AS in a common field, a good Surveyor doth mea­sure out each intercommo­ners seuerall, by stake or by rod: so in the wide and common field of Christians, the [Page 2] Lord commandeth his seruant Iohn to survey and apportion out his Church and partage, which he seuereth from the residue of carnall Gospellers, and such like outcasts; in recommending vnto vs their inward frame and renewed graces, vnder the appellation and names of the Temple of God, the Altar, and them that adore therein: meaning, that as in the Tabernacle of the congregation, the holy and most holy places (wherein stood the Table of the Shew-bread, Can­dlesticke, Altar of incense, Arke, propi­tiatory and oracle of God, ouercouered within and without with Angell-gold, into which places none but the Priests might enter and adore) were separated by a vaile from the outer Court, where the brazen altar was erected for all the house of Israel to enter and sacrifice, and which therefore was called the Court of the people: so in the common field and Vniuersitie of Christians, they onely are the Church and heritage of God, which are sanctified in heart, and holy in life and couuersation, and separated (by the vaile of regeneration, that is to say, by the teares of true repentance, and the as­surance [Page 3] of pardon and reconciliation vn­to God in Christ Iesus, in grauen in the tables of their hearts by the finger of the Spirit) from all carnall professors and no­minall Christians, in whom is but an outward face and protestation of the name of Christ onely.

BVt as for those common Catholique Christians, here resembled to the base court which is without the Temple, because they are but ouercast onely with a pro­fession of my name, which heare my word and participate my Sacraments, and yet are separated by an vnregenerate heart, as by a vaile, from those Altars and Priests, in whom my name is honored: cast forth, saith the Lord, and measure not; for howsoeuer such vnleauened compa­nions seeme to boast in the name of my Church, & in the protestation of a Chri­stian [Page 4] calling, yet they are so farre from belonging to my peculiar, saith the Lord, as that I haue giuen them vp in reckoning with the reprobate of the Gentiles, and they shall iustifie mine ac­count and reiection of them, by their like vncircumcised cariage and heathe­nish conuersation: for they shall no lesse defile my holy Citie, that is to say, they shall no lesse hate, accuse, persecute, and keepe vnder water the true and sancti­fied Christian, then do the heathen and vncircumcised, as by ouer-long experi­ence is well knowne to the Church of God, which hath been, is, and shall be (till her captiuitie be returned) opposed for melancholy, mad, new, factious, schismaticall, hereticall, by Christian Ca­tholiques, politicians, Atheists, carnall Gospellers, and such heathenish pro­testors like to these.

And that the Church of God may not looke for other or better entertainment at these her intercommoners hands, she is here (by the predeterminate counsell of God) to be troden like a way by these Gentiles and heathenish Christians, two and fortie months, meaning months of [Page 5] yeares, euery month accounting (by pro­pheticall supputation) thirtie yeares, as in the verse following shall be further manifested; confounding therein the Re­misaries of Rome, who sweat to perswade that they are but months of dayes, there­by to turne the worlds eye from the great Antichrist that now is, to a pettie Antichrist which shall neuer come.

DVring which time of the Churches disgrace & desolatiō, for the greater comfort of her children and iudgement of her aduersaries, I will, saith the Lord; I, by a wonderfull outstretched proui­dence, will preserue vnto the world the light and power of my two testaments, to guide their knowledge and conuer­sation into the wayes of peace. Whereby the Lord manifestly reproueth the grosse and vaine expectation of those that translate his meaning in this place to [Page] the coming of Henoch and Elias: whereas of Henochs returne, either in flesh or in spirit, there is no syllable of promise in all the Scriptures; and as touching the spirituall returne of Elias promised, is already performed, as the Lord himselfe Mal. 4. 5. Mat. 11. 14 proueth.

Now touching the time of their kee­ping watch while the world sleepeth, the Lord voweth it shall be two and for­tie months before mentioned; which being dissolued into dayes, after the Ka­lender of the Hebrewes (whose yeare did driue thirtie dayes to euery month, and twelue months to euery yeare) a­mount to the iust number of 1260 dayes here specified: which computation of the yeares is obserued throughout the whole Bible, Daniel only excepted, who counteth after the vse and stile of the Caldeans, in whose tongue and amongst whom he wrote; and consequently the months being prophetical, that is to say, months of yeares, which to each account thirtie yeares, the reigne of Antichrist must needs endure 1260 yeares. Which maner of reckoning yeares by dayes, though it seeme strange, is vsuall not­withstanding [Page] with the Prophets of God, and therefore is called Propheticall, as Ezekiel a day for a yeare; and Daniels Ezek. 4. 6. Dan. 9. 24. seuentie weekes are weekes of yeares, e­uery weeke containing seuen yeares, as throughout this prophecie. Also the months are months of yeares, to euery month accounting thirtie yeares. From whence we conclude, Antichrists three yeares and a halfe, both here and in Da­niel, deciphered by a time, times, and half a time, to be yeares of yeares, euery yeare containing twelue moneths of yeares, which amount to 360 yeares, and mul­tiplied by three and a halfe, do in the to­tall amount to 1260 yeares.

And to the end the world may take better notice of these his two testifiers and preseruers of truth, the Lord com­mendeth the knowledge of the parties, by the description of their garments, in saying, they are cloathed in sackcloth; thereby not onely disseuering their te­stimonies from all the soft and courtly commentaries of flesh and blood, which for the most are raised with infected matter, and vested with affected stile; but also teaching vs that no man can re­taine [Page 8] to the Lord, before whom they mi­nister, vnlesse he serue in the same liuery that they doe, and can turne ouer the leaues of his life and pilgrimage in fast­ing and sackcloth, and true repentance, as these his seruants the Prophets and Saints haue done.

ANd these my two Testaments are those two oliue trees (saith the Lord) described by my Prophet Zechary, which stand and fructifie before the Ruler of the earth for euer and euer. For their leafe, that is to say, their word and iudge­ments shall neither wither nor fade, though heauen and earth should perish and melt away. And they are also two candlesticks, which carry in them the light of my truth, and power of my Spi­rit, the great moderator of heauen and earth.

ANd if any man shal wrest their word from the aime & intention of their meaning (saith the Lord,) or turne their prophecie out of the way, by peruerting or clipping the honour or purpose of their word, the fire of my wrath denoun­ced by the mouth of these my two testa­ments (for though they be two, yet they haue but one mouth) shall surely iudge and execute those louers and makers of lies: and for the more assurance of this sentence against them, the Lord doth iterate the curse and vengeance of his heauy displeasure, saying, And if any man will hurt them, so must he be slaine; mea­ning (I say) by hurting, all maner dimi­nishing of the words of their testimonie by false, blasphemous, and lying expo­sitions, as some haue done.

FOr the Lord hath touched the mouth of these his two Prophets, as he did y^e; mouth of Ieremie, and the rest of his ser­uants, of whom he saith, Behold, this day haue I set thee ouer nations and ouer king­domes, to plucke vp, roote out, destroy and throw downe, build and plant: and in ano­ther place, Therefore haue I cut them downe by my Prophets, and slaine them by the words of my mouth. Such priuiledge the Lord hath giuen to these his two Testaments, that if they once shut the heauens that it raine not in the dayes of their prophe­cie, that is to say, if they denounce a fa­mine of the bread of life, to wit, the word and knowledge of God; or pronounce a sword to come vpon a nation, kingdom or people, which the Lord here signi­fieth by turning waters into blood; or if it pleaseth them to prophesie (which [Page 11] the Lord here calleth to strike) of any pestilence, earthquake, or other iudge­ment to come, such power is giuen them, that if they say the word, it is done, as it is written, Heauen and earth shall perish, but the words of their prophecie shall not passe, till all be fulfilled.

ANd when his seruants the Prophets and Apostles shal haue fulfilled their course, and be translated from the land of their labours to the land of rest, lea­uing to the world the inheritance (as it were) of their ministery sealed vp in the two Testaments of God, to preserue the feare of his name and the knowledge of his pleasure among the sonnes of men, which the holy Ghost calleth finishing their testimonie; Antichrist the Beast, whose proper place whence he is and whither he must, is here described by the name of the depth, shall not onely [Page 12] hurt and wound them by slanderous & lying expositions, as his Clerks and As­sects do, but shall set his feet vpon their necks, and tread downe their diuine au­thoritie by the aduancing of his cursed keyes and the beautie of his whorish Church aboue them, which the Spirit calleth waging battell, inhibiting them to prophecie or teach the words of their testimonie vulgarly. And not onely put­ting them to silence, but also reprouing, condemning them for corrupters, sedu­cers and sowers of heresies among the people; which presumptuous blasphe­mie and murder, the Spirit discouereth in saying that he shall ouercome them and kill them.

ANd the letter or text of their testi­monie, which the Spirit calleth their corps or carkeises, shall remaine in their houses, Cels, Temples, hang [Page 13] at their girdles through all the cities and kingdomes where the Beast and his Church is adored; which in regard of their number be here named the great Citie, so in respect of their execrable wor­ship and adulterous seruice, contrary to God and his holy Citie, they are here called also spiritually Sodome; meaning, that as Sodome her sister did forsake the lawfull vse and prescription of nature, and wrought filthinesse against nature; so these loathing truth, and louing lyes, should erect strange oblations and propitiations, as contrary to the offerings and satisfactions of the Saints, as was the sinne of Sodome opposite to nature.

And the Spirit further calleth them by the name of Egypt, for that in blind­nes and hardnes of heart they euery way match the presumptuous and indurate Egyptians, still pursuing and persecu­ting the truth, as Pharaoh did Israel, till the God of Israel destroy them by the Spirit of his mouth, as he did Pharaoh and his hoast by water.

And in further detestation of the cruel murder and immanitie of this Beast and his adherents, the holy Ghost layeth the [Page 14] blood of the Prince of the Couenant to their charge also, as cunningly as they thinke to conuey his murder, and post it ouer to Ierusalem. For as the Lord doth lay the blood of his seruant Abel to the charge of the Scribes and Pharises of his owne time, although hee were slaine long before those Pharises were borne or Ierusalem builded, because they were the very image and liuely imitation of his brother that murthered him: so the holy Ghost doth here lay the innocent blood of the Lord of glory to the charge of this crucifier and his citizens, because they are the children and generation of that high Priest and those murderers which cried, Away with him, crucifie him, crucifie him. And that wee should not maruell thereat, the holy Ghost in ano­ther place goeth further, and saith, In her shall be found the blood of the Apostles and Prophets also, and all that euer for the testi­monie of the truth were slaine on earth.

ANd all nations and kingdoms where the Beast is worshipped (whom the holy Ghost for their prophanation in life and religion, calleth Gentiles) shall haue, handle, and gaze vpon the letter and corps of his two witnesses three days and a halfe, that is to say, the time, times, and halfe a time, wherein the Beast shall reigne and persecute, euen three pro­pheticall yeares and a halfe, accounting (as in Ezekiel) all dayes for yeares. Nei­ther shall they suffer the word of their prophecie to be read, opened, vnder­stood, and laid vp in the hearts of the people, the true and natural monuments and sepulchers, wherein the testimo­nie of their words ought to be inter­red.

ANd all the worshippers of the Beast here noted for their number by the inhabitants of the earth, shall clap their hands ouer their owne inuentions, and reioyce in the death of the truth, and make merry with bonefires, Vigils, Festi­uals, Processions; and in token of ioy, they shall send (as the Spirit saith) gifts one to another. Kings and Princes and people shal present and endow the Beast and his Church with donations, immu­nities, possessions, gold and siluer offe­rings, and the Beast (on the other side) shall requite their kindnesse with titles, bels, pardons, buls, and such like: and the Spirit yeeldeth a reason of this their wicked and vngodly comfort, be­cause they had put out the eyes of his two Prophets, that their whoredomes and prophanations might not be repro­ued; then which, nothing can be greater [Page 17] torment to the wicked, nor more vnsa­uory to them that perish.

