Church making her to long after his comming for her full redemption he that heareth who is inuited to say likewise is euery one that heareth this Prophecie and what a ioyfull estate the faithfull shall be in in Heauen For he cannot but wish and desire for this day Let him that is a thirst come as he longeth after the comming of the Lord to the perfecting of his happinesse so let him come to the Lord by faith and obedience and let him that will this is added to note not that by the power of his owne will he can doe thus but that his will must be sanctified and of vnwilling he must become willing God working in him a new will and new desires before that he can come vnto Christ this Fountaine of liuing water That which followeth is added as a necessary muniment vnto this and to all the bookes of holy Scripture against forgers of the Word of God which the Spirit did foresee would bee in after times Vers 18. For I testifie to euery man that heareth the words of this Prophecie if and man shall adde to these things God shall adde to him the plagues that are written in this Booke c. Vers 16. These are the words of our Sauiour Christ who had before spoken of his Angell whom he sent to testifie these things and therefore in the Originall it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I witnesse together Touching the rationall particle for some omit it as redundant but it is of great force to argue a necessity of attending to and reuerently regarding what is here set forth For that must needs be of great consequence which is guarded with such a caution If testimonies be alleaged onely to proue the truth of a thing it doth not so much moue to consider of it but it being auerred to be such as that it is danger of death to depraue it any way all men will beginne to attend vnto it as handling matter of life and death And what is spoken of this Booke by the like reason is well applyed by our Diuines to all Bookes of holy Scripture for why is it so dangerous to take away or to adde vnto this Booke but because it is of God And is it not as dangerous then to intermeddle in this kinde with any other of the Bookes of God such as all the Bookes of Scripture are But it is well added to this as the last as the charge of not putting to or taking away from the Bookes of Moses is added in the last of his Bookes Bellarmine excepteth against this inference Deut. 4. holding that the threatning pertaineth only to the detractors from or adders to this Booke and necessarily for otherwise with what colour could they obtrude to the people of God vnwritten traditions as being of equall authority with the Word of God How durst they take away the Cup in the holy Communion and the second Commandement out of the Decalogue and with such audacity change our Lord in many places into our Lady with many the like corruptions With what face could they hold and maintaine that all things necessary to saluation are not set forth in the holy Scriptures when as they are so compleat as that there may be no addition made vnto them But this exception will doe them no good when God shall iustifie his care to be a like tender ouer all other Bookes of Scripture as ouer this diuine Booke And that these words may be certainly knowne to be the words of Christ Vers 20. Saint Iohn saith for conclusion Hee which testifieth these things saith Surely I come quickly Amen Euen so come Lord Iesus For whose comming that we may be the more fit let vs acquaint our selues with the things herein contained sith they are left vnsealed to vs to this end and purpose and being acquainted with these mysteries which being explained as through Gods assistance thou hast them here presented vnto thee doe so euidently shew the Pope to bee Antichrist and his estate together with all that follow him to bee damnable halt not betwixt two opinions but bee a resolute reformed Catholike nothing doubting but certainly expecting their finall ouerthrow and confusion and thine owne deliuerance and euerlasting saluation which let vs all pray with this our blessed Apostle that it may come quickly Amen Trinuni Deo gloria Errata In the Catalogue of Names for Cicillus read Cyrillus PAge 27. for doe reade to p. 31. wandring r. wauering p. 44. or r. 2. p. 60. Ioh. 24. r. 2. p. 78. his r. has in marg p. 92. aninū r. animū in marg p. 104. run r. cun p. 140. was r. as p. 163. Secutoro r. Secuturo in marg p. 177. onus r. vnus in marg p. 183. word r. world p. 434. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. X. p. 485. Pope r. pompe p. 493. vilitate r. venerate p. 5 14. which time r. after which time
God is not the author of euill to any man Note but he is vnto himselfe the author thereof God is all good and only good and therefore it standeth not with his goodnesse to suggest euill vnto any man He indeed made man with all his powers and faculties who is now euill but by his creation he was good Eccl. 7.29 For God made man righteous but he hath sought vnto himselfe many inuentions Nothing is more obuious amongst men than to impute their sinfull and wicked disposition vnto God the Manichees attributed it to the euill matter of which they were made Hom. Odys lib. 1. and Homer bringeth in Iupiter complaining of the malice of old being in mans nature but this is a blasphemous assertion and to be abhorred amongst Christians Note again Note that man is drawn to sin by being deceiued like the silly fish or bird he thinketh that profitable or pleasing which indeed is not so Wherefore euery one must labour to be wise that he may iudge of things aright this very consideration should pull vs backe from sin that the thing which we are running to is not that which it seemeth to be In the green grasse of sinne where we thinke to sleepe sweetly for a time and then to rise againe there lyeth lurking a fell venemous Serpent that will sting vs to death vnder the Sugar of sinne there is deadly poyson Note againe to our comfort Note that there is no enemy that can preuaile to hurt vs by temptation without if we by our owne lust be not hurtfull to our