the mysterie shall be finished the Turkes the Popes names being rased out then also the Church shall be settled in exceeding great felicitie as in the earth maie be expected The viales from 1558 even to the end Chap. 17. The execution of the fift viale on the throne of the beast by vvhich it shall be manifested by some one of no great name by most undenyable argumeÌ„ts that Rome is the seat of Antichrist that she hath bin made his seate from the time that the Heathenish Emperours vvere driven from thence Chap. 18. The second execution of the fift viale is the last overthrow of the citie of Rome by three Angels 1 descending from heaven 4 the second exhorting the Romanes to flight describing both the mourning of the ungodly also the joy of the godly 21 The thirde confirming her eternall destruction by casting a great milstone into the sea Chap. 19.1 There is dâ—scribed the joy of the saints for the perdition of Rome 5 The sixt viale is opened the calling of the Iewes is taught 12 Likewise a warlicke preparation partly in respect of Christ the câ—ptaine souldiers partly in respect of the enemies 20 The seaventh viale is declared by the destruction of the false Prophete of the Roman Pope of the Westerne enemie his baÌ„des Chap. 20.1 The vvhole history of the DragoÌ„ is repeated as it was in the GeÌ„tile Emperours before the imprisonemeÌ„t 2 Hovv it was in prison into which he was cast by Constantine bound for a thousaÌ„d yeares An interpretation of the three last viales in al which space the elect had a battel with the Romish Pope which being ended there is made at last the first resurrection many every where in the west aspiring unto the more syncere truth 7 Together with this resurrection the Devill is loosed theÌ„ ariseth the Turke vvith the Scithians Gog with Magog which now destroying the greatest part of the earth at length they turne their weapons against the holy citie that is the beleeving Iewes in which warfare the name of the Turke shall utterly be abolished 11 There is made the second resurrection by the second full calling of the Iewes Chap. 21.1 The last part of the seaventh viale describeth the felicity of the Church after the vanquishing of all enemies by the new Hierusalem descending from heaven of a most glorious building Chap. 22.1 It is shewed how this felicitie both by meat and drinke shall redounde to others and shall continue for ever 6 The conclusion confirmeth the whole Prophecy by manie most strong arguments CHAP. 1. A REVELATION OF THE APOCALYPSE THE Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto him to shewe unto his servaÌ„ts things which must shortly be done which he sent shewed by his Angel unto his servant Iohn 2 Who bare record of the word of God and of the testimony of Jesus Christ and of all things that he saw 3 Blessed is he that readeth they that heare the wordes of this Prophesie keep those things which are written therein for the time is at hand 4 Iohn to the seaven Churches which are in Asia Grace be with you and peace from him which is and which was and which is to come and from the seaven Spirits which are before his throne 5 And from Iesus Christ which is that faithfull witnesse and the first begotten of the dead and Prince of the Kings of the earth unto him that loved us and washed us from our sinnes in his blood 6 And made us Kings and Priests unto God even his Father to him be glory and dominion for evermore Amen 7 Behold he cometh with clouds and every eye shall see him yea even they which perced him through and all kinreds of the earth shall waile before him even so Amen 8 I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending saith the Lord which is and which was and which is to come even the Almightie 9 I John even your brother and companion in tribulation and in the Kingdome and patience of Jesus Christ was in the Yle called Patmos for the word of God and for the witnessing of Jesus Christ 10 And I was ravished in spirit on the Lords day and heard behind me a great voice as it had bene of a trumpet 11 Saying I am Alpha and Omega the first and the last and that which thou seest write in a book and send it unto the seven Churches which are in Asia unto Ephesus and unto Smyrna and unto Pergamus and unto Thyatira and unto Sardi and unto Philadelphia and unto Laodicea 12 Then I turned backe to see the voyce that spake with me and when I was turned I saw seven golden Candlesticks 13 And in the mids of the seven Candlesticks one like unto the Sonne of man clothed with a garment downe to the feet and girded about the paps with a goldeÌ„ girdle 14 His head and haires were white as whitewooll as snow and his eyes wer as a flame of fire 15 And his feete like unto fine Brasse burning as in a fornace and his voice as the sound of many waters 16 And he had in his right hand seven starres and out of his mouth went a sharpe two edged sword and his face shone as the Sunne shineth in his strength 17 And when I saw him I fell at his feete as dead then he laid his right haÌ„d upon me saying unto me feare not I am the first and the last 18 And am alive but I was dead and behold I am alive for evermore AmeÌ„ and I have the keyes of hell and of death 19 Write the things which thou hast seene and the things which are and the things which shall come hereafter 20 The mysterie of the seven starres which thou sawest in my right hand and the seven golden candlesticks is this The seven starres are the Angels of the seven Churches and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven Churches The prayer I entring into a matter beyond the strength of man pray thee O Father of lights together with thy Sonne the Chiefe Prophete and the Holy Spirit the leader into truth make plaine to mortall men the way not as yet sufficiently knowen Our minde seeth not the thinges thar are before our feete How little or nothing perceiveth it high and hidden things And how great danger is there from hence eyther of preasing rashly into thy secrets or of passing by true things and faining things absurd contrary Neverthelesse thou who hast made thy word a light to our feet who callest the most simple to the searching out of thy hidden mysteries and who dost chuse for the most parte fisher men before the wise of the world Be thou I say present and helpe this my slendernes graunt me a prosperous voyage between these dangerous Ylands Cause that I no where runne upon the high rockes of pride nor sticke in the shalowe of blind ignorance but the next way by thy
guidance arriving at the very truth I may holily and religiously reverence maintaine it being found out not conceale it through any shamefull fearfulnes corrupt it for any eyther hatred or favour but may bring it forth purely and syncerely into the viewe of every man to the glory of thy most great name and consolation of thy Church yet grievously mourning graunt this through our Lord Iesus Christ AmeÌ„ The Resolution THE Revelation after the Proheme is included whole in an Epistle The Proheme in the three first verses declareth the Argument Authours both principall and also Ministers and the Fruit. The Epistle is speÌ„t about an Inscription Propheticall narration and conclusion The InscriptioÌ„ is excellent for the person of the wrighter and of those to whom he writeth of him especially from whom salvation is wished the eternall verity of which one God the Father the manifold grace of the Holy Spirit vers 4. of the Sonne as the triple office vers 5. so especially his very great benefitâ— on the elect both present vers 6. to be expected in his glorious comming is celebrated which the kinreds of the earth shall receive with wailing and the saints in the meane time desyre most earnestly as is expressed in those wordes even so Amen vers 7. The Propheticall narration respecteth eyther the particular Churches or the whole Them partly jointly in the rest of this chapter partly severally in the two next The thinges which are declared ioyntly are to the end that the seaven Churches may knowe that Iohn undertooke not this wriring at his owne pleasure but was called and commanded of God Wherof the person calling may cause a full persuasion which cannot be of any other but of God himself vers 8. Lykewise the person called vers 9.10 Lastly the manner of calling him by hearing vers 11. theÌ„ by visioÌ„ The type wherof is shewed v. 12.13.14.15.16 certeyne things following therof are declared on Iohns parte a great feare and astonying on Christs part a consolation ver 17.18 then a commaunding to write ver 19. and the interpretation of the vision ver 20. A shorte exposition ver 1. Apocalyps The Argument of the booke signifying a Revelation made of God the coverings being taken away which before did hinder the eyes of mortall men Which sort of thinges were wont to be called in old time visions and prophesyes but in the writings of the Apostles the word of Revelation is more frequent I will come saith Paul to Visions and Revelations of the Lord 2 Cor. 12.1 And againe that J should not be lifted up above measure with excellency of Revelations ver 7. So whosoever of you hath a song hath doctrine hath a tongue hath a Revelation 1 Cor. 14.26 Furthermore the knowledge of the Gospell is attributed to Revelation of seeing which there is no greater power before it shall be revealed then of understanding future thinges I give thee thankes saith Christ O Father because thou hast hidden these thinges from the wise revealed them to babes Mat. 11.25 Whether is then this not the sense of this word that no new thing is published but as the Gospell is an open revealâ—d lawe so the coverings being removed that onely to be shewed which before lay hydde under the olde shadowes And so it might paradventure be thought unlesse this were also a word of the olâ—e testament The saying of him saith Balaam that heareth the wordes of the strong God which seeth the vision of the Almighty falling downe but having his eyes opened or revealed Num. 24.4 So the man of God spake unto Heli in the name of the Lord Did not I reveale my selfe playnâ—ly to the house of thy father 1 Sam. 2.27 Wherfore there is no argumeÌ„t from heÌ„ce to this purpose This may be without doubt that this kinde of speaking used as well here as there doth shewe that it neither was in the beginninge nor yet is proper to the witte of mortall men to finde out such mysteries by searching Neverthelesse that now all things are easy to be passed through by the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ so farre as is behoveable for his Church Doe thou therfore most high Day-starre open our eyes that we may behold thy wonderfull things ¶ Of Iesus Christ Who is one of the chiefe authours of the Revelation the Mediatour betweene God and men All the olde Prophecies flowed alwayes from the same Christ but in these last dayes God hath spoken unto us by his Sonne after a singular and speciall manner Heb. 1.1 Wherupon there is a difference betweene the auncient inscriptions of the the Prophecies and of this There the vision of Isaias the vision of Obadias the booke of the vision of Nahum The Prophecy which Habbakuke saw never before the vision or Revelation of Iesus Christ This Prophecy must needes be most full of maiesty which is notable before others for the title neither is it to be doubted but that according to the proportion of the light of the Gospell all things are delivered here more distinctly and more clearely then ever before ¶ Which God gave unto him To wit the Father the authour fountayne of all things And he gave these thinges to Jesus Christ in asmuch as he is Mediatour not as to his coessentiall Sonne For these thinges doe shewe rather the order in which God doth give knowledge to his Church then the originall of knowing in respect of his Sonne as Th. Beza declareth most learnedly He is the pipe by vvhom is derived unto us men from the unmeasurable depth of his goodnes whatsoever may be profitable for us Although the verbe to give ioyned with the infinitive mode signifyeth often to permitte as thou wilt not give thy holy one to see corruption that is thou wilt not suffer him to see Psal 16.10 And Edom râ—fused to give to passe through that is permitte Num. 21.21 After which manner Demosthenes speaketh the word of permitting being ioyned with it Give and permitte me to speake of these thinges unto you But it comes all to one whether we make it the beginning of knowledge or of power Therefore we must rest in the first answere ¶ That he might shewe to his servants Therefore the understanding of those thinges is peculiar to these You prophane be ye farre o be ye farre fâ—om hence Why o ye Iesuites doe ye touch this booke These mysteries are shutte and sealed to you whatsoever diligence in interpreting you may pretend Here is nothing for the sworne slaves of Antichrist Leave off to trouble your selves and to deceave others Yf yee desyre indeed to understande these thinges renounce the Lord whom yee serve to the end that he whose name ye counterfaite may impert these secrets to you returning againe into his family ¶ Which must shortly be done An explication of the thinges whereof it is a Râ—velation not of those which were past a good while since but which should be done afterward and shortly For he
nothing concerned thē Hereunto is added that the nomber of seaven is an universall nomber by whose revolution all times are made all times being winded upon this Pole even as the whole heavenlie frame is turned upon the seaven starres Wherefore as being full of mysterie it is used afterward the whole booke through in describing of all things Yet all Churches are not so to be considered as yf nothing indeede had bene sent to them which by name are afterward noted but togither with the signification of the misterie the truth of the historie is to be reteined Seing therefore these seaven Churches stretch further than their names declare whether in them the estate of all times even to Christes comming is to be considered No verily but onely of that time wherein the Church shal be among the Gentiles Which thing shal be manifest by those things that follow and also so plaine a desciphering of the Churches of Asia seemes to grant that the Synagogue of the Iewes is not to be mixt with them Which thing hath caused that in the resolution we have distinguished the whole Propheticall narration into that which is proper to particular Churches and into that which is common to all Churches ¶ Grace be to you and peace from which is He commeth to the praier wherby the third person of the Inscription is declared And he setteth downe the fountaine of grace and peace to be one true God three in person whos 's first person these words declare Arethas thinkes that these three times doe specially bolong to the three persons Because the Father saith he is otherwhere called which is Exod. 3.14 the Sonne which was Iohn 1.1 the Holy Ghost which cometh Iohn 16.8.13 Act. 2. But the distinction so cleare which forthwith followeth gainsaies it which challengeth this description of that J will be Exod. 3.14 common to the whole Deitie here to the alone person of the Father Wherby also we are given to understand that this threefolde difference of time belonges to the unchangeable and stedfast truth of God concerning his promises For there is the same force of this circumlocution as of that abreviation Exod. 3.4 which we know was used that he might teach Moses that the time was come that he woulde perfourme the promise once made to Abrahā of delivering his seed out of Egipt From whence is also that name of Iehova wherby God was not knowne to the Fathers Exod. 6.2 because they had not yet obteined that promise Certaine minde that this is a name of being no portion of which a created spirit can understand as yf God should take to himselfe such names onely for his owne sake and not for ours Wherefore these things are as yf he should say From God the Father most true and constant in all his things which presently giueth most plentifull experiments of his truth by sending at length his Sonne into the world who in former times never failed in any one of those things which he had promised who lastly so hath caused hope of things as yet to come that daily he endevoureth the performance of them and hasteneth the acomplishment of his whole truth For which cometh hath this force as a present future that I may so say For that which cometh is not yet present nor yet altogether absent Therefore it is much more significant then if he had said which will come or which is about to come as commonly it is turned For this which cometh declareth that he will no further deferre