Iew paid him And Arias Montanus paid Erostratus All Doctors should bee readie in that to defend their ground wherevpon all their doctrine must stande Of Law vowelled and vnvowelled The Law Copies were some vowelled and accented the commune vnvowelled and vnaccented because the tongue may by vse be read reasonablie without them but in doubtes to small certeintie Rabbi Iacob the bringer of the Massoreth into a Dictionarie forme with notes sheweth that Moses gaue vowells but the people had few vowell'd copies till Ezra made them commune and Aben Ezra saith well He that set the vowells and accentes was a perfect wise man for He neuer missed of the best sense But the 70. translated by vnvowelled that they might hide their minde when dull heathen would quarrell with trueth Of the 70. differing thirtie sixe hundred of yeares from the strickt Ebrew Many blaspheme Gods worde by the 70. differing from it Gen. 5. and 11. in opusculis Patrum one worke blameth the Ebrew and all Grecia still followed the 70. so Arabia so Abyssini so Muscouia The text Gen. 5. faith Adam liued 130. yeares and begat Seth and liued afterwards 800. The Lxx. Adam liued 230. yeres and begate Seth and liued after that but 700. Our notes not well set 1603. haue this note Adam liued 230. yeares and begate Seth wherein Moses omitted 100. yea c. This note dasheth all Moses authoritie if he were not true in his narration S. Augustine could not tell the reason of the difference Ciuit. Dei I haue shewed it in Concent Scrip. Melchitzedeke though my recompense hath beene but vngratefull scophing of vncleane spirites DD. that know not a letter vowell or accent what authoritie they haue from God such vncleane spirites are good helpes for the king of Locustes when they hinder the grounds of all prophecying Of Perfection in Scripture The text hath perfect Diuinitie The holy in all their ages knew the Trinitie and that Christ would be made man of a woman according to our kinde as of Mary of Ely of Adam Heere Anabaptistes and Lutheranes are in an heauie case All the holy knew that mans soule returneth in death presently to God to receyue the Aboundance of grace of the gift of Iustice in Christ and ioy vnder Gods throne or Anger for their sin and contempt of Gods loue in Christ before Gods angrie face Leuit. 26. Apoc. 14. The ancients liued by the law grauen in all hearts some few they had deliuered tokens of redemption But for all life the heart lawes serued Ier. 31. Rom. 2. Iob telleth what store of lawes hearts helde Moses for an whole great nation gaue law written but the most bent to Leui imperfect without the Gospell Iob and the Apostles haue no Lawes but such as wise heathen all would commend Authores for tongue Christians may passe in Ebrew very rare Ebrewes because the Apostles translate much in speciall elegancie Besides they allow very much in the 70. What they handle not ancient Hebrewes make plaine And they who will expound Ebrew beyonde this warrant as some doe for Hell place and Hell torment in life do not well Prayer is our seruice of God Maymoni in prayer from all Rab. God forbid that any should pray but to God Menachen vpon Gen. and Deut. 6. Mat. 4. and 6. neuer any holy prayed to a Created Angell or man Men the best had great faultes as Abraham long worshipped creatures Philo and Maym. in Idoll Bechaia sheweth exceedeth sinne of his for Sarah for which his posteritie smarted in Egypt Of the New Testament The soundnesse of text playnenesse in foure Dialects I handled in our Lordes familie against which booke I hope none will raue but for Ioakims buriall Conclusion Poperie hath no defence by any sound groundes of studie not to any one article Blasphemous groundes of Popistrie 1. That they say the Scripture is corrupt in text The Massoreth or Dictionarie for euery letter prick and accent checketh that for the old Testament And the new Testamēt can none blame but to his shame as I haue shewed Princes in Latin 2. That they say the scripture is doubtfull no booke was euer penned so certeine for Lawes meaning Visions Allegories bring no new rules as Ezekiel and Cantica The New Testament hath not one phrase but the easiest to learned Iewes not one from the beginning to the end 3. That they say the scripture is imperfect they might as well say God made not the world perfect But the Pope can make moo Creatures and better as Archangelles and Purgatories and soules departed to vnderstand our heartes and bold to teach God whom he should pitie and to make Mary commaund Christ Satan in his owne person durst neuer be so bold 4. They plead from the Law of Sanedrin where a man must stand to their iudgement The Sanedrin might be without any Leuit as Ierusalemy noteth though the Law speak of that which most vsually falleth out that Leui should bee readie in his owne profession But Esay saith to them who was so blind and Mallachi speaketh to the same effect the Leuites whole condemnation of holy Ieremie where one of Israel cleared him But the Pope his Cardinalls Archbuishops haue no more to do with Leui then apes to stand for men 5. The Pope maketh a spiritualtie a Clergie to tie learning to them Dauid had his warriers the best learned in Moyses that by foresight of Christ thence one frighted 1000. and kill'd 800. And in Babel Iuda in Daniel Ananias Azarias and Misael before Ezechiel of Leui came thither were the glorie of men 6. All wealthy should be brought vp in the Bible in frame of art to know it throughly what lawes it hath what disputations are vpon those Lawes what stories and how the sentences of Iob Dauid and Salomon comment vpon the stories All our nation might haue seene this plaine if wicked had not hindred by their spirituall keyes And in Popes proceeding they make him knowne to be wicked 7. By Gods Law Ecclesia the Sanedrin court should rule in all matters And old Wicklife in Walsingham did hit the naile vpon the head saying That if the Commune Lawes of England might take place the Pope should haue no more to do with vs then any other Yet frō Satan he will rule all and make Ecclesia to be not ciuill courts but his courtes Our commune Lawes praemune that sagely and the lawlesse resist God 8. The Pope from Rome will rule and the Rome-free-borne Apostle after he taught the Thessalonians of Pope from Rome giueth a charge to the Romans to keepe euery soule in obedience to the ciuill gouernement and by Ciuill gouernement S. Paul escaped from death by Scribes traditions How yong men learned in liberall artes might be rarely exquisite in the greeke new Testament GOD perfect in wisedome knew that the Iewes would marueile why the New Testament should be all in Greeke and not any whitt in Ebrew Therefore to shew
no studie so good as this nor so much desired of all sortes Hee knew neither the Low nor High Ierusalem that would threaten to hinder this studie and is worthy to be recorded foreuer for an example to others The treatise of Dauids family and Nathans comforted through all Daniel of the Rome-Beast one made of foure sauage vnto Constantinus the great This shewed more thē any Academique in Ebrew and Greek or either euer the way to the heauenly Ierusalem The right honorable S r. Iohn Fortescue reading the workes told the bearer thus Tell the auctor I will obtaine of the King a very great stipend for him The honorable Gentleman knew what a priuy Counsellor should doe death praeuented him yet as it seemeth from his motion the Kinges kingly promise came and for Ierusalem his memory shall not die Dressed as a Bride trimmed for her husband The Citie for a ruler is trimmed as a Woman to be married for her husband Esai 52. Rules of saluation are a greater trimming for the minde then any outward trimming can bee for the body The holy Prophets wordes haue all trimnesse that speach can conteyne in language The promises of Christ all trimnesse of sharpe wisedome the stories of contemners endlesse to destruction and of Embracers few to saluation all trimnesse of storie and so the New Test for the age heere meant all trimnesse of wisedome and learning and cariage rules of faith haue wisedom passing all heathen and Christian true policie is more ciuill then all heathens So the Citie is trimmed for a Citie as a bride for the bridegrom And I heard a great voice from the heauen saying Beholde the tabernacle of God is with men he shall dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himselfe will bee with them their God and God will wipe all teares from their eyes and death shall be no more nor mourning nor crye nor paine shall be any more for the first thinges are past In Leuiticus 26. God telleth that if they keepe his Lawes God will haue his Tabernacle with them and they shall be his people and he shall be their God So before the captiuitie of Babel they that conquered the lande with Iosuah and the Iudges and vnder Dauid and his house many were And Ezekiel telleth that after they haue bene in Babylon to teach the Creation of the world and returne from Babel in the hope of Messias they should be the people of God and the same is heere spoken for vs heathen comming vnto CHRIST And now that men be taught of Christ plainly no affliction will make them weepe as in Babylon they wept at the Riuer sides Psal 137. not knowing cleerly Gods counsel how the Lord sent them thither to teach by Babels punishment that ONE the God of heauen ruled all and when men see the death of Christ to giue life that they who belieue in him die not but passe from death to life then death mourning cry paine will be nothing as the first case is altered Andrew was Petros before Symeon in Photius because he first acknowledged Petram all who do so are sure that the courtes to kill Christians the gates of Haides shall not preuaile against them When they knew that in Haides God hath Paradise for the Godly So Athanasius telleth that the Martyrs feared not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The going to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And he that sate vpon the throne said Behold I make all things new Isai 43. and 2. Cor. 5. Turne this to a new life heere and in that sense Christ about fourteene yeares after Ierusalems fall spake to Iohn in this vision that although the Church in the sight of the world should be base it should be a new heauē The Iewes see a new light in Moyses and the new Testament calleth vs from the toile of Moses to the rest in Christ that Daniel chap. 9. 