spirituall sword and to weare the name and title of Vicar to the Lamb which title name and honour is onely due to the Spirit of the Lamb the onely moderator comforter and commander of all the Lambs affaires and forces in heauen and in earth and of this principal blasphemy the Apostle condemneth him in saying And he opened his mouth vnto blasphemie against God Next the Lord challengeth him for presuming to blaspheme the word of God superaduancing his whorish church aboue the diuine eternall testimonie in and by which the Son of God is named and knowne which contumely offered to his most holy word the Lord accounteth as done to himselfe and his most holy name for so the holy Ghost speaking of that Lord that is faithfull and true who with iustice iudgeth and fighteth saith that he was clothed with a garment sprinkled with blood and his name is called The Word of God The pourtraiture of which diuine and essentiall Word is the ingrauen Scripture of his most holy and written word and of this blasphemie the Spirit inditeth him in these words to blaspheme his name Lesse maruell then if like a raging flood downe bearing all before him and ouerflowing all bankes of obedience towards God he dare extol his cursed head aboue all that is called or named God that is to say all magistracie authoritie and power secular which by Gods owne ordinance commandement is the onely true liuely and immediate representation of his owne person iustice and gouernment here on earth in and ouer all temporall causes and persons as well Ecclesiastical as ciuil of which high treason one Apostle also conuinceth him 2. Thess 2. No maruell then if thus daring to blaspheme the Lord of the house and his annointed Deputies he dare blaspheme the house of God wherein his name is honored cursing reuiling and reputing it a house of schismatiques heretiques excommunincates which blasphemous and vndeserued wrong the holy Ghost layeth to his charge in these words and his tabernacle And last of all to shew that there is neither end nor measure in his blacke presumptuous and blasphemous mouth the Spirit further chargeth him with blaspheming the Saints and seruants of God deceased cursing reuiling and condemning their doctrine and yet blessing adoring erecting their shadows sepulchers and shrines for mediators intercessors and reconciliators betweene God and the sinner like their cursed fore-elders the Israelites who boasted in the descent of their father Abraham and yet blasphemed the faith of Abraham their father of which blasphemous and indicible contumely against the Son of God and his most holy Spirit the Apostle condemneth him saying And those that dwell in heauen Verse 7. And it was giuen vnto him to make battell with the Saints and to ouercome them and power was giuen him vpon euery people tribe tongue and nation ANd as after lightning followeth thūder so after Antichrists blasphemie followeth his persecution as the Spirit testifieth saying And it was giuen him to bid battell to the Saints which the Prophet Daniel by way of exposition also plainly setteth forth saying that he should murther and consume the Saints and seruants of the most high And in further amplification of this his carnificious furie the Spirit setteth forth the largenesse of his charter and commission by an excessiue loquution foretelling vs that it should be so large and general that the fire of his prophane and sycophantical keys should take hold vpon euery nation and tribe as if we please to cast an eye vpon the times past and conferre what he had with what he hath we shall easily discerne the meaning of the holy Ghost in these words And power was giuen him vpon euery Tribe people tongue and nation Verse 8. And all that inhabite the earth adored it whose names be not written in the booke of life of the Lamb which was slaine from the beginning of the world THe holy Ghost hauing in the former part of this Chapter discouered the birth place person power blasphemie and persecution of Antichrist descendeth now to the description of his creatures and deuotaries foretelling vs that they should be such onely for vnto such onely the particle all is here restrained as haue their portion and interest in this life whose pietie heauen hope and glorie is here and not elsewhere which kind of out and ouercast Christians the Spirit describeth by a periphrasis most proper to their naturall and inbred disposition saying they are those that inhabite the earth therein discouering them as by a difference diuisiue from such as are the Lords pilgrims and strangers on earth hauing here no permanent abode or place of rest but seeking the things which are aboue attend with patience the reuelation of a life and citie to come not made with hands where their Lord and their Redeemer liueth And the Spirit proceeding sheweth further the supreme hidden and vnperceiuable reason why the adorers of Antichrist thus defiled the ornaments of their calling and why they loued lyes more then truth the Beasts penance more then Gods repentance the Beasts beliefe more then faith towards God the Beasts miserable merits more then the fruits of the Spirit hatred of sin and loue of God because as holy Dauid saith they were not found in the Lords record nor written with the righteous for so much the Spirit vnfoldeth saying whose names be not written in the booke of life of the Lamb which was slaine from the