his promises but that now forthwith he is imploied in fulfilling of them an excellent confort for them which through wearines of delay doe fainte But thou wilt say is truth attributed to the Father onely Verilie it is common alike to all of them but seeing the partes of the Sonne and Spirit are chiefly imploied in executing the decrees it is mentioned as proper to him alone whome order of doing maketh to be the Authour of promising and the fountaine of goodnes Gentile impietie hath imitated this division with their tripos which they report that Apollo used for three commodities of things which he had very much tried 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which saw things to come to be before they were as in the Scholiaste of Aristophanes on Plut. ¶ And from the seauen spirites The second welspring of peace is the Holy Ghost most plentifully enriching replenishing his Church with every kinde of giftes for which cause such a circumlocution is used For he which togither with the Father the Sonne is the giver and causer of peace and grace cannot be counted amongst the creatures Of which matter see that most learned man Francis Iunius Neither proves it that this is a creature as the Iesuite will have it because he is saide to stand in the sight of the throne after the maner of those that rather serve God himselfe than that he is God himselfe Wheras by this reason neither the Sonne should be God which being a lambe came and tooke the booke out of the right hand of him that sate on the throne hereafter chap. 5.7 And more plainely in Daniell 7.13 and before him that is setting in his throne they presented him to wit the Sonne of man What then is the Sonne to be beteft of his Godhead Wherfore we must know that the words mentioned thorough this booke both here and else where both universally of God as the chiefe and highest Governour in which regard a throne is attributed to him and also of the Sonne Holy Ghost as ministers By whose more neare working all things are done Wherfore they are sayd to stand as in a readines before the throne and as it were expecting the commaundement and becke of the Chiefe Governour So was the Revelation given to the Sonne ver 1. and therefore the Spirit seemeth in this place to be noted more by his giftes by which he workes in his saints then by his proper name But the things onely of order are not to be drawne to destroy the natures 5 And from Jesus Christ which is that faithfull witnes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and from Jesus Christ that faithfull witnes that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is that faithfull witnes the want of the relative being supplied very often used in this booke after the manner of the Hebrewes These things apperteine to the thirde fountaine Christ which we call the thirde in regard of the place which here he susteines not in order of person Hitherto hath bin differred the describing of him because it was more at large to be insisted upon and frō him to be derived the thankesgiving by whose alone merite we are made partakers of all good things And first he mentioneth his Propheticall Office calling him the faithfull witnes that is which hath faithfully truly and fully taught the whole will of God as farre as appetaines to mans salvation For the whole doctrine of the Gospell is wont to be called a testimony as Iohn 3.11
he reproveth also Kings for their sakes saying touch not myne annointed and doe my Prophets noe harme Psalm 105.14.15 For the Lord shall roare out of Zion and his voyce out of Ierusalem Amos 1.2 Why thē is not the world wise at last when it seeth that this is the fountaine of all evills because it doth entreate so contemptuously and unworthyly the Church And the lightnings and terrible thunders doe signify punishments and not to be avoided by any meanes as which doe fall violently upō men from heaven But to what ende are voyces added Surely voices doe note out often times the craking of thunders as Exod. 19.16 And there were voices and lightnings and a thicke cloude upon the mount and the voyce of a trumpet very lowde So in chap. 20.18 And all the people did perceive the voyces and the voice of a trumpet But seeing in this place there is expresse mention of thunders the voices are referred to some other thinge namely to the sounde of the trumpet For he doth allude unto that fearfull sound of the trumpet in giving of the lawe wherby the Israelites were summoned to appeare at the Tribunall seat and iudgement The sounde whereof when it continued and waxed very stronge Moses sayd I doe feare and quake Exod. 19.19 Heb. 12.21 For the expectation of iudgement did more abash and trouble their minde then the present horrour of some terrible spectacle the feare of which the minde can susteine in some sorte unlesse it be troubled with the conscience of sinne when it shall be cast downe with the feeling of this it quaketh at every shewe of evill as if torments were prepared and by and by to be undergone The voices then here are some strange things betokening some evill to come or stinges of conscience with which the mindes are allwayes tormented with expectation of some more grievous thing to come This feare shal be as a torture to the wicked tearing and vexing with greater torment of minde then any present though grievous calamity Such then are the weapons which are layd up in this armory which in deede are drawne out and brought forth in a readines for taking of vengeance even as the use either of the whole Church or the necessity of any of the saints privatly doth require Wherfore there is no caufe why they should feare the wicked world for whose defense so grievous punishments are prepared ¶ And seaven lampes of fyre After the grace of protection are declared the giftes of sanctification of which the inward are signifyed by the seaven burning lampes after the account of the seaven spirits which are before the throne chap. 1.4 For by the flame of these those lampes doe burne with that difference onely wherby the river differreth from the fountayne The which thinge the lampes doe signify vessels of a certen and limitted measure whereas the Spirit himselfe is unmeasurable and cannot be included in any straight vessels For which cause he was before most free not limited by any addition of any measurable quantity where mention was made of him as of the third person of equall glory and maiesty with the Father and the Sonne chap. 1.4 And these lampes are called the seven spirits of God both because they are gifts that flowe from the Spirit and also there is a most straite ioyning togither of the effect with his cause For they be most sweete fruites which the Spirit created in the hearts of the saincts in giving them faith hope charity peace ioye praye and the other things with which the elect are sanctifyed They are likened to lampes of fyre according to the custome of the lightes in the Temple which were to be lighted every day of Aaron and his sonnes Exod. 27.20 For the Spirit will have them to be kindled in the hartes of the elect by the labour of the Ministers through the worde and sacraments and not to be expected contrary to the order delivered to us of himselfe There is the number of seaven because of the manifold varietie of giftes wherewith he adorneth the faithfull as every where that number is used to note an infinite number Last of all these giftes are compared to fyre for the lampes are of fyre burning before the throne because they inlighten the minde burne up the stubble of the inbread corruption and kindle a desyre of all godlines which Iohn calleth the Babptisme of fyre Mat. 3.11 And howe great confort ariseth from thence that the name of the Spirit himselfe is attributed to those giftes Which are saith he the seaven Spirits of God From which the faithfull may understand that that force which they feele in their hearts raysed up of God is a most sure pledge of God dwelling in them Such then are the inward giftes of which the Church shall never be destitute but some congregation of the Godly shal be remayning alwayes in which those seaven lampes shall burne 6 There was also before the Throne a Sea of glasse The first outward gift which serveth for those inward as the instrumentall cause is the Sea of glasse which seemeth to be some very great vessell and huge lake after the likenes once of the Sea in the Temple of which 1 King 7 23. Likewise he made a molten Sea This Sea is to be understood of such a vessell For howe can that which is before the Throne compassed with a company of Elders standing rounde aboute be spred abroad on every side like the sea properly so called The circuite in deede of the Elders may extende so farre as the compasse of the earth yet it behoveth us to remember that the thinge was shewed to Iohn in a type that wee should not thinke of any such unmeasurable space Both the name and the largenesse of the vessell doe shewe the fulnes of all giftes which the Church doth drawe from Christ unto her salvation who received the Spirit without measure and from whose infinite riches it is bestowed upō us Iohn chap. first ver 16. For to what ende otherwise was there so bigge a vessell at which Aaron and his sonnes should wash their handes and their feete For cleansing whereof some small pitcher or cruse would had sufficed And in deede this Sea sheweth very fitly a certen resemblance of the whole outward worship which is to be performed to God The doctrine often time is compared unto waters Hoe saith Isaiah whosoever thirsteth come yee to those waters For the carrying away of which he commendeth no other buckets to be brought then the eares Jnclyne your eare saith he chap. 55.1.3 From whence the Ministers are called waterers 1 Cor. 3.6 Baptisme also is signifyed by the Sea through which the Fathers passed and were all baptised unto Moses in the cloude and in the Sea 1 Cor. 10.1.2 Furthermore the water noteth the spirituall drinke of the holy Supper And all sayth he dranke the same spirituall drinke ver 4. By the same also prayers are signifyed as the Israelites being
note out onely summarily the excellent dignity of it Christ himselfe represented severally the beautie of every of each one of the members in that figure wherein he was seene of Iohn Chap. 2. VNTO the Angel of the Church of Ephesus write these thinges saith he that holdeth those seaven starres in his right hande which walketh in the middes of the seaven candlestickes 2 I knowe thy workes and thy lahour and thy patience and that thou canst not suffer the wicked and hast tried them which say that they are Apostles and are not and hast found them lyars 3 And thou wast burdened and doest endure and for my name hast laboured and wast not wearied 4 But J have somewhat against thee that thou hast left thy first love 5 Be mindfull therefore from whence thou art fallen and doe the first workes or els I will come against thee shortly and remove thy candlesticke out of his place unlesse thou doest repent 6 But this thou hast that thou hatest the workes of the Nicolaitanes which J also hate 7 Let him that hath an eare heare what the spirit saith to the Churches to him that overcometh J will give to eate of that tree of life which is in the middes of the Paradise of God 8 To the Angell of the Church of Smyrna write these thinges saith he that is the first and last who was dead and is alive 9 J know thy workes and thy affliction and poverty but thou art riche and the blasphemy of them that say they are Jewes and are not but the synagogue of Sathan 10 Feare none of those things which thou shalt suffer Beholde it shall come to passe that Sathan shall cast some of you into prisâ—n that you may be tryed and yee shall have affliction ten dayes Be faithfull unto death and I will give thee the crowne of life 11 Let him that hath an eare heare what the spirit sayeth to the Churches He that shall overcome shall not be hurt of the second death 12 And to the Angell of the Church of Pergamus write these thinges saith he that hath that sharpe two edgedsword 13 I know thy workes and where thou dwellest to wit where Sathans throne is and that thou keepest my name and hast not denyed my faith yea even in those dayes in which Antipas that my faithfull martyr was slaine among you where Sathan dwelleth 14 But I have a few thinges against thee that thou hast there those that holde the doctrine of Balaam who taught Balack to lay a stumbling blocke before the children of Jsrael that they should eate of those things which were offred to Jdols and that they should commit fornication 15 So also hast thou them which holde the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes which I hate 16 Repent or else J will come against thee quickely and fight with them with that sword of my mouth 17 Let him that hath an eare heare what the spirit saith to the Churches I will giue to him that overcometh to eate of the hidden Manna and J will give him a white stone and a new name written in the stone which no man knoweth but he that receaveth it 18 And to the Angell of the Church of Thyatira write these things saieth the Sonne of God which hath eyes as a flame of fire and whose feete are like fine brasse 19 J know thy workes and love and service and faith and patience and thy workes and thy last are more then the first 20 But I have a fewe things against thee that thou suffrest the woman Iezabell which saith shee is a Prophetisse to teach deceave my servants that they should coÌ„mit fornication eate of things which are offred to Idols 21 And I gave her time to repent of her fornication but she bath not repented 22 Behold I will cast her into a bead them that committe adultery with her into very great affliction unlesse they repent of their workes 23 And I will kill her children with death and all the Churches shall know that I am the searcher of the reines and of hearts I will give to every one of you according to your workes 24 And to you I say and the rest of the Thyatirians whosoever hold not this doctrine who have not known the deepnesses of Sathan as they say I will lay no other burden upon you 25 Yet that which you have keepe till I shall come 26 For if any shall overcome observe my workes unto the end I will give him power over nations 27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron they shall be broken in pieces as earthen vessels as I also have received of my father 28 And I will give him the morning starre 29 Let him that hath an eare heare what the spirit saith to the Churches The Resolution HITHERTO in comon that which perteineth to all the seaveÌ„ Churchches that which is proper to every one foloweth an Epistle being inscribed to every one severally In every one of which there is an InscriptioÌ„ Narration and Conclusion The three first are of the Church falling into a worse estate of Ephesus Smyrna and Pergamum The other fower are of the same returning and so as the three next are opposed to the three first are answerable one to the other the Thyatiren to the Ephesine the Sardinen to the Smyrnen the Philadelphen to the Pergamen Onely Laodicaea hath noe equall wherto she may be compared As touching the Ephesine which holdeth the first place the Inscription is by name to the Angell describing also him that gave the Epistle That he holdeth the seaven starres in his right hand and walketh amids the candlestickes ver 1. The Narration partly respected praise commending their labour patience discipline ver 2. then their unwearied desire ver 3. partly reprehensioÌ„ which sheweth their sinne their first love left ver 4. the remedie which first he propoundeth teaching in what thing it consisteth in a care of their first workes afterward he inciteth them to use it partly by a denuntiation of removing the candlesticke unlesse it be done in time vers 5. partly by a rehearsall of the cause for which they had bin spared hitherto ver 6. The conclusion is both epiphonematicall requiring attention and also remunerant where the reward is the power to eate of the tree of life ver 7. The other Analyses shall follow every one in his place Scholions Languishing Ephesus TO the Angell Every one of the Epistles are inscribed to the Pastours not that they shoul have them privately to themselves but that they should communicate them with the rest of the Church as hath bin said before ch 1.11 Sende to the seaven Churches which are in Asia to Ephesus Smyrna c. and in the end of every one let him heare what the spirit saith not to the Angell alone but to the Churches But they are sent to him by name partly because he is the dispensatour of doctrine exhortatioÌ„ reproofe c.
