Ioh. 17.24 will free us from death according to that promise Father I will also that they whom thou hast given me be with mee where I am and that they may behold my glory which thou hast given mee Ioh. 16.11 Againe if wee be dead with him wee shall also live with him And the prince of the kings of the earth The third title of Christ declareth his kingly office that he is farr more powerfull then kings tyrants and all other adversaries whatsoever and by his power can easilie subdue them for as much as he sitteth at the right hand of God and powerfully governeth all things both in heaven and in earth and hence in Chapt. 19.16 hee is called the king of kings and Lord of Lords which serveth for the comfort of the Church for if Christ be Lord over all the kings of the earth why should we fear their rage against us Christ is chiefe of all and stronger then all and therefore can easily stoppe their rage Christ is the prince of all and so hath the purposes and counsels of them all in his hand 2 Timoth 2 11. and will order and direct them for the good of his chosen Satan is called the prince of the world not by way of right but of fact because by Christs permission hee hath taken into his hand the principallity of the world for a season that hee might powerfully worke in the children of disobedience to their destruction He falsly said Eph. 2.2 Luk 4 6. all the kingdoms of the earth are mine for the father hath appointed not Satan but the son to be the heir and king of all He calleth them kings of the earth that are powerfull in this world who for the most part oppose Christ and but few of them receive him yet Christ is the prince of them all the rebellious he will break with a rod of iron as the potters vessel Psal 2. whose fury therefore is not to bee feared for they are the kings of the earth not of heaven earthly power is but fraile and of no force against God Afterwards the kings of the earth more restrictivelie are called the vassals of Antichrist Rupertus understandeth it allegorically that is kings of the earth to bee such as subdue their earthly mindednesse avoyd sinne and are the servants of righteousnesse of such onely saith hee Christ is prince and all who will be Christs must be such but the former exposition is more agreable to the text Furthermore by these titles we have a fourth argument of the deity of Christ 4 Argument of the deity of Christ he is the faithfull witnesse the author and revealer of the heavenly doctrine he was raysed again from the dead by his owne power he is the prince of the kings of the earth all which confirmes his omniscience and omnipotencie that is that hee is true God Who loved us in the Greeke to him that loved us and washed us Here something is to be noted about the construction of the words in the originall Gagneus a Papist insulting against the Greeke copies saith the Greeke reading is ful of soloecismes for these datives to him that loved c. can not be referred to any thing in the text Ribera the Iesuite also applauding the Latine version above the Greeke saith by this it is manifest that the Latine is much purer then the Greeke that is now extant And afterward the Greeke copies that now are are corrupt and our interpreter hath according to his usuall manner followed the true and amended ones And there seemes to be some thing in their exception if the words unto him that loved us c. be referred to what goeth before But Alcasar although a Iesuite yet doth justly reprove them for the false construction they speak of is not in the text but proceedeth from their owne fancy there is no reason saith hee we should suspect that the Greeke copies are corrupted for the vulgar Latine admitteth the same construction otherwhere as appeareth in their translation on chap. 6.4 he which sate on the red horse to him it was given that he should take peace from the earth in like manner the words here who loved us are not to be construed with the foregoing matter but with that followeth to him be glorie c. This he taketh out of Andreas and Aretas who from these words to him that loved us understand the beginning of the following thanksgiving And indeed the construction is plain if a period be made and the article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who be put before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath made so the whole thanksgiving would thus bee read To him who loved us and washed us from our sinnes in his owne blood and made us priests and kings to God his father to him be glorie and dominion for ever and ever Amen Thus much about the construction And who loved us He concludeth the dedication with a thanksgiving in which the threefold office of Christ being before spoken of hee now sheweth a threefold benefit flowing from the same to us First he giveth thanks that he loved us who is the fountaine of our salvation for seeing the son of God loved us therefore hee tooke our flesh and laid down his life for us Rom. 5 8. delivered us from death to life God saith the Apostle commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us Againe who shall separate us from the love of Christ Rom. 8 35. 1 Ioh. 3 16. Ioh 15 3. hereby perceive wee the love of God because hee laid downe his life for us So saith Christ himself Greater love hath no man then this that a man lay downe his life for his friends c. The scripture setteth forth the love of the father also in this thing that he gave his son up to the death for us The love indeed of the son seemeth to be greater because he loveth more that will give his owne life for others then hee that giveth the life of another to the death but in this the father and the son have manifested one and the same philanthropie or fulnesse of love to us-ward the father in that hee gave the son and the son in that hee became obedient unto the father The consideration of whose love ought to take away from us all opinion of merit and selfe-trust For the father and Christ loved us not because wee were worthy of it but when wee were enemies and dead in trespasses It should also stir up our thankfulnesse to love him again who first loved us and to consecrate our selves wholy to him And in the last place it is for our comfort for those whom he hath thus freely loved hee will love unto the end and not leave them in the hower of death And hath wushed us from our sinnes by his owne blood Here followes another benefit being an effect of the former for seeing hee loved us therefore
workes And this he doth to stirre them up to a cheerfull going foreward in wel dooing for the prayse of vertue increaseth it and honour provokes men to vertuous enterprises Ovid. li. 4. de pont As the Poet speaketh Secondly in special because he had kept his word and not denyed his name Thus as in the first he is commended for his sinceritie in doctrine so in the latter for his constant profession of the same before the adversarie These two things are required of all Christians but Especiallie of Gods ministers namely to keep the faith of Christ entire and not to corrupt the same by humane inventions and 2. not to forsake the profession thereof in any estate or condition Ro. 10.10 For with the hart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation But least this holie teacher should be lifted up to thinke he did these things by his owne strengeth Christ therfore ascribes both the first constitution of this Church as also the constancie of Pastor and people therin to his grace alone behold I have set before thee an open doore that is It is not by thy own power that the congregation over which thou art embraceth the truth taught by thee or that thou thy self standest fast in the faith against all the threats of the adversaries who dayly labour to shut this open doore for thou hast little strength that is little or no outward help and assistance but it is I who have set an open doore before thee It is I who have opened it by my own power and hence the enemies neither have nor ever shall be able to shut the same Thus we se that which before was indefinitely spoken of Christs shutting and opening is here in perticular applyed to the Philadelphians J have set before thee an open doore I am not ignorant how these words for thou hast a little strength may be taken in another sence And some indeed doe expound them adversitivelie as if they deserved the greater commendation for their constancie in their affliction seing they had but a little strength that is destitute of humane protection But then the causal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for should bee a reason of the latter that is wherfore he had kept the word which is repugnant to the scope of the commendation for it is manifestly a reason of the former namely wherfore Christ had opened a doore unto him which no man should bee able to shut Others again understand it as spoken for his comfort as if Christ had said I have gathered unto my self a Church in this citie in the midst of many adversaries over which I have appointed thee a Pastor and howsoever thou hast but a little strength to resist them notwithstanding I will so protect both thee and thy congregation as that no man shall bee able to shut that is to subvert the same or expell the faithfull out of this place Which interpretation I confesse containes much excellent comfort both for the Pastor and people but considering that the Epistle as yet treates not of consolations I therfore allow rather the first exposition Now touching this manner of speech An open doore by a Metaphor is signified an occasion offered of wel dooing that is an opportunitie of preaching and propagating the Gospel for as a man goes into the house the doore being opened even so when the Lord gives passage to the Gospel Churches are planted propagated according to that of the Apostle When I came to Troas to preach the Gospel 2 Cor. 2 12 a doore was opened to mee of the Lord and 1. Cor. 16.12 a great door and effectuall is opened to me c. Hence chiefly we are taught two things First this again proves the divinitie of Christ for whereas he both knoweth the workes of the faithful and openeth a doore to his Church as also restraines the power of the adversaries that notwithstanding all their malice and rage yet can they not shut the same it clearelie shewes that he is God onely wise and omnipotent And therfore as Christ our Lord by his mightie workes XXII Arg. of Chr. deity proved against the blasphemous Jewes that he was God Joh. 10.38 so are we bound from his powrful gathering and preserving of this Church to beleeve the same The cavill of some hereticks is of no waight who pretend that Christ doth these workes by a power communicated unto him of the father I answer he doth it by his divine and essentiall omnipotencie which he hath received from the father by eternall generation for whatsoever the father hath is Christs Ioh. 16.15 Io. 5.9 and whatsoever things hee doeth these also doth the son likewise Not as if the power of the Father were uncreated Christs created but both the Father and the Son worke by the same divine and uncreated power For the Son doeth all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alike with the Father Secondly as Christ of old opened a doore for the passage of the Gospel and no power of malice of men nor Devils could any way hinder the same so considering at this day that among so manie enemies a doore is opened unto the Churches in Germanie England Poland Hungarie c. we ought to acknowledge that this happeneth not by chance nor ascribe it to the industrie of teachers prudencie of politicians or the power of princes but unto the grace efficacie presence and power of Christ alone for certainly the strength of Christians hath been little or nothing to resist the tyrannical persecution cruell edicts and horrible torments by which Antichrist hath laboured but in vain utterlie to deface our Christian faith but by how much they have sought to presse it downe by so much like unto the palme tree it hath flourished more and more because Christ by his divine power having opened this doore Antichrist was not able to shut the same And indeed it is a thing admirable in our eyes that some few Monkes and despised teachers should by the contemptible preaching of the Gospel so shake the kingdome of the Beast howbeit supported with the aid and power of the kings and Emperors of the earth on all sides as that whole nations of the Christian world should turne from Antichrist to Christ our Lord. Now this beeing come to passe we may not thinke that either teachers kings or princes have opened the doore but because Christ powerfullie reigning at the right hand of God hath so effected the same as that none was able to hinder it Let us therfore bee truelie thankful unto Christ for so great a mercie and divine miracle humbly beseeching him to keep this doore still open unto us not suffering it to be shut for our unthankfulnes or his sheep to be scattered by the enemies but that hee graciously preserve his Churches by dwelling among them 9. And I wil make them of the Synagogue of Satan Gr. I give them The second part is a
Antichrist he having I say seen Mahumet in the East and the Romish Bishops in the West oppressing the Church by fire and sword and imposing their decrees and idols upon all depraving Christian religion by their manifold traditions heathenish and Iewish superstitions in so much as unto the Churches of the West was left almost nothing but the bare name of Christ Now least Iohn seeing these things should thus have thought with himself what shall Christ be thus opprest and kept under by Antichrist shall there bee no more a Church no more sincere preaching no more faithfull valiant teachers to oppose Antichrist shall indeed the elect also be drawen away into errours of whom Christ saith that it is impossible they should be seduced Now hence it is that this present sight of the blowing windes and of the four Angels labouring in vain to hinder their operation is exhibited unto him shewing how the godlie should continually oppose Antichrist and be sealed in their foreheads signifying their safety and preservation unto the end Alcasar presupposeth howbeit not truly that these things appertaine unto the seventh seale but it is repugnant unto the very text in Chap. 8.1 and though it did yet would it no way help the consequence which thence he draweth Four Angels standing Now concerning these Angels let us see who they are Who are these four Angels what they did and the cause thereof By these Angels I understand Satan his Angels by whose powerfull working Antichrist invaded Christs kingdom and established his owne with all deceit of unrighteousnesse and withall I understand all Antichrists agents both ecclesiasticall and secular as Kings and Emperours who to uphold his kingdom have laboured by fire sword to suppresse the preaching of the Gospel so likewise Cardinals Bishops Monkes Canonists Inquisitors Jesuites who deceiving the world under an angelicall shew of holinesse have stronglie advanced his kingdome these are four a definite number beeing put for an indefinite as alluding to the foure corners of the earth on which they stand that is have their Bishopricks Lordships Colledges and Fraternities there fixed Now by four corners the whole earth is meant and here it noteth that no place shall be free from the mischievous devises of these wicked Angels Others again interpret these Angels standing on the four corners of the earth after this manner The Mahumetans in the East who suppressed the doctrine of Christ for however they seem to permit the European Christians the freedom of their religion yet the same is don deceitfully as thereby the easier to draw the rest of the Christian world under their power and so if they could altogether to blot out the very name of Christianity The South they understand to be the verie seat of the Romane Antichrist The North is possessed by the Popes sworn vassals And the West by the Spaniard his first begotten son and the most Christian French king as they stile him all which have hithertoo mightily hindered the windes from blowing upon the earth sea trees But we may as fitlie applie this to the Popes spirituall Angels standing upon the four corners of the earth seeing he hath every where his Legates a Latere his creatures I say to maintain his Antichristian primacie and to hinder the blowing of the windes by their fraudulent devises preachings writings disputations miracles all manner of working by deceit and unrighteousnesse The reason why Ribera contendeth that not evill Angels but the good Riberas opinion weighed are here intended is to free Antichrists ministers from suspicion But most Popish writers doe hold the contrarie Mart. Delrius libr. 2. mag disquis quaesi 11. thinkes them to be very hurtfull pernicious devils Alcasar would faine refute him but his tongue will not let him therefore he leaves it undecided whether they bee good or evil at last he faineth a dream of four Aeoluses brideling the windes with bonds and imprisonment Now is not this a worthie exposition of this mysterie But Ribera wil maintain his opinion with arguments The devils saith he are not in corners of the world but in the midst of the great men of the earth in provinces and cities and to be short wheresoever they bee they hinder the preachers of Gods word As if Iohn understood not this same thing by the four corners of the earth He therefore too childishlie restraines these corners of the earth unto the utmost places or mathematicall centers thereof forasmuch as by a synecdoche the whole world is here signified But he further objecteth that God is wont to punish the world not onely by evill Angels but also by the good Angels as we see Gen 19. and 2 Sam. 14. 2 King 19. Isai 37. c. which Austin also confirmeth lib. 9. de Civ D. c. 5. but it sufficeth that for the most part it is don by the evill Neither is there any weight in this that the other Angel as joyning himself with them saith VNTIL WE HAVE SEALED THE SERVANTS OF OVR GOD for he makes not the Angels which were readie to hurt the earth c. companions with him in sealing but closelie he pointes out the good Angels which were present with him Holding the foure windes that they should not blow Now he shewes what the Angels did in which we are to consider what the four blowing windes are and what is meant by the earth sea and trees and how they held the windes from blowing on the earth Ribera understands it properlie of the four cheife windes The litteral exposition of Ribera cannot hold described in these known verses Asper ab axe ruit Boreas furit Eurus ab ortu Auster amat medium solem Zephyrusque cadentem These windes the foure Angels indeavoured to hinder from blowing upon the earth c. that is they desired to destroy all things both in the sea and in the land as also the fruits of the trees For if the windes should altogether cease from blowing all things of necessity would soon come to decay forasmuch as all living creatures by them are cherished preserved Therfore he supposeth that hereby is signified the outward calamities falling upon the persecutours of the saintes his reason is because the literal sence is to be followed except a plaine reason doth necessitate the contrary Now indeed this is true notwithstanding if we should always expound the visions of this booke litterally much absurdity would follow thereupon besides the following words doe yeeld us a manifest ground that the letter here is not to be observed for the elect are said to be sealed thereby to be freed from hurt Now we know that the godly are not free from outward calamities as pestilence famine wherby the earth sea trees are hurt therfore it doth necessarily follow that we must understand it of an immunity of another kinde of hurt Andreas understands hereby the dissolution of lawfull order the most certaine event of the evils
which Alcasar justly reproveth For what probable cause can there be imagined of an anticipation or reason that Iohn by by should return again by a regression unto the warr of Antichrist This inconvenience they al run into who observe not the order and method of these Apocalypticall visions the which being neglected we must needs wander as in a wood So then here is described the fourth and last Act of the third Vision The fourth Act of the third Vision containing the third Woe that is Gods horrible judgments which shall be powred out in the last day universally upon all wicked men adversaries tyrants hereticks hypocrites Antichrist and his locusts the which indeed shall be an happie change of the Churches calamities Now touching the seventh Angel he is no other but that Archangel Who is the seventh Angel and what the seventh trumpet the publisher of Christs comming with a shout and great voice The seventh trumpet is that last trumpet of God with which Christ shal descend from heaven and call both living and dead unto judgement 1. Thes 4.16 and 1. Cor. 15.52 The members of this Act as we shewed in the analysis are three The first is the heavenly triumph because the kingdoms of the world are become Gods and Christs v. 15. The second is a triumphing song of the four and twenty elders rendring thanks and praises to Christ for the deliverance of the Church and intreating him to bridle the wrath of the adversaries by his judgement and render rewards unto the godly and due punishments unto the wicked ver 16.17 18. The third is the execution of judgement on both ver 19. The scope is to set forth the consolation of the godly at last for howsoever the Church on earth be in warr against Antichrist yet she shall at length triumph with Christ in heaven And there were great voyces in heaven These are not the voyces of mourners Great voyces of rejoycings but of them that rejoyce tow it of the blessed Angels and soules of the Saintes in heaven as appeareth by the subject of the matter But did not John threaten the third Woe Yea he did so but not to the heavenly inhabitants nor unto the servants of God but to the adversaries not in heaven but upon the earth Before the Woes therefore of the enemies called in other places of scripture gnashing of the teeth the worme that dies not unquencheable fire tribulation and anguish and here are named lightnings voyces thunders earthquakes and haile c. Iohn heard the joy of them that were in heaven celebrating with songs the equity and righteousnes of the judgement to come So then the third Woe shal fall not upon the godlie as the two former woes did on both Antichrists but upon the adversaries whom Christ will cast into the lake of fire and brimstone And thus the first apparition or companie of the 24 Elders shall with songs of triumph put an end unto this third Vision The kingdomes of this world are become Montanus in the kings edition hath it in the singular number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the kingdome of this world is made or become but al other bookes have it in the plural according to our translation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sense beeing all one Now it is as I said the triumph and joy of Angels and Saintes in heaven because the mysterie of God was finished according to the praediction in Chap. 10.7 that is because at last Christs kingdome was delivered out of all danger and the power of the adversaries troden under foot The sense is thus The adversaries had violently taken into their possession the kingdomes of the world thrusting out as much as lay in them Christ But now the kingdomes are returned unto Christ who henceforward all enemies beeing destroyed shall reigne alone Of our Lord and of Christ And here is declarative for of our Lord who is Christ So often the Apostle God and the Father for God who is the Father But doth not Christ even now also reigne Psa 2.6 Heb. 2.8 Phil. 2.9 Yea verily for he sits at the right hand of God God hath set his king upon his holy hill of Sion And put all things under his feet And unto him is given a name above every name But then at length he truely shall reigne that is declare that he reigneth when having thrown down the Pope Turke and all other tyrants and adversaries from their thrones he shall alone with the Father and holy Ghost rule the elect Angels and Men. The best interpreter of this place is Paul 1 Cor. 15. ver 24. Then commeth the end when CHRIST shall have delivered up the kingdome to God the Father shall have put downe all rule all authoritie power For he must reigne till he hath put all enemies under his feet and when all things shal be subdued unto him then shall the son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him that God may be all in all But thou wilt say How Christ shal deliver up the kingdome to the Father yet reigne for ever how shal Christ reigne for ever and ever if as it is there said he shall deliver the kingdome to God and the Father I answer he shal deliver the kingdom to God not by resigning up the kingdome but by ceasing to reigne after that manner as hitherto he had done Now he reignes by the meanes of his word sacraments and ministers gathering to himself and sanctifying the Church here on earth Then he shall reigne by immediate illumination and glorification of the Saintes in heaven Now he ruleth in the midst of his enemies Psal 110.2 1 Cor. 15.25 Then he shall reigne alone without enemies Now Antichrist Christs corrival with all deceiveablenes of unrighteousnesse and by the power of Satan doth subject the kingdoms of the world unto himself Then he shal be thrown down and abolished by the brightnes of Christs comming Now God and Christ have a divided empire so to speake with Satan the Pope and other tyrants who chalenge much unto themselves But then all enemies shall be abolished God and Christ shall have a full and entire kingdome over all because they shal be all in all things Christ the Son therfore shal reigne with the Father and holy Ghost for ever and ever and not for a thousand yeeres onely as the Chiliasts dreame of which afterward 16. Then those four and twenty Elders The company of the four and twentie Elders doe also with the other heavenly inhabitants give thankes to God for the vindication and deliverance of the Church and kingdome of Christ beseeching him to execute his last judgement Touching the Elders we have heard Chap. 4.4 One of them Chap. 7.23 concluded the second Vision and expounded to John the glory of the blessed Martyrs Here all of them shut up this third Vision with a song of triumph not much unlike unto that in Chap. 4.
