CAP.16. 4Revelation ofthe Apocalypfe. 523_ Neither is the earth that foil onely which we tread upon, but fiat men , and then not all men in general! , but the branded (laves of Antiebrft onely , as the event loth (hew ftraightway ; whereby it carne to paffe that a botch was inflieced upon the men that have die Marko( the Beast. In which fenfe the word Earth was oftentimes ufed before, which we therefore do retain conftantly throughout our Expofition, that fo we might fee the better from thence how the whole prophefie agreeth with it fel£ The event bringeth anevil and noiforme ulcer with it , that is , fuchan one as the Phificians call a maligne and incurable one,as the which hath fo great fharpnefs . and virulent -y in-it, that it will never fufter a fcar to be drawn toge- ther. Neither is this ulcer here tobe thought to be a bodily one, and properly fo called, the procuring caufes whereofwe fee to be Meta- phorical!. And fuch events as this are tobe underfl:ood in the rat of the Vials alto ; fo that for one to take them as fpoken properly , as the Iefuite doth, is not fo much to explaine,as to confound all things, fo as the light of the Truthfhould be overwhelmed for ever. Theyupon whom this nicer feized, aremen ; there fell an ulcera- gainfi men, as Beza turns it, or into men, as the vulgar reads, that is, on men, as Antichrifl isPaid to ¡t into.the temple , for in the temple, 2.Thcfl:z.4.But the prepofitionwith an accufative cafe foundeth,as if the fores did vex not fomuch by furring in the body, as by affiieling it fromwithout; which doth more agree to thefe figurative fores;as ifhe fhould fay,that thofe things fhould be done againft the #laves of Antichris,which fhould no leffe torment andvex them fore,then the mold noifomeulcers do pain the body..Of what fort thefe menbe , is declared by the Markpf the Reaft,and the adoringof his Image.Now we have chewed above,Chap. 13.57.out of that threefoldMarkwith which theworfhippers of the Beaft are figned,that thefirfu obtaineth the'name of the whole, and is called a Mark, which hath his Seat in the right hand, and was proper to the chief worfhippers,that is, the Nobles,the Clergy,theSchoolmen, &c. Upon whom the Beall doth chiefly relie, as upon props. Wherefore thefe were chiefly to be plagued with this fore. But not onely filch as have the Mark, but fuch alto as adore his Image are to be vexed; Now this belongs chiefly to the Teachers,and filch as are more fubtile then the common forr,as hathbeen Paid on the 9. verf.ofthe i 4.Chapter; although the adoring of the Image be in force refpeci common to all the Popifh Crue,Chap. 13. i 5. Andtherefore the fore fhould annoy the whole Crue alto, though yet chiefly thofe who Imagine themfelves to be
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