of GOD and for the testimonie which they had he saw them vnder the Altar who is Christ. The Thalmud of Rabbi Nathan in Moyses saith that his soule and all the iust are vnder the throne of God So as Saint Paul saith Rom. chap. 10. The Apostles doctrine is confirmed by Thalmudiques directly in all thinges sauing the Person and office of Messias Chap. 7. The martyrs haue white garments and palmes in their hands they be before the throne of God c. Chap. 11. They are called vp into heauen and their enimies see them going vp in a cloud Hence purgatorie is confuted which hath no ground from the old Testament as any Talmudique did euer expound it For Leuit. 26. telleth that hence men goe to Gods tabernacle to ioy or before his throne to feele aeternall anger Reuenge for Christ his Iustice And I saw and behold a white Cloud and one rode on the Cloud like the SON OF MAN hauing on his head a Crowne of gold and in his hand a sharpe sickle The cloud is Gods chariot Isaiah 19. as I told chap. 1. and this place telleth what Person was there described Heere he hath a crowne of gold as in Psalm 20. a token of victorie by death so chap. 6. In Maym. Poenit. the iust haue Crownes in the World of soules So to Talmudiques the New Testam would bee cleare The sharp sickle in Ioel is Gods vengeance vpon Iudahs enimies Assur the Image yea and the Image of the beast heere For he speaketh of all enimies The roaring like a Lion and the 7. thunders tell the same thing and chapter X. and the earthquake and destroying of them that destroyed the earth Reuenge for the prayers of the Church Another Angell came forth from the Temple crying with a great voice to him that road vpon the Cloud cast fourth thy sickle and reape tyme is come to reape for the haruest of the earth is ripe The Church be the faithfull the Angell is the representer of their state So Nebuchadnezar saw one watchfull and holy Who telleth that his punishment of 7. yer beastlinesse came by the prayers of the iust Spaine perceiued in the Low Coūtries the force of this is like to feele as good at home What shall befall our Buuy-shop that vrgeth better learned to othe then himselfe neuer heard of in Iuda by either Testament and imprisoneth better learned then himselfe that will not profane the name of God pineth vnto death in cruel prison them who deny him to be lawfull Buy-shop and put by Teachers of saluation from their maintenance 400. What shall become of this man from whom the heart of a man hath bene taken 7. yer Nabuchad dyed two yeares after hee came to himselfe so may this man How prayers of the iust be heard the next verse telleth And he that roade vpon the cloud cast forth his sickle into the earth and the earth was reaped So the crye of the poore ascendeth into the eares of the Lord of Hostes Reuenge by the iniuried themselues And an other Angell came out of the Temple which is in heauen hauing also a sharpe sickle The faithfull heere haue equall strength and try combat with Pope as this yeare for Clieue and Iuliaque All the Protestāts against the Pope Oh that our Albion would thrust in the sickle of good Laws against those Popoi lest they be still prickes in our eyes thornes in our sides as they haue bene And an other Angell came forth from the altar hauing authoritie vpon the fire and cried with a great voice to him that had the sharpe sickle saying Cast forth thy sickle cut the clusters of thr earth for her grapes be ripe In Daniel the Angell telleth chap XI that in the first yeere of Darius the Mede chap. 5. hee was a strength and might to him Iacob had a campe of Angells which story Dauid turneth to all faithfull One paid Sanacharib one strengthneth our Lord One saued Peter Act. 12. So heere the liuely speach of the Angell is an open token of assistance from the Angells of Christ as they be all ministring spirites sent foorth to seruice for them that shall inherite saluation Angells rule fire as that which brent Sodom Gen. 19. and Babel in Xenophon compared with Dan. XI And water in S. Pauls voiage So all anger from God is fire and Angells his seruants The sure euent So the Angell did cast his sharpe sickle into the earth and snapt off the Vine of the earth and cast it into the great wine-presse of the anger of God and the wine-presse was troden out of the Citie and the blood came forth from the wine-presse vnto the horse bridles ouer stadia furlongs a thousand six hundred The Citie is the assembly of the holy the place out of it is the dwelling of the faithlesse The stadia or furlongs 1600. are taken from the quantitie of Chanaan which Talmudiques calling to a square make Ris that is Stadion euery way The place I haue cited in my Concent where I abridge the Apocalyps CHAP. XV. A plaine exposition of the Womans fleeing into the wildernesse And I saw another great and maruelous signe seauen Angells hauing seauen the last plagues for in them the wrath of God is finished Chap. 6. expoundeth this and how when the Church hath a seate in the wildernesse and their Citie there they make the wine-presse of Gods anger out of the Citie And I saw as it were a sea of glasse mixed with fire and them which ouercome from the beast and from his image and from his marke and the number of his name standing by the sea of glasse hauing the harpes of God and they sing the song of Moyses the seruant of God and the song of the Lambe saying great and wonderfull are thy workes O ETERNAL the God of Hostes iust and vpright are thy wages O King of saints who would not feare thee O Lord and giue glory vnto thy name for thou only art gratious for all nations shall come and worship before thee for thy iudgements are manifested Sea signifieth troubles as Dan. 7. glasse clearly considered of God the allusion is to the Red sea at which Israel was persequuted by Pharaoh The addition by fire is an open distinction for the Popes sea of fire and faggott the song of Moyses Exod. 15. is a thankesgiuening for deliuerance from Pharaoh by the blood of the Lambe and the songe of the Lambe conteyneth all the songes in the Bible But most directly they of his incarnation and soules passage from the body to heauen and resurrection and sitting on the right hand of God The workes of God be great and wonderfull that the wicked whom he hath sett vnto wrath beare sway heere for a tyme but soone come to aeternall flames And they who in short affliction professe his name cary away an aeternall peise of glory wicked Babel worshipping creatures had a great reigne that Gods seruants might
quiet words calmed boysterous preparation of warres But my hast cannot suffer stay And so sayd many strangers at Basil and French were earnest to bring me to their King And what will to my rare honour the state of Basil Zurick and Berne meant I will let them write Now for Iesuites humanity D. Pistorius himself four yeares agoe asked M. Hakewill of Oxford at Friburge of me whether I was alive He said he left me at Francfurt then said he I am hartily glad and gave high good words Now he is dead and I am sory for I hoped to turn him Now two Cardinalls of Rome Caesar Baronius as the Iesuites of Mentz told me and an other whose letters were intercepted at Heidelberge of him I heard no more obteyned of Pope Clement a principall Cardinalship for me and dealt with Mentz Iesuites to perswade me who when they could not Archb. Ioh. Adami would have had me of his court and obteyned that in Chapter saying that he reioyced more for my honouring of him with dedication of my Greeke translation of the Prophetes then for his late election to be Prince of the Empire And he should by order have part of his court Protestantes and he spake of me as not misliking my religion But then Q. E. died and I returned and he died soone after None but shamelesse will denie this Now this is past all deniall that Mentz gaue me leave to print in Greeke my owne Religion That brake the neck of Purgatorie besides other Papistique great poincts Of this the best of Paris wrote to Franckfurt to the Kings agent that of nine hundred yeeres so much was never obteyned of the Pope as that booke obteyned Rome must allow what Mentz alloweth And if Haides have but two places as they graunt Heaven and hell Purgatory must give back all the land that it wan Furthermore when my book of Concent came in Latin Pater Baltasar Ezelius in the hearing of his felowes in their college at Mentz spake as by common consent We allow all that that book hath This I have printed in Latin and I am sure he will not deny it and when we are both dead none may seing in my life time it is not denyed So this much is graunted me of Rome to assure the simplest so far how far the city is sunk And badnes or madnes geveth Nabal for name Nabala for fame to him that will not see how vpon this Rome graunt the comment vpon the Apocalyps is past reply I have turned the Apocalyps into Hebrew and so I would expound it if the Turky merchants would pay the charges If they refuse I will leaue them to try whether strange shipwrack shall revenge them Their agent L. Ed. Barton gave the beginning writing thus If M r. Br. may be brought to Const. that may turne to the common good of Christendome This he sent to M r. Stapers Seing our age fleeth wee should sell all to buy the Pearle of heaven Let the just be just still The summe of the Apocalyps IOhns Apocalyps telleth that Christ shewed the state to come to the ende of the world a vision of himselfe as vnto Daniel chap. 10. this doth hee chap. 1. And in singular sweetnes to the seaven starres in the seaven golden Candlestickes all these partes be applyed with addition against all Arrianes that the Eternall the sonne of God the Creator of the world is he that appeared vnto Daniel So Iohn expoundeth Daniel into Salvation of all Iewes of grace This goeth through chap. 2. 3. in easie facilitie Now for tymes to come this appeareth chap. 4. God on a throne fitteth a iudge like Iasper for Beniamins temple Sardius as Ruben to fight for the tribes And Christians in state Persones are 24. Bishops and besides goodly this in chap. 4. Then the Lambe and Lion openeth the Booke of seaven seales chap. 5. then hee cometh further against Caesares on horse white with plaguing riders vpon red blacke pale For the martyrs who crave to destroy the Empire but are bid to expect Diocletianes persecution Then shall their profane world be rowled vp chap. 6. After that a generall apostasie commeth chap. 7. Howe that falleth out the seaventh seale doth shew Christ standeth at the golden Altar to receive all prayers Rome bendes a policy against all this Therevpon Christ as in Ezekiel casteth fire into the earth and Angels trompetters sound howe haile and fire is mixt with blood by that Popes bee made a mountaine so a mountaine of fire cast into the worlds sea to set all on fire when the starre-Byshop falleth from his heavens to turne the law-Law-waters into wormewood and to darken the chiefe Sunne Moone and Starres comming vp by falling and by turning the Scriptures into gall soone darkening the third part of the Church that three woes are pronounced chap. 8. By his keies of the pitt whence he fetched the wormwood of his haeresies he bringeth locastes of Monkes to devour all the West and able to make warres and becommeth King of Locusts and maketh warres and so becommeth a firie mountaine to make haile and fire mixt with blood This was one woe He weakned the East Empire to set vp the Saracens and is plagued from Euphrates as his Idolatry and treachery turned away the East chap. 9. Christ reviveth the Gospell when men eate the little booke teaching againe how hee is the Angell of Covenant and Mediator for the faithfull chap. 10. Martyrs bring policies to see what the king of Locusts his Citie or policie is and he falleth and the Gospell is restored and he falleth with worlds ende chap. 11. The same matter is repeated for Caesares and Pope in a dragon of Romane Armes As it was called Egypt chap. 11. and Pharaoh a Dragon Esai 27. The vpper parte of the Dragon is shewed to be the Romane Empire one compiled of the foure in Daniel and the taile is expounded to be the beast arising from the earth chap. 11. or King of Locusts chap. 9. he reuiueth the former empire so that none can live in it without his marke chap. 13. His marke is to force Christians to Idolatrie For which vilanie Romane Babilon is told of a fall chap. 14. By vrging Idolatry he driveth from his Aegypt the Church through a sea of fire and fagot into the wildernesse Where the Tabernacle built hath a smoke of Gods anger and Angels seaven plague him as hee plagued all vnder the seaven Trompets Chapter 16. For that our holy Martyrs calling for vengeance from vnder the Altar rowled vp also the Popes heaven as a booke rowled The Beast revived hath no difference from the former but in bloody color and the daughter Rome riding vpon it all bloody Chapter 17. Rome shall fall as Babilon Tyrus did Chapter 18. It shall fall when all nationes sing Halelu-Iah vpon the destruction of the wicked with vnderstanding Then the WORD of GOD will catch the Beast-false-prophet the whole Dragon revived
