Which this was the issue that they were rather beaten put to flight every where spoyled of their goods and dignities and scattered here and there then being convicted of errour brought to repentance Therefore they who had defended themselves with armes in the beginning afterwards being conquered by armes fled for refuge into our countrey of Province and the Alpes borâ—ring upon France and found in those places refuges for their â—â— and doctrine A part departed into Calabria and there continued long even till the Popedom of Pius 4. A part passed over into Germany and setled their dwelling among the Bohâ—mians in Polonia and Livonia others turning Westward foundrefuge in Britaine But truly in this warre this also happeneth worthy of memorie that the Albigenses themselves being conquered upon a time at Morellum with a great overthrow by Symon Monfort Captaine of the souldiers * Cruce signatorum of the Crosse seemed to have made use of this Prophesie concerning the Beast his overcomming of the Saints for an Argument of comfort and constancie For when the Bishop of Tolosse hindering the slaughter admonished those Out of the Epiâ—â—â—es of the Prelates of France who â—â—llowed the campe of the ouldiers of the Crosse at the latter end of the â—onâ—inuation of thâ— holy Warre Edit Basi◠〈◊〉 1560 pag. 〈◊〉 which happily yet remaining abode in their Tents by sending a religious man unto them that being convinced by so great a scourge of God being angry as it were giving sentence against them now at length leaving their madnesse they would be converted to the faith which they call Catholique they retorting the sentence that they were the vanquished people of Christ as it were with this shield they frustrated the Bishops purpose and all of them to the last man valiantly died being slaine by the hand of the souldiers returning back upon them After this warre upon the Waldenses and Albigenses cruelly did the Beast rage divers waies as well against other remnants of them and in other places as also against others their companions Chap. 13. of the same pure Religion in what place soever till at length neverthelesse after the yeere 1500. whole Kingdomes Principalities Common-wealths the Churches being reformed fell away from the dominion of the Beast to the partie of the Saints Against whom afterward warre is waged and continueth at this day neither shall it be ended untill the ruine of the Beast Now if any doe diligently consider the whole series of this slaughter comprâ—hended in some few more then foure hundred and fiftie yeeres and cast the account of the number slaine either I am deceived or he will see and wonder that persecution of the Beast not onely to have equalled but also exceeded those tenne heathen Persecutions when as yet the Dragon in his owne name bare sway We heretofore shewed the number of the Albigenses and Waldenses that were slaine estimated to tenne hundred thousand men From thence to the reformation of the Church no man hath set downe the account of them that have beene cut off partly by fire partly by sword partly by other torments When as not withstanding it is knowne to be no small number From the beginning of the Jesuites to the yeere 1580. that is in little more the thirty yeeres Baldwinus de Antichristâ— noteth almost Cap. 6. n. 41. nine hundred thousand Orthodoxe Christians to have beene put to death and that alone by the hand of the Executioner the Duke â— Alva that cruell Champion of the See of Rome a Fra. Jun. Tilenus ad Bellar. lib. 3. de Pont. Rom. cap. 7. gloried that he had beene the authour of the slaughter of 36000. soules in Belgium onely within a few yeeres b Douâ—aâ—â— de Antich pag. 4.50 Vergerius witnesseth who best knew it that the Inquisition as they call it of haereticall pravitie in scarce thirty yeers space consumed one hundred and fifty thousand Christians by sundry manners of torments * De visibili Monarch lib. 8. dein 34. Sanders confesseth that many Lollards and Sacramentaries throughout all Europe were burned who notwithstanding â—aith he were not put to death by the Pope and Bishops but by Civill Magistrates even so as it was prophesied it was to come to passe For of the Secular Beast it is said that he should make warre with the Saints and overcome them and Chap. 17. vers 14. Of the teâ—â—s Kings that they shall make warre with the Lambe and with his elect and faithfull but of the Ecclesiasticall Beast not that he himselfe shall kill with the Sword but cause that whosoever will Vers 15. not worship the Image of the Beast be slaiâ—e with the Sword by the Chap. 13. same Image of the Beast as a little after we shall see It followeth And power was given him over all kindreds and tongues and Vers 7. nations But what is this power Is it of subduing the Saints as if it should extend it selfe so farre as the Romane Dominion reacheth For happily the speech is not of the largenesse of Dominion but of Persecution But if any would rather take it otherwise the sense will be that the authoritie of the Beast shall be so great that no kindred Tongue or Nation can resist his impietie Now here he meaneth not every severall man since there are many found in every age who kept their covenant with the Lambe but entire kindreds tongues and nations that is Common-wealthes of which it is most true that there was none found whom the Beast had not holden in obedience to his impiety for many ages so that those Christians truly so called which dwelt dispersed here and there throughout the Provinces of the Beast alone for that time made the undefiled Virgine Church as who had it is a griefe to thinke of it no Citie Common-wealth much lesse any Principalitie or Kingdome of their profession But here it is to be remembred that the forme of the Beast is that impiety which succeeded the Dragon by communion whereof those many Kingdomes as we have said of the Romane Empire become one Beast They therefore that took this upon them are said to yeeld to the authority of the Beast Which all kindreds tongues and nations did And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the Booke of life of the Lambe slaine from Vers â— the foundation of the world If any man have an eare let him heare Now least any one being bewitched by so universall and Catholique Vers 9. consent to the lawes of the Beast should presume it to be piously and well done and that he may follow the example of so many kindreds nations and people without danger or elsâ— being discouraged and weakned with the grievousnesse of the persecution breake his covenant made with the Lambe and yeeld to worship the Beast the holy Ghost denouneeth in what state and account they are with God who shall yeeld obedience to
to make the contemporation a full and entire contemporation for they may all consist even with a contemporation but in part I thus therefore demonstrate the company of the sealed of the Lambe wholly and exactly to contemporize with the Beast That company of the sealed being an opposite with the Beast or of the whole company of the 〈◊〉 followers of the Beast is of the same time with them to wit the bands of the holy souldiers even then persevering in their alleagiance to the Lambe when other inhabitants of the world as revolters and Apostates had taken the marke of the Beast It is plaine out of the text whence as in times past according to the ancient custome servants and souldiers were wont to be branded and marked with the name of him to whom they had given their Faith even so these are shewed to beare the name of the Lambe and of his Father in their fore-heads Since this is so it followeth that either holdeth equall proportion with other and altogether answer in a like distance of time For the state of such opposition doth require that the company of the Sealed of the Lambe for as much as is intended by that vision be wholly esteemed of an opposite estate of the Beast For besides such opposition it hath no estate by the meaning of this vision and therefore with the same beginning beginneth and ending endeth 5 Furthermore concerning the finall contemporation that also may be proved by that mark out of the 7. Chapter Because the period of both aswell of the tyranny of the Beast as of that company of the sealed is the multitude of the palmebearers of the Beast because it is there said of the palm-bearers These are they which came out of great tribulation but out of what tribulation except of the Beast persecuting the Saints Therefore they leave the tyranny of the Beast behinde them of the companie of the sealed because the multitude of the palm-bearers immediately follow as by that transition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after Chap. 7. 