THat I may speake to y ^e glory of God, and the edifiyng of the Congregatiō here gathered in his name, I shall desire you all, right honorable, wor­shipfull, and welbeloued in our sauiour Christ, to ioyne with me in faithfull and earnest pray­er. And in this praier. &c.

It is written in the 14. chapter of the Reuela­tion of s. Iohn, the 8. verse: She is fallen, she is fallen, euen Babylon that great City, for of the wyne of the fury of her fornication, she hath in [...] all nations to drinke. The holy Euan­geli [...] s. Luke (right honorable, & welbeloued in Christ) in the. 4. chapter of his Gospel, recor­deth that on a time when our sauiour came in­to the Sinagoge at Nazareth, to rede as his cu­stome was, ther was deliuered to him a booke, containing the Prophecy of the Prophet Esay. Which after he had opened, at the first be found the place wher it was written in these words: The spirite of the Lord is vpon me, because he hath annoynted me, that I should preach the Gospell to the poore: he hath sent me that I should heale the broken in hart, that I should preach deliuerance to the Captiues, and sight to the blinde, that I should set at liberty them that [Page] are brused, & to preach the acceptable yeare of the Lord. Then after he had closed the booke, and deliuered it to the Minister, he sat downe to preach, and the eyes of all them that wer in the Congregation, wer bent vpon him. Then he o­pened his mouth, & spake vnto thē these words: This dai is this scripture fulfilled in your eares, and they all gaue him testimony that it was so. In like maner may I say, concerning this place of scripture which I haue read vnto you: In your eyes and eares is this scripture this day fulfilled; And I pray God you may all likewise beare witnes with me, that it is so.

The last time that I spake in this auditory, I entreated of the floorishing & prosperous [...] of Ierusalem, which is the Church of [...] forth in the. 122. Psalme, and therfore good order now requireth that I shuld speake of the d [...]cay & ouerthrow of the enemy of Ierusalem which is Babylon, the See & church of Antichrist. And for that purpose principally haue I chosen this text of scripture to speake of: That by the one we might bee enflamed with loue of the true church of Christ, & by the other be moued to the hatred of that false church of Antichrist. Now this text of scripture ( She is fallen, she is fallen euen Babylon that great City, for of the wine of the fury of her fornication she hath geuen all Nations to drinke) offereth me thrée speciall [Page] things to be considered: First, what Babylon is: secondly what is become of her: and third­ly, what is the cause of her heauy decay.

In the first part, by the assistance of God, and your honorable pacience, I shal plainly shew & proue that Babylon is Rome: In the secend, y ^e Babylon or Rome, by the iust iudgemēt of God is fallen, yea she is fallen: In the last, the rea­son of this so sharpe sentence of God against her, because she hath deceiued al the world with dronkēnes and whoredome. Within the c [...]m­passe of these thrée propositions, I will kéepe my selfe in all my discourse: Sauing that by your fauour, forasmuch as this is the myddle voyce of thrée Angels that speake in this chapter, for [...] I wil vse the voyce of the first Angel, of whose preaching this my text is a cōsequent: an [...] in the stéede of a conclusion, I wil touch the voyce of the third Angel, which is a consequent of this the myddle Angels voyce. Concerning the Preface, it shalbe this in few words.

After that s. Iohn had described the preserua­tion & vnity of the church of god in Christ their head, euen in the midst of the fury of Antichrist, vnder the figure of y ^e Lambe, standing on moūt Syon, with. 144000. of his chast worshippers: Next he declareth, that God would bring the same againe into the sight of the world, by prea­ching of the Gospel, and the ouerthrow of the [Page] kingdome of Antichrist. Wherefore he sendeth an Angell, flying in the midst of heauen, or be­twene heauen & earth, bringing w ^c him an euer lasting Gospel, & preaching that all men should feare God, & geue glory to his name, for y ^t time of his iudgement was at hand, and that they should worship him that made heauen & earth, and althings that ar in them. A very angelical sermon in déede, & an euerlast [...]ng Gospel is that (howsoeuer the enemies charge it with nouel­tie) that teacheth to feare God, to geue glory to his name, & to worship him onely, that is the creator of heauen & earth. And a consequent of that Gospel is this sermon of the Angel, Sh [...] is fallen, she is fallen, euen Babylō that great [...] For whersoeuer men are taught to fear [...] [...] a right, to geue all glory to him alone, & to wor­ship none other but him that made heauen and earth, & althings in them contayned: ther must néedes follow a great fal & ouerthrow of Baby­lon & Babilonical religion, which teacheth the contrary. Wherfore if we loue the peace of Ie­rusalem, to the ouerthrow of this her great ad­uersary, let vs embrace this euerlasting Gospel that we feare God, glorify God, and worship God alone. Againe, if we hate Babylon, with a perfect hatred, as we ought to do, and therefore would séeke her vtter ruyne and decay, let v [...] procure, that this Gospel may be preached, that [Page] men may learne to feare, honor and serue God onely, and then vndoubtedly Babylon shall fall, she shall fal I say, she can stand no longer. Let this suffice therfore for a Preface.

Now haue we to consider, what Babilon is, I haue vndertaken to prooue, that Babylon here spoken of, is Rome. But first I must admonish you, how I vnderstand Rome. And that is not onely for a certaine place in Italy, compassed a­bout with walles, & furnished with buildinges, us other Cities are: but for that aucthority, go­uernment, & preheminence which is challenged by meanes of that city, or for the Romane Em­pire, which is claimed by prerogatiue of y ^e same City: And so is Babylon taken in the scripture, and namely in thys prophecye. For in the. 11. chapter of this Reuelation, the same great City is called also Sodoma and Aegiptus, wher our Lord was crucified. Sodoma, for the great abo­mination and filthines therin maintayned: and Aegiptus, because it kéepeth the people of God in miserable bondage & slauery, as Aegipt vn­der Pharao did of old. Wherby it is manifest, that the great City is to be taken for that ty­ranny, gouernment, & preheminence, as I sayd, which is ch [...]llenged in the right of that great City: and so is the regiment & gouernance of the Romane Antichrist depending vpon the pre­rogatiue of his See, which is Rome. Now if [Page] any wil contend, that Babilon must be taken in the proper sence for a City in Chaldea onely, as though we should looke for the Sée of Antichrist out of the East: As the Papistes for. xxx. or. xl. yeres ago deuised a fable, that was renued also in Quéene Maries daies, of a monstrous childe which should be borne at Babylon, which they would haue men suppose to be Antichrist: Hée may be flatly cōuicted of great ignorance, when the Angel in the. 17. chap. of this prophecy testi­fieth that her name is Babilon in a mystery, as in the. 11. chap. that she is spiritually called So­doma & Egiptus, not in respect of situation of the place, but in similitude & likenes of conditions.

Wherfore it remayneth, that (according to my promise) I proue Babilon here mencioned, to be Rome. The greatest controuersy y ^e thys day troubleth the world, is where y ^e true church of God shuld be, y ^e Papists making great brags that it is on their side, & we affirming that it is on our side. This controuersy will soone be cut of, & brought to an end, if it may be shewed, that Babilō is Rome. For then cannot Rome be the church of Christ, but the church of Antichrist: & therfore it standeth ure vpon, to bring very good and substantial proues, to maintain this my as­sertion, y ^e Babylon is Rome. But what proues may be counted sufficient? Is not the autority of holy scriptures, & the testimony of auncient [Page] Doctors of y ^e church, good & substantiall proues? Therfore if autority of scriptures be a good and substantial proofe, ye shal haue scriptures: if cō sent of auncient writers in the same sentence be of any value, you shall haue plenty.

And first beginning w ^t scriptures, I will not alledge such places as be hard & darke to vnder­stand, but such as be plaine, euident & manifest, and can receiue no other interpretacion to satis­fy the iudgement of any reasonable man. I o­mit therfore so many figures as in this Reuela­tion do not very obscurely signify, but euen di­rectly poynt & paint out y ^e Antichristian church. For although they do so aptly & fitly agrée ther­to, as a man might easely iudge, they wer made euen for the same purpose: yet because they might be wrested to som other meaning, if ma­nifest places did not withstand: I will leaue all aduauntage that I might take of them, & hold me onely at this time, to those playne & euident demonstrations, which with no equity nor con­science can admit any other interpretaciō. One­ly I wil here note, y ^e forasmuch as all figures, types and coulors contayned in this booke, may so conueniently be applied to Rome, as though they had bene properly appoynted to describe her (as they wer in deede) it is a great preiudice agaynst Rome, although no playner prooues might be brought. But when so playne argu­ments [Page] ar brought forth, that w ^tout to much im­pudency cannot be auoided, & al other figures & dark speches agrée accordingly, it is a manifest cōuiction y ^e Rome is none other but this Babilō.

