should come to passe might be more famous Aâ—â—â—â—us his father governed the whole world by his sole authority noe warre being made for the space of three and twenty yeeres Sextus Aurelius Vulâ—r Hadâ—ianus also had peace the whole time of his empire except that once onely he fought by his Vice-Roy Eutrop. Brev. booke 8. Was not the thing worthy observatioÌ„ that after the peace of 44. yeeres all places should be suddenly troubled with the burning flame of warres Every man seeth that there is so great agreement of all things namely of the Prophecy Time and Event that it cannot be doubtfull but that the Spirit pointed as it were with the finger to this onely thinge Tertul. in his Apol. that a notable peace was granted at length to the Cristians by this Emperours decree but this came to passe after the warre of the Marcomanes in which having tryed the singular helpe of God against the enemyes by the prayers of the Christians who were souldiours in his army he could not but provide at leÌ„gth for their safety who had brought health both to him selfe and also to his Empire And yet he lived not longe after this warre the next yeere after the triumphe departing this life 5 And when he had opened the third seale c. The Beast of the third seale is a man chap. 4.7 mighty in reason experience of things Not but that the former Beasts were of this same force also and power but because this should be the chiefe thing wherein the third Beast should excell The voice also of this is more obscure then was that of the first which yet should be sufficient to teach the faithfull what punishement God would take of the world for their sake ¶ Tâ—â—â— I behâ—ld â—â—d loâ— a blaâ—ke horse The third type is a blacke horse the sitter on wâ—â—â— he â—â—â—th in â—iâ— haâ—â—â—â—â—es being commanded to bring in a dearth alâ—◠〈◊〉 the Bâ—â—â—s yet so as he should not hurt wine and oyle Therefore as â—oaâ—â—ng this â—orse the blâ—â—â—olour sitly agreeth to the hunger starveÌ„ who 〈◊〉 a body â—ithout blood â—ithout iuyce without colour as Ier. Lam. 〈…〉 pure thâ—â—â—oâ—â—ow is their bewâ—y become more darke then 〈…〉 8. Also through hunger the eyes are dimme covered with daâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 eyes receâ—ed light wheÌ„ he had put his haÌ„de to his mouth 1 Sâ—â— â—â— 28 〈…〉 which the sâ—â—ter hath in his haÌ„des is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wâ—◠〈…〉 to wit the beame of the balaÌ„ce on which the sâ—oles doe haÌ„ge 〈…〉 the whole A sâ—â— instrument for famine seeing 〈…〉 as weighed 6 Aâ—d I 〈…〉 Thâ—s vâ—â—â—â— is the 〈◊〉 being in the middes of the Beasts ch 5 6 〈…〉 uniâ—â—sâ—ll administratioÌ„ of thinges beiâ—g 〈…〉 Bâ—t seâ—â—ng this voice is â—â—â—â—d amoÌ„g the Beaâ—â— neither as 〈◊〉 goâ—â— out froÌ„ 〈…〉 â—lace by the same is signifâ—ed thâ—â— the very 〈…〉 but yet which alone should knowe the coâ—â—ll 〈…〉 ¶ A measure of wheâ—â— c. The Interâ—â—◠〈…〉 he â—â—â—en quaÌ„tity of this measure some give to it 3 〈…〉 8. â—â—esichius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are as it were â—ood divided which in one word 〈◊〉 called coÌ„monly Demâ—nsâ—on a sâ—â— mâ—â—â—â—re of corne Atheneus speaâ—eth â—ore dâ—â—inctly of it in his 3 booke Dâ—â—opsi shewing for how long a tâ—me this allowancâ— was calling it the sâ—stenance for one day Aristophanes in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bringâ—th somewhat a more full light where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 twitting the servants sayth whom I have taught to fashion foure loaves of bread to a Choenix to wit a measure of corne Therefore Chocnix conteineth so much corne as would suffice to make foure loaves The Scholiast addeth that foure great loaves were made of a Choenix and 8 small ones 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signify corne in generall in this place wheate or meale of wheate a dearer provision then barley three measures of which are not solde for more then one of wheate for a peny understand shal be folde or some like word Denarius is a latine word being worth ten pieces of silver The auncient writers make it equall in weight value to the Attike drachma that is seven pence It is of three kindes as some will have it one of which is worth after our accounte seven pence an other eight an other ten And thus much of the corne as touching the other sustenance he sayth and oyle and wine hurt not The latine translations reade the wordes being displaced thus and wine oyle hurt not the meaning is yet wine and oyle hurt not after the manner of the Hebrewes the copulative being put discretively The wordes wine oyle caÌ„not be referred unto those that went before as though he should say a measure of wheate shal be sold for a peny and three measures of barly for a peny likewise wine and oyle for a peny Iunius on this place thou shalt not doe uniustly for the wordes oyle wine are the accusative case of the following wordes thou shalt not hurt and not the nominative going before the verbe as the wordes measure and measures are