Commentators on the Second Woe

In his discussion of the horses in chapter 9, Clissold refers the reader to a previous section of his book where the symbolic significance of horses is discussed in the context of the opening of the first seal, when a rider goes forth on a white horse, to conquer.

Augustus Clissold, The spiritual exposition of the Apocalypse, Volume 2, 1851. pp. 110-119

Swedenborg, 'Apocalypse Revealed,' verse 2; –

"'And I saw, and behold a white horse,' signifies, understanding of truth and good from the Word in them: 'and he that sat on him had a bow,' signifies, that they had doctrine of truth and good from the Word, with which they fought against the falses and evils which are from hell: and a crown was given unto him,' signifies, the ensign of their warfare: 'and he went forth conquering, and to conquer,' signifies, victory over evils and falses to eternity." Again, art. 299; –

"By him that sat on the white horse, as mentioned in Apoc. xix., 13, is meant the Lord as to the Word; but by him that sat on this white horse, is understood a man-angel as to doctrine of truth and good from the Word, consequently from the Lord; the same as is understood by the Lord's army in heaven, who followed the Lord upon white horses, Apoc. xix., 14. Of him that sat on the white horse, Apoc. xix., it is said that out of his mouth went a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations; and by the sword out of his mouth is signified the divine truth of the Word fighting against falses and evils, n. 52, 108, 117; but here it is said, that he who sat on this white horse had a bow, and by bow is signified doctrine of truth and good derived from the Word fighting against evils and falses: to fight against falses and evils is also to fight against the hells, because evils and falses are from thence, wherefore this also is signified."

In the sequel, chap, ix., 17, we read of horses in vision; in chap, xix., we meet with the vision of the white horse; in Zech. vi., with the vision of four horses, red, black, white, and grey, which in verse 5 are said to be the four spirits of the heavens; in 2 Kings ii., 11, with a vision of a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, with which Elijah ascended into heaven; and in the same book, chap, xxiii., 11, we read that "Josiah took away the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the sun, and that he burned the chariots of the sun with fire."

There are also other passages in which the horse has been supposed to have a symbolic meaning; as in Job xxxix., 18: "What time she lifteth up herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider;" also in Exodus xv., 1: "The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea;" not to mention numerous other passages of a similar kind.

It will be seen, according to Swedenborg, that in its symbolic meaning the horse signifies the understanding of good and truth from the Word.

The ground and reason of this interpretation is derived from the uses of this animal, which is to carry its rider from place to place; whence we say, equus discurrit, and again, ratio discurrit; and we also speak of discursus equi and discursus rationis; and it is upon this principle that is founded the meaning of the word discourse, which signifies either the going from one proposition to another, or the going from one place to another: in which latter sense it is used by Spenser in his Faery Queen. Hence according to Dr. Johnson, discourse comes "from applying a bodily action to what passes in the mind, and to what is communicated by conversation." Glanville says, "The act of the mind which connects propositions and deduceth conclusions from them, the schools call discourse; and we shall not miscall it if we name it reason!' Hence Dr. Johnson defines it, "the act of the mind by which it passes from premises to consequences;" and to discourse, he says, means also to reason, and discursive, to mean proceeding by regular gradation from premises to consequences; or being argumentative; and in its corresponding signification in reference to place, moving here and there, &c. Hence the illustration from Hale: "We have a principle within whereby we think and we know we think; whereby we do discursively, and by way of ratiocination, deduce one thing from another;" and again from Dr. Barrow, Sermon iii.: "The exercise of our minds in rational discursiveness about things, in quest of truth; how greatly doth it better us."

According to the Encyclopaedia Metropolitana, discourse means, –

"To run apart, i. e., from one thought, notion, or idea to another. To pass from thought to thought, topic to topic, subjects, or parts, or divisions of a subject to others, from premises to conclusions; to talk, or speak, or write at large; to converse, to reason; to employ or exercise the powers of the mind in examining the portions of a subject; to treat of, to dilate, or expand, or extend, the views, the contemplations of the mind."

Hence, Hobbes concerning Human Nature, chap. iv.: –

"The succession of conceptions in the mind, scries, or consequence of one after another, may be casual and incoherent, as in dreams for the most part: and it may be orderly, as when the former thought introduceth the latter; and this is discourse of the mind."

