faithfull person liueth not as the naturall man doth though he cannot but through humane frailty sinne yet his heart is against all sinne and his life is such a continuall practice of repentance and the Spirit of Christ doth so sway and carry him as that he falleth not so often as the naturall man doth and he doth daily wash and cleanse himselfe from sinne by the teares of true repentance and that when there is no worldly shame or losse to moue him hereunto Neither can I see but that the regenerate must needs be of such an holy life as not at any time to fall into any great sinne as of adultery murther theft drunkennesse or the like although vnder the Law most holy men haue fallen for the Spirit is now giuen in a greater measure than it was in those daies and the force of corruption is more abated as is cleare from sundry passages of holy Scripture Whereas vers 8. it is said Vers 8. that the Deuill sinneth from the beginning and the Sonne of God appeared that he might dissolue the workes of the deuill the meaning is that he was euer the Author of sinne by his temptations so preuailing amongst men as that the world hath hitherto beene full of sinne but now the Sonne of God comming hath giuen a contrary Spirit into the hearts of his people whereby they are sanctified to leade an holy and new life The Deuill had them before as it were in the chaines of sinne fast bound for stirring to forsake those superstitious and riotous courses but now these bands are loosed and they are set at liberty to walke in the waies of Gods Commandements because free will which was lost in Adam is restored in the regenerate by Christ that we may now striue against and resist euill temptations Note that the most certaine marke of a childe of God Note is to leade an holy life and truly to endeuour to refraine from all sinne out of an inward affectation of holinesse and the dislike and hatred of euery sinne be it neuer so pleasing or profitable to the outward man and not in any by-respect and being ouertaken with sinne by infirmity to be humbled therefore and to beg for mercy and pardon and that toties quoties The comfort of those that doe thus is that they are not now accounted sinners but are iustified here-from Luke 13. as it is said of the poore Publican that hauing knocked vpon his breast and humbled himselfe he went away iustified The penitent person sinneth not because he doth daily that which is righteous in calling himselfe to account for his sinnes and iudging himselfe therefore as Beda saith Beda in Luc. 10. Seruos nos inutiles fatcamur vt in sortem vtilium veniamus Hieron Vnica iustitia nostra est iniustitiam fateri In confessing our selues to bee vnprofitable seruants we come to be profitable and Ierome Our only righteousnesse is to confesse our vnrighteousnesse For whoso doth thus and bewaileth it daily in secret cannot but haue his heart set against sinne and so sinneth not in will and desire CHAP. 3. VER 21. If our heart condemne vs not wee haue boldnesse towards God and receiue what wee aske of him because we keepe his Commandements c. In commending brotherly loue Mayer Vers 14. which he had often done before he saith Hereby wee know that wee are translated from death to life if we loue the brethren vers 14. By the loue of brethren all vnderstand here the loue of one another which is vsually expressed by the word neighbours in the old Testament but by the word brethren in the new Brotherly loue is a signe of true grace which is the beginning of the spirituall life that is eternall it is not the cause of life as euen the Iesuit condescendeth orinus Hereby a man may know that hee is raised from the death of sinne to the life that is by grace if he hath true loue in him because all that are partakers of this life haue this loue in them and consequently a man may know that euerlasting life is his and not only haue a probable coniecture hereof as popish writers teach For to put it out of doubt that we may know certainly he saith vers 24. We know that he abideth in vs by the Spirit that he hath giuen vs Verse 19 20 21. and in vers 19 20 21. he argueth from the heart and conscience of euery man which vpon this ground of actuall loue comming to be quiet and free from any accusation argueth most certainly that wee are in his fauour He that loueth to the exercising of charitable actions keepeth Gods Commandements which stand but in two things the loue of God and the loue of our neighbour God is said to be greater than our conscience that is more able to iudge and condemne because all things are most euident vnto him so that if our conscience condemneth vs hee will condemne vs much more And this is his commandement Vers 23. Oecumen that we beleeue in the Name of his Sonne Iesus Christ To beleeue in the name of Christ here saith Oecumenius is to giue credit to his will for by his Name is set forth sometime his glory and sometime his will Now his will whereunto he would haue vs giue credit is that we should loue one another But this exposition is forced for hauing spoken of loue hitherto and how necessary it is because God hath commanded it hee now goeth somewhat higher and sheweth that in commanding vs to beleeue in the Name of his Sonne hee commandeth loue also seeing that loue is inseparable from a liuely faith Therefore hee addeth This is his command that we beleeue and loue one another as if he should haue said For so much as I haue spoken of the Commandements of God affirming that he which loueth keepeth thē hereby it plainly appeareth to be so because that in commanding to beleeue in Christ he inioyneth vs both to beleeue and to loue loue being vnto faith as the soule is to the body which is but a dead carkasse if it be away And so hee commeth aptly to mention the Spirit giuen vnto vs in the next verse whereby we know that we are in God that is The. Aquin. Gorran Beza this grace of the Spirit loue And hereunto doe others consent Note here Note because he maketh the keeping of Gods Commandements the ground of our confidence to God-ward so as that we may pray with certaine expectation to be heard that none but such as are of a godly life charitable to the poore can haue any assurance of Gods fauour All wicked men and hard-hearted cannot but haue an accusing conscience if it bee not cauterized and therefore their hope to God-ward is vaine though they call and cry to him for mercy they shall not preuaile Iam. 5.16 Mat. 7.22 CHAP. IIII. HAuing spoken in the last verse of the former Chapter of knowing
1. What is meant by our suffering in the flesh Verse 1. whereupon followeth a cessation from sinne I answer with Oecumenius that the suffering of death in the body cannot bee meant though he who is set for example suffered death when he suffered in the flesh for vers 2. hee speaketh of the residue of his time in the flesh being spent according to the will of God Wherefore to suffer in the flesh here is to be mortified to sinne Luther in 1 Pet. 4. which to follow it is a life vnto vs naturally For as Luther saith there were two ends of CHRIST his suffering as he was man which is meant by his suffering in the flesh first to satisfie for our sinnes secondly to giue vs example both of suffering persecution and of suffering by being mortified vnto sinne as vnto lust or hatred and enuy for if these inordinacies be subdued in vs then we cease from seeking how to satisfie our carnall lusts and from attempting reuenge in word or deed It is true we are iustified by Faith when we first beleeue and then the Spirit of Sanctification entreth into vs but we must be more holy and righteous daily as he that had his wounds bound vp by the Samaritan was staied from bleeding and being indangered any further thereby but yet they were not altogether healed till after some time Rom. 6.6 7. Saint Paul hath a place to the same effect with this Our old man is crucified together with him that the body of sinne may be destroyed that we may not serue sinne any longer To meditate vpon Christs Passion is a most effectuall meanes to make vs to be thus mortified to sinne and willingly to beare our aduersities Some vnderstand these words Ieron contr Jouin August de fide opâ—reâ—â— 10. c. 1 Cor. 5 2â—â— He which hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin either of Christ or of the Christian he hath ceased from sinne both because he neuer did any and as he is said to haue beene made sinne that is a sacrifice for sinne for he is now no sacrifice any more but all preferre the other as it is indeed the most genuine the mortified Christian ceaseth from sinne so that it doth no more rule and reigne in him What are the seuerall vices here mentioned Lasciuiousnesse Vers â— Lusts excesse of Wine Reuellings Banquetings c. wherein hee saith they liued before Lyra Lyranus by Lasciuiousnesse vnderstandeth all externall acts in the matter of venery and by Lusts the internall desires of a lustfull minde and indeed by Lasciuiousnesse is meant not onely adultery but that wantonnesse which is ingesture and apparell and words The lusts here spoken of are defined by the Pontificians to be onely lust with consent denying lust simply to be sinne but of this enough before Rom. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expounded the excesse of Wine signifieth properly those boilings vp which breake into pustules and red tumours The next word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eatings after the meale ended Some say it is so called because of the dead sleepe following after called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some because of the pipe which is commonly present at such feastings Some from streets and rowes of houses together which are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where they inuite one another The next word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 drinkings because as Lyra noteth there bee other waies and meanes to drunkennesse besides by Wine Who are meant by the dead to whom it is said For this cause it was preached to the dead Vers 6. that they might be iudged according to men in the flesh and liue according to God in the Spirit That of Thomas Aquinas and Occumenius which is followed also by Luther that by the dead are meant the dead in sinne cannot stand because the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were then redundant it being hereby intimated that the Gospell was preached to others besides the now liuing and by the quicke and the dead vers 5. are no such dead meant according to which it is fit that this should be expounded Beza Beza therefore holdeth it most easie to giue the sense of these words that as the Gospell was preached to the liuing so it had beene preached to them that died long agoe and so is no new doctrine The spirits of the dead cannot be meant because of the distinction following according to man and according to God that is the naturall and the spirituall man And to this doe I subscribe and so of the words following this is the meaning As now they to whom the Gospell is preached are required to die vnto sin and to liue vnto righteousnesse so were they like wise required then to be iudged according to man that is to be mortified as they were naturall men for hee that is iudged or condemned is iudged to die and to liue according to God that is Piscator to be renued vnto holinesse Piscator expoundeth it of those in Noahs time before spoken of Chap. 3. of whom hee saith some when they saw the iudgement of God comming vpon them repented and were saued and so they were iudged according to man that is perished in their corporall life but were receiued to euerlasting life Augâ—â—pist 99. Augustine vnderstandeth by the dead the dead in sinne and infidelity as Thomas Aquinas doth saying that vpon their conuersion they are iudged according to men in the flesh because they are persecuted and spoken against but they are euen hereby furthered in their spirituall life and this is followed without much difference by Beda Vatablus Arias Montanus and Huge Bellarmine Valentia and Suarez hold that by the dead are meant the spirits in prison before spoken of as Oecumenius doth and Lorinus saith that it is a most plaine place to confirme Christs locall descent into hell but I cannot see how it may bee thus taken vnlesse it be yeelded that they in hell were conuerted and saued by his preaching there because he saith that they might be iudged according to men in the flesh but liue according to God in the Spirit which cannot be expounded of any thing else but of the conuersion of a sinner But that any are conuerted and saued out of Hell abhorreth from all sound Diuinitie Note Note that there is a conformity betwixt Christians and their patterne Vers 1. Christ as he suffered in the flesh so ceasing to be any more in this world after the manner of men so true Christians suffer by mortification vnto sinne which springeth from the flesh but that being once mortified there is in them a cessation from all their former wickednesse Howsoeuer they may still fall out of infirmity yet the course of their life is not intemperate and riotous as it was before they trade not in sinne They therefore that liue a wicked life still though they are called Christians yet they haue no communion with
labour and onely shewed the diuersity of their expositions so proceeding to examine and determine about euery question And whereas in my determinations I haue sometimes gone from such Authors as many of good iudgement and zeale doe approue of and sometimes from all venting mien owne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Mr. Fox dis his Fox I must intreat the friendly Reader to pardon me in so doing For I hold it vaine for any man to write vpon any place of Scripture if he propoundeth to himselfe to square all his Expositions according to that which some other haue done before him Ansel as Anselme is a strict follower of Augustine in all things and Gorran of Thomas Aquinas Gorran though Anselme be for this vsefull because hee hath collected his expositions out of diuers workes of Saint Augustine and fitted them so to the Epistles which he hath written vpon that hee hath thereout made a iust Comment vpon them The liberty taken by that Greeke Expositor Oecumen Oecumenius liketh mee better who though hee followeth Chrysostome much yet hee spareth not oftentimes to frame a different sense of his owne as the Latine Interpreter Marlorat hath also done It is a true saying Marlorai Bernardus non vidit omnia No man how intelligent soeuer but may bee weake sighted in some things and therefore the Lord hath appointed by his Apostle 1 Cor. 14.29 that when some Prophets haue spoken others should iudge and after their prophesyings ended if God hath reuealed any different matter to them to speake also Now though wee haue no Reuelations in these times yet being by our calling Lights of the world Mat. 5.14 the Spirit leaueth not such as study and pray with assiduity without illuminations by the benefit whereof diuers in diuers ages haue giuen great light to many obscurities many yet remaining vnsufficiently cleared that still in these times there might not be wanting doubts about the dissoluing whereof we might bee exercised And it is not to be condemned in vs though much inferiour to the Worthies that haue gone before vs if hauing beside the assistance of the same Spirit of Light the helpe of their labours and of more experience by reason of the time wherein we liue wee in all modesty refusing some of their Expositions deliuer something new and of our owne so that we haue alwaies respect to the analogy of Faith and the consent of the holy Scriptures as Saint * August Cum diuinos libros legi nus in tanta multitudine verorum intellectuum qui e paucis vâ—rois eruunter sanitate Catâ—olicae fidâ—â— muniuntur id pâ—tissimum deligamus quod certum apparuerit eumsentisse quem legimus si auteÌ„ hoc latet id certè quod circumstantia Scripturae non impedit cum sana fide concordat Six ex circumstantia Scripturae discuti nequit saltem id solum quod sacra fides praescribit Etsi enim voluntas scripteris incerta sit tamen sana fidei congruam non inutile est eruisse sententiam Augustine excellently directeth saying When wee reade the Bookes of God amongst so great a multitude of true Expositions which goe vpon few words and are warrantable by the soundnesse of the Catholike Faith let vs choose that Exposition chiefly which shall certainly appeare to be his meaning that wrote it But if there be no such certainty then that which the circumstance of the place hindreth not and which agreeth with sound faith but if from the circumstance of the place it cannot be discussed then that onely which the sacred Faith prescribeth For though the meaning of the Writer be vncertaine yet it is not vnprofitable to frame an Exposition agreeable to sound faith For mine owne part I am so conscious to my selfe of mine owne weaknesse and want of iudgement that howsoeuer that which I haue written seemeth to mee most probable of all other Expositions in these darke and doubtfull passages yet I force it not vpon any man but now that I haue aduentured it to the publike view I doe in all humility submit all to the iudgement of the learned crauing for the good successe of that which is here done and for the seasonable and most sufficient perfecting of that which is further to bee done in this kinde the helpe of thy most feruent and faithfull prayers The Texts handled in this BOOKE TExt 1. Iames 1. Vers 9 10. Let the brother of low degree reioyce in his exaltation but the rich in his humiliation because as the flower c. pag. 6. Text 2. Chap. 1. Vers 13 14. Let no man say being tempted I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted of euill and he tempteth no man c. pag. 9. Text 3. Chap. 1. Vers 18. Of his owne will begat he vs with the Word of truth that we might be a cetaine first fruits of his creatures c. pag 15. Text 4. Chap. 2. Vers 1 2. Haue not the faith of our Lord Iesus Christ the Lord of glory with respect of persons For if there come into your Synagogue c. pag. 23. Text 5. Chap. 2. Vers 14. What profiteth it my brethren if one saith that he hath faith but hath no works can that faith saue him c. pag. 27. Text 6. Chap. 3. Vers 1. Be not many Masters knowing that we shall receiue the greater condemnation c. pag. 34. Text 7. Chap. 3. Vers 2. If any man offendeth not in word the same is a perfect man able to bridle also the whole body c. pag. 36. Text 8. Chap. 3. Vers 14. If ye haue bitter enuying and strife in your hearts glory not nor lye against the truth pag. 43. Text 9. Chap. 4. Vers 1 2 3. Whence are wars and fightings amongst you are they not euen hence from your pleasures that warre in your members c. pag. 46. Text 10. Chap. 4. Vers 4. Ye adulterers and adulteresses know ye not that the amity of this world is the enmity of God or thinke ye that the Scripture saith in vaine the spirit that dwelleth in vs lusteth vnto enuy pag. 49. Text 11. Chap. 5. Vers 14. Is any man sick amongst you let him send for the Elders of the Church and let them pray for him anointing him with oile pag. 55. Text 12. Chap. 5. Vers 19. If any man hath erred from the truth one turneth him let him that hath turned him know that he saueth a soule c. pag. 63. Text 13. 1 Peter 1. Vers 1. To the strangers scattered thorow Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithinia Elect according to the fore-knowledge of God the Father c. pag. 69. Text 14. Chap. 1. Vers 10 11. Concerning which saluation the Prophets enquired and searched who prophesied of the grace giuen vnto vs c. pag. 72. Text 15. Chap. 2. Vers 6. Behold I put in Zion a chiefe corner stone elect and pretious and he that beleeueth in him shall not be ashamed
