A Revelation of the Holy Apocalypse, Part 3

A Revelation of the Holy Apocalypse · Part 3

p. 283AN EXPLICATION OF THE HEAVENLY IERVSALEM, SHEWED APOCAL. CHAPTER 21. AND 22.

BEING of larger diſcourſe then the former Commentarie made by the ſame auctor, to ſhew Romes condemnation: and with ſmall ſtrife againſt Rome: and ſuch as Rome will not refuſe to reade.

By H. B^r.

After the deſtruction of Babylon:

Let vsus behold the ſaluation of Sion.

p. 284A Commentary vponupon the Apocalyps, Chapter 21. and 22.

CHAPTER XXI.

The ſecond diſcourſe of 21. and 22. Chapters.

And I ſaw a new heauen and a new earth: for the firſt heauen and the firſt earth paſſed away: and the ſea was no more.

ISAIAH, chap. 66. compareth the Goſpell hauing the reſt of Chriſt for the Iewes Ceremonies: vntounto a new heauen: and the earthly heathen ſtate called to the church, a new earth: as God will make indeed a new world. And ioyneth the doctrine of both, together: So heere, after mention of heauen and earth paſſed: the wordes import the new world: and praeſentlie turne to the Goſpell: in ſaying, the ſea ſhall be no more: that is, a troubled ſtate ſhall be no more. For, the peace of God which paſſeth all vnderſtanding, guardeth our heartes in the louelove of Christ, that no ſufferings for him is a griefe or trouble: and we read, chap. 16. that his Angels hauehave ſeauen cups of wrath, to poure vponupon the helhounds that bite his ſeruants: they ſhall not care for the ſea, whence the Romane beaſt ariſeth.

And I Iohn, ſaw the holy City Ieruſalem, new; comming downe from God: from heauen: as a bride praepared; for her huſband trimmed.

Iohn began the New Teſtament: Iohn endeth it. The p. 285terme ſoundeth grace or mercy: fitt for the argument: So in Zachary, at the building of the Temple, acclamation ſhould bee; Grace, Grace, be to it. And none, but a Iohn in heart, one that is made gracious, Eph. 1. (the Hebrew to that, is Iehonan, and Iohn & Iochanan) can ſee the holy Ieruſalem. The worldly doe looke to worldly pompe: as the Pope to rule princes: in deed eueryevery teacher ſhould rule Princes, by ſage aduiſe, not by auctority.

Of Iohn.

Iehoiadah, the ſtately high ſacrificer, is called alſo Iohn: and ſundry others, and that name is in the 70. Ionan, and one of our Lords fathers is called by that name, & others too: Ianna, and Ioanna bee of the ſame notation: Grace: giuen by fathers that ſtill looked to the grace of God, in Chriſt, and all ſhould in heart bee. So eueryevery one ſhould be in heart Petros building vponupon Petra, the Rock: Eli Tzur & Tzuri-ſhadday, Num. 1. 5. 6. teach that. My God is the Rock: My Rock is God. One word of Hebrew, had broken the Popes keies: as the Phariſees keies of the Kindome of heauen, and all take a fooliſh courſe for Diuinity, which ſeeke it from Latines rather then from Ebrew.

Of Ieruſalem.

Of Ieruſalem, I wrote at large in my treatiſe of Melchitzedek, where alſo I ſhewed, why the 70. altered the Hebrew, 36. hundred of yeres, adding to the Patriarkes at fatherhood, to many, 100. As Adam at 230. begate Seth, where Moſes proper truth wrote 130. Our note 1603. hath flat atheiſme, ſaying, that Moſes omitted 100. yer. ſo the note might hauehave ſaid for Seth, Enoſh, Caynan, Mahalaleel, Enoch, Arphaxad, and all to Nachor, and that he gaue many hundreds too much, to their p. 286ends. It is trange, that moſt reuerened FF. and right reuerend FF. after plaine demonſtration of trueth will be ſuch fooles as to vtter ſuch athean lies to the people: and, it is more ſtrange, that the people giuegive them any regard, after their vtterance of ſuch blindneſſe. Theſe teachers are not for Ieruſalem, the ſight of peace; but for Abyſſus, whence the king of Locuſts and his ſwarmes came. Salem, was the townes name in Sems dayes: and the place where Izhak was offred, was called by Abraham lireh▪ and of that famous action the towne inlarged, was called IERVSALEM: the ſight of peace.

Maymony writeth in Bethbechira, the choſen houſe, or place where the Temple was built: as, by hiſtorie Iſaack was offred there: ſo, by tradition, Adam and Habell offred there, and Noë cōming out of the Arke, and that may well be: for God troubleth not his people with many places: but contriueth all points for helpe of memory: and for like matter for our dulneſſe. As for Rome that crucified Chriſt, God would not plague another Citie: but would hauehave Rome once deſtroyed: to ſhew his anger vponupon it: & reuiued to be a throne of Satan, to plague them that cared not for his warning: but would hauehave all to depend vponupon it.

Of Melchi-Tzedek and Izhak: cauſing glory to Ieruſchalaim.

Sem, the great, in the title of iuſt King, and King of peace, deſcribed as God: (as the very Rabbines note) and Saint Paul vponupon their grant, draweth all vntounto Chriſt, in his humanitie: how the ſacrificer is taken from men: and ſo reſembleth not Iehouah, Michael, in heauen barely; but as he ſhould come to his office on the earth: being the SEM, the great: Sem heere conteyneth all; with Iſaack receiued from death, and their ſtory p. 287crieth out vntounto all Iewes, that they ſhould know; that God was in Chriſt, reconciling the world vntounto himſelfe: and that Chriſt was to ſuffer: and being the first from the dead, ſhould ſhew light vntounto the world. S. Paul moſt eloquently draweth Moſes ſpeach hither,Rom. 10.Rom 10 Deut. 29. Say not in thine heart, who can goe vp into heauē, for to bring Chriſt downe: or, who can goe to the deepe to bring Chriſt from the dead? but if thou confeſſe with thy mouth, Paul taught nothing but Moſes and the Prophets, Act. 26.Acts 26that IESVS is the ETERNAL: and belieue in thy heart that God hath raiſed him from death, thou ſhalt be ſaued. So Melchi-Tzedek and Izhack, in their ſtory teach all, that God giueth the ſight of peace: to make the City of God vponupon the earth; For heathen, in Abraham our father: as hee and wee belieue that God raiſeth Chriſt from death:Rom. 4. 22. 23. 24▪Rom 4:22Rom 4:23Rom 4:24 and that matter is ſweetly told in calling Chriſtian Policy, Ieruſalem. So Zachary, ſaith, Ieruſalem ſhalbe built in Ieruſchalaim; The ſight of peace, ſhalbe taught in the ſoile where SEM dwelt, and Iſaack was receiued as by a reſurrection. The low Ieruſalem, is called holy, when our Lord was baptized & tempted: and when after his reſurrection, many Izhaks aroſe: and were ſeene of many. But after our Lord his aſcenſion, the terme is not beſtowed vponupon it: though in Pentecoſt, the ſpirit came plentifull, to teach Iewes and Proſelytes of all nations: the reſurrection.

Of S. Pauls heauenly Ieruſalem.

S. Paul in his Epiſtle to Ieruſalem, telleth them that the earth which breedeth briers and brambles: ſhall come to be brent vp: that ſo, the Low Ieruſalem ſhould hauehave an end: And, that, we are come to the heauenly Ieruſalem, &c. Heb. 12.Heb 12In that terme, he expoundeth the Prophet Iſay for his Ieruſalem.

Of the Iewes error to this day.

Maymony, and all the vnbelieuing Iewes, to this day, expect p. 288a returne to Mount Sion, to reſtore a Citie there. Maymonie, may be read in Ebrew and Engliſh vponupon Eccleſiaſtes: & in my diſputations from Iſaiah with them, they ſaid, hee ſpeaketh for the world to come; in higher matter: then that which touched building of ſtone. And they be guilty of S. Steuens blood to this day, holding it blaſphemie to ſay: that, Ieſus of Nazaret ſhould end Moyſes Law, and ſacrifice. Maymony, in the fundations of the Law, writeth the Iewes common error, thus: it is a matter plaine and expounded in the Law: that it is a commandement: which ſtandeth for euer, yea for euer and euer. To teach them better vnderſtanding of Moyſes, God brought them to Babel, with loſſe of all Ceremonies, ſauing circumciſion: and before he brought them home, hee told them to the laſt yeere, when God would end their Ceremonies, which made the heathen to hate them: and told that their Citie ſhould bee deſtroyed. This matter S. Paul vrgeth through all the Epiſtle to Ieruſalem. And I ſhould hauehave had occaſion, to hauehave examined all Talmudiques vponupon Moſes 613. Lawes: and to ſhew how all the Ceremonies God hath aboliſhed: and giuen in the New Teſt. Lawes, written in all hearts: moo then 613. That we neede not come to Talmudique. This argument, would require all opened, in the New Teſtament, to which of Moyſes 613. each thing belonged: and would ſhewe all wherein Talmudiques yeeld to the Apoſtles: and teach Iewes and Greekes, how all the New Teſt tranſlateth Hebrewes. He that threatned to ſtay the king from alowance this way, ſhall in fame bee buried with the buriall of an Aſſe. There is no ſtudie ſo good as this: nor ſo much deſired of all ſortes. Hee knew neither the Low nor High Ieruſalem, that would threaten to hinder this ſtudie: and is worthy to be recorded foreuer: for an example to others. The treatiſe of p. 289Dauids family, and Nathans comforted through all Daniel: & of the Rome-Beaſt, one made of foure; ſauage vntounto Conſtantinus the great: This ſhewed more thē any Academique in Ebrew and Greek, or either euer, the way to the heauenly Ieruſalem. The right honorable S^r. Iohn Forteſcue, reading the workes, told the bearer, thus: Tell the auctor I will obtaine of the King, a very great ſtipend for him. The honorable Gentleman knew what a priuy Counſellor ſhould doe: death praeuented him: yet, as it ſeemeth from his motion, the Kinges kingly promiſe came: and for Ieruſalem, his memory ſhall not die.

Dreſſed as a Bride, trimmed for her husband.

The Citie for a ruler is trimmed, as a Woman (to be married) for her husband. Eſai. 52. Rules of ſaluation are a greater trimming for the minde, then any outward trimming can bee for the body. The holy Prophets wordes hauehave all trimneſſe that ſpeach can conteyne in language: The promiſes of Chriſt all trimneſſe of ſharpe wiſedome: the ſtories of contemners endleſſe to deſtruction; and of Embracers, few to ſaluation, all trimneſſe of ſtorie: and ſo the New Teſt. for the age heere meant, all trimneſſe of wiſedome, and learning, and cariage: rules of faith hauehave wiſedom paſſing all heathen: and Chriſtian true policie is more ciuill then all heathens. So the Citie is trimmed for a Citie, as a bride for the bridegrom.

And I heard a great voice from the heauen, ſaying: Beholde, the tabernacle of God is with men: & he ſhall dwell with them: and they ſhall be his people: and God himſelfe will bee with them their God: and God will wipe all teares from their eyes: and death ſhall be no more, nor mourning, nor crye, nor paine ſhall be any more: for the firſt thinges are paſt.

p. 290In Leuiticus 26. God telleth, that if they keepe his Lawes, God will hauehave his Tabernacle with them: and they ſhall be his people, and he ſhall be their God. So before the captiuitie of Babel, they that conquered the lande, with Ioſuah, and the Iudges, and vnderunder Dauid and his houſe many were:& Ier. 10. 11.Jer 10:11 And Ezekiel telleth that after they hauehave bene in Babylon, to teach the Creation of the world: and returne from Babel in the hope of Meſſias, they ſhould be the people of God: and the ſame is heere ſpoken for vsus heathen, comming vntounto CHRIST. And now, that men be taught of Chriſt plainly: no affliction will make them weepe: as in Babylon they wept, at the Riuer ſides, Pſal. 137. not knowing cleerly Gods counſel: how the Lord ſent them thither, to teach by Babels puniſhment, that ONE, the God of heauen ruled all: and when men ſee the death of Chriſt, to giuegive life: that they who belieue in him die not, but paſſe from death to life: then death, mourning, cry & paine, will be nothing: as the firſt caſe is altered. Andrew was Petros before Symeon, in Photius: becauſe he firſt acknowledged Petram: & all who do ſo, are ſure; that the courtes (to kill Chriſtians) the gates of Haides ſhall not preuaile againſt them. When they knew that in Haides, God hath Paradiſe for the Godly. So Athanaſius telleth that the Martyrs feared not foreign. The going to foreign.

