The Whole Revelation of John in Two Treatises, Treatise 2 · Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII.
THE ARGVMENT.
In this chapter coherentlie with the former, is pronounced the ſore ſentence and doome of deſtruction, againſt the ſeate and citie of Rome, for her wicked demerites, with an exhortation to all true Chriſtians, to leaue and renounce her: and expreſſe cōmandement to all men to put hand to the execution of Gods vengeance againſt her for her pride. And laſt of all, is ſet foorth the great horrour and anguiſh of her familiars, for the ſuddaine and terrible ſpoliation, demoliſhing, burning, and deſtruction of her for euer, vvith the triumph of Gods whole true ſeruants therefore, after ſo plaine a ſtile, that the Paraphraſe and hiſtorie (or rather Prophecie) therof, may be conſolidate in one Prophetical Paraphraſe.
The Text.
1 AND after theſe things, I ſaw another Angell come down from heauen, hauing great power, ſo that the earth was lightened with his glory.
2 And he cried out mightilie, with a loude voyce, ſaying, It is fallen it is fallē, Babylon that great citie, & is becom the habitation of deuils and the hold of all foul ſpirits, and a cage of eueryevery vnclean and hatefull bird.
3 For al nations hauehave drunke of the wine of the wrath of her fornicatiō, & the kings of the earth hauehave committed fornication with her, & the merchantes of the earth ar waxed rich of the aboundance of her pleaſures.
4 And I hard another voice from heauen, ſay, Go out of her my people, that ye be not partakers in her ſinnes, & that yee receiue not of her plagues.
5 For her ſinnes are come vp vntounto heauen, and God hath remembred her iniquities.
6 Reward her, euen as ſhee hath rewarded you, and giuegive her double according vntounto her workes: and in the cup that ſhee hath filled to you, fill her the double.
7 In as much as ſhee glorified her ſelfe, and liued in pleaſure, ſoe muche giuegive yee to her torment and ſorrowe: for ſhe ſaith in her hart, I ſit, being a Queene, & am no widow, and ſhall ſee no mourning.
8 Therefore ſhall her plagues come at one day, death, and ſorrow, and famine, and ſhee ſhal be burnt with fire: for ſtrong is the Lorde God, which will condemn her.
9 And the Kinges of the earth ſhall bewaile her, and lament for her which hauehave committed fornication, and liued in pleaſure with her, when they ſhall ſee the ſmoke of her burning.
10 And ſhall ſtande farre off for fear of her torment, ſaying, Alas, alas, the great citie Babylon, the mightie citie for in one houre is thy iudgement come.
11 And the marchāts of the earth ſhall weep and waile ouer her, for no man byeth their ware any more.
12. The ware of golde and ſiluer, and of precious ſtone, and of pearls and of fine linnen, and of purple, and of ſilk, & of skarlet, and of al maner of Thyne wood, & of all veſſells of yuorie, & of all veſſells of moſt precious woode, and of braſſe, and of yron, and of marble.
13 And of cynamon, and odours, and oyntments, & frankincenſe, and wine, and oyl, and fine floure, and wheat, and beaſts, and ſheepe, and horſes, and charets and ſeruants, and ſouls of men.
14. (And the apples that thy ſoule luſted after, are departed from thee, and al things that were fat and excellent, ar departed from thee, and thou ſhalt finde them no more.)
15 And the marchāts of theſe thinges which were waxed riche, ſhall ſtand a far of from her, for fear of her tormēt, weeping and wailing.
16. And ſaying, Alas, alas, the gret citie, that was clothed in fine linnen, and purple, and skarlet, & gilded with gold, & precious ſtone, and pearles.
17 For in one houre ſo great riches are com to deſolation. And eueryevery ſhipmaſter, and all the people that occupy ſhips, and ſhipmen, and whoſoeuer trauell on the ſea, ſhal ſtand a far off.
18 And cry when they ſee the ſmok of her burning, ſaying, What city was like vntounto this gret citie.
19 And they ſhall caſt duſt on their heades, & crie weeping and wailing, and ſay, Alas, alas, the great citie, wherein were made rich al that had ſhips on the ſea, by her coſtlines: for in one houre ſhe is made deſolate.
