Whereby 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath plainly reference to the all things before spoken of vers 3. which are giuen vnto vs both for life and godlinesse for amongst these are set forth the great and precious promises of which we are made partakers when as by these meanes we attaine to faith and so we partake of the diuine nature that is of holinesse and righteousnesse whereby we auoid the corruption of the world by lust as is added to expresse what he meaneth by partaking of the diuine nature For we partake of the corrupt nature of man fallen as long as we follow that euill lust that is in vs but when through the spirit we are so sanctified in beleeuing that we auoid this corruption and liue holily and righteously we partake of the nature of God Eph. 4.24 seeing the old man is now put off and the new man is put on that is Christ Iesus who is also God from whence Ambrose argueth against those that denied Christ to be God Aâ—bros lib. de incaâ—â—at c. 8. for how else could he make vs partakers of the nature of God if he himselfe had it not Seruetus Seruetus gathered from hence that there is a transfusion of the diuine nature into man but erroneously Athan. crat 2. contra Arrian for as Athanasius teacheth we partake of the diuine nature onely by his grace through the spirit without the diuision of the diuine essence but Christ is begotten of the Father and so consubstantiall with him Osiander hath â—rred also as much teaching that wee are iustified by that righteousnesse wherby Christ is essentially righteous not as man but as God But Peter saith not that we are partakers of the diuine nature by the inhabitation of essentiall iustice but by the great and precious promises which when we heare we beleeue and so attaine to the things promised the summe and substance of all which is Christ It may rather be gathered from hence that our iustification is a permanent gift as nature is as Lorinus also granteth according to which the regenerate is called a new creature and therefore continueth to the end Touching the exhortation inferred hereupon Vers 5. vers 5. it tendeth to shew that the faithfull now that they are in the state of grace ought not to be secure as if nothing more were required at their hands but to beleeue but they must vse all diligence and haue a care to shine in all Christian complements of practice for the order of which that of Tho. Aquinas followed also by Burges in his chaine of graces liketh me best After the radicall and mother grace faith named he first commendeth such graces as concerne the doing of good secondly such as concerne euill first of sinne to be auoided secondly of punishment to be borne Onely with Piscator I thinke that godlinesse is to be vnderstood of the exercise of godly duties und withall of a godly minde referring all our grace to Gods glory and brotherly loue of the loue of the faithfull and charity of the loue of all euen enemies and persecutors For whatsoeuer good we doe and whatsoeuer euill we auoid if godlinesse and loue be not adioyned it is nothing worth Without godlinesse it will be vnsanctified 1 Tim. 4. for all things are sanctified by the word and prayer and through the want of respect to Gods glory Matth. 25. it may be pharisaicall through vaine glory and if loue be wanting there is but a lampe without oile nothing but a sounding brasse and tinkling cymball 1 Cor. 13. Note Note that the condition of the faithfull is most high and honourable euen a partaking of the diuine nature as Mordecay was made partaker of royall dignity which is when our nature is changed and of corrupt and impure we become holy and righteous for this is Gods nature So that there is nothing in the world so much to be ioyed in or to be aspired so much after as to be holy and nothing so much to be shunned as corruption for if we be of the same nature with God we shall also with him liue and be blessed and happy for euer Note againe Note that heauen and happinesse is not so easily attained vnto as the world thinketh onely by beleeuing but great care and diligence must be vsed that the whole life may be vertuous that knowledge in the mysteries of God may be attained c. Hee must weare not one grace but this whole chaine of graces that would be adorned for God and be receiued into his kingdome for if there be but one euen the last grace of loue wanting all the rest are nothing worth and the soule is but basely set forth yet CHAP. 1. VERS 10. Wherefore Brethren giue rather all diligence to make your election and calling firme for doing these things ye shall neuer fall From the words which I haue already expounded vnto these there is nothing difficult Mayer Vers 9. sauing that vers 9. he saith that such an one is blinde and forgetteth his washing of old from his sinnes Luther But that may be vnderstood thus as Luther hath it he cannot see the way to goe one right step towards the kingdome of heauen doth as if he forgat his baptisme receiued formerly for the remission of his sinnes at what time there was a vow made of new obedieÌ„ce so that if he had a due remeÌ„brance of these things he could not but doe better That sins are washed away in baptisme is plaine because we are inuited vpon this to be baptized Acts 2.38 And S. Paul speaking of those that haue beene washed 1 Cor. 6.11 varieth the phrase and saith Ye haue beene washed August contra epist Pelag. c. 13. Dicimus baptisma dare indulgentiam omnium peccatorum auferre crimina non radere ye haue beene sanctified and iustified And hereunto Augustine agreeth saying In baptisme all our sinnes are pardoned and taken away not pared onely Hereupon the Papists inferre inherent righteousnesse and an vtter abolishing of originall sinne in baptisme but that this is false appeareth plainely from many places Rom. 7.17 Gal. 5.17 Colos 3.5 Wee are washed indeed from the sinne that wee brought into the world with vs so as that it shall not be laid vnto our charge but it remaineth still as a root of euill as long as we liue seeing otherwise all persons regenerate by baptisme should liue without actually offending for so much as there were nothing to tempt to sinne if this lust were quite rooted out and gone Iames 1.13 Touching the present Text. Vers 10. Is not our election and calling sure without our endeuour Quest 1 Is it not firmely appointed by God from the beginning who shall be saued that he biddeth vs make it sure I answer also with Luther Luther that in respect of God it is firme and stable but it is not sure to vs but by endeuouring constantly and continually
is this standing at the doore and knocking is it in mans power to open and what is meant by this Supper Answ Christ is said to knocke partly by preaching the Law and threatning Pareus partly by preaching the Gospell and comforting partly by afflictions and partly by inspiring good motions and inlightning the vnderstanding He standeth at the doore to shew his perseuerant going on in thus knocking at the doore of the heart though yet shut against him Touching that saying If any man open this doth not argue a power in man to open if he will for the opening of the heart is ascribed vnto the Lord Act. 16.14 He opened the heart of Lydia and the whole worke and euery part of our conuersion is from the Lord Ezech. 36.26 Ioh. 6.44 2 Cor. 3.5 c. But man is thus spoken vnto Aug. de cor grat c. 3. O homo in praeceptione cognosce quid debes habere in correptione cognosce te tuo vitto non habere in oratione cognosce vnde accipias quod vis habere and Ezech. 18. Turne ye make you a new heart and a new spirit that he might know what he ought to doe hee is reproued for not doing so that hee might know it to bee through his owne default and directed to pray to God that he may be able to doe so that he might know from whence he hath the power to doe so as Augustine hath excellently set it forth Viegas a Iesuite vpon this place acknowledgeth that man hath no power to open-without Gods grace preuenting intimated in that he saith I stand at the doore and knocke by his knocking then we are awakened to open The Lord commeth first with his grace vnto the will inabling it then the will coworking with grace openeth in some in others not who being thus inabled can but will not For this cause he saith If any man will open implying that it is in his power not to open To the same effect Bellarmine lib. 1. de grat lib. arbit cap. 11. and the Councell of Trent Ses 6. Can. 5. cap. 4. But the truth is whosoeuer is excited by Gods knocking doth open vnto him he being made willing by vertue of the same knocke whose will before was dead to euery good motion For in the worke of grace a man is not moued as a blocke or a stone but as a liuing thing that goeth vpon the owne legs so he by his will openeth to the Lord when hee hath once put life into it And this viuifying of the will stirreth it so effectually to open as that it cannot but open seeing as motion alwaies followeth life so opening followeth the life of the free will Doth not a man then open hee is vndoubtedly dead still is hee quickned then hee doth vndoubtedly open So that they seeme plainly to me to speake contradictions that say God by his knocke inclineth the will from whence floweth this act of opening as a proper act of life and yet the will thus inclined may resist against God and keepe the doore shut still which argueth death in the will For no man is so much his owne enemy as not to flie from a deadly danger hauing sense to perceiue it and legs to carry him away and a passage open the instinct of nature conseruatiue of it selfe putteth him on that he cannot but flie in like manner when grace commeth there being life and legs and liberty and sense of the most deadly danger of all the same grace will not suffer but as an instinct preuaile to make a man hasten from this danger in keeping the Lord out and let him in without delay As for this If any man open from a supposition to a simple position the consequence is not good If any man open therefore some will not open when their doores are knockt at it followeth no more than as if a man should come to a prison full of malefactors lying in great misery expecting euery day to be cut off and say I haue obtained liberty for you all to depart if any man will depart it would follow that some would not depart and escape from this misery As for that saying Mat. 23. How oft would I haue gathered you together and ye would not it doth imply no more but that they had meanes to bee gathered together but through their owne corruption they preuailed not amongst them Moreouer by these complaints and instigations to turne the Lord is wont to worke a turning in such as shall bee saued Lastly the Lord promiseth If any man open that hee will come in and sup with him c. This opening is by beleeuing hee commeth in by making him his habitation for the beleeuer is Gods Temple and this is more than if Christ had come in person to our houses according to that of Augustine Aug. ser 144. de Temp. plus est habere Christum in corde quà m in domo quia cor nostrum interius est nobis quà m domus nostra Pareus Bullinger c. It is more to haue Christ in our heart than in our house because our heart is more inward to vs than our house He suppeth with vs when he is delighted with those good things that are wrought in vs for these are meat and drinke vnto him seeing hee taketh pleasure in them as men doe in their meat and drinke and we sup with him by being made partakers of those ioyes and spirituall comforts that are in beleeuing and finally sit downe at his Table in the Kingdome of Heauen Or else by this phrase nothing else is meant but the neare familiarity to which the faithfull are admitted with Christ euen as louing friends that vse to sup one with another And the word Supper is rather vsed than dinner because then is most time commonly for friends to tarry by it and recreate themselues in the society of one another Quest 5. He that ouercommeth Vers 21. I will giue to him to sit with me in my Throne as I haue ouercome c. What is meant by this Throne of Christ and why is this promised to such as ouercome in this Church Answ This Throne as all agree is a participation of Christs kingly glory which they shall haue euen as he is made partaker of this glory with the Father in his humane nature He doth promise it who sometime said that it was not his to giue Mat. 20. for that was spoken in respect of his iustice by which he could not for fauour or affection giue the chiefe places to them but as any were most excellent as I haue vpon that place shewed out of Chrysostome Bullinger One ascribeth that to his humanity this to his diuinity And this is mentioned specially according to his owne example to this luke-warme Church that they might not thinke by their coole going on to come to eternall felicity with Christ for he himselfe attained not vnto it but by labour and striuing with
that the vertues of this Lambe should be thankfully commemorated It is called a new song in respect of that in the former Chapter there are the praises of the creation which was of old here the praises of the redemption which was new Quest 3. Vers 9. And wee shall reigne on the earth How shall the Saints reigne vpon earth or how is it that being Kings in Heauen they ioy in thinking vpon a future reigning here Answ Forbs Brightman Some vnderstanding all of the Church militant say That reigning vpon earth is nothing else but being in the Kingdom of grace whilst we liue here Others vnderstanding it of the Saints in Heauen Bullinger Pareus say That the reigning vpon earth shal be when at the last day the Iudge descending they shall come together with him in great glory and shall appeare to be the Kings and Priests of God with Christ iudging this wicked world Arethas Mat. 5. Others againe vnderstand by earth that new earth which is promised to the meeke when it is said Blessed are the meeke for they shall inherit the earth And vnto this as the most probable doe I subscribe for there shall be a new Heauen and a new earth Chap. 21.1 and here shall the godly reigne in glory not as the Chiliasts and Turkes hold liuing in earthly pleasures for that is grosse neither is it to be thought that such pleasure is affected by such as are heauenly and spirituall but after the consummation of all at the Day of Iudgement the Saints shall reigne in another world which in allusion to this consisting of Heauen and Earth is called a new Heauen and a new Earth Or else consider whether it may not be vnderstood of the vpper hand which the Christian Religion should get of all false religions when Emperours and Kings should become Christian for being all of one mysticall body when the Christian Church getteth the principality the Saints in Heauen may reioyce to foresee it and say We shall reigne vpon earth that is our company which belong vnto the Lambe and admire and praise him as we doe And it was no small comfort to know this then when as all Empire and dominion was in the hands of heathen men and persecutors it must needs cheare vp the heart greatly to vnderstand what power Religion should haue ouer the Thrones and Scepters of this world and the ancient seruants of God may well be said to reigne vpon earth also because their dictates and instructions are generally receiued and obeyed vpon earth Quest 4. Vers 13. And I heard euery creature in Heauen and in earth vnder the earth and in the sea and all in them saying blessing and honour c. What are the creatures vnder the earth and how doth euery thing speake the praises of God when as all cannot speake Answ Ribera The Papists will haue the soules in purgatory meant by those vnder the earth some the Deuills who are compelled to giue glory to Christ But the best exposition is of the creatures which