1. these things I saw is manifest 5. A Consectarie of the generall Synchronisme of all hitherto mentioned So the Beast restored to life again or the ten horned hath contemporized with the woman in the wildernesse the treading under foot the holy City and the witnesses in the mean time mourning in sackcloth Synch 1. The two horned Beast with the ten horned Beast Synch 2. The whore with both Synch 3. The companie of the virgines sealed with the whore and the Beast Synch 4. Therefore all Synchronize with all The sixth Synchronisme Of the inward court measured with the reed of God of the lying in wait and the battaile of the seven headed Dragon with 〈◊〉 Michael concerning the child-birth For they are the immediate antecedents of those things which formerly were shewed to be contemporaries the battaile of the Dragon and the child-birth of the woman of the habitation of the woman in the desert and of the ten horned Beast the inner court for that which is said concerning the temple of God the 〈◊〉 altar and the priests worshipping there according to custome is the Periphrasis thereof of the outer court or people where the Gentiles without right or reason are said to be harboured For first both of them as well the child-birth of the woman as the battail of the Dragon with Michael doth altogether pitch upon the same period that is the flight of the woman into the wildernesse which is said immediately to have followed the designe of them both For the woman as soone as she had brought forth flieth into the wildernes there to be nourished 1260 dayes chap. 12. verse 6. Likewise the Dragon being throwen downe the woman flyeth into the wildernes there to be nourished from the presence of the Serpent or Dragon for a time times and halfe a time ver 13 14 wherefore the title of the Synchronisme doth cast both these as you see into one time as it were visions of the same time and altogether of the same thing and which there was no such need to sever in this matter Furthermore that same duell wherein Michael overcame the Dragon did goe next before the seven headed revived or ten horned Beast for the Dragon forthwith as soone as hee was throwen downe unto the earth standing upon the sea sand for the time to come delivereth his place that is his power throne and great authoritie to the Beast rising up thence and as the Complutense edition which Irenaeus hath it one of his heads as it were slaine to death whose wound being healed the whole Lib. 5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 anâ— the text in â—he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 asseâ—â—â—h to this reading as also the Syriaque interpreter which is lately set forth yea among the â—aâ—â—e 〈◊〉 Priâ—asâ—â— doth not read that word vidi I saw although he take it so by adding the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was This deceived â—im â—hat in latine one of the heads c. concerning the case is 〈…〉 the Greek world wondring followed the Beast chap. 13. verse 1 2 3. And thus far the matter is plaine and cleare but the antecession of the inner court to the outward court which is the onely thing that remaineth to perfect this Synchronisme is a little harder taske to prove because the matter is otherwise taken and therefore hindred with prejudice yet thus I shew it The inner court according to the building of the temple in situation and order is before the outer court being neerest to the throâ—e of God or the temple which was the principall part of the whole structure 〈◊〉 Therefore if the things signified be of divers times for it is no new thing that the order of situation should expresse the order of time as it is to be seen in the Statua in Nebuchadnezzars dream surely it is agreeable to reason that the thing signified by the inner court should bee in time before the thing signified by the outer But that the things meant by the courts are of divers times and so that which is meant by the inner court more ancient and before the other I thus farre demonstrate because this vision of the measuring of the court of the temple and altar or the inner court is the beginning to the prophesie repeated which as anon more at large shall be shewed doth from the originall and very first beginning rehearse the times of the prophesie of the seales the beginning whereof no man doubteth to be fetcht from the very Epoche of the time of the Revelation Thou must saith he prophesie againe for so he expoundeth the mysterie of the eaten booke to many people nations tongues and kings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Again that is to say the order of times concerning which he had prophesied before being repeated For he beginneth from that measuring of the temple and altar and them that worshipped therein If therefore the vision of the woman bringing forth the childe and the war of
whether those elogies of the Angel of the bottomlesse pit and Abaddon can agree with any other besides him Howsoever it is certainly Satan was not then bound the bottomlesse pit as there it is said was not shut upon him and sealed up but as you may see chap. 9. 2. open and that so that the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a great furnace and the sunne and the aire was darkned by the smoke of it To conclude but that this libertie of the Dragon or Satan in deceiving the people continued even to the very destruction of the Beast and therefore was altogether of one time with the six first trumpets I thinke no man can doubt which shall well mark what is read to be done from the effusion of the sixt Viall to wit that when the seventh that is the last by and by was to be pouâ—ed out and therefore the finall ruine of the Beast was even then at â—and out of the mouth of the Dragon and the Beast and false prophet his Vicars three uncleane spirits spirits of devils working miracles shall goe out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world to gather them to the battell of that great day of God Alâ—ightie Chap. 16. 13. 14. So the 1000. yeeres of Satans being bonnd that he should not â—eceive the people any more can have no place neither under the six first seales noâ— under the six first trumpets therefore they are â—o be left in the sevenâ—h trumpet 2 Arg. After a thousand yeers being fulfilled Satan being let loose cut off his prison for a short time hee had raised new stirs the scum of the deceived people which hee had gathered together being conâ—uâ—ed with fire fallen from heaven the deceiver himselfe being taken and arrested is said to be sent into the lake of fire and brimstone * Chap. â—â— 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where were both the Beast and the false prophet Marke here reader the chronicall caracter by which is intimated that this whatsoever it is concerning Satan being taken and condemned after his second loosing it succedeth the vision of the former Chapter concerning the Beast and the false prophet being vanquished taken and thereupon cast into the lake burning with fire and brimstone by him which sate upon the white horse as in order of narration so also in the time of the thing done For otherwise it should not have been said that Satan was sent thither where both the Beast and the false prophet were except both the Beast and the false prophet had been sent thither first Neither can any man of judgement say by way of evasion that this war after a thousand yeeres of this 20th chapter is not differing from that of the former chapter when as not onely the character already brought but also all the circumstances on both sides are repugnant the parties the battell and the manner of the slaughter there with the sword here with fire yea and the event of either war unlike as anon the matter being demonstrated shall be made plaine there the binding of Satan onely for a time but here a condemnation to eternall fire The war therefore wherein the Beast and the falsâ— prophet being taken are sent into the lake of fire seeing that it is different from this last to which Satan at length to be cast into the same lake had stirred up the nations presently after his loosing either it must needs be waged within the very same thousand yeeres or els when they were not yet begun It couâ—d not be waged within the thousand yeeres because so long Satan is said to be bound and shut up in the bottomlesse pit that he should not deceive the people any more untill the thousand yeeres should be consummate chap. 20. vers 3. But in the war wherein at length there is triumph over the Beâ—st and the false prophet and their companions if ever at any other time hee was most free and loose to deceive as appeareth by those things which even now wee have alleadged out of the sixteenth chapter concerning the preparation of this war to wit that from the effusion of the sixt Phiall when as now the seventh wherein the Beast was utterly made an end of was ready to be poured out out of the moâ—th of the Dragon out of the moâ—th of the Beast and of the false prophet * Chap. 16. 13. 14 three uncleane spirits the spirits of devils shewing wonders went forth to the kings of the earth and of the whole world to gather them together to the battell of the great day of God Almightie Because therefore the * Raâ—â—â— state of the thousand yeeres doth no way admit such Satannicall troubles and stirs it must needs be that this warre of the Beast shall in time goe before them and so at length the 1000. yeeres of Satans binding shall contemporize with the space from the slaughter of the Beast which was to be demonstrated 3. Arg. To conclude since through those thousand yeeres wherein Satan is kept in prison Christ is said to have reigned in that Emperiall and Magnificent Kingdome with his thereupon by the same arguments and marks by which the Synchronisâ—e of either is established the other also will be confirmed Therefore that that Emperiall Kingdome of Christ doth begin with the seventh trumpet or from the destruction of the Beast is now for us to shew The fifth Synchronisme Of the 1000. yeeres of Christ his Emperiall raigne and of the seventh trumpâ—t or the space from the destruction of the Beast 〈…〉 1 The excellent and Emperiall Kingdom of Christ often and again mentioned in the Revelation and upon the coming whereof the quire of the Beasts and triumphant elders are wont to sing hymnes and thanksgivings to God every where succeedeth in order the conquest of and the triumph over the Beast and Babylon For first where this reign of a thousand yeers is proâ—erly handled in chap 20. of the number of those which reign with Christ are 〈◊〉 4. they who had not worshiâ—ped the Beast nor his image nor had received his marke in their foreheads or in their hands doe not these words sufficiently shew that this reign of Christ succeeded the reign of the Beast his image and his stigmatized followers For wherefore should this elogie be given to those sons of the kingdome that they had not worshipped the Beast c except the Beast had now gone before For certainly the desert in time goeth before the retribution and reward But now this kingdom is given as the order of the narration sheweth to the Saints as a reward of their faith and constancie and that after their cause was first discussed in open Court of which Session as iâ— were there is a description in these words * Veâ—â—e 4. And I saw thrones and they sat upon them and judgement was given to them that is to say to them was given authoritie of judging c. Therefore the time