20 O heauen reioice of her, and ye holy Apo ſtles and Prophets: for God hath giuen your judgment on her.
21 Then a mightie An gel took vp a ſtone, like a great milſtone, & caſt it into the ſea, ſaying, with ſuch violence ſhall the great citie Babylon be caſt, and ſhall bee found no more.
22 And the voice of Harpers, and muſitians, and of pipers, and trū peters ſhal be heard no more in thee, and noe craftes man, of whatſoeuer craft he be, ſhal be found any more in thee and the ſound of a milſtone ſhal be heard no more in thee.
23 And the light of a candle ſhall ſhine noe more in thee: and the voice of the bridegrom and of the bride, ſhall bee hearde no more in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth: & with thine inchantments were deceiued all nations.
24 And in her was foūd the bloode of the Prophets, and of the ſaints and of al that wer ſlain vponupon the earth.
The Prophetical Paraphraſe.
1 AFterwarde came the a ſeconde of the ſeven thundering Angels from heauen, with great power and Majeſtie, lightening all the earth with the beames of his glorie:
2 And he pronounced with a loude voice the doome and ſentence following, ſaying, now ſhal fal, yea, euen now ſhal fal that mightie imperial ſeat of b Rome, ſucceſſour of great Babylon, and ſhee ſhall become a deſert dwelling of c deuilles and Fayries, and a ſolitarie wilderneſſe, for the repaire of wilde and rauenous foules.
3 Becauſe ſhee hath poyſoned all nations, with the venemous drinkes of her idolatrous doctrine: and all the kinges and gouernours of the earth, hauehave followed her a whoring after idolles: and the Merchantes of the earth d both ſpirituall and temporall, hauehave bene inriched through her voluptuous and delicate traffique.
4 Then hearde I againe, a ſpirituall and heauenlie voice, charging all God his true, holie and electe Chriſtians, to departe from that Romane ſeat, and leaue all her ſuperſtitions, leaſt they being participant of her offences were alſo deſtroyed with her.
5 For her ſinnes hauehave craued vengeance from the heauens, and the Lorde hath called to minde her iniquities.
6 Commanding therfore al men to e render vntounto her ſuch wrack, as ſhe hath deſerued at their hand: yea, and to double the reuēge vponupon her, that her works hauehave deſerued, and as ſhe hath hitherto entiſed them to drink in the cup of Gods wrath, ſo they ar now to execute Gods wrath twofold againſt her.
7 And ſo much as ſhee hath vaunted and gloried in her ſelfe, and hath liued wealthilie in all ſenſualities and pleaſures, ſo much the more to ad vntounto her torment & dolour. For in the preſumption of her hart, ſhe hath ſaid, I ſit f Queene and Maiſtres ouer the whole world, and I ſhall be deſtitute of no voluptuous pleaſure, neither euer ſhall I ſee any ſorrowe.
8 Therefore, at once ſhall God powre out on her the plagues of death and mourning, for the g ſlaughter of her inhabitants, and ſhe ſhal be incloſed and effamiſhed: finally, taken captiue, and burnt with fire: for almightie is the Lord, that hath giuen that ſore ſentence againſt her.
9 The Kings, Cardinals, and rulers of the earth, who hauehave followed her in whoring ſpirituallie after Idols, & hauehave led a careles life in all her worldly pleaſures, ſhal now mourn and bewaile her, and ſhal become dolorous and ſorrowfull for her ſake, when they ſhall vnderſtand that ſhee is conſumed and burnt vp with fire, and deſtroied for euer.
10 They dare not approche to aſsiſt her, for feare to be wracked with her, but abſenting them ſelues, ſhal mourn in their heartes, ſaying; Alas, alas, our cheife citie Rome, that great and mightie ſucceſſour and daughter of Babel, for vnawares is come thy deſtructiō.
11 The Merchants of the earth, craftſmen and traffiquers with her wares, ſhall lament & mourne for her deſtruction, for their delicate wares ſhal not henceforth be ſo ſaleable.
