place ¶ Holding the foure windes of the earth Wee have seene the Angels their standings their endevour is to take away the winde from the earth the foure saith Iohn windes of the earth which yet is one by nature but divers according to the countryes from whence it bloweth But this winde is not properly to be understood seeing such a calamity hath never befallen albeit many ages now are past since this Prophecy was accomplished For if it were proper howe should not the stopping up hurt as well the sealed as the reprobate who dwelt togither and one with an other I therefore understand the winde to be the force and faculty of the Holy Ghost whom Christ coÌ„pareth to the winde Iohn 3.8 the winde saith he bloweth whither it listed so is every one that is borne of the Spirit For as of olde that disordered Chaos and seed of this our world could not otherwise consist then as it was quickened of the Spirit who moved himselfe upon the waters Gen. 1.2 So neither doth this earth nor sea nor trees come to the feeling of any vitall strength unlesse that sanctifying winde doth lye upon them from whose breathing they doe as it were drawe their life It is not indeede in the power of any creature to restraine the force of the heaveÌ„ly Spirit yet the trueth being stopped which he used as his chariot not without cause the passages may be sayd to be stopped wherby he should blowe to our good ¶ That the winde should not blow upon the earth nor upon the sea c. Nowe the thinges are reckoned up from which they would had restrayned the winde to wit from the Earth the Sea the Trees The Earth before were the Heathen Nations as chap. 6.4.15 Afterward it seemeth to signify alway not men wholy repugnant to the name of Christ but the common sorte mixt company of the corrupt Church which hath succeeded in the place of the Gentiles as chap. 8.13 12.9.12.13.16 13.11 c. The Sea signifyeth the doctrine sometime true and then it is placed before the Throne within the coÌ„pas of the Elders where it is of glasse like to Chrystall most cleare most pure as chap. 4.6 More often it is brought to shew false doctrine in which sense it resteth and is quiet as in his channell in the bosome and embracing of this earth which it doth fasten togither with his humidity though grosse and brinish through secret passages least being by nature easy to be reduced in powder and not cleaving togither it should be dissolved through her atidity For unlesse there were some bande of consent amonge the counterfeit citizens even the wicked assemblyes could not stande The trees wee understaÌ„de to be meÌ„ froÌ„ ch 9.4 wher coÌ„maÌ„demeÌ„t is giveÌ„ to the Locusts that they should not hurt any tree but onely the meÌ„ that hav not the seale of God in their foreheads Now the exception is alway of the same kinde of which that is froÌ„ wheÌ„ce the exception is made therefore when as men are excepted it must needes be that the trees also are men not indeed of the basest sorte condition but who shewe theÌ„selves above others with their high dignityes and lift up their heades among the rest being more famous in the Christian Assemblyes But if the Angels would have hurt onely this earth sea and trees why was there not free leave graunted them Because in that vile heape many of the elect lay hidden who were to be provided for for their sakes the Angell from the East would have the confused multitude to be spared neither any hurt to be done to any untill order was taken for them for whom it was necessary The wicked gaine the deferring of punishment for those fewe good whom they have dwelling among theÌ„ ¶ And I sawe an other Angell which was come up from the East in greeke which did ascend some copyes doe reade coming up the Hebrewes figuratively doe take these wordes to ascende and descende for to departe to goe forth to goe to returne as he went up from Ierusalem that is he returned and left of to assault it 2. King 12.18 But it is well ioyned with the rysing of the Sunne because the Sunne seemeth to ascende from the East untill he be come to the middes of heaven The first occasion of sealing being declared there is now described by what Minister it was done Whom both the respect of the time and all circunstances doe proove to have ben Constantine the Great He succeeded in the Empire after that the Lambe had thrust out Diocletian and the other Jdolatrous Tyrants But he came up from the rising of the Sunne having come from the Easterne countryes to receive the Empyre For being a yong man he served in warre under Diocletian in Syria But after his vertu had procured him envy so as often through secret trecheries he was in perill of his life he was compelled to get himselfe out of the East as speedily as he could and to goe to his Father So Eusebius writeth he was provoked to flight for his safety in the life of Constantin orat 1. Zonaras saith that he was given of his father for an hostage to Galerius of whom when he sawe that he was hated through envy and that in the battell at Sarmatia he was cast forth of set purpose to danger and againe for the same intente commaunded to fight with a Lion both which battells he executed with good successe by flight at length he escaped away to his Father togither also by these meanes avoided the danger and obtayned his Fathers Empire the seate whereof afterward he placed at Bizantium Therefore whether wee respect his first returne from the East or minde the decrees which after the Empire was established touching the worshipping of the true God by Christ did fly often from thence into that part of the world that was under Rome the History agreeth very well with the Prophecy but that former seemeth to come nigher to the meaning of the Holy Ghost because of those thinges that follow ¶ Having the Seale of the living God Both himselfe instructed in the true knowledge of God and endued with very great authority to spread abroad the same unto others whom while by his owne exemple and zeale he provoked to embrace the trueth he is sayd to marke them with the seale of the living God and to take them for Gods chiefe treasure He cryed with a lowde voice promoting the trueth by Edicts published removing farre of to his power all that which might hinder the amplifying of it He did represse for a time according as it was appointed of God those foure Furies of Hâ—ll which were prepared to hurt whereof wee have heard at the first verse He restreined the Ambition of other men by his owne maiesty Howe great labour did he take to pull up by the rootes all contentions who esteemed nothing more excellent then to seate peace among the Bishops
placed in equall dignity with the Holy Scriptures Here the Interpretation of the Scriptures was taken away from the Scriptures and made subiect to mens pleasure but chiefly to the Popes Ever since the world began the Holy and Sacred Scriptures were not so much abused both openly and by publique authority ANTIOCHVS in deede a good while since inflicted a grievous wounde in commaunding the Holy Bookes to be burnt in the fire Likewise DIOCLETIAN and other Tyrants But the iniurie of these TRIDENTINE FATHERS is farre more grievous For they were Ethniques enemies stricken with a certen fury and madnes wholly repugnant to all the trueth These alone wil be counted CATHOLIQVES very great and chiefe friends the thing a long time and much consulted of guided by mature and ripe iudgement the very PILLARS and upholders of the TRVETH and upon whom noe spotte of errour can be cast How must it needs be that their act was of no authority and these men of very great neither is there cause why any should obiect Marcion the Eucratites Cataphrygians and such monsters of which some reiected one part of the sacred Scriptures and some another at their pleasure There is very great difference as touching the greatnes of the hurt betweene the dotages of obscure Heretiques and the deliberat actes and Decrees of an gathered Councell especially which chalengeth to it selfe to be credited with out exception It is therefore a thing especially worthy remembrance and worthy that the Church should be put in minde of by so notable a Prophecy The event and time doe consent so wonderfully that every equall arbitratour will easily acknowledge that I have not willfully sought this interpretation but that I have ben lead as it were by the hande to the same by the very order and disposition of the matters As touching the assemblyes of the faithfull which in these last times did first appeare in Germany they were assailed with a most cruell warre the same yeere The same Beast made this warre likewise by the help of the Emperour Charles the fift otherwise a noble man greatly to be cōmāded but obeying the Pope too much through the common errour of the Princes From whence not without cause that is attributed to one which being proceeded from two or more yet notwithstanding is done by one ioint endevour The overthrowe in this warre was received about the two and twentieth day of Aprill in the yeere following to wit 1547 when the armies of the Protestans were put to flight Iohn Frederike Duke of Saxonie himselfe Ernestus of Brunswick the Lātgraves sonne and not very long after the Lantgrave himselfe were taken Which calamity stayed not in these fewe but also afflicted many others both Governours and Cityes which partly yeelded themselves of their owne accord partly were wonne by force In one moment sayth Beza bewayling the misery of that time seemed to be overthrowne whatsoever had ben builded up in so many yeeres and with so great labours and they onely were counted happy of the most part whom sudden death had taken away from these hurlie burlies such are his wordes The remembrance of that time is sorrowfull to all the godly when the holy and wise Princes inflamed with a desire onely to defende the trueth not themselves alone but the Churches togither with them which as newly borne did lament among the weapons came miserably into the power of the enemies But now was the time of darkenesse in which these two Prophets must be killed and made a mocking stock Although wee must reioice in the same adversities which ar a calling to remembrance of the divine Prophecies confirming certenly the confidence and faith of our hope as saith Tertullian in his Apologie 8 And their corpses shall lie There is this difference betweene Antiochus the Romish Beast He in burning up the bookes of the Lawe would not have so much as the karkeises to remaine This sufferred the dead corpses but onely for a mocking stocke and for a greater ignominie The cruell Beast is not satisfyed with blood but desireth some more grievous tormēt For their pierced corpses are cast forth into the streetes of the great city that they might be a spectacle to all men and an ornament to the triumphe of the Romish Beast And what other thing of these Scriptures now remained then a very karkeise wholly without all authoritie power and life when all interpretation was brought to the Apostolique Chaire neither might they mutter any thing at all which the Bishop of Rome should not breath into them The Spirit speaketh so exactly that he may leave them noe tergiversatiō He knew that the Pope of Rome whatsoever he should doe against the truth would boast neverthelesse that to him nothing is better of more account and more inviolable then the Scriptures themselves But that noe man may be deceived with a bare name the Spirit speaketh evidently that after the Tridentine Councill noe Scriptures should be in the possessiō of the Romanes but a dead carkeise of noe strenght and power ¶ In the streetes of the great citie which spiritually is called Sodome and Egypt This great City is that whole dominion of which Rome is the mother City in which sense the tenth part of the city falleth after in the 13 verse A street is some part of the Romane dition wherein this spectacle is exhibited to be seene the ioy whereof spreadeth it selfe through the whole Empire But the great citie it selfe togither with her chiefe citie is described in the rest of the verse and that by two expresse names a notable marke also being added least any perhaps should mistake the city And also for a greater assurance wee are admonished that these names are not to be takē properly but spiritually that is aenigmatically figuratively allegorically The first name is Sodom a city once very famous for her filthines nowe for her punishement a most fit exemple of the tower and chiefe habitation of this great citie For is not the city Rome become famous for her horrible lusts above all the whole world In the iudgement of all the Poete Mantuan hath truly songe of her in these wordes Shame get thee to the country townes if they al 's ' doo not use The same corrupted filthines Rome now is all a Stewes Which is no lesse declared by an other taking his leave of Rome thus Rome farre well nowe I have thee seen ynough it is to see I le come againe when bawd I meane knave brothel beast to be But that you may the better acknowledge Sodome heare what a certē man answered to one asking a question touching Rome Say what is Roma Amor Love if backward you it spell Rome loves the male kind Say no more J know thy meaning well Hath not Hieronymus Zeged Mutius declared this plainely in his Cynedicall bookes defending this horrible villany and approved by the Bulles and lettres patents of Iulius the third him selfe With whom Iohannes Casa associated himselfe being
destruction But let no godly man be offended if hee see the reprobate to returne to their Beast the Spirit hath foreshewed that this loade stone shall draw unto it this refuse that hereafter they may not marvaile Why all of ungâ—dly and dissolute life are more prone to the Pope thâ—n to the trueth ¶ Of that Lambe which was slâ—ine from the beginning of the world VVithout cause Aretas will have a transposition of the wordes to be here so that this should be the sense Whose names are not written from the beginning of the world in the booke of life of the Lambe which was slaine He will have the names to be written from the beginning of the world but not the Lambe to have ben killed from thence But the things are not well devided which the Spirit ioyneth togither For if the Lambe be from the beginning of the world it must needes be also that he was slaine from the beginning of the world But CHRIST is not a Lambe but for sacrifice neither can he be a sacrifice otherwise then by death As therefore by the eternall Decree of God he was the Lambe appointed for to save the Elect so by the same Decree he was slaine from before the foundations of the world VVose force was noe lesse available to deliver the Elect before his death was accomplished in the flesh then after he had endured and sufferred the same in the crosse and in the grave 9 Let him that hath an eare heare An acclamation the sense whereof is That this Beast is to be knowne with all diligence howsoever there shall be many who will not hearken and will deny a thing so perverse are they more cleare then the Sunne at noonetide But all yee elect give eare and with as great diligence as you can flie from this plague Which by these markes is so proposed before your eyes as that you may see her not as by the nayles but by the whole frame of her body 10 Yf any leade into captivity These things pertaine to the consolation of the godly who were to fight with this monster the first confirmation is taken from a certeÌ„ punishment which shall come in his time that is to say although they shall see the Beast mighty for a longe time and carying many by companies into bondage yet they should be of good courage For at length they should see him also ledde into captivity He shall perish with the sword although now he kill with the sword whom he will The confort is like to that in Esay Woe to thee that spoilest who thy selfe is not spoiled and to thee traiterous man against whom they dealt not traiterously when thou shalt cease to be a spoiler thou shalt be spoiled c. chap. 33.1 ¶ Here is the patience and faith of the Saincts A second consolation All those thinges serve for the Saincts for the exercise of their faith and constancy And surely a great courage is required in so great daungers but by how much the dangers shal be greater so much the more shall the praise of the godly be brighter therefore let no man quake for feare of the danger but let him minde that this Beast is the occasion for him to get glory by 11 Afterward I saw an other Beast Thus farre of the first Beast the second followeth an other indeede in beginning and originall but in nature and disposition altogither the same Whereupon the seventeenth chapter maketh mention of one onely under one comprehending both as was observed at the fift verse of this chap. For which cause also the Spirit doth not make a particular description of every member but rehearseth those thinges onely which are proper to the new rising other things as farre as it seemeth being common to this with the former First he ascendeth out of the earth both augmented by the authority of earthly men and those of the laity as they call them whom chiefly the earth signifyeth and also exceeding in honours those very men by whom he was advanced For that which commeth up from the earth is lifted up above the earth having it put under his feete by whose weight he was lately oppressed So the former Beast rose out of the Sea having sea men put under him out of whose company he came and plunged up This ascending fell out upon the times of Gregory second about the yeere 726 when the Pope trusting in the aide of the Longobardes smote with the lighâ—ning of excommunication Leo Isaurus the Emperour and withdrewe Rome it selfe and Italy and all Hesperia from hiâ— obedience For now indeede the Beast began upon the earth who not onely exercised a powre over the Ecclesiasticall route but also bridled the lay men by his authority their chiefe head the Emperour who although before time he had given a great power to the Pope over the Clergie yet he pressed downe the same even till now by his maiesty as it were by a certen weight more heavie theÌ„ the Hill Aetna that he should not lift up his crests above the Emperour But now the earthly dignity yeeldeth to the Beast to be troden under foote of him at length who grew up so farre onely by the favour of the Emperours Therefore Zacharias the next that it might be manifest to all men that the Popes were now loosed from the prison of eartly dignity deposed Childericke the King of France and commaunded Pipine the Father of Charles the Great to be created King in his stead But yet it was more cleare in Leo the third who translated the Empire froÌ„ the Grecians to the Germanes and annointed Charles the Great for Emperour VVhat a more great proofe can there be of the supreme power on earth then to take away the Empire from whom he will and to bestowe the same againe upon whom he shall thinke good The Popes following persisted in the same steppes esteeming the Emperours as it were balles in reiecting the same from their office and appointing other in their roome at their pleasure VVhereby Bellarmine being moved wrote indeede truly and agreable to this Prophecy All the Emperours who have ben since Charles the Great are bound to the Pope for their Empire in his 5. booke of the Pope of Rome chap. 8. For ever since that time the Beast rose up from the earth being higher then all earthly power to which are added earthly dominioÌ„s and possessions of landes ioyned with this originall which the Pope before time either wanted altogither or at least enioyed but small fewe as great as were sufficient to maintaine a Bishop not which should make any shew of a Kingdome For in former ages Italy was tributary to the Emperours which at length the Gothes possessing made it to pay tribute to them when they were slaine under Iustinian it returned againe to the Empire administred by Captaines The Romane Pope had yet noe Provinces untill this earthly rising up had given him landes sufficiently For is it likely that the Pope by
it hath the relative in stead of the coniunction Aretas readeth as our copies but this diversity chaungeth not the meaning 9 And the third Angel and an other third Angel as some copies have it The third should be the strongest of all He should not onely nippe Antichrist with most grievous wordes but also most severely threaten destruction to all who will not depart from the humble service of him This Angel was Martin Luther that began openly to traduce Antichrist about the yeere 1517 who detested this infection more bitterly by how much through the revelation of the Spirit of God he had more sure knowledge of the filthinesse of the Romish Beast The Spirit here attributeth to him a troublous sermon and full of tumult And indeede there is no man who hath tasted the workes of that holy man to whom they seeme not to cast a savour of the heavenly trueth they are in every place so hot and earnest and doe flame with a certen fiery heate yea he came some time to that fervency that he could not stay himselfe from foule and unchast similitudes Many desired a greater moderation and modestie but from hence we may see with what inward motion he was carried The world was sicke of a great drowsie disease which could not be shaken of unlesse he had spoken vehemently dealt roughly and stung them Of which labour he received happie fruit Men were wakened out of sleepe by his warnings and seeing in what great daunger they were by worshipping the Beast they delivered themselves from his snares assoone as they could Therfore they forsooke the authour of their evill and fled unto the salutary trueth A matter of a great troble and sturre But a wheele is not turned about without noise the Spirit in some part doth manifest the trouble that followed by this very great earnestnes of the sermon ¶ Yf any shall worship the Beast He dealeth in earnest and cutteth to the quicke The summe of the sermon is contained in this conditionall proposition if any shall worship the Beast he procureth to himselfe eternall destruction The antecedent parte is found in this verse the consequent is declared by the two sequents As touching the worship it is set foorth first by a double subject the Beast his Image The Beast simple and unskilfull men doe worship who are carried with the present glory of thinges His Jmage the more learned and skilfull who see further and worship the present Beast for the reverend antiquity of succession and that auncient image renewed in this that is present Both are in the same state unlesse they repent Before the worshipping of the Image was common to all chap. 13.15 but where in some respect it is distinguished from the adoration of the Beast it seemeth to consist in this diffeâ—eÌ„ce of learned and unlearned Afterward the manner of worshipping is declared which is done two wayes by receiving the marke either in the forehead or in the hande In the forehead are marked the coÌ„mon sorte of men who by a naked profession doe acknowledge their humble service In the hande the Princes Peeres the whole route of Ecclesiasticall men and the rest of that sorte whose dutie is to maintaine the Beast to their power Why then is the order changed the first place given to the marke in the forehead to which the second was before as which place belongeth to men of lesse reckenning chap. 13.16 Surely that the greater condemnation of those defenders may be shewed as though he should say Every one shal be tormented with fire and brymstone who hath but received the marke in the forehead much more they which have received it in their hand But why is noe mention made of the number of his name Because this token is proper to the Grecians who should worship the Beast by their consenting with the Latine Church chap. 13.17 But this Angell was appointed for the people of the West part especially Greece also being destroyed by the desolation of the Turkes But thou must observe that this worshipping is performed not by falling downe on the ground but by acâ—nowledging a soveraigntie in which maÌ„ner they may worship who never sawe the Beast 10 He shall drinke also of the wine of the wrath of God The consequent part of the conditionall proposition describeth the destruction of them who worship both by the kinde of punishement in this verse and also by the eternity thereof in the verse following That first is set foorth allegorically in the beginning of the verse after it is declared by proper wordes in the other parte To drinke of the wine of the wrath seemeth to be a metaphore made by antanaclasis or reciprocation unto the wine of fornication wherby idolatry is signifyed wherewith men are delighted no lesse then with the pleasantnes of wine As therefore men reioyce in their sinnes so God shall reioice no lesse in punishing them for he shall mixe for them the wine of his wrath according to that in Deut. 28.63 Or the reason may be taken from them that doe kill wicked men by poisonned drinkes as once the Athenians other people and at this day the Turkes But what is this pure wine mixt These thinges seeme to be contrary a thing is said to be mixed which is powred in for him that shall drinke although it be not allayed with water but that exposition seemeth to mee to be more probable which will have divers pure wines to be mixed togither which mixture doth much sooner cause drunkenesse and maketh a greater disturbance of the body Water being mingled alayeth the strength of pure wine which tempering is not fit to signify the very great severity of punishement Let therfore the mixt pure wine be iudgement without mercy to the unrepentant ¶ He shal be tormented in fire and brymstone These thinges more properly doe note that the punishement shal be like that which of olde was of Sodome A sorrowfull spectacle whereof is yet at this day to be seen in the world in the ashy earth and in the stinking lake A visible marke doubtlesse of an eternall punishement This punishement shal be taken before the Angels and the Lambe that the torment may be the more grievous by how much it is more known to their enemâ—â—s ¶ And the smoke of their torment These thinges doe declare the eternity of the punishement for the smoke of the torment shal be eternall But the smoke is taken for fire of which it is a token Here it is used for to teach that the worshippers of the Beast shal not only be tormeÌ„ted for ever but also that their torment shall never be hidde from the Saincts who at least shall see alwayes the smoke thereof As touching that he saith they shall hav no rest day nor night by the same he sheweth that their torment shal be continuall also beside that it shal be eternall The repeating againe of the antecedent of the conditionall proposition belongeth to the earnestnesse