And he that ſate vponupon the throne, ſaid: Behold, I make all things new, Iſai 43. and 2. Cor. 5.

Turne this to a new life heere: and in that ſenſe Chriſt about fourteene yeares after Ieruſalems fall, ſpake to Iohn in this viſion: that although the Church in the ſight of the world, ſhould be baſe: it ſhould be a new heauē. The Iewes p. 291ſee a new light in Moyſes: and the new Teſtament calleth vsus from the toile of Moſes, to the reſt in Chriſt: that Daniel, chap. 9. 24. ſhineth as Saint Stephens face, as the face of an Angell: and the minde which by the new Teſtament doeth ſee the old, ſeeth a new world: aboue that which was ſeene in Poperie: Where Bellarmine and his, labor to diſgrace the ſcripture:Ioh. 3.John 3 the waters from which they that be not baptized by the ſpirit, ſhall not enter into the kingdome of heauen.

And he ſaith vntounto me, write: for theſe wordes bee true and ſure.

When the Apoſtles were all dead,The of God is not boūd: conſider the A post. ſpeach, … Rō. 15. 19. and the… Lord gaue great victorie. but Iohn: and the Diſciples were in great affliction, and the God of this world was mightie in perſequution, the naturall man would thinke it harde, to looke that the Bible, ſhould bring a new world: Therefore the WORD, who made this worlde: and will make a new world: would hauehave this written, that in this world firſt he will make a new world.

And he ſaith vntounto mee, it is done: I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.

The learned note; Ebrewes, as Kimchi, and Greekes, as Euſebius, that the Prophets ſpake in the praeterperfect temps, for things to come, becauſe with God, all is praeſent: and as ſure as thinges paſt. So, ſhould men hauehave regarded this booke, that all in it (though ſtrange) ſhould come to paſſe. That the Romane Emperours ſhould bee plagued to ouerthrow: that a new Rome ſhould bee built for Empire, p. 292neere old Troy: that a beggerly ſcholar by lies and falſe miracles ſhould ſet vp an Empire; making himſelfe as if he were God: and deceiue the world: men feared not this. But Chriſt what hee ſpake in the beginning bringeth it to paſſe in the end.

Of ALPHA and OMEGA.

In that Chriſt nameth himſefe by the Greeke letters, the first, and the laſt, he giueth great honor to the Greek tongue, that they who ſeeke not from his words, but from barbarous Latin his wiſedome, ſhould be guilty. Many Latin termes hauehave greatly deceiued: as, ſacramentum, for myſterion: diſpenſator, for Oeconomus; Deſcendere ad inferos, for Cateltheim eis Haidon; and ſuch: hence come ſeauen ſacraments: diſpenſing with Gods word: and going downe to Hell. Briefly, the ſmoke from the Pit, is bred by wreſted Latin: as that an Image may be worſhipped, not an Idoll. When Papae, Cardinales, Arch-buyſhopps and Buyſhopps, rule the ſheepe, ignorant of Gods words, they become wolfes: and the moſt deadlie enimies to the truth. The Pope hath an auctor, in opuſculis patrum, which by the LXXII. reiecteth the Ebrew truth, adding an hundred of yeeres, more then Moyſes gaue at Seths birth: and he allowed this blaſphemie: That Moyſes omitted an hundred of yeeres. His notes for ſoules 75. Act. 7. teach by Gregorie Martyn, that either the old Teſtament, or New faileth, and his tranſlation not the Septuagint, taught; that the dwelling of Iſrael which they dwelt in Aegypt, was 430. year. And their tranſlation checking S. Pauls Greeke, for 450. after a ſort, made Beza and our BB. after Bibliander and others hold the text corrupt, and their rude tranſlation made Achaziah two yeeres elder then his father, and 20. yeer. elder then p. 293himſelfe. And their barbarouſneſſe not knowing Paſcha Bouis and Arietis, as a peace offring, to endure for eating for the night of the Lambe, (a day and a night further,) bred the wicked note: againſt expreſſed words of Saint Marke: that the Lord praeuented the Iewes in the day of the Paſſeouer, where ſo his Paſſeouer could not bee kill'd in the Temple: where not to kill it on the due day, it was death: and their tranſlation taught theſe lies, Act. chap. 7. Iacob died in Egypt and the Patriarkes, and they were caried to Sychem. And they were put in the graue, which Abraham bought for money of the ſonnes of Emor the Sychemite. Where Iacob was not buried in Sychem, but in Hebron: And Abraham bought nothing in Sychem: neither was the purchaſe there for money but for Lambes. Thus with a falſe tranſlation, they brake the peoples heart: that they were diſcouraged from the Bible. Alſo they blaſphemed the Hebrew, as Steuchus doth: and praeferre their barbarous Latin to it.

Of ignorance in Alpha, how it bred deadly errors.

They hold from a father, well knowen: that Ezra inuented the Law Characters, which now we hauehave. Alpha Beta, &c. be Greek names from the Chaldy: and old in Greece, as referred to old Cadmus: which from Sidon built Thebes in Grecia, Piſistratus was elder then Ezra: Hee by Ariſtarchus diuided Homers Iliad and Odyſſea into Alpha, Beta, &c. named from the Chaldy, expreſſing the Hebrew forme: therefore the letters were an old inuention; Diphath and Riphath: Dodanim and Rodanim, Geneſ. 10. and 1. Chro. 1. are acknowledged of grammarians to come ſeuerall names for one Perſon, in Noës tyme, by the ſimilitude of the Letters, which wee now hauehave.

p. 294Therefore, their antiquity is from the beginning. Now the order of letters is ſettled by God, Pſal. 25. 34. 37. 111. 112. 119. 145. Prov. 31. in Lament. Chap. 1. once: the 2. once: the third, thriſe: the 4. once. And the ſpeach ſheweth, that God hath a ſure order in his wayes: as in the letters, whereby hee doth teach vsus of his wayes. Moreouer, the Geometrie of the Characters, is agreeable to their ſituation: as all that marke them, may know. So the Popes ignorance, greatly diſgraceth Gods word: by not knowing one letter in the Greekor Hebrew. Alſo their expoſition for foreign, Tau, in Ezekiel to make it a Croſſe from T. in Greeke, that is ſenſleſſe. Tau, there is, foreign in the 70. a marke: as the Pope in his wickedneſſe hath to his. Tau or foreign. The Hebrew laſt letter is, Thaiu in grammarians, with diſtinction from Tau, the Marke.

OF VOWELS.

The Papiſts bee more hurtfull in teaching that Ebrew vowells, were not from the beginning. Heere ſome Iewes helpe them, and our ſide, and ſo they inferre, that the text is vncertaine. Their concluſion is Athean, and the helpe to their aſſumption godles. Very many words in Ebrew, differ from ordinary grammar, without difference in ſenſe, and none but the firſt writers would hauehave laid them ſo. Accentes be of the ſame tenor of antiquitie.

Of Tiphereth Iſrael.

A moſt learned grammaticall worke, called, Tiphereth Iſrael: the glory of Iſrael; affirmeth that letters, vowells and accents were written by God in the tables as now we hauehave thē. And that is moſt ſenſible. For, Gods worke muſt needes bee p. 295perfect: and who can adde to that which he hath done? And Abben Ezra ſpeaketh moſt ſenſibly, that none euer was ſo wiſe as the auctor of the accents: for hee neuer miſſeth to direct to the beſt ſenſe. Now the Popes ignorance, in A and foreign, Alpha and Omega; ſheweth that he is ignorant of the whole glory of the Bible.

Of Cethib and Kery.

Tymes 848. God teacheth vsus elegancie of the tongue, or ſenſe of the text, by ſetting a word in the margine, to adorne the text, and this paſſeth the witt of man, and muſt needs be knowen, to bee the worke of God: and commonly for like Characters, foreign and foreign: foreign and foreign: foreign and foreign: foreign and foreign: foreign and foreign Iod: and ſome tyme to note the coniugation and mode, for the commō Bibles vnvowelled: and to foreign the margine hath a terme of arte, to note Hophal: foreign make thou ſtreight my wayes. Pſal. 5. 9. leſt Dauid ſeeme to ſay: My way is ſtreight. So in ſubſtantiue the text, foreign in Ioſ. 18. 24. might bee read Ammoni, but to ſhew Patach vnderunder Iod, the margine hath Ammonah foreign. Sometimes, vnciuil words as Rabſaketh, Iſay. 36. are read in the margine by cleaner: Now Aria… Montanus hath made a whole worke of this, in apparatus: ſhewing the text to bee corrupted in Babel: wheras copies would endure 1000. yer. And Daniel rich, holy, wiſe, would keepe his pure. And ſome double readings be after the Captiuity, as in Daniel, and Daniels former had beene**that is, perfected. amended by himſelfe. This opinion of Arias, Kimchibred: Praef. ad Ioſ. & Elias praef. ad Maſſ. Bibl. & Barbiner ad Ezek. confuteth him mightily.

Now Plantines great Bible is printed without the margine reading: and a Cypher is ouer the text word, noting p. 296it to be corrupt. So that worke would teach that the Bible is moſt corrupt. It is ſtrange, that the Papiſts ſhould be ſo blind, as not to ſee this: or ſo bad, as to perſwade it.

Of their inter linearia.

Their interlinearia, ſometymes putteth the text in the margine; and the margine in the text, to breed confuſion.

Of a moſt wicked ſlander.

One writeth to the interlineall, a poiſon full treatiſe to Geneſ. 3. That for, HE SHAL BRVISE: the Hebrew ſhould be, SHEE ſhall bruiſe: that the Virgine Mary, not Chriſt, ſhould deſtroy the works of Satan. And the text thriſe, hath the maſculine gender: and no Ebrew is euident, or mentioned, to hauehave taken it otherwiſe: & the Zohar ſaith, vponupon HV: This is the bleſſed God. So for Alpha and Omega they would make the late daughter of Eli the auctor of all. Here, their Latin & their trāſlations out of it place SHEE for HEE: and at Colon on D. Sauerrinus meeting with me, fell into ſudden talke, would know my religion, by aſſent or diſſent heerein: and I made my minde plaine: and that all Ebrewes, Greekes and diuinity reiected SHEE.

Of Cetib and not Kery: and Cery: and not Cerib.

When two Prophets hauehave the like phraſe, ſauing one word, as Eſai. 16. and Ier. 51. the word which aboundeth, is left vnvowelled: ſo Idroc, is twiſe, in Ier. 51. once, in Eſai 16. in memorie of that, left vnvowelled. Sanctus Pagninus, knew not the reaſon of this: therefore he left the word vntranſlated. p. 297But Alpha will not like of this doctrine. So, when a ſtorie is repeated, as the ſpeach of Rabſaketh: if a word be more in the one; the other hath the vowells of that in memorie of the difference: that the Reader may read it. Thus Alpha, is as curious in his word, as in the frame of the world: and requireth due reuerence to it: and they are in great danger, whoſe profeſſion of life ſhould be skilfull in it: and will deale with it, with vnwaſhed handes.

Of Iod not contemned.