difference betweene the Manna of the Pergamen people and that of the Israelites For this every way was spred rond about the tentes that was dispersed peculiarly to every one of the saints who did not dwell so thicke togither in so great number as the Jsraelites in their tentes but in certen rare dennes farre removed froÌ„ the eyes of the world From wheÌ„ce the Manna of these is hidden their 's manifest like to that which was gathered from the comon allowance of the people and by the commandement of God layd up in a golden pot which the people had no power to see afterward Exod. 16.33.34 Heb. 9.4 Which in a more excellent figure did shadow out the heavenly food For the other Manna being kept above one day was full of wormes this abode pure and incorrupt through all ages a lively and expresse image of the immortall foode Therefore this Manna doeth not ly openly about the tents in the waye of every one that will gather it up but is given from the golden pot as much as may be sufficient to maintaine life And certenly unlesse Christ by hidden meanes in those most corrupt times had provided for his they had bin utterly undone as touching their salvation ¶ And J will give him a white stone The second reward Aretas reporteth that such a stone was wont to be given to maister wrastlers striving on the theater But it is not likely that that custome is here regarded For that was onely to the entring of the fight and not to the rewarding of the overcomer In the playes called Olympiques that the champions should not run togither rashly they pulled stones out of a sylver pot and those on which they did fall being marked with the same letter for they wer two by two marked with the same characters were committed in the fight by the iudges neither doe I thinke that there was any other use of stones in playes In iudgements they were used to an other ende to wit to give voices In which thing they were divers according to the sundry lawes of the peoples sometime hollow and bored through by which they did condemne sometime full and solid by which they did absolve Some time also they were distinguished onely by the colour the black condamning the white contrariwise absolving So Vlpian on Demosthenes against Timocrate The stones sometime bored and not bored some time black and white To the same purpose the Scholiâ—ste of Aristophanes in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But that of Alcibiades is famous who in the iudgement of life and death would not beleeve his mother least peradventure shee unwares should put a black stone for a white Plutarche in Apotheg of the King He doeth allude therefore to that manner of absolving in iudgements But wherfore now is there a second yea a third reward which in the former Churches was but one The use of the godly did so require For because those few and rare faithfull in so great a multitude of the ungodly were hated of all condemned of schisme errour heresy and I know not what wickednes an absolving stone is promised them That although they should be guilty by all mens suffragies on the earth yet they might knowe most surely that they are iudged guiltles before the heavenly tribunall How great a solace is this against the reproches of the world Be of good courage if God iustify who shall condemne Rom. 8.33 ¶ And in the stone a new name written A third reward He persisteth in the same custome of iudgements in some of which their names were written in the stones who came to be iudged Aristides being desired of an unlearned and one that knewe not who he was that he would write to him the name of Aristides in his shell he wrote his name into his owne banishement Plutarch in Apotheg of Aristides Here the like custome is shewed But the new name to be written in the white stone is the childe of God such as the faithfull perceive and acknowledg themselves to be by the testimony of the Spirit Rom. 8.16 Which also avayleth against the railings of the world to whoÌ„ they should be as the filth and ofskowring of all But why dost thou vexe thy selfe with thought of so great contempt seeing thou art with God in the honour of a sonne This name also is unknowne to all except to him that receaveth it For the world knoweth us not 1 Ioh. 3.2 Therfore their testimony is of noe account on what side soever But besides beholde the solitarines of those times wherein the elect were no lesse unknowne to the world then the way of salvation signifyed now by the hidden Manna Analysis Such is the Epistle to the Church of Pergamus Thyatira growing This to the Thyatirens is intituled also to the Angell then he declareth that he that sendeth is the sonne of God with fiery eyes and feete like fine brasse ver 18. The Narration prayseth the increase of Godlines ver 19. but reprehendeth for suffering of Jesabell whose naughtines he describeth first by the kinde of sinne ver 20. secondly by the hardning ver 21. and punishment which is notable both for the nature of the punishment it selfe which is divers according to the maÌ„ner of the delinquents For Iezabell her selfe is punished by the Bed They that committe fornication with her by great affliction ver 22. and her sonnes with death as also by an excellent testimony of all Churches of the iust and severe iudgement of God ver 23. To whom finally he annexed a counsell against this wickednes the way wherto he sheweth by gentle entreatie laying noe other burden upon them ver 24. requyring constancy ver 25. perswading therto by the reward of power over the nations vers 26.27 the morning starre ver 28. The conclusion ver 29. Scholions 18 And to the Angell of the Church of Thyatira Thyatira is so called as it were Thugatera as we have shewed at the first chapter A name well concurring with the thing For the godlines of this Church is growing as a daughter new borne which alway groweth up till shee hath attained to a full maturity In which respect it is opposed to Ephesus which being of full age the very first day or shortly after the further shee proceedeth as hasting to old age became weaker every day while at leÌ„gth the naturall heat being extinguished shee fell into the coldnes of death And here is the first bending from the North to wit Pergamus toward the south but further to the East being distant according to Ptolemy about foure score English miles The Antitype is the time from the yeare 1300. unto 1520. ¶ These things saith the sonne of God Now Christ maketh himselfe knowne by his name eyes feete every one of which doe appeare more clearly froÌ„ the Antitype of what sorte they are As touching the name now first of all it offereth it selfe not expressed before eyther in the things seen or heard in the first chapter
wherat the world then not without cause was astonied at this the enemies doe at this day beholde with so heavie eyes It seemeth that there shal be the same suiftnes of the following rewards which a man shall see given before he shall heare that they were to be given and therfore in place they goe before the admonition which also noe lesse they shall goe before in time You therefore o Pastists you againe I speake unto if peradventure the Spirit hath given any of you eares that you may heare attend diligently those things which have bin spoken See what a one is your Rome which you embrace with so great reverence and whether you ran the last yeare to celebrate your wicked Iubiles shee is not a holy virgine as you are perswaded falsly but a most impudent Jezabell a most cruell murderesse of the saints from whom wee ought rather to fly into anie wildernes with Eliah then to runne to her by sea by land leaving at home the most chaste spouse of Christ Behold also that this sorceresse had lyensike now many yeares agone can you otherwise deny it which calleth the Turke to come upon the Christian world expelleth our brethren out of their places of abode turneth them out from their goods spoiled them of their children and wives and constrayneth them to be carried away into most cruell servitude and heapeth many calamityes upon us all which are farre of from that burning hatred And not onely these thinges at this present but which shall bring finally an horrible death upon you her children Can it be doubtfull to any who shall weigh diligently these things with himselfe but that wee ought to flee very soone very farr from this plague and mischiefe The Spirit give you eares to heare I will speake noe more to them of whom the trueth is esteemed a bare signification of the â—ill of God shal be sufficient let him be filthy still who shall contemne this I will turne my selfe to the unfoulding of those things that remayne Chap. 3. AND to the Angell of the Church which is at Sardis wrighte These things sayeth he that hath the seaven Spirits of God and the seaven starres I know thy workes to wit that thou art said to live but thou art dead 2 Be vigilant strengthen the things that remaine ready to dy for I have not found thy workes perfit before God 3 Remember therfore how thou hast receaved and heard and observe repent That if thou doest not watch J will come against thee as a thiefe neither shalt thou know what houre J will come against thee 4 Notwithstanding thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments and therfore they shall walke with me in white for they are worthy 5 He that overcometh shal be clothed with white garments neither will I ever put his name out of the booke of life but will professe his name before my father and before his Angels 6 Let him that hath an eare heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches 7 And to the Angell of the Church of Philadelphia write These things saith he that is holy and true which hath the key of David which openeth and noe man shutteth shutteth and noe man openeth 8 J know thy workes beholde I have set before thee an open dore neither is any man able to shut it because thou hast a little strength and hast kept my worde and hast not denyed my name 9 Beholde I will give those which are the Synagogue of Sathan that is of them which say they are Iewes and are not Beholde I say J will cause them to come and worship before thy feete and to know that I have loved thee 10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience I also will keepe thee from the time of tentation which shall come upon the whole world to try the inhabitans of the earth 11 Behold J come quickly holde that which thou hast that no man may take thy crowne 12 Him that overcometh I will make to be a pillar in the Temple of my God neither shall he goe forth any more and J will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God that is of the new Jerusalem which cometh downe from heaven from my God and my new name 13 Let him that hath an eare heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches 14 And to the Angell of the Church of the Laodiceans write These things saith Amen that faithfull and true witnesse the beginning of the worke of God 15 I know thy workes to wit that thou art neither cold nor whote I would thou wert eyther cold or whote 16 Therefore because thou art lukewarme neither cold nor whote it shall come to passe that I will spewe the out of my mouth 17 For thou sayst J am rich and increased with goods need nothing And knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poore and blind and naked 18 I counsell thee to buy of me Gold tryed in the fyre that thou mayest be rich and white garments that thou mayest be clothed and that the shame of thy nakednes may not appeare and that thou anointe thyne eyes with eye salve that thou mayest see 19 As many as I love J rebuke and chastice 20 Be hotte therfore and repente Beholde J stand at the dore and knocke if any shall heare my voyce and open the dore I will come into him and suppe with him he with mee 21 He that shall overcome J will give him that he may sit with me in my throne as I haue overcome and sit with my father in his throne 22 Let him that hath an eare heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches The Analysis THERE be three Epistles of this chapter One to the Sardenses an other to the Philadelpphienses the last to the Laodiceans Neither are they without cause included in one chapter seeing they are of nature somewhat divers from the former For the former were further distant one from an other so they had Antitypes of a longer time But these are both severed one from another with lesser distances and also wee shall find the Churchches directly answering unto them to be of a more conioined tyme. The Epistle to the Sardenses after the inscription to the Angell describeth the SeÌ„der from the seaven Spirits and seaven starres after it addeth the Narration Which reproveth him that he carrieth the name and some shewe of life wheÌ„ in very deede he was dead ver 1 but togither also he teacheth the remedy which is double the first consisteth in confirming the other things that are ready to dy For it should come to passe that by the iust iudgment of God many should dy who so should punish the neglect of lawfull and iust ameÌ„ndement ver 2. The second that he should remember what things he had received and should repent Which admonition lest he a should negligently regarde he is sharpened
