Commentary on Revelation, Authors notice
THE AUTHOURS ADVERTISEMENT TOUCHING THE Publiſhing of this COMMFNTARY.
I Had thought indeed never to have ſet forth this Commentary upon the Revelation, long ſince expounded in the Academie in CLXXXVIII-Lectures, but to have left the ſame unto my children for their proper uſe: and this for divers cauſes: eſpecially finding that as yet I had not touched the height of the myſteries, neither ſhould eaſily ſatisfie others, having in many things not ſatisfied my ſelfe. In the meane while I thought it requiſite with all diligence to ſearch out the judgements of more learned Interpreters in the harder matters: and not to neglect whatſoever might ſeem in the Commentaries of ancient and modern Interpreters to conduce for the poliſhing of the work: as not being ignorant of the admonition of Horace,
(Membranis intus poſitis, delere licebit,
Quod non edideris: neſcit vox miſſa reverti.)
That a man may alter or blot out his private writings, which are not made publicke: but the word that is out cannot be recalled. Notwithſtanding it happened of late (I know not by what providence) that at length I aſſented to the publiſhing thereof, at the earneſt requeſt of friends: who judged it a thing unfit, that the Church, (no weighty reaſon hindering the ſame) ſhould any longer be deprived of this treaſure: be it whatſoever it be: perſwading themſelves that by me ſomething more would be publiſhed touching theſe myſteries, then as yet was extant. And that the things yet hid, are perhaps of that nature, which either God hath reſerved unto his own power, or are better not to be known, then known by us: of which kind ſome things are, Enchir. cap. 17.according to Auſtin.
They added that now there was ſpeciall uſe to vindicate this Propheſie, it being publickly depraved by new feigned Oracles and falſe Gloſſes, as if it did eſtabliſh Romish Idolatry, and Patronize Popiſh Tyranny, from which notwithſtanding it portendeth nothing but ſad evils unto the Godly, and moſt miſerable calamities unto the Church, the which the Revelation ſetteth forth by lively colours, as it were the very Kingdome of Antichriſt himſelfe, under the type of a Beaſt and Falſe-Prophet: All which they affirme is made appeare throughout this Commentary: by which reaſons being over-ſwayed, I gave way to the publiſhing thereof, yet ſo as this Sacred and laſt foreign or gratefull Gift ſhould be dedicated unto none, ſave unto my Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt.
If therefore ſo it be, that in the opening of theſe myſteries I may ſeem unto ſome in any place to come ſhort: theſe I lovingly deſire to ſupply my defect with their greater diligence: pardoning in the mean time what is not yet attain'd to, & being thākfull for what is found out. But & if there ſhalbe any, who wreſt my expoſitions touching the beaſt, or his head, or horns, or the like myſteries, unto the offence and injury of any mans perſon: to theſe I teſtifie, that I have written nothing to the reproch or ſcandal of any man: but truly and candidly expounded what our Saviour Chriſt reveald unto Iohn, not to the injury, but rather inſtruction and Salvation of all ſuch as deſire to be ſaved, nor unto the offence, but admonition and amendment of ſuch as wil not periſh.
Neither am I the firſt who have thus expounded the Beaſt. What ſpeake I of my ſelfe? Neither was the Apoſtle John the firſt who ſhewed Antichriſt at Rome: for before him Paul teſtified, that the Son of perdition should ſit in the Temple of God as God, that is, claim the principallity in the Church: for even then the myſterie of iniquitie was a working, except it had bin for that which did with-hold, that is, as Chryſoſtom, Ambroſe, and Ierom interpret it, the Romane Empire: which firſt being tranſlated from the mountains of Rome to ſome other place, and weakned, ſhould as it were be aboliſhed.
After both Irenaeus a moſt ancient Writer ſaid, that the numerall name of the Beaſt in all likelyhood should bee (foreign) Lateinos, Lib. 5. c. 25and as if he had bin a divine Prophet foretelling the apoſtacy of the Latin Church, he expreſly addeth theſe words: But in this we wil not boaſt.