Wherefore all succour for life should not be taken away but onely necessary things should be diminished Oyle and wine which serve for delicious dainties should be left unhurt because it had seemed good to God to punish the poorer sort first the Princes and states being reserved as dainties from famine to the pestilence For whom the famine could not consume because of their riches and aboundance those the pestilence should eate up and should kill with a speedy death as in the seale following So are the wordes The event is not so playnly mentioned of the History-writers as were to be wished who doe gather onely the more notable thinges and doe easily passe over for the most part thinges vulgar and common especially when as this famine consisted onely in the scarcity of corne not in a dearth of all victualls Yet God would have some tokens of it to be apparent as farre as might suffice to set out of danger the trueth of the Prophecy Commodus the sonne of Antoninus did succeede his father who being Emperour there was given by the mercy of God some breathing I thinke because froÌ„ the Emperour himselfe alone man kinde should have plague and pestilence enough Pertinax Iulian followe both of a short raigne and therefore lesse hurtfull At length Severus enioyeth the Dominion a cruell authour of a most grievous butchery whether of his owne accord or by the instigation of other men Then the third Beast cryed out admonishing the faithfull that God would punish the wicked loathing spirituall foode with a great penury of the sustenance of this life For Tertullian whoÌ„ by right thou mayest call a Man excelling in witte in good iudgment and in learning who hath almost as many argumeÌ„ts as wordes who through anger falling away unto the Heresy of Montanus by his infirmity also shewed that nothing perteining to a man was alienate from him this
country but saith Strabo we maie iustly mervaile at these few who for desire of the place are carelesse of danger and heedelesse of sâ—ffetie or rather what the builders of the city minded Laodicaea Laodicaea by the river Lycus one of the greatest cities of Phrygia which reacheth to Caria neare to Colossie to whom Paule a prisoner at Rome wrote commaunding that the Epistle should openly be read in the Church of Laodicaea Whose letters also he commaundeth that the Colosians should reade Col. 4.16 A citie in time past of great wealth partly thorough the liberality of the cityzens who by their Testaments gave to it great riches partly by reason of selling of excellent soft woole and blacke as a raven for which causes their neighbours did much desire it Such are the seaven cities to whom this Prophecy was by name delivered described as in a table Some man perhapes maie mervaile where Rome then was to whome in steede of all it might have bin written very breifly as to her who bragge that shee is the head of all Verily Christ forgate himselfe who passed over his vicare nor would not send him so much as one letter who onely seemed to have bin spokeÌ„ unto But there is a ready answer why he wrote not to him he knew that he could not erre nor had neede of an admonisher Let therefore this omissioÌ„ be one of the prerogatives of Rome 12. I turned me therefore that J might see To see is taken sometimes by synecdoche for to perceive as Exo. 20.18 The whole people saw voices great lightenings the sounde of a truÌ„pet c. that is perceaved But here it remaines in his proper signification wheÌ„ he had sufficiently perceaved by hearing he now turned himselfe that he might use the benefite of the other seÌ„ce Therfore the other worde is chaÌ„ged froÌ„ his native significatioÌ„ noting by a voice the man whose voice he thought it was ¶ And being turned c. So was the hearing the things seene are partly thinges partly a person The thinges are seaven golden candlestickes the interpretation whereof we shall learne beneath at ver 20. In the meane while let us note that every godly endevour receaved greater fruite theÌ„ was loked for Iohn doeth turne himselfe that he might see the man beholde moreover seaven candlestickes of which he suspected nothing 13. And in the middes c. The person seene is Christ himselfe as is understoode out of ver 17.18 like the sonne of man because in a new shape taken unto him he caused himself to be seene not in that native forme which he tooke of the Virgine in which full of glory he sitted at the right hand of the father which may be the reason why the articles are not prefixed as in other places as Th. Beza hath observed This fourme is put on for the present condition of the Church therefore an other is taken where an other estate of the bride is described ch 19.11 12. c. EveÌ„ as also it coÌ„meth to passe elswhere in many places for Christ alwaies is one unchangeable neither for his owne sake doeth he so often change his fourme to whoÌ„ no alteration befalleth nor any shadow of turning but when according to his divers administration he useth a divers condition of the bride wherby he may both testify his conionctioÌ„ with her