great sword and taking away peace from the earth 3 And when he had opened the second seale I heard the second beast say Come and see 4 And there went out another horse that was red and power was given to him that sate thereon to take peace from the earth and that they should kill one another and there was given unto him a great sword The COMMENTARIE ANd when he had opened the second seale The scope of the matter which here we are to take notice of is that the future condition of the Church from that time viz. the end of the former seale unto the rising of Antichrist and end of the world is represented to Iohn that he might certainlie beleeve that the Church however oppressed by tyrants yet should be perpetually preserved in the world by the power of Christ This her future condition is declared to be both joyfull and sad joyfull before in the white horse sad in the three horses following by their threefold colour and gesture is shadowed out a threefold figure or forme of the Church First red because tyrants should make her red by spilling the blood of martyrs Secondlie blacke because she should be stained and obscured with the blacke doctrine of hereticks And lastlie pale because through the slothfulnes of governours ambition and covetousnesse of Bishops she should at length be pale sick unto death These things are the summe of the three following seales I heard the second beast which had the forme of an Oxe Chap. 4.7 he calleth him to see the bloodie opening of the second seale Now whither this were to signifie that manie of the faithfull should be slaine as oxen before the altar I leave for others to determine And there went out another horse The red horse the Church of the martyrs that was red As the white horse was the Church shining in doctrine innocency so the red horse is the Church made red by martyrdome But who was the rider I will relate the common opinion Because there was given to this rider a great sword to take peace from the earth and to stirre up men to kill each other therefore Lyra applies this red horse unto the cruel and bloody Romane Empire whose rider was Nero disturbing the citie of Rome by his wicked government so that the citizens were instigated to murder one another There was given unto him a great sword that is Euseb lib. 2. hist cap. 25. Nine persecutions under the Romane tyrants power to kill Christians for he raysed up the first cruel persecution against them and among others the Apostles Peter Paul suffered for the testimony of Iesus Christ But this interpretation is too straight for though indeed under Nero bloody persecution began yet it ceased not there but a long while after this red horse kept still his course in the Christian Church For after the first persecution of Nero which was malitiously raised against the Christians pretending they were incendiaries anthours of the burning of Rome whereas he himself most wickedlie had don the same there followed another under Domitian that cruell persecutor who cast Iohn the writer of this booke into boyling oyle and seeing he received no harme therby he afterward banished him into the I le of Patmos Euseb lib 3. hist cap. 17. After this followed the third under Trajane who pretending that there ought to be but one religion in the Romane Empire appointed that Christians as enemies of their forefathers religion should not be suffered In his time was put to death Simeon surnamed Iustus pastor in Ierusalem and Ignatius of Antioch Euseb lib. 3. cap. 32. Niceph. lib. 3. cap. 19. Immediatelie upon this a fourth by Antoninus Verus under whom Polycarpus and many others suffered in the yeare 170. Eusebius lib. 4. cap. 15. A fift under Severus about the yeare of our Lord 204 who executed Leonides the father of Origen Euseb lib. 6. hist cap. 2. And the sixt which dured three yeares under Maximinus in the yeare 239. Euseb lib. 6. cap. 20. and lib. 9. cap. 8. The seventh and the cruelst of all under Decius at what time Cornelius Bishop of Rome and Cyprian of Carthage were crowned with martyrdom Niceph. lib. 5. cap 27. The eight under Valerius Euseb lib. 7. cap. 9. And the ninth under Diocletian and Maximinian Euseb lib. 8. cap. 6. After which the Church beeing freed from persecution had some time of breathing under Constantine but soon after suffered not muchlesse under Constans Iulian Valens c. by all which we may understand that this second horse was a long time red with the blood of the faithfull The common interpretation touching him that sate on the red horse And therefore all others for the most part doe apply and farre better this red horse unto all the forenamed persecutions eyther making the tyrants to be the rider or else Satan provoking them unto so great a cruelty Vnto whom is given power that is permission of God to stirre the wicked to warre and bloody slaughters but chiefly to oppresse and persecute the Church people of God This interpretation I confesse is not improper if we consider the causes themselves