beginning of the world Verse 9. If any man haue an eare let him heare THe Apostle hauing sufficiently deciphered the nature and cariage of Antichrist and his creatures commeth now to discouer his reward and iudgement which howsoeuer it tarry little or long is of necessitie the reward of sinne But before the Spirit draweth out his sword it pleaseth him in his accustomed mercie to awake his Church and her enemies and to moue them to a feare and reuerent attention by a generall summons proclaiming If any man haue an care let him heare Verse 10. He that shall leade into captiuitie goeth into captiuitie and he that shall kill with the sword must be killed with the sword here is the patience and the faith of the Saints THe holy Ghost in this verse calleth Antichrist to the Barre and sets him before the world for the very he on whō the wrath of God and his heauie displeasure is to be executed For he who vnder colour and pretence of weeding out and rooting vp of heretiques hath brought into the Church captiuitie inquisitions tortures and torments to the horrible murther and slaughter of the Saints when in such cases notwithstanding he had neither precept nor example in the life of the Lamb or his Apostles so to do he euen he saith the Lord is that partie against whom this iust iudgement of taliation is laid vp in store to be executed vpon him in that day when the Lord shall bring againe the captiuitie of his Church which for their sins he hath giuen vp to
those onely that carry his signing fleshmark in their hands or hearts as beasts doe in their fells meaning such as vnder or aboue boord priuatly or in publique are obstinately resolutely deuoted to liue and die as the Beast commandeth which the Spirit vnfoldeth in saying but he that hath the character or are otherwise allied as it were by way of cognomination vnto Antichrist or his Church Catholique and are hereafter cleped Papists or Catholiques reuealed in these words or the name of the Beast or last of all are found to adore within the very verge or lists of his reigne and Empire Pontificial here butted and bounded within the circle and comprehension of these words or the number of his name of which more at large in the verse following Verse 18. Here is wisedome he that hath vnderstanding let him count the number of the Beast for it is the number of a man and his number is six hundred sixtie six THe holy Ghost intending to reueale in this verse the secret counsell and purpose of God concerning the period and finall end of Antichrist and his Church-dominion prepareth his Reader to attention by a little short preface intimating that it is the discouery of a mysterie and point of high vnderstanding saying here is wisedome wherein lest we should ouer-rashly iudge as many haue done the Spirt maketh choise of his auditors and addeth for a barre not he that will but he that can and hath vnderstanding let him audite and count the number of the Beast He that hath vnderstanding let him count the number of the Beast whom lâ—st we should imagine to be a spirit or other creature of strange shape as some haue vainly phantased the Spirit calleth him a man saying for it is the number of a man comprehending by a Synecdoche vnder the word man a successiue state and kingdome of men after the speaking and stile of the Prophets for so the Lord informed his seruant Moses to speake Let my sonne go Exod. 4. that is let my people of Israel depart and so in Daniel vnder the forme and Dan. 7. name of foure singular Beasts are designed foure seuerall Monarchies most of Dan. 8. them containing a long succession of many Monarchs The Ramme which thou sawest are the Kings of the Medes and Persians after which maner of speaking the Spirit speaketh also in this place and vnder the name of a man presenteth vnto vs the whole race and succession of men of sinne whose totall summe is one Antichrist the bounds and limits of whose dominion and tyrannie the holy Ghost impaleth within the circuit of a certaine sure prefixed period and determinate number of yeares saying and the number of him is six hundred sixtie six Wherein many as well ancient as late writers as in the rest they haue vainly imagined that Antichrist is one singular person which must sodainly start vp and after three ciuill yeares and a halfe depart again and that he must be by birth a Iew and of the Tribe of Dan when notwithstanding those cursed scatterbags haue neither Tribe nor shadow of Tribe left amongst them and that he must reigne in Ierusalem of which Citie and Temple there is not any one stone left vpon another and that he must kill Enoch and Elias who are to appeare about the Kalends of Greece with diuers other such legendary phantasies neuer meant nor sent from God so in this point also concerning the number of Antichrist they haue giuen vp an account so farre from the audite of truth as nothing can be more And as men that thought it worth the labour to find a knot in a rush so by a conceited framing and anagramming of letters they haue endeuoured to find out such a name as by characters might expresse the number 666 and withall might something square either with the name nature blasphemie or residence of the Bishops of Rome as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Remiith Adonikam filius perditionis c. whereunto also may be added the coniectures of Iohn Wickliffâ— Iohn Bale Francis Iunius men