also may shew that he in those alterations of tymes forgettes her not he takes upon him fourme fit for the thinges He suffereth when shee suffereth he also triumpheth together with her what mervaile is it then in so neare a society if he susteine also a comon shape According to the same meaning Ireneus expoundeth this divers fourme So saith he the word of God alwaies hath as it were the proportion of things to come and shewed forth to men as it were the fourme of his fathers disposition teaching us what are the thinges of God book 4. ch 37. Neither is it without cause that he is with this habite in the middest of the caÌ„dlestickes manifesting by the same that this adorning doeth not simply absolutely beloÌ„g to him but as farre forth as he is coÌ„versaÌ„t with the Church for speciall time Wherefore in such visions we must not so much seeke what a one Christ is in himselfe as what his administration is what a one the bride is therby which he setteth forth to be viewed in himselfe as in a glasse Therefore as touching the interpretation of the speciall thinges the long garment is the perfect imputed righteousnes of CHRIST wherewith the bride is wholy covered from top to toe so as no filthy nakednes appeareth For this garment is not necessarie to Chr. but serveth to cover the bride which notwithstaÌ„ding Chr. weareth on his bodie declaring how comely for those times in this regard shee should be Neither lesse often than significantly is the righteousnes of faith set forth by a garment Blessed saith the Psalmist is the man whose sinne is covered Psal 32 1. And the guest wanting this garment is cast into utter darkenes Mat. 22.12 Afterward in this booke they are pronounced blessed which watch and keepe their garmeÌ„tes lest they walke naked their shame be seene ch 16.15 ofteÌ„ times so in other places And what doeth more fitlie reseÌ„ble the righteousnes of faith which loatheth our inherent righteousnes as a menstruous clothe neither can rest in any other thing except in this one garment of Christes righteousnes ¶ And girded about the pappes with a golden girdle made of silken threeds covered with golde But was the girdle made of such threeds onely But the Priestes girdle was made of embroidered worke pictured with scarlet purple violet and yellow flowers Exod. 28.39 Whose stuffe was onely of silke as Iosephe of the Antiquities book 3. chap. 8. And this girdle was comon to all the Priests There was another appertaining to the high Priest differing onely in this one thing that it was wrought with golde as Iosephus there speakes This then is a golden girdle not that it was wholly of golde but because the girdle of the High Priest was for this difference excellent Neither is this girdle proper to Christ but to the Bride for which cause this same is the girdle of the Angels beneath chap. 15.6 The which we doe atteine by Christ alone which hath not onely made his elect Priestes but also hath brought them to the honour of the chiefe Priest Seing therefore that this girdle is ours it signifieth most pretious faith in the heart And it is of Golde because what is more Golden and pretious than true faith Yea whose triall is much more pretious than golde that perished 1 Pet. 1.7 This girding is about the pappes because except faith hath her seat in the heart it is no faith And therefore the seaven Angels are girded after this maner chap. 15.6 because otherwaies it is wont to belonge to the loines especially under the law when faith was
the future tence but in the present because admiration belongeth not to a future but to a present dignity From which let us observe what wondring is a token of reprobation to weet of a Beast reviving after the hurt received which is the second Beast in chap. 15.11 Even until that time he was not so desperately impious but that he might easily deceive the Saincts but at length he came to that naughtinesse that he must be banished from the Kingdome of God who will acknowledg him to be such an one by admyring as he professeth himselfe to be But wheras the Angel in these words prosecuteth not his variable condition beyond the third time therby he sheweth that he shal be openly knowne to the world before his last ende shall come 9 Here is the mind Thus farre the Beast hath bin shewed us according to his whole now he entreth into the interpretation of some chiefe parts wherunto he prepareth himselfe a way by this Preface Which yet is uncertaine whither it is to be referred to that which went before or to this which followeth it seemeth being set in the midst to have respect to both alike for to cause attention The speach seemeth defective and to be supplyed after the manner of that in chap. 13.18 Here is wisdome let him that hath wit count c. So here is wit let him that hath wisdome understand as in the Epistles to the seven Churches let him that hath eares heare or it may be a perfit sentence of it selfe here is the minde that hath wisdome as though he should say consider the foresaid chaunges likewise consider the interpretation the understanding