other interpretation Onely I will here note that forasmuch as all figures types and colours contained in this booke may so conueniently be applied to Rome as though they had bene properly appointed to describe her as they were indeed it is great preiudice against Rome although no plainer proofes might be brought But when so plaine arguments are brought foorth that without too much impudencie cannot be auoided and all other figures and darke speeches agree accordingly it is a manifest coniunction that Rome is none other but this Babylon But to begin with these plaine places as I haue promised the first shall be out of the eleuenth Chapter of this Reuelation the place before alleaged where it is declared that God in all times yea in the greatest persecution would maintaine his Church and reserue at the least two witnesses which should testifie of his truth in spite of Antichrist and his adherents Which although the monstrous beast that ariseth out of the bottomelesse pit should murther and slay yet God should restore them to life again continually stirring vp a sufficient number to beare witnesse of his name and doctrine In that Chapter I say is contained that when the beast had murthered them he should enuie them the honour of buriall and so their bodies should lye in the streete or market place of that great citie which is spiritually called Sodoma and Aegyptus where our Lord was crucified Declaring thereby that as Rome had slaine and crucified the head so should Rome persecute the members And in the same Citie where their Lord was murthered the seruants should be persecuted But here a man would thinke that I were impudent to affirme that our Sauiour Christ was crucified at Rome whome all the world knoweth to haue suffered death at Ierusalem But you must call to remembrance that at the first I gaue warning that I did not vnderstand Rome for the topographie of Rome that is so much ground onely as is compassed within the walles of that Citie but for the regiment gouernance and prerogatiue that is claymed by reason of that Citie or Monarchie whereof Rome is the head and then I shall easily proue that Christ was crucified at Rome For by whome was he condemned was it not by Pilate the Deputie or Lieutenant of the Romain Empire For what cause or crime was he adiudged to die was it not for treason pretended to be committed against the Romaine Empire With what kind of execution was he put to death was it not such as was vsuall by the lawes of the Romaines for such hainous offences as were vniustly laid to his charge Finally was not the place wherein he suffered within the circuit of the Romaine Empire May I not then iustly affirme that he was crucified at Rome whē by the Romaine Iudge he was condemned for a crime against the Romaine state and executed by a kind of death appointed by the Romaine lawes and in a place of the Romaine dominion As for the Iewes they had at that time no authoritie to put any man to death as they confesse themselues when Pilate bad them take him and iudge him according to their owne lawe meaning they shold decree some light punishment against him They answered It is not lawfull for vs to iudge him to dye As touching the cause although they accused him of blasphemie in that he made himselfe the Sonne of God yet could he not be condemned for that because Pilate would admit no accusation but such as contained a crime against the Romaine lawes And as for the death of the crosse it is manifest to be proper to the Romaines for the Iewes would haue stoned him if they might haue condemned him for blasphemie according to the law of Moises And that the Angell in that place by no meanes can vnderstand Ierusalem it is manifest by these reasons first that he calleth it that great citie which tearme could neuer be spoken of Ierusalem Also he calleth it Sodoma and Aegyptus which was the sea of the monstrous beast Antichrist which in other places is often called Babylon Whereas no man euer did imagine that Ierusalem should be called Sodome Aegypt or Babylon Adde hereunto that Ierusalem the place where Christ suffered was vtterly destroyed in S. Iohns time whereby it is euident that by this great citie spiritually called Babylon Sodoma and Aegyptus is meant none other but the Romaine Empire which crucified the head and should also bring foorth to put any man to death and he hath deserued the monstrous beast Antichrist which should torment and afflict the members which began with murther of the Lord and should continue till it were destroyed in murthering of the seruants And by this plaine text which cannot be wrested to any other sense this great citie of Babylon where Christ was crucified is proued to be Rome and the authoritie rule and power of the Romaine Citie The second plaine and euident proofe which I will vse at this time shall be taken out of the thirteenth Chapter of this Reuelation where that euill shapen beast is described which is the head of the persecuting malignant Church hauing seuen heads and ten hornes and is the same which afterward in the seuenteenth Chapter beareth the great whore Babylon the mother of all abhominations of the earth Who so therefore will compare these things that are written in this booke concerning the description of that monstrous beast with those things that the Prophet Daniel in the seuenth Chapter of his Prophecie describeth of the foure beasts and specially of the fourth which all men confesse to be the Romaine Empire except he be too much blinded with frowardnes and peruerse affection he must needes acknowledge that this Beast which Iohn painteth out is the same that Daniel setteth out which containing in it the crueltie of the Leopard the Beare and the Lion which were the former Monarchies is vnlike to them all and therefore is the fourth Empire which all the world acknowledgeth to be the Monarchie of Rome What should I speake of the number of the hornes equall in both and generally of all other parts of their description which is set foorth so like and almost with the same words both of the one and of the other that it were meere madnesse to imagine that this beast which Iohn describeth should be any other then that Daniel had so long before portraited Then if the Beast in Daniels description doth signifie the fourth kingdome as the Angell expoundeth it which no man will denie to be the Romaine Monarchie the same monstrous Beast being here painted out in this Reuelation with the same shape colours and conditions must needes signifie the Romaine Empire and so Babylon by this reason also is proued to be Rome The third argument or proofe is taken out of the seuenteenth Chapter of this Reuelation and the ninth verse where the Angell expounding to Saint Iohn the mysterie of the Beast with the seuen heades declareth in very plaine wordes that the
her time to repent and commaundement to repent for other ends first that then he may with the time giue grace also to repent that so she and we may see what we should do and withall see our owne want that we are not able to do as we are commaunded and so to make vs inexcusable And she repented not Here Iesabels sinne is set downe namely impenitency and going on in her sins of fornication and idolatry concerning which sins note two things first where impenitency is forbidden secondly how great a sin it is First where it is forbidden Ans. There are two parts of the word the law and the Gospell and these two be seuered and distinct neither can be mingled one with the other Now the law cōmands things which we in that nature of man in which Adam was could haue fulfilled but the Gospell commaunds things aboue nature The law cannot command repentance seeing it reuealeth not repentance but the Gospell commaunds it and so by an Euangelicall commaundement this sin is forbidden As for the second part how great this sinne is know we that when men liue and go on in their sins it is a great sin seeing by it men heape vp sinne and wrath to themselues Some say it is a sin against the holy Ghost but it is vntrue for that is a blasphemy so is not impenitency that is in this life but impenitency properly is at death Hence the Papists gather againe that a man hath free will seeing he gaue her time to repent but she would not Ans. She had free will to sinne as all men haue and so to be impenitent but it followes not that she had free wil to do good to repent without Gods speciall grace That which Christ said of Iesabel may be said of our Church and most men among vs he giueth vs long time to repent ten twenty or thirty yeares not one of a hundred repents we care not to heare the word and receiue the sacraments we will not turne to God truly but lie in sin in ignorance in contempt of the word in prophanation of the Sabbath couetousnesse adultery idlenesse drinking and eating so that our liues tell plainly not one of a thousand turnes to God truly Now Christ hauing reproued the Church and Iesabel from the 22. to the 28. verse he giueth speciall counsell to them both The end of his counsell is to direct them how to auoide the iudgement of God both in this and the life to come The counsell of Christ hath two parts the first concerneth the woman Iesabel and her company the second the Church of Thyatira The counsell concerning her is in the 22. and 23. verses the summe of it is to repent thou Iesabel and thy company and disciples repent of your sins This is not expressed but in stead therof is the reason vers 22. 23. The reason is this If thou wilt not repent I will punish thee with sundry iudgements but thou wouldst not be punished with sundry iudgements therefore repent Behold I will This is the reason in which note two parts first a threatning secondly an exception except they repent of their workes Before the threatning Christ sets this note of attention This should teach her vs to cōsider seriously of iudgements against sin and sinners in the written word of God Iosias when the law was read his heart melted which was at the threatnings of the law 2. King 24. So when Peter preached the Iewes were pricked in heart because he told them of the fearefull iudgement due to them for killing the Lord of life Act. 2. 37. So should we with Iosias be humbled at the serious consideration of Gods threatnings against sin and be moued to repent And the cause why sin is so rife is because men thinke not earnestly or else regard not Gods iudgements against sin and sinners The threatning hath three parts according to three estates The first concerning Iesabel I will cast her into a bed We may gather the meaning of these words by those 2. Sam. 13. 