The chief efficient cause is the providence of God ;

From :
The 1560 -1599 A.D.
Geneva Bible New Testament ;

The Revelation
Of Saint John The Apostle
& Evangelist With the Annotations
Of Francis Junius & Chapter 17 :

1 The great whore is described,

2 with whom the Kings
of the earth committed fornication;

6 She is drunken
with the blood of Saints.

7 The mystery of the woman, and
the beast that carried her, expounded.

11 Their destruction.

14 The Lamb's victory.

1 Then (1) there came
one of the seven Angels,
which had the seven vials,
and talked with me, saying
unto me, Come, I will shew
(2) thee the (a) damnation of
the great (*) whore that sitteth
upon many () waters,

(1) The state of the Church
militant being declared, now
followeth the state of the Church
overcoming and getting victory, as
I shewed before in the beginning of
the tenth chapter.

This state is set forth in four chapters.

As in the place before going I noted,
that in that history the order of time
was not always exactly observed, so
the same is to be understood in this
history, that it is distinguished according
to the persons of which it treateth, and
that the several stories of the persons is
severally observed in the time thereof.

For first is delivered
the story of Babylon destroyed,
in this and the next chapter (for this
Babylon out of all doubt, shall perish
before the two beasts and the Dragon.)

Secondly, is delivered the destruction
of both the two beasts, chapter nineteen.

And lastly
of the Dragon,
chapter eighteen; in
the story of the spiritual
Babylon, are distinctly set
forth the state thereof in this
chapter, and the overthrow
done from God, chapter
eighteen.

In this verse
and that which followeth a
transition or passage unto the
first argument, consisting of the
particular calling of the Prophet
(as often heretofore) and a
general proposition.

(2) That is,
that damnable harlot,
by a figure called hypallage.

For John as yet had not seen her.

Although another interpretation
may be borne, yet I like this better.

(a) The sentence
that is pronounce against this harlot.

(*) Antichrist is compared
to a harlot because he seduceth
the world with vain words, doctrines
of lies, and outward appearance.

() Meaning,
divers nations and countries.

2 With whom have committed
fornication the Kings of the earth,
and the inhabitants of the earth are
drunken with the wine of her
fornication.

3 (3) So he carried me away
into the wilderness in the Spirit,
and I saw a woman sit upon a
(b) scarlet colored (*) beast, full
of names of () blasphemy, which
had seven heads, and ten horns.

(3) Henceforth
is propounded the
type of Babylon, and the
state thereof, in four verses.

After a declaration of the
type, in the rest of this chapter.

In the type are described
two things, the beast (of whom
chapter thirteen) in the third verse,
and the woman that sitteth upon the
beast in Revelation 17:4-6 .

The beast in process of time
hath gotten somewhat more than
was expressed in the former vision.

First in that it is not read
before that he was appareled
in scarlet, a robe imperial and
of triumph.

Secondly,
in that this is full
of names of blasphemy;
the other carried the name
of blasphemy only in his head.

So God did teach
that this beast is much
increased in impiety and
injustice, and doth in this last
age, triumph in both these more
insolently and proudly then ever before.

(b) A scarlet color,
that is, with a red and
purple garment; and surely
it was not without cause the
Romish clergy were so much
delighted with this color.

(*) The beast signifieth
the ancient Rome; the woman
that sitteth thereon, the new Rome
which is the Papistry, whose cruelty
and blood shedding is declared by
scarlet.

() Full of idolatry, superstition
and contempt of the true God.

4 And (4) the (*) woman
was arrayed (5) in purple and
scarlet, and gilded with gold, and
precious stones, and pearls, (6) and
had a cup of gold in her hand full of
() abominations, and filthiness of her
fornication.

(4) That harlot,
the spiritual Babylon,
which is Rome.

She is described by
her attire, profession, and deeds.

(*) This woman is the Antichrist,
that is, the Pope with the whole body
of his filthy creatures, as is expounded,
Revelation 17:18; whose beauty only
standeth in outward pomp and
impudency and craft like a strumpet.

(5) In attire most glorious,
triumphant, most rich, and
most gorgeous.

(6) In profession,
the nourisher of all, in
this verse, and teaching her
mysteries unto all, Revelation 17:5
setting forth all things most magnificently;
but indeed most pernicious besetting
miserable men with her cup, and
bringing upon them deadly
giddiness.

() Of false doctrines and blasphemies.

5 (7) And in her forehead
was a name written, (*) A
mystery, (8) great Babylon,
the mother of whoredomes,
and abominations of the earth.

(7) Deceiving with the title
of religion, and public inscription
of mystery; which the beast in times
past did not bear.

