Little Timothe his lesson: or, A summary relation of the historicall part of holy scripture plainely and familiarly comprized in meeter, for the helpe of memory, and instruction of the ignorant in the writings of God. By E.G. Mr. in Arts, and practitioner in physicke for the Kings hospitall of St. Bartholomew, in the city of Glocester.

Certaine briefe notes, collected out of late and approued wri∣ters, for the better vnderstan∣ding of the booke of REVELATION.

SAint Iohn receiued & wrote this Apocalyps, or Reuelation of the mysteries of God, when hee was in Patmos. Patmos is an Iland, lying in the Aegaean, or Grecian Sea, which diui∣deth Asia from Europ, whither he was bani∣shed by Domitian the persecuting Emperor of Rome, about the yeere—96.

The seuen Churches to which he wrote were seuen famous Cities of Asia the les∣ser, and Greece, where the Gospell was plan∣ted.

The seuen Seales.

THe first is referred to the times of the primitiue Church, wherein Christ by his Apostles and Ministers, subdued nati∣ons

to the obedience of the Gospell, Acts 2. 41.

[ 2] The second, is referred to the time of the cruell persecutions, vnder the bloody Emperours, Caligula, Nero, Domitian, and the rest, vntill the time of Constantine, who comforted the Church.

[ 3] The third, shewing the plagues of Fa∣mine, Pestilence and Warres, that follow∣ed the contempt of the Gospell, is refer∣red, chiefely to the times of the Gothes, Hunnes and Vandals. And these plagues come on Horsebacke] noting the genera∣lity or dispersion of them into many countries.

[ 4] The fourth, some make to signifie a part of the plagues fore-mentioned: but more probably it signifieth Antichrist; as King Iames is of opinion. See more in the description of Antichrist following; and more at large in that Christian, learned, and magnanimous premonition of his Excellent Maiestie, prefixed to his Apology for the oath of Alleagiance.

[ 5] The fifth, sheweth the safe estate of them that haue suffered for the truth, be∣ing vnder the altar of Gods protection.

[ 6] The sixth, sheweth great alterations,

and commotions of states and kingdoms; the Diuell stopping the course of the Gos∣pell; and Christ preseruing his, in all cor∣ners of the earth. Cap. 7. 2.

The seuenth sheweth the effect of the Diuells rage, namely the springing vp of heresies, the fall of ministers and teachers, the height of corruption and abomina∣tion in the Pope and Turke.

The 7. Trumpets.

BY these, God proclaimeth open warre with the world; but his elect are still in safe estate. Cap. 8. 3.

The foure first trumpets shew the hat∣ching of heresies and errors, and the in∣crease of them after the first 300. yeares.

The three last shew the full growth and diuellish power of them, in the Pope, and Turke, to the affliction of the Church and the finall iudgement and torment of A∣theists and Papists, denounced by three woes: Cap. 8. 13.

A Description of the Church.

SHe is called a woman, Cap. 12.

First because without Christ her hus∣band she is weake, and can do nothing▪

2. By coniunction with Christ she bring∣eth forth children vnto God.

3. Because her loue & affection is alwaies set on Christ her husband.

She is cloathed with the Sun) of righte∣ousnes Christ Iesus.

She treadeth on the Moon, that is, con∣temneth the world and earthly things.

She hath a crowne of twelue starres, that is, the doctrine of the Gospell garnished with the Ministry of the twelue Apo∣stles.

She laboureth of child) namely and first of all Christ Iesus the heire of all; and then of his members in all ages: the destruction of whom, the Dragon did and doth stil watch. Cap. 12. 4.

A Description of the Diuell.

HE is called a Dragon, Cap. 12. 3. for his cruelty and malice: and a red Dra∣gon, for his thirst and greedy desire after blood.

His 7. heads shew his manifold sleights and subtilties.

His ten horns shew his great and dread∣full power.

His seuen Crowns, signifie the victories he hath gotten.

His taile, of ambition, lust, and couetous∣nesse, reacheth to Heauen, and brusheth downe the third part of the stars: that is, many of the ministers, from their glorious firmament, to the earth of shame and ob∣scurity. verse 4.

This Dragon was chained a thousand yeares▪ Cap. 20. 2.