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there and Psal 18. and 2. Sam. 22. and often is GOD only And in Deut. 32. a Prophecie is laid of the Rock a defender against the foure beastes that come out of the sea vpon which Rock the Church stood vntill the SON of Man like in body Dan. 10. to Tharshish or sea-like stone tooke part of their afflictions Now the WORD Eternall that gaue all reason the onely teacher in demaunding teacheth to answere saying Whom do men say that I the Sonne of man Dan 7. by Rabbins generall am The fisher of Galile that heard Daniel often read said from Dan. 9. Thou art CHRIST and holinesse there of all holinesse and therefore Psal 2. The Son of the liuing God Then CHRIST calleth him to Deut. 32. speaking Rock in Iobs Ebrew Vpon this Rock wil I build my Assembly that no courts by terrour of death shal be stronger then it Christ is Ceph thou as all that know him to be the Rock Cepha and as the Sanedrin maketh Doctor saying Take thou authoritie for thy keyes of knowledge to teach which is loose what is bound whom thou teachest that God was in the Rocke reconciling the world to him selfe he hath his sinnes loosed by thee on earth by the Rocke in heauen and who so beleeueth not that thou bindest his sinnes in earth and in heauen This matter is the summe of all and Greekes in Photius tell that Andrew was the Rocke before Symeon was And Cephas answered with all thought as well as hee wherefore all had equall comfort and so all godly And because this new sentence hath no new Diuinitie hee leaueth all after confession of the Rocke as knowing him selfe and Theophilus to haue as good right to the name of Cephas But hee by senioritie was to speake first for all and so the name for all must bee tolde to him that they who builde their house vpon the Rocke shall bee shaken with no Windes stormes waues The Sun is not brighter then this meaning for these wordes Let any who dare trye by a conference of holy Scriptures as I doe Now the Popos Daemon denying that Rome crucified CHRIST as Saint Peter denyed that Christ ought to dye and was termed Sathan for that Hee would haue this beleeued of all that Peter had a praerogatiue aboue all the Apostles and was at Rome and left to the Citie that crucified Christ for their good seruice a successour to pardon or to tye sinnes Fiftlie Hence Landes are giuen by Princes and specially in wast wilde groundes for Monasteries where men before rebelled that Monasteries giuing a chiefe rent and superstitious people being fed with hospitalitie wan much in three hundreth yeares that after Buy-shop Gregorie by Creontophonos Phocas helde Sathans throne and became stronger then the Emperour by this proceeding The Bible must not bee studied in Ebrew The Iewes marred it and in Greeke haeretiques As though there were not most learned Christians that could looke to both And this was pretence to pray still neuer to teach trueth and to giue the people in Latin Niene commandements for Tenne And the Creed with a translation that white was blacke that to goe to Paradise in the Greeke Creed should be translated to descend to hell to Gehenna in olde Chrysologus and that the Fathers were there So the Popes Clyents are the tayle of the great Dragon Moreouer the Lordes prayer for many thousande poundes Landes they might haue but maymed to disgrace all auctoritie of the New Testament But they neuer taught the meaning of the Lordes prayer that when we pray we pray vnto the Father which is in heauen That did Pope Daemon disannul sitting in the Temple of God as if HE were God And he teacheth to pray to all from whose name he could get any lande to Marie though Rome killed her sonne to Peter though Rome by auctoritie made him a martyr farre off to Apostles and other Martyrs that Rome martyred as though Apoc. 6. vnder the fift seale all these did not craue vengeance against the beastes of the earth that killed them Moreouer to busie Princes they say If Popingayes sayd ouer Pater noster so often they should haue so many yeares pardon in a new inuented fierie bath of Purgatorie stinging poore soules like scorpions fiue hundred yeares before their Diuels doctrine was espied About the yeare 600. they tamed East proude Prelates and goe on thus From Leui they will make an order and haue an altar and an Aharon with a cope and holinesse in the forehead and Levites in Linnen and the name Priest and of bread they can make flesh and of wine blood and they breake Abben Ezraes rule praef to Moses allowed of all that nothing must be taken properly which goeth against all sense So they will not have the Lordes death to end all sacrifice by the supper But will make the supper a sacrifice against all witt and learning And the Pope is an Aharon and the Priests lippes will keepe knowledge Mal. 2. where hee tells them they did not but should therefore the Grecians would consume them as stubble Also they are flat Arrians praying to Michael who holdeth it not robbery to be equall with God as if he were a created Angell and not the Eternall Son the Angell standing at the golden Altar of incense his humanitie to receiue in the censor of grace our prayers These and such other treacheries against all the Byble first brought the third part of sunne moone and starres to be darkened in the third part but soone Christ the true sun and all ayer for brightnesse of Scripture And by these degrees Man of sinne became able as now 600. yeares wee finde to stirre haile and fire mixed with blood in the earth missing wholy of Religion and not as Turkes by ignorance but by couetous malice A crie expounding the first trumpets warning of fire and blood by scholars made a mountaine of fire cast into the sea by the star falling from his place a burning torch falling into the waters of scipture and making them bitter to darkening the third part of profession of Christianitie Iohn saw an Angell flying in the middes of the heauen saying wo wo wo to them that dwell in the earth from the voyces of the trumpet of the three Angels whose trumpet shall be heard In the open Church companies of godly were martyred for resisting the Locusts deceyuing of the world nowe leaving the zeale that Ephesus once had and the first Doctores in Italy and following Smirnean Iewes haeresie in apish renuing Leuitiques inflat Atheisme of altar cope linen priest sacrifice reuiuing Pergamus Balamites who for wealth and wantonnesse bred Monasteries ioyned to Nunries when Thyatirean Iezabels are with Baals Priests setting vp a newe Sardian dead wealth in profane riches and contemning Philadelphias true loue to saue soules But reuiuing Laodiceas falling to the manner of the world neither hoat in true zeale nor cold as open contemners but Chananean
5. Mat. 8. Luc. 13. our Lord Ioh. 15. and 16. Luc. 23. Eb. 9. Of Purgatorie The impudencie of them which would establish Purgatorie is vnspeakable Moyses hath not one syllable that way therefore it can not be in religion They that wrote in Iudah for the Maccabees storie make but two states as resurrection to honor and shame from Dan. 12. Saint Paul professing difference from Scribes but in the incarnation and resurrection of Christ where they hold but Paradise and Gehenna concludeth that he helde no moe places for soules Where Saint Paul handleth a commune place of teachers what doctrine will abide sound what fire of iudgement will consume as stubble they that hence would haue soules fier out of this world little regard Paul He taught nothing but what Moses and the Prophetes taught But no Thalmudiques who best knew their tongue could finde a purgatorie in thē therefore Saint Paul taught it not Of the second of the Maccabees The second of the Maccabees doth the Pope must aestime chap. 12. for sacrifice for the dead but litle considereth the vilenesse of that booke Iewes would tell him that it was Hagada a fable made vpon phrases as where they sacrifice Ezr. 2. and no mention is of fire he feigneth a most ridiculous fable of fire hid by the sacrificers when they were caried to Persia forsooth not Babilon and found by their posteritie turned into a thicke water which when wood and sacrifice was brought Nehemias bade them annoint both with this water and the Sunne shone and kindled a great fire Who would not iudge this to be a most ridiculous fable By what witt could the sacrificers dreame of such matter that fire could be turned into water or by shun-shining kindled please God It must be kept vnquenched The whole consent of Iewes in the chaine of their Cabala saith fire from heauen kindled the sacrifice A man would thinke the whole Nation in a sensible matter should be of more credite then obscure Iason of Cyren Moreouer Zorobabel of Salathiel not Nehemias of Chilkia was gouernor at the returne But iesters vpon phrases in Iarchi make Cyrus and Artax all one because Cyrus end is not recorded So in Iarchi they make Zorobabel and Nehemias to be all one for memorie of phrase that Zorobabels remoning is not recorded They that cannot iudge betwixt a ridiculous fable and a sad storie are in great darknesse So the fable of Ieremias hiding the Tabernacle and the Arke and Altar of Incense in mount Choreb is not heard of in the Thalmud nor agreeable to reason And the Law of the eternall God not to regard Iewes fables heere taketh place and they bee lawlesse that breake that Law This much for the whole booke made one frō fiue of Iason of Cyren that little knew Moses or yet Ierusalems storie Of Iudahs sacrifice In Iudahs sacrifice the Writers speach doteth Iudah doubted not but that they slept in godlinesse Chapter 12. 45. And what foole euer spake so senselesse as this is if hee had not hoped for the resurrection it had beene in vaine to pray for the dead vers 44. Now what sense can bee in that speach that sacrifice should helpe the resurrection The storie durst not touch any ease to the soule for that had strouen with all Talmudiques Maymony sheweth they offred for the dead the heir did in Siphra Col. 31. But no otherwise then as paying a debt which the predecessor should haue payed heere And that when they doubted not of the others saluation but honouring him in paying that which the other should haue payde And Iason of Cyren harped at such a string but could not bring his minde about Now the Popes Purgatorie is holpen nothing hence from a trifling booke and sencelesse speach and wrested beyond all religion of the Iewes Epilogue As the two Prophetes were seene called vp into heauen in vision so all faithfull soules by scripture trueth are to be seene called hence into the ioy of Christ What the Greeke Fathers thought of Purgatorie The Greeke Fathers should bee thought to vnderstand the Greeke Testament better then Latin and none of them could finde Purgatorie there but grant all holy a passage hence to the Kinglie Palaces some staggered at the speach Ebr. chap. xj They without vs were not perfected Saint Paul in all that heauenly Epistle disputeth of the Gospell perfection to the Law and of perfection of Doctrine in this world and he had shewed in the same Chapter That the Fathers desired the heauenly Citie God prepared that for them so they who denie the Fathers perfection by S. Paul marke him not well Basill did once vpon Psal 49. but called himselfe backe vpon Psal 15. and often And Chrysostome who seemed to stagger placed Lazarus and Abraham in the kingdome of heauen 2. Corinth homil 6. Mat. 8. Luc. cap. 13. and the principall Diuines in Theophyl vpon Luc. chap. 23. and vpon the Psalmes and in Photius Librarie Philo in Greekes and Iosephus I haue cited and Azarias who turned into Ebrew Philoes wordes And the Greekes bee greatly iniuried when Limbus Patrum is fastened vpon them Hegesippus and others that wrote the Maccabees martyrdome doubted not but that they went hence to saluation Dan. 12. And it had beene an infinite disgrace to our Greeke Doctores if they could not see so much by the New Testament Now let vs returne to the text And at that houre there was a great earth quake and a tenth part of the Citie fell and there were killed by the earth quake 7000. persons of men and the rest were afraid and gaue glorie to the God of heauen When the Popes persequution came to ripenesse then Princes by warres shake him off as in Germany Englande Zwitzerland and Netherland And Christ heere roareth like a Lion and the 7. thunders tell the thunder of his power In Venice he is now a mockage and hath but Spaine to his strength Queene Maries persequutiō is now turned against the Pope and his stirring Irish to rebell vndid Ireland And now his men the chiefest in learning sticke litle to him and speake to his ouerthrow not much lesse then we doe And now the Dukedome of Cleaue will make him weake in Germanie If Geneueans would leaue their Gehēnean torment and our side prophecie soūdly we should weakē him more by learning then by strength of speare seeing the best learned of his owne side labor for vs as Arias Montanus hath done in much about Plantines great Bible the best learned Papistes reioyce to see Daniel his 7. fold comfort of Nathans house and the certen yere of the Lordes supper to haue no more the body and blood of a Lambe his body and bloud of Couenant but Bread Wine to shew that no more flesh bloud may bee in sacrifice In Ebrew Greek Latin they saw Iewes request answered and were very thankfull in speach and letters and shew that now they would soone cast off the king of