directed to goe Touching confession of sins to the Priest we hold that there is no ground for it here to proue that it ought yeerely to be vsed or vpon necessity to the Priest in the time of sicknesse but onely that he being acquainted with the state of the sicke may the better commend his case vnto the Lord in prayer and minister fitting instructions vnto him for so saith Perkins Perk. de monst problem sub titulo Confes sacrament Pareus in Iac. 5. Faber Stapul the Ancients counselled confessing to the Priest as a commodious and profitable meane to reape comfort And Pareus comming to set downe the true meaning of this place saith The Apostle hauing commanded the sicke to send for the Elders and to poure out into their bosome their necessities and sinnes not that they might absolue them but pray for them hee doth extend this doctrine now to all the faithfull commanding them to confesse one vnto another and to pray for one another as their present case and necessity did require He granteth also that it may be vnderstood more restrainedly of confessing how we haue iniuried one another for pacification when offence hath beene giuen but he preferreth rather the other Lyra and Beda and others Lyra. Beda teach out of this place a necessity of confessing to the Priest by whose hands as men were wont to offer their sacrifices so by them now they should seeke to be commended in prayer Tho. Aquinas saith Tho. Aquinas that vnder the old Testament it was sufficient to confesse to God onely but now since God became man confession must bee made both to God and to man who is Gods Vicar in spirituall things And this is intimated when Christ biddeth the leprous man goe shew himselfe to the Priest Luke 17. because sinne is the leprosie of the soule and when he gaue to Peter the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and to the rest of the Apostles and said Whose sinnes ye remit they are remitted But that neither this place nor any other in all the holy Scriptures was thought anciently to impose any such necessity of confessing to the Priest is plaine because in the Greeke Church confession hauing beene formerly in vse Histor tripart lib. 9. cap. 35. was abolished an 396. for whoredome which a certaine Deacon committed with a Noble woman vnder the colour of this priuate confession And since that time it was neuer vsed againe in the Greeke Churches vnto this day Neither was it any where required till about an 800. at what time Alcuinus is the first that maketh mention of it as necessary And Cubilonense Concil 2. cap. 32. And Concil Moguntin cap. 26. in the time of Gregory 4. the one requiring a full confession the other a pure confession to be made by the sicke But it was first decreed Concil Lateran about an 1200. in the time of Pope Innocent 3. And now confessions are made otherwise than in times past viz. that the Priest hauing taken them may absolue the offenders direct them to a course of satisfaction for their sins To conclude this point it is certaine that the Popish auricular confession is not directed to here and diuers of them confesse that it is vncertain by what authority it is required that men should thus confesse In the a Glos de paenit dist 5. c. 1. Melius dicitur eam institutam suisse à quadam vniuersalis Ecclesiae traditione potius quà m ex noui vel vet testamenti authoritate Glosse it is said It is better to hold that it was instituted rather out of the tradition of the Church than by the authority of the old or new Testament Scotus in Sent. 4. distinct 17. saith that either it was ordained by Christ giuing order hereabout to the Apostles or else it was appointed by the Apostles without all Scripture onely by word of mouth Rhenanus b Rhenan in Tertull de poenit Clancularia confessio quantum conâ—cimus nata est ex ista exomologes per vitroneam hominum pietatem Nec cnim vsquam prâ—ceptam olim legimâ—â— saith that this priuate confessioÌ„ did arise as farre as wee can coniecture out of that voluntary confession which godly men were wont to make of their owne accord for it is no where prescribed that we can reade of Caietan likewise denieth it to be of Christ and so to be necessary Iohn 24. yet it seemeth to me that in the time of sicknesse it is good and profitable for the sicke to confesse his sinnes freely to the Minister of Gods word that by him as by Gods instrument appointed to speake comfort vnto him in respect of the remission of his sinnes he may be comforted and confirmed in this regard and that being well acquainted with his case hee may the better stirre him vp to repentance and the more effectually commend his case vnto God in his prayers For confesse your sinnes one vnto another me thinkes may be better expounded thus men vnto men that is to the Elders who are of your selues and are appointed for your comfort both corporall and spirituall for of such he had spoken before and it is most to the purpose to interpret this as spoken de issdem as directing the sicke not onely to send for them but to confesse vnto them also that knowing what sinnes in particular trouble their consciences they may herein pray to God for them and obtaine pardon For expound it of other common Christians and this absurdity will follow that they which are lesse able to aduise and to comfort a distressed soule should haue the sores thereof opened vnto them they to whom it properly belongeth to apply medicines being neglected Againe they who are most ready to confesse their sinnes to Gods Ministers are the most penitent whose consciences are troubled herewith Others that are neuer pressed with the burthen of their sinnes either say nothing in this kinde at all or else their confessions be very generall and sleighty so that the practice of such as are best affected who no doubt are moued hereunto by the spirit of God sheweth that it is of God to confesse a mans sinnes to his seruants in the time of sicknesse and therefore hee doth enable them accordingly to minister comfort to such as from a true penitent heart doe thus saying Whose sinnes ye remit they are remitted Confesse thy sinnes then first and chiefly to God and confesse in time of sicknesse one vnto another that is the priuate Christian vnto the faithfull Minister of God and pray one for another that is the Minister for the priuate man being in extremity through sicknesse being assured that as Eliah by prayer preuailed mightily for the common good so a godly Minister shall preuaile for the releefe and comfort of him that is in distresse One reckoneth vp nine effects of feruent prayer Gorran in Iac. 5. 1. It dissolueth bands Act. 12. 2. It putteth to flight the deuill Matth. 17. 3.
Exod. 24. and of all the people with the bloud of Goats vsed by Moses The questions of this place are first touching the Countries mentioned Mayer They were all of Asia by Asia being meant Asia the lesser Th. Aquinas according to Tho. Aquinas for both Asia the lesser and all the other here named lie in Asia the greater Acts 2. Pontus Asia and Cappadocia are named as out of which there were some present when Peter preached after the comming downe of the Holy Ghost and it is likely that Galatia and Bythinia yeelded him some hearers also though there for breuities sake omitted It is likely that by them being at that Sermon conuerted other neighbour places came to vnderstand of the Gospell and because this our Apostle was the beginner of so good a worke amongst them he wrote vnto them now altogether to instruct confirme and comfort them more Touching the name giuen vnto them strangers Some will haue them to be such as were Proselytes first Glos ord Lorinus Tho. Aquinas Faber Stapul and after by the hearing of the Gospell conuerted to the Christian Religion Some both Iewes scattered in these Countries because verse 18. mention is made of vaine conuersation according to the tradition of their fathers because the Iewes were led much by traditions and Gentiles imbracing the faith Beza Piscator because ch 2.9 10. they are said to be called out of darknesse into light and to be made a people of no people and some Iewes onely But the reason of Luther seemeth best vnto mee that they are called strangers Acts 2.10 because no Israelites as wee reade of Romane strangers such as dwelt in Rome but were no Citizens of Rome And it is most probable that they had beene Proselytes in times past and so such as for religions sake dwelt at Ierusalem but being turned Christians when persecution was raised Acts 8. the whole Church being scattered it is likely that they were dispersed into these Countries Aug. tractat de sobrietate Augustine speaking of these Epistles saith that Peter wrote two Epistles to the Gentiles Fabers reason that by strangers both Iewes and Gentiles are to be vnderstood is weake seeing a vaine conuersation vsed by tradition of Fathers may as well agree to the Gentiles as to Pharisaicall Iewes Hieron descript ccâ—â—s Aâ—hanas Synoâ—si Oecum and the other place chap. 2.9 10. doth certainly set forth Gentiles neither are the Iewes any where called strangers yet some vnderstand the conuerted Iewes onely Touching these words In the sanctification of the spirit and to obedience Oecumen in 1 Pet. and sprinkling of Christs bloud Some referre all this according to the fore-knowledge of God the Father in the sanctification of the spirit c. vnto Peter an Apostle holding that the other words To the elect strangers in Pontus c. came in by a Parenthesis And he called himselfe an Apostle according to the fore-knowledge of God the Father to shew that though in time he were after the Prophets yet in Gods decree he was not And he saith that he was an Apostle in the sanctification of the spirit that is to segregate the beleeuing amongst the Gentiles from other heathen people by the spirit sanctifying them to the obedience of the Gospell and to the purging of their sinnes by his bloud and to the making of them willing to haue their bloud shed for his sake which is also intimated here And whereas we reade it Pontus and Galatia he readeth Galatia of Pontus holding that it is so set forth to distinguish this Galatia from that in France Hitherto Oecumenius But I follow rather the common streame referring these words vnto the elect strangers Note Note that we haue not attained to the Christian profession by the liberty of our owne will but it is of God who did long before euen from eternity know vs and appoint that his holy Gospell should be professed amongst vs. Note againe Note that holinesse and obedience vnto God are most necessary for all Christian people neither doe any come to the sprinkling of Christs bloud but in holinesse and righteousnesse The true Christian is elect in the sanctification of the spirit c. and therefore it is as vaine for prophane men to looke to be blessed by the Gospell as for Esau to looke for the blessing of his Father Isaac when he had prophanely contemned his birth-right As for the Verses following vnto the 10. they are easie to be vnderstood Vers 3. he calleth the hope vnto which we are begotten a liuely hope because we doe not hope for things that perish which are dead things as it were Tho. Aquinâ— but for euerlasting life and our hope is liuely and not as presumption where the life and power of grace is wanting and the life that we hope to rise vnto is by the resurrection of Iesus Christ for his arising againe giueth vs this hope that we shall rise also vers 8. He calleth their ioy wherewith they reioyce vnspeakable and glorious Aug. tract 86. in Iohan. Augustine mentioning this place readeth it quem cùm videritis exultabitis gandio memorabili honorato and the vulgar Latine With ioy vnspeakable and glorified which the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will well beare Thomas Aquinas followeth Augustine in the future tense but if it bee in the present as the word is or in the future it is all one for that ioy which shall be vnspeakably glorious is now begunne in the faithfull before they see it CHAP. 1. VER 10 11 12. Concerning which saluation the Prophets enquired and searched who prophesied of the grace giuen vnto vs. Vers 11. Searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ that was in them did signifie c. Because he had spoken of the saluation of the soule Oecumen in 1 Pet. 1. a thing not heard of almost in times past hee bringeth in the Prophets that long agoe made search about it Daniel for his inquiring was called a man of desires They searched what time that is the time to come at the end of the world and what manner of time that is the time after many captiuities wherein they might be fit to receiue the mystery of the Gospell The Spirit signified the Passions of Christ by Esay 53. and Ieremy 11. and the glory to follow Hos 6. We shall rise againe the third day and liue in his sight And these things hee saith were reuealed vnto them not for themselues but for vs that they might not set light by them or neglect them being now preached For if the Prophets tooke paines to search into them and to set them forth not for their owne but for the benefit of posterity it were a most vnworthy part for posterity to neglect their labours herein The which things the Angels desire to behold that is before they were accomplished they desired to see them fulfilled and therefore reioyced
and fung at their accomplishment Glory to God on high c. The doubts of this place are first Mayer Whether the Prophets attained to the foreknowledge of things to come by searching or studying because he saith they searched into these things and so prophesied of them Answ It was by inspiration doubtlesse Answ that they prophesied which was the immediate illumination of the Spirit but they first prayed and desired to be herein inlightened as wee reade that Daniel did Dan. 10.11 and Esdras and the faithfull assembled Acts 1. There is also a search by comparing Scriptures together and by arguing Note Dan. 9. This commendeth studying and praying to be inlightened in the mysteries of saluation to those that desire to know them Chrysostome affirmeth that where diligence is wanting in man Chrys Hom. 31. in Gen. God will not from aboue inlighten the minde in the knowledge of his truth Secondly What is meant by the grace reuealed vnto them of which they prophesied Ans It was the grace of the redemption of man by Christ Answ his Incarnation Death Resurrection and Glory that followed as is partly more expressed vers 11. Thirdly What is meant by the spirit speaking in the Prophets of Christs Passions and following glory and where these things are spoken of and whether after that they were inspired to speake of these things they were still to seeke touching the time and what is meant by what and what manner of time Ans Some say Answ Glos Ord. That by the Spirit of Christ the Angels that came and declared things to the Prophets are set forth Some either the Angels or the holy Ghost Beda Hugo But the truest and most generally receiued is that the holy Ghost is here meant who is peculiarly called the Spirit of Christ Oecumen Tho. Aquin. c. because he dwelt in him as hee was Man and proceeded from him as God Oecumenius sheweth the Trinity here the Spirit of Christ here Christ is set forth to be God and the third person of the Trinity the Spirit is mentioned and vers 12. where hee is said to be sent from Heauen the Father is set forth Touching the places where Christs Passions are spoken of looke backe to Occumenius and there are many more which are easie to be found out For both Christ vrged the Iewes to reade Moses Ioh. 5.39 Luk. 24.25 speaking of him and instructed the two Disciples going to Emmaus out of Moses and the Prophets see 1 Cor. 15.4 Act. 3.24 Act. 10.43 Rom. 1.1 Touching the time when Christ should come all the Prophets that prophesied of Christ vnderstood it not either when it should bee or in what manner of state the common wealth of the Iewes should then be whether in peace or warre in liberty or captiuity some knew it as it seemeth Dan. 9.24 Iaacob Gen. 49.10 Esa 2.4 Mic. 4.1 and others by searching and disceptation might attaine to the knowledge of it also Lib. 3. Generat Adae c 8. Gen. 3. Arias Montanus saith that the first occasion of this search was the Promise that the feed of the woman should breake the Serpents head Therefore Eue called her first sonnes name Cain Possession supposing that he was the seed which should bring this benefit into the possession of posterity but the next Abel Vanity as vnfit for such a worke and thus Seth was named and Noe and Abram and Shem c. all hauing names that imply an expectation of some notable thing expected by them Note The. Aquinas prolog in Psal Note that it is to be reiected as an herefie that of Theodorus Mapsuestiensis condemned in the Constantinopolitan Councell that nothing is expresly spoken of Christ in the old Testament for there are all things long agoe set forth and nothing more is in the new Testament but what is grounded vpon the old Fourthly what is meant was reuealed vnto them when he saith vers 12. Vers 12. To whom it was reuealed that they ministered those things not vnto themselues c. The Syriacke Interpreter readeth it thus And was reuealed vnto theÌ„ euery thing that they searched Didym de Spi. Sanct. And Didymus readeth it Wherein it was reuealed But the right reading followed by all others is this And that they vnderstood that the Prophesies which they set forth touching Christ should not take effect in their daies but long after is plaine Hab. 2.3 Esay 2.4 Ezech. 