But to begin w ^t these plaine places as I haue promised, the first shalbe out of the. 11. chapter of this Reuelation, y ^t place before alledged: wher it is declared, y ^e God in al times, yea in the grea­test persecution, would maintain his Church, & reserue at the least two witnesses which shuld testify of his truth, in spight of Antichrist & hys adherents. Which although the mōstrous beast that ariseth out of the bottomles pit, shuld mur­ther & slay: yet God should restore them to lyfe again, continually stirring vp a sufficient num­ber to beare witnes of his name & doctrine. In that chapter I say is contained, that when the beast had murdered them, he should enuy them the honor of burial, & so their bodies should lye in the stréete or market place of that great city, which is spiritually called Sodoma & Aegyptus wher our Lord was crucified. Declaring ther­by, that as Rome had slain & crucified the head, so should Rome persecute the members: and in the same city wher their Lord was murthered, the seruaunts also should be persecuted.

But here a man would thinke, y ^t I were im­pudent, to affirme that our sauiour Christ was crucified at Rome, whom al the world knoweth [Page] to haue suffered death at Ierusalem. But you must call to remembrance, y ^• at the first I gaue warning, that I did not vnderstand Rome for y ^e topography of Rome, that is, so much ground onely as is compassed within the walles of that city, but for the regimēt, gouernance, & prero­gatiue that is claymed, by reason of that city, or that monarchie, wherof Rome is the head: and then I shall easely proue, that Christ was cru­cified at Rome. For by whom was he condem­ned? Was it not by Pilate the Deputy or Liefe­tenant of y ^e Romane Empire? For what cause or crime was he adiudged to dye? Was it not for treason pretended to be cōmitted against the Romane Empyre? With what kinde of Execu­tion was he put to death? Was it not such as was vsuall by y ^e lawes of the Romanes, for such haynous offences as were vniustly layd to hys charge? Finally, was not the place wherein he suffered, within the circute of the Romane Em­pyre? May I not then iustly affirme, y ^e he was crucified at Rome, when by the Romane Iudge he was condemned for a crime against the Ro­mane state, and executed by a kinde of death ap­pointed by the Romane lawes, & in a place of the Romane dominion? As for the Iewes, they had at that time no autority to put any man to death, as they confesse them selues, when Pilate had them take him, and iudge him according to [Page] their owne lawe, meaning they should decrée some light punishment against him, they aun­swered: It is not lawfull for vs to put any man to death, & he hath deserued to dye. As touching the cause, although they accused him of blasphe­my, in that he made himselfe the sonne of God, yet could he not be condemned for that, because Pilate would admit no accusation, but such as contayned a crime agaynst the Romane lawes. And as for the death of the crosse, it is manifest to be proper to y ^e Romanes, for the Iewes would haue stoned him, if they might haue condemned him for blasphemy, according to the law of Mo­ses. And that the Angel in y ^e place by no meanes can vnderstād Ierusalem, it is manifest by these reasons: First, that he calleth it that great city, which term could neuer be spokē of Ierusalem: also he calleth it Sodoma and Aegiptus, which was the sea of the monstrous beast Antichrist, which in other places is often called Babylon, wheras no man euer did imagine, that Ierusa­lem should be called Sodoma, Aegipt, or Babilō. Adde hereunto, that Ierusalem, the place where Christ suffred, was vtterly destroied in S. Iohns time, whereby it is euident, that by thys great City, spiritually called Babilon, Sodoma, and Aegiptus, is ment none other but the Romane Empyre, which crucified the head, and should also bring forth the monstrous beast Antichrist, [Page] which should torment and afflict the members which began with murther of the Lorde, and should continue, till it were destroyed, in mur­thering of the seruantes. And by thys playne text, which cānot be wrested to any other sence, this great City Babilon, where Christ was cru­cified, is proued to be Rome, and the aucthority, rule, and power of the Romane City.

The second plaine and euident proofe which I will vse at thys tyme, shall be taken out of the 13. chapter of this Reuelation, where that euil shapen beast is described, which is the head of the persecuting malignant church: hauing. vij. heads, & ten hornes, and is the same which af­terwarde in the. 17. chapter beareth the great whore Babilon, y ^e mother of all abominations of the earth. Who so therfore that wil compare these things that are written in this booke, con­cerning the disposition of that monstrous beast, wyth those thinges that the Prophet Daniel in the. 7. chapter of his prophecy describeth of the [...]4. beastes, and specially of the fourth, which all men confesse to be the Romane Empire, except [...]e be to much blynded with frowardnes & per­ [...]ers affection: he must neede acknowledge, that [...]his beast which Iohn painteth out, is the same [...]hat Daniel setteth out: which contayning in it [...]he cruelty of the Leoparde, the Beare, and the Lyon, which were the former Monarchies, is [Page] vnlyke to them all, & therfore is the fourth Em­pire, which all y ^e world acknowledgeth to be the Monarchy of Rome. What should I speake of the nūber of the hornes, equal in both, & general­ly of all other partes of their discription, which is set forth so like, & almost with the same words both of the one, & of the other, that it were mere madnes to imagine that this beast which Iohn describeth, should be any other, then that Dani­ell had so long before portraited. Then if the Beast in Daniels discription, doth signifye the fourth kingdome, as the Angell expoundeth it, which no man will deny to be the Romane Mo­narchie: The same monstrous Beast, beyng here painted out in this Reuelation, wyth the same shape, coulors and conditions, must néeds signify the Romane Empire, and so Babylon by this reason also is proued to be Rome.

The third argument or proofe is taken out of the. 17. chapter of this Reuelation, & the. 9. verse Wher the Angell expounding to S. Iohn the mistery of the beast with seuen heads, declareth in very plaine words, that the seuen heades doo signify seuen hyls, wheron the woman sitteth. Now seing it is euident, that the woman signi­fieth a great City, we must see where we can finde a great City builded vpon seuen hyls, and that by the interpretacion of the Angell is Ba­bylon, the See of Antichrist. And if we séeke [Page] throughout y ^e whole world, wher shal we finde a great City builded vpon seuen hyls, but that great City in Italy? Which al writers, Poets, Historiers, Cosmographers, with one cōsent do confesse to be Rome, which is builded vpon. vij. hils, whose names are these: Palatinus, Capi­tolinus, Auētinus, Exquilinus, Viminalis, Qui­rinalis, and Caelius. This is so plain a notacion of Rome to be Babylon, builded on seuen hyls, that the Angel could not more plainly haue ex­pressed Rome, though he had named her. Nay this is a more euident and certaine description of Rome, to be the See of Antichrist, then if in plain words he had said Babylon is Rome. For it might be that some other City then that here was ment, might haue the name of Rome, but no other Citye could haue this notacion, to bée builded on seuen hyls. For Constantinopolis was afterward called new Rome, but Constā ­tinopolis was not builded vpon seuen hyls like vnto old Rome. Therfore this is a plain & ma­nifest circumlocution of Rome, which with no reason can receiue any other exposition.

For what Boy going to the Grāmer schoole, and reading in Virgils Georgikees thys verse: Septem quae vna sibi muro circundedit arces. That City (saith Virgil) which hath compassed seuen hyls within her wall, what Boy I say in the Grammer schoole, doth not vnderstand this [Page] to be ment of the City of Rome, although the Poet in that place, doth not once name Rome? With what face therfore wyll any man deny, that the Angel here meaneth any other City by this Periphrasis & circumlocution, then Rome? For it any man wyll be so froward to except, that the word of hyls is not taken in the proper sence, but figuratiuely and Metaphorically for some other thing, as some would seme to inter­prete seuen hils in this place, for. vij. kingdoms, he shall plainly be conuinced by these reasons: First it wer absurd, that the Angell should re­peate one thing twise, for in the next clause hée sheweth, that the seuen heads doo signify kyng­doms also. But specially we must remember, that this is an interpretaciō of the Angel, which must either be plaine & easy to be vnderstood, or els it deserueth not y ^e name of an interpretaciō. Therfore if the Angel, offering to expound the mystery of the seuen heads, geueth this exposi­tion, that they signify seuen hyls: if hyls be not taken in their proper sence, to what purpose serueth this exposition? For if the name of hyls hath nede of an other exposition, he had bene as good to haue left the name of heades vnexpoun­ded. And as for the interpretaciō of hyls to sig­nify Kings, is more obscure, dark, & far fet, then that heads shuld represent Kings, for it is more apt by Metaphore, to call a King an head, then [Page] to call him an hyl. Therfore except we wil say, that the interpretacion of the Angel is in vain, yea more darke, then the thing that is expoun­ded by him, we must needes confes, that hyls ar taken in their proper sence for hyls, and then the Citye builded vpon seuen hyls, without all controuersy is the City of Rome.

