A Revelation of the Holy Apocalypse, Part 2 · Chapter 16
CHAPTER XVI.
As the Popes manner of riſing plagued the World, in a like manner God conſumeth him.
As the Popes ariſinge, plagued the world, vnderunder Angells Trumpets: as
1. The earth.
2. The Sea.
3. Fountaines of waters.
4. The Sun.
5. By kingdom of Locuſts
6. By raiſing vp the Turk
7. By earthquake.
So to him plagues come vnderunder the ſame terms: but in another ſignification, as
1. His earth hath boyles.
2. Sea, blood.
3. Fountains blood.
4. Susnn parching perſecution.
5. By darkned throne, of ſpoile.
6. By Euphrates, by Turke.
7. By whole, earthquake.
And I heard a great voice from the Temple, ſaying: goe, & poure out the cupps of the anger of God into the earth.
In the heauen Chriſt is the Temple: and the Church by him. By his commandement; and the Churches care, the Popes world is plagued: ſpirits, being Gods meſſengers inuiſiblie; men viſiblie.
And the first went, and poured his cup into the earth, and there came boiles ſore and painefull, vponupon ſuch as hath the marke of the beast, and worſhipped his image.
The plague of Egypt vnderunder Iannes and Iambres reſiſting Moyſes, is now vponupon the minds of Papiſts: which reſiſt Law and Goſpell: the diſcouery of which Idolatry becommeth a ſound meanes for Kings, (that made the beaſt a King of Locuſts) to eate vp the fleſh of the beaſt. The Weſt Kings made the Pope mighty, to ouerthrow the Eaſt: weakned ſo, that Machmad and Turcke ouerhtrew it. And euer ſince the Pope came to be mighty, he became auctor of haile and troubles: and brought haile and fire of warre to be mixed with blood. So now he looſeth many Countreies, vponupon Martyrs, telling that he held Satans throne: and vponupon diligent ſcholes detecting him in eueryevery part: & bringing the Apocalyps to be dayly read, and all the eloquent N. Teſtament in Greeke founteine of heauenly water, to baptiſe the minde by the ſpirit into the kingdome of heauen.
And the ſecond Angell poured his cuppe on the ſea: and it became blood, as of the dead: & eueryevery liuing ſoule dyed in the ſea.
When the poore father of Rome, forging. S. Peters being there, became by Saint Peters name, of low and poore, an high mountaine: he became fiery: and caſt himſelfe into the ſea of Empires: that by all his warres: a third part of the liuing in one age, were kill'd and deſtroyed. Till a thouſand yeeres, hee became not a full mountaine; till then Satan was tyed: but in Ieruſalems warre, he was looſe; that 200. y. warres, turned the third part of politicall ſea and ſhipps into blood and deſtruction: And what warrs hauehave bene ſince in Europe, which the Pope hath not kindled? So he payeth for it: ſo hee looſeth whole countreies, as Netherland, with the blood of 40. yeeres warres: and waſt of the Spaniſh nation. That ſcant a third part eſcaped death: in them that could warre: for his killing of K. Philips ſonne bent to heale the boyles of his religious. This did they, dead in blindneſſe: and known to be ſuch.
And a third Angell poured his Cup into the riuers and fountaines of waters: and blood came of it.
Heere leſſer waters, are leſſe forces: that continually he hath bad ſucceſſe: and great loſſe. The yeare 1588. gaue him an open token of wrath in this ſort: and Flanders 1600. And if he had gone forward; Venice had taught the ſame: and Iuliaque will 1610. if he goe forward: dayly litle riuers of 700. 600. and 400. as they would meete are cut off. When he corrupted the Riuers and Fountaines of Scriptures,Ion. 3. the waters from which he that is not borne, cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen: 1 Cor. 15. 29.he made a third part dead in ſinne. Since the Goſpell is preached to the dead, Rom. 6. 2.they that knowe themſelues dead in the fleſh, but liue to God in Spirite, pay the worme-wood-ſtarre, for bittering the waters of life:Coll. 3. 3. and wreſting all that is ſpoken of the true Church, into protection for his Synagogue of Satan. And all together, bee one Angell that poure their cupps into the fountaines to make them blood: and to ſhew that they puniſh the dead in ſinne.
