as a Citie brent from heauen for many plagues by Egypt for good note a broad Citie as Romes policie was broad and large And for a most sure note the Citie policie and authoritie large in which the Lord was crucified This name striketh the naile vpon the head Of the Citie which crucified the LORD Thalmud Ierusalemy noteth in Sanedrin and Maymonie that fouretie yeares before the destruction of Ierusalem causes of life and death were taken away from Israell so they teach that Christ was not crucified in the policie of Ierusalem but vnder Pontius Pilate in the Roman policie as the foure Evangelistes record carefullie When the Sanedrin concluded to kill Christ they brought him to Pilate he cleared him yet whipped him and deliuered him to bee crucified And the Romā soldiers shewed all wickednesse 1. They brought him into the Common hall 2. They gathered the whole band against him 3. They put off his owne apparell put in mockage a scarlat robe vppon him 4. They platted a crowne of thornes and laid it vpon his head 5. They kneeled in mockage and said All haile King of the Iewes and spate vpon him with a reed they stroke him on the head and when they had ended mocking of him they put off the robe and put his owne clothes on him and brought him to be crucified and pierced his handes and his feete and pierced his side with a speare and cast lotts for his coate These so great contempts from Romanes the vilest in the world against the Lord Eternall could neuer be put vp But that Rome should bee the miserie in tyrannie while the world stoode Pilate kill'd him selfe and the Emperours for 300. yeres were miserable And Rome by many spoiled and since Popes supremacie a new Egypt Now as the Iewes who betrayed Christ are slaues ouer the earth so Rome that went further was to bee revealed to haue all curses the old serpents poyson chap. 12. Cains murder of Abel chap. 13. a Deluge chap. 12. Biting of tongues chap. 16. consumption as the cursed brent Cities cha 11. Egypts miserie told aboue Iosuahs haile cha 16. Siseraes fall at Mageddon chap. 16. Iezabels miserie from Elias chap. 11. Daniels beasts miserie chap. 13. and the Romans miserie by Pompei and Iulius Psal 97. handled in Appian fullie and as the Pope knew more then the Caesares so his sinnes were more strong against the holy Ghost and he should be openly Man of sinne to all sage in this world The foure Euāgelistes might teach the simplest this much That seeing Rome grieued Christ as he complayned Isai 49. Psal 22. and felt too most high griefe Rome should bee Sathans throne while this world stood and all reliques of theirs a curse And people tribes tongues and nations shall see their Carcases three dayes and a halfe So this Citie must meane a very large Common Weale and Kingdome and the two in generall may be full many thousandes in particular And as all the time of persequution of the liuing is three yeares and a halfe the bodie is heere three dayes and a halfe And they shall not suffer their carcases to be put in graue This plainely sheweth the burning of Martyrs whose bones and ashes may be seene three dayes and a half and are not put in graue So good Bucers bones in this honor were taken out of the graue not to rot there but with pure fire to haue consumption as Elias in his fierie chariot had his body consumed and our Father Henoch that in his life matched the dayes of the sunne 365. was without paine dissolued when God tooke his soule to heauen and Moses had not mans buriall God prouiding somewhat better for the ancient that they with out vs were more perfect and for rare honor to their persons though by the doctrine of the Gospell aboue the Law we haue the perfecter but no whit to soules ioy But as they with smaller helpes passed vs farre in following God so their minde heere was infinitely fuller of graces then ours though the ioy of aeternall life is aequall to all In not suffering the best men in the world to be buried the Citie that crucified Christ is openly the throne of Satan And they that dwell on the earth shall reioyce ouer them and be glad and send giftes one to another because these two prophetes tormented the dwellers vpon the earth The dwellers on the earth are the Locustes their friends earthly minded and feared the companies of sound Christians because they taught Princes to hate the Popes religion and Pride and Wealth Monasteries The Hypocrites immitated the Iewes who vpon the death of Amalekites kept in open Townes the xiiij of Adar with ioy and banquet and wake day and sending of giftes one to another These two Doctores of Diuinitie Prophet is heere in that sense were such a torment to the Papistes as the first martyrs to the prophane Caesares who taught that they were not Diui and had no religion but from vncleane spirites And after three dayes and an halfe spirite of life from God entred into them and they stood vpon their feete and great feare fell vpon them that beheld them In his Vision of the Lordes day he hath by light and darknesse three dayes an halfe resembled vnto him for viewing of the martyrs from the eye-sight to the minde thus we must turne it When men behold the bones and ashes of the martyrs they hold them not dead but passed from death to life because they died for honor to Gods plaine religion teaching to honor GOD onely and to receyue aeternall life onely by his mercie in CHRIST the onely Rocke and to pray onely to GOD and to haue a sure faith in him and to lothe all proceeding that is not agreeable to Gods holy worde and that it hath a plaine and sure meaning The old Martyrs for these groundes were in honor with the Pope these two armies of Doctores died in the same cause therefore their enimies heartes must needes confesse that they are gone to heauen euen as if they had heard them called vp and seene to ascend as followeth And they heard a loud voice from heauen saying vnto them Come vp hither and they went vp to heauen and their enimies saw them As the case of Elias was to the body so the Martyrs is to the soule expressed bodily in this vision Of all soules passage at death It is appointed for all men once to die and then cōmeth iudgement Eb. 9. so all soules must when they leaue the bodie returne to God that gaue them to iudgement for euery hid thing good or euill Ecc. 12. 2. Cor. 5. so all ascend Ecc. 3. And onely the soules of the beast descend The commune place is called in Greeke Haides and the happie part of it is heauen to Abraham Eb. xi Luc. 18. And a place of burning torment to the wicked The faithfull went hence to Gods eternall tabernacle Leuit. 26. 2. Cor.
and cast him into a Lake burning with fire and brimstone which is the second death Chapter 19. But the Romane Dragon shall be tyed 1000. yeeres before the King of Locusts deceiveth generally But then hee makes a new Gog and Magog for the old Ierusalem and thereupon shal be destroied as the old was by the first coming so he by the second of CHRIST from a throne of iudgement as the old Gog and Magog was Chapter 20. As Iohn in Patmos saw the heavenly Ierusalem so Patmos the Church tossed with Aegean waves shal be in Gods fight such as Isaiah Ezechiel Aggei and Zacharie spake of CHRIST saluteth vs poore heathen with his owne most gracious voice To him that loued vs and hath washed vs from our sinnes by his blood be all honour glory for ever Amen Isaie 25. And hee the ETERNAL will destroy in this mountaine the covering that covereth all people and the vaile that is spread vpon all nations THE ARGVMENTS OF THE REVELATION THe Apocalyps may be divided into speach vnto the present age and into prophecies for time to come Common to both are the nations and places and the times The nations to whom the book is commended are cities of old Gyges kingdome called the Land of Gog where the Lagidae and Seleucidae had parted Asia the lesser betwixt them Ezechiel told that when they were overthrowen for scattering his people into all quarters God would be glorified over them and in wrath remember mercy As over Antiochos in that the Land of Magog Antiochia first bare the name of Christians Over both in these seven townes whereof Philadelphia beareth plainly the name of Ptolomie Philadelphus Sardis was the Court of rich Craesus whose wealth God gave to Cyrus the great that sent Israell home from 120. nations and built the temple vpon his owne charges In it the old memory of Ggy or Gog is continued The nations called are from all people The damned for deadly hinderance of the Gospel is Rome plainly described by full many arguments vndeniable The whip of Romes Idolatrie be the Saracenes The time in trope is taken from the time of Christ his persecutions three years and an half But therein is meant the qualitie of state not length of yeres that men should be afflicted the afflictions of Christ So the Dragon Caesars afflict a yeare two yeares and halfe a yeare and the Dragons tayle the Pope and the old Romane Empire monethes 42. and the Vicar of the Lambes hornes the king of Locustes dayes 1260. They who thinke to get any certeyntie hence deceyve them selves and the truth is not in them The allusion is most heavenly calling Christ still into mind The thousand yeares come neare proprietie telling when the Popes authoritie should come to the highest These points may commonly be considered CHAP. I. The present age is saluted with narration of particular place and day and vision of Christ and in seaven epistles the partes of it be applied vnto playne experience CHAP. II. Ephesus learneth how remission of studie loseth the Church Rome continually practised that still shaking off Greek and Hebrew and skill in Gods word Smyrna is told that Iewes not right Iewes whose praise is of God would seeme to be Iewes but should bee found lyars So Rome would chalenge the true Iew. Rom 2. but they that seemed to stand shall fall Pergamus heareth of idolatrie and fornication Rome and Venice be deaf Thyatira hath a new Iezabel with witchcraft and whoredome and Baal Papists are full of charming Nunnes full wanton and Goddes of their owne making CHAP. III. Sardis the court sheweth how the pompe of court hath hardly lively religion yet still some be there So Rome the court towne seemed vnder Iohn alive but had forgotten S. Paul Rom. 11. 13 2. Thes 2. Philadelphia had true love and tryeth who be the sound Iewes and shal be as Salomons pillers in the heavenly Ierusalem Such were full many Monasteries of learned men which knew well what S. P. Q. R. meant when stultus populus quaerit Romam Laodicea followeth the common maner neither hoat nor cold but holdeth on what negligent custome hath once brought in So antiquitie and vniversalitie are the Papistes answer They never plead better skill in the Ebrew Law and Greek Gospell so thar Turkes and Iewes may see how they build not vpon a rocke by sure grounds but flee to custome never allowed of God This from obscure Patmos on the Lordes day Iohn teacheth that the base corners shall have truth when they receive the holy banished and Rome the banisher shal be left in Satans throne to pester the yeare with Popes holy dayes honouring creatures with religion of dayes as Rome did to Iulius and Augustus and as ill in March May Ianuary and February and in all Ovids fastis The stories of times which God writeth be more then yet men would ever learne The Lords resurrection day is surely taught vs and that wee should keepe But his birth day he would not have vs to know and when men would after three hundred yeeres seeke it out God gave them over into a deceived minde to misse 3. moneths that of 1300. yeres that dotage was not espied vntill this age searched about found better matter Yet Laodicea will follow custome and cared not for grace from him who was and is wil be and from the seaven spirits the one Eternall that giveth seaven lampes of oile to his servants and from Iesus Christ that is above all the Kings of the earth Psal 89. Dan. 2. 7. Apoc. 6. and 19. whom Rome pearced with spear and nailes But they shall feel whom they pearced and whom they crucifie agayne to have him counted a base and bare man not as on Tabor when the Godhead made the humanitie shinelike the Sunne Now for times to come CHAP. IIII. When the voyce of Christ like a trumpet making them happy which know the sound Psal 89. behind vs calleth vs from our owne course we shall see God in the heaven of the Church like Beniamins Iasper building his Church in Paules Shebet and like Rubens red Sardius fighting against Hagarenes for the Tribes with the Rainebow of the covenant like Levies Smaragd teaching the brightnes of the Gospell Thus we shall see God sitting vpon a throne whē Christ from obscure Patmos sheweth that heaven is not best seene from great cities which alwayes overflow in wickednes but from place where fewest be to disturbe So shal be seene 24. Bishops or Elders that can apply the Patriarkes storie vnto the Apostles Gospell all these clothed with the iustice of Christ being to the soules as white linen is to the body Seven lampes of oyle grace beatē with much affliction as beaten olive the seven graces of the spirit make this and the whole company be afore the throne a sea cleare and blameles iustified freely by the grace of God And the Church shall not want rare wightes full of