24. shineth as Saint Stephens face as the face of an Angell and the minde which by the new Testament doeth see the old seeth a new world aboue that which was seene in Poperie Where Bellarmine and his labor to disgrace the scripture the waters from which they that be not baptized by the spirit shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen And he saith vnto me write for these wordes bee true and sure When the Apostles were all dead but Iohn and the Disciples were in great affliction and the God of this world was mightie in persequution the naturall man would thinke it harde to looke that the Bible should bring a new world Therefore the WORD who made this worlde and will make a new world would haue this written that in this world first he will make a new world And he saith vnto mee it is done I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end The learned note Ebrewes as Kimchi and Greekes as Eusebius that the Prophets spake in the praeterperfect temps for things to come because with God all is praesent and as sure as thinges past So should men haue regarded this booke that all in it though strange should come to passe That the Romane Emperours should bee plagued to ouerthrow that a new Rome should bee built for Empire neere old Troy that a beggerly scholar by lies and false miracles should set vp an Empire making himselfe as if he were God and deceiue the world men feared not this But Christ what hee spake in the beginning bringeth it to passe in the end Of ALPHA and OMEGA In that Christ nameth himsefe by the Greeke letters the first and the last he giueth great honor to the Greek tongue that they who seeke not from his words but from barbarous Latin his wisedome should be guilty Many Latin termes haue greatly deceiued as sacramentum for mysterion dispensator for Oeconomus Descendere ad inferos for Cateltheim eis Haidon and such hence come seauen sacraments dispensing with Gods word and going downe to Hell Briefly the smoke from the Pit is bred by wrested Latin as that an Image may be worshipped not an Idoll When Papae Cardinales Arch-buyshopps and Buyshopps rule the sheepe ignorant of Gods words they become wolfes and the most deadlie enimies to the truth The Pope hath an auctor in opusculis patrum which by the LXXII reiecteth the Ebrew truth adding an hundred of yeeres more then Moyses gaue at Seths birth and he allowed this blasphemie That Moyses omitted an hundred of yeeres His notes for soules 75. Act. 7. teach by Gregorie Martyn that either the old Testament or New faileth and his translation not the Septuagint taught that the dwelling of Israel which they dwelt in Aegypt was 430. year And their translation checking S. Pauls Greeke for 450. after a sort made Beza and our BB. after Bibliander and others hold the text corrupt and their rude translation made Achaziah two yeeres elder then his father and 20. yeer elder then himselfe And their barbarousnesse not knowing
and cast him into a Lake burning with fire and brimstone which is the second death Chapter 19. But the Romane Dragon shall be tyed 1000. yeeres before the King of Locusts deceiveth generally But then hee makes a new Gog and Magog for the old Ierusalem and thereupon shal be destroied as the old was by the first coming so he by the second of CHRIST from a throne of iudgement as the old Gog and Magog was Chapter 20. As Iohn in Patmos saw the heavenly Ierusalem so Patmos the Church tossed with Aegean waves shal be in Gods fight such as Isaiah Ezechiel Aggei and Zacharie spake of CHRIST saluteth vs poore heathen with his owne most gracious voice To him that loued vs and hath washed vs from our sinnes by his blood be all honour glory for ever Amen Isaie 25. And hee the ETERNAL will destroy in this mountaine the covering that covereth all people and the vaile that is spread vpon all nations THE ARGVMENTS OF THE REVELATION THe Apocalyps may be divided into speach vnto the present age and into prophecies for time to come Common to both are the nations and places and the times The nations to whom the book is commended are cities of old Gyges kingdome called the Land of Gog where the Lagidae and Seleucidae had parted Asia the lesser betwixt them Ezechiel told that when they were overthrowen for scattering his people into all quarters God would be glorified over them and in wrath remember mercy As over Antiochos in that the Land of Magog Antiochia first bare the name of Christians Over both in these seven townes whereof Philadelphia beareth plainly the name of Ptolomie Philadelphus Sardis was the Court of rich Craesus whose wealth God gave to Cyrus the great that sent Israell home from 120. nations and built the temple vpon his owne charges In it the old memory of Ggy or Gog is continued The nations called are from all people The damned for deadly hinderance of the Gospel is Rome plainly described by full many arguments vndeniable The whip of Romes Idolatrie be the Saracenes The time in trope is taken from the time of Christ his persecutions three years and an half But therein is meant the qualitie of state not length of yeres that men should be afflicted the afflictions of Christ So the Dragon Caesars afflict a yeare two yeares and halfe a yeare and the Dragons tayle the Pope and the old Romane Empire monethes 42. and the Vicar of the Lambes hornes the king of Locustes dayes 1260. They who thinke to get any certeyntie hence deceyve them selves and the truth is not in them The allusion is most heavenly calling Christ still into mind The thousand yeares come neare proprietie telling when the Popes authoritie should come to the highest These points may commonly be considered CHAP. I. The present age is saluted with narration of particular place and day and vision of Christ and in seaven epistles the partes of it be applied vnto playne experience CHAP. II. Ephesus learneth how remission of studie loseth the Church Rome continually practised that still shaking off Greek and Hebrew and skill in Gods word Smyrna is told that Iewes not right Iewes whose praise is of God would seeme to be Iewes but should bee found lyars So Rome would chalenge the true Iew. Rom 2. but they that seemed to stand shall fall Pergamus heareth of idolatrie and fornication Rome and Venice be deaf Thyatira hath a new Iezabel with witchcraft and whoredome and Baal Papists are full of charming Nunnes full wanton and Goddes of their owne making CHAP. III. Sardis the court sheweth how the pompe of court hath hardly lively religion yet still some be there So Rome the court towne seemed vnder Iohn alive but had forgotten S. Paul Rom. 11. 13 2. Thes 2. Philadelphia had true love and tryeth who be the sound Iewes and shal be as Salomons pillers in the heavenly Ierusalem Such were full many Monasteries of learned men which knew well what S. P. Q. R. meant when stultus populus quaerit Romam Laodicea followeth the common maner neither hoat nor cold but holdeth on what negligent custome hath once brought in So antiquitie and vniversalitie are the Papistes answer They never plead better skill in the Ebrew Law and Greek Gospell so thar Turkes and Iewes may see how they build not vpon a rocke by sure grounds but flee to custome never allowed of God This from obscure Patmos on the Lordes day Iohn teacheth that the base corners shall have truth when they receive the holy banished and Rome the banisher shal be left in Satans throne to pester the yeare with Popes holy dayes honouring creatures with religion of dayes as Rome did to Iulius and Augustus and as ill in March May Ianuary and February and in all Ovids fastis The stories of times which God writeth be more then yet men would ever learne The Lords resurrection day is surely taught vs and that wee should keepe But his birth day he would not have vs to know and when men would after three hundred yeeres seeke it out God gave them over into a deceived minde to misse 3. moneths that of 1300. yeres that dotage was not espied vntill this age searched about found better matter Yet Laodicea will follow custome and cared not for grace from him who was and is wil be and from the seaven spirits the one Eternall that giveth seaven lampes of oile to his servants and from Iesus Christ that is above all the Kings of the earth Psal 89. Dan. 2. 7. Apoc. 6. and 19. whom Rome pearced with spear and nailes But they shall feel whom they pearced and whom they crucifie agayne to have him counted a base and bare man not as on Tabor when the Godhead made the humanitie shinelike the Sunne Now for times to come CHAP. IIII. When the voyce of Christ like a trumpet making them happy which know the sound Psal 89. behind vs calleth vs from our owne course we shall see God in the heaven of the Church like Beniamins Iasper building his Church in Paules Shebet and like Rubens red Sardius fighting against Hagarenes for the Tribes with the Rainebow of the covenant like Levies Smaragd teaching the brightnes of the Gospell Thus we shall see God sitting vpon a throne whē Christ from obscure Patmos sheweth that heaven is not best seene from great cities which alwayes overflow in wickednes but from place where fewest be to disturbe So shal be seene 24. Bishops or Elders that can apply the Patriarkes storie vnto the Apostles Gospell all these clothed with the iustice of Christ being to the soules as white linen is to the body Seven lampes of oyle grace beatē with much affliction as beaten olive the seven graces of the spirit make this and the whole company be afore the throne a sea cleare and blameles iustified freely by the grace of God And the Church shall not want rare wightes full of
