Apocalypsim S. Joannis libri vii. (Cave, ii. p. 228.) Opera, Rothomagi, 1650. 2 tom. folio.

XVII. JOACHIMUS, Calaber, Abbas Florensis sive de Flore, fl. A.D. 1200. (Cave, ii. p. 278.) His work on the Apocalypse was first published with the following remarkable title :—

66

Expositio magni Prophetæ ABBATIS JOACHIM in Apocalypsim: Opus illud celebre: Aurea, viz., ac præ ceteris longè altior et profundior EXPLANATIO in ApoCALYPSIM ABBATIS JOACHIM de statu Universali Reipublicæ Christianæ, deque Ecclesiâ Carnali in proximo reformanda, atque in primævam sui ætatem redigendâ; triplici prius tamen percutiendâ flagello, moxque omnium Infidelium ad Christi fidem conversione, jam multis sepulta Sæculis, sed adimplenda tempore instante ad utilitatem et consolationem fidelium nutu divino detecta atque reserata in lucem primo venit." Venetiis, 1527. 4to.

The date of Joachim's prefatory Epistle is printed, "Floris, anno Dominicæ Incarnationis Mc."

to be мCC.

It ought

For a further account of Joachim's striking expositions of the Apocalyptic prophecies, see below, Appendix C., and Gieseler Eccl. Hist. § 70.

XVIII. THOMAS AQUINAS, nat. 1224, ob. 1274. Thomæ Aquinatis in B. Joannis Apocalypsim Expositio nunc primum e tenebris eruta, Florentiæ, 1549. 12mo, pp. 654. The preface speaks of it unhesitatingly as the work of Aquinas. Cave (ii. p. 306) denies the genuineness of this exposition, and conjectures that it was written by THOMAS ANGLICUS, the monk of Ely, of the twelfth century.

XIX. JOANNES PETRUS OLIVI, a Franciscan, of Languedoc, ob. 1297. Postilla in Apocalypsim. For a further account of PETER OLIVI, and of his memorable labours on the Apocalypse, see Gieseler Eccl. Hist. § 70; and below, Appendix D.

XX. ALBERTUS MAGNUS, Provincial of the Domini

cans, Master of Aquinas, Bishop of Ratisbon, died at Cologne A.D. 1280. (Cave, ii. p. 311.) Commentarii in Apocalypsim, Basil. 1506.

XXI. PETRUS AUREOLUS, sive Petrus de Verberia, Doctor facundus, Archiepiscopus Aquensis (of Aix), fl.1310. (Cave, ii. p. 25, App.) His Breviarium Bibliorum contains his Comment on the Apocalypse.

XXII. NICOLAS DE GORHAM, of Merton College, in the fourteenth century. Comment. in Apocalypsim, Antwerp.1617-1620. p. 178 sqq. (Cave, ii. p.86. in Appendice.)

XXIII. JACOBUS DE PARADISo, Carthusianus; A.D. 1449. "De Septem Statibus Ecclesiæ in Apocalypsi descriptis, deque authoritate Ecclesiæ et Ejus Reformatione."

A very valuable and interesting treatise, printed in Browne's Fasciculus Rerum Expetendarum, &c., ii. p. 102.

APPENDIX B.

(See Lectures on the Apocalypse, Lect. vi.

p.

195.)

"ANSELMI HAVELBERGENSIS, Episcopi, Dialogi ad Eugenium III. anno MCXLV. tempore beati Bernardi ;" apud D'Achery Spicilegium, ed. Paris. 1723, folio, vol. i. p. 161-207. Est Havelburgum urbs Germaniæ in

Marchiâ Branderburgensi.

The Seventh to Thirteenth Chapters, inclusive, of the first Book of these Dialogues contain an Exposition of the SEVEN SEALS of the Apocalypse. The Titles of these Chapters will show the views of the writer.

CAP. VII. De Septem Sigillis significantibus SEPTEM STATUS ECCLESIÆ: et quòd in primo statu, exeunte albo equo, (Rev. vi. 2.) miraculorum et prodigiorum novitate primitiva Ecclesia crescebat.

CAP. VIII. Quòd in secundo statu, exeunte rufo equo, (Rev. vi. 4.) gravissima sanctorum persecutio incanduerit.

He rightly connects this seal with the time of the persecution of the Woman by the red Dragon. (Rev. xii. 1-5.)

CAP. IX. Quòd in tertio statu Ecclesiæ, exeunte nigro equo, (Rev. vi. 5.) maxima hæreticorum pericula Ecclesiam suprà modum turbaverint.

This seal, he says, represents the heresies by which the Evil Spirit endeavoured to destroy the Church, after he had failed to extinguish it by persecution.

The following words of this Chapter will be read with interest.

