that your Q. hath rare regard of scholers Br. I will endevour to give you brieflie the summe of this booke froÌ„ Iohns speach in his owne native maner his Visions for the time praesent and to come The first speech of Iohn sheweth how the Sonne hath received froÌ„ the Father a revealing of the Churches case vnto the last iudgement and resurrection and Iohn the Disciple whom the Lord loved is talked with by an Angell and spoken too by Christ And Iohn exclameth what goodnes coÌ„meth from this revelation that it maketh the Reader happie and he commendeth the worke to seaven Churches of the Lande of Gog where Iewes were scattered by the Macedonians the farthest Westward of their dispersion and were fit instruments to save vs poore heathen towards Sun set as afterward he made our poore couÌ„trey the ends of the earth the possession of Christ The blessing from the holy Trinitie the Eternall our God the Eternall is most heavenly and the acclamation of glorie to the Sonne from Fs 4. and Exod 19. warning of his iudgement when the second time he commeth in the cloudes as he came Dan. 7. to take manhood and from Zacharie his owne Gospell he teacheth Rome that pearced him handes feet and side that they shall see a Revenger And the Eternitie of the Sonne is manifest in that he is Agr and ω. the beginning and the end who is who was and wil be the Almightie Now he commeth to tell the opportunitie of the Visions He was banished into Patmos a small Iland neare Ephesus recorded onely but by name of Heathen obscure for any further storie Into this as out of the world Iohn of whom the world was not worthie was banished God turning Domitians tyrannie into a blessing that this desert Iland should have the state of the whole world set open Rabbi Elias Certenly this must be a strang blessing of God I am much bent to hear your speach and I consider the Law-giving how it was in the wildernes where none but Gods own should be partakers And as at the West of the Arke as at Sunne-setting of state the Dearest and last-borne Tribes were set Ioseph and Beniamin in Ephraim Beniamin and Manasses to shew that the Lord doeth stretch his power to the furthest off So I deeme that in the furthest quarters of our dispersion West-ward as before Ephraim Beniamin and Manasses GOD would stirre vp his strength and come and helpe vs. Thus farre I can goe after you have drawe me on Br. The basenes of this Iland hath a further signification to teach that the obscure places shall most have the glory of God As all men be wicked naturallie and one pricketh forward another so a great Citie such as Aristides the Rhetor Sophister maketh Rome will soone become a world of wickednes But Patmos now telleth that the Church shal be in the wildernes as in chap. 7. it is not evident by open shew but as in Ierusalem vnder Sedekias Ezek 9. when an Angel sealeth them which belang to God so of vs heathen an Angell sealeth them that bee his when the open face of the Church was gone and the Dragon head and tayle driveth the Church into the wildernes and the beast compounded of Daniels foure once dead and revived but of purple colour and having a Rider a Woman in scarlat drunk with the blood of the Sainctes this drove the Church into the Wildernes through a fea of troubles mixt with fire and fagot Rab. Eli. I admire these visiones and cannot gainsay them Br. The time is more wondâ—â—full then the place Rab. What terme have yee of the time Br. The Lords day Rab. What day is that Br. The first day of the weeke Rab. And why is the Sabbath altered Br. I will tell you large matter brieflie The first day Elohim the adviser and worker of the worldes frame made heaven with the Angels and Earth and Light and the Angels the morning Starres who confirmed by feare and tremblinge their strength which in wisedome and holines was not so perfect but that they might fall these starres showted to see the earth hange in the middes of the ayer and the Waters drawen to their chanels and the roaring Sea threatening to drownd the Lande returning from the shoare as by Gods checkes so when they saw the Cloudes fastened in the skie and all workes that way they showted No lesse at Sunne Moone and Starres and plantes trees hearbes at Foules from Eagle to Wren and fish from Whale to shrimpe and beastes with Crepers from Elephant to Antes they glorified God the creatours Hearing a voice saying Let this be and it stood