of Constantinus and he removeth the Empire to Byzantium calleth it new Rome and indueth it with the privilegies of old Rome Our West brought him to the East and one of our Helena despiseth old Rome buildeth new Rome near Troy where the wicked Helena wrought destruction to the house of Assaracus that after 300. yeares old Rome should begin by blood and spoyling And this may be noted that Q. Elisabets agent did that in Constantinople that none of other nations could That the Turkes Princes and Iewes there desired to have from England the Gospell preached there in Greek and Hebrew and the Kings royall mynd is to be commended for his bent to allowance that way L. Barton wrote that if N. could be gotten thither it were like to turne to the common good of Christendome So God offered our nation againe glory in the stateliest soyle But Satan hindreth by his servants that can turne themselves into Angels of light God will look to it One libeller would perswade that the Iewes letter comming in severall copies and translated there and thence sent to Basil and printed there was forged there A strange dealing a strange impudency None learned would think that all Christendome setting their wittes together could forge such a letter The slaunderer could not read one line of it And what a barbarous vnthankfull wight is the Libeller of these words Because your armes are the owles you think you must bring owles to Athens and because the Iew saluteth you as you feigne you think you are the onely Rabbin of the world If the base borne wight had bene of Constantinus kindred he had bene of an other spirit but now he could not consider the height of that cause The like vnto him is he that sayd these words The knight which said the King would give 500. lib. annuitie did but flatter and I will stay the King that he shall give no allowance to Iewes matters All the Oratours that ever were can not sufficientlie expresse the deadly hatred that these men have to the truth of God There is no other way to make Christians readie in the Bible but by handling the Gospell by Thalmudiques to whose tenour of studie all the new Testaments stile is bent The best learned Iesuits at Francfurt in the hearing of a gentleman of England hartily requested this done saying that by me they ready to cleare the new Testament could soone turne the Indians The Iewes over Germanie hartely desire this Princes made great promises but the old serpent wil be hindring whom the great Angel can tye in chaynes that he deceive not and deale with his factours as they wil be boūd with chaynes of darknes To which matter I require the cuppes of the foure wights and 24. Bishops full of incense to be powred before the Lambe that Iannes and Iambres may receive according to their workes that no more regard whence the sixt seale brought on a new world nor how the fallen must be lifted vp CHAP. VII Three hundred yeares were passed ere that men were sufficient in number to have kingdomes of Christianitie Then Schollers began to remit zeale and Hebrew studie which had soone overthrowen Arians shewing GOD to bee our Creatour Eccles 12. and Christ Iehova our righteousnes Yea the Apocalyps had most tamed Arians and Iewes and had been clear at the first by Thalmudique veine of studie By 300. moe Byshops pride and sloth made but a gaine and ambition of the Gospell Antioch would have chief Patriarkship following Antiochus old pride Alexandria would as Alexāder would be a God Old Rome would as it crucified Christ New Rome would for the Empires seat None considered that the Scholers of Patmos should be the sealed martyrs whē neither North-wind rose nor South-winde blasted in the garden that the spices might flow the beloved come into the Garden and eat of his precious fruites Cant. 4. But foure Angels held the foure windes God favoured Antioch that where sinne abounded mercy might more abound That men should not therefore be high minded but feare in the ende Hagarenes take it Cush or Abushini in Keturahs house had Abrahams familie and long held well but in the end held but the Gospel and few Epistles and the Psalmes for all the Bible That which Colen Rome hath printed Moscovia from Constantinople held litle sound Rome was the cause of falling to all still weakening the East Empire that should have holp the rest So God telleth that a generall fall shall come that not the open be the true but the hid bee the servantes of God such as God sealed As in Ieremies dayes in Ierusalem the ill figs the troupes of Ierusalem were a Synagogue of Sathan when all the Levites condemned him to dy and God in Ezekiel sealeth all his whom Israel condemned So here an apostasie is told which groweth vp 300. yeares by many wicked steps And then commeth to the Popes supremacy and soon maketh the open Church a Synagogue of Satan That onely men vnknowen few to mens sight but many to Gods ey that seeth all be the Church Here the Papists might have their answer when they aske where our Church was The tribes all have ech one twelve thowsand Though Dan is not named he is vnderstood But when Iosephs two sonnes and Levi be reckoned one is left out as Symeon Deu. 33. So Dan here They be shallow who hence gesse that Antichrist commeth of Dan. S. Paul taught Chrysostome 2. Thes 2. that he should come from Rome The latter halfe of the Chapter sweetly expresseth the poinctes wherevpon all standeth that salvation is from God and the Lambe All more in religion is from the serpent All honor to Mary Saincts Also Martyrs and their comfort is sweetly expressed This matter in time followeth the eight and ninth CHAP. VIII Out of the seventh seal come matters more to bee sounded thē six afore had The Church had peace a small while but angels seven are prepared to sound wrath arising Christ the Mediatour is ready to receyve prayer he is contemned by Rome dallying with his mediation Therefore hee powreth voyces thundrings lightnings and earthquake Angels here tell it Men in playn work The first common place Warre Hayle and fire mixt with blood sheweth vexation with warre ever since Constantines house fell the Popes bestird them to stirre warres to overthrow the East Empire and to set the West by the eares The second common place The Popes supremacy The arising to be a great mountayne became a mountayne of fyre when he cast himselfe into the sea of nations That a third part of men became dead in sin in profane trafique of life The third common place Corruption of Scripture wrested to his policie A great star burning as a torch fell from heaven and fell into the rivers and fountaynes of waters the name of the star is wormwood c. Angelus ecclesiae the Doctor is a star Ch. 1. heaven is the Church burning
and continually and all the praise of Christ and he is seene riding vpon his white horse and we follow in white linen of justice then Christ will make proclamation to all kites as in Ezekiel 39. concerning the Macedonians to devoure the flesh of Papists slaine and will cast the beast and false Prophet into a lake burning with fire and brimstone CHAP. XX. The tyme of the Popes absolut ripenes in Sathan to deceive generally shall not be till a thousand yeares when the smoke of his pit hideth sun and ayre and his locusts have lions teeth and iron brestplates and winges of Chariots and war horses Satan was tied among Papists elder prophane 1000. yeares that many reigned heere with Christ for a thousand yeares they of the first resurrection that is from sinne in this world vpon them the second death shall have no power but they shall reigne with Christ and such wil be for a thousand yeares But after a thousand yeares the darknes of the pit will so extend it selfe that the old serpent shall trouble all the holy Citie and besiege the faithfull every where as though old Gog and Magog were alive and the old Ierusalem were a new to be defended The Pope deceived all the Princes of West to send all their force for to recover Ierusalem and Antioch and 200. yeres the greatest warres that ever were were made there That the old war of Gog Magog was nothing like this And yet Christ had tolde that Ierusalem should be desolate vnto the worlds end Mat. 24. as he caused Moses to tell Deut. 28. But the false Prophet to weaken Princes who would be deceived and not excell in Gods word as they most of all might do he caused them to go for 200. yeares from England France and all the West men women and children to recover the cursed land And now God began new mercie now first Rabbines made Grammers for Hebrew and Iarky the great D. commenteth vpon the Bible at a thousand yeares now 600. agoe and Aben Ezra at 500. a very great Rabbin Rabbi Sadaias was afore him who turned Moyses into Arabique that Christians might follow the truth not the 72. which hid their minde for 1600. yeares change as I have shewed in Conc. and Meschisedek That hiding not spied hath deceived all Arabia Abyssions Graecia Moscovia Englande vnto 1603. to breach of all Moyses authority Rabbi Sadaias did enough to have holpen this Another Rabbin put forth a Greek translation in Ebrew letters Ramban who at the last became a Christian he wrote finely foure hūdreth yeres agoe Aruc a Dictionarie for the Thalmud is 600 yeares old Isaak Ben Arama and Bechaiah both overthrow their owne side and helpe vs to tye Satan againe so doth David Kimchi teach vs from much Thalmudique that the title of the 22 Psalme is the morning star a matter worth much gold for Apoc. 2. and 22. Briefly from after 1000. yeares God pitying vs stirred Iewes to teach vs Christ by their best cōmenting though them selves could not see him Al be godles that wish not all helpe to turne them and how hath Satan bound them that labour to hinder all the good of their commenting for Christians speciall vse and hope for them Satan raged loose 500. yeares But now we looke for his fall not fearing any deceit with strength Therefore the vision passeth vnto the resurrection CHAP. XXI Because the Church should be long in the wildernes and seeme black to men God sheweth the heavenly Ierusalem how goodly it is from Esay 25. and 54. and from sixtie to the end and Aggei 2. Exod. 28. Ezekiel 47. and all the Prophetes and how great it is 144000. furlongs square As a thousand miles high building and so long and broad that if all the elect since Adam came as beastes into Noes Arke a citie of this largenes would but hold them Here Papists should see antiquitie and vniversalitie CHAP. XXII The lawes are golden and streames of life in Christ the morning star But this I have in Concent of Script handled at large and elswhere The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ open our eyes to see that to morrow we shall die that to day we may heare his voice Coloniae Iu. 1610. