* Tert. leg 3. Habitâ—s muherum duplâ—â—em circumfert speciem cultum ornatit cultum mundam mulieorem vocant ornatam immundum muliebrem conuemt dici illum in auro gemmis vestibus deputari istum in cura capilli cutis carum partium corporis quae oculos trahunt alteri ambitionis trimen intendi alteri prostitutionis Gen. 24. Prou. 31.22 Rom. 14.17 Ruth 3.3 Aug. Episi 199. ad Ediciam Tertullian saith that in the habit of women there are two things pretended cleanlinesse and comelinesse the one in the care of the haire and the skin the other in gold and pretious stones and costly apparell this they call the adorning but it may rather be termed the impure making of a woman the fault of ambition being in this and of prostitution in the other But that the wearing of costly apparell and consequently of broided haire and gold is not simply vnlawfull for Christian women appeareth by Hester and Iudith before named and Abraham sent such ornaments to be put vpon Rebecca and the vertuous woman is described to be cloathed with silke and purple Againe it is said that the kingdome of God standeth not in meat and drinke nor other outward things but in righteousnesse c. Ruth also is said to haue washed her selfe to haue anointed her and put on good raiment And Augustine faith that a woman may sinne if she weareth meaner apparell than her husband is willing withall It is therefore to be vnderstood that women ought not to weare such costly apparell other ornamants here mentioned in pride or to allure other men vnto them but for distinctions sake according to their husbands place and calling and to please them and that they may take the more delight in them and not be drawne to goe after strange women and according to the custome of the place and Countrey wherein they liue Neither is Cyprian or Tertullian so sharpe against these things but onely in the case of pride and vanity and when they decke themselues to please adulterers Tho. Aquinas Aug. Epist 73. Ne affectent vestitus placere sed moribus as Tho. Aquinas hath rightly obserued Augustine saith that women should please their husbands not so much with apparell and dresses as with good manners and conditions The scope therefore of the Apostle here is not to beat downe all womanly ornaments or these here named but to teach wherein both womens and mens adorning chiefly standeth viz. in grace and vertue But all painting of faces and colouring of haire and wearing of other haire is by all condemned as the peruerting of nature and may not vnder any pretext of pleasing the husband be vsed Cyprian de habitu mulierum Nazianzen Carm. contra mulieres And by the same reason much more is costly apparell and curiosity about haire condemned in men Gregory saith Greg. Hom. 6. in Euang. pensate quae culpa fit hoetiam viros appetere à quo pashâ—â— Ecclesiae feemmas prohibâ—â— Clem. Alex. 3. pâ—â— dag cap. 3. Hieron de viâ—â— Pauli eremitae weigh what a fault this is that men should affect that which the Pastour of the Church had a care to forbid vnto women Clemens Alexandrius calleth such effeminate persons such as cut themselues with an illiberall and whorish cutting Illiberali meritriceo se tonsu tondentes Ierom saith Yee weaue gold in your coats but hell fire shall deuoure you being clad in gold As I said before of women so it is not to be doubted but that men according to their place and degree may haue more costly habits The high Priest had costly cloathing appointed him to weare in the execution of his Office and Solomon had royall apparell which is not discommended by our Sauiour Christ when hee maketh mention thereof And it hath beene a thing accordingly vsed by great persons euery where and is vsed at this day for apparell if it be costly maketh a man in authority to be the more reuerenced of the common sort but being base and poore it maketh him contemptible as Pholopaemen of whom Plutarch writeth But euery one is to take heed of abusing his apparell to pride and vanity Euag. l. 5. cap. 13. as Iustinus iunior the Emperour godlily aduised Tiberius his successour when the Imperiall habit being by him resigned was to be put vpon him Let not the glory of this garment deceiue thee nor the illustrious adorning of these things to the eye leade thee to errour whereby I my selfe hauing beene deceiued haue become subiect to most grieuous punishments Behold God who hath done good vnto thee hath giuen thee this habit and not I honour him that thou maist also be honoured of him Touching Husbands vers 7. he saith Vers 7. Dwell with them according to knowledge giuing honour to the Wife as to the weaker vessell c. Here arise two questions Quest 1. What it is for a man to dwell with his wife according to knowledge Quest 1 Ans Oecumenius Oecumen 〈◊〉 Beda 〈◊〉 Ord. Faber Stapul