Lord worshipped with the doctrines of men This is the miserable rack of the conscience none greater then it nor more dangerous Let the historie of the Romish Church and Emperours be read and there it will appeare that many through the furie and rage of the Locusts have been so stirred up and brought to such madnesse as to quiet their consciences they have of their own accord layd down the government of the Empire and kingdomes put themselves into religious Covents or monasteries built Cloisters and Colledges for Monks with great liberallity thereby to redeeme soules have taken upon themselves religious orders for the expiation of sins have woren either dead or living the cowles or hoodes of begging Fryars but in all these things what could they find or hereby receive but a perpetual torture trouble of conscience a dreafull feare doubt of beeing deceived We need not therefore seek these Locusts among the Vandales Gothes Hunnes Saracens Mahumetans c. For these did promiscuously rage and tyrannise by fire sword against the persons both of the just unjust Besides it is verie cleare by the matter it selfe that Ecclesiastical religious deceivers are here meant who torment indeed continually the fearfull consciences of men with the terrours of hell purgatorie but send them not for releife to Christ by faith but to the Popes lawes that is in stead of Phisick administer poyson and precipitate their soules into the gulfe of finall desperation Moreover we are againe to take notice of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was given which I find to be twenty times repeated in this booke about Antichrists tyranny that so we may understand that he doth not thus rage by chance but as beeing Gods scourge to punish the ingratitude of the Christian world as also that he is bound limited by God and cannot goe bejond the same The which serves for our great comfort Five monthes This is the third limitation of their power serving also for our singular consolation Seeing God hath prefixed a certaine time to these Locusts bejond which they shall not longer rage torment Interpreters discourse diversly about these five monthes Some take it properly for five Aegyptian monthes or an hundred fifty dayes the time that the waters of the flood increased upon the face of the earth some take it for so many yeares Notwithstanding they are much troubled how so short a time should agree to the tyranny either of the Vandales Saracens or Popish clergie Bullingers exposition best agrees with the nature of the place viz. that the mitigation is taken from the age of Locusts which ordinarily is no more then five monthes making the sense to be thus that as the Locusts continew not hurting the whole yeere thorow but sing leap and feed upon the grasse scarsly during the five summer monthes that is from April unto September even so a certaine time is defined to Antichrists seducers after which they shall torment men no more But this seems not to agree with histories For the Pope hath now for a thousand yeeres more sent forth his Locusts to spoile the field of the Church neyther doth the end as yet appeare Yea he shall continue devouring untill he bee consumed by the brightnesse of Christs comming But this no way contradicts what we have before said for what are five monthes with the Lord seeing with him a thousand yeeres are as one day The time therefore of the Locusts is hereby designed not as if it should be no longer then an hundred and fifty dayes or yeeres but because it should be short a definite time being put for an indefinite And thus also Alcasar expounds it indefinitely although contrarie
wicked common-wealth of old Rome Now the truth is nothing can be more vainely spoken And I wonder that the Iesuite when he wrote these things had not considered that he himselfe lived in Spaine where the ancient Moores formerly inhabited IV. He addes from Chap. 16.19 That Great Babylon came in remembrance before God 18.5 Babylons sins have reached unto heaven and God hath remembred her iniquities Therefore saith he towards the end of the world her old sins which hitherto for religion sake seemed to be forgotten shall againe be remembred and punished because of the new and like transgressions added to the former But first not onely things done long agoe are said to come in remembrance before God but also such things as are newly done by an Anthropopatheia for so in Act. 10. The prayers and almes of Cornelius which he daily performed are said to come up for a memoriall before God Secondly albeit his glosse were granted yet there were no need that new Rome should be punished for the sinnes of the old for as much as Popish Rome for these thousand years and more hath abounded in all manner of villanies for which the Lord most justly may take vengeance on her Lastly he flees unto the Oracles of the Sybills But they speak nothing touching the Popes ejection or apostacy of the Romanes from the faith of Christ unto Heathenisme but only touching the destruction of Rome therein agreeing with the prophesie of this booke By all which things it appeareth that whatsoever the Iesuite alledgeth for the upholding of the credit of the Pope it is nothing but a frivolous dotage of a dreaming writer The summe of the place is this That Babylon here threatned with