A Revelation of the Apocalypse

The Analysis.

I have spoken summarily of the common type: the special Prophecy comprehendeth both the excellent dignity of this Revelation in this chapter, and also the ev • nts themselves in the rest of the book. That thing is declared first, in respect of the Creature; secondly, of the Lamb: In respect of the Creature it is altogether unsearchable, as appeareth, partly from the signing of seven seals, ver. 1; partly from the testimony of all creatures, which after the inquiry proclaimed, and the thing was caused to be cried by the voice of the Angel, as it were of a common crier, ver. 2. then also after trial made at last, ver. 3. all do acknowledge their own unablenes. Of which lastly there is a sorrowful consequente, the weeping of John, which this imbecility, and despair to enjoy so excellent a good thing did wring out from him, ver. 4. In respect of the Lamb only it is able to be searched out as first an Elder showeth, who conforteth John, ver. 5. Secondly the Lābe coming at the same instant and taking the book, ver. 6.7; from whence at length ariseth the singular joy and thanksgiving of the whole Creature, but apart first of the Church, ver. 8.9.10. and of the Angels, ver. 11.12. After of the rest of the Creature, ver. 13. Last of all the Church together subscribing to the common joy & rejoicing of all things, ver, 14.

Scholions.

Afterward I saw at the right hand: the common translation hath In the right hand, as also the Interpreter of Aretas; but all the Greek copies with one consent have at the right hand. They peradventure have put it in the ablative case, because it followeth after in the seavēth verse, that the Lamb took the book from the right hand. But this is no sufficient cause to depart from the natural property of the words, when it may be that the weakness of the creatures might be made to appear the more, the book at the first was not in the right hand, but at the right hand: from whence if there were no power to open it being offered and laid before without asking, much less would there have ben any if he had held it in his hands. Afterward when the debility of the Creatures was found out, the book was taken into his hands, that the dignity of the Lamb might be the better known, not taking it up hastily lying at his side, but receiving it from hand to hand. As touching the intent of this vision, it seemeth good to the Spirit, after the lively representation of the true Church in the former chapter, (which was to be laid as the fundamēt of all the building following, before that he should come to the particular Prophesyes) to put men in mind of the incomprehensible excellency of this Prophecy, For we are wont, such is our slothfulness, to pass by very great and excellent things carelessly and sleepingly, unless peradventure somebody pull us by the ear, and require instantly diligence, mentioning the greatness of the thing. Least perchance the same thing should fall out in this place, he setteth before our eyes, that this is a Prophecy of that kind, which containeth in it all the dangers that at to be undergone of the Church through her whole race on earth, yet wrapped in so great obscurity, that no created mind can behold it a far off, much less unfolde the same to others. An argument in deed most worthy to be known, and far most pleasant of all things, opening to us the hidden Mysteries, with exceeding great desire whereof men are inflamed: or otherwise in searching out of them, they torment themselves rashly and in vain. And yet nevertheless it is not to be desired only for this cause to know it, but because also it containeth events of that moment, that it would be very hurtful and for rowfull to the Church, if they should wholly be concealed. Therefore John wept, being privy to the dangers, and together therewith also minding the lack of a guide.

And in deed the Church hardly holdeth on her course, though this lamp be given her: Howe miserable had she ben, left utterly in darkness, and not perceiving sufficiently either which way she should go forward, or where to set her foot safely? John therefore had had just cause to weep, if there had ben hope no where of opening the sealed book. But the sudden assault of grief, bereft the holy man of understanding, and suffered him not to think in whom there was ability, while at length he knew by the putting in mind of another. Therefore this Prophecy is famous for the worthiness of the argument, excellency of the Mystery, plenty of fruit, but far way most excellent, because he alone was found worthy to open the same, who by his death found out a redemption for the elect.

This is that thing for which the Church on earth, the Angels in Heaven, lastly the universal Creature rejoiceth greatly, and that not for a glorious show without the truth of the thing, as the manner is in human writings, in which the things are amplifyed for to adorn and set them forth, but from a true feeling and just cause of rejoicing, as hereafter we shall see through God's his help. In the mean time shall not this exceeding great joy of Heaven and Earth kindle in men a diligence to read, a desire to understand, and an endevoure to observe? It is in deed a thing worthy of our serious meditation, into which I have digressed and discoursed in many words, because I see that the Interpreters, either not to have marked the intendment of this chapter, or at the least, otherwise then was meet, to have spoken nothing at all, of a matter very needful and necessary.

A Book written within and on the backside: The first commendation of the Prophecy is from a Book, a copious writing, and Seaven Seals in this verse. That which is recorded in a Book, must without all controversy be certē, being a faithful helper of the memory: whereas that which is no otherwise grounded then only upon the memory, may easily in continuance of time, either be utterly extinguished, or at the least wise corrupted. Whereupon GOD biddeth Jeremiah, for the greater credit of that Prophecy, to write all the words that he spake unto him in a Book, in the thirty chapter of Jeremiah and in the 2. verse. So careful is he to provide against our doubting, that we should not think otherwise of the things, then of such as are written in public books, & graven as it were in brass, so as they can neither be altered nor forgotten. The plenteous writing is shown, in that the book was written within and on the back side, on both sides of the leaf. And he speaketh after the old manner of writing in somewhat long parchments, which afterward were wound about some round smooth piece of wood, frō whence they were called volumes, & Christ is said to have unrolled the book, and rolled it up again, as in Luke chapter 4 verse 17. And the outside (that I may use the words of the most learned Theod. Beza) always remained clean, unless the inside was not able to contain the whole writing, for then they wrote on the outward part; which sort of writings were called exterior writings, as being written on the back side. This so great prolixity therefore, did contain not only the chief points which peradventure might be included in some narrow place, but also every most small things: so that neither is there any need to seek and fetch ought from any other place, which pertaineth to the knowledge of future things: and that we know also that nothing can be done without the will of God. The Complutent edition and some others read without, but on the back side, is more often used: from whence is written on the back side, as we have shown a little before. Finally, howe precious are these Mysteryes, which God hath with himself, sealed up with so many seals?. The creatures could not so much as to look on the BOOKE, as is in the fourth verse, much less was there need of seals for to hid from them. But by these means he will declare and manifest, howe greatly we ought to reverence his secrets.

2 And J saw a strong Angel publishing; There is a great dignity of the Prophesy, from the certainty, largeness, & scaling up; but now a greater appeareth, seeing the highness thereof surmounteth every created Spirit. For it is not of that kind, which the more prudent sort of men can comprehend by any skillful foreknowledge, but wherein all must needs confess their ignorance. The which for to show, he alludeth to the manner of Princes, who in difficult things are wont by great rewards to provoke their subjects by the voice of a Cryer to try their strength, and there is almost none, whō in such business, some small hope will not thrust forward to make trial. If so be that no man cometh forth, what is this else, than an open confession of their imbecility. So the Angel is sent to inquire, who is worthy to opē the book? If no man offereth himself, let us acknowledge our own impotency, and the power of our Mediator: and together also let us honor with due reverence these holy mysteries: for which cause God causeth in us this feeling of our own want of power, as of old in Adam, before whō ere he gave him a wife, he set all creatures, that no fit helper being found, he might make the more account of the wife given him.

Who is worthy: He maketh not inquiry of the power and strength, but of the desert and worthiness. For even all the creatures if they should cōspire together, are able to do nothing, to wringe out perforce the things from God. Whatsoever we obtain, we enjoy it at his will and pleasure, and by entreaty, and the Lord being just in giving his things, regardeth their worthiness, upon whom he bestoweth his benefits: whom unless either their own, or an others just dignity shall commend, they can hope for no good thing from him. But if a bare foreknowledge of future things, shall be of so great importance, in what estimation is the knowledge of salvation to be had?

3 And no man was able: A free confession of the creature, that it is able to do nothing herein. Let them therefore look to it, who do make her a patronesse for thenselves in matters of greater moment. Why then should we mervayle if no man understandeth any of these things, not only among the Gentiles, although the most quickwitted of them, but also not in the whole Kingdom of the Papists, no not that blasphemously unerring Pope himself, with all his Seraphical Doctors, arrogating to them selves the victory of all knowledge, learning, prudence, and wisdom? These things surmount all human sharpness of wit, least peradventure thou reject rashly that which shall not please those our masters. And the distribution of things in heaven, in earth, and which are under the earth, may be understood frō the proclaiming of the Angel; he made enquiry who was worthy? Therefore the inquisition pertained not to the Devils, and souls punished for sins. For what hope or show of worthiness could be here? Therefore the things in Heaven, are the Angels; they in the earth, Men living: they which are under the earth, are the Saints sleeping in their graves. Whom he signifieth in this manner by that one part, which cometh nearer to our sense. In which respect Jacob saith, and I shall go down to my son mourning into the grave, Gen. 37.35. In these alone their might be some question. Therefore that place is to cold for to kindle a Purgatory.

Nor look thereon: for so hath Theod. Beza: the common translation hath look upon: I should rather turn, look in. For so the sentence increaseth: seeing this is greater, then not to open. The book could not be looked in, so long as it did remain sealed: whereupon the addition would be superfluous in this sense.

4 J wept therefore:) It is a lamentable thing in deed, that the Church should want the gift of Prophecy. But John bewrayed his infirmity, having forgot, or at least wise not minding, that nothing is so hidden that could be unknown to our chief Prophet, & of which he would not teach his Church, so far as should be expedient for his. Wherefore one of the Elders warning him that he should not weep, doth together with gentlely reprove his ignorance, or rather forgetfulness: as though it were a shameful thing for a teacher not to know that, which the common sort of the faithful should not be ignorant of.

5 Behold he hath obtained:) Many as it were contending, but one obtaining the victory before the rest. He seemeth to speak after the manner of the former proclamation, whereby the thing was put as it were to a public strife and trial, and in which Christ bare away the chief praise, yea the whole.

That Lyon of t • e: A circumlocution of Christ the King, fetched from Gen. 49.9. But what hath the Lyon to do with seals? Our sins did remove far frō us, all the mysteries of God: Which when Christ hath by his mighty power abolished, and conquered forever the enemies the Devil and death, worthyly with this name as a badge of the victory, he cometh forth to obtain that for us, which our enemies kept away.

The root of David; So hath Th. Beza translated rightly the Hebrew word, to which the Greke word answereth, and is some time taken for a root, as is in Isaiah: He groweth up as a tender plant before him, and as a root out of a dry ground, chap. 53.2. But a root properly groweth not out of the ground, but that which springeth from the root, nevertheless this in deed is such a root, that also together it is the root of David, that is, the fountain and wellspring from whence salvation and life flowe unto David: so that nothing can be more significant then this word, neither hath there been at any time any root besides of this kind; See Psalm. 101.1. Mat. 22.43. &c.

6 Then J looked and behold between the Throne:: Word for word in the Greek is in the middes of the Throne, as before in chap. 4.4. &c. The Lamb is in the middes of the Beasts and Elders, to wit, in the assembly of the faithful, in the middes of the Church.

A Lamb standing, as though he had ben killed: The Lamb is described by his triple off •• e: These words as th •• gh he hath ben flame, pertain to his Priesthood, being eternal through the eternal power of his death: Seaven horns, declare him to be a Kinge: Seaven eyes (which are so many Spirits) and the taking of the book, show him to be the chief Prophet. The skarre of a deadly wound is a token that he once died, and teacheth that the Father doth give all things to his Church for the merit and through the beholding of it. For this is it whereby our Priest once entering into the holy place, hath obtained eternal redemption: Heb. 9.12. And in that he hath once gat redemption for the elect, shall he not also obtain all things for us, that may avayle any way for our good? The seven horns is that supreme power, whereby the man Christ sitting at the right hand of the Father, ruleth and governeth all things according to that, which Christ being raised frō the dead, said to his disciples, all power is given me in heaven and in earth. Mat. 28.18. Therefore that most meek Lamb wanteth not those weapons, whereby he chaseth away his enemies, althoug by his great patience he seemeth not to regard the injuries which they do. And thou mayest observe, that it is not needful that the parables and similitudes should agree in all things, seeing here to the Lamb contrary to nature are attributed seven horns and as many eyes, that is, gifts of the Spirit wherewith Christ endueth the faithful. They are sent from him, seeing no man can be partaker even of the least gift, unless he bestow it on them. For God heareth not sinners: but from his fullness we all receive: and he being gone to his Father, sendeth the Conforter unto his, which leadeth them into all truth, as in the Gospel of John chapter sixteen ver. seventh and thirteen. A visible token whereof were once the cloven tongues like fire sitting upon the Apostles, and that miraculous gift of speaking suddenly with other tongues Act. 2.3. &c.

With which faculty not only the Apostles were endued, but afterward also others embracing the faith. Neither are they only sent into all the world, that they may confer the comfortable knowledge of salvation to the Elect: But that CHRIST may search out all things that are done in his Church, yea which are done in any other place of the world. Wherefore howe great impudency is it to thrust upon the Church a visible head, seeing the LAMBE is furnished with so many eyes, neither hath them idle and unoccupied, but sendeth them forth with all diligence into the whole world? The care of Christ taketh not indeed away the Ministers, either Ecclesiastical or Political, which he hath ordained: But to fain and invent a new kind and degree, and that under a pretence that CHRIST is absent, is proper only to that man, who is directly opposite to Christ.

As touching the words; some Copies read, as is noted in the Greek Bibles lately set forth at Frankeford, which are, that the relative may be referred as well to the horns, as to the eyes. After which manner also Aretas readeth this verse. And the Horns may be said to be sent into the whole world, when CHRIST putteth forth his power in succouring his own servants, and destroying his enemies.

But it agreeth more properly to the eyes, which when we turn toward any thing, we are said to cast them upon the same.