5. Mat. 8. Luc. 13. our Lord Ioh. 15. and 16. Luc. 23. Eb. 9. Of Purgatorie The impudencie of them which would establish Purgatorie is vnspeakable Moyses hath not one syllable that way therefore it can not be in religion They that wrote in Iudah for the Maccabees storie make but two states as resurrection to honor and shame from Dan. 12. Saint Paul professing difference from Scribes but in the incarnation and resurrection of Christ where they hold but Paradise and Gehenna concludeth that he helde no moe places for soules Where Saint Paul handleth a commune place of teachers what doctrine will abide sound what fire of iudgement will consume as stubble they that hence would haue soules fier out of this world little regard Paul He taught nothing but what Moses and the Prophetes taught But no Thalmudiques who best knew their tongue could finde a purgatorie in thē therefore Saint Paul taught it not Of the second of the Maccabees The second of the Maccabees doth the Pope must aestime chap. 12. for sacrifice for the dead but litle considereth the vilenesse of that booke Iewes would tell him that it was Hagada a fable made vpon phrases as where they sacrifice Ezr. 2. and no mention is of fire he feigneth a most ridiculous fable of fire hid by the sacrificers when they were caried to Persia forsooth not Babilon and found by their posteritie turned into a thicke water which when wood and sacrifice was brought Nehemias bade them annoint both with this water and the Sunne shone and kindled a great fire Who would not iudge this to be a most ridiculous fable By what witt could the sacrificers dreame of such matter that fire could be turned into water or by shun-shining kindled please God It must be kept vnquenched The whole consent of Iewes in the chaine of their Cabala saith fire from heauen kindled the sacrifice A man would thinke the whole Nation in a sensible matter should be of more credite then obscure Iason of Cyren Moreouer Zorobabel of Salathiel not Nehemias of Chilkia was gouernor at the returne But iesters vpon phrases in Iarchi make Cyrus and Artax all one because Cyrus end is not recorded So in Iarchi they make Zorobabel and Nehemias to be all one for memorie of phrase that Zorobabels remoning is not recorded They that cannot iudge betwixt a ridiculous fable and a sad storie are in great darknesse So the fable of Ieremias hiding the Tabernacle and the Arke and Altar of Incense in mount Choreb is not heard of in the Thalmud nor agreeable to reason And the Law of the eternall God not to regard Iewes fables heere taketh place and they bee lawlesse that breake that Law This much for the whole booke made one frō fiue of Iason of Cyren that little knew Moses or yet Ierusalems storie Of Iudahs sacrifice In Iudahs sacrifice the Writers speach doteth Iudah doubted not but that they slept in godlinesse Chapter 12. 45. And what foole euer spake so senselesse as this is if hee had not hoped for the resurrection it had beene in vaine to pray for the dead vers 44. Now what sense can bee in that speach that sacrifice should helpe the resurrection The storie durst not touch any ease to the soule for that had strouen with all Talmudiques Maymony sheweth they offred for the dead the heir did in Siphra Col. 31. But no otherwise then as paying a debt which the predecessor should haue payed heere And that when they doubted not of the others saluation but honouring him in paying that which the other should haue payde And Iason of Cyren harped at such a string but could not bring his minde about Now the Popes Purgatorie is holpen nothing hence from a trifling booke and sencelesse speach and wrested beyond all religion of the Iewes Epilogue As the two Prophetes were seene called vp into heauen in vision so all faithfull soules by scripture trueth are to be seene called hence into the ioy of Christ What the Greeke Fathers thought of Purgatorie The Greeke Fathers should bee thought to vnderstand the Greeke Testament better then Latin and none of them could finde Purgatorie there but grant all holy a passage hence to the Kinglie Palaces some staggered at the speach Ebr. chap. xj They without vs were not perfected Saint Paul in all that heauenly Epistle disputeth of the Gospell perfection to the Law and of perfection of Doctrine in this world and he had shewed in the same Chapter That the Fathers desired the heauenly Citie God prepared that for them so they who denie the Fathers perfection by S. Paul marke him not well Basill did once vpon Psal 49. but called himselfe backe vpon Psal 15. and often And Chrysostome who seemed to stagger placed Lazarus and Abraham in the kingdome of heauen 2. Corinth homil 6. Mat. 8. Luc. cap. 13. and the principall Diuines in Theophyl vpon Luc. chap. 23. and vpon the Psalmes and in Photius Librarie Philo in Greekes and Iosephus I haue cited and Azarias who turned into Ebrew Philoes wordes And the Greekes bee greatly iniuried when Limbus Patrum is fastened vpon them Hegesippus and others that wrote the Maccabees martyrdome doubted not but that they went hence to saluation Dan. 12. And it had beene an infinite disgrace to our Greeke Doctores if they could not see so much by the New Testament Now let vs returne to the text And at that houre there was a great earth quake and a tenth part of the Citie fell and there were killed by the earth quake 7000. persons of men and the rest were afraid and gaue glorie to the God of heauen When the Popes persequution came to ripenesse then Princes by warres shake him off as in Germany Englande Zwitzerland and Netherland And Christ heere roareth like a Lion and the 7. thunders tell the thunder of his power In Venice he is now a mockage and hath but Spaine to his strength Queene Maries persequutiō is now turned against the Pope and his stirring Irish to rebell vndid Ireland And now his men the chiefest in learning sticke litle to him and speake to his ouerthrow not much lesse then we doe And now the Dukedome of Cleaue will make him weake in Germanie If Geneueans would leaue their Gehēnean torment and our side prophecie soūdly we should weakē him more by learning then by strength of speare seeing the best learned of his owne side labor for vs as Arias Montanus hath done in much about Plantines great Bible the best learned Papistes reioyce to see Daniel his 7. fold comfort of Nathans house and the certen yere of the Lordes supper to haue no more the body and blood of a Lambe his body and bloud of Couenant but Bread Wine to shew that no more flesh bloud may bee in sacrifice In Ebrew Greek Latin they saw Iewes request answered and were very thankfull in speach and letters and shew that now they would soone cast off the king of
locusts if they might haue good maintenance to hold vp better truth and liberall artes that serue trueths honor Of the third woe and last Trumpet The second woe is past behold the third woe commeth And the seuenth Angell sounded the Trumpet and there were great voices in the heauen saying the Kingdomes of the world are now of our God and his Christ And he shall reigne for euer and euer Where the kingdome of the beast Abyssigena bred from the Pit is gone all the Church proclame that CHRIST will haue no more alterations vntill he shew heauen to all his So the speach passeth to the worlds end The Prophets communely passe ouer matters of cōmon state as needlesse to be handled specially and stepp from one thing of plague presently to Messiahs kingdome as notably in Hosea after mention of Israels scattring the kingdom of Messias is ioyned So wen Esay had spoken of Babels fall after Sanecheribs then he steppeth thence to CHRIST his preaching By the voice of a crier in the wildernesse So Daniel telleth of his kingdomes their comming vp their vrging of Idolatrie their chastisement their ouerthrow omitting matters of ordinarie course where the present age would looke to it selfe So Apoca. 6. handleth the prophane Caesares and thence omitteth the Churches sliding away till it come to an absolute fall And then telleth of tyranny and after tyrannies end steppeth to the worldes end The third woe is the plague of the enimies by Kings of good religion continually vnto the end The summe of the Bible Great voices expresse the voice of whole nations and the Kingdome of God Christ the matter of all the Bible Adam had that theme to preach 930. yeares Sem the great by S. Paul and Gamalies likened to the eternal author of iustice peace figured this matter and confirmed Abraham in this 75. year reioyced in Elam troden downe by Abraham And all the large writings breathed by the holy Trinitie teach no other matter but this and punishments for contempt of this and nothing should be suffred in the Church but to this summe In the prayer which our Lord prescribed for a cōmon forme to the whole Congregation this conteyneth all Thy Kingdome come thy will be done on earth as it is in heauen So when Iohn Baptist opened the kingdome of Christ when the Leuiticall policie was to cease and all nations should serue God by Lawes writtē in the heart Rom. 2. Ier. 31. Then the kingdome of heauen is said to come when men humble themselues to receiue the iustice of Christ and to be clothed with the SVN The fulnesse of kingdome cōmeth when the holy soule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 leaueth this world goeth to God and there reigneth for euer and seeth the Locusts pitt-bred in Haides torment fryed in fire for euer and euer The pitt-bred beasts had sunne and aire much darkened when they knew not whether mans soule ascendeth or descendeth and whither the holy goeth to heauen or to hell This saying Caterchesthaeis haidon is neither more nor lesse then to goe to God when the godly haue a light place of ioye and the godlesse a darke place of torment And this exposition cutteth off at the least fifteene bad opinions direct bad for this article by consequents fifteene score The Kingdome heere spoken off is termed Haides in the Creede and wee may not put Hell for Heauen nor descending for going to God Purgatorie falleth when Haides hath but two partes Heauen and Hell and with it all Poperie Satan entred into many vnthankefull Caytifes that could not suffer the holy soules going into the kingdome to be most eloquentlie spoken in the Greeke Creede if they descend not to Hell as our Lord did in the Creede they shall ascend vp and before Gods throne haue an hell for euer and euer And the 24. Elders which sate on their thrones before God fell vpon their faces and worshipped God saying Wee praise thee O Eternall who is and who was and who will bee that thou takest vpon thee thy great power and doest reigne As the Nations haue kept a stirre thine anger is come and the tyme of the dead to be iudged and to giue rewardes to thy seruants the Prophetes and to the holy and to such as feare thy name The Elders be the Gouernors of Gods people in all offices specially in sage vsage of Scripture on assembly dayes all learned in the scriptures and able to giue faithfull exhortatiō out of it and all borne in wealth are