The fourth & last proofe that I wyll take out of the holy scripture, is y ^e last verse of the same 17. chapter, which is yet a more plain descriptiō of Rome, if any thing can be more plaine, then that hath bene already spoken of. For ther the Angel in plaine woords expoundeth, that y ^e wo­man which S. Iohn saw, which was the great whore Babylon, is that great City which hath do [...]inion ouer the Kings of the earth. What brasen face is so impudent, to deny that Rome was that great city, which had dominion ouer the Kings of the earth at that time, when this was spoken? Or what other city had dominion ouer the Kings of the earth in s. Iohns time, but Rome? Who is therfore so froward and vnto­ward, y ^e he will not acknowledge Babylon here to be plainly called Rome? If I should name the chiefe City of England, who would not vn­derstand London? If I should speake of y ^e cheif city of Eraunce, who would not conceiue Paris? And when the Angel named the chiefe citie of y ^e world, who could be ignoraunt, liuing in that [Page] time, or knowing the history of that time, that he vnderstood it of the city of Rome, which was the Sée of the Empyre, and from whence wee should looke that Antichrist should come, accor­ding to the former prophecies. For it is a shame in this place to slée vnto Allegories, and further expositions of this Angelicall interpretacion, which as I said before, if it be not cleare, playn, and easy to be vnderstood, deserueth not y ^t name of an exposition: as when one knowen thing is expoūded by another, as much or more vnkno­wen, it is vayne, superfluous, and ridiculous. Wherfore, whom any bandes of reason wyll hold in, they must be satisfied with the expositiō of the Angel, that Babylon is Rome. For seing it was necessary for the church of God, to know as well the place wher Antichrist should sit, as to be instructed of his craft and cruelty: our sa­uiour Christ, the Author of thys Reuelation, would not suffer his congregation to be ignorāt therof, but sent his Angel playnly to interprete and expound the vision of the great whore, that the Church being throughly admonished of her wickednes, & instructed perfectly to know her, might more easely take heede of her, flée from her, and abhorre her. So that according to my promise I haue sufficiently proued by autority of holy Scripture, this first proposition which I tooke in hand, that Babylon is Rome.

[Page]But because some ar of such obstinate & wil­ful frowardnes, that nothing will satisfy them, but they wyl styl grudge and repine, [...]arpe and obiect against my interpretacions of the holy scriptures (for the text they cānot deny) I wish them that are such, if they like not these exposi­tions which I haue brought to the defacing of Antichrist & his religion, then that they admit and reuerence those expositions, which their own Authors bring for the maintenance of the Popes authority, & his religion. Of which sort are these: God (saith Moses in Genesis) made two great lights, the Sunne to rule the day, and the Moone to gouern the night: That is, saith the famous Interpreter, God ordained y ^e Pope and the Emperour to rule the world. By the Sunne is ment the Pope, & by the Moone the Emperour. And looke how much greater, and more glorious the Sunne is then the Moone, so much greater and more glorious is the Pope, then the Emperor. And not content with this he coūteth by Arithmatike how much greater the Sunne is in quantity, then the Moone, by proportion that it hath to the earth, & so by ma­ny parts be cōcludeth that the Pope is greater then the Emperor. But here a mā might help him, what by Geometry, & what by Arithma­tike, for wher as the Sunne is. 166 times greater then the earth, & the earth. 39. times greater [Page] then the Moone (as is proued by Mathematical demonstration) the Pope shoulde bée 6474. times greater then the Emperor. This is one noble exposition that is set forth to aduaunce the dignity of the Pope, and his kingdome.

Another like to this, is vpon the words of the Apostels, which answered vnto our Sauiour Christ, when he commaunded him that had no sword, to sell his coate & bye one, signifiyng the great daunger y ^e was at hand: Lord (say they) here are two swordes. These words (sayth the Glosar) are the Ciuill & Ecclesiasticall power, which rem [...]ined in Peter, & therfore his succes­sor the Pope hath preheminence of both. No doubt a worthy interpretacion, & that agréeeth wel w ^e the text, & doth the Pope great worship.

Againe S. Paule saith to the Corinthians. 1. Cor 2. The spiritual man iudgeth althings, and he himselfe is iudged of none. This spirituall man, saith the Interpreter, is y ^e Pope, which is Iudge of all the world, & may not be controlled of any man, no though he draw with him innumerable soules into hel fier, ther to be tormen­ted with the Deuil & him for euer more, yet no man must be so bold as to finde fault with him, or to say: Domine quid ita facis? Lord, why do you so? Is not this an handsome exposition? Yes I promis you, euen like vnto this other: Statuimus vt Clerici nec ceruam nutriant, nec [Page] barbam radant: We decrée (sayth the Canon of an auncient Counsel) that the Clergy shall neither weare lōg héere, nor shaue their beards The Glosar finding this Canon to be so cleane contrary vnto the custome of the popish Cler­gy, who vse to weare long héere, and to shaue their beardes, thought he would draw it at the least, if it would not come by faire meanes, to maintaine the lawdable custome of the popishe Clergy: and by exposition of one word, he ma­keth y ^e whole Canon to serue his turne. Ther­fore Statuimus (saith he) which is we decrée, is to be expounded for Abrogamus, which is, we disanul or abrogate, and so the sence afterward falleth out very plaine for the popish Priestes thus: We disanul that Priests should go with out long héere, or vnshauen beards. A right cū ­ning interpretation, and proper for the place, & such in effect are all those y ^t serue for the main­tenance of the Popes authority & the religion of popery. Therfore, he y ^t is of so sharpe iudge­ment, that he wil mislyke & refuse those playne expositions, which I haue brought of the places before alledged, & except against them, as enfor­ [...]ed, constrained, and far fetched: let hym lyke of, prayse, magnify, and admire these interpre­tations, which are sought out to vphold & esta­blish the Popes throne, & his religion, as right­ly, faithfully, & truly collected. At (que) idem iun­gat [Page] Vulpes, & mulgeat Hircos, and by as good reason let him ioyne for hys plough not Oxes, but Foxes, and mylke for his payle, not shée Goates, but hée Goates, as the Poet saith.