Hence likewise, under the article reason, one of the definitions given by Dr. Johnson is, ratiocination, discursive act; –

"When she rates things, and moves from ground to ground,
The name of reason she obtains by this;
But when by reason she the truth hath found,
And standeth fixt, she understanding is."

                                Davies.

Correspondingly with this view of the subject, in the Symbolical Commentary of Brixianus, n. 13, we read that "A horse in a good sense, according to Plato, signifies reason and opinion coursing about (discurrentem) through natural things. . . . Again: 'A horse, in a good sense, signifies the appetite under the command of reason; and in a bad sense,' according to Plato, 'a confused fantasy, and the appetite of the senses.' Also, according to Plato, a horse means in a good sense a rational appetite, and in a bad sense an irrational appetite."

Again, Dionysius, in his Treatise on the Celestial Hierarchy, observes that "white horses pertaining to the holy angels signify brightness, and propinquity (or cognate relationship) to divine light." And on the contrary, according to Gregory, as quoted by Lauretus, "Horses which are swift in running and strong in impetuosity may be said to be evil thoughts, which swiftly speed to the heart, and there maintain vehement combat." By horses, says Rabanus Maurus, are meant thoughts. "A king shall not multiply horses to himself; i. e., a prelate shall not entertain proud thoughts." It is in a corresponding sense of the word that the Glossa Ordinaria interprets the black horse in the Apocalypse to signify heretics, who contend against truth with false reasonings that they may the more easily deceive; Rabanus Maurus, to signify heretics who are black with the turpitude of error; Richard of St. Victor, to signify the arguments and occult subtlety of heretics; Ribera, to signify heretics and teachers of corrupt doctrine; and Pererius, p. 871, to signify "heretics who promise to their followers a knowledge of the Scriptures which is certain, but who are like the horse and mule, in which is no understanding." Thus the black horse signifies no understanding of the Scripture, as the white horse signifies a true understanding; although the animal itself, whether white or black, is equally devoid of understanding. Just as the eagle, by its flight upwards, symbolizes an exalted spiritual perception; although, as an animal, it is as destitute of spiritual perception as the horse itself of understanding.

It is from this primary and abstract signification of the symbol horse that it is used to signify, in a secondary sense, preachers of truth or preachers of heresy; or again, the Gospel or the doctrines of the Gospel, in their purity or else as corrupted; according as the horse is represented in a good or evil sense. If we consider the horse as signifying preachers preaching or discoursing, whether it be truth or error (a meaning very generally given), we still see the primitive idea retained; the only difference being, that in the one case it is stated abstractedly, in the other concretely.

Aquinas observes, that the horse is introduced as denoting, among other things, "fierceness in combating against the temptations to sin which arise from the world, the flesh, and the devil;" also, "on account of its velocity in discurrendo."

Again, Aquinas, Apocalypse, p. 146; –

"He had a bow," that is, the bow of the Scriptures, which strikes our hearts in order that we may be wouuded with love: 'He hath stretched his bow, and made it ready.''From this bow proceed as many arrows as there are words in sacred Scripture. Psalm cxx., 4: 'The arrows of the mighty One are sharp.'"...

"With this bow, that is, witth Scripture," says Aquinas, "Christ repelled Satan in his temptations,' Matt, iv., 4. . . . "Conquering the devil first in himself by his bow and his passion, in order that he might afterwards conquer in his members; i. e., teach us by his example, and assist us in conquering."

Haymo, Apocalypse, chap. vi.; –

"By the bow are signified the two Testaments, from which proceed as many arrows as there are divine sayings. For with arrows are men slain, and with the arrows of the divine Scriptures the wicked are slain, in order that they may die unto sin and live unto God. . . . He went forth conquering the devil first in himself, that he might afterwards conquer him in his members."

The same interpretation is given by Ambrose Ansbert, who, on the words "conquering and to conquer," observes;

"Understand here the Head as first appearing conqueror, in order that afterwards the same, fighting daily in his body, might overcome the wickednesses of diabolical temptation, and the snares of perverse men; which the author of this scripture begins to make manifest by immediately subjoining, 'and when he opened the second seal,' &c."

A similar interpretation is given by Andreas, who says that the apostles, by the arms of truth, overcame the leader of error; also by Primasius, Aretas, and others. We shall here add the following further illustration of the passage, as derived from the application of it to St. Vincent Pererius, by his biographer.

