his possessions is sure and because these pillars be of fire he h Zach. 12.6 consumeth them as stubble that will offer to take any thing from vnder his feete Secondly he i cap. 10.3 cryed with a loud voyce as when a Lyon roareth that is indignation doth proclaime and decree seuere lawes to bring all both the people and the Popes into obedience and to keep them in subiection k Pro. 19 1â— 20.2 Hol. 11. 10. For the wrath of a King is as the roaring of a Lyon And in this phrase doth Fredericke the second expresse l Gebel aâ— 6â— cap. 64. his conceiued displeasure against the Pope that would not onely exempt himselfe from subiection to the Emperor but â—â—sult as Lord ouer the ciuill authoritie The opposition of Christ in his witnesses is as before to prophecie m cap. 11.4 in sackecloth like poore professors to accompanie the n cap. 14.1.3.4 Lambe on mount Sion following Iesus Christ in the true worship of God c. being bought from the earth not partaking with the ambitions of the beast c. Gregorius the fourth would not receiue o Plat. f. 127. the seate till he was confirmed by Ambassadors from the Emperor who in Christs stead had set his right foote on the sea and his left foote on the earth For the Emperor would not loose the right of the Empire This seemeth to prooue the graunt p Dist 63 Ego Ludouicus of Ludouicus to be a meete forgerie Now idolatry being established in Rome the q Wolph Saracens spoyled Asia Ierusalem Sicilia a great part of Italy euen the Churches of Peter and Paul and made r Epit. Blâ—â—d d. 2. l. 2. a stable of Saint Peters Church Å¿ Mass 15. Gebel â—t 6. c. 45. The Pope fortified the ruined city of Ostia against the Saracens and commaunded the name thereof to be Gregoriopolis but after the Popes death it lost this new name The Emperor Ludouicus held t Plat. f. 127. a Councell of many Bishops to the honor of God and profit of the Ecclesiasticall dignitie In which was decreed that neither the Bishop nor the Clergie of any degree should weare any precious and costly garments silkes scarlets or embroderies nor any golde or siluer on their girdles or slippers nor vse u Fox Marâ—y pag. 138. diceing nor keepe harlots nor great horses The Nobles especially the Bishops to reuenge themselues for the reformation which Ludouicus made by a * Peuce 4. pag. 99. Massae 15. p. 209. Councell had stirred vp the Emperor Ludouicus Pius his sonnes to depriue their father of his Empire c. Thus the beast blasphemeth the Prince whom the Scripture calleth God and that for his worship of God Anno 844. Swines snowte for a Carain f. 334. alij the deformitie of his name changed it to Sergius the second Hence the Popes began the custome to change their names As if he b Poly. Jri. 4. 7. be a malefactor he may call himselfe Bonifacius if a coward he may be called Leo for a carter Vrbanus for a cruell man Clemens This Pope was created c Gobel ae 6. cap. 45. p. 197. without the consent of the Emperor but the Emperor sending a mightie armie against Rome setting his fiery feete on the sea and land and roring as a Lyon compelled the Romanes to sweare alleagance vnto the Emperor And after vpon diuers conditions confirmed Pope Sergius In this Popes time the brother of this Pope vsurped Ecclesiasticall authoritie being a lay man Simonie was so common that euen Bishoprickes were solde to him that would giue most And because there was no Christian that would correct these euils God sent his whip the Paganes to reuenge the sinnes of the Christians The Saracens came and killed innumerable people and burned many cities A horrible d Fasc Temp. f. 66. a. plague is vpon Rome and all Italy For certaine perfidious Christians sent priuily and called in the Saracens Rome is taken and the Church of the Apostles is made a Swine flie Anno 847. Leo the fourth c Platina praying blasphemously through the merits of Peter and Paul fought in person against the Saracens and miraculously drowned them in the sea He decreed that a f 2 q. 5. Nullam Bishop should not be condemned vnder seauentie two witnesses He forbad g Geneb p. 776. the laytie to come into the quire while the Priest was at Masse In his time the Arabians raised three persecutions against the Christians in Spaine Theodora the Empresse of Constantinople commaunded images to be set vp againe The nauie of the Arabians ouercame the nauies of Venice and Constantinople inuaded Dalmatâ—a tooke the iland Lipara and doe much hurt to the Empire wasting the Cyclades c. Methodius gathering Churches among the Moraui Scla and Polonians inuented the Vandale letters and turned many holy writings into the vulgar tongue As yet the little booke is open After Leo h Mass 15. pag. 211. Plat. Sab. Fasc Temp. Volat Caranza Berg. Chro. Chro. c. succeeded Iohn the eight a woman Anno 854. who because she went alwayes in mans apparell and studied very diligently was thought a most learned man and held the seate almost two yeeres In the meane space she conceiued and was deliuered as she went in procession where she died Hereupon they say it was decreed that the Popes priuities should be handled Benedictus the third Anno 855. against i Geneb p. 781. Gobelinus him did sit Anastasius the third Nicholas k Platin. f. 136. the first was reuerenced as a God Anno 858. For now they that are called Christians doe to the Pope as * Strabo 7. p. 206. the barbarous Gothes did to their Priests who first were esteemed by them the Priests of that god whom they especially serued but after they got the reputation or appellation of gods This l Geneb p. 783. Pope is also called the Elias of the Popes he reigned ouer Princes as the Lord of the whole earth So now m Frising 6.3 the kingdome or Empire decreasing by much diuision the Church became of so great authoritie that it iudged euen Kings He openeth his mouth to blasphemie and absolueth n 15. q. 6. Authoritatem from their othes such as sweare by constraint and alloweth the Clergie with the spirituall and temporall sworde to recouer the Church goods by any meanes taken away He a D. 21. Nolite D. 28. Confulendum D. 96. fâ— script decreed that no lay man either Prince or people may iudge or lightly accuse a Bishop or Priest much lesse the Popes of Rome who are as gods in the world Hee b Caran f. 336 b. accurseth all that doe despise the commandements or interdictions of the Popes because their decrees as he exalteth himselfe are to be preferred before all writings whatsoeuer c 4. q. 2
cap. 18.1 Angel came downe from heauen hauing great power so that the earth was lightened with his glory that is the glorious Gospel which now was excluded by all men came by the mighty hand of God to be published and preached to the dispelling of the darkenes which Antichrist brought into the earth as if it had been brought from heauen by the ministery of a mighty Angel to enlighten men In the parable of this Angel by whom is signified the Lambe Iesus Christ who is preached to the world first is set downe the description of himselfe and his retinue and then his warres The parable is of a e cap. 19.11 horse and his rider as before in the sixth chapter The horse doth signifie the speedy posting abroade of the Gospel euen like lightning And this horse is white for the honour and good opinion and reputation the rider and those that followed him did get among persons of honour c. He that sate vpon this white horse was called and reputed faithfull and true euery way sincere Contrary to the dissimulation of Antichrist the Popes who were so vnfaithfull in their actions and so false in their words and writings that no man could safely trust what they said or did He is also said to iudge and fight righteously dealing vprightly with all men and iustly contending with his enemies by word and deede so that he decideth all questions truely and rightly and confuteth and impugneth his aduersaries according to the precise rule of equitie Contrary to the Popes who decide all doubts and fight all their battailes as may best serue their onely partialities and profites without respect to iustice and hereof are notoriously knowen to be guilty His ability to iudge righteously appeareth by this that a cap. 19.12 his eyes are as a flame of fire by his cleere and piercing insight truely discerning the very secrets of all things which he looketh vpon euen as they be Contrary to the Popes whose ignorance or malice maketh them vnable throughly to perceiue and see much lesse to foresee things as they be as appeareth by their continuall accusing of innocents and acquiting of vngodly persons And contrary to the popish Clergie who know nothing but what is reuealed to them by confession of such as neither will nor can tell all whereas b Heb. 4.12.13 all things are naked and manifest to him with whom we haue to doe to wit the word of God As an argument of the iustnes of his warres and iudgement he hath c cap. 19.12 many crownes on his head signifying the supreme authority of the Scriptures to bee such as that all Kings and Princes and people are in right subiects therevnto and so in this period shall acknowledge themselues to be so that when he fighteth it is to subdue his rebels Affronting the wicked Antichristian Popes who arrogantly weare a triple crowne vsurping authoritie and tyrannising ouer such as they haue no interest in but are and ought to be subiects of the word of God Of the name of this rider it is said he hath a name written which no man knew but himselfe to shew that when the Popes or others do arrogate to themselues alone the sense and vnderstanding of the Scriptures as if they were to iudge thereof alone d Specul Mino. tra 3. f. 135. b. pretending to haue all knowledge and law in the cabenet of their owne breasts they lie For the written Scriptures which are subiect to no Iudge cannot be vnderstoode but by the helpe of themselues speaking elsewhere more euidently that which seemeth darke in any place And hereof great persecution is to rise Furthermore he is said e cap. 19.13 to be clothed in a garment dipt in blood to signifie the great effusion of bloud by the martyrdome of such which should stand for the authority of the word of God against the beast Antichrist For from henceforth the great question is of the authoritie sufficiency and vnderstanding of the Scriptures about which are great contentions and persecutions His garment is also dipt in blood to teach that at last f Isai 63.1.2.3 he shall victoriously triumph ouer his enemies so as his garments shall be red with the blood of the slaine This wonderfull person in plaine tearmes is a cap. 19.13 the word of God which though lately buried by the traditions and ignorance and malice of men now commeth abroade againe The retinue of this great and most mighty Generall are said to be the b cap. 19.14 hostes that are in heauen that is such godly men as are come forth into Christian warfare and c Phil 3.20 haue their conuersation in heauen and therefore those of his side d cap. 17.14 are called chosen and faithfull professing the truth of the doctrine of vocation election and faith contrary to the vocation election and faith of those which followed Antichrist and therefore fought a good fight vnder persecutions These followed him keeping themselues in all doctrines to the steppes of the word of God speedily and honorably as vpon white horses e cap. 19.14 clothed in fine linnen white and pure hauing put on the righteousnes of Christ and f Dan. 12.10 being purified in the furnace of affliction Of the manner of this riders fighting it is said that his weapons are sure and his confidence full of all assurance Concerning his weapons it is said that g cap. 19.15 out of his mouth went a sharpe sworde so mighty and strong that with it he should smite the heathen signifying both the sharpe and feruent and mighty confutations of the wicked which should be taken from the word of God sufficient to conuince all the policy and superstition of the Gentiles the papists by a word of his mouth and also the hot warres which the preaching of the word should raise against Antichrist and the remnant c. His confidence in this warre is so great that he doth giue assurance to all that in the end He h Psal 2.9 shall rule the heathen with a rod of yron keeping them vnder by seuere and mortall lawes The reason of which assurance is that He it is that by the ordinance of almighty God treadeth the winepresse as a seuere executioner of the fiercenes and wrath of almighty God against all his enemies First in token of his confidence to triumph ouer all authority so that Kings and Lords c. shall be his subiects and seruants he i cap. 19.16 hath vpon his horsemans coate or garment a name written k cap. 17.14 The King of Kings and Lord of Lords Secondly to encourage his souldiers and terrifie his enemies he causeth it to be generally proclaimed or preached as if l cap. 14.8 18.2 there followed an Angel saying Babylon that great citie is fallen it is fallen to that basenes that whereas it was esteemed the seate and crowne of Kings and Princes now it should become the habitation