7 He came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat on the throne: There is a double consideration of Christ, one so far as of the eternal God sitting together in the Throne with the Father, chap. 4. ver. 3. The other so far as he is of the Mediator attending on the throne and prepared and ready to perform those things which make for the salvatiō of his people. There is the like regard of the Spirit, who as he is the Eternal God partaker of the Throne, compassing the same about, as in the fourth chap. and third verse. But according as he sanctifieth the Church with created gifts, there are seven Spirits before the Throne, seven burning Lamps, seven Horns, and seven eyes.

8 Having everyone Harps and vials: A rejoicing and thanksgiving of the Church for this great benefit of taking and unsealing the Book. Therefore they take unto themselves fit and proper instruments for this purpose, Harps and Vials, that is to say, Prayses and thanksgiving. For Vials full of odors are the harts of the Saints, which the Spirit hath filled with a fervent desire of calling upon GOD: the Harps pertain to gladness of mind: and rejoicing in prayers is the very thanksgiving.

But he alludeth to the manner of the Temple, where the LEVITES praised GOD with Musicall Instruments, and the PRIESTES had their Pottes and Bowles set before the Altar, full of odors, as we read in the Prophet Zacharias chap. 14. ver. 20.

Which are the prayers of the Saints: He speaketh not of the offerring of prayers for the dead, which are made of them that are alive on the earth, but as I have shown in the former chapter, all that which is attributed to the Beasts & Elders declareth what exercises the Saints go about with all diligence in the militant Church. So also after in verse 10. And we shall reign, say the Elders, upon the earth, not preaching, doubtless, the Kingdom of the souls departed, but of the holy men on earth. The hearts of these as golden vials do breath out and yield up praises and thanks for those great benefits, which are obtained for us by Christ. If the Elders of • er only the prayers of other men, as the Jesuit interpreteth, they should be dumb in the common joy of all things. Nay rather the benefit is theirs: for they themselves shall reign, say they: therefore they offer not other mens, but their own prayers.

9 And they sung a new sunge: It is called a new song, in respect of more plentiful grace ministered now since Christ hath ben exhibited, then was in old time under the shadows of the Law. The ancient people did not praise the man Christ so openly and clearly, before he had taken unto him our flesh, as at this day the faithful do praise him clothed with o • r nature; from whence not without cause this more manifest praising is called a new sung. But he alludeth unto the manner of the Law, where new & greater benefits are celebrated in new forms of praises, conceived of purpose; whereupon there is so often mention of a new song in the book of Psalms.

And hast redeemed us; Therefore the Beasts and Elders are men redeemed by the blood of Christ: neither in deed some twelve chief men of the Jews, and as many Christian twelve Apostles, with the four Evangelists. (For this whole company was not chosen out of every Tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation, but out of the nation of the Jews only) but of all the faithful in every place: all which this holy company and bande mustered indifferently from all places of the world, do worthyly note out, as we have observed upon the fourth verse of the 4. chapter. And it is said significantly, out of every Tribe &c. not all Tribes &c. because all men are not redeemed by the blood of Christ, but only the elect, as Aretas hath well observed. 10 And hast made us to our God Kings; Some copies do read them, & so this whole verse in the third person: but Aretas, and the common Latin translation, do read in the first person: we have expounded these things before. But why do they mention this benefit in the cause of taking the book? Because it is proper in deed to a Kingly power, to prevail with God, and to bear away those things from him, whereof lately they had no power nor ability. Wherefore they sing that they are made Kings to God, as though they should say, that they not only are Kings, because they have subdued Death, Sin, and the Devil, but chiefly because they have God regarding their commodityes, & keeping nothing from them, which any way may make for their good. This is that Kingly power, most noble in deed and always to be praised. But where they say, they shall reign on earth, from hence that is evident, which even now we said at the eight verse, that this is the company of the militant Church reigning on earth. For why should the Saints in Heaven having attained heavenly glory rejoice in an earthly dominion?

11 And I heard round about the Throne and the Beasts: The glorifying of the Angels, who apart from the Church praise God, of whom there is another consideration thē of men redeemed by the blood of Christ: for these being fallen are restored, and they, are upheld that they fall not. And therefore are placed without the circuit of the Throne & the Elders: to whom yet they are next, on every side garding the Church, both that they may watch for her safety, and also may rejoice in her behalf, for her prosperity. From whence in the seconde place is rehearsed their gratulation, as though they would learn every day more and more from the Church, the incomprehensible mystery of redemption, in which they behold with such earnest desire, 1 Pet. 1.12.

A thousand hundred thousand. The common translation hath not these words a thousand hundred thousand: but Aretas, the Complutent edition, and other copies read them. And so in Daniel 7.10. from whence this place seemeth to have ben taken, albeit the Jesuit will have nothing to be added in the common translation, of such purity is it. But where ought to be a greater number, then where every kind of Creature which is in Heaven and beneath, with one consent agree to praise the Lamb, ver. 13? Therefore he had better covered his shame, if he would rather confess freely the defect, then to defend a manifest fault.

12 To receive power: Worthy is the Lamb that was killed, that nothing should be so heard, which his power may not overcome: for he hath deserved by his death in such sort that he should have power over all things. Therefore by right all praise is given unto him as to the most mighty, most rich, most wise &c. the common translation for riches readeth Godhead, without the authority of any Greek copyes. Notwithstanding it must be so, because so it seemeth to the Jesuits, that the old Jnterpreter hath followed always the more corrected copies. I would pass by such things, if the impudency of the adversaries did not compel me to make them manifest, at least in a word.

13 And the whole creature: All the Creature rejoice at this Prophecy, evē they also which are void of reason, because from thence they may perceive plainly, that there shall be an ende at length to their labors. Which time they expect with earnest affection, much desyring to be freed from this yoke of vanity, Rom. 8.21.

And which are on earth: in the Greek it is and which are in the earth, that is to say, which live in the overmost part of the earth, and under the earth, which lie hid in the most inward bowels. The whole creature expecteth a renovation, not only that which showeth it self abroad & is to be seen, but also which lieth hid within in secret. But seeing here he speaketh of creatures void of reason (for it was spoken before of the whole kind of reasonable creatures) who would had from hence built and erected Purgatory, but men void of reason? But for want of other guests, they are compelled to stuff their Popish banqueting chamber with brute beasts.

And which are in the Sea, and all things which are in them: The common translation corruptly hath it thus, And which are in the Sea, and which are in it: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , by a change of gender, whereby figuratively persons are attributed to the things created: See Theod. Beza.

14 And the four Beasts; The beginning & the end of the thanksgiving is attributed to the Church, because this benefit doth most of all belong to her. Therefore her glorifying is double, one whereby she goeth before all the rest in praising: the other whereby she accordeth with the rejoicing creature. But the four & twenty Elders follow the leading of the Beasts, as it is wont to be done in the Church, where the people speaketh to God, not so much in their own, as in the Ministers words, and yield themselves wholly to his government to be ruled, as touching religions and manner of worship, as we have observed in chap. 4.9.10.

The Analysis.

SVCH is the Excellency of this Revelation: The Events do follow, which first are the Seals: secondly the Trumpets: lastly the Vials. For all the rest of the Prophecy is distinguished into three notable periode • , which contain the chief alterations to come in the world, even unto the coming of Christ, everyone of which again is divided into seven points, so as from the last of the former ariseth always the whole sequent period. As touching the Scales, there is in everyone a certain preparation, afterward the type of the future things. And the preparation is partly common, whereby the Lamb openeth each one in order, partly proper to the four first, which besides have an inviting by one of the four Beasts to come and see. There be six types of this chapter (for so many seals are opened) a white horse, ver. 2. a read ver. 4. a black ver. 5. a pale ver. 8. The cry of the souls ver, 9.10.11. and great earthquake, to the ende of the chapter.

Analysis.

After J beheld when the Lamb had opened the first of the seals: Now the Spirit entereth into the events, which will instruct us touching all the changings succeeding by course in the world, as far as is expedient for the Church, and which are of any moment, unto the last end of all things. A great matter and chiefly necessary to be known: but such as into which no understanding of mortal man can penetrate. Therefore whom in the beginning I have prayed unto, him do I call upon again, having gone forward in some part by his alone grace, that he will grant me happily to make an ende of the things that remain, who hath granted me so to begin, as I am persuaded is agreeing with his truth. Thou therefore most holy and most wise Lamb, who alone hast deserved to take & unscale the book, and not to that ende that thou shouldest have these secretes for thyself alone, but that thou shouldest communicate them with thy Church, as far as shall be for her profit, grant, I pray thee, unto me thy most unworthy servant according to thy bounteousnesse, that perceiving clearly what hidden and secrete things these seals contain, I may reveal the same holily unto the world, to the edification of thy Church, the ruin of Antichrist, and the glory of thine own name, to be published unto all ages, Amen. In that we have distinguished the Events into three ranks, we have the Spirit himself for our author joining the trumpets to the seals, & the vials to the trumpets, in such sort, as that always the first thing of that which followeth, do arise out of the last of that which went before. Therefore they bring in darkness upon themselves, who do thrust together into one, the seals, the trumpets, the vials, and also the seven Candlesticks, so as each one of every order should be joined one to another in equal degree, as if the Father & the Sons should be equal, & should run together the same term of years. Furthermore seeing the seals ar as it were promises of future things, the truēpets adversities approaching with great noise: the vials, things that are poured upon men by little and little, and come upon them unwarres, as we shall after see, & overwhelm them: it seemeth not to be convenient, to cōfound these contrary things together, so that the thing should be promised and accomplished all at once: and that the same thing should be done openly and secretly at the same moment of time: but let us come to the words.

When he had opened (saith he) one Seal, that is to say, the first, as Theod. Beza translateth it: for after followeth, the second, third, &c. And so the Hebrews everywhere use to speak. But before I proceed to the things that are behind, that cold comment of the Jesuit is to be removed, who thinketh that the opening of the book is something diverse from opening of the seals: as though nothing in the book could be read and shown unto us, before that all the seals should be opened. Which opinion verily feigneth unto us I know not what book, of which we have received never a word written, neither do we understand from thence ought touching things to come. For the Revelation hath nothing more besides the opened seals For out of them the trumpets come forth, and again out of them the vials, as we have advertised in the resolution, so as all the rest of the Prophecy is limited with those things, that are contained in the seals, as we shall prove by manifest arguments in their places. If therefore after all the seals opened he hath found out some book to be read, it is Apocryphe that is a hid book, the original and authority whereof is not known, & which peradventure may lie hid in the coffer of the breast of their Pope, but which to read and know the Church hath nothing to do. Furthermore it is needful for the clearer understanding of the periodes, first the terms of time wherein things are finished and every several article of them, to set down some entrance, from whence we must begin: which surely we judge to be by and by after this writing of John. For that saying of the fourth chapter ver. 1. I will show thee the things that must be done hereafter, calleth back John both to that moment of the Revelation given, & also teacheth to count from thence all things which are delivered in the book following. Therefore there is no need to have recourse unto the first ages of the world, nor unto the Monarchies, nor unto the times of Christ or the Evangelists, or in any such thing of the age past: but John writing this Revelation by the commandment of God about the ende of the Empire of Domitian (as Irenaeus showeth in his 5 book against heresies, & Eusebius out of Irenaeus in the 3 book of his Ecclesiastical History chap. 18. At the ende of the reign of Domitian, about the ninety seventh year from the birth of Christ) we think the beginning of the Seals, to wit of the first period is to be set at that time, from whence we shall see every ech thing which followeth to flowe with a ready course stopped and stayed with no uneven places. The event in the unfolding will show what is the limit of every Periode. These things being thus established, let us return unto the declaration of the words, afterward we shall see the thing it self and coherence thereof. The first preparation is of the Lamb opening the first seal. For he is the word of the Father, who doth minister unto us whatsoever understanding we have of God's will. And the events are called Seals, both because they contain a mystery most hidden from the understanding of the profane multitude Isaiah 8.16. and also because these first experimēts should be pledges of future things. Not that we should unders • and these to be bare forshewings of things and empty promises, who do only denounce the troubles in word, the execution whereof is commanded in some other place in this book (for that is nowhere to be found) but that they are signs of that kind, which bring together with them their e • ecution, and do give a firm pledge of future things. He openeth the seal • in order one after another, and not all together with one labor, both because the manner of the things to be don • did so require, & that also the whole Prophecy was not to be uttered at once, but to be drawn 〈◊〉 piece-meal, as it w • re for ab ••• ty of a d • yly p • ttance. The second p •• p •• tion is of one of the four Beast • , calling John to come and see. And this one Beast is the first, to wit a Lion, Chap. 4. • . But the ••• st • are Go ••••• of the Churches, as hath ben observed in the foresaid pl • ce • ho • e labo •• G • d useth to instruct others. These call men to see and obs ••• e, • ot on • lie b • ca • se it is their office to forewarn the Chu • ch of th ••• that • re to • o • e to pass, whether good or bad: but especially • ee • 〈…〉 thing • next to come, should be notable through their faithfulness & di •••• nce in this ••• ter. But the Lion speaketh first, because they w • ich fir • t • h •• beg •• ne the cōbate, should have like courage & success, no • less pr • v • ili • g in th •• t • ey go about, then Lions making their pray. The voice is, • n it 〈…〉 •• der, penetring very far that it might be heard of many. C ••• saith he, & see, speaking to John, representing now the person of the faithful, who likewise should be stirred up by the voice of the ministers to observe th • se wonderful events: which thing also is common to the three s •• es following, that being once spoken here, it may be understood in the rest.

