the sword and furie of the Beast vntill she haue borne the burthen of her shame and as the Ezek. 39. Prophet saith renewed her beautie by her sorrowes and her glorie by her persecutions and then shall be fulfilled that which was spoken by the Prophet Woe to thee that spoiledst and wast not spoiled and didst deale wickedly when they did not Esa 33. wickedly against thee for when thou shalt cease to spoile thou shalt be spoiled and when thy sinne is ended thou shalt be rewarded as here also the Spirit denounceth contesting that God shall scourge him with his owne inuentions repay him home in his owne coine saying He that shall leade into captiuitie shall go into captiuitie and he that shall kill shall be killed And in consolation of the Spouse concludeth that howsoeuer Antichrist and his Delegates foolishly thought by afflicting the Church to destroy the Church yet in her afflictions consisteth the very strength and approbation of her children for by the things they suffer they learne obedience through patience their faith is consecrated by the which they are perfected and made inheritable of the promise of God all which mercie and fauour is commended vnto them vnder the hand and seale of afflictions by which their mad and drunken aduersaries thought to consume them and like fooles did not consider that as the workman doth square the stone by strokes and as the snake doth cast his old skin by passing through sharp stones so the Lord doth renew his Spouse by stripes and brusheth off her old affections by passing her through the asperitie of tribulation which holy and hidden consideration causeth the Spirit to honour the sufferings of the Saints so highly as to ascribe vnto them the chiefest stayes and supportations of their precious hope and calling namely patience and faith saying here is the patience and faith of the Saints Verse 11. And I saw another Beast comming vp from the earth and he had two hornes like the Lamb but he spake like the Dragon THe holy Ghost in the verse foregoing hauing pronounced sentence of death against Antichrist before he comes to the execution thereof descendeth to the araiâ—â—â—ment and condemnation of his Clergie that so they may be carted to the valley of Hinnom both together whom the Lord here figureth vnder the name of the Beast saying And I saw another Beast comprehending vnder the singular number of one Beast by a maner of speech common to the holy Scriptures the whole corporation and vniuersitie of false and lying teachers who from the first Eremite Hypocrite Father Priest Monke Frier to the last trumping and vagabond Iesuite haue auouched the honour and adoration of Antichrist And is most aptly deciphered by their earthly sensuall and diuellish minds in pointing to their country and place of extraction whence and where such weeds do grow saying comming vp from the earth And commendeth their making and acquaintance to vs by two exquisite tokens the one their person the other their doctrine Touching their shape and person the Spirit saith that it was in robe and exteriour appearance the very face and countenance of the Lamb deckt and garnished with his owne two hornes to wit the Law and the Gospel wherew 〈…〉 he Lamb doth saue and kill for so the Spirit saith And he had two hornes like the Lamb. But as concerning the vse and force of the hornes the Spirit saith they were therein so contrary to the Lamb that when they did open either to teach the Law or preach the Gospell they spake and taught like the Dragons Doctors and like the Priests of Iupiter teaching and preaching vnto the children of the world that they ought to worship the God of heauen as the Dragons Priests had taught their fathers to worship the gods of the heathen Which detestable prophaâ—ation of the worship of God and preposterous adoration of his name the Spirit detecteth in saying but he spake like the Dragon Verse 12. And all the power of the first Beast he did in his sight and he made the earth and the inhabitants therein to adore the first Beast whose wound of death was cured BY the power of the first Beast is meant the purpose and plot of the Dragon for the vpholding and establishment of their false and godlesse religion to the prophanation and extinction of the true worship and seruice of God which forasmuch as he could not effect by force and open enmitie I meane by the bloody persecutions of his prophane and Ethnicke Cesars he did deuise to put a new string to his old bowe and to worke it out by fraud and falshood of friends and thereupon perswaded his Ethnicke Cesars that in policie it was the best to play Christians forasmuch as the world was now so giuen as Iupiter with all his idols must needs giue place to Christ because most voices went that way And the better to bring the mysterie of iniquitie to passe he caused his new Christened Cesars to set vp a race