brought vp amisse that are not gronuded in yong yeares to read with delite in the holy Booke Albion seeth who hath opened that way and faithlesse Iewes cōfesse though Atheā pāches for enuy burst These haue thrones before God not Buyshops and Archbuyshops of Papists But chosen of the holy congregation to teach what God telleth but as Moses gaue no commandement of his owne head nor Christ in the flesh but as he taught in Moses so these speake all frō scripture few wordes by old playne warrant and yet in few lines shake of all poperie all errores In number they be 24. as knowing the XII tribes story how the tribe should not depart from Iudah till his childe came and how the XII Apostles gathered the XII tribes to make them the foundation of the heauenly Ierusalem These are not many but 24. yet a resonable good number Many nobles in Albion and others that liue by their owne reuenues studie the Bible with as good dexterity as any feed-men and know it better then some after 42000. Brabant Gilders charges againe 40000 crownes charges such be humble and know Iehouah who is who was who will bee still the same to rule all ages to one summe of saluation in Christ how in him GOD was manifested in the flesh and taken vp in glory and the saluation of all ages Enosh age the flood Babel Ieroboam felt the price of despising this life And after the great saluation begun by the Lord himselfe to be spoken and confirmed by his hearers with all guiftes of the spirit for contempt the world was soone giuen ouer to Arius Pope and Turke yet God sealed a few and at length placeth them in open kingdomes to be seene though stil the greater part in open policy careth but for this life as in Salomons dayes all were of great shew but soone after his death Ephraim turned all but Iuda to worship calues not God So great Constantinus holpe Christians but few of his men cared for God So heere Popes Idols murder of the saincts cause God to shake him to dust as he shoke the Macedonians after Antiochus Epiphanes persequution That the Iewes receiued their owne kingdome vnder the Maccabees and that meanes the psalmes 97. and 99. and others about them howe the power of Christ breaketh Idoll kingdomes that God should take the protection of all into his owne handes So heere Elders shewe Popes strength cast of that others be so
contempt of Godly teaching Christ was great Noe Sem Arphaxad Selah Eber Phaleg brother to Ioctan hath cast thē of hitherto The West-Indians seeme to come of the East as both speake some Ebrew Now God driueth vs to both Indians not for Pepper and Tobacho but in tyme to shew his name And the Iesuites in teaching the holy Trinity Person and Iustice of Christ may saue many and the Pope shall haue an outward reward of longer successe and some hundreths of yeares must be spent this way Of the old opinion of 6000. yeares God hath cast old ages into a pleasant frame of measures of them for Iewes and from Iewes I dedicated an Ebrew worke to the Landtgraue of Hessia Now thousandes I will touch In 3000. exactly the Temple was fully furnished euen to the Arke In 4000. exactly the Romanes destroyed the seconde Temple if without it Messias dayes haue 2000. yeares from the yeare of Christ 1609. of Adam 5536. One as Heber may come to the worlds end by 464. yer The trueth God only knoweth reason telleth affaires in worke require such tyme But no particular person is sure of one day but all should watch when the Bridegrome commeth And to destroy them that destroy the earth Although no Creature but Angells and men know God yet the close bent of all Creatures is framed to serue man for Christ God bending them so And in that sense euery thing is weary of their toyle Eccl. 1. and groneth looking for the Redemtion of the Children of God Rom. 8. and being turned to seruice of Idolls grone in Gods estieme as corrupted such was the old world in corrupting their wayes such were Babel builders till heathen came to God and almost all to this day And Apoc. 5. All creatures giue glory to the Lambe in seruice of Christians But alas men to this day would neuer search Gods word the wealthie and principall of state but remit that ouer vnto others as a base worke for themselues to regard whereby God cast off the world And the Temple of God was open in the heauen and the Arke of his Couenant was seene in his Temple and there were lightnings voices thunders earthquake great haile After papistries ouerthrow Christ who is the Temple and the Arke who hath the Law within him is the mercy seat shall be opened to the few saued and God will pay Papists with warres for the haile and fire that they mixed with blood troublesome meteores eloquently expresse troubles of state as before our Lordes first comming the Romans miseries destroying themselues were a wonder to historiques because Crassus robbed the Temple and Pompei afore made Israel serue Rome and Brutus with Cassius and Antonius with Cleopatra and againe Iulius so Rome that still will crucifie Christ shall haue as great stirrs to warne them of vtter ruine But by warres profanesse breedeth to all sides that when the SON OF MAN commeth he shall scant finde faith vpon the earth The best way to keepe faith is to exercise our vniuersities in the Ebrew and Greeke Testament and to leaue ciuill gouernement to sage courtes fitt for it as Zuricke in Zuitzerland doth that Scholars tyrannie make not new papistrie And thus once all is reueiled vnto the end New visions tell the same matter for better clearnesse CHAP. XII A description of the Church AND a great signe was seene in the heauen a woman clothed with the sun With the moone vnder her feet and a crowne of 12. starres vpon her head and beeing with child cried in trauaile and peigned to beare child THE woman is the church through the song of songes and there pure as the sun heere clothed with Christ the Sunne of Iustice And the state of the faithfull is called through this booke heauen and they are a great signe to the profane world to wonder at The Moone and all vnder the Sunne is contemned of the faithfull and the doctrine which the 12. Apostles equall in knowled and authoritie deliuered to the world is the Crowne and they be 12 starres Iudas Iscariot fell a starre from heauen and Matthias became a sonne of consolation in his stead to keepe still the number of XII for the XII tribes and as S. Paul trauailed of the Galathians that is of Christ to be formed in them that they frustrate not the Gospell by holding circumcision nowe abrogated So the faithfull trauailed in soule to haue Christ brought forth to heathens knowledge that all might knowe that all this world was made obedient to a man At the first which man fell from God his first day and then God opened his Counsell that the Sonne Eternall would be made man of a woman to destroy the workes of the Angels that fell who all are collectiuely satan the enemie Satan brought Adam to lose the life of his soule and his body to death and dust and all this world to corruption Christ kindled light in Adams soule and after 930. yeares heauinesse for sin tooke it to his ioy and will raise vp the body and make a new world that all men who will receiue the abundance of grace of the gift of iustice may reigne by Christ and all who will not regard this mercy so cleare as the sunne they all by Adams fall dead in sin shal be damned for euer with the Diuils This is the trauaile of the Christian minde Speach of this is in all books of the Old Testament in Adams tongue in all the newe in Greeke made most common for this Gospell And Lawe with Gospell expounded by groundes of art which enemies grant should bee the trauaile of our minde And if Academies had brought vp their scholars in Ebrew and Greek exercises for the holy eternall Trinitie in Vnitie and for kissing the SON to happinesse Psal 2. By likely-hood of mans reason the world had benefull of true Christians where as now our Papes Archbuyshopps and Buyshopps know not one letter prick accent of the Law what authoritie it hath from God A pitifull matter that such blinde should bee leaders But the blinde will no other leaders So God cannot pittie them who will make knowen them that be his and despise them that despise him that they poore Caytifes shall perish for euer and feele the aeternall wrath of him whose mercy they haue despised while they counted the mercies offred in Christ to be but folly Of the Prophane Caesar and Pope reuiuing of him both comprised in the body and taile of one Dragon Another signe was seene in the heauen For beholde there was a great ruddie Dragon with 7. heades and ten hornes and vpon his heades seauen diademes And his taile draweth a third part of the Starres of heauen and cast them vnto the earth Iohn saw with his eyes in Vision that which hee and all the Apostles as S. Paul 2. Thess 2. saw in their minde That from Rome the Ruler should rule till hee were taken away After thence man of
eyes whereof one shall see more then millions of Papists full of courage readines to be sacrificed as Timotheus at Ephesus and Polycarpus at Smyrna and at Pergamus Antipas and full of wise pleading as Paul to King Agrippa and of high flight into the heavens carying soules thither not as in Campus Martius when for the Caesars funeral a summer house is made and full of spice and in a corner an eagle is and when it is set on fyre the eagle is let out and fleed high and is sayd to cary the Caesars soule to the Gods Herodian lib. 11. These have a true hight and have six wings two to cover their face from looking into Gods counsell aboue reach two to cover their feet that their wayes be not called into sight two to flee in their course as Vzielides expoundeth Es 6. And the whole bent of these tendeth to honour God And by their examples the common congregation acknowledgeth the holy Trinity and the Creator where the heathen have no lamp of grace not the best learned of them not one spirit of seven Their sage as Pythagoras in tongue confessed God to be one But they knew not the trinity and that the Sonne would be manifested in the flesh to come a man looking through our walles and to come a Iudge of all nor that he framed the world for man because he would dwell in a tabernacle in vs. In the heavenly policy of the Gospell this must be proper to true Christians who finding a victory cast down their crownes when they come before God The Scribes confesse all that we cōfesse The trinity of old confessed they as their workes yet shew which might have broken the Arians necks if Greek pride had submitted them to learne Thalmudique studies One errour in the root maketh a million in the branches CHAP. V. The counsel of God is hid how he will vse the prophane Caesars and how man of sin will afterwardes exalt himself in the Temple of God Moyses by Balaam tould but briefly that Italy should afflict Heber be perishing vnto the end Daniel speaketh nothing of the Romans afflicting the faithfull But shewing that the Image and four beastes being cōsumed by our Lords first comming into the world by implication he sheweth that Italy should kill Christ destroy Ierusalem and so breed a new Image of a beast But his pictures end in the Macedonians Our Lord in Math. 24. only toucheth deceit and vexation and S. Paul 2 Thes 2. sheweth that Emperour shall hould on till he be taken away then shall man of sin shew himselfe in the Temple as if he were God Adoni kam a Lord standing sure But how the Emperour should be vsed and Pope come vp and fall that Daniel meddled not withall who dealt most of kingdomes And proclamation that none in heaven nor on the earth could open the book telleth that he medled not with Antichrist nor Caesars punishment Iohns weping that none could open the book telleth that the matter is of great vse that they shall have weeping and gnashing of teeth which contemne the matter Now one of the 24. Bishops hearing the person of a Doctor said to him being in his traunse now as a child that the Lyon of Iuda spoken of through the Prophets and specially Num. 24. how he should vnwall and subdue al the sonnes of Seth and is the roote of David his figure who conquered all resisters set vp religion he will tell what Esay spake of his conquests So Christ standeth at the mids of Gods throne in a playn description a lambe Iohn 1. as one that had been slain Mat. 27. slain by Rome vpon whom the revenge must goe having seven horns of power to revenge Satan with his sevē heads and seven eyes which be seven spirits of his providence sending Angels over the earth as in building Ierusalem Zach. 1. and 2. and 6. And he taketh the book from God as Chap. 1. 