destruction is Rome not of the Pagans which ceased in Constantines time Nor new heathenish Rome the which as the Iesuite feineth shall thrust out the Pope But Popish Rome which a long while hath boasted her selfe to be the Mother of Churches and from whose breasts all the nations and kings of the earth have sucked their errours superstition and idolatry Thus our insoluble argument is no way weakned by the Iesuite but stands firme against the Romish Antichrist But now when we speak of Rome we understand not simply the walled city or palaces towers and stately walkes thereof but chiefly the Pope himselfe with his whole kingdom and power over the Westerne Churches of which afterward in Chap. 17.18 Now why is Rome named Babylon Why Rome is called Babylon lib. 2. cap. 3. hist The cause may be the likenesse that is between them of which OROSIUS Behold saith he the rising of Babylon and Rome is alike their power is alike their greatnesse times good things and also evill But I rather thinke the reason is their likenesse in tyrannny and destruction The old Babylon afflicted the ancient Church Rome the new Babylon hath oppressed the new Church The Old is fallen The New shall fall Babylon is fallen is fallen The doubling of the threatning denotes the certainty and hastning of the destruction Therefore also it is said in the preterperfect tense hath that is is fallen because it shall certainely and suddenly fall like as we say of a dying man that he is dead or the like Neither did the Angell prophesie vainely For even during the preaching of this Angell while Luther I say yet taught a great part of Babylon fell both in Saxony Germany and other neighbouring Countries But touching the destruction of Babylon it followes in Chap. 18. Alcasar againe by his consequence is forced to make blacke white applying the ruine of Babylon to the conversion of heathenish Rome to the faith of Christ making the sence of the words Babylon is fallen is fallen that is is converted to Christ Now who ever heard so great an absurdity The whole context and consent of all interpreters evinceth that the ruine of Babylon signifies not mercy but punishment And therefore so impudent a depravation of holy Scripture is to be rebuked Because she made all nations drinke This reason evidently refutes Alcasars absurdity The cause of Babylons destruction shall be her fornication by which she hath most foully defiled her selfe with the Kings and Inhabitants of the earth for she is the Mother of all whoredomes This fornication as before was shewed is idolatry by a propheticall and metaphorical phrase for idolaters like harlots do by spirituall uncleannes perfidiously violate their faith to God prostrate themselves before their Idols and run headlong into utter destruction as we have largely expounded in our Commentary on Hosea Chap. 1.2 Of the wine of her fornication For the Pope obtrudes his idols on all nations who therefore are said to drinke of the wine of his wrath because idolatry through the corruptnesse of mans nature is more pleasing to all then the true worship of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a figure when with a little change of a word the sence is wholly altered In the Greeke is an elegant * parenomasia in the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For as Antichrist gave all to drinke of the wine of his fornication so shall all drinke of the wine of Gods wrath because they suffered themselves universally to be drawne aside to the worship of Idols by the pretended authority of the Catholick Church Idolatry is compared to wine because by its sweetnesse and outward lustre it is pleasing unto the flesh and much desired Also from the effect for it makes idolaters madde furious and blinde like as wine takes away the sence of a drunkard The wine of wrath so named from the effect because it stirres up Gods wrath and drawes downe his judgements As also from the efficient cause because God in his anger doth justly inflict blindnesse on the worshippers of Antichrist according to that of Paul 2 Thes 2.11 For this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should beleeve a lie that they might be damned who received not the truth It might seem the words here should thus be read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the wine of her fornication as in Chap. 17.2 The inhabitants of the earth are said to have been made drunke with the wine of her fornication c. because the wine of fornication is opposed to the wine of Gods wrath vers 10. The same shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God But all copies have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the wine of the wrath c. Not here onely but also in Chap. 16.19 18.23 The use of this preaching The use of this Angels preaching doth plainely respect both the godly and the wicked The godly are exhorted to the duty before published by the former Angell To feare God and not the Beast To give glory to God not to Antichrist And lastly to worship God the Creator of heaven and earth not the Beast or his Image Also in Chap. 18.4 he admonisheth all such as desire to be free of Babylons
