John Trapp on Matthew 18:6

Verse 6. But whoso shall offend, &c.] By false doctrine, or loose life, or making a prey of their simplicity and humility which many times draws on injury. A Crow will stand upon a sheeps back, pulling off wooll from her side. She durst not do so to a Wolf or a Mastiff. That a milstone were hanged, &c.] The nether milstone, called [non-Latin text not transcribed] in Greek the Asse, either because it is the bigger and thicker of the two; or because the milstone was drawn about by the help of the Asse. This kinde of punishment the greatest malefactours among the Jews were in those daies put to, as saith S. Hierom. And hereby is set forth the heaviest of hell-torments. Thus the Beast of Rome (that grand offendour of Christs little ones, whom he worrieth and maketh havock of) is threatned (by a like kinde of punishment) to be cast alive into the burning lake, Revel. 19. 20. And for his City Babylon, a mighty Angel is seen to take up a stone like a great milstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great City Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. This, by an elegant and emphaticall gradation, notably sets forth the remedilesse ruine of Rome; In that an Angel, a strong Angel taketh a stone, and a great stone, even a milstone, which he letteth not barely fall, but casteth, and withM Leigh of the pro[illegible: 1 letter]. impetuous force thrusteth into the bottom of the sea, whence nothing ordinarily is recovered, much lesse a milstone, thrust from such an hand with such a force, &c. Drowned in the depth of the sea] In that part of the sea that is farthest off from the shore, q. d. he is a brat of fathomlesse perdition, [non-Latin text not transcribed] quasi [non-Latin text not transcribed] procul a terra. he shall be desperately drowned in destruction, ita ut in aquae, summitate rursùs non ebulliat. So the Romans served their parricides, and the Grecians other grievous malefactours: they wrapt them upCa[illegible: 4 letters]. Not. in lead, and cast them into the deep.