Scripture mistaken the ground of Protestants and common plea of all new reformers against the ancient Catholicke religion of England : many texts quite mistaken by Nouelists are lay'd open and redressed in this treatis[e] by Iohn Spenser.

The text of S. Iohn, Reuel. 22. v. 8. v. 8. ad 9. reconciled with the other texts of Scripture.

IF any one would proue out of the 10. of the Acts, v. 25. and 26. now cited, that noe A∣postle, or saint yet liuing, were to be worshipp∣ed, because S. Peeter refused the worship which Cornelius exhibited to him, I de∣maund, what would a Protestant answer to such an obiection. Eyther he must say that S. Peeter refused this worshep (though he might laufully haue accepted it. as beeing due, no lesse then the like worship was accepted by Elias, and Eliseus) that S. Peeter, I say not∣withstanding, Refused it out of humility and respect, which he bare to Cornelius: and this supposed, Protestants must giue vs leaue to apply (with the greatest part of the ancient Fathers and Doctours) the same answer to S. Iohn's worshipping the Angell, and his re∣fusing it; for some worship was noe lesse due to this Angell then it was to the two Angells, which Lot worshipped. Gen. 19. v. 1. and the Angell which Iosua worshipped, Iosua 5. v. 14. now cited: and yet this Angell refused it out of humility and respect, which he bore to S. Iohn, as S. Peeter did, Acts 10. v. 25. and 26.

or if this answer seeme, not soe conuenient to this plare of the Acts, a Protestāt must answer, that Cornelius here gaue him the worship which was due to God only, that is, the highest diuine worship, which he therefore refused' as iniurious to God noe otherwise then' S. Paul and Barnabas with all earnestnesse possible,* 1.1 refused the saerifice which the hea∣then Priest of Lystra would haue offered to them, as to two Gods, Iupiter and Mercurius, whom they tooke them to be. And if they like of this answer, they will giue vs alsoe leaue to apply the same to the passage of S. Iohn. Reu. 22. v. 8.9. not that S. Iohn committed any Idolatry or false worship, willingly and sin∣fully, but that the Angell vppon good ground eyther thought, or at least feared, that S. Iohn tooke him to be our Sauiour, & soe gaue him presently the worship due to the Diuine Per∣son which he thought him to be: for though it be wholly improbable, that Cornelius gaue diuine worship to S. Peeter Act. 10. because he was noe heathen, but a true beleeuer, and soe knew that diuine honour, was to be giuen to God only; and religious and fearing God, as appeares, v. 11. and soe was far from cōmitting Idolatry, and knew well enough that S. Peeter was a man, v. 5. and the 6. and soe could not suppose him, out of ignoranee to be God, and though it seeme as improbable, that S. Peeter

conceiued that Cornelius intended to worship him with diuine honour, seeing he was suffi∣ciently informed, that he was a true beleeuer, and Professour of the law of Moises, v. 22. yet many ancient fathers teach that S. Iohn did really thinke that this Angell which ap∣peared to him, was not an Angell, but our Sauiour, or at least it was very incident to the Angel, to conceiue or feare (being ignorant of S. Iohns intention) that he tooke him to be our Sauiuor, because the Angel sayd in the precedēt verse behould I come quickly, which was the vsuall phrase & speech which our Sauiour vsed to S. Iohn when he appeared to him, as is manifest chap. 2. v. 6. chap. 3. v. 21. c. 16. v. 15. c. 22. v. 12. and must necessarily haue beene pronounced, eyther by our Sauiour himselfe, or by an An∣gell in his place, and speaking in his name, because these words, I come quickly (as is cleare in all the afore cited places, and particularly chap. 22. v. 12. presently following) can neyther be meant nor verifyed of any one but of our Sauiour: and this to haue been the opinion of S. Iohn, by reason of those next precedent words, Behold I come quicly, may haue some ground in the text it selfe here cited by the opponent, And when I had heard and seene, I fell down to worship, &c. for the seeing of those strange visions, and hearing those precedent words. Behold I come quicly. Soe proper to