of diuels and holde of all foule spirits and a cage of euery vncleane and hatefull bird The reasons of this fearefull iudgement are first a cap. 18.3 because she made all nations to drinke of the wine of the wrath of her fornications by diuerse interdictions execrations exactions tumults treasons rebellions murthers massacres c bringing greiuous calamities vpon such as refused to bee subiect vnto the idolatrie superstitions and other filthie constitutions of that policicie or citie Secondly because the kings of the earth haue committed fornication with her giuing their power to be executioners of her fornication which is the cause why the holy people depart from the vngodly commaundements of them both Thirdly because the Marchants of the earth are waxed rich of the abundance of such things which were gained by the marchandise of the word of God and of the kingdome of heauen c. which were sold of her pleasures as pleased her to bestow them For now were sold both Sacraments and Church and heauen They doe also abound in pleasures Now because of this abundant riches and fatnes of the great and princely Marchants followeth as a third argument of this riders confidence namely a publike proclamation to all sorts of greedy people to take away the liuings of the popish Clergie be they great or small And to this purpose b cap. 19.17.18 Saint Iohn saith I saw an Angel stand in the sunne that is openly in all mens fight who cryed with a loud voyce by preaching and teaching and saying it is lawfull to all the fowles that did flie by the middest of heauen euen all couetous hungrie and needy persons which were in estimation with Princes c. to gather themselues together vnto the supper of the great God which he had prepared by the hands of the popish prouiders and builders who had cooked their liuings for gentlemens mouthes c. That they may eate the flesh euen the fatte liuings of such as were aduanced in the world as Kings and the flesh of high captaines namely the Cardinals and Abbots c. who now became Generalles of warres c. Contrarily on the other side the deputies of the Dragon the diuel namely c cap. 19.19 the beast the popish policy and the Kings the tenne principalities which inhabited the two third parts of the earth formerly subiect to the Romane Empire and their hast of iudges inquisitors secular arme of familiars executioners and souldiers c. gathered themselues together to make warre against the word of God which sate vpon the horse and against his armie all those faithfull people which did stand for the authority and sense of the Scriptures The successe of this bloudie fight is begun in this chapter but finished afterwards and is that the lambe and they that are on his side though first a cap. 13.10 ouercome yet by patience in the ende doe ouercome the Kings that warre against him For the beast b cap. 19.20 which consisted of the Romane policie the Hierarchie with the Princes their aides was taken so conuicted by the equitie of the cause of innocentes that they were able but onlie to answere like a rauenous beast viz to gnashe vpon the saintes c. With the beast is also taken the false Prophet which deceaued the world with lying reuelations to wit the Friers Monkes Popes which gloried in this kinde of vanitie and all their subtile and scholasticall sophistrie profited not but was sifted and confuted so effectually as that they were not able to make it appeare to be the truth yea that false Prophet is taken which wrought false miracles and lying signes before the beast the Princes whereby he deceiued them that receiued the beasts marke his superstition and armes and deceiued them that worshiped his Image esteeming the Hierarchie as a God All their iugling is knowne and detested The meanes by which the false Prophet is taken is the c cap. 20.1 restraining the diuell the lying spirit in the mouth of wicked prophets and by the setting vp of true iustice according to the word of God In the prophecie of the diuels captiuitie first the person is shewed by whose ministrie it is done who is said to be d cap. 18.1 and 20.1 The Angel that came downe from heauen hauing great power to declare the power of almightie God Secondly are shewed the instruments which he vsed in this waightie worke first The key of the bottomlesse pit namely the true and faithfull opening of the doctrine of hell and damnation as it is set downe in the word of God farre different if not contrarie to the doctrine of hell and purgatorie c. as it is deliuered by Antichrist Secondly he hath a great chaine in his hand that is * Psal 149.8.9 the doctrine of the iudgements of God as it is written different from that which Antichrist doeth teach of binding and loosing Now by these two meanes the Lord togither working mightily a cap. 20.2 he apprehended the Dragon that is manifestly prooued that the superstition of the Gentils brought into the Christian Church by the Popes was abhominable This Dragon was the olde serpent euen the same that by his subtiltie b Gen. 3.1 c. beguiled Eue and now againe by lying signes and reuelations and by sophisticall schoole-learning deceiueth the world Hee is the Diuell and not the spirit of God in the mouthes of popish Prophets and Sathan an aduersarie alwaies an enemie to the good of mankinde especially to the Saints in their prophecie now reuiuing the persecutions which their ancestors the Gentiles and Arians vsed against the truth This wicked spirit of the Antichristian prophets is bound by restraint by the power of God and c cap. 20.3 cast into the bottomlesse pit all men assuring themselues that the spirit of popish prophets is the diuell of hell who now is shut vp and sealed that he should deceiue the people no more but that al the sleights of Antichrist should bee as manifest as was the madnesse of d 2. Tim. 3.8.9 Iannes and Iambres The iudgement also vpon the beast and the false prophet which are the whole bodie of Antichrist is that e cap. 19.20 they both were cast aliue into the lake of fire burning with brimstone not onely knowne to belong to hell but in the meane time seeing plagues like vnto those of Sodome For the Princes henceforth doe beginne to f cap. 17.16 hate the whore for her inuentions wil-worships and idolatries c. and make her desolate forsaking her and naked taking from her her costly ornaments and eate her flesh by taking away her large reuenewes and burne her with fire like Sodom in the end of her iudgements The time of which destruction appeareth by the computation of the raigne of Antichrist namely 1260. yeres from the time of Pelagius the angel of the bottomlesse pit to bee neere the yeare of Christ 1820. As touching the restoring
Greeke is p 2. Thess 2. named Apollyon namely that Angel or false Prophets whom the Hebrewes and Greekes doe call the sonne of perdition that is Antichrist The ende of the fourth period and of the second battell on earth and of a cap. 9.12 the first Woe to the inhabitants thereof CHAP V. Of the corruption and delusion which Sathan wrought in others in the time of these two last battels IN the two last Chapters hath beene shewed howe the Dragon by his b cap. 7.1 Angels did staie the windes that they blew c Sozo 1. 2. 7. not on the third part of the d Theod. 2. 22 Christian or Romane word e Theod. 5. 6. For onely the East was pestered with the pestilence of the Arians Now are we to proceed to shew what became of the f cap. 9.20 remnant that is the other two thirds of the Empire For euen amongst them also was the g cap. 7.3 earth hurt after the seruants of God were sealed That which is here to be considered is the h cap. 13.11 storie of another beast or kingdome or principalitie which is said to arise out of the earth into which i cap 12.9 the Dragon was cast and where he deceiueth k cap. 20.3 the world In the storie hereof is set down the rising of the beast the opposition of the Saints and the successe This beast though in many things it bee like the other beast yet in some doth it differ from that which presented the Romane Empire corrupted with heresie First whereas that beast arose l cap. 13.1.11 out of the water to wit from amongst many nations this other ariseth out of the earth Now they are said to bee of the earth which are so m earthie as earthly is opposed to heauenly So that this beast ariseth out of earthly aduancements c. For the West by the protection of Constantine was freed from the persecution of Licinius and also honoured by him For first hee n Ruff. 1. 2. refused to cenâ—ure them esteeming them as gods And o Geneb p. â—5 after enriched the Church with siluer and gold departed to Constantinople and as some say gaue the citie of Rome c. and princely ornaments to Pope Siluester and his successors Which amongst other testimonies Genebrard doeth prooue by two Rabbines The p Jdem p. 555. first Abraham Leuita thus He vz. Constantine weÌ„t out of Rome gaue it to the Iduâ—â—ean Priests meaning the Popes The other is Aben Ezra who testifieth thus Hee vz. Constantine beautified Rome which was the place of his seate and left it to that iniquitie which now is called Peter It seemeth somewhat was done this way but nothing so much as is pretended For besides that Valla a a Valla contra den Const man of singular knowledge writeth against that treatise which beareth the name of The Donation of Constantine Volateran the b Volat. 23. f. 270. keeper of the Vatican librarie and so best acquainted with the antiquities of the citie of Rome doth denie any such donation to be made by Constantine shewing that it is to be found in no old author but only in the Decrees that not in their ancient copies Crantzius c Crantz Met. l. 11. c. 24. p 772 saith the Pope was great not by the forged donation of Constantine which neuer was made but by the bountie of other Princes But such as it was the humanitie of d Eus vit Con. 4. 5â— Constantine was abused by the vnsatiable couetousnes and vnspeakable dissimulation of such as pretended themselues to bee Christians e Polychr 4.26 f. 171. From that time forward because of the great riches that the Church of Rome had it was made the more secular and had more secular businesse than spirituall deuotion and more pompe and boast outward than holines within as it is supposed It is written that when Constantine had made this gift to the Church the olde enemie cried openly in the aire This day is venome powred into the holy Church Therefore Ierome in vitis Patrum saith since the holie Church increased in possessions it is decreased in vertues And so the beast riseth out of the earth He is also said to rise out of the earth for his vnsensible manner of growing For the things which grow out of the earth are well discerned to haue growen but the manner how no man seeth And this is it that the scripture calleth priuily f 2. Pet. 2.1 bringing of damnable heresies contrarie to the declaring of the Gospel which is seene vpon an instant not onely like a swift horseman but like g Math. 24.27 lightning c. Secondly hee differeth from the other monster by his hornes which are not ten but h cap. 13.1.11 cap. 5.6 two and those like the Lamb which had eies arrogating to himselfe to be like vnto Christ representing i N.D. Warne-word En. 1. c. 2. 11. 6. 7. 8. his power and wisdome vpon earth as his Vicar or Viceroy So that in matters of iurisdiction and spiritual authoritie for gouernment of his Church vpon earth hee presumeth that Christ hath left so great power vnto his substitutes Peters successor the Pope of Rome as he may doe thereby and in his name and vertue in a certaine sort whatsoeuer his master and Lord might doe in his Church if hee were now conuersant amongst vs vpon earth Thirdly hee differeth in voice a cap. 13.11 For he speaketh like the Dragon whereas the other did roare but as a Beare or Pantheresse or Lyon He is said to speake like the Dragon for his terror For it is reported that about the b Gesu lib. 5. tower of Babel there dwell great Dragons whose voice and yelling doeth terrifie men And when Alexander went into India a Dragon with his terrible noise and hissing did terrifie his whole armie By this is meant that the Church of Rome or the Pope should from henceforth labour to rule by c 2. Tim. 3.2 cursed speaking and execrations as also by as bloodie and cruell lawes and interdictions as euer the heathen persecutors did tyrannize with For in Nero the d Aug. de Ciu. Dei 20. 19. facts of Antichrist were seene So that by those courses he should not onely fright other men but also be terrible to Monarchs and their valiant armies He is also said to speake like the Dragon because by the spirit of error he e 1. Tim. 4.1.3 bringeth in doctrines of diuels forbidding to marrie and commanding to abstaine from meates c. and diuers superstitions telling men that they f Gen. 3.4 shall not die if they transgresse Gods commandements and haue his pardon That for their skinne g Iob. 2.4 men will blaspheme God h Mat. 4.9 Offering to giue preferments to such as will fall downe and worship him beeing a i 1. Kin. 22.22 lying spirit in the mouthes of the