selues within And the deadly hurt of sinne commeth in first by ill motions conceiued and delighted in in the minde so that giue way to these and sinne will follow and death after sinne It is in vaine to hatch the Cockatrice egge and then to say I will keepe it from hurting me if thou wouldst not be hurt by sinne doe not hatch and conceiue it by euill thoughts and imaginations Mark 7.21 Lastly note that God Note as he is not Author of euill to any man so he is the Author of all good to euery man None are born gracious but his grace is a light lighted at the great light the Father of Lights and this is the comfort of all such as are truly inlightened by him that their light being deriued from his and so the same with it though by infinite degrees more imperfect is immutable and neuer fading till it bringeth them to euerlasting light Ioh 4. Hee that drinketh of this water shall neuer thirst againe but it shall bee a riuer of water flowing out of his belly to euerlasting life CHAP. 1. VERS 18. Of his owne will begat hee vs by the Word of truth that we might be a certaine first fruits of his creatures 19. Wherefore my beloued brethren let euery one be swift to heare c. Lest any man should thinke that the good which commeth from God vnto vs is for our merits this is added Tho. Aquin. i◠Iacob Of his owne will begat he vs by the Word of truth so Titus 2. for the Word is as the seed Mat. 13. That wee should be the beginning of the creatures that is in the recreation or regeneration as it is said of Behemoth in Iob that he was the beginning of the creatures Iob 40. viz. of Creation We that are regenerate are the beginning of the creation of all things againe in glory for hereafter the whole creation shall be restored to the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God Or we are said to be the beginning of the creatures Rom. 8. in respect of the principality ouer the creatures restored in the regenerate which was lost by Adam in his fall But yee know my beloued brethren This is the conclusion of all they of their owne knowledge knew God to bee the Author of all good But let euery man be swift to heare that is that he may know how to carry himselfe in temptations outward or inward whereof it hath beene spoken hitherto let him with all readinesse attend to the Word of God whereby hee is begotten vnto God and not onely heare it but doe it as it followeth Slow to speake slow to wrath Here he remoueth the impediments first the outward in Pythagoras his Schoole silence was inioyned for fiue yeere so hee that will heare profitably must heare in silence Cato Jmpedit ira animum ne possit cernere verum then the inward as Cato saith anger hindereth the minde that it cannot see the truth Anger here may bee taken both for zeale for a man must not hastily through zeale be moued but maturely and vpon due consideration and for a desire of reuenge vnto which a man must be slow that is no way prone The anger of man doth not worke the righteousnesse of God More is vnderstood here than is spoken for he that is angry with his brother vnaduisedly Mat. 5.22 is culpable of iudgement And hee pitcheth particularly vpon righteousnesse because in anger there is a pretence of righteousnesse or else in generall it is meant of righteousnesse to breed which in vs the word is preached amongst vs vers 26. If any man seemeth to be religious not refraining his tongue but deceiuing his heart c. Hauing hitherto pressed to doe the Word which we heare he returneth now againe to the tongue by the intemperate speech whereof our faith and good workes to which we are prouoked by hearing are hindred that they cannot come to perfection and therefore he impugneth the licentiousnesse of the tongue againe The word religious is taken from religatio a binding againe to God by receiuing his Instructions from whom hee was before diuided or a binding againe together to hold good instructions as a vessell is bound together by hoopes that it may hold wine that was loose before Not refraining his tongue that is by discreet taciturnity for the tongue being set in a watry place hath most neede of binding but deceiuing his owne heart whilst he thinketh that he shall not be punished for his licentious tongue or else whilst his heart and tongue are diuided he thinking one thing and speaking another Such religion is vaine and vnprofitable The pure religion and vndefiled Pure by the intention of the heart vndefiled by the execution of the worke or pure internally in a mans selfe vndefiled externally in regard of others before God and the Father that is the Sonne and the Father to visit the fatherlesse c. that is to be charitable to the poore one particular being put for the generall and to keepe a mans selfe vnspotted of the world that is by not louing the world for the world is called Mundus pure quasi non mundus not pure but defiling those that loue it That which Thom. Aquin. according to the vulgar Latine Mayer readeth initium quoddam creaturarum is in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first fruits
Christ because they suffer not with him Note againe that such as are conformable to Christ by being dead vnto sinne shall haue enemies euen for this Note and shall be railed vpon by those that still remaine in the flesh but such enemies of theirs and railers need none other signe of reprobation as shall appeare when the Day of iudgement commeth Note lastly Note that the onely meanes to escape iudgement at the last day is by the preaching of the Gospell to be brought to that that we are iudged according to the flesh and quickened according to the Spirit that is truly conuerted and brought to liue an holy and righteous life others in whom there is no such effect can looke for nothing but a most terrible sentence to be denounced against them when Christ shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead CHAP. 4. VER 12. My brethren estrange not your selues from the fiery triall which is amongst you to proue you as if some strange thing had happened vnto you The vulgar Latine readeth it