A35689:422
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.
John is here forbidden to measure and build up the Court which is without the Temple. Whereby is meant all Heretics; Hypocrites, worldlings, and all such as have a place in the Church, but are not of the Church. This phrase of speech is taken from the old shadowish worship as the rest before. For in the Temple of Jerusalem there was an outward Court which was common to all good and bad: the holy place which was proper to the Priests and Levites: and the holy of holiest, or most holy place, where none might come but the high Priest only.
John is here forbidden to measure and build up the Court which is without the Temple. Whereby is meant all Heretickes; Hypocrites, worldlings, and all such as have a place in the Church, but are not of the Church. This phrase of speech is taken from the old shadowish worship as the rest before. For in the Temple of Jerusalem there was an outward Court which was common to all good and bad: the holy place which was proper to the Priests and Levites: and the holy of holiest, or most holy place, where none might come but the high Priest only.
Here is a reason added why the Lord God refuseth all Papists and Hypocrites, and all such as belong to the outward Court only, and it is this: that this outward Court is given ⟨p. 174⟩unto the Gentiles, that is, to all false Christians and counterfeits in religion, which are members of the visible Church, but have nothing to do with the invisible.
These are compared to Gentiles in two respects: First, in regard of profaneness, for they are as profane as the Heathen. Secondly, in respect of persecuting the truth: for Hypocrites and Atheists are as forward in persecuting the people of God as the Heathen Emperors, which persecuted the Church by the space of 300. years. All comes in this, that when the Church should be gathered and built by the preaching of the Gospel, God would have all Papists, Atheists, and Hypocrites shut out.