seeing see not being by the iust iudgemēt of God altogither blinded 6 O Blessed and holy is he They are blessed who doo embrace from their heart the truth restored againe to the world For this is to have part in the first resurrection As Christ saith to Peter thou shalt have no part with mee Iohn 13.8 as though he should say unlesse thou suffers these things to be done which I will have thou art not indeed partaker of mee Therfore no man hath part in this resurrection which either embraceth the truth with a dissembling hart or hath obtained some certain knowledge therof but onely he in whose hart it taketh roote bringing forth fruit unto eternal life For al that is borne of God overcometh the world 1 Iohn 5.4 and Christ loveth his even to the end Iohn 13.1 suffering none of them to be lost Iohn 17.12 For who shall ravish them out of his hands Iohn 10.28 Which most certen salvation of the faithful sealed up to them in their harts by the Spirit being unknowen to the Iesuit he findeth this blessednes which the Spirit speaketh off no where but in heaven But he erreth as his manner is This blessednesse is of the life present necessarily to be published chiefly at the new appearing againe of the light of the Ghospel seing it should come to passe that they who should ioine themselves to the truth should both be striken with the lightning of excommunication of the Beast and also should be cōdemned of the world as most wicked men Who would not tremble to be banished from the onely holy Catholike Church as the Romish vaunteth her selfe to be unlesse the Spirit had confirmed those to be blessed and holy who should receive with a syncere affection the truth raising again◠and therewithall had taught that that Romish Church calling her selfe Catholique by a true name is a most impudent horlot This resurrection is onely of those who forsaking the Romish Synagogues doo become the true citizens of the reformed Churches they which still abide in the Popish corruptions have no part in the first resurrection neither shal have any in the second unlesse they repent ¶ He that hath part 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 melaq A metaphore taken from portions distributed once by lot to this ende that we might acknowledge Gods mercy and providence in every one converted without attributing any thing to chaunce and fortune ¶ On such the second death hath no power The second death is destruction in the lake of fire burning with brimstone before in chap. 19.20 But why doth he onely exempt them frō the second death because the partakers of this resurrection have not yet finished the first to weet the death of the body which being inflicted upon them by the Beast yet shal they be altogither free from the second which ought to be a comfort to them in their sufferings Surely ther is no need of this consolation in the last resurrection wher we shall no longer live by faith but shall behold the very inheritance hoped for Therfore this is the comfort of men warring on earth which are sure of the victory but have not yet got the crowne ¶ But they shal be the Preists of God and Christ chap. 1.6 and 5.10 It is said in the dative case Preists to God but this explaneth the other All the faithfull are Priests Kings in Christ that is partakers of these dignities and in some sorte also endued of the faculty and power of them but here some greater thing seemeth to be spoken after the manner of the Hebrewes who attribute the name of God to those things which are most excellent in their kinde as a Prince of God c. as was noted before After which sort they seem to be called Priests Kings of God for that which is most excellent Priests ¶ And they shal raigne with him a thousand yeeres These thousand yeeres doo beginne where the former ended to weet in the yeere 130. In which is promised a cōtinuing of the truth by the space of a thousand yeres frō that restoring of it wherof wee have spoken in these our nations of Europe to which also this first resurrection belongeth But whither then againe it shal cease security possessing men until Christ shal come as a thiefe in the night as it is foreshewed in the Ghospel he to whom all things are known knoweth We find nothing wherby to determine any certēty touching this matter Onely wee have seen three hundred yeeres now to have passed since this first resurrection and that every day thankes be to God the truth groweth mor in use We must also yet tary som short space before that our brethren the Iewes shal come to the faith But after that they are come and Christ shal have raigned some ages most gloriously on earth by his servants in advancing his Church to most high honour abov all Empire then also the Nations shal embrace true godlinesse according to that saying And the Gentils shal walke in the light therof and the Kings of the earth shal bring their glory and honour unto it the glory and the honour of the Gentils shal be brought unto it see chap. 21.24.26 For which cause it was promised to the Church of Philadelphia that shee should be a pillar in the temple of God and that shee should goe out no more chap. 3.12 that is that it should have a firme stable abiding in the new glorious Church VVhich Church of Philadelphia we have shewed in the same place to be of the Gentils From which it is proved that the truth shal remaine for a long time yet among the Gentiles For this is the Kingdome of Christ when by the Scepter of his word he ruleth among any people And this is the most true raign of any people when it is subiect to the government of Christ alone and is ruled by his onely disposition Now at length we perceive of what sort that millenarie raigne is of which we are a part thākes be to God concerning which almost al the Fathers Papias Irenaeus Iustin Tertullian Lactantius and Augustine also in some part spake so many things and so highly VVithout doubt they would have this Kingdom to be spiritual whose unmeasurable pleasantnes they expressed by corporall things after the manner of the Prophets Yet neverthelesse I wil not deny that perhaps some leaned too much in their opiniōs to the delights of the body but was it to this end to overfill themselves with them as men altogither lost in riots and given over to all dishonest pleasures It cannot be that any such thing should ever come into the minde of learned and holy men but because they knew that under this raign of Christ his Church should enioy very great felicity also of this life they made mētion of the abondance of such pleasures VVhich we shortly expect when the Romish Antichrist and the Turke shal be utterly abolished Vntill this victory be gotten the
to the judgement of Rome alone as I hope I vvill convince by necessarie arguments that she is altogether by Gods just judgement bereft of her lightes vvherby at length shee shall sodainly rush into eternall destruction Therefore let her minde judge these things as she pleaseth she shall knovv shortly vvhat it is by her inchantments to deceave her self others Thou in the meane vvhile o naturall Spouse be mindfull of the tempest at hand prepare thy self for it hale in the shoote be carefull of the helm look to plie the pūpe least in the entrance of the haven vvhich God forbidde thou make shipvvrake And novv see hovv very acceptable this Revelation ought to be to thee not onely for the future events of verie great moment indeede but also in regarde of the memorie past to vvhich if thou shalt turne thine eies thou shalt see even from the Apostles times that that continuall path in vvhich thou hast set thy foote steppes hath beene marked out vvith so plaine paternes as thou need desire no plainer historie also thou shalt enjoie a most pleasant remembrance of the dangers vvhich thou hast fuffred vvhich yeilde unto thee so many arguments of the in cōprehēsible providēce vvisdom love truth of God keeping thee safe amidst great distresses Surely this addition vvith the rest of the Apostolicall vvritings adjoined to the old Testament ministreth Histories of the vvorlde it self from the first beginning unto the latter end thereof for vvhich cause this unestimable treasure ought to be to every one most deare And these are the causes cōcerning you o Christian Churches of my publicke vvriting There are also some causes that concerne the Prelacie namely mercy vvrath mercy because I savv many ignorant rude and unskilfull in the heavenly truth as yet to vvorship Antichrist as a God Those vvere to be taken out of the javves of hell yf so it should please God For vvhich thing I vvill go before to shine unto them vvith so great plainenes of truth that they shall necessarily see so that they vvill open their eies that that Prelate of Rome is that man of sinne to vvhom yf they persevere to cleave they cānot be saved Truly my indignatiō is kindled against the Iesuites For vvhen by happe I fell on Ribera interpreting this same holy Revelation Doe saied I the Papists againe take courage that that booke vvhich of late they permitted scarce any mā to touch they should novv undertake the full handling thereof Was it a vaine shevv at the sight vvhereof yea in dimme light a fevv yeares agoe they trembled that novv they boldely endure to looke in to the same glasse crie out that some other thing is shevved in it then their Pope O vve drovvsy men sluggards if vve suffer it Therfore I thought that their croaking is in some sorte to be restrained esteeming that it would be worth the labour to shew to the Iesuites how wickedly they are madde how foolishly they trifle how they understand none of these Mysteries how it cannot be that here they should be any thing weise that if they desire the truth as they make a shewe at least weise they may have mee a helper to search it out or if otherweise they doe yet despise it being offred an aprouver of their condemnation But yf they will not be silent for I know that for a short time they shall fill heaven and earth with their noise yet I hope to have given that force of light wherby they being hereafter bereft of all shew of reasons they shall vomit forth no other thing then their mere blasphemies against God and men Thou holy mother by what kindnes clemency thou art towards thine pardon I beseech thee my slendernes where I shall have slipped chiefly respect not nor regarde the rudenes of my stile the scope of us both is the truth onely let mee stemmer unto thee mother after what manner soever I bring unto thee Mandrakes such as I could finde as for the curious who doe regarde wordes more then the truth ther are no herbs in our basket for them unlesse this that yf they be diseased with the drowsie sicknes of too much elegancie they may fetch hēce yf they please 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the perfume of bitumē or earth pitch and the herbe called Goates beard Strab. book 16. wherby as the Sabeans they may shake off their drousy disease and awaken their dull senses I pray God that you Christian Churches by understanding may profite in godlines and by true and earnest repentance may either quite remove away the evil hanging over you or be so armed with his might that in al stormes you may stand invincible A Citizen and Nourrisson of yours most unworthy THOMAS BRIGHTMAN A VIEW OF THE WHOLE APOCALYPSE The particular Prophesy Chap. 1.1 THE Preface sheweth the argument of the book 4. The Epistle sent in cōmō to the 7. Churches after the inscription doth tell who hath givē the Prophecy who hath received it the things heard by which it cōfirmeth the authority of it Chap. 2. The Epistles ar givē severally The first cōprehēdeth the languishing disease of the Ephesians 8. The Smyrneans are confirmed against the strength of the enemy 12. They of Pergamus ar reprehended for permitting Balaam the Nicolaitans 18. They of Thyatira ar reprooved of sinn for suffring Iezabell Chap. 3. The Sardians ar charged of hypocrisy 7. The piety of Philadelphia is cōmēded 14. The lukewarmnes boasting of the Laodiceans is with weighty words reprehended The common Prophesy Chap. 4. The cōmon Prophecy propoūdeth the generall type of the holy Church notable for her centre God ver 2.3 for the cōpassing about of the faithfull ver 4. for Gods protection ver 5. for gifts doctrine ordināces ver 5.6 ministers ver 6.7.8 finally for the whole publick worship ver 9.10.11 Chap. 5. The first of the things which ar spoken of in special is the dignity of the Prophecy which is declared first by the weakenes of the creature 6. by the merite of the Lambe 8. the celebration of all Chap. 6. The first speciall events ar the seales 1. The first is opened the truth prevaileth under Trajan Hadrian Antoninus Pius at the voice of the first living creature of Quadratus Aristides Iustin Martyr 3. at the voice of the said Iustin Melito of Sardis Apollinaris the secōd living creature the redd horse goeth forth under Marcus Antoninus Verus troubling all with warres 5. the third seal being opened the third living creature Tertullian cryeth out under Severus the Emperour whē the blacke horse did afflict the world with famine scarcity 7. The fourth seale is opened the fourth living creature Cyprian speaketh Decius being then Emperour when the pale horse wasted all with warre famine pestilence wild beasts 9. The fift seale is opened ther is given some breathing from the publick persecution under Claudius Quintilius The seales
counselled them well And touching Ephesus it can not be uncerten but that this holy rule did holde there seeing Paul taught theire the space of three yeares who gave commaundement to Timotheus touching this matter so diligently and exactly The observation therof was famous in the primitive Church as even Pline testifyeth in an Epistle unto Traian The Christians are wont saith he to ryse betimes in the morning to praise Christ as God for the preserving of their religion to prohibite murthers adulteries avarice cousenage and the like unto those Euseb kook 3. chap. 33. of the Eccles Hist from Tertullian Out of all doubt they did not onely prohibit in word by teaching but also did restraine them by holy discipline And they did determine rightly that Religion could not be preserved otherwise unlesse vices be cut of by this spirituall sworde Iustin testifyeth that no man was admitted to the Sacrament of the supper but he whose life should answer and accord with his profession Apol. 2. But more plainly Tertullian writing thus There are also exhortations corrections and divine censure for it is shewed with great gravitie if anie have offended that he maie be sent awaie from communicating in praier both of the assembly and all holy soâ—iety where all most approved Elders have authoritie having obtained that honour not by money but by good report Apologet. ch 39. Origenes in his 35. treatise on Mat. In the Churches of Christ saith he such a custom hath held that they which are manifest in great sinnes thereof convicted should be cast out froÌ„ comon prayer least a little leaven of such as pray not from their heart should corrupt the whole sprinkling and consent of truth So in Hom. 7. upon Ioshua Him that the third time being admonished refuseth to repent he commandeth to be cut of from the body of the Church by the rulers of the Church where also he sheweth that the Priests sparing one and neglecting their Priestlie severitie doe worke the ruine of the whole Church The Epistles of Cyprian are most cleare witnesses how holilie and regiously he kept it in his Church yea they do prove how purely the discipline abod hitherto at Rome as is cleare by the Epistles of Cyprian to the clergie of Rome and to Cornelius and againe of them to Cyprian It is therefore an excellent praise of that time that conioined togither with the puritie of doctrine sanctity of manners by most holsome discipline ¶ And hast tried them which say thy are Apostles The other part of discipline is toward Ecclesiasticall men who were reproved not onelie for sinne in life but also they did undergoe punishmeÌ„ts meet for their ungodlines if they brought anie new thing and divers from the truth which after lawfull examinatioÌ„ was founde not to agree to the rule of the sanctuarie And great was the courage of the Angell in this matter who was not skared froÌ„ his duty by great names but did bring them backe to a wholy examining who did vaunt that they were Apostles Of which sorte that there were meÌ„ at Ephesus it is cleare from that instruction given unto Timotheus That thou wouldest abyde at Ephesus saith he that thou mayest give warning to some that they teach none other doctrine neither give eare to fables and genealogies being endlesse which doe breed questioÌ„s rather then godly edifying which is by faith 1 Tim. 1.3 And the same Paul warneth the Bishops of Ephesus to take heed to themselves and the whole flocke For I know this that after my departure grievous wolves not sparing the flocke will enter in among you and of your selves shall aryse some which shall speake perverse thinges that they may draw disciples after them Act 20.29.30 But the diligence of the Pastours did plucke the vizzards from the hypocrites and did not suffer their craftes to spread to the destruction of the flock so the Church continued uncorrupted even to the coÌ„ming of Iohn who ruled the same many yeares who at length for a time being removed it staked somewhat of that former care as we shall shew by by Likewise in the fâ—rst church ther was such a troupe of heretiques as scarce hath bin in all other times There arose Simonians Menandrians Ebionites Cerinthians Pseudoapostolins Gnostickes Sabellians Samosatenians Manichees c. Some of which the Apostles themselves did perce through with the dart of trueth Paul delivered Hymeneus and Alexander to Sathan So Phygellus and Hermogenes and as it seemeth Philetus And he taught Titus that he should shunne an hereticall man after once or twice admonition Tit. 3.10 But after they were gone to Christ many other excellent lightes rose up which did dispell diligently all hereticall darknes Among which Agrippa Castor as Eusebius reporteth Iustin Martyr Ireneus Tertulianus Cyprianus c. Who all fought egerly for the truth against couÌ„terfait Apostles Wherfore as both the city that former age were perillous because of the impudency of those who with false titles made a shew that they were Apostles so were they no lesse happy by the faithfulnes and industrie of such defenders who would not be deceaved with a vaine shew but bringing the matter to the touchstone manifested to the whole Church that they were most filâ—hy fellowes who would be counted the principall maisters ¶ And thou wast burdened Hitherto his faithfulnes in executing his office now he rehearseth his vertue against externe evils which were many and great both of that city and of all the Christian world The battailes of Paul against beasts at Ephesus are famous 1 Cor. 15.32 But what tranquillity could be to the Angels following who should have to doe with grievous wolves not sparing the flocke Act. 20.29.30 It was therefore the coÌ„mendation of this Angell that he did susteine and endure calamity stoutly which is declared in a triple degree that he bare the burden that he laboured under the burden and yet was not tyred as though he should say a great weight in deede of trouble did ly upon thee under the burden whereof thou gronedst yet thou wast not discouraged that thou shouldest pluck thy neck from the yoke and betray the trueth It is a manlie fortitude to beare out manfully troubles and torment Many beare the yoke cheerfully as long as they feele but a little griefe But to goe on constantly among the stinges of grief and sorowe is a point of great courage and of heavenly fortitude Such was this Angell such also was the whole Primitive Church Nero and Domitian had greatly persecuted the Church before Iohn wrote these thinges And besides Nero and Domitian it abode patiently under TraiaÌ„ Adrian Antonin Severus Diocletian The times were never more miserable when the EMPEROVRS did let their labour to hire to the Devill for to shed the Christian blood which he doeth alwaies thirst after Yet the faithfull revolted not but coÌ„tinued coÌ„staÌ„tly unto the end becoming at leÌ„gth coÌ„querers setting up the signe of victory against the Devill al foes
that that of his infinite divine maiesty is chiefly to be contemplated with the minde which may be most availeable for the present matter But that they should not thinke that they must alway ly in this base estate he adioineth another title Who was saith he dead but is alive as though he should say although I was in the beginning the first after the last yet I abode not any long time in this most base estate but death being overcom within the space of three dayes I obteined my former dignity in which I now live for ever These thinges then declare the notable chāge that came to passe at Smyrna and no lesse in his Antitype Where the first truth which by the space of three hundred yeares was established by so much blood be came at length to be hated of the Christians themselves and the last fortune stayed together with his professours which Christ as he himselfe rose from the dead should raise againe from the dust and place it in the former degree of dignity Why then should they be discouraged whom their Captaine hath gone before in the same steppes Or wherfore should they feare afflictions whose issue is so ioifull and confortable 9 J knowe thy workes and affliction The narration of the condition which he saith is knowen of him as in the rest least peradventure they should suppose that their miseries are not regarded of him because of his so long sufferrance The state of this Church was afflicted as at the present time in this verse so afterward to be expected in the next Wherto the Antitype agreeth altogether For after the first age driven away by and by a lamentable strife arose when Constantine succeeded The persecutions of open enemies ceased but the strifes and contentions of the citizens forthwith waxed very hote And not onely of the whole Church in generall but also of this city Theodosius Iunior boyling with envie against one Cyrus whō he saw to be very gratious with the people sendeth to Smyrna under a colour to make him Bishop of this city but with a determinate purpose that he should be killed For the Smyrneans had killed long a goe 4 of their Bishops which barbarous cruelty sheweth howe grievously this Angell was afflicted Epitome chr set out with Euseb chr by the famous Ioseph Scaliger pag. 293. But if we shall enlarge this Smyrna a little unto those contentions of the citiezens of which I spake by and by came Arius who kindled that fire wherby all thinges as well divine as humane were enflāmed The Bishops studied noe other thing then that one might spoile another of their seates and dignities Eustatius Antiochus was banished with a great company of Elders and Deacons Athan. in his Epistle to them that lead a solitary life Athanasius him selfe the onely defender almost of the truth was not onely assailed but also oppressed with all kinde of false accusations neither did they cease from their wicked assalting him before that he was banished to Treveres in France Those were sorowfull times when the Emperour in the meane time not minding sufficiently the drifts of the Bishops did not knowe the true originall of those sturres ¶ And thy poverty That is houw thou art moked and contemned as a beggar but be thou despised mor thē any Jrus of those hypocrits thou art rich in mine account that thou maiest regard the lesse the wicked scoffing of those men And that we may let passe the Smyrneans the matter is cleare in the Antitype How few were there of the Orthodoxe that durst professe the truth How superstitiously were those fewe suppressed of the enemyes Certenly the Saints were constrained to runne hither and thither that they might crave aide against the tyranny They also being turned out of their goods could not maitaine their life but by the liberality of others Athanasius alone may be in stead of many exemples from whose often perils flight hidden places no hope to escape any may easily see how the faithfull could prevaile nothing with their riches to repell the iniuries of their enemyes The Smyrnean Angell was then poore in deede if we measure riches by humane defence ¶ But thou art rich Not naked and forsaken as men thinke but by mee and in my account abounding in all riches Which things also are together for to shew what defence and estimation Christ could prepare for his even in spite of the world Authority did increase together with afflictiō as we knowe it came to passe concerning Athanasius who being vexed with all maner of contumelies in the East was in the west in great estimation Constantin the sonne Constans the brother Iulius Roman The Bishop of Treveres who gave him entertainement most kindly and liberally the space of two yeares did reverence him according as he was wortthy Moreover also Constantin the great himselfe having perceaved the calumnies of his adversaries did honore his innocency and vertu and determined to bring him againe from banishement ¶ And the blasphemy of those c. Hitherto the kinde of the present calamity now he sheweth the authors arrogating to themselves that which in no wise was fitting them But is it blasphemy for a Iew to professe him selfe to be a Iewe A Jew is taken figuratively for one people of God which alone among all men knew the right way of worshipping him as though he should say They that boast that they worship God after the ancient rule of the law in which maner their ancestors once worshipped and all men ought allwaies to worship This was blasphemy the retaining of the worship abolished and the thrusting upon God the ancient ceremonies by which the glory of his sonne sent at length into the world shoud be overwhelmed For which cause although they were Iewes by stocke they lyed in affirming that they were Jewes being so farre from that holy people that in very truth they made a Synagogue of Sathan And it is knowne with what bitter mindes they persecuted Christians in all places as we see in Paul Barnabas at Antioche Pisidia Jconium Lystra and in other places Act. 13.50 and 14.2.5.19 Which they did also at Smyrna about these times as we learne from this place Vnder Constantin these Iewes wer Arian Bishops namely Eusebius Nicodemiensis Theognis of Chalcedon Maris Patrophilus Vrsatius Valens and the rest of this sorte men in deede not Ethnikes nor woly void of all knowledge of God as neither were the Iewes but bearing the name of Christians such as were standart bearers in this warre Who notwithstanding did holde their errors with thooth naile no lesse then that stubburne nation of the Iewes striving to establish their Decrees onely to vexe by all meanes such as were contrary minded to boast that they alone had the true faith to condemne all the rest of ungodlines and blasphemy But whatsoever boastings that wicked company made as though God dwelt in their congregations onely they gathered Churches not to God but to the
