saith that the time is at hand because the things should be begun forthwith and from that time should proceede in a perpetuall course without interruption Although the last acomplishment should be at length for many ages after ¶ And he signifyed That is which also he signifyed when he had sent by his Angell to his servante John Twoo instrumentall causes are rehearsed the Angell and Iohn Christ useth his ministery not because he disdayneth himselfe to speake to us for he giveth himself to be seene in his owne person in this very chapter but because both our weaknes cannot endure the beholding of so great maiesty as it appeareth by and by after in John who fell downe dead at the sight of him ver 17. And also that he may shewe that he doth rule and commande to the Angels and all other thinges 2 Who bare record As touching John he describeth playnly himselfe unto us shewing that he is no other theÌ„ the Apostle himselfe of which two certeÌ„ and proper markes are rehearsed one the testimony given to the word of God and to Jesus Christ The other an eye beleefe of those thinges which he testifyed For Christ chose twelve out of all his Disciples who should be with him continually and should be present at all his miracles and conferences of which they should be witnesses afterward even unto the furthest parts of the earth Act. 1.8 by which double marke Luke doth note them out writing thus Who from the beginning were beholders themselves and ministers of the word Chap. 1.2 By which arguments also Iohn himselfe doth maintaine his authority in an other place That which we have heard which we have seene with our eyes which we have looked upon and our handes have handled of the word of lyfe 1 Ioh. 1.1 And the thinges seen which are here mentioned are not the visions of this booke which followe but the actes and miracles of Christ at which whyle they were done Iohn was present Otherwise howe could those thinges have procured authority to the writer which thing onely the mentioning of these respecteth in this place which were not yet made knowne to the Church Wherfore that John who wrote the Revelation was the Apostle unto whom those markes doe agree by which the Apostles were knowen famous in the Church above others neither is there any other John besides to whom these same thinges can agree And indeede he hath declared himselfe to be such by very good advise when as it would be very much avaylable for the credit of the Prophecy that men should be perswaded of the authority of him that did write it I mervayle therefore that Dionysius of Alexandria regarded these things so little that he would dispute against them so egerly But his foolish coniectures have bene confuted by others most leardnedly He then being let passe from hence it may be understood that those wordes which Aretas testifyeth to be added herein in some bookes wee see to have ben put in by Plantine and Montanus out of the Compluten translation And whatsoever he heard and whatsoever thinges are whatsoever must be done hereafter that these words I say have crept in wrongfully and into an unmeet place for thinges not knowne have no authority themselves much lesse can they bring it to an other 3 Blessed is he that readeth Hitherto of the Authours the Fruict of the Prophecy is the happines of them that reade or shall give eare to others that reade to them yf truly they doe observe the thinges that are written therin knowledg and workes are to be ioyned togither in sâ—ch order that that may go before so at lenght men come to that happines But no word unlesse that which is inspired of God can conferre such fruict to men But who are those blessed ones that read Are they those that shal be alive in that space of the last three yeeres wherein Antichrist shall exercyse cruelty tyraÌ„ny a little before Christ shall come to iudgement as the Papists doe imagine In deede Frauncis of Ribera the Iesuite doth thrust togither this whole Prophecy almost into these narrowe straites prudently verily as touching his Pope but in respect of the truth it selfe very perversly For were men utterly voyd of this felicity by the space of those whole thousande five hundred yeares which are now past since the Revelation was given Or can any be happy eyther in reading or keeping those things which perteine no thing to him If all these thinges are to be thrust into this three yeeres space they shall in no wise be blessed But they have bin curious in vaine who eyther hitherto have searched out those things or have used diligeÌ„ce in effecting them Which same thing must needes also come to passe in future tymes wee know not for the space of howe many ages But the whole handling of the thinge shall convince this invention eyther of very great fraude or ignorance and unskilfulnes Let us know in the meane tyme that such a fruite is here praysed which is common to all ages since this divine Revelation came forth to be seen of all meÌ„ which sheweth severally and one after an other the condition of every tyme even unto the last ende as shall be manifested with God his helpe by this exposition of ours ¶ For the tyme is at hand Wherin these thinhs shal be put in execution But seeing the whole prophecy doth denounce a battaile rather then put on a crowne the reason seemeth to be fetched from the danger nigh at hand as though he should say blessed are they that are fortified with some firme aide against the evils haÌ„ging over their heads But huge great evils staÌ„de at the doores of which this prophecy is full therefore they are blessed that shall take heed and keepe faithfully the way of escaping them 4 John to the seaven Churches Hitherto the Proheme The Epistle followeth the person of the wrighter of which namely Iohn was knowne sufficiently by the thinges before spoken They to whom he writeth are the seaven Churches in Asia that is the universall Churches in every place as Aretas and Beda doe well affirme and all as I thinke Interpreters with one consent doe iudge Neither can invery deede the thinges here rehearsed beare to be restrained to these seaven Churches We shall heare in the Epistles sent to every one an admonition that all should heare what things were written to the Churches Secondly it belongeth to these seaven Churches to knowe as well of future things as of present the charge of both namely of writing and sending he shewes afterward to have bin committed to him And the last conclusion of the whole booke which wished the grace of Christ to them all shewes that this whole Prophecy was sent to the seaven Churches for an Epistle chap. 22.21 But whaâ— had it availed these seaven cities which were to remaine but a litle time to have understanding of such things that after many ages should be which
were 12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixt seale and loe there was made a great earthquake the Sunne became blake as sack cloth of haire the moone was like blood 13 And the starres of heaven fell to the earth as a figge tree casteth her greene figges whē it is shaken of a mighty winde 14. And heaven departed away as a scroule when it is rolled every mountayne Yle were moved out of their place 15 And the Kings of the earth the Peeres the rich men the Tribunes the mighty men every bondman every free man hid themselves in dennes among the rockes of the mountaines 16 And sayd to the mountaines and rockes fall upon us and hide us from the presense of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe 17. For the great day of his wrath is come and who cā stande The Analysis SVCH is the Excellency of this Revelation The Events doe follow which first are the Seales secondly the Trumpets lastly the Vials For all the rest of the Prophecy is distinguished into three notable periode◠which containe the chiefe alterations to come in the world even unto the coming of Christ every one of which againe is divided into seaven points so as from the last of the former aryseth alway the whole sequent period As touching the Scales there is in every one a certen preparation afterward the type of the future thinges And the preparation is partly common wherby the Lambe openeth each one in order partly proper to the foure first which besides have an inviting by one of the foure Beastes to come and see There be sixe types of this chapter for so many seales are opened a white horse ver 2. a read ver 4. a blacke ver 5. a pale ver 8. The cry of the soules ver 9.10.11 and great earthquake to the ende of the chapter Analysis After J beheld when the Lambe had opened the first of the seales Nowe the Spirit entreth into the events which will instruct us touching all the changings succeeding by course in the world as farre as is expedient for the Church and which are of any moment unto the last end of all thinges A great matter and chiefly necessary to be knowne but such as into which noe understanding of mortall man can penetrate Therefore whom in the beginning I have prayed unto him doe I call upon againe having gone forward in some part by his alone grace that he will graunte mee happily to make an ende of the thinges that remayne who hath graunted mee so to beginne as I am persuaded is agreeing with his trueth Thou therfore most holy and most wise Lambe who alone hast deserved to take unscale the booke and not to that ende that thou shouldest have these secretes for thy selfe alone but that thou shouldest communicate them with thy Church as farre as shal be for her profit graunt I pray thee unto mee thy most unworthy servant according to thy bounteousnesse that perceaving cleerely what hidden and secrete things these seales conteine I may reveale the same holily unto the world to the edification of thy Church the ruine of Antichrist and the glory of thine owne name to be published unto all ages Amen In that wee have distinguished the Events into three rankes wee have the Spirit himselfe for our authour ioyning the trumpets to the seales the vials to the trumpets in such sorte as that alwayes the first thing of that which followeth doe aryse out of the last of that which wente before Therefore they bring in darkenes upon themselves who doe thrust togither into one the seales the trumpets the vials and also the seaven Candlestickes so as each one of every order should be ioyned one to another in equall degree as if the Father the Sonnes should be equall should runne togither the same terme of yeeres Furthermore seeing the seales ar as it were promises of future thinges the trūpets adversities approaching with great noise the vials things that are powred upon men by little and little and come upon them unwarres as wee shall after see overwhelme them it seemeth not to be convenient to cōfounde these contrary things togither so that the thinge should be promised and accomplished all at once and that the same thing should be done openly and secretly at the same moment of time but let us come to the wordes ¶ When he had opened saith he one Seale that is to say the first as Theod. Beza translateth it for after followeth the second third c. And so the Hebrewes every where use to speake But before I proceede to the thinges that are behinde that cold comment of the Jesuite is to be removed who thinketh that the opening of the booke is something diverse from opening of the seales as though nothing in the booke could be read and shewed unto us before that all the seales should be opened Which opinion verily faineth unto us I knowe not what booke of which wee have received never a word written neither doe wee understand from thence ought touching thinges to come For the Revelation hath nothing more besides the opened seales For out of them the trumpets come forth and againe out of them the vials as wee have advertised in the resolution so as all the rest of the Prophecy is limited with those thinges that are conteined in the seales as wee shall proove by manifest argumēts in their places If therfore after all the seales opened he hath found out some booke to be read it is Apocryphe that is a hid booke the originall and authority whereof is not known which peradventure may lie hid in the coffer of the breast of their Pope but which to reade and knowe the Church hath nothing to doe Furthermore it is needfull for the clearer understanding of the periodes first the termes of time wherein thinges are finished and every severall article of them to set downe some entrāce from whēce wee must begin which surely wee iudge to be by and by after this writing of John For that saying of the fourth chapter ver 1. I will shew thee the things that must be done hereafter calleth backe Iohn both to that moment of the Revelation given also teacheth to count from thence all thinges which are delivered in the booke following Therefore there is noe neede to have recourse unto the first ages of the world nor unto the Monarchies nor unto the times of Christ or the Evangelists or in any such thinge of the age past but John writing this Revelation by the commaundement of God about the ende of the Empire of Domitian as Ireneus sheweth in his 5 booke against heresies Eusebius out of Ireneus in the 3 booke of his Ecclesiasticall History chap. 18. At the ende of the raigne of Domitian about the ninety seaventh yeere from the birth of Christ wee thinke the beginning of the Seales to wit of
that that of his infinite divine maiesty is chiefly to be contemplated with the minde which may be most availeable for the present matter But that they should not thinke that they must alway ly in this base estate he adioineth another title Who was saith he dead but is alive as though he should say although I was in the beginning the first after the last yet I abode not any long time in this most base estate but death being overcom within the space of three dayes I obteined my former dignity in which I now live for ever These thinges then declare the notable chāge that came to passe at Smyrna and no lesse in his Antitype Where the first truth which by the space of three hundred yeares was established by so much blood be came at length to be hated of the Christians themselves and the last fortune stayed together with his professours which Christ as he himselfe rose from the dead should raise againe from the dust and place it in the former degree of dignity Why then should they be discouraged whom their Captaine hath gone before in the same steppes Or wherfore should they feare afflictions whose issue is so ioifull and confortable 9 J knowe thy workes and affliction The narration of the condition which he saith is knowen of him as in the rest least peradventure they should suppose that their miseries are not regarded of him because of his so long sufferrance The state of this Church was afflicted as at the present time in this verse so afterward to be expected in the next Wherto the Antitype agreeth altogether For after the first age driven away by and by a lamentable strife arose when Constantine succeeded The persecutions of open enemies ceased but the strifes and contentions of the citizens forthwith waxed very hote And not onely of the whole Church in generall but also of this city Theodosius Iunior boyling with envie against one Cyrus whō he saw to be very gratious with the people sendeth to Smyrna under a colour to make him Bishop of this city but with a determinate purpose that he should be killed For the Smyrneans had killed long a goe 4 of their Bishops which barbarous cruelty sheweth howe grievously this Angell was afflicted Epitome chr set out with Euseb chr by the famous Ioseph Scaliger pag. 293. But if we shall enlarge this Smyrna a little unto those contentions of the citiezens of which I spake by and by came Arius who kindled that fire wherby all thinges as well divine as humane were enflāmed The Bishops studied noe other thing then that one might spoile another of their seates and dignities Eustatius Antiochus was banished with a great company of Elders and Deacons Athan. in his Epistle to them that lead a solitary life Athanasius him selfe the onely defender almost of the truth was not onely assailed but also oppressed with all kinde of false accusations neither did they cease from their wicked assalting him before that he was banished to Treveres in France Those were sorowfull times when the Emperour in the meane time not minding sufficiently the drifts of the Bishops did not knowe the true originall of those sturres ¶ And thy poverty That is houw thou art moked and contemned as a beggar but be thou despised mor thē any Jrus of those hypocrits thou art rich in mine account that thou maiest regard the lesse the wicked scoffing of those men And that we may let passe the Smyrneans the matter is cleare in the Antitype How few were there of the Orthodoxe that durst professe the truth How superstitiously were those fewe suppressed of the enemyes Certenly the Saints were constrained to runne hither and thither that they might crave aide against the tyranny They also being turned out of their goods could not maitaine their life but by the liberality of others Athanasius alone may be in stead of many exemples from whose often perils flight hidden places no hope to escape any may easily see how the faithfull could prevaile nothing with their riches to repell the iniuries of their enemyes The Smyrnean Angell was then poore in deede if we measure riches by humane defence ¶ But thou art rich Not naked and forsaken as men thinke but by mee and in my account abounding in all riches Which things also are together for to shew what defence and estimation Christ could prepare for his even in spite of the world Authority did increase together with afflictiō as we knowe it came to passe concerning Athanasius who being vexed with all maner of contumelies in the East was in the west in great estimation Constantin the sonne Constans the brother Iulius Roman The Bishop of Treveres who gave him entertainement most kindly and liberally the space of two yeares did reverence him according as he was wortthy Moreover also Constantin the great himselfe having perceaved the calumnies of his adversaries did honore his innocency and vertu and determined to bring him againe from banishement ¶ And the blasphemy of those c. Hitherto the kinde of the present calamity now he sheweth the authors arrogating to themselves that which in no wise was fitting them But is it blasphemy for a Iew to professe him selfe to be a Iewe A Jew is taken figuratively for one people of God which alone among all men knew the right way of worshipping him as though he should say They that boast that they worship God after the ancient rule of the law in which maner their ancestors once worshipped and all men ought allwaies to worship This was blasphemy the retaining of the worship abolished and the thrusting upon God the ancient ceremonies by which the glory of his sonne sent at length into the world shoud be overwhelmed For which cause although they were Iewes by stocke they lyed in affirming that they were Jewes being so farre from that holy people that in very truth they made a Synagogue of Sathan And it is knowne with what bitter mindes they persecuted Christians in all places as we see in Paul Barnabas at Antioche Pisidia Jconium Lystra and in other places Act. 13.50 and 14.2.5.19 Which they did also at Smyrna about these times as we learne from this place Vnder Constantin these Iewes wer Arian Bishops namely Eusebius Nicodemiensis Theognis of Chalcedon Maris Patrophilus Vrsatius Valens and the rest of this sorte men in deede not Ethnikes nor woly void of all knowledge of God as neither were the Iewes but bearing the name of Christians such as were standart bearers in this warre Who notwithstanding did holde their errors with thooth naile no lesse then that stubburne nation of the Iewes striving to establish their Decrees onely to vexe by all meanes such as were contrary minded to boast that they alone had the true faith to condemne all the rest of ungodlines and blasphemy But whatsoever boastings that wicked company made as though God dwelt in their congregations onely they gathered Churches not to God but to the