12.22 27. Esay 28.10 13. Mich. 4.1 c. Touching the holy Ghost said to be sent from Heauen this was certainly done at the Feast of Pentecost and doth notably serue to expresse the vnity of the Spirit by which the Prophets anciently and the Apostles more lately spake Lastly how the Angels are said to desire to looke into these things The Latine translation is in quem into whom as if it were meant that the Angels desired to looke into the Holy Ghost mentioned before But all Greeke Expositors reade it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into which things so also the Syriacke and Cyril Alexand and Ephrem Didymus and Ireneus The things that they desire to looke into then are the mysteries of our saluation to behold which they stoope downe as it were for the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is vsed that Ioh. 20.5 of the Disciple Iam. 1.25 that came and stooped to looke into that part of the Sepulchre where Iesus was laid Cyril Alexand. serm de eo quòd verbum caro fit These Mysteries the very Angels are said to desire to looke into partly for the delight that they take herein according to Cyril Alexan. and partly because when the Incarnation Death Resurrection and Ascension of Christ were acted such things touching our saluation were made manifest vnto them as they did not so fully vnderstand before Eph. 3.10 1 Tim. 3.16 and herewith they desired to bee acquainted that they might declare them vnto men Beza annot the phrase vsed to expresse their intent looking into these things being an allusion to the Cherubins placed in the Arke so as that they did alwaies looke towards the mercy seat Exod. 25.20 Origen Hom. â—1 in Num. Origen saith That they desired to looke into these things and to set them forth for our saluation lest they should come short of men which might turne to their iudgement Some thinke that by the Angels are meant the euill angels as Didymus sheweth and Clemens Alexan. but they reiect it Some say That the Angels desire to see Christ in their nature Philip. Solitarius as he hath taken vpon him the nature of man that their nature might be adored by vs in him as ours is now by them not that they can hope that euer it shall be thus but to expresse the great benefit redounding to man by Christs Incarnation I subscribe to that which expoundeth these words of the Angels delighting to looke into these mysteries euen as a man loueth to looke vpon that againe
Dan. 3. And be ready to make answer that is be so acquainted with the word of God as that thou maist be able by plaine sentences our of it to iustifie the truth and yet doe it with meeknesse and feare not imitating the aduersary in railing speeches and considering that when thou art best prouided with sentences of Scripture thy memory may either faile thee or the deuill by art and cunning brought to elude thy places may as it were wrest thy weapon out of thy hand in feare and reuerence depend vpon God who must put into thy mouth what to say at that time Wherefore it is necessary that euery one get by heart some plaine sentences of Scripture whereupon our faith is founded and not rest vpon the Church thinking it sufficient to beleeue as the Church beleeueth or by humane reason to defend the doctrine of our faith as the Papists teach to iustifie their shutting vp of the Scriptures froÌ„ the reading of the lay people But this was a notable cunning of the deuill to make a way for their Priests to teach any thing though neuer so grosse when the people being ignorant of the Scriptures could nor contradict them herein and to make the Priests themselues to neglect the reading of the Scriptures which by the liberty of the Scriptures they should haue been inforced to reade diligently lest some of the Laity should oppose them in their errours Because it is an vsuall thing for the godly to suffer at the hands of the wicked Mayer it may seeme a paradox which is here deliuered No man will hurt you if ye be followers of that which is good But it hath beene well resolued that the hard measure offered to Christians by persecutors is no hurt vnto them Chrysostome in that Homily intituled Corysost Hom. Nemo laeditur nisi à seipso Nemo laeditur nisi à seipso 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath notably declared the truth of this willing Olympias his friend to whom he sent it to reade it ouer daily and if he could to run it by heart Losses saith he pouerty reproches bands banishments or seruitude or any other thing that we count euill cannot hurt vs because they touch not the Orthodox opinion concerning God or vertue or the soule the seat of these vnto which they are an ornament and true good They onely are hurt that doe hurt and not they which seeme to be hurt vnlesse they will hurt themselues through their impotency of minde and impatieÌ„ce * Nulla nocebit tibi aduersâ—â— as si nâ—lla domâ—netur in teiniquitas Psal 139.2 Aug. Serm. 107. de diuersis Tu noli tibâ— essemalus libert te Deus à te Quando â—nim Deus gratia misericordia sua de malo faâ—at te bonam vnâ—e te liberat nisi à terpso homine maâ—â— omnino fratâ—es meiâ— hoc veâ—â—m ioâ—â—â—erin est bec sixum si Deus te liberauit a teipso homine malo nibiâ— tibi nocâ—bit quasquis suerit in te alius homo malus It is a true saying None aduersity will hurt thee if none iniquity reigneth in thee And that of S. August of that prayer of Dauid Lord deliuer me from the euill man Be not thou euill to thy selfe let God deliuer thee from thy selfe for when God by his grace mercy of euill maketh thee good whence doth he deliuer thee but from thy selfe an euill man And if God hath deliuered thee from thy selfe being euill nothing shall hurt thee whatsoeuer another euill man doth vnto thee Touching the place alledged out of Esay 8.11 13. it hath beene sufficiently resolued already as concerning the not fearing of their feare and for sanctifying the Lord in our hearts Luther hath spoken fully It is the same in effect with that Matth. 10.28 Feare not him that can kill the body and then can goe no further but feare him that can destroy body and soule in hell fire Feare not their feare is feare not them that can kill the body sanctifie the Lord in your hearts is feare him that can destroy body and soule in hell fire let the dread and feare of him be so in you as that ye may not be ouer-much troubled with any other feare For the best may haue some feare of men as * Paraphrasicald Iusium quâ—â—quid acciderit non conusâ—at Metâ—s tangi potesâ— sed non perturbaâ—i Prou. 12.21 Hugo Ioseph had of Archelaus but he feareth not man ouermuch according to the paraphrase No accident can make the iust man sad hee may be touched with feare but not troubled as the Lord hath said Let not your hearts be troubled neither feare yee Iohn 14.1 27. Touching the apologie which we must be ready to make to euery one that asketh some thinke that it was meant of the dispersion of the Iewes which were Christians if any did question with them about this iudgement vpon them or else that it is meant of all that come to baptisme it being required that they should be able to giue account of their faith But it is plainly meant of that defence of the truth which euery one should be able to make when by the aduersaries of the truth they were required hereunto whensoeuer they should see that their apology and the opening of the mysteries of Christianity might doe good Otherwise that rule is to be followed Matth. 7. Cast not pearles before swine c. and as we are to vse patience in suffering so we are to defend our cause with meeknesse not with vâ—le and insolent speeches against our opposers because we haue the truth on our side This is the common course generally to be followed euery one to labour to be furnished at the least with some generall arguments to confirme the truth though the Apostles being extraordinary persons needed not to make any such preparation Chrysost Hom. 24. in Matth. Matth. 10.19 And thus Chrysostome reconcileth this with that of our Sauiour Take no thought what to say this is spoken saith he to shew what the vertue of the spirit was in those extraordinary times not that we should not doe what we can to arme our selues against the combat when as euen out of the case of danger euen the most eloquent and wise being vnprepared become speechlesse in disputation Note Note that the onely sure way to bâ—â—reseured from all that might hurt vs is to liue innocently and not to hurt others by word or deed no not being prouoked for if any shall offer to doe any thing in this case against vs they hurt themselues and not vs and further our blessednesse Note againe Note that a man may be vilely intreated outwardly beaten imprisoned and tormented and yet not hurt hereby as all that suffer wrongfully being patient and therefore no outward sufferings should moue vs they are things not to be feared by a Christian Quid homo hominem timeat in sinu Dei positus saith Augustine Note lastly
Note that it concerneth euery one be he learned or vnlearned to reade and studie vpon the holy Scriptures that he may not be to seeke in his answers about the doctrine of faith Hom. 16. in Iohan when he is required thereunto Chrysostome doth sharply reproue Christians that labour not for knowledge that they may vnderstand the reason of the Christian faith alleaging how Artificers will fight in the defence of their profession and the Gentiles will argue strongly for their superstition and against the Christian religion and yet hee saith that many Christians are so ignorant that they cannot giue an answer what the Trinity is what the resurrection or why Christ was incarnate at such a time And lastly he refuteth that tenent that a simple soule is blessed that is one that is ignorant and knoweth nothing Oh how contrary to this is the teaching of the Papists at this day who commend ignorance and speake against reading of the Scriptures as most dangerous CHAP. 3. VERS 18 19 c. Being put to death in the flesh but quickened in the spirit Vers 19 Wherein he went preached to the spirits in prison which had sometime beene disobedient when once the long-suffering of God waited in the daies of Noah c. As Christ was both God and man so he dyed as man Occumen in 1 Pet. 3. and as God rose againe to deliuer vs from death and corruption For he was raised by the power of his deity to shew that we shal rise againe raising vp the bodies of many that were dead also for our further confirmation herein In which he went c. Here is shewed how the benefit of his passion extended to the vniust not onely liuing but dead long before because hee had said He suffered the iust for the vniust Wherein therefore is as much as for which cause that there might redound benefit from him to such as were dead long before as well as to the liuing namely to so many as liued well and would haue beene ready to embrace the faith of Christ if hee had come amongst them hee went and preached to them that they might bee deliuerd by him And that it might appeare that there haue beene alwaies meanes of comming to faith and obedience so that the condemnation of the vnfaithfull is iust he maketh mention of Noah who was long agoe euen almost from the beginning by whom they might haue beene conuerted And hauing spoken of the Arke and those that were in it saued by the waters he applieth it vnto Baptisme for as the waters then drowned the wicked world but those that fled into the Arke were preserued so by baptisme the wicked and vnbeleeuing deuils are drowned but the faithfull are saued as water washeth away the filthines of the flesh so baptisme cleanseth the soule in a mysticall and wonderfull manner and it is called the interrogation of a good conscience towards God because they only which apply their minds to an holy life are wont to make questions and to seeke vnto God by what meanes they may be saued and so vnderstanding that baptisme is the meanes they haue recourse thereunto Christ is said to haue died once it being implied Th. Aquinas Gorran Glos Ordin that hee shall die no more against those heretikes that held that he suffered in the aire for the deuils after that he had done suffering here vpon earth and to rouze vp the secure from sinne because if now after that Christ hath suffered they liue in sinne there will be no more redemption for them Mortificatos car ne vtuificatos autem spirtus seeing Christ dieth no more That he might offer vs vp vnto God being quickened in the spirit that is either the holy Ghost or our spirit because the true Christian dieth to the flesh but liueth to the spirit In which he went that is in a spirituall manner by internall inspiration euen before that he was incarnate preaching by Noah by his Angels whom he vsed as his Mâ—nisters to declare his will in those times To those that were in prison that is of the flesh of sin errour according to that Ps 141. Take my soule out of prison in one translation therefore it is To them that were shut vp in the flesh When they expected Gods patience that is thinking that God would still with patience beare with them They were saued by the water because the water lifted vp the Arke and eight persons are mentioned as alluding to him that should rise againe the eighth day and to the time of the generall resurrection which some thinke shall be vpon the same day Baptisme is like vnto the Arke and so is tribulation through which a Christian must goe in diuers things First The Arke was made of boords hallowed so the Church consisteth of persons afflicted Secondly The Arke was of incorruptible wood so are Christians such as will not be corrupted Thirdly They that were saued in the Arke were saued by Noah signifying rest so the Church is saued by Christ Fourthly Out of the Arke none were saued so neither out of the Church Fiftly The waters being increased the Arke was borne vp higher so the Church grew greater by tribulations But the Baptisme that saueth is not any Baptisme for there is no such thing in the Iewes baptizings or in Iohns baptisme or in that of heretikes in which there is onely water but not the spirit but the baptisme vsed in the true Church wherein the Minister demandeth whether he beleeueth and renounceth the deuill c. exacting a pure conscience in him that commeth to be baptized which good conscience tendeth to God and he that comming with such a conscience is baptized Iuther in 1 Peter 3. is saued by the resurrection of Iesus Christ that is exemplariter rising from sinne to vertue as he rose againe Rom. 6. Christ is said to be put to death in the flesh when the man Christ died vpon the Crosse his naturall faculties ceasing he not liuing by meat and drinke and rest any more as is vsuall amongst men that are liuing here And he was quickned in the spirit that is was raised vp againe to a spirituall life wherein he liueth for euer both in soule and body And liuing this life now he preacheth not vocally as hee did but spiritually when his Apostles and other Ministers preach being spiritually present with them vnto the end of the world The spirits vnto which he is said to preach are they that were sometime disobedient in the daies of Noah not that they precisely are meant but such as they were for when hee preacheth in wardly to mens hearts and spirits now hee may well be said to preach to the spirits in prison because some are such as they that now are in prison were so that they are in the number of rebellious spirits to whom it is daily preached Here is therefore a Synecdoche whereby the part is put for the whole The eight
