A P.6. Ageyelation ofthe Apocatyple. to Father and his fonnes were equal!, and did runout the fame race of yeeres together. Moreover, teeing the fealcs are, as it \vere,pledges of things to come, the Trumpets are evils that ruin upon the world with a great noife ; the Vi>sls fuch evils as come fliding in by little and little, and do opprefle men at unawares, as we (hall feeafter- wards. roconfound thefe contraries into one;q) that a matter i'hould be at once both promifed and performed, and the fame thing fhould come topaiCe openly and privily id one and the fame moment,feemeth to me not to be agreeing and hanging together. But let us come to the words themfelves : when as he had openedone feale] that is ; the fir[ , as Thcod. Bez.a tranilateth it ; for afterwards followeth, the the recondand the third. And fo it is taken among the Hebricians commonly : But before I proceed to the reft;I muff remove that fond conceit of the yefnite, whereby he holdeth, that the openingofthe Book! is force diverfe matter from the urfealinqof thefèales : as if nothing could have been read in the Booke, and declared unto us,be- fore that all the fcalcs had been difclofed : Which opinion truely,, . doth imagine,1 know not whatempty and naked Book brought unto sis, whereinwe have received never a word written, neither havewe notice given us of any thing to come. For theBookof theRevelation bath nothing in it befides the unfealed feals : For the Trumpets come forth from thefe, and the Vials likewife from the Trumpets, as we touched in theAnalyfis of the whole Booke ; fo that the whole refi- due of the Prophecie is confined within thecompaileofthe Scales, as we (hall thew in their due place,bymanif& arguments. If therefore he hath found out any Book that is tobe read, after that all the Seals are opened,it is Apocryphal! truly, andfuch an one, perhaps, as lieth hid within the clofet of his Popes Breat, but withall fuch, as it little concerneth the Church to reade and know. Befides, for the more cleare underftandingofthe periods oftime, andof eachof the mem- bers thereof, it is neceftary to fet downe tomebeginning whence we mutt, make onfet : Which indeed we do hold to be forthwithfrom this writingof John. For that in the firft verle ofthe fourth Chapter, (IWillfheW thee What mutt be done hereafter)doth both call johnback to that moment wherein this Revelation was made; and teachethus to number all. things from thence which are delivered in the Booke that followeth. It is no need therefore to have recourfe to the firth ages of theworld, nor to the Monarchies, nor to the times ofChrift, or of the Euangelifts. or any fweh like matter ofthe Age pail ; but :feçing John committed this Revelation towritingat Gods comman- demen.t, =-;
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