Commentary on the Epistles and Revelation of John, Commentary 22 · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. Verſe 1. A ſtar fall from heaven]
GR. That had fallen from heaven, viz. when the third Angel ſounded, Chap. 8.10. Then the Biſhop of Rome began to fall,foreign. but here, in Boniface the third and his ſucceſſours, He is fallen, he is fallen from his primitive integrity into the deepeſt gulf of impiety. The Jeſuites (to blinde the matter) tell us, that by this ſtarre is meant Luther, whom Satan ſent out to diſturbe the Church, and God ſent them to withſtand him. Bugenhagius alſo, a Dutch-Divine, when he firſt read Luthers book of the Babyloniſh Captivity, raſhly pronounced him the moſt peſtilent heretike that ever the Church was peſterd with. But a few daies after having thorowly read and weighed the contents of that book, he recanted and affirmed, that all the world was deceived,Scultet. Annal. and Luther only was in the right: And ſo not only himſelf became a Lutheran, M…t. Par…ſ. an. 1072.but many others alſo perſwaded by him.
The key of the bottomleſſe pit] Whereinto he lets ſouls innumerable: ſo that in the daies of Hildebrand letters were ſet forth, as ſent from hell, wherein the devil and his Angels give the Popiſh Clergy many thanks for ſending them in ſo many ſouls as they never had in any age before.
Verſe 2. And there aroſe a ſmoke] Of hereticall opinions and flagitious practices. All the old heretikes fled and hid themſelves in the Popiſh Clergy. Thoſe dark corners alſo of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.Act. and Mon. fol 1117. Take heed (ſaid the Lord Audely Chancellour of England) how you deal with Popiſh Prieſts: for (you may believe me) ſome of them be knaves all. Petrus de Aliac… long ſince wrote,De re…orm eccl. Ad hunc ſtatum venit Romana Eccleſia, ut non eſſet digna regi niſi per reprobos. The Church of Rome hath for a long ſeaſon been ruled by a rabble of reprobates.
Verſe 3. Locuſts upon the earth] So the Monks, Friers, Jeſuites, &c. Igna. Conclaveare fitly called for their numeroſity and voracity. The Jeſuites have ſometimes maintained 200000 ſchollars. The Duke of Bavaria's houſe is ſo peſtered with them (ſaith one) that notwithſtanding his great revenues, he is very poor, as ſpending all his eſtate upon thoſe Popiſh fleſh-flies. Thinke the ſame of other Princes and places where they are received.
As the ſcorpious of the earth] They are the ſoreſt ſoul-ſtingers (ſaith an Interpreter) that ever the world had. Pliny teſtifieth of the Scorpion, that there is not one minute, wherein it doth not put forth a moſt venemous ſting to do miſchief. It creeps on crookedly, and ſo it ſtrikes the more at unawares. Its ſting is not much felt at firſt, but ſoon proves uncurable.
Verſe 4. And it was commanded] As David charged his Captains to handle the young man Abſolom gently: ſo and much more ſollicitous is the Lord of his ſervants ſafety.
The graſſe of the earth, nor any green thing] I ſay that under the Papacy was true Chriſtianity, ſaith Luther, yea the very ke…nell of Chriſtianity.Lu…h contra Anabapt.
Verſe 5. And to them is was given] This is oft repeated in this book: to ſhew that though Antichriſt and his actuaries bandy and bend all their forces to deſtroy ſouls, yet they are bounded by God, and can do no more then is given them from above.
Five moneths] Locuſts uſe to live no longer. See Pliny l. 11. cap. 29. There are that interpret theſe five moneths of thoſe 500.De pap. Rom 1. 3. c. …2. years, wherein the Pope ſtood in his full pride and power For, ab eo tempore quo per v…s Papa Antichriſtus eſſe coepit (ſaith Bellarmine) non modò non crevit ejus imperium, ſed ſemper magis ac magis decrevit. Since you firſt began to call the Pope Antichriſt, he hath loſt a great part of his command and commodity.
