name and are content to be called his being so farre deceiued with his shew as yet they receiue neuer his Character as his mancipate slaues And yet moe haue the number of his name that is are counted and numbred to bee of his body who yet in effect neither haue his name nor his Character This hath deceiued men that they haue imagined the Character to be some other thing then of his name But as is cleare by this place his Character is of his name and they receiue his Character who so haue his name as they are characterized therewith and vpon his marke A speech from common vse Hereof it is that in Mount Sion all haue the Character that is all who are of the true Church elected according to the purpose of grace But as in the visible Church many haue the name of God moe haue the number that is are accounted Christians who yet are not of the number sealed so in Antichrist his Church are many hauing his name and moe hauing his number and so are tolerated to haue commerce and trade with men who yet neuer receiued his Character Therefore it is that the iudgement is denounced onely against those who worshippe him and receiue his Character and accordingly the Vials of wrath Chapter 16. are powred onely vpon these Who are here twise repeated that wee may bee wakened to aduert how here the holy Ghost teacheth vs not to iudge so hardly of all that follow the Beast as that eternall damnation abideth them but onely such as haue receiued his Character For no question but many haue beene and are still named his and counted of his number who learned neuer the deepenesse of Sathan as simple sheepe fallen into that slocke of his because they saw there the publike Ensigne and the Lambe his horns in semblance because hee brooked the holy City and Court of the Temple Euen like these two hundreth who in simplicity of heart followed Absolom from Ierusalem knowing nothing of his treason For we must consider what sort of enemy Antichrist is That hee is no fortaine inuader but an inward Traitor None directly fighting against the name and Ensigne of Christ but by pretence of the name and Ensigne deceiuing And sitting euen in the Temple of God as if a hid Traitor pretending the King his Masters seruice and commission would summon all true Subiects to follow him while hee were but minding vsurpation euen good Subiects might bee thus far deceiued as to follow the publike Ensigne till the treason were detected Further consider that the true Church in Antichrist his greatest preuailing was alwaies within his compasse within which all were euer accounted to bee his owne but yet were not As within the compasse of the holy City and Court of the Temple were the Temple and witnesses in it Chapter 11. besides as no way could bee to the Temple but through the City and Court so no way euer was or shall bee to become a member of the true Church but by comming through the visible Church wherein Antichrist fortie two moneths working and obtaining without controlment all behoued to ioyne to that body where was the Ensigne and seek in through the City and Court to com to the Temple Now no maruell though many in the passing through were taken in admiration of the City Court before they got sight of the Temple And the prouidence of God was wonderfull in this that in greatest corruption he reserued alwayes a sure way through Antichrist to the Temple the Sacrament of Baptisme in substance remaining and the doctrine of the Trinity abiding sound So thus all comming through him had his name or his nūber of whom yet many neuer receiued his Character but espying the pollution of City and Court stepped into the Temple Where still though quietly God preserued two Candlestickes and two Oliues till at length his impiety came to that height by murthering the Saints that it was said to them Come vp hither and so a visible separation was made not from the Church but from the thiefe and Traitor in the Church his mouth bewraying it selfe to bee the Dragons And certainely this holdeth true so as we neede not so much iangle with the Romans thereabout that the Church hath and euer shall bee visible because alwayes the common Ensigne is seene But this Ensigne the Traitor craftily tooke vpon him to beare and thereby deceiued Here is the fallacy that by aequiuocation they conclude if the Church hath alway beene visible then are wee the true Church Here more is added For albeit the church be alwayes visible yet the truth and true professors in it are not alwayes so For the witnesses were closed in the Temple the woman lurked in the wildernesse and the sealed ones were albeit singing yet vnseene and vnheard vpon Mount Sion Three distinct speeches vsed of the Spirit for great purpose The first to shew that howsoeuer the true Church was hid yet where shee was to witte within the compasse of the visible where Antichrist ruled and where Sathan his throne was The second to shew that albeit shee lurked yet she was fed as was Israel in the wildernesse and Elias in the dayes of famine The third that in that great preuailing of Antichrist when all the earth followed the Beast yet she was stablished on Mount Sion so as against her the gates of hell could not preuaile The true Church is in some sort euer vlsible though not in her selfe yet in her infallible Ensignes as who seeth the Citie and Court hee seeth in a sort the Temple because albeit hee see it not distinctlie yet seeing the City and Court hee is certaine that the Temple is there So seeing the visible Church within whose compasse though no eye see them yet God hath his true worshippers one seeth also the true Church For within the Church are truth and lies Christ and Antichrist and either of them now and then obtaine in it and hold place communiter in toto but neuer vniuersaliter in singulis From the Apostolike times as witnesse Paul and Iohn Antichrist was in the Church but hee appeared not some ages after In his time hee riseth and obtaineth all the holy City and Court of the Temple erecteth a throne in Pergamus and domineth as Iezabel in I hyatira Truth is hid and true Professors till the noise of many waters the voyce of thunder and sound of well tuned Harpes breake out of Sion and the Temple and the woman returne from the wildernesse It is a great Sophisme to conclude from the Church visible to the Church absolutely or true Church or againe from these to that or to reason a toto communiter ad vniuersum singulariter Albeit Antichrist was commonlie acknowledged of all yet neuer vniuersally of each one For he neuer set his foot in the Temple nor vpon Mount Sion The Romans presse sore vpon vs to shew who in former ages haue been of our Religion