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gentle Reader where you see this title THE ARGVMENTS printed above almost of every page there read OF THE REVELATION And where you see OF THE REVELATION there read THE ARGVMENTS Good Reader vnderstand that this larger Scholion following in order of time was written afore these Arguments as thou maist perceive in the reading AN EXPLICATION OR REVELATION OF THE HOLY APOCALYPS AFTER that the Romanes had killed Christ persequuted his servants stirred vp by faithles Iewes whose rebellion ouerthrew their City state Domitian raising a cruell persecution and banishing Iohn into Patmos Our Lord and Sauiour reueleth the state of the heauenly IERVSALEM how it shal be afflicted by the Prophane Caesares till they be taken away and when power of state returneth to Rome a policy all wicked should be set vp to deceiue if it were possible the very elect so mighty shall it be to deceiue because men would not receiue the loue of the truth The stile of the booke is taken all from the old Testament to be plaine for learned Christians and darke to wicked that they should not see Gods counsels In my booke of Scripture Concent I opened the tropes and in my Advertisement I applyed the XII pretious stones to their tribes whereof Iewes called vnto Christ in all Countries taught vs heathen the way of life Now my bent is to tell properly the summe of the booke And first generally who be the persequutores Heere as often as we read that Christ was kill'd as Chap. 1. and 2. and 5. we must sagely consider Pilate and the Romane policy where Christ was crucified That Rome must be the state heere damned first for Tyrannie when their Ciuil lawes were good that S. Paul by Lysias the humane Chiliarch and by Festus the Proconsul and Iulius the noble Captaine found Neroes auctority long a defense But afterwardes a state all sinfull should come to Rome and deceiue and vex the Church vnto the end That Domitian banished Iohn Eusebius writeth it That Satans throne by Rome tryed in the Churches who would in Christ ouercome the seauen Epistles teach And where God sitteth vpon a throne of iudgement to builde his Temple by S. Paul of Beniamin his Iasper in Beniamin the old Temple was buit to defend his folke like the ruddy Sardius of Reüben sett a frontier against the Hagarenes to teach by the rainebow of his couenāt the summe of Leuies Smaragd Law This description is for terrible might against Rome their Idolatry So the Lābe as killed to whom all creatures whom Rome made Gods promise seruice for his Christians He being the Lion of Iuda by that name telleth of warrs greater then Dauid
of incense and in his golden Mediation receyuing the prayers of the holy that with his incense they come before God so he sitteth a sacrificer for euer figured in Sem described as God without father without mother without beginning of dayes without ende of life witnessed in Moses description that he liueth for euer a King of Iustice and a King of peace so S. Paul to Scribes after their owne manner yet extant in Zohar and Menachem and others describeth his Vicar Sem the great as Rabbins terme him to haue figured the Redeemer to the world now of Noahs house The SON thus knowen in our Sonne How the old Testament came turned into wormewood Of the age before the flood God said I repent me that I made man therefore water tooke their bodies prison aeternall their spirits The tower-masons making Gods of starrs in contempt of SEM the high sacrificer and prating daylie against his faith were cut off froÌ„ Sems tongue to let it alone and in Babels captiuitie ended it from commune vse and soone after Daniels age from speach of all but schole learned But Moses by Sabbath reading was some what knowen to the people Besides God made Sems tongue so hard that a mans whole life will hardly catch it and left no authors of it but Sems prophets to make vs search how rare wordes in them open themselues and they vsed but once by the argument So Sems tongue is an hid pearle of it Iob cost me more paines alone then all Greeks who now coÌ„meth to open iudgemeÌ„t Churches had no Hebrew Rabbins for graÌ„mer of yer neare 1000. nor graÌ„mars or dictionaries Origen did put forth Ebrew in Ebrew letters and spell'd in Greeke much cited in Epiphanius with six Greeke translations The 70. hid their minde much specially in 3600. yeres alteration of liues from Moses truth as thus Adam liued 230. yeares and begate Seth. And afterwardes 700. for 130. in Moses and 800. our notes say Moses omitted 100. y. before Seths birth they may as well say he gaue 100. too many afterwardes and so in 3600. yeres Yet though Arabique were neare Hebrew and Aethiopian they translate the 70. And not the Ebrew and Greekes with Muscouia follow them But if Princes had allowed in euery land so big as Canaan 42. great Cities for Hebricians only they had beene Ezdrae for readinesse in the Law and had beene Atlantes to beare vp heauen God saw that his justice could chose but few and of eternitie did set many to anger and therefore gaue not Princes that iudgement nor to scholars one of a thousand millions a minde to such hard paines but to be such monachos as Nazianzenus taunteth giuen all to feed them selues and to enuie all paines and Athanasius Gregorie and his deare brother Basil felt for the holy Trinitie And West Monachos rested in Ierome for text and in S. Augustin for explication Of the New Testament The New Testament penned in Greeke by the H. Spirit is to be esteemed in Greeke better then all the world can euer conceiue Part I hope to vtter but conceiue more The preparation to bring Greeke ouer the world must heere be knowen To Iapheths Iauan God left it and spread his race from Cilicia ouer the West that Bardi Caesar CoÌ„ in France and our Cambria kept Greeke Philosophi And when God meant in open action to end by Babel Sems tongue which he kept in Canaan 500. yeares that Babilons coÌ„fusion hurt not the Kings house but the Chananean dialects twelue came neare his when God would end this tongue in holy Daniels age when hee had shewed the strict yeare and Pascha day of Christ his Pascha who being the first from the dead would shew light vnto the world And Aggei Zacharie and Esdras Malachi had commented vpon holy Gabriels oration when God would haue no more Diuinitie written all being spoken that could bee told he sheweth a miraculous prouidence to fiâ—t the Greeke tongue to the Gospell by Athenes and all Grecia Pisistratus of holy Iosiahs time brought noble Homers wit into more reuerence then Monkes the holy Gospell that children should learne him euery whit without booke and parted him twice in Iliade Odissea into Alpha Beta c. As the vnknowen God dealt Psal 25. 34. 37. 111. 112. 119. 8 tymes 145. Pro. 31. Lamen 6. tymes And Aristarchus made a commeÌ„tarie vpon his hard wordes so that S. Peter by Gods reuelatioÌ„ vseth his noble phrase and him not Eustathius I cited though Bil. and Bar. would win spurres to prick their owne sides Didimus elder then S. Peter kept Aristarchus remnants and froÌ„ Didimos not from Eustathius I brought Aristarchus and Homer whom I am sure S. Peter neuer read but the holy Ghost read him and led Peter This honor to Homer set on Solon to write senteÌ„ces and Theognes Phocillides Minermus that ciuill groundes were made pleasant in braue Greeke to make all eloquent in speach Then arise tragiques Aeschylus an Heroique equall to Homer or old Corinnos of Troyes age and P Alamedes scholar who in other warres gaue Homer his timber Euripides the painter of mans lot and Lyriques rare and Commediques as witty Aristophanes Phisitians Historiques from Hesters age Hellanicus and Herodotus and Plato and Aristotle and tenn Oratores and Theopompus innumerable of all sortes while Iuda was in Babilon and vnder Persian taught Dan. 10. that soone they should bee vnder Grecia till Christ came in some parte and therefore they taught their children Greek that the 70. flaunted in store setting 80. seuerall Greek sometime to one Hebrew tree as to Shub 70. 60. 50. 40. 30. 20. 10. and so to very many Now Macedonians of Selleucus Nicatores people being in 72. Kingdomes East and North were forced to knowe Greeke and by the Ptolomies South learned Greek and the Iewes scattred by them brought the 70. ouer all and mention of Moses So before our Lordes redemption tyme all nations as Tully for Archi saith knew Greek when Latin was kept in a narrow compasse And thus a fundation was laid for elegant timber to the N. Testament The Iewes note in Ierusalemi Megila that Noah prophecied how Sems house should bring Iapheth to faith in the tongue of Iauan the Greeke And Midras Rabba citeth the same and in Megilah theysay that no tongue but Greeke can giue Hebrew fitt termes Christians should vrge their owne testimonie that as a Tribe failed not from Iuda till Messiah came so all nations then spake Greek but not many ages after that And as Abben Ezra confesseth vpon Dan. 9. that the 70. seauens are 490. yeres from Daniels prayer to sealing of Messias the holy of holy wherein not one of a hundreth thousand millions speaketh so truely for our victorie as the sharpest enimy doth So Ierusalemi should haue confessed that the fishers of Gallile were to write in Greeke from Ierusalem after 490. yeres And before it should be destroyed as we see Actor 15. Of the
