placed in equall dignity with the Holy Scriptures Here the Interpretation of the Scriptures was taken away from the Scriptures and made subiect to mens pleasure but chiefly to the Popes Ever since the world began the Holy and Sacred Scriptures were not so much abused both openly and by publique authority ANTIOCHVS in deede a good while since inflicted a grievous wounde in commaunding the Holy Bookes to be burnt in the fire Likewise DIOCLETIAN and other Tyrants But the iniurie of these TRIDENTINE FATHERS is farre more grievous For they were Ethniques enemies stricken with a certen fury and madnes wholly repugnant to all the trueth These alone wil be counted CATHOLIQVES very great and chiefe friends the thing a long time and much consulted of guided by mature and ripe iudgement the very PILLARS and upholders of the TRVETH and upon whom noe spotte of errour can be cast How must it needs be that their act was of no authority and these men of very great neither is there cause why any should obiect Marcion the Eucratites Cataphrygians and such monsters of which some reiected one part of the sacred Scriptures and some another at their pleasure There is very great difference as touching the greatnes of the hurt betweene the dotages of obscure Heretiques and the deliberat actes and Decrees of an gathered Councell especially which chalengeth to it selfe to be credited with out exception It is therefore a thing especially worthy remembrance and worthy that the Church should be put in minde of by so notable a Prophecy The event and time doe consent so wonderfully that every equall arbitratour will easily acknowledge that I have not willfully sought this interpretation but that I have ben lead as it were by the hande to the same by the very order and disposition of the matters As touching the assemblyes of the faithfull which in these last times did first appeare in Germany they were assailed with a most cruell warre the same yeere The same Beast made this warre likewise by the help of the Emperour Charles the fift otherwise a noble man greatly to be cōmāded but obeying the Pope too much through the common errour of the Princes From whence not without cause that is attributed to one which being proceeded from two or more yet notwithstanding is done by one ioint endevour The overthrowe in this warre was received about the two and twentieth day of Aprill in the yeere following to wit 1547 when the armies of the Protestans were put to flight Iohn Frederike Duke of Saxonie himselfe Ernestus of Brunswick the Lātgraves sonne and not very long after the Lantgrave himselfe were taken Which calamity stayed not in these fewe but also afflicted many others both Governours and Cityes which partly yeelded themselves of their owne accord partly were wonne by force In one moment sayth Beza bewayling the misery of that time seemed to be overthrowne whatsoever had ben builded up in so many yeeres and with so great labours and they onely were counted happy of the most part whom sudden death had taken away from these hurlie burlies such are his wordes The remembrance of that time is sorrowfull to all the godly when the holy and wise Princes inflamed with a desire onely to defende the trueth not themselves alone but the Churches togither with them which as newly borne did lament among the weapons came miserably into the power of the enemies But now was the time of darkenesse in which these two Prophets must be killed and made a mocking stock Although wee must reioice in the same adversities which ar a calling to remembrance of the divine Prophecies confirming certenly the confidence and faith of our hope as saith Tertullian in his Apologie 8 And their corpses shall lie There is this difference betweene Antiochus the Romish Beast He in burning up the bookes of the Lawe would not have so much as the karkeises to remaine This sufferred the dead corpses but onely for a mocking stocke and for a greater ignominie The cruell Beast is not satisfyed with blood but desireth some more grievous tormēt For their pierced corpses are cast forth into the streetes of the great city that they might be a spectacle to all men and an ornament to the triumphe of the Romish Beast And what other thing of these Scriptures now remained then a very karkeise wholly without all authoritie power and life when all interpretation was brought to the Apostolique Chaire neither might they mutter any thing at all which the Bishop of Rome should not breath into them The Spirit speaketh so exactly that he may leave them noe tergiversatiō He knew that the Pope of Rome whatsoever he should doe against the truth would boast neverthelesse that to him nothing is better of more account and more inviolable then the Scriptures themselves But that noe man may be deceived with a bare name the Spirit speaketh evidently that after the Tridentine Councill noe Scriptures should be in the possessiō of the Romanes but a dead carkeise of noe strenght and power ¶ In the streetes of the great citie which spiritually is called Sodome and Egypt This great City is that whole dominion of which Rome is the mother City in which sense the tenth part of the city falleth after in the 13 verse A street is some part of the Romane dition wherein this spectacle is exhibited to be seene the ioy whereof spreadeth it selfe through the whole Empire But the great citie it selfe togither with her chiefe citie is described in the rest of the verse and that by two expresse names a notable marke also being added least any perhaps should mistake the city And also for a greater assurance wee are admonished that these names are not to be takē properly but spiritually that is aenigmatically figuratively allegorically The first name is Sodom a city once very famous for her filthines nowe for her punishement a most fit exemple of the tower and chiefe habitation of this great citie For is not the city Rome become famous for her horrible lusts above all the whole world In the iudgement of all the Poete Mantuan hath truly songe of her in these wordes Shame get thee to the country townes if they al 's ' doo not use The same corrupted filthines Rome now is all a Stewes Which is no lesse declared by an other taking his leave of Rome thus Rome farre well nowe I have thee seen ynough it is to see I le come againe when bawd I meane knave brothel beast to be But that you may the better acknowledge Sodome heare what a certē man answered to one asking a question touching Rome Say what is Roma Amor Love if backward you it spell Rome loves the male kind Say no more J know thy meaning well Hath not Hieronymus Zeged Mutius declared this plainely in his Cynedicall bookes defending this horrible villany and approved by the Bulles and lettres patents of Iulius the third him selfe With whom Iohannes Casa associated himselfe being
the mysterie shall be finished the Turkes the Popes names being rased out then also the Church shall be settled in exceeding great felicitie as in the earth maie be expected The viales from 1558 even to the end Chap. 17. The execution of the fift viale on the throne of the beast by vvhich it shall be manifested by some one of no great name by most undenyable argumeÌ„ts that Rome is the seat of Antichrist that she hath bin made his seate from the time that the Heathenish Emperours vvere driven from thence Chap. 18. The second execution of the fift viale is the last overthrow of the citie of Rome by three Angels 1 descending from heaven 4 the second exhorting the Romanes to flight describing both the mourning of the ungodly also the joy of the godly 21 The thirde confirming her eternall destruction by casting a great milstone into the sea Chap. 19.1 There is dâ—scribed the joy of the saints for the perdition of Rome 5 The sixt viale is opened the calling of the Iewes is taught 12 Likewise a warlicke preparation partly in respect of Christ the câ—ptaine souldiers partly in respect of the enemies 20 The seaventh viale is declared by the destruction of the false Prophete of the Roman Pope of the Westerne enemie his baÌ„des Chap. 20.1 The vvhole history of the DragoÌ„ is repeated as it was in the GeÌ„tile Emperours before the imprisonemeÌ„t 2 Hovv it was in prison into which he was cast by Constantine bound for a thousaÌ„d yeares An interpretation of the three last viales in al which space the elect had a battel with the Romish Pope which being ended there is made at last the first resurrection many every where in the west aspiring unto the more syncere truth 7 Together with this resurrection the Devill is loosed theÌ„ ariseth the Turke vvith the Scithians Gog with Magog which now destroying the greatest part of the earth at length they turne their weapons against the holy citie that is the beleeving Iewes in which warfare the name of the Turke shall utterly be abolished 11 There is made the second resurrection by the second full calling of the Iewes Chap. 21.1 The last part of the seaventh viale describeth the felicity of the Church after the vanquishing of all enemies by the new Hierusalem descending from heaven of a most glorious building Chap. 22.1 It is shewed how this felicitie both by meat and drinke shall redounde to others and shall continue for ever 6 The conclusion confirmeth the whole Prophecy by manie most strong arguments CHAP. 1. A REVELATION OF THE APOCALYPSE THE Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto him to shewe unto his servaÌ„ts things which must shortly be done which he sent shewed by his Angel unto his servant Iohn 2 Who bare record of the word of God and of the testimony of Jesus Christ and of all things that he saw 3 Blessed is he that readeth they that heare the wordes of this Prophesie keep those things which are written therein for the time is at hand 4 Iohn to the seaven Churches which are in Asia Grace be with you and peace from him which is and which was and which is to come and from the seaven Spirits which are before his throne 5 And from Iesus Christ which is that faithfull witnesse and the first begotten of the dead and Prince of the Kings of the earth unto him that loved us and washed us from our sinnes in his blood 6 And made us Kings and Priests unto God even his Father to him be glory and dominion for evermore Amen 7 Behold he cometh with clouds and every eye shall see him yea even they which perced him through and all kinreds of the earth shall waile before him even so Amen 8 I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending saith the Lord which is and which was and which is to come even the Almightie 9 I John even your brother and companion in tribulation and in the Kingdome and patience of Jesus Christ was in the Yle called Patmos for the word of God and for the witnessing of Jesus Christ 10 And I was ravished in spirit on the Lords day and heard behind me a great voice as it had bene of a trumpet 11 Saying I am Alpha and Omega the first and the last and that which thou seest write in a book and send it unto the seven Churches which are in Asia unto Ephesus and unto Smyrna and unto Pergamus and unto Thyatira and unto Sardi and unto Philadelphia and unto Laodicea 12 Then I turned backe to see the voyce that spake with me and when I was turned I saw seven golden Candlesticks 13 And in the mids of the seven Candlesticks one like unto the Sonne of man clothed with a garment downe to the feet and girded about the paps with a goldeÌ„ girdle 14 His head and haires were white as whitewooll as snow and his eyes wer as a flame of fire 15 And his feete like unto fine Brasse burning as in a fornace and his voice as the sound of many waters 16 And he had in his right hand seven starres and out of his mouth went a sharpe two edged sword and his face shone as the Sunne shineth in his strength 17 And when I saw him I fell at his feete as dead then he laid his right haÌ„d upon me saying unto me feare not I am the first and the last 18 And am alive but I was dead and behold I am alive for evermore AmeÌ„ and I have the keyes of hell and of death 19 Write the things which thou hast seene and the things which are and the things which shall come hereafter 20 The mysterie of the seven starres which thou sawest in my right hand and the seven golden candlesticks is this The seven starres are the Angels of the seven Churches and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven Churches The prayer I entring into a matter beyond the strength of man pray thee O Father of lights together with thy Sonne the Chiefe Prophete and the Holy Spirit the leader into truth make plaine to mortall men the way not as yet sufficiently knowen Our minde seeth not the thinges thar are before our feete How little or nothing perceiveth it high and hidden things And how great danger is there from hence eyther of preasing rashly into thy secrets or of passing by true things and faining things absurd contrary Neverthelesse thou who hast made thy word a light to our feet who callest the most simple to the searching out of thy hidden mysteries and who dost chuse for the most parte fisher men before the wise of the world Be thou I say present and helpe this my slendernes graunt me a prosperous voyage between these dangerous Ylands Cause that I no where runne upon the high rockes of pride nor sticke in the shalowe of blind ignorance but the next way by thy
guidance arriving at the very truth I may holily and religiously reverence maintaine it being found out not conceale it through any shamefull fearfulnes corrupt it for any eyther hatred or favour but may bring it forth purely and syncerely into the viewe of every man to the glory of thy most great name and consolation of thy Church yet grievously mourning graunt this through our Lord Iesus Christ AmeÌ„ The Resolution THE Revelation after the Proheme is included whole in an Epistle The Proheme in the three first verses declareth the Argument Authours both principall and also Ministers and the Fruit. The Epistle is speÌ„t about an Inscription Propheticall narration and conclusion The InscriptioÌ„ is excellent for the person of the wrighter and of those to whom he writeth of him especially from whom salvation is wished the eternall verity of which one God the Father the manifold grace of the Holy Spirit vers 4. of the Sonne as the triple office vers 5. so especially his very great benefitâ— on the elect both present vers 6. to be expected in his glorious comming is celebrated which the kinreds of the earth shall receive with wailing and the saints in the meane time desyre most earnestly as is expressed in those wordes even so Amen vers 7. The Propheticall narration respecteth eyther the particular Churches or the whole Them partly jointly in the rest of this chapter partly severally in the two next The thinges which are declared ioyntly are to the end that the seaven Churches may knowe that Iohn undertooke not this wriring at his owne pleasure but was called and commanded of God Wherof the person calling may cause a full persuasion which cannot be of any other but of God himself vers 8. Lykewise the person called vers 9.10 Lastly the manner of calling him by hearing vers 11. theÌ„ by visioÌ„ The type wherof is shewed v. 12.13.14.15.16 certeyne things following therof are declared on Iohns parte a great feare and astonying on Christs part a consolation ver 17.18 then a commaunding to write ver 19. and the interpretation of the vision ver 20. A shorte exposition ver 1. Apocalyps The Argument of the booke signifying a Revelation made of God the coverings being taken away which before did hinder the eyes of mortall men Which sort of thinges were wont to be called in old time visions and prophesyes but in the writings of the Apostles the word of Revelation is more frequent I will come saith Paul to Visions and Revelations of the Lord 2 Cor. 12.1 And againe that J should not be lifted up above measure with excellency of Revelations ver 7. So whosoever of you hath a song hath doctrine hath a tongue hath a Revelation 1 Cor. 14.26 Furthermore the knowledge of the Gospell is attributed to Revelation of seeing which there is no greater power before it shall be revealed then of understanding future thinges I give thee thankes saith Christ O Father because thou hast hidden these thinges from the wise revealed them to babes Mat. 11.25 Whether is then this not the sense of this word that no new thing is published but as the Gospell is an open revealâ—d lawe so the coverings being removed that onely to be shewed which before lay hydde under the olde shadowes And so it might paradventure be thought unlesse this were also a word of the olâ—e testament The saying of him saith Balaam that heareth the wordes of the strong God which seeth the vision of the Almighty falling downe but having his eyes opened or revealed Num. 24.4 So the man of God spake unto Heli in the name of the Lord Did not I reveale my selfe playnâ—ly to the house of thy father 1 Sam. 2.27 Wherfore there is no argumeÌ„t from heÌ„ce to this purpose This may be without doubt that this kinde of speaking used as well here as there doth shewe that it neither was in the beginninge nor yet is proper to the witte of mortall men to finde out such mysteries by searching Neverthelesse that now all things are easy to be passed through by the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ so farre as is behoveable for his Church Doe thou therfore most high Day-starre open our eyes that we may behold thy wonderfull things ¶ Of Iesus Christ Who is one of the chiefe authours of the Revelation the Mediatour betweene God and men All the olde Prophecies flowed alwayes from the same Christ but in these last dayes God hath spoken unto us by his Sonne after a singular and speciall manner Heb. 1.1 Wherupon there is a difference betweene the auncient inscriptions of the the Prophecies and of this There the vision of Isaias the vision of Obadias the booke of the vision of Nahum The Prophecy which Habbakuke saw never before the vision or Revelation of Iesus Christ This Prophecy must needes be most full of maiesty which is notable before others for the title neither is it to be doubted but that according to the proportion of the light of the Gospell all things are delivered here more distinctly and more clearely then ever before ¶ Which God gave unto him To wit the Father the authour fountayne of all things And he gave these thinges to Jesus Christ in asmuch as he is Mediatour not as to his coessentiall Sonne For these thinges doe shewe rather the order in which God doth give knowledge to his Church then the originall of knowing in respect of his Sonne as Th. Beza declareth most learnedly He is the pipe by vvhom is derived unto us men from the unmeasurable depth of his goodnes whatsoever may be profitable for us Although the verbe to give ioyned with the infinitive mode signifyeth often to permitte as thou wilt not give thy holy one to see corruption that is thou wilt not suffer him to see Psal 16.10 And Edom râ—fused to give to passe through that is permitte Num. 21.21 After which manner Demosthenes speaketh the word of permitting being ioyned with it Give and permitte me to speake of these thinges unto you But it comes all to one whether we make it the beginning of knowledge or of power Therefore we must rest in the first answere ¶ That he might shewe to his servants Therefore the understanding of those thinges is peculiar to these You prophane be ye farre o be ye farre fâ—om hence Why o ye Iesuites doe ye touch this booke These mysteries are shutte and sealed to you whatsoever diligence in interpreting you may pretend Here is nothing for the sworne slaves of Antichrist Leave off to trouble your selves and to deceave others Yf yee desyre indeed to understande these thinges renounce the Lord whom yee serve to the end that he whose name ye counterfaite may impert these secrets to you returning againe into his family ¶ Which must shortly be done An explication of the thinges whereof it is a Râ—velation not of those which were past a good while since but which should be done afterward and shortly For he
first particle is properly of one affirming shewing the certaintie of a thing in which yet maie be understoode the wishing verbe Let it be done or some such like worde For so it is in the end of the booke Yea come Lord Iesus as if he should saie I beseech thee come so as thou hast promised chap. 22.20 It is like that both the particles are used in the same sence otherwise the diversitie both of tongue and signification woulde not note out any coniunction of all people to which end this twofolde proper forme of spech seemes to be used Amen not onely apperteines to one assevering but also supplicating and earnestly striving that the thing maie come to passe as in Ieremy chap. 28.6 Amen so doe it the last expunding the former 9 J am Alpha and Omega Hitherto hath bene the Inscription of the Epistle now he entreth into the narration it selfe where first for the authoritie of the writing undertaken there is set downe a threefold propertie of the person calling the excelling power of creating truth in his promises and exceeding power of governing The power is first declared metaphorically and afterwards in proper wordes For the beginning ending doe expounde what Alpha Omega meane of which that is the first and this the last letter of the Greeke Alphabet by a metaphore they are applyed to any beginning and ending whatsoever The wordes are plainely of a certeine order and relation to the creature In which respect they can not properly note out eternitie which thing is absolute nor in any regard is to be measured according to the creature Therefore I am Alpha and Omega have this meaning to wit the maker of all things and againe the end whereunto all things are to be referred who in the beginning have made all things and that for my owne glory It is the abridgement of that which the wise man saieth the Lord hath wrought all things for himself yea the wicked for the daie of evill Prov. 16.4 The constant veritie of God in his promises is declared by a distribution of a threefolde time as we have shewed out of ver 4. His Allmightines in the end of the verse seemes to appertaine to that excellent power of governing all things according to his will in which there shines no lesse his incomprehensible maiestie then in the first creation of things For this teacheth that his strength was not spent in his first worke but for ever is of force without any lessening which is not tired with any wearines nether oppressed with the weight of busines but remaines infinitely beyond all power of any created spirit in doing all things Such a one is he from whome the commaundement of writing proceedeth a most mightye creatour a most faithfull promiser and the chiefe hovernour of all things 9 I John The person also called hath great weight for credit I John an Apostle a brother and companion in affliction banished into Patmos for the word of God ravished from heaven in the spirit on the Lords day Why should not this man speake most certaine truth ¶ And the patience of Jesus Christ The comon translation hath and the patience in Christ Iesus So also Montanus the interpretour of Aretas by Chr. Iesus Therehy the sence is nothing at all or but litle changed whether any reade it according to the construction as Th. Beza or as these with a preposition All tende hereunto that the communion of the faithfull be it either of affliction or of a Kingdome leane on Christ the alone head as upon the grounde and foundation We must take heede lest with the Iesuite we doe interprete in Christ Jesus for the end for Christ Jesus for so the communion of the Kingdome amongest the faithfull should be established without Christ as if all shoulde not together grow up in him but shoulde as it were be ioined together betwene themselves into some outward thing a part from him Patmos an Iland of the sea Icarium thirtie miles in compasse at this daie it is called Palmosa as the latter Geographers would have it But in Strabo it hath nothing memorable except the name He is wont to mention carefully even the very woodes of Palme trees if there be any much more woulde he have mētioned so great plentie wherby the Iland should be worthie to be renowmed whereupon this name maye iustly be suspected unlesse perhaps the succeeding age caused it to be more happie in fruitfulnes Munster supposeth that Patmos is that Possidium of which Ptolemaeus speakes in his tables of Geography booke 5. chap. 2. but Possidium in the same place is a Promontorie of the Isle Chios not farre of from the city Chios from thence they saile about the Yland and leave it on the right hand Str. book 14. But Patmos lies together with Corasius towards the west of Icaria but this towards the west of Samos Strab. book 10. But thou must observe that Ihon doth not plainely mention his banishement but onely that he was in the Isle soberly bearing his misery not proudely augmenting it by vaine boasting ¶ For the word of God That is for having preacht it not for to preach it For Iohn of his accord went not thither to preach but because he had preached at Ephesus and elswhere in Asia Domitian the tyrant as Ireneus and others record banished him thither The same Isle seemeth to have bin almost desolate and voide of inhabitants considering especially that the neighbour Iland Icaria much more renowmed because of the scarcity of inhabitans as Strabo reportes did bestowe the use and commoditie of their pastures on the soraine Samians 10 And I was ravished in the Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I was in the Spirit that is I began to be moved in the spirit for to see and understand those things which doe farre surpasse mans capacity as of old the auncient Prophetes being led by the same spirit did pronunce of things to come with no lesse certainty then of things present or past After the same maner Marck speaketh of another kinde of spirit And there was in their Synagogue a man with an uncleane spirit chap. 1.23 And againe there met him a man out of the sepulchres in an uncleane spirit chap. 5.2 but altogether contrarie in the maner of operation not onely in respect of holines or unholines but also of the sweete and quiet motion seing that the agitations with which the most wicked spirits doe tormente men are violent and fearfull whence the Possessed are most comonly depryved either of all their senses or at the least of some of them but those who are filled with the holy Ghost they are more strenghtned in all the faculties of the soule Both have them obediēt to thē whō they doe possesse but the one by gracious inclining the other by cruell constraining as the exemples of the one and of the other doe make it plaine ¶ On a Lords day see of this Th. Bezam It is verie like that
to them It is not so saith the Spirit but in that the punishmeÌ„t is yet witholden it cometh not of thy approved faithfulnes and diligence but of the onely mercy of God wherby he spareth that little good which thou hast yet left For as he would not have destroyed Sodome if ten good men had bin found in it so his wrath waxeth not hotte against his as long as any hope of good is remaining in them It was but a small thing therefore that letted that he should not by and by translate the candlesticke neither shoul suffer it to abide any longer among them But what was this small thing To wit that he hated the workes of the Nicolaitanes that is of them whose chiefe author was Nicolas of Antioche once one of the seaven Deacons Act. 6. Who taught that wiv s ought to be comon and that it was an indifferent thing to commit adultery as Ireneus Theodoret and others doe declare For as touching that Clemens Alexandrinus Strom. book 3. doth attribute this heresy rather to the wickednes of his folowers who drew to this foule licentiousnes the fact and saying of Nicolâ—s which had respect onely to the removing of iealousie it seemeth scarce credible For Iohn would have spared the credâ—t of the man and would have tolde the ringleader of so great filthines neither would have suffered his name to have bin borne falsly of wicked men The Ephesine Angell therefore was pure from the contagion of this sinne What were the Angels of the Primitive Church They were no lesse free from this blemish This heresie was soone reiected for his owne foulenes But after we shall see that the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes did extende not onely to the filthines of the body but also was transferred unto spirituall fornication ver 15. Were they also without fault in this parte In the first hundred yeares the Church remayned a chaste virgin in the next ages it began to waxe wanton defyling somewhat the mariage bed partly with unprofitable opinions partly with foolish ceremonies but somewhat fearfully privily at the first nothing according to that impudency which came together with Constantine and afterward In this respect therefore Christ suffered it a loÌ„g time although he saw that their first love had waxed cold 7 He that hath an eare c. An Epiphonematicall conclusion comon to all the Epistles Wherein he sheweth that all whatsoever thy be ought to hearken to these admonitions of the Spirit Properly in deede they beloÌ„g to the Angels but it concerneth us all greatly of what sorte their coÌ„dition shall be They eyther offende or doe their duty not for themselves alone but their coÌ„dition is ioined eyther with the great good or evill of the whole flocke But what doe these things so long agoe past pertaine to us There is the same disposition of all Churches and of every one severally wherupon it is very profitable for us of what age soever to beware by their eville Although all will not obey these admonitions but they onely whose eares the Spirit openeth For they are bidden to heare that have eares And therefore we ought not to mervayl if we shall see many to contemne securely these threatnings and to thinke that these prayses and reprehensions belonge not to them at all But what is that which he willeth to be heard That which foloweth by and by saith the Iesuite To him that overcometh J will give to eate c. Forsooth the Spirit would have the last clause to be heard of all Churches and of all the members of any Church but all that which was before the Bishop shall have privatly for himselfe A witty indeede and trusty exposition Are not the Epistles pronounced universally and inscribed to the Churches Chap. 1.11 Would it not profit them very much to be instructed touching the state of their Angels and to understaÌ„d what they might require of them by right They are sent indeede by name to the Angels not that they should keepe them close to themselves as mysteryes but that by their meanes they might be communicated to the Churches whom the Lord useth as his Ambassadours to speake to his spouse Which doth yet more appeare from those that folow For it doth not fit a Bishop onely which after is written to them of Smyrna Beholde it shall come to passe that Sathan shall cast some of you into prison c. ver 10. or that to them of Thyatira and to you J say and the rest of Thyatira ver 24. That I say nothing that in some of the Epistles the exhortation to heare shutteth up the whole matter as to the Church at Thyatira ver 29. To the Church at Sardi chap. 3.6 at Philadelphia ver 13. at Laodicea ver 22. Whereupon if the Church be reserved to the Epiphonema she ought to open and shut the eares all at one time For there foloweth nothing to be heard ¶ To him that overcometh I will give to eat of the tree of life The reward in everie one is fitted to the times and is one and the same everie where Iesus Christ alone For what greater thing can he give to his elect Or what thing shall we need if we doe enioy him But according to the divers conditioÌ„ of times he is set before us in a divers manner In this Primitive Church he is the tree of life in the middes of the Paradise of God Why Because the first state of the Spouse was wholy like to the first happines of Adam in Paradise of which that was a certen visible image and figure restored in the last times on earth after our so long banishment from thence For there was a tree of life in the middes of the garden like a shadow here Iesus Christ borne of a Virgin was conversant with us in the middes of mortall men there all kinde of beautyfull plantes most profitable both for sight and for meate here a copious abondance of of all giftes which belong either to salvatioÌ„ or to ornament there one river but dividing it selfe from the garden into fower heads here one voice of veritie among all the Apostles but which beginning at Ierusalem was spred abroad into the foure quarters of the world watering all landes whersoever it floweth with peace and salvatioÌ„ What pleasantnes was wanting there that the minde of man can thinke of What is not here sufficiently furnished by him at whose administratioÌ„ the Angels themselves are amazed To wit that terrible Angell with a shining sword keeping the way to the tree of life it is now removed out of his place and an entraÌ„ce againe is opened into the gardeÌ„ most full of true pleasure Christ therefore promised that they which shall keepe themselves pure froÌ„ the corruptions of these times neither shall forsake their first love shall continue those true citizens of this holy Church and that they shall have free leave to eate of Christ that true tree of life in the middes of this new Eden
purpose by very small thinges and having a faire colour He would abhorre Idols in words as much as any other and would cry out that the honour which he commaundeth to be given to Jmages is farre from this ungodlines by such wordes deceaving the unskilfull and bringing them into this offence of which the Spirith speaketh 15 So thou hast c. The reddition of the similitude whose proposition is not spoken a word of Thus it should be full As once the Israelites had those that held the doctrine of Balaam so thou hast them that holde the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes In stead of the proposition he attributeth the doctrine of Balaam to the Pergamen Church because it was proper to his Antitype but from whence may be gathered the first part of the similitude But this poison of the Nicolaitanes had infected doubtlesse Pergamus ¶ Which J hate as before the comon translation is repent likewise And so he beginneth the verse following in this sense as I have warned the Ephesine Church so doe I admonish thee But this is weaker then if he did commaund simply repent 16 I will come against thee quickly and fight against them He threatneth a double punishement one against the Church it selfe against which he saith that he wâ—ll come quickly The other against the corrupters against whom he saith he will fight with the sworde of his mouth For wee may not thinke that he will come against the Church onely to take away those plagues destructions of men for this could have no feare but would be a thing to be chiefly wished but shee also must suffer the punishment of her negligence as they of their wickednes Therfore this violent breaking into the Church was a certen chastisement by warre or some such calamity as is manifest in the Antitype whose times were very troublous partly by the overflowing of the Northerne Barbarians partly by the Saracens whom the Devill armed against the seed of the woman after shee fled into the wildernes as we shall shew at the chap. 12. to which times these things perteine but here generally and obscurely shewed because this place suffered not any ampler light The other punishment is against the Balaamites against whoÌ„ he will use the sworde of his mouth For we must observe how he distinguisheth these from the Church of her he sayd I will come against thee then turning his speach to the Balaamites and J will fight saith he against them But what is it to fight with the sworde of his mouth Whether to inflict the punishments which he hath threatned in his word Certenly Paul saith that he had in readines wherewith to punish all contumacy 2 Cor. 10.6 And Ieremy is set of God over the nations and Kingdomes to root out and destroy c. chap. 1.10 For there is no weapon in the whole armory of the world so effectuall on both partes Wherfore seeing by the iudgement hereof all fornications and Idolatries are appointed to a iust punishment worthily may he say that he will fight with that sworde according to the rule whereof the pronounced iudgement is exercised But nowe when in an other place it is sayd of Antichrist that Christ shall consume him with the spirit of his mouth 2 Thes 2.8 which maner of speaking what force it hath we have learned by experience to wit that his errours convinced his lyes detected then his fraude and deceits set in the open light he shal be brought to destruction these wordes seeme to have the same meaning And certenly after that the Church was for a while scourged by those Norther Souther barbariaÌ„s Christ begaÌ„ to vexe those PerganieÌ„ impostours with the light of the truth for about the yeare 1120 arose certeÌ„ godly men which preached openly that Antichrist was come that the holy dayes Ecclesiasticall broken songs prayers for the dead pilgrimages oyle extreem unction the rest of that sorte were superstitious things Worke Trip. Henric. Mon. Thol To these were added in a short time after the Waldenses the Albingenses Parisienses who published a booke of the perils of the Church many other private men FroÌ„ theÌ„ce began this fight which was soft in the beginning terrible rather in the shaking of the sword then in wonding but after coming to a iust full battaile as after we shall see which hath fallen out prosperously to the godly hitherto by the grace of God but most unhappily to them that dwell at Rome in the throne of Sathan 17 He that hath an eare Let every one drowned in the Romish superstitioÌ„s give eare let him attende hearken in what account with God is that unmaried Vicar of Christ of what price is that famous much spoken of Rome that Chaire of Peter the piller of truth mother of the faith of all Churches to wit that chief Prelate that wicked Balaam the very city which is renowmed with the vaine praising of men the gate of heaveÌ„ is the very palace throne of the Devill Neither let any thinke that hatred doth wring these words from a man that is an adversary but let him compare the prophecy the event which if he shall see to agree in all things let him know that he is warned of the daÌ„ger not so much by the words of maÌ„ as by the H. spirit ¶ To him that overcometh I will c. The reward is threefould hiddeÌ„ MaÌ„na a white stone an unknowne name written upon it Every one of which fit the times in a wonderfull manner As for Manna it is the meat of the wildernes ministred froÌ„ God when there was no meanes to have other bread And in this Pergamen state when the company of the Nicolaitanes Balaamiticall ofspring that is Romane Jdolaters possessed all places the Church was conversant in a waste unpleasant terrible wildernes whether wee shall see the woman betake herselfe flying from the Dragon ch 12. But Christ feedeth the same with the meat of the wildernes as once the Israelites For he will not be wanting to his in the most hard times but bestowe aboundaÌ„tly the ioy of the Spirit wherby not onely they may be preserved in life but also be very glad as for the greatest ioyes Therefore this Manna is the same meate with the fruite of the tree of life in Paradise as hath bin observed afore ver 7. but the manner of ministring of it is divers there in a most chast pure and flourishing Church it was the fruit of the tree in the middes of the paradise of God here the truth being despised contemned trode under foot utterly opressed with most thicke darknes it is MaÌ„na the foode of the wildernes this meate should be hiddeÌ„ froÌ„ the world they should suppose theÌ„ famished who had fled into this wildernes as the Egyptians did thinke the Israelites for this cause would perish suddeÌ„ly But God did sustaine his extra ordinarily with this bread of Angels Yet there is this