(*) Which none
can know to avoid but the elect.

(8) An exposition,
in which John declareth
what manner of woman this is.

6 (9) And I saw the woman
drunken with the blood of Saints,
and with the blood of the Martyrs
of Jesus. And when I saw her, (10) I
wondered with great marvel.

(9) In manner of deeds :
She is red with blood, and
sheddeth it most licentiously,
and therefore is colored with
the blood of the Saints, as on
the contrary part, Christ is set
forth imbued with the blood of
her enemies; Isaiah 63:1 .

(10) A passage
unto the second part
of this chapter, by occasion
given of John, as the words of
the Angel do shew, in the next
verse.

7 (11) Then the Angel
said unto me, Wherefore
marvelest thou? I will shew
thee the mystery of the woman,
and of the beast that beareth her,
which hath seven heads and ten
horns.

(11) The second part or place,
as I said in Revelation 17:1 .

The narration of the vision,
promised in this verse, and
delivered in verse following.

Now there is delivered first
a enarration of the beast and his
story, unto the fourteenth verse.

After, of the harlot,
unto the end of the chapter.

8 (12) The (*) beast
that thou hast seen, (13) was,
and is not, and (14) shall ascend
out of the bottomless pit, and shall
go into perdition, and they that dwell
on the earth shall wonder (whose names
are not written in the book of life from
the foundation of the world) (15) when
they behold the beast that was, and is
not, and yet is.

(12) The story of the beast
hath a triple description of him.

The first is a distinction
of this beast from all that
ever hath been at any time;
which distinction is contained
in this verse.

The second is a delineation
or painting out of the beast by
things present, by which he might
even at that time be known of the
godly; and this delineation is according
to his heads, in Revelation 17:10-12 .

The third is an historical foretelling
of things to come, and to be done
by him; and these are ascribed unto
his horns, in Revelation 17:12-14 .

This beast
is that Empire of Rome, of which I
spake in Revelation 13:11, according
to the mutations and changes whereof
which then had already happened, the
holy Ghost hath distinguished and set
out the same.

The Apostle distinguisheth this
beast from all others in these words :

The beast which
thou sawest, was and is not.

For so I expound the words
of the Apostle for the evidence's
sake, as I will further declare in the
notes following.

(*) This is the Roman Empire
which being fallen into decay,
the whore of Rome usurped
authority, and proceeded from
the devil and thither shall return.

(13) The meaning is,
that beast which you sawest
before, in (Revelation 13:1)
and which yet thou hast now
seen, was (I say was) even
from Julius Caesar in respect
of beginning, rising up, station,
glory, dominion, manner and
stock, from the house of Julius;
and yet is not now the same, if
thou look unto the house and
stock for the dominion of this
family was translated unto
another, after the death of Nero
from the other unto a third, from
a third unto a fourth was varied
and altered by innumerable changes.

Finally,
the Empire is one,
as it were one beast;
but exceedingly varied by
kindreds, families, and persons.

It was therefore
(saith John) in the kindred
or house of Julius, and now
it is not in that kindred, but
translated unto another.

(14) As if he should say,
Also the same that is, shall
shortly not be; but shall ascend
out of the depth, or out of the sea
(as was said) in Revelation 13:1
(that is, shall be a new stock from
amongst the nations without
difference, and shall in the same
state go unto destruction or ruin,
and perish; and so shall successively
new Princes or Emperors come and
go, arise and fall, the body of the beast
remaining still, but tossed with so many
and often alterations, as no man can but
marvel that this beast was able to stand
and hold out, in so many mutations.

Verily no Empire
that ever was tossed
with so many changes,
and as it were with so many
tempests of the sea, ever
continued so long.

(15) That is as many as have
not learned the providence of
God, according to the faith of
the Saints, shall marvel at these
grievous and often changes
when they shall consider, that
selfsame beast, which is the
Roman Empire, to have been,
not to be, and to be and still
molested with perpetual mutation,
and yet in the same to stand and
continue.

This mine opinion is the most
simple exposition of this place,
confirmed by the event of the
things themselves.

Although the last change also,
by which the Empire, that before
was civil became Ecclesiastical, is
not obscurely signified in these words;
of which two, the first exercised cruelty
upon the bodies of the saints; the other
also upon their souls; the first by humane
order and policy, the other under the color
of the law of God, and of Religion, raged
and imbrued itself with the blood of the
godly.

9 (16) Here is the mind
that hath wisdom. The (c) seven
heads (17) are (*) seven mountains,
whereon the woman sitteth; (18) they
are also () seven Kings.