but that the mountaines of Rome and Rome it selfe are a part of the devill yea his strength and dwelling place which is worse then the former See verse 3. 10. And they are seven Kings Now that wee might not sticke in the bare Mountaines of Rome He addeth another mystery viz. that the seven heads are also seven Kings thus of one type he makes two antitypes But what Kings Ribera that wee should not seeke them at Rome and so perhaps find the Pope amongst them saith that they are the Kings of the whole earth This is wonderfull before he said that the beast was the devill therefore either the whole world is the devill or else these are not the Kings of the whole earth unlesse perhaps he would rather say that the devill reigneth on his heads the mountaines of Rome and that Rome rides upon the devill out for shame with so vile and wicked a fiction For whose the mountaines are the same are the Kings also but the mountaines are of the woman Rome therefore the Kings also are of the woman Rome Let this once for all be minded as a sure position But who are these kings Wonderfull Riddles are propounded by the Angell Five are fallen One is the other is not yet come and when he commeth he must continue a short space This is a Gordian knot and not to bee untyed had we not the benefit of histories Now passing by the opinion of many I will record three of the principall the comparing of which will somewhat ease us First that of Victorinus whom our Bullinger and Iunius follow 1 The opinion of Victorinus about the seven Kings that these are the seven Kings which reigned at Rome after Nero. Five are fallen viz. Vitellius Otto Galba Vespasianus Titus ONE WAS viz. Domitian who in Iohns time reigned at Rome The other was not yet come Namely Nerva his Successour who being come was to remaine a short time because hee reigned not full two yeeres Which opinion howsoever backt with the authority of these great men I cannot follow Why it is rejected First because before Iohn not onely five Caesars were fallen at Rome but six others besides Fulius Augustus Tiberius Caius Claudius and Nero neither can any reason be given why these should be excluded Secondly because these seven Kings are not singular persons otherwise those seven being dead all the heads of the beast should have perished and the Beast either should have remained without heads or new heads must have growne upon him as Apollidorus fabulously writes of Hydra or else being without heads he should have bin extinct All which things are contrary to the prophesie for the beast yet lives and is reserved unto the last judgement This Ribera saw and doubted not to affirme that all Expositors In chap. 17 S. 25 except Victorinus understood that in every of these seven many were comprehended although he joynes a foolish fable that not the Kings of Rome are meant but of the whole world which Fiction we erewhile refuted Notwithstanding as if hee forgot himselfe he affirmeth and strongly proveth that it is not unusuall to the Scriptures that in one king many like as it were of the same body are signified which saith he is carefully to be observed alledging for example the Ramme and Goat in Daniel of which two the first denotes the Kings of the Medes and Persians the other all the kings of the Macedonians But good Sir this say I is carefully to be observed against your selfe for by this reason of yours is manifestly refuted or wholly weakened your Fiction that Antichrist shall be onely one singular person and that because hee is said in the singular number to be the man of sin the son of perdition the Beast False Prophet c. for behold what followes If Antichrist be one of these Kings then verily he shall not be one singular man but a king having others succeeding him in his kingdome as had the Kings of Medes Persians and Macedonians in their kingdomes But thou thy selfe makest the seventh of these kings to be Antichrist The other saist thou is not yet come that is Antichrist who shall come in the seventh age Now to come to the second opinion which is Riberas out of Gagnaeus viz. 2 Riberas opinion about the beast that the seven kings are the seven ages of the world or seven kingdomes adversarie to the Church The first age from Kain to Noah The second from Noah to Abraham The third from Abraham to David The fourth from David unto the transportation into Babylon The fift from the transportation unto Christ The sixt from Christ unto Antichrist The seventh from Antichrist unto the end Of these saith he five are fallen because five ages were past before Christs birth One was because the sixt age of Christ did then run on One is not yet come because the seventh age of Antichrist was not as yet When he is come he shall remaine a short space because Antichrist shall onely reigne three yeeres and an halfe A wonderfull Metamorphosis of kings into ages But what reference have the ancient ages unto the heads of the beast that is unto the mountaines and kings of the Citie Rome for it cannot be denyed but that the Angell precisely speaketh of these These kings therefore are not to be sought any where but there even where the mountaiues are because the heads are mountaines and kings Now the mountaines are at Rome and therefore the kings are there also But truely the Iesuite doth subtilly send us to Kain Nimrod Nebuchadnezzar c. The subtilty of the Iesuite least we should find Antichrist at Rome Nay but the kings are to bee sought in Romes mountaines for here they sate reigned and at length have also born up the woman I passe by that there is no proportion of the seventh age with the six former For what are three yeeres and an halfe to the former ages which all of them dured many hundred yeers By which very thing the fiction of Antichrists three yeers reigning is refuted III Opinion touching the seven kings Now I come unto the third opinion viz. of Aretius Napier Brightman and others to whom the seven kings are not seven Emperors nor seven ages but they wil have them to be seven kinds of goverment of the Romane Monarchie six whereof Tacitus mentioneth in his first booke Kings saith he at the beginning governed Rome Libertie and Consulship was set up by Brutus The Dictatorship was onely taken up for a time Neither did the power of the Decemviri last above two yeeres Neither did the Consulary authority of the Tribunes of Souldiers remaine long The power of Cinna and Sulla was but short Pompie and Crassus soone gave place to Caesar And Lepid us and Antony to Augustus who received the Empire all things being confused through civill discords under the name of a Prince He reckons up Castig Brightman pag 110. I say six sorts
nineteen yeeres not that the seventh head was then presenly to perish for then the beast also having lost all his heads must have perished but that he was not to remaine in the mountaines of the beast and woman that is Rome where the other heads of the beast had remained with the Empire 1078. yeers This exposition is illustrated by the following verse 11 And the beast that was and is not the same is also the Eight First here I propose that this beast is the same with the former verse 3.8 of which there is no Question seeing the Angell repeats the three states of the beast in the same words One that is Emphatically declares the third that it may be made manifest Whence I conclude that this Beast is Antichrist because the other was Antichrist but the seventh head was not Antichrist Furthermore let it be observed that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the first word of the verse is not simply copulative but a note of order and opportunity as Beza renders it almost in all the Chapters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then I saw then he came c. so here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then the Beast Let the opportunity I say be noted by which the Beast came to be the Eight King that is usurped the mountaines of Rome The beast the eight king is Antichrist and tooke the Monarchicall power of the seven heads unto himselfe as his owne for after the seventh king Constantine with his Successours leaving Rome had taken up his Seat abroad The Pope remaining at home upon the mountaines of the Beast that is at Rome thought it now a fit time to take this occasion How the Pope came to bee the eight king under the pretext that he was Bishop of old Rome the Imperiall Seat And first indeed by reason of the superfluous devotion of Emperors they being allo wearied through the continuall invasions of Barbarians he by wonderfull cunning and rapine drew from them great gifts especially from Constantine who because of his unreasonable prodigality to Bishops was commonly called Nepos and Pupillus as Egnatius witnesseth by little and little also he begged Kingly priviledges And not contented to be called Bishop of the chiefe Seat a while after he made himselfe Greatest or chiefe Priest which dignity till then was proper to the Romane Emperours For after Augustus all the Romane Princes Lib 5 Fastor who governed the Romaine affaires under the name of Emperors either took on them as Onuphrius writeth the chiefe pontificacie or else suffered themselves to be called Greatest Priests as Constantinus Constantius Valentinianus Valens and Gratianus Who although they detested the Function of Chiefe Priesthood being addicted to the Christians Neverthelesse they despised not nor rejected the title thereof Gratianus the Emperour being the first as Zosimus teacheth who forbade by proclamation that the title of GREATEST PRIEST should bee given unto him and so that dignity of the Priesthood first failed in the Emperours Thus he Now these Augustall titles despised and condemned by the Emperours The Pope assumeth the Augustall title because of the impiety thereof the Pope assumed unto himselfe as being the first Character of the Empire and so by this prophane title and function made himself the greatest Priest and soon after Oecumenicall Catholick and Vniversall Bishop being stiled Prince of Priests head of Churches from whom all the Bishops of the world were to receive lawes that is hee was acknowledged Ecclesiasticall Monarch Thus was borne the Eight King though not in full growth Wherefore not long after the Pope finding an occasion when the Lombards grievously disturbed Italy as if he had bin deserted by the Greeke Emperours whom he notwithstanding by his Antichristian Anathema thrust out of Rome and whole Italy seditiously stirring up the Romanes to thrust their Governour out of the City and put out his eyes and them of Ravenna to kill their Prince or Vice-Roy he sent for Pipin with an Army out of France by whose helpe he suppressed the Lombards and thrust the Greeke Magistrates out of Ravenna and all Italy usurping the principallity of Ravenna which at that time did represent the seventh head or imperiall power in the West by the gift of Pipine the Conquerour unto whom in recompence thereof a thing never heard of before hee gave the Kingdome of France thrusting Childericke the lawfull King into a Monastery or Câ—vent Notwithstanding as yet the Pope sate not in the mountaines of the Beast and woman with full power Anno 773 wherefore a few yeeres after Charles the son and heire of Pipine comming with an Army out of France suppressed the Lombards who againe had raised great tumults confirming and augmenting the Donation of Pippine to Pope Hadrian I. And afterwards the Romanes making insurrection against Leo III. because of his detestable pride the said Charles comming againe with his Army into Italy and taking knowledge of the cause absolved the Pope Hereupon the Pope not to be ungratefull out of the fullnesse of his power gave unto Charles the Title of the Romane Empire the which belonged unto the Greekes and therefore was not his to dispose of crowning him Emperour of the West On the other hand Charles the new Emperour to gratifie the Pope forced the Citizens of Rome to sweare fidelity unto Leo and appointed him Lord of Rome the which donation Ludowicke son of Charles afterwards confirmed and encreased Then was the Beast at length fully ascended out of the earth and came to be the Eight King Then Anno 800. the Pope of Rome together with the Ecclesiasticall Monarchy which he got from Phocas obtained also the secular power of the seven heads of the Beast with the mountaines of the great City for alwayes from that time the Pope usurped the power of translating Kingdomes and casting downe Kings and creating Emperours hereby declaring to the world that hee was the true Beast the Eight King or Antichrist These things thus observed wee may easily understand what in verse 11. is spoken of the Beast And or Then when Constantine the seventh King with his successours shall place the seat of the Empire not in Rome but otherwhere The Beast which was that is before Iohn the Monarchicall power had bin in Five Kings which were fallen And is not that is In Johns time neither the secular nor the Ecclesiasticall Monarchie was as yet in the Pope for the Bishops of Rome that then were medled not with either of them Even he is the Eight The relative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hee according to the sense is referred to the antecedent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beast but according to the construction to the following word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eight hence the Old Version hath it The beast himself is the eight king Bestia est ipsa octava for octavus Rex for in Greeke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eight to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 KING IS for is made or
began to be or shall be as in the following words Is of the seventh for shall be Goeth into perdition for shall goe by an enallage of the Tence usuall to Iohn for he speaketh of the rising and future destruction of the Beast the Eight King The Eighth King that is the eighth Regiment consisting of an Ecclesiasticall and Politicall Monarchy Thus the sense is plaine Then the Beast shall be the Eighth King that is the eigth Regiment or Romane Pontificacie being Ecclesiasticall and Politicall much differing herein from the seven heads because they onely had a politicall Monarchy which the Pope shall joyne with the Ecclesiasticall having in his bands the Empire and Pontificacie together armed with both swords and saying Behold here are two swords EGO SVM PONTIFEX EGO SVM CAESAR I am the High Priest I am Caesar Therefore hee is much unlike to the other Kings for they all of them were politicall onely but this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spirituall and secular or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 living and having a twofold originall out of the Earth and Sea exercâ—â—ng under pretence of Ecclesiasticall power his secular Monarchy by translating Kingdomes setting up and casting downe Kings and Emperours at his pleasure rightly therefore hee shall be named the Eight That which is added And is of the seven for shall be is not to bee taken as if the Beast were also the head or one of the heads which hath deceived some Expositours for there is a difference betweene the whole and a part the Beast and the head but it implies that the Beast shall himself exercise the Monarchicall power which before had bin in the seven heads yet in another forme and under another title to wit by his hornes touching which it followeth And goeth into perdition for shall goe In the former member the Angell intimated the three states of the Beast before expounded in verse 8. First in which he had bin The second in which he was not The third in which he came to be the Eight King Here he addes the fourth in which he shall goe into perdition Now as he ascended not all at once out of the bottomlesse pit but by degrees and was almost five hundred yeers ere he came to his full height of both Monarchies so he shall goe into perdition not on a sudden but by little and little Therefore he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he goeth not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 runneth but step by step and as it were by the same degrees that he ascended out of the pit so shall he descend into the same The Beast began to goe into perdition in the age of our predecessours when the Gospell being againe restored The beast begins to go into perdition his fraud was manifested and his impostures laid open to the view of the world viz. his lies as that he is Christs Vicar Peters Successour Moâ—arch Head Spouse of the Church and the rest of his proud and foolish Titles when as also the waters of Euphrates began to be dryed up and the Tributes and Revenues of the Romish spirituall wares were forbidden in Germany France England Scotland Denmarcke Sweethland and Bohemia And he daily goes forward the divine judgement pressing him more and more unto destruction by revealing the light of the Gospell to divers kingdomes Provinces and Cities who shall detest the Beast untill he come to his last period the time whereof the LORD knoweth and so set his last foot into destruction 12 And the ten hornes We have seen the heads of the Beast Now let us view his hornes Touching which first the false opinion is to be refuted and in the next place the true sence to be sought out Ribera In Apoc. Chap. 10.11 Lib. 30 de p. R. Cap 16. and Bellarmine feine that towards the end of the world ten Kings shall divide the Romane Empire between them Woe therefore to our Emperour and reigne thorowout the whole earth one houre that is a very short time before Antichrists comming but that Antichrist when hee is come shall kill three of these Kings viz. of Egypt Lybia and Aethiopia making the other seven to yeeld unto him And least this fiction should not bee beleeved they labour to prove the same by the oracle of Daniel Chapter 7.24 And the ten bornes out of this kingdome are ten Kings that shall arise and another shall rise after them and hee shall bee greater then the first and shall subdue three Kings And Chapter 11.43 Hee shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver and over all the pretious things of Egypt and the Lybians and Aethiopians shall be at his steps That these things are spoken of Antichrist they prove by the authority of Jerom who in his Commentary on that place saith that all Ecclesiasticall Writers affirme that neer the end of the world when the Kingdome of the Romanes shall be destroyed ten Kings shall arise and divide the Romane World among them and that an Eleventh a lâ—tlâ— out shall stand up Antichrist who is to overcome three of thâ—â—◠〈◊〉 Kingâ—â— viz. of Egypt Lybia Aethiopia Who beeing overcome the otâ—â—â— also sâ—all submit unto the Conquerour But surely it is not the propertie of a good Interpreter to expound one darke thing by another and that as darke as the other for this is as the saying is Daniels Oracle most divers from this to beg the Question The type in Danâ—el is no lesse obscure then this of Iohn what will they then prove by that Besides the Type there is unlike to this in every particular so that we cannot but wonder considering the present light of doctrine and helpe of histories at the impudencie of these Interpreters The Fathers whom they pretend are to be excused though they delivered some things amisse of matters so remote seeing they had not the meanes which wee have now The dissimilitude I spake of appeareth The dissimilitude There the ten hornes are of the fouâ—â—h Beast which according to the received opinion was the Romane Empire according to others the Asian kingdome of the Seleucians erected by Selâ—â—cus Nicanor one of Alexanders foure Princes Here the ten hornes are of the Beast who according to Ribera is the devill Now are the hornes of the Romane Empire the hornes of the devill There between the â—â—n hornes did arise a little horâ—e Here nothing is spoken of that little horne There the little horne plucked up three hornes Here the plucking up of the three â—â—ornes is not mentioned There the Angell expoundeth that the little horne is a king arising from a meane estate who was to suppresse the other three Kings Nothing of this in the whole Revelation But the spirit of God would not certainely have passed all this by if any such thing should have happened in the end of the world There the little horne was Artiochus Epiphanes who expelled Ptolomaeus Philopator Seleucus and Demetrius these three Kings out of their
difference of time for if the last hour with Iohn in his Epistle includes diverse ages why then may not one hour here include certain years As therefore those kingdomes which were taken from the Romane Empire by the Barbarians received not the Christian faith together so they received not their power all together with the Beast but some before others after as it followeth and so gave the same unto the Beast viz Italy France Germany and Britany sooner Spaine Poland and the Northern kingdomes later Lastly it is to be observed as before I noted that the old version in stead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at one houre with the beast hath it in one hour after the beast as if it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So the sense should be That these kings should reigne a little while after the Beast which is contrary to Riberas fiction that they should reigne a little before Neither wil his wrested Glosse help him They shall receive power after the beast that is into the obedience of the Beast because they shall obey Antichrist as Chap. 13.4 The whole world wondred after the Beast For there it is not Meta to Therion but Opiso to Therion Besides if they shall obey Antichrist the which thing he confesseth because they shall receive power after the Beast how doth this agree with his former fiction that the Beast here is the devill and not Antichrist 13 These have one minde We have heard who the Kings are when and by whose favour and helpe they received the kingdom Now we shall heare their counsells and intentions These to wit Kings have one mind The old Version and Beza one Counsell The consent and great conspiracy of the kings among themselves and with the Beast is hereby noted which is recorded not as a thing praise worthy in them but as wonderfull For they shall be Kings very different in manners nature tongues and people who ordinarily by mutuall discord and hatred make great wars each with other but yet for all this when the Beasts matter is on foot laying aside their hatred they shall have one mind and counsell as it followeth And shall give their strength and power to the Beast that is vide concil windeck in progn pag. 12. hinc petitum shall conspire together in defence of the Pope they shall all I say joyning their armes and forces together mightily labour to uphold the Idolatry and power of the Romish Sea And indeed he must be very ignorant in Histories who knows not that this hath fully for divers ages bin accomplished for although some Emperours and Kings being provoked by the arrogancy of the Beast have sometimes taken up arms against him The Pope notwithstanding by the help of other Princes and by his Capitoline fulminations hath evermore easily suppressed them Neither indeed did such oppose the Idolatry of the Beast but the flagitiousnesse of his person or else the perfidious counsells of his Cardinalls and still reverenced the Monarchicall pontificacie Moreover this place plainly shews what kingdomes are signified by the hornes that the Ten hornes do not promiscuously denote all and every of the Kings and kingdoms which of old belonged to the Romane Empire but those only which shall remain in these latter times in the Western Christian World And therefore as for other kingdoms of Africa Asia Thracia Mysia Greece Albania and Seruia which long agoe have bin wasted by the Barbarians being now under the oppression of Perfians Turks and Saracens are not to be numbred amongst these the names of any of them being scarse left to Christians And this is evident because these ten Kings have one mind imploying their power and strength in defence of the Beast whereas the Turkes and Barbarians now lords of those kingdomes have not one mind with these Kings but in a hostile manner oppugne both them and the Pope also 14. These shall make warre with the Lambe It followes for what end they will give their power and strength to the Beast viz. to oppose the Lambe or make warre with him The Lambe is Christ as formerly we heard The Beast therefore shall be the head and Captaine of the warre The Kings his Auxiliaries and Intrusted ones But here it may be demaunded whither this war be the same with that before spoken of in Chap. 16.16 and shall follow afterward in Chapter 19.9 or another And whither these be other KINGS then the kings of the earth there A hard Question which can scarsely be here resolved If it be the same war then how are they said to be here overcome by the Lambe being to begin their war afterward in Chap. 19. and then to be vanquished by Christ But if it be another then the question will be what war this is What that Again if they be the same Kings how then is it said v. 16. of this Chap. that they persecute the woman and Chap. 18.9 that they shall bewaile Babylon and mourne over her whom themselves have burnt with fire And shall again war against Christ Chap. 19. And why are they here called Kings onely but there Kings of the Earth If they be divers Who are these and who the other I will answer to both in a few words here but more fully hereafter In respect of the parts and cause Whether the warre here be the same with that in chap 19.18 the war is the same for the Beast with the Kings his Tenants both here and there doth fight and shall fight against Christ in defence of his throne Neverthelesse it is divers in time and manner This fight of the Kings against the Lambe began presently after they had received their power and strength and given the same unto the Beast that is they have defended the Monarchicall Power Idolatry and decrees of the Romish Pope above 600. years against Christ But the other Battell unto which were gathered the Armies of the Kings in Hermageddon and so shall be fought afterward was at length begun to be managed after the drying up of the Waters of Euphrates that is after the Kings of the East had diverted the holy Taxes and Treasures of the Romish Jupiter and this war shall be prosecuted with the greatest fury against Christ untill the end yet not altogether by the same Kings for many of those ten Kings who of old fought against the Lambe despairing of the Victory shall repent at least most of them and turne their sword against the whore and burn her with fire These kings here the kings of the earth are not the same as is said ver 16. But such other Kings as remain with the Beast being stirred up by the uncleane spirits shall at last take up armes and with greater fury fight that Fatall Battle the issue whereof shall be the Beasts and their utter destruction so that the latter properly with their Associates not these are named Kings of the Earth Now we return again to the war here treated of Where first
he bee deprived of understanding deny that these things are couched in the Text. And if credit be given unto their fiction Ribera in Apoc. c. 12. Num. 11. c. 13. Num. 10. there shall at Antichrists comming be no more then ten Kings in the whole world signified by the hornes of the Beast and of these three being slaine seven shal fight for Antichrist Therfore either these shal be Christian Kings or else there shall then be no Christian Kings under the Sun the falsitie whereof the Revelation doth shew Chap. 21.24 Now tel me what harshnesse or dishonour is there in it that as Paul confesseth he was sometime a blasphemer a persecutor and injurious but ignorantly and so obtained mercy the ten Kings have given their power unto the Beast against the Lamb but of ignorance and being overcome by the Lambe have repented God putting it into their hearts to hate the whore Tell me I say should this be to the dishonour of Kings which is to their great glory to have sinned indeed through ignorance but repented through the mercy of God Or is not rather the fiction of these Prophets very reproachfull scandalous and fatall who say that toward Antichrists rising there shal be no where any Emperor or Romane Empire that there shal be no King in any place save those seven that remaine of the ten fighting for Antichrist And seeing they every hour expect their Antichrist to arise as they say out of the tribe of Dan what do they but threaten an utter destruction both to the Emperor Romane Empire and all Christian Kings For according unto these mens doctrine as then there shal bee no Emperor no Empire so neither King of France Spain England Poland Hungary c. or if there be any they shall be Antichrists Life-gard and vassals Now tell me who they are that cast reproaches upon Christian Kings set their Crownes awry and menace them with eternall damnation Wherefore blessed shall ye be if ye hear and keep the Commandements of this Prophesie that ye may have right to the tree of life and may enter through the gates into the City But he that wil hurt let him hurt still and he that is filthy let him be filthy still and he that is righteous let him be righteous still and he that is holy let him be holy still Amen Even so come Lord Iesus and sanctifie us in trueth Thy word is trueth Amen PROVERB 27.6 Better are the wounds of a friend then the deceitfull kisses of an enemy The Authours PREFACE UPON THE REVELATION OF THE APOSTLE AND EVAGELIST IOHN HAPPILY BEGVN AND PROPOVNDED VNTO HIS AVDITORY IN THE VNIVERSITY Ann. 1608. IF any of you my Hearers admire wherefore after the Exposition of Pauls Epistle unto the Hebrews I should passe by so many excellent Bookes of the New Testament and take in hand the Interpretation of the last viz. the Revelation the Authour and Canonicall authority whereof hath long since variously bin disputed of and which being replenished with great secrets types and darke sentences is scarcely intelligible unto any The Objections against the Revelation and though it be entitled a Revelation yet seemeth not in the least to be a Booke revealed but rather shut up and sealed which seemeth also to bee the reason that it is placed at the end of the New Testament from the interpretation whereof because of its obscurity not a few of the ablest Divines have hitherto abstained and lastly seeing it hath long since bin held that it doth contain some things contrary to Apostolicall Faith and favour the heresie of the Chiliasts If I say any man wondreth at this my purpose such a one I would have with me to acknowledge that these very objections besides other causes which now are not requisite to be related with which this most Heavenly Book is injuriously charged offereth occasion unto me to interpret the same that ye might understand that the Revelation of John is so farre from the guilt of these accusations which do not a little weaken the Canon of our Faith that we rather may say of it what Jerome most truly said of the Prophesie of Isaias Whatsoever is in Holy Writ whatsoever can bee uttered by the tongue or received by the senses of mortall man is contained in this Booke which least it might seeme to be spoken by me without ground Prooem in Isa I thought good to praemise a few things in way of Preface in which I will handle somethings more briefly by other Interpreters more largely handled and somethings properly belonging to our purpose I shall more diligently explicate CHAPTER I. Of the Authour of the Revelation WHo was the Authour of this Booke Lib. 7. hist c. 25. Haer. 51. would never in our times have beene questioned unlesse Eusebius and Epiphanius had left in writing that some of old time did scruple the thing For Eusebius recordeth that in his time it was diversly on both parts disputed touching the Revelation Afterward he saith there were some who supposed from the Bookes called De Repromissionibus of one DIONYSIUS an Alexandrine Bishop and also from one Caius an old Writer that the Revelation was not written by John the Apostle but forged by the Hereticke Cerinthus who feined an earthly Kingdome to Christ in which the Saints should have their fill of corporall pleasures a thousand yeeres into which sense some whom they called Chiliasts men in other respects of note in the Church drew the twentieth Chapter of the Revelation But other Divines and worthy Fathers have alwayes demonstrated that there is no such thing in that Chapter and we also will shew it on the place But so farre is it from trueth The Revelation not written by Cerinthus that the blasphemous Heretick Cerinthus could be the Author of this Booke as nothing is lesse credible or more unlikely For Cerinthus blasphemously maintained that Christ was not before Mary But the Revelation throughout teacheth and proveth the Eternall Deity of Christ by such evident Arguments against Cerinthus Ebion Photinus and such like enemies of Christ as almost no Scripture affirmeth the same more clearly However therefore it is no marveile Lib. 4. adversus Mar. that the Marcionites as Tertulian recordeth as also the Alogian and Tatian Heretickes as Epiphanius Augustine and Philastrius testifie did reject the Revelation as being contrary to their heresie Yet the Grecians of old had no reason neither to this day hath any man a just or probable cause Iohn the Apostle author of the Revelation to call into question the Authour or Canonicall Authority of this most Sacred Booke That John the Apostle whose Gospell and three Canonicall Epistles are extant is the Author may be proved by solid and undoubted reasons First the Title it selfe sheweth that he is the Author 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Revelation of John the Divine But thou wilt say it is not said John the Apostle or Evangelist Lib. 3. hist cap. 13.