1. as Mediatour now though he were in the glory of GOD and held it no robbery to be equall with God and then the rare wightes and 24. Doctours pray him to open the state to come and all creatures shew that they shall serve Christ when Idolaters be destroyed CHAP. VI. The Lyon harted the pacient ox the wise man the high fighted eagle tell how by his martyrs he buildeth the Church and for their prayer the Caesars shall have war stil bloudy warre great famine that corne wil be as deare as spice that a bath choenix a pottle wil be sold for the Romane Denarius about half a french crown though GOD strike not vines and olives but in wrath remembreth mercy Such warre that bloud death famine and pestilence shall make a riddance of the fourth part of men This cometh in revenge of the martyrs In Aboth Rab. Nathan in Moses life all the just soulesly vnder the throne of glory Here the terme Altar teacheth that by Christ the Altar they have justice Neyther Scribes nor Apostles knew purgatory Covetousnes bred the teachers slouth and contempt of truth the beleevers They are told that they must have patience a while till martyrs blood be seed to make a Church of a sufficient number to have a Christian empire Then the prophane policies shall have an earthquake their sun of stately empire shal be turned to blacknes their moone of Princes into blood their starres shall fall as olives shaken their heaven shal be lapped vp as a rowl al Ilands and mountaines shal be changed for them Iohn from Esa 2. and 14 and 34 and Ose 10. seeth a vision fitted to their speches that by considering Iudaes fall the ten tribes fall Assurs fall and Daniels Image we may be sure of the Caesars fall and he expoundeth himself the Prophets That Kings great men rich and Coronelles the mighty shall hide themselves and wish as Samaria that mountaynes might hide them from the anger of the Lamb. And so he teach Iewes that for contempt of Christ their destructions came The five seales are not distinguished in time but in common place of victory war famine and both with plague and martyrdome all these in times come sometimes at once The sixt toucheth Constantines dayes Then an vnspeakable riddance was made after Dioclesians persecution that twelve Augusti and Caesars consume one another till all came to the sonne of our Helena who in the ends of the earth made the possession of Christ cometh to York to Constantius his Father that had Christians his chief men and by him is made his heyr of empire and by them and our nation and the neare in the end is alone the Emperour of the world and leaveth the Rome that crucified by the Gospell and 2. Thes 2. where in 100. yeares the slothfull Popes could not make Caesar good but were caught in their lying that Peter should long sit at Rome who expresly writeth that he kept about Babylon Rome in Italy is hated for Idolatry
hypocrites To this end the Popes clergie is described in a plaine painting forth of them and of their warres for Ierusalem at yeeres 1100. Next are all the Turkes warres handled alone next reuiuing of the Gospell against both vntill the end of the world before which tyme neither Turke nor Pope shall fall They flatter themselues that write otherwise But as the Antiochi who reigned about 300. yer after 150. were so weake that they stood by the Romans courtesie so Lagidae in the tutelage of Rome till the set yeere of Christ his first comming so though the Pope bee weakned in many places Italy shall remaine a continuall plague that shall appeare in the seuenth Trumpet But now let vs consider the first Trumpet CHAP. IX The 5. Trumpet sounding out the Popes cleerly The fift Angell sounded the trumpet and I saw a starre fall from heauen and the key of the deepe of the Pitt was giuen him and there came a smoke out of the deepe and the sun and ayer were darkened by the smoke that came out of the pitt THE haters of the Papes turned to Popes from fathers to Diuels to be the wicked Isai 11. Romylus in learned Ionathan from Cittim Ieroms Italy Nu. 24. Onkelos Iarchi Romans They be for this commune place the fift Trumpet in order of handling but in an explication of the first in tenor of matter The starre fallē from heauen was in the third trumpet the messinger of the cōgregation fallen from the kingdom of heauen Dan. 2. Mat. 3. in Christ and by Kimchi vpon Hosea 4. Key is power of gouernement in soules case Isai 22. Mat. 16. Apo. 2. The deepe is darkenesse Gen. 1. 2. in Zohar cōparing visible with inuisible darkenesse bringing to Gehenna euen as the commanding of light to shine out of darkenesse is compared with shewing Christ to our soules As Rattes suo indicio pereunt Terent. so heere the Pope and all that beare his keyes Keyes heere be damned but not such keyes as haue Gods warrant Whence the Pope chalengeth Keyes Nothing is more commune nor euer seene more impudent thē the Popes chalinging of Keyes from Mat. 16. first saying that Peter is there the Rock 1. All holy will hold him therin Abaddon Apollyon autor of destruction For the Son of man Dan. 7. Christ the holy of all holinesse Daniel 9. The son of God Psal 2. calleth himselfe the Rock from Deut. 32. translated in the 70. God six tymes in one chapter and the Rock was Christ 1. Cor. 10. there is no Rocke but the Eternall in Psal 18. and Rock is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Creator S. Peter chap. 4. vseth that terme for God onely teaching Papes not to be babes nor Popes but to know how he vnderstood the wordes of Christ yet the Pope will make Peter to take Gods name to be the chiefe of the Apostles and to haue power in new sort to binde and loose sinns as though all that truly teach Christ do not the same though they know it not But the first teachers of the son Ps 2. were to haue the first commencement of Doctorshipp in Thalmud knowen speach And all kinges who should read the Law preach as Salomon did all his life are the true Papae and Episcopi One appointed man should be the sergeāt of the Church to looke to businesse speciall But all that gouerned should be are called Episcopi as well as hee should be as well learned God is Episcopus Iob. 20. Pakid any of charge as Eleazar is Episcopus communely in the 70. Iudas office was Episcope Antigonus in Diodo was like to be Episcopus of all Asia And when the Greeke Papae would be Episcopi alone they were neuer quiet They had beene stronger if all learned had beene Episcopi with them as at Zurick now one ruleth none but is chiefe sergeant for teaching sacraments but accountable as any other for cariage But Pope Romane thus goeth on to teach that Peter came to Rome that he left keyes to one and he to successores that they be the Rock to sitt in the Temple of God as God to make men sweare otherwise then any of Gods people euer heard to allow Priests after our Lords death to reiect the Ebrew and Greeke Gods gift and to accept a Latin deadly falty translation Exod. 12. Act. 7. 13. to deny that the Bible which God gaue is extāt to vse Latin in Landes of other Languages to giue the people no vse free in it But 9. of 10. commun And Pater noster as to parrats and with the last verse stollen away the verse from Dan. 7. shewing all Kingdom Power and Glory giuen to Christ So the summe of faith they had in Latin as Parrats in the maine pointe for the soules going vp to the Father a going downe to hell with beliefe that the fathers till then were there Before I reckon more Popish that is diuelish points I wil heere shew how Iewes haue disgraced our Gospel by the wicked translation Descended to Hell by barbarous wresting of Latin from the true vse in Tullies dayes A digression to shew a scandal laid to Iewes Izhak Ben Arama saith Behold the string vpon which the law of Christians hangeth is this the famously knowen that for the sin of Adam the first death of the soule entred vpon all ages and they fell all fathers and sonnes first and later Prophets and holy into the sorrowes of Gehenna vntill Christ went and redeemed them These be strictly his wordes vpon Leui. 26. where Moses expresly telleth that the Godly should goe hence to Gods Tabernacle and Saint Paul 2. Corint 5. translateth him in a most heauenly and comfortable sort and telled expresly of Abraham and the commended that they desired an heauenly Citie and God prepared it for them although they were not perfected in this world with manifestation of the Gospell Some Greekes mistaking S. Paul held Limbum and wrested Greek from old vse to that as Basill vpon Psalm 49. Yet he spake well vpon Psal 15. As Maymoni tract poenite That all holy went hence to Gods Tabernacle and Chrisostome though he said Christ opened Paradise to the thiefe saith vpon 2. Corint Hom. 6. Thus Lazarus was poore and verie poore and he was rich that passed by him lying in the gate now whether entred into the Kingdom and ioyed in the bosome of Abraham Herein Chrisostom is very sound and laid no trap for the Iewes Athanasius Cyrill Theodorite and others vpon the Psalmes and many in Theophilact vpon Luke 23. And he vpon Iohan in this I goe to the Father and very many in Photius library and Hegessippus vpon the Maccabees yet Romes aduancing Latin to abolish knowledge of the Greek Testament caused old Chrysologus to say that Abraham was in Gehenna till Christ went thither and the 3. day brought him out So the Iew had caught the Latin company enemy to all the Bible for
sin should arise Both be heere in one dragon which the profane Caesares and the Popes can not perceiue They who be of the heauenly state they all do see the Dragon is the Diuill or accusar of God the great is the Diuells power by Rome the ruddy bloodie persecution His seauen heades are seauē states of Rome ouer THE FAITHFVL as the Iewes knew their story full well Pompei by Rome was an Emperour in the East But perished neere in the land of Cham. So in Iudah M. Crassus was after him armed ouer Iudah as a King for Rome who robbed the Temple of Salem of Abrahams house but at Abrahams Charan he and his army had a most famous destruction Iulius Caesar made Cleopatra Lady of Iudah who perished in Capitolio for that Brutus Cassius force after was a King for Rome They by Antoni perish Antoni hath the East and marieth Cleopatra and ruleth Iuda and both perish So fiue diademes of the Dragon perish The 6. state is the wholle power which crucified Christ and his members till our Helenaes sonne left Rome and New Troy to be a pillage to Alaricus Giezerichus Theodoricus Totilas for old persecuting of martyrs The seuenth is the Popes wealth getting landes by S. Peters forged supremacy and setting vp the Empire in the West These be the seauen diademes spoken to the Iewes plaine vnderstanding Heathen stories may fitt Romes 7. other states The more fall out fitt as often many do to one speach the more Rome that crucified Christ is condemned when GOD turneth continuall reuolution to haue Rome called into minde Moreouer the allusion is to Daniels foure beastes which had 7. heades The Lion one the Beare one the Leopard foure the fourth beast one The Roman state winning all those contreyes of the East are fitly noted by their armes And specially by the then hornes The Seleucidae by fiue kinges vexed Iudah by warres against Lagidae and Lagidae by so many againe wasted Iuda So that Greeke beast in one parted Kingdome had 10. hornes From that beast the Roman beast hath also ten Kingdomes at the least and vnder Augustus and vnder the Pope rekoned to that number Strabo 17. Steuch contra Vallum Lib. 2. so these matters be all most plaine Of the tayle The prophane Caesares persecution moued few Christians the starres of heauen to fall But the taile of the Empire the false prophet that speaketh lies he as Antiochus