of principalitie to wit if he were a Prince that shall dreame that he is mounted upon such a horse Likewise Chap. â—33 Lighting from horsebacke if it be voluntarie of voluntary diminution of government but if unwillingly it is expounded of surrogating a successor into the dignitie These things will give light to the third Seale Chap. 6. Chap. 15. Out of the learning of the Indians If any shall see in his dreame a ballance or a bell as they call it it is a kinde of ballance Campanum to be hanged in any place let him understand it of the person of a Judge And if he have a suite in law and in weighing he shall see them to be equall one to another he shall obtaine his right If he seeme to see the ballance equall and cleane let him know the Iudge of the place to be iust but if he shall see the scales naught and broken let him thinke the Iudge of the place wherein he had his dreame uniust Likewise Bushels also with measures have the same interpretation in proportion but they are applied to the persons of inferiour Iudges These things to the sixt Seale Chap. 167. Out of the Monuments of the Indians Persians and Egyptians The 〈◊〉 hath reference in interpretation to the person of a King and the Mooâ—e to the person of a Prince next to the King Venus to the person of the Empresse or Queene likewise other great Starres to honourable personages belonging to the King Whilest I reade these things I am not farre from conceiving that glorious tiâ—le of Sapor the King of Persia in his Letters sent to Constantius the Emperour Sapor King of Kings partaker of the Starres brother of the Sunne and Moone to Constantius Caesar my brother greeting which Ammianus Marcellinus imputeth to the Persian pride to be none other then a style peculiar to the Nation arising from such representations which ought to seeme the lesse strange to any when we see even our Heralds in blazoning the armes of Emperours and Kings to use the name of the Sunne Moone and other Plannets Hither also is to be referred that interpretation of Iacob of his sonne Iosephs dreame of the Sunne Moone and eleven starres worshipping him which he immediately as not ignorant of the parables of the East applyeth to his Family interpreting the Sunne and the Moone to be understood of himselfe and his wife as King and Queene the Starres Chap. 6. of his sonnes as it were Princes of the Family Genes 37. 10. But let us returne to our Achmetes and he goeth on in the same Chapter If any shall seeme to see the Sunne in the Heaven wanting light and rayes the calamitie and dishonour belongeth to the person of the King If the Sonne shall seeme to any to be eclipsed that portendeth affliction and warre to the King If any shall seeme to see the Sunne covered with a cloud the King shall fall into affliction and diseases according to the manner of the overclouding If any shall seeme to see the Sunne the Moone and Starres gathered together without light If he be of the number of the Peers by reason of that obscuritie he shall fall into utter destruction If he be the King environed on all sides he shall be assaulted and shall fall into great affliction Chap. 168. Out of the observation of the Persians and Egyptians If any shall seeme to see the Starres cast but a very small light disparkled and scattered and full of obscuritie this reflecteth upon the calamity of the Nobles and wealthy and the Kings Presidents THis sixt Seale being finished we should immediately in order proceed to the seventh bringing forth a seven fold plague as which is joyned immediately with the sixt But the holy Ghost of set purpose hath thought meet to make a little stand untill he should set forth the state of a certain company of the same time with it as well to be safe as to overcome under the plagues thereof We will therefore first give what light of interpretation we can to that Vision And then we will continue the order of the Sâ—ales begun Chap. 7. THE VISION OF THE COMPANY OF THE SERVANTS OF GOD Or of the Elect and faithfull Church to be preferred amidst the ruines of the seventh Seale or the Trumpets exhibited in a Type Of an hundred forty and foure thousand sealed out of all the Tribes of Israel at the entrance of the seventh Seale THE Vision of the sealed is twise placed first Vpon Chap. 7. here at the entrance of the Trumpets in the first Prophesie againe as it were an opposite of the reigning Beast in the second Prophesie Chap. 14. and that in a double respect Here for their preservation amidst the destruction of the Trumpets there for their praise for keeping their alleageance to God and the Lambe when as other the inhabitants of the world as revolters and Apostates had received the marke of the Beast Out of which it plainly appeareth that the Prophesie of the Beast Chap. 7. contemporizeth with the matters of the Trumpets but how far is to be determined else where to wit not farther then the going out of the sixt Trumpet wherein the moneths of the Beast are ended with the dayes of the mourning Witnesses Chap. 11. 14. For the present our purpose is to cast the light of our interpretation to the former vision of the sealed wherein their preservation is handled of their praise afterward when we come to that Afterwards saith he that is the Vision of the sixt Seale being Vers 1. past and the seventh which is of the Trumpets even now beginning I saw foure Angels standing upon the foure corners of the earth holding the foure windes of the earth that the winde should not blow upon the earth nor upon the Sea nor upon any tree The meaning is he saw Angels which had power to restraine the Windes that is the tempests of warres and calamities out of what quarter of the world soever they should proceed untill it pleased God but at his becke if he should at any time give the signe to give them libertie through the world not the same Angels with those of the Trumpets but which yet at their sounding should set at libertie those windes one while out of this another while out of that part of the world for the wasting and overthrow of the Romane estate For the parable of Windes with the Prophets doth expresse warlike motions and hostile invasions and violent assaults As Ierem. 49.36 I will bring upon Elam the foure windes from the foure quarters of Heaven and will scatter them towards all those windes and there shall be no Nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not câ—me See the rest Also Chap. 51.1 Behold I saith the Lord will raise up against Babylon c. a destroying winde 2. And I will send into Babylon fanners and they shall fanne her and shall empty her land Adde also Chap. 18. 17. As an
Mountaine anciently threatning it but now burning turneth it all bloody with a great destruction as well of living creatures or fishes living therein as also of the navy That is the destruction of Rome the great Citie once or twice taken spoyled and burning with hostile flames brake out to the ruine of the largenesse of the Romane iurisdiction the Barbarians now at their pleasure fiercely entering into the Provinces thereof by reason of the weaknesse of the head so afflicted and dividing them into new kingdoms with an irreparable slaughter both of the legions there abiding for defence as also with losse of all aydes of retaining and upholding as of traffique the authoritie thereof The Sea of the politique world as I have said is that fulnesse of dominion compassing all the inhabitants in the communion of the same politique right By this representation the Dominion of Babylon is expressed Ier. 51. 36. where the Lord threatneth that he will dry up the Sea thereof and make the spring thereof dry which vers 44. is expounded holding the same Metaphor the nations shall flow no more unto her The amplitude also of the Assyrian kingdom is so described Ezek. 31. 4. The waters made her to wit the Assyrian Cedar to grow the deep or the sea hath exalted her Happily also the dominion of Pharaoâ— is the Sea Esa 19.5 where concerning the destruction of his kingdom it is said the waters shall faile from the Sea thereof that is his Dominion shall be taken away Whereupon those great Empires in Daniel are beheld to ascend out of the Sea that is to arise out of the largenesse of Dominion Now that the third part of the Sea that is the Romane sea is said to become blood we must know that blood first is take for slaughter then for Death also without blood but that Death in a manner is taken for ruine even of a thing wanting life see Ezec. 14.19 3.18.20 ct 18.13 Amo. 2.2 Rom. 7.9 whereupon to become bloody is a representation of a thing that suffereth ruine to wit as it were like a living creature slain or butchered bleeding That therefore here the Sea is said to become bloody by the fall of a great Mountaine it sheweth nothing else but that it suffered by that fall a certaine Death or a violent Ruine That which in the phyals where the same representation is is a little more plainly said * Chap. 16.3 that it became as the blood of a dead man that is of one slaine the Romane Dominion or fulnesse was overthrown cut in pieces rent destroyed Chap. 8. The like mysterie of a Mountaine signifying a Citie is found of old Babylon Ierem. 51. 25. Behold I come unto thee ô plague-bringing or destroying Mountaine which destroyest the whole Earth and I will stretch out mine hand c. and I will make thee a Mountaine of burning where the Septuagint have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a mountaine on fire in the same sence wherein Iohn here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a mountaine burning with fire Concerning the same Esay 13. 2. upon the high Mountaine lift up a Standard Targum upon the Citie dwelling without feare The like Chap. 37. 