Nolite peregrinari in feruore Doe not play the strangers by reason of the feruent heat Our English translation Thinke not strange of the fiery triall in Greeke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is little difficulty in any thing Mayer Vers 7. before wee come at these words vers 7. The end of all is at hand is commonly expounded of the end of this world from whence it is vsuall with the holy Apostles to raise a motiue to watchfulnesse Only Oecumenius expoundeth it of Christ The end of all is come Oecumen that is Christ the end of all the Prophets therefore after his example we ought to aspire after perfection But the first is most genuine Vers 8. Vers 8. Loue couereth a multitude of sinnes this he also expoundeth of the sinnes of him that loueth God being made hereby propitious and mercifull to him so that none of his sinnes are laid to his charge and herein he is followed by Gorran and other popish Writers that would haue loue the cause of our iustification But it is plaine from the place from whence these words are taken that it is meant of his sinnes 〈◊〉 10.12 to whom loue is shewed Hatred stirreth vp strife but loue couereth all sinnes Chrys Hom. 4. All. apâ—st and therefore Chrysostome expoundeth it thus as hatred will finde matter against a man when there is none so loue passeth ouer and winketh at and will not see many faults in whom they are though against our selues and excuseth Hern. Epist 7 â—â—â—emieâ—tiae auâ—â—â— â—a quae non 〈◊〉 sâ—â—â—cantar as much as may be the sinnes of others So also Bernard Loue couereth many sinnes but enmity suspecteth euen those that are not Touching the present vers 12. all Expositors generally agree that the fire here spoken of setteth forth aduersity and trouble in this world which commeth vpon the Christian for his professions sake And the Syriacke Interpreter doth not mention any fire at all but thinke not strange of the tentatiers that are amongst you And it is no new phrase to expresse afflictions by fire Esa 48. Psal 16. Psal 65. 1 Pet. 1. Esay speaketh of the furnace of pouerty Dauid saith That the Lord tried him with fire and we haue passed thorow fire and water and Peter speaketh to the same effect before that your faith might be found more precious than gold which is tried in the fire But for the reading of the words there is some difference Tertulan Scorp c. 12. No expaueseata vsitonem Fulg. ad Frasim c. 30. Cypri Epist 56. whereof somewhat hath beene said already Tertullian readeth it Be not afraid of the burning And Fulgentius not much differing Nolite expauescere in feruorem Cyprian readeth it Do not wonder at the burning which happeneth vnto you and Ierom not much differing Wonder not in the burning Hieren in cap. 4. Amos And as there be diuersities of readings so there is in rendring the sense But the most generally receiued is Wonder not or thinke not strange of the fire of tribulation as though it were a thing not compatible with the state of a Christian for it is rather a strange thing that a Christian should be without tribulation argueth a bastard Lyto Hugo Heb. 12.9 Some expound it of estranging themselues from the faith and loue of Christ for the fire of tribulation Turrian One expoundeth it of the fire of lust wherewith if a Christian be burned he ought not to thinke strange of it It seemeth to me that estranging of a mans selfe from persecution for the Christian profession is meant being taken with so much feare thereof as that he will rather forsake Christ than endure it And aptly fire is named because so many of Gods seruants haue beene committed to the fire and burnt for Religion Touching the residue of the Chapter there is some difficulty in vers 14. Verse 14. Because the Spirit of glory and of God resteth vpon you word for word as Beza readeth it That of glory and that Spirit of God resteth vpon you Quod sâ—â—â—norit gloria virtutis Der qui est câ—us 〈◊〉 super 〈◊〉 reâ—â—â—â—scit Cyprian Epist 5â— The Latine translation hath it That which is of glory and honour and vertue of God and which is his Spirit resteth vpon you Some againe reade it The glory and Spirit of God Cyprian hath another reading The name of the Maiesty and vertue of the Lord resteth vpon you The Syriacke The glorious Spirit of God resteth vpon you Of all these that doubtlesse is to bee preferred which is first as being most agreeable to the Greeke The meaning is that if any man suffereth for Christ not being terrified or shrinking through feare it is by Gods Spirit in him that he is made thus couragious and confident which is the Spirit of glory so called in respect of the glory that is in thus suffering as it is a base and ignoble thing to be timorous and daunted at sufferings for the Lord and the end shall be glory in Heauen to those that suffer againe it is called the Spirit of God that is of the loue of God there being no such great loue to be shewed vnto the Lord as by suffering for him There be not two spirits then here spoken of but one and the same diuersly called to set forth the excellency thereof the more In setting downe in what case there is no comfort in suffering he nameth Vers 1â— as a busie body in other mens matters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an ouerseer of other mens matters so as to be ready rigidly to censure and reproue them hauing no calling so to doe for hereby ofttimes convention ariseth and he that is thus ouer-busie and medling smarteth for his labour Because the time is that iudgement should begin at Gods house Vers 1â— Here may seeme to be some difficulty what is meant