of the troubles and persecutions which follow the Gospel But seeing Christ himself hath said that he came not to send peace on the earth Matt. 10.34 Luk. 120 49. but a sword and fire and to set a man at variance against his father and the daughter against her mother c. Therefore I rather understand that by this rider is meant Christ who also in Zach. 1.8 is represented as a man riding on a red horse So that Christs horse which before was white now comes forth red And is said to be another because of the change of the colour The rider on the red horse is Christ signifying that the Apostolical Church which was white in puritie of doctrine and innocencie of life should now through the crueltie of tyrants be made red with the blood of her martyrs And yet Christ sits on this red horse because he is present with and governeth his Church even in her greatest trials Vnto him is 〈◊〉 great sword viz. the sword of the word Ephes 6.17 beeing sharper then any two â—aged sword Heb. 4.12 With this sword he tooke peace from the earth and 〈◊〉 â—â—oodie persecutions not in himself but by accident because of the malice of tyrants and hereticks in opposing his truth For Christ is the prince of peace The Gospel the doctrine of peace c. Therefore Christ takes away neyther his peace nor yet peace from his children which he promiseth in Ioh. 14.27 but from the earth that is from worldlie tyrants and enemies of the Gospel For to the wicked there is no peace Isai 57.21 Here we are taught in the first place that the condition of the Church in this life was and ever shall be reddish or sprinkled with the blood of persecution For through many tribulations we must enter into
befall the Church by a fatall darkning of doctrine and horrible apostasy both of teachers people from the faith under Antichrist unto the end of the world v. 12.13 following at the opening of the sixt seal And lastly in the fourth Act is shewed the end of the troubles of the Church under Antichrist containing his and all other enemies their utter destruction at the day of judgement v 14.15.16.17 The two latter Acts are not fullie ended in this Chapter but are continued in the following wherin is represented unto us the reformation of doctrine final deliverance glorification of the Church obscurely indeed in this present vision but more clearly in the following Thus we have manifested the parts logical resolution of this Chapter Now we come to consider the vision The I Act of vision II. The opening of the first seale concerning the white horse and him that sate thereon conquering 1 And I saw when the Lambe opened one of the seales and I heard as it were the noise of thunder one of the foure beast saying Come and see 2 And I saw and behold a white horse and he that sate on him had a bow and a crowne was given unto him he went forth conquering and to conquer THE COMMENTARIE 1. ANd I saw when the Lambe opened Hitherto the Lambe held the booke shut untill the heavenly companies had made an end of their himne and harmonie And then he opened one of the seales that is the first of them as appears by the opening of the rest in order as the second third c. For the Hebrewes usuallie put 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 first as in Gene. 1.4 And the evening and the morning was one that is the first day So in the words following And I heard one that is the first of the foure beasts for afterward he heard the second and third c. Opened the seale that is manifested For in opening thereof he revealed unto Iohn and so unto us the counsels of God concerning the future condition of the Church which before were hidden or shut To Iohn indeed he declared the same in types and withall giving him the understanding of them but unto us in types onely concealing the mysteries thereof from us to the end we should be the more exercised in the diligent observation of things both from histories and events One of the foure beasts who had the forme of a Lion Chap. 4.7 We need not here with Lyra and others inquire whither this were Marke Matthew or James the first supposed Bishop of the Church of Ierusalem The other three doe in order invite Iohn to draw neere and behold these wonders for he stood off for reverence sake that he might the more certainly write downe what he saw so that these beasts performe the office of publick cryers whose work it is to call in persons neerer to the throne or judgement seat As the voyce of thunder For such is the roaring noise of a Lion This the other beasts saying unto Iohn and us come and see require hereby great attention and I conceive that herein no other my sterie is contained 2. And I saw and behold a white horse to wit went out as it is in v. 4. also in the words following he went forth conquering But whence came he forth from the booke or seale If out of the booke then this horseman went forth at the very first opening of the margent that is the mysterie of him was there both written and revealed to Iohn giving us to