but that the mountaines of Rome and Rome it selfe are a part of the devill yea his strength and dwelling place which is worse then the former See verse 3. 10. And they are seven Kings Now that wee might not sticke in the bare Mountaines of Rome He addeth another mystery viz. that the seven heads are also seven Kings thus of one type he makes two antitypes But what Kings Ribera that wee should not seeke them at Rome and so perhaps find the Pope amongst them saith that they are the Kings of the whole earth This is wonderfull before he said that the beast was the devill therefore either the whole world is the devill or else these are not the Kings of the whole earth unlesse perhaps he would rather say that the devill reigneth on his heads the mountaines of Rome and that Rome rides upon the devill out for shame with so vile and wicked a fiction For whose the mountaines are the same are the Kings also but the mountaines are of the woman Rome therefore the Kings also are of the woman Rome Let this once for all be minded as a sure position But who are these kings Wonderfull Riddles are propounded by the Angell Five are fallen One is the other is not yet come and when he commeth he must continue a short space This is a Gordian knot and not to bee untyed had we not the benefit of histories Now passing by the opinion of many I will record three of the principall the comparing of which will somewhat ease us First that of Victorinus whom our Bullinger and Iunius follow 1 The opinion of Victorinus about the seven Kings that these are the seven Kings which reigned at Rome after Nero. Five are fallen viz. Vitellius Otto Galba Vespasianus Titus ONE WAS viz. Domitian who in Iohns time reigned at Rome The other was not yet come Namely Nerva his Successour who being come was to remaine a short time because hee reigned not full two yeeres Which opinion howsoever backt with the authority of these great men I cannot follow Why it is rejected First because before Iohn not onely five Caesars were fallen at Rome but six others besides Fulius Augustus Tiberius Caius Claudius and Nero neither can any reason be given why these should be excluded Secondly because these seven Kings are not singular persons otherwise those seven being dead all the heads of the beast should have perished and the Beast either should have remained without heads or new heads must have growne upon him as Apollidorus fabulously writes of Hydra or else being without heads he should have bin extinct All which things are contrary to the prophesie for the beast yet lives and is reserved unto the last judgement This Ribera saw and doubted not to affirme that all Expositors In chap. 17 S. 25 except Victorinus understood that in every of these seven many were comprehended although he joynes a foolish fable that not the Kings of Rome are meant but of the whole world which Fiction we erewhile refuted Notwithstanding as if hee forgot himselfe he affirmeth and strongly proveth that it is not unusuall to the Scriptures that in one king many like as it were of the same body are signified which saith he is carefully to be observed alledging for example the Ramme and Goat in Daniel of which two the first denotes the Kings of the Medes and Persians the other all the kings of the Macedonians But good Sir this say I is carefully to be observed against your selfe for by this reason of yours is manifestly refuted or wholly weakened your Fiction that Antichrist shall be onely one singular person and that because hee is said in the singular number to be the man of sin the son of perdition the Beast False Prophet c. for behold what followes If Antichrist be one of these Kings then verily he shall not be one singular man but a king having others succeeding him in his kingdome as had the Kings of Medes Persians and Macedonians in their kingdomes But thou thy selfe makest the seventh of these kings to be Antichrist The other saist thou is not yet come that is Antichrist who shall come in the seventh age Now to come to the second opinion which is Riberas out of Gagnaeus viz. 2 Riberas opinion about the beast that the seven kings are the seven ages of the world or seven kingdomes adversarie to the Church The first age from Kain to Noah The second from Noah to Abraham The third from Abraham to David The fourth from David unto the transportation into Babylon The fift from the transportation unto Christ The sixt from Christ unto Antichrist The seventh from Antichrist unto the end Of these saith he five are fallen because five ages were past before Christs birth One was because the sixt age of Christ did then run on One is not yet come because the seventh age of Antichrist was not as yet When he is come he shall remaine a short space because Antichrist shall onely reigne three yeeres and an halfe A wonderfull Metamorphosis of kings into ages But what reference have the ancient ages unto the heads of the beast that is unto the mountaines and kings of the Citie Rome for it cannot be denyed but that the Angell precisely speaketh of these These kings therefore are not to be sought any where but there even where the mountaiues are because the heads are mountaines and kings Now the mountaines are at Rome and therefore the kings are there also But truely the Iesuite doth subtilly send us to Kain Nimrod Nebuchadnezzar c. The subtilty of the Iesuite least we should find Antichrist at Rome Nay but the kings are to bee sought in Romes mountaines for