and Interpreters of the Revelation and thus I have freed this Booke from a three-fold slander first as if it were not Canonicall secondly obscure as not to be understood thirdly of neglect as if for this cause the worthiest Divines had hitherto shunned the interpretation thereof There remaine two other scandals to be taken away one of the order that this Booke is the last of the New Testament the other of errour that it containes somethings not agreeable to Apostollical Faith both these clouds will be dispersed by the consideration of the dignity of this Prophesie which like the Morning Starre above the rest shineth most clearely among the other Bookes of the New Testament What therefore respects the Order so farre is it from diminishing the worth of the Booke in any kind as it the more commendeth the same For it is in very deed a divine Seale by which the Holy Ghost was pleased not without-reason to close up both the Old and the New Canon of the divine Scriptures which manifestly appeareth from that propheticall Protestation at the end of the Booke by which such are pronounced blessed who observe the words of this Prophesie the falsifiers on the contrary that presume to adde or take ought there-from are threatned with curses for unto them that adde Rev. 22.18 God shall adde the plagues that are written in this Booke to them that take away The Canonicall authority of the Revelation confirmed from the order thereof God shall take away his part out of the Booke of Life and out of the HOLY CITY and from the things that are written in this Booke What could be expressed more honourable concerning this Prophesie for if it be unlawfull to adde ought therto then certainly in all respects it is absolute perfect divine and the word of God unto which nothing without impiety may bee added by men Againe if nothing may be taken away from the same then it is Sacred inviolable divine and the word of God which onely cannot bee broken Ioh. 10.35 Thus we see that the Canonicall dignity of this Booke is established by the order it selfe And hereby it is plainly made equall with the divine Bookes of Moses himself Deut. 4.2 12.32 the Prince of Prophets For as those because they are the first of the Sacred Canon are often confirmed with this Seale Ye shall not adde unto the word which I command you neither shall ye diminish ought from it c. So this Booke as it were closing the Holy Canon is confirmed with the like Seale that nothing may bee added to it nothing taken away from it As Moses therefore was the Chieftaine of the Prophets leading the first rankes So John was chiefe of the Prophets closing up or leading the last rankes and here I willingly assent to Bezas opinion most solidly and truely affirming that it seemed good to the Holy Ghost to gather into this pretious Booke In praefat Apoc. those things which remained to be fulfilled after Christs comming of the praedictions of the former Prophets and also to adde some things so farre as concerned us to know Praefat. in Daniel A like honourable Title that worthy Divine JOHN OECOLAMPADIUS giveth unto this Booke That it is the best Interpreter of all the Prophets Neither will I speake more touching the order save this one thing that in it appeareth also a manifest reason of time When the Revelation was written For it is the last Booke of the New Testament not because it is last in dignity but in time For Ierome writeth that Domitian raising after Nero the second persecution against the Christians Iohn wrote the Revelation in the 14. yeer of his reigne in the I le called Patmos In vita Iohannis With whom Irenaeus a most ancient Writer doth agree affirming that John saw the Revelation not long before his time but almost saith hee in our age towards the end of Domitian his Empire Lib. 3. c. 25 Wherefore the Apocalyps was written in the ninety sixth yeer of Christ after all the other Bookes of the New Testament were written For Iohn out-lived all the Apostles and Canonicall Writers and lived as Sophronius records untill the third yeere of Trajane which from Christs birth was Anno 102 and after his passion as Ierome recordeth 68. In vita Iohannis and from the destruction of Jerusalem 25. Now whereas some affirme that Iohn wrote his Gospell after the Revelation it is without any probabilitie But we come to speake of the utility of the Revelation This Booke doth excellently shine forth in point of doctrine for it truely teacheth the Propheticall and Apostolicall Faith and much illustrates many articles of the Gospell The profitablenes of the Revelation or common places In speciall it proveth the eternall Deity of Christ with such weighty arguments as scarcely more excellent are to be found in any other part of Scripture absolutely ascribing unto Christ many attributes which are onely proper unto Iehovah viz. that he is Alpha and Omega the first and the last the beginning and the end the Almighty that the Lambe standing in the Throne of the Deity equall in majesty with the Father is worshipped by all the Heavenly Inhabitants that he judgeth the adversaries rules the Nations with an iron rod that hee is the King of kings and Lord of lords c. It plainely also maintaineth the Doctrine of Christs Mediatorship and work of our Redemption through his blood calling him the faithfull Witnesse the First begotten from the dead Redemption of christ the Prince of the kings of the earth the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world who hath washed us in his blood from our sins and made us Priests and Kings to God and the Father c. It sets forth the afflicted state and condition of the Church in this life especially in the latter times by evident types viz. that the woman bringing forth a Man-Child the Ruler of the Nations shall be driven into the Wildernesse by the Dragon and the Beast where she shall remaine hid from the sight of men when the two Witnesses shall prophesie against the Dragon and the Beast and shall indeed be slaine but being againe raysed to life they shall bee taken up into Heaven c. By which verily it is manifest that nothing else is signified then that the Church in Antichrists reigne shall bee obscure and secret in the wildernesse being oppressed in Babylon it selfe the Seat of Antichrist The flight of the Church into the wildernesse untill at length Babylon decaying shee being commanded to come out of her shall againe come forth and be seen of men By which that cavill is easily answered Where the Church was before Luthers time if the Papacy were not The Papacy indeed was the Apostaticall Church it was Babylon having nothing but the bare Name of the Holy Citie But the true Church lye hid as captivated and oppressed in the same
of Gods providence namely his vertue charity justice wisdom patience threatnings and wrath Which is a mysterie bringing along with it an inconvenience which he desireth to avoid for he makes question whither sound divinitie wil admit that grace and peace be asked from the seven vertues rather then from the seven created angels yea how grace and peace can be prayed for from menacings and wrath so he And from Jesus Christ In that he wisheth grace and peace from Christ in the the third and last place is neither against the former exposition nor any way derogateth from the dignity of Christ for as the Apostle 2 Cor. 13.14 doth not derogate from the order of the persons in the trinitie though he put Christ in the first place so here our Apostle for waighty causes sets downe the holy Ghost before Christ because he treateth of him not simply as being the son of God but also as he is the mediatour redeemer and revealer of this prophesie Notwithstanding great reason it is that he should pray for grace and peace from Christ Ephes 2.14 because it cometh by him Iohn 1.17 and he is our peace Who is the faithfull witnesse The following titles are so many reasons wherefore grace and peace is prayed for from Christ and they set forth as hath been shewed in the analysis both his threefold office with the benefit thereof as also declare his eternall Godhead The first title respects his propheticall office that faithfull witnesse which seemeth to be taken from Psal 89.38 witnesse because he hath brought forth out of the bosome of his father the testimonie that is the glad tydings of the redemption of man through his death and from heaven hath opened to us the true knowledge of God and way of salvation faithfull Because he not onely confirmed the heavenly truth by preaching by miracles meekly calling of sinners to repentance to the faith of the Gospel but also sealed the same by suffering on the crosse and by instituting the ministry he gave to the churches Apostles prophets Evangelists Pastors and Teachers who perpetually should be his witnesses Eph. 4.12 preach the Gospell to after ages for the perfecting of the saincts for the edifying of the body of Christ according to these scriptures Ioh. 17 6. I have manifested thy name to the men thou gavest me out of the world and 18 37. For this cause came I into the world that I should bear witnes unto the truth Io. 1.18 the son which is in the bosome of the father he hath revealed God unto us Who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession The father and holy Ghost are also said to be witnesses 1. Io. 5.7 Ioh. 5.37 there are three that bear record in heaven the father the word and the holy Ghost The father saith Christ himself hath borne witnes of me And of the holy Ghost he saith when the comforter is come c. He shall testifie of mee the Apostles are called witnesses Act. 1.18 And Antipas Rev 2.12 and two witnesses are mentioned called Martyrs for sheadding of their blood for the testimonie of Christ Revel 11.3 But Christ onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of prerogative is called that faithfull witnesse because he first brought with him the witnesse of the truth downe from heaven he first and he onely hath shead his blood for his owne testimonie whereas all other martyrs suffered not for their owne but for the testimonie of Jesus Christ Yea also the witnesse which the father and the holy Ghost gave of him was declared by himself and therefore Christ as by a speciall and proper right is called the faithfull witnes that is the true and constant revealer of the doctrine of our salvation whoever therefore hearkens not to him Deuteron 18.19 can not be saved but who so heareth him shall have life eternall This also confirmeth the authoritie of the revelation because it was revealed to John by Jesus Christ that faithfull witnesse who can notly nor deceive therefore this booke is trulie divine and we may safely trust and beleeve all things contained in it It serveth also to instruct us that if Christ onely be the true witnesse then those are not to be heard but avoyded as Liars which teach the Church such things as dissent from the testimonie of Christ It may also comfort us because Christ the faithfull witnesse will not forsake them who suffer for the cause of his truth but will at length reward them faithfully according to his promise The first begotten of the dead This title concernes Christ his priestly office who died for our sins and was raised again for our justification Rom. 4.25 For the word dead shewes that he died and being the first begotten of the dead it teacheth us that he was raysed from the dead And the whole scripture testifies that the end and use of his death and resurrection was not a bare witnesse as Socinus blasphemeth but chiefly a propitiation to purge us from our sins and to justifie us before God Paul calleth him likewise the first begotten of the dead 1 Collo 1.18 1 Corinth 15.20 and sheweth that Christ is become the first fruits of them that sleep But how can Christ be the first fruits of the dead seeing the scriptures testifie that Elias and Elisha raysed up two persons from the dead before the time of Christs manifestation in the flesh Lazarus also with the widows son and Centurions servant were restored from death to life Answer First Christ is the first begotten or first fruites of the dead because he was the first that raysed up himself from the dead by his owne power whereas all before Christ were raysed not by their owne power but Christs alone Secondly Christ was raysed up to an immortall life not to dy any more but the other to an earthly life and became subject to death again He is said to be the first begotten or the first that did rise again Matt. 19.28 Act. 13.13 Rom. 1 4. because the resurrection is a kinde of new birth and so Christ calleth the last resurrection a regeneration And Paul applieth that in Psal 2. of the father eternally begetting the son to his resurrection from the dead and hence he is declared to be the eternall and omnipotent son of God This should greatly comfort us that though we are borne and brought forth in a corruptible condition yet when we rise again we shall be regenerated unto a state incorruptible even while we are in this life we are regenerated but it is spiritually onely and in part but when we shall by the spirit of God be restored to eternall life then we shall be regenerated both corporally and fully to wit when our mortall bodies shall be made conformable to the glorious body of Christ let us not fear therefore though we should suffer death for the testimony of Christ because he who is the first begotten of the dead
And behold a throne was set Now he expoundeth what he saw in the heavens namelie a royall throne and one sitting thereon and an honourable session of Elders thundrings lightnings voyces lamps of fire burning a sea of glasse like unto Chrystall winged beasts full of eyes before and behinde singing and praysing him that sate on the Throne having a booke in his right hand sealed with seven seales and in the last place the Lambe opening the seven seales with the terrible events thereof These things are the summe of this second vision The throne which he saw is also spoken of Chap. 1. v. 4. and mentioned eight and twentie times in this booke and hereby is represented the dominion and judgement of God over all things whereof he will have us to be alwayes mindfull 3 And he which sate on the throne He saw not an emptie throne but one sitting thereon whose name indeed and countenance is not declared but his majesty and glory is magnifically described both in this and the following verse as beeing to look upon like a Jasper and a Sardine-stone and having round about his throne a rainbow in sight like unto an Emerald by which similitude is set forth not an earthlie but a divine majestie in as much as nothing can bee imagined to be more pretious then these pearles or more manificent then such an aspect A lasper There are diverse sorts of this stone as Plinie lib. 37. cap. 9. and Isidor cap. 6. lib. 7. doe affirme and it is thought that the Indian Iasper called Polygrammos is the best of them beeing greene cleare and somewhat like unto an Emerauld the Persian is like to brasse that of Cypria is of a blewish colour and the Phrigian somewhat reddish that which is found in Thracia is much like unto the Indian but the Chalcidonian is lesse beautifull then any of them Plinie writeth that he saw one of eleven ounces in waight on which was ingraven the image of Neroes breastplate It is thought that this stone is a singular preservative against all manner of deadly poyson and withall hath manie other vertues in it Sardine in latine Sardius but Plinie calleth it Sarda which is white in colour Lib. 37. Cap. 7. wheras the Sardine or Sardius is red Of this stone see Exod. 28.17 The nature of this stone as some affirme is good to expel feare to cheare the spirit and to preserve those that weare the same from enchantments and other evils but others say that there is now adayes no such vertue in it Emerauld This is a most pleasant Germme green of colour and very delightful to the sight the Scythian stone is the most pretious although the Aegyptian and Brittish also as Albertus Magnus witnesseth are of great worth They write that Nero beheld his fencers at their game through an Emerald It drives away poyson preserves chastitie strengthens the memorie and helpeth the sight c. Like to this stone he saw about the throne a rainbow which we see commonlie to be of white yellow and greene colour It is probable that this vision cheifly alludes unto the pretiousnesse of these stones For whatsoever is eyther pretious or profitable al is to be found fully and perfectly in him that sits on the throne Some interpret the Iasper and Sardine of the two natures of Christ The Jasper which is greene refreshing the eyes they attribute to Christs divinity the Sardine which is red unto his humanity like as his flesh was red in the blood of his passion The rainbow they will have to bee a signe of his grace alluding to that in Genesis Gen. 9.13 where God is said to set his bowe in the cloude for a token of his covenant Whence they conclude that this rainbow like unto an Emerald doth signifie Gods everlasting mercie which is green that is never fadeth away But such kinde of allegories do serve little or nothing at all for our instruction If it bee demanded who he saw sitting on the throne I answer that without all doubt God is here represented for it is expresly called the Throne of God chap. 7.15 and 12.5 chap. 19.4 Notwithstanding interpreters are diversly minded about it Lyra understands it of one God three in persons appearing on the throne after this manner as beeing the governour king of the Church militant judge of the whole world Others expound it of the person of the father alone But we may safely understad it absolutely of God sitting reigning in the person of the son to whom the father hath given all judgment he therfore who is said here to sit on the throne is the samewho before gloriously walked in the midst of the seven candlesticks namely Christ the son of God And this doth plainlie appeare from v. 8. 9. where two Epithites ascribed Chap. 1. v. 8. 18. as proper unto Christ to wit he which was which is and which is to come and again he that liveth for evermore are here attributed to him that sits on the throne The like we may gather from Chap. 21.6 where he that sits on the throne cals himself α and ο the beginning ending who giveth to him that is a thirst of the fountain of the water of life but Christ calleth himself α and ο chap. 1.8 And in Ioh. 4.14 7.37 we are taught that it is he who gives to them that are a thirst to drinke of the water of life to be short both the Ordinary Glosse as also the Catholike glosse of Marloratus interpret this of Christ the Lord of the Church neither doth the reason hereof seem to be obscure For the same whom before he saw walking among the candlesticks as Lord on earth he now sees him sitting as Iudge in heaven That which may bee objected concerning the Lambe seems not to take away what wee have said for there is no absurditie in this that Christ should bee represented unto Iohn under diverse figures in a diverse respect Before he saw him walking among the candlesticks as the head of the Church Now he sees him sitting on the throne as the Iudge of the world and also as it were a Lambe slaine and made a sacrifice for us Thus also the Apostle to the Hebrewes makes Christ both high-priest and sacrifice and Altar in a diverse respect Neyther are we to imagine that Christ the son so sits on the throne as if the Father were put by for it is the Father which giveth unto the son to sit on his throne as it hath been shewed Chap. XXVI Argu. of Chr. deity 3.21 So then the Father also sits on the throne in the Son Which is another strong argument proving the Godhead of Christ He which sits on the throne is Lord God omnipotent v. 8. But Christ as we have proved sits on the throne and therefore he is Iehovah omnipotent The second part of the Chapter The attendance about the throne First the companie of the foure and twentie Elders
And secondly the companie of the foure beasts with the thanksgiving of them both 4 And round about the Throne were foure and twenty seates and upon the seats I saw foure and twenty Elders sitting clothed in white raiment and they had on their heads crownes of gold 5 And out of the Throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voyces and there were seuen lampes of fire burning before the Throne which are the seven spirits of God 6 And before the Throne there was a sea of glasse like unto Crystall in the midst of the Throne and round about the Throne were foure beasts full of eyes before and behinde 7 And the first beast was like a Lyon and the second beast like a calfe and the third beast had a face as a man and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle 8 And the foure beasts had each of them sixe vvings about him they were full of eyes within they rest not day and night saying Holy holy holy Lord God Allmighty which was is and is to come 9 And when those beasts give glory and honour thankes to him that sate on the Throne vvho liveth for ever and ever 10 The foure and twentie Elders fall down before him that sate on the Throne worship him that liveth for ever and ever and cast their crownes before the Throne saying 11 Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and povver for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are were created THE COMMENTARIE ANd about the Throne After he had described the majestie of him that sate on the Throne that is eyther God absolutely or Christ the glorious Iudge about which we need not to contend For the sence is all one because God sitteth and judgeth in Christ Now he comes to describe the attendance he saw about the throne And this second part of the Chapter is a description of the foure and twenty Elders sitting about the same and of the lightnings proceeding out of the throne c. And of the foure beasts in the midst and round about it with the thanksgiving of them all In which diverse men seek diverse mysteries Lyra understands by the seates the Cathedral Churches Lyraes mysteries concerning the seats and their Elders and by the foure twenty Elders all Bishops alluding to so manie orders of Priests whom David ordained weekly for the service of the tabernacle 1 Chro. 24. But what need of Cathedrals in heaven Hierome understands by them the foure twentie bookes of the Old Testament but how fitly I will not here dispute of Others will have so many Angels to bee noted out therby But Chap. 7. v. 11. the Angels are differe need from the Elders Others suppose more probablie that hereby is represented the companie of the Patriarks Prophets godly Iudges Kings and to be short of all the saintes under the law who excelled in faith and piety and now triumph with Christ in heaven They are said to be foure and twentie a finite number beeing put for an indefinite Some understand it of twelve Patriarcks and twelve Apostles but that cannot bee for what then should become of the rest of the Patriarcks Prophets Iudges and other godly governours and kings We therefore doe rather Iudge that by this number is noted a perfect Senate or assemblie which ordinarily is accounted entire if it consist of 24 persons They are said to be Elders because age teacheth wisdom and skill in judgement And indeed Senatus a Senate comes from senium olde age They sit on thrones 1 Cor. 6.2 because they rest from their labours and shall with Christ judge the world Angels not as if Christ could not judge the world without them for the Father hath given unto him all power and all judgement both in heaven and in earth but 1 Matt. 28.18 Ioh. 5.22 because he is pleased to communicate this honour unto the saintes according unto the promise Chap. 3.21 And 2 because his judgement is righteous which all the saintes acknowledge and assent unto This exposition to let passe what others say is undoubtedlie agreable unto the analogie of faith in case any mysterie be hereby typified out unto us But because these Elders doe not alwayes remaine sitting on their thrones for sometimes they rise up sometimes they fall downe and worship and sing Halelujah to God and to the Lambe as v. 10. Chap. 5.8 Chap. 11.16 Chap. 19.4 beeing the chiefe actors in setting forth the prayses of God I hence observe that in the Revelation where diverse persons are brought in some tarying and others departing this first apparition or company is brought in before the amplification of the vision not under the forme of young men but of Elders for reverence and gravitie sake neither doth this any way contradict our former exposition for in an honourable assembly is peace and honour by the gratulatorie harmonie is figured out the office of the prophetical Church in heaven And indeed I see not how we should otherwise understand what is meant by the often signing of these Elders except we understand it as alluding to the custome and manner of enterludes Clothed in white raiment and had on their heads crownes c. By this twofold ornament the priestly and kingly dignitie of the saintes is shadowed out white garments that is pure bright and undefiled robes such as become priests of righteousnes And with all the puritie of the saintes in heaven and the integritie of the divine judgement is hereby â—â—gnifyed Now whence the saintes have this puritie we are taught Chap. 7.14 namely by washing their garments in the blood of the Lambe that is perfectly putting on the Lord Christ Iesus who is this white robe wherewith we delight to be cloathed and by which we are acceptable to God Crownes of gold on their heads That is most pretious crownes for what is more pretious then gold they have them on their heads both because they reigne as kings with Christ Reve. 1.6 who hath made us kings and priests to God and his Father as also because they have overcome sin satan and the world This is that crowne of life promised to the Angel of Smyrna Chap. 2.10 and unto all who love the Lord. Jam. 2 Tim. 4.8 1.12 This is that crowne of righteousnes wherein Paul rejoyced and which is laid up for all them that love the appearing of Christ This is that crowne of glorie 1 Pet. 5.4 which fadeth not away but shall certainely be enjoyed by all the faithfull servants of Christ And out of the throne proceeded This second apparition shewes the majestie of him that sate on the throne out of which proceeded lightnings thunders voyces here we need not seek for any other mysteries but onely to take notice that these things are proofes of the omnipotencie and divine majestie of Christ who sends forth such judgements from his throne against the wicked as
wealth then to performe holy duties An instance for this we have in Hungarie for by the means of these Locusts she lost her two kings Vladislaus Ludovick together with the two lamentable overthrowes discomfitures by the Turks at Varna Mocha And crownes on their heads Ribera but ungroundedly understands hereby the crowned helmets of Kings and Princes which should make up the army hee dreameth of But Helmets will not well suit with the haire here mentioned v. 8. Besides it is manifest that the Locusts are described by a threefold ornament of their head viz. their golden crownes humane face comely haire the which three things may most fittly be applied to the Poopish clergy for their heads beeing hallowed they curiously shaue and cut their haire round crownâ— wise as it is called in which they say they are like unto kings because they may as kings command the consciences of the laity and impose lawes upon them The King of the Locusts weares on his head a triple crowne of most fine and bright gold as governour both of heaven earth and hell The Cardinals weare mitres glittering with precious stones which first was set on the head of Pope Sylvester by Constantine the Emperour if it may be credited The Bishops and Abbats also have precious ornaments wrought with gold and silk so that we need not much scruple what is meant by these crownes Faces of men They are men but they alter their shape by profession habit separating themselves from men however they retaine humane faces least men should abhorre and avoyd them This signifies the fained humanity of these spirituall Locusts none seems more affable then they They know how to flatter the Pope himselfe Kings Princes Courtiers c. insinuating themselves bejond measyre into the favour of all both men woemen beeing very acceptable to the world esteemed as peaceable wise sober and godly persons whereas indeed they are carnal and plotters of mischief Many of them also are learned eloquent and wonderfull crafty by which they gaine authority both to themselves to their followers 8. Haire as the haire of woman This is the third ornament of their head which serues to take away Riberas literall exposition of a real military army Synnecdoche Women doe much delight to cheerish coulor and soften their haire so these Locusts are tender and effiminate they curiously shave and compose their haire moreover in their clothing are delicate tender and gorgeous wearing long robes silken embroidered garments Now it s a question if Austin alluded not to this place De opere Mon. cap. 31.32 upbraiding the Monkâ—â— of his time for their ricit effeminate nourishing of their haire calling them hairie bretheren who carrie about their hypocrisie to sale fearing least a shaven holinesse should be lesse esteemed then a hairie And their teeth were as the teeth of Lyons He alludes to the Locusts in Joel 1.6 Lyons are rayenous terrible So these under a humane face hide theyr Lyons teeth by which they snatch all things empty the common treasures devoure widowes houses lay wast orphans fieldes all under pretence of religion towards the godly falling into their hands they are cruel merciles witnesse the Spanish Inquisition other histories They make use also of their Lyons teeth in their letters disputations cruelly tearing or blaspheming the truth teachers thereof least they should seem to bee overcome 9. And they had breast plaets Iron shieldes breast-plates keep off blowes from the hart noting that it is not easie to hurt these Locusts having diverse breast-plates As first their priestly rites priviledges by which they are exempted from all civill power insomuch that they may not be attached by the magistrat for criminal causes This breast-plate Henry IV. Frederick I. sought to break in peeces but for this very thing they were cruelly persecuted by Apollyon the king of Locusts Not long agoe the Venetians also unable to beare the insolencies horrible wickednesse of the Locusts would not suffer them in their territories but it s to be feared they shall not escape the curse of their Abaddon for it Secondly they have for their breastplate kings princes other powerfull patrones favourites vassals of the Pope by whose weapons they are sheltered defended that none without eminent danger can doe them any hurt Thirdly the orders societies of Monks spiritual fraternities are so closely linked together that they can hardly be broken For as a brest-plate made closely knit together of many little rings cannot be pierced thorow by the edge of the sword so these Locusts by a brotherhood are so linked in one by oathes vowes as none can hurt them but they on the contrary may easily hurt whomsoever they please The sound of their wings was as the sound of charets Locusts have little wings yet by beating them together make a great noyse so these by their secret wings make a dreadfull sound Their wings are their priviledges by which they have lift up themselves above the condition of al other men growne to that hight of impudency as to despise government speake evill of dignities are a terrour to Kings Emperours Out of these wings proceeds the terrible hishing of their sermons disputations and seditious writings sparing no man of what state or qualitie soever but keeping them under with feare of excommunications And as Chariots strongly compassing an army about cannot easily be broken so these by the sound of their priviledges preserve their Cloisters They runne also to warre and whosoever subjects fals not downe before them they bitterly curse and anathematize 10. And they had tailes like to scorpions This whole verse is explained by vers 3. 1. where it is shewed what is the power of scorpions and how far the same was given unto the Locusts viz. not to hurt all but such onely as were not sealed in their foreheads nor to kill but to torment them with the torment of scorpions neyther perpetually but for five monthes All which both what it is and how it hath been don by them I have there shewed The summe is this in their faces they seem frindlie like men Their tailes are hurtfull like scorpions Hony is in their mouth but gall in their hart such as they intoxicate with their doctrins they mortally wound like unto them that are stung with the scorpions taile In word countenance and gesture they promise salvation but whom they strike they draw with them thorow purgatorie into destruction Anonymus saith well that Officials Commissaries Deacons Registers Chancelours Apparitours are the Pralates tailes who like venemous serpents by their wicked life and doctrines however they pretend purity poison both clergie and people 11. And they had a king over them The monarchical politie of the Locusts now followeth In Prover 30.27 it is said that the Locusts have no king But these have one For they are unlike
righteousnesse then after they have known it to turn from the holy commandement delivered unto them 2 Pet. 2. But that which followes doth expresse the thing more clearly The holie city shall they tread under foot fourty two moneths He declares by an auxesis or amplification how the court is given as if he should say The holy city troden under foot by the Gentiles is the Church the court shall not onely be given unto the Gentiles but all the holy citie also shall be troden under foot by them Ribera againe rightly understands the holy citie to be the Church typed out by Ierusalem of old Moreover we are to observe that the Angel that is Christ who speaketh these things doth allude to his own words Luk. 12.24 Jerusalem shal be troden down by the Gentiles untill the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled foreshewing the besieging taking overthrowing of the city temple by the Romans so that to tread under foot is to fal upon wast destroy in a hostile manner as was done unto Ierusalem not long before by Titus Vespasian Now like as Ierusalem was a type of the Christian Church so the treading down of Ierusalem by the Romans was a type that the Church also should be troden under foote by the same nation For Rome as it was of Ierusalem so shal it be the calamity destruction of the Church What cā be said more clearly then this that the Church shal be possessed troden down laid wast by the Romish Antichrist his adherents So then these words viz. the Romaine Gentiles shall tread the holy citie under foot agrees to that of the Apostle The man of sin Antichrist shall sit in the temple of God that is he shall suppresse the Romish Church by tyranny proudly boasting himself to bee as God the head universal monarch But when how long Fourty and two moneths here is wisdome It is manifest by the consent almost of all interpreters that the time of Antichrists persecution is hereby set forth But what time how long it is to continue or how to determine either of the beginning or ending thereof is obscure both unto mee other interpreters and happily it is beyond the reach of man For it pleaseth the spirit that we should rather still be searching into some things which concerne the times then certainly to know them as Christ intimated unto his disciples Act. 1.7 It is not for you to know the times and seasons which the father hath put in his own power However I will recite the chiefe opinions of learned men The first is of some Ancients brought in by the authority of the Pope which Caesariensis followeth so doe generally al the Papists to this day viz that fourty two moneths are astronomicall moneths making three Aegyptian yeeres and an halfe whence arose that received poopish opinion that Antichrist should onely reigne three yeeres and an halfe This they collected out of Daniel Chap. 7.25 And they shal be given into his hand untill a time and times the dividing of time And Chap. 12.7 where the Angel sweareth that all these thinges shall bee finished at a time times halfe a time The which division of time is also assigned unto the Church banished in the wildernesse Reve. 12.14 of which we will speake in its place Now they make the three yeeres an half to bee the time immediatelie going before the end of the world Lib. 3. de P. R. c. 17. because Antichrist as Bellarmin affirmeth shal be slaine by the Iewes before the fourth yeere be ended then fourty five dayes after Christ shal come to judgment Now hence they seeke to establish two things I. that Antichrist is not yet come into the world II. And so consequently the Pope of Rome is not he ibid. cap. 8. For Antichrist saith Bellarmin in his V demonstration shall onely reigne three yeeres and an halfe But the Pope hath already spiritually reigned in the Church above fifteen hundred yeeres and more then five hundred temporally neither can any one be noted or accounted to be Antichrist unlesse he hath precisely reigned three yeeres and an half Therefore the Pope is not Antichrist neither is he as yet come But to speak nothing of the most false assumption of this ridiculous demonstration it is certaine that the Romane Bishops before Constantines time were so far from raigning spiritually much lesse temporally in the Church as on the contrary they all suffered martyrdom for the sake of Christ True it is Sylvesters successours many times affected the primacy but were continually suppressed by their fellow Bishops untill that Boniface the third many labouring but in vaine to hinder it was by the authority of Phocas the Emperour set on the chaire of universall pestilence The fiction of the 42 astronomical moneths refuted To let these things I say passe for the present the proposition which is taken from this place of the Revelation is altogether false because that Popish opinion touching the 42 astronomicall moneths of Antichristian persecution is contradictorie both to it self and the holy scriptures It consists not with its self because the things which they faine that their Antichrist shall effect are as impossible to be don in the space of three yeeres and a halfe as for a snaile in three dayes to creep over the whole earth he must be acknowledged by the Iewish nation dispersed throughout the earth for the Messias he must sit in the temple of Ierusalem which for so many ages hath lyen wast under a horrible destruction moreover he must kill three kings of Egypt Lybia and Ethiopia and subdue seven other princes he must repaire the ruins of Rome burnt by those ten kings and chasing the Pope from thence sit there as Monarch persecute and blot Christian religion quite out of the world to be short bring the Church and the Empire of the whole world under him c. Who I pray you except he were a mad man would imagine that all these things should bee possibly accomplished in four whole yeeres What for messengers thinke ye shall Antichrist have to send abroad who so suddenly shall tell and perswade the Iewes dispersed over the face of the whole earth of the comming of their Messias The temple forsooth shall be built againe in three dayes the which Solomon having all manner of materials prepared to his hand could not finish in seven yeeres nor Zerubbabel scarsly rebuild in fourty six yeeres Yea this Antichrist hardly of four yeeres standing shall expell the Turk out of Syria the Persian out of the East C ham out of the South Prester John out of all the North. What can be imagined more frivolous shall the Emperours and Christian kings be fallen into such a dead sleep as altogether in a moment to be suppressed by one man Will the Pope with his Cardinals watch no better but suffer Catholick Rome to fall to Paganisme shall
have prophesied either alone two or few but succeeded one another at severall times in the work of the Lord. Thirdlie The titles of the witnesses are not to be taken literally that these titles are not literally but spiritually accommodated by a certaine similitude unto them because of some proportionable effects between the foresaid prophets and these witnesses For what the former did literallie these later shall doe spiritually Now that all these things are thus to be taken John himselfe shew eth v. 8. calling Rome the seat of Antichrist spiritually Sodome Aegypt Jerusalem As therefore the seat of the beast is to be taken spiritually so also the titles of these witnesses are spiritually to be understood And that especially because these things taken according to the letter for the most part would appear to be eyther absurd or miraculous New miracles the markes of Antichrist But God will not work new miracles because he hath foretold us that new miracles shall be the markes of Antichrist Furthermore the honourable titles given to these witnesses before their martyrdome are chiefly five declaring partly their dignitie partly their prophetical power The which we will briefly consider Clothed with sackcloth The first title declares their contemptible condition in the eyes of worldly men Sackcloth was the habit of mourners as the Ninevites Title of the witnes is their conttemptible habit Daniel Mordecai are said to have mourned in sackcloth Christ speaking of them of Tyre and Sidon saith that they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes It was also the habit of the prophets and now is of poore and despised men Some therefore by their wearing of sackcloth will have the argument of their prophesie to be noted metaleptice Metalepsis is a figure by which a word is put from its proper signification because they shall denounce unto the world mourning and punishments at hand in regard of Antichrists abominations and are to call men unto repentance And indeed rightly may it be thus taken for their prophesie shall consist in preaching of repentance Others interpret it of their own mourning because by their base and mean habit they shall manifest the bitternes and griefe of their mind for the destruction of the Church and horrible blindnesse of the world even as such in old time were in bitternes of spirit who cloathed themselves in sackcloth This also may well stand Notwithstanding I rather take it of the neglected condition of the ministers of the Gospell For sackcloth undoubtedly is opposed to the pompe and luxurie Antichrist and his Locusts These glorious praelates with their soft silken broidered garments of gold and silver bewitch the world whereas on the contrarie these witnesses shal be vile and despised scarsly having whereon to live or cloathe themselves And indeed allmost all the servants of Christ who hitherto have waged warre with the Beast have been abject poor and despised in the eye of the world Bellarmin upbraides us with this sackcloth as beeing an argument of the falsitie of our religion The Patrones of our opinon saith he have been great and worthie men and followed by the whole world but BERENGARIVS was a Deacon a man neglected and having for his followers a few poore Schollers But for our parts wee need not be offended thereat for how contemptuously soever the world judgeth thereof yet the excellencie of the same before God we shall hear by by Neither is Bellarmins taunting worth the answering Lib. 5. de P. R. c. 6. that he never as yet saw any minister of the Gospell clothed in sackcloth For the two witnesses shall no more be literallie cloathed in sackcloth then they shall be literallie two Olive-trees two candlestickes or breach out of their mouth fire therewith to devour the adversaries c. 4. These are those two Olive-trees The other title is the dignitie of the two witnesses opposed to their contemptible condition The dignity of the witnesses They shall not bee therefore neglected of God because the world despiseth them For they are two Olive-trees candlesticks wherby mystically the dignitie of the ministerie of the word is noted as serving in stead of Olive-trees and candlesticks unto the Church An Olive-tree is allwayes green bringing forth most wholesom fruit A candlestick beares up the light by which darknesse is expelled and the whole house enlightned so the ministerie of the witnesses shal be lively efficacious because the Oyle and anointing of the Spirit is powred forth through it on the elect It is known that the grace of the spirit is verie often compared unto Oile especiallie by Iohn in regard of a like efficacie These witnesses therefore shal be Olive-trees powring forth by prophesy spirituall oyle that is they shall be profitable instruments for the salvation of true beleevers They shall also be candlesticks as holding forth the light of Gods word by which they shall drive away Antichristian darknesse and kindle againe the lost light of the Gospell in the Church I said before that this is an allusion unto the type Zach. 4.14 where God saith of Zerubbabel and Iehoshua the two captaines that brought his people back againe These are the two sons of oyle or anointed ones standing before the ruler of the whole earth by which commendatorie title the authority of these two is set forth The two witnesses therefore are two Olive-trees not litterally But first by a certaine metonymia for they are two restorers of the Church from under the bondage and yoke of Antichrist signifyed by these two Olive-trees of old of the Babylonish captivity And secondly by a metaphor for as they rebuilded Ierusalem beeing formerly wasted by the Babylonians repaired the temple and typicall worship so these shall restore the Lords spirituall worship and repaire the holy citie troden under foot by Antichristian Gentiles Now hence it appeareth Vnder the two witnesses and Olive-trees godly princes are also to be understood The dignitie of the witnesses that under these two witnesses godly Kings Princes reformers maintainers of the true religion being nursing fathers to the Church are likewise to be understood For as one of the two Olive-trees was Jehoshua the Priest the other Zerubbabel a civill magistrate or prince who rebuilded the temple and holy citie So God in these last times will raise up besides the teachers and preachers of his word some godly and zealous kings and princes to defend the orthodoxe religion against Antichrist and his followers Standing before the God of the earth By the words of Zacharie chiefly the dignity of the witnesses is set forth In the eyes of the world their sackcloth is vile and contemptible but with God they are in great esteem as most sweet Olive-trees and golden candlesticks or els their fidelitie is noted as performing their ministery faithfullie with great constancie as it were in the sight of God whom no man can deceive Antichrist to mans thinking gloriously reigneth
est Aegyptum coluisse animalia quaedam Et pro numinibus multas habuisse ferarum Illa superstitio minor est quam nostra ferarum Hic aras habet omne genus contraria certè Naturae res atque Deo qui dicitur olim Praeposuisse hominem cunctis animantibus unum That Egypt did adore some living creatures heard have we And for her gods some wild beasts she acknowledged to be That superstition sure of theirs is lesse then ours by farre Because for Beasts of every kind high altars now there are Which thing against both nature is and Gods most righteous law For he ordaind over all Beasts one man to have the sway So then the great city seat of the Beast is Aegypt that is like unto Aegypt in wicked Idolatrie It is also like it in miserable blindenesse we read that the Lord sent on the obstinate Aegyptians such darknesse as that for three dayes together they groped at noon day like blinde men So the city of the Beast what is it but a kingdom of darkenesse wherein miserable blindenesse and ignorance of the scriptures yea of God Christ doth extreamely abound Luther writes wel In act August lit P 207. Italie is cast into the grosse darkenesse of Aegypt in somuch as they are become all of them altogether ignorant of Christ and of the thinges appertaining to him To bee short as Aegypt of old most cruellie oppressed the Church by a lamentable bondage for the space of 225 yeeres even so hath the Church now of long time been burdened yea yet groaneth under the yoake of Antichrist kingdome of the Beast And therfore this great city is fittlie called Aegypt because of her cruelty Where also our Lord Hence Ribera and Bellarmin doe faine In Apocal. 11. nu 22. Lib. 3. de P. R. c. 13. that the great city or seat of Antichrist is not Rome but Jerusalem For in what citie say they was our Lord crucified except Ierusalem But this is a vaine shift for as before the seat of Antichrist is called Sodome and Aegypt not litterally but spirituallie so here it is called the citie where our Lord was crucified that is Ierusalem in a spiritual sence This then is the third title of the great city beeing called Jerusalem where our Lord was crucified Ierome and others dispute how Christ was crucified in Aegypt Epist 1. ad Marcell how Ierusalem is called Sodome but it is beside the purpose For the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where also doe not cohere with Aegypt next preceding for the scripture no where saith that Christ was crucified in Aegypt but are to be referred to the former words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the great citie as the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and or also inserted doth shew as if he had said it is called also that citie where our Lord was crucified that is Ierusalem Furthermore it wil clearly appear on Chap. 17. The great citie is not Ierusalem that this great citie the seat of Antichrist is not Jerusalem literallie for there the great citie is said to have seven mountaines and to reigne over the kings of the earth neither of which agrees literallie to Ierusalem but both unto Rome For Ierusalem had never seven mountaines but onely three hils viz. Sion Moriah and mount Calvarie It never held the Empire of the world as Rome hath don To be short It was never absolutely called the citie or the great citie but this title was proper to Rome onelie Lib. 8. de bello sacr Wilhelmus Tyrius writing of the largenesse of Ierusalem saith that it is a city lesse then the greatest yet greater then the middle sort But of Rome Lipsius writeth Lib. 3. de magn Rom cap. 2. that the greatnesse thereof appeares to this day and that her ancient walles contained in circuit XV or XVI miles So that the Iesuites here doe falsly and guilfully send us unto Ierusalem that we might not seek Antichrist at Rome Furthermore why the great city of the Beast is compared unto Ierusalem appeares by the following paraphrase where also our Lord was crucified Ierusalem crucified our Lord literallie The great citie of the Beast doth it spirituallie Now there is nothing more cruel or ungodlie then to crucifie the Lord of life yea it is more cruel for to crucifie Christ spiritually then his witnesses literally And therefore the seat of the Beast is called Ierusalem because of their unheard cruelty impiety killing the Prophets and witnesses of Christ against all right reason yea not satiated with their death have exercised all maner of contumelies upon their dead bodies Besides as much as in them is they not once but daylie sacrifice destroy crucifie and kill Christ himself Epist 19. Let us heare Petrarcha long agoe accusing Rome of this most horrid parricide in his own words Behold thou seest a people not onely adversarie to Christ but that which is worse under Christs ensigne rebelling against him and fighting for Satan beeing druncken with the blood of Christ and malapertly saying Our lips are ours who is Lord over us a hard harted wicked people indeed proud hungerstarved thirstie allwayes gaping having sharp teeth crooked nailes slippery feet a stonie breast and hart of steel a minde of lead but hony in their mouth a people unto whom thou mayest well apply not onely that of Christ and the Prophet This people honoureth me with their lips but their heart is far from me But that also of Judas Iscariot who betraying his master with a kisse said haile master And that of the Jewes who clothed Christ in purple and crowned him with thornes smote most contumeliously spat in his face bowing the knee worshipped saluted him saying Haile king of the Iewes whom they in the mean time accounted neyther as God or a king worthie of divine or humane honour but as a blasphemer guilty of death reproach and judgement But what is not the like daily practised among Christs enemies and Pharisees of our age doe they not buy sell make marchandise of Christ himself whose name notwithstanding they seem day and night to extoll with most high prayses whom they cloath with purple gold whom they load with precious stones salute and worship Him I say as if he had his eyes covered saw not they crown with the briars of wicked mens workes defile him with the spittle of a most impure mouth and inveigh against him with viperous hissings strike him with the dart of venemous actions and what in them lies doe again and again deridinglie drag him as naked poore scourged on mount Calvarie and wickedlie consent to naile him unto the crosse And oh shame oh griefe oh indignitie Even such are the Romanists at this day as it is reported These things Petrarcha wrote concerning Rome Now let the Romish Locusts see how they can deny Rome to be spiritual Ierusalem themselves crucifiers againe
oppression for to purge the doctrine of the Gospel from the filth of poperie These are said to be two not individuallie for what can be more absurd then to thinke that Christ should have onely two witnesses Antichrist having in the mean while many thousands of Locusts But two that is a few who should suffice to hold forth the truth in all times even as in judgement by the testimonie of two or three every thing is established Secondlie two definitely because as God of old was wont to use the ministerie of two worthies in the execution of his singular and special workes one of them commonly being a civill the other an ecclesiastical person Thus he sent Moses Aaron to Pharaoh Ioshua Caleb to spie the land Elias Elisha unto Ahab Zerubbabel and Ioshua to bring back the people out of Babylon to restore the worship temple of Ierusalem unto whom there is here a manifest allusion in v. 4. so he raised up under Antichrist for the most part two speciall instruments among his witnesses for the maintenance of his truth as Iohn Husse Ierome of Prague whom the Locusts of the Councill of Constans most cruelly burnt against the publick faith In our Fathers dayes Luther and Melanchthon in Saxonie At Argentine Bucer and Cariton In Helvetia Zwinglius and Oecolampadius In France Farellus and Calvin and so others in other places Furthermore he described the power of the witnesses by many excellent and wonderfull phrases taken out of the historie of the chiefe prophets viz. Their enemies that would hurt them they shall devour by the fire of their mouth as did Elias and Ieremie shut heaven that it raine not for three yeeres and sixe moneths as did the said Elias Turn waters into blood and smite the earth with all manner of plagues as Moses and Aaron smote Aegypt by which allegories is signified that at length the preaching of the Gospell should goe forth with such force efficacie as that no opposite power or threatnings should be able to hinder the same Notwithstanding however they shall finish their testimony yet they shall prevaile little against the Beast for the Beast shall warre against them overcome and kill them by drawing out both swords as we have declared Neither shall the Beast be satiated by oppressing the witnesses but shall cast forth their dead bodies as dung to the scorne of the common people into the streetes of Rome the great citie which is spirituallie that is allegorically called Sodome because of Sodomiticall filthinesse reigning therin Aegypt because of their Aegyptian idolatrie darknesse and obstinacie against Christs ambassadours and Ierusalem because of their wicked cruelty daylie crucifying the Lord Iesus Christ both in his members as also as much as in them is destroying him now glorified in the heavens in their daylie sacrifice of the Masse Thus far we formerly went in our interpretation Now we goe forward 9. ANd they of the kinreds shall see The publick rejoycing of the Christian world in the contumelious oppression of the witnesses of Christ is here signified for they are so far from commiserating of them as on the contrarie they altogether approve the Beasts cruelty in sulting triumphing over their dead bodies as conquered enemies This is the summe of the two verses in which is aggravated both the cruel inhumanitie of the Beast his followers and the ignominious condition of the witnesses But wherefore To the end that seing it to come so to passe we should not be offended as if some strange thing happened unto us For the spirit here foretelleth it as Christ also said unto his disciples yee shall mourn but the world shall rejoyce Ioh. 16.1.2 Yea the time commeth that whosoever killeth you will thinke that he doth God service But the comfort by which the witnesses should raise up themselves is annexed Let us consider the words And shall see to wit the men of this world for Antichrists rage shall not be secret but he will publickly oppose warre against the witnesses of Christ neither shal a few onely see it But they of the people and kinreds and tongues and nations to wit all people c. Which Ribera rightlie interprets of all those nations which shall cleave unto Antichrist And therefore it is false that the Iewes onely shall cleave unto him For his kingdom shall be spread over all peoples nations and tongues that is the whole Christian world shal close joyne with him Let us not therefore be moved with the vain boasting of the Papists because of the largenesse of their Church that all kings princes great men and peoples of the Christian world follow the Pope a few poore and obscure men onely excepted who professe the Gospell As if the multitude of strayers could excuse errour or that it had not been foretold by the spirit that so it should come to passe The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall see here used is changed in 11 vers into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying to contemplate diligently with pleasure So that they shall see the dead bodies of the Saintes with great delight joy for all shall applaud their king as if his tyranny were just and righteous yea and that in killing of hereticks he did a divine worke But how long shal they see them Three dayes and an halfe For so long their carkeises shal lie unburied Romish writers doe not agree about this time What is meant by the three dayes and an halfe Lyra applies this whole historie of the witnesses unto Iustinian an Eutychinian Emperour who by Belizarius banished Pope Sylverius imprisoned Mena the Bishop and this he will have to be the three yeeres and an half Rupertus doth scarselie agree with himself for one while he takes it definitely for three yeeres and an halfe another while indefinitely for a short time Ribera understands it properlie of three dayes and an halfe Alcasar applying it to the Iewish persecution leaves it indifferently to be taken either for so many yeeres or moneths But to take it in any of these wayes The fable of Antichrists reigning three an half yeere refuted the fiction of Antichrists three and an halfe yeeres reigne is thereby refuted For if Antichrist even after that the witnesses are slaine who had prophesied during the three yeeres and an halfe of his kingdom shall see rejoyce three dayes or yeeres and an halfe over their dead carkeises then it must needs be false tha the is precisely to reigne three yeeres and an halfe for by that account he shall either reigne seven yeeres or at least more then 1260 dayes Our interpreters also are not of one minde about it yet agree in the maine argument scope Io Foxe applies it to the councill of Constans which precisely dured three yeeres and an half So long therefore the carkeises of the two witnesses Iohn Husse and Ierome of Prague did lie in the streetes of the great city that
because many subscribe unto it Whosoever therefore the authours be their reasons are to be examined First The third opinion expounded and proved this Beast doth very well agree with the little horne in Daniel cha 7.8 which signifies either Antichrist himself or at least is a type of him as the most learned Christian interpreters do acknowledge for what Daniel speaks of the little horne Iohn doth almost in so many words ascribe unto this Beast that he hath a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies that he makes warre with the Saints and overcomes them and that for the space of fourty two moneths or for a time times and halfe a time c. Secondly this Beast rising out of the Sea and that in chap. 11 ascending out of the bottomlesse pit are undoubtedly one because the figure and time of wrath and warre doth agree and that it is one not onely Arethas and Andreas but also Anonymus Ribera and Gagneus do acknowledge viz. that Antichrist Furthermore this sevenheaded Beast and the Beast on which the woman sits chap. 17. is one and the same altogether as the description shews and shall more plainly appeare afterward Now the Beast there v. 11. without all doubt though in a great mystery denotes Antichrist with his kingdom and seat and therefore the Beast here is to be understood of him also Lastly the attributes of this Beast agree to none more evidently thē to Antichrist First in this that the whole earth with admiration followed the Beast the which thing is most true for the whole Christian world readily indeed honoureth Antichrist as sitting in the temple of God boasting himselfe that he is God and holinesse it self Now the Romanes heretofore did hardly with great force of armes subject the world under their power And as for the Mahumetanes hitherto they have enlarged their Empire onely by slaughters and effusion of much blood Moreover it accords in this that on his heads he had a name of blasphemy and with his mouth he speaketh great and blaspemous things Now howbeit it is true the Romish and Turkish Empire ever hath been and still is very blasphemous yet the Romanes were and the Turks still are blasphemers without the Church and ignorant of God and Christ as the Apostle speaketh of himselfe what he did when he was a Pharisee But Antichrist sitting in the Church of God under the name of Christ grievously blasphemeth the same and will be accounted by his followers a god yea most proudly lifts himselfe up above all that is called god It is true the Emperours Nero and Domitian were sometime so athistically mad as that they would be divinely worshipped But that was nothing in comparison of Antichrists arrogancy whose footsteps are adored by Kings and Emperours Againe in this likewise the agreement stands that he makes warre with the Saints the which thing I grant that the Romanes and Turks have also done But Antichrists warre with the Saints by the confession of all men shall be far more cursed and cruell for it shall not be a civill warre onely as in killing the body and confiscating the estates of men but a spirituall likewise selling tormenting and killing of soules Lastly it agrees that he hath power over every nation kindred and tongues it is true the Romanes did very farre enlarge the bounds of their Empire that so they might be the Lords of the world The Mahumetanes also Lord it far and neare yet without the limits of the Church But Antichrist sitting in the temple of God so far forth as the temple of God or Christian Church did visibly appeare should under the pretence of religion usurpe the Empire as Monarch and Head of all All which things considered I suppose that the third opinion touching the Beast-Antichrist is sufficiently confirmed Notwithstanding if these things are not fully satisfactory to any such then I onely desire that they will rest in the reasons laid down untill they heare Iohn himselfe in Chap. 17. give the interpretation of this mysterie For from that fountain the sence of this place is to be drawn howsoever those interpreters seem to me inconsiderate who apply all the mysteries of that place to this here for they ought to observe that the spirit doth purposely and in great wisdom produce this monstre in foure distinct visions viz. the third fourth fift and sixt acting or suffering diverse and different things that the former things may the more clearly be known by the latter And hitherto indeed such of the Papists agree with our interpreters Who Antichrist should be questioned betwixt us and the Papists The Papists description of Antichrist who acknowledge Antichrist to be noted by this Beast whither wholly considered or in one of his heads But we disagree in judgement about the question who is that Antichrist figured out by this Beast The Papists that the Pope might not be suspected to be he feign such an Antichrist as we have more then once before spoken of to wit a certaine Jew begot by an evill spirit and to be borne of a Iewish woman near the end of the world whom the Iews shall acknowledge for their Messias and who as they say in the space of three years and six moneths shall subdue all the kingdoms of the world yea the Romane Empire also but yet not take up the title of a Romane Emperor seduce the whole earth rebuild the temple of Ierusalem sit and reign there he shall restore Rome which ten Kings having thrust out the Pope had burnt with fire there he shall reign and literally fulfill all things which here are recorded of both Beasts Touching the vanity of which fabulous opinion which al may see was forged for the destruction of the Christian world we have spoken enough before on Chap. 9. and 11. Our Divines on the contrary affirme Antichrist described by the Protestants that no man is more evidently represented by this most monstrous Beast then the Papall Empire or Pope of Rome of whom Alphonsus Mantuanus thus writeth Iohn saith he being to describe Antichrists ravenous extortion venemous rage against the godly types him out under the monstrous image of a horrible Beast which neither could be termed a Lyon or a Beare or any such like creature but one in whom was conteined the fiercenesse of all wilde beasts By this Beast therefore Antichrist is undoubtedly to be understood whensoever then Antichrist is mentioned we need not seek him in Babilon but in the head of the fourth Monarchie to wit at Rome c. Furthermore I see not who he should be save the Pope whose kingdom and tyranny if we compare with the things spoken in Daniel of the little horn it will abundantly appeare that it is be who fully acts all the parts of Antichrist c. This opinion seems indeed to Alcasar to be foolish and vain Alcasars reasons answered but not so unto us in the least but rather he himself is ridiculous in deceiving
