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…

This Prophecy doth plainly declare, that Babylon shall fall, Rome shall come down, the Pope shall never be esteemed again: and I do believe it to be so; I believe God, I believe his word, I believe all that is spoken in Scripture, and I do endeavour to persuade others also. For sith the holy Ghost hath so plainly and so fully fore-told it, why should we not believe it? why are we so slow to believe all that is written in the Scriptures? Hath God spoken it, and shall it not come to pass? shall any jot of his word fail? shall we think he jesteth with us, when he doth so often and so seriously tell us of the down fall of Rome? Surely, surely, the cause why men are not fully persuaded of the final fall of Rome, is, because they do not diligently peruse this book of the Apocalypse. But let them be studious and diligent in this book, and they shall be out of all doubt, that Rome is the great whore of Babylon, that the Pope is Antichrist, and the Papacy the beast.

This Prophecie doth plainly declare, that Babylon shall fall, Rome shall come down, the Pope shall never be esteemed again: and I do beleeve it to be so; I beleeve God, I beleeve his word, I beleeve all that is spoken in Scripture, and I do indeavour to perswade others also. For sith the holy Ghost hath so plainly and so fully fore-told it, why should we not beleeve it? why are wee so slow to beleeve all that is written in the Scriptures? Hath God spoken it, and shall it not come to passe? shall any jot of his word fail? shall we think he jesteth with us, when he doth so often and so seriously tell us of the downe fall of Rome? Surely, surely, the cause why men are not fully perswaded of the finall fall of Rome, is, because they do not diligently peruse this book of the Apocalypse. But let them be studious and diligent in this book, and they shall be out of all doubt, that Rome is the great whore of Babylon, that the Pope is Antichrist, and the Papacy the beast.

But now, me thinketh, I hear some men say, How is it like that Popery shall fall ⟨p. 326⟩down more and more here among us, sith it hath so many friends, backers and upholders, and seemeth to gather strength, and make an head again? I answer, that all is but a lightning before death. I answer, that all is but the stopping of a water-brook, or making a dam overthwart it, which will cause it to swell more, and to break over with great violence. I answer, that all is no more then is fore-told, that the Jesuits shall come forth like frogs out of their puddles and marish grounds, and keep a croaking for a time, till they have croaked their own destruction and many others. For they shall never set Popery here in England, to stand and continue, do what they can. I must needs confess, that our sins being so horrible and outrageous as they are, and being grown to such an height and ripeness, do deserve some fearful vengeance, and that God hath a just controversy against us, as sometimes he had against Israel,