A35689:681
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.
1This is set down in the sixteenth chapter, where the fall of Rome is compared to the drying up of the river Euphrates, which was dried up by degrees: Thus it is, Euphrates was a great river which did run very near unto the old Babylon in Chaldea, and it was the wall and fortification of the city; in so much, that Cyrus and Darius, the kings of the Medes and Persians, laying siege against it, could not take it, till by policy they digged water trenches, and turned the waters another way, and so dried them up, that the holy Ghost saith, The way was prepared for them to pass over. Now, as this Euphrates was the strength and fortification of old Babylon: so the honour, wealth, riches, power and authority of Rome is the very fortification ⟨p. 289⟩of it.2 But the punishing Angel is commanded to pour down the vial of wrath upon this Euphrates; that is, upon all that upholdeth or fortifieth Rome, and forthwith it dried up; that is, all the credit, power, riches, and authority of Rome did diminish daily, doth diminish, and shall diminish by degrees unto the end of the world. For the utter destruction of Rome is not yet come, but it is greatly decayed from that it was fourscore years ago: and if it continue decaying eighteen years more, as assuredly it shall, then will it be brought to a low ebb. Since Luther's time we know how the Popes Euphrates hath dried up; but there is yet much water left, and it is yet too deep for the kings of the earth to pass over and take it. But it shall ebb so low, that the kings of Europe shall easily pass over and take it, as we shall hear anon. But in the mean time we see that it falleth, and that it is in falling, and the work of God goeth forward every day. For now in this age, God be thanked, many Kings and Princes, with great multitudes of their subjects have their eyes opened to behold, that the Romish religion is abominable; and that the Papacy is the very kingdom of the great Antichrist. ⟨p. 290⟩And whereas before they worshipped the beast,3 now they hold up their hands only to the God of heaven, and glorify him in his Son Jesus Christ. Now we see that many laws are made in sundry kingdoms and provinces to abolish that usurped power of the Bishop of Rome: