eyes Secondly spirituall when we behold the appearances of things either a wake or a sleepe yet understand them not thus did Phurao Nebuchadnezar and Peter The third they call intellectuall that is when the minde being illuminated by the holy Ghost understands the mysteries of those things which are presented Thus Ioseph understood the vision of Pharao and Daniel that of Nebuchadnezar this Iohn saw the visions of the revelation in the spirit that is the holy Ghost gave him to understand them Others expound these words in the spirit as opposite to the being present in the body not as if such which saw visions in the spirit did not still retain their real bodies but being ravished they seemed for the present to themselves as out of the body even as Paul in the 2 Corinth 12 3 caught up to the third heaven knew a man in Christ whither in the body or out of the body he knew not This kind of visions is one of the gifts of the new Testament which Christ ascending up on high poured forth upō the Church according to the oracle in Ioel. Ioel 2.28 Your young men shal see visions c. yet was this not given to all but a special grace and bestowed onely on such as the Lord pleased Neither was it perpetual but ceased with the gift of miracles after the doctrine of the Gospel was sufficiently propagated and confirmed in the world and hence we must beware of such who now a days boast of visions Isay 8 20. Luk. 16 29. Ioh. 5 39. as if they were inspired but they are deceivers to the law and testimonie For God hath tyed the church to the written word of the law and Gospel they have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them search the scriptures for though an angel from heaven preach any other Gospel let him be accursed On the Lords day He calleth the first day of the weeke on which Christ rose again the Lords day He saw the revelation on this day which Christians kept holy to God being by the authority of the Apostles set apart for Church meetings in stead of the Iewish sabbaths as we way gather from 1 Cor. 16.1 where the Apostle commandeth that on the first day of the weeke gathering be made in the Church for the brethren in Iudea So Acts 20.7 In one of the sabbaths that is the first day of the weeke the Christians are said to come together to break bread So then the observation of the Lords day is warranted by an Apostolicall tradition Hence Gagneus and Ribera infer that the Church besides yea and contrary to the scripture may impose some things to the observed as divine let no man thinck saith he that those things onely are to be observed which are contained in the scriptures but they do erre For first there is great difference betweene articles of faith and the Lord Mat. 15 9. Isay 29 13. day no man doubteth but the Church may lawfully appoint dayes and outward rites belonging to order and decencie so it be don◠without scandal opinion of worship and intruding upon the liberty and conscience But the question betwixt us and the papists is touching points of faith necessarie to salvation which they affirme that the Church or Bishops may ordaine without the authority of scripture the which thing wee denie For God is worshiped in vain by the commandements of men Besides the authority of the Apostles is one thing and the authority of Bishops and the Romish Church is another For they were not onely divinely inspired in their writings but also in whatsoever they instituted touching Church orders Wherefore they not onely appointed the Lords day to bee kept but also made it apart of scripture now as for other ministers they have not the same authority so that it cannot hence bee gathered that any thing should bee beleeved as necessarie to salvation besides what is contained in the holy scripture For though the Lords day is a matter not of faith but of fact yet the observation thereof is according to the word of God Here it may be demanded whether John saw the whole revelation upon one Lords day Indeed it may seem by the coherence of the matter so to be not withstanding I thinke that Christ did not at one time burden the minde of his servant with so many different and large visions neither is it probable because the like distinctions of time which other prophets had in their visions appears also to be in these visions of John as in Chap. 4. vers 1 2 is evident After this I looked c. and immediately I was in the spirit so that after he had seene the first vision he was come to himself ere he was again ravished saw other visions and in like-lihood this was upon another Lords day The like wee may gather from chapter 17.3 So he carried mee away in the spirit into the wildernesse and often it is said after these things But I doe not conceive all of them import a distance of time but the things which I specially minde are in Chap. 4.2 and 17.3 and 21.1 besides all things were not revealed to John in one place but some things he saw in Patmos some in the heavens some on the sea shore some things in the wildernesse But seeing we cannot certainly determine of the thing I will therefore leave it to the readers choise Heard behinde mee a great voice By this great voice Iohn whither sleeping or waking was stirred up to observe the visions least otherwise he should have neglected them as vain fansies The voice was great either in regard of the great mysterie of the visions or because it was the voice of the great God or lastly in regard of the lowdnesse and shrilnesse thereof As of a trumpet Whose sounde is high loud and heard a great way off signifying that those things which Iohn saw ought continually to sound in the eares and hearts of Gods people And hence the prophets were commanded to cry aloud not to spare but to lift up their voice like a trumpet that all might hear and have no pretence for their ignorance Alcasar untruely affirmes that this voice was altogether like unto the sound of a trumpet But the text saith it was the voice not of one founding but speaking Againe by this voice is signifyed how we should be stirred up to incounter with al our spiritual adversaries as souldiers by the found of the trumpet are imboldened to the battel In that hee heard the voice behinde him is signified that Iohn added nothing to these visions but that they were altogether divine for the things which are behind us we see not Or otherwise he heard a voice behind to denote how the things he heard were suddenly to come to passe even immediately upon Iohns departure 11. Saying I am Alpha Omega the first the last In this great voice are contained three things First the eternity of Christ is testified
all times should continually read it for their comfort and instruction which also is the end and use of the whole scripture Rom 15 4. 2 Tim. 3.16 Vers 20. The mystery of the seven starres After that the Son of man had shewed who he was whom Iohn saw he comes to unfold the mystery of the starres and candlesticks viz. that the seven starres are the seven angels or ministers the seven candlesticks the seven churches of Asia to whom he was commanded to write vers 11. The mistery The vulgar hath it the sacrament of the starres that is the thing figured by them so again chap. 17.7 I will tell thee the sacrament of the woman but it is improperly used for the mysticallsfignification of the same Bishops So he caleth the starres because they ought to shine before others in purity of doctrine and integrity of life like unto starres shining in the firmament they are said to be angels because they are Gods messengers to the Churches and the Churches are compared to candlesticks because like as the candle or light is set up into the candlestike even so the Church ought to hold forth and preserve the shining light of true doctrine that all may behold it least being in darknesse they stumble and perish thorow their ignorance Hence we learn in the first place that the scripture best interpreteth it self for what was before more darkly spoken is now clearly unfolded So Christ opened the parables to his disciples Matth. 13 in like maner this vision which at first seemed obscure is now made plain by its own interpretation For albeit the scripture doth not make clear every thing that is darkely spoken not withstanding if we diligently observe it that of Austin will appeare most true that there is all most nothing abscure in scripture which is not in some other place plainly expounded Furthermore we are to take notice of these figurative and sacramental phrases The starres are Angels that is they signifie the Angels the candlestiks are the Churches Gen. 41 27. 1 Cor. 10 4. Cont. adim c. 12. that is they signifie the Churches according to that in Genesis the seven kine are seven years that is do signifie seven years And the rock was Christ for it signified Christ as Augustine expoundeth it For there is nothing more familiar in scripture then to name signes by the things which they signify which maner of speech is not darke but plaine in regard of the analogie betwixt the signe and the thing signified wherefore it was not obscure but familiar to the scripture that Christ called the bread which was broken at the institution of the supper his body which was crucifyed for us seeing it was a sacrament or holy signe of the same Hence Augustine opening the etymologie or signification of a sacrament applies it to the Lords supper saying that the Lord Iesus doubted not to say this is my body when he gave the signe onely thereof And this is so cleare a truth that even Aloasar a Iesuite confesseth it saying that in the phrase of scripture touching dark sentences and sacraments the word which is used is to be referred to the signification of it and that the bread and wine in the Eucharist which they call the species doth signify the body and blood of Christ because Christ saith this is my body c. Indeed he supposeth there are two sorts of signes some instituted onely for doctrin and signification as in parables and darke sentences the other such as really include and containe the things which they signifie as in baptisme and the supper in which saith he is truly and properly contained as the cleansing of the soule from sinne so the body and blood of Christ and he proveth it First because Christ instituted these signes to that end Secondly the Church so teacheth And lastly because it were an easy thing for any one to institute meere and naked signes wheras it is in the power of Christ alone to appoint such signes as are full of efficacy I answer first Alcasars arguments answered that in the institution either of baptisme or the Lords supper there is no mention made of any including of the things signified in the signes Secondly the primitive Church taught no such inclusion but the new popish Church in so teaching is departed from the institution and doctrin of the primitive times Lastly though it be true that the sacraments are not meere signes yet it followeth not that they are signes including the thing signified For there is in scripture another kinde of signes which as they are signes so they are seales confirming to the faithfull the grace of Christ signified by them For properly the sacraments are signes and seales of the promise of grace which no creature could institute or bring into the Church but God alone Another expositor denieth Hoe in the Revel chap. 1. that these are figurative speeches and why because saith he those candlesticks doe not signify but are really the Churches and the starres doe not denote but are in truth the angels But both is false first because then there should be no mystery in the candlesticks or starres Secondly if the candlesticks and starres were truly Churches and Angels then would not Christ have required Iohn to write his Epistles as being absent from them but he should have delivered his message unto them as there present with him in Patmos Thirdly because then the words the candlesticks are Churches the starres are Angels should be regular expressions But this he denies and truly For they are termes of disparity What then the metaphor saith he is in the subject which doth not import that the copulative IS should be taken for the word signifieth And though it were granted here yet would it not follow that the words of Christ at the institution of the supper were of the same significatiō because Christ did not expound to them a vision but institute asacrament Now howsoever both be true yet doth not this take away the metonymical expression for in typical Sacramental assertions the tipes signes are said to be the antitypes or things signified partly indeed by a metaphor because of the analogie or likenesse that is betwixt the signes the things themselves but chiefly by a metonymia Epist 23. ad Bonif. because of the sacramentall signification For as Augustine saith if sacraments had not some likenesse with the things they represent they should not at all be sacraments for in regard of that likenesse they have the name of the things themselves Therefore as in some sort the sacrament of the body of Christ is Christ the sacrament of the blood of Christ is Christs blood even so the sacrament of faith is faith Againe that is called the soule In Levit. lib. 3.4.5 Genes 41.26 1. Cor. 10.4 which signifies the soule for it is usuall that the thing signifying be called by the name of that which it doth signifie as it is written
shall plucke my sheep out of my hand This argument concerning our perseverance is full of comfort for all the faithfull being elected are written in the booke of life and shall never be blotted out Whosoever therefore can now assure himself to be a beleever ought certainly now to beleeve that he is the chosen of God and that he shall assuredlie persevere in his faith feare and service for evermore yet not by his owne strength for that were presumption and repugnant unto faith but by the power of God who keepeth the elect through faith unto salvation 1. Pet. 1.5 ready to be revealed in the last time 6. He which hath an care This needs no new explication but practise See chap. 2. v. 7.11.17 The VI Epistle to the Angel in Philadelphia 7. And to the Angel of the Church in Philadelphia write These things saith hee that is holy he that is true he that hath the key of David he that openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth 8. I know thy workes behold I have set before thee an open doore and no man can shut it for thou hast a little strength and hast kept my word and hast not denyed my name 9. Behold I will make them of the Synagogue of Satan which say they are Iewes and are not but doe lie behold I will make them to come and worship before thy feet and to know that I have loved thee 10. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience I also will keep thee from the houre of temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwel upon the earth 11. Behold I come quickly hold that fast which thou hast that no man take thy crowne 12. Him that overcommeth will I make a pillar in the temple of my God and hee shall goe no more out and I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the citie of my God which is new Ierusalem which commeth downe out of heaven from God and I will write upon him my new name 13. He that hath an eare let him heare what the spirit saith into the Churches THE COMMENTARIE VNto the Angel in Philadelphia There were divers tities of this name Lib. 12. But this was in Asia and as Strabo writeth much incident to earthquakes this Church was purer then the rest for whereas all the others Smyrna onelie excepted were sharpelie reproved by Christ this Church with her teacher is singularly commended not but that they had their faylings for there is no Church in this life without spot or wrinkle but because their sinceritie and faith was such as it covered all their infirmities God beeing pleased to take no knowledge thereof Now Christ commends the faith constancie of this Bishop above the rest foretels his combats with the Iewes and promiseth to assist him in the persecution now at hand Lib. 3. hist. cap. 37. moreover he exhorts him to be constant to the end Some thinke he was Quadratus a disciple of the Apostles of whom Eusebius makes mention but more of this in its place Among the Epistles which are attributed to Ignatius the sixt was written to these Philadelphians in which he exhorts them to keep the unitie of the faith and flie heresies but in it the Eminencie and Primacie of Bishops is too hyperbolically extolled Ignatius his Epistle to the Philadelphians Yee Princes saith he be subject to Caesar ye souldiours to the princes but let priests and deacons with the whole clergie and people souldiours and princes yea and Caesar also obey the Bishop and let the Bishop be obedient to Christ as Christ is to the Father But it is apparent at that time the souldiours with all the princes yea Caesar too were so far from embracing the faith as that on the contrarie they cruellie persecuted both Bishops all other Christians Notwithstanding there is in that epistle a sentence verie observable carries a note of true antiquitie I have heard saith he Some say if J finde not the Gospel in the ancient J will not beleeve but to such J say to me Christ is antiquitie and whosoever obeys him not it wil bee their certain and irrecoverable destruction A fitt sentence to be applied against the Papist who enquire after the antiquitie of our doctrine but this by the way The parts of the Epistle are three The inscription narration and conclusion These things saith he that is holy he that is true In the preface the person of Christ is gloriously described by fower Epithites First hee is called holy 1 Cor. 2.30 both because hee is in himself holie and is made to us of God Sanctification besides hee loveth holinesse and can not abide impuritie 2. Is true that is constant in keeping his word and performing his promises and threatnings loveth truth in us and detesteth all falshood whither in life or doctrine yea none shall escape unpunished that takes ought from his promises or threatning Here we have the twentieth argument of Christs deitie XX Argu. of Chr. deity Isay 6.3 For none absolutely save God alone is in scripture called the holy and faithfull one Thus the Seraphims cryed one to another Holy holy holy is the Lord God of hostes And who is true or truth besides the Lord The Lord is righteous in all his wayes and holy in all his workes In Dan. 9.24 Ps 145.17 he is called the most holy and it seemeth that these two Epithites of Christ were thence taken Christ saith of himself J am the way the truth and the life Ioh. 14.6 1. Io. 5.20 This is the true God and eternall life So here these things saith he that is holy he that is true Thus we see the divine majestie of Christ fully declared Here also let us note the detestable boldnesse of the Pope of Rome who wil be called the most holy Father yea holinesse it self Is not this to lift himself up above Christ doth he not herein manifest himself to bee the great Antichrist Christ indeed is absolutelie called the holy one but the Pope calleth himself the most holy one and that absolutely Thus he proudly exalteth himself above Christ which is proper to Antichrist The like we noted from the title of Christs priesthood Heb. 4.14 where hee is twise called a great hie Priest But the Pope arrogates to himself a higher title viz. the greatest hie priest wherein againe he lifteth himself up above Christ and plainelie shewes that he is not his vicar but rather the successor of the Archpriest of the Pagans whom the Romans called Archflamins But perhaps it will bee objected That the Pope is called the greatest hie Priest not in respect of Christ but of other inferior hie priests and beeing the supreme and universall bishop But this unlooseth not the knot For in what respect soever he calleth himself the greatest hie priest it is evident that herein hee maketh himself greater then Christ
will recall a man from his carnall security to the feare of God and working of righteousnesse except he have a heart of steele for as much as in the day of Gods judgement a most exact account of what hath been done in the flesh must be given by all the greatest Kings and Potentates not excepted When without any respect of persons they that have done well shall possesse life eternall They that have done ill shall be cast into everlasting fire The Angell therefore could not use a more forcible reason to deterre men from the contempt of God and his word To this purpose is that in Sirach Chap. 7.40 In all things that thou sayest or doest remember thy end and thou shalt not sin Now if any aske how this prophesie is true and accomplished seeing it is so long since John said 2 Pet. 3.9 Gods judgement was at hand Let him heare Peter answering the mockers of his time The Lord is not slacke concerning his promise as some count slacknesse but is long suffering towards us not willing that any should perish but that all should come unto repentance The Angell saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is come for shall certainly come by an usuall Enallage of the preterperfect tense instead of the future so a little after is fallen for shall certainely fal noting the immutability of the events decreed by God so formerly he often said he will come shortly that is sooner then we are aware of that the deepe fleepe of security might be driven out of us and lest with the wicked servant we should say Luke 12.45 My Lord deferreth his comming But rather let us consider seeing the Apostles did presage the day of judgement to be then at hand how much nearer is it now unto us after so many ages And worship him that made In the third member he recalls the world from popish idolatry unto the service of the true God alone whom he notes by a periphrasis from the worke of the creation of heaven and earth the sea and fountaines of waters The Old version ads and of all things that are in them which words are not in the Greeke but seem to be taken out of Psa 146.9 unto which place the spirit here alludeth The fountaines of waters are reckoned up among the chiefe works of God because the continuance of the fountaines is indeed a very wonderfull worke of the Lord concerning which Phylosophers have much disputed with great admiration Psal 104.10 114 8. And it is also celebrated in the Psalmes He sendeth the springs into the valleyes which run among the hills Which turneth the rock into a standing water the flint into a fountaine of waters Furthermore that religious worship is onely due to God both the Scripture and nature it selfe teacheth For God alone is omnipotent knowes all things and is present in all places He is able to heare and helpe all that call upon him wheresoever they be He alone is the Author of nature governour and Lord of the world wherefore all ought to depend upon him onely in him alone we must beleeve and put our considence Ier. 17.5 But cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme Hence faith and prayer are in Scripture coupled by an individuall tye as the cause and effect Rom. 10.14 Mat. 4.10 How shall they call on him in whom they have not beleeved Therefore it is an expresse commandement Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve Now howsoever this be an undeniable and manifest truth yet the world forsaking the Lord followed and wondred after the Beast all I say both great and small bond and free worshipped the Beasts image kissed his feet and attributed divine honour unto him as though he were God on earth And this the worshippers of the Pope doe not denie according to that of the Poet before mentioned Ense potens gemino cujus vestigia adorant Caesar aurato vestiti murice Reges Nay all have not the priviledge to worship before the Beast and kisse his feet this onely is permitted to Kings and Emperours Others must be content devoutly to worship his image and call upon the Saints that are canonized by the Beast and adore his Crosses Crucifixes Altars set up by him in temples groves and highwaies c. From this beastly worship of idols the Angel here dehorteth the world as calling them to the worship of the true God Neither will he any whit esteeme their vaine pretenses That the Pope is not worshipped as God but as Gods and Christs Vicar for they falsely affirme him to be that which he is not That they call not on the Saints with a worship of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for this is a false distinction the religious worship both of Latreia and Douleia being in Scripture onely attributed to God and signifie both one thing That they worship not graven images but God in them this also is false for Images are no gods neither will God be worshipped in or by them Thou shalt not doe so unto the Lord thy God Deut. 12.31 Thus far of the everlasting Gospel published by the first Angel or reformer of Popery The summe of which is in these three things I. That God is to be feared and Antichristianisme to be repented of II. That glory is to be ascribed to God by beleeving in his sonne III. That God is to be worshipped by fleeing the Image of the Beast and performing obedience to God 8 And another Angel followed because the former Angell although he cryed with a great voice did little profit unto the inhabitants of the earth who were drowned with the wine of Babylonish whoredome for after Wickleffe Husse and Jerome of Prague were burnt the Papacy remained stil in its vigour furie Therefore another Angell followed who more forcibly assailing Antichrist weakened his kingdome in many Provinces And here againe by an Enallage One Angell is put for Angels for there shall be divers succeeding each other in divers places But One shall excell and continue the ministery of the former Angell who was a while interrupted Now this Angel if we looke into histories who can he be save Luther This second Angell is Luther who followed 130. yeeres after Wickleffe and 100. after Husse and Jerome he first began in Saxony by word and writing to thunder against the Popes Pardons publikely put to sale soon after against the whole Papacy anno 1517. To him was joyned Philip Melanchton as a most faithfull assistant and soone after many other excellent men who by little and little restored the everlasting Gospell in divers parts of Germany and expelled Popery About the same time Zwinglius and Oecolampadius began together to oppose Popery and 〈…〉 Gospell in Helvetia But let us heare what this Angell publisheth Babylon is fallen is fallen He threatens ruine to Babylon for her wicked fornication by which
