say notion of things as is the disordered and confused noise of waters which storming with contrary waves rushing against the shoare rockes yeilde a certaine huge noise yet no maÌ„ distinctly perceaveth what all that noise meaneth Such should by Christs administration be the word of truth in the same Churches in which the feete should be like to burning lebanons brasse To the heathenish men that lived yea in most pure Ephesus the truth was a certaine unsavoury and untastable thing neither sounded it any other thing then barbarous and unpleasant Cornelius Tacitus calleth the doctrine of the Gospell a certeine deadly superstition shewing by his wicked blasphemy not so much his owne as the comon hatred of all the GeÌ„tiles book 15. Suetonius recite that the ChristiaÌ„s were afflicted by torments that they were a kinde of men of strong wicked superstitioÌ„ in Nâ—ron ch 16. Pline a very learned wise maÌ„ in a certaine Epistle to Traiane singes the same song he writes that when he had enquired of 2 mades which were said to be the servantes of certaine Chrestians by tormentes what was the truth he founde no other thing than wicked unreasonable superstition the infection whereof had not onely runne thorough the cities but also the villages couÌ„trey c. How doeth the sounde of the truth to such men seeme a certaine rude vaine beating of waves Their eares were filled with a sounde wherof they conceaved no sence And we shall see in the next chapter how these although Gentiles perteined to Ephesus But not alone of this kinde of men the wholesome truth was accounted barbarous but also of many of Christian profesâ—ion in the Church of Smyrna Pergamus and the neighbour Churches Errours perverse opinions so possessed many that they were altogither deafe to wholesome doctrine neither tasted any sweetenes of it as it will be more plaine in the next chapter And he had in his right hand seaven starres He did so defend with his mighty right hand the Teachers of the truth for these are the starres as beneath iâ— taught vers 20. afflicted with many evills that in all miseries they were conquerours Although this thing be common to all Churchches yet in those it is cheefly seene Where the feete doe burne in an oven and the truth either not heard or not understood Even there we shall see many delivered to death but for one many forthwith to arise neither onely doeth the power of his defending right hand so manifest it selfe but also in repelling the conspiracies which the wicked doe make to his Ambassadours ¶ And out of his mouth a two edged sworde This sworde is the most mightie word of God more percing than any two edged sworde It searcheth the reines and pronounced sentence against the wicked and unbeleevers Neither doth one iote or any note become voide and of no effect It wondeth and killeth bringing upon the wicked those calamities which it threatneth Now it cometh out of the mouth because in the Church of Pergamus Christ would approve his most holy severity to the world in punishing sinnes unlesse saith he they repent J will fight against them with the sworde of my mouth chah 2.16 as it shall more fully be spoken of there ¶ And his face shineth as the Sunne in his strength The face or counteance of Christ is his worship appointed from God in which he is seene of his as cleerly as we doe beholde thinges before us Wherto perteine those exhortations Seeke yee my face Psal 27.8 Seeke the Lord and his strength Seeke his face alwayes Psal 150.4 Asthough he should say trust alway in the Lord and apply your selves to the holy study of those thinges with which he hath taugh that he himselfe is to be worshiped As long as we bestowe our labour thus we are conversant in the sight of the Lord but as soone as the fucalty to be at his publike worship is taken away we are banished from his face as Cain complaineth being cast out of the Church for the murther of his brother that he was hidden from his face Gen. 4.14 Therefore the whole religion of Christ perteining either to doctrine or to prayers sacraments discipline should shine most purely in these Churches For the reason of order requireth that in the last place the shining face should signify that the last of the seaven Churches should be famous by the cleere vision of Christ And among these as we shall see Philadelphia obtaineth the chiefe praise the other so beholde the open face of Christ that they may rather perceive that Christ is angry with them then reioyce in any of his favorable beholding or countenance Therefore the whole type or figure hath this summe That the first of the seaven Churches is no table by the righteousnes of Christ thorough the faith and holines of the people and mervailous quicknes of understanding of the teachers by whose bright eyes the darknes of errours are driven far away that those Churches in the middes are on fyre through greate affliction yet that the truth was not altogether overwhelmed but did make a lowde noise as the fall of the river Nilus although to very many it was but as the unconstant dashing of the waves That the last Churches had their teachers whole sound kept the trueth mighty to subdue the enemies and a great purity of the whole religion For nowe it shal be sufficient to distinguish them in to three degrees for plainesse sake we will folow a more accurate distribution when we shall intreate of them severally 17 I fell at his feete as dead Thus was the type from the consequents First the great feare of John offers it selfe such as in the like matter hath befallen other holy men So great is the infirmity of our nature and conscience of depravation that it can in noe wise endure the least shewe of Gods maiesty Dan. 8.9 c. which is another argument for the credit of the heavenly vision ¶ Feare not A consolation very necessary coÌ„sidering that Ihon had not bin able to perceive the things either heard or seen unlesse he had first bin recreated and confirmed from his feare And so it is wont to come to passe in holy visions the evill spirits contrarywise doe increase feare asmuch as they can desiring to overwhelme men with feare and desperation The places of consolation are from his universall power over all things created in this verse by name from his victory and power over death in the verse following Those wordes first last have great power to confort for why may not John be of good courage when he biddeth not to feare who in the beginning created all things and is able to bring them to nothing againe at his pleasure unlesse peradventure the words first and last are to be referred to glory and humility then he is the first nowe among all things created or rather above all things in honour and maiesty who once
chap. 13.2 which wee have shewed to be Rome and wil be playner yet by the things that folow Therfore after the evideÌ„ce of the Scriptures wherby the Beast swelted in heat in such marvelous maÌ„ner that which now next is to be looked for is calamity that shal come upon this very city Not any light adversity wherby her former dignity shal be a little lessened but her last overthrow wherby shee shall utterly be ruinate as after shal be manifest when that saying of Sibylla shall come to passe Then Rome shalt thou be wasted quight as thou hadst never been This therfore toucheth Antichrist neerer then the former The farr-darting Sun did scortch but it was from farr now the tops of his sacred Pallace shall fal down wherby the brightnes of the Popes Kingdome shal be turned into darknes For how should it not be covered with mournfull blacknes when the Princely Court is cut down and Chaire overthrown which they were wont to vaunt should be eternal and that Hel gates should not prevayl against it To prove which point Bellarmine bringeth many reasons but the speedy event wil teach how he was deceived Although some Iesuites being forced hereunto by the truth doo now beginn to speak of the destruction of it VVich yet they wil have to be not because of Antichrist but before his birth or at least before he shal begin his reign But this fiction we wil take away in his place We may hence observe how loÌ„g-suffering God is and slow unto wrath A thousand times hath he now already convinced this whore of her filthynes yet will he not quight destroy her until he hath set out her wickednes in a clearer light VVhich when it also shal be doon in vayn what remayneth but the last punishment when ther is no hope at al of any amendement But after the ruine of the City the Beast shal remayn a while not to recover his former dignity but to perish soon after with a greater destruction And therfore he sayth his kingdome was made darke not altogither extinct but bereft of the former brightnes ¶ And they gnawed their tongues for payn The second event they shal gnaw their tongues for rage and madnes Huge and intolerable shal be the payn such as is noted elswhere by weeping and gnashing of teeth Mat. 22.13 Vnlesse perhaps by a proverbial manner of speaking so great anguish be signified as wil they nil they they are compelled to refreyn their malapert toÌ„gues to renounce their own writings and speak thenceforth more modestly which is commonly caled the biting of the tongue and eating of ones own words But because in the next verse it is sayd they repented not of their works the former exposition is more simple Although they may faighnedly and for fear temper their evil speakings so as they repent not from the hart and truly yet I choose rather the former That speech of Zachary seemeth to agree fitly with this Their tongue shal consume in their mouth Zach. 14.12 And that phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for payn is an Hebraisme mehhamal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answereth to the preposition min as elswhere for sighting Psal 102.6 11 And they blasphemed the God of heaven Infinite is the hardnes of maÌ„s hart which cannot be tamed by any afflictions Graunt that the Papists be not convicted by the increased light of the scriptures will not the destruction of their holy city move them to acknowledge the truth VVil they now burst out agayn into blasphemy wher ther is no hope but by asking forgivenes But it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth God striketh and softneth what harts he thinketh good And where it is sayd for their soares by it is signifyed that these are the same men on whom the former vials were powred But mention is made specially of soares because every calamity caused not sensible payn The Sea changed into blood was so farr from working any sorow that it rather ministred matter of reioycing to men that knew not their misery Furthermore it is hereby manifest that the former vials doo yet reteyn their force and vanish not streight way when new ones come in place But above all Envie which we sayd was the soares doth most torment which causeth greater greif by the felicity of their enemies then by their owne destruction VVho would look for any feeling of the former soares when the sorow for their wasted throne was upon them O envy great is thy power ¶ And repented not of their workes For this Beast is the Pantheresse chap. 13.2 it cannot change the skin But the power of God should not have bin so eminent in times past if Pharaoh had repented at the first miracles So shal ther be many subtil devises after the throne is overthrown Antichristian religioÌ„ shal stil be reteyned amoÌ„g the Papists But let none be afraid the Beast is reserved onely for the triumph 12 And the sixt Angel powred out his vial on the great river Euphrates This river is not eyther the Tyber or any other fortresse of Rome whose destruction was taught us by the former vial and why should the thing doon be now doon agayn but it is that which runneth through Mesopotamia Eastward from Iudea as before chap. 9.14 which notwithstanding is used figuratively for any impediment that may hinder the passage into this country The first event is the drying up of the waters therof as of old the Red Sea was by the Eastern winds and as Iarden was to the Iewes when they passed into the Land of Canaan Exod. 14. Ios 3. The end of drying up these waters is that the way of the Kings from the East may be prepared But who be these Kings Are they those foure Angels spoken of chap. 9.15 The counpt of the time wil not bear it For the troÌ„pet sounded many yeres agone but this vial is not yet begun to be powred out it foloweth after Rome is wasted which yet flourisheth and which the trompet saw flourishing long Are they those Kings of the earth and of the whole world mentioned in the 14. verse of this chapter But these to whom Euphrates giveth place are the Kings of the Eâ—st onely not of the whole world It would be long to recken al the interpretations of other men much more to refute them It seemeth unto me that they are here meant for whose sake alone the scripture mentioneth the waters of old to have bin dryed up namely the Iewes unto whom the read sea yeilded passage and Iarden stayed his course til every one were gone over journying on foot through the deep This miracle is proper to this people onely for that which Iosephus writeth that the sea of Pamphilia gave way to the Macedonians when Alexander led his host that way Antiquit. b. 2. chap. 7. Other writers doo playnly shew how the thing is to be understood Plutarch in Alexand. sayth that Historie-writers amplifyed the thing beyond al credit and
