A Revelation of the Apocalypse, Summary
A VIEW OF THE WHOLE APOCALYPSE.
The particular PropheſyChap. 1.1 THE Preface ſheweth the argument of the book: 4. The Epiſtle ſent in cōmō to the 7. Churches, after the inſcription doth tell who hath givē the Prophecy, who hath received it; the things heard; by which it cōfirmeth the authority of it. Chap. 2. The Epiſtles ar givē ſeverally. The firſt cōprehēdeth the languiſhing diſeaſe of the Epheſians: 8. The Smyrneans are confirmed againſt the ſtrength of the enemy: 12. They of Pergamus ar reprehended for permitting Balaam & the Nicolaitans: 18. They of Thyatira ar reprooved of ſinn for ſuffring Iezabell. Chap. 3. The Sardians ar charged of hypocriſy: 7. The piety of Philadelphia is cōmēded: 14. The lukewarmnes & boaſting of the Laodiceans is with weighty words reprehended.The common Propheſy Chap. 4. The cōmon Prophecy propoūdeth the generall type of the holy Church, notable for her centre, God, ver. 2.3. for the cōpaſsing about of the faithfull ver. 4. for Gods protection ver. 5. for gifts, doctrine, ordinā ces ver. 5.6. miniſters ver. 6.7.8. & finally for the whole publick worſhip, ver. 9.10.11. Chap. 5. The firſt of the things which ar ſpoken of in ſpecial, is the dignity of the Prophecy, which is declared, firſt by the weakenes of the creature: 6. by the merite of the Lambe: 8. & the celebration of all. Chap. 6. The firſt ſpeciall events ar the ſeales. 1. The firſt is opened & the truth prevaileth under Trajan, Hadrian, & Antoninus Pius, at the voice of the firſt living creature, of Quadratus, Ariſtides, & Iuſtin Martyr: 3. at the voice of the ſaid Iuſtin, Melito of Sardis, & Apollinaris, the ſecōd living creature, the redd horſe goeth forth under Marcus Antoninus Verus, troubling all with warres; 5. the third ſeal being opened, the third living creature Tertullian cryeth out, under Severus the Emperour, whē the blacke horſe did afflict the world with famine & ſcarcity. 7. The fourth ſeale is opened, & the fourth living creature Cyprian ſpeaketh, Decius being then Emperour when the pale horſe waſted all with warre, famine, peſtilence, & wild beaſts. 9. The fift ſeale is opened, & ther is given ſome breathing from the publick perſecution under Claudius Quintilius,The ſeales from Iohn to Conſtantine. Aurelianus & the reſt, even to the 19. of Diocletian: 12. The ſixt ſeale is opened, & then rage Diocletian & Maximinian Hercule; who finally being driven out of the Empire by the power of the Lambe, for fear of him the tyrants fled & hidde themſelves. Chap. 7. The ſeaventh ſeale firſt doth yeild a general patterne of the whole folowing age: 1. Ther being cōtention, ambition, hereſy, they trouble all things with warre: they ar repreſſed by Cō ſtantine the great, untill he ſealed up the elect, & provided for the faithfull being few & baſe, in that great calamity of the Church, which forthwith followed. …. In which dolefull time at length ther ſhould be more proſperity then in time paſt, & a great felicity of the faithfull. Chap. 8. Secondly, of the ſame ſeaventh ſeale there is ſilence in heaven, peace being obteined by Conſtantine: 2. the trumpets ar prepared, & conſtantine gathereth the Nic. counſell to cutt off troubles, whi…h therby are mor increaſed: 6. The Angels blew, at whoſe firſt blowing ther ariſeth the cōtroverſy of Conſubſtantiation: 8. At the ſecōd, a burning mountaine of ambition, is caſt into the Sea, by the Decree touching the Primacie and dignitie of the Bishop: 10. At the thirde, a ſtarr falleth from heaven; the Arrian hereſy being defended by Conſtance and Valence: 12, At the fourth, the third part of the Sunne is ſtricken, that is, the Church of Africke by the Vandales. 13, The world is admonished of the neere grievous trumpets, following by Gregory the great.