of which things is true wisdome indeede wherby a man may avoide eternall destruction But these are the wordes not onely of exhortation but also of Prophecie which declare that in the most open light in which the Beast shal be set every one shall not acknowledge him but they onely who are endued with wisedome and have their eyes inlightened of God The Beast is like in this thing to the whore whose name written in her forehead was a mysterie which should be hidden from very many no lesse then some obscure and inexplicable riddle For Prophecies fulfilled become not manifest to all men as we wil after shew that Bellarmine trisleth but unto some certaine men to whom it is given to understand the rest remaining in their former blindnes Which short admonition confuteth a threefold errour of the Papists one touching the common name Antichrist the other of the doctrine the third of the publique persecution of which wee will speake more at large in the refutation at the ende of the Chapter ¶ The seaven heads are seaven hilles upon which the woman sitteth as touching the partes first he teacheth what are Heads both permanent in this verse and transitory in verses 10.11 wherby it may be knowne what is this whore in regard both of the place and of the time Those heads are seaven moūtaines upon which the woman sitteth that is seven hilles of the city of Rome Palatinus Quirinalis Aventinus Caelius Viminalis Aesquilinus Janicularis by which this City is renowmed through the whole world and thereupon called of the Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seaven hilled by Varro And this circumlocution seemed fitter for the eloquent kind of speaking of the Poets then the specifying of a proper name Virgil in the second of his Georgiques toward the end hath these wordes to weet Rome is become the most beautifull of things which hath enclosed her seaven towers with one wall Likewise Ovid in his first book de Trist Eleg. 4. speaketh thus of it But Rome is the Seate of the Empire and of the Gods which from seaven Mountaines vieweth the whole world And againe in the third book ver 7. And while Rome the victorious shall beholde the subdued whole world from her seven Mountaines I shall be called Martia And God would have the thing testifyed not onely by the verses of Poets but also by a publike festivitie For the Romanes kept the Fest called Septimontium because of the seventh mountaine ioyned to the city and Rome become therupon Septicollis as Plutarch relateth in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These things are so manifest that the Papists themselves ar now cōstrained will they nill they to confesse them We have shewed that Bellarmine preferreth this sense before the rest in his 3. book ch 13. of the Pope of Rome Ribera the Iesuite yeeldeth also the same cōfirming it with many words on the 14. chap. of the Revel num 30. frō whēce no cōtroversie could now remaine of this thing if onely men were in their right wits but wee hav touched before their madnes who doo separate the things which ar ioyned togither by an ūdivided bād They grāt that the whor is Rome yet by no means doe they abide her to be the seate of Antichrist as though they could be sundred of which the one sitteth upō the other carryed but if this cōjoyning be too weake behold a straighter yea a most straight such as of the head with the body so as they which shal remov the Beast to any other place thē to Rome must make him to be without his heads Frō hēce therfore I thus cōclude demōstratively The city where remaine fixed the heads of the Beast or of Antichrist is the seat of Antichrist Rome is the city wher remaine fixed the heads of Antichrist Therfore Rome is the seate of Antichrist By no meanes can yee giv mee the slippe ô ye Papists This argument must needs be as firme sure as ar the very mountaines of your Rome Yet what you ar able to obiect against it we wil discusse by by in confuting your devised Antichrist 10 And they are also seven Kings Such ar the permanent heads the transitorie which ar seven Kings doo follow Ther is a double application of this one type teaching that ther is an inseparable ioyning togither of the mountains and Kings From whence is ministred an other necessary proof of the seate of Antichrist thus The seate of seven Kings is the seate of Antichrist Rome the citie of 7. mountaines is the seate of 7. Kings for the heads are both mountaines Kings Therfore Rone is the seate of Antichrist But who ar these 7 Kings not so many singular persons as Victorinus would have it but soveraignties regimēts For if every several head should note out singular mē 5. of which wer fallē in Iohns time to wit Galba Otho Vitellius Vespasianus Titus Titus Domitianus the 6. ruled then Nerva the 7 was to be expected whom remaining alive but for a little space should succeede straighway Traianus the 8. togither also the 7. If I say the heads ar to be so counted it must needs follow that this Beast should have ceased in his last head Traiane that the world should not now feare that he should doo any mischiefe Vnles perhaps we think whē all his