2 J beheld therefore, and loe a white horse: The first type is a white horse, and the sitter on him with a bow and a crown. As touching the horse, he is a warlike and swift beast: to which worthily God compareth his actions, both here & in other places, because with great courage & swiftness, they will break through, whatsoever men shall make against. Zach. 6. The white color is joyful, proper to some famous solemnity, as in the triumph of Diocletian and Maximian: After, saith Pomponius Letus, the chariot of the triumphers of gold and precious stones, which four horses drew, comparable in whitnesse with the snow. But a rider is attributed to this and the rest, that we may know that they wander not up and down rashly at their pleasure, but are ruled and governed by the rains of God's Providence. And it may easily be gessed what manner of sitter it is from the analogy of the 8. verse. For there he is noted by name, that sitteth on the pale horse, whose name, seeing it is death, his name may be life or truth, that hath so noble and pleasant a form. But whereas he is furnished with a bow and crown and went forth conquering that he might overcome, by the same things is signified, that an assault far of shall be made, and that a notable victory shall ensue thereof: which should not vanish away with the present success, but should even also flourish with future happiness. For a bow is a weapon of that kind, as with which the enemies are hi • te both far and near. But the Crown is a token of victory, so as both in the horse & sitter on him, all things are joyous & prosperous. So is the interpretation of the words, wherewith the History doth agree so wonderfully, that no picture doth more lively represente his pattern, then the type of this seal, the condition of those times. We know that while Traiane was Emperor, after John was gone from Pa • mos to Eph • sus, that is by and by after the Revelation was written, a most lamentable persecution waxed very hot and fierce, which raging even unto the fourteenth year, at length by the letters of Pliny second Proconsull of B • thy • ia, it was some • hat quenched and mitigated. Neverthel • ss • the first Beas • had not yet spoken. For Pliny was a heathen man and no member of the Ch • rch, much less the chief ruler. Neither s ••• d the trouble wholly through his admonition, only this was obtained, that the Christians should not be searched for unto punishment, but only should be punished whē they were brought unto the Governors & accused, Eus. Feel. Hist. book. • . 33. Wherefore the fight yet continued, & Traiā being dead, a few years after it waxed more fierce under Adriā: who at length going on with rage unto the destructiō of the name of Christians, the Lion roared out, even the first Beast, as the thūder. For God raised up Quadratus the Bishop of Athens, & also A • stides a Philosopher citizen of the same city, who as liōs stoutly regarding not the danger of their life in respect of the good of the Church, spake to Adriā by Apologies, then also in face, pleaded the cause of the Christians. By which the minds of the faithful were raised up with attente of the event, & not in vain, seeing frō thence followed a great change forthwith. For the white horse & his sitter with a bow & crown went forth: that is, the truth triūphed joyfully whē the Emperor being overcome by the oration of those godly men did ordain, that no Christian should be condemned, unless he were convicted of some crime, punisheable by the Civile laws. This was a manifest victory of the truth, and a great token of future hapines, Euseb. Hist. book 4 ch. 3. But her power was more excellent under the next Emperor, Antonin Pius: about the beginning of whose Empire, the Christians being again miserably oppressed from the former hatred, at length Justin Martyr Leo, administering the word of God in the habit of a Philosopher, (as saith Euseb. book 4.11.) wrote Apologies for the Christians unto Antonin, to his sons, and to the Senate of Rome: whereby he effected God working together with him, that it was enacted by public decree, that no man should trouble Christians in that respe • t, because they were Christians, but if any would proceed to molest them, the ac • us • d, us • d should be free and absolved from the accusation, although found to be such a one, but the accus • r should be made subject to punishment: as it appeareth by the Decree of the same Antonin, in Justin and Euseb. book 4.13. Now surely the truth triumphed wearing a crown, and the Emperors did lie down b • ing stricken by the bow, who seemed to be far beyond the lot of private men. Yea in the most remote countryer one Apology being thrown, the enemies were so restrained, that they could attemp nothing against the truth. The same Justin also by his most learned writings, stopped the mouths of the Jews and Grecians, so as the victory of the truth was famous, Euseb. book 4.18. Therefore this time next after John excellent for Apologies, & joyful fruit of the persecution stayed, is the voice of the Lyon, the first Beast, and that only pleasant solemnity, which the truth did keep, being sit on the white horse with the bow and crown.

3 And when he had opened the second Seal; So is the first Seal. The second as touching the Lābe that openeth it, there is nothing new. But the Beast is another, namely an Ox, whose place was the seconde, in chap. 4 7. And we know that this beast is borne to labor; not to be compared with the Liō in the glory of overcoming: yet far more noble in the praise of enduring sorrow. Neither is the voice here so terrible and roaring, as was that of the thundering Lion, but vulgar and common: whence he saith that he heard the second beast, saying, which yet should have his force to stir up men to hearken to the event.

4 And another horse came forth that was read: The second type is a read horse, & the sitter upon him, to whom was given a great sword. Of the horse we spake at the second verse. That fiery color signifieth war, contentions, slaughters blood, as in Isaiah: Who is this that cometh from Edom, with stieped garments from Bozrah? Wherefore art thou red in thy garments, and thine apparel as of him that treadeth in the wine press? chap. 63.1. The sitter on him is furnished with power, because he should order the matter, not at his own pleasure, but by an others commandment. Power is given, partly by word, partly by sign. By word. leave being granted to take peace from the earth. For so the verb 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to take, is taken for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , to take away, as we have observed before in chap. 3.11. But the Earth in opposed to Heaven. And seeing Heaven in this book doth note out the true and holy Church, as after it shall be manifest, the earth contrariwise signifieth the ungodly world, from which peace is taken, and not from the Church. Which is yet more plain from the declaration of the power, which proceedeth so far, that it should set mē together by the ears, to kill one another, as these words show, that one should kill another, but the Church avengeth not her self by slaughter of the enemies, much less by a certain fury in murdering her own friends. But this butchery one of another groweth from the strifes and battles among the Gentiles, whereby one should run headlong to an others destruction. Wherefore it is not here spoken of the persecution of the Church, but of the tempest of wars, wherewith the whole world should be shaken. Which is declared to be very great by the sign and Instrument of the power, that is a great sword given to the sitter on the horse. Which thing came to pass, after that Antoninus Pius was dead. For his son Marcus Aurelius, Antoninus Verus, by name a Philosopher, by deed a great enemy of the truth, being blinded with the Heathens superstition, moved a merciless persecution against Christians. Which that the second Beast might restrain he uttered a voice. For Justin sent a second Apology to the Emperor, Euseb. book 4.16. of the Eccl. Hist. Melito Bishop of Sardi, & Apolinarius Bishop of Hierapolis do the same, pleading earnestly the cause of the Christians, in books written to the same Emperor, Euseb. Hist. book 4.26. But the Emperor more learned then his Father, less godly, received the defense with deaf ears. From hence the voice of this Beast became the voice of an Ox, as which prevailed not, as before the voice of the Lion did prevail. But the Beast nevertheless after his lowing did bear a grievous yoke of the former calamity. Justin himself, before in strength a Lion, now in patience an Ox, killed for Christ his sake, obtained the name of Martyr Euseb. Hist book 4. 16. The residue did mourn under the cross, without any rest given them. Notwithstanding howsoever the voice prevailed not to appease the cruelty, yet it was instead of an alarm to warn, the faithful howe great evil was like to come shortly upon the world for their cruel hard • ing against the truth. Peace shall be taken away straiteway from men; seeing it should be most just, that they which would refuse eternal peace, should not also enjoy this earthly; and they which so greedily thirsted after innocent blood, should be satiated at length with their own blood. Therefore by and by all things are on fire w •• wars. The Parthians now first of all • af •• Tr • ian • fall away f ••• he Romans. Thither the brother of the Emperor goeth, be in ad ••• as a ••• forte to the Empire, and at length a very great disconfiture 〈…〉 he returneth home with triumph; to whom this felicity was bu • 〈…〉 , being suddenly dead of an Apoplexi • , wh • le he sat with his brot • er in the chariot: Eutrop. Brev. book 8. Shortly after arose the war of the people of Bohemia: so great as there hath not been the like in any time, as the s •• e Eurropius saith, worthily to be compared with the wars of Ca • th • g • : which together with the Bohemians, the Q •• d •• , Vand •• s, the Sar ••• es, and Su • ves, and all Barbary, from the C •••• e of Pa •• onia even to the middes of the Gaulles. Ho •• e mis • table was then the face of things, the same author d • scribeth excellently after thi • manner: For, saith he, there was not rest anywhere from war, and through all the East, Illyr •• um, Italy, France, battayles were hotly applied: these were earthquakes, not without the destruction of cities, inundations of rivers, often pestilence, kinds of locusts hurtful to the fields: so as nothing at all almost whereby mo ••• ll men are wont to be wasted with very great sorrows, can be spoken or thought, which raged not when Antoninus was Emperor. Those are his words. It was a great and cruel sword which was moist & drunken with so much blood. If any do think that war was no strange thing to the Romans, neither to be like to be true, that a thing so common and •• uall should here be signified, let him compare the Empire of this Antoninus with theirs which went before: he shall see that the war had •••• ed by the Providence of God for a long space, to the end that this judge •• ent of God, when it should come to pass, might be more famous. A •••• us his father governed the whole world by his sole authority, no war being made for the space of three and twenty years. Sextus, Aurelius Vul • r: Had • ianus also had peace the whole time of his empire, except that once only he fought by his Vice-Roy; Eutrop. Brev. book 8. Was not the thing worthy observatiō, that after the peace of 44. years, all places should be suddenly troubled with the burning flame of wars? Every man seeth that there is so great agreement of all things, namely of the Prophecy, Time and Event, that it cannot be doubtful, but that the Spirit pointed as it were with the finger to this only thing. Tertul. in his Apol. that a notable peace was granted at length to the Cristians by this Emperors decree: but this came to pass after the war of the Marcomanes, in which having tried the singular help of God against the enemies by the prayers of the Christians who were soldiers in his army, he could not but provide at length for their safety, who had brought health both to him self and also to his Empire. And yet he lived not longe after this war, the next year after the triumph departing this life.

5 And when he had opened the third seal &c. The Beast of the third seal is a man, chap. 4.7. mighty in reason & experience of things. Not but that the former Beasts were of this same force also and power, but because this should be the chief thing wherein the third Beast should excel. The voice also of this is more obscure, then was that of the first: which yet should be sufficient to teach the faithful what punishment God would take of the world for their sake.

T ••• I beh • ld, •• d lo • a bla • ke horse: The third type is a black horse, the sitter on w ••• he ••• th in • i • ha •• ••• es, being commanded to bring in a dearth all •• 〈◊〉 the B ••• s, yet so as he should not hurt wine and oil. Therefore as • oa •• ng this • orse the bl •• • olour fitly agreeth to the hunger starvē, who 〈◊〉 a body • ithout blood • ithout juice, & without color: as Ier. Lam. 〈…〉 pure th • •• o • • ow is their bew • y become more dark then 〈…〉 8. Also through hunger the eyes are dim, & covered with da •••• 〈…〉 eyes rece • ed light, whē he had put his hand to his mouth. 1 S •• . •• .28 〈…〉 which the s •• ter hath in his hands, is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , w •• 〈…〉 to wit the beam of the balāce, on which the s • oles do hāge 〈…〉 the whole. A s •• instrument for famine, seeing 〈…〉 as weighed.

6 A • d I 〈…〉 : Th • s v •••• is the 〈◊〉 being in the middes of the Beasts: ch. 5 6 〈…〉 uni •• s • ll administratiō of things bei • g 〈…〉 B • t se •• ng this voice is •••• d, among the Bea •• , neither as 〈◊〉 go •• out frō 〈…〉 • lace by the same is signif • ed th •• the very 〈…〉 , but yet which alone should know the co •• ll 〈…〉 .

A measure of whe •• &c. The Inter ••• 〈…〉 he ••• en quātity of this measure some give to it 3 〈…〉 8. •• esichius 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 are as it were • ood divided: which in one word 〈◊〉 called commonly Dem • ns • on, a s •• m •••• re of corn. Atheneus spea • eth • ore d •• inctly of it in his 3 book D •• opsi, showing for how long a t • me this allowanc • was, calling it the s • stenance for one day. Aristophanes in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 bring • th somewhat a more full light where 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 twitting the servants, saith whom I have taught to fashion four loaves of bread to a Choenix, to wit, a measure of corn. Therefore Chocnix containeth so much corn, as would suffice to make four loaves.