understand that such was the forme of the seales and so set on the margent as they served for the keeping close of the whole booke folded up together according to our manner of sealing letters If he went out of the seale then it seemes these were annexed to the booke like the great seales of princes to their letters pattents the which are usually kept in boxes Now one seale beeing removed some part of the booke was thereby opened in so much as the writing thereof did appeare Behold a great seale out of which went forth an armed horseman But how great then was the booke it self sealed with so many seales how great was he that held so great a booke in his right hand yea how great the Lamb opening it The which may lead us to consider the greatnes of the events and the omnipotencie of God and the Lamb. The generall signification of the seales considered It may also be understood of the time that so soon as the Lamb had opened the seales the spirit caused Iohn to see these enigmatical horsemen and other things Now to speak of the opening of the seales in general Andreas doth justlie reject their exposition who referr all of them to the manner of Christs incarnation as the first seale to his birth The second to his baptisme The third to the signes he wrought after his baptisme The fourth to his unjust accusation before Pilate The fift to his crosse The sixt to his burial And the seventh to his descension into hel seeing saith he all this was alreadie don whereas Iohn speaks eyther of things present or what should come to passe afterward Others more wittilie have distinguished these seales according to the future times of the Church applying the first to the Apostles time and 200 yeares after The second unto the following age viz. the time of Justinian The third unto Phocas the usurper of the Empire The fourth unto Charles the Great when poperie was at the highest The fift unto Ottho under whom the seven Electors were erected The sixt to the counsel of Constans at what time the Church was grievously persecuted by three Anti-popes and the burning of the TWO WITNESSES whereupon the elect were sealed The seventh from that time unto the end of the world during al which time in the diverse cōfusions of the Church the sealing of the faithfull was perfected But it is difficult to define so precisely the moments of the seales Alcasar a new interpreter having numbred up fourteen opinions and rejected all of them at last brings in his own supposing that the conversion of certaine Iewes is praefigured in the foure first seales and the rejection of the rest in the three latter The which interpretation we leave unto himselfe For our part we judge it more safe to refer all to the foure Acts noted in the preface And behold a white horse I see no reason The white horse shadoweth out the puritie of the primitive Church but the common opinion of interpreters is heere to be embraced viz. that this white horse with his rider notes the purity integrity of the Christian Church at first for by whitenes in the revelation purity is signified and the speedie course of the Gospell throughout the whole earth Neverthelesse I binde not this to the first two hundred or three hundred years in which notwithstanding all the cruel oppression
the kingdome of God thereby be made conformable unto Christ Therefore the going forth of this red horse ought not to terrifie us For Gods counsell is grounded on causes both just good in consideration whereof we ought to remame constant unto the end Sanguine fundata est Ecclesia sanguine coepit Sanguine succrevit sanguine finis erit The Church in blood first founded was In blood beginne did shee It had her spreading forth in blood In blood her end shal be It was established I say in the blood of Christ It began increased in the blood of the martyrs And in their blood it shall continue unto the end Notwithstanding the end shal be the ruin and destruction of the adversaries For then shall cease the blood of martyrs when the blood of the wicked shall come forth of the wine-presse of the wrath of God unto the horses bridles by the space of a thousand six hundred furlongs Chap. 14.20 Secondlie though the divel his instruments mightilie labour to extinguish the Church yet no more can they doe then what is given them from above Thirdly let us not thinke it strange that God doth suffer tyrants thus miserably to afflict his Saintes for he doth it partly for their great good that they might not grow wanton but that their faith and prayer might be exercised under the crosse And partlie according to their just desert for if examination be made we shall find that for the most part as contentions coveteousnes and ambition among the officers so prophanenesse and securitie of the people drew downe common judgements upon themselves See Cyprian de lapsis Euseb lib. 5. hist cap. 2. The opening of the third seale The black horse having a ballance And proclaiming famine 5 And when he had opened the third seale