And I heard the Angell of the waters ſay: luſt art thou O Lord, who is, and who was, and the gratious, in iudging thus: becauſe they ſhed the blood of the holy and Prophets: and thou haſt giuen them blood to drink. For they are worthy.
The ſtate that plagueth the Pope proſperouſly, acknowledgeth that the ſucceſſe commeth from God, the vnchangeable; who is, as he was: and alwaies gracious. Pharaoh by waters deſtroyed Iſraels children: innocent blood. His waters alſo God turned to blood: and againe, to oppreſſe his blood and his armies. So becauſe the Diueliſh (popiſh) Pope ſhed the blood of the holy & Preachers: God gaue thē blood to drinke.A myracle. How died Popes? full many by poyſon: ſince the Monke poyſoned the Emperor, by tranſubſtantiating bread into poyſon. Poyſon hath bene ſtill practiſed ſtill in Rome: Queene Mary, the bloody, ſped ill. And the bloody French dyed in bleeding: God as hee was, ſo he is, and will be alwayes iuſt.
And I heard an other from the Altar, ſaying: euen ſo, O Lord the God of Hoſtes, vpright and iuſt are thy Iudgements.
For confirmation of this matter, it is repeated, from the auctority of Chriſt the Altar, by wordes often vſed in Scripture.
And the fourth Angell poured his Cup, on the Sunne, and it was giuen him to burne men in the fire. And men were brent with a great burning.
When the fourth Trumpet ſounded, the third part of the Sunne was darkened. There brightneſſe of knowledge in the Church was meaned. Heere perſecution, as Mat. 13. In England this fell out. Queene Mary perſecuted. Prieſt borne in the Realme finde the ſame, and Papiſts: meaſure for meaſure▪ and yet they being ſcholars, cannot ſee the iuſt iudgement of God, as followeth.
And they blaſphemed the name of GOD, which had authoritie ouer theſe plagues, and repented not to giuegive him glorie.
The Law in England had perfect iuſtice of God. The Prince is ſupreame Biſhop, and defendor of the Faith. Hee giueth all leaue to read the holy Hebrew and Greeke text, to expound the Hebrew by the Apoſtles Greeke, and the tongue of the New by Greekes, the Diuinitie by plaine reaſon. And all muſt confeſſe that Gods worke is perfect: and the man which will adde, ſheweth himſelfe in the Temple of God, as if hee were God: extolling himſelfe aboue all Religion. Now the Prieſts preach the Pope King of England, as Irus was King of Lydia. Irus had as good a right to Ithaca with Croeſus land, as the Pope to any Chimney-ſmoake in England for a Peter-penny. They turne Subiects to refuſe the Bible, the Church, obedience to the King: and Papiſts hauehave endeauoured by Powder, to deſtroy the King, and his Houſe, and the Gentry of Parliament: a treaſon ſo barbarous, inhumane, diueliſh, Popiſh: this ſheweth that the Pope hath the ſpirit of the former Beaſt: reuiued in all cruelty, and deceit, and all this fight is openly againſt God, for Satans throne. Campian and other the Popes Martyrs, making the wicked Apocrypha part of the holy Bible, and deſtroying faith and policy, ſhould not hauehave blaſphemed God, but hauehave repented, and giuen God glory for iuſtice. Biſhop Tonſtall vnderunder Queene Mary, fauoured the Goſpell in London and Dureſmē: and although D. Bancroft let Prieſt Watſon print Popery in his houſe, and receiued foure Prieſts from Rome, yet he repented, and ſent the Prieſt to Tiburne, and is become a M. R. F. Better ſhould all Papiſtes come to God the ſhade.
And the fift Angell poured his Cup on the throne of the Beast, and his kingdome became darkened: and they did bite their tongues for paine, and they blaſphemed the God of Heauen for their panges, and boyles, but repented not of their workes.