with whom others agree saith that this is both in wisely bearing with the woman not too rigidly exacting a reason of all her doings if she hath bin more liberall in giuing to the poore in going in vnto her not out of the violence of lust but according to reason for the obtaining of issue in the feare of God 〈◊〉 Beda 〈◊〉 Some adde also knowing what God would haue them doe and being able to instruct his wife in things pertaining to God â—uâ—â—er 〈◊〉 Some will haue this dwelling with them according to knowledge to be by gouerning of them not in a mad-braine manner as their passions carry them but if there be any fault in the wise in discretion and reason bearing with it and seeking by good perswasions and reasons to reforme it Quest 2. What it is to giue honour to her as to the weaker vessell Quest 2 Answ This is also expounded according to the first by some of giuing her honour by abstaining from the marriage duty at certaine times and not at all times rushing into it as bruit beasts who are carried onely by lust for sometimes the woman doth desire that the man should reframe when as it is fit that he should yeeld so much respect vnto her as to forbeare and sometime for fasting and prayer it is requisite for which cause it is added â—oâ—â—us That your prayers be not hinared And hereupon some haue commended abstinence from the marriage bed all the time of Lent applying to the approuing of this exposition that of S. Paul Thes 4.4 That euery one of you may know how to possesse his vessell in holinesse and honour And thus all that were for the first exposition vnderstand this But others interpret giuing honour to the woman of vsing her as fellow and not as a seruant for as wiues ought to obey their husbands so husbands ought to giue a kinde of honor to their wiues
iustly Vers 23. The vulgar Latine hath it but d liuered to him that iudged him vniustly as if it were spoken of his willing going to the death whereunto he was vniustly condemned by Pilat at the instigation of the Iewes There is another reading also mentioned by some He deliuered those that iudged him vniustly Th. Aquâ—nas Gorraâ— Lorin that is either to punishment that they might be corrected or else by praying for them that the sinne might not bee laid to their charge But amongst all the Greekes it is read as we reade it Tract 21. in Joh. and it is thus cited by Augustine and by Fulgentius ad Trasim cap. 11. and so the Syriake Translator readeth it and it is supplied by some thus Vatablus Caietan Hee commended the cause or vengeance to him that iudgeth iustly which he seemeth also to speake of Ioh. 8.50 And he committed it to him when so patiently he bare the wrongs that were offered vnto him resting in this that God knew that he was innocent Luther howsoeuer they traduced him being assured that suffering thus vniustly it would redound to his greater glory and to their confusion if they repented not It is not meant that hee called for reuenge against them for he prayed that they might bee forgiuen and rebuked his Disciples when they would haue had fire called for from Heauen but onely that he referred quietly the matter to the Lord in regard of whose superin tendency ouer all things that are offered vnto vs wee should likewise be patient and referre the matter to him who will one day rectifie euery thing amisse One expoundeth it hee committed himselfe to God 〈◊〉 Heâ—â—â—â— who iudgeth iustly and so for our sinnes appointed him to those sufferings and looked not at the instruments wicked men who in spight and malice offered these things vnto him Note Note that the liberty which Christ hath brought vnto his is not a liberty from lawfull gouernment they which vnder the colour of Religion disobey the lawfull Magistrates or from whom subiection to them is forced in stead of liberty haue nothing but a cloke of maliciousnesse Againe Note note a most effectuall reason to perswade euery one to suffer patiently any iniury viz. because Christ suffered patiently when he was railed vpon diuersly abused and crucified Luther Cur tâ—itaque malis te non affici pateris cum totus minisi pâ—ccatum est If hee that had no sinne did beare such horrible indignities much more we that are all sinne should beare the iniuries offered vnto vs. CHAP. III. IN this Chapter the Apostle proceedeth to other oeconomicall duties shewing how Wiues should carry themselues towards their Husbands and in how modest a manner they should goâ— attired vnto vers 7. and then how Husbands are to caâ—â—y themselues towards their Wiues vers 7. after which hee inlargeth himselfe exhorting all to such vertues as doe generally conduce vnto peace and vnity from the eighth verse vnto the eighteenth where againe the ground of vnity is first laid vers 8. Secondly we are exhorted