teach there the trueth of saluation That which Ierem. speaketh chap. X. of our Gods prayse against idolls is heere repeated That Egypt and Babel teach the Pope what to look for Thus the holy protest their honor to God and labor to increase the Church that all nations may come and worship him And afterwardes I saw and behold the Temple of the Tabernacle of Couenant was opened in the heauen and the seauen Angells came forth hauing the seauen plagues from the Temple and they were clothed with cleane and pure linen and girded about the breast with golden girdles As Angells help Gods seruants to victories so proper Angells considered with men whom they strengthen may heere be meant Their clothing signifie syncere holinesse which men should desire and the golden girdle about the brest signifieth the binding of the minde in golden syncerity of heart Maymo in Beth Bechira handling Aharons garment citeth traditions from them that saw the high sacrificers manner that Aharon was girded about the brest that sheweth Iohn to speake most learnedly chapter 1. and heere 15. and wiser then any who would forge a booke could doe And one of the foure liue-wights gaue to the seauen Angells seauen golden cupps full of the anger of God who liueth for euer and euer The liuely wight is heere as orator of the whole Church and after the acknowledging of Gods goodnesse by Gods charge the Angells take in hand to poure Gods wrath vpon his enimies visibly by men but vnseene as the armie that guarded Elisaeus So as I told the punishment of Nabuchadnezar Daniel chap. 4. commeth by the decree of the watchfull and the petition of the holy What the Angells desire in reuenge for the Church God appointeth them to help forward in assisting men that be the fighters So millions of millions waite vpon Gods throne to rule the foure beasts that the house of Zorobabell afflicted should know that the heauens ruled and tyrants should soone be tamed by them The Pope should from Dan. 7. learne this and from Apo. chap. 6. where the profane Caesares be destroyed and know that after long angring of God hee must haue full payment Mortall Princes soone fade as a floure But God is euerlasting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Daniel 7. 9. and liuing for euer Dan cha 12. and Apoc. X. and XV. who because men did not receiue the loue of the trueth to be saued sendeth workfull error that they belieue falshood that all may be condemned which belieue not the trueth but delite in badnesse This Booke was penned in such a style that it openeth not onely it selfe but also teacheth how all the old Testament belongeth to Christ And the Temple was filled with a smoke of the glory of God and of his power and none could goe into the Temple till the seauen plagues of the 7. Angells were finished When the Tabernacle of Moyses and the Temple of Salomon were consecrated then Moyses and the Leuites could not goe in while the glory of God filled them Here a cloud of Gods anger filled with defense the Church in the wildernesse that God will not giue the wicked grace to ioyne with them vntill they be cōsumed the sturdy wicked who fight against open light and be of the 666. sonnes of Adoni-kam which had rather haue 666. talents of Cethem from Ophir then all the knowledge of Iohns Reuelation such that striue against the light shall neither be forgiuen in this world nor in the world to come but heere haue a conscience stinged as by scorpions and in the world of soules death aeternall CHAPTER XVI As the Popes manner of rising plagued the World in a like manner God consumeth him As the Popes arisinge plagued the world vnder Angells Trumpets as 1. The earth 2. The Sea 3. Fountaines of waters 4. The Sun 5. By kingdom of Locusts 6. By raising vp the Turk 7. By earthquake So to him plagues come vnder the same terms but in another signification as 1. His earth hath boyles 2. Sea blood 3. Fountains blood 4. Susnn parching persecution 5. By darkned throne of spoile 6. By Euphrates by Turke 7. By whole earthquake And I heard a great voice from the Temple saying goe poure out the cupps of the anger of God into the earth In the heauen Christ is the Temple and the Church by him By his commandement and the Churches care the Popes world is plagued spirits being Gods messengers inuisiblie men visiblie And the first went and poured his cup into the earth and there came boiles sore and painefull vpon such as hath the marke of the beast and worshipped his image The plague of Egypt vnder Iannes and Iambres resisting Moyses is now vpon the minds of Papists which resist Law and Gospell the discouery of which Idolatry becommeth a sound meanes for Kings that made the beast a King of Locusts to eate vp the flesh of the beast The West Kings made the Pope mighty to ouerthrow the East weakned so that Machmad and Turcke ouerhtrew it And euer since the Pope came to be mighty he became auctor of haile and troubles and brought haile and fire of warre to be mixed with blood So now he looseth many Countreies vpon Martyrs telling that he held Satans throne and vpon diligent scholes detecting him in euery part bringing the Apocalyps to be dayly read and all the eloquent N. Testament in Greeke founteine of heauenly water to baptise the minde by the spirit into the kingdome of heauen And the second Angell poured his cuppe on the sea and it became blood as of the dead euery liuing soule dyed in the sea When the poore father of Rome forging S. Peters being there became by Saint Peters name of low and poore an high mountaine he became fiery and cast himselfe into the sea of Empires that by all his warres a third part of the liuing in one age were kill'd and destroyed Till a thousand yeeres hee became not a full mountaine till then Satan was tyed but in Ierusalems warre he was loose that 200. y. warres turned the third part of politicall sea and shipps into blood and destruction And what warrs haue bene since in Europe which the Pope hath not kindled So he payeth for it so hee looseth whole countreies as Netherland with the blood of 40. yeeres warres and wast of the Spanish nation That scant a third part escaped death in them that could warre for his killing of K. Philips sonne bent to heale the boyles of his religious This did they dead in blindnesse and known to be such And a third Angell poured his Cup into the riuers and fountaines of waters and blood came of it Heere lesser waters are lesse forces that continually he hath bad successe and great losse The yeare 1588. gaue him an open token of wrath in this sort and Flanders 1600. And if he had gone forward Venice had taught the same and Iuliaque will 1610. if he goe forward dayly litle riuers of 700.
as a lampe is kindling of wrath the waters be the Scriptures falling into them is wresting of them to mainteyne his kingdome so the sense is bitter and the D. is wormwood that many finde deadly haeresies by this wormwood The fourth trumpet Great fall They which were principall as the sun moone and stars Iacobs familie in Iosephs dreame lose much light Gagnaeus a Papist telleth this to touch Popes Cardinals Bishops A preparation to marke triple woe vpon this An Angell flyeth in the open sky telleth of three woes vpon this CHAP. IX The V. common place The Angel or Doctor falling from heaven the Church hath giuē to him not S. Peters keyes of knowledge but keyes of a deepe pit to darken sun and ayer the office of Christ and law by which we see him So infinite millions of mōkes and fryers come forth locusts for devouring the earth with scorpions stings to torment harts when Christ is obscured and Scripture that men find no comfort but bee worse for their soule then Iob for his body Iob 3. To make warres their wealth will make many horses and they have authority as Kinges with their crownes though they pretend to be as private men Dan. 7. The Chaldean stript of Kingdome is so termed And Antiochus having no right to the kingdome and they keep within doores as of womens hayre but they have Lyons teeth to hold fast all forged and wringed giftes openly forged as Constantinus donation and wringed of kingdomes which they help vp and from deceived by terrour of purgatory They have brest plates of iron to defend themselves and the noyse of their wings is like the noyse of horses running to warres while stil they set Kings by the eares for the first common place that haile and fyre be mixed with blood And their scorpion stinges sting men five moneths till Princes compell them by a cold winter to hide themselves in hedges as Nahums Locustes of Ninivy hide them by enemies An excellent name of the Pope THE ANGEL OF THE PIT KING OF LOCVSTS ABANDDON APOLLYON Our common name which we give the Pope is Daemon in Greek for Popes be Daemones in Eustathius from the Commentaries of old Aristarchus and Didymus and others His Commentaries are from ancient Heathen not from himself as Erasmus well noteth in his observations vpon the Apocalyps Whereas I cited Homers Commentary followed by S. Peter D. B. the learned thought that a foolish oversight as though I must mean Eustathius who was of late And he doubteth whether S. Peter read Homer I am out of doubt he never read him But the holy Ghost gave words of old for S. Peters vse afterward by instinct not by reading And so much a simple Doctor might have knowen B. L. shewed himself in his vnlearned skophing most Athean And as Iannes and Iambres Symon Magus Elymas and Alexander the Coppersmyth are for eternall memorie in the hart of the Bible so deserve such for to be Now as wee vnawares and Papists call the Pope Daemona a Divel vnawares we call him so GOD ruling our tongues that is specially worthy noting When Iulian the Apostata was kild and Libanius commended him that he now was with the Daemones the Greek Doctors took him vpon his word and what an asse he was to speak that which the enemy would wish D. Iohannes Pistorius the Popes chalenger wrote to me that IOHN CALVIN was Dactylodeictes of Antichrist Who shewed by the finger who was Antichrist I took his graunt that so the Pope was For Calvins finger aymed at him So the Popes chalenger overthrew the Pope The same wrote to me the Anathema But God dealt with him as with Balaam the son of Beor in Italy pronuntiation of Bosor in Chaldean where S. Peter kept where the Galilaean his voice told he wrote not from Rome The Doctours Anathema was this to me I Anathematize thee as Paul did Barnabas I take it sayd I. And so thou makest me better then any Pope that ever was at Rome Paul thought him of the same faith and happines But I anathematize D. Iohn Pistorius as S. Paul did Anathematize Elymas Magus Vpon this he yeelded as Helvetia knoweth And to his dying day spake most reverently as some English heard of his checker So here we must mark not what men call the Pope Holy father and vicar of Christ and head of the Church and King of Kings and Lord of Lords but what GOD doth call him and God taught Adam to give fit names Here the Popes names be many One is the Angel of the pit as the star falling had the keyes of the Pit to bring forth his Locusts And the King of Locusts is the fittest name for him In Ebrew he is called Abaddon Num. 24. and Abdan in the Thalmud is the worst name Aruch will teach the place Also he is called Abaddon chiefly for remembrance of Num. 24. where Balaam endeth his prophecy in Italy going on to destruction Iohn Chap. 17. 8. 11. translateth Balaam most properly as D. Kimchi in hard Grammer Adey obed goeth on to destruction In Greek he is another Apollo a Divel of Delphos destroying such as seek to him as Apollo destroyed rich Craesus deceiving him to war against Cyrus He knew well enough that Cyrus should have the victory Esay had told him so and though Craesus gave to Apollos temple very great gifts yet when he asked him whether he should fight with Cyrus he answered Craesus passing over Halys shall overthrow a great King So he did in hope of good But overthrew his own kingdome and rich Craesus became poore Irus So the Pope maketh but a mock of Kings Thus one who of the sixt seale is fully described what the Pope is and what he meaneth to do as Chap. 11. shall tell And this first of the three woes thus set forth reacheth from the Popes supremacy after the yeare of our Lord 600. vnto Ierusalems war ended at 1200. For which 600. yeares the Pope still made haile and fyre to be mixed with blood Now the second woe is in his punishments by the Turk and by the Gospell and Martyrs teaching Princes to cast him off The sixt trumpet and common place Of the Turks comming vp and dealing Cedrenus and Volaterranus in Arabia triplici teach of the Turks and Saracens conjunction and sundry others how they afflicted Spain and Italy Their history I have touched in my book of Scripture Concent I would any of cleane spirit that rageth not against the Concent which GOD gave to Scripture I do but shew to have my best help thence There is a full explication of the second woe Bibliander in Chronologia sheweth that after the Popes supremacie graunted by wicked miserable Phocas to impudent Boniface the third Machumed began to be as gratious a Father as the Pope in Rome Machmad is in Cant. the title of Christ Graces it self And Chamudoth partaker of graces to rare Daniel Chap. 9. by the Angel Gabriel
made From Psal 18. 45. 110. Isai 31. That the Romanes now be the enemies they who pierced the handes the feete of the morning starre Ps 22. by Kimchies exposition from all the Thalmud and Apoc. 2. 22. So the Prophecie there for Creatures to refuse worship is bent against Rome which stil would worship Creatures None told so distinctly Romes case as now it is handled Balaam in Nu. 24. but generally So S. Mat. 24. S. Paul a litle more at large for the present possessor Caesar till he were gone and then for new Antiochi froÌ„ Daniel 11. to bring al to heathen folly But none told that Christ would plague the Caesares infinitely more theÌ„ euer gouernors were plagued that a King of Locusts idle bellies deuouring the fruites of the earth should come to reuiue the empire These things were sealed for the LAMBE himself to open how he would vse Hypocrites Pilates Murtherers yet washers of handes as innocents in depth of mischiefe murtherers of the king of glory and yet confessors that Iesus of Nazaret is King of the Iewes The revenge is fitted to this cruelty and Hypocrisie against Diuos Caesares a new Empire of hoâ—inesse in title of boldnesse to make Diuos Diuas Christ by his holy martyrs sheweth white might and speede they are a white horse hee gaue them crowns as he wan a crowne Psal 21. a crowne through thornes and thorny in this world but golden for the soule in the world of soules And he hath a Bowe with arrowes sharpe in the heart of the kinges enimies to make people fal vnder him That is one sealed coÌ„mune place The reuenge of the Diui Caesares is three fold in speedy might a red horse and his rider hath a great sword and auctority to take away peace that men should kil one another The Romane stories tell how miserable the Emperors were and often in hazard to ouerthrow the Empire euen at the first persecutions A step further commeth in the black horse on whoÌ„ the rider bare a balance in his hand to sel corne as deere as spice shewing what famine should come greater then was in Claudius dayes Aurelius Victor sheweth of 30. chosen Emperors at once by their soldiers who kill'd one another till all came to one and so in warres famine must be as Virgil saith Quippe vbi fas versum atque nefas tot bella per orbem Tam multae scelerum facies non vllus aratro Dignus honos squalent abductis arua colonis Et curuae rigidum falces conflantur in ensem For where right 's ouerturned and wrong takes place So many warrs through th' world so many a face Of wickedness appears no due regard Is then