The fift Angels Trumpet could not ſtay the Starre of Rome from ſeeking Supremacy and badneſſe, but by increaſe of Locuſts he would be a King, or a Beaſt comming out of the Earth: and with his keyes of the kingdome of darkeneſſe he could bring a ſmoake of hereſies, that darkened all Sunne and ayre. Machmad after, Lucian the dogge ſay well for the whetſtone, but both thoſe foreign are nothing to his ſpirits. As they hauehave both their portion in the lake, burning with fire and brimſtone, & Lucian was not forgiuen in this world; ſo the Popes ſtates ſhall hauehave his throne darkened openly in this world, by valiant and holy people: ſtrengthened by Angels. Darkneſſe, is vſuall for a diſtreſſed ſtate in Iob, and Dauid, and Iſai. Albion with Denmarke, is wholy gone from him: halfe Zuitzerland, Netherland, Germany. And the poore ſchole of Geneua ſaid wel to him: though it agreeth with him, to ſlander the pure Text of Scripture. Where Beza doth ſay: Deus non agit in malis, he calleth backe thoſe errors of his and Calvines, whereby they ſeemed to make God auctor of ſin. The Senates religion, as they gaue mee leaue to expreſſe it, I dare defend, againſt Turke, and Iew, and Pope; while my hand can guide the warbling pen. And where Bodinus ſaith, that Calvin ſhould ſay of the Apocalyps: Miror quid tam obſcurus ſcriptor velit; it is not credible: that one of his iudgement, to ſhake off all the Popes traſh, would ſpeake ſo, of a booke penned by the Father of light. And Bodinus himſelfe, ſhould hauehave told the prayſe of God, for the light of ſaluation, by this booke. God told him, that they were happy that read and marke the things written heere, chap. 1. As Daniel calleth to him all ſtories heathen for 600. yer. ſo Iohn for 1600. And as Daniel telleth the ſame things ſeauen tymes ouer to infinite delite. So doth Iohn, repeate, & as pleaſantly. The Popes Diuines ſeeing his throne fall, and decay, they chew their tongues, in ſpeach not fitted to matter. But ſnapping at ſyllables of the learned: and aeſchrologia godleſſe from vncleane ſpirits: and in all this they cannot repent them of fighting againſt all plaine truth. When fight is for popery by the Goſpell, the Goſpell ſhould be anſwered: and not diſcourſes made to Zwinglius, Luther, P. Martyr, Bucer, Caluin, Beza; Many others match the beſt of them: and learning would try the Law by Ebrew, the Greek Teſtament by Greeks and Iewes: and ſo the waters would runne cleere: which now the ſtarrworme-wood maketh bitter.
And the ſixt Angell poured his cup vponupon the great riuer Euphrates: to praepare a way for the Kings from the ſun riſing.
The ſame matter of Machmad and Turke ariſing from Euphrates and vexing the Weſt, was vnderunder the ſixt Angells Trompet. Geball All Tarik is a memorie, how Machmadistes, vexed thence Spaine and Italie. But rather for a ſcourge then to hold long poſſeſſion; of old, Euphrates ſtayed Parthians from the Empire. But for Popes Idolatry euen Germanie is troubled by Hagarenes: that Virgill might well ſay of both, for Rome:
Hinc mouet Euphrates illinc Germania bellum.
On this ſide, Euphrates (begins to iarre)
On that ſide, Germany doth menace warre.
And for Ciuil warres, I may continue the verſes following, in the Poet; for the words following in Iohn.
Vicinae ruptis inter ſe legibus vrbes,
Arma ferunt: ſaeuit toto Mars impius orbe.
The neighbour Cities hauing broke their lawes,
Each againſt other vp in Armes ariſe:
And wicked Mars through all coaſts of the world.
Acts (mercileſſe, moſt cruell) Tragedies.
And I ſaw that from the mouth of the Dragon, and from the mouth of the beaſt, and from the mouth of the falſe Prophet, three vncleane ſpirits like vntounto froggs (for they be ſpirits of Diuels working ſignes) goe foorth vn to the Kings of the earth, to gather them into battel of the great day of the God of hoſtes. Behold I come as a thiefe. Bleſſed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, that hee walke not naked, that men ſee not his ſhame. And hee gathered them into a place called in Ebrew Armageddon.