Of these beginnings ariseth the mischiefe wherein are two things the abhominable Army of darkenesse poisoning all and the head of so damnable a band the Army is described first summarily by their quality and their annoying power verse 3. Hereafter more at large this their annoying power is exponed and their properties whereby they are inabled to the harmeful execution thereof are declared In all which is a most liuely representation and most conuenient type of the Romane Clergy who are euidently this army of darkenesse whose monstrous swarmes nothing but hellish ignorance brought in the Church as earthlinesse of great Pastours brought the ignorance Their qualitie first is shewed in that they are Locusts both for their swarming multitudes and for their destroying and eating vp al green thing in earth as who not onely deuoure the best of things belonging to this life but also destroy all spirituall life in men For their grouth and successe in both see the Story and be amazed 4 Their annoying power is summarily set foorth in that they sting as Scorpions A venemous and bitter kind of Serpent walking waiwardly and stinging when it would appeare least to doe so This their power in the larger exposition thereof hath this generall note that it is limited and not absolute The first point of their limitation is of such as they are permitted to harme The next is in what degree they might doe it As for the first they are restrained wholly from hurting the sealed ones of whom Chapter 7. Which restraint is heere pertinentlie recorded both to shew that this euill is the height of that mischiefe portended in the 7. Chapter Against which the elect were sealed and also to shew heere the truth of their preseruation and so how it was that Christ in this totall eclipse of light by Antichrist his darkenesse yet preserued a Church Wherein yet be not so grosse as to thinke that one number still of the same persons continued all that time But it is to shew God his continuall course in helping his owne all the time of this mischeife on the world Obserue heere also that by grasse and trees men are meaned as I shewed Chapter 7. And as fitliest thus expressed in the euill of locusts Now of these in the first trumpet onely the third part was burnt heere all feele this plague except the sealed ones The second point in their limitation is the degree of hurting Wherein are two causions First the quality of the harme permitted them to practise and next the time limited to their working The quality of their harme is cleared by a diuers kind from which they are restrained For it is permitted them to torment men but not to slay This their tormenting againe is cleared by a comparison that it is such as ariseth vpon the sting of a Scorpion that is so painefull as death is more tollerable as the effect thereof well sheweth Now consider well that this torment and plague is on the inhabitants of the earth and heere to be taken vp as God his iudgement on the world whereof the true Church is free And so this army hath not power to slay as neither that way plague they the men of the world as doe the ministers of the sixth trumpet who both sting with poisoning tailes and slay with heads as hauing power in both But these haue their power in their tailes onely to torment with poisonable sting and not to murther openly For other waies as they are considered in their dealing against the Saints which is not in this place their blood is found with them yea and all the blood shed on the earth albeit not for direct professed power and practise of the sword but as on the Iewes came all the blood from that of Abel the righteous to the blood of Zachary who yet professed that it was not lawfull for them to put any man to death This is heere put for an euident note of Antichrist his dealing of purpose to discerne this euill from that of the sixth ttumpet and that so eleerely as it is wonder how men of learning and iudgement could confound things so notably distinguished and which can receiue no other accommodation Now that this their tormenting of men is lesse tollerable then death We know that no vexation is comparable to that of a conscience wherein is put the sense of God his terror and eternall wrath if therewith the true remedy be not applied For as Skin for skin and all that a man hath he will giue for his life so life and all a man wil giue for his soule and the peace thereof who once hath felt the terrour For a troubled spirit who can beare and a good conscience is a continuall feast But all the doctrine of the Church of Rome is such as putteth in this sting in the conscience whereby the torment is bred but neuer applieth the true remedy But such bastard cures as augment the anguish Heereof it is that superstition is most busie and restlesse For Hee multiplieth his owne sorrow which offereth to an other God Hence arose painefull pilgrimages deuoting to sacred wartes Kings bequeathing their Crownes husbands their wiues and children wiues their children Hence were so many erections and fond donations for soule Masses if so be after death they might finde that repose and comfort which they neuer felt in their life Heerefore is this vexation fitly compared to the stinging of a Scorpion most painefull of any How many strange policies and treacherous deuises as of walking spirits and forged miracles these Locusts haue practised and still doe to subdue to themselues the consciences of men and hold them in torment is more then manifest And by such as they haue stung deepely it is that ordinarily they acchiue all their desperate Treasons and murthers of Princes Acts forsooth of such merit as will obtaine heauen to a person otherwaies condemned And what is it that vpon this presumption the tormented spirit will not runne to what a strange practise is that amongst many moe of the Iesuits with their nouices in their chamber of meditations 5 Thus is the quality of their harme The time limited to them so to torment the world is Fiue monethes In which for ought I know the mind of the holy Ghost hath beene highly mistaken of all men For cleering then of an obscure matter In this whole booke are but seuen times recorded That of tenne daies Chapter 2. That of halfe an houre Chap. 8. This of fiue moneths heere Thatof a yeere moneth day and houre in the sixth Trumpet That of fourty two moneths Chapt. 11. and 13. with which that of 1260. daies Chapt. 11. and 12. And of a time times and halfe a time Chap. 12. are all one That of three daies and a halfe Chap. 11. 9. And that of a 1000. yeeres Chap. 20. Of these all sound interpreters for how maliciously the Romans to obscure cleere story doe expound