happinesse Redemption that Iewes and Philosophers could speak of Emperors causes better then they Thus for 9. cōmun in stead of 10. for the Lords prayer maimed and turned to Battus infinite repetition against the Law Eccles 5. that our words before GOD should be few and their beliefe stayned in the maine sheweth how they of Rome taught the people that would not receyue the loue of the trueth but became a great deepe sea of darknesse that Sun ayer Christ the sun of righteousnesse and the scripture by which light commeth to our eyes were darkned by a smok of haeresies marring in their Masse al religion The Iewes though faithlesse yet they doe search most narrowly and profitable the speach and story of the law and shew vs Christ in all whom they cannot see But Romulus man of sinn setting forth him selfe as if he were God in his Masse booke darkneth sunne and ayer in steed of seruing God alone that is praying to God alone as our Lord Mat. 6. repeated his Law when ye pray pray to your Father which is heauen Maymony sheweth vpon what Command prayer dependeth otherwise prayer were sin saith in his treatise for prayer That all the Fathers expounded the Law for seruice to be prayer And Menachem saith God forbid that any should pray but vnto God only euen as Psal 50. Pray vnto me in the day of trouble I will heare thee so thou shalt honour me No holy in all the Bible the ayer to see Christ did euer pray to any Angell but the Eternall Son nor euer to any man departed Therefore Romylides liturgie in praying to infinite millions of creatures hath infinite sinnes Of the Locustes most liuely describing the Popes subjects to make him King of Locustes distinguished from all other policies that be or euer were in the world Locusts came out of the smoke and the hoat vapours of Lybia bred cloudes of Locustes which by South windes flee to Sardinia Silicie Spaine and Italie as others in Ioels dayes to Iudea that in one night the slow-bellies deuoure whole valleies of tender Corne where it would grow otherwise 100 fold This a Sardinian man tolde my selfe merchants manie as past doubt that exorcistes by Satans helpe were invited to helpe the matter Now the millions of Monkes and Friers and such as deuoure other mens labours void of all actions for political vse are so fitly compared with these that we may say God in the Creation made locuste to abound in Lybia to shew in time the locusts bred by Rome which would crucifie the King of glorie and should deuoure the fruites of such as had no loue to the trueth but would Honor the Citie that would kill the Lord of glory that was a greater sinn then the deuouring of all the fieldes in the world A distinction of these locusts from the proper locusts in Ioel that these be as scorpions These had power as the scorpions in Italie which sleepe vnder euery stone that no common weale could be healed of their sting but such as make their blood pay for it and by them selues be healed A further illustration of distinction from naturall Locusts Scorpions These locusts might not strike the blades of the earth nor anie greene thing or coleworts nor any plant but onely the men that had not the seale of God in the forehead professing openly that Christ is the Angell of Couenant and his Humanitie the golden Altar and his Mediation the Censer to receiue the prayer of them who by the aboundance of the grace of the gift of Iustice looke to reigne by Christ Iesuus A further distinction how their sting is not of naturall scorpions but of spirituall These kill not but torment men fiue moneths with a torment as it were of scorpions Heare the reade must marke corporation speaches that the whole state is termed by one man So doth Moses speake to Israel for many thousandes of yeeres in speach as though all were to the present men so Ezekiel speaketh of the King of Tyrus then liuing as hee was for a King in Salomons and Chyrams day Salomon had Chyrams daughter and he was a Proselite and by his charges Chyram the workeman wrought Salomons brasse workes so the king was of Eden garden so heere men of long descents bee stonge and not only for a particular age And as scorpions in locusts haue no more tyme to hurt but hide themselues in winter as Nahum telleth so these locusts hide themselues when sharp weather of policie commeth The Church spend neere 1000. yeeres good Abbates as Bernard others full many in Flaccius Illyricus and Antilogiâ Papae and such telling the Daemones or Popoi of their dealings and Princes resonablie matched them so long but Satan was let loose after 1000. yeeres That Popes deceiued Princes to spend their strength 200. yeeres as Gods enemies to bring the land cursed for euer into glory to make God a liar so Princes being weakned Daemones Popoi by strange forgerie of Constantinus gift became strong Constantinus sonnes knew no such matter no Iulian that scoffed all that he could forge against his Vncle nor Sozimus as bad as Iulian nor any Grecian Yet the Popoi Daemones will haue their owne testimonie for Empires giuen without States consent Thus the Papae or reuerend Father that would be a king by his locusts beggers the wealth of all Countreyes Of the Scorpiones stinges 1. Popoi Daemones taught to deny this that so God loued the world that he gaue his onely sonne to the end that whosoeuer belieue on him should not perish but haue life euer lasting 2. As the serpent deceyued Eue so the Pope hauing the throne of the serpent deceyued many mindes from that playnesse which is in Christ and so stong their heartes as they Iob. 3. who desire the graue and digge for it more then for treasures 3. And whereas this is only the work of God wherein a Christian is distinguished from Ciuill scribes to belieue in him whom God hath sent the Pope teacheth not to rest in this 4. He teacheth trust in wicked workes in giuing Landes to Locustes to auoid Purgatorie vnknowen to Greekes and to hate the Bible as auctor of haeresie to pray to Creaturs to be sure for that only if no more sinne were to perish for euer And he teacheth that men should doubt of their saluation So his Locustes haue the stinges of Scorpions Of the Locusts strength and auctoritie When by their forged Purgatorie and much begging the Locusts had gotten the fatt of all Countreyes thē they were horses prepared to warres that they sett Kings to warre as they would And though they would seeme to haue no secular Power yet their dealinges shewed they ware crowns like gold being in face as priuate men of womans haire in keeping in Cloisters yet haue they teeth of Lions to deuoure all and habergions of yron to defende them selues and the noise of their winges the proper noise of
they had coined Phrases to new vexation of our spirits and make the word seeme a nose of wax Thus we hinder our owne fight but some still hold the truth that the accusation cannot be generall The rest should be wise with them The Diuell and his Angels by MICAEL that standeth vp for his people who be his Angels are banished from the Church and knowen to be vnclean spirits A second and playner exposition of the Dragons warre And I heard a great voice saying in the heauen now is come the saluation and power and Kingdome of our GOD and the auctority of his CHRIST because the accusar of our brethren who accuseth them before GOD day and night is cast downe And they haue ouercome by the blood of the Lambe and by the word of his Testimony and despised their liues vnto death Therefore reioyce yee heauens and they who dwell in them wo be vnto them which dwell in the Land and the Sea because the Diuell is come to you hauing great wrath knowing that he hath but a litle while Where a company by Martyrdome shew that saluation commeth onely by the death of CHRIST and are constant in that Testimony then troupes that make the heauens kingdom heere protest they know how saluation cōmeth know Gods power that falleth the mighty state of the Pope and know wherein the Kingdome of God standeth And the auctority of Christ where the Pope had a Kingdome of Satan in his policy through all partes of all common weales euen from ruling Emperours to the poorest that had but a chimney to pay a Peter-peny The holy Testament playnelie shewing our Creatores And how the spirit of CHRIST flootereth vpon all the waters of both Testaments and cleared the holy story And cleareth our hearts to call vpon GOD with a good heart this sheweth in this plaine sum what the Kingdome of God and auctority of CHRIST is Gouernement standeth vpon plaine rules The wealthy that know CHRIST Kinges Dukes Earles Barons Knights will study to excell in Diuinity to be true Bishopps and Elders to eate vp the Booke of the Gospell and to see all miscariage sagely restreined being those that Saint Paul and the Talmudiques meant by Pastors And will see how by Church lands an infinite company may be made cunning in tongues and sense of both Testaments That the Angelos Ecclesiae and daylie Seniores may be so taught in Diuinity as men are in liberall artes to know the wholle facultie and the propre vse of euery holy booke And what concent all the scripture hath and where one error putteth all out of tune but may soone be remoued so a faithfull minde will often in a day runne ouer all the Bible and see all ages faithfull as trees planted by waters and all wicked as dust scattred by the winde And such will be true Bishopps as Cucullus non facit monachum so a courtiers fauor and title maketh not a Bishopp for saluation and power and kingdome of God and authority of Christ Buy-shopps mocke with GOD but all Mordecaies will vse them as Agagites and as leprous to the Church So when all Gouerners in state be learned Bishopps ioy will be in the Church that the Diuell must goe to Land or quiet state of the Pope or sea warres of Emperors bad to seeke whom he can deuour The learned dealers