Cornelius a Lapide, Apocalypse, p. 120; –

"Vincent was a man of indomitable valor of soul, and by a marvellous wisdom overcame the errors of the world; by unsullied chastity of mind and body he overcame his concupiscences; with incredible fortitude and patience he overcame the terrors of Satan. He is comparable to a horse, because he went (discurrit) throughout the world preaching; to a white horse, by reason of the brightness, purity, and splendor of his doctrine, and the coruscation of his miracles. On this white horse did Christ sit. For as St. Augustin observes, the grace of Christ in the soul of a holy man is like the rider upon a horse. This rider hath a bow, which is the scripture of the Old and New Testament, with which the perfidy of the Jews is transfixed and the perversity of heretics, while the Christian religion is likewise defended. To this white horse is given a triple crown, one of stars, by reason of the multitude of his marvellous virtues: another of gold, by reason of his learning and great brightness of doctrine, on which see Eccles. xlv.: 'A crown of gold upon his head:' a third of precious stones, on which see Psalm xx.: 'Thou hast placed upon his head a crown of precious stones.' This horse went forth conquering the pleasures of the flesh, the delights of the world, the crafts of the devil. He went forth into the field of worldly tribulations, in order by chastity to overcome the flesh, by poverty the world, by humility the devil, and sin by perfect charity.

Marloratus, Apocalypse, p. 89; –

"These horses are called white for the pureness of the doctrine which they preach, and for the soundness of their life. For the herdmen (shepherds) of the church ought to be such as if it were possible they should give no cause of stumbling unto others, but be found unblameable both in conversation and doctrine, according as it is written, 2 Cor. vi., 3." &c.

"In consideration whereof, Christ termeth them the light of the world and the salt of the earth (Gaspar Megander). The bow is Christ's Gospel, the preaching whereof is disposed at his pleasure (Marloratus, Bullinger). Therefore like as the enemies be overthrown by the arrows which the bow shooteth out afar off, even so the nations that were far off are subdued unto Christ by the preaching of the Gospel; Eph. ii., 13. This did Christ promise to his disciples, saying, 'I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all they that be against you shall not be able to gainsay nor gainstand,' Luke xxi., 15. And Paul, following the prophet, saith: 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and shake off the understanding of the skilful,' Isa. xxix., 14; and 1 Cor. i., 19. Also the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but mighty through God, &c.; 2 Cor. x., 4 (Bullinger). . . . Even so at this day the faithful, and specially the ministers of the Word which fight under Christ's banner against the power of the world, must assure themselves of the victory; although they be fain to endure many things from time to time. But now-a-days, in the Popedom, a man shall not find white horses among them that brag themselves to be the herdmen of churches. For their doctrine is unclean, and their life loathsome to God and all godly men. And therefore they glory in vain of the succession of the apostles, as we have shewn often times already (Marloratus)."

We have nothing to do with the particular application either to the case of St. Vincent, or to that of the Popedom exclusively. It has before been observed, that the subjects of the seven seals are the spiritual states of the church universal, as represented by the seven churches. See Vol. I., p. 218.

Parens says, that the color white is a symbol of purity. Durham; of consolation and joy, victory and triumph, &c. Hammond; that the horse here mentioned is mystically the Gospel, in respect of the purity and gloriousness or divinity of its doctrine. Wodehouse and others; that it is the primitive truth of Christianity. Grotius; that the white horse denotes the Gospel. Forbes; its preachers, the apostles and others. Parens; its rapid progress. Camerarius; its pure and flourishing state diffusing itself abroad. (Poole's Synopsis, p. 1745.)