The Iewes, to ſhew Gods care ouer eueryevery letter in the Bible, bring in the Law cōplayning, of looſing Iod, with humble cry, before God: thus: O Lord of the world: this is thy rule: that a Teſtament which faileth in a letter, faileth in all. Now in Sarai I had foreign Iod, when ſhee is Sarah, foreign Iod is gone, & the auctority of the Law is loſt. God anſwereth, thou haſt no loſſe: Iod was in the end of a foeminine, and I ſet it in the beginning of a maſculine, when Hoſhea was called Iehoſchuah foreign

Thus they marke narrowly, that which our Lord telleth: one foreign Iod of the Law ſhall not periſh: he that is Aleph and Tau: will keepe all the letters from Aleph to Thau: More of this, is in Thal. Ieruſalemie, in San fol. 20.

Of OMEGA.

He, that nameth himſelfe foreign mega, will require that his new Teſtament ſhalbe regarded in due kinde; to defende trueth of Copy, & elegancy of ſpeach. I defended trueth of Copie, againſt Rhemiſtes tranſlating, Act. chap. 13. from the Latin, p. 298in yeeres, not about, but after a ſort, 450. yet a thankfull Pſeudographus, wrote that I defended the 70. & became a ſcorne: none of 1200. yer held the 72. pure: Satan was ſtrong in him, that would belieue a diſputation for ſinceritie of their copy: and if euer any ſhould bee thought to know the 72. hee that tranſlated the Prophets a new into Greek, ſhould be thought to vſe all the 72. copies eaſie to be had. But foreign in all vnthankfulneſſe would be ſtill curſed in lies. The firſt aduiſer of him ſped ill.

Of Greeke ſtile.

Becauſe none afore me, hauehave noted Gods counſell in making Greeke common: I will often handle that, to hauehave it better vnderſtood: when God firſt deſtroyed Iudahs kingdome, and ſpeach: hee ſtirred Greekes, firſt to ſet vp theirs. Then Piſistratus ſet Homer in honor: that children learned him by heart. Plato in Timao mentioneth one ſuch. Thence of 200. yea. all kindes ſtudy, to make braue Greeke: that it came to perfection. Then God ſendeth Greekes to rule Gog or Gyges land, and Magog with all Aſsiria, and 72. kingdomes in the Eaſt, and North, and South, to fill all. 300. ye. with Greek Armies and Colonies: That Tully noted in his dayes, the Greek to be common ouer all the world. Now the Bible, was by Iewes tranſlated into Greeke, and ſo read in all nations. And the Iewes beeing caryed by the Macedonians into all quarters, when the Apoſtles came to teach, granted all: ſaving, God in Chriſt gaue life to all ſoules, that did eate his fleſh and drinke his blood: feeding continually in ſoule vponupon this: and were baptiſed with the water of the Lawe. So the Greeke tongue by O MEGA, the ETERNALL, taught Iapheth, p. 299to dwell in the houſe of Sem. Ieruſal. in Megilah & Midr Rabba' Gen. 9. And the Iewes confeſſe in Megilah, that no tongue but the Greeke, hath words to expound the Hebrew. So he, that termeth himſelfe by the Greeke, and Hebrew Alphabet, is much deſpiſed, when Babell baniſheth both tongues, to a pedlers Latin, in ſo much, that the true Latin auctores, were out of requeſt.

Of 4. Dialects in the holy Greeke.

Of neceſſitie, the Apoſtles were to ſpeake to heathen, in Heathen or Attique Greeke: as all, that will mooue others, ſpeake to their capacitie: and they bee ridiculous and citizens of Babel, not of the heauenly Ieruſalē, that will this deny. When the Apoſtles tell ſtories of Ieruſalem, to the Church, they were to ſpeake in the 72. language: And all, of wit and conſcience, would ſo expound their wordes. When diſputations are had with Iewes, the Talmudiques ſpecially; the Iewes ſchole-phraſe, doth our Lord vſe and his diſciples: and when none of theſe three anſwere the Hebrew fitly, then the WORD taketh heathen generall termes, to apply vntounto ſpeciall Hebrew. Reaſon, forced theſe foure Dialects: and they who confound theſe foure are fitter for Babel, then for Ieruſalem: for confuſion; then ſight of peace.

Of the Attique Greeke.

Haides, in S. Luke 16. conteyneth the lodge of Abraham in heauen, and the lodge of the rich Epicure in Gehenna. Saint Luke an Heathen, wrote to Prince Theophilus an Heathen. And Heathen would iudge whether the Phiſition p. 300of Antioch, of Magog, knew Greek in fit ſenſe to teach Gog, in Epheſus or Gyges Countrey, and Magog in Siria, that Chriſt in their owne language now doth conquer them, ſo farr, as to hauehave the firſt Chriſtians named of Antiochia, and S. Luke to bee the glory aeternall thence: though God had no other occaſion to honor his enemies towne, but to ſhew that where ſinne abounded, there grace ſhould once, more abound: But not often: Nicolas the proſelyte falling away, taught, that the towne, deſerued as much ſupremacie, as Rome, that crucified Chriſt: or Alexandria, for that Alexander would bee made a God. So Haides, conteining heauen and hell, and nothing els in proprietie; Old Chryſologus, who placed Abraham in Gehenna, and is toſſed of Iſaack Ben Arama, fol. 205. and Purgatory, and many opinions moo are confuted. If Haides, hauehave but Heauen and Hell, Purgatory is gone: which maketh a third place: ſo the firſt Dialect, in one word, telleth the Pope, foreign. Let Greeks ſeeke to Euſtathius, what meaning is plaine for theſe wordes. foreign, 2 Peter. 2. is of heathen Greek, in Homers commentary: Iliad. Of this I ſpake in Catechizing the modeſt Archbi. Whitg. which yeelded and ſent M^r. Geoffrey King ouer ſea, to confeſſe his error: I ſpake generally of Homers commenter: and ſhould meane, the principall, Aristarchus, from whom old Didymos made his commentary: and Euſtathius from both, and many moo ancient: and though hee were late: his commentaries are made from theſe two and old heathen. Two Petifoggers in Greeke, would ſcoph, as though I cited Eustathius to be followed of Peter, far elder. Such Midae bee fitter for Babel, then Ieruſalem: Their further equalling of error to Lybian ſandes: ſhew an ill bent.

p. 301Of the Lxxij.

The Greeke of the 72. commeth often: notably; Act. 2. in this; whom God raiſed vp, foreign diſannulling all paines that death brought. The matter is taken from Pſal. 18. And thence, would the Sadducees expound S. Peters word: to proue him a wicked Sophiſter: if hee had meant more. They who proue the ſecond death hence, know not O Mega: the auctor of ſpeach.

Of the Thalmudizinge.

Theſe be Talmudique ſpeaches. The dead, for the profane, often in Zeror, once in S. Peter, 1 Epi. chap. 4. In S. Paul the dead in ſin, Eph. 2. ſuch is, Gehenna: and the ſecond death. Chryſologus miſſed groſſly, for Gehenna, that Abraham ſhould bee there: whom expreſly S. Paul, Ebr. XI. after the Goſpell Mat. 8. and Luc. 13. and all Talmudiques, from Leui. 26. placeth in heauen. N. N. and his commenders miſſed moſt atheanly, more then anyeuer, ſince the Diuel deceiued Adam, to ſay, that our Lord was in the ſecond death. The Diuells trembled till their time, to ſpeak ſo blaſphemouſly: he may brag, he at the laſt hath made them next himſelfe, and more open.

Of forgiueneſſe in this world: what Talmudiques meane.

Maymonides, cited by me, in poenit. Perek. 6. ſaith, there be ſinnes, whereof iudgement determineth, that puniſhment ſhall bee taken for a man in this world, in his body, or in his wealth, or in his yong children, which are his poſſeſſion: and p. 302there is a ſinne whereof puniſhment is taken, in the world to come: And there is a ſinne which is puniſhed in this world, & in the world to come. This was an old Ebrew ſpeach: and to the Scribes our Lord ſpeaketh, in their owne phraſe, that they ſinning against the Holy Ghoſt, ſhould not bee forgiuen in this world, nor in the world to come. Old and late who hence, breed Purgatorie, ſhew that from Babel, not from Salem they ſpeak. The ſame ſin is ſaid, in ſinning wilfully, foreign: as Core, Dathan, & Abiram did: whom the earth ſwalowed: and heat of fire conſumed their remnant. That puniſhment hauehave the Iewes to this day, for ſinning againſt the holy Ghoſt; in betraying of Chriſt: and now a dayes many reſiſt the trueth: as Iannes and lambres reſisted Moyſes. Such neuer knew him who is O MEGA, bringer of all things to paſſe.

Of the Apostles pecular Greeke.

The Apoſtles peculiar Greeke, is wonderfull: as in the Lords prayer, GiueGive vsus this day foreign, bread, neither in ſuperfluitie, nor wanting. The terme was made by the holy Ghoſt by the frame of Greekes, to Pro. 30. in Agur the ſonne of Iakeh. GiueGive me foreign bread fitlie meaſured for me.

Of Saint Paulls moſt eloquent expreſsing of Moſes: to ſhew a ſhort way, to expound the new Teſt.

S. Paul ſaith, that he differeth in nothing from the Iewes generallie, but, in not doubting of the incarnation and reſurrection. In his ſpeach he foloweth, Deut. 30. and doubteth not, what minde can goe to heauen, to bring Chriſt downe: or what mind can deſcende to the deepe (of the earth, Pſal 71) to bring Chriſt from p. 303the dead. But he confeſſed with his tongue, that Ieſus was the Eternall, and beleeued in his heart that God raiſed him from death: and aſſured him ſelfe and others of a ſound way, to truth by this.

Of Thalmudiques agreement, with the new Teſtament.

Neither the holy Goſpell, nor holy Epistles, teach any thing for Eccleſiaſticall gouernement, but as the holy Synagogues did: many ſuperfluities of ambition, the Scribes and Phariſees had: as they had in right ſort, al that the Apoſtles held, taught of old, by them, and godlier, ſitting in Moſes chaire. So that, by olde grantes, all Diuinitie queſtions might bee ſoone ended. And this doth Paul (in his imitation of Ebrew) ſpeak: Gamaliels ſcholar at Ieruſalem: and the Greeke orator bred in Tarſus, free in Rome: that none other Apoſtle ſhould be Papas of Rome but he, ſo called rarely of God; and tendered by Coronel Iulius, Sergius Paulus, and the Proconſull of Melita: and the barbarians for a proſperous iourney to Rome, to which, and of which, he wrote more from God, then anie, ſauing Saint Luke, Act. 23. and 28. And if Saint Peter had bene there, hee knowing the ſtate to come, would hauehave left monumēts of his being there: & would hauehave cōmented vpō S. Paul, 2. Theſ. 2. as he cōmented vponupon all his Epiſt. 2. Pet. 3.