24. to Senacherib King of Assyria Thou hast railed saith he on the Lord and said by the multitude of my chariots I have ascended the height of the mountains Targum I have ascended into the defence of their Cities but whether rightly I doubt Furthermore that a Mountaine is here said to be put or cast into the Sea it is the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 elegancy of the figure since a Mountaine can no otherwise hurt the Sea then by being thrown into it And remember that this hath place in the following Trumpet also concerning the falling Starre Vers 10. As concerning the History Rome was first taken in the yeere 410 and that by the same Alaricus King of the Gothes who had brought in as it were the entrance of the destinie in the former Trumpet but now after the death of Stilichâ— making new stirres and preparing a new and fatall expedition into Italy whereby he brought Honorius into such streights that the Barbarian himselfe could make a new Emperour of Rome namely Attalus with whom he besieged Houorius Augustus at Ravenna now in despaire of his estate thinking to flye into the East leaving the West But the enemy repenting himselfe wholly restored Honorius Attalus being deposed from the Empire The rending of the Romane Dominion immediately followed this destruction of the Citie of Rome I call Sigonius to witnesse The miserable destruction saith he of Italy the continued warres of France and Spaine and the new Empires now at last of the Barbarian Kings in both the Provinces have succeeded the Romane overthrow For first Honorius that he might recover Rome with the Empire having made a league with Alaricus was constrained to yeeld the Countries and Kingdom in France to the Gothes Two yeers after in the yeere 412 the Hâ—nnes running over Chap. 8. Panonia which the Gothes had left the same Honorlus being destitute of power to make resistance in so great difficulties made a league with them giving and receiving Hostages Afterwards in the yeere 413 Constantius Captain of the same Honorius least happily he should fall into any streights of warre did willingly receive into friendship and seated upon the Rhone the Burgundians who in these former yeers the Estate being so disordered together with the Vandales had betaken themselves into France To conclude in the yeere 415 the same Honoriuâ— as Procopius delivereth when the Gothes a little after had passed over into neighbouring Spaine he granted to the Vandales also with their King Gundericus being lately driven out of Gallia by the Frankes the places which they had entered to be inhabited upon condition of making warre upon the Gothes He that desireth to know more let him reade the forementioned Sigonius concerning the Westerne Empire lib. 10. 11. whence we tooke these things And so thence forward the largenesse of the Romane Dominion is daily more and more rent and cut off untill again in the yeere 455 Rome being taken and spoyled by Gâ—nsericus the Vandale the whole Body of the Empire the next yeere or not much after appeared to be divided into ten kingdoms which together with the names of the People and of the Kings and the Provinces over which they reigned and moreover certaine things noted out of the History to give greater light the following Table will shew A type of the rending of the Empire or Romane Dominion in Chap. 8. the yeer of Christ 456 and so forward The Kingdoms The Provinces wherein they reigned The names of the Kings reigning in the yeer 456 Certaine things to be observed 1 Of the Brittones In Britaine Vortimer  2 Saxons Hengist  3 Frankes First in Gall. Belg. shortly in Celt ca also Childerick  4 Burgundians In Gall. Sequan and Lions Gunderick The kingdom of the Buâ—gundians
Sun of the morning thou art cut downe to the ground which didst weaken the nations Otherwhere also as in the place of Esa Chap. 34.4 already before cited Starres falling from heaven are understood of the ruine of Princes or great personages A starre therefore of a singular and unusuall magnitude doth designe a Prince above the common sort of Princes that is a great and excellent one It followeth And the name of the Starre is called Wormwood It is a propheticall figure wherein by the imposition as it were of a proper name the qualitie or destinie of the thing or person handled is set forth since other where also in the Hebraisme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the matter as Luk. 1. 37. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every thing is not unpossible with God and to be called is all one as to be or to exist as Esa 56.7 My house shall be called an house of prayer for which Luk. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is shall be or shall be accounted an house of prayer And Gen. 21. 12. In Isaac shall thy seed be called that is shall be You may see also the Septuagint Esa 14. 20. Ruth 4. 11. And examples of this figure whereof I spake are every where obvious For so in Esa 7.14 concerning Christ his name shall be called Emanuel that is he shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God-man And Chap. 9 6. His name shall be called Wonderfull Counsellour the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of peace that is he shall be all these Likewise in Jerem. 23. 6. And this is the name whereby they shall call him THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESSE And Zach. 6. 12. Behold the man his name is the BRANCH it followeth because he shall spring out of his place c. Adde hereunto Rev. 19. 13. His name is called THE WORD OF GOD that is he is that Word of God The like to these are found Ierem. Chap. 8. 20.3 The Lord calleth not thy name Pashur but Magor-Missabib that is feare round about for thus saith the Lord Behold I will put feare into thee to thy selfe and all thy friends And Ezech. 23.4 The names of them that is of the women of Samaria and Ierusalem Aholah and Aholibah Adde hereto Esa 8.3 Hos 1.6.9 By the very like figure is this Falling starre called Wormewood that is according to the Hebrews with whom the abstracts are used for the concretes Absinthites to wit A Prince of bitternes and sorrowes Such indeed was that Hesperian Caesar if ever any were exercised with continuall calamities from his first rising unto his end Who while he reigned the Romane Empire should be ruined Yea by the setting up of whom occasion of the ruine was given because by the such division of the Empire brought in a way was opened to the Barbarians and the Roman State was cast into fearefull calamities Is not he worthily called Wormwood for his lot which fell out to be so bitter to himselfe and others according to that of Naomi Call me not Naomi call me Marah because the Almighty hath afflicted me with bitternesse But before I depart hence something must be said of the state of the City and Romane State after that fall of their Caesar that a way may be prepared to the interpretation of the following Trumpet Caesar therefore of the West being so cast downe and extinct the meane while Odoacer the Herulian held Italy 16. yeeres by name of King who after two yeeres restored the Consulship to Rome and to the West and still kept it which notwithstanding in the beginning upon displeasure he had taken away Him did Theodoricus the King of the Ostrogothes succeed and that as Paulus Diaconus reporteth Zeno the Emperour of the East delivering him Italy by pragmaticall sanction and confirming it by putting upon his head a sacred veyle Who Odoacer being vanquished and slaine added Sicilia also to his Kingdome besides Dalmatia and Rhetia which were Provinces of Odoacer he repaired the wals and some buildings of the Citie of Rome having gathered together a great summe of money for that purpose so that there seemed nothing could be desired more to the height of her former fortune the infamy of a City sacked and burnt being excepted he ordered the Kingdome very wisely he changed no Roman Ordinance but retained the Senate and Consuls the Senators the Governours of the Praetorium the Governours of the city the Questor the high Treasurer the Master Chap. 8. of the privie purse and Captaine of the Guard Captaines of foot and horse and other Magistrates that were in the Empire and committed them onely to Romans which was also a while kept by his Successors Athalaricus Theodobatus Vitiges Ostrogothian kings of Italy See Sigonius de imperio occidentali lib. 15. An. 479. lib. 16. annis 493. 494. 500. The fourth Trumpet The fourth Trumpet proceeding yet further did utterly take away the light of the Roman Majesty in the citie of Rome wherwith Verse 12. it had shined untill then even under the Ostrogothian kings to wit after the Consulship of Rome had failed from the yeare 542. in that Ostrogâ—thian war waged for the recovery of Italy first by Belisarius afterward by Narsetes Captaines of Iustinianus then it selfe once and againe taken burned and the third part of it demolished by Totila forsaken moreover a memorable mock of fortune by all her inhabitants at length after so many decayes and â—laughters being regained by Narsetes but a little after overthrowen by aboisterous storme and lightnings she that was sometimes the Queene of Cities now at length being How doth thâ— city sit solitariâ— that was full of people how is she become as a widow sheâ— that was great among the Nations and Princesse among the Provinces how is she become trâ—tulary Lament 1. 1. bereaved of Consular power authoritie of Senate and other Magistrates wherewith as with stars she had enlightned the world is fallen from so great glory into I know not what ignoble dâ—kedome of Ravenna over which in times past shee had commanded after is constrained to serve under the Exarchate O miserable darknesse and pay tribute And this which is here mentioned was the smiting of the third part of the Sun Moon and stars whereby it came to passe that the third part of the day could not give light and the third part of the night likewse Where the light of the day which is the sunne is called by the name of the day and the light of the night which is the moone and the stars of the night according to that Iere. 31. 35. Which giveth the Sunne for a light to the day and the courses of the moone and of the starres for a light of the night The sonne of Rome shonne as long as shee enjoyed the Consular diguitie and her raigne over other cities and provinces The moone and starres there gave light as long as the Chap. 8. ancient authoritie of the Senate and