inhabitants of the earth grosse and earthly men superstitious maintainers of Antichristian idolatry obstinate adversaries from whom they shall suffer grievous contradiction Secondly the successe of their doctrine is noted not to be very great They shall labour indeed to reforme the Papacy Caecis sabulam canent Aethiopes lavabunt to call the blinde unto the light but according to the proverb they shall sing to the deafe and wash Black-moores because Antichrist will resist them by all meanes possible and labour to keep his kingdome in peace And indeed it shall be so by the just judgement of God For because the world rather loveth lies then truth God shall send them strong delusion that they should beleeve a lie that they all might perish who have not received the love of the truth 2 Thes 2.11 The consideration hereof serves both to illustrate the goodnesse of God who graciously caused the everlasting Gospel to be preached unto the inhabitants of the earth that is the sworne vassals of Antichrist drowned in superstitions and idolatry As also to lessen the scandall that we be not offended at the small successe the Gospel then had at that time For what wonder was it that the inhabitants of the earth received not the same who were accustomed to heare and beleeve nothing but the dreames and lies of Antichrist And to every nation and tribe This partition is taken from Chap. 13.7 signifying that the fame of this Gospell should be spread as farre as the Papacy did extend For however those teachers should remaine in their places yet their doctrine by their writings was made knowne every where and found adversaries in all places Before I goe further let us here take notice of one thing touching the devils subtilty Cyrillus feineth a new gospell We finde by history that a little before God raised up this Angell in England the devill had begun to spread abroad his eternall gospell through one Cyrillus a carmelite Monke consisting of most foule errours and monstrous opinions pretending that it was the everlasting gospell of this Angell And indeed the Monkes under pretext of this prophesie did readily imbrace the same because he confirmed their monasticall rites rules superstitions and fables He taught that the Gospell of Christ was to remaine unto this time but thence forward his new Gospel was to take place in the Church This was a wicked depravation of this prophesie 1 Pet. 1.25 Rom. 10.8 Rev. 2.25 Gal. 1.8 and blasphemie against the expresse word of God The word of the Lord remaineth foe ever This is the word of faith which we preach Hold fast that which yee have till I come If an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospell let him be accursed To this ungodly fiction many learned of that age opposed themselves insomuch that Pope Innocent himselfe was forced by the Lateran Council to condemne this impudent assertion because it also touched the Popes kingdome Some say Joachim the Abbot was the broacher hereof but it is false See Centur. Ecclesiast 13. cap. 5. To discover therefore the imposture of the Devill the Lord began to bring to light in the same age the everlasting Gospell here prophesied of by Wickleffe in England and by other teachers in other places We may easily Iudge which of these two was that everlasting and true Gospell For the one abolished the Gospel of Christ and writings of the Apostles The other brought forth the same out of darknesse The former therefore was false the latter true Saying with a great voice The zeale of the Angell in publishing the Gospell is commended And indeed the foresaid teachers performed their office with unwearied labour and paines both in teaching preaching disputing for when they came into the world the world was in a deep lethargie of superstitions drunken buried in the wine of the wrath of Babylonish fornication So that they were forced to cry aloud so mightily to the end that they might be heard of the drowzy or rather deafe inhabitants of the earth This voice is to be understood not onely of their preaching but writings also by which they manifested the doctrine of the everlasting Gospell Feare God The argument of his preaching hath three parts yet the whole is doctrinall and hortatory The first part is the feare of God which is the beginning of wisdome Here rightly the teachers begin Sometimes by it the whole worship but here properly is signified that part of worship which consists in the true knowledge and reverence of God and it is opposed both to the carnall security of the whole world whence ariseth prophanenesse and the wicked contempt of God as also to the preposterous feare by which Antichrist hath along time kept the world under his yoake Both these I will briefly now expound The Papacy did abound with security and feare Security feare in the Papacy This carnall security was fostered by their bewitching confessions absolutions satisfactions Masses indulgences c. No wicked act how great soever but by money and such remedies might be expiated Hence Gods judgement neither was or to this day is feared in the Papacy as having present remedy for their sins in their confessions satisfactions and indulgences Hence springeth that bruitish security and liberty to sin So againe the feare of Antichrist hath and still doth vex the world because it is held a greater offence to neglect the edicts of the Pope then to violate the commandements of God So that they were easily frighted with the feare of excommunication poenall satisfactions purgatory c. insomuch as Emperours and Kings were forced to kisse the feet of Antichrist yea all both great and smal did tremblinglie submit to his beck Now this Angell recalling the world both from this prophane security as also from their preposterous feare bids them FEARE GOD not the Beast for it is not the Beast but God that can cast both soule and body into hell fire Math. 10.28 And give glory to him Secondly he requires faith and obedience unto the Gospell for then is the glory of Gods truth goodnes and power truely attributed unto him when his word is received by faith and performed in obedience In the former member the Angel prepared the world for the Gospell because without the feare of God that is so long as prophanesse and contempt of God doth reigne there the Gospell findes no place By this other member he instructs them thus prepared to give glory to God by receiving his word in faith and conforme their life according to his commandements And indeed this is all God requires of us So Moses And now O Israel what doth Jehovah thy God require of thee Deut. 1.12 save that thou feare Jehovah thy God and walke in all his waies and love him with all thy heart For the houre of his judgement is come A reason confirming what he had said is taken from threatning of judgement at hand the serious consideration whereof
as with a pestilent plague she had infected the Christian world her horrible idolatry I say and cruelty by which she defiled and oppressed the Church The commination is taken out of Isai 21.9 Babylon is fallen is fallen and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground And Ier. 51.8 Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed howle for her In which words the Prophets threaten ruine to Babylon of the Caldeans which had grievously pressed Gods people by 70. yeares captivity Now it may be demanded whither this Babylon here threatned be the foresaid Chaldaean Babylon or another and which That it is not Babylon of Chaldea appeares by many reasons First that Babylon neither was is or shall be the Seat of Antichrist This is not the CaldeaÌ„ Babylon For however there be an ancient fable of Antichrists rising out of Babylon yet the same makes not Babylon but Ierusalem to be his seat Now the Babylon here threatned by the Angell shall be the Seat of Antichrist by the consent of all interpreters Secondly This Babylon is that great city the which in Johns time ruled over the Kings of the earth Rev. 17.18 But then the Caldeans held not the Monarchie but the Romanes Besides this Babylon defiles all nations of the earth with her fornication But now how the Caldean Babylon should so doe in these last times no sound reason can be given for it Lastly the people of God are bid to goe out of this Babylon Chapter 18.4 But Gods people for these thousand yeeres have not been nor shall be in the Easterne Babylon c. Therefore this Babylon is not Babylon in Caldea although the holy Ghost doth apply the propheticall threatnings of old against Babylon to good purpose and fitly here from the letter therefore wee must necessarily come to the figure which thing Ribera also acknowledgeth Now secondly some of the Ancients will have this Babylon to be the world as being the great city of the wicked in which the Devill ruleth So Ambrose Bede Arethas Andreas Ansbertus Haymo Primasius Anselmus c. But this opinion cannot stand For first This Babylon is that Great whore making drunke the inhabitants of the earth with the wine of her fornication But how shall the world make drunke the inhabitants of the earth seeing themselves are the world made drunke by the whore shall the world make the world drunke the whore therefore which maketh drunke is plainely distinguished from the inhabitants of the earth who are made drunke Secondly the sence would be absurd Babylon is fallen that is the world is fallen for by the ruine of Babylon the whole world shal not decay but there shal remain Kings and merchants which shall see and bewaile the ruine of Babylon whereas after the ruine of the world there wil be no kings nor marchants Thirdly we are commanded to goe out of this Babylon Chap. 16.8 But we are not bid to goe out of the world 1 Cor. 5.10 except in a spirituall sence But out of this Babylon a locall departure is commanded Fourthly it is the common opinion that John prophesieth of that Babylon which is the seat of Antichrist But the whole world shall not be Antichrists seat For he shall sit in the temple of God 2 Thes 2.5 the which cannot be meant of the whole world Fiftly This Babylon is Rome see Chap. 11.8 17.18 Ribera addes that this Babylon standeth on seven Mountaines Chap. 17.9 Now that the citie of wicked men or the world should stand on seven mountaines cannot be true in any sence And therefore Ribera concludeth that we must expound it otherwise And indeed at last the said Iesuite doth ingeniously confesse that this Babylon is ROME for which opinion he alledgeth many old writers as Austine l. 8. de Câ—â—â—â— where he amimeth that Rome was built by the fall of the Assyâ—â—an kingdome and calleth the same the Daughter of Babylon or another Babylon Orosius lib. 2. cap. 2. Eusebius lib. 2. hist cap. 14. Bede Occumenius Victorinus Hierom in Isa 24. in his Prologue in lib. Dydimi lib. 2. against Jovinian Epist. 15. q. 11. to Agasia Epist 17. to Marcel Tertullian lib. 3. against Marcion and against the Iewes Some also of the latter Writers as Sixtus senensis lib. 2. Bibliot in vocabulo Meretricis Magnae Bellarmine lib. 2. de P. R. cap. 2. 13. Ludovicus Vives in lib. 18. de C. D. cap. 20. Lindanus lib. 4. Panop cap. 82. the which confession of his we willingly approve of he alledgeth also that of Peter The Church that is in Babylon salutes you 1 Pet. 5.13 that is in Rome as Eusebius lib. 2. hist cap. 15. expoundeth it the which the Papists doe therefore gladly lay hold on to shew that Peter sate at Rome but it is a weake conjecture for it may more probably be said that Peter wrote from Babylon of the East as Calvin in his Commentary on the place sheweth But be that place in Peter what way soever understood Many things perswade us that this Babylon is Rome First the description and situation of this great citie agrees not so fully to any as to Rome for it is said to stand upon seven Mountaines which cannot so well be said of any city as of Rome built of old by Romulus on seven hills named Palatinus Quirinalis Aventinus Coelius Viminalis Aesquilinus Janicularis Hence Virgil. lib. 6. Aeneid Scilicet rerum facta est pulcherrima Roma Septem quae una sibi muro circundedit arces Rome is become the famoust place of all Which hath inclos'd seven hills within her wall And Ovid lib. 1. Trist Eleg. 4. Sed quae de septem totum circumspicit orbem Montibus imperii Roma deûmque locus Rome is the place of gods and royal seat Or'e lookes the world with her seven mountaines great And Horace Diis quibus placuere colles dicere carmen Vnto the gods a verse to tell Whom the seven hills doe please full well And Propertius Vrbs septem alta jugis toti qua praesidet orbi The lofty citie on seven hills hie Which rules the world continually Secondly this Babylon is called a great city Rome the great city and that indeed emphatically with a double article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That great City Now it is known that Rome is called the City and the great City 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of Pra-eminence hence Tityr in Virgil thus speaketh Vrbem quam dieunt Romam Melliboee putari Stultus ego huic nostrae similem c. The city called Rome O Melibee I as a foole like ours did thinke to be Besides this great citie Babylon in Johns time Having rule over the world had dominion over the Kings of the earth Chap. 17.18 and no city then but Rome had monarchicall power But we need no further proofe seeing this opinion is backt with the authority of many Ancient writers Bellar. li. 2. de P.
R. 1. Rib. in Apoc 14. s 39. A lca pag. 721. nay the Iesuites themselves Alcasar not excepted do not now oppose the same Yet lest they should any waies prejudice their Pope they feine that by Babylon here is meant not Christian Rome as it hath been more then a thousand yeers under the government of holy Popes But heathenish Rome as of old it was under Emperours But it will easily appeare that this is a vaine evasion For first Heathenish Rome was not the seat of Antichrist touching which seat as all consent Iohn here prophesieth off Neither was Antichrist come so long as Rome remained heathenish Therefore the former Rome is not this Babylon Secondly It cannot be understood of the Old but Popish Rome Babylon is no Pagan but Popish Rome that she indeed it is who hath made drunke all the inhabitants of the earth with the wine of her fornication and that all the Kings of the earth have committed fornication with her For Old Rome however it did abound with most foule idolatry Yet she alwaies gave liberty to all nations subjected to her for to exercise their owne religions and superstitions yea suffered the gods of all other people to be set up and worshipped even in Rome Christ onely excepted as Eusebius records out of Tertullian Neither can it be proved by any history that ancient Rome forced their worship on forraine people whereas on the contrary Popish Rome compelleth and imposeth on all nations and kings her superstitious and idolatrous worship on paine of excommunication seeking to be esteemed the Mother of Churches and in very deed the whole East lucked their abominations and idolatries from her as from the paps of a mother Thirdly In the time of the Fathers before alledged Tertullian excepted Rome was no longer heathenish being under the power of Christian Emperours and yet they call her Babylon Therefore they understood it not of heathenish Rome such as it was not but of Christian Rome such as then it was Fourthly That Rome is Babylon of which it is here said It is fallen it is fallen and which was to be destroyed in the latter times But the ruine of heathenish Rome is not here published as Alcasar vainely feineth for that Rome is ceased long agoe but the destruction of Popish Rome is yet to come for it is foretold to be in the last times These things therefore belong to Popish Rome Fiftly that Rome is Babylon which makes merchandise of the soules of men Revel 18.13 Now this beastly trade was not driven by heathenish Rome but by the Popish Rome as we shal fee heareafter Lastly that Rome is Babylon out of which in the last times Gods people are commanded to goe forth Now they are not bid to depart out of heathenish Rome which hath ceased to be long agoe Neither doe we read that ever any Christians by vertue of this commandement did forsake heathenish Rome but did alwaies constantly there persevere even in the times of most cruell persecutions Gods people therefore are commanded to goe out of Popish Rome Thus we see Rome is this Babylon which must be destroyed Ribera the Iesuite not daring to deny so evident a truth changeth himselfe into divers shapes to salve the Pope First he propoundeth a weighty scruple the which he saith is not yet unfolded by the Patrons of his opinion viz. wherefore John doth foretell so many evills to befall this city which although of old it were the chiefe seat of idolatry yet now is the head of sanctity and defender of the Catholick faith and the proper seat of him that is head of the Church c. But O Ribera Riberas defence of Popish Rome thy doubt is here clearely unfolded by the Angell viz. that this shall be the cause of all these evills because Babylon-Rome makes drunke all the nations of the earth with the wine of her fornications And that which thou speakest of the seat of holinesse in this very thing thou unwittingly accusest the Pope The Pope Antichrist and makest him to be Antichrist For he that possesseth the sea of Antichrist is Antichrist The Pope sits in the seat of Antichrist For Rome which is to be overthrown is the seat of Antichrist 〈◊〉 that is to be destroyed is the seat of the Pope The seat therefore of the Pope is the seat of Antichrist And so consequently the Pope is Antichrist Secondly Riberas evasions touching Popish Rome confuted he objects that it cannot be understood of Papal Rome First because John here describeth a most potent and wealthy city which was the Queen of the world But Papall Rome neither is so now nor ever is likely so to be Secondly because in Chap. 18.20 The heaven and holy Apostles and Prophets are bid to rejoyce over her because God had avenged them on her but whom saith he of the Apostles or which of the Prophets hath the Romish Church or Popish Rome persecuted What injurie hath she done unto them that they should rejoyce at her punishment Therefore he concludeth that Babylon here spoken of is to be understood of heathenish Rome which persecuted the Apostles and Prophets But in vaine he seekes for pretenses in so cleare a matter For he granted before that the future state of Rome is here spoken of therefore he is contradictory to himselfe And as for his objections they are easily answered To the first it sufficeth that Rome did then Lord it over all nations when John wrote this booke The same Rome the Pope now holdeth And besides this even Papall Rome is a most wealthy and powerfull city and the Queen of the world for all the treasures and delights of the Christian world have now long agoe by thousand enticements been drawn unto Rome alone She challengeth the Empire of the world unto herselfe for she boasteth that the Emperours and Kings of the earth doe reigne by her favour and benefit All must be vassals of Popish Rome yea if we beleeve the Iesuits even in temporall things Papall Rome therefore is Lady of all and Empresse of the world according to the verses Roma caput mundi quicquid non possidet armis relligione tenet To the second I say that which he pretends is ridiculous as if because Papisticall Rome had not persecuted the Apostles and Prophets therefore they ought not to rejoyce at her destruction for then also the heaven ought not to rejoyce for was heaven I pray you slaine by Papistical Rome Nay how could heathenish Rome kill the Prophets which never saw Rome Notwithstanding the Apostles and Prophets and heaven it selfe are worthily bid to rejoyce for the destruction of her both because in persecuting the Saints she persecuteth the Prophets and Apostles as also because all creatures ought to rejoyce for the vindicating of Christs glory and destruction of Antichrist whether they have been hurt by him or not Lastly if Popish Rome the which Ribera was not afraid to write shall be punished
not simply disapprove of this propheticall sense especially seeing the Iesuits themselves begin to prophesie of the destruction of Rome and banishment of the Pope as before in Chap. 14. I shewed out of Ribera For though the Turke sit still yet certainly Christian Kings and Princes will put their hands to this worke of God for to thrust the Pope out of his nest as Iohn Chap. 17.16 doth not obscurely intimate Notwithstanding if it be thought more agreeable not to restraine the Throne of the beast to the City Rome but rather to understand the same of his whole Kingdome which is said to be darkened because in the Egyptian Type for it is a plain Allusion unto the ninth plague of Aegypt not onely Pharaohs royall Court Ex. 10 23 but the whole land except the dwellings of the Israelites was overwhelmed with most thick darknesse three dayes together I see not to whom I should rather assent then to our foresaid interpreters who expound it of the darkening or totall darknesse in which Antichrist hath deeply involved and plunged the Christian world these thousand yeers which shall wholly be dissipated by the cleare light and preaching of the Gospell How the beasts king dome is darkened The darkening therefore of Antichrists Kingdome is not a bringing in of a new darkenesse for his kingdom was never inlightned with the light of true doctrine But began to be darkened even from the first after that the smoake of the bottomlesse pit had filled all parts and places thereof with a most grosse myst or blindnesse although the world in regard of its externall lustre thought it to be most bright and shining But the full manifestation of the darkenesse and dispelling of the smoak shall be a fatall darkning unto Antichrist when the most cleare light of the Gospell shall breake forth and shine in all parts of the world for then the beasts abominations shall be layd open to the view of all men whereupon many shall desert him his glory shall be obscured his authority despised and his Kitchin grow cold This plague shall be more grievous then the former or certainly an extreame encreasing thereof for then the beast shall be neerest to utter ruine of which more afterward And they gnawed their tongues Now follow three secundary effects of this Viall on the Vassalls and Worshippers of Antichrist First they gnaw their tongues By which proverbiall Speech is noted the extreame rage they shall fall into And the cause is added to wit for the paine or griefe in which they shall be because of the fatall declining of the Popish Kingdome for mad or furious persons use to bite their lips tongues and fingers and gnash their teeth as beasts not able to revenge themselves It may also be an Allusion to such as have the Falling-Sicknesse who by the sharpe sits of their disease are wont to bite their lips and fingers with the like madnesse or phrensie the Papists shall then be vexed when they see the Popes Kingdome to be darkened exposed to contempt and the authority thereof taken away when Kings Princes and the Vulgar sort shall deny obedience unto the same Secondly They shall blaspheme the God of Heaven As before for because they goe on to condemne the Gospell of Christ as divelish heresie and wickedly accuse the same as the cause of all the Commotions and troubles which themselves have raised Thirdly They repented not of their deeds viz which we have expounded verse 9. and before in Chapter 9. ver 20.21 The pouring out of the Sixt Viall on Euphrates 12 And the sixt angell poured out his Viall upon the great River Euphrates and the Water thereof was dryed up that the way of the Kings of the East might be prepared 13 And I saw three uncleane Spirits like Frogges come out of the mouth of the Dragon and out of the mouth of the Beast and out of the mouth of the false Prophet 14 For they are the Spirits of Devils working miracles which go forth unto the Kings of the earth and of the whole world to gather them to the battell of that great day of God Almighty 15 Behold I come as a theefe Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments lest he walke naked and they see his shame 16 And he gathered them together to a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon THE COMMENTARY 12 AND the sixt Angell poured out The sixt Viall is poured out on that great River Euphrates which as histories testifie runneth through Babylon is the bound of the Eastern Palestina Two events do follow The drying up of the waters of Euphrates And the sending forth of three uncleane Spirits unto the Kings of the earth to make Warre against God c. By the former the plague it selfe by the latter the last endeavour of the Beast to keepe off the plague is signified The drying up of Euphrates is by some properly by others mystically expounded Andreas expounds it properly Andreas opinion touching the drying up of Euphrates yet doubtingly Perhaps saith he Euphrates by Gods permission shall be shallow as that it will be easie for the Kings of the Nations and other men to passe over for to kill each other Now these Kings of the East for whom the way shall be prepared he guesseth to be Gog and Magog who shall come out of the region of the Scythians Or Antichrist with other Kings out of the eastern Persia where the Tribe of Dan shall inhabit of which Tribe Antichrist is to be borne and passe over Euphrates to the destruction and death of the soules and bodies of very many The first clause of which sentence touching the litterall drying up of Euphrates Ribera approveth but the latter hee rejecteth viz. of Antichrists comming out of the East with other kings over the River Euphrates being dryed up because saith he Antichrist shall sit in Jerusalem on this side of Euphrates and therefore shall not come out of the East which is beyond it but supposeth that the seven Kings of the East shall be called forth by the three impure spirits to joyne themselves with Antichrist in that generall battell against Christians Wonderfull darknesse and fabulous toyes no token of any plague doth appeare in these things whereas it is certaine that the beasts last plague save one is here denounced Here also I see our Brightman to keep to the Letter about the drying up of Euphrates but in a diverse sence and end Euphrates in this place as in Chap. 9.14 in the sixt Trumpet he understands to be the River of Mesopotamia which made the passage of the Easterne People into Judea very difficult The waters whereof he thinkes after the overthrow of Rome shall be dryed up by a like miracle as of old it happened at the red Sea and the waters of Iordane To what end That the way of the Kings that come from the rising of the Sun might be prepared that is that the Iews dwelling in the East
this Type the thing in hand doth very well answer for the Antichristian Babylon hath chiefly by two Monuments stood unmoveable Outwardly in stead of walles The walles of the Romane Babylon she hath Emperours kings and nations who as Vassals to the Pope do at his becke take up Armes in defence of Babylon Within her is Euphrates drawing to Rome as through a deep channell the treasures of the world in so much as the Churches Eschequer doth far surpasse the Treasures of all Monarchs in the earth It hath bin observed that in most Provinces Clergie-men have had Two-thirds of all rents scarcely one third remaining to the Prince and people Thus as Babylon gloried because of her deep waters so Rome boasteth of her excessive riches but like as the waters of Euphrates being diverted the River was dryed up The deepe waters of the Romish Babylon and thereby an easie passage was prepared for the kings of the East who tooke Babylon in one night Even so Romes holy tribute being intercepted and derived otherwhere there will be an easie way made for faithfull kings and teachers to passe as through dry Foordes Rev 18.8 that new Babylon may fall in one day and bee destroyed If thou aske who shall make the ditches and turne these Tributes of Rome another way See the History of Cyrus his army wrought day and night till at length the worke being finished Cyrus himselfe opened the Sluces and drew the waters from the City so the continuall labours and endeavours of Gods ministers shall prepare the ditches and Cyrus the Lords anointed Isay 54.1 that is faithfull kings and princes shall themselves open the more thus prepared draw backe the Rivers of Babylon and convert her Tributes to better uses as in Chap. 17. ver 16. is plainely taught unto us Thus we have heard the meaning of the sixt Viall which without doubt is proper and true for Babylon shall receive no plague more grievous then this before the totall destruction thereof Neither is this interpretation new or lately thought of by us but even my Anonymus hath exprest the same 260. yeers agoe in these words He dryed up that is The preaching of the Gospell doth and shall cause men to take away all temporall things that is Possessions and earthly Dominion from the Clergy and they shall no more be given unto them Neither are the waters of Euphrates onely begun to be dryed up a little but almost a hundred yeers the way hath bin a preparing for the kings of the East to invade Babylon Thus Bohemia in a great measure is fallen off from Antichrist and long agoe hath denied to encrease Babylons waters The like we see in England Scotland Denmarke Swethland with a great part of Germany France Poland and Hungarie And what would ye thinke if at last the waters of Italy and Spaine should be dryed up also But let us see the industry of the Beast in keeping off this plague While Cyrus of old prepared the motes and built Turrets before the walles of Babylon they scorned him and therefore it was no wonder they perished on a sudden because of their securitie But the Romish Babylon will more carefully stand on her watch and make the siege of the Easterne kings tedious and difficult as it followeth 13. And I saw come out of the mouth of the Dragon The internall effect of the sixt Viall we have heard spoken of The drying up of Euphrates being the sixt plague of the Beast The externall effect now followeth viz. the Beasts Ambassage unto the Kings of the earth to make Warre for to keepe off the plague The Connexion is to be considered By six Plagues the beast is almost wasted I. By the venemous ulcer on such as had the marke of the beast II. By the death of every living soule in the corrupted Sea III. By the blood of the Rivers and Fountaines IIII. By scorching of men by the heat of the Sunne V. By the darkenesse of the Beasts kingdome VI. By the drying up of the River of Euphrates Now because the Beasts kingdome shall seem by all these plagues to be brought to a most desperate condition he on the contrary will leave nothing unattempted for to uphold the same And as the Poet speaketh Flectere cum nequeat superos Acharonta movebit And therefore to advance his throne againe and bring backe the waters of Euphrates into the Channells of Babylon he will not feare to lift up his hand against Heaven but by an unheard of fury will move warre against God and by his Legates sollicite and draw the kings of the earth into the Confederacie of this warre But with what event Here indeed it is not mentioned but shall be declared in the following Vision Chap. 19. Namely that this his last rage shall expose the Beast his kingdom and the kings his Associates unto utter destruction This is the summe But because this last tumult shall be raised by the Beasts Legates Iohn here expoundeth in order from whom they are sent and to whom who and what manner of Messengers they are wherefore they are sent together with the successe of their Message all which things we will briefly consider The Authours of the Ambassage are The authors of this war ambassage the Dragon Beast and False Prophet Of the Dragon and Beast we spake in Chapter 13. The false Prophet is here first mentioned Now there we shewed that he is the same Land-beast who by great signes caused the Sea-beast to be worshipped and this will more clearly appeare in Chap. 19.20 where the same effects are attributed to the False Prophet which before were spoken of the beast rising out of the earth Moreover we there made it appeare that both Beasts do represent one and the same Antichrist under a divers shape The former as a King The latter as a deceiver Out of the mouth therefore of these three goe forth these three Messengers that is they are sent by their invention counsell commandement and authority for this is meant by the Type of going forth out of the mouth How the three Legates proceed out of the mouth of these three seeing Satan properly hath no mouth Neither is the sense as if one should proceed out of the mouth of the Dragon another out of the mouth of the Beast and the third out of the mouth of the False Prophet for thus their originall and authority would seem not to be equall But that they all three go forth as it were out of one mouth by the common conspiracy of the three aforesaid parties for to performe their interprize viz with lies in behalfe of the Dragon who is the father of all lies and by tyranny in the behalfe of the Sea-beast who represents Antichrist as he is a secular Monarch and withall deceit of unrighteousnesse in behalfe of the Land-beast that is Antichrist as he is a spirituall Impostor Now let us consider the Messengers themselves Three impure