5. of Ionadab to Amnon Ly down on thy bed and faine thy self sick So here I I will cast her into a bed that is strike her with some great sicknes the place namely the bed put for the sicknes which is in the man lying on the bed Iesabel tooke pleasure in the bed by fornication who abusing the bed the Lord to punish her in the bed accordingly gaue her sicknes in the same bed which she abused Here is Gods dealing with sinners he punisheth them in those things they haue abused Iesabel abused the bed to fornicatiō the Lord punished her in the bed with some great disease and sicknes Diues abused his tongue and tast in Gods creatures he is punished in them Luke 16. he asked a drop of water to coole his tongue Gamesters take pleasure in abusing time and spend it in carding and dicing their punishment it brings many iudgements on them they come to ruine and misery Ahab to get the vineyard sheds bloud the Lord sheds his Iesabels and his childrens and they which liue by the bloud of the poore draw it out of them are punished with the like for bloud will haue bloud and the Lord will punish men in those sins wherein they tooke most pleasure Then this should admonish vs to take heed we abuse no creature of God for the Lord he will turne the same to our punishment I will cast her That is strike her with some grieuous sicknes Here we see the author of sicknes it is not by chance but comes from the hand of God if men could learne this they would make better vse of sicknesse if men could say the Lord hath cast me on my bed visited my body with sicknes he hath done it for some of my sins to humble me and make me repent then they would find in their recouery a blessing and liue a new life Esay 38. Hezekiah when he lay on his death bed knew it came from the Lord therfore hearing Esay say he must die he turned him to the wall and wept as for other things so especially for his sins and craued pardon for them So Iacob lying on his bed leaned on his staffe sate vp and prayed for pardon of his sins and to testifie his faith and hope to God So should we in our sicknesse shew our faith and hope and pray for pardon of sinnes committed against him The second part of the threatning which concernes her disciples and followers which receiued her doctrine and committed fornication with her and their punishment is to be cast into great affliction We see it is a great sin to commit fornication and not a trick or slip of youth as we call it seeing Christ assignes a great punishment to it Againe we see some causes why townes cities and countries be afflicted with much famine sword and pestilence namely because there be fornicators and maintainers of errors and superstition for God
outwardly in bodie but in the seruice of God ioyne heart and hand be indeed as good professors as we beare the world in hand we are the Lord will remoue our crowne and giue it to a nation which will bring foorth better increase and seeke to maintaine it better Vers. 12. Him that ouercometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God Here is set downe the promise which containeth two things first to whom the promise is made to him that ouercometh secondly the thing promised in the words following For the first he giueth to vnderstand that whosoeuer will haue his seruice pleasing vnto God must dispose himselfe to fight a good fight and to wage battell against all his enemies A man cannot be a good Christian except he be a good souldier when he beginneth to turne to God then he hath innumerable enemies both within himselfe and without to make him take another course and turne from God now if he be not a good souldier these enemies will ouercome him For the second the thing promised is eternall life in these words I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God Christ here alludeth to men in this world who haue bene wont to build pillars vpon hils and mountaines that the posteritie to come might remember them when they were dead and rotten 1. Sa. 18. 18. Absolom in his life had reared him vp a pillar which is in the kings dale for he said I haue no sonne to keepe my name in remembrance This then is the sense It is the custome of men to set vp pillars for the remembrance of their bodies but I will make the man himselfe that ouercometh a pillar In the temple That is in the Church triumphant figured by the temple at Ierusalem as if he should say Others set vp pillars in fields and mountaines but I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God I will make him a pillar That is I will not onely make him a part but a worthie part in the temple My God This is set downe to shew that God is Christs God as he is Mediator otherwise as he is God the second person he is equall to the Father And he shall go no more out First he shall abide a pillar for euer he shall not need renewing as the pillars of men do This pillar shall haue three names first the name of God whereby he doth signifie that he is the seruant of God Secondly the name of the citie of my God By citie is not meant the triumphant Church but the place thereof namely the high heauens The meaning of it is I will make it manifest that he is a citizē of the place of glorie This citie is described in the words following by a resemblance it is called new Ierusalem because that was a citie that resembled Paradise where Adam was New Ierusalem But how can it be called new Ierusalem seeing it was before the earthly Ierusalem Answ. It is called new not in regard of the being but in regard of reuelation for it was before the beginning of the world Which came downe out of heauen from my God It is not said it shall come downe but it is come downe This clause is added to answer to an obiection which he that ouercometh might make thus Heauen is farre off how can heauen come downe from heauen Ans. It cometh downe to vs by the preaching of the Gospell for by it we begin to be citizens thereof Eph. 2. The third name is my new name By the name of Christ we are to vnderstand glorie and power Ob. But Christ had glorie and power from all eternitie Ans. True he had so but this is to be meant as he is God incarnate Now the ends and reasons which made him describe the estate of life euerlasting are these first to comfort them which keep faith and a good conscience he doth describe the reward thereof being an excellent meanes to incourage men to go forward in the faith Learne we then in all our afflictions to keepe this faith and good conscience to the end by beholding the estate of life euerlasting and the reward thereof Moses desired to suffer afflictions because he had respect to the recompence of the reward The second reason of this description is to bring men to view the excellencie of life euerlasting Many men are drawne from religion because they take such pleasure in earthly matters which they would not if they thought eternall life so great a matter The third reason is to teach men to practise Paules rule in the 1. to Tim. 6. 12. to lay hold on eternall life Men with both hands lay hold on the world both of honour and riches none layeth sure hold of life euerlasting though it be neuer so sweet pleasant blessed and glorious The fourth reason is to make the people of God not to feare the cruellest death that can be seeing bodily death is a doore to glory Thus much generally of the twelfth verse now it followeth that I speake particularly I will make him a pillar That which the seruants of God shall be in the Church triumphant that they must beginne to be in the Church militant If therefore thou wouldest be a pillar in heauen thou must begin to be one on earth by vpholding and maintaining the Gospell Againe in that he saith I will make him a pillar in Ierusalem that is the Church triumphant they must learne to amend their erronious opinion who thinke euery Church as holy as Ierusalem and is to haue the same reuerence And I will write vpon him That is he shall haue God for his God Here he giueth vs to vnderstand that we can haue no fellowship with God but by Christ God will neuer saue nor blesse vs out of Christ his Sonne If therefore thou wilt giue thankes to God thou must do it through Christ if thou wilt receiue any temporall blessing of God it must be in and by not out of Christ. I will make him a citizen of the kingdome of heauen Here we must learne to carrie our selues in this world as citizens of heauen and not of this world otherwise we can neuer looke for heauen Phil. 3. 20. I will make heauen come downe Here we may see the mercie of God to man heauen was shut vp by our sinnes but God hath opened it by the bloud of Christ that we might enter therein Therefore if we will haue the new name we must become new creatures for neither circumcision nor vncircumcision auaileth any thing but a new creature if we content our selues with the old man we shall neuer come to heauen Vers. 13. Let him that hath an eare heare what the spirit saith to the Churches This is the last part of the Epistle written to the Church of Philadelphia Now whereas Christ againe and againe repeateth the same words the Ministers of the Gospell haue a warrant if they preach the same Sermon to the people
of Christ and by the other be moued to the hatred of that false Church of Antichrist Now this text of Scripture She is fallen she is fallen euen Babylon that great citie for of the wine of the fury of her fornication she hath giuen all nations to drinke offereth me three speciall things to be considered first what Babylon is secondly what is become of her and thirdly what is the cause of her heauie decay In the first part by the assistance of God I shall plainely shew and proue that Babylon is Rome In the second that Babylon or Rome by the iust iudgement of God is fallen yea she is fallen In the last the reason of this so sharpe sentence of God against her because she hath deceiued all the world with drunkennesse and whoredome Within the compasse of these three propositions I will keep my selfe in all my discourse sauing that by your fauour forasmuch as this is the middle voice of three Angels that speake in this Chapter for a Preface I will vse the voice of the first Angell of whose preaching this my text is a cōsequent and in the stead of a conclusion I will touch the voyce of the third Angel which is a consequent of this the middle Angels voice Concerning the preface it shall be this in few words After that S. Iohn had described the preseruation and vnitie of the Church of God in Christ their head euen in the midst of the furie of Antichrist vnder the figure of the Lambe standing on mount Sion with 144000. of his chast worshippers next he declareth that God would bring the same againe into the sight of the world by preaching of the Gospell and the ouerthrow of the kingdome of Antichrist Wherefore he sendeth an Angell flying in the