Now when God the Creatours the Father Sonne and holy Ghost was to make Man that should have knowledge of the Eternal Trinitie he dwelling in light that none can come too speaketh Let vs make man according to our likenes and let them be Lordes over beastes fish and foules and God made Man after his owne image and bringeth all beastes and foules before Adam and he giveth them names expressing their nature as wisely as Angels could And seeing that it was not good for Adam to be alone hee maketh Eue out of his Ribbe and then carieth both into Paradise and giveth commaundement to both in the singular number as they were one flesh Rabâ— You in the endes of the earth search the Law exactly It must needes be holden that the Woman was made before the Law was given As shee telleth the meaning to be of both ye shall eat of all the trees of the Garden but of the tree of knowledge of evill and good ye shall not eate for the day ye eat of it yee shall die All this was the sixt day And before this commaundement was given God gave his Angells care over man as you hold them spirites sent foorth to minister for them that shall inherite salvation Great armies of Spirites not reverencing so fully as they should Gods counsell though when Man was made they were very good as all creatures yet great armies of millions being left vnto their owne sway hated mans superioritie and kept not their standing but became of poysonfull hatred against God and by leave went into the serpent and deceaved Eua before shee was called Eve and she drew the man to sinne and about time of Eating they ate the tree fruite Generally all tree fruites be MELA Apples And at the Evening God called them to iudgement and pronounceth Eternall coÌ„demnation against the Devils and all the wicked that shal be borne of that poyson that the serpent breathed into Eve and not regenerated by water of Law and spirit moving vpon it which spirit ye truely say to be the spirit of Christ This sad storie fell the sixt day And then is the promesse that one shall come to be a man according to the kinde whose footesteps and handes Satan the old serpent shall pearce but he shall bruse all his power and destroy his workes The
serpent brought man to sinne Messias shall finde him iustice Satan bred death Messias life Satan brought all the world to wrack Messias the mightie God will make a new world and ye confesse in tongue that in this speach HE shall bruse thy head HE is here God to be praised for ever And this more ye say He hath decreed to destroy him out of the world as it is written Death shal be swallowed vp into victorie And I will destroy the vncleane spirit from out of the earth This is principally in time to come whē the dead shall arise Againe in Zohar Gen. col 298. Since the time that the serpent overruled man he ruleth also over all the sons of the world and he is busie to deceave the world and the world cannot escape his punishment vntill Christ the King doeth come and the holy and blessed God doeth raise vp them that sleepe in the dust as it is written Death is swallowed vp into victorie Also your selves say Christ shal be killed Therevpon is this allusion of Booz to Ruth Sleepe vnto the morning Zohar col 93. The ground of your allusions must be plain when you can draw common matter to it And the Angell Gabriels speech was your first ground and it is a wonder that you vnderstand it not Rab. El. In England Reinolds and Lively and Bar Lo scoff your accompt In Leyden Scaliger Br. Churches ken them colde thankes and wished the chief rare otherwise for this vnborne and Parkins for folowing Reinolds in 80. seavens rare otherwise by one rotten flie putrified a box of precious oinctment Reinolds was droven to graunt the Limites from the Angels speech to the death of Christ And for all Greeke accomptes Scaliger he were answered by Greekes What whole Kingdomes holde as Albion vpon our Bible Fraūce in Genebrard the Hebrew Professour at Paris Heydelberge vnder Tremelius well payd Zurick in their Hen Wolphlius Geneva in sage Calvin after old and sound Athanasius in his Questiones which work if it be not his for some later matters made by imitation of him hath double authoritie and Hector Pintus in Portugall these millions not one or twoo flaunting with an idle opinion of Greeke should have bene regarded of you Of Redemption day that it should be on Friday Rabbi Bachay saw by the case of