one that hath originally erred for such are not lightly brought home by repentance and they are commonly most infest enemies to the truth and therefore as a relapse into a great sicknesse so their case is most dangerous CHAP. III. 2 PETER Chapter 3. Verse 5. They are willingly ignorant of this that the Heauens were of old and the earth set out of the water and by the water by the Word of God Vers 6. Whereby the world that then was being ouerwhelmed with water was destroyed Vers 7. But the heauens and the earth that now are are by the same word treasured vp being kept for the fire to the Day of Iudgement IN the History of the Creation it appeareth Oecumen in 2 Pet. 3. how the Heauens and the Earth were set out of the waters for God commanded that a Firmament should be in the midst of the waters that is a more firme existence of waters and this he called Heauen and when as the earth was ouerwhelmed with waters he likewise commanded the waters to gather together that it might appeare and thus the earth was set out of the waters the materiall cause being hereby designed and by the waters noting out the finall and as the earth came out of the waters at Gods command so likewise the Heauens For both are made out of the waters the aire called Heauen out of their exhalation and the earth out of their concretion The earth therefore is out of the water because made out of it and by the water because hereby as by a kinde of glue is as it were cemented and made to hang together which otherwise would dissolue and vanish into dust and aire And as the Heauens and Earth had their beginning at the first from waters so the force whereby vnder God commanding groweth the concretion of the one and the exhalation of the other is fire Wherefore as from these two all things had their beginning so for sinne they haue beene destroyed by water and shall againe be destroyed by fire as not only Christians teach but also Hyraclitus Ephesius and Empedocles Etneus The Heauens and the Earth c. that is such things as are vsefull for the sustentation of mans life as Corne Grasse Trees and Beasts c. and not the substance of the Heauens and Earth For man hauing grieuously sinned the world is said to haue beene destroyed therefore by water yet it was not consumed so hauing beene replenished againe and both by Law and Gospell men being dealt withall to walke in obedience to God but yet few profiting hereby it is kept to be destroyed by fire yet that as when a man purgeth things in the fire to fine them or buildeth his house anew by vsing still the former materials so when the Lord saith that he will make a new Heauen and a new Earth and that this world shall be burnt vp with fire it is meant only that the vtensils hereof which serue for a corporall life shall be consumed by fire of which there shall be no further vse seeing we shall all then be spirituall and thus a new face of all things shall appeare in which regard it is called a new Heauen and a new Earth because those growing things which would then be superfluous being taken away whatsoeuer auaileth to the adorning and beautifying of this world and is needfull to the incorruptible life to come shall be added That these outward things are corruptible and subiect to destruction appeareth by their daily increasing and dying againe The reason why the world made in an excellent manner at the first hath beene and shall bee againe destroyed is the sinne of man whereby the creatures become subiect vnto vanity Whereby the world that then was being ouerwhelmed with water perished 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is by which Heauen and Earth for the windowes of Heauen were opened and the fountaines of the deepe were broken vp and so the world was drowned Th. Aquinas in 2 Peter 3. By the Heauens here is to be vnderstood the aire for thus the Fowles are called the Fowles of Heauen they are said to haue beene of old because they were amongst the first of the creatures and in another manner then now that is calme and free from cold winds and tempests and so was the earth more plaine and fertill consisting out of the water that is by being discouered when at the Word of God the waters were gathered together and by the water that is as Beda hath it Beda because by the diuine disposition it is all full of veines of water euen as a mans body is full of bloud otherwise it could not stand but would be reduced into dust according to Philosophy in regard of the great drinesse thereof Or else the earth is said to be out of the waters as the matter thereof and by the waters because without water it could not be fruitfull By which that is in which parts of aire and earth the world that then was perished that is in respect of the inhabitants and the outward forme of the aire which by reason of the waters long occupying the place thereof was made grosser and the earth more muddy and the water thicker by reason of the long commixion of the earth and water together But the heauens and earth that now are that is not differing in substance from that those were before but in quality are reserued that is restored to their proper place and condition for the vse of the creatures And the aire is here still called the Heauens in the plurall number in respect of the diuers Regions and Hemispheres thereof These are to be purged by fire This they are willingly ignorant of that is Luther in 2 Pet. 3. though they cannot but know it yet they wilfully shut their eyes against it for hereby they could not but learne the power of God supporting the world which would otherwise bee ouerwhelmed with waters and the iustice of God against sinne destroying by water plainly intimating another most fearefull destruction to come at the last day seeing it is so plainly threatned as that was The Heauen and Earth that then were stood out of the water and by the water that is the Heauen out of the water because it was made of water and the earth by the water because it standeth in the waters by the Word and command of God or else it could not so doe but haue long agoe beene drowned yet neuerthelesse the world that then was perished Vers 6. and so vpon the sudden all things in Heauen and Earth shall perish by fire all being turned into a fiery flame and burnt to ashes as then all things were changed by the waters The exposition of this place is easie enough in all other things but onely for these words the Heauens were of old Mayer and the Earth set out of the waters and by the waters by the Word of God August de Ciuit Dei l. 20. c. 18.