Devill of whose Synagogue they were the chiefe rulers ¶ Feare none of those things which thou shalt suffer Now he instructeth them against the future evills which were apparent to be more grievous then those that were past Those thinges with which the Iewes did trouble them at the present then also those false accusations of the Bishops while Constātine lived were light skirmishes of a sharper battaile following by and by after Therefore he describeth diligently all the manner of this combate who should be the chiefe Captaine of it with what kinde of cruelty he should rage to what ende and how long The Prince is the Devill whom after we shall learne to denote the Heathen Emperours open enemies of the truth as chap. 12.9 This doth comprehende also the Heretiques Christians in name but in very truth wolves devouring the flocke The kinde of punishement is the prison under which as the history teacheth is comprehended proscriptions confiscation of goods banishmēt slaughters fires tortures With all these thinges the Devill should greatly torment to drawe men from the truth But this persecution should endure for ten daies onely And a day in this booke is taken for a yeare The nūber also of ten some time signifieth properly some time by Synecdoche noteth out some uncerten number I thinke that both are here used that certen number should be of the Type and uncerten of the Antitype Therfore as touching Smyrna it selfe this persecution fell out in the times of TRAIAN which Devill a professed enemy of the truth did reigne next after this writing very fierce against Christians delivering men into prison and death that he might make them to renounce the profession of Christ Smyrna could not be free from the comon calamity especially when Bythynia being nigh to it did altogether abounde with the murders of the Christians as the Epistle of Plinius Secundus to Traian doeth shew From whence also it may be gathered after a sorte of what continuance the persecution was For in the fourteenth yeare of Traian Plinie relating to him the multitude of those that were slaine was an occasion of staying that rage and of obtayning some breathing What yeare it began it is not plainly set downe by the History-writers Some suppose that it was at the very beginning of his reigne but in the fourth yeare triumphing over the Daces and Scythians he seemeth to have had first his Kingdome hindred so as he could not have leasure to afflict the Christians But it is certen that he exercised his cruelty ten yeares at least It is likely that the end of that warre gave the beginning of tormenting Christians Neither is it needfull that this affliction be referred to Smyrna onely but that it was that generall of which he maketh mention in the Church of Philadelphia which should come upon the whole world Chap. 3.10 As touching the Antitype Constance and Valence Emperours in name Christians in deede noe lesse fierce against the orthodoxe and true godly people then once the Ethnike Devills were In which account also are holden the inferiour ministers of that wickednes of the people Syrianus a Captaine and Sebastianus Governour of the armies Manicheus Of the Bishops Eusebius once of Nicomedia then of Constantinople Macedonius Georgius Alexandrinus and others of that sorte not Bishops but monsters whose barbarous cruelty was scarce matched by any Tyrant Of old the matter was handled with brawles chidings and calumnies of all sortes But after the death of Constantine the Devill was to come forth on the stage and what broiles were raised up It was a light thing to drive holy men into banishement to cast very many into prison to kill almost an infinite number They tyrannised with torments and all manner of contumelious punishments Some were beaten with stripes unto death some marked in the forehead with prints of hotte iron some tormented with other tortures Yea the brestes were cut of from holy women Vnto some they were burnt of with a hotte iron to many with egges rosted in the fire to an exceeding great heat Who would beleeve that any such thing could have bin inferred upō Christians from men of Christian profession It cannot be shewed in fewe wordes how full of calamity those times were but see Socrat. book 2. and 4. Theod. book 2. and 4. Sozom. book 3. 4. 6. And although this tyranny did continue above fourteene yeares yet notwithstanding it doth make those ten daies of the same manner that we have sayd ¶ Be faithfull unto the death He provoqueth unto fortitude the reward being propounded to be Eternall life It is a profitable losse which is recompensed with so great gaine What should nor the godly undergoe most willingly being sure of such a reward It is fitted to the times ministring comfort against the losse of this present life To which purpose he spake before that he was alive which had bin dead that by his exemple they should learne not to feare death which they should know to be a meane between God and them of eternall happines 11 He that hath an eare The wonted conclusion warning all men to hearken diligently to these instructions touching fortitude and courage of minde in afflictions We were instructed before against the sluggishnes which is inbread in us here we are armed against outward violence The reward which is added to the end He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death is common to the whole Church That which was before belonged properly to the Angell the knowledge whereof notwithstanding was very necessary to the people as hath bin said before But seeing that this conflict was to be undergone as well of the people as of the Pastours confort also is given them by name to the same purpose that the former was but in a divers respect For there are two things which are wont to kindle the desire unto every excellent acte hope of reward and contemning of the perill that first was proposed to the Postours whose courage is wont to be more ready and valiant by looking into the reward This second to the People whom the feare of danger chiefly withdraweth from their duty suffereth them not to undertake any thing worthy commendation He teacheth therefore that they must not feare to spend their life if need be for the truth sake for there shall be no feare of the second death by which the body and soule perish for ever according to that of Christ Feare not them that kill the body but cannot kill the soule but feare him rather who can destroy both soule and body in hell fyre Mat. 10.28 This in hell fyre is this same which he calleth second death By the which the whole man shal be no lesse deprived of all solace in God as the body is destitute of all helpe being separated from the soule by the first death This is that horrible death to be feared in deede from which he that hath overcome death doe deliver his from which he
purpose by very small thinges and having a faire colour He would abhorre Idols in words as much as any other and would cry out that the honour which he commaundeth to be given to Jmages is farre from this ungodlines by such wordes deceaving the unskilfull and bringing them into this offence of which the Spirith speaketh 15 So thou hast c. The reddition of the similitude whose proposition is not spoken a word of Thus it should be full As once the Israelites had those that held the doctrine of Balaam so thou hast them that holde the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes In stead of the proposition he attributeth the doctrine of Balaam to the Pergamen Church because it was proper to his Antitype but from whence may be gathered the first part of the similitude But this poison of the Nicolaitanes had infected doubtlesse Pergamus ¶ Which J hate as before the comon translation is repent likewise And so he beginneth the verse following in this sense as I have warned the Ephesine Church so doe I admonish thee But this is weaker then if he did commaund simply repent 16 I will come against thee quickly and fight against them He threatneth a double punishement one against the Church it selfe against which he saith that he wâ—ll come quickly The other against the corrupters against whom he saith he will fight with the sworde of his mouth For wee may not thinke that he will come against the Church onely to take away those plagues destructions of men for this could have no feare but would be a thing to be chiefly wished but shee also must suffer the punishment of her negligence as they of their wickednes Therfore this violent breaking into the Church was a certen chastisement by warre or some such calamity as is manifest in the Antitype whose times were very troublous partly by the overflowing of the Northerne Barbarians partly by the Saracens whom the Devill armed against the seed of the woman after shee fled into the wildernes as we shall shew at the chap. 12. to which times these things perteine but here generally and obscurely shewed because this place suffered not any ampler light The other punishment is against the Balaamites against whoÌ„ he will use the sworde of his mouth For we must observe how he distinguisheth these from the Church of her he sayd I will come against thee then turning his speach to the Balaamites and J will fight saith he against them But what is it to fight with the sworde of his mouth Whether to inflict the punishments which he hath threatned in his word Certenly Paul saith that he had in readines wherewith to punish all contumacy 2 Cor. 10.6 And Ieremy is set of God over the nations and Kingdomes to root out and destroy c. chap. 1.10 For there is no weapon in the whole armory of the world so effectuall on both partes Wherfore seeing by the iudgement hereof all fornications and Idolatries are appointed to a iust punishment worthily may he say that he will fight with that sworde according to the rule whereof the pronounced iudgement is exercised But nowe when in an other place it is sayd of Antichrist that Christ shall consume him with the spirit of his mouth 2 Thes 2.8 which maner of speaking what force it hath we have learned by experience to wit that his errours convinced his lyes detected then his fraude and deceits set in the open light he shal be brought to destruction these wordes seeme to have the same meaning And certenly after that the Church was for a while scourged by those Norther Souther barbariaÌ„s Christ begaÌ„ to vexe those PerganieÌ„ impostours with the light of the truth for about the yeare 1120 arose certeÌ„ godly men which preached openly that Antichrist was come that the holy dayes Ecclesiasticall broken songs prayers for the dead pilgrimages oyle extreem unction the rest of that sorte were superstitious things Worke Trip. Henric. Mon. Thol To these were added in a short time after the Waldenses the Albingenses Parisienses who published a booke of the perils of the Church many other private men FroÌ„ theÌ„ce began this fight which was soft in the beginning terrible rather in the shaking of the sword then in wonding but after coming to a iust full battaile as after we shall see which hath fallen out prosperously to the godly hitherto by the grace of God but most unhappily to them that dwell at Rome in the throne of Sathan 17 He that hath an eare Let every one drowned in the Romish superstitioÌ„s give eare let him attende hearken in what account with God is that unmaried Vicar of Christ of what price is that famous much spoken of Rome that Chaire of Peter the piller of truth mother of the faith of all Churches to wit that chief Prelate that wicked Balaam the very city which is renowmed with the vaine praising of men the gate of heaveÌ„ is the very palace throne of the Devill Neither let any thinke that hatred doth wring these words from a man that is an adversary but let him compare the prophecy the event which if he shall see to agree in all things let him know that he is warned of the daÌ„ger not so much by the words of maÌ„ as by the H. spirit ¶ To him that overcometh I will c. The reward is threefould hiddeÌ„ MaÌ„na a white stone an unknowne name written upon it Every one of which fit the times in a wonderfull manner As for Manna it is the meat of the wildernes ministred froÌ„ God when there was no meanes to have other bread And in this Pergamen state when the company of the Nicolaitanes Balaamiticall ofspring that is Romane Jdolaters possessed all places the Church was conversant in a waste unpleasant terrible wildernes whether wee shall see the woman betake herselfe flying from the Dragon ch 12. But Christ feedeth the same with the meat of the wildernes as once the Israelites For he will not be wanting to his in the most hard times but bestowe aboundaÌ„tly the ioy of the Spirit wherby not onely they may be preserved in life but also be very glad as for the greatest ioyes Therefore this Manna is the same meate with the fruite of the tree of life in Paradise as hath bin observed afore ver 7. but the manner of ministring of it is divers there in a most chast pure and flourishing Church it was the fruit of the tree in the middes of the paradise of God here the truth being despised contemned trode under foot utterly opressed with most thicke darknes it is MaÌ„na the foode of the wildernes this meate should be hiddeÌ„ froÌ„ the world they should suppose theÌ„ famished who had fled into this wildernes as the Egyptians did thinke the Israelites for this cause would perish suddeÌ„ly But God did sustaine his extra ordinarily with this bread of Angels Yet there is this
in Christ What should I speake of Melanthon Peter Martyr John Calvin and the rest of the valiant Herolts Bucer being buried a fewe yeares before at leÌ„gth turned to dust was digged out of his grave or rather an other buried there latelyer that they might shew their cruelty even in the burning of his ashes whom they could not nor durst not hurt while he lived Who then hath not seene the starres in the right hand of Christ so wonderfully defending his servants against all force of adversaries And ought not the fresh memory of these things to give constaÌ„cy and courage unto all that reposing themselves in the same protection they may goe boldly to the deffense of the truth every one according to his calling There is not indeed the same expresse promise of other times yet there is alwayes the same crowne for them that fight lawfully ¶ J know thy workes that thou art sayd to live but art dead A reprehension for their counterfit lyfe of which the Angell beareth a shewe being voide of trueth from wheÌ„ce Sardis may be called Hypocriticall The force of which notation is manifest from the name it selfe For Sardis as Sardian laughter such rather in shew then in very truth so called of the city Sardis even as the Sardonian laughter of the Iland Sardonia as Erasmus noteth from Plutarch For that kind of herbe ranunculus in English trowfoot by which the mind is taken away may grow as well in Lydia as in the Ilâ—nd This Church was counted alive but was dead like unto this laughing which feigneth ioyfulnesse in the meane tyme full of deadly sorowe And from hence it is evident howe Sardis is opposed to Smyrna This found all outward things most troublous so as shee was almost held of all for dead yet in the mean time live a true life and was most acceptable to God That abroad in the iudgement of men livâ—th and flourisheth excellently yet within death reigneth true godlines being banished From whence is made the second payre of contraryes as was observed in the comon analysis of the seaven Epistles But in what thing consisted this fayning as farre as concerneth the city Sardis it is not cleare to us from the history there flourished in the same place not very long after the famous Melito celebrated by Euseb in his 4. booke chap. 26. But hence it appeareth that the matter was brought to that case when Ihon wrote that although the Angell seemed to himselfe and peradveÌ„ture to some others excellently well furnished with all things unto salvation yet that he wanted many things necessary and abounded in the contrary Wee knowe that they which are alive outwardly may be dead either in ignorance of doctrine and corruption or through carelesnes of Godly dutyes as Christ calleth them dead which were voide of faith and knowledg of salvation Iohn 5.25 And the Apostle calleth the wanton widow dead when shee is alive howsoever shee had given her name to Christ 1 Tim. 5.6 In which respect also workes are called dead Heb. 6.2 as declaring that they ar in deede dead that give themselves up to the study love of them It may be that partly through neglect of godlines partly by corruption of doctrine the Angell of Sardis fell into this dead life If the doctrine had bin quite extinguished which in deede is the soule of the Church shee could not have obtained even the name of any life We have sayd that the Antitype because of the following order of things was the first reformed Church springing up in Saxâ— when Luther began to teach For the ThyatireÌ„ Church have some blaâ—me for suffering the Romane Iezabell This first as Iehu laboured that the painted shameles whore should be cast out of the window so as shee did sprinke the earth with her braine From whence it cometh to passe that shee is not rebuked so much as in one worde in respect of this This Church then hath the name that shee is alive for the truth restored which in wonderfull manner shee hath manifested and also for the excellent courage wherby shee weakened and trode under foote the Romish tyranny shaking of the same not onely from her owne necke but also giving the same to be derided of the whole world yet shee is dead having some errours and corruptions of no small importance chiefly that consubstantiation of the body of Christ in the sacrement of the supper which many other absurdities followed which doe spred like lepâ—osy and take away the life of the members living by themselves Notwithstanding these thinges are not to be understood of every man but of the whole police and forme of the Church which is apparent to the world the image and proportion wherof the Spirit purtrayeth to us Which also is to be observed in the rest 2 Awayke and strenhthen the things that remaine ready to dy The first remeâ—y is of diligence in confirming the rest who if it were not with all speed lookt unto should rush into the destruction of death By the which it is taught that if the Teachers would bestowe faithfull and diligent paines in cleansing the whole doctrine and godlines they should take away from many the occasion of falling but if they shall carry themselves over negligently in this matter there would be a lamentable ruine of many In the Antitype the thing is so cleare that any man may bewayle it with teares rather then to prosecute it in wordes For how many excellent men hath that monster of Vbiquity cast headlong into death The seedes whereof Luther sowed in the yeare 1526. and 1528. in a disputation against Zuinglius OecolaÌ„padius But they ought to had bin pulled out againe of his bookes at least after the controversy was brought a sleepe least lurking as it were in the furrowes they should breake forth at length into deadly hemlocke But Luther himselfe was carelesse thereof providing after the manner of men rather for his owne estimation then as was meet for the safety of the brethren Moreover I doe finde lacke of thy faithfulnesse and diligence o holy Philip because thou hast not thrust through so foule an errour according to his desert Peradventure thou thoughtest that it was to be haÌ„dled more gently of thee partly in favour of thy friend partly because thou supposedst that it might be abolished by silence more easily then by sharpe inveiging of wordes But the errours which are not refuted seeme to be allowed and their estimation groweth so much the more as they are dealt with more gently for they are gangrenes which gentle remedies doe not heale but make worse While therefore neither of you watcheth nor doth his duty many dy how many I pray and how great men An huge number in deede of all degrees of which the principall as standerd-bearers wer Iohannes Brentius Iacobus Andreas Selnecerus Kirchnerus Chemnitius and others of that sorte who have encreased this monster of Vbiquity of it selfe horrible with so many and
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
that repented forsooke their errours with which they were possessed before time Of which sorte were many in Germany before the booke of Concord was published when in most universityes the chiefe teachers understood the true doctrine of the supper of the Lord and the opinions of Vbiquitie corporall presence in the supper every where were contemned as witnesseth Georg. Sohnius in his exposition of the August Cōfes which appeareth more clearly from the Synode of Desdrense in the yeare above 1571 where it was ordained by the comon consent both of all the Superintendants of the Dukedome of Saxonie and also of the Doctours of the Vniversityes of Lypsia and Wittemberg That the Vbiquitie of the body of Christ was an horrible prophanation of all the articles of the Creed and a renewing of all Heresyes Gallobel in the yeare 1592. And since that time a perfitter light breaking forth every day many were raysed up from their drowsines and opened their eyes to the truth Whom also even as well as the other he adorneth with white garments who gave a penny to them that were hyred at the eleventh houre Mat. 20.9 Such then is the first reward two yet doe remayne ¶ And I will never put his name out of the booke of life The second reward applyed to the times For because very many in these tymes should fall from the trueth and many cityes peoples provinces regions should cōsent to errour as at this time it is evident how farre and wide the contagiō spread abroad flying also over the sea and infecting those Northern regiōs Gotia and Suetia by which their approving of errour they should blot their names out of the register of the saints and should cut of from themselves the hope of life unlesse they should repent least I say the falling away of so many should trouble the saints he biddeth his conquerours to be of good courage Christ himselfe would set them free from falling howsoever they should see infinite nūbers to rush downe violently on their right and left hand For it is he alone who first calleth us backe from errour then sanctifyeth confirmeth us in the trueth least at any time we should revolte from it Therefore howsoever this reward be full of confort yet it teacheth that the time should be lamētable through the fall of many For to betray and forsake the trueth is not a light matter as many suppose who easily are caried away with every winde of doctrine but it is an argument of a man of no reckonning with God But how wilt thou say can they be blotted out which once were written in the booke of life especially seeing that this booke is the booke of the Lambe as in the chap. 13. 8. that is wherein those that are written the Lambe acknowledgeth them for his counteth them heires of eternall life neither is there any of those that are given to Christ that can ever perish Ioh. 6.37.39 17.12 I answer that these things are spoken in respect of us For there is a twofolde booke of life one as I may say of vocation an other of election Into the first are put all who by the preaching of the Gospell are taken into the fellowship of the Church who rightly doe seeme unto us to be partakers of life and endued with the hope of eternall salvation For the scriptures are wont to speak so generally giving thankes to the Father who hath made us meete to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light Who hath delivered us from the power of darknes and translated us into the kingdome of his deare sonne in whom we have redemption by his blood the forgivenes of sinnes c. So the Apostle speaketh of the multitude of the Colossians without difference chap. 1.12 And after the same manner every where in other places Yet men may be put out of this booke For many are called but few chosen Mat. 22.14 And it is declared after in the 7. chap. by an exemple Dan and Ephraim being passed over in the rehearsing of the tribes as souldiers put out of wages and cassed out of the register For God of old as in a certen visible shadow of this booke cōmaunded the genealogies of each tribe among the people of Israell to be kept diligently Wherto also perteined that of raysing up seed to the dead that his name should not be put out from his people Deut. 25.6 In which respect also the Psalmist wisheth to certen reprobates who held a place in the Church like true citizens that God at length would separate them frō the congregation of the Saints and manifest them to be meere hypocrites Psal 69.29 Wherefore all are put out of this kooke of life who forsake the fellowship of the holy Church either through errour and heresy or wickednes or other cause whatsoever not that for this cause they are blotted out of the booke of Election but because by this way they make manifest that they were never written in this booke as Iohn saith they went out from us but they were not of us 1 Ioh. 2.19 But the other booke to wit of Election is never spotted with any blottes but the names once written in doe cōstantly remayne in the same without rasing out Although these bookes are not so open and evident that they can be read of all men without difference but it is declared to every one severalty by the Spirit that is found in this register in what estimation and account he is ¶ But J will confesse his name The third reward is of confessing their name Which sheweth not onely the falling away of many but also that others shal be compelled by force So as there is great neede of the power of the Spirit least any weakened by the iniuries and threats of adversaries doe forsake the trueth For the confession of their name before his father is for the confort of confessing Christ and his trueth boldly and without feare So sending his Apostles to preach furnisheth and instructeth them against the feare of affliction Mat. 10.32 And who knoweth not to what inhumanity cruelty proceeded the hatred of them who call themselves Lutherans against the professors of the truth In the yeare 1580. was obtruded upon the Ministers of the Churches and Schooles the booke of Concorde avouching the execrable errour of Vbiquity A subscriptiō was commaunded in the name of the Princes the refusers were proclaimed Sacramētaryes or put out of their places In the yeare 1591. Christiā Duke of Saxony being dead Paul Kreilius Chaunceler suspected of Calvinisme as they speake was cast into prison Vrbanus Pierius Professor of Wittēberg was lead captive into prisō Gundermānus of Lipsich cōmitted prisōner In the yeare following was appointed a newe visitation they went through all Saxony they that would not subscribe to the articles were removed from their offices What should I rehearse the broyle of Lipsich the yeare following when all the university men on every side assembled