I heard the third beast say Come see And I beheld and loe a blacke horse and hee that sate on him had a paire of ballances in his hand 6 And I heard a loud voyce in the midst of the foure beasts say A measure of wheat for a peny and three measures of barley for a peny and see thou hurt not the oyle and the wine THE COMMENTARIE ANd when he had opened the third seale First I will set downe the opinion of others and afterward my owne The third seale being opened Iohn is called upon by the third beast which had the forme of a man to behold the wonder Our attention is here againe stirred up by this creature as a third herald As for other mysteries in this I approve not A black horse comes forth with his rider holding a ballance Lyra will have this black horse to be the armie of the Romans with which Titus their captaine destroyed Jerusalem killing a multitude of the Iewes and carying the rest into captivitie in revenge of the death of Christ The ballance in his opinion doth note the just judgment of God The weighing of two pound of wheat and barlie sold for a pennie the meanesse of the Iewish captives who were sold for thirtie pence The wine and oyle which the rider is forbid to hurt are the Christians who before the siege left Ierusalem and went over Iordan to Pella there were preserved but this sence is to straight and agrees not with the scope of the historie for the matter here is not by types to cover former things but to reveal things to come Now we know Ierusalem was alreadie overthrowen which Iohn was not ignorant off being banished into Patmos by Domitian the brother of Titus Andreas and others understand here some notable dearth to be prefigured The opinion of Andreas because mention is made of a scale and wheat c. Some take it for the famine under Claudius which happened long before this revelation Besides famine and dearth doth no more belong to Christians who ought hereat lesse to be troubled then others then unto the adversaries whereas it is to be supposed that onely events proper to the Church were prefigured unto Iohn Wherefore Bede Tyconius and others understand more rightlie by the black horse hereticks by the rider the divel stirring them up to make black or darken the doctrine of the Church by the ballance the word of God which hereticks pretend to be on their side and with which they labour to beautify maintain and commend their errours to the end that people may the more readilie receive them which exposition Ribera also approves of for as the Apostles are the white horse because they preached the glad tidings of salvation so the blake horse notes hereticks maintainers of pernicious doctrines and preaching things corrupt and hurtfull I assent therefore to their opinion who thinke the state of hereticks is here shadowed out The black horse is the Church yet in some things the scope is to be applied otherwise For the same horse which first went forth white importing the puritie of the Apostolicall doctrine afterward was red of the bloodie condition of the Church under tyrants And now is blacke in regard of her afflicted condition by wicked hereticks who cloude the light of the truth with their blacke haeresies and bring in such a deformity upon the Church that shee who appeared white before is now blacke By him which sate on the horse I understand not the divel but Christ but after what manner he rides on hereticks we shall understand by and by Now this blacknes came upon the Church as diverse wayes so by certaine degrees even from the time of Iohn until Antichrist How this blacknesse befel the Church In the first two hundred yeares many hereticks made blacke the Christian Church by weakning the verie foundation of religion not indeed in respect of the elect who firmelie embraced the same but in respect of themselves and their followers Among whom was Cerinthus Ebion Valentine Marcion Basilides and many others whose madnesse was recorded and also refuted by Irenaus Epiphanius Augustine Thilastrius others These besides other foule errous blasphemously oppugned the mysterie of the blessed trinitie denying Christ to be God and man and the onely mediatour and saviour who although they professed themselves to be Christians and boasted of the title of the Church yet as much as in them lay overthrew all Christianity and thus by the meanes of these men the white horse was made black Againe in the two following ages diverse hereticks as Photinus Arius Eunomius Macedonins and others did exceedingly darken the doctrine of Christian religion and with their vile errours corrupted manie who otherwise were godly teachers Papias and Irenaeus were Chiliasts or Millenaries Tertullian a Montanist though these three lived in the former ages Origine maintained manie errours The heresie of the Arians beeing mightilie supported by Constans and Valens infected almost all the hast Westerne Bishops in so much that verie few held the whitnesse or puritie of the primitive faith For the principall fathers both Greeks and Latine as Ambrose