otherwise of good and worthy memory in the Church of God as also the coniectures of others as worthy and honorable as they that haue referred the number of 666 to the time of Antichrists reuealing and yeare of rising when notwithstanding it is a strange voice and not known to the eares of the Scriptures for the word number to be vsed for the beginning and rising of any terme of time limited and predicted by the Prophets but onely for the end period and determination thereof But if it were lawfull to smile in so graue an inquisition amongst all phantasticall charmes and cabalisticall coniectures vpon this word number there is none more ridiculous then that which most pleaseth out Rhetoricall Rhemists who by a rare supputation of characters haue as roundly found out the Beasts number as the Sodomites did the doores of Lot in the name Luderus which in the Almain tongue is the name of Luther and although we are sure they cannot so much as thinke vpon the poore Frier Luther but for very feare they stinke all the world ouer yet this deuice so tickleth the Clergie of Antichrist that they pretend to laugh for ioy But as for their prefixed time of three naturall or ciuil yeares and a halfe which they allot to the reigne and rage of their Antichrist it doth so vneuenly square with Luther or Lutherans continuance that these miserable Serdonians are faine to eate their word and to endure the foolish world to laugh at them whiles as dying they faine would seeme to laugh at it But to leaue these cursed leaders of the cursed blind and returne againe to those that haue thought to calculate find out the mystery of Antichrists number 666 in a word we say they are deceiued and erre not knowing the power and construction of the Scripture For first by the word name deliuered in the former verse in these words or the number of his name is meant the very existence and person of the man of sinne by a proprietie of speech common to holy Scriptures as Acts 1. 15. Apoc. 3. 4. and 11. 13. where by an Hebraisme names signifie men and are conuerted with the parties and persons themselues as the name of God in holy Scripture is often taken for God himselfe and therefore as in the former verse the Scripture calleth it the number of his name so in this verse he calleth it the number of a man vnderstanding by a man as is afore said the total summe of that succession of beastly men which make and constitute the existence and person of one Antichrist and by the word number is meant the fatall end and finall determination of their reigne and gouernment for so the finger of God speaketh to Baltazar God hath numbred thy kingdome that is God hath ended and finished the dayes of thy kingdome so that the number of his name
notwithstanding with the Prophets of God and therefore is called Propheticall as Ezekiel a day for a yeare and Daniels Ezek. 4. 6. Dan. 9. 24. seuentie weekes are weekes of yeares euery weeke containing seuen yeares as throughout this prophecie Also the months are months of yeares to euery month accounting thirtie yeares From whence we conclude Antichrists three yeares and a halfe both here and in Daniel deciphered by a time times and half a time to be yeares of yeares euery yeare containing twelue moneths of yeares which amount to 360 yeares and multiplied by three and a halfe do in the totall amount to 1260 yeares And to the end the world may take better notice of these his two testifiers and preseruers of truth the Lord commendeth the knowledge of the parties by the description of their garments in saying they are cloathed in sackcloth thereby not onely disseuering their testimonies from all the soft and courtly commentaries of flesh and blood which for the most are raised with infected matter and vested with affected stile but also teaching vs that no man can retaine to the Lord before whom they minister vnlesse he serue in the same liuery that they doe and can turne ouer the leaues of his life and pilgrimage in fasting and sackcloth and true repentance as these his seruants the Prophets and Saints haue done Verse 4. These are the two oliue branches and the two candlesticks which stand in the presence of the Lord of the earth ANd these my two Testaments are those two oliue trees saith the Lord described by my Prophet Zechary which stand and fructifie before the Ruler of the earth for euer and euer For their leafe that is to say their word and iudgements shall neither wither nor fade though heauen and earth should perish and melt away And they are also two candlesticks which carry in them the light of my truth and power of my Spirit the great moderator of heauen and earth Verse 5. And if any man will hurt them fire shall come forth of their mouth and deuoure their enemies and if any man shall hurt them so must he be slaine ANd if any man shal wrest their word from the aime intention of their meaning saith the Lord or turne their prophecie out of the way by peruerting or clipping the honour or purpose of their word the fire of my wrath denounced by the mouth of these my two testaments for though they be two yet they haue but one mouth shall surely iudge and execute those louers and makers of lies and for the more assurance of this sentence against them the Lord doth iterate the curse and vengeance of his heauy displeasure saying And if any man will hurt them so must he be slaine meaning I say by hurting all maner