the first period is to be set at that time from whence wee shall see every ech thing which followeth to flowe with a ready course stopped and stayed with noe uneven places The event in the unfolding will shewe what is the limite of every Periode These things being thus established let us returne unto the declaration of the wordes afterward wee shall see the thing it selfe and coherence thereof The first preparation is of the Lambe opening the first seale For he is the word of the Father who doth minister unto us whatsoever understanding wee have of Gods will And the events are called Seales both because they containe a mystery most hidden from the understanding of the prophane multitude Isay 8.16 and also because these first experimeÌ„ts should be pledges of future thinges Not that wee should undersâ—aÌ„d these to be bare forshewings of things and empty promises who doe onely denounce the troubles in word the execution whereof is coÌ„manded in some other place in this booke for that is no where to be founde but that they are signes of that kinde which bring togither with them their eâ—ecution and doe give a firme pledge of future things He openeth the sealeâ— in order one after another and not all togither with one labour both because the manner of the thinges to be donâ— did so require that also the whole Prophecy was not to be uttered at once but to be drawen 〈◊〉 peece-meale as it wâ—re for abâ—â—â—ty of a dâ—yly pâ—ttance The second pâ—â—pâ—â—tion is of one of the foure Beastâ— calling Iohn to come and see And this one Beast is the first to wit a Lion Chap. 4. â— But the â—â—â—stâ— are Goâ—â—â—â—â— of the Churches as hath ben observed in the foresaid plâ—ce â—hoâ—e laboâ—â— Gâ—d useth to instruct others These call men to see and obsâ—â—â—e â—ot onâ—ly bâ—caâ—se it is their office to forewarne the Chuâ—ch of thâ—â—â— that â—re to â—oâ—e to passe whether good or bad but especially â—ee◠〈…〉 thingeâ— next to come should be notable through their faithfulnes diâ—â—â—â—nce in this â—â—â—ter But the Lion speaketh first because they wâ—ich firâ—t â—hâ—â— begâ—â—ne the coÌ„bate should have like courage successe noâ— lesse prâ—vâ—iliâ—g in thâ—â— tâ—ey goe about then Lions making their pray The voice is â—n it 〈…〉 â—â—der penetring very farre that it might be heard of many Câ—â—â— saith he see speaking to Iohn representing nowe the person of the faithfull who likewise should be stirred up by the voice of the ministers to observe thâ—se wonderfull events which thing also is common to the three sâ—â—es following that being once spoken here it may be understood in the rest 2 J behelde therefore and loe a white horse The first type is a white horse and the sitter on him with a bowe and a crowne As touching the horse he is a warlike and swift beast to which worthily God compareth his actions both here in other places because with great courage swiftnes they will breake through whatsoever men shall make against Zach. 6. The white colour is ioifull proper to some famous solemnity as in the triumphe of Diocletian and Maximian After saith Pomponius Letus the chariot of the triumphers of golde and pretious stones which foure horses drewe comparable in whitnesse with the snowe But a rider is attributed to this and the rest that wee may knowe that they wander not up and downe rashly at their pleasure but are ruled and governed by the raines of Gods Providence And it may easily be gessed what manner of sitter it is from the analogie of the 8. verse For there he is noted by name that sitteth on the pale horse whose name seeing it is death his name may be life or trueth that hath so noble and pleasant a forme But whereas he is furnished with a bowe and crowne and went forth conquering that he might overcome by the same thinges is signifyed that an assault farre of shal be made and that a notable victory shall ensue thereof which should not vanish away with the present successe but should even also flourish with future happines For a bowe is a weapon of that kinde as with which the enemyes are hiâ—te both farre and neare But the Crowne is a token of victory so as both in the horse sitter on him all things are ioyous prosperous So is the interpretation of the wordes wherwith the History doth agree so wonderfully that noe picture doth more lively represente his paterne then the type of this seale the condition of those times Wee know that while Traiane was Emperour after Iohn was gone from Paâ—mos to Ephâ—sus that is by and by after the Revelation was written a most lamentable persecution waxed very hotte and fierce which raging even unto the fourteenth yeere at length by the letters of Pliny second Proconsull of Bâ—thyâ—ia it was some â—hat quenched and mitigated Neverthelâ—ssâ— the first Beasâ— had not yet spoken For Pliny was a heathen man and noe member of the Châ—rch much lesse the chiefe ruler Neither sâ—â—â—d the trouble wholy through his admonition onely this was obtayned that the Christians should not be searched for unto punishement but onely should be punished wheÌ„ they were brought unto the Governours accused Eus Feel Hist book â— 33. Wherfore the fight yet coÌ„tinued TraiaÌ„ being dead a fewe yeares after it waxed more fierce under AdriaÌ„ who at leÌ„gth going on with rage unto the destructioÌ„ of the name of ChristiaÌ„s the Lion roared out even the first Beast as the thuÌ„der For God raysed up Quadratus the Bishop of Athens also Aâ—stides a Philosopher citizen of the same city who as lioÌ„s stoutly regarding not the daÌ„ger of their life in respect of the good of the Church spake to AdriaÌ„ by Apologies then also in face pleaded the cause of the Christians By which the mindes of the faithfull were raised up with attente of the eveÌ„t not in vaine seeing froÌ„ thence followed a great change forthwith For the white horse his sitter with a bowe crown weÌ„t forth that is the truth triuÌ„phed ioyfully wheÌ„ the Emperour being overcome by the oration of those godly men did ordaine that noe Christian should be condemned unlesse he were convicted of some crime punisheable by the Civile lawes This was a manifest victory of the trueth and a greate token of future hapines Euseb Hist booke 4 ch 3. But her power was more excelleÌ„t under the next Emperour Antonin Pius about the beginning of whose Empire the Christians being againe miserably oppressed from the former hatred at length Iustin Martyr Leo administring the word of God in the habite of a Philosopher as sayeth Euseb booke 4.11 wrote Apologies for the Christians unto Antonin to his sonnes and to the Senate of Rome wherby he effected God working togither with him that it was enacted by publike decree that noe man should trouble Christians in that respeâ—t because they were Christians but if any would proceede to molest them the acâ—usâ—d
here all true Christians are counted as before chap. 1.6 Therefore when Constantine came to the Kingdome the Church began to hide it selfe in a secret place by going froÌ„ the sight of the world into a certen more inward roome Whereunto perteineth that sealing chap. 7. Wherby a fewe of many were severed by some privie marke Neither ought it to seeme mervailous that this separating of themselves from others was made in so great glory of peace and desire to advance the Christian name For when some raised up contentions others coveted much to get honours many travailed with heresies and brought them forth all did bend themselves with all their power to heape up superstitions was it easy in that state of things for any pure syncere and sound thing to abide in his place But the obscurity of the Saincts indeede grew more every day by how much more those foure mischiefes increased The which thing Rome also her selfe granted unwares For doest thou demaÌ„de where our Church was before Luther Therefore thou knowest not But understand thus where thou Rome wert not to wit in the hidden holy place of our God whither shee had runne for succour with all the rest of the Saincts from thyne infection But when thou boastest that thou art a Citie set on a hill which never was hidden but hath flourished with a continuall and manifest succession confesse also that thou art not the true Church and that thou hast founde noe place in that covert of protection ¶ And them that worshippe in it Mete is a common verbe and of a continuall quantity but here figuratively it signifyeth also number thou as if he should say put into the number of nine those fewe who in trueth worship me secretly for there was a certen number in sealing the elect chap. 7. which same thing is declared here in other wordes when he biddeth him to meete the worshippers All the Saincts are sayd to worship on the Altar because they put all their hope and trust in the death of Christ which kinde of sacrifices perteineth not to the Tribe of Levi alone to offer but to everie true godly man likewise And this onely is that thing which discerneth the true Christian from the false and counterfait But that the most in those times worshipped not so on the altar wee must thinke not without cause when it is to be seene clearly from their writings that many who ought to have shined before others in all knowledg attributed to much to their voluntary workes and to their owne holinesse 2 But the court that is without the Temple So Aretas and the Complutent edition doe reade but some bookes have which is within the Temple to wit the court of the Priests in which was the altar of burnt offrings which he mentioned even nowe which court some time is called by the name of the temple Neither is this reading to be reiected rashly For Iohn is not biddeÌ„ to mete this court but onely the Altar of this court And it may be that it agreeth more fitly with that which followeth if the inward court be cast out then if that be cast out which was already without before But both have respect to the same ende that it is nothing to be esteemed whatsoever is more then those foresayd Temple Altar Worshippers For the court is given to the Gentils that is to the Christians as for a name neither this onely but also the holy City which they should tread under foote not by spoiling it like an enemie but in frequenting it daily under a colour of worshipping as in Isaiah 1.12 and that for the space of fourtie two moneths These things shewe clearly what should be the condition of the false Church in those times wherein the trueth should be hidden First it should noe lesse exceed in number and multitude then the people which once dwelt at Ierusalem and was wont when the holy things were done to be in the utmost court exceeded the number of them who executed their office in the Temple Good God howe great difference was there Exceeding great was the coÌ„pany of the inhabitans and of them that continually flocked to the temple howe in the meane time few Priests were there within in comparison of that great multitude which was exercised without There should be the same quantitie of fained Christians in respect of the true and naturall Citizens Secondly it should have her counterfait worshippers dwelling very neere the Temple For they should possesse Ierusalem and the whole court should be theirs How neerly was the court ioyned to the Temple How did it compasse the same round about Ezech 40.5 Good God how nigh was this society Who durst have condemned the court of prophanenesse unlesse the Angell himselfe had commanded it And the event surely was altogither answerable For in those first times when the foure first trumpets sounded what was Athanatius alone unto so greate assemblyes of Bishops What afterward was Basil the Greate or Gregorie Nazianzene unto almost the whole East Yf thou shouldest respect the multitude who would not have contemned one or two in coÌ„parison of so great a rable But if you would respect holines were they not all Bishops Did not all desire to be esteemed valiant defenders of the trueth How easy was it therefore here either by the number or likenes to be deceaved In the last times also there is the same boasting of the holy citie and of the outmost court against the Temple Is not the Church of Rome spread through the whole earth Have the Lutherans heresies as they clatter ever passed over the Sea Have they seene at any time eyther Asia or Afrique or Egypt or Grecia Who can doubt of the Holy Catholike Church which counteth her Bishops even from Peter himselfe by a most certen succession But Rome nowe boasteth of her multitude by how much in time past shee hath flourished in greater number by so much the more is shee nigher to the great assembly treading under foote Hierusalem and further of from this small number lying hid in the Temple wee see in this place the whorish Church most furnished both with multitude and neighbourhood Yf these things shal be sufficient to get the victory thou hast overcome o Rome so well in populous City as in proximity But let them looke to it that are carâ—ied away with the name of the Catholike Church how easily here they may be deceaved of the whore which possesseth the holy City and the very outward court next to the Temple Let them in the name of God weigh the matter in earnest and diligently and not suffer themselves to be beguiled with vaine boasting Let them minde that unto them that looke but of a farre off they seeme all to be in the Temple it selfe who are but within yea the outmost part of the walles but let them come nigher and they shall see most cleerly that those whom even now they thought to be in the most inward roomes
without ceasing not by a stinted labour every three moneths foure times in the yeere or peradventure somewhat more diligently once every moneth but wherein wee must continue alwayes as in a watchtower least the enemy continually lying in waite come unlooked for upon us sleeping or being absent Moreover that wee should acknowledg the singular providence of God towards his holy servants which at all occasions is ready both to deliver them from evill and also to store them with good things For the same reason he helde the Angels in his hande chap. 1.20 and the Psalmist singeth The keeper of Israell slumbereth not Ps 121.4 Finally that he may shewe that the moneths are not to be nūbred in a generall maner but every day by it selfe a part as wee have said before Sacks are the cloathing wherein they should prophecy because they should execute their office vilely arayed clad in mourning apparell spoiled of all lustre in the same garment that is wont to be used in lamenting But whēce was this sorrofull arraying in that triumphe which the Church made under Constantine Surely although great was the glory of peace honours dignityes riches wherewith he endowed most nobly and adorned the Churches yet as touching true godlinesse all things began to be farre worse The Heaven departed away under Diocletian by an horrible tempest of persecution but nowe it was corrupted more with tranquility then when the cruell enemy was at hande to take away their lives For nowe the simple purity of the Scriptures began to be troubled more and more the meaning of them not be understood to be wrested by allegories and absurd expositions and any thing almost to be added unto them which mens phantasie would Did not the Arian faction which wee heard in chap. 8 10.11 infect the third part of the rivers and fountaines with her wormwood strive to drawe the Scripture to their side and by their authority to proffer their wicked opinions to the world So all Heretiques for the most parte are wont to doe but the governement of the Magistrate was never added before to the furthering of so wicked opinion The Scriptures then for good cause did put on sackecloath when they were constrained so against their meaning to defende and stablish those errours which they hated chiefly and above all things Neverthelesse they were not covered by and by with this mourning apparell but they began in that ioy fulnesse to change the garment which they afterwards did openly weare That and the ages comming after had indeede some learned and holy mē but these were both fewe and also every one knoweth how great a blemish the corruption of the times did cast upon them Indeede in their conflict against the Heretiques they polished the trueth most subtilly but their other workes being voide of this care did for the most part much erre frō the marke Although the gowne was then also spotlesse in comparison of those uncleannesses wherewith afterward the trueth of God was stained the honouring and worshipping of reliques defiled the assemblyes also of the faithfull and religion being put in holy places and times and other frivolous trifling things of that sorte clothed them as it were with sacke For the beautifull attire of these is when they shine in the simplicitie of Gods ordinance But the ages following did more deface them with dust and ashes wherewith at length they being wholly covered they could be knowne to God onely unknowne altogither to others by their true face It is a thing certenly to be wondered at that the Church should under the persecutions of the Emperours shine with the cloathing of the Sunne but in the cleere skie of her foster father shoulbe cloathed in sackecloath 4 These are those two olive trees There is a double property of the Prophets one of bountifulnesse towards their owne that I may so say in this verse the other of power over their enemyes as in destroying them in the fift verse so in troubling them with other evils in the sixt verse As touching their bountifulnesse they are two olive trees and two candlestickes the type being taken out of Zach. 4.2.12 and very fit for these things in hande For ever as then God did preserve his Church and adorne it with the gifts of his Spirit and bestoweth them most liberally upon the same not so much by the ministery of men as by his alone supernall grace beyond all mens expectation which thing the oyle signifyed gotten not by mens industry but naturally flowing out of the olive berries into the oyle cruet of the candlestickes so nowe he would defende the Church being in danger and reserve to himselfe some burning candlesticks to which how soever oyle pressed and wrong out of the wine presse should be wanting he himselfe neverthelesse would plant them hard by the olive trees which of their owne accord and continually dropping out of the berries into the lampes should minister perpetuall nourrishement to the flame wich is to be maintained Seeing therefore that in this type the gifts of the Spirit are shadowed out the inward by the flame of the Candlestickes the outward by the olive trees among which the chiefe is the sacred word not without cause these olive trees from whose berries oyle is powred to nourish the flame of the candlestickes may signify the Scriptures whose office is to minister doctrine to the Prophets that they may nourish the flame of Godlinesse in thēselves and their auditours For like raison for which they were compared before to the Sunne both being ministers of light this of his owne those in stirring up a flame by a fit nourishment Now they are two in respect of the old and newe testament God spake in olde time by the Prophets but now by his Sonne Heb. 1.1 There are also two in Zacharie before the Gospell was written yet it hindereth not the application seeing it was always in force before it was written For there are two chiefe points of the whole sacred doctrine the Lawe and the Ghospell which are those wholesome olive trees and alwaies have belonged to all times The Candlestickes doe carrie the candles set in them by which Christ hath taught expressely that the Churches are noted chap. 1.20 To wit because they shew the office of a candlesticke in the top of which the Prophets being set not in the high toppe of wordly dignity doe communicate their wholesome light to the Saincts The Prophets thēselves are the Candles not the Candlestickes as Christ distinguisheth them neither doe men light a candle and set it under a bushell but on a candlesticke and it giveth light to all which are in the house Mat. 5.15 And before he said that the starres are ministers where he compared the Churches unto candlestickes in the first chapter and twentieth ver But why are they now but two Doubtlesse most fitly for the present condition of the Church which had sufferred a pitifull losse of the rest In the first chapter there were
Empire enlarged albeit it is proper to this time that the Kingdome of Christ begun from hence shall never againe be darkened as in the former raignes it came to passe which in processe of time fell into utter decay For so it is said that he shall raigne for ever more Therefore the first entrance of this Trumpet should be famous for the accesse of newe Kingdomes as it came to passe in our England to which Christ at the sound of the seventh trumpet in the yeere one thousand five hundreth fiftieth eight gave the most gratious Queene Elizabeth who againe gave her Kingdome to Christ in rooting out through all her dominions the most part of the Romish superstitions and in restoring to her people the syncere and wholesome trueth that wee might worship the Lord our God according to his ordinance King Edward her brother as an other Iosias performed the same thing with an upright heart the whole time of his raigne but that his raigne was shorte For the Angell had not yet soundeth the trumpet when Christ should raigne for ever Therefore the storme of persecution in Queene Maries time seemed to cast downe from the lowest foundations that which began notably to be built After this at length appeased and a faire skie appearing againe when the comfortable and most beautifull starre Elizabeth arose then the Christian Empire was encreased with England and Ireland the next yeere was Scotland added that all Britannie with the Ilands might be Christs Howe famous an increase was this to be augmented with so great nations But this glory is greater because it shal be eternall For so the voices speake who shall raigne for ever The former Kingdomes of Christ after a sorte perished either abolished by the trouble of warres or chaunged into Antichristian bondage but after this beginning Christian Princes shall never be wanting who should maintaine the trueth whole sound in their dominions For now that time is begun when Christ shall rule in all the earth his enemies subdued on every side of which Daniell speaketh in chap. 2.44 and the Prophets every wherein so many places so honourably Wee shall see from the things that follow that this dominion over the Gentiles shal be continued unto him till it be infinitely encreased among the Iewes and at length be translated from hence into heaven And is it not a cleare proofe of the eternall Kingdome that so great entreprises of so many and so mighty enemies against one country England and our most gratious Queene doe vanish away as the smoake He whose scepter they fight against laâ—gheth at their foolish and vaine endevours And I hope that he who hath begun his eternall Kingdome will make the Queene also a type of his eternall Kingdome Every good man doth earnestly desire it in all their prayers Onely wee must beware least whose singular power and trueth wee have had experience of in defending us his truth wee suffer to be corrupted and his maiesty to be offended by Antichristian superstitions brought in againe afresh Wee have Christ angry with us because wee are farre from a perfect reformation but if wee returne to our vomite how mightily shall he rage against us Therefore they who favour the Papists secretely and labour to get liberty for them to pollute the holy Kingdome by bringing in againe their ceremonies hated of God they endevour the overthrow of our Kingdome and which my hart dreadeth to thinke the death of our most sacred Queene For howsoever Christ hath begun his eternall Kingdome yet he hath not bound himselfe to certaine countries he shall not want a KingdoÌ„ though he shall remove his court to another place which doubtlesse he may doe at his pleasure But I hope that this Revelation shall declare by such certen arguments that the Bishop of Rome is that Antichrist that if any yet be not persuaded thereof when the thing at length shal be more plainely perceived he will runne away from him as a most certen and infernall pestilence But that I may returne to my purpose wee see now why those voices reioyced to with that the Kingdome of Christ was increased by the accesse of newe people Surely it could not be but the whole reformed Church should have reioyced soundly for our ioy Neither can it be doubtfull but that the first beginning of this Kingdome was farre most pleasant to our country men comming out of Queene Maries raging sourges of persecution let us gâ—sse by our selves who although wee have seene noe other Kingdome at any time yet desire noe mortall thing more then a very long use of this And therefore according to that regard of our duty which is meete wee solemnize that yeerly day which was unto us the beginning of this benefite in which wee come togither publikely with ioint affections doe give as great thankes as wee can to our God by Chr. After that manner which is foreshewed in this place where the chiefe Rulers of the wholy assembly praise God in conceived wordes and the Elders give their consent who are in the stead of the rest of the congregation Although that I may not hide any thing it came into my minde to merveil why contrary to the manner of other places as chap. 4.9 and .5.8 and 7.11 and 14.3 and 19.4 in this one onely they are not called Beasts by their owne names Whither is it because the Beasts are a type as wee have shewed of such Ministers as are approved of God but our doe erre so gleatly from Gods ordinance that the Spirit of purpose refused to give them the name of Beasts Surely the things that wee have spoken of the Laodicean Church confirme this doubte I wish that this one thing were not wanting to the rest of our happinesse 16 Then those foure and twenty Elders The faithfull congregation by the conduct of their Ministers worshipped God as in our wonted Ecclesiasticall assemblies chiefly in that yeerly assembly where of I have spoken 17 Because thou hast obtained thy great might For all this time in which Christ sufferred hitherto his Church to be afflicted he seemed to the world to be weake and of noe strength nowe he would put on his might and would manifest to all men his supreme maiesty over all things 18 And the Gentiles were angry This verse setteth before us a short abridgement of the whole last period which consisteth in three things in the wrath of the Gentiles in the beginning of Gods vengeance in the full reward at length of both good and evill The wrath of the Gentiles is that rage and furie wherby they grudge and grinde the teeth tegither for seeing the Kingdome of Christ so marveilously to be increased contrary to their desire In howe great a fume was the Pope when liberty to enioy a purer religion was granted to the Germane Princes by a publike decree But because at the sounde of the seventh trumpet the dominion of Christ should especially shewe it selfe the chiefe