And thus, Christ by taking the name from Alpha, and O Mega, requireth knowledge in the tongues wherein hee ſpeaketh. The direct and proper vſe, calleth vsus to an higher matter. The beginning, and the end. He created all thinges: and they were very good. And created Angells, that when man ſhould bee created, they ſhould take care of him: miſliked mans ſuperioritie: & were condemned to Tartarus, & are kept in chaines in the blacke aire, vntounto the iudgement of the great day: p. 304he hath an end for them: that although they ſinned of infinite pride and vnthankfulneſſe, and eueryevery whit from their owne motion, yet they ouer raught not the decree of Chriſt; who told the day of their fall,Heb. 2. 89.Heb 2:89 and Adams fall, that in humanitie he would bee a litle inferior to Angells,1 Cor. 15. 27.1 Cor 15:27 by ſuffring of death: but would hauehave all things ſubdued vntounto him. In Adams fall, all were to be borne dead in ſin: that all ſhould for euer periſh;Act. 14. & 17.Acts 14 but for further merciemercy. All, hee inuiteth to ſeeke vntounto God, that they might feele him: but al being dead in ſinne,Eph. 2.Eph 2 only they whom he quickneth belieue in him: hee ſtill inuiteth the wicked to goodneſſe, but they rebell againſt his ſpirit:;1 Cor. 1.1 Cor 1 thinking his wiſedom fooliſhneſſe: yet hee ruleth them, that their ſinne ſhall not hauehave the rayne to open miſchiefe, but as he wil. And one open iudgement he ſhewed in Noës dayes: an other he will ſhew in fire, Apoca. 20. And all whom he hath not choſen of eternitie,2 Pet. 3.2 Pet 3 & called in due time, and quickned from dead, and ſanctified by his ſpirit, he condemneth for their wicked works: and this helpeth them nothing, that they doe his decree: they did not that which hee telleth plainlie by doing, they ſhould liue: and their owne conſcience damneth them,Rom. 2.Rom 2 that they iuſtly periſh for euer. And in their ſtubburneſſe, after long patiēce, he ſheweth his power.Rom. 11.Rom 11 And theſe his wayes bee vnſearcheable. But as the letters from Aleph to Tau, hauehave all their forme and ſound in ſpeciall vſe, order: and not two the ſame. So, from the beginning to the end, he ruleth the world in a moſt wiſe courſe: to ſhew his iudgement and merciemercy; wherein, this laſt booke calling old ſpeaches to new matter; goeth through the Alphabet of all ages: and ſheweth how Iapheth hath fellowſhip with Sems houſe,Gen. 9.Gen 9 and Cittim or Italie, ſhall bee periſhing when they afflict Heber, that he may be ſeene to ioyne firſt & laſt p. 305in wiſe order. The Concent which is in Moyſes and the Prophets, and New Teſt. is wonderfull in places, tymes, and families: I wiſhe all Preachers to follow the holy mens veine: but the tongues and ſtories require much tyme: that for Diuinitie, the moſt vſe commoration of plaine Ethiques known naturally: and litle ſtudie how the Prophetes comment vponupon Moſes: S. Paul vponupon the Goſpell: and how all foure hauehave their harmonie. And if Daniel and Iohns Apoc. ſhould bee made plaine ouer a kingdome: that paynes would kill millions of papiſts. The one, I hauehave made plaine, in my laſt edition: by which, ſince it was printed: many might hauehave ſeene light: But, the God of this world darkened ſome mindes, to hinder that; not regarding the lake which burneth with fire and brimſtone.

To him that is a thirſtie, I will giuegive of the fountaine of the water of life freely.

Heere all excuſe is cut off from the wicked: that they are called to the waters of life, but refuſe: Rome begging landes, thirſted not to hauehave the waters of the Lawe to refreſh the ſoule; but made them bitter: Therefore their condemnation is iuſt. And for theſe waters be our fightes: from Tiberius, to this day: ſince Ieruſalem came from heauen.

He that ouercommeth, ſhall poſſeſſe all thinges: and I wilbe his God: and he ſhall bee my ſonne.

Heere is a valiant combat. The waters of life of the Hebrew and Greeke Teſtament, are drawen from a deepe well: many fadom of yeeres deepe: and policies ſtill will hauehave p. 306will hauehave their owne deuices: and beſtow death on ſuch as offer men life: Heere the faithfull vntounto death, ſhall hauehave a kingdome; as the Sonnes of God.

But the cowards, and the faithleſſe, and the lothſome, and murtherers, and fornicators, and witches; and Idolaters, and all the falſe: ſhall hauehave their portion in the lake burning with fire and brimſtone.

They who take not vp their croſſe, and felow Christ, are not worthie of him: they who belieue not the Goſpell are not worthie of him: certaine beaſts, foules, fiſh, forbid to Iewes, to diſtinguiſh them in diet, from heathen are called vncleane, or lothſome, ſo be all without the Goſpell, in their high learning: as Socrates, Plato, Cicero, Varro, Plutarch, and the ciuileſt: Murtherers of the Martyrs, ſpecially: wherein the Spaniſh Inquiſition is the deepeſt. Fornicators, in Rome, Venice, and all Italy, hauehave open freedome: and of old Horace age and all epicures ſtill,1 Pet. 4. 3.1 Pet 4:3 as Turkes wallow in that: and therfore S. Peter to the Iewes of Arabia giueth ſharp warning againſt that: and witches in all common Weales are hated: and the ſubtileſt witchcraft is that, of the Popes TRANS-SVB-STAN-TIA-TION: a monſtrous terme, for a monſtrous matter: beſides all other their coniurations.

Of Idolaters.

Idolaters be the Papiſts, the groſſeſt that euer were: and where Chriſt had infinite griefe to bee ſeene on the Croſſe: though in glory he darkened the Sun, and ſhooke the earth, and rent the ſtones: yet Papiſts think, that gold, as in Nebuchadnezar p. 307his Image; Daniel chap. 2. or ſiluer, or Alablaſter, or ſtone, or wood, is a goodly worſhip: Chriſt (in whom is hid all the treaſures of wiſdome and knowledge) could hauehave commanded that, if he had liked of it: and we ſhould not be better learned then Alpha and Omega.

The Popes brabarous Anſwere.

An Idol is heatheniſh; and vnlawfull: an Image is lawfull: as no man ſaith, the Idole of God, but may ſay, the Image of God.

Anſwere.

Neither Attique Greek, tranſlated by Tulli; nor 70. Greek: nor the Apoſtles Greeke, nor any Talmudique will ſuffer this diſtinction, therefore it is for Witches, not for Doctores. foreign in Aratus, is Cor…i, Imago, foreign in Plato is forma & ſpecies, in Tulli offi. 1. Idolum Dei, is in Apian: Imago, ſimulachrum, foreign Chal. Imago, figura, corporea vel incorporea, & Targ. idem, and foreign is in Num. 33. 52. and the ſame is in Gen. 1. 26. 2 Kin. 11. 18. 2 Chron. 23. 17. Dan. 3. 2. Iſai. 40. be all vnlawfull. They who would hauehave People, to adventure their aeernall ſtate vponupon ſuch quirks: againſt all teachers of ſpeach, are peſtilent witches, and moſt impudent teachers. He that cannot remember Chriſt by all thinges made ours, for Chriſt, is no Chriſtian: The ſtarres ſerue Man, for CHRIST: the Ayer, Lande, Sea, Plantes, Beaſtes, Foule, Fiſh, and what neede wee an Image? which can repreſent but a baſe man, in baſe ſort. No Iewe, for Ebrewe; no Attique, for Greeke, will cleare the Pope: p. 308therefore he is Popes, and teacheth doctrine of Deuils, and Rome is a meere Babel: confuſion to holy ſpeach. And all liars hauehave their portion in the lake: all who miſſe of Gods trueth, are liars, and periſh. The Thalmudiques who agreed with Paul, for all iuſtice of the Law, Rom. 10. yet miſſing of Chriſt, loſt all. Now the Papiſtes be moſt impudent in lying: as when they teach to vſe Latin, for Hebrew, in the Law, and for the Greeke in the Goſpell: their lies be of infinite number: in their Purgatorie, and where Haides hath but heauen and hell: in the bread and wine, againſt eiſight, the witneſſes of God, and their whole policie is a lie: therefore, chap. 19. the beaſt and falſe prophet was caſt into the fire.

The ſecond death.

The phraſe ſecond death, is a Talmudique, vſed in Onkelos, vponupon Deut. 33. and Ionathan vponupon Iſai 22. and in Zohar and later, infinitelie. And no ſoule goeth to it, but periſheth for euer. Of this, I wrote vponupon great occaſion in an Epiſtle to Doct. Whitg. to which he gaue great teſtimonie: though one vnlearned brent the Copies, after his death: which flame may bring him and is very like, to the fiery water, Dan. 7. and heere.

And there came to mee one of the ſeauen Angells, which had the ſeauen Cuppes full of the ſeauen last plagues: and hee ſpake with me, ſaying: Come, I will ſhew thee the Bride of the Lambe.

The ſame art it is, to plague Rome; and to build Ieruſalem: and in viſion an Angell doeth this: viſibly, learned trueth: p. 309wherein Iohn him ſelfe is the principal Angell. The Church hath heere a goodly name: warning to be carefull of a wiſe & holy ſoule: the Bride of the Lambe: All the ſong of ſongs goeth vponupon this and the end of Iſai. Such Concent of Scripture, Bellarmine and all that Brackmunim that would not hauehave all to know, may looke for fire and brimſtone, to bee their portion. All be bound to praiſe God: and to doe that skilfully. And his word teacheth, that the Pope and each ſuch, is a Buy-ſhop from Satan, Col. 3. 1Col 3:1not a Biſhop from God, which would not hauehave the word of God to dwell richly in vsus.

And he caried mee in the ſpirit into a mountayne, great and high: and he ſhewed me the Citie, the great: the holy Ieruſalem deſcending from heauen from God, and hauing the glorie of God.

This expreſſeth that, which Ezekiel wrote of old, concerning the building of the Church, vnderunder Chriſt. The Iewes to this day, looke for a building in Chanaan. Againſt that, Saint Peter giueth this rule: That eueryevery Prophecie of Scripture is not to bee expounded properly: becauſe the holy men of God ſpake, as they were caried by the ſpirit of God. This place ſtrengthneth Saint Peter: and ſo expoundeth Ezekiel, that all Iewes …ight ſee, Chriſt ſpake by the fiſher of Galilee the deare to Chriſt: Ezekiel was brought to an high mountaine: ſo Iohn: and our Lord, Math. 17. when he would ſhew his glory, tooke Peter, Iames and Iohn, and caried them into an high mountaine, alone. Viſions muſt agree with ſpirituall matter. Buildings of Princes, be vponupon mountaines, ſtately to behold: and hard to be come to, by enimies to vex: And wicked Rome braggeth twiſe in Virgill.

p. 310Septem quae vna ſibi muro circumdedit arces.

This Rome alone (which mongſt the Cities all)

Hath ſeauen hills encompaſs'd with a wall.Virg.Georg.Lib. 2.

And Ovid is playner.

Quae de ſeptem totum circumſpicit orbem:

Collibus, Imperij Roma Deum que locus.

Of Empire, and of godds, Rome is the place:

Which from ſeau'n hills all the world doth outface.

Propertius, and Galen in Aphoriſ. Hipp. and they who name the mountaines, may be ſpared; All ſerue Apo. 17. Now God that is One, he from one mountaine will fight againſt ſeaven Pſal. 68. will tell what Mount Zion is. The church hath high matter: vntounto whoſe height of ſtudie the prophane cannot climme. Alexander could match Porus, vponupon his high rock: But he durſt not medle with mount Tzion. So Philoſophers can ſpeak much, to the height of heauen: but vntounto Paradiſe aboue the heauens, no thought of theirs could euer come. And as heathen were amazed at ſtarres, & worſhipped them: ſo Papiſts are amazed at Martyrs, and worſhip them. The Pope ſhould ſtudie the Bible, and cauſe all ſcholars to do the ſame; in Ebrew, Greeke, and conference of ſtories, to paſſe all Martyrs ſauing the Apoſtles age taught from God, without ſtudie: & ſhould confirme in open ſtudie the doctrine which Chriſt ſealed by his blood. So he had made an holy Citie. But Rome begun with bloodſhed of brother, when Romulus killed Rhemus, (not as Salem with Sem and Izhak in peace & p. 311redemtion) would ende with bloodſhed of brethren: and to goe to heauen as Romulus, and Iulian the Apostata: in ſomnio Scipionis, and in Sozimus, and Apolline Delphico. And as Libanius ſaid, that Iulian was with the Daemones: and the Greeke Doctores granted that, with heart and good will: So we will grant with heart and good will, that the Pope, and his Martyrs ſhall be together.

Of the great Citie Ieruſalem.

Though Nympha, the Church in ſong of SS. hide it ſelfe as a doue in cliffes of rockes, as few: yet when all of all ages are put togeather, they make a great Citie. And this Citie ſhould hauehave holy Lawes, to worſhip God in ſpirit and truth: all ſent from heauen, and hauing the glory of God.

And the light of it was like a moſt pretious ſtone: as the Carbuncle ſtone glittering.