(16) An exhortation
preparing unto audience,
by the same argument, with
that as Christ:

He that hath
ears to hear let him hear.

Wherefore, for mine own part,
I had rather read in this place, Let
there be here a mind, etc.

So theAngel passeth fully unto
the second place of this description.

(c) Very children know
what that seven hilled city is,
which is so much spoken of,
and whereof Virgil thus reporteth.

And compasseth seven towers
in one wall; that city it is, which
when John wrote these things
had rule over the kings of the
earth.

It was and is not,
and yet it remaineth this day,
but it is declining to destruction.

(17) This is the painting out
of the beast by things present
(as I said before) whereby John
endeavored to describe the same,
that he might both be known of the
godly in that age, and be further
observed and marked of posterity
afterwards.

This delineation hath one type,
that is, his heads, but a double
description or application of the
type; one permanent, from the
nature of itself, the other
changeable, by the working
of men.

The description permanent,
is by the seven hills, in this verse,
the other that fleeth, is from the
seven kings, Revelation 17:10-11 .

And here it is worthy
to be observed, that one
type hath sometimes two or
more applications, as seemeth
good unto the holy Ghost to
express either one thing by divers
types, or divers things by one type.

So I noted before of the
seven spirits in Revelation 1:4 .

Now this woman
that sitteth upon seven
hills, is the city of Rome,
called in times past of the Grecians;
upon a hill, of seven tops or crests,
and by Varro, septiceps, of her seven
heads (as here) of seven heads, and
of others, septem collis,
standing upon seven hills.

(*) Which are about Rome.

(18) The beginning of these Kings
or Emperors is almost the same with
the beginning of the Church of Christ,
which I shewed before in Revelation 11:1.

Namely from the year 35,
after the passion of Christ,
what time the Temple and
Church of the Jews was
overthrown.

In which year it came to pass
by the providence of God, that
that saying, The beast was, and
is not, was fulfilled before that the
destruction of the Jews immediately
following, came to pass.

That was the year
from the building of the
city of Rome 809 from which
year John both numbered the
Emperors which hitherto hath
been, when he wrote these things,
and foretelleth two others next to
come; and that with this purpose,
that when this particular prediction
of foretelling of things to come, should
take effect the truth of all other predictions
in the Church, might be the more confirmed.

Which sign
God of old mentioned in the Law,
Deuteronomy 18; and Jeremiah
confirmeth, Jeremiah 28:8 .

() For after that the empire
was decayed in Nero, Galba,
Otho, Vitellius, Vespasian and Titus
died in less than fourteen years and
reigned as Kings; Domitian then reigned,
and after him Cocceius Nerua which
was seventh.

10 (19) Five are fallen,
(20) and one is, (21) and
another is not yet come; and
when he cometh, he must
continue a short space.

(19) Whose names are these :
the first, Servius Sulpitius Galba,
who was the seventh Emperor of
the people of Rome, the second,
Marcus Salvius Otho, the third,
Avlus Vitellius, the fourth, Titus
Flavius Vespasianus, the fifth,
Titus Vespasianus his son, of
his own name.

(20) Flavius Domitian,
son of the first Vespasian.

For in the latter end
of his days John wrote these
things, as witnesseth Ireneus;
Library 5 adversus hareses.

(21) Nerua,
The Empire being now
translated from the family of Flavius.

This man reigned only one year,
four months, and nine days, as
the history writers do tell.

11 (22) And the beast that was,
and is not, is even (23) the (*) eighth,
and is (24) one of the seven, and
(25) shall go into destruction.

(22) This is spoken
by the figure synecdoche,
as much to say, as that head of
the beast which was and is not,
because it is cut off, and Nerua
in so short time extinguished.

How many heads there were,
so many beasts, there seemed
to be in one.

See the like speech
in Revelation 13:3 .

(23) Nerua Traianus,
who himself in divers respects
is called here the seventh and
the eighth.

(*) He meaneth Traianus
the emperor who was a Spaniard
and adopted by Nerua, but because
he persecuted the faithful, he goeth
also to perdition.

(24) Though in number and order
of succession he be the eighth
yet he is reckoned together
with one of these heads,
because Nerua and he
were one head.

For this man obtained authority
together with Nerua, and was
Consul with him, when Nerua
left his life.

(25) Namely to molest
with persecutions the Churches
of Christ, as the history do accord,
and I have briefly noted
Revelation 2:10 .

12 (26) And the ten horns
which thou sawest, are (27) ten
Kings, which yet have not received
a kingdom, but shall receive power,
as Kings (28) at one hour with the
beast.

