The Accomplishment of the Prophecies, Chapter 6
THE PROPHECIE CONTAIned in the 17. Chap. of the Apocalyps. CHAP. 6.
1 Then there came one of the 7. Angels which had the 7. Vials, and talked with mee, saying vntounto me, Come; I will shew thee the damnation of the great Where that sitteth vponupon many waters.
2 With whō the kings of the earth hauehave committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth are drunke with the wine of her fornication.
3 So hee carried me away into the wildernesse in the spirit, and I saw a woman sit vponupon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemie which had 7. heads and tenne hornes.
4 And the woman was araied in purple and scarlet, and gilded with gold, & precious stones, and pearles, and had a cuppe of gold in her hand, full of the abomination, & filthinesse of her fornication.
5 And in her forehead was a name written, A mistery, that great Babylon, that mother of whoredomes, and abominations of the earth.
6 And I saw the woman drunken with the bloud of Saints, and with the bloud of the Martyrs of Iesus, and when I saw her, I wō dred with great marvell.
7 Then the Angell said vntounto me. Wherfore marveilest thou? I will shew thee the misterie of that woman, and of that beast that beareth her, which hath seaven heads and ten hornes.
8 The beast that thou haste seene, was, and is not, & shall ascend out of the bottomlesse pit, and shall go into perdition, and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder (whose names are not written in the booke of life frō the foundation of the world) when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
9 Here is the minde that hath wisdom. The 7. heads are 7. mountaine…, whereon the woman sitteth: they are also 7. kings.
10 Fiue …, fallen, and one is, and an other is not yet …: and when he commeth he must continue a long space.
11 And the beast that was and is not, is even the eighth, and is one of the 7. & shal goe into destruction.
12 And the 10. hornes which thou sawest, are 10 kings, which yet hauehave not received a kingdome, but shall receiue power as kings at one hower, with the beast.
13 These hauehave one minde, & shall giuegive their power, and authority vntounto the beast.
14 These shall fight with the Lamb. & the Lambe shall overcome them; for hee is Lord of Lords, and king of kings: and they that are on his side are called faithfull, and chosen.
15 And he said vntounto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are people, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
16 And the 10 hornes which thou sawest vpō the beast, are they that shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate, and naked, and shall eate her flesh, and burne her with fire.
17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to doe with one consent for to giuegive their kingdome vntounto the beast, vntill the words of God be fulfilled.
18 And that woman which thou sawest is that great citty which reigned ouer the kings of the earth.
The Explication.
1 Then came one of the 7. Angels to mee which were sent from God to powre downe 7 sorts of his iudgments vponupon mē; and this Angell spake vntounto mee saying, Come I will shewe thee the damnation of Rome that great Idolatrous citty, which ruleth over many people; For by the citty, not the buildings, but they which beare sway therein, are vnderstood.
2 By whose suggestion the kings of the earth hauehave plaid the Idolatours, and she hath made the inhabitāts of the earth drunken with her Idolatrie.
3 So then the Angell tooke me, and carryed me aside into a secret place, and I saw the citty of Rome represented vnderunder the forme of a woman, which bore rule over an Empire, the chiefe governors wher of were clad in scarlet, and did assume many blasphemous titles, and prerogatiues. And this Empire seated vponupon 7. hils had 7 sorts of divers successiue governments, & was composed of tenne realmes, & principall parts.
4 And this citty (that is to say the rulers of it) was clad in purple & scarlet, having a crowne of gold vponupon her head, and a crosse of gold vponupon her feet, and vponupon her crowne, and on her hands, many pretious stones, with a mantle embrodered with pearle; and through her great magnificence she made all the people to drink of the puddle of her Idolatrie,
5 And made profession of great mysteries in her doctrine, being indeed the great Babylon, the headspring of Idolatrie; and of the abominations of the world.
6 And I sawe this citie glutted with the blood of the faithfull, raising vp persecutions, and making the martyrs to bee massacred, and hauing seen this, I was striken with feare, and stood amazed.
7 Then the Angel said vntounto me, why dost thou wonder? I will shewe thee the interpretation of the vision, and will tell thee what the beast represented by a woman meanes, & what the Empire is, that is figured by a beast hauing 7. heads, and ten hornes.