that the Pastorall faithfulnes began then to shake and leane which afterwardes fell most shamefully when the Spirit sent these Epistles to the Angels In our England the matter is more cleare where there is such a forme of Church established as is neither colde nor hotte but set in the middes and made of both It is not colde in as much as shee professeth the helthfull pure and entire doctrine of salvation wherby wee have bidde fare well and forsaken the Romish Antichrist and have rysen from that cold death wherein wee lay before time Hotte in deede shee is not whose outward government for the most parte is yet still Romish In the degrees of their Clergie in Elections and Ordinations and whole administration of the Censures Which mixing of the pure doctrine and Romish regiment togither maketh this lukewarmnes wherby wee stande in the middes betweene cold hotte betweene the Romish Reformed Churches of both which wee are compact as Martin Bucer of godly memory complayneth in a certen Epistle sent to a most beloved friend of his at Cambridge written in Ianuary 12. in the yeare 1553. He in the tymes of King Edward the VI. was used amonge other who should determine the reforming of our Church But in what thinges both his owne and Peter Martyr his authority prevayled he himselfe manifesteth in that Epistle even nowe spoken of for so he writeth Whereas thou puttest mee in minde of the purity of the rites and ceremonies know thou that there noe stranger is asked concerning those things yet of our selves when wee may wee fayle not to doe our duty by writtings and in presence and chiefly that the people may be provided of true Pastors after also of the most purity both of doctrine and ceremonies And in an other place There be some who by most humane wisdome and vanishing cogitations would ioyne togither God and Beliall by the leaven of Antichrist These things he did write which wee at this day finde by experience too true ¶ J would thou wert colde or hotte I would to God that thou wert either wholy Romish or at lenght admitte a full reformation He sheweth the horrible greatnes of the evill by comparison wherein he preferreth a wicked and noe religion before this mingled lukewarmnes But doth not lukewarmnes come nearer too good From whence then hath it more fautie Certenly sinne is more sinfull where grace is more plentifull The fall of the Angels in heaven left to themselves noe way to obtayne pardon The sinne of our first parents was more wicked being committed in paradise most foule was the Idolatry of the five twenty men committed be tween the gallery and the Altar it selfe Ezech. 8.18 God wil be sanctifxed in them that approch unto him and suffereth more easily his grace not to be knowne then to be despised The servant that knoweth his maisters will doeth it not shal be beaten with many stripes Wherefore if Baal be God follow him why halt ye betweene both As though it were hard to iudge whether were better God abhorreth to come into this tryall There is more sound iudgement in him who not knowing the trueth continueth in his superstition then in him who being somewhat inlightned is tossed this way that way uncerten still what to follow Therefore a meane here is worst of all which under a shew of prudent moderation and tranquility is honoured of the world which God esteemeth lesse then his next extreemes on both sides It is then better to fall away to Rome Be it farre from us For in this place Christ preferreth the blinde Papists before those Angels who bewitched with ambition and covetousnes doe refuse holy reformation He saith not that the condition of the whole Church is worser to which the true foode of salvation is ministred whereof noe power is granted in the Romish Church 16 Therefore because thou art lukewarmne c. The aygernesse also of the punishement discovereth the horriblenes of the sinne which seemeth to be confirmed with an othe For the greeke worde which Theod. Beza translateth therefore the comon Interpreter hath but and it is of one swearing and confirming by othe in this place as though he should say So or thus let this or that be done to mee as it is certen that I will vomite thee out of my mouth After which manner the word So is used by the Latynes as in that Ode of Horace So the mighty Godesse of Cyprus c. as it hath ben observed by Henry Steven And with the Heb. Aeen is the same with sic as in Isa So he bare our sorowes that is certenly cha 53.4 Eccl. ch 8.10 and in so J saw the wicked buried that is truly certenly as some would And such silence is often used in execrations Therefore I sware in my wrath if they shall enter into my rest Heb. 3.11 ¶ It shall come to passe that J will vomit thee As it cometh to passe in meates which either hotte or cold are reteined of the stomache because of the exceeding quality which causeth feeling and exciteth the stomacke to embrace it but that which is lukewarme because of his nigh and familiar heate neither in entring is felt neither being entred is it for that cause digested but remaining idle and bringing at length trouble by his tarying there is thrust out of dores with vomiting as an unprofitable guest But we must beware that similitudes be not wrested beyond that which they doe intende as though naughty and wicked men should remayne constantly in Christ as cold meates in the stomacke For such were never in Christ neither doth he tell what he doth approve simply but what he preferreth Furthermore the thinges are referred to his externe administration wherby he beareth longer with the notably negligent or rather all togither strangers then lukewarme as the experience of all times proveth at this day wee see in the Romish Church which although shee hath forsaken utterly the trueth hath flourished a longe time when in the meane time God rebuketh forthwith the true neither differreth chastisment unto any long time if he shall see them slacking a little their earnest affection and to leane more to lukewarmnes But what is it to be vomited out of his mouth Will Christ in whose mouth and lippes the very trueth resteth and abideth take away his trueth from this Angell delivering him up into absurde opinions and that he should beleeve lyes againe The itching desyre of many men at this day to give againe to the people monstrous reiected opinions maketh this interpretation probable Wee knowe what is taught within these fewe yeares in the Schooles is preached usually in the assemblyes is disputed at the publike Comices and was published in print the last sommer But this should be the punishement as well of the people as of the Angels to whom it seemeth to be proper Therfore I have noe certenty touching this matter Surely the event will declare shortly In the
saith Paul to the faithfull in speach in coÌ„versation in love in spirit in faith in chastity let no man despise thy youth 1 Tim. 4.12 Behold the way to deliver from conteÌ„pt These garments are full of maiesty with which youth being covered is not despised And so once the Prophets wente adorned whose hairy garmeÌ„t had more estimation with all men then the silke vaine painting of others Those wicked men skornes of the Prophets who were togither with Iehu when the Prophet having entred in did lead him out from the coÌ„pany unwares did shew what good opinion of the Prophet they had fixed in their mindes What say they would that made man have with thee Yee rather why doe yee made men aske what that made man would have But their tongue spake according to their wicked custome their desyre to knowe did shewe aboundantly what authority credit they gave to him secretly whereupon when the message was knowne assuredly they created him King whom the made man had annointed for King The Baptist with his leather girdle garment of Camels haire was safe from the iniury of the Priests because of the honour wherewith the comon people honoured him The strenght of the divine institution is great in which God himselfe getteth authority eyther by the voluntary obedience of men or by some punishmeÌ„t inflicted froÌ„ God There is no neede of the shewe of earthly riches honours which at the first is wont to dazell the eyes of the unskilfull but at lenght when the vanity of it is perceived it is no lesse despised them frogges fallen from the ayre Therefore garments are to be bought of Chr. by which alone our nakednes is covered appearing otherwise very deformed whatsoever clothes thou puttest upon it Eye salve of old was all kinde of medicine made in that manner that is might be kept while neede should require At lenght the name remayned chiefly in those which are prepared for the diseases of the eyes because the PhysitiaÌ„s have used abondaÌ„ce of it Here it is applyed against the blindnes namely the wisdome of the flesh ignorance of spirituall things Wee reade that a certeÌ„ sensible thing was made of the spittle of Chr. of earth Io. 9.6 as it were by the knowledge of Christ by the word that proceedeth out of his mouth also the knowledge of our selves who made in the beginning of the earth savour nothing but the earth Both these are to be ioined togither to be kneaded into one lumpe they profit nothing asunder For our misery being knowne particularly bringeth forth desperation Christ being receaved without the feeling of our owne unworthynes is unprofitable and unfruictfull And yet wee are no table to mixe compouÌ„de togither these thinges but it must be obtained of him who came into the woâ—ld to iudgement that they which see not should see they that sce should be made blinde Ioh. 9.39 First therefore wee must remove our owne wisdome which as longe as it reigneth doth possesse us so wholy that it leaveth noe place for true and heavenly For o Angell wouldest thou have devised a reformation taken wholy our of thyne owne braine unlesse thou hadst swelled full of the opinion of thyne owne wisdome Overlooke thy decrees where is the Spirit called into counsell By what authority of Gods word is the amending of things confirmed After what exemple of the purer Church are our matters being fallen downe corrected and amended There is a deepe silence of all these things noe where is heard either Paul or any other witnesses of the holy trueth upon whose credit the things established might rest and stay themselves I beleeve thou shalt scarce finde a Synode even in the corruptest times in which the divine authority is more dumbe and speechlesse This opinion is to be layd away o Angell thou must acknowledge that thou art earth and that thou hast noe eye salve in thee tyll thou shalt be mollified with the heavenly spittell and subdued into a linamente Depende therefore on the mouth of Christ from whence floweth that which is profitable to doctrine to confutation to correction to instruction which is in righteousnes that the man of God may be perfite to every good worke 2 Tim. 3.16.17 From hence is conpounded that eye salve which will take away the skales of the eyes endue thee with that sharpnes of sight that thou mayest see playnly how thou oughtest to behave thy selfe in the house of God Neither must thou give eare to them who not onely unskilfully but also ungodly cry out that the rules of these things are not to be fetched from this shop Christ would not seth forth himselfe to be a seller of eye salve unlesse he had it both aboundantly wherby he might healpe our wante and also it were not lawfull to buy it from any other So then the medicine is threefould Golde against poverty which earthly riches ease not white raiment against nakednes which the honours of the world hide not Eye salve against blindnes which the wisdome of the flesh taketh not away From which nowe at length it may be understood that those riches where of in the former verse the Angell boasted is not the righteousnes of faith alone as the counterfait Ambrose prateth unwisely For those riches rested not on Christ alone Whereupon he warneth that he would buy gold of him which he should doe in vaine if before the Angell did abounde in the same But the righteousnes of faith hath all his treasures placed in Christ alone of which he is made partaker whosoever beleeveth truly and renounceth all other righteousnes Iohn 6.48 Rom. 3.7 Therefore o Ribera drawe rather water out of a pumeise stone then overthrowe the righteousnes of faith from this place But such trifles of thyne doe fall of themselves downe that I neede not spend time in confuting of them 19. As many as I love c. An exhortation to use the remedy and first froÌ„ the chastising of them whom he loveth A reason in deede of very great moment Whosoever is either among sonnes or amonge the reprobate Yf he receiveth noe sonne whom he rebuketh and chasteneth not what shall be done with the multitude of the rest An horrible destruction remaineth for them whom he will spare never so little who doe not suffer his owne children to escape uncorrected Therefore a chastisement is at hande unlesse thou repent betime and that very grievous and full of trouble as the very wordes themselves doe shew which are wont to be used for a confort in a bitter affliction wherewith the minde is so stricken as if it were forsaken of God Therefore he saith they are sonnes whom he beateth with so cruell punishements least through the grievousnes of the punishement they should despayre of his fatherly goodnes Therefore it is not time nowe to strive and to contend with mutuall hatred and reproches but the eares are to be lift up to the alarme of Christ