The 70. in Iſai, chap. 54. 12. for foreign Codcod. foreign, and in Thargum Ieruſalemy, Nophec the ſtone of Iuda is foreign and for foreign Chriſtallos. Thence Saint Iohn hath his matter: and he that marketh not that, teach, that Iohn bringeth matter without warrant: which he neuer doth thorough his booke: but ſtill confirmeth his matters from olde ſpeaches. So the ſtone of Iuda maketh the windowes that the ſunne of iuſtice may ſhine in: and the gates ſhalbe of flaming ſtones; cleere Doctrine, that may call all vntounto Chriſt: And all thy borders, ſhall bee pleaſant ſtones: for thy children ſhall bee taught of the Eternall: ſo the taught of God, be the precious ſtones: ſuch was Moſes, and Ioſua: ſuch were Iſai, Ieremy, Ezekiel, Daniel: ſuch were Paul, and all the holy Apoſtles: and all that p. 312ſincerely know and cleaue to their Doctrine: But no Bellarmine that would diſgrace the wit & writ of the ſcriptures. No ſuch, ſhall be any ſtones heere: but be as common ſandes: parching in heat, and dangerous in winde: & ſtill fruitleſſe.

And it had a wall great and high: hauing xij gates: and vponupon the gates xij. Angels, and names written, which are of the 12. tribes of the ſonnes of Iſrael.

The wall is the defence by Chriſt, as followeth, anon: that the inner building of the wall was foreign,This is the ancient faith: this is that which the Apoſtle ſaith, Eph. 2. 20.Eph 2:20 Carbuncle. The gates hauehave Angels to conduct them that ſhall be ſaued: and the true ſtorie of the XII. tribes, taught heere by their names, teach others a paſſage into the citie. This matter expreſſeth Ezekiel 47. where the names of the tribes of Iſrael be vponupon the gates: and the gates 3. to each of the foure corners of the world.

From the Eaſt three gates; from the North 3. gates; from the South 3. gates; from the Weſt 3. gates.

Ezekiel beeing in Babel, North from the East of Iſraell, began that men ſhould come to the holy Citie from the North; where Iſrael was ſcattred. But for vsus in the Weſt where the Church is beſt, in our ends of the earth the poſſeſſion of Chriſt: Ieruſalem beeing Eaſt was firſt to be named: and next the North for holy Daniels ſake, the light of the world, whom moo in Albion vnderſtand, then in the world beſides; and I hope moo ſhall by my inlargement nowe comming forth: teaching how the new Teſtament commenteth vponupon him.

Then the ordinary courſe, the coaſt ioyned to the Eaſt, the p. 313South where the Iewes were ſcattred by the Ptolomies: and a long tyme Alexandria bare Patriarches: Athanaſius a wonder for holy Diuinity, and Greeke eloquence: and great Cyrill, great, though not equall to Athanaſius: whoſe long commentarie vponupon Iſai in Greek, I hauehave and wiſh it printed: Thence, D. B. may ſee vponupon Iſai 38. what he meant by, foreign to ſtrengthen his owne moſt learned Syllogiſme: which breaketh the necke of Purgatory: when Haides is knowen to hauehave but Heauen and Hell. Alexandria in the South had glorie: as Antioch North. That, whereſin abounded, grace ſhould more abound: Antiochi deſerued no ſuch fauor, the head of Magog in Siria. But God promiſſed, Eze. 39. to glorifie his name about Magog. And therfore would hauehave Chriſtians to beare the name firſt from the place moſt hatefull, and next Alexandria, the next hatefull, to bee high: and Rome that crucified Chriſt, yet for ſome helpe they had ſhewed the Maccabees, and certaine good captaines, Math. 8. and 27. and Act. 10. and 23. and 27. God would pity that curſed towne: Though Conſtantinus new Rome bare ſway a great while: but the Buy-ſhop of Rome ſtill worked to ouerthrow Bizantium: that he might hauehave the throne of Satan in higher meaſure. And Bizantium had not medled with Gods people, and long had no occaſion of high throne for God to ſhew later anger: But had farre more learned then Rome euer: and ſcant euer acknowledged Romes purgatorie: And to the Weſt from Chanaan; in the Land Gyges or Gog: as Croeſus wealth enabled Cyrus, when hee tooke Sardis, to ſend Iſrael home from 120. nations; So, God by Iohn gaue Sardis his Apocalyps: that it kept religion farre longer then Rome. Now, as God placed the tribes about the Arke, three nobles of Leah Eaſtward; the blemiſhed to parching ſun: and the baſeſt Northward; and the laſt borne and p. 314deareſt towardes Sun-ſet: to ſhew that his mercy reacheth moſt to the furtheſt off: Of theſe the Pſal. 80. ſpeaketh: before Ephraim, Beniamin, and Manaſſes: ſtir vp thy ſtrength, & come and helpe vsus. That is, as (Shem Tob well noteth) at the Sunſet of our ſtate, and our laſt birth, as Ioſeph and Beniamin were moſt tendered; ſhew O Lord now, the fathers fauour to the children.

Paul, the Hebrew of Hebrewes, of Beniamin, he chalengeth for him ſelfe and his kinſmen, Rom. 15. and his companie, al Grecia and the Weſt: and nameth expreſlie Spaine. And beſides Ioſeph of Arimathea, Pauls ſcholar might teach our Weſt, the endes of the earth, to be the poſſeſsion of Chriſt, That Albion, Frāce, & martyrs of Spaine, hauehave now 3. gates in extreme Weſt: that the Ebrew and Greeke Teſtaments were neuer ſo much ſtudied, as in Albion, and France & Germany. Cambridge, Dureſme, Yorke, London, will beare one record, that thirtie yeares he cleered the Reuelation, that Papiſtes made great meanes to be further taught: By the Maior of Dureſme, & by others at London: offring as good as a Biſhoprike, if without danger in further matter they might. And I know there had beene but few Papiſtes in England, if a few had opened the old Teſtament by the new: as the Apoſtles veine required. And if the new Teſtamēt were tranſlated into ſuch Hebrew as the Apoſtles made Greeke: and the Old into perfect ſenſe in Greeke, all nations would ſweare, that our endes of the earth are the poſſeſſion of Chriſt.

And the walles of the Citie had twelue foundations: and in them the names of the Lambes twelue Apoſtles.

Theſe foundations, are the 12. precious ſtones which folow▪ in which, Exod. 28, the xij. Tribes are named: So the verie p. 315ſtones ingrauen inferre the Tribes, from Exod. 28. And heere the Apoſtles names ſhew that they taught no new doctrine, but the ſame which the Tribes had of old.

And he that ſpake with me had a golden reede to meaſure the Citie, and the gates of it: and the wall of it: and the Citie ſtandeth ſquare: and the length of it is ſo much as the breath: and he meaſured the Citie with the reede in furlonges twelue thouſand: and the length, and bredth, and height of it, be equall.

When the Iewes came home from Babylon, the like reſtoring of the Citie, Zach. 2. is expreſſed by an Angell hauing a reed. So, the reſtoring of the high Ieruſalem, after the Citie which crucified Chriſt, had made it low: is expreſſed by an Angel hauing a reede. Now twelue thouſand furlongs, make (as we may ſuppoſe) 1500. Engliſh miles. A Citie ſo high, ſo long, and ſo broad, would hold an infinite companie of men: and ſince Satan was bound from ſupreme rage. The firſt 300. year. by martyrs, bred an infinite company of millions, & in quiet long after, moo: and when Angells held the foure windes 144000. of Iſrael, and ſo many heathen, as none could number: & now after reſtoring, when mo in number profeſſe ſaluation in Chriſt (by breaking bread: and pray onelyonly to Chriſt for iuſtice by his gift) then papiſts be in nūber; it muſt be a great Citie that ſhall hold all: If all old holy bee taken in alſo. And if ſome by enuie had not hindred opening of both Teſtaments in Ebrew and Greeke, in the Talmudique veine, which others might tranſlate into many tongues, manie poore Iewes and Turkes had ſeene the xij. tribes over our gates; & the Apoſt. doctrine to be faſtened in Aharons Iewels, p. 316and had taken Chambers, in the large building of our ſquare Ieruſalem, 1500. miles high: and ſo ſquare. When Chriſt taught Noë to make the Arke, of 300. cubites length; and 50. cubites breadth, the ſixt of the length: and thirtie high, the tenth to the length: hee ſhewed Noë, hee had all beaſtes and foules and their fodder in meaſure. So hee, that weigheth all the duſt of the earth: knoweth how many ſoules hee hath choſen: and how large his heauenly Citie ſhall bee, and how many hee was to reiect, that their carcaſes ſhould bee fewell for Gehenna.

The Citie was ſquare.

This, alludeth vntounto the Tabernacle and Temple: where Dabir the Arkes place was ſquare: and now we all hauehave the Law in the Tables of our hearts: and ſee the Cherub, as hauing ſeauen cuppes of wrath fighting for vsus: & know Chriſt to bee the mercy-ſeate: and golden Altar: and wee are all ſacrificers to make our owne prayer of incenſe: and the lifting vp of our handes to be the euening offering: and we our ſelues to bee the golden Candleſticke: and our hope is the anchor of the ſoule ſure and fast, Heb. 6.Heb 6going within the vaile: whither IESVS our forerunner is gone: being a ſacrificer for euer, after the order of Melchitzedek: So we leaue imitation of Aharon, in Linnen, Cope, Mitre, Altar, Fleſh and Blood ſubſtantiated, Prieſt and Sacrifice, to them that will toy with imitation of Aharon, and remember not the fire that brent Nadab and Abihu for ſtrang fire. The Popes fire is a thouſand tymes ſtranger. Therefore an whole lake of fire and brimſtone, remaineth for him.

p. 317Of Arias Montanus, placing in Altar of Incenſe in the most holy.

Arias Montanus knewe well enough, that the Altar of incenſe was ſet in the outer holy: yet in Apparatu, hee doth place it in the holy. It is marueile why he durſt ſpare a trueth: This I gueſſe; that the ſimple papiſts, ſhould not ſee the birth of Chriſt caſt out of courſe. This I will but touch. I tolde Iewes, that his conception and his birth is all one for treueth of ſaluation. And Chriſt would hauehave neithe exactly known: becauſe it would trouble the Mathematicians of the world too much. As of late double rekonnings made. Turke and Iewe thinke wee hauehave no trueth of ſtorie. Seeing, annus ſalutis, commeth as well from Conception in December, as from birth in September: the old accompt may bee well kept. But wee ſhould hauehave no lies in our heauenly Ieruſalem, though men eſtieme more of cuſtome, then of him, whoſe eyes are a flame of fier: Eighteene weightie arguments one learned man, a Ciuilian hath brought, to ſettle the tyme better. Becauſe Iewes ſhould not gather abſurdities, from our Goſpell: that a wiſe fauorable Prince (taking order, that all mens wealth ſhould be rated: that Soldiers pill'd not any, but reſted in ſet portion:) ſhould cauſe eueryevery one to repaire to his natiue towne at midwinter; in my booke to the Landt-Graue, I place the conception in December. That as their Midras Rabba, in Deuter, telleth the MESSIAS ſhould come in Tiſri: and redeeme, on friday. by Bechai, fol. 12. ſo he did: and then Iohns trumpet proclamed him: and at Paſcha, became our Paſcha: and at Pentecoſt, gaue a firie law. The old teſtam. is ſo ſtrong for Chriſt: that the very Iewes ſpeake thence the ſame that the new Teſtament doeth.

p. 318And he meaſured the wall of it: an hundred fourtie foure cubites: the meaſure of a mans, which the Angels was. And the inner building of the wall was Carbuncle.

A wall, is a defenſe: and ſo thicke a wall muſt needes bee a ſtrong defenſe: and beeing of ſhining Carbuncle; it ſheweth the Citie to be of glory and trueth inuincible. Such is Diuinitie: being skilfully handled.

Of Prayer.