used in the scriptures to signify the invasion of the enemy but seeing the next words have respect hitherto neither shalt thou know in what houre I will come against thee peradvēture he meaneth some other thing to wit a certen force violence such as thieves use in robbing houses Who often times not onely doe spoile the maysters of their goods but also committe adultery with their wives and defloure the virgins and compell by torments to confesse where the mony is hidden which having once gotten that their wickednes may not be bewrayed they kill all without difference either of sexe or age Therefore Christ seemeth here to threatenē the like outragious fiercenes of some cruell enemy Of whose comming wee may not define by the iudgement of the flesh seeing it shall not be knowne in what houre he shall come Neither must we labour much to search out who this enemy should be The Spirit who hath determined that his comming shal be sudden would not have him knowen by name It may be that it is the Turke to whom the raynes may be loosed a while till they be lookt unto which are to be punished But whether it shall be he or some other wee may not sleepe securely and neglect reformation because wee see noe danger at hand but we must thinke how it may come upon us in a moment And it is to be feared that this which is threatned shall no more be avoided then that of removing the Candlesticke from the Ephesine Church chap. 2.5 These thinges depende on the condition of repentance to which the eares of men are deafe even the greatest part 4 Yet thou hast a few persons in the greeke it is a few names that is a fewe men as Act. 1.15 and after in this booke chap. 11.13 In these wordes he cometh to the other part of the narration which perteineth to commēdation Which alwayes at other times is wont to take the first place But this new disposition setting in order is not done rashly teaching that in the latter times shal be some who refusing errours should embrace the trueth As we knowe was done when the booke of Concorde began frō this occasion and so many visitations undertaken that the Calvinists as they speake might be rooted out utterly For such men followers of true godlines and iudgement were conversant in the most inward bowels of this Sarden state Beside many free Cityes Strasburg Heydelberg Marpurg Newstadt Breme the peopell Anhaltine c. who opposed themselves against the forgeries of the rest In every one of those places famous lights now and then did shine which driving farre away that darkenes gave a ioyfull day to their flockes ¶ Which have not defiled their garments The garment is Christ himselfe the comon clothing of all the faithfull of which in the parable Friend howe camest thou in hither not having on a wedding garment Mat. 22.12 And Paul more plainly For all yee that have bin baptized into Christ have put on Christ Gal. 3.27 But it hath a diverse signification according to the diverse respect of thinges into which it is referred In respect of God it belongeth to iustification in respect of other men to sanctification and profession in respect of our selves to honour glory triumphe ioy c. Therefore these Sardens kept their profession of Christ sincere and entyre from all the filth and pollutions of those monstrous opinions Although they also which by repentāce did awake frō those errours may be said to keepe their garments also pure For they that are in Christ are not esteemed according to their former foulnes but according to their present apparell wherewith all their fomer uncleannesses are covered ¶ And therefore they shall walke with me in white to wit garments These are the same garmēts with the former but a little differing in respect for those were of profession wherby the valiant souldiers of Christ did appeare to others these are of glory triumphe and ioye which they shall enioy both in themselves from the feeling of Gods love shed abroad in their harts and also which they should receive frō the praysing of others who shall prayse God in their name who hath bestowed on thē fortitude victory A white and pure gowne in a solemne mirth is commendable both among the Gentiles and also the people of God From whence the wise man alluding to this manner Let saith he thy garments be white alway Eccl. 9.8 But especially I thinke that of Marke is to be regarded where some steppe of this celestiall glory appeared in the shining garment so white as snow such as no fuller can make on earth ch 9.3 At which sight Peter beeing overwhelmed with unmeasurable ioy minded this one thing which way he mought have bin able to enioy it alway So this shal be a most āple reward for the saints in which they shall so hartely delight that they shall desyre no greater thing in this life And if any should aske the brethren themselves whose these garments ar I doubt not but they would answere that this ioy is of more value which they obtayne by Christ in retaining his truth thē that they would chaunge it with all the delight of this life Certenly great is their glory among all the godly which wee pray with all our harts to be perpetuall to them ¶ For they are worthy The Papists are glad in their owne behalfe for this words as an excellent patron of their merit of condigne worthines but let them remember that this merit is attributed to the garmēt not to the body that is to the imputation of the righteousnes of Christ wherewith we are clothed as with a garment not to our inherent holines For not to defile the garment cannot be of more estimation then the garment it selfe And seeing there be sundry significations of the garments as wee have shewed the worthynes ariseth not either from profession of good workes wherby the saints are seen of others neither from the ioy of the Spirit which wee our selves feele within us but from this alone that the father counteth us righteous being clotheth with his sonne He therefore is worthy that is clothed though not of every use of garments but onely of that peculiar respect wherby we are presented blamelesse in the presence of God even as a man seeth although not the whole man but onely that part to which the faculty belongeth 5 He that shall overcome c. Some copies and the comon translation read thus He that shall overcome shal be so clothed But the reddition of a similitude is unusuall where there is no question unlesse peradventure they be referred to the former verse as though he should say as they that at all have not assented to errours shall walke with me arayed in white apparell so they that after some striving shall departe from the same shall be clothed with white As though the first reward were perteining to them that fell not this to them
elect shall he not also obtayne all things for us that may avayle any way for our good The seaven hornes is that supreame power wherby the man Christ sitting at the right hande of the Father ruleth and governeth all things according to that which Christ being raysed froÌ„ the dead sayd to his disciples all power is given mee in heaven and in earth Mat. 28.18 Therefore that most meeke Lambe wanteth not those weapons wherby he chaseth away his enemyes althoug by his great patience he seemeth not to regarde the iniuries which they doe And thou mayest observe that it is not needfull that the parables and similitudes should agree in all thinges seeing here to the Lambe contrary to nature are attributed seaven hornes and as many eyes that is gifts of the Spirit wherewith Christ endueth the faithfull They are sent from him seeing noe man can be partaker even of the least gift unlesse he bestowe it on them For God heareth not sinners but from his fulnes wee all receive and he being gone to his Father sendeth the Conforter unto his which leadeth them into all trueth as in the Gospell of Iohn chapter sixteene ver seaventh and thirteene A visible token whereof were once the cloven tongues like fire sitting upon the Apostles and that miraculous gift of speaking suddenly with other tongues Act. 2.3 c. With which faculty not onely the Apostles were endued but afterward also others embracing the faith Neither are they onely sente into all the world that they may conferre the comfortable knowledge of salvation to the Elect But that CHRIST may search out all thinges that are done in his Church yea which are done in any other place of the world Wherefore howe great impudency is it to thrust upon the Church a visible head seeing the LAMBE is furnished with so many eyes neither hath them idle and unoccupied but sendeth them forth with all diligence into the whole world The care of Christ taketh not indede away the Ministers eyther Ecclesiasticall or Politicall which he hath ordained But to faine and invent a newe kinde and degree and that under a pretence that CHRIST is absent is proper onely to that man who is directly opposite to Christ As touching the wordes some Copies reade as is noted in the Greeke Bibles lately set forth at Frankeford which are that the relative may be referred as well to the hornes as to the eyes After which manner also Aretas readeth this verse And the Hornes may be sayd to be sent into the whole world when CHRIST putteth forth his power in succouring his owne servantes and destroying his enemyes But it agreeth more properly to the eyes which when wee turne toward any thinge wee are sayd to cast them upon the same 7 He came and tooke the booke out of the right hand of him that sat on the throne There is a double consideration of Christ one so farre as of the eternall God sitting togither in the Throne with the Father chap. 4. ver 3. The other so farre as he is of the Mediatour attending on the throne and prepared and ready to performe those things which make for the salvatioÌ„ of his people There is the like regard of the Spirit who as he is the Eternall God partaker of the Throne compassing the same about as in the fourth chap. and third verse But according as he sanctifyeth the Church with created giftes there are seaven Spirits before the Throne seaven burning Lampes seaven Hornes and seaven eyes 8 Having every one Harpes and vials A reioicing and thankesgiving of the Church for this greate benefite of taking and unsealing the Booke Therefore they take unto themselves fit and proper instruments for this purpose Harpes and Vials that is to say Prayses and thankesgiving For Vials full of odours are the harts of the Saints which the Spirit hath filled with a fervent desyre of calling upon GOD the Harpes perteine to gladnes of minde and reioicing in prayers is the very thankesgiving But he alludeth to the manner of the Temple where the LEVITES praysed GOD with Musicall Instruments and the PRIESTES had their Pottes and Bowles set before the Altar full of odours as wee reade in the Prophete Zachary chap. 14. ver 20. ¶ Which are the prayers of the Saints He speaketh not of the offerring of prayers for the dead which are made of them that are alive on the earth but as I have shewed in the former chapter all that which is attributed to the Beasts Elders declareth what exercises the Saints goe about with all diligence in the militant Church So also after in verse 10. And wee shall raigne say the Elders upon the earth not preaching doubtlesse the Kingdome of the soules departed but of the holy men on earth The heartes of these as golden vials doe breath out and yeeld up prayses and thankes for those greate benefites which are obtained for us by Christ If the Elders ofâ—er onely the prayers of other men as the Iesuite interpreteth they should be dumbe in the common ioy of all things Nay rather the benefite is theirs for they themselves shall raigne say they therefore they offer not other meÌ„s but their owne prayers 9 And they sung a newe sunge It is called a newe songe in respect of more plentifull grace ministred nowe since Christ hath ben exhibited then was in olde time under the shadowes of the Lawe The auncient people did not prayse the man Christ so openly and clearly before he had taken unto him our flesh as at this day the faithfull doe prayse him clothed with oâ—r nature from whence not without cause this more manifest praysing is called a newe sung But he alludeth unto the manner of the Lawe where newe greater benefites are celebrated in newe formes of prayses conceaved of purpose whereupon there is so often mention of a newe songe in the booke of Psalmes ¶ And hast redeemed us Therefore the Beasts and Elders are men redeemed by the blood of Christ neither in deede some twelve chiefe men of the Iewes and as many Christian twelve Apostles with the foure Evangelists For this whole company was not chosen out of every Tribe and tongue and people and nation but out of the nation of the Iewes onely but of all the faithfull in every place all which this holy company and bande mustered indifferently from all places of the world doe worthyly note out as wee have observed upon the fourth verse of the 4. chapter And it is sayd significantly out of every Tribe c. not all Tribes c. because all men are not redeemed by the blood of Christ but onely the elect as Aretas hath well observed 10 And hast made us to our God Kinges Some copies doe reade them so this whole verse in the third person but Aretas and the common Latine translation doe reade in the first person wee have expounded these thinges before But why doe they mention this benefite in the cause of taking the
be persuaded that they ar their enemyes For they hide their habergeoÌ„s corselets neither make shew of any hostile thing but lurke as ScorpioÌ„s uÌ„der a stone The lioÌ„s heads of the horses doe note great cruelty wherby the wicked nation was brought to notable infamy above all whoÌ„ wee ever heard of Moreover in this point they passe the Locusts who had lions teeth onely but these have the whole head that unto the hugenesse of their teeth maie be ioined the streÌ„gth of their iawes sternnesse of their coÌ„tenance That which cometh out of their mouth is threefold fire smoke brimstone which three seeme to note one thing to wit the ordinaÌ„ces of warre whose originall was not loÌ„g after the beginning of the Turkes which they use with a more furious affectioÌ„ theÌ„ other men The greatnesse of that gunne was almost incredible which Mâ—chmetes used in assaulting Constantinople to the drawing whereof were used seventy yoke of oxen and two thousande men as sayth Laonic. Chalcocond in his 8. booke of the Turkes affaires And those twelve thousand Ianizarites whom they have to their ordinary gard for the safegarde of their body are all gunners See also if any thing could be spoken more fit to declare the nature of the ordinance First here is mention made of fire but least a coÌ„mon fire should be understood there is adioyned a double differeÌ„ce of smoke brimstone For the fire of the ordinaÌ„ce is notable for an abuÌ„daÌ„ce of smoke which ariseth froÌ„ a suddeÌ„ kindling queÌ„ching as cometh to passe in the noise of discharging ordinaÌ„ce Where the fire burneth continually and with a shining flame there is very little smoke being swallowed up by the flame More over this fire is Brimstone Is not the gunpouder made of salt peter coale and Brimstone The Spirit therefore describeth this enemie to us by those weapons which should take their beginning almost togither with his tyranny But this fire cometh out of their mouth because they doe sende forth this fire as easily as a breath Yf onely that chiefe robber shall commande desolatioÌ„ to be brought upon any countrey most quicke handes are readie which forthwith doe his commande and bring all thinges into a wildernesse 18 Of these three Thus farre of what qualitie the Captaines Souldiers ar nowe he cometh to the event which first is the staying of the third part of men Wee heare o lamentable thing dayly massacres neither is