8 The beast which thou sawest is the Empire of Rome, which did continue for a long time, but now is no more, being vā quisht, and driven from Rome, and Italie by the Lumbards: but shall rise vp againe from a low place, and bee restored by the Papacie, till the time that God at last shall destroy it. And the inhabitants of the earth, which hauehave not beene enrolled frō the foundation of the world amongst the number of the Elect, shall wonder seeing the Empire of Rome, which was at Rome but was driven thence by the Lumbards, and neverthelesse doth nowe growe vp againe, and is reerected by the Papacie, so that a man may say that the Roman Empire is, and is not; that it is not because the Roman Emperours are no more; that it is because the Pope doth in a manner set vp the Empire againe although it bee vnderunder another name and forme.
9 Here is need of wisdome to vnderstand this matter. In this vision of the beast which hath 7 heads and 10 hornes, by the 7. heads wee are to vnderstand 7. hills, vponupon which the cittie of Rome is situate.
10 As also 7. sortes of soueraintie or gouernement which must beare rule at Rome one after another, to wit, the kings the Consuls, the militarie Tribunes, the Decemvirs, the Dictatours, the Emperors and the Popes. The 6. is nowe, to wit, the Emperours: And the 7, (to wit, the Popes those Pontificall earthly monarchs) is not yet come, and when it shall come, it shall continue for a certaine time.
11 And also by the Roman Empire, which was and is now no more, the Empire of Charlemaigne, and his successours, is to be vnderstood, which did governe at Rome for a time before the Monarchie of the Popes was fully perfected; which Emperours although they be an 8 head, doe yet neuerthelesse beare the name of one of the 7. to wit of the Emperours.
12 But by the 10 hornes of this beast which is the Roman Papall Empire, are vnderstood 10 kings which hauehave not as yet begun to raigne, but shall raigne together with the Roman Papal Empire.
13 The counsells of these kings are ruled by the councel of the Papal Empire, and they lend assistance vntounto this Empire with their power.
14 They shall fight against Iesus Christ, but Iesus Christ shall overcome them because he is Lord of Lords, & king of kings, and they which are his, are called elect and faithfull.
15 After he said vntounto me, the waters which thou sawest, ouer which Rome the Idolatresse hath dominion, doe signifie people, and multitudes, and nations of divers languages.
16 And the 10 hornes which thou sawst this Empire to hauehave, are the same 10 kings, which in the ende shall conspire against it, and consume it, and burne it.
17 For God hath inclined their harts that they should do his will in executing his iudgements, and that they should lay their heads together, and should aid this Papall Empire with their forces, only vntill the time of its continuance appointed by God bee accomplished.
18 And this womā which thou sawst is Rome that great city, which commands the realmes of the earth.
The first part of this Prophecie.
1 Then there came one of the 7 Angels which had the 7 viols, and talked with mee saying vntounto me; come I wil shew thee the dā nation of the great where that sitteth vponupon many waters.
The Exposition.
Then came one of the 7 Angels to mee were sent from God to powre downe 7 sorts of his iudgements vponupon men, & this Angel spoke vntounto me saying; Come I will shew thee the damnation of Rome that great Idolatrous citie, which ruleth over many people, for by the citie not the buildings, but they that beare sway there… are vnderstood.
The Proofe.
This Chapter is easie to be vnderstood, for the 6. first verses are expounded by those which follow, and all the tearmes which the Angel vseth are sutable to the stile of the Prophets. They compare the Church to a womā, calling her the daughter of Sion, the spowse of our God: and so in the Apocalyps, chap. 12. he hath represented the Church vnderunder the forme of a woman: it is no marvaile therefore, if the enimie of the Church, and the head of the Church opposite to God, bee figured by a woman.
The same Prophets doe call our covenant with God a marriage, and the purity of our service to God by the name of chastitie, and by a consequent they call Idolatrie which doth violate this marriage, adulterie, and spirituall fornication.*Ier. 3.9. Ieremy saith, that Iuda hath committed fornication with stones and stooks. According to this manner of speech doe they vse to call the people, and cities that are giuen to Idolatrie, by the name of harlots, & strumpets. Isaiah in his 1. Chap. v. 21. How is the faithfull citie become an harlot? The 16. of Ezechiel is full of examples in this kinde. Nahum speaketh thus of Niniuie, The harlot that selleth the people through her whordome, Nahum 3.4.which wordes are as it were all one with the words of S. Iohn here in this prophecie.