The Place. whither the people mett to prayer in Salomons Temple, is called in Ebrew, Azara, Strength: and in Greeke foreign the mercy-place, Now, ſeeing Prayer and Gods mercy bee our wall: this ſhould bee made of the Carbuncle of his: that the Pſalmes and holy ſcriptures ſhould be our prayers. Athanaſius ſheweth vſe in them for all life: and to eueryevery part of holy ſtory, certein Pſalmes might fitly be quoted. The prayers wich wee hauehave from the Pope, were penned for his drifte in Diuinity: and offer great hold of blame in eueryevery point: and no wight full of eyes wilbe taught but by God, to what prayer hee ſhall ſay, Amen. The Prayer which the Lord gaue is commended to be the common-prayer of the Church aſſembled. But without Battalogie or often repetitions. And for it, Math. chap. 6. the Pope corrupteth the Greek text: filching away, the ſentence of greateſt light: Thine is the Kingdome, Power and Glory, for euer and euer: which calleth, Daniel chap. 7. and all Daniel thither: To bee a Carbuncle-wall to the Sermon. If the Biſhopps tranſlate the Bible well: and add tables, for skilfull p. 319reading, of Conference in Places. This will beſt build walls of Carbuncle: when all pray as their heart and God beſt liketh.

And the Citie was of pure gold, like to pure glaſſe.

By the Citie, is meant, the whole lawes of policy: which ſhould be as pure as gold: and as cleare as glaſſe. Tyrannicall and ſuperſtitious, anger God: and where the policy is diſputable, it is fooliſh.

And the foundations of the wall, were trimmed with eueryevery pretious ſtone.

Before, I ſhewed vponupon ch. 7. how the Tribes were fitted to their ſtones; and more largely in my aduertiſement of errors, in our handling of religion. How the warriers, the frontiers, were two noble of Lea; but of ſome blemiſh, Reuben and Simeon; and of each handmaid, Dan and Gad: had ſtones of color for a warriers coate. The water men, likewiſe fit colored ſtones, & fit notationed, Iſachar, Zabulon, Aſer, Nephtaly. & the noble ſtateſmen, alſo fit Leuy, Iuda, Ioſeph, Beniamin. So that the dum ſtones aſſuring Iſrael of the Land; when they misbelieued; argued them to be but common ſand.

The order of the Tribes, Apoc. 21.

Sundry orders (very many) be of the tribes, in the old Teſtament; to ſhew that one is not better then another: but that in ſome points, the meane is as the beſt. Heere, they are placed in ſpeciall regard of ſtorie.

p. 320Beniamin, not Reuben, nor yet Ioſeph firſt.

Iſſachar, not Simeon ſecond.

Becauſe Leui, and Iuda, held themſelues all wayes better.

Then Iuda, third, not Leui.

Then Leui, in Iudahs old place.

Then Zabulon, fift: as next to Iſachar.

Then Reuben, ſixt: to come before the handmaides S.

Then Aſer, Luc 2. 49.Luke 2:49the handmaides ſon: Anceſtor to Anna: the Dau. of Phanuel.

Then Ioſeph, the eighth.

Then Simeon, to come before the reſt baſer borne.

Then Nephtali: of the firſt bearing handmaid, before Dan his elder brother.

Then Dan before the later bearing handmaides S.

And Gad, in the place left.

This ſituation, commeth not from Iohns witt: as hee nameth the tribes, chapter 7. but from eyeſight of a building, ſet by God.

Reaſon of their order.

Reuben, loſt his glory: firſt falling from the land: Then, by Ciuill right, Ioſeph ſhould hauehave had it. For in Iacobs purpoſe he was eldeſt: and had the birthright. But Ieroboam after ſeauen defenders, falling and felling ten tribes, caſt him to the eight place. For that cauſe: his Beryll in Aharons ſhoulders, holding ſix Tribes on the one, and ſix on the other: is tranſlated of the 70. Smaragdus: becauſe heathen could not ſee, why God ſhould plague proud Ephraim, Ioſeph, bearing vp all in Aegypt and in Ioſuah. So the Sardius of Reuben, is not in the firſt place: not the Beryll of Ioſeph: But the Iaſper, of Beniamin: p. 321Ioſeps brother: by ciuill right. As the Temple was built in the tribe of Beniamin, whereby halfe Beniamin claue to Iudah: and Beniamin, by Ester Atoſſa, and Mordecai, repreſſed the decree of deſtruction, from Aman of Amaleke: and Esther became the mother of great Darius Artaxerxes, bringeth the Perſian King, that built the Temple, to be of Beniamin; and all his ſeed: and cauſed fauor to the Iewes vnderunder Perſia: Whereby doubtleſſe many of Beniamin, before S. Paul & his ſiſters ſonnes, and the named, Rom. 15. were great pillars of the Church. And S. Paul alone, building three gates of Ieruſalem, Weſtward, is ynough to make Beniamins Iaſpar, the firſt foundation: ſeeing he filled all frō Ieruſalem to Illyrico with the Goſpel of Chriſt: & after to Rome, where he firſt taught the Synagogue; what the Goſpell was, Act. 28. and Caeſars Pallace, Phil. 1. and taught two yeares, without let: and went to Spaine: for he ſpake from God that he would ſo doe: and from wicked Rome that crucified Chriſt, hee built many Churches by others: ſending Creſcens into France, and Titus into Dalmatia: and calling Marke from the East, who had beene with Peter at Babylon: & keeping deere Luke the Phiſitian with him, to make many Princes, Theophilos. And in his beginning of Epiſtles, he warned, 2. Theſſ. 2. that curſed policie of the world ſhould come: and Rom. 13. warned them, not to take ſuperioritie ouer the Ciuill Officer: and recording matters ſmall, and many perſons; neuer hath one ſyllable that Peter ſhould euer be at Rome. But being a Prophet, as Saint Luke hath arguments innumerable, and inuincible that hee neuer was there: What a companie doth he reckon in the Epiſtle to the Romanes, without any mention that Peter had been there: but of his owne deſire, to build where others had not laid a foundation. And from Rome to the Galathians, p. 322he telleth expreſly, that Peters charge was for the Iewes ſcattred by captiuitie: to whom the twelue Apoſtles were charged chiefly to goe: and to iudge the 12. Tribes. To the Epheſians he mentioneth Tychicos, whom he ſent to them: but nothing of Peter. And to the Philippians, he mentioneth, that the Goſpell by his bondes was manifeſted in Caeſars pallace. It had bene a ſtale newes, if another had done that afore: and if Peter, had turned any of Caeſars houſe, which to record, it toucheth the glory of Chriſt, he had as well mentioned that. And S. Luke, who enuied not S. Peter, (in the Actes) but told high glory, had not hid his praiſe in Rome, if deſert had bene. And he telleth the Colloſsians, that Luke was with him, without mention of more: or token that Peter euer had beene there. And in the ſecond to Timothie, he nameth many, Demas leauing of him: Creſcens and Titus, as I told: and Lucas only to bee with him: and that Marke who was in Chaldea, 1. Pet. 5. ſhould be brought to him. Alſo he mentioneth Eubulus, Pudens and Linus: and where hee left Trophimus ſicke: and how Alexander the Copper-ſmith hindred him: and if ſainct Peter had laid any fundation in Rome to his helpe, hee had neuer hid that: And when Timothie came to Rome: and was ſent from him, he telleth the Hebrewes of him: but becauſe they knew howe Paul many yeeres after his calling, agreed with Peter, to biſhop the Eaſt: he mentioneth nothing of him. That by Beniamins Iaſper, S. Paul ſhould be the fundation of the heathen, borne among heathen: and borne Citizen, of the chiefe Weſt town: and a perſecutor, to comfort the Citie that crucified Chriſt: that as he found mercy: ſo they might ſuffring as hee did. And this much, for the Iaſper, the ſtone. But for the Greeke terme I muſt ſpeake more.

p. 323Of the terme Iaſper in the third place. Apoc. 21.

Foure Dialects, the holy Apoſtles hauehave: which matter, telleth a ſound reader to diſtinguiſh: and a D. ignorant heerin, will worke much diſturbance. To Attique or common Greeke they were to ſtand, when they wrote to heathen: and were not forced to peculiar (Greeke) Dialect. So to Theophilus the heathen, foreign, Luc. 16. is vſed, for heauen and hell: as having both places and no moo: and Catelthein, for paſſage, as the iourney ſtandeth, without regard of vp or downe. Luc. 4. and ten times, in the Acts, as I mentioned: So 70. Greek: ſo Talmudiques and Apoſtles proper. Colyrion, in Ioh. ch. 3. is Talmudique: and that the Sacrificer was girded about his breſt, as Chriſt, Apoc. 1. Maymony proueth from Vzielides and common tradition, in treatiſe of holy apparell, Perek. 10. Iohns owne vſe of Greeke is in Chalcolibanus, Apoc. 1. to Dan. 10. and in white ſtone, to Deut. 27. and in Iaſpis cha. 4. for Iaſpeh the Hebrew; and heere: In the 70. Exo. 28 Sabulon is grauen in it: for which Iohn firſt applieth Sardonix, and as I told twiſe before, in this chap. Iaſpis muſt be referred to the Ebrew Carbuncle; Codcedona, in the Thargum Ieruſal▪ as Kimchi, vponupon Iſai. 54. well noted. But heere Lawe will tell: the Hebrew Iaſpeh calleth the Greeke vntounto it. He that marketh not this, ſhall confound all this matter. And this much for the firſt foundation: wherein Paul not Peter is ſurely meant.

Of the ſecond foundation.

Simeſn, in Aharons choſen HAMISPAT, or vertue of Iudgment, was grauen in the ſecond ſtone: by birthright: but he as Reuben by cariage, not with right of iudgement, loſt natiue dignitie. Sichem, and Ioſeph, and Madianique, Num. 24. brake p. 324his dignitie: that gaue him no defender, iudge: only againſt Arabians in Ezekias dayes, hee gate grounde: and held it a while. But for his owne people, he did nothing extraordinarie. Therefore, becauſe Iacob bleſſed all his ſonnes, ſome Darſhan deſcanter, framed Iudiths fable for Simeons helpe: if that had been a true ſtorie, the builder of Ieruſalem had left Symeon his Topaz in the ſecond place. For Iſſachar in Thola, was not ſuch a conqueror, as Iudith: if it were not a fable. God hath plagued Grecia, for Iudith, that would giuegive an whole booke to the glorie of Symeon: where God giueth ſcant a line; he cā plague vsus as well, and we be as well aduiſed.

Of the Carbunck.

Leui in Aharon, third in birth, had the third place; and the Smaragd to be for Moſes: as the ſung Ouid Metamor.

In ſolio Meyſes claris lucente Smaragdis.

That ſtone telleth, that they be blinde, that thinke the Law darke: all Moyſes deſcribeth Christ of Iudah, to bee the true ſacrificer: who aboliſhing Leuies Office, taketh Leuies place. And as in Iacobs ſonnes, not the firſt was beſt, nor the ſecond, but the third better, and Iudah the fourth beſt: ſo, Peter moſt miſſed, and needed moſt comfort: and Andrew found the Rocke before him: and Iames ſacrificed him ſelf (not at Compostella, but) vnderunder Herod: and Iohn paſſeth all they both of Iudah: & Chriſt now changeth places, as ending ſacrifice: that Leui ſhal teach of an eternall ſacrificer. So, the Carbuncle is in the third Place.

The Smaragde.

The Rainebow of Couenant, Iſa. 54. and Gen. 9. Like the p. 325Smaragde, is about Gods throne: to ſpeake of the Couenant and Kingdome: therefore it is next Chriſt.

Of the Sardonix.

Sabalon ſhould be next, by order of matter: and Sardonix his Iahalom, Exod. 28. a terme ſo applied by S. Iohn. In Plato Phoed. Sardius, and laſpis, and Sardonix, are vſed to repreſent high ioy, for the iuſt in Haides: therefore Sardonix is of high price. Elon was a Iudge of Zabulon: and in the land of Zabulon the calling of Diſciples began. And as Zebed in Leahs tongue, for ſocietie, to be from her husband ſure: ſo Zebedaeus, had the terme in his name: the father of Iames & Iohn.

