M ^r. Brightman in his Booke of the exposition on the Revelations, seriously considering and resolving himselfe, that the 7 Epistles S. Iohn wrote to the 7 Churches in Asia, were also written and directed to the 7 succeeding Churches among the Gentiles, of which those 7 were a type or counterpane (omit­ting for brevity what he saith, concerning the other 4 Churches) we present you with a briefe of what he more immediatly applies to our selves.

In generall (he saith) That there was a terrible storme to be ex­pected,In his Epi­stle and in chap. 3. ver. 10. and it would be such an horrible tempest, that it would terribly shake the Christian Churches.

Frist, for Germany, there was the bitterest scourge for it that ever had fallen upon it, that it was to come shortly; Germany should be like a house that is robb'd by furious,Chap. 3. verse 10. mad & cruell spoy­lers, that would have no mercy of neither Sex, nor Age; and the comming thereof should be suddaine and unexpected, like a thiefe in the night. Which we may see he truly foretold, it being fulfilled in our cares, and the inhabitants thereof having found it by sad experience; let England take warning, considering what (he said) was the cause that would bring all this misery: Because (saith he) they tooke no care for a full and through Reformation;Chap. 3. ver. 10. v. 12. therefore by the just judgement of God, they should loose their Citizens and Inhabitants; and they, with other Churches, should come to nothing, and shortly it would appeare: he cals Germany by the name of Sardis.

[Page 2] Secondly, for Scotland, and Holland, and the other Churches ad­hering to them;Chap. 3. verse 7. &c. (typified by godly Philadelphia) He saith, that they shall shut and none shall open, and they shall open and none shall shut: A Virgin Church, chast, not so defiled with Rome's superstition as others; And speakes of a Covenant and Society they should he joynd in, and bids them, not to be perplexed nor dis­couraged, at what the world spitefully prateth of them, as if hee had heard men in our times call them Traytors, Rebels, Seditious, and bids them not to regard the scoffes of the wicked, who will despise them, because they are godly, little, lowly and weake in visible power, in comparison of their enemies; For (saith he) no enemy shall shall be able to prevaile against them, and they shall set up a token of victory shortly; and every one shall be compel­led to say, That they are dearely beloved of God: they shall be seen to prosper so exceedingly; and so marvellously promoted and ad­vanced, beyond all mens expectation: And when that storme and horrible tempest shall come upon the Christian Churches;Chap. 3. 7, 8, 9 ver. these Churches shall stand fast like a pillar, and be preserved from wa­sting; when the other Churches which did not take care for a full Reformation (as they did) shall by the just judgment of God, come (as it were) to nothing: There shall bee (saith he) such a miserable hutly burly of all things, that there should scarce be the forme of a Church perceived; but only with holy Philadephia.

Thirdly, for England, whose counterpane he takes to be Laodi­cea, tearming it, Lukewarme, vaineglorious Laodicea; concerning it, he saith: He that gathereth the teares of his children into his bot­tle knoweth right well; That I could never with dry eyes take a survey of this Laodiceas lamentable condition, but I powred out teares and sighs from the bottom of my heart, when I beheld Christs loathing of us, and were it not that out of duty, as a watchman, I dare not betray the salvation of this Chruch, by not giving warning, I would have held my peace; but my hope is that those which love the truth will hearken and accept, and thinke (as the truth is) I envy no mans person, honor or great­nesse; Yet when I perceived, that these seven Churches were pro­pounded for a tipe of all the Churches among the Gentiles; and with all, saw the order, time, & marveilous agreeing of all things together, I durst not perfidiously bury the truth in silence.

[Page 3] In that Christ saith of this Church,Chap 3. verse 15. I know thy works, that thou art neither hot nor cold; he observeth, that Christ maketh mention of no one good thing that it hath, the worst of all the seven (al­though there were many faithfull in it) yet not any so past hope in regard of the outward forme and government; which comes to passe, not so much through its own default, as by meanes of the faulty government of the Angels, who have so ordered and go­verned it, that it was tempered and blended together of strange contraries. A Hoch-potch, not so cold that we would be, all Romish, and cleaving to superstision altogether; nor yet so hot that wee pursue and admit a full Reformation: And therefore the disease of this Church was more difficult and desperate.

Therefore from these words; I would thou wert either cold or bot, saith he, I would thou wert either all Romish, or admit of a through Reformation: blaming those Angels only, and those that cleave to them, Priests and Laity; who being bewitched with ambition and covetousnesse, do scornefully reject this holy Reformation, not enduring the remedy, but accounting that worse than the disease.

Therefore he saith in plaine tearmes, That the Bishops, which he cals no better than Lord-Begger, because their riches and ho­nors (for the most part) they get by fawning, flattering, brib­ing; being ambitious to get under great men, and so creep into the Court for preferment. But (saith he) both they and their whole lukewarme Hierarchy, shall quite bee overthrowne,Chap. 3. verse 14. and never recover their dignity again: And at their overthrow, they shall endanger the people, by reason of their consenting to them: Yet the people shall escape overthrowing, but it is to be feared the people shall feele some adversity; But God will not suffer the Hierarchy to escape; for they seeking honors and riches, and not those things which are Christs, shall have reproachfull Iudge­ments; few or none shall sigh or sob for them, but they and their Priests shall be vile before the people, and men shall read the re­ports concerning them, with delight: And they shall be cast out and spewed up as vomit out of a corrupted stomack, that no man will be willing to take up againe;Chaq. 3. ver. 16, 17. from these words, There­fore because thou art lukewarme, and neither hot nor cold: It shall come to passe that I will spew thee out of my mouth. For thou saist, I [Page 4] am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing, and knowest not how thou artwretched, and miserable, and poore, and blind, and naked.

