The Whole Revelation of John in Two Treatises, Treatise 1 · Proposition 23
23 PROPOSITION. The Whoore,Apoc. 14, 16, 17.18 Cap. 19. who in the Reuelation is ſtiled ſpirituall Babylon, is not reallie Babylon, but the verie preſent Citie of Rome.
IN the former propoſition was deſcribed the holie Spouſe of Chriſt, here is to bee deſcribed the filthie Whoore of Sathan, there that Ladie, who is adorned with the Sunne, Starres, and heauenlie vertues: here that Adultreſſe, who glories in golde, ſiluer, precious ſtones, and worldlie pleaſures: there ſhee, who is perſecuted by the Dragon, here ſhe vntounto whome the Dragon doeth giuegive authoritie: There ſhe, who is chaced into the wildernes, and hath no lodge to hide her in; here ſhe who impireth aboue all people, and is the Metropolitane citie of the world. And finallie, ſeeing in al things this Whoore, or whooriſh Babylon, is contrarious to Chriſtes holie Spouſe, lette vsus, and all Chriſtians trie her out, as our deteſtable and deadlie enemie, and ſee what Babylon ſhe is. We ſay then, that this Babylon, is not that reall Babylon of Chaldee, but Rome, for theſe reaſons. Firſt, for that this Babylon is calledApoc, 17, 5 myſterium Babylon, that is to ſay, myſticall or figuratiue Babylon: Therefore, it is not Babylon it ſelf in Chaldee. Secondlie, that olde Babylon in Chaldee was deſtroied long before Sāct Iohn wrote this, as was prophecied by Eſay, by Ieremic, and by Dauid, and neuer roſe to authoritie: But this Babylon, euen when Sanct Iohn wrote, raigned ouer theEſa, 1…, 17 Ier 51, 11 pſal 136 Apoc, 17, 18 Kinges of the earth: Therefore, it is not olde Babylon, but meaneth Rome, which at that time, and a thouſand and foure hundred yeares after that, had Empire ouer the whole earth. Thirdlie, this myſticall Babylon, is ſaid by the text, to be ſet vponupon ſeuen hilles, and therefore it is Rome, Apoc. 17.9.which is called Septicollis, as Virgil teſtifieth, ſaying,
Septemque una ſibi muro circumdedit arces:Virgil, lib. 2 Geor, & lib. 6. aeneid.
Within the vvalles of that citie, cōtained ar ſeuen hilles hie.
And Propertius ſaith,
Septem urbs alta iugis, toti quae praeſidet orbi,
On hilles ſeuen that citie ſtands, that hath empire aboue al lands.
Againe, Sanctparte, 2, tra. 5, Epiſt, 59 & part, 3, tract, 8, Epiſt. 30 Ierome libro Epiſtolarum, in diuerſe places approoueth the ſame: and Eutropius in his Hiſtorie, and Publius Ʋictor de deſcriptione vrbis Romae, and diuerſe other doe name theſe ſeuen hilles, this way, as Palatinus, Coelius, Ianiculus (otherwiſe called Capitolinus) Aventinus, Quirinalis, Ʋiminalis, and Eſquilinus. Fourthlie, becauſe the manner of Families, Kinges, and Kingdomes, is to entitle themſelues by the name of the firſt Conquerours, or moſt notable perſonnes, as the whole Romane Emperours were called Caeſares, according to the name of the firſte Emperour Iulius Caeſar. So Rome hauing obtayned the Monarchie ouer the whole kingdomes of the earth, whereof the Babylonians were the firſt Conquerours, therefore, juſtlie is called Babylon, as ſucceding in her place. Fiftlie, per Icona, ſcu à ſimili, for that in idolatrie, pride, couetouſneſſe, and exceeding crueltie againſt the Sanctes of God, Rome was nothing inferiour to Babylon. Sixtlie, becaus by vſe and cuſtome of ancient and learned Writers, Rome is verie often called Babylon, as by. Ierome, lib. Epiſtolar. part 2 trac… 6. Epiſt, 80 … part. 2. tract 5. Epi. 9 8 part. 3. trac… 8. Epiſt, 30Alſo by Tertullian in his booke againſt the Iewes, and lib. 3. againſt Marcion. And for final confirmation hereof, al they that would prooue S. Peter to hauehave remained at Rome, ſay, that by Babylon in the end of the firſte Epiſtle of Peter, is meant Rome, from whence he then wrote, as Ierome ſaith, in his Prologne vponupon Marke, in theſe wordes, Ec Petrus in Epiſtola prima ſub nomine Babylonis, figuraliter Romam ſignificans: And Peter in: his firſt Epiſtle, vnderunder the name of Babylon, figuratiuelie ſignifying Rome.
And ſo for aſſured certēty, this whoriſh & myſtical Babylon. is verilie Rome. But ſome ſeeking ſophiſtical ſubterfuges wil ſay, that this Babylon meaneth olde Rome, and not this preſent Citie of Rome, that now is, as though both were not one, euen builded both within one wall, and vponupon theſe ſelfe ſame ſeuen mountaines: and finallie, one ſelfe ſame towne, both in name, ſeate, and gouernement, and in all thinges elſe, onelie that where one houſe was ruined, deſtroyed, or burned by the Gothes, and other enemies, another within the ſame walles is builded vp againe. Of theſe then it is to be demaunded, if olde Rome hath bene ſo deſtroyed, that it is not to be founde, or that neuer inhabitant hath dwelt in it ſince that time, neither euer ſo much as a candle hath ſhined therein hitherto, as is prophecied of Babylon in the Reuelation, chap. 18, But the contrarie beeing true: Therefore, it is not onlie this olde Rome: but all whollilie Rome that is called Babylon, and as yet, reſteth to be that way for euer deſtroyed.