vouchsaf'd the plough the fieldes are marr'd The Husbandmen drag'd thence now forged are The crooked sithes into stiffe swordes for warre A vehementer degree of miserie followeth in the fourth common place or Seale where the speedie and deadlie vengeance of God is a pale horse death sitting vpon him and the gulfe of the graue following of him and he had power to kill the fourth part of the earth with sword famine and pestilence and with the beastes of the earth That was the punishment of Ieruschalami vnder Tzedekiah when the whole state perished The cause of all this vengeance is expounded in the fift seale The holy martyrs soules lay vnder the Altar Christ our Altar calling for vengeance The Rabbins vniuersall sway placeth holy soules going hence immediatly as Moses soule vnder Gods throne This speach vnder the Altar is in matter the same but distinctly sheweth that by Christ our Altar and sacrificing of our selues wee haue place of rest in Paradise Purgatorie was vnknowen to Iewes and Grecians that was kept for the starr that should turne the waters of Scripture into wormwood This calling for vengeance against the beastes of the earth Diuos Caesares hath an answere that they must be content a while till moo martyrs blood becommeth the seed of the Church till the greater part of the commune weale be true Christians an Emperor fauorable should bee too much troubled with Heretiques as Arrians proued that true Vnder Martyrdome the zeale was an white horse the Church was holy and cleere and heretiques holden heretiques But yet now the martyrs prayer coÌ„meth in short tyme to passe that the Emperors and their great and all idoll policy is shaken their sunnes their moones their starres all their heauen as of old Isai 34. come to nothing That vnder the Gospell by Constantine commeth a new world of al Creatures ioy that they shall serue Christ That starres be no more Gods Nor Caesares come of Venus nor Ayer be Iuno nor Aeolus God of winde nor Neptune of Sea nor Apollo of grasse nor Pan of sheep c. But God shall be One in holy Trinitie and Vnitie This went currant 300. yeares But that Satan blinded euen the learned not to see the Eternall sonne Eternall God Creator of all thinges to bein Adams seed by Dauid Nathan Zorobabel Ely Mary Redeemer of the world Iscariotae in quietnesse would be kicking against our Great GOD and Sauiour CHRIST himself therefore at the last he casteth of the outward power of the Church and returneth all to the badnesse of old Rome And sheweth that the true Church shall be hid in Gods sealed as in Tzedekiahs dayes Ezeck 4. that the windes which in Cant. 4. 16. blew north and south vpon the spices of the garden should be stayed in all quarters that the church should be hid in Gods sealed in all quarters but in men not of sway in commune weales obscure in the world knowen to God and brethren holy and few This commune place reaching to the end of Popes glorie is handled before the fall of the Church yet in time it commeth when the Pope is full King of his Locusts after Satan had beene bound after a sort for generall deceit 1000. yeres The commune place shall be handled in a seuerall title The fall of the Church to be hid is handled in Chapter VII Four messingers of Gods justice Empires wicked stay the spirits of grace from blowing vpon men to be trees which the hand of God planted In the East Machmad in North Tartaria in South Abyssines reuolted in the West Italy stayeth The Iewes of old were scattered by the Macedonians and Assyrians South East North planted there the Gospell that the reuolters vpon open streÌ„gth for the belly should be cast off for euer as the builders of Babel Daniels Image ruled in these parts felt the power of CHRIST the Stone that brake the image to dust and seeing they would to shake of West gouernement shake of the Gospel also those Arabique contreies are shaken of for euer from open cleere sway But the West that last heard of GOD shall haue vnder combat fight by scripture and in all quarters Iewes and Gentiles
That is If a heavy day had now first shined vnto me neither had sailed before so troublesome seas there would be iust cause of sorrow c. So sea is Dan. 7. Apo. 12. where Empires arise so the men of the seas policie called fish such as seemed aliue Chap. 3. Forsooke the waters Esa 55. and Eze. 48. which giue life to all where they come turned here to haerefie be turned to death and traffique of ciuill policie is turned to corruption The third blast expounding the second The third explication of the learned great telleth that the messinger of the holy Synagogue or heauen for the kingdome of heauen shall fall from his calling to be as Babilons king Isai 14. A star setting Nemrod his house on fire will soone corrupt the third part of the Bible called waters Isa 55. Ioh. 3. and 1. Ioh. 3. and infinitely in Rabbins Hee shall turne Iustice of faith into Idolatry as Ephraim in Amos. That many men died the second death called fish afore by Idols worship So the Pope turning the holy doctrine into idolous waters is called wormewood Articles of the Popes corruption of Scriptures First He holdeth not the Hebrew and Greeke holy text in vse God owne holy wordes penned by the Eternall Spirit speaking all of life by the SON in dayly esteeme for all in leisure of studie to know and which all of leisure to studie should know But in steed of it brought in a Latin worke of which tongue none is bound to haue regard and brought vnto schooles Latin for Greeke and Ebrew II. The Apocrypha bookes were all made by Men of Iuda And speake not a syllable of CHRIST yet helpe Iosephus for all Israel against Appiones Instim Diodorus Siculus Cornelius Tacitus in madd Antiochus and so far haue their vse The fable of Tobi is made to busie heathen for Assurs captiuitie which heathen neuer mention nor Iudahs deportation to Babel or returne For it Barucs forged Epistles Susannaes allegorie for the whole state King Ioakims wife polluted by the Babilonian Iudges but reuenged by Daniel is wittilie fabled The enuious heathen neuer mention the fire quenched by Daniels most noble Cousins Therefore a Rhetoricall song was formed to shew what in the fyer their cause might speake to Idol-seruers But Daniel recordeth nothing spoken who knew all and would omitt nothing of glorie So no heathen tell as Ieremi of Babell Bels seruants who thought Bell gaue them kindoms that GOD by Cyrus would take out of Bels throte all the kingdomes which he had deuoured therefore the fable of Bell mocked heathens blindnesse No heathen tell of Daniel cast into the Lions den for not worshipping the Persian Emperor or Dragon as Pharaoh is Isa 27. and mouing the K. to renounce that the fable of the Dragon worshipped in Babel and destroyed telleth of their enuy and folly And vpon Darius speach to Daniel that GOD in whom he belieued would saue him and Daniel said he was saued because justice to GOD and the K. were found in him Abbakuks saying the iust man shall liue by faith is enlarged by a fable that Abakuk brought Daniel pottage from Iudea The heathen knew not Gods counsell that God by Iewes would teach in Babels fall how he hated the pompe of this world and hath another world for soules Rest where wicked shal be plagued for euer and telleth that true happinesse standeth in the knowledge of Christ who gaue Cyrus all Croesus gold to send Iewes home from all quarters to preach of their Eternall hope and to confute Greeke sages The 3. of Esdras is much true much in fable to smooch this in a greek stile familiar for heathen and such fables be the additions to Hester The fourth of Esdras was made to keepe Esdras another Moses from contempt amongst heathen who would thinke him base that handleth but Iewes genealogies and the Temples building without telling the reason and diuorcements therefore they faine for him deepe speculations as the greeks Clem. Strom. 1. feigne all the Law was lost and Esdras by reuelation restored all The Persians for religion were a new Nebuchadnezar their warriers one Holophernes Herodotus nameth one so The Iewes states Iudith Gods justice against Elam Iudiths sword And thus heathen that would mocke truth are mocked by fables Wicked Diodorus Sicul. and Tacitus commend madde Antiochus for his endeuor to ouerthrow the Iewes religion Two workes of seuerall Iewes the later very foolish and vnlearned yet good enough for prophane heathen were receiued to stop such mouthes The whole nation is of wicked Tully termed barbarous and superstitious to stoppe such a mouth eloquent Syracides passing him in sentences and shewing all the Lawes glory and eloquent Philo imitating Salomons wisedome for mans good end were receiued to check heathen though one knew not Christ Of these the fable of Toby is by the Pope made Gods word The Thal. Ieru in Ros Hasana for Michael and Gabriel make it a late fable wicked For Manasses caried to Babel by the King of Assur some tryfling declamer would shew what one in his case might speake as doth Homer for Agamemnon Achilles Calchas Nestor and such but it were a ridiculous babishnes to hold that trifling worke better then Tobies fable A plaine fable throughout and no fitter to be read in sadnesse in the Church then Lucians dialogues The Popes ioyning of these to the Bible is wormewood III. Wormewood holdeth not these 3. principles true which all should 1. The text of the old Testam is kept in letter most sure by the orthographie dictionarie or Massoreth that no letter was more nor lesse nor of other orme in Moses tyme with vowels and accents margine reading expounding the text then we haue it at this day 2. That the Rabbins expound all in grammer sense well for our vse 3. That all good for religion and life is in Moses as the Prophets and Apostles draw him foorth at large IIII. The Pope in Bellarmine and others peruerteth or contemneth euery whit of the Bible V. He maketh a whole policie wicked against all points of faith and ciuill lawes and would bee as a God in the Church so set foorth 2. Thes 2. Thus he is wormewood it selfe How he groweth vp to be a great mountaine to be able to vexe the world that followeth in the next Trumpet and keyes of the deepe The fourth expounding the third The fourth Angell sounded and the third part of the Sun Moone and Starres were stricken for their third parte day and night Gen. 37. Iacob expoundeth Sun Moone Starrs for his Church so it is heere day and night are ruled by the starres and meane the tymes more or lesse prosperous scholars and learned falling away corrupted scriptures make an ecclesiasticall mountaine from a burning lampe falling from God The occasions of the Churches fall from heauen The two Testaments shew that CHRIST is the Angell of the Couenant standing by his humanitie at the Altar
it Gods worke against whom none may plead he maketh one little booke exceed for varietie and elegancie of wordes aboue 4600. chosen wordes Thus the booke might be made easie 1. The wordes should be all in a table that all might read them quicklie 2. Appellatiues and propre should be sett in their colours 3. For Appellatiues all Attique and eloquent Speaches of them as Rom. 12. 3. Paul passeth all Athenes these should all come in their families 4. Next many thousand frō the 70. with Ebrew to them and in how many God followeth the 70. departing from the Ebrew This would carrie the Reader through all the old Testament 5. Thalmudique speaches be plentie and easie to a Rabbin as Forgiuenesse neither in this world nor in the world to come and girded about the brest second death and such these most trouble Greekes and would be easiest handled in their veines and they be very many 6. Sometimes the Apostles mende the 70. or speake more eloquently as in Iaspis Apoc. 21. vers 19 it is Beniamins stone after the Ebrew Exod. 28. But vers xj the Carbuncle Isai 54. So Sardonix for Zabulon and Chrysophrase for Nephtaly are the Apostle Iohns passing in Greeke skill And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eb. 1. 3. from Isai 4. Tzemach Lecabod and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From Exod. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these S. Paul bringeth All this kinde settled together would bring light and delight to all godly learned Of propre names Many propre names be taken from the old Testament wherein the 70. is communely folowed Sarra will try a scholar and Phanuel from the margine reading and Ionanan Luc. 3. and the names from Israell in Egypt being full many shew they knew Ptolomies Egypt should fall many cōteyne Psal 89. as Zorobabelidae Mat. 1. many other speciall stories chiefly Townes full many call to Seleucidae and Lagidae as Antiochia Seleucia Philadelphia such Many are cleared by Thalm. Ierusalemy as Lazar for Eleazar and Alphai for Chalphai a. s in the fathers stead and such The Greeke and Latin in one familie Alexander and Rufus shew that the Thalmud lieth bringing Iesus our Lord his dayes to the Maccabees tymes The name Marck and Paul and all the Latin termes shew that vnder the Romans Christ was on earth Epilogue Thus when euery word should be handled alone and wordes tossed in disputatiō handled alone the whole booke would be soone eaten and millions would be able to Prophecie and to defend the faith against the Beast that commeth out of the pitt of Sathans deepenesse to make Seniorie of true Bishopps that vnlearned pseudo-piscopi should no longer pine better learned in prison sage and learned be lawfull Episcopi bestowing reuenues aright but nobles ought and lower gentrie to be the best learned and to keepe all in sage dealing So the King of Locustes would soone loose his crowne The 2. oliue trees in Zacharie which poure oile into the golden Candlestick are they who not by might but by Gods spirit as they vnder Aggei and Zachary built the Temple The chiefe ruler was holden as anointed so King Iosias though none but the first of the house as Dauid or in stirre as Salomon for Adonias and Ioash for Athalia Ioachaz for elder Ioakim were annointed The high sacrificer was of course so both states were vnder the two oliues and whē all be sacrificers Apo. 1. Then the gouernor that prouideth for bread and they who labor in word are the two oliues that giue matter of light to the golden Candlestick Clothed in sackcloth in sadnesse of their minde considering how the gold is darkened The restorers of the Gospell be as Elias And if any man will hurt them fire commeth out of their mouthes and eateth vp their enimies yea if any man will hurt them so he must be killed These haue power to shut vp the heauens that raine raine not in the dayes of their prophecying Heere the kingdome of the beast arising from the darke pitt is closselie compared with Israell in Achabs dayes when Baal was worshipped by so many false prophetes And Elias knewe none but him selfe left of true religion in Israell and the Altars which GOD tolerated extraordinarie were all broken downe The Papistes damne themselues mightilie when they cast in our teeth That our companie had not open policie still Sigibertus complayneth that at 1200. England admitted not the Popes supremacie So hee answereth Papistes And still our commune Lawes made it treason to appeale vnto the Pope and holy Wickliffe condemned him as freelie as any in our tymes Wickliffe that set ouer the Bible into English Wickliffe that taught how the cōmune Lawes would vtterly fall the Pope Wickliffe whose Bible many yet haue the Copiers of which shew where the Church of God was Such had the spirit of Elias which called for fire from heauen into Bohemia and Prage and Saxonie to burne much of Rome as Elias called fire from heauen to burne two Captaines and two fifties so Eliseus called fire from Hazael that brent vp Israell And Iohn Baptist called for fire from heauen that brent vp all Herodes house And as Elias staide raine three yeares and an half so Eliseus spirit brought famine to Samaria and the Christians in Claudius dayes and the martyrs by the black horse bring corne to be weighed as spice for dearth so still God sendeth famine for his martyrs The Martyrs be as Moses These haue power to turne the waters into blood and to strike the earth with any plague so often as they will This sheweth Rome to be a new Egypt still rebelling against Moses and therefore hath plagues to the same effect 1. Egypt had waters turned to blood so Rome chap. 11. and 16. 2. Egypt swarmed with frogges so Rome chap. 16. 4. Egypt was plagued with serpents and all sauage so the Locustes had tailes like scorpions and their plaguers had horses with Lions mouthes and their tailes had heads like to serpentes and the Caesares people were spent by the beastes of the earth 5. A plague killed the beasts of Egypt so the Caesares people 6. 6. Boyles vexed Egypt so the marked of the beast Apo. 16 7. Haile Fire vexed Egypt so Rome haile and fire mixed with blood chap. 6. and chap. 16. great haile 8. Locustes ate the fruites of Egypt Locustes strangers swarme Apo. 9. 9. Darkenesse vexed Egypt the throne of the beast is darkned Thus God compareth propre Egypt and the king of Locustes Egypt how they that folow Moyses Law and Prophecie and bid the king of Locustes grant freedome to Israel still plague their Pharaoh And when they had ended their martyrdome the beast which ariseth out of the deepe shall make warre with them and shall kill them and their carcasses shall lie in the large Common weale which is called spiritually Sodoma and Egypt where also the Lord was crucified For doctrine of vncleane spirites they are termed
woman and went to make warre with the rest or her seede which keepe the Commaundement of God and holde the testimonie of IESVS CHRIST The Popes power when Satan was let loose to deceiue that Kinges gaue their strength to Pseudo-Petre driueth the Church not to be seene for certaine hundreths of yeres before Martyr Zuinglius at Zuricke in the Church which Charles the Great built shewed that he was the taile of the great Dracon which drew the starres of heauen from their place And now they comment best vpon this place asking where was our Church before M. Lutheres tyme I will aske where was it not Milliones in England opened themselues praesent when valiant K. Henry the VIII shooke off the Pope and the best learned of the Popes pay were least enimies to vs as Cuthbert Tonstall who at London and Duresme still bare with the Protestants workes and would sweare by his Fathers soule therein faulty that neither the accusares nor he could amend them full many moo were of that vein as they who gaue harbor closely to the teachers of the holy Gospell and what learned haue the papistes bred till our side forced them to studie And at this houre their best grant that wee ouer-reach them in the testaments tongues and clearness defense of the purenesse of the text Our greatest hinderance commeth by our Buyshops that are voide of loyalty full of cruelty I speake not against Bishops sage and learned but Buyshops sauage vnlearned Waters of trouble they helpe the Dragon to cast from the mouth of his canons that no praemunire will serue their turne and if any would keepe them from hell will burne such papers And when common Lawes of earth policie drinke vp and drie the K. of Locusts waters yet if the rest of vnaduised zeale giue them aduantage Cerberus shall barke so that they may bee forth comming but not comming forth The maine of the Church in Albion Almany France Zuitzerland the confederate prouinces and Denmarke haue made the earth to drie the Popes Riuers of Belial as 2. Sam. 22. speaketh But yet in Spaine holy Martyrs dayly finde the 42. moneth like affliction to bee conformed to the sufferings of Christ because they worship God only That is as all Iewes expound the phrase pray only vnto him and rest in the abundance of grace of the guift of iustice to reigne by Christ What authoritie on earth maketh this Dragon the chap. 13. following will tell plainely and the 14. how for Idolatry reiected the taile of the Dragon maketh Martyrs CHAP. XIII And I stood vpon the sand of the Sea and I saw a beast comming out of the Sea hauing seauen heades and ten hornes and vpon his hornes ten crownes and vpon his heades a name of Blasphemie THIS holy Reuelation speaking of matters to come borroweth speaches from matters past which is the sure way to giue a sound Iudgement Daniel comforteth the family of Nathan by Gods vengeance vpon great Kinges arising great from seas of troublous warres The first was not Assur but Babel the Lion with NABV his mouth who can deliuer you from my handes chap. 3. The second was a Beare from Madai Paras the East deuouring North West South as hauing 3. ribbes in the mouth And by two mighty kingdomes Medes and Persans set vp one gouernement These two had but two heades as all of the kinde the third was a Leopard with foure heades Alexander Macedon and his foure chiefe which in 40. yer brought all his dominion parted into 23. Captaines and many Kinges afore holding their owne into the Power of foure The fourth was no new Beast but the same nation of the Greekes in a parted kingdome in Seluchus who gate seuentie two kingdomes and Ptolomie Lagides in Aegypt Of two speciall points to be noted heere They who make the Romans one of Daniels Beasts do pleasure the Iewes highly concluding that Caesar and Rex Romanorum and our Constantine and his successores went to eternall flames Eusebius began it as Oecolampidius citeth his fragment good Caluin folowed that Atheisme and good Beza too thence thundering with powder without pellet against the Pope and not marking how seauen tymes ouer gracious Daniel teacheth that Greekes be the last that afflict holy Iewes in his pictures And Iewes vpon Dan. 8. confesse as Ralbag and Seror Hamor of Abr. Sebagh that Greekes bee Daniels last pictured And our error is duller then the Iewes they confesse for our Gospell that Greekes be the last afflicters When the matter forceth them to speake trueth wee relinquish their grant to our Gospells strength and folow them in a lye to our Gospells ouerthrow Heere we haue no better to say then that Satan hath deceaued vs. Polichronius the learned Greeke Father of old saw the trueth and wicked Porphyri confesseth the same And Sebastian Munster at Basill reuiued a touch of the trueth and Polyhistor Bodinus Tremelius and our learned Whitaker and D. Iohn Reignold in dayly speach and M. Rollock and Geneua the zealous towne in their last french reiect all notes damning Rome and the Pope The Iewes ouer the world were broken if all the Popes side for their owne cause would do the same and the Iewes broken would breake the Turkes Machumed The second Poincte The goodnesse of God was infinite in breaking Salomons kingdome and sending Iewes to Babell to preach God that made the world and to shew the wickednesse of the towres building forworshipp of starres So the power of the great God appeared in extolling base Babell to fell Assur and all kingdomes and to fall in seauenty yeeres that Cyrus might say The God of heauen gaue him all the Kingdomes of the world and when Daniel had taught of the redemption by Christ after seuen seuenties Iewes went home from 120. nations to Ierusalem in that hope God made foolish the wisedome of Plato Aristotle for their dreamed happinesse And this aboue all is a miracle of miracles that the Greeke tongue knowen in the West ouer was conueied by Greeke soldiers ouer North East and South by Seleucidae and Lagidae So that in three hundred yeares Greeke was made common ouer all the world And Homer was turned into the Greeke tongue as Fr. Portus praef in Hom. writeth doubtlesse by some Macedonians for increasing Greeke in their Colonies By this meanes the Greeke tongue was made commune ouer the world that commune saluation might be written in Greeke Also the Macedonian Kinges setted in Aegypt and they of Syria both clayming Iudea and still fighting for it as they became victores scattered Iewes into all partes that they abide scattered there yet And Itinerarium Rabbi Beniamin sheweth euen through the furthest India So the Apostles might speake in the Greeke tongue to the old law And thus the 4. Kingdomes tyranny holpe much to saue others by their owne destruction How the Romanes armes are taken from the Kingdomes in Daniel The ten hornes are from the
they would that none should be in the Commune Weale but of their marke by othe subscription or whole profession Of the marke in the forehead Aharon his garments conteined the summe of religion whereof one part was a plate of gold in his bonnet thus ingrauen HOLYNESSE FOR THE ETERNALL That is expounded chap. 14. where the Christians hating Idolatry haue the name of God written in their forehead As God will make knowen who be his and all who call vpon GOD must depart from wickednesse So heere the hauing of his name in the forehead is the profession of his decrees The saying of Aue Marie went ouer all to the poore beggars and reuerence to the Crosse and comming to their most wicked Masse and refraining from reading Gods Booke but for licenced and auricular confession briefly all differing from their Dracoes lawes was an heretique and might neither buy nor sell Of the name of the beast and the number of his name That is his owne name So vsuall in states the Antecedent is for the relatiue as Daniel chap. 9. The Gouernor shall destroy the Gouernor owne people for his owne Through the Bible the names giuen by the holy abridge the summe of their life God called the first man ADAM which is also our commune name MAN to tell vs euery moment that dust wee are and to dust we must returne Seth bare a warning that onely some of his should be setled when the flood made a moode of all the earth Enosh telleth of sorrow that profanenesse sprang instead of calling vpon the name of God Cainan telleth of Lamentation due for that Mahal-el how the Almighty bringeth a mixture by water vpon all Iared how all goeth downe He nameth his sonne Enoch consecrated to God to be an onely man in the cursed world and he told in his sonnes name when God would send the flood Methu-Schelach when he is deadp resently God sendeth it Lamech borne in tyme of all sorrowes in his dayes the fathers died and all to euery soule that called vpon God and looked to saue their life by the Arke els they had come to Noë to haue gone into the Arke Noë is conforter All these be fathers to all in the world and all degenerate who desire not to know the reasons of their names So through the old Testament the faithfull printed faith and story in their childrens names And the Booke of numbers hath vnder propre names moo sentences of faith then would make a great volume So that without Ebrew much of the Bible wil be vnknowen So before the Captiuity of Babell the Godly gaue names to their sonns shewing hope of their defense and helpe by Elam of whom came Cyrus one long before called his sonne Elam another also calleth his sonne Elam for instruction that Elam should send the Iewes home And God blesseth these two with most issue Ezra 2. Another calleth his sonne Bagoas by a famous Persian name Another calleth his sonne Adonikam God standeth aboue all Now the sonnes of Adonikam were 666. God then meant to apply that to further matter as seauens in the Bible call into minde the first Sabbath rested in hope of Christ so sixes are commonly a memory of the sad fall and vsed in sorrow Holy Lamech liued yeares 777. then he rested In the six hundreth of Noë the flood came Nabuchadnezar his cursed Image was in height 60. cubites In breadth 6. cubites The gold brought from Ophir to Salomon was 666. talents as no long blessing when after his death Sysac King of Aegypt hath all of the Temple for a spoyle Now Adonikam his sonnes 666. might shew that God would vse that text to some sad matter Let vs now examine the words of the Text. Heere is wisedome Let him that hath wisedome reckon the number of the Beast For it is a number attributed vnto a man And his number is six hundred sixty six Adams wisedome is shewed equall to Angells in giuing names to beastes and foules according to their nature so that mans first wisedome appeared how his soule bare the image of God in fit names His holy sonnes folowed that and all of