Patrick Forbes, Apocalypse, p. 31; –

"White color, besides that it is the note of gladness, truth, and simple pureness, both in Scripture and heathen speech; is also a note of triumph. And ordinarily, triumphing captains rode upon, or had their triumphing chariots drawn by, white horses. The bow is a weapon smiting swiftly, and hitting both near and far off. The crown given him sheweth undoubted prevailing, for victors are crowned. The type, thus we see, accordeth fully to the speech uttered of it. This is the type of the power of the Gospel preached, whereby Christ subdueth all to his obedience, as riding on the word of truth and meekness of righteousness, his right hand teaching him terrible things: having arrows sharp to pierce the hearts of the king his enemies, whereby peoples fall under him. This rider triumpheth always, both in them who are saved and in them who perish. These arrows kill all, but differently. Some are slain to live, and being killed are cured, who will be cured and hear his voice while it is to-day; others are killed to utter destruction, in whose refractory souls is shot in the seal of their just condemnation, and of Christ his terror, verses 15, 16, 17. For this is a strong archer, nor like those of Ephraim, who, being taught to handle the bow, gave back in the day of battle: but even the true Joseph, the feeder of Israel, who, though the archers shot at him and grieved him, yet his bow abode strong, through the mighty God of Jacob, and the Stone of Israel. This occasioneth, but improperly, the subsequent evils; and being in itself the first of all blessings, becometh to the world (madly rejecting and foolishly impugning that which must conquer and overcome) the first of plagues, and cause of all misery and destruction."

Parens, p. 108; –

"'And he had a bow.'] Greek τόξον, which signifies a bow and arrows, and sometimes a quiver. The Law and Gospel is Christ's bow; from whence he sends forth arrows, that is, the efficacy of his Spirit, wounding the hearts and minds of the elect, that it may heal and restore them to life; but to terrify and kill the wicked, as it is in the same Psalm: 'Thy arrows are sharp, peoples shall fall under thee; in the heart of the king's enemies.'"

Ribera, Zegerius, Piscator, and Durham say, that the bow here denotes power from preaching the Gospel. Mede; the sacred Scripture, whose words and sentences are so many arrows, which wound some unto life, some unto death (Poole's Synopsis, p. 1745).

Pellicanus, Apocalypse, p. 21; –

"Moreover as enemies are prostrated by arrows of the bow thrown from afar, so are the Gentiles afar off subjected to Christ by the preaching of the Gospel; see Psalm lxiv.: 'The arrows of the little ones become their plagues;' i. e., of the philosophers and the wise of this world; and that you may not understand the arrows in a carnal sense, he subjoins, 'And their tongues against them were disabled.' Which is the same that Christ promises to his disciples: 'I will give you a mouth and wisdom which none of your adversaries will be able to gainsay;' 1 Cor. i., 19: 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,' &c.; 2 Cor. x., 4: "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God, &c."

Augustus Clissold, The spiritual exposition of the Apocalypse, Volume 2, 1851. p. 328.

Robertson, Apocalypse, (Euphrates), p. 303; –

"It seems unfair to allow the name of Babylon a mystical signification, and yet deny it to Euphrates, of which we had not heard so much in Scripture, if that proud city had not stood upon its banks, and made so much use of it to all purposes."

The river Euphrates is enumerated as the fourth, or outermost of the rivers of Paradise. Rupertus also notices this peculiarity of the Euphrates, that in the Scripture it is regarded as a boundary. Thus in his comment on the Apocalypse, p. 421; –

"They are said to be bound in the great river Euphrates, that is, they were not as yet permitted to enter into the borders of Israel. For the river Euphrates is rightly put for all the boundaries of Israel; because, upon the authority of Scripture, it was one of its boundaries. For thus was it said to them by the Lord, 'From the desert and Libanus even to the great river Euphrates shall be your boundary,' Joshua i."

Now the land of Israel or Canaan was regarded as signifying either heaven, or the church, or the soul of man. Paradise also was interpreted as signifying the same; and, says Lauretus, a garden and Paradise mean nearly the same; and we know that Paradise has been called the garden of the soul. It is in consequence of the Euphrates being the boundary of the promised land as representing the church, that some have considered the waters of Euphrates to represent the waters of baptism. Thus, Cornelius a Lapide, p. 178, says the Euphrates was a type of baptism, for it was by the Euphrates that Abraham passed into the promised land. Similar remarks are made by Ribera, p. 147, who however regards the Euphrates as having two significations; the one evil, the other good; the first derived from its running through Babylon, the second from its representing the waters of baptism; –

"As the ancient patriarchs derived their origin from places beyond the Euphrates, and Abraham first passed over the Euphrates when called by God and following him, and came into the land of promise which through him and his posterity became the land of believers, and possessed a temple built to God, and a law, and a priesthood, and is significative of the church; so the angels are therefore bound in the Euphrates, because those who were passing through the Euphrates, that is, through the waters of baptism, and coming into the church, they could not hurt, as they could those who were beyond the Euphrates, i. e., out of the church. And therefore he preferred saying, 'in the river Euphrates,' rather than in Babylon, in order that baptism might be the more evidently signified."