lustification and the syncerity of the whole faith for the garment as wee have shewed in other place is the imputed righteousnes of Christ The Sunne noteth the light of the Scriptures Therefore the cloathing of the Sunne is such a confidence in the righteousnes of Christ alone as the scriptures teach Which is a most comely ornament of the first Church which the opinion of our strength had noe whit yet darkened In other places of the Scriptures this cloathing is of white and pure linen But the glory of any later time doe not attaine unto this most excellent glory of the Sunne The MOONE under her feete This is commonly and ordinarily referred unto the despised and troden under foote vanity of worldly things which are as variable and changeable as the MOONE In which respect the Woman hath noe greater regard of such earthly things then of that which commonly men doe trample and treade upon with the soles of their feete But from the former things wee have learned that the Moone doth signify the light of truth and doctrine borrowed from the Scriptures which now being put under her feete may shewe that all the steppes of this Church are directed and disposed according to the onely rule of the one of these For it is not inough to shine rounde about with the Sunne unlesse the steppes be set in the way of Godlines As therefore the cloathing of the Sunne is the doctrine of faith so the Moone under the feete is the doctrine of manners which are either publike or private They comprehende the whole manner of worshipping God and revoking of those that erre which is called Discipline commonly These private are seen in the common life of every one Great was the glory then of the woman before whom the heavenly light of trueth went in all thinges whether publikely or privately I take rather this latter applying because it is more fit to abide in the signification once received albeit I would not have utterly reiected the former interpretation as being godly and learned The crowne of twelve starres on the head signifyeth the shining administers of the doctrine the twelve Apostles by whose preaching the Church was founded and also the Apostolicall men who receiving the word from them that sawe the things don their selves preserved the Church chast and undefiled But it is to be observed that the womaÌ„ doth carry the starres in an other manner then Christ hee being Lord of all carried them as it were servants in his hande chap. 2.16 shee beareth them as her chiefe ornament on the crowne of her head Such then is the particular explication Which descriptioÌ„ howe well it agreeth to that church noe man can be ignorant of who hath ben even but meanly acquainted with the History She was most glorious by the cloathing of the righteousnes of faith in retayning faithfully the doctrine which shee had received from Christ the Apostles Evangelists and other Apostolike men Neither was shee yet defyled with the uncleanesse of humane invention but in the whole worship discipline life manners shee had the Moone under her feete following the sacred trueth as her North-starre in all thinges there was one forme of governing in all Churches the very same which is taught in the Actes of the Apostles and their other writings Or if any maÌ„ will referre the Moone to the vanity of wordly things how free was shee from ambition and desire of honours How greatly did shee abhorre the coveting of riches and contention for dignity How syncere is the History of that time in Eusebius The Bishops are reckened by name excellent for their manners and doctrine their conflicts labours and sufferings are declared but as yet the proude names of honours and dignities were unknowne to the world the burning mountaine was not yet cast into the Sea neither had Satan brought in arrogancie and pride but the Pastors used singular modestie being very carefull for the good estate of their flocke not heaping riches and Lordly titles for pompe One Paulus Samosatenê° is called Magnifique Lord and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a forerunner of Antichrist garded with a great company of men servants whereof some went before some followed after see the Synodicall Epistle in Eusebe booke 7. chap. 30. But when this insolency was hated of all the rest then the time nowe drewe neare when this vaine glorious Bishop rose up in which the womaÌ„ hid her selfe I am not ignoraÌ„t but that pride had sprung up in some other sorts but the Spirit describeth the womaa by those markes which were yet evident not by those which grewe up about the ende of that florishing estate and secretly Such was this Church such ought every one to be but of which sorte none hath ben since that time For wee shall finde those that followed not cloathed with the Sunne but with the night not treading under foote the Moone but the earth neither having the shining starres on her head but golden ornaments ¶ A Crowne of starres This crowne of starres is wonderfull Among mortall men Gold is wont to be appointed for this thing But to what ende should she have Gold on her head under whose feete did lie whatsoever is pretious in this world The glory therefore hereof is the integrity of the Ministers noe mortall dignity The faithfulnesse of these is the glory of the Church which is in a mourning estate when these loose their light 2 And being great with childe shee cried travailing in birth The fourth property her traveiling with childe having in the wombe as Mat. 1.18 Aretas the common translation have shee cryeth being in labour with childe pained to bring foorth that is in bringing foorth or that shee might bring foorth by a syntaxe not unlike to that wherby wee saz faire to see valliant to fight The Church had exceeding great paine for along time as it were of a woman travailing with childe And shee desired in all her prayers to be freed at length from that most afflicted condition wherein she was under the Heathenish most cruell Emperours Which thing she knew that she should obtaine if sometime at length shee could bring forth one who should rule the common wealth and have the chiefe menaging of things For the woman was not barren before this time but happie for issue in very great number but one sonne was yet wanting who might be able to defende her from the iniuries of the enemies whom while shee is in labour with and prepareth a defender shee sufferred most sharpe paines before she could obtaine that which she desired 3 And another wonder appeareth So is the description of the woman the rest of her condition is made apparant from the description of the enemy to wit the Dragon both from the things inherent in this verse and also froÌ„ the effects in the verse following Those first are his red colour hornes heads crownes before all which is set the place in which the Dragon appeared to wit in
wherin a Dragon was painted thrust thorough with a dart and layd under his and his peoples feete see Euseb upon the life of Constantine in the third oration leafe 137. a. 9 And that Dragon was cast into the earth That is beiond the boundes of the true and holy Church not onely among the prophane nations but also all other people altogither without true godlines howsoever peradveÌ„ture they pretended a shewe of it and are marked with the names of Christians That which is here called the heaven and the earth was in the former chapter called the Temple and the Court. In that the Church lay hid in this the Gentiles ruled a people who because of their vicinitie did take to themselves the name of the Church Therefore the Devill being cast unto the earth he is thrust out togither with his Angels into this court having receaved power to vexe the whore who lately exercised all his strength against the true spouse 10 And J heard a great voice The Song of triumphe of the Saincts celebrating God for his great benefit which first of all is declared by those things wherein the benefit it selfe consisted in this verse afterward it is set forth by his causes ver 11. by his effects ver 12. The benefit it selfe in respect of men is safety the tyrants being destroied who did labour to satisfy their hatred with the destruction of the Christians in respect of God it is the glory of his might of the Kingdome and power of Christ For then his power doth appeare when he utterly destroyeth abolisheth his enemies Also his visible Kingdome is seen after a sort when he placeth godly Princes in the governement of the common wealth from hence likewise the power of Christ was much declared which before seemed weake being so troden under soote by the enemyes neither punishing them according to their deserts But Christ now by taking unto him the Kingdome declared sufficiently that the former want of punishement and sufferance came not from imbecillity but onely from patience In respect of the Devill this benefit was a iust reward of his ungodlines who coÌ„tinually accuseth the godly before God But we must observe that the servants are noted with the same names wher with the Pâ—â—â—câ— himselfe is named because there is an equall good will to hurt in both although hiâ— power be greater But this accusation are those taunts reproches railings with which the spitefull enemies overwhelmed the Saincts continually obiecting unto them the suppers of Oedipus incests adultery mutuall lusts murders conspiracies against Princes pestilences famine burnings and whatsoever publike calamity there was of which and the like things the auncient History is full Surely the children learned of their father the Devill that auncient false accuser so as it is not to be wondered at if wicked men doe excell in the same arts 11 But they overcame Who The Angels of Michaell for now the streÌ„gth of the souldiers is commended the praise of the Emperour being celebrated in the former verse But as touching the causes of the victory the principall is the blood of the Lambe the instrumentall is the synceritie of the faith and a very great constancy even unto death The blood of the Lambe is the fountaine of all the benefits which the elect enioy either in this life or in the life to come For his sake alone God both delivereth his people from all the miseries of this life and at length will make them ioyfull with eternall felicity The integrity of faith is shewed in the next wordes by the word of his testimony that is by the truth of the Ghospell which they professed freely boldly Before it was alwaies called the testimony of God or of Iesus as in ch 1.2.9 ver c. here it is called the testimony of themselves which kinde of speaking neverthelesse commeth to the same ende For it doth not respect the subiect of which but in which In the last place is their constancy because they esteemed more of the truth and faith in Iesus then of their owne life It seemeth to be a comparative speach as if he should say they loved not their soules even unto death more then God But this last member of the comparison is wanting uÌ„lesse perhaps they loved not be put for they despised But even so the force of the comparison remaineth to with they despised in comparison of the truth This is a notable constaÌ„cy of the Saincts that by no tormeÌ„ts they could be remooved froÌ„ faith in Christ For which cause at leÌ„gth God gave uÌ„to them the reward of victory But observe how this soÌ„g of tâ—iumphe addeth those things which were wanting to declare the coÌ„dition of the first Church we have seen by the description of the woman that shee was famous for souÌ„dnes of faith purity of actions sincerity of the teachers also we have understood that she was destitute of a pâ—tron for because that in great sorow and griefe shee brought forth a sonne Adde to al these from this triumphant song that the enemies of the truth heaped all reproches upon the Saincts they used a great violence to their power yet the faithfull could not be remooved eveÌ„ with the losse of their life froÌ„ their holy profession wherby it came to passe that those times were made famous by almost an infinite number of most couragious Martyrs 12 Therefore reioice yee heaven c. The fruict of this benefit is the ioy of the Saincts the sorrow of the wicked For why should not they triuÌ„phe having attained safety seeing the glory of God so notably amplified But many calamities doe remaine true but these shall not touch the Saincts whome God hiddeth in his tabernacle And therefore he seemeth to say yee which dwell in them because this is heaven that the temple or tabernacle wherein the Church lyeth hid from whence at length it shall goe into the holy mountaine to an everlasting habitatioÌ„ before in chap. 11.7 c. 2 Cor. 5.1.2 c ¶ Woe to the inhabitans c. The effect in respect of the wicked is a very great sorrow for these are the inhabitans of the earth and the sea And from heÌ„ce may be confirmed this metaphoricall signification of these wordes For if the earth be properly taken the Devill should be in like sorte trobelsome to all the Saincts who dwell togither with the wicked and unseparated Moreover who are the inhabitans of the sea besides men The Devill doth not spit out his poison upon the whales Neither doe good and bad men dwell togither lesse in Ilands then in the continent land Thus therefore we doe distinguish that the inhabitans of the earth are every wicked multitude either of Heathen or Christians who have onely a counterfait shew of religion But the inhabitans of the sea are the Church men as they call them who profer to their false Christians grosse foule saltish and bitter doctrine which doeth rather bring to the
him before that he recovered health from his wounde which he had He was of great authority before he received the wounde as wee have shewed but of farre greater after the hurt was amended VVhich order the Spirit observed before in the 3. and 4. ver adding after his head was cut and healed both admiratioÌ„ and also adoration And that adoration is this same which is now gotten by the labour of this But why seeing the second is no other then then first revived urgeth he not worship in his owne name but onely in the name of that This is a singular cunning of the most crafty hypocrites to wit a fained name of antiquity wherby he might get estimation to himselfe in the world For in this onely he should wholly labour that the first might be worshipped as though he chalenged no new thing to himselfe but that onely which his Ancetours had left unto him by succession From hence the Epistles of most auncient Popes were corrupted most impudently coÌ„terfait put in the place of true and true wholly chaunged with strange additions and detractions for their owne profit From the same shop came the feigned donation of Constantine Likewise the Decrees which in their title have a shew of greater antiquity then trueth and sixe hundred of that sorte Neither is any other thing at this day so greatly laboured for as that the auncient honour may be given to the Pope that is that the first Beast may be worshipped it would be an unpleasant ambition openly to endevour to get honour to himselfe though the Pope is not ashamed of this wherefore he obiecteth the first Beast under whose name he may serve himselfe more secretly 13 And he doeth great wonders Now is shewed by what way he deceiveth men and obtaineth that worship for which he fighteth as for heaven earth to wit by working Miracles in the which Antichrist should be wonderfull whose comming is by the effectuall working of Satan with all power and signes and lying wonders as Paul hath forwarned 2 Thes 2.9 Which thing if Ireneus had observed in his 5. booke chap. 28. he would not have called this Beast so much the Armour bearer of Antichrist as Antichrist himselfe No miracles of the former are rehearsed but onely power great authority of which there may be a distinct force from signes It is manifest to all men how this Beast is commended for a notable fine worker of miracles by and by after he waxed whole of his wound Beholde one or two for it were an infinite thing to recite every one The Christians have ben protected wonderfully from the Devill in the Temple Pantheon after that Boniface the 4. had consecrated it to all Saincts Theodorus the next healed with a kisse one diseased with the leprosy No man in the whole army of Eudo to whom but even a very small piâ—ce of the blessed Spongie had come from the POPE Gregory 2. was either killed or wounded in the battell against the Saracenes The body of Formosus brought from the river Tiber into the Church of S. Peter is saluted and worshipped with great reverence of the Images of the Saincts in the entrance of the teÌ„ple A white dove like snow whose necke was shining as Gold sate upon the right shoulder of Gregory the 6. whiles he celebrated Masse WheÌ„ the same was to be buried in the Palace of Peter the doores of the Temple taried not the comming of the doore keeper but of their owne accord leaped backe at the bringing of his dead body A certen lame woman by drinking the water wherewith Vrbain 2. had washed his handes after the Masse was healed Infinite are the things of this sorte in which the Romane Pope glorieth both olde and newe For both are of like force to coÌ„firme his authority Which Zacharias knewe well who translated into the Greeke tongue the foure bookes of Gregory the Great concerning the miracles of the Fathers that the miraculous power of the Popes might be come knowen as well to the Grecians as to the Latines But wilt thou say the miracles of other men are not fewe That is true in deede but who ar all the slaves of the same Pope of whom whatsoever wonders are done they are referred to the defending preserving and increasing of his dignity as to the centre From whence all these done of his servants are worthily said to be his for whose honour alone they make ¶ So that he maketh fire to come downe from heaven His power to doe miracles being shewed summarily now he descendeth to some certen kindes which the Papists will have to be three the first whereby Antichrist shall seeme to rise from the dead the second wherby he shall make fire to descende from heaven the third is the power of speaking given to the Image which things seeing they are not founde in the Pope of Rome as Bellarmine will have it in his third booke of the Romane Pope chap. 15. it followeth saith he that he is not Antichrist His rising from the dead is gathered from his head deadly wounded and healed againe ver 3 of this chapter and from that which is said after in the 17. chap. ver 18. he was and is not and ascendeth out of the bottomelesse pit Which rising againe wee have shewed to be found most plainely in the Pope of Rome when he was eased and delivered from those miseries wherwith by the invasion of the Barbarians he lay overwhelmed and buried in mens opinion For that it cannot agree to the death of one man fained for some fewe dayes it shal be manifest from the person of Antichrist which the seventeenth chapter after will proove evidently to be a long succession of many not any certen and singular man Especially also seeing that this wound was very sorrowfull not inflicted on himselfe willingly and in jest but made by his enemies where could be no place for counterfaiting Which faining of death was brought in by a false coniecture of men and besides the trueth of the matter and the very wordes of the scripture Therfore the Rom. Pope is famous for the first miracle which if they please they may call a resurrection to which it is not unlike Now what manner of one is he in regard of the second CerteÌ„ly those miracles seeme to be very great which are done from heaven or in the very heavens wheÌ„ as men have very little power over these bodies as when a fire of the Lord falling from Heaven consumed the burnt offring of Eliah 1 King 18.38 Likewise also when the Captaine over fifty men with his whole bande was destroyed by fire from Heaven at the prayers of the same Eliah 2 King 1. Therefore Antichrist that he might not seeme inferiour to the famous Prophets would set foorth himselfe by this sort of miracles Gladly doe the Iesuites heare this from whence they judge for a surety that the Pope is not Antichrist of whom say they not such miracle is read But
the shadow of that olde thing the trueth whereof had bin in former times VVhich cunning wee called before the fained name of Antiquity above in the 12. verse From whence also it may be manifest that the first Beast was not the Emperours but onely the Pope For it had ben an uniust and impudent request if the Pope had chalenged openly to himselfe the honour of the Emperours but he requireth nothing but that which was proper to the former Popes who would not thinke that he ought to condescende to so reasonable a demande Furthermore this image declareth what manner of honour he desireth to obtaine among his worshippers to wit such as the Idolaters doe give to their Images for he will sit in the hearts and consciences of men as an Jdoll as it appeareth manifestly from the adoration and admiration whereof wee spake before He desireth him selfe to be esteemed God but the Spirit calleth him by a true name a false God and an Image The Spirit acknowledgeth not that foolish difference betweene Image Jdoll which of late the Idolaters have forged But is it not more cleare then the light that superstitious men have exalted these latter Popes to be certen divine maiesties and not simply unto the former glory of the auncient Popes which seemed to have bin utterly abolished by the warres of the Gothes and their dominion in Italy Doe not the same men worship this newe framed Image as an Idoll See those thinges which wee have spoken at the 6. and 9. verses VVhereunto many other might be added unlesse it were needlesse in a matter apparaÌ„t inough to the whole world 15 And it was given unto him to give a spirit to the Image After that men began to worship the revived Beast an image of the former as it were an Idoll to the ende that this who is his crafts maister might the more bewitch the people he should endue the Image with a vitall faculty He alludeth to the Devillish arts of the Idolaters wherby they effected that the Idols should utter oracles with distinct voices that they might wrap the mindes of men in greater superstition So the Pope having once gotten with men the honour of a divine power played no longer the part of a dumbe person but forthwith began to speake bid forbid set up plucke downe to blesse to curse to bragge openly by mee Kings doe reigne as Hadrian in his Epistle to the Archbishop of Trevir Mogent Coloniens Whence hath the Emperour his Empire but from us therefore he raigneth by us Againe that That which the Emperour hath he hath wholly from us And also Beholde in our power is the Empire to give it to whom wee will being therefore appointed of God over nations and Kingdomes that wee should destroy and plucke up builde and plante A terrible voice of the Image and surely farre more terrible then of the olde Beast whose Image he is which never durst mutter any such thinge No marvaile though the Canonists quaking at this voice doe freely professe that in these thinges which the Pope will his will is to him for a reason that yet it may not be sayd why dost thou so At chap. quanto of the translat of the Biâ—hop And this is the third miracle farre more wonderfull indeede theÌ„ if some image or picture should utter a lowde voice for this is noe newe thing both renowmed from those heathen oracles much spoken of also being the accustomed play of the Magitians but that this image of the Papists should thunder with so terrible a voice it was a thing which the world for good cause should be astonied at In this wise therefore wee see this Pope a miracle worker famous for these three sortes of miracles by the which even the Papists themselves graunte that Antichrist should be notably knowne ¶ And should cause that as many as will not worship the image Now unto his fraude he joyneth violence for whom he cannot bring by miracles to worship him he compelleth by punishements But who is he that should cause that as many as will not worship the image of the Beast should be killed Doubtlesse the Image For there is the same nominative case of both the verbes should speake should cause If the Greeke be translated word for word they are more plaine then as they are expressed commonly in latine and it was granted to him to give a Spirit to the image of the Beast that both the Image of the Beast should speake and should cause that as many as would not worship c. From which it is manifestly apparant the image is the supposite of the verbe should cause By which argument wee have proved before that these thinges are not to be understood of any image made with hande which to be of so great power is a thing uncredible but of a lively image which before wee said spake terribly who would put to death any which should refuse to acknowledge his Godhead Neither is any ignorant how great butcheries were made through the whole world of Christians because men were not obedient to this Image The Emperours themselves being squamish in this matter sufferred punishement for refusing this adoration by the losse of their dignity yea of their life What shall wee thinke came to the other multitude It would be an infinite thing to recken up and the matter is knowen well inough Montanus and Plantine read and doth cause against the trueth of all other bookes 16 And he maketh all small c. The other punishement is of goods in which they are punished who will not receive the marke And this marke briefly comprehendeth all that way wherby any is kept in subiection to the Beast in any sorte And it is to be observed how the Beast requireth that his vassals should be tyed to him by a stronger bande theÌ„ God those of his houshold to him A Seale was sufficient for him to touch the toppe of the skinne with some light signe But the Beast will have his marke to sinke in more deeply whereupon he useth a Character to be engraveÌ„ on the very flesh according to that affection wherby he is wont more earnestly to urge obedience to man then to God In this verse therefore he declareth to whom it doth belong to take upon them the marke also in what parte They are all sortes of men as sheweth both the note of generalitie and also the distribution of the same For he passâ—th over none how contemptible soever and abiect whom he hath not bound to him in some manner Wisely indeede seeing small sparkles doe kindle a great fire Cities are taken in that part very often which was in least feare and eveÌ„ the underminings being neglected doe overthrow the strongest and highest walles Are not the Princes constrained to follow the multitude Therefore very warily he thought that regard was to be had of small men poore and bond Which so vigilant and exquisite carefulnes doth the more set forth
chapter of that threefold voice whereby is noted the proceeding forward of the Church the second is like a thunder ver 2. Which second voice is begun by this battell undertaken of the Angels as hath ben observed before and so reioyceth in the name of thunder whereof mentioÌ„ was made in the 10. chap. ver 4. The Spirit would not have these wordes to be related before thereby shewing the deafenes of those ages to which these voices belongeth which in hearing heard not which yet at the sound of the seventh trumper when they were past should be knowne most plainely for which cause they are reserved to this time 7 Feare God c. The argument of the sermon was most fit when all reverence toward God lay wholly quenched in comparison of that which the commaundemâ—nts of mâ—n did teach according to that of Isaiah This people draweth neare to mee with their mouth and honoureth mee with their lippes but they have remooved thâ—ir hâ—rt fâ—rre from mee and their feare toward mee is that which they have ben taughâ— by the commaundement of men chap. 29.13 So when VVicklefe came forth into the middest they trembled in every place at the commaundements of men but the commaundements of God were despised with out feare Yf any had not ben present at the sacrilegious Masse had not numbred certaine prayers upon beades nor abstained froÌ„ meates forbidden on set dayes and had not performed other such foolish and ungodly ceremonies he thought he had committed some hainous wickednes but if the same man knewe not God and his sacred trueth had no trust in his mercy through Christ went to Saincts for refuge and after as he was in any distresse defiled the holy name of God almost at everie word and violated other duties of true godlinesse he fell no sting of conscience From hence therefore for iust cause the holy Angel began his preaching that he might revoke meÌ„ from a false feare to the knowledge of the true God Consider the doctrine of Iohn VVickliefe condemned in the Councill of Constance thou shalt see how greatly he laboured to overthrow humane toyes and to teach necessarie godlines ¶ For the houre of his iudgement is come So the Angel in chap. 10.7 avoucheth that the finishing of the mystery was at hande from which wee see how this Angel souÌ„deth againe as an Echo to the very great crying out of him as in the same place ver 3. And it could not be but that he should vehemently admonish men of the most grievous iudgement of God hanging over their heads when he saw horrible impiety to beare sway every where VVhich iudgement began to be shewed in that same houre in that first resurrection of which in chap. 20.5 At which the Papists for iust cause might have trembled unlesse they had hardened their harts seeing they might have acknowledged from that slipping away of men to the trueth which they sawe to be every day more and more both their olde impietie and also that most iust punishmeÌ„ts wer prepared for theÌ„ uÌ„lesse they repeÌ„t betime ¶ And worship him that made heaven An other chiefe point of the sermoÌ„ that men forsaking Idolatry would convert unto the true God Whom he describeth by the workes of creatioÌ„ who at that time should finde the world the Creatour being despised giving divine honour to Gods made with handes to wood stone painted Images as chap. 9.20 And many harkened to the Angell For from that monstrous Idolatry meÌ„ perceived the foulenes of that whole corrupt religion But when the rest would not be amended God sent the Turkes into the world as wee have shewed at that place even now spoken of Yet see his exceeding great mercy who before he would let loose the raines unto them sent this Angel who by wordes should turne men if it might be from their ungodlines to the ende that by their repentance he also might turne away his scourge Should he yet after so long patience deale by admonishing rather then by striking But such is the incomprehensible goodnes of our God that he punisheth not before extreame necessity doth plainely compell him He bridled therefore the Turkes which then began to be dreadfull that they should bring no great dammage to our Europe untill the Angel had executed his office Which when it was in vaine with the most part what should stay the rodde any longer ¶ And an other Angel followed The Complut edition and the Kinges bible have and another second Angel followed The second Angel prophecieth of the fall of Babylon that is of the city of Rome and Romish power as is manifest froÌ„ ch 17.5.9.18 He speaketh of futur things as of those that wer past after the maÌ„ner of the Prophets because it is no lesse certeÌ„ which is foreshewed to be hereafter theÌ„ if it had bin already effected Though he doth not only give knowledge of a future thing but also sheweth a thing beguÌ„ at this sermon This Angel are those Ministers of the following age The chiefe among which were Iohn Husse and Hierome of Prage who fought valiantly against the Primacy of the Pope as we may see in the Articles condemned in the Councill of Constance Him they desired to thrust out of his Antichristian throne togither with whom Babylon Rome must needs fall downe Neither could it be that the Pope should longe escape whose beginning was wicked his increase worse and his ripenesse no longer to be borne with as these two holy men made apparant They preached about the yeere 1414 and did shake the Romish tyranny somewhat more forcibly then Wickliefe which also the Spirit did signify should be making every Angel following a more fierce enemy then the former Worthily did they cry out that Babylon was fallen when Bohemia being inlightened by their sermons forsooke straightway the Pope of Rome and destroyed every where the Monasteries the habitations of the Romish superstitions Which beginning was a famous proofe of the whole ruine at length which they saw would be shortly whereof they should receive a most sure pledge in this first beginning Because of the wine of the wrath That is the wine of fornication whereby shee hath provoked God to wrath This wine is Idolâ—try which superstitious men drinke up no lesse sweetely then most pleasant liquor Rome gave this wine to all nations VVho knoweth not that Rome vaunteth that shee is the mother of all Churches VVhich thing is most true if wee regard superstitions errour Idolatry and all the other corruption all which in generall the whole VVest part sucked from Rome as it were from the mothers brestes But shee shall be punished shortly for her wickednes which thought it not inough to corrupt her selfe uÌ„lesse shee poysoned all the rest of the nations with the contagion of her impiety The Complutent edit and the Kings Bible doe omit the coniunction causall for eveÌ„ as also the word city in those that goe next before with which agreeth the common translation but that