of Sycophanticall high and princely Priests who vnder colour of proctering the affaires of the Lamb should cunningly clap Iupiters coate vpon the Lambs back and bestow all the ceremonies and rituals of Iupiter and his idols vpon Christ that so by turning Iupiters worship into Christianisme he might turne the worship of God into Paganisme and idolatrie and that so he might at the least prophane and desolate the true worship of the true God whose maiestie truth of deitie they could no way blemish And for the better successe in this their proiect should cause to be erected throughout all kingdomes and nations certaine Couents and swarmes of false vngodly and prostituted Clerks who by auouching and maintaining against all comers that Antichrists name is Simon Peter and that the supremacie his Cesars and his Kings gaue him is the very keyes of heauen and hell which the Lamb committed to the dispensation of his Saints and seruants and that the throne and seate of wickednesse is Peters Chaire and Sea Apostolique and that the execrable forme of Iupiters worship wherein his Lords and Cesars delighted is the very true worship and seruice of God which the Lamb and his Apostles deliuered And by these mists legerdemains and new editions of old idolatrie should establish in the sight of Antichrist the selfe same prophanation and deuout impietie which his antecessors the Cesars so ardently embraced for so much the Spirit rippeth vp in saying And all the power of the first Beast he did in the sight of Antichrist and thereby so strongly deluded and seduced the children of disobedience most properly here as elsewhere described by the name of the earth and the inhabitants therein that they loathed the sacrifices of the God of heauen and refused to worship as the Lord coÌ„manded chose rather as the Spirit saith to adore the first Beast that is to say to worship the god of their fathers as the Dragon commanded them iust after the prescription
Councels prouinciall and as the Dragon did diuifie his Cesars so must Antichrist canonize his Saints and as the Dragon enacted ciuill lawes so Antichrist must enact Canon lawes and as the Dragon had his Imperiall rescripts so Antichrist must haue his Decretall Epistles and as the Dragon had his Tribunitial intercessions so Antichrist must haue his vncontrollable interdictions and as the Dragon had and vsed his prescriptions so Antichrist must haue and vse his excommunications and as that Beast commanded his heathen to please their goddesse Iuno with cane vota libens so this Beast commanded Christians to please their God with vowes and as the Dragon had his Triceps Hecate so Antichrist must haue his triple tiara to signifie his triple pretended iurisdiction and as the Dragon had his Hexaphoron so must Antichrist be carried vp downe briefly as the Dragons priests did teach the heathen to worship Iupiter as God so Antichrists Clergie must teach their Christians to worship God as Iupiter and looke what forme of religion what maner of life the Dragon led the same must Antichrist in his person parallel maintaine And to the end we may vndoubtedly discerne what and of whose image the Apostle speaketh the Spirit remembreth now the third time his recured wound which here speaking more plainly out he calleth the stroke of a sword not that it was the onely stroke for many swords did pierce the Dragon as his had pierced many but the first stroke of a sword which from the beginning and rising of the Dragons Empire and regiment by Cesars did remeasure the fury of the sword vpon his owne head chaire of state as the Spirit noteth saying Which had the stroke of the sword and liueth Verse 15. And it was giuen to him to giue spirit to the image of the Beast and that the image of the Beast should speake and should make that whosoeuer honored not the image of the Beast be slaine ANd such art and perswasible power was giuen to those inchanters and apostates of Antichrist that they infused such a quickning spirit such a life giuing animation into the Ethnicke dead and desolate image of the Dragons religion by gilding it ouer with the reuerend diuine and honorable names of God omnipotent Christ Iesus the righteous his holy Spirit his precious blood his sacred word his blessed Sacraments c. that they easily perswaded the blear-eyd world to think and beleeue that the execrable forme and image of Iupiters abominatiō commanded by the Dragon and his Cesars was the very true worship and seruice of God commanded by the Lamb and his seruants and that the picture of Iupiter Olimpius which their Lord Epiphanes had set vp and placed in Sanctum sanctorum was the very Arke and propitiatory of God set vp and erected by Moses his seruant and their abominable mysticall Masse the sacrifice of an vnbloody Messias made of bread of their owne baking which their fathers the Patriarks Prophets