Gagneus, Biblia Maxima De la Haye, p. 815; –

"'Loose the four angels,' &c., i.e., announce that all the devils are either let loose, or else are to be let loose in a short time; who, on the coming of Antichrist from the four parts of the world, will rage against the faithful. Before, indeed, they were bound in the great river Euphrates, which was a figure of baptism; but we being now baptized into the death of Christ, and the fuel of original sin being extinguished by baptism, these devils are repressed and coerced lest they should visibly put forth a power by which they might prevail against the faithful, and these demons should rage the more cruelly. At the coming of Antichrist, however, they will be let loose, a greater power being then promised them."

Again; if we interpret the Euphrates in relation to the garden of Paradise.

Augustus Clissold, The spiritual exposition of the Apocalypse, Volume 2, 1851. pp. 333-342.

In p. 110 of this volume is given the interpretation of the symbol horse, to which therefore the reader is referred. At present we observe further, that under the preceding trumpet it was said, that "the locusts were like unto horses prepared for battle, and the sound of their wings as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle." Under the present trumpet there follows another description of "the horses in the vision" and of the "heads of the horses."

In Psalm xxxiii., 17, it is said, that "a horse is a vain thing to save a man;" and if we interpret horse to signify natural understanding or reason, then does the Psalmist teach that mere natural understanding or reason is a vain thing to save a man. It is in this sense that the passage is interpreted by Brixianus, and also by the Glossa Ordinaria; where the horse is interpreted to signify "human wisdom," "Fallax est equus ad salutem;" the horse implying that external reason or understanding which is constituted of fallacies. In a similar sense is the horse to be now considered. Marloratus observes with respect to the horses under the preceding trumpet, where it is said, "like horses prepared unto battle," that they signify those who were very ready to "quarrelling, strife, brawling, debate, hatred, and enmity;" words which imply controversial warfare, carried on with fallacies and delusive arguments, for which the locusts are ready prepared. At present we are treating of horses in vision, that is (upon the same principle), of reasoning or argumentation in vision, or in other words, visionary or imaginary hypotheses, sophistications, phantasies, and hallucinations.

Hyponoia, Apocalypse, p. 143; –

"'The horses in vision and them that sat upon them,' These were war-horses and their riders warriors, representing doctrinal powers, engaging in what we may call a contest of principles."

Again of the horses under the fifth trumpet, p. 129; –

"We may say metaphorically of a polemic, with his array of arguments, that he appears as a war-horse equipped for battle; and so we say spiritually of these scorpio-locust principles from the abyss system, with their legal furniture armed for the contest."

Haymo gives a somewhat similar interpretation; for he regards the horses and chariots mentioned under the first trumpet as signifying conflicts arising out of errors and heresies; and says that however heretics may differ among themselves, they are all unanimous in fighting against the unity of the church. A similar interpretation is given by Ambrose Ansbert, Primasius, Bede, Richard of St. Victor, Viegas, &c.

Somewhat although not precisely similar is the use made of the symbol horse by Eaton in his Treatise on Free Justification, p. 230; –

"As the spirituall knowledge discerning the deep things of God, counts them and embraceth them as precious and glorious: so the literall knowledge resting in the bare letter, cannot perceive nor receive the deep things of God, that is, the excellency of Christ's benefits, because it counts and rejects them as absurd and foolish; yea, very foolishnesse it selfe, 1 Cor. ii., 14; and because great learning counts it her wisdome to confute that which she takes for foolishnesse; hereupon ariseth unfallibly against the preaching of the excellency of Christ's benefits strong sophisticating, and bold contention: because the literall learning being mounted up upon the horse of pride (for this knowledge puffeth up, 1 Cor. viii., 2); and being pricked forward with two spurres, the one of envie at her brother's gift of preaching the glory of Christ, and the other of vaine glory lest this literall learning loose some of her praise, she rusheth out like a warre-horse into the battle of contention; and yet layes all the blame hereof upon the preaching of the excellency of Christ's benefits; yea so strongly doth this literall knowledge judge the excellency of Christ's benefits to be meere foolishnesse, and thereupon so impudent in contention against the same, that Luther upon these words, 'Then is the slander of the crosse abolished,' Gal. v., 11, proveth with many arguments, that Paul taketh it for a most certaine signe, that the Gospel of Christ, and righteousnesse of faith are not rightly preached, and is not the Gospel, if it be preached without contention against it; for (saith he) 'when the crosse is abolished, and the rage of the false apostles wrangling, sophisticating, and persecuting ceaseth on the one side; and offences and scandals on the other side, and all things are in peace; this is a sure token that the devil keeping the entrie of the house, the pure doctrine of God's Word, is taken away.' "

