A Revelation of the Holy Apocalypse, Part 2 · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
AS Daniel Chap. 4. was amazed a while that Nebuchadnezar a ſtarre, ſhould be 7. yeres a beaſt: ſo the Church, the Heauen on Earth, is amazed, as half an houre: to what paſſe, badneſſe of ſcholars in vnlearned ambition, will come: & 7. trumpeters ſtanding before God, will ſound that vntounto the world: that the world ſhall hauehave a warning, long afore the matters come in practiſe.
The ſumme of the Goſpell: contempt of which, cauſeth God to cast off the open Church.
CHRIST,Mat. 1. 11. a ſacrificer for euer, the Angel of the couenāt, maketh his humanity, the golden Altar, vponupon which he layeth the incenſe of our prayers,Pſal. 141. 2 receiued in a golden cenſor of his pure mercy, & they come before the Father for the 144. thouſand Iewes, & innumerable heathen: whereof the trumpeters for 7. commune places: compaines of holy Doctores be the principall. Now, becauſe Rome would teach with forcefull deceit,Rom. 5. not to receiue the abundance of the grace, of the gift of iustice of Christ, that by faith we ſhould be iuſtified, to hauehave peace with God, Epheſ. 2.to reigne with his Sonne: but muſt ſeeke helpe from our ſelues, who bee children of wrath: Chriſt turneth his mediation,Pſal. 22. into wrath againſt the ſeed of the ſerpent; whoſe City pierced his handes, and feete; and by their occaſion made others fall. As the louelove of God in Christ, Epheſ. 3.for bredth, length, depth, and height, paſseth all knowledge; ſo the contempt of the tree of life; and of the man a little inferior to Angels,Hebr. 2. in death; but after aſcention, crowned with glory: as to the rebellious Angels diſdayning mans glory it gaue eternal woe, it giueth to men that follow that company called Satan,Exod. 20. the old ſerpēt. The anger of Christ is heare, voices, thunderings, lightnings, earthquake in ſtates; as at the Law-giuing; Becauſe Chriſt the end of the Law is contemned. This could neuer hauehave fallen out, if the Ebrew Bible, with the Maſſoreth orthographie dictionarie, for accents & vowels, had beene vſual in churches ouer the earth; and the N. T. the marrow of all Greeke, and ſunnes bringhtneſſe to the old, had beene ſcholes ſtudie alſo in all nations.
But ſlothful contempt, to make tranſlations from tranſlations; bred vncertainti; and it diſdaine; it blindeneſſe; it contempt of Chriſt; it reiection. Machmad ſoone turned away all the Eaſt; whereof old, GOD was knowen; and God hath for that, caſt them of for euer. The Grecians were ſo proud of Greeke brauery; that of Origens Octaplun: of Ebrew, in Ebrew letter, in Greeke letter, in the 70. in Aquilas, Symmachus, Theodotion, and other two vncertaine tranſlations; they little cared for the Ebrew, but from Greek vncertaine, they marred their commenting, and gaue Arrius great aduantage. And, when Arabians, Aethiopians, and Muſcouites tranſlated the 70. not the Ebrew: the difference of 1500. (and more) yeares exceſſe, aboue truth by the 70. in Geneſ. 5. and 11. cauſed Greece and the other, and much of Romiſh ſoyles, to blaſpheme the Ebrew, as corrupt: ſo diſdayning bitter rootes, they miſſed to gather fruit of nouriſhment. This bred the thundering anger of the Eternall Word; which was with God aey; and made all things: and gaue words Ebrew and Greeke, each as pearle and ſhyning Iewels: Hence vnlearned ſcholars, turne all to Ambition and Hereſie: polititians, to profaneneſſe.
Of the VII. Trumpets.
As one trumpeter telleth of a kinges power in milliones, ſo heer 7. repreſent 7000. as might fall out: ſtill learned men gaue warning: but when the roote of Ieſſai was contemned, the waters of grace, were not ſent into vncleane hearts.
The first Trumpet.
Buiſhopps, ſtroue for ſuperioritie; Monachi, fall to idleneſſe, and extolling of Sainctes: Princes giuegive wealth that way: painefull ſcholers be hated and perſequuted: their voices make alowd trompet: Athanaſius, Chriſoſtome, Baſill, Nazianzene, ſound out matter againſt herefies, and forged Monaſtiques, and contempt of ſcripture: and how the poſſeſſor of the West Empire ſhould be taken away: and a policy all ſinfull, ſhould be erected in Rome. Andreas Caeſarienſis doth more plainly ſhew that: being at the riſing of it: about the 600. yeares, of Redemption. Patriarches affected ſupremacy; but the city that crucified Chriſt; and now plagued Chriſtians, was to afflict in the end, and to be a trapp, for all coaſtes to fall. The contempt of learned warnings, & Romes ſupremacie, made eaſt, ſouth, & north, fear leaſt old tyranny from Rome ſhould be reuiued. So Machmad turned much of the world to fall away; that haile of ſtate, as in Eſai, and fyer, and blood, of warrs come to the world: And moſt of all Popes ſupremacie challenging Empire, raineth haile, fyer, and blood to this day: that men grounded as trees for the third parte: and all the weake as graſſe fell into Gods anger. So this is a commune place of the Popes ſupremacy. The next trumpet ſoūdeth that poinct more fully: The ſcholars that inueighed againſt Phocas the murderer, for erecting Boniface 3. ſupreme Papes or Father.
Of the names, Papas and Pope.