and to build and to plant let no man now marvell that fire or divine revenge is said to proceed out of the mouthes of the witnesses who notwithstanding have the sole power of denouncing it or obtaining it from God So the witnesses doe revenge their own injury it so loweth by what means also they revenge the contumely offered to the Temple of God They have power to shut heaven that it raine not to wit a mysticall Vers 6. raine in the dayes of their prophesie That is they are furnished with the power of the keyes whereby they shut up heaven against these new Gentiles the corrupters of Christian worship that the grace of the blood of Christ sealed by Baptisme be not shed upon them for the remission of their sins so long as they by their Idolatries and Superstitions shall persevere to be the cause of the mourning prophesie of the witnesses I will more plainly expresse it They according to the word of God do debarre from the hope of eternall life promised onâ—ly to the pure worshippers of God those new Idolaters untill being mindfull of their covenant in Baptisme they shall returne to the worship of one God by one Mediatour Iesus Christ forsaking the worshipping of Satan and so shall put an end to the mourning prophesie of the witnesses Even as Elias also restored not raine to the Israelites now almost killed with drought before that the prophets of Baal and his worship were destroyed But of this power of the witnesses we have an example afterwards Chap. 14 9. If any one say they shall worship the Beast and his Image and receive his marke in their forehead or on his hand the same shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God of the pure wine 10. tempered in the cup of his indignation and he shall be tormented with Chap. 11. fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy Angels and in the presence 11. of the Lambe and the smoake of their torment shall ascend for ever and ever c. To conclude they have power over waters to turne them into Vers 6. blood and to smite the earth with every plague as often as they will Such like power indeed Moses and Aaron used when they brought Israel out of the Egyptian bondage Whence I gather that the power of the witnesses figured by this type pertaineth not to all the dayes of the mourning prophesie but to the end of them or the time of the phyalls to wit when by the conduct of the witnesses or Prophets as it were of Moses and Aaron the Christian people is to be brought out like wise from the tyranny and service of the Beast by plâ—gues expressed after the manner of those of Egypt For truly the first plague of the Phyals doth strike the earth with an Vlcer by the secoâ—d and third the waters are turned into blood the rest doe torment the worshippers of the Beast or the Gentiles abiding in the court of the Temple with other and yet more grievous plagues The interpretation of all which we will reserve to their proper place Let it suffice here to have referred this last power to the powring out of the Phyals It followeth And when they shall be about to finish their testimony the Beast which ascendeth out of the bottomlesse pit shall make warre against Vers 7. them and shall overcome them and kill them Of the function and power of the Witnesses hitherto it followeth now of their destinie which they were to finde at the end of their Prophesie The description whereof is wholly compact out of the historie of the passion of our Lord. For the Lord Iesus likewise when he had ended his preaching of about so many dayes as the prophesie of the Witnesses amount to is slaine by the Romane Governour the Legate of this beast between whom and the Witnesses there is warre but in the time of his sixt head the third day after there being likewise a great earthquake he rose againe And a little after to wit upon the fortieth day being received in a cloud he ascended into heaven All which things God would have to be represented in this slaughter of his witnesses by his owne death that like as they have borne the likenesse of those renowned paires of which is spoken before in the state of their function so they should be made conformable Chap. 11. in suffering and death to their Lord Christ that faithfull Witnesse which truely ought to be both comfortable and glorious to them in the midst of their miseries But let us give light to the text When saith he they shall be about to finish their testimony for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be translated noâ— of the Preterperfect tense when they have finished the Beast which ascendeth out of the bottomlesse pit shall make war with them and shall overcome them and kill them That is when now part of the holy Citie or inhabitants of the Christian world acknowledging the horriblenesse of Gentilisme repenting of their Idolatries and abominations and clensing the Temple of God within themselves the witnesses rejoycing should begin to put off their sackcloth and to be freed from their daily mourning notwithstanding they should not yet be wholly freed that Romane seven-headed Boast of the last time of which Chap. 13. chasing that the preaching of those mourners had so farre prevailed shall make warre against them overcome and kill them The first of which concerning the mourning of the witnesses already begunne to determine â—ath beene continually performed from the beginning of the reformed Church untill this present The other concerning warre and slaughter I conjecture is yet to come But our Brightman thought it already fulfilled to wit in the Smalcaldian warre under the Emperour Charles the fifth Others apply it to the late ruine of the Churches of Germany And who would not much rather that so lamentable an accident to the Church were past then to feare it to be yet to come But the interpretation is not to be directed according to our wish Yea rather the errour will be with greater danger on that part then on the contrary For the expectation of a future calamity conduceth more to piety then an over-credulous securitie thereof as if it were already past There are two things which perswade me that this last destruction is yet to be feared The first that those lamentable times of the Gentiles trampling under foot the holy Citie or Christian Religion or the times of the forty two moneths cannot be said to have fulfilled their period so long as the Beast shall reigne and therefore neither the Dayes of the Witnesses mourning in sackcloth being of the same time and of the same age with them Another because this destruction of the Witnesses is to be the next antecedent as we shall heare afterwards Chap. 11. to the destruction and ruine of the great Citie that is Rome which the * Series course of
It remaineth And the rest were affraid and gave glory to the God of Heaven To wit by their astonishment wherein even unwillingly and unthankfully they acknowledge his hand For to acknowledge the wisedome goodnesse and power of God by what token soever is to give glory to God Even as they who being taken with the manner by God confesse their sinnes and are said to give glory to God as Achan It followeth The second woe is past and behold the third wâ—e commeth Vers 14. quickly The meaning is that that great earthquake is to continue till the end of the second Woe or the sixth Trumpet and together with it the mourning Prophesie of the Witnesses is at length to be Chap. 11. finished For truely after so great a victory over the followers of the Beast and their ascending into the heaven of authoritie and honour they shall put on sackcloth no more But now if the second Woe or the plague of the sixt Trumpet be that overflowing of the Turkes from Euphrates into the Romane Empire now long since as there we have interpreted it can scarcely be but that this departure of the same plague is that drying up of the water of Euphrates to come to passe at the powring out of the fifth phyall whereby the way is prepared for the Kings of the East to come Chap. 16. 12. At which coming of the Kings of the East lest a gap be left otherwise betweene either Trumpet the seventh Trumpet seemeth to beginne and so that wonderfull preparation of the Dragon Beast and false Prophet for the warre to be waged in Armageddon there vers 13 14. together with the event thereof at the last phyall vers 17 c. ought to be placed in the beginning of the same seventh Trumpet And surely it seemeth to be very meete that the preparation to warre doe pertaine to the same Trumpet to which the warre it selfe pertaineth But out of this a doubt ariseth which requireth satisfaction and therefore not to be passed in silence For since there is the same terme of forty two moneths of the Beast as is of one thousand two hundred and sixty dayes of the mourning of the Witnesses and since those dayes of the mourning of the Witnesses are ended at the departure of the plague of the sixt Trumpet or second Woe it may be demanded not unfitly wherefore the moneths of the Beast should not be further reckoned since after that terme no little of the Beast yet remaineth being not to be abolished before the seventh Trumpet is begun It may be answered that this cometh to passe either because then the conversion of Israel and as it were a new Kingdome beginneth for they are called the Kings from the rising of the Sun or because in the continuance of the Beast consideration is had especially to the Empire of the Citie of Rome but that great Citie the royall seat of the Beast in this earthquake is taken and overthrowne even so farre that from thenceforth the Beast shall as it were change his forme since being driven so from his Metropolis it can no more be accounted for a Kingdome of seven Chap. 12. hils which is the other signification of the seven heads thereof There is moreover in the Text concerning the sound of the seventh Trumpet and the Emperiall reigne of Christ in that great day of Iudgement the interpretation whereof we will put off to the end of the booke that we may there at once set forth all the prophesies appertaining thereunto The meaning of the red seven headed Dragon contending with Michael about the child birth The first vision of the open booke which we handled Chap. 11. went through the whole course of the Revelation from the beginning to the end and that as elsewhere we have touched to shew the conextion of the same with the Seales and Trumpets Now the other prophesies of the same time and Ecclesiasticall affaires come to be knit to that vision to the making up of the body of the open booke among which The battell of the seven headed red Dragon with Michael doth comprehend the same space of Ecclesiasticall affaires with the measured Court wherein truely the Romane Empire * Draconicola worshipping the Dragon tyrannized with lamentable persecutions against the Church in travaile with childe labouring to bring forth Christ to be King in the Romane Empire and at least three hundred yeers made war against the Spirit of Christ mightily working in his servants But the woman at last after many sorrowes cuttings and slaughters in child-birth brought forth the King even Chap. 12. 