CA P. 4. 4ReielattonoftheApocalypse. 479 who might turn menwith his words from their impiety, ifit could be,that fo he alto might turn away his fcourge from them upon their repentance. What fhould heftand anylonger admonifhing,after he had fo long fuffered them inpatience, and not rather fall on fmiting them ?But fo incomprehenfcble is the goodnefsof our God,, that he will not punish men before extremeneceffity compel! him. EL:. brid- led therefore the rageoftheTa kes,who.then began to put the world infear,that they did not do our Europe any great harme till this Angel had performed his office ; which feeing it was in vain for the greateft part, why fhould he keep back his fcourge any longer. Verf. 8. And another AngellfolleWed. The fecond Angel Pro- pherieth ofthefall of Babylon ; that is, of the City ofRome, and of the RomiJhpower,as it is out ofC_ha.17.5,9,18. He fpeaketh of things to come, as ifthey had been paff , after the manner ofthe Prophets, becaufe that is no leffe certain which is foretold, then ifit had been now accomplifhed in very deed. And yet he doth not onely de- nounce that that is to come, but he alfo demonftrateth a thing that was begun already at the time of this preaching of his. This angel are thole N.inifters of the truth whom the age fol- lowing yeelded. Among whom the chief were Iohn Hsu, and Hierome of 'Prague, who fought valiantly againft the Popes Sn premacy, as we may fee in the Articles that were condemned in the Conncell of Confiance. They laboured to tumble this down headlongfrom Antichrifis Throne together, w ith whichBabylon, that is , Rome muff needs fall for company. Neither could thePope be long ftanding and remaining after, whole beginning was ungodly , his growth well worfe , his height and ripenefs into- lerable any longer, as thofe two holy men made it manifeff. They preached at the yeere 1 4 0 4. and they fhooke the foundation of the RomiJh Tyranny a littlemore mightily thenVVickJiff, which the Holy yhofi intimated that.it fhould fo come to paffe, making every enfuing Angel to be a more fierce enemy then the former. They cryed out that Babylon Was fallen, and that upon great reafon, feeing Bohemia being now enlightened with their Ser- mons ; did forthwith renounce the Pope of Rome, and did de- molilh every where the Monafteries, that were the nurferies of Romifh fuperftition. Which beginning was a notable fay that was thengiven for proofs fake of the finali deftruaion of Rome, which they faw was to come lhortly, feeing they received a moti certain pledge thereofin this beginning. lecaafe
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