for the Church will finde for it meanes in persequution to be protected Yea and to make the Land or Papisticall state as King H. VIII did drie vp the riuers of the Popes persequution In the middle of Papistry he ouerthrew the Pope by Papistes Who were content to buy the Abbeies that fed Idolatrous Locusts could not for starke shame denie a common prayer booke made from the masse booke turned to English so so much was chosen from the masse booke to be in English as seemed not directly to fight with Gods trueth and subscription for allowance to that was no further meant but that the Papists could finde no fault with it Vnder K. E. 6. and Q. E. the best Bishopps allowed the communion booke no further and gaue others leaue to expresse that how they bare with it vntill fitt tyme of amendement Of the Dragons short tyme. This speach sheweth the tyme neere the seauenth trumpet for the worlds end by the Dragons tayle the Pope heere meant in his persecution that the Diuell is fierce knowing that he shall not be long the God of this world And the Pope feareth least his Kingdome shall soone fall And our Buyshopps that vrge his canons damned by our common Lawes are now in rumores that they incense some to begge all Buyshopps lands Leicester went farre to chaing 40000. lib. for rack rent but more harme is bred by Buyshopps tyranny now Bishopps vnder King Edw. haue beene such as none but of Satans spirite would deny them to bee lawfull Bishops And such as agreed well with Nobles Gentry and all The name troubleth none but the Barbarous They who hold the place without teaching the people the trueth and with tyranny breake the cōmon lawes of the realme which stand with reason that is the Law of God such should chainge their minde and obey the Gospell lest their short tyme be for Sarans seruice and for euer And when the Dragon saw that he was cast into the earth he persequuted the woman which brought forth the male child This common place toucheth all the Popes persequutions though it be vttered as at one tyme. The Pope had still ready cruell torment for all of his that descried wickednesse in his religion And to the woman were giuen two winges of an eagle to flee into the wildernesse into her owne place to bee nourished there a tyme and tymes and halue a tyme from the praesense of the Serpent The Pope driueth the Church into the Wildernesse as Pharaoh droue Israel Saul Dauid Antiochus the holy Iewes the Pharisees he Lord of glory for a tyme two tymes and halfe a tyme three yeeres and an halfe and as I shewed all tyme of persecution is called in remembrance of our Lordes a persecution of dayes 1260. as chap. XI or of a tyme two tymes and halfe a tyme As Beda and Carthusianus well noted In Exo. 19. God saith hee brought Israel from Egypt as with eagles winges so the persecutor heere is a newe Pharaoh and Rome is Egypt spiritually as in chap. XI And the Dragon Pharaoh is heere a new Dragon And the Pope which will bee worshipped for a God is as Darius Dan. 6. and in the fable vpon that as the Dragon which the Chaldeans worshipped The Phrase of the fable folowed a true storie Of the tyme of these persequutions And the Dragon did cast after the woman out of his mouth water like a riuer to make her riuer-caried But the earth holpe the woman and the earth opened her mouth and dranke vp the riuer which the Dracon cast out of his mouth And the Dracon was angry with the
place gainesaid This sheweth that Peter was neuer at Rome And Saint Pauls iourney telleth Rome that God hated them If he had not beene sought to bee killed Lysias had not sent him to Caesarea and if the Iewes had not againe there sought to haue killed him hee had not appealed to Caesar God would not that hee should come to Rome but vpon extreamities So the iourney thither shewed that Christ hated the Citie that crucified him was strange in calamities and Paul was brought thither as a prisoner and kept in prison though somewhat free CHAPTER XIIII And I saw and behold a Lambe stood vpon mount Syon and an hundred fourty foure thousand were with him hauing the name of their father written in their forehead THEY which were called afore two Prophets are now 144000. hauing the name of God written in their forehead the same number is said before to be sealed ch 7. by a speach from Ezekiel ch 9. 4. There in the 70. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the terme of chap. 13. in Kimchy a signe or writing S. Paul expoundeth the speach that God will make them knowen who be his that they who professe the name of God shall depart from wickednesse So they who haue Gods name are made knowen who bee his and expound his word and follow trueth of worship due to him bearing a marke in open profession as sacrificers such as Aharon had In this sort the holy Church still had some nūber to professe the summe of saluation though on mount Sion a small hill for the mountaines of the world not one to a million of ADONIKAM and his Children of three fold as storie 666. that number chap. 13. to beare the number of his name was vsed for any number of Apostatique profession So heere the 144000. twelue tymes twelue is vsed for any Company that trusteth in Christ as the Patriarches did And I heard a voice out of heauen as the voice of many waters and as the voice of a great thunder and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harpes and they sing as it were a new song before the throne and before the foure liuely wightes and the Elders The heauen commonly in this booke is the Church waters voice is continuall so heere continuall singing is meant harpes signifie song with agreement the new song is for mans praeseruation euery day The foure wightes are the rare as Daniel Ananias Azarias and Misael and all the Euangelistes and S. Paul full of courage of Lions so were all the Apostles of rare patience ready to be sacrificed euery day and they were the true Philosophers thinking what should befall them after death and they were the Eagles of high flight sight The Elders are the Bishops or Teachers the sage in gouernement and skill in the holy Hebrew and Greek Testaments The song none could vnderstand but the 144000. as no Papist soundly thinketh of all things made for Gods glorie in Christ and how by him wholy iustice commeth and he onely must be worshipped When this is told them they are like vnto men that dreame and know not who they are that are bought from the earth not what their religion meaneth Thereupon it is written And none could vnderstand the song but the hundred fourty and foure thousand which were bought from the earth What this songe was Through the whole scripture this song is one and the same that IEHOVAH our GOD IEHOVAH is ONE The FATHER the SON the Holy Spirite be one Coaeternall and Coessentiall the SON is called the WORD by the WORD the Father made the World and by the Spirite beautified the heauens And because the WORD would become flesh the World was made to serue once Adam the first The Angells that grudged at that fell for euer and deceiued Adam and made him dead in sin and brought him to be turning dayly to dust vntill he dyed and for him the whole frame of the Creature was pronunced corrupt But he belieued that Christ made of a woman made vnder the Law God being in him to reconcile the World to himselfe should giue Adams soule iustice by faith should raise vp his Bodie and make a new World by his power whereby hee can subdue all things to himselfe This is the summe of the song tolde through all Bookes of the Bible A Digression to shew the Concent of all the holy Bookes Geneses sheweth how by the WORD of IEHOVAH the heauens were made and all the settled army of them by the Spirite of his mouth and when man fell the WORD telling that to destroy the workes of Satan he would be made flesh and haue a Tabernacle in vs. In which point the Fathers faith vnto the charge of Iosephs bones to bee caried vnto the Land wherein our Lordes resurrection should be a Testimony of a new World taught by Ioseph in his bones long after his death By faith he taught by his dead bones of the new world and therein Geneses end hath a new Geneses All simple should learne CHRIST from the Gospell of Geneses wher 's his Godhead so familiarly delited in the holy Prov. 8. and shewed in appearances that he would be man All yong men brought vp to be Bishops of the Kings armies or Church would reioyce to haue learned Geneses in Ebrew by heart In old age they should gather the fruit Obiection of them that are not bought from the earth S. Ierome saith Iewes read not the three first chapters of Geneses till they be 30. yeeres old Answere None should cite Ierome to make him a foole or to win the Whetstone Maymony in Morch Nebuchim hath this sentence that none did Darash read as a Doctor expoundeth Genes 1. and 2. and 3. and Ezech. 1. before he was aged 30. So S. Ierom meant Iewes all teach their Children from seauen to read all Moyses It were better that Rome were with Helice and Bura then Popes should be suffred so to bring most wickedly the word of life into a deadly hatred Of Iob. Iob is a booke for all holy to take notice of for instructing their families in the knowlede of Christ which Abraham carefully did as God testifieth the comfort of it their posterity shall finde as the booke setteth forth the faith and loue the effects of the Gospell 1. Thes 1. of his posterity euen before the Lawe was giuen to shewe that the godly had alwaies the Law written in their hearts 2. Cor. 3. Ier. 32. Rom. 2. Iob is a patron to all the faithfull in prosperitie for loue compassion iustice and equity c. in his afflictions his faith and hope in the Redeemer the seed promised whom he knew would take our nature vpon him to dy for him and by his Godhead rayse himselfe from death and that by his resurrection he should be raysed in the last day be made like his glorious body and that he euer liued to make intercession for him these thinges were his comfort in his greatest