difference betweene the Manna of the Pergamen people and that of the Israelites For this every way was spred rond about the tentes that was dispersed peculiarly to every one of the saints who did not dwell so thicke togither in so great number as the Jsraelites in their tentes but in certen rare dennes farre removed froÌ„ the eyes of the world From wheÌ„ce the Manna of these is hidden their 's manifest like to that which was gathered from the comon allowance of the people and by the commandement of God layd up in a golden pot which the people had no power to see afterward Exod. 16.33.34 Heb. 9.4 Which in a more excellent figure did shadow out the heavenly food For the other Manna being kept above one day was full of wormes this abode pure and incorrupt through all ages a lively and expresse image of the immortall foode Therefore this Manna doeth not ly openly about the tents in the waye of every one that will gather it up but is given from the golden pot as much as may be sufficient to maintaine life And certenly unlesse Christ by hidden meanes in those most corrupt times had provided for his they had bin utterly undone as touching their salvation ¶ And J will give him a white stone The second reward Aretas reporteth that such a stone was wont to be given to maister wrastlers striving on the theater But it is not likely that that custome is here regarded For that was onely to the entring of the fight and not to the rewarding of the overcomer In the playes called Olympiques that the champions should not run togither rashly they pulled stones out of a sylver pot and those on which they did fall being marked with the same letter for they wer two by two marked with the same characters were committed in the fight by the iudges neither doe I thinke that there was any other use of stones in playes In iudgements they were used to an other ende to wit to give voices In which thing they were divers according to the sundry lawes of the peoples sometime hollow and bored through by which they did condemne sometime full and solid by which they did absolve Some time also they were distinguished onely by the colour the black condamning the white contrariwise absolving So Vlpian on Demosthenes against Timocrate The stones sometime bored and not bored some time black and white To the same purpose the Scholiâ—ste of Aristophanes in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But that of Alcibiades is famous who in the iudgement of life and death would not beleeve his mother least peradventure shee unwares should put a black stone for a white Plutarche in Apotheg of the King He doeth allude therefore to that manner of absolving in iudgements But wherfore now is there a second yea a third reward which in the former Churches was but one The use of the godly did so require For because those few and rare faithfull in so great a multitude of the ungodly were hated of all condemned of schisme errour heresy and I know not what wickednes an absolving stone is promised them That although they should be guilty by all mens suffragies on the earth yet they might knowe most surely that they are iudged guiltles before the heavenly tribunall How great a solace is this against the reproches of the world Be of good courage if God iustify who shall condemne Rom. 8.33 ¶ And in the stone a new name written A third reward He persisteth in the same custome of iudgements in some of which their names were written in the stones who came to be iudged Aristides being desired of an unlearned and one that knewe not who he was that he would write to him the name of Aristides in his shell he wrote his name into his owne banishement Plutarch in Apotheg of Aristides Here the like custome is shewed But the new name to be written in the white stone is the childe of God such as the faithfull perceive and acknowledg themselves to be by the testimony of the Spirit Rom. 8.16 Which also avayleth against the railings of the world to whoÌ„ they should be as the filth and ofskowring of all But why dost thou vexe thy selfe with thought of so great contempt seeing thou art with God in the honour of a sonne This name also is unknowne to all except to him that receaveth it For the world knoweth us not 1 Ioh. 3.2 Therfore their testimony is of noe account on what side soever But besides beholde the solitarines of those times wherein the elect were no lesse unknowne to the world then the way of salvation signifyed now by the hidden Manna Analysis Such is the Epistle to the Church of Pergamus Thyatira growing This to the Thyatirens is intituled also to the Angell then he declareth that he that sendeth is the sonne of God with fiery eyes and feete like fine brasse ver 18. The Narration prayseth the increase of Godlines ver 19. but reprehendeth for suffering of Jesabell whose naughtines he describeth first by the kinde of sinne ver 20. secondly by the hardning ver 21. and punishment which is notable both for the nature of the punishment it selfe which is divers according to the maÌ„ner of the delinquents For Iezabell her selfe is punished by the Bed They that committe fornication with her by great affliction ver 22. and her sonnes with death as also by an excellent testimony of all Churches of the iust and severe iudgement of God ver 23. To whom finally he annexed a counsell against this wickednes the way wherto he sheweth by gentle entreatie laying noe other burden upon them ver 24. requyring constancy ver 25. perswading therto by the reward of power over the nations vers 26.27 the morning starre ver 28. The conclusion ver 29. Scholions 18 And to the Angell of the Church of Thyatira Thyatira is so called as it were Thugatera as we have shewed at the first chapter A name well concurring with the thing For the godlines of this Church is growing as a daughter new borne which alway groweth up till shee hath attained to a full maturity In which respect it is opposed to Ephesus which being of full age the very first day or shortly after the further shee proceedeth as hasting to old age became weaker every day while at leÌ„gth the naturall heat being extinguished shee fell into the coldnes of death And here is the first bending from the North to wit Pergamus toward the south but further to the East being distant according to Ptolemy about foure score English miles The Antitype is the time from the yeare 1300. unto 1520. ¶ These things saith the sonne of God Now Christ maketh himselfe knowne by his name eyes feete every one of which doe appeare more clearly froÌ„ the Antitype of what sorte they are As touching the name now first of all it offereth it selfe not expressed before eyther in the things seen or heard in the first chapter
there was a certen Chiefe and famous woman an Idolatrice Sorceresse Harlot like the ancient Iezabell which was the wife of Ahab yet by thus much more furnished to destroy because this shewed her selfe openly an enemy and adversary to the truth that would be accounted for a Prophetisse From that which followeth appeareth that shee was taught to the naughtines in the schoole of the Nicolaitans of which shee became a schoole mistres teaching others the same rules For the Heretiques abused the labour of women to sparse abroad their poysons Simon Magus hath his Helena Carpocrates his Marcellinam Apelles his Philumenam Montanus after in the latter times in places nigh to this Thyatira his Priscilla Maximilla In the Antitype the thing is clearer For this Iezabell is Rome Queene Idolatrice Sorceresse Whore Killer of Martyrs Prophetisse the head of all Churches and the whole way of salvation which never yeelded to any heresyes and many such like with which wee shall see her adorned by the Holy Spirit partly in this book partly shee boastingly setteth forth her selfe impudently Lately we learned tha the Pope was signified by Balaam now we have the city shewed by Iezabell Both which perteine to the describing of the same Synagogue of Sathan see in the Bishop and City are things very neerly conioyned And how doth it fit the times that the Spirit doth set before our eyes now such a city How long time did the Pope deceive under a shew of godlines as the Hypocriticall Balaam in the former ages about the beginning of increasing honour and reputation but after he was groweÌ„ to an inmeasurable greatnes lifted up above Kings Emperours so as now all meÌ„ quaked at the very name of the Pope of Rome his Rome became the Queene Iezabell an impudent and painted whore Balaam therefore and Iezabell declare the same kinde of impiety onely they are distinguished by the increase an times Rome in her infancy as Balaam handled her matters more warily and secretly shee pretended that shee could not speake but that which the LORD should put in her mouth being grown to full age as the Prophetisse Iezabell preacheth openly that shee caÌ„not erre and that shee is the rule of faith and all godlines That abused the labour of Kings to bring in and set up Idolatry This by her owne authority commandeth to committe fornication and to eate thinges sacrificed to Idols in exacting the worshipping of Idols Images Who can admire enough the singular art of the Spirit who hath so lively set forth this matter This then is Iezabell the holy men of this time shaking too softly modestly this peste have therein so much the lesse approved themselves to Christ our head who would have no earnestnes spared in repressing so great impudency Learned men have dealt some what more boldly and freely then they had done in former times yet they used not that earnestnes that was meete in a cause of this sorte ¶ And I gave her time to repent In these words is shewed the stubburnes of Iezabell Christ dealt some while patiently with that impure Thyatiren woman so also with the city of Rome the stormy trouble of Barbarians being quieted and the Longobardes being overthrown Neverthelesse this peace brought noe amendement but increased rather the apostacy while they came to this height of impudent Jezabell For wee shall see that after those times all ungodlines did grow the Papists striving to oppresse the former dimnes with infernall darknes 22 Behold I will cast her in a bed The punishement of Iezabell The bed is sometime to delights and riot as in the Prophet sitting downe on beds of yvory and abounding upon their heds Amos 6.4 Sometime to sicknes and weaknes as The Lord will upholde bim on the bed of feeblenes and turne all his bed in his sickenes Psal 41.4 Of which in this place Not of delights although this be a great punishment to be given up to the occasion of sinning but of grief as appeareth from this that by and by after followeth where they that committe adultery with her shal be cast into great affliction Therefore the Thyatiâ—eÌ„ womaÌ„ hath languished Rome also hath bin sicke since the year 1300 coÌ„suming more every day as being sicke of a consumption For since that time palenes hath covered her face her stomake is grown weaker her soule is become heavy her flesh consumed yea her infirmity hath grown so farr that if thou beholde her at this day thou wilt say that shee is a dry carkase in respect of her former plight and good liking O the infinite wisdome of God which even in one worde hath given so lively image and picture of a time so farre of Could the languishing destruction of Rome be noted out more elegantly and evidently God would not have her perish on a swift or speedy disease that the peoples should not forget her but with a wasting consumption to be corrupted and waxe rotten both to the end that her lingering punishement should be an image of the eternall paine and also that shee might be a spectacle to many ages whom shee had led in errour so long a time Certenly unlesse Rome doe feele and acknowledg this her consumption shee must needs be sick not onely of a consumption but also of a Phrenesy ¶ And those that committe adultery with her The punishement of the adulterers who are the Kinges and Princes of the earth as is after in the 17. chap. 2. Vnlesse these shall forsake the whore they shall feele great affliction Have not yet the Kings learned this sufficiently by experience the most fierce and savage Turke on the one side vexing the Emperour the Spaniard on the other side Remember the ages past since the yeare one thou sand and three hundred in which Iezabell began to languish Who can attaine to declare the great evils which Transilvanie Polen Boheme the house of Austriche the Emperour The Venetians the Spaniards have suffered at the handes of this barbarous Turke Did not this your affliction begin at the same time wherein Iezabell Rome was cast into this her sicke bed Why doe ye not observe that your adultery which this whore hath brought forth and caused all these evills unto you But this calamity hitherto while Jezabell lyeth sicke in bed is nothing to that wherewith at length yee shal be punished unlesse yee renounce betime her ungodly commerce and society when shee shall yeeld her last breathing as wee shall shewe afterwardes Is it then now time o yee Princes and Peers to fly like cowards from the true God unto the whore of Rome They have noe pardon or excuse who bewitched with her beauty while shee flourished companied with her What torment awaiteth your wretched lust whoe doe nowe embrace a stinking carkasse For the love of Christ provide for your selves in forsaking with all speed this Harlot least suddenly at length yee be overwhelmed when your repentance shall be too late both with the most
wherat the world then not without cause was astonied at this the enemies doe at this day beholde with so heavie eyes It seemeth that there shal be the same suiftnes of the following rewards which a man shall see given before he shall heare that they were to be given and therfore in place they goe before the admonition which also noe lesse they shall goe before in time You therefore o Pastists you againe I speake unto if peradventure the Spirit hath given any of you eares that you may heare attend diligently those things which have bin spoken See what a one is your Rome which you embrace with so great reverence and whether you ran the last yeare to celebrate your wicked Iubiles shee is not a holy virgine as you are perswaded falsly but a most impudent Jezabell a most cruell murderesse of the saints from whom wee ought rather to fly into anie wildernes with Eliah then to runne to her by sea by land leaving at home the most chaste spouse of Christ Behold also that this sorceresse had lyensike now many yeares agone can you otherwise deny it which calleth the Turke to come upon the Christian world expelleth our brethren out of their places of abode turneth them out from their goods spoiled them of their children and wives and constrayneth them to be carried away into most cruell servitude and heapeth many calamityes upon us all which are farre of from that burning hatred And not onely these thinges at this present but which shall bring finally an horrible death upon you her children Can it be doubtfull to any who shall weigh diligently these things with himselfe but that wee ought to flee very soone very farr from this plague and mischiefe The Spirit give you eares to heare I will speake noe more to them of whom the trueth is esteemed a bare signification of the â—ill of God shal be sufficient let him be filthy still who shall contemne this I will turne my selfe to the unfoulding of those things that remayne Chap. 3. AND to the Angell of the Church which is at Sardis wrighte These things sayeth he that hath the seaven Spirits of God and the seaven starres I know thy workes to wit that thou art said to live but thou art dead 2 Be vigilant strengthen the things that remaine ready to dy for I have not found thy workes perfit before God 3 Remember therfore how thou hast receaved and heard and observe repent That if thou doest not watch J will come against thee as a thiefe neither shalt thou know what houre J will come against thee 4 Notwithstanding thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments and therfore they shall walke with me in white for they are worthy 5 He that overcometh shal be clothed with white garments neither will I ever put his name out of the booke of life but will professe his name before my father and before his Angels 6 Let him that hath an eare heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches 7 And to the Angell of the Church of Philadelphia write These things saith he that is holy and true which hath the key of David which openeth and noe man shutteth shutteth and noe man openeth 8 J know thy workes beholde I have set before thee an open dore neither is any man able to shut it because thou hast a little strength and hast kept my worde and hast not denyed my name 9 Beholde I will give those which are the Synagogue of Sathan that is of them which say they are Iewes and are not Beholde I say J will cause them to come and worship before thy feete and to know that I have loved thee 10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience I also will keepe thee from the time of tentation which shall come upon the whole world to try the inhabitans of the earth 11 Behold J come quickly holde that which thou hast that no man may take thy crowne 12 Him that overcometh I will make to be a pillar in the Temple of my God neither shall he goe forth any more and J will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God that is of the new Jerusalem which cometh downe from heaven from my God and my new name 13 Let him that hath an eare heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches 14 And to the Angell of the Church of the Laodiceans write These things saith Amen that faithfull and true witnesse the beginning of the worke of God 15 I know thy workes to wit that thou art neither cold nor whote I would thou wert eyther cold or whote 16 Therefore because thou art lukewarme neither cold nor whote it shall come to passe that I will spewe the out of my mouth 17 For thou sayst J am rich and increased with goods need nothing And knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poore and blind and naked 18 I counsell thee to buy of me Gold tryed in the fyre that thou mayest be rich and white garments that thou mayest be clothed and that the shame of thy nakednes may not appeare and that thou anointe thyne eyes with eye salve that thou mayest see 19 As many as I love J rebuke and chastice 20 Be hotte therfore and repente Beholde J stand at the dore and knocke if any shall heare my voyce and open the dore I will come into him and suppe with him he with mee 21 He that shall overcome J will give him that he may sit with me in my throne as I haue overcome and sit with my father in his throne 22 Let him that hath an eare heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches The Analysis THERE be three Epistles of this chapter One to the Sardenses an other to the Philadelpphienses the last to the Laodiceans Neither are they without cause included in one chapter seeing they are of nature somewhat divers from the former For the former were further distant one from an other so they had Antitypes of a longer time But these are both severed one from another with lesser distances and also wee shall find the Churchches directly answering unto them to be of a more conioined tyme. The Epistle to the Sardenses after the inscription to the Angell describeth the SeÌ„der from the seaven Spirits and seaven starres after it addeth the Narration Which reproveth him that he carrieth the name and some shewe of life wheÌ„ in very deede he was dead ver 1 but togither also he teacheth the remedy which is double the first consisteth in confirming the other things that are ready to dy For it should come to passe that by the iust iudgment of God many should dy who so should punish the neglect of lawfull and iust ameÌ„ndement ver 2. The second that he should remember what things he had received and should repent Which admonition lest he a should negligently regarde he is sharpened
by threatning of his unexpected coming ver 3. After he prayseth some for their pure garments Which prayse conteineth the reward both proper to them and also comon to all conquerers ver 5. Which is threefolde white clothing a permanent name in the booke of life and his professing of him before his father and the Angels All which are concluded with the usuall Epiphoneme ver 6. Scholions 1 To the Angell of the Church which is at Sardis Hyâ— caâ— Sardis is the seconde of the Churches rising againe going yet further in the South and growing in a more ample light of trueth The Antitype is the first reformed Churche begun of God by Martin Luther of Wittemberg a towne of Saxe upon the river Albe in the yeare 1517 when that holy man opposed himselfe against the Romane Questors selling for mony the forgivenes of sinnes to the people The trueth began to be revived under the Thyatiren state but noe reformation followed This was first undertaken at the time which I have said For which cause wee shall finde no mention in these three Churches of this Chapter eyther of Balaam or Jezabell For they were pure from the fault of this whore whose fellowship they renounced utterly But yet notwithstanding seeing the same should not be done of all after the same maner but a threefolde difference would be found in them in like maner they are shadowed out by three cityes according to the beginning and condition of every one The first after the impudency of Iezabell restreined is Sardis And the first after the Romane impudency weakened is the Germane Church of that time which even nowe I have set downe Onely the indifferent and good readers are to be intreated that they doe not thinke me to descende to this or that interpretation by any ill will but in good faithfulnes to follow that sense which the printed steppes of the Spirit going before seeme to me not darkely to point at I know how fearfull a thing it is even to hurt the estimation of any brother with wrongfull suspicions how much more heynous a sinne it should be to cast any blot rashly upon any whole Church And certenly as in all my life I desire to put farr away all virulency of tongue so especially I have thought alway that I must take heede that I make not the name of God a cloak for my lust Let not then the office of an Interpreter be any fraude to mee speaking either here or in other places of things preseÌ„t otherwise peradveÌ„ture theÌ„ many either would or expect It is an impious and detestable thing to play the hucksters with the word of God in speaking rather according to the pleasure of men then the trueth of the thing it selfe Therefore all as well hatred as favour set aside if wee shall see that that which is uttered agreeth with the trueth let us quake rather at the threatnings of the most iust God then be angry with him who to the end that wee may not be oppressed unwares with the evils hanging over our heades hath endevoured to his utmost power to reveale the hidden truth Which I hope I shall obtayne easily of all the godly so farr shall it be from them to reprehend myne industry with which hope supported I will proceed to my purpose through Gods helpe ¶ These things faith he that hath those seaven Spirits of God those seâ—ven starrs In the description of the sender of the Epistle of those Spirits which are rehearsed there was no mention made in the vision of the first chapter They are fetched from the comon inscription of the Epistle in the 1 chap. ver 4. They are seaven for the abondance of all gifts which that number usually signifyeth Christ hath in his owne power that being the keeper of the storehouse of the heavenly grace he bestoweth the Spirit on whom he shal thinke good Wherupon he saith that he will sende the Conforter from the Father Iohn 15.26 who should receive from Christ and shew unto us Io. 16.14 The Starres are in the right haÌ„d chap. 1.16 Likewise in the Ephesine Church wherein we have heard is declared the safety of the ministers whom Christ carrieth in his handes chap 2.1 To what end then is this repeated a fresh Was there wanting now any other honour spent wholy on the former in no wise but onely because the conveniency of things and not any vayne novelty is sought Because Sardis should finde the same safegarde of Christ in defending her Pastors which he had shewed in Ephesus not without cause doth he use the same similitude wherein there is so great coÌ„iunction of things But of Sardis the History speaketh not a word Which thing in her Antitype is most cleare For he that giveth the Spirit plentifully to whom and when he will shed out in those times so great plenty of all giftes as no where els in these last times Good learning had bin already as buryed being driven away for many ages by the rusticity of the Scholastiques untill at length after the wonderfull art of printing was found out which cunning flowed froÌ„ the same fountaine of the Spirit many excellent wits were raysed up to search out the truth Among which were Iohn Picus Mirandulanus Angelus Politianus Platina Trapezuntius Gaza Hermolaus Barbarus Marsilius Ficinus Pyrbachius Ioannes de monte Regio Aldus Manutius Rodolphus Agricola Ioannes Iovianus Pontanus Philippus Beroaldus Ioannes Reuchlinus and many other most learned men Whose chiefe labour was in setting forth the tongues arts and other humane learning but how great an entrance was made from heÌ„ce to finde out the mysteries of salvatiâ—â— the conioyned times have taught For by and by after came Martin Luther Philippe Melanthon Erasme of Roterodam Zuinglius Oecolampadius Capito Blaurerus Bucer Musculus Calvin and many other most learned men so many lights of the Christian world who being holpen by the studyes of those former brought forth againe the trueth covered with long filthines and uncleannes dissipated the Romish darknes and dispelled utterly as smoke hither and thither all the subtilities of the enemies Doth not Christ worthily take upon him selfe this ensigne of the seaven spirits enriching this time with so great plenty of gifts Neither was lesse famous his power grace in conserving safety to the Pastors Who would not have thought that Luther in so great hatred and envy of all men for whom almost the whole world layed waite even also he under whose feete the Emperours once were compelled to subiect their neckes that Luther I say should have dyed a thousand deathes But peradventure troubles being raised up he did scarce endure yes by the space almost of thirty yeeres he abode in the battell safe even from privy assaults with which the Pope is wont to make away those men whom he cannot conquer with open warr and force and at length lying sicke in his bed and giving up his soule to him that gave it he slept quietly
that repented forsooke their errours with which they were possessed before time Of which sorte were many in Germany before the booke of Concord was published when in most universityes the chiefe teachers understood the true doctrine of the supper of the Lord and the opinions of Vbiquitie corporall presence in the supper every where were contemned as witnesseth Georg. Sohnius in his exposition of the August Cōfes which appeareth more clearly from the Synode of Desdrense in the yeare above 1571 where it was ordained by the comon consent both of all the Superintendants of the Dukedome of Saxonie and also of the Doctours of the Vniversityes of Lypsia and Wittemberg That the Vbiquitie of the body of Christ was an horrible prophanation of all the articles of the Creed and a renewing of all Heresyes Gallobel in the yeare 1592. And since that time a perfitter light breaking forth every day many were raysed up from their drowsines and opened their eyes to the truth Whom also even as well as the other he adorneth with white garments who gave a penny to them that were hyred at the eleventh houre Mat. 20.9 Such then is the first reward two yet doe remayne ¶ And I will never put his name out of the booke of life The second reward applyed to the times For because very many in these tymes should fall from the trueth and many cityes peoples provinces regions should cōsent to errour as at this time it is evident how farre and wide the contagiō spread abroad flying also over the sea and infecting those Northern regiōs Gotia and Suetia by which their approving of errour they should blot their names out of the register of the saints and should cut of from themselves the hope of life unlesse they should repent least I say the falling away of so many should trouble the saints he biddeth his conquerours to be of good courage Christ himselfe would set them free from falling howsoever they should see infinite nūbers to rush downe violently on their right and left hand For it is he alone who first calleth us backe from errour then sanctifyeth confirmeth us in the trueth least at any time we should revolte from it Therefore howsoever this reward be full of confort yet it teacheth that the time should be lamētable through the fall of many For to betray and forsake the trueth is not a light matter as many suppose who easily are caried away with every winde of doctrine but it is an argument of a man of no reckonning with God But how wilt thou say can they be blotted out which once were written in the booke of life especially seeing that this booke is the booke of the Lambe as in the chap. 13. 8. that is wherein those that are written the Lambe acknowledgeth them for his counteth them heires of eternall life neither is there any of those that are given to Christ that can ever perish Ioh. 6.37.39 17.12 I answer that these things are spoken in respect of us For there is a twofolde booke of life one as I may say of vocation an other of election Into the first are put all who by the preaching of the Gospell are taken into the fellowship of the Church who rightly doe seeme unto us to be partakers of life and endued with the hope of eternall salvation For the scriptures are wont to speak so generally giving thankes to the Father who hath made us meete to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light Who hath delivered us from the power of darknes and translated us into the kingdome of his deare sonne in whom we have redemption by his blood the forgivenes of sinnes c. So the Apostle speaketh of the multitude of the Colossians without difference chap. 1.12 And after the same manner every where in other places Yet men may be put out of this booke For many are called but few chosen Mat. 22.14 And it is declared after in the 7. chap. by an exemple Dan and Ephraim being passed over in the rehearsing of the tribes as souldiers put out of wages and cassed out of the register For God of old as in a certen visible shadow of this booke cōmaunded the genealogies of each tribe among the people of Israell to be kept diligently Wherto also perteined that of raysing up seed to the dead that his name should not be put out from his people Deut. 25.6 In which respect also the Psalmist wisheth to certen reprobates who held a place in the Church like true citizens that God at length would separate them frō the congregation of the Saints and manifest them to be meere hypocrites Psal 69.29 Wherefore all are put out of this kooke of life who forsake the fellowship of the holy Church either through errour and heresy or wickednes or other cause whatsoever not that for this cause they are blotted out of the booke of Election but because by this way they make manifest that they were never written in this booke as Iohn saith they went out from us but they were not of us 1 Ioh. 2.19 But the other booke to wit of Election is never spotted with any blottes but the names once written in doe cōstantly remayne in the same without rasing out Although these bookes are not so open and evident that they can be read of all men without difference but it is declared to every one severalty by the Spirit that is found in this register in what estimation and account he is ¶ But J will confesse his name The third reward is of confessing their name Which sheweth not onely the falling away of many but also that others shal be compelled by force So as there is great neede of the power of the Spirit least any weakened by the iniuries and threats of adversaries doe forsake the trueth For the confession of their name before his father is for the confort of confessing Christ and his trueth boldly and without feare So sending his Apostles to preach furnisheth and instructeth them against the feare of affliction Mat. 10.32 And who knoweth not to what inhumanity cruelty proceeded the hatred of them who call themselves Lutherans against the professors of the truth In the yeare 1580. was obtruded upon the Ministers of the Churches and Schooles the booke of Concorde avouching the execrable errour of Vbiquity A subscriptiō was commaunded in the name of the Princes the refusers were proclaimed Sacramētaryes or put out of their places In the yeare 1591. Christiā Duke of Saxony being dead Paul Kreilius Chaunceler suspected of Calvinisme as they speake was cast into prison Vrbanus Pierius Professor of Wittēberg was lead captive into prisō Gundermānus of Lipsich cōmitted prisōner In the yeare following was appointed a newe visitation they went through all Saxony they that would not subscribe to the articles were removed from their offices What should I rehearse the broyle of Lipsich the yeare following when all the university men on every side assembled