midst of heauen or betweene heauen and earth bringing with him an euerlasting Gospell and preaching that all men should feare God and giue glorie to his name for the time of his iudgement was at hand and that they should worship him that made heauen and earth and all things that are in them A very Angelicall sermon indeed an euerlasting Gospell is that howsoeuer the enemies charge it with noueltie that teacheth to feare God to giue glorie to his name and to worship him onely that is the Creator of heauen and earth And a consequent of that Gospell is this Sermon of the Angell She is fallen she is fallen euen Babylon that great Citie For wheresoeuer men are taught to feare God aright to giue all glorie to him alone and to worship none other but him that made heauen and earth and all things in them contained there must needes follow a great fal and ouerthrow of Babylon and Babylonicall religion which teacheth the contrarie Wherefore if we loue the peace of Ierusalem to the ouerthrow of this her great aduersarie let vs imbrace this euerlasting Gospell that we feare God glorifie God and worship God alone Againe if we hate Babylon with a perfect hatred as we ought to do and therefore would seeke her vtter ruine and decay let vs procure that this Gospell may be preached that men may learn to feare honour and serue God onely and then vndoubtedly Babylon shall fall she shall fall I say she can stand no longer Let this suffice therefore for a Preface Now haue we to cōsider what Babylon is I haue vndertaken to proue that Babylon here spoken of is Rome But first I must admonish you how I vnderstand Rome And that is not onely for a certaine place in Italy compassed about with walles and furnished with buildings as other cities are but for that authoritie gouernment and preheminence which is challenged by meanes of that citie or for the Romaine Empire which is claimed by prerogatiue of the same citie and so is Babylon taken in the Scripture and namely in this Prophecie For in the eleuenth Chapter of this Reuelation the same great citie is called also Sodoma and Aegyptus where our Lord was crucified Sodoma for the great abhomination and filthinesse therein maintained and Aegyptus because it keepeth the people of God in miserable bondage and slauerie as Aegypt vnder Pharao did of old Whereby it is manifest that the great citie is to be taken for that tyrannie gouernment and preheminence as I said which is challenged in the right of that great Citie and so is the regiment and gouernance of the Romaine Antichrist depending vpon the prerogatiue of his See which is Rome Now if any will contend that Babylon must be taken in the proper sense for a citie in Chaldea onely as though we should looke for the See of Antichrist out of the East as the Papists for thirty or fortie yeares ago deuised a fable that was renewed also in Queene Maries dayes of a monstrous child which should be borne at Babylon which they would haue men suppose to be Antichrist he may be flatly conuicted of great ignorance whē the Angell in the seuenteenth Chapter of this Prophecie testifieth that her name is Babylon in a mysterie as in the eleuenth Chapter that she is spiritually called Sodoma and Aegyptus not in respect of situation of the place but in similitude and likenesse of conditions Wherefore it remaineth that according to my promise I proue Babylon here mentioned to be Rome The greatest controuersie that this day troubleth the world is where the true Church of God should be the Papists making great bragges that it is on their side we affirming that it is on our side This controuersie will soone be cut off and brought to an end if it may be shewed that Babylon is Rome for then cannot Rome be the Church of Christ but the Church of Antichrist And therefore it standeth me vpon to bring very good and substantiall proofes to maintaine this my assertion that Babylon is Rome But what proofes may be counted sufficient Is not the authoritie of holy Scriptures and the testimonie of auncient Doctors of the Church good and substantiall proofes Therfore if authoritie of Scriptures be a good and substantiall proofe ye shall haue Scriptures if consent of auncient Writers in the same sentence be of any value you shall haue plentie And first beginning with Scriptures I will not alledge such places as be hard and darke to vnderstand but such as be plaine euident and manifest and can receiue no other interpretation to satisfie the iudgement of any reasonable man I omit therefore so many figures as in this Reuelation do not very obscurely signifie but euen directly point at and paint out that Antichristian Church For although they do so aptly and fitly agree therto as a man might easily iudge they were made euen for the same purpose yet because they might be wrested to some other meaning if manifest places did not withstand I will leaue all aduantage that I might take of them and hold me onely at this time to those plaine and euident demonstrations which with no equitie nor conscience can admit any
seuen heades do signifie seuen hilles whereon the woman sitteth Now seeing it is euident that the woman signifieth a great Citie we must see where we can find a great Citie builded vpon seuen hilles and that by the interpretation of the Angell is Babylon the See of Antichrist And if we seeke throughout the whole world where shall we find a great Citie builded vpon seuen hils but that great citie in Italie which all Writers Poets Historians Cosmographers with one consent do confesse to be Rome which is builded vpon seuen hilles whose names are these Palatinus Capitolinus Auentinus Exquilinus Viminaelis Quirinalis and Caelius This is so plaine a notation of Rome to be Babylon builded on seuen hilles that the Angell could not more plainely haue expressed Rome though he had named her Nay this is a more euident and certain description of Rome to be the See of Antichrist then if in plaine words he had said Babylon is Rome For it might be that some other citie then that here was meant might haue the name of Rome but no other citie could haue this notation to be builded on seuen hils For Constantinople was afterward called new Rome but Constantinople was not builded vpon seuen hilles like vnto old Rome Therefore this is a plaine and manifest circumlocution of Rome which with no reason can receiue any other exposition For what boy going to the Grammer schoole and reading in Virgils Georgickes this verse Septem quae vna sibi muro circundedit arces That citie saith Virgil which hath compassed seuen hils within her walles What boy I say in the Grammer schoole doth not vnderstand this to be meant of the citie of Rome although the Poet in that place doth not once name Rome With what face therefore will any man denie that the Angell here meaneth any other citie by this Periphrasis and circumlocution then Rome For if any will be so froward to except that the word of hils is not taken in the proper sense but figuratiuely and metaphorically for some other thing as some would seem to interprete seuen hils in this place for seuen kingdoms he shal plainly be conuinced by these reasons first it were absurd that the Angel should repeat one thing twise for in the next clause he sheweth that the seuen heads do signifie kingdoms also but specially we must remember that this is an interpretation of the Angell which must either be plaine and easie to be vnderstood or it deserueth not the name of an interpretation Therefore if the Angell offering to expound the mysterie of the seuen heads giueth this exposition that they signifie seuen hils if hils be not taken in their proper sense to what purpose serueth this exposition For if the name of hils hath need of another exposition he had bene as good to haue left the name of heads vnexpounded And as for the interpretation of hils to signifie Kings is more obscure darke and far fet then that heads should represent Kings for it is more apt by metaphor to call a King an head then to cal him an hill Therefore except we will say that the interpretation of the Angell is vaine yea more darke then the thing that is expounded by him we must needes confesse that hils are taken in their proper sense for hils and then the citie builded vpon seuen hilles without all controuersie is the citie of Rome The fourth and last proofe that I will take out of the holy scripture is the last verse of the same seuenteenth chapter which is yet a more plaine description of Rome if any thing can be more plaine then that hath bene alreadie spoken for there the Angell in plaine words expoundeth that the woman which S. Iohn saw which was the great whoore Babylon is that great Citie which hath dominion ouer the Kings of the earth What brazen face is so impudent to denie that Rome was that great citie which had dominion ouer the Kings of the earth at that time when this was spoken Or what other citie had dominion ouer the Kings of the earth in S. Iohns time but Rome Who is therefore so froward and vntoward that he will not acknowledge Babylon here to be plainly called Rome If I should name the chiefe city of England who would not vnderstand London If I should speake of the chiefest citie of France who would not conceiue Paris And when the Angell named the chiefe citie of the world who could be ignorant liuing in that time or knowing the history of that time that he vnderstood it of the citie of Rome which was the sea of the Empire and from whence we should looke that Antichrist should come according to the former prophesies For it is a shame in this place to flie vnto allegories and further expositions of this Angelicall interpretation which as I said before if it be not cleare plaine and easie to be vnderstood deserueth not the name of an exposition as when one knoweth one vnknowne thing is expounded by another as much or more vnknowne it is vaine superfluous and ridiculous Wherefore whom any bonds of reason will hold in they must be satisfied with the exposition of the Angell that Babylon is Rome For seeing it was necessary for the Church of God to know aswell the place where Antichrist should fit as to be instructed of his craft and crueltie our Sauiour Christ the author of this Reuelation would not suffer his congregation to be ignorant thereof but sent his Angell plainely to interprete and expound the vision of the great whoore that the Church being throughly admonished of her wickednesse and instructed perfectly to know her might more easily take heed of her flie from her and abhor her so that according to my promise I haue sufficiently proued by authoritie of holy Scriptures this first proposition which I tooke in hand that Babylon is Rome But because some are of such obstinate and wilful frowardnes that nothing will satisfie them but they will still grudge and repine carpe and obiect against my interpretations of holy Scriptures for the texts they cannot deny I wish them that are such if they like not these expositions which I haue brought to the defacing of Antichrist and his religion that then they admit and reuerence those expositions which their owne authors bring for the maintenance of the Popes authoritie and his religion of which sort are these God saith Moses in Genesis made two great lights the Sunne to rule the day and the Moone to gouerne the night that is saith the famous Interpreter God ordained the Pope and the Emperour to rule the world By the Sun is meant the Pope and by the Moone the Emperour and looke how much greater and more glorious the Sunne is then the Moone so much greater and more glorious is the Pope then the Emperour And not content with this he counteth by Arithmeticke how much greater the Sunne is in quantitie then the Moone by proportion that it hath to the earth