Daniel 8. maketh many fall from heauen praetending religion with much praetense and no substance The combat of the Roman Empire with the Church And the Dragon stood before the woman beeing in trauaile that when she bore her childe he might deuour it And she bare a manly sonne which will rule all nations with a sceptre of yron And the child was taken vp to God and to his throne The allusion is from the dayes of Christ borne in Bethleem when Satan by Herodes swords would haue deuoured him but his mother fled with him to Egypt after that Satā hoped to deuour him in the graue he was taken vp into heauē so when Christians soules trauailed to breed Christ the Emperors stormed to deuour that doctrine as Dauid told Ps 2. But they brought forth into the light of the world the SON would bruse all nation-with an yron sceptre as he did bruse the image in Daniel And shewed that his throne is in heauen being taken vp vnto the aeternall King And the Christians fled into the wildernesse as CHRIST did in the tyme of his preaching or halfe seauen Dan. 9. and often handled in the Gospell in Eusebius handled and of Beda who cited the Apoc. allusions M. Scaliger and others that make mo yeares of our Lordes preaching spent ill good houres All tyme of affliction is sweetly termed by our Lords affliction to be as his of dayes 1260. though it were of 300. yer vnder Caesares resistance and 600. vnder Popes enimies to Iohns Apocalyps The speach is full of comfort calling vs vnto the afflictions of Christ himselfe who reckoned all his owne dayes and will haue all our teares in his bottle and pay all dogges and Doegs for Cerberean barking A Commentary vpon the former vision And there was warre in heauen MICHAEL and his Angells made warre with the Dragon and the Dragon and his Angells made warre but held not strength neither was there place found any more for them in the heauen And the great Dragon the old Serpent called the Diuell and Satan who deceiueth the wholle world he was cast out againe I say he was cast and his Angels were cast with him into the earth The state of the faithfull heere is sweetly called hēauen to shew our certeinty of hope for the propre heauen as the word of Law and Gospell is as sure to vs as if we saw the third heauen that aboue the ayer and aboue the starres as S. Paul did at his first calling to a comfort against all his following afflictions so the holy Daniel that in one image made abridge from the end of the old Testament vnto the beginning of the new called the state after abrogation of Moises the Kingome of heauen Iohn Baptist doth begin with his tongue The kinddome of heauen is come And the aeternall WORLD the essentiall WORDE who spake and all was made he confirmeth the same speach to shew that Daniels Image was ended and the GOD of heauen setteth vp a kingdome that cannot be corrupted The obseruation of this speach had kept Daniel in a cleare meaning and not brought the West Empire of Christians for East Greeke Seleuco-Lagides athean Nor tymes after Christ for stories teaching when he would come The termes of the Bible be pearles still beate vpon the open story for noblest matters So Saint Paul Ebrew XI speaking of the Maccabees martyrs famous in the Talmudiques and after his dayes historied by Greeke Iewes saith from Daniels last speaches of double resurrection That they would not be deliuered because they looked for the better resurrection So he sheweth that Antiochus persequutions were the last mentioned in Daniel The Romans hindred not the Iewes holy religion till by the Pharisees they vexed our Lord himselfe when he opened the kingdom of heauen dayes 1260. They who without knowledge of Daniel would know the Gospel are as men that would goe from one Land to another parted by great waters without a shipp All that care for the kingdome of heauen will care for him And my paines in a third commentary an English a Latin a shorter in English came forth by my care and charges By the third milliones of our simple might haue knowen the Prophets whole heart But that Bargulus Illyricus would cast him into the Lions den If Lions rent not his bones I will commende him to the God of Daniel and the firy flames streaming from his throne for his fighting for the dragon against MICAEL and his Angells Of MICAEL Michael and Gabriel are the only holy
milde And S. Paul borne to be a Bishop of Rome in Tarsus free in Rome told the same Rom. 13. as he told from 2 Thes 2. howe thence man of sin would arise If 2 Thes 2. had bene read of all Children since S. Paul wrote aged moo then the Starres of Heauen a million for a Starre had knowen what the Pope is and equall giltie Cardinales And our Archbuyshopps in his canones damned by common Lawes following the light of Gods engrauement in soules All Scholars that will bee ouerruling Ciuill matters vnable to shewe skill in the Lawe of one Iod or Prick as our Lordes speach requireth Mat. 5. and will Archbuishopps be and vrge athean othes and imprison better lettered by many yeares studie then themselues and pine in Prison vnto death full many which hold the trueth of redemtion in trades life better then they are in the Popes Giltinesse heere and speake from the Dragon And are sure to goe with both into aeternall flames The learned know that they to whom I now giue the Anathema Maran Atha will sooner goe to Bantam to fetch pepper then replie And as Ouid. speaketh that while the Romane Empire standeth his fables should stand so while the world standeth our reuiuers of Dracons bloody lawes others to profane God shall stand in this my blame in my defence for our King and nations integritie Si quid habent veri vatum praesagia By what Iudaique cursedly reuiued Ceremonie the chiefe diuinitie D. of Rome bewitched Emperors to giue a spice of countenance that the Pope was aboue the Emperor In Iudah Kinges were annointed with oyle praescribed by God to Moses and it was death to imitate that oyle The Thal. hath a full treatise of that Thence all of witt will fetch it No King was euer annointed with this but Kings in hazard King Moses was not King Iesus was not King Samuel was not Saul not accepted was Dauid not accepted was Salomon in hazard by Adonijah was and Ioash for Athalias stirre was All this God alloweth By the Peoples autoritie wicked Ioachaz two yeares yonger then his brother more wicked Ioakim was all these to auoid dissention So annointment was still the token of a person doubted whether the people should accept him or not Now the Patriarke of Constantine beginning annointement of Emperours as in Iustinius the vncle of Iustinian fame goeth chalenged heerein no superioritie but would haue the Emperores that requested the Churches fauor If they were stayned in open blame to want that good will till open repentance came This had zeale and mans witt but God forbiddeth to imitate Aharons ceremonies namely in oinctments No chest might bee made like the Arke no candlesticke no Table no curtaine no building like the holy Touching our manner in England thinke it began in token of freedome as not vnder the Emperor but equall But seeing Priests were the annointers Locusts NOW in flames aeternall it should with sacrifice Aharons cope Leuites linen and name of Priest be left off If my poore opinion were worthie of accompt if quietly they might otherwise ceremonies of force were broken as in Dauids eating of the shew-bread and beeing deadly for vse as circumcision for Galatians yet in Timothie was repeted So the wicked bookes of the Apocrypha whereof none haue one syllable of Christ though Galatinus would bring Baruc to him In God will bee seene vpon earth because the fables spake of Iewes stories whose trueth heathen denied were receiued for mens weaknesse But when Greeks would make iarring sayinges true diuinitie Iewes told Hagarenes their iudgement was weake and so there the Gospell found contemt since the Pope annointed Emperores of weake autoritie after hee deceiued the Empire For 200. yea warre that weakened West Kinges the oinctment was pleaded for a token of superioritie that the beast comming out the earth might haue two hornes like Christs And he doth great signes that he causeth fire to come downe from heauen into the earth before men and he deceiueth the dwellers on the earth before the beast When Israels state came farre badd holy Elias made fier come downe from heauen In memorie of that storie Iohn saw in his vision fire come downe from heauen betokening thereby any signes Saint Paul told this in proprietie that by false signes wicked Romylus Esai 11. in the Venice Chaldy should deceiue if possible the very elect because they would not receine the loue of the trueth as Salomon warneth Ephraim Prov. 3. the Emperors strife was with the Popes for Auctority litle or nothing for Diuinity where they should haue beene of best iudgement as Charles the great was of great iudgement that the Popes for feare of fall by resisting a learned Emperor decreed for him and his successors as I shewed confirmation of Popes that should serue in Rome Of Papists miracles Neuer any commented vpon any text Bible or Law as the Papists doe vpon their Miracles The Iesuites in the Indianes doe such strange Miracles that Lucian de vera historia would as well seeme true as noble learned Saddeel nippeth Turrianus And at dinners and suppers in stead of the Bible they read the stories of their owne Miracles So the Lady of Hales made Iustus Lipsius of a quicker spirite to his stile as Bacchus made Ennius And creeples come to Hales but goe away leaping So at Colen in a stage play creeples came to S. Laurence and went a way leaping So in Walsingam The Host was caried in Cambrige ouer the market place in a coffer by two strong men and praesently became so heauie that both they could not cary it alone And when they put drakes fresh blood to the wine all but Heretiques may see the very wine liuely blood That men sware by the blood of Hales I heard a man in the ende of true faith and fatherlie cariage Rich. Meneuensis say how his conscience pricked him when to Masse he vsed drakes blood I know not but by confession whether this be true or noe At Mentz townes end Eastward in the brim of the fieldes standeth a lowe crosse of stone That way I walked with two Iesuites and a proselyte whose commendation from the Pope to the Bishop and they then sitting with mee on a greene desired to read from Latin to Ebrew for to plead for a principall Cardinalship Of that stone crosse Pater Nicolaus Serarius said thus Once a man drunke armed with a sword stroke this crosse and it poured out blood and pursuite was made after the man and hee was executed Then said I let the Bishop and all his Canons that be not Lutherans I know they will not try take swordes and strike all the crosse and if it shed one drop to my sight I will accept the Cardinalship offred and be of your faith as I am of Saint Peters faith already and belieue no more then Epiphanius that hee was euer at Rome as he cared no more for Clemens Alexand. then did Patriarch Photius and lesse of