Now y ^t I haue proued Babylon to be Rome by autorite of scripture, it foloweth that I must shew for the same, the consent of auncient Doc­tors. And as in my former probatiō I touched onely such places as did plainly, directly, & ma­nifestly set forth my purpose: so in this behalfe I wil deale with the Doctors. Not such as they are woont to alledge against vs, names in déede of great and reuerent antiquity, but workes of mere falsehood and forgery, bewraying theyr Authors not to be such as they are fathered vp­on, but such as out of the body of blindnes and superstition of much latter time, haue begotten them. Such are the decretal Epistels of the old Bishops of Rome, Linus, Clemēs, Anacletus. &c Of which Clemens writing to s. Iames, forsooth in his second Epistle chargeth him very earnestly, that y ^e Pixe be cleanly kept, so y ^t ther appere no Myse doong, or any other filthynes among the fragments of the body of Christ, with many other apostolical cōmaundements. The impu­dence of whose Authors appeareth notably in this, that wheras they were ignorant Buzards that could not write true latin, they would ascribe their coūterfet Epistles to so learned fa­thers, [Page] as though at that time when womē and children spake latin, naturally as their mother tong, the bishops were so vnlearned, that they did write so barbarously, and were not able to vtter their minde in true latin. But leauyng those delicates for such as long after them, I wyl vse no authority for this purpose, but such as they cannot refuse, but that it is auncient, catholike, & authentical. I wil begyn therefore with Irenaeus, one of the most auncient and au­thentical writers that the Church hath: Who in the fift booke of his treatise agaynst all here­sies, speaking of the Sée of Antichrist, The nu [...] ring of Beastes name by Greeke [...] ters. vpon the last verse vpon the 13. chapter of this Reuela­tion, where it is sayde, that the number of the Beastes name is sixe hundred, sixtye and sixe, sheweth that the opinion of many in hys time was, that seing this name [...], [...] which is in English The Latineman, or Romane, in the numerall Greeke letters, containeth thys number, y ^t Antichrist must be sought at Rome. His woordes are these: Sed & [...] no men sexcentorum sexaginta sex numerorum. &c. et valde veresimile est, quoniam verissimam reg­num hoc habet vocabulum Latini enim sunt qui nunc regnant. Also (sayth he) thys name Latemos, contayning the number of 666, is thought to be the name of Antichrist, and it is very like so to be, for that which most vndoub­tedly [Page] is a kingdome hath that name, for they be Latines which now doo raigne. You sée by this testimony of Iraeneus, that this prophecy of old time was vnderstood of Rome, and therefore it is no new interpretaciō that Babylon is Rome, and that the number of the Beasts name is to be found in one that beareth rule at Rome. If this exposition or explication of y ^t Beasts name had bene deuised by Luther, Zwynglius, or Cal­uine, it might haue bene suspected, as a thyng imagined of spight and enuy against the church of Rome, but whē it is brought forth by so aun­cient a Doctor, which liued not many yeres af­ter this Reuelation was geuen, as he himselfe saith, it was but a litle before his tyme, vnder Domitiane the Emperor, which died 13. hun­dred yeres before Luther was borne: we must néedes iudge it both to be very auncient, & voyd of all partiallity. Wherfore I wyll passe ouer diuers other applications of that number to o­ther names, whych neuertheles hyt Babylon home, because they haue bene sought out of late by such as beare yll wyll vnto Rome. For I think this is sufficient with all reasonable men of equal iudgemēt, to proue that this is no new opinion to séeke the See of Antichrist at Rome. They them selues to prooue their doctrine ca­tholike, alledge autority of a 11. or 12. hundred yeres antiquity: behold this opinion is 13. or 14 [Page] hundred yeres old, y ^t Antichrist should be a Ro­mane, & that the See of his tyrāny is at Rome.

The second witnes of this assertion, that Ba­bylon is Rome, is Tertullianus, a very aunci­ent writer also: Who in plaine woords affir­meth that Babylon signifieth Rome, in y ^t third booke against Martion, which denyed y ^t Christ had a true body. Wherfore Tertulliane vseth this reasō against him: That thing which hath a figure of it, must be a thing of truth, & so dis­coursing of many things figured, & the figures of them, cōmeth to these words: Sie et Babylon apud Iohannem nostrum, Romanae vrbis figu­ram portat, perinde & magnae, & regno super­bae, & sanctorum debellatricis. That is to say: Euen so doth Babylon (in the Apocalips) of our s. Iohn, beare the figure of the city of Rome, which is altogether as great, and as proud in raigne, & as great a persecuter of the Sayntes, as Babilon was. You see therfore most clearly and plainly, that Tertulliane w ^c al his learning could not interprete these things y ^t be written in this Reuelation, concerning Babylon to be applied to any other city then Rome. And he is also a witnes voyd of al partiallity or affection to either part, of them that striue in our dayes. For he departed nere about, xiij. hundred yeres before our tyme: why should we not then bée credited in this case?

[Page]Well next vnto hym I wyll ioyne Chryso­stome, in his Cōmentary vpon the second Epi­stle to the Thessalonians the second chapter, in his fourth Homely. Where as s. Paule spea­king of the manifestation of Antichrist, sayth, they knew what was the stay, that he was not presently reuealed: But when that stay is ta­ken away, he shuld be reuealed in his due time. Chrysostome expoūdeth this stay, to be the Ro­mane Empire, which must geue place vnto An­tichrist. That like as the Persians came in place of the Chaldeans, the Grecians in place of the Percians, and the Romanes in place of the Grae­cians, euen so Antichrist should inuade the Em­pire of the Romanes: Vacantem imperij prin­cipatum inuadet, & tentabit ad se capere homi­num & Dei imperium. Antichrist (sayth he) shal inuade the vacant principallity of the Em­pire, & shal assay to draw vnto him self the Empires both of God & men. And is it not manifest that the Papacie grew & tooke increase by the decay of the Empire, & at the fall of the Monar­chy challenged full possession of all dominion, both spirituall and temporall?

Of the same iudgement is s. Ierome, writing vpon the same place of Paule vnto Algasia, in the eleuenth question, whose wordes are these: Nec vult aperte dicere Romanum imperium de struendum, quod ipsi qui imperant aeternum [Page] putant, vnde secundum Apocalypsim Iohānis in fronte purpuratae meretricis scriptum est no­men blasphemiae, id est Romae aeternae, &c. that is: Neither wil he openly say, that the Romane Empire should be destroyed, which they that gouerne it thinke to be euerlasting, wherefor [...] according to the Reuelation of s. Iohn, in the forehead of the purple whore ther is written a name of blasphemi, which is, Rome euerlasting Loe here another witnes of good antiquity, and sufficient credit, which not onely agreeeth plainly with Chrysostome, that Antichrist should take possession of the Romane Empire, when it should be decayed in the Emperours: but also most plainly agréeing with Tertulliane, calleth that Babylonicall strumpet, which is described in the 17. chapter of this Apocalips, that purple whore of Rome, & the name of the blasphemye to be, Rome euerlasting: As though hee had heard the Pope brag of the eternity of his Sée, which he saith is the Rocke, against which the gates of hel cānot preuaile. But he is fowly be giled, for Rome the Sée of his Popedome, is by s. Ieromes iudgement, that Babylon of whō the Angel preacheth, y ^e howsoeuer the boast of her eternity: She is fallen, she is fallen, euen Baby­lon that great city, & neuer shal rise againe.