These yeares the learned do account frō the 36. yeere after the birth of Christ, (for then the Diuell began to bee madde, be∣cause the Iewes being cast off, the Church of the Gentiles began to increase by the

power of the Gospell preached) vntill the time of Pope Hildebrand, or Gregory the seuenth, who was a wretched coniurer, & familiar of the Diuell, and therefore a fitte instrument at hand, for the Dragons diuel∣lish and persecuting purposes, which with rage and eagernesse hee executed, during the time of the seuen Vials, the last seuen plagues.

A description of the first Beast.

HE is called a Beast, Cap. 13. 1. and sig∣nifieth in scripture a monarchy som∣times. Dan. 7. 17.

The reason is, for the tyranny of it.

He is said to rise out of the Sea) that is, out of the boyling and broyling of heathē nations, did the great citie, the Queene of the nations, or Roman Monarchy arise, to tyrannize ouer the Church of God. Cap. 12, 15.

His seuen heads signifie the seuen go∣uernments of Rome, namely Kings, Con∣suls, Decemviri, Dictators, Tribuni militum,

Emperors and Bishops. Which last was not then come when Saint Iohn wrote. Cap. 17. 10.

His ten heads signifie tenne Kings, that is, great power, large dominion and com∣mand.

His ten crowns signifie many victories: but in that they are on his hornes, and not on his heads, it sheweth he preuailed more by his power, then by subtilty; contrarily the Dragon, whose heads are said to bee crowned. Or as petty Kings vse to weare their crownes on their hats, in token of homage they ow, so this beast, on his horns in token of subiection to the dragon, of whom he receiued his throne and autho∣ritie. Cap. 13. 2.

The Description of Antichrist, obserued by the learned to be foure times fully and definite∣lie set downe in this Booke.

Cap. 6. 8.

* 1.1 FIrst by a pale horse, hauing death for his rider, hell for his conuoy, and pow∣er

ouer the fourth part of the earth (or Europe,) to kill with the sword, and with hunger (or the famine of the word, as the black horse did by corporall famine) and by beasts, (as Locusts and frogs Cap. 9: 16) by whom she procured the death spiritu∣all of Kings, and nations, that dranke of the cup of her abominations. This being done, the soules of the Saints cry for ven∣geance, ver. 10. and their crie is heard and request graunted vnder the sixth Seale, ver. 12. &. 17.

CAP. 9. 1

* 1.2 MOre at large and in this kinde, by his craft and strength &c.

He is called a starre fallen from heauen (or some notable person of great dignity in the Church: falling like Lucifer, from gi∣uing light vnto the world, and erecting a kingdome by a noysome packe of craftie and cruel vermine. He hath the key of the bottomlesse pit: (Or of hell it selfe, whi∣ther he sendeth and letteth in, thousands of soules, thorow the smoakie mists of darknesse, ignorance and superstition; out of which smoake, came those Locusts (or

Abbats, Cardinals, Monks, Friers, Priests and Shauelings) which sting like to Scor∣pions (or, with damnable errors and here∣sies,) al saue the greene ones of God. ver. 4. And these so stung, finding no comfort in pardons, masses, merits, dirges, crosses, and the like, shall in torment of conscience seek for death, and not finde it. verse 6.

These Locusts are strong and fierce as horses; and their crownes shew them to be conquerours. They haue the faces of men (or faire pretenses of holines) but haire of women (or hearts full of lust) teeth of Lions (to catch inough, and hold fast inough: witnesse the manie fat morsels they did deuoure where-euer they were seated.) Their King is a badde one or Abaddon: the Diuell, and his Vicar the Pope, the spoilers and destroyers of the Church of God. Their doctrine is set down, ver. 20. Worship of diuels and idols (or spirituall fornication) murder (both spirituall & corporall) sorcery (by reliques agnus deies, inchanting praiers, to preserue, from shot, sword, thunder, and the like.) Fornication (corporall, through inordi∣nate lusts, and lecherie, increased by idle∣nesse, and bellicheere, in both sexes, restrai∣ned

from holy mariage, to a filthy mona∣sticall life, as by many proofes hath beene made apparant,) theft, (robbing God of his Titles, and bestowing them on Anti∣christ: and cosening men of their goods, by pardons, Iubilees, iugling wares and mar∣chandise.

The description is ended, Cap. 10. 6. Where the Angel sweareth, Time shall be no more: and the next Angell or seuenth, blowing the seuenth trumpet, doth shew the mystery of God to be finished. ver. 7.

CAP. 13. 11.