to one particular point viz. not to require ill language with ill language but to blesse those that curse vs vers 9. Thirdly here is an argument to perswade vnto this drawne from Psalme 34.13 a man must necessarily restraine his tongue that hee may bee blessed vers 10 11. Fourthly another reason is vsed because in praying for those that raile vpon vs wee shall obtaine suour of the Lord whereas if wee should doe otherwise hee would be against vs vers 12. Fifthly hee argueth from the blessednesse of those that haue this patience when they are wronged vers 13 14 15 16 17. Sixtly hee doth againe reason from the example of Christ because he had something more to deliuer concerning him viz. How be hauing wrongfully suffered death was raised againe there being in the remembrance of that his death a Sacrament of Baptisme in the Church setting forth the inestimable benefit comming by his bloud-shed euen as by the Arke Noah and his family were saued so the faithfull being now saued by his bloud besprinkling the conscience in Baptisme in the confidence whereof we pray and preuaile now that Christ is risen and ascended vp to the right hand of God from vers 18 to the end of the Chapter 1 PETER Chapter 3. Verse 3. Whose apparell let it not bee any outward thing of the broidring of the haire or of putting gold about or the ornament of apparell put on Vers 4. But the hidden man of the heart c. IN setting forth the carriage of the Wife towards the Husband Luther in 1 Pes. 3. here the Apostle argueth from the good that will thereby redound vnto the man vers 2. Hee that by the Word is not brought to beleeue may without the Word bee thus wonne that is for so much as women are no Preachers in Word they ought to preach yet by a good example and when the Husband by the Wiues modest and humble and honest carriage of her selfe is won to the Faith hee is said to be won without the Word Whereas outward ornaments are forbidden vnto women it may seeme that this was not obserued by Hester nor by Iudith for they decked themselues in goodly apparell but it is to be vnderstood that they delighted not in these things they arayed themselues thus onely for necessities sake and so should all faithfull women they should preferre the going without such ornaments and when they vse them doe it without taking delight therein only to please their Husbands but whatsoeuer dresse they vse outwardly let them be sure to put on the inward aray of modesty and humility and when women are admonished about their apparell men are to vnderstand that such curiosity about their haire and apparell is much more forbidden to them Other Expositors speake almost to the same effect with Luther vpon that of womens winning men without the word Mayer we shall not need to dwell on it hauing beene sufficiently explained already The maine question of this place is whether it be altogether vnlawfull for women to vse such ornaments of haire and gold put about and of costly apparell because it seemeth here to be expresly forbidden Some write so vpon this subiect as if the reward of it were damnation * Cypr. lib. 3. c. 3. l. Cyprian saith Women that are clad with silke and purple Serico purpara indâ—â—ae Christum induere nequâ—â—nâ— aurâ— margaritis monilibas ornatae ornamenta cordes pectoris perdiderunt cannot be clothed with Christ and they which are adorned with gold and precious stones haue lost the ornaments of the heart Againe he saith that it is the property of an harlot to decke her selfe thus bringing in the example of Thamar and of the Whore in the Reuelation adding that superfluous adorning of the body is worse than adultery because there the chastity onely here nature it selfe is adulterated
thin coat they are hatched in mid-Aprill and perish in mid-September and according to this they will haue the whole time of these Locusts set forth which is all the time of their flourishing but how long this shall bee it is vncertaine Ioach. Abbas Brightman Some resoluing these moneths into 150. and taking a day for a yeere reckon vpon 150. yeeres for in the time of Innocent the third ann 1210. the warme time of their hatching came in by the new orders of Dominicans Franciscans Mendicants Obseruants Trinitaries and Friers of the holy Ghost in so much as Polidor Virgil saith Lib. 7.3 That no age was so fruitfull of the Religious as this But in the time of Wicliffe ann 1360. they were blowne away as by a strong west wind in many places Some vnderstand by these fiue months a short time only for the comfort of the godly Ioan. Leonard D. Fulke or fiue ages of six which is the whole time of the world and so this shall last till the sixt age Some the whole time of this life Ambrose Primas Beda Richard de Sancto Victore Thom. Aquin. Haimo Forbs which is