ANd forasmuch as in the death and extermination of Antichrist by way of dependancie, consisteth the life and resurrection (as it were) of the Scrip­tures; the Spirit foresheweth, that after the reigne and persecution of the Beast, which here (as in the ninth verse) is de­termined by three dayes and a half, God will raise vp faithfull & prudent Priests, Shepherds of vnderstanding hearts, who shall rightly diuide the words and testi­monies of his two witnesses; which the holy Ghost signifieth, in saying that the spirit of life from God entred into them: for as the letter and text of the Scripture is the corps thereof, so their true intent and meaning is the spirit and life of them; and by the faithfull ministery of [Page 18] such as the Lord shall raise in and about that time, and for that purpose, the testi­monie of his two Prophets shall be resto­red to their strength, and (as it were) to their walking againe, which the Spirit signifieth in saying they stood vpon their feete, as well to the terror and astonish­ment of all lying and stipulous exposi­tors, as to the feare and admiration of the children and iustifiers of wisedome, as the holy Ghost concludeth, saying, And great feare fell vpon all that saw them.

ANd the restauration of the true meaning of the Scriptures, which their enemies so long kept vnder by all vniust and cunning shifts, shall be more famously knowne and published, then that they may any longer hinder or stop the glorious course of their wonderfull instauration, which the Spirit intendeth in saying that he heard a voice from hea­uen [Page 19] saying, Come vp hither; meaning that it should be more possible for their ene­mies to stay Elias chariot from ascen­ding, or pull the wind backe from pur­suing his point, then to resist the wise­dome of the same, the which shall vindi­cate the abuse of the Scriptures, and by the power of their ministery (as in the strength of a cloud) shall hold them vp, and restore them to their spirituall and heauenly meaning againe: and the Beast with all his sorcerers and liers, which haue been their long and ancient ene­mies, shall see the glorie of their regene­ration, and wonder, and die.

ANd at such time as it pleased God to begin his worke of instauration, and to cause the dayspring of his Gospel to shine out of the night of Antichrists [Page 20] darknesse; the abominable and desolate prophanation of the Beast, which had so long time ouercast the earth, was in such sort discouered, that the very roote of his throne and vsurped authoritie was dangerously shaken, which the holy Ghost closely foldeth vp, in saying, there was made a great earthquake. And further foresheweth, that out of this concussion there should arise so great defection, that the tenth part of his worshippers should reuolt from him, and that this reuolt and defection must cost the liues of ma­ny thousand men, which the Spirit vtte­reth in a maner of speech strange to vs, but vsuall with the Scriptures, calling men names of men, as Chap. 3. 4. and meaning by seuen thousand many thou­sand, vsing the determinate number of seuen indefinitely and for a number in­determinate, as it is also in Scripture of­ten. Which broiles and bloodshed con­cerning the institution of religion, are so sufficiently reported in the Commen­taries of Bohemia and Germanie, and in the troubles of France and Flanders, and other nations, as if it were purposely re­gistred in proofe of this prophecie.

Lastly, the Spirit concluding foretel­leth that many kingdomes in this de­fection should quite forsake the Beast, and haste them out of Babylon home a­gaine to build the wals of Ierusalem, and to restore the morning and the euening sacrifice of praise and thanksgiuing, as in the former time and in the dayes of old, in saying, And the rest were cast into a feare, and gaue glorie to the God of heauen.

THe first woe was the blasphemie of Arianisme, which the holy Ghost in the ninth Chapter most aptly resem­bleth vnto a smoake ascending from the depth, saying, that the Sunne was darkened, and the aire with the smoake of the pit; mea­by the Sunne the Sonne of God, and by the aire the word of his truth, by whose onely meane and interposition, the ob­iect of his Deitie was truly discerned; and in regard of this first woe which was kindled by Arius, wherewith the inha­bitants of the earth (as the Spirit foretold [Page 22] vs) should be tormented fiue moneths, meaning moneths of yeares, which by propheticall account amounteth to one hundred and fiftie yeares, which was the time of the Arian persecution, as in the Ecclesiasticall histories more plainly ap­peareth. The holy Ghost, I say, in regard of this first woe, calleth the tragicall reigne of Antichrist the second woe, whose long time of tyrannie within this Chapter in a generall maner is declared, and in the thirteenth Chapter follow­ing more particularly and exactly disco­uered; though at the writing of this pro­phecie, it had his being only in the fore­knowledge of God, and was not yet be­gun to be acted, much lesse fully ended: yet in respect it is here in a generall ma­ner fully reuealed, the Lord (to whom all things past and to come are present) saith, the second woe is gone, vpon determi­nation whereof the third woe must en­sue, which, for it surpasseth both the former in terror and greatnesse, the holy Ghost bringeth it in with a word of au­dience, Behold, the third woe will come, mea­ning the great and terrible day of the Lord, fore denounced by his seruants the [Page 23] Prophets, in the which all nations shall stand as prisoners before him, and re­ceiue euery one according to the wayes wherein their heart hath walked.

And because the day of the Lords co­ming in glorie and consummation of the world shall not long tarry after the determination and consumption of An­tichrist, (as in the last verse of the thir­teenth Chapter following shall be more fully declared) the holy Ghost addeth the word quickly, as a precise note of his speedie coming, which our Lord also in another place confirmeth by a like word immediatly, saying, And immediatly after the tribulation of those dayes (speaking of Math. 24. the tyrannous reigne of the selfe same Antichrist) they shall see the Sonne of man coming in the clouds of the aire.

THe vnderstanding of this verse de­pendeth vpon the eighth Chapter, where it is said, And when he had opened the seuenth seale, there was made silence in heauen, &c. and I saw seuen Angels stand in the sight of God, and there were giuen them seuen trumpets &c. where the holy Ghost meaneth by the Lamb the Sonne of God, and by opening the seuenth seale, a more particular discouery of all such things as concerne the estate of his Church from his ascension to his com­ming in maiestie, diuided into seuen acts, declared by seuen trumpets, soun­ded by seuen Angels, of which acts the sixt was the pageant of the desola­tion of Antichrist, the seuenth and last is the coming of the Lord in the clouds of heauen, and consummation of the world, vttered in these words, And the se­uenth Angell sounded with a trumpet, and with a loud voice proclaimed the kingdome of this world, so long time vsurped by Mo­narks and Antichrists, which by right of Lordship and inheritance, did euermore belong to the God of heauen and Prince of the Couenant, shall now at length be restored to the right Lord and lawfull [Page 25] owner, and of his reigne, dominion, and glorie, there shall be no end, as the Spirit concludeth, saying, And he shall reigne for euer and euer, Amen.

BY the foure and twenty Elders is meant the testimonie of Moses and the Pro­phets, who for that they spake by the se­uen fold Spirit of maiestie which bur­neth night and day about the throne of God, are here said to sit on their seates in the sight of God. And for that their iudgements denounced frō time to time against Antichrist and his worshippers, are now iustified vpon them, and the e­uerlasting kingdome of the Lord their God (who hath stretched his wings from sea to sea, and from the Riuer to the end of lands) is now set vp for euermore; [Page 26] therefore the Spirit saith, that they fell on their faces, and adoring the iustifica­tion of God, brake foorth in praises and thanksgiuing, saying, We thanke thee Lord God omnipotent, &c.

ANd all kingdomes, nations and peo­ple which haue euill intreated Ie­rusalem, and made a sport of the shame and affliction of Iacob, shal now reap the fruit of their sauage & heathenish liues, and (mauger their furie) shall endure the wrath and iudgement of him, who with iustice iudgeth and fighteth, as the Spi­rit affirmeth, saying, And the Gentiles were angrie, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead to be iudged. And the Spitit further testifieth, that the Lord (for whose glorie that day is made) shall ren­der [Page 27] to euery one their due hire or wages, (for so the originall importeth, com­monly interpreted reward,) first to his Saints and seruants, and all that ouer­come, their hire and wages, which by promise and for his owne name sake is due vnto them; next, to all execrable A­theists, blasphemous Catholiques, incre­dulous heathen, liers, heretiques, carnall Gospellers, and all other brazen and vn­regenerate Christians, the hire and wa­ges, which to their works, and deeds, and merits is due, as the Spirit concludeth, saying, And to render reward vnto thy ser­uants the Prophets and Saints, and to them that feare thy name, little and great, and to destroy them that haue corrupted the earth.

But concerning this seuenth age, wherein the Lord shall come in maiestie to iudge the quicke and the dead, the holy Ghost deferreth yet a while to speak more particularly thereof, and resumeth more exactly to intreat of the terme and persecution of Antichrist and his accom­plices against the Church and Spouse of Christ, that so the glory of his iustice in their iust condemnation and iudgement may be more bright and manifest.

THE Apostle hauing drawne in the former part of this prophecie a slight draught (as it were) and designement of Antichrist, doth now in the prophecie following revisit and per­fect the discouery of the Beast, and hang him vp to the view and discerning of heauen and earth. And to the end that this his work of manifestation may carry in it faire and vncontrollable credit, the Apostle in this verse assureth vs, that he reuealeth no other word concerning the Church & her pressours here on earth, during the personal absence of her Lord, then that which he heard at the Councel table of God, which he deliuereth in a maner of speech vsuall with the Pro­phets. And the Temple of God was opened in heauen, and the Arke of his couenant was seene in the Temple, alluding to the Tem­ple of Ierusalem, and signifying there­under, [Page 30] that the words of this his Reuela­tion are no lesse sooth and true, then if he had receiued them from the Oracle of God, which spake from ouer the Arke of his testament within the Temple of Ie­rusalem, whose words and answers, for their diuinitie, maiestie, power and glo­rie, are here as elsewhere figured by voi­ces proper to God, and not to man, as lightnings, thunders, earthquakes, and haile.

BVt before the Spirit takes in hand to discouer the persecuters of the Church, it pleaseth him first to describe the Church it selfe, that so the barba­rous immanitie of her enemies may be more apparent and iustly abhorred, be­ing vsed against a creature of such virgi­nal, innocent and patient modestie, who for her rare and admirable beauty is here called a great signe, or heauenly appariti­on, symbolizing her fearfull, modest, so­ber [Page 31] and matronlike behauiour, with the appellation and qualitie of a woman; for so she is in holy Scriptures often cal­led, the fairest woman, the Kings daughter, daughter of Sion, daughter of Ierusalem, the Spouse of Christ, Mother of the iust, &c. And to the end she may the better be dis­cerned of vs, the Apostle describeth her garments and wearing, saying, she was cloathed with the Sun, meaning that she had put on the Lord Iesus, Sonne of iu­stice, that is to say, her soule was vested with an assurance of the mercie and loue of God in Christ Iesus her Lord; which iustice or iustification of the Spouse and her children, is called in holy Scripture by way of metaphor, the white stone, and the wedding garment. For as a stoale or gar­ment couereth the shame and nakednes of our vile bodies: so the mercy and loue of God, insured vs in Christ Iesus our Lord, hideth the shame and nakednesse of our sinfull soules. And to proue that her garment was truly wouen of the two diuine threds, to wit, the assurance of mercie & the assurance of loue in Christ Iesus her Lord; the Spirit giueth in for euidence, the fruits of this her liuely and [Page 32] iustificall faith, closely hiding her new­nesse of life, her hatred of sinne, and her loue of God, as vnder a vaile, in these words, And the Moone vnder her feet; sig­nifying thereby that she had now quite forsaken & forgotten her fathers house, that is, had slaine her naturall sinfull and wonted affections, and was reuiued and renewed in mind, and with her Lord was now risen and ascended vp, as he into the heauen of heauens, so she to a new custome and cariage of life, far aboue and higher then the Moone: for all her study and hearts delight was now in hea­uen, where her hope, her loue, her life, and her dearest Lord liueth & reigneth, God, to be praised for euer and euer, A­men.