Peter is specially called Babylon Note that Ierome in this place accounted Rome to be Babylon the younger daughter of Babylon the elder And secondly that this was not his opinion onely but the consent of many other in his time and namely of such as vsed to interpret the Prophet Esay Thirdly and especially consider that he affirmeth Rome in the Apocalypse to be especially called Babylon So that Babylon in the Apocalypse by his iudgement can be vnderstood for nothing else but Rome because Rome is there specially figured by Babylon What meaneth Ierome so often to beate in this naile that Babylon is Rome If it had slipped out of his pen but once he might haue bene pardoned for his ouersight but when he hath neuer done writing that Rome is Babylon why should we account him any longer for a Catholike For in his Preface vnto the booke of Didimus De Spiritu sancto which he translated out of Greeke into Latine writing to Paulinianus he vttereth these words Cùm in Babylone versarer purpuratae Meretricis essem Colonus iure Quiritum viuerem c. Of late saith he when I was in Babylon and was an inhabitant of the purple Harlot and liued after the lawes of the Romaines I thought to intreat somwhat of the holy Ghost What needed Ierome in this place so odiously and contumeliously to call Rome by the name of Babylon but that he could neuer consider Rome otherwise but to be the See appointed for Antichrist For in other places where he interpreteth the Scriptures and Prophecies concerning Antichrist we may lesse maruell if he interpret Babylon for Rome because no reason could leade him to expound it otherwise But here talking pleasantly with his friend what necessitie compelled him to vse such descriptions of Rome but that this perswasion was so deepely grauen in his mind that Babylon is Rome that neither in earnest nor iest he could forget it but is alwaies harping vpon it as though he thought scorne to call Rome by any other name then that he had learned in the Scriptures to be Babylon and the purple harlot For in like maner writing to Marcella a vertuous Gentlewoman of Rome whome he allured to forsake Rome and to dwell neare vnto him in Bethelem one speciall reason that he vseth to perswade her is this That as Bethelem whither he wold haue her to repaire is situate in the holy Land and the place consecrated to the birth of CHRIST so Rome where she desired to remaine was the Babylonicall harlot according to the Reuelation of S. Iohn appointed for the birth of Antichrist which there should arise and exercise his tyrannie and from thence should deceiue the whole world with his wicked wiles But who so will reade the workes of Ierome may find yet more places in which he is bold to call Rome Babylon the very See of Antichrist Whereby it is apparant that it is no new or strange matter to seeke Antichrist at Rome when such old Doctors of the Church so commonly in Commentaries Epistles and other writings do teach vs that Rome is Babylon and the Scripture affirmeth that Babylon is the See of Antichrist But let vs leaue S. Ierome and see what other say of the same matter S. Ambrose writing a Commentarie vpon the Reuelation of S. Iohn is of the same iudgement Of the authoritie of the worke I wil moue no question at this time seeing it is commended to vs by Cuthbert Tonstall late bishop of Duresme who found it in an old Librarie and first set it in print vnder the name of that great S. Ambrose and is willing that men should so thinke of it It is good authoritie I say against the Papists being commended by so Catholike a Prelate and because they are wont to receiue whatsoeuer cometh vnder the name of an old Doctor though it be neuer so vnlike his writing and crie out vpon vs for reiecting at our pleasure the workes of auncient Doctors that make against our doctrine as though we reiected any without cause or they refused none for any cause whereas Pigius their great Patron blushed not to reiect the report of two generall Councels the fift and sixt of Constantinople which are commended to vs by publike faith of the Church of Constantinople because in the one Pope Honorius is condemned and accursed for an heretike and in neither of both the Popes Legates could haue the highest place according to the request of their ambitious Maister But as for this Ambrose if he were not Ambrose of Millaine yet is it apparant by the stile that he was some auncient Writer of the Latine Church and he throughout this Prophecie interpreteth Babylon to be Rome and Antichrist to be sought no where but at Rome Primasius also a very auncient Writer who likewise commenteth vpon the Apocalypse expoundeth these Prophecies of Antichrist to be fulfilled in the Romaine Empire and of the citie of Rome S. Augustine in his learned worke De Ciuitate Dei not once or twice but oftentimes is bold to call Rome Babylon and Babylon Rome as in his sixteenth booke and seuenth chapter he calleth Rome another Babylon in the West And in his eighth booke and second chapter he calleth Babylon of Caldea the first Rome and Rome of Italie the second Babylon willing men to consider that in the beginning of the citie of God which was the Church in Abrahams time the first Rome that was Easterne Babylon her enemie was builded in Caldea and about the same time that the first Babylon was destroyed lest the citie of God should lacke her enemie the second Babylon which is Rome in Italie was erected It is a strange matter that the same citie which is the professed enemie of the citie of God should be the mother of all religion and the very citie of God it selfe O Augustine thou wast not well aduised to make the Citie of Rome enemie to the Citie of GOD that Rome shold be the same to the Church of GOD that Babylon of old was to Ierusalem The same Augustine in the 22. Chapter of the 18. booke calleth Rome another Babylon and daughter of the first Babylon And in the 27. Chapter he calleth Rome westerne Babylon By these other testimonies of old Writers that might be brought but for tediousnesse I suppose it is sufficiently proued that Babylon in this my text spoken of is Rome and that we should not seek Antichrist to proceed from any other place then from Rome But what need I trouble my selfe to seeke further testimoniall for confirmation of this matter that Babylon is Rome then of the Papists themselues which affirme that S. Peter in his Epistle where he sendeth salutations frō the Church gathered in Babylon by Babylon vnderstandeth Rome And they learne it of Ieronime which in the life of S. Marke doth so expound it So greedie they are to find a place in Scripture where Peter should be said to haue bene at Rome that they are content to
their iourney and shall we be so carefull to helpe men in temporall light and not much more carefull to helpe them in light toward the kingdome of God Let then all ignorant and loose liuers as there be many among vs let them now begin to shine for they stand in the place of good lights they be in the candlesticke they must cease from ignorance and loosenesse of life and beginne to burne and cast light as good candles both by doctrine and good example If a man should bring a candle in a sticke to vs and we shold go about to light it twice or thrice and it would not take light we would in anger cast it downe so Christ if he vse meanes to light these ignorant and loose-liuing persons many times if they refuse to be lighted he in his displeasure will cast them downe out of the candlesticke and not suffer them to take the place of a good candle but rather tread and stampe them vnder foote In the Church of God there be many ignorant persons many which continue in their ignorance rebellion and so continue in sin but a small number of good blazing lamps Many hold the place of good lights but are darke dimme and giue no light let these feare Gods iudgements Would any be true candles burning and blazing lights let them first get knowledge in the word and will of God furnish and replenish their hearts with knowledge and after practise the same faithfully in obedience in leading a godly life shining to other in holy example exhorting and instructing them that so shining foorth clearely and chearefully Christ standing in the middest of the lights may like and allow of them For vnlesse we shine thus in this candlesticke to wit the Church of God where we haue our places we shall neuer haue light nor ioy in the kingdome of heauen but if we do we shall then shine as the Sunne cleare and faire for euermore Golden candlestickes That is made of gold so called for two causes The Church of God is compared to a candlesticke of gold first because as gold is most excellent of all mettals so the Church of God is the most excellent of all societies and companies of men All companies and societies of men in the familie towne citie kingdome commonweales they be all the ordinance of God and excellent in their kinds but the Church of God is aboue all these it is most excellent no societie cometh neare it first because in the Church there is saluation to be had and obtained but in none of these societies of men it is to be had as they be societies of men but as they be Churches or true members of the Church 2 It is a most excellent societie because this is the end of all other societies they be all ordained to maintaine this as the chiefe and this euen the Church of God is the end of them all 3 The Church it beautifieth and adorneth all other societies because herein is their honour and preferment in that they be either Churches or members of the true Church Seeing the Church is the chiefe and most excellent societie in this world we must aboue all things haue speciall care to become members of this societie Men haue care and labour to become members of those townes which be in corporations and haue freedomes aboue other then much more should we labour to be members of that societie which is most excellent to be true members of the Church of God Seeing this is the chiefe societie and all referred to maintaine the Church of God it must be our speciall care to maintaine that Church euery man in his calling as the King Prince and Magistrates the Ministers in their callings yea euery man in his particular calling must seeke to preserue this societie Seeing this societie adorneth the other giueth them their beautie we should labour to bring all societies to this Men in families must seeke to make their familie a Church or a member of the true Church they which rule a towne to make it a true member of the Church and to make it an ecclesiasticall societie so Kings to make their kingdome a Church member ber of the Catholike Church because al other societies without the Church are but as places without light and without the candlesticke to hold vp and without this light they be in darknesse and the shadow of death It is compared to a golden stick because it is most precious to God none so deare none so neare to God as this societie of the Church Christ therfore to expresse how deare it is saith it is a seale to his hand and a signe on his right arme Can. 8. 