playnly to Christians al coverings being removed as on whom the noone Sunne of truth shineth and all things are naked and open And indeed he openeth most significantly in one word that long obscure description in Ezechiel saying that that temple so magnifically gloriously prepared is in truth none at all not as though the Prophet had uttered so many words vainly but to shewe that we must not stick in the bark of the lettre but that the kernell of the Spirit is to be found out Let the Iewes heare neither let them expect a renewed temple as hitherto they doo amisse and obstinately but let them with minds and harts aspire in that right way which shal need no temple Let them look for the omnipotent God and the Lamb to dwel among them in comparison of which glory whatsoever can be built of men shal be vile 23 Neither hath this city any need of the Sunne or Moone For in very deed the Moone shall be ashamed and the very Sunne shall blush when the Lord of hosts shall reigne in mount Sion and Hierusalem and shall be glorious before his auncients Isaiah 24.23 And why may it not be ashamed of her former darkenesse when the light of the Moone shal be as the light of the Sunne and the light of the Sunne seven folde as the light of seven daies Isay 30.23 Which thinges are not spoken to that ende as though there should be no use then of the Scriptures but because all shall so understand Gods will as if they had no need to learne wisdome from books Full saith the Prophet shall this land be of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters covering the chanell of the Sea Isay 11.9 Neither shall they anie more teach everie man his friend and everie man his brother saying know yee the Lord for they shall all know mee from the least of them even to the greatest of them saith the Lord that J doo forgive their inquity and remember their sinne no more Ier. 31.34 From hence let us observ that that Church is most glorious in which the sunne of righteousnesse shineth with most open face covered with no cloudes of ceremonies therfore let them see in how great errour they are whom bring in a pompous shew of ceremonies to procure authority to religion with the people Furthermore let us note to what times Iohn applyeth the sentences of the Prophets that we may know the things are yet to come which we interpret commonly to be past and not onely in the heavenly countrey whose happinesse needeth the words of no man but here in earth in that restoring wherof we have spoken ¶ And the Lambe is the light therof Therfore this light the most bright of all godly times shal not yet be perfit as it shal be after this life but a candle onely in respect of that least peradventure wee should rest in our iourney as if we had come to the last ende 24 And the Gentiles that shal be saved The second outward argument is glory from the Gentils Before time the Iewes have alwayes found the GeÌ„tiles most hatefull who left no meanes unattempted to doo them hurt now contrariweise ther shal be no cause to feare that they will doo them any harme yea rather why should they not expect all good at their hands who shal apply al their forces to the advancing of them But these Gentiles are not al generally but are limited with a certain kinde which saith he shal be saved which word is inserted for an exposition The place is taken out of Isaiah 60.3 where it is thus and the Gentiles shall walke to thy light which Iohn draweth to the elect by putting in of one word least any should think it was spoken of every one generally And see how Iohn traÌ„slate that seÌ„teÌ„ce they shal walke to thy light thus they shal walke in the light of it the senteÌ„ce being well expressed For to walke at the light is not to come only to the light which one may doe depart again by by being at once both seen despised but to walke after or according to the light as to walke at the feete is alone with to follow serve one 1 Sam. 25.42 Neither-hath this place in the heavens that the people should walke at the light of the Church when Prophecyings shal be abolished and tongues shall cease and God shal be all in all 1 Cor. 13.8 and 15.28 But it may be doubtful how it can have place on earth For shal this difference remaine of some people which are saved and of other that are lost in this most happy government of the Church It seemeth indeed that there shal be many which yet still shal contemne the truth obstinately for the day of the Lord shall come cas a share upon all that dwell on the face of the earth Luke 21 35. But the children of the Church are not in darkenesse that that day should take them as a thief in the night 1 Thess 5.4 Moreover it was said before that the haile of a taleâ—t weight of the last vial shall drive men to blasphemy chap. 16.21 Neverthelesse those despisers shal be of so feeble strength that wil they nil the they shal be compelled to yeeld their necks The Complut edition and the Kings bible doo omit these words which are saved and so doth Aretas and the vulgar Latine neither doo they reade in the light of it but by the light ¶ And the Kings of the earth shal bring their glory unto it Then the Kings borderers on the Ocean and of the Yles shall bring a present the Kings of Sheba and Seba shall bring a gift finally all Kings shall worship him and all nations shall serve him Psal 72.10.11 And Isay The labour of Aegypt and marchandize of Aethiopia and of the Sabean Princes shall come unto thee and they shall be thine and shall follow thee they shall come in chaines and shall fall down before thee and shall make supplications unto thee saying onely the strong God is in thee there is none besides no where else is God chap. 45.14 Againe Kings shal be thy nurcing fathers and their Queenes shal be thy nurces they shall worship thee with their faces toward the earth and shall lick the dust of thy feet chap. 49.23 For then shal be given unto Christ a dominion and glory and Kingdome that all people nations and tongues should serve him whose dominion is an everlasting dominion which passeth not away his KingdoÌ„ a KingdoÌ„ which shall not be destroyed Dan. 7.14 It shal not also be from the purpose to add here in what words the Sybille hath described this same thing that at least wee may help tthe Iesuite if he will who in expounding the same is cleane out of the way thus therfore shee Prophecyed in the 3. book of the oracles of Sibyll And then the world by womans hands shall rul'd be and obey But when the widow over all the world
counselled them well And touching Ephesus it can not be uncerten but that this holy rule did holde there seeing Paul taught theire the space of three yeares who gave commaundement to Timotheus touching this matter so diligently and exactly The observation therof was famous in the primitive Church as even Pline testifyeth in an Epistle unto Traian The Christians are wont saith he to ryse betimes in the morning to praise Christ as God for the preserving of their religion to prohibite murthers adulteries avarice cousenage and the like unto those Euseb kook 3. chap. 33. of the Eccles Hist from Tertullian Out of all doubt they did not onely prohibit in word by teaching but also did restraine them by holy discipline And they did determine rightly that Religion could not be preserved otherwise unlesse vices be cut of by this spirituall sworde Iustin testifyeth that no man was admitted to the Sacrament of the supper but he whose life should answer and accord with his profession Apol. 2. But more plainly Tertullian writing thus There are also exhortations corrections and divine censure for it is shewed with great gravitie if anie have offended that he maie be sent awaie from communicating in praier both of the assembly and all holy soâ—iety where all most approved Elders have authoritie having obtained that honour not by money but by good report Apologet. ch 39. Origenes in his 35. treatise on Mat. In the Churches of Christ saith he such a custom hath held that they which are manifest in great sinnes thereof convicted should be cast out froÌ„ comon prayer least a little leaven of such as pray not from their heart should corrupt the whole sprinkling and consent of truth So in Hom. 7. upon Ioshua Him that the third time being admonished refuseth to repent he commandeth to be cut of from the body of the Church by the rulers of the Church where also he sheweth that the Priests sparing one and neglecting their Priestlie severitie doe worke the ruine of the whole Church The Epistles of Cyprian are most cleare witnesses how holilie and regiously he kept it in his Church yea they do prove how purely the discipline abod hitherto at Rome as is cleare by the Epistles of Cyprian to the clergie of Rome and to Cornelius and againe of them to Cyprian It is therefore an excellent praise of that time that conioined togither with the puritie of doctrine sanctity of manners by most holsome discipline ¶ And hast tried them which say thy are Apostles The other part of discipline is toward Ecclesiasticall men who were reproved not onelie for sinne in life but also they did undergoe punishmeÌ„ts meet for their ungodlines if they brought anie new thing and divers from the truth which after lawfull examinatioÌ„ was founde not to agree to the rule of the sanctuarie And great was the courage of the Angell in this matter who was not skared froÌ„ his duty by great names but did bring them backe to a wholy examining who did vaunt that they were Apostles Of which sorte that there were meÌ„ at Ephesus it is cleare from that instruction given unto Timotheus That thou wouldest abyde at Ephesus saith he that thou mayest give warning to some that they teach none other doctrine neither give eare to fables and genealogies being endlesse which doe breed questioÌ„s rather then godly edifying which is by faith 1 Tim. 1.3 And the same Paul warneth the Bishops of Ephesus to take heed to themselves and the whole flocke For I know this that after my departure grievous wolves not sparing the flocke will enter in among you and of your selves shall aryse some which shall speake perverse thinges that they may draw disciples after them Act 20.29.30 But the diligence of the Pastours did plucke the vizzards from the hypocrites and did not suffer their craftes to spread to the destruction of the flock so the Church continued uncorrupted even to the coÌ„ming of Iohn who ruled the same many yeares who at length for a time being removed it staked somewhat of that former care as we shall shew by by Likewise in the fâ—rst church ther was such a troupe of heretiques as scarce hath bin in all other times There arose Simonians Menandrians Ebionites Cerinthians Pseudoapostolins Gnostickes Sabellians Samosatenians Manichees c. Some of which the Apostles themselves did perce through with the dart of trueth Paul delivered Hymeneus and Alexander to Sathan So Phygellus and Hermogenes and as it seemeth Philetus And he taught Titus that he should shunne an hereticall man after once or twice admonition Tit. 3.10 But after they were gone to Christ many other excellent lightes rose up which did dispell diligently all hereticall darknes Among which Agrippa Castor as Eusebius reporteth Iustin Martyr Ireneus Tertulianus Cyprianus c. Who all fought egerly for the truth against couÌ„terfait Apostles Wherfore as both the city that former age were perillous because of the impudency of those who with false titles made a shew that they were Apostles so were they no lesse happy by the faithfulnes and industrie of such defenders who would not be deceaved with a vaine shew but bringing the matter to the touchstone manifested to the whole Church that they were most filâ—hy fellowes who would be counted the principall maisters ¶ And thou wast burdened Hitherto his faithfulnes in executing his office now he rehearseth his vertue against externe evils which were many and great both of that city and of all the Christian world The battailes of Paul against beasts at Ephesus are famous 1 Cor. 15.32 But what tranquillity could be to the Angels following who should have to doe with grievous wolves not sparing the flocke Act. 20.29.30 It was therefore the coÌ„mendation of this Angell that he did susteine and endure calamity stoutly which is declared in a triple degree that he bare the burden that he laboured under the burden and yet was not tyred as though he should say a great weight in deede of trouble did ly upon thee under the burden whereof thou gronedst yet thou wast not discouraged that thou shouldest pluck thy neck from the yoke and betray the trueth It is a manlie fortitude to beare out manfully troubles and torment Many beare the yoke cheerfully as long as they feele but a little griefe But to goe on constantly among the stinges of grief and sorowe is a point of great courage and of heavenly fortitude Such was this Angell such also was the whole Primitive Church Nero and Domitian had greatly persecuted the Church before Iohn wrote these thinges And besides Nero and Domitian it abode patiently under TraiaÌ„ Adrian Antonin Severus Diocletian The times were never more miserable when the EMPEROVRS did let their labour to hire to the Devill for to shed the Christian blood which he doeth alwaies thirst after Yet the faithfull revolted not but coÌ„tinued coÌ„staÌ„tly unto the end becoming at leÌ„gth coÌ„querers setting up the signe of victory against the Devill al foes