dwell in subterranean places for both they that are without and within the holes of the earth are called vpon to praise God Psal 148. and doe praise him and the Lord Iesus Christ in their kinde by whom a restauration of the world is attained when the faithfull shall be glorified as is declared Rom. 8.21 and for this cause they serue his prouidence which is their praising of him It is generally signified hereby what a consent there is amongst all things which are in expectation of benefit from Christ in celebrating his praises that we may doe likewise CHAP. VI. HEre is shewed how the Lambe beginneth to open the Seales in order and what followeth vpon the opening of each of them by such things as appeared future euents concerning the Church of God being emblematically set forth as the opening of euery Seale succeedeth one another and after the Seales follow the Trumpets Eullinger Forbs Brightman Lyâ—a Antonin Ambros lib. adulterinus Fox and after the Trumpets the Vials so some will haue the euents hereby set forth to succeed one another in order in diuers ages to the end of the world And some begin the computation from the beginning of the world by the seuen Seales vnderstanding the seuen ages Some from the foure Monarchies of the Assyrians Medes and Persians Grecians and Romans which they will haue set forth by these foure horses which beginnings cannot stand because Iohn is not taken vp to see things past but to come by which reason also that opinion reckoned vp by Andreas is confuted expounding the first Seale of Christs Birth Andreas ex Methodio the second of his Baptisme the third of his Miracles the fourth of his Arraignment the fift of his Buriall the sixt of his Descent c. The rest which speake more probably beginne the time at the Apostles going out to preach the Gospell in all nations and so apply euery thing to some notable accident as one happened after another from age to age Yet because at the opening of the sixt Seale mention is so plainly made of the last day of Iudgement as that it is but a wresting of the words to expound it any other way and againe at the sounding of the seuenth Trumpet it is so confidently affirmed that time was no more chap. 11. and the time is said to be come of iudging the dead vers 18. which cannot be meant but of the day of Iudgement and againe Chap. 14. the Vintage is cut downe and the Wine-presse trodden and againe Chap. 20. the dead arise and come to iudgement I cannot see how that computing of all things in order to the end can stand because the day of Iudgement which is last of all commeth so often in the way There are therefore that beginning the time at the propagation of the Gospell abroad in the world make diuers periods in these visions holding that within euery period most notable things which should happen to the end of the world are set forth Parcus in the first more obscurely and in euery following period more plainly and yet not alwaies the same but if any thing of note hath beene omitted in the former it is supplied in the periods following neither is euery one so vniuersall as another for some set forth the estate of the Church persecuted by Tyrants flourishing vnder Christian Emperours persecuted by Antichrist shaking off his yoke as the vision of the seuen Seales of the seuen Trumpets of the woman with childe cloathed with the Sunne and of the Angell binding the Dragon being afterwards loosened againe but some set forth that part of the estate of the Church only which was in Antichrists reigne and ouerthrow as the seuen Vials and the vision of the great whore and her destruction And vnto this as being most without exception doe I subscribe the rather because S. Augustine long agoe gaue some light to this method saying
preuaile as it is said of a threefold cord that it is not easily broken These preuaile so as that the Potentates of the earth stand to the Pope and fight for him and his religion euen vntill the great day of the Lords battell when all shall bee cut off that is at the day of iudgement which is described vnder the next viall by the commotions in the aire by thunderings and lightenings c. Others by the first plague vnderstand the Hierarchicall kingdome set vp in the dayes of Gregory the seuenth Grasser when the Roman Clergy began to be exempt from the secular iurisdiction becomming thus the more licentious in their filthinesse seeing none but the Pope and his instruments now had power to iudge them So that they make these seuen vials none other but types of corruption by degrees inuading the Church of Rome first in their manners they becomming most filthy and vile 2. In their doctrine set forth vnder the second viall by the sea turned into bloud 3. In their bloud-shed by being an occasion of many ciuill warres and dissentions 4. In their tyranny scorching like the heat of the Sunne in the Canicular dayes beginning in the dayes of Gregory the eighth 5. After all this the throne of the beast was darkened in the Councell of Constance by meanes of Iohn Husse and Ierom of Prague boldly laying open the wickednesse of the Papacy which made them euen to gnaw their tongues for sorrow 6. The sixt viall tooke effect in the sixteenth age of Christs incarnation when the Lusitanians passing beyond the promontory of the cape of good hope came into the Persian gulfe whereinto the riuer of Euphrates falleth and subiected the East parts thereof and going further tooke Calecut and Molucco and Iapania which are the vttermost bounds of the world and of the East in respect of vs founding there many Bishoptickes and seminaries of Iesuites whereas this way was neuer opened before neither had they any knowledge of the Romish religion And that this Prophecy might be fulfilled according to the letter by the comming of the Kings of the East from those parts so farre remote the Iesuites brought ouer the Embassadours of the three Kings of Iaponia ann 1584. thorow the most famous parts of Spaine and Italy to Rome where in the name of their kings they did obedience to Gregorie the thirteenth then Pope Genebrard in Psal 68 v 34. and this Genebrard himselfe a Papist acknowledgeth to bee the fulfilling of this prophecie holding that they came ouer to succour the Church now languishing through the great opposition that it findeth in these parts And in this time the Popes Legats and the Iesuites like frogs leaping about bestirre themselues to make ciuill commotions in all parts of Christendome for the rooting out of heretikes as they call them but the armies are gathered together into Harmageddon signifying a cursed army and so they make a way hereby to their owne vtter destruction figured out vnder the seuenth viall This exposition is prosecuted very largely by the Author Others vnderstanding by the earth whereupon these Angels are bidden to powre out their vials Forbs the earthly kingdome of Antichrist distinguish them according to the relation betwixt the earth sea riuers and aire which at the first are altogether vnderstood by the earth which is below being opposed to heauen aboue And thus the first viall is the first and lightest degree of euill that befell this kingdome when by the light of the Gospell their auarice filthinesse pride and hypocrisie as noisome boiles were detected â—ew yet daring to challenge their doctrine which is impugned vnder the next viall when this Sea appeared filthy like bloud the very worship processions and pilgrimages amongst them being exclaimed vpon as superstitious Vnder the third the corruption of their chiefe Doctours who as riuers seeke by their eloquence and learning to sweeten this Sea is set forth and withall the execution done vpon them for their conspiracies and treacheries against states and kingdomes Vnder the fourth viall they are inraged against the truth being exceedingly heat and vexed by the light and Sun-shine thereof growing clearer and of more force euery day for in stead of repenting they are more obdurated hereby Vnder the fift viall is shewed how the glory of Antichrists kingdome is darkened the Pope and Papistry becomming now vile and odious to many whereupon like men distracted they gnaw their tongues for sorrow Vnder the sixt viall is shewed how the riches glory and dominion of this kingdome being decayed set forth by the riuer Euphrates dried vp wherein it is alluded to Ier. 51. an open way shall be made for the Iewes and Mahumetans in the East to come in and receiue the Gospell that as their defection in the Easterne parts to Mahumetisme was occasioned by the rise of the Pope so their comming againe to embrace the truth may follow vpon the fall of the Pope But the Popes emissaries compared to vncleane spirits and frogs shall still seeke to hinder it by exciting the Potentates of the earth to wars in fauour of the Pope which when they shall be about with an high enterprise set forth by the word Harmageddon that is the mountaine of Megiddo which place is twice mentioned 1. Iudg. 5. when Iabin and Sisera are said to fall at the waters of Megiddo 2. when Iosiah was slaine by Pharaoh Necho in the valley of Megiddo 2 King 23. but here neither waters nor valley but mountaine of Megiddo is named to shew that when they should be at the highest pitch of their designe they should be defeated as God is said to foile Gog vpon the mountaines of Israel and hence a two-fold sorrow shall ensue one worldly of those that are ouerthrowne as the Midianites sorrowed when Iabin and Sisera were discomfited the other godly of those that hereby take occasion to see and acknowledge him whom they haue pierced as Zach. 12. and as they mourned for Iosiah when he was slaine by Pharaoh Necho Vnder the seuenth viall the great alteration that after these things shall be in the world is set forth all the enemies of the truth being destroyed the Church shall come to a flourishing state hauing nothing to expect more but the comming of the Bridegroome Christ Iesus Some more particularly holding that by these Angels certaine eminent persons are set forth Brightman who were stirred vp against the Papacy will haue the first to bee Queene ELIZABETH of blessed memory about ann 1560. and the byle to be her fauouring of the reformed religion turning out of their Bishoprickes and liuings Popish Bishops and Parsons The second Chemnitius in his writing of that booke called Examen Concilij Tridentini wherein the Sea of the Councell of Trent is set forth in the colours all bloudy and corrupt The third the Parlament here in England ann 1581. decreeing that they should be proceeded against as traitours who should at any time after goe about
agree vnto Peter for his continuall most affectionate loue to his Lord and Master Christ as the Iasper doth represent the greene spring Ioâ—chim Ribera The Saphire they which are for Andrew say agreeth well vnto him because it is skie coloured representing the heauens with some streames of little clouds for he was most heauenly minded but they which are for Paul apply it to his being taken vp into the third heauen They which apply the second vnto Andrew proceed to apply the Calcedony to Iames the elder the Smaragd to Iohn the Sardonix to Philip the Sardis to Bartholomew the Chrysolite to Matthew the Berill to Thomas the Topaz to Iames the lesser the Chrysoprasus to Iudas the brother of Iames the Hiacinth to Simon and the Amethist to Matthias But for so much as the Apostles are not alwayes reckoned vp in the same order but in a diuers Mat. 10. Mark 3.16 Luk. 6.13 Neither can it bee certaine in what order they are to bee placed for that the order of their calling is vncertaine I hold with them that decline this particular applying of each precious stone to each Disciple Bl. Viegas Pareus Bullinger c. as a point of curiosity and thinke rather that onely in generall these twelue stones are said to bee in the foundation inscribed with the names of the twelue Apostles to set forth the excellency of their glory as in the diuers vertues and graces of the holy ghost they haue excelled here to represent which these pretious stones doe fitly serue The Iasper besides the most delectable greene coulour is renowmed for the vertue of chasing away phantasies Francis Rucus Parâ—us Viegas who alleageth Plizy Isâ—â—â—e and Bâ—da for his Authors a fit type of the Apostles freedome from vaine phantasies of this world and of their alwayes virent faith and loue The Saphire say some is like the pure skie with some streams of little clouds transfused and that the vertue of it is to make chaste but some say that it is of a green colour also full of Crystalline and golden points that the vertue of it is medicinall The first is roost certaine for the colour for the Saphire is so described Ex. 24.10 it is said to be as the body of heauen in his clearnesse And this doth well agree to all the Apostles who shone as the cleare heauens by the light of their doctrine and stirred vp many to make themselues chaste for the kingdome of Heauen that is to abstaine from mariage that they might be the fitter to goe about preaching the Gospell or to beare the aduersities of those times Or else by their preaching they wrought so as that men became chaste in respect of spirituall vncleannes in abandoning idolatry sin And if there be a medicinall vertue in it they were all Physicians of the soule The Calcedony is of a purple colour reported to be bred of a diuine showre in Aegypt Pareus in Lotharingia there are of them that be red it is a kinde of Carbuncle the vertue of it is to expell melancholy and fearfulnesse This doth serue fitly to represent the bloudy passions of the Apostles being void of all feare and most couragious in the midst of their sufferings Blas Viegas Others compare it with the flame of the fire which appeareth abroad but not in the house and so it is applied to their light and open setting forth of the Gospell not in corners and secret places The Smaragd is of a most delightfull green colour and groweth in Scythia Pareus they ascribe vnto it vertue against poison and against the falling sicknesse being hanged about the necke or worne in a ring it helpeth chastity recreateth the sight cherisheth the memory and increaseth wealth which last I thinke is to him that hath store of them by their price it is easie to apply this to the manifold good comming to the world by the Apostles Blas Viegas Others say that it is of the vertue to change any thing neere it into its own colour which if it be so it may well be applied to the Apostles who conuerted others to the fame faith to which they had beene conuerted before The Sardonix is like the naile of a mans hand from whence also it hath the name Pareus for Onyx is such a naile It groweth in India and Arabia it is good against disdainfulnesse and all hurtfull affections Blas Viegas To this others adde that it is like the naile of a mans hand with the flesh appearing thorow which is by reason of that red and of it selfe white and so it taketh the name from a Sardis which is red and Onyx the naile of the hand which is white the whitenesse may set forth their purity the rednesse their martyrdome The Sardin stone is red in colour but somewhat darke it expelleth feare ingendreth boldnesse Pareus freeth from witchcrafts stencheth the bloud at the nose quickneth the wit and maketh the minde ioyfull To this some adde Viegas that it striketh feare into wilde beasts so the Apostles did into Deuils The Chrysolite is of a golden and sea-colour together it is good against the difficulty of breathing and driueth away feares by night so the Apostles did helpe the obstructions of men and made them to breath freely by the Holy Ghost which they conferred and expelled the feare of the Deuill The Berill is of a light greene colour and groweth in India it helpeth watering eyes and the euill affects of the Liuer and sighings so the Apostles brought ioy to those that were before in a sad and wofull case The Topaz is of a golden colour being transfused with a kinde of greene or as some say reddish Pareus Andreas sending out a milkie liquor it cureth the eyes it stencheth bloud in a wound and as the vertue is more or lesse according to the increase or decrease of the Moone so it helpeth the lunatike Viegas Some say that it hath a golden and a skie colour and that if it be polished it becommeth the more obscure so the Apostles in their writings if by humane art and eloquence they be set forth their lustre is the lesse they are no way so glorious as being simply and plainly set forth in the euidencâ— of the Spirit The Chrysoprasus is of a golden colour inclining to greene whence it hath the name for Chrysos is gold and Frason a Leeke because the greene is like the greene of a Leeke it strengtheneth the heart and healeth the weaknesse of the eyes so the Apostles comforted the hearts of those that heard them and did helpe the weake sighted The Hyacinth hath the name from the red blue and yellow Lilly like vnto which it is for there bee three sorts of these three colours it causeth sleepe and defendeth from the plague if it be hanged so that it may touch the skin next the heart and some say that it also increaseth riches Some adde that this