Adams fall the six day that the Redeemer should performe his worke the sixt day Rab. All our Doctours graunt that Adam fell the day of his creation Br. And all ours not ridiculous and all simply that redemption was wrought that day The whole Sabbath our Lord rested in the grave and the first day hee arose and brought light vnto the world Your selves in Zohar graunt all this of Messias all this that I speak That Messias is God that this saying Let there be light is an inducing to his light And this The Spirit floothereth vpon the waters hath inducement to his Spirit flootring vpon the waters of the Law All this in Zohar vpon Gen. fol. 21. and much more That Messias was in the Garden and Adam was drivē from Messias Thus you heare the cause of our Lords day Rab. I never heard so much What saw Iohn on the Lords day Br. Visions of the Churches state vnto the end of the world Of the Trumpettes voice He heard the voice of a Trumpet behinde him when he was in the Spirit as was Ezekiel chap. 1. What should the Trumpet signifie Rab. Happie are they that know the trum pets sounde Psal 89. Br. And speaketh not Aethan there of the kingdome of Messias Rab. That we hold Brough So Trūpet here calleth that into minde Rab. And what sounded the voice of the Trumpet Br. That Messias is Eternall God The first the last in Esai And by imitation of Thalmudique Agr and ω. Rabhi What meaneth Agr and ω Of Agr and ω. In Isaac Ben Arama vpon Levit. 26. yee say Aharon kept the Law from Aleph to Thau In Greek not Thau but ω is the last So Agr and ω should meane Beginning and Ending in Greeke Of the Greeke tongue cōmended to all Christians vse in that the sonne of God doeth take a name from the Letters yea The Letters When the Iewes went to Babel by Gods counsell to teach the families that built the Tower by rebel Nemrod to worship starres and not the God of heaven wherevpon 70. tongues sprang from One of Adams God in Athens the oldest towne of Iavan stirred vp the minde of the Tyrant there one Pisistratus to winne fame over all of Iavan by braverie of language This I have often handled it must be often repeated for the strangenes before it wil be considered throughly Homer was a Poet of miraculous eloquence He wrote one Fable of Troy warres for the hore Helena teaching better then Chrysippus Crantor what is good and bad in the waves of foolish people where for all kings dotage Achivi smart Another of a subtile King by wit going through stitch through infinite miseries This Poets sonnets were scattered before his time But he causeth them to be set together And both workes to be parted into twentie foure partes Rab. So we call Law Prophets the Foure and twētie Br. The letters in Greeke bee 24. And he caused both workes to be argumented by 24. verses from Agr to ω in order as cōteyning all wit that Greek learning could affoord Eust vpon Iliad 1. noteth this Vpon this beginning Graecia in 200. yeres by Alexand. Macedons time grew to a miraculous perfectiō that all the West willingly learned it And the Macedonians in three hundreth yeares Dominion forced the rest too it that all Nations might vnderstande Greeke Of the Apostles Greeke And therefore the Apostles wrote for all Nations in Greeke that all might vnderstand it and wrote in most roiall Greeke to tell that the Roy of all wisedome ruled their penne Now where the Sonne Eternall nameth him selfe Agr and ω all that honour him should also regarde the tongue wherein he teacheth all nations next Adams kept by Heber And if the tongue of Agr and ω had bene kept vsuall the king of Locustes could never have made bitter the waters of the New Testament His treacherie had bene espied as all Graecia holdeth him Antichrist to this day Of the seaven golden Candlestickes Iohn turned him about and saw seaven goldē Cādlestickes expoūded to be seaven Churches now to have these last visions in Ephesus Smyrna Pergamus Thyatira Sardis Philadelphia and Laodicea Ephesus was famous for Diana a dreamed Goddesse of hunting for whom Kings 120. yeres bestowed a most costly temple which one set on fire the night that great Alexander was borne to winne fame wherevpon a jest came that Diana Goddes midwife was so busie about Alexanders birth that shee forgat the tuition of her owne Temple Here holy Paul taught three yeares much vexed by Dianeans And here he left Timothee and abridged to him Thalmud Thora how the Law should