Verſe 6. Shall men ſeek d…ath] Being brought, thorow anguiſh of conſcience, and fear of wrath, to that pitifull plight, that Roger Biſhop of Saliſbury was, in King Stephens time, through long and ſtrait impriſonment. He was ſo hardly beſtead (ſaith the Hiſtorian) Ʋt vivere noluerit, mori neſcierit, that live he would not, die he could not. Popiſh pardons, pilgrimages, dirges, &c. would not quiet or cure diſtempered conſciences, or ſhake out the envenomed arrows of the Almighty,Haeret later… lethalis arundo. that ſtuck faſt in them. A broken leg is not eaſed by a ſilken ſtocking. Neſcio quomodò imbecillior est medicina, quàm morbus, ſaid Tully of his philoſophicall conſolations: ſo may theſe well ſay of their Popiſh paltry applications. The medicine is too weak for the malady. The Papiſts ſay, That the reformed Religion is a doctrine of deſperation. This we are ſure is true of theirs,Act. and Mon. 1904, 1907. as were eaſie to inſtance in Stephen Gardiner, Dr Pendleton, Francis Spira, Guarlacus, Bomelius, Latomus, Creſcentius, &c.
Verſe 7. Like unto horſes] Fed and fierce, to run and ruſh into the battle, as being driven by the devil.Bern. Si videris perſecutorem tuum nimis ſaevientem, ſcito quia ab aſcenſore ſuo daemone perurgetur.
Were as it were crowns] Triple crowns, miters, head-tiares, ſhaven crowns: which laſt is a ceremony ſo bald, that ſome Prieſts in France are now aſhamed of the mark, and few of them have it,Spec. Europ. that can handſomely avoid it.
As the faces of men] But beware of men, Mat. 10.17. See the Note there.
Verſe 8. As the hair of women] Inſinuative, and inductive to ſinne.
As the teeth of lions] Joel 1.6. Catching and carrying to their dens all they can come by, as Tecelius did out of Germany, as Otto ſent by Gregory 9. did out of England, where he left not ſo much money, as he either carried with him, or ſent to Rome before him
Verſe 9. And they had brest-plates] Their pretended donations, priviledges and exemptions from the ſecular power; ſhaking their tippets at Kings, whom they have trampled on, and forced to go bare-foot on the hard ſtones, till they bled again. Thus dealt they by our Henry the ſecond: yea they laſhed him with rods upon the bare,… Revi…s de … po…iſ. pag. 149. and ſaid, Domine, noli minari: nos enim nullas minas timemus, qui de talicuria ſumus quae conſuevit imperare regibus & imperatoribus. Sir, never threaten us: for we care not for your threats, as being of that Court that commands Kings and Emperours.
And the ſound of their wings] They are loud and bold-ſpoken: make a great noiſe, raiſe a great duſt, and thereby think to carry it. Herein they are like the heretike Neſtorius, who is ſaid to have been,… Miſ…l. epiſt delic. Homo indoctus, ſuperbus, contemptor Patrum, ſed audax & magnae loq…entiae, a proud Aſſe, but bold above meaſure, and of a loud language, whereby he ſo far prevailed for a time, that he ſeduced good Theodoſius, and procured a writ for the baniſhment of Cyril that godly Orthodox Divine.
Verſe 10. And they had tails] This may be well meant of their Surrogates, Officials, Chancellours, Regiſters, Apparitours, the fag end of their execrable train. See Iſa. 9.15.
Verſe 11. And they had a King over them] Being herein wiſer then thoſe other locuſts, Proe 30 27.
The Angel of the bottomleſſe pit] That apoſtate ſtar, ver. 1. the devils lieutenant Generall, the Weſtern Antichriſt the Pope, not excluding the Turk that Antichriſt of the Eaſt, that comes next to be ſpoken of. And indeed they may well go together: for they both ſet up another law then that of Chriſt, they kill the contrary part, they give liberty to the fleſh, they will not have their religions to be diſputed, &c.