The name Papas, in the Greek fathers epiſtles, is from one to another, this much: Right Reuerend father. But when one would hauehave all to himſelfe; not by learning in Ebrew or Greeke for Gods worde; but for ſtrong hand in ſupremacy: then the name reſted in him, but turned into Pope; which in Homer, Iliad. 3.as Euſtachius well noteth, is Damon, a Deuil. The Prouidence of God, in mens tongues for names, fitted vntounto matter, is to be regarded much: That Pope, and Daemon is all one.
Add vntounto this, that the Pope is called holines: Marke for this, S. Paul; THE SINFVL MAN; THE WHOLE ENEMIE: HE THAT EXALTETH HIMSELFE ABOVE ALL, THAT IS CALLED GOD; OR WORSHIPPED: A NEWE ANTIOCHVS EPIMANES: SETTING FORTH HIMSELFE IN THE TEMPLE OF GOD, AS IF HE WERE GOD. THIS, AND POPE OR DAEMON, GONCVRRE. The ſecond Angell, or Company of Scholars, ſheweth howe hee commeth vp, for the Emperour.
The ſecond blast expounding the firſt.
A Mountaine, an huge one burning with fire, is caſt into the ſea. Mountaine ſignifieth an Empire; as Babylon is a mountaine deſtroying: Burning with fire, is, cauſing hoate warres; as in taking the Empires land, to become a Mountaine: and caſting himſelfe into the ſea of kingdomes, to be to this day, a firebrand of all our warres: The ſea is politique ſtates, for this ſea of our troubleſome life; as Tully tranſlateth Euripides: Si mihi nunc primum tristis illuxiſſet dies, Nec tam arumnoſo nauigaſſem ſalo: eſſet dolendi cauſſa, &c. That is, If a heavy day had now first ſhined vntounto me, neither had ſailed before ſo troubleſome ſeas, there would be iust cauſe of ſorrow, &c. So ſea is, Dan. 7. & Apo. 12. where Empires ariſe: ſo the men of the ſeas policie, called fiſh; ſuch as ſeemed aliue Chap. 3. Forſooke the waters, Eſa. 55. and Eze. 48. which giuegive life to all where they come, turned here to haerefie, be turned to death: and traffique of ciuill policie is turned to corruption.
The third blast, expounding the ſecond.
The third explication of the learned great, telleth that the†Chap. 1. the 7. ſtars be ſeauen ſergeants of the Church. meſſinger of the holy Synagogue, or heauen, for the kingdome of heauen, ſhall fall from his calling to be as Babilons king, Iſai 14. A ſtar ſetting Nemrod his houſe on fire, will ſoone corrupt the third part of the Bible, called waters, Iſa. 55. & Ioh. 3. and 1. Ioh. 3. and infinitely in Rabbins, Hee ſhall turne Iuſtice of faith into Idolatry, as Ephraim in Amos. That many men died the ſecond death (called fiſh afore) by Idols worſhip. So the Pope turning the holy doctrine into idolous waters, is called wormewood.
Articles of the Popes corruption of Scriptures.
Firſt, He holdeth not the Hebrew and Greeke holy text in vſe: God owne holy wordes: penned by the Eternall Spirit: ſpeaking all of life by the SON: in dayly eſteeme: for all in leiſure of ſtudie to know: and which all of leiſure to ſtudie ſhould know. But in ſteed of it brought in a Latin worke; of which tongue none is bound to hauehave regard: and brought vntounto ſchooles, Latin for Greeke and Ebrew.
II. The Apocrypha bookes were all made by Men of Iuda: And ſpeake not a ſyllable of CHRIST: yet helpe Ioſephus for all Iſrael, againſt Appiones, Instim, Diodorus Siculus, & Cornelius Tacitus in madd Antiochus: and ſo far hauehave their vſe. The fable of Tobi is made to buſie heathen for Aſſurs captiuitie: which heathen neuer mention: nor Iudahs deportation to Babel, or returne: For it Barucs forged Epiſtles; Suſannaes allegorie, for the whole ſtate, King Ioakims wife polluted by the Babilonian Iudges; but reuenged by Daniel, is wittilie fabled. The enuious heathen, neuer mention the fire quenched by Daniels moſt noble Couſins: Therefore a Rhetoricall ſong, was formed to ſhew what in the fyer, their cauſe might ſpeake, to Idol-ſeruers.
But Daniel recordeth nothing ſpoken: who knew all: and would omitt nothing of glorie. So no heathen tell as Ieremi of Babell Bels ſeruants, who thought Bell gaue them kindoms, that GOD by Cyrus would take out of Bels throte, all the kingdomes which he had deuoured: therefore the fable of Bell mocked heathens blindneſſe. No heathen tell of Daniel caſt into the Lions den for not worſhipping the Perſian Emperor, or Dragon: as Pharaoh is, Iſa. 27. and mouing the K. to renounce that: the fable of the Dragon worſhipped in Babel, and deſtroyed, telleth of their enuy and folly. And vponupon Darius ſpeach to Daniel, that GOD in whom he belieued, would ſaue him: and Daniel ſaid he was ſaued, becauſe juſtice to GOD and the K. were found in him: Abbakuks ſaying; the iust man ſhall liue by faith: is enlarged by a fable: that Abakuk brought Daniel pottage from Iudea. The heathen knew not Gods counſell; that God by Iewes would teach in Babels fall, how he hated the pompe of this world; and hath another world for ſoules Reſt, where wicked ſhal be plagued for euer, and telleth that true happineſſe ſtandeth in the knowledge of Christ: who gaue Cyrus all Croeſus gold, to ſend Iewes home from all quarters: to preach of their Eternall hope: and to confute Greeke ſages. The 3. of Eſdras, is much true, much in fable, to ſmooch this in a greek ſtile, familiar for heathen: and ſuch fables be the additions to Hester. The fourth of Eſdras, was made to keepe Eſdras, (another Moſes) from contempt amongſt heathen: who would thinke him baſe, that handleth but Iewes genealogies, and the Temples building, without telling the reaſon: and diuorcements: therefore they faine for him deepe ſpeculations: as the greeks Clem. Strom. 1. feigne all the Law was loſt: and Eſdras by reuelation reſtored all. The Perſians for religion, were a new Nebuchadnezar, their warriers, one Holophernes; Herodotus nameth one ſo. The Iewes ſtates, Iudith. Gods juſtice againſt Elam, Iudiths ſword. And thus, heathen that would mocke truth, are mocked by fables.