and Apostles neuer heard nor dreamed of is a sacrifice not Eucharisticall but propitiatory and so allsufficient for the attonement and reconciliation of God vnto the sinner as if it were figured and sealed in the precious blood of the Lord of the couenant and that the horrible prophane and detestable supper of Thyestes is the very true holy and comfortable commemoration of the Lords loue in giuing his life for the children of the Church and their thankfull communion and celebration of the same And by these and such like inchantments these Proctors of Antichrist so baffled and blinded the Princes and Protectors of their synagogues that they inzealed them to authorize and erect inquisitions executions and torments against all such as refuse to honour and adore the idol-seruice and desolation of their Antiochus and that all such as doe but mutter against the magnificence of their Church and her worship which all the world adoreth should be accounted as infoelix Lolium weeds Lollards heretiques excommunicates and sonnes of death to the admirable confirmation of the Spirits prediction in this place saying that it was giuen to him to giue such spirit to the image of the Beast that the image of the Beast should speake and make that whosoeuer honored not the image of the Beast be slaine Verse 16. And he should make all little and great rich and poore free and bond to haue a character in their right hand or on their foreheads ANd the power of these prostibulous Clerks was so catholique and vniuersall that they caused all kingdomes and nations figured here by a numeration of their estates conditions and callings little great rich poore bond free to confederate and vnite themselues by a resolute and determinate purpose of beleeuing and liuing after the lawes and prescriptions of Antichrist which league of voluntary and resolute subiection the Spirit calleth the character of the Beast for as vnitie and loue in truth and a resolued purpose to liue after the commandements of God is the character and cognisance of the Lamb so vnitie conspiration and banding against the truth with resolution to liue after the traditions of Antichrist is the crest and character of the Beast Which profession of obedience was so studiously embraced and with such ioy receiued of all the clients and creatures of Antichrist that the Spirit saith they did no lesse pride themselues in their errors and abominations then in the wearing of their bracelets abillements deliuering it in manner of speech vsuall with holy Scripture when it intendeth to expresse an ardent and hearty affection approued both by word and action by practise and profession as Deut. 6. 8. and 11. 18. where the holy Ghost vseth the selfesame phrase in their right hand or on their foreheads Verse 17. And that no man may buy or sell but he that hath the Character or the name of the Beast or the number of his name ANd in further proof that Antichrist and his apostaticall Clergie should driue the naile of their impietie home to the very head the Spirit saith that by them and meanes of their authoritie it should be enacted that none should trade or liue for so much the inhibition of buying and selling doth inferre but such as acknowledge and adore the prerogatiue royall religion and discipline of the Beast and his holy Catholique Church for so by a figuratiue kind of blasphemie she must be called as is confirmed by Antichrist himselfe then named Martin the fift in his Bull directed to the Inquisitors of hereticall prauitie for so it pleaseth him to terme the profession of the truth nec domicilia habeant nec larem foueant nec contractus ineant nec negotiationes mercatur as exerceant nec humanitatis solatia cum Christi fidelibus habeant c. All which their dominering rage or madnesse the holy Ghost by way of prevision most admirably epitomizeth in these words And that no man may buy or sell no one excepted out of the King of Babylons decree saue
of all the seuen Monarchies vnto whom from the beginning of time to the end thereof was giuen and granted the charter and commission of blaspheming God corrupting his world as in the thirteenth Chapter following is more particularly discouered the Apostle addeth hauing seuen heads And in regard his power did beate down the power of all nations and made spoile and purchase of all kings kingdomes on earth the Spirit saith he had ten hornes for the hornes signifie kings and kingdomes and the number of ten include all be they neuer so many as all numbers are made of ten and their reduplication be they neuer so infinite And because he came to aduance his head so high by the power of his sword his Leaders and legions the Spirit crowneth his heads with magnificence and diadems saying And on his heads seuen diadems Verse 5. And his taile drew the third part of the starres of heauen and cast them to the earth