Of the Sardius.

Ruben deſerued much pitie. For he would hauehave ſaued Ioſephs life: and he was a frontier againſt the enimies: & therefore his Sardius, a war color, was in Gods glorie defending his Church: ch. 4. and hath his place before any of the handmaides S.

Of the Chriſolite.

Lea, pronounced her ſelfe happy, when her maide bare Aſer. and God gaue him an happy ſoile, to hauehave the ſea, and other tribes, as barres and lockes to him: and continuall ſtrength, and oliue woodes: and much good, Deut. 33. And whē Ezekiel telleth the King of Tyrus, by termes frō the tribes ſtones, what dignitie he had in old ſocietie, with Dauid and Salomon in Iſraell: he reckoneth all Leahs ſix, and Rachels two: But none of the handmaids, ſauing Aſer, bordered next him: p. 326and fellow to the ſea with him. He had no iudge all his dayes: but gracious Anna, Luc. 2. 37Luke 2:37that kept her a widow about 84. yeares: praying and faſting at the Temple, & prophecying of Chriſt: and teaching from Dan. 9. 457. yeares after the returne: that, that yeare Chriſt muſt be borne: and, ſeeing God face to face. The daughter of Phannel, ſeeing God face to face, being of the happy Tribe of Aſer, ſheweth the Sonne of God, to all that looked for Redemption in Iſrael. Therefore, though of the laſt borne of the handmaides ſonnes, for this Godlineſſe hath the ſeauenth Place.

Of the Beryll.

Ioſeph that bare all, is now bare of glorie. His Beryll bare all the Patriarches: aequall in Letters, as Gods prouidence did caſt them, 25. in one Beryll, and 25. in another. Thus Maymoni doth caſt them, in Celi Mikdas Perek 9.

Thus Gods care, doth teach what a precious thing, beliefe in Chriſt is: that, for Abrahams faith he ſhould ſo play with Iacob, for his mariages: for the wiues aemulation for Children: for wiſedome to giuegive names to them: as their lot ſhould fall out, and time of their birth: that Iacob ſhould bleſſe them according lie. Now Ioſeph bare ſway about 600. yeares: But too long dignitie, bred pride to contemne all hope in Chriſt: that Ioſeph bare not vp, but bare away the Tribes. The wiſedome of God, who knoweth how p. 327the Angels deſpiſed his counſell, and Chriſt, and periſhed for euer: doth ſhew matter, (ſmall to a carnall minde) wiſedome to aſtoniſh Angell: that eueryevery worde of this booke, ſhould hauehave a myſterie. Theſe defendours of the people, came of Ioſeph: King Ioſuah, Deborah, Gedeon, Abimelech, Ieptha, Abdon, halfe the tribe of Manaſſeh in Iair, with Reuben, & Gad in Sauls dayes. But Ieroboam the eight, did marr all. So manifold, and vnſearchable is the wiſedome of God. The Iewes, ſeeing Ioſeph gone for Ieroboam: might feare, leſt Iuda ſhould fall more for killing of Chriſt: that now, only Saint Pauls Biſhopricke of the Weſt is beſt, in Chriſtianitie: & he foretold how Rome would deceiue, and bad them not to be proud, but feare: and not ouerrule the ciuill officer; but be ſubiect: all this is vaine; to many. Ioſephs Beryll, the glorie of Paradiſe is now abiect.

Of the Topaz.

Simeon hath the ninth place, to be very baſe, yet afore manie of the handmaides children.

Of the Chryſophraſe.

The Chryſophraſe is a white Achate, with a golden lace, and part greene. Achate ſimply is in Exod. 28. for Nephtaly: Iohn giueth the trimmeſt of Achates, as God ſhewed him: And Nephtali, is ſet before Dan: becauſe Dan firſt fell away.

Of the Hyacinth.

Leſhem, was Dan his ſtone: and in notation it is, Folow God: and in the partition of the lande: Leſhem, the Towne was giuen to Dan, as prophecied in the name of his ſtone. p. 328though it were farre from the other ſoile of his, where Samſon dwelt.Iarchi vpō Iud. 18. from the Thal.Judg 18 Semel is an idole. Alpha and foreignmega, gaue him warning that he turned not the Letters. But none can ſtand longer than God ſtayed him. Ionathan the ſome of Manaſſes of Gerſon, of Moſes (who would thinke it) he and his houſe were Prieſts to the idole, till the remouing of the glorie from Ephraim: and Ieroboam (regarding not that) ſet vp a Calfe in Dan. The Antichriſt, by imitation of idoles, is Dans childe. Barbarous Rome cannot auoid that, but by a ridiculous diſtinction, of Idole and Image.

Of Gads Amethyſt.

God, of ordinarie courſe, ſhould folow Dan, and Aſer, the yonger, being ſet before him; for Anna the daughter of Phanuel.

Thus, Iohn comforteth the 12. tribes in their owne veine of ſpeach, calling all their ſtories of 1700. yeeres, often reuolued in the ſame deſert, to ſhew the Conſtancie of God: to encourage the 12. tribes, not to be amazed, that Rome hath crucified Chriſt, and deſtroyed the lowe Ieruſalem: but to know, that it alſo ſhall be deſtroyed: after vnwilling furthering of the Goſpell by martyring: and when eaſe and wealth bringeth blindneſſe, and error: it ſhall vnderunder praetenſe of holineſſe, and by perſequution cauſe more ſtudy of Law, then all former ages had. The Iewes ſoone would climme into the mountaine of Tab…r in minde: to acknowledge this deſcription, to be all from the Prophets: and moſt eaſie to vnderſtand. And, this, cutteth off all Iudaiſme, which the Rabbins hauehave to this houre: who from Ezekiel, 40. looke ſtill for a returne to Canaan. But againſt that, S. Peter told them, that p. 329eueryevery Prophecie of Scripture, is not to bee expounded properlie.

And the twelue gates were twelue pearles: eueryevery one ſeuerall gate was of a pearle.

The wordes of the holy Apoſtles, open the way into the Citie, and the ſpirit of God ſpake in them, and no one could be aboue the other, but eueryevery one ſtood a foundation vponupon the Rocke. By them which hauehave written, we know that the others had wordes alſo as pearles. When the Pope buried the ſtile of the Apoſtles, and brought in Romes tongue: and neither that pure: then the pearles loſt their gayneſſe.

And the ſtreet of the Citie was pure gold, as cleere glaſſe.

The open lawes are agreeable to the ſoules frame in iudgment, from God: and rules of faith bee cleere. Rome hath ſcant one rule of either. But their lawes croſſe commune reaſon: and their ſpeaches of faith be either falſe, or litigious.

And a Temple I ſaw not in it: for the Lord God of hoſtes is the Temple and the Lambe.

Earthly buildings profit not: as all S. Stephens oration telleth: and the faithleſſe Iew Izhak Ben. Arama, Port. 52. ſhewing, how the Tabernacle thriſe deſcribed, and ſet vp; did litle helpe, they preſently miſbelieuing. And Salomons Temple after his death, was robbed by Shiſak King of Egypt: and rejected of the tenne Tribes. And this (as the Iew confeſſeth) to ſhew, that God reſted in CHRIST, a goodlier Temple, the heauen and the earth: whoſe tēple, when it ſhould be once p. 330pull'd downe, he would raiſe it vp the third day. Moyſes Law; ye ſhall ſtand in reuerence of my Tabernacle: tooke effect for puniſhment in Ephraim, for Elies ſonnes defiling of women, waiting there; that God foreſooke his Tabernacle in Shiloh: and Ephraim fell in the day of battel, 34000. 1. Sam. chap. 4. and Pſal. 78. Nabuchadnezar that deſtroyed the Temple: was ſo many yeeres like a beaſt, as the Temple was in building. And his Babell, for the holy Temple, was deſtroyed. The carnall Iewes, vrged Moyſes Law, againſt Chriſt, as to death: That he ſaid, deſtroy this Temple: and I will build it againe in three dayes. He ſpake of his owne Temple. For which, the Law of Moſes was made: and the Tabernacle, and the frame of the world: and becauſe they ſtood not in reuerence of his Temple, hee deſtroyed them. By the former Law, as they martyred S. Stephen: for ſaying, Ieſus of Nazareth would deſtroy the Temple. And they meant as much, for S. Paul, for ſpeaking & teaching againſt the Temple: and they thought he had brought Trophimus a grecian of Epheſus into the Temple: and ſo polluted it. But the true Temple they ſaw not: till theirs was deſtroyed. And here Iohn expoundeth Moſes: That God, the Lord of hoſtes, (the Angels, and goodly frame of the world) That CHRIST in whom all fullneſſe it ſelfe dwelleth, is the Temple. And they that crucifie a picture, as his, making him vile: or worſhip a piece of bread, as his body, being a mockage to Angells and men, ſhall finde no place in Ieruſalem. The Temple of the Lambe muſt be vſed as hee teacheth. It ſitteth in ſhining light in heauen, and may not be made baſe in this darke ayer, by our fooliſh inuentions: his owne commanded works, as Salomons Temple, cannot conteine God. 1. King. 8. & Act. 7. & Eſai. 66. This one rule; ouerthroweth all Talmudiques by the Prophets: whoſe words they reuerēce.

p. 331A plaine concluſion, from Eſai. 60. and 51. and Ezeck 47. of the Gentiles Ieruſalem.

And the Citie ſhall hauehave no neede of the ſun, to giuegive light in it: for the glory of God lightneth it: and the Candle of it is the LAMBE.

Iſai. 60. Ariſe be lightned, for thy light is come, and the light of the ETERNAL riseth ouer thee. Ephes. 4. He ſaith, ariſe thou that ſleepeſt, and ſtand vp from the dead, and Christ ſhall ſhine to thee. Many Rabbines, as S. Paul, draw Eſaies words to Chriſt: and when Iohn wrote, 144000. Iewes faithfull would ſo take it. Iſai. 60. The Sun ſhalbe no more thy light on the day, and the brightneſſe of the Moone, ſhall not giuegive light vntounto thee: But the ETERNAL ſhalbe thy continuall light: and thy GOD ſhall bee thy honor. Thy Sun ſhall no more ſett: and thy moone ſhall not be hid: for the Eternall will be thy continuall light: and the dayes of thy mourning ſhall be gone: worldly ioy ſhall not bee thy comfort, but the ioy of God. As Iohn, baniſhed into Patmos, hath in one day, the Lordes day, more ioy then all the world is worth: when darkeneſſe couered Caeſares, and obſcuritie, nations: But God ſhined ouer him, and the glory of Chriſt was ſeene to him, to ſhew him in wilderneſſe the ſtate of the Church. If he had not beene baniſhed from Epheſus, he ſhould not hauehave had theſe viſiones. But now his comfort is the greater. As one, farre from his Countrey, may ſtudy more in ſix yeeres, then in 12. among much acquaintance at home, and be leſſe grieued from quarrelling of the wicked.

Now Iohn applying Eſai vntounto the LAMBE, ſheweth that all his comfortes cary vntounto Chriſt.Act. 2 20Acts 2:20 And all the Prophets doe the ſame: ſo this booke teacheth all the Myriades of Iewes p. 332that belieued, to expound all the Bible. So doe S. Pauls Epiſtles, expounding all the Law and Prophetes how they ſpeak of Chriſt.Iſai. 61. 1.Isa 61:1 And the chap. 61. ver. 1. is plainly by our L. Luc. 4. of him ſelfe.

And the nations, the ſaued ſhall walke in her light: and Kings ſhall bring their glorie and honor into her.

