But the phrase under the feet, rather implies that of
bringing low, destroying, then making use of it; as
when the enemies are put under the feet, or made the
footstool, it notes them to be subdued. And so the Mo∣saical
oeconomy was at this time solemnly laid aside by
the Christians, and the Nation and Temple destroyed
in the former Visions.
[ b] V. 4. His tail] Supposing the great red Dragon,
v. 3. to signifie the Devil, (see Note d.) the only que∣stion
is, what is here meant by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 his tail. To
this purpose it must be observed, that the serpents pow∣er
of hurting lies principally in his head; and there∣fore]
as it is of them observed, that they doe all they
can to preserve their head, as that wherein they are
most nearly concern'd, so the punishment that by God
is threatned Satan in the shape of a serpent, Gen. 3.
15. is, that the seed of the woman shall bruise his head,
that is, shall over-power and master him: And accor∣dingly
here the Roman Imperial power, by means of
which the Devil is able to kill and persecute Christi∣ans,
is express'd by the heads of the Dragon, v. 3. And
then the tail being most distant from the head, and
here mentioned distinctly from the seven heads, and that
which here follows of drawing the starres, that is, cor∣rupting
the Christians, attributed distinctly to the tail,
as that which succeeds ch. 13. 1. to the heads; it will
follow, that the tail of the serpent shall most reasona∣bly
have a peculiar notion, & signifie his policy & sub∣tlety,
which is the engine by which he works, before he
proceeds to use his power, or when his power or force
cannot prevail. And of this sort the Instruments ordi∣narily
are Magicians and Sorcerers, and false Prophets,
that by deceits seduce and corrupt men: and none
more eminently deserved this title then Simon and his
followers, First, in respect of the prodigies that he
made shew of; Secondly, by his doctrine of compli∣ances,
which offered all men waies of escaping perse∣cutions,
whether from the Jews or Gentiles, by deter∣mining
it lawfull to deny Christ, and offer sacrifices
to Idols; Thirdly, by gratifying all their carnal de∣sires,
and giving them liberty for all uncleannesse.
From whence it is that Cyril of Jerusalem calls Simon
by this title, so proper to this place, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
the prime Dragon of wickednesse, or wicked
Dragon. And so this is most proper to this part of the
Ecclesiastick story of those first times, that assoon as
the wheat was any where sown, the enemy sowed his
darnel also; whereever Christianity was planted, the
Gnosticks infusions follow'd, to spoil and destroy it:
and so it was at Rome, and that peculiarly at this point
of time here noted in this Vision, before the Imperial e∣dicts
for the persecuting of the Christians came out.
For these, we know, followed the destruction of Simon,
(see Note b.) and are the subject of the next Chapter.
[ c] V. 6. Woman fled into the wildernesse] The time
of the womans flying into the wildernesse, that is, of the
banishing of the Christians from Rome, is known in
story to have been in the tenth of Nero, at which time
having fired the City, he imputed it unto the Christi∣ans.
That he did it himself is affirmed clearly by
Suetonius, in Ner. c. 38. quasi offensus deformitate
veterum aedificiorum, & angustiis flexurisque vico∣rum,
incendit urbem; & incendium ex turre Moece∣natiana
prospectans, loetus flammae, ut aiebat, pulchri∣tudine,
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Ilii in illo suo scenico habitu decantavit,
Not liking the unbeautifulnesse of the antient buil∣dings,
nor the narrownesse and turnings of the streets,
he set the city on fire, and there burnt all that was sa∣cred
and precious in the city, and looking on the fire
from a tower, and delighted, as he said, with the beau∣ty
of the flame, sang in his scenical habit the taking of
Troy. Thus again we finde in Xiphilin out of Dio.
But for this the Christians were accused by him, and
cruelly punished, faith Taci••us Annal. l. 15, and that
writer, being an hater of the Christians, is pleased to
think them guilty, and falsly affirms, that some of them
confess'd the fact, whilst not only in the general reputa∣tion
of all men that then lived, of other writers that
wrote of those times, but by the confession of Tacitus
himself, Nero was acknowledged the author of it, who
meant to have the honour of building a new city, and
calling it by his own name by this means. However,
the Persecution of the Christians began by this pre∣tence,
was by Nero's edicts the next year improved
and advanced to so high a pitch, that Christianity was
quite interdicted the Roman Empire. So saith Sulpici∣us
Severus; N••que ullâ re Nero efficiebat quin ab eo
jussum incendium putaretur; igitur vertit invidiam in
Christianos, actaeque in innoxios crudelissimae quaestio∣nes,
quin & novae mortes excogitatae—Hoc initio in
Christianos saeviri coeptum, post etiam datis legibus
religio vetabatur, palámque edict is proposit is Christi∣anum
esse non licebat, Nero could by no means per∣swade
men but that the city was burnt by his command;
whereupon he diverted the envy of it on the Christians,
and appointed cruel torments for the examining them,
and invented new kinds of death. On this beginning
the persecution brake out against the Christians, and
after it the religion was prohibited by Laws, and pub∣lick
edicts made that no man might be a Christian.
And this is it which is here meant by the womans flying
into the wildernesse, and accordingly is by Tertullian
called the first persecution; because though the Chri∣stians
as such suffered before in Claudius's time, yet
that was not by any Imperial edict, but only by tu∣mults,
when the heathen people were incited by the
malicicus Jews. For as we read Act. 18. the Procon∣sul
Gallio would be no Judge in such matters, but
drave the Jews from the Judgment-seat. And this was
toward the latter end of Claudius, after Claudius had
commanded all Jews to depart from Rome: In which
banishment of the Jews some Christians might suffer
occasionally, and S. John be banished into Patmos; but
there was as yet no Edict against them as Christians, at
the least none for the putting of them to death, as the
plea of S. Paul before Felix and Festus, his appeal to
Caesar, (which was at the beginning of Nero) make it
plain. And accordingly we finde, that when S. Paul
came to Rome, Act. 28. he preached there 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,
with all boldnesse or publicknesse,
and was not forbidden. And at the writing of his E∣pistle
to the Romans, their faith, saith he, was famous
in all the world, Rom. 1. and he had oft desired to come
to them, Rom. 15. 22. and that for many years, v. 23.
And all this in Claudius's time, before his going to
Rome, which argues also that this woman was not yet
fled, that is, banish'd, into the wildernesse. And there∣fore
of Nero it is Tertullian's phrase, that he first dedi∣cated
persecution, & primum Neronem in hanc sectam
ferociisse, Nero was the first Emperor that persecuted
Christian Religion.
[ d] V. 9. Great Dragon] The Hebrews call Satan
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the old serpent: so again, c. 20. 2.
And the casting him out at this time is the prospering of
the Christian faith, consequent to this discomfiture of
Simon Magus, and the manifestation of the power of
Christ. So faith Arnobius 1. 2. Non distulerunt res
patrias linquere, & veritati coalescere Christianae: vi∣derunt
enim currum Simonis, &c. They delayed not to
leave all their worldly possessions, and to cleave to Chri∣stianity
(which was now under interdict:) For they saw
Simons chariot and fiery horse dispelled by the breath of
Saint Peter's mouth, &c. And as by this means the
Heathens were converted to the faith, by seeing the pow∣er
of Peter, so were the Gnosticks discomfited, seeing
their leader Simon destroyed.
[ e] V. 10. Accused them] The accusation that Satan
brings against sincere Christians appears by his dealing