It was with a view to stay if possible the controversies of the Protestant church that Baxter wrote his treatise, entitled, "Catholick Theologie: Plain, Pure, Peaceable: for Pacification of the Dogmatical Word-Warriors, who, 1. By contending about things unrevealed or not understood, 2. And by taking verbal differences for real, and their arbitrary notions for necessary sacred truths; deceived and deceiving by ambiguous unexplained words; have long been the shame of the Christian religion, a scandal and hardning to unbelievers; the incendiaries, dividers, and distracters of the church; the occasion of state discords and wars; the corrupters of the Christian faith, and the subverters of their own souls, and their followers; calling them to a blind zeal, and wrathful warfare, against true piety, love, and peace; and teaching them to censure, backbite, slander, and prate against each other, for things which they never understood. In three books. 1. Pacifying Principles, about God's Decrees, Fore-Knowledge, Providence, Operations, Redemption, Grace, Man's Power, Free-will, Justification, Merits, Certainty of Salvation, Perseverance, &c. 2. A Pacifying Praxis or Dialogue, about the Five Articles, Justification, &c. Proving that men here contend almost only about ambiguous words, and unrevealed things. 3. Pacifying Disputations against some real errors which hinder reconciliation, viz., about Physical Predetermination, Original Sin, the extent of Redemption, Sufficient Grace, Imputation of Righteousness, &c., written chiefly for posterity, when sad experience hath taught men to hate theological logical wars, and to love, and seek, and call for peace (Ex Bello Pax)."

In the Preface to this work, Baxter observes, p. 11; – "The case of the schoolmen, and such other disputing militant theologues: who have spun out the doctrine of Cliristianity into so many spiders' webs; and filled the world with so many volumes of controversies, as are so many engines of contention, hatred, and division: and I would our Protestant churches, Lutherans and Calvinists, had not too great a number of such men, as are far short of the schoolmen's suhtilty, but much exceed them in the enviousness of their zeal, and the bitterness and revilings of their disputes, more openly serving the prince of hatred against the cause of love and peace. O how many famous disputers, in schools, pulpit, and press, do little know what spirit they are of, and what reward they must expect of Christ, for making odious his servants, destroying love, and dividing his kingdom! How many such have their renown as little to their true comfort, as Alexanders and Caesars for their bloody wars!"

Again, p. 24; –

"The dogmatists also have done their part, by departing from the simplicity of the Christian doctrine, to set the Christian world together by the ears. Of which Hilary hath written sharply against the making of new creeds, not sparing to tell them that even the Nicene fathers led others the way: and Hierome wonders that they that were for the word hypostasis questioned his faith, as if he that had been baptized had been without a faith or creed which all at baptism do profess. But this will not serve the turn to these corrupters. Councils, doctors, and schoolmen have been led by the temptation of more subtle knowledge, to be wise and orthodox over-much, till the church's faith is as large as all the decrees of general councils de fide at the least, and the church's laws a great deal larger! And what abundance of dubious confessions, declarations, or decrees are now to be subscribed or believed and justified, before a man can have his baptismal birthright, even the love, peace, and church-communion bequeathed to him as a Christian by Christ!"

"And now controversal writings fill our libraries by cartloads; and a use of confutation is a great part of most sermons among the Papists, Lutherans, and many others; and men are bred up in the universities to a militant striving kind of life, that their work may be to make plain Christians seem unlearned dolts, and dissenters seem odious or suspected men, and themselves to be the wise and orthodox persons, and triumphant over all the erroneous, that were it not for these contenders would destroy the faith. And so ministers are armed against ministers, churches against churches, Christians against Christians, yea princes against princes, and countreys against countreys, by wrangling contentious clergie men. And (O what an injury is it!) young students are almost necessitated to waste much of their lives (which should be spent in preparing them to promote faith, holiness, and love) in reading over multitudes of these wrangling writers, to know which of them is in the right: and most readers catch the disease hereby themselves."