of Christ should be so corrupted through the ambition Luxurie coveteousnes negligence slothfulnes of Bishops the antiēt faith so adulterated by hereticks as that nothing almost should remaine pure sound We know by wheat the elect are signifyed and by tares the reprobate as in Mat. 13.30 Wherfore by wheat in this place I understand either sincere teachers which should be rare precious or els the sound and orthodoxe doctrine concerning God Christ our saviour of which there should be as it were a famine in the earth Neverthelesse with this wheat God would feed his elect however it should be obtained by great difficulty labour yea barly bread should be very scarse that is the comforts of the Gospel not so fullie enjoyed as formerly Such is the darknes the effects thereof when the Church is burdened with the traditions of men This famine of true doctrine was verie great in the dayes of Constans and some Arian Emperours after him The time of the famine here spoken of when the pernicious and pestilent doctrine of Arius was received by all the East and Westerne Churches For after the Emperour Constans by sundrie councils and other meanes had endeavoured to establish Arianisme at last calling together all the Bishops both Arians and others namelie the Westerne unto Arminensis a city in Italie the Easterne unto Seleucia a citie in Isauria he would not admit them to depart till all had consented unto the prescript forme of the Arian heresie whereupon it happened that they being there retained seven whole months and wearied with delay some beeing overcome by intreaty others with threatnings at last they all yea Hosius also subscribed unto it and condemned the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 essence and coessential Hilarius banished out of France onely excepted who as a graine of wheat returning into France restored the puritie of the faith and brought most of the Bishops of Italie unto the right way of Christ as Sulpitius Severus recordeth speaking thus in the conclusion of his booke of this synod which consisted of 400 Bishops the councill held at Arminensis was dismissed whose beginning was good but in the end wickedlie concluded And see thou hurt not the oyle and wine Junius will have the words wine and oyle to cohere with the fore going sentence as if it ought thus to be read three measures of barlie for a peny and oyle and wine where he puts a colon or two points and he renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hurt not unjustly that is verie little wine and oyle shall be given for a denarius or ten pence thou shalt not deale unjustlie understand while thou metest out but a little for a great price But in this he seems to be to courious neyther can the former colon cohere with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a denarie or ten penie worth But hurt not the wine and oyle to wit the orthodoxe faith but some shall maintaine the same and the whole not be obscured by hereticall blacknesse And such were Athanasius and Hilarius in the time of the Arian heresie whom we before mentioned they are called wine and oyle from the effect because as wine cherisheth and oyle purifies so sound doctrine doth glad and cleanse the consciences This therefore is added as a word of comfort least the faithfull seeing heresies to get the upper hand should be discouraged For God will allwayes preserve some teachers of his truth that the elect may not be hurt by hereticks Ribera interprets this of their seven sacraments hence he promiseth the pope a great victorie against the Lutherans But as yet these things appertaine not to the times of Antichrist and vainly he seeks for a garland and comfort in the idle fictions of his own braine Alcasar comes nearer to the marke applying the oyle to the light and true knowledge of happinesse the wine to spirituall joy which the heavenlie voyce promiseth the elect not to be deprived of The opening of the fourth seale The pale horse and death sitting on him with hell following and killing the fourth part of the earth 7 And when he had opened the fourth seale I heard the voyce of the fourth beast say Come and see 8 And I looked and behold a pale horse his name that sate on him was death hell followed with him power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth to kill with sword with hunger and with death and with the beasts of the earth THE COMMENTARIE 7. ANd when he had opened the fourth seale I well approve of the observation of Andreas that the fourth beast hath the forme of a flying Eagle who now calleth Iohn to behold the events of the fourth seale For the Eagle with his quicksighted eyes having spied some things on high with great celeritie flyes thither to it Whereby is signified that the plagues here foretold come no otherwhere then from above For God beeing provoked to wrath and indignation doth justlie send them partlie to revenge the injuries don unto the saintes partlie to