They cry out agaynst vs, that we rayle, and speake cōtumeliously of the holy Sée of y ^e Pope, [Page] when we call Rome the whore of Babilon: but when the old Doctours (to whose iudgement they themselues appeale from the authority of the scripture) feare not so plainly in their wri­tings, to paynt out the Babylonycall strumpet in her right coulors, & in flat words to say she is Rome the mother of al abominacions, & the Sée of Antichrist: why should we be blamed for saying as we are taught by them? And especially of those men that make so great vauntes, that the iudgement is altogether on their side: by whom they offer to be tryed, when they dare not abide the iudgement of the Scriptures. A­gaine, consider I pray you of the old Doctors, before Antichrist were openly reuealed, did vn­derstand by the scriptures, that he should [...]yt at Rome: what thinke you would they haue said and written, if they had lyued in these dayes, & knowen and sene all that was prophecied to be fulfilled in him, wyth what confidence suppose ye, they wold haue inueyed against him? With how open mouthes would they haue cryed out vpon him? At least wyse do you not thinke in your conscience, that when they had considered the autority of the Pope, & his wholesome doc­trine, they would haue chaunged their minds, and recanted their writings against Rome, and repented that euer they had called her y ^e purple whore of Babylon, seing she is the holy mother [Page] church of Rome, the Sée of the most holy father the Pope, the head of the same church? I must néedes say thus much in your behalfe (O ye Papists) as yll as I loue you, that if Hierome, Tertulliane, and the rest of the Doctors dyd so account of Rome as you affirme of them, they were much to blame to defame her wyth such odious names, as to call her the purple whore of Babylon, which must néedes make her vehe­mently suspected to be the church of Antichrist, and not of Christ. For what Papist in these dayes dare say, that which Hierome sayd, that Rome is that purple harlot Babylon which S. Iohn speaketh of in the Apocalips? The same Hierome in his 13. booke of Cōmentaries of the prophecy of Esay, vpon the 47 chap. writeth in this maner: Licet ex co quod iuxta 70 scriptū est [...], id est filia Babylonis, nō ipsum Babylonem quidam, sed Romanam vr­bem interpretantur, quae in Apocalypsi Iohan­nis & Epistola Petri Babylon specialliter appel­latur, &c. That is: For as much as the seuenty Interpreters write, not the daughter Babylon, but the Daughter of Babylon, some doe inter­prete therof, not Babylon in Chaldea, but the City of Rome, which in the Reuelation of saint Iohn, & the Epistle of Peter, is specially called Babylon. Note that Hierome in this place, ac­cōpted Rome to be Babylon the yonger, daugh­ter [Page] of Babylon y ^e elder. And secondly, that this was not his opinion onely, but the consent of many other in his time, and namely of such as vsed to interprete the Prophet Esay. Thirdly, and especially cōsider, that he affirmeth Rome in the Apocalips, to be specially called Babilon. So that Babylon in the Apocalips, by his iudgement, cannot be vnderstood for nothing els but Rome, because Rome is there specially figured by Babylon. What meaneth Hierome so often to beate in this naile, that Babylon is Rome? If it had slipped out of his pen but once, he myght haue bene pardoned for his ouersight: but whē he hath neuer done writing, that Rome is Ba­bylon, and in the Reuelation specially called Babylon, why should we accompt him any lon­ger for a Catholike? For in hys Preface vnto the booke of Didimus, De spiritu sancto, which he translated out of Gréeke into Latin, writing to Pauinianus, he vttereth these wordes: Cum in Babylone versarer, & purpuratae meretricis essem Colonus, & iure Quiritum viuerem, &c. Of late (saith he) when I was in Babylon, and was an inhabitant of the purple harlot, & liued after the lawes of the Romanes, I thought to intreate somewhat of the holy Ghost. What néeded Hierome in this place, so odiously & con­tumeliously to call Rome by the name of Babi­lon, but y ^t he could neuer consider Rome other­wise, [Page] but to be y ^t See appointed for Antichrist? for in other places, wher he interpreteth y ^t scriptures & Prophecies, concerning Antichrist, we may lesse maruel if he interprete Babylon for Rome, because no reason could leade him to ex­pound it otherwise: But here talking pleasāt­ly with his friend, what necessitys compelled him to vse such descriptions of Rome, but that this persuasion was so déepely grauen in hys minde, that Babylon is Rome, that neither in earnest noriest he could forget it, but is alwaies harping vpon it, as though he thought scorne to call Rome by any other name, then that he had learned in the scriptures, to be Babylon, & the purple Harlot. For in lyke maner, writing to Marcella a vertuous Gentlewoman of Rome, whom he allured to forsake Rome, & to dwell nere vnto him in Bethlehem, one especial reasō that he vseth to persuade her, is this: That as Bethlehē whether he wold haue her to repaire, is situate in the holy land, & the place cōsecrated to the birth of Christ: So Rome where shee desired to remaine, was the Babylonical harlot according to the Reuelation of s. Iohn, appoin­ted for the birth of Antichrist, which ther shuld arise, & exercise tyranny, & from thence should deceiue y ^t whole world with his wicked wyles.

But who so wil reade the workes of Ierome, may finde yet more places, in which he is bold [Page] to cal Rome Babylon, y ^t very Sée of Antichrist. Whereby it is apparant, that it is no new or straunge matter to séeke Antichrist at Rome, when such old Doctors of the church so cōmon­ly in Commentaries, Epistles, and other wri­tings, do teach vs that Rome is Babylon, & the scripture affirmeth that Babylon is the Sée of Antichrist. But let vs leaue s. Ierome, and sée what other say of the same matter.

Saint Ambrose, writing a Cōmentary vpon the Reuelation of s. Iohn, is of the same iudge­ment. Of the authority of the woorke, I wyll moue no question at this time, seing it is com­mended to vs by Cuthbert Tonstal, late bishop of Duresme, who found it in an old Library, & first set it in print, vnder the name of that great s. Ambrose, and is willing that men should so thinke of it. It is good authority I say, against the Papists, being commended by so Catholike a Prelate, & because they are woont to receiue whatsoeuer commeth vnder the name of an old Doctor, though it be neuer so vnlyke his wri­ting, and cry out vpon vs for reiecting at our pleasure the workes of auncient Doctors that make against our doctrine, as though we reiec­ted any without cause, or they refused none for any cause: wheras Pighius their great Patron blusheth not to reiect the report of two general Counsels, the fift & sixt of Cōstantinople, which [Page] are cōmended to vs by publike faith of y ^t church of Constantinople, because in y ^e one Pope Ho­norius is condemned & accursed for an heretike, & in neither of both y ^e Popes Legats could haue the highest place, according to y ^t request of their ambicious Maister. But as for this Ambrose, if he wer not Ambrose of Millain, yet is it ap­parant by the style, that he was some auncient writer of the Latin church, & he throughout this prophecy interpreteth Babylon to be Rome: & Antichrist to be sought no where but at Rome.

Primasius also, a very auncient writer, who likewise cōmenteth vpon the Apocalips, expoū ­deth these prophecies of Antichrist to be fulfil­led in y ^t Romane empire, & of the city of Rome.

S. Augustine in his worke De Ciuitate Dei, not once or twise, but oftentimes is bold to cal Rome Babylon, & Babylon Rome, as in his 16. booke, and 17. chapter, he calleth Rome an other Babylon in the West. And in his 18. booke, & 2. chapter he calleth Babylon of Chaldea the first Rome, & Rome of Italy the second Babylon, willing men to consider, that in the beginning of the city of God, which was the church in A­brahams time, y ^e first Rome that was Easterne Babylon her enemy was builded in Chaldea, and about the same time that the first Babylon was destroyed, least the city of God should lack her enemy, the second Babylon which is Rome [Page] in Italy was erected. It is a straunge matter, y ^t the same city which is y ^t professed enemy of the city of God, should be the mother of al religion, & the very city of God it selfs. O Augustin, thou wast not wel aduised to make the city of Rome enemy to the city of God, that Rome should be the same to the church of God, that Babilon of old was at Ierusalem. The same Augustine in the 22. chap. of the 18. booke, calleth Rome an other Babilon, & daughter of the first Babilon. And in the 27. chap. he calleth Rome Western Babylon. By these & other testimonies of old [...] writers that might be brought, but for tedious­nes I suppose it is sufficiently proued that Ba­bylon in this my text spoken of, is Rome, and that we should not seeke Antichrist to proceede from any other place then from Rome. But what neede I trouble my selfe to seeke further testimonial, for cōfirmation of this matter, that Babylon is Rome, then of the Papistes them selues? For it is the common catholike opinion of all Papists, that s. Peter in his Epistle where he sendeth salutacions frō the Church gathered in Babilon, by Babilon vnderstandeth Rome. And they learne it of Ieronime, which in the life of s. Marke doth so expound it. So gréedy they are to finde a place in Scripture where Peter should be said to haue bene at Rome, that they are content to acknowledge Babylon in the [Page] scripture to be vnderstood of Rome. And thus I haue performed I trust sufficiently, y ^t which I tooke in hand to proue, both by the autority of holy scripture in plaine & manifest textes, & by consent of many auncient writers, yea by the confession of the Papists them selues, that Ba­bylon in the scripture is taken for Rome. And thus much for the first part, in which because I haue bene ouer long, I wyl be shorter in that which remayneth.

In the second part I promised to declare how Babilon which is Rome is fallen, according to the prophecy of this Angell: She is fallen (saith the Angel) she is fallen. He repeateth y ^• woord of falling for two causes: First, to declare the certainty of her decay, y ^t howsoeuer she seemed to floorish and triumph, as though she should ne­uer haue fallē or come to ruine: yet God for her wickednes most righteously, & for the comfort of his church most mercifully, had decréeed vn­doubtedly that she should fall, when that time was once come, which in his most wise & well ordered councel was appointed for her destruc­tion. Secondly, he repeateth twise that she is fallen, to shew that she should haue an vnreco­uerable fall: she should not fall as other cities, which haue risen again, but she should fal with­out al hope of recouery, neuer to be restored a­gain. Therfore in the 18. chap. a mighty Angel [Page] taketh vp a great mylstone, & throweth it into the sea saying: VVith such violence s [...]al Babilon that great city, be throwne downe, & neuer be sene any more. So that as it is impossible for a great milstone, throwne with great forc [...] by a mighty Angel into the bottom of the sea, to rise vp againe, & swym aboue the water: so im­possible is it that Babylon, when she is at the lowest of her fall, should euer be set vp agayne. And in the 19. chap. it is said: That the smoke of her burning ascended vp for euer and euer. Also of her vtter desolation descriptiōs ar made in the 18. chapter, wher it is said, that Babilon is made a dwelling place of diuels, a cage of vn­cleane birds, according to the prophecy of Esay, concerning old Babilon, that Zyim and Ohyi [...] which be Sprights & Goblins shal walke in he [...] pallaces, Scrichowles & Ostriges shal cry in he [...] houses, Apes & Satyres shal daunce in her beu­tiful buildings. No voyce of men shalbe heard in her, no sound of a myl shalbe heard, no lyght of a candle shalbe seene, but perpetual solitude & sorrow shal dwel ther for euermore. Therfore saith the Angel, She is fallen, she is fallen, that is she is destroyed, and neuer shalbe repaired.

