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…

Now to declare the grievousness of this famine, a voice cometh from the Throne and from the Angels, that a measure of wheat should be for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny: the measure here spoken of, is a Chenix, which some Writers say, was so much as would serve a man for bread-corn for one day: And the Roman penny under Domitian, was always seven pence of our money. And at that time the labouring man did work for a penny a day, which would do little more then buy him bread-corn How then should his wife and children do? Whereas it is said: Wine and Oil hurt thou not. I take that it should rather ⟨p. 88⟩be translated, In Wine and oil thou shalt not do unjustly: as the word will bear it. And the sense is, that in the state of corn and victual, they shall deal conscionably and mercifully, not selling at the highest, but rather at the lowest rate now in the times of extreme scarcity.

Now to declare the grievousnesse of this famine, a voyce commeth from the Throne and from the Angels, that a measure of wheat should bee for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny: the measure here spoken of, is a Chenix, which some Writers say, was so much as would serve a man for bread-corne for one day: And the Romane penny under Domitian, was alwayes seven pence of our mony. And at that time the labouring man did worke for a penny a day, which would doe little more then buy him bread-corne How then should his wife and children doe? Whereas it is sayd: Wine and Oyle hurt thou not. I take that it should rather ⟨p. 88⟩bee translated, In Wine and oyle thou shalt not doe unjustly: as the word will beare it. And the sense is, that in the state of corn and victuall, they shall deale conscionably and mercifully, not selling at the highest, but rather at the lowest rate now in the times of extreme scarcity.

Now all this is to be understood of that most grievous famine which we read to have been about the year of our Lord, 316. and sundry times afterward. And all this for the contempt of the Gospel preached by Christ and his Apostles upon the white horse; and the murdering of Gods Saints, by him upon the red Horse, and his instruments. So grievous and fearful a thing is the contempt of the Gospel, and the persecuting of the Saints. And God did most justly cause the world to smart for it, and make them with sorrow enough to feel the punishment of the Gospel rejected.