sure word of prophesie to which ye doe well that yee take heed as to a light shining in a darke place vntill the day be light and the day-starre arise in your hearts c. He saith Oecumen in 2 Pet. 1. that we haue the word of prophesie the more sure not because there was any prophesie before of this voice that came from heauen but because by that voice comming from the Father we are confirmed touching those things that were prophesied of the Sonne by the Prophets long agoe and doe without question conclude that all their prophesying is most certaine and stable But this prophesying he saith was then a light shining in a darke or nasty place till the Sun-beames came by Christ to inlighten the world and this is the daies growing light through that knowledge which we attaine vnto vnder the Gospell And if any man shall say But why did not the Prophets expound and make more plaine what they prophesied for so a great light might haue beene giuen long before he addeth they prophesied as they were moued by the Spirit of God neither were there prophesies of any priuate interpretation so that howsoeuer they vnderstood what they prophesied yet they were not to explaine their prophesies to others seeing that the Spirit moued them not to this but to leaue them darke for others to study vpon them till the time of light should come There is nothing of difficulty betwixt the former Text and this Mayer for when Peter speaketh of his departure hence and of the Lords forewarning him hereof he meaneth that forewarning Iohn 21.19 and his being present to see Christs glory and to heare the voyce of the Father from Heauen was Matth. 17. Touching the present Text Luther Luther saith that the prophesie is called firmer because we haue no such Prophets now as were then Faber Stapul Faber by firmer vnderstandeth most firme and taketh it not as spoken comparatiuely preferring old prophesies for certainty before the present preaching of the Apostles than which nothing can be more certaine Or else he calleth it firmer in respect of the knowledge what was meant thereby by the illumination of the holy Ghost the Apostles had not a coniecturall prophesie as others that conceiued erroneously thereof but more firme because they were sure that thus vnderstood it was true The. Aquinas and Gorran say Tho. Aquin Gorran that the prophesie touching Christ of old by Dauid Psal 2. Thou art my Sonne this day haue I begotten thee is said to be more firme in respect of the Iewes who beleeued the Prophets rather than the Apostles Beza also consenteth with this Beza but rather would haue the comparatiue here vsed taken for the superlatiue most firme So likewise Beda and Gagneus and Lyra and Augustine also The authority of the old Prophets was such Aug. serm 27. de verb. apost ca. 4. Quis nostrum non miretur certiorem Propheticum sermonem dici quà m vox de Coelo Certiorem dixit non meliorem non veriorem Quid est ergo certiorem in quo magis confirmetur auditor Quare hoc Quoniam sunt homines infideles qui sic detrahunt Christo vt dicant eum magicis artibus fecisse quae fecit Possent ergo infideles etiam istam vocem delatam de Coelo per coniecturas humanas illicitas curiositates ad magicam artem referre Sed Prophetae ante fuere Si ergo magicis artibus fecit vt coleretur nunquid magus erat antequam natus as that it had beene a long time receiued for certaine and great reuerence was giuen thereunto both by Iewes and Gentiles euer since the translation of the old Testament by the 72 at the appointment of Ptolomee Philadelphus King of Aegypt And to this exposition as the most genuine doe I subscribe For if Peter had meant a most firme prophesie hee would haue spoken in the superlatiue not in the comparatiue degree and to say that there are no such Prophets vnder the new Testament as were vnder the old is without all ground seeing they had the same spirit Lastly this is not spoken against those that erroneously interpreted the Prophets but for further confirmation of those that would not so readily receiue any thing lately done or said because they suspected fraud whom he therefore referreth to the Prophets not only in this particular vttered by the voyce from Heauen but in all other things concerning the Messiah Touching the words following the words translated in a darke place are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a squalide filthy place such as this world is by reason of the great corruption in it Oecumen Oecumenius seemeth to vnderstand it as spoken with reference to former times And it is one exposition brought by Faber Faber Stapul that the old Law is a shadow and figure darkly setting forth the mysteries of Christ vntill the day of the new Law by the comming of Christ waxeth light and the day-starre of the Sunne of righteousnesse that is the Gospell arise in their hearts they being conuerted vnto it and thus Luther Beza Piscator c. vnderstand it also Faber hath also another exposition whereby the day of iudgement or the great light after that time to those that are glorified is vnderstood by the day waxing light and the day-starre arising for then we shall know as we are knowne and all the light of Prophets and Apostles here is but like a Candle in a darke place in comparison of that most glorious light Thus S. * August serm 237. de temp In die ambulamus comparat infidelium comparat verò illius diei in qua resurgent mortui adhuc nox sumus Augustine vnderstandeth it as it seemeth by these words of his We walke in the day in respect of Infidels but in respect of that day when the dead shall rise we are yet night and so he reconcileth Paul and Peter whereas Rom. 13.12 he saith The night is past and the day is come But Peter here speaketh of the day as to come And in another place he saith further * Aug. Tract 35. in Iohan. Tunc praesenti tali die lucernae non erunt necessariae non legetur nobis Propheta non aperietur codex Apostoli non requiretur testimonium Iohannis non ipso indigebimus Euangelio Omnes Scripturae tollentur de medio quae nobis in huins saeculi nocte tanquam lucernae accendebantur Tho. Aquin. in speaking of the discouering of all things at the day of iudgemēt when that day commeth light shall not be needfull the Prophets shall not be read nor the booke of the Apostles opened the testimony of Iohn shall not be required we shall not need the Gospell all Scriptures shall be taken away which as lights haue beene set vp in the night of this world To this exposition subscribeth Prosper and Tho. Aquinas Gorran and Gagneus and many more Yet Tho. Aquinas distinguisheth betwixt the
manner of persons we are that abuse vs as namely that wee are Citizens of Heauen reckoned to the Countrey aboue and fellowes of the Cherubims So also Wisd 5.3 4 5. Secondly how it is said It appeareth not yet what we shall be hath not God set forth in his word the vnspeakable glory and felicity to come I answer with Thomas that though it be set forth yet the glorious and happy estate of Gods children appeareth not now but they liue after a poore and contemptible fashion which is the cause that the world maketh no reckoning of this Sonne-ship Thirdly wherein shall wee be like vnto God and what knowledge shall wee haue of him and how doth this proue that we shall be like vnto him because we shall know him To the first it is commonly answered that wee shall be like vnto him in heauenly glory euen as children doe partake of the glory of their father as Oecumenius speaketh Oecumen Scholia Graeca the minde being sanctified and inlightened and the body being glorified as the body of the Lord Iesus Phil. 3 20. August To the second some as Thomas Aquinas say that we shall see his essence but others deny this affirming that we shall see him onely in his qualities being pure as he is pure and being iust wee shall behold him iust Oecumen Faber Stapul Beza as Oecumenius But I assent rather to those that expound this of seeing the Lord Iesus Christ in his glory and the maiesty of God the Father for now we see onely darkly and as it were in a glasse as we are capable but then being present with him wee shall immediatly behold his glory And this very beholding of him present doth argue that wee shall be like vnto him because this seeing of him is not granted to any but to the children of God who are holy as he is holy For Mat. 5. Esa 26.10 according to the 70. blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God And let the wicked be taken away saith the Prophet that they may not see the glory of God Note Note that wicked men that make no reckoning of the state of grace are so farre from being true Christians that they know not what a Christian is they know not Christ for did they but know they would admire and be in loue with this condition whereas now they despise it and vilipend the children of God and beare an hatred against them Note againe Note that the glory of the faithfull shall be the highest degree of glory like vnto that of God himselfe we shall bee present where the glory of his Maiesty doth most appeare To heare of him and to behold him in his Word and workes must suffice vs whilst we are in this world and for such as liued then to see God in the flesh but the time shall come when we shall behold him immediatly The present comfort in God and ioy in the holy Ghost is nothing in comparison of that comfort which we shall haue CHAP. 3. VER 5. Ye know that he was manifested to take away our sinnes and in him is no sinne Vers 6. Whosoeuer abideth in him finneth not c. Seeing Christ came into the world to destroy sinne Oecumen in 1 Iohn 3. we that are borne of him and confirmed in the Faith of him may not sinne any more He that abideth in him is said not to sinne because he neuer ceaseth from the exercise of vertue He that doth sinne is said to be of the Deuill not he that hath done sin because when a man hath repented him he is no longer of the Deuill The workes of the Deuill are sinnes which God hauing a care of his came into this world to destroy To commit sinne vers 9. is to admit of sinne in the minde and will so the children of God cannot sinne that is will to sinne in any thing They commit not wickednesse voluntarily and purposely or by yeelding to corruption till they be subdued and brought into seruitude hereby There is but little difference here amongst other Expositors from this of Oecumenius Mayer The Sonne of God was manifested Tho. Aquinas Tollit dimittendo sacta adiuuando ne fiant ducendo ad vitam vbi omnino siâ—ri nequeunt saith Thomas Aquinas when he tooke flesh to take away our sinnes that is by forgiuing them being commited by helping vs against sinne that we commit it not and by bringing to such a life as where sinne cannot bee committed any more and therefore he is thrice said to bee the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Faber Stapul Faber saith that he tooke away sinne by destroying the seed of the Deuill sowne in Adam at the beginning and growing vp in his of-spring euen vntill Christ who was without all sinne which if he had not done none could haue remained in God But he being a seed contrary to the seed of the Deuill destroied it which is darknesse and would haue made otherwise that we could not haue beene in God who is light He also inferreth the sanctity of the mother of Christ affirming her to be without sinne or else shee could not haue brought forth such seed contrary to the seed of the Deuill But by the same reason her father and mother must haue beene without sinne also and consequently the Line of which shee was descended I hold with Faber that Christs taking away of our sinnes here spoken of is by the grace and vertue of his Spirit sanctifying vs to leade an holy life for by the comming of Christ the Spirit of grace is communicated more plentifully the man Christ being as it were the head of the spring where the Spirit rested and we the chanels into which it floweth whereas in times past though the faithfull amongst the Iewes were not destitute of the Spirit yet they being but a handfull in comparison of the rest of the world the bestowing hereof was not so notable and few there were that were deliuered from their sinnes According to this sense it agreeth best with the words following therefore they which are in Christ sinne not seeing that in him there is no sinne yea he came into the world to take away our sinnes A like place vnto this is Rom. 8.3 And so I come to the greater question arising both from hence and from the next words wherein the regenerate are said not to sinne neither can they sinne In what sense doth hee thus often so much pressing it also speake of our immunity from sinne seeing there is no man liuing that sinneth not It is agreed by all that the regenerate sinneth not purposely or by the sinne of infidelity or so farre forth as he is borne of God Tho. Aquinas or he sinneth not vnto the end for all these expositions are mentioned by Thomas Aquinas It seemeth to me to be most plaine that trading in sinne is only meant here The true
by the Spirit because there is great deceit in spirits hee exhorteth here not to beleeue euery spirit but to try them whether they be of God or no shewing the meanes of triall v. 1 2 3. And that it might appeare that he had no suspition of their being deceiued hee affirmeth them to be of God and that he with the rest of the Apostles were of God whereby hee proueth againe that the false Antichristian teachers who heard them not were not led by the good Spirit of God but by an ill spirit of error vers 4 5 6. And considering that both they that heard and they that taught them were of God he exhorteth them to mutuall loue as they must needs doe that are all of God seeing God is loue vers 7 8. which is proued both from a singular act of his loue and the time when hee loued vs vers 9 10. And hereupon he exhorteth againe to loue arguing from our loue our being in God though we haue not seene him vers 12 13. And then he reflecteth againe vpon that which he spake of before touching the triall of spirits by this hee that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God This he saith that they the Apostles were eye-witnesses of and that they which beleeue it remaine in God vers 14 15. whom againe he affirmeth to be loue and so sheweth what confidence a man may haue and how voâ—d of feare hee may bee that hath loue vers 16 17 18. And lastly for a proofe of our loue of God he saith that this appeareth by the loue of our neighbour whom hauing seene if we loue him not we cannot loue God whom we haue not seene vers 20 21. 1 IOHN Chapter 4. Verse 2. Euery Spirit that confesseth Iesus Christ to haue come in the flesh is of God Vers 3. Euery spirit that confesseth not c. this is the spirit of Antichrist which ye haue heard that it commeth and it is euen now in the world BY the Spirit here the Doctrine is commonly vnderstood Mayer to confesse that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is to teach rightly both his humane and diuine nature Beza according to Beza his humane because he came in the flesh and his diuine because he came implieth one from whom he came that is the Father with whom he was from the beginning Oecumenius and Th. Aquinas expound confessing here not only in word but in deed and in life wherein this is confessed when a man is mortified vnto sinne but Beza more rightly vnderstandeth it more restrainedly of Doctrine only Euery one in this spirituall office of teaching that is sound in the doctrine touching Christ Iesus is of God The spirit here is he that pretendeth the spirit Piscator according to Piscator and to confesse that Iesus is come in the flesh is to teach truly touching the diuinity and humanity and touching the end of Christs comming into the world to deliuer vs from our sinnes as the very name Iesus doth imply so that in these few words is comprehended the whole Doctrine of the Gospell The obseruation of Thomas Aquinas is witty Tho. Aquinas to confesse hath in it a word con signifying together whereby is implied that it must be both in word and deed that Christ must be acknowledged but there may as well be vse of this conioining word to set forth the tongue and the heart agreeing in one He that confesseth not the vulgar Latine hath it he that solueth Iesus but all confesse that in the Greeke it is as wee reade it This cannot be referred to the denying of Christ in deeds for so euen the best doe sometimes because their life is not alwaies in all things so squared according to rule but to deny Christ in Doctrine is the thing meant here Now hee is not said to deny Christ thus only that flatly denieth Iesus the Sonne of Mary to be the Sonne of God and the Sauiour of the world but he which denieth the truth and teacheth falsly in any Article of faith according to Saint Augustine Aug. ser 31. de verb. Apostoli Ea tenus omnis haereticus Christum in carne venisse negat quantum libet fateri videatur quatenus aliquid sentit quod repugnans Chrisio esse conuincitur Simon Magus Menander Ebion Cerinthus Epiphan Haeres 30. Iren. lib. 1. c. 26. For euery Heretike saith he denieth Christ to haue come in the flesh though in word he confesseth it when he holdeth any thing that is proued repugnant vnto Christ And so this passage was very pertinent to those times wherein there were some that taught most wickedly concerning Christ As Simon Magus Menander his Scholler who taught himselfe to be God that to the old world he appeared by the name of the Father to the Iewes by the name of the Sonne and to the Gentiles of the holy Ghost Ebion who taught that Christ was begotten by the coniunction of Ioseph and Mary And Cerinthus who taught likewise that Christ came of Ioseph and Mary but he was at the first but Iesus and by the comming downe of the holy Ghost in his baptisme he became Christ also for he held God the holy Ghost to be Christ Now hee saith that the spirit whereby they were led was the spirit of Antichrist which should come and then was come that is in his forerunners who were led by the same spirit of error and did so neerely resemble him as I haue already shewed 1 Ioh. 2.18 Note Note that the Pope of Rome is not hereby freed from being the Antichrist because he doth not flatly deny Christ for no man in Saint Iohns time against whom he writeth did so but onely they taught erroniously touching Christ and hereupon he concludeth against them that Antichrist was then come For as much then as the Pope teacheth things contrary to Christ he doth in effect deny Iesus Christ to be come in the flesh and so is Antichrist For he denieth him to be an all-sufficient Sauiour whilst he teacheth satisfaction by acts of penance and the merit of workes and to haue had a true humane body because he teacheth such a body as is in a thousand places at once CHAP. 4. VERS 8. He that loueth not knoweth not God for God is loue Vers 16. He that abideth in loue abideth in God and God in him for God is loue c. From these words to the end of the Chapter the Apostle treateth onely of one thing Mayer viz. loue and therefore taking all together for one Text the first doubt occurring is how God is said to be loue August Quaestiune de Trinit Saint Augustine saith because power is properly attributed to the Father wisdome to the Sonne and loue to the holy Ghost therefore as the Father is said to be the Almighty the Sonne is called the wisdome of the Father and the holy Ghost loue P. Lombard 1 dist 32.