The Dracon is the company of the ſpirits that fell of old: the beaſt, the ſtarre that fell from heauen, chap, 8. 9. and 11. 13. Prophecie is to teach the Goſpell, chap. 11. So falſe prophet is the troupe of falſe teachers: three, is exceeding many: as cha. xi. two make many thouſandes, for Zach. chap. 4. Their ſpirites bee vncleane for doctrine of Diuells, from the froggie puddles of ſlimie doctrine: truth reſteth in this. HE ſhall bruſe the old ſerpents head, Rom. 16. God foreign ſhall tread Satan vnderunder your feete: God in CHRIST deſtroyeth the workes of the Deuill: and the verie Zohar vponupon Gen. 3. ſaith, HV. HE, is the holy and bleſſed Eternall. But the old ſerpent deceiueth the Woman, that ſitteth on Rome beaſt, to ſay, that SHEE ſhall bruſe the head of the ſerpent: ſo their Latin goeth, ſo their tranſlations, ſo their checking of the Hebrew text: Thriſe hauing the maſculine gendre: ſo againſt all Hebrewes and Greekes: ſo againſt all prophets and Goſpell: and Gods creation that the woman ſhould doe more then the man. So to make this idle: that God ſhould be in Christ, reconciling the World vntounto himſelfe: if a woman could doe more then man, and God in man. Their writings are ſo plentifull vponupon this poinct, that they can deny nothing: and ſo they croſſe all the Bible, which is but a commentarie vponupon this place: and all popery is a fight with this place, and Satan conquering them for this maine caſtell, hath conquered them for all the Bible. That they hauehave againſt all religion Satans ſpirit, Popes ſpirit: and his Academies, ſeruing the Pope. Theſe be the three vncleane ſpirits, going againſt all holineſſe of the Bible: moſt euidently in deifying Creatures, and their made ſainctes; and Bread with Wine, which they would make better then all the world. A ſeale of moſt high matters, is moſt highly to bee eſtiemed: But none without athean madneſſe will ſay, the ſeale is the King: the Kings auctority it ſhould hauehave, to bee as himſelfe: as Tully ſaith to his brother. But none of witt would make it the King him ſelfe.
All their doctrine is ſuch, that their Temples, Maſſe, and dayly profeſſion in all things is from the vncleane ſpirite; ſo that no man conuerſant in the Bible, can abide their Diuinitie.
For Liberall artes, Law and Phiſique, they hold the principles of nations: They ſhould as well for the Bible: and the Thalmudiques agreed with Saint Paul, but for the incarnation and reſurrection. And in that the Pope granteth the ſtorie. But in all his proper differeth from all men, therefore hee muſt hauehave a ſpirite from the vncleane Diuels. The threatning of comming as a thiefe in the night, is from Obadiah, telling of Idumeans deſtruction ſuddenly: who beeing of Izhaks houſe, yet were cloſe enimies to the truth. The commandement of watching was vſed, Math. chap. 24. And the apparell of the minde teacheth from care to our bodie, what care we ſhould hauehave to apparell our ſoule: That faith regenerating trimme it. The alluſion to Armageddon, where Barake of foreign fought the combats of GOD, that Mageddon was a mountaine of men cut in pieces: that Iabin King of Chanaan was fully broken there; this ſheweth extreeme breaking of the enimie. And when the world was not worthy of good Ioſias, GOD would plague Iuda at Mageddon.
So the name of it is fit to expreſſe a full ouerthrow, by God from heauen: Barak and the People did litle, but God from heauen: by the ſtarres, Auctors of weather fought from the ſtorehouſe of haile, and raine: that his mighty hand was Auctor of victorie. The next Cupp expoundeth that plainely, alluding further to the victorie of Ioſuah: where haile ſlew more then the men did.
And the ſeauenth Angell poured out his Cup on the aire, and there came forth a great voice from heauen, ſaying: it is done: and there came a great voice from the Temple in heauen from the throne, ſaying, it is done; and there were voyces, and thunders, and lightnings, and a great earthquake: ſuch as had not bene ſince men were vponupon the earth: ſo huge an earthquake, ſo great.
