The Whole Revelation of John in Two Treatises, Treatise 1 · Proposition 20 – Proposition 22
20 PROPOSITION. Gods Temple, although in heauen, is alſo taken for his holy Church among his heauenly Elect vponupon earth, and metonymicè for the whole contents thereof.
IN figuratiue ſpeakings, heauen is taken for Gods holie Elect vponupon earth, whome hee hath preordained to inherite heauen, as is alreadie ſhewed by the 17. propoſition, where, by the throne of God in heauen, is meaned his trueth and true religion in earth among his heauenlie Elect here: So in this place alſo we ſay, that Gods Temple in heauen, is more properlie his Church among his heauenly Elect vponupon earth, than among the glorified bodies in heauen: for that glorified number, called theApo. 21.22. new Ieruſalem, ar ſaid properly, to hauehave no diſtinct Temple among them, for Iohn ſaith thereof, Et templum non vidi in ea, &c. I ſaw no temple therein, &c. So, no Temple being there, this Temple properlie muſt be among Gods heauenlie Elect vponupon earth, and conſequently his holie and true Church. As to the ſecond part of this propoſition, it agreeth verie well with Chriſts ſpeaking, ſaying of the material Temple, Qui iurat in altari, Matth. 23 20.21.iurat in eo & in omnibus qui ſuper illud ſunt, & quicunque iur auerit in templo, iur at in illo et in eo qui habitat in ipſo: Whoſoeuer ſweareth by the altar, ſweareth by it and by al things vponupon it, and vvhoſoeuer ſweareth by the Temple, ſweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth in it. Euen ſo likewiſe, vnderunder the name of this ſpiritual Temple, is not onelyonly meant Gods true Church among his heauenlie Elect vponupon earth, but alſo is meaned metonymicè the whole contentes thereof, to wit, Gods truth and true religion; yea, (although vnproperlie) euen the verie Majeſtie of God himſelfe, becauſe he dwelleth in his Church, and they in him: for proofe whereof, though Iohn ſaith firſt, I ſaw no temple therein, becauſe ther is no diſtinct Church properlie, where all is the Church, yet doeth …e ſubjoyne immediatlie, Dominus enim Deus omnipotens templum eorum eſt & Agnus: For the Lord God almightie, and the Lambe are the temple of it: calling the Deitie to be their Church that are glorified, or rather to them in ſtead of a Church; although more properlie the Deitie is the thing contemplate, not the Temple it ſelfe. From this Temple in this ſenſe,Ap. 14.15.17. that is from the majeſty of God, ar ſaid to go out the laſt Angels of Gods great harueſt and latter judgment, to gather in his Elect, & to deſtroy the wicked. And ſo the Temple of God in heauen, is properlie taken for his heavēlie elect Church vponupon earth, and for their true doctrine, profeſsion, and religion: yea, and (although improperlie) euen for the Deitie it ſelfe. Hereupon followeth this corollar, agreeable with al the former ſenſes: that when this Temple is ſaid to be open, then it meaneth Gods true Church to be viſible, his trueth and true religion preached and opened vp; and finally, the Majeſtie of God to be knowne, & reuealed by that preaching of his trueth. And when againe, that Temple is cloſed or filled with fume, it ſignifieth Gods true Church to lurke, and become inuiſible, his trueth, and true religion, and knowledge of the Deitie and diuine Majeſtie to bee obſcured, darkened, and cloſed vp. As in confirmation hereof, it is ſaide,Apo, 15.5.8 That the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Teſtimonie was open in heauen, and the ſeuen Angelles of the laſt plagues come out of the Temple, and afterwardes no man was able to enter into the Temple againe till theſe ſeuen plagues were fulfilled: which agreeth preciſelie with the euent after all the former ſenſes, to wit, that the true Chriſtian Churches, profeſſors of Chriſt his true teſtimonie, wer viſible and patent, their true doctrin and Chriſtian religion opened vp, and the majeſtie of God thereby made known, and manifeſted in the daies of the Apoſtles: and afterwards, vponupon neglecting their teſtimonie, & vponupon the contempt of the manifeſtation and opening vp thereof, there proceeded all the whole plagues of the ſeuen laſt ages, during the which, the fume of Gods wrath was ſo great, that by the Antichriſt he made his true Church lurke and become inviſible, and his truth and true religion, and knowledge of the divinitie to be obſcured and darkened: ſo that none might viſiblie enter or hauehave acceſſe to the knowledge therof, til by the ſeuenth and laſt plague, that the Antichriſts kingdome began to fall, and then after 1260. yeares darkneſſe, was that true Temple of God opened and made manifeſt, as is plainlie ſaide in theApoc. 11.19 ſeuenth Trumpet or age. So then, this Temple, the opening cloſing, and opening againe thereof, agrees ſo well with the Eccleſiaſticall hiſtorie in all points after the former ſenſes, that we muſt conclude, by this Temple of God in heauen, to bee meaned his holie Church among his heauenly elect vponupon earth, with the whol contents and pertinents thereof, to wit, his trueth, true religion, and (after a maner) the verie Deitie it ſelfe.