togither to breake opeÌ„ violeÌ„tly the houses of the Calvinists Or the savage cruelty of the Dressenses against the dead body of Jac. Lassius to which they denyed a grave among the wicked because being alive he was a lover of the purer truth I recite these few against my wil I would be ashamed to meÌ„tioÌ„ them but that the brethreÌ„ were not ashamed to coÌ„mitte them But how much better is it for you to heare these things of your friends theÌ„ of your enemyes These as much as they caÌ„ doe exaggerate with words your evill acts unto your perpetuall shame of all religioÌ„ I doe onely shew the congruency of the Prophecy that seing in what account you are with God yee may thinke earnestly of reforming the errours making peace with the brethreÌ„ God give you to see that way wherby consenting to one truth you may turne away the iudgemeÌ„t froÌ„ your heads which otherwise will overtake you In the meane time yf I shall prevaile nothing with you which estimation I pray may be farre from you yet I shall be glad to admonish the brethren that they be of good courage who doe endure troubles and calamieyes among you Christ will not be ashamed of them before his Father if they shall abide coÌ„stantly in their profession Feare not therefore the stately looke and countenance of men but being grounded upon this hope that which ye have worshipped in darkenes professe now openly in the eyes of all 6 Let him that hath an eare heare Yee therfore brethren of Saxony for Jesus Christ sake give eare and hearken what action the Spirit chargeth you with Your prayse is great in respect of your first combate and breaking off the yoke of the Romish tyranny yea of you that in this were the first of all But the Cananites left in your lande are come to be thornes in your sides and eyes Those fewe errours neglected at first by the iust iugement of God have brought forth newe errours by the contagion whereof true godlines being driven away and togither with it true life lost there is left unto you a Church defyled with horrible death Neither is this the end of evills but some new great suddeÌ„ calamity shall come upoÌ„ you uÌ„lesse you shall obey forthwith the Spirit giving you warning Therefore let that unhappy obstinacy depart and be packing and take those counsells which may promote the truth recall againe the banished life and may procure the salvation and safety of every one of you And doe not onely give eare but let all hearkeÌ„ learne by your evill how great danger it is to cherish the least errour in the matter of religion Analysis SO is the Epistle to the Sardi this to the Philadelphians is inscribed like wise to the Angell He that seÌ„deth is notable for Holines Trueth and the key of David which he carrieth not idle but with the same openeth shutteth the supreme power being in himselfe ver 7. The Narration reciteth first the good things both present of an open doore which is illustrated by his cause a little strength and the constant observing of his worde ver 8. and also to come both of subduing their enemies ver 9. and also of ministring help in the comon tâ—ntation of which also a reason is rendred from their patieÌ„ce in the profession of the Gospell ver 10. After he provoketh them unto a care of conserving that which is good because his coming is at hand and there may be danger of their crowne to be taken away ver 11. Then is there a greate reward when he shal be made a pillar and shall have written upon it the name both of God and of the newe Ierusalem and the newe name of a sonne ver 12. To all which is added in the end the comon conclusion Scholions 7 And to the Angell of the Church of Philadelphia We have shewed at the first chapter ver 11. that Philadelphia is situate in a dangerous place and therefore not so frequent of cityzens who did dwell scatteringly in the fieldes fearing the often quaking of the city But shee carrieth a sweet name and which alone conteineth within it all vertues Neither found out the Apostle Peter any thing when he would exhort to all godlines which might commend more fitly the same unto us then brotherly unfained love 1 Pet. 1.22 How well this name doe fit this Church which is reproved of no sinne openly But as it was truly godly because of brotherly love so is shee lowly and not famous both through a continuall feare of danger and also solitarines of the cityzens who dwelt here and there and in waste places where they could get safe dwelling Wherein shee is altogither contrary to Pergamus a towred and proude city as before Sardis to Smyrna and Thyatira to Ephesus And so there is made 3. payre of contraries It lyeth from Sardis toward the South having an increase of greater light as becometh a reformed Church Shee is set in the second place after Sardis for this is the first after Iesabell overcome wher by is shewed that her Antitype is the second reformed Church which should arise after the Germane and this is the Church of the Helvetians Suevia Geneva France Holland Scotland I ioyne all these into one because they live almost after one and the same kind of lawes and ordinaÌ„ces as touching the things that are of any moment Neither doth the distaÌ„ce of place breake of that society which the coniunction of mindes and will doth couple Yea this dispersioÌ„ doth agree chiefly to the Philadelphians whom we have shewed to dwell thicker and more frequent in the fieldes then in the city Wherby it commeth to passe that this thinnes of â—he citizens taketh up much place though the citizens are not so many Wee shall finde that this Church which I speake of arose a little while after the Germane when Vlricus Zvinglius began to teach at Tigur in Helvetia in the yeare 1519 and the reformation was begun the fourth yeare after to wit in the yeare 1523 at which time no Papist durst enter into combate against Zuinglius who did deferre the iudgement of all controversyes to the arbitrement of the sacred scriptures They of Constance Basill Strasbourg Geneva and others followed their steppes Where it is to be observed that the former Antitypes were distinguished by longer intervalles these three last as they have types lesse distant one from another by space of place so they are ioyned one with an other with a nearer coniunction of times neither are they devided so much by ages and limites of yeares as by lawes and customes For after the first receiving which happened to some later then to others wee shall see that they did all flourish togither ¶ These things sayth that holy one that true one who hath c. A description of him that sent the Epistle whose two first properties are taken out from the nature of the sonne of God which yet
to the Pastors in this So before Bod. the punishmeÌ„t of the Magistrate foloweth the debarring froÌ„ holy things Therfore both swordes are drawn in this Ch but severally by those to whoÌ„ the one the other beloÌ„geth And indeede this society is most sweet seeing all the industry of civill Magist ought to have respect therto that we may live with all godlines honesty 1 Tim. 2.2 The wordes seeme to be taken out of Isaiah chap. 22 22. J will lay saith he the key of the house of David upon his shoulder when he openeth no man shall shute when he shutteth no man shall open But in this place the worde house seemeth to have ben omitted purposely for he sayth not which hath the key of the house of Dauid but that hath the key of David There is a difference because that seemeth to perteine to an inferiour minister and that onely in the family of David this to a supreme Governour and that of a whole kingdome So the omitting of one worde putteth a difference betweene the type the truth Eliakim Christ See also Isay 9.6.7 The Complutent Edition the Kings Bible read somewhat otherwise who openeth and no man shall shut the same who openeth not and no man shall open Arethas hath except him that openeth 8 J knowe thy workes beholde I have set before thee an open doore He entreth into the narration and first of a present good thing And it is an opeÌ„ dore Which sometime signifyeth the faculty of preaching the Gospell From whence Paul would have that it should be earnestly desyred of God in his behalfe that the dore of utterance may be opened to him Col. 4.3 And that speach may be given unto mee in opening my mouth Ephes 6.19 And worthily is it so called seeing by the word a dore is opened to us into heaven which being taken away and removed the dore is shut and loked so as noe man can enter in Luk. 13.25 And not onely the faculty of the Ministers is the doore but also the readines of the hearers as For a great dore and effectuall is opened unto mee and there be many adversaries as though he should say although there be many that doe resist and strive against the truth yet there are many whose desyre is prompt and ready 1 Cor. 16.9 And againe coming to Troas to preach the Gospell and a doore being opened to mee in the Lord. This dore is opened when the hearts are opened to receive the truth as Lyd a whose heart the Lord opened that shee might attende to those things which were spoken of Paul Act. 16.14 But although the name of dore be attributed to those a parte yet most of all the dore is then opened when all these things meet ioyntly togither the word discipline the care of the Magistrate and of the people Then is there free leave to pearce into the consciences of men unto which an entrance is shut up after a sorte where any of these shal be wanting This then is that open dore wherby this Church was famous Which in deede no strength of wit hath opened which consisteth either in the vertu of speaking or in the sharpenes of wit and prudence in understanding but onely that chiefe key-bearer who hath given freely that which no man could have obtayned by humane streÌ„gth How ungodly therfore doe they which doe checke by reprochefull words that which Christ hath conferred for an excellent benefite They whet their tongues against heaven yea against God himselfe But they shall not escape uâ—punished let them clatter as much as they will ¶ Neither can any shut it The endâ—vour of the adversaryes hath not ben wanting some have loboured to barre these dores by slandering reproching inveighing with all manner of contumelyes others by force and weapons as it were by a rushing downe violently to shute this gate but he hath perfoâ—med his promise who hath confirmed that none shall prevayle the enemyes have lost their labour and have got no other thing theÌ„ shame in the world for their cruell minde against the truth and puniâ—hement at Gods hande meet for their desertes Let the experience of the time past be a confirmation against future feare ¶ Because thou haâ—t a little strenth The comon translation hath because thou hast a little vertue the sensâ— if I be not deceaved being wâ—ll expressed which dependeth on that which followeth neither is it absolute of it selfe as though he should say because although thou hast but a little strength yet thou hast k pâ— my words And in deede the fortitude in the greater danger is more famous And this manner of speaking is frequent among the Hebrewes who use the copulâ—â—ive vâ—u for the discretive particule the custome and manner of whom iâ— frequent with Iohn as Neyther shall any straw be given you and yee shâ—ll deliver the whole tale of bricke for yet shall yee deliver c. Ex. 5.18 So And behold an escaping remayning in her for yet shall some remayne who shall escape Ezech. 14.22 Afterwardes also Iohn in the same manner And men raged in heart and blasphemed and repented not for and yet repented not chap. 16.9 If he had praysed a part their small strength how should there not be in the same thing much depravating For this is wont to abounde where that which is opposed is but little and small Sardis had a fewe names wherupon death had possessed the greater part Neyther would the Spirit have passed over in silence the corruption if he had found any worthy reprehension Therefore the comon translation ought here to holde in that seÌ„se which I have shewed This Church is of weake streÌ„gth which dwelleth here and there and the greater parte under a popular state one onely people enioyeth a Monarch for their patron But neither is this Church able to doe much either by her owne or by her friendes riches Therâ—fore the greater is the prayse of thy fortitudo o Philadelphia who hast not yeelded to the threats of the adversaryes neyther forsaken the truth by being dismayed with the vaine feare of men 1 Behold I give of the Synagogue of Sathan Here is a defâ—ct of the word some I will give some of the Synagogue of Sathan of those which say that they are Iewes This is the future good thinge as we have shewed in the Analysis and it may be manifest from the latter member of the verse Beholde I will make them come unlesse peradventure this verbe of the present tence didomi respecteth the present time wherein some of the Iewes submitted themselves to this Church for a token and pledge of a full subiection afterward which it may be the last words meane We shewed upon the ch 2.9 howe they which by nation are Iewes doe ly saying they are Iewes to wit in bragging that they are the onely people when in the meane time they refuse Christ in whom onely we are counted children and doe continue and rest in the abolished
which time this reward perteineth frō whence it is cleare that these 7 Epistles respected not onely the present condition of the 7 cityes but by the way of types to contayne a lōge following age evē as we have interpreted But so farre as pertineth to newe Ierusalem wee will shew in this place that it is not that city which the saints shall enioy in heaven after this life but a Church to be expected on earth the most pure and most noble of all that ever have bin hitherto The rewards in a peculiar manner doe serve the times and if this felicity shal be after the resurrection it shal be comon to all the saints not proper to this Philadelphia This therefore signifyeth both that the Philadelphians shall cōtinue untill that restauratiō in which new Ierusalem shall come downe from heaven shal be conversant among men also shal be ioyned with the same in a league fellowship shal be indued with that heavenly city enioy the same Law privilege happines At which time all shall acknowledge thy reformation not to be a thing devised of man as contentious men affirme when they shall see the same ordinances to flourish in newe Ierusalem The third name is the newe name of sonne What can be new unto him namely that which is not yet acknowledged of the world Hitherto he hath suffered the tyrants to beare rule to treade under foote the name of Christ as though he were a King onely in title who should have right to reigne but should want pover But at length he shall rise up shall take a clubbe into his hande he shall destroy all his enemyes he shall give the triumphe to his spouse shal be celebrated King of Kings by all men through the whole cōpasse of the earth Vnto the society of which glory he shall take his servants he shall deliver them from the calamityes wherewith they are now oppressed he shall give them power over their enemyes shall bestow on them the whole glory of his Kingdome as much as mortall mē cā receive And there is some difference betweene a newe name put absolutely as in chap. 2.17 a newe name of sonne For that perteineth unto the certenty of adoption by Christ which faith was very weake in the Pergamen state this belongeth to the society of the Kingdome which shal be communicated with his in the last times 13 Let him that hath an eare heare Hear therefore Philadelphia and reioyce thou art lowe and nothing esteemed but God will exalte thee Onely goe foreward constantly augment your care diligence slake and asswage it nothing Neither regarde the skoffes of the wicked who shall bring upō thēselves sorow to thee a crowne Shortly there shal be an end of thy warfare In the meane time wee will pray for thy peace Doe thou againe ioyne thy prayers with ours that Christ would bestow the same things upon the rest of thy brethren which he hath so greatly approved in thee Fare well The grace of our Lord Iesus Chist be with thee Amen Analysis SO is the Epistle to the Philadelphians the last remayneth to the Laodiceans whose inscription is to the Angell like to the former The description of him by whom it is sent is fetched from a double property first of Trueth partly in the promises in that he is Amen partly in the Doctrine in that he is the falthfull true Witnesse secondly of power wherby he is the beginning of the creature of God ver 14. The Narration first reproveth sheweth the greatnes of the sinne both secretly omitting the making mention of any good thing as in the former Churches and as also openly both by comparison of coldnes as a lesser evill ver 15. and also by the punishement to be inflicted the vomitting out of his mouth ver 16. After he teacheth the way to heale them both by opening the cause of the disease which is a false perswasion of their owne worthynes and ignorance of their misery ver 17. and also in prescribing a remedy to be sought from Christ alone ver 18. And not this alone but also by persuading the use of it as well by the chastising of sonnes if they shall neglect it ver 19. as also by his readinesse to apply ver 20. and by the reward ver 21. The last ende is the Epilogue to heare what the Spirit saith tu tho Churches ver 22. Scholions 14 And to the Angell of the Laodiceans Laodicea situated at the river Lycum was once a great city and famous abounding both in cityzens riches and also in all other things as we shewed in the first chap. ver 11. It was built by Antiochus the sonne of Stratonice and for his wife Laodice her sake called this city Laodicea as it were the Princesse and ruler of the people to whom shee should administer iustice and make lawes From whence wee call her Glorious great both by name and also in their owe opinion which boasteth that shee is riche and wanteth nothing ver 17. It is from Philadelphia more toward the East then the South being distant from it according to Ptolomy not above tenth scruples Shee is the third city since there was mention made of Jezabell the reproche of whom Sardis tooke away from the Churches Shee hath this proper to her that shee hath none to whom shee can be opposed as in the former Churches Vnto Ephesus was opposed Thyatira to Smyrna Sardis to Pergamus Philadelphia Laodicea the seaven hath noe fellow The Antitype is the third reformed Church which before I note or shew the uniust suspicion and offence of some men is to be put away by intreaty No disease or corruption of minde hath moved me to seeke out an odious application No mans either riches or honours God is witnesse grieveth mee I am content with my little Neither have I counted any thing to be more foolish then to please on s selfe by displeasing others But howe dishonest and filthy a thing is it to sit as doth the fly upon the soares of the brethren My soule hath allwayes abhorred such dealings But when I considered that these seaven cityes were set forth for a type of all Churches among the Gentiles and then also perceived the course it selfe of the time and the mervaylous concurring of all things I durst not unfaithfully hide the truth with silenee least I should make my selfe guilty of others blood Farre be it that I should distaine willfuly that Church which through the mercy of God hath brought mee forth nourished and susteined mee which I desire in my daylie prayers and labour to be most blessed But seeing the soare cannot be cured unlesse it be touched neither truly touched without griefe I thought I must not refuse to cast my selfe against what troubles soever rather then to betray the salvation of her of which every one of us ought to have greater regard and care then of his owne Verily he that
all their labour in imperting to his people the whole will of God and that pure and uncorrupte from all leaven of falshood Although not without cause in deede one may mervayle howe in so disorderly custome licence to doe all things that they will excepting the diffaming of the dignityes the doctrine hath continued so long whole and sounde But he that is a faithfull and true witnesse sanctifyeth the Pastours with the truth beyonde all hope in whose lippes he dwelleth even hitherto allthough by many not obscure tokens he threatneth that shortly he will go away unlesse betime he be met with ¶ The beginning of the creature of God The last property which is of power For whether we interprete the greeke worde for t begâ—â—ning or for dominion it cometh to the same end seeing it is necessary that all things be subiect to his gouvernement who in the beginning made them In which respect Christ hath shewed himselfe wonderfull also among us What hath not the Pope of Rome endevoured and undertaken that he might trouble our peace partly by execrations excommunications and bulles sounding an alarme to open rebellion partly attempting privily Iesuites being sent by stelth and other privy murtherers who should kill the sacred Princesse with sword poyson torments divelish artes or any other way Wee knouwe that not long agoe the Prince of Orenge was set upon with desire to kill him by a popish cut throate and was killed Late is the memory of Henry King of France whose murther Iacobus Clemens a monke attempted accomplished And Henry the fourth who nowe enioyeth the soveraignty escaped hardly the bloody handes of Iohn Castell the Iesuite being stricken through the iawe bone with a knife and two of his teeth dashed out But our Queene assailed of many at many times with sundry treasons hath ben kept whole and sounde from the least harme From whence was this I pray Was oportunity wanting to these wicked men The alone Prince of the creature to whose becke all things obey hath laughed to scorne deluded the counsells of the wickel repressed the endevours of the ungodly and made frustrate their subtill devising and restrained them least they should touch his annointed nor hurt the nurce of his Prophets His power is noe lesse famous in briddling the Spaniard with whom wee make warre nowe so many yeares What is ther that he doth not thinke to effect by his riches who alone procureth trouble almost to all Europe and other parts of the world The invincible navie of the yeare 1588 swallowed up in hope our whole country our lives and goods But good God howe was he disapointed without any labour of ours through all the seas cost asunder scatered here and there and broken in pieces He came out one way against us and fled seaven wayes from before our face This is thy prayse alone o most mighty Governour whom the windes the waves the harts and hands of men will they nill they doe obey O ye Kings why doe ye not regard Why doe you not learne ye that iudge the earth Will ye fight yet still against the Prince of the creatures to your owne destruction Yf yee shall goe on to be so made wee in the meane time will betake us under his winges by whose defense alone wee stande safe against all your assaults Such is then the threefoulde property wherby Christ sheweth him self to be seene in this our Laodicea to wit constancy in promising syncerity in teachting then an invincible power in defending 15 I knowe thy workes that thou art neither colde nor hotte In declaring the greatnes of their sinne he maketh no mention of any good thing contrary to that of the other Churches none of which was of so desperate estate noe not Pergamus neither Sardis as to be voyde of all prayse But this evill as though it could not endure the fellowship of any good thing heareth nothing but reprehension without confirmation of any honesty Not but that there were many singular men whose faithfulnes and diligence the Spirit might approve for it can not be but that where Christ is a faithfull and true witnesse there some should take singular paines but because he respecteth the comon forme and outward face of the Church namely of what quality it is not so much for her owne sake as for the administration of the Angels which was such as he that considered the matter but with indifferent eyes he shall iudge her worthyly to be voyde and empty of all vertue It is an horrible evill which refuseth all fellowship with goodnes And althoug by this silence wee may be able to coniecture how grievous the disease is neverthelesse afterward it is described more plainly of what quality it is and first for more perspicuity and clearnes by a denyall of contraries I know saith he that thou art neither colde nor hotte but some thing compact and ioyned togither of both Whereupon this evill consisteth of a temperature and mixture of certen contraryes Now he called him colde who with a quiet minde can endure that the dutyes of godlines should be neglected and despised little or nothing at all regarding what manner of worshipping eyther he himselfe or other doe holde him hotte who doe boyle with a right affection and desire through vehement heate and fervency as scalding water seething in the potte with a certen restlesse motion for so the Greeke worde zestos doe signify of which sorte are they which can by no meanes suffer superstitions and ungodly religions but doe try all lawfull meanes that there may be an amending For hotte is not here sinnefull as is a rash zeale as it cometh to passe in habites in which both extreames doe swerve from the right but it is of prayse As Apollos being fervent in Spirit Act. 18.25 And Paul exhorteth that they be fervent in Spirit Rom. 12.11 Yf by excesse he should degenerate from the trueth lukewarmnes holding the middes there were some consideration of honesty But fervency or Zeale is an affection following the love of holines with a great and earnest affection of minde whose defect whether that more removed of coldnes or this nigher of lukewarmnes is blamed And lukewarmnes placed in the middes of these extremes in that wherby a man staying himselfe from committing grievous sinnes embraceth godlines so farre as may be enough to maintayne the reputation of an honest prudent and civile man The College then of the Laodicean Pastors was as it were a Senat of prudent and moderate men in the matter of religion Even as at this day the lukewarme have the report comonly in every place Yet it is not playnly mentioned from what mixture of thinges this lukewarmnes did arise Before these times of Iohn Paul biddeth the Collossians that they should say to Archippus who then was the Pastor of the Laodicean Church that he would looke to fulfill in the Lord the ministery which he hath received Col. 4.17 From which things appeareth
to reioyce of so rich thinges and of such prosperity No where in deede neither doe I envy or grudg at it onely our reioycing is not good And would God that our riches did serve to the promoting of Gods glory rather then to the hindring thereof but they have brought in this miserable lukewarmnes whyle that wee may retayne them wee make noe reckoning of true godlines The second boasting is of the long continuance For this plenty it not newe but which hath ben confirmed nowe by the space of two and fourty yeares With how great prosperity of all things Who may be so bolde as to reprove the condition of this Church as maymed and imperfect which the experience of longe time hath approved to be most happy Not I in deede unlesse prosperitie were an argument rather of Gods patience then of mans Iustice In the third place he vanteth that he wanteth nothing What telst thou mee saith he of other reformed Churches I see no cause why other reformed Churches should not imitate ours rather then wee them seeing wee are inferiour to them in nothing The answere to the admonitiō made to the Parliament pag. 226. Yea why doest thou call me backe unto the first Church As though wee were to be bounde with the first beginnings and principles as with fetters And it were not lawfull for us to alter those thinges which at their first originall were not so profitable as at this day they seeme hurtfull this is in a certen Apol. of the governement of the Church pag. 81 A bould that I may not say ungodly assertion to affirme that any thing ordained of the Apostles should be noe lesse noxious to our Churches then profitable to them for which they were appointed But I remitte this to the heat of contention In the meane time let such a man knowe that the Apostles Church was most perfit and was not to be made perfit by the inventions of them that came after but that all other are to be tryed and examined by the square thereof That saying of the first Councill of Nicen is to be celebrated which is Let the olde customes holde And that also of Tertullian against Praxeam Beholde whatsoever is first that is true and whatsoever s later that is false And it is not to be doubted but that Paul taught Tim. most fully how he hould behave himselfe in the house of God 1 Tim. 3.15 Is all that instruction abrogated for oldnesse Should the time teach better more certen things to which those Apostles should give place Surely the Church as Adam in the first beginning was purest the farther shee proceedeth the more filth shee gathereth unlesse God extraordinarily make the light to shine out of darknes as lately in this last age That first Church was the garden of Eden as wee have shewed in chap. 2.7 The Church of the following ages compared with that was a wide and barren wildernes Perfection is not to be measured by multitude of professors or by amplitude of riches but by the integrity and purenes of God his institution and aboundance of heavenly gifts Let it be then enough to prayse mens inventions let us tread under foote the sacred trueth in comparison of them ¶ And knowest not that thou art wretched The other cause of the evill is the ignorance of their misery For prosperity blindeth the minde of the world that it cannot see in deede in what state it is Therfore in many wordes he declareth this misery because in so deepe a drowsines a light upbraiding would not cause any feeling he maketh a fivefold degree of it Of which the two first are as certen comon accidents the three last doe shewe the very kinde of the disease For the remedy is threefold of golde of garments eye salve in the verse following and teacheth that the disease consisteth chiefly in these three thinges The accidents are referred either to his owne sense or to the compassion of others in respect of that the Angell is wretched in respect of this miserable A man is wretched who is consumed with some great sorrowe whether it aryseth from a publike calamity or from some private and domesticall griefe And there is none placed in any dignity whatsoever who can keepe himselfe from this anguish whereupon Kinges in the tragedies lament that they so often are wretched Such heavinesse of minde did lie once upon the Angell of Laodicea as is at this day in our England Howe wilt thou say where noe publike calamity presseth The Spirit speaketh of private sorrowe as is evident from the glorying of this Angell for which there can be noe place in a comon mourning and sorrow but this interior griefe doth torment miserably the English Ang. For how great griepes doth he feele who desyreth exceedingly riches honours and cannot get them Or at least who cannot enioy securely those things being gotten whom many godly and learned men doe inveigh against with most grievous wordes and not this onely but also doe prove manifestly from the trueth of God that such dignityes are unmeete for the ministers of Christ and that they cannot stande togither with the faithfulnes of Pastor Bishops Howe must it needes be that these disturbers should be very grievous especially seeing this opinion is now favoured of the multitude and the nobility hath perceived plainly long a goe the trueth of it Yf one could opē the brest of this Ādgell doubtlesse he might see his heart almost consumed with this griefe howsoever without all things are ioyfull the comō wealth flourisheth with happy tranquility And I doubt not but that the Angell will confesse that I have touched his most inward sense in this thing This Angell is miserable to others not to the wicked Papists to whom the former griefe is not sufficient but to the godly brethren both at home and in other nations who being free of all partiality doe acknowledge the condition of the Bishops other Clergie who doe give themselves wholy to ambition and labour for honours to be miserable unhappy howsoever it doth very greatly please our selves For what is worthy of more pitty then to see brethren snared with the vaine glory of the world altogither to desire and to enforce themselves to get earthly dignityes and to make shipwracke of the heavenly crowne Yf they had alwayes lyen in the snares of the Devill the thing were not so much to be lamented but after that they have escaped from his snares by the holsome knowledge of the gospell be entangled againe in the same by this way what godly man cannot both be grieved at their change and also bewayle the comon misery of us all which by a thousande meanes are drawen into the same destruction Such therefore are the accidents grievous indeede of themselves yet but as a flee biting in comparison of the disease it selfe which nowe let us touch as gently as wee can and with the minde onely to heale and not to
Angell is sicke For it cannot be that our Clergy should not be contemned of men who manifestly cleerly doe see howe beggerly Ecclesiasticall stipends are sought and desyred howe filthily and negligently the holy offices are administred howe all care of the flocke is naught set by the study of Gods glory is cast away When I say men see these thinges can it be that they should not despise the Angell seeking onely his owne things not those which are Christs And the Angell himselfe at certen times seeth the same thing in some sorte as can testify the often complaintes of their publike sermons although he knoweth not the cause or he would not knowe it fearing more as it were the remedy then the disease But it appeareth plainly howe greatly he is despised from that which happened a fewe yeares since A certen man set forth bookes who called himselfe a Marrer of Prelates in which he dealt boldly with the Angell Howe acceptable to the people were those merry conceites in wordes Howe plausible almost to all men Howe gladly and greedily and with howe great pleasure were they received every where Noe man is so ignorant and unskilfull in thinges but that minding the time he may say thus with himselfe For Iehovah hath poured contempt upon the Princes those that honour him he honoureth and the despisers of him shal be made light he hath made our Priests to be abiect to all the people because they have broken his Covenant These things I say a man considering with himselfe had not swerved from the trueth For if there had ben any estimation of the Angell men would rather have mourned then laughed and delivered those writings to the fire before they would had worneth them with fo often handling and looking on them I would not tell thee these thinges unlesse the Spirit did affirm plainly that thou doest not know thyne own nakednes That false glory wherein thou flourishest suffereth thee not earnestly either to minde or regarde what men speake and thinke of thee But learne from hence if thou be wise howe servants going before in great number and having chaines and a great troupe of serving men folloing after are of no force to drive away contempt and to deliver from the despising of the comon people or if thou canst not perceive these things so well in thy selfe beholde the Papists and the Pope their Prince howe doth he nowe stincke for his desert with the greatest part of men contemned naught set by vile and hated of all the godly whose feete notwithstanding some Princes being bewitched yet doe kisse and then whom noe mortall man hath ben in time past of more imperiall maiesty Remember our former Prelates whose riches were greater then thyne their authority greater their power more to be feared yet because the common sorte of people did see them to be meere gluttons howe did they deryde them The pride of our Wolsey was mocked openly For the honours of this world are figge leaves or as it were torne and ragged clothes which cover not the nakednes but make more deformed through the loupes Minde these things and be not proude of thy golden feathers but rather where thou art naked cover thy shame least through vaine boasting of the part adorned thou lye despised with the common people for thy other deformity And thus at the length I have opened this rotten sore if my paines travaile shal be acceptable and if being cleansed it doth farre well howe great thankes shall I give to our God but if the evill onely shal be stirred up and provoked and the handling shall disquiet them that are sicke I will conforte my selfe with the conscience of duty and the usuall wages of the Physitian 18 I counsell thee to buy of mee Golde Hitherto the cause nowe the remedy is taught both from whence it is to be fetched and by what meanes and also what is the matter of the medicine it selfe It is to be fetched from Christ alone he alone hath borne all our infirmities and alone yet can heale our griefes The way to fetch is by buying not because he requireth a pryce for he selleth wine and mylke without mony or chaunging of my thing Isayah 55.1.2 But because he will have a desire to be brought even as in getting of things with greate cost in which togither also he sheweth the dignity of the remedy which otherwise is not deare at any price The medicine is threefolde after the manner of the disease which wee have shewed to be threefold Golde white garments and eye salve Golde is set against poverty white garments doe cover nakednesse and eye salve doth helpe against blindnes Wee have sayd that wretchednes and misery were accidents which forthwith vanish when their fountaynes are taken away Of what sorte every one of them is may easily be understood by their contraryes Golde is opposed to the riches and poverty of the Angell that is to the hegging of Benefices and Ecclesiasticall Offices For the former riches are not true and doe not let but that the Angell may be the most base and vile begger But the Golde of Christ driveth farre off this beggery It is therefore that most holy manner appointed by Christ himselfe of calling chusing ordayning appointing Ecclesiasticall men every one to his office Wherby Pastors doe not seeke for the office but are sought for are not promoted for a peace of money but for goodnes and vertue not for favour but learning not at the will and pleasure of any man but by the election and consent of his flocke Christ will have this Golde to be bought of him because he himselfe hath described playnly this whole way end hath not left it free to men to deale in this matter at their pleasure As long as the thing shal be in the power of one Patrone and Bishop there will never be wanting bribe givers and such as will suffer themselves to be corrupted with rewardes But if Christ rule be kept this begging poverty would flee away never to returne againe For this golde is tryed in the fyre proved often times wholy fined Wee see the excellency of it in the primtive Church also amonge our neighbours at this day It dreadeth not any touch stone it feareth not any fyre it bursteth nor asunder by any knocking of the hammer but it abode invincible in time past yet doth abide with the great glory of them that are made rich therby Whyte apparell is opposed to the former honours nakednes that is contempt These garments also Christs will have to be bought of him having them most pretious most prayse worthy For what contēpt can come to thē whō their worthynes hath chosen their learning ordained their holines put in authority Whom many have earnestly desired for their tryed godlines doe admire for their diligēce in teaching doe feare because of the most free truth reverence as exemples of all vertue honesty Be an exēple
