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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20217	The ruine of Rome: or An exposition vpon the whole Reuelation Wherein is plainly shewed and proued, that the popish religion, together with all the power and authoritie of Rome, shall ebbe and decay still more and more throughout all the churches of Europe, and come to an vtter ouerthrow euen in this life before the end of the world. Written especially for the comfort of Protestants, and the daunting of papists, seminary priests, Iesuites, and all that cursed rabble. Published by Arthur Dent, preacher of the word of God at South-Shoobery in Essex.	Dent, Arthur, d. 1607.; Culverwell, Ezekiel, 1553 or 4-1631.	1603 (1603)	STC 6640; ESTC S117456	184,102	332

of the seuenth chapter 17. verse 11 therefore Rome shall go into destruction The assumption is set downe Chapter 17. verse 11. For the Papacy or dominion of the Popes is the seuenth head of the beast in respect of their ciuil power and yet a beast by themselues that is an eight in respect of their ecclesiasticall power Nowe the Angel sayth flatly they shall both together go into destruction that is both the Empire and the Papacy For as the dominion of the Popes goeth downe so also their worship and religion goeth downe with it and for this cause it is expresly set downe in the nineteenth Chapter chapter 19. verse 20 that the beast and the false Prophet that is the Romane Empire and the Papacy were both destroied together Sith then the Holy-Ghost hath spoken it twise for failing that Rome shall goe into perdition and shall goe into destruction I take it to be a very sound consequence that Rome shall fall and shall be destroyed But how shall it fall may some man say or wherein shall it fall I answer that it shall fall in the credite and estimation of her doctrine It shall fall in wealth and riches It shall fall in power and authoritie And in all these it shall fall by degrees as it did rise vp by degrees It shall not fall at once as it did not rise vp at once This is set downe in the sixteenth chapter chapter 16. v. 12 where the fall of Rome is compared to the drying vppe of the riuer Euphrates which was dried vp by degrees Thus it is Euphrates was a great Riuer which did runne very neere vnto the olde Babylon in Chaldaea and it was the wall and fortification of the Citie in so much that Cyrus and Darius the kings of the Medes and Persians laying siege against it could not take it till by policie they digged great trenches and deriued the waters another way and so dried them vppe that the Holie Ghost saith The vvay vvas prepared for them to passe ouer Now as this Euphrates was the strength and fortification of old Babylon so the honour wealth riches power and authoritie of Rome is the verie fortification of it chapter 16.12 But the punishing Angell is commaunded to poure downe the Viall of wrath vppon this Euphrates that is vppon all that vpholdeth Rome or fortifieth Rome and foorthwith it dried vppe that is all the credite power riches and authoritie of ROME did diminish daylie vppon it doeth diminish and shall diminish by degrees vnto the end of the world For the vtter destruction of Rome is not yet come but it is greatly decayed from that it was fourescore yeares ago And if it continue decaying fourescore yeeres mo as assuredly it shall then will it bee brought to a lowe ebbe Since Luthers time wee knowe how the Popes Euphrates hath dried vp but there is yet much water left and it is yet too deepe for the kings of the earth to passe ouer and take it But it shall ebbe so lowe that the kings of Europe shall easily passe ouer and take it as wee shall heare anon But in the meane time we see that it falleth and that it is in falling and the worke of God goeth forward euerie day For now in this age God bee thanked manie kings and princes with great multitudes of their subiects haue their eyes opened to behold that the Romish religion is abominable and that the Papacie is the verie kingdome of the great Antichrist And whereas before they worshipped the beast now they holde vp their hands onely to the God of heauen and glorifie him in his sonne Iesus Christ Now wee see that manie lawes are made in sundrie kingdoms and prouinces to abolish that vsurped power of the Bishop of Rome Manie acts edicts and iniunctions are set forth in sundrie nations and kingdomes of Europe to destroy roote out and deface all monuments of Idolatrie and superstition which Antichrist had erected in all kingdoms Now the Popes which were honoured as Gods in the earth are accounted and adiudged as the most vile and abominable creatures that liue vpon the earth Doth not all