City in this light they walke that enioy it as all the saued of the Gentiles shall doe and by the Kings of the earth they vnderstand all Regents temporall and spirituall politicke and Ecclesiasticke who bring their glory and honour hither when hauing drawne many by their care and industry in their places to piety they present them before the Lord in Heauen For this is immediatly after set forth to bee the glory here spoken of when it is added Vers 26. Vers 26. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it for the nations and peoples who haue embraced the faith by their meanes are their glory as Saint Paul calleth the Corinthians his glory 2 Cor. 1. 1 Thes 2. Pareus Napier and likewise the Thessalonians Others agreeing in the light here spoken of yet differ a little about the Kings bringing of their glory hither for they say that they bring their glory hither when as they referre their power and authority to the honouring of the Church so comming at the last to enioy this glorious light for thus the Prophet Esay speaking of the same setteth it forth in words a little different from these Esa 60.3 The nations shall walke in thy light and the Kings in the splendour of thy rising It is againe obiected here that it cannot bee meant of the Church triumphant in heauen but of the flourishing Church of the Iewes that shall be vpon earth because the nations are distinguished here-from so as they shall not bee in heauen in the participation of that light for all shall enioy it immediatly not the nations by the meanes of the Iewes as they are set forth here to doe Againe all earthly kingdomes being in the end destroyed what glory shall the kings of the earth haue to bring into heauen They may indeed be rightly said to bring their glory to the Church when as they come in with their subiects to the embracing of the faith of Christ but otherwise there can be no good exposition of this passage I answer that the nations are not spoken of for distinction but for necessary resolution that the faithfull amongst them should enioy this glorious light as well as the faithfull of the Iewish nation who might easily bee vnderstood by the generall type here represented the new Ierusalem now lest any man should doubt whether the faithfull amongst the Gentiles should not partake of this light also he resolueth it by saying And the Gentiles that are saued shall walke in the light of it for as much as they concurre to the making of this holy City Touching the Kings bringing of their glory to it I take it that nothing else is meant but their accession vnto this building so many of them as haue beene wise and haue serued the Lord against the Whore as it was declared that they should Chap. 17.16 though at the first there were not many Noble yet the truth should so preuaile in time as that the Church should not only consist of the vulgar sort but of Kings and Princes also who are the glory and the most magnificent amongst the nations and as they helpe to constitute the spirituall building in this world so shall they be a part of this new Ierusalem in the world to come when all their worldly glory shall seeme nothing to them to the glory which they shall then partake of for which sense that of the Prophet Esay before alleaged maketh notably Esa 60.3 The nations shall walke in thy light and Kings in the splendour of thy rising And so it is no more than as if it had been said As this City shall be infinitely rich for gold and all the costly pretious stones and glorious like vnto the glory of God so they which seeme most glorious in this world the Kings of the earth that be of the faithfull and not the common sort of people shall ioy to bee made partakers of this glory bringing in as it were and laying at the Lords feet all their temporall honour and glory as nought worth in comparison of this as the faithfull in the Primitiue Church brought in their goods and laid them at the Apostles feet willingly depriuing themselues thereof that they might enioy their blessed and heauenly society in comparison of which they counted all this world as nothing All this then serueth onely to expresse yet more fully the glory of the new Ierusalem The gates of it shall not be shut Vers 25. It is the manner of citizens to shut their gates in the night to preuent danger because the world is full of euill disposed persons by reason of whom they may iustly feare to haue them stand open then but this state here described enioyeth perpetuall day here is no night neither is there any feare of enemies for they that are in heauen dwell most securely in this respect and therefore the gates are set forth to be continually open Yet whatsoeuer is vncleane is not permitted to enter for the Angels stand at the gates to keepe it out O thrice and foure times happy are they which shall partake of this estate Dost thou loue to be rich to be glorious to bee safe from danger to bee for euer free from the assaulâ—s of enemies and the vexation of such as be of corrupt and filthy conditions then loue the truth and walke according to it and abandon errour for such onely as cleaue to the truth and are constant against all temptations haue a part in this admirable City CHAP. XXII IN this Chapter it is proceeded in the description of other commodities of this City keeping to the allegory of a City wherein as a riuer of cleare water running thorow the midst of it is very pleasant and comfortable to the inhabitants and trees by the riuers side alwayes greene springing and fructifying doe yet adde vnto the pleasantnesse of the place so the heauenly city is set forth For hee proceedeth saying He shewed me a pure riuer of water of life Vers 1. as cleare as Crystall proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb. And in the midst of the street Vers 2. and on either side of the riuer was there the tree of life which bare twelue manner of fruits and yeelded fruit euery moneth and the leaues of the tree were for the healing of the nations There is a place not much vnlike to this in Ezechiel where waters were shewed vnto the Prophet Ezec. 47. â— 3.5 increasing to a great riuer that issued out from the Temple Vers 7. many trees growing on the bankes on the one side of the riuer and on the other and it was told him that euery thing Vers 9. where these waters should come should bee healed and liue and that the trees should bee all sorts of trees for meat Vers 12. whose leaues fade not and they should bring forth fruit according to their moneths their fruit being for meat and
mountainous places and Ilands were sought out to be destroyed which is expressed in saying the mountaines and Ilands were remoued out of their place then all professours of the Christian religion sought to hide themselues from the anger of him that sitteth vpon the throne thinking God and the Lambe to bee angry with them set forth in the last words Bullinger Pareus Others will haue the corruption in the time of Antichrist meant which time say they began when Constantine aduanced Syluester the Bishop of Rome and his successours and continueth in the Papacy to this day then began a great earthquake by the change of the state of the Church into Pontificall then the Sunne the doctrine touching Christ was darkened through the interposition of traditions the Moone the Church was turned into bloud either by murthers committed by Antichrist or by the corrupt worshipping of God the starres the ministers of God fell from heauen by apostatising from the truth the heauen the Church was folded together as a booke when it appeared not any where or the holy Scriptures were shut vp from the people the mountaines Emperours and Kings were remoued by Popes the Ilands the people were remoued out of their place by being made beleeue vpon paine of damnation that the Pope is the head of the Church And being brought to this estate of corruption as there can be no sound peace but terrors of conscience out of the truth so all estates are set forth as terrified by a conscience of Gods iudgement and some indeed fulfilled this according to the letter going into wildernesses and Monasteries seeking by applying themselues to perpetuall deuotion to quiet their consciences accusing them for former offences but could not effect it But herein Pareus differeth from Bullinger for hee applieth this of the generall feare of all estates and degrees to the last day of iudgement which shall follow after that the world hath beene so corrupted in the time of Antichrists reigne Lastly some vnderstand by this earth-quake Forbs c. the great alteration that came vpon the Romane Empire by meanes of the Gothes and other barbarous nations which was so great as that the whole world seemed to be changed But I subscribe to the first exposition because most agreeable to the letter and where the literall sense may stand there is no vse of allegories And indeed without straining no time but the day of iudgement can be rightly called the great day of Gods wrath wherein all the wicked of all estates and degrees are filled with terrour at Gods presence If it bee taken as an allegory there are so great differences that there will bee no certainty of truth Besides that it doth no way answer the precedent cry for vengeance so fitly as being literally vnderstood of the last day for whatsoeuer commotions there be in states and kingdomes yet euery one is not at such times so seuerely animaduerted against but many escape whereas here euery one is said to tremble and feare Whereas Pareus includeth both the persecution vnder Antichrist and the day of iudgement also I cannot see how that can stand for the fleeing away of all estates and degrees for feare is an effect of those stupendious accidents in heauen and in earth as in reason it is likely when such things shall come to passe no lesse can be expected but horrible feare Let vs then study to pacifie Gods anger before this day commeth by true repentance and humiliation that wee may not finde it a day of wrath but of euerlasting mercy to vs. CHAP. VII THE dreadfull manner of Gods comming to iudge and to take reuenge vpon the enemies and corrupters of his truth hauing beene set forth in the sixt Chapter lest there should arise anxiety in the minds of the faithfull about the Lords care touching them in the midst of all the miseries before described for that it hath not yet appeared how they are prouided for when all things shall be so full of dread feare he doth apart here set forth Gods care ouer them during all those troubles and affrighting apparitions they were marked in the forehead that no hurt might hereby seize vpon them but these tribulations might be to them a way to future glory and the inuestment with white robes washed in the Bloud of the Lambe at what time all teares shall be wiped from their eyes for euer For the meaning of the particular passages here Quest 1. Vers 1. After this I saw foure Angels standing vpon the foure corners of the earth holding the foure winds that they might not blow vpon the earth c. What is meant by these things Rupertus Caelius Pannon Answ Most Expositors vnderstand by these winds the Spirit of God in the Preachers of his Word diffusing it selfe in all parts of the world but the euill angels the Deuils which rule in the Antichristian Sect seeke to hinder these winds by suppressing the pure preaching of Gods holy Word in all places Dionys Bullinger Pareus Brightman to the corrupting and decay of all true Religion They keepe the winds from blowing vpon the earth that is the vulgar sort the sea that is Doctrine the trees that is men of more eminency or by the earth they vnderstand men dwelling in any part of the earth by the sea the inhabitants of Ilands by trees such as lurked in woods or they take the earth for earthly ones the sea for the worship of God and trees for people good and bad which professe to worship God Againe there is difference also about these foure Angels for some vnderstand the foure Monarchies Primas Haimo Ambrose Amsbert Lyra. in the time whereof the truth was hindred Some foure persecuting Emperours who after that Dioclesian and Maximianus had forsaken the Empire did together persecute the Christian Religion in the foure parts of the world viz. Maximianus in the East Seuerus in Italy the west Licinius in Alexandria in Egypt the South Maxentius at Rome and whereas all others vnderstand Christ by the Angell with the seale he vnderstandeth Constantine the great who suppressed these tyrants And some againe by the Angell in the East vnderstand the Mahumetans in the West the Pope in the North the Germane Empire in the south Spaine For mine owne part when I consider the premises of great and horrible miseries to come vpon the world I cannot but thinke as I intimated before in generall that comfort against these euils is here intended to the godly and therefore I subscribe rather to those that vnderstand these things literally of foure Angels appointed by God as his Ministers herein for it is said To them it is giuen to hurt c. to destroy all things Arethas Ribera Fox and this is fitly set forth by holding the foure winds because in wind and breath consisteth the life of euery thing in this world things of the earth as men and beasts of the sea as fishes and fowles and the trees