maintained by the fiue senses or consisteth of fiue ages infancy child-hood youth mans estate and old age Some lastly hold that it is alluded vnto the time of the floud preuailing vpon the old world which was fiue moneths They goe forth like horses prepared vnto battell to shew their strength they haue Crownes of gold to shew their vsurped power ouer Kings they haue the faces of men to shew their flattery haire like women to shew their alluring inticements the teeth of Lions to shew their deuouring of all Their brest-plates for defence shew that they are exempt from the reach of all secular power their sting in their taile sheweth their false doctrine vnder the best pretext for the false prophet is the taile their King is Satan and his Vice-gerent vpon earth the Pope destroying all his opposites corporally and his followers spiritually There are some differences in resoluing this description but all speake almost to this effect Some adde vnto the Papists the Saracens arising about the same time Brightman and so will haue them set forth by the Locusts also For ann 630. they began vnder Mahomet to afflict the Countries of Arabia Syria Mesopotamia Armenia Persia Egypt Affrica and Spaine and continued till about the end of the reigne of Leo Copronimus ann 780. at what time though their forces were not vtterly broken for they continued 400. yeeres yet they were so broken as that they could not doe such hurt as in times past Lacanadraco subdued them in Asia Constantine with his mother Irene ouerthrew them and so did Nicephorus and Theophilus and Michael c. After this in Italy being called from Babylon to their helpe ann 830. they proued most infest enemies wasting all neither could they bee suppressed till that Otto the second ouerthrew them ann 980. with so great a slaughter as that the place where was called The death of the Saracens till this day Some preferre this of the Saracens Fox as most agreeable to these Locusts because they are professed enemies to Christianity and come in great multitudes armed against them yet where they submit their liues are spared but by taking their children from them and rauishing their wiues and inthralling them to base slauery they make their liues more tedious to them than death and as for the time of fiue moneths he subscribeth to that allusion noted before vnto the time of the Locusts life The popish sort expound this Trumpet altogether of things yet to come For they say that the Deuill by Gods permission shall stirre vp a great number of Heretikes towards the end of the world who shall persecute the Catholikes and torment them diuersly for this Blasius Virgas saith is their common exposition Lyra. Râ—pertus Some by the Starre falling from Heauen vnderstand Lucifer and therefore it is said which had fallen he by Gods permission bringeth as it were out of hell an infinite multitude of cruell and barbarous Vandals who vnder fiue Kings which they had swarmed in all places namely vnder Gunderinus Gensericus Hunericus Trafimundus and Gelimer most horribly tormenting the world both in the East and West Now of all these expositions I finde that most of our side preferre the first touching the Pope and his religions and many things in the description doe fit so well that I would gladly ioyne with them but that I am resolued vpon such reasons as I haue already set downe that not corruptions in Religion but plagues comming vpon the world therefore are here represented Which being so and the last iudgements hauing beene executed against professed enemies of Christianity at the foure first soundings order requireth that some thing now should follow against Heretikes as they were the next troublers of the Church If then any great iudgement which may be fitted to this description can be found out in the time of the Arrian heresie it seemes most reasonable to me that this should be held to be the figure thereof For it is not likely that when the Lord is so carefull in setting downe the iudgements to come vpon the heathen persecutors and vpon the Antichrist of Rome that the middle time bringing the Church to so great misery and therefore most remarkably punished certaine hundreds of yeeres together should be passed ouer in silence aâ— it is if we finde not out something agreeing vnto it vnder this fifth Trumpet I hold therefore with Lyra Rupertus and some others that here is a description of the Goths and Vandals a base and ignoble people and in times past without name leaping about like Locusts to make a prey of other mens possessions and by their huge swarmes and multitudes preuailing where they came to the bringing of all things to ruine They were first brought in by Valens an Arrian Emperour about ann 366. but fighting against him they became his destruction