Commentary Upon Revelation, To the reader – Epigrams
THE AVTHOR TO THE Chriſtian Reader, grace and peace from God the Father in our Lord Ieſus Chriſt.
IF God did but command, yet were all diſobedience excuſeleſſe; if but promiſe, yet were wee holden, againſt all apparant impoſſibilities to beleeue, and hope euen againſt hope. But this magnifieth his mercy exceedingly, and taketh from all men all pretext of defection, that in his written word (in a ſingular compaſſion of our weakeneſſe) hee not onelyonly ſetteth downe the rule of our waies, and proponeth the ground of our hope; but alſo to his ſeruants in all ages, hee hath foretold ſuch future caſes, as the ſtrangeneſſe whereof, might either diſcourage them in the courſe of the one, or ſhake their conſtant keeping of the other: and that ſo farre forth, as the wiſe in each time, had not onelyonly enough whereon to ſtay their hearts, euen in the midſt of moſt greeuous calamities; but, being placed as it were in the light of diuine reuelation, they might cleerely perceiue the courſe and reaſon of God his wiſe diſpenſation, and reioice in the aſſured expectation of ſuch euents, as neither the World dreamed of, and were much contrary to all their vngodly deſignes. Thus the Lord alwaies armed his Church, but moſt carefully in theſe laſt times, vnderunder the Goſpell. Which albeit it might appeare to hauehave beene leſſe needfull, for the huge meaſure of light and gracefull diſpenſation, therein beyond all former ages; yet, in reſpect that Satan, ſeeing his time to be ſhort, then chiefly bended his whole rage and full force of deceit (ſpecially in that huge myſtery of iniquity growing on ſo in all effectual working, with al power, ſignes, and lying wonders, in all deceiueableneſſe of vnrighteouſneſſe and ſuch ſtrong deluſion, the ſonne of perdition ſitting as God, euen in the Temple of God, that, if it were poſſible, the very elect might hauehave beene deceiued) therefore the Lord himſelfe in the daies of his fleſh, gaue hereof not obſcure warnings; his Apoſtles diuerſly thereafter; and laſtly, in this prophecie, is the whole miſchiefe, in the parties, their practiſes, the Church, her condition thereby, God his manifold wrath thereupon, to the full ouerthrow at length of all the enemies, and deliuerance of his Church; ſo at large and cleerely ſet forth; as we are not onelyonly now to beleeue the things told vsus before; becauſe they are alredy in a great part come to paſſe: but alſo, by the cleere light here opened to ſee what yet reſteth to be performed: & with calme and ioifull minds (in a moſt delightfull light) to behold and diſpiſe all this preſent terrible and reſtleſſe endeauour of Dragon, Beaſt, and falſe Prophet, by their emiſſary frogs: as where by they are but haſtening on to themſelues ſuch a foile, as the wonderfulneſſe thereof ſhall make the place to bee called, euen in Ebrew Harmageddon, and ſhall giuegive matter euen of an Ebrew ſong: When thereupon, not onelyonly a great multitude in Heauen, the foure beaſts and twenty foure Elders: but by a powerfull voice from the Throne, all God his ſeruants, al that feare him both ſmall and great, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of ſtrong thunderings, ſhall ſing together Halleluiah.