denounced the ruine of Babylon Therfore those Angels were preachers of the Gospell But these here come down from heaven long after viz. when now the destruction of Babylon was at hand and they declare onely prophesies revealed unto them in speciall by God touching particular future events Therefore they signifie not ordinary Preachers who now know not nor foretell things to come but are reall Angells publishing new Oracles in the Name of God Yea the middlemost seems to have bin either God himselfe or Christ ver 4. Having great power What he was is shewed by two Epithites by which generally the Angells in Scripture are commended viz. strength and glory The Angells indeed are not omnipotent Spirits yet they have great power insomuch as One was able in one night to destroy an Hundred and Eighty Thousand of the Assyrian Army Hence they are called strong mighty Psal 103.20 Blesse the Lord ye his Angells mighty in strength c. The third also of these Angells is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mighty ver 21. as before Chap. 5. ver 2. and Chap. 10.1 which we there interpreted of Christ because of the circumstances which are not here Great power therefore is attributed to this Angell for the comfort of the Godly that they might not thinke that the power and glory of Babylon should be invincible The power of one Angell shall suffice to overthrow the same Notwithstanding in the Greek it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 might but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Great power by which the greatnesse of the businesse committed by God to this Angell seems to be noted And indeed the overthrowing of Babylon shall be a work more then ordinary And the Earth was lightned with his glory This Majesty shews that he was a heavenly Ambassadour of God to terrifie the Adversaries and strengthen the Godly The Angells have not allwayes appeared with such glory but onely when there was occasion as at the publishing of the Birth of Christ The Angell of the Lord came on the shepheards Luk. 2.9 Act. 12.7 and the glory of the Lord shone round about them At Peters deliverance the glory of the Angell that delivered him filled the prison So here With the glory of this Angell the Earth was lightned that men should the more carefully receive his Message I like well what Ribera addeth that hereby is noted that the judgement of Romes desolation should not be secret but manifest to all He confesseth therfore that here is treated of Romes destruction 2. And he cryed with a great voyce Now follows what he did Hee cryed mightily Most Greek Copies have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He cryed in a strong great voyce The Old Version Cryed in strongth The sense is the same The voyce of this heavenly Herauld was vehement and most strong so as he might be heard of all that none through ignorance of the judgement at hand should remaine in Babylon The stupidity also and deep security of Babylon is noted which shall so lie drowned in pleasure that while her judgement shall sound thorow the whole world she alone shall not be able nor willing to hear the same Babylon is fallen is fallen He proclaimes the ruine of Babylon as did the second Angell Chap. 14.8 Now it is an Enallage and propheticall Anadiplosis for it shall fall it shall certainly shortly utterly perish the Proclamation of the former hath bin and still is dayly published for the Preachers of the Gospell have above an hundred years denounced ruine to Babylon And not altogether without effect for Babylon is fallen in many Provinces of Europe Popery being overthrown and dissipated by the preaching of the Gospell But the words here Babylon is fallen is fallen are not yet fulfilled because she is not as yet wholly brought to nothing And therefore the time of this Angell is not yet come but shall be a little before the desolation of Rome Now the forme of the Exclamation as before we said on Chap. 14. ver 8. is taken out of Isai 21.9 Ierem. 51.8 speaking of the Typicall ruine of Babylon In the like forme Isaiah foretold the destruction of old Assyrian Babylon which had oppressed Gods ancient people about an hundred years before it happened After the same manner perhaps an Angell now may foretel an hundred years before it come to passe the ruine of the new Italian Babylon which hath suppressed the Church of Christ Now who this Babylon is there is no question about it for before on Chap. 14.8 we have shewed it to be Rome And Chap. 17. the Angell makes the seven Mountaines of Rome to be Antichrists Seat Lastly the adversaries themselves confesse it And therefore the desolation of the Roman City is here proclaimed and it is indeed to happen before the last judgement as the whole following matter sheweth And is become the habitation of divells From the horrible consequences he aggravates the desolation of new Babylon by such as of old the Prophets described the overthrow of ancient Babylon They are also taken out of Isai 13.21 14. 21. Ier. 50.51 Ezechiel also Chap. 26.27 describeth the desolation of Tyrus almost by the same threatnings Now three things are threatned It is made or become For it shall be the habitation of devils Isa 34.14 Isaias names these devills SEGNIRIM that is rough and rugged as hairy Goats because in such shapes they sometime appeared likes the Satyres of which the Poets speak The Germanes call them FELD-TEVFEL Field Devills unto whom the Heathens of old sacrificed and is forbidden by God Levit. 17.7 They shall not offer their sacrifices any more to SEGNIRIM rough or hairy devills And the hold of every foule Spirit Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 custody that is receptacle Before he noted a speciall kind of devils hanting the deserts called Fayries or Satyres unto whom he now joyneth other devills or by every foule Spirit he meanes diabolicall apparitions Night-spirits and the like terrours such as often appeared unto Antony the Hermit in the deserts of Egypt Hieron in vitae Antonij and yet to this day are wont to appeare in desert places And Gage of every uncleane and hatefull bird Not only such as by the Law were unclean and might not be eaten Lev. 11. But dreadfull to the sight of men or which in nature are hatefull and hurtfull to men as Scrich-Owels Kites Vulturs Gripes Ravens c. All these denote horrible desolation for experience teacheth that old Castles Townes and unhabited places are for the most part the abode of Devills Ghosts Beasts Harpies and hatefull birds for such kind of creatures delight in deserts and desolate places remote from the company of men so that the Angell proclaimeth a horrible change of the Babylonish state For where before stood the stately walles Royall places high towers and Chappels of Romish Saints there shall lie broken walls rubbish and ashes where before the most holy Father the Pope with his Purple
of Gods providence namely his vertue charity justice wisdom patience threatnings and wrath Which is a mysterie bringing along with it an inconvenience which he desireth to avoid for he makes question whither sound divinitie wil admit that grace and peace be asked from the seven vertues rather then from the seven created angels yea how grace and peace can be prayed for from menacings and wrath so he And from Jesus Christ In that he wisheth grace and peace from Christ in the the third and last place is neither against the former exposition nor any way derogateth from the dignity of Christ for as the Apostle 2 Cor. 13.14 doth not derogate from the order of the persons in the trinitie though he put Christ in the first place so here our Apostle for waighty causes sets downe the holy Ghost before Christ because he treateth of him not simply as being the son of God but also as he is the mediatour redeemer and revealer of this prophesie Notwithstanding great reason it is that he should pray for grace and peace from Christ Ephes 2.14 because it cometh by him Iohn 1.17 and he is our peace Who is the faithfull witnesse The following titles are so many reasons wherefore grace and peace is prayed for from Christ and they set forth as hath been shewed in the analysis both his threefold office with the benefit thereof as also declare his eternall Godhead The first title respects his propheticall office that faithfull witnesse which seemeth to be taken from Psal 89.38 witnesse because he hath brought forth out of the bosome of his father the testimonie that is the glad tydings of the redemption of man through his death and from heaven hath opened to us the true knowledge of God and way of salvation faithfull Because he not onely confirmed the heavenly truth by preaching by miracles meekly calling of sinners to repentance to the faith of the Gospel but also sealed the same by suffering on the crosse and by instituting the ministry he gave to the churches Apostles prophets Evangelists Pastors and Teachers who perpetually should be his witnesses Eph. 4.12 preach the Gospell to after ages for the perfecting of the saincts for the edifying of the body of Christ according to these scriptures Ioh. 17 6. I have manifested thy name to the men thou gavest me out of the world and 18 37. For this cause came I into the world that I should bear witnes unto the truth Io. 1.18 the son which is in the bosome of the father he hath revealed God unto us Who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession The father and holy Ghost are also said to be witnesses 1. Io. 5.7 Ioh. 5.37 there are three that bear record in heaven the father the word and the holy Ghost The father saith Christ himself hath borne witnes of me And of the holy Ghost he saith when the comforter is come c. He shall testifie of mee the Apostles are called witnesses Act. 1.18 And Antipas Rev 2.12 and two witnesses are mentioned called Martyrs for sheadding of their blood for the testimonie of Christ Revel 11.3 But Christ onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of prerogative is called that faithfull witnesse because he first brought with him the witnesse of the truth downe from heaven he first and he onely hath shead his blood for his owne testimonie whereas all other martyrs suffered not for their owne but for the testimonie of Jesus Christ Yea also the witnesse which the father and the holy Ghost gave of him was declared by himself and therefore Christ as by a speciall and proper right is called the faithfull witnes that is the true and constant revealer of the doctrine of our salvation whoever therefore hearkens not to him Deuteron 18.19 can not be saved but who so heareth him shall have life eternall This also confirmeth the authoritie of the revelation because it was revealed to John by Jesus Christ that faithfull witnesse who can notly nor deceive therefore this booke is trulie divine and we may safely trust and beleeve all things contained in it It serveth also to instruct us that if Christ onely be the true witnesse then those are not to be heard but avoyded as Liars which teach the Church such things as dissent from the testimonie of Christ It may also comfort us because Christ the faithfull witnesse will not forsake them who suffer for the cause of his truth but will at length reward them faithfully according to his promise The first begotten of the dead This title concernes Christ his priestly office who died for our sins and was raised again for our justification Rom. 4.25 For the word dead shewes that he died and being the first begotten of the dead it teacheth us that he was raysed from the dead And the whole scripture testifies that the end and use of his death and resurrection was not a bare witnesse as Socinus blasphemeth but chiefly a propitiation to purge us from our sins and to justifie us before God Paul calleth him likewise the first begotten of the dead 1 Collo 1.18 1 Corinth 15.20 and sheweth that Christ is become the first fruits of them that sleep But how can Christ be the first fruits of the dead seeing the scriptures testifie that Elias and Elisha raysed up two persons from the dead before the time of Christs manifestation in the flesh Lazarus also with the widows son and Centurions servant were restored from death to life Answer First Christ is the first begotten or first fruites of the dead because he was the first that raysed up himself from the dead by his owne power whereas all before Christ were raysed not by their owne power but Christs alone Secondly Christ was raysed up to an immortall life not to dy any more but the other to an earthly life and became subject to death again He is said to be the first begotten or the first that did rise again Matt. 19.28 Act. 13.13 Rom. 1 4. because the resurrection is a kinde of new birth and so Christ calleth the last resurrection a regeneration And Paul applieth that in Psal 2. of the father eternally begetting the son to his resurrection from the dead and hence he is declared to be the eternall and omnipotent son of God This should greatly comfort us that though we are borne and brought forth in a corruptible condition yet when we rise again we shall be regenerated unto a state incorruptible even while we are in this life we are regenerated but it is spiritually onely and in part but when we shall by the spirit of God be restored to eternall life then we shall be regenerated both corporally and fully to wit when our mortall bodies shall be made conformable to the glorious body of Christ let us not fear therefore though we should suffer death for the testimony of Christ because he who is the first begotten of the dead
it or amend the same The 2 is to eschew the evil and doe the good And 3 to manifest our repentance by workes of piety and love both to God and our neighbour From whence thou art fallen Hence it might seem to follow that the saintes may fall away wholy from grace and so perish eternally for if so holy a teacher fell from his first love why may we not then conclude the uncertainty of the grace of faith Whither the saintes may wholy fall away justification perseverance and salvation and why should we not doubt also of these things and stand in fear thereof I confesse had this Angel finally fallen away there had been just cause of such doubting For no man can assuredly beleeve the certainty of his faith and salvation who doubteth of the certainty of his perseverance The exposition of Ribera Alcasar in this place is sound namely that he had not altogether lost his love forasmuch as he indured so great things for the sake of Christ but that he lost much of his former zeal How farre forth the saintes may fall In this we agree with them For the saintes left to themselves will soon fall from their faith love perseverance and salvation if we onely have respect to secondary causes to wit the mutability of the will the weaknesse of man the scandals of the world and the subtilty and power of satan For how should we be able to withstand all these who are weak men and subject to the common frailties of others so long as we carrie about us this earthly tabernacle Rom. 11.10 Matth. 26 41. 1 Corinth 10 12. 1 Pet. 5 8. For what saith the scripture be not lift up but fear least thou also be cut of the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed least he fall for satan walking about as a roaring lion seeketh whom he may devour So that not onely the example of this pastor but also the manifold slips and complaintes of the saintes do witnesse that they may languish and fail in the act of faith charity greive the spirit of God to the present losse of a good conscience But if on the contrary we consider either the unchangeable counsell of God touching the salvation of the elect or the most effectuall intercession of Christ for their faith perseverance and salvation or lastly the power of God by which as the Apostle witnesseth the elect are kept unto the end 1 Pet. 1.5 then we may with the holy scriptures firmly conclude that the faithfull cannot wholy and finally fall from the habit and act of faith and love I say so to fall as to become Gods enemies 1 Ioh. 3 9. Matth. 24 24. and perish for ever because whosoever is born of God sinneth not to wit with his whole wil that unto death for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sinne because he is borne of God for it is impossible the elect should be deceived to wit Ioh. 10 28 Luke 22 32. Se also Matth. 7 25. Psal 37 24. 1 Pet. 1 5 finally unto their damnation because no man can plucke Christs sheep out of his hand but he giveth unto them life eternall And therefore Christ said to Peter I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not And God promised to put his fear into their harts that they may not depart from him which is as Augustine interpreteth it that they might alwayes cleave unto him for they are as mount Sion which cannot be moved c. These and many other such places of scripture as they doe plainly overthrow that Pelagian error of the saintes aposiasie and the fear of being finally drawen away and doubting about grace and salvation decreed by the counsell of Trent so also they doe confirme in regard of the free purpose of God the certainety of our perseverance in grace unto the end howsoever I denie not but the elect many times by their sinnes disturbe their peace and assurance having their mindes troubled with manifold doubtings for as men we are subject to humane frailties and shall bee so long as we are here in this life So then we expound From whence thou art fallen to be as if he had said in what thou art gon back from thy former zeal in godlinesse fervencie and love and art become unlike to what thou wast before So then Christ commends the teacher of the Church of Ephesus for his constancy in the truth and hatred of heresie but reproveth him for his languishing coveteousnesse and ambition Hence we so that it is not sufficient to professe the truth unlesse it be done in obedience of faith and humility Or else I will come unto thee quickly This threatning is the fourth part of the narration being a most vehement exhortation and sheweth the pernicious effects of security and coveteousnesse Two things are threatned 1 I will come to thee quickly that is thou shalt suddenly be punished before thou art aware of it Thus impenitent persons provoke Christ the judge against themselves whose wrath they are not able to bear for he is a consuming fire Do we saith the Apostle provoke the Lord to jealousie are we stronger then he So that the first reason why we should repent is because of the power and justice of Christ and our owne weaknesse The second thing threatned is the removal of the candlesticke that is Christ would not onely thrust him out of his office but also remove the candlesticke that is the Church it self by the enemies thereof Andreas I will cast the Church into a troublesome and tempestuous condition which punishment ordinarily followes security and contempt of the word And indeed Christ did not in vain threaten this Church for afterward they not repenting he removed their candlesticke and overthrew them by barbarous nations Here commeth in a twofold question first how it can stand with equity that the whole Church should be dissipated for the sinnes of the teacher secondly how the removing of this candlesticke is threatned seeing the Church is built on the rock against which the gates of hell cannot prevaile and the Apostle calleth this very Church of Ephesus the house of the living God the pillar and ground of the truth â— Tim. 3 15. Ribera saith that the first is a difficult question Because Christ threatneth not the pastor but indeed the whole Church whereas it seems unreasonable that the whole should be punished for the impenitency of the teacher Hence he supposeth that the candlesticke in this place imports not the Church but the Episcopal function and dignity unto which he was advanced to be a light before the flook so that by the removing of the candlesticke he understandeth a removal of the Episcâ—pal honour and those things in which he was wont to excell as in the word and doctrine and sundry other vertues and gifts with which he was indued This interpretation is not altogether incongruous
the bosome of the Church by the indulgence of the Pastor so publickly maintained their wicked doctrine to the scandall of the faithful and danger of the whole Church For a little leaven leaveneth the whole lumpe Besides because of this 1 Cor. 5.6 the unbeleeving Gentiles spake evil of the Christians as if they committed fornication each with other Thus we see that their sinne was of a high nature and therfore great reason had Christ to require repentance for the same I wil come against thee shortly The like phrase of threatning is in v. 6. and the same kind of punishement is applied to the discription of Christ v. 12. as if he should say It is not in vain that I have a two edged sword in my mouth for therewith I wil strike and wound the unrepentant I wil fight against them Christ then fighteth against us with the sword of his mouth when he reproveth our evils threatneth punisheth obstinate sinners For Gods threatnings are never without effect But as it is written unlesse ye repent Luk 13.3 ye shall all likewise perish Christ fighteth with a sword to convince wound condemne and cast off the irrecoverable Against them To wit the Nicolaitans notwithstanding he includeth the Pastor also with the Church it self except they repented so that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with or against them is put in stead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against you 17. He which hath an eare He endeth the Epistle with his wonted Epiphonema or acclamatorie conclusion wherin though the promise differs in words yet the sence is the same with the former To him that overcommeth this is put by a change of the number for all that overcome that al in hope of a recompence might be incouraged to the good fight of faith For rewards much prevaile to harten us unto duties By them that overcome he meaneth such as stood fast in the faith were not polluted with the filthines of the Nicolaitans To these by an allegorie he promiseth a threefold benefit To eat of the hid Manna This is the first Manna was that heavenly bread sweet in tast with which God fed his people in the wildernes who being pressed with hunger found in the morning without the camp an heavenly dew like to Coriāder Exo. 16.15 1 Cor. 10.3 at which they wondring said man-hu what is this And hence it was called Manna It was a sacrament shadowing out Christ the true bread of life Of this Christ will give him that overcommeth to eat that is I wil feed him with the pleasant food of my owne bodie give unto him eternal salvation for he which eateth the Flesh of Christ Io. 6.54 drinketh his blood hath life eternal By hidden Manna he alludeth to the Omer of Manna which was laid up in a golden pot into the Arke for a remembrance according as God commanded Moses which signified that Christ indeed is hidde to the prophane of this world yet seene of the godly not with bodilie eyes but by the eye of their faith Ribera saith wel that it is called hidden Manna because eternall happines is not bestowed on all alike but is reserved onely for the elect in the world to come And wil give him a white stone This is the second benefit about which interpreters much differ in opinion Some understand by it the pretious bright shining Carbuncle Rupertus interpreteth it of the glorious bodies of such as doe overcome whom Christ wil rayse at the last day and make them shine like the Sun in his brightnes Others understand it of an allusion taken from runners in a race to whome was given a white stone in signe of victorie when they overcame the which thing if it were confirmed by historie it were then a cleare opening of the text Sixtus Senensis saith that the ancient heathens caused their festival dayes to be ingraved on their publick tables and noted with a white stone that they might the better discerne them from other dayes But they seem to come neerest to the litterall meaning who thinke that Christ in this respecteth the manner of judgments where there were two sorts of stones or counters white and blacke cast into a basen By the white the innocent was absolved by the black the guiltie condemned lib. 15. Metamor and hence they were named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 acquitting or condemning stones Of which the Poet speaketh Mos erat antiquis niveis atrisque lapillis His damnare reos illis absolvere culpa In ancient times with stones they did In Iudgment seat proceed By blacke the guiltie were condemnd The Iust by white were freed Thus Christ wil give to him that overcommeth a white stone that is absolve him in the day of Iudgement Io. 5.24 according to the promise he that heareth my words and beleeveth in him that sent me hath eternal life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life And in the stone a new name written This is the third benefit and the phrase is taken from the forenamed custom where the names of such as were absolved were ingraven on white stones but on blacke the condemned A new name That is an excellent and honorable name for so much the scripture in many places doth set forth by the word New Psa 33. Reve. 3.12 14.3 as sing unto the Lord a new song I wil write upon him my new name They sung as it were a new song before the throne c. This undoubtedly is the name of Gods children whereof the Lord speaketh Isai 56.5 J wil give unto them a name better then of sonnes and daughters meaning the adoption of the sonnes of God which infinitely surpasseth the name of carnall sonnes and daughters For what is there more glorious then to be the sons of God surely such shall never be condemned But some may say how can he give them that Io. 1.12 which they have already for as many as received him to them he gave power to become the sons of God I Answer now we are sons and heires in hope but in the world to come we shall fully enioy the right of children and really then posses the promised inheritance and be like unto the angels of God Luk. 20.36 for they that shall be counted worthy to enioy that world neyther marrie wives nor are married for they can die no more forasmuch as they are equall unto the Angels and are the sons of God Thus we se that the third benefit promised to them that overcome is a full possession of the inheritance of Gods children Which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth is What this meaneth which is also spoken of Christ who hath a name that no man knoweth but himself I will shew in a word Reve. 19 12. namely it is a name which can not be uttered because the happines of Gods children can not be expressed for eye hath
