false vvorship of the Pagan gods. Then vvas it Babylon, vvhen S. Iohn vvrote this, and then vvas Nero and the rest figures of Antichrist, and that citie the resemblance of the principal place (vvheresoeuer it be) that Antichrist shal reigne in, about the later end of the vvorld.
Novv to apply that to the Romane Church and Apostolike See, either novv or then, vvhich vvas spoken onely of the terrene state of that citie, as it vvas the seate of Peter, vvhen it did slea aboue 30 Popes Christs Vicars, one after an other, & endeuoured to destroy the vvhole Church: that is most blasphemous and foolish.
The Church in Rome vvas one thing, & Babylon in Rome an other thing. Peter sate in Rome, and Nero sate in Rome, but Peter, as in the Church of Rome: Nero, as in the Babylon of Rome. Vvhich distinction the Heretikes might haue learned by S. Peter him self ep. 1. chap. 5. vvriting thus, The Church saluteth you, that is in Babylon, coëlect, So that the Church and the very chosen Church vvas in Rome, vvhen Rome vvas Babylon, vvhereby it is plaine that, vvhether Babylon or the great vvhoore do here signifie Rome or no, yet it can not signifie the Church of Rome: vvhich is novv, and euer vvas, differing from the terrene Empire of the same. And if, as in the beginning of the Church, Nero and the rest of the persecuting Emperours (vvhich vvere figures of Antichrist) did principally sit in Rome, so also the great Antichrist shal haue his seate there, as it may vvel be (though others thinke that Hierusalem rather shal be his principal citie:) yet euen then shal neither the Church of Rome, nor the Pope of Rome be Antichrist, but shal be persecuted by Anti∣christ, and driuen out of Rome, if it be possible. for, to Christs Vicar and the Romane Church he vvil beare as much good vvil as the Protestants novv doe, and he shal haue more povver to perse∣cute him and the Church, then they haue.
S. Hierom epist. 17. c. 7. to Marcella, to dravv her out of the citie of Rome to the holy land, vvarning her of the manifold allurements to sinne and il life, that be in so great and po∣pulous a citie, alludeth at length to these vvordes of the Apocalypse, and maketh it to be Babylon, and the purple vvhoore, but straight vvay, lest some naughtie person might thinke he meant that of the Church of Rome, vvhich he spake of the societie of the vvicked only, he addeth: There is there in deeds the holy Church, there are the triumphans monuments of the Apostles, and Martyrs, there is the true confession of Christ, there is the faith praised, * of the Apostle, and Gentilitie troden vnder foote, the name of Christian daily aduancing it self on high. Vvhereby you see that vvhatsoeuer may be spoken or interpreted of Rome, out of this vvord Babylō, it is not meant of the Church of Rome, but of the terrene state, in so much that the said holy Doctor (li. 2. aduers. Iouinian. c. 19.) signifieth, that the holines of the Church there, hath vviped avvay the blasphemie vvritten in the forehead of her former iniquitie. But of the difference of the old state and dominion of the Heathen there, for vvhich it is resembled to Antichrist, and the Priestly state vvhich novv it hath, reade a notable place in S. Leo serm. 1 in natali Petri & Pauli.
5. Mysterie.] S. Paul calleth this secrete and close vvorking of abomination, the mysterie of iniquitie. 2. Thessal. 2. and it is called a litle after in this chapter vers. 7. the Sacrament (or mysterie) of the vvoman, and it is also the marke of reprobation and damnation.
6. Drunken of the bloud.] It is plaine that this vvoman signifieth the vvhole corps of al the per∣secutors that haue and shal shede so much bloud of the iust: of the Prophets, Apostles, and other Martyrs from the beginning of the vvorld to the end. The Protestants folishly expound it of Rome, for that there they put Heretikes to death, and allovv of their punishment in other coun∣tries: but their bloud is not called the bloud of saincts, no more then the bloud of theeues, man∣killers, and other malefactors: for the sheding of vvhich by order of iustice, no Commonvvealth shal ansvver.
9. Seuen hilles.] The Angel him self here expoundeth these 7 hilles to be al one vvith the 7 heads and the 7 kings: & yet the Heretikes blinded excedingly vvith malice against the Church of Rome, are so madde to take them for the seuen hilles literally, vpon vvhich in old time Rome did stand: that so they might make the vnlearned beleeue that Rome is the seate of Antichrist, But if they had any consideration, they might marke that the Prophets visions here are most of them by Seuens, vvhether he talke of heads, hornes, candlestickes, Churches, kings, hilles, or other thinges: and that he alluded not to the hilles, because they vvere iust seuen, but that Seuen is a mystical number, as sometimes Ten is, signifying vniuersally al of that sort whereof he speaketh, as, that the seuen heads, hilles, or kingdoms (which are here al one) should be al the kingdoms of the world that persecute the Christians: being heads and mountaines for their height in dignitie aboue others. And some take it, that there were seuen special Empires, kingdoms, or States, that vvere or shal be the greatest persecutors of Gods people, as of Aegypt, (hanaan, Babylon, the Persians, and Greekes, which be fiue-sixtly of the Romane Empire which once persecuted most of al other, and which (as the Apostle here saith) yet is, or standeth. but the seuenth, then vvhen S. Iohn vvrote this, vvas not come, neither is yet come in our daies: vvhich is Antichrists state, vvhich shal not come so long as the Empire of Rome standeth, as S. Paul did Prophecie. 2 Thessa••. 2.
13. The same is the eight.] The beast it self being the congregation of al these vvicked persecu∣tors, though it consist of the foresaid seuen, yet for that the malice of al is complete in it, may be