5. Christ such as she travelled with to rule the Nations with an iron Rod and the Dragon being throwne downe from his Romane throne salvation and strength and the Kingdome of our Chap. 12.10 14. God and the power of his Christ was brought into the Empire The summe of the whole matter being premised for perspicuitie let us come to the exposition of the Text particularly And there appeared saith he a great wonder in Heaven VVHither indeed Iohn was called in the beginning to behold Chap. 12. 1. where he had beheld all the former visions Neither do I thinke an other sense is to be sought of this circumstance For it Chap. 12. is manifest even out of the end of the foregoing Chapter that Iohn hitherto looked towards heaven A woman clothed with the Sunne and the Moone under her feete and upon her head a crowne of twelve starres Truly a most beautifull image and representation of the Primitive childebearing Church to wit shining round about by the faith of Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse treading under feet the rudiments of the world whether Legall shadowes or darkenesse of Gentile superstition and to conclude glorious with the ensignes of the Apostolique off-spring Most men would have the Moone to be a symbole of earthly and mutable things which the Church of Christ contemneth as below her selfe which although it be true yet no where as I take it in the whole Scripture is the Moone noted by this propertie But the interpretation of propheticall Symboles is not easily to be attained other-where then from those properties which the Scripture some-where doth warrant And now this is certaine that the most feasts wherein typicall worship was celebrated by sacrifices were ordered according to the motion of the Moone as the new Moone the Paschall Pentecost the Feast of Tabernacles yea the account of the whole Ecclesiasticall yeere depended upon the motion thereof to which happily belongeth that Psalme 104 19. He made the Moone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for festivall seasons Why therefore may not the Symbole of the Moone be referred to the Mosaicall worship which doubtlesse the Church by the revealing of Christ discerneth as it were prostrate and put under her feete according to that of the Apostle to the Colossians Chap. 2. 14. affirming Christ to have blotted out the
or they spent it freely for Christ For this kinde of speaking with the Hebrewes is not of * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diminution but * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 augmentation So Prâ—v 12. 3. A man is not established by wickednesse that is shall be utterly removed and rooted out Chap. 12. The same Book 10. 2. Treasures of wickednesse profit nothing that is they hurt they damnifie 17. 21. The father of a foole shall have no ioy that is he shall be grieved And 1 Cor. 16. 12. If any man love not the Lord Iesus Christ let him be Anathema that is whosoever hateth and blasphemeth See Buxâ—orf Thesaur Gram. lib. 2. cap. 19. So here The Dragon and his Angels prevailed not is the same as they were utterly vanquished But a more full History of this victory I have already made at the interpretation of the sixt seale with which this fall of the Dragon doth contemporize yea it is the argument of that seale as farre as it respects that notable change of the Romane Empire But that which I have said concerning the Childe of the woman placed on the throne of the Empire and the Christians then bearing sway that truely is cleare and evident out of the triumphant song which is annexed I heard saith he a loud voice saying in heaven now is come Vers 10. salvation and strength and the kingdome of our God and the power of his Christ for the accuser of our brethren is cast down which accused them before our God day and night But they overcame him by the blood of the Lambe and by the Vers 11. word of their testimony and they loved not their lives unto the death Which words as they are most cleere and spoken without any obscurity of allegory so are they the key for interpreting the whole vision For hence it may plainly be perceived as well what that lifting up of the childe of the woman to the throne of God may be to wit an introduction of salvation strength and the kingdom of God and the power of his Christ into the Romane throne as also by the vanquishing of what enemy he came to the kingdom to wit by the throwing down 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or of that Accuser who day and night accuseth the brethren and traduceth them before God to conclude what manner of forces Michael and his Angels used with him in that battell against the Dragon and his guard to wit the holy Martyrs and Confessours who overcame him by the blood of the Lambe and by the word of their testimoniâ— because they loved not their lives unto the death that is they freely yeelded their lives unto the death And surely it is altogether unpossible that the lifting up of the childe of the woman the throwing down of the Dragon and the introduction of the kingdom Chap. 12. of God and Christ should not levell at one and the same event of things since the flight of the woman into the wildernesse beginneth from them all as it were from one certaine terme of things Vers 6. and 14. Now that Satan here is called by a new name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Accuser who before is stiled Dragon and Devill it is to be understood that this also proceedeth from the custome of the Hebrews by whom indeed he is called by the same name which they have now long since taken into their own language For they call him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kategor R. Iâ—da in the book Musar as Drusius citeth him Kategor saith he is Satan the adversary or wicked accâ—ser who is adversary to man or accâ—seth him before the blessed Creator Maiemonides ad Pirke Avoth where in Gnome R. Eliezer both this and the word Paraclit of contrary signification derived also from the Greeks is used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is He is termed Paraclit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an advocate who pleadeth for the good of a man before the King the contrary whereof is Kategor an accuser For he it is who tradâ—ceth a man before the King and endeavoâ—reth to kill him And surely if ever then during the time of this childe bearing and warre Satan worthily deserved the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of an accuser and malitious detracter Which so many reproaches and infamies doe witnesse wherewith the Dragon-worshippers all this time overwhelmed the Christians objecting against them Thyestaean feasts Oedipodian incests adultery promiscuous lusts murders treasons against Princes plagues famine burnings of houses and what publique calamitie soever happened But it seemeth here rather respect is had to the History of Iob where Satan by accusing and calumniating brought to passe that he was permitted by God to try Iob by temptations and tribulations That which here also the holy Ghost intimateth to be done by him according to his custome The skilfull will understand what I meane It followeth in the triumphant song Therefore reioyce ye heavens and ye that dwell in them that is Vers 12. ye holy Angels and blessed spirits by whose labour happily imployed this victory is gotten woe to the inhabitants of the Earth and of the Sea that is the world for the Devill is come down unto you having great wrath and therefore Chap. 12. like to hatch some new mischief because be knoweth that he hath but a short time For although even from that time forward by Constantine the Great he was cast down from the Romane throne yet the worshipping of the Dragon continued with the people some time hereupon when not very long after he perceived â—e must be at length also thrust out and that the whole Romane Empire should be washed with the Baptisme of Christ matters coming to that passe being all in a rage he studieth to bring the victory of the Church by what way possibly he could into danger and if he should faile of his purpose or be cast out to undermine it by some new stratagem In both which we shall anon see the most wicked spirit bestirred himself The Mysterie of the woman inhabiting in the Wildernesse The childe bearing woman the Dragon being vanquished honceforth dwelleth in the Wildernesse whereby the state of the Church delivered from the heathen tyranny untill the seventh Trumpet and the second coming of Christ is figured not in the type of one lying hid and invisible but as it were in a certaine middle condition like that of the Israelites wandering in the Desart from their departure out of Egypt untill their entrance into Canaan a state indeed thereof safe from the furie of that red Dragon as of Pharaoh but not as yet come to that glory as it were the possession of Canaan whereunto at length she was to attaine the rest of the enemies being vanquished A state indeed which outwardly should be better then the servitude of that Ethnick tyranny out of which as it were out of the bondage of Egypt the Christian people by the power of Christ escaped considering that leave