Many vnderstand the participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 set out as equally belonging to the Heauen and the Earth and so expound out of the waters and by the waters of them both as you may see in the exposition of Oecumenius Erasin Beda and Luther and Erasmus alleageth Beda reading it thus The Heauens were constituted of old out of the water and by the water But Thomas Aquinas referreth these words Out of the water and by the water onely to the earth Beza and Beza making the distinction at these words The Heauens were of old and then adding and the Earth consisting out of the waters c. affirming that in the most ancient Copies consenting in one it is thus and our new Translation That by the Word of God the Heauens-were of old and then after a point of distinction and the Earth standing out of the waters Piscator c. Beza and Piscator for by the waters reade in the waters Gagneus as also 1 Pet. 3.20 Gagneus a iudicious though a Popish writer although he be altogether against that reading of Erasmus as being contrary to all Greeke Copies yet he saith That the Greekes generally vnderstood the matter out of which the Heauens were made to be here intimated and hee saith that he verily thinketh nothing else to be meant heare but that the Heauens and the Earth were made of water for saith he if his drift touching the Heauens should be onely to teach that they were of old Caietan who knoweth not that Caietan saith That the Heauens and the Earth are said to be out of the water because these creatures which are of the aire and they which liue vpon the earth also haue their beginning from water but this is forced I subscribe to Beza for the reading as indeed none can deny it but with Gagneus and the Greeks I hold that as the earth was set out of the waters and consisteth by the waters because at the first no earth appeared but all was couered with water but the waters being commanded to gather together the earth appeared and it is by the waters as it were cemented and conglutinated as Oecumenius speaketh which is in short here expressed so because in the History of Genesis to which this place hath reference the making of the Heauens is so set forth as that we may easily gather how they are out of the water and by the water I cannot hold this to be also intimated here For the Firmament betweene the waters and the waters is called Heauen this was out of the waters because before the diuision betwixt the waters aboue and the waters beneath it appeared not but after it came out betwixt them both it is by the waters because in the midst of them by being as much as in So that when he saith The heauens were of old it is to be vnderstood constituted out of the teaters by or in the waters quod enim subint elligitur non deest Whereas it is obiected by some that though by the Heauen the Aire bee vnderstood yet by Heauens in the plurall number it is neuer so taken I answer that it may well be set forth in the plurall number in respect of the diuers Regions neither is there any word in the Hebrew signifying Heauen but in the plurall number Touching the drift of the Apostle here thus mentioning the first originall of the Heauens and the Earth it is very aptly and pertinently done for as by the power of God and according to his Word the Heauens and the Earth were made at the first and wonderfully separated from the waters being no lesse miraculously preserued in that estate so by waters all things were drowned againe and once more by the same diuine appointment shall all things be destroyed by fire for he that by his Word hath done these things already how shall it be doubted but hauing said it he will burne vp the world with fire also Touching the next words vers 6. whereby Vers 6. Beza readeth it wherefore Luther neuerthelesse Piscator followeth Beza But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly signifie whereby or by which things and that exposition pleaseth me best which referreth it to the Heauens and the Earth because from Heauen aboue and from the earth beneath the waters flowed and the world of creatures both terrestriall and aeriall were drowned and perished euen all that were out of the Arke For by the world cannot be meant the substance of the Earth and Aire seeing this remained still and so it shall after the next and last destruction by fire as Oecumenius hath well set it forth but reade more of this Rom. 8.19 For the words vsed are reserued for fire being treasured vp by the same word Vers 7. Tho. Aquin. Thomas Aquinas will haue them meant of the restitution of all things to their forme againe after that drowning by water till that they shall againe be destroyed by fire Th. Aquinas but others vnderstand them as wicked men are said to treasure vp vnto themselues wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2.4 subiected vnto Gods power vntill this time of burning shall come which is the most probable Touching that fire destroying the wicked mention is made in some other places also as 2 Thes 1.7 8. Psal 50.3 Psal 96.3 but there is a question amongst Expositors whether it shall be at the time of the iudgement before or after If at the iudgement time it should seeme to bee an hinderance to the proceedings if before then the godly shall bee yet mixed together with the wicked and feele the paine of burning which is improbable and after it is not likely because the wicked are immediatly sent into hell fire Yet some of great note hold that it shall be after August Prosper Anselm as August lib. 20. de Ciuit. c. 16. Prosper in dimid temp c. 19 20. and Ansel in elucidat c. but the words imply that it shall be before reserued to the fire vnto the day of iudgement and 1 Cor. 3.11 it is set forth as the case of euery one that hee must passe thorow the fire and 2 Thes 1.7 the Lord is said to come in flaming fire so that the beginning of the iudgement is by fire hereby the wicked shall be first destroyed that is burnt and tormented but he that could cause a flame of fire to bee in the bush without burning it can and will prouide that the godly though in the midst of the fire shall feele no burning for they shall at that instant be changed becomming of naturall spirituall so that a materiall fire shall not affect them at all Then there being in all likelihood some cessation of this burning the iudgement shall succeed after which the wicked shall goe into euerlasting flames and therefore though they be said to be destroyed yet they are not so destroyed but they remaine still to endure further torment Martin