The Scholiast addeth, that four great loaves were made of a Choenix, and 8 small ones: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signify corn in general, in this place wheat, or meal of wheat, a dearer provision then barley, three measures of which are not sold for more then one of wheat; for a penny, understand shall be fold, or some like word. Denarius is a latin word, being worth ten pieces of silver. The ancient writers make it equal in weight & value to the Attike drachma, that is seven pence. It is of three kinds, as some will have it, one of which is worth after our account seven pence, another eight, another ten. And thus much of the corn: as touching the other sustenance, he saith, and oil and wine, hurt not. The latin translations read the words being displaced, thus, and wine & oil hurt not: the meaning is, yet wine and oil hurt not, after the manner of the Hebrews, the copulative being put discretively. The words wine & oil cannot be referred unto those that went before, as though he should say, a measure of wheat shall be sold for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny, likewise wine and oil for a penny: Junius on this place, thou shalt not do unjustly, for the words oil & wine are the accusative case of the following words thou shalt not hurt, and not the nominative going before the verb, as the words, measure and measures are. Wherefore all succor for life should not be taken away, but only necessary things should be diminished. Oil and wine which serve for delicious dainties, should be left unhurt, because it had seemed good to God to punish the poorer sort first, the Princes and states being reserved as dainties from famine to the pestilence. For whom the famine could not consume, because of their riches and abundance, those the pestilence should eat up and should kill with a speedy death, as in the seal following. So are the words. The event is not so plainly mentioned of the History-writers, as were to be wished, who do gather only the more notable things, and do easily pass over for the most part things vulgar and common, especially, when as this famine consisted only in the scarcity of corn, & not in a dearth of all victuals: Yet God would have some tokens of it to be apparent, as far as might suffice to set out of danger the truth of the Prophecy. Commodus the son of Antoninus did succeed his father, who being Emperor there was given by the mercy of God some breathing: I think, because frō the Emperor himself alone, man kind should have plague and pestilence enough. Pertinax & Julian follow: both of a short reign, and therefore less hurtful. At length Severus enjoyeth the Dominion, a cruel author of a most grievous butchery, whether of his own accord, or by the instigation of other men. Then the third Beast cried out, admonishing the faithful that God would punish the wicked loathing spiritual food with a great penury of the sustenance of this life. For Tertullian, whō by right thou mayest call a Man excelling in wit in good judgment and in learning, who hath almost as many arguments as words, who through anger falling away unto the Heresy of Montanus, by his infirmity also shown, that nothing pertaining to a man, was alienate from him: this Tertullian, I say, sent a most learned Apology written against the Gentiles, to the Nobles of Rome, by which at least secretly, as writeth Franciscus Zephyrus, they might have knowledge of the common cause of Christians, seeing that openly they might not. Neither did he think that only the Princes of the Roman Empire were to be called upon of him generally, but also by name Scapula the President of Cartage, if peradventure he might tame by these means his cruel mind. He showeth him the true cause of the public calamities, to wit, that the wicked world by persecuting the truth, did bring upon themselves those sterilities, that after sowing time the harvests were lost, that deluges arysing from showers of rain and fearful tempests marred all things. For so he speaketh, Yet we must needs be grieved, because no city shall carry away scot-free the shedding of our blood: and also as under Hilarianus the President, when concerning the floors of our burials, thy cried together, they shall not be treshing floors, they were not their floors. For they have not done their harvests. Which words show plainly, that there was great barrenness in those times, when as there were no harvests: and therefore as it seemeth, those floors were given to the Christians, wherein they might bury their dead, when through the great barrenness they were to no use for to lay up corn. And why should we not acknowledge here the black horse, seeing the Sun in the assembly at Utica, had almost quite lost his light, and that not by an extraordinary eclipse, but being placed in his high and exaltation? as witnesseth the same Tertullian to Scapula. Neither did this want of sustenance torment only the wicked Gentiles, but also did trouble the Christians, for God will have worldly goods to be common to the profane: and afflictions to his own children, that all of like fellowship might prove both his lenity and severity: Tertul. in his Apol. So then the event doth agree with the Prophecy, punishing the world with another scourge, even famine, which could not be raised from their drowsiness with that great sword and destruction of wars. The Jesuit will have the black horse to be understood of Heretics, although according to his wonted error, he hath no regard of the time. For he referreth these things to the fortieth year of the Lord, when Matthew wrote the Gospel: wherein he passeth over the bounds set of the Angel, I will show thee the things, which must be done hereafter, chap. 4.1. Many Heretics indeed arose in the time of that respite which the Church enjoyed under Commodus, as Montanus and others of that sort: but seeing the former Horse, & that which followeth, do note bodily calamities inflicted upon the world for iniuryes and violence offerred to the truth, it were unmeete to transfer this which is placed between them, into another kind, especially seeing there is a manifest consent of the History. Neither must we think that a famine belonging to the common people, is a lighter matter, then that it should be meet that men should be forewarned of it. For it was the purpose of the Spirit, to appointe these first calamities as pledges of the following Prophecy: from whence they are called, Seals, as it were confirmations of the other things which are to be delivered, that the truth of these predictions being perceived, which should follow in the next times, the faithful might be no less without doubt touching those things which are to be expected in the last ages. Therefore these Seals, are as the three kiddes, three loaves of bread, a bottle of wine, Likewise a Viole, a Tymbrell, a Pype, and a Harp, with which men meeting Saul, made a more undoubted persuasion in him, touching the promised Kingdom.

7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth Beast: The fourth Beast is an Eagle, flowing on high, and little esteeming the things that are on earth, chap. 4.7. He standeth in equal degree with the last former Beasts, and do not attain that power of the first, whose roaring sounded out like thunder. Yet nevertheless by his Eagles cry he instructeth the faithful touching the evil to come, whom he biddeth come and see howe great destruction should come upon the world by and by.

8 And behold a pale horse: The fourth type is a pale Horse, the Sitter on whō is described by his Name, Follower, and the business committed to him. The color of the Horse is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , which properly signifieth being green, & a thing so green as grass: Some time it is taken for the deformity of herbs waxing dry, which have lost their color, from whence it is taken for palenes, which is the color of a thing withered, as pale fear, because fear maketh men pale: and Constance the Father of Constantine the great, was called Chlorus for his palenes, as saith Zonaras in Diocletian. That sickly color doth very well become the Horse on whose back sitteth Death himself: where he that sat, is used for to him that sat. Which kind of speaking is according to the Hebrews, as was observed chap. 2.26. Although least any should think it to be against the rule of Grammar, and through his own ignorance impute barbarism to the holy writer, we have also examples in other tongues of most eloquent authors. Livius speaketh thus, The learned, saith he, in religions and common law, when duo ordinarij Consules, two ordinary Cōsuls of that year, one perished by the sword, the other by sickness, denied that the substituted CONSULL could have an assembly of people to choose officers. Where duo ordinarij Consules, is put for duorum ordinariorum Consulum, that is, of two ordinary cōsuls. So Salust. Therefore in the beginning Kings (for that was the first name of Governement on the earth) being diverse, part exercised their wit, part their body. Many things of this sort are noted of learned men, of whom also it is observed that this manner of speaking is very usual with the Grecians. First, to the rider the name Death is given. From the proportion whereof names also be given to the former, so as he that sitteth on the white horse, may be called truth: on the red horse, war: on the black horse, famine: Which I do mentione, because I see that some little to the purpose, do fain here the Devil and I know not what others to be the Sitters. Now the Sitter is named Death, for excellency sake, both because the plague of this seal should bring more swifte destruction, and also because it should annoy with moe kinds of killing. The third scourge of God is wont to be the Pestilence as in Ezekiel. That they shall fall by the sword, by famine, and pestilence, chap. 6.11. The which notwithstanding is not here made the captain of the rank, but only, mustered into the place of an ordinary soldier, as we shall see by and by. The companion or rather waiting made of Death is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : which in latin is commonly translated Hell, but it would be more fitly translated Grave, which also the Greek word signifieth, & so it ought to be understood in this place: especially seeing many holy men should die together with the rest, whom it were a wicked think to judge to be swallowed up of the Hell of the damned. For as touching that the Jesuit doth think, that Hell doth follow to devour Traiane, whom he will have to be this Sitter, we shall see in the applying howe fond a thing it is: that I may not say how carelessly he mixed and confoūdeath all things, who bringeth again to Traiane the Prophecy which was passed beyond Severus. Secondly power is given to the Sitter, and together also is limited with his bounds, and there was given them: where some books do read the order being changed, and power was given to him over the fourth parth of the earth, and the common Latin translation, for the fourth part of the earth, readeth, over four parts of the earth: by these means the whole world being made subject to their dominion, against the consent of all the Greek copies. But now it is a detestable thing to think after the Tridentine Decree, that the commō trāslatiō was not corrected according to the best Greek copies. Although a good sense in deed may be drawn from the words, that the four partes of the earth, may note the largeness of the countries in which the destruction should go on with rage: even as the fourth part of the earth; the multitude of men which should perish by this death.

The Power is defined with a four fold kind of destroying, with Death sitting on the horse, which he useth as his Ministers. Wars & Batells lead the first army, whose weapon is a Sword; Want of food guideth the second host: the third the Pestilence, (for by death he meaneth it) to whom is attributed the name of the gender, because it taketh men away with a most quick destruction, and setteth before our eyes a most lively image of death: and thē also it is wont to be always the follower of Famine. And in many mother tongues it is called Mortality. The last scourge is of Beasts, a scourge much used in former times, as I will send upon you the Beasts of the field, Levite. 26.22. So, A • so when I shall send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, even the sword, and famine, and noisome Beasts, and Pestilence, Ezech. 14.21. An exēple whereof we have, when the Lord sent Lions among the new dwellers, who succeeded the ten tribes carried away, 2 King. 17.25. or it may be that Beasts, be taken metaphorically, for men mighty on earth and made like Beasts, a frequent name in the scriptures of Tyrants and wicked Princes, as of Pharaoh: Thou art like a young Lion among the nations, Ezech. 32.2. And famous in Daniel is the nothing of four Kings by so many Beasts, that is, a Lion, a Bear, a Leopard, and the fourth terrible Beast, to wit, a Centaure, compact of many: chap. 7.4.5. These are then the bands of Death, which now joined together, he would spread abroad into the world, when the gates and ways were opened, which before were several plagues. And that it is also so come to pass the coherence of things do teache it. After Severus the state of the Church was quiet, until at length the Empire came to Decius. Maximinus troubled somewhat, but he being killed a while after, his madness and life was short. But Decius neither feared with the calamity of wars, nor any whit moved with the scarcity of victuals, both which he might easily perceive, the slaughters of the innocents to have brought into the world, commanded that rigor should be shown toward the Christians, with all kind of torments. Then the fourth Beast spake, for Cyprian being indeed an Eagle, a contemner of the world, and of the things that are very much esteemed of other men: who at his first conversion bestowed all his goods upon the poor: who earnestly reproved the covetousness of other men in heaping up patrimonies: sharply rebuked the pride of them that preferred themselves before others: reprehended swelling insolency, and immodest boasting of confession, & by all means, openly avouched, that these scourges were provoked by such sins. This Eagle, I say, flying so much the more higher, by howe much the more he did abase himself, in writing against Demetrianus Ethnicus: shown plainly, that this was the chief cause of all evils, wherewith the world was tormented, that the Gentiles did persecute so barbarously the harmless worshippers of Christ: whom the world after their manner through envy charged, for to be the cause of the commō calamities: but that holy man did put away those calumnies, and declared manifestly the true fountain of all the evils. Neither was his voice false, God forthwith approving it by sending into the world divers and sundry sortes of horrible destruction. Decius himself was swallowed up in a golfe-mire of a marsh, not bequeathing himself to death for his country, after the example of the old Decius: but going down as it were quick into Hell, for a just terror of all merciless Tyrants. Gallus & Volusianus by and by after felt the wrath of God, who are famous for no • remembrance of their notable acts, but only for the destruction of mankind. For first when these reigned, the sword slew an infinite sort of men. For the Scythians when Decius was gone, & when first the yoke of tribute was laid upon the Rom • nes (which howe much blood it cost, any man may easily conjecture) altering forthwith their act, did make invasions, did drive away spoils, did violently enter in, often times by a very great army by land and by sea, did wast Dardania, Thracia, Thessalia, Macedonia, and the country Hellas: part did molest Asia with the spoiling, rasing, and destroying of many cities on every side: By whose example also other enemies did arise: the Parthians did take and hold by force Armenia, and did pass through into the parte of Syria; which mischiefs when Gallus & Volusianus, make ready to withstand, they are both killed of the soldiers. Aemilianus a three-month Emperor was chosen of the same into their place, and of them killed. Valerianus cometh alive into the enemies power, and is made a footstool to Sapores, for to get upon his horse. The sword then played his part greatly, leaving scarce any part of the world free from slaughters. The famine gave occasion both to Demetrianus of calumniating the Christians, and to Cyprian of defending them. Doest thou, saith he, speaking to Demetrianus, marvayle and complain in this your obstinacy and contempt, if the earth be foul with the standing of dust, if the barren clotte bringeth scarce faint yellowish and wan herbs and grass, if seldom rain descend from above, if the beating hail maketh the wine feeble, if a subverting whirlwind do break in pieces the olive trees, if drought do stop up the fountain & c? From which it is clear howe grievous the condition of those times was, as concerning vittailes. And although the untēperatnes of the Heaven had not ben, there was calamity enough from the continual wars to spend up all the store: seeing it must needs be, that the fields and country were forsaken, the tillage of the earth was neglected, that the cattle were not regarded, the corn laid up was burnt with fire, and that all succor of life was destroyed. From whence the sword hath Famine joined with it, as an inseparable companion. The third weapon of death was the Pestilence: then which no mā will say easily, I think, whether at any time, there hath ben anymore sharp and grievous, either for continuance of time, or for multitude of those that perished. It arose first under Gallus & Volusianus, beginning at Ethiopia, it was spread almost through all the East and Weast; it made many cities wholly empty of cityzens, and continued whole 15. years, as Zonaras in Gallo, and Dionysius of Alexandria in an Epistle to the brethren, do describe lamentably, the cruel fierceness of it: and together also maketh mention of the former calamities, giving a most clear testimony of the fulfilling of this Prophecy in those times: After the persecution, which he spake of a little before, there followed both wars and famine, which we endured together with the Gentiles: bearing alone the things, wherewith they oppressed us: yet even alike partakers of those things which both they brought upon them selves, and suffered, and again we rejoiced in the peace of Christ, which he gave to us alone: But when both we and they had ben cased a very short time, that pestilence entered, a thing more terrible to them then any terror, and more lamentable then any calamity, and (as one of their own History-writers said) which alone exceeded the hope of all men, yet not such to us, but an exercise and trial inferior to none of the rest: for it abstained not in deed frō us, but it came on with far more violence against them. These things hath he in Euseb. Hist. book 7.22. Cyprian from this sorrowful and unwonted evil, took the argument of his book touching mortality. As for the Beasts, if they be taken properly, I remember not that I have read any notable damage and hurt done of them at this time: although it is no light conjecture that they did much harm in the Eastern and Southerne countries. In some ages coming after, when also the famine and pestilence became worse and worse, men were afraid of the dogs, least being accustomed to eat their carcases cast forth abroad, afterward they should desire thē alive for meat: whereupon they set themselves to kill the dogs, Euseb. book 9.8. neither could it be, but when food failed in the fields, and men were less able to defend themselves, that many were devoured of the Beasts.

