A Revelation of the Holy Apocalypse, Part 2 · Chapter 18
CHAPTER XVIII.
The King is Angelus to cauſe the word to be ſounded.
After this I ſaw an Angell, comming downe from heauen: hauing great auctority: and the earth was lightned by his glorie: and he cried mightily with a great voice, ſaying: BABYLON the great City is fallen, is fallen, and is become a dwelling of Diuells, and a priſon of eueryevery vncleane ſpirit, and a priſon of eueryevery vncleane and hatefull bird, becauſe ſhe hath cauſed all nations to drinke of the wine of the anger of her fornication, and the Kings of the earth committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth became rich by the might of her wealth, &c.
THE like ſpeach is in Ezekiel, chap. 47. where the glorie of the Goſpell ſhineth from Chriſt, and waters of doctrine flow with life: And the Angels glorie lightned the whole earth, cha. 10. taught this ſame matter: where Iohn eateth the litle booke. And Chriſt is the Angell, he cōmeth downe, when he ſetteth vp the light of his word, by which hee ſhineth ouer the earth. Though in viſion ſundry Angels expreſſe him. And when Ieruſalem is builded, Babylon muſt needes fall: and where the mighty Goſpell is taught of millions, there Chriſt ſpeaketh with a great voice. Anabaptistes, be the chiefe helpe that the Papiſts hauehave to diſpute, that it is dangerous for the common people to medle with Gods word. But a learned officer, would with ſageneſſe ſoone teach them how they miſſe burning in fire the obſtinat in haereſie. Maymo. in the treatiſe, Chagigah. Perek III. ſheweth how the King ſhould read the Law, before the people in the feaſt of Tabernacles: and in what ſage reuerence. A pulpit of wood was made for him, in the court where all might come, men and women, and the ſynagogue keeper, brought forth the booke of the Law, & gaue it to the Archiſynagogue: and he to Sagan of the Temple: Strategos, Act. chap. 4. 1. Chancelor, we may terme him: he to the high ſacrificer: and hee to the King, and hee read Deuteronomie, and of the King he ſaith: foreign That is: The King is Angelus to cauſe the word of GOD to be ſounded.
If the Iew, could thus honor the Law: and ſhew the Kings duty; which Iew ſaw not the true glorie of it by the SON of GOD: how much more ſhould wee bring vp our Kings to honor the holy Goſpell: to read ſpeciall places: as the firſt of Saint Matthew of 1800. yer. ſtory: and 3. Luke of 3957. or Act. 7. or 2. Theſſ. 2. or ſome ſpeciall place: to ſtirre nobles, a learned reading would be as good as a commentarie. And chapters expounding one another: and Pſalmes might ſo be choſen, that by bare reading great light would come. So millions would ſay that Babylon the great is fallen: and foreign and Daemones be all one, and Rome is a dwelling of Diuels: and Cardinals bee vncleane ſpirits and Archbuy-ſhopps be vncleane and hatefull birdes, and their keies be keies of the pit: and their Idolatry making Peter the Rock againſt this,2. Sam▪ 22. THERE IS NO ROCK BVT THE ETERNALL, had made the Kings of the earth madde in Idols: from one error; that the gates of death, ſhall not praeuaile againſt Rome: where the ſpeach meant, that terror of Romes perſecution, ſhould not ſtay the building vponupon Chriſt the Rock.
Buy-ſhopps ſhould be knowen how wickedly the merchants become wealthy, blinde leaders of the blinde, vntounto eternall deſtruction. Vncleane ſpirits, and hatefull birdes: if Eſay 13. 14. 21. 23. 47. and Ier. 51. & Ezek. 27. and againe Ier. 7. ſhould bee read, comparing old traffique with the Popes ritches and ruyne; this chapter would hauehave great light: which of it ſelfe needeth not further expoſition: For the next cha. telleth how Rome falleth,The Goſpell is the ioy of the godly. by the ioy of the godly, which in order of tyme handleth matter, whence the ruyne of Rome cōmeth. The terme witchcraft, beſtowed vponupon the Popes doctrine, is to be noted: They who ſay, bread after wordes ſpoken, is no longer bread, would hauehave men bewitched, and ſo for the wine. Senſe is a diuine teſtimony, and if two men ſhould witneſſe, that others did worſhippe bread or wine: no hypocriſie ſhould ſaue them. Chriſt gaue the Law in Moyſes, and will not the tokens to bee worſhipped: that muſt be kept for God onelyonly. Where Rome killed men for the Prophets doctrine, and holy Apoſtles: they are as gilty, as if they had killed them: and all holy in the ſame faith. All the holy ſpake of Chriſt, and Rome by Pilate killing him, was worthy to hauehave for Popes, neither forgiueneſſe in this world, nor in the world to come: but heere, to be openly curſed as Iſcariot, and in the world to come, eternall flames. This kind of ſpeach troubled great Doctors: I wil therefore digreſſe a litle; to this phraſe: Maymoni, in treatiſe of repentance, ſaith: there is a ſin, whereof ſentence paſſeth; that he ſhall be puniſhed in the world to come, & no harme paſſeth ouer him in this world, and there is a ſin: which is puniſhed in this world, and in the world to come: as be the Iewes that betrayed Chriſt, & the Romans that crucified him. The Iewes are plagued with blindeneſſe and ſlauery, and Rome with horrible Idolatries, and tyrannies, and warres, and blood.