Gregory himſelfe I. Romish Pope confidently affirmed that that Prieſt ſhould be Antichriſt, Lib. 4. Epiſt. 38.or Antichriſts fore-runner, who ſtiled himſelfe UNIVERSAL: pointing as with the finger at Boniface III. his Succeſſour: for, ſaith he, the king of pride is at hand, and that which is not lawfull to be ſpoken, an Army of Preiſts is prepared.
Neither will I now alledge any more (reſerving it till afterward in Chap. 13.) Bellar. lib. 3. de P. R. cap. 21.who after the time of Gregory I. have demonſtrated Rome to be the ſeat of Antichriſt, and the Pope with his double-ſword Antichriſt. Wherfore it is ſaid not of ignorance, but malice, that by us Proteſtants the Pope firſt began to be Antichriſt. De velandis virgin.Good things ſcandalize no man, unleſſe an evil mind, ſaith Tertulian, But trueth is the beſt thing. Therfore this truth, that Antichriſt doth now reigne at Rome, can ſcandalize none but evil-minded men. Wherefore thou, O Pope, hear this truth and repent, Rev. 19.10before the hand of the Heavenly Conquerour lay hold on thee, and caſt thee into the Lake of Fire and Brimſtone.
Neither let Paraſites deceive thee, who from the Revelation promiſe unto thee the whole Empire of the World: one while denying thou art a man: another while they feine thee an halfe-god, one while Gods Vice-gerent, yea a God: who paint out thy Church gloriouſly ſitting on a throne, (I ſit a Queene, and am no Widow, and shall ſee no ſorrow) treading under her feet the Proteſtant Hereticks with their Bibles. Rev. 18.7.Theſe coſen thee with vain words. Hearken to Clemanges a man of ancient credit, De corrupt. Eccleſ. Statu. cap. 26.he ſheweth what the Revelation promiſeth thee: What thinkeſt thou, ſaith he, of thy Propheſie, to wit, of Iohns Revelation? doſt not thou at leaſt thinke, that in ſome part it belongs unto thee? Thou haſt not ſo loſt shame and ſenſe to deny theſe things. Therefore looke into it, and read the condemnation of the great whore, ſitting upon many waters, and there contemplate thy worthy acts, and what shall befall thee. Hath not the Apoſtle Paul ſufficiently noted that thou art he that ſitteſt in the temple of God as God? why then ſhouldeſt thou not ſuſpect all that thou doſt, and haſt? Thy two horns like the Lambs: thy two keyes, and the two ſwords in thy hand: the Triple Crown on thy head: the myſterie in thy forehead: the Image which thou cauſeſt the inhabitants of the earth to worſhip, killing them that refuſe to do it: the name and the number of thy name: the Maſſe and Latine Leturgie: the whoriſh woman ſitting upon Seven Mountaines: now oughteſt thou not to ſuſpect all theſe?
And ye O unwiſe Kings: when will ye underſtand, whom to ſerve and what ye ſhould do? when will God put it into your hearts to doe his will, that is, to make Rome the whoriſh woman deſolate? Oh ſerve the Lord with feare and trembling, kiſſe the Son leaſt he be angry, and yee perish in the way: let the Lambe conquer you, not unto deſtruction, like as the Beaſt overcommeth, but unto converſion: do it (o kings) ſpeedily, leaſt it be too late. For God will not be mocked. He hath begun to put into the hearts of diverſe good Kings to do this willingly: He will alſo put into the hearts of others, when it ſhall pleaſe him, according to the oracle of the Angell. Rev. 17.17.And already hath he perſwaded the hearts of ſome Emperours deceaſed, even in their agonie, to approach before the Tribunall of God not by invocating of Mary, but by imploring the divine mercy, and ſo rendred their ſoules to God their Saviour, not in confidence of the Churches treaſure, but the alone merits of Jeſus Chriſt. He put alſo into the heart of another great Zelot in his ſicke bed, to turne his face from the Prieſt, chanting prayers to the Virgin Mary, and promiſing him Salvation by his owne and the Saints merits, thereby teſtifying, that he deſired to be rayſed up by the interceſſion and merits of Chriſt. They that ceaſe to do thus ſhall not be partakers of Salvation. They which do it ſeriouſly, verily they are overcome by the Lambe unto their Salvation, and they make the whore deſolate late indeed, yet not too late. But let no man tempt God: for ye know not how ſoone yee may be taken away. While therfore it is time walke in the light, leaſt the darkneſſe come upon you.
