The ruin of RomeThe ruine of Rome

Now at last the holy Ghost bringeth in Jesus Christ upon the Theatre of the world, as it were to play his part in this tragedy, and to help the poor weak woman, which we heard of before, against the Dragon, and the two monstrous beasts, which would have torn her in pieces, and utterly devoured her, if this Lamb Jesus Christ had not stepped in and rescued her. Well, now cometh in our Lord Jesus, and beginneth to stir in these matters, and to take upon him the protection and defence of the poor helpless woman, against both the dragon, & the dragons two great instruments. But may some man say, What is a poor Lamb to encounter with a dragon, with a Lyon, with a Leopard, and a Bear? I answer, that although Christ be a lamb to his church, even the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world, and the Lamb that was a slain sacrifice from the beginning, ⟨p. 197⟩for the redemption of his elect: Yet to all his enemies he is a most strong and terrible Lyon, even the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah, as he is called before. chapter 5.5 Now this most terrible Lyon, even the Lord of hosts, the Lord mighty in battle, cometh forth to protect and defend his Church against all her enemies, who is of such infinite might and puissance, that neither the old Dragon, nor his young imps, nor all the cursed hellhounds that bark and bite, and take their part, shall ever be able to stand in his hands: For rage they never so much, he will hamper them all well enough. For though he have given them the rein a long time, and let them alone, and suffered them to play the tyrants with the woman his spouse; yet now he will no longer put it up at their hands, but will up and maintain the woman's cause, and bear her out against them all: nay, he will make ready his bow, that he may shoot off, and make his arrows drunk in the blood of her and his enemies, and will whet his glittering sword, that he may sheath it in the heart of Antichrist and all his adherents. Therefore now let both the great beasts and their Sire look to themselves: for here comes in one that will knock them all down, and lay them in the dust, that they shall never rise up again. For this cause now at length Saint John in a vision seeth a Lamb stand upon mount Zion; that is, Christ present with his Church. For mount Zion was an ancient figure of the Church; as it is written:

Nowe at last the holy Ghost bringeth in Iesus Christ vpon the Theater of the world, as it were to play his part in this tragedie, and to helpe the poore weake woman, which we heard of before, against the Dragon, and the two monstrous beasts, which would haue torne her in peeces, and vtterly deuoured her, if this Lambe Iesus Christ had not stept in and rescued her. Well, now commeth in our Lord Iesus, and beginneth to stirre in these matters, and to take vpon him the protection and defence of the poore helplesse woman, against both the dragon, & the dragons two great instruments. But may some man say, What is a poore Lambe to encounter with a dragon, with a Lyon, with a Leopard, and a Beare? I answer, that although Christ be a lamb to his church, euē the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world, and the Lamb that was a slaine sacrifice from the beginning,