Wicked Diodorus Sicul. and Tacitus, commend madde Antiochus, for his endeuor to ouerthrow the Iewes religion. Two workes of ſeuerall Iewes, the later very fooliſh and vnlearned; yet good enough for prophane heathen: were receiued to ſtop ſuch mouthes. The whole nation is of wicked Tully termed barbarous, and ſuperſtitious, to ſtoppe ſuch a mouth; eloquent Syracides paſſing him in ſentences, and ſhewing all the Lawes glory; and eloquent Philo imitating Salomons wiſedome; for mans good end, were receiued: to check heathen; though one knew not Chriſt. Of theſe the fable of Toby, is by the Pope made Gods word. The Thal. Ieru. in Ros Haſana for Michael and Gabriel, make it a late fable & wicked. For Manaſses, caried to Babel by the King of Aſſur, ſome tryfling declamer would ſhew what one in his caſe might ſpeake: as doth Homer for Agamemnon, Achilles, Calchas, Nestor and ſuch: but it were a ridiculous babiſhnes, to hold that trifling worke better then Tobies fable; A plaine fable throughout, and no fitter to be read in ſadneſſe in the Church, then Lucians dialogues. The Popes ioyning of theſe to the Bible, is wormewood.
III. Wormewood holdeth not theſe 3. principles true: which all ſhould. 1. The text of the old Teſtam. is kept in letter moſt ſure, by the orthographie dictionarie, or Maſſoreth: that no letter was more nor leſſe, nor of other▪ orme in Moſes tyme, with vowels, and accents, & margine reading expounding the text; then we hauehave it at this day. 2. That the Rabbins expound all in grammer ſenſe, well for our vſe. 3. That all good for religion, and life is in Moſes; as the Prophets and Apostles draw him foorth at large. IIII. The Pope in Bellarmine and others, peruerteth or contemneth eueryevery whit of the Bible. V. He maketh a whole policie, wicked: againſt all points of faith; and ciuill lawes: and would bee as a God in the Church ſo ſet foorth, 2. Theſ. 2. Thus he is wormewood it ſelfe. How he groweth vp to be a great mountaine, to be able to vexe the world: that followeth in the next Trumpet, and keyes of the deepe.
The fourth expounding the third.
The fourth Angell ſounded, and the third part of the Sun, Moone, and Starres, were ſtricken, for their third parte; & day and night, Gen. 37. Iacob expoundeth Sun, Moone, & Starrs, for his Church: ſo it is heere, day and night are ruled by the ſtarres; and meane the tymes more or leſſe proſperous: ſcholars and learned, falling away, corrupted ſcriptures, make an eccleſiasticall mountaine; from a burning lampe, falling from God.
The occaſions of the Churches fall from heauen.
The two Teſtaments, ſhew that CHRIST is the Angell of the Couenant, ſtanding by his humanitie, at the Altar of incenſe; and in his golden Mediation receyuing the prayers of the holy, that with his incenſe, they come before God: ſo he ſitteth a ſacrificer for euer; figured in Sem deſcribed as God, without father, without mother, without beginning of dayes, without ende of life: witneſſed in Moſes deſcription, that he liueth for euer; a King of Iustice, and a King of peace, ſo S. Paul to Scribes after their owne manner, yet extant in Zohar and Menachem and others deſcribeth his Vicar Sem, the great: as Rabbins terme him, to hauehave figured the Redeemer to the world now, of Noahs houſe: The SON thus knowen in our Sonne.
How the old Testament: came turned into wormewood.
Of the age before the flood, God ſaid: I repent me, that I made man; therefore water, tooke their bodies; priſon aeternall, their ſpirits. The tower-maſons making Gods of ſtarrs, in contempt of SEM, the high ſacrificer; and prating daylie againſt his faith, were cut off frō Sems tongue, to let it alone; and in Babels captiuitie ended it from commune vſe: and ſoone after Daniels age, from ſpeach of all, but ſchole learned; But Moſes, by Sabbath reading was ſome what knowen to the people. Beſides God made Sems tongue ſo hard, that a mans whole life will hardly catch it: and left no authors of it, but Sems prophets; to make vsus ſearch how rare wordes in them, open themſelues, (and they vſed but once) by the argument.
So Sems tongue is an hid pearle, of it Iob coſt me more paines alone, then all Greeks, who now cōmeth to open iudgemēt. Churches had no Hebrew Rabbins for grāmer of yer. neare 1000. nor grāmars, or dictionaries; Origen did put forth Ebrew, in Ebrew letters; and ſpell'd in Greeke, much cited in Epiphanius; with ſix Greeke tranſlations. The 70. hid their minde much, ſpecially in 3600. yeres alteration of liues from Moſes truth, as thus; Adam liued 230. yeares and begate Seth. And afterwardes 700. for 130. in Moſes, and 800. our notes ſay, Moſes omitted 100. y. before Seths birth; they may as well ſay he gaue 100. too many afterwardes: and ſo in 3600. yeres. Yet though Arabique were neare Hebrew; and Aethiopian: they tranſlate the 70. And not the Ebrew: and Greekes with Muſcouia follow them. But if Princes had allowed in eueryevery land, ſo big as Canaan, 42. great Cities, for Hebricians only; they had beene Ezdrae, for readineſſe in the Law: and had beene Atlantes, to beare vp heauen.