Where wee are diligently to note that the Prophets and S. Iohn by the cities doe not vnderstand their walles, but those which dwell in them, and more especially such as are in authoritie, and are set over them. For S. Iohn saith that this citie reigneth over many people, and that she doth seduce the kings of the earth, which cannot agree to the walls, and houses, nor yet to the people of the citie of Rome, but only to such as gouerne there.
Now that this citie of which S. Iohn speakes is Rome, there is no man that doubteth, and our aduersaries themselues acknowledge it. For what citie can there bee which hath 7 hils, which reigneth over kings, which is an Idolatresse, whose gouernours are clothed in skarlet; doubtlesse there is no other of this nature but Rome; And from S. Iohns time there hath beene no other citie hauing 7 hills that did reigne ouer the earth. Bellarmine in his 3 booke De Pontifice Romano, & 13 Chap.*Secund… dici potest & meo iudicio melius per meretricem intelligi Romam. We may say, and that better in my iudgement, that by the whore Rome is vnderstood. The Iesuites Ribera, and Viega say the same in their expositions of this Chap. Tertullian in his booke against the Iewes, *Babylon apud Iohannē nostrum Romanae vrbis figuram portat, proinde & magnae, & regno superbae, & sanctorum debellatricis.Babylon in S. Iohn doth represent Rome, being as great, and as prowde of her dominions, & as tyrannising over the Saints as ever Babylon was. The like vntounto which he saith in his 3 booke and 8. chap. against Marcion. S. Hierome in the 11. question to Algasia, According to the Revelation of S. Iohn in the forehead of the queane clad in purple there was a name of blasphemy written, to wit, Rome the everlasting, and in his 17. Epist. to Marcella, *Et hic puto locus sanctior est Tarpeia rupe quae de coelo saepius fulminata ostendit quod domine displiceret. Lege Apocalypsin Iohan. & quod de muliere purpurata cantetur contuere.This place of Bethlehem▪ I am perswaded is more holy then that Tarpeian rocke (that is to say then the Capitoll of Rome) which by being often strooke with thunder from heaven did shew that it did not please God. Read the Revelation of S. Iohn, and see that which is there foretold of the whore clad in purple, and of the blasphemie written in her forehead, and of the 7. hils, and of manie waters, and the destruction of Babylon. Bellarmine doeth confesse this, but saith that S. Iohn speakes of heatbenish Rome, and not of Christian Rome, such as it is now adaies. Which is altogither incoherent; 1. For heathnish Rome did not reigne over kings, seeing that it did put downe kings. 2. Heathnish Rome did not seduce the kings by flatterie, and perswasion, seeing that it went downe rightly to worke, and conquered thē by opē force. 3. Moreover here is mention made of the finall ruine of Rome, so that it shall never be built vp againe, which yet never befell heathenish Rome; when therfore this destruction foretold of shall arriue, it shall not light vponupon the citty whilest it is heathenish, but after that Paganisme is abolished. And indeed S. Hierom in the Epistle to Marcella formerly alleadged, albeit he say that Rome by the confession of Christ hath defaced the name of blasphemy; neverthelesse he spares not in the same place to recite the threatnings in the Apocalyps against it as not yet come, & doth exhort Marcella to goe out of Babylon, which were absurd if these threatnings had been pronoūced only against heathnish Rome.
I would also know what sins should be the cause of the finall destructiō of Rome. Is it likely that it shall bee destroyed for the sinnes committed by Nero or Domitian 1500 yeares since? So it is cleere that it shall be destroyed for the sinnes founde in it vponupon the time of its destruction. Nor may wee omit that which the King notes as very fitting to this purpose, to wit, that S. Iohn giues vsus to vnderstand that his intent is to speake of thinges to come, but heathnish Rome and the idolatrie thereof were present in S. Iohns time. To cōclude, the truth is so cleere on our side, that the Iesuits thēselues which hauehave written cō mentaries vponupon the Apocalyps, to wit, Ribera, and Viega, take our parts, and speake for vsus.aRibera in Apoc. ca. 14. num. 42 De Roma intelligendum non solùm qualis sub Ethnici… imperatori…us olim suit sedetiā qualis in fine seculi futura est. Ribera saith, We are to vnderstād this not only of Rome as it was heretofore vnderunder the Emperours, but also as it shall be a… the end of the world. Viega after the same manner. bViega in 17. Apoc. com. 1. Sec. 3 omnia quae in his capitibus commemorā tur in Romanam vrb…m apertissime quadrant.All that which is spoken in these chapters doth manifestly agree to Rome. As for the name of Babylon it is to be applyed to Rome which served Idols before euer it did receiue the faith of Christ, & to Rome as it shall be a little before the time of Antichrist.