12 Euen their rich and coſtly Idoles, chalices, Paxes, & crucifixes, threefold crownes, myters, Biſhops ſtaues, and rings of golde, & ſiluer ſet with pearles, and all manner of precious ſtones, ſurplices of fine linnen, copes, maſſe-clothes, and other veſtiments of purple, of ſilke, & of skarlet, ſielerings, tabernacles and other ornamentes in Churches, and Church places of al manner of h well carued, and long laſting wood, Hoſt boxes, and relique buſes of Iuorie or fine woode, offering ſtocks and diuers veſſels for Chriſme, oyl, ſalt; and holy water of fine timber, Snuffers, and incenſours of braſſe, copper, or yron, founts and holy water ſtones of Allablaſter, Marble, or Iaſper.
13 Yea, their confections of cannell and ſugered ſpices, for their Chriſtmas & Eaſter feaſts, their delicate perfumes, odours, and coſtly oyntments: for their Pontificalls, their incenſe, roſet and frankinſcence, to burne in Churches, wine for their drink, and for daily maſſes, oyle for their extreame vnction, fine floure for their Hoſts and maſſe bread, wheat and plentie of all maner of cornes, with ſtore of kyne and ſheep, for their daily ſuſtentation; Horſes, mules, and mulets, with coſtly decored chariots for their journeying; Moores, Pages, Lackies and ſeruants to ſerue them, & finallie the pretended i merchandiſe of the ſoules of men from hell and purgatorie, by ſoule maſſes, diriges, pardons, indulgences, remiſsions of ſinnes, and ſuch ſoule wares for lucre.
14 And the delicate and wealthie pleaſures that thy ſoul luſted after, are departed from thee, and all thy profitable rentes, and glorious dignities are taken from thee, and ſhall neuer hereafter be reſtored to thee.
15 Theſe Marchants and ſellers of theſe wares, which hitherto were made wealthie therby, dare not aſsiſt her, but abſenting thē ſelues leſt they be wracked with her, ſhal bewaile and lament her,
16 Saying, Alas, alas, that mightie citie which was decored with fine linnen, & with abullements, pales, hangers, and tapeſtries of ſilk, purple and skarlet, & had her k ſielerings ouer-gilt with gold, and was richely dect and repleniſhed with al maner of precious ſtones and pearle:
17 For at an inſtant is ſhee depriued and ſpoiled of all theſe riches, and all her Marriners, pylates, and gouernours of her greate l ſhippes and huge Galliaſſes, and eueryevery ſhipmaiſter, that tranſporteth her wares, ſtanding a far off for feare to be wracked,
18 Vnderſtanding her to be burnt vppe with fire, and vtterlie deſtroyed, ſhal lament, ſaying, what citie on earth was ſo mightie as this great citie?
19 And they ſhall be grieued and disfigured with ſorrowe and anguiſhe, and ſhall crie out, weeping and wailing, ſaying, Alas, alas, that mightie and great citie, by whome, al we her ſhip-maſters and marriners were inriched, and made wealthie through the coſtlines of her delicate wares, for in an inſtant is ſhee brought to deſolation.
20 But contrarilie, O elect Churche of God, Apoſtles and holy Prophets rejoice and triumph, yea, for the Almightie hath judged and reuenged your cauſe againſt her.
21 Then a mightie Angell, ſhewed me the compariſon of a great milſtone caſt into the ſea, declaring, that with ſuch ſuddentie and violence ſhould thou, O Rome, the mightie citie, ſucceſſor and daughter of great Babylon, be brought to vtter confuſion, ſo that thou ſhalt neuer m ariſe nor recouer thereafter.
22 And the triumphant melodie of thy Organes, and belles, hymnes and canticles, bummes, timbrels, and rigols, ſhall neuer be hereafter heard, ſounding in thy quiers, nor in thy houſes or habitations, ſhall any maner of craftſ-men be found dwelling: yea, not ſo much as the ſound of any mil or quernes ſhal be heard grinding corne towards thee.
23 For ther ſhal not dwel in thee, ſo much as one to light a torch or cādle to ſhine in thee, and far leſſe ſhall it be heard, anie to marie, or to be maried in thee, or to procreat, or repleniſhe with people thy ruined walles, for thy merchants (cheif ſellers of indulgences, and ſoule wares) become Cardinals and Biſhops, and great men vponupon earth, and with thy alluring ſuperſtitions, all people & nations were blinded and deceiued.