booke Because it is proper in deede to a Kingly power to prevayle with God and to beare away those thinges from him wherof lately they had noe power nor ability Wherfore they sing that they are made Kings to God as though they should say that they not onely are Kinges because they have subdued Death Sinne and the Devill but chiefly because they have God regarding their commodityes keeping nothing from them which any way may make for their good This is that Kingly power most noble in deede and alway to be praised But where they say they shall raigne on earth from hence that is evident which even nowe wee said at the eight verse that this is the company of the militant Church reigning on earth For why should the Saints in Heaven having attayned heavenly glory reioyce in an earthly dominion 11 And I heard round about the Throne and the Beasts The glorifying of the Angels who apart from the Church prayse God of whom there is another cōsideration thē of men redeemed by the blood of Christ for these being fallen are restored and they are upheld that they fall not And therefore are placed without the circuit of the Throne the Elders to whom yet they are next on every side garding the Church both that they may watch for her safety and also may reioyce in her behalfe for her prosperity From whence in the seconde place is rehearsed their gratulation as though they would learne every day more and more from the Church the incomprehensible mystery of redemption in which they behold with such earnest desire 1 Pet. 1.12 ¶ A thousande hundred thousand The common translation hath not these wordes a thousande hundred thousand but Aretas the Complutent edition and other copies read them And so in Daniel 7.10 from whence this place seemeth to have ben taken albeit the Iesuite will have nothing to be added in the common translation of such purity is it But where ought to be a greater number then where every kinde of Creature which is in Heaven and beneath with one consent agree to prayse the Lambe ver 13 Therefore he had better covered his shame if he would rather confesse freely the defect then to defende a manifest fault 12 To receave power Worthy is the Lambe that was killed that nothing should be so heard which his power may not overcome for he hath deserved by his death in such sorte that he should have power over all things Therefore by right all prayse is given unto him as to the most mighty most rich most wise c. the common translation for riches readeth Godhead without the authority of any Greeke copyes Notwithstanding it must be soo because so it seemeth to the Iesuites that the olde Jnterpreter hath followed alwayes the more corrected copies I would passe by such things if the impudency of the adversaryes did not compell mee to make them manifest at least in a word 13 And the whole creature All the Creature reioyce at this Prophecy evē they also which are void of reason because from thence they may perceive plainly that there shal be an ende at length to their labours Which time they expect with earnest affection much desyring to be freed from this yoke of vanity Rom. 8.21 ¶ And which are on earth in the Greeke it is and which are in the earth that is to say which live in the overmost part of the earth and under the earth which ly hid in the most inward bowels The whole creature expecteth a renovation not onely that which sheweth it selfe abroade is to be seen but also which lyeth hid within in secret But seeing here he speaketh of creatures voide of reason for it was spoken before of the whole kinde of reasonable creatures who would had from hence built and erected Purgatory but men voyd of reason But for wante of other guests they are compelled to stuffe their Popish banqueting chamber with bruit beasts ¶ And which are in the Sea and all things which are in them The common translation corruptly hath it thus And which are in the Sea and which are in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a chāge of gender wherby figuratively persons are attributed to the thinges created See Theod. Beza 14 And the foure Beasts The beginning the end of the thankesgiving is attributed to the Church because this benefite doth most of all belonge to her Therefore her glorifying is double one wherby shee goeth before all the rest in praysing the other wherby shee accordeth with the reioycing creature But the foure twenty Elders follow the leading of the Beasts as it is wont to be done in the Church where the people speaketh to God not so much in their owne as in the Ministers wordes and yeeld themselves wholy to his government to be ruled as touching religions and manner of worshippe as wee have observed in chap. 4.9.10 CHAP. VI. After I beheld whē the Lambe had opened one of the seales I heard one of the foure Beasts saying as it were the noise of thunder come see 2 Therfore I beheld loe there was a white horse he that sate on him had a bow a crowne was givē unto him he wēt forth cōquering that he might overcōe 3 And whē he had opened the secōd seale I heard the secōd Beast saying come see 4 And there wēt out an other horse red power was givē to him that sate therō to take peace frō the earth that they should kill one an other there was given unto him a great sword 5 And when he had opened the third seale I heard the third Beast saying come see Then I beheld loe a blacke horse was there and he that sate sate on him had balances in his hande 6 And I heard a voice in the middes of the foure beasts saying a measure of wheate for a penny and three measures of Barly for a peny and wine and oyle hurt thou not 7 And when he had opened the fourth seale I heard the voice of the fourth Beast saying come and see 8 And I looked and beholde a pale horse and his name that sate on him was death and hell followed after it and power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth to kill with sword and with hunger and with death and with beast of the earth 9 And when he had opened the fift seale I sawe under the Altar the soules of them that were killed for the word of God and for the testimony which they maintayned 10 And they cryed with a loude voice saying howe long Lord which art holy true doest thou not iudge and avenge our blood requyring it of them that dwell on the earth 11 And longe white robes were given to every one and it was saide unto them that they should rest for a little while untill their fellow servaunts and their brethren be accomplished who are to be killed even as they
translation and some other Copies and so it seemeth that it should be read both that the greatnes of the evill may be the more perceived and also that those thinges which follow may be understood the more easily this first being set downe which is the chiefe He commeth nowe to the second effect which was hurtfull onely to the wicked the sealed being well defended from the evill of it For saith he they were cast into the Earth which wee have taught to signify Earthly men wholy addicted to the thinges of this life But this showre rained not upon the whole earth but onely upon the third part But he calleth it the third after the common manner the whole being distributed in to three parts Which third part was the East to wit Asia and the bordering places EVROPE and AFRIKE understood it rather by hearing then in very deeded VALENS and VRSATIVS Bishops the one of the city Mursia in the country of Pannonia the other of Singidon a city in the Superior Mysia did endevor and laboured much to fill those parts with this poison But God who is mercifull did in his kindnesse restrayne and represse this mischiefe within the boundes of the third part of the world least that in overwhelming the whole Church it would at length destroy and overthrowe the same utterly ¶ And the third part of the trees was burnt The trees are the foster children of that Earth of which I spake even nowe and those more stronge tall then any of the rest as after in the 7. chap. but the Greene grasse signifyeth the newe borne Infants of the Church and the common multitude But the tēpest seemeth to rage more grievously against the Grasse then against the trees for of these the third part onely is on fire but all the grasse is burnt up But this whole grasse belongeth to that third part onely even as that third part of the trees are all trees of the East from whence the condition of the trees is nothing better then of the grasse These things teach that all of the Christian name as well the highest as the lowest who lived in those countryes of the third part of the world and were not in trueth grounded and built upon Christ should be so miserably smitten with this storme that they should make shipwracke of their salvation But you will say that they were destroyed before that is true doubtlesse in Gods councill yet it often cometh to passe that reprobate men doe flatter themselves for a time with a certaine false hope and doe with very great care delight to followe some outward religion which afterward the time doth prove manifestly to have ben meere hypocrisy and a vaine appearance of holines so those burnt trees grasse should make shipwracke of their counterfait god lines dashing themselves against the rockes of so great ungodlines of the Bishops And howe could it be but all in whose hartes the trueth hath not taken deepe roote either should be carryed into errour or which is worse should contemne all religion should revolte from Christ himselfe should hate the worshippers of him whom they should see to be bent to this onely thing that they may rayse up strifes contentions and troubles Well wrote Constantine in an Epistle to the Councill gathered togither at Tyrus he upbraided the Bishops in that they did nothing else but sowe dissentions and hatreds and those things which did tende to the utter ruine of man kinde Socrat. booke 1. 