40 A 12e)'élatiora afthe Apocalypfe. CA P. z. As touching the counterpayn of it,feeing thefe (even cities contain theuniverfall condition of the church among the Cjenriles,as it is evi- dent enough by thofe things which havebin laid upon the firft chap- ter, in every one of them, not only the citie it felfe alone is to becon- iïdcred,but withal! likewife we mutt joyn force fellob_ church, which may anfwer directly unto ir. But what kind ofcounterpains Thal! wee call thefe ? For are thefe fever cities appointed for paterns of all churches of the fame time,or of a diverfe time ? If wefnall fay the firft , fo that the church difperled in every age through the whole world, fhould agree with thefe fevers, that is, fo as one should be the Ephefian church ,. another the Smyrnean, a third like the church of P-ergamus, and fo of the refs , it fhould be alwayes uniform, and filch as ir was in the firft times,fuch a face fhould it carry at this day, contrary to that which the experience of all times,teacheth. It is neceffary therefore to make them feverally types one by one , and in that order as they are numbred ; but thofe Churches are the Coun- terpaines,which being divided, either in the different fpaces of times, or els.in the diftanees ofplaces, agree to every one ofthem in their order: with what bounds they are limited, the correfpondence of things will thew futiciently. According to this rule we hold that the counter-ropie of the city ofEphefuc,ís the firft chrifrian Churchwhich taking his beginning from the preaching of the Apoftles,indu red um, till the time of Conjiantine the great ; as thofe things which are taught afterwards will .plainly thew. This is theprincipall of all other churches, as Ephefus is thé firft of the riven cities. Thefe thingsfaithhe thatholdeth thefeversgars. A defcriptionof him that fendeth the Epiftle, which is diverfe in each of them ; yet taken from the vironwhichwas feen above in the former chapter, the fundry members ofit being applved according to the diverfe con- ditionof things, which Both abundantly teach, both that that whole vifionwhich was layd down before,did fhadowout the adminiftrati- on of things only,and that it was proper and peculiar, aftera.fort , to there feven Churches. Thefevenliars in his right hand,decla re the no- table powerofChrift indcfending theminifters ofthis Church.. He is indeed as powerful! a keeper, and as faithful'. a=maintáinerofall his faithful! fervants; in what part foever ofthe world , and in what age foever theyíhall be, yet loth he, both in Tome certaine times and places, more evidently make himfelf known to the world , to be the Proftour ànd Pivie6fOur of his 'Church , and. a revenger of. their Ivrongs: thenh.dothcommonly in: others, ás'appcarech both in this
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