placed in equall dignity with the Holy Scriptures Here the Interpretation of the Scriptures was taken away from the Scriptures and made subiect to mens pleasure but chiefly to the Popes Ever since the world began the Holy and Sacred Scriptures were not so much abused both openly and by publique authority ANTIOCHVS in deede a good while since inflicted a grievous wounde in commaunding the Holy Bookes to be burnt in the fire Likewise DIOCLETIAN and other Tyrants But the iniurie of these TRIDENTINE FATHERS is farre more grievous For they were Ethniques enemies stricken with a certen fury and madnes wholly repugnant to all the trueth These alone wil be counted CATHOLIQVES very great and chiefe friends the thing a long time and much consulted of guided by mature and ripe iudgement the very PILLARS and upholders of the TRVETH and upon whom noe spotte of errour can be cast How must it needs be that their act was of no authority and these men of very great neither is there cause why any should obiect Marcion the Eucratites Cataphrygians and such monsters of which some reiected one part of the sacred Scriptures and some another at their pleasure There is very great difference as touching the greatnes of the hurt betweene the dotages of obscure Heretiques and the deliberat actes and Decrees of an gathered Councell especially which chalengeth to it selfe to be credited with out exception It is therefore a thing especially worthy remembrance and worthy that the Church should be put in minde of by so notable a Prophecy The event and time doe consent so wonderfully that every equall arbitratour will easily acknowledge that I have not willfully sought this interpretation but that I have ben lead as it were by the hande to the same by the very order and disposition of the matters As touching the assemblyes of the faithfull which in these last times did first appeare in Germany they were assailed with a most cruell warre the same yeere The same Beast made this warre likewise by the help of the Emperour Charles the fift otherwise a noble man greatly to be cōmāded but obeying the Pope too much through the common errour of the Princes From whence not without cause that is attributed to one which being proceeded from two or more yet notwithstanding is done by one ioint endevour The overthrowe in this warre was received about the two and twentieth day of Aprill in the yeere following to wit 1547 when the armies of the Protestans were put to flight Iohn Frederike Duke of Saxonie himselfe Ernestus of Brunswick the Lātgraves sonne and not very long after the Lantgrave himselfe were taken Which calamity stayed not in these fewe but also afflicted many others both Governours and Cityes which partly yeelded themselves of their owne accord partly were wonne by force In one moment sayth Beza bewayling the misery of that time seemed to be overthrowne whatsoever had ben builded up in so many yeeres and with so great labours and they onely were counted happy of the most part whom sudden death had taken away from these hurlie burlies such are his wordes The remembrance of that time is sorrowfull to all the godly when the holy and wise Princes inflamed with a desire onely to defende the trueth not themselves alone but the Churches togither with them which as newly borne did lament among the weapons came miserably into the power of the enemies But now was the time of darkenesse in which these two Prophets must be killed and made a mocking stock Although wee must reioice in the same adversities which ar a calling to remembrance of the divine Prophecies confirming certenly the confidence and faith of our hope as saith Tertullian in his Apologie 8 And their corpses shall lie There is this difference betweene Antiochus the Romish Beast He in burning up the bookes of the Lawe would not have so much as the karkeises to remaine This sufferred the dead corpses but onely for a mocking stocke and for a greater ignominie The cruell Beast is not satisfyed with blood but desireth some more grievous tormēt For their pierced corpses are cast forth into the streetes of the great city that they might be a spectacle to all men and an ornament to the triumphe of the Romish Beast And what other thing of these Scriptures now remained then a very karkeise wholly without all authoritie power and life when all interpretation was brought to the Apostolique Chaire neither might they mutter any thing at all which the Bishop of Rome should not breath into them The Spirit speaketh so exactly that he may leave them noe tergiversatiō He knew that the Pope of Rome whatsoever he should doe against the truth would boast neverthelesse that to him nothing is better of more account and more inviolable then the Scriptures themselves But that noe man may be deceived with a bare name the Spirit speaketh evidently that after the Tridentine Councill noe Scriptures should be in the possessiō of the Romanes but a dead carkeise of noe strenght and power ¶ In the streetes of the great citie which spiritually is called Sodome and Egypt This great City is that whole dominion of which Rome is the mother City in which sense the tenth part of the city falleth after in the 13 verse A street is some part of the Romane dition wherein this spectacle is exhibited to be seene the ioy whereof spreadeth it selfe through the whole Empire But the great citie it selfe togither with her chiefe citie is described in the rest of the verse and that by two expresse names a notable marke also being added least any perhaps should mistake the city And also for a greater assurance wee are admonished that these names are not to be takē properly but spiritually that is aenigmatically figuratively allegorically The first name is Sodom a city once very famous for her filthines nowe for her punishement a most fit exemple of the tower and chiefe habitation of this great citie For is not the city Rome become famous for her horrible lusts above all the whole world In the iudgement of all the Poete Mantuan hath truly songe of her in these wordes Shame get thee to the country townes if they al 's ' doo not use The same corrupted filthines Rome now is all a Stewes Which is no lesse declared by an other taking his leave of Rome thus Rome farre well nowe I have thee seen ynough it is to see I le come againe when bawd I meane knave brothel beast to be But that you may the better acknowledge Sodome heare what a certē man answered to one asking a question touching Rome Say what is Roma Amor Love if backward you it spell Rome loves the male kind Say no more J know thy meaning well Hath not Hieronymus Zeged Mutius declared this plainely in his Cynedicall bookes defending this horrible villany and approved by the Bulles and lettres patents of Iulius the third him selfe With whom Iohannes Casa associated himselfe being
pure Churches as tormenters and executioners vexed them while they lived Nothing is so grievous to the world as that their uncleane lusts should be bridled their filthines reprooved all their actions tryed by the rule of the same trueth But the Churches being now tyed to the interpretation of the Scriptures that is to the Pope of Rome why should not the Papists hope the Pope being of such gentlenesse to his servants that they shall henceforth be no more made sicke by the scriptures Without doubt the most holy Father would smite out their teeth least perhaps they should restraine his little pretie darlings A iust cause of exceeding ioy and great triumphe 11 But after three dayes and an halfe In the yeere 1550 the first day of Octobre after three yeeres and an halfe from that destruction inferred upō the Churches of Germany For at this time the Prophets revived and the estimation of the Scriptures congregations of the faithfull increased maugre Antichrist head and all enemies For the people of Maidenburge who all this time were proscribed of the Emperour and utterly destroyed in mēs iudgement a fewe daies before by George Megelburge at length raising up themselves or rather stirred up of God by a writing spread abroad testify openly to the world their unquailed courage and invincible constancy They detest the Councell of Trent and noe lesse reiect the decree of Basil made by the Princes and the Emperour himselfe They exhorte all to fortitude and shewe themselves to be ready if neede shal be for this cause not to refuse death This surely was the Spirit of life who comming frō God restored againe heart to the Church set up on their feete the slaine Prophets and endued them with such courage that they were straiteway a terrour to the enemies For beside that bolde profession the authour whereof was the heavenly Spirit given to them they stood on their feete in resisting valiantly Mauritius who being sent of the Emperour and ordained Captaine in that warre by publique authority first assaulted them very fiercely They tooke also that George Megelberge kept him in their power in the Citie who had lately given them a great overthrowe And at length when they could not vanquish them by any force peace being made with Mauritius they obtained a very famous name among forraine nations because almost they alone of all the Germanes had taught by their example what constancy can effect So therefore the Church nowe againe stood up on her feete Which thing doubtlesse put the enemies in very great feare For as Sleidane writeth That which was an ende of miseries to the people of Maidenburg was an entrance and beginning of warre against those themselves by whose aide and councell they had ben afflicted For Mauritius partly to deliver the Lantgrave his father in lawe partly to defende the trueth and to have free leave to walke in it which he sawe to have ben holden under some space of time by the iniustice of the enemies prepared warre against the Emperour him selfe But how great trembling arose from hence First the Tridentine Fathers whē even a false rumour was brought them that the citie Auspurge was taken scarce taking their leave of the rest of their fellowes in office slipped out ranne away But when Mauritius proceeded and approched Oenipous where the Emperour himselfe abode he strooke so great terrour into him that he fled away suddenly with great speed togither with his brother Ferdinand More over feare drove him against his will to give leave to depart to Iohn Friderike Duke of Saxonie whom before wee said to have ben taken prisonner least the enemie should referre it to his owne glory Was this a small feare which made the Emperour and the King of the Romanes to flee and dispersed the Tridentine assembly of Bishops Nowe therefore feare came upon the enemies that they should fly away as farre as they cā from her sight whom of late they scoffed at without danger 12 Afterward they heard a great voice from heaven Aretas and Montanus read and I heard a great voice from heaven saying to them come up hither To ascende into heaven is after labours dispatched to be adorned with exceeding honour and glory after the example of Christ who after death overcome was taken up into heaven But whereas a voice was heard bidding them to come up thereby is signifyed that the Prophets should not attaine to this honour by their owne power but should be placed in that dignity by the authority of other men that is to say by some decree of the Princes As wee knowe it came to passe at Auspurge the seaventh of the Kalendes of October in the yeere 1555 when by a publique decree the Emperour Ferdinand the King and other Princes bounde themselves that the religion comprehended in the Articles of the Augustane confession should be permitted free for all men Sleid. booke 26. This decree was the voice saying to the Prophets that they should goe up into heaven And not in vaine but they harkened to the same most willingly chaunging with most desirous mindes their former miseries for a newe granted dignitie as is here said and they went up into heaven in a cloude The enemies sawe this were grieved especially the Pope as was meete tooke it grievously who was thought to solicite the Emperour that he would make voide againe that Edict Sleid. booke 26. 13 And the same houre there was a great earthquake Aretas the Complut Edition and other read and there was in that day It is a common thing for an earthquake to signify an alteration of things as wee have observed at chap. 6.12 And doubtlesse a great change followed after this decree all Europe through The people of Austria require earnestly of Ferdinand their King that the same should be graunted to them which was to the confederates of the confession the same the people of Bavaria crave importunately of their Prince Albertus Which Princes when they sawe that it was scarse safe to be utterly against so fervent desire of men both of them yeeld some what to their people though with an ill will Like things come to passe in many other places whence one might see daylie newe defections from the Papisticall Kingdome ¶ And the tenth part of the city fell The City in this place is the whole popish Kingdome which was diminished in a great part of it when the Germanes forsooke the same I doubt not but the Pope himselfe will confesse willingly that by this fall he was deprived of a large part of his city but togither with this ruine and earthquake were slaine seven thousand men But that which is translated heads of men is in the Greeke names of men for the men themselves as in chap. 3 4. But the kinde of speaking is very significant teaching that God doth not strike men after the manner of Blinde Fighters but to appointe certenly and by name whom he will have to be slaine by
Prosper witnesseth in his booke de Ingratis in these wordes Rome is the Seate of Peter which is become the Head of Pastorall power to the world whatsoever shee holdeth not by force of armes shee holdeth it by religion And againe in his second booke of the calling of the Gentils chap. 6. Rome by the soveraigntie of Priesthood is more increased by the tower of religion then by the Throne of power Vnto which is added Ammian Marcellin in his 27. booke as he is cited by Bellarmine that he marvaileth not though men contend with so great desire for the Romane Popedome seing the riches and maiestie of it are so great But that the Dragon gave him this power appeareth from hence that the name of Rome was honourable to all men because of the auncient Empire of which once it was the Seate and therefore that they easily yeelded to any promotion of hers but of this more largely at the 6. verse 3 And I sawe one of his heads as it were deadly wounded Montanus Plantines Edition doeth omit I saw as though the Dragon togither with the throne power had given also one of the heads wounded which is contrary both to the faithfulnesse of the other Copies for Aretas the Common translation read I saw all other also to the truth of the history For the Beast had not a wounded head at his first beginning For first he was afterward he is not in chap. 17.8 as at that place wee shall shewe more fully In these wordes he commeth to the second condition of the BEAST The dammage consisteth in the wounding of one of his heads which now once or twice wee have advertised to be seveÌ„ hills and Kings from chap. 17.9.10 VVhether then of these kindes should suffer this calamity Surely if the wounde inflicted be to come into the power of the enemy scarce can one of the hilles receive a wound but all wil be wounded togither VVherfore more properly it beloÌ„geth to the Kings any one of which being afflicted with this wounde the rest abide whole from the same Although this hurt cannot be so proper to a King that it should not also be common to the Hills And these Kings are seven Governements or Principalities by which the City of Rome hath ben governed to wit those celebrated by all Kings Consuls Decemviri Dictatours Tribunes Emperours Popes as wee will make plaine at the 17. chap. If now it be demaunded to which of all these this calamity should happen the place which even now wee spake of declareth it evidently to the seaven head namely the Popes For so speaketh the Angell and another that is the seventh is not yet come and when he shall come he must continue a short space being hurt with a wound as it were quite killed with the same for Iohn saith as it were wounded to death as Aretas well puts us in minde for he should not be altogither destroyed by this blow But now after that it is manifest touching the Heads this wound was inflicted when Rome forsaken now a good while of the Emperours abiding partly in the East at Byzantium partly in the West at Ravenna beginning againe to flourish under a newe GovernemeÌ„t of Popes was smitten with an exceeding great storme by the Gothes Vandals Hunnes and the rest of the Northern people Which vexed most miserably the whole VVest part In this common calamity that late Empresse of the nations Queene of the whole world escaped not scotfree but sufferred a greater destruction then almost any City besides oftener taken by assault sacked wasted for an hundred two and thirtie yeeres at the lust of the Barbarians First Alaricus about the yeere 415 besieged and tooke it Of which thing Hierome speaking but after he saith the most famous light of all countries is cleane put out yea the head of the Romane Empire cut off and to speake more truly the whole world is destroyed in one Citie c. In his Proheme of Ezech. But in more wordes eloquently in an Epistle to Principia a Virgin The Citie is taken which tooke the whole world c. In what lamentable manner would he have bewailed if it had befell him to heare of the ofteÌ„ conquerings and spoiling thereof which followed For Rome now was consumed not once but was taken a second time by Adaulphus who gave her such a deadly wound that she was minded to change her name and to be called afterward Gothia The third time Gensericus the Vandal tooke it The fourth time Odoacer Rugianus reigning there fourteene yeeres Theodoricus the King of the Gothes slewe him whom at length Totilas followeth by a cerâ—en order of succession He the fift time overthrew and rased it bringing it to that wildernesse that neither any man nor woman could be found in it by the space of fourty dayes according to that of the Sibyll Rome shal be a perpetuall ruine and shee that hath ben seen shall not be discerned Albeit I thinke not that shee hath yet endured that calamity which Sibyll speaketh of although that now past may be a notable proofe of that which is to come Who in those times would not have thought that the seven hilled Citie had utterly perished VVho would not have supposed that the dignitie of the Popes to wit the seventh head had bin past remedy Therefore the Constantinopolitane Bishop and he of Ravennas the authority of Rome being as it were utterly gone laboured greatly as the next heires to drawe the same to their Churches But they were both much deceaved The head was not wounded unto death but as it were unto death Therefore the wound waxing more fierce Zozimus Bonifacius Celestinus about the yeere 420. having supposed a Nicene Councill chalenged the Primacy and they did moove so much as was sufficient to shewe that some life was left but they had a shameful repulse because this was the time of the wound on every side Pelagius also not long after before the skarre had closed altogither wrested the scriptures to the same ende but his endevour comming to no proofe declared that both the head remained alive and also that it was of no power For the raigne of the Gothes darkened the light of the Popes dignity neither could now any acknowledg her the chiefe who at home being the basest and servant of the Barbarous people scarce had a place where to abide For at once the Emperours dwelling at Rome at what time the Apostles were in authority restreined Antichrist that he could not come forth to be seen abroad so the new erected Kingdome of the Gothes in Italie was an other thing with holding which did repell his put out hornes for a time compelled him againe to hide him selfe in his shell Rightly therefore now the head did seeme to be wounded which was not able to shake off the yoke neither by any strength of his owne neither by any hope that he had from the East seing the Emperour