34. But there needeth noe witnesses in a matter not doubtfull The exceeding great mercy of God is rather to be praysed which kept a fewe safe from this storme 8 Afterward the second Angell blewe the trumpet as it were a burning moūtaine The first effect of the sounding of the trumpet of the second Angel is a great mountaine burning with fire cast into the Sea The second effect is the death of the third part of the creatures that lived in the Sea As touching the first Mountaines in the scriptures are Princes States of a Realme Loftie minded all of that sorte as Isaiah saith that the day of the Lord shal be upon all the high mountaines and upon all the hilles that are lifted up and upon every high tower and upon every stronge wall chap. 2.14.15 From whence it seemeth here to note Kingdomes Principalities Honours Dignities the Pompe of the world and Traine folloing great men and the Ambition of such thinges This Mountaine burneth with fire as Vesuvius or Aetna because the desyre of honour and riches is fervent neither are men wont to be occupyed coldly in getting such thinges It is throwne into the Sea because the ambition of these things is cast into the doctrine a newe decree of the Councill being made touching order and honour of which their Ancesters never had a thought For wee have shewed before the Sea to be the most pure doctrine of the true and heavenly Church chap. 4.6 but of the earthly and false the foule and grosse chap. 7.1 Seeing then that this is the meaning of the words wee shall finde that the second Angell by and by after the first sounded the trumpet among the same Nicene Fathers For after that sentence was given touching the coessentiall nature of the Sonne of celebrating the Easter upon one and the same day of Miletium they turned themselves unto the making of Canons by which the Ecclesiasticall Discipline should be ruled Amonge other Canons they make a Decree touching the Primacy of the Metropolitanes that the Bishop of Alexandria should have authority over all the Churches in Egypt or Lybia and Pentapolis because the Bishop of Rome had the like custome Likewise as in Antioch and the other Provinces let the honour of every Church be reserved And that no man ordained without the will and knowledge of the Metropolitane should be counted a Bishop that honour also be given to the Bishop of Ierusalem and consequently that he may receive honour the dignity neverthelesse proper to the Metropolitane City remaining Surely this burning Mountaine was cast into the Sea when from this beginning there was strife among the Church men about dignity and honour as for the maintenance of religion and their private sustenance Indeede the obscurer Churches were wont in former times to goe to the learned and skilfull Bishops of more famous cityes and to aske their advise if any doubtfull thing had fallen out and to crave their aide to whom the excellency of the place procured more authority but that which they did before of their owne accord nowe must be done necessarily and those whom lately they saluted as their brethren and felowes in office they were now to be acknowledged by higher titles From hence came into the Church exercising of authority and having dominion by which in a short time after all thing were turned up sidowne Constantinople thought that shee was regarded nothing according to her worthines by this Nicene Decree wher fore a fewe yeeres
a conference with the Angell Gabriell Surely a mighty Key and fit to open the pit of Hell Therefore the respect to the time the greatnes of the matter theagreablenes of all things which shall more appeare in the explication finally the large boundes of this trumpet doe cause that as well Mahomet as the Romish Pope are to be contained under this starre Neither is it an unmeete thing that many persons should be noted by one type whom the likenes doth compose and make to be some one thing 2 Therefore he opened the bottomelesse pit and the smoke ascended Such was the first effect The second sorte of effects doe arise one from another in a certen order For first he openeth the pit from the pit opened smoke ascendeth out of the smoke beside the darkening of the Sunne come Locusts And the Smoke is Heresy in doctrine and superstition in worship For what other thing can breath out of the Hellish pit Before time indeede by many cranyes it sent forth a foule vapour but nowe through the doores opened by the helpe of these men it began to goe out hastily The Sunne and ayre are darkened after that errours growed in use and the light of the trueth was quite put out Neither is it a darkenes of one place onely such as the high rope of some mountaine doth cause but the whole ayre is filled with blacknes differring nothing from the darknes of the night And certenly after once the Primacy was obtained of Phocas Bonifacius the next both in name and order consecrated to all Saincts Pantheon a Temple of Heathenish Idolatry practizing the same ungodlines which the Ethniques did before but under an other something more glorious name Whose holy day also he appointed that the wickednes of worshipping an newe army of Gods might not be Romes alone Theodatus his next successour decreed that the parents who had received even through ignorance their owne children from baptisme should not live togither any more in the society of wedlocke but that there should be a separation made and the woman should receive her dowrie and be married to an other after a yeere A newe kinde of incest by spirituall kindred which God knewe not when he made his lawes of incest and unlawfull marriages Lev. 18. Bonifacius the fift added that wee by Christ are delivered from originall sinne onely that the lawe requireth noe more of us then that which wee are able to perfourme by our owne strength or at least by the helpe of the divine grace Vitalian that all things ought to be done in the Church in the Latine tonge Finally that I may not recken up an infinite thing the matter at length came to this point that all must necessarily submit their neckes to this yoke That every soule that wil be saved must confesse the forme of the Romane tradition and that all her decrees are to be received as if they were stablished by the divine voice of Peter himselfe as Agatho in his Epist among the Acts of the sixt Councill at Constantinople This smoke which at the first opening of the pit was but thinne became every day thicker almost by infinite degrees And the maner of Worshipping God began to be noe lesse corrupted which did consist wholy in Masses Altars Garments Images Chalices Crosses Candlesticks Censers Banners Holy Vessels Holy Water in a multitude of Prayers Pilgrimages Fastings and an exceeding great company of not onely idle but also ungodly ceremonies the most pure ordinance of God forsaken in the meane time and troade under foote Howe longe before and howe farre this smoke spread it selfe in the West one alone Boniface Venofride an Inglishman may be instead of many witnesses who being the Legate and Apostle of Gregorie the second brought into bondage under the Pope the Franckes the Noriques the Boies the Thy rigates The Cattes part of the Saxes the Daces the Sclavonians the Frises How great a multitude of slaves by one mans travell But this was nothing to the whole West covered in a shorte time after with the same smoke For the Princes being made to beleeve that that Church was founded of Peter and this Peter left the keyes and power given him of Christ to his successours at Rome and in no other place in the earth so as he that should cut of himselfe from the Church of Rome should become a banished man from the Christian religion as Adrian in his Epistle to the Spaniards it is noe mervayle if by this darkenes the Sunne was taken away from all Churches every where But this darke night became yet much more thicke when at length the holy Scriptures being wholly layd aside and all good learning being banished sophisticall Theologie was onely in account the unpure Decrees and Decretals held the governance Then the Aegyptian darkenes was not thicker thē that which came upon the whole West The Easterne smoke sent forth by Mahomet was grosser at the very first beginning so as it might be felt with the handes He unto three holy Scriptures as he speaketh that is the Lawe of Moses the Psalmes of David and the Gospell ioyneth his Alfurta an horrible Chaos of all blasphemyes And as if the Easterne people had not received hurt inough frō the dotages of Mahomet Heraclius the Emperour spread also amōg them the errour of the Monothelites So then about these times every man may see aboundance of smoke coming out of the opened pit As touching the wordes instead of a great fornace Aretas the Complutent edition and some others reade a burning fornace peradventure both are to be ioyned togither but the sense is cleare 3 And out of the smoke went Locusts An other effect of the second sorte the procreation of Locusts that is of men who resemble their dispositiō most fitly in their multitude and slouthfulnes The wordes may not be understood of some venimous creatures indeede whose ofspring doth not require à man falling from the trueth of which sorte wee have shewed the starre to be which fell from heaven neither are the true Locusts bred from the smoke of errours but the ofspring must be of the same kinde of which his cause is Wherfore frō this ignorance most grosse errours there came forth in the East the Mahometish Saracens a cōpany of vile persōs by troupes running violently to robberies living not so much of their owne as of others a natiō borne to eate up devoure the goods of other men which hath wasted the whole East in a fewe yeeres afterward spoyled miserably the west our Europe The Westerne Locusts are Monkes Nunnes the yong brethrē the innumerable route of religious the Cardinals with the whole Popish Hierarchy All these beetles sprūg out of the same smoke or dunge of ignorāce errour For after that men did attribute their salvatiō to their workes what measure could there be of newe religiōs newly devised superstitiō Al doe fervētly thirst after salvation which whē they understāde to be in
wee will pray for you So that labouring to hide other mens sinnes they shall wholly forget their owne And o grievous thing they will receive anie thinge from vagabonds pilferers extortioners theeves and robbers by the high waies from church-robbers usurers adulterers Heretiques Shismatiques revolters harlots bawdes of Noble men periured merchants corrupt iudges souldiers tyrants and such as live in trades contrarie to the lawe of God They are perverse and wicked embracing the persuasion of the Devill the sweetnesse of sinne an easie and delicate life and a certaine abundance of thinges even unto eternall damnation All these things shall appeare manifestly in them all everie daie they shall growe more wicked and more hardened in their heartes And when their fraude shal be founde out and their naughtiâ—esse then gifts shall cease and they shall goe about to houses hungrie like ravening dogges their countenances cast downe upon the grounde and their neckes made short as doves that they maie be satisfied with bread Then the people shall prosecute them with an outcrie woe be to you wretches children of sorrow the world hath deceived you the Devill hath ruled you hitherto by his power you have a fraile flesh and hart utterly without wisdome and unstable wavering mindes and eyes delighted with much vanity and folly your idle paunches have coveted dainty dishes of meate and your feete have ben swift to wickednesse Remember the time when you were openlie blessed but secretlie envious abroad poore but rich at home curteous in shew but in verie trueth great flaterers false traitours perverse back biters holie Hypocrites supplaÌ„ters of the trueth iust beiond measure proude unchast unconstant teachers delicate Martyrs confessours desirous of much lucre gentle but false accusâ—rs religious but covetous humble but yet proude mercifull but shamelesse liars pleasant flatterers peaceable persequutours oppressours of the poore bringing newe sects invented of your selves counted mercifull but knowne by experience to be wicked lovers of the world conspiratours drunkards ambitious patrons of wickednesse robbers of the whole earth unsatiable preachers men pleasers beguiling simple women sowers of privie grudges Of whom Moses that excellent Prophet spake well in his Songe a people without councell and understanding Oh that they would knowe that they would understand and consider their latter ende Yee have built indeede on high and when it was not graunted you to rise higher yee have fallen downe togither even as Simon Magus whom God cast to the grounde and smote with an huge blowe so at length you have ben throwne downe from your false doctrine naughtinesse lyes slaunders villanies out of the cloudes unto the verie earth Then the people speaketh to them get yee hence you teachers of abominations destroiers of the trueth brethren Shunamites fathers of heresies false Apostles who counterfaited the life of the Apostles the followers of whom you have ben in noe sorte You are the children of iniquitie wee will not follow your maner of courses For pride and arrogancie have deceaved you and unsatiable covetousnes hath wrapped in her snares your erring mindes And after that yee would clime higher then was meete and reasonable by the iust iudgement of