6. Zachary cals the Church the apple of Gods eye shewing it is most deare in Gods sight as precious as the apple of the eye which is most tender to vs. Psal. 45. it is compared to the Queene in a vesture of gold nay no societie is so precious and deare to Christ as this seeing he hath shed his owne heart blood euen the blood of God to redeeme his Church In the middest of the seuen golden candlestickes Christ is in the midst of them that is he is present with his Church continually in all times he hath continuall care of it to gather his Church and being gathered to preserue it and defend it from all her enemies Seeing Christ is in the midst of his Church present to gather and defend it then the supremacy of the Church of Rome whereby they will haue one head of all the Churches on earth is needlesse for Christ is present gathering and defending his Church at all times then there needeth no generall Vicar In the presence of a king they of a commission cease though they were assigned before and if any should be so impudent as to take on him the office of a king in his presence all men would condemne him so though Christ had giuen this office to the Pope yet seeing he is present at all times in his Church to gather and defend it the generall gouernement of the Pope is needlesse and it is extreame arrogancy to take on him the office of Christ in his presence Seeing Christ is in the middest of his Church we must do as Enoch Gen. 5. 22. walke with or before Christ when we take any thing in hand do any thing in word or deed we must do all in Christs presence We must do all we do that we may haue approbation of Christ for he is in the midst of his Church to looke to it to defend it he seeth what we do therefore do all that he may like of it and approue it That we may do so we must haue direction for that we do out of his word and if we be able to walke before Christ we shall be able to do many duties to him and be vnblameable in this wicked world The second argument whereby Christ is described is his
being beleeued it is powerfull no might of man or any Prince is comparable Thirdly Christ destroyeth and killeth all our enemies all the aduersaries of the Church this is the principal end of this sword for Christ speaketh these words to comfort his Church in persecutions and for this he is said to haue a sharpe two edged sword for he killeth and slayeth the enemies of his Church partly in this life but deadly in the life to come In this life the word serueth to conuince them of hypocrisie vnbeleefe heresies superstition for Christ he abolished them with the breath of his mouth that is this sword 2. Thess. 2. Secondly when they be touched by the preaching of this word with desperations for when the law and Gospell is preached to them it wounds them to the heart by reuealing all their cursed dealings their vnbeleefe and hypocrisie and sets the conscience on the racke and stirres it vp which is fit of it selfe to accuse them when it hath reuealed their sinnes then it smites them with feare and horror and makes their conscience more fit to accuse terrifie them and then though they run on in sin yet they haue a deadly wound of desperation and this increaseth in this life and slayeth in the next for it cleane cuts them off when Christ shall say Go yee cursed this smiteth them starke dead casting them into eternall destruction for euer We must labour to haue the word of God worke powerfully in vs. to take place in our hearts by faith not onely to shew our sins Gods wrath against the same but withal to wound them slay and kill them and at the first to wound deadly for onely to haue our sins detected and our consciences terrified this is the way to desperation and the first wound to death but we must go further haue our corrupt hearts ript vp wounded crucified haue them reformed and this is the way to wound our soules and the end why Christ hath the two edged sword The second part is the proposition containing two parts first a commendation secondly a rebuke The commendation in the thirteenth verse I know thy workes In these words he commends this Church first in generall secondly in particular generally in these words I know thy workes that is thy waies and doings thy counsels affaires and withall I approue them as Psal. 1. 6. The Lord knoweth the righteous that is he approues them I know thy works Christ he begins with these words in this and euery of these Epistles to teach vs one especiall thing that the feare of God is the chiefe thing to be learned the beginning of all religion and for this cause he beginneth thus I know thy workes three or foure times I know shewing by this that wheresoeuer we be we are in the presence of Christ he sees all our works he heareth and knoweth all we do we cannot go out of his presence and to settle this deepely in our hearts that he is present alwaies seeing and beholding vs he repeates this seuen times in the beginning of euery Epistle Then this should teach vs both Minister and people to labour to haue this perswasion in our hearts that Christ is present seeth and beholdeth all we do when we take any thing in hand he stands at our elbowes looketh on vs whether we do well or ill then we must labour to haue this perswasion in our hearts that we can say now I do this or that my Sauiour Iesus Christ my Lord and redeemer he beholds me lookes on me seeth all my dealings therefore I will behaue my selfe well And the Preacher may spend himselfe in speaking and to no purpose till God giue grace to teach the people this one point which is the beginning and ground of all religion and feare of God for men may haue knowledge and speake much of the words of religion yet they cannot be true Christians till they haue learned this one point to be so perswaded as they can say in their heart Christ seeth and beholds me and till we can do that we shall make conscience of no sinne 2 The particular first commendation And where thou dwellest though thou dwel in a place where the diuel hath set his throne a place most incommodious and vnfit yet thou obseruest and keepest my name and religion thus he commendeth her for her constancie in religion Throne That is any place where superstition idolatrie and wickednesse is practised without controlment and frō whence wickednesse is conueyed to other places for the diuell is the god of this world 2. Cor. 4. 4. and he hath his kingdome throne and seate placed where he can practise sinne and wickednesse where iniquitie is maintained the Gospell despised and from whence he conueyeth his diuellish wickednesse to other places Such a place was Pergamus a citie wherein sinne did abound without controlment religion despised and from whence wickednesse was conueyed to many other cities townes and places Here we may note the diuels pollicie who hath his kingdome here on earth like to God here he placeth his thrones as a Prince and maketh choice to haue the fittest place where he may rule and raigne and practise wickednesse without controlment frō whence he may conuey it to other places he hath euer had hath now will haue his thrones He had in old time the high places the groues and such places where the people committed idolatrie Among the Gentiles there were Oracles to erect his thrones for in them he gaue answers and so conueyed his wickednesse to many In later dayes he had euery church and chappell his throne when Images Saints Roodes and such like were erected to which all men from all parts of the land came to worship In schooles of learning he had his thrones when nothing was taught but superstition and errors And now in our times he hath his thrones and officers to attend on the same as wisemen and these are a speciall meanes to erect his throne for vnto these come men from farre and neare so that he conueyeth his iniquitie to many seeing many seeke to them and so do him homage So dicing and brothell houses seeing in them iniquitie is practised in them is his throne In families where they liue in ignorance in sinne and wickednesse in blaspheming and drunkennesse or any one sinne there is his throne and so many thrones as families where they liue by any vniust dealing Then it is necessarie seeing the diuell hath his throne the Lord should haue his opposite to this as when men haue thrones of iustice both ciuill and ecclesiasticall ciuill to represse all iniustice and wickednesse to punish vice to reward vertue and ecclesiasticall to punish and reprehend those sinnes which ciuill iustice cannot The diuell cunningly and pollitickly chooseth Pergamus not a base towne or village but a huge citie whence many kings proceeded where there was a famous and great king and where was much people So he