any almost ignorant howe farre and neare their cruelty goeth on with rage But whereas he saith of these three it is to be understood of these three togither For smoke and brimstone asunder have no harme in them He reckeneth three as distinct because the former descriptioÌ„ of fire required such a reckening Although men shall not be consumed by gunnes alone but one kinde of warlike instruments is put for the whole 19 For their power The Complutent edition and the Kings Bible reade thus For their power is in their mouthes and in their tayles Aretas and the CoÌ„mon translation agreeth and so it seemeth that necessarily it ought to be read otherwise the reason which followeth agreeth not with those things that goe before For their tailes c. From hence therefore an other differeÌ„ce betweene these horse men and the Locusts cometh to minde For these did beare their stings in their tayle chieflie that is the dregges of the Saracenes who had noe proper places of their owne to dwell in and did flie about hither and thither seeking habitations and turning others out of all their goods when in the meane time the chiefe Calyphi Scriphes and Sultans followed their pleasure at home in Babylon Persia and in Egypt Soe the Begging Fryars the tailes of all the religious sorte did sting vehemently But here the head and the taile are even like the same destruction cometh from them both The chiefe Turke himselfe the Bassae the Begi and the other Ministers of their tyranny doe all breath forth and exercise the same cruelty More over these very Princes were the causers of the other to tyrannize ministred unto them weapons for their furie ¶ Having heades Wherewith they hurt The tayles also have heades and mouthes by which they sende out the same destruction They are all of them froÌ„ the highest Emperour to the lowest slave serpents with heads at both endes as the most learned Franc. Iunius hath writen very well 20 But the rest of men An other event is the obstinacie of the other men who are nothing moved with those miseries neither gave themselves to any amendement of life But who are those other Are they not Westerne meÌ„ the third part of men being killed loÌ„g since in the East Afrique being so gotten through the invasion of the Saracens that it would yeeld unto the dominion of the Turkes without any bloodshedding But the sinnes which sticke so fast to them are against the first table to wit Idolatry in this verse The exceeding naughtinesse whereof is declared first from the Authour in that it is an humane invention secondly because it is a worshippe done unto Devils thirdly from the wretched and doting affection which appeareth from so manifolde sortes of Idols of golde of silver of brasse of stone and of wood last of all from the notable folly of worshipping thinges void of all sense FroÌ„ all which it is more cleare theÌ„ the Sunne who amoÌ„g the Westerne people are the cause of this most grievous calamity froÌ„ the Turkes For where shall wee finde this Idolatry Surely the Protestants as they call them the reformed Churches have banished away unto hell from whence it first came all worshippe reverence and sacred honour of Images Wherefore shee that boasteth her selfe to be the Catholike Church whose head is the Bishop of Rome whose Temples glister with images of Golde Silver and Brasse yea which hath not refused the worshipping even of those that are of stone and wood shee I say is that other multitude which wresting the Scriptures corrupting the testimonies of the Fathers faining miracles and defending to this very day the Idolatrous worshipping of images by whatsoever force falshood fraude and subtill devises shee can will not be awaked with this most sharpe scourge Doth shee not impudently and stubbornly affirme that Images consecrated unto true names are by noe meanes to be counted amonge Idols But what other speaketh the Spirit of then such which after the third part of men slaine of the Turkes are defended stifly in the Christian world What other doth he call divelish What other worship of Devils The matter is plaine it can not be denied At length therefore o thou Rome cease to seeke out foolish crafty shifts Deceive not thy selfe Thy adoration before the image of the Virgin is as if thou shouldest supplicate unto Venus The worship which thou performest before the graven image of the Father is done to the Devill not to God himselfe The Spirit causeth mee to use this boldnes cry thou
travell Whither from the wildernes into the wildernes But all the errour is from hence because the wildernes is not defined by his proper markes For this wildernes is not the want of humane and extern comfort but of the gifts of the holie Ghost with which the first Church abounding most largely felt not any desert place although wholly destitute of all humane succour Shee was indeede very greatly afflicted by the cruelty of the Emperours but the Dragon casting the third part of the starres to the earth tooke not heavē from her neither spoiled her of the clothing of the Sunne although he deprived almost an infinite number of Saincts of their bodies For her dignity is not to be measured by an outward pompe and shewe but by true faith and purenesse of the whole worship of God in both which shee then flourished very greatly in comparison of all other ages It being now knowen for certaine to what both time and place these moneths belong to wit to flight wildernesse privie places to hide in neither to the first beginning but after a longe and most grievous battell with the Dragon in chap. 12.6 it must needes be that seeing these things are attributed to the Beast chap. 13.5 that it is also a living creature of some wildernesse and what other place is fit for wilde beasts dennes from whence shee is seen afterward more clearly in the wildernes chap 17.3 and that it is not the first that is the Romane Empire but the second enemy to wit Antichrist who in as much as he could would make this place of refuge to the woman dangerous From which thinges it is apparant howe absurde it is to ende these moneths in the death of Licinius to wit straightway after their beginning Which may yet more appeare if wee shall minde this terme of time being given them that the whole sixt trumpet also is concluded almost with the same boundes for when these are finished there remaineth a very little of this How then is not the mystery of God finished as is foretold in chap. 10.7 yf the seventh trumpet hath sounded nowe so many ages to wit these thousand three hundred yeeres more or lesse a very little Not but that wee knowe that a thousand yeeres are even as one day to God 2 Pet. 3.8 But because it seemeth strange that when the seven seales and sixe trumpets are finished in one three hundred yeeres that nowe one of the same trumpets should not finde an ende in foure times three hundred yeeres and more But there is noe such unequal difference of the sacred Prophecy This monstrous proportion whatsoever it seemeth to be is nothing else but humane folly not a right dividing of the times Neither is that firme that noe certaine time of domesticall calamityes is signifyed no where in the Scriptures for Numb 14.33.34 2 Sam. 24.13.14 2 King 8.1 and other the like which might be added wil prove the contrary Therefore that I may conclude the whole matter seeing the seales doe leade unto Constantine himselfe and these moneths are of a longer time then all the trumpets that are past of right doe wee iudge that they take their beginning in the sixt seale where heaven departed away chap. 6.14 Why should not the woman consider of newe places to abide in when the former were gone away come to nothing And when Diocletian and Maximianus gave over the Empire of their owne accord the Dragon was throwne downe from heaven to wit in the yeere of the Lord 304. when the desired peace began to be given to the Church and the Soveraignty to fall to Constantine and of an exceeding great company of Christians in name a fewe elect were sealed chap. 7. Which things being thus layd from necessary principles I hope that now a large entrance is made to the finding out of the trueth of those thinges which follow ¶ And I will give to my two witnesses Theod. Beza hath But I will give it to my two witnesses as if the holy city should he given to them which should appertaine to the Gentils not to the witnesses who should have place with the rest of the Saincts in the Temple Therefore wee must read as it is in the Greeke But I will give to my two witnesses c. In which wordes he turneth him selfe nowe to the chiefe members of the holy Church when hitherto he had declared summarily the things that belōg to the whole body both of the true false Church Nowe these wordes I will give and they shall prophecy are the same with these J will give power I will appoint or I will commaunde them to prophecy as Iosuah gave them that same day to be hewers of wood that is frō that day appointed them to hewe wood Ios 9.27 see the 1. chap. ver 1. But the meaning is not to be stayed in the office of prophecying as though they should prophecy in those dayes only which is their continual duty but that they should doe it all that time clothed in sackcloth The old Fathers being farther frō the evēt of these things thought that Enoch Eliah being these 2 witnesses should come to fight with Antichr in the last times But wee beholding the thing done now long agoe may surely iudge that the Spirit hath another meaning The Papists with great applause receive this opiniō make much of it obtruding it upon the world as an oracle to it because it carrieth men away frō the present cōsideratiō of the things a thing cōmon to them in all their expositiōs for the which they sweate much But the peculiar expositiō of the things will cōfute sufficiently their stiffenes in that opiniō Therefore that I may dispatch it in a word wee gather that these two Prophets are the holy scriptures the assemblies of the faithfull Wee will render a reason after in the descriptiō Although everie one may see at the first sight how fit both are for this office The Scriptures beare witnesse of the trueth Ioh. 5.39 And the saincts doe praise the power of God declare his goodnes as every where in the Psalmes A person is attributed to the Scriptures after that manner wherby the adioincts are signifyed from the subiects as Moses for the Lawe c. Then which kinde of speaking there is nothing more commonly used Before the type of them was the Sunne but seeing there was here mention made of warre of death of the resurrection a person necessary which should be capable of those things From whence there is this newe way of signifying an olde thinge The time how long they should prophcy is limited with a thousand two hundreth and three score dayes altogither the same time with the two and fourty moneths before To what ende then doth he nowe devide it by little parts into dayes not declare it briefly by moneths as before To wit because the office of prophecying is such that they must take paines in it continually
heaven not so called properly for what hath the Dragon that is the Devill to doe in the heavenly pallace from whēce he is banished for ever but in the heaven which is in earth But this Dragon is not onely the Devill in his owne proper person but also men being the Ministers of his furie especially the Romane Emperours whom from that time in which Iohn wrote persecuted most grievously Christ in his members as Traiane Hadrian Antoninus Pius and Verus Commodus Severus Decius and at lēgth Diocletianus open enemies who make a professed warre are called in this booke Dragons of which sort is at this day the Turke Others who in name are Christians but fight against the truth secretly and by indirect subtilities are called Beasts which doe prey upon men onely for to satisfy their hunger whereas the Dragons forced by noe want of meat are carried to our destruction because of that hatred which is betweene man kinde and them This Dragon was once in heaven as long as the open enemies held the Empire of the world exercising dominion over men named Christiās which wer dispersed through all places of their Empire He is called Great being the highest Prince on earth and red being most furious against Christians wholly red with their blood The seaven heads are seaven hilles and seaven Kinges after chap. 17.9.10 unto which place wee deferre the more full handling of these thinges In the meane time for this matter which is in hand it shal be sufficient to understand that by this circunstāce of wordes the city is noted where he should place the seate of the Empire to wit Rome famous for the seaven hilles and Kings For the Beast receaved the Throne from the Dragon chap 13.2 Therefore if her seat shal be at Rome so shal be his The tenne hornes are so many Kinges or Provinces governed of Pretors like to Kings So Strabo declareth it in the last wordes of his last booke of Geographic That Augustus Cesar devided the whole Romane Empire into two partes the troublous and warlike Provinces of which he tooke to himselfe the other peaceable and quiet ones he gave to the people Who devided theirs in ten Pretories the exterior Spaine and her Ilands The interiour containing Baetica now called Granata and the countrey of Narbon in France even unto Alencem Sardinia with Corsica Sicilia Illyricum Epyrus being adioyned Macedonia Achaia even unto Thessalia Aetolia and Acarninia and certaine nations of Epirus to the borders of Macedonia Creta with Cyrenaica Cyprus Bithynia with Propontide and certaine parts of Pontus Suetonius also maketh mention of the like disposing of the Provinces but telleth not the number to Aug. in chap. 47. Moreover the same Strabo reporteth that Dicharchies doe and alwaies have belonged to the Emperours portion For Cesar held the rest distinguished also in tenne Prouinces to wit Afrike France Britannie Germany Dacie Mysie Thracie Cappadocie Armenie Syrie Palestine Judea and Aegypte And this is the same thing which Cyprian writeth to Successus that Valerianus wrote an answer to the Senate that all belonging to the Emperour whoso ever had confessed before or shall now confesse should be seised upon and bound shoulb be sent enrolled into the Emperours possessions that is into those farre countries which wee spake of belonging to the Romane Empire Therefore whither wee respect the countryes which the Emperour held in his owne possession or those which he yeelded to the people they were the tenne hornes