But if we refer them to cruel men and tyrants, in no man's remembrance at any time were there so great troupes of Beasts in every place, spoiling and renting men in pieces. For when Gallienus was Emperor, who after Valerian was taken, reigned alone, so many tyrants arose, who took to themselves the name of Emperor, as there were not so many since Caesar was Dictator, to that time, in so long a row and continued rank of EMPEROURS. Thirty are recorded by Trebellius, who at one time, in divers coūtries, invaded the Empire: in which also certain women scoffed at the name of Roman. How great a dismembering of men must there needs be, whē so many Beasts strove at once about the Empire? Such then are the three Seals, everyone notable for their scourges: the two former for their special, the last for all these kinds of punishments, wherewith the world was to be punished, for despising and vexing the truth. For when the milder correction prevailed nothing with their stubborn hearts, almost all the hosts of death are sent in upon them, even as also the event hath most fully approved. Neither yet are these evils so proper to this one age, that they can agree to no other; but they are the common punishments of the contemners of godliness; Lev. 26. Ezech. 6.11. &c. And afterward after these times of Gallienus, one may see the Famine and Pestilence did consume all, whē Maximinus reigned in the East, Euseb. book 9. 8. But there is so solemn a Prophecy of them in this place, both because the next times after John, should be famous for these punishments, which men should procure to themselves for despising the Gospel, and also because they should be faithful hostages, pledges and seals of the future events, that were to be expected many ages after.

9 And when he had opened the fifth Seal, I saw under the Altar the souls &c. Of the fifth seal there is no Beast, by whose voice John is invited to see. And that not without cause, but because this secret should pass over, men being not stirred up by any public solemn cry, to observe the event, as was done in the former; neither certainly doth the History report, that any man performed any such labor, in which respect such an office might be attributed unto him worthily. Furthermore, this Seal consisted partly in rehearsing things past, partly in reporting an event of that kind, which is wont to glance by without perceiving: especially seeing our natures ar so disposed, that adversities do abide more surely in our minds, then prosperityes. Wherefore seeing the Seals are made like unto the events, it is no mervayle, that no type is set forth here, to which no event should be answerable.

J saw under the altar the souls: The fifth type is the souls of the Martyrs lying under the altar in this verse, requiring vengeance against their enemies, ver. 10 & receiving answer ver. 11. Which three members do respect three times, to wit, the time past, present, and to come. The souls lying under the altar declare most finely from the consequent, what went before, that is to say, in what cōditiō the Church was during those former seals, and with howe great cruelty of men she contended. We have heard in deed the truth overcoming, we have learned also that war, famine, and pestilence with their companions possessed and spoiled all things, but there was no mention yet, in what state the true worshippers of Christ were in the mean time: although from the victory of the truth, their conflict may be gessed, & frō those calamities anoying the world, that great wrong was done to the godly, for which cause the enemies were so sharply punished. But the thing is made manifest now by this complainte of the Martyrs killed, that is to say, that an infinite quantity of blood was shed of men that worshipped the Son of God, frō that time in which John wrote, unto the ende of the reign of Galienus, whither the former seals have brought us. And what place is there that have not heard of these horrible massacres all this space of time? Tratan, Hadrian, Antonin Ver, Maximin, Severe, Decie & the rest, not Emperors, but Murderers have defiled all Histories with guiltless blood But he that followeth brevity may not reckon up severally the innumerable murders. Although who could be able to rehearse them if he would, seeing the Ministers of the wickedness confess themselves not sufficient to kill them, that came running together to punishment of their own accord. For so a certain man Tiberianus, who had the chief doing of things at Palestine, reported to Traiane, as Soudas declareth in his Traiano. Pliny a heathen man being moved with the multitude of them that were killed, obtained some ceasing, or at least a certain moderation. So pitiful was the condition of the Christians, that the enemies had compassion on their calamities: read the 3 4.5.6.7 book of Eusebius, where almost every page is washed with blood. It is no mervayle, that the saints being wearied with so continual slaughters, do ask at length some delivery. So is the meaning of this verse, but the words are yet to be made clear and delivered from the slanders of the adversaries. From whence then is this fetched, that the souls of the Martyrs lie under the Altar? Without doubt in that r • sp • ct, that David used oft, as in Psal. 27.5. For in the time, saith he, of trouble, he will hide me in his Tabernacle, in the secret place of his pavillon shall he hide me, and set me upon a rock: and again, thou dost hide them in a privy pl • ce of thy presence from the pride of men: thou keepest them secretly in a cottage from the strife of tongues: Psal. 31.20. But it is known that the Tabernacle both according to the partes, and according to the whole, was a shadow of Christ. Wherefore to be hidden in the Tabernacle, is to have Christ alone for the place of their succor and refuge, by whom alone we are covered and defended against all assaults of the adversaries. From hence it is apparent why the Souls are said to be under the Altar, to wit, that we should understand first from thence, that all the salvation also of the Martyrs consisteth in the alone Death of Christ, under the which the holy champiōs hiding themselves as under a shielde, can appear safely and boldly before God; and that they do not merit eternal life to themselves by th • shedding of their own blood for Christ his sake, as the Papists wickedly dote: but to have need of this covering, without which otherwise they cannot stand in the sight of God's majesty. Secondly that we may know that all the children of God must be conformable to the image of their first borne brother: Rom. 8.29 and must walk the same way to heaven, wherein he hath gone before us, that is to say, by suffering of troubles, being made sacrifices and oblations, and to be killed with many anguishes. For which cause Paul saith, that he in his flesh for the body of Christ, doth fulfill the rest of his afflictions, Col. 1.24. And the rest or defects he calleth conformityes, and not satisfactions, either of worthiness or merit. For whatsoever remaineth yet to be suffered of any of the saints, that is wanting after a sort to the afflictions of Christ, who judgeth all our calamities his own. These are common to all the faithful, who have place alike under the Altar: but especially to the Martyrs, whose sufferings are famous before the rest. For which cause this covert to hide in, is attributed to them by name. Seeing then they lie under the altar in this sense, after the usual speaking in the scriptures, howe wickedly doth the Jesuit wrest these words unto the Idolatrous custom among them, of dedicating Temples? Whose manner is to bury the bodies or relics of the Martyrs under the altar in the Churches, which they dedicate to them: & afterward to call the Church by his name, whose relics are there buried, as though more respect were to be had to the relics under the altar, then of him whom they will have to be sacrificed on the altar. Would the Spirit have respect to this custom, whereby very great injury is done both to Christ, and also to his holy Martyrs? To Christ, because he is spoiled of his honor, and thrust beneath his servants. To Martyrs, because they are made robbers of his glory, for maintaining whereof they shed their blood. Neither are the Jesuits content to abuse these words unto the defense of Idolatry, unless also they destroy that which was well built of others. Bernard in his third sermon of the Saints, taught from hence, the holy souls loosed from this prison of the body, not forthwith to enjoy perfect blessedness, but to wait for full happiness at the last judgment, rejoicing in the mean time with great and huge comfort: I dispute not howe such doctrine is not drawn necessarily from this place: the sentence seemeth to be true and agreeable with the other scriptures. For so David speaketh, when J awake, I shall be satisfied with thy image, Psal. 17.15. Neither did Paul expect a crown before that day, in which it shall be given to all that have loved the bright coming of Christ; 2. Tim. 4.8. Neither would God that the ancient people should be made perfect without us: much less is it like to be true, that one of the essential parts, should attain absolute happiness without the other, Heb. 11.40. They that would (more boldly then becometh modest Christians) that the separate souls, should have a clear sight of God, in whom as in a glass they behold all things, past, present, and to come: what reason do they give, why the souls under the ALTAR not content with this sight alone, as if they were ignorant do inquire of the time of vengeance? Many such things ought to have restrained the Jesuits not to fight against a true sētense. But they saw that unless they should give to the separated souls full happiness in the clear beholding of God, the Jnvocating of Saints would be overthrown, and that there were no reason left, for to show why we should implore their aide, seeing it was not the manner before Christ was exhibited: but let it be sufficient to have touched in a word their crafty dealing.

For the word of God: Which most constantly they have professed & preached, as ch. 1.9. And for the testimony which they maintained, in the greek which they had, peradventure in this sense, that they were counted Christians by the testimony of others, as 1 Tim. 3.7. But he must be well reported, evē from them that are without: as if for the word of God, should belong to them, who by their profession have procured to themselves the hatred of the wicked: but the testimony which they had, to them that are manifested by the judgment of other men.

10 They cried with a loud voice: Hitherto the first menber, which hath opened the condition of the time past: now the present state under Galienus, is shown by a cry. Through yrkesomnes of continual trouble, a deliverance from it at length is asked; seeing they have endured more thē enough. This cry showeth the manner of God's justice, which cannot suffer unjust murders unpunished: in which sort the blood of Abel is said to have cried, Gen. 4.10. But how great is the patience of our God, which is provoked by a cry to punishment, before that he prepares to it? But whither did the saints bear the former injuries without speaking, neither cried out before this 5 seal? Without doubt they did always sigh under the cross: but now first of all mention is made of the crying, because the time was not far of when they should be delivered from those sorrows. For God is wont when he will bestow anything upon his children, to stir up their harts to fervent prayers, both that they may more esteem the good thing obtained, and also that they may learn howe great a regard he hath of us that call upon him with sincere minds,

How long O Lord which art holy & true: They set forth God with those titles, whereby they may stablish & increase their faith, as it ought to be done in all right invocation. For because he is holy, he cannot let go unpunished the ill deeds of the world, especially seeing he is also true & hath made large promises touching the blessedness of his people.

Doest thou not judge & avenge: Judgment pertaineth to the knowledge of a matter, vengeance to the performing & executing of the thing judged, which signify punishment toward him that doth wrong: yet chiefly I think the delivering of the innocent party: from whence it is construed often with a preposition, as in Luke avenge me of my adversary, ch. 18.3. Where the widow doth not so much desire fervently the punishment of the adversary, as her own deliverance. So David 1 Sam. 13. and the Lord avenge me of thee, so hath Tremellius. I would rather translate the words thus, & the Lord shall deliver me from thee, as also the Greek Interpreters have it, the Lord deliver me from thee: for he doth not wish evil to Saul to his face. And such a thing is it which the Souls require, to wit, that God at length would after so long a trial, deliver the Church from the power & tyranny of the enemies, & that he would not suffer it to be oppressed always with the yoke of the wicked. That this is the sum of the request, it is known from the grant. That is not denied them which they desire earnestly, but it is deferred to some time, which being accomplished, they should receive the thing so much desired.

11 Then longe white robs were given to everyone: Montanus omitteth the white robes, & readeth, & it was given to them that they should rest. Other copies read in the singular number thus, & a white robe was given them; & so Aretas & the common translation, & there were given to them everyone several white robes. The answer made to the souls is evident by a sign & by a speech, by both which is declared what should be the next coming cōditiō of the saints. The robes are givē for a sign, which are garments hanging down evē to the heels, fit for to hide all deformity in the body, as Cyrus of the robe in Xenophon: it seemed to hide, if any should have any defect in his body. Fitte vestemēts for the saints, & meet for Christ to give them. But whereas the robes are white, that pertaineth to an ornament used in time of joy, as we hav shown at ch. 3.4. But now they ar givē to everyone, not so much for the souls cause thenselves, in so much as they enjoy gladness in the heavens, but for to signify the things to be done on earth. For wanted they robes all that time frō Traiane to Gallienus? Christ promised that he that overcometh shall be clothed in white array ch. 3.5. How long is this promise deferred? It is not to be doubted, but that the race being run out, there is some reward of the labor. Therefore these robes are not they of which it was spoken before, which ar given by and by after the labor is ended, but of another kind, signifying that the saints should have merry days on earth for a time, which they should celebrate as it were with white gowns, as is the custom in the time of solemn mirth. The answer made by word cometh to the same ende, which both commandeth them to rest, and also s • tteth down limits how long it should continue, namely, a very little time, until their fellow servants were fulfilled, which should be killed, even as they were. In sum a joyful rest for a short time is fore shown, which at length a new slaughter of the faithful should follow: which at length being finished, that should come to pass which the holy souls desired. The History witnesseth, that the thing fell out after the same manner. For after Galienus, succeeded Claudius, Quintilius, Aurelianus, Tacitus, Florianus, Probus, Carus and his sons, & at length Diocletian: through all which space of about forty years, unto the ninetinth year of Diocletian, there was a time of a white gown, and of joyful mirth, free from the murders and spoiling of the saints, the Emperors thenselves being restrained of God, that they might not interrupte and hinder the peace granted. Which calmnes Euseb. describeth eloquently in the 8. book and 1. and 2. chap. of his Hist. For being about to write of the sorrowful time of Diocletians cruelty, he prepareth him self a way, by the remembrance of the former happiness. He professeth himself unable to declare according to the worthiness of the thing, howe great everywhere among all men was the credit and liberty of the Christian truth: Howe great was the mildness, saith he, of the Emperors towards ours, to whom they committed authority and rule over the Gentiles? whom they suffered without punishemēt and boldly to profess their religion, held in great estimation, loved entirely, and counted most trusty to them, as that Dorotheus and Gregorius. Also the Governors of the Churches found no less courtesy, assemblies were celebrated with very great company of people, the accustomed houses were not able to receive the multitude, but it was needful to build new and larger. Certainly the whole narration casteth a savor of mirth most convenient to these white robes: neither is there need of any other comment and exposition of these garments and of that rest, which the holy souls are commanded to take. But this felicity remained uncorrupted, until Diocletian disturbed it. For this one only conflict was remaining to their fellow servants, which at length being past, they should enjoy the thing much desired: neither should any rage of Tyrants afterward trouble them, as before times.