Surgunt igitur Hæretici, characterem Bestiæ portantes infixum in cordibus suis, et dum in manu suâ dolosam stateram trutinantes habent (Rev. vi. 5), æquitatem de Fide disputando proponunt, et minus cautos levissimo unius vel minimi verbi pondere fallunt; inter quos sunt Arius et ejus sequaces (their heresy is then described).. Fuit et Sabellius.. Fuit et Nestorius. . Fuit et Eutyches.. (their heresies are described, as also those of the rest which follow) .. Macedonius . . Donatus.. Photinus.. Manes.

CAP. X. Quòd in quarto statu Ecclesiæ, exeunte pallido equo, (Rev. vi. 8.) in falsis fratribus Ecclesia Dei suprà vires laboraverit, in quo etiam statu multæ ac variæ Religiones (i. e. Religious Orders) creverunt.

CAP. XI. Quòd in quinto statu Ecclesiæ, animæ sanctorum sub altare Dei clamant, Usquequo Domine, &c. (Rev. vi. 10.)

CAP. XII. Quòd in sexto statu Ecclesiæ, facto terræmotu, (Rev. vi. 12.) validissima persequutio futura* est, tempore Antichristi.

This Chapter contains the following exposition. Sol factus est niger tanquam saccus cilicinus, quia SOL justi

* He regarded this seal as not opened in his own age, century.

i.e.

the twelfth

tiæ CHRISTUS, et nomen Christianum, tunc erit in abjectione, et in contemptibili et obscurâ nigredine; et tàm ipse CHRISTUS quàm Christiani erunt viles et abjecti in oculis Antichristi et suorum, sicut saccus cilicinus, qui omnium vestium est vilissimus. Luna tota* facta est sicut sanguis, quia in omnibus mundi partibus persequutio sanguinis grassabitur contra Ecclesiam, quam Luna, modo crescens modo decrescens, apertè significat; et Stellæ cœli ceciderunt in terram, Stellæ cæli, id est sancti, qui in firmamento Ecclesiæ tanquam Doctores lucere videbantur, sub illâ validissimâ persequutione, recedentes a fide in terram cadent, sicut ficus mittit grossos suos, cum a vento magno movetur. (Rev. vi. 13.) ... Grossus enim appellantur fructus primi temporis, qui antequàm veniant ad maturitatem, vento concussi cadunt in terram: ita et illi qui necdum venerunt ad maturitatem bonorum operum et vacui sunt, concussi sunt a vento, id est extremá persequutione. Et cœlum recessit quasi liber involutus. Cœlum id est Ecclesia, in quâ Sacramenta, involuta et clausa, recedent ab usu Christianorum et abscondentur a publico et solenni ritu.

CAP. XIII. Quòd in septimo statu Ecclesiæ post multas tribulationes futurum est silentium magnum, (Rev. viii. 1.) et instaurabitur octava infinitæ beatitudinis.

Et ita Ecclesia Dei quæ est una in fide, una spe, una charitate, multiformis est diversorum statuum varietate.

It is evident that Anselm (with the great body of ancient commentators) regarded the Seven Seals (Rev. v. vi. vii. viii.) as containing a brief prophecy concerning the Church from the first to the second Advent of Christ.

The correctness of this judgment, as I have said elsewhere, appears to me unquestionable.

* He therefore rightly reads, σeλývn öλn, Rev. vi. 12.

APPENDIX C

(See Lectures on the Apocalypse, Lect. xii. p. 363.)

JOACHIM, CALABER, Abbas Florensis, circ. A. D. 1200. His Expositions of the Apocalyptic prophecies. (See above, Appendix A. No. XVII.)

"Anno 1191, dum Rex Richardus Angliæ adhuc in Palæstinâ esset, Joachimum Abbatem Calabrum advocabat, interrogans illum de Antichristo, qui respondit, Romæ jamdiu fuisse natum, ac tum maximè regnare exaltareque se super omne quod dicitur Deus." (2 Thess. ii. 4.)—(Roger Hoveden Angl. in 2 Chron. libro.)

A large selection from comments of Joachim, concerning the Babylon of the Apocalypse, will be found in Wolfii Lectiones Memorabiles, folio, 1600*. p. 488-497.

To these extracts Wolf has appended certain "Testimonia Auctorum," indicating the great esteem in which

* Joan. Wolfii Lect. Memorab. 2 vols. fol. 1600.

The Epistola Dedicatoria contains a Catena of Authors bearing witness to the growing corruptions of the Church of Rome.

It has been alleged by some who dissent from Joachim's views of the Apocalypse, that his interpretations were occasioned by personal feelings, and were intended to serve political purposes, and are therefore of little value.

This appears to be a precipitate conclusion. Joachim's character for ability, learning, and piety, stands very high among his contemporaries; and his Apocalyptic Expositions must be judged by their own merits, and not from motives imputed to him by others. Even if all the allegations concerning Joachim's intentions were true, yet it would be no less illogical and unfair to condemn his Expositions on that account, than it would be to condemn the Reformation because some who were raised up by Divine Providence to promote it were actuated by evil impulses. Wise, pious, and charitable men will be the first to adore the Power and Providence of God in the accomplishment of great purposes by weak instruments.