to hinder the proceedings of the Gospel These six visions are not a continued prophecie of things to come which shall in such order succeed one another for most of them doe extend to the end of the world but like vnto a Tragedy wherein the fame things are diuersly acted For so what is represented in the first vision here by one appearance is represented againe againe in others by other appearances the first setting things forth more obscurely the other more plainly and this iteration is made for more assurance as Peter saw a sheet let downe from heauen three times And as in a Tragedie in euery scene there is musicke to giue the more content and to delight the mindes of the spectatours so in these visions there is singing and praising of God These visions yet doe not all of them set forth the whole period of time to the end of the world nor the same occurrences within the compasse of the same time which one setteth forth with another but one some most remarkable matters and another others happening in that time Foure of them are vniuersall containing the whole time the first Chap. 4 5 6 7. the second Chap. 8 9 10.11 the third Chap. 12 13 14. and the sixt Chap. 20 21 22. The other two are particular because they serue to set forth onely the two last parts of the whole time which is diuided into soure First containing the time of the Churches wrestling and flourishing vnder the persecutions of heathen Emperours till Constantine the great The second the time of reigning and growing corrupt till the arising of Antichrist The third the time of Antichrists oppression till the two witnesses The fourth the time of Antichrists ruine and vtter destruction And these two last times only are handled in the fourth and fifth of these Propheticall visions the one setting forth the destruction of Antichrist vnder seuen vials chap. 15 16. and the other by casting him into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone chap. 17 18 19. And thus he sheweth that Nicolaus Collado before him vnderstood these visions and S. Augustine giueth an hint of it when as he saith that S. Iohn doth repeat the same things many wayes Lib. 20. de ci◠Dei cap. 17. as was touched before The same method almost is set forth by Gorran but others take it for a continued prophesie to the end of the world of things orderly succeeding one another For mine owne part hauing seriously considered that in these foure vniuersall visions it is still ended with the end of all things the euerlasting torments of the wicked and the ioyes of the godly which end is but one so that it must needs bee granted that this is diuers times repeated I doe not see how this method of Pareus can be excepted against or any other well iustified and therfore do suscribe hereunto and wish all others well to weigh it and I doubt not but they shall finde so great light to be giuen into the ensuing Prophesie as that they will acknowledge much help to the vnderstāding of many things to be afforded euen by this method Vers 9. I hasten now to the 9. verse Quest What was this Patmos how came Iohn thither Ans It is one of the Cyclad Ilands of the Aegean sea Plin. l. 4. c. 12. thirty thousand paces in compasse according to Pliny Others contend to haue it an Iland of the Icarian sea as Strabo Strab. l. 14. others say it is the same which is now called Possidium as Munster but which soeuer it was a desolate place hauing but few inhabitants How Iohn came there is intimated here Euseb l. 1. c. 34. Ieron Catal. and by Eusebius and Ierome expressed he was banished thither by Domitian in the fourteenth yeere of his Empire Tertullian saith that hee was first taken by the Gouernour of Asia at Ephesus Lib. de praescript and sent to Rome where Domitian commanded him to bee put into boyling oyle in derision of the Christian name which is taken from oyle but comming forth againe without any hurt he was banished into this Iland from whence hee was released againe vnder Nerua and returned to Ephesus Quest What meaneth he Vers 10. when he saith he was in the spirit vpon the Lords day Answ It is agreed by all that hereby is meant that he saw not the things following with his bodily eyes but being in a transe the Spirit reuealing them to him his soule being for the time taken out of his bodie and carried away with the Lord to behold them as the old Prophets and Peter and Paul were The Lords day The Lords day was the time wherein Christ arose from death and therefore obserued amongst Christians for their holy assemblies as the Sabbath was by the Iewes And as the resurrection and appearings of Christ vpon this day so this Reuelation at the same time maketh not a little for the honouring of this day Wherefore the Apostles appointed the assembling together vpon this day 1 Cor. 16. and it hath beene euer since obserued accordingly Onely some will not haue it kept with strict resting as the Iewes were commanded of old but only with comming together to the worship of God as Beza vpon this place accounting it a bondage brought vpon Christians when strict resting was by Constantine commanded and by other Emperours after But it may plainely bee gathered both from Chrysostome and Augustine that they held a cessation then necessarie from all worldly affaires of our callings Augustine saith Serm. 251. de temp Let vs obserue the Sabbath my brethren as it was appointed of old from euen to euen and being sequestred from countrey labour and from all businesse let vs attend vpon diuine worship only Hem. 43. in 8 Cor. 16. And Chrysostome The Lords day is the root and beginning of our life and therein are vnspeakable good things it hath rest and is free from businesses And indeed the one doth necessarily imply the other if diuine worship must be attended worldly businesse must needs be laid aside Otherwise it were not only a change but an abolition of the Sabbath which is a rest And it is to be noted that when Christ would make way to the abrogating of the old Sabbath hee did not iustifie any workes but such as were of present necessitie Whereas if he had meant that the Christians afterwards vpon their Sabbaths should haue more libertie hee would doubtlesse haue done or said something to intimate that also For that which followeth Vers 11. v. 11. I shall not need to say any thing there being nothing but a preparatiue to the vision with the vtterance of the same periphrasis of our Sauiour Christ which went before and a particular nomination of the Churches before mentioned touching which it shall suffice here to know that they were the greatest Cities of Asia the lesser wherein Saint Iohn had laboured in planting the Gospell and
all earnestnesse in that hee is said first to haue ouercome which argueth thus much CHAP. IIII. IN this and the fifth Chapter the Lord being about to reueale things to come vnto Iohn to the end of the world taketh him vp into Heauen in the Spirit because from hence only can the knowledge of these things bee attained vpon earth it is knowne what is past and present but not what is to come no not by Astrologians or Sooth sayers or idols wherein Deuils spake For let them tell what shall come and say they are gods as speaketh the Prophet Esay Here is first declared in what great state and maiesty the God of heauen reigneth and the Lambe of God the Lord Iesus Christ Quest 1. Who was it that sate vpon the throne Vers 3. and why is he like vnto a Iasper and Sardin stone and what meaneth the rainebow about the throne like to an Emrald Answ It is agreed by all that hee which sate vpon the throne was God the King of all but for the likenesse here mentioned there is great difference Some considering the colour of the Iasper to be greene of the Sardin to be red Ioachim Forbs Brightman and of the Emrald to be a pleasant bright green will haue the holy Trinity here set forth the Father in whom all haue their being and growth by the Iasper the Sonne who was all red by that bloudy death which he suffered for our sinnes by the Sardin the Spirit who is the comforter by the Emrald This doth not so well agree because so the Spirit should not be one with the Father and the Sonne as the rainebow round about the throne and he that sitteth in the throne are notall one Others will haue the two natures of Christ set forth here the diuine by the Iasper and the humane by the Sardin Ambros Amâ—ber Pareus and the grace and mercy of God towards man in him by the rainebow which was first appointed for a signe hereof but against this maketh that which followeth of the Lambe Cha. 5. for if he were in the same vision sitting vpon a throne in this similitude he could not bee at the same time in the similitude of a Lambe also Others will haue the Father and Sonne set forth by these two precious stones Bullinger and the holy Ghost by the thunder and lightnings proceeding out of the throne but for so much as these are things of terrour and the Spirit the comforter wee cannot vnderstand it thus Others will haue the deluge of water set forth by the Iasper and the fire of the last iudgement by the Sardin Tyconius Beda Primasius Rupertus and the interim of peace and grace between these times by the Rainebow but how the greene Iasper should set forth water I cannot see nor why the Lord should carry a similitude whereby these things may be expressed seeing in heauen he appeareth as he is in himselfe most and not so much as he is in his works and iudgements Lastly not to reckon vp all the expositions but these which may seeme most probable Pareus followeth this though he defendeth that of the Son of God also some vnderstand by these precious stones the excellency of God both in respect of his glory and that singular vertue that is in him which nothing can more fitly expresse than precious stones for colour and appearance admirable no lesse admirable in vertue and operation Viegas And more particularly they may well set forth his mercy by which all things liue and are in their vigour greene and flourishing and his iustice through which hee becommeth fiery red in his anger against sinne Confer Ezech. 1.27.28 The life of all vegetable things is declared by greene and life of sensitiue things by red arising froÌ„ bloud it may be that God is here shewed to be the Author of all life Vers 4. Tyconius Beda Primasius Bullinger The rainebow like an Emrald is the reflexion of these colours further declaring the brightnesse of his glory and is a setled signe of peace to all the inhabitants of heauen who shall neuer bee cast out any more as the ambitious Angels sometime were so that it is good being there and great reason there is why our hearts should bee alwayes thitherward that we might behold this glory and be out of that mutable condition wherein we now stand Quest 2. And round about the throne there were foure twenty thrones and foure and twenty Elders c. Who were these Elders sitting vpon thrones round about Answ Some vnderstand the twelue Patriarkes and Apostles as Fox and Pareus relate some the whole Church represented by them seeing the Church vnder the old Testament sprang from the Patriarkes and the Church vnder the new from the Apostles and the Church now is twice as great as of old when it was in twelue Tribes and therefore this number is well doubled Fox some vnderstand nothing but a shew of the dependancy and subiection of all principalities vpon and vnto God because they cast downe their crownes which they haue of gold some the foure twenty books of canonicall Scriptures in the old Testament Grasserus Lastly some vnderstand the most excellent of those which haue beene set vp in the Church of God Richard de Sancto Victore Rupertus Pannonins Ioacbimus both vnder the old and new Testament who sit now as Senatours about the great Emperour in heauen not that there are no more but iust thus many but because a counsell amongst the Iewes did anciently consist of foure and twenty this certaine number is put for an vncertain as the Priests appointed also to serue in the Temple by course in the dayes of Dauid were foure and twenty And this is most probable because to the twelue Apostles are promised twelue thrones and so likewise without doubt all Apostolicall persons shall be likewise most highly aduanced in the kingdome of glory being placed as Counsellers of State neerest about the King As for the other Expositions first it were a great wrong to others more worthy than many of them to hold that they are not as neere vnto God as the twelue Patriarks Secondly it were improper here to vnderstand the whole company of the Church triumphant who are spoken of more particularly Chap. 5. v. 13. Thirdly it doth not agree by Senatours appearing in heauen to set forth all Princes whereof many shall neuer come there And for that of the foure and twenty bookes I cannot conceiue any ground for it at all Quest 3. And out of the throne went thunders Vers 5. and lightnings and voices And seuen lamps of fire burning c. What is meant by these lightnings thunders and voices and what are these lampes Answ I haue already shewed that though these proceeded out of the throne yet the holy Ghost cannot be meant hereby Some obseruing three and three things mentioned here together Forbs Brightman lightnings
it as a comfort in suffering seeing when a man hath suffered death for Christ he is receiued vnder his wing being conformable to him in being sacrificed they rest and are safe with him for euer Some expound the Altar of Christs humanity Bernard serm 4. Omnium sanct which the faithfull are receiued vnto now it being reserued till the last day to giue them the full fruition of his diuinity also Some by the Altar vnderstand the places of the martyrs buriall or sufferings Ribera Viegas because Altars were wont to be built vpon them and the crying of their soules they will haue to be none other but as the crying of Ables bloud where it was spilt and soules are spoken of by a phrase vsuall so many men being called so many soules But this is a meere Iesuiticall imagination seeing Altars vpon martyrs sepulchres were of a later edition and though so many men be often called so many soules yet when the soules of any that are slaine are named it cannot bee so taken Whereas most stand for Christ meant by the Altar I should willingly incline to thinke so to but that Christ yet standeth as a Lambe and therefore I cannot see how he can at the same time bee represented by an Altar also I conclude therefore as I began that by the appearance of an Altar is represented their sacrificing when they suffered the place wherein they now are being heauen the common receptacle of all faithfull soules but said to bee vnder the Altar to denote the manner of their death neither doth Iohn see them with his bodily eyes but being in the spirit And fidy doe the soules of the martyred appeare after such a number slaine by cruell enemies crying for vengeance not vocally for soules doe not vtter voyces but vertually the destroying and murthering of them hauing a loud cry in the eares of God so that a desire of reuenge in them is amisse surmised to bee from hence who being in the flesh had so much loue as that they prayed for their persecutors and were farre from the spirit of reuenge But they are brought in crying aloud for the terrour of persecutors seeing the cryes of such shall without doubt bee regarded though in respect of many more yet in these times of corruption to bee crowned also with martyrdome a delay to bemade Whereupon it is that their answer is also set forth in this manner And thus I haue briefly resolued the rest of the doubts without delaying the reader by the diuersity of expositions Pareus Brightman Chrysost Hom. in Psal 9. August Serm. 30. detemp some interpreting their cry for reuenge to be onely for deliuerance of the Church from persecutors hauing beene already so long oppressed and some for the taking away of this malice out of mens mindes that there may bee no more persecuting by confounding such Kings and Potentates that they may bee brought to turne vnto Christ The white robes giuen vnto them Bullinger Brightman howsoeuer some contend that they were signes of some comfort and breathing time which the Church should haue and had about this time according to their exposition yet both the plaine speech which is vsed in answering them is against it for they are told of their brethren that must be slaine also and white robes are neuer spoken of in this sense Pareus but to set forth heauenly glory which is not to be thought now first to haue been giuen vnto them but immediatly vpon their departure out of this life when their deaths began first to cry though it was not represented in vision till now so that euen when they cry they are in the midst of heauenly ioyes and without all passion of sorrow onely they are not perfectly glorified till the whole company being made vp at the day of iudgement being reunited to their bodies they shall reigne in heauen for euer wherefore they are bidden rest till their fellow seruants were slaine also And well doth this cry come in after the fourth seale representing the corruptions in the Church fighting against the truth because this persecution hath beene longer than any before it and therefore needfull it was to tell of martyrs which had beene already made crying out and of such as should yet bee made when it might seeme to bee full time to put an end to these miseries that expecting so long a continuance wee might arme our selues with patience Quest 3. The sixt seale being opened Vers 12. there was a great earthquake and the Sunne became blacke as haire cloth and the Moone as bloud c. What is meant by these things and whether the day of iudgement or no Answ Most Expositors hold that the day of iudgment is here described Fox Richard de Sancto victore Pannonius Primasius Beda Rupertus Arethas c. when the reuenge before cryed for is taken vpon all sorts of persecutors of the Church and the words here vsed are nothing else but a periphrasis vpon this day for thus the Lord setteth forth the day of iudgement Luk. 21.11 There shall be great earth-quakes in diuers places Vers 25. There shall be fignes in the Sunne Moone and Starres and vpon the earth distresse of nations with perplexity Vers 26. Mens hearts failing them for feare c. and more expresly Mark 13.24 The Sun shall be darkened the Moone shall not giue her light 25. The starres of heauen shall fall and the powers of heauen shall be shaken The Sun shall be darkened because it shall no more giue light to this world the Moone shall be turned into bloud to shew the great destruction that then shall be the stars shall fall there being no further vse of them when men shall cease to bee here euen as the leaues of the figtree fall off when there is no further need of them to couer the figs. The heauens are as a booke folded vp when they lofe all their light being as it were clapt together whereas now it standeth open That which followeth of the mountaines and ilands remouing out of their places is to shew the greatnes of this earth-quake euen to the destroying of the earth Then all wicked men how great soeuer they haue beene in this world shall quake and feare being vnable to beare the wrath to come vpon them set foorth in their calling to the mountaines to fall vpon them c. Blas Viegas Who also saith that many Doctors expound this thus Brightman Grasser Others will haue these things vnderstood allegorically the great earth-quake of the great persecution vnder Dioclesian being in all parts of the earth at once then say they the Sun of righteousnesse Christ was darkened in his members the Moone the Church appeared like bloud being all bloudy with slaughters the starres the ministers of God many of them fell for feare from Christianity to idolatry the heâ—uen the Church was folded vp as a booke hiding it selfe for feare at that time and the inhabitants of
