of all the seuen Monarchies vnto whom from the beginning of time to the end thereof was giuen and granted the charter and commission of blaspheming God corrupting his world as in the thirteenth Chapter following is more particularly discouered the Apostle addeth hauing seuen heads And in regard his power did beate down the power of all nations and made spoile and purchase of all kings kingdomes on earth the Spirit saith he had ten hornes for the hornes signifie kings and kingdomes and the number of ten include all be they neuer so many as all numbers are made of ten and their reduplication be they neuer so infinite And because he came to aduance his head so high by the power of his sword his Leaders and legions the Spirit crowneth his heads with magnificence and diadems saying And on his heads seuen diadems Verse 5. And his taile drew the third part of the starres of heauen and cast them to the earth And the Dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be deliuered that when she had brought forth he might deuoure her sonne THe head of this great red Dragon was his Regall first estate gouerned by Romulus six other successiue kingcoates which Seneca calleth his infancie or nonage wherein he liued swathed and nourished in blood 244 yeares as his owne Historian reporteth The bodie of this great red Dragon was his Consuls second estate which Seneca calleth his full age part Aristocraticall part Democraticall and was therefore stiled Senatus populusque Romanus from whence partly by reason of his ouerweight and fulsome abundance as one of his owne noteth Romana laxitas mundi rerum amplitudo damno fuit and partly for want of enemies abroad to wreake their proud and kingly humours on he fell into the intestine euill of ciuill warres at home which did cast him into his minoritie and wardship again And this his last estate of regiment Imperiall the holy Ghost here calleth his taile which consisteth of a rout of Monarchs seuentie Keysars long who for that they so furiously persecuted and hauocked the blood of the chiefest Saints and seruants of God the Spirit saith that with his cursed taile he drew the third part of the starres of heauen and cast them to the earth And not contented with the slaughter of his fairest lights and starres of his Church proceeded to desolate the whole hoast of heauen euen all the seed of the Spouse named before the Churches child and here her sonne meaning those in whom by the ministery of his fairest starres his seruants the Apostles Christ was now formed and of whom the Church was now ready to be deliuered for so much the Apostle vnfoldeth in these words And the Dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be deliuered that when she should bring forth he might deuoure her sonne Verse 6. But she brought forth a man child who was to gouerne all nations in an iron rod and her son was taken vp to God and to his throne BVt notwithstanding all their furie the Church brought forth her first fruit which for their faith charitie labour and patience the Spirit nameth a man child and because they followed the Lord in the regeneration and ouercame by keeping his words and works vnto the end they receiued the selfe same honour which to their Lord alone and in chiefe belongeth namely that they shall iudge the Tribes of Israel and haue dominion ouer the nations and shall rule them with a rod of iron and breake their glorie like a potters vessell as the Lord hath promised Math. 19. and Apoc. 2. And in remembrance of the tender care and prouidence of God ouer the seed and first fruit of his Church the Spirit concludeth that when they had ended their course they were taken vp to God and to his throne far from the reach and rage of their enemies Verse 7. And the Woman fled into the wildernesse where she had a place prepared of God that there they might feed her a thousand two hundred and sixtie dayes BVt the Church of God here named the woman mother of this faire and primitiue fruit being no longer able to weather out her stormes was enforced to hide her beautie and to retire her selfe into the secret chambers of Gods prouidence and her owne conscience and to take vp her lodging in the desart not that her light was vtterly extinguished as her enemies reproch her for although she were dispersed distressed and enforced to hide her extraordinary and eminent graces yet the beautie of her true repentance and of her liuely faith seconded with a charitable life and patient expectation of better things to come still shined as a candle in a darke place and like a ship preserued in a tempest she remained stil the same of whom the world was not worthy neuer wanting the louing protection of her dearest Lord who in all her troubles was mindfull of her as of Elias his seruant or Israel his first borne carefull to prouide her both of honorable harbour and princely diet Her resting place was restlesse strewed and scattered far and neare ouer the face of the earth for such a lodging did best beseeme her broken and restlesse heart which soiourned in earth but dwelt in heauen and did also best defend her person from the furious inquisitions of her enemies Neither was her Lord lesse louing and prouident concerning her food for he preserued for her diet the two witnesses of his eternall Couenant that from their breast she might sucke the pure and wholesome milke of grace and life that so she might be both