the Inhabitans of the earth shall wonder In giving all honour and service to him being astonied with the renowne of his false dignity which before was sayd to wonder after the Beast chap. 13.3 Yet notwithstanding least wee should thinke that all men should be caryed away into this destruction he numbreth among this cōpany the inhabitans onely of the earth to weet the citizens of the false Church whose names are not written in the book of life O good God how much concerneth it you ô yee Papists to deliver your Pope from all likenesse to this Beast If he be found covered with his hide which this chapter will make more cleare then the light at noone tide you are utterly lost unlesse you shall flee very quickly all fellowshippe with him I pray you as you regarde your owne salvation that lying aside all hatred preiudice and bitternesse of mindes you weigh the matter with mee in equal ballances A great matter is in hande either the vantage or losse of eternall life See you not that the Pope and the Beast did tread in the same steppes alwayes even hitherto Attend to those things which follow wee finde both of them to walke in the same path which the Spirit hath marked out with equall pases and hand in hand But you will cry out that this is a new interpretation yet appointe not the Spirit at your pleasure he stistributeth most wisely according to his pleasure a measure of knowledge to every time Rather regard the consent of the whole Prophecy which will yeeld a most cleare proofe of the truth and esteeme that most auncient which you shall finde true VVhy doo yee suffer your selves to be deceived with the names of them whom the most certen event declareth to have bene verie greatly deceived in very many things of this Revelation This is the notable craft of the Iesuites to call foorth cheifly those witnesses and Interpreters by whose reverend ignorance they may cover and hid the impiety of the Pope there was not so much danger from him to those auncient Fathers living eyther before Antichrist or by and by after his beginning They understood sufficiently that which perteined unto them other things God would have to be wrapped in darkenesse while the fore appointed time should come that the reprobat seing might not see a way so be made opē for his decree awake yee therfor at lēgth opē your eyes to the shining truth which if yee shall behold glistering more clearly then that it can be obscured by false remote calumnies remember that those are not written in the booke of life which have the Beast in great admiration then take advise according to the greatnesse of the thing You also my brethrē for so I esteeme you as long as any hope remayneth I would admonish in a few wordes who through lightnesse of minde desire of novelty within two or three dayes space become Papists It seemeth a pastime to you casting away the truth to fall to the Pope but take heed that in your sport yee perish not in earnest And willingly wipe your names out of the book of life You pretēd that you will be Catholikes but cōsider that whom you hold for Catholiks are reprobates unlesse they shall escape at length frō these tents into which yee fly for salvation But these pretenses of salvation are toies I know what grieveth you eyther want or dishonour at home or a greater reputation of other men But what gaine shal be even the most ample stipend if yee shall loose your soules What dishonour can be greater then to be added in the company of cast awayes Or who hath not honour inough which is counted the childe of God Minde I pray you these things such like and think it not a light matter forsaking the true God to associate your selves with the Divill Behold also what mischievous persons yee doo nourish in your bosome who gladly doo intertaine the Iesuits He which ioyneth you to the friendship of the Pope procureth unto you certen and undoubted destruction How miserable a thing is it with the hazzard of this life to seeke an undoubted losse of eternall life Doo not iudge any longer a thing of so great moment rather by the painted lies of those men then by the very manifest truth Neither doo yee despise my admonition I am ad adversary onely to your errours I desire from my hart that your selves shoul be saved by Jesus Christ Try the things that I say I require not otherwise to be beleeved and when the things are throughly knowen by searching acknowledge the fraud of the Iesuits thrust them out of doores detest these pestiferous men perceive your owne danger and if you have any regard of salvation now at length be yee wise ¶ From the foundation of the world So before was shewed the eternall Decree touching the death of Christ and the force and efficacy thereof in chap. 13.8 Now the same kind of speaking noteth out the eternall election of them that shal be saved Which two things are most neerely coupled togither ¶ Beholding the Beast which was and which is not and yet is Those last words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and yet is seeme that they are thus to be read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is present The difference is that those signify that the Beast remaineth alive in the very destruction as though he should say although in mens opinion he is not yet he is and so both members are referred to the same time as before Iohn saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death which yet was not wholly killed in chap. 13. The other reading noteth out more plainely the third time in which after the hurt endured the Beast should recover which thing Aretas the Complutent edition and other copies distinguish plainely which reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and shall be present and as Primasius translated shall come Yet that former reading of Theod. Beza may cary the same sence albeit in mens opiniō the Beast of late was not yet now he is In which sense they are to be taken that they may have respect to the Beast comming forth from calamity not continuing in the same For they are answerable to the third distinct time in the beginning of the verse and shall ascend out of the bottomlesse pit as is cleare from the men admiring the Beast who admire not the same contemned and afflicted which should be necessary if the words respected the same time with the member going next before but recovering his dignity contrary to mens expectation and the same greater then he had before as it came to passe in his third change after he was recovered of his wound chap. 13.3 Wherfore the vulgar Latine reading corruptly passeth over this third member making men to wonder at the Beast when he is not which is contrary to the truth of the thing Furthermore it is certaine that it is not to be read in
advancing the Pope who being destitute of the same for a time should be contemned and also because the certen definit and excellent number of these in the very first beginnings of iniquity should leade men straight forth to the extolling of the Beast in the ages following and should more aboundantly instruct us for to understand this whole mystery For these hornes which shall eate the flesh of the whore and at length burne her with fire are farre off from the times of the first hornes a thousand two hundred three score yeeres at the least as appeareth sufficiently from those things which have ben said before Necessarily therfore is a succession to be understood to al which the name of tenne hornes agreeth because the first of this number were notable Which things now in this wise declared wee have the third demonstration of those that are taken out of this chapter both of the Antichrist and also his comming For the Beast which received power at one houre with the tenne Kings who had not yet received a Kingdome in Iohns time but should receive it straightway when the sixt head was gone and then present is the Antichrist But the Pope of Rome is the Beast which a thousand three hundred yeeres since received power at one houre with those tenne Kings as wee have made it plaine Therfore a thousand three hundred yeeres since he is Antichrist So al things agree most fitly with themselves and doo marveilously levell at the same marke 13 These have one minde Such was thē the beginning of the Kingdome The intent of these Kings is with one purpose of minde to bestow their strength power in maintaining the Beast Which in few wordes but cleerly inough doo shew how the Emperours should be affected towards the Pope of Rome chiefly for the space of the two fourty moneths of his flourishing tyrāny For the defection should not beginne forthwith at this terme but shortly after the former good wil should decay and abate somewhat by little and little of the former heate But who may not wonder at so great consent of mindes through so lōg a succession that all in like wise should desire that the chiefe dignity should be in the possession of the Pope of Rome and should let passe nothing that might pertaine to the advancing and making famous the same The thing is manifest to every one in the first tenne hornes Onely Iulianus holpe also somewhat at least in vanquishing the enemies of the Empire Neither in the destructions of Rome and when the Popedome was almost abolished was ther want in the Emperours of a care to reserve the former authority to old Rome when it seemed meet to translate the Primacie to Constantinople the seate then of the Empire especially the Bishops of Constantinople chalenging to themselves the same with exceeding great contention Yea at length they restrained this ambition of theirs and commanded them to be subiect to the Romane Pope New Hornes at length arose in the VVest Pipine Charles the Great they fought farre more fiercely for the Beast then any before in chap. 13.11 Moreover at length it came to this point that by an othe of fidelity the Emperours were bound to the Pope and should now doo necessarily that which before time they did of their owne accord and voluntarily It seemed to the Beast to stand with wisdome for his greater security to use this marke afterward as wee have shewed at chapter 14.17 VVhich custome must descēde to the posterity until the words of God should be fulfilled as after in verse 17. Some few Emperours indeed had great strife with the Beast but in everie one of them this is to be marveiled at that they though they had to doo onely with a man not with the Pope They hated him peradventure as an enemy but the Popedome they adorned in the meane time very studiously But neither thē had the Pope need of those hornes who prevailed so much by his owne forces that he compelled the Emperours struggling with him to be subiect in spite of their teeth and themselves nowe to undergoe the yoke by whose helpe before he brought others under the yoke Or graunt that some one who sawe more then the rest hated also the Popedome yet one swallow maketh not the spring As touching the wordes Montanus readeth in the ende of the verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doo give in the present tence doo give their power to the Beast as in the beginning of the verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have albeit the speach be of that which is to come but this is usuall in narrations Theodorus Beza hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall give 14 These shall fight with the Lambe Now he declareth the warre of these hornes which they should make against the Lambe But did Constantine the other good Emper. ēdevour any thing against the Lord for whose sake they take up weapons against others Certenly men fight against the Lambe when any thing is defended earnestly which is contrary to his ordinances And if any looketh into that manifold superstition which was brought in when even the best raigned by the same if not the authours yet the favourers thereof he shall easily see this battell although the holy men thought nothing lesse for so I may call them whom God pardoneth for his Sonnes sake and sinning not of purpose but through ignorance then to oppugne the Lambe whom alone they desired to beare rule This I say may be called a battel against the Lambe yet those first Emper. were farr from that warre which was at length to be made with the Saincts after the two and fourty moneths were finished For so wee heard before when the two witnesses have finished their testimony the Beast that commeth out of the bottomelesse pit shall make warre against them and overcome them Chapter 11.7 VVhich wee shewed to have bene done partly by the authority of the Pope himselfe when at Trent he subdued the truth by his purpled company partly by the weapons of the Emperour Charles the fift who togither by a most lamentable warre persecuted the Princes of Germany craving liberty to worship the Lambe who had begun a little before to shine againe upon the world after long darkenesse The Angel speaketh in the plurall number as though all the hornes should make warre togither with ioyned forces But it is no newe thing that it should be said done of all which is done of any one of the same degree Many were the entreprises before against the Lambe but this one deserveth the name of warre above all ¶ And the Lambe shall overcome them See how with this warre he ioyneth the victory of the Lambe which may be understood of this alone But the Emperours got the victory in that warre that is true indeede if wee respect the very time of darkenes by the space of which the two witnesses must lie slaine and unburied But after those fewe fore appointed dayes were ended
of unrighteousnes in them that perish for that they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved Therfore God sendeth them the efficacie of deceit that they may beleev a lye that they al may be damned which have not beleeved the truth but taken pleasure in unrighteousnes 2 Thes 2.9.10 Behold the true persecution of Antichrist being rather pernicious to the soules than to the bodies although he should not refreyn frō this wickednes of shedding bloud for he should also cause that whosoever would not worship the Image of the Beast should be killed Apoc. 13.15 And he is that skarlet Beast of bloudy colour gottē by the bloud of the saincts springled on him But that spiritual persecution is the more outragious by so much as the sowl is better than the body and as the conioynt destruction of both is crueller than the perdition of one Wheras before you say that ther is no comparison of the Popes persecution of us whom you cal Heretiks with the persecution of Nero Domitian Decius Dioclesian and others as if from hence it were certayn that the Pope is not Antichrist now every mā may see that it is nothing to the purpose For Antichrists cruelty is not to be measured by the privation of mortal life but by the losse of life eternal And this is that which surpasseth al prisons swords wild beasts fyres burning yrons molten lead or any exquisite torment that either Nero or any other of the tyrants exercised This is that for the torment wherof men sought death but found it not and desired to dye but death fled from them namely because they felt payn sharper than death Apoc. 9.6 This is that for which straightway at the rising up of the Beast the woman fled into the wildernes which could not be put to flight by anie gibbets or flames wherwith the Emperours raged Apoc. 12.6 c. VVherfore though we should grant that a greater slaughter of bodies was made by Nero and such like tyrants yet nothing letteth but the cruelty of the Bishop of Rome may surpasse in an other respect and be such as wherby he may manifest himselfe to be the great Antichrist But say you many moe of the Catholiks have our Heretiks killed these 10 or 15-yeres in France and Flanders then the Inquisitours have burned of the Heretiks perhaps in one hundred yeres And if it may be caled persecution the Catholiks doo rather suffer it than the Lutherans or Calvinists For the Catholiks ar they which being driven out of manie countries have lost Churches patrimonies and countrie it selfe the new Ministers of the Gospel invading them I answer wheras now you ar resisted some of you whiles they oppugne the good estate of others have lost their own that nothing hindereth the spiritual persecution of your Pope He rageth yet with no lesse deadly feud against the truth than at anie time before yea with greater if greater may be But this slaughter of his men somewhat mitigateth the corporal persecution But the Spirit hath foretold that that shal be brought at last upō your own heads which you were wont to doo unto others For Christ threatned that he would slay Iezabels children with death Apoc. 2.23 and that they should goe into captivitie which doo lead into captivitie and be killed with the sowrd which doo kill with the sword Apoc. 13.10 Finally that the rivers and fountains of waters should be turned into bloud and that they should drink bloud which did shed the bloud of the Saincts and Prophets Apoc. 16.4.5.6 Neither is this divine recompense to be caled a persecution unlesse perhaps it be persecution to repell force by force or to take from theevs robbers the goods which they have stollen from the right owners or to drive out of the countrie them that betray the country or to drive away the wolves from the folds Your wickednes is now known unto al your treasons murders poisonnings cut-throat boldnes subtil plottings against Princes unto which you apply your selves with al diligence and often accomplish them with overmuch These things cause many of you to loose your heads these be the merits of your Martyrs these be the crowns these be trophees or signes of your victories It is to be wished of al which love the publik peace and safetie that by the faithful diligence and vigilancy of the Magistrates this persecution may more increase dayly And thus much of the greevousnes of the persecution which howsoever it be great in deed yet you see it is an other than you supposed Secondly you prove that Antichrists persecution shal be most notorious and manifest from those words Apoc. 20.8 and they compassed the tents of the Saincts and the beloved citie And that the Popes persecution is such as neither they which say they suffer it nor you which are said to inferr it can say when it begann I answer those words of the Apocalyps perteyn nothing unto anie vexation that shal be inferred by Antichrist but by Gog Magog Antichrist was slayn cast into the lake of fyre in the end of the former chapter wherupon he hath no part in this battel neither shal the last afflictiō be raysed by him as you falsly doo often avouch but by an other that shal for a while survive Antichrist And that you may understand how Antichrists persecution shal not be most notorious in the doing of it you must remember that Antichrists propertie is to invade with all guile and fraud not with open and displayed flaggs Therfore that he shal cary his matters with verie great silence and privily which be arts fittest for secret ambush not that he should be espied of al. Moreover when al the earth should worship the Beast needs must the affliction be of the lesser part and so not most notorious Apoc. 13.3 That which is doon by the most is cōmonly counted to be doon by right and to deserv no reprehension Besides his persecution is specially spiritual which easily deceiveth the bodilie sense and eyes wherupon though it should not be so readily discerned eyther when Antichrist shal come or unto whom he shal first appear or when his persecution shal begin yet this maketh the thing it selfe no more doubtful and ambiguous than it is uncertayn that the plague is the plague because it is not evident unto al from whence it first proceeded or that a fyre consumeth devoureth al things because it is not found out how first it began and grew But howsoever these things have heretofore perhaps been more obscure see now how much we have profited by this Apocalyps by help wherof we ar come neerer unto that beginning which you seek For from hence we learne that straightway after the Emperours were for doon the woman fled into the wildernes a burning mountayn was cast into the Sea chap. 8. For then the barrs being burst the Roman ambition could no longer be held in then began errour and superstition of everie
as they neither could nor durst move anie thing against the faith established Socrates lib. 2. cap. 2. But the Ariminine synod abundantly testifieth in an Epistle to ConstaÌ„tine his son that he persisted constant in the true Nicene faith even to his last end We have judged it absurd say they even then so soon as he being baptised is departed from men and gone unto his due rest after him to mind for to goe about a new thing and to contemn such holy Confessours and Martyrs These things agree not to a man fallen from the truth And after that agayn And this moreover we intreat you that nothing be eyther taken away from the things which were before ordeyned nor anie thing added but that al things may remayn intyre unviolated which through the pietie of your Father are kept unto this very day Theod. lib. 2. 19. Sozom lib. 4. 18. Farre be it therfore that we should think he made shipwrack of faith and desired a second baptisme of an Arrian Zonaras mentioneth but one Baptisme and that by Sylvester but his tale agrees not with the truth For he wil have it that Constantine theÌ„ first forsook the worshiping of Idols and was clensed from his leprosie by the Baptisme of Sylvester after that Licinius being slayn he alone had the soveraignty But Eusebius a witnesse then living telleth how straight after that miraculous sight in heaven he caled the Christians to him and by them was taught the whole way of salvation that he gave himselfe to the reading of holy Scriptures had the Preists in great estimation promised that he would worship no other God thenceforward Euseb in vita Constant lib. 1. and his promise he indeed performed as appeareth by those Edicts in the behalfe of Christians which he togither with Licinius that reigned with him caused to be promulgated Euseb lib. 10. ca. 5. And was not he made a Christian until Sylvester entred him into that profession when he made warr with Licinius because he uncourteously and yll intreated the Christians And wheras he relateth that Peter Paul by night appeared in his sleep and bade him send for Sylvester and that he asked of him whither Christians worshipped the Gods caled Peter and Paul it is very ridiculous Who are witnesses I pray you that Peter and Paul appeared unto him by night To whom did Constantine report this Was it to Sylvester and not to Eusebius Or how could he be ignorant of the Christians God who had before now so exactly learned of Christians and himself read the holy Scriptures and also vowed that he would have no other God beside Christ as we shewed even now from Eusebius And strange it is that he should not send for Sylvester but when he was bidden by revelation who from his first conversion so familiarly used the holy Ministers as he had them for companions even making the Preists of God assistants to him Euseb in the same place Rashly therfore did Zonaras preferr the Romish Legends before the more ancient faithful Historie Nicephorus was moved by the authority of the Church of Rome the Font which Constantine is sayd to have made at Rome as also for that the Emperour was admitted into the Nicen Synod which the Fathers he thinketh would not have doon unlesse he had been before baptized But as coÌ„cerning the authoritie of the Church of Rome and the Font they shall be of some moment and have their weight when the Church of Rome shal have proved that she feighneth not in verie many other things And that third thing of place in the Synod it is too leight for to discredit so sufficient witnesses For why should they not admitt him into the Synod whoÌ„ they ought to admitt unto publik prayers and the preaching of the word A synod is as it were an assemblie of Prophesiers from which by the Apostles rule even infidels ar not to be excluded But if all saith he prophesie and ther come in one that is an unbeleever or an unlearned one he is rebuked of al he is iudged of al and so the secrets of his hart are made manifest and so he wil fal down on his face and worship God saying plainly that God is in you in deed 1. Cor. 14.24.25 But Constantine had obteyned like precious faith with the other Saincts therfore also might be partaker of the Spirit as they on whom it fell before Baptism Act. 10.44 c. And wheras he delayed his Baptisme the Fathers knew he did that not of coÌ„tempt but of a kind of religion of what manner I dispute not They might also think that neither Moses counted his children aliants from the covenant though they were not circumcised at the apointed day neither were the Israelites forbidden to offer sacrifices and doo other service of the Tabernacle although they were not circumcised in the wildernes Wherfore ther was no cause why entrance should be denied him into the Synod seing al deferring of the outward sign taketh not away from the faithful the right of children either with God or with men in the common duties of godlines Forasmuch then as it is certayn that Constantine was not baptised til the last part of his life it is a lying fable that Sylvester should clense him of his Leprosie by fotce of baptisme administred 20. yeres before at the least And in deed so Iacobus de Voragine freely acknowledgeth in the Legend of the finding of the holy Cross speaking of Constantines baptism It is doubtful saith he whither he deferred his baptism or no wherupon ther is likeweise more doubt of the Legend of Sainct Sylvester And a litle after It is evident that ther are manie things in the Historie which are recited in the Churches which are not consonant to the truth He speaketh of the invention of the Cross but ther is the same respect of al Legends This therfore is a lying miracle which is not confirmed by anie sufficient witnesse and is contrary to the true Historie The second miracle is of a Bull raysed up againe by Sylvester which ZaÌ„bres a Iew the last of the twelv which disputed against the truth of Christ by mumbling some words in his ear made fall down dead suddenly This fable is like the former None of the ancient writers that either lived in those times or succeded next doo speak any one word of this thing Surâ—ly he was not yet born that should forge this tale from Iustin Martyrs disputation with Trypho Moreover Zonaras telleth the thing as if Helena the mother of Constantine were togither with her son at Rome The Legend wil have her to be absent at the conversion of her son in Iudea stomaking that he was made a Christian she hastened thence to Rome with 149. learned Iewes to make trial of the truth by disputing Agayn the Legend is not onely contrarie to Zonaras but even to it selfe For in the life of Sylvester it saith that Helena went into Judea before her