And the Dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be deliuered that when she had brought forth he might deuoure her sonne THe head of this great red Dragon was his Regall first estate gouerned by Romulus six other successiue kingcoates which Seneca calleth his infancie or nonage wherein he liued swathed and nourished in blood 244 yeares as his owne Historian reporteth The bodie of this great red Dragon was his Consuls second estate which Seneca calleth his full age part Aristocraticall part Democraticall and was therefore stiled Senatus populusque Romanus from whence partly by reason of his ouerweight and fulsome abundance as one of his owne noteth Romana laxitas mundi rerum amplitudo damno fuit and partly for want of enemies abroad to wreake their proud and kingly humours on he fell into the intestine euill of ciuill warres at home which did cast him into his minoritie and wardship again And this his last estate of regiment Imperiall the holy Ghost here calleth his taile which consisteth of a rout of Monarchs seuentie Keysars long who for that they so furiously persecuted and hauocked the blood of the chiefest Saints and seruants of God the Spirit saith that with his cursed taile he drew the third part of the starres of heauen and cast them to the earth And not contented with the slaughter of his fairest lights and starres of his Church proceeded to desolate the whole hoast of heauen euen all the seed of the Spouse named before the Churches child and here her sonne meaning those in whom by the ministery of his fairest starres his seruants the Apostles Christ was now formed and of whom the Church was now ready to be deliuered for so much the Apostle vnfoldeth in these words And the Dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be deliuered that when she should bring forth he might deuoure her sonne Verse 6. But she brought forth a man child who was to gouerne all nations in an iron rod and her son was taken vp to God and to his throne BVt notwithstanding all their furie the Church brought forth her first fruit which for their faith charitie labour and patience the Spirit nameth a man child and because they followed the Lord in the regeneration and ouercame by keeping his words and works vnto the end they receiued the selfe same honour which to their Lord alone and in chiefe belongeth namely that they shall iudge the Tribes of Israel and haue dominion ouer the nations and shall rule them with a rod of iron and breake their glorie like a potters vessell as the Lord hath promised Math. 19. and Apoc. 2. And in remembrance of the tender care and prouidence of God ouer the seed and first fruit of his Church the Spirit concludeth that when they had ended their course they were taken vp to God and to his throne far from the reach and rage of their enemies Verse 7. And the Woman fled into the wildernesse where she had a place prepared of God that there they might feed her a thousand two hundred and sixtie dayes BVt the Church of God here named the woman mother of this faire and primitiue fruit being no longer able to weather out her stormes was enforced to hide her beautie and to retire her selfe into the secret chambers of Gods prouidence and her owne conscience and to take vp her lodging in the desart not that her light was vtterly extinguished as her enemies reproch her for although she were dispersed distressed and enforced to hide her extraordinary and eminent graces yet the beautie of her true repentance and of her liuely faith seconded with a charitable life and patient expectation of better things to come still shined as a candle in a darke place and like a ship preserued in a tempest she remained stil the same of whom the world was not worthy neuer wanting the louing protection of her dearest Lord who in all her troubles was mindfull of her as of Elias his seruant or Israel his first borne carefull to prouide her both of honorable harbour and princely diet Her resting place was restlesse strewed and scattered far and neare ouer the face of the earth for such a lodging did best beseeme her broken and restlesse heart which soiourned in earth but dwelt in heauen and did also best defend her person from the furious inquisitions of her enemies Neither was her Lord lesse louing and prouident concerning her food for he preserued for her diet the two witnesses of his eternall Couenant that from their breast she might sucke the pure and wholesome milke of grace and life that so she might be both nobly harboured and princely fed during the tedious and odious reigne of the great Whore the Church of Rome who during her exile should vsurpe her Chaire and vnder the vizard of her name should persecute her name and generation a thousand two hundred and sixtie yeares here as before mystically deciphered vnder a thousand two hundred and sixtie dayes Verse 8. And