the Kings-houses or howses of Martyrs I answer the ancient Fathers both Greek and Latine did speak so as the Scripture speaketh as ClemeÌ„s Alexand. Strom. lib. 7. One temple saith he is great as the Church an other litle as the man who reteyneth Abrahams seed And Cyprian in his first book against the Iewes chap. 15. that Christ was to be the house and temple of God and he had ended the old temple begun a new And lib. 5. Epist 8. Although love should no lesse enforce us to help our brethren yet it was to be considered in this place that they are the temples of God which are taken and that we ought not to suffer by long delay and neglect of sorow the temples of God to be holden captives long But you wil say that you mean not either Christian assemblies or particular faithful persons but howses and aedifices wherin they meet togither for publik worship I answer you dispute therfore bravely who now conclude not the question For thus you reason No howses of publik worship were caled temples among Christians for many ages but some teÌ„ple of God are howses of publik worship therfore some temple was not among Christians for many ages And what then I pray you For though some temple was not yet some temple was among Christians also in these ages you mention even such a temple as Antichrist afterward should sit in Vnlesse perhaps you think that holy howses onely are temples which if it be so then Antichrist shal be no longuer Antichrist than he shal sit in these material howses or if so he shal be out of the holy howses also the great Antichrist may also be out of the temple of God and thouh he doo not shew himself as if he were God For this sacrilegious vaunting of him selfe shal be onely whiles he sitteth in the temple of God as is evident by the Apostles words And so we shal have a new great Antichrist such as the Apostles never saw by the Spirit of Prophesie Great is the force of your argumentations which everie where bring forth such monsters but let us goe forward Wheras you say that the howses of prayer had not the name of temple given unto them til Ieroms time whom you cite you may understaÌ„d that Eusebius who was before Ieroms age absteyned not from this name lib. Hist 10. c. 2. whom Ruffinus maketh to speak thus lib. 9 Hist Eccl. cap. 10. Renewed places by building to rise up more high and excellent and high teÌ„ples to be lifted up for the low meeting howses And again Euseb lib. 10. cap. 13. by whose industrie a sumptuous temple was builded in Tyrus the most famous throughout al the nation of Phaenicia So also in a publick oration which one made of the building of Churches ascribed to Paulinus Bishop of the Tyrians And thou ô great praise of the new holy temple of God and afterwards againe he constituted this maiestical temple of the most high God And certainly the Spirit most wisely meeting with your fraud would have the name of temple about that time when Antichrist should appear to be given even to the holy Christian aedifices that every way it might be evident how he sitteth in the Temple of God Wheras therfore concluding this point you say it semeth certayn that the Apostle speaks of Jerusalems temple that writing how Antichrist should sit in the temple of God he would say somthing which he would have understood by them to whom he wrote and they then would understand and well perceive the name of the temple nothing but the temple of Ierusalem you may easily now see how false it is that I say no more though I speak truly The Thessalonians might understand that he should sit in the minds and conscience of men whom he should seduce by his guile and hypocrisie as Anselmus dooth interpret it or that he should reign in ChristiaÌ„ assemblies as Chrysostom Theodoret Theophilact Oecumenius doo expound it or that he should boast himselfe to be the temple Church as Augustine explaineth it But Ierusalems temple could not come into their mind which they knew by Christs words should utterly be destroyed Mat. 23.39 2. and never be builded agayn seing wrath was come upon the Jewes even to the utmost as 1 Thes 2.16 Vnto these you adjoin as you speak the common exposition of the Fathers but the contrarie iudgment of those before mentioned wil not suffer it to be common neither ought the ignorance of a few to hurt the clear truth Thus have we seen your arguments whose force I now leave to be iudged by the reader and in a word I wil consider those your answers wherby again you indevour to put away the reasons of some of our side First wher our men doo obiect from Apoc. 17. that the chief seat of Antichrist is Rome because this seat is the great citie which sitteth upon 7. hills and which hath reigne over the Kings of the earth al which ar found in Rome You answer three wayes First that by this citie is not meant Rome but the universal citie of the Divil But in this answer you rest not neither is it in deed of anie moment seing it is not the universal citie of the Divil which shal be burned by the