here they sate reigned and at length have also born up the woman I passe by that there is no proportion of the seventh age with the six former For what are three yeeres and an halfe to the former ages which all of them dured many hundred yeers By which very thing the fiction of Antichrists three yeers reigning is refuted III Opinion touching the seven kings Now I come unto the third opinion viz. of Aretius Napier Brightman and others to whom the seven kings are not seven Emperors nor seven ages but they wil have them to be seven kinds of goverment of the Romane Monarchie six whereof Tacitus mentioneth in his first booke Kings saith he at the beginning governed Rome Libertie and Consulship was set up by Brutus The Dictatorship was onely taken up for a time Neither did the power of the Decemviri last above two yeeres Neither did the Consulary authority of the Tribunes of Souldiers remaine long The power of Cinna and Sulla was but short Pompie and Crassus soone gave place to Caesar And Lepid us and Antony to Augustus who received the Empire all things being confused through civill discords under the name of a Prince He reckons up Castig Brightman pag 110. I say six sorts
committed fornication with the whore Vntill the words of God that is his decree touching the rising of Antichrist revealed in the words of the Prophets and Apostles be fulfilled After the fullfilling whereof God put into their hearts to hate the Romish Strumpet that is detest Popish Idolatry embrace the Gospell of Christ forsake yea and oppose the Whore Why therefore should we wonder that so many great Emperours so many religious Kings of Germany France Spaine England c. have with such zeale defended Popish Idolatry the Romish Church and Antichrist the Pope almost these 800. years in defence of whose magnificence and glory they have made so great wars and shed so much Christian blood We hear that God did put it into their hearts that they should do so and not otherwise so that the Angell wills us to rise from the events and secondary means unto the secret yet just judgement of God Here againe we have cause greatly to admire that after so long fornication some of the Kings as of England Scotland Denmarke Sweethland Many powerfull Princes also of Germany Bohemia France Poland and Hungary having laid down their armes against the Lambe and embraced the heavenly Doctrine of salvation brought to light by the Two Witnesses in the ages of our predecessours do at this day hate the Romish Adultresse and make her naked We have cause I say to admire the Fact and extoll Gods judgement to Heaven Certainly the Kings did not repent either rashly or by their own understanding God put it into their hearts that they should repent of their whoredome hate the whore and make her desolate The LORD is to be intreated that he will put the same into the hearts of the rest of the KINGS that is to take knowledge shun and hate the Whore and to give their power no longer unto the Beast but unto the Lambe Some Textuall scruples do here offer themselves which I shall explain after I have opened what yet remains in the Text. 18 The woman which thou sawest is the City The Angell openeth the whole mysterie of the whore This woman is popish Rome see chap. 11.8 14.8 16.19 that we might not think the woman sitting upon the waters to be an Asian or Vtopian Nymph It is saith he that great City before he often calls it Babylon Now he sets it forth by a more remarkeable note Having dominion over the Kings of the Earth Now what is this Is it the whole multitude of ungodly men in the world as some of the fathers wanting the experience which we have now have thought Nay it is Rome yea Popish Rome For the Writers saith Ribera In cha 17 sec 20.22 who have otherwise interpreted it are forced by the truth it selfe to yeeld unto us that Rome is that whorish City to be destroyed and overthrowne Again The foregoing words God put it into their hearts belong to the desolation and burning of Rome for they shew the cause of so great desolation effected by them who rather were thought should have proved friends With this sense which is certainly true c. Thus we have the interpretation of one sworn Iesuite Let us hear another Lib. de P. R. cap. 2 Babylon saith BELLARMIN that great City standing on Seven Mountaines and having dominion over the Kings of the Earth is ROME Neither was there any other City which in Johns time had dominion over the Kings of the Earth then ROME and it is most notorious that ROME is built upon seven Mountaines Let us hear a third Vest pag. 817 This Verse saith ALCASAR causeth no small difficulty to them who expound it otherwise then of ANGIENT ROME But in our exposition nothing is more cleare What can we desire more The great City is Rome both because the same is built upon seven Mountaines As also because it onely in Iohns time had dominion over the Kings of the Earth But now perhaps it hath not yea but it hath For whatsoever it possesseth not by force Quicquid non possidet armis Relligione tenet it holds by Religion Wherefore the two latter Iesuites do in vain seek an evasion that not Popish but Heathenish Rome is this City for they are confuted by Ribera their own companion ingeniously confessing that Heathenish Rome long agoe burnt to ashes by the Gothes and Vandalls