and our men but busie themselues more then is needfull the holy Ghost hauing so plainely foretolde the case And how common doe wee see in our daylie experience of particular Churches that things will by custome or tyranny so obtaine as none are found to resist while yet in the meane time great numbers not only disallow but euen hold themselues pure there from Here who would aske the succeeding age what had beene the estate then hee could find nothing but that all had erred because the common Records beare but what obtained in the time no Record remaining of these who though for feare they durst not contest yet misliked and mourned for the iniquity And if perhaps they did vtter any thing which to the posterity might haue carried testimony of their mind the same being smothered by them who violently possessed and disposed of all I haue no doubt but in euery age euen in the greatest height of darkenesse diuers haue not onely been enemies thereof both children and ministers of light but euen haue beene in their time knowne to the godly then Albeit to enquire the succeeding ages of their story it is ridiculous and wee but fashe our selues vnnecessarily to haile therein the cord of contention with the aduersaries hauing otherwise so cleare and solide answeres furnished vs by the holy Ghost to close their mouthes Yea the Antichrist his prerogatiue and his long and peaceable obtaining in the visible Church dismayeth vs so little as thereupon wee build a sure argument that there all the time was the true Church For hee is a proper sore of the body of the Church And as such a pestilent boile or leprosie which can bee in no other but a man his body albeit the whole body should bee so couered that nothing could bee seene but the boile or leprosie yet euen thereby the beholder is assured that there is a man his body because that soare can befall none other So by Antichrist who is a proper euill and sitting no where else but in the Church wee discerne and perceiue clearely where the true Church hath beene and still in great part is For euen before the last fall of Babell the Lord his people are exhorted to come out of her In the visible Church the truth hath alwaies beene but so a long time as the Booke of the Law was within the Temple before Iosias Now then the obiection of the Romans whereby they labour so much to shake vnstable soules is more then ridiculous where was your Church before Luther what became of all our Fathers to which we answere Our Church was euen where Satans throne was And of our Fathers wee iudge well as who howsoeuer they receiued the Beast his name or at least the number of his name yet might haue beene free from receiuing his Character and so out of the danger of this sentence of eternall fire If they had eies to see and hearts to vnderstand this Prophesie they would bee confounded in that wherein they glorie most and ashamed to obiect to vs that which most approueth our cause 9 Thus was the velitation The case coincident is terrible persecution The weight whereof is cleered by a warning verse 12. and a consolation vers 13. The warning together with the weight declare against whom this heauy persecution is intended to wit the Saines and those who keepe the commandements of God and faith of Iesus The weight is shewed in this that their shall bee need of Christian patience as which shall be greatly exercised and that the triall shall bee such as the constant keepers of God his commandements and faith of Iesus shall finde wherein to be prooued This the phrase of speech sheweth as that Chap. 13. Heere is wisdome Now this warning implieth cleerely the party persecuter to be the Beast to whom was giuen To make warre with the Saints and to ouercome them Chap. 13. 7. who thereupon got the same warning there verse 10. And seeing that the remnant seed of the woman against whom the Dragon was to stir vp warte Chap. 12. 17. are described by the same titles Of keeping the commandements of God c. This warning heere giuen hath also this end to waken vs vp to consider the speciall time and heate of that warre their foretold to bee then when Antichrist beeing chaffed with these three Angels made all Europe to feele cruell fires and bloody massacres whereof the memory is yet recent That so the rest of them who should be killed for Iesus being fulfilled Chap. 6. 11. finall and full vengeance may come on that bloody state The weight of this persecution is yet further amplified by the consolation giuen against it Which besides the substance thereof is notable in many circumstances Of the deliuery from heauen the commandement how to receiue it in that it should not onely be heard but also written as worthy of lasting record of double asseueration and that by the holy Ghost The substance of the consolation is Blessed are the dead that hencefoorth die in the Lord. The reasons are They rest from their labours and their works follow them Our daies heere are but a shadowe and in them euen our strength is but labour and sorrow all wherein a man seeketh happinesse vnder the sunne beeing but vanity and vexation of spirit from whence to remoue in the Lord and enter into our rest is a great blessednesse in so farre as our labour is not in vaine in the Lord but great is our reward in heauen Now howsoeuer all men goe naked out of this world as naked wee come and nothing of all our great labour and works goeth with vs. Yet as euery one shall be indged and receiue according to that which hee hath done in the flesh good or euill so euery soule carieth with it an instamped sense of the workes done in the flesh so as either a speaking and selfe accusing guiltinesse followeth a man or then as by grace he hath beene inabled to make his election sure by good workes in this life so shall the testimony of peace in his conscience follow him For There is no condemnation for them which are in Christ Iesus which walks not after the flesh but after the spirit 10 From the 14. ver is the third part of this Ch. Wherein is the summary proposition of the full ouerthrow of the enemies which at length in the subsequent Chapters is explaned Now heere the course of this Prophesie is carefully to be marked for a great light through all The iudgements of God first and second vpon the worlde were in the sixe Seales and sixe Trumpets of the seuenth To the 15. verse of the 11. Chapter there the seuenth Trumpet soundeth and the last wrath is denounced Before the particular declaration whereof that the iustice of God therein might the better appeare it was requisite that the Historie of these enemies to be destroied in their dealings against the Church should be cleered for