24 And that miſerable citie was founde & convict of God, to be the author of the bludſhed and martyrdome of all the Chriſtians, and true profeſſors that were ſlain throughout the whole earth.
Notes, Reaſons, and Amplifications.
a We interpret the Angel, that here pronounceth this decay of this ſpirituall Babylon, to be the ſeconde of the ſeauen thundering Angels, becauſe that ſame Angell proclaimed that ſame decay to fall in his time. Apoc. 14.8. and ſo conſequently, wee look (God willing) for the performance hereof, in this preſent Iubile begun already in anno 1590. and ending in anno 1639. or thereby.
b This Babylon is not literally Babylon it ſelf, for that Babylon was deſtroied by the Medes and Perſians, according to the prophecies of Eſay 13.17. and Ieremie 51.11. and Pſal. 137. and that, long be fore ſaint Iohn wrote this, and neuer roſe in authoritie againe, but this Babylon is figuratiue or myſtical Babylon, ſo called (Apoc. 17.5) for that this Babylon ſuccedeth to the monarchie of the former, as the eroy to her grandmother, and is certainly the citie of Rome as is prooued by our 23. propoſition, and by the whol tokens of the 17. chapter hereof, read alſo hereupon, Apoc. 14. note h.
c The ſpirit of God, deſcribing the horrible decay of royal Babylon. Eſay. 13.21. for the greater agrauating of Gods juſtice, and to moue vsus to conceiue the greater horrour, not onelyonly ſaith ſimplie it ſhal be a deſert, or ſuch a deſert or wildernes, as no tame beaſt or bird dare reſort into, for rauenous beaſts and fowles of reif, that abide there: but euen that it ſhall bee a place ſo vtterly elraich (as we tearme it) that alſo no man dare make reſidence there, for fear of deuills, fayries & ſpirits of illuſions: and, as the Rabbins interpret that text, Ibi ſaltabūt Fauni, Satyri, ſeu daemones piloſi, &c. The like is ſaid here of this myſtical Babylon or Babylonicall Rome, that it ſhal become a dwelling of deuils, and a holde or reſidence of vncleane ſpirits, not that the deuils are as yet annexed to any certaine reſidence, or that they like rather to go dwel in deſerts, than to abide among men to ſeduce them, but that the ſpirit of God wold hauehave vsus his faithfull to deteſt that citie as abhominable, wherein deuils ſhall dwell and poſſeſſe the ſame as their due patrimonie.
d Theſe marchants appeare hereafter plainly by their wares, to meane but ſeculare marchants, ſellers of all delicate wares to the Romans, as alſo their eccleſiaſticall merchants, prieſts, pardonars, & Legats, that ſel their indulgences, pardones, and ſoule wares vntounto the whole world: conſider this by the 12. and 13. verſes hereof.
e Now Princes, potentats, and mightie men on earth, go to, and execute Gods wrath againſt this godles citie, for here you hauehave a ſpeciall warrant and earneſt commande to reuenge that cauſe, that is, not onelyonly your owne cauſe, but alſo it is the cauſe of the Almightie, by the which ye are certified here, that that work ſhall go wel with you, and ſhal proſper in your hands. Where note, that this doubling of reuenge is ſpoken by a Propheticall Emphaſis, as meaning thereby, that we ought without pitie, ruth, and merciemercy to proceede with all poſsible extremitie againſt that deuilliſh ſeat, to the vtter extirpation thereof, and not meaning that any puniſhement in this world that poſsiblie may be executed by men, can be ſo much as equivalent with the ſingle, and farre les can be double to her wicked demerits: where through, in the ende of the next chapter, ſhee and hers ar caſt into hell fire eternallie, as a full revenge.
f Here doth the ſpirit of God deſcribe and paint Rome no other wiſe, then ſhee in her old monuments and coynings doth paint & ſet out her ſelf: to wit, after the forme of a luſty Ladye, clad in no mourning weede, nor widdowes apparel, but gloriouſlie and richlie deckt, and decored with all delectable and coſtly ornaments, and therewithal, ſitting inthroned in her throne, as Lady and miſtres ouer the whole world, with her glorious titles, and blaſphemous inſcriptions Roma aeterna, foelix, invicta, and ſuch others, wher of reade the note h Apoc. 17.