compelled to carry vnreasonable burthens and if being oppressed with the weight they went slowly they were whipt with whips full of iron prickes that put them to exceeding great torment Then they which before had beene rulers of the world were made slaues vnto a barbarous people For Augustulus was compelled by them to deuest himselfe of his imperiall robes and to goe into banishment the Empire in the West being thence forward ruled by Odoacer the King of the Rugians and Theodoricus of the Goths and his successors till that Etius being sent by the Emperour of the East cut them quite off from hauing any dominion more And yet neither then were they free from the oppression of strangers for the Longobards brought in by the said Etius obtained the Kingdome of Italy and ruled for the space of aboue two hundred yeeres till the time of Charles the great All which History that it may be vnderstood the better I haue thought good to transcribe hither as I finde it to haue beene by others collected together I haue already touched Valens his bringing in of the Goths into the East to his owne ruine about ann 380. After him reigned Theodosius sixteene yeeres all which time that sauage Nation was able to doe no great hurt But in the daies of Arcadius and Honorius the sonnes of Theodosius they came in great multitudes especially into the west where Honorius reigned For Radagisus King of the Goths came in the eighteenth yeere of his reigne into Italy with 200000. men ann 409. but this great multitude being dispersed and perishing by famine he came to a miserable end but fiue yeeres after Alaricus who succeeded him besieged and tooke Rome and spoiled it and the rest of Italy Adaulphus succeeded him and tooke Rome the second time After him Genscricus came with 500000. and tooke Rome the third time ann 445. After this Odoacer King of the Rugians tooke Rome and quite ouerthrew the Empire reigning in Italy fourteene yeeres Against him came Theodoricus King of the Goths sent by Zeno Emperour of the East who ouercomming him reigned in Italy three and thirty yeeres Atalaricus succeeded him and reigned eight yeeres then Theodatus two yeeres and he being deposed Vitiges was made King and reigned fiue yeeres he being taken prisoner by Bellisarius a Captaine sent by Iustinian Emperour of the East Totilas succeeded vnder whom and Vitiges his predecessor Italy and Rome indured infinite miseries Totilas tooke Rome the fifth time and razed it to the ground burning all with fire fourteene dayes together and so the Citizens being left harbourlesse wandred about the fields of Campania hee reigned ten yeeres and then Etius another famous Captaine being sent against him he was ouercome and an end was put to the Kingdome of the Goths These times being computed together from the eighteenth yeere of Honorius when these Locusts beganne first to swarme in Italy vnder Radagisus vnto Totilas the last King of the Goths will appeare to be about 150 yeeres For the eighteenth yeere of Honorius when Radagisus came was the fourth of Theodosius of the East who reigned 38. yeeres after Martianus 7. Leo 17. Zeno 17. vnder whose reigne Odoacer beganne and reigned 14. yeeres Theodoricus 33. Atalaricus 8. Theodatus more than 2. Vitiges 5. an inter regnum after that Bellisarius had ouerthrowne Vitiges 2. Totilas 10. From Radagisus then to the end of Zenoes reigne are 80. yeeres when the Roman Empire was put downe in Augustulus which time I reckon by the easterne Emperours because that after Honorius who reigned 29. yeeres Valentmian the third onely reigned 30. yeeres but after him there were many which stood so short a time and were so vnhappy in their reignes as that their times are not counted as namely Auitus Richimex Maioranus Senerus Anthemius Olibrius Gliceriâ—s Nepos Orestes Augustulus From Odoacer to the end of Totilas are 74. yeeres which being put vnto the former 80. amount to 154. Now it is to be noted that the Kingdome of these strangers was some yeeres before the end of Zenoes Empire before spoken of and the time of Theodatus might be two or three yeeres more than are reckoned wherefore we may deduct out of this some fiue or six yeeres because this change was vnder Zeno and so the time will be 148. vnto which if we adde againe the foresaid two or three the whole will be about 150. from ann 409. to ann 559. This ground being thus laid all things will most excellently agree to these troubles For first the Deuill who is a murtherer from the beginning in times past a Lucifer but fallen is by God appointed for a punishment of heresie to bring in an infinite multitude of strangers and this is his opening of the bottomlesse pit because the purpose of spoiling wasting and destroying is from hell These are compared to Locusts darkning the aire through their multitude as in Egypt both because they had no certaine place of habitation but preyed vpon others and because they were not of any great power to hurt but by reason of their great multitudes They hurt like Scorpions because when Valens first brought them in they came as helpers but after a while they proued most mischieuous to Christendome as the Scorpion looketh pleasantly and putteth to no paine at the first till after three daies when the torments of his stinging are most grièuous and kill for which cause also their sting is said to be in their taile Yet there is a difference from the Scorpions sting in that these only torment and kill not and torment such onely as want the marke of God in their forehead For though many in these warres were slaine yet the Empire was but wounded as it were and not for euer destroyed seeing after a certaine time it reuiued againe And it is the state in generall whereof it is spoken when he saith That they should not kill but torment them As for the exception of the sealed ones whereas it may seeme that they were hurt most for so much as the Orthodox were most peresecuted by the Goths being partly after a time drawne to be Arrians This exception I take it is made to note that such as were not sealed but turned away after Heresie were the cause of this mischiefe neither could the Elect receiue any dammage hereby seeing all outward calamities suffered for Gods sake are turned to an inward aduantage vnto them The time of fiue moneths being resolued into daies is iust the foresaid terme of 150. yeeres a yeere being vnderstood by a day as is frequent in prophesies It may also bee applied vnto the fiue times of Romes vanquishment in the compasse of these yeeres The state being thus often ouerturned and they who were wont to bee Lords of all into seruitude reduced their houses fired their wiues rauished their riches comming into the possession of others and themselues exposed to extreme pouerty and want harbourlesse and comfortlesse no maruell though they desired
hereby shew that in the time of light for a long time the Pope should haue the most followers still By treading vnder foot is meant their subiection to the Papacy and the maintainers of Popery are called Gentiles because in their idolatries and ceremonies most like vnto them One hath a singular opinion by himselfe touching this Court and these Gentiles for hee vnderstandeth the Turkes Fox and the nations subiect vnto them these are left out because when the Church should be reedified in these latter dayes this reedifying should not extend vnto them but they should be vnder the heathen Turkes For mine owne part I am much affected with this last but so as that I thinke the Papists are not to be excluded who keepe a great part of the Christian world vnder their superstitions also as the Turke doth vnder his wherefore I resolue that both are here meant the Turkes are Gentiles because out of the Israel of God the Papists are Gentiles because idolatrous and superstitious like the Gentiles They together then tread vnder foot the court of Gods house by holding vnder the greatest part of the world which formerly hath beene Christian euen still in these dayes of light the one in the East the other in the West 3. Touching the time of two and forty moneths some vnderstand a short time Bullenger Pareus c. Centur. Mag. deburg Iunius but indefinite 1. Some vnderstand the time when the outer Court should thus be troden vnder foot by the Pope and so they count from the beheading of Iohn Baptist resoluing these moneths into dayes 1260. and reckoning them for yeeres vnto Boniface the eight ann 1294. out of which foure and thirty being deducted being the age of Christ not long before whom Iohn suffered there will remaine 1260. 2. One reckoning these moneths by dayes Brightman and taking the dayes for yeeres not according to the Iulian account whereby two and forty moneths make 1278. dayes but according to the Aegyptian falling short in this summe eighteene dayes of the Iulian will haue the time accounted so much short of 1260. as it exceedeth by the Iulian account and so vnderstandeth here 1242. Iulian yeeres which time hee beginneth in the dayes of Constantine ann 304. and extendeth it to the Councell of Trent ann 1546. All this time the outer Court was troden vnder foot through the heresies that preuailed and the two witnesses the old and new Testament prophesied in sackcloth but then they were killed by the authorizing of one corrupt translation onely and falsifying their Expositors who had anciently giuen life vnto them by their sound expositions 3. Another vnderstandeth the time of the Turkes tyrannizing Fox from Ottoman to the last that shall be which he reckoneth by Sabbaths of yeeres making euery month such a Sabbath as Daniel doth a weeke and so the whole summe of yeeres 294. But experience sheweth this to be but a coniecture because the Turkish tyranny continueth still it being now farre past the time thus calculated For Ottoman was ann 1300. vnto which adde 294. and it will amount but to 1594. As for that of Brightman it were to bee wished that it were so for according to his account we should soone bee deliuered both from Turke and Pope who I feare haue a longer time to continue than he imagined But here is both a difference of eighteene yeeres and the two and forty moneths of the Popish Gentiles doe not thus agree much part of this time the Church being put to it and the Scriptures wronged by the Aâ—rians and other Heretikes and not by this Antichristian sect who are not obserued to haue gotten such an head till about Ann. 600. Of the second opinion there is lesse probability seeing it is not set downe when this treading vnder foot should be but how long it should endure And as for the first exposition it were strange that no certaine time should be meant here being measured out thus by so many moneths and dayes when as both in Daniel and Ieremie and other Prophets it hath alwaies beene found that a certaine number named hath noted out a certaine time Pareus mentioneth this as being followed by some and most approued by himselfe if a certaine time be here determined There is another exposition therefore onely remaining whereby so many yeeres are meant as there are daies in 42. moneths that is as the Spirit of God immediatly directeth vs 1260. according to the Egyptian account reckoning thirty daies to a moneth for by this account it is most probable also that the Lord would haue vs goe because Egypt is afterwards here mentioned The time then of the Turkes tyranny must be 1260. yeeres and as Turke and Pope haue the same beginning and continuance for History sheweth that they beganne together and as 42. moneths setting forth thus long a time are here iointly ascribed to the Gentiles treading the Lords holy City vnder foot so Chap. 1â— 42 are particularly ascribed vnto the Pope Now the time of both their beginnings is notoriously known to be ann 606. then Mahomet broched his Alchoran and Boniface the third obtained of Phocas to be vniuersall Bishop If then we reckon from hence by adding to 1260. the end of their time will fall out ann 1866. The Locusts were a plague but of fiue moneths but by these the Church is exercised more than foure times double thus much onely the comfort is the Temple c. is measured to signifie the preseruation of the Church especially after the opening of the Booke so that there shall still be certaine Nations so defended from them as that the truth shall be there maintained during this whole time The Lord Iesus vnder whose Banner we fight and for whose honour we stand suffer not his Temple to be any more by Pope or Turke inuaded or lessened in the number of those that worship in it till the full time of the destruction of these deadly enemies shall come and of the Lords taking of all the Kingdomes into his owne hands but rather increase this number taking pity vpon the infinite multitude of poore seduced soules and giue vs all faith and patience whatsoeuer he hath appointed vs to suffer for his truth and if the time of this affliction be yet appointed thus long to come he shorten it for his Elects sake Mat. 24. as he promised to doe touching the time of the siege of Ierusalem Touching the two witnesses vers 3. of whom it is said I will giue vnto my two witnesses and they shall prophesie I see no reason why Beza should reade as he doth I will giue it vnto my two witnesses as if he meant to giue the City vnto them for the sense is plaine as most agree I will giue the gift or spirit vnto them and they shall prophesie The greatest doubt is who are meant by these two witnesses I haue already touched the common tenent of the Papists holding them to bee Enoch and
eft soones prepared for their suppression though many thankes be God in such Nations as wherein the liberty of the truth hath beene maintained haue beene out of their Gunshot Neither haue their preparations been in vaine for they both haue and still doe daily kill many And therefore I cannot see how any time already past can agree to that which is here figured out here being no intimation of any more opposition destruction but of fearing and fainting on the Antichristian part till they come to ruine In my poore iudgement therefore here is set forth what shall bee at the end of the halfe weeke before described by two and forty moneths and by 1260. daies making halfe a mysticall weeke of yeeres and three daies and an halfe being as all know halfe a weeke for so the Text precisely saith at the end of the three daies and an halfe And what shall be then Verily an exaltation of the truth no where to bee trodden vnder foot any more In the time of the Gentiles power when some witnesses are slaine others are raised vp but for so much as they are also impugned and many of them slaine I vnderstand the whole succession of witnesses by the two who were made Martyrs some after other some But when this tragicall time shall be ouer they shall be raised vp not to be sought against and to fall any more but to terrifie the aduersaries to propagate the truth finally to be made partakers of the kingdome of Heauen here signified by their being called vp and ascending in a cloud a speech plainly alluding to that of the Apostle 1 Thes 4.17 We that are aliue shall be caught vp together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the aire and so shall euer bee with the Lord. Now this ascending is subioined immediatly after their being raised vp and before the fall of the great City not for that these things shall be done in this order for then some which see that fall and repent should bee conuerted at the day of iudgement which is no time for that but the Argument touching the exaltation of the faithfull is prosecuted together to the last according to the vsuall manner of Scripture ioyning all things touching one and the same Argument together though happening at diuers times and then commeth in that of the iudgement of enemies It is therefore to be vnderstood that the seruants of God shall preuaile and the true Religion shall flourish whereat feare shall come vpon the enemies neither shall they haue power to make resistance any more but in stead of being murthered as in times past they shall to their comfort stand in expectation of the great Day of the Lord when they shall be taken vp in the Clouds and euer remaine in blisse with the Lord. And thus their ascending is also vnderstood by Bullinger and Fox Bullinger Fox After this it is proceeded to the iudgements against the aduersaries when the truth shall be thus exalted a great Earthquake shall shake the great City there shall be a wonderfull commotion in the world they which are for the truth taking courage vnto them and assaulting the contrary part of the Papals and Mahumetans and then their hearts failing them for feare being vnable any longer to withstand the force of the Orthodox the tenth part shall fall away from that City whereof they held before becomming professors of the truth Hest 8.17 as in the daies of Mordecai men became Iewes for feare and of those which yet harden themselues 7000. that