12 Afterward I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and loe there was a great earthquake: Neither hath the sixth Seal any Beast to make attention, because men were attentive enough by the answer given to the Souls under the former seal. For it was said that one only strife remained. And in deed it might easily be understood, that the time was not far of, when an ende should be put unto public murders, seeing all degrees of men did incline with so great gentleness to the truth. But this Seal hath both something proper in the rest of this chapter, and also common in chap. 7. That is the last trial of the Seals: the first part of which containeth the going on of the sorrowful Tragedie and all the former calamities, ver. 12.13.14. The second the joyful isue in subduing the enemies and appeasing all hurliburlies, ver. 15.16.17. As touching that, Aretas reporteth from the monuments of Andreas, that very many said, that this earthquake was a passage from the persecutions, which were brought upon them for Christ his sake, unto the time of Antichrist. And so the scriptures are wont to call some notable alteration, an earthquake, as where it is said: yet once more I will shake the earth, Heb. 12.26. It signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as Saint Paul declareth. And in the old Testament, the going of the children of Jsraell out of Egypt, is called an earthquake, as Psal. 68.9. The earth was moved, and the heavens dropped at the presence of God. Those Interpreters have touched the point according to the truth, but only they did miss in this, that living under Antichrist, they expected him yet to come, not knowing that he was come longe a go. Which error of the ancient Fathers (as who being further of from the last event, were less able to perceive the matter it self) the Papists snatch to themselves greedily: and here they make a very great gaping and distance of time, leaping over from the times of Traiane, in which they conclude the former Seals, unto the last ende of the world, which they reserve to their Antichrist, as though by this earthquake, all judgment of that which is right had fallen unto them. But whether is it likely that a whole thousand and five hundred years, and yet to come, we know not how many more, have been passed over with silence, and that all the rest of the Prophecy was stuffed together into the narrow straits of 3. years and an half, as Francis of Ribera the Jesuit will have it? It is indeed a profitable abridgement and a short way to set free his Lord the Pope from a very great fear. For it could not be, but as often as he should behold his face in this glass, he would seem to himself to be Antichrist, unless the Jesuit now did make it apparent, that all that, was but a phantasme which made him afraid. That nothing is here spoken of the present time, neither of that which is past through many ages, but that all the speech following, is of the time yet to come. But we will put away this smoke & mist through God's his help, neither will we suffer that the Pope seeming to himself a triksy fellow, should love himself to destruction: & also will make plain, that the Jesuits, do not interpret but moke the scriptures.

And the Sun became black: These figurative and hyperbolical speeches do show that there should be a persecution, the most fierce of all those which the Church endured at any time from Christ's birth till now. For so the Prophets are wont to speak when they pointe at any great calamity, as Isaiah, He will clothe the heavens with blackness, he will make their covering as a sack clothe, chap. 50.3. And Jeremiah, When I behold, saith he, the heavens, they have no light, ch. 4.23. and the heavens above shall be black ver. 28. but most plainly in Ezekiel, speking of the overthrow of the Egyptiās, When I shall put thee out, I will cover the heavens and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the Sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not make her light to shine: all the clear lights in the heaven I will make dark upon thee, and bring darkness upō thy land, saith the Lord, ch. 32.7.8. Many such places do teach, that these speeches are not to be refferred to the last judgment only, as some do expound, but also to other times: which those ancients did see, of whom spake Aretas even now, who would have these things to be understood of the passing over to Antichrist. This blackness of the Sun & the other disturbance of the creature, pertaineth to that horrible slaughter, whereby those wicked men Diocletian, & Maximinian endeavored to root out the Church. For we shall see that the Sūne & Moon doth note stably through this book, the chief ornaments of the congregation of the faithful: so that the Sun may signify the Scriptures, the Moon that excellent glory of godliness whereby the saints do shine, after they have borrowed light frō thē. That both these should be miserably defiled by this common calamity, this seal showeth it. The accomplishement whereof is recited by Eusebe, book 8.2. For when the Emperors in the nineteenth year of their reign, ordained by public decrees, that the books of the holy scriptures should be committed to the fire in the middes of the marked: we saw, saith Eusebius, with these very eyes, that the sacred Scriptures, inspired of God, were cast in to the fire, in the middes of the market place: and in the same place a little after, the Kings letters patents did fly to & fro in every place, whereby it was commanded to abolish the scriptures. So this Sun as a sack clothe of hair noteth not only generally, that the public joy should be turned into very great sorrow, but also especially that outragiousnes, whereby cruelty was exercised against the sacred scriptures. Neither could it be otherwise, but when the fountain of light was darkened, the Moon which hath her light only borrowed, should fade away into the dark color of blood, as almost alway it happeneth, when she is kept from having society with the Sun.

13 And the stars from heaven fell to the earth; The stars were Ministers & Pastors of the Churches, chap. 1.20. In which signification they are used both here & in other place afterward. Many of thē through fear should revolte from the truth, which is shown by the falling from heaven to earth. Neither that only after many dangers and divers calamities, whereby being weakened they should yield, but in the very first assault, they should fall down as green figs, that is, with very little ado, even at the first rumour of peril; for the fig tree most easily looseth her fruit before maturity, neither tarrieth almost for the violence of storms, but with any light blast of wind, maketh an untymely birth, that I may so say, Plin. book 16.26. Of which thing the Spirit maketh mention, in so fine a similitude, that the faithful being forwarned, should not be discouraged with the so easy falling away of many. Eusebius showeth that the thing fell out altogether as it was here foreshowed. For after that first decree of demolishing the temples & burning the scriptures, there was added another not long after of apprehending the Pastors of the Churches, and compelling them to sacrifice to Jdoles: Here many courageously persevering, were not overcome with torments, but an infinite sort of others, being astonied a good while before through fear, were weakened at the first assault, Euseb. book 8.2. by the which he showeth the sudden fall of many.

14 And the heaven departed away: The heaven everywhere in this book signifieth the universal purer Church, and it properly to be at length her dwelling place, & in the mean time in such sort by her represented, that it hath not anymore lively image on earth. These things therefore prove that the calamity rested not in the Governors alone, but that the whole face of the Church was covered with so black darkness, that it could be seen almost nowhere. Let the same Euseb. be read in the 3 book ch. 3. where he bewaileth the miserable wasting of it, with lamentings borrowed from the lamentatiōs of Jeremiah, chap. 2.1.2. Likewise from Psal. 89.39 &c. Yet notwithstanding this desolation should be but as the foulding of a book. A book is not destroyed when it is rolled up, but remaineth as great as it was before, it becometh indeed less evident and apparent in the sight, being reduced and brought into a far straighter room: So likewise the Church should loose nothing of her sincerity, howsoever her glory might seem to be quite abolished. But the similitude of a folded book is taken from the ancient custom, wherein books were not bound into leaves, but were rolled up as little wheels, whence they were called volumes, as Aretas hath nored, The Hebr, saith he, did use rowles, that which is books with us: in the same sense it is said in the Epistle to the Hebrews, chap. 1.12. and as vesture shall thou fold them up, that is, thou shalt deface all their glory as of a vesture folded up, whose gorgeousnesse and beauty cannot be seen. The Hebrews have for it Tach • liphem, thou shalt change them, Psal. 102.27. the which is translated by the Greeks significantly thou shalt fold up: seeing the Psalmist speaketh of such a changing as is altogether contrary to the nature of the heavens. For the heaven is R • q •• hh, stretched out, spread abroad as a curtain, or as a mortal plate divided: but rolled up it ceaseth to be Raqiahh: so the Church is made to be spread through all nations, a • d to imp • rt to them, as the heaven to the earth, light, warmnes, and life it self: but now for a time it should be rolled up, neither should any glory of it be seen abroad. Where thē was the visible majesty of Rome in the mean time, when the heavē departed away as a book folded up? But they have goodly provided for them selves touching such dangers, who have cost of all these things unto the last day: but howe amiss and wrongfully shall be shown by and by at ver. 16.

And all mountains and Islands: There is nothing so firm, which this tempest should not remove, nothing so far of, whither it should not go and be spread. The word mountain noteth that, and the word Island, this. It is a great storm, which doth either scatter the little hills of the earth, or which doth rage but in the bordering and low places: but that which doth either cast and drive away the Mountains themselves, neither stayeth in the continent, but also flieth over the sea into the Ilandes, must needs bring extreme destruction. Eusebius beginning this boisterous storm at Nicomedia, pursued it by the very footesteppes through all Syria, Egypt, Cappadocia, Cilara and Phrygia; book 8. but being as it were weary with travayling, and loathing so sorrowful a narration, he came not to our Europe: although Thracia, Italy, Spain, France being nigh to them, and our Island Britanny somewhat further of, ministered no less plenty of Martyrs, although the moderation of Constance, caused all things to be more mild in these countries. The eight book of the Ecclesiastical history of Euseb. expoundeth these three verses largely.

15 And the Kings of the earth, and the Peers &c. Thus far is the Epitasis, now followeth the Catastrophe joined together with the former troubles. For in the middes of the rage and heat of this calamity, Christ would show forth his divine power from heaven, and as it were raised from his sle • pe, would appease suddenly the tempest by his word alone, as he did in time past being awaked by his disciples. First at the sight of him Kings and the Peers of the earth should flee away, and should hide themselves in most secret dens. For what other thing drove Diocletian, & Maximin Hercule, that having the sovereign power of things, and a most fervent desire to root out Christians, when also they had continued their fury unto the second year, resigned the Empire suddenly and returned to a private life? A thing, saith Eusebius, never heard of, to have come to pass at any time, book 8.13. Neither without cause doth Ignatius cry out, o wonderful thing and unknown till this age, that of their own accord, neither old age pressing them, neither the weightines of things, both brought themselves into order. Euseb. layeth the cause upon their phrenesy. Nicephorus also upon their rage, arysing doubt less from thence, because they saw that they labored sore in vain to destroy the Christians. But they touched not the true cause: from hence they should have learned this, which is it and no other: The Lamb at length showing himself to be the avenger of his Church, inwardly and secretly did stinge their minds with the conscience of their wickedness, and fear of vengeance: whereby he drove these mē even against their wills unto this unheard modesty. The thing is manifest from Maximianus, who, after that stinge of conscience waxed somewhat weak, it repented him of his fact, and left no means unattented, for to recover the scepter which he had laid down. An other of the Emperors, who succeeded those that gave over their place called Gallerius Maximianus exercising tyranny against Christians, the same Lamb vanquished by an horrible disease, and drove him to recantation: an example whereof see in Euseb. book 18.17. Maximinus also being made Emperor in the East by Galerius, at length against his will acknowledged Christ to be the King, and gave free leave to his worshippers to live after his precepts and ordinances, Euseb book 9.9.10. Maxentius that Roman Tyrant stricken with fear by the same Lamb, feigned hims • lfe to be a Christian for a time. Sabinus and the other rulers of the Provinces, following the authority of the Caesars & Augusts desired to win the Christians favor also by a feigned gentleness, and to hide themselves from the wrath of the Lamb. So great a fear of the Lamb came upon all degrees of mē, that everyone thought himself well provided, who could get any corner wherein he might lie hid in safety.

16 And they said to the Mountains: It is an argument of exceeding desperation, when they esteemed all evil but light in comparison of his wrath, from which they would redeem themselves with any most grievous damage whatsoever. Diocletian being sent for by the letters of Constantine the great, drunk poison for fear. Maximianus ended his life with an haltar. Gallerius perished of a most fowl disease. Maximinus prevented the death that was nigh to him from Licinius, by a voluntary death. Maxentius took for him self a den in the very bottom of the great river Tybris. So in divers manners the Tyrants desired to be hid from the sight of the Lamb. Many men from the lykenes of speaking, do think that these things are to be referred unto the last day.

But no man can deny, that these same kinds of speaking are applied of the Prophets unto other and also unto the last calamities. And they shall come, saith Isaiah, into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for the fear of the Lord, chap. 2.19. Likewise Hosea: And they shall s • y to the Mountains, cover us, and to the hills fall upon us. When yet nevertheless he speaketh there only of the carrying away into Babylon, chap. 10.8. Therefore the likeness of speaking hath small force to effect that which they would have. Moreover neither can the consideration of the time suffer that interpretation by any means. For seeing the time of the Trumpets and Viol • is of longe continuance, as we shall show in the things that follow, the sixth seal must needs be a great way from the last day, especially seeing the first Trumpet shall not begin to blow, before the seventh seal be opened. This one thing may be sufficient to convince that strange interpretation.

17 For that day cometh: In which the Lamb would do that for the souls which they desired, ver. 11. would take deserved vengeance on the enemies, would break the yoke of the Tyrants, would take away the power of assailing with public persecutions, would set his people at liberty, neither would suffer them to he vexed anymore for a longe time, as after chap. 20.2. of any enemy of this kind. Therefore the Church now could not be withstood by any forces, that she should not get out of trouble, and obtain the sovereignty of things, even as the experience of the same times hath shown plenteously. Now therefore we see the wonderful Prophecy of the six Seals, in which have ben disclosed the things of chief moment, from the time of the Revelation given unto the reign begun by Constantine: surely in so express types and image of the things to be done, that although peradventure some will accuse the interpretation of novelty: yet every sincere and equal judge will mervayle rather, that the same hath not ben observed of others afore time, thē refuse this as strange. If any desire to understand more fully touching the six Seals, let him read the seven last books of the Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius, which may well serve him in stead of an ample and sufficint Commentary.

Analysis.