But if we wyll better vnderstand how she i [...] fallen, we must consider more distinctly wher­in the is fallen. First, in wealth and riches. she hath sustained a great fal. Consider how many [Page] kingdoms and states of the world haue renoū ­ced her obedience, & al these haue withdrawen great ren [...]s, reuenues, & commodities, that in times past were addict to the mayntenance of Babylon the church of Rome. A great fal with­out peraduenture, & that will neuer be recoue­red. Remēber so many Abbies, Monasteries, Nunneries, Frieries, Hospitals, Chauntries, Churches & Chappels, now [...]uerthrowne and made euen with the ground: Al lands, is wels, ornaments & great treasures that belonged vnto them, cleane taken away from them: & you wyl confes with me, that Rome in riches hath a great fall. Yea, if you would see with your eyes [...] manifest example of Gods iudgemēt agaynst Babylon, behold that euil fauoured mynes and [...]ea [...]es of Monasteries, that wer somtyme gor­ [...]eous & sumptuous buildings. The same end [...]emaineth all that pompe & pride of Babylon, [...]or yet altogether beaten down, but euen now [...] falling: For the mouth of the Lord hath spo­ [...]en it, & his immutable counsell hath decréeed [...], and he hath sent an Angel to proclaime it.

Some wish perchaunce, y ^t Monasteries had [...]ood styl, & bene conuerted to better vses: But [...]ndoubtedly the prouidence of God so ordred al [...]ings y ^t his cursse which was vpō them might [...]e executed, & the prophecies that were concer­ [...]ing them, might be fulfilled, that they myght [Page] be a monument of h [...]s wrath vnto all the poste­rity, the beginning of the fall of Babilon, and an example of the destruction of all the rest that should followe soone after. Who would euer haue thought that so great ryches, treasures, & reuenues should so sodaynly be ouerthrowen destroyed, and come to nothing? Therefore it is manifest, that in wealth and worldly sub­stance, whereby the pryde, voluptuousnes, and intemperaunce of riotous Rome was maintay­ned, and grew to an intollerable exces, is great­lye diminished, sore decayed, and hath a foule fall, and shortly shall haue a finall fall.

Well, Babylon is not fallen onely in wealth and riches, but also in power and autority. For the Kings of the earth, which somtimes were subiect to that monstrous Beast, haue now sha­ken of the yoke of her seruitude; & wythdrawen the obedience of al their subiects from her. Yea▪ the most part of the. x. hornes, which somtyme gaue ouer their power and authority vnto th [...] Beast, which were all the Kings & Potentate [...] that acknowledged the Pope for their suprem [...] head, & soueraigne Lord, do now hate and abhorre the Harlot of Rome, and shall make he [...] desolate, by withdrawing their subiectes from her obedience, and nakedly spoyling her of he [...] treasures, & shall eat her fleshe for pure hatre [...] and burne her wyth fier: For great is the Lor [...] [Page] which iudgeth her. So that she which before at her pleasure might cōmaund all Princes to be­gyn war, to cease from war, to defend her quarrels, to annoy her enemies: now is glad to flat­ter a few seduced Princes to take her part, that she be not vtterly forsaken of al men: Or els to practise by treasō & treachery, suborning Roges and Vacabonds to styrre vp tumults among y ^e rude people, to trouble godly estates & common wealthes, that despise her dominion, but w ^tout all hope euer to recouer her auncient tyranny.

Her thunderboits of Excōmunication, which were somtime terrible to all men, are now fea­red of no man. What though she retayne her proud & presumptuous stomacke, and wyll doo while her breath lasteth, to pronounce sentence of depriuatiō against Princes that abhorre her wickednes? Her impudent arrogancy is not so much detested of many, as laughed to scorne of all. Her Proctors and priuy practisers, though they chaunge them selues like Proteus, into ne­uer so vnlikely shapes, are espied in euery cor­ner. For God himselfe reuealeth their preten­ces, & wyl not suffer her to preuaile any longer. So that in power & autority Babylon is fallen and falleth dayly more and more into vtter con­tempt with all men, vntyl she be vtterly consu­med, & brought to nothing, which wil not be lōg before it come to pas. For this sentence y ^t God [Page] hath throwne agaynst her, & begun also to exe­cute, cānot be chaūged, or much lōger differred.

But especially & chiefly Babylon is fallen in credit of her doctrine. For besides so many prin­ces and states of Christendome, that by publike autority haue receiued the Gospel, & vtterly a­bolished all Babilonicall doctrine: Euen in the midst of her tyranny & persecution, great mul­titudes daylye are lyghtened wyth the bryght beames of the Gospel, that for all Inquisitions, imprisonments, exquisite torments, & cruel burnings, they neuer a whit diminish, but rather increase, as God hath prouided, that the blood of the Martyrs should be the seede of the Church. And they ar more then obstinate, if they do not acknowledge that this matter is gouerned frō God aboue. For if it had bene of men, it must needes haue decayed before this time, and haue come to naught, as Gamaliel sayd of y ^• doctrine of the Apostels. Therfore in fighting against it, they shew them selues but after the maner of the old Giants, to make war against God. Or as it is contayned in this prophecy, y ^e Antichrist should gather together the Princes of the earth to make battail against him that sitteth vpon y ^e white Horse, whose name is the woord of God, but al to their own vtter confusion & destructiō. For the word of God must conquer and preuail in the last age, & Antichrist must be consumed [Page] by the spirit of y ^e mouth of Christ, which is his holy word, & vtterly abolished by the glorious brightnes of his cōming to iudgemēt, as s. Paul testifieth in the second chap. of the second Epi­stle to y ^e Thessalonians. Therfore it is in vaine that they seeke to vnderprop the doctrine of Ba­bylon by cruelty & tyrāny, for al wil not serue, seeing the time of her final fall approcheth, and now already our sauiour Christ with the spirit of his mouth, hath wasted & consumed a great part of that credit & estimation, in which y ^e doc­trine of Babylon of long tyme hath triumphed. And it is our parts to pray, that her credit may dayly more & more decrease, y ^t the kingdome of Christ may be perfectly established amōgst vs, & the kingdom of Antichrist may be ouerthrowē euen from the foundacions. That no superflu­ous relikes of Babylonical religion mai remain wher the church of Christ is in building: but y ^t the doctrine of Babylon may fal altogether.

Thus haue I declared that Babilon in wealth and substance, in power & autority, in credit & estimation of her doctrine, is fallen, & that with out hope of recouery. For her credit is cracked not onely among her enemies the Protestants, but euen among her best friendes, and greatest Archpapists. For I suppose ther is none in the world so blinde, so supersticious, so deuoutly ad­dict in all points of popish idolatry and supersti­cion, [Page] as they were. xxx. or. xl. yeares past. Al­though they close their eyes neuer so obstinatly against the light of Gods word, yet some effect of the beames of force wil pearce euen through their eye lids. And that they them selues cānot dissemble, although they would neuer so faine, but that they haue bene deceiued wyth grosse errors, & shameful supersticions. Their Par­dons, their Pilgrimages, their Legends: who is now so blinde, that séeeth not how the world hath bene seduced by them? And the simplicity of the people abused to satisfy their vnsatiable couetousnes. As for the greatest Patrones of Popery that be learned, they cannot deny, but that great errors haue bene receyued & taught for truthes: yea y ^e Pope himself hath acknow­ledged, that many errours haue crept into the church, yea euen into the Masse, but the refor­mation of them pertaineth to him alone, & the general councel. But what hope of reformatiō is to be looked for at their hands, let it be sene in the decrées of the last councel of Trent. What litle Mise those great mountaynes in so many yeres trauel haue brought forth. In fortye or fifty yeres consultacion, two great matters re­formed: One for Pardoners not to be cōmon Pedlers, another for the Communion in both kindes, to those that desire it: so they confes it were as good in one kinde, and agrée with them [Page] in al other pointes of Popery. Yet all was not wel, they confes by their correction. And as for the greatest pillers and Proctors they haue, if they be pressed nere, acknowledge a great deale more. As one that landed lately at Yarmouth, before witnes of good credite restified, that if he might be satisfised in two pointes, concerning y ^• Popes supremacy, & the real presence, for other matters he would not greatly striue. So that I will conclude that Babylon is fallen in riches, in power, in credit of doctrine, not onely w ^t pro­testants, but euen with Papists them selues.