the power and strength of the Dragon in which all his might consisted Yet the number remained alwaies the same but was altered according to the present occasion But it was sufficient for the Spirit to describe the enemy by any certen marke then which there is none more cleare then the largenesse of this dominion and this so notable a decree of the Provinces devided But he beareth the crownes on his heads not on his hornes because the supreme maiesty did abide at Rome to which all the rest of the Provinces submitted their dignities 4 Whose taile drewe Considering that the Dragon is of such a disposition how doth he carry himselfe towards the Church Two effects of him are rehearsed one upon the Starres the other against the woman As touching them he shall cast downe many from the heavenly profession by sharpe persecutions who ought to have shewed light to others For this is to cast the starres of heaven to the earth see Euseb booke 6. chap. 41. See also before in chap. 6.13 ¶ But the Dragon stood before the woman He watched her diligently that noe maintainer of the Christian religion should be borne He rolled every stone for to cut of this hope Add certenly assoone as Maximinus the Dragon sawe Alexander of Mammea to be somewhat favourable to Christiās so as he was thought to have ben instructed in their ordinances he forthwith devoured him Decius also the Dragon did swalowe downe the Philips both the Father and the Sonne he himselfe shortly after being swalowed up in a marsh But the thing is made manifest most clearely in Cōstantine at whome chiefly the Spirit pointed the finger Diocletianus Galerius with whom hee lived being a yong man in the East perceaving his singular towardnes and vertue left nothing untried that they might kill him privily So Eusebius writeth upon his life in his first booke Pomponius Laetus reporteth that he was sent with an army against the people of Sarmatia most fierce nations and accustomed to murders from whom when contrary to the opinion of Galerius he brought backe not death but the victory by the persuasion of the same man under a colour of exercising his valour he fought on the Theatre with a Lion For Galerius sought to destroy the unwarie yōg man as of olde Euristheus did Hercules Neither was ther here an ende of the treacheries Maximian Herculius that red Dragon devoured him almost afterward by snares set to intrappe him But he which laide a snare for an other through the iust iudgement of God perished himselfe in the snare Constantine escaped many other privie assaults not by humane wisdome but by divine revelation from God as Eusebius writeth upon Constantines life in his first booke For the Dragon knewe that it concerned him much that no such a one should arise whēce it is no marveile if he did labour so greatly to devoure this childe assonne as it should be borne 5 And shee brought forth a male childe The event of the persecution at length the Church howsoever the Dragon strove against her with all his might bringeth forth a male and strong defender by instructing Constantine the Great in the Christian faith For he was that male childe who first of all the Romane Emperours tooke upon him the defence of the trueth Wee have made mention of the Philippes both Father and Sonne which were both Christians Although if wee must beleeve Pomponius Laetus fainedly and not truly but onely that they might cover their wickednesses with a honest
that the Dragon cast out of his mouth after the woman so great abondance of waters into Europe and Afrike it is also apparant enough that the woman fled from the East into these countries And certenly during those troubles concerning Christ to be of the same substance with the Father the state of the Church was here more quiet But that wee may not thinke that it was any happy condition the Spirit calleth our Europe expressely a desert place and wildernes For the woman going into the west fled into the wildernes For superstitions did so growe in use in those times that assemblies of the faithfull rightly established were no more ordinary in this part of the world then there are frequent habitations of men in a wildernes here and there some more apparant marke was left but very rare as is the meeting of men in a desert 16 But the earth holpe the woman Not â—his earth which we treade on but a counterfait and earthly religion and the lovers thereof as alwayes before This such as it was then every where in the world called the Church while the true was not in the sight of men but was hidden in privie places brought much helpe to the woman For those Barbarous nations the which at home practized the impietie of the Gentiles bred and brought up in the same after that they had come into these more learned couÌ„tries yeelded to that religion which thy sawe to be there received of the greatest number The Vandals Gothes abiding first about Thracia where the ArriaÌ„ plague had disteined all things were converted in name unto Christ but in very truth to that fained and counterfait one whom Arius had fashioned The other route of Barbarians in Germany Italy Fraunce Spaine followed the Romanes in all things Which did much tame and softeÌ„ their cruell mindes For while they gave their names even to this religion and suffer themselves to be enrolled citizens of the same they were not so spite full against the Christian nation that they would purpose to roote it out Wherby it came to passe that when they ceased their anger for a newe professions sake and were at quiet in those countries which they had possessed this flood at length was swalowed up and the expectation of the SerpeÌ„t notably deluded This good the earthly Church brought once to the heavenly being afterward about to heape upon the same infinite evils 17 Then the Dragon was wroth c. Thus farre the persecution which when the Dragon seeth to have ben in vaine yet he will not desist but attempteth an other way to hurt He purposeth to assaile the remnant of her seed with warre But why moved he warre against them and persecution against the woman Because persecution is as wee have said when the one party sufferreth wrong and repelleth it not of which sorte was the womaÌ„s condition as from her first beginnings so after Constantine for some space for whose safety no man did fight nor maintaine her purity against superstitions springing up But warre is when violence is repelled by violence which at length the seed of the woman should undertake that it may defende the selfe against manifest tyranny But if the woman be the Church what is this her seede Even nowe wee said that the woman was the holie assemblies of the faithfull which publikely doe worship God himselfe by his word sacraments prayer discipline as he alone hath appointed Therfore her seed are the faithfull being of a right iudgement who by reason of the daungerousnesse of the times caÌ„not meete togither openly to worship God but apart doe bend themselves to those studies by which every one privately may cherish godlinesse Against them the Dragon prepareth warre when as there should be congregations in open place which did professe pure and syncere godlines as long as the woman was absent in the wildernesse And so at length it came to passe For after that overflowing of the Northerne barbarous people that the flood was swalowed up by the helpe of the earth the Devill raised up about the yeere 630 the nation of the Saracens which should make a most grievous warre upon the remnaÌ„ts of the Church lying hidde here and there in the confused multitude Malice suffeâ—red him not to graunt them any breathing time but assoone as he had pâ—rceiued that this former entreprises were of noe effect he turneth himsâ—lfe to an other purpose coveting rather that he should be alwayes miserable through continuall labours then that the fewe elect that were remaining should be without miseries even for a small time Therefore first he mooved the Saracens to fall away from the Romaines Secondly he ordained Mahumet their Captaine then he sent him into the whole world to destroy all Who can declare the Iliad of miseries which flowed from thence From that time there was continuall warre for a whole seven huÌ„dred yeeres untill the Turkes a viperous breede a generation worse then their parent destroyed utterly the Saracens their mother This warre was farre and large such a there was never the like in any other time It exteÌ„ded from Persia even to the furthermost Iles of Gades and almost from Lybia into Fraunce And how grievous was it that in fewe yeeres was subdued Arabia Syria Mesopotamia Persia Aegypt the Iles of the Sea Afrike and Spaine Surely the Christian world was very greatly afflicted her by For the Devill spared not his owne so that he might destroy that lurking seed in the common calamity This warre was shewed before partly by the Locusts as wee have expounded in ch 9 partly by the Euphratean Angels that is the Turkes who in these dayes accomplished that which the Saracens had begunne Neither ought it to seeme a strange thing that so cruell a name is now given to the thing which long agoe was an armie of small vermine other is the outward face of a thing already accomplished such as is mentioned in this place and other of a thing in hand yet to be finished of which sorte it is there Nowe therefore wee may see froÌ„ the persecution in the East the overflowing of the barbarous people in the West and the warre of the Saracens common to both by which miseries the Dragon troubled the world after that he had lost heaven and howe iust cause there was to denounce a woe to the inhabitans of the earth as wee have heard at the seventeenth verse And this whole Chapter may be in stead of a Commentarie shewing howe that the Prince that ruleth in the aire is the Spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience as wee have it in the Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians chapter second and second verse Such then is the History of the Dragon so farre as he assaileth with open force for this office he taketh to himselfe The other of fraude and craftines hee giveth to his Vicar the Beast of the which enemy wee shall speake in the Chapter nex following The whole Prophecy
the same Adonikam afterward in Nehemiah are numbred sixe hundred three score seaven in the 7. chap. ver 10. The rest of the names 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Aretas in the later writers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the like partly are not the names of any man or at the least not of a people partly nothing was to be feared from them to whose knowledge soever they should come Romiâ—th or Romagnus Romane come nighest of all but the fourth property reiecteth this also which could not be of force inough to recover the favour of the Beast The Grecians willingly acknowledged themselves to be Romanes and of a long time boasted of this name Constantinople was commonly called New Rome yet in the meane time they were greatly hated of the Beast untill at length they did shew their consent with the Latines and yeelded the Primacie to the Latine Pope Therefore all accounts being cast I thinke that Lateinos is the name which the Spirit here biddeth us to number Which is a name whose letters after the account of the Grecians doe accomplish this number and unto which all the other properties doe agree and so much the more because from the Apostles times it hath ben extended to us and the event hath so confirmed it that it is now more cleare then the light at noonetyde which was darke before For so Ireneus in his 5. book chap 29. against heresies But saith he the name Lateinos conteineth the number sixe hundred threescore and sixe and it is very like to be true because the most substantiall Kingdome hath this name for they are Latines who now doe raigne But wee will not boast of this Such are his wordes As though this were not the opinion of him alone but he had received it froÌ„ another but from what other man is it likely then from Polycarp whose scholar he was and he Iohns scholar Such therefore are these Beasts whose lively image wee see in the Romane Pope who according to the plaine interpretation of the wordes the events of the times and agreablenes of all things so fitly without any violence casteth himselfe into every part of this first paterne and that even to the least appearances and likenesses that I thinke the very Papists themselves cannot doubt any more who is Antichrist And thus farre coÌ„cerning the Dragon and the Beast according to the consideration of knowledg encreased which should come under the blowing of the seventh trumpet for Hitherto doe the thirteene Centuries extend ending in the yeere 1300. to wit in the number of the name of the Beast that is a little after that the matter was brought to a point with the Grecians who submitted themselves to the Latine Pope with which number of his name the Spirit also coÌ„cludeth this Prophecy of the Beast shewing a very great consent of the issue in every part CHAP. 14. THEN I beheld and loe a Lambe stood on mount Sion and with him an hundreth fourty and foure thousande having his fathers name written on their fore heads 2 And I heard a voice from heaven as the sounde of many waters and as the sounde of a great thunder and J heard the voice of Harpers harping with their harpes 3 And who did sing as it were a new song before the throne and before those foure Beasts and those Elders and no man could learne that song but those hundreth fourty and foure thousande to wit those which were bought from the earth 4 These are they which are not defiled with women for they are virgines these follow the Lambe whither soever he goeth these are bought from men being the first fruites to God and to the Lambe 5 And in whose mouth was founde no guile for they are without spot before the Throne of God 6 Then I saw an other Angell flying in the middes of heaven having an everlasting Ghospell to preach to them that dwell on the earth and to every nation tribe and tongue and people 7 Saying with a loude voice feare God and give glory to him for the houre of his iudgement is come and worship him which made heaven and earth and the sea and the fountaines of waters 8 And there followed an other Angell saying it is fallen it is fallen Babylon that great Citie because shee gave the wine of the wrath of her fornication to drinke to all nations 9 And the third Angel followed them saying with a loude voice if anie man