nobly harboured and princely fed during the tedious and odious reigne of the great Whore the Church of Rome who during her exile should vsurpe her Chaire and vnder the vizard of her name should persecute her name and generation a thousand two hundred and sixtie yeares here as before mystically deciphered vnder a thousand two hundred and sixtie dayes Verse 8. And there was waged a battell in heauen Michael and his Angels fought with the Dragon and the Dragon fought and his Angels ANd at the same time that the Temple of God was opened in heauen the Apostle also foresaw that great and bloody contention then which since the dayes of heauen was neuer waged greater great in regard of the armies and great in respect of the cause The armies great as well for the greatnesse of the Generals as for the valour and number of their forces The Generall on the one side was the power of God sciphered by Michael the Prince of the Couenant who stood for the children and people of the Highest The Generall on the other side was the power of Satan figured by Ethnicke Rome here as before called the Dragon In their forces are to be considered the Leaders and the souldiers The Leaders and the Captains on the part of Michael were Diuus Petrus Diuus Paulus Diâ—â—â— Iohannes and the rest of that diuine and noble order of Saints
the name of the ancient enemy and seducer of mankind the Serpent saw that they could no longer hauocke the Church of God by reason of her close sight and secret dispersion they deuised to pursue her with their bloody edicts and sacrilegious constitutions which they breathed out against her in such raging and furious maner as the Spirit therefore resembleth the violence of their barbarous inquisitions and vnprincely rescripts vnto the vnmercifull rage and current of a flood hoping that as by their vnplacable furie they had dispersed and driuen the Spouse to corners so by the due execution of their cruell promulgations they might vtterly consume her generation and blot out all letters of her honorable name for to that white onely they aimed as the Spirit concludeth That he might make her to be caried away of the flood Verse 17. And the earth holp the Woman and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed vp the flood which the Dragon cast out of his mouth BVt in reliefe of the Churches pressures and persecutions her Lord gaue charge vnto his handmaide the earth to comfort help and succour her his Spouse and as Moab was charged to hide the chased Israel of God and not bewray him that was fled and escaped but to dwell with him and to giue him couert and protection from the face of the destroyer so here the earth was commanded to reach forth her helping hand and to take in and harbour the Lords exiles in the seret chambers of her desarts mountaines and caues that so she might either affoord her close and quiet saueguard or in witnesse of her faith and proofe of her patience receiue the blood which her cursed brethren spilt which courtesie and tender fauour the Spirit remembreth to the perpetuall praise of the benefactors of the Spouse saying But the earth holp the Woman and opened her mouth and swallowed vp the flood which the Dragon cast out of his mouth Verse 18. And the Dragon was wroth against the Woman and went to make battell with the remnant of her seed which keepe the commandements of God and haue the testimonie of Iesus Christ ANd notwithstanding the Dragon by his taile of Cesars had thus massacred and dispersed the Church yet was he not so satisfied but for very rage fell into a melancholy mood for cause he could not quite consume and roote her honour out as the Spirit discloseth saying And the Dragon was wroth against the Woman And forasmuch as the Churches beautie did most shine in the East Syria Greece Asia where she was borne and bred the Dragon thought it his best in policie which euermore with him was held for chiefest religion to itch and set forward his den and hold his Court further East which purpose of his as close as it was the holy Ghost discouereth in saying And he went and noteth the true end wherefore he went not so much to barricade and stop the floate and incursion of the barbarous enemie as he forsooth pretended as to pursue and consume the dispersed remainder of the Spouse as the Spirit vnfoldeth saying to make battell with the remnant of her seed who for that they were iust of the making and growth of the Churches first and primitiue fruite holding the mysterie of faith in a good conscience as the first borne did the Spirit setteth them forth in the same liuely colours saying which keepe the commandements of God and haue the testimonie of Iesus Christ Verse 19. And he stood vpon the sand of the sea ANd the Dragō remoued his throne and left his ancient seate and citie of Rome where he had now kept court almost a thousand yeares and went and pitched his throne anew in a hauen towne betweene Pontus Euxinus and Propontis in the East of Thracia anciently called Bysance and there erected the new citie of Rome and called it after his owne name Constantinople the citie of Constantine which translation of his residence and chaire of estate one of his owne also noteth Constantinus apud Thraces qua Bosphorus aequor Thracius Euxinis Aegaeū ingurgitat vndis constituit sedem Imperij CHAP. XIII The description of Antichrist and his deuotaries The description of his Cleargie and of his