is but a little booke in comparison Moreouer the contents of the other booke were before declared and therefore superfluous it was to propound it againe Pareus Bullinger Forbs One foot set vpon the sea and the other vpon the land some vnderstand to haue beene done to shew Christs dominion ouer sea and land euen in the time of persecutions when he might seeme to haue beene cast out of his possession Others allegorically Brightman Tho. Aquin. Beda by his feet vnderstand the instruments of rearing vp the Gospell againe and so apply his right foot vnto the most famous and the left to others of lesse note these were set vpon sea and land when all sorts of people were admonished by them But there needeth no such curiosity here for what doth he come to foretell of but the approach of the end of the world Which for so much as it consisteth of sea and land how could hee addresse himselfe more fitly to tell of the destruction of it than by this gesture of setting his feet vpon sea and land and lifting vp his hand to heauen Touching his loud cry and the seuen thunders hereupon vttering their voyces which Iohn must not write these things serue further to declare the terrour of this messenger sent from heauen for when the Lion roareth the beasts of the forrest tremble so when this Angell is set forth roaring so loud that a thundering noise reboundeth againe from the sound of his voyce the Lord would haue men to tremble at it and repent and turne to the Lord from their sinnes wherein they are noted hitherto to haue persisted The things vttered by the thunders the Lord will not haue written because in all likelihood they were copiously set forth in other parts of holy Scripture nothing being more frequent than to admonish to repent and to threaten the impenitent And the thunders are said to be seuen which is a number of perfection to shew that many terrours should come vpon the world if haply they would be rouzed vp hereby Others by these thunders vnderstand the ministers of these times Brightman who like sons of thunder cry aloud to moue men to repentance and the number of seuen is vsed to shew that they are guided by the Spirit with his seuen-fold gifts neither doe they vtter any thing but from Christs mouth whose ecchoes they are What they vtter must not be written because there are some mysteries which should not be knowne now Pareus but are reserued for after times Pareus as he referreth all things here in common to all the six trumpets before going as matter of consolation to the godly so hee vnderstandeth the ministers in the time of persecution who did not forbeare to vtter their thundring voyces against Tyrants though vnto deafe eares which is noted in that Iohn is forbidden to write for when any thing is spoken or writteÌ„ but not regarded it is as if it were not written And this is spoken that Gods ministers might not be discouraged but account of their ministery as most precious therefore sealed vp though vnprofitable to saluation to the wicked world Let the reader follow which of these he wil but the first seemeth to me most naturall and lesse strained Pareus Pareus mentioneth other words here vsed in some copies as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Andreas and Bibliaregia pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but all commeth to one After these things write againe and write not these things Touching the oath here taken it is to assure vs that it will not bee long before Christs comming to iudgement but vnder the sound of the seuenth Angell that none might deferre the time of their repentance And yet for so much as the time of this Angels sounding is vncertaine Napieâ— though we may know when it beginneth the iust time of the Lords comming to iudgement cannot hence bee gathered Wherefore that straine of some which make the seuen seales and trumpets to parallel one another and to containe euery one an equall portion of time viz. either two hundred and fifty yeere more or lesse and from this ground determine of this time of iudgement is to be declined as erroneous seeing these times haue appeared to bee vnequall some one being as long as two or three others And he calleth the Lords comming to iudgment the consummation of this world the mysterie of God by the Prophets foretold because it is hidden from most men and yet apprehended by faith onely but the Prophets did not cease from time to time to speake of it Thus all Expositors agree but onely Brightman who expounde h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 delay Brightman and the mystery of God of the calling home of the Iewes and of their flourishing estate after this their calling foretold by the Prophets So that he will haue this booke to extend no further but to the accomplishment of this mystery But for so much as plaine mention is made of the rising of the dead vnder the seuenth trumpet to come to iudgement Chap. 11. vers 18. it is euident that the mystery to be finished here mentioned is the consummation of the world and not the vocation of the Iewes Touching the eating of this little booke Iohn is herein made a figure of those instruments whom God meant to vse to set open the Scriptures Ezech 3. after that they had beene so long shut vp For by earnest studying they did euen deuoure this booke taking great pleasure in this study but afterwards it was an occasion of much suffering set forth by the sweetnesse in the mouth and bitternesse in the belly Thus most Writers agree Rupertus Thom. Aquin. but some vnderstand this of the person of Iohn who was to returne from banishment and to preach the Cospell againe But the extent of his preaching here mentioned is so great as that it cannot agree to his person who preached onely in Ephesus a few yeres after this Againe it is vnder the sixt trumpet long before which Iohn was departed Andâ—â—aâ— Some thinke that Iohn shall liue againe in the dayes of Antichrist and come and prophesie with Enoch and Elias But this is a fond phantasie the truth hath already beene shewed whereupon wee may build because confirmed by experience The word of God being shut vp in the time of Popery hath long agoe beene set open againe by the hand of a strong Angell and it hath beene prophesied againe to many Kings Peoples and Nations and although it be opposed to this day and Popery oft getteth the vpper hand in sundry places yet herein the truth suffereth but as in the time of the Primitiue Church it was aboue three hundred yeeres before that it was generally receiued then so that the time of iudgement when an end shall be put to all things cannot be farre off and this should moue euery one of vs to turne speedily to the Lord by true repentance and to beare patiently any
hereby shew that in the time of light for a long time the Pope should haue the most followers still By treading vnder foot is meant their subiection to the Papacy and the maintainers of Popery are called Gentiles because in their idolatries and ceremonies most like vnto them One hath a singular opinion by himselfe touching this Court and these Gentiles for hee vnderstandeth the Turkes Fox and the nations subiect vnto them these are left out because when the Church should be reedified in these latter dayes this reedifying should not extend vnto them but they should be vnder the heathen Turkes For mine owne part I am much affected with this last but so as that I thinke the Papists are not to be excluded who keepe a great part of the Christian world vnder their superstitions also as the Turke doth vnder his wherefore I resolue that both are here meant the Turkes are Gentiles because out of the Israel of God the Papists are Gentiles because idolatrous and superstitious like the Gentiles They together then tread vnder foot the court of Gods house by holding vnder the greatest part of the world which formerly hath beene Christian euen still in these dayes of light the one in the East the other in the West 3. Touching the time of two and forty moneths some vnderstand a short time Bullenger Pareus c. Centur. Mag. deburg Iunius but indefinite 1. Some vnderstand the time when the outer Court should thus be troden vnder foot by the Pope and so they count from the beheading of Iohn Baptist resoluing these moneths into dayes 1260. and reckoning them for yeeres vnto Boniface the eight ann 1294. out of which foure and thirty being deducted being the age of Christ not long before whom Iohn suffered there will remaine 1260. 2. One reckoning these moneths by dayes Brightman and taking the dayes for yeeres not according to the Iulian account whereby two and forty moneths make 1278. dayes but according to the Aegyptian falling short in this summe eighteene dayes of the Iulian will haue the time accounted so much short of 1260. as it exceedeth by the Iulian account and so vnderstandeth here 1242. Iulian yeeres which time hee beginneth in the dayes of Constantine ann 304. and extendeth it to the Councell of Trent ann 1546. All this time the outer Court was troden vnder foot through the heresies that preuailed and the two witnesses the old and new Testament prophesied in sackcloth but then they were killed by the authorizing of one corrupt translation onely and falsifying their Expositors who had anciently giuen life vnto them by their sound expositions 3. Another vnderstandeth the time of the Turkes tyrannizing Fox from Ottoman to the last that shall be which he reckoneth by Sabbaths of yeeres making euery month such a Sabbath as Daniel doth a weeke and so the whole summe of yeeres 294. But experience sheweth this to be but a coniecture because the Turkish tyranny continueth still it being now farre past the time thus calculated For Ottoman was ann 1300. vnto which adde 294. and it will amount but to 1594. As for that of Brightman it were to bee wished that it were so for according to his account we should soone bee deliuered both from Turke and Pope who I feare haue a longer time to continue than he imagined But here is both a difference of eighteene yeeres and the two and forty moneths of the Popish Gentiles doe not thus agree much part of this time the Church being put to it and the Scriptures wronged by the Aâ—rians and other Heretikes and not by this Antichristian sect who are not obserued to haue gotten such an head till about Ann. 600. Of the second opinion there is lesse probability seeing it is not set downe when this treading vnder foot should be but how long it should endure And as for the first exposition it were strange that no certaine time should be meant here being measured out thus by so many moneths and dayes when as both in Daniel and Ieremie and other Prophets it hath alwaies beene found that a certaine number named hath noted out a certaine time Pareus mentioneth this as being followed by some and most approued by himselfe if a certaine time be here determined There is another exposition therefore onely remaining whereby so many yeeres are meant as there are daies in 42. moneths that is as the Spirit of God immediatly directeth vs 1260. according to the Egyptian account reckoning thirty daies to a moneth for by this account it is most probable also that the Lord would haue vs goe because Egypt is afterwards here mentioned The time then of the Turkes tyranny must be 1260. yeeres and as Turke and Pope haue the same beginning and continuance for History sheweth that they beganne together and as 42. moneths setting forth thus long a time are here iointly ascribed to the Gentiles treading the Lords holy City vnder foot so Chap. 1â— 42 are particularly ascribed vnto the Pope Now the time of both their beginnings is notoriously known to be ann 606. then Mahomet broched his Alchoran and Boniface the third obtained of Phocas to be vniuersall Bishop If then we reckon from hence by adding to 1260. the end of their time will fall out ann 1866. The Locusts were a plague but of fiue moneths but by these the Church is exercised more than foure times double thus much onely the comfort is the Temple c. is measured to signifie the preseruation of the Church especially after the opening of the Booke so that there shall still be certaine Nations so defended from them as that the truth shall be there maintained during this whole time The Lord Iesus vnder whose Banner we fight and for whose honour we stand suffer not his Temple to be any more by Pope or Turke inuaded or lessened in the number of those that worship in it till the full time of the destruction of these deadly enemies shall come and of the Lords taking of all the Kingdomes into his owne hands but rather increase this number taking pity vpon the infinite multitude of poore seduced soules and giue vs all faith and patience whatsoeuer he hath appointed vs to suffer for his truth and if the time of this affliction be yet appointed thus long to come he shorten it for his Elects sake Mat. 24. as he promised to doe touching the time of the siege of Ierusalem Touching the two witnesses vers 3. of whom it is said I will giue vnto my two witnesses and they shall prophesie I see no reason why Beza should reade as he doth I will giue it vnto my two witnesses as if he meant to giue the City vnto them for the sense is plaine as most agree I will giue the gift or spirit vnto them and they shall prophesie The greatest doubt is who are meant by these two witnesses I haue already touched the common tenent of the Papists holding them to bee Enoch and