in by the former incursions doe beginne e cap. 17.12 tenne states as Kings or kingdomes vz. f Sabellicus 1. The common wealth at Venice 2. The kingdome of the Hunnes in Hungarie 3. The kingdome of the English men in England 4. The kingdome of the Gothes in Spaine 5. The kingdome of the French in France 6. The kingdome of the Gothes in Italie 7. g Geneb Melanct. c. The Vandals in Boemia 8. The Sueni Almanni in Germani 9. The Exarchi of Rauenna 10. The kingdome of the Lombards in Italie all which were either heathen or Arians These tenne h cap. 17.12 principalities which in S. Iohns time had not receiued the kingdome i Dan. 7.8 did receiue power as kings at an houre with the beast the Pope Amongst whom the Popes came vp another little horne or kingdome at this time k Lactan. l. 7. For LactaÌ„tius and Hierome vpon Daniel doe say that all writers affirme this Valla in Aug. de ciu Dei lib. 20. cap. 19. p. 691. that about the ende of the world shall be tenne kings which shall deuide amongst them the Romane world and among them Antichrist shall be added the eleuenth as witnesseth Valla. CHAP VI. The fift Period Of the recured beast the true Antichrist which presenteth himselfe in the beast which commeth out of the bottomlesse pit of the respect and dependance which he got and of the worship of the Dragon c. THe Empire beyond all hope was l cap. 13.3 wonderfully cured of the wound it receiued by the sword of the barbarous nations that made inundation thereinto as a floud And the Church which before had a cap. 12.1 shined as the Sunne escaped by flight b cap. 12.16 and was holpen by the earth Then was the c cap. 12.17 Dragon wroth with the woman and went and made warre with the remnant of her seede first and after with the holy citie Wee are in the first battell to consider the enemies their seuerall manner of fight the continuance and the successe The d cap. 12.17 enemies are the Dragon and the seed of the womaÌ„ The Dragon beeing now vpon the earth euen vpon the e cap. 12.18 sea sand which is f Ier. 5.22 the bounder and keeper in of the sea namely commanding and disposing of the Princes that gouerne and restraine the g cap. 17.16 people and nations c. doth warre by his deputie The beast which was wounded by the sword and did liue by meanes of Popes who are that beast which had two hornes like the Lambe The recured beast is the politicke gouernour of the publike face of the Christian world This externall face is compared to the courts which is h cap. 11.2 without the Temple whither the Kings the Priests the whole multitude and people of all sortes resorted in the time of the Law This multitude is now left to be gouerned by him which is commonly called Antichrist who was to be reuealed vnto the world presently vpon the taking away of the Empire out of the West which did withhold the Gospel in the times of the Apostles As the Apostle saith He i 2. Thess 2.7.8 which now withholdeth the Gospel shall let the disclosing of Antichrist till heâ— be taken out of the way And then shall the wicked man be reuealed c. k Chrys in 2. Thess 2. Hom. 4 Nic. Orem ex Hierom. q. vlt. ad inquisi Januarii apud Foxum Martyr p. 412. For when as the Romane or West Empire shal bee taken away then shall Antichrist come And not without cause for while the feare of the Empire shall be none shall presently be subiect to Antichrist But when the Empire shal be destroyed he shall inuade the principalities of the Empire beeing void and shall indeauour to take vnto himselfe by force the Empire both of God and man This recured beast which is called Antichrist is described to be A woman sitting on a scarlet coloured beast l cap. 17.3 The woman m Ca. 17.18 Lactant Justit 7.15 is Rome that great citie which in S. Iohns time had dominion ouer the Kings of the earth vpon which n cap. 17.13 also the kingdomes which did afterwards arise did depend Shee is described by her place apparell profession name Her place is said to bee The a cap. 17.3 wildernesse in the spirit that is in matters concerning the spirit a forlorne and desolate place a wildernesse spiritually so called in which all things are b Auenar dict hebr in Midâ—bar Shememah so confounded that a man cannot looke vpon it without sighing for griefe A place of c Isay 13.20 Psal 44.19 Dragons and Ostriges and wilde people c. Howsoeuer vngodly and ignorant men commend her for holinesse and ciuilitie So barbarous in the times following did that citie or policie prooue The place is also called a wildernes for d cap 18.8.21 c. the desolation which the citie is to come vnto in the ende As touching her apparel it is said to be much vnlike the true Church which was cloathed in heauenly apparel This woman was e cap. 17.4 arraied in purple and scarlet the f Poly. Jau 5. 3 colours of the robes by which the Emperours were knowne and with g Dan 5.7 which Princes did vse to honour them whom they would aduaÌ„ce which was ofteÌ„ also put for the h Martial Magistracie the Magistrates The signification is that that citie should by honors giueÌ„ vnto it by Princes rise vnto no lesse than imperiall soueraigntie in the time of Antichrist As also teaching that riches externall glorie princely immunitie authority should be the onely thing that shee principally laboureth for For i Hist an t ex Egn. p. 426. the Bishops of Rome were from this time of an ambition more thaÌ„ immoderate and so are men of corrupt mindes destitute of the truth which thinke k 1. Tim. 6.5 c. that gaine is godlinesse And so much vnlike the true Church that trode the moone vnder foote because shee knoweth that Godlinesse is great gaine c. Shee is further said to be gilded with gold and pretious stones and pearles trimming her selfe as a bride or rather a curtezan for the greatest Prince Her profession is l cap. 17.1.4.5 whordome in the sense of both the tables spirituall for idolatrie and m Psal 106.29 inuentions of men and carnall for adulteries which grewe to bee very common when men and women were seduced to lead a single life wherefore this woman is called n cap. 17.1 The great whore euen spiritually o cap. 11.8 Sodome For the more easie inticing of Kings and Princes of the earth to commit fornication with her shee p cap. 17.4 had a cup of gold in her hand a fit vessel for Princes to drinke in This cup is said to be full of abominations and filthinesse
of her fornications like such harlots as make amatorie potions of their filthinesse causing Princes and people to receiue at her hands most filthy idolatrie euen to worship the Dragon the diuell in idols which are masked vnder the names of Saints and other beastly life contrarie to the q Can. 8.2 Prou. 9.5 Church of Christ which giueth spiced wine and new wine of Pomegranets Shee is also said to haue a cuppe in her hand full of abhominations because shee Å¿ cap. 14.8 cap. 18.3 made all nations to drinke of the wine of the wrath of her fornications contrarie to God who t Psal 75.8 causeth all the wicked of the earth to wring out and drinke the dregges of his cup of wrath So a cap. 18.23 that with her inchantments were deceiued all nations That the things here spoken are vnderstood of b Fulkes sermon at Hampton Court Rome Tertullian Hierome Ambrose Primasius are witnesses yea Genebrard c Geneb Câ—â— p. 593. speaking of the dilaceration and wounding of the Empire and of the sacking and burning of Rome by the Gothes c. which was when Rome was Christian saith so was fulfilled that in 17. Apocalyps v. 16. And the tenne hornes are tenne Kings they shall hate the where c. Confessing Christianed Rome to be the where truely though he missed in the application of the place to that time As concerning her name it is said that it was written in her d cap. 17.5 forehead that is openly that euery man may read it Her first name is A mysterie which word Mysterious is written in the fore part of the Popes Miter or Crowne to signifie that Poperie was like the learning of the e Euseb Gnostocks some great mysterie for spirituall signification as if the Regna mundi kingdomes of the world were set vpon his holy head Her second name is f cap. 47.5 Great Babylon which is a name very properly giuen beeing g Otho Frîsm l. 6. c. 22. Rhemenses in 1. Pet. 4. Babylon Lactâ—â— so like for the beginning and progresse as might bee to Babylon For not onely after Ramulus hither vnder ciuill Princes but also from hence vnder the Popes for magnificence Monarchie amplitude of dominions c. Rome may iustly be compared to Babylon But this Ecclesiastical Monarchie beginning here is compared to Babel in her first building For as at the beginning when Babel was built the Lord confounded the h Gen. 11.7 language of the builders that euery one perceiued not anothers languages so was this policie of Romes greatnesse built vp in the time of Antichrist by people of diuers languages whereof the one vnderstood not the other namely the people vnder the tenne kingdomes which did arise vpon the inundation of these strangers Yea Rome vnderstood not the language of her own religion For they i Sabel En. 8. lib. 5. left off to speake latine at Rome vpon the comming of the Lombards And the Greeke and the Hebrew grew cleane out of knowledge in a small time and k Caesar bel Gal. lib. 6. like the Druides they would not suffer their religion to be knowne to the vulgar people And herein shee is contrarie to the Christian Church which was built vp by the a Act. 2. gift of toÌ„gues whereby the Teachers speake vnto euery one in his own language Againe it is called Babylon by comparison of the crueltie which the Babylonians vsed in captiuing the Christians b Deut. 28.49 speaking to them and c Isa 28.11 teaching them in a strange language as they did the Iewes Therefore it is also called d cap. 11.8 Egypt Thirdly shee is called That mother by excellencie the mother of all other Churches like vnto the Cataphrygians arrogating to herselfe to be the onely conceiuer and bringer forth of the children of the Church This is a name in which the Church of Rome doth glorie in wherefore they that follow the Church do call her e Sab. En. 8.6 in Bonifa 3. c. Decr. tit 3. c. 23. the mother and queene and mistresse The f Volat. l. 22. f. 255. a. Bishop of Rome was wont to write himselfe the Bishop of the Church of Rome much better than now as Volateran thinketh when he writeth himselfe The Bishop of the Catholike Church For if the Romane be the Catholike they then seeme to take the honour from that famous city But whatsoeuer she thinketh of herselfe Saint Iohn saith g cap. 17.5 that she is the mother of the whoredomes and abhominations of the earth Which Saint Paul expresseth by the name of h 2. Thes 2.3 the man of sinne For all the heads of the gouernment of Rome were blasphemous none truely religious howsoeuer now and then very rarely some godly man was in authoritie And in the time of Saint Iohn i See Ruff. Soc. Euseb c. all the abhomination and idolatry which was enforced vpon the Christians came from Rome So also from this time forth Rome standeth cheefely vpon this point that all nations must receiue the ordinances of the Church as shee hath conceiued them Which yet for the most part are whoredomes for superstition idolatrie and abhominable treasons murthers adulteries c. which she hath conceiued of heretikes tyrants and other vngodly persons Insomuch that there is nothing so abhominable in all the earth formerly condemned in auncient heretikes but she is willing to conceiue it and bring it forth if it may any wise helpe to further her greatnes So that Rome is henceforth an Epitome of all abhominable heresies The beast that she sitteth vpon and doth beare her vp in this wonderfull pride is described by his originall name and forme As concerning the place of his originall he is said to a cap. 11.7 cap. 17.8 ascend out of the bottomlesse pit that is to arise to the greatnes of Babylon by the opinion which the world had of him that as he boasted so he had great authoritie in the bottomlesse pit and power like the b Liui. dec 1. lib. 1. pontifex Maximus of Numa his inuenting to pacifie the spirits in the behalfe of those which were dead For whereas Pelagius the Pope had brought into the Masse prayer for the dead out of the corruptions of some former ages especially seeing the world to stand so much affected with the Monkes of c See Gregor Draba l. 2. c. Benedicts institution tha tooke much vpon them as though they were able to profit the dead this kinde of doctrine of the power that priests had to doe the dead much good was brought into the Church and taught very diligently and enforced by the lying signes of the apparition of soules that were departed and diuers pretended reuelations which the dead comming from the bottomlesse pit should shew vnto the liuing c. whereupon the ignorant and foolish world was led captiue to this beast to make it great by the subiection