punish the wicked who repent not of their evils 8. And behold a pale horse The fourth seale beeing opened there comes forth now a pale horse whose rider is death and hell his follower or companion having power to kill the fourth part of the earth with sword famine pestilence and the beasts of the earth This horse in Gr. is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of a greenish colour tending to palenesse such as is the colour of leaves in harvest time falling from trees for want of juyce Now interpreters are of diverse opinions what is the meaning of this pale horse and death his rider with hell following and what maner of plagues are shadowed out thereby Lyra supposeth Lyras interpretation that this horse is the people of Rome the rider Domitian named death because he most unjustlie murdered manie both senatours and people and himself afterwad by the Senate was also put to death for his crueltie the horse he understands to be pale because of pale death riding thereon Hell followed him that is he was immediately upon his death cast into hell fire Power was given him to kill the fourth part of the earth that is cruellie to persecute the Christians throughout the whole Romane Empire which was then streatched out over the foure parts of the world With the sword for therewith he killed manie With hunger starving them in his prisons And beasts of the earth because he caused manie to be cast before wilde beasts and torne in pieces And death noting thereby all kinde of punishments Andreas referrs it to the persecution of Maximianus Andreas his interpretation Riberas opinion in whose time as Eusebius writeth lib. 9. cap. 8. such a multitude of men were taken away by pestilence and famine as that the dead could hardlie be buried Ribera will have all to be applied unto the third
manifestation of this Revelation were lost by the destruction of Iudea and Ierusalem much lesse doe they remaine to this day For touching the small remainder of the Iewes now in their dispersion it is altogether uncertaine of what tribes they are Furthermore Andreas whom my Anonymus followeth applies certaine vertues to each tribe from the Etymologie or signification of their names as for example the sealed of the tribe of Judah are confessours of Christ the sealed of Reuben are the pure in heart enjoying the heavenlie vision But I passe this by as beeing more subtil then solid as for the signification of their names read Gen. 29. 30. 35. Now twelve thousand are sealed of every tribe for many are chosen by Christ out of all peoples and nations under Antichrist The naturall order of the tribes is not here observed Judah is put before Ruben both because it was the kinglie tribe of which Christ came according to the flesh as also because Reuben by defiling his fathers bed lost his birthright So at the numbring of the people pitching of the campes Iudah had the preeminence Num. 2.3 1 Chron. 4. The tribe of Levi contrarie to the ordinarie custom of the Scripture is here brought in for he had no inheritance with the rest Ephraim againe is omitted and Joseph is here placed in his stead contrarie to the order of the tribes Dan also is passed by the reason whereof most of the fathers and some also to this day will have to be because Antichrist should come of this tribe grounding their opinion on that in Gen. 49.17 Dan is a serpent in the way Iere. 8.16 the snorting of horses was heard from Dan. Whither Antichrist shall be a Iew and arise out of the tribe of Dan. And hence arose another erroneous opinion viz. that Antichrist should be a Jew by which fiction the devill so deceived the world as that Antichrist already sitting and reigning in the Church was not taken notice of avoyded But this Glosse is frivolous Dan shall be a serpent by the way that is of him Antichrist shall come neyther is there any thing to bee gathered from Ieremies words out of Dan wee have heard nighing of horses that doth at all concern this matter But the Ancients are the lesse to be blamed not having the meanes and knowledge of histories touching Antichrist which we now enjoy and see with our eyes which the Papists themselves cannot but also see if they would confesse it therfore they are the more ridiculous in alleadging such foolish things Lib. 3. de Papa Romano Why the tribe of Dan is omitted the vanity whereof Bellarmin himself confesseth For where is now the tribe of Dan Others therefore affirme more probably that the Danites are not mentioned because of old they forsooke the worship of God leaving the fellowship of their brethren became like unto the Gentiles as we read Iud. 18. which seems also to be the reason why they are not mentioned with the other tribes 1 Chro. 7. But suppose it be granted that Antichrist shall come of Dan what doth better suit with the Pope then this For Dan signifies to judge Now who but the Pope alone judgeth all men himself is judged of none doe not the Popes parasites make him to be this Antichristian Dan or