religion The Character of Antichrist The number of his dayes and the end of his reigne Verse 1. And I saw a Beast ascending from the sea hauing seuen heads and ten hornes and vpon his hornes ten diadems and vpon his heads names of blasphemie ANd presently vpon the remoue and translation of the Empire the Apostle espied that wicked one Antichrist man of sinne in saying And I saw who in regard of the tyrannous power and bloody vse of the vnbridled iurisdiction that should be giuen him he is here termed as in holy Scriptures other Monarchs are A Beast that is to say a kind of gouernment kingdome dominion or power exercised and acted by a succession of tyrannous bloody and beastly men And albeit his perfection in euill stood yet aloofe and was very farre off yong and tender as lying in swathing clouts yet the Apostle descrieth him as it were through a chinke in saying coming vp For after the translation of the Empire and that now Ethnicke Rome began to play the Christian he was welnigh a hundred yeares closely creeping and climing vp before he could aduance his cursed head and claime of supereminencie Concerning which ambitious puffe of vaine prioritie so faire and euident mention is made in the monuments of time that the incredible boldnesse of the aduersarie is no lesse maruellous then his incurable blindnesse that hath so long time stumbled at this stone and so often spurred vs by way of vaunting to shew them if we dare or can when this apostacie of Antichrist tooke her rise and first commencement which daring vaunt of theirs the holy Ghost tripping ouer as a thing which is or ought to be knowne vnto vs namely that the horne of Antichrist and his apostacie did then first sprout out when his Church first obtained at the Dragons hand prioritie of place suffrage and censure ouer all For as the tree puls vp the creeping ivie so the primacie of the Church of Rome pulled vp the aspiring supremacie of the Bishop thereof which Church preheminence and prelation after long ruffling and shouldring was first obtained at the hands of Honorius though afterwards vpon greater concertation and daggers drawing it was by other Cesars and Kings confirmed renewed and ampliated who by the aduantage of the weaknesse and death of his elder brother Arcadius hauing obtained power and protectorship East and West subiected the Church of the East Empire which most withstood the West and Romane supremacie with all other Churches whatsoeuer to the Church and Sea of Rome at the instant suit and importunitie of the now Bishop of Rome whose name was then Innocent the first in the first yeare of his creation and in the yeare of Redemption 406. But the holy Ghost I say passing ouer the
spirituall sword and to weare the name and title of Vicar to the Lamb which title name and honour is onely due to the Spirit of the Lamb the onely moderator comforter and commander of all the Lambs affaires and forces in heauen and in earth and of this principal blasphemy the Apostle condemneth him in saying And he opened his mouth vnto blasphemie against God Next the Lord challengeth him for presuming to blaspheme the word of God superaduancing his whorish church aboue the diuine eternall testimonie in and by which the Son of God is named and knowne which contumely offered to his most holy word the Lord accounteth as done to himselfe and his most holy name for so the holy Ghost speaking of that Lord that is faithfull and true who with iustice iudgeth and fighteth saith that he was clothed with a garment sprinkled with blood and his name is called The Word of God The pourtraiture of which diuine and essentiall Word is the ingrauen Scripture of his most holy and written word and of this blasphemie the Spirit inditeth him in these words to blaspheme his name Lesse maruell then if like a raging flood downe bearing all before him and ouerflowing all bankes of obedience towards God he dare extol his cursed head aboue all that is called or named God that is to say all magistracie authoritie and power secular which by Gods owne ordinance commandement is the onely true liuely and immediate representation of his owne person iustice and gouernment here on earth in and ouer all temporall causes and persons as well Ecclesiastical as ciuil of which high treason one Apostle also conuinceth him 2. Thess 2. No maruell then if thus daring to blaspheme the Lord of the house and his annointed Deputies he dare blaspheme the house of God wherein his name is honored cursing reuiling and reputing it a house of schismatiques heretiques excommunincates which blasphemous and vndeserued wrong the holy Ghost layeth to his charge in these words and his tabernacle And last of all to shew that there is neither end nor measure in his blacke presumptuous and blasphemous mouth the Spirit further chargeth him with blaspheming the Saints and seruants of God deceased cursing reuiling and condemning their doctrine and yet blessing adoring erecting their shadows sepulchers and shrines for mediators intercessors and reconciliators betweene God and the sinner like their cursed fore-elders the Israelites who boasted in the descent of their father Abraham and yet blasphemed the faith of Abraham their father of which blasphemous and indicible contumely against the Son of God and his most holy Spirit the Apostle condemneth him saying And those that dwell in heauen Verse 7. And it was giuen vnto him to make