ten Kings especially the wicked remaining alive which shal lament her fall Apoc. 18.9 For how shal the whole citie perish whose citizens shal afterwards remayn Leaving therfore this you betake you to an other and you grant that by the whore is meant Rome but hethenish Rome reigning worshiping Jdols persecuting Christians but not Christian Rome I answer you doo evil disjoin what the Spirit hath coupled For Rome is then the whore and seat of Antichrist when it is caried of the Beast and it was not caried of the Beast whiles the Hethens reigned For it is caried of the seventh head which was not yet come when Iohn received this Prophesie Apoc. 17.9.10 Moreover if Hethenish Rome reigning be the whore then Antichrist came during that Hethenish Empire For the Spirit would have thâ—se two to be undevided companions until the burning of the whore The Beast caried the whore sitteh neither of them hath vital life without the other Again if that be true now she hath plainly left to be the whore nor should she be found such when Antichrist should come because as afterward you tell us Peters chaire cannot be separated from Rome lib. 4. de Rom. Pon. cap. 4. And how agreeth this I pray you that Rome being Christian holy Catholik Peters chair as you wil have her should at last suffer the punishment of a whore which when she was Hethenish and according to your opinion played the whore most lavishly bare no punishment for it Apoc. 17.16 Surely Ierom seemeth not wel to have affirmed speaking to Rome I speak unto thee which by confessing of Christ hast wiped out the blasphemie written on thy forehead lib. 2. contra
not plainely delivered but lustes were restreyned by the instruction of the ceremonies rites But now the bride having obteined more plentifull grace should remove the girdle froÌ„ the loines to the pappes straitly tying and binding to her those garments by a true faith of the heart lest being loosed and ungirded they slide downe and spread abroade 14 And his head and haires c. The garment and girdle are comon to all memhers in the head the haires there is a certeine distribution wherof the former concerneth those which rule in the Christian assemblies and are to them as heades the haires do signifie the comon Christian people which dependeth on the holie teachers drawing nourishement and ornament from them and they bestowing againe on them decking and defeÌ„ce Both of them is white flourishing in the seaven Churches or rather in the first of the seaven Churches by a singular puritie For we shall see that this order of the meÌ„bers hath refereÌ„ce after a sorte to the order of the Churchches Although those thinges which are related here in the last place in the Epistles are attributed to the first which reversing of order doe teach that those properties are in such sorte agreeing to some as that also according to the occasioÌ„ they are proper to others But the whitenes is of wooâ—l snow of the former for the simplicity of maners wherewith the saintes are endued which every where are called sheepe and not without cause seing our head is a lambe of the latter because this puritie and whitnes is not naturall but borowed For wooll by nature is filthie in greasines full of dust many other defylings but being thoroughly washed in the most cleare fountaine of Christs righteousnes it exceedeth snow it selfe or whatsoever excelleth in the glory of whitnes So great a thing is it to seeke righteousnes not in our selves but in another that the Spirit contentes not himselfe with one similitude of the garment but also adioineth the similitude of snow and many other reasons in other places shewing howe greatly he would have us to minde this doctrine that on every side it should souÌ„de in our eares ¶ And his eies as a flame of fire Overcoming darkenes from which eies no darkenes takes awaie the sight Which kind of eyes did especially shine in the first of the seaven Churches in which we shall see that the truth shined so clearely that no craft of heretikes coulde darken the same All their vaine shewes were consumed as stubble with these fierie eise or as coverings of waxe they do melt forthwith and do openly bewraie their hidden deceit 15 And his feete were as fine shining Brasse Wherefore passeth he so quickly from the heade eies to the feete especially seing there follow the voice handes mouth and face It is not rashly done but in that order the members are described which doeth most fitly agree to the Churches Now therefore he teacheth after that first what is the estate of the next Churchches where the faithfull are feete like to Brasse of Lebanon for they were the head haires eies in an other respect and maner One member could not declare the whole estate of the Bride for which cause there are more used and so much the more because he whom Ihon saw was like to the sonne of man As touching Lebanons Brasse Th. Beza doeth well reteine the greke worde in his translation Copper is manifest to the Latines neyther do I beleeve that it sufficiently expresseth the singular elegaÌ„cy