God ſaw that his juſtice could choſe but few; and of eternitie did ſet many to anger, and therefore gaue not Princes that iudgement, nor to ſcholars, one of a thouſand millions, a minde to ſuch hard paines, but to be ſuch monachos, as Nazianzenus taunteth, giuen all to feed them ſelues, and to enuie all paines: and Athanaſius, Gregorie, and his deare brother Baſil, felt for the holy Trinitie. And Weſt Monachos reſted in Ierome for text, and in S. Augustin for explication.
Of the New Testament.
The New Teſtament penned in Greeke, by the H. Spirit, is to be eſteemed in Greeke better then all the world can euer conceiue.
Part I hope to vtter: but conceiue more. The preparation to bring Greeke ouer the world, muſt heere be knowen. To Iapheths Iauan, God left it: and ſpread his race from Cilicia ouer the West: that Bardi Caeſar. Cō. in France, and our Cambria kept Greeke Philoſophi. And when God meant in open action, to end by Babel, Sems tongue; which he kept in Canaan 500. yeares that Babilons cōfuſion hurt not the Kings houſe: but the Chananean dialects twelue, came neare his: when God would end this tongue, in holy Daniels age when hee had ſhewed the ſtrict yeare and Paſcha day, of Christ his Paſcha, who being the first from the dead, would ſhew light vntounto the world. And Aggei, Zacharie, and Eſdras Malachi, had commented vponupon holy Gabriels oration, when God would hauehave no more Diuinitie written, all being ſpoken that could bee told: he ſheweth a miraculous prouidence to fi…t the Greeke tongue to the Goſpell, by Athenes and all Grecia, Piſistratus, of holy Ioſiahs time, brought noble Homers wit into more reuerence, then Monkes the holy Goſpell: that children ſhould learne him eueryevery whit without booke, and parted him twice in Iliade & Odiſſea: into Alpha, Beta, &c. (As the vnknowen God dealt, Pſal. 25. 34. 37. 111. 112. 119. 8 tymes: 145. & Pro. 31. Lamen. 6. tymes.) And Ariſtarchus made a commētarie vponupon his hard wordes: ſo that S. Peter by Gods reuelatiō vſeth his noble phraſe; and him, not Euſtathius I cited, though Bil. and Bar. would win ſpurres, to prick their owne ſides. Didimus elder then S. Peter kept Ariſtarchus remnants, and frō Didimos, not from Euſtathius, I brought Ariſtarchus and Homer, whom I am ſure S. Peter neuer read, but the holy Ghoſt read him, and led Peter. This honor to Homer, ſet on Solon to write ſentēces; and Theognes, & Phocillides, & Minermus: that ciuill groundes were made pleaſant in braue Greeke: to make all eloquent in ſpeach; Then ariſe tragiques, Aeſchylus & an Heroi que , equall to Homer, or old Corinnos of Troyes age: and P Alamedes ſcholar, who in other warres, gaue Homer his timber. Euripides, the painter of mans lot, and Lyriques rare, and Commediques, as witty Ariſtophanes: Phiſitians: Hiſtoriques, from Heſters age; Hellanicus and Herodotus, and Plato, and Aristotle, and tenn Oratores, and Theopompus, & innumerable of all ſortes: while Iuda was in Babilon, and vnderunder Perſian, taught, (Dan. 10.) that ſoone they ſhould bee vnderunder Grecia, till Chriſt came in ſome parte: and therefore they taught their children Greek: that the 70. flaunted in ſtore: ſetting 80. ſeuerall Greek ſometime to one Hebrew tree; as to Shub. 70. 60. 50. 40. 30. 20. 10. and ſo to very many. Now Macedonians of Selleucus Nicatores people being in 72. Kingdomes: Eaſt and North, were forced to knowe Greeke: and by the Ptolomies, South learned Greek; and the Iewes ſcattred by them, brought the 70. ouer all: and mention of Moſes. So before our Lordes redemption tyme, all nations (as Tully, for Archi ſaith) knew Greek, when Latin was kept in a narrow compaſſe. And thus a fundation was laid for elegant timber to the N. Teſtament. The Iewes note in Ieruſalemi Megila, that Noah prophecied how Sems houſe ſhould bring Iapheth to faith in the tongue of Iauan, the Greeke. And Midras Rabba citeth the ſame; and in Megilah theyſay: that no tongue but Greeke, can giuegive Hebrew fitt termes. Christians ſhould vrge their owne teſtimonie, that as a Tribe failed not from Iuda till Meſsiah came, ſo all nations then ſpake Greek;Geneſ. 49. but not many ages after that. And as Abben Ezra confeſſeth vponupon Dan. 9. that the 70. ſeauens are 490. yeres, from Daniels prayer, to ſealing of Meſsias, the holy, of holy; wherein not one of a hundreth thouſand millions, ſpeaketh ſo truely for our victorie, as the ſharpeſt enimy doth. So Ieruſalemi ſhould hauehave confeſſed, that the fiſhers of Gallile were to write in Greeke from Ieruſalem, after 490. yeres. And before it ſhould be deſtroyed, as we ſee Actor. 15.
Of the New Testaments elegancie.