wisedome will examine what names they haue giuen and see which of all them will fit the beast heere the mans name may soone be found by 666. for onely ADONIKAM of a man hath that number Now the wisedome standeth in the nation of Adonikam how the beast that hath hornes like a Lambe is fitted to that Let vs haue our stories to shew how the Pope is fitted to this Innocentius the third bragged to Emperor Philip that he would take from him the Diademe of the King or he should take from him the Apostolicall Apostaticall ensigne Christ saith by him Kings reigne and Princes decree iustice And he is truly ADONIKAM Lord standing vp sure for defense of his And Innocentius of Adam the earthly of Enosh the sorrowfull he will be ADONIKAM simply a Lord standing sure and haue two hornes of the Lambe though he speake like the Dragon Marke another when Albertus son to Rodulph following his fathers Example sought by entreaters the confirmation of his election of Boniface the eight which bragged that he was Lord of the whole world Then Boniface comming forth girded with a sword and wearing the Imperiall Crowne cryeth with a tyrannicall voice EGO SVM CAESAR ET PONTIFEX and in a chafe he reiecteth the election which was made without his Authoritie as of no force and friuolous and refuseth the confirmation and called the Emperour a murtherer so this Boniface had as brasen a face as Boniface the third which bought supremacie of the murtherer Phocas and vaunting that he is TOTIVS MVNDI DOMINVS LORD OF THE WHOLE WORLD the name of the MAN which hath 666. attributed ADONIKAM wil be his name with the two hornes of the Lambe A repetition of the terme Rocke Speciallie the terme Rocke claymed of the Pope to be his name proueth him to haue this name or notation of ADONIKAM In this Conceit thus hee reasoneth Peter is the Rock The Pope is as Peter Therefore The Pope is the Rocke So the Pope maketh himselfe God who only standeth sure ADONICAM A digression to a disputation at Mentz in the Promotion of a graduat in their commencement 1601. At Mentz in saluation yeere named a commencer gaue the question I then printing in their owne Towne a Greeke Oration of all my groundes in Religion was requested by Pater Nicol. Serarius their D. principall to come to the cōmencement There they requested mee most vehemently to dispute that Rector made shorte the first reply And I tooke the second This was the question Romana Ecclesia est vera Ecclesia Reply Quae facit hominem ex patris semine immediate Petram dici est hostis Dei At Roma facit hoc ergo est hostis Dei Promotus I deny the assumption Reply The terme Rocke is neuer vsed in commendation of Holinesse and Constancie but in God
place gainesaid This sheweth that Peter was neuer at Rome And Saint Pauls iourney telleth Rome that God hated them If he had not beene sought to bee killed Lysias had not sent him to Caesarea and if the Iewes had not againe there sought to haue killed him hee had not appealed to Caesar God would not that hee should come to Rome but vpon extreamities So the iourney thither shewed that Christ hated the Citie that crucified him was strange in calamities and Paul was brought thither as a prisoner and kept in prison though somewhat free CHAPTER XIIII And I saw and behold a Lambe stood vpon mount Syon and an hundred fourty foure thousand were with him hauing the name of their father written in their forehead THEY which were called afore two Prophets are now 144000. hauing the name of God written in their forehead the same number is said before to be sealed ch 7. by a speach from Ezekiel ch 9. 4. There in the 70. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the terme of chap. 13. in Kimchy a signe or writing S. Paul expoundeth the speach that God will make them knowen who be his that they who professe the name of God shall depart from wickednesse So they who haue Gods name are made knowen who bee his and expound his word and follow trueth of worship due to him bearing a marke in open profession as sacrificers such as Aharon had In this sort the holy Church still had some nūber to professe the summe of saluation though on mount Sion a small hill for the mountaines of the world not one to a million of ADONIKAM and his Children of three fold as storie 666. that number chap. 13. to beare the number of his name was vsed for any number of Apostatique profession So heere the 144000. twelue tymes twelue is vsed for any Company that trusteth in Christ as the Patriarches did And I heard a voice out of heauen as the voice of many waters and as the voice of a great thunder and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harpes and they sing as it were a new song before the throne and before the foure liuely wightes and the Elders The heauen commonly in this booke is the Church waters voice is continuall so heere continuall singing is meant harpes signifie song with agreement the new song is for mans praeseruation euery day The foure wightes are the rare as Daniel Ananias Azarias and Misael and all the Euangelistes and S. Paul full of courage of Lions so were all the Apostles of rare patience ready to be sacrificed euery day and they were the true Philosophers thinking what should befall them after death and they were the Eagles of high flight sight The Elders are the Bishops or Teachers the sage in gouernement and skill in the holy Hebrew and Greek Testaments The song none could vnderstand but the 144000. as no Papist soundly thinketh of all things made for Gods glorie in Christ and how by him wholy iustice commeth and he onely must be worshipped When this is told them they are like vnto men that dreame and know not who they are that are bought from the earth not what their religion meaneth Thereupon it is written And none could vnderstand the song but the hundred fourty and foure thousand which were bought from the earth What this songe was Through the whole scripture this song is one and the same that IEHOVAH our GOD IEHOVAH is ONE The FATHER the SON the Holy Spirite be one Coaeternall and Coessentiall the SON is called the WORD by the WORD the Father made the World and by the Spirite beautified the heauens And because the WORD would become flesh the World was made to serue once Adam the first The Angells that grudged at that fell for euer and deceiued Adam and made him dead in sin and brought him to be turning dayly to dust vntill he dyed and for him the whole frame of the Creature was pronunced corrupt But he belieued that Christ made of a woman made vnder the Law God being in him to reconcile the World to himselfe should giue Adams soule iustice by faith should raise vp his Bodie and make a new World by his power whereby hee can subdue all things to himselfe This is the summe of the song tolde through all Bookes of the Bible A Digression to shew the Concent of all the holy Bookes Geneses sheweth how by the WORD of IEHOVAH the heauens were made and all the settled army of them by the Spirite of his mouth and when man fell the WORD telling that to destroy the workes of Satan he would be made flesh and haue a Tabernacle in vs. In which point the Fathers faith vnto the charge of Iosephs bones to bee caried vnto the Land wherein our Lordes resurrection should be a Testimony of a new World taught by Ioseph in his bones long after his death By faith he taught by his dead bones of the new world and therein Geneses end hath a new Geneses All simple should learne CHRIST from the Gospell of Geneses wher 's his Godhead so familiarly delited in the holy Prov. 8. and shewed in appearances that he would be man All yong men brought vp to be Bishops of the Kings armies or Church would reioyce to haue learned Geneses in Ebrew by heart In old age they should gather the fruit Obiection of them that are not bought from the earth S. Ierome saith Iewes read not the three first chapters of Geneses till they be 30. yeeres old Answere None should cite Ierome to make him a foole or to win the Whetstone Maymony in Morch Nebuchim hath this sentence that none did Darash read as a Doctor expoundeth Genes 1. and 2. and 3. and Ezech. 1. before he was aged 30. So S. Ierom meant Iewes all teach their Children from seauen to read all Moyses It were better that Rome were with Helice and Bura then Popes should be suffred so to bring most wickedly the word of life into a deadly hatred Of Iob. Iob is a booke for all holy to take notice of for instructing their families in the knowlede of Christ which Abraham carefully did as God testifieth the comfort of it their posterity shall finde as the booke setteth forth the faith and loue the effects of the Gospell 1. Thes 1. of his posterity euen before the Lawe was giuen to shewe that the godly had alwaies the Law written in their hearts 2. Cor. 3. Ier. 32. Rom. 2. Iob is a patron to all the faithfull in prosperitie for loue compassion iustice and equity c. in his afflictions his faith and hope in the Redeemer the seed promised whom he knew would take our nature vpon him to dy for him and by his Godhead rayse himselfe from death and that by his resurrection he should be raysed in the last day be made like his glorious body and that he euer liued to make intercession for him these thinges were his comfort in his greatest
of Iohn These be wholy for contempt of this world and cleane contrarie to the Popes doctrine as his Apocalyps Of Iude. Hee in teaching of Iewes fall by the Rebels in the wildernesse by the Angells that fell and by the vncleane Cities brent from heauen warneth not to bragg that the Church cannot erre And where Iewes thought gouernement a tyranny he sheweth from Talmudique vpon Moses Buriall Midras Rabba Aboth Rabbi Nathan and others that MICHAEL the Archangell could not suffer Satan to speak slander of king Moyses So hee will not suffer Popes to blaspheme Kinges But the Popes vnderstand not so much as Iudes text to know MICHAEL to bee IEHOVA but make him a created Spirit such blinde batts they be And thus all the scripture agreeth as harpes to follow the LAMBE whose doctrine the Pope stayneth by idolatrie that none can vnderstand the drift of the Scripture but the hundred forty and foure thousand These be they which haue not beene defiled by women For they bee Virgins This speach is taken from the song of songes which saith O that he would kisse mee with the kisses of his lippes for thy loue is better then wine Thy name is oynctment poured out therefore the Virgins loue thee Draw mee and wee will runne after thee None may thinke that mariage is a pollution But this speach is a trope for the virginitie of the minde free from Idolatry which is spirituall whoordome These follow the LAMBE which way soeuer hee goeth being the first fruite for God and the Lambe and there is no guile found in their mouth for they are syncere before God and the Lambe They follow the warrant of Gods word for euery thing and bee bought from men the first fruites for God and the Lambe which was a small part of the whole and they hold no haeresie but hold them only happy whose sinne is forgiuen and whose iniquitie is couered as Psal 32. be iust before God in the iustice of Christ The Combat of the 144000. And I saw another Angell fleeing in the sky hauing the aeternall Gospell to preach to them that dwell vpon the earth euery nation and tribe and tongue and people Saying with a great voice Feare God and giue him glory for the houre of his iudgment is come worship him which made the heauen and the earth the sea and the fountaines of water In the seuenth chap Martyrdome was shewed but without telling by whom In chap. XI the Persecuter was told and the persecuted were called two prophets and chap. 12. the Persecuter is double the vpper part of the Dragon and the taile and the persecuted is the woman clothed with the sun but the cause of persecution is not told chap. 13. describeth the Dragon by sure state specially in the Empire reuiued by the Pope and how no man could liue in the Empire without his profession Now that it standeth manifestly in Idolatrie that is heere told and persecution is for preaching that God onely must be worshipped and not the Empire or Pope and Idolls For now God will defend his flock which of long tyme he suffred to be deceiued Now he will iudge and defend their cause The Popes Idolatry is in worship to Mary and creatures called saintes and in prayer to them due only to God creator of all things of whose power creatures put vs in minde and he will not our inuention Now of Idolatry the next Angell telleth how God will reuenge the Citie And another Angell followed saying BABYLON the great City is fallen is fallen Because she hath made all nations drinke of the Wine of the anger of her fornication The old BABYLON now had no auctority to force Idolatrie while it was vnder the Greeke Empire or Turke which hateth Idolls But now Rome beareth sway so shaken from tongue of scripture as old Babylon from Adams tongue which remayned in the house of Heber and farre passed the old Babel in Idolatrie Therefore ruyne is spoken to be sure for it as fell by Isaiah 21. and Ierem. 51. vpon the old Babel And a third Angell followed them saying with a great voice if any worship the beast and his Image that is taketh a marke on his forehead or hand he also shall drinke of the Wine of the anger of God the Wine mixed in the cuppe of his anger and shal be tormented in fire and brimston before the holy Angells and before the Lambe and the smoke of their torment ascendeth for euer and euer And they haue no rest day nor night if any worship the beast and his Image that is if any take the marke of his name Heere is the pacience of the saintes tried heere are they tryed which keepe the commandements of God and the faith of IESVS Patience in this sorte heere and faith of the sainctes was equally spoken of in the profane Caesares dayes heere greater terror is set downe and fit warning against the subtile work of Satan by man of sin to deceiue if it were possible the elect One poinct heere is to be noted that Gehenna is on high no lesse then Paradise as in Leui. cha 26. before the angry face of God So the Iewes in Cether Malcuth folio 11. hold that on high place of torment is no lesse then place of ioy They who thinke that soules descend and that the holy were in Hell and after warning hold this should feare the punishment heere described And the reformed Churches as Zurick take the wisest order that destroy all the Popes markes and most straitly looke to scholars cariage twise in the yeare and referre all punishments to the Consul and Synedrion such was the Apostles doctrine and the Synagogues of old Great reuenues are now most needfull to breede learned to deale with Papist and Iewes But Simon Magus Buyshopps should haue no place in the Church following the Buy-shopps of Rome As Ananias the painted wall and Eleazar his sonne in Raba caused Ierusalem to bee destroyed So one like may bring an whole nation vnder curse And I heard a voice from heauen saying to mee write Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord from this praesent Euen so saith the Spirit to rest from their labours and their workes follow with them Because in tyme of blindnesse none could buy nor sell in Popes Kingdome but of his profession other were killed heere is a sure comfort to strengthen the martyrs God who knoweth all being the speaker from heauen that praesentlie after death they are fully happy which dy for Gods truth or in faith to rest from the labours of this life and their workes follow with them their open profession that God onely is to be worshipped and their carefull life teaching all to consider still as all must dy so praesently followeth iudgement Comparisons of phrases for holy soules departed When the fift seale was opened chapter 6. Iohn saw the soules of them which were killed for the Word