is a great multitude shall be slaine Ios 10.11 God fighting against them as hee did sometime against the Canaanites The residue seeing this shall relent and acknowledging their errors embrace the truth thus giuing glory to God Ios 7. as once Ioshua bade Achan giue glory to God and tell the truth All which they suffered before could not make them that suruiued repent as was shewed Chap. 9. v. 20. so that here it being spoken of them in another phrase their repentance must needs be intimated and in this particular most Interpreters agree The whole drift of St. Augustine de Ciuitate Dei is to shew that here haue alwaies beene two Cities the City of God and of the Deuill this city of the Deuill comprehendeth the whole state of the Gentiles in the present sense a Catastrophe whereof shall be when the two and forty moneths appointed are ended no professed enemies to the truth bearing rule in any place being any more after this fatall blow to bee found but as there is one God so there shall be one Religion all ouer the world There will bee perhaps some peruerse sectaries still being frozen in the dregs of superstition till the glorious comming of the Lord to iudgement which cannot then be farre off and of this remainder it may bee that the Apostle speaketh 1 Thes 2.8 that the Lord will destroy by the brightnesse of his comming And thus haue I by the grace of God gone thorow this long darke and obscure way let the learned consider iudge and if I haue erred herein I shall willingly vpon demonstration of such error retreat but if nothing of moment can be obiected let vs stand in a comfortable and assured expectation of this issue glorious to the now despised and mistermed witnesses of the truth but terrible to the aduersaries that now for a time triumph ouer the dead and subdued to their lusts The day of the bitter enemies to the truth shall not last alwaies the time of their Sunne-set shall come shortly and then it shall gloriously arise to vs neuer to goe downe any more till the comming of the Sunne of righteousnesse to glorifie vs with heauenly glory for euer And in all this there is no contradiction to the Lords prediction of the ouer-spreading of sinne at his comming as in the daies of Noah and Lot for when one religion is externally imbraced by all all are not by and by reformed according to the same but rather trusting to the forme of godlinesse most shall giue themselues ouer to licentiousnesse louing the darknes in the midst of this light till the Lord come vpon them as a theefe in the night to their vtter vndoing and confusion For by the consent of all Historians Christians neuer were so licentious as in the time of peace and freedome from persecution of enemies which maketh that which I haue said the more probable and so free from any note of contrariety to other passages of holy Scripture Quest 2. And the seuenth Angell blew his Trumpet Vers 19. and there were great voices in Heauen saying the kingdomes of the world are become our Lords Vers 17 18. c. What is meant by this and in that the foure and twenty Elders in praising God doe further speake of the anger of the Gentiles and the time come of Gods anger and of iudging the dead and rewarding the godly And lastly what is figured
out by the opening of the Temple in Heauen and the Arke of the testimony appearing and the Thunders Lightnings Voices Vers 19. Earthquake and Haile concluding all Answ Some referring that which went before to the times of reformation in sundry parts Brightman Forbs vnderstand by these voices the acclamations of praise in the reformed Churches for diuers Kingdomes comming vnder the obedience of the Gospell as England Denmarke Sweuia and diuers parts of Germany And that the foure and twenty Elders are the multitude of the faithfull following the foure beasts the Pastors who hauing stirred them vp doe more particularly commemorate the time of iudging the dead meaning the Iewes who hitherto lay dead in infidelity but now shall be turned The anger of the Nations is the Popes and Papists indignation striuing to take reuenge for this reuolt excommunicating Princes and absoluing subiects from the oath of allegiance and mouing the Spaniard to come with his great Armado against England ann 1588. And now Heauen is opened and the Arke appeareth by the more cleere vnderstanding of prophesies than in former times But vnto the wicked there is no comfort hereby but matter of terrour set forth in the Thunders Lightnings c. Against this exposition maketh first the fluctuating estate of some kingdomes where the truth hath beene entertained and the holding off of most hitherto whereas the Lord is said after the accomplishment of this to reigne for euer and not some kingdomes but the kingdomes of the world are said to become the Lords by which all kingdomes in generall must needs be vnderstood Againe it is plainly forced to apply the iudging of the dead to the calling of the Iewes for howsoeuer the Iewes bee as it were dead hitherto yet the phrase of iudging the dead will not beare any such sense of comming in grace to any people but rather with reuenge And that which is opposed vnto it of the reward of the godly maketh it more plaine that by iudging must be meant calling to an account and proceeding in iudgement against them Lastly it is contrary to the oath of the Angell who sweareth Chap. 10. that time shall bee no more but when the seuenth Angell soundeth so that to expound this vnder the sounding of the seuenth Angell of things happening in this world it still continuing I cannot see how it may be iustified Some vnderstand by this seuenth Angell the last order of Preachers Gagnaeus and some other Popish after the ouerthrow of Antichrist who shall sound out the comming of the Lord to iudgement when all the world shall for euer be subdued vnto him the wicked being iustly condemned and the godly graciously rewarded But this trumpet is indeed the last trumpet whereof it is said the Lord shall come with the sound of a trumpet For this is the time of iudging the dead and wherein all kingdomes are subiected to the Lord no man ruling any more and Satans kingdome being at an end Beda Rupertus Primasius Andreas Aretas Bullinger Fox Marlorat Tossanus Alphonsus Pareus c. The Gentiles were angry before but now is the time of Gods anger Fox And therefore most Expositors agree in this both ancient and moderne After the fall and slaughter made in the great city before described whereby Heresie and superstition is reiected in all parts none other notable change shall happen more till the Lords comming to iudgement at the last day when iustreuenge shall be taken vpon all enemies of the truth who were angry and had indignation to see it lift vp the head and destroyed such as stood for it and the godly shall bee rewarded according to all their sufferings whether they bee Prophets or Saints and other men fearing God whereby such matter of ioy is ministred to all the heauenly company that they breake out into acclamations of praises of the Lord by whom these things are done Then the Temple in heauen appeareth and the Arke of the Testimony The glory of that place which is yet vnseene and shut vp from all mortall eyes as the Sanctum Sanctorum with the Arke of old was so as that none but the high Priest onely entred once a yeere and did see Aarons rod budded and the pot of Manna preserued shall bee set open to all the children of God to enter and behold and see as they are seene to their vnspeakable and euerlasting comfort but to the wicked as before there were nothing but signes of terrour thundrings lightnings earthquakes c. so now they shall feele these terrours to their euerlasting woe of which they heard before but not beleeuing them hardened themselues still in their euill wayes Some by the Arke of the Testimony here vnderstand the Lord Iesus Bullinger Pareus whom we shall then actually enioy he appearing vnto vs in his glory as he is and by the Temple the Church triumphant the glory whereof shall then be laid open to all men Some by the Arke vnderstand Christs humanity but there being little difference I will not stand to contend Beda Primasius Rupertus but by the happinesse of that time let vs all be perswaded to feare God and patiently beare what the malice of this wicked world shall lay vpon vs and the basenesse of our present condition for then we shall haue a full compensation of most excellent glory such as hitherto hath not beene seene yea which no mortall eye can see or heart conceiue CHAP. XII IN this and the two Chapters following is another period of time contained wherein by new figures are set forth the troubles of the Church by Antichrist and what iudgements shall finally be executed vpon him and vpon all his adherents they shall bee tormented and the smoake of their torment shall ascend for euermore they shall be troden in the wine-presse of Gods wrath by the ministery of his Angels being sent out to gather them together as clusters of grapes are cut down and gathered together to the wine-presse when they are ripe But the figures and passages here are so mysticall as that we need pray much to the father of lights to enlighten vs to goe in a right path of the vnderstanding of these things or else wee must needs bee wildred and lost in this search Trusting therefore onely to this enlightening I thus enter this way Quest 1. And a great signe was seene in heauen Vers 1. a woman cloathed with the Sunne and the Moone vnder her feet and vpon her head a crowne of twelue starres c. What woman is this and what doth this strange kinde of apparell about her signifie What is her being with childe and pained to be deliuered What childe is it that she was about to bring forth that should rule all nations with a rod of iron whom a great red Dragon standeth ready to deuoure hauing seuen heads and ten hornes and with his taile drawing the third part of the starres and casting them to the earth which Dragon is said
time a phrasevsed to shew that the time is certaine with the Lord but concealed from vs. Somereferre it to the dayes of Constantine Pareus Bibliander Brightman when the Church through wealth and liberty began to grow corrupt by pride contentions and errours holding that the Church in the wildernesse is opposed to the Church in heauen before described with her heauenly glory which she had all the time of persecution but now being in peace corruption and superstition commeth on making her like a woman in the wildernesse yet the time which shee is said to bee in the wildernesse they distinguish from the time of her flight holding that shee began to take her flight in the dayes of Constantine and was flying three hundred yeeres euen vntill Phocas who established the Bishop of Rome for vniuersall ann 606. from that time forward she was in the wildernesse a time and times and halfe a time before described by one thousand two hundred and threescore dayes being either so many yeeres or a long time vnknowne to vs and therefore thus set forth that wee might not be troubled though we see this persecution continued still for it is not onely for a time but times after that and then halfe a time more And to make the time of this flight to bee three hundred yeeres the more probably they obserue that not a Doues but Eagles wings are giuen vnto her arguing a flight strong and of long continuance Forbs Some referring it also to Constantines time will haue him to bee the great Eagle giuing wings to the woman to flie into the wildernesse by enduing the Church with so much worldly wealth whereupon much corruption soone crept in and she became like a woman in the wildernesse but extend the time here set forth no further but till the rising of the beasts in the next Chapter vnto which a way is hereby made Some referring this time to the Apostles dayes Fox hold two times of persecution the one of the Primitiue Church set forth ver 6. the other of the Church vnder Antichrist towards the end of the world set forth here Either time is the same one thousand two hundred and threescore dayes that which time and times and halfe a time is and the same with the two and forty moneths before described Chap. 11. which if they bee reckoned as Daniels weekes seuen yeeres to a moneth they make two hundred ninety and foure yeeres And such a time was the Church vnder persecution vntill Constantine from whence one thousand yeeres being counted of Satans binding mentioned Chap. 20. together they amount to one thousand three hundred yeeres at what time this persecution by Papists and Turkes began the vttermost end thereof being 1594. But experience hath already confuted this it being now 1625. and yet these persecutions holding out There are other computations made here by others also as of three yeeres and a halfe which hath beene sufficiently refuted already Grasserus and of so much time as maketh this to fall vpon the beginning of the sixteenth century when Popery began to decline But I will not trouble the Reader with more varieties If I may put in my coniecture amongst others I take it this time is not to begin in the Apostles dayes because it is the same with the 42. moneths of Ierusalems being trodden vnderfoot Chap. 11. and the one thousand two hundred and sixty dayes of the two witnesses prophecying in sackcloth which beginneth not till the sixt trumpet as hath beene already shewed and it seemeth to be too general by a time thus many wayes so often described to vnderstand onely a time without any certaine determination seeing experience of former Prophecies teacheth that when time is thus set forth by a certaine number of daies or weeks or months a certaine proportion of time to be hereby counted is meant Neither would I begin it in the dayes of Constantine the great because the Church was not then persecuted but maintained though there were some stirres by meanes of Arrius whereas a persecution here is intimated putting the Church so hard to it as that she is faine to flie into the Wildernesse for safety And it is strange that if this time were meant and thence forward till Phocas which was 300. yeeres wherein they say she was fleeing that any mention should be made of wings to flie with which in cōmon reason argue swiftnesse I thinke therefore that this time is to be referred to the yeeres following the destruction made by the Goths Vandals when they were expelled out of Italy which was betweene the yeere 500. and 600. for not long after this the Popes of Rome in the West hauing climbed vp into the chaire of supremacy great troubles beganne about images by their meanes they being bitter against those that would haue no Images in diuine worship daring to anathematize euen Emperours that withstood them and Mahomet in the East persecuted all that would not receiue his damnable Alcoran as hath beene already shewed to haue beene done about ann 606. Here was now a new kind of persecution begun not by Heathen Idolaters to bring in the worship of Deuils againe but of such as were Christians in shew but indeed pleading for Baal vnder a new name and of such as reuiued Iudaisme againe in part in somewhat a different manner vnder pretence of another Moses or Prophet of God Mahomet Then the Church hath two wings of an Eagle giuen her to flie into the Wildernesse as sometime the people of Israel are said to haue beene brought out of Aegypt vpon Eagles wings Exod. 19.4 and they are two because by faith patience they are borne out of this danger as is said in the Chapter following Chap. 13.10 By this flying into the wildernesse then is meant that after such time as the Pope and Turke thus inuaded the Church of God she held no visible state any more by ruling in all Countries and Nations by possessing Cities and Townes but as the people of Israel being carried out of Aegypt into the Wildernesse wandred a long time vp and downe in vnknowne places being fed with Manna from Heauen and so preserued yet from perishing so the Church of God all this time lieth hid such as hold the truth still being of ignoble condition in worldly respects and so not taken such notice of in the most and greatest Kingdomes of the world but yet she is prouided of such spirituall food though in secret places as that she is miraculously preserued from perishing And the time of this her solitarinesse is before said to be 1260. daies as in chap. 11. here time and times and halfe a time time being put for a mysticall yeere times for two yeeres halfe a time for halfe a yeere which together are three yeeres and an halfe wherein are 1260. daies which set forth here so many yeeres as was proued chap. 11. If it be demanded why this variety is vsed in