Lord alwaies armed his Church but most carefully in these last times vnder the Gospell Which albeit it might appeare to haue beene lesse needfull for the huge measure of light and gracefull dispensation therein beyond all former ages yet in respect that Satan seeing his time to be short then chiefly bended his whole rage and full force of deceit specially in that huge mystery of iniquity growing on so in all effectual working with al power signes and lying wonders in all deceiueablenesse of vnrighteousnesse and such strong delusion the sonne of perdition sitting as God euen in the Temple of God that if it were possible the very elect might haue beene deceiued therefore the Lord himselfe in the daies of his flesh gaue hereof not obscure warnings his Apostles diuersly thereafter and lastly in this prophecie is the whole mischiefe in the parties their practises the Church her condition thereby God his manifold wrath thereupon to the full ouerthrow at length of all the enemies and deliuerance of his Church so at large and cleerely set forth as we are not onely now to beleeue the things told vs before because they are alredy in a great part come to passe but also by the cleere light here opened to see what yet resteth to be performed with calme and ioifull minds in a most delightfull light to behold and dispise all this present terrible and restlesse endeauour of Dragon Beast and false Prophet by their emissary frogs as where by they are but hastening on to themselues such a foile as the wonderfulnesse thereof shall make the place to bee called euen in Ebrew Harmageddon and shall giue matter euen of an Ebrew song When thereupon not onely a great multitude in Heauen the foure beasts and twenty foure Elders but by a powerfull voice from the Throne all God his seruants al that feare him both small and great as the voice of many waters and as the voice of strong thunderings shall sing together Halleluiah Now the golden programme blessed is he that readeth c. set ouer the gate of this goodly edifice as it giueth to conceiue and both wakeneth and warranteth to search after some rare insight so did it chiefly incourage me to step in and much stirred in sobernesse to suruey the singularities Wherein as the Queene of Saba seeing Salomon by helpe of God and to the praise of his truth in this I found so much more then I presumed as no spirit was left in mee Now here withall the earnest petition of Saints poussing thereto and after the story of Christ in the flesh and of his Church raised by Apostolike labors this falling in fitly in the course of my trauels to bee handled yet nothing so much carried me to the publike reading thereof as a holy indignation at the dealings of Romanists in our quarters too carelesly exposed to their seduction They had nothing more frequently in mouth then the antiquity glory multitude of their Church the consent of Nations Counsels and succession of many Ages with disdaineful demands where our Church was before Luther and whether we esteemed all our Forefathers so many ages past to bee condemned who liued and died all in the faith and Communion of the Church of Rome with such speeches largely amplified and cunningly coloured amongst a simple people as sheepe for the most part without shepheards I found by experience and credible information that not onely many altogether ignorant were corrupted but euen diuers instable soules who had shewed some beginnings of learning and louing the way of truth were rather quite alienated therefrom or cast in dangerous doubts so as oftner then once men otherwaies well stablished haue euen with sollicitude both by word and writ required of mee how the hearts of the weake might be staied against these obiections To whome as both waies in the time I gaue satisfaction so it hasted me to the publike interpretation of this prophecie whereby euen the most simple not wilfully shutting their eies against an ingyring light may cleerely see how that whereof they glory most turneth most to their shame and that wherwith they most reproch our Church speaketh strongly for vs. If this seemeth strange to any they haue not yet learned that as great is the mistery of godlinesse so also is that of iniquitie and to know the hid secrets of either none euer shall attaine who by the heauenly light of the word goeth not higher then all authority multitude custome or consent of men Now albeit at first I minded nothing lesse then to write any further thereon but some short note for mine owne vse of such things wherein my iudgement did vary from most part or all enterpreters yet cloied with continuall requests to write at large what by voice I deliuered I was induced to take a mid course neither to write so shortly as I intended nor at such length as they required but so as who were my auditours reading it might remember what further they had heard and others might so farre bee set in way as by their owne easie paines to find out what for more cleere explication is requisit I haue labored though not so farre as my owne disposition would haue carried mee yet so farre as giuing to suiters some contentment I could to be short and not burthen the reader with any tedious discourse of commonly knowne matter On the first three Chapters to busie my selfe except so farre as was necessary for coupling them with the rest of the prophecy I thought it needlesse so much being already written thereon and by so many both learned and godly men Whose trauels on the rest of this prophecie by this my doing I am so farre from either despising or condemning that from my heart I both reuerence their godly and learned labours and sincerely acknowledge my selfe to haue beene much helped thereby But this being such a worke as wherein one wrong stich will carry thorow all the seame a sensible errour and being of such inestimable worth as meriteth still to be wrought on till in whole and each part it keepe sentence I haue hereto in all singlensse and sound affection contributed my sparkle expecting and hartily wishing others after me to doe the like for more and more cleere light till the Whore bee euidently set naked before the eies of all the World and the Bride in her vpright beauty be discerned of all men Vse it therefore with such heart as thou hast it of me praising God for that which is cleerely from him and in Christian compassion excusing what is of mine infirmitie IOANNIS FORBESII filij Epigramma de scopo Authoris FOrbesius Româpompam iactante dolebat Vno orbem obtundi nocte dieque sono Ostenditque feram hoc signo ac Babylonanotari Inunc consensum maecha molesta crepa Eiusdem ad Zoilum CAece Theonino quid dente incognita mordes Non tibi sed doctis Zoile scriptalegis Eiusdem ad beneuolum lectorem NEleuiter summam solum bone