Spirits Ribera understands them to be Three Devills whom they call familiar spirits such as Magicians send forth at their pleasure But they shall be men properly because they go speake and have to do with Kings in a civill way all which little suites with Devills Notwithstanding they are said to be spirits because by profession they shal be Spirituall Fathers And Three because there shall be many of them sufficient for to performe what they shall undertake for a threefold number denotes perfection as before in Chap. 11. the two witnesses were indefinitely put for a few yet sufficient for the Testimony of the truth Yet here it seemes they are said to be three rather then seven which number the Scripture more frequently useth because they shall be the choisest and subtlest out of the flockes of Locusts who ordinarily are not very many Notwithstanding they shall be of the true kind of the Locusts however they differ in forme and office Impure Spirits Not onely being of an impure originall but nature and manners also labouring to staine both divine and humane things even as the Locusts who came out of the filthy bottomlesse pit did defile all things with their venemous mouths and tailes Like to Frogs They shall not be Frogs nor in the forme of Frogs for so they should be unfit messengers to be sent to Kings but like to Frogs in filthinesse impudencie and loquacitie because like as Frogs with their continuall croaking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are most irkesome to our eares Aristoph in Ranis so these Emissaries of Antichrist living a most impure life within their Covents and being taught much to bable do fill the eares of Kings with their cries untill they induce them unto their holy Warre Neither are they much unlike to the Locusts for Locusts skip like Frogs besides they resemble the foure square heads of Frogs by their geometricall hoods 14. For they are the Spirits of Devills He further describes them by their nature and craft they are instructed in the Schoole not of the holy Ghost but of the evill one and therefore they shall have the nature and disposition of their master yet will some of them make a fairer shew and thereby prove more hurtfull and are the more carefully to be avoided Working miracles They shall gaine credit to their Ambassage not so much by words as by signes and miracles and thereby allure and deceive the Kings of the earth But by what signes and whose by lies and the efficacie of Satan from whom they originally proceed for the wonders they worke are delusions of Satan which are spoken of in 2. Thessa 2.9 Rev. 13.14 19.20 Which go forth unto the Kings of the earth Thirdly he declares their office they shall leave the function of teaching unto others of their order and shall be imployed in Warlike Messages Here Ribera erreth in thinking that these Kings are the same unto whom the way was prepared by the drying up of Euphrates for they were Kings of the East spoiling the beast But these are the Kings of the earth and of the whole world The former were against These shall be for Antichrist The Kings of the earth Thus he calleth as before the sworne Vassalls of the Beast and therefore they are said to be of the earth however by profession they would seeme to be Christians And of the whole world That is all Forraigne Kings whatsoever for at last the beast will labour to have the friendship and assistance of them all For in regard he shall see that they of his owne profession are more remisse and negligent then he would have them therefore by Ambassages he will stirre up Forraigne Princes and by all meanes labour to draw them on his side Now if thou demaund who these Legates are I answer Who these three spirits are that are sent forth howsoever undoubtedly they shall manifest themselves so much the more by how much Antichrists fighting against God shall appeare and the nearer we come to the day of Iudgement yet it seems not to be obscure in the least both by history and experience For it is plaine that the chiefe of these Messengers are the Legates a latere who are sent with full power unto the Kings of the earth to negociate for Babylon next to them are the Bishops who order and direct the affaires of the Court In the next place are the Monkes and Iesuites who insinuate themselves into the clossets of women dive into counsells and are Architects of dissention These as their own Epistles witnesse are daily sent as Legates to the kings of India America and Africa to bring them into the fellowship of this warre that is a preparing And now of late if I be not deceived they have made the king of Persia bounden to the Sea of Rome And indeed without the religious interposition of these men scarse any counsells of peace or warre can be handled in Court as experience teacheth Moreover this Type doth very fitly agree to Frogs They are Spirits viz. spirituall fathers but uncleane like Frogs Because saith my Anonymus they remain in the mire of riches prating and tatling against the truth of the Gospell Spirits of devills because saith the same Authour they are inspired by the Devill onely so to doe Working miracles or doing signes that is making shew of outward holinesse though in truth they be the greatest hypocrites having their affections set on the earth and wordly Pompe and therefore howsoever they be the truest Proctours of Antichrist yet being outwardly cloaked with so many signes of Sanctitie they captivate as it were all men so that they are esteemed of them more holy then the rest of men These things Anonymus but we are further to consider that by prodigious and false miracles they shall gaine credit to their Ambassage viz. such by which the beast himselfe is said to seduce the Inhabitants of the earth Chap. 13.14 Now it is notorious that there are none at this day in the world who arrogate to themselves the glory of working signes and miracles but the Popes Emissaries Thus we see who the Legates are and to whom they go forth To gather them to the Battell They will not professe to make warre against God for then they should never induce any but mad men unto it but pretend that it is a warre undertaken for Gods glory and against hereticks for the safetie of the Catholicke Church although in very deed it shall be against the God of Heaven they shall I say prepare a great Dyet to cut off at last all the heririckes in one battell and at once restore the affaires of the Romish Sea But O great folly for it shall not be the day of Hereticks but of God Namely Of God Almighty Whereby the faithfull should be stird up to consider the wonderfull judgements of God The Frogs indeed shall gather the Kings of the earth to Warre thereby to root out the Gospell of Almighty God
But by that war God will root them both out together It is called a great Day because the judgement of that day shall be great and wonderfull by the slaughter of all adversaries of which in Chap. 19. 15. Behold I come as a thiefe By a prophetical Parenthesis he exhorts us unto watchfullnesse And it is inserted by the occasion of that great Day in which the enemies shall come to fight against Christ Christ then on the contrary shall come to cut off the adversaries Now this his comming shall be sudden and unexpected like a thiefe in the night as Mat. 24.43 Luke 12.39 1. Thessa 5.2 Reve. 3.3 We must watch therefore least being brought asleepe by the cares of the World we be on a sudden oppressed by that great day of the Lord. And keepe his garments That they be not polluted with the defilements of the flesh and of this World or rather that they be not secretly stollen away for if their garments be taken from them they shall be forced to goe naked having nothing wherewithall to cover their shame 2 Cor. 92 This exhortation agrees with the doctrine of the Apostle We desire to be clothed upon with our house which is from Heaven if so be that being clothed we be not found naked And with that of Christ unto the Bishop of Laodicea Chap. 3.18 I counsell thee to buy white raiment that thou mayst be clothed and that the shame of thy nakednesse do not appeare See the exposition on that place And indeed Beza supposeth that this Parenthesis is for some reason from thence here inserted but there is no cause of such suspicion seeing the occasion of the Parenthesis is manifest and that the metaphor taken from garments is familiar to this Booke 16. And gathered them The old Version And he shall gather them as if it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beza in his latter Edition he gathered them according also as it is in our English Translation to wit Christ or God referring it to the foregoing Verse But in his former more rightly And they gathered them viz. the three uncleane Spirits for the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do cohere as if he had said The spirits went forth to gather the Kings of the world and they gathered them the 14. verse as we have shewed being inserted by a parenthesis It is true the Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being in the singular number may carry both senses notwithstanding it plainely appeares from the end of the Spirits going forth that in the Text by an Atticisme usuall to the Greekes the Noune 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spirits being plurall is joyned with a verbe of the singular number Now the end of the Ambassage of the uncleane Spirits was to gather the Kings least therefore it should seeme they had bin slacke in their office their endeavour is added And they gathered them viz. to the Battell for by their importunitie subtilty and jugling they perswaded the kings to take up this warre The Kings therefore of the earth and of the whole world are in readinesse with their armies for to defend the Beast against God Almighty O detestable madnesse The whole world will be up in armes no corner shall be in quiet or free from the warre of these frogs And indeed it seemeth that towards the end of the world it shall come to passe that not onely Popish kings who then shall be but few but also forraine and barbarous nations as of India Asia Africa being induced by the craft and deceit of the frogs shall joyne their forces against the professours of the Gospell for to restore the authority of the Pope What a confusion shall there then be in all places And how great shall the feare and trembling of the godlie bee Now what shall be the event of this unhappy expedition This is reserved to the following Vision onely the place where the battell shall be fought is set forth by the Hebrew word Armageddon Of Armageddon the place of the battell concerning which if I should alleadge the severall guesses of Interpreters seeing it seemes not to be manifested either by Scripture or Histories time would faile me In the writing of the word copies do differ generally it is writen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Harmageddon with two dd some have it Harmagedon with one d some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hermagedon with E divers significations are also alleadged Jerome expounds it The mountain of thieves Others A cursed Troup from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Others The army of malediction or destruction Others The deceit of destruction Others The ruine of the River or streame Others The mountaine of the Gospell Others The mountaine of apples or fruit Two of these opinions I like best First theirs who render it The deceit or guile of destruction from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subtle and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies cutting off or ruinating that the very place of the battle it selfe might discover the imposture of the Frogs who having put the Kings in hope of a great prey should deceitfully bring them into the place of their destruction where they shall be slain in a horrible manner not by the sword of men but by the sword of Almighty God for while they tumultously rage and fiercely fight against the Gospell in a moment they shall all be oppressed by the last judgement and be cast into the Lake of brimstone with the Beast false Prophet and the Frogs as it is in Chapter 19. verse 19. The other opinion of Beza I rather approve that Armageddon is that place where Josias unhappily fighting with Necho king of Egypt was slaine as we read 2. Chron. 35.22 Zechar. 12.11 where it called the field or valley of Megiddon here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The mountaine Megiddon for at the foot of the mountaine was a valley or large field for Combat but Megiddo was not the name of the mountaine or field but of a citie after which the field and the mountaine called Gilboe neer unto the same took their denomination Neither doth it hinder that the field Megiddo was tragicall not unto the adversaries but to good Iosias for it may be answered that two things are here aimed at The opportunity of the place as being most fit for battle and the mourning which there was of old for the death of Iosias the which at last shal be here in regard of the destruction of the adversaries The summe is this This cursed armie here treated of shall bee gathered into the place of its destruction which is not meant of one certaine place but wherever it be that these unblessed Troupes shall then gather themselves and rage against God there the day of judgement shall come upon them The pouring out of the seventh Viall into the Ayre 17 And the seventh Angell poured out his Viall into the ayre and there came a great voice out of the
Earthquake Chap. 6.14 the mountaines and Islands too are said to be removed out of their places in an allegoricall sense but not to have fled and vanished away as in this place Now after what manner Antichrist removeth the Mountaines and Islands both civilly and ecclesiastically we have there declared 21. And there fell great haile of a talent waight The fourth kind of signes are on men haile of a talent weight falling on the heads of the ungodly In men It is an allusion unto the seventh plague of Egypt where haile mingled with fire very grievous such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a Nation Ex. 9 24. smote all that was in the field both man and beast and broke every herbe and tree of the field We read also of another grieyous kind of haile when great stones from Heaven fell on the Canaanites and slew more of them then did the sword of the Israelites Ioshua 10.11 But the foresaid was nothing in respect of this which shall be of a talent waight that is he will cast downe haile like to huge Bullets of an hundred pound such as a strong man is hardly able to move much lesse escape without being hurt or killed if they fall on his head Thus I rather take the talent for our hundred pound weight then for the money talent of 60. or 80. Minas as Luther hath rendred it the Greekes indeed call any thing that is great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Talentary This haile fell on men yet not on all men but onely upon blasphemers as the effect sheweth for their punishments are here alone described whereas the godly shall be as free from this haile as were the Israelites of old so that it notes the dreadfull destruction of the ungodly which shall be as terrible as if haile of an hundred pound weight fell on them and crushed them to pieces And who knows but that this very thing shall be litterally accomplished for touching the signes of the last day nothing must be thought incredible And men blasphemed God A horrible effect of the plague The wicked being crushed by the haile after the example of the Aegyptians and Canarnites will cry as before to the Mountains fall us and to the hills cover us c. wishing that they might perish and bee consumed by the same but they shall onely be smitten therewith their plague not being ended in one day but shall bee tormented for ever and ever as we heard before in Chap. 14.11 Therefore being turned into furious rage they shall blaspheme and accuse the LORD as it were of cruelty as having lost all hope of being ever freed from the torment of the haile Therefore hee saith They blasphemed God because of the plague of the haile for the plague thereof was very great The which is a briefe description of the eternall torments of the Reprobates who will never repent of their wickednesse Because of these blasphemies Brightman supposeth that the end is not here spoken of for then saith he the wicked shall themselves subscribe to the sentence of the Law and say Amen unto the same But wee are to minde that howsoever they shall inwardly indeed subscribe as being convinced in their consciences that they suffer justly yet outwardly with their tongues they will never cease to poure out blasphemies against Gods administrations for if they feared not to breake forth this way against him while they lay under temporall plagues what wonder is it then if they doe the like or more when they shall bee tormented with the last plugue of the haile that is in hell for ever Thus we see that the fife Vision endeth with the end of the world The PREFACE to the Sixt VISION Touching the Iudgement of the great Whore contained in CHAP. XVII XVIII XIX THe sixt Vision comprehended in Chap 17.18.19 is a supply and gives light to the foregoing Visions especially to the third fourth and fift as far as concernes the two latter Acts which treated of Antichrist of these I say it is as it were a plaine Commentary so that wee may no longer doubt but Rome is certainly the seat of Antichrist and that the Pope of Rome is the very Antichrist figured out and revealed in this prophesie In the third and fourth Vision Iohn saw a monstruous beast rising out of the bottomlesse pit and the Sea Chap 11 7 Chap 13 1 having seven heads and ten hornes which killed the two witnesses made war with the Saints c. now there it was somewhat obscure what should be signified by this monster But here the whole mystery of the beast is explained viz. who he is who his heads are his horns In the fourth Vision also he saw a woman ready to be delivered Chap 12 8 9 10.11 12 16 whom the Dragon immediately persecuted and caused to flie into the wildernesse out of the sight of men here now he rehearseth how in stead of the woman formerly hanished he saw another viz. a whorish woman clothed in scarlet and sitting on a beast and that this woman is the great citie on seven hills the Queen of cities and Empresse of the world that is Rome In the said Visions chap 11 7 chap 14 8 he made mention of the great city Babylon whose destruction was proclaimed by the second Angell here he prophetically fores heweth that that great Babylon is Rome and that it shall at last be burnt with fire even by the hornes themselves of the beast that is by such Kings who before gave their authority unto her In the fift Vision he saw the great citie divided into three parts chap 16 19 cap 18 29 and overthrown by a great earthquake Here by a propheticall demonstration he more plainly describeth the fatall ruine thereof In the foresaid Vision the sixt viall being poured out he saw the kings of the earth and of the whole world gathered together by three unclean spirits chap 16 14 chap 19.11 to war against God Almighty in defence of the Beasts kingdom Here excellently he describeth the batell it self and the dreadfull issue thereof the victory of Christ and the casting of the beast and all his confederates into the Lake of fire By all which it is manifest in the first place that this vision as I said doth give a most clear light to the things before yea to the whole Revelation Secondly that the scope and use indeed of this vision in generall is to terrifie the adversaries that they might not be lifted up The use of this Vision because of their prosperity and presume against the church in hope allwayes to escape unpunished as also to comfort the godly least being offended with the present outward lustre and power of Antichrist and overcome by their manifold calamities they should faint under the same but in hope of a happy issue persevere constantly under the crosse fighting the good fight of Faith against the heast
in stead thereof is the relative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which thou sawest to wit not now onely but twice before also Besides the rule of articles on which the adversary grounds his deniall is altogither sandy and weake as not beeing strictly observed neither by humane or divine Writers especially in this prophesie as many examples might bee alledged for it both wayes as Chap. 13.11 14.1 where the Lambe and Dragon which had bin before spoken of are in the Greek written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without articles in stead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And on the contrary the whore not spoken of before with a double article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as before we noted ver 1. Therefore the Iesuites exception is childish But that this and the former is all one beast appeareth See the Preface first by the same ascending out of the bottomlesse pit secondly the heads and hornes of both are the same Thirdly by their blasphemies wherewith they are both full Fourthly their worship is the same Fiftly both have all one kind of worshippers to wit the reprobate inhabiters of the earth not written in the booke of life Lastly Ribera himself confesseth that the beast in C. 19.20 and 20.10 which shal be cast into the lake of fire with the false prophet is Antichrist and not the devill because there the devil is expresly distinguished from the beast Now nothing can be more clear then this viz. that that beast and this is one and therefore there is no shew at all to imagine that this beast should be the devill Notwithstanding if Ribera will needs have it to be so understood what will be gaine by it namely this that Rome and the Pope shall ride on the devils back for who is this horseman that sits on the devill but Antichrist And what also the womans riding on the beast is I have shewed in the Preface Now let us see the colour and blasphemous names of the beast the habit also of the woman her forehead and belly Sitting upon a scarlet coloured beast He describes the forme of the beast that caried the woman to the end his nature might bee the more easily and better knowne First he is scarlet coloured or rose-coloured because as Plinie saith its like to the cleare and precious red coloured rose most pleasant to the eyes For coccum or coccâ—â— the word here used is a grain to die withall growing of a red hearb serving to die purple or scarlet of which colour were the armour-coates of Kings This Kingly colour therefore of the beast denotes his royall magnificence as also his deepe hypocrisie for Antichrist makes a very faire shew to the world blinding the eyes of men and deceiving their mindes with Vizards and Impostures It may also signifie his bloody disposition for scarlet is of the colour of blood now in verse 〈◊〉 Iohn sees the woman drunk with the blood of the Saints And it is well knowne that the Romish Court for some ages hath used this colour that so it might set forth the proper Livery of the Romish Court whose purpled fathers in whom resides the power to create Popes are clothed in scarlet Secondly the beast is full of blasphemous names Which may be understood either because in stead of trappings or barbes which horses have he weares the names of blasphemies on his head or because he vomits them out with full mouth Both which agree to the former description Chap. 13. ver 1. 5. where the beast bad names of blasphemies on his head and afterward opened his mouth blaspheming God his tabernacle and the inhabitants of Heaven at which thing a godly minde cannot but tremble very much This shall bee the Theologie of the Beast such his kingdome full with names of blasphemy The Names are either persons as before Chap. 3.4 Or blasphemous doctrines For the beast as we have formerly shewed shall be wholly defiled with blasphemies insomuch as not a haire shall appeare without it Now what these blasphemies are it hath been opened in Chap. 13. I. He blasphemeth God in boasting himselfe with his Tripple-crowne to be Lord of Heaven Earth and Hell II. The Tabernacle of God in transforming the Spouse of Christ into a loathsome and filthy Strumpet the Temple of the Lord into an impure Brothelhouse III. The Inhabiters of Heaven in making them whether willing or not willing to be their gods and faviours and for more sake gives divine honour unto them Thirdly the Beast like to the monster Hydra hath seven heads and ten hornes fully resembling the beast before mentioned save onely that the hornes here have no Diadems the which thing was not indeed needfull to bee added because afterward in verse 12. the hornes are said to bee the kings on whom he set the Crownes Touching the forme of the rest of his body as his belly mouth and feet it is not here expressed because we had it in Chap. 13. notwithstanding if we consider his chiefe parts wherein lies his whole power the rest of his body may be easily knowne as a Lion by his Claw Thus much of the beast 4. And shee was arrayed in purple Now followes the description of the woman first by her glorious luxurious and whorish attire as if shee were another Cleopatra or Rhodopa Purple and Scarlet is Queenes clothing such as afterward the woman boasteth herselfe for to be being according to the Proverb like lips like lettice The colour of the Beast and the woman agrees viz. The colour of the beast woman is the same being royall hypocriticall and tyrannicall arguing the proud wicked and cruell minde of both The rest of her attire bewrayes her whorish luxuriousnesse viz. Gold Pearles and most precious Stones with which her haire head eares necke and fingers are made glorious and transplendent in the eyes of the world This is the Persian religion and Sybaritican luxury of Popes The whorish luxuriousnesse of the Popes and the whole Romish whorish worshippe which is to be seene in the Palaces Steeples Corners of streets high Arches Images Baths Temples Roofes Crosses Altars Idols Robes Mitres and other Babylonish Monuments all of them glistering with gold purple scarlet and precious stones whereby the whore bewitchingly allures the inhabitants of the earth like as Daniel foretold that Antichrist should adore his god of Forces with gold silver pretious and desireable stones Now howbeit the blind world is delighted with these fancies lib 2 offic c 28 yet the worship of God doth not stand in need of these toyes for as Ambrose saith The sacraments want not gold neither are such things which are not bought with gold pleasing to gold If thou aske whence hath the woman all these great treasures I answer by her fornication with Kings Merchants and Mariners the riches of the whole world have flowed to Rome as into an unsatiable gulfe as wee shall see in the following Chapter The participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