hath no place here but that it is Popish Rome that now is yet notwithstanding he saith that it is to be burnt before Antichrists comming which latter refutes the former It remains therefore that the whore sitting on the Beast is Papast Rome O Rome hearken to Clemanges De corrup Eccle statu Cap 26 What saith he dost thou thinke of thy Prophesie to wit of John in the Revelation Dost thou not beleeve that it belongs at least in some measure unto thee Thou hast not so lost shame and sense to deny these things Wherefore looke on it and read the damnation of the great whore sitting upon many Waters and there contemplate thy worthy actions and what shall befall thee Again therefore we gather this argument Babylon that Great City standing on seven Mountaines is the Seat of Antichrist Popish Rome is Babylon that Great City standing on seven hills Therefore Popish Rome is the Seat of Antichrist Furthermore He which ruleth in the Seat of Antichrist is Antichrist The Pope of Rome ruleth in Antichrists Seat Therefore the Pope of Rome is ANTICHRIST There remains three scruples to be discussed from ver 17. I. How God puts into the hearts of Kings that is worketh in the hearts of men without impeachment of their liberty II. Seeing God is said to put three things into the hearts of the Kings One in its owne nature good viz. The hatred of the Whore Two things in themselves evill viz. Their agreement with the Beast and fight with the Lambe Whither he puts this after the same manner into their hearts and whither it will not hence follow that hee is the Authour of sinne III. In granting which thing some maintaine that these Kings were not converted how then are they said in spoiling of the whore to doe the will of God seeing they were ignorant of it Neither spoiled they her so much out of affection to piety as of desire to the prey Now first how God workes in the hearts of men the liberty of their will remaining Of this Question both in the Hypothesis and in the Thesis the explication is the same being not a little difficult For if God workes in the hearts of men he seemeth to determinate or limit their wills to one thing Now if God limit the wil then man seems not to act freely seeing that is said to be free which is unlimited in respect of a thing Furthermore God seems to move and bend the wills of men according to his own will or pleasure But that which is moved and bent by anothers will seems not to act freely Now the Scripture on the
election through the last judgement of practicall reason for without such a determination the wil and choice of man should be nothing at all Now howsoever this judgement of practicall reason which the Sophisters confesse is the root of liberty be sometimes also determinated out of it self Act 14.16 that is by God I say sometimes not alwayes for God doth not determinate all acts of the will but oftentimes leaves men to their own wayes and suffers them to run headlong into destruction Notwithstanding this determination is not done without the voluntary judgement of our reason and choice of the will without any coaction yet in a manner to us indeed inexplicable but known to God Who worketh all things after the counsell of his owne will Ephe. 1.11 To the second Argument That which is governed by the divine providence acts not freely c. I ANSWER it is false unlesse it be understood with the same distinction to wit if it be governed by a providence without our own deliberation and choice For that which God governeth shewing the object to the understanding and efficaciously moving the will to chuse the same that notwithstanding man doth freely chuse although he be inclined by the will of God to whatsoever he pleaseth What it is to act freely For the creatures freedom in acting is not to act without the government of any but with deliberation and by a voluntary motion of its own will although this motion be raised and ruled by another And that I may return unto the determination of the will It is not repugnant even to morall Philosophie For Aristotle lib. 3. Ethic. Cap. 5. saith That man is the originall of his own actions as of his children and denies not but that in some occurrences the will is determinated to one thing the liberty thereof remaining suppose in vitious men drunkards and incontinent persons who after they have brought a vitious habit upon themselves do indeed commit their vices freely yet also necessarily and determinately because their will by a vitious habit which they are not able to shake off is determined to vice To conclude it is plain from these things in the Hypothesis that God put into the hearts of the Kings the liberty of their will remaining to doe what they did determinately and in the Thesis that the concurrence of God governing and determinating the will of man as he pleaseth doth not at all take away the liberty of the same II. Whether God after the same manner put good and evill into the hearts of the Kings and whether hence it will follow that he is the Author of sin Touching the good there is no question about it for this all that are godly doe willingly grant viz. that God as the Scripture saith workes both the will and the deed without overthrowing the liberty of our will as before we shewed Notwithstanding Pelagius did not grant the same and a Philosopher