Cap. 9 1 At the fift blowing the bottomeleſſe pit is opened, & there come forth ſwarmes of locuſts, of religious perſons in the Weſt, of Saraſens in the Eaſt. 13. At the ſixt, the Turkes doe invade the world punished for the Romane Idolatrie.
Chap. 10.1 At which time the Turkes ariſe, the deſire of the truth is kindled in very many of the Veſt; 9. By whoſe labour Prophecy is againe reſtored to the earth.
Chap. 11.1 Preaching being reſtored, thereis ſōevvhat a more full knowledge of the time paſt, namely, that the Church frō the daies of Conſtantine for a thouſand two hundred ſixtie yeares, was …idden in the ſecret place of the Tēple, the Romanes in the meane while boaſting of the holy Citie & utmoſt Court; 7. and in that in the end of thoſe yeares the Romane Prelat would prepare warre againſt the Church, cut the throat of the Scriptures by h…s Tridentine Counſell, and make the ſame mere carkaſes, & triumphe over them for the ſpace of three yeares & an halfe, tred alſo under foote the Saints in Germany by the power of Charles the fift, which yet after three yeares and an halfe revived by them of Magdeburg and Maurice, they ſtroke a very great feare into the enemies, & they overthrew the third part of the Romane dominion:The Trumpets from Conſtantine to the yeare 1558. 15 The ſeaventh Angell bloweth, & about the yeare 1558, new kingdomes are made for Chriſt, Englād, Ireland & Scotland, coming to the Goſpell.
Chap. 12. The firſt parte of the ſeaventh Trumpet as yet bringeth a fuller light of the time paſt, the Centuries of Magdeburg being raiſed up. The thing is repeated & taught from the beginning, 1. That the firſt Church of the Apoſtles, was moſt pure, but very much afflicted by the Dragō, the Romane Heatnish Emperours, who endevoured with all their power leaſt there should be waie opened to any Chriſtian to the chiefe Empire. 5, That Conſtantine the Great the manchilde of the Church at length was borne; at vvhoſe birth the firſt purity flieth into the VVildernes from the eyes of the vvorld; that this Conſtantine did caſt the Dr…gon from Heaven, the Heathnish Emperours being depulſed, leaſt againe they shoulde once beare rule in the Church. 13. the hoſtile povver being takē avvay frō the Dragō, he perſecuted the Church ūder Chriſts name by Conſtance and Valence: 15. And endevoured to ſwalovv her up flying avvaye, by the overflovving of the Barbarians ſent into the Weſt. 17. Which floud at length being dried up, raiſed up the vvarre of the Saracens.
The firſt part of the ſeaventh trumpet of things paſt.Ch. 13.1 The Dragon being caſt out of heaven by Conſtantine, eſtablisheth his Vicar in the ſame place; vvhichwhich beaſt is the Romish Pope, ſuch as he did riſe togither vvith Cō ſtantine, made great by the Counſell of Nice: he vas vvounded by the Gothes poſſeſſing Italie: vvas cured by Iuſtinian and Phocas, alſo therby made greater then ever before; 11. The ſeconde Beaſt is the ſame Romane Pope, enlarged by Pipine and Charles the great, vvho gave to him as a nevv birth, vvherby he became moſt vvicked.
Ch. 14.1 For a thouſand yeare from Conſtantine, the Church vvas together vvith Chriſt hidden in moſt ſecret places, but she did nothing of great fame in the vvorld; 6. Theſe thouſand yeares being ended, Wickliff preached the Goſpell to the vvorld: 8. Iohn Huſſe & Hierome of Prage ſucceede, vvho threatened the ruine of Rome: 9. After thoſe follovveth Martin Luther, vvho very egerly ſetteth upō the Romane Prelate; 14. Aftervvard there is a harveſt in Germany by Frederike the Saxon, the other proteſtant Princes, and free Cities: 17. Alſo a vintage in Englād by Thomas Cromvvell & Th. Crāmer.