from them But by these meanes he will declare and manifest howe greatly wee ought to reverence his secrets 2 And J saw a strong Angell publishing There is a great dignity of the Prophesy from the certenty largenes scaling up but nowe a greater appeareth seeing the highnes thereof surmounteth every created Spirit For it is not of that kinde which the more prudent sorte of men can comprehende by any skilfull foreknowledg but wherein all must needes confesse their ignorance The which for to shewe he alludeth to the manner of Princes who in difficult thinges are wont by great rewards to provoke their subiects by the voyce of a Cryer to try their strength and there is almost none whoÌ„ in such businesse some small hope will not thrust forward to make tryall If so be that noe man cometh forth what is this else than an open confession of their imbecillity So the Angell is sent to enquire who is worthy to opeÌ„ the booke If noe man offereth himselfe let us acknowledge our owne impotency and the power of our Mediatour and togither also let us honour with due reverence these holy mysteryes for which cause God causeth in us this feeling of our owne want of power as of old in Adam before whoÌ„ ere he gave him a wife he set all creatures that noe fit helper being found he might make the more accounte of the wife given him ¶ Who is worthy He maketh not inquiry of the power and strength but of the deserte and worthynes For even all the creatures if they should coÌ„spire togither are able to doe nothing to wringe out perforce the things from God Whatsoever wee obtayne wee enioye it at his will and pleasure and by entreaty and the Lord being iust in giving his thinges regardeth their worthynes upon whom he bestoweth his benefits whom unlesse either their owne or an others iust dignity shall commende they can hope for noe good thinge from him But if a bare foreknowledge of future thinges shal be of so greate importance in what estimation is the knowledge of salvation to be had 3 And noe man was able A free confession of the creature that it is able to doe nothing herein Let them therefore looke to it who doe make her a patronesse for theÌ„selves in matters of greater moment Why then should wee mervayle if noe man understandeth any of these thinges not onely among the Gentiles although the most quickwitted of them but also not in the whole Kingdome of the Papists noe not that blasphemously unerring Pope himselfe with all his Seraphicall Doctours arrogating to them selves the victory of all knowledge learning prudence and wisdome These thinges surmount all humane sharpenes of witte least peradventure thou reiect rashly that which shall not please those our maisters And the distribution of thinges in heaven in earth and which are under the earth may be understood froÌ„ the proclaiming of the Angell he made enquiry who was worthy Therfore the inquisition perteined not to the Devils and soules punished for sinnes For what hope or shewe of worthynes could be here Therfore the thinges in Heaven are the Angels they in the earth Men living they which are under the earth are the Saints sleeping in their graves Whom he signifyeth in this manner by that one part which cometh neerer to our sense In which respect Iacob sayeth and I shall goe downe to my sonne mourning into the grave Gen. 37.35 In these alone their might be some question Therfore that place is to colde for to kindle a Purgatory ¶ Nor looke thereon for so hath Theod. Beza the common translation hath looke upon I should rather turne looke in For so the sentence encreaseth seeing this is greater then not to open The booke could not be looked in so long as it did remaine sealed whereupon the addition would be superfluous in this sense 4 J wept therefore It is a lamentable thing in deede that the Church should wante the gift of Prophecy But Iohn bewrayed his infirmity having forgot or at least wise not minding that nothing is so hidden that could be unknowne to our chiefe Prophet of which he would not teach his Church so farre as should be expedient for his Wherefore one of the Elders warning him that he should not weepe doth togither with gentlely reprove his ignorance or rather forgetfulnes as though it were a shamefull thinge for a teacher not to knowe that which the common sorte of the faithfull should not be ignorant of 5 Beholde he hath obtayned Many as it were contending but one obtayning the victory before the rest He seemeth to speake after the manner of the former proclamation wherby the thing was put as it were to a publike strife and tryall and in which Christ bare away the chiefe prayse yea the whole ¶ That Lyon of tâ—e A circumlocution of Christ the King fetched from Gen. 49.9 But what hath the Lyon to doe with seales Our sinnes did remove farre froÌ„ us all the mysteries of God Which when Christ hath by his mighty power abolished and conquered for ever the enemyes the Devill and death worthyly with this name as a badge of the victory he cometh forth to obtayne that for us which our enemyes kept away ¶ The roote of David So hath Th. Beza translated rightly the Hebrewe word to which the Greke worde answereth and is some time taken for a roote as is in Isaiah He groweth up as a tender plante before him and as a roote out of a dry ground chap. 53.2 But a roote properly groweth not out of the ground but that which springeth from the roote neverthelesse this in deede is such a roote that also togither it is the roote of David that is the fountayne and welspring from whence salvation and life flowe unto David so that nothing can be more significant then this word neither hath there bene at any time any roote besides of this kinde See Psalm 101.1 Mat. 22.43 c. 6 Then J looked and beholde betweene the Throne Word for word in the Greeke is in the middes of the Throne as before in chap. 4.4 c. The Lambe is in the middes of the Beasts and Elders to wit in the assembly of the faithfull in the middes of the Church ¶ A Lambe standing as though he had ben killed The Lambe is described by his triple offâ—â—e These wordes as thâ—â—gh he hath ben slame perteine to his Priesthood being eternall through the eternall power of his death Seaven hornes declare him to be a Kinge Seaven eyes which are so many Spirits and the taking of the booke shewe him to be the chiefe Prophete The skarre of a deadly wound is a token that he once dyed and teacheth that the Father doth give all things to his Church for the merite and through the beholding of it For this is it wherby our Priest once entring into the holy place hath obtained eternall redemption Heb. 9.12 And in that he hath once gat redemption for the
elect shall he not also obtayne all things for us that may avayle any way for our good The seaven hornes is that supreame power wherby the man Christ sitting at the right hande of the Father ruleth and governeth all things according to that which Christ being raysed froÌ„ the dead sayd to his disciples all power is given mee in heaven and in earth Mat. 28.18 Therefore that most meeke Lambe wanteth not those weapons wherby he chaseth away his enemyes althoug by his great patience he seemeth not to regarde the iniuries which they doe And thou mayest observe that it is not needfull that the parables and similitudes should agree in all thinges seeing here to the Lambe contrary to nature are attributed seaven hornes and as many eyes that is gifts of the Spirit wherewith Christ endueth the faithfull They are sent from him seeing noe man can be partaker even of the least gift unlesse he bestowe it on them For God heareth not sinners but from his fulnes wee all receive and he being gone to his Father sendeth the Conforter unto his which leadeth them into all trueth as in the Gospell of Iohn chapter sixteene ver seaventh and thirteene A visible token whereof were once the cloven tongues like fire sitting upon the Apostles and that miraculous gift of speaking suddenly with other tongues Act. 2.3 c. With which faculty not onely the Apostles were endued but afterward also others embracing the faith Neither are they onely sente into all the world that they may conferre the comfortable knowledge of salvation to the Elect But that CHRIST may search out all thinges that are done in his Church yea which are done in any other place of the world Wherefore howe great impudency is it to thrust upon the Church a visible head seeing the LAMBE is furnished with so many eyes neither hath them idle and unoccupied but sendeth them forth with all diligence into the whole world The care of Christ taketh not indede away the Ministers eyther Ecclesiasticall or Politicall which he hath ordained But to faine and invent a newe kinde and degree and that under a pretence that CHRIST is absent is proper onely to that man who is directly opposite to Christ As touching the wordes some Copies reade as is noted in the Greeke Bibles lately set forth at Frankeford which are that the relative may be referred as well to the hornes as to the eyes After which manner also Aretas readeth this verse And the Hornes may be sayd to be sent into the whole world when CHRIST putteth forth his power in succouring his owne servantes and destroying his enemyes But it agreeth more properly to the eyes which when wee turne toward any thinge wee are sayd to cast them upon the same 7 He came and tooke the booke out of the right hand of him that sat on the throne There is a double consideration of Christ one so farre as of the eternall God sitting togither in the Throne with the Father chap. 4. ver 3. The other so farre as he is of the Mediatour attending on the throne and prepared and ready to performe those things which make for the salvatioÌ„ of his people There is the like regard of the Spirit who as he is the Eternall God partaker of the Throne compassing the same about as in the fourth chap. and third verse But according as he sanctifyeth the Church with created giftes there are seaven Spirits before the Throne seaven burning Lampes seaven Hornes and seaven eyes 8 Having every one Harpes and vials A reioicing and thankesgiving of the Church for this greate benefite of taking and unsealing the Booke Therefore they take unto themselves fit and proper instruments for this purpose Harpes and Vials that is to say Prayses and thankesgiving For Vials full of odours are the harts of the Saints which the Spirit hath filled with a fervent desyre of calling upon GOD the Harpes perteine to gladnes of minde and reioicing in prayers is the very thankesgiving But he alludeth to the manner of the Temple where the LEVITES praysed GOD with Musicall Instruments and the PRIESTES had their Pottes and Bowles set before the Altar full of odours as wee reade in the Prophete Zachary chap. 14. ver 20. ¶ Which are the prayers of the Saints He speaketh not of the offerring of prayers for the dead which are made of them that are alive on the earth but as I have shewed in the former chapter all that which is attributed to the Beasts Elders declareth what exercises the Saints goe about with all diligence in the militant Church So also after in verse 10. And wee shall raigne say the Elders upon the earth not preaching doubtlesse the Kingdome of the soules departed but of the holy men on earth The heartes of these as golden vials doe breath out and yeeld up prayses and thankes for those greate benefites which are obtained for us by Christ If the Elders ofâ—er onely the prayers of other men as the Iesuite interpreteth they should be dumbe in the common ioy of all things Nay rather the benefite is theirs for they themselves shall raigne say they therefore they offer not other meÌ„s but their owne prayers 9 And they sung a newe sunge It is called a newe songe in respect of more plentifull grace ministred nowe since Christ hath ben exhibited then was in olde time under the shadowes of the Lawe The auncient people did not prayse the man Christ so openly and clearly before he had taken unto him our flesh as at this day the faithfull doe prayse him clothed with oâ—r nature from whence not without cause this more manifest praysing is called a newe sung But he alludeth unto the manner of the Lawe where newe greater benefites are celebrated in newe formes of prayses conceaved of purpose whereupon there is so often mention of a newe songe in the booke of Psalmes ¶ And hast redeemed us Therefore the Beasts and Elders are men redeemed by the blood of Christ neither in deede some twelve chiefe men of the Iewes and as many Christian twelve Apostles with the foure Evangelists For this whole company was not chosen out of every Tribe and tongue and people and nation but out of the nation of the Iewes onely but of all the faithfull in every place all which this holy company and bande mustered indifferently from all places of the world doe worthyly note out as wee have observed upon the fourth verse of the 4. chapter And it is sayd significantly out of every Tribe c. not all Tribes c. because all men are not redeemed by the blood of Christ but onely the elect as Aretas hath well observed 10 And hast made us to our God Kinges Some copies doe reade them so this whole verse in the third person but Aretas and the common Latine translation doe reade in the first person wee have expounded these thinges before But why doe they mention this benefite in the cause of taking the
were 12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixt seale and loe there was made a great earthquake the Sunne became blake as sack cloth of haire the moone was like blood 13 And the starres of heaven fell to the earth as a figge tree casteth her greene figges whē it is shaken of a mighty winde 14. And heaven departed away as a scroule when it is rolled every mountayne Yle were moved out of their place 15 And the Kings of the earth the Peeres the rich men the Tribunes the mighty men every bondman every free man hid themselves in dennes among the rockes of the mountaines 16 And sayd to the mountaines and rockes fall upon us and hide us from the presense of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe 17. For the great day of his wrath is come and who cā stande The Analysis SVCH is the Excellency of this Revelation The Events doe follow which first are the Seales secondly the Trumpets lastly the Vials For all the rest of the Prophecy is distinguished into three notable periode◠which containe the chiefe alterations to come in the world even unto the coming of Christ every one of which againe is divided into seaven points so as from the last of the former aryseth alway the whole sequent period As touching the Scales there is in every one a certen preparation afterward the type of the future thinges And the preparation is partly common wherby the Lambe openeth each one in order partly proper to the foure first which besides have an inviting by one of the foure Beastes to come and see There be sixe types of this chapter for so many seales are opened a white horse ver 2. a read ver 4. a blacke ver 5. a pale ver 8. The cry of the soules ver 9.10.11 and great earthquake to the ende of the chapter Analysis After J beheld when the Lambe had opened the first of the seales Nowe the Spirit entreth into the events which will instruct us touching all the changings succeeding by course in the world as farre as is expedient for the Church and which are of any moment unto the last end of all thinges A great matter and chiefly necessary to be knowne but such as into which noe understanding of mortall man can penetrate Therefore whom in the beginning I have prayed unto him doe I call upon againe having gone forward in some part by his alone grace that he will graunte mee happily to make an ende of the thinges that remayne who hath graunted mee so to beginne as I am persuaded is agreeing with his trueth Thou therfore most holy and most wise Lambe who alone hast deserved to take unscale the booke and not to that ende that thou shouldest have these secretes for thy selfe alone but that thou shouldest communicate them with thy Church as farre as shal be for her profit graunt I pray thee unto mee thy most unworthy servant according to thy bounteousnesse that perceaving cleerely what hidden and secrete things these seales conteine I may reveale the same holily unto the world to the edification of thy Church the ruine of Antichrist and the glory of thine owne name to be published unto all ages Amen In that wee have distinguished the Events into three rankes wee have the Spirit himselfe for our authour ioyning the trumpets to the seales the vials to the trumpets in such sorte as that alwayes the first thing of that which followeth doe aryse out of the last of that which wente before Therefore they bring in darkenes upon themselves who doe thrust togither into one the seales the trumpets the vials and also the seaven Candlestickes so as each one of every order should be ioyned one to another in equall degree as if the Father the Sonnes should be equall should runne togither the same terme of yeeres Furthermore seeing the seales ar as it were promises of future thinges the trūpets adversities approaching with great noise the vials things that are powred upon men by little and little and come upon them unwarres as wee shall after see overwhelme them it seemeth not to be convenient to cōfounde these contrary things togither so that the thinge should be promised and accomplished all at once and that the same thing should be done openly and secretly at the same moment of time but let us come to the wordes ¶ When he had opened saith he one Seale that is to say the first as Theod. Beza translateth it for after followeth the second third c. And so the Hebrewes every where use to speake But before I proceede to the thinges that are behinde that cold comment of the Jesuite is to be removed who thinketh that the opening of the booke is something diverse from opening of the seales as though nothing in the booke could be read and shewed unto us before that all the seales should be opened Which opinion verily faineth unto us I knowe not what booke of which wee have received never a word written neither doe wee understand from thence ought touching thinges to come For the Revelation hath nothing more besides the opened seales For out of them the trumpets come forth and againe out of them the vials as wee have advertised in the resolution so as all the rest of the Prophecy is limited with those thinges that are conteined in the seales as wee shall proove by manifest argumēts in their places If therfore after all the seales opened he hath found out some booke to be read it is Apocryphe that is a hid booke the originall and authority whereof is not known which peradventure may lie hid in the coffer of the breast of their Pope but which to reade and knowe the Church hath nothing to doe Furthermore it is needfull for the clearer understanding of the periodes first the termes of time wherein thinges are finished and every severall article of them to set downe some entrāce from whēce wee must begin which surely wee iudge to be by and by after this writing of John For that saying of the fourth chapter ver 1. I will shew thee the things that must be done hereafter calleth backe Iohn both to that moment of the Revelation given also teacheth to count from thence all thinges which are delivered in the booke following Therefore there is noe neede to have recourse unto the first ages of the world nor unto the Monarchies nor unto the times of Christ or the Evangelists or in any such thinge of the age past but John writing this Revelation by the commaundement of God about the ende of the Empire of Domitian as Ireneus sheweth in his 5 booke against heresies Eusebius out of Ireneus in the 3 booke of his Ecclesiasticall History chap. 18. At the ende of the raigne of Domitian about the ninety seaventh yeere from the birth of Christ wee thinke the beginning of the Seales to wit of
not Emperours but Murtherers have defiled all Histories with guiltlesse blood But he that followeth brevity may not recken up severally the innumerable murders Although who coulde be able to rehearse them if he would seeing the Ministers of the wickednes confesse themselves not sufficient to kill them that came running togither to punishement of their owne accord For so a certaine man Tiberianus who had the chiefe doing of things at Palestine reported to Traiane as Suidas declareth in his Traiano Plinie a heathen man being moved with the multitude of them that were killed obtained some ceasing or at least a certaine moderation So pitifull was the condition of the Christians that the enemyes had compassion on their calamityes reade the 3 4.5.6.7 book of Eusebius where almost every page is washed with blood It is noe mervayle that the saincts being wearied with so continuall slaughters doe aske at lenght some delivery So is the meaning of this verse but the wordes are yet to be made cleare and delivered from the slanders of the adversaries From whence then is this fetched that the soules of the Martyrs lye under the Altar Without doubt in that râ—spâ—ct that David used oft as in Psal 27.5 For in the time saith he of trouble he will hide mee in his Tabernacle in the secret place of his pavillon shall he hide mee and set mee upon a rocke and againe thou dost hide them in a privy plâ—ce of thy presence from the pride of men thou keepest them secretly in a cottage from the strife of tongues Psal 31.20 But it is knowne that the Tabernacle both according to the partes and according to the whole was a shadow of Christ Wherfore to be hidden in the Tabernacle is to have Christ alone for the place of their succour and refuge by whom alone wee are covered and defended against all assaults of the adversaries From hence it is apparant why the Soules are sayd to be under the Altar to wit that wee should understand first from thence that all the salvation also of the Martyrs consisteth in the alone Death of Christ under the which the holy champioÌ„s hiding themselves as under a shielde can appeare safely and boldly before God and that they doe not merite eternall life to themselves by thâ— shedding of their owne blood for Christ his sake as the Papists wickedly dote but to have neede of this covering without which otherwise they cannot stande in the sight of Gods maiesty Secondly that wee may know that all the children of God must be conformable to the image of their first borne brother Rom. 8.29 and must walke the same way to heaven wherein he hath gone before us that is to say by suffering of troubles being made sacrifices and oblations and to be killed with many anguishes For which cause Paule sayth that he in his flesh for the body of Christ doth fulfill the rest of his afflictions Col. 1.24 And the rest or defects he calleth conformityes and not satisfactions either of worthynes or merit For whatsoever remaineth yet to be suffered of any of the saints that is wanting after a sorte to the afflictions of Christ who iudgeth all our calamityes his owne These are common to all the faithfull who have place alike under the Altar but especially to the Martyrs whose sufferings are famous before the rest For which cause this covert to hide in is attributed to them by name Seeing then they lie under the altar in this sense after the usuall speaking in the scriptures howe wickedly doth the Iesuite wrest these wordes unto the Idolatrous custome amonge them of dedicating Temples Whose manner is to bury the bodyes or reliques of the Martyrs under the altar in the Churches which they dedicate to them afterward to call the Church by his name whose reliques are there buried as though more respect were to be had to the reliques under the altar then of him whom they will have to be sacrificed on the altar Would the Spirit have respect to this custome wherby very great iniury is done both to Christ and also to his holy Martyrs To Christ because he is spoiled of his honour and thrust beneath his servants To Martyrs because they are made robbers of his glory for maintayning whereof they shed their blood Neither are the Iesuites content to abuse these wordes unto the defence of Idolatry unlesse also they destroy that which was well built of others Bernard in his third sermon of the Saints taught from hence the holy soules loosed from this prison of the body not forthwith to enioy perfite blessednes but to waite for full happines at the last iudgement reioycing in the meane time with great and huge comfort I dispute not howe such doctrine is not drawne necessarily from this place the sentence seemeth to be true and agreable with the other scriptures For so David speaketh when J awake I shal be satisfied with thy image Psal 17.15 Neither did Paule expect a crowne before that day in which it shal be given to all that have loved the bright comming of Christ 2. Tim. 4.8 Neither would God that the auncient people should be made perfite without us much lesse is it like to be true that one of the essentiall parts should attaine absolute happines without the other Heb. 11.40 They that would more boldly then becometh modest Christians that the separate soules should have a cleare sight of God in whom as in a glasse they beholde all thinges past present and to come what reason doe they give why the soules under the ALTAR not content with this sight alone as if they were ignorant doe enquire of the time of vengeance Many such thinges ought to have restrained the Iesuites not to fight against a true seÌ„tence But they sawe that unlesse they should give to the separated soules full happines in the cleare beholding of God the Jnvocating of Saints would be overthrowne and that there were no reason left for to shewe why wee should implore their aide seeing it was not the manner before Christ was exhibited but let it be sufficient to have touched in a word their crafty dealing ¶ For the word of God Which most constantly they have professed preached as ch 1.9 And for the testimony which they maintained in the greek which they had peradventure in this sense that they were counted Christians by the testimony of others as 1 Tim. 3.7 But he must be well reported eveÌ„ from them that are without as if for the word of God should belonge to them who by their profession have procured to themselves the hatred of the wicked but the testimony which they had to them that are manifested by the iudgement of other men 10 They cryed with a lowde voice Hitherto the first meÌ„ber which hath opened the condition of the time past nowe the present state under Galienus is shewed by a cry Through yrkesomnes of continuall trouble a deliverance from it at leÌ„gth is asked seeing they have endured
place ¶ Holding the foure windes of the earth Wee have seene the Angels their standings their endevour is to take away the winde from the earth the foure saith Iohn windes of the earth which yet is one by nature but divers according to the countryes from whence it bloweth But this winde is not properly to be understood seeing such a calamity hath never befallen albeit many ages now are past since this Prophecy was accomplished For if it were proper howe should not the stopping up hurt as well the sealed as the reprobate who dwelt togither and one with an other I therefore understand the winde to be the force and faculty of the Holy Ghost whom Christ coÌ„pareth to the winde Iohn 3.8 the winde saith he bloweth whither it listed so is every one that is borne of the Spirit For as of olde that disordered Chaos and seed of this our world could not otherwise consist then as it was quickened of the Spirit who moved himselfe upon the waters Gen. 1.2 So neither doth this earth nor sea nor trees come to the feeling of any vitall strength unlesse that sanctifying winde doth lye upon them from whose breathing they doe as it were drawe their life It is not indeede in the power of any creature to restraine the force of the heaveÌ„ly Spirit yet the trueth being stopped which he used as his chariot not without cause the passages may be sayd to be stopped wherby he should blowe to our good ¶ That the winde should not blow upon the earth nor upon the sea c. Nowe the thinges are reckoned up from which they would had restrayned the winde to wit from the Earth the Sea the Trees The Earth before were the Heathen Nations as chap. 6.4.15 Afterward it seemeth to signify alway not men wholy repugnant to the name of Christ but the common sorte mixt company of the corrupt Church which hath succeeded in the place of the Gentiles as chap. 8.13 12.9.12.13.16 13.11 c. The Sea signifyeth the doctrine sometime true and then it is placed before the Throne within the coÌ„pas of the Elders where it is of glasse like to Chrystall most cleare most pure as chap. 4.6 More often it is brought to shew false doctrine in which sense it resteth and is quiet as in his channell in the bosome and embracing of this earth which it doth fasten togither with his humidity though grosse and brinish through secret passages least being by nature easy to be reduced in powder and not cleaving togither it should be dissolved through her atidity For unlesse there were some bande of consent amonge the counterfeit citizens even the wicked assemblyes could not stande The trees wee understaÌ„de to be meÌ„ froÌ„ ch 9.4 wher coÌ„maÌ„demeÌ„t is giveÌ„ to the Locusts that they should not hurt any tree but onely the meÌ„ that hav not the seale of God in their foreheads Now the exception is alway of the same kinde of which that is froÌ„ wheÌ„ce the exception is made therefore when as men are excepted it must needes be that the trees also are men not indeed of the basest sorte condition but who shewe theÌ„selves above others with their high dignityes and lift up their heades among the rest being more famous in the Christian Assemblyes But if the Angels would have hurt onely this earth sea and trees why was there not free leave graunted them Because in that vile heape many of the elect lay hidden who were to be provided for for their sakes the Angell from the East would have the confused multitude to be spared neither any hurt to be done to any untill order was taken for them for whom it was necessary The wicked gaine the deferring of punishment for those fewe good whom they have dwelling among theÌ„ ¶ And I sawe an other Angell which was come up from the East in greeke which did ascend some copyes doe reade coming up the Hebrewes figuratively doe take these wordes to ascende and descende for to departe to goe forth to goe to returne as he went up from Ierusalem that is he returned and left of to assault it 2. King 12.18 But it is well ioyned with the rysing of the Sunne because the Sunne seemeth to ascende from the East untill he be come to the middes of heaven The first occasion of sealing being declared there is now described by what Minister it was done Whom both the respect of the time and all circunstances doe proove to have ben Constantine the Great He succeeded in the Empire after that the Lambe had thrust out Diocletian and the other Jdolatrous Tyrants But he came up from the rising of the Sunne having come from the Easterne countryes to receive the Empyre For being a yong man he served in warre under Diocletian in Syria But after his vertu had procured him envy so as often through secret trecheries he was in perill of his life he was compelled to get himselfe out of the East as speedily as he could and to goe to his Father So Eusebius writeth he was provoked to flight for his safety in the life of Constantin orat 1. Zonaras saith that he was given of his father for an hostage to Galerius of whom when he sawe that he was hated through envy and that in the battell at Sarmatia he was cast forth of set purpose to danger and againe for the same intente commaunded to fight with a Lion both which battells he executed with good successe by flight at length he escaped away to his Father togither also by these meanes avoided the danger and obtayned his Fathers Empire the seate whereof afterward he placed at Bizantium Therefore whether wee respect his first returne from the East or minde the decrees which after the Empire was established touching the worshipping of the true God by Christ did fly often from thence into that part of the world that was under Rome the History agreeth very well with the Prophecy but that former seemeth to come nigher to the meaning of the Holy Ghost because of those thinges that follow ¶ Having the Seale of the living God Both himselfe instructed in the true knowledge of God and endued with very great authority to spread abroad the same unto others whom while by his owne exemple and zeale he provoked to embrace the trueth he is sayd to marke them with the seale of the living God and to take them for Gods chiefe treasure He cryed with a lowde voice promoting the trueth by Edicts published removing farre of to his power all that which might hinder the amplifying of it He did represse for a time according as it was appointed of God those foure Furies of Hâ—ll which were prepared to hurt whereof wee have heard at the first verse He restreined the Ambition of other men by his owne maiesty Howe great labour did he take to pull up by the rootes all contentions who esteemed nothing more excellent then to seate peace among the Bishops