vs to know that our names particularly are knowne to Christ and be written in his bil which is the King of heauen and earth The Lord to comfort Moses in trouble vsed this that he knoweth him by his name and so should it be to vs that our names are knowne to Christ and he will accordingly help vs. 2. Timoth. 2. there it is made the foundation of saluation that the Lord knoweth who be his Which haue not defiled These were commended for sinceritie and vprightnesse of life and conuersation though the rest of the church were dead yet these were aliue and kept themselues from all appearance of sin Now Christ commending them he leaueth in them a patterne of sinceritie for vs to follow to be as a looking glasse to see how we should professe religion We must not onely know and speake of the Gospell but we must liue accordingly we must keep our garments frō pollutiō liue without al occasion of sin and that we may liue sincerely we must first abstaine frō al sin in our own persons take heed we practise no sin Secondly we must take heed of contagion of sin not partake in other mens sins by cōsent or winking at them or giuing counsel to sin Thirdly we must abstaine from all occasions of sinne from all appearance of euill we must not once name sin nor giue the least approbation thereof Let not fornication be named among you Eph. 5. Then we must behold this patterne labor to be like them that Christ may commend vs as he did them and this we must do by liuing well for religion stands not in knowledge but in practise and by doing these three that is abstaining from the practise of all sinne from the contagion of sin and from all prouocation to sin we shall imitate them and become a most excellent people and a worthy church of Christ. Out of this place the Papists gather that a man after baptisme may liue without al mortall sins for these few hauing put on Christ liued free from all sinne nay from all appearance of sin But first though they liued so till this time yet how proue they they liued so after secondly they be said to keepe their garments vndefiled not because they sinned not at all but because they liued and endeuored in constant purpose not to sinne but in all things to please God and so the Lord accepts their will and constant endeuour for the deed and they be righteous before God and no sinners but keepers of the law And these shall walke with me in white Here after the commendation is a promise to walk that is liue in white that is in ioy and happinesse Eccles. 9. 8. Let thy garments be white that is reioyce and take thy lawfull pleasure in the things of this life The church before was threatned to haue Christ as iudge and to destroy them but these few they shall not taste of his wrath but be with Christ for euer in glory and happinesse By which we see that men which communicate not with the sins of townes countries or nations shall not partake in iudgement with them Lot liued in Sodom yet his righteous soule was not partaker of their sins neither was it of their punishment Gen. 19. Ezech. 6. 9. they which mourned for the sins of the people were marked and in the destruction not touched By reason of our long peace sins abound so that there is plentie of sin of contempt of the word of religion c. These sins call for iudgment and wil haue iudgement now if we would escape this iudgement we must take heed we communicate not with these sins and then we shall escape though we liue in Sodome After the promise followeth a reason of the same For they be worthy Hence the Papists gather that a man by his workes may merit heauē because here they be worthy of reward be worthy to walke with Christ in glory But I answer all true seruants of God be worthy of life euerlasting because God the father giueth Christ to euery true beleeuer so that euery beleeuer may truly say Christ is mine and withall he giueth the spirit of Christ which stirreth vp in the heart true iustifying faith which layeth hold on Christ applieth him and all his righteousnesse Now Christ being giuen to vs by God and receiued of vs by faith is wholly ours and his righteousnesse is made ours by imputation so that Christ with all his benefits is truly ours and when one stands thus iustified in Christ and clothed with his righteousnesse he is said to be worthy of saluation not for any thing of his owne but for Christs righteousnesse for there is a double righteousnesse one of the person as when Christs righteousnesse is imputed to vs another of the work as when a work is done answerable to the rigour of the law and then it is meritorious Now Christ speaketh here of the worthinesse of the person not of the worke of the person standing righteous in Christs righteousnesse Verse 5. To him which ouercometh Here is the conclusion in it note two parts first a promise secondly a commaundement of these before To him which ouercometh that is which getteth victory ouer all his spirituall enemies which we do by holding faith and a good conscience in all things to the end and this is first the partie to whom Seeing that the promises are euer made to him which ouercometh we must labour to haue that estate in conscience truly to say we haue laboured in all things to keepe faith and a good conscience and to thinke it a miserable estate to be ouercome of any enemy be it sin the diuell the world or our flesh I come to the thing promised which is threefold in words but one in substance namely glory happines and life euerlasting First He shall be clothed in white aray that is with eternall glory happines and life Out of this the Papists gather that a man may do a good work in respect of reward It is true indeed one may do so as Moses had respect to the recompence of reward Hebr. 11. 26. yet that must not be the principall end but faith to edifie the church and other men thē we may do it to receiue eternal life as a reward And will not cut his name out of the booke of life Here two questiōs must be assoiled 1. What is the book of life 2. Whether one can be blotted out of it for thou hast the booke of life in Gods predestination or his decree in election by which he hath ordained some men to life in his good pleasure this decree of God is called in a resemblance the booke of life For as a General in the field hath his book wherein he writes al his souldiers names and a Magistrate keepes a record writing in it all the citizens of that citie so God hath his decree wherein he writes the names of all those whom he will saue in his
of grace to acknowledge your pouertie and to be touched for it and grieued euen from the bottome of your hearts to feele this as sensibly as the begger feeleth his misery Deceiue not your selues Gods word must stand till you be beggers the Gospell wil be but a dreame and a fancie to you Quest. But how can Christ call her poore seeing it was a very rich people Ans. It is true indeed they were very rich so histories do record but as it was a rich citie so it was a poore church for all the wealth in the world is pouertie without the fauour of God in Christ we are complete in Christ without him we haue nothing All things are yours and you Christs and Christ Gods All temporall blessings are nothing out of Christ riches are no riches honours no honors out of Christ. In Christ we are complete and therefore rich Laodicea is but a poore and beggerly people and so are all without Christ. Therefore if God haue giuen you riches lay vp a good foundation vse then for this end that they may further and not hinder your saluation as helpes and meanes thereof otherwise they will be your ruine and destruction So much for the first part of mans pouertie The second part is Blindnesse How can they be said to be blind they had no doubt an excellent teacher indued with great knowledge and ability to teach and I doubt not but the people were well instructed Answ. It cannot be denied but they had great knowledge yet they are called blind first because they knew not their own estate for though a man had al the skil and knowledge in the world he were but a blind man without this knowledge Secondly because they knew not God in Christ. They knew God in general as many do now but not by a particular application to themselues that God was their God in Christ and Christ their redeemer They were content to know the Gospell generally confusedly Thirdly because they could not vnderstand things that differred It is a great gift of God to be able to discerne things that differ earthly things from heauenly and temporall from spirituall Therefore let vs learne this lesson All knowledge is but ignorance if a man know not himselfe and God to be his God and Christ his sauiour Let a man be brought vp in the best schooles of learning and haue the most absolute gifts that can be though he go beyond all men in diuine and humane knowledge and learning if he know not himselfe and his state before God he knoweth nothing Christ sets this marke vpon the Angel of this Church and yet no doubt he was a learned man but it shewes he had no care to know him self Therfore content not your selues to haue the knowledge of the Gospell or humane learning but learne to know that God is thy God and Christ thy redeemer and that his blood was shed for thy sins Dauid intitleth the 32. Psal. his learning and yet what great or deepe learning is there but this that he is blest which hath the pardon of his sins which he proueth by his own example And indeed this seasoneth al learning when you know Christ till you do this you are blind as these were The last point of mans misery is Nakednes which is two-fold first to the eyes of man secondly to the eyes of God Corporall and bodily nakednesse is two-fold first before the fall and that was an excellent kind of nakednesse whereby their bodies being vncouered were full of glorie without shame but that is not meant here Secondly since the fall sinful and shameful nakednesse where the bodie is ful of deformitie and all parts of it should be couered but that for necessities sake the face and hands are left bare Besides this corporall nakednesse there is a spirituall nakednes which God seeth and man cannot see that is when a man lieth open and naked before God as Moses saw the people naked not that their bodies were vncouered but their soules rather Their sin appeared to God and they in their sins and so they lay subiect to Gods iudgements This is spiritual nakednes a plague of all plagues and a miserie of all miseries when God beholds men in their sins Now in that Christ saith this Church was wretched and miserable and a part of her miserie was her spirituall nakednesse we learne diuers instructions first not to couer our sins before Gods eies for we stand al naked and vncouered before him The studie and care of most men is to hide their sins from the world but few care for couering them that God may not see them Looke as ye haue seene Lazer-men lay open their nakednes before you so God seeth your nakednes Let al carelesse and negligent persons remember this whosoeuer considereth this seriouslie they will be ashamed to neglect this dutie Further let vs consider the end why Christ saith they were naked It is that al men might haue care to set themselues before God and bring themselues into his presence and not seeke to hide themselues from God as Adam did that they may