Because in order of justice al evil workes whatsoever deserve punishment for the soule that sinneth shall dy But good workes how great-soever beeing debts duties can-not merit at the hands of God 5. He that overcommeth the same shall be cloathed Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he but the old translator reads it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so shall he be cloathed The conclusion containes a promise with an Epiphonema as formerly The promise is extended not onely to those few in Sardis spoken of but to all who overcome the world Satan c. se chap. 2. v. 7.11.12.26 Thus by a threefold promise all are stirred up to hope for victorie the two former are metaphorically propounded the third properlie yet all seem to signifie one thing for what can be given to them that overcome more then the crowne of life eternal however in the reward promised we may note a certain gradation First He shall be cloathed with white raiments This by a metaphor signifies the heavenly glorie with which we shall be cloathed as with a royal garment What more I wil not blot out his name out of the booke of life This further notes the eternitie of glorie for not to have our names blotted out of the booke of life is to have them allwayes remaine therein that is to enioy eternal glorie What more I wil confesse his name A further degree promising to make knowen the constancie and faith of every one by name even before the throne of the blessed trinitie and in the presence of the holy Angels A glorie indeed surpassing mans opprehension For what is more honourable then when a general doth by name before the whole armie declare the valiant exploites of this or that souldiour But this Christ promiseth here to doe and in Mat. 10.32 Whosoever therfore shall confesse me before men him will I confesse also before my father which is in heaven but whosoever shall denie me before men him will I also denie before my father which is in heaven And before his Angels As beeing the most holie ministers of God and witnesses of our glorie Hence we note first that the saintes are said to have a two fould cloathing for as we heard before some in Sardis were commended for not defiling of their garments and yet promised besides to have other white garments given unto them the former are said to be ours not as proceeding from our selves but because we are enioyned to have them meaning both morall endowments of bodie and mind as also the grace of faith and love and other spiritual gifts which we must have and preserve cleane and undefiled 2. Cor. 5.3 that so we may be cloathed hereafter in white According to that of the Apostle If so be that being cloathed we shall not be found naked For no man shall be cloathed in white in the heavens who hath not been indued with faith and true repentance in this life Secondlie we are to take notice that in scripture God is said metaphorically to have a threefold booke The first is the booke of his providence which is the knowledge and counsel of God concerning the actions and events of all things first and last of this the prophet speaketh Psa 139.6.16 c. all things are written in thy booke The other is the booke of Gods universal judgment which is his knowledge concerning all those things which everie one hath don whither it be good or evil and to be judged accordingly in the last day as in cha 20.12 and the bookes were opened The third is the booke of life that is Gods praedestinating both of the elect and reprobates Ps 69.29 Isai 4.5 Dan. 12.2 Phili. 4.3 Reve. 18.8 17.8 22.19 the first are said to be written in this booke the other not but blotted out of this the scripture speakes in many places yet that in Rev. 20.12 then the bookes were opened may be understood of them all for in the same verse the booke of life is expresly mentioned Thus God is said to have bookes metaphoricallie Not as if eyther he hath or stood in need thereof for so it cannot bee but by an Anthropopatheia he speaketh to our capasitie For God doth all things without such help or meanes even by his eternal foreknowledge counsel government and judgment But thus men cannot doe for whatsoever is don in their counsels cities families contracts c. for memory sake is set down in writing that so as there is occasion they may looke it over and call to mind such things as they desire Now concerning the elect Luk. 10.20 two things here are spoken of them First that their names are written in the booke of life Phil. 4.3 or in heaven as Luk. 10.20 by which manner of speech we are taught that true beleevers doe not obtaine salvation by chance but were elected of God to life in Christ before the foundations of the world and known from them that perish Secondly their names are never blotted out of this booke as it is here testified J will not blot out his name out of the booke of life By which phrase is signifyed that the salvation of the Elect is certaine and sure and that they shall never perish according to the promise no man shall plucke my sheep of my hand It is impossible the elect should be seduced All which serves not for curiositie but for our comfort that we being certaine of our salvation might joyfullie persevere in weldoeing unto the end Of infidels and reprobates two things are also spoken First that their names are not written in the booke of life as appeares Rev. 13.8 Rev. 13.8 17.8 20.15 Secondly they are blotted out of the booke of life Ps 69.28 and cast into the lake of fire Let them be blotted out of the booke of the living and not be written with the righteous And whosoever was not found written in the booke of life was cast into the lake of fire by which is signified that they who are not predestinated shall certainlie perish But this seems to imply a contradiction as not to be written yet to be blotted out I answer that this is taken in a double sence 1 Eyther of such who in the Eternal counsell of God are thus written and so are never blotted out Or 2 according to the appearance and boasting of hypocrites For thus they are said to be blotted out that is declared never to have been written therein we see there are many hypocrites in the Church who are taken for a while to be the elect of God whereas in truth they are not Therfore when their hypocrisie is discovered and they justlie cast out of the church then they are said to be blotted out As Ambrose Augustine have wel observed Matt. 24.24 Io. 10.28 Not withstanding it followeth not that any of the Elect shal be blotted out For this is contrarie to that promise of God It is impossible the Elect should perish none
are left in their unwillingnesse is the free mercie and grace of Christ by which we are differenced and made better then others according as it is here said I wil make them to come c. 1. Cor. 4.7 Rom. 9.18 and again who hath made thee to differ for he hath mercie on whom he will have mercie and whom he will he hardeneth Here fals in a question how Christ makes us to come to worship The Sophisters who plead for free-will confesse indeed that this is a worke of grace and without which no man can come notwithstanding they affirme that a man before hee is in the state of grace hath a free-wil to doe good although weak and sleepie which will say they by grace is awakened and strengthened and so it cooperates with grace yea prevents it in the verie act of conversion beeing as it were a co-working cause as when two horses draw a chariot or two men togither carie some waightie burden Moreover they affirme that free-will is like a seeing man who albeit in the darke he discernes nothing by reason of the indisposition of the means yet beeing brought into the light he presentlie discerneth every thing So likewise they discourse much though differing among themselves of the sympathie or agreement betwixt grace and the will The Scotists will have grace to worke nothing on the will but to have its influences on the effects But the Iesuites with Thomas affirme the contrarie that grace workes upon the will yet so as by an indifferent influence and so is distinguished from it according as the will is eyther good or evill But herein they all agree that grace is onelie perswasive such as is the motion of Orators unto their auditorie unto which the will if it will eyther doth or doth not give efficacie and entertainment Ephes 2.1 Ier. 13.23 1 Cor. 2.14 which was the heresie of Pelagius Now on the contrarie the scripture teacheth that the naturall man lies dead in sinne and is like unto an Ethiopian who cannot change his skin or a Leopard which cannot cast off his spots hee receives not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him Everie imagination of the thought of his heart is onely evil continually Gen. 6.5 8.21 Rom. 8.6 thus we see that mans free wil is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be For his blinde and erroneous minde cannot bring spirituall things savinglie unto the will neyther can his corrupt wil refuse that which is evil as evil but on the contrarie chooseth and delighteth in it as if it were good And therfore seeing that such is the corruption of our will and faculties as that it is Christ who makes us to come unto him and the Father drawes unto Christ none can affirme that the grace of conversion is onely an indifferent influence or mâ—â—all perswasion but with blasphemie against God But they further object that free-will makes man to differ from the beast that perisheth and therfore sin could not take it away without the destruction of nature wherby man should become an unreasonable creature I answer It is true if it be meant of free-will absolutely But what is that to the purpose we deny not free-will absolutely for without it a man should bee no more a man but a verie beast But we deny that a natural man hath a free and understanding will unto that which is good in things appertaining to God because the scripture in this pronounceth man blinde and a servant to that which is evil yea to be dead in sinnes and altogither disobedient unto God And therfore that we may come unto Christ wee have need not onely of perswasive motions but also of an effectuall worke of grace by which the Lord illuminateth draweth and regenerateth us that so we may become new creatures but what need have we to use many words the sum of all is this The natural man is dead in sin and God gives us both the will and the deed Christ makes us to come unto him what now is there left unto free will they therfore which establish it against grace doe rob God and Christ of their honour precipitate man by pride into extreem danger and renew the herifie of the Pelagians whatsoever they pretend to the contrarie 10. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience Now he comforts him in regard of the persecutions at hand of which wee might discourse more fullie if we had the histories of the Church of those times Some understand it of the persecution under the Emperour Trajane Who though he prohibited that Christians should be drawen before the Iudgement seats yet such as were accused he commanded to be put to death as Plinie witnesseth in his epistles Lib. 10. Epist 97. Others applie it to the persecutions of Antichrist wherwith not onely these of Philadelphia but all the saintes upon the face of the whole earth were greevously afflicted but the former opinion is more probable This consolation is also threefold The first is an approbation of their constancie in their former afflictions because thon hast kept my word It is a great comfort unto us to hear that our actions are approved of by men but we ought much more to rejoyce if God approve thereof for this worketh in us an assurance of a good conscience and of the goodnesse of the cause for which we suffer as suffering not as evil doers but as Christians He calleth the doctrine of the Gospel the word of his patience and Paul cals it the word of the crosse because we must take up the crosse of Christ and suffer afflictions patientlie for the profession therof He cals it his patience or sufferance because he first suffered beeing an example unto all them that beleeve in him for through manifold tribulations we must enter into the kingdome of God And I will deliver thee a second consolation is a promise of deliverance in the houre of temptation that is of affliction which figuratively is called the temptation of the Godly Now hope of deliverance out of evil causeth constancie because hope maketh not ashamed Unto this hope we are stirred up by laying hold on the promises of God concerning our certaine deliverance which the Lord not onely promiseth here unto this teacher but unto all such as are in the like temptation that is unto all the saintes dispersed throughout the whole earth And therefore it teacheth us to be constant in the day of tryal to expect a ful and perfect freedome by Christ our Lord. But this seemeth to establish the doctrine of merits seeing Christ promiseth deliverance because we keep his word I answer when the scriptures speake of workes reward they usually thus expresse it as because thou hast don this I will multiply thy seed Now we are to know that this argues no mercenary reward due for desert sake But a fatherly though undeserved promise annexed unto the condition of
may be acceptable in the sight of God And anoint thine eyes with eye salve This is opposed to their fourth evil of blindnes Eye salve Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which physitians call the dregges wherout an oyntment is strayned helping the blearednesse of the eyes He commands them to aske of God the illumination of his spirit by which their darke harts may be inlightned and stirred up unto the true knowledge and love of God through faith that so seeing their owne miserie and Christs benefits they might cease to be blinde 19 As many as I love I rebuke This fift part of the narration or exhortation to repentance is mixed with comfort least that heavy foregoing sentence I will spue thee out of my mouth might have occasioned them to cast of all hope of pardon as thinking that now there was no more remedie for them But Christ teacheth them that this sharpe reproofe proceeds not from any hatred but from his love towards them and to the end that they might repent hee beeing herein like unto a father who more severely punisheth that childe whom he best loveth The words are taken out of Prov. 3.12 and againe repeated Heb. 12.5 where we have given the meaning of them Whom I love I rebuke As if he should say for thy good I rebuke thy hypocrisy and indeed there is great need thou shouldest be sharpely reproved that so I may shew how greatly I love thee And chasten For stubborne children must be kept downe by the rod. And therfore thou mayest not thinke by hypocrisy or lukewarmnes to escape the crosse Here we may note the difference between the afflictions of the godlie and of the wicked The godlie are chastised like children but the wicked are judged and condemned to hell This is the first reason of the following exhortation beeing as it were a token of his love towards them Be Zealous therefore and repent Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beza be fervent he requireth fervencie and zeale of faith and sincerity in signe of true repentance for their former hypocrisie and lukewarmnes For he is said to be truely zealous who is fervent in that which is good Gal. 4.18 It may also be understood transitively that is be a Zealous follower of thy fellow teachers of Philadelphia Smyrna and others who walke faithfully before me Moreover seeing lukewarme hypocrites are here called upon to repent we are taught that no true repentance comes ever to late 20 Behold J stand at th◠doore and knock The other reason of his exhortation is taken from the effects of his love namely pardon and grace to all that repent before he recompared himself to a Marchant and Phisitian freely selling the marchandises and salves of salvation Here he likens himself to a rich way faring man entring in to them that open unto him and vouchsaving to feast with them By which allegory he testifyeth his philantropy as using al maner of wayes meanes for our salvation And this is the last part of the narration beeing a promise of pardon and grace directed not onely to these of Laodicea but unto all that hearken unto the heavenly vocation Behold this particle is added to stirre up our eares and hearts unto the more attention He saith not I come or I sit but I stand at the door hereby signifying his continuall presence and daylie care for our salvation I stand at the door like as a stranger who doth not presently goe away but if the door be not opened at his first knocking yet still standeth and knocketh untill the same be opened unto him The door here signifyes our heart which by nature is shut hard and stonie excluding God and Christ but in v. 8. it is taken in another signification as we have there shewed Now Christ knocketh and bids us open unto him diverse wayes 1. He knocketh outwardly by the preaching of the law threatning destructiō if we open not 2. By the preaching of the Gospel promising pardon of sin and all kind of heavenly blessing unto them that open unto him 3. By laying the crosse of afflictions on them that delay And lastly he knocks inwardlie by his spirit illuminating our blinde hearts and minds making us in some measure to see and know him who is life eternall and so openeth the door of our hearts by making us willing to receive and entertaine him Thus he opened the understanding of the Apostles Luk. 24.45 Act. 16 14 that they might understand the scriptures and the heart of Lydia that shee attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul If any man hear my voyce and open Having shewed by what means he outwardlie works our repentance and salvation he now comes to that which is to be don by us that is to hear and hearken unto his knock or call to open the door that he may enter in Outwardly we hear Christs knocking when we attend upon the word preached by his ministers and inwardlie when by faith we embrace the same We open unto him when we savingly applie the promises of the Gospel for then Christ with all his benefits enters into our hearts and dwelleth in us when by true obedience we consecrate our selves as a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto him And in deed happie are they that thus worke out their owne salvation for Christ will not leave them but perfect that which he hath begun to their eternal comfort as here he promiseth I will come in to him and sup with him Now he sheweth what he will doe for them that hear his knocke to the end we might open the more willingly and readily unto him Three excellent mercies are here promised 1 He will come in to us 2 sup with us and 3 receive us to sup with him First he saith I will come in to him that is he will with the Father and holy Ghost dwell in our hearts by faith Io. 14.23 as it is written Jf any man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him Serm. 144. de Temp. A dignitie far greater then if an earthly king should be pleased to dwel with us and make our house his pallace Jt is more saith Austin to have Christ in the hart then in the house for our hart is nearer to us then our house Hence we are called the temples of God and of the holie Ghost and of Christ who by his spirit dwelleth in us XXV Argument of Chr. Deity and wee in him Which againe clearely proveth the Godhead of Christ And I will sup with him This is a second benefit Christ sups with us when by faith he makes us partakers of the word and sacraments takes away our sins covers our infirmities and meekly stoopes to our weake capasitie As when some great monarch comes into the cottage of a poor man How Christ is said to sup with us not disdaining to sup with him