The N. Teſtam. in Greeke is ſo little that by one houre, in the morning and euening; in one weeke; one may with eaſe, and great delite, read it ouer. Yet this booke hath more ſeuerall wordes by the fiſhers of Galile, and the Phiſitian of Antioch, and the tent-maker borne in Tarſus, to be the firſt Apostle at Rome, then 100. great Greek bookes: aboue 4600. that all old Greekes hauehave ſome building in it: and all extant now, but for fragments kept, cannot ſerue it. More, in mens names it learnedly openeth Ebrew, to rare vſe: as Boſor for foreign 2. Pet. 2. by Babels pronouncing, not Italy: that any maide of Chaldea, might ſee by the ſpeach, whence the Galilean wrote. So Talmud names come, as Lazar, for Eleazar; whoſe natiō is fitt for any one that maketh God his ſtrength: to feaſt in Abrahams Boſom, when the ſoule departeth hence. Moreouer the Macedonians ſpake Greeke wordes, in eaſt & ſouth hardly found; as, foreign, and ſuch: ſuch from Thalmudiques of Babell, the N. T. had: and eaſt termes, for politique matters, from Seleucidae; as, Angareum, to poſtſeruice. It hath aboue 50. of Syriaque, for rare vſe: And to ſhew in what age, euē vnderunder the Romans empire beginning, & Greekes end, Iewes hauehave Greeke names, and ſome Latin: as Philip and Andrew and Marc Iustus, & ſuch. This checketh the Talmud, which from the depth of Satan perſuadeth his ſonnes, that Ieſus our Lord his dayes were long before, in the Maccabees gouernement.
Foure Dialests the Booke hath: Attique or commune Greeke for matters knowen to heathen:Act. 17. 18 Attique Greeke. as, Spermologos, to Paul at Athenes: the deadlieſt that Demosthenes there aboue 300 yeres afore beſtowed vponupon Aeſchynes. So from Diphilus, and Philemon, and Sophocles, ſome for ſpeciall vſe: and from Epimenides Aratus & Menander, knowen teſtimonies: briefly from al eloquent ſome: as foreign, & foreign foreign for any paſſage, & Haides, to conteine heauē & Hell Luc. 16. & 4. and in Act. 10. tymes. Luke praeuented 15. fooliſh brawles by Greek: But men care not kicking againſt the ſpurre, Act. 9. & is often in Aeſchylus & Euripides; and names of maners from all: ſo that one cūning in the N. Teſta. & Greekes ſhould frō the one, ſtill runne to the other, in memorie: & ſee better vſe of both. And though one had ſo many eyes as Argus in Aeſchylus 10000. all would heer be well occupied. Another Dialect is frō the 70. whē the ſpeach is moſt to Iewes,The ſeptua: greek. as Iechonias begate Salathiel, ſo Zedekiahs the vncle 3. yer. elder, is ſonne, and Ioachaz firſt king, yonger 2. yeres, Ioackim is eldeſt. So Vzziah is ſonne to Ioram his fathers great grandfather: So our Lord is ſonne to Ioſeph (as men thought) to Ely '&c. to Adam, to God, as ſonne of Dauid. For ſome of theſe the heathen hauehave the like: ſo Iulian calleth Romulus his Anceſtor, as S. Ma…h. ſpeaketh of Iechonias and Salathiel: ſo for the word, vntill, for a matter neuer done, Math. 1. and 5. and Homers Ili 5. in Agamemnon to Chryſes: that he ſhould not hauehave his daughter vntill ſhe ſpent her age with him in Argos. So a iudge giueth ſentence for one that oweth 10000. talents; and hath not a peny to pay, nor can gett in priſon, that he ſhall be in priſon, till he pay the vttermoſt farthing. The priſoner will not plead that in tyme he muſt come out. Starres be darkened by ignorance of Greeke, to put going to Hell for going to Paradiſe, a breeding of Purgatorie, which Grecia of 1200. yeares neuer held. The 70. Greeke is notable in this: whom God rayſed vp, diſannulling the ſorrowes or hurtes of death. Act. 2. from Pſal. 18. he that would ſay Peter ſpake of the ſecond death, or of hell Torment, deſerueth ſmall thankes. Briefly, many a thouſand of wordes, hauehave the Apostles from the 70. calling vsus to remembrance of ſo many places in the old Teſtament: of them I hauehave made an Ebrew Greeke dictionarie, and my friendes hauehave it in London, and they who will giuegive ſecuritie for the copy, may write it out. The old Ierom, Eraſmus, and Beza miſſed much of lightes, by not expounding 70. Greekes from their Ebrew, that ſun and ayer were much darkened. The Apoſtles Greeke.The 3. dialect is the Apostles owne: often do they expreſſe Ebrew in a new manner; and S. Paul the Orator of Tarſus, borne to be firſt Papas or father in Praetorio at Rome; brought vp at Gamaliels feete, to ſhew in the Epiſt. to the Heb. the beſt Thalmudique that euer the ſunne ſaw; the Ebrew of Ebrewes, fathers ſide and mothers ſide: and redieſt in genealogies, true and profitable for his ſiſters ſonne, and other couſins three, Rom. 15. This Iaſpar of Beniamin the firſt foundation of the heauenly Citie ſhall be cited for clearing Moſes, Deut. 30. & the holy Goſpell: by expreſſing Ebrew in new Greeke; What to goe vp to heauen, to bring Chriſt downe, meaneth; What to goe downe to the deepe, to bring Christ from the dead, meaneth. Moſes of Leui grauen in the Smaragd, and in his Law a ſunne; (In ſolio Phoebus claris lucentis Smaragdis) forbiddeth Iſrael, to leaue ſtudie of the Law, as though it were high, or farre fetched in ſpeach: and thus telleth what Smaragd-light it hath, Deu. 30. 