God yee have fallen downe headlong into eternall shame and reproch These thinges Hildegardis foretolde about the yeere 1146 three skore yeeres before the begging fryers were bred whom notwithstanding shee painteth out so cunningly and lively that shee may seeme not so much to have foretolde a thinge to come as to have reported a thing past Who can describe more clearly the beginning and disposition of these Locusts Who can speake more plaine of their destruction even of us who have seen the thing declared to be true by the event Neither onely treated shee of those which should spring up next after her age but also of the Iâ—suites of our time and the other company of vile persons of that sorte which doth annoy in these dayes For all these Locusts belonge to the same pit are of the same manners and shal be in the same destruction 12 One woe is past The first of the three more grievous For the second followeth in chap. 11.14 as it hath ben observed before that one with the Hebrewes is as well a nowne of order as of number in chap. 6.1 This woe is past not because noe remnants should remaine when the next trumpet should come after the other but because the heate of it should be much cooled againe so as it wanted but a little but that it might seeme to have bâ—n utterly quenched For this Angell of the bottomelesse pit shall not be abolished wholly togither with all his servants before the bright comming of the Lord 2 Thes 2.8 There is the same meaning of this word chap. 11.14 For the veâ—ation of the sixt trumpet should not vanish away altogither forthwith at the first sounding of the seventh but should tarie after that for some longe time But the space of this trumpet is of sixe hundred yeeres and more to wit from the yeere 406. unto the yeere one thousand three hundreth and fiftieth or there about 13 Then the sixt Angâ—ll blâ—we the trumpet Nowe the sixt trumpet followeth and thâ— sâ—coâ—â— woe of which first is declared the commandement secondly the Execution In that is to be considered the Authour the Administratour and the meaniâ—g of the commandement it selfe The Authour is one voice from the foure hornâ— of the golden Altar Wee have shewed at chap. 8.3 what manner of altar this is Properly it signifyeth Christ in whom by whom onely our prayers doe please God as once was shadowed out by the golden Altar of incense set before the vaile upon which alone it was lawfull to burne the holie incense This Altar had foure hornes upon which onelie once a yeere reconciliation was to be made of Aaron and with the blood of the sâ—câ—ifice for sinne in the day of reconciliations Exod. 30.10 For albeit the daylie prayers were sweete and had also a good savour the incense of which was dayly offerred on the altar yet these yeerly prayers which were made upoÌ„ the hornes of the altar were most fervent of chiefe moment But it is to be observed that the voice which is heard coming from the hornes of the altar is not a praying but a commanding voice saying loose those foure Angels From whence this voice is not of the faithfull praying but rather of Christ hearing their prayers For therefore it is made from the hornes of the altar both that hee may teach that this voice is an answere given to the supplications of the saincts and also that wee may knowe that by him alone is obtained that which wee aske by whom in whom onely wee offer up our prayers to God Therefore when the godly desire earnestly that God would provide for his Church being troubled this of loosing the 4 Angels cometh from the hornes of the altar that while they should handle the stiffe enemies of syncere religioÌ„ according to
Prosper witnesseth in his booke de Ingratis in these wordes Rome is the Seate of Peter which is become the Head of Pastorall power to the world whatsoever shee holdeth not by force of armes shee holdeth it by religion And againe in his second booke of the calling of the Gentils chap. 6. Rome by the soveraigntie of Priesthood is more increased by the tower of religion then by the Throne of power Vnto which is added Ammian Marcellin in his 27. booke as he is cited by Bellarmine that he marvaileth not though men contend with so great desire for the Romane Popedome seing the riches and maiestie of it are so great But that the Dragon gave him this power appeareth from hence that the name of Rome was honourable to all men because of the auncient Empire of which once it was the Seate and therefore that they easily yeelded to any promotion of hers but of this more largely at the 6. verse 3 And I sawe one of his heads as it were deadly wounded Montanus Plantines Edition doeth omit I saw as though the Dragon togither with the throne power had given also one of the heads wounded which is contrary both to the faithfulnesse of the other Copies for Aretas the Common translation read I saw all other also to the truth of the history For the Beast had not a wounded head at his first beginning For first he was afterward he is not in chap. 17.8 as at that place wee shall shewe more fully In these wordes he commeth to the second condition of the BEAST The dammage consisteth in the wounding of one of his heads which now once or twice wee have advertised to be seveÌ„ hills and Kings from chap. 17.9.10 VVhether then of these kindes should suffer this calamity Surely if the wounde inflicted be to come into the power of the enemy scarce can one of the hilles receive a wound but all wil be wounded togither VVherfore more properly it beloÌ„geth to the Kings any one of which being afflicted with this wounde the rest abide whole from the same Although this hurt cannot be so proper to a King that it should not also be common to the Hills And these Kings are seven Governements or Principalities by which the City of Rome hath ben governed to wit those celebrated by all Kings Consuls Decemviri Dictatours Tribunes Emperours Popes as wee will make plaine at the 17. chap. If now it be demaunded to which of all these this calamity should happen the place which even now wee spake of declareth it evidently to the seaven head namely the Popes For so speaketh the Angell and another that is the seventh is not yet come and when he shall come he must continue a short space being hurt with a wound as it were quite killed with the same for Iohn saith as it were wounded to death as Aretas well puts us in minde for he should not be altogither destroyed by this blow But now after that it is manifest touching the Heads this wound was inflicted when Rome forsaken now a good while of the Emperours abiding partly in the East at Byzantium partly in the West at Ravenna beginning againe to flourish under a newe GovernemeÌ„t of Popes was smitten with an exceeding great storme by the Gothes Vandals Hunnes and the rest of the Northern people Which vexed most miserably the whole VVest part In this common calamity that late Empresse of the nations Queene of the whole world escaped not scotfree but sufferred a greater destruction then almost any City besides oftener taken by assault sacked wasted for an hundred two and thirtie yeeres at the lust of the Barbarians First Alaricus about the yeere 415 besieged and tooke it Of which thing Hierome speaking but after he saith the most famous light of all countries is cleane put out yea the head of the Romane Empire cut off and to speake more truly the whole world is destroyed in one Citie c. In his Proheme of Ezech. But in more wordes eloquently in an Epistle to Principia a Virgin The Citie is taken which tooke the whole world c. In what lamentable manner would he have bewailed if it had befell him to heare of the ofteÌ„ conquerings and spoiling thereof which followed For Rome now was consumed not once but was taken a second time by Adaulphus who gave her such a deadly wound that she was minded to change her name and to be called afterward Gothia The third time Gensericus the Vandal tooke it The fourth time Odoacer Rugianus reigning there fourteene yeeres Theodoricus the King of the Gothes slewe him whom at length Totilas followeth by a cerâ—en order of succession He the fift time overthrew and rased it bringing it to that wildernesse that neither any man nor woman could be found in it by the space of fourty dayes according to that of the Sibyll Rome shal be a perpetuall ruine and shee that hath ben seen shall not be discerned Albeit I thinke not that shee hath yet endured that calamity which Sibyll speaketh of although that now past may be a notable proofe of that which is to come Who in those times would not have thought that the seven hilled Citie had utterly perished VVho would not have supposed that the dignitie of the Popes to wit the seventh head had bin past remedy Therefore the Constantinopolitane Bishop and he of Ravennas the authority of Rome being as it were utterly gone laboured greatly as the next heires to drawe the same to their Churches But they were both much deceaved The head was not wounded unto death but as it were unto death Therefore the wound waxing more fierce Zozimus Bonifacius Celestinus about the yeere 420. having supposed a Nicene Councill chalenged the Primacy and they did moove so much as was sufficient to shewe that some life was left but they had a shameful repulse because this was the time of the wound on every side Pelagius also not long after before the skarre had closed altogither wrested the scriptures to the same ende but his endevour comming to no proofe declared that both the head remained alive and also that it was of no power For the raigne of the Gothes darkened the light of the Popes dignity neither could now any acknowledg her the chiefe who at home being the basest and servant of the Barbarous people scarce had a place where to abide For at once the Emperours dwelling at Rome at what time the Apostles were in authority restreined Antichrist that he could not come forth to be seen abroad so the new erected Kingdome of the Gothes in Italie was an other thing with holding which did repell his put out hornes for a time compelled him againe to hide him selfe in his shell Rightly therefore now the head did seeme to be wounded which was not able to shake off the yoke neither by any strength of his owne neither by any hope that he had from the East seing the Emperour
had graunted of his owne accord Italy to the Gothes which he had no hope to be able to retaine VVhat could he expect from the VVest every country wanting helpe so farre off were they from being able to succour others Therefore O Pope thy wouÌ„d was deadly whereof no remedie appeared from any place ¶ But this deadly wound was healed The third condition of the Beast coÌ„sisting in his dignity recovered by the healing of the head VVhich began at the yeere 555 when Iustinian being Emperour the Gothes were destroyed in Italy bâ— the valiantnesse of 〈◊〉 Nâ—râ—â—â—â—â— The Emperour played the Physitian maniâ—estly for first he tooke away the noxious humours by â—â—pressing yea rather utterly abolishing the Barbarians afterward he powred in wine oyle That Decree of Iustinians new constitution 131 wâ—s a most pleasant ointemeÌ„t Wee ordaine that according to the Decrees of the holy Counâ—â—lls the most holy Bâ—shop of auncient Rome shall be the chiefe of all Priests Hâ—â— much was the wound amended hereby But Phocas the Parricide afte◠〈◊〉 yeeres more or lesse that is in the yeere sixe hundreth and sixe finiâ—hâ—â— the cure bound up the wound healed it up into a skarre Hee did gâ—aunt unto Bonifâ—ce the third that the Romane Bishop should be counted Vniversâ—ll not onely that he should goe before the rest in order honour as Iustâ—nian decreed limitting the Primacy with the bounds of holy Concills bâ—t who should have the whole world for his Diocesse the Bishop of CoÌ„stantinople strove afterward in vaine from whom the Primacy was given by the sentence of the Emperour Now he perceived that the wound was healed and that therefore it was superfluous to pleade any more for this matter And certenly not very long after the Pope Leo second shewed that he had recovered health when about the yeere 680. by the warres of the Emperour he compelled Felix the Bishop of Ravenna to acknowledge the Bishop of Rome for his Lord and that the Bishop of Ravenna should not rise up any more it is ordained by the authority of the Pope That afterward the election of the Clergie of Raâ—enna should not be of force unlesse the consent of the Romane Pope were added to it Sabellic Ennead 8. book 7. Thus was the wounded head cured which being healed did more hurt the