Is Abaddon] A deſtroier.Annot. ad loc. I know not (ſaith learned Junius) whether the holy Ghoſt in this name hath not ſome reſpect to the etymology or notation of Hildebrand, which ſignifies, Fidei incendium, the fire-brand of the faith.
Verſe 12. Two woes more hereafter] In reſpect of order: for in reſpect of time, the woes of the fift and ſixt trumpet are together, and do run parallel.
Verſe 13. From the four horns] To ſhew, ſaith one, Chriſt his ſufficiency of power to raiſe up inſtruments of his juſtice, according as by the ſins of men he is provoked.
Verſe 14. Looſe the four Angels] That is, thoſe four potent peoples, the Arabidns, the Saracens, the Tartars, and the Turks, that they may march out againſt Chriſtendome, to murther and maſſacre the third part of men. Theſe are called Angels, becauſe ſent of God to revenge the quarrell of his Covenant.
Verſe 15. And the four Angels were looſed] As fierce and fell creatures out of a cave, now ſet upon ſpoil and rapine. They have a Proverb in the Eaſtern parts, Where the great Turk once ſetteth his foot, there never grows graſſe again: He blaſts and deſolates all.
For an hour and a day] At any time whenſoever God ſhall command them out, and bid them fall on: they are at an hours warning in arms at an inſtant. Mr Brightman gathereth from this text, that the Turkiſh Empire ſhall determine about the year, 1696.
The third part of men] Mahomet the firſt was in his time the death of 800000 men. Selymus the ſecond,Turk Hiſt. fol. 434. Ibid. 885. in revenge of his loſſe received at the battle of Lepanto, would have put to death all the Chriſtians in his dominions, who were in number infinite, &c.
Verſe 16. Two hundred thouſand thouſand] Not ſo many at any one time, but in ſeverall ages and battles. Howbeit the Turk goes uſually into the field 200000 ſtrong: many times he hath more, as in that famous battle fought by Bajazet againſt Tamer-lane, where he had well-nigh a thouſand thouſand. Of his common ſouldiers, called Aſapi (which for the moſt part are miſerable Chriſtians) he makes no great reckoning or other uſe,Tunk. hiſt. 317. then to blunt the ſwords of his enemies, or to abate their firſt fury: thereby to give the eaſier victory to his Janizaries, and better ſouldiers, which are all horſe for moſt part.
Verſe 17. Breſt-plates of fire, &c.] Muskets, harquebuzes, piſtols, and other ſpet-fires; but eſpecially thoſe great-guns,Ch…lcondylas. Pea…s valley of vanity. and murdering-pieces, ſo much uſed by the Turks, thoſe mighty Ordnance they brought before Conſtantinople, the Rhodes and other places, nothing inferiour to thoſe two, that were caſt by Alphonſus Duke of Ferrara, the one whereof he called the Earthquake, the other Grandiabolo, or the great devil.
Verſe 18. The third part of men killed] Not only of Chriſtians, but alſo of their own:Turk hiſt. 1153 moſt of their poor being forced with victuals and other neceſſaries to follow their great armies in their long expeditions: of whom ſcarce one of ten do ever return home again, but there periſh by the way: if not by the enemies ſword, yet by the wants, intemperateneſſe of the air, or immoderate pains taking.
By the brimſtone] By the gun-powder, or by their ſulphured bowſtrings, which they diſcharge as out of their mouths, whereunto they draw or lay them.
Verſe 19.Plin Turk h…ſt. In their mouth and in their tails] Like the Serpent Amphiſbaena that hath a head (to do hurt) at both ends. Perhaps the Turks perfidy is here pointed at: they keep leagues no longer, then ſtandeth with their own profit.
Verſe 20.1 Cor 10.10. That they ſhould not worſhip devils] As all idolaters do. The devil is foreign, ſaith Syneſius, glad to be worſhipped in an idol, as he was by Iſrael in a calf.
Verſe 21.Math…ol. in Dioſcorid. Neither repented] Being ſtupified, as thoſe Aſſes in Hetruria, that feed upon hemlock, They that make them are like unto them. See Iſa. 44.17.