obtaine a couering We must al learne to know our owne nakednes and be perswaded that God seeth al our sins Then we must be humbled and touched for them then we must pray for a couering It was Dauids practise Blessed is the man whose sins are couered First he vnfolds his nakednes and then intreateth the Lord to couer his sin giuing vs to vnderstand that he had laid open his nakednes So also should we all do shew the wounds and scars of our soules that God may giue vs a garment to couer vs. That we may all be partakers of the couering of Christs righteousnes labour to feele your pouertie and nakednes for till you feele your owne miserie you are neuer fit for Christ. Further Christ saith this to prepare them and vs for the good counsel following therefore let this be the conclusion If you haue receiued any grace labour to increase in it if not labour to haue it learne to know your owne pouerty blindnes and nakednes and to feele it and be touched for it be humbled seriously and throughly This must be the needle to draw Gods grace through your hearts Vers. 18. I counsell thee c. Now followeth the counsell of Christ in the three next verses in which he propoundeth a most excellent and sufficient remedie of their miserie in which note three things first the maner of prescribing the remedie by way of counsell secondly the remedie it selfe gold apparell and eye salue thirdly the means to obtain it buy of me Of these in order The maner of prescribing is mild in it Christ taketh vpon him the person of a Counsellor to his Church for as God hath his Church and people so in mercie he giueth them counsell and counsellers The president of this councell is Christ. Prou. 8. 14. Counsell is mine saith Wisedome Isay 9. 6. Christ
must haue our eares opened to become listeners and pliable to the word that when the Lord cals vs to do his wil we may answer with Dauid I am ready to do thy will O God Further after we haue read or heard the word we must practise that we heare in performing true repentance and laboring faithfully in our vocation for as we see men of trades become cunning by the continuall practise of their trades so if we practise true obedience in repentance and our vocation we shal be skilfull in the word It followeth Which are written in the booke of this prophesie The child of God must keepe and remember the whole word of God yet it is his speciall duty to keepe these prophesies which are to come So the Angell bids Daniel seale vp the booke of the Prophesie till the time come that is remember and keepe it diligently So Mathew 24. 15. When they shall see the abhomination of desolation speaking of things to come he would haue them to marke and remember what he saith Mat. 24. 25. Behold I haue told you before where he shewes that when any great things are to befall the Church then we must in these be most carefull to remember them For the time is at hand Here is a reason of the former words Blessed is he which readeth c. Seeing the time of the accomplishing of this Prophesie is at hand and must shortly be fulfilled therefore those be blessed which reade and keepe this prophesie and it is an answer to a secret obiection For they might haue said We need not reade this Prophesie seeing it shal not be fulfilled in our dayes but he addeth The time is at hand and so taketh that obiection away Now seeing these words were in the first verse and here repeated againe he would teach vs that they containe some waighty matter for vs to be considered and to be earnestly thought of Now S. Iohn addes these words for two causes first because the Church though it cannot be ouertaken with deadly sleepe yet it may slumber and be cast into some beginnings of sleepe as the fiue wise virgins though they slept not so carelesly as the other yet they all slept not a deadly sleepe but a slumber for in the Church there may be some remnants of security Cant. 5. 2. The Church sleepes but so as she alwayes listens as awaken being in a light slumber Now least the Church should be carelesse sleeping and drowsie the holy Ghost addes these words The time of the last iudgement is at hand Secondly he addes these words to confirme the Church and all the true members of Christ against afflictions seeing by these words he foretels them that they be to last but a short time the time of iudgement is at hand the affliction cannot long endure Then this should comfort those which suffer for Christ his sake In this that Christ foretels the Church that now in the last age the time is at hand we must be assured that whatsoeuer befalleth the mēbers of Christ shal shortly befal them temtations afflictions the crosse and calamity shall presently befall vs the time of iudgement is at hand it will presently befall vs. And if we had this confidence that the last iudgement is at hand it would make vs do all in good conscience stay vs frō many sins and the want of this is the cause of much mischiefe for so the bad seruant thinking his maister would defer his comming he smites and beates his fellow seruants And the old world liued in sinne and would not beleeue the flood should come though they were foretold of it till they were all swept away by water We then should lay this to our harts euer think the Lord is at the doore he is presently to come to iudgement And we ought the rather to thinke of this for we haue had ease peace and the Gospell flourishing this 8 yeares with all temporall blessings Now the state of the Church is now peace and now trouble and persecution Now then seeing these crosses which must fall on the Church they be to be done presently we cannot but looke for affliction and persecution after so long peace and preaching Iohn to the seuen Churches in Asia grace and peace c. In this fourth verse is the second part of this Chapter which is the inscription of this booke wherein is first the party which writes it and dedicates it secondly the parties to whō it is dedicated first the party which dedicates it is Iohn secondly the parties to whom the seuen Churches in Asia In the inscription are two parts first a dedication secondly a salutation contained from the fourth till the ninth verse In the dedication there be first the party which dedicates it secondly the parties to whom it is dedicated The party which dedicates it is Iohn who here againe in this fourth verse repeates his name yet so as he repeates no more but his bare name without any titles of commendation he repeats it againe to shew and certifie euery Reader of this booke that he was without all doubt the true pen-man of the holy Ghost in writing this Reuelation But though he repeate his name yet he doth not adde any titles of honour as he did in the first verse many titles of praise and commendation This he doth to giue vs a true patterne of modesty and humility which is neuer to speake in our own causes to our owne praises but onely in cases of necessity when Gods glory may be aduanced and the credit of our particular callings maintained This Paul practised who often humbles himselfe and cals himselfe the least of all the Apostles yea the chiefe of all sinners yet when the credit of his Apostleship came into question then he sets out himselfe shewing he was a true Apostle and aboue those which did falsly call themselues so 2. Cor. 11. So may we when the glory of God or the credit of our particular callings be in question set out our selues with titles of commendation The persons to whom he wrote were the seuen Churches in Asia concerning them note two things first he cals them Churches secondly in Asia Why writes he to the Churches rather then to the Church seeing there is but one true Church Ans. The Church may be considered first as it is the whole company of the elect and so it is but one secondly as it is parted and diuersly sundred into parts as in one country there is one Church or one part of the Church is in one city or towne another part in some other And there may be many Churches seeing euery congregation professing the Gospell of Christ is a Church being a member of the true Catholicke Church as the sea is but one yet there be many parts of the sea which lying against other countries are called by their names as the English French Spanish Italian sea So the particular Churches in particular countries townes and
cities be Churches though not the Catholicke Church but members of it Note first the matter of this book concernes the Church seeing it is a propheticall history concerning the estate of the Church from the time of Iohn to the end and therefore it is meet it should be dedicated to the Church Secondly it is dedicated to the Church seeing the true members of the Catholicke Church be the pillars and ground of truth not that their authority is aboue the word but because they preserue the scriptures as a treasury from age to age And they be pillars and grounds of truth because they giue testimony to the truth of Gods word 3. Because they publish the truth of Gods word in and by the ordinary ministery of the word and so the church being the pillar and ground of truth it is fit this booke should be dedicated to it Secondly he writes it not to all Churches but makes choise of these seuen Churches in Asia first because they were then most famous as the Chapters following and histories of the Church do shew Secondly he sayes not to the Churches of Ierusalem and of the Iewes but of Asia to shew them that which was long before foretold was now fulfilled namely that the Gentiles according as the Prophets foretold should be called which now was verified seeing the Gentiles dwelt in Asia Seeing Iohn wrote and dedicated this booke to the Churches in Asia many yeares after Christ not to the Church of Rome then we see that the Papists are deceiued who would haue their Church the mother Church and all other Churches must rely on theirs but if that Church of Rome had bene the mother and most famous no doubt Iohn would haue dedicated it to her But he doth dedicate it to the Churches in Asia shewing they were then more famous then Rome 2 Now followes the salutation Grace and peace c. Salutation is of two forts ciuill or religious ciuil as that which men vse ordinarily with one another 2. religious which is more peculiar and proper to the Church and so it is here a religious salutation And seeing the Apostles vse it commonly in all their Epistles may be called an Apostolicall salutation They vsed this in all their Epistles Grace and peace c. which they did because their ministery was of grace and peace and they made their salutation answerable to their ministery for their Apostleship stood in these two to preach the word and to pray for the people that they might haue grace peace And the apostles vse this phrase in manner of blessing for when their ministery stood in two actions in preaching and praying for the people vnder the second action of praying was contained this to blesse the people and so did the high Priests and Leuites as also Christ he vsed this so Ministers to shew their duty more fully after they preach the word they blesse the people Grace be with you Most excellent words and containe in them the summe and substance of the whole Gospell Grace signifies two things first Gods fauour and good will secondly his graces Here it signifies his fauour because in this salutation grace is opposed to peace which is a grace of God so that it cannot be meant of a grace of God then by it is meant his good will and fauour whereby he accepts of vs for Christ his sake S. Iohn begins with Grace first and not with Peace because grace is the ground of peace and all blessings graces of God We must first be in Gods fauour then we must looke to haue prosperitie and graces from God Grace is the ground of all blessings as of our election vocation redemption iustification sanctification of faith repentance and perseuerance in faith and repentance nay it is all in all in the matter of our saluation For this cause he begins with it And peace Peace is taken first for welfare and good successe in things of this world by Gods blessing Exod. 18. 