full vvell ô Rabbi Elias Eli. That doe I full well and so in Thargum Ierusalemy The stone of Iuda is Cadcedona Br. So our Iohn nameth it Chalcedon avoyding the repeating of the letter Daleth Eli. Assuredly this can not be done without rare instinct You bring me in great part to be a Christian But goe on Iaspis in the walles of Ierusalem is Codcod and Iaspis commeth for the walles of the holy Citie that they bee as Iaspis Christallizing from Es 54. But Iaspis in the first of the twelve foundations is cleane for an other tribe as I will speake anone Eli. If your translation distinguish not these two it doth the Authour great iniurie for the whole booke should finde disgrace by confusion for so rare wisedome Of the Thalmudique But next your septuagint Dialect let me see our Thalmudique In that we would be proud Br. Calcedon the last worde that wee spake off is of that sort So Collyrion Apoc. 3. of ten in Midras Rabba your Thalmuds Knowne in Grecia in you more Iewes schattered among Greekes learned many vulgar termes as that and Cosmocrator for a King in Ierusalemy and Midras Rabba and many such So That the sacrificers were girded about the brest you Rabbi know who teacheth Rabbi Eli. very wel Vzielides vpon Ezekiel Mamionides in Holy garments and Kimchi in Miclol And this last is enough for the Thalmudiques Now let me heare what the Apostle toke from Gods authority that will most shewe that God speaketh in him Br. That shal be more largely handled Of the Apostique Greeke dialect For speaches and for sentences calling whole bookes into cleare light I will here speake and I will give the particulars their titles for rarenes of the matter Of Iehovah expounded This commeth first that Iehova is expounded from Exod. who was whose is who wil be and this drawen to shew the last actes looking to the first counsels that all may be seene to depend vpon one God Eli. Rab. Elias Our cōmon prayer-booke printed here at Basil harps at this Br. But to what purpose missing of all Gods nature in the holy trinity The Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost and of his counsell for submitting the world to a man where the first man fell his first day and then one in whom God should dwell was promised a destroyer of Satans workes yee speak all this but as Parrets Eli. God help vs hast on the iourney is long yet you make me think it short So Ossenb Iewes learnd Daniel of you Of the seven Spirites From Es 11. You note that seaven spirites shall rest vpon Messias Sanedrin Perek 6. Fol. 43. But you vnderstand not that the Godhead shall rest bodily in him which Godhead is all one in the Father the Sonne and holy Ghost and that is vnseparable yet there is a distinction knowen to God and told vs we know that God dwelleth in light which none can come to and we rest in so much as our minds can hold And your selves confesse a mystery in Elohim Gen. 1. 1. being in forme Plural as in Thy Creatours Eccl. 12. Thy Makers Thy Lordes from Es 54. And God my makers Iob. 35. And in Massecheth Sopherim yee fight why Abraham should vse Gen. 20. a verbe plurall to Elohim when They Elohim caused me to wonder frō my country not knowing whether he went as elswere Midras expoudeth the word at this ye are all amased yet ye cannot perceave that in Aharons blessing num 6. for what mysterie Iehova is thrise repeted from whom grace and peace commeth to Israel But our Fisher of Galile teacheth that the Spirit which flootered vpon the waters flootereth vpon the waters of the Lawe here to give waters of life freely without which waters and spirit none can be borne to the kingdome of Heaven This spirit is eternall God the same Godhead with the Father as Iehova sent him and his spirit to teach the Gospel of the Eternall sonne whom God made heyre of all and by whom he made the world So he sheweth Iesus Christ to be the Eternall when he prayeth for grace and peace from him Of the Psalme 89. Where the Kingdome of David promised by Nathan is expounded How Iohn expoundeth that to stand in Christ. Elias I thank you hartely for calling me to consider better the Law I will think sadly of it But what poinct touching Christ plain in prophecy doth he teach Br. All you know that Aethan the Ezrahite of Zera brother to Phares handleth the state of the Kingdome which you loke for And there he prophecieth that Salomōs house should come to nothing yet an Eternall throne was stablished for one