cDe praescriptione adversus Hermogenem Foelix ecclesia cui t…tam doctrinam Apostoli cum sanguine suo pro suderunt.Tertullian (I must confesse) saith that the Church of Rome is happy, to which the Prophets did powre out their doctrine togither with their bloud. But he speakes this to the church and not to the citty, that is, to a few of the faithfull which lay hid amidst the corruption of this great cittie, which seemes to be never the purer nowe a daies for all its outwarde profession of christianity: but if the preaching of Iesus Christ in Capernaum ▪ and in Ierusalem did not exempt these townes from the curse of God, why should the presence of Saint Peter at Rome bee able to exempt it for ever from malediction.
Some of the auncient were of opinion that this great whore did signifie the whole body and assembly of the wicked, and the citty of the divell: which is refelled hereby, because S. Iohn saith, that shee raigneth over the nations: for if this exposition were true, then shee must needes reigne over her selfe; shee that reigneth cannot be the same thing with those over whom shee reigneth. Herevnto adde that the 7 hils and the 7 kings, and the habit of scarlet, cannot be applyed to this meaning.
That to sit vponupon many waters, doth signifie to raigne over many people, S. Iohn himselfe doth say in the 15 verse, and wee hauehave proued it in an other place more at large.
The second part of this prophecie.
2 With whō the kings of the earth hauehave committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth are drunke with the wine of her fornication.
The Exposition.
By whose suggestion the kings of the earth hauehave plaid the Idolatours, and shee hath made the inhabitantes of the earth drunken with her Idolatrie.
The Proofe.
The Papal Empire being not of strēgth sufficient to abolish the kings, doth make them drunke, and lay them asleepe. It is the Pope that doeth abuse the bounty of our kings, and vngratefully forgetting what benefactours they hauehave beene vntounto him hath taken the third part of their land from them, and the fifth part of their subiects, over whom he boasteth that he hath absolute power, to giuegive and take away their crownes at his pleasure, & receiues homage, and an oath of alleageance frō them, and in way of recompence paies thē with trifles, sending thē some holy Beads, some Indulgences, or certaine supposed reliques: and giues them the priuiledge of communicating vnderunder both kinds, that is to say, he permits them, by a speciall favour, to obay Iesus Christ, & giues them that by way of a priuiledge, which Iesus Christ did grant to al Christiās. Likewise it is to gratifie kings that hee doeth suffer them to hold his horses bridle, and when his Holinesse is reading the Masse in his owne person, to hold the bason vntounto him on their knees, as if they were subdeacons.
It is the Pope that hath taken from our kings the divine seruice in the language of their natiue countries; and hath giuen them the Romane language in token of subiection; Which hath taken the French liturgie from them, and given them another to be sung after the Romish fashion; which hath takē away wiues from priests: which hath brought vp images, and established transubstantiation, the feast God, the adoration of the Sacrament, & which hath wrested the holy scripture out of the hands of the people.
The third part of this prophecie.
3 So he carried mee away into the wildernesse in the spirit, and I saw a woman sit vponupon a scarlet coloured beast, ful of names of blasphemie which had seaven heads, and ten hornes.
The Exposition.
3 So then the Angell tooke me, and carryed me aside into a secret place, and I saw the cittie of Rome represented vnderunder the forme of a woman, which bore rule over an Empire, the chiefe governors wher of were clad in scarlet, and did assume many blasphemous titles, and prerogatiues. And this Empire seated vponupon 7. hils had 7 sorts of divers successiue governments, & was composed of tenne realmes, & principall parts.
The Proofe.