had graunted of his owne accord Italy to the Gothes which he had no hope to be able to retaine VVhat could he expect from the VVest every country wanting helpe so farre off were they from being able to succour others Therefore O Pope thy wouÌ„d was deadly whereof no remedie appeared from any place ¶ But this deadly wound was healed The third condition of the Beast coÌ„sisting in his dignity recovered by the healing of the head VVhich began at the yeere 555 when Iustinian being Emperour the Gothes were destroyed in Italy bâ— the valiantnesse of 〈◊〉 Nâ—râ—â—â—â—â— The Emperour played the Physitian maniâ—estly for first he tooke away the noxious humours by â—â—pressing yea rather utterly abolishing the Barbarians afterward he powred in wine oyle That Decree of Iustinians new constitution 131 wâ—s a most pleasant ointemeÌ„t Wee ordaine that according to the Decrees of the holy Counâ—â—lls the most holy Bâ—shop of auncient Rome shall be the chiefe of all Priests Hâ—â— much was the wound amended hereby But Phocas the Parricide afte◠〈◊〉 yeeres more or lesse that is in the yeere sixe hundreth and sixe finiâ—hâ—â— the cure bound up the wound healed it up into a skarre Hee did gâ—aunt unto Bonifâ—ce the third that the Romane Bishop should be counted Vniversâ—ll not onely that he should goe before the rest in order honour as Iustâ—nian decreed limitting the Primacy with the bounds of holy Concills bâ—t who should have the whole world for his Diocesse the Bishop of CoÌ„stantinople strove afterward in vaine from whom the Primacy was given by the sentence of the Emperour Now he perceived that the wound was healed and that therefore it was superfluous to pleade any more for this matter And certenly not very long after the Pope Leo second shewed that he had recovered health when about the yeere 680. by the warres of the Emperour he compelled Felix the Bishop of Ravenna to acknowledge the Bishop of Rome for his Lord and that the Bishop of Ravenna should not rise up any more it is ordained by the authority of the Pope That afterward the election of the Clergie of Raâ—enna should not be of force unlesse the consent of the Romane Pope were added to it Sabellic Ennead 8. book 7. Thus was the wounded head cured which being healed did more hurt the Christian world then before he received the wounde ¶ And all the world wondred followed the Beast Now he declareth how great the recovered dignity should be first by the honour which the worshippers of the Beast should give to him this honour is in admiring in this verse also in worshipping both the Dragon the Beast in the following And he speaketh significaÌ„tly after the Hebrewes manner to wonder after the Beast which is as much as in wondring to follow the Beast that is to give up theÌ„selves wholly to be ruled by his Empire as the Israelites going a whoring after their Idols forsooke the true God coÌ„secrated theÌ„selves to the worship of them They who so admired the Beast are the earth that is men savouring the earth altogither straÌ„gers froÌ„ the heaveÌ„ly city But how many is the nuÌ„ber of them All without exception For he saith the whole earth Therefore it should come to passe that the Beast after the head was healed should rule with farre larger boundes then before Prosper said that Rome was more ample at the first receiving of this dignity by the tower of religion then by the throne of power Which seemeth to be understood rather of the consent of the trueth then of the dominion of the Citie of Rome although then it was doubtlesse large The trueth was propagated further then the Romane Empire But Britanny had not yet acknowledged the authoritie of Rome in the matter of religion till under the Pontificate of Gregory the fift that is after some hope that the wound should be cured Augustine the Romish Munke forced our countriemen to take upon them the yoke neither did France Friseland Denmarke Germanie Sclavonia depend much of Rome before Bonifacius or Venefride an Inglishman about the yeere 720. brought these countries or the chiefe parts thereof unto the obedience of the Pope of Rome Now therefore was the time when the whole earth should admire the Beast when besides these and other Princes of Europe countries also most remote Ireland Scotland Norway Gothia Sueveland Luten and other nations of Sarmatia honoured the same as some God Let therefore the Pope glory in his universality by how much he hath the greater multitude by so much a surer argument is he that Beast But as touching the admiration it was indeede great some ages before and that of the most famous lights of the Church who carryed away with the too much honour of the Beast and not regarding sufficiently to what mischiefe at length the matter would growe did exalte too proudly the preheminence of the Apostolike Chaire Yet did they not wonder after the Beast so as they thought they must embrace all whatsoever he should ordaine but they had one rule of godlinesse and duty to it the sacred trueth Neither were the commendations of those times any thing to that admiration which followed the healing of the wounde Heare Bernard Thou saith he speaking to the Pope art the great Priest the chiefe Pope thou art the Prince of Bishops thou art the heire or the Apostles thou art in Primacy Abel in governing Noe in Patriarchat Abraham in order Melchisedec in dignity Aaron in authority Moses in iudgement Samuel Peter in power Christ in an-annointing c. in the 2. booke of Considerat Verily o Bernard thou hast played the foole through admiratioÌ„ Yet neverthelesse I dare not put thee among those who wonder after the Beast considering that I heare thee else where reprooving boldly and sharply the wickednesse of the Popes Cardinals Bishops and other Clergie men The times deceaved thee but there was in thee I thinke somewhat borne of God which at leÌ„gth did overcome the world But of what sorte was the wouÌ„dring of other men who were more blinded lesse fearing God Heare what the Ambass of the Emp. of Sicilia being prostrated on the grouÌ„d cry which takest away the sinnes of the world hav mercy on us which takest away the sinnes of the world give us peace P. Ae. b. 7. VVhat also Simo Begnius Bishop of Modrusium speaking to the Pope Leon in the Councill of Lateran sess 6. Beholde here cometh the Lion of the tribe of Iuda the roote of David thee o most blessed Leo wee have expected for Saviour Adde unto these Cornelius the Bishop of Biponte who shewed his astonishmeÌ„t in the CouÌ„cill of TreÌ„t in these words The Pope being the light is come into the world and men have loved darknes more then the light for every one that doth evill hateth the light and commeth not to the light O Blasphemous Fooles is it not enough for you to adorne the Man of Sinne with the praises of the Saincts
him before that he recovered health from his wounde which he had He was of great authority before he received the wounde as wee have shewed but of farre greater after the hurt was amended VVhich order the Spirit observed before in the 3. and 4. ver adding after his head was cut and healed both admiratioÌ„ and also adoration And that adoration is this same which is now gotten by the labour of this But why seeing the second is no other then then first revived urgeth he not worship in his owne name but onely in the name of that This is a singular cunning of the most crafty hypocrites to wit a fained name of antiquity wherby he might get estimation to himselfe in the world For in this onely he should wholly labour that the first might be worshipped as though he chalenged no new thing to himselfe but that onely which his Ancetours had left unto him by succession From hence the Epistles of most auncient Popes were corrupted most impudently coÌ„terfait put in the place of true and true wholly chaunged with strange additions and detractions for their owne profit From the same shop came the feigned donation of Constantine Likewise the Decrees which in their title have a shew of greater antiquity then trueth and sixe hundred of that sorte Neither is any other thing at this day so greatly laboured for as that the auncient honour may be given to the Pope that is that the first Beast may be worshipped it would be an unpleasant ambition openly to endevour to get honour to himselfe though the Pope is not ashamed of this wherefore he obiecteth the first Beast under whose name he may serve himselfe more secretly 13 And he doeth great wonders Now is shewed by what way he deceiveth men and obtaineth that worship for which he fighteth as for heaven earth to wit by working Miracles in the which Antichrist should be wonderfull whose comming is by the effectuall working of Satan with all power and signes and lying wonders as Paul hath forwarned 2 Thes 2.9 Which thing if Ireneus had observed in his 5. booke chap. 28. he would not have called this Beast so much the Armour bearer of Antichrist as Antichrist himselfe No miracles of the former are rehearsed but onely power great authority of which there may be a distinct force from signes It is manifest to all men how this Beast is commended for a notable fine worker of miracles by and by after he waxed whole of his wound Beholde one or two for it were an infinite thing to recite every one The Christians have ben protected wonderfully from the Devill in the Temple Pantheon after that Boniface the 4. had consecrated it to all Saincts Theodorus the next healed with a kisse one diseased with the leprosy No man in the whole army of Eudo to whom but even a very small piâ—ce of the blessed Spongie had come from the POPE Gregory 2. was either killed or wounded in the battell against the Saracenes The body of Formosus brought from the river Tiber into the Church of S. Peter is saluted and worshipped with great reverence of the Images of the Saincts in the entrance of the teÌ„ple A white dove like snow whose necke was shining as Gold sate upon the right shoulder of Gregory the 6. whiles he celebrated Masse WheÌ„ the same was to be buried in the Palace of Peter the doores of the Temple taried not the comming of the doore keeper but of their owne accord leaped backe at the bringing of his dead body A certen lame woman by drinking the water wherewith Vrbain 2. had washed his handes after the Masse was healed Infinite are the things of this sorte in which the Romane Pope glorieth both olde and newe For both are of like force to coÌ„firme his authority Which Zacharias knewe well who translated into the Greeke tongue the foure bookes of Gregory the Great concerning the miracles of the Fathers that the miraculous power of the Popes might be come knowen as well to the Grecians as to the Latines But wilt thou say the miracles of other men are not fewe That is true in deede but who ar all the slaves of the same Pope of whom whatsoever wonders are done they are referred to the defending preserving and increasing of his dignity as to the centre From whence all these done of his servants are worthily said to be his for whose honour alone they make ¶ So that he maketh fire to come downe from heaven His power to doe miracles being shewed summarily now he descendeth to some certen kindes which the Papists will have to be three the first whereby Antichrist shall seeme to rise from the dead the second wherby he shall make fire to descende from heaven the third is the power of speaking given to the Image which things seeing they are not founde in the Pope of Rome as Bellarmine will have it in his third booke of the Romane Pope chap. 15. it followeth saith he that he is not Antichrist His rising from the dead is gathered from his head deadly wounded and healed againe ver 3 of this chapter and from that which is said after in the 17. chap. ver 18. he was and is not and ascendeth out of the bottomelesse pit Which rising againe wee have shewed to be found most plainely in the Pope of Rome when he was eased and delivered from those miseries wherwith by the invasion of the Barbarians he lay overwhelmed and buried in mens opinion For that it cannot agree to the death of one man fained for some fewe dayes it shal be manifest from the person of Antichrist which the seventeenth chapter after will proove evidently to be a long succession of many not any certen and singular man Especially also seeing that this wound was very sorrowfull not inflicted on himselfe willingly and in jest but made by his enemies where could be no place for counterfaiting Which faining of death was brought in by a false coniecture of men and besides the trueth of the matter and the very wordes of the scripture Therfore the Rom. Pope is famous for the first miracle which if they please they may call a resurrection to which it is not unlike Now what manner of one is he in regard of the second CerteÌ„ly those miracles seeme to be very great which are done from heaven or in the very heavens wheÌ„ as men have very little power over these bodies as when a fire of the Lord falling from Heaven consumed the burnt offring of Eliah 1 King 18.38 Likewise also when the Captaine over fifty men with his whole bande was destroyed by fire from Heaven at the prayers of the same Eliah 2 King 1. Therefore Antichrist that he might not seeme inferiour to the famous Prophets would set foorth himselfe by this sort of miracles Gladly doe the Iesuites heare this from whence they judge for a surety that the Pope is not Antichrist of whom say they not such miracle is read But
touching the place they would wrangle about the time But by this so exact description he taketh away all halting frō them Therfore as touching the Whore her so expresse nothing out by Babylon seven hills seven Kings flourishing power and at length destruction the rest of the world being safe finally by the name of the city used in stead of an interpretation doo most strongly prove that the universall City of the Divill is not meant but some special city and namely Rome and so much the more because this whore is the Throne of the Beast And we know that the Throne of the Divill was attributed to a certain City to weet Pergamus before in the second chapter and thirteenth verse Therfore worthily Bellarmine that opinion being rejected sayth It is better in his iudgement that Rome be understood by the whore as Tertullian expoundeth in his booke against the Iewes and in his third booke against Marcion And Hierome in his 17. Epistle to Marcella and Quaest 11. to Algasia Bellarmine touching the Romane Pope in his third booke and in the thirteenth chapter Here then wee have our adversary confessing What therfore letteth that they should not agree with us about the Antichrist They have invented a double crafty shift for themselves one of the place an other of the time of the place that albeit Rome be the Whore yet is it not the seate of Antichrist but Hierusalem Of the time that Rome was the VVhore when the Heathen Emperours ruled but now shee is not since she became Christian and therfore that shee is not the seate of Antichrist seeing he shall not come but a little before the last iudgement But the Papists are holden with their owne snares for granting Rome to be the whore they must also needs grant the rest First of all that not Hierusalem but shee is the seate of Antichrist For is not this Beast the very Antichrist This also Bellarmine yeeldeth and though he had not yeelded it the truth wil force him to cōfesse it as we shal see But he affirmeth that Antichrist shal hate Rome from v. 16. after wel acknowledging that the Beast is Antichrist but how truly he spoke of hatred wee shal examine at that place From his cōfessiō we have that both the whore is Rome the Beast Antichrist Frō which it is of necessity that Antichrist shal have his denne at Rome seeing he is the very Beast on which the whore is caried Doth not the Spirit shew a very great coniunction nigh familiarity of both of the whore in setting upō of the Beast in bearing Ther is none but he wil say that a man is neerly joyned to the horse on whō he sitteth Certēly if Antichrist was to raigne at Hierusalē Rome being set so farr frō her saddle should walke on foot humble base who had so little aide frō the Emperours after they removed to Byzantiū wher they were not farr Secodly as touching the time how absurd is this distinction that the whore should be Heathenish Rome the first 300 yeeres after Christ but that Antich the Beast should not come ūtil about 3. yeeres an halfe before the last day