Elias but this needeth no refutation both for that the time of 1260. daies whereby are meant so many yeeres according to the exposition already giuen of the two and forty months being the same time doth not agree as experience sheweth the greatest part of this time being expired and Enoch or Elias not yet heard of and also because it is plainly against the reuealed will of God to send any from the dead to preach to the liuing as the Lord sheweth in the Parable of Diues and Lazarus when Diues made request that Lazarus might besent to warne his fiue brethren liuing Abraham denieth this request Luk. 15. and the ground of his deniall is If they will not beleeue Moses and the Prophets neither will they beleeue if one rise from the dead againe If it be said Enoch and Elias neuer died but are preserued aliue for this purpose the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes confuteth this for hauing reckoned vp many faithfull persons amongst whom Enoch was one Heb. 11.13 he concludeth All these died in faith c. He confesseth indeed that Enoch saw not death because he suffered not the separation of soule and body but was extraordinarily changed as the faithfull shall be at the last day yet according to our vsuall phrase whereby we say of the dead hee is departed out of this life he is rightly said to haue died And if this kinde of change in the propriety of speech will not beare this word dying 1 Cor. 15. for we shall all be changed but not all die yet it is as strange for them being so long agoe departed hence to come againe in person as if men should come from the dead againe which shall neuer be Lastly the description of these two doth not agree to Enoch and Elias but rather to Moses and Elias who in their times did such miracles as are here set forth Mat. 17. Vers 2. and these two are also ioyned together in the transfiguration of Christ vpon the Mount and Moses is oftentimes said to be one that did witnesse of Christ and the Scriptures are they that testifie of me Ioh. 5.39 Which Scriptures being resolued into their parts are called Moses and the Prophets Luk. 16. a most famous man amongst whom was Elias and therefore well by him may bee vnderstood all the Prophets Reiecting therefore that of Enoch and Elias Brightman Beda Tyconius as a vaine fable I hold with them that by these two witnesses vnderstand the holy Scriptures consisting of Moses the Prophets as they were of old vnder which the Euangelists and Apostles writings come also as an exegesis or illustration of them For these witnesses must bee well knowne anciently as the words doe imply and in taking these to bee the Lords two witnesses we doe but follow the plaine euidence of the Word of God ascribing persons thus to the two parts of holy Scripture And consequently they which sincerely and rightly preach Moses and the Prophets for so much as they doe but act the same persons may well bee vnderstood by these two witnesses also And thus wee shall ioyne together two different expositions of those who vnderstand by these two the holy Scriptures as hath beene already said and of those that vnderstand some few persons that haue giuen testimony to the truth in all the parts of this whole tract of Turke and Pope Bullinger Grasserus Pareus Fulke c. who of late time haue bin much increased in number but yet may well goe vnder the name of two witnesses because all euer represent but two Moses and the Prophets seeing they hold and preach set forth none other thing but what they held and taught Fox There are that particularly apply this to Iohn Husse and Ierome of Prague who were ill intreated by the Councell of Constance three yeeres and a halfe and being killed had their dead carcases for a time throwne out into the streets but they were reuiued againe as it were when the Bohemians stood couragiously for the truth by them maintained which was greatly preiudiciall to the City of Rome the tenth part thereof thus falling and 7000. slaine that is many vpheld in an idle course of life by the Pope in Monasteries and other pretended religious places being thus turned out and losing their liuelihood whereupon their life consisted According to this exposition two and forty moneths are counted a seuerall time by themselues of the Turkes tyranny these 1260. daies another seuerall time consisting of iust so many daies and the three daies and an halfe a third seuerall time so short as the words sound There are also wonderfull iudgements reckoned vp which fell vpon their enemies in this time of their trouble so that the History doth notably agree vnto this Text. This I confesse hath much affected me and I would willingly haue imbraced it for so the rest of the doubts here might easily haue beene resolued But seeing the two and forty moneths are by the same Expositor resolued into 294. yeeres in which hee hath failed as hath beene already shewed I cannot see how 1260. daies can bee vnderstood precisely of daies this being the whole time in all likelihood before set forth by two and forty moneths for why should Gods witnesses mourne 1260. daies onely of this time there being the same cause of mourning all the whole time for the holy City so many yeeres trodden vnder foot Againe although the Bohemians stood manfully for the truth and did somewhat preuaile yet they were suppressed againe and the whoorish City flourished till Luther who gaue a farre greater blow vnto it Lastly Pareus relaâ—eth an opinion of some who thinke that in the last times there shall be stirred vp two famous Doctors in the spirit of Elias in whom this shall bee accomplished but according to this the time should not be yet begunne and the phrase here doth plainly make against it in that he saith I will giue vnto my two witnesses not I will stirre vp two witnesses as it must haue beene said if it had beene thus meant I conclude therefore that by these two witnesses are to be vnderstood the holy Scriptures anciently consisting of two parts together with the faithfull Preachers and adherers vnto them These haue neuer beene wanting all this time of 1260. yeeres of Turke and Pope as for so much of this time as hath beene yet expired For euen in the daies of Boniface who vsurped this antichristian supremacy ouer all or immediatly after when Columbanus and Gallus were sent out as his Legats ann 617. to bring other Churches to the obedience of the Roman two Councels were called one in Bauaria and another in Matiscon vnder King Lotharius Anent annal Baiorum lib. 3. Vincent Balaeus in all likelihood to stop their proceedings For of such Councels Writers make mention but what was done is passed ouer in silence Not long after Ardanus a Bishop of the Northumberland opposed himselfe
expressing the same time Pareus resolueth it well Pareus This phrase is borrowed from Daniel 7.25 and c. 12.7 where it setteth forth the time of Antiochus his rage who was the forerunner of Antichrist Brightman that this is done that we might not faint vnder this persecution when we shall see it last long for though being set forth by 1260. daies it may seeme short yet the Spirit of God would haue vs know that it is a long time as we account there being first a certaine space of time and when that is expired times and last of all halfe a time more and Brightmans conceit herein is excellent that haply the Lord by this distinction would haue vs vnderstand that in this time of Antichrists reigne and the Churches being vnder there are three distinctions one of Antichrists rise wherein was the beginning of this womans solitude to bee vnderstood by a time for in this space he came to his height and the Church was brought to the lowest ebbe the second of his holding in that state which is twice as long the third of his declining when the Church shall grow towards her deliuerance which is effected in halfe a time Thus he But I hold me rather to the former resolution as more agreeable to that which I haue before deliuered touching the determination of this time which in all probability will not be till ann 1860. And then the declining time of Antichrist and the rising time of the Church will bee 360. yeeres And thus I haue deliuered what I conceiue touching the time when this persecution beginneth for when we come to expound the time of continuance in the Wildernesse I hold the same with diuers learned Writers on our side before mentioned who make the Cities conculcation when the Witnesses prophesie and the time of this lying hid in the Wildernesse all one Let the Reader consider and iudge of all Touching the floud cast out of the Dragons mouth after the woman Brightman which was by the earth swallowed vp in succour of the woman some vnderstand it of the ouerflowing of Africa and part of Europe by the Goths Vandals Heruls and Longobards by whom the whole Church was endangered as by a floud of being vtterly extinct but these earthly and barbarous people set forth by the earth comming into these parts were brought to the embracing of the Christian Religion though corruptly and so became more milde towards Christian people which is the earths swallowing vp of the floud I cannot see how this doth any way agree both because this incursion by these Barbarians was made about ann 400. long before the Churches desolation here described and if the Church had beene succoured by their growing more gentle it would haue beene said rather but the floud dried vp and not as here the earth swallowed it vp noting some reliefe that came to the Church aliundè Some by the floud vnderstand the Popes endeuours to bring the Roman Catholike Princes into a league Grasser to root out with their ioint forces the reformed Religion which they could neuer effect by reason of the differences amongst them in respect of their earthly possessions this made Clement the eighth of late to excommunicate the Councellors both of Spaine and France and this variance of theirs about earthly things is said to be the earth helping the woman by Gods prouidence who turneth it to the good of the Church Some will haue this Floud to bee the edicts of heathen Emperours against Christians to root them out Fox and the Earth the Famines and Pestilences and Warres that still happening hindered the execution of these decrees but these things being in former times are misapplied here Bullinger And likewise whereas some vnderstand it of the Scismes and Heresies hapning in the primitiue Church and of the troubles and persecutions stirred vp by Satan when the Church was fled amongst the Gentiles against which they were succoured vnexpectedly the earthly ones themselues being oftentimes a meanes to appease these tumults as the Towne Clerke in Ephesus was Act. 19. Pareus reckoneth vp other Interpretations made by some Parcus that this floud is the troubles and afflictions of the Church in all times but this is too generall and more specially the heresies and blasphemous opinions held in the daies of Christian Emperours whereby the Deuill as by a floud sought to drowne all true Religion for the space of 300. yeeres after Constantine which before hee set forth to be the time of the womans fleeing away and herein he resteth The earth hee saith some interpret to be Christ for his stability some generall Councels called from all parts of the earth for the condemning of heresies which is not likely seeing such Councels do rather resemble Heauen Ioh. 3. Christ is said to be from Heauen heauenly in opposition to such as be from the earth earthly He therefore expoundeth it onely in generall of a miraculous preseruation Numb 16. in allusion to the earths opening the mouth and swallowing vp Chorah and his company holding that wee ought not to search any further into any particular meaning But for so much as I haue already gone from the ground of this exposition viz. the reckoning of the time of the womans fleeing to be 300. yeeres and this floud was cast out after her vpon her fleeing and being come into the wildernesse which was in a short time for she was soone chased thither and when she abode there this floud was sent out after her I must needs rather subscribe to them which hold that the time of casting out this floud was in the time here described Grasserus said to bee a time and times and halfe a time and so some great warres attempted by the Popes instigation for the vtter rooting out of the reformed Religion are figured out by the floud And of such warres we shall finde there haue beene many euer since the breaking out of the light in the time of Iohn Husse and Ierome of Prague and before that against the Waldenses and Albingenses and afterwards against the Lutherans in Germany and the Caluinists in France where diuers great men entred a league to root them out But the earth holpe the woman The History of the Bohemian warres is most famous for the illustrating of this for Sigismund the Emperour being stirred vp by the Pope to persecute the Bohemians for cleauing constantly to the Doctrine of Iohn Husse after that it and they were condemned in the Councell of Constance inuaded Bohemia with a great power but his army being ouerthrowne and much wasted by a few scattered troupes of the Hussites Henrici Mutij Chron. lib. 27. the Emperour departed home much discouraged But soone after greater forces are sent against them being led by the Princes of Germany the Duke of Saxony the Marquesse of Brandenberge and the Archbishop of Treuers by the instigation of Pope Martin the fifth They entered in three
time and be not led hood-winked into ineuitable perdition Quest 2. Vers 13 14 15 16. Who are these three vncleane spirits like Frogs that come out of the mouth of the dragon the beast and the false prophet and what place is that Harmageddon into which the Kings of the earth are gathered and by whom are they gathered together into that place Answ It is agreed that these foule spirits are instruments of the Pope who come as it were out of his mouth because so like vnto him both in the same end which they aime at and the meanes to effect it lying signes and wonders and more particularly I hold them to be none other but the Iesuites because the time of their beginning by Ignatius Loyola within these threescore yeeres doth notably agree and their leaping vp and downe in Kings Courts they being the greatest Statists that the Pope hath for him to maintaine his credit with the Kings of the earth that his reuenues may be no more diminished neither doe their practises to stirre vp to warre against Heretikes vniustly so called disagree for they are knowne to be the very firebrands of dissentions tumults treasons and bloudsheds thorowout all Christendome euer since they beganne to be They are said to be three when as indeed they are many thousands to note out their triple originall from the Dragon who is the Deuill the Beast the Roman State which they trauell for and the false prophet the Pope who before was called the second beast and not till now a false prophet but here more fully declared by his name as there by his pseudopropheticall practises whose eldest sonnes they are bending themselues vp to the highest streine of wit and resolution for the supporting of his tottering chaire These stirre vp popish Kings and Princes so as that they enter into leagues and vnions to root out poore Protestants But silly men that they are whilst they are thus busie for the benefit of the Popedome little doe they thinke of him that sitteth aboue and laugheth them to scorne for that the ioyning of popish Princes together to root out the truth shall by him bee turned to a gathering together to be destroyed so as that they shall neuer be able to make head againe And this is intimated in saying That they gather them together to the battell of the great day of God that is Vers 14. wherein God will haue glory by their vtter ouerthrow which is also further confirmed in that changing the number by and by he saith Hee gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Vers 16. Armageddon What is meant by this word Armageddon there is great difference of opinions Some thinke Beza Iunius Forbs Fox Pareus Iudg. 5.19 2 Chron. 35.22 that it is to bee read Har-megiddo and so expound it as alluding to the place called Megiddo where Iabin and Sisera with their army were destroyed before Debora and Barak by the Lord and where Iosiah fell before Pharaoh Neco King of Aegypt giuing occasion to a great mourning to the children of Israel for the losse of so good a King for each History may be well alluded to here that of the Canaanites destruction for the ouerthrow of popish kings with their people the other of Iosiah for the mourning which the Iewes being conuerted shall make for their former opposition against Christ slaying him so good a King that came to saue them as is foretold by the Prophet saying I will powre out vpon them the spirit of compassion Zach. 12. and they shall see him whom they haue pierced and mourne euery family apart For they hold that at the same time the Iewes shall be conuerted As for the change of the waters of Megiddo as it is in the first place or of the Valley of Megiddo as it is in the second into Har a Mount and Megiddo they thinke that this is not without a mystery Forbs it being hereby intimated that the enemies of the truth shall be in an high attempt when this destruction shall befall them Beza Iunius and therefore purposely a Valley is turned in the word here vsed into a Mountaine whereas it should be Megiddo Others reade it Horma-geddon a cursed warfare Luther Grasserus of Horma signifying a curse and geddon which commeth of Gadad signifying to gather together an army or of Harma crafty because by craft they shall be gathered together to their owne destruction as God will turne it Others with a single 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reade it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expounding Har a Mountaine and Maggedim Delights holding that it is alluded to that in Dan. 11.45 And he shall fasten his tents in the mount of his holy beauty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for as there the Turke is pointed at apart so here all the enemies of the Church ioyning together and as Ierusalem is properly so called so the pure Church of God figured out thereby is here called so and therefore this battell and destruction of the enemies shall be made in these parts of the world where the pure reformed Religion hath taken effect Napior Some expound it the Mountaine of the Euangelist applying it likewise Some expound it the destruction of an Army of Cherem destruction Deut. and Gedud an Army holding that the slaughter of the enemies shall be so great that according to the manner of the Hebrewes amongst whom many places are named from the euent the place where this shall be shall take the name also Ierome as Pareus sheweth expoundeth it Montem furum the Mountaine of the eues others a cursed troupe others the destruction of the Riuer All wee see are agreed here that no proper place is designed but some place onely where the enemies of the truth shall be destroyed There will be no errour therefore which way so euer it be taken only I thinke it dangerous to admit of any corruption in the change of the word by the incury of the Scribe I preferre that of Dent holding withall that it is alluded vnto the destruction of Iabin and Sisera with their armies and that it should be likewise with the enemies of the truth ere long they shall bee in a Catholike league together bending all their forces against the reformed but God helping his their attempts shall bee turned to their owne vtter ouerthrow Whether this be now a working seeing they were neuer so combined together neither haue they beene about so great attempts as now God knoweth Haply the gathering together of Papists at this time is the gathering together here pointed at if not as the time will scarce beare it is a preludium thereof some famous destruction may happen to them in the end of this conspiracy now but the greatest whereunto this may make a way afterwards Howsoeuer let all men take heed of the Iesuites as of vncleane and dangerous spirits and let vs be comforted when the Romish Catholikes bend their forces