Last of all, the Spirit setteth forth her head attire, whereby her honour and e­state was best knowne, and wherein she most delighted, saying, that she wore on her head a crowne made of a mettall much finer then gold, for it was made of the doctrine of the twelue Apostles, who for that they are the Lords lights and lanternes to guide the feet of sinners when sinne hath benighted them, are [Page 33] here called by the names of Starres, And on her head a crowne of twelue starres.

ANd by the words which her eares receiued, her heart conceiued, and she was great with feare and godly sor­row, trauelling vnder the burthen of her sinnes, and restlesse desire to be reconci­led to God: which anguish and paines of her sorrowful heart and broken spirit, the Apostle most excellently compareth to the sorrowes of a woman in trauell. In which her spiritual labour and paine, she could by no meanes be relieued or eased, vntill her Lord were fashioned in her, that is, vntill her heart were san­ctified by faith: for no Treacle could heale her miserable wounded soule, but the assurance of mercie onely, nor any water could quench the burning flames of her restlesse desire, but the loue of God onely, insured her in Christ Ie­sus her Lord, and written in the fleshly [Page 34] tables of her heart by the finger of God, according to his promise, his first and last and euerlasting couenant.

AS night doth follow day, and the shadow the body; so must the Crosse follow Christ, and affliction his Church; whose Sunne could no soo­ner shine, but the enuious man raised vp a mightie storme of persecution to cloud the brightnesse of her beautiful beames; which for the extraordinary furie there­of, the Apostle calleth a wonder or signe, meaning the Churches first and primi­tiue persecution raised by Ethnik Rome, who for his power, immanitie and malice to the Church of God, is here called a great red Dragon; and both for that his Throne and Citie was seated on seuen hils; as also for that he was in all im­pietie, pride and prophanation, the totall summe and epitome (as it were) of all [Page 35] the seuen Monarchies, vnto whom (from the beginning of time, to the end there­of) was giuen and granted the charter and commission of blaspheming God & corrupting his world (as in the thirteenth Chapter following is more particularly discouered) the Apostle addeth, hauing seuen heads.

And in regard his power did beate down the power of all nations, and made spoile and purchase of all kings & king­domes on earth, the Spirit saith, he had ten hornes: for the hornes signifie kings and kingdomes, and the number of ten include all, be they neuer so many, as all numbers are made of ten, and their redu­plication, be they neuer so infinite.

And because he came to aduance his head so high by the power of his sword, his Leaders and legions, the Spirit crow­neth his heads with magnificence and diadems, saying, And on his heads seuen diadems.

THe head of this great red Dragon, was his Regall first estate, gouerned by Romulus & six other successiue king­coates, which Seneca calleth his infancie or nonage, wherein he liued swathed and nourished in blood 244 yeares, as his owne Historian reporteth.

The bodie of this great red Dragon, was his Consuls second estate, which Se­neca calleth his full age, part Aristocrati­call, part Democraticall, and was there­fore stiled, Senatus populusque Romanus: from whence partly by reason of his o­uerweight and fulsome abundance, as one of his owne noteth, Romana laxitas mundi & rerum amplitudo damno fuit; and partly for want of enemies abroad to wreake their proud and kingly humours on, he fell into the intestine euill of ci­uill warres at home, which did cast him into his minoritie and wardship a­gain.

And this his last estate of regiment Imperiall, the holy Ghost here calleth [Page 37] his taile, which consisteth of a rout of Monarchs, seuentie Keysars long, who for that they so furiously persecuted and hauocked the blood of the chiefest Saints and seruants of God, the Spirit saith that with his cursed taile he drew the third part of the starres of heauen, and cast them to the earth.

And not contented with the slaugh­ter of his fairest lights and starres of his Church, proceeded to desolate the whole hoast of heauen, euen all the seed of the Spouse, named before the Chur­ches child, and here her sonne, meaning those in whom by the ministery of his fairest starres (his seruants the Apostles) Christ was now formed, and of whom the Church was now ready to be deli­uered; for so much the Apostle vnfol­deth in these words, And the Dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be de­liuered, that when she should bring forth, he might deuoure her sonne.

BVt notwithstanding all their furie, the Church brought forth her first fruit, which for their faith, charitie, la­bour and patience, the Spirit nameth a man child: and because they followed the Lord in the regeneration, and ouercame by keeping his words and works vnto the end, they receiued the selfe same ho­nour which to their Lord alone and in chiefe belongeth, namely, that they shall iudge the Tribes of Israel, and haue dominion ouer the nations, and shall rule them with a rod of iron, and breake their glorie like a pot­ters vessell, as the Lord hath promised, Math. 19. and Apoc. 2.

And in remembrance of the tender care and prouidence of God ouer the seed and first fruit of his Church, the Spirit concludeth, that when they had ended their course, they were taken vp to God and to his throne, far from the reach and rage of their enemies.

BVt the Church of God, here named the woman, mother of this faire and primitiue fruit, being no longer able to weather out her stormes, was enforced to hide her beautie, and to retire her selfe into the secret chambers of Gods proui­dence and her owne conscience, and to take vp her lodging in the desart; not that her light was vtterly extinguished, as her enemies reproch her: for although she were dispersed, distressed, and enfor­ced to hide her extraordinary and emi­nent graces; yet the beautie of her true repentance and of her liuely faith, secon­ded with a charitable life and patient ex­pectation of better things to come, still shined as a candle in a darke place; and like a ship preserued in a tempest, she re­mained stil the same, of whom the world was not worthy; neuer wanting the lo­uing protection of her dearest Lord, [Page 40] who in all her troubles was mindfull of her, as of Elias his seruant, or Israel his first borne; carefull to prouide her both of honorable harbour and princely diet. Her resting place was restlesse, strewed and scattered far and neare ouer the face of the earth; for such a lodging did best beseeme her broken and restlesse heart, which soiourned in earth, but dwelt in heauen; and did also best defend her per­son from the furious inquisitions of her enemies.

Neither was her Lord lesse louing and prouident concerning her food, for he preserued for her diet the two witnesses of his eternall Couenant, that from their breast she might sucke the pure and wholesome milke of grace and life, that so she might be both nobly harboured and princely fed during the tedious and odious reigne of the great Whore the Church of Rome, who during her exile should vsurpe her Chaire, and vnder the vizard of her name should persecute her name and generation a thousand two hun­dred and sixtie yeares, here (as before) my­stically deciphered vnder a thousand two hundred and sixtie dayes.

ANd at the same time that the Tem­ple of God was opened in heauen, the Apostle also foresaw that great and bloody contention, then which (since the dayes of heauen) was neuer waged greater; great in regard of the armies, and great in respect of the cause.

The armies great, as well for the great­nesse of the Generals, as for the valour and number of their forces.

The Generall on the one side, was the power of God, sciphered by Michael the Prince of the Couenant, who stood for the children and people of the Highest. The Generall on the other side, was the power of Satan, figured by Ethnicke Rome, here (as before) called the Dra­gon.

In their forces are to be considered the Leaders and the souldiers. The Lea­ders and the Captains on the part of Mi­chael were Diuus Petrus, Diuus Paulus, [Page 42] Di [...] Iohannes, and the rest of that di­uine and noble order of Saints. And on the Dragons part were Leaders and Chieftaines, diuus Tiberius, diuus Caligu­la, diuus Claudius, diuus Nero, and the rest of that most filthy and execrable traine.

So great was the multitude and num­ber of souldiers, that none of what de­gree, sex, age, or condition soeuer, but must be prest for the one side or for the other; the valour and vertue of the soul­diers exceeded all praise; few subdued many, the weake ouercame the strong, a handfull of Christians a world of infi­dels.

The cause was great, and higher then the heauens; whether God or Belial, Christ or Iupiter, Christianisme or Pa­ganisme were more venerable for anti­quitie, maiesticall for amplitude, more constant for continuance, and in all o­ther respects of wisedome, honour and maiestie more worthy to be embraced and adored of the sonnes of men; which was for life contended by the Dragon, his Angels and assects, and was for life withstood and disapproued by Michael and his Angels, and their followers. [Page 43] The issue of this contention followeth.

AS the battell was great, so was the victory glorious: for though the Dragon with his sapient Senates, his prophane Angels, and his vncleane ab­bettors, intended all their forces, mouing (as it is in prouerb) heauen and earth to make roome for the abomination of Iupiter, and to keepe vnder water the e­uerlasting Lord and Prince of the Coue­nant; as among the many monuments of time is sufficiently proued and main­tained by Orosius, and by him to whom he wrote in his booke de Ciuitate Dei; yet the Spirit foreseeing the Dragons folly, and how in vaine he kickt against the spurre, in scorne of his presumption saith, But he preuailed not; and conclu­ding affirmeth, that the possession of hea­uen (so long time vsurped by incestuous murtherers, and execrable curtizans, gods and goddesses of their owne forge­ing) must be resigned now to the true [Page 44] Lord and owner of all, who hath taken his place at the right hand of the Father, and hath deposed for euer from their v­surped titles of deitie, all gods and god­desses, phantasmes made of wormes, created and diuified by the inuentions, relations, consecrations, and canonizati­ons of the Dragon, his Taile and succes­sors, as the Spirit discouereth in saying, Neither the place of them was found any more in heauen.

ANd the great and prophane power of the Romane monarchie, which had so long time oppressed and corrup­ted the earth, was now at length detect­ed, and thereupon disseized of, and from her vsurped claime of heauen for euer, as the Spirit discouereth in saying, And that great Dragon was throwne downe.

And for that the diuell did corporally dwell (as it were) in her, spreading the beames of his wickednesse at full, in all idolatrie, impietie and presumption a­gainst God, and in all oppression, in­iustice and immanitie towards man; the Spirit crowneth her with the cogno­ments of her sire, calling her, for her ma­lice to the truth, a Serpent; for her crimina­tion of the Saints, a diuell; and for hosti­litie to God and his Saints, Satanas: spea­king therein after the maner of the Lord himself, who calleth his trecherous stew­ard a diuel, thogh he were a man, because the fulnesse of Satan did dwel in him, fil­ling his heart with such a perfect hatred of his innocent Lord, & lamentable loue of his guiltie penie, y^t he sold Canaan for Egypt, heauen for hell, & God for siluer.

And because the impietie of gouer­nours, is not onely their owne decay by euill doing, but also by enforcement and euill example the ruine of their peo­ple; the Spirit layeth the seduction of the whole earth to the charge of the Dra­gon, for the ruling it after the leuell and prescription of Rome, saying, which se­duceth the whole world; and thereupon gi­ueth [Page 46] iust iudgement and sentence of death against him, namely, that as in his beginning he crept out of the earth, and by the scale of his wickednesse ascended so high, as to presume to thrust his haughtie head into heauen, and build his neast aboue the starres, as did his an­tecessors, Assur, Beltassar, Darius, Alex­ander, and the rest of their compeeres: so by a like power of sword and crueltie, he shall shortly returne to his friends again, and be made euen with the earth, from whence his stocke and first estate was borrowed; and the power of his Cesars, councell of his Senators, sophistrie of his Sorcerers (which with such indurate and obstinate mindes stood for the honour and worship of diuels) should be no lon­ger able to vphold the reuerence of their Iupiter Capitolinus, who was now detec­ed for a rogue, and by the voices of Michaels Angels (as by whips and pasports) was sent home againe to the place of his birth, namely the earth, from whence his mortall and vile genealogie was taken, and with him also were Cesars vndiuified, and (for all their Senates proud relations) were made [Page 47] to take vp the graue for their latter end, and shame for their fame, and wormes for their heritage, as the Spirit foretel­leth, saying, And he was cast downe vnto the earth, and his Angels were throwne downe with him.