chosen the Bechor first begotten here from the dead for which hope Iosephs bones end the glorious book of Genesis In Aethan He is above the Kinges of the earth and so in Iohns blessing as eternall God Of Psal 33. For election And Iohn telleth what true blessing is That Iesus Christ doth love vs and washeth vs from our sinnes Here the eternall love of God that chose Abraham yea when hee had worshipped strange Goddes yet of love not desert chose him and so all blessed who cannot chose him but he doth chose them Blessed be the people whom Iehovah hath chosen to be their God He by whose WORD the heavens were made all the hoast of them by the SPIRIT of his mouth Of washing vs from our sinnes Esay the Evangelist full of gladsome tidings in Christ telles that Iehova wil be the brightnes of glorie the fruite of the earth and wash away the vncleannes of the daughters of Sion That text sheweth the marrow of all Esai and he of all the Prophetes And Iohn here telleth that IESVS Christ hath washed vs from our sinnes and so sheweth that all Levies doings be ended for which the whole frame of the Law was made Of the Kingdome promised to David Nathans prophecie for an eternall Throne yee expound to this day to meane ease of this world in Chanaan And all the world seeth now 1500. yeres your madnes Iohn telleth that the roiall mind cōquering Chananean spirites that they reigne not in vs this maketh vs Kings and Sacrificers to sacrifice our owne affections and to serve God in holy reverence to praise him with all our heart and to build a church against tyrannie and deceit Against Babel and Egypt and the New Gog and Magog What the drift of the Apocalyps is Rab. Elias I never heard so much for your new Testamēt Now let me heare the drift of the booke as you have tolde the drift of Daniel Br. A litle more I will speake of Iohn◠Apostolique Greeke in some particulars and then Generallie Messias in Daniel hath his feete like shining brasse some brasse commeth neare golde such as Ezra mentioneth cap. 8. 27. Mountain brasse Greekes call it Iohn Libanus brasse as God vseth Libanus for moūtaines in speech of their frame So for Iahalom the stone wherein Zabulon was graven
Christ promoting the Gospell with speedy syncerenes and plaguing the enemies is resembled by a white horse with a Rider having a bow and a Crowne a conqueror alreadie and to continue a conquerour How hee conquered by the blood of his martyrs that is tolde vnder the fift seale This doeth appeare when the first seale is opened And present plagues in the three next seales II. A red horse hath a Rider with a great sword can not you tell what that must meane Rab. El. That peace should bâ—â— taken from the earth that men should kill one another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So plain is the vision This came to sight from vnder the â—â—cond seale shewing how the Caesars should bee killed and their armies and Caesars made in campes and soone oppressed For 300. yeares they had a most miserable life III. A black horse commeth and his rider hath a balance and a voice telleth amongest the foure Wightes that corne shal be deare though by Gods mercie oyle and wine be of some store Before in wicked Claudius dayes when the Senat had thought good to root out the Caesars names Claudius by soldiers was made Emperour voyd of all wit and full of all vice For him and his governement God plagued the world with famine For others in time the like shal come but with mercy As many Emperours after Domitian were moderate Old Nerva Traiane Adriane and they to whom Iustin Martyr florishing at 30. without a teacher saving one old man in a sodain speach gave an Apologie for Christians and from Homer for Monarchia and from Sophocles from double iudgement in Haides brake the vehemencie of persecution What the man was that told him doubting what he should folow telling of holy Prophetes that they only had true happines that could not he tell whether he was a man or an Angel being made froÌ„ the seaven spirits a Lion for courage fuller of eyes then all the Bridge-makers monaches to this day for soules cases in Haides stayed persecution and procured quiet successe to Emperours and Empire So easie hath God made the summe of salvation Only they whose God is their belly of professours marre the trueth Rab. El. You know I never resisted you in al your long disputatioÌ„ in Franc furt because I promised