Ruffind 2.6.13 for they fired the towne into which he fled so that he miserably perished together with it And after this partly in Affrike and partly in Italy Germany and France euen almost all ouer the Christian world they were most manifest scourges sent for a plague vpon the Heresies which were most rife in those times Victor vticenfis and chiefly that of Arrius And this plague continued breaking out oft times more violently the space of about 184. yeeres from the first to the last viz. till ann 550. in which time when they gat the victory no manner of barbarous cruelty was spared in so much as Writers compare some of them with Dioclesian and Maximiâ—nus the most bloudy persecutors that euer were Some were sent into banishment and if through infirmity any could not keepe pace with the rest they were fastened to the tailes of horses and dragged against the stones till they were pitteously rent and torne Some were
rather to die expecting no end of these miseries To shew the warlike manner of their comming they are further likened to horses prepared vnto the battell to shew the soueraignty to which they attained Crownes like gold are ascribed vnto them to shew that they were no true Locusts but onely of their quality and condition they are said to haue the faces of men and the haire of women to shew their barbarousnesse and the teeth of Lions for their deuouring and cruell tearing in peeces none being able to withstand them in their time Their iron brest-plates shew their might their wings their swift and sudden comming their noise their hideousnesse in their comming Their terme of fiue months is againe repeated to make the Allegory taken from true Locusts to hold the better seeing this is the whole terme of their life as hath beene already shewed and therefore it is set forth by months and not by daies The Angell of the bottomlesse pit a murtherer and destroyer is said to be their King to note out by whose instigation they came forth and vnder whose banner they fought although God vsed them herein as instruments to execute his iust iudgements And thus I haue by Gods grace fitted a most kindly exposition to this most hard and mysticall passage Whence we may see that besides ordinary God hath vnexpected waies to plague wickednesse withall and to abate the pride of those that are most potent and thinke themselues most secure And whosoeuer are the instruments to execute Gods will in this kinde can doe nothing no longer time than he permitteth them And howsoeuer the godly being mixt with others partake in outward miseries yet nothing shall be able to hurt them God hauing a speciall care at these times ouer them so that they haue wherein to reioyce when all things are confounded for no hurt which is an hurt indeed can come to them seeing these outward things are but shadowes and as the superfluous haires of the head in losing whereof there is no detriment as Chrysostome and Augustine speake Quest And the sixt Angell blew his Trumpet Vers 13. and I heard a voice from the foure corners of the altar c. Loose the foure Angels bound in the great riuer Euphrates And these foure Angels were loosed being prepared for an houre for a day for a month and for a yeere Who are these foure Angels What voice commandeth their loosing and what is meant by the time of an houre day c. for which it is said they are prepared Answ Some by these foure Angels vnderstand two Popes Lyra. Pâ—t Aureolâ—â— D. Ant. and two Emperours Symmachus and Laurentius an Antipope and Anastasius Emperour in the East an Eutichian Heretike and Theodoricus King of Italy an Arrian about ann 502. For these two in contending for the Popedome this Emperour and King in standing for their heresies destroyed a great number of people which they were ready to doe before but now being loosed put it in execution and they are said to be bound in Euphrates because it was the bounds of the Roman Empire Some which desire to draw men a farre off that they may not looke at the Pope and Papacy Beda Richard de Sancto victore Haimo Rupertus Arethas c. expound this of all the Deuils in hell which are now bound but shall be let loose in the time of Antichrist to make such hauocke in the Church destroying and killing of Catholikes so as the like was neuer done before and this Viegas the Iesuite saith is the common opinion But neither of these expositions can stand not the first because it is much forced to expound the Angels bound in Euphrates of such as liued a farre off and farre distant one from another nor the second because it is a iudgement vpon the world for sinne not a triall of the Church by further persecution And it may bee plainly found out to haue beene already fulfilled and therefore in vaine applied to future times There is then a third