g Here hauehave we inſerted certaine clauſes gathered out of other parts of this book, opening the maner of the deſtruction of Rome, that the prophecie may be the more plaine. And firſt, where wee interpret her mourning to be for the ſlaughter of her inhabitants (beſide alſo for the ruine of her kingdome) we do not coniecture it without a warrant, that ther ſhal be gret ſlaughter vponupon her inhabitants, for which they ſhall mourn, becauſe the former plague (expreſſed in this text) that ſhould fall on them, is death. Againe, by the Apoc. 13.10. it is doubtleſſe meant, that they ſhall be killed by the ſword, becauſe they hauehave killed others with the ſword. Secondly, becaus the text ſpecifies, that they ſhal be effamiſhed & burnt with fire, it betokeneth a ſiege and incloſing of them, and that ſhee ſhall be taken captiue, and therefore hauehave wee alſo inſerted theſe clauſes agreeing with the ſaid warrant. Apoc. 13.10. wherein it is likewiſe meant, that they ſhal be led captiue, becauſe they hauehave led others captiue.
h This foreign, is the wood Thyia which Theophraſtus reporteth to be a long laſting, and vncorruptible timber: hereof mentioneth Plinius lib. 13. cap. 16. And with this timber, Temples in old times were decored and repleniſhed.
i After the ſpirite of God had reckoned out certaine bodilie wares which the Romane ſeat accuſtomed moſt to buy, nowe concludes he with theſe ſoule wares, which they and their marchants vſed chiefly to ſel, wherby, they were ſo inriched, that thereby they were made able to buy al the former coſtly wares. Theſe ſoulwares are pardons, indulgence, remiſsions of ſinnes, trentalls, ſoule maſſes, and diriges, with ſuch godles jeſtes, whereby, they promiſe for mony, to deliuer vsus from hell and purgatory, and to canonize vsus ſaints in heauen, and make vsus interceſſors for our brethren on earth, and conſequētly, Chriſts interceſsion to be needles. O blaſphemie intollerable that maketh riche men (whome Chriſt ſaith ſhall hardly come in the kingdome of heauen) to become ſaintes for money, and ſo tacitly to depriue our ſauiour of his office of interceſsion and onelyonly mediation: doeth not Peter ſpeake trulie of theſe his falſe pretended ſucceſſors. (2. Epiſt. cap. 2.) ſaying, they ſhall bring in damnable errors, denying the Lord that redeemed them, and through fained wordes ſhal they make marchandiſe of men, to wit, (as here is ſaide) by ſelling both their poore peoples ſoules, and their owne ſoules to the deuill for worldly lucre. Herewith confer the note d preceeding.
k Of theſe golden & gilded ſilerings and great riches of Rome, read the note m in Apoc. 17. with diuers olde writers, deſcribers of the Pompe of Rome.
l Theſe mightie marriners with their gret Galliaſſes, Venetiās, Spaniſhes, and other of that Antichriſtian flote, who hitherto, and lateſt of all in this 1588. yeare of God, hauehave bene ſo readie at eueryevery nod of their Apoſtatik ſtep-mother, Rome, to hauehave ouerwhelmed vsus poore and true chriſtian profeſſors. Seeing now and perceauing by daily experience, that God fights for vsus, and daily aduanceth our cauſes more and more to their deſtruction, ſhall now ſhortly faint and fal back, from aſsiſting that cauſe any more, only ſtanding a far and bewailing that irreparable deſtruction that God is ſending vponupon that godles citie, and in their hearts lamenting the decay of their owne proſperitie, without making any farther debate or encounter in defence of that Romiſh ſeat.
m Let none beleeue, that this deſtruction, deſolation, and burning of Rome, is any of theſe deſtructions which are already performed by the Hunnes, Gotthes, Vandales, or others in time paſt, for theſe deſtructions were ſoone repared, but this deſtruction, (ſaith the ſpirit of God before, verſe 14. and here verſes 21.22.23.) ſhall be ſuch, that neuer ſhalbe repared againe, that citie neuer founde nor founded againe, her dignities and rents neuer reſtored to her, and finally, no inhabitant to dwel there, or ſo muche as to light a candle in that execrable and accurſed citie againe.