shallworship the Beast and his image and receave his marke in his forehead or in his hande 10 The same shall drinke also of the winne of the wrath of God of the pure wine I say which is powred into the cuppe of his wrath and he shal be tormented in fire brymstone before the holy Angels and before the Lambe 11 And the smoke of their torment shall ascende evermore neither shall they hav anie rest day and night which worship the Beast and his image and whosoever receiveth the printe of his name 12 Here is the patience of the Saincts here are they that keepe the commandemeÌ„ts of God and the faith of Iesus 13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying unto mee write blessed are the dead which dye for the Lords sake from henceforth even so saith the Spirit for they rest from their labours and their workes follow them 14 And I looked and beholde a white cloud and upon the cloude one sitting like unto the Sonne of man having on his head a golden crowne and in his hande a sharpe sickle 15 And an other Angell came out of the Temple crying with a loude voice to him that sate on the cloude thrust in thy sickle and reape for thy time is come to reape for the harvest of the earth is ripe 16 Then he that sate on the cloud did thrust his sickle on the earth and the earth was reaped 17 Then an other Angell came out of the Temple which is in heaven having also a sharpe sickle 18 And an other Angel came out from the Altar having power over the fire and cryed with a loude voice to him that had the sharpe sickle saying thrust in thy sharpe sickle and gather the clusters of the vineyard of the earth for her grapes are ripe 19 Then the Angel did thrust in his sharpe sickle on the earth and cut downe the grapes of the vineyard of the earth and cast them into that greate wine presse of the wrath of God 20 And the wine presse was troden without the citie and blood came out of the wine presse unto the horses bridles by the space of a thousand sixe hundred furlongs Analysis VVEE have spoken of the thinges done by the enemies it followeth in this chapter concerning the vertue of the citezens declaring what was the condition of the true Church since the time that the battell was ended in heaven the Dragon cast foorth into the earth chap. 12.9 and the Beast began to come out of the Sea chap. 13.1 Which
the rest of the world following their wicked and vaine studies The voice which was heard is set foorth by a triple similitude of waters thunders Harpers Which three fold similitude noteth the progresse of the Church The first voice belongeth to the Church declining being confused and not distinct such as is the noise of waters which signifyeth nothing teacheth nothing but beateth the eares with a certen unprofitable roaring For when the woman went first into the wildernes although farre most learned men flourished in the Church as Athanasius Basilius Nazianzene Chrysostome Ambrose Hieronymus Augustine and others whose very learned workes made a great noise through the whole world how notwithstanding was all this doctrine in every place not understood not perceived of many men every one neverthelesse earnestly inclining to their superstitions Yea the teachers themselves did not speake distinctly and plainely sometime preaching righteousnes by Christ onely sometime attributing the same to their own workes sometime taking away free will sometime leaving the same whole in word condemning Idolatry in very deede stablishing it by the invocation of Saincts worshipping of reliques and such wicked superstitions Certenly there was scarce any point of doctrine which they did maintaine constantly alwayes in the same manner Therefore that was a disordered noise which rather oppressed the sense then informed the minde with profitable knowledge For as the wordes of a man giving up the ghost die in his iawes and make no distinct sounde for the understanding of the hearers so the trueth being now readie to die sounded so confusedly in the conflict of contrary opinions that scarce any word of it could be understood Yâ—t notwithstanding in this disordered noise the Saincts learned some thing which avayled to the furthering of their salvation If wee follow this interpretation which the event maketh good you may observe what is the judgement of the Spirit concerning the writers of that age thâ—t pure doctrine can no more be drawen from their writings then any profitable knowledge be gathered from the noise of the dashing together of waves I would have nothing taken away from their prayses for that which they wanted was long of the time not of their learning wit wherein they excelled But I cannot but wonder at the daintinesse of our age that the good corne being found out it would feede againe with akers The second voice is of thunder roaring terrible making a cracking by certaine respites This voice is proper to the Church reviving uttered by the Waldenses the Albingenses VVickliefe and Husse These did thunder vehemently and the world was abashed with the great noise but all feare vanished away togither with the roaring while a newe violent souÌ„d came suddenly upon them as it is in thunder at which men quake no longer then their eares are filled with the noise The voice of Harpers belongeth evidently to the trueth restored immediately before the woman went out of the wildernesse Confessions being made of the Churches everie where the Augustane that of Strasburge of Basile of the Swisers of Saxonie most sweetly consenting all to one trueth Therefore this threefold voice generally setteth before our eyes the whole course of the doctrine from the first lurking of the Church through all that long raigne of Antichrist From which wee see how every latter Prophecy is more cleere theÌ„ the former First the assembly of the faithfull was shewed by the sealing ch 7. Afterward by the covering place in the Temple chap. 11. Thirdly by the flight into the wildernesse chap. 12. Now more fully in this manner that wee have heard and shal be more evident in the particular exposition 3 And which did singe as it were a new song and doe sing by the defect of the article and which did sing for and singing A new song is the praysing of God by Iesus Christ through whom the elect are made children It is called new not because men now first began to be and to be counted the sonnes of God but because in the true Christian Church this grace is communicated to farre moe then in any place else before the coÌ„municating of the Redeemer and confirmed by more plentifull arguments In which manner wee are said to have received the Spirit of adoption Rom. 8.14 not because wee first have received it but because more plentifully then before this time Or there is a double song ever since the first beginning of things an olde and an dewe The first praised God because wee were made sonnes by creation as Adam before his fall the second extolleth God with praises for that wee are made children by redemption This is a new song because it is latter although all the elect have used the same from the beginning It is sunge before the Throne the Beasts and the Elders because chiefly this praysing is done in the publike assembly of the faithfull although this assembly was in the wildernesse and not perceived of the world Or it is sunge before the Throne because whosoever professeth this faith in trueth he belongeth to the assembly of the elect although the difficultie of the times sufferred not publike congregations to be gathered in which they might acknowledge the same thing freely ¶ And no man could learne that Songe Through all the space that the Church lay hid chap. 12.6 For now the multitude of the faithfull was certen definite and that might easily be numbred they being picked out from every Tribe which should sing this new song above in chap. 7 For as once God separated the twelve tribes of Israelites to be his people froÌ„ the rest of the whole world neither could any stranger ioyne himselfe unto that company untill the partition wall was broken downe so nowe hath God disjoined the false worshippers from his by the strong walles of the courts of which these are thrust up into the inward temple as into a certen straight and narrow prison they in the meane time reioycing in their outward and larger court chap. 11.2 VVo could not or at least would not conceive what the Saincts did sing within but with a certaine bastard melodie made a great noise praising God for their adoption but made partly by Christ partly by their owne streÌ„gth shewing by this thicke Sibolâ—th of what kinde they are Iudges 12.6 There should be theÌ„ a very small nuÌ„ber in respect of the other multitude of them that did sing this song for a certaine time Yet after Antichrist should beginne to decrease by little and little the number of the faithfull should increase daylie in so much that at length it could not be numbred chap. 7.9 In this wise is the joy of the Spirit their holines is described in the other words and first that they are bought from the earth that is delivered of God from the false and counterfait Church as it were out of the middes of a burning fire to wit by the woonted signification of the word earth 4 These are they which are not
but that the Preists as being proud prepared him an armie Vnto this I say that now the matter is past danger the Popish Preists cā not be proud I trow when Antichrist shal come the Preists then wil be either Popish or proud What Shal pride make a new order of Preists Or if this haughtines be required in Antichrists soldiers wil ther be anie natiō under the Sun prouder than Popish Preists Cardinals doo excel Kings Archbishops and Bishops are superiour to Barons and Earls al in their order doo goe before the civil honours neither is ther anie of the basest rowt of shavelings that wil be under the civil Magistrate Let Antichrist therfore seeke him soldjers otherwhere he shal finde none in this lowlie flock of Popish Preists Gregorie notwithstanding verie expressly biddeth that Antichrist be looked for as cheif Captain Emperour of the Preists And other Preists ther are none on earth by their own vaunting besides the Popish Preists By his iudgment therfore the Bishop of Rome should necessarilie be Antichrist and not farr from his time seing by his confession armies were then prepared for him Surely as Gaiphas prophesied that which himselfe knew not so Gregorie semeth unwares to have told the truth not by anie power of his seat but by the mercy of God so governing his tongue that men might take heed by this admonition the wicked world be made inexcusable as is observed Apoc. 8.13 Vayn therfore is that which is affirmed of Antichrist to sit in the temple of Ierusalem and so farr is it off that the Pope is not Antichrist because he continually tarieth at Rome as so much the more he may therupon be concluded to be Antichrist Chapt. 14. Of Antichrists doctrine THE doctrine of Antichrist we togither with the holy Ghost doe teach from the scriptures to be ful of hypocrisie fraud trecherie which may deceiv even the most prudent whom the Spirit inlightneth not with his truth For one had need of singular prudēcy to know this Beast which hath two horns like the Lamb and is a false Prophet seducing the earth Contrariweise the Papists wil have this same doctrine to be so openlie impious and blasphemous that none is so blockish but he may perceive it forthwith and detest it Which that you Bellarmine may make playn you reduce this all unto four heads First that he shal deny Jesus to be the Christ and therupon shal oppugn al our Saviours ordinances as Baptism Confirmation c. and shal teach that Circūcision the Sabbath and other ceremonies of the old law ar not yet ceased Secondly he shal affirme himselfe to be the true Christ promised in the Law and Prophets Thirdly he shal affirme himselfe to be God and wil be honoured as God Lastly he shal say that himselfe is the onely God and shal oppugn al other Gods that is both the true God and also false Gods and Idols And from hence you take four arguments that the Pope is not Antichrist because he denyeth not Iesus to be the Christ neither bringeth he in Circumcision or the Sabbath neither dooth he make himselfe Christ nor God and least of al the onely God but honoureth even Images and dead Saincts Which what force they have for this thing we shal afterwards see in the confirmation which you bring The first point therfor you confirm by this that Antichrist by nation and religion shal be a Jew be received of the Iewes for the Messias wherupon he shal openly oppugn our Christ I answer this foolish opinion of Antichrists stock we have sufficiently refuted before chap. 12. and 13. for he shal sit in the temple of God and not in Ierusalems Temple which Christ foretold should be demolished and never built again but in Christian assemblies as is declared at large and therfore that he shal not be by religion a Iew neither shal restore the ceremonies of the old Law which were tyed to the Temple and had no place out of it And how dooth it agree that Antichrist the general plague of the whole earth should be sent into the world for the syn of one natiō of the Iewes in not receiving the truth as ye would have it Surely it were meet that he which should come for the wickednes of one natiō should be restreyned within the limits of that one nation but ther is no need of new arguments for this matter Secondly you say it is proved from 1 John 2.22 Who is a lyar but he that denyeth Iesus to be the Christ From whence you gather that Antichrist shall surpasse al Heretiks and therfore he shal deny Christ al manner of wayes which is confirmed you say because by Heretiks the Divil is said to work the Mysterie of iniquitie because they privilie doo deny Christ But Antichrists coming is caled a Revelation because he shal openly deny Christ I answer as touching that of Iohn I have shewed before that this denyal which he speaketh of is not open but secret and trecherous to weet by men named Christians which had privily crept in and of whom the faithfull had need to be warned being otherweise in danger to be surprised by them unwares And though Antichrist surpasse al Heretiks yet is it not therfore necessarie that he should deal more openly than the rest seing the cheif reward of wickednes is not to be given to the outward work but to the power of doing hurt For otherweise men should surmount the Divil himselfe who are so foolish in respect of him as they doo that in the light which he dooth most covertly Moreover Antichrists coming is a Revelation but to the elect onely the others which beleev not the truth he shal beguile by his crafty shewes 2 Thes 2.11.12 The Angel requireth no common wisdome to know the Beast and the whores name is mystical as before wee have been taught Thirdly you prove it by the sentences of certain Fathers but no equal judge wil not confesse that they are rather to be heard anie where ells than in the matter of Antichrist Our Lord should consume him with the Spirit of his mouth and by his bright coming wherupon the neerer the Lord should approch the more was this man of syn to be discovered I proceed therfore ūto the ceasing of publik offices and divine sacrifices as you speak which you say shal be in Antichrists time for vehemencie of the persecution and that therfore he shal not deprave Christs doctrine under the name of Christianisme but openly shal oppugn Christs name and Sacraments and bring in Jewish ceremonies as you have shewed in chap. 7. I answer at the same chapter I have proved that all these are most false and that you hav not brought forth any thing which hath so much as any likelihood of truth And therfore that no other ceasing of publik religion is to be looked for thā such as hath been these manie ages to weet from Constantine the Great unto this day in al which time