and eat of his mean and cuntry fare Christ sups with us when he delighteth in our faith and conversion like as frindes at meale rejoyce togither Now this is spoken by an allegory not as if Christ needed our supper but we make ready for him and he is said to sup with us when in faith and â—bedience we performe acceptable service and wholie consecrate our selves unto him And he with me to wit he shall sup with me For Christ will not come emptie but loaden with blessings to inrich and replenish them with the food of heaven and communicate unto them the good things of the Gospell as righteousnes holines peace the joy of the holy Ghost and to be short life and eternall happinesse And thus much for the allegoricall promise propounded unto us in this place But this allegorie is abused by Libertines Pelagians and Jesuites The abuse of this allegorie is shewed and resuted whom the Lutherans also begin to imitate to establish bence contrarie to the scriptures universal grace to the injuring of the free grace of Christ For seeing it is said I stand and knock Jf any man heare and open c. They inferre that God hath made universally unto all this promise and as all are counselled to open to Christ so it is in their free-will eyther to admit or exclude him For saith Bellarmin they at whose heart the Lord knocketh eyther have sufficient power to open or els they have not If they have then the thing we plead for is granted If they have not then why I pray you doth the Lord knock or is be ignorant that they cannot open Would we not account him vnwise who should knock at his neighbours door knowing in the mean time that there is no man within to open unto him First I answer with Ierom that parables and the exposition of darke sentences are not to be brought for the confirmation of doctrines Now all this is spoken allegorically and by an anthropopatheia and not properly for wheras Christ is said to knocke like a traveller at the doore and to sup with them that open The Iesuites argument retorted upon him If this should be taken according to the letter of the text he should not be God omnipotent For eyther he can open or els he can not If he can not doe it except we open unto him how then is he omnipotent but if he can why then doth he knocke or what use is there that we should open to him Would not he seem to be unwise who should knock at his neighbours door having in the mean time the key in his owne hand Secondly the consequence will not hold from what is conditional to the thing categorically required As If any man heare and open therefore it should follow that it is in our free-will to doe the same For conditionals prove nothing but what ought to be don by us and what if don will follow thereupon Thus Erasmus disputed against Luther If yee will yee shall eat the good things of the earth therefore saith he men have a free-will to doe good and repent But this the scripture wholie denies Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots Ier. 13 23. Matt. 7.18 Philip. 2.13 then may yee also doe good that are accustomed to doe evill A corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to doe according to his good pleasure Luther therefore answâ—â—â—ng to Erasmus saith that oftentimes these conditionals doe signifie an impossibility 〈◊〉 If one should say Jf thou thinkest O Maevus to equal Virgil in singing Jt behoveth thee to sing better then as yet thou hast don If thou thinkest to surpasse Cicero O Scotus then thou must in sted of thy subtilties manifest more eloquence If thou wilt compare with David then compose such psalmes as he hath don which manner of speech signifies things which are not possible in regard of our owne strength though to God all things are possible And indeed the scriptures by such expressions doe declare unto us not what we can do of our selves but what the Lord may worke in us by his owne power Thirdlie concerning universall grace and power to open of our selves First it is false that the same is bestowed on all in the state of nature considering that the meanes of conversion and salvation is not alike offered unto all But allwayes as it hath pleased the Lord where when and to whom he would We see that the Turkes Jewes and Pagans to this day have not the meanes of salvation which we Christians enjoy by the singular mercie of God 2. we doe not deny but such at whose door Christ knockes by his special grace have sufficient helpe to open so farre as concerneth the outward means and indeed this were enough for all but that all by nature are deafe and dead in sins not withstanding it is sufficient for their conversion who inwardlie are wrought upon by the spirit of God But it is untrue that this sufficiencie is made effectuall and operative through a free-will in us because while Christ outwardlie knocketh we inwardlie are dead in our sins beeing deafe and blinde blacke Ethiopians spotted Leopards evill trees which of themselves cannot bring forth good fruit And therfore the greatest outward meanes are of no force untill there be an inward and powerfull motion raising us up from the death of sin illuminating the minde opening the hart and changing the whole man neyther is Christ ignorant that we cannot open at his knocke much lesse unwise in knocking but doth it because he knowes we are inwardly deafe and dead in sin and unable of our selves to open besides hereby to convince us of our miserable estate by nature and to rayse us up from the death of sin and to give unto us both will and power to open unto him And lastly the scripture speaks in a twofold manner of our conversion Sometimes the Lord attributes to us and requires of us the whole worke therof as if it depended altogether on our will Isai 1.19 Zach. 1.3 Ezech. 18.31 Mar. 1.15 Why God requireth and attributeth conversion to man Chap. 6. de Grat. lib. arbit De correp grat Chap. 3. Esech 36.26 Ier. 31.18 Ioh. 6.44 Ioh. 15.6 If yee bee willing and obedient yee shall eat the good things of the land Turne yee unto mee and I will turne unto you make you a new heart and a new spirit for why will yee die O house of Israel repent yee and beleeve the Gospel not as if it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or in our power to doe these things For how can they spiritually move who are dead in sins But the scripture thus speaketh 1. To teach us that wee neither will nor can doe any thing of our selves but are bound to ask it of God And 2. because God by such exhortations threatnings promises and conditions doth please effectually to raise
sung unto the Lamb 1. By both companies representing the Church triumphant who celebrate the benefit of their redemption glorification obtained by the blood of the Lamb. v. 8.9.10 2. By a third apparition or companie of Angels celebrating the worthinesse power and divine glorie of the Lambe v. 11.12 3 By a fourth apparition of all creatures rendring prayses and blessings unto God on the throne and unto the Lambe v. 13. And last of all the two first apparitions of the 24 Elders foure beasts closing up the thanksgiving by a divine adoration v. 14. The first part of the Chapter A description of the booke sealed 1 And I saw in the right hand of him that sate on the throne a booke written within and on the backside sealed with seven seales THE COMMENTARIE ANd or then I saw I will not here repeat all the diverse opinions of interpreters concerning this book who rather obscure then unfold the obscurity thereof but onely will cite some of the most probable The common opinion about the booke Most interpret it either of the booke of the old Testament or els the whole volume of Gods booke both old and new which is in the right hand of God because it is inspired by the holy Ghost and the contents thereof are in the hands of God alone This booke is written within that is obscurely in the old Testament without that is openly in the new or within as respecting the mystical sence without the litterall It is sealed with seven seales because the mysteries thereof are hid from humane reason 1 Cor. 2.14 It cannot be opened by any creature because the naturall man receiveth not the things which are of God The Lambe alone is worthy to open it because he onely hath fulfilled the scriptures and he onely doth reveal unto us outwarly by his word and inwardly by his spirit the hid things thereof These things in themselves are true and according to godlines but I judge they serve little to the purpose in hand because here he treats not about the obscurity or manifestation of legal types neyther are the mysteries thereof revealed in this booke but things of another nature and which concerne the condition of the Church under the Gospel Neither can it be said that the old and new Testament was as a sealed booke unto all creatures untill the time of Iohn seeing it would then follow that both the Prophets and Apostles were ignorant of the writings of Moses and the Prophets Besides all the bookes of the new Testament were then already written and so not shut but knowen unto all such as had their sences exercised in the scriptures of God even as the preaching of the Apostles opened a doore unto the faith of the Gospell unto every creature And therefore this interpretation seems to be repugnant to the holy scriptures and injurious to the Apostolicall Churches They seem to come neerer the marke Another opinion of the booke who understand it of the booke of Gods providence For the scriptures attribute three sorts of bookes to God 1. Of his providence 2. of life and 3. of universall judgement of which we have treated Chap. 3.5 But these also differ in opinion Some take it in a generall way for the booke of Gods decree concerning the governement of the world which interpretation is to large seeing not all Gods secret judgements but onely such which concerne the state of the Church are here intended Therefore I rather assent to them The booke is the Revelation it self who understand it litterally of the booke in which all these things were contained which Christ was pleased to reveale unto Iohn concerning the last times the which he afterward penned and left the same unto the Churches This booke I say is the revelation it self not as if he saw a materiall booke but a visionall booke so to speak wherin was written Gods secret decree touching the future event of the Church and her enemies Thus also Andreas Ribera expound it For first this is the same booke which Iohn after it was opened is commanded to eat up that is fully and clearly to take knowledge thereof And which was sweet in his mouth like hony that is he was much delighted with the knowledge of so high mysteries but by and by it became bitter in his belly as gall that is he was much greeved in foreseeing the great calamities of the Church as we shall see Chap. 10. for the booke there mentioned is the Revelation given unto Iohn Furthermore the contents of the whole Revelation is taken out of this booke For at the opening of the seventh seale seven Angels are said to come forth sounding with trumpets signifying thereby the diverse changes of the Church in the third vision At the sounding of the seventh trumpet the Dragon and two beasts are raised up against the Church in vision the fourth Presently here upon follow seven Angels powring forth the vials of the last plagues upon the earth in vision the fift Afterward one of these seven Angels pronounceth with a mighty voyce the judgement of the great whore and ruin of Babylon in vision the sixt At length the new Ierusalem with the marriage of the Lamb is represented unto John in the last vision whence we see that the whole matter of the Revelation was comprehended in this booke not included in a few Chapters viz. from 6. to 11. as Alcasar supposeth To be short the circumstances of this booke doe altogether agree with the former preface For as Christ is there said to receive the Revelation of God and by an Angel to deliver it unto Iohn so this booke was in the right hand of him that sate on the throne taken out of his hād by the Lamb opened delivered unto the Angel who gave it to Iohn commanding him to eat it Chap. 10. Forasmuch therefore as all things thus agree together there is no question but this booke here spoken of is the revelation it self delivered unto the Apostle These things observed the three following circumstances will bee the lesse obscure 1. The booke is held in the right hand of him that sits on the throne because God is the author of the revelation in Gr. it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the right hand and is put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the hand as appeares v. 7. where the Lambe takes the booke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of his right hand therefore it was In and not at his right hand as some will have it Now he is said to have it in his right hand to the end to give it unto Christ to open As men reach out with their right hands what they give unto others And I suppose we need not seek for any other mysterie in this expression 2. It is written within and without that is there was no place emptie in it For we are to understand this litterally This booke was not made as
Austine Jerome and Chrysostome had suckt in some of their dregs mingling with the pure Apostolicall doctrine many errours touching matrimonie single life grace freewill praying to and for the dead purgatorie about fasts difference of meâ—ts c. with which things as with black spots the white horse of Christ was much stained To be short in the following two hundred yeares till the time of Gregorie the first the heresies of the Pelagians Nestorians and Eutichinians succeeded the Arrians which had before overspread the whole Church By little and little also the rites of the heathens crept in a new worship was devised by the Bishops with many beastlie vanities and superstitions Then began hot disputations and contentions about holy orders and seats of Bishops about the primacie of the chaire of Rome about righteousnes of workes merits and humane satisfactions and the like by which the doctrine of faith and free grace was much oppressed and a way made for Antichrist who shortlie after came into the temple of God when Boniface the third obtained the primacie and dominion over all other Churches from Phocas the usurper Thus we have heard how at length the white horse became black Vpon which notwithstanding Christ sate with his ballance that is How Christ sate on hereticks with his ballanct Lib. 2. de bapt cont don cap. 6. as I also assent too the holy scripture for as the ballance is the triall of a just or unjust weight so the holie scripture is the rule of doctrine whether true or false As Augustine wel noteth Let us bring saith hee not deceitfull ballances wherein we may put what and how we will saying according to our owne pleasure this is waightie this is light But let us bring the divine ballance out of the holie Scripture as out of Gods treasurie And put into it that which is waightie nay let not us put in any thing our selves but onely acknowledge what is put in by the Lord. But thou wilt say how doth Christ sit on hereticks doe these beare him up or doe they not rather denie him and cast him off I answere both is true Now these though in truth they denie him by their blasphemies yet Christ is said to ride on them with his ballance in a twofold way First in profession and appearance for the worst and grossest hereticks professed Christ and accounted themselves his Church And would pretend to weigh their errours in the ballance of the scripture but by them abused and miserablie depraved For the truth is most of them drew their heresies out of adulterat and apocrypha bookes corrupting some places of holie writ for a cloake unto the same but rejecting such canonical bookes as refuted their heresies And thus we see how in this respect Christ rides on hereticks But secondlie he doth it also by his providence because even in the greatest confusion of heresies he was not wanting unto his Church Neyther have or doe heresies at any time come rashlie or unawares but by Gods wise ordering hand for the triall of the Church For there must be heresies saith Paul that those which be approved may be made manifest And therfore he hath caused such heresies as sprung up to bee continually examined confuted by the ballance of his word as histories abundantly testifie 6. And I heard a voyce in the midst We have heard what he saw at the opening of the third seale he addes that he heard a voyce in midst of the beasts saying the old version hath it As the voyce of foure beasts saying But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as is not in the Greek neyther is it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saying in the plural number but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the singular The voyce came forth out of the midst of the beasts as chap. 9.13 I heard a voyce from the foure hornes of the altar It is not said whose voice it was But without doubt it was the Lambs standing in the midst of the throne and foure beasts Chap. 5.6 He cryeth the price of food but whither at a deare or cheap rate it is uncertaine for the words following may be taken both wayes In that it is said A measure of wheat viz. shal be sould for a penny and three measures of barly for a penny that is shal be put into the ballance We will first consider the words afterward the sence A measure the Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was a measure of dry things containing a halfe peck or as some wil have it so much food as would suffice a man for the day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Suidas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Choenix is a measure of a dayes provision hence came the proverb of Pythagoras 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to sit on the measure Choenix intimating though a man had gotten so much as was sufficient for the day yet should he not therfore give himselfe to idlenes but still goe forward in his labour calling A Choenix according to Bude containes two sextaries or foure pound a sextarie containes 24 ounces or two pound by which we see that the old interpreter did erre in rendring Choenix two pound wheras it coÌ„taines foure For a penny Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so called from the number beeing worth ten pence So much as was given for a dayes wages as appeares by the parable of the labourers in the vineyard Of wheat a more daintie and dearer corne then barly for that was for the poorer sort of men beasts other uses I doubt not but he alludes to the famine in Samaria which was besieged untill an asses head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver 2 Kin. 6.25 the fourth part of a cab of doves dung for five pieces of silver but soon after a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel and two measures of barlie for a shekel Notwithstanding I take it that here not a cheapnesse but a dearth rather of food is foretold seeing the measure of a dayes allowance could hardly be obtained by a dayes wages which must needs cause scarsity both to man and beast But wherefore doth he prophesie of a famine under the black horse the same shadowing out as we have shewed the corrupt state of the Church under haereticks If we take it according to the letter it seems not to cohere For what need was there to foretell a dearth which we know comes ordinarily to passe Wherefore the prophesie seemes mystically to be understood He proclaimes a mysticall famine not a famine of bread but of the word of God threatned here to be sent upon the despisers therof according to that in the prophet they shall wander from sea to sea from the North even to the East and run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord but should not finde it Amos 8.11.12 Therefore in these words viz. by scarsitie of wheat barly the Church is threatned with a spirituall famine that is the Gospel
a white horse as a conquerour having a crown on his head signifying the prosperours successe of the Gospell and in his hand the bow of his word by which he moved wounded and converted whole nations unto himself so here a contrarie effect is shadowed out in respect of the enemies of the Gospell to wit the grievous contradictions persecutions raysed by the Iewes in all places against the Apostles For the Gentiles readily inbracing the Gospell moved the Iewes through envie tumultuously to rage and raise up much mischiefe in every place against the Christians the which is here set forth by the haile and fire migled with blood alluding unto the seventh plague of Egypt Exod. 9.24 beeing a grievous haile mingled with fire and the blood of men and beasts consumed by it Haile is a congeling of the water in the ayre through cold and it is very hurtfull unto the standing corne Fire is contrarie to haile Blood signifyes cruelty At the sounding therefore of the first trumpet which began by the preaching of the Apostles on the day of Pentecost there fell haile fire and blood that is contradictions persecutions banishments and slaughters through the obstinate Iewes as the Acts Epistles of the Apostles with other histories doe plainely prove Now the reason why I referre this with the Catholick Glosse unto the Iewes and other tumultuous adversaries viz. such as had lost their civill power shall appear by the following trumpet Now familiarly in scripture by haile fire and blood are noted popular and common calamities as Joel 2. Zeph. 1. and in other places But the following effects touching the burning of the third part of the trees and of the green grasse causeth me to expound this of the calamities befalling the godly and not of the punishments of the wicked because undoubtedly this is to be applied to the sufferings of the Saints And the third part of trees was burnt up by the trees I understand the Apostles chiefe teachers by all green grasse the Saintes of the primitive Churches For the godly are compared to fruitfull trees planted by the rivers of waters Psal 1.3 and to grasse noting their imbicillitie and weaknes yet green because of their lively faith and charitie Of these the third part was burnt up that is multitudes of them were hurt afflicted and murdered by their adversaries the perfidious Iewes For as tempestuous haile and lightning is verie hurtfull to the trees and grasse of the earth even so at the first beginning of the Gospell the Apostles the rest of the faithfull were exercised with cruel stormes of afflictions wherby a great part of them was taken away The phrase seems to have an allusion unto that of Ezech. 5.2 where the Prophet is commanded to cut of the haire of his head and beard and to burn a third part with fire to smite a third part with a sword and to scatter a third part in the winde under which type the Lord threatned grievous plagues unto the Iewes for their rebellion And all green grasse was burnt up Not all strictly but a great part for often times all in scripture is put onelie for a part not for the whole In saying the green grasse it notes the extreem calamities of those times For the dry hay may more easely be burnt then the green grasse or wood Luk. 23.31 Hence it appeares that this affliction was verie grievous How long this trumpet sounded I will not precisely define but thinke that is to be extended from the first preaching of Gospell mentioned Act. 2. untill the times of Domitian who was the first of the Romane Emperours Nero excepted that persecuted the Christians But the Iewes afflicted and persecuted them many wayes The special use of this first trumpet belonged to Iohn the primitive Church that they should not though living under the white horse promise delight ease unto themselves but prepare for cruel stormes of afflictions notwithstanding this was their comfort that howsoever by the cruelty lightnings of the wicked the third part should be burnt up yet two parts should remain unhurt In generall it appertaineth unto us also that we having the primitive Church for an example should not be offended if we be brought to the like condition but be confident that the Lord will still preserve some Churches notwithstanding the rage of Antichrist who for a long time hath tyrannised over our Ancestours with whom we yet wrestle unto this day The sound of the second trumpet 8 And the second Angel sounded and as it were a great mountaine burning with fire was cast into the sea and the third part of the sea became blood 9 And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea and had life died and the third part of the shippes were destroyed THE COMMENTARIE 8. ANd the second Angel sounded Lyra understands this Angel to be Macedonius who sounding that is Lyraes opinion proudly teaching for he was an eloquent man Bishop of Constantinople a great mountain that is the great Macedonian heresie which was the denying the holie Ghost to be God burned with the fire of perfidiousnes and fell into the sea that is into the Church resembling the sea by baptisme and the third part of the sea became blood that is by denying the Deity of the holy Ghost he corrupted the forme of baptisme in the third part of it and the third part of creatures perished that is beleevers infected by his heresie and the third part of the ships that is of Prelates and Bishops whom he drew into the same heresie untill at length he was condemned by the councill held at Constantinople Bullingers interpretation Bullinger much to the same purpose understands by the sea the world by the great mountain the great heresies of the Valentinians Manichees Montanisâ—s BVRNING WITH FIRE that is boasting of divine revelations as if they had been altogether led by the spirit the effects whereof were verie pestilent because the third part of men and such also as dwelt in Ilands dyed that is beeing infected with these heresies perished for ever The opinion of Aretius Aretius also takes it for a great heresie strengthened with the arme of flesh as the Macedonian and Eutichinian heresies by which not onely many private Christians but many whole Churches were seduced and brought to destruction Ribera understands the mountaine literally of a great fiery globe Riberas opinion Alcasars opinion which should at some certaine time be throwne into the sea Alcasar applies it to the warre with which God afflicted the Iewes by Titus and Vespasian But I would faine know of him why that shoul be abscurely foretold which was already fully accomplished The greater part of interpreters both Papists Protestants as my Anonymus Gagnaeus Lambertus others with Andreas understand this mountaine to be Satan the prince of the world who burning with the fire of envie at the preaching of the Gospel is cast