kinges without all color of warrant from God shew himselfe in the temple of God as if he were God beeing in all policie sinfull and blaspeming true teachers so he must needes be hated of Princes that euery one will draw from him all that they can That is to eate the flesh of the Idolatrous towne and burning it in the fire For God hath giuen it vnto their heartes to doe his minde and to doe one minde and to giue their kingdom to the beast vntill the wordes of God be brought about Because they did not receiue the loue of the trueth vnto right happinesse to studie the Lawes of God day and night God gaue thē ouer to a foolish minde to pull downe the East Empire and to set vp one in the West and to set the Synagogue of Rome aboue all to rule all Empire and Kingdomes And to this day that cursed blindnesse abideth in men that they thinke it a shame for a King to be learned or for Noble men True Kingdome standeth in knowledge of the kingdome of heauen and Princes of cunning education might know both Testaments in Greek and Hebrew and veine of storie in yong yeeres that their hearts might a thousand times in a day runne ouer the heauenly frame of Gods booke and see their Ancestors from Adam to Noë the pillars of the world Then the noble warrier Abraham King Moses King Iosuah King Samuel King David King Salomon and noble Daniel the mightiest subiect in the world and greatest warrior best learned And his noble Cousins that quenched the fire refusing Idols should haue taught nobles to haue in equal sort hated Babelish idolatrie of cursed Rome that crucified Christ and by the serpents biting pierced his footestepp and handes and would naile fast all feete and handes from walking in Gods wayes and working in his trueth What a shame is it for Kings that they know not the familie of David penned of purpose to make kings wise David Salomō both wise began the glorie Ioakim Ioachin both vnwise ended the glorie all betwixt are a glasse for Kings to see their owne case Againe the pompe of this world is eminēt in Daniels Image afflicting the holy house of Nathā but beatē to pouder for their paines that madnesse of Counsell is expressed in Nebuchadnezars open madnesse His open madnesse of seauen yeres was not so madd as the Persians or Alexander that made themselues Gods and the parted Macedonians are a patron of slauery to Satan Heere in one Image all Greek and Latin to Liuie is cōteyned and Kings might make their teachers to bring such stately matter into commune knowledge to make a Bridge from the fall of Salomons house vnto the setting vp of Nathans Nabuchadnezar honored Daniel to Iudahs good For chiefe heads of this matter Kings further called should further delite in this kinde So for the Image of the beast Apoc. 13. if Kinges had bene happy they had learned from storie what Iohn foretold but because they despised Gods exhortation to read the Booke God gaue it into their hearts to giue their kingdome to the beast if they would make their people learned in this Booke the flesh of the harlot should soone be eaten All true soldiers should be Doctores of Diuinity such all will conquer with small losse as Israel vnder Iosua which studied Moses 40. yer And Dauids Capteins by knowlede of Moses were mighty in battell Doctors in bare title the Popes and ours deserue so much reuerence as so many apes and all that put any trust in them are like vnto them Now commeth a plaine condemnation of Rome The woman which thou sawest is the great Citie which hath the Kingdome ouer the Kings of the earth All be past shame that see not Rome heere damned vnto the end of wrath CHAPTER XVIII The King is Angelus to cause the word to be sounded After this I saw an Angell comming downe from heauen hauing great auctority and the earth was lightned by his glorie and he cried mightily with a great voice saying BABYLON the great City is fallen is fallen and is become a dwelling of Diuells and a prison of euery vncleane spirit and a prison of euery vncleane and hatefull bird because she hath caused all nations to drinke of the wine of the anger of her fornication and the Kings of the earth committed fornication with her and the merchants of the earth became rich by the might of her wealth c. THE like speach is in Ezekiel chap. 47. where the glorie of the Gospell shineth from Christ and waters of doctrine flow with life And the Angels glorie lightned the whole earth cha 10. taught this same matter where Iohn eateth the litle booke And Christ is the Angell he cōmeth downe when he setteth vp the light of his word by which hee shineth ouer the earth Though in vision sundry Angels expresse him And when Ierusalem is builded Babylon must needes fall and where the mighty Gospell is taught of millions there Christ speaketh with a great voice Anabaptistes be the chiefe helpe that the Papists haue to dispute that it is dangerous for the common people to medle with Gods word But a learned officer would with sagenesse soone teach them how they misse burning in fire the obstinat in haeresie Maymo in the treatise Chagigah Perek III. sheweth how the King should read the Law before the people in the feast of Tabernacles and in what sage reuerence A pulpit of wood was made for him in the court where all might come men and women and the synagogue keeper brought forth the booke of the Law gaue it to the Archisynagogue and he to Sagan of the Temple Strategos Act. chap. 4. 1. Chancelor we may terme him he to the high sacrificer and hee to the King and hee read Deuteronomie and of the King he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is The King is Angelus to cause the word of GOD to be sounded If the Iew could thus honor the Law and shew the Kings duty which Iew saw not the true glorie of it by the SON of GOD how much more should wee bring vp our Kings to honor the holy Gospell to read speciall places as the first of Saint Matthew of 1800. yer story and 3. Luke of 3957. or Act. 7. or 2. Thess 2. or some speciall place to stirre nobles a learned reading would be as good as a commentarie And chapters expounding one another and Psalmes might so be chosen that by bare reading great light would come So millions would say that Babylon the great is fallen and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Daemones be all one and Rome is a dwelling of Diuels and Cardinals bee vncleane spirits and Archbuy-shopps be vncleane and hatefull birdes and their keies be keies of the pit and their Idolatry making Peter the Rock against this THERE IS NO ROCK BVT THE ETERNALL had made the Kings of the earth madde in Idols from one error that
praise our God all his seruants and they that feare him both small and great This short summe of Diuinitie distinguisheth vs from Papists who make Gods of Creatures and giue praise to them where God only will be feared And I heard the voice of a great multitude and as the voice of many waters as the voice of strong thunders saying Halelu-iah for the Lord God of hostes doth reigne let vs reioyce and be glad and let vs giue him glory For the mariage of the Lambe is come and the wife hath praepared her selfe and it was giuen her to put on white linen pure and shining For the linen is the iustice of the sainctes When whole kingdomes call vpon God and fight for the Gospell with successe it is fitted to continual noise of waters as Ezekiel 1. 24. the kingdomes that made Gods iudgements knowen are likened to much water the thunder of Gods power is well expressed by thunder of the ayer Psalm 29. All tendeth to Aleluiah Praise God in whom wee breath for rescuing vs from Satan with manifestation of his kingdome And let not England forget the goodnesse of the Lord but acy remember it and not hide it from their children but to the generation to come to shewe the prayses of the Eternall his power also his wonderfull workes that he hath done The light of the Gospell now these hundred yea hath bene exceeding great to greater knowledge then euer since the Apostles tymes the Church had And all reformed Countreies flow with learned men And sage cariage is heere laid out to the eye in white linen This short rule must alwayes hold God will make known who bee his and all must depart from sinne that call vpon the name of God And he saith vnto mee write Blessed are they that are called to the supper of the mariage of the Lambe This should be written in all hearts that they only be happie which in the Lords Supper protest the aboundance of grace of the gift of iustice The bread bare wine bare taken in the sage vse that our soules feed vpon his incarnation and redemptioÌ„ is as strong as the frame of the world to stay vs in Christ The auctority of the speaker who made the world by his word must be looked vnto and as our eyes iudge of the frame of the world and our minde to what inuisible vse all was made subiect to a man so our eyes must iudge of bread wine our minds that Christ suffring for vs ended sacrifice offring By seale of things without life by bread and blood of the grape by the terme supper the whole tenor of Christianity is meant but the acceptation of the seale is an open action to distinguish vs froÌ„ others The Pope corrupted from the playnesse that is in Christ and making Priest sacrifice hath missed wholy of the trueth in Christ as Iannes â—nd Iambres resisted Moses Papists would make fooles belieue that Calvin bread this symbolum corporis and in other matters if Calvin hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a rash word they vrge that vpon whole Churches Their eyes might tell that the ancient Grecians neuer made question heere neither had combat with haeretiques heere Eusebius after Origen recorder of the whole Churches opinion in praep calleth Bread and Wine Icones symbola Neither did any after him striue against that but full many followed him God is light and all the Bible is so plaine to a sound student that none can moue doubt but to his plague The Papists cary in a siluer chest a wafer of meale as the bodie of Christ making themselues a scoffe to