11. This commandement which I commaund thee this day, is not a wonder for thee: neither is it farre off: it is not in heauen, to cauſe ſpeach, who can goe vp vntounto heauen, to take it, and preach it to vsus, that wee may do it: neither is it beyond the ſea; to cauſe ſpeach, who ſhall goe for vsus beyond the ſea, to take it, for vsus, & preach it to vsus, that we may do it: But the word is verie near vntounto thee, for thy mouth & for thy heart to do it. Thus Moſes ſheweth that the Smaragd of the Law ſhineth in the Couenant of the Rainebow, Iſai 54. for the waters of Noah. That Chriſt in Geneſis was knowen to the Patriarkes, and all the Ceremonies went no further; and the Ciuill lawes were moſt ſenſible, and all might be acquainted with it: The Scribes do teach it ſitting in Moſes chaire; without their owne workes of traditions; and ſuch as liued in trauaile of handes might be able to judge. Now Saint Paul giueth ſuch teſtimonie that for the Law they were exact, as he yet was a Phariſee, but they not knowing that God was in Christ reconciling the world vntounto himſelfe, 2. Cor. 5.by the death of Christ: and reſurrection, miſſed of the end of the Law; that blinde zeale to it made them fall frō God. Now S. Paul imitateth Moſes, whoſe whole doctrine cōmeth to this ſumme:Moſes and Paul teach one thing. do not ſay who can goe vp to heauen in high conceite, to bring Chriſt to dwell in our Tabernacle below: or who can goe in beleef, Rom. 10.to the deepe of the earth, to bring vp Chriſt from the dead: But what ſaith hee? The word is neere thee, for thy mouth, and for thy heart; This is the word of fath which we preach; for if thou confeſſe with thy mouth, that IESVS is the Eternall: and that God raiſed him from the dead, Pſal. 71. 20thou ſhalt be ſaued. Without marking imitation of Moſes and 70. phraſe, Pſal. 71. 20. Paul will not be vnderſtood heere: And heere he before had allowed the Scribes for all other Diuinity, while they ſate in Moſes chaire, for holy Trinity, and works, and law, and paſſage of all juſt hence to Paradiſe to perfection of ioy:Heb. 11. to the City which they had deſired; the heauenly City which God prepared for them. Though they had not openly the Goſpell: the perfection. But the Scribes ſaw not that our Goſpell was the perfection to the Law: And by that they periſh. I might bring a volume of examples: But my digreſſion may not bee too long.The Thalmudgreek The fourth is the Thalmudique kinde when ſpeach is to Iewes. The olde Teſtament neuer named expreſly and properly, place for ſoules: becauſe infidels would mocke at that: But thus God ſaith; Leuit. 26. If yee keepe my commandements, I will be your God, and walke amongſt you; that is ſimplie and for euer: as God, is the good God to Abraham, Izhak and Iacob, not to dead but to liuing. Nowe when the Prophets, had ended all that was to be ſpoken, to open congregations: and the faithfull were few vnderunder Macedonians: and Sadducees denyed ſoules immortalitie: and reiected Prophets comments vponupon Moſes; The holy learned enacted theſe tearmes: The Law, for all the old Teſtament. So is Pſal. 82. Ioh. 1. & 15. ſo Eſ. 8. Rom. 9. Alſo, world to come; Paradiſe; Gehenna; Day of Iudgment; life eternall; ſecond death, and many ſuch: which all, the pretious Greeke Teſtament hath. And in all GOD applieth it to mans capacitie, in infinite merciemercy: when the Redemptiō manifeſted, made the profaneſt leaue mocking. Examples of all foure come, Apo. 21. in the 12. Iewells. Rubens Sardius is Attique & 70. Simeons Topaz is attique, and 70. Leuies Smaragd is atti que & 70. But this by the way: Smaragd, Ex. 28. in Aharons ſhoulders holding 6. tribes on the one, and ſo many on the other: is the Beryll of King Ioſeph: as the K. is the ſtay of the Commune Weale: and the Emperour in Conſtantinople: not S. Chriſoſtome, whom in Photio the Dialect deceiued: not decerning the 70. from Attique.
Iudahs Chalcedon in Thalmudique as in Thargum Ieruſalemi vponupon Exod. 28. for the Carbuncle: Iſachars Saphir, is Attique and 70. Zabulons Sardonix is Apoſtoliq. Dans Hyacinth, is Attique & 70. Neptalies Chriſophraſe, is Apoſtolique: Gads Amethyſt is Attique and Apoſtoliq. Aſers Chriſolite is Attique and Apoſtoliq. Ioſephs Beryll is Attique & Apoſtolique: Beniamins Iaſper, is Apoſtolique, fitted to the Ebrew: Iſachar had it in 70. Exod. 28. Iuda in Iſai. 54. and Apo. 21. in the firſt place: where the walles were like Iaſper Chriſtalling. And thus glorious is the Greeke Teſtament: which a tetractys of moſt learned ſtudies, maketh a building all of Gold, in the ſtreetes: & of pearle in the gates: and wainſcotted with Carbuncles: for Promiſſes in the SON, the Sun of iuſtice: and with other ſtates for warriers: for ſtates men: and for nauigation. I cited many Rabbins for this placing of the ſtones to the tribes: then I had not Arias Montanus bible by me, nor remembred him. Otherwiſe I had made reuerend mention of his learned paynes: as I hold it a dogged atheiſme to raue againſt trueth for humane reſpectes.
How the Papes of Grecia vſed the Bible: And the Popes refuſed it.