Shal shee sit on the Beast not yet borne yea not conceived a very long time after For shal the Beast whē he cometh beare the whore being dead so many ages before For the whore shal cease to be 1300. yeeres how much more we know not before Antich shal come These ar dreames wholly mōsters of bearing sitting upō The Spirit hath takē frō you al such subterfuge coupling these 2. things by so ūseparable a band wherby he forbiddeth both to seeke Antichr els wher then at Rome also to think her to be this whore at any other time then when Antichrist should have his seate there Needs ar these two things to be ioyned togither both in place time But when shall this time beginne for this yet hath some doubt Surely when wee shall see the whore to have ben caried on this Beast by his helpe and authority placed in dignity and lifted up on high VVhich though I holde my peace Leo will confesse to have ben done in the 1. sermon of the Nativity of the Apostles when the preheminence came to the Popes and Rome began to excell through the opinion of her religion Rome sayth he being made the head of the world by the sacred Chaire of S. Peter hath more ample authority through divine religion then earthly dominion For although being inlarged by many victories thou hast extended the fraunches of thyne Empire by lād and by sea yet notwithstanding it is lesse that which warrelike labour hath put under thee then that which Christian peace hath subdued Likewise Prosper in his booke de ingratis Rome is of Peter the Seat which in honour Pastoral Is made of the world head what by the right Martial Shee doth not possesse yet shee by religion hold free Therfore this one common type ministreth a necessary argument both of the seat and Kingdome of Antichrist which alone might be sufficient to take away all controversie were it not that men loved themselves more then the truth and would not cesse to barke against it till that their mouthes be altogither stopped VVherfore the Spirit stayeth not here but goeth on yet to clearer things that for whom the morning light is not sufficient they may have the Noone Sunne an helper if peradventure they wil then see The sitting being in such wise declared peculiarly afterward he descendeth to both and first to the Beast which is described by the colour names of blasphemy heads and hornes The colour is of skarlet made readde by the little worme Coccus VVherfore this Beast is honourable shining with the same colour with Kings and no lesse wicked and bloody For this same colour is attibuted to most grievous sines Yf your sinns were as skarlet sayth Isaiah chap. 1.18 Not onely because it is a deep colour which cannot be washed of but cheifly for the cruelty of shedding blood which wickednes among the rest seemeth most horrible VVo seeth not that this Beast is at Rome where the Pope sitteth whose feete Kings doe kisse and who doth most cruelly murder Christians not acknowledging his divine power both in the city and also through all the Dominion But that colour hath not pleased chiefly the Romish Court at all adventures which hath come to passe by the providence of God that the Fathers might set before the world a visible shew of this skarlet coloured Beast Touching which thing see a most fine Epigrame of Theod. Beza Secondly this Beast is full of names of Blasphemy How fruitful an increase of a naughty thing Long agoe the heads did beare the names of blasphemy chap. 13.1 now the whole body is full of the same And first of all the Primacy was chiefely a blasphemy and therfore it was well carried on the head but the time added dayly others the heape whereof
grew every day until at length they came to the Councill of Trent and Masters of controversies by whose paines now the whole Beast is so covered with most wicked errours the whol sea of doctrine being turned into deadly blood as hath ben sayd in chap. 16.3 that thou canst see noe place free from some newe blasphemy Let an indifferent iudge consider so many horrible errours as in three great volumes Bellarmine deffendeth by the Popes approbation and let him speak sincerely whether every haire almost of this Beast is not spotted with som notable blasphemy Thirdly he hath seven heads and tenne hornes of which what is the meaning the interpretation wil declare which the Angel will make by and by In the meane time let it be agreed of that this Beast is the same which wee saw in the thirteenth chapter and to be the former of the two For of the second are rehearsed onely two hornes there in the 11. verse he maketh mention but of one in this place because both make but one Antichrist as in the chapter even now spoken of we have shewed and of the former onely because it is his intent to set before our eyes whole Antichrist from his first original of whom the second Beast representeth onely the half figure but now because in the last times in which the Beast should be fully discovered Rome the whore should depend more upon the civill authority of the Pope of which that first is the type then upon the spiritual we see at this day that the patrimony of Peter avayleth more then the doctrine which they faine to be Paules that neither Spaine nor France nor others very many have any regard to Rome but in so much as her authority serveth for their profit There is no man but knoweth that Italy despiseth her now a long time at home howsoever shee hath ben content to suffer her to be worshipped of strangers like a God For these causes therfore the former Beast onely is set forth Frances de Ribera the Iesuite avoucheth that this Beast is not that of the 13. chapter but a new new first seen Why so I pray because no article saith he is prefixed before Woman or Beast as it is wont to be done in things known Certenly if he should conclude from the new forme wherein they now first appeare it might have some weight which he sayth but seeing he gathereth that therfore neither of them was simply and absolutely before because they were not seen before in this forme to which onely thing the defect of the article hath respect he dealeth either foolishly or fraudulently after the māner of the Iesuits So J saw saith Iohn ond behold a Lambe stood upon mount Sion chap. 14.1 where also the article is wanting Is this therfore a new Lambe If any should say that there was new forme of him standing upon mount Sion and accompanied with and hundred fourty and foure thousand he should say nothing contrary to the truth but it is the same Lambe in very truth of which mētion was made before chap. 5. After the same manner a new shew is here brought in not a new person as is manifest in the woman which being called in the first verse a whore had the emphasis of the articles which did manifest the olde whore So now the same comming forth in a new decking wanteth the same articles The woman then and the whore are al one and this Beast is the same with that in the thirteenth chapter having the same seate blasphemy heads hornes worship among men the cause of the like eternal destruction and partaker of all his properties unlesse that some of them should now be more increased in processe of time and all things under this fift vial more evident then they were when they began For now he appeareth full of that blasphemy which before possessed the heads onely And was that former Beast Antichrist and shal not this be hee which is more blasphemous The wonderers also at whom are no lesse reprobates then they that wondered at that VVhat shal the Iesuite then gaine if that former being sent away to Hierusalem he hath left this more pernitious Beast at Rome 5 And the woman was arayed with purple and skarlet Such is the Beast now of what quality the woman is whom we shal see adorned most sumptuously of which thing Tertullian spake wittily Who hath deserved the name of an harlot at the Lords hande shee is made equal to her name in her attire Shee sitteth verily in purple with skarlet and gold and pretious stone which are cursed without which a cursed woman and harlot could not be described These things spake he but peradventure somewhat too severely in his booke concerning womās apparell The attire is altogither Princely and belonging to triumphes such as Belshazzar promiseth to them that should read the writting saying He shal be clothed with Purple with a Chaine of Golde about his necke and shal be the third Ruler in the Kingdome Daniell chapter fift verse seventh Attire surely fit for her which raigneth over the Kings of the earth as after in the 18. ver But purple was sufficient for dignity To what ende is there also skarlet That it might note out great cruelty ioined togither with it Shee is of the same disposition with the Beast redde with the murthers of the faithfull in the twelve Chapter and third verse There are many Cities made famous for their notable cruelty but togither therewith the dwelling place of Antichrist ought to flourish in exceeding great Maiestie which might be discerned from all the rest Both which victories even the Iesuites themselves cannot deny to be due to Rome But there is added also Gold Pretious stones and Perles which beside the Maiestie note also most excessive riot which is an other token of this woman And who can recken the infinite costes of this City bestowed on Tēples Theatres Galleries hote Bathes Palaces Obeliskes Pillars Arches belonging to triumphes Private houses and other ornaments Into this one City hath bin laid up in store the glory of the whole world taken from very many other to let passe auncient things what an huge summe of mony bestowed of late Pope Sixtus the fift in the yeer one thousand five hundreth foure score and eight upon a conduit which he built on the mount Quirinal It is recorded that two hundred and threescore thousand crounes were spent upon this thing Neither did any necessity wring from him this charges but that the Pope might sommer the more pleasantly in that mountaine The Vaticane Library renewed of the same Pope scarse peradventure stood him of lesse Yet notwithstanding the same man brought fifty hundred thousand peeces of Gold into a new treasury which he erected in the Castle of Sainct Angel that thou mayest understand that the Popes are not yet brought to beggerie But this Gold pretious stones doo not onely seeme riots for Rome hath bene farre more riotous and
2.18 Yee have heard that the Antichrist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shal come and even now are there many Antichrists wher the article you say is set before Antichrist properly so caled but none before him as he is cōmonly taken and therfore that the first is one certayn person but this later in general is al heretiks I answer the greatest succour of this cause seemeth to consist in this new feigned force of the article and therfore have wee the coleworts twise sodden set againe before us But we have sufficiently refuted this your eyther ignorance or craftynes in the argument nex before with which this is altogither one and the same Yet least you should complayn that you have no answer Be it that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Antichrist with an article is some diverse thing from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Antichrists without an article must it therfor by and by be one certayn persō I deny such an ill coherent cōsequence It may note out a singular kind of Antichrists of whō the Apostles taught the Church so diligently even as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wicked is often a kind of wicked mē 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the tempter and so in other In which the article respecteth not one singular but some thing common egregious in his kinde This might have bin manifest to you by Iohn himself whiles he warneth that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Antichrist was in his time For manie deceivers are entred in the world saith he which confesse not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh he that is such a one is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the deceiver the Antichrist 2 Iohn 7. where yet he speaks not of that chief Antichrist which was to come but of some such like sorte By which it sufficiently appeareth that Antichrist with an article is not a singular person The fourth place is Daniel 7. and 11. and 12. Out of the 7. chapter you take those things which are spoken of the little horn ver 8. c. which you say are to be expounded of Antichrist and that for two reasons First from the authoritie of certain Fathers then from the words of Daniel himselfe I answer as touching the authority of the Fathers I know many learned men doo interprete these words of Antichrist but this Apocalypse dispelleth the darknes which taking away the sight before suffred not to behold the thing it selfe For it teacheth that that little horne differeth much frō this Antichrist whom Iohn describeth For Antichrist is one of the heads of the Beast which is of many formes both in Daniel and in Iohn but a little horn is onely some addition ioyned to the head Moreover this ariseth after the ten hornes but Antichrist riseth togither and at one houre with al his That subdueth three horns under it the other unsubdued are eyther foes of the same or at least freinds of equal power but Antichrist is over al the 10. horns which willingly serv him until the appointed time Finally that is caled little Antichrist is not litle who hath power over every tribe tongue and nation Apoc. 13.7 who also beareth the whore to whom peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues doo obey and which reigneth over the Kings of the earth Apoc. 17.15.18 But you wil say it may be it is caled litle in the beginning not in the full age I answer the chiefest heighth of dignity when he shal most flourish shal lift it self no higher then over the 3. horns which he shal depresse Doubtles the Spirit would have made mention of moe if he had had power over moe That horn therfore is not this Antichrist but if we wil rightly consider the thing it is that Dragon of the sixt vial of this Apocalypse chap. 16.13 namely the Turk for of him and the other enemies that should oppress the Iewes doth Daniel onely speak without any mention of the Western Antichrist as it may be occasion wil be given elswhere to declare more fully This disparitie therfore wil by no means suffer these two to convene in one Wherupon you may now see that we ar not so much to look either who or how many they be that say a thing as with what reasons they so perswade themselves Secondly you say from the words of Daniel chap. 7.24 that this Antichrist whom ancient writers wil have to be meant by the little horn is a singular person for he is not caled one Kingdome but one King who of ten Kings that he should find in the world should take three quite away and subdue the other seven under him I answer first these last words and shal subdue the other seven under him is a very bold comment seing no footstep of them appeareth in Daniel For he onely sayth ver 8. so that three of those former horns were rooted out from before him and againe ver 24. and three Kings shal he depresse but of the subduing of the other 7. he no where maketh mention And how I pray you should he be a little horn if he should destroy three and have cōmand over al the rest These things are unadvisedly brought in by some old writers but worse reteyned by you for to darken the truth But this is little to the purpose for the force of the argument Therfore secondly I say that it is false to affirme because he is caled one King he is one person for the Angel before speaketh thus These great Beasts which are fowr are fowr Kings that shal rise out of the earth ver 17. which yet are not fowr singular persons but so many Kingdomes as your self can not deny The other place of Daniel is from chap. 11 ver 21. 36. where literally is treated of Antiochus Epiphanes but allegorically as Calvin and Ciprian and Jerom you say doo interpret it of Antichrist whose figure Antiochus did bear Therfore seing he was one certayn and singular person Antichrist also must be one certayn person I answer great in deede is the agreement of the wicked and needs must many things in them be found alike who are governed by one and the same Spirit for which cause those learned men avouched him to be the type of Antichrist after a common sort but that the Spirit intended him for the type properly as he is wont in the other scriptures I see not how it can be rightly said It hath not such agreement with that which they make the truth therof as is wont to be found in other types For example this Antiochus is the litle horn of the Goat of whom it is said ch 8.14 that he should rage two thousand and three hundred dayes Shal this be the type of Antichrist Then shal he not reign onely three yeres and a halfe but six yeres and more then an halfe and so an other Antichrist is to be looked for then yee yet feighn Or if you wil have it that al things are not so exactly answerable in the type and antitype