is observeable it properly signifies gilded Now Instruments are commonly gilded thereby to deceive outwardly appearing to be gold when as inwardly they are scarse Copper It notes the hypocrisie of this whore shewing that with vaine and idle shaddows she shall deceive the world Here Ribera sends us backe unto the Ancient Romanes Conquerours of all Nations who brought the riches of the world into their City Notwithstanding he acknowledgeth that these things are also to be referred to future times Indeed be had said more rightly if to the time some while past and present for as yet the woman hath not put off her whorish habit Secondly the Instrument in her hand is a golden Cup which she presented to the Kings and Inhabitants of the earth The whorish inticemants of Antichrist are noted much like the description in Proverbs 7. for cups serve to stir up lust This golden cup are the golden titles of the Pope by which hitherto he hath perswaded the world to drinke the wine of his fornication namely that he is Pope the Father of Fathers the Pastor of Pastors the most holy father Holinesse Christs Vicar Peters Successour the head of the Church Spouse Foundation Prince of priests Apostolicall Bishop lib 2 de P R cap 13. Vniversall Ruler of the Citie and world c. from all which Bellarmine labouring to demonstrate that the Pope is an Ecclesiasticall Monarch of the whole world what doth he but hence uncover the whores nakednesse But now what was within her Full of abominations and filthinesse of her fornication Outwardly she is gold inwardly poyson he understands the filthy blasphemous doctrines and detestable Romish abominations and wickednesses with which the whore hath made drunke the Christian world The Prophets call the worshipping and trusting in Idols and creatures which God abhorreth Abomination because it is the foulest fornication drawing with it all kind of impurity and wickednesse And indeed the Romish Strumpet hath poured these deadly poisons out of her bewitching cup. Ribera doth againe send us backe to heathenish Rome who induced the nations under them to serve their Idols Euseb lib 2 histor cap 2 Tertull. in Apol ca 5 But the contrary is true for the Romanes were so far from forcing the Nations they conquered to forsake the worshipping of their own Gods and embrace theirs as that they would have all strange gods erected set up at Rome lest any of them should not be there worshipped Christ onely excepted whose worship the Senate rejected at the perswasion of Tiberius because he had not first approved of the same Popish Rome therefore it must needs be which to this day holdeth this Circean cup in her hand 5 And upon her forehead a name written The third note openly setting forth the filthinesse of the woman is her name which she carries written upon her forehead that by the very sight thereof she may allure every one shee meetes with to commit folly with her It sheweth that this publicke Strumpet is most impudent as shewing her name openly to the world MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF FORNICATION c. It is a question whither or no the word MYSTERY be spoken of the name If it be it bewrayes the profession of the whorish kingdome which chiefly is imployed about Mysteries Sacraments Ceremonies Pompes it shall be I say an ecclesiastical Monarchie having both swords Notwithstanding Andreas joynes Mysterie with the name written as it were appositively A name written Mystery that is having a mystery in it or beeing mysticall for Rome is Babylon the great not properly but mystically as before it was called Sodome Egypt Hierusalem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a spirituall Allegory because of likenesse in idolatry blasphemies abominable filthinesse and tyranny against the Saints Thus Anonymus 260. yeers agoe Babylon the great the city Rome or the Papall Court This woman is called a Mother in imitation of the former but very unlike in respect of issue for the first was mother of the man-child caught up unto God or of blessed Confessours and Martyrs This is the mother of fornication and abomination of the earth for all the abominations that have reigned these thousand yeeres in the Christian world have by this mother beene sowed and brought forth and propagated And therefore Rome doth to this day glory in the name of Mother of Churches neither is it to be admired that her daughters as heires of their mothers abominations and fornications should be followers of her steps But as for the reformed Churches in Germany France Brittane Poland and Hungary who in these latter ages worship God and Christ the onely Saviour without Idols they are so farre from acknowledging this whore for their mother as that they detest her abominations with all their hearts and flee from them 6 And I saw the woman drunken We have seen the habit and forehead of the woman Now he shewes us her belly also swollen not with wine but with blood which againe is very monstrous for as it was unnaturall for a woman to ride on the backe of a cruell beast so it is no lesse horrid to consider the cruell mind of this woman her belly full of blood by which nothing undoubtedly is signified but her unsatiable cruelty and bloodthirstinesse Of this drunkenesse thus my Anonymus because saith he Antichrists Church being finally condemned for her wasting and abusing the goods of the Church shall suffer so great vengeance as through paine she shall be past feeling like a drunken man Therfore he thinkes that she is said to be drunke because of her astonishment beeing like a drunken man without sense or feeling of her punishment But because she is expresly said to be drunken with blood it is certainely to bee understood of her cruelty against the Saints and Professours of the Gospell Which Anonymus adding in the following words Of the blood saith he of them who feare not to professe the doctrine of the Gospell in spite of the whole Colledge of Antichrist Therefore she is said to be drunke that is full of blood The belly of the woman filled with blood by a metaphor usuall to the scriptures taken from men drunken and enraged with strong wine But with whose blood Of the Saints and Martyrs of Iesus Against whom the Beast made war Chap. 13. and whom he slew Chap. 11. Ribera acknowledgeth that this agrees to no City so well as to Rome yet hee labours againe to send us to Nero Domitian Diocletian and other Persecutors of Christians but absurdly for how should the Emperours be the woman Or how should this woman drunken with blood whose judgement is next joyned with the judgement of the Beast and shall be accomplished at the end of the world be Ancient Rome which hath not for thirteen hundred yeeres shed any blood of the Saints but hath ceased to be What Mystery also should be applyed to old Rome certainely this mysticall name is as absurdly written by the
and hornes greater wisedome is contained Now the words of the Angell consists either of one comma here is the minde which hath understanding to wit hid for herein is a mystieall sense that cannot be searched out by the mind of man Or of two commaes or clauses One being Here is wisedome the other he that hath wisedome that is let him understand And this latter seemes to be according to the mind of the Angell because of the article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that hath though the sense be all one viz. that the mystery of the beast is above mans wisedome except it be revealed And therefore the Angell offers himselfe to declare the same And he stirres up our desire by an exclamation lest we should be slothfull in taking notice and shunning of the beast The seven heads are seven Mountaines Now he opens the wisedome which he promised by expounding the mystery of the beast according to his severall parts Where first wee may observe the Metonymicall Phrase of the signe for the thing signified being ordinarily used in Sacraments and therefore are called Sacramentall kind of speeches The seven heads are seven Mountaines Gen 4 28 17.10 by a Metonymia of the signe and the thing signified for the seven heads signifie seven Mountaines so also The seven kine are seven yeeres that is signifie seven yeeres Ex 12 11 1 cor 10 4 Ioh. 1 32 Ma. 26 26 Circumcision is the Covenant for the signe of the Covenant as God himselfe interpreteth it The Lambe is the Passeover that is signifies the Passeover The Rocke was Christ for it signified Christ The Dove was the holy Ghost for it was a signe of the Holy Ghost And so The bread is the body of Christ broken for us for Aug dist 2 de consec c hoc est contra Adem cap 12 Luk 22 20 it signifies that the body of Christ was broken for us and is given unto us for food so Austin saith The bread is the body of Christ not in verity of the thing but by a significant mystery And againe The Lord doubted not to say This is my body when he gave the signe of his body So The Cup is the Now Testament for it is a holy signe of the New Testament c. Now this I doe the rather speake of because some inconsiderately do contend that neither in Scriptures nor good Authors any examples are to be found that the signe is put for the thing signified with the copulative Is betwixt But here they may see it The seven heads are seven Mountaines and a little after They are seven Kings Againe The ten hornes are ten Kings The waters are Peoples the woman is the Great City what will they have more Secondly that we might not seeke these Mountaines in the Moone as they say he addeth The seven heads are seven Mountaines on which the woman sitteth But the woman verse 18. is the great City that had dominion over the Kings of the earth in Iohns time that is Rome so then the sense is upon which Mountaine the woman fitteth that is upon which Mountaines Rome is built that rules the world hence Rome is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seven hal'd see Chap. 14.8 These Hills are called Capitolinus Palatinus Caelius Aventinus Aesquilinus Vnninalis Quirinalis in honour whereof was yeerely kept on the third of the Ides of December the Festivitie of the seven hills in memory of Romulus the builder or rather for the three Mountaines that were added by Servius Tullius that the Citie might stand upon seven for that which Romulus before built comprehended but foure Mountaines within the walles This â—â—ngell therefore doth plainly marke out Rome situated on seven hâ—â—ls as the seat of Antichrist Neither can the Iesuites any longer deay the same The Iesuits wrangling but onely by cavelling they would perswade us that Ancient or heathenesse Rome is here meant such as it was in Iohns time But themselves know it is a meere evasion for this Prophesie respecteth Rome that shall be in Antichrists time At last therefore they confesse it is meant of Popish Rome but here they seeke out another starting-hole viz. that this Rome shall not be the seat of Antichrist because it is to be burnt before Antichrist come But they well know that this is also false For why shall Rome be burnt Is it not because of her fornication with the Kings of the Earth and for being the seat of Antichrist They say that Rome shal apostate from the Christian faith unto Heathenisme See before chap 14 8 But what then shall the Pope doe in the meane time will he looke no better to his cure but a lyar had need have a good memory They say that Rome shall commit fornication with the ten Kings and for the same bee burnt And yet they say that those ten Kings or at least seven of them shall follow Antichrists Campe How then can it bee burnt before Antichrist come It is also observeable how diversly the seat of the woman is noted In verse 1. How the woman sits upon the waters upon the beast upon the mountains she sits upon many waters afterward verse 3. upon the beast and here upon the mountains the which are the heads of the beast All which things doe well agree ROME sits upon many waters as she beares rule over the Kings and Inhabitants of the Earth Rome sits upon the beast as she is born up of the beast and ruled by Antichrist Or if the beast be the Romane Empire Rome sits upon the beast as she swayeth the beast or Empire for by sitting dominion is noted Lastly Rome sits upon the heads of the beast which are the seven Mountains as sitting on them herself and giving them for a dwelling place to Antichrist Observe also the admirable union and mixture between the beast and woman and the mutuall metaneorphosis of the one as it were into the other so as the one is the other or a part and of the essence thereof yea both are one even the same Antichrist The seven Mountaines are the heads and strength of the beast and the seven Mountaines are the seat of the woman what doth hence follow but that the heads of the beast are the strength and seat of the woman that is of Antichrist Now the Mountaines of the woman are the mountaines of Rome And if the mountaines of Rome are the heads of Antichrist and the woman sit on the mountaines of Rome The woman then sits and reignes upon the heads of Antichrist Furthermore he that reigneth upon the heads of the Beast and the Mountaines of the woman is Antichrist The Pope of Rome reigneth on the heads of the beast and the mountaines of the woman therefore the Pope of Rome is Antichrist But Ribera contendeth that the beast is the devill not Antichrist yet he grants that the mountaines of the beast are the mountaines of Rome Now what will he gather hence
of the Ancient Romane Empire onely as in these expressions He changed my wages ten times This people hath tempted me ten times for many times or often Now this could not be said of the seven former heads because the Angell did distinctly number them Thus it cannot be obscure who these Ten Kings are Vndoubtedly they are all such as hitherto have held the Christian world at the appointment and command of the Romish Pope Of which read Angustinus Steuchus touching Constantines donation against Valla Sect. 94.97.103 where he maintaines that all kingdoms in Christindome as Hungarie Spaine France England c. are subject and tributary to the Pope Which have received no kingdome as yet We have shewed who the Ten Kings are now of their originall when and with what successe they should reigne At the time of the Revelation they had not as yet received the kingdome for hitherto the sixt head reigned in the Romane tyrants The seventh head also was to reign a short space on the mountaines of the woman in Rome and afterward some while out of these mountaines at Constantinople in the Christian Emperours before this also the beast having swallowed up the seventh head was to be made the Eight king The word therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not as yet notes the time from the revealing of this Prophesie which was Anno 14. of Domitian and of Christ 96. untill the Empire of the West taken from the Greeks by Pope Leo and given to Charles anno 800. being I say 704 yeers But receive power For shall receive by an ennallage usuall to Iohn which the Particle not yet sheweth for if they had not then as yet received the same it shews that they should receive kingly power afterward But when In one houre with the beast Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One houre and so rendred it signifies the little time their kingdom should continue But the Angell sheweth not how long their power should continue but when they should receive the same For what kind of kingdom would that be to continue but one hour Therfore the old Version and Beza do more rightly render it In one houre as in Chap. 3.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what hour I will come that is in or at what houre And Iohn 4.52 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yesterday at the seventh houre Now here an houre is not astronomically taken for the twelth part of the day 1. Ioh. 2.18 but metaphorically for an indefinite article of time as Iohn in his Epistle little children it is the last houre that is the last time so here in one houre is to be understood at one and the same time they shall receive their power with the beast namely when the beast shall come to be the Eight king usurping the Empire of the West and armed with both Monarchicall swords Thus undoubtedly the holy Ghost points as with the finger vnto the history of Leo III. that when he began to create Emperors and Kings then also he began to be the Beast and the Eight King With the Beast The old Version After the Beast as if it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but it is in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Beast Neither do I find it otherwise in any Copy though Alcasar saith he hath but alledgeth no Author The sense comes much to one for whither they shall receive power one houre after the Beast or at the same houre with the beast yet shall they reigne together but we are rather to keep to the Greek reading and sense They receive power in one houre that is at one and the same time with the Beast They receive From whom from the Beast who out of the fullnesse of his power shall give kingdoms unto them not so for the Angel saâ—th not from the beast but with the beast for how soever they shall receive it through the wicked means of the beast yet they receive it from God to whom onely it appertains to give and transfer kingdomes and from whom is all power But the holy Ghost thus speaketh that they are to receive their power with the beast for two causes First The kings received power from God because although the translation of the Empire under which the welfare of other kingdomes is contained was brought to passe by the rashnesse and boldnesse of the Beast Notwithstanding God himself intending to punish the intestine dissentions and other sins of the Eastern nations did by means of a necessary and lawfull war of Charls against the Lombards the destroyers of Italy and the Empire justly translate the Imperial state from the Greeks unto the French seeing it is God that ruleth in the kingdoms of men Dan. 4.25 and giveth them to whomsoever he will And therefore the kings here received their power not from the Beast but from God although the perfidiousnesse of the Beast came in between like as in the Schisme of the ten tribes notwithstanding the sedition of Ieroboam yet that alteration of the kingdome is ascribed to God Return ye every man unto his house because this thing is of Iehovah 1. kings 12 2. Therefore by this circumstance the spirit again points unto the history of Leo that when he began to create Emperors and kings Then also he began to be the Beast and Eight king Whence it is manifest that when the Romane Pope boasteth of the translation of the Empire from the Greeks unto the French and Germanes he glorieth in nothing but in his owne wickednesse and seditious perfidiousnesse Secondly because the kings were so to receive power as to have the same with the Beast that is to reigne with his favour they should have it I say for his advantage not without the Beast but with him that so the Beast might reign with them and by them For the Pope will not be accounted an Emperor or king but will have with and under him other Emperors and kings of his own inauguration and making as his vassals Therefore are they said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As it were kings which indeed shall bear the title and ensignes of kings yet shall they not be absolute kings as the seven heads were and therefore Ribera saith most truly They shall have indeed the name of kings But in truth Antichrist himself shall reignt and they obey him For they shall onely be intrusted by the Pope and hold their kingdomes from him evther directly as Fee-Farmes or Coppy-holds or indirectly as sworn to the Church of Rome Thus I rather take the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As because of the following matter which confirms this sense then of the obscurity of these kings who in comparison of the former Mouarchy shall be but the shadows of kings as it were although this sense be also true and agrees with the former Notwithstanding that which is spoken of one hour is not so to be taken as if all these kings received their power together but with some
this Prophesie it is to be hoped that as these kings have begun already to make the whore naked so they shal also in due time most certainly perfect the same And shall eat her flesh Not in love as some have thought but in hatred By eating her flesh Now this cannot also be understood according to the letter for the kings which shal do this work are no Canibals or men-eaters of Brasilia Therfore most expound the flesh of the whore not corporally but mistically of the whores kitching fat revenues anuities vacancies commendums tithes and holy rents hitherto brought to Rome from all parts of Christendom with which the whore being fatted grew to such fleshinesse and great strength This flesh the kings shall eat by denying these revenues to the whore appropriating the same to their own provinces kingdoms churches schools hospitals and almes-houses So Bullin Illyr Chyt Artop Napier and others This sense agrees with the uncovering of the whore or certainly it notes the last degree of the same However it be this phrase of Scripture doth also in other places signifie great hatred persecution wounding and killing Iob 19.22 Psal 27 2 being taken from Beasts tearing the flesh of their prey as in Iob Why are yee not satisfied with my flesh When the wicked came upon me to eat my flesh they stumbled and fell on which place Augustine thus They eat our flesh saith he that persecute us Shall burn her with fire Rome I say that whorish seat and nest they shal take By burning destroy and burne This prophefie is so open and cleare touching the overthrow of Popish Rome as the Iesuites dare no more deny the same And therefore we here see that Papall Rome shall be made desolate not by the Turkes but by Christian KINGS the definite or certaine time thereof we know not yet by what goes before it may be gathered without obscurity that the time is near for some Kings have already begun to hate and forsake the whore making her naked and eating her flesh some of the Ten yet remain with her into whose hearts what the LORD will put for them to do himself knoweth Perhaps more shall forsake the whore And though some Kings of the Earth may remain to make war still against Christ Neverthelesse these also will not spare her flesh no more then others as the present times do witnesse for do they not equally gape after the holy Revenues Neither will they any more fight gratis for the Whore but sell their protection of her for filthy lucre emptying her Purse as much as they can Here by the way to gratifie the Reader I thinke good to set downe a prophesie taken out of an Ancient Munuscript found in the House of Salezianus and lately sent to mee which every one may credit so far as it likes him Certainly so much of it as concerns the destruction of Rome doth not aberre from the present Prophesie of his Booke Now the words are these There shall arise a King out of the Nation of the most Illustrious Lilie having a long Fore-head high Brows great Eyes and an Eagles Nose He shall gather a great Army and destroy all the Tyrants of his kingdome and slay all that flye and hide themselves in Mountaines and Caves from his face For righteousnesse shall be joyned unto him as the Bridegroome to the Bride with them he shall wage warre even unto the fourtieth yeere bringing into subjection the Ilanders Spaniards and Italians Rome and Florence he shall destroy and burne with fire so as Salt may bee sowed on that Land The greatest Clergy-men who have invaded Peters Seat he shall put to death and in the same yeere obtaine a double Crowne At last going over Sea with a great army he shall enter Greece and be named King of the Greekes The Turkes and Barbarians hee shall subdue making an Edict that every one shall die the death that worshippeth not the Crucified one And none shall be found able to resist him because an holy arme from the Lord shall allwayes be with him And he shall possesse the Dominion of the Earth These things being done he shall be called the rest of holy Christians c. Thus far the Prophesie Now to return to the Kings Whether these kings be ten in succession Brightman understands by the hornes Ten Kings not reigning all at one time in so many kingdoms but so many Emperours succeeding each other in the Romane Empire and thinks that Charles V. was the first of those who taking Rome by force Anno 1527. did not a little shake it Foure followed none of which received their Crown from the Whore after the manner of their Ancestours or came to Rome to kisse his Holinesse feet yea all of them according to their clemency and prudencie gave freedom to publish the Gospell in the Romane Empire and by their example invited neighbouring Kings to the like clemency God is to be intreated that he will further put into their hearts to do what his pleasure is As for the succession the Angell made the same most plain in the seven heads but of the seven hornes not so for these Kings shall receive power together in one houre with the Beast and shall have one minde togither first in defending afterward in opposing the Whore Therefore they shall be together some space of time onely excepted Neverthelesse Riberas fiction which before I touched hath no place of Ten Kings Riberas fiction is inconsistent who suppressing the Romane Emperour shall reigne thorowout the whole world towards Antichrists comming and destroy Rome before Antichrist begin to reigne For first in this he agrees not with himself in Apocal. 17. Sect. 18 19. When saith he Antichrist is risen They indeed shall have the names of kings but in truth Antichrist shall reigne and they shall obey him Here he will have that the Ten kings shall obey Antichrist And afterward The devill saith he and Antichrist his chiefest limb assisted with the helpe and power of these kings will be able to doe all the things which are foretold by God Now it cannot be questioned but that the things he speakes of are the same which the Angell foretold ver 16. viz. of consuming the whores flesh and her burning by the kings How therefore should Rome be burnt by the Ten kings before Antichrists comming if the Devill and Antichrist shall do this very thing by the helpe and power of the Ten kings and how doth the fable confist that three of them shall be wholly extinguished by him if all ten shall give their faithfull assistance unto him Secondly it is an assertion altogether unprobable that these ten shall then rule the whole universe nay rather it is refuted by evident reason For when Antichrist whom they expect doth come certainly there shall be some Christian Kings to burne the whore There shall also be some kings of the Earth who shall lament her and gathering themselves into
committed fornication with the whore Vntill the words of God that is his decree touching the rising of Antichrist revealed in the words of the Prophets and Apostles be fulfilled After the fullfilling whereof God put into their hearts to hate the Romish Strumpet that is detest Popish Idolatry embrace the Gospell of Christ forsake yea and oppose the Whore Why therefore should we wonder that so many great Emperours so many religious Kings of Germany France Spaine England c. have with such zeale defended Popish Idolatry the Romish Church and Antichrist the Pope almost these 800. years in defence of whose magnificence and glory they have made so great wars and shed so much Christian blood We hear that God did put it into their hearts that they should do so and not otherwise so that the Angell wills us to rise from the events and secondary means unto the secret yet just judgement of God Here againe we have cause greatly to admire that after so long fornication some of the Kings as of England Scotland Denmarke Sweethland Many powerfull Princes also of Germany Bohemia France Poland and Hungary having laid down their armes against the Lambe and embraced the heavenly Doctrine of salvation brought to light by the Two Witnesses in the ages of our predecessours do at this day hate the Romish Adultresse and make her naked We have cause I say to admire the Fact and extoll Gods judgement to Heaven Certainly the Kings did not repent either rashly or by their own understanding God put it into their hearts that they should repent of their whoredome hate the whore and make her desolate The LORD is to be intreated that he will put the same into the hearts of the rest of the KINGS that is to take knowledge shun and hate the Whore and to give their power no longer unto the Beast but unto the Lambe Some Textuall scruples do here offer themselves which I shall explain after I have opened what yet remains in the Text. 18 The woman which thou sawest is the City The Angell openeth the whole mysterie of the whore This woman is popish Rome see chap. 11.8 14.8 16.19 that we might not think the woman sitting upon the waters to be an Asian or Vtopian Nymph It is saith he that great City before he often calls it Babylon Now he sets it forth by a more remarkeable note Having dominion over the Kings of the Earth Now what is this Is it the whole multitude of ungodly men in the world as some of the fathers wanting the experience which we have now have thought Nay it is Rome yea Popish Rome For the Writers saith Ribera In cha 17 sec 20.22 who have otherwise interpreted it are forced by the truth it selfe to yeeld unto us that Rome is that whorish City to be destroyed and overthrowne Again The foregoing words God put it into their hearts belong to the desolation and burning of Rome for they shew the cause of so great desolation effected by them who rather were thought should have proved friends With this sense which is certainly true c. Thus we have the interpretation of one sworn Iesuite Let us hear another Lib. de P. R. cap. 2 Babylon saith BELLARMIN that great City standing on Seven Mountaines and having dominion over the Kings of the Earth is ROME Neither was there any other City which in Johns time had dominion over the Kings of the Earth then ROME and it is most notorious that ROME is built upon seven Mountaines Let us hear a third Vest pag. 817 This Verse saith ALCASAR causeth no small difficulty to them who expound it otherwise then of ANGIENT ROME But in our exposition nothing is more cleare What can we desire more The great City is Rome both because the same is built upon seven Mountaines As also because it onely in Iohns time had dominion over the Kings of the Earth But now perhaps it hath not yea but it hath For whatsoever it possesseth not by force Quicquid non possidet armis Relligione tenet it holds by Religion Wherefore the two latter Iesuites do in vain seek an evasion that not Popish but Heathenish Rome is this City for they are confuted by Ribera their own companion ingeniously confessing that Heathenish Rome long agoe burnt to ashes by the Gothes and Vandalls hath no place here but that it is Popish Rome that now is yet notwithstanding he saith that it is to be burnt before Antichrists comming which latter refutes the former It remains therefore that the whore sitting on the Beast is Papast Rome O Rome hearken to Clemanges De corrup Eccle statu Cap 26 What saith he dost thou thinke of thy Prophesie to wit of John in the Revelation Dost thou not beleeve that it belongs at least in some measure unto thee Thou hast not so lost shame and sense to deny these things Wherefore looke on it and read the damnation of the great whore sitting upon many Waters and there contemplate thy worthy actions and what shall befall thee Again therefore we gather this argument Babylon that Great City standing on seven Mountaines is the Seat of Antichrist Popish Rome is Babylon that Great City standing on seven hills Therefore Popish Rome is the Seat of Antichrist Furthermore He which ruleth in the Seat of Antichrist is Antichrist The Pope of Rome ruleth in Antichrists Seat Therefore the Pope of Rome is ANTICHRIST There remains three scruples to be discussed from ver 17. I. How God puts into the hearts of Kings that is worketh in the hearts of men without impeachment of their liberty II. Seeing God is said to put three things into the hearts of the Kings One in its owne nature good viz. The hatred of the Whore Two things in themselves evill viz. Their agreement with the Beast and fight with the Lambe Whither he puts this after the same manner into their hearts and whither it will not hence follow that hee is the Authour of sinne III. In granting which thing some maintaine that these Kings were not converted how then are they said in spoiling of the whore to doe the will of God seeing they were ignorant of it Neither spoiled they her so much out of affection to piety as of desire to the prey Now first how God workes in the hearts of men the liberty of their will remaining Of this Question both in the Hypothesis and in the Thesis the explication is the same being not a little difficult For if God workes in the hearts of men he seemeth to determinate or limit their wills to one thing Now if God limit the wil then man seems not to act freely seeing that is said to be free which is unlimited in respect of a thing Furthermore God seems to move and bend the wills of men according to his own will or pleasure But that which is moved and bent by anothers will seems not to act freely Now the Scripture on the