this experimentally shew that Babylon is fallen and that Babylon doth fall by degrees It is very palpable we need no further proofe for this second point But heere wee are further to obserue that the Iesuits perceiuing the great decay of Rome and the continuall drying of their Euphrates doe bestirre them to stoppe the leake that it might not drie vp altogether Euen as when men let out the waters of great fish-ponds so as the water waxeth lowe wee see the fishes skip and plunge and take on wonderfully So the Iesuits perceiuing the waters of their Romish Euphrates to emptie and drie vp daily doe mightily take on digging and searching euerie day to open the springs and to find out some fresh fountaines to maintaine their great fishpond and to keepe the waters deepe enough that there may be no safe passage ouer for the kings of the earth to come and take their great Babylon All this doth appeare out of the sixteenth Chapter of this Prophesie where Saint Iohn in vision seeth three vncleane spirits like Frogges chapter 16. v. 13. comming out of the mouth of the Dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false Prophet By which frogges the holy Ghost meaneth the Iesuits and Seminarie Priests which are compared to frogges for three reasons First that as frogges delight in filthie lakes and puddles so the Iesuits delight in the filthie puddles of idolatrie and superstition Secondly as frogges make a great croaking in their marish grounds so the Iesuits make a great croaking in kings courts in Noblemens houses and Gentlemens houses and almost euery where where they can get any entertainment croaking and craking of the Popes supremacie the popes holinesse the Popes blessing the popes keyes the popes power Peters chaire Peters successour Christs Vicar and many good morowes I knowe not what Thirdly as frogs are all of one nature and qualitie delighting in croaking and liuing in puddle so the Iesuits are al of one mind and disposition in euil croaking euerie where to maintaine their Euphrates and liuing dayly in whoredome Sodomitrie and al kind of outragious beastlinesse But that I may more fully perswade the cōscience of the reader that by these frogs are meant the Iesuits seminarie priests let vs seriously weigh that which goeth before and that which followeth after in this text and wee shal discerne it to be verie cleere and apparant First it is said vers 10. that when the fift Angell poured out his viall of Gods wrath vppon the throne of the beast chapter 16. v. 10. by and by his kingdome waxed darke that is the maiestie power pompe credite and estimation of Antichrist beganne to bee diminished obscured and to suffer a great Eclipse which thing was fulfilled shortly after Luthers preaching And presently it followeth

THE RVINE OF ROME OR AN EXPOSITION vpon the whole Reuelation Wherein is plainly shewed and proued that the Popish Religion together with all the power and authoritie of Rome shall ebbe and decay still more and more throughout all the Churches of Europe and come to an vtter ouerthrow euen in this life before the end of the world Written especially for the comfort of Protestants and the daunting of Papists Seminary Priests Iesuites and all that cursed rabble Published by Arthur Dent Preacher of the word of God at South-Shoobery in Essex Apoc. 18. vers 7.8 She saith in her heart I sit as a Queene and am no widow and shall see no mourning Therefore shall her plagues come at one day death and sorrow and famine and shee shall be burned with fire for that God which condemneth her is a strong Lord. LONDON THE EPISTLE TO THE Christian Reader BEing often requested gentle Reader and much importuned by sundry both learned and godly to publish that doctrine of the Apocalyps which diuers of them with liuely voyce heard publikely deliuered I did at last vpon my most mature deliberation yeeld vnto their reasonable request I meane the reasons of their request Indeed I doe ingeniously confesse that I am the vnmeetest of many which this age God be thanked doth afford to deale in a matter of so great importance or any wise to be imployed in so great and honourable a seruice as this is But if I doe industriously vse my small talent and be found faithfull in a little I hope it shall haue both chearefull and comfortable acceptation with the Church of God For this I presume will bee granted of all that hee which hath but a little strength and yet putteth it forth to the vttermost to doe good withall is more to be commended then he which hath thrise his strength and vseth it not to the helpe and benefit of others And true it is indeed that sundry worthy labours of diuers excellent men vpon the Apocalyps are