that the fal of the world and time of Antichrist is at hand Ierom in his Epistle to Ageruchia concerning Monogamie saith He that did hold is taken out of the way and doo we not understand that Antichrist is neer Also Gregory lib. 4. Epist 38. All things foretold are come to passe the King of prid is neer For if Antichrist were neer thirteen hundred yeres agoe or a thousand at the least as is evident by these testimonies how can it be that he is not yet come You answer that the ancient Fathers were deceived with opinion that the worlds end was neerer than in deede it was and that therfore Antichrist was then neer in false opinion not in very deed Wherunto I say If the ancient Fathers had grounded their sentence upon the persuasiō onely of the worlds end it must needs have been as they erred in this so also they had erred in Antichrist but seing they persuaded themselves so by other arguments and gathered not so much that Antichrist was neer because the end of the world was at hand as that the worlds end was at hand because Antichrist was neer needs must that be firm and stable which they avouched of this thing unlesse beside that vain opinion you can prov the other reasons also to be light But it is manifest by their words that they had suspicion of the worlds end by Antichrists coming not contraryweise For Ierome reasoneth from the impediment taken away that Antichrist was neer He that held saith he is taken out of the way and doo we not understand that Antichrist is neer Gregorie by the fulfilling all things that were foretold than which what can be a more certayn argument And you confesse that al the ancients minding the evilnes of their times suspected that Antichrists times were at hand They did not therfore upon suspicion of the end conclude of Antichrist For the last end is never made a signe of things going before but the things that goe before are determined to be signes of the last end The end seing it is the last and the most unknown even to the Angels in heaven and to the Son of man himselfe Mark 13.32 can give no fore-perceiving of things that are before more known By sure argumēts therfore they knew that Antichrist was at hand but that which they joyned therto of the last end relyed but upon an unsure humane conjecture They had received from Clemens Alexandrinus Strom. lib. 1. a false Chronologie of five thousand seven hundred foure skore foure yeres two moneths and twelve dayes past from Adam unto the death of Cōmodus the Emperour Therunto was added an opinion of the worlds durance six thousand yeres wherupon Cyprian in the preface de exhort Martyr saith the six thousand yeres are now almost fulfilled since the Divil impugned man And Lactantius lib. 7. cap. 25. Divinar Institut All exspectation seemeth to be more than of two hundred yeres Add unto these the conjecture of the worlds speedy end after Antichrists coming and then it will easily appear that great difference ther is between those things which are handled of Antichrist and of the end of the world The first they had found out by many Prophesies and undoubted signes the later they did persuade themselves by some likelyhood of truth and the infirme authority of men The like we doo see in Christs disciples which exspected as we knowe a temporal Kingdome Yet when they preached that Christ was come that the Kingdome was thē to be restored to Israel should any which saw not the Kingdom restored disanull their faith touching Christs coming surely he should doo them wrong For that Christ was come they knew by most sure arguments which could not deceive but their opiniō of the temporal Kingdom they drew from the dreggs of the common error Even so the ancient Fathers understood by true signes from the Scriptures that Antichrist was at the dores but that which they affirmed of the last end was of their own should not diminish the credit of that wherwith it is joyned Therfore you have not escaped by this your answer but by the sentence of the ancient Fathers it remayneth firm and stedfast that Antichrist is come and therfore it was not for nought that the Bishop of Florence one of your owne men openly avouched five hundred yeres agoe that Antichrist was then come to stop whose mouth the Councel of Florence was gathered But you thought it better that the fame of this Coūcil should rather come ūto posterity than that the acts therof should come unto their knowledge As touching the later men in the first place you mention the Samosatenians of Hungary whith whom I wil have nothing to doo Whatsoever they think or think not is al one to me until they return unto soundnes of mind The other learned men have a threefold difference Illyricus Chytraeus and Luther make Antichrists coming to be about the yere of our L. 500. Bullinger at the yere 763. Musculus about the yeere 1200. Surely the second rising of the Beast in whose territories they remayned did cast so strong a smel to those prudent men that they could retch their minds to no further thing even as hownds which when they fal upon the denn of the wild beast doo run with ful course and cry not senting anie more the several footsteps Therfore for the most part they transfer unto this second rising the things which belong to the first and bring in here some other things that are not to the purpose Neverthelesse this light aberration of the time of his rising taketh not away his rising but by their voices and cryes we know that Antichrist is though the moment when first he began to be was hidd from them Let us therfore run through your answers unto every of them that you may perceive how they have not so much erred as your selfe have laboured in vayn in oppugning their judgements Secondly therfore you encounter with Illyricus who saith Antichrist was thē born when Phocas grāted to the Bishop of Rome that he should be caled Head of the whole Church which fel out in the yere 606. You answer that he was not born at this time for two causes first because Antichrists temporal reign of 666. yeres which Illyricus would have to begin at that arising should now long since be ended and Antichrist should be dead Secondly that by his spiritual reign which Illyricus wil have to be of 5260 yeres the Centurie writers might exactly know the end of the world contrary to our Lords words Acts. 1. Mat. 24. I answer unto the first It is a foolish thing which you gather of Antichrists death at the end of 666. yeres when you see they give unto him a spiritual reign of 1260. yeres Can any one reigne 594. yeres for so many is this reign proroged beyond the temporal after he is dead But perhaps your spiritual Pope hath no more vital life without
chapter against your third Demonstration But because it skilleth nothing for the force of this argument what the names of these Prophets be we let that passe for the present and doo say that that which you tell us how they are to be killed in Jerusalem is false For the Spirit designeth not Ierusalem by name but onely by this circumlocution where our Lord was crucified which agreeth as wel unto Rome seing Christ was crucified by the sentēce of Pilate the Romā Deputie By which fact he made his Citie guilty of this bloud which was shed by this cities authoritie as we have shewed on chap. 11.8 This argument therfore is worthlesse and weak assuming that which cannot be proved yea the contrary wherof is plainly evident by the Scriptures Neither was ther anie cause why either Chytraeus should purposely passe by these words as you feyn where the Lord also was crucified or why you should so trouble your selfe to prove against Ierom that Ierusalem may be caled Sodome which we acknowledge to be so caled otherwhere Although in the Apocalypse your Rome onely is Sodom you should rather have streyned your sinewes to acquitt your selves of this than have spent your strength in a matter for which ther is no fight The second place is Apoc. 17. where Iohn saith that the ten Kings which shal divide the Roman Empire to themselves and in the time of whose reign Antichrist should come shal hate the purpled whore that is Rome and make her desolate and burn her cke with fire How then say you shall it be Antichrists seat if at the self same time it must be overthrown and burnt I answer the Apocalypse easily taketh from you this scruple You ask how Antichrists seate can be burnt he being alive and seing it The Apocalypse telleth that the fift vial shal be powred out on the Beasts throne and his kingdome shal be made dark so that they shal gnaw their tongues for so row chap. 16.10.11 which vial verily is no other thing than this burning wherby the ten Kings shal consume the whore to ashes For you see that this citie which is to be consumed with fire is Queen of the nations which agreeth not to Ierusalem that hath been laid even with the groūd now manie ages since And if you doubt how the ten Kings should be inflamed with such hatred who so dearly loved the whore before hear how the Angel saith that for a time they would yeild themselves wholly to the Beast but should at length be stirred up of God to destroy her whom they most honoured before ver 16.17 This hatred therfore wil afford your Rome no comfort The other things which you heap up to exaggerate this argument are of no weight at all For that Antichrist the Iewe we have chased away in the former disputation and those things that are mentioned of the Kingdome of Asia are some smal peeces of truth shining clearly in the fabulous heap of confuse earth Certayn it is that the Empire shal return thither again but which Antichrist shal not constitute but Christ himselfe shal build taking pitie on his people and declaring himselfe in his Church to be King of al nations The third place is in those words so that he sitteth in the Temple of God 2. Thess 2.4 wher you bring four expositions of the Temple The first is theirs that by the Temple understand the minds of the faithfull The second is Augustines who interpreteth the Temple to be Antichrist himselfe with his whole people which wil have himselfe and his to be thought the true spiritual Temple of God The third is Chrysostoms that takes the Temple for Christian Churches The fourth is theirs that understand it of Salomons Temple Of these four expositiōs you chose this last worst and furthest from the truth even as women when they ar troubled with the green sicknes doo long for coles lether more then for wholsome meats The Temple in this place must needs be that peoples whose the apostasie is for which Antichrist is sent and this we have shewed to be the Gentiles onely which came in deede unto Christ but served him not with such affection as was meet and that it can not by anie means agree to the Iewes who never would be writtē citizens of this Kingdome Moreover neither did Antichrist come while the old Temple stood neither shal he sit therin afterwards seing it was overthrown long since never to be reedified more as the Angel teacheth And the desolatiō shal continue even to the consummation and end Dan. 9.27 Besides how could the Apostle cal that Gods temple which God would detest and which shal not be founded by anie authoritie of his but by Antichrists commandement alone as you wil have it vaūting himselfe for the onely God These and many other things doo teach that it is least of al to be understood of Salomons Temple Yet you say this opinion is the more common probable and learned But by what reason I pray you Beeause say you in the Scripture of the New Testament by the Temple of God is never meant the Christian Churches but alwayes the temple of Jerusalem VVhich short sentence conteineth two notable falshoods The first is that you say by the temple of God is never meant in the Apostles writings the Christian Churches For Paul in Ephes 2.21.22 speaketh thus of the Christian Church Jn whom al the building fitly coupled togither groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord in whom ye also are built togither to be the habitation of God by the Spirit And what other thing dooth the Apocalypse mean by that so often name of the temple but the holy Christian assemblies Arise and measure the temple of God chap. 11.1 Then was the temple of God opened chap. 11.9 And they came out of the temple neither could any enter into temple chap. 15.6.8 The temple of Ierusalem was destroyed before this Revelation was made least perhaps yow should think that that is meant by these words This is the first falshood The second is wher you say the temple of God evermore signifieth the temple of Jerusalem in the new testament For what Are ther so manie Ierusalem temples as ther are faithful persons Vnto the Corinthians Paul speaketh in words commō to everie Christian Know you not that ye are the temple of God And if anie destroy the temple of God c. 1 Cor. 3.16.17 Know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6.19 To let passe the things I mentioned a litle before You certes are a more speedy builder than Salomon which can build so manie temples in so short a space but what cā not you doo which make a Christ everie day of Bread But this is a smal matter you say that the Scriptures doo so speak Therfore you bring some greater thing namely that the ancient Fathers Latin and Greek for manie ages never caled the Churches of Christians temples but Oratories
despise hereby perhaps you might shew that the Pope is worse than Antichrist but it is also false that Antichrist shal despise Idols Whoredome in the Scriptures is Jdolatrie and the Citie of Rome the seat of Antichrist is that Queen Iezabel the chief whore the great Babylon the mother of al the whordoms and abominations of the earth Shal Idolatrie have dominion in his throne and yet himselfe not be an Idolater By whose authoritie dooth the whore worship Idols but by his on whose shoulders she sitteth and by the maiestie of whose name she is susteyned Shal not Achab folow the Gods of his Iezabel They which are killed by the four Angels loosed at Euphrates doo suffer those evils because of Idolatrie Apoc. 9.20.21 But the Angel of the bottomlesse pit King Abaddon with his subiects suffreth that slaughter by the Euphratean Angels whom he hath fast behind him Apoc 9.11.12 c. And therfore the Angel of the bottomlesse pit is an Idolater who is al one with this Beast as Apoc. 11.7 17.8 But most plainlie wher Antichrist biddeth an Jmage to be made and compelleth al the inhabitans of the earth to worship it Apoc. 13.14.15 Doo you think this mā wil be a breaker down of Images You are so farr from defending your Pope by this argument as this is one of the chiefest signes that he is the verie Antichrist These therfore be trifles and guegawes even as the other things which you have disputed of Antichrist If you would have more certainty of his doctrine remember the things which wee have often mentioned out of this Apocalypse Here first you shall see that Antichrist is Balaam and his seat Jezabel chap. 2.14.20 And he how crafty a knave was he She how Idolatrous a whore and Prophetesse not defacing al religious worship but onely promoting and stablishing false worship Then you may perceive that the Gentils occupying the utter court and holy city while the Saincts in the meane time lye hidd in the temple are Antichrist himselfe and his subiects chap. 11 1.2 And therfore that Antichrist is most neerly joynd in outward shew to Christ so as by his neernes he shal deceiv many Besides the great Antichrist hath two horns lik the Lambe chap. 13.11 Wherfore he shal not everie way be contrarie but shal put on his Image sit as his Vicar wheras he would reioice doubtlesse to be most unlike him if he should shew manifest hostilitie Finally seing he is also a false Prophet he wil not boast himself to be the onely God but shal doo more harm by lying than by force and not shew himself to be such as in deed he is These few things to keep me within the limits of the Apocalypse may teach you the true nature of Antichrist unlesse you have leifer willingly to be ignorant that you may the more confidentlie serve him Chapt. 15. Of Antichrists Miracles CONCERNING the Miracles of Antichrist three things you say are found in the Scriptures first that he shal doo many miracles secondly that they shal be lyes thirdly that ther are three examples set down al which I easilie grant unto you But why add you not somwhat to make it plain that the Pope is no kinn to Antichrist as that the Pope neither dooth many miracles nor lyes nor those three exemples which you mētion by name It seems you feared the triall but you must needs be brought unto it though against your will That he wel agrees with Antichrist in multitude of miracles neither can you neyther doubtlesse lyst you to deny seing this is one of the chief notes wherin your Church glorieth Of this first branch therfore ther is no controversie But whither those signes be lies which are doon by the Popes their Ministers since Antichrist first began to shew himselfe let us breifly consider that therby also may appear whither the crime be true or false which our men doo charge you with I wil not use that argument which the Spirit maketh to be a sure token of false miracles namely that whatsoever is doon for to confirm errour and superstition is to be counted for a fraudulent sign for you doo not acknowledge your errours although this should be a sufficient argumēt unto them that have learned the truth but I wil bring such as even your selves cannot deny Let us therfote examine a litle those famous miracles of Pope Sylvester to whom are attributed cheifly three One that by sacred Batpisme he cured Constantine the Great of a leprosie An other that he raised up agayn a bull that was killed by Zambri a Jewish sorcerer The third that he bound a Dragon after a marvelous manner As touching the Leprosie everie mā may easilie smel it to be but a stinking fiction by this that the ancient writers that lived eyther next after Constantine or togither with him speak not anie one word of the same Eusebius who so diligently wrote his life and heaped up solemly unto his prayse whatsoever could any where be gathered would not have conceled this singular benifit of God It must needs therfore bee that the later writers drew al this out of the third ditch namely from the Romish fables framed for this purpose onely to encrease the Popes authoritie Agayn seing the curing of this Leprosie depēdeth on Baptisme and it is certenly known that he was baptised not by Sylvester at Rome but by Eusebius at Nicomedia and that not in the beginning of his reign but in the latter end of his life who seeth not this cure to be altogither feighned and false Eusebius telleth that he was baptised at Nicomedia a litle before he departed this life Jn Vita Constant lib. 4. Wherto agree Socrates lib. 1. cap. 39. Theodoret lib. 1. cap. 32. Sozom lib. 2. cap. 34. Ambrose lib. De obitu Theodosij Hieron in Chronicis But you on the othet side obiect Isidorus Zonaras and Nicephorus who being but late writers in respect of those ancients what credit deserv they in this thing Could these later men know the truth more certaynly which were furder off from al means to find it out But let us see in a word what ground every of them doo rely upon Isidorus in his Chronicle because perhaps he knew that the Romans boasted of Constantines baptisme and knew withal what the ancient writers had said of this matter that both might be thought to be true he wil have him baptised at Rome but rebaptised by Eusebius of Nicomedia the Arrian But he marketh not wel the ancient Historie which with one consēt reporteth that he deferred his Baptisme unto that day because he desired to be baptised in Iordan How did he deferr it if he had received it before at Rome Moreover he rashly injuriously chargeth the godly Emperour with the greevous crime of violating his faith who neither Eusebius of Nicomedia nor any other Arrian could ever lead away from the truth seing while he lived he so restreyned them al by his authoritie