HITHER To that which is proper to the sixth Seal: that which is common followeth, that is to say, a certain general portraiture of the whole future Church, even unto her last ende. Which is distinguished into two times: The first is in which the true worshippers are defined with a certain number, who are called the sealed by a peculiar name; the occasion of whose sealing are the four Angels, prepared to show rigor against all men, standing for this purpose on the four corners of the earth, that they might restrain all provision of food for salvation ver. 1. Afterward the Minister of sealing, who exempteth the elect out of the multitude of the destroyed, coming from the East with full power, and no less valiantly executing the office committed to him, forbidding with a loud voice that they should not proceed in their intent, until he have sealed certain that were to be taken out, ver. 2.3. But howe great the number of the sealed is, it is shown generally, ver. 4. Specially of what Tribes, and how many of everyone, ver. 5.6.7.8. And this time belongeth chifly to the trumpets. The second time is of an infinite & innumerable multitude: whose citizens ar described partly by those things which John himself could understand by himself, to wit by the things seen, whence they were, where they stood, and in what apparel ver. 9. Likewise by the glorifying of God heard, both of themselves ver. 10. and also of the Angels consenting to the same ver. 11. and more fully praising God in their behalf ver. 12. Partly by the instruction of an Elder, whereunto a way is prepared by a question ver. 13. & a confession of ignorance, in the beginning of the verse following: afterward a full doctrine is added, which showeth that they came out of great affliction, but that now they are blessed through the imputation of the righteousness of the Lamb ver. 14. testified by their constant desire to serve God, and of him again by his defense ver. 15. then also by an eternal freedom from all evils ver. 16. and last of all by the fruitiō of good things ver. 17. And this second time for the most part is of the Viols.

Scholions.

1 After I saw four Angels: This whole Chapter belongeth to the sixth seal, wherein a new common type is set forth of things that are to be done afterward. The former was common to all the three periods, chap. 4 This containeth only the two latter, to wit, the Trumpets and Viols. For the Spirit rejoiceth for perspicuity and consolation sake, to set before our eyes often times, certain common figures, both that the things may be more apparent, and also that the event beheld a far of may recreate the mind, being in heaviness. But when after that isue of the former calamities, which was spoken of in the ende of the former chapter, the seventh seal should bring in divers sorts of troubles, before he cometh to declare them, he setteth as it were this table in the sight of all men, in which viewing the future image of the holy Church, we should know assuredly, that the same can in no wise be abolished and clean taken away, howsoever horrible tēpests might seem to appear and cast down all things to utter destructiō. This purpose of the Holy Ghost being considered, will free us frō the great confusion, wherewith the Interpreters are wont to shuffle together all things, and to cast upon the most wise distributour of the times, a wrapping & entangling which cannot be unfolded: which surely if ever elsewhere, it is most of all shunned in this book, whereby it shall be made manifest, that the Spirit is not a lover of confusion, but that he alone is the principal author of all right and prudent dispensation.

Four Angels: These are not the four Angels of the last time, which is yet to come a little before the ende of the world. For their endeavor in holding back the wind goeth a little before the sealing, as the next words make plain. But they that are sealed must reign a thousand years on earth, and those not reaching to the ende by some ages, as we will show by the help of God at the twentieth chap. ver. 4. But it grieveth me to contend so often with this Jesuitical Monster: that I may make short, if every verse almost do not disprove this exposition, let it obtain what authority it can. More over neither are these good Angels, when as that which they enterprise pertaineth rather to the destruction of souls, then of bodies. Certainly the prohibition doth not altogether take from them the power of hurting, but restraineth it only for a time, till the sealing was finished, which is apparent to have ben done, before that the Trumpets do blow. Wherefore they rush in together with the Trumpets, being already prepared to bring in trouble, and stayed only with the let of sealing: as soon as that should be dispatched, they should fly greedily upon that, from which they would not refrain themselves, unless they had ben constrained. Therefore both they do bring those four mischiefs which ar threathed by the four first trumpets, and also unhappy and pernicious effectors of so sorrowful events. They may be shown by name from those Trumpets, so that the First may be called Contention, the second, Ambition, the third Heresy, the fourth, War. These four Angels did take to themselves the four corners of the earth, ech one being ready from their stations to bring in that mischief, which in the next words is mentioned. For as soon as any tranquility appeared, when now Diocletian was driven away, and the other Tyrants: the Bishops began forthwith to be given exceedingly to privy discords. What means assayed not Constantine the Great to quench this raising flame, who appointed a Synod at Rome, and commanded Miltiades and Marcus to sit in examination of the controversy against Caecilia? But when the Synod was not able to ende the strife, he appointed for chief doer in the same business Aurelius Bishop of Syracuse: whom together with his fellows in office, he commanded to go from the City Arles in France, and the matter being heard again, to set them at one, that were at variance. The counter-writings of Constantine touching this thing are to be seen in Euseb. book 10. 5. The Antichristian ambition sprung up in the times of the Apostles, least we should think that it failed now in playing her part: But now, saith Paul, you know what letteth, that he should be revealed in his time, for the mystery of iniquity worketh already. 2 Thessal. 2.6. And surely one would scarce believe, but that those arrogant boastings of the Chair of Rome, with which the Decretal Epistles do abound, were forged of the posterity, and afterward to have been ascribed falsely to the ancient Fathers, so impudent and vain are they, unless Firmilianus had proved, that they are their own, at least for a great part, whose names they bear. For speaking of Stephanus then Bishop of Rome, He that so boasteth, saith he, of the place of his Bishoprike, and avoucheth that he holdeth succession from Peter, upon whom the foundations of the Church are set, showing plain enough, how the Bishops then were given to boasting, among the Epistles of Cyprian, Epist. 75. This same age was famous by the beginning of the Heresy of Arius, whom we have said to be the third Angel. Neither was the Northern Barbarousnes, which had brought longe ago the Romans under the yoke, quiet in those times, as may be seen in Euseb. upon the life of Const. book 4. Albeit that in stirring they prevailed not: yet there wanted not a desire to trouble the state, that we may easily now acknowledge the prōtnes of these four Angels. And they did in such sort divide the world among themselves, that Contention did invade with force from the East; Ambition from the West; Heresy from the South: War from the North: the chief quarters of the world being so occupied, that the holes out of which the vital wind should issue, were altogether stopped frō the earth, as shall be made more plain in his place.

Holding the four winds of the earth: We have seen the Angels & their standings, their endeavor is to take away the wind from the earth: the four, saith John, winds of the earth, which yet is one by nature, but divers according to the countries from whence it bloweth. But this wind is not properly to be understood, seeing such a calamity hath never befallen, albeit many ages now are past, since this Prophecy was accomplished. For if it were proper, howe should not the stopping up hurt as well the sealed, as the reprobate, who dwelt together and one with another? I therefore understand the wind, to be the force and faculty of the Holy Ghost, whom Christ compareth to the wind, John 3.8. the wind, saith he, bloweth whither it listed, so is everyone that is borne of the Spirit. For as of old that disordered Chaos, and seed of this our world could not otherwise consist, then as it was quickened of the Spirit, who moved himself upon the waters, Gen. 1.2. So neither doth this earth nor sea, nor trees come to the feeling of any vital strength, unless that sanctifying wind doth lie upon them, from whose breathing they do as it were draw their life. It is not indeed in the power of any creature to restrain the force of the heavenly Spirit: yet the truth being stopped, which he used as his chariot, not without cause the passages may be said to be stopped, whereby he should blow to our good.

That the wind should not blow upon the earth, nor upon the sea &c. Now the things are reckoned up, from which they would had restrained the wind: to wit, from the Earth, the Sea, the Trees. The Earth before, were the Heathen Nations, as chap. 6.4.15. Afterward it seemeth to signify always, not men wholly repugnant to the name of Christ, but the common sort, & mixed company of the corrupt Church, which hath succeeded in the place of the Gentiles, as chap. 8.13. & 12.9.12.13.16. & 13.11. &c. The Sea signifieth, the doctrine, sometime true, and then it is placed before the Throne within the cōpas of the Elders, where it is of glass, & like to Crystal, most clear & most pure, as chap. 4.6. More often it is brought to show false doctrine, in which sense, it resteth and is quiet as in his channel, in the bosom and embracing of this earth, which it doth fasten together with his humidity, though gross and brinish, through secret passages, least being by nature easy to be reduced in powder, and not cleaving together, it should be dissolved through her atidity. For unless there were some bande of consent among the counterfeit citizens, even the wicked assemblies could not stand. The trees we understāde to be mē frō ch. 9.4. where cōmandemēt is givē to the Locusts, that they should not hurt any tree, but only the mē that hav not the seal of God in their foreheads. Now the exception is always of the same kind, of which that is, frō whence the exception is made: & therefore when as men are excepted, it must needs be that the trees also are men: not indeed of the basest sort, & condition, but who show thenselves above others with their high dignities, and lift up their heads among the rest, being more famous in the Christian Assemblyes. But if the Angels would have hurt only this earth, sea and trees, why was there not free leave granted them? Because in that vile heap many of the elect lay hidden, who were to be provided for: for their sakes the Angel from the East would have the confused multitude to be spared, neither any hurt to be done to any, until order was taken for them for whom it was necessary. The wicked gain the deferring of punishment for those few good, whom they have dwelling among thē. And I saw another Angel which was come up from the East: in Greek which did ascend: some copyes do read coming up: the Hebrews figuratively do take these words to ascend and descend, for to depart, to go forth, to go, to return, as he went up from Jerusalem, that is, he returned and left of to assault it, 2. King. 12.18. But it is well joined with the rising of the Sun, because the Sun seemeth to ascend from the East, until he be come to the middes of heaven. The first occasion of sealing being declared, there is now described by what Minister it was done. Whom both the respect of the time and all circunstances do prove to have ben Constantine the Great. He succeeded in the Empire, after that the Lamb had thrust out Diocletian, and the other Jdolatrous Tyrants. But he came up from the rising of the Sun, having come from the Eastern countries to receive the Empire. For being a young man he served in war under Diocletian in Syria. But after his vertu had procured him envy, so as often through secret trecheries he was in peril of his life, he was compelled to get himself out of the East as speedily as he could: and to go to his Father. So Eusebius writeth he was provoked to flight for his safety: in the life of Constantine orat. 1. Zonaras saith that he was given of his father for an hostage to Galerius, of whom when he saw that he was hated through envy, and that in the battle at Sarmatia he was cast forth of set purpose to danger, and again for the same intent commanded to fight with a Lion (both which battles he executed with good success) by flight at length he escaped away to his Father: & together also by these means avoided the danger and obtained his Fathers Empire, the seat whereof afterward he placed at Bizantium. Therefore whether we respect his first return from the East, or mind the decrees which after the Empire was established, touching the worshipping of the true God by Christ, did fly often from thence into that part of the world that was under Rome: the History agreeth very well with the Prophecy: but that former seemeth to come nigher to the meaning of the Holy Ghost, because of those things that follow.

Having the Seal of the living God: Both himself instructed in the true knowledge of God, and endued with very great authority to spread abroad the same unto others: whom while by his own example and zeal he provoked to embrace the truth, he is said to mark them with the seal of the living God and to take them for God's chief treasure. He cried with a loud voice, promoting the truth by Edicts published, removing far of to his power, all that which might hinder the amplifying of it. He did repress for a time, according as it was appointed of God, those four Furies of H • ll which were prepared to hurt, whereof we have heard at the first verse. He restrained the Ambition of other men, by his own majesty. Howe great labor did he take to pull up by the roots all contentions, who esteemed nothing more excellent then to seat peace among the Bishops that were at variance? Moreover in the very Nicene Council, he cast into the fire bills given to him, wherein the Bishops accused one another, adding this one thing, Christ commandeth that our brother should be forgiven, who desireth to obtain forgiveness, Socr. book 1.7. By which moderation, albeit that he could not pull up the root of bitterness frō these cōtētious men, yet he brought to pass, that the branches could not burst forth so plentifully as they otherwise would. The Arian madness he bound with fetters of Brasse cunningly wrought at Nice as speaketh Evagrius book 1.1. He overcame in many battles the Sarmatians, and the Goths, and almost all the nation of the Scythians: so as they durst attempt nothing afterward for some longe time. This was that voice which revoked the Angels from their enterprise, until that should be performed which would be for the good of the elect.

3 Saying, hurt not the earth &c. until we have sealed; until is an adverb of time most commonly: some time of place, as 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . &c. Xenoph. Cyrop. 5. Whither doth this latter agree better here, that they should work their purpose only within certain bounds, that they should not enter into the bounds of the godly? If they must have abstained from hurting, while all were sealed, it seemeth they must have stayed until many ages, much more beyond the time of Constantine. The sealed that are mentioned in the first trumpet, chap. 9.4. were not yet borne, when Constantine reigned: much less they, of whom there is mentiō made cha. 14.1. Which things seem to make against the signification of time: but neither is there an easy reasō of the place. For it is no where read that all the elect were gathered together and shut up in any one country, as in old time the Israelites in Goshen, where they should be free from the common evils. It remaineth then, that we understande it figuratively: so as till we have sealed, is all one as if he should say, till we have laid those foundations, by which both the elect now living may be God's own, carrying upon them his mark, whereof also the foot steppes may remain unto the posterity by continual succession. So as he may be said to seal all, who was only the beginner of sea •• ng. But he sealed, proposing before the elect a pattern of sound doctrine, chiefly in the Nicene Council, laboring that the pure •• s of the truth might be defended against the fraud of Arius and other wicked men: whereby the faithful might acknowledge one true God, and his only e • ernall & coessential Son Jesus Christ, in whom they should put all the hope of their salvation: which after in chap. 14.1. is said to have the name of the L • mbe and his fathers name written on their foreheads, least peradventure any Jesuit may dream, that he speaketh hereof the sign of the cross. We must observe furthermore, that sealing is always of a few among many. For it is a saving of labor to leave the greater multitude without a mark, and to distinguish by some token the fewer number. These things therefore prove, that howsoever the Church flourished outwardly in very great glory, when Constantine enjoyed the sovereignty, yet in the mean time had a very sm • ll number of true godly men. Which we ought to remember carefully, that we may understand more easily those things, which in more words are spoken touching this matter, in the repetitiō of the same time, chap. 11.1.2. & 12.6. &c.