place gainesaid This sheweth that Peter was neuer at Rome And Saint Pauls iourney telleth Rome that God hated them If he had not beene sought to bee killed Lysias had not sent him to Caesarea and if the Iewes had not againe there sought to haue killed him hee had not appealed to Caesar God would not that hee should come to Rome but vpon extreamities So the iourney thither shewed that Christ hated the Citie that crucified him was strange in calamities and Paul was brought thither as a prisoner and kept in prison though somewhat free CHAPTER XIIII And I saw and behold a Lambe stood vpon mount Syon and an hundred fourty foure thousand were with him hauing the name of their father written in their forehead THEY which were called afore two Prophets are now 144000. hauing the name of God written in their forehead the same number is said before to be sealed ch 7. by a speach from Ezekiel ch 9. 4. There in the 70. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the terme of chap. 13. in Kimchy a signe or writing S. Paul expoundeth the speach that God will make them knowen who be his that they who professe the name of God shall depart from wickednesse So they who haue Gods name are made knowen who bee his and expound his word and follow trueth of worship due to him bearing a marke in open profession as sacrificers such as Aharon had In this sort the holy Church still had some nūber to professe the summe of saluation though on mount Sion a small hill for the mountaines of the world not one to a million of ADONIKAM and his Children of three fold as storie 666. that number chap. 13. to beare the number of his name was vsed for any number of Apostatique profession So heere the 144000. twelue tymes twelue is vsed for any Company that trusteth in Christ as the Patriarches did And I heard a voice out of heauen as the voice of many waters and as the voice of a great thunder and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harpes and they sing as it were a new song before the throne and before the foure liuely wightes and the Elders The heauen commonly in this booke is the Church waters voice is continuall so heere continuall singing is meant harpes signifie song with agreement the new song is for mans praeseruation euery day The foure wightes are the rare as Daniel Ananias Azarias and Misael and all the Euangelistes and S. Paul full of courage of Lions so were all the Apostles of rare patience ready to be sacrificed euery day and they were the true Philosophers thinking what should befall them after death and they were the Eagles of high flight sight The Elders are the Bishops or Teachers the sage in gouernement and skill in the holy Hebrew and Greek Testaments The song none could vnderstand but the 144000. as no Papist soundly thinketh of all things made for Gods glorie in Christ and how by him wholy iustice commeth and he onely must be worshipped When this is told them they are like vnto men that dreame and know not who they are that are bought from the earth not what their religion meaneth Thereupon it is written And none could vnderstand the song but the hundred fourty and foure thousand which were bought from the earth What this songe was Through the whole scripture this song is one and the same that IEHOVAH our GOD IEHOVAH is ONE The FATHER the SON the Holy Spirite be one Coaeternall and Coessentiall the SON is called the WORD by the WORD the Father made the World and by the Spirite beautified the heauens And because the WORD would become flesh the World was made to serue once Adam the first The Angells that grudged at that fell for euer and deceiued Adam and made him dead in sin and brought him to be turning dayly to dust vntill he dyed and for him the whole frame of the Creature was pronunced corrupt But he belieued that Christ made of a woman made vnder the Law God being in him to reconcile the World to himselfe should giue Adams soule iustice by faith should raise vp his Bodie and make a new World by his power whereby hee can subdue all things to himselfe This is the summe of the song tolde through all Bookes of the Bible A Digression to shew the Concent of all the holy Bookes Geneses sheweth how by the WORD of IEHOVAH the heauens were made and all the settled army of them by the Spirite of his mouth and when man fell the WORD telling that to destroy the workes of Satan he would be made flesh and haue a Tabernacle in vs. In which point the Fathers faith vnto the charge of Iosephs bones to bee caried vnto the Land wherein our Lordes resurrection should be a Testimony of a new World taught by Ioseph in his bones long after his death By faith he taught by his dead bones of the new world and therein Geneses end hath a new Geneses All simple should learne CHRIST from the Gospell of Geneses wher 's his Godhead so familiarly delited in the holy Prov. 8. and shewed in appearances that he would be man All yong men brought vp to be Bishops of the Kings armies or Church would reioyce to haue learned Geneses in Ebrew by heart In old age they should gather the fruit Obiection of them that are not bought from the earth S. Ierome saith Iewes read not the three first chapters of Geneses till they be 30. yeeres old Answere None should cite Ierome to make him a foole or to win the Whetstone Maymony in Morch Nebuchim hath this sentence that none did Darash read as a Doctor expoundeth Genes 1. and 2. and 3. and Ezech. 1. before he was aged 30. So S. Ierom meant Iewes all teach their Children from seauen to read all Moyses It were better that Rome were with Helice and Bura then Popes should be suffred so to bring most wickedly the word of life into a deadly hatred Of Iob. Iob is a booke for all holy to take notice of for instructing their families in the knowlede of Christ which Abraham carefully did as God testifieth the comfort of it their posterity shall finde as the booke setteth forth the faith and loue the effects of the Gospell 1. Thes 1. of his posterity euen before the Lawe was giuen to shewe that the godly had alwaies the Law written in their hearts 2. Cor. 3. Ier. 32. Rom. 2. Iob is a patron to all the faithfull in prosperitie for loue compassion iustice and equity c. in his afflictions his faith and hope in the Redeemer the seed promised whom he knew would take our nature vpon him to dy for him and by his Godhead rayse himselfe from death and that by his resurrection he should be raysed in the last day be made like his glorious body and that he euer liued to make intercession for him these thinges were his comfort in his greatest
tyrannie shall try Lions and Oxen but also mighty deceite that they which receiue not the loue of trueth may be damned for loue to lies shall try man and eagle and who be full of eyes From this place Greekes tell Antichrist should arise from Rome see chapter 2. Th. 2. he maketh the matter plaine So at the first he shewed his care for Rome And as Daniel chapter 2. calleth the Counsell of God in the afflicters wicked a mysterie eloquent Paul taketh his terme thence teaching that as those matters had a most sure euent euen to Antiochus figure of Antichrist exalting himselfe aboue all religion So when the Emperour should fall The Papae or Diuinity fathers of Rome should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with all force of Satan That text is an abridgement of the Apocalyps First and 2. Timothie and Titus Paul in Timothie telleth all what great learning they should haue which should gouerne others euery man of charge is Pakid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Adams tongue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the LXX Elders Acts. 2. and Titus 3. In vertues of regeneration they should be rare and by study they should be learned Exod. chap. 18. is the ground Sanedrin Maymonie an explication Of these the King chiefly was Doctor Maymonie Hagigah And Archysynagogus and the rest chose one of their company to be Sheliach Zibbur Orator of the congregation he read the Law and dealt in exhortation and all prophecied and none should rule ouerthe people but in mildenesse 1. Pet. 5. Maymon in Sanedrin whose words for our Athean tyrany in BB. forcing othes c. I wrote in my Booke to I. C. of reuerend memory Titus is taught the same Now an ape is liker a man then the Pope Pauls Bishop in 2. Thes 2. 1. Tim. 2. Tim. Tit. The opening of S. Paul by the Talmudiques sitting in Moyses chaire would cleere him more then all others He in Greeke abridgeth them writing to Timothie and Titus who knew them at large Geneua doth well this farre that all should bee kept in order in excommunication farr from S. Paul and in letting the raines to Preachers to be Rome Popes Of Philemon After he had described the gouerners learned and louers of the people he handleth the cause of Seruants from Exod. 21. and Israel seruant in Egypt Exod. cha 20. whence in Talmudiques a long common place is of seruants The marrow of all which Gamaliels Scholar contriueth to one short epistle And heere the gracious prouidence of Christ in the notation of Philemon and Onesimus conteyneth the duty of Maister and Seruant so wiseing al to learne Pauls tongue Philemon is louing so should euery Maister be to his seruant Eph. 6. knowing that they haue a Maister in Heauen A famous Greek Poet much cited for Haides Heauen and Hell from Sophocles Herodotus with Menander and Diphilus was called Philemon Onesimus is by interpretation profitable such should all seruants bee to their maisters Not in ey-seruice as men pleasers but as seruing the Lord. The poore Daughter of Israel in Naamans house caused him to seeke Eliseus and GOD and when hee tooke peper in the nose for Iordan his seruants ouerruled him as Onesimus to saluation The name Onesimus is in Lysias the Attique as vsuall in Greekes Onesiphorus S. Pauls great helper is of the same notation How the Seruant of Seruants is Concordant The Seruant of Seruants is such an Onesimus that he bringeth all to pouertie by his treachery and by his Peter-Pence for Chimineies made millions of eyes dimme with smoke and can forge Constantinus donation for the kingdoms of the West If Iulian had heard any such matter he had set that among the chiefe schoffs for his Vncle But neither hee nor any Greekes could heare of such a matter which all the world had knowen in Constantines dayes if it had beene true The robber thus recompenced Constantine for bringing in Christian politie to destroy new Rome and to roote out from the East the holy Gospell Of the Epistle to the Hebrewes From Rome S. Paul the most reuerend Papas that euer was in Rome and S. Luke next him the Ebrew of Ebrewes telleth the Ebrewes that were vpon reuolt that all Moyses Policie ended in Christ and that no further sacrificer must be on the earth and that faith giueth true commendation from the Creation to the Maccabees dayes who in Dan. 12. hoped in the better resurrection In this Epist S. Paul abridgeth all the Bible The Popes Contrarietie The Popes whole doctrine as I shewed would make a new policie ouer the World by imitation of Aharon so that he commeth to the height of sin and denieth the whole doctrine of iustification by faith and that Abraham and the rest went hence to heauen against S. Pauls expressed words praetending chap. XI II. vlt. Where he speaketh as through the Epistle of perfection in the Doctrine which the Gospell hath aboue the Law and not a word hee nor any of reward in the World of soules Also Augustinus Nabiensis writeth wickedly that the Greeke is a translation and faulty in thou hast made him a little inferior to Angells He would haue it A litle inferior to God yet Christ could say how in humanity despised he was a worme as infinitely inferior to his Godhead though both together make the Person great GOD. Of the Epistle of Iames. S. Iames frameth his speach to Iewes who knew that no Bishops of Elder could be aboue another and bringeth a Law not to praeferre any before the rich in knowledge and where Iewes then and yet holde that beliefe in the trueth of the Law and reuerence to it iustifieth as Abr. Sabung in Zeror writeth of some and Moses de Kotzi praef in Talm. Hee telleth such a faith is a dead faith regeneration must follow as all teach Of the first and 2. of Peter Both Peters epistles are written in Iewes veine that by affliction not by the Popes pompe we get heauen and that Christ tooke that course beeing kill'd in the humanitie and made aliue by the spirite the holy Spirit in the Ethiopian and Oecumenius in which hee went ten tymes is that speach of God in the Law and preached to them which are now spirites in prison because they belieued not when Christ preached in the dayes of Noë And he biddeth vs commend our soules to the faitfull Rock chap. 4. teaching the Pope how hee vnderstood the terme Rock to bee all one as Creator where the Pope as I often told chalenging that name sheweth himselfe in the Temple of God as if he were God And chap 5. he telleth expresly that the chosen Church in Babilon saluted them and Marke And all speakers bee wicked deceiuers that vse not proprietie where all mindes require proprietie and otherwise the whole world should be deceiued And in the second Bosor with S. for Y vsed onely in Arabia and Chaldea telleth where he kept Of the 1. 2. 3.