of this trumpet and denouncing new woes vers 12. The second part concerneth the events of the sixt trumpet consisting also of four members I. A heavenly commandement to unloose the four Angels of Euphrates vers 13.14 II. The execution of this commandement or the unloosing of the Angels vers 15. III. Their furniture and weapons vers 16.17 IV. The wofull effect The third part of men were killed vers 18. as also an amplification of the reason drawen from the facility thereof v. 19. The third part is a foreshewing of the stupidity of the rest of men and their hardening in sin both against the first table by serving and worshipping of idols vers 20. as also against the second table by murthers sorceries fornication thefts vers 21. The summe of all is this't The rising of the Eastern and Western Antichrists the two greatest enemies of the Church is here foretold The first whereof should destroy the Church by locusts The other by horses the which how and when it should be accomplished the fathers before Gregorie could not understand as not so much as once imagining of the histories and events which we now have and behold with our eyes Hence we may note the vanity of theâ— apists who enquire of us where the fathers as Augustine Ambrose Hierome Chrisostome and others have written that the Pope of Rome is Antichrist neverthelesse they have not spared to affirme that he should be of the LATINES and many other things of which more hereafter They had heard indeed the four trumpets and some of them saw a great declyning of the Romish chaire But as yet the fift trumpet had not sounded which Gregorie beginning to hear confidently affirmed that Antichrist was even at the dore having an armie of Priests prepared for him and that it should bee hee who called himself or desired the title of VNIVERSAL Priest This I say Gregorie saw confidently affirmed which also was accomplished as histories testifie three yeeres after his death Now let us heare the fift trumpet taking notice in the first place that the sixt trumpet doth not follow the fift in order but by way of a parallel they sounded both at one time differing indeed in the qualitie of events and places For the fift doth prefigure the dissipation of the Western Churches And the sixt those of the East both I say at one time but in diverse parts of the Christian world by diverse weapons or meanes The sound of the fift trumpet 1. And the fift Angel sounded I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth and to him was given the key of the bottomlesse pit 2. And he opened the bottomlesse pit and there arose a smoake out of the pit as the smoake of a great furnace the Sun and the air was darkned by reason of the smoak of the pit 3. And there came out of the smoake locusts upon the earth unto them was given power as the scorpions of the earth have power 4. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the graffe of the earth neyther any green thing neyther any tree but onely those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads 5. And to them it was given that they should not kill them but that they should be tormented five moneths their torment was as the torment of a scorpion when he striketh a man 6. And in those dayes shall men seek death shall not finde it shall desire to die and death shall flee from them 7. And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared to battel on their heads were as it were crowne like gold and their faces were as the faces of men 8. And they had hair as the hair of women and their teeth were as the teeth of lions 9. And they had breast-plates as it were breast-plats of iron the sound of their wings was as the sound of charets of many horses running to battell 10. And they had tails like unto scorpions and there were stings in their tails and their power was to hurt men five moneths 11. And they had a king over them which is the angel of the bottomlesse pit whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon 12. One woe is past behold there come two woes more hereafter THE COMMENTARIE ANd the fift Angel sounded Many without cause much trouble themselves about this Angel who he was For my owne part I will onely take notice of the apparition shewed to John at the sounding of this trumpet Hee saw a star falling down from heaven upon the earth It is strange there should be such diversities of opinions about this starre and the actions thereof seeing the matter in it self is not obscure There are not a few who make this Angel to bee the devill thurst out of heaven for his pride alluding to that in Isai 14.12 How art thou fallen from heaven O Lucifer Son of the morning how art thou cut down to the ground which didst weaken the nations Luk. 10.18 And to that of Christ in the Gospell I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven The smoak and darkning of the sunne they understand to be the blindnesse of men The Locusts to be evill Angels the hurting a misteading of men But this is to generall and confused For wherefore should an historie so ancient and wel known to the Churches bee exhibited unto Iohn as if it were a new prophesie under an obscure type The inconveniency whereof even Ribera himself saw and refuted howbeit that which hee alledgeth is to no better purpose Riberas opinion For he takes him to bee some good Angel to whom was given the key of the bottomlesse pit that bee might as a minister of Gods righteous judgements open the same Others will have this Angel to be Christ who in Chap. 1.18 20.1 is said to have the key of the bottomlesse pit But the things attributed here to this Angel can not possiblie be applied to Christ as the falling down from heaven the raysing of smoak onâ— of the pit darkning of the Sunne c. Neverthelesse Iunius is of this minde alledging that in Gen. 14.10 24.64 Hebr. 6.6 to falt signifies to descend To which I answer it is one thing to fall and another thing to fall from heaven Now this latter for the most part in scripture is taken in an evill sence Isai 14.19 Matt. 24.29 Revel 8.10 as on the contrary to come down from heaven is taken in a good sence Psa 144.5 Bow the heavens O Lord come down 2 King 1.12 Lâ—t fire come down from heaven Revel 3.12 Hierusalem comes down out of heaven from God 10 Chap. 10.2 16.21 18.1 20.21 21.2.10 Lyra thinkes Valens the Emperour to be this starre Lyraes opinion who for some time was a good Catholick but seduced by his wife Eudoxius an Arian priest he
all Christians so rashly yeeld assistance unto Antichrist so soon as he manifests himself O foolish vanities Thus we see this fiction is inconsistent It is also diverse wayes repugnant to the holie Scriptures For they teach us that Antichrist shall not come but by an universall apostasie from the faith 2 Thess 2.3 1 Tim. 4.1 the elect onely excepted who are sealed in their foreheads But who would say that al Christian Bishops with their highpriests could be led aside from the faith within lesse then four yeeres Besides the Scripture witnesseth that the day Mark 13.22 1 Thess 5.2 moneth and yeere of Christs last comming beeing hid from all creatures is onely knowen unto God and the Lord will come suddenly as a thiefe in the night when the world shall say Peace and safety But according to the opinion here laid down the day moneth and yeere of the last judgement should not bee unknown for from the rising of Antichrist unto his death there should remaine but three yeeres and an halfe and from his death unto the last judgement 45 dayes for so Bellarmin expresly writes Lib. 3. de P. R. c. 17. that after the death of Antichrist there shall be no more then 45 dayes unto the end of the world Seeing therefore that the opinion being granted there followes a falsity the opinion it self must needs be false This reason is so strong as that it forced Ribera to forsake that false opinion about the 45 dayes as we shall hear on Chap. 20. To be short this onely sufficeth that in Chap. 13.5 these 42 moneths are againe repeated touching the beast unto him power was given to continue fourty two moneths which cannot in any wise be understood of Astronomicall moneths or three yeeres and an halfe For that beast to Bellarmin Alcasar and others not a few is the Romane Empire the power whereof whither it be taken of the old or new continued far longer then three yeeres and an halfe For these causes therefore and many other absurdities this first opinion cannot possiblie stand And this errour is the rather to be excused in the Ancients who diverse wayes erred about Antichrist as Bellarmin himself confesseth because they saw not the histories of future ages Ibid. cap. 3. but is not in our dayes to be suffered in the least but banished out of the Church as a most pernitious errour For it hath brought both a securitie upon the world hitherto as also it keepeth the Papists to this day in their blindnes insomuch as they neither will nor can see and avoyd Antichrist raigning in the Church long agoe discovered by the light of the Gospell Concerning the divisions of the times in Dan we will speak in the following Chapter The other opinion understands these to be propheticall moneths The other opinion of fourty two propheticall moneths Ezech. 4 5 6. Num. 14.34 Cent. 1. lib. 2. c. 4. col 438. taking a moneth for thirtie dayes of yeeres or thirtie yeeres and so these 42 moneths make twelve hundred and sixtie yeeres like as Ezechiel was commanded to lie on his left side 390 dayes upon his right fourty dayes for fourty yeeres by taking a day for a yeere so the Israelites are commanded to wander in the wildernes fourty yeeres according to the dayes in which they searched the land counting a day for a yeere and so the Centurie writers of Magdeburg take it and our Junius on this place who begins the fourty two moneths or 1260 yeeres of this treading under foot from the passion of our Lord endeth it in Boniface the eight who was created Pope in the yeer 1294. from which the thirty foure yeeres of Christs life beeing deducted there remaine 1260 yeeres now concerning this determination I will speake afterward Bellarmins objections against this opinion are not solid He saith Ibid. cap. 8 that the scripture indeed speakes of weekes of yeeres Levit. 25. Dan. 9. but that we finde not dayes to be put for yeeres or moneths of yeeres Vnto which I answer it is not true that dayes are not put for yeeres for the two alledged places Num. 14.34 Ezech. 4.6 doe plainly shew the same That which he objects that yeeres are not taken for dayes according to the letter otherwise Ezechiel must have lien on his left side 390 yeeres is frivolous for dayes doe not signifie yeeres litterally but according to the pleasure of God so speaking fourty yeeres are imposed upon the Israelites for fourty dayes and on the contrarie for 390 yeeres 390 dayes are granted unto Ezech. so that it cannot bee denied but the scripture in a propheticall sense doth reciprocally put a day for a yeere and a yeere for a day Touching the moneths of yeeres he cavils in vaine For if the scripture allowes of dayes of yeeres weekes of yeeres why not also of moneths of yeeres seeing moneths are reduced into weekes and weekes into dayes The determination I leave to the authors notwithstanding it seems not to bee without some inconveniences For first as concerning the life of Christ In heresi 51 Alogian I rather thinke with Epiphanius that he lived 32 complete yeeres and 74 dayes then 34 yeeres of which I have spoken somthing otherwere So then the end of these yeeres would come short of Boniface VIII Secondlie it sufficiently appeareth by what we have spoken on Chap. 4.1 I will shew thee things which must bee hereafter that this account must not begin from Christs passion or any other time before this vision was exhibited unto John And therefore these yeeres are to begin after the Revelation so after the times of Domitian Thirdly although Boniface indeed most wickedlie trode under foot the holy city yet after him it ceased not for his successours no way inferiour to him in Antichristian tyrannie have gone foreward treading down the Church unto this day Now it is apparent that here is noted the time how long the holy city must be troden under foot by Antichristian Gentiles So that these XLII moneths shal not be ended untill the holie city be freed from this treading down And therefore this opinion also seems to have little soliditie in it The third The third opinion touching Sabbath-moneths is John Fox that excellent writer of the English booke of Martyrs in his conjectures on the Revelation who understands the XLII moneths of sabbaths weekes or yeeres of so many times seven yeeres which make 294. and so many yeeres he reckons from the death of Iohn Baptist unto Constantine the Emperour under whom the Christians first were freed from persecution as therefore saith he the times of the first persecution of Christians under the Jewes and Emperours increased unto 294 yeeres so likewise the last persecution treading down of the holie citie shall endure 294 yeeres beginning from the time that the power of the Turkes first began to increase viz. from the yeere of our Lord 1300. So these moneths should have been ended
under foot the two witnesses shall prophesie because during Antchrists reign Christ shall never want two witnesses least he might seem to be overcome and thrust out of his possession by Antichrist now without al doubt this is the safest opinion sufficeth for the consolation of the godlie If thou demand what is the reason of the change of moneths into dayes Why the moneths are changed into dayes We have nothing here to answer precisely except that the same time the same thing is set forth by diverse expressions as it is familiar with the prophets By two dreames God signified the same thing unto Pharaoh so generally throughout this whole prophesie the same events are prefigured by diverse types Notwithstanding it is not a misse to observe as some have done that the lesser number is attributed to the treading down to denote the shortnes of afflictions the greater to the witnesses to signifie the during and invincible power of the Gospel both which serve to comfort the godly Furthermore what we said before concerning the 42 moneths seems here againe to bee repeated of the 1260 dayes it may be to the end that the time both of the moneths and dayes might hereby be defined For why should the spirit of God rather attribute 42 moneths unto Antichrists treading down then 10 20 60 or 100 and why should 1260 dayes be rather appointed then more or lesse If therefore it might be lawfull to gesse at the termes of the moneths and yeeres from histories past and present then I should thinke that as Antichrist began to tread down the Church when Boniface the third was set on the Chaire of universal pestilence anno 606. and that the Church hath now from that time unto this been troden down 34 moneths and an half so the prophesie of the two witnesses against Antichrist hath continued 1036 dayes and so are not yet ended And as the Churches oppression was not all at one time or instant neyther was the sorest in the beginning but it increased by little little untill at length the holy citie was troden wholie under foot by Antichrist so the preaching of the two witnesses was not alwayes alike perspicuous powerful against him but manifested it self in severall ages by manifold martyrdoms untill at length the mysterie of iniquitie beeing unfolded it most manifestly brake forth in these latter ages For it appeareth by histories that the Bishops of France Germanie yea also of Italie but especially they of Ravenna Mediolanum and Aquileia did often times most stronglie oppose the successours of Pope Boniface As also Synods not a few have condemned the tryannie and idols of the Popes of Rome moreover among these witnesses were John Scottis Bertramus the Abbat Berengarius a priest Waldus in France Wickleffe in England as also Nicolaus Clemanges Marsilius of Patavia Besides many of the Emperours as Henry IV. V. Frederick I. II. Ludowick IV. c. have with all their might suppressed Popish tyrannie Now the reason why I reckon these Emperours among the witnesses I will shew in the following verse See also the Catalogue of witnesses published in two volummes who by prophesying have opposed the Romish Hierarchie A little before the Council of Constans anno 1409. the holy citie was most miserably troden down by Romish beasts Tom 11. concil Constant sess XL. art 67. at what time three Antipopes laid claime and by tyrannie possessed the Antichristian chaire viz. Gregorie XII Benedicte XIII Alexander V. after his death Iohn XXIII who denied that there was any hell or resurrection of the flesh At this time the Antichristian Church was a horrible three headed monster the which schisme dured above seventy yeeres Then Christ raised up two witnesses in Bohemia Iohn Husse and Ierome of Prage to prophesie against those Beasts Who beeing called appeared before the Councill Sigismund the Emperour having swoorn safe-conduct unto them and laid down their testimonie in the assemblie of the Locusts condemning the Antichristian tyrannie of Popes But the thing here foretold happened unto them The Beast overcame and slue them Husse was cruelly burnt anno 1415. 8 of the ides of Iulie Hierom anno 1416. 3 of the Calends of Iune Now however Iohn Husse taught publicklie at Prage in the beginning of the yeere 1400. not withstanding he begane first to maintaine the opinions of Wicleffe and opposed the Beast in the yeer 1412. from which time untill his martyrdom were precisely 42 moneths or 1260 dayes So that the Prophesie may seem to have been fulfilled according to the letter in these two witnesses Now Husse while he was in the fire foretold that the adversaries after an hundred yeeres should give an account to God and to him which also came to passe for an hundred yeeres after the Lord stirred up other couples of Prophets against the beast In Saxonie Luther and Melanchthon at Argentine Buâ—â—er and Cariton In Helvetia Zwinglius and Oecolampadius In France Farellus and Calvin who beeing divinely armed with the spirit and power of Elias be gane with the reed of the holie Scriptures to measure the temple reforme the Church purge the doctrine of the Gospell and cast out the court of priests these beeing dead the Lord raysed up other maintainers of the truth in diverse Kingdoms Provinces Commonwealthes Churches Academies of Europe who unto this day both by word and writing have stronglie opposed themselves against the Beast treading the holy citie under his foot Clothed in sackcloth The titles of the witnesses now follow about which we are in a generall way to observe that what ever of old was attributed in holie scripture as memorable excellent unto the Prophets chiefe servants of God that is here applied unto these not indeed in a litteral sense which in many things can not hold but by a certaine similitude They shal be clothed in sackcloth like unto the Prophet Daniel Chap. 9.13 Two Olive-trees before God as Zerubbabel Iehoshua Zach. 4.11 Fire shall proceed out of their mouth as out of the mouth of Ieremie Ier. 5.14 With it they shall devoure their enemies as Elias 2 King 1. They shall shut heaven that it raine not as the said Elias 1 King 17. They shall turn waters into blood and smite the earth with plagues as often as they will as Moses Aaron Exo. 4.5.6.7.8.9.10 By which we may more clearly perceive First Against the fabulous opinion of Enoch and Elias that the two witnesses are not rightly applied to Enoch Elias seeing nothing of Enoch is here referred unto them The miracles indeed of Elias are attributed unto them but not his alone so that if we should judge by the attributes one of them should no more be Elias then Moses Aaron Ieremie Daniel Zerubbabel or Iehoshua Secondly that two individuals are not onely noted but a few at severall times yet many successively who shall prophesie against the Beast For those prophets unto whom they are likened
and 5. It containes a thanksgiving a prayer They give thankes to the Lord God almighty which is which was and which is to come that is either to Christ or unto the holy Trinity as before on Chap. 1.8 But for what benefit Because thou hast taken to thee thy great power and hast reigned But what good comes hereby unto the Elders indeed they have great cause to rejoyce for these benefits considering that they serve to the eternal felicity of the Church triumphant Hitherto the Lord in suffering the fury of the adversaries did seem not to exercise his great power that is his omnipotencie and Christ to be overcome by Antichrist but at length by taking that is by exercising and shewing forth his power in casting down the adversaries he delivered the afflicted Church out of all her trouble and by reigning blesseth her with eternal happinesse Rom. 14.17 The kingdome of God is righteousnes peace and joy in the holy Ghost And God shall then perfectly reigne when as he shall give to his elect eternal righteousnesse peace and the joy of the spirit Of this see the description in the end of the second Vision Chap. 7. v. 15.16.17 18. And the nations were angry Now followes their wish or prayer For by putting God and Christ as it were in minde of the time of judgment they humbly beseech him that he would most justly execute the same according to the prophesies of the scripture The nations were angry This is as it were a former reason Because the nations are angrie as if he should say they have bin angry that is raged long enough against Christ and the Church It is time therefore that thou also be angrie that is represse the angrie nations Thus he calleth all adversaries whatsoever whither Jewes Turkes or Christians falsly so named Thy wrath That is thy vengeance and judgement or wrath for punishments by a metalepsis as Rom. 2.5 Is come For let it come And the time namely is come the which thou hast defined in ty eternal counsel Vnknown indeed unto mortal men but then revealed by Christ unto them in heaven For without a speciall revelation no man knoweth that day save God alone But what time Of the dead That is to be raised Some take it of the wicked onely dead in sins But the following distribution of them which are to be judged comprehends all both good and bad For it is added That they should be judged But the godlie shall not come into judgement Jo. 5.24 He that beleeveth on him that sent mee hath eternal life and shall not come into judgement But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 judgement is there put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 condemnation and therfore Beza hath so rendred it So then the elect shall come to judgment for all must stand before the tribunall seat of Christ however they shall come to be absolved and not condemned And therefore the Elders further adde Two companies of them that are to be judged That thou shouldest give reward They make two sorts of people of such as shal be judged some to be rewarded the other to be destroyed as Christ in Matth. 25. Joh. 5. The reward of their faith shal be given them and of their obedience constancie patience labours and miseries What reward eternal life glorie Vnto whom They make three sorts of such as shal be rewarded Three rankes of such as are to be rewarded First they place Gods servants the prophets thereby comprehending the faithfull of more special note whither under the Law or Gospel as Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Evangelists c. who were Gods servants by a more then orninary vocation Secondly the Saintes to wit confessours and martyrs who eyther by sincere preaching or constant martyrdome have held forth the glory of Christ against Antichrist Vnder whom are comprehended all faithfull teachers and preachers of the word called Saints by an Hebraisme as separated to some special work In the third place they add the fearers of Gods name that is all other faithful ones besides the two former companies who from the beginning of the world unto the end therof have worshipped the Lord in sinceritie What it is to feare the name of God For to fear the name of God is to worship him sincerely to call upon him and love him above all because the feare of the Lord is the beginning of wisdome godlinesse Great and small They shew that the reward is common unto all without any difference of merit either of greater or lesser condition and state to the end that neyther the great ones should promise unto themselves a greater reward or the others despaire of the same recompence Popish Sophisters dispute much touching the degrees of glorie which rather proceedeth out of their own braine from a false supposed foundation of humane merits then from the Scriptures of God But whither the Lord wil crown his servants with equal or unequal glorie it shal not be according to their merit but merely of his own grace And this is all Jovinian against whom Jerom wrote pleaded for except I be deceived viz. that unto all who kept their baptisme there should be one recompence in the kingdome of God For he seems not to disapprove of a degree of reward but of merit The crown of righteousnes propounded unto all the faithfull Paul the Apostle who was taken up into the third heaven and inferiour to none of the Saintes shewes us that for him was laid up a crown of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous judge would give him at that day and not unto him onely but unto all that love his appearing This same crown of righteousnesse the Elders doe promise unto the Prophets and Saintes and all the fearers of the name of God This sufficeth for our faith and consolation Let us leave disputing in this life touching the differences of the crowne and rather indeavour so to walke as that we may be made partakers therof in the life to come That thou shouldest give reward Here fals in a question For a reward is given of merit and debt Therfore say some the reward of eternall life is given unto the Saintes as a due debt otherwise it would not be called a reward Now it is not onely here so called Mat. 5.12 20.8 1 Cor. 3.8 Rom. 4.4 but in many other places Great is your reward in heaven Give unto them their reward or hire Every one shall receive his own reward according to his own labour But to him that worketh the reward is not given of grace but of debt Thus the mercenarie adversaries of grace dispute But how eternal life is said to be a reward appeares by the words of the Apostle The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is life eternal Rom. 6.23 Ephes 2.9 It is the gift of God not of workes least any man should glorie Now all gifts are gratis and not due debts Forasmuch