* 1.3 THirdly by his growth and manner of gouernement. Hee is called another beast (because he dissers from the former (ver. 1.) or ciuill Romane Emperor, in spi∣rituall iurisdiction, tyrannizing ouer men by an ecclesiasticall power, which the Em∣perors had not. He is said to rise out of the Earth (or from a base and low estate, to mount vp thorugh the Emperors fauor) by little and little. Hee hath two hornes

like the Lamb,) signifying his kingdom & his Priest-hood, his ciuill and ecclesiasti∣cal power, which he vsurpeth from Christ but hath indeed from the dragon; like whom he spake) in all his Decrees, Ca∣nons, practises and proceedings. Hee did all that the first beast could doe) that is, hee is strong and mighty, and nothing inferiour to the Ethnick Emperor, priding himselfe in lies and wonders: verse 13. sen∣ding fire) of excommunication from Hea∣uen; deceiuing by damnable doctrines of Diuels, verse 14. Killing and burning for heretiks, all that wil not worship the beast, and marking all that do worship, for slaues and vassals. And this marke must be set in their foreheads) to signifie their professiō, and to acknowledge their subiection; or in their right hād) to testifie their absolute actuall obedience to his commands, vpon supposition that he cannot erre. None may buy or sell without this marke, and there∣fore periury and breach of promise & faith with Christians, is a vertue in a catholique. Now that Rome is this Antichristian beast, the Number doth signifie and shew, verse

18 & 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, latine seruice, Romish faith, Romish Church, answereth to it in num∣ber and measure. Vpon this beast are seuen Vials of Gods wrath and vengeance, pro∣pheced to be powred out, cap. 16. and the seuenth being emptied, it is said that Baby∣lon came in remembrance before God: Verse 19.

CAP. 17. 3.

LAstly by his dangerous and deadlie allurements. As the true spouse (cap. 12.) so heere the adulterous spouse is likened to a woman; but yet a whore, for her spirituall adultery; and drun∣ken with the blood of the Saints, though a gorgeous and glorious whore in out∣ward shew. Verse 6. The inscription by which shee is to bee knowne is cal∣led a mysterie: Verse 5.

First, as shee takes herselfe to bee the visible head of the Church, the mysti∣call bodie of Christ, and the dispenser

of the mysteries of God.

Secondly, as shee deserues indeede, and as the rest of her titles beare wit∣nesse: Verse 5. mother of whoordoms &c.) or a mysterie of all abominati∣ons vnder a pretext of holines.

Now, this whore of Babylon, that ri∣deth on the beast, is not any one man, but a succession in gouernment, Cap. 17. 18. The beast is said to haue seuen heads. cap. 13. 1. and cap. 17. 7. Which are expounded to be Roma Septicollis, or Rome built on seuen hills: the names where∣of are these, Palatinus, Quirinalis, Auenti∣nus, Viminalis, Coelius, Exquilinus, Capi∣tolinus▪ Or else seuen formes of gouern∣ment, as is shewed before, of which the sixth. viz. the goruernement by Em∣perors) was in beeing, when Saint Iohn wrote: Cap. 17. verse 10. The seuenth was not then come, namely the Ecclesi∣asticall gouernment by Bishops; which succeeded at Rome, vpon the Translation of the imperiall seat to Constantinople, and was to continue but a short space) or, about two hundred seuenty sixe

yeares, viz. from the time of Constan∣tine, to the time of Phocas the Emperor, who gaue to Boniface Bishop of Rome, the title of Vniuersall Bishop, and head of al Churches. And by this meanes (the per∣fection of defection, and popish corrupti∣on comming in) was brought forth 〈◊…〉〈◊…〉 eight beast, one of the seuen) in shew▪ 〈◊〉〈◊〉 still seeming to succeed the Bishops in Ecclesiasticall forme of gouerne∣ment.

The meanes by which Anti∣christ shall be con∣founded.

CAP. 11. 3.

THey are called two witnesses, and they may signifie, either the old, and new Testaments, both which Antichrist hath endeuoured to disgrace, deface, corrupt, suppresse and destroy, calling the Scrip∣ture

a nose of waxe, a dead letter, a leaden rule; and preferring the tradi∣tions of men aboue them. These wit∣nesses in the primitiue Church, were cloathed in sackcloth, and preached re∣pentance, by the space of fiue or sixe hundred yeares. But hauing done their ••…••…ssage, the Romane beast made war vpon them, and ouercame them, so that they lay open to contempt, ca∣red for of none, vnderstood of few, and feared of all to bee medled withall. Yea they were killed) and the very throat of them cut, by a generall Censure, prin∣ted at Venice, anno 1562. Which con∣demneth all for hereticall, that contra∣dict their traditions.