their desertes the trueth in the meane time might spring againe enioy a more quiet seasoÌ„ Wee have learned from those thinges which have ben said before that the pure religion had ben oppressed wholly and overwhelmed partly by a deluge of Locusts partly by other infinite corruptions chiefly by the tyranny of Antichrist But when it seemed good to God about this time to beginne sâ—me restoring of the trueth it pleased him to trouble Antichrist and to disquiet him with the feare of the foure loosed Aâ—gels least he should dâ—â—â—â—oy his growing trueth in the first blade and not sâ—ffer it to come to that ripâ—â—â—â—sse which wee see nowe Wherfore this commandement came in good season to the Church for whose sake alone all the alterations come to passe which wee see in the world 14 Saying to the sixt Angell To him to whom the commandement is given This first is appointed the effectour of the worke the former only denounced the evill peradventure the contagion of the sinne letted them from putting their hand to the worke but here should be a cleare separation of the punishement and the fault that the minister thereof should not neede to feare the infection of this ¶ Loose those foure Angels Car. Gal. pâ—g 56. duravit usque ad ann 1191 c. The meaning of the commandement of loosing the foure Angels who stood prepared in readines expecting onely wheÌ„ a signe should be given them But what manner of Angels were these were they properly so called and bounde to a certeÌ„ place that they could not stirre from thence untill some speciall leave was given them Certenly it is read that Asmodeus was exiled into the desert of the uppermost Egypt Tob. 8.3 But this worthily may be counted to be of small credit because of the Iewish lyes unto which that people was so given that also Iosephus a man doubtlesse learned and eloquent durst affirme Salomon either first to have invented or at least by his bookes to have encreased the Divelish art of coniuring a spirit booke 8. chap. 2. of Antiquities Thiâ— I say had ben vaine by right unlesse an authoritie of greater waight out of this very booke of the Revelation agreed unto it chap. 18.2 Where it is signifyed that the uncleane Spirits are shut up into certen places as into a prison Which yet neverthelesse seemeth not to be common to all but onely to some certen For howe can all be tyed to limited places when it is free for some to compasse the whole earth Iob 1.7 Of which also some walke about as roaring Lyons seeking whom they may devoure 1 Pet. 5.6 They rule also in the aire the spirit that nowe worketh in the children of disobedience Eph. 2.2 And they are the governours of the world yea the Gods of this world blinding the mindes of the infidels Eph. 6.12.2 Co 4.4 Can they performe these things being absent Therefore some doe seeme to be cast into certeÌ„ places as into a prison some to have more free liberty to walke abroade Yet neverthelesse the impiety of the Magitians is nothing holpen from hence who thinke that they are able to constraine the Devils with a certen necessity of abiding within a circle in a smooth stone in iron steele in a looking glasse in the nayle of a man or any like thing For God hath reserved this power to him selfe alone and to his holie Angels whom often he useth for his ministers in this thing he hath given noe authority any where to such men Neither are these Angels onely Devils but also men who are ruled by their power whom nowe it is a common thinge to be called Angels For the army is made of men as is manifest froÌ„ ch 20.7 Where againe he intreateth of the same thing Sathan goeth out to deceave the nations and to gather them togither unto battell But the Captaines are of the same kinde with their soâ—ldiers Wherfore seeing the order of things hath brought us unto the yeere one thousand three hundreth it is not to be doâ—bted but that they are the Turkes of which iudgement are a great part of Interpreters they are said foure because there were foure chiefe families of them For after the slaughter received of the Scythians Iconium the Princes Palaces being lost and after some yeeres spent in robberies at length they retiring backe they recovered themselves againe and divided among their Princes that of Asia which in short time after they tooke froÌ„ the Romanes The first of which was Carmâ—nus Atisurius the second Sarchanes the third Câ—lâ—mâ—s Cerasus his sonne the fourth Atman as he is written in Gregoras or after others Ottoman to which the same Gregoras addeth the fift Aâ—urius booke 7.1 And so many they seeme to have ben at the first but afterward to have ben brought to foure Laonicus Chalcocondy las saith that in the beginning there were seven booke 1 of the Turkes affaires But he ioyneth a certaine man called Teciem with Ottoman and reckeneth the children asunder from the fathers But it is not a thing to be mervayled at that this confusion of barbarous people could not be represented certenly by the History-writers albeit Gregoras lived in the same time and had the charge of keeping the rolles of the Emperour Andronicus the elder This nation came some ages before from Armenia the countries bordering on Euphrates From which places they did repell easily the Romanes which were wearied longe agoe and wasted with many calamityes But about the beginning of the reigne of Andronicus Paleologus the elder before the yeere 1300. it spred her selfe abroad through Asia even unto the Sea Aegeum But that they should not breake forth froÌ„ some other place then from their fore appointed lists to wit from Euphrates at that time when the raines were let loose unto them God by the helpe of the Catelani drove them againe unto Euphrates These men their Captayne being Ronzerius were souldiours in pay under Andronicus the prowesse of whom was such that for feare of them the Turkes fledde not onely from Philadelphia which then they besieged but also almost beyonde the auncient boundes of the Romane Kingdome as Gregoras testifyeth booke 7.3 This feare therefore did drive them into the countries about the river Euphrates did as it were lay fetters upon theÌ„ for a time Neither was it a small bounde tying them that they could not rage as they would in that their forces being devided unto many Princes every one a part were too weake that they should dare to attempt any great thing Both these impediments were taken away at the time of the power granted them For first of all the Catâ—lani followed not on the victory begun but shortly after went away returning home Secondly about the same time to wit about the yeere 1291 whatsoever by lawfull warre the Christian Princes tooke in Palestina and in the countries adioyning in twelve expeditions and after the possession of 196 yeeres they had lost nowe all
sinne they must needes finde more stubborne and spitefull The condition of that time could not be shewed more briefly and manifestly I therefore tooke the little booke Althoug Iohn heareth howe great trouble this meate will bring him yet obeyeth he willingly the Angell and eateth up the booke as he was commanded There was a better love in him to Gods word then any regard of lothsomnesse or wringing in the belly frō bitternesse Such excellent fortitude was in those learned men of that age before spoken of it could not be but that they knewe certenly howe great trouble they should procure to themselves by avouching the trueth yet neverthelesse they laboured valiantly setting more by the sweetnesse which they received from the ioy of the Spirit thē by all the bitternes of perill By whose example all Ministers of the word must goe on boldly neither is the office to be forsaken because of the troubles It is noe newe thing for that to be found bitter by experience which being tasted a little at the tongues ende seemeth sweete Therefore let every true Prophet have this lesson well meditated least peradventure lighting upon unexpected evils he be overcome at length through infirmity 11 Thou must Prophecy againe Nowe in fewe wordes he sheweth to what ende the former signe was used that it may be understood that Prophecie was to be restored againe to the Church in those times The preparation whereunto was the receaving and eating up of the booke to wit a burning desire of learning which gave hope of a more perfit light to appeare daylie But their opinion is foolish who will from these wordes have John to be expected about the ende of the world with Enoch Elias These things belōg not to the last time but to the sixt trumpet which wee will declare manifestly hereafter to be past And Iohn is set forth onely as a type not described by any office which in his owne person he should beare in the last times CHAP. 11. AND a reed was given mee like unto a rode and the Angell stood by saying rise and mete the Temple of God and the altar and them that worship therein 2 But the court which is without the Temple shut out mete it not for it is given to the Gentiles they shall treade under foote the holy city two and fourtie moneths 3 But I will give to those my two witnesses and they shall prophecy a thousande two hundreth and threescore dayes clothed in sackecloth 4 These are two olive trees and two candlestickes standing before the God of the earth 5 And if any man will hurt them fire proceedeth out of their mouthes which shall devoure their enemyes For if any man will doe them wronge so must they be killed 6 These have power to shut heaven that it raine not in the dayes of their prophecying and have power over waters to turne them into blood and to smite the earth with all maner plagues as often as they will 7 Moreover when they finished their testimony the Beast that commeth out of the bottomelesse pit shall make warre against them and shall overcome them and kill them 8 And their corpses shall lie in the streetes of the great citie which is called spiritually Sodom and Egypt where also our Lord was crucified 9 And men of Tribes of peoples and of tongues and nations shall see their corpses three daies and an halfe and shall not suffer their carkases to be put in graves 10 And the inhabitans of the earth shall reioice over them and be glad and shall send giftes one to an other because these two Prophets vexed the inhabitans of the earth 11 But after three dayes and an halfe the Spirit of life comming from God shall enter into them and they shall stande up upon their feete and great feare shall fall upon them that shall see them 12 After they shall heare a great voice from heaven saying unto them come up hither and they shall ascende up to heaven in a cloude and their enemies sawe them 13 And the same houre was made a great earth quake and the tenth parth of the city fell and in the earthquake were slaine seven thousande men the remnant were feared and gave glory to the God of heaven 14 The second woe is past and behold the third woe commeth quickly 15 And the seventh Angell blewe the trumpet and there were great voices in heaven saying the Kingdomes of this worlde are the Lords and his Christs and he shall reigne for evermore 16 Then those foure and twenty Elders which sate before God on their thrones fell upon their faces and worshipped God 17 Saying wee give thee thankes Lord God almighty which art and which wa st and which art to come for thou hast received thy great might and hast obtained thy Kingdome 18 And the Gentiles were angry and thy wrath is come and the time of the dead that they should be iudged and that thou shouldest give a reward unto thy servants the Prophets and to the Saincts and to them that feare thy name small and great shouldest destroy them that destroy the earth 19 Then the temple of God was opened in heaven and the Arke of his covenant was seene in his temple and there were lightnings and voices and thundrings and eaarthquake and much haile Analysis SVCH is the preparation unto the newe Prophecy as was observed in the eight verse of the former chapter the Prophecy it selfe followeth in the first fifteene verses of this chapter which belongeth either to the whole bodie of the Church or some chiefe mēbers of it As touching that The Church is either true or false the true should lie hid this whole periode of fourtie moneths small very secret narrowe which is shewed by the temple measured ver 1. the false in the meane time very ample and spatious ver 2. The chiefe members are two Prophets whose divers condition is shewed according to a threefold difference of time the first by a thousand two hundreth threescore dayes all which space being black they should goe in monrning apparell ver 3. Who yet in the meane while should be like Olive trees Candlestickes ver 4. neither should be hurt of any without punishement ver 5. and endued with great power ver 6. The second time is of three dayes and an halfe in which being slaine ver 7. they should lie unburied in the streetes of Sodome and Egypt ver 8.9 and should make their enemies merrie with their death ver 10. The third time is not determined after the three dayes and an halfe in which they should rise againe lifted up by the Spirit first upon their feete which should strike a feare into their enemies ver 11. Afterward into heaven at which the tenth part of the citie should fall many should be slaine the rest should be made afraid ver 13. Last of all a transition is used declaring the ende of the sixt trumpet and the beginning of the
travell Whither from the wildernes into the wildernes But all the errour is from hence because the wildernes is not defined by his proper markes For this wildernes is not the want of humane and extern comfort but of the gifts of the holie Ghost with which the first Church abounding most largely felt not any desert place although wholly destitute of all humane succour Shee was indeede very greatly afflicted by the cruelty of the Emperours but the Dragon casting the third part of the starres to the earth tooke not heavē from her neither spoiled her of the clothing of the Sunne although he deprived almost an infinite number of Saincts of their bodies For her dignity is not to be measured by an outward pompe and shewe but by true faith and purenesse of the whole worship of God in both which shee then flourished very greatly in comparison of all other ages It being now knowen for certaine to what both time and place these moneths belong to wit to flight wildernesse privie places to hide in neither to the first beginning but after a longe and most grievous battell with the Dragon in chap. 12.6 it must needes be that seeing these things are attributed to the Beast chap. 13.5 that it is also a living creature of some wildernesse and what other place is fit for wilde beasts dennes from whence shee is seen afterward more clearly in the wildernes chap 17.3 and that it is not the first that is the Romane Empire but the second enemy to wit Antichrist who in as much as he could would make this place of refuge to the woman dangerous From which thinges it is apparant howe absurde it is to ende these moneths in the death of Licinius to wit straightway after their beginning Which may yet more appeare if wee shall minde this terme of time being given them that the whole sixt trumpet also is concluded almost with the same boundes for when these are finished there remaineth a very little of this How then is not the mystery of God finished as is foretold in chap. 10.7 yf the seventh trumpet hath sounded nowe so many ages to wit these thousand three hundred yeeres more or lesse a very little Not but that wee knowe that a thousand yeeres are even as one day to God 2 Pet. 3.8 But because it seemeth strange that when the seven seales and sixe trumpets are finished in one three hundred yeeres that nowe one of the same trumpets should not finde an ende in foure times three hundred yeeres and more But there is noe such unequal difference of the sacred Prophecy This monstrous proportion whatsoever it seemeth to be is nothing else but humane folly not a right dividing of the times Neither is that firme that noe certaine time of domesticall calamityes is signifyed no where in the Scriptures for Numb 14.33.34 2 Sam. 24.13.14 2 King 8.1 and other the like which might be added wil prove the contrary Therefore that I may conclude the whole matter seeing the seales doe leade unto Constantine himselfe and these moneths are of a longer time then all the trumpets that are past of right doe wee iudge that they take their beginning in the sixt seale where heaven departed away chap. 6.14 Why should not the woman consider of newe places to abide in when the former were gone away come to nothing And when Diocletian and Maximianus gave over the Empire of their owne accord the Dragon was throwne downe from heaven to wit in the yeere of the Lord 304. when the desired peace began to be given to the Church and the Soveraignty to fall to Constantine and of an exceeding great company of Christians in name a fewe elect were sealed chap. 7. Which things being thus layd from necessary principles I hope that now a large entrance is made to the finding out of the trueth of those thinges which follow ¶ And I will give to my two witnesses Theod. Beza hath But I will give it to my two witnesses as if the holy city should he given to them which should appertaine to the Gentils not to the witnesses who should have place with the rest of the Saincts in the Temple Therefore wee must read as it is in the Greeke But I will give to my two witnesses c. In which wordes he turneth him selfe nowe to the chiefe members of the holy Church when hitherto he had declared summarily the things that belōg to the whole body both of the true false Church Nowe these wordes I will give and they shall prophecy are the same with these J will give power I will appoint or I will commaunde them to prophecy as Iosuah gave them that same day to be hewers of wood that is frō that day appointed them to hewe wood Ios 9.27 see the 1. chap. ver 1. But the meaning is not to be stayed in the office of prophecying as though they should prophecy in those dayes only which is their continual duty but that they should doe it all that time clothed in sackcloth The old Fathers being farther frō the evēt of these things thought that Enoch Eliah being these 2 witnesses should come to fight with Antichr in the last times But wee beholding the thing done now long agoe may surely iudge that the Spirit hath another meaning The Papists with great applause receive this opiniō make much of it obtruding it upon the world as an oracle to it because it carrieth men away frō the present cōsideratiō of the things a thing cōmon to them in all their expositiōs for the which they sweate much But the peculiar expositiō of the things will cōfute sufficiently their stiffenes in that opiniō Therefore that I may dispatch it in a word wee gather that these two Prophets are the holy scriptures the assemblies of the faithfull Wee will render a reason after in the descriptiō Although everie one may see at the first sight how fit both are for this office The Scriptures beare witnesse of the trueth Ioh. 5.39 And the saincts doe praise the power of God declare his goodnes as every where in the Psalmes A person is attributed to the Scriptures after that manner wherby the adioincts are signifyed from the subiects as Moses for the Lawe c. Then which kinde of speaking there is nothing more commonly used Before the type of them was the Sunne but seeing there was here mention made of warre of death of the resurrection a person necessary which should be capable of those things From whence there is this newe way of signifying an olde thinge The time how long they should prophcy is limited with a thousand two hundreth and three score dayes altogither the same time with the two and fourty moneths before To what ende then doth he nowe devide it by little parts into dayes not declare it briefly by moneths as before To wit because the office of prophecying is such that they must take paines in it continually
is more or lesse of a thousande two hundred yeeres from Iohn the Apostle unto the yeere 1300. Where also the Centuries doe ende being set forth under this last trumpet of which wee said that this repetition is a type ¶ And he stood on the Sea sande A passing over to the Beast Aretas the Complutent edition and all the Greeke copies doe so reade as our translation and I stood the common translation hath and he stood but falsly For he attributeth it to the Devill who even now went his way to make warre with the rest of the Saincts and for madnes was not able to stand still in any place Neither is there any other intent of standing on the sande then that the rising up of the Beast might be seen which concerneth nothing the Dragon Therefore the wordes are to be referred unto Iohn in which there is a transition unto the enemy set in the place of him that is dead to the contemplating of whose originall Iohn saith that he was set in a most convenient place In which he declareth that it doth appertaine to them onely to beholde the Beast rising up who after they have escaped the Sea of false doctrine are set at least on the shore or banke of the truth howsoever it may be that the mooving of the waves and the ebbing of the Sea casteth upon them also many brinish errours because of nighnesse as after they that doe get victory of the BEAST are said to stand at the GLASSIE SEA as wee may see in the fifteenth Chapter and second verse For that these things doe pertaine and are to be refferred to the event may be gathered from the like place in the seventeenth Chapter and at the third verse where IOHN is carried into the Wildernesse for to beholde the damnation of the WHORE For what need were there to change the place unlesse the remooving had a Mystery Here therefore some godly men are to be viewed to whom being set as it were on the shore of the Trueth the originall of the SEA BEAST should be certenly knowne and that also at that time in which the Devill went for to make warre against the seed of the woman For neither is this place attributed rashly to this transition Which wee see to have ben performed in them of Maidenburg who having attained at length to settle the soles of their feete on the dry grouÌ„d after they had swomme out of the Papisticall Sea manifested to the whole world in their Centuries such a beginning growing and ripenes of this Beast as is here described of Iohn Which doubtlesse many learned men also before painted out in lively colours but all their labour was bestowed about one or two parts none made a perfit image before the seventh trumpet which procured us these Centuries To this ende tendeth the transition how correspondent the event is the application of every severall thing will make plaine CHAPTER 13. THEN I saw a Beast rising out of the Sea which had seven heads and tenne hornes and upon his hornes ten crownes set and upon his heads was set a name of blasphemy 2 And the Beast which I saw was like a Leopard and his feete as the feete of a Beare and his mouth as the mouth of a Lion and the Dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority 3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wonded to death but his deadly wound was healed and all the earth wondred and followed the Beast 4 And they worshipped the Dragon which gave power to the Beast and they worshipped the Beast sâ—ying Who is like unto the Beast who shall be able to warre with him 5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great thinges and blasphemies and power was given unto him to doe two and fourtie moneths 6 Therefore he opened his mouth unto blasphemy against God to blaspheme his name and his Tabernacle and them that dewell in heaven 7 And it was given to him to make warre with the Saincts to overcome them and power was given unto him over everie kinred and tongue and nation 8 Therefore all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the booke of life of that Lambe which waâ— slaine from the beginning of the world 9 If any man have an eare let him heare 10 If any leade into captivity he shall goe into captivity if any kill with a sword he must be killed by a sword here is the patience and faith of the Saincts 11 Afterward I beheld an other Beast comming up out of the earth having two hornes like the Lambe but he spake like the Dragon 12 And he exerciseth all the power of the former Beast before him and he causeth the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the Beast whose deadly wounde was healed 13 And he doeth great wonders so that he maketh fire to come downe from heaven on the earth in the sight of men 14 And he deceaveth them that dwell on the earth for the signes which were permitted to him to doe in the sight of the Beast saying to them that dwell on the Earth that they should make the image of the Beast which was wonded by the worde but did live againe 15 And it was permitted to him to give a Spirit to the Image of the Beast so that the image of the Beast should speake and should cause that as many as would not worship the image of the Beast should be killed 16 And he maketh all both small and great rich and poore free and bound to receive a marke in their right hand or in their foreheads 17 And that no man might buy or sell save he that had the marke or the name of the Beast or the number of his name 18 Here is wisdome Let him that hath understanding count the number of the Beast For it is the number of a man and his number is sixe hundreth threescore and sixe Analysis THVS farre hath ben the battell with the Dragon the combate with the Beast followeth which is double the first and the second The description of the first is from the beginning of the chapter to the 11. verse And first from the causes that he arose out of the Sea then also from his integrall parts his hornes heads and their decking ver 1. his whole forme feet and mouth ver 2. Furthermore from his authority wherby he doth excell which is threefolde at the first received from the Dragon a while after diminished afterward recovered againe his wonde being healed which is more amplifyed then that first as declare both the honour which the worshippers give to him ver 4. the power both to blaspheme and also to make warre ver 5.6.7 Last of all the largenesse of his Empire ver 7.8 All which things ar concluded with a pleasant shutting up of the matter for a greater heede taking and consolation ver 9.10 Such is the first Beast The second
the same Adonikam afterward in Nehemiah are numbred sixe hundred three score seaven in the 7. chap. ver 10. The rest of the names 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Aretas in the later writers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the like partly are not the names of any man or at the least not of a people partly nothing was to be feared from them to whose knowledge soever they should come Romiâ—th or Romagnus Romane come nighest of all but the fourth property reiecteth this also which could not be of force inough to recover the favour of the Beast The Grecians willingly acknowledged themselves to be Romanes and of a long time boasted of this name Constantinople was commonly called New Rome yet in the meane time they were greatly hated of the Beast untill at length they did shew their consent with the Latines and yeelded the Primacie to the Latine Pope Therefore all accounts being cast I thinke that Lateinos is the name which the Spirit here biddeth us to number Which is a name whose letters after the account of the Grecians doe accomplish this number and unto which all the other properties doe agree and so much the more because from the Apostles times it hath ben extended to us and the event hath so confirmed it that it is now more cleare then the light at noonetyde which was darke before For so Ireneus in his 5. book chap 29. against heresies But saith he the name Lateinos conteineth the number sixe hundred threescore and sixe and it is very like to be true because the most substantiall Kingdome hath this name for they are Latines who now doe raigne But wee will not boast of this Such are his wordes As though this were not the opinion of him alone but he had received it froÌ„ another but from what other man is it likely then from Polycarp whose scholar he was and he Iohns scholar Such therefore are these Beasts whose lively image wee see in the Romane Pope who according to the plaine interpretation of the wordes the events of the times and agreablenes of all things so fitly without any violence casteth himselfe into every part of this first paterne and that even to the least appearances and likenesses that I thinke the very Papists themselves cannot doubt any more who is Antichrist And thus farre coÌ„cerning the Dragon and the Beast according to the consideration of knowledg encreased which should come under the blowing of the seventh trumpet for Hitherto doe the thirteene Centuries extend ending in the yeere 1300. to wit in the number of the name of the Beast that is a little after that the matter was brought to a point with the Grecians who submitted themselves to the Latine Pope with which number of his name the Spirit also coÌ„cludeth this Prophecy of the Beast shewing a very great consent of the issue in every part CHAP. 14. THEN I beheld and loe a Lambe stood on mount Sion and with him an hundreth fourty and foure thousande having his fathers name written on their fore heads 2 And I heard a voice from heaven as the sounde of many waters and as the sounde of a great thunder and J heard the voice of Harpers harping with their harpes 3 And who did sing as it were a new song before the throne and before those foure Beasts and those Elders and no man could learne that song but those hundreth fourty and foure thousande to wit those which were bought from the earth 4 These are they which are not defiled with women for they are virgines these follow the Lambe whither soever he goeth these are bought from men being the first fruites to God and to the Lambe 5 And in whose mouth was founde no guile for they are without spot before the Throne of God 6 Then I saw an other Angell flying in the middes of heaven having an everlasting Ghospell to preach to them that dwell on the earth and to every nation tribe and tongue and people 7 Saying with a loude voice feare God and give glory to him for the houre of his iudgement is come and worship him which made heaven and earth and the sea and the fountaines of waters 8 And there followed an other Angell saying it is fallen it is fallen Babylon that great Citie because shee gave the wine of the wrath of her fornication to drinke to all nations 9 And the third Angel followed them saying with a loude voice if anie man shallworship the Beast and his image and receave his marke in his forehead or in his hande 10 The same shall drinke also of the winne of the wrath of God of the pure wine I say which is powred into the cuppe of his wrath and he shal be tormented in fire brymstone before the holy Angels and before the Lambe 11 And the smoke of their torment shall ascende evermore neither shall they hav anie rest day and night which worship the Beast and his image and whosoever receiveth the printe of his name 12 Here is the patience of the Saincts here are they that keepe the commandemeÌ„ts of God and the faith of Iesus 13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying unto mee write blessed are the dead which dye for the Lords sake from henceforth even so saith the Spirit for they rest from their labours and their workes follow them 14 And I looked and beholde a white cloud and upon the cloude one sitting like unto the Sonne of man having on his head a golden crowne and in his hande a sharpe sickle 15 And an other Angell came out of the Temple crying with a loude voice to him that sate on the cloude thrust in thy sickle and reape for thy time is come to reape for the harvest of the earth is ripe 16 Then he that sate on the cloud did thrust his sickle on the earth and the earth was reaped 17 Then an other Angell came out of the Temple which is in heaven having also a sharpe sickle 18 And an other Angel came out from the Altar having power over the fire and cryed with a loude voice to him that had the sharpe sickle saying thrust in thy sharpe sickle and gather the clusters of the vineyard of the earth for her grapes are ripe 19 Then the Angel did thrust in his sharpe sickle on the earth and cut downe the grapes of the vineyard of the earth and cast them into that greate wine presse of the wrath of God 20 And the wine presse was troden without the citie and blood came out of the wine presse unto the horses bridles by the space of a thousand sixe hundred furlongs Analysis VVEE have spoken of the thinges done by the enemies it followeth in this chapter concerning the vertue of the citezens declaring what was the condition of the true Church since the time that the battell was ended in heaven the Dragon cast foorth into the earth chap. 12.9 and the Beast began to come out of the Sea chap. 13.1 Which
it hath the relative in stead of the coniunction Aretas readeth as our copies but this diversity chaungeth not the meaning 9 And the third Angel and an other third Angel as some copies have it The third should be the strongest of all He should not onely nippe Antichrist with most grievous wordes but also most severely threaten destruction to all who will not depart from the humble service of him This Angel was Martin Luther that began openly to traduce Antichrist about the yeere 1517 who detested this infection more bitterly by how much through the revelation of the Spirit of God he had more sure knowledge of the filthinesse of the Romish Beast The Spirit here attributeth to him a troublous sermon and full of tumult And indeede there is no man who hath tasted the workes of that holy man to whom they seeme not to cast a savour of the heavenly trueth they are in every place so hot and earnest and doe flame with a certen fiery heate yea he came some time to that fervency that he could not stay himselfe from foule and unchast similitudes Many desired a greater moderation and modestie but from hence we may see with what inward motion he was carried The world was sicke of a great drowsie disease which could not be shaken of unlesse he had spoken vehemently dealt roughly and stung them Of which labour he received happie fruit Men were wakened out of sleepe by his warnings and seeing in what great daunger they were by worshipping the Beast they delivered themselves from his snares assoone as they could Therfore they forsooke the authour of their evill and fled unto the salutary trueth A matter of a great troble and sturre But a wheele is not turned about without noise the Spirit in some part doth manifest the trouble that followed by this very great earnestnes of the sermon ¶ Yf any shall worship the Beast He dealeth in earnest and cutteth to the quicke The summe of the sermon is contained in this conditionall proposition if any shall worship the Beast he procureth to himselfe eternall destruction The antecedent parte is found in this verse the consequent is declared by the two sequents As touching the worship it is set foorth first by a double subject the Beast his Image The Beast simple and unskilfull men doe worship who are carried with the present glory of thinges His Jmage the more learned and skilfull who see further and worship the present Beast for the reverend antiquity of succession and that auncient image renewed in this that is present Both are in the same state unlesse they repent Before the worshipping of the Image was common to all chap. 13.15 but where in some respect it is distinguished from the adoration of the Beast it seemeth to consist in this diffeâ—eÌ„ce of learned and unlearned Afterward the manner of worshipping is declared which is done two wayes by receiving the marke either in the forehead or in the hande In the forehead are marked the coÌ„mon sorte of men who by a naked profession doe acknowledge their humble service In the hande the Princes Peeres the whole route of Ecclesiasticall men and the rest of that sorte whose dutie is to maintaine the Beast to their power Why then is the order changed the first place given to the marke in the forehead to which the second was before as which place belongeth to men of lesse reckenning chap. 13.16 Surely that the greater condemnation of those defenders may be shewed as though he should say Every one shal be tormented with fire and brymstone who hath but received the marke in the forehead much more they which have received it in their hand But why is noe mention made of the number of his name Because this token is proper to the Grecians who should worship the Beast by their consenting with the Latine Church chap. 13.17 But this Angell was appointed for the people of the West part especially Greece also being destroyed by the desolation of the Turkes But thou must observe that this worshipping is performed not by falling downe on the ground but by acâ—nowledging a soveraigntie in which maÌ„ner they may worship who never sawe the Beast 10 He shall drinke also of the wine of the wrath of God The consequent part of the conditionall proposition describeth the destruction of them who worship both by the kinde of punishement in this verse and also by the eternity thereof in the verse following That first is set foorth allegorically in the beginning of the verse after it is declared by proper wordes in the other parte To drinke of the wine of the wrath seemeth to be a metaphore made by antanaclasis or reciprocation unto the wine of fornication wherby idolatry is signifyed wherewith men are delighted no lesse then with the pleasantnes of wine As therefore men reioyce in their sinnes so God shall reioice no lesse in punishing them for he shall mixe for them the wine of his wrath according to that in Deut. 28.63 Or the reason may be taken from them that doe kill wicked men by poisonned drinkes as once the Athenians other people and at this day the Turkes But what is this pure wine mixt These thinges seeme to be contrary a thing is said to be mixed which is powred in for him that shall drinke although it be not allayed with water but that exposition seemeth to mee to be more probable which will have divers pure wines to be mixed togither which mixture doth much sooner cause drunkenesse and maketh a greater disturbance of the body Water being mingled alayeth the strength of pure wine which tempering is not fit to signify the very great severity of punishement Let therfore the mixt pure wine be iudgement without mercy to the unrepentant ¶ He shal be tormented in fire and brymstone These thinges more properly doe note that the punishement shal be like that which of olde was of Sodome A sorrowfull spectacle whereof is yet at this day to be seen in the world in the ashy earth and in the stinking lake A visible marke doubtlesse of an eternall punishement This punishement shal be taken before the Angels and the Lambe that the torment may be the more grievous by how much it is more known to their enemâ—â—s ¶ And the smoke of their torment These thinges doe declare the eternity of the punishement for the smoke of the torment shal be eternall But the smoke is taken for fire of which it is a token Here it is used for to teach that the worshippers of the Beast shal not only be tormeÌ„ted for ever but also that their torment shall never be hidde from the Saincts who at least shall see alwayes the smoke thereof As touching that he saith they shall hav no rest day nor night by the same he sheweth that their torment shal be continuall also beside that it shal be eternall The repeating againe of the antecedent of the conditionall proposition belongeth to the earnestnesse