The holy New Teſtament, the learned Papae, as Athanaſius; great Cyril, and elder Origen, and Baſill, and his owne-ſoule-Gregorie, celebrate with Attique Greeke, equall to Libanius & Porphyrie, and the beſt heathen, that euer Athens bred; & all Monaſteries were buſied in copying it, with ſuch care that where paradoxa came, they left it vnchainged: and where they had no old Teſtament but the 70. againſt enemies, which knew not Ebrew, they were moſt readie in it: And had alſo Origens octaplun: whence men of leiſure might be reaſonable in Ebrew: & the Chriſtians Iewes ſynagogue thus dealt. They read Moſes in Ebrew, and expounded him to their townes language: So Iewes, in Maymoni, did: and S. Paul deſcribed the like, and his diſcipline and theirs was all one. The wealthie Iewes that brought not vp their ſonnes in Moſes, were holden godleſſe. And of multitudes learned, a ſufficient number were choſen by all, Elders; for al matters. They were Eccleſia: Zakenim: Epiſcopi, ouerſeers. And one, their beſt learned, to read the Law, with skil & choiſe of conferences: with Prophets and Pſalmes fitted; he was choſen to be the Meſsinger of the Congregation. He dealt for matters that touched all. In expoſitions, the Archyſynagogue requeſted the beſt in eſtieme to expound the Law, by another text: or to ſome commune place. Where heathen Officers brideled authoritie, they did excommunicate: and neuer the chiefe, but bade him keepe houſe and ſaue his honor. And they made Rabbies, Maymo. Saned.or Doctors; two or three, laying handes vponupon him, and ſaying: Learned Rabbi, take thou authoritie to teach what is looſe: and what is bound. And in the Synagogues Leuy had no particular ſtroke, but went from their 48. townes to Ieruſalemi, at their courſes: and the high ſacrificer was not of the Sanhedrin, but as they eſteemed of his learning. And all the Synedrion might be of Iſrael, or all of Leuie: and many Synagogues had not a Leuite, but all Doctores were of Iſraell. In Grecia the Greeke Biſhops caried them as ſeruantes: ſo Policarpus martyr at Smyrna, and all, a long time. But let vsus marke The Citie that crucified Chriſt: what corruption of Doctrine it had, with Egyptian tyrannie.
Firſt the Greeke new Teſtament, the ioy of mans minde, they excluded: And brought in ſteed rude Latin, of open lies, leauing out Mat. 6. a ſentence from Dan. 7. Of Kingdom power and glorie: howſoeuer loiterers will excuſe this; the golden balance of iuſtice would beare reading of Latin to people of other ſpeach, and the babling and Babels building in equall peiſe.
Secondly, Italie had Greeke commune, when S. Paule wrote to the Romans. The Papes continuing Fathers, had brought vp youth in Gods word, not in droſſe of mans ſpeach, to charme to men of other tongues; that muſt needes ſtoppe their eares as deaf adders: though the charmers charmed neuer ſo wiſely. But Popi Daemones will anſwere to their name: and ſhew what the only curſed Citie, 2. Theſ. 2. & Apo. 11. and 17. meant to do.
Thirdly, Becauſe Clemens and Tertullian, were Euſebius auctores, that Peter was at Rome, though Luke Act. 23. and 28. and S. Paul ſpeak in other tenour: and firſt Peter telleth, that he was at Babilon: and might not without infinit ſinne, vſe a metaphore to deceyue his reader: and when trueth is a ſtorie, to Pſal. 87. that Babel ſhall hauehave Gods Church. Yet Popes begged great reuenues for buildings and ſcholars, by S. Peters name. Pauls man of ſinne will do this.
Fourthly, The Rock eternal, Deut. 32. foreign there, and Pſal. 18. and 2. Sam. 22. and often, is GOD only. And in Deut. 32. a Prophecie is laid, of the Rock, a defender againſt the foure beaſtes that come out of the ſea: vponupon which Rock the Church ſtood, vntill the SON of Man like in body, Dan. 10. to Tharſhiſh or ſea-like ſtone, tooke part of their afflictions. Now the WORD Eternall, that gaue all reaſon, the onelyonly teacher; in demaunding, teacheth to anſwere, ſaying: Whom do men ſay, that I the Sonne of man (Dan 7. by Rabbins generall) am? The fiſher of Galile, that heard Daniel often read, ſaid from Dan. 9. Thou art CHRIST, and holineſſe there of all holineſſe: and therefore (Pſal. 2.) The Son of the liuing God. Then CHRIST calleth him to Deut. 32. ſpeaking Rock in Iobs Ebrew, VponUpon this Rock wil I build my Aſſembly, that no courts by terrour of death ſhalbe ſtronger then it. Mat. 18. compared with Rom 8. 38. &. 2. Cor. 11. 23 24. &c. & Act. 26. 21▪ 22.Chriſt is Ceph, & thou, as all that know him to be the Rock Cepha; and as the Sanedrin maketh Doctor, ſaying: Take thou authoritie for thy keyes of knowledge, to teach which is looſe, & what is bound: whom thou teacheſt that God, was in the Rocke, reconciling the world to him ſelfe, he hath his ſinnes looſed, by thee on earth; by the Rocke, in heauen: and who ſo beleeueth not that, thou bindeſt his ſinnes, in earth and in heauen. This matter is the ſumme of all: and Greekes in Photius, tell that Andrew was the Rocke, before Symeon was. And Cephas anſwered with all thought, as well as hee: wherefore all had equall comfort: and ſo all godly. And becauſe this new ſentence, hath no new Diuinitie, hee leaueth all after confeſſion of the Rocke, as knowing him ſelfe and Theophilus, to hauehave as good right to the name of Cephas. But hee by ſenioritie was to ſpeake firſt for all, and ſo the name for all muſt bee tolde to him: that they who builde their houſe vponupon the Rocke, Mat. 7.ſhall bee ſhaken with no Windes, ſtormes, waues. The Sun is not brighter then this meaning, for theſe wordes. Let any who dare, trye; by a conference of holy Scriptures, as I doe.