Neither let flatterers deceive you, who ſay, that it ſeems harſh, diſhonourable, and unbeſeeming, that ſo many Princes warre againſt the Lambe, follow the Beaſt, are Antichriſts Vaſſals, that the greateſt part of the Empire conſiſts of Antichriſt, who is to be caſt into the Lake of Fire. This is the deceitfull ſong of Sirenes. To begin with the laſt particular, How I pray ſhall the greateſt part of the Empire conſiſt of Antichriſt, if our trueth doth ſtand that the Pope is Antichriſt, unleſſe either the Pope be ſaid to be the greateſt part of the Empire, then which nothing is more falſe, and opprobrious to the Empire, or that theſe men do meerly triflle? But will they deny them to be Kings touching whom the Revelation hath foretold ſuch things? Or wil they accuſe the Revelation to caſt diſhonourable aſperſions upon Kings?
They ſay: that Pagan, not Chriſtian Kings are ſpoken of. But this is neither agreeable to the Revelation, nor to their owne fiction. For the Kings, who shall give their power to the Beaſt and fight againſt the Lambe, ſhall be the ſame, into whoſe hearts God will put it to hate the whore and make her deſolate. Now this argues that they ſhall not be Pagan but Chriſtian Kings, who before being deceived through ignorance, ſhall ſin in fact: but at length being overcome by the Lamb, that is, brought to repentance; they ſhall, forſaking their error, turne their hearts and power againſt the whore. Neither can any man except he bee deprived of underſtanding deny, that theſe things are couched in the Text.
And if credit be given unto their fiction, Ribera in Apoc. c. 12. Num. 11. &c. 13. Num. 10.there ſhall at Antichriſts comming be no more then ten Kings in the whole world, ſignified by the hornes of the Beaſt, and of theſe, three being ſlaine, ſeven ſhal fight for Antichriſt. Therfore either theſe ſhalbe Chriſtian Kings, or elſe there ſhall then be no Chriſtian Kings under the Sun, the falſitie whereof the Revelation doth ſhew Chap. 21.24.
Now tel me, what harſhneſſe or diſhonour is there in it, that (as Paul confeſſeth he was ſometime a blaſphemer, a perſecutor, and injurious, but ignorantly, and ſo obtained mercy:) the ten Kings have given their power unto the Beaſt againſt the Lamb: but of ignorance: and being overcome by the Lambe have repented: God putting it into their hearts to hate the whore? Tell me, I ſay, ſhould this be to the diſhonour of Kings, which is to their great glory, to have ſinned indeed through ignorance, but repented through the mercy of God? Or is not rather the fiction of theſe Prophets very reproachfull, ſcandalous and fatall, who ſay, that toward Antichriſts riſing there ſhalbe no where any Emperor or Romane Empire: that there ſhalbe no King in any place ſave thoſe ſeven (that remaine of the ten) fighting for Antichriſt. And ſeeing they every hour expect their Antichriſt, to ariſe (as they ſay out of the tribe of Dan) what do they but threaten an utter deſtruction both to the Emperor, Romane Empire, and all Chriſtian Kings? For according unto theſe mens doctrine, as then there ſhal bee no Emperor, no Empire: ſo neither King of France, Spain, England, Poland, Hungary, &c. or if there be any they ſhall be Antichriſts Life-gard and vaſſals. Now tell me, who they are that caſt reproaches upon Chriſtian Kings, ſet their Crownes awry, and menace them with eternall damnation.
Wherefore bleſſed ſhall ye be, if ye hear and keep the Commandements of this Propheſie, that ye may have right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the City: But he that wil hurt, let him hurt ſtill: and he that is filthy let him be filthy ſtill: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous ſtill: and he that is holy, let him be holy ſtill. Amen. Even ſo come Lord Ieſus: and ſanctifie us in trueth. Thy word is trueth. Amen.
PROVERB. 27.6.
Better are the wounds of a friend, then the deceitfull kiſſes of an enemy.