your selves not to be Ministers of Christ And in this weise is the first calling of the Iewes that shal be now shortly which Daniel describeth by a certen pointing out of the time chap. 12.12 c Ezechiel saw it shadowed out by the dry bones moving themselves with an exceeding great noise shaking and by and after covered with sinewes flesh chap. 37.78 as wee shal heare afterward God willing more fully 11 Then J saw heaven open It being declared how Euphrates must be dried up or rather to what ende that is to say that nothing may be an impediment to the Iewes returning into their owne countrey now he proceedeth to the other part of the sixt vial the preparation for warre the Captaine wherof is first described And such a forme of him is exhibited not onely as is needful for this warre but also which declareth the whole state of things from that instant moment even to the end of al things It is no new thing that under the person of Christ a short and brief Prophecy of the whole state of his spouse should be delivered He is not chāged unlesse in so much as it is convenient for his Church Therfore in this new shape as in a glasse we ought to behold the face of the spouse by how much it is to be considered the more diligently This wonderfull sight is seen in heavē open that is in the holy Church whose most bright glory now most of all shal be made manifest to al men as before by a dore open in heaven the notable dignity and excellency of the first Church as it was in the Apostles daies and by and by after chap. 4.1 But this is more ample glory that heaven is opened not by some little dore but by a whole gate ye whole walles that I may so say nothing letting but that her full maiesty now may be seen of men as farre as is granted on earth ¶ And behold a white horse We may not suppose that Christ shal come forth in any visible shape these things are farre from his last comming as those things which follow wil manifest but he wil shew forth openly and evidently such a force in the administration of things as this figure representeth The whole description consisteth of foure parts In every one of which is to be considered the preparation and name In this first part the furnishing is a white horse the name faithful and true The similitude of which things with that in chap. 6.2 hath caused that some did thinke this to be the same vision by which errour they confound all things They differ much in times and in argument That white horse belonge to the first lists But this to the last goale That former went forth by and by after Iohn when Traiane flourished and his next successours This last is not seen but after the destruction of Rome There the confused multitude of all the beleevers was respected Here the conversion of the nation of the Iewes onely is intreated off Yet herin they agree that the white horse in both places signifyeth Christ triumphing by his truth but thē the Gentiles being subdued now at length a stubburne people being reconciled unto him To which thing he carried a name fitted wherby he sheweth that he wil now at last manifest to the whole world how faithfull true he is in performing his promises and that not any thing even the least shal be frustrate which once he foreshewed by the Prophets concerning the restoring of this nation in the last times Such a one therfore shal Christ be notable by these marks when he shal beginne the conversion of this people His promise shal seeme to have bin forgotten through long delay which at length he shal performe with most plentiful increase of new joy ¶ And who jugeth and fightest iustly So Theod. Beza translateth a relative being put between as though these things togither with the former should constitute the name it selfe which in the rest is wonte to be shorter but the sense is al one seing it is in likeweise whither a man be counted such by his name or found to be of this sort in very deed The worde have this force properly and he iudgeth and fighteth in righteousnesse where the coniunctiō copulative may be a causal as though these words should render a reason both of the white horse and also of the name should be added to the same in stead of an interpretation He sitteth upon a white horse because he fighteth righteously His name is faithful and true because he iudgeth righteously Which words are spoken in respect of his own people taken as they seem out of Psal 96.10.13 where to iudge in truth and righteousnes signifyeth to rule and moderate his people in framing and ordering their life according to truth and righteousnes that not onely as touching their outward actions but also in respect of inward newnesse of the heart which dependeth upon the regeneration of the Spirit wherby we are reformed after the Image of God as Calvin hath written very wel These words therfore declare the effectual power of calling which Christ shal now bestow aboundātly upō his and moreover safety from their enemies with whom he wil make warre and render them a reward meet for their deserts 12 And his eyes The second part of the description where his eyes are as it were a flame of fyre and on his head are many crownes but a name unknowne to all men but to himselfe alone As touching his eyes they are most sharpe pearsing al things which as flames of fyre consume whatsoever letteth the sight make lightsome the darkenesse it selfe and set most hidden things in the light What cā hide it selfe from such eyes Such an one shal Christ shew himselfe in drawing out his people into the light of truth from the hidden dennes and darkenesse whersoever they lurked so as this sharpnes of sight shal be very admirable to the world I wil say to the North saith the Lord give and to the South keepe not backe bring my sonnes from farre and my daughters from the endes of the earth Isay 43.6 The crownes are many because of the many singular victories which the Iewes shal get when first they shal give their name to Christ from those sundry nations among which they live dispersed striving as much as they can against their conversion But why is his name unknown that here we may know that great mystery to be wherat Paul cryed out O the deepnesse of the richesse both of the wisdome and knowledge of God! how unsearcheable are his iudgements and his waies past finding out Rom. 11.33 c. There he speaketh of this same thing of the hardening of the Iewes for a time calling at length in their time which whole matter he concludeth with an admiratiō of Gods wisdome affirming that no wit of any creature can comprehende the infinitnesse of the mystery So this vision foreshewing in the
streame neither is ther at this day almost found any hold so strong that can withstand his furie But the time of this tyrāny is but short to weet onely for an houre a day a moneth a yeere that is about three hundred ninety yeeres if wee count the yeere by twelve moneths and every moneth by thirty daies after the account of two and fourty moneths and three dayes and an halfe chap. 11. If we follow the reckening of the Iuliā yeeres the impious kingdome shal not be prolonged beyond seven yeres more then utterly to be abolished without leaving so much as the footsteps of his name after him as shal be said afterward 4 Then I saw thrones Hitherto the brief History of the Dragon the same now is handled somewhat more fully there being added togither also the state of the Church wherin it was in every of those times The two first of which are shewed elegantly in the same words For when after the Dragon is bound the thrones set are seen and also the soules of them that were beheaded sitting upon them and iudgement given to them by these is signifyed that the primitive Church was miserably afflicted before that mortal enemie was cast into prison Then was ther no seat established for her no iudgement was given but she lay on the ground trode under foote every moment spending the life of many of her members for the truth whereunto belongeth the cry of the soules which desired vengeance of their most cruell enemies chap. 6.10.11 Therfore all that time from Iohn even until the binding of the Devill by Constantine was a time for the hatched for flaming fires for the racke and all manner of torments as is very wel shewed here Againe the same thrones and iudgement given after that the Dragon was delivered to prison by Constantin doo shew the notable felicity of the second distance of time which the Church enioyed having obtained Emperours for her Defendours For these thrones belong not to the saincts raigning in heaven as the Iesuite will have it intangling himselfe in many absurdities but they which dwell on earth in a better estate in regard of the open enemy then in former time For why should the raigne in heaven be limited with a thousand yeeres Or why should they beginne to raigne after the Dragon was bound as if the raigne in heaven wer not perpetual Moreover such ar counted in this raigne who ar dead a thousand yeeres agoe as in the next verse which can not be understood of the raign in heavē in which unlesse the soules of them that die fly forthwith they shal never afterward come thither But more plainly of this matter at the next verse ¶ And they sate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it may be put and perhaps better transitvely they did set So the order of construction runneth easily being reduced by the accusative cases which folow et animas and the soules et illos c. and them which worshiped not in the same sense vidi thronos I saw thrones and they did set on them to whom iudgement also was given both the soules of them which were beheaded and also those which worshipped not the Beast c. who all lived and raigned with Christ a thousand yeeres and iudgement was given them they were dealt with according to their righteousnes themselves being set at liberty and their enemies suffering the punishments of their cruelty Even as on the other side on s iudgement is said to be taken away when a man is oppressed with iniuries and the doers of them goe away scotfree as Iob complaineth God liveth who hath despised my iudgement c. chap. 27 2 and 34.5 Or iudgement to be given may belong to the raign as in the Psalmist O God give thy iudgements to the King thy righteousnes to the Kings sonne Let him iudge thy people iustly and thy poore with equity Psal 72.1.2 as though he should say the Church now is advanced to that dignity wherby shee should give lawes to others which but lately was accustomed to receive them being most abiect and obscure and of no estimation with the world ¶ And the soules of them that were beheaded If ekathison they sate be taken as a verbe neuter then these words are to be referred to the verbe eidon vidi animas and I saw the soules c. These are the soules of the godly Martyrs of the first period who under the Heathen Emperours laid downe their lives for Christs sake who now at length by meanes of Constantine obtaine glory and honour But how is this wilt thou say they not being on the earth Their soules were placed on thrones when they who tooke away their lives uniustly were iustly punished by Constantine that is whē the tyrants were killed and condigne punishment inflicted upon them for their cruelty The iust man shall reioice when he seeth the vengeāce of the wicked and shal wash his footsteppes in their blood as the Psalmist describeth And againe a two edged sword is in the hand of the Saincts to execute vengeance on the Heathen which honour shal be to all the Saincts Psal 149. It is a glorious thing for the Saincts that their iniuries are nor neglected but ar at length recōpensed with iust punishment This is it which the soules desired earnestly chap. 6.10 And these seats are that deliverance which they obtained a promise off in the same place ¶ And which worshipped not the Beast These also were placed or sate in the seates which are men then living in the second period wherupon he not onely mentioneth their soules as even now of the Martyrs which were in the age past but the whole man saying those which worshipped not c. From which we must observe seing the godly are described by those marks that they worshipped not the Beast neither suffered themselves to be noted with his marke either in the forehead or on the hand and that in the second period whē the Devill was bound which took the beginning at Constantine himselfe and continued from thence by the space of a thousand yeeres that the Beast was all this time Otherweise ther could have bin no praise of the Godly living in this time if there had bin no occasion and matter for them to get praise by Wherfore the Beast was bred togither with Cōstantine when the Dragon being thrust out of heaven and going into prison gave his power and his throne and great authority to the Beast chap. 12.13 and 13.2 He could not suffer that any truce should be granted to the Church but when he saw his open furie to be repressed he ordained the Beast his Vicar in his roome being absent by whose endevour at least he might satisfy his hatred Therfore the three yeeres raigne of Antichrist is a trifling toy a part wherof we see here manifestly to extende unto a thousand yeeres Secondly let the Papists consider what a vaine forgerie that Antichrist is whom they dreame off
For there is no Antichrist properly so called and for excellency whom the Spirit in this Revelation teacheth to us besides that Beast of the thirteenth chapter But the Papists Antichrist is not this Beast as not being to come before these thousand yeer◠of the binding of the Divill be finished So the Iesuite teacheth that these thousand yeeres are without doubt the whole time frō the death of Christ even to the time of Antichrist But this Beast ruleth through all the time in which the Devill lay bound Therfore the are meere toyes which the Iesuite obtrude to the world miserably deceaving as others so much more themseves who are altogither carelesse of a present destruction and quake at some vaine shadowes to come They rest I know in this matter upon the authority of some Holy Fathers to whom they doo no lesse iniury then procure danger to themselves These being farr from the event of things spake onely by coniecture which to preferre before most certain events is not onely foolish but also greatly contrary to the minds of them who every where confessing their ignorance provoked rather to search out the truth which the day should teach then to rest in their doubts which even they themselves condemned of ignorance Wherfore they who will yet holde fast their known errours are deprived by the iust iudgement of God of all even common sense that so in flattering handling themselves gently they may throw themselves headlong to eternal and unevitable destruction Furthermore observe from this place that the two and fourty moneths in chap. 11.2 and 13.5 are not to be nūbred after the common manner seeing the Beast to whom these moneths belong was in the view and eyes of men the space of a thousand yeeres as it is manifest from his adversaries who should be altogither none if he should not be at all ¶ And they lived and raigned Both the soules of the Martyrs and those which withstood the Beast enioyed a Kingdome with Christ this whole time in which the Dragon was bound Not that any one continued his life so long but because ther never wanted a succession of the godly who embraced the truth notwithstanding the rage of Antichrist To acknowledge the truth is in very deed to live and raign with Christ even as on the contrary eyther not to know or to despise the same is in living to be dead and in the highest top of raigne to be in a more vile estate then the most abiect slave But he maketh mention of the raigne of these yeeres not because when they were finished the Saints should cease to raign for wee see that the first resurrection doth follow by and by which should make the former glory more aboundant but because the Church in these yeers chiefly lying hid in the wildernes and in the secret of the temple should seeme to the world to have perished utterly chap. 11.1 and 12.14 he sheweth that the same raigned with Christ all this most sorowfull time Which doubt could not befall concerning the saints in heaven who wee know doo enioy a blessed time as soone as they are departed out of this valley of teares This raign of most couragious champions was shewed before by that holy army of an hundred fourty foure thousand who camped in Mount Sion and followed the Lambe whither soever he went ch 14.1.2 wherof this verse is a rehearsall 5 But the rest of the dead Such then was the state of the Saincts by the space of a thousand yeeres of the Dragons binding Now in a few words is signifyed the cōdition of the multitude in that space These refused the truth and snorted a long night not awaking those whole thousand yeers that the sunbeame of most wholesome doctrine might shine upon them And this is that Apostasie which Paul said should come before the Lord should appeare 2 Thess 2.3 and which Iohn expressed before by the whole earth wondring after the Beast chap. 13.3 and 17.8 ¶ This is the first resurrection The third period wherby is taught in what condition the Church should be by and by after those thousand yeeres were ended More cleare truth should now at lēgth returne to the world and the elect every where should assemble togither to the appearing light of it Which earnest desire of theirs is called the first resurrection to weet in respect of the second ver 12. as there we shal see A greater number now then before and with more vehement affections should make hast to the Ghospell as came to passe at the end of those thousand yeeres to weet at the yeere 130. when very many before dead in the Romish superstitions wherwith they were overwhelmed opened their eyes at the rising of the truth so did rise unto life from which of late they were strāgers Among these wer numbred Marsilius Patavinus Iohannes de Gauduno Iohn Wickliefe and many other excellent men of syncere godlines and great learning for that time By their labour others in great number wer recalled from their errours unto the truth as it were from death to life as we said before in chap. 14.16 This wonderful conversion is called the first resurrection under the name wherof Iohn repeateth and togither also declareth those former times This is not therfore the resurrection at the last iudgement as the Iesuite interpreteth who forgetting himselfe in this verse extendeth now evē unto the day of iudgement the thousand yeers whose ende lately he did set in the comming of Antichrist What time then shal be left for Antichrist not beginning his raigne before that the Dragon shal be let out of prison Shal the first entry into his Kingdome fall on the day of iudgement It were in deed to be wished for so neither should he accomplish that three yeeres and halfe space which the Papists tell shal be so miserable and bewaile so lamentably Furthermore they which were lost before doo become blessed in this resurrection which thing shall not come to passe in the last Moreover how is this the last which is called the first and a latter then which there is an other ver 12 How is the raigne of a thousand yeeres with Christ after the last resurrectiō mētioned for great which we know to be eternal nor to be limited with any revolution of yeeres ver 6 Shal also Satan be loosed and shall that warr of Gog and Magog be raised after the last resurrectiō For certain this resurrection shal be after those thousande yeeres be accomplished and this warre shal be moved after the same yeeres be complet ver 7. The Iesuite faineth a strange resurrectiō after which such sturres shal be on earth But it is worthy to be observed with how great unsensiblenes he is strikē Here where he hath Augustine going before him in a right opinion he reiecteth him But at other times often where by reason of obscurity of things he is manifestly deceived he runneth after him apace most swiftly For the Iesuits in
else where fully declared in this book wee hope that wee doo no violence to the truth if that we shal ioyne this place unto the meaning of other the like But some man wil say that wee have made mention of this calling in the former chapter it is true but that of the sixt viall was but begun not perfit and absolute as that of the last viall shall be wheÌ„ all the enemies shal be destroyed VVhich distinction of calling the former words doo manifest when in that first Iohn was commanded to write blessed are they which are called to the marriage supper of the Lambe chap. 19.9 VVherby it is taught that the first was not perfit where need was of such confirmation the office wherof is to seale up a thing not yet sufficiently known and to come which all being called had bin superfluous But Daniel writeth most plainly who hath distinguished both the callings by their times He setteth the first at the ende of a thousand two hundred ninetie daies The second at the ende of a thousand three hundred and five The distance between both is of fourty five dayes that is of so many yeeres as in an other place with Gods helpe wee will shew Dan. 12.11.12 VVee shall see likeweise in Ezechiel in the place before spoken off that the dry bones being covered with flesh and skinne did move themselves alike and approach one to an other Moreover after some time during which they were destitute of Spirit at length being quickened by the same doo live a true life and doo performe all those offices of life peculiar unto bodies endued with soules That approaching of the dry bones is that first calling of the former chapter The comming to of the Spirit giving to those bones perfit life is the latter calling this resurrection to which nothing shal be wanting unto perfit salvation Both which though Ezechiel comprehendeth in the same chapter yet he handleth the more distinctly afterward For first before that warre with Gog and Magog he mentioneth the resurrection as also Iohn that which was begun in the former chapter afterward when Gog was destroyed he describeth a most glorious building of the temple in the 40. chapter c. which is this secoÌ„d and full resurrection Therfore the first resurrection of the Iewes of the Iewes I say for the first resurrection of this chapter ver 5. is of the Gentiles into which notwithstanding shal fall at length this first of the Iewes that every way it may be the first shal be by and by after the destruction of Rome The second shal be straite after the Romish Pope and the Turke be destroyed This resurrection is a power to enter into the temple which the smooke did hinder to all untill all the seven last plagues were accomplished ch 15. the which is spent in destroing the Pope of Rome and the Turke as was spoken sufficiently before If I seeme to any to weaken the gâ—neral resurrection by taking so notable a foundation from it let him understand that it taketh no dammage from hence This place hath yet left a most strong ground to confirme the same For the Spirit doth not deceiv with a fained similitude but of which ought to be a most certen persuasion among Christians Otherweise certenly he had lost his labour if he had brought any thing lacking credit Moreover he should have driven to defperation in propounding that which must not be done for they would have thought that even so they had bin past hope but using a tipe of a thing that should most certeÌ„ly come to passe in his time he both maketh the calling undoubted and also declareth the manner wherby at length the resurrection shal be accomplished And thus much of the true sense of this argument now we wil prosecute the rest ¶ Then I saw a great white throne The preparation of God the iudge setting his people at liberty taken from a similitude of the general resurrection For the power and mercy of God shal be no lesse cleare in the molifying of men hardened by so long a revolting and in bestowing salvatioÌ„ upon them so past recovery then at length shal appeare in raising out rotâ—en bodies out of the graves The throne therfore is white most pure most gratious most comfortable in the very forme having a demonstration of mercy Great to declare the most imperial maiesty of God which now shal be made evident in this assembly of his people he sitteth also upon a throne ready to iudge because ther shal be no more any delay of rewarding the stay wherof before brought men into that opinion as if God regarded not the earth there fled from the face of him that sitteth on the throne both earth and heaven a great alteration of al things being made both the false Church plucked up by the rootes and also the true augmented with so great fruitfulnes that her former sorrowful face may seem to have fled away 12 And J saw the dead both smal and great Such then was the iudgment now at described those that shal be iudged These smal and great ar Iewes who before hated the faith and were spent with such calamities that they might seeme to differ nothing from the dead Now al of them shal appeare before God every one to undergo the iudgement either of life or death For now it shal be made manifest who ar elect and who reprobate They which yet shal resist the truth obstinatly shal be numbred amoÌ„g the last sheepe No remedy shal be used afterward wherby their stubburne minds may be subdued But why saith he small and great Whit her in the last resurrection according to the maner wherof al things are here applyed shal every one appeare in that stature in which they departed this life For this cause some have affirmed too rashly that every one shal rise againe in that talnesse in which Adam was created Which opinion both resisteth evidently this place and also taketh away the truth of the restored body if ther shal not be that iust stature in which they dyed ¶ And the books were opened The forme of iudging by books opened which are the consciences endued with the true light of Gods wil with a lively feeling of all their actions These shal now openly manifest to all men them in whom there is a syncere minde given of God and in whom lay hid hitherto the seed of election ¶ Then an other book Of Gods decree and election these things ar spoken after the manner of men considering that it is our manner for the helpe of our memory to recorde in books things done and in iudgmeÌ„ts to give sentence according to the truth of them Therfore election is no new thing neither dooth it depend on our pleasure but is founded on the eternal decree of God ¶ And the dead wer iudged c. After or according to those things which wer writteÌ„ in the books as once in the return froÌ„ BabyloÌ„s captivity