it might bee presumed that no true Church could bee before seeing that where no prophesie is the people perish and this doubt might greatly trouble the resolution of a godly soule for clearing this doubt and shewing how alwaies euen in the midst of Antichristian darkenesse when no such thing appeared to the eies of men yet the rodde rightly applyed made the applyers to see that God alwaies had a true Church in which was a dispensation of grace though vnseene And this Church breaking out first in few and outwardly weake persons albeit it receiued so hard entertainement by Antichrist as it seemed euen vtterly extinguished in the rising yet still it preuailed by euident degrees till manifestly at last the Temple was opened in heauen and the Arke of the Testimony seene The accommodation hereof sheweth it self and the two last cases are so much the more cleare as they were seen and are of recent memory To cleare the first state and secret dispensation of grace and light when it appeared impossible a speech is taken from Zacharie and hauing allusion to the Temple of Ierusalem as hath all this Allegory For as light in the Temple by burning lampes of the Candlesticke was ordinarily entertained through bringing in oyle dayly to keepe them burning so the Temple being closed and not onely the City but euen the Court of the Temple except through which no passage was thereto being possessed and trod downe so long of the Gentiles it might appeare impossible that any light could hee preserued in the Temple thus closed and compassed Therefore in this estate God compareth the Ministers of grace to two oliue trees growing vp by the sides of the Candlesticke within the Temple and letting drop from their branches oile in the lamps Oh how sweetly the spirit expresseth that which the foolish world can neuer learne while still they cry where was your Church Neither by an Armie neither by strength but by my spirit saith the Lord. 3 For more clearing of this matter as before Chapter 9. in the time of fiue Monethes the state of the Locusts and their working was much cleared so here to the whole rage of Antichrist during which the Lord had still his owne witnesses a time is attributed that by comparing the places and cases from which this time is taken and to which the holy Ghost here purposely allâ—â—â—th wee may learue great wisdome And to leade vs hereto wee haue not onely the like time but also the like speeches the spirit as it were pointing to vs whither hee will haue vs to goe The time then attributed to Antichrist his whole rage is forty two monethes all one with the 1260. dayes of the two Witnesses prophesying to shew that all that time God had them and continually therefore is the time counted by dayes and all one with the time times and halfe a time of the woman her abode in the wildernesse Chapter 12 all alike making vp halfe a weeke of yeeres or three yeeres and a halfe And thus the spirit counting one and the same time by all the spaces of time yeeres monethes and dayes to shew euidently that the yeeres are of monethes and both yeeres and monethes are of dayes as also that the dayes are properly to be taken it is wonder how learned men could haue so farre mistaken them Now in all the Scripture wee shall not find a condition of the Church with any circumscription of time answerable in condition and points of Antichrist his dealing here pointed at that is wherin the true worship is so defaced as in place thereof a false worshippe is erected and truth trod vnder foot but the two here alluded to as in the speeches brought hither from both is more then manifest of treading vnder the holy City prophesying in sacke killing with fire shutting of heauen that it raine not c. The one is of the time of Elias his lurking and famine vpon Israel three yeeres a halfe when God his worshippe was ouerthrowne his Prophets killed and worshippe of Baall erected no true Church appearing to bee left in Israel euen to the Prophet who yet all the while tormented the aduersaries no rain comming but at his word The other is that of remouing the dayly sacrifice by Antiochus Epiphanes and the abhomination of desolation set vp in place thereof for a time times and halfe a time Dan. 7. 25. so long our Sauiour vnder great affliction and contempt preached in the dayes of his flesh euen halfe a weeke and was â—ast out of the Synagogue the Priests Scribes and Pharisees all the while obtaining the name and account of the true Church To the second condition of these witnesses in this whole rage of Antichrist are attributed three dayes and a halfe that is halfe a weeke of dayes as the whole is of yeeres onely to keepe thus the allusion to the halfe weeke but so as therein to imply this consolation that howsoeuer the whole time of Antichrist were long which yet should haue an end as had these miserable times of Iezâ—bel and Antiochus and that all that long time the true witnesses should bee in affliction and heauinesse yet that time of cruell and open murthering and barbarous ferity should bee but short as is halfe a weeke of dayes in comparison to half a week of yeeres And this in story is most cleare For as their cruell and open murthering beganne with the reuiuing and new breaking out of the Gospell what time Sathan was loosed the second time Chapter 20. And the beast became of his colour Chapter 17. So as the truth preuaileth by increase of light they are faine to relent though nothing in malice and rage which groweth more and more they euen blaspheming and gnawing their tongues for sorrow yet from vnbrideled libertie in murthering the Saints in this degree To the last condition is attributed no circumscription of time because it is the beginning of that victory to the Saints fall to Babell which shall haue no end of time For right vnderstanding of these times see more Chapt. 9. Sect. 5. as likewise for this that here is said The second woe is past see there Sect. 8. Now here is well to bee considered that what in this Chapter is shewed of Antichrist his rage against the Church and her suffering by him is here handled but by the way and not of purpose to shew that Story which commeth in the 12. 13. and 14. Chapters but onely so farre as was requisite for clearing the story of the witnesses how the world is plagued by them which is here the scope of the spirit See vpon Chap. 14 Sect. 10. 4 Thus was the sixth Trumpet and the second great woe followeth the seuenth to which we see how faire a way is made in the sixth to make vs vnderstand that euen in time of the second woe and greatest height thereof by the Mahometanes let loose againe from their binding this last woe was working in such