By the woman (saith S. Iohn) verse 18 the citie is to be vnderstood having seauē hills, that is to say, Rome. Now by the citie wee are not to vnderstand the walles, seeing that hee saith that this citie doth reigne ouer the people, and vseth flatterie to make the kings of the earth drunke: which cannot agree to the buildings, but only to the gouernours of the citie, that is to say, to the Pope & his consistory. This woman therefore is mounted on a beast hauing 7 heads and 10 hornes, that is to say, she doth reigne ouer the Roman Empire, which is fained to hauehave 7 heads because of the 7 hills on which Rome is situate, and because of the 7 sorts of soueraigntie which hauehave borne rule over that place successiuely, as rhe Angel doth expound it in the 9 and 10 verses, and wee hauehave shewd it at large in the exposition of the 13. chap. & 1. verse. She is also clad in skarlet, for this is the Popes habit, not only by custome, but by expresse rule: as the third booke of holy ceremonies saith in the 3 sect. and 5. chap. Ruber color propriè ad Papam pertinet; The red colour doth properly appertaine to the Pope. and in the *Planum totum cū magno scabell… coopertum e…it panno …occin…o.1. booke, 1. chap. and 9. sect. it is said that the Popes chaire, and the place vponupon which it stands must be couered al ouer with cloth of skarlet. There is none of his apparell, even downe to his stockings, and shooes, that is not of skarlet, as it is said in the Caligis rubei…, sandaleis rubeis aureâ cruce orna…isChap. of the 1. section of the first booke. this is also the colour of the Cardinals habit, as eueryevery mā seeth. Nay which is more, by the ordinance of Pope Paulus the 2. the Cardinals mules must be couered ouer with skarlet, as Platina reporteth in his life. Being willing it seemes that this prophecy which representeth the head of this Empire mounted vponupon a beast couered with skarlet, should also agree to eueryevery Cardinall apart.
As for the names of blasphemy which this Papall Empire doth assume, see that which hath beene said of this vponupon the 5. verse of the 13. chap.
The 4 part of this Prophecie.
4 And the woman was araied in purple and scarlet, and gilded with gold, & precious stones, and pearles, and had a cuppe of gold in her hand, full of the abomination, & filthinesse of her fornication.
The Exposition.
4 And this citty (that is to say the rulers of it) was clad in purple & scarlet, having a crowne of gold vponupon her head, and a crosse of gold vponupon her feet, and vponupon her crowne, and on her hands many pretious stones, with a mantle embrodered with pearle; and through her great magnificence she made all the people to drink of the puddle of her Idolatrie,
The Proofe.
This proposition is drawne from experience knowne to every man, and from the rules of the Church of Rome published by our adversaries. The 6. Chap. and first section of the first booke of holy ceremonies hath these words; They put red stockings on his legs, and red shooes vponupon his feet adorned with a crosse of gold; and a little after, He is apparelled with a long Albe, a girdle, Stolam orn… tam cum per lis pendent… à collo.and a stole hanging vponupon his necke all embost with pearle.
Whereas it is added that this whore doth giuegive her false doctrines vntounto men in a cup of gold, the meaning thereof is that she giues them with pompe, and outward magnificence.
The capitall letters of these words, Poculum Aureum Plenum Abominationum, being put together make vp Papa: VVhether it be that it falls out so by chance, or rather that God would hereby giuegive vsus an advertisement. And that which makes this observation the better worthie the noting, is that it is found in Latin, which is the language of the Church of Rome.
What these abominations are of which Rome makes the people to drinke I hauehave already shewed throughout my whole second booke.
The 5. part of this prophecie.
5 And in her forehead was a name written, A mystery, that great Babylon, that mother of whoredomes, and abominations of the earth.
6 And I saw the woman drunken with the bloud of Saints, and with the bloud of the Martyrs of Iesus, and when I saw her, I wō dred with great marvell.
The Exposition.
5 And made profession of great mysteries in her doctrine, being indeed the great Babylon, the headspring of Idolatrie, and of the abominations of the world.
6 And I sawe this citie glutted with the blood of the faithfull, raising vp persecutions, and making the martyrs to bee massacred, and hauing seen this, I was striken with feare, and stood amazed.
The Proofe.