600. and 400. as they would meete are cut off When he corrupted the Riuers and Fountaines of Scriptures the waters from which he that is not borne cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen he made a third part dead in sinne Since the Gospell is preached to the dead they that knowe themselues dead in the flesh but liue to God in Spirite pay the worme-wood-starre for bittering the waters of life and wresting all that is spoken of the true Church into protection for his Synagogue of Satan And all together bee one Angell that poure their cupps into the fountaines to make them blood and to shew that they punish the dead in sinne And I heard the Angell of the waters say lust art thou O Lord who is and who was and the gratious in iudging thus because they shed the blood of the holy and Prophets and thou hast giuen them blood to drink For they are worthy The state that plagueth the Pope prosperously acknowledgeth that the successe commeth from God the vnchangeable who is as he was and alwaies gracious Pharaoh by waters destroyed Israels children innocent blood His waters also God turned to blood and againe to oppresse his blood and his armies So because the Diuelish popish Pope shed the blood of the holy Preachers God gaue thē blood to drinke How died Popes full many by poyson since the Monke poysoned the Emperor by transubstantiating bread into poyson Poyson hath bene still practised still in Rome Queene Mary the bloody sped ill And the bloody French dyed in bleeding God as hee was so he is and will be alwayes iust And I heard an other from the Altar saying euen so O Lord the God of Hostes vpright and iust are thy Iudgements For confirmation of this matter it is repeated from the auctority of Christ the Altar by wordes often vsed in Scripture And the fourth Angell poured his Cup on the Sunne and it was giuen him to burne men in the fire And men were brent with a great burning When the fourth Trumpet sounded the third part of the Sunne was darkened There brightnesse of knowledge in the Church was meaned Heere persecution as Mat. 13. In England this fell out Queene Mary persecuted Priest borne in the Realme finde the same and Papists measure for measure and yet they being scholars cannot see the iust iudgement of God as followeth And they blasphemed the name of GOD which had authoritie ouer these plagues and repented not to giue him glorie The Law in England had perfect iustice of God The Prince is supreame Bishop and defendor of the Faith Hee giueth all leaue to read the holy Hebrew and Greeke text to expound the Hebrew by the Apostles Greeke and the tongue of the New by Greekes the Diuinitie by plaine reason And all must confesse that Gods worke is perfect and the man which will adde sheweth himselfe in the Temple of God as if hee were God extolling himselfe aboue all Religion Now the Priests preach the Pope King of England as Irus was King of Lydia Irus had as good a right to Ithaca with Croesus land as the Pope to any Chimney-smoake in England for a Peter-penny They turne Subiects to refuse the Bible the Church obedience to the King and Papists haue endeauoured by Powder to destroy the King and his House and the Gentry of Parliament a treason so barbarous inhumane diuelish Popish this sheweth that the Pope hath the spirit of the former Beast reuiued in all cruelty and deceit and all this fight is openly against God for Satans throne Campian and other the Popes Martyrs making the wicked Apocrypha part of the holy Bible and destroying faith and policy should not haue blasphemed God but haue repented and giuen God glory for iustice Bishop Tonstall vnder Queene Mary fauoured the Gospell in London and Duresmē and although D. Bancroft let Priest Watson print Popery in his house and receiued foure Priests from Rome yet he repented and sent the Priest to Tiburne and is become a M. R. F. Better should all Papistes come to God the shade And the fift Angell poured his Cup on the throne of the Beast and his kingdome became darkened and they did bite their tongues for paine and they blasphemed the God of Heauen for their panges and boyles but repented not of their workes The fift Angels Trumpet could not stay the Starre of Rome from seeking Supremacy and badnesse but by increase of Locusts he would be a King or a Beast comming out of the Earth and with his keyes of the kingdome of darkenesse he could bring a smoake of heresies that darkened all Sunne and ayre Machmad after Lucian the dogge say well for the whetstone but both those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are nothing to his spirits As they haue both their portion in the lake burning with fire and brimstone Lucian was not forgiuen in this world so the Popes states shall haue his throne darkened openly in this world by valiant and holy people strengthened by Angels Darknesse is vsuall for a distressed state in Iob and Dauid and Isai Albion with Denmarke is wholy gone from him halfe Zuitzerland Netherland Germany And the poore schole of Geneua said wel to him though it agreeth with him to slander the pure Text of Scripture Where Beza doth say Deus non agit in malis he calleth backe those errors of his and Calvines whereby they seemed to make God auctor of sin The Senates religion as they gaue mee leaue to expresse it I dare defend against Turke and Iew and Pope while my hand can guide the warbling pen. And where Bodinus saith that Calvin should say of the Apocalyps Miror quid tam obscurus scriptor velit it is not credible that one of his iudgement to shake off all the Popes trash would speake so of a booke penned by the Father of light And Bodinus himselfe should haue told the prayse of God for the light of saluation by this booke God told him that they were happy that read and marke the things written heere chap. 1. As Daniel calleth to him all stories heathen for 600. yer so Iohn for 1600. And as Daniel telleth the same things seauen tymes ouer to infinite delite So doth Iohn repeate as pleasantly The Popes Diuines seeing his throne fall and decay they chew their tongues in speach not fitted to matter But snapping at syllables of the learned and aeschrologia godlesse from vncleane spirits and in all this they cannot repent them of fighting against all plaine truth When fight is for popery by the Gospell the Gospell should be answered and not discourses made to Zwinglius Luther P. Martyr Bucer Caluin Beza Many others match the best of them and learning would try the Law by Ebrew the Greek Testament by Greeks and Iewes and so the waters would runne cleere which now the starrworme-wood maketh bitter And the sixt Angell poured his cup vpon the great riuer Euphrates to praepare a way
kinges without all color of warrant from God shew himselfe in the temple of God as if he were God beeing in all policie sinfull and blaspeming true teachers so he must needes be hated of Princes that euery one will draw from him all that they can That is to eate the flesh of the Idolatrous towne and burning it in the fire For God hath giuen it vnto their heartes to doe his minde and to doe one minde and to giue their kingdom to the beast vntill the wordes of God be brought about Because they did not receiue the loue of the trueth vnto right happinesse to studie the Lawes of God day and night God gaue thē ouer to a foolish minde to pull downe the East Empire and to set vp one in the West and to set the Synagogue of Rome aboue all to rule all Empire and Kingdomes And to this day that cursed blindnesse abideth in men that they thinke it a shame for a King to be learned or for Noble men True Kingdome standeth in knowledge of the kingdome of heauen and Princes of cunning education might know both Testaments in Greek and Hebrew and veine of storie in yong yeeres that their hearts might a thousand times in a day runne ouer the heauenly frame of Gods booke and see their Ancestors from Adam to Noë the pillars of the world Then the noble warrier Abraham King Moses King Iosuah King Samuel King David King Salomon and noble Daniel the mightiest subiect in the world and greatest warrior best learned And his noble Cousins that quenched the fire refusing Idols should haue taught nobles to haue in equal sort hated Babelish idolatrie of cursed Rome that crucified Christ and by the serpents biting pierced his footestepp and handes and would naile fast all feete and handes from walking in Gods wayes and working in his trueth What a shame is it for Kings that they know not the familie of David penned of purpose to make kings wise David Salomō both wise began the glorie Ioakim Ioachin both vnwise ended the glorie all betwixt are a glasse for Kings to see their owne case Againe the pompe of this world is eminēt in Daniels Image afflicting the holy house of Nathā but beatē to pouder for their paines that madnesse of Counsell is expressed in Nebuchadnezars open madnesse His open madnesse of seauen yeres was not so madd as the Persians or Alexander that made themselues Gods and the parted Macedonians are a patron of slauery to Satan Heere in one Image all Greek and Latin to Liuie is cōteyned and Kings might make their teachers to bring such stately matter into commune knowledge to make a Bridge from the fall of Salomons house vnto the setting vp of Nathans Nabuchadnezar honored Daniel to Iudahs good For chiefe heads of this matter Kings further called should further delite in this kinde So for the Image of the beast Apoc. 13. if Kinges had bene happy they had learned from storie what Iohn foretold but because they despised Gods exhortation to read the Booke God gaue it into their hearts to giue their kingdome to the beast if they would make their people learned in this Booke the flesh of the harlot should soone be eaten All true soldiers should be Doctores of Diuinity such all will conquer with small losse as Israel vnder Iosua which studied Moses 40. yer And Dauids Capteins by knowlede of Moses were mighty in battell Doctors in bare title the Popes and ours deserue so much reuerence as so many apes and all that put any trust in them are like vnto them Now commeth a plaine condemnation of Rome The woman which thou sawest is the great Citie which hath the Kingdome ouer the Kings of the earth All be past shame that see not Rome heere damned vnto the end of wrath CHAPTER XVIII The King is Angelus to cause the word to be sounded After this I saw an Angell comming downe from heauen hauing great auctority and the earth was lightned by his glorie and he cried mightily with a great voice saying BABYLON the great City is fallen is fallen and is become a dwelling of Diuells and a prison of euery vncleane spirit and a prison of euery vncleane and hatefull bird because she hath caused all nations to drinke of the wine of the anger of her fornication and the Kings of the earth committed fornication with her and the merchants of the earth became rich by the might of her wealth c. THE like speach is in Ezekiel chap. 47. where the glorie of the Gospell shineth from Christ and waters of doctrine flow with life And the Angels glorie lightned the whole earth cha 10. taught this same matter where Iohn eateth the litle booke And Christ is the Angell he cōmeth downe when he setteth vp the light of his word by which hee shineth ouer the earth Though in vision sundry Angels expresse him And when Ierusalem is builded Babylon must needes fall and where the mighty Gospell is taught of millions there Christ speaketh with a great voice Anabaptistes be the chiefe helpe that the Papists haue to dispute that it is dangerous for the common people to medle with Gods word But a learned officer would with sagenesse soone teach them how they misse burning in fire the obstinat in haeresie Maymo in the treatise Chagigah Perek III. sheweth how the King should read the Law before the people in the feast of Tabernacles and in what sage reuerence A pulpit of wood was made for him in the court where all might come men and women and the synagogue keeper brought forth the booke of the Law gaue it to the Archisynagogue and he to Sagan of the Temple Strategos Act. chap. 4. 1. Chancelor we may terme him he to the high sacrificer and hee to the King and hee read Deuteronomie and of the King he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is The King is Angelus to cause the word of GOD to be sounded If the Iew could thus honor the Law and shew the Kings duty which Iew saw not the true glorie of it by the SON of GOD how much more should wee bring vp our Kings to honor the holy Gospell to read speciall places as the first of Saint Matthew of 1800. yer story and 3. Luke of 3957. or Act. 7. or 2. Thess 2. or some speciall place to stirre nobles a learned reading would be as good as a commentarie And chapters expounding one another and Psalmes might so be chosen that by bare reading great light would come So millions would say that Babylon the great is fallen and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Daemones be all one and Rome is a dwelling of Diuels and Cardinals bee vncleane spirits and Archbuy-shopps be vncleane and hatefull birdes and their keies be keies of the pit and their Idolatry making Peter the Rock against this THERE IS NO ROCK BVT THE ETERNALL had made the Kings of the earth madde in Idols from one error that
