A20217:698
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.
Sith then the Holy-Ghost hath spoken it twice for failing, that Rome shall go into perdition, and shall ⟨p. 215⟩go into destruction; I take it to be a very sound consequence, that Rome shall fall, and shall be destroyed. But how shall it fall, may some man say? or wherein shall it fall? I answer, that it shall fall in the credit and estimation of her doctrine: It shall fall in wealth and riches:1 It shall fall in power and authority. And in all these it shall fall by degrees, as it did rise up by degrees: It shall not fall at once, as it did not rise up at once.
Sith then the Holy-Ghost hath spoken it twise for failing, that Rome shall goe into perdition, and shall ⟨p. 215⟩goe into destruction; I take it to be a very sound consequence, that Rome shall fall, and shall be destroyed. But how shall it fall, may some man say? or wherein shall it fall? I answer, that it shall fall in the credite and estimation of her doctrine: It shall fall in wealth and riches:1 It shall fall in power and authoritie. And in all these it shall fall by degrees, as it did rise vp by degrees: It shall not fall at once, as it did not rise vp at once.
- 1How Rome shall fall.
This is set down in the sixteenth chapter, chapter 16. v. 12 where the fall of Rome is compared to the drying up of the river Euphrates, which was dried up by degrees: Thus it is: Euphrates was a great River, which did run very near unto the old Babylon in Chaldea, and it was the wall and fortification of the City; in so much that Cyrus and Darius the kings of the Medes and Persians, laying siege against it, could not take it till by policy they digged great trenches, and derived the waters another way, and so dried them up, that the Holy Ghost saith, The way was prepared for them to pass over. Now, as this Euphrates was the strength and fortification of old Babylon: so the honour, wealth, riches, power, and authority of Rome, is the very fortification of it. chapter 16.12. But the punishing Angel is commanded to pour down the Vial of wrath upon this Euphrates: that is, upon all that upholdeth Rome, or fortifieth Rome, and forthwith it dried up; that is, all the credit, power, riches and authority of ROME did diminish daily upon it, doeth diminish, and shall diminish