exposition embraced by all ours by which the Saracens and Turkes are vnderstood here to haue beene loosed at this sounding to become a scourge to Popery the last and greatest trouble of the Church of God This sixt Angell sounded vnto iudgements vpon the idolatrous Papists the great corrupters of religion set forth before by the pale horse after that the Goths were put down who were sent for a plague of Arrianisme Now although the Longobards were the next iudgement in Italy yet because there will be a fitter place to figure them out in another vision Chap. 13. the Spirit of God proceedeth here to the Saracens the greater and more vniuersall iudgement The voyce which was heard speaking to the sixt Angell from amongst the foure hornes of the Altar is by the consent of all the voyce of the Lord Iesus who had suffered and was sacrificed for our sins he vttereth his voice not from the midst of the throne where he stood but from the midst of the Altar vnder which it is said before the soules lay crying for reuenge to shew that their cries were heard and preuailed to the producing of the grieuous euils following They were answered before by signes for the Angell tooke coales from the Altar and threw them downe to the earth whence insued thunders lightnings and earthquakes but now by a liuely voyce commanding to loose the foure Angels bound at Euphrates who stood alwayes ready at an houre day moneth or yeere that they might goe forth to kill and destroy and come vpon these grosse corrupters of religion with innumerable and inuincible armies of Saracens and Turkes Brightman Some vnderstand by these foure Angels foure chiefe rulers of the Turkes stirred vp by the euill Angels which are deuils ann 1300. For after a great ouerthrow receiued by the Scythians recollecting their forces againe they diuided that part of Asia which they held amongst foure Peeres Carmanus Sarchanes Gregor lib. 7.1 Calames and Ottoman there was also for a time a fift Amurius but the gouernment was soone reduced to foure againe They are said to be loosed when they began to preuaile on this side Euphrates which was not till about this time For howsoeuer they did much damnifie the Romans before yet they were made still to retire by the Catalaunes vnder the reigne of Andronicus Gregor lib. 7.3 who put them to flight and kept them in great awe but not pursuing their victory but returning home they brake out and in a short space possessed themselues of the holy land held till then by the Christians and in other places also did greatly inlarge their dominions whereunto they were more inabled by growing to a monarchie vnder Ottoman after that they had beene a while diuided vnder foure The time of an houre day month and yeere according to this is applied to the continuance of the Turkish greatnesse which counting a day for a yeere is 396. yeeres and so shall haue
most against the professours of the truth assuring our selues that they are neerest their vtter ruine CHAP. XVII IN this Chapter and that which followeth the great City before said to bee diuided into three parts is more particularly described together with her vtter ruine and ouerthrow in respect of the head and fountaine Rome from whence all the abominations of idolatry and superstition haue flowed In the exposition of the particulars there is no great difference nor difficulty so much light hauing beene already giuen and therefore I will the more briefly only touching the diuersity of interpretations come to open euery passage as it lieth in order Quest 1. Which of the seuen Angels is it that sheweth Iohn these things Vers 1 2 c. who is the great Whore whom he saith he will shew vnto him what are the waters called also a beast vers 3. strangely described that she sitteth vpon And why was hee led into a desart place to behold this and touching the more particular description of this Whore and the word Mystery written in her forehead what is meant hereby Answ The Angell is held by some to bee the fift Brightman who powred out his Viall vpon the throne of the beast Pareus Napier But others more rightly hold him to bee the seuenth Angell vpon the powring out of whose Viall the great City was diuided into three parts which is againe more particularly vndertaken here that by the relation of this Angell it might be more fully vnderstood both what this City is and how and by what meanes she commeth to be destroyed Others indefinitely take this Angell for one of the seuen Bullinger c. Touching the great Whore it is agreed almost by all that it is Rome Bellar. lib. 3. de Rom. pont fice cap. 13. yea euen by Romanists themselues Bellarmine saith Wee may say and that better in my iudgement that by the Whore Rome is vnderstood so likewise Ribera and Viegas the Iesuites vpon this