the Iewes shal be converted And other places seeme to confirme that their first calling shal be about the fiftieth yeere above one thousand sixe hundreth But how much Rome preventeth that time it is uncertain it is like but a very litle considering that the choosing of a new people followeth it at the heeles We have seen how farr the vials have proceeded The next is now to be powred out on the Sunne which is shortly to be expected by the heate wherof after Rome hath bin very hot a short space shee shall approch the flamme of fyre by the fift vial which shal burn her altogither then the throne shal be destroyed and this gratulation prepared for the godly Doest thou then ô Rome keepe now a yeere of Iubilé when thy funerall rather were to be provided for In very deed within the space of one Iubilé that is about fifty yeres hence thou shalt keepe Iubilé in truth not so much thy selfe by reioycing as by giving occasiō of exceeding great ioy to al the saincts by thy destruction Doest thou then with Balthassar abandon thy selfe to eatings and drinkings Cyrus compassing abou thy walls and being already entred into the chanell of Euphrates which is turned aside I know that the admonition of an Heretique as thou will have mee to be with thee is of no force but consider diligently the man or the thing it self if hatred wil suffer thee least peradventure whom thou countest an Heretique thou finde him too late a true Prophet yet if thou despise my voyce let the holy remnant here if any lie hid in thee Awake yee elect come yee out make hast to flee away yee have lyen too long in the bedds of Sodome a showre of brimstone will fall by and by unlesse yee depart quickly you cannot be safe Obey the Spirit who would have you to be warned by this sacred Revelation Why doo yee hange upon this purpled company whose eyes God hath blinded by his iust iudgmēt If my admonition shal have place with you yee shal refresh greatly the mindes of the brethren but the fruit shal be your owne to weet the salvation both of soules and bodyes 5 Then a voice came out from the throne Hitherto the fift vial now the sixt is handled For this exhortation belongeth to new praises not to the destruction of Babylon For to what end should ther be a commaundemēt againe touching this thing and a new triumph Therfore now it is declared how the waters of Euphrates shal be dryed up This folowed next the overthrow of the throne chap. 16.12 Because the great river shal be turned into drie ground from hence we learne that nothing should be a let to the guests or rather to the new bride as is plainly confirmed in verse 7. ¶ Because the marriage of the Lambe is come Which surely was the reason why wee hav interpreted that sixt vial cōcerning the calling of the Iewes First therfore the efficient cause of this calling is set forth a voice coming forth from the throne Which yet is not of the Father himselfe but of the Sonne as it is cleare from that which followeth praise yee our God It came out of the throne because the Sonne shal effect this wonderfull thing rather by his own power than by any aide of man He shal take to himself alone the duties of this thing and shal performe all wholly by himselfe VVhich way also otherweise should the Easterne Iewes beyōd Euphrates first embrace the faith which are furthest off from hearing of the Gospel Yet no sound thundring from heaven is to be expected but this voice is the efficacy of the Spirit whom God now shall send into the harts of his people that being turned to him with all their harts they may acknowledge praise and celebrate the one onely true God his Sonne Iesus and the H. Ghost Now God powreth upon the house of David and upon the inhabitans of Ierusalem the Spirit of grace and of prayer Zach. 12.10 Now he wil build the Virgin of Israel and shal adorne her selfe with her timbrels and shal goe before in the dance of them that praise now he shal say reioyce with gladnesse for Iacob showt for ioy openly before the very Gentils publish prayse and say save o Lord thy peo-people the remnant of Israel Iere. 31.4.7 But it is to be observed how this calling is ioyned togither with the destruction of Rome It is severed frō it by no other transition but as rising from thence forthwith from her fall becometh cleare to the world The Temple was full of smoke that no man could enter in untill God had satisfyed his anger upon the whore but after he hath punished her according to her deserts then as it were with a quiet minde he shal cōvert himselfe wholly to accomplish the salvation of all his elect and to receiv againe his people sent away from him by so longue a banishment VVherfore if we have kept a true account of this calling we shall not wander much from the last destruction of Rome ¶ Praise yee our God No man cā praise God but he that knoweth him neither al generally but the whole multitude of the elect on earth endued with the knowledge of God may consent to praise him Therfore this provocation declareth that calling and the same general when as al are bidden to praise both universally and particularly as well the smal of the Iewes who because of their new comming to the faith might seeme at that time to have bin scarce borne as also the great of the Gentils who being more growen in Christ have obtained a ful maturity by a long profession who shal praise God for their brethrens conversion when they shal see that which hath not bin told them and shal understand that which they hav not heard Isay 52.14 But the Iewes themselves then with ioyful glad minds shal heare that favour at length is shewed them that their eyes are opened for to know the truth that they are reduced againe built multiplyed stablished more then before time so as they shal satisfy themselves with no praises Then faith Ieremy shal proceed out of them voice of thankes giving and the voice of them that laugh then shal the virgin reioice in the dance the yong men and old men togither chap. 30 19. and 31.13 and many the like things perteining to the ioyfulnes of that most pleasant time 6 And I heard as it were a sound The voice of a new people converted to Christ and praising God for this unexpected bounteousnes This is an exceeding great voice by reason of the multitude of the people then also making a noise in the beginning by obscure reports and more easy to be understood what it meaneth then the noise of waters roaring confusedly which yet notwithstanding a while after shal be terrible and apaling like thunder It may be doubtful whither this be the voice of the Gentiles as it were the friends of the
he borrowed out of Strabo in whoÌ„ are many things touching this stone in his 16. book Some from hence coniecture that it tooke the name from the Hebrew word Pazaz as though at the first it had bin to Paz or in greek to Pazion and at length by the ignorance of the printers to have grown togither and made one word topazion The Chrysoprâ—sus also as the name sheweth doth resemble a certaine kind of Gold but as it were be smeared with the iuice of leekes The eleventh twelfth foundation is the Iacynth Amethyst both of a purple colour but the first shining more brightly the second of a a more wanne and weake colour as Dionysius sheweth and the sweet Amethyst shining as asaied purple India and Aethiopia doo afford these two Therfore these last sixe belong to the East and South Our West part as it seemeth shal minister citizeÌ„s even as other countreys but shal give few or no Iewels for the building up of the wall It may be that God wil so set forth his power the more in raising up teachers from those places which are most repugnant to his truth The foure last gemmes are like gold and purple which colours are of a very great price and dignity which the Spirit seemeth to have put in the last places for a certain purpose and that by a course twice doubled as though he would teach by the same thing that those teachers shal never be loathed but shal alwayes flourish in very great authority At the first the truth is wont to be acceptable and the ministers of it are iudged worthy of al honour but in time the good wil of men waxeth cold theÌ„ the authority of the teachers decayeth after that men beginne to be full But here no such thing shal come to passe The end shal be answerable to the beginning The dispensers of the word shal be no lesse honourable after the truth through many ages hath waxed olde then when at the first it began And for this cause I thick was so great a plenty of golden and purple colour put to the last place I know that other doo seek out an agreement of other properties in these stones but seeing authours varie greatly about this what is the proper force of every one neither is the thing as yet sufficiently cleared I had rather follow things that are plain and of a known signification and also the congruency of the Prophecy then loose my labour in doubtful things So therfore that which Daniell hath comprehendeth briefly in one word they that instruct shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that iustify many shall be as the starres for ever and ever chap. 12.3 the same we have here declared peculiarly and more at large by sundry kindes of Iewels 21 And the twelve gates are Hitherto hath bin the matter of the walls The gates are made of pearles which signify Christ who is the way doore to life if any shall enter in by him he shall be saved and he shall goe in and out and finde pasture Iohn 10.9 But how notably doo the pearles represente the Sonne of God conceived in the wombe of the virgin which are not bred of any earthly copulation but ingeÌ„dred of a celestial dew as of a husbaÌ„d For they report that the shell fishes at a certain time of the yeere with a certain gaping after that they have drunke up a dewing from heaven doo conceive and become great with yong and the more that they have bin tossed with great tempests after the dew received the more noble fruit doo they bring forth so the Holy Ghost came upoÌ„ Mary and the power of the most high overshadowed her and Christ scarce brought forth into the light was sought for to be put to death and by an horrible storme was driven into Aegypt After the same manner the first entrance into this city shal be very laborious but of so much the more aboundant praise account after they have entred There are twelve gates but every one of one pearle because there is but one Christ and but one onely name given under heaven by which we must be saved Act. 4.12 ¶ And the street of the city was pure golde In the last place he addeth the matter of the city which before he said was golde but there he made meÌ„tion of the whole city in general here in special of the streets These are the publik wayes wherin the citizens doo meete if one have ought to doo with an other Even as therfore the wayes of man are the actions in which man is occupied so the streetes of the city are those publike offices of life and buyings and sellings in which the citizens doo take paines The Spirit saith that al these things shal be holy pure cleane pretious For the place of assembling where these businesses are handled is pure gold and shining through as before ver 18. How holy and unblameable shal this city be where the common life then which nothing is wont to be more foule and polluted shal be free from al filth of wickednes Righteousnes now as a river shall run through the streetes and godlinesse shal shine in all affaires 22 Neither saw I any Temple in her Hitherto we have seen the inward essential glory of the city as farre as is given us who doo not behold froÌ„ a hie mountaine but a farre off from a low and pressed down valley wher hilles and trees doo much hinder our eyes that we caÌ„not yet see the thing cleerly Yet it delighteth mee as once Daniell to opeÌ„ his window twards Hierusalem so to looke from farr off into this holy city whose cloudie and blackish toppes to behold a farr off it much recreateth my soule Now the Spirit teacheth how great dignity shall come from things outward First God the Father and the Lambe his Sonne in stead of a Temple that is then shal the worship be most simple and most pure darkened with no legal ceremonies which once God ordained until the time of reformation much lesse with any humane inventions but such as shal exhibit Gods presence most simply and familiarly How then doth this agree with Ezechiel who in eight whole chapters from the fourtieth to the end of the Prophecy speaking of this very time describeth so exactly the temple the city and whole legal worship Very wel for that whole description tendeth to that ende not to teach that the old ceremonies are to be restored but that at lenght they being wholly abolished Christ shal be worshipped most purely and exactly according to his owne ordinances alone For what other thing mean the new measurings of the walles gates porches and the whole building the new distribution of the holy land and the new portions given to the tribes Priests Levites Prince then an abrogation of Moses and al the legal ceremonies But that time was not otherweise capable of any spiritual worship then under those shadowes Iohn speaketh