The ſecond part of the ſeaventh trumpet concerning thinges to come.Chap. 15. Hitherto of the firſt part of the ſeavēth trumpet of things paſt: 1 The preparatiō of thinges to come, is the ſeavē Angels vvith their Viales; 2 The reformed Churches diſagree betvvene themſelves, but all triumphe for the overthrovv of the Pope of Rome: 5 The Temple is opened, and knovvledge increaſeth, & the citizens of the Church are made miniſters of the laſt plagues, the end of which the nevv people of the Ievves expecteth before they come to the faith.
Chap. 16.1 The vials are povvred: the firſt by our moſt gracious Queene Elizabeth and other Proteſtant Princes, vvherby the vvhole flocke of Papiſts is full of ulcero us ēvie. 3. The ſecond viale by Martine Chemnin againſt the Tridentine Councill: vvherby the ſea of the Popish Doctrine, by the Ieſuites the maſters of the controverſyes was made, as it were, the corrupt & filthy blood of a wōde. 4 The third by William Cecill againſt the Ieſuites, vvhichwhich are the welſpringes of the popish doctrine; & ſo farre are our times gone; The reſt of the viales are to come, but shortly to be povvred out: 8. The fourth on the Sunne, that is on the Scriptures, by vvhoſe light mē shalbe tormented & shall boile in great anger and contentions; 10. The fift on the citie of Rome, the throne of the Beaſt: 12. The ſixt on Euphrates, vvherby a vvaie shall be prepared to the Eaſterne Ievves, that after they shall have embraced the faith of the Goſpell, they maie return into their ovvne countrie: vvhen there shall be alſo a great preparation of vvarre, both by the Turke againſt theſe nevv Chriſtiās in the Eaſt, and alſo in the Weſt by the Pope: 17. The ſeaventh on the aire, wherby the myſterie shall be finished, the Turkes & the Popes names being raſed out: & then alſo the Church shall be ſettled in exceeding great felicitie, as in the earth maie be expected.
The viales from 1558, even to the end.Chap. 17. The execution of the fift viale on the throne of the beaſt, by vvhichwhich it shall be manifeſted by ſome one of no great name, by moſt undenyable argumēts that Rome is the ſeat of Antichriſt, & that she hath bin made his ſeate, from the time that the Heathenish Emperours vvere driven from thence.
Chap. 18. The ſecond execution of the fift viale is the laſt overthrow of the citie of Rome by three Angels; 1 deſcending from heaven, 4 the ſecond exhorting the Romanes to flight, & deſcribing both the mourning of the ungodly, & alſo the joy of the godly, 21 The thirde confirming her eternall deſtruction by caſting a great milſtone into the ſea.
Chap. 19.1 There is d…ſcribed the joy of the ſaints for the perdition of Rome: 5 The ſixt viale is opened, & the calling of the Iewes is taught: 12 Likewiſe a warlicke preparation, partly in reſpect of Chriſt the c…ptaine, & ſouldiers, partly in reſpect of the enemies; 20 The ſeaventh viale is declared by the deſtruction of the falſe Prophete of the Roman Pope, of the Weſterne enemie & his bādes.
Chap. 20.1 The vvhole hiſtory of the Dragō is repeated, as it was in the Gētile Emperours before the impriſonemēt: 2 Hovv it was in priſon, into which he was caſt by Conſtantine, & bound for a thouſād yeares:An interpretation of the three laſt viales. in al which ſpace the elect had a battel with the Romish Pope, which being ended, there is made at laſt the firſt reſurrection: many every where in the weſt aſpiring unto the more ſyncere truth: 7 Together with this reſurrection the Devill is looſed, & thē ariſeth the Turke vvith the Scithians, Gog with Magog, which now deſtroying the greateſt part of the earth, at length they turne their weapons againſt the holy citie, that is, the beleeving Iewes, in which warfare the name of the Turke shall utterly be abolished: 11 There is made the ſecond reſurrection, by the ſecond & full calling of the Iewes.
Chap. 21.1 The laſt part of the ſeaventh viale deſcribeth the felicity of the Church, after the vanquishing of all enemies, by the new Hieruſalem deſcending from heaven, of a moſt glorious building.
Chap. 22.1 It is shewed how this felicitie both by meat and drinke shall redounde to others, and shall continue for ever: 6 The concluſion confirmeth the whole Prophecy by manie moſt ſtrong arguments.