Now the golden programme (bleſſed is he that readeth &c.) ſet ouer the gate of this goodly edifice, as it giueth to conceiue, and both wakeneth and warranteth to ſearch after ſome rare inſight, ſo did it chiefly incourage me to ſtep in and much ſtirred, in ſoberneſſe, to ſuruey the ſingularities. Wherein, as the Queene of Saba ſeeing Salomon, by helpe of God, and to the praiſe of his truth in this, I found ſo much more then I preſumed, as no ſpirit was left in mee. Now, here withall, the earneſt petition of Saints pouſſing thereto, and after the ſtory of Chriſt in the fleſh, and of his Church raiſed by Apoſtolike labors, this falling in fitly in the courſe of my trauels to bee handled: yet nothing ſo much carried me to the publike reading thereof, as a holy indignation at the dealings of Romaniſts in our quarters too careleſly expoſed to their ſeduction. They had nothing more frequently in mouth then the antiquity, glory, & multitude of their Church, the conſent of Nations, Counſels, and ſucceſsion of many Ages, with diſdaineful demands, where our Church was before Luther; and whether we eſteemed all our Forefathers ſo many ages paſt to bee condemned, who liued and died all in the faith and Communion of the Church of Rome? with ſuch ſpeeches largely amplified and cunningly coloured, amongſt a ſimple people; as ſheepe for the moſt part without ſhepheards; I found by experience and credible information, that not onelyonly many altogether ignorant were corrupted, but euen diuers inſtable ſoules, who had ſhewed ſome beginnings of learning, and louing the way of truth, were rather quite alienated therefrom, or caſt in dangerous doubts: ſo as oftner then once, men otherwaies well ſtabliſhed, hauehave euen with ſollicitude both by word and writ required of mee how the hearts of the weake might be ſtaied againſt theſe obiections. To whome as both waies, in the time, I gaue ſatiſfaction, ſo, it haſted me to the publike interpretation of this prophecie: whereby euen the moſt ſimple, not wilfully ſhutting their eies againſt an ingyring light, may cleerely ſee how that whereof they glory moſt, turneth moſt to their ſhame, and that, wherwith they moſt reproch our Church ſpeaketh ſtrongly for vsus. If this ſeemeth ſtrange to any, they hauehave not yet learned, that, as great is the miſtery of godlineſſe, ſo alſo is that of iniquitie: and to know the hid ſecrets of either, none euer ſhall attaine: who by the heauenly light of the word, goeth not higher then all authority, multitude, cuſtome, or conſent of men. Now, albeit, at firſt, I minded nothing leſſe then to write any further thereon, but ſome ſhort note for mine owne vſe, of ſuch things wherein my iudgement did vary from moſt part, or all enterpreters: yet cloied with continuall requeſts to write at large, what by voice I deliuered, I was induced to take a mid courſe, neither to write ſo ſhortly as I intended, nor at ſuch length as they required: but ſo, as who were my auditours, reading it, might remember what further they had heard, and others might ſo farre bee ſet in way, as by their owne eaſie paines, to find out what for more cleere explication is requiſit. I hauehave labored, though not ſo farre as my owne diſpoſition would hauehave carried mee, yet ſo farre as giuing to ſuiters ſome contentment I could, to be ſhort, and not burthen the reader with any tedious diſcourſe of commonly knowne matter.
On the firſt three Chapters to buſie my ſelfe, except ſo farre as was neceſſary for coupling them with the reſt of the prophecy. I thought it needleſſe: ſo much being already written thereon, and by ſo many both learned and godly men. Whoſe trauels on the reſt of this prophecie, by this my doing, I am ſo farre from either deſpiſing or condemning, that from my heart I both reuerence their godly and learned labours, and ſincerely acknowledge my ſelfe to hauehave beene much helped thereby. But this being ſuch a worke, as wherein one wrong ſtich will carry thorow all the ſeame a ſenſible errour, and being of ſuch ineſtimable worth, as meriteth ſtill to be wrought on, till, in whole and each part, it keepe ſentence, I hauehave, hereto, in all ſinglenſſe and ſound affection contributed my ſparkle: expecting and hartily wiſhing others after me to doe the like, for more and more cleere light, till the Whore bee euidently ſet naked before the eies of all the World, and the Bride, in her vpright beauty, be diſcerned of all men. Vſe it therefore with ſuch heart, as thou haſt it of me: praiſing God for that which is cleerely from him, and in Chriſtian compaſſion, excuſing what is of mine infirmitie.
IOANNIS FORBESII filij.
Epigramma de ſcopo Authoris.
FOrbeſius, Româpompam iactante, dolebat
Ʋno orbem obtundi nocte dieque ſono:
Oſtenditque feram hoc ſigno ac Babylonanotari.
Inunc, conſenſum maecha moleſta crepa.
Eiuſdem ad Zoilum.
CAece, Theonino quid dente incognita mordes?
Non tibi, ſed doctis, Zoile, ſcriptalegis.
Eiuſdem ad beneuolum lectorem.
NEleuiter ſummam ſolum, bone lector, arenam
Liba, neu …icco rade profunda pede:
Hic ſulcanda via eſt, huic te duce numine oportet,
Etpoteris placi…ae credere tutus aquae.