who k Trith Hirs p. 108. fighteth with Hermanus whom the rebels had set vp by the Popes commaundement where very much blood was shed and the Emperour continueth his opposition against the Pope by his Antipope Basilius a Monke l Geneb p. 889. reneweth the doctrine of Berengarius m Platina This Pope was poysoned by his Deacon in his chalice and dyed of a flixe Vrbanus n Geneb p. 891. the second in a Councell at Rome Anno 1088. altogether tooke the inuestitute of Churches from the Layitie and o Trith Hirs p. 119. denounced the Emperour an heretike Simoniake Nicholaitane disobedient and rebellious to his holy mother the Church by p 118. his letters perswaded Conradus the Emperors sonne to rebell against his Father and to take vnto himselfe the Empire Wherefore the Pope consecrated him as King and caused him to raigne in Italie and Lombardie against his Father In q Frising 7.2 Vrsp p. 229. Luk. 21.10.11 Matth. 24.7 those dayes according to the prophecie in the gospell euery where Nation did rise against nation and kingdome against kingdome There were great earthquakes in diuers places and famine and pestilence and fearefull things and great signes in heauen c. While these fearefull and prodigious signes appeared Alexius the Emperor of Constantinople by his letters importuned the Pope for aide against the Saracens There r Trith Hirs p. 120. was also one Petrus Eremita who moued in a manner all the world carrying with him a little paper which he said fell from heauen in which was contained that all Christendome should goe to Ierusalem and possesse it with the confines thereof for euer Å¿ Abb. Vrsp p. 230. The Pope calleth a Councell and most eloquently perswadeth the people of many nations and tongues blasphemously promising forgiuenesse of sinnes to all that would leaue all and goe into the holy land against the Saracens and decreed that euery one that went should receiue a character of the crosse and weare it vpon his hat or garment By the meanes of the Pope and the Eremite an incredible armie of all sortes of people and languages were assembled t Frisin Chr. 7.6 Vrs p. 231. The Pope taketh no small troupes of this expedition into Italy with him where by their helpe and by bribes he expelled the Antipope u Trith Hirs p. 120. The rest vnder the leading of Godfredus c. went through Panonia A * Vrsp p. 231. huge multitude and these Babel-like whereof one vnderstoode not anothers speech among whom were many women virgins and Nunnes in mans apparel and armor with whom the men priests and Monkes committed filthie fornication so prouoking the wrath of the iust iudge Iesus Christ that a great part of them were slaine in Panonia notwithstanding the Popes pardons a Geneb p. 892. This Pope cursed the King of Galicia and in France excommunicated such which were preferred to Ecclesiasticall dignities by lay men This Peter the Eremite a false prophet first taught b Pag. 885. the manner to pray with beades For now c Poly. Jn. 5. 7. men began to count and reckon their prayers as if God were in our debt for often begging of him At this time d Volat. 21. p. 244. â— began the Knights of the number or order of Saint Iohn of Ierusalem who repeated by the helpe of their beades the Lords prayer a certaine number of times for their canonicall houres They grew to be of most filthy and prodigious conuersation Paschalis the second e Trith p. 128. couragiously deliuered the Church of Rome from supposed tyrannie To finish f Mass 16. p. 226. this schisme Anno 1100. as a martiall and legionarie King he brought forth an army against Guibertus the antipope a decrepit man who not long after died of a feuer when he had in opposition suruiued three Popes and g Vrsp p. 237. is reported to haue been a man wise eloquent noble and a very reuerend personage h Trith Hirs p. 128. And because his fauorites did testifie that certaine diuine lights were seene at his graue the Pope like a beast that suffereth them not to be put in graues whom he hath slaine commaunded him to be digged vp and cast into Tybur After i Geneb 904. his death was elected another Antipope c. whom k Vrsp p. 241. the Emperor thought in his intended voyage to Rome to place But Paschalis in a great Synod at Rome condemned as heretikes the present disturbers of the Pope and such as despised his curse The Clergie promiseth obedience to the Pope and his successors and to affirme or deny that which the vniuersall Church meaning the Pope doth affirme or deny And the Emperor is deliuered vp to a perpetuall curse The l Fris 7. 8. Emperor appointeth his sonne Henry his successor who was consecrated by the Pope in Rome He also inuaded Saxony that held with the Pope against him But in m Trith p. 131. this expedition his sonne stole out of his campe was absolued by the Popes Legate and by the counsell of certaine Princes and all the Bishops and Abbots of Saxony began to dispose of the Empire and rebelleth against his father In a n Crant M. 5. 36. 31. 33. Synode vnder a pretence of religion condemneth his fathers doings and so pursueth his father o Frism 7.9 When the armies were in the field there was amongst many great lamentation for the vnnaturall warres Now was fulfilled that of Saint Paul p 2. Tim. 2.3 In the last dayes shall be perrilous times For men seeking their owne and not that which is Christs shall be louers of themselues c. disobedient to parents without naturall affection c. Others tooke the crosse left the field and went to Ierusalem At this time were horrible signes earthquakes and mortalities q Vrsp p. 246. 247. Geneb p. 898. At Mogunce the Emperor and his sonne deliberate of peace where the Popes Legate reuiued the denunciation of the Popes excommunication against the Emperor r Gobel ae 6. 55. p 218. and the Emperor while he suspected nothing was imprisoned by his sonne The Bishops of Mogunce Colen and Wormacia for the image of the beast haue life put into them by the Pope take from the Emperor his ornaments and gaue them to his sonne The Å¿ Trith p. 135. 136. Emperor in vaine offered all subiection but was referred ouer to the Pope and t Frisin 7.12 in vaine bemoned himselfe to Princes but in this disgrace did finish his dayes being a mercifull Prince and giuing much almes Against whom nothing is truely obiected but his standing for the right of the Empire and mariage of the Clergie other things seeme to be blasphemies u Trith Hirs p. 143. Sigebertus a Monke wrote vnto him against those that reproched the masses of married priests * Trith p. 136. Frisin 7.11 See Frism Chr. 7.
amongst the Popes there beeing sometimes three at once and euery one raging against the other with cursings c. to the great griefe perplexitie and destruction of Christian men a See Fox Martyr It was also a time of great persecution of the Gospel whose professors were many learned godly and constant b Peuc 5. f. 155. c. In the yeare 1400. was proclaimed a Iubile to bee held at Rome Against which Hus did teach that the true Iubile was in preaching of Iesus Christ that the Pope and Cardinals bee not the Church the institution of Christ is to bee kept there ought not to bee any worshipping of Saints the Popes decrees are not to be admitted c. At this time was an extreame famine in Italie c Epit. Blond And thus the first resurrection appeareth CHAP XI The warres begunne at the first resurrection are continued c. And the resurrection is more manifest NOw is come that blessed time which the Prophet d Dan. 12.12 Daniel spoke of namely 1335. daies that is yeres after the destruction of Ierusalem which was in the yeare of Christ 74. At which time is a more cleare demonstration of the first resurrection For here also doe ende those e cap. 12.6 1260. daies that is yeares to be reckoned from the tenth yeare of Antonius Pius which was in the yeare of Christ 149. when the woman the Church fled into the wildernesse after shee had brought forth many contagious professors as a man childe During which time shee remained confusedly amongst the wicked as in a wildernesse full of Dragons and Ostriches But now f Dan. 12.2 many that were as sleeping and dead in the dust doe rise vp to euerlasting life and their cause doth come abroad by the reuiuing of the Gospel Here therefore is continued the first resurrection and the warre betweene the word of God and the hostes in heauen that followed him against the beast and the kings of the earth And here is that blessed time in which the witnesses doe separate themselues from the kingdome of Antichrist The meanes by which they separate themselues from Antichrist the beast is said to be that those of the spirit of Saint Iohn g cap. 18 4. heard a voyce from heauen to wit from the Church of God in the persons of his witnesses who had learned the doctrine of saluation of the God of heauen out of his word and also had spread it abroade in the world The doctrine is a commaundement from God the same which was giuen to the a Isai 48.20 Ier. 51.6 Zach. 2.6 Isralites that were in the captiuitie of Babylon Goe b cap. 18.4 out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sinnes and that ye receiue not of her plagues For now the people of God doe see that she that tooke vpon her to forgiue others their sinnes is not able herselfe to escape the damnation of hel nor those other plagues which euery man foresaw would light vpon her for her owne sinnes The cause why men should flie from her is for c cap. 18.5 that the heapes of her sinnes doe reach vp to heauen being infinit and prodigious euen fighting against the God of heauen and ascending like the sins of Sodom and Egypt As also because that God hath remembred her iniquities to take vengeance of them as he did of Sodom and Egypt For these two witnesses are Gods d Gen. 18.21 19.5 Exod. 2.7 messengers to make experience whether the sins of Antichrist be as it is reported and henceforth principally detect her sinnes and reproue them The plagues are first proclaimed and then required to be executed And this Proclamation is made as by the third e cap. 14.9 c. Angel which followed them that before first reuiued the preaching of the eternall Gospel and threatned the fall of Babylon He mightily bringeth in the doctrine of vengeance to be inflicted vpon Antichrist as if he said with a loud voyce If any man worship the beast of hereticall monarches and his image the papacie and receiue his marke in his forehead or in his hand following those superstitions henceforth the same shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God yea of the pure wine which is powred into the cup of his wrath and he shall be tormented in fire and brimstone before the holy Angels and before the Lambe And the smoke of their torment shall ascend euermore and they shall haue no rest night or day that worship the beast and his image and whosoeuer receiueth the print of his name Here f 12. cap. 13.10 are the fruites of the patients of the Saints and here ar they that keepe the commaundements of God and the faith of Iesus the executioners of the fiercenes of the wrath of almighty God That which is required to be executed is that the Saints who hitherto haue been persecuted should take the sworde in hand and â—ap 18.6 reward her to wit popish Babylon as she hath rewarded them and giue her double according to her workes in the cup that she hath filled fill her the double For now beginneth the execution of that which is promised a cap. 13.10 If any leade into captiuitie he shall goe into captiuitie If any man kill with the sword he must be killed by a sword She must also be tormented for her pleasures and pride b cap. 18.7 For she saith in her heart I sit being a Queene of all other Churches and shall see no mourning the ship of Peter in which I sit may be tossed but it shall not sinke As these things are threatned so c 8. shall in due time her plagues come in one day together death sorrow and famine and she shall be burnt with fire for that God which condemneth her is a strong God During the time of which executions if any died in the cause against Antichrist they are Martyrs as it is said of all men in the Church of God d cap. 14.13 Then I heard a voyce from heauen saying vnto me write the dead that die in the Lord are henceforth fully blessed euen so saith the spirit whose testimonie is true and no lie for they rest from their labours neuer feeling the terror of the second death or purgatory by the execration of Antichrist And their workes follow them to receiue a crowne at the throne of God This testimonie beeing thus finished and continually preached by the two witnesses and of many beleeued c cap. 11.7 The beast that commeth out of the bottomlesse pit maketh warre against them and ouercommeth them for a while The beast that commeth out of the bottomlesse pit is as hath been shewed before the politike body of poperie consisting of the Pope and his Clergie assisted with those tenne kingdomes and principalities which did arise after the wounding of the Empire to death All which grew to be an vnited body by the doctrine of