of iudgement and our delight standeth firme in Gods Commandements To the naturall man the Law is an heauy burthen but to the spirituall such as all the faithfull are it being spirituall is a delight through the Spirit that is in them Note Note that the loue of God is not but in him that keepeth his Commandements the wicked man that tradeth daily in sinne whatsoeuer he boasteth of his louing of God yet he hath not one dramme of true loue in him Note againe Note that there is not that vnpleasant life which the world imagineth to the godly that make conscience of keeping Gods Lawes not daring to aberre here-from in any thing for Gods Commandements are not grieuous vnto them as all Iaacobs paines were not vnto him for the loue which he bare to Rachel as the Brides putting on of all her ornaments though it be some trouble yet it is not painfull but delightfull and so for any man to lay off his old vndecent clothes and to put on a faire new suit of apparell CHAP. 5. VER 6. This is he that came by water and bloud euen Iesus Christ c. and the Spirit witnesseth that the Spirit is the truth Vers 7. For there are three that beare witnesse in Heauen the Father the Word and the Spirit and these three are one Vers 8. And there are three that beare witnesse in earth the Spirit the Water and the Bloud and these three agree in one Hauing spoken of our regeneration and adoption to be the Oecumen in 1 Ioh. sonnes of God here he proceedeth to 5. set forth the Author of it Christ Iesus and by what meanes it is effected namely by water and bloud and therefore to shew this he declareth by what meanes he as he was man came to be adopted through whom we partake of the same dignity namely by water and bloud And indeed there was a threefold testimony Matth. 3. that hee is the Sonne of God First in the time of his baptisme by water Secondly a little before his bloudy passion when that voice came again from Heauen like thunder Iohn 13. I haue glorified my name and will glorifie it Thirdly after his death when he arose againe which could not be but by a diuine Spirit in him In that these three the Water the Bloud and the Spirit are said to agree in one the meaning is that they agree in testifying the same thing that Christ is the Sonne of God and that wee by him are made so likewise yet some Fathers thinke that the Father testifying of him in his baptisme is meant by the Spirit Concerning the Bloud and Water Mayer wherein the chiese difficulty of this place lieth I finde no difference almost in others from this of Oecumenius Th. Aquinas Thomas Aquinas vnderstandeth the Water of our Baptisme and the Bloud set forth hereby for the washing away of our sinnes and so doth the Glosse Glos â—rd Beza Beza addeth also the Bloud represented in the Lords Supper But for so much as the Water and Bloud by which Christ came is spoken of I rather assent to Oecumenius But for that which is added It is the Spirit that witnesseth that the Spirit is truth I doe not thinke that the Spirit here setteth forth his resurrection but the Spirit descending at the feast of Pentecost as hee had promised When as the speech may seeme to be strange as we reade it according to the Greeke the vulgar Latine rendreth it The Spirit testifieth that Christ is truth but for so much as here a word is plainly altered that ought not to bee we must rather cleaue to the originall and so the words will carry a good sense if we vnderstand them as Faber doth Faber Stapul because the Spirit is truth these last words seruing to illustrate the former as if he should haue said It is the Spirit that giueth restimony vnto Christ and his testimony ought to bee receiued because the Spirit is truth For that which followeth of the three that beare record in Heauen and the three in earth these things being thus premised it hath no difficulty in it Beza by the Spirit will haue the vinifying vertue of the Spirit vnderstood shewing it selfe in the faithfull who are by Baptisme ingraffed into Christ but I rest vpon that which hath beene already deliuered The Water and Bloud which are said to be vpon earth and the Spirit Aug contr Maxin inum c. 22. Th. Aquinas Gorran Gagneus are expounded by some of the Water and Bloud that flowed out of his side vpon the Crosse and of the water of his teares when he wept ouer Ierusalem and of the bloud which hee sweat in the Garden Bloud came from him at other times also testifying the truth of his humanity as at his circumcision and when hee was scourged Mat. 27. By the Spirit they vnderstand the Spirit that he gaue vp when in his Passion he said Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit And so they make these three the witnesses of his humane nature the preceding three of his diuine which doth not seeme improbable to me but let the Reader consider Touching the words following Vers 9. wherein the diuine testimony from heauen is further vrged comparatiuely by the consent of all Expositors the testimony of men there is the testimony of the Prophets who spake of the Messiah to come if this be receiued then much more the Testimony immediatly from Heauen ought to be receiued it being beleeued that this is the Messiah who hath already come Or it may be an allusion more particularly as some will haue it to that Law of witnesses at the mouth of two or three witnesses euery word shall stand For if humane testimony must be beleeued much more the diuine He that beleeueth Vers 10. Oecumen hath the testimonie in himselfe that is by being made the sonne of God such as hee beleeueth Christ to be for it is by the Spirit of Christ that he beleeueth this Note Note that if vpon testimonie we beleeue things then there is great reason that without all doubting we should beleeue in Christ touching whom there hath beene so ample testimonie the Father from heauen pronouncing him to be his dearely beloued Sonne the Spirit by comming downe and resting vpon him and his owne declaring of himselfe by signes and miracles for hereby it plainely appeareth that he was the Sonne of God Then the water and bloud that flowed from him which could not come from a phantasticall but a true naturall bodie and his giuing vp of the ghost for hereby he is manifested to haue beene man If any be incredulous and doe not beleeue Note it is because they haue no part in Christ for had they interest in him they should then haue him by his spirit dwelling in them and so they could not but turne witnesses of the same themselues The vnbeleeuing and doubtfull herein are guiltie