which goeth before may be in the place of the concrete and the autumnal desire of thy soule as also in the 2 Thess 1.9 And from the glory of his strength for and from his glorious strength In which sense the autumnal desire noteth out that wanton greedines of rath-ripe fruits which the richer sorte and the dainty ones have getting the first fruits for them by a great price the more plentifull store of which afterward they loath as though he should say Once thou didst lash out huge costs upoÌ„ things of little value but now thou art not so wantonly ready to buye that thy former strange longing is gone those things now would be acceptable which of late thou despisedst according to that of the Poet the empty stomake doth seldome despise coÌ„mon things which of the two wayes we wil take them we see that these things doo very well hange togither with the former wherby the mourning of the merchanâ—s is greatly amplified that buyers shal be now wanting altogither whereas lately when Rome flourished they had so quick ready a market Wherof the Spirit tendreth a double reason by this mourning first that nowe ther was no lust to buy secondly that al ability was utterly lost ¶ And al things which were fatte excellent That is al plenty abounce is departed from thee which doo more confirme the former interpretation For seing these things doo signify a rich plenty it is like that that which went before is to be referred rather to lust that the same thing may not be spoken twice although so it is wont to be some time when the latter is added in stead of a more full exposition The Compl. the K. Bible read are perished from thee So Aretas and the common translation but the sense is nothing altered 15 The marchants of these things The cause being declared now he commeth to the manner of mourning with a breif repetitioÌ„ of the cause The marchants saith he of these things that is they who bestow al their labour about the associating and retaining of these countreys ioyning them to the service of Rome VVho were made rich of her getting ample rewards of this their labour VVe have seen before briefly with how great gaine they travelled about this marchaÌ„dise which openeth a way to Bishopriks Cardinalships yea eveÌ„ to the highest Prelateship And who seeth not men of every couÌ„try being either of great wit or learning of great force either by riches or favour or famous for noblenes of birth descent of blood whose industry may be profitable for the beautifying of Rome to be hyred by what meanes soever to bend al their cares thoughts to this point Wolseius Polus flourished in our countrey in our Fathers dayes The first descended of base parents but ambitious tumultuous notably framed for the profit of Rome and therfore promoted to so great honours that he was not afraid to vaunt himselfe somewhat above the King The other of a milder disposition but of great authority for noblenes of pareÌ„tage for which cause he waxed rich by the Romish aboundance until he gave suspition of a contrary mind bewrayed some desire to knowe the truth Then he perceived that Petoum a certain begging fryar to be set against him of the Pope whom he should have seen adorned with his spoiles booties if the thing had come to passe as the Pope wished This labour is in so great account as that he who onely begged a reward should be equal by by to the highest States of the earth But after that Rome shal be cast down no man wil hyre this labour eveÌ„ for one farthing This evil shal take these marchants when they have lost all hope of their gaine ¶ Shal stand a farre off To weet Cardinals Bishops others which at that time shaâ—be conversant in other places than at Rome They being set without danger with a lamentable voice shall bewaile her ruine a farr off but they shal hav neither ability nor courage of mind to repel the danger 16 And saying alas alas It is the same concealing which was in the mourning of the Kings in ver 10. wherby the truth and greatnesse of the sorow is expressed The argument is somwhat divers for they agreably to their persons did lament that so great a power was abolished These complain that so huge wealth was spoiled which marchaÌ„ts chiefly regard Notwithstanding seing this fine linnen purple skarlet the other decking signifyeth the pride of Rome upheld chieâ—ly by the riches of Spaine as at the 12 ver the marchants lament ar altogither dismayed that al these richesses have profited her nothing as thou they should say how is she come to naught that was fortifyed by so great aide of the Spaniards against which if the whole christian world had conspired worthily might any maÌ„ think that they should doo nothing worth the paines taking 17 And also every shipmaster The third mourning is of the mariners watermen that is of the inferiour ministers of the Romish court Deanes Abbots Priors General Iesuits such like These al live of the sea by promoting the ordinances decrees of the whore Of which sort were the Spips and Shipmasters in chap. 8.9 ¶ And al the company of them that dwel in shipps The Complut the Kings Bible and Aretas read thus and every one that sâ—ileth in shipps the common translation and al that sale in the lake this is further off but as it seemeth fetched from hence that ploion is a little shippe rowed with oares of which there is more often use in Rivers and flouds VVhich interpretation is not altogither to be refused in so great variety of copies and declareth more plainly a certain distribution of the general comprehension into certen classes And whosoever trafike on the Sea word for word in the Greek doo labour on the Sea as in the Gospel of Iohn labour the meate that is for the meate cha sixe verse twentie seventh In this last member are comprehended all which doo study to the Popish doctrine teaching learning and setting forth the same eyther by voice or writings defending the same to their power or by any other way or meanes whatsoever advauncing and promoting it Of which sorte are the Masse Priests Monkes Fryars above the rest at this day the Iesuits who doo leane upon their cares lustily and smite this sea with all their strength without which if the shippe of the fisher man had bin it had dashed long since on the rockes Although while they in rowing labour to avoide Scylla they rush upon Charybdis by disputing they sâ—â— more openly in the sight of men the whores and Popes filthinesse which they strive to cover 18 What city was like to this great city As the mariners speak of Tyrus Ezek 27.32 What city was like Tyrus destroyed in the middes of the sea And for iust cause did they astonished aske this when they considered with them selves the
playnly to Christians al coverings being removed as on whom the noone Sunne of truth shineth and all things are naked and open And indeed he openeth most significantly in one word that long obscure description in Ezechiel saying that that temple so magnifically gloriously prepared is in truth none at all not as though the Prophet had uttered so many words vainly but to shewe that we must not stick in the bark of the lettre but that the kernell of the Spirit is to be found out Let the Iewes heare neither let them expect a renewed temple as hitherto they doo amisse and obstinately but let them with minds and harts aspire in that right way which shal need no temple Let them look for the omnipotent God and the Lamb to dwel among them in comparison of which glory whatsoever can be built of men shal be vile 23 Neither hath this city any need of the Sunne or Moone For in very deed the Moone shall be ashamed and the very Sunne shall blush when the Lord of hosts shall reigne in mount Sion and Hierusalem and shall be glorious before his auncients Isaiah 24.23 And why may it not be ashamed of her former darkenesse when the light of the Moone shal be as the light of the Sunne and the light of the Sunne seven folde as the light of seven daies Isay 30.23 Which thinges are not spoken to that ende as though there should be no use then of the Scriptures but because all shall so understand Gods will as if they had no need to learne wisdome from books Full saith the Prophet shall this land be of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters covering the chanell of the Sea Isay 11.9 Neither shall they anie more teach everie man his friend and everie man his brother saying know yee the Lord for they shall all know mee from the least of them even to the greatest of them saith the Lord that J doo forgive their inquity and remember their sinne no more Ier. 31.34 From hence let us observ that that Church is most glorious in which the sunne of righteousnesse shineth with most open face covered with no cloudes of ceremonies therfore let them see in how great errour they are whom bring in a pompous shew of ceremonies to procure authority to religion with the people Furthermore let us note to what times Iohn applyeth the sentences of the Prophets that we may know the things are yet to come which we interpret commonly to be past and not onely in the heavenly countrey whose happinesse needeth the words of no man but here in earth in that restoring wherof we have spoken ¶ And the Lambe is the light therof Therfore this light the most bright of all godly times shal not yet be perfit as it shal be after this life but a candle onely in respect of that least peradventure wee should rest in our iourney as if we had come to the last ende 24 And the Gentiles that shal be saved The second outward argument is glory from the Gentils Before time the Iewes have alwayes found the GeÌ„tiles most hatefull who left no meanes unattempted to doo them hurt now contrariweise ther shal be no cause to feare that they will doo them any harme yea rather why should they not expect all good at their hands who shal apply al their forces to the advancing of them But these Gentiles are not al generally but are limited with a certain kinde which saith he shal be saved which word is inserted for an exposition The place is taken out of Isaiah 60.3 where it is thus and the Gentiles shall walke to thy light which Iohn draweth to the elect by putting in of one word least any should think it was spoken of every one generally And see how Iohn traÌ„slate that seÌ„teÌ„ce they shal walke to thy light thus they shal walke in the light of it the senteÌ„ce being well expressed For to walke at the light is not to come only to the light which one may doe depart again by by being at once both seen despised but to walke after or according to the light as to walke at the feete is alone with to follow serve one 1 Sam. 25.42 Neither-hath this place in the heavens that the people should walke at the light of the Church when Prophecyings shal be abolished and tongues shall cease and God shal be all in all 1 Cor. 13.8 and 15.28 But it may be doubtful how it can have place on earth For shal this difference remaine of some people which are saved and of other that are lost in this most happy government of the Church It seemeth indeed that there shal be many which yet still shal contemne the truth obstinately for the day of the Lord shall come cas a share upon all that dwell on the face of the earth Luke 21 35. But the children of the Church are not in darkenesse that that day should take them as a thief in the night 1 Thess 5.4 Moreover it was said before that the haile of a taleâ—t weight of the last vial shall drive men to blasphemy chap. 16.21 Neverthelesse those despisers shal be of so feeble strength that wil they nil the they shal be compelled to yeeld their necks The Complut edition and the Kings bible doo omit these words which are saved and so doth Aretas and the vulgar Latine neither doo they reade in the light of it but by the light ¶ And the Kings of the earth shal bring their glory unto it Then the Kings borderers on the Ocean and of the Yles shall bring a present the Kings of Sheba and Seba shall bring a gift finally all Kings shall worship him and all nations shall serve him Psal 72.10.11 And Isay The labour of Aegypt and marchandize of Aethiopia and of the Sabean Princes shall come unto thee and they shall be thine and shall follow thee they shall come in chaines and shall fall down before thee and shall make supplications unto thee saying onely the strong God is in thee there is none besides no where else is God chap. 45.14 Againe Kings shal be thy nurcing fathers and their Queenes shal be thy nurces they shall worship thee with their faces toward the earth and shall lick the dust of thy feet chap. 49.23 For then shal be given unto Christ a dominion and glory and Kingdome that all people nations and tongues should serve him whose dominion is an everlasting dominion which passeth not away his KingdoÌ„ a KingdoÌ„ which shall not be destroyed Dan. 7.14 It shal not also be from the purpose to add here in what words the Sybille hath described this same thing that at least wee may help tthe Iesuite if he will who in expounding the same is cleane out of the way thus therfore shee Prophecyed in the 3. book of the oracles of Sibyll And then the world by womans hands shall rul'd be and obey But when the widow over all the world