have eaten saith he and filled themselves they will turne unto other Gods and serve them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Detrahentque mihi and will reproach me So indeed is the vulgar in this place in the sense of blaspheming though not in the word For what other thing is it to detract from God then to blaspheme him But otherwhere he expresseth the word also as Ierm 23. 15. 17. from the Prophets of Ierusalem is pollution gone forth upon all the land They say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto them that blaspheme me â—ow the speech is of idolaters the Lord hath said ye shall have peace and every one that walketh in the crookednesse of his own heart To these if you please may be added for illustration sake that the prophanations of Antiochus wherewith he polluted the Temple of God and his holy things are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blasphemies 1 Mac. 2. 6. and 2 Mac. 8. 4. And that Kimchi interpreteth that of Gen. 4. 26. Then the name of the Lord was prophaned by calling upon it in an acception not much different thus Then men went astray after idolâ— and the invocation upon the name of the Lord was polluted and prophaned But how rightly I enquire not yet so he hath turned it and tooke it Hereupon with the Schoole Doctors there are three kinds of blasphemy one when that is attributed to God which agreeth Chap. 12. not unto him Another when that is taken from God which is due to him A third when that is attributed to the creature which is appropriated to God as in idolatry For even as an adulterous wife reproacheth her husband so the Church prostituting her self to idols reproacheth God since idolatry is spirituall adultery And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven Vers 6. What heretofore he had spoken generally concerning blasphemy here he specially prosecuteth and distinguisheth a three-fold idolatry of the Beast For first he blasphemeth the name of God to wit in the worshipping of images ascribing the incommunicable name of God vnto stocks and stones Wisd 14. 21. or the name of God that is his person give me leave so to speake which then cometh to passe when any thing besides God himselfe is worshipped with divine honour Secondly his tabernacle that is the humane nature of Christ wherein the Deitie dwelleth * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pitched his Tabernacle personally 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the word was made flesh and dwelt among us Ioh. 1. 14 and Ioh. 2. 19. Destroy this temple and in three dayes I will raise it up But he spake saith the Evangelist of the temple of his body And is not that also to this purpose a much more perfect tabernacle then that which was made with hands Hebr. 9. 11. This tabernacle I say the Beast blasphemeth whiles he beleeveth the body of Christ is daily made of bread by the transubstantiating Priest and therefore adoreth the Bread instead of Christ the tabernacle of God yea he taketh it for a sacrifice propitiatory for the living and the dead as it were crucifying Christ afresh Also he blasphemeth the heavenly inhabitants that is the Angels and Saints of heaven whiles he calleth the Devils and Idols which hee worshippeth by their names what a reproach is this against the blessed spirits yea and a contumely also against Christ their Lord in derogation of whose prerogative and glory they are set up even against their wils as mediators and intercessours with God patrones and protectors of mortall men after the custome of the heathen See those things which we have written out of the divinitie of the Gentiles concerning Devils and their offices at the end of the sixt trumpet And the Beast not content with this alone moreover disgraceth the blessed spirits with contumelious and wicked fables and miracles that thou mayest doubt whether he sin more Chap. 13. by the worship which he would seeme to give unto them or by contumelious fables Hitherto concerning the blasphemy it followeth concerning the other part of the Beasts impietie whereby he sheweth himself the Deputie of the red Dragon by persecuting the Saints For moreover it was given to him saith he to make warre with Vers 7. the Saints and to overcome them In Daniel thus made warre with the Saints and prevailed against Dan. 7.21 them But with what Saints to wit with the seed which happened to the woman in the wildernesse Now although the whole raigne of the Beast be a certaine warre against the Saints according to that which was said in the beginning and the Dragon being wroth went under the maske of this Beast to make warre with the remnant of the seed of the woman which kept the commandements of God and have the testimony of Iesus notwithstanding another manner of warre is here meant as appeareth Vers 10. where concerning the like recompence * Talio at length to be rendered to the Beast it is said He that leadeth into captivitie c. He that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword It is a warre therefore that is waged with slaughter and blood Adde hereunto that we yet handle the description not of the Ecclesiastiâ—all Beast but the secular with which a warre of another kinde will scarcely agree properly But this warre the Beast did not wage presently at his beginning but after he had come to his perfection * 1. The 1200 yeere in the twelfth age from the birth of Christ His first expedition fell heavie upon the Albigenses and Waldenses and by what other name soever the true worshippers of Christ were then called of whom there was such a slaughter that through France alone if P. Perionius in his History of that Warre make a right account there were slaine at the hand of ten hundred thousand men For this crueltie extended not onely to burning men alive losse of their goods banishments and other punishments of that kinde but that nothing might be wanting in so cruell a persecution to the true name of a warre whole armies were mustered against them and with those expeditions bearing the Crosse first appointed against the Saracens now turned against Christians of the uncorrupted and pure Religion who refused to worship the Beast they ragâ—d with incredible furie and crueltie about seventy yeers Histories of this slaughter Chap. 13. are ordinarie to which I referre the Reader Notwithstanding I am disposed to recite the words of Thuanus an excellent Historian but of the other side Against the Waldenses saith he in the Preface of the History of his time when as exquisite punishments did little prevaile and the evill was exasperated by the remedie which was unseasonably applyed and the number of them daily encreased whole armies at length were mustered neither was the warre fought against them of lesse weight then that which ours before waged against the Saracens of
beasts raged in these times in the Roman Empire it will then point out that evill wherewith the Easterne and Southerne regions were usually pâ—stered in this case namely that when the famine and the pestilence raged the Beasts would grow strong against men and slay them as may be sâ—en Levit. 26.22 Ezek. 14.15.21 But Deut. 7 22 the changing of the construction doth more favour the former opinion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if thou render it atque id per Bestias terrae and that by the Beasts of the earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quartam partem terra the fourth part of the Verse â— earth-over which it is said power was given to hell and to death to tyranize except any conceive himself able to defend the vulgar interpreter here with whom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is ' Chap. â— a quaternion or four parts of the earth I expound it of the chiefest or by much the greatest part of the Romane Empire For since the third part of the earth as shall be said in the proper place doth note out the largenesse of the Romane Empire by consequence the fourth part of the earth is the same dominion of Rome lesse by a fourth part and so that three or four fold company of calamities went through three quarters of the Romane Empire that is almost the whole one fourth part thereof onely being free And surely Orâ—sius seemeth to affirme that the pestilence extended not it selfe further then to use his words the Edicts of Decius did run for the overthrow of the Churches Of the rest I have nothing to say And thus much of the 4th Seale Of the fifth Seale The two Seales that follow have no help from the Beasts as the former had concerning the time of their beginning and therefore none here any more to be seene that sit upon horses whereeupon that signification given by the Beasts did depend the space therefore of both is there to begin where the chance of the Seale going before left which certainly may be very easie where the chances as here shall be such that the determination of them cannot lie hid in respect of remarkeable evidence Wherefore the fifth Seale shall begin from the Empire of Aurelianus in the yeere 268. at what time the fifteene yeers peâ—tilence is extinguished which was the longest of all the calamities of the former Seale Now the most notable chance of the Roman estate under this Seale and which went beyond all other events of that time is that Persecution of the Christians begun by Dioclesian continued by others the most bitter by much of all which ever were Former ages saw nothing comparable to this It was longer and more â—ruell they are the words of Orosius then almost any forepassed For there was a continuall burning of Churches proscribing of Innocents slaughter of Marâ—yrs for ten yeeres space Forthwith in the beginning of that ten yeeres within thirtie dayes about 17000. men are reported to have been butchered neither did the furie of the persecuters asswage in the progresse of time In Egypt alone how small a part of the Empire of Rome if Chap. 6. De emâ—â—datione tempâ—â—um lib. 5. de prime anno Dâ—ocletiam Coptitar credit be given to Doctor Ignatius Patriarch of Antioch as Scaliger hath it there were butchered 144000. men and 700. banished whence the Diocletian Aera took its name among the Egyptians and that to this day it should be called the Martyrs Aera what now doest thou judge was done in the other Provinces through the Romane Empire All the world almost was stained with the Sacred blood of the Martyrs saith Sulpitius Severus The world was never more exhausted of blood by any wars neither did the Church ever conquer with greater triumph they are the words of the same Author then when it could not be conquered with ten yeeres slaughter This slaughter is figured by the vision of the souls of those that were slaine for the word of God and for the testimonie which Verse â— they bare lying under the Altar that is upon the ground at the foot of the Altar like Sacrifices newly â—laine For Martyrdom is a certain kind of sacrifice whence that of the Apostle to Timothy his Martyrdom being at hand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand 2. Tim. 4.6 To the same purpose also is that of the same Apostle to the Philippians 2. 