her power and principallity This admiration encreasing by little and little and turned into superstition by giving unto the Pope right of Vniversall jurisdiction with divine honour they made him to be the Antichrist And so much is signified by the phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wondred after the Beast that is men being bewitched with the admiration of his power they worshipped him as god and subjected themselves by willing reverence under his feet adoring all his decrees and commandements as divine oracles for thus the Scripture usually speaks of divine worship Walke after the Lord your God Deut. 13.4 1 Sam. 7.2 for Worship God All the house of Israel rested after the Lord for persevered in his true worship So also of the false They committed fornication after strange gods for they worshipped idols Walk not after strange gods for Iudg. 1.17 Ier. 8.6.9 serve not the idols of the heathens with many the like places in Ieremie so that not a civill or forced but a religious and willing subjection is here signified Whence first we see that neither the old Romane Empire nor the Mahumetane kingdom is properly this Beast for they required and forced men to a civill obedience onely And hence Alcasars Glosse is frivolous and fabulous that persecution being renewed the nations of their own accord subjected themselves unto the Beast for no nation but by force of armes subjected its selfe unto the Romanes Secondly it appears that the throne which the Dragon gave to the Beast is not onely a secular Kingdome but also a sacred Monarchie and grounded on religion Thirdly it is cleare that this Beast is no other then the person whom the Apostle speaks of 2 Thess 2.4 Who opposeth and exalteth himselfe above all that is called God or that is worshipped that is the Romane Antichrist after whom the world hath wondred these thousand years ascribing unto him these verses of triumph By oracles of thine own voyce the world thou govern'st all And worthily a god on earth men think and do thee call And lately dedicated to PAVLO V. VICE DEO To Paul the fift being in Gods stead which letters in Latine doe expresly containe the number of the Beast 666. THE INVINCIBLE MONARCH OF THE CHRISTIAN COMMON-WEALTH AND MOST ZEALOUS PRESERVER OF THE PAPAL OMNIPOTENCIE And againe Thou art all in all and above all and to thee is given all power in heaven and in earth who saith My peace I give unto you my peace I leave with you And lastly who usurps all things unto himselfe which belong to God and to Christ he takes away the sins of the world rules from sea to sea is the Lion of the tribe of Judah the root of David the Saviour and light of the world c. Thus much touching the admiration But now who are these admirers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole earth in which we may observe two things first that this admiration is Catholike and universall Secondly that these CATHOLIKE ADMIRERS are said to be the earth that is all both great and smal bond and free given to earthly worship pomp wealth dignity and pleasure as it follows in ver 16. And therefore we must take heed not to be taken up with admiration of these admirers or follow them but rather mourn in regard of their stupidity and destruction 4 And they worshipped the Dragon this declares the former for whereas before he said they wondred after the Beast he now shews it to be the worshipping of the Dragon and attributing titles of divine majestie and power unto the Beast Religious admiration as the Scripture witnesseth is onely proper to God and Christ Deut 6.13 Mar. 4.10 Psal 97.7 Phil. 2.10 Psal 72.9 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve All the Angels of God adore him In the name of Jesus every knee shall bow before him the inhabitants of the desart shall fall down But these admirers adore the Dragon and the Beast and therefore attribute divine worship unto them And that we may not imagine it to be a civill worship the words and exclamations of these wondrers are added Who is like to the beast Who is able to make warre with him as making the Beast equall with God For by the first they extoll his majesty and by the latter the divine power of the Beast In imitation of the Scripture saying To whom will ye liken God What likenesse will ye make to him Who is like to me saith God As therefore the Saints and worshippers of God cry out Isa 40.18 Psal 113.7 Who is like the Lord our God O Lord who is like thee so the admirers of the Beast cry out Who is as the Beast Who is like him And as the Saints cry out to God Lord who shall resist thee Who shall withstand thy will so these idolaters cry out Who can fight with him So that by these expressions they liken the Beast to God and Christ yea if thou well observe it they make him greater for these exclamations are absolute negatives Who is like thee Who is able to fight with him as if they should say no man no not God nor Christ whereby they openly professe the Beast to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adversary to God Christ lifting himself above al that is called God This is one of the clearest argumēts proving the Beast to be Antichrist But how are they said to worship the Dragon Not by profession but in works For they religiously worship Saints and Angels in heaven who are not God They worship images of wood stone and brasse but all religious worship attributed to the creature is an honouring not of God but of the devill whatsoever the intention and profession of the worshippers be according to that of the Apostle That which the Gentiles sacrifice 1. Cor. 10.20 they sacrifice to devils and not to God And yet we know that the Gentiles as the Indians and Brasilians to this day did intentionally sacrito God As therefore they that worship Christ worship God so they that worship Antichrist worship the devil of whom he received his seat and power 5. And to him was givē a mouth speaking great things Thus much of the figure power worship of the Beast Now follows the declaration usurpatiō of that power received from the Dragon The which will be the lesse obscure because in part we have heard formerly the like in chap. 11. The declaration of the power is in this verse The usurpation in the two following This great powr is two fold 1. to blaspheme 2. Thes 2.9 2. to do Now this is said to be givē to the Beast But by whō by the Dragon the devil v. 2. for the cōming of Antichrist is after the efficacy of satan His mouth in figure is like a Lyons v. 2. but speaks like a man who is a blasphemer for metonymically the mouth is put for boldnes in evil speaking as a hard mouth is
an ill speaking mouth Great things blasphemies is put for great blasphemies which are rehearsed v. 6. Here observe that the little horn also Dan. 7. v. 8.20 hath a mouth speaking great things whence it is conjectured that by it Antichrist is shadowed out specially seeing the three following things are also attributed to him as blasphemies against the highest warre with the saints and the time of his rage to be XLII moneths vers 25. Historically indeed that horne seemes to be Antiochus the scourge of the Iewes but Mystically it figured Antichrist For as Antiochus afflicted the Iewish Church so doth Antichrist the Christian Thus we see that the old this new prophesie excellentlie agree both in phrases deeds and illustrate one the other And power was given him to do The first part of his power we have heard now follows the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 power of doing The OLD VERSION TO DO OR MAKE some copies adde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 warre which seems to be taken from v. 7. The sense is all one yet it is better to take it absolutely of making but is not making here put for sacrificing I wonder our Sophisters have not observed this that so they might make the beast a sacrificer or masse-priest But TO DO here is put for to rage and destroy according to his pleasure This is given him by the Dragon God permitting the same yet holding the bridle in the midst of the beasts rage And that we might not imagine the beasts fury to be absolute a term is prefixed unto him for the comfort of the godly Fourty two moneths his rage shall continue long but not alwaies What is meant by these moneths I have shewed on Chap 11. ver 2. The Gentiles shall tread down the holy city XLII moneths The time is the same because the History both there and here is all one so that the treading down of the city by the Gentiles is this very rage of the Beast here being to endure XLII moneths and it will clearly appeare by the sixt Vision treating of the destruction of the Whore and Beast that these moneths took their beginning at the Beasts ascention out of the bottomlesse pit and are now for the most part expired 6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemie The usurpation of his power followeth both by his mouth in this verse as also in action in the following He opened his mouth in blasphemie that is he began to blaspheme in a horrible manner These are the great things which were given to the Beast to vomit out with open mouth that is publikely and in the very height of pride and malapertnesse Now what are these but those great priviledges the Romish Beast boasteth of as that he is in Gods stead yea a god and Christs Vicar on earth Peters successour having alone the Keyes of Heaven that he is the invincible Monarch of the Christian world the Prince of Bishops the head and spouse of the Church the King of Kings the Lord of heaven earth and hell the alone interpreter of the holy Scriptures chiefe Judge of all religion having all laws and mysteries lockt up in his breast the chiefe decider of the Catholike faith judgeing all men but to be judged of none to whom none may say though he lead thousands of soules with him into hell My Lord the Pope why dost thou so to whom is given all power in heaven and in earth who opens and no man shuts shuts no man opens who loosing no man bindes and binding no man looseth forgiving iniquities taking away the sins of the world with many other blasphemies which proceed out of his lascivious mouth But distinctly or in particular the bent of his blasphemies are against God his name his tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven Now to shew again how he blasphemeth God and his name It is by doing that which the Apostle foretold of Antichrist and which we see the Pope of Rome to do even at this day viz. he opposeth and exalteth himselfe against all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God shewing himself that he is God for he arrogates to himself the name and honour of God suffereth his Clawbacks to cry out Who is like unto the Beast Who is able to make war with him he challengeth to himselfe all the rights and works of God that he can create God make some thing of nothing make the word of God that he cannot erre that his decrees are of like certainty and authority with the divine Scriptures that it is of necessity to salvation to be subject unto him that it belongs to him to give the kingdoms of the world to set up depose Kings as he lifteth c. All which things if the Pope doth what is left for God Is not this blasphemie against God his name The tabernacle of God is the Church in which God dwelleth this he also blasphemeth for he falsly affirmes himself to be the Head Bridegrom and Lord therof tyrannically oppresseth and infects her by the poison of wicked doctrine seduceth and as much as in him lies thrusteth her into eternall destruction by his lying signes and horrible idolatry Andreas understands this Tabernacle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be the flesh of Christ in which the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dwelt with us Ioh. 1.14 This tabernacle of God he also blasphemeth divers waies for what blasphemie is more horrid against the Son of God then that the Pope should boast daily by his Locusts to create Christ of a piece of bread in the Masse to sacrifice and to destroy him What blasphemie more odious against the office of Christ then that the Pope boasting himselfe to be the greatest high Priest proudly should exalt himselfe as above Christ the great high Priest he denies that the alone sacrifice of Christ is sufficient for the expiation of the sins of the Church unlesse it be again and againe iterated by his Masse-priests he denieth that the merits of Christ alone suffice to take away sins the punishment thereof unlesse through his indulgences he adde a supply from the treasure of the Church which is the merits of the Saints Other things I passe by And them which dwel in heaven I see not why we may not understand these heavenly inhabitants properly of the Angels blessed souls triumphing with the Lamb in heaven for against these the Pope also poures forth his blasphemies more waies then one for will they nill they for his own gain sake he obtrudes false honour upon them makes them gods and builds temples altars and images unto them and by this worship exerciseth a most filthy trade and the most of them he forceth to succeed in the places of Heathenish idols and doth weary them as if they were houshold and tutelar gods with diverse troublesome and sordid services setting one over Hogs another Horses another Asses one over
eternity which the interpreter seems to have read for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Saints 4. Who shall not feare thee O Lord An exclamation taken out of Ierem. 10.7 Or rather out of the everlasting Gospell Rev. 14. ver 7. where the first Angell cryed Fear God and glorifie his Name They shew the madnesse of the Antichristian adversaries who lift up their hornes against Almighty God and the Lambe and the stupidity of the world which is not moved by the consideration of the great and wonderfull workes of God to feare and glorifie him To feare God is in true faith and obedience to submit to God To glorifie God is not to make him glorious as if he were not so before but to celebrate his due glory and praise Onely holy They condemne the pride of Antichrist boasting himself to be holy and holinesse whereas God alone is holy and holinesse it selfe purifying the heart and sanctifying the elect For all nations shall come As in Psal 86.9 All Nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee O Lord and shall glorifie thy Name shewing not absolutely what all shall do but what all ought to do the Antichristian adversaries shall never come for they will not amend by their plagues but persevere in their Idolatry and rage against God as we shall see in the fourth and fift Viall Neverthelesse some remnants of the Christian nations shall come adoring and worshipping God sincerely through Iesus Christ to wit the elect in Italy Germany France England c. The Church therefore celebrates the effect of the Gospell in the last times that she shall not decrease amidst her divers afflictions but be encreased by divers nations who forsaking Antichrist his fraud being discovered shall turne to Christ Which effect the Antichristians have now a long time seen and we yet daily do And God grant that our posterity may see the like more and more For thy judgements are made manifest That is are begun to be manifested for as yet they speake not of the finall judgement nor generally of Gods ancient judgements but they celebrate in speciall those wonderfull judgements of his by which he began in these last times to weaken Antichrists kingdom and bring the Church into the liberty of Christ for it is wonderfull to consider that the power and authority of Antichrist which had so long beene formidable to Christian Emperours and Kings as causing them like so many unreasonable dogs to cast down themselves and licke his feet and as most vile slaves to hold the bridle or stirrup while he mounted on horseback should by the preaching and ministery of a few poor and contemptible teachers be exposed to the common contempt of men insomuch as no man but the Popes sworne vassalls should any more stand in awe of his anathemaes and threatnings Now this worke these Coelestiall harpers do worthily pronounce not to be of man but a wonderfull judgement of God for the which he ought to be praised continually of all creatures The sense therefore is that because God in the last times by the preaching of the Gospell hath manifested Antichrist and by his wonderfull judgement poured contempt upon him it shall come to passe that by degrees one Nation after another shall leave him and be converted to Christ and so indeed it shall be Onely let not us by our sins stop this judgement of God which he hath begun to reveale Thus much of the Triumphant Song The third part of the Chapter The Furniture and clothing of the seven Angells 5 And after that I looked and behold the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony in Heaven was opened 6 And the seven Angells came out of the Temple having the seven Plagues clothed in pure and white linnen and having their brests girded with golden girdles 7 And one of the foure beasts gave unto the seven Angells seven golden Vialls full of the wrath of God who liveth for ever and ever 8 And the Temple was filled with smoake from the glory of God and from his power and no man was able to enter into the Temple till the seven plagues of the seven Angells were fullfilled THE COMMENTARY 5. ANd after that I looked And the Temple was opened After the coelestiall interlude Iohn returnes to the description of the Angells declaring from whence they came forth in what habit what the Vessells were wherein they bore the Plagues that were to be poured out whence they received them and what he saw in Heaven during the time thereof such was the Furniture of the Angells to declare the judgements of God the which as it appeareth is dramatically inserted to illustrate the order of the Vision Now whether in every of the particulars lie hid such mysteries as some looke after I know not neither do I beleeve it But as in dramaticall shewes the preamble of the singers being ended the Sceenes are opened and other persons come forth in new apparell to act other things so these Angells came out of the Temple that was open in heaven unto a new Act of this Revelation 6. And the seven Angells came out of the temple Who these Angells were we shall more fitly manifest in the following Chapter In that they came out of the temple in Heaven most do hereby understand the holy and irrevocable judgement of God against Antichrist For it shall be most righteous although the wicked shall gnash their teeth against it and gnaw their tongues Some understand hereby to be signified that God judgeth according to the decrees of his word preached by his Ministers the Angells because the ministery here on earth is instituted according to the heavenly patterne Or also that all Antichrists plagues proceed from Christ the high Priest of the heavenly Tabernacle now these things being plous I reject not but leave to the judgement of the Reader Clothed in pure linne◠The old Version hath it having on a pure stone which is a manifest errour as Alcasar the Iesuite acknowledgeth and correcteth Ribera confesseth it also but doth not correct it yea on the contrary he labours to establish or hide the apparent untruth of that version to the end it might remaine authenticke but with what conscience it may easily appear The pure linnen garment some expound of the joy of the Angells because of the judgement of the wicked Others of Angelicall purity With a golden girdle about the breast This some understand of the love of Angells towards such as here on earth exercise themselves in the worship of God Others of their strength in executing the commandements of God 1. Pet 2.13 Eph. 6.14 in which sense a girdle is generally taken in scripture for the garment not being girt up hinders in going They are golden girdles so before in Chap. 1.13 Christ appeared the which we interpreted of the Majesty of Christ Therefore the Angells have golden girdles representing as it were the Majesty of Christ their Lord. But these mysteries in my opinion
contrary saith The Kings heart is in the hand of the Lord he inclineth it to whatsoever he will So the Holy Ghost in this place God put into the hearts of the Kings that they should do these and not other things I ANSWER Sophisters do much labour and sweat to unty this knot touching the concurring of Gods providence Lib 5. de C. D. ca. 9 and mans free will but after long toyle they put as the saying is the Cart before the Horse that is they subject the operation of God to the will of man the Creator to the creature and that befalls them which Austin wrote of Cicero that by making men free Lib. 4. de Grat. lib. Arbit cap 14 they make them sacrilegious BELLARMIN doth diversly torment himselfe throughout his six bookes of Grace and Freewill And after all he falls with both hands into the same mire of blasphemy And alledgeth divers opinions touching this Concurring Caiet in 1. qu. Art 4 The first is of Caietan That the concurring or accord of the divine providence and free will is inexplicable and not to be understood in this life Bellarmine confesseth it to be dark but not inexplicable The second he ascribes to Durand Duran in 2. dist 37 qu. 1. That there is required no concurring of the divine operation unto actions of secondary causes but that is enough if God preserve the natures and vertues of the same This Bellarmine rejects as false for it is repugnant to Scripture But whither it be Durands let himself look to it I have sought for it but find it not It is absurd For how doth God not concurre unto actions if hee concurre unto their vertues seeing there is no influence of the action save from the influence of the vertue thereof The third is of others whom he is afraid to name That God indeed by his concurrence doth determinaters or limit the will of man and that in regard of it Mans will cannot but act and yet remaines free either because the concurring of God is not of the things requisite unto the action of free will or because the divine determination hinder not the judgement of our reason about choosing or rejecting of objects which is the root of the liberty in the will Against this opinion which is true hee largely disputes First by the saying of Siracides Chapter 15.14 That man is left in the hand of his owne Counsell which is nothing to the matter because hee speaketh there of man as hee was first created or before his fall Secondly by the authority of the Fathers which make nothing against it At length by reason viz. That this determination should make God Author of sin The wicked excusable both being false Scot. in 2. de 37 as shall appear in the following Question At last he alledgeth two opinions as he saith better but indeed they are worse The former is of Scotus That the divine cooperation is not of the part of the cause but onely of the part of the effect that is that Gods concurrence doth not determinate the will or imprint any thing in the same but flowes immediately into the effect and produceth the same in the very moment in which it is produced from our will As when two Porters carry a great burden which one alone could not do here neither of them addes strength to the other but onely both bear the weight This opinion pleaseth him yet not altogether for he sees it is repugnant to the Scripture which saith not that the divine influence is in the actions but in the hearts of men As here God put into their heatts he saith not into their actions Again The Kings heart is in the hand of the Lord he inclines it to whatsoever he will he inclines I say the heart and not only the effects of the heart or of the King It is repugnant also to the prayers and practise of the Saints who fervently desire of God to have not onely their actions and wayes directed but likewise to have their minds enlightned and bearts guided by God The other opinion is of Thomas which saith he C. 1 q. 105 art 5. Lib. 3. con Gent. ca. 7 Et qu. 3. de potentia artic 7. perhaps is more probable so ignorant is hee of that truth which he undertakes to expound viz. that the divine cooperation so concurres with the will of men as it gives not onely strength unto and preserves the same but also mooves and applies it to the worke The which opinion beeing candidly taken differs nothing from the third and is true But because the truth pleaseth not Bellarmine he subtilly pretends that this opinion also hath its difficulties and again by cavelling seeks to deceive For you would thinke him to be some Iugler for being a Thomist he dares not refute his master therefore he shuffles by subtilty and at length against Thomas hee comes to this that Gods concurring to the will of man brings nothing save a negative determination that is none at all and that the motion of God remaines subject to our will and is in our power Thus God and his grace should be subject unto us and so againe the Cart drawes the horse Thus I say the Sophister to make men free makes them sacrilegious What therefore The opinion of Caietane is most true that this concurring of God remaines inexplicable to us in this life for the divine providence hath a thousand inexplicable wayes to insinuate it selfe unto us inwardly to incline turne bend draw and create our hearts a new that we by doing what we wil freely yet do nothing but according to the divine determination and appointment But if any thing can bee expounded touching this concurring then the third and fift opinion must bee true neither is our liberty endangered thereby for to incline move bow draw and determinate the heart is not to force men as if they were brutish or against their will because this inclination motion determination is not without the proper judgement of reason and free election of the will Now nothing but coaction is repugnant to the liberty of the will Whether the divine determination be repugnant to the will Yea saith he also determination is repugnant This was the first argument That which acteth determinately to one thing acts not freely c. This is true if determination be put without the judgement and proper choice otherwise it is false for God himselfe out of perfection of nature wills that which is good and hates the evill determinately yet doth both most freely Bell armine cannot deny this But excepteth that God is determinated from himself Bellar. lib 3. cap. 7 lib. cap 7. and not by any other What of what The question is not whether liberty stands with this or that determination but whether with any If it may stand with some he hath beaten the air by a long disputation But also man determinates himself in the act of