Thus lay their bodies without vigor, verse 8. (as sometimes the Law, vntill it was reuiued, 2. Chron. 34. 14.) and worldly men reioiced, verse, 10.) for now they had liberty to doe what they listed, a pardon for all might be procu∣red by their purse.

Yet at last (praised bee God) we see these witnesses to arise againe, and begin∣ning

to shine in their former glory verse, 11.

Which happy alteration and exaltati∣on of them, hath bred such an earth-quak, among the nations, that a good part of them that were in subiection to that City are fallen from her, and haue reiected her yoke, verse 13.

2 Or these witnesses may signifie the preachers of the word. Two onely are mentioned, because two are sufficient in Law. These for preaching the foresaid truth and doctrine, discouering the man of sinne, and his corruptions, were put to cruell deaths and torments; but rose againe in the person of their successors, supplying their roome, and still bearing witnesse to the same truth. Of which grew that memorable and miraculous obserua∣tion, Sanguis Martyrum, semen Ecclesiae, the Martyrs blood, the seed of the Church. The mighty and maruellous power of this truth, hath of latter times so increased that many Kingdomes and great nations, haue in few yeeres beene conuerted there∣by, to the true worship of the almightie God.

The seuen last plagues, and vials of Gods wrath.

CHAP. 16. 1.

[ 1] THe first Viall being powred out, there fell a noysome and greeuous sore. Some vnderstand by it the Poxe, called Morbus Neapolitanus, a strange and loth∣some vlser, which first lighted on the anci∣ent chiefe crutches and supporters of the Pope; namely, the Italians, Spaniards, and Frenchmen, for their filthy whordomes and beastilinesse, in the yeeare of our Lord—1494.

[ 2] The second turned the Sea (of the world) into blood, by Turkish and Popish massacres, murders and mortall warres.

[ 3] The third, sheweth the increase of that plague: It commeth home euen to the very doores, their riuers and fountaines ran blood.

[ 4] The fourth, caused the Sunne (by scor∣ching

and drying) to torment with dearth, plagues, and sundry diseases.

[ 5] The fifth, darkened the Kingdome of the beast: which is fulfilled in the reuolt of protestant Princes, from obedience to the Pope, and it is to them the greatest plague of all others, vers. 10.

[ 6] The sixth, dried vp the riuer Euphrates, (which was the best trusted defence of the old Babylon) that is, consumed the riches, honour, glory, and strength of Romish Babylon. And this maketh the fish, nay, the frogs, to bestirre themselues: for it is said, that three frogs came out] a plurall number; noting their multitude and their threefold directiō, For, First they are raised and inspired by the Dragon the Di∣uell.

Secondly, they are maintained by the Beast, Antichrist.

And thirdly, they are instructed by the false Prophet, the Apostatique Church, to defend the Triple-crowned Monarch the Pope of Rome.

Frogs they are fitly named, being in∣deed animals of either Element, Aire,

Earth, or water; Church-men by pro∣fession, States-men, by practise and po∣litike Trading. And they are euermore in action (mates for their walking-master the Diuell, Iob 1. 7.) muddily croaking, and couertly crauling in euery corner, in Princes palaces, courts of Nobles, cham∣bers of Gentles, and countrey cottages, and all, to stop the leake, to fill vp their Euphrates, and to gather againe the Kings of the earth, verse 14. murdering and massacring both Prince and people that refuse lo be charmed, and inchaunted by their subtill insinuations.

That this is true, let the abominable and innumerable rabble of Iesuites wit∣nesse, who refuse no execrable meanes, to daube vp their Antichristian kingdome of darkenesse, without feare or respect of God and man: their practises proue, and their positions published in Print vn∣to the world, approue the same.

[ 7] The seuenth Viall foresheweth the fi∣nall ouerthrow of Rome, by rents, con∣uulsions, confusions and commotions of their Citie and Kingdome, and the

fearefull plagues of God vpon them all, such as neuer were felt, heard, or seene in any age before, Cap. 16. 21.

Goe out of her my people, that yee be not par∣takers of her sinnes, and that yee receiue not of her plagues, saith the Lord God, Reu. 18. 4

FINIS.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The first descriptiō.
• * 1.2

  The secōd descriptiō,
• * 1.3

  The 3. descriptiō.