But now I know what wyll be obiected a­gainst me, that I haue traueled all in vayne, to proue that Babylon is fallen, & that Babylon is Rome: And y ^t I haue abused the textes of scrip­ture, and sentences of old Doctors to proue the [...]ame. For what soeuer is contained, either in [...]he scripture, or in the writing of the auncient Doctors, to proue that Babylon is Rome, is to [...]e vnderstood of Rome vnder the heathen Em­ [...]erours, & not vnder the Popes: And that all [...]his while I haue wrested the scriptures, & en­ [...]orced the Doctors to affirme that which they [...]euer thought of. In dede I wil confes, y ^e some [...]rophecies contained in this Reuelation, were [...]ulfilled in the heathen Emperours, & that the [...]eathen Empire was an introduction vnto An [...]ichrist: but that Antichrist the great enemy of [Page] the church of Christ, & which is principally cal­led Antichrist, could not be any of the heathen Emperors, neither the state of the heathen Mo­narchy, I wil make it manifest by plain demon­strations. And first I wil retain this principle, sufficiently proued before, that Rome is the Sée of Antichrist, and that by autority of scriptures and consent of auncient writers, we can seeke him no wher, but in the Romane Empire. And now the controuersy resteth in this, whether y ^t heathen Emperors or the Pope vs them.

First s. Paule in the second chap. of the second Epistle to the Thessaloniās, speaking purpose­ly of Antichrist, saith expresly that he shal syt in the temple of God, which is y ^• church of Christ▪ But it is manifest, that the heathen Emperor [...] did not sit in the church of God, therfore y ^t hea­then Emperor is not this Antichrist. And by y ^t same reasō it is manifest, that Mahomet is not that especial Antichrist, because he sitteth with­out the temple of God, as ther be diuers that wold haue these things to be vnderstood of Ma­homet or Ottomanus: but it is as clere as the Sunne at noone daies, for as much as neyther the heathen Emperors, nor Mahomet, nor Ot­tomanus sitteth in y ^e temple or church of God, that none of them is that great Antichrist, o [...] whom the prophecies of the scripture are to bée expounded. And where as some of them inter­prete [Page] the abominacion of desolation, whereof Christ speaketh, to be ment of Antichrist, or at least wise to be a figure of him, that cannot be vnderstood of the heathen Emperors, or any o­ther y ^t is without the Church, for that standeth in the holy place, which is the temple, and signi­fieth the church. Now the Pope sitteth in the midst of the temple of God, & boasteth him self to be God, challenging to him selfe such autori­ty, as is proper onely to God, & vsurping such honor as is peculiar onely to God. Therefore not in the heathen Emperors, but in y ^e Popes, is this prophecy accomplished.

Another reason to proue y ^• Antichrist, which in this Reuelation is foreshewed to come into the world, cānot be vnderstood to be the heathē Emperors, is taken out of the. 17. chap. of the same booke. For there the Angell interpreting vnto s. Iohn the mistery of the Beast that bea­reth the Harlot, which hath seuen heads: after he hath shewed that the seuen heads signify. vij. hyls, he declareth that they signifye also seuen Kings, or principall estates, or formes of regi­ment, for so the name of King is often taken in the Prophets, and specially in Daniel, at which prophecy s. Iohn borroweth many phrases. Of [...]hese seuen heads fiue (he saith) were fallen, the sixt was then presently in autority, and the [...]euenth was not yet come, which seuenth was [Page] the monstrous beast Antichrist, that was both the seuenth and the eight. Now it is euident, that this could not be vnderstood of the heathen Emperors, for Nero the first persecuting Pay­nim, was come and gone, & Domitian an other persecuter, by whose tyranny s. Iohn was ba­nished into the Isle of Patmos, wher he saw & receiued this Reuelation, was then in autori­ty: So that of the Monarchy or tyranny of hea­then Emperors, this could not be vnderstood, & of the Christian Emperors no man wil expoūd it, so that it must needes be turned ouer to the Pope, for it can rest in no place els. And being referred vnto him, all the rest hath a very ap [...] exposition of the city of Rome, & the dominions therof hath had seuen principal states or formes of regiment. The first state of Kings, the secō [...] of Consuls, the third of Decemuiri, the fourt [...] of Dictatores, the fift of Triumuiri, the sixt o [...] Caesars or Emperors, & the seuenth of Popes Now fiue of these states or formes of regimen [...] were fallen and abolished in s. Iohns time: th [...] sixt which was the Emperors, in his time wa [...] in place: and the seuenth which is the Popes was not yet come, which was the very beast i [...] selfe: the Romane Empire reuiued, and raise vp from the bottomles pit of hel, into the vsurped tyranny of the Pope. And this is y ^t Beas [...] that somtimes was of wonderful great powe [...] [Page] and glory, in the daies of Augustus, and some other of his successors, but then much decayed, as if it had not bene, although in some sorte it wer, but should be restored in the vsurped au­tority of the Pope, that claimeth al the world to be his Diocesse: Which power commeth not from God, but from the Prince of pride, out of the bottomles pyt. But chiefly let vs consider, that the beast, although he be but one, yet in the accompt he standeth for two, for he is y ^t seuenth head, & the sight also: And remember that the Pope challengeth double authority, namely the power of both swordes, the spiritual & the tem­poral. So that in this exposition, althings agrée most aptly. Againe, it is manifest in the scrip­tures, that Antichrist should deceiue the world with false doctrine, vnder pretence & coullor of true religion, & therfore so often times the scrip­ture warneth men, that they be not seduced by him, which were needeles, if any open professed enemy of Christ should be that Antichrist. For there is no likelyhood, y ^t an heathen man, a Iew or a Turke, shuld deceiue any multitude of true Christiās, but he that vnder the pretence of the name of Christ, seeketh most of all to deface the honor of Christ: he is a subtil aduersary, & the very spirit of Antichrist, as S. Iohn also in hys Epistle doth testify. For in y ^e second chap. spea­king of those Antichristes which were the fore­runners [Page] of y ^t great Antichrist, be sheweth that they went out from the church: & in the fourth chap. he calleth them false Prophets, and tea­cheth them how to know y ^t spirit of Antichrist, He that denieth IESVS to be Christ, he that denieth that IESVS Christ is come in the flesh. That is, he that derogateth anye thing from the honor of Iesus to be Christ, and in his flesh to haue performed the ful worke of mans redemption, as y ^t Pope doth most blasphemous­ly, he is Antichrist: and who so teacheth anye such doctrine, speaketh by y ^t spirit of Antichrist: For the testimony of IESVS, is the spirit of prophecy. Seing therfore that S. Iohn accomp­teth Antichrist for one that is gone from the Church, & for a false Prophet, it is cleare that Antichrist is no heathen Emperor, which was neuer of the Church, nor anye false Prophet, that tooke vpon him to teach in the church. The same may be said of Mahomet, who neuer pro­fessed him selfe to be a Christian, nor yet a Pro­phet in the Church of C [...]rist, pretending to vp­hold the religion of Christ, but an open enemy or the Gospell, and of our Sauiour Christ, alto­gether without the Church. By these argu­ments I doubt not, but all men may see, that see [...]ng Babylo [...] is Rome, and that the head of Babylon is Antichrist, that he cannot be any of the heathen Emperors, but euen the Pope him [Page] selfe. And therfore I conclude, according to my text, y ^t Rome is fallen, if Babylon by fallen.