place Tertullian of old spake to the same effect Tertul. contra Iudaeâ—s Babylon in Saint Iohn doth represent Rome being as great and as proud of her dominions and as tyrannizing ouer the Saints as euer Babylon was Ieronim 11. qu. ad Algasiam And Ierome saith According to the Reuelation of Saint Iohn in the sorehead of the queane clad in purple there was a name of blasphemy written to wit Rome the euerlasting See more touching this before Chap. 14. vers 8. and how that shift of heathen Rome being meant here is confuted whereunto wee may adde that heathen Rome cannot be meant because then Rome subdued the Kings of the earth by force and not by subtill inticements as this Babylon doth and because the Rome here spoken against shall bee vtterly destroyed for the sins found then therein when the time of destruction commeth but heathen Rome was not so destroyed and if Rome should at the last be destroyed for the idolatries of the Heathen this destruction must come for idolatries put downe many hundred yeeres agone which is contrary to the course of the Lords proceedings against sinfull places As for their last refuge to an apostasie yet to bee expected in Rome in regard of which it is thus spoken of here see also Chap. 14. vers 8. Touching the many waters whereupon this woman sitteth they are interpreted vers 15. to be peoples and Nations and tongues ouer which Rome ruleth by the power residing there And this circumstance of her sitting is varied euery time that it is spoken of Vers 3. Vers 3. She is shewed sitting vpon a beast of a purple colour full of names of blasphemy hauing seuen heads and ten hornes and vers 9. the seuen heads being spoken of are said to be seuen hills whereupon the woman sitteth Vers 9. She is shewed sitting thus diuersly for diuers respects shee sitteth vpon many waters because she ruleth ouer many peoples and Nations vpon a purple coloured beast because the Senators and Rulers of this State vnder the Emperours did weare purple and skarlet clothing ascribing diuine titles of honor vnto their Emperours in a blasphemous manner as the Cardinals by whom the Pope ruleth now doe vnto him being also likewise apparelled and vpon seuen hils because the City was anciently seated vpon seuen hills And this variation maketh it so plaine as that nothing can bee plainer than that Rome is meant by this Whore seeing no City in the world is so seated but Rome onely neither doth that periphrasis whereby this City is described vers 18. agree to any other This is the great City that hath rule ouer the Kings of the earth And this name Whore is chosen to expresse Rome the head of the Antichristian Sect for continuation of the allegory of a woman in the similitude of whom the Church appeared chap. 12. The true Church is a chaste and holy woman who keepeth her selfe only to the Lord to whom shee is married refusing to worship any other or to make any other partaker with him in his diuine titles and attributes The Antichristian Sect is a whorish woman together with the Lord worshipping Images and Saints departed and attributing that vnto the Pope which is proper to the Lord only wherein truly spirituall whoredome doth consist Touching the place the Wildernesse Vers 3. Brightman into which hee was led to see this sight some take Iohn carried hither for a type of such as should be able to see Rome to be the beast and the Pope to be the Whore tiding this beast they should bee obscure persons and such as in whom this light should be little expected euen as in a man liuing and brought vp in the Wildernes there is expected no great matter of learning knowledge Some expound the Wildernesse of Gentilisme wherein Popery indeed appeareth Bullinger for so much as the idolatries and superstitions of the Gentiles barren of good men as the Wildernesse is without people are the very attire wherein Popery marcheth Pareus Some hold that reference is had here to the woman before spoken of Chap. 12. flying into the Wildernesse in the time of heathen persecution being then chaste and beloued of God but now become an Whore by her manifold idolatries Lastly Forbs some hold that hee is carried into the Wildernesse as the fittest place for contemplation and he that will diue into any deepe mysteries must retire himselfe from all worldly incumbrances I hold with this my last Author that there is no mystery in this passage but as vpon other occasions it hath beene vsed Mat 4. Christ was carried by the Spirit into the Wildernesse to be tempted so here Iohn is carried into the Wildernesse to see this mystery onely that in so solitary a place there might be no interruption by the comming in of any man or any occurrence which vnusually hapneth in places more frequented whereunto if we adde that the Wildernesse is in