NEither was this famous victorie ob­tained in a corner, or spoken in the eare, but (as the Spirit reporteth) so va­lorously gotten, and so audibly proclai­med, that all the world heard the report thereof, witnesse the records of those times, at which the holy Ghost pointeth in these words, And I heard a loud voice in heauen, saying, and sounding the victo­rie of Christ and Christianisme against the Dragon and his Angels, his sorcerers and their prophane and idolatrous paga­nisme; [Page 48] in these deuout & diuine notes, Now is made saluation, and force, and the kingdome of our God, and the power of his Christ; and yeeldeth a reason of this so pious and triumphant ioy, because the folly and fury of the Dragon and his An­gels, which so continually accused the Saints and seruants of God, for pestilent fellowes, mouers of sedition, maintainers of sects, polluters of the Temple, teach­ers of new gods, enemies to Cesar, word­sowers, babblers, blasphemers, is now vp­on setting and going downe for euer. Which death and downfall of their spi­rituall whoredome, the holy Ghost dis­closeth, in saying, because the accuser of our brethren is cast forth.

And for the greater comfort of the Church and iudgement of her enemies, concludeth, that there is a perfect court­roule kept, as wel of the sufferings of the Saints, as of the slanders of their foes, so openly committed in the face of the Court, and before a Iudge of so cleare a sight and eternall memory, as that they shall neuer be discharged or forgotten, the Spirit inferreth, saying, who accused them before the sight of our God day & night.

LAst of all the holy Ghost discouereth the spirituall armour and weapons wherewith the Angels and seruants of Michael obtained this famous victory o­uer the Dragon and his sectaries, and saith, that they were tempered of these two diuine vertues, faith and patience. For by the shield of faith, which the Spi­rit (by a metonymie) calleth, the blood of the Lamb, and with the sword of his two witnesses, and by the word of their testi­monie, they ouerthrew all forces and ar­guments drawn from reason or reading, which the Spirit obserueth in these words, And they ouercame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testi­monie, and all such arguments as were drawne from the blocke, as fire, sword, persecution, interdiction, and such like, the children of the Church quenched them with teares, prayers, patience and martyrdome, as their Lord had giuen them charge, and left them example; [Page 50] which the Spirit vncouereth in saying, And they loued not their liues euen vnto the death.

AS after victory followeth diuision of spoile, so the Spirit shuts vp this heauenly conquest with triumph and ioy, inuiting thereunto all the Saints and seruants of God, which haue from time to time maintained and defended the honour of his name against the Dra­gon, his sorcerers and sorceries. And be­cause by their good profession and godly conuersation they testified the glorie of God (as doe the heauens) by their obedi­ent conuersions, the Spirit crowneth them with the name of the heauens, say­ing, Therefore reioyce O heauens, and you that dwell in them.

And on the other part, pronounceth woe, first to all nations and kingdomes [Page 51] accessary to these spirituall whoredomes of the Dragon, whom (according to their earthly mind) he most aptly resem­bleth to the earth; next, to the Empire it selfe, as the scelerum caput and stable of iniquitie, whom for his fearfull power and vnbridled rage, the Spirit most ele­gantly calleth by the name of the Ocean and the sea: and concludeth his woe with a reason why, because both in one and o­ther, the power of Satan had taken such deepe roote, that the more the light of the truth did bewray their madnesse, the more they stroue and stormed against it; and so much the rather, because their sinne was now at the highest; and that the kingdome of Christ did gather so fast vpon them, that of necessity a mu­tation of their fortunes must needs fol­low, with a subuersion not onely of their Paganisme, but also of their power Cesa­ricall, which the Spirit closely foldeth vp in these words, Knowing that he hath but a little time; which one Apostle also ob­serueth, 2. Thess. 2.

ANd when the raging Romane Em­pire saw that his maintenance of Iupiter and his idol art of making shrines was to descend for euer, (as among many voices, some euen to this day are heard to crie vengeance vpon his idols, infor­cing them with shame to resigne their vsurped titles of gods and claime of hea­uen to the true Lord and owner thereof) he took the course of the wicked, whose custome is (as one of their owne noteth) malitia alia aliam trudere, and to adde sin to sin, (as a holy one saith) to quench his Deut. 29. thirst with drunkennesse: for so procee­ded this Beast, adding to his blindnesse boldnesse, redeeming his blasphemie with rage and persecution; and was so far from coming to himselfe, and taking vp repentance to wash away his crying sinnes, that (as the Spirit concludeth) he more and more pursued the Church, & persecuted the woman which brought [Page 53] forth her first borne and primitiue fruit, here called for their faith, their patience, and their godly valour the man child.

BVt the Lord, who had so dearly bought his Shunamite, was no lesse carefull to preserue and carry her to the place of her rest, with a strong and out­stretched prouidence, euen vpon his owne two wings, whose feathers were made of the truth of his promse, sealed and deliuered by the hand of his two witnesses, which the Bridegroom of pur­pose left with his Spouse, to accompanie and guide her whensoeuer she remo­ueth. If she trauell by day, they are her leading cloud; if by night, they are her pillar of fire: if she flie, they lend her wings; if she wander, they harbour her; if she be naked, they couer her; if in pri­son, [Page 54] they visit her; if captiue, they redeem her; if she be weake, they sustaine her; if blind, they leade her; if she be heauie, they comfort her; if sicke, they recouer her; if she doubt, they resolue her; if she erre, they direct her: if she thirst, they giue her to drinke; and if she hunger, they feed her, and make her so strong of constitution, that afflictions are reioy­cings to her, banishment a hauen, disper­sion a friend, losse and death aduantage. And by these comforts (as by hands) they conuey her to her solitude and restlesse place of rest, as the Spirit discouereth, saying, But there were giuen to the woman two wings of the great Eagle, that she might flie into the desart, vnto her resting place, where euer since her primitiue disper­sion she hath liued strewed and scattered far and neare ouer the face of the earth, seene and knowne of her Lord, by whom she is protected, and of the children of wisedome, of whom she is iustified: and so doth and must remaine hidden and re­tired into the priuie chambers of Gods prouidence and her owne conscience, during the reigne of Antichrist, whose curst and arrogant supremacy was to rise [Page 55] out of the ashes of the Dragons Emperi­oritie, as the holy Ghost prophecied.

And thus, hiding her eminent primi­tiue graces, must closely and silently keep the Lords watch, and stand vpon her ho­norable guard three propheticall yeares and a halfe, here (as in Daniel) determi­ned by a time, and times, and half a time, from the reach and rage of the Serpent, his taile and successors.

ANd when the Dragons traine of Ce­sars (who for their malice to the truth, and seducing the nations, are here called by the name of the ancient enemy and seducer of mankind the Serpent) saw that they could no longer hauocke the Church of God, by reason of her close sight and secret dispersion, they deuised to pursue her with their bloody edicts and sacrilegious constitutions, which they breathed out against her in such [Page 56] raging and furious maner, as the Spirit therefore resembleth the violence of their barbarous inquisitions and vn­princely rescripts vnto the vnmercifull rage and current of a flood, hoping that as by their vnplacable furie they had dis­persed and driuen the Spouse to cor­ners▪ so by the due execution of their cruell promulgations they might vtterly consume her generation, and blot out all letters of her honorable name; for to that white onely they aimed, as the Spi­rit concludeth, That he might make her to be caried away of the flood.

BVt in reliefe of the Churches pres­sures and persecutions, her Lord gaue charge vnto his handmaide the earth, to comfort, help and succour her his Spouse: and as Moab was charged to hide the chased Israel of God, and not bewray him that was fled and escaped, [Page 57] but to dwell with him, and to giue him couert and protection from the face of the destroyer; so here the earth was com­manded to reach forth her helping hand, and to take in and harbour the Lords ex­iles, in the seret chambers of her desarts, mountaines and caues, that so she might either affoord her close and quiet saue­guard, or in witnesse of her faith and proofe of her patience, receiue the blood which her cursed brethren spilt; which courtesie and tender fauour, the Spirit remembreth to the perpetuall praise of the benefactors of the Spouse, saying, But the earth holp the Woman, and opened her mouth, and swallowed vp the flood which the Dragon cast out of his mouth.

ANd notwithstanding the Dragon by his taile of Cesars had thus mas­sacred and dispersed the Church, yet [Page 58] was he not so satisfied, but for very rage fell into a melancholy mood, for cause he could not quite consume and roote her honour out, as the Spirit discloseth, saying, And the Dragon was wroth against the Woman.

And forasmuch as the Churches beau­tie did most shine in the East Syria, Greece, Asia, where she was borne and bred, the Dragon thought it his best (in policie, which euermore with him was held for chiefest religion) to itch and set forward his den, and hold his Court fur­ther East; which purpose of his, as close as it was, the holy Ghost discouereth, in saying, And he went; and noteth the true end wherefore he went, not so much to barricade and stop the floate and incur­sion of the barbarous enemie, as he (for­sooth) pretended, as to pursue and con­sume the dispersed remainder of the Spouse, as the Spirit vnfoldeth, saying, to make battell with the remnant of her seed, who for that they were iust of the ma­king and growth of the Churches first and primitiue fruite, holding the myste­rie of faith in a good conscience, as the first borne did, the Spirit setteth them [Page 59] forth in the same liuely colours, saying, which keepe the commandements of God, and haue the testimonie of Iesus Christ.

ANd the Dragō remoued his throne, and left his ancient seate and citie of Rome, where he had now kept court almost a thousand yeares, and went and pitched his throne anew in a hauen towne, betweene Pontus Euxinus and Propontis in the East of Thracia, anci­ently called Bysance, and there erected the new citie of Rome, and called it af­ter his owne name Constantinople the citie of Constantine; which translation of his residence and chaire of estate, one of his owne also noteth:

ANd presently vpon the remoue and translation of the Empire, the Apostle espied that wicked one, Antichrist, man of sinne, in saying, And I saw; who in regard of the tyrannous power and bloody vse of the vnbridled [Page 61] iurisdiction that should be giuen him, he is here termed (as in holy Scriptures other Monarchs are) A Beast, that is to say, a kind of gouernment, kingdome, dominion or power exercised and acted by a succession of tyrannous, bloody and beastly men.

And albeit his perfection in euill stood yet aloofe, and was very farre off, yong and tender, as lying in swathing clouts; yet the Apostle descrieth him, as it were through a chinke, in saying, coming vp. For after the translation of the Empire, and that now Ethnicke Rome began to play the Christian, he was wel­nigh a hundred yeares closely creeping and climing vp, before he could aduance his cursed head and claime of superemi­nencie. Concerning which ambitious puffe of vaine prioritie, so faire and eui­dent mention is made in the monu­ments of time, that the incredible bold­nesse of the aduersarie is no lesse mar­uellous then his incurable blindnesse, that hath so long time stumbled at this stone, and so often spurred vs by way of vaunting, to shew them (if we dare or can) when this apostacie of Antichrist [Page 62] tooke her rise and first commencement: which daring vaunt of theirs, the ho­ly Ghost tripping ouer as a thing which is or ought to be knowne vnto vs, namely, that the horne of Antichrist and his apostacie did then first sprout out, when his Church first obtained at the Dragons hand prioritie of place, suffrage and censure ouer all. For as the tree puls vp the creeping ivie, so the primacie of the Church of Rome pul­led vp the aspiring supremacie of the Bishop thereof; which Church prehemi­nence and prelation (after long ruffling and shouldring) was first obtained at the hands of Honorius (though afterwards vpon greater concertation and daggers drawing, it was by other Cesars and Kings confirmed, renewed and amplia­ted) who by the aduantage of the weak­nesse and death of his elder brother Ar­cadius, hauing obtained power and pro­tectorship East and West, subiected the Church of the East Empire (which most withstood the West and Romane supre­macie) with all other Churches whatso­euer, to the Church and Sea of Rome, at the instant suit and importunitie of the [Page 63] now Bishop of Rome, whose name was then Innocent the first, in the first yeare of his creation, and in the yeare of Re­demption 406.