God and his Angels and the barbarous thinke by vnlearned prating to make their cause good They come 40. yer short of learning to defende the common groundes against a subtill Iew or Turke as to this syllogisme of Machmad If the scripture be corrupted another iudge must be had The Pope not only granteth but vrgeth also this this But the scripture is corrupted Therefore another iudge must be had I will ioyne with Turke Iew and Pope to grant the Preposition But against Turke Iew and Pope our side I deny the assumption and hold the text pure This no Romist yet euer saw Therefore their studies must bee holden vnfitt to rule in Diuinity And he saith to mee these words of God be true By reason that the carnall man cannot see the glorie of the wisedome which is in the couenant of CHRIST in plaine simplicitie full of heauenly trueth The Angell stayeth vpon this doctrine as opposite to Rome working Romes fall handled chap. 18. And I fell downe at his feete to haue worshipped him he saith to me do not For I am fellow seruant to thee to thy brethren which haue the testimonie of IESVS Worship God for the spirite of prophecie is the testimonie of IESVS Heere Iohn sheweth mans weaknesse to Idol-seruice in his transe ready to worship the Angel And telleth that Angells be ministring spirites for our saluation God only must bee worshipped The spirites that teach teach of Christ that he only must bee worshipped In the old Testament Christ is called an Angel and is worshipped but no created Angel is worshipped The warres of Christ and Christians against the Empire and Pope And I saw the heauen opened and behold a white horse and hee that sate vpon him was called faithfull and true and in Iustice doth he iudge war And his eyes were like a flame of fire he had vpon his head many Diademes hauing a name written which none knew but himselfe and clothed in a garment dipped in blood and his name is called the WORD OF GOD. The heauen opened sheweth what shall be opened in the Church the white horse is sincere might the Ryder is called faithfull and true to assure vs of victory against mighty states and he iudgeth warreth in righteousnesse vnable to abide sinne still to reigne his eyes bee a flame of fire searching in iustice to the bottome as Daniel 10. for the ouerthrowe of Xerxes armie and Apo. 1. and 2. And his many Diademes sheweth that he will rule Kinges in many Countreyes And the name written which none knoweth but himselfe signifieth the Godhead dwelling in light that none can come to His garment dipped in blood is expounded Esai 63. shewing that the enemies blood shall make him known as vnder old Assur and Cittim And his name is the WORD OF GOD as in Iohn the first and infinitely in Onkelos Iehouah is the WORD of IEHOVAH These mightie titles comfort the Church that they shall bee sure of a victorie Reigne still O King MESSIAS for we rest on thee reigne still O King of Sainctes and wee will folow after thee And the armies in the heauen folow him vpon white horses clothed in linen white and cleane The valiant Christians with speed and courage folow Christ and in synceritie of truth though Lutherans
of that in memorie of the difference that the Reader may read it Thus Alpha is as curious in his word as in the frame of the world and requireth due reuerence to it and they are in great danger whose profession of life should be skilfull in it and will deale with it with vnwashed handes Of Iod not contemned The Iewes to shew Gods care ouer euery letter in the Bible bring in the Law cōplayning of loosing Iod with humble cry before God thus O Lord of the world this is thy rule that a Testament which faileth in a letter faileth in all Now in Sarai I had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iod when shee is Sarah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iod is gone the auctority of the Law is lost God answereth thou hast no losse Iod was in the end of a foeminine and I set it in the beginning of a masculine when Hoshea was called Iehoschuah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus they marke narrowly that which our Lord telleth one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iod of the Law shall not perish he that is Aleph and Tau will keepe all the letters from Aleph to Thau More of this is in Thal. Ierusalemie in San fol. 20. Of OMEGA He that nameth himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mega will require that his new Testament shal be regarded in due kinde to defende trueth of Copy elegancy of speach I defended trueth of Copie against Rhemistes translating Act. chap. 13. from the Latin in yeeres not about but after a sort 450. yet a thankfull Pseudographus wrote that I defended the 70. became a scorne none of 1200. yer held the 72. pure Satan was strong in him that would belieue a disputation for sinceritie of their copy and if euer any should bee thought to know the 72. hee that translated the Prophets a new into Greek should be thought to vse all the 72. copies easie to be had But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all vnthankfulnesse would be still cursed in lies The first aduiser of him sped ill Of Greeke stile Because none afore me haue noted Gods counsell in making Greeke common I will often handle that to haue it better vnderstood when God first destroyed Iudahs kingdome and speach hee stirred Greekes first to set vp theirs Then Pisistratus set Homer in honor that children learned him by heart Plato in Timao mentioneth one such Thence of 200. yea all kindes study to make braue Greeke that it came to perfection Then God sendeth Greekes to rule Gog or Gyges land and Magog with all Assiria and 72. kingdomes in the East and North and South to fill all 300. ye with Greek Armies and Colonies That Tully noted in his dayes the Greek to be common ouer all the world Now the Bible was by Iewes translated into Greeke and so read in all nations And the Iewes beeing caryed by the Macedonians into all quarters when the Apostles came to teach granted all saving God in Christ gaue life to all soules that did eate his flesh and drinke his blood feeding continually in soule vpon this and were baptised with the water of the Lawe So the Greeke tongue by O MEGA the ETERNALL taught Iapheth to dwell in the house of Sem. Ierusal in Megilah Midr Rabba ' Gen. 9. And the Iewes confesse in Megilah that no tongue but the Greeke hath words to expound the Hebrew So he that termeth himselfe by the Greeke and Hebrew Alphabet is much despised when Babell banisheth both tongues to a pedlers Latin in so much that the true Latin auctores were out of request Of 4. Dialects in the holy Greeke Of necessitie the Apostles were to speake to heathen in Heathen or Attique Greeke as all that will mooue others speake to their capacitie and they bee ridiculous and citizens of Babel not of the heauenly Ierusalē that will this deny When the Apostles tell stories of Ierusalem to the Church they were to speake in the 72. language And all of wit and conscience would so expound their wordes When disputations are had with Iewes the Talmudiques specially the Iewes schole-phrase doth our Lord vse and his disciples and when none of these three answere the Hebrew fitly then the WORD taketh heathen generall termes to apply vnto speciall Hebrew Reason forced these foure Dialects and they who confound these foure are fitter for Babel then for Ierusalem for confusion then sight of peace Of the Attique Greeke Haides in S. Luke 16. conteyneth the lodge of Abraham in heauen and the lodge of the rich Epicure in Gehenna Saint Luke an Heathen wrote to Prince Theophilus an Heathen And Heathen would iudge whether the Phisition of Antioch of Magog knew Greek in fit sense to teach Gog in Ephesus or Gyges Countrey and Magog in Siria that Christ in their owne language now doth conquer them so farr as to haue the first Christians named of Antiochia and S. Luke to bee the glory aeternall thence though God had no other occasion to honor his enemies towne but to shew that where sinne abounded there grace should once more abound But not often Nicolas the proselyte falling away taught that the towne deserued as much supremacie as Rome that crucified Christ or Alexandria for that Alexander would bee made a God So Haides conteining heauen and hell and nothing els in proprietie Old Chrysologus who placed Abraham in Gehenna and is tossed of Isaack Ben Arama fol. 205. and Purgatory and many opinions moo are confuted If Haides haue but Heauen and Hell Purgatory is gone which maketh a third place so the first Dialect in one word telleth the Pope 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let Greeks seeke to Eustathius what meaning is plaine for these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Peter 2. is of heathen Greek in Homers commentary Iliad Of this I spake in Catechizing the modest Archbi Whitg which yeelded and sent M r. Geoffrey King ouer sea to confesse his error I spake generally of Homers commenter and should meane the principall Aristarchus from whom old Didymos made his commentary and Eustathius from both and many moo ancient and though hee were late his commentaries are made from these two and old heathen Two Petifoggers in Greeke would scoph as though I cited Eustathius to be followed of Peter far elder Such Midae bee fitter for Babel then Ierusalem Their further equalling of error to Lybian sandes shew an ill bent Of the Lxxij The Greeke of the 72. commeth often notably Act. 2. in this whom God raised vp 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 disannulling all paines that death brought The matter is taken from Psal 18. And thence would the Sadducees expound S. Peters word to proue him a wicked Sophister if hee had meant more They who proue the second death hence know not O Mega the auctor of speach Of the Thalmudizinge These be Talmudique speaches The dead for the profane often in Zeror once in S. Peter 1 Epi. chap. 4. In S. Paul the dead in sin Eph. 2. such is Gehenna