Haile and fire mixed with blood, were Pharaohs open puniſhments; and thunderings: and at the Law giuing, was thunder, lightnings; and heauy cloude. The Pope to come by ſupremacy, weakning Greece by all meanes: and begging landes: and hauing Princes helpe to further his forgery of Constantinus donation, made ſuch warres and troubles, that by Scripture phraſe, haile and fire was mixed with blood. Then Princes thought, the Turke, getting Grecia, ſhould neuer plague them: But now, that they ſee him the cauſe of the Turks greatneſſe; and by Idolatry (as Apoc. 9. told) the cauſe of that ſucceſſe, and whole hinderance to ſaluation: they requit him with taking from him, what they gaue him. He obſcured ſun and ayer: all kind of learning: Ebrew, Greeke, Latin, hee aboliſhed: hiſtories hee obſcured: that none of his applied well, Greeks to Daniel, the bridge to both Teſtaments: Rhetorique tropes, which Sacraments require: hee turnes to propriety: as in, This is my body: and, This is my blood: wherein all Couenants the ſigne, hath the name of the thing ſignified; Logique he turneth to ſophiſtry: To patch an whole art and policie ouer mighty kingdomes by ſophiſtry, moſt ridiculouſly when it is examined. Not he, but martyrs made the Goſpell knowen: which ſtirreth Princes againſt him: that as to ouertrow New Rome or Conſtantina, they gaue their authoritie to old Rome, and atchieued their counſell, but to their owne great miſchiefe: ſo Princes ſeeing that the former age by the Pope, brought in the Turke to the hazard of the Weſt: and ſee that he knoweth not one letter, in the LAW: and is blinde in eueryevery part of it: and cannot make his owne cauſe good, againſt the Turke or Iew; they forſake him: the ſeruant of ſeruants: as God left the Chananites to bee conquered of Dauid: So he is Chanaan: they be Dauid: and in his warre, he ſhall be Iabin: and by Siſera, fall at Mageddon: and bee no more able to reſiſt.
And the great Citie became into three partes: and the Cities of the nations fell: and Babylon the Great, was remembred before God, to giuegive her the Cup of the Wine of the heate of his anger: and eueryevery Iland fled: and the mountaines were not found: and great haile, talent bigge, deſcended from heauen vponupon the men: and men blaſphemed God for the ſtroke of the haile, becauſe the ſtroke of it was exceeding great.
By the Citie, meane the policie: and by three partes, great diuiſion: that it hath but a third part: becauſe the policies of nations fall from it: and God remembred his anger told, chap. 14. and as vnderunder the Caeſares: Ilands and Mountaines were moued from their place, that is, into another policy: ſo heere, alteration of policie is meant; haile of a talent, is great ouerthrowes, by Gods hand: the alluſion being taken from plaguing the Chanaanites, Ioſ. chapter 10. where haile killed more then ſword: So the Spaniſh fleete hath often had great ſhipwrake, by the extraordinarie hand of GOD, ſpecially 1588. And, what an infinite maſſe of money; and millions of men hath Netherland conſumed to him? And lately, Venice ſhewed his weakneſſe, that he durſt not goe forward to warre, and ſpecially Iuliaque: where Leopoldu…, Emperour, Spanie, Pope, wiſh they had neuer begon. Touching the quantity of haile, in countreies neere the Alpes, wee ſee this ſpeach to keepe neere propriety: without a great hyperbole. At Zurick my learned friend M. Caſpar Weſſerus, told me of haile lately there: that one ſtone was brought from a field ſomewhat farre off to the Conſull, and muſt melt in cariage: yet beeing weighed, it peiſed a wax pound.
Chanaan and Egypt hauehave greater haile, that trees and beaſts be ſtricken to deſtruction by it. And in all this the Papiſts repent not: but thinke God to fauor the wicked ſide, and ſo blaſpheme, and keepe their old Idolatrie, and locuſts of all profeſſions, as before. It is hard for men to repent, which will not learne from the word of God, how their caſe ſtandeth. Their falſe ground that Peter was the chiefe Apoſtle, and at Rome, and the Rocke, and that hee had auctoritie, to binde and looſe, more then others; and could leaue that to Doctores of the Citie, which crucified Chriſt, as though they beſt deſerued that; and the fables of their miracles, as though they were true; theſe harden them, that they cannot come into the Church, till the anger of God conſumeth the Pharaohs, as chap. 15. verſ. vlt. told.