as that he could not seduce or hurt none at all neither by his Emissary Angels or by other his instruments as Tyrants Hereticks Antichrist but onely as it is expressed in the Text that he should not deceive the Nations any longer that is uphold Paganisme and hinder the course of the Gospell among the Gentiles Thus I have laid downe my judgement agreeing with other most learned Interpreters before me as Bullinger Junius c. not that I do tye any man unto it but leave it to consideration but they who begin the thousand yeeres from Christs nativity as Aretius or from his Resurrection as Chytraeus or from the time of universall Christianisme under Constantine the Great as Brightman Napier c. although they differ a little in the termes yet all have this common with us that the first thousand yeers from Christs birth is to be ascribed to Satans imprisonment and that the Dragon is now long agoe loosed out of prison There are two other opinions of them who referre the thousand yeeres unto the last times as if they were not yet begun One of the old Chiliasts of which I will speak afterward in verse 5. The other new of certaine learned brethren that these thousand yeeres are not to begin till after the casting of the Beast into the Lake of fire that is after the overthrow of the Papacy Then they thinke that he shall be bound a thousand yeers in the bottomlesse Pit and that the Martyrs which have beene slaine by Tyrants and Romish Popes shall then corporally live again and reigne with Christ in Heaven those thousand yeeres and then at the end of these thousand yeeres shall be the Resurrection of all the rest of the dead and the last Iudgement Now what I thinke in this opinion to be wanting I will here touch onely in a generall way reserving the rest to its place First I cannot approve that these thousand yeeres are not as yet begun nor past because two false Hypotheses are supposed One that Satan hath not as yet bin bound that he should seduce the Nations no longer in Paganisme the which is repugnant to the History The other that the world should yet continue a thousand yeers after the overthrow of Papacy which is repugnant to the divine oracles touching the abolishing of ANTICHRIST by the brightnesse of Christs coming after which to expect a thousand yeers in this world to me feemes very absurd They object that the Oracles of the Prophets are not yet fulfilled Ierem. 30. and 31. Mich. 4.3 unto 8. Mich. 5.9.15 the answer of Christ Act. 1.6.7 Mat. 23.28 Rom. 11.25 But in all these not to be tedious I would first desire them to seeke their thousand yeers Secondly that they diligently consider whether those Oracles spoken of in verse fourth are Prophesies touching the Kingdome of the Martyrs in Heaven or not rather of Christs Spirituall Kingdome and State of the Church of the Gospell on Earth partly already fulfilled and partly not but in time to bee accomplished Secondly that opinion contradicts it selfe For it propoundeth that the Pope before these thousand yeeres shall be cast into the Lake of fire and that Popery shall be abolished and withall that the Pope during the thousand yeeres shall by little and little gather his strength and at the end of the said yeeres joyne himselfe with Pagan Kings to make warre against the Saints But how shall the Pope doe this being in the Lake of fire They answer that the same Pope indeed that is cast into the Lake shall not reassume strength but there may bee some other after him who shall not bee abolished till the brightnesse of Christs comming But this is to dally in a serious matter The ruine of the Papacy in which they fixe the beginning of the thousand yeers we understand not to be the casting of one or two of the Popes into the Lake for many are already cast away but the overthrow of the whole Papacy Here then let them explaine themselves whether they understand it of the overthrow of Papacy in part or totally If they understand it onely in part they must say that Satan hath bin bound above an hundred yeers because since that time Papacy hath gone to decay in Germany and some other Kingdomes which thing Bellarmin also confesseth for saith he Bell. Lib. 3. de P.R. Cap. 21. from that time since you affirmed the Pope to be Antichrist his Empire hath beene so farre from encreasing that it hath alwayes more and more decreased If of an universall or totall overthrow how then shall the Beast gather strength by little and little especially while he is in the lake of fire Thirdly they take up another absurdity against the Text viz. that in the beginning of the thousand yeeres the Martyrs shall corporally live againe and reigne with Christ a thousand yeers whereas the Text expressely speaketh of their soules not of the bodies of the Martyrs neither saith it that they lived again or were raised up from death but that they lived of which in ver 4. Fourthly they frame another absurdity in pretending a two-fold resurrection of the dead One of the Martyrs after the overthrow of the Papacy the other of the rest of the dead after the thousand yeers reigne of the Martyrs the which is contrary to an Article of our Faith I beleeve the resurrection of the flesh that is of all the dead at the last day and it is refuted by experience Again if they understand the overthrow of the Papacy in part seeing this hath bin accomplished more then an hundred yeeres agoe they must shew that the first bodily Resurrection of the Martyrs is also past If totall seeing this shall not bee but by the brightnesse of Christs coming to Iudgement they cannot deny that then the Martyrs also shall be raised with the rest of the dead Fiftly I know not how they can make their opinions hang together for they say that Christ shall come to Iudgement a thousand yeers after the overthrow of Papacy and that after those thousand yeers Gog and Magog shall make warre against the Christians What shall this warre be taken in hand after Christs last comming to Iudgement Lastly this opinion doth fully agree with the errour of the Chiliasts long agoe condemned by Christians of which I will speake by and by viz. in this that the world shall remaine a thousand yeers after the abolishing of Antichrist directly contrary to the Apostle 2. Thess 2.8 affirming that Antichrist shall bee overthrowne by the brightnesse of Christs comming And in that it imports two particular Resurrections contrary to the Scripture touching the resurrection of all the dead together at the last day Onely herein it differs Lib. 20. de C.D.C. 7. that it makes not the thousand yeeres reigne as they Earthly but Heavenly although Augustine confesseth that there were also among the Chiliasts some who beleeved that the spirituall delights in that Sabbath should come
onely of the inchoated spirituall renovation which is in this life but also of the consummated litterall and proper renovation which we look for at the comming of Christ Now the Heaven and the Earth shall not bee new in Substance How heaven and earth are new but in Qualities as puritie brightnesse and glory for that which is added The first heaven and the first earth are passed away and before Chap. 20.11 From whose face the heaven and the earth c. doth not signifie that they should bee brought to nothing but that they are to be purifyed by fire from all present vanity and defilement So Peter interpreteth the same The heavens burning shall be dissolved and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat Whence the Apostle gathers this weighty instruction seeing that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of men ought yee to bee in all holy conversation and godlinesse And indeed to meditate and doe this tends more to Salvation then curiously to search after the manner of the Renovation Now if any one should say These things John saw but the Heavenly glory Eye hath not seene Eare hath not heard c. therefore the Vision speakes not of this glory The answer is easie Iohn saw not the thing it selfe but he saw certaine representations and types of the things to come Therefore it remaines true that Eye hath not seene c. especially seeing Iohn saw not the same with his eyes but in the spirit And the Sea was no more AVGVSTINE thinkes that the Sea may be understood of the turbulent world 1. Cor. 7.31 which then shall no more bee for the world passeth away with the fashion thereof yet hee retaines the proper sense also but doubteth whither the Sea shall be dryed up by that fervent heat or whither that also shall be changed and purged Indeed we read that the Heaven and the Earth shall bee renewed but I remember not that I have read of a new Sea save onely what is said in this Booke touching the Sea of glasse like to Chrystall Rev. 4.6 but there he speakes not of this world Andreas Caesariensis supposeth that then there shall bee no Sea The renovation of the Sea for what use should there be of it seeing then men shall saile no more Schoole-men thinke that the Sea shall so bee renewed as indeed it shall not retaine its substance because the water is to be consolidated into the globe of the Sphere remaining no longer flowing But these curiosities we leave unto themselves By the New Heaven BRIHGTMAN understands a new worship and puritie in godlinesse By the new earth new Israelites which then shall joyne unto the Church of Christ By the former heaven that passed away the Iewish worship which they shall no longer exercise By the former earth the Iewes themselves who of Iewes shall become Christians By the Sea which was no more corrupt doctrine which shall have no place among the new people for then the Iewes shall cast off their errours touching the Messias which now they maintaine tooth and naile c. What manner of Allegories these are I passe by certainely they depend upon a very improbable conjecture viz. that the Easterne Iewes after the overthrow of the Turkish Empire and burning of Rome should be added unto the Church of Christ 2. And I Iohn saw the holy City Now also the glory of the renewed Church is exhibited to the view of Iohn under the Type of a most beautifull Citie as it were a Bride most curiously adorned The Kings Bible omitting the name of Iohn reads it And I saw which John inserts for certainety sake For Iohn was an Apostle an Evangelist and witnesse of the truth therefore he writeth a thing that is certaine Furthermore the Scripture generally calleth the Church of the Elect Ierusalem because Ierusalem was the Seat of the Church and worship of God according to the Psalme This is my rest for ever here I will dwell because I have chosen her Ps 132.14 But because that Old Ierusalem polluted with the blood of Christ and his Apostles was at length overthrowne He distinguisheth this new Ierusalem from the other by divers Titles He cals it a Citie because of the beauty of its building and afterward addes holy because it shall shine with Heavenly purity and perfect holinesse Here indeed it begins to bee holy Eph. 5.27 Christ sanctifying her unto himselfe with the washing of water in the word but as yet she is not without spot and wrinkle but then he will present her unto himselfe gloriously holy without spot or wrinkle or any such thing He cals it New to difference it from the old and because of its new brightnesse For then the righteous shall shine in glory as the Sunne Mat. 13.43 Lib. 20. de C. D. c. 19 COMING DOWNE FROM GOD OVT OF HEAVEN Because saith AVSTIN It is heavenly grace by which God hath made her Therefore it is said to descend from God out of heaven because God hath chosen her from all eternitie therefore originally she comes downe out of Heaven so Chap. 3.12 Vpon him that overcommeth I will write the name of the Citie of my God the new Ierusalem that commeth downe from my God And Hebr. 12 22. it is called the Heavenly Ierusalem Gal. 4.26 Ierusalem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is above How the new Ierusalem comes down from heaven But this Epithite seemes to be contrary to our opinion for the Heavenly Ierusalem shall never come downe but remaine firm in Heaven I ANSWER First it may be said that the Vision is to bee distinguished from the thing it selfe The Image of the Heavenly City which Iohn saw in the Spirit came downe or if the Citie it selfe came downe it is visionally to be understood But Secondly this comming downe as above Chap. 3.12 must be taken not of a locall motion but of the originall beginning of the new Ierusalem for whither her existence be said to be above or here below as God from Heaven hath chosen so hath he called justifyed and gloried her Prepared as a Bride By another metaphor he amplifies the dignitie and glory of the Triumphant Church Unto her dignitie belongs that hee saw her as a Bride to wit of the Lambe ver 9. To her glory that he saw her adorned for her husband that is in full beauty now delivered into the hands of Christ her Husband For then shall bee the eternitie of the Heavenly Wedding Above in Chap. 19.7 The Bride made her selfe ready while as yet she was absent from the Lord But now she is prepared because the Wedding Feast is at hand But hence BRIGHTMAN He saw her saith he prepared adorned not as yet delivered Therefore shee was not as yet glorified Answ The participles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prepared adorned argue the contrary Now she is a preparing and adorning her selfe But then she shall bee prepared adorned that is fully beautified with
downe and beleeved because therefore the Holy Scripture is the principle of Christian beleefe with Christians it needs no proof but beliefe Secondly that the scripture is divine and these words of the Angell true and faithfull is beleeved either by divine or humane Faith That it may be beleeved by humane Faith it can bee made out by probable yea forcing Arguments as from the majesty of the matter and style from the consent of this Prophesie with other Propheticall Scriptures But especially from the truth of the Oracles which we know for the most part are fulfilled touching the woman in travell and fleeing into the Wildernesse also of the Beast deceiving the world of false miracles of the great whore making drunke the Kings of the Earth with the cup of her spirituall fornication c. For this is Bellarmines Argument in the foresaid place If the praedictions of Scripture touching future things are true as the event hath proved why should not the testimonies of things present be true And indeed this his saying is alwayes to be retorted against Popish Sophisters demaunding us How we know that the Scriptures are true and divine But that any man should beleeve this with divine Faith cannot possiblie bee effected by outward arguments unlesse God by his spirit doth inwardly perswade the heart For divine Faith is not wrought by humane Arguments but wrought in the heart by the testimony and power of God Lastly by such kinde of cavelling all Authority both of God and man is made a mocke of and all Faith both of God and men is taken away For thus Adam Abraham Moses and the Prophets who heard God to speake might have excepted Who knowes whither it be the voyce of God Thus the Apostles might have shifted off the authority of Christ and Ecclesiasticall men the authority of the Apostles And why then I pray may not we much more the Authority of the Pope Touching humane authorities of Histories and Writers what more easie then to object whence knowest thou that Cicero Aristotle Plinie or Livie wrote these things or ever had a being in nature Thus no Faith should be safe but a meer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or uncertainty shall reigne in divine and humane matters which Satan labours to effect by these his Instruments But we go forward And the Lord God of the Holy Prophets Hee confirmes the truth of the Prophesie from God the Author thereof the faithfullnesse and truth of whose words cannot be questioned The Copulative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And hath the force of the causal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because He calleth Christ the Revealer of this Prophesie the Lord God of the Prophets as appeareth by the following words sent his Angell for this Christ did as in ver 16. I Jesus have sent my Angell See also Chap. 1.1 XLV Argument of Christs Deity This Argument of Christs Deity is beyond all exception the which Eniedinus the Samosatenian of whom mention hath often above bin made durst not meddle with For if Christ be the Lord God of the Holy Prophets then verily he is the same true and eternall Iehovah with the Father who by his spirit stirred up the ancient Prophets Moses David Isaias Jeremy c. by revealing his Oracles unto them therefore he was yea he was the God of all the Prophets of Moses and Author of the Law These things considered who can imagine that CERINTHUS should write this which he beleeved not but opposed with all his might The difference of the reading is also to be noted which notwithstanding lessens not but confirmes the Argument Andreas and the Kings Copie for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of the Holy Prophets read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of the spirits of the Prophets and so the Old Latine Version hath it that is who of old inspired the Prophets that is Propheticall Revelations The sense comes all to one For therefore he is called the Lord God of the Prophets because by his divine power he moved them to Prophesie His Angell That is Mee For they are the words of the same Angell who hitherto did exhibit by Christs commandement divers Visions unto John That hee might shew to his servants These things have been expounded in the Preface whence they are taken And that in speciall how at the giving of the Revelation such things could be said shortly to come to passe which yet are not altogether fulfilled after so many ages In a diverse respect he saith they should shortly be done I. In respect of eternity unto which all times are but a moment which is short II. In respect of the beginning for the Prophesie began soone after it was revealed and yet is a fulfilling III. In regard of the security of men unto whom all these things have happened and yet daily do quickly that is suddenly and unawares Now thus the Scripture speaketh of all future things that they shall shortly bee done Luk. 12.45 2. Pet. 3.4 to stirre us up to watchfulnesse and care least with the wicked servant we should say My Lord delayeth his comming or with mockers where is the promise of his comming And therefore it followeth 7. Behold I come quickly It is the voyce of Christ the Lord God of the Prophets By this acclamation hee approveth the words of the Angell that the things revealed must shortly be done as if he should say Indeed they shall shortly be done for I come suddenly or I will come to wit unto judgement as in ver 12. For all these things must be done before I come but I will come shortly Therefore they must shortly be done They are no Prophesies which shal not begin to be fulfilled til after many ages even now they begin Therfore now even now there is need of comfort 1. Thes 5.3 or as before shortly that is sooner then men imagine For when they shall say peace and safety then sudden destruction shall come upon them This variation of persons belongs to the forme of dramaticall representations in which divers persons use to be brought in speaking Blessed is he that keepeth He commends the Prophesie from its profitablenesse Now not onely they doe keep the sayings of the Prophesie which diligently search out the accomplishment of them but they much more who conforme their Faith and Life according to the same who worship not the Beast and his Image who detest the whoredoms of the whore flee out of Babylon and lastly who in faith adhere to God and the Lambe This Argument wee have more largely treated of in the Preface Chap. 1.3 whence it is taken Now let it suffice to note that blessednesse in vaine is promised unto the Keepers of the Revelation if it could in no measure bee kept But surely it is not promised in vaine and therefore the Visions of this Booke are not so intricate but that by diligent meditation and observation we may in some measure finde out the understanding of them 8. And I John John also speakes