Wee hauehave shewed in the exposition of the 13. chap. and 16. verse that according to the stile of the Prophets and the Apocalyps, the marke in the forehead signifies the profession of religion; in this place therefore, to hauehave the name, Mysterie, written in the forehead, signifies to make profession of abstruse, and hidden mysteries, such as all the mysteries of the Masse are▪ of which Pope Innocent hath written 6. books, wherein he finds great mysteries in all the attire, and eueryevery action of the Priest; The seuerall habits of the Priest are enigmaticall, and all his gestures allegoricall, the priest turnes his backe to the people, because God said vntounto Moses aEx. 33 23thou shalt see my backe parts. Hee which reads the Epistle, goes in at one side of the pulpit, and out at another, because it is written, bMat. 2.12They were warned from God to turne another way. Hee which serues the priest and beares vp his traine, doth turne and apply his body to eueryevery motion of the priest, because it is written, Where I am there shall my servant be. In the Episcopall Masse they kisse the Bishop on his shoulder looking vponupon his face backward, because it is written, Videmus in aenigmate. The Priests follow the crosse being cloathed in white surplisses, because it is written, They shall follow the Lambe being cloathed in white roabes. And all is done is a strange language, in words mumbled out softly, for feare (saith Pope Innocent) least the flies should tast the sweetnes of this ointment. But the greatest mysterie of all others is the doctrine of transubstantiation which makes God with fiue wordes, and restraines a human body within a point, that is to say, doth enclude that which is long, within that which hath no length, & placeth all the parts of a mans body vnderunder one only point, and doth at the same time make length to be in the host, & no length breadth, and no breadth.
There is a mysterie also in their saying ouer the same prayer, 7, or 50 times precisely, according to the number of the beads of their bracelet, & in their making vertue to be in a number, so that if a man fail in reckoning, all the grace of the praier is gone, and the fruit thereof lost. Besides we hauehave shewed in our exposition of of the 2. chapt. of the 2. to the Thessalonians, that Poperie is wholy wouen together with a profound mysterie, and wonderfull craft.
Now although this bee the meaning of this prophecie, yet this letteth not but that the holy Ghost may hauehave a reference to the secret and mysticall name of the citie of Rome which she vseth in her ceremonies, and most secret mysteries. Which name being on a time vttered by Valerius Soranus, he was forthwith punnisht, as Plinie reporteth in his 3. booke & 5. chap. and Iulius Solinus in the first chapter of his first booke.
Ioseph Scaliger a man no lesse faithfull and honest, then learned, hath often told me that being at Rome with Mounsieur de Abin Embassadour for the king, amongst divers other things of S. Angeloes Castle, that were shewd them, they saw old plain miters, which had the worde Mysterium engraued on their front. And Brocard witnesseth as much in his notes vponupon this place. If it be so, we need seeke no farther for any other interpretation.
This same Rome, in regard of those which raigne there, is called Babylon, because of the resemblance betweene these two. Babylon did destroy the Temple, and this doth destroy the Church which is the Temple of God; Babylon did lead men into Captivitie, and this doth detaine the Church captiue vnderunder the yoke of the Inquisition, and of tyrannie; Babylon did gather all the riches of the earth vnderunder herselfe, and this doth enrich herselfe by the spoiles of christianitie; Babylon was giuen to Idolatrie, and so is this too; Both cities were first built by theeues. The captiuitie of Babylon was a forerunning signe of the first comming of our Lord, and the captivitie of the Church vnderunder the Romish bō dags, is a forerunning signe of the second comming of the sonne of God. The Fathers vnderstood it so. Tertullian hath told vsus aboue that S. Iohns Babylon is Rome, and St Augustin in the 18 booke of the citie of God. chap. 2.22. saith, Babylon is the first Rome, and Rome is the second Babylon.
As for the cruelties and persecutions, we which hauehave suffered them & in whose families the wounds are yet to bee seene, beleeue them without farther proofs. See what we hauehave said of this vponupon the 7 verse of the 13 Chapter.
The 6. part of this prophecie.
7 Then the Angell said vntounto me. Wherfore marveilest thou? I will shew thee the mysterie of that woman, and of that beast that beareth her, which hath seaven heads and ten hornes.