of GOD and for the testimonie which they had he saw them vnder the Altar who is Christ. The Thalmud of Rabbi Nathan in Moyses saith that his soule and all the iust are vnder the throne of God So as Saint Paul saith Rom. chap. 10. The Apostles doctrine is confirmed by Thalmudiques directly in all thinges sauing the Person and office of Messias Chap. 7. The martyrs haue white garments and palmes in their hands they be before the throne of God c. Chap. 11. They are called vp into heauen and their enimies see them going vp in a cloud Hence purgatorie is confuted which hath no ground from the old Testament as any Talmudique did euer expound it For Leuit. 26. telleth that hence men goe to Gods tabernacle to ioy or before his throne to feele aeternall anger Reuenge for Christ his Iustice And I saw and behold a white Cloud and one rode on the Cloud like the SON OF MAN hauing on his head a Crowne of gold and in his hand a sharpe sickle The cloud is Gods chariot Isaiah 19. as I told chap. 1. and this place telleth what Person was there described Heere he hath a crowne of gold as in Psalm 20. a token of victorie by death so chap. 6. In Maym. Poenit. the iust haue Crownes in the World of soules So to Talmudiques the New Testam would bee cleare The sharp sickle in Ioel is Gods vengeance vpon Iudahs enimies Assur the Image yea and the Image of the beast heere For he speaketh of all enimies The roaring like a Lion and the 7. thunders tell the same thing and chapter X. and the earthquake and destroying of them that destroyed the earth Reuenge for the prayers of the Church Another Angell came forth from the Temple crying with a great voice to him that road vpon the Cloud cast fourth thy sickle and reape tyme is come to reape for the haruest of the earth is ripe The Church be the faithfull the Angell is the representer of their state So Nebuchadnezar saw one watchfull and holy Who telleth that his punishment of 7. yer beastlinesse came by the prayers of the iust Spaine perceiued in the Low Coūtries the force of this is like to feele as good at home What shall befall our Buuy-shop that vrgeth better learned to othe then himselfe neuer heard of in Iuda by either Testament and imprisoneth better learned then himselfe that will not profane the name of God pineth vnto death in cruel prison them who deny him to be lawfull Buy-shop and put by Teachers of saluation from their maintenance 400. What shall become of this man from whom the heart of a man hath bene taken 7. yer Nabuchad dyed two yeares after hee came to himselfe so may this man How prayers of the iust be heard the next verse telleth And he that roade vpon the cloud cast forth his sickle into the earth and the earth was reaped So the crye of the poore ascendeth into the eares of the Lord of Hostes Reuenge by the iniuried themselues And an other Angell came out of the Temple which is in heauen hauing also a sharpe sickle The faithfull heere haue equall strength and try combat with Pope as this yeare for Clieue and Iuliaque All the Protestāts against the Pope Oh that our Albion would thrust in the sickle of good Laws against those Popoi lest they be still prickes in our eyes thornes in our sides as they haue bene And an other Angell came forth from the altar hauing authoritie vpon the fire and cried with a great voice to him that had the sharpe sickle saying Cast forth thy sickle cut the clusters of thr earth for her grapes be ripe In Daniel the Angell telleth chap XI that in the first yeere of Darius the Mede chap. 5. hee was a strength and might to him Iacob had a campe of Angells which story Dauid turneth to all faithfull One paid Sanacharib one strengthneth our Lord One saued Peter Act. 12. So heere the liuely speach of the Angell is an open token of assistance from the Angells of Christ as they be all ministring spirites sent foorth to seruice for them that shall inherite saluation Angells rule fire as that which brent Sodom Gen. 19. and Babel in Xenophon compared with Dan. XI And water in S. Pauls voiage So all anger from God is fire and Angells his seruants The sure euent So the Angell did cast his sharpe sickle into the earth and snapt off the Vine of the earth and cast it into the great wine-presse of the anger of God and the wine-presse was troden out of the Citie and the blood came forth from the wine-presse vnto the horse bridles ouer stadia furlongs a thousand six hundred The Citie is the assembly of the holy the place out of it is the dwelling of the faithlesse The stadia or furlongs 1600. are taken from the quantitie of Chanaan which Talmudiques calling to a square make Ris that is Stadion euery way The place I haue cited in my Concent where I abridge the Apocalyps CHAP. XV. A plaine exposition of the Womans fleeing into the wildernesse And I saw another great and maruelous signe seauen Angells hauing seauen the last plagues for in them the wrath of God is finished Chap. 6. expoundeth this and how when the Church hath a seate in the wildernesse and their Citie there they make the wine-presse of Gods anger out of the Citie And I saw as it were a sea of glasse mixed with fire and them which ouercome from the beast and from his image and from his marke and the number of his name standing by the sea of glasse hauing the harpes of God and they sing the song of Moyses the seruant of God and the song of the Lambe saying great and wonderfull are thy workes O ETERNAL the God of Hostes iust and vpright are thy wages O King of saints who would not feare thee O Lord and giue glory vnto thy name for thou only art gratious for all nations shall come and worship before thee for thy iudgements are manifested Sea signifieth troubles as Dan. 7. glasse clearly considered of God the allusion is to the Red sea at which Israel was persequuted by Pharaoh The addition by fire is an open distinction for the Popes sea of fire and faggott the song of Moyses Exod. 15. is a thankesgiuening for deliuerance from Pharaoh by the blood of the Lambe and the songe of the Lambe conteyneth all the songes in the Bible But most directly they of his incarnation and soules passage from the body to heauen and resurrection and sitting on the right hand of God The workes of God be great and wonderfull that the wicked whom he hath sett vnto wrath beare sway heere for a tyme but soone come to aeternall flames And they who in short affliction professe his name cary away an aeternall peise of glory wicked Babel worshipping creatures had a great reigne that Gods seruants might
teach there the trueth of saluation That which Ierem. speaketh chap. X. of our Gods prayse against idolls is heere repeated That Egypt and Babel teach the Pope what to look for Thus the holy protest their honor to God and labor to increase the Church that all nations may come and worship him And afterwardes I saw and behold the Temple of the Tabernacle of Couenant was opened in the heauen and the seauen Angells came forth hauing the seauen plagues from the Temple and they were clothed with cleane and pure linen and girded about the breast with golden girdles As Angells help Gods seruants to victories so proper Angells considered with men whom they strengthen may heere be meant Their clothing signifie syncere holinesse which men should desire and the golden girdle about the brest signifieth the binding of the minde in golden syncerity of heart Maymo in Beth Bechira handling Aharons garment citeth traditions from them that saw the high sacrificers manner that Aharon was girded about the brest that sheweth Iohn to speake most learnedly chapter 1. and heere 15. and wiser then any who would forge a booke could doe And one of the foure liue-wights gaue to the seauen Angells seauen golden cupps full of the anger of God who liueth for euer and euer The liuely wight is heere as orator of the whole Church and after the acknowledging of Gods goodnesse by Gods charge the Angells take in hand to poure Gods wrath vpon his enimies visibly by men but vnseene as the armie that guarded Elisaeus So as I told the punishment of Nabuchadnezar Daniel chap. 4. commeth by the decree of the watchfull and the petition of the holy What the Angells desire in reuenge for the Church God appointeth them to help forward in assisting men that be the fighters So millions of millions waite vpon Gods throne to rule the foure beasts that the house of Zorobabell afflicted should know that the heauens ruled and tyrants should soone be tamed by them The Pope should from Dan. 7. learne this and from Apo. chap. 6. where the profane Caesares be destroyed and know that after long angring of God hee must haue full payment Mortall Princes soone fade as a floure But God is euerlasting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Daniel 7. 