vnder pay of eternall death to speak in conscience Br. If your synedrioÌ„n had done so when they condemned the sonne of God in the very last day of 490. yeres since the Angel Gabriel told Angelike Daniel of redemption day and if you had sacrificed Messias as Abraham would have sacrificed Isaac God bidding otherwise you should have said we will not kill him he is the Saviour of the world it had bene well with you to this day But now for missing this much you have bene fewell for Gehenna and shal be for ever except some small remnant And of vs heathen few will in wit over-reach the angels that fell That the sonne of Enosh shall have all things put vnder his feet Rab. El. This is our only difference and if your Doctours had not doted in Persons time as Rome hath done true narrations had brought on vs to your faith But let me heare the next opening of seale the fourth Then came forth a Pale horse and his rider was death and a grave folowed him And hee had authoritie to kill the fourth part of the earth by sword hunger plague by the beasts of the earth Rab. El. Ezekiel spake the like of vs for our extreme desolation But what seale openeth the cause of all this Br. The fift openeth Rab. El. What commeth thence Br. When the fift seale was opened Iohn saw vnder the altar the soules of them which were kild for the word of God for the testimonie which they had And they cryed How longe ô God the holy and iust dost thou not iudge and revendge our blood from the dwellers vpon the earth Millions of millions dyed for the truth and how could this be but by the spirit of God Wicked men repose their rest for this life wheÌ„ so many millions runne to death gladlier then any to a mariage and heathen men vpon Ebrew Prophetes how can this be but from the plane trueth of God You have the families of Messias you have the yeare day and houre of his death and daily stories to tell you that when these things and these come to 〈◊〉 then shall Messias redeeme So all fell out You shut your eyes Emperours persecute Christians die for the trueth ye Iewes and prophane Emperours die miserable Yee stirred persecutions and ye are plagued dayly and eternally That is here craved by the Martyrs They had white garmentes given them that is the iustice of God by Ghrist and they call for vengeance vpon the murtherers And they are bid to have patience a whyle till moe be made Martyrs with them to draw the wicked world vnto Christ Rah Eli. In Aboth and Rabbi Nathan Moyses soule and all the Iust soules are layde vnder the throne why say you vnder the altar Br. Christ being sacrificed for vs is our altar And vnder his protection the soules be that beleeved in him And that is meant by situation vnder the Altar You and we both holde truly that all holy ever went hence to the holy mountayne and Tabernacle of God We hold that none ever were holy but they who looked that God in the flesh should give them iustice and life VI. When Martyrdome had brought Countreys to affect the Gospell somewhat plentifully God revengeth the Empire After Diocletians persecution an earthquake of States followed the sunne of Empire was as black as saccloth and the moone was turned to blood and the starres of heaven fell as a figge tree casteth her figges being shaken of a great winde And the heaven was rouled vp like a booke and everie montaine and Island was remooved from their place Know you what these speaches in the Prophetes meane Rab. Eli. Very well An whole destruction of States In Ioel and Esay That the Kings of the earth and Potentates and the Rich and the Coronnels and the mightie and everie servant and every free man shall hide them selves in dennes and in rockes of mountaines Br. The Romanes who would rule over Iuda Gods kingdome in their civill warres begon betwixt Pompei and Caesar felt the greatest change that ever policie had that Nobles were solde for slaves and slaves were buyers of their Maisters And Ierusalem was tolde by our Lord that they should be faine to speak vnto the mountaines Fall vpon vs. And the hills Cover vs as in Es 2. 19. Iuda was warned for Babel and Samaria for Assyr Osee 10. 8. And Babel was told that their starres of heaven with Sunne and Moone should have passions Es 13. and it with other kingdomes Esay 34. shall have all the host of heavens molten and the heavens shal be rolled as a booke and all their hoast shall fall as a leafe falleth from the vine or