Now the Popos Daemon, denying that Rome crucified CHRIST: as Saint Peter denyed that Chriſt ought to dye, and was termed Sathan for that. Hee would hauehave this beleeued of all, that Peter had a praerogatiue aboue all the Apoſtles: and was at Rome: and left to the Citie that crucified Christ, (for their good ſeruice) a ſucceſſour to pardon, or to tye ſinnes.
Fiftlie, Hence Landes are giuen by Princes: and ſpecially in waſt wilde groundes, for Monaſteries, where men before rebelled, that Monaſteries giuing a chiefe rent, and ſuperſtitious people being fed with hoſpitalitie, wan much in three hundreth yeares, that after Buy-ſhop Gregorie, by Creontophonos Phocas, helde Sathans throne, and became ſtronger then the Emperour by this proceeding. The Bible muſt not bee ſtudied in Ebrew. The Iewes marred it; and in Greeke haeretiques: As though there were not moſt learned Chriſtians, that could looke to both. And this was pretence to pray ſtill: neuer to teach trueth: and to giuegive the people in Latin Niene commandements for Tenne; And the Creed with a tranſlation, that white was blacke: that to goe to Paradiſe, in the Greeke Creed, ſhould be tranſlated, to deſcend to hell; to Gehenna; in olde Chryſologus: and that the Fathers were there. So the Popes Clyents, are the tayle of the great Dragon. Moreouer, the Lordes prayer, for many thouſande poundes Landes, they might hauehave, but maymed: to diſgrace all auctoritie of the New Teſtament. But they neuer taught the meaning of the Lordes prayer, that when we pray, we pray vntounto the Father, which is in heauen. That did Pope Daemon diſannul, ſitting in the Temple of God, as if HE were God; And he teacheth to pray to all from whoſe name he could get any lande: to Marie, though Rome killed her ſonne: to Peter, though Rome by auctoritie made him a martyr, farre off to Apoſtles and other Martyrs, that Rome martyred: as though Apoc. 6. vnderunder the fift ſeale all theſe did not craue vengeance againſt the beastes of the earth, that killed them. Moreouer, to buſie Princes, they ſay; If Popingayes ſayd ouer Pater noster, ſo often, they ſhould hauehave ſo many yeares pardon, in a new inuented fierie bath of Purgatorie: ſtinging poore ſoules like ſcorpions, fiue hundred yeares before their Diuels doctrine was eſpied. About the yeare 600. they tamed Eaſt proude Prelates; and goe on thus. From Leui they will make an order, and hauehave an altar; and an Aharon, with a cope, and holineſſe in the forehead: and Levites in Linnen: and the name Prieſt: and of bread, they can make fleſh, and of wine, blood: and they breake Abben Ezraes rule praef. to Moſes allowed of all; that nothing muſt be taken properly, which goeth againſt all ſenſe. So they will not have the Lordes death to end all ſacrifice, by the ſupper: But will make the ſupper a ſacrifice: againſt all witt and learning; And the Pope is an Aharon: and the Prieſts lippes will keepe knowledge, Mal. 2. where hee tells them they did not, but ſhould; therefore the Grecians would conſume them as ſtubble: Alſo they are flat Arrians praying to Michael, (who holdeth it not robbery to be equall with God) as if he were a created Angell: and not the Eternall Son, the Angell ſtanding at the golden Altar of incenſe, his humanitie, to receiue in the cenſor of grace, our prayers. Theſe and ſuch other treacheries againſt all the Byble; firſt brought the third part of ſunne, moone and ſtarres to be darkened in the third part; but ſoone, Chriſt the true ſun, and all ayer, for brightneſſe of Scripture. And by theſe degrees, Man of ſinne became able, as now 600. yeares wee finde, to ſtirre haile and fire mixed with blood, in the earth: miſſing wholy of Religion: and not as Turkes by ignorance, but by couetous malice.
A crie expounding the firſt trumpets warning of fire and blood, by ſcholars made a mountaine of fire caſt into the ſea; by the ſtar falling from his place: a burning torch, falling into the waters of ſcipture: and making them bitter; to darkening the third part of profeſſion of Chriſtianitie.
Iohn ſaw an Angell flying in the middes of the heauen, ſaying, wo, wo, wo, to them that dwell in the earth, from the voyces of the trumpet of the three Angels whoſe trumpet ſhall be heard.
In the open Church, companies of godly were martyred, for reſiſting the Locuſts, deceyuing of the world; nowe leaving the zeale that Epheſus once had, and the firſt Doctores in Italy; and following Smirnean Iewes haereſie, in apiſh renuing Leuitiques, inflat Atheiſme of altar, cope, linen, prieſt, ſacrifice: reuiuing Pergamus Balamites, who for wealth and wantonneſſe bred Monaſteries, ioyned to Nunries: when Thyatirean Iezabels, are with Baals Prieſts, ſetting vp a newe Sardian dead wealth, in profane riches; and contemning Philadelphias true louelove, to ſaue ſoules: But reuiuing Laodiceas falling to the manner of the world, neither hoat in true zeale, nor cold, as open contemners, but Chananean hypocrites. To this end the Popes clergie is deſcribed in a plaine painting forth of them: and of their warres for Ieruſalem at yeeres 1100. Next are all the Turkes warres handled alone: next reuiuing of the Goſpell againſt both; vntill the end of the world: before which tyme neither Turke nor Pope ſhall fall. They flatter themſelues that write otherwiſe. But as the Antiochi who reigned about 300. yer. after 150. were ſo weake, that they ſtood by the Romans courteſie: & ſo Lagidae in the tutelage of Rome; till the ſet yeere of Chriſt his firſt comming; ſo though the Pope bee weakned in many places, Italy ſhall remaine a continuall plague: that ſhall appeare in the ſeuenth Trumpet. But now let vsus conſider the firſt Trumpet.