Iſai 60. And nations ſhall walke in thy light: and Kings in thy brightneſſe, that ariſeth to thee (And her gates ſhall not bee ſhut in the day, for night is not there) that they may bring the glory & honor of nations vntounto her. And they ſhall open thy gates continuallie, day and night: they ſhall not be ſhut, that men may bring vntounto thee the wealth of nations: alſo their Kings ſhall be brought. Thus God comforteth the xij. Tribes, from their knowen prophecies, to goe forward to winne at the laſt ſo many as would furniſh a Citie: Fifteene hundred miles ſquare, in two thouſand year. Though the ten Tribes were ſcattred, yet Hoſea telleth them that as HE raiſeth vp the dead, ſo he can call them backe: & Cyrus called them from 120. nations vponupon his owne charges: and ſome of all Iſrael, returned to hauehave hope in Chriſt: at 490. yeares, by holy Daniel. And from all nations, ſome were at Ieruſalem the laſt yeare: and men, 120. receiued ſpirit to be sufficient to teach all nations, & many thouſandes were turned: and of them eueryevery one would turne many thouſand. And Iohn ſtirreth vp their hope.

And there entreth not into it, any common: and practiſing lothſomeneſſe, and lies: But the written in the booke of life of the Lambe.

Prophane infidels, vncleane in ſoule: and lying in iudgements, p. 333as all Papiſtes bee; and old heathen, eſtranged from Chriſt, are not of this: but they whom Chriſt hath choſen, called, and ſanctified. This matter is eloquently expreſſed, by Manaſſes-ſaw-martyr, chap 52. Ariſe, ariſe, put on thy glorie, put on thy trimme apparell, Ieruſalem the holy Citie; for no vncircumciſed and vncleane, ſhall come any more vntounto thee.

This ſheweth, that they who be truely of the Church, hauehave their minde brauely clothed: and will hauehave none profane of their companie, nor auctores of vntrueth; vnfit for the Carbuncle walles of Ieruſalem: as the Apocrypha lies are with the Bible: a meere leprous ſorte, whereby Papiſtes terme all the Bible lies: yet they that can not read one word of the Law, as a profeſſor ſhould; will fight to keepe thoſe wicked bookes with the holy: and fight to hinder explaning of both Teſtaments, in Saint Iohns Carbuncle veine: and in Pauls Iaſpers. As none can be ſaued, vnleſſe hee be borne againe of water,Iohn. 3John 3 Iſai, chapter 55. ſo puddles of filthy pooles, will marre thoſe waters. It is marueile, that any dare chirpe, to hinder the light of Gods worde: ſeeing God is able and readie to reuenge. The Pope putteth the wicked fable of Tobie, in the heart of the holy Bible. But it had beene better, a milſtone had beene hanged about his necke: and that he had beene caſt into the mayne Sea. It is better to bee a dore-keeper in the holy Ieruſalem, then in Emperors Palaces in ſuch mixture, to the pure waters of Gods worde. Iohn and Ezechiel ſhalbe iudge.

p. 334CHAPTER XXII.

And he ſhewed me a pure Riuer of water of life: ſo cleere as Chriſtall: iſſuing from the throne of God and of the LAMBE.

IN the ſong of ſongs, liuely waters of CHRIST flow from Libanus: they be waters of life, Ioh. 7. to teach others life: and the true MESSIAS commeth by waters, blood, and ſpirite. 1 Iohn 4. Water of cleere doctrine: blood of ſuffring: and miracles of ſpirite. And if a man bee not regenerated of this Water and Spirite: he ſhall not ſee life. And thus ſpeaketh Ezekiel.

And he brought mee vntounto the brim of a riuer: Ezek. 47.Ezek 47and at the brim of the Riuer, was much ſtore of trees, on both ſides: and hee ſaid vntounto mee: theſe waters goe forth into Galile, the firſt: and deſcend to the plaine: (to ſea of Tiberias) then vntounto another ſea: (Lacus Aſphaltites) to the Ocean: and thoſe waters are made holeſome: And ſurely, eueryevery liuing ſoule, which can creepe into any place, where theſe Riuers come, ſhall be liuely: and the fiſh ſhall be great. Thus Ezekiel telleth whence Chriſt ſhall begin to teach, in Galilee. And the Zohar vponupon Geneſes, doth note that. And Iohn ſaw the euent of this: for at the ſea of Galilee, was hee, and Iames, and Peter, and Andrew, called to bee fiſhers of men. And after the reſurrection, Ioh. chap. 21. at the ſea of Tiberias Chriſt appeared to many of his Diſciples, fiſhing; and all night they had taken nothing. And in the morning the Lord commeth to the water ſide, vnknowen, and asketh whether they had any thing to eate: they ſaid, No. Becauſe they had taken nothing all night. Then hee made them caſt into the right partes: and they make a draught of 153. great p. 335fiſhes,2. Chron. 2. 17.2 Chr 2:17 whoſe ſpaume, might match the 353000. Proſelites in Chanaan. Olde and late, Prophecie and ſtorie, are thus contriued, to make eaſie and ſure the doctrine of life. And God muſt needes hate the Pope, that bent not all his wealth, to hauehave ſo many as he could, ready in the Law: as were the Fiſhers of Galilee. The Diſciple whom IESVS loued, hath now, Apoc. 21. a third ſight of Ezekiels prophecie. In Iohn, from the throne of God and the Lambe, cometh the water: In Ezekiel, from the Temple: ſo, the Lord of Hoſtes, and the Lambe, bee the Temple.

In the middle of the ſtreete of it, and of the Riuer, was a Tree of life, bearing twelue fruites, bearing his fruite eueryevery monethmonth, and the leaues of the tree, did heale the nations.

Ezekiel chap. 47. And by the Riuer came forth, at his brim, on either ſide, all kinde of trees for meate: the leafe of none faded: nor the fruite failed: eueryevery monethmonth they brought forth newe. For the waters came forth from the Temple: and the fruite was for meate: and the leafe to heale. The firſt pſalme, expoundeth this: that the ſtudie of the Law findeth Chriſt: the tree of life: and maketh others fruitfull trees to feede and heale.

An expoſition followeth heere, Chap. 22.

And no Catanathema (giuen ouer as curſed) ſhall bee any more: But the throne of God; and the Lambe ſhall bee in it: and his ſeruants ſhall ſerue him: and ſhall ſee his face, and his Name ſhall be in their forehead.

p. 336They that were curſed, are healed by the waters of repentance, and by the leaues of the tree of life: and their ſeruice to God only, and ſight of his fauor, is meat and drinke to them: and they hauehave Gods marke in forehead: as Papiſtes hauehave theirs: They Gods worde, and Baptiſme, and breaking of bread: Papiſt prayers to ſaintes and images: and profaner theirs.

And night ſhall be, not there: neither ſhall they neede candle, nor light of the Sunne: for the Lord God lightneth them: and they ſhall reigne for euer and euer.

They who know God in Chriſt, ſhall not bee to fearch Philoſophi, for better happineſſe, in natiue ſtudie: nor Iewes, Talmudique ſtudie, wherein they aduenture their ſoule. But ſeeing Chriſt, they ſee all: and reigne with Chriſt, firſt heere, and ſhall reigne for euer.

The Epilogue.

The Angells ſpeach.

And he ſaith vntounto me: Theſe wordes be faithfull and true: The Lord God of the holy Prophetes, hath ſent his Angell, to ſhew what is to come quicklie.

Becauſe this booke applieth all the Prophets vntounto Chriſt, and taketh away all couering from their meaning: he calleth the Lord, the God of the holy Prophetes. This conuicteth all to be godleſſe, who contemne to know the Prophetes: and to make them plaine by Iohn.

p. 337How the Reuelation would force any Iew or Gentile of learning, without rancor, to yeeld vntounto faith.

Firſt the learned ſtile of Iohn ſhould be ſhewed: and infinite fulneſſe of eyes: howe eueryevery phraſe from firſt to laſt, is couched with circumſpection admirable: for common Greeke: for readineſſe in expreſsing the 70. for ouermatching Talmudiques in their kinde: and prouing the Goſpel by their grant: and viſions paſſing mans wit: expreſſing plaine matter, from 2. Theſ. 2. by all plaineſſe and maieſtie, that heauen can affoord. This beeing granted the ſequel foloweth.

The ſequel, by any Iewes grant.

When the viſions are ſeene to paſſe the wit of men: as Eſai. chap. 60. as Ezekiels, as Daniels, and Zacharies, and all drawn to Chriſt, with a commentary from God: Iohn being a ſimple fiſher, and in tranſe: no Iew nor Gentile could denie, but that this booke hath Gods authoritie: and expoundeth it ſelfe: and ſheweth how all the old Teſt. ſpeaketh of Chriſt.

A Digreſsion to Iewes deſire, to know the proofe of the New Teſt. by the Law.

Twentie yeeres ago, I diſputed in Francfurt Synagogue, with a Rabbin, the Iewes choſen for ſkill: with this promiſe, that I would make him confeſſe that Moyſes draweth vntounto Chriſt, or ſpeake againſt his conſcience: and we both agreed: to call God to ſtrike him preſently, that ſpake vntruely: I requiring nothing of him, but that which I well knew he perceived: p. 338and might iudge all paſt denyall. He was content and neuer croſſed mee: But deſired a large treatiſe: And ten yer. agoe at Baſill, requeſted a full treatiſe: and all the New Teſt. tranſlated in ſuch Hebrew as I ſpake to him: and the Apocalyps, applied in order of bookes to all the old Teſt. Alſo hee moued the Iewes of Germanie, to requeſt the ſame: who hauehave made him their Orator (they of Hanau) that if hee yeeld, they all will. And the Iewes of Wormes, and Mentz: beeing commanded by the Biſhops to read my Books, ſaid that they could deny nothing: But requeſted Moyſes & the Prophets, opened at large: to full meaſure of their 613. Lawes, ſhewing which ſtand ſtill for all nations and ages: and which were giuen as vntounto children, to be remoued in riper knowledge. The Rabbi, my friend, chiefe requeſter of Catecheſe, & their Orator is called Rabbi Eliah. Why nowe I accompliſh not requeſt, I will tell: omitting their particular iniuries: becauſe when all this age is dead: this deſcription of Ieruſalem may ſtand.

The greatneſſe of the Iewes requeſt, in due articles.

1. The tranſlating of the New Teſtament into Ebrewe, ſhould hauehave with it a Dictionary of foure Dialectes: and I ſhould hauehave many Scribes learned, who by direction, may helpe me much to ſpeed.

2. Faire Copiers of my tranſlation, and learned Printers will require States helpe.

3. A treatiſe of MESSIAS, from Gen. 3. to the end of Malachi from all Rabbins, of whom often I neede but line out, what I would hauehave copied: that would require much money for learned Scribes.

4. The compariſon of all Moſes 613. making a commentary p. 339from the New Teſtament vponupon them: and a table from them to the New Teſt. this will bee of greater paynes, then my goodly recompenſe can heartely take in hande.

5. Iewes requeſt me to require our owne ſide, firſt to yeeld to mee: which I could make them doe: or refuſe with ſhame enough. But that I cannot force ſuperiors to iuſtice.

6. To theſe poſitions, I muſt require conſent: that the text of both Teſt, is pure: that of the tongue, the enemies may beſt be made iudges; to their ouerthrow, and our victorie. For all ſpeaches hard in the New Teſt. to vsus, are eaſie to them. That for gouernement of the Church (to make many learned in the Law) they and the Apoſtle hauehave yet to eyeſight the ſame rules.

7. As the Iewes grant all that I hauehave yet printed in Ebrew; I would requeſt Princes to force their Scholars: to yeeld from their croſſing of their owne Goſpell: or to combat with me brieflie.

8. Becauſe vnlearned wightes, ſhall not prate againſt any thing; but that many nations may iudge: I would hauehave abilitie for helpers, to turne all that I doe, into other tongues many.

Princes helping in this, I would haſten the workes, and till then, I leaue all hinderers, as murtherers of ſoules, out of Ieruſalem the holy Citie.

The ſpeach of Chriſt.

Behold I come quickly, &c. vntounto, &c. The grace of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt bee with you all, Amen. Chap. 1. 23. needed no comment: nor the chap. 18. nor this Epilogue. Therefore I may not with idle wordes weary the Reader.

Τέλος.