woman who fled into the Wildernesse will not beare such an exposition as whereby it should be vnderstood of the Roman Empire from the beginning which was long before it is easily answered that for so much as the thing intended is not to shew when this Empire began or what was anciently done therein but only so farre forth as might auaile to giue light into those passages that properly concerned after times which could not without propounding a generall view of that estate from the beginning be so well conceiued of order may well admit such a figure to be brought vpon the stage as whereby things long before past are represented being auaileable to helpe to the vnderstanding of the figures of things afterwards to come For the similitude of a beast it is vsuall and it was before in Daniel by a beast to represent a Monarchy which is against the truth because such haue no more vnderstanding than a beast and as a monstrous beast deuoureth and destroieth most cruelly It is said to rise out of the Sea because it is constituted of many peoples as was said before for waters are afterwards expounded to be peoples The seuen heads are the seuen sorts of gouernment in that Monarchy for thus it will agree best as I shall afterwards shew Chap. 17. the ten hornes crowned are the Prouinces wherein Consuls with a regall power ruled The names of blasphemy were the arrogant titles that some Emperours in this state tooke to themselues Chron. Laurentij Lâ—â—berg Nero Domitianus prodijs immort-se adorari iubent de Domitiano scriptum reperitur sic dominus Deus noster Domitianus iubet sic Dioclesianus as the title of God vsurped by Caius Caligula and to make men the rather to beleeue him to be a God to thunder and lighten by deuices which he had for this is commonly counted blasphemy as we may see in the Gospell where they said that Christ blasphemed because being man he made himselfe God when as God he forgaue sinnes Note that before God they are beasts and monsters and no men how great soeuer they bee which are void of the knowledge of God and of his truth Note and shall certainly goe into perdition for that which they doe wickedly in their ignorance as this beast did that no man may be drawne by the pompe and outward glory of such men to admire them as happy or to follow their wicked examples but auoid them as monsters amongst men Quest 2. What meaneth the diuers figure of this beast where it is said Vers 2. He was like to a Leopard and his feet as the feet of a Beare and his mouth as the mouth of a Lion c. Answ These similitudes are borrowed from Daniel 7. where the foure Monarchies of the world are compared to foure beasts the first a Lion the second a Beare the third a Leopard and the fourth diuers from all these and therefore not assimilated to any creature intimating a certaine compound thing of many which in all likelihood is the same with this or such another but there the assimilation is concealed here declared to be compounded of those three because that whatsoeuer sauage and brutish qualities were in all the Monarchies before described doe all concurre in this alone or because in the long continuance of time wherein this Empire hath stood there haue beene thus many metamorphoses it being sometime Heathenish sometime Arrian and sometime Popish The Dragon that is the Deuill is said to giue him his power and Throne in respect of the large extent of this dominion into all Countries and Nations as hee said sometime vnto Christ when he shewed him all the Kingdomes of the earth All these are mine and to whom I will I giue them Mat. 4. and because as a Vice-gerent of the Deuill this Empire hath almost in all ages but specially in the time of Antichrist who is chiefly aimed at here maintained the worshipping of the Deuill for such idolatry is Reuel 2.13 see Chap. 9.20 and where wickednesse reigneth it was said before that Satans Throne is Quest 3. What head is this whereof it is said One of the heads was wounded to death and his deadly wound was cured and all the earth wondred after the beast c. Answ Pareus mentioneth diuers opinions first Pareus Grasserus Bullinger of some that hold Iulius Cesar to haue bin this head who was killed in the Senate but liued againe as it were in Augustus Secondly of somewhat hold Nero to haue beene this head because in his death the family of the Cesars was extinct and after him three others Galba Otho and Vitellius were cut off in a few moneths whereby there seemed now to be an end of the Emperours but in Vespasian who succeeded next this wound was cured Thirdly of some that hold Heraclius in the East to haue beene this head in whose daies by the Turkes in the East and the Barbarians in the West the Imperiall State became desperate but it was cured by Charles the great And at lenghth he deliuereth his owne opinion that the Pope is this head who was deadly wounded when the diuision hapned betwixt the Italians and the French the Italians choosing for Pope Vrban the sixth the French Clement the seuenth about ann 1390. after whom two Popes and lastly three continued till the Councell of Constance ann 1417. when by the constituting of one againe Martin the fifth and the deposition of the three this deadly wound was cured The two first he confuteth rightly because those things hapned before this Reuelation whereunto it may be added that particular Emperours were not the heads here spoken of for then the beast should haue had not seuen but many more heads The third shall be further considered afterwards Touching his owne opinion I cannot see how it can stand because that after this all the world is said to follow after the beast and warre is made with the Saints who are ouercome and power is giuen to the beast to doe two and forty moneths whereas after the Councell of Constance many that had followed the Pope within a few yeeres fell from him and warres were made against him with successe in diuers places neither is his time halfe so long if we reckon the 42. moneths as in Chap. 11. Alphonsus Mantuanus an Italian referreth this wound to the time of the breaking forth of the light of the Gospell Alphonsus Mantuanus whereby diuers Countries in a short time fell from the Pope by which as by a deadly wound he seemed as it were to lye a dying but reuiued againe by prospering in his warres vndertaken against the Reformers but neither doth the time agree to this There is another opinion Fox that this mortall wound was giuen by the Goths and Vandals whose History and how deadly they wounded the Roman State see vpon Chap. 9. vnder the fift Trumpet This wound beganne ann 469. and lasted till that
Totilas being ouercome by Narses a Captaine sent by Iustinian Emperour in the East about ann 560. there was an end put to the Kingdome of the Goths and this they count the healing of this wound one part of the state being brought to misery by these barbarous people but the other remaining whole still vnder the Emperours of the East and succouring it thus in processe of time And when the Longobards had againe brought a great part in subiection to them reigning 204. yeeres they were expelled by Charles the great being stirred vp hereunto by the Pope and thus this wound was perfectly cured Others agreeing in the wound Forbs hold that the cure was made by the Popes of Rome working by flattery and the pretence of sanctity so effectually euen with the Conquerours that they brought their necks vnder their yoke and so reigned ouer all in the pristin splendor of the old Roman Empire And some consent that Iustinian beganne the cure Brightman not onely by repressing those Barbarians but also by decreeing that the Bishop of old Rome should be the chiefe Priest of all Constitut Iustiniani 131. Decernimus secundum sacrarum synodorum decreta sanctis veteris Romae Episcopum primum esse omnium sâ—cerdotum and Phocas perfected it about 50. yeeres after when he made him vniuersall Bishop Touching these three last and the third before mentioned by Pareus there is not much difference in them for they all agree about the time when this wound was giuen namely when the Goths and Vandals with other Barbarians preuailed so far as that the Roman Empire was quite ouerthrowne lay diuers yeeres for dead And this is vndoubtedly the wound here meant which cannot be applied to any particular person to be vnderstood by this head because it reuiueth gaine so as neuer did any particular Emperour but to the Imperiall state which had life again afterwards was more adored and admired than euer as is here afterwards declared The difference then is about the time of this cure and the person by whom it was wrought And herein I prefer that exposition which maketh the Pope the Chirurgeon by flatteries colourable perswasions aduancing his Sea at Rome to as vniuersall a souereignty as was sometime that of the imperial seat in the same City which was effected in the daies of Phocas ann 606. and more established not long after by Pipin the French King and vindicated from the molestation of the Longobards by Charles the great his sonne and in processe of time by the Popes practises augmented so as that this sea reigned as well in the East as in the West euen as the old Roman Emperours were wont to doe And thus as this deadly wound was long in making being begun when Constantine the great diuided the East from the West which was a great weakening to this State Rome reigning now but in these Westerne parts which was wont to reigne ouer all and growing more deepe and deadly by the comming in of the Barbarians so it was long in curing the cure being begunne in the time of Phocas and increased by a Councell at Constantinople in the time of Basilius who slew his associate Michael Constantinop Concil the eighth generall Councell that he might reigne alone ann 871. and perfected in the time of Michael Paleologus ann 1273. when the Grecians also were by his perfidie subiected to the Sea of Rome I doe not thinke it so fit to ascribe this cure to any of these Emperours because howsoeuer they were helpes yet the other beast spoken of afterwards is plainly intimated to be he that cured this wound and this beast is the papall Sea as it shall further appeare when I come to explaine those words Pet. du Moulin The accomplishment of prophesies One a learned Writer that came now to my hands differeth from all others about the time of this wound for he assigneth it vnto the time of Aistulphus King of the Lombards who he saith gaue this deadly wound vnto one of the heads when he destroyed the Exarchate of Rauenna which had continued 200. yeeres from Narses as a Lieutenantship to the Emperours of the East but he hauing now subdued the Exarch challenged Rome also as a part of the Exarchate ann 750. Hereupon Steuen the second being then Pope craued aid from Pepin the Emperour being vnable to helpe and preuailed so farre that hee came into Italy the first and the second time subdued Aistulphus tooke the Exarchate from him and bestowed it vpon the Pope making him hereby Lord of Italy ann 755. This exposition maketh the head here said to be wounded to the death to remaine whole euen when the Roman Empire ceased to be because there were Exarchs vnder the casterne Emperours still whereas the Imperiall dignity of Rome being this head it was certainly thus wounded notwithstanding the continuance of an Exarchate of Italy The bestowing of this Lordship vpon the Pope was not then the curing of the wound but a perfecting of the cure begun long before and now made more perfect seeing that from the time of Phocas at Rome there was exercised a kinde of imperiall power which in time grew more and more Quest 4. Vers 4. How is the whole world said to admire after the beast and to worship the Dragon that gaue power to the beast and the beast Answ They admire after the beast that out of a venerable opinion conceiued of the beast follow him Brightman Moulin and so all the world in a manner being drawne to it by instruments sent out from the Pope haue followed him England in the daies of Gregory first by Augustine a Monke France Frisland Denmarke Germany Slauony by Boniface or Venefrid about ann 720. about which time also Ireland Scotland Norway Sweuia Lituania c. were brought to venerate this power They worship the Dragon that is the Deuill who worship Idols and the beast that speake and make account of this state as of God and Christ Iesus himselfe Brightman Pareus for infallibility of iudgement immunity from all errour yet some make these two to be one the worshipping of the Beast and of the Dragon seeing in the Beast the Dragon who doth set him vp is worshipped Bullinger Some vnderstanding all of the Roman Empire in the time of Heathenisme say that they worship the Beast who receiue the superstitious rites and ordinances of that Empire But one thing here maketh it most plaine that it is not the Heathen but the Papall Empire Now after the cure of this wound which is followed and worshipped viz. because it is said that they wondred after the beast intimating that voluntarily they did submit so as they neuer did to the Emperours but by compulsion being ouercome neither did they generally attribute that diuine power vnto them as being vnresistable as God is as they haue done vnto the Pope euen all the earth that is such as are led by
