The Seven Vials, Explication 2 · Part 1
VIALL. 1. And the first went, and powred out his Viall vponupon the Earth, and there fell a noysome and grievous sore vponupon the men, which had the marke of the Beast, and vponupon them which worshipped his Image.
The Kingdome of the Beast is the earth, from which he riseth, chap. 13.11: vponupon which the first Viall (and so all the rest) is powred. The consequent effect whereof is, a noysome and grievous sore vponupon the men▪ which had the marke of the Beast, and vponupon them which worshipped his Image. The Beast marked are all the Popes sworne v… taries and vassalls, which avow and professe themselves to be his speciall creatures, and Cattell; as his Cardinalls, Priests, Friers, and so forth. They that worship the Beasts Image, are all common Papists, high and low, which adore the supreme power and authority of the Pope, even all Emperours, Kings, and States of the world, wherein he beareth the Image of the Imperiall Soveraignty, which was ever resident in the Roman Emperours. Hereof read chapter 13, where the first Beast riseth out of the sea, being meant of the Roman Empire, which grew from the intestine dissentions of the Nations: the second Beast ariseth from the earth, that is from the peace, plenty, and prosperity of this world▪ this was the Pope▪ who erected and invested in himselfe the exact image of the former Beast, assuming all Imperiall power and soveraignty over the world, as once th… Emperour had; and so causing all vponupon pa…ne of death; to worshippe this Image, that is, to acknowledge, that the Pope hath all plenary power, that hee is exalted aboue all that i… called God▪ or that is worshipped, to wit, over all Kings and Keasars, and whatsoever is sacred on earth, humane or divine, so verifiyng that Prophecy of the Apostle, 2. Thessalonians 2. that the Pope is that very MAN of sinne, that sonne of perdition, that great ANTICHRIST. Thus we see who they bee, vponupon whom the pouring out of this first Viall hath its proper operation & effect; which is, there fell vponupon them a noysome and grievous sore? What may this meane? Where or when shall we see such scabs and sores vponupon the Papists, as fell vponupon the Aegyptians, when Moses scattered about the Ashes? To which yet this Viall poured forth hath speciall allusion.
In the Aegyptian plague none of them escaped, no not the Magitians and Priests. But as they, who are here plagued, are of the spirituall Aegypt (as Rome is compared, Chap. 11.) so we are to vnderstand this, not of a corporall, but of a spirituall sore; and that either in doctrine, or life. So that in a word, the pouring out of this first Viall, is the first breaking out of the Gospell in a glorious maner, whereby the grievous and noysome sores of the Church of Rome and her followers, both in life and doctrine, come to be discovered, so as they become noysome and greivous not only to the world, but even to the patients themselues, who now, like a galled beast, grow very impatient, fling and …ume, as beeing made sensible of them against their wills. When came this to passe especially? When▪ Aske not me; do but compare the time of Martine Luther, and the state of the Church of Rome therevpon, with the pouring out of this Viall, and the consequent sore that fell by way of discovery, vponupon the Beast-marked, and his Image worshipers; and you will easily conclude, both how and when this was fulfilled. Was it not a grievous sore, that Luther first fell fowle vponupon, namely, papall Indulgences, selling of pardons for all kinde of sinnes, to those that would giuegive most? Thus began the first Viall to be poured out, while hereupon Luther was stirred vp by … mighty Divine providence to begin to display the Gospell more and more, by the light whereof was said to fall vponupon all Papists a noysome and greivous sore; not because that Church was not formerly deepely affected & infected therewith: but because it began vponupon the preaching of the Gospell to be discovered, which before in a great measure lay hid, being covered with thick darknesse: It being the propertie of the word of God, the more it is opened, the more to discover all kinde of sins, the sores of the soule and conscience. Till this light brake forth in Luthers time, all Romes Ecclesiasticke body, though full of sores, yet was sensually secure, and senselesse of them; and though conscious of them in some measure, yet she cared the lesse, while the world could not so easily note them. But now all comes to light. Whereupon Rome was so vexed, and even Christian Princes so offended with her vlcerousnesse, that the