purgatory and deliuering of the dead from paine which doctrine the Popes inuented This beast doth warre vpon the Martyres of Christ not onely as barbarously as wilde beasts doe rampe vpon men but also as wickedly as if the diuell himselfe came from the bottomlesse pit in his owne person to deuoure the godly The successe of this warre is doubtfull For first f 7. the beast doth ouercome the witnesses and after that it selfe is first to be frighted of which is spoken in this chapter and then to be vexed captiued and killed of which the text hath been partly interpreted in the former chapter in the general view of this period the rest will be seene in the next chapter to wit how he is vexed The victory of the beast appeareth both by the death of these two witnesses whom the beast doth kill and also by his triumphing ouer them Concerning their death the beast will haue it so that a cap. 11.8 their corpes shall be killed in the streetes or open places of the great citie of their Antichristian policie For as at this time so from hence they burne the Martyres in their greatest and most famous cities But the citie where this cruelty is committed is not a place where any good people be that may lament the persecutions of the Saints b Theod. 4. 22. as when the Arians persecuted the Catholikes But this city is it which spiritually in a figuratiue speech borrowed from the most abhominable cities and places mentioned in the Scriptures is called Sodom because the two witnesses are assaulted for the pollution of their spirits as the Sodomits did striue to pollute mens bodies and because reprouing the filthines of the Antichristian citizens they found no more fauour then c Gen. 19.9 Lot did in Sodom It is also called Egypt for their d Ezech. 16.26 vnspeakeable idolatry and for the spirituall seruitude that all men were in to the papacy worse then the Egyptians or Isralites were to Pharaoah but especially because the Popes had commaunded the Bishops and inquisitors to kill all godly preachers and hearers and by name the two witnesses as e Exod. 1.16 Pharaoh commaunded the Midwiues to kill the male children of the Iewes It is also called Egypt because the message of Iesus Christ in the mouthes of the two witnesses was there despised as f Exod. 5.2 Moses and Aron were dispised by Pharaoh when they made mention of the Lord c. Moreouer the place is said to be where our Lord also was crucified to signifie that the same policy that crucified Christ did also kill his Martyrs and by name these two witnesses Thus distinguishing this beast from the Turkes and shewing that howsoeuer the popish religion in name is distinguished from the Romane heathen crueltie yet in deede spiritually it is the same without material difference The manner of their killing farre exceedeth the manner of their ancestors the Arians whose image they be For the g Soc. 2. 23. Theod. 2. 14. Arians did hide the bodies of them whom they had killed but here they of the people and kindreds a cap. 11.9 and tongues and gentiles doe see or gaze vpon their corpes the better to satisfie their cruell eyes Not for an houre but for three dayes and a halfe that is three yeares and a halfe their barbarous bloody eyes were vnsatiable Yet like Arians or rather like the Gentiles whose image they be b Theod. 2. 14. Eus 5. 1. â— p. 62. they shall not suffer their carcasses to be put in Momments Afterwards in triumph the inhabitants of the earth euen the people of all the christian earth whose gouernors more regarded the possession of the earth then the getting of heauen c cap. 11.10 reioyce ouer them whom they haue slaine as their fathers d Theod. 4. 22. the Arians did ouer the Catholikes and they be glad and send gifts one to another in token of happie victory For these two prophets after the example of Moses and Elias and the rest of the prophets by the word of the Lord e 1. King 8.17 vexed them that dwell vpon the earth by reprouing their carnall religion earthly policies and worldly sinfull liues And thus farre the beast getteth the vpper hand Howbeit the cause of the Gospel maintained by these witnesses is reuiued For notwithstanding this triumph f cap. 11.11 after three dayes and a halfe that is three yeeres and a halfe the spirit of life comming from God shall enter into them which were killed and they by the meanes of them whom God shall raise vp to defend their cause shall as it were stand vp vpon their feete The effect which followeth when their cause is againe set on foote is that great feare shall come vpon them which being their enemies did see or gaze vpon their corpes First they feare because their cause on the contrary part was so much affected by their friends and so earnestly pursued to their holy praise and eternall commendations that whereas the beast had accursed them as diuels to the bottomlesse pit they are as truly honored for Martyres as if g cap. 11.12 they heard a great voyce from heauen euen from all godly men saying vnto them come vp hither and receiue the crowne prouided for holy Martyres And hereupon they being the true members and Martyrs of Iesus Christ who after his sufferings and death did ascend vp to heauen in a cloud are acknowledged through him in soule to ascend vp to him as truely as if they had ascended in a cloud And whereas Christ a Act. 1.9 did ascend in the presence of his Apostles and friends these doe ascend that euen their very enemies do see them accompted to be gone to heauen The second cause of their feare is by reason that b cap. 11.13 at the same houre or instant when this due regard is giuen to these two witnesses which were thus wickedly murthered there was a great earthquake and emotion in the hearts and hands of many mooued by the indignitie of their death And this earthquake and emotion bred this effect that both one tenth part or kingdome of the great citie of popish policie fell from them and also that in those troubles called by the name of an earthquake are slaine to the number of 7000 that is very many But are therefore called 7000. because the beast doth blaspheme them that brought these troubles vpon him accompting those Papists and Priests which worshipped the beast and were slaine in the emotion as the 7000. which bowed not the knee to Baall and were persecuted by Ahab Another effect of the reuiuing of their cause is that c cap. 11.13 the remnant the other nine kingdoms of the polititians which held with the beast are also sore feared euen as the wicked that fled when none followed and as the souldiers of the Arian d Soc. 5. 14. Maximus fled for feare vpon the rumour
supper of the Lord vnder one or both kindes Podiebrachius who was next vnto the King was moued by a parasite why he liked not their religion of popery required by the example and authoritie of so many and great Princes rather then the Hussites He answered we doe those sacrifices which we beleeue are pleasing to God neither is it in our owne choyce to beleeue what we list The minde is ouercome with great reasons c. I am perswaded of my ministers religion If I follow thy religion I may perchance deceiue men contrary to my soule I cannot deceiue God which looketh into the hearts of men c. p Bucholcer Par. Vrsp 406. Calistus the third in his second yeere Mahomet with a 150,000 beseeged Belgrade Capistranus a Minorite Frier stoode to encourage the Souldiers But he vsed not any superstitions For crying out he said Iesus looke on vs be present with thy people that suffereth for thee where are thy mercies of old Come and defend thy people least they say among the Gentiles where is now their God c. The Christians got a rich and noble victory In memory whereof the Pope according to his wonted superstition foolishly instituted the feast of the transfiguration of Christ Hunniades who had been a noble victor ouer the Turkes after this his last battaile fell sicke but hee would not haue the Sacrament brought to him as the superstitious manner was but commaunded himselfe to be carried to the Church where after the confession of his sinnes he receiued the Eucharist c. Thus much of the two witnesses and the things which fell out vpon their death and resurrection Thus the remnant giueth to glory to God And now the q cap. 11.14 second woe to the inhabitants of the earth by the Turkes c. seemeth to be past But the third woe will come anon CHAP. XII Of the third a cap. 11.14 woe to the inhabitants of the earth by Kings conuerted to Christ WE are now come to speake of the third woe which shal be inflicted vpon the inhabitants of the earth namely such which doe rather desire to possesse the earth then to inherit heauen And this containeth the abolishing of the kingdome of Antichrist and the victorious reigne and triumph of the word of God That which is spoken hereof is comprehended in the doctrine which came abroad when b cap. 11.15 the seuenth Angell blew the trumpet The summe whereof is manifestly knowne and euidently spoken by all godly men as if there were great voyces in heauen expressing their assurance of the things that are to come to passe And the summe is this that certainelie it can not be but the kings will also be conuerted to the Gospell by whose onely and holy administrations The kingdomes of this world are to be our Lords and his Christs and he shall reigne for euermore Hereupon all godly magistrates and ministers called by the name of the c cap. 11.16 foure and twentie elders which make any consciecne of their places as those which sit before God on their seates First doe humble themselues euen falling on their faces and subiecting themselues to this kind of administration Secondly they doe also leaue the seruice of idols and men and in their places worship God both with praises and administration of iustice As for their praises they do in effect say d cap. 11.17 we giue thee thankes Lord God almightie which art and which wa st and which art to come euen the same God which art euerlasting for that taking the power out of the hands of mortall weake and mutable men who of long time haue trodden thy sanctuarie vnder foote thou hast receiued the entrance and possession of thy great might and hast obtained thy kingdome in due time to bee fully and alone administred by thee As for their sincere administration of iustice they shew that they so regard the faithfull profession of the Gospell that thereupon such which rather professed the vanitie of the Gentiles then Christ euen the Antichristian Papists were a cap. 11.18 angrie The cause of their anger is first that the time is come of the wrath of God to be inflicted vpon whosoeuer shall deserue it without respect of persons Secondly because they see that the time is come of the dead which haue been martyred for the witnes of Iesus that they should be iudged whether they died as innocents or not so that the proceedings against such come to be looked into and examined againe by iustice faithfully which they are angrie should be knowen Thirdly because that God hath raised vp Christian Kings that God by them should giue rewarde vnto his seruants the prophets which doe sincerely speake the truth from the Lord whereas Antichrist did tread them vnder foote Yea because the time was come that he by Princes should giue reward also to the Saints and to them that in deede doe feare his name to small and great whom Antichrist exposed to death and confiscation loading them with reproches c. Fourthly because the time is come that God by Princes should vtterly destroy them which destroy the earth be they Turkes or Papists The aduancement of the godly and destruction of the wicked according to the exact rule of iustice in the word of God being thus drifted by godly Gouernors those of the spirit of Saint Iohn b cap. 15.1 saw another great and marueilous signe in heauen the Church of God Namely that God hath prepared seuen Angels hauing the seuen last plagues which he would inflict vpon his enemies for not by men but by them euen by a diuine hand is now to be fulfilled the wrath of God Of these plagues we are to consider the place whence these Angels doe receiue them and the powring of them forth These plagues are deliuered vnto them in the temple which after the godly doe put on zeale and thankesgiuing is opened Concerning the zeale of the godly first is declared how the true doctrine of Christian baptisme is restored namely that Christians ought to be vndefiled and zealous in the cause of Christ For the lauer of regeneration is now figured a cap. 15.2 by a glassie sea mingled with fire godly Princes and people being baptised b Mat. 3.11 with the holy Ghost and fire whereas hitherto they were baptised vnto repentance with patience Here therefore stand the Boemians which had gotten the victorie ouer the beast the ciuell estate which beareth vp the whore of Babylon and of his image the Ecclesiasticall policie and his marke of superstitious ceremonies and of the number of his name his armies which he sent against them These I say stand constantly at the glassie sea mingled with fire continuing sincere and zealous professors being so farre from being ouercome that contrarily they haue the harpes of God to sing praises vnto their God for their deliuerance from Antichrist And they being deliuered from the kingdome of Antichrist which spiritually