there was waged a battell in heauen Michael and his Angels fought with the Dragon and the Dragon fought and his Angels ANd at the same time that the Temple of God was opened in heauen the Apostle also foresaw that great and bloody contention then which since the dayes of heauen was neuer waged greater great in regard of the armies and great in respect of the cause The armies great as well for the greatnesse of the Generals as for the valour and number of their forces The Generall on the one side was the power of God sciphered by Michael the Prince of the Couenant who stood for the children and people of the Highest The Generall on the other side was the power of Satan figured by Ethnicke Rome here as before called the Dragon In their forces are to be considered the Leaders and the souldiers The Leaders and the Captains on the part of Michael were Diuus Petrus Diuus Paulus Diâ—â—â— Iohannes and the rest of that diuine and noble order of Saints
punctuall and exact moment of time when the egge of Antichrist and his Apostacie was first laid as otherwhere sufficiently preserued vnto vs proceedeth to detect the place where and from whence he should arise saying that he saw him lift vp his hardy head from the sea meaning by the sea as in the sixteenth of this prophecie the surging tumbling and raging Sea and Citie of Rome where also by a like loquution he calleth all kingdoms subiected to her by the name of riuers And that this Beast should thence arise and there and not elsewhere keep court and residence the Spirit proueth by an argument drawne from the shape and proportion of the Beast for he had the seuen heads and ten hornes of the Dragon meaning that he should sit vpon the Dragons hils and reigne in and ouer the Dragons citie and aray himselfe with the spoiles of the world and hold in subiection the Kings and States on earth as the Dragon did for so much the Spirit intendeth in saying hauing seuen heads and ten hornes And lest the vnwary Reader should mistake this great Antichrist for that great Dragon or this Beasts supremacie and his pestilent succession for that Beasts supereminencie and his execrable taile as many vnwarily haue done the holy Ghost in emblazoning his coate giueth him a most exquisite difference in saying that he wore his diadems not vpon his heads as the Dragon did but vpon his hornes signifying thereby that he should not come to his Crowne and vainglory by the strength of his sword his Leaders and his legions as the Dragon did but by the base and voluntary submission of all such Cesars Kings and Princes as should with one counsell and force deliuer vp their authoritie and power secular to the deuotion and pleasure of the Beast and therefore the Spirit crowneth not his heads but his horns saying and vpon his hornes ten diadems And concluding sheweth euen by his head attire how far vnlike this Dragons High-priest of Rome was and should be to the Lords High-priest of Ierusalem who in stead of hauing his head-attire emblemished with holinesse to the Lord as had his seruant Aaron should haue his head-peece beslubbered with names of blasphemie and vpon his heads names of blasphemie whereof proofe is made in the sixt verse following Verse 2. And the Beast which I saw was like to a Leopard and his feet as a Beare and his mouth as the mouth of a Lion and the Dragon gaue him his own force and his throne and great power ANd forasmuch as the Apostle foresaw that this Beast should be a far greater aduersarie and a far longer persecuter of the Church of God then any of the Monarchies which did arise afore him he shapeth him an outside answerable to his inward making framing his parts of the most notable persecuters that euer were as concluding him for his extraordinary wickednesse the odde fellow the totall summe and very accomplishment of all other And first for his presumption in extolling himselfe aboue the Prince of the Couenant defouling his sanctuary desolating his sacrifice burning his statutes and inforcing the humble and meeke to the abnegation of the truth by blood fire strappadoes and such like exquisite torments the Spirit resembleth him to his arch-type Antiochus descended from the Monarch of Greece here as in Daniel deciphered by a Leopard And I saw the Beast like a Leopard Secondly in pride of life in pomp and luxurie the Spirit equalleth him with the Monarch of Persia and likeneth his arrogant and voluptuous gate to her ten Kings here as in Daniel deciphered by a Beare And his feet as of a Beare Thirdly the holy Ghost ascribeth vnto him the proud prophane and cursed mouth of the Mornarch of Babylon in commanding the dwellers on earth vpon paine of fire and fornace to adore his golden idoll which he had dedicated with cornets sackbuts psalteries dulcimers which also the Spirit couereth as Daniel doth vnder the maske of a Lion And his mouth as the