The key of the Revelation, searched and demonstrated out of the naturall and proper charecters of the visions.: With a coment thereupon, according to the rule of the same key, / published in Latine by the profoundly learned Master Joseph Mede B.D. late fellow of Christs College in Cambridge, for their use to whom God hath given a love and desire of knowing and searching into that admirable prophecie. Translated into English by Richard More of Linley in the Countie of Salop. Esquire, one of the Bargesses in this present convention of Parliament. With a præface written by Dr Twisse now prolocutor in the present Assembly of Divines.

The third Trumpet. * 1.1

The third Trumpet did utterly throw downe and extinguish * 1.2 the shining starre, to wit, the Romane Hesperus or the Western Caesar, even now from the time that Gensericus the King of the Vandals had spoyled Rome being taken, falling headlong, and as it were, struggling a little while with death, under these names, of Caesars of no account, Avitus, Maioranus, Severus, Anthe∣mius, Olibrius, Glycerius, Nepos, dying with mutuall treasons and slaughter, at length, in the yeere 476 fetching his last breath un∣der the fatall name of Augustulus, and pulled from the heaven of his authoritie by Odoacer King of the Heruli sent against him; this being the most bitter fate of the Rivers and Fountaines, that is, of the Provinciall Cities and Magistracies.

The Hesperian Caesar here I call him, who, after the division of the Empire into East and West established, even from the death of Theodosius the first, remained as yet Emperour of ancient Rome and the West, but of a very short continuance; as who should utterly fall from his heaven at the sound of this Trumpet after the yeere 91.

For whereas the Bishop of Rome more then 320. yeers after that this Hesperian Caesar had set in Augustulus, did anew surro∣gate the Kings of France (who were afterwards of Germany) into that name and title: he brought no other thing to passe, but that, by this coverture of Caesar revived, or of the sixt head of the Beast yet reigning, he himself might not at length be so appa∣rently accounted for the last head, that is, Antichrist, by men of ordinary understanding.

But this papall Caesar pertaineth not to the heads of the Roman Beast; but to the hornes or Kingdomes, into which, the Empire of the sixt head, now about to yeeld his roome to the last head was to be rent. Neither indeed after so great a space of time as is of 325. yeeres, (for so many they are from Augustulus to Charles the Great) could there be a succession as it were of a continued series of Hesperian Caesars.

But goe to, let us give further light to the Text of Iohn, that the reason of the interpretation may be manifest. And there fell, saith he, a great Starre from Heaven burning like a Lampe. He seemeth to desc••ibe a blazing Starre or Comet, amongst the kinds of which reckoned by P••iny, Lampadias is one, specially so called.

And surely not unfitly is Caesar of the West figured by such a starre, * 1.3 for short duration. Concerning whom therefore it will be said, Chap. 17. When he cometh he must continue but a small time. But the Starre was a great one; as the fitter to resemble a Supreme Ma∣jestly, * 1.4 whose excellency the Sunne otherwhere in Prophetique parables doth represent. And surely it is knowne, there have been Comets which have seemed to equall even the Sunne in magni∣tude; of which sort that this Starre was, happily he shall not erre who affirmeth it.

Now the like parable of a falling Starre, least thou doubt of the application, Esay useth, Chap. 14.12. of the fall of the King of Ba∣bylon. How, saith he, art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer Sun of the morning, thou art cut downe to the ground, which didst wea∣ken the nations? Otherwhere also, as in the place of Esa. Chap. 34.4. already before cited Starres falling from heaven are under∣stood of the ruine of Princes or great personages. A starre therefore of a singular and unusuall magnitude, doth designe a Prince, above the common sort of Princes, that is, a great and excellent one. It followeth:

And the name of the Starre is called Wormwood. It is a pro∣pheticall figure, wherein by the imposition as it were of a proper name, the qualitie or destinie, of the thing or person handled is set forth; since other where also in the Hebraisme, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the matter (as Luk. 1. 37. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 every thing is not unpossible with God) and to be called, is all one as to be or to exist, as Esa. 56.7. My house shall be called an house of prayer, for which Luk. 19. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is, shall be, or shall be accounted an house of prayer. And Gen. 21. 12. In Isaac shall thy seed be called, that is, shall be. You may see also the Septuagint, Esa. 14. 20. Ruth. 4. 11. And examples of this figure whereof I spake are every where obvious. For so in Esa. 7.14. concerning Christ, his name shall be called Ema∣nuel, that is, he shall be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, God-man. And Chap. 9▪6. His name shall be called Wonderfull, Counsellour, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of peace, that is, he shall be all these. Likewise in Jerem. 23. 6. And this is the name whereby they shall call him: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESSE. And Zach. 6. 12. Behold the man his name is the BRANCH, it follow∣eth, because he shall spring out of his place, &c. Adde hereunto, Rev. 19. 13. His name is called THE WORD OF GOD, that

is, he is that Word of God. The like to these are found, Ierem. * 1.5 20.3. The Lord calleth not thy name Pashur, but Magor-Missa∣bib, [that is, feare round about] for thus saith the Lord: Behold, I will put feare into thee, to thy selfe and all thy friends. And Ezech. 23.4. The names of them (that is, of the women of Samaria and Ierusalem) Aholah and Aholibah. Adde hereto Esa. 8.3. Hos. 1.6.9.

By the very like figure is this Falling starre called Wormewood, that is, (according to the Hebrews with whom the abstracts are used for the concretes) Absinthites, to wit, A Prince of bitternes and sorrowes Such indeed was that Hesperian Caesar, if ever any were, exercised with continuall calamities from his first rising un∣to his end. Who while he reigned the Romane Empire should be ruined. Yea by the setting up of whom, occasion of the ruine was given, because by the such division of the Empire brought in, a way was opened to the Barbarians, and the Roman State was cast into fearefull calamities. Is not he worthily called Wormwood for his lot which fell out to be so bitter to himselfe and others? ac∣cording to that of Naomi, Call me not Naomi, call me Marah, be∣cause the Almighty hath afflicted me with bitternesse.

But before I depart hence, something must be said of the state of the City, and Romane State after that fall of their Caesar, that a way may be prepared to the interpretation of the following Trumpet. Caesar therefore of the West being so cast downe and extinct, the meane while Odoacer the Herulian held Italy 16. yeeres by name of King: who after two yeeres restored the Consulship to Rome and to the West and still kept it, which notwithstanding in the beginning upon displeasure he had taken away. Him did Theodoricus the King of the Ostrogothes suc∣ceed; and that, as Paulus Diaconus reporteth, Zeno the Empe∣rour of the East delivering him Italy by pragmaticall sanction, and confirming it by putting upon his head a sacred veyle. Who, Odoacer being vanquished and slaine, added Sicilia also to his Kingdome, besides Dalmatia and Rhetia, which were Provinces of Odoacer, he repaired the wals and some buildings of the Citie of Rome, having gathered together a great summe of money for that purpose; so that there seemed nothing could be desired more to the height of her former fortune, the infamy of a City sacked and burnt being excepted: he ordered the Kingdome very wise∣ly, he changed no Roman Ordinance, but retained the Senate

and Consuls, the Senators, the Governours of the Praetorium, the Governours of the city, the Questor, the high Treasurer, the Ma∣ster * 1.6 of the privie purse, and Captaine of the Guard, Captaines of foot and horse, and other Magistrates that were in the Empire, and committed them onely to Romans, which was also a while kept by his Successors, Athalaricus, Theodobatus, Vitiges, Ostro∣gothian, kings of Italy. See Sigonius de imperio occidentali lib. 15. An. 479. lib. 16. annis 493. 494. 500.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Chap. 8.
• * 1.2

  Vers. 10.
• * 1.3

  Chap. 8.
• * 1.4

  Vers. 10.
• * 1.5

  Chap. 8.
• * 1.6

  Chap. 8.