Exod. â—â— â—â— expedition with great honour And what they must doe is committed vnto them For one of the d cap. 15.7 foure beasts or Cherubines which beareth vp the throne of God gaue vnto the seuen Angels seuen golden Phials or Censors full e Exod. 10.2 of the hot burning coles of the wrath of God which liueth for euermore as Alpha and Omega to whom is no variablenes nor changing And by their ministerie the temple the profession of the Gospell is as truly sanctified as was the f Exod. 40.34 35. tabernacle which Moses made or the g 1. King 8.10.11 temple which Salomon built when it was filled full of smoke of the glory of God and of his power which there was in Sacrament and Type but here is in deede and truth And as there Moses nor the Priests were able to enter into the tabernacle of the congregation because of the cloude so here the luster of the glory of God doth keepe men h cap. 19.8 N. B. that none can enter into the temple till the seuen plagues of the seuen Angels be fulfilled All things being thus prepared now followeth the effusion of those plagues In the prophecie whereof first is set downe the speciall vocation of these Angels to the effusion and then their powring of them out Their vocation is from the Church the godly which doe sincerely professe the Gospell newly restored and because of the manifold and grieuous persecutions they crie for and daily threaten vengeance vpon all their Antichristian foes For therefore it is said that that I Iohn and those of my spirit i cap. 16.1 heard a great voyce of such which suffered affliction and vnderstoode the word of God crying out of the temple where they worshipped God and saying to the seuen Angell which are the executioners of Gods wrath Goe your wayes and powre out the Phials of the wrath of God vpon such Antichristian enemies as labour to possesse the earth rather than heauen The particular plagues are seuen k cap. 16.2.3.4 8.10.18.17 First Sores secondly death by sea thirdly death by land or riuers fourthly heate of the sunne fifthly the obscuring of the throne and kingdome of the beast sixthly inuasion and slaughter by the kings of the easte seuenthly the declaration of the truth and proceeding accordingly by prayer destruction c. The manner of the opposition of the beast is a cap. 11.18 cap. 16.9.10 21. that the gentiles be angrie gnaw their tongues for sorrow blasphemies c. but cannot mend themselues The speciall plagues shall be shewed in their proper places when their execution beginneth to be accomplished The complement Anno 1492. Alexander the sixth b Guicciard lib. 1. entring his papacie c Jouius hist sui tem lib. 1. the world was quiet and not beaten with any tempests of warres Especially Italy enioyed the best peace that euer it did from the time of Augustus in any mans memorie d Crantz Met. lib. 12 1. p. 814 Diuers men were in great expectation what would bee the successe of things euen many that followed the Pope as e f 262. b. in Pio 3. Volateran c. But the godly foresaw the vengeance to come For besides others elsewhere g Guies 2. p. 82. Sauanorola a man continually exercised for many yeares in the publicke preaching of Gods word at these times when there was in Italy no other appearance in mans reason then of common tranquillitie would in his sermons prophecy of the comming of forreigne armies with so great astonishment of men that neither walles nor campes could withhould them from comming to heare him h Fox Mart. p. 706. He held and preached iustification by faith for the arke of the couenant is seene and also threatned Italy with the wrath and indignation of God and prophecied before vnto them that the land should be ouerthrowne for the pride and wickednesse of the people and for the vntruth and falshood of the Clergie which God would not leaue vnreuenged i Par. Vrsp 437 That Italy was to be purged with the whipes of God for the manifolde sinnes of the Princes both Ecclesiasticall and secular and so bid the Angels powre out f their Phials For besides the sinnes of other Princes the Pope Alexander the sixth was k Jouius lib. 2 a man of too high a witte and that alwaies craftily liberall was elected for his bribes when beaten men were put by For a Guicc 1. p. 4. he brought by the consent and knowledge of euery one partly for money and partly with promises of offices and dignities many voices of the Cardinals who reiecting the instruction of the Gospel were not ashamed to passe to him by sale an authoritie power to make Marchandise of the holy treasures b Volat. 22. But hee was cruellie vngratefull to the Cardinals that elected him Hee chiefely sought by the example of Innocent to aduance his bastards buâ— with farre greater honours He c Moris papatu p. 95. approued the order of the flewes in Paris which was instituted by a Minorit and d Guicc 3. 179 himself liued incestuouslie with Lucreca his bastard daughter who was likewise common to her two bastard brethren And as e Jouius lib. 1. he defiled the Papacie with diuerse corruptions so he greatly troubled the ciuill estate of the Italian affaires And here is powred out the first Phiall The first Phiall f cap. 16.2 The first Angell therfore according to the commination which came out of the Temple went forth and powred out his Phiall vpon the men that sought only the possession of the earth The effect whereof is there fell a * Deut. 28.35 â—aysome and a grieuous sore vpon the men which had the marke of the beast being as superstitious as any of the Gentiles and vpon them that worshipped his image the Pope the very image of the heathen ciuill Monarchie And here is no mention of the number of his name because these vpon whom the plague first fell were not souldiers to the vse of the Papacie but went to gaine the countries to their owne subiection The complement Charles the eighth g Iouius 1. p. 66 king of France made an expedition into Italie to get Naples At Asta in Italy Ludowick Sforee the regent of Millan met him bringing with him his wife and the choicest women of that countrie knowing the young King to be delighted with such There fell vpon him a vehement sicknes of sores and paines which not somely afflicted his face and armes After his sicknes recured he h 2 89. c. 94. 86. marcheth to Rome with great pompe vpon his vowe to visit the temples at Rome and to worship the altars of Peter and Paul for his health and felicitie and so hee hath the marke of the beast As also humbly to adore the Pope which being the image of the beast held the highest dignitie of pietie and
the throne of the beast his kingdome and absolute commandement waxed obscure For the Princes deferre the cause of Luther to a generall Councell and propose an hundred grieuances which Germany did suffer by the Sea of Rome and their Ecclesiasticall persons requiring to bee eased in these things The h Buchol anno 1523. Pope appointed his Legate freely to confesse before the States of the Empire in this manner i Paral Vrsp 459. We know that in this holy seate now some certaine yeares there haue beene many abominable things abuse in matters diuine superfluities of traditions and that at last all things haue fallen to bee worse Neither is there any maruaile that infirmitie is deriued from the head to the members from the Popes to inferiour prelates We all that is prelates and Ecclesiasticall persons haue declined euery man into his owne waies nor now of long was there any that did any good a Bucholcerus He was also very liberall in promising the Princes that things should be amended The better to bring the Pope to make conscience to reforme with speed b Iouius lib. 21. p. 19. Par. Vrsp p 460. there arose a great plague in Rome in which their died an hundred thousand many corpes were seene in the streetes it seemed the citie would haue beene wasted in fewe daies But they were so farre from repenting to giue God the glorie that by the fauour of the people a Greeke one Demetrius a Magician vndertooke for 4000. ducates to staie the pestilence whereby they blasphemed the God of heauen for their paines For he by inchantment tamed a wilde bull causing the bull to digge a well promising that whosoeuer dranke of that water should be free from the pestilence Then cut he off halfe one of his hornes and with a smal thread tied about the other horne of the bull lead him at his pleasure and to the blasphemie of the name of God sacrificed him at the Amphitheatre to pacifie the God of the pestilence Also c Lanquet Millaine was afflicted with such a pestilence that it consumed 50,000 in fower moneths d Geneb p. 1114. Christiernus king of Denmarke defecteth from the Church of Rome for the kingdomes are the Lords e Fox Mart. 1523. Bucholc The Duke of Saxonie by the aduice of the Students of Wittenberge abrogateth the masse Zuinglius writeth to the whole nation of the Heluetians not to hinder the course of the Gospel f Jouius lib. 21 The Turke taking aduantage of the dissention that was among the Christian Princes which by reason of the second and third Phiall were great and bloodie besiegeth Rhodes with 200,000 souldiers The Pope diuerted those aides which came from Spaine to relieue Rhodes and sent them to Gallia Cisalpina to relieue the Emperour and so was Rhodes lost by the madnesse of our Princes a cap. 18.24 that in her might be found all the blood that was shedde b Fox Mart. The duke of Austriche setteth forth a sharpe proclamation against Luther and such as did not obey the Church of Rome For c cap. 19.19 the beast and kings make warre against the word of God d Par. Vrs p. 460. Buchol Adrian the sixth dieth not without suspition of poyson Amongst his most secret papers were found the bookes of the inchanter which vndertooke to preserue the city from the plague whereby it was suspected that the Pope came in with the mightie working of Sathan c Bâ—cholcer When the Monkes had read Luthers bookes of Vowes they dissolued their vowes and went out of their Monasteries So in many places the monasteries in a short time were left emptie and reduced to a wildernesse and cage of euery vncleane bird and other vses The Nunnes laid aside their latine Psalter and put off their habite began to leaue their cloysters to marrie and keepe house Two Monkes were burned at Bruxels for Luthers opinions Erasmus disliked this kind of proceeding Luther esteemed them as martyrs Ann. 1523. Clement the seauenth f Lanquet ann 1524. sent his Legate Campegius to the Princes assembled at Norimberge requiring them to punish the Lutherans and not to be discontented that the money which was paid out of Germanie was not bestowed against the Turkes as was promised The Princes required answer of their requests made to the Pope which were to ease them of the grieuances which they sustained by the Pope and the Clergie the Legate answered that the Pope esteemed them as hereticall and therefore not to be granted for they repent not The Indians confederate against the Portugals g Fox Mart. alii The Senate at Zurike when the Papists had refused disputations abandoned mens traditions proclaimed the Gospel of Christ to bee purely taught out of the old and newe Testament Against their Bishops minde they pulled downe images and that all fowles might be fedde with their flesh disposed of the lands of the Clergie banished the Masse The like was done in Tigurine h Geneb p. 1123. The Ethiopianâ— offer obedience to the Pope and to follow the beast i Lanquet Sharpe warres betweene England and Scotland The Bishop of Argentine summoneth the Priests before him but the Councel of the citie withstood him not suffering him to exercise iurisdiction ouer them So that the kingdome of the beast is darkened The Emperour goeth in his own person to fight against the French king a Par. Vrsp p. 460. Georgius the Marquesse of Brandenburge great master of Prussia receiueth the word of God b Geneb p. 1110 Guice Par. Vr. p. 460. The French king was taken prisoner by the Emperour whereupon the Emperour resolueth to make himselfe Monarch of Christendome c Gerardus The Turkes preuaile in Hungarie and besiege Vienna but are driuen from thence In d Peuc Par. Vr. Germanie the people affect libertie e Sleid. 6 f. 92 b. The Electors sonne of Saxonie vnto whom was espoused the Emperours youngest sister is married with the daughter of the Duke of Cliâ—ue For the Emperour departed from his promise confirmed by writings because of the change of religion and his Embassadours did openly say that Faith is not to be kept with heretickes f Geneb p. 1116. Millaine Ferrara England Venice all Lombardie g Par. Vrsp p. 472. and the Pope Clement doe make a league against the Emperour Charles the fifth But the next yeare after h Par. Vrsp p. 472. c. Guicc Iouius Rome is taken and sacked by the Emperours armie When the armie was at the siege of the citie and entring the Pope would not beleeue the newes trusting vpon his Apostolicall thunderbolt which he sent forth against the armie in these wordes We doe excommunicate Charles called the Duke of Burbon Generall of the armie with his whole armie consisting partly of Lutheranes and partly of Maranes calling the Germanes Lutheranes and the Spaniards Maranes But the armie entred and vsed