7. Moses askes Iethro his father in law of his peace that is of his welfare and so it is partly taken in this place Secondly it is taken for that vnity and blessed concord we shall haue in the kingdome of God and so it is especially taken here And being thus taken it hath sixe parts first when we haue peace with God which is when we stand in the fauour of God reconciled to him in Christ Iesus Secondly when we haue peace with Gods Angels in that they guard vs and cary vs as a nurse doth her child in her armes that we hurt not our feete at any stone and when they reioyce at our good estate Psal. 91. 11. The third is peace with a mans selfe when his conscience will not accuse him but excuse and cleare him as when our conscience is washed in the blood of Christ Phil. 4. 7. this peace passeth all vnderstanding The fourth is peace with the church So Act. 4. 32. those which beleeued were all of one mind and heart had peace with each other So Esa. 11. 6. The wild beast and the Lion the Lamb and the Cockatrise and the yong child shall lie together Fiftly this peace fauor of God is with the enemies of God so far as it is for the good of the Church and the glory of God So Ioseph had peace in Pharaohs house So Daniel had peace with the Kings Eunuches for though he was free when the children were cast into the ouen yet he did not reuolt but being fauoured they saued him The sixt is peace with all Gods creatures beasts birds all creatures in heauen and earth Ose. 2. 18. The Lord will make a couenant betweene vs and all his creatures Psal. 91. 13. The child of God he shall tread vpon the lion and serpent and they shall not hurt him for when a man is in Gods fauour what creature dares to hurt him nay al the creatures are ready and willing to serue him Grace and peace As though he had said first you must be in the fauour of God you must haue vnity and reconciliation with and in Christ and then this peace welfare prosperity in all good things as farre as is necessary yea then concord and vnity with God and all his creatures will follow Whereas the Apostle wishes them grace in the first place he would teach vs that this Gods fauour is to be sought for aboue all things yea in the first place Psal. 4. 6. Many say Who will shew vs any good But Dauid he seekes this grace and fauour of God Lord lift vp the light of thy countenance vpon me let me be in thy fauour And often he sayes the Lord he is his portion inheritance and his lot shewing to be in the loue and fauor of God is to be preferred before all things in the world So must we seeke first to be in Gods fauour make that our chiefest care seeke it aboue all things but we litle
to seek the sea of Antichrist at Rome They themselues to proue their doctrine catholicke alleage authoritie of eleuen or twelue hundred yeares antiquitie behold this opinion is thirteene or foureteene hundred yeares old that Antichrist should be a Romaine and that the sea of his tyrannie should be at Rome The second witnesse of this assertion that Babylon is Rome is Tertullianus a very auncient writer also who in plaine words affirmeth that Babylon signifieth Rome in the third booke against Martion which denied that Christ had a true bodie Wherefore Tertullian vseth this reason against him That thing which hath a figure of it must be a thing of truth and so discoursing of many things figured and the figures of them cometh to these words Sic Babylon apud Iohannem nostrum Romana vrbis figuram portat perinde magna regno superbae sanctorum debellatricis that is to say euen so doth Babylon in the Apocalips of our S. Iohn beare the figure of the citie of Rome which is altogether as great and as proud in raigne and as great a persecutor of the Saints as Babylon was You see therefore most clearely and plainely that Tertullian with all his learning could not interprete these things that be written in this Reuelation concerning Babylon to be applied to any other citie then Rome and he is also a witnesse voide of all partialitie or affection to either part of them that striue in our dayes for he departed neare about foureteene hundred yeares before our time why should he not then be credited in this case Well next vnto him I will ioyne Chrysostome in his Commentarie vpon the second Epistle to the Thessalonians the second chapter in his fourth Homilie where as S. Paul speaking of the manifestation of Antichrist saith they knew what was the stay that he was not presently reuealed But when that stay is taken away he should be reuealed in his due time Chrysostome expoundeth this stay to be the Romaine Empire which must giue place vnto Antichrist that like as the Persians came in place of the Chaldeans the Grecians in place of the Persians and the Romaines in place of the Grecians euen so Antichrist should inuade the Empire of the Romaines Vacantem imperij principatum inuadet tentabit ad se rapere hominum Dei imperium Antichrist saith he shall inuade the vacant principalitie of the Empire and shall assay to draw vnto himselfe the Empires both of God and men And is it not manifest that the Papacie grew and tooke increase by the decay of the Empire and at the fall of the Monarchie chalenged full possession of all dominion both spirituall and temporall Of the same iudgement is S. Ierome writing vpon the same place of Paul vnto Algasia in the eleuenth question whose words are these Nec vult apertè dicere Romanum imperium destruendum quod ipsi qui imperant aeternum putant vnde secundum Apocalypsim Iohannis in fronte purpuratae meretricis scriptum est nomen blasphemiae id est Romae aeternae c. that is neither will he openly say that the Romane Empire shold be destroyed which they that gouerne it thinke to be euerlasting wherefore according to the Reuelation of Saint Iohn in the forehead of the purple whoore there is written a name of blasphemie which is Rome euerlasting Lo here another witnesse of good antiquitie and sufficient credite which not onely agreeth plainely with Chrysostome that Antichrist should take possession of the Romaine Empire when it should be decayed in the Emperours but also most plainely agreeing with Tertullian calleth that Babylonicall strumpet which is described in the seuenteenth chapter of this Apocalypse that purple whoore of Rome and the name of blasphemie to be Rome euerlasting as though he had heard the Pope brag of the eternitie of his sea which he saith is the rocke against which the gates of hell cannot preuaile But he is foully beguiled for Rome the sea of his Popedome is by Saint Ieromes iudgement that Babylom of whom the Angell preached that howsoeuer she boasts of her eternity She is fallen she is fallen euen Babylon that great city and neuer shal rise againe They crie out against vs that we raile and speake contumeliously of the holy sea of the Pope when we cal Rome the whore of Babylon but when the old Doctors to whose iudgement they themselues appeale from the authoritie of the Scriptures feare not so plainely in their writings to paint out the Babylonicall Strumpet in her right colours and in flat words to say she is Rome the mother of all abhomination and the sea of Antichrist why should we be blamed for saying as we are taught by them And especially of those men that make so great vaunts that the iudgement of the Fathers is altogether on their side by whom they offer to be tried when they dare not abide the iudgment of the Scriptures Againe consider I pray you if the old Doctors before Antichrist were openly reuealed did vnderstand by the Scriptures that he should sit at Rome what thinke you would they haue said and written if they had liued in these daies and knowne and seene all that was prophesied to be fulfilled in him With what confidence suppose ye would they haue inueyed against him With how open mouthes would they haue cried out vpon him At least wise do you not thinke in your conscience that when they had considered the authoritie of the Pope and his wholesome doctrine they would haue changed their minds and recanted their writings against Rome and repented that euer they had called her the purple whoore of Babylon seeing she is the holy mother Church of Rome the sea of the most holy father the Pope the head of the same Church I must needs say thus much in your behalfe ô ye Papists as ill as I loue you that if Ierome Tertullian and the rest of the Doctors did so account of Rome as you affirme of them they were much too blame to defame her with such odious names as to call her the whoore of Babylon which must needs make her vehemently suspected to be the Church of Antichrist and not of Christ for what Papist in these dayes dare say that which Ierom said that Rome is that purple Harlot Babylon which S. Iohn speaketh of in the Apocalypse The same Ierome in his 13. booke of Cōmentaries of the Prophecie of Esay vpon the 47. chapter writeth in this maner Licet ex eo quod iuxta 70. scriptū est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est filia Babylonis non ipsam Babylonē quidam sed Romanā vrbem interpretantur quae in Apocalypsi Iohannis Epist. Petri Babylō specialiter appellatur c. That is to say For as much as the seuentie Interpreters write not the daughter Babylon but the daughter of Babylon some do interpret thereof not Babylon in Caldea but the citie of Rome which in the Reuelation of S. Iohn and the Epistle of