A20217:219
The ruin of RomeThe ruine of Rome
The ruin of Rome: or An exposition upon the whole Revelation Wherein is plainly showed and proved, that the popish religion, together with all the power and authority of Rome, shall ebb and decay still more and more throughout all the churches of Europe, and come to an utter overthrow even in this life before the end of the world. Written especially for the comfort of Protestants, and the daunting of papists, seminary priests, Jesuits, and all that cursed rabble. Published by Arthur Dent, preacher of the word of God at South-Shoobery in Essex.The ruine of Rome: or An exposition vpon the whole Reuelation Wherein is plainly shewed and proued, that the popish religion, together with all the power and authoritie of Rome, shall ebbe and decay still more and more throughout all the churches of Europe, and come to an vtter ouerthrow euen in this life before the end of the world. Written especially for the comfort of Protestants, and the daunting of papists, seminary priests, Iesuites, and all that cursed rabble. Published by Arthur Dent, preacher of the word of God at South-Shoobery in Essex.
London: printed by T. Creede for Simon Waterson and Cuthbert Burby, 1603London: printed by T. Creede for Simon Waterson and Cutbert Burby, 1603
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
This pale horse signifieth the pestilence and other contagious diseases, which God most justly brought upon the world for the contempt of the Gospel, and the murdering of Christ and his Apostles, and ⟨p. 68⟩as I noted before out of the scriptures, that when God cometh either in mercy or judgement, he is said to come on horseback, to note his expedition, and swiftness, both in the one and the other: so, as before Christ is upon the white horse, the devil upon the red horse, famine upon the black horse: so here death and hell are said to be upon the pale horse: for pestilence and death maketh men look pale: but being dead, he saith hell followed. For assuredly hell doth always follow the death of the body, excepting those only whom Christ hath delivered from hell and damnation by the power of his death.
This pale horse signifieth the pestilence and other contagious diseases, which God most iustly brought vpon the world for the contempt of the Gospel, and the murthering of Christe and his Apostles, and ⟨p. 68⟩as I noted before out of the scriptures, that when God commeth either in mercy or iudgement, he is said to come on horsebacke, to note his expedition, and swiftnesse, both in the one and the other: so, as before Christ is vppon the white horse, the diuell vpon the red horse, famine vpon the black horse: so here death and hell are said to be vpon the pale horse: for pestilence and death maketh men looke pale: but being dead, hee saith hell followed. For assuredly hell doth alwaies followe the death of the bodie, excepting those onely whom Christ hath deliuered from hell and damnation by the power of his death.
Thus then it is: the read horse with blood, the black horse with famine, the pale horse with pestilence, have power given them over the fourth part of men, to murder, kill and slay, as all stories do show, that for the rejecting of Christ and his Gospel, these plagues were carried as it were on horseback, over a great part of the world. Now as touching this famine and pestilence which fell out upon the opening of the third and fourth seals, they are to be referred unto those times especially, wherein the Huns, Goths, and Vandals, and other barbarous nations which were the wasters of the world, did waste & decay the Roman Empire both far and near. Whereupon grew this famine, scarcity, and pestilence, and strange diseases here spoken of, about some 300. years after Christ, and somewhat more.