most against the professours of the truth assuring our selues that they are neerest their vtter ruine CHAP. XVII IN this Chapter and that which followeth the great City before said to bee diuided into three parts is more particularly described together with her vtter ruine and ouerthrow in respect of the head and fountaine Rome from whence all the abominations of idolatry and superstition haue flowed In the exposition of the particulars there is no great difference nor difficulty so much light hauing beene already giuen and therefore I will the more briefly only touching the diuersity of interpretations come to open euery passage as it lieth in order Quest 1. Which of the seuen Angels is it that sheweth Iohn these things Vers 1 2 c. who is the great Whore whom he saith he will shew vnto him what are the waters called also a beast vers 3. strangely described that she sitteth vpon And why was hee led into a desart place to behold this and touching the more particular description of this Whore and the word Mystery written in her forehead what is meant hereby Answ The Angell is held by some to bee the fift Brightman who powred out his Viall vpon the throne of the beast Pareus Napier But others more rightly hold him to bee the seuenth Angell vpon the powring out of whose Viall the great City was diuided into three parts which is againe more particularly vndertaken here that by the relation of this Angell it might be more fully vnderstood both what this City is and how and by what meanes she commeth to be destroyed Others indefinitely take this Angell for one of the seuen Bullinger c. Touching the great Whore it is agreed almost by all that it is Rome Bellar. lib. 3. de Rom. pont fice cap. 13. yea euen by Romanists themselues Bellarmine saith Wee may say and that better in my iudgement that by the Whore Rome is vnderstood so likewise Ribera and Viegas the Iesuites vpon this place Tertullian of old spake to the same effect Tertul. contra Iudaeâ—s Babylon in Saint Iohn doth represent Rome being as great and as proud of her dominions and as tyrannizing ouer the Saints as euer Babylon was Ieronim 11. qu. ad Algasiam And Ierome saith According to the Reuelation of Saint Iohn in the sorehead of the queane clad in purple there was a name of blasphemy written to wit Rome the euerlasting See more touching this before Chap. 14. vers 8. and how that shift of heathen Rome being meant here is confuted whereunto wee may adde that heathen Rome cannot be meant because then Rome subdued the Kings of the earth by force and not by subtill inticements as this Babylon doth and because the Rome here spoken against shall bee vtterly destroyed for the sins found then therein when the time of destruction commeth but heathen Rome was not so destroyed and if Rome should at the last be destroyed for the idolatries of the Heathen this destruction must come for idolatries put downe many hundred yeeres agone which is contrary to the course of the Lords proceedings against sinfull places As for their last refuge to an apostasie yet to bee expected in Rome in regard of which it is thus spoken of here see also Chap. 14. vers 8. Touching the many waters whereupon this woman sitteth they are interpreted vers 15. to be peoples and Nations and tongues ouer which Rome ruleth by the power residing there And this circumstance of her sitting is varied euery time that it is spoken of Vers 3. Vers 3. She is shewed sitting vpon a beast of a purple colour full of names of blasphemy hauing seuen heads and ten hornes and vers 9. the seuen heads being spoken of are said to be seuen hills whereupon the woman sitteth Vers 9. She is shewed sitting thus diuersly for diuers respects shee sitteth vpon many waters because she ruleth ouer many peoples and Nations vpon a purple coloured beast because the Senators and Rulers of this State vnder the Emperours did weare purple and skarlet clothing ascribing diuine titles of honor vnto their Emperours in a blasphemous manner as the Cardinals by whom the Pope ruleth now doe vnto him being also likewise apparelled and vpon seuen hils because the City was anciently seated vpon seuen hills And this variation maketh it so plaine as that nothing can bee plainer than that Rome is meant by this Whore seeing no City in the world is so seated but Rome onely neither doth that periphrasis whereby this City is described vers 18. agree to any other This is the great City that hath rule ouer the Kings of the earth And this name Whore is chosen to expresse Rome the head of the Antichristian Sect for continuation of the allegory of a woman in the similitude of whom the Church appeared chap. 12. The true Church is a chaste and holy woman who keepeth her selfe only to the Lord to whom shee is married refusing to worship any other or to make any other partaker with him in his diuine titles and attributes The Antichristian Sect is a whorish woman together with the Lord worshipping Images and Saints departed and attributing that vnto the Pope which is proper to the Lord only wherein truly spirituall whoredome doth consist Touching the place the Wildernesse Vers 3. Brightman into which hee was led to see this sight some take Iohn carried hither for a type of such as should be able to see Rome to be the beast and the Pope to be the Whore tiding this beast they should bee obscure persons and such as in whom this light should be little expected euen as in a man liuing and brought vp in the Wildernes there is expected no great matter of learning knowledge Some expound the Wildernesse of Gentilisme wherein Popery indeed appeareth Bullinger for so much as the idolatries and superstitions of the Gentiles barren of good men as the Wildernesse is without people are the very attire wherein Popery marcheth Pareus Some hold that reference is had here to the woman before spoken of Chap. 12. flying into the Wildernesse in the time of heathen persecution being then chaste and beloued of God but now become an Whore by her manifold idolatries Lastly Forbs some hold that hee is carried into the Wildernesse as the fittest place for contemplation and he that will diue into any deepe mysteries must retire himselfe from all worldly incumbrances I hold with this my last Author that there is no mystery in this passage but as vpon other occasions it hath beene vsed Mat 4. Christ was carried by the Spirit into the Wildernesse to be tempted so here Iohn is carried into the Wildernesse to see this mystery onely that in so solitary a place there might be no interruption by the comming in of any man or any occurrence which vnusually hapneth in places more frequented whereunto if we adde that the Wildernesse is in