is shewed here first by her great dominion touched in the beginning of this Chapter and heere now interpreted This dominion shee hath through the Beast her bearer Secondly her iudgement is heere summarily foretold which at length is handled in the next Chapter And thirdly in proper and plaine termes is told who shee is Euen The City which ruleth ouer the Kings of the Earth So plaine a circumscription of Rome as the Aduersaries are ashamed to denie it 14 In her iudgement are three things First by whom it is Secondly what it is 3. How it commeth on It is by the hornes of the Beast who shall worke her ouerthrow What it is is shewed by a naturall order They shall hate her they shall leaue her desolate by defection from her vpon sight of her impiety and abominations they shall make her naked pulling from her her ornaments rents and clothing they shall eate her flesh feeding on her spoile as she was facted and growne great with the spoile of Nations lastly they shall burne her with fire Now here we must not imagine that all these kings who haue giuen their Kingdomes to the Beast shall at one instant reuolt many still cleauing to him till his last foile after the Whore is burnt and so made pertakers of his iudgement Chap. 18. and 19. But the holy Ghost will tell vs that her destruction shal be by these same kingdomes and states which haue drunken of her cuppe and had beene the staies of the Beast his kingdome and so of her magnificence And what is done of any of these is said indefinitely of all For her destruction must bee by Westerne Princes that so a way may bee prepared for the East to embrace the Gospell Heereof in no small degrees we see the execut on begunne and well farre aduanced and the last degree is comming on quickely How this so strange a case falleth that who were the hornes of her power and her darlings committing fornication with her should now turne to be her haters and destroiers is shewed that it commeth by God his disposition and all-ruling prouidence who as in his iustice hee gaue ouer these Kingdomes to the efficacy of error to beleeue lies for not beleeuing the truth 2. Thess 2. So in his owne time when his iudgement therein was fulfilled for hir iust destruction who had so bewitched the world hee should turne their hearts to hate her who had so long and vildely abused them Conferre heerewith the 16. Chap. of Ezechiel 15 Lastly as I touched before is told in so plaine termes who this Whoore is that the Romans are forced to confesse it Bellarmine lib. 3. de Pontifice cap. 13. Ribiera vpon this booke The Rhemishe doctours are so straited that seeking shifts they against a cleere light bewray an euill conscience See their annotations on this place 16 So then by all the course of this Prophesie yea and the Romans owne confession this is manifest that Rome is the Whoore. And so by necessary consequence the seat of Antichrist his kingdome Whereby it is that shee is the mother of Whootedomes and Lady of Kingdomes through herexaltation and being borne vp by the Beast Neither shall euer the Iesuites bee able confessing once Rome to be this Whoore but of necessitie to grant also that the Beast must be the kingdome of Rome Whereof many of themselues perceiuing the ineuitable consequence fall next for exepting the Pontificality from this blot to despute of the time Some making Rome vnder the persecuting Emperours to be the Whoore as Bellarmine in the place aboue cited But she is so the Whoore and then the Whoore as and when shee is borne vp by this Beast which foolishly he diuideth Others reiourne this to a future time when as Antichrist arising forsooth shall possibly expell the Pope out of Rome and sit there So forgetting the long boasted priuiledge of Peter his Chaire and while they seeke to escape snaring themselues more by granting that to be possible vpon the alleaged impossibility whereof they long agoe builde al defence But the holy Ghost euidently here spoileth them of all shift by cleare demonstration Whereby as Rome is cleared to be the Whore and the kingdome of Rome to be the Beast so are we led as it were by the hand to the time when and particular state of that kingdome wherein it is to be taken for the Beast heere and Chapter 13. described and that by three infallible tokens First by a full and perfect enumeration of al the heads that is soueraigne sorts of Rulers from the first beginning of that state to the last and vtter fall thereof and therewithall telling vs that in none of the fiue fallen before Iohn his time is that state the Beast as he is heere vnderstood or consequently Rome the whoore neither in the head then ruling namely Caesars neither in the seuenth head which vpon the deadly wound of the Beast in the sixth head should arise and soone euanish But in the eight head arising by cure of the wound and in that respect one of the seuen which was to come out of the bottomlesse pit that kingdome is the beast vnder that head the false Prophet And therefore the Beast heere is peculiarly denominate by that head 17 The second infallible taken is the singular and different manner of working of the Beast and Whoore in that state and head wherein properly the Beast is to bee holden for Antichrist from all the former and so properly competent to the last head as can in no way agree to ame of the other For the hornes in time of that head vnder which that kingdome is peculiarly this Beast are crowed Kings and such as are not subdued by violence or force of Armes but willingly and with one consent giue their Kingdomes to the Beast being bewitched by the cup of fornication and deceiued by lying signes and wonders vnder pretence of the Lambe his hornes Chapter 13. So as then only the kingdome of Rome is to be holden by this beast when it is vnder such a head as by whose domination Rome be commeth the Whoore that is the bewitcher of the world by superstitious and idolatrous worship signes and myracles and pretence of Christian power and holinesse Not hauing or pretending so much a power to slay mens bodies as by poisonable errour to sting and forment their consciences Chap. 9. and bringing Kingdomes in subiection more by feare of conscience then force of Armes Which is properly to be the whoore For vnder al the former heads Rome was rather a murthering furie then an inticing harlot drinking more the superstition of al other Nations thē propining any to them Neither were any people 's subiected to her willingly but by compulsion and Armes But then she became the harlot when vnder pretence of Christ his power and by deceit of the cup of fornication she made Kings voluntarily and with one consent submit their Crownes to her so making vp the