things ar passed away all things are become new 2 Cor. 5.17 ¶ For the first heaven and earth were passed away Shal the Church then faile utterly among the Gentiles For heaven noteth out more pure godlinesseâ— as we said even now How this should be abolished it may be doubtfull because of those things which wee have mentioned before As concerning the earth it is not so doubtfull considering that the Spirit hath already taught sufficieÌ„tly that the Pope of Rome with his whole falsely so called Catholique flock shal be rooted out utterly before this day As then touching the reformed Church shal the receiving of the Iewes cause the alienation of the Gentils as before time the casting away of them was the reconciling of the world Rom. 11.15 It may seem so in deed especially considering that the Apostle affirmeth in the same place that a certain fulnesse of the Gentils shal be accomplished as is like at the calling of the Iewes ver 25. but yet notwithstanding in this very chapter the Revelation teacheth otherweise to weet that the Gentils which shal be saved shall walke in the light of it and the Kings of the earth shal bring their glory and honour to the new Ierusalem ver 24. Yea Paul in the place before said plainly avoucheth that the Church shal be very flourishing amoÌ„g the Gentils when the Iewes are called For saith he if the casting away of the Iewes be the reconciling of the world what shall the reconciling be but life from the dead This is as if he should say what shall the receiving be but as it were a general resurrection wherby they that are dead in sinns among all nations comming at length to the truth shal be made partakers of eternall life by faith in Christ From which wee gather that the fulnesse of the GeÌ„tils is not a certaine ende of beleeving at the calling of the Iewes so that faith among the Gentiles afterward should utterly perish eveÌ„ as no more can be powred into a full vessell but a more aboundant accesse of all nations of the earth toward what part soever their countreyes doo extend obeying the Kingdome of Christ according to that saying the Lord shal be King over the whole earth in that day shall ther be one Lord and his name shal be one Zach. 14.9 And the Lord will destroy in this mountaine the figure of this vaile that is spred upon all nations and the cover wherwith all nations are covered he will swallow up death it selfe into victory and the Lord Iehovah shal wipe away the tears from all faces and will take away the reproach of his people out of all the earth Isaiah chap. 25.7.8 For then they that dwell in the wildernesse shall kneele before him and his enemies shall licke the dust The Kings of the Ocean sea and of the Ilands shall bring presents the Kings of Sheba and Seba shall bring gifts Finally all Kings shall worship him and all nations shall serve him Psal 72.9.10.11 How then in this celebrating shall the new heaven passe away that is the more pure Church among the Gentils Must we distinguish concerning the GeÌ„tils wherof some are yet strangers from Christ othersome are named Christians now by the space of many ages as we of Europe first of all Shal they come to the Chuâ—ch as the Prophecies even now alâ—â—adged declare and many others agreeing with them Shal these depart and fall away as the vision seemeth to shew which these words doo set forth The fiâ—st heaven saith he passed away What other heaven is then among 〈◊〉 according to the sense of this Prophecy then among us of Europe for the most part Certainly the promise made to the Chuâ—ch of Philadelphia increaseth the suspition to weet that it should be a pillar in the temple of God never to be cast forth chap. 3 12. Why is this attributed as proper and peculiar to it if all the rest enioy the same benefit alike It seemeth therfore that as once the unfruitfull fig tree was cut up and the ill husbanded vineyard being taken from the old farmers was let out to other Luke 13.6 Mat. 21.41 So the Church now a long time evill entreated among them of Europe doo purpose to trusse up bag and baggage and to forsake them at length who have long since forsaken the purity and love of it What though now it be called heaven the heaven themselves are impure in the eyes of our God Iob. 15 15. And the more in deed at this time our heaven which rather enioyeth such nam in respect of the Popish infernal gulfe thaÌ„ for any heaveÌ„ly clearenesse of his own But that seemeth to be repugnant to this calamity of Europe that after the first resurrection there are a thousand yeeres of reigne with Christ chap. 20.6 that is ther shal be among those nations to whoÌ„ this resurrection hath befallen a continuance of the truth by the space of so many yeeres from the beginning of the restauration therof But wee know that this was proper to our countreyes But it may be answered that perhaps this reigne shal be such as was that of the thousand yeeres before that resurrection when the Divell was bound chap. 20.4 when the Kingdome was of a few elect in whose hart was the love of the onely salvation-bringing truth howsoever the Antichristian impiety savoured better to all the rest of the multitude Certenly other scriptures seeme to leane more this way threatning that al religion shal be so defiled with so many corruptions that fearce any wholesome footstep of it shall remaine entire And who is so ignorant of things that hath not iust causes inough to feare much especially when he seeth the word of God to be despised every where new errours to spring up daily old to be brought back again from hell al godlinesse to be converted into gaine and ambition Many indeed are the arguments that the glory of God wil depart from us shortly as once from the temple at Ierusalem Ezech. 9.3 Vnlesse peradventure some comfort ariseth from hence that this departure of the first heaveÌ„ and earth may be understood not of the utter decay of the truth among the Europeans but of such a renewing among the Iewes in comparison of the excellency wherof whatsoever was excellent before may be said to have passed and vanished away when the light of the moone shal be as the light of the sunne and the light of the Sunne sevenfold as the light of seven dayes the Sunne shall blush when the Lord shall reigne in Sion as wee have heard out of Isaiah or finally unlesse it hath some weight that the Spirit here speaketh so exquisitely not saying the former heaven and former earth were passed away but the first heaven and the first earth as though these words respected not the Gentiles at all but onely the legall worship which rightly one may call the first heaven ordained at the first of God himselfe But the Christian people
the glory to come which shal be revealed in us by which words saith he our good deserts ar not compared with the future blessednesse but the sufferings that is the labours which we suffer for Gods sake as though he should say our sorowes cannot be compared with the joyes of the blessed although the endurings of griefes in as much as they come from grace are worthy doubtlesse of eternal life Consider the fraude of the Iesuite who having nothing to answer to this place flyeth to an other from whence some shew of an answer might be taken But that I may not now examine that of the Romanes why telleth he us of sorowes and af lictions not to be compared with the ioyes of the blessed of which nothing at al is spoken in this place Here teares death sorow crying all labour is banished away before in ver 4. so as nothing is more unmeet as to dreame of such a comparison For in these words it is shewed that not onely the sorowes of this life are inferiour to the ioyes of the blessed but also that the thirst hunger and most fervent desire of godlinesse than which nothing can be of greater esteeme in a man doo not obtaine life by their merit but by the meere grace mercy of God Neither is that of the fained Ambrose lesse frivolous and also of Thomas and Rupert who wil have the word freely therfore to be said because although eternall life be due to the merits of the righteous condignly yet the merits themselves could not have bin merits without grace which was given freely For if they would rather have spoken with the Holy Ghost then from their owne perverse braines they would never have said that any grace is given to men by whose helpe they might doo workes worthy of eternal life when here it is said expressely that the reward of the most excellent workes is alto gither freely bestowed and not condignly 7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things For none shal attaine to this happinesse but he which shall behave himselfe valiantly in that battell with the Dragon of which in the former chapter Yee therfore ô Iewes shew your selves men It shal be a terrible warre if ever at any other time Dan. 12.1 Yet notwithstanding feare not neither fainte in your mindes The victory is sure and after the victory eternall ioy 8 But to the fearfull and unbeleeving The reward of the wicked which first are called fearfull fearing them which kill the body and denying Christ before mē Mat. 10.28.33 desiring to save their life but in very truth loosing it Mat. 16.25 Of which sort peradventure there shal be some in respect of the greatnesse of the danger when the Turk the Dragon shal threaten most cruell destruction to them that professe Christ Vnbeleevers are they which shall refuse the truth openly For every one shal not be converted but it seemeth that some by the iust iudgement of God shal remaine in their former stubburnesse as we have observed before out of Daniel Abominable are men of desperate naughtinesse and impudently wicked whom al mē every where detest Aretas and Montanus doo reade before abominable the word sinners as also the Cōplutent edition and the Kings Bible But these sinners are alone with abominable men notably wicked and desperate But why is ther mention of Idolaters when al the Iewes generally doo hate Idols It may be that some have turned away to the Romish impiety although this be a rare thing ioint also that Rome before this time shall be destroyed Therfore these things may be understood of the Gentiles as also al other kinds of sinnes which have bin reckoned hitherto who cleaving to their Idols shal have no part in this holy city of wich in the meane time al the godly shal be freedenizens whersoever they shal live Lyars also are excluded that is such as reioyce in lying as hypocrites dissemblers and they who make some shew of religion having no tast therof n their hart Observe how with those horrible sinnes he mixeth some lesser in the common opinion that no man should deceive himselfe by supposing that if he refraine himselfe from those greater he may followe the smaller without danger of punishment But the thing is nothing so he that continueth in the least without repentance must know that a place is prepared for him in the lake of fire hither shal be thrust al this company and they who are of the same condition Not because al the wicked shal descend presently at that time into hel but because they shal be convinced and condemned by the sentence of the holy Church which is as if God should pronounce it from heaven and should strait way drawe the condemned unto torment 9 Then came to mee one of the seaven Angels Hitherto the generall declaration the particular followeth And first by whose helpe this thing is to be manifested this is one of the seven Angels of which wee heard in the chap. 15. and as it seemeth the last who was to poure out his vial into the aire Frō which it is evident that this new Hierusalem is within that time wherin the vials are powred out for which cause there is so exact a repeating of his office that he is one of those seven Angels which have those seven vials full of the seven last plagues least any in wandring rashly should passe over the boundes that are set ¶ Come I will shew thee the bride Did not Iohn see it before ver 2. But there through a windowe and somewhat confusedly but now more distinctly and clearly The first shew of the newe descending Hierusalē shall seeme faire but after that it shal have abode on earth somewhile then it shal be seene farre more noble For we gather from the former thinges that these words doo shew the event as also that which the Angel inviteth for to behold whence we learne from the analogie of those things which hav bin said before that some holy man by published writing shal manifest to al the faithful rhe most divine maiesty celestial glory of this Church But we see these things yet a farr off and darkly the day at lēgth shal make this thing most cleare 10 And he tooke mee up by the Spirit into a great and hie mountaine He entreh into the description of the city more fully then before yet notwithstansting shorter in these two verses Therfore that Iohn might throughly knowe the bride he is taken up into a hie and lofty mountaine The first condemnation of the whore was seen in the wildernesse chap. 17.3 but the glory of the bride shal be revealed in a hie mountaine in the eyes and light of the whole world This mountaine seemeth to be that which Isaiah speaketh of In the last times the mountaine of the house of the Lord shal be set in the top of other mountaines and exalted above the hilles that all nations may flow unto it chap. 2.2 VVorthily is
alone but also it shal be writteÌ„ on the horses belles Holines to Jehova as are the pottes of the house of Iehovah as the bolles before the altar Zachar. 14.20 he wil undertake their patronage and defense of all their things even of the least 5 And ther shal be no night They shall not be afflicted as in the former ages neither shal they need light coÌ„forts of the light and the lik things which before they were wont to use but they shall receive of God himselfe exceeding joye neither shall they care for or seeke other meanes to ease their griefes Isay 60.19.20 But how saieth he they shall not neede the light when above he said the Lambe shal be their light chap. 21.2 here he denieth not altogither that they shall not neede the light but onely no other but the Lambe ¶ Because the Lord God giveth them light they shall reigne for ever ever Ther shall appeare greater kindnes of God than can be attributed to any meanes For so great shal be the increase of knowledge that men shall seeme to be made wise not so much by hearing of the word as by divine inspiration The like shal be of all other giftes whose excellency shal farre exceed all meanes which they might use in getting them In the ende of the verse there is set downe in plaine words what is the summe of these 3. verses to weet that this kingdome of Saints shal be eternal which shall be begunne in the earth neither shal it ever be interruptep but shall be finally translated into heaven 6 Then he said to mee Hitherto hath bin the propheticall narration now ther foloweth a conclusion of the Epistle the shutting up of the whole Revelation which in few wordes mentioneth certaine chiefe heades whereby every one maye confirme and strengthen himselfe of the credit and authority of this Prophecy It is a most profitable conclusion and full of heavenly maiesty The Spirit knew how this Revelation should not be regarded of men and certaine should call into question the credit thereof beyond his wonted manner he labourâ—th in a few more words to take away all this doubt But who is this Angel which now talkes with Iohn An other as it seemeth than he who in the beginning of the chapter shewed the river of the water of life or that manifested the city For thiâ— is the seaventh Angell that is of those to whom the busines was committed of administring the seven last plagues chap. 21.9 whose charge was certaine and conteined in the limites of a certaine parte not endued with power of the whole Revelation But this confirmation is common to the whole booke and therfore seemeth to be of that Angell which was sent in the beginning that manifested these things to Iohn Next also it is likely that here are not againe words uttered by the voice of the samâ— ngell but they are related of Iohn under the person of the Angel of whom first he had received them Certainly the coniunction of things without any copulatives or any necessary coherence between themselves seemeth to approve of such an account Which meaning if we follow the words ar not to be translated then he said to mee which declare the time of a new speach begunne after the sight of the city but and he said to mee as though he should say seeing that now I have fully delivered to you al things which are revealed to mee that shal be now ther remaineth nothing but that with sure faith ye embrace the same which that you may the more easilie doo bethinke ye how holily and religiouslly the Angel hath confirmed the same to mee those words are faithfull and true Wherfore this confirmation of the Angel apperteineth not onely to those things which went next before of the new Ierusalem although the demonstrative proouune be so used often but likewise to the whole booke as also that threatening which followeth ver 18.19 universally challengeth credit to the whole Prophecy and not for the authority of some certaine part of it These things are repeated out of the 19 chap. ver 9. by the words of Iohn speaking which the Angel had before spoken they are applyed to approve the whole Revelation ¶ And the Lord God of the holy Prophets sent his Angell Neither did the Angel of his owne accord utter these words are faithful true but by the coÌ„maundement and authority of God the sander The same God which inspired the auncient Prophets that they might most certenly forespeake of things to come he sent this Angell which might reveale those thinges to Iohn for the use of the Church These things are repeated out of the 1. chap. 1 ver which Revelation he signified when he sent by his Angell to his servant Iohn But thou maiest observe that this latter member of the verse is so inferred that it may clearly shew that these now are not the words of the Angell speaking but of Iohn repeating the arguments of this Prophecy delivered from heaven 7 Behold I come quickly The testimony of Iesus concerning the speedy execution of these things fetched out of the 11. chapter which must shortly be done and againe the time is neare ver 3. The event of things next past should give credit to things that follow and therfore he maketh mentioÌ„ of a speedy execution as if he should say take every one of you for every of your ages a pledge and as it were a fuerty of things to come by the present things which thou shalt see to come to passe These things assure you that the things to come are no lesse certain But we who now for a thousand and five hundred yeares to weet from Iohn have seen the consent of the event and Prophecy may not any more doubt of these few other things which as yet remaine See how these things are heaped up togither as but now we saied without any bandes of speach as for the most part it is done in numbring of things ¶ Blessed is he that keepeth A confirmatioÌ„ of the happines of them which keepe this Prophecy which nothing can bestow on man but the truth in spired from heaven as before in chap. 1.3 from whence these are fetched 8 And J Iohn A confirmation from the Ministers It is a most sure prophecy whose Minister the Angel was and of so great maiesty that Iohn the Apostle thought to worshippe him and of that holines that he forbad the worshippe offered Iohn telleth what first befell chap. 19.10 he falleth not downe againe into the worshippe forbidden him ¶ But he said to mee in the greek it is and he saieth to mee for he said to mee or hath saide as well the interpreters do translate it he relateth not a new but a thing past But we must marke that which he spake before and of thy brethren which have the testimony of Jesus chap. 19.10 here it is uttered in other words and of thy brethren the Prophets of them
which keepe the words of this book Therfore to keepe the words of this book is to have the testimony of Iesus ¶ Seale not The publishing of a commaundement wherby ther should be free power to every one to examine and by the successe to iudge of the Prophecy Iohn might not have it for himselfe alone but should offer it to the trial of a publique examination as forthwith from the beginning he was bidden That which thou seest write in a booke and send it to the seven Churches chap. 1.11 And againe write these things which thou hast seen which are and which shal be that is hide it not from others but publish it But if the publicke publishing of it be onely respected how was Daniell commaunded to shut up his words and to seale the booke who also brought into open view his Prophecy Therfore this prohibition of not sealing includeth some other thing namely that things to come are in such sorte set downe that men by the events present and neere at hande might be ledde as by the hand fully to understaÌ„d the same Prophecie which chauÌ„ced otherweise to Daniell who was not manifest to every age for he lightly touching things interlaced is chiefly imployed in things that should lastly come to paste and therfore should expect the appointed time before which it was not to be unfolded which partly is to be understood of those more difficult visions partly of the people of the Iewes whom that Prophecy doth chiefly respect That which followeth confirmeth this interpretation for the time is at hand as if he should say shutte not up this Prophecy because the time neare at hand shall reveale it but Daniels was sealed up for the event farre to comme caused that for a great time it should lie hidden Therfore these words have the same force as the former Behold I come quickly 11 He that hurteth let him hurt still A preventing of a secret doubt wherby the mindes of the weake might be weakened for they see that the ungodly goe forward in their ungodlines and their punishment for many ages is differred Therfore they might demaunde how he would come quickly who so long forbeareth the wicked He then meetes with it and warneth that no man take this in ill part but minde that the ungodly will continue in their wickednes and the righteous will follow after righteousnes but that there are certen boundes set them beiond which they cannot goe neither must they wonder that a certaine increase of wickednes is permitted for a determined time for the greater condemnation of the ungodly but they are to leave those men and to turne their eies to the elect whose constant study of godlines ought to strenghten our wavering mindes against all stiffenes of the reprobate Therfore these are not the words of one exhorting but of one conforting and admonishing that by those scaÌ„dales our expectatioÌ„ be not diminished seeing that ther shall be such a state of things even to the last end ¶ And he that is iust shal be iustified still Let him be imployed in those workes wherby he may prove both to himselfe and others that he is iust but he doth not so much exhort as shew the perseverance of the saincts which being planted in Gods house bring forth more planteous fruites in their old age 12 And behold I come quickly But it was repeated before in the seventh verse but againe it is now pressed as an excellent remedy against the offense of the extreeme hardnes of the reprobate as if he should say as often as the wickednes of men doth stirre up the minde be thinke yee that shortly shal be the coming of the Lord. He hath promised it that cannot deceive nor measure you not the delay by your owne sense but beleeve stedfastly that that which he hath promised shall not be so long differed Yee consider that the Lord is present in those same things which are dayly done see that he now forthwith hasteneth his promises that ye may not complaine of his overmuch delay or may thinke that those things whiâ—h have bin foretold shall not come to passe Therfore these things doo very well accord with the former nor by any meanes are they to be referred to an other place albe it if this coupling togithe were not wee ought not to be much troubled about the consequence The rehearsall made which we have spoken off may containe in one full sentence divers things sundry persons without any light of bandes and transitions ¶ And my reward is with mee These words belong to the same comfort and set before our eyes Christ the rewarder against the offense both of the felicity of the wicked also those troubles which in the meane time the saincts doe finde God is iust neither can it be but that it shal goe well at length with the good ill with the wicked as hath bin declared in this same book in expresse words chap. 13.10 and 14.13 13 I am Alpha Omega They ar the words of Christ but not speaking in this place in his owne person but rehearsed by Iohn They confirm the Prophecy froÌ„ the eternity of Christ or rather froÌ„ his power as before wee have interpreted How should we not credit him so wel in pronouncing of things to come as past who is eternal or who hath given beginning to al things and at his pleasure caÌ„ reduce them to nothing chap 1.8 14 Blessed are they c. These things belong to the authority of Christ testifying to whoÌ„ whosoever obey is blessed He hath power over the tree of life the liberty wherof he giveth to them that obey him ch 2.7 of this ver 2. Moreover he giveth a right to enter into the city by the gates by which alone the way is open seing the wall is so hie that there is not any hope ever to climbe over chap. 21.17 15 But without shal be doggs Men of doggish impudeÌ„cy virulency who alwayes barke at every good things it shal be a grea felicity to be delivered from their society Concerning the troupe of the excluded see ch 21.8 16 I Iesus c. A confirmatioÌ„ froÌ„ a manifest testimony of Iesus himselfe not spoken here by his owne voice but by Iohns repeated froÌ„ ch 1.1 Christ speaketh never in this book in his own person without some significatioÌ„ of his most great maiesty wherby he may testify his presence ¶ That bright c. The morning starre is most clear sheweth the day following at her backe so Christ in this life shineth most brightly to the faithful being also a pledg to theÌ„ of a greater light shortly to coeÌ„ But morover he shineth to them by the first fruits of the truth of which he wil giv them shortly a ful abuÌ„ndaÌ„ce This praise is takeÌ„ froÌ„ ch 2.28 see mor there 17 But the Spirit c. A confirmation from the desire of the sanctified to whom nothing is so deare as to see these things