But the holy Ghost (I say) passing o­uer the punctuall and exact moment of time, when the egge of Antichrist and his Apostacie was first laid, as otherwhere sufficiently preserued vnto vs, procee­deth to detect the place where and from whence he should arise, saying, that he saw him lift vp his hardy head from the sea, meaning by the sea, as in the six­teenth of this prophecie, the surging, tumbling and raging Sea and Citie of Rome, where also by a like loquution he calleth all kingdoms subiected to her by the name of riuers. And that this Beast should thence arise, and there (and not elsewhere) keep court and residence, the Spirit proueth by an argument drawne from the shape and proportion of the Beast, for he had the seuen heads and ten hornes of the Dragon, meaning that he should sit vpon the Dragons hils, and reigne in and ouer the Dragons ci­tie, and aray himselfe with the spoiles of the world, and hold in subiection the [Page 64] Kings and States on earth, as the Dragon did; for so much the Spirit intendeth in saying, hauing seuen heads and ten hornes. And lest the vnwary Reader should mis­take this great Antichrist for that great Dragon, or this Beasts supremacie and his pestilent succession for that Beasts su­pereminencie and his execrable taile (as many vnwarily haue done,) the holy Ghost in emblazoning his coate, giueth him a most exquisite difference, in say­ing that he wore his diadems, not vpon his heads, as the Dragon did, but vpon his hornes; signifying thereby that he should not come to his Crowne and vainglory by the strength of his sword, his Leaders and his legions, as the Dra­gon did, but by the base and voluntary submission of all such Cesars, Kings and Princes as should with one counsell and force, deliuer vp their authoritie and power secular to the deuotion and plea­sure of the Beast; and therefore the Spi­rit crowneth, not his heads, but his horns, saying, and vpon his hornes ten diadems. And concluding sheweth (euen by his head attire) how far vnlike this Dragons High-priest of Rome was and should be [Page 65] to the Lords High-priest of Ierusalem, who (in stead of hauing his head-attire emblemished with holinesse to the Lord, as had his seruant Aaron) should haue his head-peece beslubbered with names of blasphemie, and vpon his heads names of blasphemie, whereof proofe is made in the sixt verse following.

ANd forasmuch as the Apostle fore­saw that this Beast should be a far greater aduersarie, and a far longer per­secuter of the Church of God then any of the Monarchies which did arise afore him; he shapeth him an outside answe­rable to his inward making, framing his parts of the most notable persecuters that euer were; as concluding him for his extraordinary wickednesse the odde fellow, the totall summe and very accom­plishment [Page 66] of all other.

And first for his presumption, in extol­ling himselfe aboue the Prince of the Couenant, defouling his sanctuary, deso­lating his sacrifice, burning his statutes, and inforcing the humble and meeke to the abnegation of the truth, by blood, fire, strappadoes, and such like exquisite torments; the Spirit resembleth him to his arch-type Antiochus descended from the Monarch of Greece, here (as in Da­niel) deciphered by a Leopard, And I saw the Beast like a Leopard.

Secondly, in pride of life, in pomp and luxurie, the Spirit equalleth him with the Monarch of Persia, and likeneth his arrogant and voluptuous gate to her ten Kings, here (as in Daniel) deciphered by a Beare, And his feet as of a Beare.

Thirdly, the holy Ghost ascribeth vn­to him the proud, prophane and cursed mouth of the Mornarch of Babylon, in commanding the dwellers on earth (vp­on paine of fire and fornace) to adore his golden idoll, which he had dedicated with cornets, sackbuts, psalteries, dulci­mers; which also the Spirit couereth (as Daniel doth) vnder the maske of a Lion, [Page 67] And his mouth as the mouth of a Lion.

And last of all, lest happily he should be least beholding vnto his Bella Nim­pha, his dearest Lady and mistris of Rome, the holy Ghost saith, that the loue of his Patronesse the Dragon, was equal to the loue of a father towards his sonne; for she made him heire apparent and Lord of her Empire, subiecting all things to the feete of his censure, and confirming vnto him her throne and pallace of La­teran, with all the demefnes and glorie of Latium, as one of his owne also no­teth, Latiumque relinquit Christo, & Ro­muleam septem cum collibus vrbem.

ANd presently after this great Anti­christ was risen, the Apostle fore­saw such a wound giuen to one of his heads, that the Beast was in eminent danger to be stricken downe againe, and slaine in the very egge; for so much [Page 68] the Spirit noteth in saying, And I saw one of his heads as it were slaine to death. For the better opening of which woūd, we must not onely remember the Beast hath seuen heads, but we must also step a little forward, and craue the assistance of the seuenteenth Chapter concerning the interpetation of the seuen heads, which saith, that the seuen heads are seuen hils, and they are also seuen kings; discoue­ring the true seate and situation of the citie of Rome, where Antichrist should keep his court and residence, by the se­uen hils.

And by the seuen kings the seuen Mo­narchies, which from the beginning of the world to this day haue successiuely risen and reigned ouer the earth, of which seuen, the Assyrian monarchie was the first, and the Romane the sixt, of both which and their pue-f [...]llowes, is further reuealed in the seuenteenth Chapter following. Meane time we are here to obserue, that as the holy Ghost doth therefore call his seuen heads by the name of seuen hils, because the seate of Antichrist should be there, and not elsewhere placed and planted; so he na­meth [Page 69] them also seuen kings, because the power of Antichrist should be an extra­ordinarie soueraigntie, compounded of such spiritual and temporall claimes and iurisdictions, as should be equiualent in presumption and prophanation, to all the transgressions of the seuen monar­chies, which from the beginning hither­unto haue blasphemed God and corrup­ted his world.

This foundation layd, doth shew, that this deadly wound giuen to one of his heads, which (as after appeareth) was the wound of a sword, cannot be meant of any one of his heads after the first signi­fication, as they are hils, but as they are kings, and subiect to the sword: and so by consequence intendeth that one of his Imperiall heads, and namely his faire Adonis, his minion, lord and master of Rome, of whom he had so lately recei­ued his breath and being, was so deadly wounded, as that the Beast himselfe thereby was in great danger of extinctiō. Thus hauing found the head, let vs look vnto the wound, that so we may the bet­ter discerne the great danger the Beast was in, deliuered in these words, as it [Page 70] were slaine to death. This deadly wound was giuen and driuen home to the head, by the sword and incursion of the West Gothes, vnder the leading of Alaricus, who in the nineteenth yeare of Cesar Honorius (of whom the Beast some foure yeares before had receiued his life) en­tred Italy, and gaue such a deadly stroke vnto his powerfull pate, that for very feare the Beast lockt himselfe vp in his den at Rauenna, while the enemy ript vp the streetes of his Imperiall citie, filling them with famine, fire and sword; which night of woe, or rather beginning of her wofull night, made an ancient friend of hers to bewaile and bind vp her deadly wounded head, with an old Ballad, after the tune of the burning of Troy:

And hauing thus mortally wounded the head of the Beast (in the yeare of sal­uation 410, and 1157 yeares after Ro­mulus had raised her walls with his bro­thers blood) proceeded to seize vpon [Page 71] the rest of his dignities, hauocking and burning his chiefest honours, Latium, Campania, Apulia, Lucania, Calabria, where raging and deuising how to ex­termine the power of the Empire for e­uer, and to spread his glorie ouer all, was by sudden death blotted out, leauing his purpose and his armie royall to his wiues brother Ataulphus, who in like ra­ging haste and fury returned to Rome, with an obstinate intent and resolution to obliterate the ancient name of Rome for euer, and to call her (in honour of his people) Gothia, or after his owne name Ataulpha; which counsell and purpose of his, had it been effected, sir Antichrist with all his primacies and supremacies had bid vs good night long ago; and all his gainfull enterludes of fides vestra, and ne deficiat fides tua, and pasce oues, and tibi dabo claues, and quorum remiseritis, with all his pestilent painted traine of succes­sion, had been dasht in repeating, before euer they had come on stage. But to the end this recouery might be the plague­sore of the earth, his deadly wound was healed, as the Spirit sath, but the wound of his death was cured. For by the pleasing [Page 72] prayers and subtill intercessions of the Emperours sister Placidia, whose beautie and bodie was espoused to Ataulphus, for such a time his furie was auerted, and his designe dissolued, and himselfe not only content at her amorous mediation to grant the citie of Rome pardon for her name, but also to leaue her eclipsed and dying honour, with all her Italy, to her stupified Honorius, who for feare was crept into his earth at Rauenna; and ta­king his spouse Placidia with such dower as himselfe listed, departed Italy, and pit­ched his tabernacle in France, then one of the chiefest prouinces of the West Empire. And to this plaister the Spirit pointeth, in saying, but the wound of his death was cured.

And the holy Ghost foreseeing the greatnesse of the Beasts power to come, which was yet but like vnto his sin; and how that Satan his creator, who had for­med him after the image and perfection of his owne wickednesse, should affoord him such letters commendatory to all the world, which naturally loueth wic­ked inuentions, that the primacie of his Church and supremacie of his per­son [Page 73] should ouerspread all, and obtaine the praise of the earth; concludeth of him in this maner, And all the earth was in admiration of the Beast.

ANd the children of misbeliefe ascri­bed to the Dragon inhibited ho­nours, decking his heathenish Christen­dome with names of holy and most holy titles, due to God alone; and they ado­red his execrable inuentions & doctrines of diuels, worshipping and diuifying his vncircumcised traine of Cesars, who had granted vnto Antichrist such power in­comparable and vncontrollable iurisdi­ction, which the Spirit anatomiseth in these words, And they adored the Dragon which gaue power to the Beast.

And as in euill there is no meane, so these children of vnbeliefe went on, and bestowed like titles and magnifications [Page 74] vpon this base and vile Antichrist, who as the Prophet long ago foretold vs, by Dan, 8. policie should prosper, and by peace de­stroy many, and strike his adorers with such a spirituall drunkennesse, that they should not onely hang their gold, but their faith also vpon him, and verily be­leeue that this vile and despicable Anti­christ, Delegate to Romulus, and Deputie to Cesar, was Vicar to the Lamb, and Suc­cessor to Peter. And thus reioycing ouer the error of their owne fantasie, should with Pigmalion admire and dote vpon the idoll of their owne caruing, and fal­ling downe should adore and crie with that drunken King, Great art thou, O Bel, and in thee is no deceit: which occasioneth the Spirit (in detestation of their mad­nesse) to disclose their shame, saying, And they adored the Beast, and said, Who is like vnto the Beast, or who may warre with him?