judge See Gratian distinct 40. Cap. si Papa The latter part of the Chapter Touching the harmonious thanksgiving of the heavenlie inhabitants of their blessednes 9. After this I beheld loe a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kinreds people tongues stood before the Throne before the Lambe clothed with white robes palmes in their hands 10. And cryed with a loud voyce saying Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lambe 11. And all the Angels stood round about the Throne and about the Elders and the foure beasts fell before the Throne on their faces and worshipped God 12. Saying Amen Blessing and glory and wisedome thankesgiving and honour and power and might be unto our God for ever ever Amen 13. And one of the Elders answered saying unto mee What are these which are arayed in white robes and whence came they 14. And I said unto him Sir Thou knowest And hee said to mee These are they which came out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lambe 15. Therefore are they before the Throne of God and serve him day and might in his Temple and he that sitteth on the Throne shall dwell among them 16. They shall hunger no more neither thirst any more neither shall the Sunne light on them nor any heate 17. For the Lambe which is in the midst of the Throne shall feed them shall leade them unto living fountaines of waters and God shall vvipe away all teares from their eyes THE COMMENTARIE 9. ANd after this I behold and loe Lyraes opinion touching this multitude a great multitude Lyra observes wel that here is described the comfort of the triumphant Church Notwithstanding he restraines it to the martyrs onely who suffered under Diocletian and Maximianus But we may easilie perceive by this 9 verse that the multitude here mentioned is to be understood in a larger sence Others for the most part suppose Other mens opinions about it that as before the number of the Iewes so here the sealed of the Gentiles are described but in this place we find nothing spoken concerning sealing Besides Iohn saw the hundred fourty foure thousand sealed ones in the earth But this great multitude he seeth before the Throne of God in the heavens and therefore it is certaine that as the former multitude noted the militant Church so this here the Saintes in glory but how doth John so suddenly passe from the one to the other this indeed I finde not to be opened by any interpreter But the method by me propounded doth clearely manifest the reason thereof For as the former part of this Chapter touching the sealing of the elect under Antichrists kingdom doth cohere with what was spoken Chap. 6.12.13.14 concerning the Antichristian earthquake beeing as it were an antithesis of Act the third So the latter part touching the joy of the Church triumphant accords with what is described in 15.16.17 verses of the said Chapter touching the cryes and punishment of the enemies as an antithesis of Act the fourth So that these things by parallels are thus to be opposed as contrarie each to other Parallell of Act the third Chap. 6. vers 12.13.14 Antichrist shall raise an horrible earthquake in the Church and hinder the preaching of the word and bring all things unto a finall destruction which he hath now done a thousand yeers Chap. 7. v. 2.3.4.5.6.7.8 Christ ascending from the East shall seal the elect in the midst of Antichristian commotions wil alwayes keep and
contrary saith The Kings heart is in the hand of the Lord he inclineth it to whatsoever he will So the Holy Ghost in this place God put into the hearts of the Kings that they should do these and not other things I ANSWER Sophisters do much labour and sweat to unty this knot touching the concurring of Gods providence Lib 5. de C. D. ca. 9 and mans free will but after long toyle they put as the saying is the Cart before the Horse that is they subject the operation of God to the will of man the Creator to the creature and that befalls them which Austin wrote of Cicero that by making men free Lib. 4. de Grat. lib. Arbit cap 14 they make them sacrilegious BELLARMIN doth diversly torment himselfe throughout his six bookes of Grace and Freewill And after all he falls with both hands into the same mire of blasphemy And alledgeth divers opinions touching this Concurring Caiet in 1. qu. Art 4 The first is of Caietan That the concurring or accord of the divine providence and free will is inexplicable and not to be understood in this life Bellarmine confesseth it to be dark but not inexplicable The second he ascribes to Durand Duran in 2. dist 37 qu. 1. That there is required no concurring of the divine operation unto actions of secondary causes but that is enough if God preserve the natures and vertues of the same This Bellarmine rejects as false for it is repugnant to Scripture But whither it be Durands let himself look to it I have sought for it but find it not It is absurd For how doth God not concurre unto actions if hee concurre unto their vertues seeing