A Key of Knowledge to Open Revelation, Part 4 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
Of the ſcope of this booke.
THE firſt thing to bee obſerued toTo marke the ſcope. vnderſtand this book, is the ſcope and drift of this Reuelation, which, what it is, is moſt euident out of the text, chap. 1. 1. and 4. 1. and 22. 6, euen this, to make the ſeruants of God acquainted with the things, that were to come to paſſe, and to be done in the world, as farre as the ſame things doe concerne the Church of Ieſus Chriſt, from the daies of Iohn, vntounto the very end and ſecond comming of Chriſt. So that in the firſt place we are to look vponupon and behold the Church, and to attend this principally, for whoſe ſake this propheticall hiſtorie was written, as the firſt verſe of the firſt Chapter doth ſhew. And therefore alſo wee hauehave in the very beginning of the prophecie (concerning future things from the time of Iohns Chap. 4. and 5. Chap. 21. 22.receiuing the Reuelation) a goodly type of the Church, and when the prophecie commeth to an end, there is a glorious deſcription thereof; ſo as all may ſee, that the principall thing to be marked in this tragicall Comedie, (if I may ſo call it) isThe Church of Chriſt and her ſtate is firſt and principally to be conſidered of. the Church of Ieſus Chriſt, that is, conſiſting of true and faithfull Chriſtian beleeuers, their doings and ſufferings, their battels, and victorie at the length ouer all their enemies: of which to hauehave, according to this prophecie, a ſhort hiſtorie related, and the ſame kept well in memorie, ſhall be exceeding auailable to the vnderſtanding of this Reuelation. When the maine ſcope is certainlie knowne and attended vntounto, other things will be diſcerned in their place, and become apparent and eueryevery thing be ſeene in due order, as may particularly bee obſerued, from one Chapter to another throughout this booke, vntounto the end. But if this ſcope be neglected, and the Church her eſtate, riſing, decay, eclipſe, recouery, her dangers and alterations be not diligently attended vntounto, (from whence the reaſon, cauſes, and order of all other things are to be fetched) it will make this booke to ſuch Readers very obſcure, and confuſed. For the world and plagues vpō it are not here brought in further, then there is in them a reſpect, and a conſideration had vntounto the Church; neither any other thing, but as the ſame hath to doe with the Church, and the Church with it. Therefore the Church muſt firſt be attended vntounto, and then the reaſon, the cauſes, and order of other things brought in, and foretold for the Churches ſake, will bee better vnderſtood, as will appeare by the order of the Chapters, and the orderly cauſe of things therein contained.
Now next and ſecondarily the greateſt and chiefeſtA ſecond thing to be attended vntounto, is the Churches greateſt enemie. enemie of Chriſt and his Church is to be conſidered of; which is not here indeede the heathen Empire, and Tyrants then in Iohns time ruling the world, and bloudily perſecuting the Church, but the Popedome and Biſhop of Rome, that grand Antichriſt. For the Dragon and heathen Empire was well enough knowne to the Church then, ſo as there needed not a prophecie to ſpeake of that enemie or outward power and rage of the Dragon, further then to declare their end; and how Antichriſt came into the Dragons place, obtaining his power, ſtate & great authoritie: of which, in chap. 13. 3, this man of ſinne, this Antichriſtian ſtate, this myſterie of iniquitie is next the Church chiefly to bee conſidered of, as the enemie principally to be diſcouered vntounto y• Church in this prophecie. For this Empire is the longeſt during, the heathen Tyrants from the time of Iohns receiuing this Reuelation (about anno 96, to anno 311, when Conſtantine began his raigne) raigned but a ſmall ſpace about 215 yeeres; but this Antichriſt muſt hauehave his reigne 42 moneths of yeeres, being prophetically ſpoken and expreſſed by daies, eueryevery day being put for a yeere, is 1260 yeeres; and we ſee by lamentable experience, that he hath endured long, albeit now his power be abated.
Againe, this enemie is the worſt that euerThe Pope the worſt enemie to the Church. the Church had, for hee bloudily perſecuteth the godly, as did the heathen, chap. 11. 7: hee blaſphemeth God, his name, his tabernacle and Saints, chap. 13. 6, as they did; he hath done and yet doth trouble the world with bloudie warres (chap. 13. 7. and 17. 14.) as they did; hee hath gotten great power ouer kindreds, tongues and nations, chap. 13. 7, as they had; but he (which they could not doe, neither euer did) bewitcheth the world by ſorcerie, falſe miracles and wonders, chap. 13. 13. 14. and 19. 20. and will be worſhipped of all vponupon perill of their ſtates and liues, chap. 13. 15. 16. 17. This ſelleth alſo ſoules, chap. 18. 13: ſo as he is ſuch an enemie to the Chriſtian world as neuer was: to which may bee added this to all the reſt, that his curſed apoſtacie brought vponupon the Chriſtians, the helliſh furie and outrage of the Turkes power and tyrannie, chap. 9. 14. 15. 21. Laſtly, the greateſt part of this prophecie is ſpent about this wicked enemie, either in the preparation to his fall from the Church, chap. 8, or in the fall itſelfe, chap. 9, or in his riſing in worldly ſtate and power, chap. 13, or in his crueltie in perſecuting, chap. 11. and 13, or in his plagues begun vponupon him, chap. 16, or in his womaniſh condition inticing to filthineſſe, chap. 17, or in the ouerthrow of his ſtate, chap. 18, or elſe laſtly in his owne finall deſtruction, chap. 19. This therefore is the grand Aduerſarie principally by this book to be found out, as the greateſt, the worſt and longeſt enemie in continuance againſt the Church. And thus much for the ſcope, the firſt thing to be obſerued.