A35689:680
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.
My third argument is this:1 The beast that was, and is not, being even the eighth, and is one of the seven, shall go into destruction, But Rome is the beast that was, and is not, being the eighth, and one of the seven: Therefore Rome shall go into destruction. The assumption is set down chap. 17. ver. 11. For the Papacy or dominion of the Popes is the seventh head of the beast in respect of their civill power, and yet a beast by themselves, that is, an eighth in respect of their ecclesiastical power. Now the Angel saith flatly, they shall both go together into destruction, that is, both the Empire and the Papacy. For as the dominion of the Popes goeth down, so also their worship and religion goeth down with it: and for this cause it is expressly set down in the nineteenth chapter, that the beast and the false Prophet, that is,2 the Roman Empire and the Papacy were both destroyed together. Sith then the holy Ghost hath spoken it twice for failing, that Rome ⟨p. 288⟩shall go into perdition, and shall 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,3 it shall fall in wealth and riches, 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.
My third argument is this:1 The beast that was, and is not, being even the eighth, and is one of the seven, shall goe into destruction, But Rome is the beast that was, and is not, being the eighth, and one of the seven: Therefore Rome shall goe into destruction. The assumption is set down chap. 17. ver. 11. For the Papacy or dominion of the Popes is the seventh head of the beast in respect of their civill power, and yet a beast by themselves, that is, an eighth in respect of their ecclesiasticall power. Now the Angel saith flatly, they shall both go together into destruction, that is, both the Empire and the Papacy. For as the dominion of the Popes goeth down, so also their worship and religion goeth down with it: and for this cause it is expressely set down in the nineteenth chapter, that the beast and the false Prophet, that is,