of this Brasse digged out of Lebanon For Aretas yeildeth the same reasoÌ„ of this word And we know that a possession which engendred metalles befell to the tribe of Asher who had his seate at the foote of this mountaine For so Moses speaketh Iron and Brasse shall be thy shoe speaking of that coast where this tribe was seated Deut. 33.25 Some had rather that here it should have the signification of Frankincense the authour also of which iudgement is Aretas as it were doubtfull betweene both all be it he plainly relateth not that this signification is as it were drawne from use or taken out of any approved authour but as though the composition of the word should signify some such thing But Anthoine Nebrissensis bringes somewhat of weight for this point writing as it is recorded of Frauncis de Ribera that this title is frequent in Orpheus amongest his hymnes Chalcolibanus for Apollo for Latona and other Gods that is as he interpreteth the male Frankincense or the sacrifice of the male Frankincense as in Virgile in his Bucolickes and offer for sacrifice the fate vervin and male Frankincense But I thinke that the wordes which follow contradict it burning as in a fornace Similitudes are wont to be fetcht from usuall accoustumed things but we reade no where of such a prodigall wast of Frankincense noe not when Alexander himselfe sacrificed that it should be burned in an oven or fornace which onely was to be burnt on an altare Therefore that first significatioÌ„ of metall seemeth to be better chiefly seing the visioÌ„s alreadie before made are according to this maner recorded In Ezechiel his feete are like to shining brasse ch 1.17 of shining brasse in Dan. ch 10.6 As touching Orpheus let the learned coÌ„sider whether Chalcolibanus for Apollo may not be an image of brasse of Lebanons for Apollo as if he should saie that he by his verse did as it were erect an image of most pretious brasse for Apollo They wer wont in ancient time to coÌ„secrate to their Gods other things besides fraÌ„kincense according to which custome Synesius a ChristiaÌ„ Poet nameth his Hymnes crownes garlandes J make for thee this garland from the holy meadowes Hym. 3. Such a thing therefore is this Lebanons brasse whose feete burning in a fornace being like shew the afflicted spouse in the Churches of Smyrna Pergamum which yet receaved no damage by affliction but through the strength of brasse should continue invincible should shine much more cleare than fire The comoÌ„ latine translation for Lebanons brasse readeth copper The Iesuite according to his wont that he might by some probable reason hide the errour thinketh that the olde Interpretour first translated it Lebanons brasse as it is in the greeke that afterwards this word was corrupted by printers or unlearned But what needs this defeÌ„ce Wherefore hath not the translatour here as alwaies followed the best corrected copies if the greeke bookes are corrupted It is foolishnes to bring a thing to the rule which is righter thaÌ„ the rule it selfe But the power of the truth carrieth the maÌ„ that gainesaies it froÌ„ his iudgement drives him into coÌ„trarie opinioÌ„s ¶ And his voice as the voice of many c. This similitude is often for the most parte noteth an huge tumult in this booke as it seemeth it is of a large signification declaring besides the greatnes of the noise a certaine unconceavable as I may so
say notion of things as is the disordered and confused noise of waters which storming with contrary waves rushing against the shoare rockes yeilde a certaine huge noise yet no maÌ„ distinctly perceaveth what all that noise meaneth Such should by Christs administration be the word of truth in the same Churches in which the feete should be like to burning lebanons brasse To the heathenish men that lived yea in most pure Ephesus the truth was a certaine unsavoury and untastable thing neither sounded it any other thing then barbarous and unpleasant Cornelius Tacitus calleth the doctrine of the Gospell a certeine deadly superstition shewing by his wicked blasphemy not so much his owne as the comon hatred of all the GeÌ„tiles book 15. Suetonius recite that the ChristiaÌ„s were afflicted by torments that they were a kinde of men of strong wicked superstitioÌ„ in Nâ—ron ch 16. Pline a very learned wise maÌ„ in a certaine Epistle to Traiane singes the same song he writes that when he had enquired of 2 mades which were said to be the servantes of certaine Chrestians by tormentes what was the truth he founde no other thing than wicked unreasonable superstition the infection whereof had not onely runne thorough the cities but also the villages couÌ„trey c. How doeth the sounde of the truth to such men seeme a certaine rude vaine beating of waves Their eares were filled with a sounde wherof they conceaved no sence And we shall see in the next chapter how these although Gentiles perteined to Ephesus But not alone of this kinde of men the wholesome truth was accounted barbarous but also of many of Christian profesâ—ion in the Church of Smyrna