battell with the Saints and to ouercome them and power was giuen him vpon euery people tribe tongue and nation ANd as after lightning followeth thūder so after Antichrists blasphemie followeth his persecution as the Spirit testifieth saying And it was giuen him to bid battell to the Saints which the Prophet Daniel by way of exposition also plainly setteth forth saying that he should murther and consume the Saints and seruants of the most high And in further amplification of this his carnificious furie the Spirit setteth forth the largenesse of his charter and commission by an excessiue loquution foretelling vs that it should be so large and general that the fire of his prophane and sycophantical keys should take hold vpon euery nation and tribe as if we please to cast an eye vpon the times past and conferre what he had with what he hath we shall easily discerne the meaning of the holy Ghost in these words And power was giuen him vpon euery Tribe people tongue and nation Verse 8. And all that inhabite the earth adored it whose names be not written in the booke of life of the Lamb which was slaine from the beginning of the world THe holy Ghost hauing in the former part of this Chapter discouered the birth place person power blasphemie and persecution of Antichrist descendeth now to the description of his creatures and deuotaries foretelling vs that they should be such onely for vnto such onely the particle all is here restrained as haue their portion and interest in this life whose pietie heauen hope and glorie is here and not elsewhere which kind of out and ouercast Christians the Spirit describeth by a periphrasis most proper to their naturall and inbred disposition saying they are those that inhabite the earth therein discouering them as by a difference diuisiue from such as are the Lords pilgrims and strangers on earth hauing here no permanent abode or place of rest but seeking the things which are aboue attend with patience the reuelation of a life and citie to come not made with hands where their Lord and their Redeemer liueth And the Spirit proceeding sheweth further the supreme hidden and vnperceiuable reason why the adorers of Antichrist thus defiled the ornaments of their calling and why they loued lyes more then truth the Beasts penance more then Gods repentance the Beasts beliefe more then faith towards God the Beasts miserable merits more then the fruits of the Spirit hatred of sin and loue of God because as holy Dauid saith they were not found in the Lords record nor written with the righteous for so much the Spirit vnfoldeth saying whose names be not written in the booke of life of the Lamb which was slaine from the beginning of the world Verse 9. If any man haue an eare let him heare THe Apostle hauing sufficiently deciphered the nature and cariage of Antichrist and his creatures commeth now to discouer his reward and iudgement which howsoeuer it tarry little or long is of necessitie the reward of sinne But before the Spirit draweth out his sword it pleaseth him in his accustomed mercie to awake his Church and her enemies and to moue them to a feare and reuerent attention by a generall summons proclaiming If any man haue an care let him heare Verse 10. He that shall leade into captiuitie goeth into captiuitie and he that shall kill with the sword must be killed with the sword here is the patience and the faith of the Saints THe holy Ghost in this verse calleth Antichrist to the Barre and sets him before the world for the very he on whō the wrath of God and his heauie displeasure is to be executed For he who vnder colour and pretence of weeding out and rooting vp of heretiques hath brought into the Church captiuitie inquisitions tortures and torments to the horrible murther and slaughter of the Saints when in such cases notwithstanding he had neither precept nor example in the life of the Lamb or his Apostles so to do he euen he saith the Lord is that partie against whom this iust iudgement of taliation is laid vp in store to be executed vpon him in that day when the Lord shall bring againe the captiuitie of his Church which for their sins he hath giuen vp to
memory as that they shall neuer be discharged or forgotten the Spirit inferreth saying who accused them before the sight of our God day night Verse 12. And they ouercame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimonie and they loued not their liues euen vnto the death LAst of all the holy Ghost discouereth the spirituall armour and weapons wherewith the Angels and seruants of Michael obtained this famous victory ouer the Dragon and his sectaries and saith that they were tempered of these two diuine vertues faith and patience For by the shield of faith which the Spirit by a metonymie calleth the blood of the Lamb and with the sword of his two witnesses and by the word of their testimonie they ouerthrew all forces and arguments drawn from reason or reading which the Spirit obserueth in these words And they ouercame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimonie and all such arguments as were drawne from the blocke as fire sword persecution interdiction and such like the children of the Church quenched them with teares prayers patience and martyrdome as their Lord had giuen them charge and left them example which the Spirit vncouereth in saying And they loued not their liues euen vnto the death Verse 13. Therefore