All the world wandered after the beast: and ver. 2. The dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority: and Rev. 17. 1. The whore sitteth upon many waters; & ver. 15. these many waters are interpreted to be peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. The whore doth sit upon them, that is, doth use them vilely, and basely, sits upon the very consciences of them in a base manner, as if a whore should sit upon you and keep you under. And who doth she sit upon? upon peoples and multitudes. It is not an argument then of a true Church though they are multitudes, though they be as the sand of the sea, though they be gathered together, for they must be gathered under one Head, under Christ. Secondly, Neither is Unity a sufficient argument of the verity of the Church. They shall be gathered together. they shall be joined together in one way, with one consent; yea but if it be not under one Head, it is like Simeon & Levi, brethren in iniquity. It is not enough that we be one, unless we be one in Christ; and that is a blessed union: For a great deal of unity there shall be under Antichrist, Revel. 17. 13. These have one mind (saith the Text) and they shall give their strength & power to the beast. And Chap. 18. 5. Her sins reach unto heaven. Their sins cleave together, and so get up to heaven. A union of persons, and a union of sins there is amongst them. The Turks have as little dissension in their Religion as any;1 they are all united in one. But well may that garment have no seam, that hath no shape. And a notable place we have in Ps. 83. 3. 4. 5. &c. They have consulted together with one consent, they are confederate against thee. There are two or three things exceeding observable in this Scripture about the union of the wicked: First you have ten Countries join together against the Church; there is the Edomites, the Moabites. &c. And it was not by accident that they joined, but in a deliberate way, They consulted together, and not only consulted together, but consulted together with one consent, or heartily, for that which is translated there with one consent, the word in the Hebrew is,2 with heart together, their very heart was in the consultation; but mark, it was against thy hidden ones, so ver. 3. Let them consult together, let ten of them consult together, and consult with their hearts, yet the Saints are Gods hidden ones. Isaiah 54. 15.
All the world wandred after the beast: and ver. 2. The dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority: and Rev. 17. 1. The whore sitteth upon many waters; & ver. 15. these many waters are interpreted to be peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. The whore doth sit upon them, that is, doth use them vilely, and basely, sits upon the very consciences of them in a base manner, as if a whore should sit upon you and keep you under. And who doth she sit upon? upon peoples and multitudes. It is not an argument then of a true Church though they are multitudes, though they be as the sand of the sea, though they be gathered together, for they must be gathered under one Head, under Christ. Secondly, Neither is Unity a sufficient argument of the verity of the Church. They shall be gathered together. they shall be joyned together in one way, with one consent; yea but if it be not under one Head, it is like Simeon & Levi, brethren in iniquity. It is not enough that we be one, unless we be one in Christ; and that is a blessed union: For a great deale of unity there shall be under Antichrist, Revel. 17. 13. These have one minde (saith the Text) and they shall give their strength & power to the beast. And Chap. 18. 5. Her sins reach unto heaven. Their sins cleave together, and so get up to heaven. A union of persons, and a union of sins there is amongst them. The Turks have as little dissention in their Religion as any;1 they are allunited in one. But well may that garment have no seame, that hath no shape. And a notable place we have in Ps. 83. 3. 4. 5. &c. They have consulted together with one consent, they are confederate against thee. There are two or three things exceeding observable in this Scripture about the union of the wicked: First you have ten Countreys joyn together against the Church; there is the Edomites, the Moabites. &c. And it was not by accident that they joyned, but in a deliberate way, They consulted together, and not onely consulted together, but consulted together with one consent, or heartily, for that which is translated there with one consent, the word in the Hebrew is,2 with heart together, their very heart was in the consultation; but mark, it was against thy hidden ones, so ver. 3. Let them consult together, let ten of them consult together, and consult with their hearts, yet the Saints are Gods hidden ones. Esay 54. 15.
- 1[Greek or Hebrew].〈non-Latin alphabet〉.
- 2[Greek or Hebrew] •micus ••aro, sed •agis amica Vetas. Potius quam aliquid regno Christi & gloriae ejus decadat, ruat non solum pax, sed […] & terrae. Luther.〈non-Latin alphabet〉 •micus ••aro, sed •agis amica Vetas. Potius quam aliquid regno Christi & gloriae ejus decadat, ruat non solum pax, sed 〈…〉 & terrae. Luther.