17. If I be offered up upon the sacrifice and service of your faith c. That further they are said to cry to God with alowde voice requiring vengeance of their blood it is a Periphrasis of extream cruelty and rype for judgement as it were such as for the barbarousnes therof did sollicite the very patience of God to revenge How long say they Lord holy and true doest thou not judge and revenge our blood upon them which dwell upon the earth Verse 10. In the mean while there are given to every one of them white robes that is they are chosen into the order of the blessed The Veâ—sâ— 11. similitude being taken from the customâ— of the Jewes in approving admitting priests to wit receiving those whom for their genealogie and perfection of body they had judged fit being clothed with white robes into the court of the Priests and so chosing them into the order of priesthood Majemonides in Mischine lib. 8. tit Biath Hammikdasâ— cha 6. § 11. That which is cleerly expressed cha 7.13 14 15. whereof those that were clothed with white robes it is said That they are before the throne of God worship him to wit as priests day night in the temple But to the cry of blood it is answered that they should rest yet a little while untill their fellow servants were fulfilled and Chap. 6. their brethren which were to be slaine as they were that is that they should forbeare a little while untill some of their brethren should be added to the number who after that Christianisme did now begin to reigne were as they likewise to be slaine under Licinius Julianus and the Arrians and then at the sounding of the trumpets solemne revenge should be taken of the Empire guiltie of so much blood Of the sixth Seale The sixth Seale beginneth where the fifth endeth that is from the yeere of Christ 311. wherein that terrible ten yeers persecution ceased Now the chance is an admirable shaking of the heaven and the earth Whereby that wonderfull change and subversion of the State of Rome heathen by Constantine the great and his Successours the Standard-bearers of the Lambe is figured whereby suppose all the heathen gods shaken out of their heaven the Bishops and priests degraded dejected and deprived of their revenewes for ever the Temple Churches and Shrines of devils through the whole Romane Empire dashed beaten downe burned and demolished Furthermore the Emperous Kings and Princes who thought to help their
gods so greatly in danger to denounce war against Christs Standerd-bearers to fight with their forces and being even conquered to renew the battell with all their strength were slaine with admirable slaughters discomfited and put to â—light untill at last the estate growing desperate there was none could be found to succour any more the Romane religion entring into ruine with so great a crash So I conceive I have comprehended in a few words whatsoever the holy Ghost would set â—ut by those lofty allegories pertaining to this seal And this is the first fulfilling of the victory of Christ the foundation whereof was laid in the first seal For the noting of which in what age of the Empire it should happen the seales which hitherto have gone before doe serve the differences of time which in the meane space did run on being foreshewed It remaineth now that we apply to the severall parts of the propheticall Chap. 6. allegorie the interpretation already given and shew the reason thereof which we will doe the whole context being first se â—efore our eyes which is thuâ— 12. And I beheld when he haâ— opeâ—eath sixt seal and lo there was a great earthquake and the Sâ—n became as black as sackcloth of haire and â—he whole Moone became like blood 13. And the stars of heaven fell upon the earth as a figâ—ree â—asteth her unripe figgs when it is shaken of a mighty windâ— and the heaven departed as a booke that is rolle together 14. And every mountain and Island were moved out of their places 15. And the Kings of the earth and the great men and the tribunes and the rich men and the mighty and â—very bond â—an and every freeman hide themselves in dens and the rocks of the mounâ—ains 16. And said to the mountains and rockâ— fall on us and hiâ—e us from the face of him that sitteth upon the throne aâ—d from the wrath of the Lamb. 17. Becâ—use the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand These representations of terrible slaughters and as I may say turning things upside down are oâ—dinary used by the prophets Majeâ—onides Moâ—e Neb part 2 cap 29. The Aâ—aâ—ians say of him to whom some singuler miâ—forâ—â—ne hath happened that his heaven iâ— turâ—ed o eaâ—th or hath falleâ— upon hiâ— eaâ—th compare it wâ—â—h â—amenâ— â— 1 Chap. 6. after the custom of the East as our poets also have their figures their ornaments So Ieremy chap. 4. 24. he desâ—ribeth the destruction of Iudea as if all things were to be reâ—uced to tâ—e ancient Chaos I beheld the earth saith he and behold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was without forme and void and the heavens and there was no light in them I saw the mountaines and lo they were moved and all the hils and they were disordered See the rest likewise Ioel chap. 2. 10. of the horrible destruction thereof by the army of the Northerne Locusts The earth trembled saith he before him the heavens were moved â—he sun and moone were darkned and the stars withdrew their brâ—ghtnesse But let us handle every one of them more distinctly Behold saith he there was a great earthquake in the Greeke Verse 1◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a shaking of heaven and earth as in the words following is manifest For the latine word terrae motus not doth fully expresse the Greek For such aâ— earthquake witnesse the Apostle Hâ—brewes 12. 26. upon the place of Haggai yet once more and â—aggai â— 6. I will shake the heaven and the earth sheweth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hag. 2.6 the change of those things that are shaken which may be confirmed out of the same Haggaus Vers 21 22. of the same chaptâ—r where he iâ—terpreteth this parable of the change and alallteration of the kingdomes of the world by way of further explication I will shake the heaven and the earth and will ouerthrow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the throne of kingdomes and will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen c. we therefore as els wher in the Apocalyps so here also will understand by the shaking of the earth and heaven the ruine of things and as it were the turning of things vpside downe And now the object of this change as of the former chaunces also under the Seales is the Romane Empyre but not the Politique gouernment by the Cesars for this forme is not yet to be dissolved but as it is subiect in a religious respect to Satan as Prince and to his angells the divells This â—ivellish government of the Roman Empyre the storme of which resteth vpon this Seale shall be overthrowne and broken in peeces with a great noise And the Same becamâ— black as sackcloth of haire and the Moone became as blood that is through defect of â—he adjective became ellipsim as redd as blood now it is a circumlocution of the eclipse of the ligths where in the Sunne is wont to appeare black but the Chap. 6. Moone reddish To which that of Esay chap. 13. 10. concerning the punishment of Babilon is altogether like The same shall be darkened verse 21. in his rising and the Moone shall not give foorth her light Septuagiat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Mattheu 24. 29. neither is there any other sense to be made in the opinion of Aben Ezra of that in the same Esay câ—ap 24. concerning the dstruction wherewith the Lord being about to raigne in Ierusalem all on as in this Seale would puâ—nish the hoaste of heaven an high aâ—d the Kings of the earth vpon the earth The moone saieth he shal be confounded and the sunn shal be ashamed that is both Verse 23. of them as if they hid their faces for shame shall be covered with daâ—kenes when the Lord of hoasts shall raâ—gne iâ— mount Sion and in Ierusalem and in the sight of his auncients gloriously But what doe these thinges thou wilt say belonge to the Romane Demonarchie hearken and I will tell thee In the prophets as thou shalt heare anon in the following visions every kingdom and bodie of goâ—ernment resembleth the world as the partes also the heaven the earth the stars serve for that repreâ—entation * That it was common with the Easterâ—e nations to vse the parable of the world to figure things it may appeare by the chimi call philosophy proceeding from the Arabians and â—gyptians wherin all most every wordly body likned to the world is said to be compact of heaven Earth and starrs for proofe whereof to omitt others that on place of Esay suffizeth chap. 51. 15. I am the Lord thy God who divided the Sea it is the Red sea and the waves thereof roared the Lords of â—oasts is his name 16. And I putt my words in thy mouth that is I give thee my law and covered thee with the shadow of mine hand that I may plante the heavenâ— and lay the foundation of