out Sauiour, gaue this occasion to worship the Angel, as taking him to be our Sauiour: and therefore the Angel presently disabused him, and let him vnderstand that he was not our Sauiour, but a creature and seruant of God, as appeares in this text obiected v. 8. and 9. if it should be obiected that c. 21. v. 9. S. Iohn affirmes, that this very Angell which he worshipped was one of the seauen Angells, who caried the viols filled with the last pla∣gues, and therefore could not thinke that it was our Sauiour. I answer that though in the begining and continuance of this vision he seemed to him to be an Angell, yet when he heard him pronounce words proper to our Sauiour, he might haue sufficient reason to thinke that his former apprehension was amisse, and that whatsoeuer he seemed before, yet it was our Sauiour appearing vnder the forme of that Angell. If it be further obiected that S. Iohn writes expresly that it was one of the Seauen Angells, which appeared to him, and therefore could not after doubt of it, it may be answeared that when the Euan∣gclist writ this he was wholy assured that it was an Angell, because the Angell had, before this was written, determinaetly assured him, that he was not our Sauiuor; yet whilst the vision happned, before it was eyther written, or the Angell had rectifyed the iudgment of

S. Iohn, he had ground inough to thinke it was our Sauiour, when he heard those words proceede from him, behould I come speedily. Neyther is it any wonder that S. Iohn was ignorant of some things, concerning the vi∣sions which appeared to him. For he thought that none could be found worthie to open the seauen seales and therefore wept, and was as much forbidden to weepe by the Angell, c. 5. v. 4. as to worship, c. 19. v. 10. Hee aeknow∣ledges alsoe that hee knew not who they weare who appeared in white Stoles. c. 7. v. 13.

Though these answeares may satisfye all that is opposed against them, yet because the matter is in it selfe obscure, and leaues a pro∣bability on both sides, I rather sticke to the other answer that though S. Iohn knew it was noe more then an Angell, yet the Angell refused the worship he gaue him, at S. Peeter did that of Cornelius. And yet whatsoeuer may be thought of these two answers, that which is most cleare and vnquestionable is a third answers. That though S. Iohn knew that he who speake to him was an Angel, and not our Sauiour, and soe gaue him, the wor∣ship only due to an Angel, yet the Angel being ignorant of S. Iohns intention, might diseruedly feare, or conceiue, that he tooke him to be our Sauiour, and soe gaue him di∣uine worship, and therefore, he presently

dissabused him, telling him that he was one of his fellow seruants, &c. And each of these answers may be equally applyed to the like text,* 1.2 Reuel. 19. for out of the same ground of Act. 10. it may be sayd that he refused this worship though in it selfe lawfull, as S. Peeter did that of Cornelius: or that he supposed him to be our Sauiour, (and soe gaue him di∣uine honour which was no way due to him) because he there vsed the phrase of our Sa∣uiour, when he sayd scribe, write, as appeares in the three first chapters, and chap. 14. v. 13.14.15. neyther can it be clearly proued that any one commaunded S. Iohn to write, saying to him, Scribe, write, but our Sauiour, saue only in this place, through the whole Reuelation; and then it was spoken in the name and per∣son of Christ by the Angell; soe that S. Iohn had great reason to thinke that it was the voyce of our Sauiour, and therefore gaue him the honour due to our Sauiour, till he was better informed: or according to the third, and clearest answer, the Angel had reason to thinke, that S. Iohn worshipped him, (when he heard him vse that phrase of our Sauiour) with diuine worship, as taking him to be our Sauiour, though S. Iohn, knew that he was but an Angel, and soe gaue him only the worship which was due to an Angel. And thus much for the text of S. Iohn.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Act. 14. v. 10.11.12.13.14.
• * 1.2

  Reu. 22. v. 9.9. Reu. 19.