Christian world then before he received the wounde ¶ And all the world wondred followed the Beast Now he declareth how great the recovered dignity should be first by the honour which the worshippers of the Beast should give to him this honour is in admiring in this verse also in worshipping both the Dragon the Beast in the following And he speaketh significaÌ„tly after the Hebrewes manner to wonder after the Beast which is as much as in wondring to follow the Beast that is to give up theÌ„selves wholly to be ruled by his Empire as the Israelites going a whoring after their Idols forsooke the true God coÌ„secrated theÌ„selves to the worship of them They who so admired the Beast are the earth that is men savouring the earth altogither straÌ„gers froÌ„ the heaveÌ„ly city But how many is the nuÌ„ber of them All without exception For he saith the whole earth Therefore it should come to passe that the Beast after the head was healed should rule with farre larger boundes then before Prosper said that Rome was more ample at the first receiving of this dignity by the tower of religion then by the throne of power Which seemeth to be understood rather of the consent of the trueth then of the dominion of the Citie of Rome although then it was doubtlesse large The trueth was propagated further then the Romane Empire But Britanny had not yet acknowledged the authoritie of Rome in the matter of religion till under the Pontificate of Gregory the fift that is after some hope that the wound should be cured Augustine the Romish Munke forced our countriemen to take upon them the yoke neither did France Friseland Denmarke Germanie Sclavonia depend much of Rome before Bonifacius or Venefride an Inglishman about the yeere 720. brought these countries or the chiefe parts thereof unto the obedience of the Pope of Rome Now therefore was the time when the whole earth should admire the Beast when besides these and other Princes of Europe countries also most remote Ireland Scotland Norway Gothia Sueveland Luten and other nations of Sarmatia honoured the same as some God Let therefore the Pope glory in his universality by how much he hath the greater multitude by so much a surer argument is he that Beast But as touching the admiration it was indeede great some ages before and that of the most famous lights of the Church who carryed away with the too much honour of the Beast and not regarding sufficiently to what mischiefe at length the matter would growe did exalte too proudly the preheminence of the Apostolike Chaire Yet did they not wonder after the Beast so as they thought they must embrace all whatsoever he should ordaine but they had one rule of godlinesse and duty to it the sacred trueth Neither were the commendations of those times any thing to that admiration which followed the healing of the wounde Heare Bernard Thou saith he speaking to the Pope art the great Priest the chiefe Pope thou art the Prince of Bishops thou art the heire or the Apostles thou art in Primacy Abel in governing Noe in Patriarchat Abraham in order Melchisedec in dignity Aaron in authority Moses in iudgement Samuel Peter in power Christ in an-annointing c. in the 2. booke of Considerat Verily o Bernard thou hast played the foole through admiratioÌ„ Yet neverthelesse I dare not put thee among those who wonder after the Beast considering that I heare thee else where reprooving boldly and sharply the wickednesse of the Popes Cardinals Bishops and other Clergie men The times deceaved thee but there was in thee I thinke somewhat borne of God which at leÌ„gth did overcome the world But of what sorte was the wouÌ„dring of other men who were more blinded lesse fearing God Heare what the Ambass of the Emp. of Sicilia being prostrated on the grouÌ„d cry which takest away the sinnes of the world hav mercy on us which takest away the sinnes of the world give us peace P. Ae. b. 7. VVhat also Simo Begnius Bishop of Modrusium speaking to the Pope Leon in the Councill of Lateran sess 6. Beholde here cometh the Lion of the tribe of Iuda the roote of David thee o most blessed Leo wee have expected for Saviour Adde unto these Cornelius the Bishop of Biponte who shewed his astonishmeÌ„t in the CouÌ„cill of TreÌ„t in these words The Pope being the light is come into the world and men have loved darknes more then the light for every one that doth evill hateth the light and commeth not to the light O Blasphemous Fooles is it not enough for you to adorne the Man of Sinne with the praises of the Saincts
of this sermon where he maketh mention onely of the markâ— of his name it is because this badge is common not onely to them who are marked in the forehead but also to them who receive the marke in their hand Wherefore ô yee Papists consider diligently how horrible punishement abideth you unlesse you forsake the Pope of Rome These stinging wordes of Martin Luther were not of a man and of an angry adversary but which the Holy Ghost ministred unto him Ye see that the man was sent from the caÌ„pe of Christ himselfe And thinke not that these threates are dead with him but let your eares ring with the same continually For they live at this day and shall no lesse have their force for ever threatning eternall destruction to every one who doe yet worship that Romish Idoll Yea a more grievous punishement is prepared for men by how much the ungodlines of the Popes chaire is more apparant let every one heare who regardeth his eternall salvation 12 Here is the patience of the Saincts These thinges perteine to consolation which the Angel useth with the same as a conclusion shutting up his sermon Albeit they may be the words of Iohn adding these things after his manner like an acclamation But it skilleth little whose of these two they were The speach is defective for here is the tryall of the patience of the Saincts here is the tryall of them that keepe the commaundements of God For now it should appeare who were endued with true patience and who performed the duties of unfained godlinesse Antichrist should be driven into such rage by the preaching of Luther that it was neddfull for men to be godly indeede that would endure stoutly his assault and yet not forsake their profession Of which furie Germanie is witnesse which from hence did wholly abounde with murders the blood of the godly chap. 11.7 And no lesse our EnglaÌ„d for her part which theÌ„ every wher did burne with the fires of the faithfull VVhat wer the horrible sloughters of France the ashes of Merindoll Cabrieres are a signe of most outragious cruelty Now was there need of vertu without which none could stande And that we may know in how great daÌ„â—er things were we read that the very Captaines staÌ„derd-bearers quaked for feare How timorous was H. MelancthoÌ„ untill Luther raised him up coÌ„forted him The like feare without doubt apaled many men 13 Then I heard a voice from heaven The other consolation is of a voice sent from heaven For to the ende that the Saincts should be more proÌ„pt to undergoe danger it is avouched from heaven that the utmost trouble which the wicked can bring upon the faithfull is present happines to them and that it shall not be in vaine although it seemeth otherwise to the world that they doe throwe themselves into so great perils for the trueths sake for their workes should follow them of which they should receive straightway a most sweete fruit and obtaine at length a most blessed and ample reward Neither is it without cause that there is so expresse mention of the time from this time from now that I may so say the common translation hath from now Theod. Beza thinketh that this member is to be ioined necessarily with blessed to which he addeth next blessed from hence foorth c. But it seemeth that it is not to be put out of the place which the Spirit advisedly giveth to it ioyning it with which die Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from hencefoorth Not but that the dead in former ages also were blessed but because these times required necessarily this speciall comfort As long as they had to doe with the Heathen persecuting Christ in his meÌ„bers professedly no man could doubt but that he ought to spend his life in that cause But in the combate with them who boasted that they alone were true Christians iustly the more simple might doubt whether they should resist unto blood Therefore to the ende that the Spirit might take away this scruple and that the faithfull should not doubt to die in this coÌ„flict he pronounceth them happy who die from hencefoorth as though he should say a crowne of celestiall glory doth remaine no lesse for all those who die in the fight against the Beast then for those who for Christs sake were slaine before time by the Heathens wordes full of confort And so indeede it came to passe in the Church restored after the yeere 1543 after the Parliament of Aquen against them of Merindoll and Cabriers many others having sufferred calamities in Fraunce when a rumour also was spread abroad of the entreprises of the Emperour and of the Pope against religion for then many weake brethren being amazed at the dangers present and expected began to thinke by dissembling their religion to provide for their goods and life Which thing feare persuaded them to be lawfull by the example of Nicodemus Against this great feare a voice sounded from heaven when certeÌ„ writings full of holinesse were published by Iohn Calvin of avoiding superstitions and an excuse to the Nicodemites in which by most strong arguments he disprooveth that weakenes and proveth a necessitie of testifying our religion openly whatsoever daungers shal be neere at hande that the glory of God ought to be more pretious to us then this fraile life which to speake properly is no other thing then a shadow VVhich iudgement other holy men also confirmed by their writings Philip Melancthon Martin Bucer Peter Martyr and the whole Church of Zuriche as wee may see in the Opuscules of Calvin This is that voice from Heaven 14 And J looked and behold a white cloude Thus farre the three Angels fighting by the word now a fact is added and engines are brought forth to beginne the ruine of Babylon VVhich preparatioÌ„ is double the Haâ—vest Vintage The harvest is the gathering of the good according to that saying of Christ the harvest is great but the labourers are fewe pray therefore the Lord of the harvest that he would send foorth labourers into his harvest Mat. 9.37 And it is set foorth in three verses the preparation whereof is in two Angels one the Prince ver 14 and the other an Administer ver 15. VVhose labour is ioyned togither as a double thuÌ„der apaling with a double crack one by by following an other afterward followeth the executioÌ„ ver 16. As touching the words a cloude hanging aloft signifyeth a certaine highnesse such as are honours dignities Magistrates Principalities and such like to which an high place is granted among men though not the highest seeing the cloudes doe stay beneath the skie VVhich signification is confirmed by that which was spoken before of the two Prophets who rising from the dead went up into the Heaven by a cloude that is were earryed unto the due height of dignity by the helpe of certaine inferiour Princes chap. 11.12 A white cleare and cheerefull cloude betokeneth