their leaues for medicine Compare the particulars together and you shall finde an excellent agreement betwixt these places so that I doubt not but in this vision it is alluded vnto that there the graces of the Church militant being represented here the glory of the Church triumphant betwixt which there is a great analogy and correspondency The riuer here is the Spirit of God who is most pure and holy proceeding from the Father and the Sonne who is also as a riuer of liuing waters in the Saints refreshing and comforting them without end The tree of life is Christ for so much as he onely is food to them that liue for euer and hereby it appeareth that this is spoken of the glorified estate of the Church because when a reward in heauen is promised to him that ouercommeth it is vnder these termes To him that ouercommeth I will giue to eat of the tree of life Chap. 2.7 And both in the riuer and this tree it is plainly alluded vnto Paradise out of which a riuer arose and wherein was the tree of life This one tree was manifold both in the midst of the street and on either side of the riuer because there is no want of it to the infinite multitude of Saints but euer ready there to yeeld food vnto them all And to shew the multiplicity of delights that are herein twelue sorts of fruits and fruit-bearing euery of the twelue moneths in the yeere is ascribed vnto it which doth also imply a tree alwayes flourishing neuer fading and the leaues are healthfull to the nations that is not as if sicknesse were now incident vnto them and they needed healing for all sicknesse and paine is done away but to declare their euer healthfull condition there being no lesse vse of medicine to preserue health than to restore it From hence forward all things are easie and need no interpretation vntill v. 10. howsoeuer some expound Iohns falling downe at the feet of the Angell to worship him Vers 8. Brightman vers 8. as an act repeated from Chap. 19.10 and not done the second time but it is plaine that hee was againe to blame herein hauing so soone forgotten himselfe after that admonition whereby we may see what the weaknesse of the best and of the most holy is if they bee not continually propped vp by Gods grace that we all may continually craue it out of an humble acknowledgement of our weaknesse much more and not presume in any case vpon our owne strength Vers 10. But Vers 10. it may bee doubted why Iohn is bidden not to seale vp this Prophecy and what the Angell meaneth by bidding him that is vniust to be vniust still for he saith Vers 11. Let him that is vniust be vniust still c. The common answer here is that sealing being vsed to keepe close writings that they may not be lookt into and read the Lord would not haue this Prophecy sealed because he would haue all his people to looke into it and vnderstand it as setting forth things which were shortly to begin to take effect Whereas Daniel is commanded to seale vp his Prophecy Dan 12.4 it was because it should bee a long time before it should take effect a certaine argument that Antichrist being the chiefe subiect of this Prophecy came long agoe and is not still to be expected Touching the other words Let him that is vniust be vniust still c. they are not spoken as intimating a leauing of euery one to the liberty of his owne will as Popish Writers doe hence collect but come aptly in here after the leauing of this Booke vnsealed mentioned For if it should be thought this will doe more hurt than good the wicked enemies of the truth being rather prouoked against the faithfull professors of it by hauing these things applyed against them the Lord careth not for this for he will soone come to giue them their payment for all so that the faithfull may bee comforted and the more setled in righteousnesse and holinesse◠thus some Bullinger Pareus And this indeed doth very fitly agree seeing the Booke left vnsealed to the reading and considering of all sorts is by the wicked but contemned they being no whit the more moued to a reformation Andreas Tho. Aquin. Some will haue these words to be spoken prophetically as if the Lord expected none other euent but a neglect of this prophecie amongst the wicked who would not be reformed at all hereby for thus it is plainly spoken in a like case in the Booke of Daniel Many shall be purified Dan. 12.10 Napier Eccles 11.9 but the wicked shall doe wickedly Some hold it to be ironicall as that in the Preacher Reioyce O young man in thy youth and walke in the wayes of thy heart c. but know that for all this God will bring thee to iudgement It is not amisse to follow any of these Expositions but I preferre the second vnderstanding the words as propheticall and withall I thinke that they haue reference to the former words about leauing the Booke vnsealed sealed for the speech concerneth alike the godly and the wicked and therefore cannot be ironicall Whereas the righteous are bidden to be righteous still Popish Expositors turning it Let the iustified be yet more iustified thinke that they haue a ground here for the increase of iustification after that a man is by faith iustified he may by his good workes make himselfe more iust but for so much as the righteous here is opposed to the vniust spoken of before and the holy to the filthy such righteousnesse must needs be vnderstood as is contrary to vnrighteousnesse viz. righteousnesse in fact and not the righteousnesse which is by faith wherein a man may and ought to grow daily but neither is the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thus rightly expounded for it is still noting perseuerance herein and not an increase of it for thus this word is vsed Vers 3. There shall be no curse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Chapter 10. the Angell sweareth That time shall not be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chap. 3.12 After this the Lord Iesus being described and they which shall be shut out of this City againe mentioned and the contents of this booke confirmed there is an inuitation to drinke of the water of life made to all that will Vers 17. Vers 1◠17. I am the root and the off-spring of Dauid and the bright morning starre And the Spirit and the bride say Come And let him that heareth say Come and let him that is a thirst come and whosoeur will let him take the water of life freely Christ calleth himselfe the root of Dauid in respect of his Diuinity and his off-spring in respect of his humanity and the bright morning Starre for the light of comfort which wee haue by him before the Sunne of glory ariseth that shall bee reuealed The Bride is the Church the Spirit speaketh in the