9. and liuing for euer Dan cha 12. and Apoc. X. and XV. who because men did not receiue the loue of the trueth to be saued sendeth workfull error that they belieue falshood that all may be condemned which belieue not the trueth but delite in badnesse This Booke was penned in such a style that it openeth not onely it selfe but also teacheth how all the old Testament belongeth to Christ And the Temple was filled with a smoke of the glory of God and of his power and none could goe into the Temple till the seauen plagues of the 7. Angells were finished When the Tabernacle of Moyses and the Temple of Salomon were consecrated then Moyses and the Leuites could not goe in while the glory of God filled them Here a cloud of Gods anger filled with defense the Church in the wildernesse that God will not giue the wicked grace to ioyne with them vntill they be cōsumed the sturdy wicked who fight against open light and be of the 666. sonnes of Adoni-kam which had rather haue 666. talents of Cethem from Ophir then all the knowledge of Iohns Reuelation such that striue against the light shall neither be forgiuen in this world nor in the world to come but heere haue a conscience stinged as by scorpions and in the world of soules death aeternall CHAPTER XVI As the Popes manner of rising plagued the World in a like manner God consumeth him As the Popes arisinge plagued the world vnder Angells Trumpets as 1. The earth 2. The Sea 3. Fountaines of waters 4. The Sun 5. By kingdom of Locusts 6. By raising vp the Turk 7. By earthquake So to him plagues come vnder the same terms but in another signification as 1. His earth hath boyles 2. Sea blood 3. Fountains blood 4. Susnn parching persecution 5. By darkned throne of spoile 6. By Euphrates by Turke 7. By whole earthquake And I heard a great voice from the Temple saying goe poure out the cupps of the anger of God into the earth In the heauen Christ is the Temple and the Church by him By his commandement and the Churches care the Popes world is plagued spirits being Gods messengers inuisiblie men visiblie And the first went and poured his cup into the earth and there came boiles sore and painefull vpon such as hath the marke of the beast and worshipped his image The plague of Egypt vnder Iannes and Iambres resisting Moyses is now vpon the minds of Papists which resist Law and Gospell the discouery of which Idolatry becommeth a sound meanes for Kings that made the beast a King of Locusts to eate vp the flesh of the beast The West Kings made the Pope mighty to ouerthrow the East weakned so that Machmad and Turcke ouerhtrew it And euer since the Pope came to be mighty he became auctor of haile and troubles and brought haile and fire of warre to be mixed with blood So now he looseth many Countreies vpon Martyrs telling that he held Satans throne and vpon diligent scholes detecting him in euery part bringing the Apocalyps to be dayly read and all the eloquent N. Testament in Greeke founteine of heauenly water to baptise the minde by the spirit into the kingdome of heauen And the second Angell poured his cuppe on the sea and it became blood as of the dead euery liuing soule dyed in the sea When the poore father of Rome forging S. Peters being there became by Saint Peters name of low and poore an high mountaine he became fiery and cast himselfe into the sea of Empires that by all his warres a third part of the liuing in one age were kill'd and destroyed Till a thousand yeeres hee became not a full mountaine till then Satan was tyed but in Ierusalems warre he was loose that 200. y. warres turned the third part of politicall sea and shipps into blood and destruction And what warrs haue bene since in Europe which the Pope hath not kindled So he payeth for it so hee looseth whole countreies as Netherland with the blood of 40. yeeres warres and wast of the Spanish nation That scant a third part escaped death in them that could warre for his killing of K. Philips sonne bent to heale the boyles of his religious This did they dead in blindnesse and known to be such And a third Angell poured his Cup into the riuers and fountaines of waters and blood came of it Heere lesser waters are lesse forces that continually he hath bad successe and great losse The yeare 1588. gaue him an open token of wrath in this sort and Flanders 1600. And if he had gone forward Venice had taught the same and Iuliaque will 1610. if he goe forward dayly litle riuers of 700.
manifold and vnsearchable is the wisedome of God The Iewes seeing Ioseph gone for Ieroboam might feare lest Iuda should fall more for killing of Christ that now only Saint Pauls Bishopricke of the West is best in Christianitie he foretold how Rome would deceiue and bad them not to be proud but feare and not ouerrule the ciuill officer but be subiect all this is vaine to many Iosephs Beryll the glorie of Paradise is now abiect Of the Topaz Simeon hath the ninth place to be very base yet afore manie of the handmaides children Of the Chrysophrase The Chrysophrase is a white Achate with a golden lace and part greene Achate simply is in Exod. 28. for Nephtaly Iohn giueth the trimmest of Achates as God shewed him And Nephtali is set before Dan because Dan first fell away Of the Hyacinth Leshem was Dan his stone and in notation it is Folow God and in the partition of the lande Leshem the Towne was giuen to Dan as prophecied in the name of his stone though it were farre from the other soile of his where Samson dwelt Semel is an idole Alpha and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mega gaue him warning that he turned not the Letters But none can stand longer than God stayed him Ionathan the some of Manasses of Gerson of Moses who would thinke it he and his house were Priests to the idole till the remouing of the glorie from Ephraim and Ieroboam regarding not that set vp a Calfe in Dan. The Antichrist by imitation of idoles is Dans childe Barbarous Rome cannot auoid that but by a ridiculous distinction of Idole and Image Of Gads Amethyst God of ordinarie course should folow Dan and Aser the yonger being set before him for Anna the daughter of Phanuel Thus Iohn comforteth the 12. tribes in their owne veine of speach calling all their stories of 1700. yeeres often reuolued in the same desert to shew the Constancie of God to encourage the 12. tribes not to be amazed that Rome hath crucified Christ and destroyed the lowe Ierusalem but to know that it also shall be destroyed after vnwilling furthering of the Gospell by martyring and when ease and wealth bringeth blindnesse and error it shall vnder praetense of holinesse and by persequution cause more study of Law then all former ages had The Iewes soone would climme into the mountaine of Tabâ—r in minde to acknowledge this description to be all from the Prophets and most easie to vnderstand And this cutteth off all Iudaisme which the Rabbins haue to this houre who from Ezekiel 40. looke still for a returne to Canaan But against that S. Peter told them that euery Prophecie of Scripture is not to bee expounded properlie And the twelue gates were twelue pearles euery one seuerall gate was of a pearle The wordes of the holy Apostles open the way into the Citie and the spirit of God spake in them and no one could be aboue the other but euery one stood a foundation vpon the Rocke By them which haue written we know that the others had wordes also as pearles When the Pope buried the stile of the Apostles and brought in Romes tongue and neither that pure then the pearles lost their gaynesse And the street of the Citie was pure gold as cleere glasse The open lawes are agreeable to the soules frame in iudgment from God and rules of faith bee cleere Rome hath scant one rule of either But their lawes crosse commune reason and their speaches of faith be either false or litigious And a Temple I saw not in it for the Lord God of hostes is the Temple and the Lambe Earthly buildings profit not as all S. Stephens oration telleth and the faithlesse Iew Izhak Ben. Arama Port. 52. shewing how the Tabernacle thrise described and set vp did litle helpe they presently misbelieuing And Salomons Temple after his death was robbed by Shisak King of Egypt and rejected of the tenne Tribes And this as the Iew confesseth to shew that God rested in CHRIST a goodlier Temple the heauen and the earth whose teÌ„ple when it should be once pull'd downe he would raise it vp the third day Moyses Law ye shall stand in reuerence of my Tabernacle tooke effect for punishment in Ephraim for Elies sonnes defiling of women waiting there that God foresooke his Tabernacle in Shiloh and Ephraim fell in the day of battel 34000. 1. Sam. chap. 4. and Psal 78. Nabuchadnezar that destroyed the Temple was so many yeeres like a beast as the Temple was in building And his Babell for the holy Temple was destroyed The carnall Iewes vrged Moyses Law against Christ as to death That he said destroy this Temple and I will build it againe in three dayes He spake of his owne Temple For which the Law of Moses was made and the Tabernacle and the frame of the world and because they stood not in reuerence of his Temple hee destroyed them By the former Law as they martyred S. Stephen for saying Iesus of Nazareth would destroy the Temple And they meant as much for S. Paul for speaking teaching against the Temple and they thought he had brought Trophimus a grecian of Ephesus into the Temple and so polluted it But the true Temple they saw not till theirs was destroyed And here Iohn expoundeth Moses That God the Lord of hostes the Angels and goodly frame of the world That CHRIST in whom all fullnesse it selfe dwelleth is the Temple And they that crucifie a picture as his making him vile or worship a piece of bread as his body being a mockage to Angells and men shall finde no place in Ierusalem The Temple of the Lambe must be vsed as hee teacheth It sitteth in shining light in heauen and may not be made base in this darke ayer by our foolish inuentions his owne commanded works as Salomons Temple cannot conteine God 1. King 8. Act. 7. Esai 66. This one rule ouerthroweth all Talmudiques by the Prophets whose words they reuereÌ„ce A plaine conclusion from Esai 60. and 51. and Ezeck 47. of the Gentiles Ierusalem And the Citie shall haue no neede of the sun to giue light in it for the glory of God lightneth it and the Candle of it is the LAMBE Isai 60. Arise be lightned for thy light is come and the light of the ETERNAL riseth ouer thee Ephes. 4. He saith arise thou that sleepest and stand vp from the dead and Christ shall shine to thee Many Rabbines as S. Paul draw Esaies words to Christ and when Iohn wrote 144000. Iewes faithfull would so take it Isai 60. The Sun shal be no more thy light on the day and the brightnesse of the Moone shall not giue light vnto thee But the ETERNAL shal be thy continuall light and thy GOD shall bee thy honor Thy Sun shall no more sett and thy moone shall not be hid for the Eternall will be thy continuall light and the dayes of thy mourning shall be gone worldly ioy shall not bee thy