ANd as the Dragon did bequeath vn­to Antichrist his throne and his power in so large and ample maner, that his priestly key was in cutting and kil­ling, so like the Dragons sword, that he that is wise may easily perceiue one craftsman made them both: so Satan the master and seducer of them both, en­dowed his Antichrist with mouth and lips so like his owne, that whoso heares him open, may truly say, quam similes ha­bent labra lactucas, like lips like lettice; at which the Spirit pointeth, in saying, And there was giuen to it a mouth; and pro­ueth it by an argument drawne from the fruit of his lips, speaking great things and blasphemies. Whereof the Prophet Daniel Dan. 7. also inditeth him, foretelling that he should open his execrable mouth, and speake words against the most High; of which presumptuous magniloquence the holy Ghost arraigneth him more particularly in the verse following.

And the Prophet also further repor­teth, that times and lawes and great power Dan. 7. should be giuen into his hand, for a time and times, and the diuiding of a time; butting and bounding his tyrannous reigne and [Page 76] gouernment within the selfesame circle and period, as here the Spirit doth, by a­nother like propheticall construction, saying, And power was giuen vnto it to work fortie two moneths.

IN discouering y^e blasphemous mouth of Antichrist, the holy Ghost doth first and principally challenge him for presu­ming to lay hand vpon his diuine and spirituall sword, and to weare the name and title of Vicar to the Lamb, which ti­tle, name and honour is onely due to the Spirit of the Lamb, the onely modera­tor, comforter and commander of all the Lambs affaires and forces in heauen and in earth: and of this principal blasphemy the Apostle condemneth him, in saying, And he opened his mouth vnto blasphemie a­gainst God.

Next, the Lord challengeth him for presuming to blaspheme the word of [Page 77] God, superaduancing his whorish church aboue the diuine eternall testimonie, in and by which the Son of God is named and knowne; which contumely offered to his most holy word, the Lord accoun­teth as done to himselfe and his most ho­ly name; for so the holy Ghost speaking of that Lord that is faithfull and true, who with iustice iudgeth and fighteth, saith, that he was clothed with a garment sprinkled with blood, and his name is called, The Word of God. The pourtraiture of which diuine and essentiall Word, is the ingrauen Scripture of his most holy and written word, and of this blasphemie the Spirit inditeth him in these words, to blaspheme his name. Lesse maruell then if like a raging flood, downe bearing all before him, and ouerflowing all bankes of obedience towards God, he dare extol his cursed head aboue all that is called or named God, that is to say, all magi­stracie, authoritie and power secular, which by Gods owne ordinance & com­mandement, is the onely true, liuely and immediate representation of his owne person, iustice and gouernment here on earth, in and ouer all temporall causes [Page 78] and persons, as well Ecclesiastical as ciuil, of which high treason one Apostle also conuinceth him, 2. Thess. 2.

No maruell then, if thus daring to blas­pheme the Lord of the house and his an­nointed Deputies, he dare blaspheme the house of God, wherein his name is honored, cursing, reuiling and reputing it a house of schismatiques, heretiques, excommunincates; which blasphemous and vndeserued wrong, the holy Ghost layeth to his charge, in these words, and his tabernacle.

And last of all, to shew that there is neither end nor measure in his blacke, presumptuous and blasphemous mouth, the Spirit further chargeth him with blaspheming the Saints and seruants of God deceased, cursing, reuiling and con­demning their doctrine, and yet bles­sing, adoring & erecting their shadows, sepulchers and shrines, for mediators, in­tercessors and reconciliators betweene God and the sinner; like their cursed fore-elders the Israelites, who boasted in the descent of their father Abraham, and yet blasphemed the faith of Abra­ham their father, of which blasphemous [Page 79] and indicible contumely against the Son of God and his most holy Spirit, the A­postle condemneth him, saying, And those that dwell in heauen.

ANd as after lightning followeth thū ­der, so after Antichrists blasphemie followeth his persecution, as the Spirit testifieth, saying, And it was giuen him to bid battell to the Saints; which the Pro­phet Daniel by way of exposition also plainly setteth forth, saying, that he should murther and consume the Saints and ser­uants of the most high.

And in further amplification of this his carnificious furie, the Spirit setteth forth the largenesse of his charter and commission, by an excessiue loquution, foretelling vs that it should be so large and general, that the fire of his prophane [Page 80] and sycophantical keys should take hold vpon euery nation and tribe; as if we please to cast an eye vpon the times past, and conferre what he had, with what he hath, we shall easily discerne the mea­ning of the holy Ghost in these words, And power was giuen him vpon euery Tribe, people, tongue and nation.

THe holy Ghost hauing in the for­mer part of this Chapter discouered the birth, place, person, power, blasphe­mie and persecution of Antichrist, de­scendeth now to the description of his creatures and deuotaries, foretelling vs that they should be such onely (for vnto such onely the particle all is here restrai­ned) as haue their portion and interest in this life, whose pietie, heauen, hope and glorie is here, and not elsewhere; which kind of out and ouercast Christi­ans, the Spirit describeth by a periphrasis [Page 81] most proper to their naturall and inbred disposition, saying, they are those that in­habite the earth; therein discouering them as by a difference diuisiue from such as are the Lords pilgrims and strangers on earth, hauing here no permanent abode or place of rest, but seeking the things which are aboue, attend with patience the reuelation of a life and citie to come, not made with hands, where their Lord and their Redeemer liueth.

And the Spirit proceeding sheweth further, the supreme, hidden and vnper­ceiuable reason why the adorers of Anti­christ thus defiled the ornaments of their calling, and why they loued lyes more then truth, the Beasts penance more then Gods repentance, the Beasts beliefe more then faith towards God; the Beasts miserable merits more then the fruits of the Spirit, hatred of sin and loue of God, because (as holy Dauid saith) they were not found in the Lords record, nor written with the righteous: for so much the Spirit vnfoldeth, saying, whose names be not writ­ten in the booke of life, of the Lamb which was slaine from the beginning of the world.

THe Apostle hauing sufficiently de­ciphered the nature and cariage of Antichrist and his creatures, commeth now to discouer his reward and iudge­ment, which howsoeuer it tarry little or long, is of necessitie the reward of sinne. But before the Spirit draweth out his sword, it pleaseth him in his accustomed mercie to awake his Church and her e­nemies, and to moue them to a feare and reuerent attention, by a generall sum­mons, proclaiming, If any man haue an care, let him heare.

THe holy Ghost in this verse calleth Antichrist to the Barre, and sets him before the world, for the very he, on whō [Page 83] the wrath of God and his heauie displea­sure is to be executed. For he, who vn­der colour and pretence of weeding out and rooting vp of heretiques, hath brought into the Church captiuitie, in­quisitions, tortures and torments, to the horrible murther and slaughter of the Saints, when in such cases (notwithstan­ding) he had neither precept nor exam­ple in the life of the Lamb or his Apo­stles so to do; he, euen he, saith the Lord, is that partie, against whom this iust iudgement of taliation is laid vp in store to be executed vpon him in that day, when the Lord shall bring againe the captiuitie of his Church, which for their sins he hath giuen vp to the sword and furie of the Beast, vntill she haue borne the burthen of her shame, and (as the Ezek. 39. Prophet saith) renewed her beautie by her sorrowes, and her glorie by her per­secutions; and then shall be fulfilled that which was spoken by the Prophet, Woe to thee that spoiledst, and wast not spoiled; and didst deale wickedly, when they did not Esa. 33. wickedly against thee: for when thou shalt cease to spoile, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thy sinne is ended, thou shalt be rewarded; [Page 84] as here also the Spirit denounceth, con­testing that God shall scourge him with his owne inuentions, & repay him home in his owne coine, saying, He that shall leade into captiuitie, shall go into captiuitie; and he that shall kill, shall be killed.

And in consolation of the Spouse, concludeth, that howsoeuer Antichrist and his Delegates foolishly thought, by afflicting the Church, to destroy the Church, yet in her afflictions consist­eth the very strength and approbation of her children; for by the things they suffer, they learne obedience, & through patience their faith is consecrated, by the which they are perfected and made inhe­ritable of the promise of God: all which mercie and fauour is commended vnto them vnder the hand and seale of afflicti­ons, by which their mad and drunken aduersaries thought to consume them, and like fooles did not consider that as the workman doth square the stone by strokes, and as the snake doth cast his old skin by passing through sharp stones, so the Lord doth renew his Spouse by stripes, and brusheth off her old affecti­ons by passing her through the asperitie [Page 85] of tribulation; which holy and hidden consideration, causeth the Spirit to ho­nour the sufferings of the Saints so high­ly, as to ascribe vnto them the chiefest stayes and supportations of their preci­ous hope and calling, namely, patience and faith, saying, here is the patience and faith of the Saints.

THe holy Ghost in the verse forego­ing, hauing pronounced sentence of death against Antichrist, before he comes to the execution thereof, descen­deth to the arai [...]ment and condemna­tion of his Clergie, that so they may be carted to the valley of Hinnom both to­gether, whom the Lord here figureth vnder the name of the Beast, saying, And I saw another Beast; comprehending vn­der the singular number of one Beast, by a maner of speech common to the holy Scriptures, the whole corporation and [Page 86] vniuersitie of false and lying teachers, who from the first Eremite, Hypocrite, Father, Priest, Monke, Frier, to the last trumping and vagabond Iesuite, haue auouched the honour and adoration of Antichrist. And is most aptly deciphered by their earthly, sensuall, and diuellish minds, in pointing to their country and place of extraction, whence and where such weeds do grow, saying, comming vp from the earth. And commendeth their making and acquaintance to vs, by two exquisite tokens, the one their person, the other their doctrine. Touching their shape and person, the Spirit saith, that it was in robe and exteriour appearance the very face and countenance of the Lamb, deckt and garnished with his owne two hornes, to wit, the Law and the Gospel, wherew [...]he Lamb doth saue and kill; for so the Spirit saith, And he had two hornes like the Lamb.

But as concerning the vse and force of the hornes, the Spirit saith, they were therein so contrary to the Lamb, that when they did open, either to teach the Law or preach the Gospell, they spake and taught like the Dragons Doctors, [Page 87] and like the Priests of Iupiter, teaching and preaching vnto the children of the world, that they ought to worship the God of heauen, as the Dragons Priests had taught their fathers to worship the gods of the heathen. Which detestable propha [...]ation of the worship of God, and preposterous adoration of his name, the Spirit detecteth, in saying, but he spake like the Dragon.

BY the power of the first Beast, is meant the purpose and plot of the Dragon for the vpholding and establish­ment of their false and godlesse religion, to the prophanation and extinction of the true worship and seruice of God; which forasmuch as he could not effect by force and open enmitie, I meane by the bloody persecutions of his prophane and Ethnicke Cesars, he did deuise to [Page 88] put a new string to his old bowe, and to worke it out by fraud and falshood of friends, and thereupon perswaded his Ethnicke Cesars, that in policie it was the best to play Christians, forasmuch as the world was now so giuen, as Iu­piter with all his idols must needs giue place to Christ, because most voices went that way.

And the better to bring the mysterie of iniquitie to passe, he caused his new Christened Cesars to set vp a race of Sy­cophanticall, high and princely Priests, who vnder colour of proctering the af­faires of the Lamb, should cunningly clap Iupiters coate vpon the Lambs back, and bestow all the ceremonies and ritu­als of Iupiter and his idols vpon Christ; that so by turning Iupiters worship into Christianisme, he might turne the wor­ship of God into Paganisme and idola­trie, and that so he might at the least prophane and desolate the true worship of the true God, whose maiestie & truth of deitie they could no way blemish.

And for the better successe in this their proiect, should cause to be erected throughout all kingdomes and nations, [Page 89] certaine Couents and swarmes of false, vngodly and prostituted Clerks, who by auouching and maintaining against all comers, that Antichrists name is Simon Peter; and that the supremacie his Ce­sars and his Kings gaue him, is the very keyes of heauen and hell, which the Lamb committed to the dispensation of his Saints and seruants; and that the throne and seate of wickednesse, is Peters Chaire and Sea Apostolique; and that the execrable forme of Iupiters worship, wherein his Lords and Cesars delighted, is the very true worship and seruice of God, which the Lamb and his Apostles deliuered.