Popish Rome is the woman sitting upon many waters 443. And the seat of Antichrist 444. Popish idolatry is fornication 456. The Powring of the first Viall on the earth 378. Of the second Viall 380. Diverse opinions about it 381. Of the third viall and divers opinions about it 382. Of the fourth Viall 385. Of the fift Viall 388. Of the sixt Viall 390. Of the seventh Viall 398. Power received from the Dragon 298. Six effects of the Beasts power 308. 309. Preachers of Gods word how they inflict plagues 376. Praedestination must be taught though many abuse this doctrine 584 The Praerogative of being the first fruits to God is an allusion unto the first fruits of the Law 336. Praetence of Antichristian tyranny is false 241. The vain pretence of Idolaters 242. Priesthood common to all the faithfull 14. Priscilla a false Prophetesse 49. Priscillian declared an heretick by the Pope 129. The Prison is put for all kinde of torments 40. Priviledges of Antichrists marked ones expressed in the Bull of Pope Martin V. 314. Promises how far they become debts 250. The Prophets and Apostles wrought not miracles by their own power 50. To Prophesie again 208. To Prophesie is to Preach Propheticall and Apostolicall Doctrine 224. A Prophesie of the future condition of the Godly under Antichrist 121. A prophesie found in the house of the Governour Salezianus 440. The Prophesie why sealed 583. A Proverbiall description of the ungodly despairing 133. Punishments of the wicked 251. 252. Purgatory 357. Puritie of the Saints whence it cometh 90. Q. QVadratus a disciple of the Apostles 64. A Question concerning the order of the Revelation 365. Quintilla a false Prophetesse 49. R. REligious worship of Angels expresly condemned in Scripture 9. Religious worship unto the Creature simply denied 582. It being a most horrible unpiety 486. The Reasons of the Angel against the worship of Angels cannot be taken away by Idolaters 486. The Red horse is the Church of Martyrs 110. On whom Christ is said to ride 111. To Render the double to Antichrist how it agrees with Equitie and Justice 461. 462. Remedie of pride 77. 78. Repentance described 34. 49. If true comes never to late 79. Why it is necessary 387. Representation of the state of the Primitive Church 106. Reprobates divided into Eight rancks 555. 556. The Rest of the dead who 517. The Rest of the womens seed who they are 279. Their Epithetes ibid. The Revealing of future things is proper to God alone 3. The Revelation It treateth of future things 5. How Iohn received it ibid. It was written by the Evangelist John ibid. It is an holy canonicall book of divine scripture 6. Containing excellent doctrines precepts and promises of the Churches deliverance and of the marriage of the Lamb 6.7 It hath many phrases proper to it self and excelling 8. Where John saw and wrote the same how and on what day 18. 19. Whither the whole was revealed in one Lords day 20. Revenge in the Saints how it can stand with piety and charitie 461. 462. Reward due and not due 586. Reward of the just is blessednes of the unjust exclusion out of the heavenly city 591. 592. Reward in heaven or degrees of glory may be different seeing there shall be degrees of punishment in hell 71. Rewards propounded unto them that overcome 72. Of whom there are three rancks 249. Ribera taxed 14. 20. His opinion of the four Angels 137. His argument not solid 138. His litterall exposition cannot stand ibid. His opinion of the Angel with the Censer 153. His reasons answered 154. His salving of Papall Rome 346. His eschappatories answered ibid. His new fiction in the Popes behalf refuted 347. His reasons touching Romes falling away examined 348. He commits crimen laesae majestatis against the Pope ibid. Contradicts himself and actuseth the Pope of extreme negligence ibid. His fiction refuted 409. 410. 411 c. His false opinion of the beast refuted 416. With the common opinion of expositors about the same ibid. His quaere why evill spirits rather frequent the deserts then populous places 455. The true cause thereof laid down by the Author ibid. Ribera refuted 514. He refuteth Bellarmins fiction 535. He confesseth the Pope shall be thrust out of Rome 441. A Ridiculous Etymologie of the word Apocalyps 3. The true Etymologie thereof ibid. Rivers and fountains are the breasts of the Sea 383. Romane Legions of how many soldiers they consisted 132. Romane Merchants buy and sell the souls of men 456. 457. Rome had no Epistle sent her from Christ and why 22. She is the calamity and destruction of the Christian Church 215. Her relapse to Paganisme 347. She must be burnt not before but after Antichrists comming 441. Whether Antichrist shall be abolished at Romes burning ibid. The Ruine of Old and New Babylon set forth by the same type 470. Ruine of the tenth part of the great city 245. The Rule of Articles with the Greeks is not alwayes observed 100. 307. 406. 410. 437. The Rule of finall causes 448. Rupertus opinion of the four Angels 136. He by winds understandeth teachers of Christian belief 138. His opinion of the Angel with the Censer 153. S. SAbinian a proud Bishop 127. Sackcloth of hair 127. Signifies Romane traditions 128. The Saints weaknesse at the beholding of the Divine Majestie 25. How farr the Saints may fall away how not 34. The Saints shall with Christ judge the world 104. How they require vengeance on the wicked 120. They may not be called upon neither do intercede for us 122. nor pray for the Church Militant 147. The Papists transform them into tutelar Idols ibid. How the Saints have right to Christ 591. Saladin Emperor of Egypt 190. Saphyr a Gemme of India 564. Saracens invading the provinces of the Romane Empire 186. Sardica a city of Illyria 54. The Sardine its colour and vertue 87. 565. Sardonix 565. Satan His proper domicile 44. He dwelleth in the children of disobedience ibid. His casting down into the earth is mysticall 266. 267. His Epithetes ibid. His action against the Saints 269. Why he was bound 502. 503. How he must be let loose again 505. 531. His twofold attempt 531. The Scripture must be read of all 583. It s twofold effect 584. The Scriptures are authentick and perfect 596. The Sea of Chrystall is the world 90. Diverse opinions about it 91. Why a third part of the sea was turned into blood 160. The Sea swalloweth up the great mountain 161. The Sea out of which the Beast ascended 288. The Sea of glasse is the world of wicked men 368. Why said to be of glasse ibid. The Sea into which the second viall was powred 381. The Sea renewed 551. The Sea-beast who it is according to Pareus 287. Seales their twofold use 97. The generall signification of the seales 107. The Seal of the living God 140. imprinted on the Elect 141. 142. The Sealed ones distribution according to the severall tribes of
event manifested that they were to be taken in a proper sense as Daniel also teacheth Chap. 9.2 Bellarmin granteth that then a certaine number is put for an uncertaine Lib. 3. de ◠R. cap. 8. when the number set down is full and perfect as 10.100.1000 but not when diverse numbers great and small are propounded But this is infirme and false as appeares by Luk. 13.32 I doe cures to day and to morrow and the third day I shall be perfected which is indefinitely spoken And Matt. 18.22 Forgive thy brother seventy times seven indefinitely for verie many times And Revel 7.4 14.1 144000. are said to be sealed indefinitely Rev. 9.5.10 The Locusts shall hurt five moneth in this very Chapt. v. 11. the two wittnesses shall ryse againe after three dayes a halfe Reve. 14.20 Blood flowed out of the Lake by the space of a thousand six hundred furlongs all which foresaid places are indefinitely to be understood Yet if I durst speake any thing touching the certaine beginning of these 42. moneths I would as most doe by a propheticall mysterie applie them to 1260 yeeres beginning from the time that the holy city began to be troden under foot by the Romane Gentiles not the old but new that is by Antichristian Popes whom we have shewed to be here noted by the Gentiles They began to tread upon the Church after they were lifted up into the chaire of universall pestilence among whom Boniface was the first in the yeere 606. Then the star of the Church of Rome fallen from heaven upon the earth opening the bottomlesse pit brought forth out of the smoke those mortal Locusts spoken of Chap. 9. From the yeere of Christ therefore 606 untill this time the holy citie hath been troden under foot by the Romane Gentiles which is the space of 1073. yeeres and is yet to be troden down 223 yeeres more to wit untill the yeere of Christ 1866. But let this terme bee indefinite seeing the Lord hath reserved it to himselfe undoubtedly will shorten it for the elects sake Wherefore I will determine nothing of these fourty and two moneths 3. And I will give to my two witnesses I have expounded the generall prophesie touching the future reformation of the Church after that the Companie of priests were departed from the faith unto paganisme and Antichrist had troden downe the holy city by his tyranny Now followes the speciall prophesie touching the instruments manner successe and event of this reformation serving for the comfort of the faithfull for when in appearance Antichrist shall have wholy troden the holy city under foot and thrust Christ as it were out of all his possession then he will shew that he ruleth in the midst of Antichrists kingdome and will renew preserve unto himself a measured Tēple in the city troden under foot viz. by the prophesie of his two witnesses Now this part of the prophesie is also full of difficultie as who these two witnesses are after what manner they prophesied and to what times this history appertaines For here are almost as many opinions as expositours Yet these things will not be altogether obscure unto us if we give heed unto the scope laid down by us in the Argument and Analysis And I will give So Beza 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and adversatively yet it may well be read but I will give because it is as it were an exception as if he had said In outward appearance the whole city shall be troden down all prophesie extinct by Antichrists tyrannie but I will restore prophesie For the word power is not in the Greek but added by the translatours to make up the sense that the city of God may be rebuilded I will give to my two witnesses He neither names the witnesses nor expresseth what he will give them Some therefore gesse one thing and some another Beza here adds the same to wit the holie city which agrees well with the sense because Christ will truelie give that is recommend the same unto his witnesses that so it may be set free from oppression and purged from the filthy smoake of Antichrist Others I will give them to wit a mouth and wisedome which Antichrist shall not be able to resist according to that in Luke 21.15 I will give you a mouth and wisedome which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay or resist Which promise is made to all faithfull professours of the name of Christ Others I will give them to wit my spirit which is all one with the former but it seems rather that the two future verbes are coupled together as noting the end and effect I will give to them and they shall prophesie for I will give unto them that they may prophesie that is authoritie or power to prophesie and somuch such coupling often signifies as Gen. 34.30 They shall gather themselves together against me and smite me and I shall be destroyed For that they may smite me and I and my house shall be destroyed So Ierem. 9.1 Oh wo will give my head to bee waters and mine eye a fountaine of teares and I will bewaile night and day the slaine of my people For that I may bewaile as Pagninus expresseth it They shall prophesie therefore to wit againe according to the commandement Thou must againe prophesie But concerning these witnesses who they are and what time was determined for their prophesying is a difficult question I will briefly speak somewhat of it The Papists taking the whole literallie doe vainly dream The Papists fable about the two witnesses that when the Iewes with their leader Antichrist shall have recovered the citie of Jerusalem then these two witnesses shall be present who by prophesying shall oppose themselves against these perfidious Iewes and Antichrist 1260 dayes that is three yeeres and an halfe The witnesses they say are Enoch and Elias whom they affirme to be yet alive in paradise and there reserved to this end that returning into the world they may resist Antichrist But beeing slaine by him they shall againe be restored to life after three dayes and an half at the beholding of which miracle the Iewes as they faine shall turne to Christ and put Antichrist to death in mount Olivet and thenceforward prepare themselves for Christ who should now come fourty and five dayes after From this fable Bellarmin drew his third demonstration in defence of the Pope that he is not Antichrist neyther that Antichrist is yet come because saith he the two Prophets Henoch and Elias must come before Christ but these are not as yet come whereas the Pope of Rome hath now reigned for many ages Therfore he is not the Antichrist neither is Antichrist as yet come The major of this fable he laboureth to prove first by foure places of Scripture Malach. 4.5 Behold I will send the prophet Elias c. Ecclus 48.10 Elias is written in the judgements of times to pacific the wrath of the
Lord and restore the tribes of Israel And 44.16 Enoch was translated into Paradise that he might give repentance unto the Gentiles Matt. 17.11 Helias shall come restore all things And Rev. 11.3 I will give to my two witnesses c. Secondly by the authoritie of Fathers as Hilarie Hierom Origen Chrisostom Lactantius and Austin who affirm that the two witnesses are Henoch and Elias who shall come against Antichrist Thirdlie by reason because otherwise a reason cannot be given why these two were taken up before their death and yet live a mortall life and must dy at an appointed time But verely that in Luk. The Papistical fable refuted 16.29 doth plainely contradict this fable for Abraham shewes that none are to be exspected to come from heaven and preach unto the world but that Moses and the Prophets are to be heard This whole text also touching the martyrdom of the two witnesses with the events that follow therupon doth strongly make against this fiction For how unlikely is it that those two holy men who were taken up into heaven live with God should againe return into this mortal life to be cruelly murdered by the beast And how should it be that their carkeises lying in the streets of the great city should be seen in the space of three dayes a halfe of all peoples nations tribes tongues what shal all the whole world in so short a time flie like Eagles to Ierusalem to behold two carkeises And how shall they all rejoyce send gifts to each other in three dayes time How can two onely within fourty two moneths by their prophesie torment the inhabitants of the whole earth certainly the thing it self speaketh that this place cannot nor ought to be understood according to the Letter And therefore there is some other mysterie in it which Hierom seeing thus writes in Epist. 46. to MARCELLA if saith he we follow the litteral interpretation then we must rest in the Jewish fables that Jerusalem shal be built again and sacrifices offered in the temple to the weakning of spiritual worship and strengthening of carnal ceremonies To the first I answer that the scriptures alledged make nothing at all for the matter Bellarmins arguments answered For the prophesie of Malachie speakes not of a returne of Elias out of Paradise but of John the Baptists preaching in the power and spirit of Elias for so the Angel interprets it to Zacharie Luk. 1.17 He shall goe before him in the spirit and power of Elias to turn the harts of the fathers to the children c. So Christ himself speaking of John Matt. 11.14 saith If yee will receive it hee is Elias which was to come namely according to the prophesie in Malach. 4.5 teaching us how that prophesie was fulfilled in Iohn the Baptist Bellarmin insists on the contrarie that Elias is to come before Christs last comming For it is said I send him before that great and terrible day of the Lord shall come But this is not of necessity to be understood of the last day of judgement because the first comming of Christ was also great by the mysterie of his incarnation and miracles and terrible to the wicked witnesse Herods and the Iewes trembling But be it granted that Elias shall also come before the last day Yet Malachie saith not that he shall precisely come three yeeres an half before the judgement The former place of Ecclesiasticus makes lesse for the fable both because it is aprocrypha and so proves nothing as also because the Latine reading is faultie as differing from all Greek copies Of Elias it is said Chap. 48.10 Thou art written for reproofes in times to pacifie the anger of Gods judgement in wrath to turn the heart of the father to the child and restore the tribes of Israel The which things he is said to have done not after his translation into heaven of which it followeth afterward in vers 13. but in the time of his prophesying on earth The other place of Ecclus 44.16 is thus in Greek Henoch pleased the Lord and was translated beeing appointed an example of repentance unto the Nations But the old version thus renders it falsly that he might give repentance unto the nations Now while he lived he was an example of repentance unto those of his time The place of Matt. 17.11 doth manifestly speak of the Baptist For Christ there plainlie affirmes that Elias was alreadie come to wit the Baptist whom they acknowledged not but put to death That which goes before Elias indeed shall first come and restore all things doth not make any thing for the fable but the place confirmeth Malachies prophesie that is as Elias was certainlie to come so now he was already come and that the same prophesie was fulfilled in the Baptist It was the opinion of the Scribes that Elias the Thesbite should come before the Messias who because he was not as yet then come therefore they denied Christ to be Messias But Christ declares the false hood of their opinion because not Elias the Thesbite but John the Baptist was prophesied of by Malachie But the Baptist did not restore all things how then is he Elias yea but he did restore all things according to the limitation of Malachie and the Angel in Luk. 1. For he prepared the way of the Lord turned the hearts of the fathers unto the children c. The opinion of the Fathers without the scriptures proves nothing neither do the fathers agree in one some will have the two witnesses to be Elias and Henoch Others Elias Elisha Others Elias Moses Others Moses and Aaron because they turned the waters into blood Others Elias and Jeremie Now if any desire to know more of the dissentions both of the old and latter writers about these witnesses Vestigat p. 578. he may read in Alcasar foure wayes of opinions The FIRST way saith he is interpreted of two men beeing to preach in Antichrists time The SECOND of Antichrists time indeed but not of two men The THIRD of two men but not of Antichrists time To be short the fourth neyther of two men nor of Antichrists time Againe every of these wayes are devided as it were into diverse divisions of Pathes and other things there following Hee himself goes in the fourth way the worst and falsest of all The two witnesses he makes to be two great vertues WISDOM and HOLINESSE as preachers of the Gospel in the primitive Church against the Iewes which new opinion needs no refuting seeing it is manifest that here mention is made not of qualities but men preaching against the Beast or Antichrist They who will have these to be precisely understood of two men would have had more shew of reason in applying the same to Iehoshua Zerubbabel seeing they two Zach. 4.3 are called two Olive-trees two candlesticks unto which these two witnesses are here likened ver 4. To his reason I answer that it is
committed fornication with the whore Vntill the words of God that is his decree touching the rising of Antichrist revealed in the words of the Prophets and Apostles be fulfilled After the fullfilling whereof God put into their hearts to hate the Romish Strumpet that is detest Popish Idolatry embrace the Gospell of Christ forsake yea and oppose the Whore Why therefore should we wonder that so many great Emperours so many religious Kings of Germany France Spaine England c. have with such zeale defended Popish Idolatry the Romish Church and Antichrist the Pope almost these 800. years in defence of whose magnificence and glory they have made so great wars and shed so much Christian blood We hear that God did put it into their hearts that they should do so and not otherwise so that the Angell wills us to rise from the events and secondary means unto the secret yet just judgement of God Here againe we have cause greatly to admire that after so long fornication some of the Kings as of England Scotland Denmarke Sweethland Many powerfull Princes also of Germany Bohemia France Poland and Hungary having laid down their armes against the Lambe and embraced the heavenly Doctrine of salvation brought to light by the Two Witnesses in the ages of our predecessours do at this day hate the Romish Adultresse and make her naked We have cause I say to admire the Fact and extoll Gods judgement to Heaven Certainly the Kings did not repent either rashly or by their own understanding God put it into their hearts that they should repent of their whoredome hate the whore and make her desolate The LORD is to be intreated that he will put the same into the hearts of the rest of the KINGS that is to take knowledge shun and hate the Whore and to give their power no longer unto the Beast but unto the Lambe Some Textuall scruples do here offer themselves which I shall explain after I have opened what yet remains in the Text. 18 The woman which thou sawest is the City The Angell openeth the whole mysterie of the whore This woman is popish Rome see chap. 11.8 14.8 16.19 that we might not think the woman sitting upon the waters to be an Asian or Vtopian Nymph It is saith he that great City before he often calls it Babylon Now he sets it forth by a more remarkeable note Having dominion over the Kings of the Earth Now what is this Is it the whole multitude of ungodly men in the world as some of the fathers wanting the experience which we have now have thought Nay it is Rome yea Popish Rome For the Writers saith Ribera In cha 17 sec 20.22 who have otherwise interpreted it are forced by the truth it selfe to yeeld unto us that Rome is that whorish City to be destroyed and overthrowne Again The foregoing words God put it into their hearts belong to the desolation and burning of Rome for they shew the cause of so great desolation effected by them who rather were thought should have proved friends With this sense which is certainly true c. Thus we have the interpretation of one sworn Iesuite Let us hear another Lib. de P. R. cap. 2 Babylon saith BELLARMIN that great City standing on Seven Mountaines and having dominion over the Kings of the Earth is ROME Neither was there any other City which in Johns time had dominion over the Kings of the Earth then ROME and it is most notorious that ROME is built upon seven Mountaines Let us hear a third Vest pag. 817 This Verse saith ALCASAR causeth no small difficulty to them who expound it otherwise then of ANGIENT ROME But in our exposition nothing is more cleare What can we desire more The great City is Rome both because the same is built upon seven Mountaines As also because it onely in Iohns time had dominion over the Kings of the Earth But now perhaps it hath not yea but it hath For whatsoever it possesseth not by force Quicquid non possidet armis Relligione tenet it holds by Religion Wherefore the two latter Iesuites do in vain seek an evasion that not Popish but Heathenish Rome is this City for they are confuted by Ribera their own companion ingeniously confessing that Heathenish Rome long agoe burnt to ashes by the Gothes and Vandalls hath no place here but that it is Popish Rome that now is yet notwithstanding he saith that it is to be burnt before Antichrists comming which latter refutes the former It remains therefore that the whore sitting on the Beast is Papast Rome O Rome hearken to Clemanges De corrup Eccle statu Cap 26 What saith he dost thou thinke of thy Prophesie to wit of John in the Revelation Dost thou not beleeve that it belongs at least in some measure unto thee Thou hast not so lost shame and sense to deny these things Wherefore looke on it and read the damnation of the great whore sitting upon many Waters and there contemplate thy worthy actions and what shall befall thee Again therefore we gather this argument Babylon that Great City standing on seven Mountaines is the Seat of Antichrist Popish Rome is Babylon that Great City standing on seven hills Therefore Popish Rome is the Seat of Antichrist Furthermore He which ruleth in the Seat of Antichrist is Antichrist The Pope of Rome ruleth in Antichrists Seat Therefore the Pope of Rome is ANTICHRIST There remains three scruples to be discussed from ver 17. I. How God puts into the hearts of Kings that is worketh in the hearts of men without impeachment of their liberty II. Seeing God is said to put three things into the hearts of the Kings One in its owne nature good viz. The hatred of the Whore Two things in themselves evill viz. Their agreement with the Beast and fight with the Lambe Whither he puts this after the same manner into their hearts and whither it will not hence follow that hee is the Authour of sinne III. In granting which thing some maintaine that these Kings were not converted how then are they said in spoiling of the whore to doe the will of God seeing they were ignorant of it Neither spoiled they her so much out of affection to piety as of desire to the prey Now first how God workes in the hearts of men the liberty of their will remaining Of this Question both in the Hypothesis and in the Thesis the explication is the same being not a little difficult For if God workes in the hearts of men he seemeth to determinate or limit their wills to one thing Now if God limit the wil then man seems not to act freely seeing that is said to be free which is unlimited in respect of a thing Furthermore God seems to move and bend the wills of men according to his own will or pleasure But that which is moved and bent by anothers will seems not to act freely Now the Scripture on the