there is no influence of the action save from the influence of the vertue thereof The third is of others whom he is afraid to name That God indeed by his concurrence doth determinaters or limit the will of man and that in regard of it Mans will cannot but act and yet remaines free either because the concurring of God is not of the things requisite unto the action of free will or because the divine determination hinder not the judgement of our reason about choosing or rejecting of objects which is the root of the liberty in the will Against this opinion which is true hee largely disputes First by the saying of Siracides Chapter 15.14 That man is left in the hand of his owne Counsell which is nothing to the matter because hee speaketh there of man as hee was first created or before his fall Secondly by the authority of the Fathers which make nothing against it At length by reason viz. That this determination should make God Author of sin The wicked excusable both being false Scot. in 2. de 37 as shall appear in the following Question At last he alledgeth two opinions as he saith better but indeed they are worse The former is of Scotus That the divine cooperation is not of the part of the cause but onely of the part of the effect that is that Gods concurrence doth not determinate the will or imprint any thing in the same but flowes immediately into the effect and produceth the same in the very moment in which it is produced from our will As when two Porters carry a great burden which one alone could not do here neither of them addes strength to the other but onely both bear the weight This opinion pleaseth him yet not altogether for he sees it is repugnant to the Scripture which saith not that the divine influence is in the actions but in the hearts of men As here God put into their heatts he saith not into their actions Again The Kings heart is in the hand of the Lord he inclines it to whatsoever he will he inclines I say the heart and not only the effects of the heart or of the King It is repugnant also to the prayers and practise of the Saints who fervently desire of God to have not onely their actions and wayes directed but likewise to have their minds enlightned and bearts guided by God The other opinion is of Thomas which saith he C. 1 q. 105 art 5. Lib. 3. con Gent. ca. 7 Et qu. 3. de potentia artic 7. perhaps is more probable so ignorant is hee of that truth which he undertakes to expound viz. that the divine cooperation so concurres with the will of men as it gives not onely strength unto and preserves the same but also mooves and applies it to the worke The which opinion beeing candidly taken differs nothing from the third and is true But because the truth pleaseth not Bellarmine he subtilly pretends that this opinion also hath its difficulties and again by cavelling seeks to deceive For you would thinke him to be some Iugler for being a Thomist he dares not refute his master therefore he shuffles by subtilty and at length against Thomas hee comes to this that Gods concurring to the will of man brings nothing save a negative determination that is none at all and that the motion of God remaines subject to our will and is in our power Thus God and his grace should be subject unto us and so againe the Cart drawes the horse Thus I say the Sophister to make men free makes them sacrilegious What therefore The opinion of Caietane is most true that this concurring of God remaines inexplicable to us in this life for the divine providence hath a thousand inexplicable wayes to insinuate it selfe unto us inwardly to incline turne bend draw and create our hearts a new that we by doing what we wil freely yet do nothing but according to the divine determination and appointment But if any thing can bee expounded touching this concurring then the third and fift opinion must bee true neither is our liberty endangered thereby for to incline move bow draw and determinate the heart is not to force men as if they were brutish or against their will because this inclination motion determination is not without the proper judgement of reason and free election of the will Now nothing but coaction is repugnant to the liberty of the will Whether the divine determination be repugnant to the will Yea saith he also determination is repugnant This was the first argument That which acteth determinately to one thing acts not freely c. This is true if determination be put without the judgement and proper choice otherwise it is false for God himselfe out of perfection of nature wills that which is good and hates the evill determinately yet doth both most freely Bell armine cannot deny this But excepteth that God is determinated from himself Bellar. lib 3. cap. 7 lib. cap 7. and not by any other What of what The question is not whether liberty stands with this or that determination but whether with any If it may stand with some he hath beaten the air by a long disputation But also man determinates himself in the act of