And by these mists, legerdemains, and new editions of old idolatrie, should esta­blish in the sight of Antichrist, the selfe same prophanation and deuout impietie which his antecessors the Cesars so ar­dently embraced; for so much the Spirit rippeth vp, in saying, And all the power of the first Beast he did in the sight of Antichrist: and thereby so strongly deluded and se­duced the children of disobedience (most properly here, as elsewhere, descri­bed by the name of the earth and the in­habitants [Page 90] therein) that they loathed the sacrifices of the God of heauen, and refu­sed to worship as the Lord cōmanded, & chose rather (as the Spirit saith) to adore the first Beast, that is to say, to worship y^e god of their fathers, as the Dragon com­manded them, iust after the prescription of his Cesars and maner of the heathen.

And that we may the better discerne from whom those Proctors of Don An­tichrist borrowed this their abominable Church-seruice, the Spirit remembreth the repaired wound of their masters cre­ditors pate, mentioned in the third verse, whose wound of death was cured.

THe holy Ghost hauing arraigned and condemned the Clergie of An­tichrist touching their doctrine, procee­deth further to detect their abomination and forgery, in seeking to confirme their false doctrine by lying signes and works of wonder; condemning therein first [Page 91] their vanitie; secondly their presumptiō. For as nothing can be more vaine and vngodly, then to seeke by lying signes and wonders to confirme the doctrine of the Lamb and his seruants, which is all sufficiently established by their owne magnificent and diuine miracles, vnto which the Church of God vpon her al­legiance is enioyned to subscribe: so no­thing can be more presumptuous and wicked, then to attempt by signes and wonders the confirmation of any other doctrine then that which the Lamb and his two witnesses haue sealed and deli­uered vnto vs, according to the statute of God, Deut. 13.

And though their signes were many, as the Spirit reporteth, saying, And he did many signes; yet were they but forgeries and lies, not wrought in truth & digni­tie, but in falshood & fallacie, as our Lord himself and his seruant Paul foretold vs, Mat. 24. 2. Thess. 2. In which regard the holy Ghost squaring the miracles of these exorcists after the rule of their do­ctrine, which was in shew the Lambs, but in truth the diuels; calleth also their lying signes, heauenly fires, saying, so that [Page 92] he made fire to come downe from heauen to the earth, in the sight of men: not that they were in deed and in truth so, but that they seemed so to be in the eyes of men, because they were wrought by these va­gabond exorcists, vnder a pretended and colourable imitation of the name of the Lord Iesus, who of all heauenly powers and fires is the true Lord and soueraigne commander; that so these Clerks of An­tichrist might be sutable in their wic­kednesse, that as their doctrine was op­posite to the truth of Christ, so their wonders might contrary the power of Christ, by a colourable imitation of the miracles of Christ, and might be a true and perfect deprauation of the same.

ANd the Spirit further disclosing the happie successe of these vnhappie [Page 93] brokers and slaues of Antichrist touch­ing their mists and miracles, foretelleth vs, that as the first Elias by the miracles of heauenly fire did induce and draw the good vnto the feare of God, so these im­posters of Antichrist, by the lure of their false and lying fires, should seduce and draw all dung-hill and earthly minded men from the feare of God, in such sure and deuoted sort, as that they should per­swade them to make the picture and i­mage of the Beasts religion, and to em­brace and erect such a Christianisme, as should in all points counterfeit and re­present the Paganisme of the Dragon, attiring and decking Iupiters prophana­tion with the holy and honorable names of God, Iesus, Spirit, Scriptures, Church, Sacraments, Saints, &c. like excellent Comedians who decke themselues with Crownes, Scepters, purples, and repre­sentations of Kings, whenas indeed they are the basest of the people. And as the Lord commanded his seruant Moses to erect such a Tabernacle of witnesse here on earth, as should be in all points after the Idea, modell and platforme of that diuine and eternall Tabernacle which he [Page 94] saw in the mount: so Antichrist (Lord of misrule) commanded his propudious Clergie to cause all people, nations and kingdomes to set vp such a Christianity as should in all points answer the Idea, modell and platforme of that prophane and execrable heathenisme wherewith he saw the Gentiles enamoured; and hereby so strongly seduced the inhabi­tants on earth, that they verily thought the mysterie of Iniquitie to be pure and vndefiled Christianitie; and that the a­bomination of desolation, forespoken by Daniel the Prophet, is the onely true, ancient, Catholique and Apostolique re­ligion; teaching them that perish by con­senting vnto lies, that they ought to worship God as the Gentiles did worship Iupiter; perswading them that as the Gentiles had their Arae, so Christians must haue their Altars; and as the hea­then had their bloody sacrifices, so Chri­stians must haue their vnbloody sacrifi­ces, and offer bread and wine to God, as the heathen did to Ceres and Bacchus; and as the Pagans had their Poutifex ma­ximus, so Christiās must haue their Pope; and as Ethnicks had their Sacerdotes, so [Page 95] must Christians haue their Priests; and as the Gentiles had their gods and god­desses, so must Christians haue their he Saints and she Saints; and as the Dragon had his Pantheon, so Antichrist must haue his All Saints; and as the heathen had their idols, so Christians must haue their images; and as the Pagans did con­secrate their Temples to Idols, so Chri­stians must dedicate their Churches to Saints; and as the Ethnicks had their supplications, so Christians must haue their processions; and as the Gentiles had their lustrations, so Christians must haue their holy water; and as the Dragon in his Church-seruice had his Cerei, so An­tichrist in his Church-seruice must haue candles; and as the Dragon had his A­cerra or Thuribles, so Antichrist must haue his Censors; and as the Dragon had his Nouendiall sacrifices, so must Anti­christ haue his Masses of Requiem; and as the Dragon had his Hecatombes, so Antichrist must haue his Trentals; and as the D [...]agon had his Colledges Sodaliū and Arvalium fratrā, so must Antichrist haue his Cloisters of Monks and Friers; and as the Dragon had his Vestals, so [Page 96] Antichrist must haue his Nunnes and Sanctimonials; and as the Dragon did celebrate the birth dayes of his Cesars, so Antichrist must solemnize the natiuitie of his Saints; and as the Dragon had his Annals, so must Antichrist haue his Le­gends; and as the Dragon had his secu­lar Spectacles, so Antichrist must haue his Iubilees; and as the Dragon had his Bacchanals, so Antichrist must haue his Carnivals; and as the Dragon had his Lupanaries, so must Antichrist haue his Stewes; and as the Dragon had his in­chanters, so Antichrist must haue his ex­orcists; and as the Dragon had his Asyla, so Antichrist must haue his Sanctua­ries; and as the Dragon had his Exe­quies and Parentals, so Antichrist must haue his Diriges and his de profundis; and as the Dragon had his comitia centariata, so Antichrist must haue his Councels oecumenicall; and as the Beast had his comitia curiata, so Antichrist must haue his Councels prouinciall; and as the Dra­gon did diuifie his Cesars, so must Anti­christ canonize his Saints; and as the Dragon enacted ciuill lawes, so Anti­christ must enact Canon lawes; and as [Page 97] the Dragon had his Imperiall rescripts, so Antichrist must haue his Decretall E­pistles; and as the Dragon had his Tri­bunitial intercessions, so Antichrist must haue his vncontrollable interdictions; and as the Dragon had and vsed his pre­scriptions, so Antichrist must haue and vse his excommunications; and as that Beast commanded his heathen to please their goddesse Iuno with cane vota libens, so this Beast commanded Christians to please their God with vowes; and as the Dragon had his Triceps Hecate, so Anti­christ must haue his triple tiara, to signi­fie his triple pretended iurisdiction; and as the Dragon had his Hexaphoron, so must Antichrist be carried vp & downe; briefly, as the Dragons priests did teach the heathen to worship Iupiter as God, so Antichrists Clergie must teach their Christians to worship God as Iupiter; and looke what forme of religion, what maner of life the Dragon led, the same must Antichrist in his person parallel & maintaine.

And to the end we may vndoub­tedly discerne what and of whose i­mage the Apostle speaketh, the Spirit [Page 98] remembreth now the third time his re­cured wound, which▪ here speaking more plainly out, he calleth the stroke of a sword; not that it was the onely stroke, (for ma­ny swords did pierce the Dragon, as his had pierced many,) but the first stroke of a sword, which from the beginning and rising of the Dragons Empire and regiment by Cesars, did remeasure the fury of the sword vpon his owne head & chaire of state, as the Spirit noteth, say­ing, Which had the stroke of the sword, and liueth.

ANd such art and perswasible power was giuen to those inchanters and apostates of Antichrist, that they infused such a quickning spirit, such a life, gi­uing animation into the Ethnicke dead and desolate image of the Dragons reli­gion, by gilding it ouer with the reue­rend, [Page 99] diuine and honorable names of God omnipotent, Christ Iesus the righ­teous, his holy Spirit, his precious blood, his sacred word, his blessed Sacraments, &c. that they easily perswaded the blear­eyd world to think and beleeue, that the execrable forme and image of Iupiters a­bominatiō, commanded by the Dragon and his Cesars, was the very true worship and seruice of God, commanded by the Lamb and his seruants; and that the pi­cture of Iupiter Olimpius which their Lord Epiphanes had set vp and placed in San­ctum sanctorum, was the very Arke and propitiatory of God, set vp and erected by Moses his seruant; and their abomi­nable mysticall Masse, the sacrifice of an vnbloody Messias, made of bread of their owne baking (which their fathers the Patriarks, Prophets and Apostles neuer heard nor dreamed of) is a sacrifice not Eucharisticall but propitiatory, and so allsufficient for the attonement and re­conciliation of God vnto the sinner, as if it were figured and sealed in the precious blood of the Lord of the couenant; and that the horrible prophane and detesta­ble supper of Thyestes, is the very true, [Page 100] holy and comfortable commemoration of the Lords loue in giuing his life for the children of the Church, and their thankfull communion and celebration of the same.

And by these and such like inchant­ments, these Proctors of Antichrist so baffled and blinded the Princes and Pro­tectors of their synagogues, that they in­zealed them to authorize and erect in­quisitions, executions and torments a­gainst all such as refuse to honour and a­dore the idol-seruice and desolation of their Antiochus; and that all such as doe but mutter against the magnificence of their Church and her worship, which all the world adoreth, should be accounted as infoelix Lolium, weeds, Lollards, here­tiques, excommunicates, and sonnes of death, to the admirable confirmation of the Spirits prediction in this place, say­ing, that it was giuen to him to giue such spi­rit to the image of the Beast, that the image of the Beast should speake and make that whosoeuer honored not the image of the Beast, be slaine.

ANd the power of these prostibulous Clerks was so catholique and vni­uersall, that they caused all kingdomes and nations (figured here by a numera­tion of their estates, conditions and cal­lings, little, great, rich, poore, bond, free,) to confederate and vnite themselues by a resolute and determinate purpose of beleeuing and liuing after the lawes and prescriptions of Antichrist; which league of voluntary and resolute subiection, the Spirit calleth the character of the Beast: for as vnitie and loue in truth, and a resol­ued purpose to liue after the commande­ments of God, is the character and cogni­sance of the Lamb; so vnitie, conspira­tion and banding against the truth, with resolution to liue after the traditions of Antichrist, is the crest and character of the Beast. Which profession of obedi­ence was so studiously embraced, and with such ioy receiued of all the clients [Page 102] and creatures of Antichrist, that the Spi­rit saith, they did no lesse pride them­selues in their errors and abominations, then in the wearing of their bracelets & abillements, deliuering it in manner of speech vsuall with holy Scripture, when it intendeth to expresse an ardent and hearty affection approued both by word and action, by practise and profession, as Deut. 6. 8. and 11. 18. where the holy Ghost vseth the selfesame phrase, in their right hand or on their foreheads.