21 PROPOSITION. The two witneſſes mentioned (Reue. 11) are the two Teſtamēts, and (metonymicè) the whole true profeſſors thereof.
THis is prooued by their number, name, and office, and by the whole circumſtances of the text. Firſt, by their number, they are two witneſſes: ſo are they two Teſtaments. Secondlie, by their name they are called Witneſſes: ſo in that language of Latine, wherein they hauehave bene vſed moſt, theſe 1200. years & more, they are called Teſtamenta frō the word Teſtis, which is to ſay a Witneſſe, as being witneſſe of Gods wil: all other doubtfull teſtimonies of men being refuſed, as teſtifieth Chriſt, ſaying,Ioh, 5, 34, 39 I receiue not the teſtimonie of men, &c. But afterwarde hee ſaieth, Search the Scriptures, for they are they vvhichwhich teſtifie of me. Thirdlie, concerning their office, (as Oliues) they annoint vsus Kings and Prieſtes to God: And (as Lanterns) they illuminate vsus with knowledge of the true way of ſaluation. So that who (as the text ſaith) that woulde peruert them, God ſhall conſume him with the aeternall fire of hell; therfore, it is ſaid, Omnis ſermo Dei-ignitus, pro, 30, 5& clypeus eſt sperantibus in ſe, ne addas quidquam verbis illius: Euerie vvorde of God is fierie, and he is a ſhield to thoſe that truſt in him, put nothing vntounto his vvordes. Laſtlie, the whole circumſtances of the text (which here for breuitie are omitted, and at amplified in the principall Treatiſe) doe ſo harmonicallie agree with theſe two Teſtaments, that neceſſarilie, they bee the two Witneſſes here made mētion of. As concerning the witneſsing of men, becauſe it is ſaid, Omnis homo mendax: Euerie man is a liar: pſal. 116, 11 Rom, 3, 4, Ioh, 5.34And againe, Non ab homine teſtimonium accipio: I receiue not the record of man: Therfore, no men are ſimplie to be accepted in place of theſe Witneſſes. Yet notwithſtanding, ſo farre as men doe profeſſe theſe Teſtamentes, and doe purely preach the ſimple doctrine thereof, in that caſe theſe men, are metonymicè included vnderunder theſe Teſtamentes, for that their worde is not their owne worde, but the worde of theſe two Teſtaments.
22 PROPOSITION. The Woman clad with the Sunne (chap. 12.) is the true Church of God.
THis is prooued; firſt, by the Song of Salomon, where Salomon, bearing the figure of Chriſte, who deſcended of him: his beloued Woman and Spouſe, throughout al that Canticle beareth the figure of Chriſtes Church. Secondlie, ſpirituall Hieruſalem, which is Chriſtes Church by diuerſe Scriptures, is alſo called Chriſtes Spouſe in the Reuelation. Apo. 21. Epheſ. 5… 23Thirdlie, bodilie marriage, is by Sanct Paule called a Symbol, and a Sacrament of the vnion of Chriſt and his Church: whereby the husbande repreſenteth Chriſt, and the Woman eſpouſed repreſenteth the Church. Fourthlie, in the whole Scriptures, idolatrie being called ſpiritual whordome, neceſſarily the true worſhipping of God is repreſented by perfect Spouſage, and the true Church that worſhippeth him, is his Spouſe, and ſo the Church of God is figured by a Woman. Laſt of all, the whole tokens of this Woman, contained in the text ſo viuelie and perfectlie agree with Chriſtes Church (as is declared in the principall treatiſe) that neceſſarilie wee muſt conclude, this Woman to meane the true Church of God.