his request and restored the Arians to their authoritie againe Thus the beast deceiueth them that dwell vpon the earth by reason of the signes which were giuen him to doe in the sight of the beast He at Constantinople crowned k Geneb p. 629. Iustine the Emperor who was the first Emperor that euer was crowned by the Pope so now the Pope is in the estimation of the l Morisen Papa in p. 144. Ex Caesare Druides of France that did inaugurate the Kings When the Pope returned to Rauenna Theodoricus cast him into prison and famished him to death a Massaeus 14. Greg. dial 430. Gobelinus Fasc Temp. But within ninetie eight dayes after the hangman Theodoricus died sodainly and was buried in hell A holy Eremite saw him with the hands of this Pope Iohn c. to be plagued in Vulcans pot A terror for Princes by a lying signe Ann. 527. Felix 4. as an Heracleonite commanded the b Berg. Volat. Ann. 531. sicke to bee annointed before their death belike the same thing was so often commanded because it was so little regarded that the Popes deuised c Geneb Bonifacus 2. gat the seate by schisme he decreed that in the time of diuine seruice the * Massaeus Clergie should bee in a distinct place as the quire from the people He called a Synod and decreed d Gobelinus that he might choose his successor strengthened his decree with subscriptions and oathes of others But afterwards the Bishops in a Synode dashed all Vnder this Pope many noble e Massaeus mē left the world went vnto Saint Benedict f Geneb p. 631 This Benedict famous for miracles and the supposed spirit of prophesie instituted the order of the Benedictines He despised the studie of g Greg. dial lib. 2. 1. c. good learning and deuised rules of life different from the scriptures Hee is reported to master diuels to absolue the dead c. He is compared for miracles with Moses Elias Elizeus c. h Clictonaeus homil de Benedict Him some that follow the Church of Rome doe make the father of the monkish faith as Abraham is called in scripture the father of the faithfull and doe compare the many orders and Abbies that followed him with the many nations whose father Abraham is They say that of i Volal 21. f. 239. Geneb p. 631. his order were 24. Popes 183. Cardinals Archbishops in diuers Churches 1600. Bishops 4000 Abbots famous for learning and writing 15700. From his grounds ariseth Antichrist Anno 533. Iohn 2. recured a k Geneb Greg. dial 3. 2. blinde man at Constantinople in the presence of the Emperour and people vnto him Iustinian l Sabel E◠8. 2 the Emperour sent gifts and honoured him with new dignities acknowledging him to bee in the seat of Christs onely Vicar vpon earth The Emperour seeth the Pope to haue hornes like the Lambe Ann. 535. Agapetus was m Greg. dial 3. 3. sent by Theodatus king of Gothes to the Emperour Iustinian to reconcile him whom he had displeased for killing of his Queene who was committed by her father to this Iustinians tuition In his way in the partes of Greece he healed a man that was brought vnto him dumbe and lame who neuer could speake nor goe as they say When his neighbours brought him he asked if they did beleeue that hee could cure him who answered that they hoped he could by the power of God and authoritie of Saint Peter When the Pope had prayed and celebrated Masse he stretched forth his hand vnto the lame man who presently arose in the sight of the people And putting the Hoste into his mouth had present vse of his tongue by the power of God and helpe of Saint Peter Comming therefore to the a Pet. de Nat. Sabel f. 152. Ann. 536. Emperour he was receiued with reuerence and glorie Thus is the world deceiued by her inchantments Siluerius * Massaeus was caused to be chosen by Theodotus King of Gothes wherefore he presently sent his Chancelor Vigilius to the Emperour to excuse him that he could not waite the Emperours pleasure The Empresse dealt with Vigilius for the restoring of her friend Authemius an Eutychian Vigilius answered that Pope Siluerius would in no wise consent thereto but as for himselfe hee would easily agree had hee power in his hands vz. if he were Pope The Empresse caused Siluerius to be remooued which was done by the subornation of witnesses that affirmed that Siluerius would deliuer the citie of Rome and Belifarius the Emperours Generall into the hands of the Gothes b Pet. de Nat. Ann. 537. In his banishment he miraculously healed many Vigilius vpon c Massaeus the banishment of Siluerius was thrust into the Papacie he decreed that Masse should be celebrated towards the East This manner of turning the d Polyd. Inuen 57. Ezech. 8.16 face in praier was a custome of the Gentiles and contrarie to the commandement of God In the time e Geneb of this Vigilius Rome was first taken by Belifarius After that Vitigis the f Massaeus Carion King of the Gothes doth besiege it Then there was in all the world so great a famine especially in Italie as in Lyguria in Rome now beset with enemies that the mothers were constrained to eate their children Presently followed a pestilence Thus Michael warreth when the word of God by the Benedictines was refused and the inuentions of men were adored After the citie of Rome was taken spoiled and burnt by Totilas and his Gothes c. Narses is made Generall of the warres in Italie who bringeth with him an armie of 12,000 Lombards Pelagius 1. Ann. 555. was g Caran f. 201 the first that brought into the Masse praier for the dead as an angel of the bottomlesse pit And the Pope is like h Liuid 1. lib. 1 the Pont. Max. of Numa his deuising to whom is committed the order to pacifie the Spirits in the behalfe of the dead So that now it is with the Church of Rome as the Poet saith a Virg. Eu. 5. 1. p. 230. Vinaque fundebant pateris animamque vocabant Anchisa magni manesque Acheronte remisses This Pope also b Pet. de Nat. decreed that those whom he calleth heretickes or schismaticks should be punished by the secular power as Abaddon or Apollyon c Geneb p. 643. In his time Narses the first Exarche of Rauenna finished the warres of the Gothes who brought the Lombards into Italie The successe is that d cap. 13.11 the beast doth rise out of the earth that is that the Popes by means of earthly riches and honours as also by earthly wisdome do rise to the state of such a Prince as hath the reputation to haue two hornes like the Lambe that is to seeme to represent Christ vpon earth for power and wisdome The nations also which came
vtter court which also the scripture calleth The temple in which Antichrist doth raigne The speech is taken from the Temple which i 1. King 6.1 c. king Salomon built which was deuided into three parts First the holy and holiest places called by excellencie The temple contained the Arke the Altar of incense the lampes and tables of shew bread all which were couered Secondly there was the open place in which was placed the lauer or sea and the altar of burnt offerings The third part was called the k 2. Chro. 4.9 Courts and was deuided into l 2. Chr. 6.13 Ezech. 44.19 the inner court which was for the Priests and the vtter court where the King and Priests and Prophets and people did assemble for the seruice of God for instruction m Psal 122.4.5 Deut. 17.8 and for iudgement in doubtfull causes ciuil and diuine The doctrine figured n cap. 11.2 in the Temple and altar which are continued in the profession of the Gospel are to be measured and esteemed holy and good though by Antichrist shut vp and blasphemed But that which was represented by the vtter Court namely the publike assemblies for that which is called the seruice of God their courts of iurisdiction as farre as concerneth the causes of the Lord the Angell commandeth S. Iohn to cast out and all holy men to count them common and vncleane The reason whereof is that a Joseph anti lib 12. c. 6. 1. Macc. 1. as the temple of the Iews was deliuered into the hāds of Antiochus Epiphanes so by the temeritie and ignorance of Princes the courts are giuen to such as for their manner of rites are but b cap. 11.2 the Gentiles in effect though in appearance like the c Soc. 1. 17. Maniches they seeme Christians The manner of their behauiour here is not to rule with the key of knowledge d Dan. 8. but to deuoure break in peeces stamp and tread the residue of the holy city vnder foot as Abaddō the son of perdition And although the Papacie from hence forth corrupteth all assemblies with the tyrannies and superstitions of the Gentiles and abhominations of condemned heretickes yet doth e 2. Thess 2.4 August de ciu lib. 20. cap. 19. this Man of Sinne here exalt himselfe as if himselfe were the temple of God and take to himselfe whatsoeuer was figured by the temple of Salomon and his kingly pallace Howbeit in these courts shall bee euer found two witnesses raised vp by the Lord euen a competent number to stablish a truth who shall prophesie by teaching and cōmination cloathed in sacke-cloath poore humble f 2. Macc. 2.7.14 and sorrowfull to see the abhominations and blasphemies in the Church by the Gentiles c. Among such therefore is now the Church to bee sought for These by their g cap. 11.4 c. 10. testimonie must vexe the inhabitants of the earth both by bringing the graces of the spirit of God vpon good men and therefore are said to be two Oliue trees and also to giue holy light vnto them to direct them to the Lord and therefore are called two golden candlesticks standing before the God of the earth and by bringing heauie affliction vpon such as will iniurie them in their prophecie For their word shall be as fire out of their mouthes to deuoure their aduersaries And beeing equall in the power of their ministrie with Elias shall be able to shut the heauens that it raine not in the daies of their prophesie and beeing like vnto Moses in Egypt haue power to smite the earth with all manner of plagues as oft as they will so that the earth is plagued because the witnesses of Christ are despised and persecuted Yea those two witnesses called also 144 000. of those which haue the testimonie of Iesus Christ and keep the commandements of God oppose themselues in the open courts of the temple called now the visible Monarchie of the Church against the beast by h cap. 14.4.6.8.9.15.18 innocencie preaching iudgements praier The manner of the womans sitting vpon this scarlet coloured beast is to tread the holy citie vnder foote Yea shee excelleth her selfe in cruelty For while shee was borne vp by heathen Emperours shee was furious and bloodie and therein as terrible and odious as a red Dragon But now shee cloatheth her selfe with blood as with a cap. 17.4.6 purple and scarlet thinking it her honour for the seruice of God to kill the godly And herein shee is so vnsatiable that shee is drunken with the blood of the Saints and with the blood of the Martyrs of Iesus that in admirable manner For shee doth not content her selfe to kill those that stand against her but also condemneth their memorie b cap. 11.7.9 not suffering them to be put in monuments And though these things to such as are of the spirit of S. Iohn doe euer appeare yet outwardly shee seemeth first to make plentifull prouision for this kind of warre and then she ioyneth battell with the Lambe c cap. 11.7.9 and those that follow him And these things doth this beast accomplish with his wonted lying signes and miracles with false prophesie and other impostures For the more effectuall executing of the d cap. 12.17 wrath of the Dragon which affection hee putteth on in all his oppositions the beast prouideth himselfe with the e cap. 13.3 c. wonderfull fauour and dependance of the whole earth which is called by the name of Christian as also studieth out a most secure discipline The world is said f cap. 13.3 to wonder greatly admiring the beast the Papacie by whose meanes the wounded head of Rome recouered life in the Hierarchie And also they followed the beast which was like the Pantheresse For as when g Gerard. dial creas 114. the Panther which is a beautifull and gentle beast amongst other wilde and rauenous beasts doth wake and come out of his denne and roare other beasts which heare his voice doe gather themselues togither and follow the sweetnesse of his odour which commeth forth of his mouth so also when this Papacie who is beautifull as an harlot and gentle as Absolom amongst men doth speake though it bee like the Dragon all men doe gather themselues together and followe the words of his mouth which seeme pleasant to those which are deluded For from this time those which before were called h cap. 9.3.11 Locust-scorpions haue set ouer them a king the Popes the angel of the bottomlesse pit For those kingdomes which rose of the inundation of the Barbarians one after another began to giue respect to the Bishops of Rome i cap. 17.17.2 Thess 2.11 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his decree and to bee of one consent and to giue their kingdomes vnto the beast vntill the wordes of God be fulfilled and then to hate her The fauour that this beast found