touching the place they would wrangle about the time But by this so exact description he taketh away all halting frō them Therfore as touching the Whore her so expresse nothing out by Babylon seven hills seven Kings flourishing power and at length destruction the rest of the world being safe finally by the name of the city used in stead of an interpretation doo most strongly prove that the universall City of the Divill is not meant but some special city and namely Rome and so much the more because this whore is the Throne of the Beast And we know that the Throne of the Divill was attributed to a certain City to weet Pergamus before in the second chapter and thirteenth verse Therfore worthily Bellarmine that opinion being rejected sayth It is better in his iudgement that Rome be understood by the whore as Tertullian expoundeth in his booke against the Iewes and in his third booke against Marcion And Hierome in his 17. Epistle to Marcella and Quaest 11. to Algasia Bellarmine touching the Romane Pope in his third booke and in the thirteenth chapter Here then wee have our adversary confessing What therfore letteth that they should not agree with us about the Antichrist They have invented a double crafty shift for themselves one of the place an other of the time of the place that albeit Rome be the Whore yet is it not the seate of Antichrist but Hierusalem Of the time that Rome was the VVhore when the Heathen Emperours ruled but now shee is not since she became Christian and therfore that shee is not the seate of Antichrist seeing he shall not come but a little before the last iudgement But the Papists are holden with their owne snares for granting Rome to be the whore they must also needs grant the rest First of all that not Hierusalem but shee is the seate of Antichrist For is not this Beast the very Antichrist This also Bellarmine yeeldeth and though he had not yeelded it the truth wil force him to cōfesse it as we shal see But he affirmeth that Antichrist shal hate Rome from v. 16. after wel acknowledging that the Beast is Antichrist but how truly he spoke of hatred wee shal examine at that place From his cōfessiō we have that both the whore is Rome the Beast Antichrist Frō which it is of necessity that Antichrist shal have his denne at Rome seeing he is the very Beast on which the whore is caried Doth not the Spirit shew a very great coniunction nigh familiarity of both of the whore in setting upō of the Beast in bearing Ther is none but he wil say that a man is neerly joyned to the horse on whō he sitteth Certēly if Antichrist was to raigne at Hierusalē Rome being set so farr frō her saddle should walke on foot humble base who had so little aide frō the Emperours after they removed to Byzantiū wher they were not farr Secodly as touching the time how absurd is this distinction that the whore should be Heathenish Rome the first 300 yeeres after Christ but that Antich the Beast should not come ūtil about 3. yeeres an halfe before the last day Shal shee sit on the Beast not yet borne yea not conceived a very long time after For shal the Beast whē he cometh beare the whore being dead so many ages before For the whore shal cease to be 1300. yeeres how much more we know not before Antich shal come These ar dreames wholly mōsters of bearing sitting upō The Spirit hath takē frō you al such subterfuge coupling these 2. things by so ūseparable a band wherby he forbiddeth both to seeke Antichr els wher then at Rome also to think her to be this whore at any other time then when Antichrist should have his seate there Needs ar these two things to be ioyned togither both in place time But when shall this time beginne for this yet hath some doubt Surely when wee shall see the whore to have ben caried on this Beast by his helpe and authority placed in dignity and lifted up on high VVhich though I holde my peace Leo will confesse to have ben done in the 1. sermon of the Nativity of the Apostles when the preheminence came to the Popes and Rome began to excell through the opinion of her religion Rome sayth he being made the head of the world by the sacred Chaire of S. Peter hath more ample authority through divine religion then earthly dominion For although being inlarged by many victories thou hast extended the fraunches of thyne Empire by lād and by sea yet notwithstanding it is lesse that which warrelike labour hath put under thee then that which Christian peace hath subdued Likewise Prosper in his booke de ingratis Rome is of Peter the Seat which in honour Pastoral Is made of the world head what by the right Martial Shee doth not possesse yet shee by religion hold free Therfore this one common type ministreth a necessary argument both of the seat and Kingdome of Antichrist which alone might be sufficient to take away all controversie were it not that men loved themselves more then the truth and would not cesse to barke against it till that their mouthes be altogither stopped VVherfore the Spirit stayeth not here but goeth on yet to clearer things that for whom the morning light is not sufficient they may have the Noone Sunne an helper if peradventure they wil then see The sitting being in such wise declared peculiarly afterward he descendeth to both and first to the Beast which is described by the colour names of blasphemy heads and hornes The colour is of skarlet made readde by the little worme Coccus VVherfore this Beast is honourable shining with the same colour with Kings and no lesse wicked and bloody For this same colour is attibuted to most grievous sines Yf your sinns were as skarlet sayth Isaiah chap. 1.18 Not onely because it is a deep colour which cannot be washed of but cheifly for the cruelty of shedding blood which wickednes among the rest seemeth most horrible VVo seeth not that this Beast is at Rome where the Pope sitteth whose feete Kings doe kisse and who doth most cruelly murder Christians not acknowledging his divine power both in the city and also through all the Dominion But that colour hath not pleased chiefly the Romish Court at all adventures which hath come to passe by the providence of God that the Fathers might set before the world a visible shew of this skarlet coloured Beast Touching which thing see a most fine Epigrame of Theod. Beza Secondly this Beast is full of names of Blasphemy How fruitful an increase of a naughty thing Long agoe the heads did beare the names of blasphemy chap. 13.1 now the whole body is full of the same And first of all the Primacy was chiefely a blasphemy and therfore it was well carried on the head but the time added dayly others the heape whereof
living heads ar cut off he yet remaineth alive or they being cut off other as it were a new Hidra spring up of which yet Iohn made no mētiō But that we may not thinke that those 7. are taken figuratively where are the ten Kings that arose togither with Nerva It must needs be that these were togither with the seventh head in the twelft verse beneath or how when Nerva was dead seemed the Beast not to be especially seing before his death he had adopted Traiane or for what cause wer they rather reprobats that wōdred at Traiā then those former for such is the cōditiō of the seventh head that the followers of him are reprobates before in ver 8. Many things of this sort doo not suffer any peculiar men to be meant Hereunto is added the manner of speaking which is such that it bewrayeth that the Kings are so long the heads of the city as long as the mountains ar Otherwise for some short time perhaps the heads wer both the mountains Kings but to a farre longer time they neither were nor should be if there should be made a separation of the heads which the Spirit ioyneth togither the mountaines onely remaining after the other be dead Therfore the Kings howsoever they al wer not togither as the mountains yet shall obtaine as long continuing a name of heads as those But concerning the person the time shall yeeld a demonstration in the eleventh verse But if the Kings be Dominions of what sorte are they Ribera the Iesuite being privie to himselfe that the thing cannot be touched so lightly but that the soare wil be renewed therewith flyeth unto the seven ages of the world the first of which he maketh from Adam to Noe The second from Noe to Abraham The third to David The fourth to the transmigration into Babylon The fift to the comming of the Lord The sixt from thence to Antichrist The seventh from him even to the day of iudgement Which wit of his bringeth into my remembrance that of the Poe◠If the foolish Painter will conioine unto a mans head The neck of a horse so of birds feathers over spred c. For to see being let in freinds keepe your selves from laughing The Iesuite passeth the Painter who hath framed an head which may be applyed alike to all and every city of the whole world The Spirit would deliver a certaine marke wherby the Throne of the Beast might be known the Iesuite as the houpe faineth the griefe to be in an other place that he may withdrawe from the neast I know notwhither But understand Ribera that the seven mountaines belong to the city of Rome alone But that those seven Kings appertaine to the same city to which the mountaines For the heads are both mountaines and Kings and therefore that these Kings belong to Rome alone so doo we free thee from the great labour of seeking proving by a most certaine argument that he is found at Rome to finde whom thou hast compassed all landes in vaine But the time is spent to no profit in confuting thy toies which yet I could not passe over wholly but would admonish the Papists at least by this small labour that they should not suffer themselves to be deceived any longer by the trisles of the Iesuites The thing it selfe is thus These dominions are proper to that city whereunto belong the mountaines the seven regiments are those by which the citie hath ben no lesse famous then for her seven mountaines And Cornelius Tacitus in the beginning of his history nūbreth these regiments in this wise Kings held the City of Rome at the first L. Brutus instituted freedome the Consulshippe the Dictatourshippes were taken up for a time neither continued the power of the office of the Decemviri above two yeeres nor the Tribunes authority pertaining to Consuls was of force any long time c. The power of Pompey and Crassus went quickly to Cesar By which wordes he declareth plainely that sixe kindes of government had held at Rome from the building of the City even unto his time Kings Consulls Dictatours Decemviri Tribunes of the souldiers Emperours the seventh of Popes he knew not being taken away from the living before he could see it ¶ Five are fallen Kings Consuls Dictatours Decemviri Tribunes For those five kinds of ruling had ceased wholly and vanished away before Iohn his time ¶ One is the sixt kinde of governing by Emperours in whose power was the chiefe rule of things when Iohn lived ¶ And an other is not yet come The seventh King the Pope was not yet a Governour of Rome when the Apostle lived And not without cause hath he shunned the adjective of order for he saith not the seventh is not yet come but an other is not yet come by the same signifying that this seventh shal be very greatly unlike the former All these were Political Kings the seventh should be spiritual or of a mixt kinde unlike to every one before from whence it is manifest that the Christiā Emperours are not the sevēth King For they differred nothing in civill governement from the former onely they tooke unto them the Christian religion And in auncient times new religions were often added the forme of governement in the meane time nothing altered Furthermore the seventh King ought to governe in the same place where the seven mountaines are as hath bene declared in the former verse But the Christian Emperours never had the seate of their Empire at Rome But the whole use of the citie was the Popes from whom alone after the seventh King began her glorie did grow That member is not yet come teacheth that there was a very short time remaining to the cōming of the seventh King For so we are wonte to speake of things that will come not very long after Therefore foolish is Ribera the Iesuite who assigneth the sixt kind of governing after the comming of Christ even unto three yeeres and an halfe more or lesse before the last day and together with him all the Pastists who will not have Antichrist to be expected before that same very time as though the Angel saying is not yet come should speake of a man whom the world yet seeth not after a thousand five hundred yeeres ¶ And when he is come After the seventh Kingdome to weet of the Popes shal be begunne the Dragon being cast out of heaven and Constantine the Great being Emperour ¶ He must tary but a short time About an hundred yeeres after Constantine then to be overwhelmed for a time by the overflowing of the Goths and Vandals who so evil entreated Rome the tower of the new dominion that it might seem to hav perished utterly Gensericus bereaved it wholly of every dweller see Blond in his second book of his first Decad. And Totilas againe brought it to a wildernesse so as neither man nor woman was left in it as the same Blond writeth in his second book of his