Jn their foreheads: The true worshippers are marked in the foreheads, openly showing their faith: for with the mouth confession is made unto salvation, Rom. 10.10. Its all one to Antichrist if his slaves do receive his mark in their hand: which according to the occasion, they may either shut or open, chap. 13.16. For he permitteth all manner of counterfeiting to them that are his, so that it may help anything to the enlarging of his Kingdom.

4 And I heard the number of the sealed; Such then was the cause of sealing: now he cometh to the general number of the sealed. Ar • tas will have to be signified in this number of an hundred forty and four thousand, that everyone of the Apostles multiplied his talent twelve times. Certainly the diligence of the holy man is much to be commended, who thought nothing in this book so small, which might not be worthy of searching out, and of which it should not be lawful to seek out a reison soberly, so that the analogy of sound doctrine be kept always. But when I consider diligently in my mind this whole second periode, of which these sealed are, the Spirit seemeth to have chosen out most divinely that number, which may represente before our eyes a lively image and portraiture of the Church of the same age and time. The number is long, and indeed of an huge length, but of a lesser breadth by a thousand proportion; teaching, as it seemeth to me, & as it hath ben found true by the event, that the present true Church for all that space of time should be very slender, narrow, obscure, and scarce perceivable, such as in this proportion is a longe figure: and that the dignity of it is not at all to be esteemed from the present amplitude, but from the length only, that is, by the during and continuation of time, in whose longe space, a sufficient number of the elect should be gathered together. For example, let there be drawn a Geometrical figure, whose lines are in every parte alike distant one from another, whose shorter side is one foot longe, divided into twelve partes: the other side a thousand feet longe, whose void space containeth this number: surely the figure shall seem to be almost of no breadth, but the sides being severed by so small a distāce, will make a certain show of lines coincident and meeting together. Such should this Church be, whose longer side, the number of twelve thousand out of every Tribe doth make: the shorter side, that small number of twelve, which is of the Tribes. Learned and good men will easily acknowledge what I mean: & if anything shall be wanting in my conjecture, they will rather add of their own, whereby it may level the righter at the mark, then blame me for my pains-taking. Doubtless there is so great a consent of the History, that the conjecture is to me more then probable. But let the other brethrē judge of it, to which I submit this and all the rest of my writings. But yet this whole number was not sealed at once & together, in the time that Constantine liveth on the earth, but figuratively one part is here put for the whole, upon whose first fruits only the mark was set, whereas the rest in course of time should be sealed, everyone according to the consideration of their age, as we said at the former verse.

Of all the Tribes of the Sons of Jsraell: Are these then natural Jews, or are they not also Gentiles, adopted Israelites? as in the Rom. 2.28. For he is not a Jew, who is one outward, but which is one inward. Also, ye know that they which are of the faith, are the children of Abraham, Gal. 3.7. And again, peace shall be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God, Gal. 6.16. Therefore the name is common as well to the Gentiles as to the Jews. Neither will the consideration of the time suffer that the natural Jews should here be signified.

This sealing was begun by and by after the tyranny of DIOCLETIAN was utterly abolished, as we have shown before. And to this number only is ability given to learn the Newe Songe, as we shall see in the fourteenth chapter and at the third verse. Which in these times was not proper to the Jews, neither ever shall be.

But if this concerning the time shall not be granted me, & if this sealing is to be expected a little before the ende of the world, as the Jesuit will have it, how shall, after the sealing of the Jews, as he judged, another infinite number come to the Church, as is taught in this chap. ver. 9. seeing that the Jews shall not be called, before that the fullness of the Gentiles be come in, Rom. 11.25. Furthermore it shall belong only to the sealed to learn the sunge, but if the Jews alone shall be sealed, at whatsoever time at length it be done, what shall become of your most holy Rome, and Christ's Vicar, who shall hav no place among the sealed? But we will deliver the most blessed Father of this fear. This described form of the primitive Church comprehendeth both those sorts of people indifferently, so as they all, as well of Gentiles, as of the Jews, who love the sincere truth in their heart, shall be found in this number of the sealed. And indeed the writers do make mention, that some of the Jews came to the Church in those times: but let them be Jews, they shall not be Israelites alone, since the stop of the partition wall is broken.

5 Of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand: Hitherto the general sum, now are reckoned the particular companies, of which that whole is made. In which these things are to be observed, first, that there is an equal number out of every tribe. For God beareth good will alike to all the elect: neither hath any just cause of complaining, that more respect was had of others, them of him. Secondly, that some of the ancient tribes are passed over, and that new are put in their places: For there is no mention made of Dan or Ephraim, but in place of them come Levi & Joseph. Some allege this cause, why Dan is omitted, for that Antichrist should arise out of that tribe. What letteth then, that there should not be two Antichrists, seeing the name also of Ephraim is omitted? Surely the distinction of the tribes would had been very profitable to discern Antichrist from other men, which God undoubtedly would hav kept entire & safe, that his Church might beware of him, if he would have had this enemy to come out of this nation. But the true cause of passing by them seemeth to be this, that the tribe of Dan in time past revolted to the Gentiles: and Ephraim was the causer of the rest to rent the Kingdom, and persuader to institute a new worship, whereby the ten tribes fell away from God: for Jeroboam was an Ephratite. I King. 11.26. Wherefore neither doth he mention him, but ascēdeath unto the first Patriarch, teaching that the names of the wicked shall be blotted out of the book and cathalogue of the living, as we have observed at chap. 3.5. Thirdly, that in the rehearsing there is no order kept, either of beginning or dignity. And yet the names are not rashly gathered together ( as leaves flying in the hollow rock of Sybille ) although peradventure it will be a very heard thing to find out any reason, why they are set down in this wise: yet nevertheless let us assay to do it, trusting in God his help. The countries do seem unto me to be noted, from which God would gather out his elect, in all this space of time when the Church lay hid, and would severe them from the vile and naughty persons of the world, in the same order of places, wherein the Tribes of the Israelites long ago took up their seats in the promised land: to wit in this manner, that Judah should signify the Southerne part of the Church: Reuben and Gad the Eastern: Ascher and Nephtalim the Northern, and the west parte: Manasseh partly the Eastern, partly the Western, who dwelt on this side and beyond Jordan: Simeon & Levi that part which was spread here and there and one with another: Issachar and Zebulon, the Northeast part, to wit the Sun raising: Joseph and Benjamin the middle countries. For we shall see that after Constantine was dead, there was such a wandering progress, as it were, of the Church. For in the first times her purest part seemeth to have ben in Africa, as it were in the Tribe of Judah: the which most of all then was free frō the Arian Heresy, though brought forth by Egypt next neighbor: and in the mean time infinite uncleanness had overflowed the rest of the world. And this purity continued from Constantine, till the invasion of the Vandals. Then Reuben and Gad succeeded; For when that barbarous people pestered the whole West and South, that which rested of the hope & face of the Church, did all flourish in the East. But when the Saracenes at length destroyed also this vinyarde, our Britanny and the Northern regions, lying toward the west, as Asher and Nephtalim flourished greatly: when more then two thousand Monks of Bangor refused to take upon them the Romish yoke: for which cause the Britons did undergo a grievous persecution, raised up by one Augustine a Romish Mōke. The sequent age gave Manasseh, partly the East, partly the West, when both Leo Isaurus, and also Carolus Magnus with joint endeavors though somewhat disjoined in respect of places and times, assembling Councils condemned worshipping of Images. The next times were most miserable, whē now Antichrist was come to his highest power and dignity. Now the truth did lie so trampled underfoot everywhere, that the Church could not be seen in any certain places of abiding: but the sealed, as Simeon & Levi did lie hid confusedly, and here and there, known to God only, removed far from the sight of the world. In the ages following after, the seal passed over unto Issachar and Zebulon, that is, to the Northern people, lying toward the Sun raising. For there are read famous conversions in this time of the Polonians, Saxone, Danes, Suevians, & Norwegians. And although the conversions came by the labor of superstitious men, yet nevertheless is was the seal of God and profitable to his elect. For where the doctrine is corrupt and contaminate with errors, there the grass is better then the stalk: the seed new sown is purer thē the greenness waxing to an herb For they that are first converted, do hear only of faith and the way of salvation by Christ, but waxing more grown, they are wont to be corrupted and marred by the superstitions of their teachers. Last of all, the end now of those that were to be sealed approaching, true citizens were chosen out from the middle regions, as it were out of the Tribes of Benjamin and Joseph. For about the year a thousand two hundredth arose the Waldenses at Lion in France, who making separation frō the Church of Rome, professed a more pure doctrine, with the loss of their riches and lives. Frō hence did spring the Albigenses about the city of Toulouse, who afterward were spread through all Germany and Bohemia, whose lot did not f • ll neither about the furthest South, nor to the utmost North part of the world: but a middle place of dwelling was given them among their brethren. I run over these things briefly, rather dis • losing, then thoroughly handling the matter: but they that plainly perceive the History, from these few things, I know, will admire and reverence the marvelous wisdom of God together with me.

9 Afterward I beheld, and loe a great multitude, which no man could number: We have spoken of the sealed, and comprehended them in a certain number: the indefinite multitude can neither be declared by the number, neither is said to be sealed: not that any of the elect & pertaining to the king dome of God, is in the mean while without the seal (for this is necessary to everyone of the faithful) as though there were a way opened for any man to go to heaven without faith, as a certain great man of blessed memory, seemeth to interpret, moved of a good affection, but not very warily nor truly: but because by reason of the huge multitude, which should profess Christ openly and sincerely, there should be no need of a privy mark of distinction, whereby they might be discerned from other men. For sealing belongeth to the Church lying hid, when a disordered multitude of superstitious and wicked men beareth sway, in which there ar a few good men, known to God, & regarded of him, as in Ezech. 9.2.3. but where the godly worshippers are sufficiently manifest in their number & multitude, there is no use of this sealing. These things therefore teach, that after that darkness, wherewith for a time the Church should be oppressed, it should rise up again at length into the light, furnished with very great multitude of true Christians, which out of all nations should embrace the truth, and profess the same openly and without fear. And this plentiful harvest began about the year 1300. at which time the sealing ceased. Not that this huge multitude was apparent so suddenly at once: but because the first fruits were brought forth, with which continual increase a • length should yield this great company not to be numbered, as we have show • d in his place.

Of all nations: not by every Tribe, as before, out of certain separated coūtries, but from all in common, Germany, France, Britannie, Italy &c. For he alludeth to to the ancient manner of the Church. As long as the time of sealing remained, the elect were few, as in time past the Israelites, while they alone were the chief treasure of God above all nations of the world; but after that time was ended, then true Christians were in greater number. as also the former people of God, was increased very greatly, when the Gentiles were taken into the Church. Surely this repairing should be like to the first calling of the Gentiles: even as we know it came to pass after the Waldenses and Albigenses, when many learned and faithful men rose up, who defending the truth boldly, gathered together many lovers of true godliness.

And they stood before the Throne: gathered into the Church, and acknowledging Christ truly as chap. 4.3.4. &c.

Clothed with white robes: see chap. 3.4. and 6.11.

And Palms in their hands: which cannot yield under any burden. A fit mark of them who at length do lift up their heads, against the wills of all their enemies. They should get the victory of Antichrist, which afterward is said to get the victory of the Beast, and of his image, and of his mark, chap. 15.2. By this one word he noteth their fight and triumph.

10 And they cried with a loud voice: word for word, and crying, and so the verb were must be understoode. Also the participle is put collectively with the noun multitude, as before the participle, standing. The great admiratiō of God's bounteousnes in restoring his Church should draw from the Saints crying and showting for joy, who should not hold it sufficient to acknowledge the exceeding mercy of God with their accustomed voice. Al though that crying may signify also a bold professiō of the truth, which durst scarce mutter in former ages: but at length should despise the enemies & obtain perfect boldness. We & our Fathers have seen with our eyes this thing brought to pass. There is no mā which hath tasted of true godliness, but he giveth God thankes frō his heart, for the light of his truth restored in these last times. And although the Romish Antich. doth gnashe his teeth together for anger, yet we cesse not to praise boldly the great name of G. so as the world ringeth with the saints voices. And why should not we as joyful victors cry a loud, who have palms in our hands, & by the grace of God the necks of our enemies put under our feet?

God grant that we may extol him always with meet praises for his infinite goodness, least making small account of so unmeasurable grace, we bring upon ourselves some lamentable trouble, whereby the joy of our triumph may be distained.

11 And all the Angels stood: see chap. 5.11. The ancient mirth of the Church shall return, at which the Angels shall be glad, both themselves consenting to the joyful showting of the Saints, and also lauding God apart in their behalf.

12 And power and might: that is, let the praise of power and might be given un to him. For God showeth a mervaylous power in delivering his Church. The Saints indeed do bear Palms, but the victory is got̄ by the strength of God alone. Howe merciful is our God, who will have the pains to be his in consuming the enemies, and the triumph to be ours?

13 They which are arrayed in longe robes. Hitherto this multitude was described by those things which may be perceived by the sense: now he cometh to the more perfect instruction by communing with an Elder. And first he convinced John of ignorance, whereby the knowledge received might be the more acceptable: together also teaching, that the faithful people, whose person John now representeth, shall be as ignorant of the truth of this type, when the time of fulfilling it shall come, as John in this place, until they be taught of the learned Ministers, after which sort John is here instructed of the Elder. Nevertheless it shall appear from those things, which follow, that the Elder demanded not of the general innumerable multitude, but of one certain kind contained in that great company. Who yet all are in one apparel, and rejoice in one name, because they shall cleave one to another both in consent to the same truth, and also by a continual joining together of the times, who also shall at length be partakers of the same glory.

14 Thou knowest: As though he should say, I know not, thou knowest. Wherefore this company is not the same. which he saw lying under the altar, chap. 6.9. &c. For in that place he understood that they were killed for the word of God, neither had he any need to be taught again: but as it is a new troupe of the godly, whom by his ignorance he declared should be unknown to the world, suspecting nothing less.