8 The beast that thou haste seene, was, and is not, & shall ascend out of the bottomlesse pit, and shall go into perdition, and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder (whose names are not written in the booke of life frō the foundation of the world) when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
The Exposition.
7 Then the Angel said vntounto me, why dost thou wonder? I will shewe thee the interpretation of the vision, and will tell thee what the beast represented by a woman meanes, & what the Empire is, that is figured by a beast hauing 7. heads, and ten hornes.
8 The beast which thou sawest is the Empire of Rome, which did continue for a long time, but now is no more, being vā quisht, and driven from Rome, and Italie by the Lumbards: but shall rise vp againe from a low place, and bee restored by the Papacie, till the time that God at last shall destroy it. And the inhabitants of the earth, which hauehave not beene enrolled frō the foundation of the world amongst the number of the Elect, shall wonder seeing the Empire of Rome, which was at Rome but was driven thence by the Lumbards, and neverthelesse doth nowe growe vp againe, and is reerected by the Papacie, so that a man may say that the Roman Empire is, and is not; that it is not because the Roman Emperours are no more; that it is because the Pope doth in a manner set vp the Empire againe although it bee vnderunder another name and forme.
The Proofe.
For the vnderstanding of this prophecie we are to note that S. Iohn in this 8. v. doth followe the stile of the Prophets, which is to speake of things to come as if they were present, or past; & to transport his spirit beyond future ages, as if they were already gon. For S. Iohn in this place doth speake as if he were liuing at the time wherein (the Roman Empire being ruinated by the Lumbards) the Pope did cast about to compasse a temporall Monarchie, and to reerect the Empire in his owne person: The vnderstanding of this cleereth the prophecie, for larger proofes whereof turne backe to that which wee hauehave said vponupon the 1 & 3 verses of the 13 Chapter.
That which is said at the ende is plaine enough of it selfe, to wit, that the Pope is Emperour vnderunder another title, and another forme of Empire. For we hauehave shewed, how he hath drawne the rights, & dignities of Emperours vntounto himselfe; Although the forme of his gouernement be diuers from theirs. For the Emperours did raigne by force, but he by fraud; In the ancient Empire the spirituall power was only a dependance of the temporall, but in the papacie the Temporall power doth depend vponupon the spirituall.
The 7. part of this prophecie.
9 Here is the minde that hath wisdom. The 7. heads are 7. mountaines, whereon the woman sitteth▪ they are also 7. kings.
10 Fiue are fallen, and one is, and an other is not yet come: and when he commeth he must continue a long space.
11 And the beast that was and is not▪ is even the eighth, and is one of the 7. & shal goe into destruction.
The Exposition.
9 Here is need of wisdome to vnderstand this matter. In this vision of the beast which hath 7 heads and 10 hornes, by the 7▪ heads wee are to vnderstand 7. hills, vponupon which the cittie of Rome is situate.
10 As also 7. sortes of soueraigntie or gouernement which must beare rule at Rome one after another, to wit▪ the kings the Consuls, the militarie Tribunes, the Decemvirs, the Dictatours, the Emperors and the Popes. The 6. is nowe, to wit▪ the Emperours: And the 7▪ (to wit, the Popes those Pontificall earthly monarchs) is not yet come, and when it shall come, it shall continue for a certaine time.
11 And also by the Roman Empire, which was and is now no more, the Empire of Charlemaigne, and his successours, is to be vnderstood, which did governe at Rome for a time before the Monarchie of the Popes was fully perfected; which Emperours although they be an 8 head, doe yet neuerthelesse beare the name of one of the 7. to wit of the Emperours.
This exposition doth proue it selfe, and experience speakes for it without any proofe. Besides as concerning the 7▪ hills; and 7 sorts of soveraigntie, we hauehave spokē of them at large in the 13 chap. & 1. verse.
The 8 part of this Prophecie.
12 and the 10. hornes which thou sawest, are 10 kings, which yet hauehave not received a kingdome, but shall receiue power as kings at one hower, with the beast.
13 These hauehave one minde, & shall giuegive their power, and authority vntounto the beast.
14 These shall fight with the Lamb, & the Lambe shall overcome them; for hee is Lord of Lords▪ and king of kings: and they that are on his side are called faithfull, and chosen.
The Exposition.