with excessiue ioy of so good newes that hee was for a notable document of humane infirmity in so great an Apostle about to haue worshipped this Angell Which attempt how vnlawfull it is in it selfe and how vnpleasant to the Angell First his interdiction well sheweth in such haste and concise forme of speech as commonly men vse vpon care to preuent some instant and detestable euill When feare and solicitude â—uffer not to speake at length or a full sentence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Next hee strengthneth his interdiction with strong reasons one taken from his owne condition to whom this worship was offered as which was not capable thereof being but a seruant and not onely his left some prerogatiue might be imagined in the Apostle to stay that which of an other mighthaue bin offered but euen a fellow seruant of his brethren who had the testimony of Iesus his greatest honour and chiefe scope of al his seruice being Christ and his knowledge to minister the same without which he were nothing and therefore albeit of different nature from Iohn and other Christians yet in condition and end of calling but their fellow-seruant they hauing the spirit of Prophesie as he had The other reason is from the person of him who onely is to bee worshipped and serued according to the law alleadged by our Lord against Sathan Now it might probably appeare that herein yet some further thing were implyed For this Angell being the type of these ministers who shall bee the shewâ—◠〈…〉 paâ—sators of this huge meaâ—ure of powerfull lig◠〈…〉 〈◊〉 for so wonderfull effects and Iohn here baâ—â—â—g the person of common Christians of that time 〈◊〉 may seeme that the rare and excellent graces of the Ministers who shal then bee furnished with a golden 〈◊〉 would so farre miscarrie weake Christians in admiâ—â—tion of their gifts and working as to attribute 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnto them if their owne fidelity and holinesse 〈◊〉 not lâ—t it And as this giueth vs to expect yet goodly things so herein is a close warning of humility in the one and circumspectnesse in the other to giue all glory to God But hereof I dare determine nothing fearing still to bee curious in so diuine an Argument wherein I haue choosed rather to hold vp coniecturall suggestions then appeare vnreuerently to handle such mysteries 12 Thus wee haue heard the song of Saints first vpon the Whoreâ— destruction and next more mightily and of moe intended higher vpon preception of full victorie ouer the other enemies and the Church her graceful state thereupon which so rauished the Apostle as hee had almost miscarried Now are the other victories shewed and goodly state of the Bride thereupon And first through the rest of this Chapter is the foile of the Beasâ—bearer vp of the Whore and no question but now highly chafed with her fall 13 In the victory ouer the beast are the description of the parties and the euent of the battell The party victorious is magnifickly described first in his person army weapons of war and his working by them and next in his Herauld His person by great properties and many agreeable to his many and great names First his comming forth declareth him a heauenly personage for hee is from thence Of great maiesty comming forth in abundance of light as to whose outmarching the heauens are cast wide open A greater degree of light then hitherto hath been mentioned so as the signe of the son of man is clearly seen in heauen Oh that thou woldest breake the heauens and come downe His administration at this time in Antichrist his full ouerthrow shall bee in exceeding great euidency of light and power 14 Hee sitteth on a white horse for fidelity and truth and namely for these points of his administration wherin his fidelity and truth are now specially to bee shewed in iudging and fighting for all which respects he rideth and on a white horse according to the state of a Iudge and triumphing glory of a victorious VVarrious He is also a faithfull and true witnesse Chapter 1. And a faithful High Priest Hebr. 3. But here hee is to shew his fidelity and truth in iudging and fighting Now the time of his redeemed is come and the time of the dead that they bee iudged and such destroyed who destroy the earth In all which hee both iudgeth and fighteth righteously for he is pure when hee iudgeth and iust when hee speaketh This indgement is not that last and generall but here the speciall of these enemies of his Church is meaned whom he is now to ouerthrow so as they shall neuer bee any more able to trouble Sion but their ruine shall hold on till at last they be for euer adiudged to endlesse torment Hee rode on a white horse from the first outgoing of the Gospell to conquere Chapter 〈◊〉 and to deiect the Dragon from heauen Chapter 12. when hee and his Armie fought to that effect but this is the last and noblest act of his riding for the Dragon and his Vicars vtter destruction 15 Now to iudge righteously is requisite not onely a righteous disposition but also a wise heart to discerne for often Iudges who are in mind set to doe righteously yet ignorantly giue wrong iudgement But no such thing can befall him whose eyes are as a flame of fire Pure piercing purging and searching hearts and reines from whom nothing can bee hid for euen the darkenesse is light before him And as for iudging so also for fighting as Rabsace though prophane yet pertinently sayeth in that Counsell and strength are for the warre This Captaine then who seeth the thoughts of his enemies before they bee hatched in their hearts hath no perill to bee deluded or circumuented with stratagems or as often befalleth otherwise expert warriours through want of intelligence to slippe opportunities If Elisha by a ray of the light of this Captaines flaming eies was able to discouer and so disappoint what the King of Aram consulted in his secret Cabinet what may this Lord doe who formeth the heart 16 With wisdome hee hath also great authority as hauing on his head many Crownes Both for that hee is King of Kings and also for his many victories specially in this his last warre Which how peculiarly is respected his Crownes are all on his head For hee standeth not by crowned hornes as the Beast but all his authority and strength is in himselfe and of himselfe and hee in this his strength power now commeth to take the Crowne from the head of the King of Ammon to set it on Dauid his head The Beast now must forgoe his Triple Crowne Christ his proper honour wherewith hee hath blasphemously attired his head 17 Being thus able to see all and of authority to conquere all hee hath yet a name written which none knoweth but himselfe And this name is so much the more maruailous and hath the more cleare note of his