will no more grant the determination of the will in vertue then in vice But the Philosopher is answered by the doctrine of heathens themselves as erewhile wee heard out of Aristotle Pelagius and such as follow him object the Theologicall knot in evill things touching the cause of sin For if God also determine the evill of man as for examples the hearts of the Kings as touching things evill in their owne nature as suppose to conspire together with Antichrist and to fight against the Lambe hereby God seems to be the Author as it were of their evills and the Kings excusable This indeed Pelagius of old objected to Austin as at this day the Pelagian Relickes in pretence to maintaine the righteousnesse of God as if it could not be otherwise maintained but in the sense of bare permission viz. that God is said to do that because he permits it to be done But first the glosse of bare permission is a manifest abusing of sundry places of Scripture in which it is plainely affirmed that God did and that indeed most holily which men have done most wickedly Joseph touching the parricide of his brethren saith Gen. 45.8 It was not you that sent me hither but God sent me hither before you Touching the hatred of the Egyptians against the Israelites Psal 105. verse 25. God turned their hearts to hate his people to deale subtilly with his servants Touching Shimeis cursing 2. Samuel 16.10 The Lord hath said unto him Curse David Of Absoloms incest 2. Sam. 12.12 Thou didst it secretly But I will do this viz. give thy wives unto thy neighbour before all Israel and before the sun Of the Rebellion of Jeroboam and the ten Tribes 1. Kin. 12.24 This thing is from me And in the same place touching Rehoboams tyrannicall answer ver 15. Wherfore the King hearkned not unto the people for the cause was from the Lord. Touching the spoiling of the Babylonians Isa 10. ver 6. I will give him a charge to take the spoile and to take the prey Touching the seduction of the false Prophets Ezech. 14.9 I the Lord have deceived that Prophet So of the seducement of Ahab by the false Prophets and Satan 1. Kin. 22.20 Who shall perswade Ahab c. and the Lord said Thou shalt perswade them and prevaile also Goe forth and do so Of the Rapine of the Arabians Iob 1.21 The LORD gave and the Lord hath taken away Touching Christs crucifying Act. 4.27 Herod and Pontius Pilate have done those things which thy hand and counsell determined before to be done By these and the like places both the evill works of men and Satan are ascribed unto God not absolutely but in some respect viz. so far as God by the same accomplisheth his secret judgements not as the authour of mans wicked deeds God forbid but as a most righteous performer of his judgements in and by them for to imagine that God executeth not his judgements but barely permits them agrees not with faith and godlinesse Secondly the glosse of bare permission in many places would be blasphemous take for example the place in hand Wilt thou say that God put it into the hearts of the Kings that is permitted it to be put Who then put it into their hearts Thou wilt say the divell and hereby thou makest the divell to put that into the heart which the Scripture expresly saith that God did wilt thou make the devill to be God Besides the divell will never perswade the kings to oppose the whore Consider therfore whither this thy glosse doth not by an open blasphemy attribute satans work to God and on the contrary the work of God to the divell Thirdly the glosse of bare permission imports heresie for under it lies hid the Pelagian denyall of the divine grace and providence and the establishing of humane strength against grace For this glosse hath flowed if not primitively yet chiefly from the School of Pelagius as may be seen in Austin Lib. 5. Cont. Iulian cap 3 against whom Julian the Pelagian
the profits and delights of Babylon had rather remaine in her and perish then obey the commandement of God Yea such also who being ensnared by her baites fall from Christ to Antichrist returning with the dog unto their former Vomit Like to the Israelites who loathing the Heavenly Manna in the Wildernesse desired to returne to the onions and flesh-pots in Egypt but remembred not their former miserable bondage Taskmasters Scourges Brick-ovens c. So these indeed greedily embrace the fat Kitching of the Papacy but thinke not upon the miserable slavery of the Conscience and Tyranny of Antichrist But as they lusting after their flesh-pots and onions at last miserably perished in the wildernesse and entred not into the promised Land So let these looke to it how in regard of their Apostacy they will satisfie their wounded consciences at the hour of death and what answer they will give Christ the Iudge at the last day Least ye be partakers Some weighty causes of the Commandement are added The first is least they be defiled with her sins for he which dwels near a cripple learns to halt and he that rubs a scabby person may easily be infected Our admirers of Rome plead indeed that they can without wounding of the conscience be conversant there and behold the Masse Idols and Pompe of Babylon But their pretence is false because God forbids the same and experience proves the contrary for they are forced at the least to uncover the head bow the knee to