already extant so as he may seeme to powre water into the Sea or goe about to mend the crowes eyes that will attempt to adde any thing to that which is already published But know this O Christian Reader that the Lords garden is so large and plentifull of all most sweete and pleasant flowers that where any one hath gathered a Nosegay most fragrant and delectable another may come after and gather another not to be contemned For the wisedome of God is such an vndrainable fountaine and head-spring that where one hath drawne much before another may come happely and draw as much afterward yea though thousands doe succeede yet can this fountaine neuer be drawne drie Be it farre from me to arrogate any thing to my selfe aboue others for I am priuy inough to mine owne meanes and do freely confesse that in this worke I haue receiued much light from others and therefore do not as a iudge giue sentence vpon other mens workes but as one that would furnish the same feast bring in my dish among them Or as one that in the same cause would come in as a third or a fourth witnesse to testifie and confirme the same thing And verily through the gracious assistance of Gods spirit my simple purpose and indeuor is to giue a lift to the vttermost of my power to further that which is already happily begun and to prouoke others of greater gifts to come after with their great lights and Lanternes in their hands to discry and discouer whatsoeuer in this Prophesie is not yet fully seene into I am not ignorant that some would not haue this booke medled withall nor in any wise to be expounded among the common people because say they it is so darke and hard to vnderstand But let all such leaue their owne opinions and hearken what the holy Ghost saith Blessed is he that readeth and they that heare the words of this Prophecy c. What can be said more or more effectually to stirre vs vp to heare and reade and with all gladnesse to embrace this booke then to tell vs that in so doing we shall be blessed For the thinges contained in this booke be no trifles they be not things onely for a shew to mooue wonderment or to delight the curious minds of men but such as indeed do giue true blessednesse vnto all those that are well instructed in them What thing is greater then to bee blessed for euermore If we be not exceeding dull yea euen like stockes and stones it must needs moue vs stir vs vp For who will wittingly willingly loose his own blessednes or suffer it to be taken from him when as he may haue it If any will obiect that a man may be blessed well inough without the knowledge of this booke and that there bee bookes inough in the Scripture to procure our blessednesse without this and that thousands are now in heauen which neuer knew what this booke meant I answere that all this doth not take away the necessary vse of this booke for the holy Ghost doth pronounce a blessing vpon the heads of those that reade and studie this booke not because a man cannot be saued without it but because of the great comfort which it ministreth vnto vs of this age and hath ministred vnto all the Churches since the Apostles times For it is the Prophesie of this age and the Prophesie of all the ages since Christ wherein is fully shewed what shall be the estate and conditiō of the Church in the seuerall ages thereof vnto the ende of the worlde For God according to his admirable wisdome mercy hath neuer from the beginning left his church without a Prophesie for the great comfort thereof For we know that immediately after the fall of our first parents God himselfe for the great comfort of his Church did foretell and foreprophesie long before of that restauration which should be made by the Messias his sonne according as it came to passe in the fulnesse of time Afterward he did foretell his people of Israel of their great seruitude and intollerable bondage in Egypt and also of the ende and full determination thereof after foure hundred and thirtie yeares After all this he foretold by his seruants the Prophets of the captiuitie in Babylon and the full expiration thereof at the end and tearme of seuentie yeares And yet further for the comfort and consolation of his people he foretold by Daniel and Ezechiel of the great afflictions troubles which his Church should endure by the persecutions of the diuided Greeke Empire I meane Alexanders posteritie especially the Kings of Egypt and Siria which descended of Ptolomeus and Seleucus whom the scripture calleth the Kings of the North and of the South by the space of 294 yeares and of the precise determination thereof at the comming of the Messias Loe then what care God hath had of his Church in all ages before the comming