close the count of these thousand yeeres the end heere mentioned and degrees of the Dragon his restraint doe clearely lead vs. Wee must not thinke that Sathan in an instant was eyther tyed vp from his rage or againe in a precise point of time let loose But both fell out by degrees From the first out going of the Gospell hee beganne in some degree to bee bound as hee complaineth of Christ that hee had come to torment him before the time And as the Gospell preuailed hee was still the more made fast But seeing the end here specified of his binding and the condition of the Church heere described vpon his restraint Make euident that this his Captiuity is not absolute but in some speciall consideration and the degrees here mentioned shew that then his vptying is to bee counted when in that consideration he is perfectly made fast as taken shut vp locked on sealed we haue to take vp that point of time when according to this end he was fully fastned I shewed before on the 12. Chapter that the Dragon his proper rage is taken for open and cruell persecuting of Christians from which he was then fully tyed vp when by Constantine his conuersion to the faith open persecution ceased and Christianity was by lawes established the Church became glorious in the eyes of all men the soules of Martyres got long white robes and seates were set vp and the Saints did sit on them c hauing iudgement giuen them For both the commemoration of Martyrs was honourable and the estate of the Church flourishing in peaceable and goodly condition and glorious account And albeit in the meane time Sathan was working by his Lieutenant the Beast whom vpon this his restraint from open rage hee sent forth then in the first sensible degrees to deceiue by false semblance and who from this point of time mightily preuailed though at first by slow scarse perceptible degrees as rising out of the earth in bringing Nations to make vp the image of the Beast which at the end of these thousand yeeres came to the top of impiety yet they liued and raigned all the while who receiued not his Character The end then here mentioned of the Dragons restraint that hee should not seduce c. must not bee taken absolutely for hee was neuer busier seducing nor with greater successe then during these thousand yeeres but seducing here must be vnderstood according as wee see hee worketh vpon his lousing againe when hee falleth to that same kinde of seduction from which first hee was bound vp that is to seduce Nations to compasse the Tents of Saints and the beloued City Euen to set them againe vpon violent and furious persecution by sword and fire as he was a murtherer from the beginning and as in that men most bewray themselues to bee the children of their father the Diuell From this rage hee was bound vp when by the two wings of that great Eagle the woman escaped to her place from the presence of the Dragon he beeing chained from comming at her now extolled with wings And the degrees here set downe of binding inclosing shutting vpon and sealing shew euidently that the count is to be taken vp from the full and perfect point of his Captiuity For from that time hee had no louse chain for open rage In Iulian he was not so much loused as biting the chain Who besides his short abode neuer durst fall directly to murthering of Christians the persecutions of Constantius and Valens were partiall heates vnder profession euen that bloud that was mingled with haile and fire Chapter 8. 10 Now as wee haue the point of time of his perfect fermance which is the 300. yeere of Christ or therby so this leadeth vs to the point of his loosing the 1300. yeere or thereby and the conueniency of story is cleare for although as by degrees hee was fastned so by degres hee was loosed againe yet wee shall find as at the first point the full degree of his binding so at this time him fully loosed In the Pontificality of Gregory the seuenth he had a long chaine which yet was further raxed in that of Vrban the second and his Successors kindlers of that tragicall and superstitious warre for recouery of Ierusalem But for the end here spoken of open cruelty against Saints hee was fully loused in the Pontificality of Boniface the eighth and his successors from whose times haue beene bloudy persecutions and cruell rage Then the woman beganne to returne from the wildernes the witnesses to steppe out of the Temple the little booke eaten to giue hearts and eyes to apply the reede and so to discerne the Temple from the Court then the first of these three Angels Chapter 14. beganne to breake out through the midst of Heauen and the other two in course followed so as then they were blessed who died in the Lord and then was the patience of Saints The Beast his mouth then being perceiued and so the semblance of the Lambs horns no more able to beare him out the Dragon behooued come againe in roome to maintaine his owne throne to represse by rage what by hypocrisie could not be kept downe Then the two witnesses lay slaine in the streetes of the great City all Nations being seduced to slay them and reioyce ouer them Then the Beast which was carst spotted like a Pard becommeth of the Dragons colour and the Whore born vp by him is drunke with the bloud of Saints from that time what cruell murther of Christians was vnder the odious names of Waldenses Albingenses Fraterculi Beghardi c. And since what fiers what bloud sheds what monstrous complots for extirpation of the truth haue beene practised is too well known 11 In this rage though for a time the Dragon deborded yet praised bee God by successe of the Gospell and fire from heauen hee is in making fast the second time in an euerlasting chaine Therefore it is said that hee should be loused but a short space For they are faine to relent of their open murthering and burning are now in God his iustice getting measure for measure 12 The time then of these thousand yeeres is from the first open and sensible steppes of the mystery of iniquity working on to the quickning of the Beast which fell together with this binding vp of the Dragon to the toppe of that impiety when it came to the highest degree And this is the onely time in all this prophesie to bee taken definitely because of Antichrist his whole working which was in way euen from the Apostolike times first by hid and insensible and next by open steppes towards the height from which height againe as by degrees it arose so by degrees it must vanish no precise or exact time could be set downe but yet to giue vs sufficient clearenesse the holy Ghost putteth the time from the first beginning of open working to the