Revelation 17

^{1 c} Meaning, diuers nations & countries.

^{1 a} Which was Christ Jesus who will take vengeance on this Romish harlot.

^{1 b} Antichrist is compared to an harlot because he seduceth the worlde with vaine wordes, doctrines of lies, & outwarde apperance.

^{3 !} The description of the great whore.

^{3 d} The beast signifieth the ancient Rome: the woman that sitteth thereon, the newe Rome which is the Papistie, whose crueltie and blood sheding is declared by skarlat.

^{3 e} Ful of idolatrie, superstition and contempt of the true God.

^{4 f} This woman is the Antichrist, that is, the Pope with the whole bodie of his filthie creatures, as is expounded, {vers. 18}, whose beautie onely standeth in outwarde pompe & impudencie and craft like a strumpet.

^{4 g} Of false doctrines & blasphemies.

^{5 h} Which none can knowe to auoide but the elect.

^{8 !} Her sinnes and punishment.

^{8 i} This is the Romaine empire which being fallen into decay, the whore of Rome vsurped autoritie, and proceded from the deuil and thether shal returne.

^{9 l} For after that the empire was decayed in Nero, Galba, Otho, Vitelius, Vespasian & Titus dyed in less then fourtene yeres and reigned as Kings: Domitian then reigned, and after him Coceius Nerua which was the seuenth.

^{9 k} Which are about Rome.

^{11 m} He meaneth Traian the emperior who was a Spanyard & adopted by Nerua, but because he persecuted the faithful, he goeth also to perdition.

^{13 n} He signifieth the horrible persecutions which haue bene vnder the empire of Roma, and in all other realmes subject to the same.

^{14 !} The victories of the Lambe.

^{14 o} And breake them to shyuers as a porters pot.

^{16 p} Diuers nations as the Gothes, Vandales, Hunes and other nations which were once subject to Rome, shal rise against it & destroy it.

^{17 q} That in stede of doing homage to Christ Jesus, they shulde be cast into reprobate sense to serue Antichrist, & to dedicat them selues and theirs wholy vnto him.