Antichrist hath reigned Whiles the woman lived in the wildernes and the Saincts lay hid in the temple ther was in deed a lamētable fewnes of true worshipers and so great darknes and obscuritie possessed al things more store of smoke bursting forth daily out of the bottōless pit that the truth commōly could not be seen Yet in the mean time Antichrist dominered in the holy citie and in the utmost court wherupon by counterfeit religion he deceived egregiously whiles al mē almost thought because of his neernes unto the Temple that he did sit in the true Temple The second chief point of doctrine you say is that he shal openly and by name cal himselfe the Christ not his Minister and Vicar as appeareth by those words of our Lord Jf an other shal come in his own name him ye wil receive And those words in his owne name you wittily warne to have been purposely added against the Lutherans and Calvinists which would say that Antichrist should not come in his owne name but in the name of our Christ as if he were his Vicar I answer you understand Christs words verie perversely For name in this place is not an appellation as you would have it but a mission and authoritie as we hav shewed in the 2. chapter touching Antichrists singular person By which it may appear that his own name and the Vicar of Christ doo not so contrary one an other but the Bishop of Rome may boast himselfe to be this vicar and doo it also in his own name to weet his own authoritie having no such right given him of God Moreover if name be an appellation Antichrist shal come in his own name and his appellation properly is not Christ how I pray you dooth he openly by name cal himselfe Christ See you not that you speak contraries Can any come in his own name openly cal himselfe an other whose name he beareth not Besides wee have often answered that this place perteins nothing to Antichrist properly so caled but to those whom the Iewes should submitt themselves unto who what manner of persons so ever they were they doo not in al points expresse the great Antichrist The third chief point of doctrine is that he shal affirme himself to be God and wil be worshiped for God as it is written so that he sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himself as if he were God 2. Thes 2.4 not onely say you by usurping some of Gods authoritie but the very name of God And here because your vulgar authentik Latin text is too weak to defend the Pope you flee to the Greek not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as God say you but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he is God The Argument is this Antichrist shal in words acknowledge himselfe to be God the Pope of Rome dooth not acknowledge himselfe to be God therfore he is not Antichrist Let Oecumenius make answer to the proposition who thus interpreteth that word of the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he saith not saying but shewing that is by works signes and miracles endevouring to shew that he is God According to his interpretation therfore a manifest publishing is not necessarie Yea let the Holy Ghost expound himselfe who by a like manner of speech in Ezek. 28.2 teacheth how this is to be taken Thus he saith of the King of Tyrus Because thy hart is lifted up so that thou sayest J am God No man I trow requireth that this Tyriā should pronoūce the self same verie words False therfore it is that Antichrist should in word professe himselfe to be God Notwithstanding because your Pope had liefer abound with tokēs than barely and slenderly to be furnished with such as are necessarie onely we forgive you the proposition and pray you to think with your selfe whither the verie thing proclaimeth not quite cōtrarie to that which you deny in the assumption For what I pray you did P. Sixtus acknowledg himselfe and the other Popes of Rome to be when he said Whosoever accuseth the Pope it shal never be forgiven him because he that sinneth against the holy Ghost it shal not be forgiven him neither in this life nor in that which is to come Concil Tom. 1. in Purgat Sixti What did Boniface the 8 when he said We declare define and pronounce that it is absolutely necessarie to salvation for everie creature to be subiect to the Bishop of Rome Extrav de Major Obed. unam sanctam I forbear to cite more witnesses I appeal to your selfe why doo you dissemble Doo not such speeches often sound in your ears But say you he dooth not acknowledge himselfe God because he acknowledgeth himself his servant I am ashamed of your proofs as if out of the same mouth ther could not come blessing and cursing horrible blasphemie and counterfeit obedience You know that in words he is sometime servant of servāts but again when he list he is King of Kings The fourth point is that he shal extol himself above al that is caled God or that is worshipped 2 Thes 2.4 that is say you he shal not suffer anie God neither true nor false nor anie Jdols To this argument we have answered in part before in handling Antichrists name wher we shewed that the Apostle meaneth not the heavenly God but the earthly that is the civil Magistrates which are venerable as also that in Daniel 11.37 And he shal not esteeme the God of his Fathers nor care for anie God because he shall rise up against all Ierom interpreteth this sacrilegious pride to be a kind of immoderate power over al religion for thus he saith And Antichrist shal warre against the Saincts and overcome them and shal be pufft up with so great pride as he shall attempt to change Gods lawes and ceremonies subiecting al religion to his owne power Com. in Dan. cap. 7. In which words he finely painteth out Antichrist the Pope of Rome although he was farr from this your comment For shal a false Prophet lift up himself above everie God A Prophet is always the Prophet of some God needs therfore must he professe himself subiect to some God whom the Scriptures note out by the name of a False Prophet Again when he shal sit in the temple of God whither shal this be in the tēple of an other God or in his own If of an other then he acknowledgeth a superiour but if in his owne then the Apostle speaks unproperly and should not have said so that he sitteth in the tēple of God as God but rather so that he sitteth in his owne temple as God But by this māner of speaking what fruit had redounded to the Saincts For what manner of sign had this been of this Monster when it was no where known what manner of Temple he should have or where But thus ar they wōt to erre from the right which reverence their lusts for truth As touching the Idols which you say Antichrist shal
of the earth Apoc. 17.18 These and the like doo truly prove him a Monarch But this say you dooth no way agree to the Bishop of Rome for he was never King of the whole world But were the Romans I pray you ever Kings of the whole world I think you wil not deny it as these words usually are wont to be understood or if you like to stand curiously herupon Daniel teacheth that the fourth Kingdom to weet the Roman shal consume the whole earth shal crush it and break it in peeces chap. 7.23 Remember therfore what a litle before you alleged out of Prosper Rome by Principality of the Preisthood was made more ample with the towr of religion than with the throne of power And what Leo saith Serm. 1. de Natal Apostol Rome that art made the head of the world by the holy Seat of S. Peter thou rulest more largely by divine religion than by earthly domination And what els meaneth the triple crown but the principalitie over al the three parts of the world The Popes crown hath more tops than the Emperours Egle hath heads It may be that shortly it wil be quadruple by the accession of the Indians that nothing may escape the Popes almightines though something for a time hath been hidd from his all skilfulnes Wherfore the streights of his dominion neither stand you in anie stead to acquitt the Pope of this wickednes neither is this remembrance grateful unto him who dooth so contemn honours and Empire as he had liefer with large limits of ruling to be counted Antichrist than to be defended by an argument of his Kingdome lost or diminished The fourth branch is the battel of Gog and Magog Apoc. 20. And when the 1000 yeres are ended c. Jn this battel you say he shal with an armie innumerable persecute Christians through the whole world I answer we have observed already from these words the wonderful expedition of Antichrist into the whole world properly so caled before in the 7. chapter of his persecution And there we allowed for this expedition three yeres and a halfe but here now it seemeth that this whole space shal not be speÌ„t in the iourney but then it shal be taken in hand after the three Kings and the seven Kings be subdued There also we marveled if he should goe such a iourney himselfe alone not hindred with anie troup of wayting men but here furder comes the impediment of an armie and the same neverthelesse an universal persecution Surely whatsoever you said before against Hippolitus you seem plainly to think that Antichrist is no man but the Divil him selfe But to let these monsters passe let us come to the battel which I marvel you saw not that it should be by the Dragon not by the Beast Between which two ther is in deed a great societie of wickednes but no less difference of persons and of things than is between an open foe and a secret enemie Add hereunto that the Beast and false Prophet are both destroyed before this warre is taken in hand or at least before it is finished if that move you not that both of them are mentioned to be slain in the end of the former chapter yet consider that the Divil that is the DragoÌ„ was cast into the lake of fire wher the other have their place before that the Divil comes thether Apoc. 20.10 Although therfore Antichrist be a Martial felow and a great warrier yet shal he wage no warrs after he is dead But it is one of his miracles to rise againe Be it so when he counterfeyts a death as you feign of him but when he is slayn by that hand of God and deeply drowned in the lake of fyre he shal not find it so easi to rise again and when he lay under a coverlet Separate you therfore those things which touch not Antichrist and deal not so as if you would prove one not to be a man either because he hath not four feet or because he wanteth wings you shal see the rest so to agree togither among themselves in al points as nothing more Surely the things which you hav disputed of this Kingdome and warr are farr from every part eyther of the Kingdome or of the warr of Antichrist but such stuff as this are al the things that your men are either wont or able to bring for to defend the Pope and to free him from this most greevous crime Therfore you toyl in vayn the thing is manifest it can not be hidd by anie subtilties Why goe ye about to cast a myst before the Sun Why frame yee arguments against the Spirit of God Purge rather with flames those writings of yours wherwith yow have laboured his defense and flee out of his denn as speedily as you can Here ends the Refutation of Antichrist Against Bellarmine Chap. 18. AFTER these things I saw an Angel come down from Heaven having great Power so as the earth was bright with his glorie 2 And he cryed out mightilie with a lowd voice saying It is fallen it is fallen Babylon that great and is become the habitation of Divils and the hold of all fowl Spirit and a cage of every uncleane and hateful bird 3 For al nations have drunken of the wine of the wrath of her fornication the Kings of the earth have committed fornication with her and the marchants of the earth are waxed rich of the aboundance of her pleasures 4 And J heard an other voice from heaven saying goe out of her my people least yee be partakers of her sinnes and receive of her plagues 5 For her heaped sinnes are come up to heaven and God hath remembred her iniquities 6 Reward her even as she hath rewarded you and give her double according to her works and in the cup that she hath filled you fill her double 7 Jn as much as she lifted up her selfe and lived in pleasure so much give yee to her torment and sorow for she saith in her heart J sit being a Queen and am no widow and shal see no mourning 8 Therfore shal her plagues come at one day death and sorow and famine she shal be burnt with fire for that God which condamneth her is a strong Lord. 9 And the Kings of the earth shall bewaile her and lament for her which have committed fornication and lived in pleasure with her when they shall see the smoke of her burning 10 And shal stand a farr off for feare of her torment sâ—ying alas alas thâ—t great citie Babylon that mighty citie for in one houre is thy iudgment come 11 And the Marchants of the earth shal weepe and waile over her for no mâ—n byeth their ware anie more 12 The ware of golde and silver and pretious stones and pearles and of fine linnen and of purple and of silke and of skarlet and of al manner of thynewood and of al vessels of yvorie and of al vessels of most pretious wood and of brasse