In p. 17 however of this Preface, Baxter admits that "the piety of almost all sects of Christians on earth is already corrupted with so many human superstitious additions, that few can escape the temptation of censuring accordingly."

De Lyra, Apocalypse, chap. ix.; –

"'They had breastplates' As in the case of good men, their breastplate is called righteousness, Eph. vi., 'Put on the breastplate of righteousness;' so, in the opposite sense, unrighteousness is here said to be the breastplate of the wicked. 'Of fire,' through the fervid appetite of doing injury. 'Of a hyacinthine,' i. e., a celestial color in which is designated their apparent zeal of faith. For heretics, asserting that they are but establishing the truth of faith, raise up a persecution against true catholics. 'From their mouth proceedeth fire,' – dissension among men. Moraliter; their power is in their mouths, being advocates of evil doctrine, detractors of others, adudators, and unjustly sustaining these evil practices by their words."

Gagneus, Biblia Maxima, Apocalypse, chap. ix.; –

"From their mouth, i. e., the suggestion of the fire of envy, the smoke of blindness, and the sulphur of fetid lust; for they endeavor to draw over all they can to the like vices with which they themselves are bound. Or it is the rabid fire of anger raging against the faithful; and the smoke of empty, vain, and proud boasting; and the sulphur, that is, fœtor of blasphemy. 'The power of the horses was in their mouths;' that is, in their eloquence; for the precursors of Antichrist, the seducers of the faithful, will endeavor by the force of human eloquence to alienate Christians from the faith. And if they cannot draw them over to themselves by persuasion, their force and power is in their tails; for their tails are like to serpents, having heads, and with these they hurt. Truly are they like to serpents who blandly insinuate themselves, and as it were give their assent, but yet strike secretly with a poisoned tail; for so do seducers endeavor to impose upon the simple with gentle beginnings: those whom they attack they infect with poison, namely, that of wicked suggestion. 'Having heads in their tails' or occasions of injury, or teachers and leaders of their wickedness and perversity; and with these doing hurt, that is, with their tails or their heads, for in the Greek it may refer to both."

Richard of St. Victor, Apocalypse, p. 246; –

"These demons had 'breastplates,' by reason of their complicated subtlety; 'fiery,' through burning ill will; 'sulphureous,' through the fœtor of their infamy; 'of hyacinth,' through the shew and simulation of heavenly righteousness. The hyacinth, having a likeness in color to heaven, signifies the heavenly life. An angel of Satan sometimes transforms himself into an angel of light, and under the shew of virtue palliates vice; and whom he cannot deceive by force he deceives by hypocrisy. . . 'From their mouth proceeds fire,' from the malignity of wicked suggestion; and smoke from the darkness of their blindness, and sulphur from the foetor of their viciousness and wicked opinion. . . . 'By these three plagues are slain the third part of men' i. e., the whole body of those who are to be damned, viz., by the fire of evil suggestion, and the smoke of blindness, and the sulphur of corrupting viciousness and stinking thoughts: which proceeded from their mouth, because evil communications corrupt good manners. But inasmuch as the wicked endeavor to hurt the good not only by open suggestion but by secret fraud, it rightly follows that the power of the horses is in their mouth and in their tails. For the mouth signifies open suggestion; the tail, occult fraud; and the wicked, when they cannot hurt with their mouth, hurt with their tail; because they endeavor to accomplish in secret what they cannot do openly."

Similar in its general character is the interpretation of Haymo.

Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, Apocalypse, p. 487;

"And they who sat upon them had breastplates of fire, and hyacinth, and sulphur;' that is, they fortified themselves by their opinions, from which followed their eternal punishment. . . .'From their mouth;' that is, their preaching; because that is the cause of their punishment."

Anselm proceeds to interpret fire to signify the heat of cupidity, smoke the ignorance arising from pride, and sulphur the stench of evil works; the power in the mouth as signifying evil preaching, and the tail occult deceptions. In the application of these interpretations he exhibits however some slight variations from other authors.

Viegas interprets the breastplates of hyacinth to signify the simulation of the zeal of faith and religion, of the love of celestial things, and the true worship of God. Gregory the Great regards the horses as signifying iniquitous preachers, running about with their mouths opened by the impulse of carnal motives.