the Papists of their goods and riches and according to their demerits put them from al their dignity yet neverthelesse shee had not as yet attayned for that time such reformation for which rightly it could be called a wholy city The Pope was banished but the Papisme was retained as is manifest frō those sixe articles made the next yeere after that the Monasteries were broken downe Wherein it was thus ordained That under the forme of bread wine there is the true and naturall body and blood of Christ and that after the consecration the substance of bread and wine remaineth no longer That the receiving of the whole supper of the Lord is not necessary to salvation and that under whether of the formes you will whole Christ is contained That it is not lawfull for Priests to marry That the vowes of chastety are to be kept That private Masses are to be retained That auricular and secret confession of sinnes is profitable and necessary These uncleannesses defiled Englād that it could not be the dwelling place of God at that time ¶ And blood came out of the wine presse Blood by an elegant metaphore is the juyce of grapes but it commeth neerer to the iuyce of these who are now spoken of by a certē property of speech For it is that calamity which came of the overthrowe of the Pope which was so great that not onely the whole countrey was moist therewith but also it overflowed to the horses bridles Wee have heard that they to whom this businesse was committed of destroying the dennes and to confiscate the goods riding with a great traine visited almost all the houses through the whole countrey which office while they execute so great havock was made of the Papists riches that horses might seeme to swime in their spoyles as it were in a deepe river of pressed grapes But beside this I suppose an other greater thing to be signifyed to wit that not onely the common sorte of men who were no lesse cheerefull to execute this busines then horses are to the battell became greatly enriched and increased by these meanes but also the Noble men themselves and Peeres of the Realme who are as it were the raines to governe the common people made also very great gaine thereof It is knowne well inough that the beginning of many mens Nobility came from hence and other mens farre greater abundance For thē was ther scarce any at least of any value and reckening who went not to purvey wood when this oke did fall ¶ By the space of a thousand and sixe hundreth furlongs That is through the whole countrey of England A thousand sixe hundreth furlonges make two hundreth English miles But the length of the countrey from the furthest part of the South to the farthest ende of the North part is more by an hundreth miles but if wee shall take away the Northen wast ground where the countrey nigh the boundes is desert and unhusbanded which these grapes that is religious nation dreaded greatly as too colde an ayre delighting in the Sunnie and most pleasant places wee see also a mervailous consent even in this parte In this wise therefore is the vintage of England so manifestly declared by the agreement of all thinges that it is not to be doubted but that this alone is the naturall application of this type And nowe wee perceive with what singular skilfulnes the Spirit hath described all memorable thinges which should come to passe in the Church even till the yeere 1556. In this chapter he stayeth at the yeere 1540. but the eleventh chapter hath supplyed that which is wanting here since that time The thirteene Centuries describe most cleerely even to the yeere thirteene hundred the acts of the Dragon and of the Beast From thence our countrey man Iohn Foxe beginning at Weckliefe with whom you may ioyne Iohn Sleidane and Gaspar Peucer followeth on the thinges remayning even to the seventh trumpet Because of this their more aboundant and greater knowledge of things past which the diligence of these should bring to men under the blowing of the seventh trumpet the Spirit hath made this repetition now agreeing with their narrations The whole Prophecy of these three chapters is from the time of Iohn unto the yeere one thousand five hundreth and fourty that is of a thousand foure hundreth fifty yeeres CHAP. 15. AND I saw another sign in heaven great marvelous seven Angels having the seven last plagues for by them is fulfilled the wrath of God 2 And I saw as it were a glassy sea mingled with fyre and them that had gotten victory of the Beast and of his Jmage and of his mark and of the Number of his name standing at the glassy sea having Harpes of God 3 And they sung the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb saying Great and marvelous are thy works Lord God almighty just and true are thy wayes King of saincts 4 Who shall not fear thee ô Lord and glorify thy name For thou onely art holy for all nations shal come and worship before thee for thy judgments are made-manifest 5 And after these J looked and loe the Temple of the tabernacle of testimony was opened 6 And ther came forth the seven Angels which had the seven plagues out of the temple clothed with pure and bright linen and girded about the brests with golden girdles 7 And one of the fowr Beasts gave to the seven Angels seven golden vials ful of the wrath of God which liveth for evermore 8 And the Temple was fylled with the smoke that proceded from the majesty of God and from his power and no man was able to enter into the Temple til the seven plagues of the seven Angels were fulfilled The Analysis HITHERTO have been the things past of the seventh trompet so farre forth as under it they were more fully known then at any time heretofore now folow the things to come of which the common type is in this chapter and then the special execution in the rest of the book The type first summarily sheweth how seven Ministers are prepared which should take vengeance on the enemies verse 1. Also what should be the state of the Church conversing among the Gentiles until the Angels executed their office The pourtraiture whereof is set forth by the glassy sea mingled with fire and in the victours and the Harpers ver 2. Then by the Song the authors wherof are Moses and the Lamb the argument of it is the prayse of Gods omnipotency and justice ver 3. and the gathering to him of al the elect ver 4. After this it sheweth in special a more ful description partly of the Angels prepared to their work as of the place whence they come vers 5.6 of their clothing ver 6. and the instruments namely the vials wherewith they ar furnished ver 7. Partly of the whole Church both in respect of the chosen Gētiles by whose meanes it shineth with
cast into the sea by Luther himselfe but quenched agayn both by his own modesty and godlines and by Melanchtons others that have wel deserved of the Church Til afterwards Iohn Brentius and Iames Andrewes about the year 1561. did again with much payns as with bellowes styrr up the flame Neyther was the contention about these cheif points onely but about Gods grace Predestination Baptisme and other things also as errour for the most part never goeth alone without some company The Churches which are further off from the brenn of this fyre doo burn with an other no lesse fervent flame of ambition wherupon have arisen very sharp contention for dignities and honours as for necessary ornaments of the Church though purer times doe sufficiently teach that nothing ever brought more certayn destruction therunto Neither doth ambition suffer so free a preaching of the word as should be nor manners to be restreyned with that bridle which being taken away a liberty foloweth to al manner wickednes or such at least as abolisheth Christian pietie This kinde of fyre raungeth throughout the whole renewed Church and eyther consumeth many or molesteth the rest whiles they labour to quench it Neither is ther sound quietnes in any place this wild-fyre living even in midds of the waters Which thing the Spirit diligently here dooth intimate least any man for the contentions should reject the truth For thanks be to our God who although fyre be mingled with our sea dooth yet vouchsafe it to be glassy still that is transparent and clear through which we may beholde the most sweet grace of salvation obteyned for us by Christ We ar farr from the Christian purity that should be yet let us be glad for this good we doo injoy and earnestly begg of God that he would give us that which is wanting But it is to be feared he wil take away that which we have such be our sinns as we have shewed in the particular Churches chap. 3. ¶ And them that had gotten victory of the Beast Hitherto of the things the Persons are the victours in the latter part of this verse and the Harpers ver 3. The Greeke phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is from the Hebrew Goberim mechajah for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answereth to the Hebrew min which is often joyned with gaber and noteth out a comparison as mearajoth gaberu they were stronger then Lions 2 Sam. 1.23 so wicked deeds got victory of me that is prevayled against me Psal 65.4 In like manner they that get victorie of the Beast are such as prevayl against him his image mark and number of his name These al are set downe severally for that the victory should be ful and absolute though the Beast remayn yet a litle while For they should not onely reject Antichrist himselfe but abhorre also al his mark yea and not suffer themselves to be called by the number of his name VVe have shewed that the number of his name which is to be called a Latine is the least bond of society wherewith men are tyed to Antichrist which was proper to the Greeks who by admitting this symbol obteyned mutual trafique But the inhabitans of the VVest which long agoe easily sufferred themselves to be made his marked soldjers and to be called Papists and of the Popes religion doo now detest the very name Latine which the Greeks so hardly lately received This victory therfore is full as is signifyed by this particular rehersal of Image mark number of name But thou wilt say when fell out this victory At the sound of the seventh trompet when the Protestant Princes in Germany which had wrong out from Charles to have their proffession of religion free did soon after his death get it to be confirmed stablished by th'Emperour Ferdinandus in the yere 1558. at which time our gracious Queen Elizabeth being also crowned did manifest to the world that the Beast was overcome in England who a few yeres afore had begun to reign a fresh and was never before fully vanquished but reserved of God unto this time for to honour the charrot and triumph of our good Queen The yere next after they trode down the Beast in Scotland Before these times the truth did fight but in doubtfull battel now it did plainly beat down and overthrow the enemies Vnto these many other are to be added as in France Sweveland Denmark Suecia Prussia al which being joyned togither doo make up this company that stand at the glassy sea ¶ Standing at the glassy sea Holding the true and syncere doctrine to the voice whereof they stand and hearken continually He alludeth to the Israelites which stood on the sea shore beholding the marvelous salvatiō which God had given them their enemies being destroyed Seing therfore wee all whom God hath freed from Antichrists tyranny doo yet stand on the brink newly escaped out of danger what evil fury vexeth us that wee should rave brethren against brethren with al kinde of reproches raylings and contumelies How shamefull yea how wicked a thing would it have bin if the Israelites for whose sake the waters were cleft asunder and whiles they escaped by a passage unheard off through the midds of the sea so soon as they came safe to the shore their enemies were drowned if they I say should have stuck and killed one an other Yet this ungodly prank doo we play at this day VVhich seing it is most unworthy them that are adorned with so notable and singular a good I intreat by God our avenger and saviour that we may seriously weigh the thing and letting passe our brawles and contentions may get us harps with one consent to sing prayses unto God rather then to strike up terrible drumms for to move intestine warr VVe stand on the shore but the enemy is not yet altogither drowned and if he were overwhelmed yet should they be no place for this bitternes But unawares I have strayed from my purpose how be it I trust not without reason ¶ Having harpes of God That is divine sweet and excellent harps according to the manner of the Hebrewes who call al that of God which is in it kind most cheif and excellent as a Prince of God Gen. 23.6 Mounteyns of God Psal 36.7 trees of God c. for most excellent men high moūtayns noble trees See the observations of the learned Ian Drusius Or be they not caled harpes of God because God gives the joy of his Spirit into their harts wherby they give God meet thankes for this his notable mercy Perhaps this is the righter But both of them doe signify alike the great pleasure that is felt by this victory such as we have shewed was in the Tigurines who wrote upon a pillar with letters of Golde the year and day when reformation began among them With what precious stone should this day be graven of much fuller victory and triumph But we are in special to respect the Confessions set forth
which he so marvelously defendeth against so many enterprises of the adversaries But the Papists eyes cannot peirce this smoke wherfore theâ— weary themselves in vayn fighting against God But because smoke signifieth also wrath the Temple filled with smoke teacheth that God testifieth his presence with manifest arguments of his indignation against the enemies whom now he wil vexe with continual torments which out of the Temple and Church of God shal dayly fal upon their heads ¶ And no man was able to enter into the Temple This sheweth the condition of the rest what it should be in the mean time while these plagues crushed down the enemies To weet they should remayn without the Temple not able to enter in for smoke as Moses could not enter into the Tabernacle of the congregation whiles the cloud was upon it Evod. 40.35 Alike therfore in some sorte shal be the condition of the Church when it is restored as it was when it lay hidd As long as the Temple was shutt the saincts pitched their camp in mount Sion the Lamb being their Captayn no man could learn the song which they sang chap. 14.3 It belonged to a few elect into whose number none of the rest of the world could joyne himselfe Even so when the Temple is opened although the Church be much more noble and conspicuous yet shal not al betake them selves unto the bosome therof until the seven plagues be fulfilled Which is first to be understood of the Iewes whose ful caling shal not be until the vials be poured out Ful I say because during the plagues ther shal be some beginning but not an absolute perfection before they be altogither past For Rome drives theÌ„ from entring in which when it shal be taken away then the Iewes and other nations many al impediments being removed shal flow even with strift unto the Church and shal thenceforth continue the faithful nourissons of the same For we see that al ar not by this smoke quite shut out of the Temple Seven Angels come out from thence which should not come forth but to execute their office wherupon the rest of the Saincts abide therein This smoke therfore hindred not al the elect of the Gentils from entring in but the Iewes and ful number of the Gentiles onely CHAP. 16. AND I heard a great voice out of the Temple saying to the seven Angels Goeye and powr out the seven vials of the wrath of God upon the earth 2 And the first Angel went and powred out his vial upon the earth ther came a noysom greevous soar upon the men which had the mark of the Beast and which worshiped his Image 3 And the second Angel powred out his vial upon the sea and it became as the blood of a dead-man and every living sowl died in the sea 4 And the third Angel powred out his vial upon the rivers and upon the fountayns of waters and they became blood 5 And I heard the Angel of the waters saying Iust art thou O Lord which art and which wa st and which shalt be because thou hast judged these things 6 For they shed the blood of the Saincts and Prophets and thou hast given them blood to drink for they are worthy 7 And I heard an other Angel from the altar saying even-so Lord God almighty true and just ar thy judgments 8 And the fourth Angel powred out his vial on the Sun and it was given unto him to torment men with heat by fyre 9 And men boyled-hott with great heat blasphemed the name of God which hath power over these plagues and they repented not to give him glory 10 And the fift Angel powred out his vial upon the throne of the Beast his kingdome became dark and they gnawed their tongues for payn 11 And blasphemed the God of heaven for their paynes and for their soars and repented not of their works 12 And the sixt Angel powred out his vial upon the great river to weet Euphrates the water therof was dryed up that the way of the Kings that come froÌ„ the East might be prepared 13 And I saw three unclean Spirits like froggs coming out of the mouth of the Dragon and out of the mouth of the Beast and out of the mouth of the false Prophet 14 For they are the spirits of Divils working signes which goe unto the Kings of the earth and of the whole world to gather them to the battel of that great day of God almighty 15 Behold J come as a theef Blessed is he that watched and keepeth his garmeÌ„ts least he walk naked and men see his shame 16 And he gathered them togither into a place called in Hebrew Armagedon 17 And the seventh Angel powred out his vial upon the ayre and ther came a great voice out of the Temple of heauen from the throne saying It is doon 18 And ther were noises and lightnings and thonders and ther was a great earthquake such as was not since men were upon the earth even so great an earth-quake 19 And the great city was rent into three parts and the city of the Gentiles fell and that great Babylon came in remembrance before God to give unto her the cup of the wine of the feircenes of his wrath 20 And every I le fled away and the mountayns wer not found 21 And a great hayl as of talent weight fel out of heaven upon men and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hayl for the plague therof was exceeding great The Analysis HITHERTO hath been the common type now foloweth the special execution distinct with the parts therof in this chapter and then more at large continued in the rest folowing The execution is commanded ver 1. then the parts ar set down both the common the effect of the work and the event and the particular seven distinct vials according to the maÌ„ner of the former periods for those seven notable plagues wherwith the enemies are to be smitten The first of them is powred out upon the earth ver 2. The second upon the Sea ver 3. The third upon the rivers ver 4. whose secondary event is a twofold testimony first of the Angel of the waters ver 5. 6. secondly of the Angel from the altar ver 7. The fourth is powred upon the Sun ver 8.9 The sixt upon Euphrates of which ther is also a twofold event first the drying up of the waters ver 12. secondly a preparation to warr wherof ther be three princes authors and as many Ministers froggs ver 13.14 Then a warning given to the elect ver 15. and the gathering of the enemies into the place Armagedon ver 16 The seventh is powred out upon the ayre whos 's first event is a ful end ver 17. the second noyses lâ—ghtnings eartquake Also the destruction of the enemies ver 19.20 of cities of nations and of men in the beginning of the 21. ver and a hayl of talent weight causing
touching the place they would wrangle about the time But by this so exact description he taketh away all halting frō them Therfore as touching the Whore her so expresse nothing out by Babylon seven hills seven Kings flourishing power and at length destruction the rest of the world being safe finally by the name of the city used in stead of an interpretation doo most strongly prove that the universall City of the Divill is not meant but some special city and namely Rome and so much the more because this whore is the Throne of the Beast And we know that the Throne of the Divill was attributed to a certain City to weet Pergamus before in the second chapter and thirteenth verse Therfore worthily Bellarmine that opinion being rejected sayth It is better in his iudgement that Rome be understood by the whore as Tertullian expoundeth in his booke against the Iewes and in his third booke against Marcion And Hierome in his 17. Epistle to Marcella and Quaest 11. to Algasia Bellarmine touching the Romane Pope in his third booke and in the thirteenth chapter Here then wee have our adversary confessing What therfore letteth that they should not agree with us about the Antichrist They have invented a double crafty shift for themselves one of the place an other of the time of the place that albeit Rome be the Whore yet is it not the seate of Antichrist but Hierusalem Of the time that Rome was the VVhore when the Heathen Emperours ruled but now shee is not since she became Christian and therfore that shee is not the seate of Antichrist seeing he shall not come but a little before the last iudgement But the Papists are holden with their owne snares for granting Rome to be the whore they must also needs grant the rest First of all that not Hierusalem but shee is the seate of Antichrist For is not this Beast the very Antichrist This also Bellarmine yeeldeth and though he had not yeelded it the truth wil force him to cōfesse it as we shal see But he affirmeth that Antichrist shal hate Rome from v. 16. after wel acknowledging that the Beast is Antichrist but how truly he spoke of hatred wee shal examine at that place From his cōfessiō we have that both the whore is Rome the Beast Antichrist Frō which it is of necessity that Antichrist shal have his denne at Rome seeing he is the very Beast on which the whore is caried Doth not the Spirit shew a very great coniunction nigh familiarity of both of the whore in setting upō of the Beast in bearing Ther is none but he wil say that a man is neerly joyned to the horse on whō he sitteth Certēly if Antichrist was to raigne at Hierusalē Rome being set so farr frō her saddle should walke on foot humble base who had so little aide frō the Emperours after they removed to Byzantiū wher they were not farr Secodly as touching the time how absurd is this distinction that the whore should be Heathenish Rome the first 300 yeeres after Christ but that Antich the Beast should not come ūtil about 3. yeeres an halfe before the last day Shal shee sit on the Beast not yet borne yea not conceived a very long time after For shal the Beast whē he cometh beare the whore being dead so many ages before For the whore shal cease to be 1300. yeeres how much more we know not before Antich shal come These ar dreames wholly mōsters of bearing sitting upō The Spirit hath takē frō you al such subterfuge coupling these 2. things by so ūseparable a band wherby he forbiddeth both to seeke Antichr els wher then at Rome also to think her to be this whore at any other time then when Antichrist should have his seate there Needs ar these two things to be ioyned togither both in place time But when shall this time beginne for this yet hath some doubt Surely when wee shall see the whore to have ben caried on this Beast by his helpe and authority placed in dignity and lifted up on high VVhich though I holde my peace Leo will confesse to have ben done in the 1. sermon of the Nativity of the Apostles when the preheminence came to the Popes and Rome began to excell through the opinion of her religion Rome sayth he being made the head of the world by the sacred Chaire of S. Peter hath more ample authority through divine religion then earthly dominion For although being inlarged by many victories thou hast extended the fraunches of thyne Empire by lād and by sea yet notwithstanding it is lesse that which warrelike labour hath put under thee then that which Christian peace hath subdued Likewise Prosper in his booke de ingratis Rome is of Peter the Seat which in honour Pastoral Is made of the world head what by the right Martial Shee doth not possesse yet shee by religion hold free Therfore this one common type ministreth a necessary argument both of the seat and Kingdome of Antichrist which alone might be sufficient to take away all controversie were it not that men loved themselves more then the truth and would not cesse to barke against it till that their mouthes be altogither stopped VVherfore the Spirit stayeth not here but goeth on yet to clearer things that for whom the morning light is not sufficient they may have the Noone Sunne an helper if peradventure they wil then see The sitting being in such wise declared peculiarly afterward he descendeth to both and first to the Beast which is described by the colour names of blasphemy heads and hornes The colour is of skarlet made readde by the little worme Coccus VVherfore this Beast is honourable shining with the same colour with Kings and no lesse wicked and bloody For this same colour is attibuted to most grievous sines Yf your sinns were as skarlet sayth Isaiah chap. 1.18 Not onely because it is a deep colour which cannot be washed of but cheifly for the cruelty of shedding blood which wickednes among the rest seemeth most horrible VVo seeth not that this Beast is at Rome where the Pope sitteth whose feete Kings doe kisse and who doth most cruelly murder Christians not acknowledging his divine power both in the city and also through all the Dominion But that colour hath not pleased chiefly the Romish Court at all adventures which hath come to passe by the providence of God that the Fathers might set before the world a visible shew of this skarlet coloured Beast Touching which thing see a most fine Epigrame of Theod. Beza Secondly this Beast is full of names of Blasphemy How fruitful an increase of a naughty thing Long agoe the heads did beare the names of blasphemy chap. 13.1 now the whole body is full of the same And first of all the Primacy was chiefely a blasphemy and therfore it was well carried on the head but the time added dayly others the heape whereof
cannot be purged with any other nitre which day commeth with speed as may be understood from the things before spoken but wee shal heare of a nigher term from the things following 17 For God hath put in their harts Now he sheweth the fountaine wherupon the Emperours should be for so long a time so obedient and why at length they should alter their mindes both commeth from him in whose hands are the hearts of Kings He in his iust iudgement blindeth whom he will and bestoweth the light of trueth on others whom he will embrace with his trueth But which thing is almost incredible that the elect might be more assured of this future iudgement he setteth before their eyes the remeÌ„berance of the time past saying God hath put into their hearts to give their Kingdome to the Beast until the words of God be fulfilled as though he should say as ye know for a surety that overpassed consent of the Emperours unto humble service so certen is this future alienation of their mindes and at length that final destroying which I spake of There is one and the same authour of both Neither let us take it grievously if the iudgement seeme to stay long the divine wisdome hath set a time which to accuse of too much slackenes would be a token of overhastie desire and importunate wish for until saith he the words of God be fulfilled that is until the decree shal be ended and accomplished which by his word he hath foreshewed to be hereafter VVherby is signifyed the time of the fift vial at the powring out wherof shal be fulfilled all those things touching the whore which wil be shortly seing our times have reached unto the fourth as wee have shewed in the former chapter 18 And the woman which thou sawest So was the interpretation of the Dominion now of the Palace which all circumstances omitted declareth most playnely that this woman is the great City which raigneth over the Kings of the earth Therfore this Citie is not the whole state of the wicked whose dominion is no more famous over the Kings then over the multitude of people but a City in deed wel knowen for her rule over the highest among mortal men and so much the more because these words are in stead of an interpretation neither is the Spirit wont to give an exposition darker theÌ„ the things that are to be expounded Therfore it is a city properly so called great indeede and the Lady of other Princes there can be no other such Head City in the Christian world then Rome an abridgement of the whole world the Queene of the nations Lady of Kings and once in warres now in superstition the chiefe to whom even in this decrepite age her former large possessions being greatly minished the Emperours Spanish FreÌ„ch and Polonian Kings yet submit themselves besides other Princes of inferiour degree Therfore this whore can no longer be hid shee is found out at length shee hath ben warned to come to her tryal shee hath appeared her cause is heard shee is found guilty shee is condemned to be burnt I have exhibited unto you the sealed writings of the publike actes neither doo any thing now remaine but the last punishement which is to be left to them for whom God hath reserved this glory So at length wee have now seen the true face of the whore and Antichrist it remaineth that wee examine in few words what the Papists teach concerning these things and especially because if this one cause be throughly knowe tryed the discerning of all other things shal be easie For if the Pope of Rome be Antichrist what need is there to contende about the Church of Rome about the seven Sacraments about free will about good workes or about any other point in controversie It is evident inough to all men that the doctrine of Antichrist is to be suspected avoided detested Therfore my brethreÌ„ strike at this roote throw your axes against it with al your might This one controversie is inough for us All the branches shal be cut down togither with the tree with much labour spared in which respect I will not be loth to digresse to this point a little while A refutation of the Antichrist which Bellarmine desscribeth and confirmeth by such arguments as he can in his 3. book of the Bp. of Rome Chap. 1. Of the common name of Antichrist ALTHOVGH I suppose it cannot be obscure unto any that dâ—sirous of the trueth hath diligently marked the things before written but that the Pope of Rome is the great Antichrist and how long he hath so been yet least the mist wherby the Papists endevour to hide the trueth should dazel the sight of any I have thought it expedient before I goe on with the rest of the interpretation to scatter it all into thinn aier that so the Sun may henceforward shine with clear beams on whomsoever Bellarmine deduceth this whole question into nine chiefe points of which the first is Of the nâ—me of Antichrist the second whither Antichrist be one man or a kind of men The third of the time of his comming and death The fourth of his proper name The fift of what stock he is to be born and by whoÌ„ he is cheifly to be received The sixt where he shall fixe his seate The seventh of his doctrine and manners The eight of his miracl s The ninth of his reign and warrs What is to be minded of these all and how the desperate Papists ar deceived in every of them may be manifest to any by the things which the Angel hath taught us in the former chapter touching the condemnation of the whore For if Antichrist be come and hath fixt his seate at Rome ever since the Empire was taken away from the hethen Emperours then can it not be doubted but Antichrist in a common name is a secret adversary an impious Kingdome and not one singular man that the time of his coming is past and not now to come that his proper name is Lateinos that he is not to be born of the Iewes stock nor to reign otherwhere then at Rome that his doctrine is in name Catholik and Christian that his mitacles reign and warrs ar no other then we have had experience of these many ages But Antichrist came at the sayd time for the Angel hath taugh us that Antichrist is the Beast which was and is not should ascend out of the bottomlesse pit and goe into destruction chap. 17.8 And wee have shewed that the Bp. of Rome from the time of the Hethen Emperours hath long since undergone the three first of these fowr notable chaÌ„ges giving most sure documents of the fourth also Secondly Antichrist is the seveÌ„th head of the Beast which next succeeded the hethen Emperours who made the sixt which then was when Ihon wrote Rev. 17.10.11 Therfore so soon as they ceased came forth he that had the dignity of the next head Thirdly the then hornes
the Kings-houses or howses of Martyrs I answer the ancient Fathers both Greek and Latine did speak so as the Scripture speaketh as ClemeÌ„s Alexand. Strom. lib. 7. One temple saith he is great as the Church an other litle as the man who reteyneth Abrahams seed And Cyprian in his first book against the Iewes chap. 15. that Christ was to be the house and temple of God and he had ended the old temple begun a new And lib. 5. Epist 8. Although love should no lesse enforce us to help our brethren yet it was to be considered in this place that they are the temples of God which are taken and that we ought not to suffer by long delay and neglect of sorow the temples of God to be holden captives long But you wil say that you mean not either Christian assemblies or particular faithful persons but howses and aedifices wherin they meet togither for publik worship I answer you dispute therfore bravely who now conclude not the question For thus you reason No howses of publik worship were caled temples among Christians for many ages but some teÌ„ple of God are howses of publik worship therfore some temple was not among Christians for many ages And what then I pray you For though some temple was not yet some temple was among Christians also in these ages you mention even such a temple as Antichrist afterward should sit in Vnlesse perhaps you think that holy howses onely are temples which if it be so then Antichrist shal be no longuer Antichrist than he shal sit in these material howses or if so he shal be out of the holy howses also the great Antichrist may also be out of the temple of God and thouh he doo not shew himself as if he were God For this sacrilegious vaunting of him selfe shal be onely whiles he sitteth in the temple of God as is evident by the Apostles words And so we shal have a new great Antichrist such as the Apostles never saw by the Spirit of Prophesie Great is the force of your argumentations which everie where bring forth such monsters but let us goe forward Wheras you say that the howses of prayer had not the name of temple given unto them til Ieroms time whom you cite you may understaÌ„d that Eusebius who was before Ieroms age absteyned not from this name lib. Hist 10. c. 2. whom Ruffinus maketh to speak thus lib. 9 Hist Eccl. cap. 10. Renewed places by building to rise up more high and excellent and high teÌ„ples to be lifted up for the low meeting howses And again Euseb lib. 10. cap. 13. by whose industrie a sumptuous temple was builded in Tyrus the most famous throughout al the nation of Phaenicia So also in a publick oration which one made of the building of Churches ascribed to Paulinus Bishop of the Tyrians And thou ô great praise of the new holy temple of God and afterwards againe he constituted this maiestical temple of the most high God And certainly the Spirit most wisely meeting with your fraud would have the name of temple about that time when Antichrist should appear to be given even to the holy Christian aedifices that every way it might be evident how he sitteth in the Temple of God Wheras therfore concluding this point you say it semeth certayn that the Apostle speaks of Jerusalems temple that writing how Antichrist should sit in the temple of God he would say somthing which he would have understood by them to whom he wrote and they then would understand and well perceive the name of the temple nothing but the temple of Ierusalem you may easily now see how false it is that I say no more though I speak truly The Thessalonians might understand that he should sit in the minds and conscience of men whom he should seduce by his guile and hypocrisie as Anselmus dooth interpret it or that he should reign in ChristiaÌ„ assemblies as Chrysostom Theodoret Theophilact Oecumenius doo expound it or that he should boast himselfe to be the temple Church as Augustine explaineth it But Ierusalems temple could not come into their mind which they knew by Christs words should utterly be destroyed Mat. 23.39 2. and never be builded agayn seing wrath was come upon the Jewes even to the utmost as 1 Thes 2.16 Vnto these you adjoin as you speak the common exposition of the Fathers but the contrarie iudgment of those before mentioned wil not suffer it to be common neither ought the ignorance of a few to hurt the clear truth Thus have we seen your arguments whose force I now leave to be iudged by the reader and in a word I wil consider those your answers wherby again you indevour to put away the reasons of some of our side First wher our men doo obiect from Apoc. 17. that the chief seat of Antichrist is Rome because this seat is the great citie which sitteth upon 7. hills and which hath reigne over the Kings of the earth al which ar found in Rome You answer three wayes First that by this citie is not meant Rome but the universal citie of the Divil But in this answer you rest not neither is it in deed of anie moment seing it is not the universal citie of the Divil which shal be burned by the ten Kings especially the wicked remaining alive which shal lament her fall Apoc. 18.9 For how shal the whole citie perish whose citizens shal afterwards remayn Leaving therfore this you betake you to an other and you grant that by the whore is meant Rome but hethenish Rome reigning worshiping Jdols persecuting Christians but not Christian Rome I answer you doo evil disjoin what the Spirit hath coupled For Rome is then the whore and seat of Antichrist when it is caried of the Beast and it was not caried of the Beast whiles the Hethens reigned For it is caried of the seventh head which was not yet come when Iohn received this Prophesie Apoc. 17.9.10 Moreover if Hethenish Rome reigning be the whore then Antichrist came during that Hethenish Empire For the Spirit would have thâ—se two to be undevided companions until the burning of the whore The Beast caried the whore sitteh neither of them hath vital life without the other Again if that be true now she hath plainly left to be the whore nor should she be found such when Antichrist should come because as afterward you tell us Peters chaire cannot be separated from Rome lib. 4. de Rom. Pon. cap. 4. And how agreeth this I pray you that Rome being Christian holy Catholik Peters chair as you wil have her should at last suffer the punishment of a whore which when she was Hethenish and according to your opinion played the whore most lavishly bare no punishment for it Apoc. 17.16 Surely Ierom seemeth not wel to have affirmed speaking to Rome I speak unto thee which by confessing of Christ hast wiped out the blasphemie written on thy forehead lib. 2. contra
