A35689:219
The ruin of Rome, or, An exposition upon the whole Revelation wherein is plainly…The ruine of Rome, or, An exposition upon the whole Revelation wherein is plainly…
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 ... written especially for the comfort of Protestants and the daunting of papists ... / published by Arthur Dent ; to which is added an epitome of Reverend Mr. Brightman his Exposition upon the Revelation.The ruine of Rome, or, An exposition upon the whole Revelation wherein is plainly shewed and proved that the popish religion, together with all the power and authority of Rome, shall ebbe and decay ... written especially for the comfort of Protestants and the danting of papists ... / published by Authur Dent ; to which is added an epitome of Reverend Mr. Brightman his Exposition upon the Revelation.
London: printed by T.H. and I.Y. for Jo. Waterson, 1644
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 red Horse representeth the cruel persecution and bloody Wars, which followed the preaching of the Gospel. For the red colour in the Scripture doth note blood, cruelty, and Wars. The rider upon this Horse is the Devil himself: for who but he, and his instruments delight in blood, persecution, and wars? He hath ⟨p. 85⟩power given him to take peace from the earth (for he could have no power, except it were given him:) and to this purpose a great sword was given him, to murder and kill withal.
This red Horse representeth the cruell persecution and bloudy Warres, which followed the preaching of the Gospell. For the red colour in the Scripture doth note bloud, cruelty, and Warres. The rider upon this Horse is the Divell himselfe: for who but he, and his instruments delight in bloud, persecution, and warres? He hath ⟨p. 85⟩power given him to take peace from the earth (for he could have no power, except it were given him:) and to this purpose a great sword was given him, to murther and kill withall.
And all this is to be understood of the state of the Church under the ten great persecutions, raised up against it by the persecuting Emperors, Domitian, Trajanus, Nero, Antonius, Decius, Diocletian, Maxentius, Licinius, and other cruel tyrants, even until the time of Constantine the Great. Stories do report, that these cruel persecutors did in a most savage and horrible manner, torture, torment, and shed the blood of innumerable multitudes of Gods people. So that as the first estate of the Church, under the preaching of the Gospel, was joyful and peaceable: So this second estate of the Church, under such outrageous persecutions, was troublesome and tragical; and yet for all that, in the middest of all these swords, blood and flames of persecution, the Church did still prevail and increase. For the blood of the Martyrs is the seed of the Gospel. And the Church often times being sown in blood, yet springeth up, and groweth in blood. And as for the ⟨p. 86⟩