no studie so good as this nor so much desired of all sortes Hee knew neither the Low nor High Ierusalem that would threaten to hinder this studie and is worthy to be recorded foreuer for an example to others The treatise of Dauids family and Nathans comforted through all Daniel of the Rome-Beast one made of foure sauage vnto Constantinus the great This shewed more thē any Academique in Ebrew and Greek or either euer the way to the heauenly Ierusalem The right honorable S r. Iohn Fortescue reading the workes told the bearer thus Tell the auctor I will obtaine of the King a very great stipend for him The honorable Gentleman knew what a priuy Counsellor should doe death praeuented him yet as it seemeth from his motion the Kinges kingly promise came and for Ierusalem his memory shall not die Dressed as a Bride trimmed for her husband The Citie for a ruler is trimmed as a Woman to be married for her husband Esai 52. Rules of saluation are a greater trimming for the minde then any outward trimming can bee for the body The holy Prophets wordes haue all trimnesse that speach can conteyne in language The promises of Christ all trimnesse of sharpe wisedome the stories of contemners endlesse to destruction and of Embracers few to saluation all trimnesse of storie and so the New Test for the age heere meant all trimnesse of wisedome and learning and cariage rules of faith haue wisedom passing all heathen and Christian true policie is more ciuill then all heathens So the Citie is trimmed for a Citie as a bride for the bridegrom And I heard a great voice from the heauen saying Beholde the tabernacle of God is with men he shall dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himselfe will bee with them their God and God will wipe all teares from their eyes and death shall be no more nor mourning nor crye nor paine shall be any more for the first thinges are past In Leuiticus 26. God telleth that if they keepe his Lawes God will haue his Tabernacle with them and they shall be his people and he shall be their God So before the captiuitie of Babel they that conquered the lande with Iosuah and the Iudges and vnder Dauid and his house many were And Ezekiel telleth that after they haue bene in Babylon to teach the Creation of the world and returne from Babel in the hope of Messias they should be the people of God and the same is heere spoken for vs heathen comming vnto CHRIST And now that men be taught of Christ plainly no affliction will make them weepe as in Babylon they wept at the Riuer sides Psal 137. not knowing cleerly Gods counsel how the Lord sent them thither to teach by Babels punishment that ONE the God of heauen ruled all and when men see the death of Christ to giue life that they who belieue in him die not but passe from death to life then death mourning cry paine will be nothing as the first case is altered Andrew was Petros before Symeon in Photius because he first acknowledged Petram all who do so are sure that the courtes to kill Christians the gates of Haides shall not preuaile against them When they knew that in Haides God hath Paradise for the Godly So Athanasius telleth that the Martyrs feared not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The going to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And he that sate vpon the throne said Behold I make all things new Isai 43. and 2. Cor. 5. Turne this to a new life heere and in that sense Christ about fourteene yeares after Ierusalems fall spake to Iohn in this vision that although the Church in the sight of the world should be base it should be a new heauē The Iewes see a new light in Moyses and the new Testament calleth vs from the toile of Moses to the rest in Christ that Daniel chap. 9. 24. shineth as Saint Stephens face as the face of an Angell and the minde which by the new Testament doeth see the old seeth a new world aboue that which was seene in Poperie Where Bellarmine and his labor to disgrace the scripture the waters from which they that be not baptized by the spirit shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen And he saith vnto me write for these wordes bee true and sure When the Apostles were all dead but Iohn and the Disciples were in great affliction and the God of this world was mightie in persequution the naturall man would thinke it harde to looke that the Bible should bring a new world Therefore the WORD who made this worlde and will make a new world would haue this written that in this world first he will make a new world And he saith vnto mee it is done I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end The learned note Ebrewes as Kimchi and Greekes as Eusebius that the Prophets spake in the praeterperfect temps for things to come because with God all is praesent and as sure as thinges past So should men haue regarded this booke that all in it though strange should come to passe That the Romane Emperours should bee plagued to ouerthrow that a new Rome should bee built for Empire neere old Troy that a beggerly scholar by lies and false miracles should set vp an Empire making himselfe as if he were God and deceiue the world men feared not this But Christ what hee spake in the beginning bringeth it to passe in the end Of ALPHA and OMEGA In that Christ nameth himsefe by the Greeke letters the first and the last he giueth great honor to the Greek tongue that they who seeke not from his words but from barbarous Latin his wisedome should be guilty Many Latin termes haue greatly deceiued as sacramentum for mysterion dispensator for Oeconomus Descendere ad inferos for Cateltheim eis Haidon and such hence come seauen sacraments dispensing with Gods word and going downe to Hell Briefly the smoke from the Pit is bred by wrested Latin as that an Image may be worshipped not an Idoll When Papae Cardinales Arch-buyshopps and Buyshopps rule the sheepe ignorant of Gods words they become wolfes and the most deadlie enimies to the truth The Pope hath an auctor in opusculis patrum which by the LXXII reiecteth the Ebrew truth adding an hundred of yeeres more then Moyses gaue at Seths birth and he allowed this blasphemie That Moyses omitted an hundred of yeeres His notes for soules 75. Act. 7. teach by Gregorie Martyn that either the old Testament or New faileth and his translation not the Septuagint taught that the dwelling of Israel which they dwelt in Aegypt was 430. year And their translation checking S. Pauls Greeke for 450. after a sort made Beza and our BB. after Bibliander and others hold the text corrupt and their rude translation made Achaziah two yeeres elder then his father and 20. yeer elder then himselfe And their barbarousnesse not knowing
comfort but the ioy of God As Iohn banished into Patmos hath in one day the Lordes day more ioy then all the world is worth when darkenesse couered Caesares and obscuritie nations But God shined ouer him and the glory of Christ was seene to him to shew him in wildernesse the state of the Church If he had not beene banished from Ephesus he should not haue had these visiones But now his comfort is the greater As one farre from his Countrey may study more in six yeeres then in 12. among much acquaintance at home and be lesse grieued from quarrelling of the wicked Now Iohn applying Esai vnto the LAMBE sheweth that all his comfortes cary vnto Christ And all the Prophets doe the same so this booke teacheth all the Myriades of Iewes that belieued to expound all the Bible So doe S. Pauls Epistles expounding all the Law and Prophetes how they speak of Christ And the chap. 61. ver 1. is plainly by our L. Luc. 4. of him selfe And the nations the saued shall walke in her light and Kings shall bring their glorie and honor into her Isai 60. And nations shall walke in thy light and Kings in thy brightnesse that ariseth to thee And her gates shall not bee shut in the day for night is not there that they may bring the glory honor of nations vnto her And they shall open thy gates continuallie day and night they shall not be shut that men may bring vnto thee the wealth of nations also their Kings shall be brought Thus God comforteth the xij Tribes from their knowen prophecies to goe forward to winne at the last so many as would furnish a Citie Fifteene hundred miles square in two thousand year Though the ten Tribes were scattred yet Hosea telleth them that as HE raiseth vp the dead so he can call them backe Cyrus called them from 120. nations vpon his owne charges and some of all Israel returned to haue hope in Christ at 490. yeares by holy Daniel And from all nations some were at Ierusalem the last yeare and men 120. receiued spirit to be sufficient to teach all nations many thousandes were turned and of them euery one would turne many thousand And Iohn stirreth vp their hope And there entreth not into it any common and practising lothsomenesse and lies But the written in the booke of life of the Lambe Prophane infidels vncleane in soule and lying in iudgements as all Papistes bee and old heathen estranged from Christ are not of this but they whom Christ hath chosen called and sanctified This matter is eloquently expressed by Manasses-saw-martyr chap 52. Arise arise put on thy glorie put on thy trimme apparell Ierusalem the holy Citie for no vncircumcised and vncleane shall come any more vnto thee This sheweth that they who be truely of the Church haue their minde brauely clothed and will haue none profane of their companie nor auctores of vntrueth vnfit for the Carbuncle walles of Ierusalem as the Apocrypha lies are with the Bible a meere leprous sorte whereby Papistes terme all the Bible lies yet they that can not read one word of the Law as a professor should will fight to keepe those wicked bookes with the holy and fight to hinder explaning of both Testaments in Saint Iohns Carbuncle veine and in Pauls Iaspers As none can be saued vnlesse hee be borne againe of water Isai chapter 55. so puddles of filthy pooles will marre those waters It is marueile that any dare chirpe to hinder the light of Gods worde seeing God is able and readie to reuenge The Pope putteth the wicked fable of Tobie in the heart of the holy Bible But it had beene better a milstone had beene hanged about his necke and that he had beene cast into the mayne Sea It is better to bee a dore-keeper in the holy Ierusalem then in Emperors Palaces in such mixture to the pure waters of Gods worde Iohn and Ezechiel shal be iudge CHAPTER XXII And he shewed me a pure Riuer of water of life so cleere as Christall issuing from the throne of God and of the LAMBE IN the song of songs liuely waters of CHRIST flow from Libanus they be waters of life Ioh. 7. to teach others life and the true MESSIAS commeth by waters blood and spirite 1 Iohn 4. Water of cleere doctrine blood of suffring and miracles of spirite And if a man bee not regenerated of this Water and Spirite he shall not see life And thus speaketh Ezekiel And he brought mee vnto the brim of a riuer and at the brim of the Riuer was much store of trees on both sides and hee said vnto mee these waters goe forth into Galile the first and descend to the plaine to sea of Tiberias then vnto another sea Lacus Asphaltites to the Ocean and those waters are made holesome And surely euery liuing soule which can creepe into any place where these Riuers come shall be liuely and the fish shall be great Thus Ezekiel telleth whence Christ shall begin to teach in Galilee And the Zohar vpon Geneses doth note that And Iohn saw the euent of this for at the sea of Galilee was hee and Iames and Peter and Andrew called to bee fishers of men And after the resurrection Ioh. chap. 21. at the sea of Tiberias Christ appeared to many of his Disciples fishing and all night they had taken nothing And in the morning the Lord commeth to the water side vnknowen and asketh whether they had any thing to eate they said No. Because they had taken nothing all night Then hee made them cast into the right partes and they make a draught of 153. great fishes whose spaume might match the 353000. Proselites in Chanaan Olde and late Prophecie and storie are thus contriued to make easie and sure the doctrine of life And God must needes hate the Pope that bent not all his wealth to haue so many as he could ready in the Law as were the Fishers of Galilee The Disciple whom IESVS loued hath now Apoc. 21. a third sight of Ezekiels prophecie In Iohn from the throne of God and the Lambe cometh the water In Ezekiel from the Temple so the Lord of Hostes and the Lambe bee the Temple In the middle of the streete of it and of the Riuer was a Tree of life bearing twelue fruites bearing his fruite euery moneth and the leaues of the tree did heale the nations Ezekiel chap. 47. And by the Riuer came forth at his brim on either side all kinde of trees for meate the leafe of none faded nor the fruite failed euery moneth they brought forth newe For the waters came forth from the Temple and the fruite was for meate and the leafe to heale The first psalme expoundeth this that the studie of the Law findeth Christ the tree of life and maketh others fruitfull trees to feede and heale An exposition followeth heere Chap. 22. And no Catanathema giuen ouer as cursed shall bee any more But