of the earth Apoc. 17.18 These and the like doo truly prove him a Monarch But this say you dooth no way agree to the Bishop of Rome for he was never King of the whole world But were the Romans I pray you ever Kings of the whole world I think you wil not deny it as these words usually are wont to be understood or if you like to stand curiously herupon Daniel teacheth that the fourth Kingdom to weet the Roman shal consume the whole earth shal crush it and break it in peeces chap. 7.23 Remember therfore what a litle before you alleged out of Prosper Rome by Principality of the Preisthood was made more ample with the towr of religion than with the throne of power And what Leo saith Serm. 1. de Natal Apostol Rome that art made the head of the world by the holy Seat of S. Peter thou rulest more largely by divine religion than by earthly domination And what els meaneth the triple crown but the principalitie over al the three parts of the world The Popes crown hath more tops than the Emperours Egle hath heads It may be that shortly it wil be quadruple by the accession of the Indians that nothing may escape the Popes almightines though something for a time hath been hidd from his all skilfulnes Wherfore the streights of his dominion neither stand you in anie stead to acquitt the Pope of this wickednes neither is this remembrance grateful unto him who dooth so contemn honours and Empire as he had liefer with large limits of ruling to be counted Antichrist than to be defended by an argument of his Kingdome lost or diminished The fourth branch is the battel of Gog and Magog Apoc. 20. And when the 1000 yeres are ended c. Jn this battel you say he shal with an armie innumerable persecute Christians through the whole world I answer we have observed already from these words the wonderful expedition of Antichrist into the whole world properly so caled before in the 7. chapter of his persecution And there we allowed for this expedition three yeres and a halfe but here now it seemeth that this whole space shal not be speÌ„t in the iourney but then it shal be taken in hand after the three Kings and the seven Kings be subdued There also we marveled if he should goe such a iourney himselfe alone not hindred with anie troup of wayting men but here furder comes the impediment of an armie and the same neverthelesse an universal persecution Surely whatsoever you said before against Hippolitus you seem plainly to think that Antichrist is no man but the Divil him selfe But to let these monsters passe let us come to the battel which I marvel you saw not that it should be by the Dragon not by the Beast Between which two ther is in deed a great societie of wickednes but no less difference of persons and of things than is between an open foe and a secret enemie Add hereunto that the Beast and false Prophet are both destroyed before this warre is taken in hand or at least before it is finished if that move you not that both of them are mentioned to be slain in the end of the former chapter yet consider that the Divil that is the DragoÌ„ was cast into the lake of fire wher the other have their place before that the Divil comes thether Apoc. 20.10 Although therfore Antichrist be a Martial felow and a great warrier yet shal he wage no warrs after he is dead But it is one of his miracles to rise againe Be it so when he counterfeyts a death as you feign of him but when he is slayn by that hand of God and deeply drowned in the lake of fyre he shal not find it so easi to rise again and when he lay under a coverlet Separate you therfore those things which touch not Antichrist and deal not so as if you would prove one not to be a man either because he hath not four feet or because he wanteth wings you shal see the rest so to agree togither among themselves in al points as nothing more Surely the things which you hav disputed of this Kingdome and warr are farr from every part eyther of the Kingdome or of the warr of Antichrist but such stuff as this are al the things that your men are either wont or able to bring for to defend the Pope and to free him from this most greevous crime Therfore you toyl in vayn the thing is manifest it can not be hidd by anie subtilties Why goe ye about to cast a myst before the Sun Why frame yee arguments against the Spirit of God Purge rather with flames those writings of yours wherwith yow have laboured his defense and flee out of his denn as speedily as you can Here ends the Refutation of Antichrist Against Bellarmine Chap. 18. AFTER these things I saw an Angel come down from Heaven having great Power so as the earth was bright with his glorie 2 And he cryed out mightilie with a lowd voice saying It is fallen it is fallen Babylon that great and is become the habitation of Divils and the hold of all fowl Spirit and a cage of every uncleane and hateful bird 3 For al nations have drunken of the wine of the wrath of her fornication the Kings of the earth have committed fornication with her and the marchants of the earth are waxed rich of the aboundance of her pleasures 4 And J heard an other voice from heaven saying goe out of her my people least yee be partakers of her sinnes and receive of her plagues 5 For her heaped sinnes are come up to heaven and God hath remembred her iniquities 6 Reward her even as she hath rewarded you and give her double according to her works and in the cup that she hath filled you fill her double 7 Jn as much as she lifted up her selfe and lived in pleasure so much give yee to her torment and sorow for she saith in her heart J sit being a Queen and am no widow and shal see no mourning 8 Therfore shal her plagues come at one day death and sorow and famine she shal be burnt with fire for that God which condamneth her is a strong Lord. 9 And the Kings of the earth shall bewaile her and lament for her which have committed fornication and lived in pleasure with her when they shall see the smoke of her burning 10 And shal stand a farr off for feare of her torment sâ—ying alas alas thâ—t great citie Babylon that mighty citie for in one houre is thy iudgment come 11 And the Marchants of the earth shal weepe and waile over her for no mâ—n byeth their ware anie more 12 The ware of golde and silver and pretious stones and pearles and of fine linnen and of purple and of silke and of skarlet and of al manner of thynewood and of al vessels of yvorie and of al vessels of most pretious wood and of brasse
which so solemne commandement he teacheth that there is in it a great and strange matter We commit to writing things the credit wher of we will have to be confirmed unto all posterity for which cause lawes were graven once in Brasse and set up in a publike place Also God speaking to Ieremy concerning this same thing Write saith he for thy selfe all the words which I speake unto thee in a book chap. 30.2 As if God providing for our infirmity should give us sealed writings from which wee might cal upon him for helpe more freely and boldly if peradventure he should seem to forget his promise But not onely Iohn is confirmed hereby but also the event is respected as we have seen from the like places before as if it should come to passe that by the authority of some holy man some publike writing should be set forth which most plainly should cōfirme this thing not to be new but foreshewed of God from the furthest times and that therfore the goodnesse and truth of God is to be acknowledged and praised in the same But the time wil manifest what at length is to be thought concerning this matter But what is it which he is commanded to write That they are blessed which ar called to the marriage supper of the Lābe a thing indeed wonderful never heard off before that al should be blessed which are called Before time this rule was in force many are called few chosen which thing example also hath prooved true when the calling fell not out prosperously to the auncient ghests who being called refused to come But now it shal be otherweise Al the called shal come gladly neither shal alledge for their excuse things of smal importance as did those former Mat. 22. So great now shal be the efficacy and grace of the Spirit that they shal obey at the first hearing Before saith Isaiah shee travailed she brought forth and before her paine came shee was delivered of a man childe Who hath heard such a thing Who hath seen such things Shal the earth be brought forth in one day Or shall a nation be borne at once For assoone as Zion travailed shee brought forth her children c. So Psal 110.3 Thy people most voluntary of all men in the time of thine armies in the beautiful places of thy holinesse frō the wombe of the mourning shal be to thee dewe of thy youth Many such things might be brought and peradventure it would be profitable at least weise that occasion might be given to our men to consider diligently of those places from the true meaning wherof I feare that wee erre by interpreting the things that are to come as if they were past This sentence therfore which is commaunded to be written taketh away al scruple frō Iohn He might have minded the former obstinacy of the nation and for that cause have doubted of their conversion But the Angel commandeth this care to depart There shal be so great diligence of the people that it shal be sufficient for them to be called away It is to be observed that the Iewes both here and elsewhere in many places are called keclemenous in the preterperfect tence by a certain prerogative of calling as it seemeth as who were called ever since the first times of the world Mat. 22.3.4.8 But the Gētiles kletous Mat. 22.14 because they were first called at Christ coming or rather after his death Which difference seemeth to be observed in this revelation from whence chap. 17.14 they who the Lambe being their Captaine doo subdue the tenn Kings are named called and chosen whom it is manifest to be the faithfull among the Gentiles ¶ These words are true The second confirmation taken from the principal authour as though he should say respect not mee as reporting any thing of mine owne but be so perswaded that this is the decree of the most High God as thou thy selfe heardest even now with thyne own ears ver 5. but the natural placing of the words hath an emphasis as it is in the Greek which by the displacing is lost these are the true words of God himselfe that is of most divine most excellent and most certen truth True are also some words of men but there is some infirmity in our most true things Wee alwayes speake from the earth Iohn 3.31 Therfore some preferment is attributed to this truth which appeareth not if we change the order of the words It is no strange thing that the words of God should be true 10 And I fell down before his feet VVhy now more then before VVas he abashed with the maiesty of the Angel But he had bin accustomed now a long time to wonderful sights Or was it for ioy of the conversion of his nation so in deed it seemeth For Iohn being ravished as it is clear frō the answer of the Angel with the sweetnesse of this Prophecy for sudden ioy wherwith he was carried away would give more worship then was meet to so welcome a messenger ¶ See that not to weet that thou worship mee not a defective speach noting out the grievousnesse of the naughty act for he maketh speed and finisheth not the sentence for hast Even as wee are wont to prohibit a thing eyther by sudden crying out or by the hand when the thing permitteth not any time for words He confirmeth the prohibition by two reasons first from the equal dignity of the Ministers of Christ J am saith he thy felow servant and not onely of the Apostles but also of thy brethrē which have the testimony of Iesu Al our office is equal they who preach Christ salvation by him are in equal dignity with them which reveale things to come The office of preaching is equal to the office of revealing this is the meaning of that which is said in the ende of the verse For the testimony of Iesu is the Spirit of Prophecy The second reason is because adoration belongeth to God onely Worship him saith he to whom alone such worship is due Doo not ye ô Popish Idolaters tremble at these words Ye take great paines about devising reasons why the Angel prohibited adoration as though he himselfe hath not rendred most cleare ones in his own words But what reasons bring yee To weet that after our flesh taken of Christ the Angels are greatly afraid to see the same prostrate before them as Gregory the Great wil have it Moreover because beside this dignity men are also Ministers of Christ Prophets and messengers of the Evangelical doctrine and Martyrs for the same Be it so doo ye not perceive that you are killed with your owne swords If they feare much to see our nature prostrate to them after the same taken of Christ why do ye cast down your nature to stones and painted Images and put the holy Angels in feare If they wil not be worshipped of the Ministers of Christ either at length cease to doo wickedly or at least confesse
they wer removed froÌ„ their place office whose genealogie was not found Nehem. 7 61.64.65 The Gospel is in truth savoury to no man neither doth any man give his name to it from his heart but he who is written in the book of life and in the booke of his heart hath a writing answering the same word for word 13 And the Sea gave up her dead The way wherby they that are to be iudged are presented before the iudgement seate to weet the Iewes wer gathered from all the corners of the earth as in the generall resurrection nothing shal hinder by what kinde of death soever any hath perished but that a body shal be restored to him Yet notwithstanding when as the Sea signifyeth corrupt and false doctrine by this also is noted that those Iewes which live in Christian countreyes of which sort are very many in Spaine France Germany Italy as it were in the bosome and compasse of the Popish sea of which we have spoken so many things before shal open their eyes to acknowledg the truth and shal fly togither at the light thereof ¶ Death ulso and hell gave up A Synecdoche of the general as though he should say and al that have dyed of any other death It must needs be that the karkeise be drowned in the sea or be covered with earth or rot in the aire or be consumed of the fire or devoured of beasts or some like thing As touching the drowning he said before the sea as touching the grave now he saith hell Death conteineth all the rest But seeing death restoreth those Iewes which live in the Christian landes and are infected with the Romish superstition death and hell shal restore them that shall live among Turkes and Heathen who are banished further off from salvation and are conversant in the inner parts of hell it selfe For so are al those nations of whom the name of Christ is either hated or not heard Neverthelesse it maketh no matter whither a man perish by sea or land either among Christians or among the enemies of this name 14 But hell and death A special execution on death Therfore as after the general resurrection no death shal raigne any more in the world besides that eternal which shal alwayes feed up and not consume the wicked so after the Church shal be restored by that full calling of the Iewes death and the grave shal raigne no more in her as of old while as scourges they alwayes lay upon the shoulders of the offenders but onely they shal serve to translate the elect into the Kingdome of heaven whereupoÌ„ they shall loose their former name They are cast into a lake of fâ—re not because either death or hell susteyne any person but because that which is proper to men is attributed to them as though he should say there shal be no torment any more eyther of death or hel but in the lake of fire where the reprobate dye for ever But from hence observe that seing hel is cast into the lake of fyre that is into hell properly so caled that it obtaineth an other proper signification then that which commonly is given to it in our mothers tongue It is takeÌ„ of many for the place of the damned but commonly it noteth not any thing but the grave and the common state of the dead as may be learned from this and other places of this booke 15 And whosoever was not found None shal be gathered into this Church but he that shal be of the elect How excellent is this preheminence of the Church which shal not be defiled with any hypocrites and counterfait Christians as before time How faire is this field which shall abounde with most fruitful corne without any tares and darnel Whatsoever is found in this nette may be laied up in a safe vessel Therfore it cannot be declared in words how amiable this most glorious spouse shal be It may come to passe that some may fall some time through humane infirmitie but holy admonitions and wholsome correction shal bring them againe to good thrift and repentance But shal every one of the Iewes be such Some shal not embrace the truth as is manifest from Daniel many arising to shame and perpetual contempt chap. 12.2 And we shal learne from the chapter folowing that some doggs shal be excluded without this city But they which now shal refuse the truth shal shew forth a manifest token of their reprobatioÌ„ that the Church shal not be subiect to be deceived any more Wherfore in this renewing the goodnesse and power of God shal be most famous through the whole world VVhich shal restore wretched men so wonderfully and make so singular choise of them whom he wil redeem But see how the godly shal receive comfort from hence For wheras every most holy man might iustly tremble through conscience of their sinns against this feare we have here a notable confirmation that election by Christ setteth us free from guilt CHAP. 21. AFTER I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away and the sea was no more extant 2 And J Iohn saw the holy city the new Ierusalem come down from God out of heaven prepared as a bride trimmed for her husband 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying behold the tabernacle of God is among men and he wil dwel with them and they shall be his people and God himselfe shal be with them their God 4 And God shal wipe all teares from their eyes and death shal be no more neither neither sorow neither crying neither shal ther be any more paine because the former things are past 5 And he that sate upon the throne said behold J make all things new And he said unto me write for these words are true and faithfull 6 And he said unto mee it is done J am Alpha and Omega the beginning the ende I wil give to him that is a thirst of the well of the waters of life freely 7 He that overcometh shall inherite all things and I will be his God and he shal be my sonne 8 But the fearfull and unbeleeving and abominable and murtherers whore mongers and sorcerers and Idolaters and all lyars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death 9 And ther came to mee one of the seven Angels which had the seven vials ful of the seven last plagues and he spake unto mee saying come I will shewe thee the Lambes wife 10 And he caried mee away in the Spirit in a great and high mountaine and shewed mee that great city that holy Hierusalem descending out of heaven froÌ„ God having the glory of God 11 And her brightnes was like unto a stone most pretious as a Iasper stone shining as Crystal 12 It had beside a great wall and hie having twelve gates at the gates twelve Angels and names written which
of the Gentils was neither the first people of God neither were the rites observed by them the first ordinances delivered froÌ„ heaven As though the words should give this sense at last albeit this people of the Iewes al the time of their reiection thirsted after their old ceremonies and worship and boasted openly that they should have at length free leave to use their auncient custome which we know they vaunt of even in these dayes yet in this restoring they shall conforme themselves wholly to the will of God in such sorte that willingly renouncing their old ordinances which then they shall acknowledge to have received an ende in Christ they shal make manifest to all men that the first heaven and earth which they looked for in vaine were passed away for ever This last seemeth to be of no small force to shewe that the reason of the order of the first heaven and earth should not be between the GeÌ„tils and Iewes but onely among the Legal and Christian Iewes The care that I have hath made mee to search out all corners to my power now let the iudgement be in the power of the Christian reader which of these is the beast ¶ And there shal be no more sea The sea is degenerat and corrupt doctrine which shall have no place among this new people whose glassie sea shal be like Chrystal most pure most cleare void of al saltnesse and muddy grossenesse as is that in chapter 4.6 Which also is said in respect of the Iewes themselves and those errours which in these daies they deffend so obstinately there is not a comparison of the Gentils with the Iewes handled in this place The Gentile sea that I may so say and thath grosser was consumed already when the Popish nation was destroyed the purer sea of the reformed Church is of glasse chap. 15.2 and shall not be abolished The Iewes even hitherto have their own sea most grosse most foul with many forged tales touching the Messias the legal worship the righteousnes of the law and many other points of salvatioÌ„ al which shal now be so dryed up that not a drop of the former sea shal remaine 2 And I John sawe the holy City In such weise then was seen the new heaven and earth now the holy city is exhibited which is so called for excelleÌ„cy sake The Church also of the Gentils is that new and heavenly Hierusalem as in the Apostle but ye are come to mount Sion and to the City of the living God the heavenly Hierusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels Heb. 12. and Gal. 4 But our Hierusalem being deformed with many errours and contentions shal cause that this most pure shal appeare altogither new Aretas the Compl. the Kings Bible doo omitt the name Iohn reed thus and I saw the holy City the new Hierusalem ¶ Coming down from God Theâ—fore this Hierusalem shall have her seate on earth the heavenly shal never come down but shal remaine fixed in heaven where Christ sitteth in glory at the right hand of the Father I goe saith he to prepare a place for you and when J shall have gone and prepared a place for you I will come againe and take you unto my selfe that where I shal be there you may be also Iohn 14.3 And againe Father J will that those which thou hast given mee be with mee where I am Iohn 17.24 Wee shal be caught up in the cloudes to meete the Lord in the atre and so shal be with the Lord 1 Thess 4.17 And to what ende should HierusaleÌ„ come downe from heaven which by and by after the general resurrection al the elect shal be in the heavens Peradventure wilt thou say it might come down that Iohn might see it If it had come downe for this cause Iohn should rather have been caught up into heaven to behold it then that shee should be let downe to the earth He was commanded before to come up into heaveÌ„ where through the dore opened he saw the forme of the militant Church chap. 4. how much more now should he have gone up that he might behold the same triumphing Therfore these words doe manifestly distinguish the new Hierusalem pilgrim from the inlandish Albeit that be called also heavenly because in very truth it is such both by birth and also by the right of the inheritance as Paul saith For that Hierusalem which is from above Gal. 4.26 It cometh downe therfore from God because his singular power and mercy shall appear in building up this new city The increase of the whole building shal be so swift and the glory and dignity so great that all with one consent shall acknowledge the hand of God and shall declare him to be the onely artificer ¶ Trimmed as a bride To be presented to her husband not yet hitherto given by a marriage accomplished After the last resurrection the marriage shal be accomplished it shal not be a preparing for time to come This bride was adorned with pure fine linnen and the Iustifications of the Saincts chap. 19.7.8 But observe that the city seen ere while is now called the bride and more plainly after ver 9. Come saith the Angel I will shew thee the bride the Lambes wife Therfore this city is the whole multitude of the faithfull the most sweet and straight communion of all which among themselves the Spirit declareth very well by such a forme of city The members of the body are used sometime to the same end but the similitude of a city setreth before our eyes a certaine more lively image There is a greater variety of things in a city and a further difference of duties which yet are ioyned togither and conteined with the same law and respect one chiefe good of all This therfore notably representeth how the faithfull most differing in function office and course of life doo grow unto one Holy body 3 And I heard a great voice from heaven saying c. He commeth to that part of the glory which is declared by the things heard The Tabernacle properly belonged to the Iewes and old worship from whence here it signifyeth the whole divine worship of that people to which before the tabernacle was peculiar Togither also it sheweth that the manifestatioÌ„ of Gods glory shal not yet be perfit such as the Saincts shal enioy after the last iudgment But howsoever it shal be farre more aboundant then never before yet men shall see God as through a glasse and riddle not face to face they shall know in part onely not as they are known 1 Cor. 13.12 A tabernacle is fit for the Church being in pilgrimage not for that which hath gotten a firme seate in her owne countrey ¶ And he shall dwell with them and they shal be his people Then God himselfe shal take upon him the protection of the Saincts according to the forme of the covenant Gen. 17.1 then the Saincts shall submit themselves willingly to be governed of
God So Ieremy from whence these things are taken expoundeth them I will put my law in their minde write it in their harts and I will be their God and they shal be my people chap. 31.32 c. 4 And God shall wipe So is the presence of God now foloweth that which concerneth the remooving of the calamities The truth shal not be made to sorow againe nor be oppressed with the tyranny eyther of the Beast or Dragon or any such like plague but now being victour and conquerour of all enemies shall flourish He borroweth these words out of Isay chap. 25.8 that we may know of what times the Spirit speaketh Isaiah in the same place speaketh of the felicity of the Christian Church of the Iewes on earth as is evident from that vengeance which God wil take in his time on the Moabites ver 10. For the hand of the Lord shall rest in this mount and Moab shal be threshed under him even as straw is threshed for dunging He ioyneth togither both the singular goodnesse of God toward the Israelites and the final destruction of the Moabites And the Spirit using that Prophecy in this place shewe that it is not accōplished of old but that at lenght it shal be fulfilled when this restoring of the Iewes shal come So Iohn Isaiah give light one to another ¶ And death shal be no more The greevousnesse of punishments shal cease in which sense Isaiah saith he will swallow up death into victory chap. 25.8 and Hoseah I will redeeme them from the power of the grave I will deliver them from death O death I wil be thy death O grave I wil be thy destruction repentāce is hidden from myne eyes chap. 13.14 Which place Paul applyeth to the last resurrection 1 Cor. 15.55 as also the Spirit hath shewed by the same this renewing chap. 20.12 And so indeed shal be the ful overthrowing of death when the bodies shal rise againe But in the meane time in the felicity of the new people ther shal be seen a patern of the great weakening of the sam Not because the separatiō of the soules bodies shal thē cease wherby the saints are translated into the Kingdome of heaven but because the sting of death being quite taken away it shal not serve to the scourging of the Church any more ¶ Neither sorow neyther crying neither labour These things declare how farre death shal be taken away to weet in regard of punishment not of departing unto eternal life So also the ministers and sumners of it shal be taken away For what right have the servants where their maister hath no authority Most happy bride which shal then be freed from such disturbers A visible image of the blessed reigne in heaven shal be now with men on earth ¶ For the first things are past Peradventure having respect to the first cōdition of the Iewes troubleous times and ful of misery because of Gods wrath provoked by their own often rebelliōs as though he should say ther shal be no more place afterward for this stubburnesse therfore neither shall God be so angry as in former times 5 And he that sate upon the throne said The certenty of this renewing happinesse is confirmed by an other testimony of great authority It is of him that sitteth on the throne that is the most high and eternal God himselfe who openly testifyeth that he will make all things new that is that he wil so restore the doctrine worship people and whole administration of things that men may worthily counte them new ¶ And he said unto mee write Iohn commeth now to those thinges which were spoken to him particularly In that he is commaunded to write it is as if it had bin said this is determined and resolved with God and as it were registred in statute books so as it cannot be altered or doo thou put it into common writtings that the faithful may have to shew how they may call upon mee for right see the chapter 19 at the 9. verse The writing which is commanded is that these words are true and faithfull to be performed at length in their time though the world mindes nothing lesse 6 And he said to mee it is done The second thing which was said to Iohn in private concerning the Mystery accomplished which shall have an end in the restoring of the Iewes Which consummation is part of the seventh vial the proper of which is to finish the Mystery of God as in the 16. chap. and 17. verse For this it is done is the same that is there If this were after it could not rightly have bin said there it is done to which some thing even then should be left which had not yet obtained his ende Wherfore seing that there some things are said to be done after the mystery finished which belong to this earthly life it followeth that neither that former it is done is after the last iudgement as hath bin observed in the 16. chapter 21. ver neither this second is to be referred to any other thing but to this present life Aretas and Montanus doo reade otherweise And he said unto mee J am made Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ende The Complutent edition and the Kings Bible doo reade thus And he said unto mee ' it is done J am alpha and Omega But Aretas and Montanus doo wrongfully omit it is done seing this belongeth to the explication of the seventh vial the chiefe point wherof concern the finishing of the mystery which is not accomplished in destroying the enemies of whom onely mention was made in the 16. chapter and 17. verse c. but in that last choise accomplished to which it is done is attributed for this cause namely by reason that it is the last ende of all Prophecies ¶ I am Alpha and Omega I am the same who both in the beginning hav decreed al these things to be done also now at length have put an ende to the same ¶ J wil give to him that is a thirst This is the reward of the godly who are said to be thirsty that is fervently desiring those things as are all they who have a tast of heavenly good things Blessed saith Christ are they which hunger thirst after righteousnes for they shal be satisfied Mat. 5.6 But then especially shal the Iewes thirst who shal satisfy themselves with no desire wherby they may perceive a more ful sweetnesse of Christ Yet neverthelesse even to these which shal burne with an exceeding great desire shall be given of the well of water of life freely that is not for any merit of their desire though amōg al the gifts givē to men it excelleth but of the free grace of God A notable place against the blasphemous doctrine of the Papists touching merit The Iesuite laboureth to shift it off making the same sense of it as of that of the Rom 8.18 The sufferings of this time are not worthy of