wanne Constantinople and made it the seat of his Empire seeking to draw the world of people which came vnder his iurisdiction from Christ vnto the impostour Mahomet which was ann 1300. And when corruptions in the Church being long in hatching were growne to that height that they which were seduced by them might as well be counted to be deceiued by the Deuill as the Gentiles of old were seeing the like idolatries with images Masses and Crucifixes were daily committed and a Queene of heauen was also set vp the blessed Virgin Mary c. which was also about the same time as I haue shewed more at large in my booke called An Antidote against Popery pag. 66. Since that time the Deuill hath notoriously raged againe by the Turkes in the East and the Pope in the West but for our comfort it is called but a short time wherein they shall thus proceed and then by the finall iudgement they shall all be cut off and receiue according to the deserts It is not to be taken for a short time according to man but according to the diuine phrase directed thus for consolation it being indeed but a short time with the Lord though in our account it be long 324. yeeres being already past since and God knoweth how long this rage shall yet endure If it be obiected that it seemeth contradictory in it selfe to hold that the Deuill was imprisoned and at the same time Antichrist his great Lieutenant was in the world the Pope and Turke it must be considered that their beginnings were so slender both of the Turke for want of that power and of the Pope whose mystery of iniquity was long in comming to a full height as it seemed not good vnto the Spirit of God to point at their first beings through the instigation of Satan but at such a state as wherein Satan might euidently appeare to haue broken out of hell againe to abuse the world as hee did in the time of Heathenisme Quest 2. And I saw thrones and them that sate vpon them c. Who are they which are said here to sit vpon thrones Vers 4. and to haue the iudgement committed vnto them What is the liuing againe of those that were slaine for the truth and their reigning with Christ a thousand yeeres and when shall this time be Who are the rest of the dead that arise not till after these thousand yeeres expired Vers 5. And why is this called the first resurrection and they pronounced blessed that haue part in it are there any more resurrections than one or are they only blessed that suffer death for the truth And are all the rest of the dead without this blisse Bullinger Pareus Arethas Answ Some will haue those that sate vpon thrones and had iudgement giuen vnto them to be all one with the soules spoken of immediatly after for these soules liue and reigne with Christ a thousand yeeres which is all one with sitting vpon thrones and hauing iudgement giuen vnto them for it is written Giue thy iudgements O Lord vnto the King because he that sitteth vpon the throne is wont to iudge and to haue the power of iudging from God is to rule and reigne They vnderstand this therefore of the glorified estate of the soules of the faithfull who either suffered vnder the heathen Emperors or in this time of a thousand yeeres For being considered altogether as one mysticall body they may bee said to reigne a thousand yeeres though some of them came so late into this blissefull condition as that they were not therein aboue a hundred fifty twenty or ten yeeres before the expiration of this time As a man may say of any family to which an estate hath remained from generation to generation fiue hundred yeeres this hath beene their inheritance fiue hundred yeeres though some of them came not to it till twenty or ten yeeres agone And it is to be noted that not they onely who suffered death came within the compasse of this number but also all those that keepe themselues in the midst of Popish corruptions vndefiled with them for it is added and whosoeuer haue not worshipped the beast nor his image c. For that which is further added the rest of the dead liued not againe till the thousand yeeres were expired Vers 5. They vnderstand it in a spirituall sense of all that were corrupted in religion that were void of true grace for they which are so are dead and these liue not againe till the thousand yeeres ended that is neuer for though they shall liue againe yet they shall not liue as the liuing of the faithfull is spoken of in ioy and glory for onely such as haue part in the first resurrection are thus blessed and happy that is they which receiue the truth into honest and beleeuing hearts and cleaue to it not hauing any tang of the leauen of the common corruptions in religion Some others agreeing in this Brightman Forbs that the soules here spoken of are they that sit in thrones yet differ in the exposition of this their sitting and liuing and reigning for they apply all to liuing and reigning by grace and cleaning to Christ in the acknowledgement and profession of his truth for this is truly to liue and reigne with Christ though outwardly they were poore despised and persecuted seeing by grace wee are made to sit together in heauenly places but withall they say that the flourishing estate of the Church is here set forth in this time the Deuill being put downe in remouing the rule and dominion from Heathen to Christian Emperours in whose time the soules of such as suffered in the dayes of the Heathen are said to liue and reigne because they were honourably esteemed of and reuenge was now in some part taken vpon their aduersaries And of these one in particular viz. Brightman seemeth to hold that the thousand yeeres here spoken of are a different time from the former thousand yeeres beginning soone after ann 2300. for he saith that of them three hundred yeeres are now expired And Pareus maketh mention of some that held the same Others expound this sitting vpon thrones Aug. de Cin. Dei lib. 20. cap. 7. Dent. of the Preachers of the word of God and Ecclesiasticall Gouernours now being lifted vp and exercising their discipline with authority Others holding two seuerall things here set forth Napier expound the sitting in thrones of the Popes dignity in the dayes of Pope Siluester ann 315. to whom Constantine the Great gaue the iudgement when he set him vp so high and his successors after him and the soules the soules of such as were by the Popes appointment afterwards put to death viz. all true hearted Christians They which stand for a different time from the thousand yeeres spoken of before are certainly in an errour because by all circumstances in the Text the time is all one For the Deuils being bound and loosed againe is also
Church making her to long after his comming for her full redemption he that heareth who is inuited to say likewise is euery one that heareth this Prophecie and what a ioyfull estate the faithfull shall be in in Heauen For he cannot but wish and desire for this day Let him that is a thirst come as he longeth after the comming of the Lord to the perfecting of his happinesse so let him come to the Lord by faith and obedience and let him that will this is added to note not that by the power of his owne will he can doe thus but that his will must be sanctified and of vnwilling he must become willing God working in him a new will and new desires before that he can come vnto Christ this Fountaine of liuing water That which followeth is added as a necessary muniment vnto this and to all the bookes of holy Scripture against forgers of the Word of God which the Spirit did foresee would bee in after times Vers 18. For I testifie to euery man that heareth the words of this Prophecie if and man shall adde to these things God shall adde to him the plagues that are written in this Booke c. Vers 16. These are the words of our Sauiour Christ who had before spoken of his Angell whom he sent to testifie these things and therefore in the Originall it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I witnesse together Touching the rationall particle for some omit it as redundant but it is of great force to argue a necessity of attending to and reuerently regarding what is here set forth For that must needs be of great consequence which is guarded with such a caution If testimonies be alleaged onely to proue the truth of a thing it doth not so much moue to consider of it but it being auerred to be such as that it is danger of death to depraue it any way all men will beginne to attend vnto it as handling matter of life and death And what is spoken of this Booke by the like reason is well applyed by our Diuines to all Bookes of holy Scripture for why is it so dangerous to take away or to adde vnto this Booke but because it is of God And is it not as dangerous then to intermeddle in this kinde with any other of the Bookes of God such as all the Bookes of Scripture are But it is well added to this as the last as the charge of not putting to or taking away from the Bookes of Moses is added in the last of his Bookes Bellarmine excepteth against this inference Deut. 4. holding that the threatning pertaineth only to the detractors from or adders to this Booke and necessarily for otherwise with what colour could they obtrude to the people of God vnwritten traditions as being of equall authority with the Word of God How durst they take away the Cup in the holy Communion and the second Commandement out of the Decalogue and with such audacity change our Lord in many places into our Lady with many the like corruptions With what face could they hold and maintaine that all things necessary to saluation are not set forth in the holy Scriptures when as they are so compleat as that there may be no addition made vnto them But this exception will doe them no good when God shall iustifie his care to be a like tender ouer all other Bookes of Scripture as ouer this diuine Booke And that these words may be certainly knowne to be the words of Christ Vers 20. Saint Iohn saith for conclusion Hee which testifieth these things saith Surely I come quickly Amen Euen so come Lord Iesus For whose comming that we may be the more fit let vs acquaint our selues with the things herein contained sith they are left vnsealed to vs to this end and purpose and being acquainted with these mysteries which being explained as through Gods assistance thou hast them here presented vnto thee doe so euidently shew the Pope to bee Antichrist and his estate together with all that follow him to bee damnable halt not betwixt two opinions but bee a resolute reformed Catholike nothing doubting but certainly expecting their finall ouerthrow and confusion and thine owne deliuerance and euerlasting saluation which let vs all pray with this our blessed Apostle that it may come quickly Amen Trinuni Deo gloria Errata In the Catalogue of Names for Cicillus read Cyrillus PAge 27. for doe reade to p. 31. wandring r. wauering p. 44. or r. 2. p. 60. Ioh. 24. r. 2. p. 78. his r. has in marg p. 92. aninū r. animū in marg p. 104. run r. cun p. 140. was r. as p. 163. Secutoro r. Secuturo in marg p. 177. onus r. vnus in marg p. 183. word r. world p. 434. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. X. p. 485. Pope r. pompe p. 493. vilitate r. venerate p. 5 14. which time r. after which time
to yeeres of discretion and then they ought to confesse all their sinnes and especially before the comming to the Eucharist Hitherto popish Writers Ours hold that the name of Elders was giuen to some for their prudence and ability to gouerne for in age there is wisdome and experience that youth wanteth wherefore Gouernours were in the old Testament commonly called by the name of Elders as the 70. Elders that were appointed with Moses to gouerne the people And the same name is continued in the new Testament of such as were set vp to gouerne in Christian Congregations whereof there were diuers in euery Congregation who were ioyned to those that had the dispensation of the Word and Sacraments committed vnto them Caluin 1 Tim. 5.17 Flacius Illir And this they gather from 1 Tim. 5.17 where it is said The Elders that rule well are worthy of double honour especially such as labour in the Word and Doctrine Howsoeuer this order of gouerning by other Elders ioyned with Ministers was broken off long agoe through the pride of Priests who desired to haue all Church-gouernment in their hands onely as Caluin saith Ambrose complaineth But the word Presbyteri Elders and Priests are promiscuously vsed amongst the Fathers euery where in their writings so that howsoeuer it was at the first in the daies of the most ancient Fathers that haue written there were no Elders of the Church known but Priests As amongst the Iewes the Gouernours were called Elders so amongst the Romans Senatours had their name à senectute because they were commonly wise and ancient men By Elders here that must be sent for in the time of sicknesse I vnderstand the Ministers of Gods word whereof there were commonly two in a congregation at the least As for the anointing with oyle the ground of this was the Apostles anointing of the sicke and so healing them mentioned Mark. 6.13 neither was this a gift common to all Elders but to some for all had not the gift of healing 1 Cor. 12.30 This anointing held as long as those extraordinary gifts but then it was not vsed any more till that Innocent 1. instituted it anew an 402. as Sigebertus reporteth After that it was againe vsed not only by Priests vnto the sicke but by all other Christians as the words of the same Innocent are It is lawfull Innocent epist 1. ad Decentium cap. 8. not onely for the Priests but for all Christians to anoint with the Chrisme made by the Bishop Alcuinus also teacheth the same de diuin officijs cap. 40. ann 750. And Beda who also thought that it was to be applied to the weake in faith Beda in Luc. 9. as well as to the weake in body If it be demanded then whether we by omitting this Ceremony about the sicke do not transgresse against an Apostolical ordinaÌ„ce or whether the practice of the Church of Rome is not rather herein to be commended I answer that seeing it was to heale the sicke immediatly as other signes and wonders were then done by an extraordinary power of the spirit for the confirmation of the Gospell amongst vnbeleeuers and this vertue ceased long agoe it were but a vaine thing for vs to vse this anointing still being now but a bare Ceremony without operation And for the practice of the Church of Rome at this day their anointing is farre differing from that in the Apostles daies For first common oyle was then vsed but now oyle consecrated by the Bishop with breathing vpon it mumbling ouer it and exorcising being saluted nine times with the bending of the knee and with saying thrice Aue sanctum Oleum thrice Aue sanctum Chrisma and thrice Aue sanctum Balsamum 2. Then the parts affected only were anointed the dumbe had oyle put into his mouth the deafe into his eares Gregor Turon Franc. hist lib. 6. cap. 7. c. as Gregor Turonensis reporteth but now the eyes the eares the nostrils the mouth and the hands are anointed c. 3. Then anointing was vsed to cure the bodily disease of which they that were sicke were presently healed but now it is vsed when men are ready to depart out of this life without any such effect 4. If anointing were anciently applied for a spirituall good it was but for a signe onely it being held that all the good came by prayer vnto the sick as Victor a Victor Antioch in Mark 6. Oleum quod in sancta vnctione adhibetur Dei misericordiam mâ—rbi sanationem cordis illuminationem denotat Dici tameÌ„ potest orationem hec omnia efficere oleum autem corum omnium quae siunt externum tantum symbolum esse Antiochenus speaketh The oyle that is vsed setteth forth both the mercy of God the healing of the disease and the illumination of the minde yet it is prayer that doth all these and the anointing is but an outward symbole hereof only But now anointing is vsed for the remission of sinnes and to procure happinesse to him that is ready to depart out of this life yet there is some difference amongst them that hold this Lombard saith that onely veniall sinnes are done away by Extreme Vnction Bellarmine b Bell. li. 1. de extrem vnctione cap. 8. that the remainders euen of mortall sinnes which are vnknowne are hereby remitted Now although the forgiuing of sinnes is here mentioned yet it is not attributed to the anointing but because sinne is the cause of all sufferings sin remaining there is no hope of being healed therefore as our Sauiour Christ when he would comfort the palsie man in respect of the healing of his disease hee biddeth him Be of good comfort thy sins are forgiuen thee so here to shew that they should be healed he saith If he hath committed sin it shall be forgiuen him And this is obtained by hearty and penitent prayer which now wee ought to make our refuge without this vaine Ceremony so long agoe iustly left but resumed againe as superstition began to inuade the Christian world Our onely meanes of helpe now is with the leprous man to pray Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane though in S. Iames his time whilst a miraculous sanation did follow anointing in the name of the Lord it was well appointed to be vsed And if any scruple shall arise as Bellarmine obiecteth then during that time no Christians died of any sicknesse if all were healed that were anointed and this was vsed vnto all according to the direction of this place I answer by the like reason none should haue died all the time that Christ went about doing of miracles and healing euery disease It is therefore to be vnderstood that God by his prouidence disposed it so as that all did not fly to these meanes but such onely as hee had appointed to be healed or such Elders as had the gift of healing went not but onely to them and at such times as by his spirit they were