Cardinalls Anointed Fathers Coped Bishops Silken Prelates fat Monkes Glittering Clergy and multitudes of people did abound in all manner of riot and luxuriousnesse there shall Devills Ghosts Scrich-Owls and all manner of hatefull birds inhabit This horrible judgement if the Pope Cardinalls and Clergy did read it were wonderfull if they could containe from teares and not thinke of repentance and flight from Babylon But to be inraged against me against the Prophet and against God what is it but to kick against the prickes Ribera demands wherefore evill spirits rather love and inhabit desert places then to frequent the company of men Before Christ they did so to the end appearing to travellers they might by terrour induce them to Idolatry After Christ he feineth another cause viz. to deterre Hermits and Monkes from abiding in the wildernesse But as the Question is foolish so the answer is as ridiculous The Lord Iesus Mat 12.43 saith that the devills being cast out of man do wander through dry places seeke for rest but find none So that it rather seems they are banished into desert places as it were into a large prison that they might not disturbe the society of men And so much the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying properly an hold or prison seems to import Not that they never return unto men but this they cannot do unlesse God permit them Indeed their proper domicile or abode is Hell into which Satan is thrust with his Angells yet in the mean while by Gods sufferance they often go forth some raging in the ayre others wandring through the deserts Now what do the wicked differ from deserts And therefore they more familiarly insinuate themselves and delight to be with them Hence it is that in the Papacy many are troubled with apparitions and evill spirits whether truly or feinedly others know that so Exorcists may have matter and occasion for their impostures Now this kind of Devills is wholly vanished from us by the shining light of the Gospell of God 3. For they have drunke of the wine The causes of so horrible desolation are divers times declared in this Chapter The causes of Babylons destruction that we might understand the righteousnes of Gods judgement Neither would the justice of God inflict so horrible punishments but for grievous wickednes Now their are two or three if we divide the former The first cause is In regard all Nations had drunke of the wine of her fornication that is because Babylon hath filled the Christian world with abominations and Idolatrous worship The Propheticall Phrase is before expounded on Chap. 14.8 where in stead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have drunke here used it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made to drinke And so the Kings Edition reads here also the sense being one only if we read it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is in Chapter 14. the guilt of the whore is more expressed thereby The second cause is fornication with the Kings of the Earth Not corporall for that could not be committed with a City therefore we must understand it of spirituall fornication that is the Idolatry which Rome hath obtruded on the whole Christian world and which she hath maintained by the approbation defence and zeale of the Kings her Vassals Now what was that Ribera sends us backe to the Idolatry of old Rome the which we have before refuted First it is contradictory to histories which shew that the Romanes did not obtrude their Idols on other nations but made the Idols of all people 's their own least any of the gods should not be worshipped at Rome Christ only excepted Secondly God hath not till now differred the punishment of Old Romes Idolatry and wickednesse This fornication is nothing but Popish Idolatry but most grievously punished the same long agoe through the Vandals Gothes Hunni who three or four times spoiled and ruinated the Romane City Lastly here is treated of Rome in the last times which can be applied to no other then Popish Rome now she shall not be punished for anothers but for her own whoredom And therefore this fornication can be nothing else save Popish Idolatry which the whole Christian world hath drawne from the breasts of Rome their Mother And the Merchants of the Earth are waxed rich Here is a third cause which hitherto hath not bin mentioned The lasciviousnesse and riot of her Merchants Through riot Magnesia and Colophon were lost according to the Proverbe It was also the overthrow of Sibaris and shal be the ruin not of old Rome which now is not but of new Popish Rome of whose riot lasciviousnes Sodomie simony I need not say any thing it being notorious to the world Read if you please the selected Epistles of Franciscus Petrarcha The riot of Popish Rome who above two hundred yeares agoe most eagerly upbraided the Papall Court for its most excessive luxuriousnesse and Pompe What would he have done had he lived till now But thou wilt say the Angell seems not to note the riot but the richnesse of these Merchants Now should this be the cause of so great a judgement Is wealth or merchandize in it selfe vitious not in the least but because these Merchants being as it were masters of new delights and pleasures were not inriched by honest trading but as it is in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the power or abundance of her lasciviousnesse that is because to their own excessive gain they have most earnestly furnished the Romish whore with all manner of riot and delicacies But who are these Merchants Ribera here also sends us to the riot and merchandize of Old Rome I confesse old Rome did much abound in these things but she hath ceased to be for a long time and so it makes nothing to the thing here in hand Neither did Old Rome obtaine her power and wealth by merchandize but force of armes not by Mercury but Mars Besides these Merchants are called Great men and Princes of the Earth ver 23. Therefore they are not common Merchants who bring in and carry out ordinary wares profitable and necessary for mans use But that singular kind of merchandize spoken of ver 13. sheweth that a speciall rank of merchants is noted for they shall buy and sell the soules of men What more palpable then that these Merchants are no other save Prelates and Princes whom they call Ecclesiasticall and all the sacrificing traders in spirituall wares Friars Monkes c. And that this merchandize is that whole Court of conscience reserved and unreserved Cases Indulgences Annuities Vacancies Commendums Dispensations Tithes and sale of Ecclesiasticall riches through which Channels the wealth and treasures of the Christian world have flowed to Rome and the whole Popish Clergy hath every where gathered so much riches as that Kings Princes Earles Cities Communities have scarcely wherewith all to maintaine their Politick State honestly Pope Alexander the sixt was a mighty Merchant in these things Of
manner the destruction of Rome is aggravared Now these things because of the similitude are here applied out of the Ancient Prophets See Isa 24.8 and Jerem. 7.34 and Ezech. 26.13 In the former the desolation of Iudea in the latter that of Tyrus is set foorth under the like Figures Because thy Merchants are the great men of the Earth He concludes with repeating the causes of this horrible judgement that the Romanists might not complaine of overmuch rigour In the Analysis we shewed the causes to be three 1. Riot 2. Witchcraft 3. Slaughter of the Saints Their riot is noted in one most evident signe onely because her Merchants are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The great men of the Earth as if he should say not minding their condition and originall they cary themselves as Princes usurping authoritie over all men Who now will say that these are ordinarie Traders what if one or two Merchants come to be Princes what is that to all these As therefore their wares were allegoricall So these are Allegoricall-Merchants Spirituall-Prelates Ecclesiasticall-Princes Cardinals Palriarchs Archbishops Bishops c. as before we shew'd At first the seven Deacons of Rome were Cardinals severallie placed through the Citie to preach and administer holy things But now there are sixtie eight purpled Fathers being as they say the chiefe Senate of the whole world who according to their instruction may not stand up though a Prince or a King salute them or give them the way and chiefe seat at Banquets What therfore can be more arrogant then the pride of these Merchants For by thy sorceries This cause hath bin often declared He cals the Idolatrie false doctrines ungodlie and superstitious traditions by which Antichrist hath seduced the Christian world Witchcraft both in regard of like efficacie because as with Charming-cups they infatuate worldly men and draw the souse to destruction because also Magicke is alwayes joyned with Idolatrie as we find in speciall among the Idolatrous Papists 24. And in her was found the blood of the Prophets The crueltie of both old and new Rome against the Godlie is here noted but chiefly of the new who under pretence of the Catholicke Religion hath for these thousand yeers shed as much Christian blood if not more then the old Pyrants in the first three hundred yeeres Is found in thee Because the greater part of Martyrs are slain at Rome And of all that were slaine upon the Earth Because also the Martyrs that suffered in other Kingdomes and Provinces were slaine by the authoritie of the Romish Strumpet And therefore all that blood shall be justly avenged on her The same was before said Chap. 16. ver 6. For they have shed the blood of Saints and thou hast given them blood to drinke Of which see more on the place The Coherence Argument Parts and Analysis of CHAPTER XIX THe third and last part of the Sixt Vision touching the Iudgement of the great Whore and the Beast that is of Rome and Antichrist remaineth to be treated of The destruction and burning of the City to bee executed by the Ten Kings once the Vassals of the Romane Antichrist but afterward converted to Christ the Angell had revealed to John in Cap. XVII and described the same by a Propheticall Hypotyposis in Chapter XVIII But seeing the whole Papacy shall not utterly perish at the sacking and burning of Rome Antichrists Seat in Italy but that the Pope shall find entertainment either in Spaine or otherwhere and shall persevere to oppose Christ and persecute the Gospell unto the end therefore in this XIX Chapter is revealed the destruction also of the Pope himselfe and of the whole Papacy The Chapter is full of manifold doctrines and consists of a most artificious structure Therefore the Reader may conceive the Argument Parts and I ogicall resolution to bee thus The company of Saints rejoyce over the judgement of Babylon their deliverance from his Tyranny and the Wedding of the Lambe at hand By and by is described a type of Christs comming to judgement and casting of the Beast and all his followers into the Lake of fire The parts therefore seem to be two The Saints rejoycing and Antichrists judgement Iohns errour about worshipping the Angell being brought in by a Parenthesis But we may more fitly cast the same into three Heads or Branches 1. WHat Iohn heard in the first nine Verses Aften these things I heard II. What he did ver 10. And I fell downe c. III. What at length he saw from verse 11. And I saw unto the end Touching the first Hee heard a two-fold voyce of gladneâ— and praysings The first celebrate the righteous judgements of God in the five first Verses The other triumph because of the wedding of the Lambe in the four following Verses In the former rejoycing is noted 1. Who they were A twofold Chore or Company first a great multitude leading or beginning the Triumph-Song in three Verses The second viz. the twenty foure Elders and foure Beasts Isinging after them verse 4. â—â—1 Where they were In Heaven verse 1. Both Companies therefore denote the Church Triumphant The Hyinne of the first Chore consisteth of three Parts 1. A Proposition God is to be praised Halelujah saivation c. ver 1.2 The Confirmation from the justnesse First in the Thesis because Gods judgements are true and righteous Secondly in a double Hypothesis or application because in righteousnesse he hath judged the whore and avenged their blood ver 2.3 The conclusion iterating the praises of God ver 3. Touching the other Company is noted 1. Their gesture And they fell downe 2. Their Religion and worshipped 3. Their assent or concluding the Song with AMEN ver 4. c. In the Latter rejoycing is noted First the provoking cause and of this 1. What it was A voyce proceeding out of the Throne 2. What it commanded viz. to praise the Lord 3. Who are commanded All the servants of God in generall verse 5. Secondly the effect of the cause is annexed viz. The rejoycing it selfe in which is noted 1. Who the Rejoycers were A great multitude whose voyce is aggravated by the similitude of the noise of waters and thunders ver 6. This multitude are the Servants and Feaâ—ers of God that is the Vniversall Church of Saints in Heaven and Earth 2. A Gratulatorie Hyinne consisting of two Parts In the first they blesse God with praises of Hallelujah adding a reason For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth that is hath vindicated his Kingdome from the blasphemies of Antichrist verse 6. Secondly they stirre up themselves to joyfullnesse and to praise the Lord Let us rejoyce with a reason from the joyfull circumstance of time for the marriage of the Lambe is come The which they commend 1. from the presence of the Bride or wife she hath made herselfe ready c. ver 7. 2. From her ornament and pure attire ver 8. And to her was granted 3. From the saving effect or blessednesse of
are here on earth serving him with seare in faith and true piety viz. all the Elect and faithfull of the Church militant here below Whereas therefore the heavenly Herauld doth stir up in generall all the servants of God to praise him and in speciall all his fearers he sheweth that not only God is to be celebrated by the companies of the heavenly inhabitants apart but with ioynt wishes and voyces of all Gods servants together as wel of Angels as men as wel of the Saints triumphant in heaven as of the militant on earth that is by the vniversall consent or accord of the whole Catholick Church This exposition is not obscurely confirmed by the Vniversal particle All ye his servants No one therefore of Gods servants is to be silent The distribution also prooves the same small and great Therefore both children and old men men and Angels are invited to this duty of prayse Hence now may easily be understood what is meant by that great multitude whose loud and terrible sound Iohn did erewhile hear Moreover we see this voyce belongs to us also For if God be our God we must wholie imploy our selves in his service we must not be the servants of men and slaves of sinne but if we be Gods servants him we must feare above all things and onely worship If we feare God then let us joyne our selves to this Chore and gladly celebrate the Lord with all his servants 6 And I heard as it were a voyce Behold the essicacie of the heavenly voyce the willing obedience of Gods servants being commanded to prayse the Lord they all readily lift up their voyce to his praise Of a great multitude The old version corruptly renders it a great Trumpet This great multitude is the Vniversall Church of Gods servants in heaven and earth as we see by the voice comming out of the throne Therefore this voyce accord is great divers and weighty as it were of many waters running swiftly through uneven places so as a man cannot heare himselfe speake or of many thunders with whose eccho heaven and earth is filled Thus the holy Ghost aggravates this voyce not that it was terrible saue to the ungodly but so vehement and weightie that the Beast and Dragon with all his fornicators might yea were forced to hear the same By such like metaphors the voice of the 144000 sealed ones is amplified Chap. 14. 2. See the exposition on that place And they are taken out of Ierem. 51.55 This song of prayses belongs to the last times Now it will appeare from the following Hymne that this whole praysing song belonges to the last times not long before Christs comming to judgement in which undoubtedly we now live and therefore we are bound to joyn our voyce with the same the Church triumphant sings in heaven the church militant hath with joynt desires almost these hundred yeers since which the Church began to be purged from the dregs of Antichrist sung praised the Lord because he hath set up among us the kingdome of his Son and freed us from the tyranny of Popery intreating him at length to deliver that great whore to condemnation and avenge the blood of his servants on her Halleluiah for the Lord reigneth They begin the hymne as before with Halleluiah But the argumentes of their joy are more magnificent then before And they are two One properly concernes the glorie of God the other of the Church Of the former they say Because the Lord God omnipotent hath reignea that is hath now at length declared that he is truely king omnipotent God indeed alwaies reigneth How God now reigneth and is to reign afterward and did never cease governing the world and Church But now his kingdome is obscure because of Antichrist and wicked mens cruelty who hitherto have as it were without punishment tumultuously raged in his kingdome But at length God shall reigne alone and manifestly having subdued all adversaries and abolished all powers in this life Then he shall be said truely to reigne when he shall appeare so to reigne as that in regard of his following glory he seemed not to have reigned before For many things are then said to bee when they begin to be manifested Therefore he is said then to reign not according to the essence but forme of his kingdome in which respect also Paul saith 1. Cor. 15. That then Christ is to deliver up the Kingdome to God his Father 7. Let us bee glad and rejoyce By another more effectuall argument they stirre up to gladnesse and praysing of God from the circumstance of time At joyfull times we are to rejoyce But weddings are times of gladnes then the bridegroom and the bride with great applause of kindred and friends goe to embrace each other But least they might seeme to rejoyce for their owne good onely they adde And let us give honour to God Not by conferring on him that which he hath not but by acknowledging and celebrating his infinite justice and power in punishing the wicked his goodnesse and mercy in vindicating his servants the which he hath from and by himselfe So that they shew unto us the fountaine and manner of true rejoycing in God For then we truely rejoyce when we give honour to God when we acknowledg and confesse with a willing mind that God is the author of that good we enjoy so saith the Apostle I rejoyced greatly in the Lord Philip. 4.10 and bids us to rejoyce in the Lord our God that is to attribute the glory of all good to God Hitherto the exhortation Now let us consider the reason Because the marriage of the Lambe is come The Lamb is Christ as before we shewed His wedding or marriage is the solemne and most joyfull copulation of the bride and bridegroom Christ is the bridegroom so he calleth himself Marc. 2. 19.20 1. Tim. 2.6 Ephe 5.27.26 and so the Baptist cals him Iohn 3.29 But who is the bride The holy Catholick Church 2. Cor. 11.2 Ephes 5.26 whom Christ hath espoused by giving himselfe a ransome for her sanctifying and cleansing her with the washing of water by the word to present her to himselfe a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing c According to the promise I will betroth thee unto mee for ever in righteousnesse Hosea 2.19 and in judgement and in loving kindnesse and in mercies J will even betroth thee unto mee in faithfulnesse and thou shalt know the Lord. Now although this betrothing between Christ and the Church be in this life so that wee are Christs and Christ ours and dwels by faith in our hearts neverthelesse the marriage is not yet Now is the espousal time the marriage being differred to the end of the world For the bridegroom is yet as it were in a farre countrey viz. in the heavens neither is the bride as yet prepared because all the Elect that are to be gathered are not yet gathered
whence we are put in mind of our naturall want and poverty Rom. 3.23 for we all come short of the glory of God beeing naked and destitute Also of Gods beneficence unto whose liberall hand we owe all the good we enjoy that so none of us with mercenary hypocrites should boast of our owne merits Thirdly he shewes what this ornament what the wedding garment of the bride is First figuratively Fine linnen cleane and white 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a kind of most tender pretious and white linnen as we shewed Chap. 18.12 touching the merchandise of the whore beeing like our purest silke Now if any man might thinke seeing the merchants of the whore doe likewise sell fine linnen whether the garment of the bride and whore be the same I Answer There is a twofold fine linnen The one true the other adulterate The true is given to the bride by Christ The adulterate viz the Saints merits instead of Christs is sold by the Popes spirituall agents Secondly they declare the wedding garment properlie yet by a figurative phrase For the fine linnen is the righteousnesse of the Saints Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the righteousnesses or justifications The causall for containes a reason why he called the fine linnen cleane and white for that is because it is righteousnesse which is cleane and pure because it is conforme to the Law and to God without which nothing can be cleane and white because the Law is holy and God most pure It is a metonymicall phrase fine linnen are the righteousnesses For it signifies the righteousnesse of the saints As The seven kine are seven yeeres For they signify seven yeers and so the like of other sacramentall phrases Now it is demanded what these righteousnesses are Ribera interpreteth it of merits The Justfications saith he that is workes of righteousnesse and holilie done But the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 given contradicts him For this righteousnesse is freely given by the bridegroom But good workes are not freely granted but performed by us Yea saith he they are also given because we do them of grace and they are the gifts of God It is true indeed But good works cannot be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 righteousnesses First because they are not pure and cleane Isa 64.6 Isa 3 2. Eccles 7.20 Mat. 22.12 but defiled with blemishes for all our righteousnesses are as a menstruous cloth In many things we offend all There is not a just man upon earth that doeth good and sinneth not The Guest in the Gospel had good works in that he obeyed the call and sate down with others at the banquet and yet was not clothed in fine linnen pure and white But wanted the wedding garment Lastly the good workes of the Saints what ever they bee cannot bee merits seeing they are due debts Now nothing how good soever beeing a debt can be rightly considered as meritorious Therefore this fine linnen or wedding garment is Christ himself with his righteousnesse This garment of fine linnen is Christ Ierem 23.6 1. Cor 1.30 with which we being clothed are acceptable to God For Iehovah is our righteousnesse that is he is made righteousnesse unto us in consideration whereof the saints are said Rev. 7.15 to be clothed in white robes not because they had adorned themselves with merits of good works but because they had washed and made white their robes in the blood of the Lamb. Now we put on this garment outwardlie indeed through the word Sacraments hence it is said As many as have bin Baptized into Christ have put on Christ INWARDLY through faith the holy Ghost Therefore are they called the righteousnesses or justifications of the saints because they are imputed to the Saints by Christ the bridegroome But why in the plurall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Righteousnesses Is it because Christ hath many righteousnesses I answere he hath indeed many the Divine humane active passive c. but the multitude respects not this but use the plurall because of the pluralitie of saints of whom every one shall have his righteousnesse from Christ neverthelesse they all put on one Christ and shall wholie possesse him Thus there shall be many righteousnesses Ribera demandeth whether this marriage be the same with that in Mat. 22.1 Vndoubtedly it is save onely that there is mention made of the calling to the wedding here of the solemnitie and marriage it selfe 9 And he saith unto mee write To wit the Angel who hitherto had familiarly spoken unto Iohn and before also Chap. 17.1 had said I will shew thee the judgement of the great whore For he commands him in speciall to write besides those things which he had hitherto seen heard and written the joyfull sentence of the Lambs marriage Blessed are they that are called unto the marriage Supper of the Lamb For this is a new matter of joy that the wedding guests should be blessed But why I. Because the guests themselves shall be the spouse and wife of the Lamb now the bride is blessed II. Because the feast is not earthly and vanishing but Eternall life and glory in heaven Vnto the Supper Why not unto the dinner Is it because they were wont to keep weddings towards evening or Supper time But in Mat. 22.4 the king saith I have prepared my dinner Therefore I rather think it is called a supper because the marriage shall be at the Evening or end of the world Mat 20.16 But how shall all that are called unto the Supper be blessed seeing our Saviour saith Many are called few chosen I Answer Some are onely called externallie and of such Christ there others inwardlie also in faith and newnesse of life and of these the Angell speakes in this place For these called are all predestinated Rom. 8.30 as the Apostle teacheth whome he did predestinate them he also called justified and glorifyed Neither doth Ribera denie but confesseth this These are the true sayings of God Wherefore is this Clause added The more to confirme the hope of blessednes unto us These words saith hee are not mine but Gods and therefore are most true and must certainely be beleeved Indeed all Gods words are true in themselves because God is trueth and cannot lie But in speciall we ought to be most fullie perswaded of this promise of blessednesse viz. That if wee obey the heavenly call on earth then we shall enjoy the blessednesse of the Lambes marriage in heaven But the doctrine of Sophisters denyes the truth hereof For they wil have the wedding guests alwaies to doubt of their blessednes feare as beeing deceived that is not to beleeve but hee that beleeveth not God 1 Iohn 5.10 makes God a lyar Therefore the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or certaintie of the salvation of the Godlie is here established The Second part of the CHAPTER IOHN is forbidden to adore the Angel 10. And I fell at his feet to worship him and he said to me See thou
Nicolaitans by open Antichristian Tyranny banishing the same out of the Church which thing indeed was justly abominable to Emperours and the Christian world Genebr chronol lib. 4. pa. 593. yet formidable because of the enchantment of the Apostolicall Church Notwithstanding Popish Writers doe glory in this most filthy Beast That HENRIE was the first among the Westerne Emperours whom the Pope deposed Histories also testifie that after those thousand yeeres the God of Strengths foretold by Daniel Chap. 11.38 that is the Idol of Transsubstantation and Stage-like Masse was chiefly erected and confirmed in which the whole strength of the Papacie hath hitherto consisted With this grew up the innumerable fraternities and families of Clergy-men Sacrificers Monkes and Religious Sects who all of them being exempted from civill jurisdiction are onely subject to the Popes Scepter Then were invented the Jubilees the gainefull trafficke of Popish Indulgences or Pardons and a thousand trickes to draw monies from all Provinces into Romes Exchequer Then infinite Ceremonies Superstitions and Idols were brought in and established so that if now thou compare Popery with Paganisme thou shalt scarce see any difference but in names Therefore it is not said without cause that Satan being loosed after the thousand yeeres should deceive the Nations of the whole Earth Neither was this horrible declining of Christianitie in the West onely For it is knowne that many most flourishing Churches of the East which yet stood in the first thousand yeeres were in the next five hundred yeeres either cut off and miserably dissipated or by the seduction of Satan filthily corrupted On the contrary we see that Mahumetisme although it began somewhat sooner yet within the latter five Ages was more generally spread both in Asia Africa and Europe This therefore was Satans former seduction Gog and Magog to gather them to battle Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which commonly is taken appositively That he might seduce the Nations Gog and Magog for which Nations are Gog and Magog but so Satans fury seemes to be lessened as if after his loosing he were onely to deceive and draw the barbarous Nations unto a civill battle Whereas he shall chiefly be busie about the intestine seduction of the Church within indeed labouring to trample her under foot by the slights of the domesticke Antichrist and outwardly by force of armes to suppresse her by a forreigne Antichrist It is therefore an Ellipsis or defect of the Copulative for And Gog and Magog because the Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ruleth the three Accusatives 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the middlemost of which did least need the Copulative The seduction therefore of Gog and Magog shall be diverse from the seduction of the Nations being not Ecclesiasticall as the former but politicall For Satan shall stirre up not the nations but Gog and Magog to this cruell battell which appeareth by the Relative not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gog and Magog by whom he shall set all things in confusion and blood Now what manner of adversaries or peoples these should be may scarcely be guest at For there are almost as many opinions about the same as Writers both Ancient and Moderne Bellarmine reckons up ten Lib. 3. de P R. cap. 17. Vestig pag. 877. all which his own excepted not a whit better then the rest yea even that of the five old Fathers Lanctantius Eusebius Theodoretus Hierom and Austine he disproves Alcasar also brings in many more But we will not weary our selves in rehearsing the conjectures of other men Magog to begin with this as the more knowne was the second sonne of Iaphet Gen. 10.3 of whom Lib. 1. Antiq cap. 7. as Iosephus writeth came the Magogites so called after him or Scythians that is the peoples which inhabit beyond the mountaine Caucasus neer the Lake Maeotis and the Caspian Sea unto the Northern India Hierom therefore by Magog understandeth the Scythian Nations unto whom some doe joyne the Cappadocians and Arminians seated beyond Coelesyria lib. 5. c. 23 whose Metrapolitan Citie Hierapolis where Papias sometime was Bishop is in the Syrian tongue called Magog as Plinie recordeth Touching Gog there is nothing mentioned in Scripture save in Ezech. 38. 39. where you shall finde a long Prophesie against Gog and Magog of which the Phantisies of the Iewes Mahumetans and Papists are not much unlike The Iewes feine that Gog and Magog are the Northerne Nations shut up by Alexander the Great beyond the Mountaine Taurus who breaking out towards the end of the world shall by war wast the whole earth especially the Land of Israel and the Citie Ierusalem But then the Messias shall bee at hand and slay Gog and Magog according to the Oracle of Ezechiel which Fable Galatinus hath refuted Lib. 5. Cap. 12. The Mahumetans Fiction touching Gog and Magog is much like to this Alcor A 20.28.32 c. save onely that it is somewhat otherwise touching the Messias and Ierusalem The Papists dreame that their Antichrist shall come in the end of the world with great forces and that in his Army which mostlie shall consist of the barbarous Scythians he shall have seven Kings for so many and no more shall then be remaining in the world as Ribera affirmeth The Emperour therefore of the Romanes the King of France of Spaine c. shall then either have no being or fight for Antichrist among whom Gog and Magog shall bee most powerfull Lib. 3. de P. R. c. 17. Apoc. 20. yea Gog according to Bellarmine shall be Antichrist himselfe which Ribera denyeth and in the space of lesse then foure full yeeres most cruelly over-runne and bring into subjection the whole world especially Christendome and to this Antichristian warre they applie the Prophesie of Ezechiel and of Iohn in this place As the Iews therfore dream that their Messias is not yet come because Ierusalem hath not bin assaulted by Gog and Magog who are to be slaine by the Messias So the Papists feine that their Antichrist is not yet come because Gog and Magog are not come who with a most numerous Army shall fight under Antichrists banner Ezech. 39.4.6.9.12 The fiction touching Gog and Magog refuted and with him oppose the Holy City that is the Romane Church Both Fictions are alike frivolous and are easily refuted by the Prophesie it selfe for i◠Ezechiel God threatneth that Gog shall fall upon the mountaines of Israel and that he will send a fire on Magog whereupon the Inhabitants of Ierusalem shall goe forth and burne the spoile with fire seven yeeres and that the slaughter of the enemy shall be so great that the land shall be seven yeers in cleansing because of the carkeises of the slaine But the Papists say that Antichrists kingdome and the Gogish warre shall not continue full foure yeers and that from this Victory of the Church unto the day of Iudgement there shall not