ANd in further proof that Antichrist and his apostaticall Clergie should driue the naile of their impietie home to the very head, the Spirit saith, that by them and meanes of their authoritie, it should be enacted, that none should trade or liue (for so much the inhibition of buying and selling doth inferre) but such as acknowledge and adore the pre­rogatiue [Page 103] royall, religion and discipline of the Beast and his holy Catholique Church (for so by a figuratiue kind of blasphemie she must be called) as is con­firmed by Antichrist himselfe, then na­med Martin the fift, in his Bull directed to the Inquisitors of hereticall prauitie (for so it pleaseth him to terme the pro­fession of the truth) nec domicilia habeant, nec larem foueant, nec contractus ineant, nec negotiationes & mercatur as exerceant, nec humanitatis solatia cum Christi fidelibus ha­beant, &c. All which their dominering, rage or madnesse, the holy Ghost by way of prevision most admirably epitomi­zeth in these words, And that no man may buy or sell, (no one excepted out of the King of Babylons decree) saue those onely that carry his signing & fleshmark in their hands or hearts, as beasts doe in their fells, meaning such as vnder or a­boue boord, priuatly or in publique, are obstinately & resolutely deuoted to liue and die as the Beast commandeth; which the Spirit vnfoldeth in saying, but he that hath the character, or are otherwise allied as it were by way of cognomination vn­to Antichrist or his Church Catholique, [Page 104] and are hereafter cleped Papists or Ca­tholiques, reuealed in these words, or the name of the Beast; or last of all are found to adore within the very verge or lists of his reigne and Empire Pontificial, here butted and bounded within the cir­cle and comprehension of these words, or the number of his name, of which more at large in the verse following.

THe holy Ghost intending to reueale in this verse the secret counsell and purpose of God concerning the period and finall end of Antichrist and his Church-dominion, prepareth his Reader to attention by a little short preface, in­timating that it is the discouery of a my­sterie and point of high vnderstanding, saying, here is wisedome; wherein lest we should ouer-rashly iudge (as many haue done) the Spirt maketh choise of his au­ditors, [Page 105] and addeth for a barre, not he that will, but he that can and hath vn­derstanding, let him audite and count the number of the Beast; He that hath vnderstanding, let him count the number of the Beast; whom l [...]st we should imagine to be a spirit or other creature of strange shape (as some haue vainly phantased) the Spirit calleth him a man, saying, for it is the number of a man, comprehending by a Synecdoche vnder the word man, a successiue state and kingdome of men, after the speaking and stile of the Pro­phets: for so the Lord informed his ser­uant Moses to speake, Let my sonne go, Exod. 4. that is, let my people of Israel depart; and so in Daniel, vnder the forme and Dan. 7. name of foure singular Beasts, are desig­ned foure seuerall Monarchies, most of Dan. 8. them containing a long succession of many Monarchs, The Ramme which thou sawest are the Kings of the Medes and Per­sians: after which maner of speaking, the Spirit speaketh also in this place, and vn­der the name of a man presenteth vnto vs the whole race and succession of men of sinne, whose totall summe is one Anti­christ, the bounds and limits of whose [Page 106] dominion and tyrannie, the holy Ghost impaleth within the circuit of a certaine sure prefixed period and determinate number of yeares, saying, and the number of him is six hundred sixtie six. Wherein many, as well ancient as late writers (as in the rest) they haue vainly imagined, that Antichrist is one singular person, which must sodainly start vp, and after three ciuill yeares and a halfe depart a­gain; and that he must be by birth a Iew, and of the Tribe of Dan, when notwith­standing those cursed scatterbags haue neither Tribe nor shadow of Tribe left amongst them; and that he must reigne in Ierusalem, of which Citie and Tem­ple, there is not any one stone left vpon another; and that he must kill Enoch and Elias, who are to appeare about the Ka­lends of Greece; with diuers other such legendary phantasies, neuer meant nor sent from God: so in this point also con­cerning the number of Antichrist, they haue giuen vp an account so farre from the audite of truth, as nothing can be more. And as men that thought it worth the labour to find a knot in a rush, so by a conceited framing and anagramming [Page 107] of letters, they haue endeuoured to find out such a name as by characters might expresse the number 666; and withall might something square either with the name, nature, blasphemie, or residence of the Bishops of Rome, as [...] for [...], Remiith Adonikam, filius perditionis, &c. whereunto also may be added the coniectures of Iohn Wickliff [...], Iohn Bale, Francis Iunius, men otherwise of good and worthy memory in the Church of God; as also the coniectures of others as worthy and honorable as they, that haue referred the number of 666 to the time of Antichrists reuealing and yeare of rising, when notwithstan­ding it is a strange voice, and not known to the eares of the Scriptures, for the word number to be vsed for the begin­ning and rising of any terme of time li­mited and predicted by the Prophets, but onely for the end, period, and deter­mination thereof.

But if it were lawfull to smile in so graue an inquisition, amongst all phan­tasticall charmes and cabalisticall con­iectures vpon this word number, there is [Page 108] none more ridiculous then that which most pleaseth out Rhetoricall Rhemists, who by a rare supputation of characters, haue as roundly found out the Beasts number, as the Sodomites did the doores of Lot, in the name Luderus, which in the Almain tongue is the name of Luther: and although we are sure, they cannot so much as thinke vpon the poore Frier Luther, but for very feare they stinke all the world ouer; yet this deuice so tickleth the Clergie of Anti­christ, that they pretend to laugh for ioy. But as for their prefixed time of three naturall or ciuil yeares and a halfe (which they allot to the reigne and rage of their Antichrist) it doth so vneuenly square with Luther or Lutherans continuance, that these miserable Serdonians are faine to eate their word, and to endure the foo­lish world to laugh at them, whiles as dy­ing they faine would seeme to laugh at it. But to leaue these cursed leaders of the cursed blind, and returne againe to those that haue thought to calculate & find out the mystery of Antichrists num­ber 666, in a word, we say, they are de­ceiued and erre, not knowing the power [Page 109] and construction of the Scripture. For first, by the word name, deliuered in the former verse, in these words, or the num­ber of his name, is meant the very existence and person of the man of sinne, by a pro­prietie of speech common to holy Scrip­tures, as Acts 1. 15. Apoc. 3. 4. and 11. 13. where (by an Hebraisme) names signifie men, and are conuerted with the parties and persons themselues, as the name of God in holy Scripture is often taken for God himselfe: and therefore as in the former verse the Scripture calleth it the number of his name, so in this verse he cal­leth it the number of a man, vnderstanding by a man (as is afore said) the total summe of that succession of beastly men, which make and constitute the existence and person of one Antichrist: and by the word number, is meant the fatall end and finall determination of their reigne and gouernment; for so the finger of God speaketh to Baltazar, God hath numbred thy kingdome, that is, God hath ended and finished the dayes of thy kingdome: so that the number of his name, or the number of the man, is nothing else but the period and finall determination of the vsurped [Page 110] tyrannie and domination of Antichrist; which the Lamb the Lord and preseruer of Israel, for the glorie of his name, con­solation of his Church, and confusion of her foes, with a mighty and outstretched arme shall bring to passe in the yeare which shal be 666.

Forasmuch as the egge of Antichri­stianisme was laid in the dayes of Inno­cent the first, successor to Anastasius the first also of that name, in the yeare of sal­uation 406, as is before declared; and that by expresse commission there was fur­thermore granted to the Beast, his heires and successors 1260 yeares, for the hatch­ing, fostering and perfecting this child of perdition and mystery of iniquitie, which being added to 406, by rule of true audite must needs verifie this admi­rable iudgement, which the Spirit of God hath here denounced and determi­ned to make good vpon him in the yeare which shall be 1666. In which account and discouery of his end, the holy Ghost of purpose leaueth out the millenarie number, as not onely knowne perfect and immutable (for that these vile and euill dayes shall not exceed more thou­sands [Page 111] then one) but as respecting also the common vse of all nations, as well Hebrewes as Gentiles, who in their stiles (for breuitie sake) do no lesse often speak Vide Calen­darium He­ [...]raieum Sebastianl Munsteri. and write by the imperfect number, o­mitting the millenary, then after the per­fect adding the millenary, as Munster well obserueth. And in that yeare my Lord of Rome shall lay downe his proud waues; and although he fortifie neuer so strong, and lay his foundation as low as hell, and build his turrets as high as heauen, and place his Miter aboue the starres, yet in that day he shall die the death of the vncircumcised, and perish like the Amorite, whose fruit is destroyed from aboue, and roote from beneath; and the multitude of his offences shall con­sume the multitude of his forces; and it shall be more possible for him and easie vnto him to weigh the fire, or measure the wind, or call againe the day that is past, or recouer the verdure of the withe­red grasse, (as a holy one saith) then to auoide this counsell and decree of his downfall here determined by the Spirit against him, saying, and the number of him is 666. And then all kingdomes and peo­ple [Page 112] shall see the eternitie of that eternall citie (as one of her owne calleth it) and the immortalitie of her soule, meaning the soueraigne power and supremacie of her Cesars and high Priests, to wither, die, and forsake the earth for euer: and as Babylon her mother left vnto her the inheritance of her pride and prophana­tions, so shall she also leaue vnto her the heritage of her death and iudgements: for as her glorie hath been great, so shall her dishonour, when all her excellencie shall be translated into shame and sorow.

Now therefore as King Baltasher cried aloud when he saw the hand-writing a­gainst him, that they should bring the Caldeans, Astrologians and Inchanters to reade and interpret; so thou that once and long before our dayes hast been dee­med by lawes of all nations a power so soueraigne & holy, call now about thee thy Councell and thy Clergie (who call themselues Good men, learned and wise, whose onely grace is to loue antiquitie, grauitie, wisedome and constancie,) call them I say, cloath them with purple and chain them with gold, yet shall they not deliuer thee frō this iudgement to come; [Page 113] but as the mill-stone which the mightie Angell took and cast into the sea, which may not rise and floate againe, with such violence thou and thy Church in that houre shall be throwne downe, and shall be found no more. And all such Kings on earth, or rather Kings of earth, whose loue thou hast stolen, to the losse of their soules, that haue liued in drunkennesse, delights and wantonnesse with thee, shal weep and waile for thee (as for their first borne) when they shall see the smoake of thy torments ascend, and the apples which thy soule lusted after, to depart from thee, and no man to buy thy trasn and commodities any more; for that God which iudgeth thee is a strong Lord, and thy derision shall be the ioy and Alleluia of Sion.

But her faire and halcyon day may not long endure, before the Lord (that with iustice iudgeth and fighteth) shall come in the clouds of heauen, to render vnto euery man according to the ways where­in his heart hath walked, as more directly is reuealed in the 20 Chapter following. But as cōcerning the day & houre of the coming of that Lord, who for the glorie [Page 114] of his name shall bring these things to passe, it is fast sealed vp in the treasurie of God, far beyond the aime of all his ser­uants in earth, or Angels in heauen; and yet his beloued seruant Daniel is bold in spirit, and layeth downe the yeare to be the fiue and fortith yeare (according to his Caldaicall supputation) after the con­sumption and extermination of Anti­christ, that it may be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet, Verily the Lord of hoasts will doe nothing, but he reuealeth his secrets vnto his seruants the Prophets. Amos 3.