CAP. 3. A trelationoftiv Apocalyp('e. 109 THE EXPOSITION. Godly 7. And to the Angellof ate Church ofPhiladelphia. We {hewed Philadel- on the I I. verfeof the I Chapter, that `Philadelphia was fituated in phtä, a dangerous place, and was thereforeleffe populous ; the Citizens for feare of the often earthquakes in the City,d welling fcatteringly in the fields and Villages, yet it hath a fweet name, and fuck as doth alone containe in it felfeall vertues. Neither did the ApoCtle `Peter when he would exhort to all piety in generall, finde any thing that might more fitly commend it untous, then brotherly love, void of difimulation, I Pet. I z a. How notably Both this name agree to this Church, which is not convinced openlyofany crime? But as it is truly godly for brotherly love, fo is it bafe and obfcure, both for the perpetualifeareofdanger, as alto for the defolatcneffe thereof, through want ofCitizens, who dwelt here and there in folitarypla- ces, where tkey could get fifer habitations. Wherein it islet quite oppofite againft Pergamus that towred and proud City, as Sardis was let againft Smyrna, and Thyatira againft Ephefies. And fo there is made the third paireof contrarieties. It lyeth from Sardis South. ward, havingan increafe ofgreaterlight, as it becommeth a refor- med Churchto have. It is let in the fecond place , next after Sardis (for that is the firft after 7ezabel is vanquifhed) whereby is decla- red, that the e Antytipe thereof is the fecond reformed Church, which fhould fpring up after that of Germany. And this is the Church of Helutia, Suevia, Geneva, France, Holland, Scotland. I joyne all there together into one Church, becaufe they almoft live by one and the fame lawes and manlier of governement, as touch- ing any matter of moment. Neither doth the dittance of' place breake off that focietywhich the conjoyningofmindes and good will coupleth together. Yea , this difpercing doth chicfely agree to the Philadelphians, whom wee laid to dwell more thickly in the fields then in the City. Whereby it commeth to paffe, that this rareneff of the Citizens takethup a great deale ofplace, though the Citizens be not fo many. We lhall finde that this Church I fpeake of arofe up after that of Germany , when Ulrich Zuinglius began toteach at Zurichamong theZuizers, Anno 1519. And the Reformation wasbegun the fourth yeare after, that is, 15 23. When none ofthe Popiih fort durft enter the lifts to difpute againft Zuing- liuss, who did commit the whole controverfie to be decided by the arbitrementofthe holy Scriptures.Thofe ofConfiance, Ball, Stra y burgh, Geneva and otheLs, follow the footfteps of tilde men. Where 22 'we
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