world began to cry out for reformation. The Pope flings out his terrible thunder-bolts against Luther, and other Preachers of Reformation. When this would not doe; he descends to a willingnes, that though against his will, to hauehave his Germaine Cleargy reformed, farre enough off from Rome; at the least wise to begin a Minoritis, but not a Maioritis, as the Emperor Sigismund pleaded at the Councell of Constance; vponupon which difference, the Reformation brake off, not finding where to begin. Still a generall Councell was urged, both by Luther and the Germaine Princes,Hist. Concil. …rid. together with the Emperor. The Pope vseth all pretences and shifts to put it off. Aboue twenty yeares passe over the heads of foure Popes successiuely, and vponupon the fifth, from the first appeale to a generall Councell, till it came to be summoned and settled vponupon. Nor was Pope Paul the 13. wantting for his part to invent shifts to delay it: who being as artificiall a dissembler, as his Predecessour, pretend… a great desire to reforme his owne Pontificall Court; and (to prevent the trouble of the Councell, by anticipa…ion) he exhorts his Cardinalls to begin the reformation at themselues first. A faire hope. But it is noted by the author of the history of the Councell of Trent, that for this purpose he appointed three Cardinalls, neither the most religious, nor the quickest for dispatch, but very slow and deliberate. But not to hold the world too long in suspence, in the expectation of this solemne reformation, he blasts it in the very budd. For Alexander Farnesius his nephew of his base sonne Petrus Aloisius & Guido As…anius Fran. F…rza, another Nephew of his base daughter Constantia, the one sixtene yeares of age, the other 14, two tall striplings, I wis, his fatherhood creates for Cardinals; answering those that obiected their tender yeares, that himselfe, now in his decrepite ag…, would easily recompense in his olde yeares, what was therein wanting to them. And so to this goodly issue, came all this solemne Reformation. But perforce at length all is devolved vponupon the Councell of Trent, an Assembly of many learned Doctors, sufficient, if any, to invent some salue for Babylons sores. And they say pretily to it; for in that Councell you shall find no lesse then eleven or twelue very solemne and formall Decrees de Reformatione:Ier. 51.9. And when all is done, nothing is Reformed. Thus is verified that of the Prophet Ieremy, W… would hauehave cured Babylon, but shee *An item by the way to all those that living vnderunder the Gospell, & yet refuse to hauehave their sores cured by it, which preacheth Christ who hath healing vnderunder his wings that such are to be reputed no better, but as the corrupt limbs of the Beast.would not be cured. Nay, to shew her case is desperate, that Councell comes with her Index expurgatorius, wherewith to expunge and purge out all such bookes, as either descry the nature of her diseases, or prescribe remedies for the same. Thus to this day, from the time of Luther, we see grievous sores stick close to that whole Pontifician body. Although the corruptions of the Church of Rome, were not altogether vndiscovered before Luthers time; God still raising vp some from time to time, to cry out against Babylon, as Iohn Wickliffe in his workes writt against her manifold errors and abuses, for which they merited the fire at the Councell of Constance: but they never came so to be ransacked and ript up, as by Luther, and since his time. He began to search their sores to the quick, and laide them open with a witnes, that it is impossible so much as ever to drawe the least skin over them, to hide or cover them, much lesse to cure them.
As for the bodily sores, which fell vponupon those of the Church of Rome, vponupon the pouring forth of this first Viall, I list not to touch them. Erasmus complaineth of Luther for two things, that he touched too much the Bishops Myters, and the Monks bellyes. And surely a …rievous sore fell vponupon many of them in this kind; ma…y a Bishop lost his Miter, and many a Monks fatt belly …egan now to pinch for it. Nor are we willing to touch …hose Cardinals sore backs, being beaten and pitifully … vp and downe the streets of Rome by the Caesarean …ouldiers, who then had surprised it, while their *Clement. 7.head …as beating his braines how to get out of prison, where … was now pent; and all this done, within the time …f the powring out of this Vial. I list not (I say) bee a …aile in such sores. Enough is said to cleare the powring …ut the first Viall, both when, and how, by whom, and …pon whom it began to be poured.