mouth of a Lion And last of all lest happily he should be least beholding vnto his Bella Nimpha his dearest Lady and mistris of Rome the holy Ghost saith that the loue of his Patronesse the Dragon was equal to the loue of a father towards his sonne for she made him heire apparent and Lord of her Empire subiecting all things to the feete of his censure and confirming vnto him her throne and pallace of Lateran with all the demefnes and glorie of Latium as one of his owne also noteth Latiumque relinquit Christo Romuleam septem cum collibus vrbem Verse 3. And I saw one of his heads as it were slaine to death but the wound of his death was cured and all the earth was in admiration after the Beast ANd presently after this great Antichrist was risen the Apostle foresaw such a wound giuen to one of his heads that the Beast was in eminent danger to be stricken downe againe and slaine in the very egge for so much the Spirit noteth in saying And I saw one of his heads as it were slaine to death For the better opening of which wouÌ„d we must not onely remember the Beast hath seuen heads but we must also step a little forward and craue the assistance of the seuenteenth Chapter concerning the interpetation of the seuen heads which saith that the seuen heads are seuen hils and they are also seuen kings discouering the true seate and situation of the citie of Rome where Antichrist should keep his court and residence by the seuen hils And by the seuen kings the seuen Monarchies which from the beginning of the world to this day haue successiuely risen and reigned ouer the earth of which seuen the Assyrian monarchie was the first and the Romane the sixt of both which and their pue-fâ—llowes is further reuealed in the seuenteenth Chapter following Meane time we are here to obserue that as the holy Ghost doth therefore call his seuen heads by the name of seuen hils because the seate of Antichrist should be there and not elsewhere placed and planted so he nameth them also seuen kings because the power of Antichrist should be an extraordinarie soueraigntie compounded of such spiritual and temporall claimes and iurisdictions as should be equiualent in presumption and prophanation to all the transgressions of the seuen monarchies which from the beginning hitherunto haue blasphemed God and corrupted his world This foundation layd doth shew that this deadly wound giuen to one of his heads which as after appeareth was the wound of a sword cannot be meant of any one of his heads after the first signification as they are hils but as they are kings and subiect to the sword and so by consequence intendeth that one of his Imperiall heads and namely his faire Adonis his minion lord and master of Rome of whom he had so lately receiued his breath and being was so deadly wounded as that the Beast himselfe thereby was in great danger of
spirituall sword and to weare the name and title of Vicar to the Lamb which title name and honour is onely due to the Spirit of the Lamb the onely moderator comforter and commander of all the Lambs affaires and forces in heauen and in earth and of this principal blasphemy the Apostle condemneth him in saying And he opened his mouth vnto blasphemie against God Next the Lord challengeth him for presuming to blaspheme the word of God superaduancing his whorish church aboue the diuine eternall testimonie in and by which the Son of God is named and knowne which contumely offered to his most holy word the Lord accounteth as done to himselfe and his most holy name for so the holy Ghost speaking of that Lord that is faithfull and true who with iustice iudgeth and fighteth saith that he was clothed with a garment sprinkled with blood and his name is called The Word of God The pourtraiture of which diuine and essentiall Word is the ingrauen Scripture of his most holy and written word and of this blasphemie the Spirit inditeth him in these words to blaspheme his name Lesse maruell then if like a raging flood downe bearing all before him and ouerflowing all bankes of obedience towards God he dare extol his cursed head aboue all that is called or named God that is to say all magistracie authoritie and power secular which by Gods owne ordinance commandement is the onely true liuely and immediate representation of his owne person iustice and gouernment here on earth in and ouer all temporall causes and persons as well Ecclesiastical as ciuil of which high treason one Apostle also conuinceth him 2. Thess 2. No maruell then if thus daring to blaspheme the Lord of the house and his annointed Deputies he dare blaspheme the house of God wherein his name is honored cursing reuiling and reputing it a house of schismatiques heretiques excommunincates which blasphemous and vndeserued wrong the holy Ghost layeth to his charge in these words and his tabernacle And last of all to shew that there