A plain explanation of the whole Revelation of Saint John Very necessary and comfortable…A plaine explanation of the vvhole Revelation of Saint John Very necessary and comfortable…

His effects do follow, to wit, first that he spake like a Dragon; noting, that the chief mischief which should come to the Church by him, should be by his teaching and instructing them in that false doctrine which he should receive from the Dragon, which showeth that he is a false and lying Prophet, as receiving his office and doctrine from the father of lies, which is the Devil. In that he caused the earth to worship the first Beast, is meant, that subjection which he did pretend to the Empire in outward show, and so far forth only as his profit would serve, albeit indeed he doth exalt himself above the Emperors.

His effects doe follow, to wit, first that hee spake like a Dragon; noting, that the chiefe mischiefe which should come to the Church by him, should be by his teaching and instructing them in that false doctrine which hee should receiue from the Dragon, which sheweth that he is a false and lying Prophet, as receiuing his office and doctrine from the father of lyes, which is the Diuell. In that hee caused the earth to worship the first Beast, is meant, that subiection which he did pretend to the Empire in outward shew, and so farre forth onely as his profit would serue, albeit indeed he doth exalt himselfe aboue the Emperours.

And he did all that the first Beast could do before his face, signifying, that he makes but a jest and mock at the Roman Empire; for towards the end, the Roman Empire should fall before him and decay; so that albeit in show they would pretend to give subjection to it, yet the Emperor had only the name and title of authority to be called Lord, which we see indeed is, and was, but of small reckoning; for the Pope ⟨p. 84⟩seemed rather to be Lord to himself, as we see in the Histories, that the Emperors took many reproaches and abuses of the Pope; yea, the Pope did tread on the neck of the Emperors, usurping that saying of the Psalmist, Thou shalt tread on the Adder and the Asp, &c. yea, the Pope and those that were under him, did as it were make an Anatomy of the Empire, for as the Anatomists do first take away their flesh and then join the bones and the other parts of the body together, & so make him like a man again, even so did the Pope deal with the Empire.