Pergamus and the neighbour Churches Errours perverse opinions so possessed many that they were altogither deafe to wholesome doctrine neither tasted any sweetenes of it as it will be more plaine in the next chapter And he had in his right hand seaven starres He did so defend with his mighty right hand the Teachers of the truth for these are the starres as beneath iâ— taught vers 20. afflicted with many evills that in all miseries they were conquerours Although this thing be common to all Churchches yet in those it is cheefly seene Where the feete doe burne in an oven and the truth either not heard or not understood Even there we shall see many delivered to death but for one many forthwith to arise neither onely doeth the power of his defending right hand so manifest it selfe but also in repelling the conspiracies which the wicked doe make to his Ambassadours ¶ And out of his mouth a two edged sworde This sworde is the most mightie word of God more percing than any two edged sworde It searcheth the reines and pronounced sentence against the wicked and unbeleevers Neither doth one iote or any note become voide and of no effect It wondeth and killeth bringing upon the wicked those calamities which it threatneth Now it cometh out of the mouth because in the Church of Pergamus Christ would approve his most holy severity to the world in punishing sinnes unlesse saith he they repent J will fight against them with the sworde of my mouth chah 2.16 as it shall more fully be spoken of there ¶ And his face shineth as the Sunne in his strength The face or counteance of Christ is his worship appointed from God in which he is seene of his as cleerly as we doe beholde thinges before us Wherto perteine those exhortations Seeke yee my face Psal 27.8 Seeke the Lord and his strength Seeke his face alwayes Psal 150.4 Asthough he should say trust alway in the Lord and apply your selves to the holy study of those thinges with which he hath taugh that he himselfe is to be worshiped As long as we bestowe our labour thus we are conversant in the sight of the Lord but as soone as the fucalty to be at his publike worship is taken away we are banished from his face as Cain complaineth being cast out of the Church for the murther of his brother that he was hidden from his face Gen. 4.14 Therefore the whole religion of Christ perteining either to doctrine or to prayers sacraments discipline should shine most purely in these Churches For the reason of order requireth that in the last place the shining face should signify that the last of the seaven Churches should be famous by the cleere vision of Christ And among these as we shall see Philadelphia obtaineth the chiefe praise the other so beholde the open face of Christ that they may rather perceive that Christ is angry with them then reioyce in any of his favorable beholding or countenance Therefore the whole type or figure hath this summe That the first of the seaven Churches is no table by the righteousnes of Christ thorough the faith and holines of the people and mervailous quicknes of understanding of the teachers by whose bright eyes the darknes of errours are driven far away that those Churches in the middes are on fyre through greate affliction yet that the truth was not altogether overwhelmed but did make a lowde noise as the fall of the river Nilus although to very many it was but as the unconstant dashing of the waves That the last Churches had their teachers whole sound kept the trueth mighty to subdue the enemies and a great purity of the whole religion For nowe it shal be sufficient to distinguish them in to three degrees for plainesse sake we will folow a more accurate distribution when we shall intreate of them severally 17 I fell at his feete as dead Thus was the type from the consequents First the great feare of John offers it selfe such as in the like matter hath befallen other holy men So great is the infirmity of our nature and conscience of depravation that it can in noe wise endure the least shewe of Gods maiesty Dan. 8.9 c. which is another argument for the credit of the heavenly vision ¶ Feare not A consolation very necessary coÌ„sidering that Ihon had not bin able to perceive the things either heard or seen unlesse he had first bin recreated and confirmed from his feare And so it is wont to come to passe in holy visions the evill spirits contrarywise doe increase feare asmuch as they can desiring to overwhelme men with feare and desperation The places of consolation are from his universall power over all things created in this verse by name from his victory and power over death in the verse following Those wordes first last have great power to confort for why may not John be of good courage when he biddeth not to feare who in the beginning created all things and is able to bring them to nothing againe at his pleasure unlesse peradventure the words first and last are to be referred to glory and humility then he is the first nowe among all things created or rather above all things in honour and maiesty who once