not in a corner but in all countreys and nations of Christendome and shall wee doubt not be diffused into all other parts ere long This is the same in effect with that Chap. 10. Thou must prophesie againe to Nations and Kings and many peoples Feare God Vers 7. and giue glory to him c. this is all the effect of our preaching now and the speech is adaptated to the present occasion for in the time of Popery men feare the beast Pareus giue him glory and worship him as most admirable as was shewed Chap. 13. The chiefe thing therefore now to be pressed is to feare God and to worship him by giuing ouer that fond admiration of the Pope whereby they were drawne after him trusting in him and receiuing his Dictates as the Oracles of a God which indeed is the worshipping of him And the phrase here vsed giue glory to God doth fitly answer that in Chap. 11.13 where it is said that the great city being fallen and seuen thousand slaine the rest trembling gaue glory to God that is were conuerted from that superstition The time of his iudgment is come that is is at hand so that wee may gather hence as Chap. 10. where after the open booke appearing the Angell sweareth that time shall be no more c. that now since these things haue come to passe the destruction of the Pope and Papacy and of all wicked ones is very neere euen at the doores Touching the second Angell proclaiming the fall of Babylon Vers 8. it is plaine that by Babylon here the old city of the Assyrians so called is not meant both because this Babylon is described to be such as had dominion in the time of Saint Iohn ouer the Kings of the earth Chap. 17.18 and because the people of God are bidden to come out of this Babylon where they had not beene fiue hundred yeeres before the time of this Prophecie But some haue held that by Babylon the world is meant wherein there is so much confusion by reason of the Deuils reigning in it But this cannot stand Ambros Beda Arethas Haimo Primasius Ansel because this Babylon is spoken of but as a part of the world for with her all nations haue committed fornication and when it is fallen yet the world of the wicked remaine for they are threatened with euerlasting torments by the next Angell And lastly wee are bidden come out of Babylon which we cannot doe if by Babylon the whole world be vnderstood If wee looke backe to Chap. 11.8 we shall finde a great city mentioned which before was called the holy City vers 2. trodden vnder foot by the Gentiles two and forty moneths in which city it is said the Lord was slaine and his two witnesses their dead carkasses being cast out and all nations and kindreds beholding them which city all men know according to the letter is Ierusalem but spiritually the Text saith it is Aegypt or Sodome This city I shewed there setteth forth the Church of the Gentiles sometime holy but by Popery and Mahumetisme in time corrupted wonderfully and therefore called Aegypt or Sodom and the fall of it in part is also there spoken of vers 13. Now the same is called Babylon another great city and of great note for rule and dominion and of infamy for idolatry and cruelty and because Rome is the head of this corrupted Church and the chiefe city of the world the Papall Empire residing there but extending it selfe into all parts it is meant by this Babylon the name being aptly changed from Aegypt or Sodom to Babylon Ribera to expresse this imperiall Babel-like power Ribera the Iesuite acknowledgeth Rome to be meant by Babylon here alleging many worthy Writers who affirmed the same As Augustine August de Ciuit. Deid 8.6.22 who saith that Babylon falling Rome was built the daughter of Babylon and another very Babylon so likewise Euseb lib. 2. cap. 14. Beda Oecumen Victorinus Ieronym in Esa 24. Tertull. lib. 3. contra Marcion Sixtus Senensis Ludonicus Viues Lindanus Bellarmine c. But hee will not haue Rome as the state thereof now standeth to be Babylon but as it was vnder the persecuting heathen Emperours But this is a most vaine defence 1. Because Antichrist was not come whilst heathen Rome stood who by the consent of all must be come before this fall of Babylon 2. Because from this Babylon spirituall fornications that is idolatries are deriued to all countreys and nations whereas it was neuer so with heathen Rome for then all countreys were suffered to enioy their owne religions but the Christian onely 3. Because none of the Authors alleged except Tertullian liued whilst heathen Rome stood and therefore could not call Rome Babylon meaning heathen Rome Lastly because this Babylon is afterwards called The great Whoore noting a state apostatizing from the truth sometime receiued to goe after Idols for in the holy Scriptures Israel only and Iudah are taxed for whoredome and not either Countries because they were married as it were vnto the Lord and yet they fell from him to the seruing of Idols Other Nations which were neuer taken in for Gods peculiar though they were full of Idols could not properly be said to goe a whooring no more could heathen Rome but the Popish state now iuling there may justly be thus charged Ribera seeing that it is but a shift to apply this to Heathen Rome at the last leaueth it and saith That Rome is meant as it shall be when in the time of Antichrist it shall forsake the Pope and the Catholike Religion as he laboureth to make it probable that it shall doe But who so is wise will easily see that this is but a shift to elude a plaine euidence To Rome that now is and to the Pope who hath his seat there all circumstances doe so agree as that we are sure this Prophesie thus taken is already verified a state falling from the Pope there and returning to their old heathen idolatry is but a phantasma like the man in the Moone which none but fooles will beleeue to be so indeed Here is now the Empire ouer Kingdomes and Nations here are miracles and shewes that draw the world after the Pope After a long time of delusion by faire pretences the eternall Gospell is come to light againe and this state hath beene much shaken this thousand yeeres and vpward and is in a great part fallen but yet murthereth and destroyeth the Saints according to their old manner from hence are idolatries and superstitions deriued into all Countries and lastly now standeth that reuiued head which was deadly wounded being the seuenth which was to come after Saint Iohns time for of the seuen fiue were fallen one that is Emperours then stood and the seuenth that is the Pope was to come And the Iesuite in yeelding that Rome shall fall away to heathen idolatry from the Catholike Religion doth quite forget himselfe of that grand Maxim that
the Church cannot erre and is alwaies visible whereas if this should befall the Church of Rome which they hold to be the onely Catholike Church it should both erre fowly and the Church should sometime be ouerthrowne by the gates of Hell and put downe from the visibility into such contradictions doe they plunge themselues that are contradictors of the plaine and euident truth of Gods Word Touching the third Angell threatning eternall destruction to the followers of the beast Vers 9. enough hath beene said already to shew to what time it is to bee referred and as for the torments here mentioned and the comforts propounded to the faithfull it is easie for any man of himselfe to render the sense thereof Note from all that hath beene said Note that the doctrine of the reformed Churches at this day is the very doctrine of Gods Angell for we teach to ascribe all glory and to giue all worship â—o God only and not to make any a partaâ—er with God herein and in these points not to feare the tyranny of the Pope and his adherents but in the feare of God to persist herein to the end which is the very effect of the Angels teaching To this tendeth our impugning of Images and the worshipping of Saints departed our denying of the merit of workes and supererrogations the Popes power of pardoning sinnes our ascribing all to grace in the conuersion of a sinner and holding no vertue to be in crossing and holy water c. Againe Note see a plaine euidence that this is the truth and the Roman Catholike state Babylon falling before it in diuers Countries and which shall be vtterly razed to the foundation so that a stone shall not be left vpon a stone Lastly Note all prosperity and preuailing is not to be expected by the seruants of God vpon the first falling of Babylon for she maketh head still and putteth many to death whose comfort yet is that they are blessed and rest with the Lord whereas if cowardly they should for feare turne to the beast they must be tormented miserably for euermore But why is this word from henceforth put in are not all the dead that die in the Lord at any time blessed Yes doubtlesse but there is an opinion of Popery by which men were carried away in times past touching the paines of purgatory fire to be suffered after death which is secretly here glanced at as if it should haue beene said Hitherto a long time it hath beene thought that there is no râ—st in death to the godly but further pangs yet to be endured in Purgatory but the vaniâ—y of this tenent being now discouered by the preaching of the Gospell set forth vnder the type of the three Angels no such thing shall henceforth bâ—feared but they shall comfort themselues in the expectation of immediate rest and ioy Quest 3. And behold one like vnto the Sonne of man sitting vpon the cloud Vers 14. hauing vpon his head a crowne of gold and in his hand a sharpe sickle c. Who is this and what are the Angels next mentioned whereof one comming out of the Temple calleth to him to put his sickle into the haruest and a second comming out of the Temple also hauing a sharpe sickle to whom a third comming out from the Altar that hath power ouer fire calleth to put his sickle into the Vintage which is cut downe and trodden in a Winepresse without the City the bloud comming out vp to the bridles of the horses by the space of 1600. furlongs Answ Almost all Expositors agree that the comming of Christ to iudgement is here represented for hee is like the Sonne of man though a great Iudge he shall come in the Clouds 1 Thes 4. and the consumma ion of the world is likened vnto the cutting downe of the Haruest Mat. 13. and both to the Haruest and Vintage Ioel 3.13 from whence this phrase seemeth to bee taken But some vnderstanding Christ by one like the Sonne of man as it is commonly taken P. du Moulin yet hold that some other iudgements vpon Babylon are here set forth to be applyed to the times of the three Angels going before the first whereof come with the eternall Gospell ann 1039. in Berengarius opposing transubstantiation and preuailing so farre that France Spaine Guil. Noribrigens Eng. â—â—ist lio 2 chap 13. Italy Germany were full of men holding the same with him for William Noribrigens saith that they were as the sands of the Sea but they were persecuted for this whereupon the Lord being offended sent his Angell with a sharpe sickle of iudgement ann 1076. About the time of Berengarius his death by a quarrell arising betweene Henry and Gregory the seuenth named Pope Hildebrand betwixt whom forty bloudy battels were fought and all things were filled with confusion and misery The second Angell came with threatnings against Babylon by Peter de Bruis and Henry de Tholouse ann 1130. and by Iohannes de Waldo of Lions ann 1158. for they called Rome Babylon and exhorted all men to goe out of her but Innocent the third then Pope caused the Croisado to be preached and by that meanes within a few moneths 200000. of them were slaine in Prouence Ioh. Cassanion Hist Languedoc and Guienna Hereat God being againe offended sent another sharpe sickle by Fredericke Barbarossa his armies and the Popes by reason of which the miseries were so great as that no Pen can expresse them sufficiently For whilst these warres lasted the Moores wasted Spaine together with the Sarazens murthering all the Christians which they could finde and the Saladine destroyed the Kingdome of Ierusalem which had cost so many millions of mens liues to conquer it The third Angell came with admonition to beware of worshipping the beast by the Preachers of these times against which when the Papacy shall grow most outragious some greater iudgement then euer yet shall come vpon them to the effusion of so much bloud that it shall come vp a wonderfull great space of ground to the very horse bridles which is not yet effected Forbs Grasserus Others hold that here is set forth the increase of such as should stand for the truth it being first vpheld by the immediate power of Christ set forth by his comming in a cloud with a sharpe sickle but afterwards diuers Countries being conuerted his Angels dare be bold to be seene to stand for the truth both temporall Kings set forth by the Angell with his sharpe sickle and spirituall Ministers comming from the Altar who by their exhortations and preaching stirre vp the other against Babylon so that here in briefe is set downe what is more at large described vnder the seuen Vials powred out by the seuen Angels following Some more particularly by one like the Sonne of man vnderstand the protestant Princes in Misnia Brightman Hassia Prussia c. such as Fredericus Saxo Mauritius Philippus Lantgranius Iohannes
a place And all this hee holdeth to bee already fulfilled for the most part the Spanish Armado in 1588. being brought by such meanes into an Harmageddon So that now wee liue vnder the seuenth viall wherein shall bee greater mutations in states than euer and that in this very age the Popish faction being destroyed with horrible destructions and so a finall end being put vnto Rome and to the Popedome I might set downe more expositions but these shall suffice wherein indeed I haue beene the larger because of the obscurity of this place giuing such occasion of diuersity of coniectures as that amongst our new Writers scarce two are to be found that agree together in all things that hauing so many before our eyes we may â—â—e holpen the more in finding out the truth Those ancients which so consentingly expound these vials of Preachers in diuers ages are surely mistaken because these are the last plagues of all in this booke contained and therfore cannot be in diuers ages but in the last onely and they are powred out against Antichrist his marked ones and vpon his throne and to his disturbance intimated in that out of his mouth come the frogs to moue the Kings of the earth to warres in his defence And the long rising of Antichrist arguing a long time wherein hee is falling sheweth that coniecture of the Iesuite to be vaine who bringeth all these vials within the narrow compasse of three yeeres and a halfe yea the latter end of this time Why the two first expositions cannot be receiued I haue shewed before Touching the third the French Pox and pestilences and droughts being common to others as well as to the Papals I cannot see how it doth well agree For the fourth it is more improbable because the scope of this Prophecies is to shew how the Papacie and Pope should be plagued for their wickednesse to their great anguish and not how they should become an annoiance and vexation to others The 5 6 7.10 and 11. expositions then remaine which in many things agree well together and therefore by the light and help hereof I will endeuour chiefly looking vp to the Father of lights for direction to set downe the truest and most genuine sense of these most mysticall vials If in the entry it be a stumble as some haue made it how these Angels may be iustified to doe according to their command when as being bidden to powre out their vials vpon the earth they doe not but one of them only the rest powring out their vials vpon the sea riuers throne of the beast Sunne and aire this I take it hath beene well resolued already in the fift exposition all these are but the parts of the earth as it is here taken viz. for the kingdome of Antichrist here below opposed to heauen aboue so often mentioned in this prophecie when the faithfull seruants of God are spoken of Touching the first Angell with his viall 1. Angell I cannot with Brightman vnderstand it of Queene Elizabeth because howsoeuer she was an excellent instrument for the comfort of the godly and the vexation of the Popish yet she was not the first as this Angell is I hold therefore with Forbs and Pareus that the first oppugners of Popery shewing their filthy byles to their great vexation are here figured out here we may ascend higher than Luther euen to Wickliffe and to the Waldenses and Albingenses before together with many Worthies who wrote and spake against the filthinesse of the Priests Monkes and Fryers many yeeres agone as all that are but meanly conuersant in history know And herein as in almost all the rest it is alluded vnto the inchanters in Aegypt who were smitten with a sore byle that they could not stand before Moses and Aaron for as these make men loathsome so the abominable vices of the Roman Clergy made them loathsome to most men Touching the second 2. Angell I doe not thinke that the doctrine and Doctors of that Synagogue of Rome are meant for so the speech of the Angels iustifying the Lord in his proceedings giuing them bloud to drinke as they had shed the bloud of the Saints would not so well agree for here is plainly noted a paying of them with the like to that which they had done I