The whole State of this Church of Laodicea is worthy of serious consideration, as M. Brightman applyes it to England, in this and divers other Chapters, for hee speakes of our times as if hee were now living.

And further he saith in his Epistle and elsewhere in his Com­mentary, that many are the miseries the Christian Churches must suffer, for there will be a long and dolefull Tragedy, which will overthrow with scourges, slaughters, death and ruine; and that the sword of the Lord shall be made drunk in their blood, except they receive warning and amend.

But yet (saith hee) Bee of good comfort Germany, France and Brittany, and all you Christian Churches; This is the last Act; for after this Theater and long Tragedy is past, there will succeed in the room thereof happy dayes, with aboundance of peace and all good things. And it is his Iudgment, (if I may not say his Prophesy) comparing one Scripture with another, and times with times:Chap. 19. verse 4. That before the yeare 1650, that the Iews shall be called; the whore of Romes nose shall be slit, and she stript of all her glorious garments and attire, her power and sinews cut, and the Pope himselfe shall run out of Rome into Avignion, In his Epi or into Bonia, or thereabout, one of his own Cities; and the City of Rome shall be burnt with fire.

And that the King of Spaine and the King of Ptolony, Chap. 19. verse 19. and some other Kings shall bewaile her, and would faine help her, but dare not, because they shall be afraid of their own safety, least they be devoured, or scorched with the same fire.

And further he saith; that the Emperour of Germany shall de­stroy Rome, if he set to the worke, it being most proper for him; but if he doth it not, some other shortly will have the prise of that victory:Chap. 18. verse 10: Therefore (saith he) you godly Princes take the matter in hand, and set to this worke; it shall not be a thing of so great trouble as you think for; feare not the huge Armies will come to help her; if you thinke the Spaniard, or the French-man, or any other King, will raise mighty forces against you to defend her, as being Romes friends; these are altogether vaine feares, [Page 5] scare-Crows,Chap. 17. verse 14. Goblins, Bugbeares for simple people, for her friends shall stand affarre off with waiting (testifying their love) sighing and sobbing, but taking no paines, nor striking a stroke to deliver their Whore, being now an old withered Harlot, but crying, Alas Alas that great City. And againe he further saith;Chap. 17. verse 16. and you the rest of the Christian Princes, you need do nothing, only be valiant and of good courage in dispatching your worke for the Lord, and matters shall prosper as happily as you desire;Chap. 18. ver. 10, 11. and understand at length by what way you may procure, as to your selves honor and tranquillity, so quietnesse and joy to the whole Christian world; Therefore draw your Swords against Rome, for you shall prevaile.

And saith he, within 45 years after Rome is destroyed;Chap. 19. verse 19. The Pope once more gathering all his friends together to try his last chance, shall then be utterly overthrowne being about the yeare 1686,Chap. 13, verse 5. which will be the longest time he can continue. But Rome being destroyed, and the Iewes called, there will be then to the end, a most happy tranquillity, and things very great indeed,In his Ep. and to be admired; the Ioy will be so much that it will be strange and unexpected; for in the place of former troubles, there will be perpetuall peace,Chap. 20. verse 24. and then Kings and Queenes will be nursing fa­thers, and nursing mothers unto the Christian Churches.

Then the great Turke shall be 40 yeares on the decaying hand,Chap. 9. verse 15. and loose many Countries; but in the yeare 1696, He also shall be utterly overthrowne: And then Christ shall raigne with his Ordinances chiefe in the world.

They that please to examine these quotations in the margent, by Master Brightmans Booke on the Revelations, which he wrote above forty yeares agoe, they shall finde every noat either in the same words, or to the same purpose.

Yet not to forget that he saith further of England and Ireland. Although Christ be angry with us,Chap. 11. verse 16. by reason we are so far from a perfect reformation; and they which labour to bring in the Popish Ceremonies hated of God, do indanger the overthrow of our Kingdome; yet he saith Christ hath begun his Kingdome (at that time he wrot) which was in the days of blessed Queene Elizabeth, who happily begun and proceeded in the worke of Reformation, according to the time and those dayes she lived in; the finishing whereof will be required of this Generation; otherwise expect [Page 6] God hath a sad controversie with this Land, but Christ hath begun his Kingdome both in England, and Ireland, to raigne evermore; and the enemies which shall endeavour many enterprises, yet they shall vanish like smoke, and they shal never prevaile to over­throw Christ his Kingdome begun here;Chap. 11. verse 15. for there will never want Christian Princes to maintaine His Truth begun; which he saith began from the yeare 1558. for the Seventh Angell blew his trumpet for this time, and saith he would raigne evermore,

And lastly, he saith (for the better understanding of what he meanes) That the City of Rome is not limitted to that City, but extends as far as the Pope hath any dominion;Chap. 11. verse 8. So that the City of Rome is in destroying, if any of her Dominions be in destroy­ing; as he interprets the holy Ghosts meaning: but the Pope is to be quite and fully overthrowne at the yeare 1686. Therefore by computation Rome must be in destroying at 1641,Chap. 19. verse 19. in some of his Dominions, So I conclude this briefe Relation (of what Master Brightman largely iusists upon, shewing his grounds in his Book why hee affirmes these things) with Christs Counsell to this Church of Laodicea.