the Masse Idols Pope and by outward shews to give approbation to Babylons Idolatry except they would endanger themselves But that this is to participate in their sins cannot be denyed by any sound reason for to shun sinne is to avoid the occasion thereof Let such therefore call to mind that true saying Esto procul Roma qui cupis esse pius And of her Plagues Another cause Lib. 8. cap. 28. least being overthrowne by the fall of Babylon we suffer justly for our rashnesse and backwardnes Mice as Plinie writeth depart out of the house when it is ready to fall and the Spiders first fall downe with their webs A little before the Siege of Jerusalem by Titus there was heard a voice in the aire Let us depart hence whereby the Christians were induced to go over Iordan to Pella Having therefore these examples why should not the Godly depart from Rome being near to destruction that they be not partakers of her plagues for when a house falls all that are under the roofe must of necessity perish 5. For her sinnes have reached A third reason is taken from the revenging justice of God which although it sometimes deferre yet at length it requires the punishment of wicked deeds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God hath a revenging eye This reason is amplified two wayes First in respect of the sins which are said to have reached unto Heaven Generally all greek Copies have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They followed each other one begetting another so that like chaines fastned together with many rings What is meant by sins to reach to Heaven they reached as it were up to Heaven Andreas and Montanus have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 glued together or as it were with lime or morter raised up to so great an heape as it reached even to Heaven This signifies the abominable heaping up and filthinesse of sins which is said to reach up to Heaven that is by excessive guilt to draw down vengeance from God By a like metaphor God makes Kains parricide detestable Gen. 4 10. The voice of thy brothers blood cryeth to me from the earth And the filthinesse of Sodom Gen. 18 20.21 The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great the cry of their sinne is very grievous which is come unto mee RIBERA on this place saith well That there is no sinne though never so little but it comes even to Heaven that is unto the knowledge of God although the scripture useth so to speake onely of greatest sinnes ripe for punishment Now hence is refuted the distinction of veniall and mortall sins for to reach to heaven is not onely to come unto the knowledge of God seeing he takes knowledge even of the least that are committed but so to take knowledge of them as being a sinfull violation of the Law and therefore deserving the punishment prescribed in the Law If therefore all even the least of sins do reach and come unto the knowledge of God it followeth that all deserve the punishment of the Law namely death eternall and that none in their kind are veniall that is do deserve pardon not punishment yet indeed by accident they become veniall to the faithfull through the mercy of God Secondly the grievousnesse of her sins are aggravated on Gods behalfe who is said to have remembered them by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or humane affection often in Scripture applyed to God by which is signified not any forgetfullnesse but Gods goodnesse and lenity he is said to forget sinners when he differs their punishment and affords time of repentance and wholly forgiveth them that repent And he is said to remember when the time of punishment is at hand Thus in Chap. 16. ver 19. Babylon is said to come in remembrance before God to give unto her the cup of the fury of his wrath which is repeated in this place Hence three things are briefly to be noted the consideration whereof ought to recall us from sin and stir us up to repentance First that all our sins even the least are taken notice of by God and deserve to be fearfully punished especially if they be heaped up without repentance Let no man therfore think to escape unpunished as if his evills were forgotten or hid from the eyes of the Lord for all the actions of men as well evill as good are open and bare unto him with whom we have to do Secondly If we have a long time gone on in sin without punishment it is to be ascribed to the patience of God by which he leads us to repentance Let us therfore take heed that we abuse not his long suffering and forbearance unto security Rom. 2.3 Lastly that at last sins being heaped up God doth call them to remembrance and will certainly punish them the more grievously by how much he hath forborn the same Let us therefore not persevere in sin in hope to go allwayes unpunished but while God calls not our sins as yet to remembrance let us forsake them Now it may be demanded what is that chain of sin reaching to Heaven Ribera here is silent being conscious to himself that they are the abominations of Papall Rome for either they are of Old Rome or else of Popish Rome Of Ierusalem they cannot be forasmuch as this Babylon by the Iesuits own confession is Rome not Jerusalem though before he falsly and against his knowledge so seined in Chap. 16.19 Neither can they be sins of Old Rome seeing the chaine