12 But by the 10 hornes of this beast which is the Roman Papall Empire, are vnderstood 10 kings which hauehave not as yet begun to raigne, but shall raigne together with the Roman Papal Empire.
13 The counsells of these kings are ruled by the counsel of the Papal Empire, and they lend assistance vntounto this Empire with their power.
14 They shall fight against Iesus Christ, but Iesus Christ shall overcome them because he is Lord of Lords, & king of kings, and they which are his, are called elect and faithfull.
The Proofe.
In this number of 10 kings doth the euidence of this prophecie principally appeare. We shall see anon in the exposition of the 7 chap. of Daniel, how that a little before the Pope came to bee an earthly Monarch, the ancient Roman Empire was devided into 10 kingdomes, and cut out into 10 peeces. We hauehave also seene vponupon the 1 verse of the 13 chap. that the Roman Empire, whilst it was in its flourishing estate, did consist of 10 provinces & principall parts. But here mention is made of Kings that the Pope shall subiect vntounto himselfe and which shall vnite themselues …n a bond of amitie with the Pope. Gregory the 7 surnamed Hildebrand was he that did first exalt the Papacie to the aAn. 107….heigth of glory, and worldly greatnesse: Now at the same time 10 kingdomes did serue Papisme, first The Empire of Germanie, 2. Fraunce, 3. England, 4. Scotland, 5. Denmarke, 6. Polonie, 7. the kingdome of Spain 8. the kingdome of Navarre. 9. The kingdome of Hungarie, 10. the kingdome of Naples, and Sicilie. Yea and in the memorie of our forefathers Pope Leo the 10, being as yet in his full force, a little before the wound which hee receaued, Papistrie held 10 kingdomes in possession. 1. The Empire of Germanie. 2. Fraunce. 3. England, 4. Scotland, 5. Denmarke. 6. Polonie, 7. Hungarie. 8. The realme of Arragon, Naples, and Sicilie. 9. The realme of Castile. 10. The realme of Portugall. For the realme of Bohemia is a fiefe of the Empire of Germanie, and an Electorate of the Empire. Moreouer it is said that these kings shall begin to raigne together with the beast, because (as the King of great Brittaine hath truely noted) all the realmes as it were of Christendome, as well as the Papal Monarch (if we looke back to their first originall) tooke their beginning from the division of the Roman Empire. Since therefore by this so cleere an exposition it is evident that the King of England is one of those which S. Iohn speaks of, and that his predecessours of England and Scotland did make vp two hornes of this beast what pleasure is it vntounto this so great a King to read himselfe mentioned in these diuine reuelations? or who cā better diue into the meaning of this prophecie, then he which makes vp a part of the prophecy
The 9 part of this prophecie.
15 And he said vntounto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are people, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
16 And the 10 hornes which thou sawest vpō the beast, are they that shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate, and naked, and shall eate her flesh, and burne her with fire.
17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to doe with one consent for to giuegive their kingdome vntounto the beast, vntill the words of God be fulfilled.
18 And that woman which thou sawest is that great citty which reigned ouer the kings of the earth.
The Exposition.
15 After he said vntounto me, the waters which thou sawest, ouer which Rome the Idolatresse hath dominion, doe signifie people, and multitudes, and nations of divers languages.
16 And the 10 hornes which thou sawst this Empire to hauehave, are the same 10 kings, which in the ende shall conspire against it, and consume it, and burne it.
17 For God hath inclined their harts that they should do his will in executing his iudgements, and that they should lay their heads together, and should aid this Papall Empire with their forces, only vntill the time of its continuance appointed by God bee accomplished.
18 And this womā which thou sawst is Rome that great city, which commands the realmes of the earth.
The Proofe.
That which is propheticall in these 4. verses is not yet accomplisht, but the accomplishment of the prophecies precedēt, doth make vsus presume of the certaintie of this, and is a token that it shall bee accomplisht ere long. It lies kings vponupon to set themselues forward to serue God in this so great a worke. Blessed shall hee bee (saith the aPs. 137Psamist) which shall dash the children of Babell against the stones. These children of Babell are the false doctrines. This stone is Iesus Christ, a chosen, tried stone, the foundation stone of the Church bEs. 28.16. & 8 14. Mat. 21.vpō which stone whosoeuer falleth shall be broken.