diminishing of the words of their testimonie by false blasphemous and lying expositions as some haue done Verse 6. These haue power to shut heauen that it raine not in the dayes of their prophecie and they haue power ouer the waters to turne them into blood and to smite the earth with all maner of plagues so often as they will FOr the Lord hath touched the mouth of these his two Prophets as he did the mouth of Ieremie and the rest of his seruants of whom he saith Behold this day haue I set thee ouer nations and ouer kingdomes to plucke vp roote out destroy and throw downe build and plant and in another place Therefore haue I cut them downe by my Prophets and slaine them by the words of my mouth Such priuiledge the Lord hath giuen to these his two Testaments that if they once shut the heauens that it raine not in the dayes of their prophecie that is to say if they denounce a famine of the bread of life to wit the word and knowledge of God or pronounce a sword to come vpon a nation kingdom or people which the Lord here signifieth by turning waters into blood or if it pleaseth them to prophesie which the Lord here calleth to strike of any pestilence earthquake or other iudgement to come such power is giuen them that if they say the word it is done as it is written Heauen and earth shall perish but the words of their prophecie shall not passe till all be fulfilled Verse 7. And when they shall haue finished their testimonieâ— the Beast which ascendeth from the depth shall wage battell against them and kill them ANd when his seruants the Prophets and Apostles shal haue fulfilled their course and be translated from the land of their labours to the land of rest leauing to the world the inheritance as it were of their ministery sealed vp in the two Testaments of God to preserue the feare of his name and the knowledge of his pleasure among the sonnes of men which the holy Ghost calleth finishing their testimonie Antichrist the Beast whose proper place whence he is and whither he must is here described by the name of the depth shall not onely hurt and wound them by slanderous lying expositions as his Clerks and Assects do but shall set his feet vpon their necks and tread downe their diuine authoritie by the aduancing of his cursed keyes and the beautie of his whorish Church aboue them which the Spirit calleth waging battell inhibiting them to prophecie or teach the words of their testimonie vulgarly And not onely putting them to silence but also reprouing condemning them for corrupters seducers and sowers of heresies among the people which presumptuous blasphemie and murder the Spirit discouereth in saying that he shall ouercome them and kill them Verse 8. And their carkeises shall remaine in the streete of the great Citie which is spiritually called Sodome and Egypt where their Lord also was crucified ANd the letter or text of their testimonie which the Spirit calleth their corps or carkeises shall remaine in their houses Cels Temples hang at their girdles through all the cities and kingdomes where the Beast and his Church is adored which in regard of their number be here named the great Citie so in respect of their execrable worship and adulterous seruice contrary to God and his holy Citie they are here called also spiritually Sodome meaning that as Sodome her sister did forsake the lawfull vse and prescription of nature and wrought filthinesse against nature so these loathing truth and louing lyes should erect strange oblations and propitiations as contrary to the offerings and satisfactions of the Saints as was the sinne of Sodome opposite to nature And the Spirit further calleth them by the name of Egypt for that in blindnes and hardnes of heart they euery way match the presumptuous and indurate Egyptians still pursuing and persecuting the truth as Pharaoh did Israel till the God of Israel destroy them by the Spirit of his mouth as he did Pharaoh and his hoast by water And in further detestation of the cruel murder and immanitie of this Beast and his adherents the holy Ghost layeth the blood
of all the seuen Monarchies vnto whom from the beginning of time to the end thereof was giuen and granted the charter and commission of blaspheming God corrupting his world as in the thirteenth Chapter following is more particularly discouered the Apostle addeth hauing seuen heads And in regard his power did beate down the power of all nations and made spoile and purchase of all kings kingdomes on earth the Spirit saith he had ten hornes for the hornes signifie kings and kingdomes and the number of ten include all be they neuer so many as all numbers are made of ten and their reduplication be they neuer so infinite And because he came to aduance his head so high by the power of his sword his Leaders and legions the Spirit crowneth his heads with magnificence and diadems saying And on his heads seuen diadems Verse 5. And his taile drew the third part of the starres of heauen and cast them to the earth And the Dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be deliuered that when she had brought forth he might deuoure her sonne THe head of this great red Dragon was his Regall first estate gouerned by Romulus six other successiue kingcoates which Seneca calleth his infancie or nonage wherein he liued swathed and nourished in blood 244 yeares as his owne Historian reporteth The bodie of this great red Dragon