Now remaineth the last part that I promi­sed to entreate of, namely the cause of Gods so seuere iudgemēt against Babylon, that he hath decreeed her vtter ouerthrow and destruction, which the Angel comprehēdeth in these words: Because she hath made al Nations dronke with the wyne of the fury of her fornication. That is: She hath deceiued all the world wyth false doctrine, which he compareth vnto two kindes of vices, wherby men are so deceiued, that they léese al right iudgement: Dronkennes and For­nication. For as these two vices do allure men to commit them, by coueting of vayne de [...]ecta­cion that is in them: euen so Babylon hath en­ticed all men lyke an other Circe, to drinke of the cup of her delectable errors, and to commit most filthy fornication with her idolatrous re­ligion. For of all other religions to the carnall man, none is so pleasant as Popery is, in which be so many kindes of satisfaction to be obtay­ned, both in this life, & after men be dead, that there is no greater security of an hipocri [...]e to sleepe in, then in the faire promises of Poꝑerye. And that causeth so many willingly to embrace it, & so loth to depart from it, because they wold styll continue without checke of true doctrine, which calleth men to repentaunce, and amend­ment [Page] of lyfe, or els threateneth eternal damna­tion. For howsoeuer it pleaseth them to charge the doctrine of the Gospell with cause of secu­rity, it may easely be sene by comparison of it, with the doctrine of Popery, whether be cause of security: that which teacheth no satisfaction but one, for them that be penitent in this lyfe: or theirs that hath so many waies to merite re­wardes, & to satisfy for synnes, not onely while men lyue in the world, but also for them that are already gone out of it. And ther is no wine so swéete to the taste of a carnall man, as that which maketh hym droonke with opinion of his own righteousnes, as it is the nature of strong wyne, to make very Cowardes thynke them selues to be valiant Champions: and such is the cup of popish doctrine, contayning merites and satisfactions.

Agayne, when we consider that Antichrist should make men droonke wyth hys erroneous doctrine, we maruel lesse how men could be so blinded and infatuate, that they could not sée and perceiue such grosse errours, and manifest vntruthes as are in Popery. For as they that are ouercome with the strength of wyne, haue lost the right vse, both of their wyt, and of their sences: euen so they that are droonke with the hereticall doctrine of Papistry, do grope in the cleare light of the Sunne, and sée not their own [Page] deformity, though all the world beside cry out of them. In like maner, they that be ouercome with the vnhonest loue of Harlots, haue theyr reason so imprisoned in corrupt affection and foolish fantasy, that they are at libertye neither to see their own folly, nor admit any wyse and godly counsel. So it fareth with those that the Babylonicall Circe the church of Rome hath al­ [...]ured by her enchauntments, to commit spiri­tual fornication with her, they cannot abide to heare the voice of them that calleth them out of that damnable estate, so highly they please them selues in their own misery, as if they were in case of perfect felicity. This is chiefest of their [...]rokēnes, this is chiefest of their fornication, and this is the iust iudgement of God, that they which haue shut vp their eares from hearyng the truth, should be deceiued with strong delu­sions, that they myght beleue lyes. Further­more, by the names of these vices, the Angell comprehendeth all other vices that followe of them, as intemperancy, arrogancy, impudency, and such like as are woont to follow dronken­nes and incontinence. For these crimes go not vnaccompanied, for wher either of them is, commonly both will be, & they haue either of them, and both together, their trayne to wayte vpon them. And all these we sée to haue ouerflowed in Rome the Westerne Babylon, as she her [Page] selfe, though she haue a brasen forehead, and be past al shame, cannot deny altogether. And be­cause of these so great and haynous enormities the iust sentence of God, pronounced here by the Angel, is come vpon her, that she is now in her fall and decay, as she was once in her ruffe and glory. But this especially is to be noted, that the Angell here saith, that She should de­ceiue al nations with the fury of her fornicatiō. For thys is the great vniuersallity that they make so great bragges of, and would haue it to be a certaine Note and Marcke of the catholike church to be vniuersal: Behold the Angel here saith in playne wordes, that all nacions should drinke of the wyne of the fury of her fornicati­on. Wher is then the vniuersall consent and vnity of all nacions in religion, that maketh a true religion? And yet vniuersallity and vnity be two great pillers of the Church of Rome. And for my part I do not enui her those marks which shee challengeth of vniuersallity and vni­ty, (although wee might stand in law with her for them) but let her peaceably enioy them: for they may helpe to proue her to be y ^t false church of Antichrist, but they cannot make her to be the true church of Christ. We see playnly that Babylon hath here vniuersallity and vnity, for she maketh al nations to drinke of the furious wine of her fornication: but y ^e church of Christ, [Page] as he himself saith, is a smal flocke, and him self by Symeon is said to be a signe of contradictiō, a marke that is gaynsaid of most men.

And here also is answered one great mighty obiection, wherwith they thinke to chekers: That séeing the church of Christ, is the Spouse of Christ, how could it be that Christ should for­sake his Spouse, and suffer her to continue in damnable errours, so many hundred yeares? Why, Christ him selfe declareth, that the de­ceites and errors of false Prophets should be so great, that if it were possible, the very Elect should be deceiued. Yea, ther should be such a miserable dispersion, that scarse two true Pro­fessors of his name should remayne together in one plac [...], and yet the holy hand of vnity should be in the head, which is our sauiour Christ: for wher soeuer the carc [...]sse is, thether the Eagles would be gathered. And S. Paule in manifest words declareth, that the second comming of Christ should not bee, before ther were a gene­rall Apostasy, that is: a departure from the true faith & religion of Christ, and that the sonne of perdition Antichrist were openly shewed. And [...]n this Reuelation how often is it sayd, that [...]ntichrist should deceiue all the world, all na­ [...]ions, people, and tonges, and that the Church of Christ should be driuen into the wildernes, [...]ut of the sight of the world, and ther remayns [Page] a space, vntyll she should be brought agayne to light and open knowledge of all men? As it is come to passe this day, Gods name be therfore euerlastingly praysed.

But because I haue occupied long tyme, I wyll draw to an end: For by that I haue sayd, I trust it doth sufficiently appeare, that God according to his righteous iudgement, hath de­termined vtterly to ouerthrow Babylon, be­cause shée hath deceiued all nacions wyth the wyne of the fury of her fornication. And now it resteth onely, that I speake a word or two of the voyce of the third Angell, which is a conse­quent of this my text, and serueth verye aptly for the conclusion of my Sermon.

The third Angell followed, crying wyth a loude voyce, and saying: If any man shal wor­ship the Beast or hys Image, or receyue hy [...] marke on his forehead, or in his hand, or shal [...] acknowledge anye obedience or reuerence to him, as willing to drinke of the cup of Babylon [...] fornication, thesame shall drinke of the wyn [...] of the furye of Gods wrath, whych is poure [...] forth vnmingled, into the great cup of God anger, and they shall be tormented wyth si [...] & brymstone, before the Lambe and his holy Angels, and the smoke of their torments shal [...] ascend for euermore, and they shall haue n [...] rest d [...]y nor nyght from extreme tormentes [Page] that worship the Beast, or shew any reuerence vnto Antichrist. The effect is in few wordes: That horirible, intollerable, and eternall tor­mentes remayne for all them, that now espe­cially, when Babylon is now discouered, wyll haue any thing to do with her damnable errors and pernicious doctrine. For howsoeuer igno­rance before her fall, though it were inexcuse­able, yet semed to diminish the greatnest of the crime: Now that her wickednes is openly dis­plaied, no pretence can saue men from the ex­tremity of Gods wrath, if they wyl styll obsti­nately continue in her heresies.

Let vs therfore pray vnto almighty God in­stantly, that al men in their vocation may seeke the vtter ouerthrow and destruction of Baby­lon: that Princes and Magistrats may, accor­ding to the prophecies of them, hate her with a perfect hatred, and vtterly abolysh what soeuer belongeth to her: that they may reward her, as she hath rewarded vs, and geue her double punishment, according to her workes: and in the cup of affliction that she hath poured foorth for vs, they may poure forth double as much to her. And looke how muche she hath gloryfied her selfe, and lyued in wattonnes (which was without measure) so much they may bestowe vpon her of sorrow and torments. That Prea­chers and Ministers of Gods word, may plain­ly [Page] and without dissimulation or halting, disco­uer her wickednes: & earnestly to vrge what­soeuer hath yet néede of perfect reformation. That all Subiectes may continue in holye o­bedience, first to GOD, and then to theyr Prince, to the aduauncyng of the honour and glory of GOD, through IESVS CHRIST. To whom wyth the holy Ghost be all ho­nour, glory, power, and dominion, both nowe and euer.

AMEN.