is neither end nor measure in his blacke presumptuous and blasphemous mouth the Spirit further chargeth him with blaspheming the Saints and seruants of God deceased cursing reuiling and condemning their doctrine and yet blessing adoring erecting their shadows sepulchers and shrines for mediators intercessors and reconciliators betweene God and the sinner like their cursed fore-elders the Israelites who boasted in the descent of their father Abraham and yet blasphemed the faith of Abraham their father of which blasphemous and indicible contumely against the Son of God and his most holy Spirit the Apostle condemneth him saying And those that dwell in heauen Verse 7. And it was giuen vnto him to make battell with the Saints and to ouercome them and power was giuen him vpon euery people tribe tongue and nation ANd as after lightning followeth thūder so after Antichrists blasphemie followeth his persecution as the Spirit testifieth saying And it was giuen him to bid battell to the Saints which the Prophet Daniel by way of exposition also plainly setteth forth saying that he should murther and consume the Saints and seruants of the most high And in further amplification of this his carnificious furie the Spirit setteth forth the largenesse of his charter and commission by an excessiue loquution foretelling vs that it should be so large and general that the fire of his prophane and sycophantical keys should take hold vpon euery nation and tribe as if we please to cast an eye vpon the times past and conferre what he had with what he hath we shall easily discerne the meaning of the holy Ghost in these words And power was giuen him vpon euery Tribe people tongue and nation Verse 8. And all that inhabite the earth adored it whose names be not written in the booke of life of the Lamb which was slaine from the beginning of the world THe holy Ghost hauing in the former part of this Chapter discouered the birth place person power blasphemie and persecution of Antichrist descendeth now to the description of his creatures and deuotaries foretelling vs that they should be such onely for vnto such onely the particle all is here restrained as haue their portion and interest in this life whose pietie heauen hope and glorie is here and not elsewhere which kind of out and ouercast Christians the Spirit describeth by a periphrasis most proper to their naturall and inbred disposition saying they are those that inhabite the earth therein discouering them as by a difference diuisiue from such as are the Lords pilgrims and strangers on earth hauing here no permanent abode or place of rest but seeking the things which are aboue attend with patience the reuelation of a life and citie to come not made with hands where their Lord and their Redeemer liueth And the Spirit proceeding sheweth further the supreme hidden and vnperceiuable reason why the adorers of Antichrist thus defiled the ornaments of their calling and why they loued lyes more then truth the Beasts penance more then Gods repentance the Beasts beliefe more then faith towards God the Beasts miserable merits more then the fruits of the Spirit hatred of sin and loue of God because as holy Dauid saith they were not found in the Lords record nor written with the righteous for so much the Spirit vnfoldeth saying whose names be not written in the booke of life of the Lamb which was slaine from the beginning of the world Verse 9. If any man haue an eare let him heare THe Apostle hauing sufficiently deciphered the nature and cariage of Antichrist and his creatures commeth now to discouer his reward and iudgement which howsoeuer it tarry little or long is of necessitie the reward of sinne But before the Spirit draweth out his sword it pleaseth him in his accustomed mercie to awake his Church and her enemies and to moue them to a feare and reuerent attention by a generall summons proclaiming If any man haue an care let him heare Verse 10. He that shall leade into captiuitie goeth into captiuitie and he that shall kill with the sword must be killed with the sword here is the patience and the faith of the Saints THe holy Ghost in this verse calleth Antichrist to the Barre and sets him before the world for the very he on whō the wrath of God and his heauie displeasure is to be executed For he who vnder colour and pretence of weeding out and rooting vp of heretiques hath brought into the Church captiuitie inquisitions tortures and torments to the horrible murther and slaughter of the Saints when in such cases notwithstanding he had neither precept nor example in the life of the Lamb or his Apostles so to do he euen he saith the Lord is that partie against whom this iust iudgement of taliation is laid vp in store to be executed vpon him in that day when the Lord shall bring againe the captiuitie of his Church which for their sins he hath giuen vp to