CAP .6.../1 TvetationoftheApoca1ypfe. i3 i longbefore. Which errour of the ancient Writers,as who being fur- ther off from thola[l event,could the lefleperceive the matter,the Pa- pifls do greedily fnatchat ; and here they makea huge gapand blot in the Revelation, skipping over from the times ofTrajan, with which they conclude the former Sealer, to the lafl end of the world, which they refcrve for their Antichrifl ; as ifall powerof judging the right had been funke quite away from themwith this Earth quake. But is it likely, that awhole thoufand and fivehundred, and weknow not howmany more yeares yet to come, fhould be altogether paffedover in filence, and that all the nitof the Prophecy is thruft up together, into the flraights of threeyeares and an halfe, as Francis de Ribera the}efuitwill have it ? That were an happy abridgement indeed,and excellent to favehis Lord the Pope from an extreme fear. It could not be, but asoften as Antichrifi fhouldbehold his vifage in theglaffe of this Apocalypfe,he fhould feeme to himfelfe to be Antichrift htmfelf, unleffe the yefuits did nowmake it to be fnanifèft unto him, that which did terrifie him in thisBooke was .but.avaine bug-beare ; that here was nothing at all fpoken of an a 4ntichrifh pretext, or of one that is pail for many ages, but that all the fpeech following isof one that is yet to come. But we will wipeaway all this fmokiedtvileof theirs,by Gods helpe, neither will we fuller the Pope to run mad with love ofhimfelfe,as ifhe wcrernch a fweet faced gallant, and we will make it plain,, that theIefuits do not interprets, the Scriptures, but delude and mocke them. And the Sunne Wscs madeblack Thefe figurativeand hyperbolicall fpeeches do Phew that this perfecutionnow comming fhouldbe moft cruell ofall that ever the Church as yet endured fence Chrifl was borne. For fo the Prophets are wont to fpeake, when they intimate any calamity that fhould be more grievous than ordinary ; as E/ay,H' ,dial cloat,h the heavens With blackneffe,he Jlinlpút acovering as it Were offackcioth uponthem,cap.g.;. And .erim. When Ilookup to thohea- vens, faith he, theyhape no light,cap.4.23. And the heavens abovefhal beinblackverf.28,. But 6'xechiel molt fully, (peaking of tile, dJliru c4i:onof the "Egyptians, andWhen I JTtall d fi roy thee, Iwill cover the heavens,and IWill make their Stars to be dark, IWill hide the Sun in a. cloud,and he MoonThal not make her light to thine. All the lights that. _Thine in the heavens Will Imakedarkjtpon thee, and IWill bring. dare neffe upon thy Land,faith the Lordgod, caP.3 2,7,8. Thefe and many filch like placesdo teach, that theft fpeeches here do not agree to the lafl judgement alone, asfore interpret them; but to other times alto, H "h 3 which
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