Bede interprets the fire and smoke and sulphur proceeding out of the mouth as signifying noxious preaching. The prophet who teacheth a lie, he is the tail. "Tails like unto serpents," he therefore considers to signify false teachers.

Ambrose Ansbert conceives that by horses are meant the preachers of error; by the heads of the horses, the authors of these errors; by their having heads like lions, their being strong to tear in pieces the feeble; by the fire, smoke, and sulphur proceeding out of their mouth, their preaching perverse dogmas, and power of persuasion; by the tail, the prophet who teaches a lie.

Cornelius a Lapide, Apocalypse, p. 176; –

"They are said to be ten thousand times ten thousand; because the army of angers, tumults, and furies, when it arises from the inordinate affections of the mind, is innumerable. Whence from these there arise innumerable quarrels, wranglings, and discords. Let angry persons take note of this; for while they resist not their wrath, but indulge it, what else do they but raise up and set in combat against themselves and their own peace and conscience, infinite cohorts of internal and raging enemies. . . . The fire signifies the excandescence of anger and of angry persons; the smoke, the darkness of a disordered reason; the sulphur signifies rage (Alcasar)."

Alcasar thinks that by the four angels bound at the river Euphrates, and here actuating men, are signified self-love, the love of the good opinion of the world, the love of riches, and private judgment, by which he seems to mean rather self-intelligence.

A Lapide says, p. 179, that the breastplates were of a hyacinthine, i. e., a celestial color, in order that the combatants might seem to be sent by God from heaven. And Ribera, p. 148, says, it was that men might understand enemies of this kind to be insuperable and sent by God; by which means the wicked might be involved in punishment.

Hooper, Apocalypse, p. 203; –

"Let us next consider the description which is given of the army mentioned under this trumpet. St. John says; 'And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions: and out of their mouths issued fire, and smoke, and brimstone.' These emblems clearly represent Satan assuming the appearance of heavenly things. The mimicry of love is discernible in the 'breastplate of fire, and 'jacinth' being of a purple color and one of the foundation stones of the New Jerusalem, shews that Satan will put forth the light of hell in the semblance of heavenly truth, so as to deceive if possible the very elect; the 'brimstone' discovers to us the spiritual apostacy by those who are led away by Satan, being given up by God to believe a lie, because they abode not in the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. Their being on 'horses' shews that it is a fleshly host; and their horses having 'mouths like lions,' that they assume apostolic authority and power; 'fire, smoke, and brimstone issuing from their mouths' are expressive of false love, heresies, and spiritual wickedness. 'By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone.' It is added, 'For their power is in their mouth and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents and had heads, and with them they do hurt.' It is said by Isaiah, 'The prophet that teacheth lies he is the tail,' and their tails being like unto serpents represent the false prophets which shall be among the people, filled with all subtilty," &c.

Lauretus, art. Sulphur; –

"Sulphur is a substance concocted by the burning of fire in the veins of the earth, the fume of which is of a fetid and pungent odor; nor is there anything that more easily takes fire; whence it appears to possess a highly igneous principle (Pliny).

"'The brimstone going out of the mouth of the horses, signifies the blasphemies of heretics, and of the persecutors of the church.' (Augustin)."

Rupertus, Apocalypse, p. 423;–

"What are we to understand by fire, but cupidity? What by the hyacinthine color which resembles the appearance of heaven, but pride? What by foetid sulphur, but lust, especially that which is contrary to nature?"

And in like manner on Job xviii., 15, "Brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation," Gregory observes, the foetor of kindled lust (Brixianus Dic, art. Sulphur).

Now the infernal origin of these doctrines is to be found in the lusts, concupiscences, or cupidities of the natural man. Accordingly Rupertus every where interprets brimstone to signify cupidity: Ribera, to signify lust.

Wodehouse also observes, p. 272, of the smoke, fire, and brimstone, that, –

"These, issuing from the mouths of the invaders of the church, must, if interpreted consistently, be stated to represent corrupt, infernal, destructive doctrines." (See also Horne's Index to the Symbolical Language of the Scriptures.)

Again, p. 261, in a note, that, –

"By smoke are denoted dark confused doctrines, clouding the light of pure revelation, and brimstone in union with these implies their infernal origin."

The heads on the tails signifies, says Durham, 'the gross abominableness and absurdity of the doctrine,' p. 298.