the glory to come which shal be revealed in us by which words saith he our good deserts ar not compared with the future blessednesse but the sufferings that is the labours which we suffer for Gods sake as though he should say our sorowes cannot be compared with the joyes of the blessed although the endurings of griefes in as much as they come from grace are worthy doubtlesse of eternal life Consider the fraude of the Iesuite who having nothing to answer to this place flyeth to an other from whence some shew of an answer might be taken But that I may not now examine that of the Romanes why telleth he us of sorowes and af lictions not to be compared with the ioyes of the blessed of which nothing at al is spoken in this place Here teares death sorow crying all labour is banished away before in ver 4. so as nothing is more unmeet as to dreame of such a comparison For in these words it is shewed that not onely the sorowes of this life are inferiour to the ioyes of the blessed but also that the thirst hunger and most fervent desire of godlinesse than which nothing can be of greater esteeme in a man doo not obtaine life by their merit but by the meere grace mercy of God Neither is that of the fained Ambrose lesse frivolous and also of Thomas and Rupert who wil have the word freely therfore to be said because although eternall life be due to the merits of the righteous condignly yet the merits themselves could not have bin merits without grace which was given freely For if they would rather have spoken with the Holy Ghost then from their owne perverse braines they would never have said that any grace is given to men by whose helpe they might doo workes worthy of eternal life when here it is said expressely that the reward of the most excellent workes is alto gither freely bestowed and not condignly 7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things For none shal attaine to this happinesse but he which shall behave himselfe valiantly in that battell with the Dragon of which in the former chapter Yee therfore ô Iewes shew your selves men It shal be a terrible warre if ever at any other time Dan. 12.1 Yet notwithstanding feare not neither fainte in your mindes The victory is sure and after the victory eternall ioy 8 But to the fearfull and unbeleeving The reward of the wicked which first are called fearfull fearing them which kill the body and denying Christ before mē Mat. 10.28.33 desiring to save their life but in very truth loosing it Mat. 16.25 Of which sort peradventure there shal be some in respect of the greatnesse of the danger when the Turk the Dragon shal threaten most cruell destruction to them that professe Christ Vnbeleevers are they which shall refuse the truth openly For every one shal not be converted but it seemeth that some by the iust iudgement of God shal remaine in their former stubburnesse as we have observed before out of Daniel Abominable are men of desperate naughtinesse and impudently wicked whom al mē every where detest Aretas and Montanus doo reade before abominable the word sinners as also the Cōplutent edition and the Kings Bible But these sinners are alone with abominable men notably wicked and desperate But why is ther mention of Idolaters when al the Iewes generally doo hate Idols It may be that some have turned away to the Romish impiety although this be a rare thing ioint also that Rome before this time shall be destroyed Therfore these things may be understood of the Gentiles as also al other kinds of sinnes which have bin reckoned hitherto who cleaving to their Idols shal have no part in this holy city of wich in the meane time al the godly shal be freedenizens whersoever they shal live Lyars also are excluded that is such as reioyce in lying as hypocrites dissemblers and they who make some shew of religion having no tast therof n their hart Observe how with those horrible sinnes he mixeth some lesser in the common opinion that no man should deceive himselfe by supposing that if he refraine himselfe from those greater he may followe the smaller without danger of punishment But the thing is nothing so he that continueth in the least without repentance must know that a place is prepared for him in the lake of fire hither shal be thrust al this company and they who are of the same condition Not because al the wicked shal descend presently at that time into hel but because they shal be convinced and condemned by the sentence of the holy Church which is as if God should pronounce it from heaven and should strait way drawe the condemned unto torment 9 Then came to mee one of the seaven Angels Hitherto the generall declaration the particular followeth And first by whose helpe this thing is to be manifested this is one of the seven Angels of which wee heard in the chap. 15. and as it seemeth the last who was to poure out his vial into the aire Frō which it is evident that this new Hierusalem is within that time wherin the vials are powred out for which cause there is so exact a repeating of his office that he is one of those seven Angels which have those seven vials full of the seven last plagues least any in wandring rashly should passe over the boundes that are set ¶ Come I will shew thee the bride Did not Iohn see it before ver 2. But there through a windowe and somewhat confusedly but now more distinctly and clearly The first shew of the newe descending Hierusalē shall seeme faire but after that it shal have abode on earth somewhile then it shal be seene farre more noble For we gather from the former thinges that these words doo shew the event as also that which the Angel inviteth for to behold whence we learne from the analogie of those things which hav bin said before that some holy man by published writing shal manifest to al the faithful rhe most divine maiesty celestial glory of this Church But we see these things yet a farr off and darkly the day at lēgth shal make this thing most cleare 10 And he tooke mee up by the Spirit into a great and hie mountaine He entreh into the description of the city more fully then before yet notwithstansting shorter in these two verses Therfore that Iohn might throughly knowe the bride he is taken up into a hie and lofty mountaine The first condemnation of the whore was seen in the wildernesse chap. 17.3 but the glory of the bride shal be revealed in a hie mountaine in the eyes and light of the whole world This mountaine seemeth to be that which Isaiah speaketh of In the last times the mountaine of the house of the Lord shal be set in the top of other mountaines and exalted above the hilles that all nations may flow unto it chap. 2.2 VVorthily is
he borrowed out of Strabo in whoÌ„ are many things touching this stone in his 16. book Some from hence coniecture that it tooke the name from the Hebrew word Pazaz as though at the first it had bin to Paz or in greek to Pazion and at length by the ignorance of the printers to have grown togither and made one word topazion The Chrysoprâ—sus also as the name sheweth doth resemble a certaine kind of Gold but as it were be smeared with the iuice of leekes The eleventh twelfth foundation is the Iacynth Amethyst both of a purple colour but the first shining more brightly the second of a a more wanne and weake colour as Dionysius sheweth and the sweet Amethyst shining as asaied purple India and Aethiopia doo afford these two Therfore these last sixe belong to the East and South Our West part as it seemeth shal minister citizeÌ„s even as other countreys but shal give few or no Iewels for the building up of the wall It may be that God wil so set forth his power the more in raising up teachers from those places which are most repugnant to his truth The foure last gemmes are like gold and purple which colours are of a very great price and dignity which the Spirit seemeth to have put in the last places for a certain purpose and that by a course twice doubled as though he would teach by the same thing that those teachers shal never be loathed but shal alwayes flourish in very great authority At the first the truth is wont to be acceptable and the ministers of it are iudged worthy of al honour but in time the good wil of men waxeth cold theÌ„ the authority of the teachers decayeth after that men beginne to be full But here no such thing shal come to passe The end shal be answerable to the beginning The dispensers of the word shal be no lesse honourable after the truth through many ages hath waxed olde then when at the first it began And for this cause I thick was so great a plenty of golden and purple colour put to the last place I know that other doo seek out an agreement of other properties in these stones but seeing authours varie greatly about this what is the proper force of every one neither is the thing as yet sufficiently cleared I had rather follow things that are plain and of a known signification and also the congruency of the Prophecy then loose my labour in doubtful things So therfore that which Daniell hath comprehendeth briefly in one word they that instruct shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that iustify many shall be as the starres for ever and ever chap. 12.3 the same we have here declared peculiarly and more at large by sundry kindes of Iewels 21 And the twelve gates are Hitherto hath bin the matter of the walls The gates are made of pearles which signify Christ who is the way doore to life if any shall enter in by him he shall be saved and he shall goe in and out and finde pasture Iohn 10.9 But how notably doo the pearles represente the Sonne of God conceived in the wombe of the virgin which are not bred of any earthly copulation but ingeÌ„dred of a celestial dew as of a husbaÌ„d For they report that the shell fishes at a certain time of the yeere with a certain gaping after that they have drunke up a dewing from heaven doo conceive and become great with yong and the more that they have bin tossed with great tempests after the dew received the more noble fruit doo they bring forth so the Holy Ghost came upoÌ„ Mary and the power of the most high overshadowed her and Christ scarce brought forth into the light was sought for to be put to death and by an horrible storme was driven into Aegypt After the same manner the first entrance into this city shal be very laborious but of so much the more aboundant praise account after they have entred There are twelve gates but every one of one pearle because there is but one Christ and but one onely name given under heaven by which we must be saved Act. 4.12 ¶ And the street of the city was pure golde In the last place he addeth the matter of the city which before he said was golde but there he made meÌ„tion of the whole city in general here in special of the streets These are the publik wayes wherin the citizens doo meete if one have ought to doo with an other Even as therfore the wayes of man are the actions in which man is occupied so the streetes of the city are those publike offices of life and buyings and sellings in which the citizens doo take paines The Spirit saith that al these things shal be holy pure cleane pretious For the place of assembling where these businesses are handled is pure gold and shining through as before ver 18. How holy and unblameable shal this city be where the common life then which nothing is wont to be more foule and polluted shal be free from al filth of wickednes Righteousnes now as a river shall run through the streetes and godlinesse shal shine in all affaires 22 Neither saw I any Temple in her Hitherto we have seen the inward essential glory of the city as farre as is given us who doo not behold froÌ„ a hie mountaine but a farre off from a low and pressed down valley wher hilles and trees doo much hinder our eyes that we caÌ„not yet see the thing cleerly Yet it delighteth mee as once Daniell to opeÌ„ his window twards Hierusalem so to looke from farr off into this holy city whose cloudie and blackish toppes to behold a farr off it much recreateth my soule Now the Spirit teacheth how great dignity shall come from things outward First God the Father and the Lambe his Sonne in stead of a Temple that is then shal the worship be most simple and most pure darkened with no legal ceremonies which once God ordained until the time of reformation much lesse with any humane inventions but such as shal exhibit Gods presence most simply and familiarly How then doth this agree with Ezechiel who in eight whole chapters from the fourtieth to the end of the Prophecy speaking of this very time describeth so exactly the temple the city and whole legal worship Very wel for that whole description tendeth to that ende not to teach that the old ceremonies are to be restored but that at lenght they being wholly abolished Christ shal be worshipped most purely and exactly according to his owne ordinances alone For what other thing mean the new measurings of the walles gates porches and the whole building the new distribution of the holy land and the new portions given to the tribes Priests Levites Prince then an abrogation of Moses and al the legal ceremonies But that time was not otherweise capable of any spiritual worship then under those shadowes Iohn speaketh
shall beare the sway And cast into the sea the gold and silver with disdayn And cast the brasse of brittle men and yrn ' into the Mayn Then shall the wordly elements all desolate remayn Sibyll prophecieth that after the death of Antichrist which we have had set forth in the former chapters the soveraigntie of things through the whole world shal be in the power of a woman But what manner of one Is it such a one as wee properly so call Nothing lesse This woman is the Church the spouse of Christ which shee calleth a widow not because she is a widow by the death of her husband as this word is wont to signif usually but because shee is on earth farr from him For shee is also a widow which after marriage dwelleth not togither with her husband for what cause soever it be Or shee may be called a widow because before her restoring shee sat a widow so long as in Hosea Sit still for my sake many daies neither be married to any other For the children of Isâ—ael shall remaine many dayes without a King and without a Prince without an offering withtout an Image and without an Ephod and without Teraphim afterward they shall returne c. ch 3.3.4.5 So Isayas So that he shall say in his heart who hath gotten mee these seeing I have bin baren and a desolate captive and a wanderer too fro c. chap 49.21 This then is that widow which after shee hath governed for a time at length shal deliver all her subiects to be translated in to heaven whither at length they shall goe when this whole world is destroyed with fire Seeing therfore that these things are so those are not to be understood of the future state after the resurrection For what Kinges shal then bring their glory thither Vnlesse peradventure as the Iesuite writeth ridiculously by building and inriching temples by sending predicatours into sundry countreys and by restreining the nations that are enemies to the faith Did the man dreame waking when he wrote these things that he would hav any such thing to be desired in the future state But I wil not vexe the man being as it seemeth sick of an ague 25 And the gates of it shal not be shut All danger shal be so farre away that no feare therof shal trouble them Ther shal be no enemy that shal invade but the gates shall be open alwayes to receive new strangers who in great companies shal flow thither continually Isay 60.11 Blessed is that city which shal enioy so happie so glorious and secure peace ¶ For then shal be no night there These words are somewhat otherweise then in Isaiah who speaketh thus and they shal open thy gates continually neyther day nor night shal they be shut c. that is they shal be opeÌ„ alwayes Ther is the same sense of this place but the mention of the night being omitted as unprosperous and wholly unmeete for the happines of this city as though he should say the gates shal never be shut for they are not wont to be shut in the day time neither shal it be needful to add nor in the night because ther shal be no night there 26 And glory shal be brought We spake of this matter at the 24. verse but the repetition is not in vaine which teacheth that the Gentiles shall have this continual desire to enrich and store this city Not because they shall give themselves to the gathering of riches or to ambition but because their good will shal be most gratefull who shal alwayes wish very wel unto it Or as the words doo sound and they shal bring the glory and honour of the Gentils unto it that is the Iewes themselves as though now he would shew how much they should doo by their owne strength when he hath shewed sufficiently what should come to them by the benefit of others Wherby not onely they shal be advanced but also shal be augmented with great glory by their owne riches 27 There shall not enter into it any thing that defileth This glory shal remain no lesse pure and undefiled than secure and without feare of enemies For the most part it commeth to passe that the rivers flowing beiond the bankes doo carry with them very much durty filth wherby the whole water becometh foule so for iust cause it might peradventure be feared that in this very populous assembly of the Gentils many wicked men shall assemble togither by whose contagion the most cleare purity at length should be defiled But the Spirit biddeth them to be secure as touching this point God wil provide that no filthy and impure thing shal enter in wherby the flower of so great dignity may be distained never so little ¶ But they which are written in the book ei me unlesse they which are written But the elect are not among the uncleane who through Christ have no spot wrinkle or any such thing Ephes 5.27 Therfore ei me is not to be translated as an exceptive by nisi unlesse but as a discretive by sed but as Theodore Beza hath noted Vnlesse perhaps ther be a respect to the former time as Paul concerning the elect and such were yee every one but ye are washed but yee are sanctified 1 Cor. 6.11 as though he should say no uncleane person shall enter into the city unlesse they which are written in the book of life who before their caling were uncleane but being sanctified by faith in Christ cease to be so CHAP. 22. AFTER he shewed mee a pure river of water of life cleare as Chrystal proceeding out of the throne of God and the Lambe 2 In the middes of the street therof and an the one and other side of the river was the tree of life which bare twelve manner of fruit and gave fruit every moneth and her leaves are for the health of the nations 3 And ther shal be no more curse against any man but the throne of God and of the Lambe shal be in it and his servants shall serve him 4 And they shall see his face and his name shal be in their foreheads 5 And there shall be no night there neither have they any need of the light of a candle nor of the light of the Sunne for the Lord God giveth them light and they shal raigne for evermore 6 Then he said unto mee these words are faithfull and true and the Lord God of the Holy Prophets sent his Angel to shew to his servants the things which must shortly be fulfilled 7 Behold I come quickly Blessed is he that keepeth the words of the prophecy of this booke 8 And J John am hee which have heard and seen these things And when I had heard and seen I fell down to worship before the feete of the Angel which shewed mee these things 9 But he said unto mee see thou doo it not for J am thy fellow servant and of thy brethren the Prophets and of
them which keepe the wordes of this book Worship God 10 After he said unto mee seale not the words of the prophecy of this book for the time is at hand 11 He that hurteth let him hurt still and he that is filthy let him be filthy stil and he that is iust let him be iustifyed stil and he that is holy let him be holy still 12 And behold I come quickly and my reward is with mee to render to every one as his worke shal be 13 J am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending the first and the last 14 Blessed are they that doo his commaundements that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter by the gates into the city 15 But without shal be dogges and enchanters and whoremongers and murtherers and Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh lies 16 J Iesus sent my Angel to testify these things unto you in the Churches J am the roote and that generation of David that bright and morning starre 17 And the Spirit and the bride say come and he that heareth saith come and let him that thirsteth come and let him that will receive of the water of life freely 18 For I testify there withall unto every one that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book if any man shall add unto these things God shall adde unto him the plagues that are written in this book 19 And if any man shall take away of the words of the book of this prophecy God shal take away his part out of the book of life and out of the holy city and from those things which are written in this book 20 He which testifyeth these things saith ye I come quickly Amen Even so come Lord Iesus 21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you al. Amen The Analysis THVS farr the two first outward arguments wherby the glory of this city is set forth the two last follow the aboundance of things necessary continuance The first handleth two things which comprehende all other plenty the most pure water proceeding out of the throne ver 1. and the tree of life ver 2. whose fruite is described and how many foulde it is partly in the kinde for thete are twelve fruits partly in the time bearing every moneth and how profitable which appeareth from thence that also the leaves are for the health of the Gentils ver 2. and thus much of the aboūdance the continuance is declared by remooving of the corrupting causes ver 3. and by setting downe of the preserving causes ver 3.4 5. And hitherto hath bin a prophetical narration both of special things and also of common things to the whole Church There foloweth the conclusion of all the Revelation and of the Epistle partly consisting in a confirmation partly in a salutation The confirmation first takes in hand a recounting and collecting of things before spokē that being put as in a patterne ūder one view they might have greater force for credit And this recounting is cōtinued even to the eighteen verse relating the authour of the Revelation ver 6. the happines of the keppers ver 7. the ministers ver 8.9 a publishing commanded wherby ther should be a free examination ver 10. with an answer of a secret obiection ver 11. the upright nature of the revealer ver 12. eternall ver 13. the thing revealed ver 14.15 the plaine testimony of Iesus ver 16. and lastly the desire of the Spirit and bride ver 17. Every one of which apart is of great weight to establish the authority of this Prophecy but al togither are very much greater Next Iohn of his owne part addeth some new thing when he uttereth certain destruction to them which shall corrupt this prophecy never so little ver 18.19 then testifying his most earnest desire of a speedie finishing ver 20. The salutation lastly concludeth the whole Epistle with a praier ver 21. Scholions 1 Afterward he shewed mee That wholesome fruite dooth more declare the excellent glory of this city which not onely the citizens but also forreiners doo receive Wherunto also apperteine this river and tree of the which both they drinke and also are fedde unto life both which the Angel sheweth to Iohn For he saith he shewed mee But who is he that shewed That sevēth Angel which manifested the city to him in the former chapter ver 9.10 and therfore neither as yet are we come to the heavenly blessednes of the saincts after the last resurrection when we shal not use Angels or any other masters But as touching the water it is not some litle fountaine but a river neither corrupted and troubled as Nilus but flowing with most pure waters as Kidron Gallirrhoe making glad the citie of God Psal 46.5 Furthermore it is a river of water of life not onely because of the continuance for it runneth alwayes with new waters as is the water of a fountaine or spring which also in the Scriptures is called living but because it bringeth life to the drinkers Iohn 4.14 The river is shining as Chrystall farre exceeding the clearnes of the fountaines Lastly it proceedeth out of the throne of God and of the Lambe which it hath for chiefe fountaines and to which againe as a companion it doth leade or rather being a forerunner goeth before as a streeme to the sea In Ezechiel the same flood issueth out of the temple altar chap. 47.1 But in this new Ierusalem there is no temple as hath bin spoken in chap. 21.22 therfore the throne of God is set in the place thereof Whether it runneth here is no mention but the Prophets plentifully teach it namely towards the East from the South side of the altar first towards Galily and into the plaine then the waters come to the Sea and by emptying themselves into the same sea the waters therof are healed Ezech. 47.1.8 So in Ioel there shal issue forth a fountaine from the house of the Lord and shall water the valley of Shittim chap. 3.18 That is the plaine of Moab where the Israelites committed whordome with the Moabitish wemen Numb 25.1 Zacharie also There shal be saith he in that daie waters of life going forth out of Ierusalem part of them to the East sea and parte of them to the uttermost sea which shal be both in somer and winter chap. 14.8 This river is the most fruitfull doctrine of Christ which shall flowe forth towards the East because the people watered with the moisture hereof shall grow and at last true life shall budde forth For every living creature that creepeth whersoever these rivers come shall live and there shal be a very great multitude of fishes for by the comming of these waters thither they are cured and live whersoever this river commeth Ezech. 47.9 For this Prophet and Iohn speake of the same things and times of the state and condition of the Church in earth as those things which in so many places we have
whose persuasion other men fell from the Emperour and were made richer became not more enriched by the spoiles of the same VVould not he provide himselfe and Sainct Peter of some little gobbet But it is a sufficient argument what he got thereby that a while after that the Longobardes converting their forces against the Romanes sought to take away from them those cities of which they had spoiled the Emperour Which being taken away Zachary the Pope recovered them againe by faire flattering wordes with great increase if wee must beleeve the Papists For he obtained of Luitprandus by gift for blessed Peter and the Popes besides a fewe cities taken away the inheritance of the Sâ—bins and the Citie Narnia and Ancona and Humana and the great valley of the towne Sutrium Moreover all those thinges which Luitprandus had taken to himsâ—â—fâ— from Amilia and the people of Râ—venna within the space of two yeeres Blond Decad. 1. booke 10. But without controversie the munificence of Pipine and Châ—rles the Great and Ludovike farre surpassed For Romanie was now called a Princedome that even by the very name it might acknowledg her Lord. Therefore the Beast began now to glory in the Kingdomes of the world which boasted before of the title of dignity and honour rather thâ—n in any possessions of cities and townes ¶ Having two hornes like the Lambe These two hornes are Pipine and his SoÌ„ne Charlâ—s the Great by whose weapons as it were by hornes the newe Beast chased farre away all enemies Pipine aided the Pope Stephan 2. flying into Fraunce against Aristulphus the King of the Longobardes whom he passing twice over the Alpes with an army compelled first to yeeld the things taken from the Pope Secondly to deliver to the chaire of Peter Ravenna the Princedoome and whatsoever almost he had taken in Italy see Volat booke 3. Charles the Great for Pope Adrians sake repressed Desiderius King of the Longobardes yea tooke away wholly the Kingdome froÌ„ that nation that they might not afterward cause any trouble to Rome Moreover againe when Aragisus a Captaine of Beneventum put Adrian in some feare he fled into Italy brought him by constraint to his duties and set Adrian free from all feare Leo the third also being expelled by the Romanes hasting into Italy the third time those seditious being punished severely hee restored him unto his Chaire The Popes of Rome never had so great deffence since their ten first hornes in any as in these two Therefore these two notable hornes made famous the originall of this second Beast Which are said to be like the Lambes because the Popes whoÌ„ they aided did seeme helplesse afflicted innocent like Lambes How lamentable Epistles doe Stephanus the second Constantinus Stephanus the third and Adrian Popes sende to Pipine and Charles the Great How full are all things of complaints of lamentations of teares and of most vehement callings upon them for succour See before your eyes what cruelty those letters doe attribute to the enemies but what innocency to the Bishops Surely thou wilt call those wolves these Lambes and that he hath an hart of iron who would not deliver them being in daunger from their most cruell â—awes if he be able Yet neverthelesse in this miserable estate the Beast reteined his former minde and loftily and terribly as the Dragon I let passe Gregory the second striking with lightening and terrifying Leo Isaurus VVhose voice I pray was it when Zacharias tooke away the Kingdome from the lawfull King and bestowed it upon Pipine his servaunt VVhat manner of voice was that of Leo the third which proclaimed openly and consecrated Charles Emperour of the VVest VVas it not that of the olde Dragon who according to that very great power whereby he prevailed made and deposed Kinges whom he would Desiderius the Longobard felt the force of this voice who being allured by the Lambelike shewe of the Popes he entered quickly into their possessions for to recover whatsoever things they had wrested away by fraude from his Ancetours But this voice brought to passe that while he strove for some one citie or towne he lost his whole Kingdome and that not from himselfe but also the whole name of the Longobardes These are wonderfull great actes of the Earthly Beast taking away and bestowing Kingdomes at his pleasure And that which is more not so much by armed force as by his voice by which he exercised the power of the Dragon although he bare yet the shewe of a tender Lambe who was not able of himselfe to drive away the wolfe from his owne necke ¶ And he exerciseth all the power of the former Beast Such is the rising and forme of the Beast His power is equall with the former a great proofe whereof is given in this verse As touching the equall power whatsoever that first could doe this second doth exercise all the same in his sight But whence had he this so great power but from the Dragon who gave it to the first above in the second verse Wherefore both are the same both for amplenesse of power and also for the same authour himselfe from whom they received it But as touching that some will have this second to be as it were the Chalbard man and esquire for the body of the former is it to be thought that any is to be compared with Antichrist either for power or will to doe wickednesse Surely he shall have noe felowe but he shall surmounte all men in naughtines and wickednes by many degrees Therefore this Beast is not any servant of Antichrist but he himsâ—lfe endued with no lesse power to doe mischievous deeds But thou wilt say they seeme to be distinguished one of them working in the sight of the other But this kinde of speaking sheweth not a diversity of person but onely that the first remained alive after that the wounde was healed Albeit they are worthily set as two devided because of the notable variety which the same person should obtaine in his growing In which respect he is called both the seventh also the eight King chap. 17. Not because there are eight Kings for there be onely seven heads but because the seventh hath so great diversity that for good cause he may seeme a newe one and the eight And if the second Beast be diverse why would he procure honour rather to the former then to himselfe who hath equall power and like notable lewdenes It is necessary therfore that the honour of the second coÌ„sisteth in the honour of the first which he thrusteth upon the inhabitans of the earth with so great endeavour not so much through a desire to increase an others as his owne glory ¶ And he causeth the earth and the inhabitâ—ns c. The effect of his power tendeth to that ende that he may compell all false Christians to worship the first Beast which the Spirit describeth diligently by his deadly wounde healed declaring that this adoration agreed not to
him before that he recovered health from his wounde which he had He was of great authority before he received the wounde as wee have shewed but of farre greater after the hurt was amended VVhich order the Spirit observed before in the 3. and 4. ver adding after his head was cut and healed both admiratioÌ„ and also adoration And that adoration is this same which is now gotten by the labour of this But why seeing the second is no other then then first revived urgeth he not worship in his owne name but onely in the name of that This is a singular cunning of the most crafty hypocrites to wit a fained name of antiquity wherby he might get estimation to himselfe in the world For in this onely he should wholly labour that the first might be worshipped as though he chalenged no new thing to himselfe but that onely which his Ancetours had left unto him by succession From hence the Epistles of most auncient Popes were corrupted most impudently coÌ„terfait put in the place of true and true wholly chaunged with strange additions and detractions for their owne profit From the same shop came the feigned donation of Constantine Likewise the Decrees which in their title have a shew of greater antiquity then trueth and sixe hundred of that sorte Neither is any other thing at this day so greatly laboured for as that the auncient honour may be given to the Pope that is that the first Beast may be worshipped it would be an unpleasant ambition openly to endevour to get honour to himselfe though the Pope is not ashamed of this wherefore he obiecteth the first Beast under whose name he may serve himselfe more secretly 13 And he doeth great wonders Now is shewed by what way he deceiveth men and obtaineth that worship for which he fighteth as for heaven earth to wit by working Miracles in the which Antichrist should be wonderfull whose comming is by the effectuall working of Satan with all power and signes and lying wonders as Paul hath forwarned 2 Thes 2.9 Which thing if Ireneus had observed in his 5. booke chap. 28. he would not have called this Beast so much the Armour bearer of Antichrist as Antichrist himselfe No miracles of the former are rehearsed but onely power great authority of which there may be a distinct force from signes It is manifest to all men how this Beast is commended for a notable fine worker of miracles by and by after he waxed whole of his wound Beholde one or two for it were an infinite thing to recite every one The Christians have ben protected wonderfully from the Devill in the Temple Pantheon after that Boniface the 4. had consecrated it to all Saincts Theodorus the next healed with a kisse one diseased with the leprosy No man in the whole army of Eudo to whom but even a very small piâ—ce of the blessed Spongie had come from the POPE Gregory 2. was either killed or wounded in the battell against the Saracenes The body of Formosus brought from the river Tiber into the Church of S. Peter is saluted and worshipped with great reverence of the Images of the Saincts in the entrance of the teÌ„ple A white dove like snow whose necke was shining as Gold sate upon the right shoulder of Gregory the 6. whiles he celebrated Masse WheÌ„ the same was to be buried in the Palace of Peter the doores of the Temple taried not the comming of the doore keeper but of their owne accord leaped backe at the bringing of his dead body A certen lame woman by drinking the water wherewith Vrbain 2. had washed his handes after the Masse was healed Infinite are the things of this sorte in which the Romane Pope glorieth both olde and newe For both are of like force to coÌ„firme his authority Which Zacharias knewe well who translated into the Greeke tongue the foure bookes of Gregory the Great concerning the miracles of the Fathers that the miraculous power of the Popes might be come knowen as well to the Grecians as to the Latines But wilt thou say the miracles of other men are not fewe That is true in deede but who ar all the slaves of the same Pope of whom whatsoever wonders are done they are referred to the defending preserving and increasing of his dignity as to the centre From whence all these done of his servants are worthily said to be his for whose honour alone they make ¶ So that he maketh fire to come downe from heaven His power to doe miracles being shewed summarily now he descendeth to some certen kindes which the Papists will have to be three the first whereby Antichrist shall seeme to rise from the dead the second wherby he shall make fire to descende from heaven the third is the power of speaking given to the Image which things seeing they are not founde in the Pope of Rome as Bellarmine will have it in his third booke of the Romane Pope chap. 15. it followeth saith he that he is not Antichrist His rising from the dead is gathered from his head deadly wounded and healed againe ver 3 of this chapter and from that which is said after in the 17. chap. ver 18. he was and is not and ascendeth out of the bottomelesse pit Which rising againe wee have shewed to be found most plainely in the Pope of Rome when he was eased and delivered from those miseries wherwith by the invasion of the Barbarians he lay overwhelmed and buried in mens opinion For that it cannot agree to the death of one man fained for some fewe dayes it shal be manifest from the person of Antichrist which the seventeenth chapter after will proove evidently to be a long succession of many not any certen and singular man Especially also seeing that this wound was very sorrowfull not inflicted on himselfe willingly and in jest but made by his enemies where could be no place for counterfaiting Which faining of death was brought in by a false coniecture of men and besides the trueth of the matter and the very wordes of the scripture Therfore the Rom. Pope is famous for the first miracle which if they please they may call a resurrection to which it is not unlike Now what manner of one is he in regard of the second CerteÌ„ly those miracles seeme to be very great which are done from heaven or in the very heavens wheÌ„ as men have very little power over these bodies as when a fire of the Lord falling from Heaven consumed the burnt offring of Eliah 1 King 18.38 Likewise also when the Captaine over fifty men with his whole bande was destroyed by fire from Heaven at the prayers of the same Eliah 2 King 1. Therefore Antichrist that he might not seeme inferiour to the famous Prophets would set foorth himselfe by this sort of miracles Gladly doe the Iesuites heare this from whence they judge for a surety that the Pope is not Antichrist of whom say they not such miracle is read But