reioyce O heauens and you that dwell in them Woe to the earth and to the sea because the diuell is descended to you hauing great wrath knowing that he hath but a little time AS after victory followeth diuision of spoile so the Spirit shuts vp this heauenly conquest with triumph and ioy inuiting thereunto all the Saints and seruants of God which haue from time to time maintained and defended the honour of his name against the Dragon his sorcerers and sorceries And because by their good profession and godly conuersation they testified the glorie of God as doe the heauens by their obedient conuersions the Spirit crowneth them with the name of the heauens saying Therefore reioyce O heauens and you that dwell in them And on the other part pronounceth woe first to all nations and kingdomes accessary to these spirituall whoredomes of the Dragon whom according to their earthly mind he most aptly resembleth to the earth next to the Empire it selfe as the scelerum caput and stable of iniquitie whom for his fearfull power and vnbridled rage the Spirit most elegantly calleth by the name of the Ocean and the sea and concludeth his woe with a reason why because both in one and other the power of Satan had taken such deepe roote that the more the light of the truth did bewray their madnesse the more they stroue and stormed against it and so much the rather because their sinne was now at the highest and that the kingdome of Christ did gather so fast vpon them that of necessity a mutation of their fortunes must needs follow with a subuersion not onely of their Paganisme but also of their power Cesaricall which the Spirit closely foldeth vp in these words Knowing that he hath but a little time which one Apostle also obserueth 2. Thess 2. Verse 14. And when the Dragon saw that he was throwne to the earth he persecuted the woman that brought forth the man child ANd when the raging Romane Empire saw that his maintenance of Iupiter and his idol art of making shrines was to descend for euer as among many voices some euen to this day are heard to crie vengeance vpon his idols inforcing them with shame to resigne their vsurped titles of gods and claime of heauen to the true Lord and owner thereof he took the course of the wicked whose custome is as one of their owne noteth malitia alia aliam trudere and to adde sin to sin as a holy one saith to quench his Deut. 29. thirst with drunkennesse for so proceeded this Beast adding to his blindnesse boldnesse redeeming his blasphemie with rage and persecution and was so far from coming to himselfe and taking vp repentance to wash away his crying sinnes that as the Spirit concludeth he more and more pursued the Church persecuted the woman which brought forth her first borne and primitiue fruit here called for their faith their patience and their godly valour the man child Verse 15. And there was giuen vnto the woman two wings of the great Eagle that she might flie into the desart vnto her place where she was nourished for a time and times and halfe a time from the face of the Serpent BVt the Lord who had so dearly bought his Shunamite was no lesse carefull to preserue and carry her to the place of her rest with a strong and out-stretched prouidence euen vpon his owne two wings whose feathers were made of the truth of his promse sealed and deliuered by the hand of his two witnesses which the Bridegroom of purpose left with his Spouse to accompanie and guide her whensoeuer she remoueth If she trauell by day they are her leading cloud if by night they are her pillar of fire if she flie they lend her wings if she wander they harbour her if she be naked they couer her if in prison they visit her if captiue they redeem her if she be weake they sustaine her if blind they leade her if she be heauie they comfort her if sicke they recouer her if she doubt they resolue her if she erre they direct her if she thirst they giue her to drinke and if she hunger they feed her and make her so strong of constitution that afflictions are reioycings to her banishment a hauen dispersion a friend losse and death aduantage And by these comforts as by hands they conuey her to her solitude and restlesse place of rest as the Spirit discouereth saying But there were giuen to the woman two wings of the great Eagle that she might flie into the desart vnto her resting place where euer since her primitiue dispersion she hath liued strewed and scattered far and neare ouer the face of the earth seene and knowne of her Lord by whom she is protected and of the children of wisedome of whom she is iustified and so doth and must remaine hidden and retired into the priuie chambers of Gods prouidence and her owne conscience during the reigne of Antichrist whose curst and arrogant supremacy was to rise out of the ashes of the Dragons Emperioritie as the holy Ghost prophecied And thus hiding her eminent primitiue graces must closely and silently keep the Lords watch and stand vpon her honorable guard three propheticall yeares and a halfe here as in Daniel determined by a time and times and half a time from the reach and rage of the Serpent his taile and successors Verse 16. And the Serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman water as it were a flood that he might make her to be carried away with the flood ANd when the Dragons traine of Cesars who for their malice to the truth and seducing the nations are here called by