A commentary upon the book of the Revelation Wherein the text is explained, the…A commentarie upon the book of the Revelation Wherein the text is explained, the…

1. The state of the Church before Constantine's government, was, for outward persecution, under the extremest sufferings that can be imagined, as was hinted at in the expounding of the fourth seal. Amongst the four chief Governors that then were, to wit, Diocletian, Maximianus, Herculeus, Galerius, Maximinus (called also Jovius) and Constantius, Constantine's father, only this last had a favour to Christians, the other three being most cruel persecutors. About Constantius death, started up Maxentius to usurp the Empire at Rome, who for a time prevailed, and continued as barbarous and cruel as any of the other. Against this Maxentius, Jovius sent one Severus (whom he called Cesar) who was overthrown by him; after whom, he preferred one Maximinus his nephew, who in persecuting was nothing behind any of the former. A little after Licinius, who was constituted Cesar in his room (who for a time had counterfeitly befriended Christians for fear of Constantine) yet afterward fell into most gross blasphemy and persecution. All of these having this for their aim, to root out Christianity, by cruelty and subtlety, left nothing undone to accomplish it. Their cruelty vented in these persecutions, and their subtlety may be gathered from the Laws we find enacted against the Church in these times. As, 1. that all the Bibles, Cups, and Church-furniture should be delivered up and destroyed: it was from this giving up of the Bible, that Christians, who made defection, were called after that Traditores, that delivering up their Bibles, &c. being accounted receding from the truth, or the testimony thereof. 2. That men and women should not meet together for religious exercises, but men apart, and women apart. 3. That none should teach women, but women. 4. That no meetings should be kept within the circuits of Towns, but in the fields, upon the pretext of healthfulness. 5. That there should be no meetings of Ministers or correspondences amongst them in Synods or otherwayes, which was prohibited as a thing dangerous to the State: 6. That all the old Temples should be built, and all the meeting-places of the Christians destroyed. 7. That no Ministers should be permitted, but, where ever found, they should be cast into prison: which Laws, at last, ended in open persecution against all that professed the Name of Christ;

1. The state of the Church before Constantine's government, was, for outward persecution, under the extreamest sufferings that can be imagined, as was hinted at in the expounding of the fourth seal. Amongst the four chief Governours that then were, to wit, Dioclesian, Maximianus, Herculeus, Galerius, Maximinus (called also Iovius) and Constantius, Constantine's father, only this last had a favour to Christians, the other three being most cruel persecuters. About Constantius death, started up Maxentius to usurp the Empire at Rome, who for a time prevailed, and continued as barbarous and cruell as any of the other. Against this Maxentius, Iovius sent one Severus (whom he called Cesar) who was overthrown by him; after whom, he preferred one Maximinus his nephew, who in persecuting was nothing behind any of the former. A little after Licinius, who was constituted Cesar in his room (who for a time had counterfitly befriended Christians for fear of Constantine) yet afterward fell into most grosse blasphemie and persecution. All of these having this for their aime, to root out Christianity, by cruelty and subtilty, left nothing undone to accomplish it. Their cruelty vented in these persecutions, and their subtilty may be gathered from the Laws we find enacted against the Church in these times. As, 1. that all the Bibles, Cups, and Church-furniture should be delivered up and destroyed: it was from this giving up of the Bible, that Christians, who made defection, were called after that Traditores, that delivering up their Bibles, &c. being accounted receding from the truth, or the testimony thereof. 2. That men and women should not meet together for religious exercises, but men apart, and women apart. 3. That none should teach women, but women. 4. That no meetings should be keeped within the circuits of Towns, but in the fields, upon the pretext of healthfulnesse. 5. That there should be no meetings of Ministers or correspondences amongst them in Synods or otherwayes, which was prohibited as a thing dangerous to the State: 6. That all the old Temples should be built, and all the meeting-places of the Christians destroyed. 7. That no Ministers should be permitted, but, where ever found, they should be cast into prison: which Laws, at last, ended in open persecution against all that professed the Name of Christ;