3 6o A evelatton of f theApcalyfe. CAP.' expreffe thtprefent eftate of the Church, that had by this time loft the other lamentably. Iq the fitft Chapter they were five*, name- ly, fo many as there be boughs of one and the fame tree ; after the fìmilitude ofthe Lamp in the Temple, which bearing an image ofthe Church, hadbratonethan ,, yetfevers howls and branches conning out of thefides thereof, Exod. 25. 3r, &c. For the Catholike Chureh is one, as the¡haft is one, but the particular congregations are many, which comingout of that one, and flicking in that one, as the fun- dry branches of one ¡haft , do refit upon it as their foundation. Wherefore thofe firfl fevers CandlefJic/ s which did anfwer to the 'Type in the whole number, did thew that the Churchwas then moil flourifhing,as long as the Apoftles and their next fucceffours did burn kke lightsin it. But now at this time, wherein the Prophets fhould gó in black, there are but tWo Candlef icks, which want five oftheir full number; becaufe the dignity of the Church fhould now be much diminifhed, and it fhouldbe brought almoft into extreme mifery. And yet there (houldbe force fatnefs as it were of Olive trees , fupplied unto the Elea, wherewith to feed the heavenly, flame in their hearts and there fhould not be force one or other Candleftick lacking,. from whence the Minders fhould fend out their light,howfoever the af- femblies ofthe faithful! ( hould be veryfcarce,and fmall. Andyet per- haps all this wil not as yetfully fatisfy us, efpecially Peeing we have taught,Chap.2.3.That therehad fhinedfroftheft CandleJNeks in this ¡pace ofa thoufand tWo hundred and therefoore dayes,, which we have (hewed tobe fo many y,eers,&to begin about the yeer 304. Therfore I do thus fuppofe, that the threelag Candlefttick,s ofSardiis, ?hiladel- hia, Laodicea, werenot lighted, but after r 22o. yeers almofl, and that therefore they come fcarce into any account, and not without caufe, as which have fo fmall a (hare in the number of there dayes; as for the three other,the CandleflickofSmyrnawas a type ofthe Church when it was falling; That of Thyatira was the type ofthe Church, when it was rifing,again;but that ofPer amus was a typeofthe church,when it lay in the deepeft dungeon of all corruption, whereupon there is made no reckoning ofthis neither, but it is paffedby of Pet purpofe. Not that there fhould be none at alb under that condition of the Church,but that there fhould be none.appa'rant at that time. 5. And ifany man will hurt them. Now foflóweth thepower they had todeftroy their enemies. But why are they clothed withfack- cloth, ttnleffe it be for the wrong that was done them ? Do they then
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=