approue therefore here rather the tenth exposition that hereby is figured out the bloud of the Popish shed by the Turkes especially and the order of time doth agree most excellently for after that the bloud of many thousands of innocents had beene shed in Merindall and Cabriers and other neighbouring parts for religion a great destruction happened to the Papals by the Turkes Munster Cosmogr de Turcis about ann 1444. Ladislaus the Emperour himselfe being slaine together with many Princes Dukes and Nobles and an infinite multitude of common people And in Hungary and Transiluania still after this the Turke preuailing many yeeres a sea of bloud was shed As for the riuers I take it not to bee amisse to apply their turning into bloud to executions done vpon Priests and Iesuites for their treasons here in England and vpon Iesuites in other parts together with the apparant iudgements of God vpon many of them that haue beene most forward in persecuting to their destruction and the slaughters that haue beene made of them in their ciuill warres procured by their owne seeking Touching the fourth I hold that the increase of the light of the Gospell is hereby set forth 4. Angell as most of my Authors agree for the word of God is compared to the Sunne Psal 19. which as it enlightneth and so is comfortable so it heateth and the neerer it draweth to any part of the world the more it scorcheth with the exceeding great heat thereof And thus this viall doth very well agree to the euent for the Sunne being risen to enlighten the world gat vp higher still dayly in the firmament till the heat of it grew intolerable to the Papals making them to raile and sweare against it like mad men Touching the fift there cannot be a more kindly exposition than to apply it to the obscuring of the Popes glory 5. Angell for when by the Sun-shine of the truth the Doctors of that Church and others who stand to the defence of it are scorched so as that they cannot maintaine with any reason any longer the Popes vsurped Supremacy infallibility of iudgement indulgentiary power and power to make Lawes and to dispense with Lawes but their onely refuge is railing and virulency of tongue then what must needs follow next but a vilipending of their Pope whom they so much magnified And when this commeth to passe how can they that are the Popes vassals and in their mindes inthralled to his Holinesse but sorrow extremely and behaue themselues like frantickes Touching the sixt I cannot thinke that the conuersion and returne of the Iewes is once glanced at herein 6. Angell seeing that not by them
fire Answ Most Expositors consent that these Kings are the Kings that arose out of the ruines of the Roman Empire for whilst this stood all Kingdomes about were subiect vnto it and made tributary except Scotland but this Empire falling by the inuasion of the Barbarians Goths Vandals Heruls in the west and of the Turkes Saracens and Tartarians in the east there was an opportunity offered vnto them to resume their ancient state which they did and so became absolute Kingdomes of themselues without dependance vpon any higher power vpon earth But whether these Kings be iust ten or said to be ten that is many it is dissented Bullinger Pareus Grassâ—rus Gen. 31.7 Some stand for an vncertaine number as the word ten is vsed in some other places as in that of Iaacob challenging Laban for changing his wages ten times and of the Lord affirming that the people had tempted him ten times that is many times Numb 14.22 Some hold that these ten are such a iust number P. du Moulin and reckon them to be either 1. France 2. England 3. Spaine held by the Visigoths 4. Lumbardy held by the Longobards in Italy 5. Selauonia 6. Hungary held by the Huns and Auarians 7. Bulgaria and Seruia held by the Bulgarians 8. Denmarke 9. Poland 10. the Kingdome of Naples and Sicely Or else thus France England Spaine Lumbardy Denmarke Hungary Napier Sweden Scotland the Exarchate of Rauenna and the Kingdome of the Goths in Italy As for the Kingdomes of Arragon Granado Portugall Castile Leon Toledo Galicia Nauarre they are inferiour Kingdomes and appendices either of the Empire Spaine or France Sicily Bohemia and Naples are of the Empire Burgundy of France Norway of Denmarke Ireland of England Cyprus a late Kingdome and not in Christians hands Brightman Some different from all others will haue ten Emperours to be meant in whose time the Pope flourished but after their Empire expired he suffered much 1. Contantinus magnus 2. Constantinus silius Constans ac Constantius 3. Iulianus 4. Iouinianus 5. Valentinianus 6. Gratianus 7. Valentinianus secundus 8. Arcadius 9. Honorius 10. Theodosius These are said not to be in Saint Iohns time because heathen Emperours ruled then but receiued their Kingdome the same houre that is about the same time with the beast This exposition of all others seemeth to me to disagree most with the Text First because the hornes of the beast are of the beast and certainly limbs of Antichrist such as God forbid that we should count these godly Emperours Secondly because these Emperours did neither receiue their Kingdome which argueth a thing newly erected and that was not before neither were they all at one houre for they succeded one another in sundry yeeres Thirdly because the same ten which giue honour to the beast shall at the last destroy her which cannot possibly be applied vnto them who did euer onely stand to her and defend her if the Pope be counted the beast in their times Neither can I approue of a certaine number put here for an vncertaine because howsoeuer ten may be thus put elsewhere yet here about the heads and hornes of the beast the spirit is more punctuall for the seuen heads it is agreed and why should another kinde of exposition then be giuen of the ten hornes Precisely ten therefore are doubtlesse meant and not so much Kings as Kingdomes being taken with the succession of the Kings reigning therein and of these Kingdomes I doe not thinke Lumbardy to be any or any Kingdome springing vp at the dissolution of the Empire to endure a short time onely but such Kingdomes as then deliuering themselues from the Imperiall yoke haue stood and shall stand free till the ruine of the Pope And these I take to be 1. England 2. France 3. Spaine 4. Poland 5. Denmarke 6. Sueuia 7. Hungary 8. The whole Kingdome of Germany both higher and lower 9. Bohemia 10. The free States of Italy Venice Genoa c. Ireland is not reckoned because an inferiour Kingdome and vnder the Crowne of England Nauarre of France Portugall and the Kingdomes of Naples and Sicilies of Spaine Norway of Denmarke Germany which hath beene since gouerned by Emperours is also a new kinde of Kingdome diuersly ruled and not as in times past and the other free States may well be set forth by the name of a Kingdome and of one because all in one Nation To Bohemia belongeth Morauia and Silesia and although it be in Germany and commonly is vnder the Emperour yet for so much as it hath the liberty of Election and is an absolute Kingdome in it selfe I thinke that we may well reckon it for one As for Solauonia together with Dacia and Seruia ioyning to it and Bulgaria or any other Kingdomes which sprung vp also at the dissolution of the Empire howsoeuer they were popish in times past and had a hand in giuing honour to and setting vp of the Pope yet now they are Mahumetan and therefore the Lord foreseeing this left them out of the number as not being likely to haue an hand with the rest in destroying the Pope at the last Their receiuing of power at one houre with the beast is not so strictly to be taken as it soundeth for by an houre in Scripture somtime a compasse of times consisting of many yeeres is to be vnderstood thus the time of the Gospell is called the last houre and the same houre here is much about the same time 100. yeeres before or after or somewhat more and if it be thus taken the euent doth notably agree the springing vp of these Kingdomes being out of the ruines of the Empire about ann Dom. 500. c. till 700. These Kings with one consent haue made warre with the Lambe by taking the Popes part against the professors of the truth when any haue shewed themselues persecuting them with sword and fire as wofull experience hath proued many yeeres but the Lambe hath ouercome them by planting his truth in their dominions notwithstanding all their hot oppositions and by subiecting some of them to himselfe by bringing them to the acknowledgement and profession of the same truth as England Denmarke Sweuia Bohemia and sundry free states of Germany to whom we hope more shall bee ioyned though not all for some must take the Popes part vnto the end till the greatest fatall blow that shall be giuen to him and them in Harmageddon as hath beene already shewed vpon Chap. 16. and these together shall hate the Pope and deuest him of all the honour which formerly in their ignorance they or their predecessors gaue vnto him and destroy him ouerthrowing and burning Rome downe to the ground And to put it out of all doubt that Rome is meant here he addeth that it is the great City that ruleth ouer the Kings of the earth Vers 18. Let all these things be considered together and there is nothing in this kinde that can be plainer than that the
to shew both the vniuersality of the iudgement that shall be Note and the terriblenesse of the Iudge to the wicked so that nothing shall be able to abide his presence and the iust proceedings according to which all shall bee sentenced because they shall be by bookes and according to mens workes and lastly the wofull estate of all that haue done euill after this time they shall be cast into the lake of fire and the ioyfull estate of those that haue done well death and hell is abolished vnto them so that they shall stand in feare of these enemies no more What is written in the booke of life is kept so secret that wee cannot know it but they whose workes are euill may be sure that they are not therein written the booke of life and the register of mens workes doe parallel one another Wouldest thou then see into this great secret goe to thy workes and consider them if they be good thou art assuredly written in the booke of life otherwise thou mayst bee sure that thou art not and then the lake of fire gapeth for thee Psal 34.12 Be not deceiued therefore by thy faith but wouldest thou liue long and see good dayes refraine thy tongue from euill and thy lips that they speake no guile cease to doe euill seeke peace and ensue it Attend to that direction of our blessed Sauiour giuen to him that asked what he should doe to be saued 1 Tim. 6.7 keepe the Commandemâ—nts and if thou be rich forget not to distribute of thy goods to the poore and so lay vp to thy selfe a good foundation CHAP. XXI IN this and the Chapter following vnder the figure of the new Ierusalem the state of the Church triumphant in heauen is set forth as it shall be after the day of iudgement according to the opinion of all Expositors Brightman Forbs except two of ours who vnderstand it of a flourishing Church vpon earth after the Pope and Turke destroyed and the Iewes conuerted and some Popish Writers who expound it of the Church of Rome whom Alcasar a Iesuite mentioneth and confuteth But that it cannot possibly bee vnderstood of the Church vpon earth in any time or age is most plaine first because this vision followeth after the vision of the last great day of iudgement and therefore in order should represent somewhat after that 2. Because the condition of the Church is such here as that it can neuer be free from suffering and sorrow All that will liue godly must suffer persecution Rom 8.17 wee shall bee glorified with Christ if we suffer with him Ioh. 16. 1 Pet 5.8 and In the world ye shall haue trouble and if at any time there bee outward peace yet the Deuill like a roaring Lion goeth about continually seeking whom he may deuoure and there are bodily pangs and sicknesses and other occurrences that doe afflict whilest this life lâ—steth Heb. 12.10 for if wee should bee without chastisement wee should be bastards and no sonnes And lastly there is sinne euer here in the best which maketh them to sorrow Matth. 5.5 according to that Blessed are they which mourne for they shall be comforted But the new Ierusalem here described is without all sorrow and paine vers 4.3 Because the Church here described hath the glory of God which is all one with being glorified in heauen so as cannot said of any vpon earth vers 11.4 Because this Church is without a Temple needeth no light of the Sunne c. vers 22 23. whereas the Church vpon earth must alwayes haue a place to resort vnto and must be enlightened and vpheld in grace by meanes and shall euer need the light of the Sun and Moone 5. Because no vncleane thing is in this Church vers 27. whereas in this world the kingdome of heauen is euer like a corne field with tares in it like vnto ground with thornes and briars and stones in it and such as that it may be said alwaies Many are called but few are chosen Lastly to put vs out of doubt that no state of the Church here is meant but in heauen he saith that they shall see his face Chap. 22.4 for this shall neuer be till we come in heauen 1 Cor. 13. then shall we see as we are seene and herein standeth the perfection of blessednesse 1 Ioh. 3.3 for now we are the sonnes of God but it doth not yet appeare what we shall be for we shall see him as he is To say nothing of the new heauens and the new earth 2 Pet. 3.13 which Saint Peter speaketh of when he hath shewed how the world shall bee destroyed by fire but wee saith he looke for a new heauen and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousnesse These reasons I thinke may satisfie any reasonable man against the probabilities that are that it should not be meant of the Church triumphant in heauen except the phantasticall Chiliast who may thinke to reconcile all these to his imagined ioyfull time of a thousand yeeres vpon earth after the first resurrection of the Martyrs onely for they apply all this to that imaginary condition But that hath beene sufficiently confuted already and whereas any thing may seeme to make against the common tenent of the glorified estate of the Church here set forth it shall be answered in the proper place And so I hasten to the exposition of the difficulties here as they offer themselues in order And I saw a new heauen and a new earth Vers 1. for the first were passed away neither was there any more sea By the new heauen and earth here most Expositors vnderstand not any new creation but so great an alteration in the heauens and the earth as if they were made new For these heauens and earth say they shall not cease to bee in regard of their substance but become more glorious as is taught Rom. 8.19 being no more subiect to corruption Neither shall they be renewed that we might again haue a dwelling here for we shall ascend 1 Thess 4. and euer remaine with the Lord aboue but to intimate the new glorified estate of the faithful if the creatures which were made to serue them shall come now to a new glorious condition then much more they for whose seruice they were made as Bullinger speaketh Bullinger But I haue already deliuered my coniecture vpon 2 Pet. 3.8 for the first heauen and earth were passed away This was shewed before Chap. 20.11 and because no mention was there made of the sea here it is added the sea was no more that we might not conceiue but that all the parts of the world fled from the Lords angry presence Bullinger Some thinke that nothing else is meant but that the sea was altered to a more glorious estate euen as the heauen and the earth but it is to be noted that he speaketh onely negatiuely of the sea but both affirmatiuely and negatiuely of the