was so great that the people vnder these tenne kings or principalities were contented by his meanes euen k cap. 13.4 to worship the Dragon the diuell that is to become as very idolaters for the worship of idols is the worship of diuels as those l Volat. l. 25. fol. 300. Gentils which worshipped Dragons in the temples of Apollo and Iuno For m cap. 13.2 2. Thes 2.9 the Dragon the diuell gaue power to this beast howsoeuer he pretended to haue his power from Christ by the means of S. Peter cap. 13.5 cap. 11.2 The continuance of this battell is 42. moneths which after the account of the a Orig. Ephe. Astronomers at 30. daies the month is a thousand two hundred and sixtie daies that is according to the vsuall Propheticall account 1260. yeares called after b Brought in Dan. 12. cap. 12.14 the Greeks Astronomers A time times and halfe a time that is as many yeares as the Astronomers doe measure by an Equinoctiall which they call a time two equinoctials and halfe an Equinoctial which commeth to 1260. Iulian yeres This is that time during which the woman the Church is in the wildernesse whereas the great whore doth sit vpon the scarlet coloured beast beeing hidden among them that follow Antichrist yet kept from the presence of the serpent This time also is the c cap. 11.2 courts of the temple that is the publike face of religion is troden vnder foote by these Antichristian Gentiles at least in some place And these also are the last of these d Dan. 8.14 N.B.Da. 8.1 two thousand and three hundreth yeares spoken of by Daniel which beganne in the third yeare of Belshazzar which was e Brough Concent 480. yeares before the birth of Christ And this 42. months or 1260. yeares is to begin in the Papacie of Pelagius 1. Anno Christi 560. who brought in the fained superstitions of the Gentiles into the Church so that they ende 1820. All these things will appeare in histories following The Complement In the time of Pelagius who as an Angel of the bottomlesse pit brought newes into the world that as it was among the Gentiles a thing much beleeued so it was true among the Christians that the liuing were able to helpe the dead by Masses c. f Ann. 560. Aug. Curio l. 2. was borne Mahomet g Genssreus de Turc morib Orig. lib. 3. Massam 13. p 183. He hauing beene acquainted with the opinions of the Christians Iewes hereticks c. by Iohn a monke of the order of Benedict and Sergius a Nestorian was instructed so that he looked about how vnder the pretext of religion he might bring the Arabians subiect vnto him h Gens lib. 2. his religion he boasteth to be reuealed vnto him by Gabriel the Angel The scope whereof is with extreame remedies of fire and sword to bring all to his law In his law hee promiseth a new way to bring men to paradise and deliuer them from the paines of hell c. Ann. 562. Iohn III. i Plat. Fasc Temp. Massa 12. 217. repaired the Churchyards of the Saints and Martyrs Narses grew discontent for some indignities offered vnto him by the Emperour and the Emperesse complaints of the Romans k Sab. En. 8. l. 5. retired himselfe to Naples where he expected the comming of the Lombards whom hee had sent for to possesse Italie l Geneb p. 645 Fasc Tem. s 56 This Pope got Narses to Rome fearing the hurt of Italie by his alienation and made him Consul so that there was great and inward friendship betweene the Pope Narses m Italie in this Popes time was freed from the yoke of Constantinople and the Romans began to rule by Patricij for the deadly wound of the beast was healed a Geneb p. 645 The office of the Exarchie of Rauenna was instituted his office it was to confirme the election of the Pope of Rome Michaels red horse caused that Italie was afflicted with many slaughters by the irruption of the Barbarians the Sueui in Galatia are conuerted from Arianisme Ann. 576. Benedict I. b Geneb the Lombards inuade all Italie and there was great famine by Michaels blacke horse The Spaniards conuerted from Arianisme and the profession of Monkes came first into Spaine Ann. 580. Pelagius II. c Fasc Temp. was created Pope without the consent of the Emperour He d Poly. Inu 5. 4 1. Tim. 4. enforced Subdeacons to forsake their wiues by the diuels doctrine e Geneb p. 65. In his time Iohn the Bishop of Constantinople by the consent of Mauricius the Emperour tooke vnto himselfe the title of vniuersall Patriarke Him first Pelagius withstood and after Gregorius I. Many letters beeing sent to and fro so that it may be said of these two the Bishop of Constantinople and Rome as it was said of the Arians whose image herein they which call themselues Catholikes now are f Soc. 5. 22. Soz. 3. 17. These two did contend betweene themselues not for religion but for primacie by the ouermuch desire of honour with which their mindes were wholy possessed But Pelagius finding the Emperour aduerse vnto him herein decreed that g Dist 99. nullus none no not the Bishop of Rome himselfe should be called vniuersall And also that h Dist 17. Multis no Councel should be held without the consent of the Bishop of Rome i Geneb p. 652. 653. Recaredus king of Spaine abolisheth Arianisme in a Councel reduceth his subiects to the Catholike faith While the Lombards besiege Rome after great stormes and raines Michael by his pale horse pursued them so that k Mass 13.179 there came the pestilence which caused the plague sore in the slancke as a plague for those that despised marriage c. Gregorius I. a Geneb p. 651 surnamed The great Ann. 590. continued the opposition against Iohn of Constantinople in the matter of the supremacie b Epist lib. 6. Epist 30. and confidently said that whosoeuer called himselfe or was desirous to be called vniuersall Bishop was the forerunner of Antichrist c Gobel at 6. c. 30. In humilitie d Geneb p. 662 to represse the pride of the Bishop of Constantinople he called himselfe the seruant of the seruants of God which title also his successors did vse but Antonomastice improperly e Poly. inuâ—â—t 4. 8. Whereas before time there were no other titles in the Church but Priests and chiefe Priests Gregorie first deuided them into Patriarkes and Archbishops f Dist 21. Decrotâ—s which difference was brought in chiefly by the Gentiles who had Flamines and Archflamines c. g Melanct. He increased two pernicious things in the Church concerning the bottomlesse pit inuocation of the dead h Libro dialog and praier to the dead i Dial. lib. 4. c. 31. 35. 36. 37 51. 55. 58. c. He
against the Pope o Trith p. 286. There was very great pestilence which destroyed many thousands after which followed a famine to liue was a misery and to die a very great horror p Reuel 11.6 These haue power to shut heauen in the dayes of their prophecie c. and to strike the earth with all manner of plagues Clement the sixth q Trith 288. preached the crosse against the Turkes Anno 1342. promising to them that put mony into the chestes set in Churches to that purpose not onely remission of sinnes but also licence to eate egges and milkemeates in forbidden times out of Lent Henricus the Archbishop of Mogunce neither payed mony nor regarded the pardons The a Par. Vrsp p. 355. Pope in fauour of the French King excommunicateth Ludouicus the Emperour He also b Trith 289. excommunicated Henricus the Archbishop of Mogunce for not appearing before him deposed him and placed Gertacus who gat not the possession till Henricus was dead Henricus despiseth the Pope and cleaueth to the Emperour The c Par. Vrs 355. 356. Emperour by letters blameth the French King for his trouble requireth him to procure his absolution a filthy forme of articles is conceiued which is interpreted to be deuised to the destruction of the Empire The pope cruelly declaimeth against the Emperor reuiueth the processe of Iohn the twentith two against him declareth him an heretike and schismatike because he said it is in the Emperor to depose and institute the pope c. and writeth to the Electors to chuse Carolus the fourth Here Queene mony ruled all Hereupon the Empire is diuided much trouble ariseth the fauorites of Ludouicus are buried in fields out of Church-yardes d Fox Marty p. 394. 39â— Georgius Ariminensis held papists worse then Pelagians Tanlerus preached against distinction of meates and inuocation of Saints Gerardus Rhidden wrote against the Friers e Sonet 106. 107. 108. Annota in 107. Petrarch calleth Rome proud Babylon and whore and the Pope the Soldan of Babylon The f Extr. Con. 5. de pen. ner Vnigeniti Pope reduced the Iubile to fiftie yeeres promising plenary remission and g Fox Marty commaundeth the Angels to cary the soules of such pilgrimes as died by the way presently to paradise like Mahomets Martyres c. h Mass 18. p. 248. Trith p. 291. Howbeit at this time for three yere together from India to Britany there was so feareful a pestilence that in diuers places were horrible desolations In Auinion the popes seate in a manner all died There was also the plague of bloudy flixes and such inflammations as consumed the flesh to the bones not onely of liuing bodies but dead carcasses for the earth is smitten with plagues in the dayes of their prophecie i Curio The Turkes winne the noble city of Prusia Anno 1352. Innocent the sixth a Trith 293. crowned Carolus the fourth who after many troubles with much b Par. Vrsp 360. c. bribery had brought the Empire to his owne hand The Pope at c Fox Marty Auinion put two Friers to death one of them held Rome to be the whore of Babylon In his time was published the ploughmans complaint against the Pope and his Clergie d Geneb pag. 1034. Bartholdus de Baruch a begging Frier was burned at Spires Before this Pope e Ipse in defen curat Richard Archbishop of Armach in Ireland perswaded learnedly and zealously against the Friers prouing that by the abuse of their priuiledges they were hurtfull to them who were confessed to the Curates Clergie Christian people and to the Friers themselues That they were the ouerthrow of all learning and artes the decay of students and by ingrossing into their libraries bred such a want of bookes that there was not a Bible nor any good diuinity bookes to be had for mony It seemeth in these times that the question was a Specul Mino. Tract 3. f. 135. b. whether the Popes dispensations could stablish the conscience against Scripture and law The Popes would haue it receiued for good that his power was aboue all but godly men thought otherwise of his superstition withstoode that doctrine as De Poliaco had done and this Armachanus now did b Trith 297. Par. Vrsp There was a great pestilence of which many thousands perished and strange earthquakes c. Vrbanus the fifth c Geneb 1017 confirmed the order of Bridget d Pantalcon Anno 1363. which was that Friers and Nunnes should dwell together vnder a roofe onely parted with a wall Thus e cap. 13.5.7 c. is the beast furnished with strong and seuere lawes to warre with the Saints and to ouercome them And here viz. Anno 1364. f Dan. 12.11 are finished those 1290. dayes that is yeeres which Daniel doth reckon from the time that the daily sacrifice was taken away by the Romans at the destruction of Ierusalem Ann. 74. during which time by the Gentiles Arians Gothes Turkes and Popes abhominable desolation was set vp CHAP. X. Of the first resurrection and the warres which followed hereupon with their successe MIserable are now the times by reason of the grosse ignorance and superstition which preuailed For by the tyrannie of the Popes all men were seduced or terrified from the study and profession of true godlinesse And the wickednes of the Friers by purloyning in a manner all good bookes which now were but manuscripts and teaching nothing but fables had made it generally suspected that Antichrist would take this opportunitie to obliterate the Scriptures and obtrude vnto the world any such forged diuinitie which might best serue to further his ambition In the time of this palpable darkenes worse then euer was any in Egypt when as the truth lay as dead and buried for euer the Lord in mercy doth raise it from death to life And this doth cause a Dan. 12.2 such as turne others vnto righteousnes to shine as the starres in the firmament The summe of that which followeth is that b cap. 11.7 when they the witnesses haue finished their testimony the beast that commeth out of the bottomlesse pit with his hornes the Kings maketh warre against them Of this warre we are to consider the enemies their manner of fight and the successe The enemies are the two witnesses a cap. 19.13 vnder their captaine yet in the wildernes in this chapter and in the blessed time separated from Antichrist in the next chapter and b 19. the beast with his Kings The captaine of these witnesses is mighty to enable them to finish their testimony That the witnesses may the better finish and perfect their testimony Saint Iohn doth say And c 11. I saw heauen open that is an expectation of all good men which belong to the kingdome of heauen what will be the end of those cruell lawes and bloudy executions That which befell was this An d