was his Consuls second estate which Seneca calleth his full age part Aristocraticall part Democraticall and was therefore stiled Senatus populusque Romanus from whence partly by reason of his ouerweight and fulsome abundance as one of his owne noteth Romana laxitas mundi rerum amplitudo damno fuit and partly for want of enemies abroad to wreake their proud and kingly humours on he fell into the intestine euill of ciuill warres at home which did cast him into his minoritie and wardship again And this his last estate of regiment Imperiall the holy Ghost here calleth his taile which consisteth of a rout of Monarchs seuentie Keysars long who for that they so furiously persecuted and hauocked the blood of the chiefest Saints and seruants of God the Spirit saith that with his cursed taile he drew the third part of the starres of heauen and cast them to the earth And not contented with the slaughter of his fairest lights and starres of his Church proceeded to desolate the whole hoast of heauen euen all the seed of the Spouse named before the Churches child and here her sonne meaning those in whom by the ministery of his fairest starres his seruants the Apostles Christ was now formed and of whom the Church was now ready to be deliuered for so much the Apostle vnfoldeth in these words And the Dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be deliuered that when she should bring forth he might deuoure her sonne Verse 6. But she brought forth a man child who was to gouerne all nations in an iron rod and her son was taken vp to God and to his throne BVt notwithstanding all their furie the Church brought forth her first fruit which for their faith charitie labour and patience the Spirit nameth a man child and because they followed the Lord in the regeneration and ouercame by keeping his words and works vnto the end they receiued the selfe same honour which to their Lord alone and in chiefe belongeth namely that they shall iudge the Tribes of Israel and haue dominion ouer the nations and shall rule them with a rod of iron and breake their glorie like a potters vessell as the Lord hath promised Math. 19. and Apoc. 2. And in remembrance of the tender care and prouidence of God ouer the seed and first fruit of his Church the Spirit concludeth that when they had ended their course they were taken vp to God and to his throne far from the reach and rage of their enemies Verse 7. And the Woman fled into the wildernesse where she had a place prepared of God that there they might feed her a thousand two hundred and sixtie dayes BVt the Church of God here named the woman mother of this faire and primitiue fruit being no longer able to weather out her stormes was enforced to hide her beautie and to retire her selfe into the secret chambers of Gods prouidence and her owne conscience and to take vp her lodging in the desart not that her light was vtterly extinguished as her enemies reproch her for although she were dispersed distressed and enforced to hide her extraordinary and eminent graces yet the beautie of her true repentance and of her liuely faith seconded with a charitable life and patient expectation of better things to come still shined as a candle in a darke place and like a ship preserued in a tempest she remained stil the same of whom the world was not worthy neuer wanting the louing protection of her dearest Lord who in all her troubles was mindfull of her as of Elias his seruant or Israel his first borne carefull to prouide her both of honorable harbour and princely diet Her resting place was restlesse strewed and scattered far and neare ouer the face of the earth for such a lodging did best beseeme her broken and restlesse heart which soiourned in earth but dwelt in heauen and did also best defend her person from the furious inquisitions of her enemies Neither was her Lord lesse louing and prouident concerning her food for he preserued for her diet the two witnesses of his eternall Couenant that from their breast she might sucke the pure and wholesome milke of grace and life that so she might be both nobly harboured and princely fed during the tedious and odious reigne of the great Whore the Church of Rome who during her exile should vsurpe her Chaire and vnder the vizard of her name should persecute her name and generation a thousand two hundred and sixtie yeares here as before mystically deciphered vnder a thousand two hundred and sixtie dayes Verse 8. And there was waged a battell in heauen Michael and his Angels fought with the Dragon and the Dragon fought and his Angels ANd at the same time that the Temple of God was opened in heauen the Apostle also foresaw that great and bloody contention then which since the dayes of heauen was neuer waged greater great in regard of the armies and great in respect of the cause The armies great as well for the greatnesse of the Generals as for the valour and number of their forces The Generall on the one side was the power of God sciphered by Michael the Prince of the Couenant who stood for the children and people of the Highest The Generall on the other side was the power of Satan figured by Ethnicke Rome here as before called the Dragon In their forces are to be considered the Leaders and the souldiers The Leaders and the Captains on the part of Michael were Diuus Petrus Diuus Paulus Diâ—â—â— Iohannes and the rest of that diuine and noble order of Saints