alone but also it shal be writteÌ„ on the horses belles Holines to Jehova as are the pottes of the house of Iehovah as the bolles before the altar Zachar. 14.20 he wil undertake their patronage and defense of all their things even of the least 5 And ther shal be no night They shall not be afflicted as in the former ages neither shal they need light coÌ„forts of the light and the lik things which before they were wont to use but they shall receive of God himselfe exceeding joye neither shall they care for or seeke other meanes to ease their griefes Isay 60.19.20 But how saieth he they shall not neede the light when above he said the Lambe shal be their light chap. 21.2 here he denieth not altogither that they shall not neede the light but onely no other but the Lambe ¶ Because the Lord God giveth them light they shall reigne for ever ever Ther shall appeare greater kindnes of God than can be attributed to any meanes For so great shal be the increase of knowledge that men shall seeme to be made wise not so much by hearing of the word as by divine inspiration The like shal be of all other giftes whose excellency shal farre exceed all meanes which they might use in getting them In the ende of the verse there is set downe in plaine words what is the summe of these 3. verses to weet that this kingdome of Saints shal be eternal which shall be begunne in the earth neither shal it ever be interruptep but shall be finally translated into heaven 6 Then he said to mee Hitherto hath bin the propheticall narration now ther foloweth a conclusion of the Epistle the shutting up of the whole Revelation which in few wordes mentioneth certaine chiefe heades whereby every one maye confirme and strengthen himselfe of the credit and authority of this Prophecy It is a most profitable conclusion and full of heavenly maiesty The Spirit knew how this Revelation should not be regarded of men and certaine should call into question the credit thereof beyond his wonted manner he labourâ—th in a few more words to take away all this doubt But who is this Angel which now talkes with Iohn An other as it seemeth than he who in the beginning of the chapter shewed the river of the water of life or that manifested the city For thiâ— is the seaventh Angell that is of those to whom the busines was committed of administring the seven last plagues chap. 21.9 whose charge was certaine and conteined in the limites of a certaine parte not endued with power of the whole Revelation But this confirmation is common to the whole booke and therfore seemeth to be of that Angell which was sent in the beginning that manifested these things to Iohn Next also it is likely that here are not againe words uttered by the voice of the samâ— ngell but they are related of Iohn under the person of the Angel of whom first he had received them Certainly the coniunction of things without any copulatives or any necessary coherence between themselves seemeth to approve of such an account Which meaning if we follow the words ar not to be translated then he said to mee which declare the time of a new speach begunne after the sight of the city but and he said to mee as though he should say seeing that now I have fully delivered to you al things which are revealed to mee that shal be now ther remaineth nothing but that with sure faith ye embrace the same which that you may the more easilie doo bethinke ye how holily and religiouslly the Angel hath confirmed the same to mee those words are faithfull and true Wherfore this confirmation of the Angel apperteineth not onely to those things which went next before of the new Ierusalem although the demonstrative proouune be so used often but likewise to the whole booke as also that threatening which followeth ver 18.19 universally challengeth credit to the whole Prophecy and not for the authority of some certaine part of it These things are repeated out of the 19 chap. ver 9. by the words of Iohn speaking which the Angel had before spoken they are applyed to approve the whole Revelation ¶ And the Lord God of the holy Prophets sent his Angell Neither did the Angel of his owne accord utter these words are faithful true but by the coÌ„maundement and authority of God the sander The same God which inspired the auncient Prophets that they might most certenly forespeake of things to come he sent this Angell which might reveale those thinges to Iohn for the use of the Church These things are repeated out of the 1. chap. 1 ver which Revelation he signified when he sent by his Angell to his servant Iohn But thou maiest observe that this latter member of the verse is so inferred that it may clearly shew that these now are not the words of the Angell speaking but of Iohn repeating the arguments of this Prophecy delivered from heaven 7 Behold I come quickly The testimony of Iesus concerning the speedy execution of these things fetched out of the 11. chapter which must shortly be done and againe the time is neare ver 3. The event of things next past should give credit to things that follow and therfore he maketh mentioÌ„ of a speedy execution as if he should say take every one of you for every of your ages a pledge and as it were a fuerty of things to come by the present things which thou shalt see to come to passe These things assure you that the things to come are no lesse certain But we who now for a thousand and five hundred yeares to weet from Iohn have seen the consent of the event and Prophecy may not any more doubt of these few other things which as yet remaine See how these things are heaped up togither as but now we saied without any bandes of speach as for the most part it is done in numbring of things ¶ Blessed is he that keepeth A confirmatioÌ„ of the happines of them which keepe this Prophecy which nothing can bestow on man but the truth in spired from heaven as before in chap. 1.3 from whence these are fetched 8 And J Iohn A confirmation from the Ministers It is a most sure prophecy whose Minister the Angel was and of so great maiesty that Iohn the Apostle thought to worshippe him and of that holines that he forbad the worshippe offered Iohn telleth what first befell chap. 19.10 he falleth not downe againe into the worshippe forbidden him ¶ But he said to mee in the greek it is and he saieth to mee for he said to mee or hath saide as well the interpreters do translate it he relateth not a new but a thing past But we must marke that which he spake before and of thy brethren which have the testimony of Jesus chap. 19.10 here it is uttered in other words and of thy brethren the Prophets of them
the death of Gregory the first although this is to be understood of his birth for our men doe make his conception to be more auncient that I may not seeme alone to have enterprised to doe a thing unheard of I will yeeld reasons of this my judgement which seeme to me to be most strong First this Beast ruleth all that time wherein the woman lyeth hid in the wildernes and the two witnesses prophecy cloathed in sackecloth as is manifest after from the fift verse where power is givē to him to doe two and fourtie moneths which is the same space of the woman and Prophets Now wee evince by necessary arguments that the woman went into the wildernes and the witnesses tooke mourning apparell at that time which wee have said when Constantine began his raigne therfore also the Beast began in the same time to arise out of the Sea Furthermore what other thing meaneth that of Socrates who lived when Theodosius Iunior ruled in the times of Celestine Bishop of Rome about the yeere 424. foure score yeeres after Cōstantine The Romane Bishopricke likewise that of Alexandria being advanced long since beyond the Priesthood unto a Princedome booke 7. chap. 11. Had he promoted himselfe beiond the boundes of the Priesthood Whither else I pray then unto an Antichristian tyranny Had it done this long since and of a certen long time Certenly So crates commeth to my accounte or rather I to his or as it is more agreable to the trueth both of us to the reckening of the Holy Ghost himselfe But he speketh no more of the Romane either here or before in book 7. 7. then of the Alexandrine That is true indeede he in common toucheth sharply the ambition of both but the Romane Bishop had many more peculiar properties of the true Antichrist which in no sort did belong to the Alexandrine and therefore although at the first they ranne togither it may be with equall steppes yet in short time the Romane got afore and left the Alexandrine many miles behind him Hereunto more over is added the third Carthaginean Councill about the times of Syricius to wit in the yeere three hundreth ninetie which decreed that the Bishop of the first seate should not be called the Prince of Priests or Chiefe Priest or any such thing but onely the Bishop of the first Seate but universall let neither the Bishop of Rome be called Can. 26. as it is cited in the ninetieth distinction Wee learne frō this Decree what those times had brought forth otherwise it had ben foolish and superfluous to make an ordinance touching this matter Neither is the confession of the Papists in this thing to be passed over Dost thou thē aske the cause why the Romane Bishops were never present at the generall Councills in the East part Bellarmine declareth that it came not to passe by chāce in his first booke of the Councill and of the Church chap. 19. but for a certen consideration Which howsoever it was not knowne peradventure to many others yet it ought to be throughly understood of him a man that is a secretarie of the Popes Kingdome He rendreth two reasons of this absence the first It seemed not to be convenient that the head should follow the members c. The second because the Emperour was alwaies present at the Councils in the East part or some Ambassadour of his who challengeth to himselfe the first at least materiall place otherwise then was meete That either this therefore might not be tolerated or a tumult mooved he went not to those Councils but sent only his letters Such are his wordes he hath hit the nayle on the head For the Pope disdaineth to be present at those Coūcils in which the Emp. should sit before him How fayre were words givē both to the Emp. Constantine and also all the Nicene Fathers The good men thought as Eusebius speaketh that olde age was a let that the President of the Lady City of Rome could not be present and therefore were content with the Elders which supplyed his place But the true cause was that he could not abide to give place to the Emperour For I beleeve Bellarmine rather then Eusebius touching the minde of the Bishop of Rome VVherefore in the times of the first Nicene Councill there was a man at Rome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that lifted up one who albeit not yet openly neverthelesse within and secretly with himselfe was exalted above all that is called God 2 Thes 2.4 Not that he vaunted himselfe to be superiour to God in Heaven for that is not the meaning of the Apostle but to all the Gods in earth to wit the highest Magistrate who is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Imperiall from whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is worshipped seemeth to be added in stead of an exposition But why doe I be stowe much time in these things The matter is out of controversie from chap. 17. afterward The seventh head of the Beast succeedeth next after the Heathen Emperours for these make the sixt as shal be said in his place But Antichrist is that seventh head and therefore hath his beginning by and by after the Heathen Emperours Shall I then thinke that all from Miltiades are utterly cast away as who doe make this Beast that is the very Antichrist Farte be from mee so great rashnes of judging This Beast is the state of a Kingdome as I hope shal be most cleare after And therefore God could deliver from the common destructiō some peculiar men whō he thought good though furtherers and ministers of this Kingdome The impiety was not so wicked at the first and the yong Antichrists did not knowe for what mischiefe they prepared a way Therefore wee leave these to the infinite and unsearcheable mercy of God yet wee doubt not but wee have found out the originall of the rising Beast which nowe wee see to have fallen on that time in which the Dragon was cast unto the earth ch 12.9 For being about to leave heaven he provided himselfe of a Vicar who in his absence should governe his affaires whose busines he looked unto nor carelesly as wee shall finde afterward These things being thus set in order wee see how from this fountaine every each thing will flowe most easily every part of this Prophecy agreeing most fitly one with another The true original doubtlesse not being perceived of the Interpreters disordered all consideration of the times made a harsh constrained and absurd exposition and tooke wholly away the right searching out of the event Now as touching the words the cruelty of Antichrist is signifyed most fitly by a Beast as often in the Scriptures Tyrants are compared unto Wolves and Lions equall to them in fiercenes but for hurt worser by how much iniquity in men is more armed because of the force of reason He did rise out of the Sea because he hath his originall from corrupt doctrine to wit the authority of Peters Chaire
falsly bragged of wherein the Bishop of Rome glorieth almost in every word and which the auncient holy men Tertullian Cyprian and the rest knowing not for what impiety they prepared a way extolled with excessive praises But then chiefly the Sea was visible and the rising out of water might appeare to mens eyes wheÌ„ the Nicene Fathers cast the burning mountaine into the Sea as hath ben said in the 8. chap. ver 8. that is when they confirmed by their Decree that whatsoever preeminence there was should be given to Rome over the neighbour Bishops For the Sea noteth togither with the Doctrine the Clergie whose office is to take paine in ministring the Doctrine Those holy men were farre from bringing in the Tyranny which was after stablished yet they unwares gave a notable increase to it by this their constitution Before the Nicene Councill every one lived to himselfe and little regard was had to the Church of Rome as Aeneas Silvius confesseth This then especially was the rising of the Beast not that he began not to rise up before but because now first he could be seen and marked of men ¶ Which had seven heads Such was his rising His integrall partes are first his Heads which are as many and the same which the Dragon had in ch 12.3 For there is the same seate dignitie of them both For these heads are Hilles and Kings as in chap. 17.9 17 He hath also ten hornes as the Dragon and ten crownes set on his hornes Which ten crownes are ten Kings chap. 17.11 Yet neverthelesse differing in two sorts from the hornes of the Dragon First in the crownes with which these are adorned as which doe note out Kings not to be subject to the Empire of an other man but who should have a free and supreme menaging of things The Hornes of the Dragon had no such adorning but this honour did belong onely to the heads as in chap. 12.3 Whence commeth the difference Because the Heathen Emperours placed the seat of the Empyre at Rome whereof they are the seaven heads establishing her the Empresse and Queene of all And therefore the crownes being taken away from all other Kings and Provinces they have imposed them upon the seven heads or hills of this But nowe there should be an other face of things Antichrist at length shewing himselfe For the maiesty of the Empire should not remaine at Rome but should have her seate in some other country for which cause the crownes which before did belong to the heads now for a newe respect are tranferred to the hornes Secondly they differ in time For the hornes of the Beast were not yet bred when John wrote chap. 17.12 The hornes of the Dragon even before Iohn was borne were lifted up on high spread with many branches as wee have seen in chap. 12.3 Therefore although they agree in nuÌ„ber yet they are not the same in all things neither should one doe well if he should apply to the head of that things that belong to this But finally what are these hornes All things being diligently coÌ„sidered I thinke that they were the ten first Christian Emperours Of counting whom there may be a double way one of every severall by himselfe and of them onely in whose power was either the universall Empire or that of the West Into which Catalogue doe come Constantine the Great Constantine Coâ—stans Constantine his sonnes IVLIANVS Iovianus Valentinianus Gratianus Valentinianus the second Theodosius And so there is a great conseÌ„t of the things done and of the Prophecy For while these ten did raigne the Beast was defended excellently his dignity much increased Which at length being taken away the hornes being as it were broken for a time the succeeding Emperours were not able to maintaine the same authority of the Romish Beast which those predecessours had gotteÌ„ Honorius the soÌ„ne of that Theodosius sufferred Rome to be taken and spoiled of the Gothes And although for the space of two yeeres it was beseeged by Alaricus he abiding at RaveÌ„na either was not able or durst not succour it the streÌ„gth of the Hornes was so much abated VVhere was his Fathers valiantnesse which killed and put to flight enemies in so great numbers even in the furthest boundes of Rome But neither from the East was there now any aide but the hornes being as it were broken wherby the former Emperours removed so farre of the Barbarous people the Beast with his Rome was a pray to the most contemptible nations But there seemeth to be a more full accord and in every part more agreable from a conjoyned reckening of the Emperours both of the west and of the East after the usuall manner of all the Chronicle writers Thus they are numbred 1 Constantine the Great 2 Constantine Constans Constantius his sonnes 3 Iulianus 4 Iovinianus 5 Valentianus and Valens 6 Gratianus Valentinianus the second and Theodosius the first 7 Theodosius the first with Arcadius and Honorius his sonnes 8 Archadius and Honorius alone 9 Honorius and Theodosius the second 10 Theodosius the second and Valentinian the third Concerning whom there shal be a more large declaration in the 17. chap. 12. ver In the meane time let no man trouble us with words out of season and cry out that it is a thing haynous wicked and unheard that I make those first Christian VVorthies the Hornes of Antichrist Shall he now at length become a member and maintainer of Antichrist who of late came forth with the Seale of the living God who stood at the Altar with the Golden censer who was the man childe of the Church and that Michaell who drove the DragoÌ„ out of Heaven But that the malitious detractour may holde his peace it is one thing advisedly and of set purpose to doe a thing an other unwittingly and through ignorance Constantine advanced the state of Christians to his power neither was it in his minde to further Antichrist even the least that might be but rather wholly to stop up all the passage against him yet neverthelesse by adorning advauncing defending the Bishop of Rome he made a more ready way for him ignorantly and contrary to his meaning Is this any strange thing that a man not knowing what he cherished in his bosome should lend him his help VVere not his first beginnings hidden even from the most sharpsighted Certenly seeing most holy men have offended some time most grievously and that deliberately it shall not I thinke be strange that both he and other men have uÌ„warres bestowed their labour ill I desire not to detract the least that may be from any most excellent men that deserved well But I am not mine owne but the Spirits Interpreter who bendeth the whole description of the hornes to this point as it shall appeare in his places I will follow him gladly who can finde out to whom they may agree more fitly I seeke the trueth and not slaundering But I doubt not but whosoever shall view