(26) The third place
of this description, as I
said in Revelation 17:8, is
a prophetical prediction of
things to come, which the beast
should do, as in the words following
John doeth not obscurely signify,
saying, which have not yet
received the kingdom, etc.

For there is an Antithesis
or opposition, between these
kings, and those that went before.

And first the persons
are described, in this verse,
then their deeds in the two
verses following.

(27) That is, arising
with their kingdoms out
of that Roman beast; at such
time as that political Empire
began by the craft of the Popes
greatly to fall.

(28) Namely, with that second beast,
whom we called before a false prophet,
which beast, ascending out of the earth,
got unto himself all the authority and power
of the first beast, and exerciseth the same
before his face, as was said
in Revelation 14:11-12 .

For when the political Empire
of the West began to bow downwards,
there both arose those ten kings, and the
second beast took the opportunity offered
to usurp unto himself all the power of the
former beast.

These kings long ago,
many have numbered and
described to be ten, and a great
part of the events plainly testifieth
the same in this our age.

13 (29) (*) These have one mind,
and shall give their power and authority
unto the beast.

(29) That is, by consent
and agreement, that they may
conspire with the beast, and
depend upon his beck.

Their story is divided into three
parts, counsels, acts, and events.

The counselors some of them
consist in communicating of judgments
and affections; and some in communicating
of power, which they are said to have
given unto this beast, in this verse.

(*) He signifieth
the horrible persecutions
which have been under the
empire of Rome, and in all other
realms subject to the same.

14 These shall fight
with the (30) Lamb, and
the Lamb shall () overcome
them, (*) for he is Lord of Lords,
and King of Kings, and they that are
on his side, called, and chosen,
and faithful.

(30) With Christ and his Church,
as the reason following doeth declare,
and here are mentioned the facts and
the events which followed for Christ his
sake, and for the grace of God the Father
towards those that are called, elected,
and are his faithful ones in Christ.

() And break them
to shivers as a porter's pot.

(*) Revelation 19:16; 1 Timothy 6:15 .

15 (31) And he said unto me,
The waters which thou sawest,
where the whore sitteth, (32) are
people, and multitudes, and nations,
and tongues.

(31) This is the other member
of the enarration, as I said in Revelation
17:7; belonging unto the harlot, shewed
in the vision, Revelation 17:3 .

In this history of the harlot,
these three things are distinctly
propounded, what is her magnificence,
in this verse, what is her fall, and by
whom it shall happen unto her, in
Revelation 17:16-17; and lastly,
who that harlot is, in
Revelation 17:18 .

This place which by order
of nature should have been the
first, is therefore made the last,
because it was more fit to be
joined with the next Chapter.

(32) That is, as inconstant
and variable as are the waters.

Upon this foundation
sitteth this harlot as Queen, a
vain person upon that which is vain.

16 And the (*) ten (33) horns
which thou sawest upon the beast,
are they that shall hate the whore,
and shall make her desolate and
naked, and shall eat her flesh,
and burn her with fire.

(*) Divers nations
as the Goths, Vandals,
Huns and other nations which
were once subject to Rome, shall
rise against it and destroy it.

(33) The ten Kings,
as Revelation 17:12 .

The accomplishment
of this fact and event, is
daily increased in this our age
by the singular providence and
most mighty government of God.

Wherefore the facts
are propounded in this
verse, and the cause of
them in the verses following.

17 (34) For God hath (*) put
in their hearts to fulfill his will, and
to do with one consent for to give
their kingdom unto the beast, until
the words of God be fulfilled.

(34) A reason rendered
from the chief efficient cause,
which is the providence of God,
by which alone John by inversion
of order affirmeth to have come to
pass, both that the Kings should
execute upon the harlot, that which
pleased God, and which he declared
in the verse next before going; and
also that by one consent and counsel,
they should give their kingdom unto
the beast, etc. Revelation 17:13-14 .

For as these being blinded
have before depended upon
the beck of the beast that lifteth
up the harlot, so it is said, that
afterward it shall come to pass,
that they shall turn back, and
shall fall away from her when their
hearts shall be turned into better state
by the grace and mercy of God.

(*) That instead of doing homage
to Christ Jesus, they should be cast
into a reprobate sense to serve
Antichrist, and to dedicate themselves
and theirs wholly unto him.

18 And the woman
which thou sawest, is
the (35) great city, which
reigneth over the kings of
the earth.

(35) That is, Rome that great City,
or only city (as Justinian calleth it)
the King and head whereof was then
the Emperor, but now the Pope, since
the condition of the beast was changed.

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